A Little Bigger Bunny
 

The fireplace was lit and the guys were sitting on the floor of the loft. Justin was – as usual - staring at the flames as they flickered to and fro. Brian was looking in an entirely different direction – at a new but temporary addition to the loft’s decor.

“You know what, Taylor,” he was telling the kid, “if I had known how crazy you are, maybe I wouldn’t have ever got mixed up with you in the first place.”

“Like you had anything to do with it, Kinney,” Justin grinned at him. “Like maybe in your dreams …”

“Well I could have tried, I guess,” Brian argued.

“You did try, Sweetheart,” Justin informed him. “But you had no chance…”

“You know what, Baby,” Brian decided he probably had no chance this time either. “I know how you’re always doing crazy things – and I’m still surprised when you pull something like – that crazy rabbit over there.”

“That is not a crazy rabbit at all, Kinney,” Justin told him. “It is a chocolate Easter rabbit for Gus’ Easter-Egg hunt tomorrow. That’s what it is. So what if it’s 40 inches high.”

“Well the damn rabbit is taller than Gus,” Brian maintained. “It’s the biggest chocolate rabbit I’ve ever seen. It isn’t solid, is it?”

“Gee whiz, Brian,” Justin pointed out. “If it was solid it would weigh like – a million pounds – and me and Jason and Malcolm and Hunter could never have got it from Milton’s van into the loft. The chocolate’s about three-quarters of an inch thick though.”

“So somebody must be a really good sculptor then, Sunshine,” Brian wondered.

“It’s molded, Brian,” Justin told him. “Mr. Brunwasser says that all the candy makers in his village in Switzerland have molds for bigger bunnies but he doesn’t get much of a call for them over here – except for like – maybe commercial displays…”

“And who’s gonna eat all that candy, Baby,” Brian asked him. “There’s a lot of bunny there …”

“Gus’ whole class from school is invited, Bri,” Justin said. “That’s about twenty kids right there – and probably about another twenty of us so-called adults …”

“I thought Gus told me there were a couple of kids in his class that he didn’t like and wasn’t going to invite,” Brian remembered. “Never mind, Baby. I got it. You told him that those kids that he doesn’t like – they have feelings too - and they would feel left out if they weren’t invited … ”

“Well Mikey told me how you and him didn’t get invited places sometimes and you guys …” Justin started and then stopped.

“Hey, Taylor,” Brian squeezed the kid slightly. “You’re gonna end up making my kid into a really good guy – even if I am his father...”

“Yep,” Justin admitted, “Gus will be a really good guy all right – just like his father.”

Brian decided that maybe he had done the right thing after all when he got mixed up with the blond twink sitting next to him. And the discussion went into “pause” mode for a while at this point.

“I guess I won’t be getting any nice big rabbit for Easter, JT,” Brian presumed as he re-ignited the discussion.

“Nope,” Justin laughed at him. “But you might get some of those Swiss chocolates that you like so well – the full half-pound box too. I would have got you a smaller box but they don’t make smaller boxes – so I guess I’ll just have to help you eat them.”

“Forget it, Sunshine,” Brian told him through a wide grin. “I’m gonna stretch a point this year and eat the whole half-pound myself. I bet I can do it if I put my mind to it. You’ll be busy anyhow - helping Gus finish up his chocolate behemoth – presuming Gus gets any of it at all – or the other kids either …”

“If you’re planning on eating a half-pound of those Swiss chocolates, BK,” Justin said – ignoring Brian’s attempted provocation – “Maybe I should get you the pound box – or maybe even the two-pound box. You’re worth it …”

“Always thinking of me, Baby,” Brian laughed at him.

“I always am, Kinney,” Justin came back at him. “And you should know that by now.”

Brian did know it – and provoked another cessation in the conversation – to which Justin made no objection either.

“And the Easter visitation to Children’s Hospital is also arranged?” Brian presumed as he once more returned to the subject at hand. “I guess your crazy new invention, the hare-bears – those really weird pastel colored bears with bunny ears - that you – or maybe it was Mikey – conjured up – and who you claim help the Easter bunny do his job – I bet they’ll be with us again – like last year …”

“Everything is arranged – as usual,” Justin told him. “With no help from you – also as usual. Malcolm has a new Easter bunny outfit – and the hare-bears are too a real part of traditional Easter lore, Brian Kinney. Mikey says so and Mikey knows a lot of stuff too …”

“Yeah he does,” Brian admitted. “But most of the stuff that Mikey knows is wrong…”

“Well he’s right about the hare-bears, Mr. Kinney,” Mr. Taylor defended the absent Mr. Novotny. “And the kids are crazy about the hare-bears too.”

“Bet they’d be crazier about a big chocolate bunny like the one you got for Gus, Baby,” Brian surmised. “But maybe they all couldn’t eat the candy so maybe it’s better…”

“Well I talked with Miss Sharpe, the social worker at the hospital, and she said the kids who can’t ear chocolate will get other treats, Bri,” Justin explained. “So …”

“So there is another giant rabbit in the picture, eh Baby,” Brian chortled. “I guess you’ll have to help the kids at the hospital finish their rabbit too – just like you’ll have to help Gus with his. There are a lot more kids at the hospital though than at the Easter-Egg hunt so maybe there won’t be all that much left over.”

“We’ll just have to wait and see, Brian, Honey,” Justin pointed out. “Anyhow, Leonard will pick it up at Mr. Brunwasser’s shop and take it directly to the hospital Sunday morning …”

“So what’s the matter with Milton, whoever he is, who brought Gus’ rabbit over here in his van, Sweetheart,” Brian wondered. “He must have done something wrong to get himself replaced by Leonard, whoever he is.”

“Not at all, Brian,” Justin explained. “Leonard has a truck. The rabbit for the hospital won’t fit in Milton’s van. Milton will be helping but we’ll need Leonard’s truck. I got the bigger size for the hospital….”

“Geez, Taylor,” Brian decided. “A bigger size than this one. You are crazy – and you know what else - this whole crazy conversation is beginning to give me a headache too …”

“Well it’s your own fault, Kinney,” Justin accused him. “Your fault. Every time we quit talking – every single time - you start up again. It’s like you have to just keep on talking.... Like I was ready to quit talking a long time ago – but you just started again. So if you’re finally ready to quit talking …”

And Brian was smiling – both inwardly and outwardly - as he decided he would indeed quit talking. He figured that maybe late would in fact be better than never – and he did not find any reason to regret that decision. It didn’t take a giant chocolate rabbit to make Brian Kinney happy. The blond twink was more than enough.
 

Return to Fireside Chats