Enjoying Life Together

The Big Issue

Brian and Justin lay all wrapped up in each other ready to go to sleep. It was just about the happiest time of day for them. There were no distractions and they seemed alone in the world - alone in the world with nobody else but each other. It was a true time of contentment - most nights.

This particular night Justin squeezed himself up against Brian and said "Brian?" Now when Justin said "Brian" with a question mark after it, Brian well knew he wanted something. When he waited for this particularly mellow time of day to ask, Brian also knew, he wanted something he thought Brian might object to. But Brian was in a particularly mellow mood.

"OK," Brian responded.

"OK what?" Justin wondered, somewhat taken back by the reply.

"OK, you can have whatever it is you want, or you can do whatever it is you want to do, provided it's not dangerous like bungee jumping. I'm willing to put up with you but I'm not willing to take a chance on losing you," Brian said.

Justin squeezed up tighter and planted a kiss on Brian's shoulder. "You are such a great guy. Anyone would be a fool not to be in love with you," Justin kind of whimpered.

"Unfortunately, sometimes fools fall in love with me too, and worse yet, sometimes I fall in love with them," Brian answered, figuring if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

"Well let me tell you what it is." Justin went on.

"Not if I don't need to know before morning. What I don't need is any of your crazy ideas to keep me awake all night," Brian said.

"I could tell you all about it in the morning," Justin agreed, "And I'll sleep well knowing that it's OK with you."

Brian smiled pulling Justin even closer. It might not be really OK with him but if Justin wanted whatever it was he wanted, Brian wanted him to have it. Brian was in love but still sane enough to wonder about his judgment. "That kid gets away with murder," he thought to himself, "But that's the way I want it." He kissed Justin on top of the head, and they both slept well.

Brian woke up the next morning to the sounds of Justin bustling around the kitchen. They were going to have breakfast "in" apparently and Brian thought he detected the odors of all his favorites. This frightened him just a little. What was the brat up to? What did he want? How much suffering would he have to endure?

"Breakfast is ready, sleepyhead," Justin said as he bounced into the bedroom, "Just the way you like it."

"They always give the condemned man a hearty breakfast," Brian replied. And it was a good breakfast and Brian did enjoy it. As he finished up he finally said to Justin, "OK, what?"

"Brian, you're such a great guy," Justin began.

"Cut to the chase," Brian ordered, "You're going to have to tell me sometime."

Justin inhaled a deep breath and began, "Well, our comic book publishers want Mikey and me to come up with a big triple-sized issue of Rage. We want to do it and we have it all sketched out but we need a lot of room to get it ready. We really have to use the loft. It will only take two or three days. You are so good to let us work here. You are really the greatest."

"And just how long have you known this without telling me?" Brian demanded, "Since you've got it all sketched out."

"About two weeks," Justin responded, limply.

"Two weeks," Brian mused, "And you didn't tell me. You kept a secret from me."

"We didn't want to bother you about it if we couldn't get it together ourselves. You have so many important things on your mind and there was no need to worry you," Justin responded.

Brian stifled a laugh, "My dear Justin, you remind me of Uriah Heep."

"I don't think I know him," Justin looked quizzically, "Do I know him? Is he cute? If he's from Babylon, he must be ugly because I remember the names of all the hot ones."

Brian wanted to smile but he kept it all inside. "Sunshine," He finally said, "If I didn't love you as much as I do, I'd kick you out of here on your ass."

"I guess I'm just lucky," Justin tried to sound flippant, but inside he knew how really lucky he was.

They decided to make the final arrangements for the Rage work in the loft, which was to take place sometime the following week, at dinner that evening. They chose an out-of -the-way place so they wouldn't be disturbed. At six o'clock they met there and the negotiations began. "How about Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday?" Justin asked, "And maybe Thursday if we need it."

"Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, yes, but by Thursday I might be a little peevish and you remember the last time when I got peeved."

"But you apologized and said you were sorry," Justin reminded him.

"I did say I was sorry, and I was, but I did not say I wouldn't do it again. Of course, I will be very sorry after I do it this time, too," Brian retorted.

"OK," Justin gave in, "We'll finish by Wednesday."

"That's settled then," Brian agreed, "But there are a few more things I want," Brian continued.

"This sounds like 'Rules,'" Justin complained. "I thought we were done with 'Rules."

"No more than I thought I was done with Rage," Brian responded, "I want a clear path on the floor between the door, the kitchen, the bathroom and the bed, and I want that path clear of all the hanging shit you have. I don't want to break my neck trying to get under that stuff. If you can't do that, I can stay at the office all night every night until you're finished. That might be the best thing in any case."

"No, No," Justin didn't like that alternative, "You win on that one too. I hope there aren't any more of these 'Rules."

"Just one more," Brian stated, "And that's about the use of the bed."

"The bed?" Justin didn't get it. "What about the bed?"

"Well, you and Mikey used the bed to 'rest' last time, didn't you? If you do that again, I want Mikey on your side of the bed."

"I thought we didn't have sides of the bed. If we do, we certainly don't stay on our own 'sides," Justin answered.

He wasn't sure if Brian was serious or not and he wanted to take no chances. "That's us. This is Mikey," Brian declared, "And if we're ever all three on the bed together, Mike has to be between us."  

"Between us," Justin gasped, "Why between us?"

"So that if you make a play for Mikey from your side, I can try from mine," Brian exulted.

"Oh, shut up, Brian. Neither Mikey nor I will use the bed at all. That bed has no meaning for me if you're not in it."

"That is just the answer I was looking for," Brian admitted. The table was too wide for them to do what they wanted to do. Justin threw Brian a kiss and Brian caught it, and they enjoyed the rest of their wonderful meal.

Nothing more, nothing more about Rage, that is, went on that evening until the hour of contentment was reached. Brian started it this time. Snuggled up to Justin, he asked, "And what is this big three-part Rage story going to be about?"

"I'll tell you if you promise not to laugh," Justin replied.  "It's better than it sounds."

"OK," Brian agreed, "Go ahead."

"Well," Justin began, "In the first part, Rage begins to notice that he's losing his special powers, and he doesn't know why. In the second part, he finds out the reason he's losing his powers is that he is putting on weight. It turns out the more overweight he gets, the less of his powers he keeps. In the last part, he gets back to his proper weight and regains his super powers just in time to save the world from getting blown up."

Brian didn't laugh. In fact, his face took on a look of panic. "You know," he cried to Justin, "I didn't think it was possible but you know. You have to know. How in the Hell? You're a fucking mind-reader. I can't even think anything without you knowing."

Justin was frightened. "What do I know? Brian, I don't know anything. What do you think I know?"

"You don't know; you really don't know," Brian said.

"Brian, you're scaring me. Whatever it is, I don't know, and if you don't want me to know, I don't want to know either."

Brian dissolved into laughter. He couldn't stop laughing, and frightened as he was, Justin started to laugh too. After a while, things calmed down and Brian finally said to Justin: "You weren't the only one with a secret for two weeks without telling. I had a secret too. I was three pounds overweight a couple of weeks back. I'm only two pounds overweight now but I'm having a hard time getting it off. I didn't want you to know so I kept it a secret."

"Oh Brian," Justin held him and consoled him, "You haven't lost any of your super powers. You are as great as ever and you'll always be great." Justin's problem usually was that he didn't know when to stop, and thus he continued: "And I will always love you no matter how fat you get."

P.S. Justin survived that night, perhaps a little worse for wear but in one piece. The Rage session in the loft went very well, and Brian lost the weight easily without the tension of keeping the secret from Justin. They were as much in love at the end of all this as they were at the beginning, maybe more.

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