Leprechauns

The fire was lit. The guys were on the floor watching the flames dart. Brian had his arm around Justin and Justin had his head on Brian's shoulder. All was well in the loft.

Brian had something to discuss. "I took a client out to lunch today," he told the kid. "We went to Gino's. Gino wanted to know if we were planning to come there for St. Patrick's Day this year."

"What did you tell him?" Justin wanted to know.

"I told him I'd like to but I'd have to ask you," Brian replied.

"Brian, that makes me look like some bossy person who always has to have his own way," Justin complained good-naturedly. "And get that smile off your face, you silly looking goof."

"OK, Boss," Brian cajoled. "Anything you say. Well, are we going to Gino's for St. Patrick's Day or not?"

"Actually, Brian Honey," Justin informed him, "I think we'll have to."

"Which is the same as saying you want to," Brian teased him.

"Oh no, Bri," Justin went on, "Not because I want to. Because your friend Michael is having a little dinner party up there that night and we're invited."

"How do you know that?" Brian asked.

"Maybe because Michael and Ben told me," Justin responded. "Wouldn't you figure that's how I'd know?"

"Well they didn't tell me," Brian groused. "I guess they didn't think they needed to if they discussed it with the decision maker. And you didn't tell me either."

"Will you quit that, Brian?" Justin complained. "I just wanted to surprise you. I don't know why you seem to want to get into an argument tonight, but you're likely to succeed if you keep it up."

"Maybe I just like arguments," Brian posited.

"Well, just wait a while," Justin informed him, "And the argument may come up all by itself."

"There's something I don't know?" Brian surmised.

"Could be," Justin told him. "But I'm going to tell you about it now if you'll listen."

"I'm all ears," Brian suggested.

"You are not," Justin maintained with a laugh. "There's a lot more to you than ears. Anyhow, Gino is going to have live leprechauns up there this year."

"Last year he had painted leprechauns that looked like us," Brian remembered. "I hope you're not going to tell me you're going to be a leprechaun. I know you're not going to tell me that I'm going to be a leprechaun because I don't look at all like a leprechaun. Right?"

"Gee whiz, Bri," Justin warned him. "Don't go ballistic. Would I agree to be a leprechaun without asking your permission? You know darn well I wouldn't. Malcolm and Hunter are going to be the leprechauns."

"And Michael and Ben are having a party up there to celebrate that their son and his boy-friend are leprechauns?" Brian surmised.

"That's part of it, Bri," Justin confirmed, "But that's not all of it. The Shellcoffs, Malcolm's parents, are going to be in town and Mikey and Ben wanted to take them out anyway."

Brian was smiling now. "Will any of the other Shellcoff children be there too?" he baited the twink.

"They're not supposed to be," Justin responded, "You won't have to deal with Penelope or the twins. But I don't trust Abelard. I wouldn't be surprised if he shows up unannounced. If he does, I think it's about time you told him about us."

"What about us?" Brian joked.

OK, Kinney," Justin declared. "You can joke about it as much as you want, but if Abelard comes, I'm going to get up right in the middle of dinner and kiss you. Even Abelard will get that message. And it won't be me he'll be asking. It'll be you. So now you're warned."

"OK," Brian said.

"Gee Brian," Justin marveled. "I think I was expecting an argument. You're OK with that."

"Yeah," Brian responded. That brought the conversation to a temporary halt. Justin was just a bit surprised at how easy he had made his point. He wondered if that discussion was over. It wasn't.

"Baby," Brian broke the silence. "I don't want you to think I didn't want to argue with you. You know how much I like to argue with you. But Abelard knows."

"Abelard knows!" Justin choked out. "He knows. How does he know?"

"Actually, the last time he was in town I told him," Brian revealed. "I thought it was time he knew. I'm not ashamed of you, Baby. Au contraire. I'm kind of proud of you."

"I love your French, Sweetheart" Justin told him. "How did Abelard react to the news, though? I bet that was funny."

"Nope," Brian answered. "Abe said he knew just about from the beginning. He said he could tell by the way we looked at each other. Abe is not as dumb as we thought, or at least you thought."

"Why didn't he say something?" Justin wanted to know.

"He said he thought we'd eventually like to tell him so he decided to wait till we did," Brian replied. "He wanted to give us the pleasure of telling him."

"And all this time I thought I didn't like Abelard," Justin admitted. "And now I figure he must be a pretty nice guy."

"You know what else?" Brian added. "I'm pretty sure he knows it was you who did all the Christmas shopping for him."

"Why do you think that?" Justin wondered.

"Because he said that Betty Sue didn't seem to like the Valentine's Day gift me and him picked out for her all that much." Brian confessed. "Abe said we should have taken the useless cousin with us."

"So I'm still going to be the useless cousin, am I?" Justin laughed.

"I think so," Brian concurred. "Boyfriends are a dime a dozen but useless cousins are a rare treasure. Like gold at the end of a rainbow. That's leprechaun talk."

"OK," Justin agreed, "As long as you don't go out looking for another eleven boy-friends for your dime. Brian, as long as I'm being blamed for being so bossy, there's something I want you to do, OK?"

"Does it matter if it's OK with me or not?" Brian teased.

"Cut that out Kinney. I want you to call Abelard and tell him we really do want him to come for the holiday," Justin said. "He'll come if you ask him."

"I know why you want him to come," Brian came back. "You want an excuse to get up in the middle of dinner and kiss me."

"You know what, Mr. Know It All," Justin retorted, "I don't need an excuse to get up and kiss you in the middle of dinner, or any other time either. And I think I'm going to practice up right now."

"Practice makes perfect," Brian told him.

They both thought they had found the gold at the end of the rainbow.

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