Traditions

 

The fake fire blazed away. The guys were settled on the floor of the loft facing the flickering flames. It was Christmas night and all the holiday activities had gone as well as planned – or even better in most cases. And now they were together – alone together. A perfect situation indeed. Who could complain?

“It hasn’t snowed for two weeks, Bri,” Justin complained. “And we have our annual tradition of building a snowman on Christmas night – but there’s no snow. A wonderful tradition gone kaput. Nothing seems to go well for us.”

“I don’t think that’s the tradition you’re worried about at all,” Brian grinned at him. “I think what you really miss is the opportunity to attack me with snowballs as I work diligently on the snowman. Seems like your cowardly attack has been prevented this year by Mother Nature. Guess Mother Nature is on my side.”

“Oh yeah, Kinney,” Justin differed. “I never started even one of those snowball battles. I will admit I won them all, but I absolutely deny that I ever started any of them. I was just bravely defending myself. Cowardly attack. my foot!!!”

Well, it’s supposed to snow in the next couple of days and when it does, we’ll be out there making our snowman,” Brian told him. “We can pretend that it’s Christmas night – and I’ll even pull you over to the park on our sled – after I’ve frisked you for snowballs.”

“Snowballs, my foot,” Justin leered at him, managing to laugh at the same time.

“Gee whiz, Baby,” Brian laughed back at him. “You developing a foot fetish? Well a lot of our traditions did work out really well though. Children’s Hospital was great.”

“Yeah, it was,” Justin had to agree. “You are the world’s best Santa Claus and the kids are crazy about you. And you know what was really nice of you this year? You asked Brandon and Jason to come along. That was really nice, Bri. They loved it. See how I give you credit when you deserve it?”

“And maybe when I don’t deserve it too,” Brian admitted. “I thought you invited Brandon and Jason to come along. Are you saying you didn’t? I know I didn’t.”

“Me neither, Brian,” Justin told him. “I was surprised. I knew Hunter and Malcolm were gonna be there – and Ted and Blake – but I didn’t know anything about Brandon and Jason. I guess I’ll find out though.”

”I guess you will, Baby,” Brian was grinning. “Sherlock Taylor will definitely find out. But do you think maybe they’re outside now, waiting for us to come out and build the snowman. Maybe we should go out and see.”

“Cut it out, Brian,” Justin demanded. “I did not invite them to the hospital, but I was glad they were there anyhow. I would not be so glad if they showed up to help with our snowman. I might even be annoyed.”

“Probably because you don’t want any witnesses to your cowardly snowball attack,” Brian joked, giving the kid a slight squeeze for good measure.

“Nope, Brian,” Justin informed him. “There are just some things that are only for the two of us and the snowman is one of them.”

“What are some of the others?” Brian asked him with feigned innocence as Justin moved in a little closer. “I can’t think of any others.”

Justin’s response was non-verbal and there was a pause in the proceedings at this point, a pause which extended for quite a while.

“Gus’ party was really great,” Justin resumed the conversation after he had successfully jogged Brian’s memory. “It was the best one we ever had.”

“Yeah, it was,” Brian concurred, “And I bet next year’s is going to be even better. We’ve got the drill pretty well perfect now.”

”Yep, and the kids loved the presents too,” Justin continued. “You and Cynthia did well.”

“And the Charlie Brown tree that I supposedly picked out.” Brian remembered. “That didn’t look like the same tree I picked at all. Not at all.”

“Oh cut it out, Brian Kinney,” Justin stopped him, “You know damn well that was your tree. The whole idea is to take an ugly tree and make it beautiful.”

“Yeah,” Brian agreed, “And some people are real good at making beautiful things out of ugly stuff too. And I know one especially….”

“Stop right there, Kinney,” Justin interrupted. “I’m going to pretend you mean me so don’t keep going and say it’s Emmett or somebody else – like you were probably planning....”

“Nah,” Brian assured him. “You don’t need to pretend, Baby. I think you might have been the one I had in mind.”

“And…?” Justin asked him “And…?”

“And…I love you,” Brian finally replied after an intentional pause. “I hope you didn’t forget that. With the great memory that you have….”

“No I didn’t,” Justin assured him, “But I wanted to be sure you hadn’t either.”

“And you thought maybe I had?” Brian teased him.

“No, I did not think you had,” Justin told him, plopping his head onto Brian’s shoulder – and ushering in another quiet period.

“And everything’s ready for our open-house for the gang from Kinnetics?” Brian wondered after the time-out. “That’s day after tomorrow.”

“Everything’s ready, Bri,” Justin told him. “You know Mikey has a bad cold so him and Ben can’t be here. No worry though. Brandon and Jason have agreed to take over for them.”

“Like they wouldn’t have been here anyhow,” Brian laughed. “I’m only kidding, Sweetheart. I like those guys. Do you think the open-house for Kinnetics folks might turn into a tradition too?”

“If you want it to be, Brian,” Justin told him. “Whatever you want. Traditions are fun. But you know what? I’ve got a little something for you in the kitchen. Let me get up and go get it.”

“Not yet, Baby,” Brian responded. “I’d just like to sit here for a while longer. And it just so happens that I have something for you hidden here under the sofa. I’ll give you what I have for you in a while and then you can get what you have for me if you want to. OK?”

“Yep,” Justin decided enthusiastically. “This may turn out to me more fun than building the snowman after all, Bri.”

So the evening of bliss continued in the loft. Both the guys were as happy as anybody could reasonably expect. Things were perfect.

“OK,” Brian finally broke the silence. “Here’s what I have for you, Sweetheart.”

Justin looked at the presentation with real surprise. “What is it, Bri?” he exclaimed. “It looks like three plastic bags filled with water.”

“You got it, Baby,” Brian grinned at him. “Three plastic bags full of water. But they used to be three plastic bags with a nice big snowball in each one of them. I found them in the freezer this morning.”

“But they weren’t yours,” Justin protested without thinking - and much too quickly.

“Then they must have been yours, Baby,” Brian laughed at him. “Wonder what they were there for – maybe to keep a tradition alive, do you think? And I also wonder if you still need to go to the kitchen now to get what you have for me?”

“Actually, I don’t, Bri,” Justin played it cool. “I just remembered. The present is not in the kitchen. It’s in the bedroom. You can get it later.”

“OK,” Brian anticipated, running his fingers gently through the kid’s hair, “I got something for you in there too.”

(For the inquisitive reader, Justin had three pairs of black thermal socks in the bedroom for Brian, and Brian had a sky-blue pullover sweater for Justin – just what they were hoping for.)

So much for making the most of the lack of snow.

 

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