Scared Stiff

It was midnight when the boys finally settled themselves down in front of the fireplace. That was usually the time they turned it off on ordinary days, but this was not an ordinary day.

"You feel stiff," Brian said to Justin as he put his arm around the kid. "And you're shivering too. You don't think the Wolfman is coming after you, do you?"

"Maybe if the Wolfman's name is Brian Kinney," Justin relaxed just a bit, smiling. "But you know those scary movies leave me a little nervous."

"We won't do this next Halloween then," Brian decided. "If you don't want to."

"Who said I don't want to," Justin relaxed a little more. "I get to sit on your lap with both your arms around me for three hours. I didn't say anything about not having the movies. You can show three next year if you want to - or next week would be OK too."

"So you're faking being scared stiff," Brian assumed.

"No, I'm not," Justin protested. "Those old horror movies do scare me. There just might be some side effects that make them worth-while though. But anyhow, I wasn't the scaredest person here tonight. Both Malcolm and Hunter were more scared than me."

"Maybe Hunter was," Brian agreed, "But I was pretty sure Malcolm was faking it so he would get invited to spend the night at Mikey's."

"Why would he do that?" Justin smiled.

"Can't imagine," Brian smiled back at him. "But Mikey and Ben seemed to enjoy the movies. Me and Mikey have always been into horror movies but I didn't know about Ben. I'm not so sure about Emm and Ted though."

"I think they did," Justin decided. "They said they did. It was a great night all around. And Halloween is still two days away."

"Yeah," Brian groused. "And thanks to you we have to get through tomorrow night and I guess we'll have these crazy spooky decorations up till Christmas. This loft is a mess."

"This loft looks like a haunted house, Brian," Justin insisted. "Malcolm and me did a great job with the decorations and Gus' gang will love them tomorrow too."

"Don't remind me," Brian complained half-heartedly. "I don't know why you always have to be so nice. Volunteering our loft for a Halloween party for Gus and his three friends."

"I have to be nice because I'm being nice for two. Saves you the trouble of being nice. And it's eight friends, Honey," Justin corrected him. "Gus has a lot of friends."

"Twice as bad," Brian laughed. "Worse than twice as bad. And this loft is like an an obstacle course . It hasn't been this cluttered since the time you and Mikey did your Rage mock-up here. That was just a little bit worse. I'll be lucky if I can find my way to the bed."

"I think you'll manage," Justin laughed out loud. "And don't try anything like what happened with the Rage mock-up either. And you know what else, that was mean of you to say this stuff will be up till Christmas. Hunter and Malcolm and me will be taking it all down on November 1. You don't have to help either. In fact we might not even let you help now even if you wanted."

"Damn, I did want to help, too. And by the way, isn't November 1 the birthday of that cousin of yours who looks like you?" Brian changed the subject. "The one who lives in Atlanta?"

"No but you're close," Justin told him. "It's November 2. I just sent him a birthday card today. Now he'll be as old as me."

"I think I ought to meet him some time," Brian observed. "I bet we'd get along fine. I also think you're not too eager for that to happen, Baby. You don't think he'd be competition, do you?"

"Yeah," Justin responded sarcastically. "I'm scared stiff of the competition."

"Gee, Kiddo," Brian mussed up the kid's hair. "I don't like you to be scared stiff. I'd put both of my arms around you but I already have both of my arms around you. And you don't have to worry about any competition. Breaking in a twink is tough work."

"Breaking in a twink," Justin was taken aback. "Breaking in a twink. Brian Kinney, you've got a lot of nerve making a remark like that. But, on second thought, actually that is pretty funny, Kinney, so I guess you can get away with it since I know you're joking. Anyhow, he 's my age so he wouldn't be a twink any more."

"You're right as usual," Brian acknowledged. "I guess I'd want my next twink to be a little younger. Who wants an old twink?"

"Maybe you?" Justin suggested.

"Maybe," Brian allowed, and the guys drifted into one of their silent periods.

"OK, Kinney," Justin broke the silence. "I figured it out. You just got me off the subject of the horror movies with all that stuff about my cousin, didn't you? Well you succeeded. I'm not scared at all now. You really know me pretty well. I am so lucky to have you."

"Anything for my beloved twink," Brian admitted. "Anything at all. You know that."

"I'm glad you feel that way, Bri," Justin responded. "And I know you mean it. But you know I was just thinking. There are a few things we'll have to get ready for Gus' party tomorrow when we get home. I think we can do the bobbing for apples right here, and you can put the Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Donkey thing over there against that wall next to the witch, and, what do you think, should we make the taffy apples ourselves or buy them?"

Brian didn't answer right away. He just stared vacantly toward the flickering flames. Justin got a little concerned. "Brian, you're feeling a bit stiff," he told his lover, "And I think you're shivering too. What's the matter?"

"You know what's the matter, Twink," Brian mumbled with a half smile on his face. "I think I'm scared stiff."

"What can I do to help?" Justin seemed concerned.

"Maybe if you put both arms around me," Brian suggested. "That might help."

"It's worth a try," Justin acknowledged. "That just might work."

And it did work.

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