Doing the Details

 

It was later than usual when the guys finally got around to parking themselves on the floor of the loft facing their fake fireplace. There were things to talk about but they didn't talk for a good while after they settled in. They enjoyed just sitting there - but that couldn't last. There were things that needed to be discussed.

"That was a dirty trick you pulled on me, Baby," Brian began the conversation, "And now you're laughing at me. OK, I admit it. There's just some things I can't do. That's why I have to keep you around."

"That is not why you have to keep me around at all, Mr. Kinney," Justin rephrased for Brian. "You have to keep me around because you love me and I make you happy – and it's not that you have to keep me around either. It's that you want to keep me around. Fortunately, I know all that so I'm not the least bit offended by your mean accusation."

"Well where were you when I needed you, Twink?" Brian continued. "Nowhere around. And deliberately absent too. There I was, needing you, and you weren't there. You and Mikey tricked me. You guys are supposed to love me and then you pull something like this…."

"Brian – Honey – Sweetheart," Justin reasoned, "For the last several Christmases you've been threatening that you were going to go without me to pick the Charlie Brown Christmas tree – so this year I just thought you should get the chance to actually do it – and you did do it – and you got a really ugly tree. I couldn't have got an uglier tree if I had been there."

"Yes you could have," Brian insisted. "There is probably an uglier tree out there that I missed. I don't know ugly as well as you do."

"Thanks for that touching vote of confidence, Brian," Justin smiled at him, "But you did really well. It's going to take a lot of creative ingenuity to make that tree look good. I'll need Jason and Malcolm for sure on that job – and even they might not be enough."

"I'm here," Brian responded. "Want me to help?"

"Gee whiz, Brian," Justin told him. "We'd love to have your input and you'd be a really big help but you've done enough already – getting the tree and all. We don't want you to have to do everything so we'll handle the trimming stuff ourselves."

"OK, Baby mine," Brian had to grin, "I get the message loud and clear. But I guess I'll be on my own again this year to pick out the gifts that Santa Claus – who's also gonna be me – will be giving Gus and his friends at their Christmas party which I'm not allowed to help at either. I can't believe you trust me to get those gifts myself."

"Cut it out, Brian," Justin protested. "Everybody – and especially me - has the greatest confidence in you to do any task assigned. You did wonderfully last year picking the gifts all by yourself, and you will this year too. Of course you'll need help carrying all the stuff so Cynthia said she'll go with you again like she did last year - if that's OK with you."

"Or even if it isn't, I bet," Brian laughed. "Oh well, I guess I shouldn't complain. At least you didn't assign Rodney or that creep Hix to go with me to make sure I don't make a fool of myself."

"You know I wouldn't ever do a thing like that, Brian Kinney," Justin objected jocularly. "Never. Never. Never."

"Afraid of the competition, eh, Sweetheart?" Brian responded jocularly too. "But you wouldn't have to worry about that. You will never be replaced in my affection by either Rodney or Hix."

"Or anybody else either, I hope," Justin whispered, snuggling himself up to Brian and evoking the response he was looking for.

It was a while before the conversation resumed.

"The other parties are already all taken care of, I suppose?" Brian eventually broke the silence – maybe even a little while before the kid was ready to resume the discussion.

"Yeah, I think so," Justin assured him. "The reception for the Kinetics people is going to be really special. Vic is doing some of his specialties and so is Debbie – and my mom and your mom are making some stuff too. We don't have much to do food-wise at all. Jason and Malcolm and Hunter are going to help serve and Ethan and Tom and some other guy from the symphony are going to play. It will be fit for the Queen of England."

"Is she invited?" Brian teased.

"Nope," Justin took the quip in stride. "No extra queens at this party. She doesn't work for Kinnetics."

"You're right, Baby," Brian smiled. "You're right – just like you always are. She just wouldn't fit in."

"And I talked to the caterers about the party that you wanted to have for our friends too," Justin continued, "And that's all set too. It's really gonna be crowded for that one, Bri. We have a lot of friends."

"So now you're meddling with my caterers, are you?" Brian seemed to complain.

"Brian Kinney," Justin replied quickly, "You ordered me to talk to the caterers and make sure everything was OK for that party. You gave a direct order, and since your slightest wish is my command, I complied of course. The damn parties are going to be triumphs – and mostly because of your hosting ability – so there. Now quit your complaining."

"Do you really think I was complaining, Baby?" Brian wanted to know, as he squeezed the twink ever so slightly.

"Nope," Justin answered with a coy smile. "But if I didn't know you so well I might have."

"And so I don't have anything else to do for Christmas except just be here for it?" Brian presumed. "I guess I can do that all right."

"Well," Justin suggested, "There are more Christmas cards to write," Justin remembered. "If you want…."

"Geez, Baby," Brian interrupted him. "You are a really exceptional Christmas card writer. I think you ought to do those – if it's not too much bother…."

"Nothing is too much bother for somebody I love like I love you," Justin nuzzled his nose against Brian's face. "Nothing at all."

If Justin was trying to create a pause in the planning for the holiday, he succeeded admirably. It was a while before anything more was said.

It was Brian who reopened the discussion finally. "Hey, Babe," he asked, "Will you answer me something truthfully if I ask you a question?"

"Gee whiz, Bri," Justin seemed perturbed. "That's a mean question. I always tell you the truth and you know it too."

"OK," Brian responded. "You didn't stop by that Christmas tree lot earlier today and pick out the tree you wanted them to sell me, did you?"

"Now that would be really devious, Brian Kinney," Justin was taken aback. "You're a lot more devious than I could ever be. I would have never conceived of anything that sneaky. You don't think that, do you?"

"Well," Brian equivocated. "I guess I might if I didn't know you so well…."

But Justin crawled up onto Brian's lap at this point and kissed Brian on the cheek – causing Brian to completely lose his train of thought. The evening's discussion was thus successfully concluded.

 

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