Arbitration

Brian and Justin were in their usual places in front of the fake fireplace. They had been there a half-hour and not a word had been spoken. Nobody was complaining but Brian was wondering, so finally he asked, "I guess you don't have any projects to discuss tonight, Baby?"

"Nope," Justin replied. "I'm just sitting here enjoying being here with you - next to you. And that's how it's going to be forever and ever, isn't it Bri?"

"I hope so," Brian assured him, "Not like Malcolm and Hunter, I guess."

"Shit," Justin complained. "Is there nothing in the world you don't know?"

"Well, I guess you know I'm pretty good friends with the fathers of one of the combatants, and with the brother of the other one," Brian responded. "Did you think Mikey wasn't going to tell me about it? I presume you know about it."

"Yeah," Justin admitted. "Malcolm told me yesterday."

"And you haven't got the whole matter settled by now with everybody living happily ever after?" Brian smiled at him.

"No I don't, Brian," Justin told him, "So you don't have to lecture me about it being none of my business. I know you don't like me to meddle and I'm not going to meddle."

"What's the problem with them?" Brian asked.

"Malcolm told me, Brian, but do you mind if I don't tell you?" Justin answered. "Malcolm asked me not to tell anybody, and it's kind of dumb. I know it would be OK to tell you but I'd rather not. They ought to be able to work it out themselves. It's such a crazy little thing."

"Nah, I don't need to know what the problem is, but you know, Baby, sometimes it's the little things that do the most damage though," Brian reminded him. "Do you think they will work it out themselves? Mikey was against their relationship at first but now he thinks it's good for Hunter."

"It's good for Malcolm too," Justin assured Brian. "You remember what a goof Malcolm was before he got together with Hunter. Brian, you don't think we would ever let some little thing break us up, do you?"

"Not a chance, Honey," Brian told him. "We're too mature for that and we know each other too well."

"I'm glad you think that," Justin replied.

"Maybe it would be better if they did break up," Brian suggested. "The age difference is too great. Isn't Malcolm four years older than Hunter?"

"Brian," Justin objected. "You're scaring me. I don't think you're trying to, but you are."

"Well we've had our problems," Brian reminded him, "But we got through them pretty well. I don't think that could happen to us again. There's nothing we couldn't work out now."

"But, you know, Bri, Daphne kept telling me it was you I loved and not Ethan," Justin remembered, "And I know Mikey and Linz and the others were telling you the same thing about me. I think they did help us get back together, not that we wouldn't have done it on our own."

The guys spent a little quiet time as the conversation went into a short lull.

Brian restarted the talk. "Why didn't you say something to me about this Malcolm-Hunter business?" he asked the kid.

"Because I knew how you'd react," Justin responded. "You would have right away figured I was going to get mixed up in their problem. You'd have been 'Don't meddle, Justin. It's not your business.' And I'd have gone 'I can fix this, Brian, and they're our friends and all,' and then you'd have been 'OK, Justin, I don't want to tell you what to do, so you just go ahead and make your own decision,' and then you'd have had that hurt look on you face, and I'd feel all guilty and everything, and I love you Brian, even if you are a big dope."

"Geez," Brian responded. "Now I don't even get to do my own dialog. You do both ends of our conversation. What do you need me for?"

"Cut it out, Brian," Justin laughed. "You know I couldn't live without you, but you know I'm right, and you're trying to make me feel guilty anyhow, and that's not fair. You don't want me to meddle and I'm not going to meddle. Aren't you satisfied?"

"You know, Baby," Brian squeezed the kid. "Sometimes I think you know me better than I know myself, but sometimes even the great Justin Taylor gets it wrong."

"What are you saying, Bri?" Justin wondered. "Are you telling me that you actually want me to get involved in this? Is that what you're saying?"

"Maybe too much of you has rubbed off on me, Sunshine," Brian answered. "I think maybe that's what I am saying. Maybe that's what friends are for. Do you think you can fix this up between Malcolm and Hunter?"

"Surely you're joking," Justin told him. "The great Justin Taylor never misses - or hardly ever, anyhow. I can fix this. Do you want to help?"

"You know I always want to help, Kiddo," Brian said, "But maybe it would be better if I stayed out of it this time."

"That's OK if that's the way you want it, Sweetheart," Justin agreed, "But you know I can always use your help, whatever I do."

"Thanks," Brian informed him, "But not this time, OK?"

"What's up, Bri?" Justin. "You seem to be protesting too much. What's the problem?"

Brian was laughing now. "Baby, Mikey wanted me to get you involved in this situation," he confessed. "Mikey thinks as highly of your problem solving skills as you do. He really wants those guys to get back together and he said you were the only one who could do it."

"Well then, why don't you want to help?" Justin questioned.

"Because Mikey also told me not to get involved," Brian admitted. "He said I'd just get in your way and probably mess everything up."

"You wouldn't mess things up at all, Bri," Justin consoled him. "It just might take me longer if you were helping but you wouldn't mess things up."

"Thanks, Baby," Brian pretended to pout. "I appreciate everybody's confidence in me."

Another quiet period followed before Brian asked the next question. "How long do you think it will take to solve this problem?" he wanted to know.

"Not long," Justin replied confidently. "A day or two should do it."

"I guess I can spare you for a day or two," Brian replied.

"Forget that, Brian," Justin told him. "I have no intention of working on this during time I could be spending with you. First things come first and you are the first thing for me. Even if I guess I don't understand you as well as I thought I did."

"Well, there's meddling," Brian conceded, "And then there's meddling."

"Thanks for clarifying that matter so well," Justin replied. "I guess it's going to take a hundred years for me to really get to understand you."

"Will that be too long?" Brian asked.

"Not at all," Justin told him, "And I expect to enjoy every minute of it."

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