#astrcblu

“There you go. Just like that. Focus on our hands, on how real mine is, and yours. Focus on my voice. It’s the same as our hands- real, right here, I promise. Hold onto me and just come back. Feel reality flowing from our hands through your body; to your feet, your fingers, your head. Let it fill you up until it’s all you’ve got, and I’m still here. I’m not going anywhere. You’re not going anywhere. We’re both here.” Kenny squeezed Craig’s hand back.

He knew Craig wasn’t looking at his face, but he kept up a smile anyway, just in case Craig spared him a glance. He made no moves to further touch the other, though, merely extending his free hand. “Here. You can take my other hand, and we’ll complete the circuit. Like in science class.”

“Soooo rumor has it you wear that nasty, ugly hat on your head to conceal some twisted, horrible medical deformity you’ve had since birth! I’m supposed to do a presentation on medical marvels for science class and thought maybe you’d lemme snap a few pics! I promise not to upload them to the Internet or sell them to a magazine or something, LOL!” Pete waved his phone a bit, grinning nastily at the other boy with a sadistic gleam in his brown eyes.

“I was expecting that first one from you, Tucker, but a kiss? Was that a Freudian slip, or are you just getting cliche on my ass?” Kenny grinned, his grip still tight on Craig’s collar. It had taken both hands and most of his strength to drag Craig in like this, and he didn’t want to let up yet. He didn’t want to let that distance between them grow again. He could feel Craig’s breath on his lips. His heart kept skipping beats.

Kenny licked at his lips. “How utterly fucking homosexual of you, bro.” And then he kissed him.

“That a threat, or a promise?”

Kenny’s blond brows quirked up in challenge and he wiggled his fingers on the hand which had graced Craig’s backside so forcefully. Grin so broad it almost stretched ear-to-ear, he playfully circled the other boy, arms swinging innocently at his sides. “Y’know, Tucker, if you really want me to stop doing something, you shouldn’t threaten me with a good time!”

Smack!

Craig might have been smiling, but Pete clearly wasn’t amused in the slightest. The skin between his brows pinched together as they pressed down just a few more centimeters, the corner of his mouth tugging back. Even with simple brown eyes they seemed to snap with a sort of cold fury. His grip on Craig’s shirt visibly tightened, and when he spoke, all the lilt had drained out of his voice.

“You’re totally gonna be paying more than that in hospital bills, asshole.”

He pulled, lifting Craig off the wall only to slam him back against it a second time. Then he shifted, turning to throw Craig to the floor with a vicious sneer. Out came a switchblade from his bag, and he stalked towards Craig with a vengeful purpose.

“You fucked up my bag, so now I’m like, gonna shred all of you!”

“IIIIIIIIIIIII’m gonna getcha~!”

Kenny grinned teasingly at Craig, inching closer to him, his still frigid and gloveless hands outstretched; fingers wiggling menacingly. His nose and cheeks were pink from the cold but his blue eyes were bright with mischief. “You ready? Are you? Huh? Here they come!”

Of course he didn’t take the threat seriously. Kenny lunged forward, aiming once more for Craig’s neck, a cackle already building in his throat.

“...heh, yeah, that’s what I meant.” Kenny turned his head away from Craig, ducking it down so he could pop the cigarette in his mouth and light it. He took a drag and lifted his head again, still not looking Craig’s way while he billowed out a stream of smoke. “Careful though. Say shit like that and the goths’ll start trying to recruit you.”

“No, I’m not fucking with you. I heard something.” Kenny was on-edge as well, body language tense and on the defensive. He clutched his fake scythe a bit tighter as his head swiveled around, listening for even a scrap of the mystery noise he’d heard a second ago. It might not have been so concerning, were the two not utterly alone on the street. They hadn’t seen anyone for at least five minutes.

“Fuck. It’s so dark, I can’t see shit.”