Let's Dance

"I have made a big mistake," Brian was thinking to himself as the guys were settling themselves in front of the fake fireplace. If the look on Brian's face portended disaster, the look on Justin's was the complete opposite. Justin was humming Night and Day and wore a big smile. Brian didn't make many mistakes but he felt sure this was a big one. He figured he would just have to face the music - and maybe, dance.

This was another of their periodic "old movie nights". Brian always chose the film to watch because he was an expert on old movies. He wondered about The Gay Divorcee before he picked it off the rack. He thought it might be too old-fashioned for Justin. Brian himself was a Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers fan but he wondered how Justin would take to the famous dancing team. He smiled at the title though and wondered if Justin would be looking for the divorcee who was "gay" in the more modern sense of the word. He wasn't sure of his choice but decided it was worth a try. What eventually happened never crossed Brian's mind until he thought he saw stars in the kid's eyes as they watched. He hoped he had misinterpreted the meaning. He hadn't.

Brian took the bull by the horns. "There's something you want to say, isn't there?" he attacked the situation.

"I want to say that was a great movie," Justin responded. "If those two made any others, I'd like to see them sometime."

"They did," Brian said. "Ten or eleven altogether. We'll get another one soon."

"You didn't think that movie was going to be about gay people, did you, Bri?" Justin asked him.

"No," Brian laughed, "But I thought you might."

"Geez, Brian," Justin objected. "You must think I'm pretty dumb. I know they used the word 'gay' for all happy people before they knew how really happy us 'gay' people are."

"Yeah," Brian agreed, "But they learned. Now nobody is 'gay' but us, no matter how happy they are."

Brian liked the way the discussion was proceeding. He began to think there was hope. No such luck. After a brief pause in the conversation, Justin spoke the anticipated words. "Let's dance," he said.

"Now?" Brian replied. "We won't look very good dancing after Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers."

"But we could get better," Justin told him. "I like that ballroom dancing stuff. The dancers get real close together."

"We get close together when we dance," Brian responded. "You hang all over me, and sometimes I even pick you up."

"But their dancing is so romantic," Justin continued.

"Wasn't our dance at your prom 'ridiculously romantic'?" Brian reminded him. "And what about our dance at the Pride festival? I thought that was romantic and so did you."

"And then there was that dance at Babylon," Justin teased, "When I stole your two guys from you and…."

"Forget it, Baby," Brian interrupted. "We all have our moments of weakness. I've forgotten all about that."

"I haven't," Justin persisted.

"And you never will," Brian concluded.

"Well I'd like us to dance sometimes like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers," Justin went back to the subject.

"You're never going to be Fred Astaire," Brian pointed out to him.

"I wasn't thinking of myself for Fred Astaire, Bri," Justin responded. "I was kind of thinking of you for Fred Astaire. You're not all that clumsy."

"Thanks, Twink," Brian mocked, "And I guess you see little old awkward you as Ginger Rogers."

"Maybe," Justin allowed, "And I don't think snide remarks are required if this is going to be an argument."

"Well then," Brian laughed. "Clumsy me apologizes to awkward you for any insult which might have been taken."

"Apology accepted," Justin laughed back at him. "But don't you want to try ballroom dancing, Bri? I think it would be a lot of fun. Melanie and Lindsay both know something about it. I bet they'd be glad to teach us."

"I don't want to learn dancing from any females," Brian told him. "Females all dance funny."

"Well then there's Steve from school," Justin suggested. "He even enters ballroom competitions with his partner, Margo. Steve's gay so he might be the perfect one to show us how it's done."

"What's he doing dancing with Margo then?" Brian wanted to know.

"Actually, Bri, I don't think ballroom dancing competitions are ready yet for gay couples," Justin informed him.

"Well that's a hell of a relief," Brian responded.

"But maybe soon," Justin continued. "And I think The Continental would work well for us."

"You have to ruin everything, don't you," Brian smiled at him.

"I could get Steve to come over here and teach us some steps," Justin offered.

"I don't know," Brian responded.

"I don't call that a very strong argument," Justin challenged him.

"Well I'd rather Steve taught you the steps at school," Brian rephrased his response, "And then you could teach me here."

"Wouldn't it be easier if he came over here and taught us both at the same time?" Justin answered. "Seems to me that would be a lot easier."

"Yeah," Brian countered, "But if our dancing got really romantic, we'd have Steve here."

"Now that seems to me to be a very strong argument, Brian," Justin agreed. "You are a good arguer when you put your mind to it. We could try it your way if that's OK with you."

"You know if you want anything that won't kill you - or maybe me," Brian told him, "That it's going to be OK with me. But do you mind if I kind of hope this is just a passing fancy of yours and that you'll give up after you trip yourself a couple of times with your fancy footwork?"

"I have no problem with that," Justin told him. "I don't know why you'd think I might trip myself though. I'm not going to try the big Astaire moves. Just the little ones."

"I can hope that will be enough, can't I?" Brian smiled at him. Actually, Brian was kind of satisfied with how things had worked out. It could have been worse.

He forgot even those doubts a minute or so later when Justin began to croon in his ear.

"Night and day, you are the one.

Only you beneath the moon and under the sun."

Maybe the whole damn thing had not been such a mistake after all. "Wanna dance?" he asked the kid.

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