It Can't Be

The fireplace was lit and the boys were sprawled in front of it. There was nothing they could not discuss in front of the flickering flames - and they both knew that - but some things came close - pretty close indeed..

"So Brandon is coming to our St. Patrick's Day party," Brian opened the discussion as Justin had expected.

"Brian, Honey," Justin replied. "We always do our St. Patrick's Day party at Gino's and Gino's is a public place. We can't keep him out of a public place. He won't actually be with us. Brandon loves Irish stuff and Gino's is the best place in town to party on St. Patrick's Day. You know that. And we all had such a good time at that party for Brandon at Harp and Shillelagh."

"Yeah we did," Brian admitted, "So why isn't Brandon celebrating the big holiday in his own place?"

"First of all, and you know all of this, Brian Kinney," Justin explained, "Brandon is not part of the day to day operation of H and S. They don't need him there. And secondly, oh, you know all of it…."

"Except the exact part of all this that you are responsible for," Brian claimed. "I don't know how much of this is your doing."

"Does it really matter, Bri?" Justin retorted. "You're going to blame me for all of it anyway - whether I had anything at all to do with any of it - which I didn't."

"Tell me anyway," Brian insisted.

"OK," Justin gave up. "As far as I know it - which may not be all of it - I don't always know everything. We were all having a lot of fun at H and S, and then I think, Hunter told Jason that all that was missing was the leprechauns. Jason said 'What leprechauns?' and Hunter told him. Then Jason decided that he wanted to be a leprechaun too and Hunter said he couldn't see any reason why he couldn't. He figured that there is always room for another leprechaun on St. Patrick's Day."

"So why couldn't Jason be a leprechaun at Harp and Shillelagh?" Brian wondered. "Why does he have to be at Gino's?"

"Brian, you're just trying to be difficult - and succeeding too," Justin groaned. "How would Jason know how to be a leprechaun? People aren't just born knowing how to be leprechauns. The best way to learn is to watch real leprechauns in action. After this year at Gino's, maybe Jason will want to be a leprechaun at H and S next year and he'll be able to cause he'll know how,"

"Now it seems to me that it was only a few years ago that you and Malcolm were the very first leprechauns at Gino's," Brian mused. "So just how did you and Malcolm learn how to be leprechauns? You never told me how you learned. I'll bet you guys were trained by real leprechauns and you never told me. There's something I can be mad about if I want to."

"And you'll want to, I bet," Justin had to laugh. "But I don't care. I'm never going to tell you how we learned to be leprechauns. I can be stubborn too. Just get mad if you have to."

"I'll find out from Malcolm," Brian told him. "Malcolm is nicer than you…. So is Johnny going to be a leprechaun again this year?"

"Gee whiz, Brian," Justin complained. "I hope you don't want to change that. Your nephew loved it last year. Of course he will be back again - unless you want to tell him he's fired."

"Naw," Brian decided. "Our nephew is a pretty great kid - and a pretty great leprechaun too - both of them thanks to you."

"It can't be," Justin exclaimed. "It can't be. You're blaming me for something good. It just can't be."

"You're right, Twink," Brian agreed. "It can't be. Nobody can 'blame' somebody for something good. Too bad they didn't teach you English at that crazy academy you went to."

"Thought I showed you my SAT scores, Sweetie," Justin bragged just a trifle.

"So we're going to have Clare and my mother with us again - right at our table - just like last year?" Brian asked the question he already knew the answer to, completely ignoring Justin's boast.

"I suppose so," Justin replied, "And it seems to me you didn't really mind having them with us at all last year."

"So this year you decided that I wouldn't mind having Brandon with us too," Brian accused the kid.

"I did nothing of the kind," Justin objected. "You know very well that if Jason's going to be a leprechaun at Gino's, then Brandon is going to be there too. He's not going to actually be 'with' us. He'll just be in the same large restaurant. I hope you'll at least be nice to him. You were nice to him at Harp and Shillelagh. I really hope you'll be nice to him. You are getting a little nicer, Bri."

"Actually, Baby," Brian grinned. "It may seem like it couldn't be but here's once I knew something before know-it-all Justin Taylor. Brandon will be 'with' us. I asked him and he was real pleased. He thought he might be there by himself."

"You asked Brandon to sit with us at Gino's?" Justin seemed astounded. "Brian Kinney, the big meanie, invited ex-rival Brandon to sit with us. I can't believe it. You're joking. It couldn't be. Brian Kinney is getting to be as nice as Justin Taylor."

"You spend years trying to get me to be nice, Twinky Baby," Brian cajoled. "So I give it a try for once and what happens? You make fun of me for being nice - just like Brian Kinney used to do to you - according to your constant complaints. Could it be that BK is going to be the nice one around here and JT is going to be the big pain?"

"Now that couldn't be," Justin laughed, "Not that I didn't have a good role model for being mean. I guess if I could learn to be a leprechaun, I could learn to be Brian Kinney - but I'd like to stay Justin Taylor if you don't mind."

"You wouldn't want to be Brian Kinney?" Brian grinned. "Ted used to tell me that everybody wanted to be Brian Kinney. And here you don't want to be Brain Kinney."

"Yep," Justin grinned back. "I don't want to be Brian Kinney at all. I want to be Brian Kinney's boy-friend - and as far as I know that's Justin Taylor - so I just want to be Justin Taylor."

"That suits me, Baby," Brian squeezed Justin just a little. "If that's the way you want it."

There was some quiet time after this exchange while the guys regrouped - and did some other stuff too.

"OK, Kinney," Justin broke the silence. "If you invited Brandon to be with us on St. Patrick's Day, how come you started a kind of argument about it?"

"I didn't start an argument, Baby," Brian retorted. "I was just getting ready to tell you I invited him and you started accusing me of accusing you of some stuff - so I figured you wanted an argument."

"And just why would I be looking for an argument?" Justin wanted to know.

"So we could make up, Twink," Brian told him. "I happen to know at least most of your tricks. And I know you like making up."

"Well that could be," Justin allowed. "Yeah, it could be…. So did my plan work out the way I wanted?"

"Could be," Brian told him. Justin thought that meant "Yes."

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