Garden Parties

Justin and Brian were sitting on the floor of the loft in front of the couch, staring at the flickering flames in their fireplace. "Seems to me that Mel and Linz have a lot of anniversary parties in their back yard, Honey," Brian was telling Justin, "Weren't we at some anniversary party of theirs just a couple of months ago?"

"Yeah," Justin agreed, "But they celebrate the anniversaries of a lot of things in their life together and that's nice. I'll bet you don't remember any of our significant dates."

"Every time I'm with you is a significant date, Kiddo." Brian responded. " So we could celebrate anniversaries for all of them and that would be just about every day. We could easily have more anniversary parties than the munchers."

"Darn it, Bri," Justin objected, "You know how I like to complain, and every time I do, you say something really romantic and ruin it for me."

"I'm sorry, Baby," Brian told him, "I'll try not to do that any more."

"Don't you dare try that, Sweetheart," Justin responded, "Or you'll really hear me complaining."

"It looks to me like I can't win," Brian voiced a complaint of his own.

Justin ruffled Brian's hair as he told him: "I think you'll think of something."

"Yeah, I will. I think I'm thinking of something right now, " Brian smiled at the kid, and they ended the discussion temporarily.

"We always have a good time at those garden parties, Brian," Justin eventually suggested, "It gives us a chance to see the whole gang together and we don't do that as much as we should."

"You really do like to go then?" Brian asked him.

"Yeah, I do," Justin replied. "I know why you're asking that and I want to tell you I appreciate your caring about me so much. Because at Gus' birthday party I remembered Chris Hobbs and…."

"We don't have to talk about that now," Brian comforted him, "I just didn't want you to think you had to go if it did bother you."

"No it doesn't," Justin assured him. "You were there for me then and you were there for me whenever I needed somebody. You got me through all that. It doesn't bother me now. There have been other parties there since then and I haven't had any problems. If I do have any, I'll always have you with me. So I'm not worried and you shouldn't be either."

"Well maybe I can think of one other garden party I didn't like," Brian recalled, "You came with the fiddler - I didn't like him very much then."

"That was your own fault Brian," Justin told him with a slight smile, "I would never have come with Ethan but you said you definitely weren't coming at all, and then you showed up and eventually got yourself thrown out."

"Your fault," Brian told him.

"It was not," Justin objected.

"Yes it was, Twink," Brian insisted.

Justin nestled in closer to Brian. "I wish I'd have known that then," he said.

"I wish I could have told you," Brian replied, gazing vacantly into the firelight.

A little later, it was Brian who resumed the conversation. "I think they just have all these parties to get the gifts," he said to Justin.

"They always say not to bring gifts," Justin remarked, "But we do because we like to."

Brian was laughing. "Yeah, we do," Brian said, "Like the last time when Mel was making that great big fuss about how useful our gift was, and I didn't know what the hell we gave them."

"Not my fault either, Bri," Justin retorted, "I told you several times what we were taking them and you didn't pay any attention to me."

"Are you complaining now that I don't pay any attention to you?" Brian laughed at him.

"Only when I'm telling you about what we got Mel and Linz," Justin emphasized, but he was laughing too, "So maybe you should pick up the gift this time. When you tell me what you've picked out, I'll pay attention to you and remember what it is."

"Yeah," Brian allowed, "But maybe if I pick it out, they won't think it's useful enough to make a fuss about."

"You're right, Brian," Justin agreed, "Just like always. I guess the best solution would be that we go to get the gift together."

"It's not as if I don't like to do things with you, Baby, but if I promise to pay attention to you when you tell me what you got," Brian reasoned, "Do I have to go?"

"You are impossible, Brian Kinney," Justin smiled at him.

"Don't you like the challenge?" Brian retorted.

"You don't hear me complaining," Justin told him.

"Oh no," Brian had to laugh, "Never."

That comment earned Brian a light elbow to the ribs and a head of blond hair against his cheek. He wasn't inclined to complain about either.

"You know, Sunshine," Brian reminded him a little later, "This party is on a Friday so I'll have to come directly from the office. We'll have to get to the party separately, OK?"

"Yeah," Justin answered, "I already figured that out. Actually, Ethan said he'd pick me up."

"So then you're going to this garden party with Ethan," Brian marveled, "And I'm coming by myself? Why does that stir up memories?"

"Cut it out Brian," Justin laughed, "It's different this time around. I may be going with Ethan but I'm going to save the last dance for you. You're the guy I'll be going home with - and in whose arms I want to be. So don't be getting yourself thrown out."

"Didn't you once say that song was pretty corny?" Brian asked him.

"It is a corny song," Justin confirmed, "But you're still the only guy in whose arms I want to be."

"That suits me fine, Baby, but do you suppose we need to wait till the garden party for that to happen?" Brian wondered.

"Not at all," Justin smiled at him, "I don't think we should wait. I don't want to take a chance on you getting thrown out of the party again. Why should I have to suffer because you cause problems?"

So they didn't wait.

Return to Fireside Chats