The Fourth of What

The fake fireplace, with its heating element turned off for the summer, still sent its flames flickering to and fro and back and forth, creating surreal patterns throughout the loft. The guys were in their customary places on the floor, taking in the fiery patterns. They sat in silence for a good while. Then Brian started to grumble.

"This is going to be a dumb Fourth of July, Baby," he complained. "I always liked the Fourth. Me and Mikey used to always get in trouble on the Fourth - like just about every year."

"Well it is going to be a little different this year with Point Park closed," Justin agreed in part. "They can't very well have a big thing down there with 100,000 people when it's under repair - all that digging and stuff - and there's no place else in town big enough to hold a crowd that size either. They're doing the best they can with smaller celebrations in neighborhoods. We'll be having our picnic at Lindsay's and then we can walk to the fireworks display at the high school stadium. It'll work out OK, Brian."

"The display won't be as big," Brian objected.

"No, it won't be as big," Justin agreed again. "But it will still be nice. Wait and see, Bri. It will be OK."

"And so your fiddler friend won't have any place to fiddle," Brian continued. "And he's coming to our picnic."

"Yes, he is, Bri," Justin began to grin. "Our good friend, symphony violinist, Ethan Gold, will be at our picnic - together with his boy-friend and our good friend too, Tom - and while you're in a complaining mood, so will Brandon and Jason, in case you didn't already know."

"Two of the greatest studs Babylon has ever known," Brian kept up, "Reduced to attending a picnic in somebody's back yard. How the mighty have fallen. I don't figure Oswaldo will be there. He'll be too busy studding around Babylon, I guess, and I thought you were supposed to get him a blond twink to ruin his fun too."

"Cut it out, Kinney," Justin laughed. "No self-respecting beautiful blond twink, remember the beautiful part please, wants Oswaldo. He is really as mean as you and Brandon pretended to be. I don't think anybody is ever going to want him."

"And that's bad, I guess?" Brian continued to grouch.

"Yeah, that's bad," Justin reiterated. "That's real bad. He is going to grow old all alone - and that is not going to happen to you or Brandon either. You guys have friends and you are always gonna have somebody special to love you and take care of you and keep you happy - even when you really aren't prepared to be happy at all."

"I guess it's possible to be happy without having any fun," Brian grumbled. "I guess it is - if you say so."

"OK, Kinney," Justin insisted. "You are now finally beginning to try my almost infinite patience. You are going to enjoy the Fourth whether you like it or not - and that's my final word on the subject."

"The Fourth of What?" Brian wondered, as Justin moved in closer and distracted him from whatever it was he was complaining about.

It was a period of time before the discussion of the Fourth of July activities resumed - but eventually it did.

"Do you really miss getting in trouble with Mikey on the Fourth, Bri?" Justin asked the somewhat more cheerful Brian.

"Maybe, sometimes," Brian supposed. "We always did though. We even got in trouble a couple of years ago at Point Park - even with you standing guard."

"Yeah, you did," Justin remembered, "And as I also recall, if it hadn't been for me and Ben, the cops would have caught up with you two and run you in. You guys were damn lucky we were there."

"Ah, yeah," Brian mused contentedly. "The thrill of the chase."

"Brian," Justin moved in another direction but on the same general subject. "You know most big fireworks are illegal in Pennsylvania but some people drive an hour or so to the Ohio border and get all kinds of stuff that's illegal here."

"Yeah, I know," Brian replied, "So…?"

"I was just wondering if maybe you and Mikey had discussed that possibility since we'll be partying in the back yard this year," Justin told him.

"Geez, Baby," Brian seemed surprised. "You must have that damn comic book store bugged. So what if we were discussing that particular subject."

"Nope," Justin responded. "No bugging. But I do hear stuff sometimes. If that's what you guys really want to do, I guess I can't stop you but I wish you wouldn't. Those things are dangerous and I wouldn't want to see you guys get hurt and I think maybe it's a bad example for Gus too. We can watch the fireworks at the stadium."

"But if I wanted to drive over to East Liverpool and get some stuff," Brian continued. "You wouldn't be all bent out of shape about it?"

"I don't think so, Brian," Justin smiled at him, "But I don't know if maybe I wouldn't pretend to be bent all out of shape - and don't expect me to defend you from Linz and Melanie either - or your mother or Clare…."

"Now you cut it out, Baby," Brian grinned at him. "I think you already know I told Mikey that driving to Ohio would be a bad idea - and I also bet you know I told him why - because you wouldn't like it - or Ben neither."

"And you also told him that it would be a bad example for Gus too," Justin told him. "I bet you did."

"Yeah, I did" Brian admitted. "I've been around you so long now that I'm weakening in my old age. But maybe you won't have it all your way anyhow, Kiddo. I'll bet you Brandon gets some stuff. He travels back and forth to Cleveland every couple of weeks you know."

"No problem, Sweetheart," Justin grinned at him. "Jason will take care of that possibility. I don't think I have to worry about that at all."

"Can I ask you a question, Baby?" Brian seemed amazed. "What the hell do you bossy blond twinks do when you pair up with each other? That has to be awful."

"'Beautiful' not 'bossy,' Brian," Justin reminded him laughingly. "'Beautiful blond twinks.' That's us. And anyhow we never pair up within the tribe, Honey. We spread ourselves out among those poor souls who need us to make them really happy."

"That's probably better," Brian concluded as he cuddled his very own bossy but beautiful blond twink a little closer to himself.

It was another little while before the conversation resumed, but again it did.

"You know what, Kiddo," Brian whispered. "I know it's not the Fourth of anything at all - but if I decided I wanted some real illegal fireworks later on, would you get all bent out of shape?"

"Maybe," Justin whispered back.

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