Going Straight

The fire was lit. It was cold outside in Pittsburgh with the temperature taking a shot at zero, but it was warm in the loft and the occupants had nowhere they needed to go, or wanted to go. The previous few days had been hectic so, on this particular night, they had eaten at home and had just settled down in front of the fire for an evening completely dedicated to being together. They could have watched the television from that vantage point but mostly they didn't. And mostly they passed the evenings very happily, doing just about nothing other than enjoying their being together, but sometimes interesting things were discussed and decided.

Brian was hoping for the usual quiet togetherness but he had a sense that Justin might have something on his mind. Brian was getting to be able to read Justin's moods so he wasn't as surprised as he once might have been when Justin came up with a proposal. Now most of these proposals were perfectly satisfactory to Brian because Justin's happiness was the biggest concern in his life, but he very often raised objections and acted put upon. And Justin seemed to enjoy Brian's recalcitrance - as long as he got his way in the end - and usually he did. Justin liked to win and Brian didn't mind losing to the brat, as long as he knew deep down that, as Justin had so often assured him, he, Brian, was the real boss in the relationship. Brian didn't really believe that either, but he was pleased that Justin pretended to think so.

After a half hour or so of cuddling and small talk, Justin said to Brian, "You know what we don't do enough of. We don't go out with other couples as much as we should."

"We've been to Woody's in the last week with Ben and Michael, and it hasn't been that long since we had dinner with Linz and Mel. And we've been out with Ted and Emmett too, but I guess they don't count as a couple," Brian replied.

"Yeah," Justin agreed, "But they're the only couples we ever see. We need to widen our horizons some, don't you think?" "What I think," Brian said, "Is that this is another of your con jobs, and that you're going to try to get me to do something you think I don't want to do."

"Brian, you have no consideration for my feelings. You know darn well I would never do anything like that," Justin pouted, "We just need to see other people. I want to show you off."

"What am I," Brian asked with a smile, "Some kind of a trophy? Why don't you just cut off my head, get it stuffed, and hang it on the wall above your wonderful fireplace."

"Then people would ask me why I have a stubborn ugly old mule's head hanging over my beautiful fireplace," Justin countered in the same spirit of fun, "And anyway, I think if I get you stuffed and hung, I'll have it done like a big fish. That way we can have the full body treatment and I can tell everybody how I caught you."

"I may be an old mule if you think so, but I'm not ugly," Brian maintained. "No, you're not," Justin agreed, "You're actually the most beautiful guy I've ever seen." He kissed Brian and Brian kissed him back. That was a good sign. Justin thought things were going pretty well so far, but it wouldn't be over till it was over.

"I think it is, my darling Sunshine, that you have some particular couple in mind, " Brian assumed, returning to the original subject, "Are you ever going to tell me who they are, or will this be some kind of a blind date for me?"

"Of course I'm going to tell you, but I wish you wouldn't always act like you think I'm a manipulator. You're too smart to be manipulated by anybody and you know it." Justin complained. "That may be true," Brian allowed, "But sometimes I just get that feeling." "I think I'm going to cry," Justin told him. "Only if you think it will help you get what you want," Brian remarked heartlessly. Then Brian laughed and so did Justin.

"It's Daphne," Justin said. "Daphne is not a couple," Brian reminded him. "It's Daphne and Andrew, her boy friend. I think it's pretty serious and I want to meet him. He goes to Pitt too, and he's got early acceptance to medical school. Someday we'll be old and need a doctor, and we may be glad we know Andrew. Can we double date with them? Please, Brian?"

"They're straight," Brian said, "I don't do straights." "They're people, Brian. People who happen to be straight," Justin insisted, "Just like we're people who happen to be gay. They have wants and needs just like us. They're more like us than different. People are people. There's absolutely no reason why we couldn't be just as good friends with them as we are with our gay friends."

"I think I'm going to have to forbid you from spending so much time with the munchers, Baby. They're putting all these crazy ideas in your head," Brian told him.

"Don't be silly, Brian, I love Mel and Lindsey, and especially Gus, but I really would give them up for you if you told me to. I know you don't mean that so I'm not worried," Justin told him, "But I promise if you go out with Daff and Andrew, I will do something for you that I don't want to do, whenever you tell me."

"You always say you'd do anything for me anyhow, so I don't need that promise, do I?" Brian gloated. "No," Justin admitted, "But it sounds good, doesn't it? "It does," Brian said, "But it seems like I'm the one who's always doing the things he doesn't want to do. You win, Baby. I'll be happy, well maybe not happy, but I'll go along with you on this one, just like I always do. I love Daphne and maybe I'll like Andrew - even if they are straight."

"Oh Brian," Justin crowed, "I was right to fall in love with you. You are absolutely the greatest guy in the world. "And maybe the most easily manipulated?" Brian wondered. "And maybe the most exasperating too," Justin added, "But there's no turning back. I love you and I'm stuck with you, but I'm not complaining."

"You never complain because you never have anything to complain about," Brian stated, "Where do you want to go with them?"

"I thought maybe Gino's," Justin said, "That's a special place for us. Remember why?" "No," Brian answered, "Were we ever there together?" "Brian," Justin moaned, "You are so irritating sometimes."

"Well, Sweetheart, if we go to Gino's and you tell them about it being the place where I first told you I loved you, it will be even more special because it will also become the place where I strangled you, or worse," Brian threatened. "Oh Brian," Justin gushed, "You did remember. You do have some sentiment in your heart. There may be hope for you yet." "I give up," Brian muttered. "You always do," Justin thought to himself

"OK," Brian said, "Since this was a done deal from the beginning, when is this big event going to be?" "We thought maybe next Wednesday, if that was all right with you," Justin offered.

"That is not all right with me," Brian stated, "That is 'All you can eat night' and Gino will be mad at me for bringing you there for that, and maybe he'll go bankrupt, too. But…." "Thanks, Brian," Justin answered, "So it will be next Wednesday at Gino's. We'll get the same booth we had last time. It will bring back great memories."

"You lose there, Sunshine. For once you actually lose, and there is no way you can win this one. Andrew will never fit into that booth. He's six foot six if he's an inch," It was Brian's turn to crow.

"How do you know that, Brian?" Justin glowered, "I haven't mentioned that. I didn't even know that. I've never even met Andrew. What's going on, Brian?"

"You didn't know he was a top basketball star at Pitt with a chance to make millions with the pros?" Brian asked, "Actually, Honey, I've met Andrew a couple of times with Daphne. I would have told you but Daphne wanted to tell you herself. My work gets me out on the town while you're slaving over a hot drawing board. He seems like a very nice guy. I think you'll like him."

"Don't you 'Honey' me," Justin retorted, "You knew all the time we were going to go out with them and you let me go through with all that stuff, anyhow?"

"You got it, Baby," Brian confessed, "But I only let you go through with 'all that stuff' because I love you and I think you really enjoy badgering me." "Gee, Brian," Justin confessed back to Brian, "Having somebody know me that well scares me, but I'm not scared because that somebody is you and I know you would never do anything to hurt me." Justin rubbed his head along Brian's chest and let it rest there.

"Then you're not mad at me?" Brian assumed. "Yeah I am," Justin smiled at him, "But I'll recover real soon."

Then they sat silently for a while, happy just being together. Finally, Justin spoke up. "I'm not mad at you any more, Brian," he said, "But I have definitely decided not to try to get you to be a better person from now on, since you think I'm badgering you."

"I didn't ask you to quit doing that," Brian answered him. "Well, you've made your feelings quite clear, I think," Justin insisted. "Just as long as we both know that I didn't ask you to quit badgering me," Brian repeated. "Well I don't want to 'badger' you any more, but if you want me to 'badger' you, I will, because I promised to do something for you that I didn't really want to do," Justin proposed.

"What do you call what you're doing now," Brian asked. "What do you think I'm doing, Brian? I'm clearing the air," Justin told him. "I think I'd rather be badgered," Brian stated.

"Well OK," Justin acquiesced, "But only cause you want me to."

Return to Fireside Chats