Advice From Experts

"What did I do now?" Brian asked as he entered the loft and noticed Justin scowling at him.

"I think you know what you did," Justin replied off-handedly.

"Well I do know what I did and I was planning to confess it all to you as soon as I got here," Brian admitted, "But how do I know you know what I did?"

"Oh I know all right, Mr. Brian Kinney," Justin assured him, "And I'll be very interested in any explanation you care to offer."

Brian was beginning to enjoy this cat-and-mouse game, and since he had a logical explanation for his suspicious behavior, he decided to play on for a while. "And how do you know what you think you know?" he asked Justin.

"Mikey told me," Justin answered.

That surprised Brian. "Mikey told on me," he exclaimed, "I can't believe Michael would tell you that without confronting me first. He's supposed to be my friend. I've told Mikey how much I love you more than I've told you."

"And why would you do a thing like that?" Justin wanted to know.

"He doesn't create a scene every time I tell him," Brian told him.

"Well thanks a lot for providing that information, Brian," Justin complained, "But don't go getting mad at Mikey. He's not the villain here. You are. Mikey didn't know he was telling me anything at all."

"I don't see how that could be," Brian wondered, "Either he told you or he didn't."

Now Justin was smiling just a little. "Brian, Sweetheart, and that's a very sarcastic 'Sweetheart,' Honey," Justin explained. "I was in the diner when Michael stopped by to get some lemon squares to go. He told me that he had seen us sitting on a park bench near the campus earlier in the afternoon but he was driving and he couldn't stop because he was late picking up Ben. Now I know I wasn't on any park bench with you today. It was near the campus. Who could it have been with you that Mikey would mistake for me? What the hell were you doing on a park bench near the campus this afternoon with Malcolm Macduff, Brian?"

"Talking," Brian told him, "But I suppose you'll want to know more than that."

"I would appreciate a few details," Justin admitted, "If they won't break my heart."

"Oh cut it out, you little drama queen," Brian laughed at him, "I was going to tell you all about it anyhow. I think you'll find it interesting. Can we light the fireplace?"

"Whatever you'd like," Justin told him.

The fireplace got lit but Justin did not cuddle up next to Brian like he usually did. "Well?" Justin wanted to know.

"First of all, I want you to know that I forgive you for pretending to suspect me of anything," Brian began.

"And how do you know I was just pretending to suspect you?" Justin asked him.

"Because I know that you trust me," Brian responded, "But I don't know exactly why you were pretending to suspect me."

"That's easy, Bri," Justin explained as he moved over and nestled against Brian's body, " I was afraid you wouldn't want to tell me what was going on and I really wanted to know."

"OK," Brian gave up, "This silliness could go on all night so here it is. This is the story. I got a phone call from Malcolm at the office this morning. He said he needed to talk to me. I was afraid it might be about you so I thought I better talk to him. I had an hour free so I asked him to meet me in the park. I wanted it to be a public place just in case. By the way, I told Cynthia what I was going to do and why. I also told her that you didn't know but that I would tell you tonight. You can check with Cynthia if you want to. She's always on your side."

"She is, isn't she?" Justin taunted, "But I don't have to check with her. You know I trust you. And was it about me that Malcolm wanted to see you?"

"No, Baby," Brian smiled, "It was about me."

"He promised me he wouldn't hit on you," Justin moaned.

"He didn't hit on me, Honey," Brian told him, "That's not what he wanted."

"What did he want then?" Justin pressed Brian.

"Well," Brian said, "It seems that Malcolm has been visiting both Woody's and Babylon lately. He happened to mention to just about everybody in both places that he is a friend of yours and mine, so he learned our whole story from the beginning."

"So why did he want to talk to you about that?" Justin was puzzled.

"He wants to be the new me, Sweetheart," Brian told him, "He said he has had such bad luck with relationships that he wants to give up love and concentrate on sex like I used to. He said he wants to be the new 'King of Liberty Avenue' and he wanted me to tell him how to go about it."

"Probably with demonstrations too," Justin teased, "I guess Jack broke Malcolm's heart."

"Now it's you who are behind the times," Brian chuckled, "Jack's old news. It was Alexander who broke Malcolm's heart."

"Malcolm is hard to keep up with," Justin admitted, "But I don't think he could ever be another you."

That's what I thought," Brian replied, "He's too young and he's not nearly sexy enough."

"He is too young but I think he's sexy enough," Justin disagreed. "He's not mean enough though. He'd be too nice to the tricks. He'd see them as real people with real feelings and that would never work."

"Thank you for sharing that opinion with me," Brian grumbled.

"Brian, Honey, you know I love you but this story is just so funny. What did you tell him?" Justin asked.

"I told him that kind of life wasn't so great," Brian answered. "I told him that's why I gave it up and settled down with you. I told him I was happier being in love with you than I have ever been in my life."

Brian was looking away from Justin so he did not see the kid's face light up at that statement, so he just continued, "And that, Baby, is the end of the story."

"No it's not, Brian," Justin challenged him, "I know Malcolm and he would never accept that answer. Tell me what he said when you told him that."

"Damned if it isn't a pain that you know everybody so well," Brian complained, "All right, he told me he would be willing to give up that life when he got too old for it - just like I did."

"Now that does sound like Malcolm, Bri," Justin laughed. "And how did you respond to that remark?"

"I just told him again that my advice was not to pursue that course of action," Brian informed Justin, "And I told him he ought to discuss his plans with you."

"Me?" Justin exclaimed.

"Yes, you," Brian told him. "You usually do know what people should do and why."

"Well, Mr. Kinney," Justin answered, "What I think I should do now is really get mad at you. But, as usual you are right. I do need to talk to Malcolm. I don't think he wants to be 'King of Liberty Avenue' at all. He knows he wants something but he doesn't know what it is. He's a really mixed up kid. I will talk to him."

So Justin did not get mad at Brian. What he did was to snuggle even closer to Brian. He threw his arms around Brian and kissed him. "And I am happier being in love with you than I have ever been in my whole life, too," he told Brian.

Brian smiled at him. "You know," he said, "I guess I ought to quit telling Mikey how much I love you and tell you instead."

That surprised Justin. "And what brought about that change of heart, Honey," he asked Brian.

"I guess I'm getting to like the scenes you make," Brian told him.

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