NOTES AND DISCLAIMERS: Completely and utterly made up, untrue, untrue. Thanks to kel, Katie, Younger and Missy. Another thanks to Leena for the research.

THE FINEST LIGHT

Joey thought being a spy for the CIA would be a lot more than running a timber exporting company in Kotka, Finland. He had sat in the office when he was just a sophomore in college, looking at the picture on the wall of President Kennedy, and agreed to serve his country. Ask not what your country can do for you, he had thought. He pictured something like those James Bond novels. It would be exciting. He was a little scared, thinking about adventures and maybe he couldn't do it. But it all had worked out pretty well.

Now he filed a lot and ran his CIA front company. The most exciting part of his month was memorizing the new codes he received from Washington and the most adventurous thing he did was visit certain clubs in Helsinki to gather information about important people's private habits.

Joey was surprised that he wasn't upset he'd never had the chance to fire a gun or practice the fifteen methods he knew for killing a man with one blow. It had been three years since he graduated college, all three years in Finland and Joey was in love. With Finland, with his little company which actually made money, with the people he knew in Kotka. Sometimes he even forgot that he was a spy.

It had been one of those days. He grabbed a donut and coffee, winked at the girl behind the counter and went into the office. He drank a lot of coffee and did important timber things. Joey walked home smiling. He thought about calling Lance, he tried to remember what he had in his icebox for dinner and he smoked a cigarette.

He opened the door to his snug apartment and knew immediately someone had broken in.

There were no obvious traces but Joey worked for the CIA. It wasn't exciting, but he took his responsibilities seriously. At least three things were out of place from the sofa cushions to the magazines on the table to the lamp on the desk. Joey walked in slowly, puffing on his cigarette. He tried to remember where he put his gun. Method one for killing a man with one blow involved the neck. Joey didn't see any necks just yet.

He tried to look casual as he walked into the kitchen without having his back to the living room. No one. No signs of entry. He checked the closet and when it was empty of lurking Soviet agents, he hung up his coat. He saw the case with his gun and decided to leave it.

He went into the bedroom and found his intruder. Asleep in his bed, curled on his side, some teenaged blond boy. Who'd taken the time to pull the afghan Joey's grandmother had knitted him over himself before sleeping on Joey's bed.

Maybe it was some new trick Khrushchev was teaching the KGB but Joey was now officially exasperated. His heart was racing, he'd almost drawn his gun, and now here was Goldilocks, asleep in his bed. "Hey, it's Howdy Doody time! Wake up!"

The boy started and pulled the afghan closer. He blinked a few times and said, "Are you Joey?"

"Who the hell are you?"

The kid sat up and said, "I'm, uh. Wait. It's a blue bayou in May." The kid had really blue eyes and long eyelashes. It made him look young but now that he was sitting up, Joey thought he was probably about 18. Maybe. And speaking in code.

Joey said, "Hawks don't like whiskey."

The kid stared at the ceiling. One more line and Joey would know he was most likely safe. Maybe. The kid said, "Red dresses make red summers brighter." And that was right.

Joey said, "What's your name?"

"Justin. Justin Timberlake." Justin scrambled out of the bed. "I'm in trouble and I need your help."

Joey rubbed his forehead. "Well, okay then. Let's make dinner while we talk, I'm starving. You want a smoke? I got American cigarettes." Joey smiled.

He put on a Sinatra record, loud, in case there were any listening devices. He'd never found one and he checked his apartment every month, but he'd never had pretty teenagers show up on his doorstep either. He walked into the kitchen and waited for Justin to follow him in.

"So, um, this is complicated." Justin took the cigarette Joey offered while Joey started up the stove. He'd just reheat yesterday's stew. Joey wished suddenly for pasta and garlic bread, but that wasn't the kind of thing he could make easily here. Justin leaned against the wall and played with the curls at the back of his head.

Joey said, "Complicated?"

Justin opened his mouth and then shut it quickly as they both heard the knock at the door. Joey hissed, "Hide. And put out that cigarette."

Joey walked to the door and peeked through the eyehole. Lance. Lance said, "Joey! I can hear your music, come on."

Joey opened the door and leaned against it so Lance didn't come in. "How are you?"

Lance tipped his hat. "I'm fine. I was thinking tonight we could grab a drink, maybe see if there's any new waitresses at Kestikartano." Lance winked.

"I'm sorry, I'm too tired. Long day at the office."

Lance shrugged. "Are you sure?"

"Sorry. Tomorrow night, definitely. It's good to see you." Joey clapped Lance on the shoulder and closed the door after he saw Lance walk away. He came back inside and saw Justin getting up from behind the couch. "You're not a very good hider."

Justin ducked his head. "Was that someone you knew?"

"A friend of mine. He's fine." Joey waved his hand and went back to the kitchen. "He comes by all the time, he's not working for anyone, except his completely legitimate timber company."

Justin followed him into the kitchen. "I was just wondering."

Joey stirred the stew. "Okay, so your story is complicated. So start."

Justin sighed and relit his cigarette. "I'm a college student. In Tennessee. And a professor of mine tried to recruit me for the other side. The Soviets. And I went to this friend of my stepfather and he knew someone and they got me in touch with the right people. So I've been playing along and feeding information to my contact about how they're recruiting, who I meet.

"And suddenly, I don't know, something went wrong. And my professor, the one who wanted me to work for the bad guys, he brought me to Russia. And I panicked and he had my passport and I got in contact with the good guys there and they got me out to Finland and I got here because they told me to come to you. And now, I don't know. I don't have my passport and I need to get back to the States and school." Justin looked down at his feet, shorter suddenly, and defeated.

Joey kept stirring and thought. He was supposed to get this kid back to the States. Somehow. Which wasn't exactly the kind of work he was used to doing. He'd need help and guidance. Also, someone got this kid out of Russia, but he'd somehow gotten himself to Kotka and broken into Joey's apartment which didn't quite jibe with the l'il college student who didn't know nothin' story. But Justin knew the right code words and therefore Joey would need to do the things he was asked to. But he wasn't letting his guard down.

They ate a quiet dinner. Justin seemed to have used up all his words with his story and the codes. He mostly looked scared. They were smoking, still listening to Sinatra, when Joey said, "Why did they think you would want to work for the Soviets?"

"Um." Justin looked out the window at the dark night. "Well. They thought they had leverage, I guess. And I've been real active in campus politics. You know, civil rights and student rights. People know me."

"So what was the leverage?" Joey leaned forward and stubbed out his cigarette.

"I, um." Justin wrung his hands. He seemed to withdraw in himself. "See. Okay, it was just once. I mean, with one person. But I was sort of seeing this person. And it wasn't something, it wasn't something good."

Joey said, "Not good? They weren't, uh, okay, I need more information." He smiled, tried the one that always got him extra herring at Kestikartano.

Justin mumbled, "It was a guy," all the words running together.

Joey stood up and got Justin another cigarette. "Okay." He knew he was supposed to appalled and offended and worried. His parents would be. Joey simply wasn't. It was a brave new world and here in the old world, he didn't think like his parents.

It was late and Joey couldn't call the people he needed to call until morning. He clapped Justin on the shoulder and said, "You get the couch, kid." He brought blankets and a pillow. Justin just looked up at him, smiling.

For the first time in Finland, Joey had trouble sleeping. The kid was telling the truth, or he'd convinced people he was telling the truth. Joey spent three hours staring at the ceiling thinking about double-crosses and triple-crosses and maybe he'd signed his own death warrant. But in the end Joey had to trust something. He trusted Justin, really, from the moment he woke up and blinked, pulling that stupid afghan closer. If Justin were an enemy agent fooling everyone, then Joey would end up dead. But it seemed a pretty hard way to live, worrying which way people could be screwing him. He figured he would find out soon enough.

When he woke up in the morning, Justin was already up. Joey could hear him in the other room poking around, making breakfast. Joey didn't have any breakfast food, really.

He showered and got dressed. Then he picked up the phone and called his superior. Three lines of code to verify himself, not as nonsensical as the ones Justin had, and then Joey took a deep breath to remember all the phrases to describe his current situation. He memorized the new book every month and then burned it. He was really good at memorization. Joey said, "So, you know Gil? From New Jersey?"

His boss said, "Yes. I thought we might be talking about him."

"Thanks for the warning." Joey frowned. "Anyway, his nephew is in town, I hear. But his nephew forgot his mittens and coat. And he has all these vacation pictures."

"Yeah. Gil's nephew is a good kid. His vacation pictures should be amazing. I hear. He's going to need a ride to Helsinki. And new mittens and coat."

"Well, where do I go for that?"

"Hey, you're the one who works there. You should be fine."

Joey wondered what the right code was for "You asshole, I'm not James Bond, I don't know any criminals who can give me passports, I hate you." He said, "Well, can I go to Gil's brother?"

"No. Absolutely not. Gil's brother shouldn't know his nephew is in town. He's, he's a big gossip. It's a surprise."

Joey sighed. Great, leaks at the Embassy. So Joey was completely on his own with the pretty blond boy. Great.

"Okay, then. I'll talk to you soon." Joey waited until his boss had hung up to slam down the phone.

Joey found Justin eating in the kitchen, eating a hunk of bread. Joey said, "Okay. We need to get you a passport and not go to the Embassy for it and, also, get you to Helsinki and on a plane to Washington, DC. That should be fun."

Justin sighed. "I'm sorry. Well, what about your contacts?"

Joey rolled his eyes. "Kid, I clip newspaper articles, I follow guys going to illegal clubs for drugs and women and boys, I run a company. My contacts?" Joey sighed. "Shit," he said, "Sorry about my swears."

Justin stood up. "Okay. So we'll get on that. I speak French."

"Great. I speak Russian, Finnish, Swedish and French. Where does that get us?"

Joey paced for a full minute and then put his hat on his head. "I'm going to work. You should stay in here, and don't answer the door or the phone. I'll call at exactly noon to make sure you're okay. Got it?"

Justin nodded. He said, "Will you bring home more food? You don't have much here."

Joey laughed. "Yeah, I will. Sorry about that." Which meant sorry for almost yelling. It wasn't the kid's fault.

Joey racked his brain at work, even ignoring his filing. Who did he know who could help him? He went to Kestikartano and ate alone. Justin had sounded okay when Joey called, even when Joey had teased him about answering the phone. Joey needed a passport. Someone who would know someone who could get him a passport.

Lance came in and sat down across from him. He put his hat on the table. "You look, uh, troubled."

"Sorry." Joey couldn't ask Lance. Lance didn't even work for the CIA. He was completely what he appeared to be, an up and comer working in Finland, marking time until he was transferred back to the States. Lance wouldn't know anyone.

Lance started to eat his soup. He said, "So I came here last night, without you. And then on to Domino, and you know who was there? Chris. You remember Chris? That drunk. I mean, he's nice, but he's also a drunk."

"I like Chris." Joey sat up. Chris. Chris Kirkpatrick. Chris might know someone. Chris had once been a sailor, Merchant Marine, and he'd ended up in Kotka four years ago and never left. He was from Pittsburgh and knew how to swear in every language Joey could think of. "Chris had a hard life, I think. He doesn't make trouble, either."

"No, we had a nice drink and talked about baseball. It was fun."

Joey had finished his lunch and now he had an idea. He put on his own hat and coat and said, "Lance, it was great seeing you. I've got to head out."

He found Chris at Domino. He was nursing a bottle of Lapin Kulta, singing along to the jukebox. It was some British song, but Chris was singing in Swedish, the wrong words. Joey sat down next to him. "Chris, how are you?"

"Joseph. How does it feel to be the only Catholic in the entire country?"

"Hey, in Helsinki, there's lots of Catholics." Joey smiled. "Let me buy you a drink, Chris."

Chris narrowed his eyes. "Well, I sense you have an ulterior motive but I don't turn down free drinks. You want to get in my pants? Because you're an attractive man, Joseph."

Joey waggled his eyebrows and signaled the bartender. "Okay, Chris, I have this problem."

"You have a wife? You're worried that I might tell your bosses back in D.C. that you like the boys old and bearded?" Chris smiled and started on his new beer.

"Chris, you're too much for me, you know that." Joey grinned. "I have this friend. And he's lost his passport. In a way where he can't go to the Embassy to get it replaced. And I wondered, you see, if you knew someone who could help me?" Joey sipped his own drink and watched Chris closely.

"Friend?" Chris frowned. He drummed a beat on the bar. Then he downed the drink in two quick swallows and stood up. "I trust you, Joe. But." Chris rubbed his forehead. He smelled stale. "Let's go outside."

Joey put down some money and followed Chris outside. It was biting cold and already dark. Joey pulled on his gloves and lit another cigarette. He offered one to Chris, who took it. Chris walked to the alley behind the bar and smoked his cigarette. He leaned close to Joey and said, "Okay, Joey, we don't normally talk about this, but, be straight with me, you're CIA, right?"

Joey took a step back. "Of course not."

Chris snickered. "Of course not. Okay, Joe, okay. And you need a passport for a friend. Okay." Chris frowned again and threw away his cigarette. "It's gonna cost you. Not, not from me, it's a freebie because of that help you gave me last year. But I know someone, and he'll want money. And your friend. You have to bring him."

Joey nodded. "When? Just name the time and place."

"I'll call you. Tonight. I got to do things."

Joey held out some money. "Take it. While you're doing things." Chris bit his lip and then took the money. He marched off into the snow. Joey smoked another cigarette and then went back to work.

Chris called while Joey and Justin were eating more herring. Justin hadn't asked any questions and he'd offered to cook. He was a good little soldier. Chris said, "Okay, meet me and my friend now, at Tornibaari. You know where that is? And don't act suspicious."

"Yeah, because just walking in won't be suspicious. I'll do my best."

Tornibaari wasn't the nicest place and Joey only went once in a blue moon, when Lance decided he wanted some place dangerous. It wasn't dangerous really, nothing in Finland really felt dangerous to Joey, but it was a crowd that liked to get really drunk and throw a few punches. Joey glanced over at Justin who was tugging down his black knit cap over his curls. Justin hunched over and blew into his hands as they walked in. He kept his head down, at least.

Joey saw Chris sitting in a corner booth with the fourth American in Kotka that Joey knew. He sighed. JC. JC didn't like Joey. It was funny, because JC was the first American Joey had met in Kotka, he'd been nice and friendly until Joey said where he worked.

"Okay, you let me do the talking," Joey said. Justin nodded. He looked scared again. So far as Joey knew, Justin had three expressions: fake bravery, blank weariness and fear. But the kid had been active enough in student politics and known on campus that some Soviet had tagged him as a future mole, so he had to have a little more sparkle than Joey had seen.

Joey sat down and smiled at Chris and JC. Chris grinned and sipped his coffee. JC stared at Justin. Justin looked at the table.

"So," Joey said, "How's everybody doing?"

JC snorted. "Aren't we friendly?" He lit a cigarette. "Look, I don't like helping the CIA. But Chris asked."

Joey smiled. "I'm not CIA."

"Oh, yes, you are, Joseph." Chris kept smiling, even looked sincere. "You have to say that but everyone knows. Well, you've probably fooled Lance, but he's just interested in his business and girls. Great guy, smart guy, but doesn't look much deeper than surface."

"Well, it's not important," Joey said. He grimaced. "I bet after this, I'll end up somewhere else." Beside him, Justin stirred and then sat quietly. "Either way, we're here for something."

JC looked blank and kept smoking. The smoke drifted up and away. He said, "You want an American passport. For the kid?"

Joey nodded. "He needs to go home. In over his head." This time Justin didn't move.

JC snorted. "Oh, yeah, aren't we all?" JC paused and signaled to the waitress that he wanted another glass of Koskenkorva. "I need to take his picture and then it'll take me another day to get everything together. We'll have another drink, we'll talk, and we'll go to my place and then I'll call you."

Joey nodded. "How much?"

"How much will I call you?" JC grinned and for a moment he looked almost goofy.

"How much will I owe you?"

"Don't worry about it. Just wait, I'll need something, and you'll make it happen." JC stopped grinning and he leaned forward, his eyes narrow. "Whatever I want."

Joey sat back. "I won't do anything to hurt my country."

"Oh, please. I won't be defecting." JC reached in his pocket and pulled out his passport, blue still. "Still an American. No matter what they do."

"They?" Justin said. He stared at JC.

"The government. The people who I worked for when I worked for the same company Joey does." JC lit another cigarette from the butt of his old one. "They didn't send me to Kotka. They sent me to Indochina. Vietnam." JC smirked. "I got to do a lot more than filing. So." JC pushed Chris out and then stood, tapping on the table. Now they got a more genuine smile. "So, let's take this party back to my flat. I've got amazing records. Do you like music, kid?"

Justin almost smiled and nodded. He finished his coffee in one gulp.

JC's flat was small but stacked with records. He moved one stack off the couch so they could all sit. Joey found himself squeezed between Chris and Justin, one smelling of vodka and the other of Old Spice deodorant. JC grinned again and said, "Do you like the Beatles? I love the Beatles." He practically ran over to his record player and delicately placed the album on the player. "You gotta know the Beatles, kid."

It was pop music, Joey liked pop music. Pretty songs. JC stood by the record player, basking in the sound. Joey hadn't realized JC used to be CIA. No wonder he'd known as soon as Joey had said where he worked and given JC's feelings about the CIA, Joey understood JC's instant dislike now.

Chris knew all the words and he sang quietly. They listened to the whole record, both sides, and smoked a few cigarettes and then JC said, "Okay. Come here, kid."

Justin said, "It's Justin."

JC nodded and waved his hand. "Whatever. C'mere."

Justin followed him and stood in front of a blue blanket hung on the wall. He held his hat in his hands and his curly hair was flat against his head. JC pulled out a nice camera and said, "Say cheese."

Justin almost laughed and said, "Cheese" just as the flash went off.

JC took three more pictures, just in case, and then kicked Joey and Justin out. He was putting on another Beatles album when they left, and he didn't say goodbye as they closed the door.

So Joey was stuck with Justin for a few more days. He called his travel agent and bought himself a ticket from Helsinki to Washington, D.C. for Justin to use in three days. He called his superior in D.C. and detailed Justin's plans.

He came home early from work with food and found Justin watching television. He said, "I thought you couldn't speak Finnish?"

"I can't." Justin shrugged. He was sprawled on the couch, smoking. "But it's still sort of interesting. Plus, half the programs were in English, anyway. I Love Lucy and all that. And I thought I'd pick something up from the Finnish ones, maybe?"

"Maybe." Joey grinned. "I bought food. And I called in sick tomorrow. Or, actually, I told my secretary Leena I wasn't feeling well. There's only three people in the whole office." Joey put the food away in the refrigerator and poured himself a cup of coffee from the pot Justin seemed to have made earlier.

"You didn't have to do that. I think, um, it seems like no one's looking for me." Justin looked back at the television.

"Or they're looking and haven't found you. Kotka's a good place to hide, really, they probably assumed you ran to Helsinki." Joey sat down next to Justin on the couch and watched the news for a moment. "How did you get here?"

"Um. A truck driver. I, um, had to offer him something, but it was okay." Justin blushed and kept his eyes on the television.

"Well, it worked, that's what counts. That's all that's important." Joey patted Justin's knee. He was a good kid.

Justin didn't say anything. Then after a few minutes he said, "I'm not like that. I know you have that impression, but I'm not. It was just that one person back home and I wasn't, I knew it wasn't right."

"Well, you cared about him, right?" Joey shrugged and smiled at the television screen. "I don't know, kid. I just, see, I go to these clubs in Helsinki, part of the job and I meet these people and some of them, they seem pretty happy. Content. Like my parents, only it's two men." Joey sipped his coffee and put it down on the table. He needed a cigarette. And he needed to stop trying to make this kid feel better. That wasn't part of the job.

"Okay." Justin tapped Joey's knee and offered him a cigarette. "Okay."

"Okay!" Joey laughed. "Are you understanding any of this?" Joey waved at the screen.

"Nope." Justin laughed. "I don't get any of it. This is a news show, right?"

They turned off the TV and fiddled around with the radio until they found a radio show in English. It was a classical music show, but Justin said that was pretty good just to hear words he recognized.

They ate a light dinner, just fish and potatoes. Then Joey dug up a pack of cards and they played hearts for three hours. Justin was fiercely competitive but he wasn't as bratty about losing as Joey expected. Justin talked about his school and the groups he'd worked with on campus before things got bad. He'd been way more active than Joey had ever been in college.

"So what are your plans, after you graduate?"

Justin frowned. "Well, if I graduate, if I haven't flunked out, I might try to play basketball professionally. For a few years. It's not, um, like baseball, but it's good money and I'm pretty good at it. Or go to law school. I want to do important things, make a difference. But I missed my exams." He took a deep breath and played his next card.

"I bet they can get it all straightened out in D.C. They've got a lot of pull." Joey winked.

"I hope so." Justin got up and found a new pack of cigarettes. They were both smoking more than they usually did, Joey thought. But they were both worried, he figured, even if they weren't talking about it. Joey wondered if JC's passport would work at the airport in Helsinki. If they'd get Justin back without trouble. He passed Justin his lighter and watched Justin light his cigarette.

Justin said, "The thing is, Professor Wilson, he just said, I should come with him. And I just did. I shouldn't have. It was probably my fault that everything went so bad. But I had to make up my mind quickly."

"And you've never had any training, I think you did okay. You got here, you didn't give him any info, right? So it all worked out and he's the one stuck in Moscow explaining how he got caught." Joey tapped his cigarette against the ashtray. "Don't be so down. I mean, you managed to get into my apartment."

Justin shrugged. "Well, this one guy at the frat always forgot his key. So we all got really good at breaking in for him."

Then they set up the couch as a bed again and Joey went back to his room. He woke up a few hours later, just awake and needing to pee. He thought about getting a glass of water and went out into the living room. The curtains were slightly open and light from outside made everything look softer. Joey loved something about the light in Finland, it was just different. He didn't know fancy words for it and he couldn't describe it or make it make sense when he talked to his family, but he felt it.

Justin was curled on his side, just like when Joey first saw him but Joey didn't think he looked like a kid anymore. He looked like a statue, maybe, white and gray and dark. Joey shook his head and got a nice glass of water and went back to bed.

He woke up to the smell of toast and coffee. Justin was already up and they ate a quiet breakfast. Joey said, "There's nothing on TV, sorry. Finnish shows and lots of shows you already saw back in the States."

Justin grinned. "Maybe I'd figure out the Finnish ones, add another skill to my resume. One show? Come on, show off for me." They ended up watching four or five shows before Joey had had enough but Justin had picked up some things pretty quickly.

Then they played cards and smoked and pretended they weren't just waiting for JC to call. After dinner, Joey broke out the Koskenkorva, he was getting too nervous. They'd each had a glass when the phone finally rang.

JC said, "I'll bring it by your office tomorrow morning. And then you owe me."

"Okay." Joey meant to ask something else but JC hung up without even a goodbye. Joey turned to Justin and smiled. "Okay, pour another, Justin, we're good to go. But this better be last because I have to be at work tomorrow to meet someone. With a package." He laughed. "Jeez, it sounds so stupid when you say it like that."

"You said it, not me." Justin had refilled both their glasses. "It sounds surreal, that's how it sounds. Like a movie and not something that's actually happening."

"It's happening!" They clinked glasses. One more glass each and Joey let himself think about how he was staring at Justin's long arms and his eyelashes.

Joey did what he was told, he'd gone to those clubs. He'd done things with men so he didn't stand out and he hadn't really had to close his eyes and think of America. He'd enjoyed it, a hand on your dick was a hand, that was rarely bad.

Joey shoved his glass aside and went to get more coffee. He didn't need this, he was serving his country. Or something. Joey went back into the living room and saw Justin standing in his bedroom. "Hey," he said.

Justin turned and grinned. "You have a nice looking family."

Joey stepped into the bedroom and meant to say, "thank you," but instead he pulled Justin closer, hand hooked into the back of his slacks, and kissed him. Joey realized when Justin wasn't slouching, they were the same height. And that Justin was kissing him back.

Joey took a step back and said, "Thank you. I meant to say that, not, um, kiss you."

"Oh." Justin nodded. "But I think, um, I didn't mind the kissing. We could do that."

"Well, sure." Joey laughed. "That's a great idea." Maybe people were people and it didn't much matter whether they had dicks or something else between their legs. The room warmed up like it agreed with him.

"I won't tell. I'm good at keeping secrets." Justin smiled and licked his lips. "Really."

Joey thought he shouldn't have been making decisions like this while the room was slightly swaying to the left, but then again, he'd decided to just trust things about Justin. That wasn't logical but the room seemed to nod its agreement. Joey decided to trust the walls. He said, "Okay." He flopped down onto the bed and pulled Justin on top of him.

Justin kissed him, pressing against him. The room was still on Joey's side, everything rose to keep Joey up, against Justin. Justin, warm, friendly-smelling Justin with his hands already pushing up Joey's sweater, pulling Joey's undershirt up, Justin's hands rubbing Joey's waist, chest. This was an unexpected benefit of being a spy, sleeping with attractive younger, well, men. Man.

Joey pulled Justin's sweater off and Justin sat up. "Something wrong?" Joey blinked. Justin was really in shape.

"No, no, I just. These boots have all these little ties. Wait, I want to --" Justin sat back and started taking off his boots. Joey thought that was a great idea and he managed to get his legs up without hitting Justin in the face. The ties on Joey's boots were really complicated suddenly and when he finally got both boots and socks off, he looked up at Justin, just in his boxers already.

"You're fast." Joey grinned. He started to unbutton his pants, but Justin was right there.

He put his hands over Joey's and said, "I can do that."

Justin took his sweet time, undoing the button, his fingers skimming over Joey's stomach, over his boxers. He pulled down Joey's pants a little roughly, but Joey wasn't about to complain. He wanted all the good stuff, but he enjoyed this part a lot. Anticipation, he was already hard just from that. And wanting, knowing you'd get what you want, it was pretty good.

Justin slowly tugged down Joey's boxers, more touching and Justin licked his lips again. Justin said, "Nice," low and quiet and then bent his head down. And that was the best thing to happen in the whole week. Joey held on hard to Justin's head, coarse curly hair scratchy against his hands, and Justin was all around Joey, wet and sucking, Justin's hands exploring. Exploring, Joey thought, and he almost laughed at himself but instead he was groaning and moaning.

When Joey came, Justin swallowed and Joey saw stars, his toes curling and everything felt like Koskenkorva. He lay back and watched Justin wiping his mouth. Joey said, "Now you come here."

They were the perfect fit, so Joey could kiss Justin, hold Justin's jaw in one hand and with the other jerk Justin off, their legs tangled together, the bed rising up to hold them somehow, in Joey's head. Justin moaned and pushed against Joey's hand again and again, kissing hard. Justin arched his back and came, wet warmth on Joey's stomach and hip.

Justin took a deep breath and said, "That was nice, thank you."

Joey burst out laughing. "Yes, please, come again."

Justin rolled over and smirked at Joey. "You think?" It would have been annoying if it wasn't for the way Justin was blushing.

Joey remembered to set his alarm clock, so he even woke up on time, annoyed and exhausted after only two hours of sleep and a very active night. Justin slept through the alarm, his naked back to Joey when Joey finally got his eyes open and the ringing turned off. Joey said, "I'm off to work. I'll call you later."

When Joey got out of the shower five minutes later, Justin turned over in the bed and said, "Did you say something? What time is it?"

"It's morning. You can go back to sleep. But I'll call after JC drops off the passport. Your flight leaves Helsinki very early in the morning tomorrow, so we'll probably need to leave tonight."

Justin sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Okay." He looked sad and annoyed. "Okay." Justin lay back down and went to sleep, near as Joey could tell.

JC came back by the office around 11 am. Joey had been worried, waiting and waiting but he just smiled and said, "Hey, JC, come back in my office."

JC handed over a very real looking passport with Justin's picture and full name on it. He said, "I made up his birthday, but otherwise, it's good. There's a tourist visa, too, at the back so it doesn't look he snuck into the country or anything." JC smirked. "Or romanced a truck driver to get here from Moscow."

Joey said, "Damn. Why do you think that's true?"

"I have a lot of friends, Joey." JC shrugged. "He seems like a nice kid. He'll be safe when he gets home, you think?"

"I hope so. I trust his friends in D.C. to take care of him."

JC snorted. "Sure. Well, good." JC ran his hand through his hair. It was longer than Joey would ever have worn it, and JC only wore knit hats, not the nice fedoras Joey and Lance favored. But that was JC. Joey sighed. He wished he knew JC better. Then JC said, "Don't forget you owe me."

"I won't. I owe you and I'll make good on it. Promise." Joey smiled. "Scout's honor."

JC grinned and tugged his knit hat back on. "Okay, then. See you around."

Joey went back to his flat for lunch and gave Justin the passport. Justin smiled and went back to his soup and his television show. Joey lit a cigarette and said, "You mad at me?"

Justin hunched forward, away from Joey. "No, I'm just. I'm leaving tonight and I just don't want to miss you. I think I will, you know, even though we haven't known each other long. So it just seemed smart to not enjoy too much."

Joey nodded. Justin was smarter than him. He said, "Okay. I'll be home at six and we'll leave for Helsinki then. We'll get dinner there and then go to the airport. I'll see you off and then we'll be done."

Joey was worried that Helsinki was where their troubles would finally start, Soviet agents coming out of the woodwork and Justin being spotted so he actually wore his gun. But nothing happened at all. Justin kept his head down and ate quietly, smoked more than he had before and didn't talk much. Joey watched around every corner but never saw anyone. Before Joey knew it, Justin was in line for his flight and Joey was standing there with his empty hands, watching Justin leave.

Joey smiled at Justin and hoped Justin would look back and smile, too. But when Justin finally turned around, he just looked sad. Justin seemed to force a smile and he waved. "Thanks," he called out. "I'll call my uncle and let him know I got in okay, so you can know."

Joey waved back and said, "Sure. Good luck!"

Justin waved again and then said, "Huomenta!" Then he was gone. Good morning, Joey thought. It wasn't even goodbye. Joey watched the flight take off and then drove back to Kotka.

He heard from his superior that Justin had got in fine. His boss told him he'd done good work, getting Justin out with no fuss. "Maybe we'll transfer you somewhere a little warmer."

Joey said, "Whatever you think. But I like my boring life in Kotka. I think I'm good at this, too." He didn't think he was built for taking care of people and then cutting them loose. He missed Justin already. He said, "The kid's gonna be all right? He didn't flunk out of school?"

"No, we took care of it. He's a good kid."

Joey knew it was all he'd hear about Justin. He went back to his company and dinners with Lance and drinking with Chris and flirting with his secretary. He still loved the light in Finland best of all and he went to his secret clubs and watched everyone and made sure he didn't stand out by sleeping with the boys, always the blond ones now, with the longest eyelashes.

THE END

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