Justin stopped in at Darren’s place and brought him something to eat.  Something not from the Diner.  Darren was surprised because he and Justin had never been close and suddenly Brian’s twink, Darren wasn’t really sure how to label him, was paying attention to him.  He accepted Justin’s gift with all the grace of Shandra Leer.

While Justin was grateful that this Darren wasn’t having to wear a cast on his foot and another on his arm, that he had no idea how close he’d come to being beaten.  Justin felt that it was very important that Darren not let his guard down for a moment.  After talking with Darren from the first time he felt that he’d been doing was his best to forget his bashing and now with the years following he’d learned that it was not the best way to deal with what happened to him, that it had not helped in any way shape or form.           

When Justin left Darren’s, he was unhappy.  He knew from last time that the Darren who had been bashed wasn’t going to do anything to help put the thugs away.  This Darren was of the same mind and Justin didn’t want to let them get away with what could happen to someone else.  That brought him to think about what happened with the Pink Posse.  That hadn’t worked out back then, but there had to be something that could be done.

Justin walked back to the loft, brushing his longish hair out of his face.  Frankly, he was having a hard time remembering how he’d managed to get involved with them.                                                               

Looking back, he remembered Ben and Mel getting a group to meet and discuss Darren’s bashing.  To the best of his recollection, nothing had come out of this meeting except some half-ass ideas and Cody Bell sounded off on what he thought should be done.

The whole thing had been boring.  Depressing.

He unlocked the building door and headed straight for the lift.  When he arrived on the third floor, he had a tough decision to make.  Should he go to his own loft or to the one he shared with Brian.  Suddenly the door to the loft he shared with Daphne opened and out came his best friend, one finger stuck in her ear while holding her cell phone. 

There was a lot of noise coming from behind the closed door.  Daphne hurriedly finished her call.  “Hey, Jus.  Molly’s having a sleepover with her friends, Gus decided he wanted to join in.  Right now he’s being spoilt with all the attention.”   She laughed.  “You want to join us?”

Justin shook his head.  “I’m not in the mood for loud.”

Justin moved to the loft’s door and put in the code before opening it.  Compared to Daphne’s place it was quiet as a tomb.  Too quiet.

“Justin?  That you,” Brian’s voice called from the bedroom.

Hurrying into the bedroom, Justin thought.  Brian, bedroom, no kids.  Sure enough, Brian was stretched out over the spread wearing his worn jeans with the top buttons undone and no shirt.  Justin licked his lips and crawled into the bed and curled up with him.

“Something wrong?”  Brian asked.

Justin snuggled closer and shook his head.

“Jus, I like to think I know you fairly well and lately you seem like you are not your usual perky self.  You can tell me.  If not me maybe you can talk to someone who is paid to listen.”

Justin pulled away, sat up, and looked at Brian in disbelief.  “Are you actually telling me to talk to a shrink?”

Brian nodded.  “I’ve been seeing someone for a while now.  I can give him a call for you if you want.”

“Why?  I can’t believe you’re seeing someone.”

Brian sighed.  “I started seeing Alex when Mikey started to get too possessive.  Mikey will never change, but the way I view him has.  If you want, you can come with me to my next appointment.”

Justin agreed.  This was a side of Brian that Justin had never seen.  Brian had been changing even then.  Justin remembered feeling angry about what he hadn’t done against the person that had bashed him.  Even though this time he had not been bashed and they’d managed to keep Darren from being attacked the memories were still there. 

qaf

“Where are we going?”  Justin asked.  He looked at Brian who was rolling his lips. 

“Alex called me this morning and asked me to meet him here,” Brian said as he pulled into a field. 

Some very strange looking people were coming out from the woods at the back of the field.  This was something that Justin had never experienced the first time, so he grabbed onto Brian’s hand for dear life. They were greeted by a man with flowers in his snow-white hair who was wearing a very strange outfit.

“Brian, thank you for coming.  Welcome to the Fairie Frolic.”

Brian and Justin exchanged looks.  Both thinking the same thing.  ‘What the fuck’.   In spite of any misgivings, Justin and Brian followed Alex into the woods where there were lots of men wandering around in weird costumes while others were naked.

“The Fairie Gathering, as we like to call it, has been around for over forty years.  It was started as a way for queers to get together and, well, let their hair down.” 

They walked deeper into the woods, the sun shining down through the trees, a babbling brook meandering through a clearing before coming to a ramshackle shack.  An elderly man who looked a lot like Santa Claus came out and took one look at Brian and Justin before declaring, “You two must be virgins!”

Brian and Justin exchanged looks before bursting out laughing.

Alex, with a big grin, introduced them.  “Your life as a faerie is about to begin!  This is Periwinkle-the Queen Registrar and Official Greeter.”

As if reading their minds Periwinkle let out a roaring, “Ho, ho, ho.  It’s my fairie name.  Everyone has one.”

“Hey, Sunshine, you already have one.” Brian’s eyes twinkled and Justin couldn’t help smiling back at him with the smile that had earned him the nickname.

Periwinkle nodded his approval than looked Brian up and down.  “It’s obvious that your name is Stud.”

Brian sighed.  “It’s a name I’ve outgrown.”

“Well, this is a special place.  If you don’t like that one, you can come up with another.  This is a magical place where you leave your real life behind.  At least for a little while.  So, take your time, get some clothes.  Then get settled in your cabin, dinner’s coming up.”  Periwinkle waved his arm at racks of unusual clothing.

Alex grabbed a couple of clothing items and led them down a pathway to where a couple of cabins were.  “By the way, my name here is Fox.  Try to remember it.”

Justin's eyes followed Alex as he went out the door, which was really just beads hanging down.  Nothing like this had happened before so he didn’t know what to expect.  He looked at Brian wondering why he wasn’t saying ‘Fuck this.  We’re out of here.’ But it never came.  Instead, four midgets burst through the beaded doorway and began undressing them, then redressing them in the clothes Alex had left.

With dismay, Justin looked down at the animal print sarong and leather sandals.  Turning he found a mirror and was forced to find his head encased in a bright green turban.  He turned to complain to Brian only to be consumed with lust.  His tongue hung out as he ogled Brian whose bare chest was covered by a sleeveless denim jacket, his legs covered by a red plaid kilt and work boots on his feet.

Brian had a smirk on his face.  It was obvious that he knew how he was affecting Justin.  “Nice dress you have on there, Sunshine.”

Justin scrunched up his nose.        

Brian smiled and took Justin by the hand leading him out through the beads.  They walked around and Brian seemed to enjoy this much to Justin’s surprise.  They watched a group of naked men play volleyball and were tempted to join them.  They walked through the woods hand in hand, Brian pulling Justin back when he wanted to wander off. 

They made it back to the clearing in time for the dinner bell to ring.  Queers from every nook and cranny showed up and herded Brian and Justin to a buffet line.  From there they were led to a circle of stones where other fairies were sitting and eating.

They were just sitting down when …

“Briiian,” was heard loud and long.

Brian sighed and turn, seeing Mikey standing there with Vic standing beside him.  At least Justin thought it was Vic.  He hadn’t seen Vic in a while, so it was possible that he’d gained weight.  There was just something about him that felt different.

“Ho, ho,” Periwinkle rang out.  “If it isn’t Dumpling and Cherub.  Come with me, I have some fairies I want you to meet.”

“I want to stay with my best friend,” Michael whined causing Justin to wince.

Alex, or Fox as Justin remembered him wanting to be called, rushed over.

“Dumpling and Debra, you two need to register first.  Periwinkle, will you see to it?”

Justin and Brian exchanged looks.  Had they heard correctly?  Was the slightly plump, gray-haired person really Deb?

“Here have some mushrooms,” someone said as they laid a plate of mushrooms on the table.

Both automatically took a couple of mushrooms, eating them without thinking. 

“Deb has been taking testosterone.  She figures if she comes out as a gay man, she’ll still be able to enjoy dick.  Seeing as she’ll have to save for treatments and operations, I don’t see her actually transitioning any time soon.”

Justin blinked.  The voice was familiar but the face.  Gone was the makeup and the wig.  “Mysterious Marilyn?”

The guy sitting across from them smirked.  He waved his hands which still had painted nails.   “You can call me Mystery.”  His expression turned thoughtful.  “I’m not sure what’s up with that blonde friend of yours.  It’s all about me, me, me.  The dark-haired one is the same.  They are not thinking of each other.’’

Justin looked at Brian to see what he thought about what Mysterious Marilyn had said.  Brian was staring off into space with a whimsical smile on his face.  When he turned back to Mystery, the seat across from them was empty.