Taken for Granted

Brian was eager to get the fire lit in the fake fireplace. He had a story he wanted to tell and he wanted the hypnotic flickering of the flames to help out. Justin suspected something was up. When the guys got themselves settled down on the floor, he waited for Brian to start the conversation.

"There's a funny story I have to tell you, Sweetheart," Brian began.

"Funny?" Justin replied.

"Yeah," Brian continued, "I think you'll think it's funny," hoping that Justin would think it was funny.

"I signed that big contract with Jimmy Reynolds from Allied Associates this morning," Brian started his narration. "Then afterwards I took Jimmy to lunch at Gino's."

"And you sat with him at 'our' table, didn't you?" Justin broke in.

"We did not sit at 'our' table, Baby," Brian told him. "Gino knows better than to let me sit at 'our' table without you, so I couldn't do that even if I wanted to, which you know damn well I wouldn't."

"Sorry, Bri," Justin responded with a smile. "I should have trusted Gino."

"You're trying to make this hard for me, Twink," Brian objected, "And that's not fair."

"If you promise not to make it hard for me when I have to tell you something," Justin offered, "Then I'll shut up now."

"Brian thought for a while and then smiled. "Not worth it, Honey" Brian came back. "You have way more stories to tell me than I have to tell you. So can I just go on with this?"

"Be my guest," Justin gibed.

"Well Jimmy had a couple of drinks with lunch and he must have got a little bit dizzy. He seemed OK at the time," Brian went on. "After we ate, we decided to walk up Grandview Avenue so he could see the city views from the mountain. Well, he got a little bit woozy and he had to put his arm around me. Jimmy is not gay, Baby. I know that from a long time back. He is not gay. Anyhow, we had to sit down on a bench in one of the overlooks."

"'Our' bench," Justin presumed. "I'll bet it was 'our' bench at 'our' overlook?"

"It was an emergency," Brian defended himself. "He would not have made it to the next bench."

"I can picture it now," Justin mused. "Brian Kinney with his arm around Jimmy Reynolds sitting on 'our' bench at 'our' overlook."

"And you look like you are enjoying what you're picturing," Brian groused. "It was perfectly innocent and you know it. If it weren't completely innocent, why would I be telling you about it now?"

"Well you don't want me just to take you for granted, do you?" Justin asked. "A hot guy like you. I know you're attractive to other guys. I just could be wondering though just why you're telling me this at all. You wouldn't have needed to. You're not trying to make me jealous, are you?"

"You don't have any reason to be jealous and you know it," Brian insisted. "The reason I'm telling you this is what makes the story funny, Kiddo. Jimmy and I were sitting there for a while till he got his legs back. That's when I noticed Malcolm and Hunter. They were on Mt. Washington trying out their new digital camera. It has a 10x zoom and they were taking some city views, they said. They didn't say if they had taken a picture of Jimmy and me and I don't know when they first saw us, but I thought the subject might come up when you were talking to them, so I wanted to tell you the background, just so you'd know."

"What did you think I'd think?" Justin wanted to know, "That you were running around with somebody else?"

"No," Brian replied with a trace of petulance, "But I thought you just might be interested in knowing what was going on. Don't you care if I'm sitting up on Grandview Avenue with some other guy?"

"Brian," Justin assured him. "I trust you completely, but if you ever starting running around with some other guy, I'd know right away."

"You'd know right away?" Brian echoed.

"Yep," Justin affirmed. "And don't ask me how I'd know but believe me, I would know."

"Somehow I believe that, Baby," Brian said. "But I'm still glad I told you all this before you heard anything from Malcolm or Hunter. They'll tell you the same story, believe me."

"Actually, you are the best guy in the world, Brian. I love you and I'd never want anyone else." Justin took over. "But the way Malcolm and Hunter tell the story is a lot funnier than the way you told it."

"I should have known those finks would rush off to tell you," Brian grouched. "I'll get them back, wait and see."

"You don't need to get them back, Bri," Justin responded. "They just told a funnier story. They said they saw two drunks coming down Grandview Avenue. Then they realized that one of them was you. Then they realized that you weren't drunk - that you were holding the other guy up. It never occurred to them that you were 'with' that guy. They know about us, Bri."

"Oh," Brian laughed, "Not only do you take me for granted, Hunter and Malcolm take me for granted too."

"Everybody who knows us knows to take us both for granted," Justin informed him. "So we had some bad times but there won't be any more of those. Everybody knows that, and we do too."

"Well my story might not have been as funny as theirs," Brian claimed, "But my story was more accurate."

"They have pictures, Bri," Justin answered. "And we may have those pictures too. They said they'd send them here but I haven't checked the computer yet. I'll leave that to you. I don't need to see them, unless you want me to."

"Well maybe you're right about my not needing revenge on Malcolm and Hunter," Brian concluded. "But you, my sweet little Twink, have been needling me unnecessarily and maybe I need revenge for that.'

"You're welcome to try, Kinney," Justin challenged him. "I can take care of myself much better than poor Hunter or Malcolm - if I want to."

"If you want to?" Brian wondered.

"Yeah," Justin told him. "When I see what revenge you've planned, I'll decide if I want to defend myself. Why do you think I was needling you in the first place?"

That brought the conversation to a pause, which the guys always enjoyed.

A while later, Brian reopened the conversation. "You have a quizzical look on your face, Baby," He chortled. "I'll bet you're wondering what kind of revenge I'm planning."

"Well I am wondering about something, Bri," Justin replied. "You got that right. But not about your plans for vengeance. I was wondering why Malcolm and Hunter did not tell me the whole story."

"They did though,' Brian disagreed. "At least the way they think they saw it. I hope you're not really suspicious."

"Of course I'm not suspicious, Brian," Justin. "I know you love me almost as much as I love you. I was wondering why they didn't tell me they have a new camera."

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