Let Me Count the Ways

The guys settled themselves in front of the fake fireplace with a little anticipation.

"I guess you missed me?" Brian postulated to begin the discussion.

"I guess so," Justin admitted, "Just about as much as you missed me. You were gone two days."

"Not quite, Baby," Brian pointed out. "I only left yesterday morning, and I got back early today and I was here when you got home from the Institute. So we missed last night together but that was all."

"Well that was a long time for me, Bri," Justin commented. "Wasn't it a long time for you? I guess you were having a good time up in Cleveland at Sodom and Gomorrah."

"Naw," Brian laughed. "Sodom and Gomorrah is no Babylon, and you know I wasn't there. Didn't I call you three times during the evening?"

"Probably just to make sure I wasn't at Babylon?" Justin guessed.

"Naw, again, Kiddo," Brian was still laughing. "I called Todd at Babylon and he told me you weren't there. I didn't think you would be. What would you do at Babylon without me?"

"I can't imagine what I'd do at Babylon without you," Justin laughed back at him, "But something just might have come up. You did miss me though, didn't you, Bri? You did take an early plane home. Probably just because you missed me?"

"Yeah, I took an early plane home," Brian admitted. "Cynthia and Ted are still there. They'll be home on the late plane tonight. The big decisions were made. They said I was no more use to them so I came home. You know, the next time I have to go to Cleveland, I think I'll drive. It probably takes less time to drive than to fly with all the crap at the airports.

"I kind of wish you'd have driven this time," Justin told him.

"I wouldn't have been back any sooner, Twink," Brian told him. "So I guess it doesn't matter."

"Guess not," Justin seemed to agree. There was a pause in the discussion at this point as the guys made up a little for lost time.

In a little while, Justin spoke. "You know what would be fun, Bri?" he asked.

"Yeah, but I don't think that's what you're going to suggest," Brian grinned.

"I think it would be fun for us to list all the reasons we love each other so much," Justin announced.

"You think it would be fun for us to list all the reasons we love each other?" Brian repeated in a quizzical tone. "Like Elizabeth Barrett Browning. 'How do I love thee, Let me count the ways.'"

"Yeah," Justin responded. "Like that."

"Geez," Brian marveled. "You really must have missed me. Not that I didn't miss you just as much, of course."

"I bet," Justin replied doubtfully. "Well, I'll let you go first. How come you love me so much?"

"I need time to think about it," Brian maintained.

"What do you mean you need time to think about it?" Justin was somewhat taken aback. "Don't you know?"

"I just want to get it right," Brian insisted. "You don't think Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote that poem right off the top of her head, do you? I need to think about it."

"Well?" Justin prompted about fifteen minutes later. "Have you done your thinking?'

"Yeah, I have," Brian answered, "And I think I've got this whole thing figured out. What have you done while I was away, Twink?"

"What are you talking about, Bri?" Justin wanted to know.

"Just all this talk about missing you and reasons why I love you," Brian said. "I think maybe this is all to get me ready for you to tell me what it is that you've done, so I'll have all the reasons I love you in my mind and maybe I won't kill you when you tell me what you've done."

Justin did not answer immediately. Justin needed some time to think. Brian just waited,

"Brian," Justin finally began. "I borrowed your car. You said I could borrow it any time I needed it and you weren't using it. You weren't using it while you were in Cleveland so I borrowed it."

"You wrecked my car," Brian burst out.

"Of course I didn't wreck your car," Justin replied. "You've seen me drive. Of course I didn't wreck your car."

"Well, it's because I've seen you drive that I wondered if you wrecked the car," Brian went on anxiously.

"Well I didn't," Justin maintained. "There's this girl at school who is really obnoxious, Bri. Her family is rich and she got this new fancy foreign car, which she shows off with all the time. So I thought I'd take your car and park it next to hers and show her up."

"And this obnoxious girl is the one who wrecked my car, I suppose," Brian decided.

"Brian, don't get so dramatic." Justin pleaded. "I told you your car was not wrecked. She just opened her door real hard and scratched it."

"There's a scratch on my car," Brian summed up the situation. "I'm surprised you didn't take it to Larry's and have him repaint it so I'd never know."

"I'm insulted that you'd think I could do something like that," Justin pouted. "Anyhow, Larry said you'd know if he just touched it up. He said he had to sand it and prime it, and a lot of other stuff so that it would look good as new. It won't be finished till the day after tomorrow. You can use my car till then if you need it."

"I'd rather ride a motor scooter," Brian told him. Justin put his head on Brian's shoulder and there was another period of silence.

Brian was the one who broke the silence, surprising Justin a bit. "The first reason I love you," Brian said, "Is that you are just the greatest person I ever met."

"What are you doing, Bri," Justin shuddered. "Are you going to tell me all the reasons you love me before you strangle me and throw my worthless body into some dumpster?"

"Your body is not worthless, Baby," Brian told him. "And I wouldn't throw your body into a dumpster. Debbie is too busy right now to be solving murders. Another reason I love you…."

"Cut it out Brian. Go ahead and yell at me," Justin interrupted. "I deserve it. I want to get this business about the car settled. You're scaring me, Bri. I don't know what I was thinking about with this crazy plan. I knew it wouldn't work."

"The business about the car is settled, Baby," Brian assured him. "I think maybe your crazy plan did work. Anyhow, the business about the car is settled. Another reason I love you is …."

"My turn, Bri," Justin interrupted again. "The reason I love you is that you're you. You're the greatest guy in the world."

The guys never did finish making their lists. They didn't need to.

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