A Moment in Time

Title: A Moment In Time (or The 8:43 Train to Downsview)
Author:Jules - mailto:goddess_julie@just-in-dreams.com
Part:1/1
Rating:G
Pairing: None ...exactly. There are implications ...but I'll let you read it to get the gist of it
Disclaimer:I know not these ten men, nor am I making assumptions. This is all fiction for entertainment purposes
Warning:AU warning. Bigroupal Warning
Notes:This is a type of story I have never written before. I've always wanted to write something like this, but it takes a lot of planning and focus to get everything written properly and accurately. Up until now, I didn't think I'd be able to do it without royally screwing it up, but I think that I've actually got it how I want it. It's an intricate story of circumstance and fate. How the lives of ten individual people are entwined by friendships, relationships and chance meetings. I truly believe that this is a small world and we are all connected by six degrees of separation, and this story is just a hint of that logic. Whenever I ride the subway, I'm always looking at people, wondering what their story is, and this is just a small taste of that. I hope you enjoy reading it, half as much as I enjoyed piecing it all together.
Thanks:For Danielle for the beta! Woo, I actually had someone beta it! What IS the world coming to?!?!?! LMAOBut thanks girl, you're awesome and I appreciate it SO very much.
A Moment in Time (or The 8:43 Train to Downsview)
by Jules
CHRIS
He checked his watch one more time as he hurried through the busy streets. It was 8:30 and he had to be at the restaurant by 9:30. They were throwing a farewell party for a friend at the office, and he wanted to be there when the guest of honour arrived. There was still plenty of time, but being on a time deadline and knowing public transportation, Chris didn't want to leave anything to chance. He rushed down the stairs leading to the subway, weaving through the throngs of people out for a good time on a Friday night. As he skirted around a group of obnoxious teens loitering in the station, a tall, blonde caught his eye and Chris paused for a second, letting his eyes skate over the boy. A smirk tugged at his lips.
It had been a while since he'd been with anyone, and his dick was now reminding him of this fact. Chris discreetly palmed the bulge forming in his jeans and reached into his pocket for a token, not noticing the people that were pushing and shoving him out of the way. As if knowing that he was being watched, the blonde looked up and directly at Chris, allowing for their gazes to lock. Blue eyes met brown and Chris felt an even stronger jolt of awareness flow through his body. That too headed straight to his groin. His lips opened just slightly and he let out a soft whoosh of breath. The overwhelmingly loud thought of 'fuck, this kid is beautiful,' ran through his mind, rendering him momentarily immobile.
The next few moments went by in a flash and Chris deposited his token in the small box, pushing through the turn style and on towards the platform. His body was still tingling and as he looked over his shoulder, he saw the blonde still watching him, curiously. In the few seconds in which the exchange took place, Chris felt a strange connection spark between them, something that baffled yet intrigued him.
Vaguely, he heard the sound of a train approaching the station, thus breaking him from the daze he had fallen into. The blonde flashed him a seductive smile and Chris felt his face flush and warm, his lower lip trembling slightly before being stilled by his teeth. In a flash, Chris turned around and headed towards the stairs. He wasn't paying attention to anything except the beautiful blonde, whose eyes he could still feel on him.
"Oh." Chris didn't see the body until he smacked right into him, almost sending them both flying. Steady arms grabbed him and before he knew it, he had been pulled flush against a hard, muscular body.
"Easy there, you're gonna hurt someone." The slow, drawl sent chills up Chris' spine. Looking up, he found himself staring into a pair of intense green eyes.
"Sorry ...wasn't watching where I was going." Just looking at this beautiful man in front of him, the blonde was momentarily erased from Chris' mind. This man had shoulder length dark hair, angular cheeks and the capability to render Chris absolutely stupid. "Late..."
"No harm done." The man smiled at Chris and he blushed. There quite possibly could have been a giggle too, but Chris wasn't sure of anything except the fact that their bodies were still pressed tightly together.

Regretfully, Chris pulled away and steadied himself, a task he found harder than it should have been. Especially with his head in the clouds. When Chris didn't speak, the man let out a soft laugh. "Well then, I guess we should be on our way. I've got someone waiting for me, and ...well as fast as you were going, you must be in a rush."
"Rush. Yeah. Sorry again," Chris stuttered. He ran his fingers through his short, dark hair and straightened the bag over his shoulder. He felt all sorts of awkward at the moment.
"Nothing to be sorry for."
And with that, the stranger was gone, leaving Chris still in a fog. Someone jostled him from behind reminding him of why he was in such a rush. Heading down the stairs to the platform, Chris once again checked his watch, seeing that it was 8:39. He had missed the train about a minute earlier, and according to the schedule another one would be by in five minutes. Well four now. Making his way to the far end of the platform, Chris found an empty bench and sat down to wait. The blonde's face flashed in his mind's eye, followed by the brunette's, and a grin slowly spread across his lips.
With his mind on the two beautiful men he'd just encountered, the minutes were gone in a flash and the train was pulling into the station. Chris stood and boarded the subway, finding a seat. He had about a half hour ride ahead of him. The faint sound of scratching caught his attention, and Chris turned his head to the direction it was coming from. There, a few feet away from him was a lean man with long wavy hair bent over a note pad. His hand was moving furiously and Chris craned his neck to see what he was drawing. It was a composite of a woman and her infant, the same woman and child that was sitting across from them on the train. The man looked up, cocking his head to the side for a few minutes before focusing his attention back down to his notepad, barely even registering anything. Chris watched until the man looked up and their eyes met. It was then that he looked away, embarrassed for being caught staring, but the man went right back to his art, not paying Chris' watchful eyes any mind.
The rest of his trip continued on, Chris' attention wavering from the artist across from him to the party that he was heading towards, wondering what the evening ahead had in store for him.
NICK
The ball hit the backboard and he jumped up for the rebound, curling protectively so that the man playing with him couldn't successfully get the ball away from him. As soon as his feet touched the ground again, Nick was off running to neutral territory. Slightly out of breath, he smiled at his opponent, dribbling aimlessly, knowing how much it pissed the other man off. Normally he'd be at work right now, but when his best friend called and said that in honour of his last day his work gave him the afternoon off, Nick immediately took a half day off so that they could get in some quality game time. It had been far too long since they'd been able to just chill. "You gonna play or just stand there all day?"
Nick raised a single eyebrow, his lips curling into a smirk. "Come get me." And in a flash they were off again, playing hard focused intently on the game. They continued on for twenty minutes without letting up, Nick shooting for three points which in turn gave him the game.
"Lucky game Carter."
"Luck? You wish, it's skill man." The friendly banter went back and forth for a few minutes, both men realizing that it was time for them to head out. They'd been playing for a few hours, and both had evenings to prepare for. With promises to get together again soon, Justin went in one direction and Nick headed towards his Escalade, throwing his bag in the back. He turned the radio on, and pulled out of the gym's parking lot, heading towards the apartment he shared with another one of his friends.
As he looked down at his gas tank, Nick realized that he had to fill up. He'd been meaning to do it earlier but hadn't had time to stop. In a last minute decision, Nick pulled into his bank, figuring that he'd get enough money out now to pay for the gas as well as money for his date that night. Nick scanned the lot and saw an empty spot close to the door. Grabbing his wallet, he jumped out and headed in to where the ATM machines were. There were two, both presently occupied. Nick looked one over, and then the other. Both men were roughly the same height, one with sandy blonde hair, curling slightly at the nape of his neck, the other with darker hair, gelled and spiked. Shifting from foot to foot, Nick jumped slightly when the sound of a cell phone ringing cut through the silence.
"Hello?" Nick heard the one man say into his phone, stepping away from the machine. Their eyes met and Nick smiled and nodded as he slid his card into the opening. As Nick punched in his number he could feel a pair of eyes on him and turned to face the other man. Their gazes locked for a few seconds and the man turned to exit the bank, leaving Nick alone. As he waited for his money, Nick checked the time, seeing that it was 5:30. He had just under three hours until he was to meet up with his date. It took him almost no time to fill the tank up and make a few stops before getting home.
As he entered the two bedroom apartment that he shared with his roommate, Nick heard music softly playing.

"Hello?"
"Can't talk, gotta go." Nick stepped to the side as his roommate ran past in a flash, bagel wrapped in a napkin in one hand, his bag flung over his shoulder and a bottle of water in his other hand.
"I'll be late tonight..." Nick called. "Gotta date."
"Bringing him home?"
Nick laughed loudly as he unpacked his bag from the day. "Hardly. Second date." The other man stepped into the room, a big grin on his face.
"You've fucked them sooner." They both broke out into laughter.
"Yeah, but I actually like this one."
"Fair enough. Have fun." Nick once again found himself alone. He headed into the living room to turn on the television. He figured that if he laid down now, he'd never be able to get back up to go out, so the key was to keep moving. Not let himself get too comfortable. Deciding on a shower, Nick went in to start getting ready for his date, butterflies starting in his stomach. It had been a while since he'd been excited about a date, the only other time in the recent past was for their first date. As he cleaned up, shaved and picked out an outfit for the night, Nick's mind wandered to the man that he was getting all pretty for. Beautiful eyes, gorgeous smile, hot body and a voice that sent tingles down his spine.
The alarm on Nick's watch sounded, indicating that it was 8. To avoid high parking prices, the two men were going to meet at the subway and go from there. Making sure that the apartment was locked, Nick headed the two blocks to the subway, deciding to meet his date downstairs rather than upstairs.
He positioned himself against the wall, so that as soon as the other man came up the stairs, Nick would be the first person he'd see. As he waited, Nick's mind began to wander, and it wasn't until he could feel a pair of eyes on him that he looked up. The man was short and stocky, black hair and a carefully sculpted goatee. Their eyes met and Nick watched a blush cover the shorter man's cheeks and neck. It was as if he was transfixed on him, Nick finding the attention flattering. He watched as the brunette dropped a token into the attendant's box and continue through, taking one last look over his shoulder. As Nick flashed him a grin, he heard the train on the platform and saw his date reach the top of the stairs. It was as if it were in slow motion, the shorter man turning around quickly as to run for the subway and rushing directly into Nick's date. He watched as they spoke for a few seconds and the two men separated, each going into their different directions.
"Nick." Nick's skin tingled just from hearing his name spoken by this man. "How are you?" They embraced before Nick could find his voice.
"Kevin. So good to see you." He stared deep into Kevin's eyes and felt his pulse racing, his stomach fluttering. With a practiced ease, Kevin's hand slid into his and tangled their fingers together. "So, what were you thinking for dinner?"
"I know this great restaurant just a few blocks away. How about we go there?"
Nick nodded and they headed out of the station towards the restaurant. They made small talk until they arrived, informing the hostess that they would like a table for two. After they were seated, it was only a few minutes before their server arrived.
"Good evening. My name is Lance, I'll be your server tonight."
At the sound of the low voice, Nick's gaze raised. He found himself looking at the man who had been using the ATM beside him earlier that day.
KEVIN
There was only ten minutes left of the class and all Kevin had to do was hand out this week's assignment. He hadn't intended on being a college art teacher, but life was funny and sometimes took you down paths you never even considered. He taught art appreciation a few days a week while working as a piano teacher on the side. "So, this is what I want you all to do today. Draw life. Real life, real people."
"Like what?" One of his students asked.
"Whatever you want. I want there to be some sort of life form in the picture. Go to a public place and draw people doing whatever they're doing. Go to a zoo and draw animals. Just, take something that breeds life and draw it for me. Use whatever tools you want. Lead, coal, pastel, anything. Just show me what you see when you're out in the world. I'd like at least four different pictures. They can all be of people, of animals.. but I don't

want it to be the same picture, four times. That's all." The alarm on Kevin's podium rang, causing for everyone to stand and stretch. Class was officially over for the week.
Not many people took his class for the reason that it was so late on a Friday afternoon. For the most part, students wanted their Fridays free for a three day weekend, but Kevin found that the die hards didn't mind. His class wasn't so much as a CLASS as it was relaxation. There was always music playing, and for the most part the students were encouraged to just create. The outline was relatively open, Kevin only throwing in theory and technical lessons every once in a while.
"Kevin?" A voice called, startling him. He'd thought that everyone was long since gone and thus had pulled out his own easel and started to paint. He had a few hours before his date and wanted to get the excess energy out by painting. It always helped to ease his nerves.
"Joshua. Yes. What can I do for you?"
"I wanted to talk to you about my portfolio. I've had a few galleries wanting to look at it, and ...I was wondering if you could help me out. Just ....give me a few pointers."
Kevin grinned. Joshua was one of his best students and he had been trying to convince the younger man to put his work in a gallery. He'd had a lot of offers, but Joshua was always too shy to put his work up for display. "Are you serious?" The other man nodded, blushing slightly. "Definitely. How about ...you do this assignment and we'll go from there. You have more than enough work to put a phenomenal portfolio together, but I want to see how you tackle what I've assigned today. And then we'll go over everything you've done and see what comes up."
"Great man. Thanks again."
Kevin's excitement that one of his favourite students was finally going to publicize his work had broken all concentration on painting that he might have had. Knowing that he wanted to be ready for when he went to meet up with Nick, Kevin decided to just go home and relax. As he entered into the spacious condo he shared with a friend he could smell something spicy cooking.
"D? What are you making?" Kevin entered the kitchen to see everything in full swing.
"Some dinner for tonight. I'm making enough to keep for the week." The two friends shared a grin and Kevin headed into his bedroom to change into something more comfortable.
"What time do you work tonight?" Kevin snuck a tortilla from the pile and began to munch on it, sitting at the table while the other man continued cooking.
"I start at 8 until about 4 or 5 am." It was something that Kevin couldn't understand, why anyone would want to drive a taxi. He didn't begrudge his roommate and friend for doing it, it just wasn't something he thought he could do. Although, he did find the stories quite humourous when they'd laugh about it over coffee the next day. "You seeing that guy again?"
Kevin nodded, getting butterflies just thinking about the blonde. They'd been set up by a mutual friend, and Kevin couldn't have been happier with the connection. He'd had a lot of fun with the other man despite their considerable age difference, and they'd both agreed that they wanted to continue seeing one another to see where things might lead. "Meeting him at 8:30."
"You should start getting ready then Kev, it's 7:30."
At that Kevin jumped, checking his watch. In a flash he ran down the hall, hearing laughter follow him. By the time he'd showered and dressed, Kevin found he was alone in the condo, all traces of his roommate's cooking gone except the lingering aroma. There was a note on the table telling him to have a good night and when he got home from his date, could he put the Tupperware in the fridge as it was still too warm right now.
Kevin rushed to the subway, knowing he'd make it to Nick's stop just in time. He sat back to enjoy the short ride, shifting when someone sat down beside him. The man sat down and they smiled and nodded at each other in polite greeting. Kevin noticed that his eyes were crystal blue and he had a dramatically defined jaw, as if chiseled from stone. They sat in comfortable silence until the train slowed to a stop between stations. The lights flickered and Kevin groaned, checking his watch.
"Late?" The man asked, his southern accent thick.
"Something like that," Kevin replied with a sigh. "I'm supposed to meet someone in a few minutes and it's only two stops away."
The other man gave a chuckle. "That's always the way it is, when you're in a rush the subways take forever. When you're not, you get there faster than ever."

"Exactly." Kevin hoped to god that this wasn't going to be one of those times where they were stuck in the tunnels for a long time. Sometimes the problem wasn't severe, the delay only a few minutes, but there were times when they could be stuck for upwards of a few hours. Just as he began to silently curse, the train started up again. He let out a relieved laugh. "Thank god."
The subway finally pulled into Nick's stop and Kevin stood, bidding the man beside him a good night and exited the train. He made his way up the stairs and saw Nick instantly, propped against the wall. He was so focused on the blonde that he hadn't noticed the other man until it was too late and they'd crashed into each other. Instinctively, Kevin reached out and steadied them both, pressing them flush against each other. Looking down, he found a short brunette staring up at him with wide eyes. "Easy there, you're gonna hurt someone." Kevin flashed the man a slow grin, looking up at Nick who was watching them with extreme interest.
"Sorry ...wasn't watching where I'm going.... Late..."
"No harm done." Kevin saw the man staring up at him, his eyes wide and mouth opened, as if he was frozen. When he didn't say anything, Kevin gave a soft laugh, "Well then, I guess we should be on our way. I've got someone waiting for me, and ...well as fast as you were going, you must be in a rush."
Pushing through the turn style Kevin approached Nick wanting nothing more than to push him against the wall and kiss him senseless. But that would be later, maybe after their date. Right now they were in public and he was raised a gentleman. He'd wait until dinner was over for that.
JOSHUA
It was nearly three and he had about a half hour until his art class started. It was quite possibly the least stressful three hours of his whole week, being in Art Appreciation from 3:30-6:30 Friday afternoons. Kevin, their teacher wasn't some established artist. He just loved art, in any form. Music, visual, dance. Everything. And his enthusiasm was infectious, making everyone in his class want to do that much more. It was refreshing from all the other art professors who claimed to be the final power on all that was art.
As the class passed by, Josh simply let the art flow through his body. He was a vessel, and the art just appeared. He would lose himself in the classical music that Kevin was always playing, drawing whatever came to mind. Each Friday they were given a new assignment, something to spend the next week working on. Each assignment was challenging yet fun, something that always made them think and was left to interpretation. Kevin wasn't one to stifle creativity. And this week was to capture life. Life as they saw it. The more Kevin explained the assignment, Josh knew exactly what it was he was going to do for it. Although the older man had insisted only four pieces were needed, Josh would probably do at least double that. He'd been approached by a few established galleries to submit work for display. A few months earlier Kevin had coerced him to put some work in the school's art gallery and other owners had been in attendance, demanding to know who's work the one section was. When Kevin had informed them that i t was one of his students, Joshua, they'd been instantly interested in buying some of his work for their own shows.
Up until this week, Josh had always turned them down. Something that Kevin had said to him weeks earlier had sparked something in his brain, and then talking to his roommate had also got him to thinking that maybe he could give it a try. Just to see, and if it wasn't successful, if he felt that he couldn't do it, he could always go back into artistic seclusion, but you never knew until you tried.
Once class was over, Josh approached Kevin. He needed help deciding which 20 pieces to include in the portfolio that one of the gallery owners had requested just that morning. This woman had insisted that she loved his work and if he could come up with a portfolio of 20 of his favourite pieces, she would set aside his own section of the gallery. He was that good.
"How about ...you do this assignment and we'll go from there. You have more than enough work to put a phenomenal portfolio together, but I want to see how you tackle what I've assigned today. And then we'll go over everything you've done and see what comes up."
Josh felt his whole body react at Kevin agreeing to help him. It was because of this man that he was doing what he was doing right now, his support and belief in Josh's art had given him the courage to share his work. He thanked the other man and hurried out of the building heading towards home. He wanted to get working on this week's assignment immediately, an idea hatching in his head at how he would tackle it. He rushed to the subway, wanting to get home quickly so he could change and go back out. As he got on, he saw a familiar face. "Justin?"
"Josh! How's it going man?" The other man grinned, moving his bag so that Josh could sit.
"Good. On my way home from class."

"Yeah, I was playing ball with Nick actually and I'm on my way home now."
Josh nodded and they continued to talk until he got to his stop. With promises to catch up later, Josh sprinted from the train and up the stairs. Getting home, he went into his bedroom and changed into other clothes, a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. He popped a bagel into the toaster and got the materials he would need for the night. Just as he was ready to leave, the door opened and his roommate came in.
"Hello?"
"Can't talk, gotta go." Josh rushed through the living room, seeing the blonde standing at the door, an amused smile on his face.
"I'll be late tonight... gotta date."
"Bringing him home?"
"Hardly. Second date." Josh walked into the room, a big grin on his face, he knew his best friend better than that.
"You've fucked them sooner." They both broke out into laughter.
"Yeah, but I actually like this one."
"Fair enough. Have fun." At the last minute Josh rushed back into the apartment. "Ran into Justin on the train, said that it was luck that you beat him. He wants a rematch." Nick laughed and rolled his eyes. "And, I'll be out. Gonna be doing some work for my art class." With that, he ran out of the apartment again, back towards the subway.
Josh wasn't sure which train he wanted to take, north or south. It didn't really matter seeing that it wasn't the destination that was important. For his assignment, he'd decided that he was going to just ride the train, drawing the random people that got on and off. The first train that arrived was going southbound, so he figured that he would just sit and ride back and forth until he'd gotten enough material. Finding an empty seat, he sat down and set up, pulling out his sketch pad and pack of sharpened pencils. There wasn't anyone particularly interesting on so he simply ate his bagel, waiting for the right subject to sit down. It was about ten minutes until two teenagers sat down, lost in their own world of each other. Josh grinned and stretched, he'd just found his first piece.
LANCE and JOEY
Lance woke up to the phone ringing, cursing that someone was calling him this damn early on a Friday. Opening his eyes, he saw that it was after noon, not exactly early. "Fuck." He reached onto his night stand and grabbed the cordless phone, hitting the call button. "Yes?"
"I'll be by at one. You'd better be ready for me." Only his best friend would be able to wake him up and hang up on him like that, and Joey was definitely his best friend. The phone was tossed and Lance shook his head to clear out the cobwebs. Checking the clock closer, he saw he had less than forty-five minutes until Joey would be there. And knowing Joey, he'd be expecting Lance to be ready at one when he arrived.
Joey rang the doorbell incessantly, knowing he could use his key but still wanting to be a pain in Lance's ass all the same. They'd been out really late the night before and so when he phoned less than an hour earlier, he wasn't surprised that Lance was still asleep. When the door flew open, he grinned at the other man. "Took you fucking long enough!" Lance's death glare was lost on him entirely as Joey pushed his way into the house and threw himself on the couch.
"You could have used your fucking key."
"Could have."
Lance collapsed on the chair and closed his eyes, rubbing his temples gingerly. He still had a hangover, unable to believe just how much they'd drank the night before. He opened an eye to find Joey grinning at him. Joey jumped up and pulled Lance with him. "Come on, it's nothing a bit of food won't cure. Let's go."
They headed down to the strip for something to eat. They'd made plans to do lunch and then at three, Joey had an appointment at a tattoo parlour to get more ink done. It had been a few years since his last, and he was itching for new work. They'd heard from a friend of a friend that this place was one of the best, so Joey had made the appointment without hesitation. Lunch was had out on the patio, Lance refusing to take his sunglasses off and drinking coffee. Lots of coffee. Strong. Strong and black. He winced when Joey ordered a daiquiri with his lunch, wondering how the hell he could drink after all the alcohol they'd had the night before.

"Hair of the dog, you know! You should get a drink or something, it'll cure the hangover." Joey grinned as Lance fought off a dry heave.
"Yeah, I think I'll pass on that one."
With the fresh air, the coffee, the food in his system and Joey doing everything he could to make Lance forget his hangover, by the time they left the restaurant, he had to admit he felt a lot better. Not well enough to drink anything, but enough to know that he wasn't going to die just yet. "So you work tonight?" Joey asked, wiggling his eyebrows. Lance could only laugh.
"Yes, I work the night shift tonight, so no partying."
"But the restaurant closes at ...what, 2 am. You could meet up with me wherever I am."
Lance shook his head, the night before more than enough partying to tide him over. They made their way over to the tattoo place, waiting as someone exited before entering the store. Joey was still contemplating exactly which piece he wanted done. He'd narrowed it down to two, and wasn't entirely sure he wasn't going to get both done. "Can I help you?" They heard the man behind the counter say. Lance looked at Joey, while Joey fought not to embarrass himself. This man was short and wiry, the complete opposite to his taller, broader frame. But the second their eyes met, Joey felt it through his whole body. In that instant, he decided that he was only getting one tattoo today. He'd get the other one another time to give him another excuse to come in to see him.
"I've got an appointment for 3." Joey squeaked out, glancing at Lance. The two shared a look and Lance immediately knew Joey was smitten. He smiled and winked discreetly at his best friend.
The man checked his book and nodded. "Joe? You know what you want?" Joey nodded and the artist came across to see what Joey was pointing at.
"This. On my leg."
"Okay, let's get it goin then." They headed towards the back, Lance following close behind. Once Joey was in place the man started to prepare him. "So I'm the artist obviously. Name's Alex, but people usually call me Bone or AJ."
Joey had picked a rather large design and so it took a bit longer than they'd expected. Midway through, Lance remembered that he had a few bills he had to pay so he told them he'd be back. He sprinted across the street to the bank, barely registering anyone joining him at the next machine. He continued to work on paying his bills when the door opened again. A few seconds later, a phone rang startling him slightly. When he heard the other person talking, he looked up and saw a man of about 6 feet, blonde spiky hair next to him. Something about this man caused him to just stand and stare, Lance unable to tear his eyes from him. The man turned to look and their eyes met, Lance blushed at being caught staring. As soon as his transaction was completed, he grabbed his card and receipts and hurried out of the bank, back towards the tattoo place.
When he returned, it took about another hour before Joey was free to go, the tattoo covered and instructions on how to care for it given.
"So I'll see you later then?" Joey asked shyly, the other man nodding.
"Yeah. Eight, don't forget.?"
"I won't." With that, Joey paid and they exited the store. Lance wondered what he'd missed when he was gone. Joey didn't offer any information so he didn't press, knowing that his best friend would tell him when he felt ready.
They hung out for a bit longer until both had to go. Joey was having dinner with his parents and Lance needed to get home and ready for work at the restaurant. Being Friday, it was always that much busier, and he preferred to get in a bit early so he could get into the swing of things before starting.
"So, you gonna call me when you're done work?" Joey asked, grinning.
"Do you want me to? You were making plans with..." Lance didn't want to pry and was cut off by Joey shrugging.
"We're just gonna go chill. Get a drink or something. Nothing serious, so if you wanna call when you get off work..."
Lance shook his head. "Nah, gonna need my sleep. Gimme a call tomorrow though, let me know how it goes." Joey nodded and Lance climbed out of the car to head up his driveway to his front door.

HOWIE
The door opened and he heard a bell ringing in the back. It was put in so when Alex was alone in the shop, he'd know that someone had come in. "Be out in a minute!"
"It's okay Bone, just me." Howie came around the counter and sat down in his usual chair, making himself comfortable. He picked up a magazine that was laying on the table and began flipping through, the sound of a needle whirring in the background. After about ten minutes, the noise cut off and he heard voices talking in the back. Minutes later, his best friend emerged with a girl who was sporting a brand new bandage on her shoulder covering up her new tattoo. Howie flashed her a smile and she grinned, handing over a few bills in payment.
"So, what brings you down here Howard?" Howie shrugged, grinning at his best friend.
"Nothing, just bored and thought I'd come and see you." He accepted a bottle of water that was handed to him. "You got any appointments?"
"Just one at three. Guy wants a tat, slow day all around. It'll probably pick up later tonight with walk ins and shit." Alex was one of Howie's best friends from way back in the day. Somehow, he'd gotten the nickname of Bone and it had stuck, probably because he was just so bony. He was quite possibly the skinniest person that Howie knew. The smaller man had always been interested in art, and after getting a few tattoos of his own, Alex decided to open up his own tattoo parlour. Now, years later, Alex was nearly covered from neck to ankles in tattoos and had the reputation of best tattoo and piercing place in town.
"You find another artist yet?" Up until recently, Alex had done all work, but as word of mouth got more powerful he was becoming busier, especially at night and on the weekends. Alex nodded, grinning at him.
"Yeah. I got two actually. A chick, her name is Christy. Well Christina but whatever right. Tiny little thing, practically a female me, but with piercings instead of tats. . So I'm going to give her a chance. Kinda hot... And my friend Nick... He's almost got as many tats as I do. And he's pretty good with the art, so...."
Howie instantly raised an eyebrow, a look of disbelief on his face. He'd caught instantly on something that Alex had said and couldn't let it go. "She's hot? YOU think SHE'S hot?"
"Well you know, for a girl and all." They both chuckled at the mock disgust in Alex's voice.
"Speaking of...." Howie didn't know how to approach the subject first and foremost in his mind. Before he could get any further, Alex raised a hand to stop him.
"No. I don't want to talk about it. I'm not ready. Not looking, not thinking. Nothing. End of discussion." And judging from the tone in his voice, Howie knew he was serious so with a shake of his head and a deep breath, he changed the subject. He just hated seeing his best friend so lonely and sad most of the time.
A few hours later Howie checked his watch, noticing the amount of time that had passed since he'd arrived. "Gotta go bro, gonna do some cooking and then I've got to work."
"Yeah, my three o'clock should be here any minute." The two friends bid their good-byes and Howie moved to exit the store, passing two customers as he left. With a stop at the grocery store, he continued home. Both he and his house mate were always busy, so Howie liked to cook in bulk on one day and then just freeze meals for later on in the week. As he began to create dishes that he'd learned to make watching his mother and grandmother, Howie lost himself in the comfort of cooking. The aroma of spices filled the air and he lost track of time. Before he knew it the sound of their front door opening broke him from his daze. His roommate sauntered into the kitchen, a big grin on his face.
"D? What are you making?"
"Some dinner for tonight. I'm making enough to keep for the week." Howie barely paused as Kevin passed through to his bedroom. A few minutes later, the taller man returned dressed more casually and sat himself down at the island.
They talked briefly about their days and work, "you seeing that guy again?" It was a blind date that Howie and Alex had set up for Kevin a week earlier. One night when they were out having a drink, Alex had told Howie that he knew someone that would be perfect for Kevin and thought they should set them up. Just a blind date with no expectations. Both Nick and Kevin had agreed and they met up for coffee. Kevin hadn't said what happened that night and Howie hadn't wanted to pry. It seemed that things must have gone well if he was seeing him again.
,,Meeting him at 8:30."
"You should start getting ready then Kev, it's 7:30." Howie laughed at the look of panic on Kevin's face,

knowing that he hated tardiness. Kevin hated people who were late, but he also hated being late.
The dishes were cleaned and left to dry and Howie wrote Kevin a short note saying good night. He drove a taxi on the evening shift, and had to be on by 8. He knew that it would be relatively slow until later when the bars were closing down.
"Car 6523, you on?" Howie heard echo through his CB radio on his dash. Grabbing the mic he spoke into the receiver.
"Loud and clear base, what've you got for me?"
"Pick up at Weston Heights, unit 59. Destination, Woody's."
"Name?" Howie asked, changing direction to head towards Weston Heights.
"Name they gave was Timberlake."
"Ten-four."
Howie pulled up to unit 59 and flashed his lights twice. He saw someone wave from the front door and settled back to wait for them to come down. A few minutes later, two men climbed into the back seat and he smiled at them. "Evening gentlemen."
"Hey." The taller one climbed in first, followed by the shorter one.
"We're going to Woody's, on..."
"Carlisle Ave. I know the place." Howie flashed them a smile and set the meter, taking them towards their destination. He turned on the radio, finding an adequate station to listen to as the two men began to talk softly amongst themselves in the back seat.
ALEX
"Bone's Ink Palace!" AJ answered the phone on the third ring. He'd been open for less than two minutes and the phone was already ringing. He waited for the other person to talk and opened his appointment book. "What time do you want? I've got an appointment at one, and then not another until 6. Pretty much the afternoons are free. It's the nights that are busy." Again, he paused, nodding his head as the person talked. "Three is great. Name?" He wrote down the information given and smiled. "Okay Joe, I'll see you at three then."
He began to do his usual opening routine, knowing that he had a girl coming in at one for a small tattoo and that would probably take less than half an hour. He made some coffee in the kitchenette at the back of the store and waited for her to arrive, smiling at the prospective customers that came in and out of the store. When she arrived, he took her into the back and began the work. He'd been working on her for about fifteen minutes when he heard the bell, alerting him that someone had arrived.
"Be out in a minute!" Alex heard the voice of his best friend telling him not to worry, that it was just him and he relaxed, once again starting to work on his customer. Ten minutes later he was done and she paid, thanking him for a job well done. When he'd decided to open up a tattoo and piercing shop, he never thought it would do as well as it did. There had to be half a dozen other places in walking distance, but the rent was cheap and this was the area that he had wanted to open the store in. So despite what people told him, he decided to open it up and take the chance. Now, he was the most successful of the stores in the area and had finally decided to take his best friend's suggestion and get some help. Up until this point, he had been doing all of the art and piercing, spending upwards of twelve hours a day in the shop. He'd recently had to start turning people away, telling them that they had to make an appointment for another day that was free or just get their work done somewhere else. Most of the customers did make the appointment for another day, but he hated having to turn away business, any business. So he'd hired one of his good friends, Nick, who had let Alex practice on him many a time. In turn, he had let Nick do a few pieces on him as sort of a test, and to be honest, the work that Nick had done on him was probably the best ink that he'd gotten, so Alex said if Nick wanted the extra cash at night, he could do some work for him. The second artist he'd hired was on recommendation from Nick, a girl named Christina. She didn't look like much, but once he had spoke to her and saw some of the work she did, he hired her immediately. She'd been working a few nights that week and was going to do her first weekend this weekend. A friend of his, Markus, usually did security at the store on Friday and Saturday nights, so Alex had no problem leaving her alone at the store to work the late shift.
As he relayed the information to Howie, he saw a familiar look creep into the Latino's eyes and instantly his defenses came up. It was a look that he was beginning to dread and would start a conversation that he wasn't interested in having. Howie was trying to get him back into dating, something he just wasn't ready for. He'd been hurt pretty badly recently, and he could still feel the sting of heartbreak. And as much as Howie insisted that he not let one failed relationship ruin any chance at happiness, Alex wasn't ready for it. He wasn't sure if

he'd ever be ready for it, but for right now, it wasn't even a possibility.
They talked for a while longer, Alex stopping to answer questions and make appointments. The time flew by and Howie had to leave, which was perfect timing as his three o'clock was just arriving. The two men entered the parlour and he was shocked at the reaction he had to them, well, to one in particular. Joe, the first man to enter, was his customer and Alex was instantly lost in his warm brown eyes. He was tall and big, almost cuddly, and he felt a tremor pass through his entire body at the way he smiled at him. "Let's get going then." He said, motioning for the two men to follow him to the back. Instantly, he wondered if these two were together, the thought sending a jolt of disappointment through his body. Shrugging it off, he had work to do. Plus he'd just finished telling Howie that he wasn't looking. Wasn't even thinking about looking. But he couldn't deny that he'd had more of a reaction to this man in twenty seconds than he had with anyone else in the past few months.
Alex flipped on some music and prepared Joey, indicating that his friend, Lance, could have a seat in the chair against the wall. They made small talk, as Alex got everything ready.
"So I'm the artist obviously. Name's Alex, but people usually call me Bone or AJ."
"Joe. People call me Joey." Joey laughed, settling back for Alex to begin work. It was a good sized tattoo and he knew that it would take a few hours to get done. He'd picked one that was intricate and had a lot of different colouring, which would slow him down considerably. Not that he minded, the longer he could keep this guy in the store the better he figured. Time passed and Alex got lost in his work. He vaguely heard Lance tell his friend that he had some errands to run and would be back in a bit. Joey's voice talking to him was what brought him out of his groove and into the real world.
"How long have you been doing this?"
He paused to look up, shivering from the intense way Joey was looking at him. "Few years." He shrugged and wiped at his forehead. "Not a bad gig really, it's my own store so I don't have to worry about working for someone else, you know?" Joey nodded and grinned, which caused him to grin as well.
"How late are you open?"
"Sometimes midnight, no later than 2 am. Depends on the crowd, the business." He could see Joey biting his lip nervously and he felt butterflies in his stomach. He looked almost disappointed, so he continued. "But I'm done at 8 tonight. Got a new girl that started this week and she's got closing duties. So I'm done early." He had no idea why he added that, but the smile on Joey's face was worth it.
"Do you have plans tonight? I was thinking of going for a drink, and Lance has to work so..."
He furrowed his brow, thinking. "He wouldn't mind?" Joey's eyes widened and he began to laugh, further confusing him.
"Oh. We're not ...." Joey shook his head quickly. "HE'S not..."
Alex smiled shyly, the news making him happy. "But you are...."
"Yeah. But ..not with him. Because he's SO not..." And then as if Joey considered the possibility that he might NOT be, he quickly added, 'are you? Because if you aren't then I was waaaay out of line."
Alex shook his head. "I am." Both men exhaled in relief. "I'm done at 8, so yeah. If you stop by around that time that would be cool." Joey grinned and Alex went back to work on his tattoo. When it was finished, Joey paid and the two men headed towards the door.
"So I'll see you later then?" He watched as Joey blushed and smiled nervously.
"Yeah. Eight, don't forget.?"
"I won't."
The rest of the day passed in a blur, the afternoon getting busier than he'd expected. Christy showed up around seven, getting right to work. Right on time, the door opened and Joey walked in, causing Alex's pulse to quicken. He couldn't believe that he was doing this, especially after what he'd said to Howie earlier that day. He had to keep reminding himself that it was just a drink.
"So, you ready?" Joey asked, a wide smile on his face. Alex nodded and grabbed his bag from behind the counter. He said good-bye to Christy and Markus, telling them if they needed him, to call. They weren't going too far.
"So, there's this place up at Wilson that's pretty good," Joey suggested. Alex nodded and they headed

towards the subway. Conversation was easy and he felt more relaxed and confident than he had in a long time. They had a lot in common and Joey made things comfortable. Made him feel comfortable. As the subway came, they got on and found two seats together, laughing loudly at horror stories from the shop. He had been telling Joey about some of the tattoos that people wanted, and Joey was wondering if he'd ever tried to discourage someone from getting something permanently inked onto their body.
There was a short moment of silence, the air in the subway car thick between them. Alex looked up to see Joey smiling at him and he blushed. "Thanks," he said softly, averting his eyes quickly.
"For what?"
"Asking me out tonight. For making things not weird." He knew that Joey didn't know exactly how much it meant to him, but hopefully when they got to where they were going and could talk a little easier, he'd understand. For the first time in months, Alex thought that maybe Howie was right and it was time to move on. Joey might be something worth moving on for.
BRIAN
He left work a few minutes before five. Not that anyone would really care, but he had too many errands to run to chance it. His first stop was the bank. He could pay his bills through the machine and get money out for that night, knowing that he'd need some cash. Walking into the lobby of the bank, Brian noticed that both machines were free and walked up to the one on the left. He slid his card into the slot and punched in his security access code, barely looking up when he heard someone join him. A few minutes later, he'd paid his bills and was waiting for the money to spit out. He heard another person enter the bank and just as he was about to grab the money, his cell phone ringing pierced through the air.
"Hello?" He said, answering the call. As Brian stepped away from the machine, he nodded and smiled at the man who was waiting in line. "Oh hey J, what's up?" Brian made sure he had everything before exiting the bank, taking one last look at the tall blonde who'd stepped up to the ATM that he'd just vacated. Listening to his best friend talk, Brian headed towards his car and climbed in to finish his conversation. "Yeah, I still want to come tonight. You can introduce me to that friend of yours you're always talking about... Yes I know it's time for me to settle down, you're worse than my mother now." Brian laughed, rolling his eyes at what the other man was saying. "So did you want me to drive?" Brian paused, waiting. "So a cab, yeah that's good. I'll go home and get ready then just take the subway up to your place. We'll go by cab from there since you're closer. ...No, I've never been there.... Okay, I'll be by around 8:30."
Brian hung up the phone and chuckled as he started his car. His best friend had been trying to set him up with another friend of his for weeks but Brian had always been too busy with work and other things. But the two of them had been planning on going to a get together that night, so he agreed to meet up with this friend and see what happened.
After making a few stops, Brian headed towards home. He stopped to get the mail on the way up to his penthouse, recognizing a friend of his waiting for the elevator. "Hey girl, what's going on?" When the blonde turned to face him, he watched a giant grin spread out on her face.
"Brian, where you been lately boy, I've missed you?"
"I've been around, I should be asking you the same thing. I've stopped by your place a few times but you've been out. Where you hiding yourself?" Brian held the elevator while they both got on, punching their respective floors.
"Got a night job," she replied, punching Brian's arm when he wiggled his eyebrows. "Not like that you perv. This guy was looking for someone who does tats, so I applied. He checked out my creds, saw my pictures and hired me. So I've been working the nights with him this week, just checking the place out really."
"Christy, that's great. I mean damn, you did a hell of a job on mine." Brian winked at the blonde as she stepped out at her floor. Grinning she nodded her head.
"Yeah, I think your picture was what sealed it. He took one look at the detail and said it was exactly what he was looking for. So thank sweet pea, you're my angel." Brian couldn't help but laugh and shake his head.
"Well, congrats on the job honey, maybe I'll come down and check the place out. Get some more work done." Christy nodded and Brian waved as the doors closed, bringing him up to his place. He had some time before he had to leave again, so he decided to make something to eat and relax. Before he knew it, it was time to leave again.
"J?" Brian checked to make sure he had everything, phoning to let his best friend know he was on his way. "I'm leaving now, should be there in a bit."
He got to the subway, sprinting to catch his train that was just pulling in. Seeing a free seat, Brian sat down,

smiling at the man that was sitting next to the window beside him. His mind was on the night ahead, wondering what this 'friend' was like and if he really trusted his best friend to find him someone. He'd been on far too many blind dates to trust them any more. Suddenly, the train slowed and the lights began to flicker. Brian heard the man beside him groan softly. "Late?" He asked politely.
"Something like that, I'm supposed to meet someone in a few minutes and it's only two stops away."
Brian nodded, understanding completely. "That's always the way it is, when you're in a rush the subways take forever. When you're not, you get there faster than ever."
"Exactly." They sat in silence for a few minutes until the train finally came to life and started moving again. "Thank God." Brian smiled at the man and went back to his own thoughts. Two stops later, he moved so that the man could get out, smiling and nodding politely at him. A few stops after that was the stop that Brian knew he had to get off at. He headed upstairs to the bus platform, pleased to see his connecting bus waiting. He could have walked the few blocks, but figured that if the bus was there and waiting, he'd might as well just hop on that.
Brian saw the familiar street up ahead and rang the bell, signifying that he wanted to get off. It didn't take him long before he was waiting for his best friend's door to open. "Bri! Come on in!"
"Justin, what's goin on?" He walked into the cozy townhouse, making himself comfortable.
"Not much. Gotta be there for about 9:30, so we've got some time to chill."
Brian turned the TV onto ESPN to see what was going on in the sports world. "You gonna call for the cab soon?" He called in to the other room.
"Just about to do that now... Hello, I need a cab up to Weston Heights please...Unit 59... Yeah, we're heading to Woodys..." Brian watched as the other man grabbed a coat from the closet, silently asking if it went well with his outfit. He nodded and Jutin grinned. "For Timberlake, how long?" Justin paused. "Ten minutes? Great. Thanks."
Justin hung up the phone and turned to face him, a devious glint in his eyes. "So you excited for tonight? I'm excited for you to meet him..." Brian sighed, unwilling to admit he had butterflies in his stomach at the thoughts of the night ahead of him. Knowing Justin, he was in for a wild time.
JUSTIN
"Well Justin, in lieu of it being your final day with us, we think that you deserve the afternoon off!"
Justin couldn't help but grin at his boss ...or well now, former boss as the case was. "You serious man? I mean, you that eager to get rid of me?" He received laughter in return.
"No kid, just me being a nice guy. You know we're gonna miss you and don't want you to leave. But we'll see you tonight at your official going away party, so take the rest of the afternoon and do whatever you'd rather be doing instead of sitting in this stuffy office." Justin clapped the man on the shoulder and shook his hand. He grabbed the last of his things and headed down to a friend's office, knocking lightly.
"Come in."
"C. What's up yo? Justin opened the door and stuck his head in.
"Nothin, just getting this paperwork done. You leaving?" Justin nodded.
"Yeah, got the afternoon off. So I'm gonna call a friend and shoot some hoops or somethin. You still coming tonight?"
"Of course, you think I'd miss it?"
"Nah, cuz you know I'm gonna introduce you to a fine piece of ass and present you with the opportunity of getting laid THIS millennium." Justin ducked the pens that were launched at him and laughed. "So yeah. Rok's gonna come with me, and we'll meet up with you at the bar. Chris, you'll love him. Really."
Justin stayed to talk for a bit longer before Chris had to get back to work and he had to go. Once he got out into the warm afternoon sun, he called his best friend. "Nickay. You wanna shoot some hoops? I'm done and ..." He knew that the blonde wouldn't be able to turn down the opportunity to play some ball. "Yeah, meet me at the Y on Fourth in forty-five, and bring your best game!"
The game lasted a few hours, both men exhausted by the end. "So, what are you up to tonight?" He asked, toweling the sweat from his face.

"Date.." Nick blushed and Justin grinned. "Yeah, second one.. so ..."
"Serious?"
"Might be." Nick paused to look at him, a serious expression on his face. "You know that's why I can't come tonight right? It's not that I don't...."
Justin shook his head and interrupted, "No man. I know. Plus it's all people from work and ...I don't want it to be awkward for ya. I'm trying to set Brian up with a friend of mine in marketing, Chris. I think they'd be great together.. So you know... It's all good. Besides, I'm not leaving the city or anything, just the office."
"But starting your own business is huge..."
"And we'll celebrate when it's all up and running." Nick nodded as they headed towards the lockers to change.
"You need a ride somewhere?" Nick asked, pointing at his Escalade. Justin shook his head.
"Nah, I've got some shit to do and I'm in the opposite direction. So I'll call you tomorrow, we'll hang." They said their good byes and Justin started down the street, pulling out his cell phone to make a call. "Hey Rok.." He said when Brian answered. "Not much, you're still on for tonight right? Gonna come out with me and the guys from work? Oh I'll definitely introduce you to Chris. You know Brian, you're not getting any younger. It's time for you to meet a nice boy and settle down. Start a family.." Justin laughed as Brian complained, just picturing the exasperated expression on his friend's face. He knew that the shorter man was rolling his eyes as he laughed. When Brian asked if he wanted him to drive, Justin nixed the idea. "No, I don't want you to drive. If you do, you won't be able to have anything to drink if you want. Why not just take a cab. I don't live far, and you can always crash at my place." He waited for Brian to speak, "We're going to Woody's. Awesome place, ever been? ....well, you'll lo
ve it. So come over whenever you're ready. I'm going to go home. I'll be there until you come over."
Justin hung up and headed towards the subway, wanting to get home and cleaned up. He sat down, sprawling out on the near empty car. A few stops after he'd gotten on, a familiar face walked through the doors. "Justin?"
"Josh! How's it going man?" His face lit up and Justin moved his bag so that the other man could sit down. He hadn't seen Josh in a while, as every time he'd be over at Nick's place, Josh was never home.
"Good. On my way home from class."
"Yeah, I was playing ball with Nick actually and I'm on my way home now." Josh nodded and they fell into comfortable conversation, catching up on what they'd missed since the last time they'd spoken. "You know, you should come out with Nick and I sometime. I mean, I know you're into the art, but sometimes you've just got to let loose, go crazy."
Josh giggled and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that's me. Crazy boy." They both looked up at the stop, seeing it was the one that Nick and Josh lived near. "This is me. I'll catch you later though, and yeah, next weekend, give us a call and I'll come out."
"I'm holding you to that Chasez!" Justin called, watching the other man sprint from the subway, waving good bye. Justin continued home, and made something small to tide him over until they got to the bar and he could order something there. The hours felt like minutes as the next thing he knew the doorbell was ringing, indicating Brian had arrived.
,,Bri! Come on in!"
"Justin, what's goin on?"
"Not much. Gotta be there for about 9:30, so we've got some time to chill." Justin slipped into the bedroom to put the finishing touches on his outfit for the night, knowing that Brian was comfortable enough to make himself at home. A few minutes later, he heard Brian call for him.
"You gonna call for the cab soon?"
"Just about to do that now..." Justin picked up the phone, dialing the cab company as he sifted through jackets from his closet. Hello, I need a cab up to Weston Heights please... Unit 59.. Yeah, we're heading to Woodys...For Timberlake, how long?" Justin paused. "Ten minutes? Great. Thanks."
He hung up the phone and turned to face Brian, "So you excited for tonight? I'm excited for you to meet him..." Brian nodded, blushing slightly. Justin knew how long it had been since Brian had been seriously

interested in someone. Although reluctant to set his friend up with someone, Justin knew that Brian and Chris would be great for each other. He'd known them both for quite some time and had a feeling that even if it wasn't on a romantic level, they would at least find a great friendship with each other.
They talked for a bit until Justin heard a car pull up and stop, lights flashing twice. "Cab's here." Justin waited for Brian on the stoop, waving at the cabbie to tell him that they'd be just a second. When Brian emerged, Justin locked the door and they headed down the steps to where the car was waiting.
"Evening gentlemen."
"Hey." Justin replied climbing in and scooting over. Brian was close behind. "We're going to Woody's, on..."
"Carlisle Ave. I know the place." The cabbie replied, smiling at them through the rear view mirror. Justin's attention focused back onto Brian.
"So, you think I look okay? I mean, I don't want him to think I'm some hick.." Justin grinned at Brian's nervousness.
"You ARE some hick." They both laughed, easing the mood between them. "But seriously Brian, Chris is going to love you." They spent the short ride from his place to the bar talking, and Brian paid the cabbie once they got there. "Thanks Rok, I'll get the cab home."
"No problem."
As the car drove off, Justin turned to head into the bar, a voice calling out to him from a few feet away. "Timberlake! I don't believe it, you're actually on time." Both he and Brian turned around towards the owner of the voice, Justin's face breaking out into a huge grin.
"Kirkpatrick. Of course I'm on time, I'm the guest of honor." The two men shared a handshake, half hug, Chris unable to contain his laughter.
"Never stopped you before." Justin couldn't argue with that, knowing it was all too true.
He turned to face Brian, winking at him. "Brian, this is Chris. Chris, Brian."
They both exchanged nervous hand shakes, eyes instantly locked on one another. When no one made a move to go inside, Justin broke the silence with a loud exhale. "Well come on guys, lets go in. You never know who or what could be on the other side of that door."
Finis