Runaways Box Set

Chapter 5-2

“Hated that,” Kel grumbled.

“Uh-huh.” Snap grinned. “Bet me.”

“I did,” Kel protested as he began folding some of the clothes.

The others laughed, releasing the tension they’d been feeling, and began helping him after Snap dumped the bag of clothes he had set on the floor onto the sofa.

At least that got their minds off of me and Rudy. Terry glanced at him. Rudy looked back at the same moment, their eyes met and Rudy smiled. Didn’t take mine off him though. Damn. No more massages. They’re too…yeah. Not going to happen.

* * * *

Once the laundry was folded, Kel asked why everyone carried all the clothes they owned in their packs every day. “It’s not like we don’t have room to leave at least some of them here,” he pointed out.

“Habit, I guess,” Rudy told him. “Better to have what we own with us, just in case.”

“We leave our sleeping bags here. And the food. It’s not like we’re really living on the streets, if you get what I mean.”

“He has a point,” Josie said. “Yeah, if someone found this place, and they have, they might decide to steal something, which so far hasn’t happened. But it would be nice not to have to lug my heavy pack everywhere.”

Snap grinned. “She’s got soooo many clothes it wears her down.”

Josie swatted him, muttering, “I wish. Still, with a lighter pack we could move faster if something like last night happens again. And not worry so much that we’ll lose everything if someone boosts it.”

Rudy shook his head, looking amused. “Since the two of you joined us, Kel, we’re becoming almost homebodies. We eat better and cheaper because Terry insists on us buying stuff other than in cans.” He pointed to the bunch of bananas sitting on the table. “Now you want us to—what, Kel? Go dumpster diving for a set of shelves for our clothes?”

Kel nodded. “That would work. Or crates because they’d be easier to get in here.”

“f**k that,” Snap muttered. Then he seemed to recant his dismay, admitting it might not be such a bad idea after all.

“Okay, on our way home, we’ll look for some,” Rudy declared. “Right now we’d better get moving. As my pappy used to say, the day’s not getting any younger.”

“Your pappy?” Snap snorted.

“Better than saying the bastard. Besides which I think Ter’s claimed that one.”

Terry shrugged as he put on his shoes. “It fits. Hell, it probably fits all our dads and a lot more out there.”

“Too true,” Josie said, sighing. “But enough of this.” She grinned impishly. “The last one out the door has to turn out the lights.”

“Douse the candles, you mean,” Snap retorted.

“Well, them’s lights. Right?” She hugged him. Then after everyone blew out the candle nearest them, they took off.

* * * *

As they walked to the bus stop Kel held back from the rest of the group. It took Terry a minute to realize he had. He stopped, waiting for his brother to catch up, waving the others on when they paused too.

“What’s wrong?” Terry quietly asked Kel.

Kel chewed his lip. “Things are going too good.” He smiled dryly. “Well, if you don’t count last night and the fact that, like it or not, we’re homeless in the general sense of the word. We have them,” he nodded toward Rudy and the others, “and they’re sort of like family and I’m glad we hooked up with them, but how long will that last? Like I said, it’s good now, but…”

“I don’t think they’re going to kick us out, if that’s what you’re afraid of.”

Kel looked at him and chuckled softly. “Given what happened between you and Rudy while the rest of us were off doing laundry…yeah, maybe not.”

“Nothing happened,” Terry protested.

Kel stopped walking, crossing his arms. “Would it have, if we hadn’t come back when we did?”

Terry gave his question serious thought. “I honestly don’t know. If we…took the next step, maybe a kiss or a bit of touching, that would probably have been it.”

“For the moment.”

“Kel, maybe forever. Hell, we don’t really know each other. I mean other than the bits and pieces we’ve let drop.” He smiled, more to himself than anything else. “I don’t have a clue what music he likes, or if he’s into sports, or reading, or movies or…or any of the things that two people can share together. He doesn’t know any of those about me either.”

“But you’d like to know, and for him to know.”

“Yeah, maybe. Probably. He comes across as a good guy. He’s protective of all of us, for what that’s worth. That doesn’t mean I’ll try to make something out of what could just have been a momentary interest because of what we were doing. Getting massaged can be…sensual and sexy, I guess.”

“A turn on.”

Terry chuckled. “Okay, yeah, that too. He’s probably forgotten all about it by now.”

“In an hour?”

“Yep. He was just doing what he said he’s done for Snap, and who knows, maybe for other friends too. So…yeah, for him it was just another thing he does to help out a friend. That it turned me on is my fault.” Terry sighed. “It’s been a long time since I’ve…” He shrugged.

“That I did not need to know,” Kel said with a grin.

Terry grinned back. “What, you thought I’ve been totally celibate all my life?”

Kel rolled his eyes. “Well no, but…hell, we’d better catch up with them. The bus is coming.”

“Damn,” Terry replied as they both raced down the street, getting to the stop just as the bus doors opened.

* * * *

While Terry and Kel were having their private conversation, Snap was quizzing Rudy, with Josie’s help.

“What did we walk in on when we got back?” Snap asked him with a knowing grin.

“Not a damned thing. I was just giving him a rubdown because his muscles were aching. He’s not used to fighting and running and getting hit.”

Josie laughed. “So you decided to hit on him while you were doing that.”

“I didn’t!” Rudy protested.

“Maybe not verbally, but I bet things were heading in that direction. He’s not bad looking and he seems nice enough,” Snap said.

“He is nice. He’s good people, and very protective. At least when it comes to Kel.”

“Just like you,” Josie told him. “So…you’re interested in him? God only knows it’s about time, if you are. I don’t think you’ve ever done anything with any guy since we met you.”

“You don’t know that.”

“When have you had a chance?” she asked. “We’re either out trying to keep things together enough to be able to eat and stay safe, or we’re at the squat getting some sleep and worrying if someone will find it, or us, and cause trouble. You never let us out of your sight, well almost never. When you do, for damned sure it’s not for long enough for you to do anything…interesting. Not until the two of them showed up that is.”

“She’s got a point, Rudy,” Snap said. “When we’re out spanging, you send us off with Kel, leaving you with Ter. You have since the first day.”

“Five of us together is too large a group and you know it.”

“You stayed behind today, instead of both of you coming with to do laundry.”

Rudy shrugged. “I knew you could handle it. All five of us descending would have scared off the other people there. Besides, after last night someone has to stick around just in case those guys followed us.”

“Bullshit. You know as well as I do that they didn’t. You wanted some alone time with Ter.” Josie nodded. “You do like him. I mean the way I like Snap.”

“You only like me?” Snap said, obviously feigning being hurt.

She looked up at him and smiled. “Like, care about, probably love. Yeah.”

“That I can deal with.” Snap gave her a quick kiss before turning his attention to Rudy again. “So answer her question.”

“I’m attracted to him, but it could just be the circumstances. Nothing more. He’s gay, so am I. We’ve been spending a lot of time together. It’s natural we might be interested in each other. Right?”

“Yeah, Rudy, right.” Snap laughed. “Man, how can someone who’s lived the life you have in the past four years be so naïve about some things? He turns you on, you turn him on. Do something about it.”

“You don’t know he…”

Josie grinned. “He was turned on this morning. I checked.”

“You didn’t!”

“Rudy, this is me. Yeah I did.”

A screech of air brakes as the bus pulled up to the stop, plus Terry and Kel dashing up to join them, effectively ended their conversation.

Is he interested in me? Rudy wondered as he dropped some coins in the slot and went to find a seat. Am I interested in him? Or is it just that we both need some down and dirty s*x? God knows it’s been a long time for me, and probably for him. He smiled to himself when Terry dropped down beside him on the seat. Well if that happens, I can deal. Even if that’s all it is. Yeah. I could handle it.

* * * *

They split up when they got to the mall, as always, Terry going with Rudy and Kel with the others.

Snap found what he said would be a good place to settle in, next to a Starbucks and right across from Pavilions, a three-story retail shopping area at the south-east end of the mall.

Kel waited an hour before broaching the question uppermost in his mind. He asked Josie because he figured she’d be more likely to give him a straight answer. “Does Rudy like Ter?”

She smiled. “We think so. Now, you’re not to say anything to your brother, but Rudy admitted he’s attracted to him.”

Kel blew out a breath. “Okay. That’s good I think, because…well…”

“Ter likes him?”

“Maybe. He told me, and you’re not to say anything to Rudy. Okay?” He looked at Josie and Snap, waiting until they nodded before continuing. “He said he was turned on by what they were doing this morning.”

Josie snorted out a laugh. “I already told Rudy that he was. It was pretty obvious. To me at least.”

“Oh s**t. Now Ter’s going to think it was me who told him.”

“Naw. Rudy’s honest enough to let him know the truth.”

“Now, umm, another question. Maybe not one you two want to answer. I’ve, we, meaning Ter and me, have only known Rudy, well, all of you, for around two weeks. He seems like a really good guy.” Kel hesitated, suddenly unsure how to proceed.

Josie patted his leg. “Outside of Snap, Rudy’s the only guy I trust. He’s like a father figure to me. Okay, maybe not the best way to put it considering the fathers or stepfathers all of us have had, but you get the picture.”

“Yeah I do. He treats you like you’re somebody worthwhile and takes care of you. The way Ter did his best to keep me safe.”

“Exactly.” She paused when a man and woman stopped to drop some coins into the cup in front of her, thanking them as they left. “So anyway,” she continued, “if you’re worried that he might not be…well…good for Ter, or to him, forget it.”

“Truth,” Snap said. “If they do make it, it could just be for s*x and nothing more but who knows. It’s kind of early for it to be anything more, don’t you think?”

Kel nodded. “People don’t fall into like at the drop of a hat.”

Josie grinned at Snap. “I like that. Fall into like. I think that’s what we did at first. You’re right though, Kel. It does take time and when it comes down to it; sometimes s*x is just s*x, if they get that far, and nothing more.”

“That’s okay. As long as he doesn’t hurt Ter.” Kel balled up his hands. “If he does…”

“He’ll have you to answer to?”

“Damned straight he will!”