(Seven)

Kimble startled awake from a blurry nightmare. He dreamed he had been swallowed up by a ball of fire. He rubbed his eyes and looked around. Morning light was streaming in from a nearby window. Kyle hadn't been gone long. Kimble was just not one to sleep for too long. He found himself on a bed in a large one room studio apartment. The buzzing in his head was gone and he didn't feel so screwed up anymore. He was incredibly thirsty and he got up stiffly to shuffle over to the kitchen sink. He found a glass and poured himself some water. He drank it down greedily. It was cold and sweet and revived him a little more. He jumped when he heard Leon come out of the bathroom.

"Well, well," Leon said, a nasty grin sliding across his mouth. His teeth were jagged and mean looking. His eyes roamed over Kimble's naked body and didn't approve. "Sleeping Beauty awakes."

"My name's Kimble," Kimble said, not understanding the reference.

Leon made a small plasma ball and bounced it lazily in one hand. "Whatever."

Kimble saw the orange glowing ball of plasma and locked on it just as he had Remy's cards. He couldn't explain his fascination. The plasma had made him sick, but now he wanted it again desperately.

Leon noticed. "You want this, huh? Little 'hair of the dog'?"

"What?"

"You want this or not?"

"Yeah."

"Show me how much."

Kimble grew wary and stepped back a little. "How?"

Leon shrugged. "I dunno... Bark like a dog."

Kimble smiled, he liked games. He barked and waited.

"That sucked. Do it again."

Kimble barked and then howled, getting into it.

"Jump up and down. Howl for me, baby!"

Kimble jumped up and down, spreading his wings. He barked and howled, oblivious to the fact he was being made to look ridiculous. It was his immaturity and desire to please that was working against him. After weeks of feeling unaccepted, he was happy just to have someone interact with him, even in such a vaguely humiliating way. He was rewarded when Leon finally tossed him the pea sized ball of plasma. Kimble caught it quickly, startled by his own need. Even such a small dose was fairly potent, he felt the heat of it pour into him and fell to his knees, moaning and shaking with orgasmic pleasure. This wasn't the fiery inferno from the night before, this was heat and energy that made him tingle and shiver with joy. It aroused him like nothing else and he wanted to fuck like crazy.

"What do you think you're doing!" Kyle shouted at Leon, storming into the room. He had just returned from the store and his hands were full of groceries.

Leon flinched. "Nothing. He wanted some more so I gave it to him."

"Do I look stupid to you? I saw what you were doing with him. Get away from him!" Kyle ordered, pushing Leon back with his power. Leon shrugged and walked back to the table to sit.

Kyle looked down at Kimble who sat through the whole argument without a sign of hearing it. Kimble lifted his head to meet Kyle's eyes. He was clearly intoxicated all over again and loving it. He started to laugh and the drunken, deranged nature of it made Kyle sick to his stomach. He had no tolerance for drug use among his crew and this was why. It simply made folks look stupid. "Come on, Kimble. Back to bed."

"You cummin' with me? I wanna fucks ya so bad." He laughed even harder. He was visibly aroused and started fondling himself in his delirium.

Kyle recoiled in horror. It wasn't the invitation, he had lived in enough big cities long enough for that not to be his first time. It was the fact that Leon was right behind him and heard him perfectly.

"Ewww!" Leon said, his disgust all too real. "Joshua never said he was a faggot!"

"He's not," Kyle said, trying to cover up the impossible. "He's stoned. Don't give him any more plasma. It's freaking him out."

Leon stood up in anger and powered up his fists. "He's not the one! No way would a little faggot boy be the ShaRain! He's goin' down!"

Kyle stepped in front of Kimble defensively, rudely toppling him to the floor. "Wait! Don't be stupid! I just spoke to Cameron! I'm taking Kimble over there tonight to see Joshua. It's the only way to know for sure."

"No way is any faggot boy stayin' 'round me, Kyle! I'll kill him!"

"It was a mistake! Look at him!"

Kimble was still sprawled on the floor. He was distracted now from playing with himself and was holding his hands in front of his face, looking at the sunlight from the window streaming through his fingers. He was wiggling them and laughing like an insane child, his arousal replaced with wonder. His mind was hopelessly gone.

"See?"

Leon backed off, wiping his chin with a trembling hand. He turned away and sat down again in a huff. "What did ya bring me for breakfast?" he asked eyeing the bags Kyle had brought.

Kyle set the bags down carefully on the table and gave Leon his food. He tried to ignore Kimble who was tripping out and not being very quiet about it. Kimble was singing slurred Siskan gibberish and giggling. Kyle wanted Leon out of here in the worst way, but he knew Leon wouldn't go. Cameron wanted him here as a spy and a power source for Kimble. He would have to just put up with him.

He heard Kimble gradually quiet and pass out. He went over to him and picked him up, again surprised at how light Kimble was. He lay Kimble out on the bed and covered him up again. Kimble whimpered and curled up as if he was in pain. He might be receptive to the plasma, but that didn't mean it was good for him.

Kyle sighed. What a pain in the ass this was turning out to be. He had to get Kimble back to the Club as soon as possible. He would let Kimble sleep and bring him later, when it was dark. Until then he would babysit and be patient.