Showing Off

The guys had just eaten dinner at the diner with Ted and Emmett. When they returned home, Brian noted, in one corner of the loft, a fairly large package wrapped in brown paper. "OK, Sunshine," he said to the kid, "That wasn't there when I left this morning and now it is. What's up?"

"You know how you always say you want to see all my work," Justin informed him. "I have three drawings in there that I want to show you."

"Don't I usually just stop at the Institute to see your stuff?" Brian wanted to know. "How come these have been brought home? Don't you want me to visit over at the Institute, eh? All of which means I'll be over there tomorrow."

"That'll be great, Bri," Justin told him confidently. "I have a couple of other things there that you'll be mad if I don't show you. We'll set a time later for that, but I want you to see these now."

"And for some reason, here," Brian added.

"Yeah," Justin told him as he unwrapped the package to reveal three watercolors of Pittsburgh scenes.

Brian was impressed. "They're great, Kiddo," he told Justin. "You just seem to get better and better. You know what I think I'll do. I think I'll take all your stuff, as soon as you finish it, and put it in storage, and then when you're rich and famous, I'll sell them for top dollar to support myself stylishly in my old age."

"Uh uh, Brian," Justin laughed. "I'll be here to support you stylishly in your old age, physically and financially and every other way too. You're never going to get rid of me. But how do you figure I can get rich and famous if all my work goes directly into storage?"

"Well maybe I'll let you show a few of your paintings," Brian decided, "And maybe even sell a couple. But not these three. I think we could find places around here for them. Brian Kinney says these do not get sold."

"And like always, Brian Kinney's word is law, always and everywhere," Justin replied with a mock bow. "I have no intention of selling any of these three. Can we please light the fireplace?"

"Oh oh," Brian figured, "If you need the fireplace lit, maybe Brian Kinney is not going to get what he wants. Maybe Brian Kinney is going to be manipulated and cajoled. Maybe Brian Kinney is not going to like what comes next."

"And maybe it won't be nearly as bad as Brian Kinney imagines," Justin responded as he pulled Brian down onto the floor into their usual places. Actually a quiet period of time followed before the conversation continued.

"OK, Baby," Brian finally broke the silence. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be. What have you concocted now?"

"I have concocted nothing at all, Bri," Justin told him. "It's just that sometimes I'm not too sure how to tell you things I have to tell you, but this is not really one of those times. You know the Gay and Lesbian Center has an art show and sale just about every year."

"You're giving these to the Center for their art sale?" Brian deduced. "They're too good for that."

"I want to donate some good stuff, Bri," Justin insisted. "Linz is showing and that neat friend of hers who paints with her feet is donating. There is going to be a lot of great stuff and I want mine to be nearly as good as theirs."

"Yours is going to be the best stuff there, Baby," Brian assured him. "Nobody else is going to be even close."

"But you might just be a little bit prejudiced, Bri," Justin responded and then added archly, "Because you're my boyfriend."

"Maybe I was thinking you'd be the best because I was your inspiration," Brian gibed back.

"Well you are my inspiration," Justin admitted. "That's why I'm glad you think it's a good idea for us to donate these three watercolors to the sale."

"I don't remember saying that," Brian told him as Justin rubbed his hair against Brian's cheek, "But I guess I meant to say that."

Brian squeezed the twink closer and there was more quiet time in the loft.

"There must be more, Baby," Brian conjectured. "Why did you bring these home to show me? I could have seen them at the Center when they're showing there."

"I didn't know if you'd want to come to the exhibit, Bri," Justin told him. "I know art exhibits aren't your thing. Now that you've seen the stuff here, you won't need to come to the exhibit if you don't want to."

"I love art exhibits, Twink," Brian insisted. "I'm going to be there with you all the time you're there."

"Twelve hours on Saturday and six hours on Sunday?" Justin queried.

"Yeah," Brian told him. "I love art exhibits."

"Well you didn't used to," Justin reminded him. "The first time I had stuff at their exhibit was the first time I ever showed anything in public, and you refused to come."

"I came, didn't I?" Brian reminded him back.

"Only because Lindsay said she'd kill you if you didn't," Justin laughed.

"And if looks could kill, your mother would have killed me right there at the exhibit," Brian retorted.

"She didn't like you very much just then," Justin told him, "But she loves you now, you know."

"Maybe she does at that," Brian agreed. "You know what, Sunshine, I'll even come to the center and help you hang those pictures. You can't do that yourself."

"Daphne's coming to help," Justin said, "But we would be delighted to have you come too. We could use your advice."

"As long as I don't touch anything," Brian laughed.

"Well I'll love having you there, but I just didn't want you to feel you had to come." Justin said. "I didn't think you liked art exhibits after that first one."

"I didn't love you then," Brian told him.

"Yes you did," Justin disagreed.

"Well I didn't know it," Brian revised his statement.

"Yes you did," Justin maintained.

"Well I didn't know I knew it," Brian tried again.

"Probably not," Justin finally agreed.

"Geez," Brian breathed a little easier. "I didn't think I was ever going to get anything right."

Justin put both arms around Brian's neck. "As far as I'm concerned, Honey, you get everything right," he told him. "Absolutely everything."

Brian decided he had got something right.

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