Caroling Caroling

 

It was almost midnight when the guys returned to the loft with rosy cheeks and frosty noses. It was much later than they would normally light the fireplace but it was Friday night and it seemed that they both were expecting some time on the floor of the loft amid the holiday decorations, watching the flames darting to and fro. They were both smiling as they settled into their usual places.

"I'm glad to see you're smiling," Justin told Brian as they got comfortable.

"I guess you should be glad to see me smiling, Sweetheart," Brian told him. "Geez, Baby, Christmas caroling. Neighborhood Christmas trees. Mikey's friends. If you lived in the middle ages, I bet you'd have run a torture chamber."

"Cut it out, Brian Kinney," Justin interrupted quickly. "I just asked you if you wanted to go. I did not pressure you to go and I didn't even talk you into going either. I just told you about it and said it might be fun. And that is all I did."

"You wanted to go," Brian told him. "You did want to go."

"Yeah, you're right - I did," Justin admitted, "But that didn't mean you had to go, Bri. It didn't."

"Would you have gone without me?" Brian wanted to know.

"I don't think so," Justin pondered. "Nah, I wouldn't have gone. Would you want me to have gone without you?"

"Nope," Brian conceded, "Which is exactly why I had to go whether I wanted to or not. So see, you did kind of force me to go."

"Well I'm sorry you went if you didn't want to," Justin told him. "That wasn't what I wanted to happen at all."

"I didn't say I didn't want to go," Brian told him back. "You were gonna be there. I guess maybe I wanted to go – sort of."

"You know what, Kinney," Justin smiled at him. "You are the hardest person in the world to talk to, but you know what else, I think I really love talking to you."

Though seemingly inappropriately, they quit talking just at that point – for an extended period too. But they did love talking to each other so…..

"Every time we go out to visit Mikey and Ben I get the feeling you might like to live out there," Brian resumed the discussion. "Then it would have been our neighborhood and our Christmas tree."

"Nope," Justin said. "I would like to live anyplace you are, but I really love this loft. It's a really special place to me. You know that. I did think the idea of a block Christmas party was neat though – and the tree – and the singing - even though I can see maybe why you aren't too crazy about Mikey's neighbors."

"You know what's really scary, Baby," Brian revealed. "I didn't mind them so much this time around. Even that one guy that I always feel like I want to punch in the nose."

"Must be Christmas, Bri," Justin laughed. "The Christmas spirit must have hit you hard. Just imagine. Four hours of partying with Mikey's neighbors and you didn't punch anybody in the nose. Nobody at all."

"You don't think I'm just mellowing out in my old age, do you?" Brian queried the kid.

"Not at all, Sweetheart," Justin assured him. "You're not old at all and you're surely not mellow. Maybe just a little bit nicer – but not mellow at all. I'm glad you didn't punch Caesar, that's that guy's name by the way, in the nose though. That wouldn't have been too Christmassy. Maybe you liked him better because he kept holding mistletoe over our heads."

"You think I need mistletoe?" Brian grinned at him. "Nah, I don't need any mistletoe."

"No you don't," Justin grinned back, pretending to be looking for mistletoe. He didn't find any mistletoe but he got what he was really looking for anyhow. Justin always seemed to know how to get what he wanted.

"You were in good voice for the caroling around the tree too, Brian," Justin remembered. "I especially liked the horsey sounds you made for Sleigh Ride."

"Yeah," Brian accepted the compliment graciously, "And I also used my horse sounds for Jingle Bells."

"But didn't you also use them in Silent Night too?" Justin wondered.

"Geez, Baby," Brian was taken aback slightly, "Maybe you need to get your ears checked. They were donkey sounds during Silent Night. Donkeys don't sound like horses."

"I'm sorry, Bri," Justin quickly apologized, "I guess my ears were so cold I wasn't hearing clearly. Maybe we should sing some carols here by the fire – when I could hear better."

"Later," Brian decided - and another quiet period ensued as the fake fire continued to crackle in the pseudo-fireplace.

"And I kind of enjoyed the party after the caroling too," Brian returned to the subject a little later. "Those next-door neighbors of Mikey's are actually pretty cool."

"So you're glad you went then?" Justin asked hopefully. "I wasn't even going to ask you to go but Hunter and Malcolm thought you'd have a good time and they talked me into asking you."

"Then I guess Malcolm and Hunter know me better than you do," Brian laughed.

"I don’t think so, Brian Kinney," Justin replied coyly. "Maybe they lucked out that one time though….."

"Probably," Brian reconsidered. "Anyhow, I did enjoy myself – but it was all because of you and I think you know that. It did help though that I have such a good singing voice."

"Indeed you do, Mr. Caruso B. Kinney," Justin agreed with a knowing grin, "So are we gonna do any more Christmas singing? My ears are warm by now and I'll probably recognize whatever you're singing. No promises – but I probably will. I'll really try."

"I accept your insult with my usual jovial Christmas spirit, Mr. Scrooge J. Taylor," Brian beamed at him. "And just what Christmas song would you like to hear? I have a big repertoire."

"Gee whiz, Bri," Justin couldn't – or maybe just wouldn't - decide. "You pick the song. I know you'll pick the exact right one."

"OK, Sweetheart," Brian accepted the challenge. "Let me think…. Yeah, I think I got it…. What do you think about You're All I Want For Christmas?"

Justin happily cuddled up closer to Brian. He thought that Brian had picked the exact right song. They were both still smiling.
 

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