Party Favors

"You don't want to do this, Brian," Justin was saying as the guys got themselves into position in front of their roaring fake fireplace. Justin had his arm around Brian as he went on. "You just don't want to do it so I don't think you should."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Brian riposted. "There is nothing in the world I would rather do than to help you plan a birthday party for Ethan Gold."

"Wait a minute, Honey," Justin cautioned him. "If that's supposed to make me feel good, it doesn't. There are several things I hope you would rather do than help me plan a birthday party for Ethan. I'll list some of them for you after we get done with this discussion."

"You know what, Baby," Brian responded. "This discussion is beginning to sound like an argument, and you know how I hate to argue with you."

"Yeah," Justin had to laugh. "You hate to argue with me all right, and you also know just what to say when you think I'm getting mad at you too. It's one of the things I love most about you."

"And you like to pretend you're getting mad at me so I'll say something to keep you from getting mad," Brian challenged the kid. "It's one of the things I love most about you."

"OK, Bri," Justin decided. "I guess we are just going to sit around here and tell each other what we love most about each other."

"That might be something that I'd like better than planning a birthday party for Ethan," Brian allowed squeezing the kid a little bit closer.

"See what I mean, Bri," Justin told him. "You are trying to get out of helping me with Ethan's party," Justin complained. "And you said that there was nothing you'd rather do."

"Shut up, Twink," Brian demanded, and Justin seemed pleased enough to comply. They just cuddled together for a while. Brian was thinking about some things he would rather do than help Justin in planning Ethan's birthday party. Justin's mind was not on Ethan's birthday party either.

It was Brian who finally broke the spell. "OK, Baby," he told the kid. "Vic is going to make the birthday cake and get it up to Gino's. That's taken care of. Chocolate batter with butter cream icing just like you wanted."

"Brian," Justin protested mildly.

"And I'm going to go over the menu with Gino as soon as you get me the list of Ethan's favorite Italian foods," Brian went on uninterrupted.

"Brian," Justin continued his mild protest. "We were doing something else, weren't we?"

"Maybe," Brian allowed, "But somebody has to keep you youngsters on task. This birthday party is not going to plan itself"

"I thought I was on task," Justin grouched.

"You and Malcolm are supposed to figure out the guest list and design the invitations," Brian continued, "And I'll get them printed up at the office. You and Malcolm will have to let me know how many are invited so I can print enough invites and clear the number with Gino. Daphne is going to do the decorating but I bet you'll get your nose into that too. What else do we need to think about?"

"Nothing," Justin told him.

"Baby, you're acting like you don't want to help me plan this party for Ethan," Brian said. "I hope I don't have to do it all by myself."

"Brian Kinney," Justin began to smile. "Sometimes I think you are the most hateful person in the world."

"And do you still love me when I'm the most hateful person in the world?" Brian asked.

"Of course," Justin assured him. "It hurts my feelings that you would even have to ask that question."

"I didn't have to ask the question," Brian replied. "I guess I was just being hateful."

At this point the discussion ceased for a relatively long period. Both of the guys seemed satisfied that the planning of Ethan's birthday party was well in hand.

It was Brian again who resumed the discussion after a while. "How old is Ethan going to be?" he asked the kid.

"Twenty-five," Justin responded. "You knew Ethan was a lot older than me, didn't you?"

"I knew you like older guys," Brian said. "But I didn't think Ethan was that old. Geez, Baby, he's almost a senior citizen."

"Cut it out, Bri," Justin warned him. "But you are right. I can't even imagine how it would be to be twenty-five."

"With a little luck you'll make it to twenty-five, Baby," Brian comforted him. "It won't be so bad. You'll still be able to get around pretty well."

"Will you still like me when I'm twenty-five?" Justin wondered.

"Oh probably," Brian told him. "I like a lot of old people. Look at Ethan. He's just about twenty-five and look how much I like him."

"Will you still love me when I'm twenty-five?" Justin prodded.

"Absolutely," Brian assured him. "I like older guys too. By the way, you did get Tom to arrange for a couple of the guys from the symphony to bring their instruments so we can have music at the party, didn't you?"

"Yep," Justin answered. "Tom has that all arranged. I think maybe we do have most of the planning done, Bri. And you were a big help. I'm sorry I was complaining earlier. I should have known you'd want to help."

"Yeah," Brian reiterated. "I can't think of anything I'd rather do than help you plan a birthday party for Ethan."

Justin did not respond immediately so Brian reminded him: "Didn't you say you were going to list some things you thought I would rather do than help you plan a birthday party for Ethan?"

"Yeah," Justin told him through a wide grin, "I did, but right now I can't think of anything that you might like better than that. Maybe you ought to work on that yourself."

So Brian thought about that for a while and he did think of some things he would rather do than plan a birthday party for Ethan Gold.

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