You With The Sad Eyes (2/3)

[bubbleforest]

Master post

Continues from here.

AJ woke up to the smell of ink and pancakes.

He squinted against the sunlight and rolled over on his back, knuckling the sleep dust out of his eyes. It took him a second to realize that he was alone and that the empty side of the bed was cold. He yawned, stretching until his toes kinked up against the sheets, and smacked the sour morning taste out of his mouth as he rolled out of bed. There was a white terry-bathrobe sitting next to his clothes on the chest. AJ hopped into his boxers and wrapped himself up in the robe, tying the belt securely around his middle.

He padded out of the bedroom to find Brian sitting by the large dining table, already in his suit and reading through the paper. He looked up at the sound of AJ's shuffling, and gave a light smile.

"Morning."

"Morning," AJ returned, voice still hoarse from sleep. He cleared his throat and gestured towards the table that was stacked full of everything from poached eggs to wheatgrass shots. "Sorry, I didn't know you were expecting - um." He rubbed his neck uncomfortably. "If I can just take a quick shower I'll be out of your hair in-"

"No, no, hey," Brian said, the paper rustling when he put it down. "No, I wasn't - you should stay and eat something." He looked slightly flustered as he made a sweeping hand movement out over the table. "I, uh, I didn't know what you like, so I just kind of … ordered everything."

"Oh," AJ said. He found himself smiling, somewhat lopsided, and made his way over to one of the empty chairs. "Well, slap me twice and call me Spongebob," he muttered as he took a seat, grabbing one of the pancakes and tearing a piece off it.

Brian looked up, his face stuck between amusement and horror. "What?"

AJ was equally startled. He cleared his throat and waved a hand around. "Just … this is really nice and all. I'm just not used to it getting a breakfast buffet for doing my job."

"Yeah, well." Brian shook his head at himself as he went back to his newspaper. "Other people get raises all the time for cheating and lying their way to the top," he said without looking up. His hair was combed and his suit was free of wrinkles, a complete one-eighty from the disheveled guy with the nice smile and the drawn-in, worn eyes that AJ had met last night. Brian looked ready to take over the world today. "I don't see why you should get less when you do neither of those things."

AJ drew one of his legs up to his chest and popped another piece of pancake into his mouth. "I guess," he said eventually, through his mouthful. He remembered the almost shy way Brian had touched him last night, only growing confident once he figured out that AJ was okay with anything he did, and he offered Brian a half smile. "It's nice. Thanks."

Brian glanced at him again, a double take that lingered. "Anytime," he replied.

They were interrupted when the front door burst open and a cheerful voice rang out with, "it's all right, don't worry, Mr. Littrell knows I'm coming," overlapping a much more frantic, "but sir, I have to insist, Mr. Littrell said not to be--"

AJ's gaze flew back to Brian, but before either of them could react a man a few years their senior strolled past the corner of the room. "Relax, relax, I won't take long," he said, waving off the flushed bellboy like he was an annoying little fly.

"Mr. Littrell, I'm sorry, I couldn't stop him," the bellboy said miserably, arms nearly flapping out of their sockets.

"It's fine," Brian replied uneasily, clearly unprepared. He got up on his feet and glanced at AJ out the corner of his eye. "Really, it's fine," he reassured, and the bellboy rushed off after wringing his hands desperately. "Hey, Kirkpatrick," Brian said, slipping on a polite smile, heading over to shake the man's hand. "Do you always show up in the middle of breakfast?"

"Only when there's the possibility of someone not being dressed yet," he said happily. "Which, hey, speaking of which, I see that you have company, so-" He paused when he caught AJ's eye, and when he peered closer AJ knew the delighted recognition he saw there. "Son of a bitch," he said under his breath, then barked a laugh. "AJ?"

"Hey, Chris," AJ said weakly, trying to shoot Brian an apologetic glance without being too obvious about it. He got up and refastened his bathrobe as he walked over on bare feet, his stomach lurching painfully. This was a risky situation both for him and Brian to get caught in. "How've you been, man?" he asked, clasping their hands together. "It's been a while. You got rich enough to hang out with this guy?"

Chris pulled him into a quick back-pat hug and grinned. "I could ask you the same thing."

"Oh, well." AJ looked at Brian quickly, who was watching them both with a small, confused frown on his face. "I was just…"

"Oh. Oh," Chris exclaimed, looking from one to the other. "I see. Getting back on the saddle, huh?" He pounded Brian's back so Brian nearly fell forward. "Good for you, Littrell. The old twig and berries shrivel up and die if you don't use them enough. Trust me, I've been there. So, AJ," he said, turning back, and AJ's head was already spinning, "Are you still working at that old record store? I keep meaning to go back, but I'm so fucking busy these days." He wrapped an arm around AJ's shoulders and addressed Brian. "Me and this guy used to waste hours on vocal lessons when he was a baby and I was a guy in my prime."

Brian looked like he wasn't sure whether to start talking or just back away really quickly, so AJ jumped in. "I had to quit that job," he said. "So now I'm just … you know. Running errands for rich kids, trying to save up enough so I can get started on that internship."

It almost felt like the truth, if he stretched it enough for himself. He did go buy liquor for the occasional twenty-year-old whose fake id didn't fool anyone, but it was usually followed by twenty minutes spent in a back alley on his knees. Chris, however, just nodded intently. "Good for you, man," he said with complete sincerity. Only Chris could ever take the lamest of situations and make them sound like they had a shred of dignity. "You'll get there someday. Listen, I don't wanna keep you two from whatever you were doing, and I have to be on my way anyway, but I just needed a quick word." He turned back to Brian, and AJ recognized the serious set to his face. "I've never been the kind of man to do business over the phone, I'll admit," he said regretfully. "So I was thinking we should set up a dinner meeting tomorrow. You, me, that partner of yours with the scary eyebrows."

"Sure." Brian seemed to find his footing and slipped back into that carelessly confident mode that seemed so easy for him. He leaned back against the table and nodded. "I'm always happy to meet with the people I'm going to be in business with. Especially if they arrange these dinner plans over the phone first."

"Well, I was in the neighborhood," Chris said lightly, as if the subliminal message completely went over his head. He gave AJ's shoulder another rough thump. "We should really catch up sometime, McLean," he added, giving him another one of those sincere looks that could easily be mistaken for menacing. "I wanna hear all about life after the boulevard of broken dreams."

"Yeah, we should-" AJ's breath hitched before he could finish the sentence, so he simply dug the hands in the pockets of his bathrobe and nodded. "Yeah. Let's do that."

Chris nodded, and AJ thought it was a little sad that he was probably never going to see this guy again. "All right, I'll leave you two lovebirds to it," he announced, flouncing off with another quick look in Brian's direction. "And I'll see you tomorrow then."

Once the front door slammed shut again, AJ didn't know where to look. He rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly in a place where he was forced to think and react to his surroundings. He'd never had his past infiltrate his work this way.

"What-" Brian said after an interminable silence, and AJ cleared his throat loudly.

"Hey, so, I'll just go take that shower now," he said, looking up to find Brian already watching him, a puzzled look on his face. He jerked a thumb over his shoulder towards the bathroom and started backing away. "I'll be quick, no worries. I can see that you've got a lot of stuff to do."

He slipped past the door before he could get another thorough look at Brian's face, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes once he was by himself. "Idiot," he whispered to himself, scrubbing both hands over his face. It wasn't the most respectable job in the world he had, but dammit, he had his integrity, and he wasn't about to ruin the reputation of one of his customers, especially when they were nice enough to treat him properly and offer him breakfast in the morning. And it wasn't like AJ had seen anyone from his past since he'd moved to LA.

Sighing, he went over and turned on the shower, letting the spray of the water heat up before he stepped in. He looked back when Brian poked his head through the door, then stepped fully into the room.

"Hey," he said, and his smile was the same, still so friendly like he'd never judged anyone in his life. "So you know Kirkpatrick then?" he asked, keeping one hand on the doorknob.

"Yeah," AJ said grimly. He sat down on the edge of the hot tub and gave an embarrassed shrug of his shoulders. "Sorry about that," he ventured. "If he hadn't been so fast I could've hid in the bedroom or something. I didn't mean to-"

"What?" Brian blinked. "No, I didn't - I don't care that he saw you." He huffed out a laugh. "It was a good thing, actually." He took a step closer. "The thing is, I have an offer to make you," he said carefully, his hair curling in the steam from the running shower.

AJ blinked. He'd sort of expected to have been kicked out before he got to yank on his clothes. "Okay," he said slowly, frowning a little. "Shoot."

Brian chewed on his lower lip, expression carefully neutral before he started speaking. "Kirkpatrick isn't … all that happy with me," he said, seeming to choose his words carefully. "So far he's been a really tough nut to crack, so if I had someone who could help me make him listen to what I have to say, it'd make my job a lot easier." His words were perfectly measured, like a speech given a hundred times. "So. I'd like to offer you to stay here with me for the rest of the week."

AJ gawked. There was no other word for it. He considered himself pretty smooth most of the time, but right now he definitely had to remind himself to close his mouth before it got stupid. "How many days specifically?" he asked, once he found his voice, and leaned back to look as casual as he could.

"Five days," Brian said. There was a faint blush that could've been from the heat in the room when he added, "And four nights. You'd be coming with me to the dinner tomorrow, and I might need you for some other events this week where Kirkpatrick could show up."

"I don't-" AJ half-laughed, half-choked, and his eyes flickered despite himself. "I'm not sure I'd even know what to ask for that."

Brian smiled then, a small tug on the side of his mouth. "You're a business man," he said, his voice returning to normal. "Make me an offer."

AJ was once again at that place where he had to weigh his options, gather up all his information and hope he made the right guess. "Four thousand," he said, chin jutting up in determination.

Brian frowned. "For five days?"

"I'd be going to events, too," AJ said, leaving that as his only explanation.

Brian pursed his lips. "Two thousand," he eventually offered.

"Three," AJ said quickly.

Brian beamed. "Done," he said, and then AJ couldn't breathe for at least a minute.

"Three thousand dollars, Nick," AJ crowed into the phone, once Brian had left and he'd spent at least ten minutes running around the penthouse like a maniac. "Do you even know what we can do with that?"

"He's gotta be a freak, right?" Nick said. AJ could hear him crunching on a bowl of cereal on the other end. "Are you wearing a dog collar right now? A corset? Come on, I can take it."

"No," AJ laughed, tracing a squiggly line down the mattress of the bed. "He's pretty decent," he said eventually. "He just wants me to go with him to some business dinners and stuff."

"Wearing a dog collar, right?"

"God, you have issues," AJ told him.

"I'm sorry!" Nick exclaimed. AJ could hear china rattling against the edge of a sink. "But you don't exactly hear about shit like this every day. Are you sure you didn't just go back to Bumfuck, New Jersey and you're too chicken to tell me?"

AJ rolled his eyes. "I'm gonna leave money for you at the reception desk at the Beverly Wilshire," he said. "You got the address, right? That's rent money, Nick, I mean it. Don't give Johnny more excuses to come after you than he already has."

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you," Nick mumbled, and AJ heard the scratching of pen against paper. "I'll swing by later and pick it up."

AJ exhaled heavily and looked at the cream white walls. "He gave me money to go shopping, too," he said. "Stuff for tomorrow night. How'm I supposed to know where to go looking for things like that?"

"What, are you kidding?" Nick's laugh was throaty, still doused with sleep. "How many times have we gone window drooling? Hit up Rodeo Drive, babe."

Four hours later, AJ stalked back into the lobby from the street, keeping his head ducked when he passed a huddle of guests in mink coats. He was tired and itchy and pissed off, and it didn't help that everyone kept staring at him like he was the fucking descendent of Quasimodo.

He headed straight for the elevators and shoved the heel of his hand against the button, scowling at the floor. A woman next to him huffed indignantly and walked the two steps to the next elevator.

"Excuse me, sir?"

"What?" AJ snapped, whirling around to come face to face with the manager from last night. "I'm going upstairs, all right? I'm not bothering any of your guests, I just wanna go back to my room and down wheatgrass shots until I pass out. God, what is everybody's problem?"

Howie raised both his eyebrows in a manner so controlled that AJ almost swore he didn't see it happening. "I just wanted to talk to you very quickly," he said, already putting a hand on AJ's arm and guiding him along. "If you have a minute?"

"Fine," AJ sighed, throwing his hands up in the air, and gave a couple of the staring maids a glare as he was led into a square little office with family pictures on the walls and large plants next to the bookshelf stacked with folders.

Howie made a gesture towards a seat, and AJ plopped down ungracefully, crossing his arms and watching Howie perch against his desk.

"So you're Mr. Littrell's guest, right?" he asked. He loosened his tie and popped a collar open in his shirt. "You're his…?"

AJ cocked an eyebrow, his mouth twisting. This was probably what that gum you scrape off the bottom of your shoe felt like. He shook his head and shrugged. "Cousin?" he suggested flatly.

"Cousin," Howie agreed, nodding. "And how long will you be staying here for?"

AJ snorted, his fingers drumming against the arm of the chair. "Five days," he said, glaring up at Howie through his lashes. "Do you need a written contract that I'll be out of here by then?"

"No," Howie replied, his mouth twitching a bit. He cleared his throat and went on, "I just think it would be better if you could maybe find some … different clothes. Something a little less, um…" He coughed. "Tight?"

AJ shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I'm trying, okay?" he said sharply. "Brian, he gave me money to go buy some clothes for this dinner we're going to tomorrow, and I tried, but it's…" His voice faltered and he sank back, gritting his teeth. "No one wants to help me," he forced out.

He'd never been met with so many narrow-eyed stares in his life. Going from one store to the next, where there were only two items out in the open for the customers, and salesmen coming up to him with pinched lips and going, "there are some thrift stores down the street that you might find more interesting," or "I'm sorry, I don't think we carry your sizes here. No, I don't have to check."

He picked at a hole in his jeans and didn't look up when Howie eventually straightened and walked to the other side of the desk. There was the swoosh sound of someone picking up a phone handle and then digits being pressed down.

"Great," AJ snorted humorlessly, tugging at the rip until it tore another inch open with a loud ripping noise. "Great, yeah, sic the cops on me, that's really-"

"Hey, Fatima?" Howie said, his voice suddenly warm, and AJ's head flew up. Howie was scribbling down quickly on a piece of paper. "Yeah, it's good to hear from you, too. Listen, I'm gonna send someone over to you now, all right? He needs an update on his wardrobe. You can help him out, right?" Howie looked over with a knowing smile. "Great. I can always count on you. I'll talk to you soon."

He put the phone down and tore off the sheet of paper. "I wrote the address down for you," he explained, folding it up and handing it over to AJ, who took it hesitantly. "It's not too far from here. Just ask for Fatima and she'll take care of you. She's really good at dressing you up for any occasion."

AJ eyed the note, then looked up at Howie again, frowning suspiciously. "What's in it for you?" he asked. "If you want cousin favors from me it's gonna cost you like it does anyone else."

Howie didn't reply right away. He just watched AJ, expression completely neutral, sitting on the edge of his desk. Eventually AJ had to look away again, biting his lip.

"Brian's … an old friend," Howie said then, slowly like he was considering each word. AJ stared at his shoes. "And I'd like him to have a good stay here. If that includes you, then the least I can do is make sure that you get what he wants you to get."

AJ didn't say anything. His defenses had been clawed at since he woke up in a strange bed this morning, having to stay longer with any one customer than he'd ever had to before, and it was all so tiring. Everyone treating him like he wasn't what he really was.

"You should probably get going now," Howie said, his shoes clacking against the tiles as he walked over to the door. "Fatima's expecting to see you soon."

The only light in the room was the shadows cast from the hotel's illuminated name on the building. Brian dug his fingers into AJ's arms and hissed, writhing in a silent demand for more, but AJ just kept mouthing the flushed skin in the crook of his neck. He scraped his teeth over the pulse point and Brian's sharp gasp filled the room, the lingering small noise after it that could've been a moan.

AJ was out of breath when Brian flipped them over, but he still managed to position himself just right so his muscles flexed when he raised his arms over his head. Brian's eyes were dark, pupils blown wide, but there was still a small frown as he looked AJ over, almost confused. His fingers glided along AJ's lower arm to the inside of his elbow where he lingered, briefly. AJ watched the concentration on his face slip into appreciation, subtle shifts in his expression and a small, stuttered breath released. Then Brian's fingers slid up further and linked with AJ's above their heads, and AJ forced himself to stay completely still, wait, breathe normally.

It wasn't till a second later that he realized the grip was loose. Brian's thumb brushed along the back of AJ's hand as he braced himself and leaned down.

"Okay?" he asked quietly, his voice gravelly like sandpaper, but no less hesitant because of it.

AJ smiled at him easily. "Yeah," he muttered, splaying himself out for Brian, relaxing every part of his body into the mattress. "Feels good."

Brian looked him over a second longer before nodding. His eyelids drooped slightly and he shifted on top of AJ, his hips dragging along and aligning so AJ's breath hitched despite himself. His fingers tightened around Brian's, and Brian smiled knowingly, a light tug of his mouth that was far from innocent.

The sheets rustled when Brian bent down, and AJ could see the muscles in Brian's arms work just before he attached his lips to AJ's neck. It was small, careful brushes of his lips, then a small swipe of his tongue against damp skin. AJ felt the sheets stick to his back when he squirmed and tilted his head to give Brian better access.

The only sound was their breathing, out of rhythm, and the slick noise of lips against skin. Brian exhaled hotly against AJ's throat, arched his back into it and tightened his grip on AJ's hand as he dragged his lips over the side of AJ's neck, and the moan rushed from AJ's throat before he realized it was there, the burst of sensation in his lower belly an unexpected surprise.

Brian's answer was to suck on AJ's neck again, more fervently than before. The air around them was stifling, and AJ felt a second of breathlessness before Brian slowly raised his head. He was panting short, shallow bursts of air, and it was only then that AJ realized he was almost as out of breath. His chest rose and fell heavily for those few seconds while the heat of Brian's breath trickled over his mouth, Brian's damp forehead resting against his, their loud breaths nearly drowning out the noise in his head.

Then AJ drew his head back an inch, just enough to feel safe again. Brian opened his eyes and AJ drew in a breath and tried on his best smirk. "My turn?" he murmured, raising an eyebrow just enough.

Brian smiled at him, soft, almost sleep-dazed, and nodded. AJ rolled them over again and let go of Brian's hand to use it elsewhere, and when Brian arched up sharply and moaned, the sound rang in AJ's ears. He mouthed at Brian's earlobe, then under his jaw, knowing exactly where to go and what to do, perfecting his own choreographed dance.

The next morning AJ spent a good amount of time circling the grand piano near the east window until Brian, with badly disguised amusement, said, "Do you wanna play something?"

AJ whipped around, but let the tension go and laughed a little when he saw the look on Brian's face. "It's just," he said, running his fingers through his hair. "I never see pianos this nice. Or at least I haven't in a while."

Brian smiled at him and leaned back against the dining table. "You should give it a try," he said, folding his arms over his chest. "I always like having music around."

"Me too," AJ replied, giving Brian a small, acknowledging smile in return. He turned back to the white piano and put a warm hand down on top of it. "It's been a while, I'm just telling you now," he warned. "I usually mess around with my guitar, but even that's been a couple of years."

Brian's expression slipped into mild surprise, his hands lowering down to his sides. "Really?" he asked, with a crooked little grin. Before AJ could answer Brian held up a hand and said, "one second, okay?" before he disappeared into the bedroom.

AJ frowned. When Brian came back out a few minutes later holding a Gibson by the neck, AJ immediately felt his fingers prickling with excitement. Grinning from ear to ear, he took the two steps down to the living room slowly. "You gotta be kidding me," he said quietly.

There was definite pleasure and pride on Brian's face as he handed the guitar over carefully. "I'm gonna go take a shower," he said, stepping back so AJ could get a firm grip on it and brush his thumb over the strings. It was perfectly in tune. "Have fun," Brian added, smiling as he turned on his heel.

The sound of the water spray was a distant background beat to his playing. AJ sat in the couch, his fingers plucking clumsily at the strings until memory control slowly started to take over. He exhaled a shaky breath when he started playing an old melody, rough and untrained in parts, easy progressions in his head but too difficult for his fingers to follow. Back when he was fifteen there had been nothing difficult about it, sitting on the stoop on the porch of his house and playing music until his fingers were so blistered that he couldn't lift up the fork at dinner.

He was on his fourth try when Brian came back out of the bathroom. AJ looked up. He was in a grey pair of sweatpants and a plain white, worn t-shirt, stretched out crooked at the hem from too many times through the washing machine. AJ's eyes drifted unconsciously to the damp patch on Brian's abdomen where the fabric clung to it and was turning see-through.

"That sounds really good," Brian commented, throwing his towel over the back of a chair. AJ cleared his throat and looked back at his strumming fingers. When Brian came down to sit on the coffee table in front of him, he shrugged with half-practiced ease.

"A Gibson makes anything sound good."

"Not if you don't know how to use it," Brian said with conviction. He leaned back on his hands, damp hair curling up against his neck as he tilted his head. "Do you wanna play some more?"

It was strange, how he could look much older than his years one moment and so young the next. AJ nodded, knowing that if he opened his mouth he was going to say something stupid to cover up for the fact that he hadn't played in front of anyone in a good long while.

He ducked his head. The first few notes were nervous attempts, his fingers freezing up before he finally regained control of his muscles and started to play. Once he had it, once he knew with complete certainty that he still knew how to do this, it got easier. When he looked up briefly Brian was watching his fingers, his brow furrowed in concentration, and AJ felt the back of his neck heating up. His fingers didn't lose their place though, not once.

It was a slow song, and AJ hummed along a little before he eventually faltered. "I never finished this one," he admitted.

Brian caught his lip between his teeth. His lyrics tattoo peeked out from his sleeve when he leaned forward and reached out to adjust AJ's fingers holding the chord. He was careful, focused, and AJ watched the sharp line of his jaw move when he opened his mouth. "What if you…?" he said, hmm'ing in thought before he finished. He reached out for the guitar and asked, "Can I?"

Eyes wide, AJ handed the guitar over. Brian adjusted it in his lap and immediately started playing the same melody AJ just had. Slower, but no less precise. The same melody AJ had been working on for five years now. He watched in fascination as Brian's fingers moved, and then Brian started humming along, a low, smooth note that rang pure. "It's really nice," Brian said eventually, nodding at AJ. His fingers slowed and he set the guitar down gently on the floor. "You're stuck near the bridge though, right? Something there felt off to me anyway."

"Yeah," AJ said, somewhat stupidly. He let out an incredulous laugh and sunk back in the cushions. "So you're in music," he surmised, gauging Brian's reaction.

Brian simply smiled as he always did, but there was a gleam in his eye that AJ hadn't seen before. "I own part of a record company with my cousin," he told him, shifting so his ankle rested on his knee.

AJ's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "You're a CEO?"

"Sort of," Brian said, his foot whirring up and down. "Partially, anyway."

AJ looked around the giant penthouse and followed the strip of light that landed on Brian's shoulder. "You know, I was thinking lawyer," he said, after a moment. "But then that didn't really suit you." He scratched the side of his nose. "Is it a record company I know?"

"I'm not sure." Brian paused as if he was considering the question. "We're located in Nashville. We mostly try to buy record labels that focus on country music, but we're looking into other things right now." He looked at AJ for a long moment. "And you're a budding musician, right?" he asked.

AJ shrugged carefully and rubbed the back of his neck. "Nah. Not for a while now, anyway." His mouth tugged up in a smirk. "I'm not looking to break into the country music scene, if that's what you're asking."

Brian started to smile at that. "No, I figured," he muttered. He stood up and went over to the open kitchen, leaving the guitar where it was. "You ready for tonight?" he asked over his shoulder, grabbing a soda from the fridge.

"Yeah, I think so," AJ replied. "I got the clothes, anyway." He shifted in his seat and smoothed the lint off his new pants. "Actually, um - do you think you could get Howie to do me a favor?"

"No, no, just listen to me for a second." Howie pinched the bridge of his nose and looked briefly like he was ready to start knocking his head against the wall. "Okay. The small fork goes with what?"

"They all look the same!" AJ said indignantly, his voice echoing. The large dining room was completely empty, two layers of pink and dark red cloths on each of the round tables, but the only plate set was his. He picked up the three-pronged fork and inspected it suspiciously. "What's the point of using all this cutlery for one meal anyway? Can't you just wipe it off in a napkin and recycle?"

Howie sighed very long-sufferingly. "It's etiquette."

"Yeah, but why? So that some poor busboy has to spend eight hours doing dishes because some high and mighty people don't know how to suck the food off their fork and use it again?"

"That poor busboy gets paid to do those dishes," Howie pointed out, stepping behind AJ's chair. "And we do have dishwashers, you know."

"Complete waste of our resources," AJ mumbled.

Howie took a deep breath. "Are you trying to stall because you don't know the answer?"

AJ looked up behind him and grinned at Howie's upside down face. "How do you know me so well already?" he asked sweetly.

Even from this angle he could see Howie roll his eyes. He removed his jacket and draped it over the back of AJ's chair. "Look, just - work your way outwards and in. That should be fine."

"Man, why didn't you just say so?" AJ sighed. He picked up the wine glass - only keeping his fingers on the stem like he'd been told - and weighed it in his hand. "I just," he said, and did a casual shrug. "I wanna do well tonight, you know?"

"Yeah," Howie said, and AJ could hear the slow smile in his voice. "Yeah, I know."

AJ swore under his breath when his fingernails once again slid on the buttons of his black shirt. Outside the bedroom he could hear Brian talking on the phone in that lazy drawl he always seemed to slip into at night. AJ glared at himself in the mirror, popped open the top button again and squared his shoulders. His beige slacks felt soft against his legs, so unlike his usual jeans, and his dress shoes were pointy. AJ held them up against the light, scrutinizing before he put them down. He wasn't completely foreign to this, but it'd been a while since he'd had to dress up for family birthdays or Christmas dinners, and even then it was usually the nicest shirt he could find in his room that was still clean and a pair of black jeans.

He'd added one of his own leather necklaces to the outfit tonight, as well as the rings he'd kept stashed in his jacket for a while now. AJ mussed up his hair one last time and, once satisfied, made his way carefully into the living room, stepping carefully so he wouldn't wrinkle anything too soon.

Brian was pacing around in a small circle, his phone stuck to his ear and a hand threaded in his hair. He was in a button-down and black pants, much more casual than AJ was used to seeing him when it came to business. There was even a cross necklace dangling from his neck. "I know, I know, we'll be there in…" he started to say, but when his gaze flickered up to AJ's he stopped moving for a second, his eyes widening curiously.

AJ grinned, and held his hands out as if to accept critique. Brian's answering smile was soft, his eyes moving down as AJ walked closer. "Yeah, we'll be there in twenty minutes," he muttered into the phone, and flipped it shut rather abruptly.

"Big man Kevin?" AJ asked teasingly, wishing he had a hoodie string or something he could fiddle with.

"Who else?" Brian said, his laugh faint, and adjusted the collar of his shirt. His eyes looked unnaturally dark blue in the low light when they looked over AJ's clothes and eventually settled on his face. "You look good," he added, and his smile made the back of AJ's neck heat up.

"I know," he grinned, pushing his cuffs to rest further up his arms. "I hope these are okay?" he said, holding up his hands so his rings were visible. "I kinda … I have this thing about skulls."

"Hey, you're stepping into the music world," Brian pointed out, leading them both towards the door. "One time I had dinner with three clients all in cowboy hats. And they were all sequined. I kept being blinded whenever the light reflected on them."

"I bet they had fun, though," AJ said, waiting for Brian to lock the door behind them. "Sometimes it's a nice feeling when you do what everyone don't expect you to."

Brian glanced at him, ducking his head when he grinned. "Yeah," he agreed, heading towards the elevator. "Guess you're right."

The restaurant was one of the ones that AJ passed every day on his way to the diner. Usually the shutters were down and a group of people were clearing the garbage off the sidewalk, but at night, when it was full of people, and there was string quartet music and muffled shouts from the kitchen, it felt like an entirely different place.

AJ wasn't altogether impressed.

"There you are," Chris said, dropping his napkin and waving them over once he and Brian had weaved their way past the crowded tables. "We were considering ordering without you, but then we'd probably be done by the time you got here. Seven course meals with portions the sizes of buttons, I'll never get it."

"Sorry we're late," Brian apologized, directing AJ forward with a light hand to the small of his back. "That's Kevin," he murmured in his ear, nodding towards a tall, dark-haired man sitting across from Chris. "And that's Justin, Chris' partner," about the equally tall, much younger guy scowling at the whole table.

AJ nodded quickly, smoothing his pants down with a clumsy motion before he grabbed the nearest seat, right next to Chris.

Chris leaned in and nudged him. "I didn't know you were a permanent fixture," he muttered.

AJ smiled nervously, glancing to Brian who was taking the seat on the other side of him. "I think I'm mostly here to even the playing field," he admitted quietly.

"Smart move." Chris sat back again and patted his arm. "It's good to see you so soon again, at any rate."

"Yeah, you too," AJ said, glancing down at his plate. Four different forks again. He sighed as lightly as he could, and when he glanced up Brian was hiding a smile behind his napkin. AJ smiled back and folded his hands in his lap. When he looked at Kevin there was nothing but neutral consideration, not unfriendly but definitely not pleasant either. It was a sizing up. AJ was all too familiar with those.

"All right," Chris said brightly, clasping his hands together. "Let's get down to it so I can be home in time for Survivor."

Five courses in and AJ still wasn't full. What was so wrong about a burger anyway? He poked at his blob of salmon mousse and picked half the scoop up with room to spare on his fork.

"How many of our rights will we get to keep if we sell our record label to you?" Chris asked, swirling the wine idly around in his glass. AJ picked up his own water and took a sip. "I just wanna make sure I'm clear on everything here."

"You'll still be running the label," Kevin said evenly. He'd done most of the talking tonight, while Brian opted to sit back and watch the conversation progress. "We're not going to replace you or any of your staff."

Justin snorted. "Then what's the point in selling?" he asked sharply, speaking up for the first time in a while. His eyes were hard when he dropped a hand on Chris' arm. "You're kidding me with this, right?" he demanded lowly. "We're an independent label. We've always been an independent label. I don't want some suits to swoop in and decide what I'm allowed or not allowed to release."

"You're sinking," Brian said, very clearly. The whole table turned to look at him, but Brian didn't move. His fingers were clenching the arm of his chair. "You're sinking fast. If we don't take you in, you'll be closing shop by the end of the year."

Justin's eyes narrowed. "I don't have to listen to this," he snapped, throwing his napkin down on the table.

"Justin, relax, all right?" Chris said, his voice low but firm. Justin stared at him incredulously, and pinched his lips tight when Chris leaned in and said to him, "If you could lower your guard for, I don't know, just two seconds tonight, you'd probably see that they have a point." He turned back and gave both Brian and Kevin a raised eyebrow. "I get that you're doing this from the good of your hearts and all, as clearly everyone in this business does, but we've kind of put everything we had into this little label that you're about to snatch up, so a little bit of consideration wouldn't be completely uncalled for."

"When did you start it?" AJ asked carefully, when he sensed that no one was going to speak up again any time soon.

Chris looked at him as if he'd forgotten he was there, then gave him a tired grin. "A couple of months after you skipped town," he replied. "You should've stuck around, kid. We could've used your expert advice."

"No one's saying you have to decide anything tonight," Kevin cut in, crossing his arms over his chest. "We'll be here all week, but I'll be honest and tell you that we're not going to wait that much longer."

"Ah, the ultimatum technique." Chris looked vaguely impressed. "Pretty gutsy."

"This is ridiculous," Justin sneered, pulling his chair back so fast that it screeched across the marble floor. A couple of other patrons shot them appalled glances. "Why are we listening to two guys from the top of the career ladder who've forgotten all about what the hell music is?" he demanded of Chris. AJ frowned at him, and Justin seemingly tried to gather his composure. "You'll excuse me," he said, giving both Kevin and Brian stone cold nods. "But I think prefer going down in flames to being a sellout."

He left before Chris could stop him. "Ah," Chris said, looking from the door and back to the table. "Sorry about that. I should probably go before he takes off and leaves me stranded here." He stood up and removed his jacket from the back of his chair. "We'll get back to you as soon as we can," he settled for saying.

Kevin pinched the bridge of his nose, ignoring the murmurs from the tables around them. "Just remember that this is about all your artists as well," he reminded him, with the same fatigue that AJ sometimes heard in Brian's voice.

"I know." Chris nodded. "Just-" he sighed. "I might as well tell you now that if Justin isn't on board with this, then you can count me out as well. That's not personal or anything, that's just where we are."

"I figured," Kevin replied, giving a nod of his own.

AJ glanced over at Brian. He was staring fixedly at the table, body slouched and a hard set to his jaw. He didn't speak, not when Chris excused himself, and not when Kevin sighed and asked the nearest waiter for the check.

The ride back to the hotel was silent. AJ only looked at Brian twice, but both times he was staring straight ahead on the road, one hand firm on the wheel while the other rested at his side. AJ didn't know what to say, and he spent most of the ride wishing that didn't bother him so much.

"You're not coming up?" he asked quietly, when Brian started steering in the direction of the bar down in the lobby instead of the elevators.

Brian looked back at him, eyes unseeing for a second before they settled. "No, go ahead," he replied, offering AJ a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I'll be up later."

AJ had almost dozed off when he heard the front door creaking open. He blinked, rubbing at his eyes, and reached for the remote. The episode of Felicity was cut off just as Keri Russell was about to kiss the art boy and lose her virginity.

He retied the belt on his bathrobe and padded out to the living room. Lights from the street below them and the moonlight was the only reason he could see Brian slumped up against the door and fumbling with the locks. His clothes were rumpled, his head bowed like it was too heavy to hold up.

"Hey," AJ murmured, and cleared the sleep out of his throat. He went down the steps and walked through the living room. "I was about to send a search party out for you."

Brian raised his head like an animal on guard, slowly shifted unfocused eyes onto AJ and giving him a toothy grin. "Hullo yourself," he slurred. He braced his back against the door and beckoned AJ closer. "How long w's I down for?"

"I don't know." AJ tried to keep the amusement out of his voice when he went up the two steps again to the front door. "A couple of hours, probably."

"Wow," Brian said, like AJ had just told him the world was round for the first time. He tugged at AJ's robe belt until he leaned forward and braced his hands on either side of Brian's head. "You smell nice," he murmured, grinning crookedly as his fingers hooked into the belt loops.

AJ smiled a little despite himself. "You kind of don't," he admitted.

Brian laughed at that, startled and hollow. "I know, I'm sorry," he said quietly, heavy-lidded eyes gliding over AJ's face. "You don't drink, do you?"

"No." AJ shook his head. "Haven't for a couple of years now."

"You always have that water glass by the bed." Brian looked at him as if he'd just remembered.

AJ lowered his head a fraction. "Yeah," he agreed, grinning shyly. "It's just … it's a thing. I get really dry mouth at night. It's a habit, I guess."

Brian's fingers danced slowly up along AJ's abdomen and chest, to the V where his robe sagged open. "I don't drink much," he murmured, watching himself trace the line of AJ's collarbone. "S'just … I don't know."

"Rough night?" AJ said for him. He watched as Brian's face dropped for an interminably long second, went so drawn and miserable that AJ's hand instinctively went to his hip.

"Yeah," Brian rasped, after a while. His throat worked as he pushed the neck of AJ's robe aside, and he didn't look up when he buried his face there and sighed against AJ's skin. His arms slunk around AJ as his lips started to move, dragging hotly against AJ's neck. AJ draped his arms over Brian's shoulders and let Brian push them away from the door, slipping one hand hesitantly down the back of Brian's neck.

Brian kept moving, taking halting steps until he had AJ gently pressed up against the front of the piano. The keys made a low rumble when AJ settled back, watching calmly as Brian's hands went back to his robe belt. The moonlight was bright here, and Brian's hair was drawn an odd blue-ish color, his face unnaturally pale. When he cocked his head the light shifted, but his eyes went a touch darker as he tucked at the belt and opened the robe.

He only took his eyes off of AJ's naked body to look him in the eye. AJ just exhaled, waiting for his next signal, waiting for a cue that hadn't come yet. Brian stepped closer and took a hold of AJ's sides, lifted him up until he sat on the piano keys and sound rumbled low through the room, the bathrobe cushioning him.

Brian stepped between his legs and wrapped one arm around AJ to pull him in, close enough that their hip bones bumped together, the other hand trailing down his neck.

The piano rumbled below him again, and AJ watched Brian's face calmly, steadying himself with a hand on Brian's arms. Brian took in a shuddering breath and braced himself against the piano, pinning AJ in, all this strength that he never fully used.

But there was anything but strength in his voice when he asked, "What do you like?"

AJ smiled a little, smoothing one hand up Brian's side while Brian dropped a careful kiss under his jaw. "Whatever you like," he said, tilting his neck and inviting Brian in.

"No." Brian sounded defeated, the word rushed out on a tired exhale, and pressed his lips to AJ's pulse point. "No, just…" He raised his head and pressed their forehead together. "Please tell me," he said quietly, his breath warm on AJ's mouth.

AJ reeled back a little bit, trying to keep his movements slow and non-rejecting, and when Brian blindly leaned in again AJ turned and pressed his lips to Brian's cheek. "Brian," he murmured, muffled there, letting out a small sigh. "You're paying me, Brian."

Brian shivered against him. "I know," he said weakly, like he was ashamed, pressing a hand to the small of AJ's back. "I just … I need…" AJ listened to the rapid thudding of his heartbeat, the breaths that were coming just a touch too fast. "I need you to pretend for me," he whispered. It came out in a rush of breath like maybe if it wasn't loud then it wasn't real.

AJ's hand tightened reflexively on the back of Brian's neck for a second. Brian stilled as if bracing himself, then slowly went back to mouthing along the sensitive parts of AJ's neck. His hands mapped out a pattern on AJ's back, leaving warm trails behind on AJ's skin, and AJ took a deep breath before he relaxed, inch by inch, sinking back against the sharp lines of the piano and pulling Brian close against him.

"What you're doing now s'pretty good," he said into the silence, letting himself feel the goosebumps on his arms when Brian's mouth ran over his collarbone.

Brian's exhale was heavy against his skin. "Good," he murmured, making room when AJ's hands slipped down to unbuckle his belt. He looked up at AJ, mouth already swollen, and pressed their foreheads together again. "It's so ridiculous, all of it," he whispered, closing his eyes painfully. "I just wish…" He slumped down as if exhausted. "I'm so tired of…"

"Hey," AJ whispered back. He let Brian's pants drop to the ground and pulled him in with his heels when Brian whimpered against the corner of his mouth. "Hey," he whispered, threading a hand through Brian's hair. "Come here."

Brian nodded, his breath rasping in his chest, and slid as close as he could, the moonlight pooling in the dip of his back.

Later, much later, when they were sticking together with sweat and panting harshly and Brian gasped out against AJ's neck before he started shaking, AJ heard the piano noises like a faint thunder in the back of his head. He tried to catch his breath as he pressed his lips to the matted hair by Brian's temple. His back was aching and his leg muscles were trembling with the effort, but when Brian murmured nonsense against his neck and wrapped a hand around him, AJ bit his lip to keep the groan back and arched up, letting the desperate ache in his stomach go deeper.

Part Three