Regardless of how good a person Hunter might have been, Kenny couldn't shake the idea that the other boy might have strong sexual feelings for him, although Cartman was harboring a grudge, so he easily could be trying to manipulate the situation to his own advantage. Weighing the evidence, Kenny had the impression that Hunter was hiding something that even Kyle might not have known, yet judging from how chummy they acted in school, it would appear as if the redhead was privy. On the very real chance that Kyle did know what Hunter's secret was, he wouldn't knowingly do something that would put his friends in a dangerous position. So on that count, he had to give it to Kyle.

But what if Hunter was lying to him? Being the son of a lawyer, one would assume that lying was in the blood, except that wasn't a fair stereotype, since Kyle was one of the more honest people Kenny knew. So maybe that wasn't a factor, but it was no secret that Hunter and his family had made a habit of moving around the country, and Hunter himself had made it fairly common knowledge that all that moving was his own fault. So one point Cartman.

With the numbers tied one-to-one, Kenny had to admit to himself that the worst-case scenario was rather ambiguous, since he could figure out no harm in the other boy liking him - in fact, it might even be a good thing. Looking around the house again, Kenny could see that Hunter was moderately well off, and if he really was that attracted to him, well, maybe he could become a client...

"You want to play some X-box while I start on dinner?" Deciding that their homework could wait until later, Hunter asked after maybe ten minutes of frivolous conversation.

It wasn't even four yet, so why did he need to start dinner this soon? Maybe it was only early so he could get rid of his dinner guest that much sooner? Considering the day's exploits and indicators, that made no sense in the slightest - in his own experience with attraction, Kenny typically wanted to be around the person he was crushing on. "Huh?"

"Dinner." Now that the conversation had dwindled in pace, Hunter was much more demure. "I won't be in there the whole time, but since I have so much to cook, I should start now." Hunter, hearing all of Cartman's snide remarks about how poor Kenny's family was, thought that she would make enough for him to take home. "Is that okol?" Okol, really?!

Seeing through Hunter's intentions as if they were made of glass - at least the motives behind all that food - Kenny realized that he was right, that if he handled this right, Hunter could become his in-town client. Plus, since he was only using Hunter for a free meal at this point, he wasn't about to turn down that offer for something as insubstantial as pride. It might have done a man some good in the world, but at the end of the day, if all you had was pride, chances were you'd only have a plate to eat. "That's generous of you."

Under the impression that she was doing a good thing, Hunter tried not to look too pleased with this reaction, just kind of nodding towards the tv. "Make yourself at home."

[South Park]

Two helpings of victuals and seven pre-meal versus matches later, Kenny and Hunter sat alone at the shared table corner, slouched back in their seats like a couple of chockablock slobs as they digested their food. The blonde was pleasantly surprised at how good of a cook the other boy was; Kenny had to admit that Kyle hadn't really done him justice. Seriously, if Denny's had a cook like Hunter on staff, he wouldn't mind his leftovers so much. He'd probably make more on tips too.

"You should do this professionally." Seriously, if Kenny had skills like these, he wouldn't be out pounding the streets.

True, cooking was one thing that she could do well, but Hunter felt like it was stereotypical for her as a woman to be a cook; for other female chefs, it was fine, but it just wasn't for her. Besides, her real passion was basketball. "Well maybe it wouldn't be so bad having someone else do the dishes for once, but my thing is sports. I know its so unlikely that I'll actually make it, but that doesn't mean that I should just not try." Groaning, she looked at the dishes that had built up since last night. "Urgh, I really hate dishes."

Was Hunter trying to guilt him into helping with the dishes? "Yeah, I'd help you, but I have to keep my hands intact for that modeling contract."

Missing the sarcasm, Hunter figured that it was true that he was a model - Kenny certainly had the looks for it. "Well you are that beautiful." Mother fucker, she just said that out loud, didn't she?!

"What did you just say?" Beautiful was a different word than sexy. Beautiful was something you said when you spoke about someone's soul. Beautiful was genuine...

Blushing at the slip-up, Hunter quickly jumped up to begin clearing the table so she didn't have to answer that right away. What was her damage?! Gathering a small stack in her arms, she fell prey to another stupid attack halfway to the kitchen sink, and in one instant, it wasn't the cheap china that fell with a resounding crack, but everything that she had worked so hard to achieve. Shattered at her feet in a thousand tiny pieces of cream and bluebell-hued flowers, the girl lowered herself to pick up the remains once she was able, but in her haste, there was yet another mishap. Crying out in pain with a string of profanity attached, Hunter's upset was curtailed drastically as Kenny pulled her up and towards the bathroom.

More than experienced with these kinds of injuries and assuming that like most normal people, the Bloodworth family kept their first aid kit in the loo, the blonde bustled about after directing her to sit on the toilet, getting the supplies from the middle drawer in the counter. Not being a psychic, he only found the pale pail by trial and error. Getting what he needed, Kenny proceeded to grab Hunter's hand in his own, so he could examine the injury to see what kind of remedy this called for. Turning the appendage over and thumbing away a smear of blood on her palm, Kenny could clearly make out a shallow yet jagged fissure in the flesh. Wetting a piece of toilet paper, he dabbed away the blood, having her hold it down while he got the antibacterial soap. Once it was on a separate swab, he cleaned the scratch and applied ointment, vaguely noting that Hunter took this like a champ. It wasn't until the bandage was in place over her hand that he spoke.

"I guess you weren't lying about being a little brute." Making idle chitchat, Kenny had more on his mind, like the way Hunter was trying his damnedest to avoid eye contact. Being treated like shit was nothing new, but being so blatantly ignored was rather hurtful.

Shying away from Kenny, Hunter felt as if there would never be a silver-lining. Ten minutes ago, she had thought that school today had taken the cake, but this, this took the whole damn flour factory. As a girl, she was ashamed of her hardened exterior, and as a boy, it was just embarrassing to have to be tended to. Scratch that last, even as a human being, it was aggravatingly foreign; she did the taking care of, not the other way around. "No, I didn't."

"Don't try to pretend - I know. I know what you are..." Only half on, Kenny held off on finishing the patch job, looking Hunter dead in the eyes as he gave his words time to sink in. "You shouldn't think about me like that."

For one fleeting moment - undeniably more frightening than anything she had experienced in that closet - Hunter thought that Kenny had figured out that she would be rocking a two-piece at the beach, but no. For all the catastrophes left in her wake, there was some luck at least. "I..."

Trailing almost uncomfortably, her words hung but an inch away from him. Kenny would give himself over to Hunter tonight (for a fee), but it would be nothing more than just sex. Kenny couldn't afford to give away more than that, and in many ways, that suited him better, because who could possibly care for him? What did he have to offer? Poverty and death, so much death. It was hard enough knowing that his friends didn't remember, but for someone he could trust enough to give his heart to? No, that was why he never got close to anyone, except for Craig, who was probably the closest thing to a real relationship he had, and that wasn't saying much.

Falling closer and closer to Hunter, mouth hovering just over his host's, Kenny whispered softly into her lips, "We'll both pay for this later..."

Okol, the combination of "ok" and "cool". Yeah, I'm so a PS girl, and despite pretty much all my friends being about the X-Box, I won't change my mind. But yay, a month in! So, what do you guys think?

I do not own South Park, that's all on Matt and Trey, but I do own Hunter and Avery!