Gay Blades

Brian was a fan of very old movies. Every once in a while he rented one to show to Justin. Brian was pleased that Justin always seemed to enjoy the pictures. Sometimes, or closer maybe to always, Brian seemed afterward to regret having shown the movie. Tonight was one of those nights. The movie had been the classic 1938 version of The Adventures of Robin Hood. The movie was over but the action continued. Justin (Robin Hood) Taylor was dancing around the loft parrying and thrusting with a yardstick, all of which Brian interpreted as an accident about to occur.

"Put that yardstick down, Twink," He told the kid. "You aren't Robin Hood and that's not a sword."

"I don't have a sword," Justin replied without missing a parry or a thrust, "So this will have to do. We can't let Prince John's men get away with anything."

"If you put it down before you smash one of our precious artifacts," Brian promised, "I'll buy you a fake sword next time I'm at the dollar store."

That brought Justin to at least a temporary halt, and a look of wonderment to his face. "You've never been in a dollar store in your life, Bri," he pointed out. "I'll be a long time waiting for my sword."

"Well I guess I'm due to get to the dollar store soon then," Brian answered, "But if you don't quit waving that yardstick around, I may get up from my comfortable place here in front of our neat fireplace, and break that damn yardstick over your head, or maybe over a more appropriate part of your anatomy."

"The forces of evil always resort to brute force, Sir Brian," Justin challenged him. "If you dare try that, you may find your brute force countered by youth and agility."

"If that means you think you can escape," Brian laughed, "I think you'll find this loft is too small for that. But I don't need to resort to force at all. If I order you to do something, you always do it."

"You jest, Sir," Justin retorted. "Just order me to do something and you'll see that I don't do it."

"OK, Kiddo," Brian accepted the dare, "I order you to come over here and sit on my lap and let me squeeze you a little bit."

"Wait a minute, Brian," Justin complained, leaving the Robin Hood persona behind, "You can't order me to do something I want to do - something I always want to do. That's not fair at all."

"Nevertheless, that's my command," Brian chortled, "So if you do it, you'll be obeying orders."

"Well there's such a thing as appealing to the Supreme Court, Brian Kinney," Justin complained as he appeared to follow orders, snuggling himself into Brian's lap. "I just may appeal to the Supreme Court. Sometimes you treat me like a kid."

"I'll admit that I sometimes treat you like a kid," Brian agreed, "If you'll admit that sometimes I don't treat you like a kid."

"Sometimes you treat me like an real adult, Brian," Justin responded with a wide grin, "But not always."

"And I hereby apologize for ever treating you like a kid," Brian grinned back at him. "I can't imagine why I do that. You never act like a kid."

"You're picking on me, Bri," Justin replied. "Sometimes it seems like I never win."

"And sometimes it seems like you always win," Brian countered.

"Yeah it does," Justin gave in, as he brushed his cheek against Brian's chest.

It seemed like time for a quiet period in front of the fireplace and that is exactly what happened next.

"Was Errol Flynn gay?" Justin queried, breaking the silence.

"I don't think so, Baby," Brian told him. "He had about twenty wives and maybe eighty girl friends. I know that's not proof positive, but I think it's safe to say he was straight. And I guess Robin Hood was straight too. That Marian person looked like a woman to me."

"Yeah," Justin responded, "But Mr. Hadley told us in history class that King Richard was gay and Robin Hood was working for him, and Prince John was straight, I hope, and Robin was against him."

"What have I always told you, Twink," Brian laughed. "Gay is good."

"I did hear you say that once," Justin laughed back at him. "But Mr. Hadley also told us that Richard's boy-friend was the king of France. I guess it was pretty hard for a king to find a boy-friend."

"It was hard for anybody in those days, I bet," Brian responded. "There was no Babylon. If there had been a Babylon, all Richard would have had to do was come out of there and one of your ancestors would have been across the street, standing under a lamppost looking cute."

"Looking cute, huh?" Justin wondered.

"What else?" Brian answered.

So it was another while before Justin again broke the quiet. "Brian," he ordered, "When you get to the dollar store, get two swords and I'll show you some dueling tricks."

"You've studied swordsmanship?" Brian seemed surprised.

"No," Justin admitted, "But I've seen a couple of these movies now and I paid attention. You wouldn't have a chance."

"Maybe I better tell you then," Brian said, "That I was coached in fencing when I played Laertes in college, and I got interested and took a short phys ed course in epee, so I might not lose. Now I might lose to Malcolm but I don't think I'd lose to you."

"What has Malcolm to do with any of this?" Justin seemed puzzled.

"Didn't you know Malcolm took fencing lessons when he was in high school, Baby?" Brian asked him.

"No, I didn't," Justin retorted, "And I don't know how you know that either."

"Easy," Brian answered, "He told me. He knows I've had a little training too. We talked about it a couple of times."

"Well I don't remember any of those discussions," Justin protested.

"Maybe you weren't there," Brian suggested.

"Are you telling me you have been seeing Malcolm behind my back?" Justin wanted to know.

"I guess you're not everywhere all the time, Honey," Brian joked, "Even if it mostly seems like you are everywhere all the time. But there's nothing between me and Malcolm. We wouldn't do that to Hunter."

"Well I could get mad," Justin threatened, with a big smile on his face.

"I order you not to get mad," Brian told him.

"And if I get mad anyhow," Justin conjectured.

"See that yardstick, Sir Sunshine," Brian warned him.

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