Twins

The fireplace was lit. The guys were settling themselves in front of it. Brian had an uneasy feeling. He didn't know why, but when Brian had an uneasy feeling, he had learned that there was usually a reason for it. So Brian was uneasy about his uneasy feeling. He was not cheered up when Justin started the conversation.

"Malcolm's back from the dramatics convention in Atlanta, Bri," The kid told him.

"I guess that's nice," Brian responded tentatively, "But when we start to talk about Malcolm, there's usually work in it for me. I guess you're getting ready to tell me what it is."

"You're sounding paranoid, Brian," Justin warned him. "I'm just telling you that Malcolm is back from Atlanta."

"Sorry, Baby," Brian answered with a grin he wasn't sure he meant. "Tell me more about Malcolm's adventures in Atlanta. As if you weren't going to anyway."

"There was this important new playwright there and he wants Malcolm to stage his new play next summer right here in Pittsburgh," Justin announced. "It'll be a world premiere. The guy is willing to come and help out and some New York producers have their eyes on this play too. It may eventually end up on Broadway. The play's about these twins, one good and one evil…."

"Saw that on a soap opera," Brian interrupted.

"You don't watch soap operas, Honey," Justin protested. "So you never saw it on a soap opera either. It's really hard to tell you any news."

"That makes it all the worse," Brian countered. "I know it's on a soap opera and I don't even watch them. That makes it a really trite plot."

"Well Malcolm says it's a really neat play and he wants to do it," Justin continued.

"I can't play twins," Brian grinned. "And I don't want to play twins and I won't play twins. Dual roles are not for Brian Kinney, so don't ask."

"Not a dual role at all, Bri. Malcolm says they need two twins for this play because they're on stage together," Justin explained with a laugh. "Since there's nobody in the world as good looking as you, much as Malcolm would love to have you as his star, you're probably off the hook this time. No audience would believe you could have a twin."

"That's kind of funny, Baby," Brian told him. "I was thinking something weird might be going to come up tonight. And when you started talking about Malcolm…."

Justin put his head on the big guy's shoulder and the discussion petered out into a period of contented silence.

A little later, it was Brian who re-instituted the chat. With a big, authentic, grin on his face he told the kid, "You know what, Sweetheart, maybe you could get that cousin of yours who looks like you to come up here and you two could play the twins. And Malcolm was in Atlanta where that cousin lives too. Then when the play goes to Broadway, you could become a matinee idol."

"And you think you could get rid of me that easily, Mr. Kinney. Not a chance. The cast from here will not be going to New York, Bri," Justin thought out loud, "They'd need some Broadway names if they took it to New York. The Pittsburgh cast will just play it for the two or three weeks that it's here."

"Darn,' Brian kept up, "I thought I'd get to see you up there on stage and also get to finally meet that elusive cousin that you don't want me to meet. Oh well, it was just a thought."

Justin responded after just a brief pause. "You think that would be neat, Bri? I'm really glad. Actually, Malcolm met Wilson in Atlanta."

"And who the hell is Wilson?" Brian wanted to know as the uneasy feeling returned. "Am I supposed to know Wilson?"

"You know who Wilson is, Brian," Justin replied. "Wilson is my cousin, the one you're talking about. You knew his name too. I'm sure you did."

At this point, Brian thought he knew where the uneasy feeling came from. "Wilson?" he asked the kid. "I heard you call him Will but I guess I just assumed his name was William."

"Nope," Justin confirmed. "It's Wil with one 'l' and his name is Wilson. Wilson Wood."

"And when Malcolm met Wil," Brian conjectured, "He saw his twins right there in front of him, even though you were still up here in Pittsburgh with me."

"Something like that, I guess," Justin admitted. "Well what do you think? It's up to you."

"What do you mean it's up to me?" Brian wondered. "It's not up to me. It's up to you. If you want to do this, I want you to do it. Have I ever objected to anything you wanted to do, except a couple of crazy things that might have got you killer or maimed or something?"

"I don't want to make my own decision on this, Brian," Justin told him. "I have mixed feelings about it. I want you to tell me what to do."

"Baby," Brian squeezed the kid a bit closer. "You know I would do just about anything for you. This is one of the things I won't. I'll stick with you through it if you decide to do it though. I want you to do what you want to do."

Justin didn't answer but he put his head down on Brian's shoulder again, which was usually a signal that a quiet period was coming, and so it did.

"Is Wilson gay?" Brian asked, resuming the discussion.

"I don't know," Justin told him. "I used to know Wilson really well before he moved to Atlanta. We were about ten then. He knows I'm gay and he knows about you, just like you know about him. If he's gay, I don't want him coming up here."

"Are you saying that you're worried about me and Wilson, Baby," Brian reacted. "If that's what you're thinking, maybe you're the one who's being just a little bit paranoid. And I guess you don't trust me either."

"It's not that, Bri," Justin moaned. "It's just that Wilson has my looks and I think he's nicer than me. I don't think he's as big a pest as I am. I just …."

"Cut it out, Twink," Brian cut him off. "What makes you think I don't like having a pest around? What a dull life I'd have if I didn't have you and your crazy plots to deal with. To say nothing of the fact that I happen to be in love with you."

"I just don't know," Justin started off but let the sentence die away.

"Baby," Brian told him, "If you don't do this play, you know what. I'm going to invite Wilson up here myself. I am going to meet him and he is going to meet me, and gay or not, he is not going to be any competition for you. And furthermore, I don't want you to try to be any more like Wilson either. You are what I've got and you are what I want - just the way you are."

"Then I guess I may as well do the play, Bri," Justin said through a half-smile. "And you are actually making me do it after all, in your own Brian Kinneyish way."

"Geez," Brian decided. "You really are a pest, Justin Taylor. But I'm not going to complain. Even though I could easily enough. By the way though, which twin does Malcolm want you to play?"

"The evil one," Justin responded through a more genuine smile.

"That figures," the big guy told him.

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