What's Ahead?

It was cold outside. There was snow on the ground. But in the loft, the fake fireplace glowed and warmed - to the satisfaction of the residents who were kind of entwined on the floor in front of it. Strangely enough, they were each thinking ahead - and about the same thing too - although they didn't know it.

"You know what was in the morning paper today, Bri?" Justin opened the conversation. "The Pirates' schedule for the coming season."

"You know what, Baby?" Brian grinned at him. "I knew that. I did. And you know how I knew that? Ted told me. You know what else he told me, JT? He told me there were thirteen bobble-head giveaways during the season. Thirteen! What he didn't tell me is whether you and he have something cooked up."

"What the hell are you talking about, Honey?" Justin seemed puzzled. "You think Ted and I had something to do with the Pirate schedule or something?"

"Not with the schedule, Baby," Brian was still grinning. "I don't doubt you could do it if you set your mind to it but, no, not the schedule. It's just that Ted was razzing me. He was kidding around that I'd be getting dragged off to all the bobble-head events. I was wondering if he was just trying to soften me up for you - and now you bring up the Pirates' schedule…."

"Brian, Honey," Justin responded with a grin of his own. "You underestimate me. That would have been a terrible plan. Having Ted tell you about it in advance would be dumb. It would just alert you - kind of give you time to think about it. Not a good plan at all. I'm not any kind of conniver as you ought to know, but if I were, I could do a lot better than that lame ploy."

"So Ted just decided to bring up the subject on his own," Brian said. "You had nothing to do with it at all?"

"I had nothing to do with it at all," Justin affirmed. "I guess Ted was just trying to be funny - on his own. You always pick on him and maybe he saw a chance to get back at you a little bit. If I had some plan to get you to go to all those bobble-head games, he even might have ruined it - not that I'm the kind of person who does 'plans.'"

"No, you wouldn't," Brian replied facetiously. "I need to keep reminding myself of that. Sometimes I forget. I really do know you would never try to trick me into anything."

"Now you're kidding with me, Bri," Justin laughed. "There's no way old paranoid Brian Kinney could believe that."

"Old Brian Kinney?" Brian echoed.

"See what I mean?" Justin laughed again.

"OK, Baby," Brian squeezed the kid a little closer. "But I did get a little warning and I did get a chance to think about it some. And I, the selfsame aforementioned not-to-be-manipulated Brian Kinney, have made a decision. I will go happily with you to three of those bobble-head games of your choosing - and maybe unhappily to a couple more - but that's it. I have made an irrevocable final decision - and that is that, Sweetheart. Now do you need to proceed with what you were going to say when you started this discussion - or not?"

"Yeah, Brian," Justin said back. "I'd like to tell you what I was going to say before you preempted the discourse. I was gonna mention the thirteen bobble-head giveaways. You got that right. But I was also going to tell you that I made a secret New Year's resolution that I didn't even tell you about. You know what it was? I resolved not to drag you to any baseball games this season. I'm going to grow up - so I had no intention of trying to drag you to any of the games. And that was what I wanted to tell you."

"You're not interested in collecting all those dolls?" Brian was incredulous.

"That is not what I said at all," Justin informed him. "Actually I have arranged for a couple of guys to go to all the games and get me the dolls - one for me and one for Gus. I just have to buy their tickets."

"And these guys are smart enough to con you into paying their way in - and smart enough not to want any bobble-head dolls for themselves," Brian gibed. "How did these smart guys get to be friends of yours?"

"The only way I could possibly have met such really smart people, Sweetheart," Justin gibed back. "I met them through you."

"Through me?" Brian was taken aback.

"Yep," Justin smiled. "Rodney and his friend Herman."

"Rodney has a boy-friend?" Brian was even more taken aback.

"Yes and no, Brian," Justin replied. "I think Rodney is gay but I'm pretty sure Herman is straight. Good thing too."

"What's so good about his being straight?" Brian was puzzled. "Gay is beautiful."

"That's it Bri. Herman's pretty plain," Justin explained. "He might be able to get some soft-hearted woman but I don't think any gay guy would want him."

"You know what, Baby," Brian laughed. "Maybe I should have let you get more experience before I tied you down for life."

"It's OK, BK," Justin laughed back at him. "You've got enough experience for both of us."

That brought the conversation to a temporary end as the guys just sat there for a while in silence. Then something came into Brian's mind.

"Do you keep in touch with crazy Rodney, Baby?" He asked, breaking the silence. "Does he still have a great big case on you?'

"I don't know, Bri," Justin responded in kind. "Maybe it's you he's after. He always asks about you."

"Nah," Brian surmised. "He's just hoping that I'm dying - so he can make a big try for you."

"He doesn't have a chance, Bri," Justin smiled.

"You got somebody else in mind?" Brian asked jocularly.

"Cut it out, Brian," Justin told him. "You know I don't - and I don't want to even think about it either. You're the only one in the world for me."

"And before you ask, Baby," Brian beamed. "Let me mention that you're the only one in the world for me too. Not even Rodney could replace you."

There was another quiet period where the guys considered their one-and-only-ness. Eventually Brian returned to the subject.

"Baby," Brian said. "We really ought to go to some of those games ourselves. Maybe not all of them - but some of them at least. What do you think?"

"OK, Brian," Justin responded. "If you want to. I'd love that - but not nearly as much as I love you."

"And I guess it won't bother you if you break your secret New Year's resolution?" Brian teased.

"Do you ever remember me keeping a New Year's resolution, Brian?" Justin asked in return. "Ever?"

"Well didn't you plan to keep this one?" Brian wondered.

"No comment," Justin told him.

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