Kyle left for work around eleven so Kenny had the house to himself for hours before he needed to expect Craig. He made a lazy brunch of scrambled eggs and fried bologna, having no bacon in the apartment to make instead. Not much was on the television, so Kenny took to trying on clothes to see what made him feel most confident while he ate. He eventually settled on a casual pair of grey sweatpants and a black T-shirt with an old NES controller on it.

The buzzer came at about two fourteen and scared the hell out of Kenny while he sat on the couch watching some zombie movie that had far too much screaming in it. He clapped a hand to his chest to calm his heart down and moved over to the phone where he tapped the button Kyle had shown him to open the main doors for Craig. His heart was beating way too fast, worried about what Craig might have chosen to do, but he managed to calm it down by repeating his mantra he'd designed last night.

You're tough. You can handle rejection, it's fine. It wasn't a good set of words, but he knew by repeating that he was tough, he would feel braver.

Kenny opened the door as soon as he heard Craig knock, the boy's hand suspended in front of him as he adjusted to the immediate greeting.

"Hello." Craig said, dropping his hand to his side and stepping into the apartment when Kenny moved aside.

"Hey. Remembered your way up here?" Kenny asked playfully and Craig nodded.

"I've got a fairly good memory for places." He rolled his eyes, hovering in the entryway until Kenny remembered his host manners and said, "Oh, come sit down. Want anything to drink?"

"No, I'm fine. Stomach's bothering me a bit." Craig said, perching precariously on the edge of the couch as if suddenly very uncomfortable in the room. Kenny didn't really blame him though, it was another serious conversation they needed to have and it wasn't exactly pleasant if the outcome was negative.

"So." Kenny started, sitting next to Craig and trying to relax. His head was spinning with the things he'd thought of last night, but his mind had been made up for some time now so it wasn't hard to figure out he'd rather give the couple deal a try before parting from Craig. It had taken him all of ten minutes to come to terms with the fact that he didn't have an alternative option.

"So." Craig repeated, playing with his fingers for something to do. "What have you been up to today?"

"Watched TV. There's a zombie marathon on this channel, but they all kind of suck." Kenny said, easing into conversation.

The tension between them was uncomfortable and they could both sense it so it didn't make starting the serious stuff any easier. Craig shifted on the couch, trying to appear more casual than he really felt, leaning against the arm where the remote rested. He slipped out of his shoes, realizing he hadn't even thought to do that at the door and subtly moved them underneath the side table Kyle had put up for when they'd eaten dinner here last night.

"I guess we just get right into it, huh?" Kenny suggested, wanting this tension to be over. It was unbearable.

"Should probably." Craig agreed. "You say yours first."

"Why?" Kenny didn't want to go first.

"Because I said so."

"Why don't you go first?"

"Because I don't want to."

Kenny huffed unhappily, but knew he wasn't going to win this fight. He sucked in a breath and exhaled slowly before trying to force the words out.

"I think we should give this a try. I mean, I don't know if it'll work out, but I don't want to stop seeing you." Kenny confessed, eyes on the TV as if Craig might believe he was so casual he didn't care about the answer. Unfortunately for Kenny, Craig couldn't see where Kenny was looking because he too was avoiding eye contact and staring at the TV like he cared at all about the woman who was running away from a hoard of undead right now.

"What do you think?" Kenny asked.

"I..."

For a horrifying second, Kenny thought he might vomit. He had tried to prepare himself for rejection, but he was such a sap and could never truly be prepared for disappointment. He bit his tongue hard enough to make it hurt and waited for Craig to finish. This boy was so unbelievably good at tense pauses and it was agonizing.

The door clicked open before Craig could say anything and Clyde stepped into the room, carrying a small case Kenny assumed was from work.

"Hey guys. Didn't know you were coming over, Craig." Clyde said cheerfully, locking the door behind him and kicking off his polished shoes.

Craig stumbled over his words, entirely unprepared for a third party intruder.

"Uh...yeah. I...me and Kenny hang out."

"I know that." Clyde replied easily, lifting an eyebrow. "You okay, you look all rigid and shit."

"Fuck off, I look fine." Craig flipped Clyde off and Clyde pointed his index finger in Craig's direction.

"And now you look like normal." He laughed.

Kenny cursed Clyde's horrible timing and tried not to sound too annoyed as he opened his mouth to ask, "Why are you home so early?"

Clyde set his case down on the kitchen counter and shrugged out of his coat, moving to drape it over a chair at the counter.

"Most of my work today is paperwork so I figured I could do it at home. There's a lot of paperwork so I can take time off for moving too, so my boss let me home early." Clyde answered.

"You gonna do that in your room or out here?" Kenny couldn't have been more blunt, but there was really no subtle way to say 'You're interrupting, get out'.

"Why, am I interrupting something out here?" Clyde smirked and Kenny hated him for all of a full second.

"Yes." Kenny said, only to hear Craig reply in sync with him but with a contradictory "No."

Clyde eyed them both curiously with that damn smirk still in place and said, "Don't worry, I have to pack up a few things while I work so I will be in my room. You two love birds remember what Kyle said about no sexing in the apartment, though."

"Shut up!" Kenny felt his face heat up, sincerely not liking that Clyde knew about his sex life, specifically the one he had with Clyde's own friend.

Clyde only laughed and held up his hands in mock surrender, picking up his case and moving towards his room as if Kenny had him at gunpoint.

"Don't leave before saying bye, Craig!" Clyde called before he closed his bedroom door. It was only a few minutes before Kenny heard Clyde turn on the radio and he highly suspected it was to give them a bit of privacy because Clyde didn't really like the radio. An inspection of the room that he was going to take over, Kenny had found stacks of CD's from bands he'd never even heard of. Clyde was kind of an alternative music lover, from what Kenny could gather from his collection.

"Well that was interesting." Kenny rolled his eyes and Craig chuckled, relaxing a bit in the awkwardness of the moment.

"Clyde's got really inconvenient timing." He said, shaking his head as if this was just so Clyde's M.O.

Kenny didn't want to push, but there was only so much he could say before they needed to get back on topic.

"So...you were saying?" He asked gently.

Craig cleared his throat and nodded.

"Yeah. I was saying I think..."

Again, Kenny felt sick waiting, but Craig didn't hesitate long.

"I want to keep seeing you."

Kenny felt his head go a bit fuzzy.

"What?" He asked. "Seriously?"

Craig shrugged.

"I'm not really sure. I don't want to be boyfriends, that's such a lame term, but I want to keep doing...this." Craig waved his hand between his chest and where Kenny sat. "I'm fucking attached to you, I...got depressed when I thought about just cutting off and finding someone else to hang out with."

Kenny tried not to look too happy. The thought of being without him depressed Craig. Which means being with him made him happy. Fucking excellent.

"So you want to date but not be boyfriends?" Kenny clarified.

"Basically." Craig said, sighing heavily as though he'd been holding his breath through his decision.

"Okay." Kenny said, grinning widely, unable to stop himself. "So we can be like...just a couple. And call each other something else."

"Like what though?" Craig asked.

"Like...lovers?" Kenny suggested but he wasn't too fond of that term himself. Judging from the grimace Craig gave him, neither was his companion.

"How about just partners?" Craig offered. "It sounds less awful than the rest."

"Okay." Kenny said again, repeating the word partners over and over in his head. "So we're like...going out?"

"Well...I guess...but let's do this properly, this feels really lame." Craig's face was coloring with a pinkish hue and Kenny nearly clapped his hands with insane delight at the knowledge that he was causing this blush.

"Like, ask you out?" Kenny pressed, wanting Craig to be blunt now that they had reached a decision.

"Fuck, just do it already." Craig snapped, averting his eyes and hating himself for blushing at this. It was so childish but he couldn't help it.

"Why don't you ask me?" Kenny asked, leaning in closer to Craig to test the waters.

"Uh-...be...because you started this deal thingy in the first place, it's kinda your thing to ask the questions, isn't it? You fucking interrogated me in the car that one time." Craig eyed Kenny from the neck down, refusing to look him in the eyes but definitely feeling the boy move closer.

"Alright." Kenny shifted closer to Craig and reached out to rest a hand over Craig's right wrist. "Will you be my partner? My gay butt buddy partner?"

Craig almost laughed but he caught himself and turned it into a weak glare instead.

"You're so fucking gay it hurts, you know." He said.

"Answer the question, Craig." Kenny smirked.

"...Sure."

Kenny beamed happily and did a badly choreographed dance on the couch in celebration and Craig gave a tiny smile, trying very hard not to laugh at the blonde's poor rhythm.

"Does that mean I can kiss you wherever?" Kenny stopped dancing suddenly, his eyes wide with the realization of what exactly partners entailed.

"Were you deaf? I only kiss the people I date. We're dating now." Craig was adamant about keeping up his rough act, completely and utterly unused to the feeling of actually wanting to be with someone this much. Not that he'd ever admit it. Kenny would have to work hard if he ever wanted to get under that layer.

"So that means yes." Kenny grinned wickedly and leaned forward again, his nose just inches from Craig's.

"That means yes." Craig nearly whispered, rolling his eyes.

Kenny closed the gap between them and pressed his lips eagerly to Craig's, his whole body tingling with whatever adrenaline and excitement came from being in a relationship. He hoped the feeling would wear down a bit in the future because he felt like he was literally vibrating with it, but for now it was okay.

Craig closed his eyes and let Kenny kiss him, wondering if his heart was supposed to beat this fast. It was weird but thrilling at the same time and he hated himself for giving into it, but Kenny was a pretty good kisser so the anger didn't last long as he felt the blonde poke at his lips with his tongue. He parted his lips, giving Kenny access and felt a shiver run through his body as Kenny slipped a hand behind his head to keep him in place. A shaky breath escaped him to be caught up by Kenny's mouth and Craig reciprocated with a hand to the base of Kenny's neck, pushing into the kiss with almost delirious enthusiasm.

They separated reluctantly when they remembered where they were and Kenny smiled happily at his new partner.

"I kinda maybe like you a lot." He said, knowing it was cheesy but it was less intimidating than the word 'love'.

Craig smirked and replied, "I think I kinda maybe like you too."

"A lot?"

"Don't push it." Craig's voice was low and unbearable sexy to Kenny as he said this, but he knew with Clyde in the other room and Kyle's rules, he had to tone it down. The smirk in place was enough to assure Kenny of Craig's feelings, as least for now, so he settled for stealing another kiss, happier than he had been in a long while.

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Kyle, sent at 2:30 pm:

So they're over there now?

Clyde, sent at 2:30 pm:

Yup. I think you're winning the bet :(

Kyle, sent at 2:31 pm:

Of course I am, I'm a fucking psychic.

Clyde, sent at 2:31 pm:

A psychic who's robbing me of $40.

Kyle, sent at 2:33 pm:

I wouldn't be a psychic if I did it for free, man, don't you know us at all? So are you sure I win?

Clyde dropped his cell phone onto his bed amidst the paper work sorted into piles and moved over to the bedroom door. He cracked it open just a bit, peering through the slats to see a barely obscured visual of Kenny and Craig kissing on the couch. He grinned but shook his head, moving back to the bed.

Clyde, sent at 2:34pm:

You win.

Kyle, sent at 2:35 pm:

HA! I knew Kenny would talk him into it. I'll be home at 6, I want my money.

Clyde, sent at 2:35 pm:

Lol, fine fine. They're kinda cute together anyway.

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Author's Note:

I've been busy getting ready to move in with a friend of mine at the moment, but luckily once I'm there I should have plenty of time for writing. I'll be starting a new story and finishing off the FIRST half of this one. A SECOND part will follow shortly after this one. Thank you all for the support you've been showing this story, I really hope I continue to entertain you in the future XD