The Beginning of Something Beautiful

Tala woke the next morning at ten thirty to the scent of Zest coming from the bathroom conjoined with his room. Beside the bed on the floor were Kenny's clothes from the night before- they were still rumpled from sleeping in them. How long into his story before they both shared their tears? How long before Kenny cried himself to sleep due to Tala's past? Why had he started to cry in the first place? These were questions that only the brunette could answer.

A light rapping of knuckles on his bedroom door at eleven was what brought him out of his stupor. He wiped his eyes in a vain attempt to make it seem like he was just waking when in fact he'd been awake for an hour now. Brian poked his head into the door, as if he half expected Tala to throw something at him, and waited before he spoke.

"We didn't know if you were awake or not. Other than Kenny, we figured that you'd still be sleeping off whatever happened last night." His lavender haired friend was trying his best to be sympathetic with the redhead and mentioned nothing of the dreams he'd been having of the Abbey.

But, no matter what the other said, a new flow of tears began just as the old one had ended. The red trails on his cheeks were new again; only this time it would be Tala who would cry himself to sleep in his best friends' arms as a floppy eared someone was forced to wait on the attention he was looking for.

Kenny had listened for the past three minutes as Brian tried hard not to cry with his long time friend who was on the verge of another breakdown. He looked down as he sat on the toilet seat to put on his socks when the door was nudged open by Hero's little black nose and reached down to pet the tiny dog. "Well, Hero, it looks like I'm alone today unless you want to keep me company while I type up his story for him." The brunette sighed quietly as he brushed out his damp hair.

"Kenny, he's asleep again, did you want something to eat yet?" Brian asked from his place on the soft bed. "I hope you don't mind being left alone for the day with only Hero to keep you company."

"Why?" Kenny asked curiously as he poked his head into the adjoined room.

"Spencer and I have an outing planned."

"Give me a computer and I'll make myself at home- that's all I ask of you guys." Brian chuckled a bit before becoming much more serious with the other male. "What?" Kenny was afraid that he'd gone and said too much about his plan, but this was not so as Brian drew him into his arms he sighed.

"Thank you. We didn't think that having you here would stop the nightmares, but I guess we were wrong. I'm sorry I doubted you to begin with. Forgive me?"

"Sure. Now where's that computer?"

"I thought that Kai said you weren't allowed to work?"

"Yes, I know, but this isn't work. I'm writing a book called Behind Blue Eyes."

"Oh yeah? Can I read it?" Brian asked; he was skeptical as to the 'book' factor and didn't want to anger Kai if he ever found out that the brunette had been working while he was on vacation.

"Maybe someday, Brian, I'm not finished with a lot of things." Kenny replied. "I don't even have a basis for it yet and I still need to finish up some of the character sketches, so it'll be a while yet."

Brian sighed as he caved in to the younger mans request. "What about Tala?"

"Huh? Oh, I guess I'll let him sleep. We didn't get much of it last night because of all the talking we were doing so he's probably really tired right now."

Brian left with Kenny's promise that he was not-under any circumstances- going to work on anything more than his book. If he was going to have the day alone with Spencer then he was going to do it with a cleared head and the confidence to match. After all, wasn't it Kenny who had stopped the nightmares that plagued his best friends sleep every night?

Kenny glanced around at Ian's old computer room in awe. The entire ensemble must have been a true challenge for the young blader to put together but it was there. Speakers were hooked up to either side and there was a screen saver picture of the Demolition Boys from about three months prior to the letter that Tala had sent to him. Hero sat in silence while the young man sat down and began to test the software. Every now and again, he would receive a pat on the head or a scratch behind his ears for his good behavior.

The brunette began to type up what he already had on Tala's story and soon lost himself in a train of thought that carried into a good three hours of typing. He described every detail about the night before from the cloths that they were both wearing to the way they both behaved and reacted to the tale of his redheaded crushes life. Each minute passed into another; ever hour saw him worn down and on the brink of tears; every word summoned the courage that he needed to continue typing until the very last detail was in place on the screen.

He sighed as he leaned back into the soft leather of the computer chair. Checking the time he noticed that he'd been sitting there typing for the last four hours and thought it was best if he went to get something to eat- perhaps even wake up Tala. Downstairs, he could hear the front door slam and Hero bolted at the sound of his master's voice as it echoed off the pale blue walls. Brian and Spencer were home.

He looked at his watch- an expensive Timex that Kai and the others had picked out for him when he started the working with the firm. It was four fifteen in the evening and he still hadn't eaten since Spencer made him sit to the table for breakfast. Right now, the prospect of food sounded pretty good to him.

"Hey, Kenny, we got you some takeout from the local restaurant." Spencer called out. "It's the one that you and Tala met at there last Friday; remember it?" Kenny licked his lips in anticipation as he looked back on the delicious meal he'd had there. Turning off the computer, he took his diskette and headed for the door so e could go eat.

How funny it was to see the huge blond Russian wrestling with his pup over a piece of steak. Brian shook his head. "How many times do I have to tell you to put the food in a place where that mutt won't get it."

Spencer's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Hero is not a mutt. I'll have you know that he's a full breed Russian Terrier."

"He also makes some good company." Kenny stated. "Where's mine?"

"Whose side are you on?" Brian asked playfully as he tossed Kenny his meal.

"The winning side."

"You know, one of these days someone's going to teach you some manners, Shinoda."

"It won't be you, Kutzenov." They looked up at the stairway to see a sleepy-eyed redhead rubbing the last remnants of sleep from his narrowed azure eyes. "If anyone has the pleasure of punishing him for his bad behavior its gunna be me."

Kenny tugged at Brian's long leather jacket with its fur-lined interior as the lavender haired male tried to lunge at the redhead. "Damn, you really weren't joking when you said that you never slacked off with physical training, were you?" Kenny thought back to the conversation they'd been having that morning at breakfast and nodded.

"I guess with a trainer like Kai on your case you either wake up on time or he'll come over and be your personal alarm clock." The brunette replied thoughtfully.

"Way, Kai was your trainer? No wonder you're so strong compared to when you were a scrawny little twig of a teenager."

"Watch who you're calling a twig or you'll be the one learning your manners." Kenny threatened lightly as he managed to haul Brian back down onto the navy blue couch causing everyone laughed.

Sorry that this is so late and short. I've been so busy with schooland work that I nearly forgot about this three times. Big thanks to all my reviewers- the next chapter should be a little longer.