Division

 

Brian found the fireplace already lit when he walked in the door of the loft. That meant trouble. Justin was in the kitchen but he hurried in and quickly plopped himself onto the floor.

“Do I have time to change my clothes before I face this crisis?” Brian asked tentatively – but smiling at the same time.

“Yeah, but don’t be too long,” came the reply. “I need to talk to you. It’s important.”

“Be right there, Sweetheart,” Brian assured him as he slipped into something more comfortable. He was not completely surprised by the urgency and thought maybe he had some inkling as to what it was all about.

“I was talking to Jason today, Brian,” Justin began once Brian was seated next to him, encircling the kid with his arm. “There’s a big problem between him and Brandon and I think we might have to do something about it.”

“Do you think we should meddle in their problems, Baby?” Brian wondered. “Maybe they would rather solve whatever it is by themselves. Sometimes it’s better not to help when it’s not asked for. Did Jason ask you to help?”

“Not in so many words, Bri,” Justin admitted, “Like - not exactly. But he is hurting bad – really bad - and maybe we could help. He isn’t even going home tonight. He’s staying with Malcolm. He says Brandon doesn’t want him any more.”

“Well I find that very hard to believe, Baby,” Brian opined. “That would be a very big change from what it looked like the last time we saw them together. It looked to me like Brandon very much wanted Jason around.”

“And that was two days ago too, Bri,” Justin countered. “Stuff can happen in two days.”

“Yeah,” Brian kind of agreed. “Some stuff can – and maybe some stuff can’t. Do you know exactly what the problem is – or what Jason thinks the problem is?”

“Yeah, I think so,” Justin told him. “Jason says they were arguing about some little thing – not very important at all. Jason was like trying to talk Brandon into doing something and Brandon didn’t want to do it – so Brandon said that sometimes he wishes he hadn’t ever met Jason.”

“And Jason thinks he meant it?” Brian wondered out loud. “Maybe it was just something he said without thinking. I’m sure that must have been what happened. Maybe Brandon didn’t even know he said it.”

”Yeah, he knew, Brian,” Justin replied. “He even tried to apologize. He said he didn’t know why he would ever say anything like that – but Jason said he wouldn’t have said it if he didn’t think it – or if it wasn’t at least in the back of his mind. Jason said that he wouldn’t ever say anything like that about Brandon – because he loves him so much – and if Brandon loved him back, he wouldn’t have….”

“You know what, Sweetheart?” Brian conjectured. “I think Jason’s taking this maybe just a little too seriously. Maybe if he would just go home and talk to Brandon, I bet they could settle it themselves….”

”I don’t think Jason would do that, Brian,” Justin answered. “I think he’s afraid Brandon might say something else. Jason is scared, Bri. He thought they were going to be together forever - like we are – and now all of a sudden ….”

“That’s just my point, Baby,” Brian expanded. “There must have been a lot of reasons why Jason thought they would be together forever. I bet Brandon thought so too. Now with all the reasons for thinking that, why would Jason let one little slip …?”

“I guess that does make sense, Brian,” Justin concurred. “But Jason is not exactly making sense right now. I don’t know what I’d do if you ever…. But sometimes – not very often - I like - try to talk you into stuff too. Hey, Brian Kinney, did you ever think you wished you had never met me? I know you never said it – but did you ever think it?”

“Baby,” Brian squeezed the kid as reassurance, “You know full well that I wouldn’t tell you if I ever had any thoughts like that – and you ought to know that even if I ever thought so – or even if I ever said so – that I didn’t mean it. I told you lots of times that I want you around for a long time – and I do – and I would still want you around for a long time even if I ever thought maybe I wished I had never met you – so it doesn’t matter if I ever thought so – and I don’t think it matters that Brandon actually said so.”

“Well maybe you love me more than Brandon loves Jason?” Justin suggested. “Maybe that’s the difference.”

“Now I have to be careful how I answer that one or you may be spending the night at Malcolm’s too,” Brian grinned at him. “You know how much I love you, JT. And it’s not a question of who loves who more – even though I might be willing to argue who does. The question is how much does Brandon love Jason – and maybe how much does Jason love Brandon. Maybe Jason should know enough not to get upset about one little slip of the tongue.”

“Well Jason is really hurt, Brian,” Justin replied. “And I guess we don’t really know if maybe Brandon did mean what he said ….”

“Yeah, Baby,” Brian confessed. “We do know. I talked to Brandon today. He is upset too. He doesn’t know why he said what he said. But he did say it. He tried to apologize. He was afraid that Jason might not come home tonight and he wanted me to find out if you knew where he was. That’s why he called. He wants Jason to be safe. Brandon is really worried. He wants Jason back home, Baby. He does.”

“And Jason wants to be back home too, Bri,” Justin told him. “I’m sure of that. But those guys are not as skilled as we are and so I think we need to help them out here. What if they made some kind of mistake and didn’t get the thing all worked out by themselves?”

“Tell you what I’m gonna do, Baby,” Brian told him. “I’m gonna get up from here just for a few minutes and I’m gonna call Brandon. I’m gonna tell him that Jason is safe – but I won’t tell him where Jason is – so they won’t try to get together tonight and fix it up themselves and make it all the harder for us. Then I’m gonna tell Brandon to meet us for breakfast tomorrow and that Jason will be there.”

“But….” Justin tried to interject.

“Then,” Brian refused to be interrupted, “You’re gonna call Jason and tell him to meet us for breakfast tomorrow – and tell him that Brandon is gonna be there.”

“What if he won’t….?” Justin started to ask.

“Baby,” Brian pointed out. “If you decide that Jason will come, what choice does Jason have? He’ll be there. And I’m sure Brandon will want to be there.”

“And so,” Justin wondered, “What are we going to do once we get them together at breakfast? Any ideas?”

“Geez, Kiddo,” Brian seemed surprised. “Do I have to do this all myself? I’ve done my part brilliantly. What we do when we get them together will be completely up to you. We’re doing this together you know. That’s why I’m always glad I have you around – because you’re always willing to do your part when we do things together.”

“Thanks, Bri,” Justin told him with just a trace of irony in his voice. “I’m so glad that’s why you’re glad you have me around – to do all the hard stuff. OK. I’ll see what I can do about Jason and Brandon all right. I’ll try to figure something out. Any other reasons why you’re glad you have me around, Kinney – like – why you’re never sorry you met me?”

“Maybe,” Brian replied. “Yeah, probably. But let me think about that for a while. Maybe we can talk about it later.”

“Now,” Justin decided with the trace of a grin. “I think now would be best. Yep – it would be. I don’t want to spend the night at Malcolm’s.”

So Brian thought fast – and came up with the exact right answer. The discussion was over but the guys seemed very sure that they were glad they had met.

 

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