Brian burst into the loft.

 

"Justin!  Justin!  Where the fuck are you?"

"I'm taking a piss.  Give me a minute," Justin called from the bathroom.

 

Brian paced the loft as he waited for Justin to come out.  When he finally appeared at the top of the steps, Brian lit into him.

 

"Do you know what I have to do now?  Those fucking idiots down at City Hall!  They have the most asinine traditions!  And I'm just supposed to go along with it.  Whatever the fuck they say, I'm supposed to do it.  No fucking way!"  Brian completed his rant and finally took a breath.

 

"Calm down, Brian," Justin said in an even voice.  "Tell me what's wrong, slowly, before you blow a blood vessel."

 

"Hallowe'en!"

 

"Yes, it's this Friday.  So what's the problem?"

"They expect me to dress up in some pansy costume and parade around at City Hall for two hours.  Two fucking hours!"

 

"Why?"

 

"My point exactly – why?"

"No, I mean, what are you going to be doing while you're dressed up in your pansy costume?" Justin asked trying to stifle a chuckle.

 

"Handing out candies to a bunch of screaming kids whose parents have nothing better to do than drag them down to fucking City Hall on fucking Hallowe'en."

"So what's the problem?" Justin asked knowing perfectly well that this was Brian's idea of Hell – wearing a costume, hundreds of little kids, being on public display in his pansy costume.

 

"I'm going to kill you any second now!" Brian threatened.

 

Justin chuckled.  "I'm sorry.  Look, let's think about this.  I'm sure we can come up with a good costume."

"I don't fucking want to come up with a good costume.  I'm not doing it."

 

"You have to.  You're the mayor."

"No, absolutely not," Brian said emphatically.

 

"Brian, I'll come with you, and we'll find you a costume that's not too … pansy."

Brian groaned.  He knew he wasn't going to get the sympathy he wanted from Justin.  He had hoped that he and Justin could just run away until this whole stupid holiday, or whatever the fuck Hallowe'en was, was over.  "I'm not doing it," Brian repeated stubbornly.

 

"I'll come with you and make it all better," Justin said in his pouty little voice that often got Brian to do things he didn't want to do.

 

"I have a better idea.  You go, and I'll stay home."

 

"Brian," Justin said softly coming over to the man and putting his arms around his waist.  "You are the mayor and you do have certain responsibilities."

"Fuck responsibilities!"

 

"It won't be so bad.  We'll find you a great costume."

"Yeah, like what?"

"Like Robin Hood maybe," Justin suggested.

 

"Didn't he wear tights?  I'm not wearing tights."

 

"You'd look great in tights."

"No tights," Brian insisted stubbornly.  "Although … that ass of yours in tights could be quite a treat."

"It's you that needs the costume," Justin said reasonably, glad that he now had Brian considering costumes instead of just refusing to participate.

 

"But you're coming with me?"

"Yes," Justin said with a smile.  More progress, now Brian was thinking about going.  "Let's think about some potential costumes."

 

Brian groaned.  He knew he was going to have to do this, even though he hated the idea.  "I have never worn tights and I am not about to start now."

 

"I suppose you could go as Elizabeth the first.  She was pretty well covered up."

 

"Are you saying I'm an old queen?"

 

"Hm, then maybe Elizabeth the second?"

 

"Even older queen," Brain chuckled.

 

Justin was glad to see his sense of humor returning.  "How about Bluebeard the Pirate and I could be one of your Merry Men?"

 

"He didn't have merry men and I don't want to frighten the children," Brian said with only a touch of sarcasm.

 

"How about Captain Ahab?"

"And what would you be, the whale?"

 

"Ew, no."

 

"Get off the nautical theme."

"What about Julius Caesar and I could be Marc Antony?"

"Don't you think the politicos might see something sinister in their mayor dressing like a dictator?"

"Well, you are a dictator.  We all know that."

"But it's our little secret."

 

"You think?" Justin asked with a chuckle.  "There has to be something interesting you could be.  Hey, how about The Cat In The Hat?"

"No fucking way I'm being a Dr. Seuss character!"

 

"But the kids would love it."

"NO!"

"Okay, okay!  Maybe George Washington?"

"I'm not wearing wooden teeth."

Justin giggled.  "Work with me here.  I'm doing my best."

 

"Well, your best is pretty pathetic."

"Fine, then come up with something yourself."  Justin turned to go to his desk and do some work.  He felt Brian come up behind him and put his arms around him.

 

"I appreciate your help, Justin.  I just fucking hate this whole idea."

 

"What if you were … say … Daniel Boone?  You could wear leathers."

 

"And a coonskin hat?  I don't think so."

"God, you're picky."

"I know, but I can't help it."

 

"We could go as Rage and JT."

"Tights, Justin, I said no tights.  Besides nobody knows who they are.  At least none of the people who will be at City Hall."

"Hm, I suppose you're right.  How about Marie Antoinette and Louis the Sixteenth?"

 

"Same problem as Julius Caesar.  Besides which of us would be Marie?"

"I thought you …"

 

"Don't go there."

Justin giggled.  "Hey, I think I have it."

                                                               -----

 

The night of the Hallowe'en do at City Hall Brian and Justin arrived precisely at six as they had been instructed.  They were to hand out treats until eight o'clock, and then there was some sort of charity dance that they were expected to put in an appearance at.  Then they were free.

 

Geoffrey met them as they came in and showed them where to stand.  Children and their parents were already lined up waiting to receive their Hallowe'en treats from the mayor.

 

"No costume, Geoffrey?" Brian asked.

 

"I don't do costumes," Geoffrey said snottily.

 

"You could have been the third musketeer, the portly one," Brian teased.  He and Justin had finally decided to be two musketeers, wearing leather pants and vest, big hats with a feather and a plastic sword.  They both looked very dashing.

 

"I would be no such thing," Geoffrey said in a huff.  "And I'm not portly."

 

"Of course not, how silly of me to suggest it," Brian said, his tongue firmly in his cheek.

 

"Here are the bags to give to each child," Geoffrey said showing Brian the table covered with small gift bags.

 

"What's in them?" Brian asked.

 

"A pad and pencil, some stickers, crayons and a few candies."

"Very politically correct," Brian observed.  "Let's get this over with.  Send in the clowns."

 

The first little boy in line was dressed as a clown and he moved forward to receive his bag from the mayor.  His parents shook Brian and Justin's hands, saying they were very pleased with the way Brian was handling his duties as mayor.  Brian was pleased to hear that.

 

Most people just took their bag of goodies and left without a word.  Even 'thank yous' were somewhat scarce.  Brian wondered just where society was heading with the lack of appreciation shown by most people.

 

After they had been handing out bags for quite awhile, Brian heard someone yelling, "Daddy!  Daddy!"

 

He looked up to see Gus in the line of waiting people.  He was struggling to escape from Lindsay's grasp.  Brian nodded to Lindsay and she released the little boy.  He ran full steam towards his father crashing into his legs and hugging them.

 

"Hey, Sonny Boy," Brian said picking him up.  "We match."  They each looked at what the other was wearing.  Gus was dressed like a miniature version of his father.  He had a little hat with a feather and leather pants and a toy sword.  "You even have a sword just like daddy."

"Hey, Gus," Justin said and the little boy reached to be taken by Justin for a kiss and a hug.

 

"Sword," Gus said pulling his little plastic sword out of his belt.

 

"Want to duel?" Brian asked drawing his own sword.

 

Justin set Gus down and he waved his sword at his father.

 

"En garde," Brian said and touched his sword to Gus'

 

They pretended to duel with Brian doing most of the work so that their swords connected every once in a while.  Finally Gus rushed at his father and Brian let him stab him with his sword, must too close to the groin to suit Justin.  Brian crumbled to the floor and lay still.  Gus walked up to his head and looked at Brian whose eyes were closed.

 

"Daddy?" Gus said with some concern.

 

"You win, Sonny Boy," Brian said sitting up.  There was a round of applause from the people in the line.

 

Gus giggled and hugged his father.  Brian stood up and picked up his son.  He saw Lindsay waiting patiently and walked over to her.

 

"How did you manage to dress him up like Justin and me?" Brian asked.

 

"I wanted to bring him down to surprise you after I read about the mayor's treats in the newspaper.  I called Justin to see what you were wearing.  I thought it would be cute."

 

"You're very cute, aren't you, Gus?"

Gus nodded and looked at the bags on the table.  "Candy?"

 

Brian got a bag and handed it to the little boy.

 

"I better get him out of your hair," Lindsay said.

 

"Linds, thanks for bringing him down.  That was a nice surprise."

 

"No problem.  Kiss daddy goodbye, Gus."

Gus kissed his father and ran over to Melanie who had stayed off to the side.  Gus wanted to show her what he had got.  Melanie waved and the three of them left.

 

The costumed children kept flowing through after that.  Justin could tell by the way Brian handed or rather threw the gift bags at them that his patience was just about at its end.  The end of the line was visible and Justin prayed they would reach it before Brian blew.  Finally the last toddler and her parents walked away.  Brian let out a long sigh.

 

"You made it," Justin said rubbing his neck.

 

"Barely.  For the last half hour I was wishing that my sword was real so I could fall on it and put myself out my misery."

"You did good, Mr. Mayor.  I'll give you your reward later," Justin said with a twinkle in his eye.

 

Brian groaned.  "First we have to go to this fucking charity thing."

 

"Just for an hour," Justin stated. 

 

"That's fucking too long."

"Brian, behave yourself."

"Yes, D'Artagnan, I will follow your lead."

"That'll be the day!"

 

Brian swatted his butt and they went out to find Chuck and the limo.

 

                                                                -----

 

Two hours later they were on their way home from the charity masquerade ball.  They had shaken so many hands and smiled until their faces felt like they were going to crack.  They had danced a couple of times but couldn't wait to get out of there.

 

Justin leaned against Brian as they rode in the back of the limousine.  "Brian," Justin said, "could we go to Babylon in our costumes?"

 

"What the fuck for?"

"I want to show off.  We look great, and everybody will be so jealous that I have the handsome musketeer all to myself."

 

"You just want them to see that you got me into this fucking costume when nobody else could for all those years."

 

"That too," Justin said with a giggle.

 

"Brat!"

 

"So can we go?"  Justin batted his eyes at Brian.

 

Brian leaned in and kissed that mouth that was always so desirable to him.  He had stopped wanting any other tricks over the last few months.  Nobody measured up to Justin.  He wouldn't trade what he had with this young man for anything.

 

"Okay, but just for a few minutes."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Justin gushed leaning back so Brian could kiss him more easily.  They were starting to get all hot and bothered so Justin pulled away or they would never get to Babylon.   He told Chuck to take them to the club.

 

They were admitted to the club immediately even though there was a line-up stretching down the block.  After all Justin was a King of Babylon and Brian was the mayor.  Together they were one hot couple especially in their musketeer outfits.

 

They headed to the dance floor and managed to get one dance in before Michael found them.  He was dressed as Captain Astro and Justin almost burst out laughing as he looked at the fake plastic muscles covering Michael's scrawny body.

 

Brian gave him a kiss and commented, "I might have known."

"What else would I be?"

 

"The mind can't conceive," Brian replied.

 

"You two look great!" Michael grinned.  "Come have a drink with us."

Michael herded them over to the bar where they found Ben dressed as a Buddhist monk and Emmett as what could only be described as some demented rock star.

 

"Who are you, Emm?" Justin asked as he gave the man a kiss.

 

"Don't you recognize me?" Emmett asked.

 

Brian and Justin looked him up and down.  He had a blonde wig, huge earrings, a cutoff fuchsia top and his cowboy leather pants with no bum.  Glitter covered his face and every other exposed part of his body and there was quite a bit of bare skin visible.

 

"Miss Piggy?" Brian asked.

 

"Oh, that was cruel, even for you, Brian." Emmett replied swatting the mayor on the arm.

 

Brian grinned that silly grin of his, happy to have made Emmett wince as usual.

 

"Who are you?" Justin asked again.

 

"I'm the virgin slut, Britney Spears," Emmett said proudly.

 

Brian spit out some of his drink as he laughed at loud.  "Only you, Emmett, only you.  Has anybody seen Ted these days?" Brian asked.

 

"He was here a while ago with Blake," Emmett answered.  "He seems to be doing okay."

"I'm glad to hear that," Brian said.

 

"Why, do you miss tormenting him?" Michael asked.

 

"I just want him to be okay, Michael," Brian replied.

 

"Let's dance," Justin said and pulled Brian out onto the dance floor.

 

Justin could feel people's eyes on them, but it wasn't half as much fun as he had thought it would be.  After the dance he told Brian that he was ready to go home.  They left quickly before anyone could stop them.

 

In the car Justin cuddled into Brian's arms.  Brian rested his chin on Justin's head.

 

"I've had it for today," Brian groaned.

 

"Yeah, time for bed," Justin chuckled.

 

"That's the best idea you've had since these costumes."

 

"And after all the trouble I had getting you into it, now I can't wait to get you out of it," Justin said licking his lips.

 

                                                               -----

 

The morning newspaper revealed a picture of Brian and Gus dueling at City Hall.  It was captioned with "The Next Generation of Politicians" and an article questioning why the mayor and his son couldn't have found American icons to dress up as.

 

"I can't win no matter what I do," Brian said.

 

"Maybe you should forget about trying," Justin said.  "Dress up as Julius Caesar and overthrow the government.  That's the least they deserve."

 

 

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