Learning

Brian's POV

"Cynthia, get Theodore in my office." I told her through the intercom sitting on my desk. I turn back to my mockups of the latest account, looking over them with a critical eye. After a minute I look up again before pressing the button on the intercom. "Sometime before I grow old and die please."

"I'm here, I'm here." Ted comes tumbling through the door. I watch in vague amusement as he nearly drops his laptop and papers in his haste to get in the door and over to my desk. "You wanted to see me boss?" He finally managed to get himself under control with a more than a little rumpled appearance.

"Yes, I just wanted your monthly report on how many millions I'm raking in." I informed him as I nudged the mockups over a bit on the desk as Ted sat down and started rifling through his papers.

"I have it here somewhere." He muttered as I drummed my fingers impatiently. "Here we go." He said triumphantly, pulling out a piece of paper and handing it over with a slightly sheepish grin.

I rolled my eyes as I took it and let my eyes skin over it just to make sure nothing was out of place. Without even looking up I could tell Ted was shifting in his seat and every now and then I could see he opened his mouth to say something but then snapped it shut again.

"Spit it out or I will make you." I threatened without looking up from the papers I was holding.

"Well you know, Justin reminded me what the day after tomorrow is and-"

"On second thought, shut up and get back to work." I glared at him to be sure he got the message. He just gathered up all his papers before scrambling on out of there. Cynthia watched him scamper down the hall before peeking into my office. "Don't. Fucking. Ask." I warned her.

It was about an hour later when I heard Cynthia's loud sigh of relief. "Thank god! Our savior has come!" One guess who that was. And since when have I allowed Cynthia to become so damn dramatic?

"Brian, what are you doing to your poor employees?" Justin walks in with a lopsided grin.

"Nothing they don't deserve." I replied without looking away from my computer as he flopped down on the chair Ted had been in and propped his feet up on my desk. "Unlike you, they can't redeem themselves with an outstanding blowjob, so I wouldn't be so concerned about dear Teddy." I looked up to meet his gaze with a cheeky grin intended to get him riled up a bit.

"Asshole." Justin laughed. "What did Ted do this time?"

"He was about to talk about the day after tomorrow." I grumbled as I started piling up papers.

"Gus' birthday?" he decided to play dumb, making me glare at him. This twat grinning at me was not going to make me say it.

"No you stupid twat." I craned my neck a bit to make sure Cynthia was occupied. "I'm talking about the other thing that happened that night." I lowered my voice, looking at him intently.

"Oh!" he said loudly, making me wince and glance back at Cynthia to make sure she hadn't heard. "You mean our anniversary."

"No, I'm talking about it being the night we met each other." I corrected through gritted teeth, making Justin lean forward with an evil looking glint in his eyes.

"In other words, our anniversary." He grinned. "Now get your damn ass up and take me to lunch."

"Bossy bottom." I grumbled, standing up and knocking his feet off from their perch.

"Don't forget insatiable." His grin turned flirty as he batted his eyelashes.

"In more ways than one." I assured him, moving to wrap my arms around him before licking at his neck. Lunch could wait for a while.

Justin's POV

"So, tomorrow is your anniversary. What are you going to do?" Daphne jumped onto the couch next to me as I finished up a sketch I planned on giving Gus along with the big stuffed teddy bear I got that was sitting on the floor of the loft.

"We're going over to Gus' fourth birthday party." I replied flatly, ignoring the look Daph was sending me and sinking more comfortably into the sofa cushions.

"The word anniversary implies something romantic between the two people involved." She felt inclined to inform me, as if I didn't know that already.

"Tell it to Brian Daph, not me." I redirected her with a slight sigh.

"Tell me what Sunshine?" Brian asked as he came into the loft, sliding the door shut behind him.

"Nothing Bri," I sighed as I tilted my head back to accept a kiss.

"If you say so." He gave my hair an affectionate tussle. "Well, gotta go get Sonnyboy's big birthday present. Hi Daphne, looking hot as always." He bent to kiss her cheek before heading to the bedroom to change out of his suit.

"Daphne," I admonished her as she turned around to try and catch a peek of Brian's naked ass.

"Can you blame me?"

"No, not really." I admitted with a grin.

"Bye honey, see you later." Brian teased once he was dressed more casually. He came down the stairs looking drop dead gorgeous as always and gave me another kiss before departing.

The moment I was sure he was gone I let out a groan before throwing my sketchbook so that it landed on Gus' teddy bear's lap. I closed my eyes as I started banging my head on the couch's armrest.

"What did he do this time?" Daphne sighed, sounding more than a bit exasperated at my absent lover.

I just groaned louder as I said, "Oh nothing, he's just taking me away for two weeks in Italy. He's even promised nothing but strolls, museums, and fucking." I opened my eyes to see Daphne looking at me with a slightly puzzled and majorly annoyed expression.

"Please enlighten me Justin, cause I seem to have missed something. What the hell is your problem with Brian again? Cause really, if I had a partner who was whisking me off to some exotic country to fuck my brains out I'd be jumping for joy instead of groaning like an idiot. And yet, you're not." She's looking close to hitting some sense into me so I figure, for health's sake, I ought to tell her.

"It's just that, for the past anniversaries, he's always acted so shitty and assholey about it. And before you even start, of course I didn't buy it. After a while of not buying it we started planning getaways or special dinners. Well, surprise, surprise, we never got around to them. I don't blame him at all. No, seriously Daph, I don't. His work needs to come first, just like my art sometimes does. And we always end up having a really nice night anyway. It's just never what we originally planned so I guess I've sorta learned not to expect much." I explained, holding one of the smaller throw pillows to my chest.

"But Jus, it's your anniversary. You should expect everything you're promised and want." Daphne rested a hand on my shoulder.

"Daph, he never promised me anything." I sighed sadly.

"Well, maybe he should."

Brian's POV

"A bunch of little monsters running around on a freaking sugar high is not my idea of a fun Friday." I groaned as Justin led me to my office. "Peaceful salvation!" I nearly dropped onto my knees in front of my desk but Justin keeps his arm firmly around my waist before dumping me on my chair.

"Fucking drama queen." He laughed as I started kissing my desk.

"I'd like to see you endure all those sticky kids and come away not traumatized." I gave him the evil eye.

"I prefer jackass homophobes." He grinned before giving me a kiss. "Gotta go, there's an almost finished painting and it is calling my name." and with that he gently ran his fingers through my hair briefly before heading towards the door.

"Keep shaking that bubble butt of yours Sunshine, I'll just be sitting here in my misery." I called after him.

"Drama queen," he sang over his shoulder, giving that tight ass of his a last wiggle before disappearing from sight. I just heaved another sigh before lighting up a cigarette to get the events of the morning out of my head before they scarred me for life.

"Boss," Cynthia poked her head into my office.

"Cynthia!" I grinned broadly, more than a little gone from the combination of kids and nicotine. She looked at me warily before perching precariously on a chair, looking ready to bolt in an instant if needed.

"How many of those things have you had?" she asks in a very annoying motherly tone.

"I've only had one, mother. Although, I would be better if Justin hadn't given my son this fucking huge bear and if Lindsay hadn't made me sit on it like one of those snot nosed kids." I put the cigarette out and leaned my head on folded arms as I considered her sitting there, feeling immensely calmer after the soothing drag.

"Well, do you have anything special planned tonight with Justin? After all, tonight is your-" she paused for a moment when she saw my warning glare before continuing with obvious defiance, "anniversary."

Cynthia decided to simply watch in amusement as I started banging my head on the desk. "It's not that bad a word Brian. The apocalypse isn't going to come sooner just because someone mentions it." I lift my head to briefly glare at her again before continuing to bang it. Maybe if I knock myself out I'll be allowed to stay in the hospital until this whole thing passed. "Besides, you know how much it means to Justin." She reminded me, and I couldn't help but not when I remember the silent pouting he gave me for days the first year when I didn't remember. "And I promised him I'd keep you out of the office this year." She added absently.

"Wait, what?" I suddenly sat up. Cynthia started to lose her normal confidence with me as she shifted in her seat a bit.

"Well, every single year you hold up in here on-" she stopped herself for a moment, "this day. He hasn't said anything about it, but really Bri he doesn't have to. You can just see the hopeful look in his eyes every year before you don't show."

"I've never not…" I start indignantly but trail off. Shit. Had I really not noticed it before? Well, can't really blame me, I was busy. Sort of. And I always made it up to him, even if we never did what we planned to. Of course I never actually acknowledged it, or apologized. I shouldn't have to. Though I did feel bad about his slightly deflated demeanor after I got home much too late to do whatever was planned before. This year he didn't even have that hopeful look anymore, and I had a feeling I wasn't the only one who noticed.

Well, what else was I to do other than put that look back on my blond? I really didn't like the idea of having to face ticked off Sunshine worshippers after all.

Justin's POV

I was laying on the couch again, lounging around and admiring the finished painting as it dried in the bright sunlight. It was so warm, and with my creativity juices used up it didn't take much for me to drift off. I hadn't closed my eyes for more than five minutes before the loud slamming of the loft door jolted me out of my blissful post painting stupor.

"Up and at 'em Sunshine," Brian called cheerfully as he strode over to the couch.

"What the fucking hell are you doing here?" I groaned as I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep.

"We've got a plane to catch, what else?" he ruffled my hair before gliding up to the bedroom.

"What?" I sat up to stare at his back.

"Get your ass up Sunshine, you haven't even packed and we need to be at the airport in an hour." His voice was heard but not really comprehended.

"You're serious?" I asked a bit disbelievingly as he came marching down the stairs in nothing but jeans and straddled me still lying on the couch. I just kept staring up at him as he cradled my face between his hands.

"Yes, I am serious. We are getting on that plane, flying to Italy, and fucking our dicks off. Any questions?" When I didn't have any complaints he smiled and leaned down to deliver a kiss.

The feel of his lips seemed to be the magic touch I needed to finally realize this was really happening. We were really going to Italy on the day we met (which some people call an anniversary). So of course I have to thank my prince charming appropriately.

"None of that now, we have a plane to catch." Brian had to pull away once my hands started to roam over his taut stomach. "If you're good and get your stuff packed on time, I'll initiate you into the mile high club. Fair?" he asked to my slightly disappointed look.

I instantly beamed at him before jumping up.

"Brian, this place is amazing. I can't believe we're actually here." I had never felt more amazed as I stood at the railing to our room's balcony, looking out over the night cloaked city. The warm air washed over my bare skin as I felt Brian come up from behind and wrap his arms around my waist.

"What's not to believe? It's our anniversary after all." I couldn't help but laugh as he glanced up at the sky, as if expecting it to fall at the dreaded 'a' word. "Twat." He said affectionately as he nuzzled into my neck.

"Bri," I groaned a bit as his tongue started trailing over my neck and under my ear. His hands seemed to be on fire as they glided slowly up from my hips to tease at my nipples.

"I like it when you're all hot and bothered." Brian grinned against the back of my neck, making my hardening cock twitch and my body to arch into his touch. I felt my mouth go lax and my vocabulary shrink to moans as his tongue left a hot trail down my spine.

"Brian," I gasped out as I felt his tongue start leisurely circling my hole. He was making me so hot, that I was greatly surprised when I felt something cool go around my neck making my eyes snap open while my hands went up to feel what was on my neck.

Brian had stood up and was standing behind me as I inspected the thin linked chain around my neck. There was a silver heart shaped pendant resting on the center of my chest and as I lifted it up I could see that it had been imprinted with JT.

"Look on the other side." Brian urged quietly against my ear. I flipped the heart over and couldn't help but smile at what was imprinted on the other side.

I'll always be your Rage, even if I'm still learning how to.

I turned around to smile brightly at my slightly blushing Rage before taking his hand and leading him into the bedroom.