Dressing Down

Both of the guys had worked late, so they had eaten separately. Brian got home first and had the fireplace lit. He was sitting in his usual place when Justin returned from his long day at the Institute and the kid promptly plopped himself down on the floor next to Brian.

"You know what, Kiddo," Brian opened the evening's discussion. "Maybe we should go out to the Waterfront to Target or Old Navy or someplace and get you some new jeans. Those ones you're wearing look like they're ready to toss."

"These are my very best jeans, Brian," Justin protested. "They are just reaching their prime. I have another pair that's almost as neat but not quite."

"Yeah, I know," Brian acknowledged. "They need to be pitched too, I think."

"Gee whiz," Justin protested some more, "They're clean. I always keep them clean. I don't see anything wrong with them."

"Aside from the fact that you make sure they don't 'look' clean," Brian grinned, "And maybe a hole or two here and there."

"I bet you've been watching 'Queer Eye" again," Justin surmised. "Or maybe you're just getting old so you don't know what's in style."

"I never watched 'Queer Eye' and you know it," Brian said, "And maybe I am getting old but I think I still know what's in style - and I do know what looks good on you."

"You sound just like my mother used to," Justin complained. "And I thought those days were over. She never liked my jeans either. She was always complaining."

"She was just giving you good advice," Brian did some advising of his own, "And you were just too dumb to take it."

"Well, didn't she also advise me to get rid of you," Justin teased. "I seem to recall that she tried to break us up. Was that good advice too and should I have taken it, Bri?"

"You're mother changed her mind about me, Twink," Brian laughingly reminded him. "She likes me now and she thinks you got a pretty good deal when you trapped me."

"One argument at a time, Kinney," Justin demanded. "So if my mother changed her mind about you, maybe she changed her mind about my jeans too. People do change their minds. Especially women."

"Yeah, I guess they do sometimes," Brian seemed to agree. "Let's call her up and ask her what she thinks. Then she can tell us if she changed her mind about shabby jeans."

"Never mind," Justin replied. "Well she would have also complained that they were too tight. She always thought my jeans were too tight. At least you didn't complain about that, did you?"

"No, I didn't" Brian admitted, "But now that you mention it, maybe you have put on a few pounds…."

"OK, Kinney," Justin decided. "I guess tonight must be 'pick-on-Justin' night. Did I do something wrong or do you just have a stomach ache or something?"

"Nah," Brian told him. "You didn't do anything wrong and I don't have a stomach ache either. And I guess you're old enough and mature enough to decide for yourself what you want to wear so I guess I shouldn't have brought up the subject in the first place. I'm sorry. I love you, you know."

"Brian," Justin responded. "Are you trying to send me on a guilt trip now? It sounds to me like that's what you're doing."

"Not much chance of that working, Baby," Brian smiled at him.

"Probably not," Justin agreed tentatively, and the discussion cut off there for a while. They just sat cuddled together on the floor until Justin eventually broke the silence.

"Brian," he returned to the subject. "I don't wear these jeans when I go out with you. You know I don't. I always dress up when I go out with you. I don't want to embarrass you at all."

"And you don't ever, Baby," Brian answered. "That's not what I was trying to say. But are you admitting that you dress down sometimes when you go over to the Institute or out with your crowd? Is that what you're saying?"

"Dammit, Brian," Justin gave in. "I'm not giving up our time here in front of the fireplace tonight but tomorrow we can go over to the Waterfront - unless you want to go yourself and pick out the jeans without me. That's probably what my mother would have done."

"Cut it out, Twink," Brian insisted. "I'm not your mother and I'm not trying to be your mother either. I know you have to try the jeans on. I don't even need to go with you. You can go yourself if you want to - or take Malcolm with you if you want to. I don't even need to go at all."

"Now you're trying to get out of going with me, Brian Kinney," Justin complained. "You make a big fuss, and then you don't want to go along."

"I'll go," Brian told him, "Since you seem to think I'd be a help, but I'll tell you something I'm not going to do. I'm not going to help you throw out those old things. You can do that yourself. No help from me."

"Big bad Kinney can't stand the emotional scene of seeing me part with these perfectly worn-in jeans?" Justin wondered. "Chicken to see the chaos you've caused?"

"Nope," Brian pointed out. "Just saving you the trouble of fishing them out of the garbage later so that they can end up in your locker at school."

"You think I'd do something like that?" Justin sounded aghast. "I can't believe you'd ever think I'd do something like that."

"Sorry, Baby," Brian laughed. "I love you and all, but yeah, I think you might do something like that."

"What good would that do though?" Justin conjectured. "Unless you promised not to come by school unannounced like you do pretty often."

"Well I'm not going to promise not to stop by school every once in a while," Brian replied, "But maybe I'll promise not to notice what you're wearing when I do."

"I love you," Justin told Brian as he reached over to kiss him. "And I don't really mind that you try to run my life and all. I know it's just cause you love me so much and want me to be perfect. . It's actually kind of neat."

Brian didn't respond verbally but he squeezed the kid in reply and another quiet period ensued.

A little while later, Justin spoke up again. "Brian," he asked, "Do you really think I may have put on a couple of pounds?"

"Probably not," Brian responded. "But anyhow, I promise not to notice if you do."

"Fat chance," Justin laughed at him.

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