Pairing: Chris and Brian
Words: ambient; daughter; decode; evict


The level of ambient noise in the house was high, even for a place
inhabited by Chris Kirkpatrick.  Brian rubbed his eyes and yawned
as he came down the stairs.  It had been a long night -- a good
night, but a long one.  If Chris had lived in an apartment instead
of owning his own house, the landlord would have evicted him for
the noise level alone.

Yes, it had been a good homecoming.

But now, Brian wanted coffee.  He yawned again, and went into the
kitchen.

There was crying, and he blinked.  Chris was holding a small child
and bouncing her against his shoulder.  "Is there something you
haven't told me?"

Chris made a face at him.  "Brian, meet Brianna.  Joey's daughter. 
And, no, he didn't name her after you."

Brian shuffled past Chris toward the coffee maker.  The Holy Grail. 
Already turned on and with coffee ready and waiting.  "And you're
babysitting at 8 in the morning, why?"

Chris grimaced and grunted.  "Yeah, well."

Knowing Chris the way he did, Brian was able to decode that little
speech as Chris owing Joey for something no doubt hideously
inconvenient and embarrassing that Chris had done to him in the
past.  Probably not unlike the incident involving Brian's dry
cleaning, the two clowns and the pastrami sandwich that had more or
less directly led to Brian ending up in Chris' bed in the first
place.

He sipped his coffee, feeling more awake already, and smiled at
Brianna.  "I love kids.  Think she'd like to go to the park?"

Chris frowned at him.  "I had plans for today."

Brian smiled sunnily.  "The only plans I had were to spend time
with you.  As long as I get to be with you, I'm happy."

"You're not going to let me sulk about this, are you?"

"Nope."

"Fine.  Be that way.  It's all your fault if I have a good time."

He grinned.  Chris was pouting.  It was cute.  "I can live with
that."


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