Help Wanted

Brian knew there was something on Justin's mind long before they sat themselves down on the floor in front of the fake fireplace. He was not, therefore, surprised when the kid began the conversation almost immediately.

"Brian," he asked tentatively, "Do you remember when Hunter and Malcolm were having that trouble a month or so ago?"

"If you mean the time Mikey and Ben wanted you to get it fixed up and you did - in just a couple of hours, then I remember," Brian recalled. "I also remember that you wouldn't tell your loving and loveable boy-friend what the problem was."

"Well you really didn't need to know," Justin reasoned.

"Like you don't tell me a lot of things I don't need to know," Brian reasoned back.

"Well I don't think you really wanted to know either," Justin posited.

"I don't think that was established," Brian insisted.

"So you think maybe I should have a guilty conscience?" Justin concluded.

"That's an interesting question," Brian retorted. "If you mean do I think you should have a guilty conscience, the answer is 'Probably' but for a lot more reasons than this one case. If you mean do I think you have a guilty conscience, then the answer is 'No.' It would never occur to you to have a guilty conscience."

"I can see you're in one of your moods," Justin tried to complain, suppressing a grin.

"And what makes you think I'm in 'one of my moods'?" Brian demanded.

"I guess because you're always in one of your moods," Justin laughed. "Don't change though, Bri. I love your moods - or maybe it should just be 'mood' in the singular since you're pretty much always the same way. But you know what, Honey, I do want to tell you what the problem was between Hunter and Malcolm, if that's all right with you."

"There must be something in it for you," Brian concluded. "Are you going to tell me what?"

"Maybe later," Justin announced coyly. "And don't try to hurt my feelings either. It won't work."

"I know that. It's impossible to hurt your feelings when you want something," Brian told him. "And you do want something. I'm sure of that."

"Not for myself, Bri," Justin replied. "But I'm glad you're really sharp tonight. I may need the benefit of your lucid mind."

"You better get started then," Brian decided. "I'm getting older and we need to get through this while my mind is still lucid."

"You are so funny, Brian," Justin responded. "I love you, so you don't need to worry about your advancing years." "OK," Justin continued. "The weekend before Malcolm and Hunter had the falling out, they were in Cincinnati visiting Malcolm's family."

"I think I remember that," Brian responded. "Mind's still lucid."

"Well, Malcolm's younger sister, Penelope, came onto Hunter while they were there," Justin continued. "Penelope is something else, Brian. You haven't met her and I only met her the one time, but believe me, she is something else. And she's pretty too, for a girl."

"Females can be pretty, I guess," Brian allowed, "But Hunter should be immune, shouldn't he?"

"That's the problem in a nutshell, Bri," Justin informed him. "Hunter's response was the problem. Hunter says he was just being nice to his boy-friend's sister, and Malcolm thought he was being too nice to his boy-friend's sister. They kept arguing about it till they broke up."

"But you got it all patched up in two hours," Brian responded, "And I bet you're not going to tell me how."

"Trade secret," Justin told him.

"So what's the problem now?" Brian wondered. "Or is your patch failing?"

"Justin Taylor's patches do not fail," Justin bragged. "But new problems can still arise. Penelope is coming to Pittsburgh."

"I don't think I need to meet her," Brian pointed out.

"Oh, maybe you do," Justin insisted. "Hunter and Malcolm both think she's coming up here to make a play for Hunter, and they don't know what to do."

"Can't the great Justin Taylor solve the problem as always?" Brian asked. "I'm sure you'll figure it out and save the day."

"Brian," Justin pleaded. "Your loving and loveable boy-friend needs help. So how about some help? Please."

"Mikey doesn't trust me to meddle in these things," Brian recalled. "Remember what he told me last time around."

"Brian, Honey," Justin told him. "Mikey and Ben still don't know what the problem was, so they don't know that there is a problem now. We are going to have to work things out. So do some thinking."

"You don't think Hunter is hetero or bi, do you?" Brian wanted to know.

"I don't think so," Justin answered. "But Hunter and Malcolm are too immature to deal with Penelope. She's really a handful. Way too much for them."

"But not for us, I guess. How old is Penelope?" Brian asked.

"Probably about seventeen," Justin figured. "She's younger than Abelard. But she's an old seventeen, Brian."

"Well maybe I could make a play for her while she's here?" Brian conjectured. "I could take her mind off Hunter for a few days."

"Bad idea," Justin decided. "Who would get us fixed up afterwards? Anyhow, what would a seventeen year old want with an old guy like you? And what the hell would you want with a seventeen year old?"

"Can't imagine," Brian reconsidered. "Seventeen year olds are so much smarter now though than they were just a few years ago, I figure. But maybe you should make the play for her instead of me."

"You might be sorry," Justin pointed out with a smile. "But I don't think that's a really viable option either, Sweetheart. Any other suggestions?"

"Call Daphne," Brian advised. "And maybe I could call Abelard."

"That's a really good idea, Bri," Justin enthused. "I'll call her tomorrow. You are going to help then? You'll help too. I knew you would. We'll work it all out tomorrow. Brian Kinney is always there when he's needed."

"Yeah," Brian allowed. "Brian Kinney's always there to help the great Justin Taylor when things get too hot for little Justin to handle himself."

"You can't hurt my feelings, Bri," Justin whispered, cuddling just a little closer. "So forget it if that's what you're trying."

"I know I can't hurt your feelings when you want something," Brian grinned. "So what do you want now?"

"Just a loving and loveable boy-friend," Justin grinned back.

"You got it," Brian told him.

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