Lovers' Quarrels

The fireplace was blazing but the guys were not there. They were in the kitchen. Having finished dinner at home, Justin was washing dishes and Brian was reluctantly wiping them dry.

"I don't see why I should have to do this at all," Brian seemed to be complaining. "It's not my fault that the mechanical genius around here can't fix the dish-washer."

"Well the mechanical genius around here can't," Justin seemed to growl at him, "And neither can the mechanical misfit I might add. There's a part that needs to be replaced. That's why we bought the extended warranty in the first place. The repairman will be here day after tomorrow. These things are too complicated for the ordinary person."

"But you, Sweetie, are no ordinary person," Brian started to grin.

"OK, Kinney," Justin decided, dropping the dish he was working on back into the water. "Put that towel down and get in there to the fireplace. The dishes will wait."

Brian quickly decided to comply with the twink's directions and settled himself down in front of the flickering flames. Justin plopped himself down next to him and waited for Brian to encircle him with his arm. It wasn't a long wait. Surprisingly, nothing was said for a reasonably long time and when it was, it was not about the dishwashing situation.

"I stopped by the comic book store this afternoon while I was out of the office," Brian said. "Hunter and Malcolm were both there but they didn’t seem to be talking to each other. Is something up?"

"I don't know," Justin answered. "I didn't know they were having any problems."

"But now that you know, I guess you'll be getting about fixing it all up," Brian surmised.

"It's none of my business," Justin replied. "It's probably just a lovers' quarrel."

"Since when is anything involving anybody – especially our friends – none of your business?" Brian wanted to know. "I thought you could fix anything – except dishwashers, that is."

"Cut it out, Kinney," Justin objected. "And don't start about the meddling business either. I help out when I'm needed and I butt out when I'm not. If they need me, they'll let me know – or Mikey will let me know. Otherwise they can settle it themselves."

"Well how can you tell a lovers' quarrel from a real fight?" Brian asked. "I don't see how you can tell the difference."

"Us perceptive people can tell the difference," Justin informed him. "We just know."

"Even when you didn't even know they weren't speaking to each other till dumb unperceptive me told you?" Brian went on.

"Gee whiz, Brian," Justin came back. "Malcolm and Hunter were both at the store, weren't they? They obviously aren't avoiding each other. They're each giving the other one the chance to make up. It's pretty obviously a lovers' quarrel. It's probably already over by now."

"Sometimes I'm amazed at how much you know, Baby," Brian seemed to be in awe. "How come I don't know all of this? Am I dumb or something?"

"No, you're not dumb at all, Silly," Justin assured him with a gentle laugh. "It's just that your many talents lie in other directions – and you have lots and lots of talents."

"And I guess you know them all?" Brian sounded skeptical.

"Oh yeah," Justin assured him again. "I know them all, and I appreciate them all, but I only let you know I appreciate some of them."

"I know which ones they are," Brian grinned at the kid. "That I do know."

"Cut it out, Bri," Justin retorted. "You only know what I want you to know."

A period of silence followed that exchange. Brian demonstrated some of the talents that Justin most appreciated and Justin responded in kind. That very well might have been the end of the discussion – but it wasn't.

"Do Hunter and Malcolm have many of these lovers' quarrels?" Brian asked after a while, reopening the subject.

"They have some," Justin told him. "But I don't know about all of them because they settle them by themselves. I wouldn't ever have known about this one, I bet, if you hadn't just happened into the comic book store when you did. You know what though, Sweetheart, Jason and Brandon have more lovers' quarrels than Malcolm and Hunter do. I'm pretty sure about that."

"Now that does surprise me," Brian admitted. "I thought Jason and Brandon were like still on the honeymoon. I guess I don't get this love business at all."

"You get it well enough to satisfy me, Brian Honey," Justin ran his hand through Brian's hair. "And I'm not all that easy to satisfy either."

"No you aren't," Brian agreed, ducking away from the kid just a bit. "You know what though, Baby, do all lovers have these lovers' quarrels? Do we? I bet we do and I don't even notice them. I think maybe we're lovers."

"Yeah we are," Justin told him. "But 'No", we don't really have lovers' quarrels. Not like some couples do."

"Well how come we don't?" Brian wanted to know. "You used to get mad at me every once in a while but you don't even do that much any more."

"I have refined my techniques for getting you to do just what I want you to do," Justin informed him with a grin, "So I don't need to get mad as often. That's why."

There was another pause in the discussion at this point, during which Brian demonstrated his mastery of certain techniques, none of which made Justin mad at all. Now this probably should have concluded the discussion right there. But it didn't.

It was Brian again who returned to the discussion. "You know what, Baby," he suggested. "I think maybe we should have a lovers' quarrel sometime. What do you think?"

"Well, I guess we could if you want to," Justin conceded, "But I can't imagine what we could have a lovers' quarrel about. We agree on just about everything."

"Yeah," Brian agreed. "That might be hard to figure out. And anyhow, I don't want to have any lovers' quarrel tonight. Maybe tomorrow if we can think of anything to argue about."

"Tomorrow sounds like a good idea to me," Justin said. "If we can find something…." Justin moved closer and kissed Brian tenderly. "You know what, Sweetheart," he whispered. "Tomorrow it's your turn to wash the dishes and I'll dry."

Brian moved over and returned Justin's kiss in kind. "No way in hell I'm washing any dishes, Baby. No way. I may even decide not to dry them."

Justin put his head on Brian's shoulder and snuggled even a little closer. This time the discussion was finally over. Tomorrow could wait. Just one more thing they agree upon.
 

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