Chapter 28: Forecasted Storms

Wednesday, July 22 Year 1

Kenny

"I understand." Kenny said into his phone, the device was wedged between his ear and shoulder as he worked to clean the counter below the coffee grinder. "Just try not to work too hard."

"No Kyle again?" Bebe leaned over the counter as much as her rounded stomach allowed. It was hard to miss the fact that she was pregnant, but she hadn't said anything so Kenny just poked fun of her weight.

"Eric's been keeping him busy since the vacation." Kenny booted Bebe off the surface so he could finish cleaning. "We've been looking for a new apartment but it's a slow process when he has no free time."

"Lame."

Kenny's phone buzzed and he saw a picture of Ike appear on the screen. It was a text message, as they rarely called each other. He swiped with his freehand.

'Does this make me look fat?'

The question was followed by a photo of Ike's torso, a black band T-shirt stretched across his toned chest. The kid had mentioned months ago that he was working out when he had the free time. It showed. And Kenny was pretty sure this photo was just him fishing for compliments. He wanted to ignore the bait and tease him, but the photo offered no opportunities. How can I make fun of that? And I thought I looked hot.

Bebe stepped close, glancing at the screen. "Ike's a fan of Godsmack?"

Kenny hadn't even noticed the band name. "I guess."

The front door jingled and both Kenny and Bebe's heads snapped up. Damien waved as he moseyed to the register. He always managed to look nonchalant when visiting. "Sup?"

"Hey babe!" Bebe danced around the counter and wrapped him in a tight hug. "I didn't know you'd be stopping by."

"I was in the area."

After several kisses she looked over at Kenny then back at Damien, "I'm not on my lunch break but Kenny is, and he just got stood up by Kyle."

Damien needed no further pushing, "What are we waiting for?"

"We're not staying?"

Damien kissed the tip of Bebe's nose before pulling away, "No offense, but I would like something heartier than muffins for lunch."

"You can have me later," Bebe offered.

"Don't mind if I do." The two kissed a bit more before Bebe was back behind the counter.

Damien nodded towards the door and began walking out. Kenny stuffed his phone away and raced after the retreating doctor. "Where to?"

"How about my place?"

"Normally my dates pay for dinner first."

"Well normally my dates have a bigger rack, guess we're both out of luck."

Kenny laughed. "But you have to admit that I'm pretty good looking."

Damien regarded him out of the corner of his eye as they got in his car. "You're hot, but that personality..." He tsked.

Kenny punched him in the arm. "Just shut up and drive."

As soon as they got to Damien's place the man set to work preparing something he considered lazy. Kenny left him to it and took a seat at the table. It had been awhile since he'd last been over. He used to visit regularly, before he had a home. I need to come over more often, even if I'm not looking for a free meal or medical attention. Damien's house was static. Kenny could visit any time of the year and it would be the same.

But things were different. It was subtle, but there. Kenny noticed the bright yellow curtains, which actually allowed more light in than the old red ones. There was a bright pink mug on the shelf that read 'Call Me Queen,' it sat next to the eggshell one Kenny always borrowed. Damien now had a plant in the corner. It was one of those big leaf ones that took a lot of water. It was hard to tell if it was real or fake. Kenny was betting real though.

"And here you go," Damien set down a bowl of mac and cheese in front of Kenny. The spiral noodles were coated in real melted cheese and sprinkled with bacon bits.

"Way to pull out all the stops." It was a tease, because as Kenny said the words he was pretty sure the smell made him orgasm. Damn it smells good.

"You used to be grateful for anything," he reminded him. "Has Kyle spoiled you with his home cooking?"

"Something like that." Kenny took a bite and groaned. "I think you've leveled your cooking skills."

"Kind of had to." Damien took a couple bites of his own. "So how are you and Mr. Prince doing?"

"Good," said Kenny. "You and Bebe?"

"You saw us."

Kenny nodded. He did not miss that display of affection.

"I might marry her."

"As a friend, I'm not sure I can allow such a pure soul to be devoured by a devil."

"Aww, but you were my friend first," Damien stirred his noodles with his fork. "You should back me up."

"I was talking about you. Have you ever worked with Bebe?" Kenny's eyes were wide. "Pure evil."

Damien laughed, "A girl after my own heart."

"You don't mind all the pink sunshine and optimism?"

"I can handle it."

"Then I'm happy for you, truly happy."

"Thanks man. We're not getting hitched any time soon, or anything, but someday..."

They settled into the meal, both too hungry for chitchat. Afterwards Kenny helped wash the bowls before hopping back into Damien's car. "Sorry my break's not longer."

"We'll have to get together again soon."

Damien had to get back to work himself, with an appointment coming up, so he dropped Kenny off in the parking lot. They parted with a wave and the promise of a longer visit in the future. It was a short but hot walk across the asphalt before Kenny was inside the cafe. There were a few customers typing away on their laptops, but otherwise it was quiet.

"Welcome back." Bebe greeted him. He slipped on his apron and took over the register. She smiled in thanks as she left for her own lunch break.

The next hour slipped by slowly. Kenny had enough free time to pull out his cell phone to see if Kyle had messaged him. Nope. But he did see the text Ike had sent earlier. There were new messages below the photo.

'Did my hotness stun you?'

'Kenny?'

'It was a joke you know.'

Kenny scrambled to type, 'Shit, sorry, you are hot, I just got distracted and forgot to reply. Sorry.' He reread what he wrote and swore under his breath. He hadn't meant to be so honest.

A second later his phone buzzed. 'Something more distracting than my pecs? D: Impossible!'

'I was hungry. :( But I can tell you've been working out. You're starting to make me feel inferior.'

'I don't see how that's possible.'

Kenny looked up from his phone as the door jingled.

'G2g, working.' He shoved the phone back in his pocket and smiled at the group of women who just came in. He took care of their orders and had just delivered the drinks as another wave of customers came in.

It was near closing time when Tweek's panicked voice drew Kenny's attention to the back of the shop. Kenny left his station to investigate. He spotted Bebe and Tweek both around the tiny TV in Tweek's office.

"What's wrong?"

"The n-news said that they found a d-d-d-d-"

"A dead body," Bebe cut in.

Kenny shrugged, "That's not so strange." Sadly.

"He was eaten!" Tweek grabbed Kenny's arm, his fingers twisting into the fabric. "The forensic examiners said he was probably s-still alive."

Kenny looked at the TV where a woman in red was reading from a paper, "Initial forensics claim the bite marks left on the man are not animal, but human."

"Zombies!" Tweek crumbled to the floor spouting nonsense about how zombies were invading the city and that they were all going to die. Bebe and Kenny tried to comfort him, but not even the smell of his favorite brew drew him out of his ball of limbs.

Eventually Bebe determined that they needed to close shop early. She called Craig before helping Kenny to close down and clean the shop front. They were out the door an hour before Kyle got off work.

"Are you sure you don't want a ride sweetie?" Bebe asked as she indicated her Prius. He only knew what kind of car it was because she gushed about it for weeks after her parents bought it for her. Some people got really extravagant birthday presents.

"Nah, I'm going the opposite way." Kenny smiled to reassure her, "Have a nice night."

It had been awhile since Kyle couldn't come to pick him up. Kenny didn't mind too much, he just mostly missed his boyfriend. He started walking towards the nearest bus stop. The heat hadn't dissipated at all, and unfortunately he could feel sweat pool at his neck and arms. Things would have been a lot worse if he wasn't on his way home to AC and cold water.

He got to the bus stop and checked the schedule. Either he just missed the bus or it would be there any minute. He looked away from the timetable and spotted another person waiting. Kenny stepped to the edge of the sidewalk, eyeing the stranger briefly before glancing out at the nearby businesses. This was a different bus than the one he took to Kyle's. Stan lived on a different side of town, and even this bus wouldn't take him to the doorstep.

"It's a nice day."

Kenny bobbed his head, agreeing. It was nice but hella hot.

"Did you hear what happened on the news? A man was eaten." When Kenny didn't say anything the man added, "The streets aren't very safe. You know, the cops figured the man was waiting for a bus when he was attacked."

Kenny eyed the man warily, taking in his scruffy appearance. He looked to be middle aged, his untamed hair streaked with grey. Chances were he was homeless, which Kenny took no issue with as long as he didn't try and steal his shoes.

He smiled now that he had Kenny's full attention, "No one knows who done it. But Roy does."

"Who's Roy?" Kenny asked without thinking.

The man laughed, "Better question is who's in charge?"

Kenny turned around, deducing that the man probably suffered from some mental illness. He felt bad for him, but the heat was making him irritable and he didn't feel like having a nonsensical conversation. That would have been the end of it, but Kenny heard the guy move closer. He turned just in time to see the man draw his hand back, face apologetic. "Wasn't going to touch."

Kenny took a step back into the road, putting some distance between them.

The homeless man's eyes darted around, "It's coming."

"What do you-"

BEEEEEEEP

Kenny jumped back onto the sidewalk as an angry driver flipped him off. He glanced back at the man only to see him gone. In the distance he saw the man scurrying away.

I don't miss that life.

It was hard not to come across colorful characters when you lived on the streets. He'd met dozens over the years. Kenny was lost in memories when the bus pulled up. The walk from the bus stop to Stan's house was blessedly short. The first thing Kenny did when he got home was guzzle a glass of water. He emptied the cup once before filling it again halfway. The house was lovely but so big it amplified his loneliness. Rarely was Kenny home alone.

The opportunity did make him think about jerking one off, since he seldom got the chance with Kyle around. It made him feel guilty since they hadn't actually had sex. They hadn't even masturbated together. It was actually fucking ridiculous, now that he thought about it. Sure, sex hadn't been a priority when he was trying to stay alive, and after…well sex was the furthest thing from his mind. But now? God dammit Kenny wanted dick. Fuck, get fucked, oral. He'd never tried any of those before but he was more than eager to learn. He'd thought about it. He'd watched a video or two when Kyle thought he was sleeping. He wasn't a nun, he was a man with needs.

Kenny's boner deflated at the sound of their garbage can crashing against the side of the house. He set the glass down and moved for the backdoor. He looked around for a possible weapon, grabbing his best option, before stepping out onto the porch. He moved as quietly as he could to the side of the house where the garbage and recycling cans were kept.

He raised the umbrella, brandishing it like a sword. His eyes scanned the mess. Garbage was spilling out of the can, the lid discarded in the grass a few feet away from it. But Kenny didn't see anyone. In the distance he could hear a car pulling into the driveway. A second later he spied a cat rifling through the can. It was a thin tabby, no collar.

"Silly thing." Kenny lowered the umbrella. He wasn't going to chase it away. He watched as the cat ate some of the garbage. He wanted to give it a chance to get a meal before he cleaned it up. A minute passed and someone approaching startled it. The cat shot off towards their neighbor's house just as Stan rounded the corner.

Stan's eyebrows shot up, clearly surprised since Kenny was home early, but his eyes landed on the garbage. "Do you have something against the garbage, or my umbrella?"

"No, I heard something and needed a weapon. Turns out it was a cat."

"Ah," Stan moved to help Kenny with the cleanup. "Think we should leave some food and water out for it?"

"Only if you want to keep it. It would be cruel to get its hopes up." Both were now squatting, picking up trash and tossing it in the uprighted can.

"I wouldn't mind so much. I prefer dogs, but cats are nice too. Besides, I think I like rescuing strays."

Friday, July 31 Year 1

Kyle

"Yes mom, we're fine, I know." Kyle rolled his eyes and sighed, "We will. I love you too." He hung up. "Finally!" He flopped his head onto Kenny's shoulder where it was jostled with each chopping motion as Kenny diced the carrots for dinner.

Kenny tried to glance behind his back, "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah." Kyle groaned. "Just mom being mom. She saw the news and panicked."

"You're lucky."

"I know, I just wish she wouldn't worry about me so much. I'm not a little kid any more." He wrapped his arms around the blond's shoulders and breathed in. Kenny smelled a little like sweat and the flowery aroma of their detergent.

"No you're not." Kenny smirked as he twisted around in Kyle's grip, lips puckered in want of a kiss.

Kyle was more than happy to oblige, though it was short lived. He broke the kiss to warn Kenny, "Your noodles are boiling over."

"Let them." Kenny dived in for another kiss.

Kyle laughed as he moved away. The blonde rolled his eyes as he went to save the stove from the water splashing over the pot. Kyle watched him stir. "Do you think Stan will make it to dinner?"

The blonde shrugged, "He's been getting in late every night this week."

Kyle noticed it was already a few minutes past 8. He picked up that day's paper off the table. The headline, in big bold letters, read 'Six bodies found.' "Messed up things are always happening in the world. He flipped the paper open to the national section, eyes scanning headlines, "I'm more worried about domestic terrorists than the living dead though."

"I think the zombie hypothesis is out since none of the bodies have gone searching for brains."

"Tell that to the internet." Kyle shoved the paper to the side. "What are your thoughts?"

Kenny slowed his stirring. "Before you saved me there were days when I thought I would kill for a meal...eating somebody isn't so far fetched when you're starving."

Kyle stepped in for another hug, but just as he was putting his arms around Kenny's waist the front door burst open. Kyle pulled away, moving to the living room to welcome Stan.

The cop was slumped, his arms pulled taunt from the weight of groceries. But Kyle could tell it wasn't the food that was weighing on him. He moved quickly across the room to take some of burden. "Rough day?"

"Rough week." Stan's eyes were beginning to get bags under them and his skin was nearly as pale as Kenny's. They moved to the kitchen to set the bags on the floor by the fridge.

"Want dinner?" Kenny was setting out plates. His hand hesitating to place a third.

Stan just shook his head. He turned about face and trudged toward his bedroom. Kyle's eyes met Kenny's across the table. "Can you put these away while I check on him?"

"Of course."

Kyle followed after his friend, opening the door slowly. Stan hadn't bothered to turn on the light. Still in uniform, he was laying flat on his stomach, his face was buried in a pillow. Kyle didn't say anything as he made his way to the edge of the mattress. Just as he was sitting down Stan reached out to him. Kyle grab the extended hand, giving it a squeeze with both of his own.

After a moment, Stan peered out from the lumps of cotton. His eyes looked like pools of ink in the darkness. He took in air, the action making a wheezy sound, "It's awful."

With one hand still holding Stan's, Kyle reached out and began rubbing the man's lower back. There wasn't much he could do to help, which sucked. He could listen though, and care. "Was there another body?"

Stan's eyes fell to their conjoined hands, his own squeezing back. "There were two of them."

Kyle felt sick to his stomach, especially knowing that Stan had been exposed to another murder.

"There was a young girl-" Stan swallowed. His eyes darted about the room before landing on Kyle once more. "They weren't like the others. All their stuff was gone so it's been labeled a robbery."

"I feel there's a 'but' in there."

"The victims just don't make sense." Stan's face scrunched up, anger etched into every pore. Anger at the situation? Himself? It was hard to tell.

"They could have been in the wrong place at the wrong time," supplied Kyle. "Or maybe the assailant was desperate enough that it didn't matter who they took from."

Stan didn't say anything more and Kyle just kept rubbing his back. Over time his hands moved up the curve of Stan's spine, where it eventually found itself buried in strands of black hair. Stan made an appreciative sound in the back of his throat. His eyes were closed and he almost looked relaxed.

Kyle's index finger brushed against Stan's ear, making the cop let out a half laugh before he shrunk back.

"Tickles."

"Sorry."

"S'alright. What you're doing feels nice."

Kyle scooted closer, using both hands to lightly message Stan's head. He had no training, had no idea what he was doing, but Stan made it clear he appreciated the gesture. He'd done something similar for Kenny in the past. He was pretty sure Stan fell asleep, as his breathing evened out, but he kept it up, just in case.

The door opened and a strip of light fell on the bed. Kenny was there glancing in at them. In a quiet voice he said, "I put your portions away. You can heat it up whenever you're ready."

"Did you already eat?" Kyle was hurt. "I was coming right out."

"It's almost ten," said Kenny as he closed the door.