Merry Christmas

It was about 4:00 on Christmas afternoon and the guys – just returned to the loft - were positioning themselves on the floor in front of their roaring fireplace.  It had not been a white Christmas though – at least not until an hour or so ago when a brisk snowfall had begun – leading to a potential of a few inches accumulation - if the forecasters were to be believed.

“I didn’t think we had much of a chance of building our traditional Christmas snow man this year, Bri,” Justin suggested. “But I think maybe we will be able to – if we wait till the snow piles up a little – like maybe at 6:30.  That will give us time to get the snowman up and then still go sledding in the park later on – like always.”

“So what about your cowardly annual snowball attack, JT,” Brian wondered – grinning at the kid.  “Isn’t that also part of the tradition?  There hasn’t been any snow in the past two weeks so you won’t have been able to stash a bunch of snowballs anywhere for your sneak attack.  Bet you’ll pass on the snowball attack this year.  You wouldn’t have a chance in a fair fight….”

“Of course I maintain that I won all of those snowball battles - and that they were all fair too, Mr. Kinney,” Justin claimed. “And even if it may have seemed that I started them, I also maintain that I only – as a last resort - reacted to great provocation from you …..”

“If building you a beautiful snowman to your very picky specifications was a provocation, Baby,” Brian laughed, “I plead guilty.   But there was also the fact that you had vast stashes of snowballs secreted in advance of any possible provocation from me ….”

“It is only by being strong and prepared, Brian Kinney,” Justin pontificated, “that peaceful people may preserve the peace.”

“Yeah,” Brian agreed with a smile – and also an advanced degree of irony, “Sure ...  So are you satisfied with the way the holiday season went this year, JT?”

“Well I thought it went pretty well all right.  Different than expected though,” Justin told him.  “No Abelard Christmas shopping – a hard time getting the Charlie Brown tree – but Gus’ party was a great success – he could not have been happier = and even Melanie said we did a great job ….”

“I think Melanie said you did a great job, Baby.  I don’t remember being mentioned,” Brian pointed out.

“But she has to know I can’t do anything without your encouragement and support, Bri,” Justin told him. 

“Yeah,” Brian replied without enthusiasm.  “I’m sure she does  …. And the trip to Children’s Hospital was the best ever though   ….”

“Yeah I think it was,” Justin agreed.  “The kids loved the reindeer.  I’m glad Algernon was able to get here from Asia - and the extra elves from Elfland too ….”

“Did you think maybe Debbie’s Mother Claus costume scared some of the kids?” Brian asked.  “It almost scared me….”

“I don’t really think so, Brian,” Justin opined in response.  “They knew she was with us and was like – Christmassy.  Maybe if she had come there by herself it would have been different  ….”

“It was nice of Dave to send all those gifts too,” Brian recalled.  “Every kid got at least one.  And they were expensive stuff – really nice – the kind of stuff kids like  ….”

“I guess you didn’t notice that they came from ‘Wendell and Dave,’ Brian,” Justin pointed out.  “I think they are moving too fast – not what I would advise – actually not what I did advise  ….”

“But in the true spirit of Christmas,” Brian wondered, “you didn’t tell them that when you called to thank them, I hope.  I guess I should have made that call myself  ….”

“Like you ever do anything yourself, Kinney,” Justin laughed.  “But you don’t need to worry.  In the spirit of the holidays, I didn’t remind them of my good advice  ….”

“But the holidays won’t last forever, eh?” Brian assumed.

“Exactly,” Justin affirmed - before changing the subject. “And we still have your open-house day after tomorrow, Bri – and that will be perfect too.  By the way I also invited Wendell and David to that but they’re not sure if they can make it.”

“Might be better for them if they don’t,” Brian mused as the discussion morphed into an unexpected pause for no apparent reason.

“You know what, Baby?” Brian eventually broke the silence.  “That snow is really coming down out there now.  We don’t have to wait to start the snowman   ….”

“But it’s only a little bit after five, Brian,” Justin reminded him.  “It’s still too early ….”

“Well we can build an even better snowman if we get an early start,” Brian reasoned.  “Let’s go get the sled in the storage room and get started.”

“Isn’t there something else you’d like to do before we get the sled, Mr. Kinney,” Justin suggested suggestively - as he cuddled himself up to Brian.

“OK, Kiddo,” Brian sensed something afoot, “what’s going on?”  But before Justin had a chance to answer, Brian figured he knew.  “You know what, JT?  There is something I’d like to do before we get the sled.  Or maybe that I’d like you to do.  I’d like to talk to Jason.  How about giving him a call – not on his cell – on the land-line over to the apartment  ….”

“Now that’s a crazy request, Kinney,” Justin protested.  “You hardly ever want to talk to Jason  ….”

“Well I want to talk to him now, Taylor,” Brian insisted. “So either you call him – or I will  ….”

Justin acted puzzled as he did what he didn’t think he could avoid - dialed Jason as ordered – and got Brandon.  “Jason’s not there, Bri,” Justin relayed the information.  “Brandon says he just stepped out for a while.  He can call you back  ….”

“Let me talk to Brandon, Baby,” Brian commanded and Justin reluctantly turned the phone over to the big guy next to him.

“Oh,” Brian said into the phone.  Then “Well that’s strange.” Then “He’s not here.”  And then some other stuff that Justin didn’t need to remember ….

“Hey, Sweetheart,” Brian addressed Justin after he had ended the phone call to Brandon.  “Jason told Brandon he had to come over here and see you about something and that he would be gone about an hour.  He wouldn’t let Brandon come along – something about not wanting to barge in on our snowman building.  But he’s not here - and he’s had plenty of time to get here.  Any ideas?  I saw you talking to him pretty intently just before we left Children’s – like – when we saw the snow starting ….”

“No ideas here, BK,” Justin replied with perhaps a trace of nervousness. “I bet Brandon heard Jason wrong ….”

“I don’t think so, Kiddo,” Brian smiled archly.  “I think I know exactly where Jason is.  I’m betting that Jason is right outside this building - right now – stockpiling snowballs in some hidden location.”

“But why would he do that?” Justin asked tenuously – the nervousness showing a bit more.

“Only one reason I can think of, Baby,” Brian was still smiling.  “Actually there’s only one possible reason he’d be doing a thing like that ...  He must plan to attack us both when we go out to build our snowman.  That has to be it.  Can you think of any other possibility, JT?”

“Nope, I can’t,” Justin told him – maybe not 100% truthfully – but with some relief nevertheless, “So I guess you want to go outside now and catch poor Jason in the act….”

“Nope,” Brian decided, “no point in being mad at Jason.  He probably just couldn’t help himself.  And I think you were right in the first place.  We’ll wait till 6:30.  There actually may be something else I’d like to do before we go out ….”

“I love you, Brian,” Justin told Brian - as he tried the cuddling maneuver again - with a lot more success this time around.

“Merry Christmas,” Brian replied – as his other arm enfolded the twink

And it was a merry Christmas too – a very merry Christmas indeed.

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