Competition

It seemed like just another ordinary night at the loft in front of the fireplace. Brian had his arm around the twink who was smiling contentedly.

"Baby," Brian started, "Could I just ask you a question, just out of curiosity, without you getting upset?"

"Well I don't see why not," Justin answered him. "Why would I get upset at an ordinary question?"

"I don't know," Brian responded. "I guess I don't know why."

"Well ask away," Justin encouraged him, "I have no secrets from you and I have an opinion on every subject, so just ask, Brian."

"Well remember last night," Brian continued.

"Yeah," Justin acknowledged. "Me and Malcolm went to this meeting at school. We learned a lot from the speaker and we were glad we went."

"And you thought you'd be back about nine but it was really about 10:30 when you got home," Brian continued.

"You're not checking up on me, are you, Bri?" Justin exhibited a little concern. "You didn't say anything when I got home last night."

"Baby, I hope you're not getting excited," Brian said. "I'm not checking up on you. I didn't ask you last night why you were late because you're an adult and all that stuff."

"But you're asking tonight?" Justin wondered. "What's up, Bri?"

"I was just wondering why you and Malcolm were at Babylon last night," Brian confessed. "I'm not upset and I'm not suspicious and I'm not checking up on you but I am curious. You aren't crazy about Babylon and you know if you wanted to go, I'd go with you, even though I'm not all that crazy about Babylon any more either."

"How the hell did you know we stopped at Babylon?" Justin asked. "I don't think you have somebody follow me when I'm out without you. Do you?"

"Don't need to," Brian informed him. "I have spies everywhere. Remember Fred who used to be at Babylon all the time. Old and kinda creepy. I was out to lunch today and I saw him. He came up to me and asked why I don't get to Babylon much any more. He told me the blond twink I used to play around with was there last night with another blond twink."

Justin began to laugh. "And you're mad because Freddy thought you couldn't hold on to that very attractive young blond twink you used to play around with," he gibed at Brian.

"Not at all," Brian defended himself. "I told him that you still lived with me and that you did all the cleaning and cooking."

"I guess I can't call you a liar there," Justin chortled, "But if that's the extent of my job description, I think I may be going above and beyond the call of duty."

"Cut it out, Twink," Brian ordered him. "If you're trying to evade the question, just don't answer. I don't need to know and I'm not jealous or suspicious either."

Justin did not respond immediately so a period of silence ensued. They were both thinking.

Brian," Justin resumed the conversation. "Malcolm and me were at that meeting at school last night. There was this kid, Jed, there. Jed goes to Babylon regularly. He was telling us about this new guy who hangs out there, called Brandon. Jed said he was the new Brian Kinney, but he didn't know who the old Brian Kinney was. He said he was sure though that Brandon was a lot hotter than Brian Kinney ever was. Malcolm thought we ought to go over and check him out, so we did."

"You're checking out hot guys?" Brian took the offensive.

"Now you cut it out, Bri," Justin retorted. "We just wanted to see what this Brandon guy looked like. I told Malcolm on the way over that there was no way he was going to compare to you."

"Should I be afraid to ask the next obvious question?" Brian wondered.

"Not at all, Bri," Justin smiled at him. "Brandon can't compare to you. Now I may just be a bit prejudiced but Malcolm agreed with me."

"Well maybe Malcolm was prejudiced too?" Brian conjectured.

"Why would Malcolm be prejudiced?" Justin wanted to know. "Something going on between you and Malcolm?"

"Don't think so," Brian told him. "I just thought he might be prejudiced because he's such a good friend of yours."

"Well he's not prejudiced at all, and you are a lot hotter than this Brandon guy," Justin insisted. "If that's the best Babylon has to offer, Babylon's going downhill fast."

"If I'm so much hotter than this Brandon," Brian wanted to know, "How come you didn't bother mentioning him?"

"Maybe I didn't want you to get a big head, Sweetheart," Justin answered.

"So I don't have a big head now then?' Brian surmised.

"I guess I wouldn't want to go that far, Bri," Justin laughed. "But I do need to take you to Babylon to see Brandon. He's really an unworthy successor to the fabled Brian Kinney, a hollow imitation of the master."

"Maybe you are a little prejudiced, Baby," Brian responded. "But I think you may be right. I don't need to go to Babylon though. I've seen Brandon."

"You've seen Brandon," Justin choked out. "You never told me."

"Yeah, I've seen him," Brian admitted. "He's a dopey character. He actually stopped by my office and challenged me to some kind of a sex contest."

"A sex contest?" Justin sputtered. "I can see why you didn't tell me." Then smiling, he continued, "I don't suppose you took him up on the offer?"

"Forget it Twink," Brian smiled back at him. "You're not going to make me feel guilty because you snuck off to Babylon last night. I told him I had the only guy I was interested in, and that you could cook and clean too"

"You told him that you had the only guy you were interested in," Justin exulted. "And you never told me anything about this. How come, Bri?"

"Guess I didn't want you to get a big head," Brian figured.

"Well it wouldn't hurt for you to pay me a compliment sometime, one that I hear about, that is," Justin pretended to grouse. "So if I were you, I'd think one up, Mr. Kinney, and pretty quick too."

A period of silence followed with the guys clinging to each other for dear life.

Brian broke the silence. "You know what, Baby," he told the eager kid, "You cook and clean real well."

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