Star Encounter

Title: Star Encounter Author: Jezebel Feedback: eh_oh_po@yahoo.com

Disclaimers: I do not know any of the celebrities mentioned herein, this has no element of truth to it. This is no reflection on their true sexualities or personalities of any people mentioned.. If you are underage for your area or if it is illegal for you to look at this why not go somewhere else, if you don't like the thought of two men together in a loving, sexual way this isn't for you either.

Part 1 - May to December

Justin couldn't believe it. His first trip away from home and it was as if everything was conspiring against him. Anything that could have gone wrong had done. His mom would never let him go off alone again.

First he had lost his bag on the plane, they had sent it to Toronto when he was going to Chicago and as if that wasn't bad enough now he was faced with the longest delay of his life. Usually that wasn't saying much when you were only eighteen years old but Justin was no ordinary eighteen year old and he had taken dozens of flights around the world. The problem was that he hadn't really thought out this trip much beyond wanting to see a city that wouldn't have any bad memories attached to it. He hadn't known that Chicago got a lot of snow in winter.

So, here he was, stuck at O'Hare airport with an indefinite delay.

The third problem was that Justin hadn't thought ahead much beyond getting away. This was his first trip anywhere without the band and it didn't occur to him that things like a VIP had to be booked ahead in advance.

"I'm sorry, young man, but the guest suite is already booked." The irate air steward told Justin as he pleaded his case. "If we had known that you were coming in advance we could have made alternative arrangements, but given the current situation we just don't have any extra space."

Justin sighed and tried not to give into his emotion and fatigue. He could almost hear Lou in his head admonishing him for going off alone and without any security. That was part of the reason that he had wanted to take this trip, he had wanted to prove that he was old enough to look after himself. If they could see him now everyone would know how untrue that was.

"Can't you ask the people in there?" Justin asked. "I mean, they surely can't need the entire VIP section to themselves."

"That is not the point." She answered haughtily. "It is a secure area and our honoured guest wants to keep it that way. Now you will just have to wait in the general lounge like everyone else. It's not as if you're going to get mobbed."

Justin wondered at that. It was clear that she didn't know who he was, still there were not that many people over the age of fourteen that would and there were probably even a few under fourteen that wouldn't know either. He had only been asked for his autograph a few times. Maybe she was right. Maybe he could deal with this.

After thirty more minutes in the departure lounge Justin could feel his nerves frayed by the clamour of girls that had passed by. It had been okay at first. Then one or two of the braver girls came forward and as they drew attention to him more and more people were approaching. With no way of leaving the airport without missing his flight and no way of getting out of there anyway Justin was faced with the continuous streams of people coming to talk and thinking that just because he was famous he would want to say hi.

The resignation that he had felt earlier at the enquiries desk when he had been told there was no room at the proverbial inn where he sought shelter was turning to anger as he wondered who had the right to hire out the whole room anyway. There was no one that had a monopoly on that kind of facility and he had paid the airline enough for his ticket to justify somewhere where he could wait in comfort. He hadn't paid through the nose to be treated like this.

As Justin approached the VIP section he walked straight past the person that had been set outside and who was supposed to be watching the door. Justin had enough experience of his business to know that with enough confidence you could talk yourself out of some situations, or into them.

The door opened when he pushed it.

Ha, that was hardly secure. Justin thought as he pushed the door open to reveal...

Justin paused when he walked into a wall of muscle, he had barely stepped a foot inside the door when he was met by two large and imposing black men that reminded him a lot of their own security, the sexual chocolate team.

"I'm sorry, this is a restricted area." One said, his face not even changing expression as he spoke. Justin couldn't help but smile at that. They were exactly like his own team were.

"I know, I'm just looking for a quiet place. I won't disturb you and I'm not a security risk."

"I can't let you in." The other said, again without breaking his emotionless expression.

"Look, I know that you probably don't know who I am, but I have just as much right to use this area as whoever it is that is in there and if you don't let me in..."

"Tank, if you're not going to shut that kid up then let him in, at least then he might do it himself."

Justin was a little worried by this comment. Surely they wouldn't forcibly remove him.

"Sure boss." The black guy on the left said as he stepped back.

Justin took the opportunity to enter the room more, trying to take in his surroundings and satisfy his natural curiosity to find out who it was that was important enough for the airport to shut off an area for one person.

"You can sit over there." The second guard said as he pointed to one corner. "And stay out of trouble or I will kick your ass back to Florida and you won't need a plane."

Justin wanted to smile because they had known who he was but he didn't have the energy and anyway he knew to take that kind of threat seriously so he moved to the corner and sat down. He was just glad to have some place safe to rest. It wasn't that he wasn't safe in public, it was just that he felt a little exposed, he wasn't really used to that many people around him and he was rarely alone these days, to be honest it felt weird to be on his own with that many strangers around and Justin was relieved to be out of that environment.

With time now to worry Justin wondered what he was supposed to do. The snow had been falling for most of the day and they had said that planes would be grounded overnight. He had given up his hotel room without thinking that he wouldn't be able to get home and he didn't like the idea of staying at the airport. He didn't want to call anyone because they had all been against this trip and he would get told 'I told you so' and they would never realise that he was an adult now.

Justin knew that he was in a no win situation and as he wondered what he should do next he couldn't help the tears that fell. He wanted to kick himself for it. Only a baby would cry for Mommy as soon as there was a problem but for some reason he couldn't help the tears that fell. Justin pulled his knees up and wrapped his arms around them, resting his forehead on his knees as he cried. If he had to cry he didn't want anyone to see.

"Hey..." Someone said softly as they took the seat next to him and put an arm around him. "Shhh... It's okay."

Justin stiffened when he felt the arm on his shoulder, he wasn't used to this kind of affection from anyone but the boys, and certainly not from a strangers. But something told him that he was safe, even though he didn't know who this stranger was. He was tired and upset and any comfort was good right now so Justin didn't question why he turned into the man and let himself be held, nor did he question why the man was holding him.

"It's okay." The stranger said again as he gently ran a hand through Justin's curls.

The pair of them stayed that way for a moment, neither caring about the oddity of their situation.

Finally Justin felt his tears subside and he reached up, wiping away his tears as he pulled away so that he could see who it was that he had to thank for helping him get a hold of himself. As he brushed the tears away and his vision cleared Justin felt his jaw drop.

"Omigod, you're Brandon Taylor..." Justin said with no small amount of awe.

Brandon smiled wryly and tilted his head to one side.

"And you're Justin Timberlake, pleased to meet you." Brandon replied.

Justin was again shocked. "You know me, I mean, you know who I am." Justin said. "Wow. Wow... that's just...Wow."

Brandon laughed softly, a laugh that reminded Justin of Josh when he was humouring Justin's innocence.

"At least I know now why you have other people to write your songs for you." Brandon replied. Justin didn't think to be offended because he was too busy smiling in return. "And yes, to answer your question, although it wasn't really phrased as a question. I know who you are."

"How?" Justin asked. It was an honest question too and one that made Brandon laugh that soft, easy going laugh again.

"Justin, I've got a fourteen year old sister, it would be pretty hard not to know who you are." Brandon said. "Besides, I make a point to keep an eye on the up and coming talent, you never know when someone will be along to steal your crown."

Justin smiled at that. It was like a compliment. He still couldn't believe that he was there, sitting next to Brandon Taylor, had just hugged Brandon Taylor. He wondered if this was how fans felt when they met him because he definitely felt a little star struck.

"So, what are you doing out here all on your own?" Brandon asked. "I thought that you would have been half way around the world doing some tour or something with the rest of the band. I haven't seen Maya in a while but I'm sure that she mentioned wanting tickets for a tour you guys were doing."

Justin assumed that Maya was Brandon's sister.

"We're on a break. I'm supposed to be flying back to join the tour at the moment." Justin said. "What about you? I'm sure that I read you were in Europe right now." He said, blushing when he realised that this implied he himself followed Brandon's career.

Brandon smiled sardonically.

"My divorce just came through, I had to come home to sign the papers and sort out a few things." He said.

Justin wondered if he had put his foot in it, but he hadn't even known that Brandon Taylor was married. Come to think of it he really didn't know a lot about the other man given that he was often on the front pages of tabloids and music magazines. There was very little that Justin had read about the man other than about his music.

"Your face is so expressive." Brandon said as if that were supposed to mean something to Justin. When Justin frowned Brandon tried to explain.

"Don't worry, it's not something that I worry about too much and I don't mind talking about it. You weren't to know. It's not exactly public knowledge that I'm married...was married."

Justin wondered how it was that they had kept that out of the papers. He and Britney had problems even keeping the fact that they were dating out of the tabloids and he wasn't really that famous yet. Sure they'd had one good album and another was on it's way, but they hadn't really made it big. Not like Brandon.

Brandon Taylor was one of the world's best selling, Grammy-award winning, singer-songwriters. He had a voice that carried his emotion with it and was adored by women across the generations. He was the sort of person that Justin had always hoped he would grow up to be, unique and individual with a sense of what really mattered and a great message to his music. Music that really touched people and made a difference in their lives.

"So, what are you planning on doing if the snow doesn't clear?" Brandon asked.

"I don't know." Justin replied sorrowfully.

"Was that what the tears were for? Because I'm pretty sure that you can't get into trouble for that, I mean it's not as if you were to know that it was going to snow when you came here. Hell, I don't think even the weather channel knew and everyone knows that they usually have a direct line to Mother Nature where this stuff is concerned."

Justin smiled at the joke before answering.

"It's just that this was supposed to be my trip, I wanted to show them that I could do it alone, and now I'm most likely going to spend the night at the airport and be late getting back for the concert tomorrow night. If they have to cancel I'll never hear the end of it."

"Well, I can't do much about the snow, but I can offer you a place to stay until the snow lets up." Brandon responded. "We're waiting for a car and then I'm going back to my place for the night. You're welcome to tag along."

Justin didn't know what to say, part of him wanted nothing more than to say yes and follow Brandon home but there was another part of him that questioned if he ought to stay at the airport in case there was any news.

"I don't know, I should stay here in case the snow lifts and they reschedule my flight."

"Tank, you'll stay, right?" Brandon asked.

"Sure thing." The security guard said without hesitation.

He didn't seem to even question the fact that he was having to stay at the airport while the two stars were going off for a good night's rest in comfort. Justin wondered if his security would do the same for them.

"Well then?" Brandon said to Justin. "Tank'll let us know if anything changes in the weather or if they reopen the airport, meanwhile you and I can get out of here. At least you'll have a good night's sleep."

"Okay." Justin found himself saying. He didn't know why because it was madness really but so was everything else about his trip, besides it was about time he got a little bit of luck on his journey.

The pair of them talked a little more, staying to safe inconsequential subjects, until someone knocked on the door.

The second security guard answered it and had a brief conversation with someone before turning and speaking.

"Boss, our ride's here."

"Thanks Manny." Brandon said. He looked at Justin who picked up his single flight bag. "Is that all you have?"

Justin laughed and on the way to the car he began to tell Brandon about the bad luck of his trip, starting with the airline that had lost his luggage.

The car and the house weren't exactly what Justin had expected, he had expectations of some grand limousine to take them back to a large mansion house but neither was true. The chauffeur driven car was just a Mercedes, nothing too flash and an understated show of wealth and it didn't pull up to the gates of a mansion but when they stopped it was outside a relatively normal apartment block.

"It's not much." Brandon said as if apologising for it. "But it's home."

"No, I mean... It's great." Justin said with a shy smile. "I just thought it would be..."

"Bigger?" Brandon asked. "More showy?"

"More rock and roll." Justin admitted.

Brandon laughed.

"You have a lot to learn about people if you think that any of us are really like that." Brandon replied. "The last thing that I want when I come home from a year long tour is a reminder of who and what I am."

"I know what that's like." Justin defended.

Part of the reason that he wanted to get away on his own was that he was tired of being treated differently. If he wasn't a star then Justin was sure that he would be off at college or something by now, maybe he would be in a job and living in his own place. Whatever he was doing he knew that he would not being treated as he was now, not still feeling like he was a child.

"We should go in." Manny said as he looked around. Clearly despite the fact that Brandon didn't want to be reminded that he was famous in his home there were still parts of it that he could not get away from and this was part of it.

Justin nodded, agreeing that it was probably not a great idea for them to conduct the conversation on the sidewalk and so they headed inside. Despite the external view as an ordinary block there was a lot of security inside, including a guard at a security desk. There were also a number of CCTV cameras inside.

"Good Evening Mr Taylor." The security guard said. "We weren't expecting you back so soon. I hope that everything is okay."

"Just a slight change of plans, Jake, nothing to worry about." Brandon replied civilly. "We'll most likely only be here an extra night."

"Of course sir." Jake replied politely. "Let me know if you need anything. I'm on call all night."

Justin wasn't really sure what to make of all of this, it was obvious that there was more to Brandon Taylor than met the eye. Justin decided not to say anything, he had already made too many assumptions and he didn't want to lose favour with his host. He was grateful that Brandon had taken him with him instead of leaving him at the airport and he didn't want to cause any problems. If nothing else this was giving Justin an insight into a side of the life that he might not otherwise see.

Brandon smiled to Justin, as if nonverbally checking that he was still with him, and then headed for the elevator. Justin followed.

As they entered Justin realised that this was no ordinary elevator, Brandon didn't punch in any numbers and instead he put a key in a slot, turning it before entering a security code.

"Private elevator." Brandon explained as they began to ascend. "It's the only access to the Penthouse."

Justin should have known that while it looked normal that his new friend would have the best. If for no other reason than for security it made sense for him to have an exclusive home.

The elevator door opened straight into a reception room, there was a small step down into a room that was larger than the entire room at the hotel Justin had been staying in and there were sofas that invited you to lounge on them. Justin took an involuntary step forward as he realised just how tired he was after his ordeal that day.

"I'll give you the 50 Cent tour." Brandon said. "Just so that you get your bearings. Don't worry, I'll leave out the bits that they would put in if this were MTV Cribs."

Justin laughed and followed his host, at least this way he would have something to tell the others, even if his feet wanted to give out where he stood.

They moved along one corridor and Justin followed politely, taking in the plain walls with a few paintings hanging on them. If he had to describe the decor in one word it would be homely, there was definitely nothing flash about this place. It was more Moby than Marilyn Manson.

"This is the guest suite." Brandon said, pulling Justin out of his thoughts. "You can dump your stuff in there, feel free to unpack or whatever. There is an ensuite at the far side." Brandon said. "But if you want you can use the hot tub in the main bathroom."

Justin nodded.

"Thanks." He added, taking a step inside the room and then putting his small bag on the bed. "I might just grab a shower."

"Cool." Brandon replied. "Manny's going to order some food in if you're interested."

Justin didn't know when this had been arranged but supposed that it must be one of those things that Brandon's entourage did automatically. Either that or they were so in tune that no words were needed.

"Okay." Justin replied, he wasn't that hungry but it was only polite to accept when it was being offered. Besides, by the time the food got there he might be able to stomach something. He didn't want to say anything but there was still butterflies in his stomach and a part of him that couldn't believe that he was here, with Brandon Taylor, in his home.

"Well, I'll let you settle in. Just come out when you're ready or I'll give you a call when the food is here."

And with that he was gone, leaving Justin to unpack his things and come to terms with the fact of where he was and who he was with.

"God, what are you doing?" Brandon asked himself as he poured a glass of dark liquid. He didn't drink it, instead he set it on the table in front of him and stared at it as he tried to clear his mind.

This was the first time that he had to himself since the airport and he was only now wondering why he had invited some stranger to stay in his home or why it was that he felt drawn to this boy. He didn't know what had even caused him to go to the kid at the airport to offer comfort, let alone why he had opened up to Justin about the divorce and now had him in his home.

Brandon Taylor was not known as someone that was approachable, he was known as being something of a piranha and yet here he was acting like a puppy dog when it came to a good looking younger man. Maybe this was all part of some mid-life crisis, and okay at 27 it was a little early for a mid-life crisis, or maybe it was part of some delayed reaction to the divorce. Whatever it was he knew that this was not regular behaviour for him and he wondered what he was supposed to do now.

He heard the shower in the guest suite and realised that Justin was most likely washing away the grime of the airport. Brandon sighed, maybe he should do the same, but he couldn't help thinking that he ought to wait in case his guest needed anything. The last thing he wanted was for Justin to sell his story and paint him as a bad host. Bringing young men back to his apartment was one thing, not treating them correctly was a whole other rumour.

"You okay Boss?" Manny asked, drawing Brandon's attention away from his thoughts. He followed his friend's line of sight and saw that he was worriedly looking between Brandon and the glass of alcohol. "I ordered us some Chinese."

"I'm fine." Brandon replied with a sigh, carrying the glass back to the bar and throwing its contents down the small sink that was there. "And Chinese is fine. As long as it's from the one downtown and not the one on the corner."

"I know better than that." Manny replied knowingly.

"Yeah, so do I." Brandon replied.

Manny knew that he was not talking about ordering take out and that this had more to do with the whisky that he had just thrown away. It wasn't standard procedure for a recovering alcoholic to keep liquor in their home but Brandon always had a bottle on hand, he never drank from it, but it was always there. For many alcoholics that would have been temptation too much, but for Brandon it was nothing more than a symbol of what he had done and what he used to be. That in itself was enough to make him not drink it.

"Erm...Hi." Justin said softly as he entered the room, not wanting to interrupt a private conversation but feeling a little better for his shower. He had changed into clean clothes too and felt cleaner and more ready to face people again.

Brandon turned and smiled encouragingly, nodding for Justin to take a seat.

"Can I get you a soda?" He asked, knowing that Justin was underage.

"Have you got any Diet Coke?" Justin asked hopefully.

Brandon reached for two cans and after a moment added ice to a couple of glasses before carrying them to the table.

"Is Chinese okay?" Brandon asked. "Manny knows this great restaurant on the other side of town that does Sweet and Sour Pork that's to die for."

"That sounds great." Justin replied.

"So, what did you see of our fair city while you were visiting?" Brandon asked, again trying to keep the conversation superficial enough that it was light.

Justin told him of a few visits and Brandon regaled Justin with his own experiences of the city and suggesting a few places that Justin ought to check out off the tourist route if he ever found himself there again.

When the food arrived they were still talking about what Chicago had to offer.

Justin wasn't really sure what he was doing but it was good to be relaxed and having a laugh for once, even if it was with a couple of strangers. Once he had gotten over the fact that Manny was just another one of the guys he was even getting on with him. It was nice because Brandon treated him as if he was an adult, there was no changing the subject because Justin was too young or telling him that he would understand when he was older.

Brandon and Manny were currently regaling Justin with tales from the road, including the groupies that had broken into the dressing rooms and the antics of the other band members. Justin was trying not to take too much of a mouthful of egg roll because if this story was as funny as the others were he didn't want to spray it over everything.

"So, there we were, stuck in the toilets of Madison Square Gardens with Brandon too scared to come out because there was a guy outside that swore Brandon had hypnotised his girlfriend and now she wasn't putting out for him." Manny said as he laughed.

"I'm not the one with dreamy blue eyes and cute blonde curls either." Brandon added with a nod to Justin. "You better watch yourself kid, you could end up with a law suit in the future if you're not careful."

Justin blushed slightly, he wasn't really used to being told that he was good- looking, at least not by anyone that he respected - sure, teenage girls told him he was hot, but most of them were not the sort of people that he admired and he knew that given a new haircut or a bad single they would all be saying the same about someone else.

"Thanks." Justin said softly.

Manny chuckled which only succeeded in making Justin's blush deepen. Justin looked down at his plate, wanting to concentrate on his food and was surprised to see that they had already eaten it all. Dinner must have gone well because he was so interested in what was being said that he hadn't noticed that he had cleared his plate.

"Well, I'm going to check in with Tank before I crash." Manny said standing to leave. "You kids make sure that you don't stay up all night trading stories. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Brandon laughed as Manny left the pair of them alone, feeling silly that his staff were patronising him this way, it was just part of their relationship that they teased each other that way. He hoped that Justin got it.

"Why do you call him Tank?" Justin asked as if trying to make conversation. "Is that like a football name or something."

"Actually he got it after running through a large group of fans in Munich when we were trying to get out of the stadium. One of the crowd commented that he was like a tank heading for the people and it just stuck." Brandon replied. "I mean, you've met the guy, he's not exactly a shrinking violet."

Justin nodded.

"Don't you have security?" Brandon asked with a frown. It was only then that he realised that Justin was truly alone and that he really ought to have had someone with him.

"Only at official functions and stuff, and we don't normally take them out for every day things." Justin replied. "I don't think that they have nicknames or whatever though, although we like to call them Sexual Chocolate as a group."

Brandon laughed. "Yeah, I guess I could see that."

Justin yawned involuntarily half way through Brandon's response and Brandon checked his watch. It was nearly midnight, he had no idea where the time had gone, he had just been enjoying himself so much the time had flown by. He could hardly believe that he and Justin had spent four hours that evening just chatting.

"Well, I guess I'd better let you get some sleep. I wouldn't want your band members to come after me because their cute lead singer has bags under his eyes at tomorrow's concert. Or worse, to be set upon by a group of fans because you weren't looking your best at their concert." Brandon said. "Do you need anything?"

Justin shook his head, he had everything that he could want, except that he didn't want the night to end. Still, Brandon was right, it was late and they both had to go back to the real world in the morning. Justin thanked Brandon for dinner and headed off to his room so that he could get some sleep.

Brandon stood alone in his lounge and his eye rested momentarily on the whisky bottle before he headed off to his own suite admonishing himself for thinking that anything bad was going to happen. Everything had worked out okay in the end and the only bad thing was that the evening had to end at all.

Justin had thought that he would get a good night's sleep that night given the stressful events of the day so it was a surprise when he woke early the next morning. It was still dark outside and while he was on holiday he liked to sleep in a little later. It took him a moment to realise what it was that had woken him from his slumber, when he did he wondered what he could do about it.

The music that had woken Justin only seemed to get louder as he stepped outside his room, he had thought that it was coming from a neighbour, most likely upstairs, but then he remembered that they were in the Penthouse - that meant that there wasn't anyone upstairs. Justin was a little curious and followed the music to its source.

As he approached the other side of the apartment the music got louder still and he could hear someone singing along, a deep soulful voice that was slightly familiar. When Justin got a few inches from the doorway the floorboards beneath his feet squeaked and the music stopped.

"Hello?" A voice asked curiously.

Justin knew that he had been caught and with slight trepidation he moved closer to the door, opening it and revealing Brandon sitting at a piano, a guitar at his side and a digital studio surrounding him.

"I'm sorry, I just heard..." Justin began stuttering an apology, but Brandon held up a hand to stop him.

"It's me that should be sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." Brandon replied. "You want to come in?" He added when he saw Justin nervously shifting from one foot to the other.

"I don't want to disturb you." Justin said. He knew what Josh was like when he was writing, the last thing he needed was any form of distraction.

"Nonsense." Brandon said with a smile. "I was just messing around anyway, I couldn't sleep so I thought that I would come in here and go over a few ideas."

"It sounded good." Justin replied honestly.

"Well, it's not exactly done yet, but thanks." Brandon replied self-consciously.

Justin smiled, it was good to see that despite all of his fame and success that Brandon was still humble, he hoped that if he was ever that successful that he would be as modest. It was just one of the things that had surprised Justin about Brandon. He had thought that all of the stars that were that rich and famous were conceited. It was good to see that having money did not have to mean you had the arrogance to back it up.

"Do you play?" Brandon asked, pointing to the piano.

Justin shook his head.

"I tried to teach myself guitar but it didn't really work." Justin admitted. "I don't know why."

"It's a shame, I would have asked you to jam otherwise." Brandon replied.

"Well..." Justin began but cut off when he realised how stupid the words he was thinking sounded.

"What?" Brandon asked.

"No, it's nothing." Justin replied. He was blushing now and kicked himself for being so stupid.

"Go on, tell me." Brandon cajoled.

"Okay, I beat box, but I don't think that..."

"Actually, that would be great." Brandon replied with a smile. "You might have better luck with the harmony as well, I can get my own vocals but I'm not so great at arranging the pitch for other people."

Justin smiled, he could do that, he had been practising with his own vocals and experimented with Chris and Lance to get some good sounds from theirs as well. Maybe he could be some use after all.

For the next hour the pair of them sat discussing the song that Brandon had been working on and tossing around ideas for other pieces. At first Justin was self-conscious about his lack of experience, but Brandon only encouraged him. No ideas were stupid, according to Brandon, and even the ones that sounded unintelligent to Justin's own mind were met with enthusiasm. By the end of the hour Justin was beginning to believe that he was actually quite good at this and that he might have a future as more than the young and beautiful one in a boy band.

"So much for an early night." Brandon said with a wry smile as he looked at his watch. "Sorry if I've kept you from your bed."

"Are you kidding?" Justin asked enthusiastically. "This is the most fun that I've had in a while. I'd rather do this than sleeping, I can sleep any time."

"Well, I'm glad that you liked it. I really wouldn't have worked this song out without you." Brandon replied.

Justin blushed at that.

"Well, I guess we should at least try for a few hours sleep tonight." Brandon said standing up to leave, Justin didn't know why but the last thing he wanted was to sleep now.

"No." Justin barked as he reached out a hand to grab Brandon in order to stop him. Brandon wasn't expecting such an emphatic response so tumbled towards Justin as he was grabbed. He landed in Justin's lap.

Justin was confused, he didn't really know what he was doing and being only eighteen he wasn't really sure what any of the feelings that were coursing through him meant. The only thing that he was sure of was that he wanted to be with Brandon more than he wanted to sleep and the thought of Brandon leaving him alone hurt more than he could ever imagine was possible.

If Justin was honest with himself, he knew what the confusion was, but he didn't want to think about the consequences of what his mind was telling him. Nor did he want to think about the fact that Brandon had fallen into his lap and that his cock was excited at the prospect of Brandon there.

Brandon turned slightly, watching Justin as if trying to work out what it was that was going on in his mind, when he saw the lust and confusion in Justin's eyes he was surprised that he was not disgusted with it. He knew his own sexuality pretty well but had rarely acted on these type of feelings before now. But here he was, with the man of his sister's dreams, and he wanted more than to just be sitting in his lap.

Brandon leaned forward and brushed his lips softly across Justin's in an experimental kiss and when Justin didn't dump him on his ass he moved slightly and deepened the kiss. Justin let out a soft sigh as he settled into the kiss and decided that he didn't care that he didn't fully understand what was happening, all he wanted was to carry on kissing Brandon and maybe more.

Brandon enjoyed the soft touch of Justin's luscious lips on his own, his mind couldn't help but wonder how great those lips and that mouth would feel on other parts of his body. He groaned at the thought.

Justin whimpered as Brandon pulled back from the kiss, not wanting it to end.

"Justin..." Brandon breathed softly. "Is this okay?"

Justin nodded, not sure if he could trust his voice and leaned back into kiss Brandon but his lover had other ideas. Placing a firm hand on Justin's chest, Brandon stopped him from leaning forward and instead slid from his lap. Justin was bemused for a moment before he realised that Brandon was holding out a hand for him and his mind supplied the answers that he needed. Brandon wasn't rejecting him, in fact it was the opposite, he was holding out a hand to lead him elsewhere, most likely towards a bedroom.

Without a second thought about what they were doing Justin took his hand and followed him.

There was no time for Justin to worry about what they were doing because after a moment they were headed to the room where he had previously slept and moving toward the bed.

Brandon lay down, bringing Justin with him and as soon as Justin was settled on top of him leaning back into the kiss.

Justin wanted more. That was obviously why they had moved into the bedroom, and he was not content to just feel Brandon beneath him. The two layers of clothes that they wore were too much of a barrier, even if it was only shorts and a top that he wore.

Brandon felt the hands fumbling with his clothes and smiled. He should have known that Justin would not be content with just kissing, he remembered the haste and passion of the teenage years. Still, he was not about to deny the boy what he wanted and so he helped Justin separate him from his clothes before working on his own.

Halfway through stripping the pair of them Justin got a little frustrated and tore at the shirt that Brandon was wearing. Brandon's smile widened and the enthusiasm that Justin was showing made him speed up his own actions. He remembered when he had been in such a hurry for things and it reminded him of a zest for life that he had not had in a long time.

It took a few more moments but eventually Justin and Brandon were both naked and Justin growled softly as he dived back into kissing his lover. Justin was still on top and his rubbing against Brandon was driving the older man crazy. It had been a while since he had been with anyone and even longer since he had been with a man but he had never been with one that was this desperate or driven to drive him crazy.

Justin didn't really know what he was doing but judging the reactions he was getting from Brandon and how good it felt to him he was pretty sure that he was doing something right.

Brandon could feel his climax building, he had hoped that there would be more between he and Justin than a little frottage but it didn't matter that this was not exactly sophisticated, it was sexy as hell. He couldn't help but think how many other people would want to be in this position right now, he knew that there were people that would kill to have someone as good looking as Justin in their bed.

Justin wondered how many other people would give their left arm to be with Brandon, heck, he was one of those that would have. He hadn't said anything but he was starstruck earlier when he had met this man and now he couldn't help but think that he was in bed with a star. It was that thought that drove him over the edge.

Brandon felt Justin's come spray across his chest and the added sensation that it made between the pair of them pushed him over too. Justin kept moving against Brandon until he felt the shudders of his climax end, then he collapsed next to him on the bed, sticky and sated in a room that smelled of sex.

Brandon reached to the side of the bed, glad that there was a box of Kleenex there, and cleared up as much of the mess as he could, glad that he had been on the bottom and that there was not a wet spot for one of them to sleep in. He reached over and wiped the majority of his seed from Justin and then rolled over. He was about to leave the room when he felt Justin reach for him and snuggle in close.

Brandon sighed, allowing Justin to use him as a pillow and stroking a hand through the other man's curls as Justin fell into a deep and troubleless sleep.

Brandon knew that he would find sleep more difficult to come by that night, especially as he wondered what Justin would expect now. Now that the lust had cleared in his mind there was only worry and regret about what was to come when the sun rose the next morning. He was not a romantic, Brandon was a realist, and he knew that there was going to be a morning after that he was not ready to deal with. He settled down and waited for morning to come because there was nothing else that he could do.

Justin woke with a smile, it grew bigger when he remembered the night before. He hadn't really expected that, but it had been a nice surprise and just what he had wanted out of a first time. Justin had known that he was attracted to both men and women for as long as he could remember, he had just not expected to find someone that was receptive to his ideas quite so soon in his life. The four other members of his band were straight and most of the fans that they met were teenage girls. Justin was surprised that he had met any guy that actually wanted the same things that he did, or that wanted him.

Brandon looked down at his grinning bed partner and felt his heart lurch, it would break his own heart to hurt Justin but he knew that letting the kid down gently might not work and that in order to succeed he needed to go with a good solid kick. It was not that he was not attracted to Justin but he didn't do relationships and the feelings that he had for Justin were too confusing to acknowledge.

"Oh good, you're awake." Brandon said as he sat up and shifted slightly away from Justin. "Tank called while you were asleep, the snow has lifted enough for them to start running the planes again and he's managed to get you moved up to a sooner flight."

"Oh." Justin replied. "Thanks."

"Don't thank me." Brandon replied with a smile. "It was tank that stayed up all night trying to get things worked out. The only problem is that you're leaving in two hours, I hope that is enough time for you to pack up and get to the airport. They've already agreed to hold check in for you."

Justin nodded and slid from the bed. He hadn't exactly expected a happy ever after but it would have been nice if Brandon had at least acknowledged what had happened the night before rather than literally pushing him from the bed that they shared.

"That's fine." Justin replied. "I'm going for a shower if you don't mind, I feel a little dirty after last night."

Brandon sighed as Justin left the room, pausing only to grab his bag and toiletries, this was harder than he had expected and from the tone of Justin's voice as he left the room Brandon knew that he knew what he was trying to do. He should not have underestimated Justin after what they had done last night, but he just couldn't let Justin think that there was any future in this, it would not be fair on either of them.

Brandon took a deep breath and slid from the bed himself, he knew that he should dress and get ready for his own flight which was due to leave not much after Justin's.

He had his pants back on and his shirt half buttoned when a still damp but definitely dressed Justin re-entered the room.

Brandon searched for something to say but found nothing and was surprised when Justin spoke for him.

"You know you could have just said thanks for last night." Justin said angrily. "I wasn't expecting a commitment or anything but some acknowledgement would have been good."

"I'm sorry." Brandon replied. "And you're right, so, thanks, if it's not too late. I really enjoyed last night. It's good to be with someone that understands where I'm coming from."

Justin nodded and began repacking things into his bag.

Brandon paused for a moment as if he was going to say something, but the moment had passed and instead of speaking he just turned to leave.

Brandon couldn't believe that it was that easy but he was certain that he had definitely underestimated Justin. He had been convinced that the boy wanted more than just a one night stand and was surprised that he was a little hurt that he had been nothing more than another notch on Justin's bed post. He guessed that he must have forgotten more than he realised what it was like to be young and carefree.

Justin threw what he had left into his bag, no longer angry that Brandon had automatically thought he wanted something more but instead annoyed that Brandon didn't want more. He knew that he was inexperienced and that they had not done a lot last night but he had thought that he might have made more of an impression than for Brandon to just say thanks and walk away. Still, he had given him the out just in case and he supposed that he shouldn't be pissed when it was taken.

He had a nice memory and that would have to be enough. He had also learned a lot from Brandon and he knew that he should be thankful for that, he also had a new level of confidence that he had not had before, both in his abilities in the studio and in the bedroom.

As he put the last of his things into his bag Justin supposed that he had a lot to be grateful for really and that this was just the good end to an otherwise unpleasant trip.

"You ready to go kid?" Manny called as he knocked on Justin's door.

Justin took one last look around the room, as if committing it to memory, and then nodded. Turning his back on the room and heading out.

He was surprised that Brandon was in the lounge and had not left it to his security to see Justin out.

"Take care of yourself, okay?" Brandon said as he reached to hug Justin.

Justin returned the embrace and nodded.

"You too."

"Manny will see you on the plane." Brandon added.

Justin nodded.

"I'd take you myself but I have to pack up a few things and stuff before flying out."

Justin just nodded again and tried not to think that this was a brush off.

After a few more moments Justin pulled out of the hug and headed towards the door, Manny in tow.

As they drove up to the airport Justin wondered about what he was going to tell the others about his encounter at the airport, after a moment he realised that he couldn't really tell them anything without revealing a lot more than he was ready to reveal. Maybe he would keep it to himself and this could be his own little secret.

No one ever had to know that he had met Brandon Taylor or that he had shared something with him.

No one ever had to know.