That's Scary

Brian and Justin had settled themselves in front of the blazing fake fireplace on an unseasonably cool day for autumn.  Something was up and Brian wondered what it was.  So he opened the conversation.

"You said you wanted to ask me something about Halloween but you wanted to wait till the fireplace was lit," Brian reminded the kid.  "That could be scary.  Well, the fireplace is lit and here we are, so are you ready?"

"Maybe I'll wait a little while," Justin conjectured.

"I think you might as well do it now, Twink," Brian pointed out.  "It probably won't get any easier for you, knowing how you stew about the simplest things.  I'm in a pretty good mood right now.  Maybe I can help you out.  If you want me to wear that SpongeSquare BobPants costume you tricked me into wearing a couple of years ago, the answer is 'No.' If you want SpongePants BobSquare this year, you're going to be it."

"That's not it, Bri," Justin smiled," And it was not me who wanted you to be SpongeBob SquarePants either.  It was Gus, and you had promised him you'd get dressed up any way he wanted you to, and that's why you did.  All I did was get the costume for you like I always do. So that was not my fault at all."

"And I was very careful last year and this year too," Brian said.  "I made no such promises.  So I can pick any costume I want.  Can't I?  Or is that what I'm going to get told now?  What crazy idea do you have this year?"

"Darn it, Brian," Justin responded crankily, "I think I'm going to refuse to get your costume this year.  You can just go to the costume store and pick out your own.  So there."

"You mean you're going to trust me enough to let me go to the costume place and pick my own costume?" Brian seemed surprised.

"Well, I will volunteer to go along with you, if you think you need me," Justin smiled.  "I don't want you to get lost."

"Chances are I wouldn't get lost," Brian surmised, "But I guess we shouldn't take any chances. … You can't be going to tell me there are any changes about the Halloween party for Gus and his friends.  You know I think that's a good idea.  I liked the way we did it last year…."

"And we're gonna do it exactly the same way this year," Justin finished Brian's statement for him.  "Only better.  Of course me and Malcolm may change the decorations some to go with whatever costume you pick out.  We like to keep a theme.  We are artists after all."

"Con-artists, I think," Brian decided.  "You do have some idea about what my costume should be, don't you?"

"Well not exactly," Justin replied unconvincingly.

"OK, Kiddo," Brian gave up.  "I don't think I'm about to win this thing anyway.  Whatever you want.  Was that what you were going to tell me?"

Justin did not answer the question directly.  "Remember when Linz said maybe we should go with Gus when he goes trick-or-treating this year, Bri?" he asked instead.

"Yeah, and I also remember ordering you to get us out of it," Brian reminded him.  "Surely you did not fail on such a simple task as that was."

"No, sir, Boss," Justin came back with amusement.  "I did not fail.  I took care of that particular matter for you – like I always take care of every touchy situation for you.  I wonder how you ever got along before I was here to do all those chores."

"By being mean," Brian told him.

"You weren't ever mean, Bri," Justin laughed.  "You just scared people into thinking you were mean.  You weren't mean then and you're not mean now."

"But you're still trying to get out of telling me something about Halloween.  Isn't that because you're afraid of me?" Brian replied.  "You know, Baby, if you don't want to have our scary movie night, we can cancel it.  The other guys will understand and it's OK with me."

"No," Justin told him.  "It's your big thing for Halloween, Bri, and I do get scared a little bit but I don't really mind since I get to sit on your lap all night with both your arms around me.  But I do want to ask you something about scary movie night."

"That's what you wanted to ask me – or tell me – or whatever?" Brian seemed puzzled.

"Yeah," Justin admitted.  "See, I made arrangement for your nephew Johnny to go around trick-or-treating with Gus – instead of us - so we were talking about Halloween and I told him about the scary movies and he wants to come."

"Johnny wants to come," Brian echoed.  "His brother too?"

"Yeah, if it's all right with you," Justin muttered.

"And what did you tell them?" Brian laughed.

"I told them it was your night and I'd ask you," Justin told him.

"And you told them I'd say 'OK' – or something like that, didn't you?" Brian cajoled.

"Well not exactly like that," Justin equivocated.

"It's OK, Baby," Brian laughed.  "I think if Johnny had asked me himself, I would have told him that he was too young – nicely though, not mean.  But if you want them to come, we'll do it.  The more the merrier.  But you know what I think, I think you should be the one to drive them home after the movies."

"I thought maybe Mikey and Ben could do that, or maybe Hunter and Malcolm," Justin proposed.  "Or maybe Ted or Emmett."

"They might," Brian opined, "But we need to have contingency plans, don't you think?  You don't want the kids here overnight, do you?  So, maybe, I'll clean up the loft and you can drive them home."

"By myself," Justin seemed unsure.  "I'd have to drive back here myself – at midnight – or later - after all those scary movies."

"It's only a couple of miles," Brian reasoned.

"In the dark, Brian," Justin reminded Brian.  "It'll be dark."

"Do you want to drive them home while sitting on my lap with both my arms around you?" Brian was enjoying himself.

"Yeah, that's what I really want," Justin told him, "But I guess I'll settle for you being in the car with me.  If there's any monsters out there, I want you to be along.  You might scare them off.  They might not know how nice you are.  Bet you could scare a monster."

"Can't scare you, Baby, but I guess maybe I better go with you, JT," Brian acquiesced.  "After all, you're going to go with me when I myself, maybe even without any advice from you – or maybe with, pick out my own Halloween costume this year, so I owe you one. I'll go with you.  Anyhow, if some extra-terrestrials abducted you and flew you off to some strange planet in some alien spacecraft, I'd have to go out and find another blond twink.  It'll be easier for me in the long run just to go along with you."

"You think there might be extra-terrestrials running around out there that night?" Justin seemed concerned.

"Could be," Brian opined.  "You just never know for sure."

"Brian Kinney," Justin complained.  "You do scare me sometimes."

"Justin Taylor," Brian told him back,  "You scare me all the time."

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