Role Reversal

Justin was sitting leisurely on the couch and Brian was nervously pacing back and forth across the loft. "You are grumpier than usual today, Honey," Justin was saying to Brian. "What's the matter? Thanksgiving is coming up and you have plenty to be thankful for."

"Like what?" Brian wanted to know.

"Like me," Justin told him, "Or aren't you thankful any more to have me around to get you out of all your scrapes and problem situations?"

"Scrapes and problem situations that I probably wouldn't have in the first place if I didn't have you around," Brian replied with a smile beginning to appear on his face.

"Well then you ought to be happy to have me around to insult," Justin challenged him, "Who would you insult if you didn't have me?"

"I used to insult everybody till you came along. It was a lot of fun," Brian told him with his smile widening, "Now I only get to insult you and you know I don't mean it. Where's the fun there?"

Brian was passing the couch and Justin pulled Brian down onto his lap. "Well what can I do to cheer you up?" he asked his favorite guy in the whole world.

"What is this?" Brian laughed, "Role reversal?"

"Wouldn't be the first time," Justin countered.

"Nor the last either," Brian agreed. Brian made absolutely no effort to get up.

"The whole holiday season depresses me sometimes," Brian went on, "All year we get to be together here and then comes the holiday season and it seems like we're never together. We're always out, or else there's a gang in here."

"But we're out together, Sweetheart," Justin argued, toying with Brian's hair and pulling Brian's head down onto his shoulder. "We hardly ever go anywhere separately during the holidays. We spend more time apart the rest of the year than we do at the holidays."

"But we're always in crowds at the holidays," Brian complained, "We hardly ever have time for just the two of us. You're never satisfied unless there's a crowd around."

"Talk about role reversal, " Justin said, "Want me to remind you about the old days?"

"Ancient history," Brian stated definitively.

"Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it," Justin pontificated.

"Now there's a crock," Brian came back at him, "I want some sympathy."

"You have had enough sympathy," Justin told him.

"You can never get enough," Brian taunted. They were both laughing by now.

"Well you've had all the sympathy you're going to get," Justin told him as he stood up suddenly, dumping Brian unceremoniously onto the floor. They were both still laughing.

A little while passed before the subject came up again. Brian 's good spirits seemed to be declining though when he asked Justin about the Thanksgiving schedule. "Tell me again about what we have to do on Thanksgiving Day," he asked Justin.

"Well at 10:30 we're due at my mother's. You know that she and Molly have a 2:00 flight to Albany to see Aunt Helen for the weekend." Justin recounted, "If I don't see them then, I won't see them for Thanksgiving at all."

"When was the last time you saw them?" Brian wanted to know.

"A couple of months ago," Justin admitted, "But these are the holidays, Sweetheart."

"I know. That's my point," Brian told him, "Then what?"

"Then at 12:30 we have to be at your mother's," Justin went on. "She's going to Clare's for dinner so if you don't see her then, you won't get to see her on Thanksgiving, unless we cancel Debby's and go to Clare's with her."

"So you think the best way to comfort a guy is to threaten him?" Brian interjected, but Justin thought Brian was looking just a bit cheerier, so he continued.

"And at 4:00 we get to Debby's for the big dinner with all the gang. You'll like that Brian, you really will," Justin assured him.

"If I have to enjoy myself I guess I will but I won't like doing it," Brian groused, "Anything else I should be thankful for?"

Oh yeah," Justin told him, "You know Emmett tried to take over the dinner and he wanted everybody to come dressed like Pilgrims, but Debby shot him down. Aren't you thankful you don't have to go around on Thanksgiving dressed like a pilgrim?" Justin sat down on Brian's lap at this point, smiling at him seductively and putting his arm around Brian's neck.

"Actually," Justin whispered in his ear, "I've seen you in funnier costumes than a pilgrim's outfit."

Brian responded by getting up and it was Justin who ended up rolling on the floor this time.

"What was that for, Brian?" he demanded.

"Just a little role reversal," Brian answered. But they were both laughing again.

Brian appeared to have mellowed out during dinner and each of them had some things to do afterward. They worked separately but they were never so far apart that either one of them could not look up from his work to smile at the other one.

Later in the evening, they sat in their usual places in front of the fireplace. It was longer than usual before their silence was broken.

"Honey, I can be a real grouch sometimes." Brian opened the conversation.

"I know," Justin replied.

"But I really do love you," Brian went on.

"I know," Justin told him.

"OK, you're mad at me and I guess I deserve it. I know it's not you're fault and I shouldn't blame you because we have things we have to do during the holidays," Brian admitted.

"Oh Bri," Justin told him, leaning in closer to him, "I'm not mad at you. I could never be mad at you, at least not for very long. It's just that I'm an egotist and a brat, as well as a realist."

"I don't want you to change one bit, Baby. I want you just like you are," Brian said. Then he demanded, "Now say it."

"Say what?" Justin asked."

"Say it," Brian ordered.

"I love you Brian," Justin told him.

"That's enough for me to be thankful for," Brian said to Justin, "That's enough."

"You never can get enough," Justin whispered.

"Yes you can," Brian disagreed.

"Now that's really role reversal," Justin thought to himself but wisely chose not to say. So he allowed Brian to have the last word, and that was role reversal too.

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