Instead of heading toward his own room on the right, Brian stopped at the landing, feeling his heart thumping in his chest as he turned his head to the left, studying the closed door. Just the thought of who was behind that door made his palms sweat, and his breath catch. It had only been a week…but to him it felt like a lifetime. Rubbing his hands on his jeans and suddenly feeling nervous, he shuffled down the short hallway, the door looming larger and larger and his heart beating more furiously with every step.

He reached to turn the polished, metal knob, turning it slowly to open the door and surprised to find his hand shaking slightly in anticipation. As he peered inside, he noticed the curtains pulled back, the full moon shining a ribbon of light on what had been the subject of his constant dreams for the past week: a slim young man, lying on his side, facing away from him. Justin's knees were bent slightly, and he was clutching a familiar object in his hands, which caused Brian's heart to warm, and a smile to break out on his face: it was Checkers, the stuffed animal he had won for Justin back at the county fair. That seemed like such a long time ago now…but it brought back such happy memories of their time together that night. Justin was wearing a pair of light sleep pants, but his chest was bare, and as he stood there observing him, Brian could almost feel the smoothness and warmth he knew he would find if he were to caress his shoulder.

Stepping further inside, he took a moment to turn and softly close the door, twisting the lock on the doorknob to ensure their privacy, before creeping forward slowly, almost as if he were afraid this would all be a dream. But to his relief, Justin remained there in his sight, and now he could see the regular rising and rhythmic falling of his chest. Brian's eyes drunk in the sight he had been longing to see for the past week as he unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it off his shoulders to let it drop to the hardwood floor beside the bed. Unzipping his jeans, he toed off his shoes and pulled them down his long legs to step out of them and remove his socks before leaning over the bed, taking a few moments to just stare at him – every part of him; every beautiful inch of him. Gingerly sliding into bed behind Justin, he scooted over, just enough until his body was touching the other boy's, his heart soaring into flight as he felt his skin against his, and breathed in the familiar smell of Justin's hair, his skin…him. Spooning up closer against Justin, he heard the other boy sigh in his sleep and thought he heard him murmur his name between his lips before he slid his arm around the slim waist, smiling as Justin instinctively pressed closer back against him, still clutching that damn cow in his arms.

Finding himself more exhausted than he thought he would be, he fought against falling asleep just yet, but found himself unable to prevent it. His eyes fluttered open and shut a few times before he, too, joined his lover in slumber, knowing at last that this was not a dream; it was real. Thank God it was real. And he would never be apart from this boy ever again.

The Next Morning…8:10 a.m.

Just like he had for the past week, Justin awoke to the sound of Debbie calling him to come down to breakfast; but no matter how many times she tried to have him downstairs precisely at 8:00 a.m. like she wanted, he just couldn't seem to make it. It was always closer to 8:30 a.m. before he was able to shower, get dressed, and emerge downstairs.

Last night, he had experienced a vivid dream – the most vivid and realistic dream of all since he had been separated from Brian. It had been so real, it was like he could actually feel Brian's strong arms surrounding him as he cradled his body, and his warm breath washing over his skin as he breathed in and out on his neck. He could even imagine he smelled his unique scent, and his body pressed against his from head to toe. When he had first gone up to bed, it had been extremely difficult for him to fall asleep, caused mainly by the fact that for some reason Brian wasn't answering his texts, emails, or calls. Each night before they went to sleep, they spent a long time just lying in bed, imagining they were together, discussing how their day had gone, and what they had done. Sometimes they murmured words of yearning, and whispered endearments that normally resulted in bringing each of them to climax – but not a very satisfying one. And it always ended with both of them declaring how much they missed each other, and Brian doing his best to encourage him to keep going, reminding him that they would be together again soon, before he would fall into another night of fitful sleep.

Despite Brian's words of reassurance, Thanksgiving break seemed like a lifetime away to Justin. He knew before he left for school that he would miss him greatly – his lopsided smile, his eyes whose amber pupils darted back and forth side-to-side in concentration when he was speaking about something he was especially passionate about, his tender caresses while they made love, and his protectiveness toward him when he came to his defense, which always made him feel cherished and special. But the constant ache he felt was nothing like he had imagined it would be – it was ten times worse. Each day, he questioned if he was doing the right thing. Deep down, he knew he had to do this; he wanted to do this. But he also knew he wasn't sure how he would be able to succeed without Brian's presence.

"Justin! Breakfast's getting cold, Sunshine! Get that bubble butt down here on the double if you want hot food!"

Yawning widely and scratching his head, Justin sighed as he slipped on a loose tee-shirt hanging over the back of his desk chair before shuffling in bare feet over to the door and opening it, hearing the familiar sounds below of clanging pots and pans as Debbie puttered around the kitchen like a chicken scratching for food, and what he thought was the murmur of conversation; no doubt Debbie was either muttering to herself as she was often prone to do, or, more likely, she was arguing with that insipid talk show host she always listened to on the radio while she prepared his breakfast. He never would understand why a person would faithfully listen to someone whose opinions she vehemently disagreed with, but in an odd way he found her scathing rebukes of the conservative talk show host entertaining. Reaching the steps, he began to head downstairs to start his day – another day filled with unknown and unfamiliar possibilities and opportunities, but also another day without Brian by his side.

Brian grinned over at Debbie as she stood near the eat-in-kitchen's doorway, her hand cupped over her mouth like a megaphone as she yelled at her other tenant to hustle, thinking back upon the last hour, and how things were about to change dramatically.

He had awakened in Justin's bed around 7, at first disoriented as to where he was, the room unfamiliar and unknown. But as he felt the soft, warm bundle he was holding in his arms, his heart lifted to an unbelievable level of euphoria, and his face had broken out into a wide smile of contentment. He was here; here with Justin once more.

He had lain there with a sleeping Justin in his arms for several minutes as he listened to the other boy's even breathing, his emotions battling between his desire to wake up his sleeping lover and then fuck the shit out of him all morning long, or being evil and surprising him at breakfast – followed by a 'different' sort of breakfast in bed afterward. The thought of seeing Justin's stunned face as he realized he was here, however, finally won out over his initial, more prurient thoughts as he reluctantly and carefully disentangled himself from the younger boy – and the silly, stuffed cow he was still grasping against his chest – and slid off the bed to walk out into the hallway.

Going downstairs long enough to retrieve some items from the SUV, including his clothing, he greeted Debbie who was busily flitting around the kitchen before heading back upstairs to take his shower, grinning the entire time as the hot water sluiced off his body and he grew hard, merely at the thought of soon having Justin in here taking a shower with him. He was pleasantly surprised to find that the shared guest bathroom had a shower sufficiently big enough for two; he definitely intended on 'sharing' this shower with Justin often, thankful that Debbie had a master bathroom of her own.

Speaking of their landlady, he really wasn't sure about her just yet. He had barely spoken with her last night upon his arrival, but he was hopeful that she would be supportive of his and Justin's relationship. After all, her brother Vic and his nephew Emmett were both gay (Vic had informed him that Debbie had raised Emmett after his single mother had died in childbirth). The woman was brassy and eccentric – that much he could already tell – but nevertheless he felt this was going to be a good place to live while he and Justin attended college together.

He and Justin. Together. That had a wonderful sound to it. He smiled as he stood under the shower's soothing spray, closing his eyes with his head thrown back as he began to stroke himself, imagining soon how it would feel for Justin's hand to be there touching him, loving him, kissing him. It wasn't nearly as satisfying as the real thing, but it didn't take long for him to reach orgasm, merely at the thought of what was to come.

Dressing quickly in his own room a few minutes later – surprised at the high ceilings and how spacious it was; much bigger than a dorm room would ever be – he stole a brief look in the mirror to make sure everything was in place before he turned and headed back down the hallway, craning his neck slightly to make sure that Justin's door was still closed. He grinned. Are YOU about to be surprised, Farm Boy, he thought, as he descended down the wide, carpeted steps toward the first floor.

Now, he found that his heart was thumping incredibly fast as he heard the sound of footsteps upstairs, and then the muffled clunk, clunk, clunk of Justin shuffling down the steps; he would normally race down the steps back home when he knew he was out there waiting for him, much like he drove his sulky, Brian recalled with a smile. He quickly reached for the front page section of the newspaper that Debbie had brought in from the front porch as he heard him approaching, opening it up to some random page as he sat at the kitchen table, holding it up just high enough so Justin couldn't identify him.

"'Bout time, Sunshine!" Debbie groused at him as he came ambling closer. Brian smiled at the nickname; he was surprised he hadn't thought to call him that himself. It certainly fit, he decided. "You realize when you have school soon that you won't be able to slough off like this, don't you?" she gently reprimanded him. "You'd better get into a regular routine now before school starts."

Justin sighed and abruptly let forth with a big yawn as he stretched his hands upward; unable to stop himself, Brian risked temporarily lowering the paper a little– just in time to see a bit of pale flesh as Justin's tee shirt rode up from his belly – and making him bite back a groan of desire in reaction. He swallowed hard at the sight, anticipation growing by leaps and bounds...along with something else he couldn't control, which was getting hard just from the sight of him.

"Well, come and say hello to my other house guest," Debbie told him as Justin came closer, curious to know what his new roommate would look like, and hoping that they could be friends. "He got in late last night. I believe that you already know…" Debbie didn't get the rest of the sentence out, though; that became unnecessary, as soon as Brian put the paper down beside him and stared over at Justin nonchalantly, one eyebrow raised as he smiled back at him, his identity now revealed.

"…Brian!" Justin screeched in disbelief, his eyes growing wide as saucers. His mouth hung open in shock; he was too stunned to move as he stared over at the other boy, thinking he must be dreaming again. He shook his head back and forth, much like Solomon would after a bath – or more likely, a dog paddle in the swimming hole. "No….no…" he mumbled. "This isn't real. This isn't real," he kept repeating…all the while as 'his mirage' pushed back from his chair, retrieving something he had brought down with him and had placed in his lap as he rose to stand, noticing Debbie watching them curiously from her place at the stove as if she weren't surprised at all.

Justin frowned; well, that scraping sound as the other tenant scooted back from his chair sounded real enough; he had to have heard that clearly...right? He watched as the other boy who looked just like Brian smirked at him before he ambled closer, and Justin got a good whiff of the familiar scent of Brian's aftershave he always wore. Clutched in the other boy's right hand was a red, leather book…one that he had been keeping on his night dresser, right next to his bed. One that held a special significance to him. One that he treasured and looked at each night. "No…" he whispered, finding it too hard to believe. It was too good to be true. But that book didn't just appear out of nowhere. With startling clarity, he realized that last night had NOT been a dream after all.

Brian smiled. "I believe this belongs to you?" he asked him as he somehow managed to get a nod back in response.

"Yes," Justin whispered back, reaching out his hand toward the book…only to have his concentration temporarily broken when Debbie interrupted them.

"You two…you're not just friends, are you?" she accused them, both hands on her hip as she clutched her spatula in indignation. Of course, she knew already that was a stupid question. One look at the rapturous, love-struck expressions on both their faces, and the question became unnecessary.

Justin was too shocked to make any acknowledgement in response to Debbie's question; but Brian managed a nod of his head, his eyes never leaving Justin's, as he reassured him, "I'm real, all right. Come closer…and I'll prove it to you," he urged, his voice smoky and deep. It was his 'let's kiss and have sex' voice, and it made an immediate impact on his lover.

Justin's heart felt like it would explode any moment before he tentatively reached his hand out toward Brian a little further – and gasped when he felt Brian's hand firmly gripping his back as he pulled him into his arms. He placed his hands palms down on Brian's chest, his face threatening to crack from the radiant smile he was now wearing, as he exclaimed in wonder, "You really ARE here! You're really here!" He slid his hands to lock them behind Brian's neck and immediately pulled his head down to kiss the lips that he had been craving since the second he had left. He felt Brian's chuckle against his mouth before the other boy obligingly opened his lips enough for both of them to deepen the kiss, their tongues dueling as Brian cradled Justin's head in his large hands and both tried to swallow each other whole.

Standing over her skillet full of scrambled eggs, Debbie's eyes widened and her eyebrows rose over the X-rated display before she snorted. "Well, I guess that answers that question," she deadpanned wryly. "Uhh…You two lovebirds over there….I have eggs about to burn here…" She shook her head in amusement as she was totally ignored, moving the pan over to another burner as she turned to face them again. Smirking, she took the metal spatula and rapped it sharply against her antique, cast-iron stove, creating a rattle that would wake the dead – or in this case, hopefully pry the two lovers apart. "Damn Vic," she muttered, shaking her head again. "I should have known. Wait until I talk to you next time." She banged the spatula a couple more times even harder than before until, at last, the two boys reluctantly pulled apart somewhat, panting and breathless, and both sporting identical, goofy grins.

"Come over here and get some breakfast," she ordered them. "I told you," she added, pointing her spatula directly at Brian. "Cold cereal."

Still loosely in each other's arms, Justin frowned as Brian grinned back at her. Right now, he could care less about scrambled eggs. "Uhh…I'm not hungry," he told her, still staring over at Justin as he answered.

"Bullshit," she replied in a stern voice. "Everyone has to start out the day with a good breakfast."

"Oh, I couldn't agree more," Brian told her, one side of his mouth quirking upward and leaving no question as to what exactly he meant and making Justin promptly blush.

Debbie sighed heavily. "Look, you two! I just spent a fucking hour fixing both of you a hot, home-cooked breakfast, including my famous biscuits and gravy! Don't you dare tell me that you're not hungry! Now get your asses over here and eat!"

Brian couldn't help laughing as Justin grinned. "Yes, Ma'am," he responded dutifully, leading Justin by the hand over to the kitchen table; if it was up to HIM, he would have pulled the other boy into his lap to enjoy his breakfast a little more, but he sensed that their landlady wouldn't look too kindly on that at the moment. Instead, Justin sat down next to him as he urged him, "Come on…Sunshine. She's right. You need to eat; you're going to need some energy for what I have in mind for you later."

Debbie rolled her eyes and looked upward before sighing. "Vic, what have you gotten me into?" She turned her attention back to her two houseguests. "Sit," she ordered them like they were a couple of canines in obedience school; she grinned as both did as they were told, noticing them grasping hands under the table and sitting way closer than necessary. "Lovebirds," she muttered as she retrieved the scrambled eggs and walked back over to slide some onto both boys' plates. Retrieving a platter of bacon and the homemade biscuits along with a bowl of sausage gravy, she walked back over and placed it in the middle of the table, taking a seat across from the other two. She noticed Brian wrinkling his nose at the huge bowl of gravy, while Justin's eyes lit up at the sight. "You'll like it, and you'll eat every bit of it on your plate," she told Brian. She concealed an evil smile as she intoned, "Now let's say grace." She glared over at Brian when he left forth with a sort of snort in response. "Quiet!"

He gave her a 'who, me?' sort of look as she bowed her head and began her prayer. Even though she was and always would be a good Catholic, it wasn't normally her style to say grace before meals, but in this particular case she decided a little tormenting was in order. "Lord, we thank you for what we are about to eat. Please watch over us, and keep us safe from harm. And please make my newest tenant wait until I'm done with my prayer before he cops a feel under the kitchen table. Amen."

Brian quickly snatched his hand back away from Justin's crotch as she lifted her head up and gave him a sweet smile. How in the world did she know he was doing that? "You're good," he admitted as she grinned smugly.

"Eat first. Fuck second," she told him as Justin's eyes widened in shock that she had figured that out, glancing over at a scowling Brian, who reluctantly picked up his fork and took a stab of scrambled egg. Justin found it hard to keep from laughing before he, too, dove into his food with relish, cutting up his bacon before he managed to grab a chunk of scrambled egg and slide it into his mouth, making an 'mmm' sound that made Brian want to eat his breakfast at lightning speed.

He watched in shock as Justin operated on his breakfast like he was a vacuum cleaner, vocally expressing his appreciation for Debbie's cooking with every bite and making Brian hard as steel. Damn it. By the time he had eaten his piece of toast and a few bites of egg, Justin has polished off every bit of food on his plate, and Brian was raring to head upstairs. He was amused by his lover's gusto for food, but he was also silently elated, because now they could get reacquainted the right way…away from a certain redhead's prying eyes. He made a pretense of groaning loudly and clutching his stomach as he proclaimed, "I'm stuffed. I couldn't eat another bite."

"Uh, huh," Debbie commented dryly, watching the two fucking each other with their eyes from her place at the table. The next time she talked with her brother, she would let him have it for not informing her that these two neighbor boys who were living next to each other on adjacent farms were a lot more acquainted with each other than he had let on. Yeah…right. These two had it bad, she decided as she continued to watch them totally ignore her; she figured she had prolonged their agony long enough. She cleared her throat as she noticed the two boys stealing another kiss when they thought she wasn't watching. "Well…I'd better get the dishes washed. And then I must have an appointment to go to…somewhere…or some dry cleaning to pick up…or a PFLAG meeting to attend…or some weeding to do outside. So…you'll be on your own this morning." She figured she'd rather not hear what she suspected would be quite vocal sounds coming (emphasis on the word 'coming') soon from one of their bedrooms.

"Yeah…fine," Brian murmured absentmindedly, as she stood up and scooted back from her chair, picking up her plate, silverware, and coffee cup.

She rolled her eyes. Were they listening to anything she said? "But first I'll just go dig up that body I buried in the backyard, then."

"Okay," Justin responded agreeably with a nod, his eyes never leaving Brian's. He had no idea what Debbie had just said, but he really wasn't concerned about that; he was too busy staring at Brian, for fear he might disappear somehow.

Debbie watched in amusement. "Vic, you are so going to get yours, Mister," she grumbled good-naturedly with a shake of her head.

"Let's go," Brian urged his lover impatiently as he scooted back from his chair and pulled on Justin's hand. Justin had barely enough time to grab the last bite of his bacon strip, throw it in his mouth, and push his own seat back before he was unceremoniously forced to stand up.

Brian groaned as Justin unexpectedly resisted moving. "Justin…" he protested in dismay.

"Debbie, you want some help?" Justin asked, unable to let his manners of etiquette go, despite his racing pulse and a hard-on quickly appearing. He couldn't wait to get upstairs, too.

To Brian's enormous relief, Debbie shook her head. "No, Sunshine. I'll be fine. You go on…and help Brian 'unpack.'" She knew that was the last thing on either of the boys' minds as a sudden thought occurred to her: perhaps she could fit three tenants into her home this time. Something told her one of these boys' bedrooms may not be needed. "Uh, aren't you going to go get the rest of your things, Brian?" she asked slyly, knowing the response she would get.

"Later," Brian answered, before gripping Justin's hand tightly and practically running to the staircase he as urgently pulled Justin up the steps with him as the other boy laughed.

Debbie grinned before placing the other soiled dishes and silverware into the sink; she decided that washing them could wait. Walking back out toward the front door, she grabbed her sweater from the hall closet along with her purse, hearing laughter from upstairs, followed by silence, before opening the door and heading outside.

"Brian, slow down!" Justin pleaded, almost having to trot like Headstrong just to keep up. "I'm not a horse! I race one, remember?" The wind was promptly knocked out of him as Brian spun around abruptly and slammed them together, chest-to-chest. Plastering a short but passionate kiss on Justin that left him somewhat dazed, Brian replied, "Don't care; we have a lot of time to make up for!"

Justin laughed as he was hauled into his room and was twirled around like a ballerina as Brian kicked the door shut with a resounding bang. Brian reached over to immediately begin grabbing at Justin's tee shirt to try and tug it off him. "Off," he demanded as Justin giggled over his 'he-man' behavior. "Now."

He held his hands up just long enough for Brian to accomplish what he wanted, shivering slightly with the sudden chill in the room before Brian went to work on his jeans, unbuttoning the fly in record time as he used Justin's waistband to pull him toward the bed. "Fuck, I want you," he growled as Justin blushed.

"Brian…Brian, wait!" Justin cried out as the other boy pressed just enough on his chest to push him onto the bed, his ass bouncing as he sat on the edge. "Explain how you got here!"

"I drove," was the simple response, as Brian pulled frantically at Justin's shoes and socks to remove them before lowering his now-unzipped jeans down the slim legs until Justin was completely barren of clothing in record time. "Scoot up in the bed," he commanded softly.

Justin's eyes bored into his as he nodded, doing as Brian asked until his head was resting on one of the bed's pillows.

Brian couldn't help licking his lips at the sight before him. Until that moment, he thought he had known the depth of longing he had felt over Justin's absence. But now he realized just how much he had miscalculated. "We can talk later," Brian told him huskily as he began to remove his own clothing with dispatch, his yearning to be skin-on-skin with Justin almost too intense to handle. Finally shorn of all his clothing and his cock jutting out proudly in arousal, Justin's eyes darkened as Brian swept his gaze down his body and then back up, noting the other boy's cock was in a similar condition. Standing at the foot of the bed, Brian began to crawl ever-so-slowly up Justin's body, reacquainting himself with every inch of his lover's skin – every hard muscle, every angle, every erogenous zone that left Justin squirming and sighing with pleasure.

"Brian," he moaned as their cocks rubbed together. "I've missed you. Oh, God, I've missed you so much." He grabbed ahold of Brian's head and literally dragged him upward until their lips could meet, unable to control himself from kissing the lips again of the boy he had spent countless hours dreaming of – and yearning for. Lying directly on top of the younger boy, Brian smiled against Justin's mouth before he licked Justin's bottom lip and his tongue was allowed inside to taste him. Hands began to roam everywhere they could reach until Brian broke off their kiss, his breathing rapid and shallow as he gazed into the azure blue eyes. "Condom," he managed to somehow say in between breaths.

"Drawer," Justin choked out somehow, his chest heaving and his cock throbbing for attention. What he had fantasized about for the past week was finally about to come true, to be real. He had so many questions he had yet to have answered, like how this all happened, but right now he didn't care. All he cared about was having this man inside him, joining with him, filling him. Blindly he stretched his hand out toward the small, nightstand drawer next to the bed, but was unable to quite reach it, causing him to groan in frustration.

"Easy, Farm Boy," Brian told him with a grin, easily able to reach the drawer with his right hand, pulling on the small knob to open it and grabbing a condom packet from the drawer, noticing that – thankfully – it was pre-lubricated, because he was not in the mood for a lot of foreplay. He had to have this boy – now. He laughed as Justin promptly snatched it out of his hand and pulled the condom out, tossing the packet carelessly over the side of the bed. He wasn't the only impatient one, it seemed. "Oh, the warden won't like that," he scolded him. "Littering," he tsked tsked. He sucked in a breath, though, a couple seconds later at the first initial contact of Justin's hand on his cock as he rolled the latex down his shaft, the grip light and teasing, but also sure and determined.

"Hell with Debbie," he growled out. "Come on, Brian! Have you forgotten how?"

"Oh, you are so going to get it for that, Sunshine," he told the other boy, trying the name out for the first time. After all, they weren't on the farm any longer, and it did fit, at least when Justin smiled. Right now, though, the other boy was wearing more of a smug sort of grin, and he was determined to wipe that expression right off his beautiful face.

"Oh, I remember, all right," he promised him, abruptly making Justin writhe and giggle as he tickled him on the spot only he knew would evoke that response: the sensitive insides of his wrists.

"Stop that! Brian!" Justin attempted to pull out of Brian's grasp, but the older boy was stronger, even though Justin was giving him a noble effort…and making his breath hitch as he wriggled beneath him and pressed their bodies closer together.

"It's coming back to me vividly, in fact," Brian assured him as he rose to his knees, grasping Justin's thighs tightly with his hands to urge him to put his legs up on his shoulders. "And you're about to get a reminder, you tease." He wanted nothing right then but to line his cock up with what he knew was that tight, inviting hole and ram all the way inside it – such was the intensity of his desire – but he didn't want to hurt the boy he loved that way. So as he locked gazes with the familiar eyes that were now dark blue with passion – passion for him – it was with enormous restraint that he pressed just the tip of his cock against the puckered service and pushed slightly inside, hearing Justin hiss at the initial intrusion. He instinctively hesitated as Justin shook his head impatiently.

"No…no," he panted out. "Oh, fuck, Brian! Don't stop now!"

"Justin…" Just saying the other boy's name aloud again was like music to Brian's ears. But his little 'artiste' would have none of it; just like him, he was much too impatient, and it had been way too long. Brian gasped as Justin arched his body, grabbed his ass, and forced him deeper inside. He couldn't help the groan that escaped as he finally revisited the most wondrous place on Earth. Confident now that Justin didn't want it slow and careful, he smirked. "Okay, Speed Racer. I should have known you wanted it fast and hard," he told him, as he slid all the way inside now in one, firm, smooth thrust, watching Justin's eyes darken even more and dilate with pleasure/pain as he let out a vocal cry, uncaring and unheedful of whether or not their landlady was still lurking about. If she was, she was about to get a show – at least with her ears anyway.

"Move, damn it!"

Justin's urgent demand brought Brian's focus back to the subject at hand as he grinned into the indignant, beautiful face of his lover. Nodding, he pulled back, only to lean in further to force Justin to almost bend in half as he dove back in forcefully until he was balls deep in one, fluid stroke, skin against skin. "That…that more what you had in mind?" he asked as Justin's breaths came out in rapid puffs between his parted lips and Brian let out a deep moan in response at the hot, tight feeling. All Justin managed was a breathless nod as Brian pulled back out almost all the way and then repeated the procedure, again and again as they began to rock together, in and out, again and again, Brian hitting the sweet spot deep inside Justin that drove him insane, and in turn made his own cock harden even more at the sounds escaping the younger boy's lips.

Justin reached up to grab Brian's head possessively and slam his lips against his, Brian tasting the saltiness of his sweat there, before he began the procedure all over again. He knew both of them wouldn't last long – it had been much too long since they had been together, even though it had only been a week in actuality – but he also knew this was the first of what would no doubt be a fucking sex marathon, much like the racing heats at the Red Mill. This, however, was going to be much more of a thrill for him – even more than the euphoria he felt from speeding down the road in a hot rod, or racing True Blue. Being with Justin – experiencing the ups and downs of what was to come, with the two of them together – would always be the ultimate high for him. All the rest would just be an added bonus.

Lips and hands kissed and caressed as the sweat poured off their bodies now, even as the air between the cracks of the old windows left a slight, cool, early morning breeze escaping into the room; at that moment, nothing and no one else existed in the world but them. Just as Brian had predicted, only a few more strokes, deep and forceful, were needed before he could feel his body tightening up like a coil, signaling his pending release. He grunted as he thrust in and out even harder, hearing Justin's cries reaching a crescendo, until – with one particularly powerful push and a couple strokes of his lover's cock – he felt Justin's ass muscles tighten around him before he felt the smaller body jerk. With one, last loud cry of his name, he felt the hot stream of come coat his body as Justin erupted in climax, promptly bringing himself over the edge as well in one of the most sublime, mind-blowing orgasms he had ever had.

Unable to support himself any longer on his elbows, Brian fell heavily onto the other boy, plastered against him in a mixture of skin, sweat, and come, the room thick with the powerful scent. As he lay there with Justin beneath him, feeling his hands slowly stroking up and down his slick back and his heart beating rapidly along with his – strong and vibrant - he thought life couldn't get any better than this. At last, he felt like he was where he wanted to be; where he needed to be.

After a couple of minutes, he could feel Justin wriggling slightly beneath, arousing him with his movements, but also signaling that his body weight was growing too heavy for him. With great reluctance, he turned and began to withdraw from him, grasping the condom and tying it off before finding a small wastebasket next to the night table and tossing it inside. Sighing as he flopped over onto his back, the two lay there in companionable silence, their still-rapid breathing the only sound in the room, before he turned his head and noticed Justin doing the same, both of them gazing at each other as if they were both trying to still convince themselves that they were, indeed, back together again after what was realistically a relatively short time apart, but to them had seemed more like an eternity.

As if reading his mind, Justin was the first to speak. "I…I can't believe that you're really here," he murmured, slightly shaking his head.

Brian grinned, turning just enough toward Justin to kiss him softly on the lips as he leaned over him. "Well, I am. Give me a few minutes, and I'll be glad to prove it to you again…and again…and again…"

Justin chuckled as he pushed Brian down onto his back, and draped his right leg over the other boy's, placing his head and his hand, palm down, on his chest as Brian's chin rested on top of the now wet, dark-blond mop of hair. Brian's hand curled around Justin's shoulder as he hugged him close, sighing in contentment. All his anxiety from the past week – and the feelings of concern about leaving his aunt and uncle – seemed to melt away instantly as he held Justin in his arms.

It was quiet in the room for a few moments, the only sound coming from a tacky, black-and-white tuxedo cat clock with back-and-forth eyes that was displayed over the top of the dresser – before Brian's chatterbox couldn't hold his curiosity back any longer. "Brian?"

Brian smiled; Justin had actually shown admirable restraint before he had spoken; at least, considering how he normally was. "Hmm?"

Justin didn't dare get his hopes up too much, but he had clearly heard what Debbie had said earlier…hadn't he? "Debbie introduced you as her newest tenant." He could feel Brian nod his head.

"You heard right, Farm Boy."

Justin's heart began to pound over Brian's words as he pulled back just enough to be able to look Brian in the eyes. "So this isn't just a visit?" He asked, peering into his eyes. He held his breath. Please let me be right… "You're not just here on a visit?"

Brian grinned. "Nope. Not unless you call the next four years a visit."

Justin's face broke out into such a radiant, blinding smile then that Brian wondered why he had never come up with the 'Sunshine' moniker himself. "You mean that…that…?"

Brian nodded. "Yeah. I'm going to be a student at Vanderbilt, too."

Justin was stunned. "But…but how?" All of a sudden, his eyes narrowed as Brian's words registered. "All this time you knew you were coming here, too, and you didn't tell me? You asshole!" he growled, struggling to break free of the other boy's embrace. But Brian refused to let him go, so after several seconds he stopped struggling, using the only weapon at his disposal: his words. "All this time, you made me think that you and I wouldn't be…" He glared at Brian as he placed two fingers over his lips to stop his tirade from proceeding any further.

"Calm down,, Justin! Listen to me, will you? Will you?" he repeated louder, keeping his fingers pressed against Justin's mouth. A roll of the eyes was the only promise he had that Justin would allow him to explain as he assured him, "I didn't know I was going to be a student until yesterday morning. Give me a little credit here!"

He knew as soon as he removed his fingers that Justin would start back up where he had left off, and he didn't disappoint him. "What in the fuck are you talking about?" he scoffed. "How in the hell could you not know?"

Brian sighed, placing his hand at the back of Justin's neck to keep him close. "I was on the wait list, trying to get into the College of Arts and Sciences for their marketing and economics program. I didn't think I had a snowball's chance in hell of being accepted, though, since class was starting up in a week and my grades were pretty much for shit in high school. I had managed to get some of my professors to write letters of recommendation for me, but I had pretty much lost hope. That is, until I got an email yesterday morning, telling me a spot had opened up in the freshman class…so here I am!"

Justin was quiet for a moment as he processed what Brian had just said. "Yesterday morning…You were on the wait list?"

Brian nodded with a smile, relieved that Justin was finally beginning to understand. "Yeah. I had hoped that by some crazy miracle I might still get in somehow, so I…I paid Vic's sister to hold the room open for me for the first semester so she wouldn't rent it out to anyone else."

Justin's eyes grew wide. "You paid for a room you didn't even know you might need?" Justin shook his head. "You took a big chance, Brian."

"Well, you can't win anything if you don't place a bet, right? And I was betting that things would work out, and that we could be able to room in the same place," he explained. "And I was betting…" he averted his eyes, feeling awkward. "Shit," he murmured, feeling like a fish out of water. How did this boy always pry things out of him that he normally would never say? "I was betting on love, damn it!" he told him finally as Justin smiled back at him with that dazzling smile again. He decided he liked being the cause of that smile. "And I came up the winner."

Justin flung himself into his arms, wrapping his hands around Brian's back as he rested his head in the crook of Brian's neck. "No, we both came up winners," he whispered. After a moment, he pulled back to meet Brian's lips for a kiss that left them thoroughly winded afterward as they stared deeply into his other's eyes.

"Well, you still wasted your money, even if you DID get admitted to Vandy," Justin informed him smugly.

Brian grinned, thinking he knew where this line of reasoning was heading. "Oh, I did, did I?" Justin nodded his head. "And how do you arrive at THAT conclusion, Sunshine?"

"Because you won't be needing that room…and my bed is a lot bigger than yours."

Justin squeaked as Brian tackled him to the bed, pinning him to the mattress. His eyes sparkled as Brian smiled down at him. "You know…for someone who came from a farm, you're pretty damn smart. After all, you made me fall in love with you."

"It was a foregone conclusion from the first day you met me."

Brian chuckled. "With or without clothes?"

Justin blushed. "Well…I admit the day at the swimming hole was a lot more…revealing…than the day I was painting that fence with Jared."

His legs entwined with his lover's, Brian nodded. "Won't get any argument out of me," he admitted with a smile, before his face dissolved into something more intense. "Whatever you say... the day I met you will always be the day I won the lottery. And I couldn't have won a better prize."

"Prize, huh?" Justin replied, reaching up to tenderly tuck some hair away from Brian's forehead behind his ear. "You make me sound like one of your aunt's blue-ribbon pies at the county fair."

"Oh, you're much better than that," he told him, leaning down to steal another kiss before the two turned on their sides to face each other. "And I'm never letting you go."

Justin flushed at the other boy's words as he told him, "Me, neither." Brian may have managed to tame a wild stallion back home, he decided. But he had tamed the wildest stallion of all.

Epilogue – Afternoon before Thanksgiving – Walker Farm

"Missy, will you please sit down? He'll be here when he gets here. You're wearing a hole in the floor," Will chided his wife in amusement. Perched in their rocking chair, he reached for his father's familiar pipe on the table next to him – only to sheepishly remember he had finally put it away in the closet a few weeks ago as a promise to his wife to stop smoking after she had tearfully begged him to rid himself of that 'life-shortening, filthy habit,' as she had so eloquently put it. Knowing his wife was already feeling quite melancholy over their nephew's absence, he had felt compelled to do as she had asked, but it was times like these – when he was secretly feeling just as anxious as she was to see their nephew – that he wished he had never promised her he would quit.

Sarah sighed heavily as she finally plopped down on the living room couch. She had started out in the kitchen earlier, but as the time wore on, Will had persuaded her to come with him into the living room, where he had a robust wood fire crackling in the fireplace. The day before Thanksgiving had arrived with a biting cold snap, one that had promised the hint of a snowy, long winter. And after some convincing, Will had insisted she come and sit down with him in front of the warmth, explaining that she would know soon enough when Brian arrived. After all, out of all the words they had come to define their nephew with, quiet and subtle wasn't one of them. They would know by the banging of the back door – and Solomon's boisterous baying from out back – that they had a visitor. A very special visitor.

They had kept in regular contact with their nephew, who seemed happy as a clam now that he and Justin were both students at the same school, and were practically 'attached to the hip,' as Debbie liked to describe them. Both of them had missed Brian greatly in their own ways, and were looking forward to seeing him again for the first time since he had so abruptly left for school the day he learned he had, at last, been accepted as a student. Will, however, as usual did a better job of hiding it. But Sarah knew. She knew she hadn't been the only one who had missed him, and not just because of his mechanical wizardry.

"You know he'll stop at the Taylors first to drop off Justin and Vic's sister," Will pointed out.

Sarah nodded. "Yes, Brian told me that. But he said he thought he'd get here over an hour ago! What could be taking him so long? I'm going to walk over to Jennifer and Craig's house to see if they have heard anything."

"You will do no such thing, Sarah Walker. Brian is a man now; he can more than take care of himself. I'm sure traffic is heavier than Walt Cravens' prize heifer right now. Give him time."

Sarah couldn't help rolling her eyes at her husband's odd comparison, but nonetheless she did as she was told, finally reaching to pick up her crocheting lying next to her on the couch – only to bolt off the couch the moment she heard the sound of a vehicle coming up the road, and Solomon letting forth with a volley of excited barks and bellows. "That's him!" she shouted, jumping to her feet and hurrying down the hallway toward the back door, flinging it open just in time to see Brian open the SUV's driver's side door and shut it behind him, a wide grin on his face as he spied her.

"Aunt Sarah!" he shouted at her as she scampered down the steps at breakneck speed and ran headlong into his open arms, almost knocking the wind out of him as he laughed over her exuberance.

"You always were stronger than you looked," Brian teased her as they finally pulled slightly away from each other. He peered down at her to ask, "Have you gained a little weight? I know I did when I was here after eating all of your good cooking…although Debbie's a close second."

"Why, I am the same weight I was when you left!" she insisted, flustered. "You know I always tried to cook you healthy food…within reason."

Brian laughed at the indignant look on his aunt's face. "Relax, Aunt Sarah. I was only teasing you," he assured her, looking up as his uncle appeared by her side. "Uncle Will. It's good to see you again, Sir."

Will shook the hand that Brian offered him, nodding with a half-smile. "You're looking good, Brian," he decided, noting the way his nephew carried himself. Gone was the initial cockiness and arrogance he used to display when they had first met; now he noticed their nephew was more confident and self-assured; he didn't have to try so hard to impress anyone now. "I think college agrees with you," he added. "Come in the house and warm up; you can tell us all about it."

"Okay. But…"

His aunt and uncle frowned. "Is something wrong, Brian?" Sarah asked him.

"No," he assured her with a smile. "It's just that…well…Justin's mom wanted to know if you and Uncle Will might like to celebrate Thanksgiving with them tomorrow over at their house. She said there'll be plenty of room, if we spread out. She said you used to do that together every year…before…" He let his words trail off there, knowing that Dale's name would be automatically inserted there. He had found out that both houses had had a long-standing tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving together, alternating being the hosting house every other year, until Dale's tragic death had cast such a pall over the Walkers that they didn't have the heart to celebrate anything. Now he was hoping he could change that – and also spend more time with Justin. Despite the two of them being together every possible moment they could now, he could never have his fill of being with him.

Sarah peered over at her husband, noticing a firm set to his jaw, signaling he was reliving, at least temporarily, that distressing time. "He's right, William," she reminded him softly. "Those were good times back then."

William swallowed hard before nodding. "Yes. Yes, they were." His wife and nephew stood there for several seconds, slightly shivering in the cold, November air, before he seemed to come to a decision. "Well? Just because we'll be heading over to the Taylors tomorrow for Thanksgiving doesn't mean we have to stand out here freezing to death! I have a fire started inside; let's go back in the house, and hear all about college life."

Brian grinned, anticipating the holiday tomorrow, but still held back as his aunt and uncle turned toward the house. "I'll be right there," he promised. "But first I have to go say hello…to an old friend."

Will and Sarah nodded, knowing precisely who Brian was referring to.

"You are keeping him exercised?" he asked, glancing over toward the stables as he heard a whinny, wondering if somehow True Blue knew he was back for a few days.

Sarah gripped Will's arm before he could respond with an indignant retort she knew he would regret later. "Of course, Honey. Eddie is very faithful about taking him out every day. He's much more content now – thanks to you and Eddie exercising him – but Will and I ultimately decided not to let him race again. We're hoping someday, though, that we'll see an offspring of his on the track. Eddie is certainly hoping so," she added with a laugh.

Brian nodded. "I'm glad," he told her. He would have felt inordinately guilty if Dale's horse had been left to languish in his stall, or spend the rest of his days not-so-serenely grazing out in the pasture, all because he had given up exercising him in exchange for being with Justin. He knew True Blue was just a horse. But he wasn't just any horse. He was one of the last living legacies of his cousin. He owed his aunt and uncle so much; seeing that Dale's horse was well taken care of – thanks in large part to Vic's suggestion – had been a major responsibility taken from his shoulders, and had allowed him to pursue his education, and most importantly, be with the boy he had come to love so deeply.

"Brian?" his aunt called out as he peered over at her questioningly.

"Wait up a second," she told him, as she hurried into the house, coming back in a minute or two with two apples clutched in her hands. Brian grinned as she exclaimed, "Catch!", and he deftly caught both apples one at a time like a seasoned fielder. "You know he'll expect it," she told him as he nodded with a smile. Yes, that horse would almost sulk if he showed up without any treats. "Why don't you take him out for a little while? I think he'd love that, and Eddie hasn't exercised him today yet."

Brian nodded with pleasure at the idea. "Okay. Uhh…do you know if Headstrong has been out today, too?"

Sarah grinned as Will rolled his eyes. She knew he was wondering if Brian ever thought about anyone else except a certain boy. But they both knew he did; he was just 'besotted,' as Will called it. No one really used that word anymore; no one except her old-fashioned husband. But it certainly fit. They couldn't dispute Brian's dedication to his schooling, however; that hadn't suffered. Brian was making excellent grades in school, and often passed onto them frequent words of praise from his professors. That didn't really surprise Sarah at all, however; even from the beginning, both she and Will knew that Brian was an intelligent young man. He just needed the proper guidance – and love – to develop his full potential.

"Why don't you go find out?" she suggested with a wink. "Lunch will be ready in about an hour. And don't ask if Justin can join us, either," she added as Brian scowled at her. "You know he's welcome, but you also know his parents will want to spend time with him, too. You'll see him again tomorrow," she reminded him as Brian nodded glumly.

"If not sooner," Will muttered under his breath with a sigh, as Sarah tried not to laugh. She knew there was a good likelihood of that. Did these boys ever get tired of each other? They certainly didn't seem to.

"Okay," Brian agreed grudgingly. His face brightened somewhat, however, when he realized that just because he couldn't have Justin over for lunch didn't mean they couldn't see each other right now. "I'll be back in time, Aunt Sarah!" he told her, hurrying toward the stables to let True Blue out of his stall, so he could ride him over to the Taylors' house and see if Justin could 'come out and play.' He grinned. Now that he and Justin were living in the same residence together – hell, in the same room together – they did a lot of 'playing.' And 'coming.' And he couldn't be happier.

Ten Minutes Later – Taylors' Practice Track

Justin laughed as he pulled off his racing helmet, his hair sweaty and plastered to his head and his breathing labored. He had forgotten how exhilarating it had always felt to feel the wind against his face, and hear the regular, furious, clop-clop-clop of Headstrong's hooves as he raced around the track at breakneck speed. This time, while Brian and True Blue had put up a gallant effort, there had been no doubt as to the outcome of this encounter: they had been neck-and-neck at first, but it hadn't taken long for Justin to pull away and stay out in front. "I told you that was beginner's luck before!" he boasted as Brian jumped down from True Blue's sulky and pulled his own helmet off.

"Oh, it was, was it?" Brian countered as he walked over to the other boy, who grinned back at him and lifted his eyebrows at him expectantly. "Well, you know what I'm going to do?" he told him, now inches separating them.

Justin's eyes twinkled. "No!" he played along. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to wipe that smug grin right off your face, Taylor."

Justin clapped his hand over his lips in mock horror. "You are?" Brian grinned as he came even closer, pulling Justin's hand away from his lips to grip it tightly by his side.

"Yeah, I am," Brian told him, everything and everyone fading in the background.

Justin sighed heavily. "Well, I guess I'll just have to take my punishment like a man, then," he responded, waggling his eyebrows and making Brian's crotch tighten as thoughts of Justin doing just that in their bed last night came to mind. He was finding that a particularly productive Justin at school during the day oddly made for a particularly horny Justin at night…but he certainly wasn't complaining.

"Good answer," he told his lover with a chuckle, as he let go of Justin's hand to slide his arms around his waist and pull him closer; he pressed his lips to his, both mouths opening instinctively to deepen the kiss, as Justin's hands came up to link behind Brian's neck.

"Ahh…Young love," Vic proclaimed poetically as he and his sister Debbie observed the two boys kissing from their place in front of his trailer's kitchen window; they were presently working on a couple of dishes for tomorrow's feast, Debbie having been invited to come along for the celebration. Emmett was also somewhere about, probably out by the fence near the cows, since it was their typical feeding time. "I see some things haven't changed since they left here."

Debbie chortled. "Well, one thing changed. I now have three boarders instead of two. Good for my pocketbook, but it's the first time I've been able to do that." She continued to watch them make out, hands roaming all over each other as they broke off their kiss, only to start on another one. "They sure do have it bad for each other. Why didn't you just tell me they were more than 'neighbor boys,' as you put it?"

Vic grinned as he returned to chopping up some celery for the dressing. "Come on, Sis! What would have been the fun in that? Besides, I knew it wouldn't take you long to figure it out. And I'm sure they're good tenants, aren't they? You can't argue that."

"Well, that's one good thing about them staying in the same room," she told him. "I've discovered that Sunshine is a bit of a slob, but Brian's downright anal about everything in its place. Justin drops things where they are, and then Brian comes along and puts them away." She cackled. "It's kind of like having a teenage version of the Odd Couple!" She peered back through the window to see them finally break apart and come up for air. "But you're right; they're both good kids," she confirmed as he nodded in agreement. "Now I just need a little more insulation between their bedroom and mine. Those kids have stamina with a capital S! You know they fucking go at it three, even four times some nights, and still get up to go to class? Don't know how they do it. But they're both on the Dean's list so far this semester." She smiled as she watched them leading the horses over to the stable to cool them down. "And yes. They are definitely in love. Anyone can see that." She leaned over to give her brother a kiss on the cheek. "You old sentimental queen," she uttered as Vic shrugged, returning to his celery chopping as he hid a grin.

Craig and Jennifer rocked slowly back and forth on their back porch swing, their view presently hiding the two boys' activities. But it didn't take much to figure out what they were doing.

Craig sighed. "Jen…"

"Craig, you promised."

They continued to rock back and forth, a creak resounding with each motion. "By the way, we need to oil this swing," she commented, her husband's arm curled around her shoulder as his fingers tightened imperceptibly.

"Jen…" he started again.

"Craig…"

Craig peered over at his wife and rolled his eyes as she smiled serenely back at him. "Jen, you know they aren't racing anymore back there. Lord knows what they're doing."

Jen nodded. "Yes, Craig. It's called courting. Spooning. Making out. The same thing you and I did when we were around the same age, remember? You're not that old," she teased him, trying to get a smile out of him. But she wasn't quite successful. "Craig, you said you accepted their relationship. You can't deny that Brian treats him like a king."

Craig grunted. "I guess," he conceded as Jennifer peered at him pointedly. "Okay, yeah, I know that. I just thought it might be a good idea for them to have a little time apart, that's all. And now they're in college together? Jen, how will our son ever learn independence by constantly having Brian with him?"

"Do you think of me that way, Craig?" She stopped their back-and-forth motion to stare over at him.

"What way?" he asked.

"Like some dependent, clingy housewife who can't make a decision on her own, or think for herself."

Craig's eyes flashed in irritation. "Of course not!"

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," she told him dryly. "So what's the difference?"

Craig rubbed his hand over his face. "He's just so young, Jennifer."

"Try another argument. Young doesn't always equal maturity. And I happen to think that Justin is quite mature for his age. Don't forget he had to grow up pretty fast when times were tough for us." Things had improved tremendously since Craig had found his new job, and even Jared was contributing somewhat to the household income. But before it had been mainly Justin – with a little help from her honey business, which was now also thriving, thanks in large part to her revamped website – who had kept them afloat, and both of them knew that. She figured it didn't hurt to remind her husband, however.

"I haven't forgotten, Jen," he told her quietly, still feeling a little awkward as well as embarrassed that their youngest son had had to take on such a burden. He considered her words carefully. She was right. Justin was young. But he had good judgment, and had known long before they had that Brian was not what he appeared. He was even convinced that Justin had helped the Walkers' nephew to become a better young man than even he was aware he could be. "All right," he finally conceded. "I see your point. Let's just hope they don't play footsie or something worse under the table at Thanksgiving supper tomorrow. Can we at least seat them across from each other? Or better yet, at the opposite ends of the table?"

He couldn't help grinning as Jennifer laughed at his suggestion. "Honey, I don't think there is such a thing as 'far enough' with them."

Craig huffed at the truth in his wife's statement. "You can say that again." He shook his head before he reached over to clasp Jen's hand in his and resume their rocking motion.

The Next Day – Mid-Day – Windswept Farm

The morning sun rose in a cloudless sky, promising a warm, late fall day entirely different from the frigid day before. With so many people attending Thanksgiving dinner at the Taylor residence – including Jared, Emmett, Debbie, and Vic, not to mention Brian and his aunt and uncle – it would have been an extremely tight squeeze in the house, and they would have had to put guests not only in the kitchen but in the living room as well. Far from anyone's idea of an ideal setup.

But Justin had come up with the inspired idea of having their Thanksgiving dinner outside in the fenced-in backyard, instead, since the temperature was supposed to rise into the mid-70's by meal time. So here they were after retrieving their food from inside the house, buffet style, seated at three, rectangular-sized fold-up tables normally stored in the barn, along with some white, wooden chairs that had been stored up in the loft ever since Justin's parents had wed outside under the old apple orchard. Large bowls of bright, red apples, cornucopia, and fall flowers in several vases lining the center provided a festive air.

Jennifer grinned over at Craig as she noticed Brian and Justin sitting side-by-side at the next table, Justin smacking Brian's hand as he tried to steal a corn muffin from his plate. Craig sighed in resignation, knowing nothing short of moving heaven and earth would separate them. He still didn't know if it was healthy. But he knew there was no stopping it. He had to admit, both boys seemed deliriously happy at the moment, broad, goofy grins on both their faces as Justin picked up a leaf that had blown off the large, oak tree above them and lightly dragged it across Brian's face to tickle him. He heard his youngest son let forth with a cross between a giggle and a shriek; he had no idea what had caused it, but he did know WHO had to have caused it.

Over the excited voices of those seated at the tables, Will rose to stand and bang his fork against his glass of sweet tea, creating just enough racket to produce a hush over the multitude of friends and family gathered together to celebrate Thanksgiving. All eyes peered over at him as he cleared his throat. He wasn't a very glib man – nor was he prone to making speeches – but something today compelled him just the same to speak. He glanced down at his wife, who smiled up at him encouragingly, before he began to talk. "I'd like to say just a few things if that's all right," he told the others as he shifted his weight slightly, seeing Craig and Jennifer nod their agreement. "I'm not much for fancy words, or makin' speeches," he began, his hands feeling clammy from nervousness. "But I figure Thanksgiving is as good a time as any to say what I want to say."

He gazed out onto the faces of so many individuals during the past couple of years who had helped both him and his wife face their most difficult time – the death of their son – and had helped them to persevere and recall some of their happier times with him. Memories of those times would always be bittersweet and tinged with 'what ifs.' But now while they could reflect back on the time they had spent with their son, he and Sarah had also found a way to look forward to what lay ahead. And all mainly due to another young man who had shown up right when he was needed, almost as if Fate had interceded. Perhaps it had; for not only for he and Sarah, but also for a troubled youth who needed a little guidance to show him what his life could really become.

He felt Sarah reach up and squeeze his knee as if to remind him of the present as he nodded down at her and wet his lips. "I'd like to thank Jennifer and Craig first of all for hosting this amazing-looking meal. I know I will regret how much I am about to eat," he commented, as several chuckled in understanding, "…but everything looks too good to pass up. And I'd also like to thank my wife for putting up with me when I didn't deserve it." He looked down at her, whispering, "Missy, I am one lucky man," making her blush and shake her head as if she were objecting to that. For SHE felt like the lucky one.

"I'd also like to thank Emmett and Vic, who have helped to keep our farm running these past few weeks whenever Sarah and I needed an extra hand. And I'd like to thank the good Lord for all this bounty before us. We are truly blessed in a lot of ways, and I never want to forget that." There were murmurings and nods of agreement among the group before they once more quieted down.

He paused as he peered over at Brian, who was silently staring back at him, his shoulder lightly touching Justin's as they sat much closer than necessary, but also seeming to always need that connection between them. "Most of all, though…I'd like to thank my nephew, who managed to breathe new life into this tired, old man, and make him believe in a reason for living again." Brian found himself blinking back tears, along with a few others, as Justin squeezed his hand under the table.

Will gazed upward into the bright, blue sky for a moment before he swallowed hard. "And I'd like to say thank you to our son, Dale. Son, I hope you're up there giving them a race for their lives! And I know you're beating the pants off them, too," he added, earning a few chuckles from the others. "Just save us a spot in the grandstands, Son. We'll be right up there cheering you on one day." He heard a sniffle next to him as he looked down at his wife, tears in her eyes. One escaped to trickle down her cheek as he reached down and gently wiped it away before clearing his throat. He took a deep breath. "And now, I say...let's enjoy this wonderful bounty." He slowly sat down then as everyone nodded.

A slight, awkward silence prevailed until Jennifer spoke up as she teased, "Remember, no dessert until everyone tries my new butternut squash mac and cheese dish. I had to do something with all that squash!" she explained, looking pointedly over at her oldest son, who had his standard favorites on his plate: turkey with dressing, mashed potatoes with gravy, fried corn, and a large, homemade roll slathered with butter. A groan escaped Jared's lips as she looked over at her oldest son with a smile and told him, "And I've made your favorite, too: peanut butter pie."

"Mom! That is so not fair!" Jared grumbled as everyone laughed, breaking the tension. He glared at her until he sighed with a roll of his eyes. "Whatever. I'm sure it will be my holiday favorite from now on. I would love some," he told her in a falsetto voice.

Jennifer laughed. "Oh, come on! Even I know better than that! I'll settle for a few bites," she told him as he sighed in relief. Sitting next to him, she took her spoon and pushed a small amount onto his plate. "There you go. Baby steps."

Justin snickered at Jared's immature display. "Some things never change," he murmured under his breath. Jared always HAD been a big baby when it came to trying anything new.

"I heard that, Squirt!" Jared told him, promptly launching a roll in his direction. He scowled as Justin deftly caught it and took a big bite out of it, some of the butter oozing out of the bread. Brian couldn't resist reaching over with his finger and wiping it off the corner of Justin's mouth before putting his finger between his own lips to suck it off.

Another clearing of the throat – this time from Craig - made Justin blush, while Brian merely shrugged and then smiled at him. Craig couldn't help shaking his head in amusement, resigned to life – at least for the foreseeable future – with both of these boys together. Justin could have chosen a lot worse, he decided, as he peered over at his wife, who leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek for 'playing nice.' He grinned at her then, lifting up his sweet tea to take a sip as the tables resumed their constant hum of conversation and clinking of silverware against the china plates as everyone continued their meal.

Much later, Brian and Justin lay side-by-side on a blanket up on the hillside, gazing up at the endless, starry sky. Everyone else had long ago retired to bed, leaving the two boys alone.

"You know, I think your father is starting to warm up to me," Brian stated. "He only looked like he wanted to kill me once today; that's an improvement. And he let us sit together at the table."

"He doesn't hate you, Brian. My father just takes a while to warm up to anybody. Remember, I'm his little baby boy."

Brian snickered. "You need to tell your father there's nothing little about you." He reached down to briefly give Justin's cock a squeeze, hearing him gasp at the touch.

"Stop that! Give me a little time to recover here, or my ass will be sore for the next week! I have exams, remember?"

Brian grinned. "I'll give you a prostate exam, free of charge."

"You already have! Several times already!"

Brian chuckled as they lay there quietly for a few moments before he spoke again. "Do you miss it?" he asked unexpectedly.

Justin turned his head to peer over at him, his boyfriend's eyes reflecting off the starlight above, and his skin almost glowing. "Miss what?"

Brian nudged his chin upward slightly. "All this. The quiet. The sounds you hear. The train whistle off in the distance."

Justin smiled. "You remember that?"

Brian reached to clasp his hand in his, their fingers intertwining. "Are you kidding? I remember everything about you. You're kind of unforgettable."

Justin grinned. "Oh, I am, am I? I seem to recall a short memory lapse a while back when you were smitten with Jared instead of me."

Brian smirked. "A temporary lapse in judgment," he called it as Justin snorted. "VERY temporary…and that was a long time ago," he reminded him as Justin nodded, satisfied. Brian's cocky grin was replaced with a more serious one as he told the younger boy, "I would never revisit that again. Why would I when I have you? And you didn't answer the question, Sunshine."

Justin's grinned; since they had been attending classes at Vanderbilt – and Debbie had bestowed that nickname on him – Brian had begun using that one more often than Farm Boy, because with the exception of this brief period back home, they hadn't set foot back on a farm in some time. "In a way," he admitted after a few seconds as he listened to all the familiar sounds surrounding them, and the smells that he had come to know from all the years he had lived here. He would always have a special place in his heart for this farm. And he hoped that once his parents were gone it would remain in the family. He would do everything he could to make sure that happened. He noticed Brian listening quietly as he added, "But I can always come back here, just like we did for Thanksgiving…and I'm excited about the future, Brian. A future with you."

"Well, I could always entertain you with a few stanzas of "Shine On, Harvest Moon" for old-time's sake, if you want," Brian suggested, tongue in cheek.

Justin laughed as he twisted his body on his side to face Brian, their interlocked hands between them. "Oh, please don't! You can't carry a tune in a bucket!" Brian glared at him as Justin added, "You were plastered on Dale's moonshine, remember? How could you even know how you sounded? Trust me, you made a wise choice when you didn't major in music."

"Hey!" Brian huffed in mock indignation.

Justin grinned. "Maybe you could attempt karaoke. If the soundtrack is loud enough, and enough people are wasted," he added hastily. "But please don't serenade me ever again. Or attempt to tip a heifer, either."

Brian smiled. "Ahh…the era of my misinformed youth. Well, as I recall, at least I got a kiss out of it eventually, so it wasn't all bad...well, after I scaled the fence, anyway, to escape that bull chasing me."

Justin laughed; he recalled that night fondly. He had thought he would need to give Brian some CPR, but a certain boy had taken advantage of his generosity, instead. Not that he was complaining. "Well, at least you ARE a good kisser, even if you're a terrible singer."

"Will you stop with the insults already?" Brian groused as Justin turned his body enough to lie halfway on top of him, his eyes sparkling under the dense starlight. "Keep it up, and I'll move back into my own bedroom."

"No, you won't," Justin argued. "Debbie's already rented it out. And besides, you would miss the sex too much."

"Oh, really?" Brian countered. "I could go out to one of the bars back at Vandy, and pick up another guy in ten seconds flat," he boasted.

Justin frowned in uncertainty. "You wouldn't ever do that…would you?"

Brian sighed in exasperation; even after all this time, could Justin still have doubts about the two of them? "Justin, why would I ever want to do that?" he asked softly. "I have YOU." Justin blushed…until Brian added, "You're a lot handier than some random guy." Justin's mouth opened in disgust until Brian laughed. "You are so gullible, College Boy." He gazed into Justin's eyes as the blond pulled back to stare into his face. "There IS no one else, Justin. And there never will be. I love you, you idiot. I'm afraid you're stuck with me; I'm not going anywhere. I will be your constant shadow until the day you become a withered, old man and eventually die."

Justin laughed. "How comforting!" His face turned more serious as he replied, "I just wanted to make sure. Because you're not getting rid of me, either. You'll need someone to take care of you when you get old before me." He giggled as Brian tickled him, twisting their bodies so that he was lying on top of Justin as he pinned him against the blanket.

"I'll show you old!" Brian retorted as he leaned down to give Justin a deep kiss. He pulled back to gaze into the trusting, blue eyes, his breath catching at the beauty beneath him. How much had happened since that first day they had met by that fence! But he wouldn't change a day, an hour, a minute…except for the time when Justin had been in danger. He couldn't help shuddering at the recollection.

"Cold?" Justin asked, noticing. They were actually dressed at the moment; a change from earlier when they had made love under the stars. Brian had found it disgustingly romantic, but he had told Justin he was 'indulging' him. Justin knew better, of course.

He shook his head, offering a reassuring smile. "No, I'm fine," he told him. "As long as I'm with you, I'll always be fine."

Justin smiled. "Me, too." Brian pulled him into his arms and held him close, both of them silent for several seconds.

"Brian? You think it'll always be this way for us?"

Brian reflected on that for a moment before he shook his head, surprising Justin until he explained, "No…it'll just keep getting better and better."

Justin smiled, his eyes growing heavy with sleep. "I love you," he managed to whisper before slumber claimed him. Brian smiled. "Ditto, Sunshine," he murmured before he, too, closed his eyes and drifted off to the sounds of a rural lullaby.

A/N: I'd like to thank those of you who faithfully stayed with me throughout this story, and especially those who commented. It was greatly appreciated.