Holy Moses

It seemed like any other night as the guys settled themselves in front of their fake fireplace - to watch the flames and to discuss their activities of the day. Brian had his arm about the kid who was resting his head against Brian's shoulder - a picture of happy domesticity. Brian opened the conversation.

"You are planning to tell me what you were doing over at Rev. Tom's church today, aren't you?" He asked.

"That was the first thing I had planned to mention," Justin affirmed, "But now I'd rather know how the hell you knew I was over at Rev. Tom's church today."

"And you figure I should tell you?" Brian grinned at him.

"Yeah," Justin replied. "We never keep any secrets from one another so I figure you should tell me. I don't think you're in constant contact with Rev. Tom - and I don't think your mother even knows."

"Well she does, Baby," Brian informed him. "She does. Not that she'd ever tell me. Actually we had some filing stuff to do today and we were short on staff so I….

"Called nephew Johnny to stop over after school and help out, like you do a lot and that's great, and Johnny loves it too," Justin interrupted to assume, "I know you do that just to let him know you care about him - without having to tell him of course - cause you wouldn't want to do that…. And so your mother had told Johnny and he told you."

"But he didn't know why you were over there, Kiddo," Brian continued. "I hope good-hearted Justin is not going to get involved in some big project at the church. Seems like they only call on you when they need something done. Maybe I'll just forbid you to do it."

"If you forbid me to do it, Bri," Justin acquiesced, "I just won't do it. You know I never do anything you forbid me to do."

"Yeah, I do know that," Brian had to laugh, "And I know the reason too - because I never forbid you to do anything. I sometimes wonder what you'd do if I did forbid you to do something. I think I'm afraid to find out. OK, Baby, just what's up over at the church?"

"Not very much at all, Sweetheart," Justin informed him. "They had a minor water leak last week. They got it fixed but they have a few little stains on the wall and on a picture of Moses holding up the Ten Commandments. Tom wondered if I could fix the stains. I took Malcolm and Jason with me and the three of us can fix all the damage good as new in probably one afternoon - so we told Tom we'd do it - subject to your approval, of course."

"Do Hunter and Brandon have to approve too?" Brian joked.

"I do not intrude into other people's relationships, BK," Justin responded archly, "I never meddle. So I am unable to give you that information. I have enough problems dealing with my own relationship."

"Hey, Baby," Brian got an idea, "While you're touching up the Ten Commandments, maybe you could change a few of them. Whattaya think?"

"And just how would that help you, Bri?" Justin laughed. "You're already used to breaking all the Ten Commandments we have now. You'd just have to maybe learn some new stuff to break the new commandments."

"Oh yeah," Brian mocked, "Well I haven't killed anybody yet - even though sorely tempted a few times - and, you know what else too, Wise-Guy, I never covet my neighbor's wife either."

"OK, Bri," Justin conceded in part. "Maybe there are no murders on your record, but there are other things beside your neighbor's wife in Ex. 20:17 that you're not allowed to covet and I'm not so sure….."

"Cut it out, you dirty-minded little twink," Brian was laughing, "And just when did you become such a biblical scholar - chapter and verse yet?"

"That may be the only one I know, Bri," Justin laughed too. "It's a kind of a joke among the gay guys at school."

"Well I guess you smart-alecky pseudo-scholars also know that the better translations translate the word as 'donkey.'" Brian told him.

"Yeah, those scholars are trying to clean stuff up, but we favor the older translations," Justin said, still laughing, "And you seem to be a bit of a biblical scholar yourself. I didn't know that till now."

"Yeah," Brian said, "There are a lot of unplumbed depths about Brian Kinney."

"Indeed there are," Justin had to agree, "But I'm working on them, Bri. I'm working on them for sure - all of them."

"Yeah, you are," Brian laughed, and then changing the subject, "I guess you wouldn't want me to come along and help. Maybe Hunter and Brandon could come too. Wouldn't that speed up the project?"

"I figure if just you came along to help," Justin conjectured. "We could get it all done in one day. If all three of you helped, it would be at least two days - maybe more."

"That answer could hurt my feelings, you know," Brian pouted. "I am human - even if you don't seem to think so. I do have feelings, you know."

"Yeah, you are human when it suits you, and you do have feelings, I guess, Honey," Justin grinned, "But I don't think that offer was at all sincere, and I don't think you're feelings are the least bit hurt either. You're just trying to generate some sympathy for yourself since you can't really find anything to complain about with this project. You're actually kind of proud of us for doing it."

"Well maybe Hunter and Brandon and me will get together while you are over at church fixing up the Ten Commandments," Brian postulated. "Maybe we'll just rent a porn movie and watch it. Remember Hunter once made a play for me - and I'll bet I could have had Brandon too if I wanted him."

"Yeah, you could have, Bri," Justin did not take the bait. "You could have got Brandon or any other guy in the world that you wanted - but you picked me. Innocent little Justin Taylor."

"Well maybe I did pick innocent little Justin Taylor," Brian remembered, "But what I got was Justin Taylor, the little piranha - and sometimes I'm not all that sure that I even did the picking at all."

"Oh yeah, you did, Bri," Justin assured him. "You were in complete control of the relationship at all times."

"Just like I am now?" Brian wondered through a big smile.

"Exactly," Justin affirmed…. "So I presume I have your permission to proceed with Project Ten Commandments."

"Yeah you do," Brian smiled. "And I am proud of you. And I am glad I picked you, Taylor - if I really did the picking, that is. Well are you satisfied now?"

"Of course, I'm satisfied," Justin responded. "How could anybody who has Brian Kinney for a boy-friend not be satisfied? You know what, Bri, I'll borrow some porn tapes from Ted's vast collection for you and Hunter and Brandon to watch while we're patching up Moses."

"Cut it out, Twink," Brian commanded. "I'll bet you guys are going to work on a weekday while I'm at Kinnetics, but if you don't, I'll just go over and see Gus, but I'll be thinking about you."

"And I'll be thinking of you too," Justin told him, "Every time I look at Moses or the Ten Commandments I'll be thinking of Brian Kinney."

"That won't affect your work," Brian asked, "Thinking of me while you're working on the repairs?"

"Hey, Kinney," Justin pointed out. "You've seen all the work I've done over the last four years. Every bit of it was done while I was thinking of you."

"You know what, Baby," Brian gave up. "I think maybe I picked the right guy when I picked you. Yeah, I'm sure I did."

"Innocent little Justin Taylor?" Justin mused contentedly.

"I cannot tell a lie," Brian told him. "You know - with the Ten Commandments and all. That is not what I said."

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