Bored Games

"Brian," Justin was saying with obvious irritation, "I don't know why you can't be nicer."

"There are some things a guy can't change," Brian defended himself, "I warned you."

"Well a person can always hope," Justin declared.

"Baby, I told you not to bring a chess set into this loft. I told you I was a good chess player, " Brian answered, "I told you I played on a championship college team, I told you I was fiercely competitive, and I told you I always played to win. And all that wasn't enough."

"You didn't tell me it took you an hour for every move though," Justin retorted, "Playing with you is just plain boring."

"I don't take an hour for each move," Brian took the offensive, "I don't even take five minutes. Chess is a complicated game and you need patience. I have patience. You have to explore many possibilities before you make your move."

"Then how come I can move in just a few seconds?" Justin wondered.

"Honey," Brian smiled at him, "You're mad enough at me now. I don't need to answer that question."

"Well Mikey and I can get through ten games in two hours and you and I can barely finish one." Justin maintained, "That's just plain boring."

"Well you and Mikey are evenly matched, I guess," Brian said with a kind of amusement that did not amuse Justin at all, "Who usually wins?"

"I always win," Justin pointed out, "Mikey has never beaten me yet."

"And how many times have you beaten me?" Brian asked.

"You know very well I have never beaten you," Justin responded, "But don't think that's what I'm complaining about. It's just so boring waiting for you to move."

"You should be studying the board like I am," Brian counseled him.

"Why should I be studying the board when it's your turn to move? You would just make some weird move and foul up all my plans," Justin whined, "You take all the fun out of the game, Kinney."

"Well if you insist on playing chess, Sweetheart," Brian decided, "We can do it with Ben and Mikey. I can play Ben a game while you and Mikey play your ten or twenty. That way everybody can be happy. How does that sound?"

"I want to play with you, Brian. You don't seem to understand my point," Justin argued, "I want to play with you. You're not listening to me so I'll just put the chess set away. Maybe we can talk about this when you are more reasonable."

"I'll try to get myself settled down" Brian promised him, "So that we can discuss this matter reasonably."

Justin acted a bit stand-offish for the rest of the afternoon but Brian heard him complaining on the phone to Mikey. Brian couldn't hear Mikey but from what he did hear, he thought Justin was getting a sympathetic ear. Apparently Mikey didn't like to play chess with Ben either, and not just because he lost all the time.

Brian decided he would take a walk. "Wanna come along, Sunshine?" he called out in his most conciliatory tone.

"You walk too slow," came the determined response. So Brian walked alone, and did a little shopping along the way.

Brian didn't know what to expect after a dinner which was cold in more ways than one. So he lit the fireplace and waited for developments. It took a little longer than usual for Justin to assume his normal position on the floor, cuddled up next to Brian with his head on Brian's shoulder. Nothing was said at first. Brian thought it best to wait for Justin to begin any discussion.

"Brian," Justin finally broke the silence. "I'm not mad at you any more and I hope you're not mad at me. The trouble today was all my fault. I have no patience. I just like doing things with you and I hoped chess would be a good thing for us to do together. But you're right. You have to have patience and I have no patience. How can you even put up with me?"

"I guess I have patience, Baby," Brian smiled, "But you have patience too. You put up with a lot to get me to see what I needed to see. If it hadn't been for your patience I would never have made it. It's not your lack of patience, Honey, you just don't like chess. But if you want to play chess, we'll work it out"

"I gave the chess set away, Brian," Justin confessed, "Ethan stopped by right after you went out walking and I gave it to him. If I ever need to play chess, we can use Mikey's set. We'll find other things we can do together"

So Brian got what he was hoping for - a prompt settlement of their problem. He sat holding on to Justin for dear life. He was a happy man. He should perhaps have left things in the pleasant state they were but he always wanted things to be even better.

He reached under the couch and pulled out a bag. "This is a present for you," he told Justin.

"So that I'd make up with you, I guess," Justin answered, "You didn't need to do that. You knew I was wrong and you knew I'd figure that out and want to make up with you. You didn't need to do that."

"And I didn't," Brian told Justin, "You were only going to get the present after we made up."

Justin couldn't hide his enthusiasm as he uncovered the present. It was from Brian so he loved it. Then he saw what it was.

"Monopoly, Brian," Justin wondered, "You got a Monopoly game. That's for kids. I loved it when I was ten but now I'm nearly twenty-one years old."

"Lot's of adults play Monopoly," Brian insisted, "And I promise to throw the dice right away every time and move my token as fast as I can. I won't be boring."

"How long will it take you to decide to build on Baltic and Mediterranean," Justin laughed at him.

"Well these things take a little time if you want to play your best game but I promise not to be boring," Brian told the kid pulling him closer.

"You know, Brian, you would never lose to me at chess but you might lose at Monopoly," Justin warned, "The dice may just fall my way."

"I know that," Brian wondered, "So what?"

"Where's that competitive spirit - that will to win?" Justin asked back at him.

"Baby," Brian admitted, "I lose to you about something just about every day. I'm used to losing to you and I've learned how to lose to you. I'm going to tell you something though. Whenever I lose to you, I look at you and then I think maybe I've really won. Where you're concerned, I don't mind losing, but I never want to be boring."

"You could never be boring, Brian," Justin admitted. "I love you, whatever you do, and you could never be boring."

Brian kissed his little twink and Justin pulled himself up onto Brian's lap. Both of them were deliriously happy. But well-enough was never left alone in the loft.

"Monopoly, Bri," Justin asked, "What ever made you pick Monopoly?"

"They were all out of Candyland," Brian told him.

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