Title: Thanks, That Was Fun
Author: D
Pairing: Brian/AJ
Feedback: If you can spare the two seconds;)
Rating: donno, dude. Never was good with the rating system.
Notes: Story inspired by Barenaked Ladies song of the same name....title, okay, that was direct stealing....hopefully they won't sue me.
Disclaimer: I wish! Ya, don't know 'em, don't know anything about them, although I know a friend of a friend.....no I don't Warning: It's SLASH.....m/m 'situations' 'relationships' as well as strong language *swearing*
(1)
'What if this doesn't work?' Brian asked himself. 'It could fail you know. This plan could just fall flat on its face. But can I really continue to live with this situation, knowing the way I feel?' He looked around the living room of Kevin's house. They were all living at Kevin's house. A few months previous, Kevin had gotten a divorce from his wife, and the entire group had moved in to keep Kev company. They just...never moved out, any of them.
"What's up, Bri?" came a voice from behind his head. Excitement and fear flew through him as he turned his head. Both feelings died as his eyes landed on Nick.
"Oh, hey Nick. It's just you," he muttered to himself. Nick gave an insulted laugh.
"I take offence to that, I'll have you know." Brian just went back to staring at the wall paper.
"I just thought you were A--someone else. Sorry." 'God. They don't even sound the same,' he admonished himself. 'Talk about wishful thinking!'
"Um," Nick began, wondering if it was even possible to maintain Brian's attention for more than a full second. "I was wondering....Are you and AJ..."
"What about AJ?" Brian asked, suddenly very interested in what Nick had to say.
"Are you two fighting and trying to hide it from us?" Nick inquired. "'Cause you two are acting awful strange around each other, and frankly it's weirding me out." 'No, we've been fucking and trying to hide it from you,' Brian corrected in his head... At least, he thought it had been in his head. "WHAT??" Nick shrieked.
"Hmm?" Brian responded, distracted by his thoughts.
"You're fucking AJ!"
"Who told you?" Brian demanded, shooting to his feet. Anger and panic both overwhelmed him. what would AJ say? What would AJ DO? Who told? Who could possibly know besides him and AJ? Did AJ tell? Had AJ been bragging....
"You did, dumb ass!" Nick told him, silencing the thoughts in Brian's head. 'Whew, no one knew except him and AJ....and Nick. Shit, Nick knew.'
"You can't tell. Please, Nick," Brian begged. "No one can know! If our friendship ever meant anything-"
"What do I look like? A tattletale?" Nick interrupted. "And if you think that we're so closed-minded that we couldn't accept you two, then fuck you, Brian. I thought you knew us better than that." Nick gave his best friend a hurt look, as if Brian had just punched him in the gut, then walked from the room. Brian sighed. He wished he could tell people. He WANTED to tell people. He wanted everyone in the world to know that he was in love with AJ so bad, but he couldn't. He had to put his plan into action first.
(2)
AJ looked around the corner at Brian who looked so forlorn and lost. His deal with Brian had to've been the stupidest thing to ever have been uttered from his lips. Nick rounded the corner and glared at him.
"What?" AJ called after him. "Flake," he muttered and went back to staring at his lover, reminiscing.
About a year ago, he'd woken up with one HELL of a hangover, and felt someone beside him. He couldn't remember the night before for the life of him. It was all fuzz and figures moving around him that had no faces. He rolled onto his back and felt someone laying beside him. Turning his head very slowly, he found Brian, sleeping peacefully...and NAKED beside him. He almost bolted from the bed. He slept with Brian? But Brian wasn't like that. It wasn't like he hadn't fantasized about his friend...hell, how could he not, but he never dreamed that Brian could even THINK about even looking at AJ in that way. He managed not to bolt, but was ready to slip out slowly when, at that moment, Brian made a small sound of protest in his sleep, and cuddled up to AJ, moving an arm across AJ's stomach. His heart melted, and he laid back against the pillow, turning his head to look at his friend....the man he had slept with last night, and suddenly wished with all this soul that he could remember. He hoped Brian remembered. His hopes were confirmed when Brian slowly opened his eyes, and smiled at AJ. He cuddled even closer, placing his head on AJ's shoulder.
"Morning," Brian yawned.
"M-morning," AJ stuttered in response. A finger traced AJ's stomach muscles. "H-how do you feel?" Brian's smile widened.
"My butt hurts," he giggled. AJ had to smile at this. "But other than that, I have to admit. I have NEVER felt so good. Thank you, Age. It was beautiful." Brian leaned in and kissed AJ softly on the list. A knock at the door ruined the perfect moment, and AJ had to choke back a tear. Brian's eyes widened and it was him that bolted from the bed. "Damn. Who the hell is that?" He scrambled for his clothes and pulled them on haphazardly. "Who's there?" Brian called, attempting to stall.
"Brian?" asked the voice in surprise. "It's Howie." AJ raised an eyebrow. What the hell was Howie doing outside his door. "I take it AJ's awake?"
"Oh hell ya," AJ responded. Finally, Brian was dressed, and ripped open the door. Howie looked at him shocked.
"Whoa. What's with the ripping the door off of the hinges?" He walked into the room regardless, and sat on the edge of AJ's bed. "How you feelin, man? You looked pretty thrashed last night." AJ shrugged, then smiled at Brian.
"I felt kinda shitty initially, but opened my eyes, and suddenly felt fantastic." Brian blushed, and looked away, smiling.
"I'd feel good if I were you, too. Holy shit. I don't know who you were nailing, but I could hear you screaming down the hall."
"Howard!" AJ exclaimed, shocked. Had he really been that loud?
"You, too, Bri," Howie commented. "That's why I was surprised to hear you in here this morning." Brian choked on his own breath and began coughing. AJ thought he was going to run out of the room, but was shocked again, when Brian's coughs turned into laughter.
"I'm sorry, did we keep you up?" Brian asked Howie. AJ groaned, as the meaning of the words decoded themselves in his head.
"Oh shit. I don't think Howie needs to hear about this so early in the morning," AJ said in a warning tone. Brian shrugged, but kept a secretive smile on his lips. Howie's eyes flickered from AJ to Brian and back again.
"Whatever. I'll talk to you two later."
"I'm sure you will," AJ responded, watching Howie open, then walk through the door.
"I'm glad that's over," Brian said. AJ sighed.
"I'm glad you knew who's room this was." Brian frowned.
"You don't remember last night?" AJ shook his head reluctantly.
"And believe me, I really wish I did." Brian's frown turned into a wicked smile seconds later. He walked over to the foot of the bed, then crawled up AJ's body on his hands and knees.
"Need a little reminder?" AJ grinned.
"If you don't mind." Brian kissed AJ.
"Oh, I don't mind." He kissed AJ again, a little longer this time. "I don't mind at all."
(3)
Brian was remembering the second time they made love as well. Well, to AJ, it was sex, but Brian'd always been one to romanticize everything, especially since, frankly, he was in love with AJ. He remembered how AJ hand been so responsive when Brian had touched him. The way AJ kissed him whole heartedly. How gentle AJ was when he pushed into Brian's hole, and AJ kissed and nibbled on his shoulder. AJ took his breath away a second time as they climaxed in unison, and AJ collapsed on top of him. AJ's weight felt so good on top of him. He kissed AJ's neck and AJ rolled away. Brian wished he could have spent the rest of his life, or at least the rest of the day, wrapped in AJ's arms, but he rose instead, knowing that they had to go back to the real world. So the next day, when AJ cornered him and suggested they continue to be lovers, Brian jumped at the chance.
"We can go for as long as you want, you can end it at any time," AJ assured him.
"I already said yes!" Brian exclaimed, throwing his arms around AJ. "There's no convincing required here, I promise you." AJ smiled.
"I know. I just felt maybe you might want some sort of assurance that I'm not expecting anything permanent. And know one has to know if you don't want that. Oh, one more thing. No regrets, right?" Brian had been so elated at the time that he never questioned the meaning behind AJ's words, and sure never considered that he would fall head over heels in love with him.
The question that was bugging him now, one year later, was did AJ feel the same way? He intended to find the answer to that out with this plan. When he saw AJ come around the corner, he knew it was time.
"AJ," Brian said, wrapping the other man in a hug.
"Hey, babe," AJ returned, kissing Brian on the neck. Brian bit his lip as he pulled back.
"Uh, AJ. I need to talk to you." 'Here goes. If this doesn't work...' He shook the thoughts from his head. It had to work.
"What is it?" AJ asked, looking concerned.
"What we have together, it's really great," Brian began, worrying his lip again.
"I'd say."
"But, well, I think it's time....that we move on, you know?" Brian saw something flicker through AJ's eyes, but it never formed into an expression on his face and was quickly gone. AJ just nodded, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"Okay." Brian's jaw dropped. 'That's not what's supposed to happen!' Brian shouted in his mind. 'You're supposed to say no! Refuse! You're supposed to tell me how much you love me and that you won't let me go! I'm supposed to tell you how much I love you and we live happily ever after!' A tear sprung to his eye and he hoped it didn't fall. "Is that all?" AJ inquired. Brian didn't move a muscle. "Oookay then. It's been fun. I gotta go...do...something." Brian was no longer listening though, and didn't notice AJ turn on his heel and leave. He was back to staring at the ugly flowered wallpaper in order to hold his feelings in check and analyse the execution of his plan. What had gone wrong? Eventually he realized he was alone, and sat down in the chair he had been in before and let hot tears run down his face.
AJ stepped out of the room and resisted the urge to put a hole through a wall with his hand, or foot, or head even. Anything that would make the pain in his heart lessen. Thank God he could act, or Brian would be laughing his head off at the complete ass he'd be making of himself right now to get him to reconsider. He leaned against the wall and slid to the ground before beginning to sob uncontrollably. What had he done wrong? He was so SURE that Brian had been in love with him just as much as he had been with Brian. He'd given the man all the freedom and space that he'd needed and had never told Brian what he'd felt for fear of scaring him off. Had that been his mistake? He would have laughed at himself if he could breathe. If he had've told Brian he'd lived him and then Brian broke up with him anyway, he never would have been able to save face. Better to part this way, with Brian thinking the parting had been as casual and easy to AJ has it had been to himself. He tried to wipe the tears from his face, but it was useless. Fresh tears only replaced the old one seconds after. He pressed the heel of his palm to his eyes, hoping that like a bleeding wound, pressure would stem the flow. He didn't even notice a figure standing over him as he sniffed, until it spoke.
"AJ?" Nick. AJ looked up with bloodshot eyes, full of anger and bitter resentment.
"Shit. What the FUCK could you possibly want?"
"N-nothing," Nick stuttered, taking a defensive step back. "Are you alright?"
"Do I look alright?" AJ snapped. He ran the back of his hands across his runny nose.
"What happened,?" Nick inquired softly. He squatted down to be on AJ's level. "Is it Brian?" AJ looked at him again, wondering how he could have connected it. Nick gave a reluctant grin. "Bri kinda let spill," Nick admitted in response to the unvoiced question. "I'm just really concerned, AJ. I mean, I've never seen you cry before. You're scaring me." AJ let out a shuddering sigh.
"Brian just dumped my sorry ass," AJ told him. Hey, since Nick was making admissions, what the hell, right?
"Oh." Nick sat down beside AJ, and placed a comforting hand on the other man's knee. "I'm so sorry. I never imagined...."
"Ya, well, neither did I," AJ said when Nick didn't finish. He looked over at the blond and tried to discern what he was thinking. "Nick, can you do me a favour?" Nick turned and looked into AJ's eyes. He nodded. "Can you not tell anyone about this?" Nick opened his mouth to give AJ the same response he'd given Brian about the groups acceptance of their lifestyle, but was interrupted. "Because, I figure I handled myself pretty well out there, and I'd rather Brian not know that I'm actually around the corner from him, bawling my eyes out about it, if you know what I mean." Nick smiled softly at his friend, and agreed. "Thanks, Nick. I knew I could count on you." Nick placed an arm around AJ's shoulder and urged him closer, allowing him to lay his head on Nick's shoulder. AJ, overwhelmed by Nick's acceptance, kindness, and comforting, began to cry once again.
(4)
"Well, you look like shit," Kevin stated when Brian walked in the kitchen after one whole hour of sleep the night before.
"Thanks, you're so sweet," Brian responded in a sarcastic voice. He sat down at the table in a chair across from Kevin, and looked his cousin in the eye. "Kevin, your wallpaper is the ugliest thing I have ever seen." Kevin shrugged. "If your wallpaper was a cat, it would be the ugliest cat on earth! It would be PUT DOWN because it was so ugly, okay? If it were a person, it would get it's ass kicked daily. If it were-"
"What is your problem?" Kevin demanded. "Holy geez, it's just wallpaper. I never realized you were such an interior decorating freak. If you want it down that bad, I'm sure we can find something to...suit your taste and won't have to be 'put down.'"
"Whatever." Brian looked toward a nearby window.
"Well, what the hell is your problem?" Kevin repeated. Brian tried to collect his thoughts, but found that he couldn't think of anything. "You'll feel better if it comes out," Kevin tried again. Brian figured there were no thoughts left in his head. He was all thought out. Everything spouting from his mouth had no thought behind it, even the wallpaper comment-ESPECIALLY the wallpaper comment. He only said it because he was still angry and he'd spent a good six hours of time he should have been sleeping last night, staring at the Godforsaken stuff. After three hours, the paper had started to move on him, and he'd finally quit focussing on it so that it had just become a flowery blur as a background to what thoughts he'd had left. "Suit yourself," Kevin finally said.
"Here's the deal. You can't tell anyone though, okay?" Kevin nodded. "Okay, for a year now, me and AJ have been sleeping together." No emotion crossed Kevin's face. Brian waited, but still, nothing came. He expected surprise in the very least, maybe a little wrath.
"And," Kevin urged. No shock, no surprise. Nothing.
"I-I..." Nick had been right. Hmph. "I dumped him last night."
"Oh, Brian. I'm sorry. I thought you guys were doing so well. You seemed so happy!" Brian was the one to be shocked.
"You knew!" Kevin stared at him, bemused.
"Of course I did. Do you think I'm blind?" He gave a little laugh. "You haven't left his side on stage in the past year, you're always in each other's rooms. Oh, and there was that one night in the hotel a year ago...."
"Oh my God, I knew that would come back to haunt me. I was hoping that Howie was the only one that heard." Kevin shook his head.
"Howie just didn't make the connections, that's all." He paused. "So, do you want to talk about it? Like, maybe why you dumped him when you very obviously love him so much." Brian sighed. Sooner or later he'd learn that Kevin was like God's secretary or something. He knew everything before everyone else, and nothing phased him.
"I don't know why I did it," Brian admitted. "I just had to check. I was positive that AJ was just as in love with me as I was with him, but I guess I was wrong. Maybe I should have just left well enough alone." Kevin nodded.
"You wouldn't have been happy just staying with him without knowing, though, cuz. I just hope you made the right decision." Brian took in a calming breath.
"Me, too, Kev." AJ chose that moment to walk in.
"Hey, Kev," he greeted, circling the table. "Hey, Bri." He gave his former lover a friendly slap on the back. He sat down in a chair next to Brian. "What up?"
"Nothing," Brian mumbled.
"How exciting for you." He leaned forward and stole Kevin's coffee cup, then took a sip. "Oh. Nick and I are gonna go to a movie. Do you wanna come?" Brian scowled.
"Movin' on awful quit, aren't we." AJ took another sip of Kevin's coffee to stop himself from answering. 'Don't retaliate,' he ordered himself. 'Don't answer out of anger.' When he put down the cup he was smiling.
"Aww, come on. Mothman Prophecies. You said you wanted to see it. It's supposed to be reeeal scary."
"Why are you doing this to me?" Brian asked before he rose from his seat and left the room.
"You just had to say no," AJ shouted after him.
"NO!" AJ huffed and slid Kevin's cup back across the table. He laid his head on the table, face down.
"What the hell crawled up his ass and died?" he said into the table.
"Maybe the fact that he dumped you?" Kevin reminded. AJ's head shot up.
"Ya, he dumped me. I'm supposed to be the one all pissy, not him!"
"Which you seem not to be right now."
"So?" AJ responded defensively. Kevin shook his head in amazement.
"Sometimes you guys are so dense it blows me away, you know that?"
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" AJ inquired, raising an eyebrow.
"Never mind." AJ thought a full second, then suddenly realized their topic.
"How the hell did you know about this?" AJ demanded.
"A little bird told me."
"Nick? I'll kill him." He shot up from his seat, ready to kill Nick. Kevin placed an arresting hand on AJ's arm.
"Brian." AJ's mouth formed an O in response and he sat back into his seat. "Plus, I pretty much knew already. Hey, Nick," Kevin greeted, not looking up, as the younger man walked into the room.
"Hey, Kev. AJ. What time's the movie?"
"I'M FINE!" Brian screamed from the other room. "JUST LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE!!!" Nick's eyes widened.
"Gee, what's wrong with Brian?" Nick asked in a bad acting voice.
"I know," Kevin told Nick flatly. Nick sighed with relief and slammed himself down into a chair at the end of the table.
"Whew. I thought I was never going to have someone to talk to." AJ rolled his eyes. "Well, besides you, of course," Nick saved himself. He tried to distract AJ. "Movie?"
"Oh, like two o'clock, I think."
"I take it Brian isn't coming?" AJ shook his head.
"Can't say as I blame him," he added with a sad gaze pointed at the room from which Brian had just screamed. "Was I smothering?" AJ asked Kevin. Kevin was taken aback.
"Pardon?"
"Well you said you already knew. Was I that obvious? Did I smother him in some way to make him want to leave me?" AJ insisted. Kevin shook his head.
"It was a guess. I couldn't tell how close you were or whether you were quote unquote smothering him," Kevin stated. Nick nudged Kevin with his elbow.
"Uh, Kev. Unquote isn't actually a word."
"Shut up," Kevin snapped. Nick shrugged, and looked away from the table. Brian came through the room, acting like....like a freak.
"'Unquote's not a word. Unquote's not a word,'" Brian mocked, walking kinda penguinish. "Shut up, Nick!" He walked past the blond and smacked him upside the head, then walked from the room, a scowl taking over his entire face.
"Hey!" Nick shouted at Brian. He turned to AJ. "Thanks a lot, AJ! Brian hates me now." He shot up from his seat and stalked after his friend.
"How the hell did this become my fault?" AJ demanded, standing from his own seat. "He's the one who broke up with me, REMEMBER??" He stormed out of the kitchen in the direction of his room. For a full moment, Kevin was blissfully alone. He reached for the newspaper he'd been holding when Brian'd walked in. Then, Howie entered.
"What the hell is wrong with them?" Howie questioned. He turned to Kevin for the answer. Kevin fixed his face to look as innocent as possible, then turned to look at Howie.
"I don't know."
(5)
By the time Nick caught up to Brian, he'd really worked himself up. Unfortunately, he hadn't really worked on what he would say, so the first thing in his mind was the first thing out of his mouth.
"Just because you and AJ broke up doesn't mean you take it out on me!" Nick stopped and covered his mouth with both hands. Brian looked at Nick with a strange look in his eye.
"He told you!" Brian accused, jabbing a finger at Nick's chest. "I can't believe he told you."
"No!" Nick defended. "I was around the corner when you broke up with him." Brian looked unconvinced but said nothing. "You told Kevin!"
"Ya, but that's different."
"Oh? How so, Brian. Just 'cause Kevin's family?"
"Well, ya, I guess." Nick frowned.
"Now I was under the impression that you considered all of us family. I consider you family, Brian."
"Well, I told him, and you know too, so it's over with."
"Besides," Nick continued, ignoring Brian's brush off. "If you broke up with AJ, then why the hell are you being so hard on the guy? And me!"
"How is it always my fault?" Brian demanded.
"You BROKE UP WITH HIM!" Nick stressed. Brian ran a hand through his hair and stormed to the other side of the room.
"I-I didn't mean to, Nick. That wasn't how it was supposed to happen."
"And what WAS supposed to happen?" Nick asked, not quite understanding Brian's point of view.
"He sure as hell wasn't supposed to be so damned non-chalant!" Brian exclaimed, throwing his hands up. "I-I'm sorry, I'm just angry. I never thought that this would happen."
"Again, what did you expect? You say, I'm leaving you....the other person leaves."
"Not AJ," Brian whispered. "He's supposed to feel the same."
"You were in love with AJ," Nick stated, suddenly realizing the reality of the situation. "So you challenged him to make sure he felt the same."
"I-I guess you could say that," Brian stammered. Nick shook his head and closed his eyes.
"That wasn't cool, Brian. I think you could've found a better way to handle it."
"Probably, but..." Nick stepped forward, cutting his friend off.
"I mean, challenging someone is tricky. People-" He paused to gather his thoughts. "People are stupid. People don't know it's a challenge unless it's handed to them on a little blue card that has 'challenge' written across the top in block letters. AJ thought you were serious, Brian. And since he thought you were serious, he sure as hell wasn't about to tell you he was in love with you when you were in the middle of dropping him. You should have just told him how you felt instead of trying to force his hand."
"I-I couldn't when I wasn't sure he felt the same. I'm still not." Nick sighed.
"Well, you know what, Bri? It's time for a little tough love, so put up or shut up." Brian's eyes widened in shock.
"Huh?"
"You're the one who broke up with Age, so either tell him how you feel, or live with your decision and quit treating him, and the rest of your friends, like dirt. There, I've said my piece." He stared at Brian, waiting for a response. Brian just continued to stare. "You know what? I think I'll go see that movie now. Care to join?" Brian blinked back to life. Nick was right, in his warped way. Put up or shut up. And seeing as he could never tell AJ he was in love with him now, he decided to live with the decision he had made.
"I guess," Brian agreed. He walked over to grab a jacket and joined his friend in walking toward AJ's room.
AJ grumbled various curse words, most pointed toward Brian, while pacing his room. He suddenly stopped and fell to his bed. The anger only served to rekindle the sadness he was feeling and tears pricked at his eyes. There was a knock at the door, and he quickly wiped away the few tears that had streaked his cheeks.
"What?" he demanded gruffly. Nick's head poked in the door and the blond frowned, shaking his head in sympathy. AJ knew from the look that Brian was standing behind him.
"Ready for that movie?" Nick inquired. "Brian's coming." AJ cringed unconsciously.
"I'm not so sure I'm up for a movie right now, Nick," AJ told his friend. Brian poked his head in, looking thoroughly guilty. His voice was quiet. AJ turned his head. He refused to let Brian see his red, watery eyes.
"Come on, Age. Mothman Prophecies. I heard it's reeeeeally scary." AJ had to laugh at this. Finally, he stood, slipping on his sunglasses.
"Okay." Nick looked at the pale faces of the two other men.
"Okay. Great. Just three friends, going to see a really cool movie!" He threw one arm around each and pulled them toward the door. When no one added to his talk, he continued to fill in the void. "This movie is gonna be sooooo creepy guys. I promise you. This guy I know said...." Both men tuned him out, both thinking the same thought. Love sucked.
(6)
'It's just that I'm overrun with emotions lately,' Brian tried to convince himself. 'That's why this movie is so scary. Right? I mean, AJ's not scared. AJ's never scared.' He looked over at AJ who was slumped in his seat. He wasn't positive that AJ was actually paying attention, but he definitely wasn't scared. 'Nick...Nick's not scared either.' He looked over at Nick who was cackling at the screen at a part that wasn't supposed to be funny. Panicked, he looked back at AJ. Nick'd obviously gone insane. AJ glanced at Brian's wide, frightened eyes, looked past him at Nick, then smirked at Brian then turned back to the screen. Brian did the same, reluctantly. Something flashed across the screen, and Brian jumped, clutching onto AJ's arm. He could hear AJ's low laugh in the dark.
"You always were a scaredy-cat," AJ said.
"Was not," Brian grumbled, pulling his hand back into his lap. AJ turned to look at him and smiled.
"Was too." Brian tilted toward AJ, feeling a little less scared. AJ reached up and rubbed Brian's back reassuringly. Brian looked over at AJ, who eventually looked back. They stared at each other a moment, then he leaned forward and kissed AJ, slowly moving his lips, hoping AJ would respond. AJ grabbed the back of his head and pulled him closer, coaxing Brian's lips open with his tongue. Brian moaned and pressed even closer, cursing the arm rest that separated them. He allowed AJ's tongue entry, then slid his hand up AJ's chest. AJ pulled away unexpectedly, causing Brian to fall forward.
"What?" AJ ran his hands over his face.
"I can't do this," he told Brian, standing. He began to walk down the aisle toward the door, and Brian made a startled sound before he actually rose from his own seat to follow. Outside, Brian squinted under the bright lights.
"What do you mean you can't do this?" Brian demanded. AJ looked at his feet before continuing.
"Brian, you hurt me," AJ finally admitted.
"I hurt YOU."
"Well, you did kinda dump me last night."
"Hell, who woulda known from the way you've been acting!"
"Which is how, exactly?" AJ inquired cooly.
"You've been pretty God damned happy if you ask me."
"Guys, guys," Nick interrupted. Neither had even noticed Nick leaving the theatre to join them. "Please. Why don't we just go back into the theatre before one of us says something he regrets?"
"Shut up, Nick," Brian and AJ chorused. Brian threw off the arm that Nick had placed around his shoulder upon leaving the theatre, and stormed from the building. Nick sighed, then followed, eventually forcing a reluctant AJ to fall in line.
When they returned to the house, Kevin was leaning against the kitchen table with his arms crossed, expectant. Once they were comfortable, he asked them how the movie was.
"It sucked," Brian and AJ responded in unison, AJ a bit more vehemently than Brian. Nick rolled his eyes.
"We wouldn't know. These two yahoos started makin out in the middle of it, then got into a fight about makin out, and we had to leave."
"They kicked you out?" Kev exclaimed, surprised. Nick shook his head.
"Naw, Brian and AJ just left, so I had to follow."
"You didn't HAVE to do anything," AJ said. "I would have been perfectly fine to have gone back into the theatre, but you had to follow this thing out when it stormed from the building like a child." Brian's eyes flashed anger.
"Oh, so I'm a thing now, am I," Brian returned, shooting up from his chair. AJ followed suit, and was quickly nose to nose with the other man.
"Well, you sure haven't been acting human as of late, now have you?"
"You know what, AJ, fuck you. How do you expect me to act?"
"Not like a psychotic cat! I mean, you're fine, you're fine, then, without warning, you go try to scratch out someone's eyes. It's deranged."
"Holy shit, we just broke up, AJ! Excuse me for expressing some emotion here, unlike SOMEONE I know." Kevin and Nick just sat back and watched the two fight as if it were a tennis match, eyes flicking from one opponent to the other.
"Well, you're sure as hell not supposed to act like you're the dumpee. You're acting like I burned you instead of the other way around! I believe you dumped me if I remember the past twenty-four hours correctly!"
"Oh my God. They're acting like they're going through a divorce," Nick grumbled to Kevin.
"Shut up, Nick!" both shouted. Brian turned to his cousin.
"Back me up here, Kev!" Kevin frowned and shook his head.
"I'm not getting involved here." Brian turned his pleading eyes on Nick.
"Nicky?"
"Hey, you just told me to shut up! And besides... No, you know what? Fuck you, I'm not gettin' involved either." Nick shook his head as if to confirm his stand. Mustering up his best Cartman impression he said, "Screw you guys, I'm goin' home," and walked to his bedroom. Kevin chuckled, then looked at the other two.
"What, you didn't think that was funny?" Blank faces looked at him in response. "Hell has frozen over. We're all dead," he stated, and pushed off of the table to follow Nick. The sound of bickering followed them through the house. Nick flopped onto his bed and flicked on the tv with the remote he'd found conveniently under his butt.
"How is it," Nick began, "that two people who have been sleeping together the past year not have some sense of what the other is thinking?" Kevin shrugged, leaning against the wall, eyes trained on the tv.
"I think they do, actually," Kevin finally responded, after a moment of thought. "Because Brian keeps saying how sure he was that AJ loved him."
"Ya, AJ keeps saying that too," Nick replied, turning to his side to look at Kevin.
"I think that they aren't sure of themselves, so they wouldn't put themselves out enough to tell the other that they love them because they're afraid of the rejection."
"Do you think we should tell them that they're just screwing themselves over?" Nick inquired. Kevin shook his head.
"They'll figure it out soon enough, when one of them gets sick of the arguing." Nick made an agreeable sound and turned back to the tv. A small smile crept across his lips.
"Wanna make a bet as to which one it is?" Nick suggested. Kevin had to chuckle. Count on Nick to make a game of an argument that determined the fate of his two best friends.
"I get AJ, you get Brian," Kevin told him. Nick groaned.
"I wanted AJ," Nick complained. "He's the one who screams things in the heat of a fight!"
"Exactly," Kevin grinned. "Are you game, or not?" Nick sighed, but nodded his head. "Twenty good for you?" Nick nodded again. "Wanna bet on how long it takes?"
"I give it two days," Nick responded. Kevin looked down at him quizzically.
"Two days?" Kevin repeated. "Two DAYS? I give it more like two minutes!"
"Are you kidding me?" Nick shook his head in denial. "They won't go off that quickly."
"Ten minutes tops," Kevin assured. Nick laughed.
"I'll be nice, I'll give you twenty." Kevin smiled slowly.
"You're on, little man. AJ says it, in no more than twenty minutes. Forty bucks, twenty for the guy, twenty for the time." Nick stood and shook Kevin's large hand. A shock went through Nick's hand.
"What the..." Nick said, backing away. Kevin smiled again, showing his teeth.
"Sit," Kevin ordered. Nick obeyed.
(7)
Two minutes went by. Five. Seven. Nine.
"And, we're coming up on your ten minutes, Kev. Guess your original guess was WAY off," Nick taunted.
"Give it time," Kevin hushed.
"You have a minute on your original ti--" A shout cut him off.
"OF COURSE I WAS HURT. I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU DAMMIT!!!" AJ's voice. Nick looked at his watch. Damn, ten minutes, on the button. Kevin looked at him triumphantly.
"Told ya," was all he said.
"Holy shit. You, you are a god, do you know that?" Kevin shrugged.
"Forty bucks, hand it over." Nick didn't even stall. He pulled out his wallet, counted out forty dollars and placed the bills into Kevin's waiting palm.
" How'd you do that?" Nick asked in awe. "That was amazing."
"I'm a god, you said so yourself."
Brian stared at AJ, dumbfounded. Was AJ serious? He didn't know what to do. He was still so angry, but AJ had said the magic words that made being angry irrational. AJ stood, head bowed as if he regretted his outburst.
"AJ, I--"
"I shouldn't have said that," AJ apologised.
"No, AJ, don't-"
"But it's the way I feel, and I can't help it. I know you don't feel that way..."
"I do!" Brian cried. AJ's head snapped up.
"What?" Brian smiled, sadly.
"I feel the same. AJ, I love you, too." Now, AJ was confused.
"But...you dumped me."
"And I regret it so much. I thought that you didn't love me, so I broke up with you thinking that you might..." He laughed at the idea now. "You might profess your love for me or something." He hung his head in shame. "I'm such an idiot." AJ placed a finger under Brian's chin and made the man look him at him. A warm, loving smile met Brian's eyes, soothing Brian's guilt.
"You're anything but an idiot," AJ assured him. "If anyone's an idiot, I am. I should have fought for you."
"Oh no," Brian insisted. "You shouldn't..." AJ's soft laugh stopped his words.
"Bri, could we not fight about not fighting?" AJ begged. Brian sighed, staring into his lover's eyes.
"All that time lost."
"Bri. It was twenty four hours."
"It'll be a story for our grandchildren," Brian said, eyes getting a far-off look in his thoughts of the future.
"Again. Twenty four hours."
"Why you gotta squash all my all my romantic notions?" Brian asked with a pout.
"Grandchildren?" AJ asked, shocked.
"Ya, grandchildren!" Brian repeated, getting a little huffy.
"I've never even thought about children for cripes sakes," AJ continued. "We're both male, you are aware of that, right?"
"You ever heard of adoption?" Brian exclaimed. AJ laughed.
"I was kidding! God, so touchy." He slid his hand up Brian's hard chest, then around his neck, pulling him closer. "Why don't we talk about this later?" he suggested against Brian's mouth. Brian's lips parted in a welcoming gesture, instead of verbally responding. "Good answer," AJ said, and pressed his mouth to Brian's, caressing the man's tongue with his own. Brian pulled away slightly.
"Can't we just pretend this fight never happened?" he asked. AJ's lips turned up in a grin.
"Okay," he said, then began to walk away. Brian's hand shot out and wrapped around AJ's thin arm.
"Get your butt back here," Brian growled. "I'm never letting go of you again." He pulled AJ to him and wrapped his arms around the other man, hugging him tightly.
"Promise?" AJ whispered, snuggling into Brian's neck. Brian smiled softly, giving his lover a squeeze.
"Promise."
