Polishing Up Your Life

[‘Oh shit, not again; goddamnfuckin'littletwat'] "JUSTIN!!!"

*giggle*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hi Sweetie."

"Hi Emmett."

"Doing a little shopping, I see."

"Yeah, needed to pick up a few things."

"Ah, Justin, far be it of me to pry, I mean I know money is tight for a poor starving artiste like yourself but I don't think nail polish remover is good for paint brushes."

"No, it isn't and the nail polish remover is not for me."

"Didn't think your flames were burning any brighter lately. So, is Molly staying with you for a few days?"

"No."

"You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"No."

"Oh come on Justin, it's only lil' old me, I won't tell any of your secrets."

"I trust you not to reveal any of my secrets Emmett, it's Brian's I'm not so sure about."

"So, it's for Bri-ian!"

"Emmett, believe me when I say that if I tell you anything, it will be the last thing I ever say except for ‘oh shit' when he strangles me."

"Justin, don't exaggerate. I'd never make fun of a man's private little fetishes. Well, not much and anyway, I have them too. You know I have a thing for colorful scarves, and what I love to do with gold lame."

"TMI, Em. Look, he would not want me to discuss this, besides, it's not what you think. And he doesn't have any fetishes other than his anal predilection for cleanliness, no pun intended."

"Spill honey, you know you want to and you will eventually, so why waste the time."

"Emmett it's for his health, okay. There, and I'm not saying anything more."

"Justin, Brian's alright, isn't he? No relapse."

"No, nothing like that. But he needs to learn how to relax, delegate more, not work himself to exhaustion. He scares me some times, Em."

"How?"

"A few months ago I came over to the loft, we were supposed to go out to dinner but I found him asleep."

"What's so unusual about that? A man can sleep in his own bed, in his own home."

"He wasn't just asleep, Em. More like passed out, on the couch."

"Sofa."

"Sofa; he must have come home from work, sat down on the sofa and collapsed. I almost called for an ambulance. But he was breathing okay, so I just let him sleep. He didn't wake up for over twelve hours. I later found out from Cynthia that he was working on several campaigns all at once and by himself, even though Cynthia and Ted wanted to help. But noo, the stubborn asshole refused the help. Em, he looked so pale and there were dark circles under his eyes and we already know how skinny he is."

"Yes, he does take ‘thin is in' a bit too far at times."

"He never moved when I undressed him and covered him up with the afghan. So I decided to teach him a lesson."

"What kind of lesson?"

"Daph and I had gone on a shopping spree that afternoon. God, that girl can out shop you. She wanted to check out that new beauty supply store."

"Oooo, the one at the mall? Did she leave anything for the rest of us?"

"Let's just say I had to put my foot down when she was trying to figure out a way of taking one their shopping carts."

"Oh, that's bad. But I still don't understand what that has to do with Brian."

"I'm getting to it. Anyway, I had bought some of his favorite soap and shampoo."

"The spicy smelling one?"

"Yeah."

"Mmm, love it."

"Emmett."

"Sorry, go on."

"Well, when I got to the loft besides finding him looking like death warmed over, I discovered I had a couple of Daphne's bags. One of which had her nail polish. So I painted his toes."

"You what?"

"Painted all his little piggies. And not just one color. He had pink toes, blue, purple, deep hunter green and bright turquoise. You would like that one. Needless to say when he finally woke up he wasn't happy but it proved my point. It took him days to get the polish off. I didn't leave any remover and you know he wasn't going to go out and buy some or ask for help."

"Stubborn bastard."

"Yup. He was so angry at me at first but he finally got the message."

"Why didn't he try turpentine? I'm sure you have some."

"And damage his delicate skin? Em, he's a bigger queen than you are."

"I'm not sure but I think I was just insulted."

"Anyway, he finally broke down and asked for my help and for an explanation. I told him how I found him, that it scared me and that if I ever find him like that again or hear from Cynthia or Ted that he's over doing it, I would paint his toes. He's tried sleeping with one eye open but that never works. I keep a bottle of the turquoise nail polish hidden and when I think he's being more than his usual stubborn self, I paint a toe. Just one, as a reminder to cut back, delegate more. It's working. He's actually happier, calmer, playing nicer with others."

"Hmm, toe nail therapy."

"Something like that but I got carried away this time."

"How so?"

"Well, I did a toe then one on the other foot and a fingernail, then he woke up."

"Ouch, bet he was pissed."

"Royally. I let him queen out on me. I was about to get the remover for him but we ran out."

"Ah, so shopping."

"You got it."

"So, if I followed you back to the loft..."

"You'd find an angry Brian with a turquoise pinky."

"Ha! I'd pay to see that."

"I have pictures but don't let him know that."

"You're an evil little boy, aren't you?"

"Learned from the master. Emmett, I..."

"Say no more, honey. I know how you feel about the big lug, got a soft or hard spot for him too. And I agree, he's made a phenomenal come back, his business, his health and your relationship. He does need to learn how to ask for help and take it easy now and then. Well, sweetums, it's been real but I must be going. Give his lean and meanness my love. Tootles."

"Bye Em."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Well it's about fucking time! What took you so long? I've been stuck here for hours and I'm starving."

"Stop exaggerating and you could have called out."

"You're kidding, right. Let someone see me with a painted nail."

"Right, well I'm back, I bring food and nail polish remover."

"Smart boy."

Eat first then I'll de-polish you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Better now?"

"Yes."

"Brian..."

"Don't go there, I get the hint. I'm trying."

"I know you are."

"You know Justin, this works both ways."

"What are you talking about?"

"You, you git. You work just as hard as I do. The diner, PIFA, Rage, not to mention the stuff you do for Kinnetic. Don't be surprised if you wake up with a blue toe."

"Turquoise."

"Nah, the blue, goes better with your eyes. Bright metallic blue."

"You wouldn't dare. You would. Okay, I also get the hint. No more painted toe nails."

"I never said that, Sunshine."

"Brian!? But I've never seen you wear nail polish."

"Sure I do. I get a manicure and pedicure at least once a month. Takes a lot of work to stay this good looking."

"Asshole. But I've never seen any color."

"Of course not, silly boy. I get them shaped, buffed and then clear polish."

"Oh."

"Want to know a little secret, Sunshine?"

"What?"

"Come closer." [whispering]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Several weeks later at the diner.

"Hi kids!"

"Hey Deb."

"Debbie."

"Sooo, what are you two up to this weekend?"

"Nothing much, we both decided to kick back and relax this weekend."

"Well, it's about fucking time. I worry about both of you, you work too hard."

"Justin's found a cure for that."

"Oh he has, has he. This should be good."

"It involves nail polish."

"Christ! Brian Kinney, have you been stealing my nail polish again?!"

Return to Sabina's