Apartment Hunting
by Cabbers

It was the perfect way to end a busy week for both of them. A whole week of setting up the offices of his new company for one, and pulling extra shifts while trying to get his portfolio together for the other. They'd scarcely had time to exchange lewd innuendo in the diner, much less anything else.

So, when Friday evening rolled around and they were both in the same place at the same time without coffee to serve or a meeting in ten minutes, they were both naked before they even got to the bed.

A very satisfying and tension-relieving hour later, in which they managed to forget bitchy office designers and re-admission panels, respectively, they shared a cigarette, ignoring that it was a post-coital cliche, and Brian leeringly asked, "Any big plans for the weekend?"

"Mmm . . . apartment hunting."

"What's wrong with the apartment you have? Aside from the obvious," Brian had only set foot in the place once, and Justin had the distinct impression that had been enough to last him forever.

He made a face. "Daphne wants me out so that Tim the Wonder-boyfriend can move in."

"You're so cute when you're jealous."

"I'm not jealous! I just think he's bad news." They'd been over this before. "And they've only been going out, like, six weeks, and now he's fucking moving in. I just don't know what to do about it."

Brian sighed and looked at him seriously for a moment. "You don't do anything," he told him. "You let her go off and have her bad-idea-fling, and then," he cut off Justin's protest, "And then, six months from now, when she shows up at your door with a suitcase and a black eye, then you get to do something." Justin looked up at him, surprised. Brain thought Tim was an asshole, too! Why hadn't he said anything? He sighed and stroked Brian's neck. He never knew when the older man would be struck by one of his advice-giving moods, but whenever he did, the advice was always sound, unexpectedly empathetic, and often uncomfortable.

"What about you," he asked to change the subject as Brian took another drag, "Having another orgy this weekend?"

"Apartment hunting," he half-asked, ignoring the question, "Y'know, I've been thinking of redecorating," he gestured to the still-empty loft laughingly, "I could use someone with a good eye around to help." He finished quietly, looking intensely at Justin's face.

"Are you asking me to move back in with you?" the other man only raised his eyebrows in response and he continued incredulously, "In spite of what happened the last time---the last two times?" he corrected, enjoying the way Brian turned away, uncomfortable. Justin smiled and put out the cigarette, blowing smoke out away from his lover's face.

"Third time's the charm," Brian responded, waiting. Justin reached up to push the hair out of his lover's face and bit back on the immediate and enthusiastic agreement that he was tempted to give. Brian captured his hand kissed his palm, sending a shiver through his body. Instead of responding to the offer, he changed the subject again, in a much more effective and distracting way this time. He wouldn't give an answer until he was sure, and in the mean time, he was going to keep his appointments to look at apartments, and help Brian redecorate.

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