Stand Up And Cheer

The guys had just situated themselves in front of their fake fireplace and had spent a few quiet minutes together. That was the way it usually was but Justin seemed to sense something out of the ordinary.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Bri?" the kid asked, with a little bit of uneasiness.

"Maybe just because I like to look at you," Brian responded. "You know I like to look at you, don't you?"

"Yeah, I guess I do," Justin seemed to relax, "But is that why you're looking at me like that right now?"

"Probably," Brian allowed, "But it might be because of something that Mikey said to me when I talked with him on the telephone this afternoon."

"I guess I do have something to tell you about, Brian," Justin admitted, "And I was just getting ready to tell you but it's no big thing. Was that maybe what Mikey said to you?"

"Maybe," Brian told him. "Mikey said he was not to blame for what you are going to do. He said it was not his idea and that he did not encourage you, but that's all he would say. Mikey said it was up to you to tell me."

"Sometimes Mikey talks too much," Justin laughed, "And maybe sometimes not enough. I wouldn't say Mikey is to blame for it but I think he did encourage me. Yeah, I'm sure he encouraged me."

"Well I don't want to seem impatient but wouldn't it be better if I knew what it is you're going to do that Mikey is not to blame for even if he did encourage you?" Brian was laughing too. "Even if it is no big thing. I've lived with you for a couple of years now and I guess I'm ready for anything."

"That's what I love about you the most," Justin told him, cuddling a little closer. "You're always ready for anything. I really love that about you."

"But I'm not ready for you to change the subject," Brian groused playfully. "I'm always the last guy to find things out but I am now ready to find out what's going on - right now, Twink. So talk."

"Gee whiz, Brian," Justin insisted. "It's really nothing at all. I was over at the comic book shop this morning talking with Michael about Rage when Hunter and Malcolm came in. Malcolm is putting together a fund-raiser for a kid at school who is real sick. Well, this guy, Bernie Stein, was to do a stand-up comedy piece and he backed out. Malcolm asked me if I would take his place. I think Mikey and Hunter thought I could do it too."

"You're gonna be a stand-up comedian?" Brian responded. "That is funny. I'm laughing already."

"You don't think I could do stand-up comedy?" Justin wanted to know.

"Honey, you can do anything you put your mind to," Brian assured him, "But I have never thought of you as a stand-up comic. I don't think it fits your personality. On the other hand, I think Mikey might make a good stand-up comedian. He reminds me a lot of some comic on TV whose name I can't remember."

"I think I know the guy you mean," Justin remembered. "He's been in some movies too. He does kind of remind me of Mikey. Do you think he's funny?"

"I don't think so," Brian told him, "But the audience always laughs. They know they're supposed to laugh so they laugh. Most stand-up comedians are not very funny."

"Well then it won't be hard for me to be a success then," Justin concluded, "If I don't have to be funny. The audience will just laugh anyhow."

"I hope so," Brian told him. "You'll be a gigantic pain if you think you didn't do well. It'd be up to me to cheer you up and I'd surely try - not that I think it will be necessary."

"Thanks for worrying about me," Justin only half-joked. "I am a bit nervous about this and I'm not sure you're making me any more confident."

"Sorry, Baby," Brian smiled at him. "Why don't you tell me a joke to get in practice? I promise I'll laugh."

"OK," Justin agreed, "There was this molecule who went to the Lost and Found Department. 'I've lost an electron,' he told the guy in charge. 'Are you sure?' the guy asked the molecule. 'I'm positive,' the molecule told the guy."

"Well why aren't you laughing?" Justin asked after a moment of silence.

"I'm laughing on the inside," Brian assured him. "That's a really funny joke but it just might be over the heads of your audience. You know, Baby, stand-up comics often make fun of their family and their relatives. I wonder how I'll like that sitting in the audience if you tell some stories about me, not that they'd be true. Stand-up comics always invent a dysfunctional family."

"You don't need to come, Bri," Justin replied definitely. "You don't need to come. You would probably make me even more nervous if you were there. It might be better if you weren't there."

"You think I'm going to miss your first performance as a stand-up comic?" Brian insisted. "Then years from now when you're a famous comedian, I'd always know I missed your first performance. Not a chance. You know Mikey will be there and probably the whole gang too. I'm going to be there for sure. But you know what. So that you won't be so nervous, I'll help you prepare. I'll listen to your monologue lots of times before you give it in public. That way you won't be nervous at all."

"Geez, Brian." Justin told him. "You're making a bigger deal of this than I thought you would. I didn't want to bother you with it at all. You're too busy to be bothered."

"I am never to busy to be involved in the activities of the twink I love," Brian took his turn at cuddling closer. "So you can count on me to be with you every step of the way. Tell me another joke and I promise to laugh out loud at this one."

"I don't know any other jokes," Justin replied. "I'll have to go on the internet and find some."

"That joke you told before was the only joke you know?" Brian wondered.

"It's the only one I can think of off-hand," Justin admitted. A period of silence followed. This was not uncommon but it lasted uncommonly long on this occasion.

"Brian," Justin finally spoke up. "You don't think I'm going to be all that good at stand-up comedy and you're probably right. I'm going to call Bernie tomorrow and convince him to do the routine as planned."

"Baby," Brian answered, "I told you I thought you could do anything you put your mind to, and that's what I think. You could do this if you want to and you'd do it well."

"But it's OK with you if I try to convince Bernie to go on, isn't it?" Justin interrupted. "I think I can convince him."

"Kiddo, I think you could convince anybody to do anything," Brian assured him. "It's your call on this. Whatever you want to do, I'm behind you."

"That's what I'm going to do then, Bri," Justin decided. "I'm going to try to get Bernie back on board. That will suit Malcolm and everybody else involved. OK?"

"Well the world will lose a great stand-up comic but if that's what you've decided, I think it's fine," Brian told him. "I just want you to be happy."

"You know what, Bri," Justin promised with enthusiasm, "You've been such a great help on this that I am going to start telling you lots of jokes. I am going to be your own private stand-up comedian. Nobody will know how funny I am but you. And I'm doing all that because I love you, Brian."

"And I'm going to laugh at all those jokes too," Brian smiled at him. "And I'll be doing that because I love you, Jus."

"Thanks, Bri," Justin whispered as he snuggled his head against Brian's shoulder. He was smiling too.

All of which put an end to the evening's discussion.

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