Egged On

The fire was lit and the guys were sprawled on the floor in front of it. Brian suspected something was afoot and he was right.

"Hey, Brian," Justin began. "Maybe we ought to get somebody else 4o be the Easter Bunny at Children's Hospital this year. I bet you're tired of doing that. What do you think?"

"I think you must have something much worse planned for me to do on Easter than being the bunny," Brian laughed. "That's what I think. But I`hope you don't mean we're not going to the hospital on Easter. I like going. No, you wouldn't do that - so I don't know what sneaky thing you've got into your head - so you better go on."

"You sure do make it hard for me to tell you anything, Brian," Justin complained without rancor.

"Maybe it would be easier if you just told me what the hell was going on after the 'Hey Brian' instead of beating around the bush like you always do," Brian suggested. "You might find that would be easier."

"I don't think so," Justin replied. "I think it's better to ease you into stuff - like give you a little time to digest what's going on."

"Well I'm not digesting anything now," Brian told him. "Just maybe getting indigestion."

"Darn it Bri," Justin protested. "I'm trying to tell you. You always try to get me sidetracked - and you know I've gotta tell you this. If I don't tell you stuff, you get mad."

"No I don't," Brian protested back, "Don't tell me what you're going to tell me now and see if I get mad."

"Cut it out, Kinney," Justin demanded. "This whole thing is not my fault and I'm trying to make things easier for you and all I get from you is static. It would serve you right if I didn't tell you. I could let somebody else tell you. Maybe I should."

"Sorry, Baby," Brian sounded insincere, "Please tell me what you've done to make things easier for me - and just how much extra work it will cause me."

"I'm going to let that mean remark pass, Kinney," Justin responded, "Or I'll never get to tell you what's going on. OK, Mel and Linz have decided they want to have an Easter Egg Hunt at their place on Easter for Gus and some of his friends."

"And we're not going to Children's?" Brian interjected.

"Please let me finish, Brian," Justin insisted. "Of course we're going to Children's. I know you wouldn't want to miss that and neither would I. We're going to do both."

"You know what, Baby?" Brian interjected again. "Someday you're going to have so much for us to do on holidays that I'm going to have to do some of it and you're going to have to do some of it and we may never see each other all day."

"Now I know you're just trying to give me a hard time, Brian Kinney," Justin concluded. "You know full well that there would be no way we aren't going to do everything together on all holidays - so you're just complaining to give me a hard time. Maybe I'm sorry I even tried to make things easier for you."

"OK, Baby," Brian said. "I am sorry. Please tell me what I need to know."

"Well, Gus wants the Easter Bunny at the egg hunt, Bri," Justin explained, "And you can't be the Easter Bunny at the egg hunt because he wants you there too. See the problem. So I solved it by getting Malcolm to be the Easter Bunny at the egg hunt. And I figured that if he was gonna be the bunny there, maybe he could also be the bunny at the hospital too. Otherwise, you'd have to get out of the bunny costume after the hospital and Malcolm would have to get into it - or we might even need two costumes cause you're a little bigger than Malcolm. We can save a lot of time if the same person can be the bunny at both places."

"So my bunny days are over," Brian mused.

"They don't have to be," Justin gritted his teeth. "If you want to be the bunny at the hospital, we will work it out. Nobody wants to forceably retire you as the bunny. You're the best Easter bunny in the whole world. So just say the word and we'll go the 'two-bunny' route. It's completely up to you, Brian - and you can even have a few days to decide what you want to happen."

"And you think Malcolm can do it as well as me?" Brian replied with a question.

"No, he can't," Justin replied, "But he's seen you be the bunny a couple of times and I told him he'd have to do the bunny at the hospital just like you always did it - as best he can, that is. Nobody could ever really replace Brian Bunny, but Malcolm will do a good job. He's a good actor. We would never try to replace you with a rank amateur."

OK, Baby," Brian decided. "I don't need any time to think it over. We'll do it your way this Easter- on a trial basis - and see how it works out. Now see how easy it is to tell me stuff."

"Yeah," Justin affirmed, nestling himself closer to Brian. "You are really easy to talk to and I appreciate that."

There was a quiet period following the exchange as the guys unwound a bit. As far as Justin was concerned the discussion was completely over so he was surprised when Brian eventually returned to the subject of Easter.

"You know, Baby," Brian broke the silence. "If the Easter Bunny is going to bring me any chocolate this year, I hope he'll bring the real thing and not that sugar-free crap that pretends it's chocolate."

"Brian," Justin replied. "You're so fussy. You probably wouldn't eat the regular chocolate. Maybe the Easter Bunny will get you some low-sugar chocolate specially imported from Belgium that is guaranteed to taste as good as regular chocolate."

"And if it doesn't taste as good as the regular stuff," Brian challenged, "Will the Easter Bunny eat it himself?"

"You are a tough nut, Kinney," Justin told him, "But doesn't the Easter Bunny always help you to finish your chocolate before it goes bad. I don't think you have a thing to worry about."

"It looks like I'm getting low-sugar chocolate for Easter again and I don't have anything to worry about?" Brian recapitulated.

"You know what, Kinney," Justin was laughing. "In case the Easter Bunny brings you low-sugar chocolate, I, Justin Taylor, your adoring boy-friend, will give you a large regular chocolate rabbit - and you can eat either or both of them."

"And I guess my adoring boy-friend will also help me eat all of that chocolate too?" Brian supposed.

"That's what I'm here for," Justin said. "Yeah, I'll help you with the chocolate - just like I always help you with everything. - no matter how difficult it might be."

"I bet helping me with the chocolate won't be nearly as hard as some other things you've 'helped' me with," Brian grinned.

"Nothing I ever do for you is ever hard, Mr. Kinney," Justin declared, caressing Brian's cheek with his hair. "It's all a labor of love."

That brought another, no less enjoyable, period of silence.

Justin broke the silence just briefly. "Isn't it great how much we think alike and how we always agree on everything?" He asked.

"Yes it is," Brian agreed, finishing the discussion for the night.

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