Talking About Anything

Brian and Justin had just returned to the loft and lit the fireplace.

"I'm glad you are being so nice to Ethan and Tom," Justin was telling Brian, "You seemed to be having a good time. Bri. Now tell me the truth. Did you enjoy our dinner tonight? "

"Have I ever had a bad dinner at Gino's?" Brian countered.

"Brian, be serious," Justin complained, "I'm not talking about the food and you know it. Do you mind our seeing Ethan and Tom socially? I don't want to drag you out with them if you don't want to go."

"Honey," Brian replied, "I don't know if I would have picked those guys for friends myself but they are your friends so they're my friends too. I don't mind being around them. They're not bad guys, as long as Ethan doesn't have any designs on you."

"Now why are you bringing that up?" Justin asked him.

"Because you are becoming a bit of a pain, Honey," Brian responded. "I went out to dinner with them; I treated them civilly and I seemed to be having a good time. Isn't that enough?"

"Well I'm just a little suspicious, Brian," Justin defended himself, "And I always want you to enjoy yourself."

"I think maybe the best way to do that would be to drop this subject," Brian allowed.

"I love you, Brian," Justin grouched, "But sometimes you are hard to talk to."

Justin snuggled himself up closer to Brian and the silence that followed seemed to indicate that Brian had prevailed.

But when that silence was broken, it was Brian who began what might be seen as a parallel discussion. "I haven't heard anything lately about Malcolm, Baby. I know you're in contact with him by e-mail. What's going on in Florence?" he asked the kid.

"Same old stuff," Justin answered, "Nothing worth discussing."

"Well you told me about him when he was going with Giuseppe and Giovanni, and then with Guido, I think it was," Brian continued, "But that was a couple of weeks ago at least. Is he still going with Guido?"

"I don't think so," Justin told him.

"Now why am I getting suspicious?" Brian wondered. "Is there something going on that you don't want to tell me about?"

"There is no reason for you to think that," Justin answered, "I bet you're just trying to pay me back for asking you about Ethan and Tom."

"OK, Baby," Brian insisted, "Now I'm not just suspicious. I am sure there is something you don't want me to know. I can't imagine what it would be. But if there is something, you don't want to tell me, then don't tell me. I didn't know there was anything we couldn't talk about though."

"There isn't, Brian. You know there isn't," Justin moaned. "You're making me feel terrible."

"I'm sorry, Honey," Brian apologized. "Let's drop this subject too."

There followed another period of silence which Justin finally interrupted. "Brian, I have to tell you about Malcolm. I don't want you to think there is anything I wouldn't tell you," Justin announced, "But I don't know how to do it."

"You'll do just fine, Baby," Brian told him, "And even if you don't do fine, I'll think it's fine anyhow. I guess you want me to tell you I love you?"

"Actually I want you to tell me you love me after I tell you about Malcolm," Justin told him with just a trace of a smile.

"I will, Baby," Brian replied, "I promise I will."

"OK, Brian," Justin sighed. "Malcolm has fallen head over heels in love with Carlo. Carlo is one of his teachers over there. He is fifteen years older than Malcolm, and he is not interested in any long term relationships - or even short term relationships. He wants a different guy every night. All he is interested in is sex. He has told Malcolm that but Malcolm is still chasing him around. It's been over two weeks now. That's a long time for Malcolm and you know Malcolm has always said he liked older guys."

"I hope you told Malcolm to give up Carlo and get as far away from him as he can and as fast as he can," Brian suggested.

"Brian," Justin began hesitantly.

"Honey," Brian interrupted, "I know what your problem is. Malcolm's situation sounds like something out of our past. We can talk about it. We can talk about anything."

"Would you have told me to get away from you as fast as I could?" Justin asked.

"Baby," Brian responded, "I did tell you to get away from me as fast as you could. So I turned out to be wrong about you and even more wrong about me. That was good advice for you then and it's good advice for Malcolm now. What happened with us might not happen again in a thousand years. And Malcolm is certainly not you. He will recover pretty quickly. I know you gave him advice. What did you tell him?"

"I told him what you said you hoped I would tell him," Justin admitted, "But I don't want you to think I have any regrets about us. You know I don't have any regrets about us."

"Justin Sweetheart," Brian told him, "I don't know how anybody as mature as you are about everything else can be so insecure about me. OK, now you've told me about Malcolm. Is it all right for me to tell you I love you? Nothing you could tell me about Malcolm would change that. I think if you had any regrets about us, I would know."

"Brian," Justin said, "You are really the very greatest guy in the world. I've known that since I met you but I get more evidence every day."

"Then cut me some slack, Baby," Brian countered, "Trust me. I trust you, you know. Is there anything I can do to help you with Malcolm?"

"I don't think so, Bri," Justin replied, "But I'll keep you up-to-date about what's going on. Maybe you'll be able to help later on. We really can talk about anything, can't we? I'm glad about that."

"Yes we can," Brian assured him, "And I hope I've finally got that through your sometimes thick skull. We can talk about anything."

So the guys lapsed into another contented silence, watching the darting flames bouncing to and fro.

"Earlier tonight I said you were hard to talk to sometimes, Brian. I was really wrong. I'm so glad we can talk together about anything, Honey," Justin broke the silence.

"And I'm glad I have finally convinced you of that," Brian mused, running his fingers through the kid's golden hair.

"Brian." Justin asked after a short pause, "What advice would you give Carlo in this situation?"

"I don't know Carlo, Honey, so I wouldn't know what to tell him," Brian laughed, "And if you don't stop trying to trap me into saying something you can complain about, I'm going to quit messing up your hair."

"OK, you win, Sweetheart," Justin gave up, "I know a threat when I hear one. The subject of Malcolm and Carlo is officially dropped, but I'm still glad we can talk about anything. You don't mind me asking you stuff, do you?"

"Not really, Baby. I'm glad we can talk about everything too. So it's OK for you to ask questions if you need to." Brian answered him.

"Brian," Justin grasped the opportunity, "Do you really enjoy spending time with Ethan and Tom?"

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