Guess Who's Coming to the Wedding

The guys were seated in front of the fake fireplace. Brian had his arm around the kid. There was something they had to discuss and they both knew it. Justin took the bull by its horns.

"OK, Bri," He announced. "I have to send in the reply card for Lisa's wedding tomorrow so we have to decide - you have to decide - if you're going to go with me. I have to go, you know that. Lisa's done a lot for me at school. We're good friends so I have to go. She really wants you to come too but that's your call."

"We'll be the only gay couple there, Baby," Brian reminded him. "Malcolm knows Lisa as well as you do, so Hunter and him should be going too and they're not."

"Honey, cut it out," Justin pleaded. "You know Malcolm has to be in Cincinnati that week-end for his cousin's wedding. Otherwise he would be going to this wedding and you know it. By the way, Hunter wants to go to Cincinnati with Malcolm and Mikey is being Mikey again. How about putting in a good word for Hunter with Mike. He always listens to you."

"And if I don't think it's a good idea?" Brian wanted to know.

"Do it anyhow," Justin suggested. "We think it's OK, so you must think so too, and, Bri, please don't change the subject."

"So who brought Mikey into this discussion in the first place, Baby?" Brian came back. "I don't think I did. All I said is that we would be the only gay couple at the wedding."

"Well actually we won't be, Brian," Justin informed him. "There's going to be another gay couple there besides us. Friends of the groom."

"Oh, so they can have a gay table," Brian decided. "You want me to go to this dumb wedding so I can sit at the gay table."

"There's not gonna be any gay table, Brian," Justin said. "I have fixed it so we won't be sitting anywhere near them - if you decide to go, that is."

"Lisa and Dave don't love each other any more than I love you and we can't get married," Brian groused..

"And we wouldn't love each other any more if we could," Justin reasoned. "Brian, the lady who's going to do Dave and Lisa's wedding also does same-sex commitment services. If you really want to…."

"You don't want to," Brian told him. "You want to wait till the stupid state legislature decides it's OK for us to be in love."

"Nope," Justin told him back. "I love you now and I always will. You know it and I know it. I think the legislature knows it too. What's happening is politics. Getting a certificate from the state wouldn't make me love you any more and you know it. That's not Dave and Lisa's fault. Please come with me."

"Baby," Brian seemed to give in. "You know there isn't anything I wouldn't do for you if you wanted me to so…."

"Wait a minute, Brian," Justin cautioned.

"Wait a minute," Brian echoed with some surprise, "You want me to come to this wedding. You know I'm just about to say I'll go with you and now you say 'Wait a minute.'"

"Brian," Justin responded. "You know I would never try to trick you into doing anything, and there's something else you need to know before you say you'll come - much as I want you to come."

"You want me to agree that you're not a master manipulator before you tell me this important fact?" Brian laughed. "Nah, Baby. I'll go to the damn wedding without knowing anything else about it. I won't have a good time - except that I'll be with you - but I'll go - and I will enjoy being with you."

"Gee whiz, Brian," Justin seemed somehow cheerier. "I was worried about you before but I'm glad to see the old Brian emerging again. Still I need to tell you this before you say you'll come. It's about the other gay couple."

"Do I know them?" Brian asked.

"You know one of them, Bri," Justin bit the bullet. "Remember the French guy that Linz was talking about marrying?"

"Gooey?" Brian said. "His name was Gooey. That Gooey guy is gay? And he's back in the country? I though he got thrown out and sent back where he came from."

"Well, he did get sent back but he got some Philadelphia lawyer and she got the immigration business straightened out," Justin told him. "He was back teaching at Pitt in about three months."

"And you've known about this for how long?" Brian wondered.

"A couple of years, I guess," Justin confessed.

"And you didn't tell me?" Brian demanded.

"Are you happier knowing he's back in Pittsburgh?" Justin asked.

"Of course not," Brian replied. "I hate it that the creep is back in town. It makes me sick."

"OK, then," Justin reminded him. "My job in life is to make you happy and keep you happy - so naturally I couldn't tell you about this until I absolutely had to. I didn't want to make you sick."

Brian was laughing. "Does Linz know Gooey is back?" He quizzed the kid.

"Yeah, she knows," Justin told him. "And she know he's gay too. But they're not in contact at all. Mel doesn't like him."

"Well much as I hate to agree with Mel," Brian answered. "She's right this time. But I haven't changed my mind. I'll go to the wedding. You know what though, Baby, maybe I have changed my mind a little bit though. Maybe I will have a good time. Maybe I'll punch old Gooey right in the nose."

"No, you will not, Brian Kinney," Justin informed him. "You will be civil to him if I can't keep you guys completely separated, and you will certainly not punch him in the nose - or anywhere else either. If we get near him, I will be holding your hand - and if I squeeze, you are to back off. Get it."

"Anything to make sure I don't have a good time, Baby," Brian grinned. "You win, just like always. I'll go and I'll try to behave myself in such a way as not to embarrass you."

Justin's answering smile brought the discussion to a halt for a considerable period. Justin was happy that Brian was coming to the wedding and Brian was happy that Justin was happy.

After a long while, Brian reinstituted the conversation. "Baby," He wondered. "If we had a commitment ceremony or even when someday we get married, do you think maybe you might be a little less manipulative or bossy?"

"Not a chance," Justin whispered in his ear, with a big smile on his face. "I can't even promise not to get worse."

"Well maybe," Brian postulated laughingly, "Just maybe that might be one wedding you won't be able to drag me to."

"When the time comes," Justin smiled at him archly. "And it will come, Bri, you can depend on that, I figure l'll think of something."

Brian was smiling too. He had no reason to doubt the kid.

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