New Year, Old Stuff

It was Friday, January 10, 2003, by the calendar, Brian noted. He and Justin had returned the previous evening from their snow-boarding excursion to Vermont. Brian was a bit stiff from the experience but he had not mentioned this to Justin who seemed no worse for wear. Justin was still asleep. "Well," he thought, "Us old guys may get stiff muscles but we need less sleep, so there's some advantage." He wasn't sure he believed himself though. Then the phone rang. It was Michael.

"Where the hell were you?" he asked Brian, "You were due back Wednesday. I was worried." "Mikey, Just take it easy. You aren't the chief nag in my life any more," Brian answered, "We e-mailed Ted and Emmett that we were staying an extra day. If you didn't still live in the stone ages, we could have e-mailed you."

"You must not have had such a good time in Vermont to be so grouchy," Michael suggested. "Oh no, we had a great time. That's why we stayed over an extra day," Brian told him, "We might have stayed longer but the room was booked for the weekend so here we are, back home again."

"What did you do up there?" Mikey asked. "What do you think we did on a snow-boarding vacation? We argued all day and made up all night, just like we do here. And we did a little snow boarding too," Brian answered.

"I would have liked to see you on a snowboard. You don't seem like the snow-boarding type to me. Justin, yes, but I'll bet you were a sight." Michael laughed. "You are presuming on my good nature, Novotny. Justin does that too, pretty often. Just because I'm so nice," Brian warned him, "Remember Dr.Jekyll was nice too but he turned into Mr. Hyde from time to time. "Sorry, Mikey, I didn't mean to quote literature at you, knowing how illiterate you are."

"OK, smart ass, you don't think I know who Jekyll and Hyde are. Well, I'm not as illiterate as you might think," Michael countered, "They were Classics Comics, Number 47, March, 1943, $800 in fair condition, no known copies in mint condition and if there were any, they'd have to be auctioned off because nobody can guess what someone would pay for one. But that's not even in a league with Ivanhoe, Classics Comics, Number 33, January, 1942, That's…."

"Shut up, Mikey, I feel Mr. Hyde emerging right now," Brian slightly raised his voice. "Well I was just proving I wasn't illiterate," Michael pouted.

At that moment, Justin appeared on the scene. "You don't look so stiff this morning," he greeted Brian, "Who's on the phone?" "Professor Novotny of the literature department at Comic Book College," Brian told him. "Oh," Justin said, "I want to talk to him. He must have moved to Comic Book College. Last I knew he was lecturing at Carnegie Mellon."

Brian was feeling like he was being picked on as he handed the phone to Justin. "Mikey," Justin told him," I need you to decide an argument Brian and I had in Vermont. I made a New Year's resolution not to pick on him this year. I know I broke it on January 5, but that would be a new record for me. He claims I actually broke it on January 2, because I laughed at him when he fell off the snow-board for the fifth time in a row. I maintain that laughing is not picking on somebody and even if it is, he was deliberately trying to get me to break my resolution because nobody could be so clumsy as to fall off a snow-board five times in a row." Brian knew all this was in fun but he glared because he knew he was supposed to.

"You know, that's one of the more serious disputes you two have had," Michael deemed, "I wouldn't want to take the responsibility of deciding this one myself. How about we involve Ted and Emmett in this too and get a majority decision." "That's a good idea if you think it's that serious. We want a correct ruling," Justin replied, "I better sign off now. I think my beloved Brian wants to talk to me. See you soon."

When the phone was hung up, Brian looked ominously at Justin. "I warned Mikey about Mr. Hyde, and I guess I better warn you too," he began. "Mr. Hyde?" Justin asked. "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," Brian responded, "Don't you know them either, even with 1500 on the SAT?"

"Of course I know Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," Justin defended himself, "That was a really great movie, and really old with some really ancient actors. I think Spencer Tracy and Ingrid Bergman were their names. They were supposed to be big stuff in the real old days. Daphne's father was in the movie distributing business and he brought that movie home every Halloween. It scared us shitless."

"You're lucky to have me around to enlighten you, Sunshine. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was a famous book by Charles Dickens," Brian gloated.

"Robert Louis Stevenson," Justin said. "What?" Brian asked. "It was Robert Louis Stevenson who wrote Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. By the way, you've never mentioned your SAT scores."

Justin eluded Brian's grasp and sped to the opposite side of the loft. The loft was too small for easy escape and Brian finally grabbed him. "You little weasel," Brian rejoiced, "I've got you now and you're going to be sorry." "No, I'm not," Justin retorted. "You don't know what I'm going to do to you now that you're in my clutches," Brian laughed. "No, I don't," Justin agreed, "But I know I'm not going to be sorry." He kissed Brian who kissed him back before picking him up and carrying him to the place of execution. But Justin was right. He was not sorry.

That evening, the pair were nestled on the floor in front of the couch, under their blanket and watching the flames jump around in their electric fireplace. "This is our first evening together in 2003 in our own place. This is going to be the best year of my life," Justin said. "If you live through it," Brian countered. "I will. I have you to protect me," Justin pointed out. "Yes, you do," Brian agreed with his blond twink. He leaned over and kissed Justin on the cheek.

"Thanks, Brian," Justin said. "For something I've done or something I don't know about yet that I'm going to do," Brian wondered. "For staying home with me tonight," Justin answered, "I know you wanted to go to Babylon to see the gang. We'll go tomorrow. I really wanted us to be alone together tonight."

"What's so special about tonight?" Brian asked. "Don't you listen to me, Hon?" Justin questioned, "It's our first evening of the new year in our own home." "So?" Brian wanted to know. "Brian, you are the most unsentimental person in the world." Justin seemed exasperated, "If you had an ounce of sentiment in your soul, you'd know what I am talking about." Brian did know what the kid was talking about, so he figured maybe he did have some sentiment in his soul, but he decided not to let that be known.

"Did you really enjoy the expedition, Baby?" Brian asked. "It was the best week of my life," Justin smiled at him, "But it did make me remember last year. Remember when I ran off to New York and you came after me. I bragged that I had been out on the town and then confessed that I hadn't left the hotel room. Brian, I didn't go snow-boarding once during that whole week last year. I sat in the room the whole time hoping you would come after me, or at least call and order me to come home. Why didn't you?"

"I wanted to come up after you. I really did," Brian said, "I should have. I was angry and hurt, I guess. I should have come up after you though. It was a mistake not to."

"Not nearly as big a mistake as I made in going up without you," Justin responded, "How can people who love each other do such dumb things to each other?" "Because people aren't perfect, Sunshine," Brian answered him, "The best we can hope is that we learn from our mistakes, and we do and we will."

"I think you're perfect, Brian. I love you because you're absolutely perfect." Brian pulled his beloved kid closer, and whispered in his ear, "I love you too, and I'm sure you won't be picking on me this year because I'm perfect."

"Well you weren't listening carefully enough. Love of my life," Justin clarified things, "I said you were perfect. I'm not."

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