Flying always had a calming affect on Ken.
The afternoon of flying around the outskirts of Utoland at least allowed him to sort out some of his thoughts on Jun.
It was dusk by the time he had finished his flight around the outer area of Utoland and he was circling to land when he saw the G-2 in civilian mode parked out the front of his shack. Ken came into land, and taxied the Cessna to the hanger for the night.
Joe was sitting on his front porch with a James Squire beer in his hand, and a carton sitting beside him.
Ken shook his head; he didn't mind Joe bringing his own, but he wondered were he got the imported beer from that was generally expensive.
"Hey Joe," he said eyeing the carton. "James squire…" Ken smiled looking at the carton again. "That stuff tastes so good, can you tell me where are you getting it from? I bet it's not in your budget bro."
He smiled and handed Ken a beer. "I have connections." A roguish grin came onto his face." I've been doing repairs on this guy's race car and he's been paying me in beer…good stuff huh, nothing like the cheap piss you keep here buddy. I'll have to find out how he's getting it into Utoland so cheap, black market stuff I guess."
"Joe, if it is black market then we shouldn't be-"
"Do you always have to lecture me- I was only a joking... here."
He handed Ken a beer and then sat back and took a long sip of his own" I suppose the less you know the better sometimes."
Ken observed him a bit more- he was in a better mood than this morning. He casually leaned against the railing allowing his tired body to relax.
They sat quietly for a few moments before Ken broke the silence. "Sooo what happened last night to put you in such a foul mood this morning. I saw you putting that shot of kaluah into you coffee." Ken couldn't resist the jab." What bad sex or something?"
Joe shot him a slight look of disgust like he was reliving a bad dream. "I needed something stronger than straight coffee." He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts." Well that wasn't precisely what happened. It's what didn't happen."
Joe sat back in his seat, and threw a frustrated one handed gesture into the air, "I didn't get laid damn it. "He sat forward in his seat as he prepared to relive the night again. "Well I decide to take her to restaurant for dinner Okay." Joe started." A good Italian one, just to get the mood right. Half way through the meal her boyfriend shows up! Like I'm supposed to know she has a boyfriend." His voice went up a few octaves as he told the story, he let a long frustrated breath and he went straight into it.
"Anyway they start fighting about her being out with me and some other domestic issue, when he went to hit her I decided to step in. The idiot tried to take a swing at me. I blocked him and gave him a warning punch back, and the next thing I know we're kick out of the restaurant, and she's running after the bastard crying like he was the best thing that ever happened to her. So I'm left standing there on the foot path, so I decide to go to a bar and get a drink. I'm sitting there at the bar minding my own business…"
Joe gives a little bit of smile at the memory…
"…Eyeing off a cute blonde at the other end of the room and planning my next move when I felt someone pinch me on the butt. I look up and some guy winks at me! I'm telling you Ken no one touches my ass without my permission…unless she's a fox. I guess I just reacted, I didn't mean to punch him that hard. Next thing I know a full on bar fight breaks out and I'm otter there. So I went home after that." He took a long swig of his beer and sat back in his seat and sighed looking out over the air strip watching the sun go down.
Ken shook his head took a sip of beer and let out chuckle. "Touchy, touchy. Man you have had such a hang up since you saw the highlights about a month ago of the Sydney gay and lesbian Mardi Gra at the Snack J. One look at that float and I thought you were going to have buy Jun and Jinpei and new T.V. I swear you would have totalled it if Ryu and I didn't stop you."
Joe's face took on the Condor expression that had Galactor goons trembling in their boots, as he looked back at Ken. "Did you see what that guy was doing dressed as the Condor?" He pointed his beer at Ken." His arms around the Eagle doing that erotic dance! The things he was doing don't suggest straight. Let alone the one dressed as the Swan hugging and kissing another girl." Joe was still angry about that they all were protective of the swan.
" They had Ryu with Berg Katse for crying out loud! Doing who knows what. People get the wrong idea about us from that they have no respect for the sacrifices we make for them. The Condor is a ladies man Ken. Didn't that get on your goat just a bit?"
Joe was getting worked up again, so Ken felt it was time to calm him down.
"Sure it does." Ken responded moving from his position against the railing," I can see why you don't do PR stuff. People see us as celebrities whether we like it or not. We do not have full control over everything people say or portray us as being. The more you deny it the more people believe the opposite about you, or they think you are hiding something. I know I'm straight, you know you're straight. That's what matters. The general population doesn't know our identities don't be so paranoid!" Ken reminded him.
" And I don't ever want to hold hands with you on a mission buddy your just not my type." Ken winked, gave him a joking smile and a" lighten up" grin.
He did however secretly cringe at the image of Jun; lucky she didn't see knowing his sensitive she could be at times. Jinpei turned the channel before she looked up to see what all the commotion was about.
Joe's expression changed after a minute from Condor take down Galactor, to almost playful.
He looked at Ken with a devilish smile as if a sudden thought struck him. "I don't mind the thought of watching two babes making out, as long as I'm involved somewhere- "He was stopped mid sentence by Ken waving his hands and beer spitting out of his mouth at though of where this was going."Wwwhhhhoo ahhhh enough already. I do not need to know about your sexual fantasies. Too much information Condor Joe."
Joe was now totally in his element. "Do you think I want to know about yours? Considering they most likely involve my favorite sister Jun. I don't know what you finally plan to do when you get together with her and I don't want to know," he his grey eyes smiled at Ken, hoping for a good response to something that should have happened long before now.
"It's not gonna happen bro." Ken said quietly and opened another beer. Joe was already one ahead of him. "What do you mean by that Ken. Have you done something bad to piss her off or are you just going cold feet again?" Ken looked down at his feet, It was not the response the Condor was looking for. Ken continued.
"Not as far as I'm aware, I tried to catch up with her today, you know, take her out to lunch…" He was starting to feel desperate- he could hear the tone come into his voice." Joe I think she's seeing someone by the name of Peter Miller. She's going out with him all day tomorrow so don't expect to see me at the "J" tomorrow night. I have a few mail runs over the next few days any way so that should take my mind of it"
Not likely, he though, I'll have more time to think about it in the air.
"You're giving up to easy bro." This was frustrating for Joe who had been giving Ken a shove for a while not to act on the feeling he told him had for Jun. He knew that Ken wanted to but just didn't seem to go the extra step with any success.
" You have only just started to make some effort; maybe you have to be a bit more direct. How do you know for sure she's seeing someone? Have you asked her? Jinpei would know for sure, you just assuming buddy is not a good move."
Ken gave Joe a steady look. "I've never been very good at this stuff." He sighed heavily- then it all came tumbling out." The few dates I have been on are because you set me up with some bird from the race track. I just never felt really comfortable around those girls; Amanda was close, but was attraction without the rest, not like I've felt with Jun. We really connect and can talk about anything; she's the only one that fits. I want a real relationship, someone for life not a casual fling. Jun understands me in a way that well…" His voice trailed off and there was silence between them. Ken looked at the line up of bottles; they were getting through the carton.
"Ken you're in love her face the facts. You look into her eyes and I bet and see a future and that scares you. Better start acting on it before it really is too late."
Ken decided he had nothing more to say on the subject. Joe was right but he didn't want to admit it and the conversation was growing old.
"You wanna stay? You're over the limit anyway, so there are some sheets in the cupboard and a pillow so you can sleep on the couch. I have an early start tomorrow Good night" At that Ken ended the conversation and headed to bed.
Joe stayed on the porch a while longer.
At times he almost felt jealous of Ken. He had a chance at something special with Jun but he feared to take the next step. He wanted to be with someone eventually, but had just not met the right woman.
Ken was a fool to let Jun slip through his fingers.
There was only moonlight now as the Joe began to think about a future for himself, a future he had not dared to plan since he found out he was a Cyborg and had a bomb inside his artificial heart.
He did not feel whole, at times wondered if any woman would ever accept him; she would have to be something special. If he ever found her then he would never want to let her go.
Joe smiled to himself and chuckled quietly as he shook his head at the thought of Ken and Jun, and they say I have issues he thought before he headed inside to sleep on the couch.
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