Seek and Ye Shall Find

Everything was as usual. The fire was lit and sending out both heat and light. Our guys were situated on the floor enjoying both. But things were just as usual - so Justin had something to ask.

"Hey, Brian," he began, "Do you suppose you could go to a movie or do something with Mikey a week from Sunday afternoon so you wouldn't miss me so much if I wasn't here?"

"I probably could," Brian smiled at him. "Or I could put on a medieval hair shirt or some other kind of torture device - and then I might not even notice that you weren't here - except the hair shirt wouldn't talk all the time or be pushing some weird project."

"I am going to ignore that, Mr. Kinney," Justin decided, "on the outside chance that it just might be an insult. I am not going to be provoked."

"Probably not," Brian was still smiling. "You are usually the provoker and I am usually the provokee - but, pray tell - what the hell is going on this time?"

"Cut it out, Bri," Justin finally laughed back. "Quit playing the martyr. A club at school is having a scavenger hunt that afternoon - probably from one o'clock till about five - open to anyone. You know what a scavenger hunt is? It's when they give you a list of crazy stuff and you have to go out and find….."

"Yeah, I do know what a scavenger hunt is, but I haven't heard about one for a long time," Brian acknowledged. "They used to have them when I was in college - way back in ancient times - but I thought modern society had banned them."

"See, I knew you'd have that attitude," Justin told him. "I told Malcolm you'd think the whole thing was crazy. That's why I'm not asking you to participate - so I guess I'm not such a pain after all. I told Malcolm I'd be his partner - if I could get your permission, of course."

"OK," Brian replied. "The provoker is at work again - but unsuccessfully. Be my guest, Sweetheart. You have my permission, which you know you don't need. Go to your scavenger hunt and have a good time. If you lose though, it might be because you passed up one of the world's great scavenger hunters as a partner."

"Mikey is that good of a scavenger hunter?" Justin exclaimed humorously. "I would never have believed it."

"Nope," Brian answered. "The only time Mikey can find weird stuff is when he's buying a gift. It is I, Brian Kinney, who won all the scavenger hunts in college. Moi. There is nothing I can't find."

"Except your ties and your socks and sometimes even your suit," Justin was amused. "Mikey said not to mention scavenger hunts to you and I thought he meant because you'd make fun of me."

"Nope again, Baby," Brian informed the kid. "Mikey is well aware of my scavenging prowess and stands in awe thereof. Maybe I'll find me a partner and get into the hunt too. You and Malcolm will stand no chance against such competition."

"Wait just a minute, Brian Kinney," Justin jumped in. "If you're in any scavenger hunt at all, you're going to be my partner - and that's that."

"But you already have a partner, Baby," Brian reasoned. "You can't disappoint Malcolm. He's probably looking forward to being your partner in the hunt - even though you will be doomed to lose."

"Cut it out, Kinney," Justin insisted. "If I am in this scavenger hunt, I intend to win. Justin Taylor is not a loser."

"Sorry, Sweetheart," Brian consoled him. "Not likely there'll be a tie, and it would not be ethical for me to throw the hunt just so you could win - but second place is not bad."

"Forget it, Brian," Justin proclaimed. "You do not have my permission to join in the scavenger hunt unless I am your partner."

"Geez," Brian wondered. "You always have this mad desire to win."

"No sir," Justin denied the accusation. "I have this mad desire to be with you as much as I can. If I have you for a partner, I wouldn't even mind losing."

"With me as your partner, you can't lose," Brian bragged. "But you can't disappoint Malcolm. He needs a partner."

"Abelard is going to be here that weekend," Justin recalled. "Let Abelard be his partner. Abelard loves scavenger hunts."

"How the hell do you know that Abelard loves scavenger hunts?" Brian seemed surprised.

"Well maybe I don't," Justin admitted, "But he will when I get through with him."

"Poor Abelard," Brian mused. "A kindred spirit. I guess I am not alone in the world."

"No," Justin laughed. "You are not alone in the world and you will never be alone in the world and do not even try to pretend you wish you were alone in the world either. I am still trying not to get provoked."

"OK," Brian told him. "But you better call Malcolm right away and tell him he has lost his partner. He'll need time to get over his grief, not to mention getting a new partner."

"Tomorrow will be soon enough," Justin responded. "I'm going to see him tomorrow anyhow and I can tell him then."

Brian didn't insist and the conversation died off for a while. The guys just sat there enjoying the fire and each other's presence.

"That was nice of you not to try to get me to be in the scavenger hunt when you didn't think I'd want to, Baby," Brian re-began the chat. "In the bad old days you'd have tried to trick me into being your partner."

Justin did not immediately respond. Just when it looked like he wasn't going to, he did. "OK, Brian." he wanted to know, "Just what do you know that I don't know you know?"

Brian didn't answer immediately either but eventually he did. "Abelard called me this morning at the office to tell me he was going to be in town, Honey," Brian said. "He wanted to be sure to see us. He mentioned that he was going to be Malcolm's partner in this scavenger hunt. He said you weren't going to be in it because you didn't think I'd be interested and you wouldn't be there if I wasn't - but that Malcolm thought you really wanted to - so maybe you'd try to talk me into it. He said he hoped you could do that."

"So you knew all the time," Justin grouched. "And you let me make a fool out of myself. I should really be provoked at you."

"I told Abelard right away that, if you wanted to be in the scavenger hunt, Baby, I'd be your partner," Brian revealed. "So I said we'd see him there - but I also arranged to have dinner with him and Malcolm and a few others up at Gino's on Saturday night - if that was OK with you."

"You knew that it would be OK with me if that's what you wanted to do," Justin told him. "You know that anything you ever want to do is OK with me."

"And still you're surprised that I might feel the same way about you?" Brian posed the question.

"But you let me go on and on and on and maybe make a fool of myself," Justin came back.

"Because you like to do that, Kiddo," Brian said. "And because you're really cute when you're doing it. And, one more thing you ought to know, Baby, you never make a fool of yourself as far as I'm concerned…. So are you provoked?"

Justin cuddled closer to Brian. "What do you think?" he mused.

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