Men of the World

Justin was surprised when he came out of the shower to discover Brian at home already. He thought it would be another hour or so till Brian got back to the loft. He had been helping Ben with some work.

"Wanna go to a party?" Brian called in to him. "Not if it's come as you are." Justin called back "Unless maybe it was just a small party - like just for two, maybe."

"That sounds like a good party to me," Brian laughed. "There will be more than two at the party I'm talking about. But it isn't till next week, so even you have enough time to get properly dressed."

"There's time for our own little party for two then, isn't there?" Justin called out.

"I'll be right in," Brian told Justin. "The party I'm talking about is a birthday party for Hunter. Mikey and Ben want it to be a big bash. Guess what, Baby? Hunter has a new boy friend. Mikey says he's a couple of years older than Hunter but he seems nice and he's real cute. Here I come - ready or not. Surprise."

But it was Brian, not Justin, who was surprised. Justin emerged from the bedroom fully if sloppily dressed. "I have to go out, Brian," Justin told him, "I'll be back in an hour or so."

"What about our party for two?" Brian wondered.

"Later," Justin answered.

"That's not the kind of 'Later' I like, Honey." Brian objected, "There's a word for people who pull what you're pulling."

"Lovable? Sweet?" Justin called back as he rushed out the door, laughing but still looking serious.

Brian sat down in wonderment. "That kid is something else," Brian thought, "But he keeps life interesting, and he's worth it."

Justin returned to the loft in just a little under an hour.

"Am I going to find out why I got stood up and abandoned or is that some great big secret?" Brian asked. Justin didn't seem to hear him.

"I know we were supposed to go to the diner to eat, Bri, but can we please stay here?" Justin asked, "I'm waiting for a phone call and I'd rather get it here."

"OK," Brian agreed, "But there is something up, I figure. Can I help?"

Justin smiled at him. "I'm sorry, Honey," Justin said, "You know how I get excited about nothing a lot of times. This is just something we'll probably be laughing about after I get the call I'm expecting. Let's eat in the meantime and I'll tell you all about it when I know what to tell you."

So they ate with just a touch of tension in the air. But they talked of other things and enjoyed a reasonably pleasant meal.

They were just finishing the dishes when the phone rang and Justin dashed to answer it. Brian heard Justin's side of the conversation. Justin said "Yeah," "I was afraid of that," "Shit," and "Thanks," in that order. Then he hung up.

Justin lit the fireplace and beckoned Brian to join him in their usual places. "Is there any way we can get out of going to Hunter's party?" he asked Brian.

"I don't see how," Brian replied, "And I sure don't know why. You're going to have to do some talking, Baby. I thought you liked Hunter since you decided he wasn't chasing me any more, which I doubt he ever was. What the hell is going on?"

"It's not Hunter, Sweetheart, I do kind of like him in an unconventional way. And you know I love Mikey and Ben, and wouldn't hurt their feelings for anything. It's Hunter's boy friend, Brian. Hunter's boy friend is Malcolm."

"Malcolm?" Brian responded in disbelief, "Our Malcolm? The little creep who loves artists and violinists, Shakespearean actors, and guys with Italian names? That Malcolm? Hunter's boy friend is that Malcolm?"

"Yep," Justin confirmed. "It's our Malcolm all right. I saw him with a kid that looked like Hunter last week but they were pretty far away and I didn't think any more about it until you told me about Hunter's new guy and it all came back. I did some checking while I was out but the phone call confirms it. Our Hunter is running around with our Malcolm."

"Then we have nothing to worry about, Honey," Brian said. "If Malcolm is with Hunter, that won't be a problem for us. This whole business is probably just a funny coincidence."

"For a former man of the world, Brian Sweetheart," Justin told him, "You can be pretty naïve. I was a stalker once and I know how to arrange funny coincidences. You even accused me of that a couple of times but I never admitted it till now. And Malcolm is a much more experienced stalker than I ever was."

"First of all, Sunshine, I am not a former man of the world. You may have deprived me of my freedom but not of my man of the worldship." Brian stated, "But you think he might be after you again?"

"Maybe," Justin acknowledged, "It could be Mikey or Ben he has his eye on. Maybe it is Hunter he's interested in, but it might even be you."

"How could it be me?" Brian asked, "Malcolm doesn't hardly even know me."

"Yes he does, Brian," Justin said, "I see him a lot at the Institute because he's in art too. He's always asking if we are still together and checking to see if I'm still wearing your ring. I even asked him one time which one of us he was interested in, and he said either one of us would be better than the guy he had."

"Which guy was that?" Brian asked with amusement.

"Whatever guy he had that day, Brian," Justin replied, "For a man of the world you require a lot of explanation."

"But he must have been going with Hunter for at least two weeks. Maybe he's ready to settle down?" Brian reasoned.

"Shit, Brian," Justin answered, "If Malcolm really liked Hunter, he probably would have ditched him already. There has to be more to it than you suspect. Guys who run around with a new partner every night don't just decide to settle down."

"Honey," Brian teased, "I used to run around with a new partner every night, but somehow or other, I decided to settle down, or even more likely, you decided for me."

"But not until you were old," Justin teased back.

"You're right, Honey," Brian retorted, "And we all know that young people are just not able to settle down. It's not in their nature."

"Cut it out, Brian," Justin asked him, "I like to argue with you this way when I'm winning, but I'm losing now. It's too hard to compete with a man of the world."

"Well what do you think, Baby?" Brian asked him.

"I think there's a chance that Malcolm might be using Hunter to get to one of us. It's not likely but it's possible. I guess we'll just have to go to the party and see. If he follows us home we'll know."

"We won't know which one of us he's stalking though?" Brian surmised.

"We can go home separately by different routes and see who he follows," Justin suggested.

"Sweetheart," Brian told Justin, "You really are devious. I guess you are a man of the world too. Do we go to the party though?"

"Yeah," Justin decided, "And whatever happens, happens. We'll just have to deal with whatever happens. Maybe he does really like Hunter, but don't bet on it. Let's just wait and see."

"We men of the world can handle anything that comes along. At least together we can." Brian told him, "But this discussion has really worn me out. Is it 'later' yet, Baby."

"Oh yeah," Justin answered, "It's been 'later' for a long time."

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