Chapter 49: The Rattling Of Nerves

Open Road, Baltiney, New York...

 The wind being in Dean's hair had been nice to appreciate as he sat in the passenger seat of Ken's rather expensive sports car. He had liked the midnight blue color but had wondered why Ken had originally picked him up in the sedan when they first met. At the time Dean had not paid it any attention but he had found himself growing more and more curious as a result of it. Ken had his eyes on the road and seemed to be focused on his driving despite his choice of songs blaring on the radio. Dean sighed as he turned his attention to looking out his side of the car noting the numerous passing trees and the vastness of the highway as they made good time with a good deal of speed. 

He had been truthfully nervous about Ken's plans for dinner and wanted so badly to make a good impression but had known next to nothing about Ken personally let alone anything about the people that the older man wanted him to meet. It was strange that Ken wanted him to meet people at all. 

"What's on your mind?" asked Ken making it clear that he'd been observing Dean as he drove. 

"Just thinking," replied Dean casually. 

"Well I can see that," replied Ken once more focused on the road. "What are you thinking about, you look a little nervous, we're just doing a little shopping and I've got to make a stop after that no need to be tense about it."

"Well, it's not the shopping, well not so much the shopping that makes me tense...I just don't know about this diner you want me to go to," admitted Dean. "I just don't want to say or do the wrong thing and cause you any problems."

Ken slowed down the car and parked them on the side of the road. Dean had not expected him to stop when they had errands to run. 

"What are you doing?" he asked. 

"If we're gonna talk you are gonna get my undivided attention," said Ken as he put on the brakes and took the keys out of the ignition. 

Dean did not know what to say, no one had ever actually cared about anything he had to say before, and here was Ken giving him his full attention. The older man seemed to be focused on him as he clicked out of his seat belt and turned to face him. 

"Alright, what do you want to know?" asked Ken evenly. 

Dean sighed as he worked up the courage to speak freely now that he had Ken's attention. 

"I don't even know you all that well, or the people you want me to meet," he said still concerned. 

Ken smirked as he reached over and took Dean's trembling hand into his. 

"What's the matter Joyboy worried you'll have to explain us being fuckbuddies?" he asked seemingly amused. 

"Well yeah," replied Dean unsure how to deal with Ken's horrid sense of humor at a time like this. 

"Well to answer your first question, we are going to have dinner at my parents' house, my mother is orchestrating the whole ordeal which isn't ideal for me in the least, she'll no doubt invite my little brother Bobby, the spawn of my father Roy, Malcolm and other concerned parties," Ken explained. "I need you there, kid because I need to know that someone in attendance is gonna be on my side, I don't trust this up-and-coming dinner but I am interested in getting reinstated in my company, which had been the offer on the table if I attend...I gave the stipulation about bringing a friend along so you are expected."

Dean sighed. 

It seemed that there was an awful lot of pressure on Ken and he could see why he needed his help in more ways than one. 

"Anything else I should know?" he asked with an arched brow. 

"I may have gotten some young piece of ass pregnant and they want me to go about dealing with that in an honorable fashion," replied Ken watching Dean to see his expression. 

It had not been too much of a shock to hear that Ken might have gotten some young woman pregnant, he'd been accustomed to the older man's libido and privy to more than one of his romps with Spyder's girls. Despite this, Dean did not know how to take the news that Ken had gotten some young woman pregnant. A part of him had been surprisingly jealous and another part of him was shocked that he'd been so open about it. 

"Ken..." began Dean unsure of what to say to him. 

"It happened before I met you." Ken chimed. "Ain't got nothin' much to do with you and me, Baby, just figured you should know about it before one of them tries to blindside you at the dinner."

Dean sighed as he leaned his head back against the passenger seat of Ken's sports car. 

"You still didn't tell me why you want me to be there," he said meeting Ken's eyes once more. 

"Well if you recall our arrangement, I am gonna need them to get used to seeing you around and that position at my company to put you on payroll still stands which is all the more reason for you to be present for my being reinstated," replied Ken with a smirk. "Besides, once all the nonsense is done we both know I'll be in desperate need of my new favorite pussy."

Dean shook his head, Ken the vulgar horndog had been more his speed and as such he couldn't resist his rugged charms. 

"Okay," said Dean contented with Ken's answers. "I suppose we should do a bit of shopping before the dinner.

Ken smirked and started his car once more and pulled off the side of the road and back onto the highway. Dean sat enjoying the nice countryside view and the cool breeze as he eased back into the passenger seat.

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

The Sparkwell Ave Mall, N. Sparkwell Ave, Baltiney, New York...

 People had been crowding the mall for as long as there had been malls to crowd but that had not been even remotely as fascinating to Dean Hudson as what he saw when he and Ken Ryker had managed to make it to The Sparkwell Mall after climbing out of his rather fast sports car. It had been a vast place, easy to get lost in and so far removed from the cramped discount stores back in Bushwah. Dean had still been new to Baltiney and new to a relatively long list of things but he had been eager to learn and grow as a person and with Ken more or less being his guide, he had known he'd been in good hands. 

The two of them moved about the crowded mall and passed by so many shops and patrons that Dean had to resist the urge to reach for Ken's hand in the wake of the onset of overstimulation. He had not been fond of crowds, and even less inclined to endure noise for very long. Loudness always seemed to go hand in hand with chaos and that always spelled trouble around the mobile home park. 

Ken seemed to sense Dean's uneasiness and pulled him toward a nearby men's room. He quickly locked the door and pulled the visibly trembling lad close to him. Dean had been embarrassed that being in a mall had made him feel so small and weak. Ken had been doing something nice for him buying him clothes and he was acting as if he'd been on death row and awaiting execution. 

"Come here." Ken's rather stern voice echoed in the men's room. 

Dean moved toward him still trembling until he felt the older man wrap his arms around him and pull him close to his chest. The lad's trembling stopped at once as he stood with Ken's strong arms embracing him. 

"I got you," said Ken softly as he held on to the formerly trembling lad. "No one's gonna hurt you on my watch."

"I'm sorry," said Dean still embarrassed. "I don't know...why I can't stop shaking..."

"Don't worry about that," said Ken softly. "Well just get what we need and we'll be out of here in no time, I'll be with you every step of the way."

Dean sighed as he continued to lean his head against Ken's chest taking in the sound of his strong heartbeat and the scent of his cologne. His mind took him back to all the times he'd been in Ken's arms when it had been just the two of them back in the motel room. He slowly began to calm and his anxiousness began to recede in the wake of Ken's embrace. 

"It's okay," said Ken softly. "I didn't know you had PTSD."

"What's that?" asked Dean with an arched brow. 

"That little display of nerves you showed, they call it Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, hence PTSD," Ken explained. "Ain't so different from what I did when they diagnosed it a while back."

Dean met Ken's eyes as if he'd been searching for some sign of deception in his words but found none as he sighed and rested his head against the older man's chest for a few moments. 

"They gave me medication for it, but I much prefer booze and a good fuck if you know what I mean," replied Ken with a smirk. 

Dean had known exactly what he meant and sighed once more. 

"Sorry," he said finding it a bit difficult to get a hold of his emotions. 

Ken simply wiped the cascading tears from Dean's supple pale cheeks and slowly kissed his lips. The young lad nearly melted into his kiss and Ken smirked as he looked down meeting his blue eyes once more. 

"Better?" he asked with an arched brow. 

Dean nodded after finally composing himself. 

"Alright, just stick close to me I don't mind you holding my hand if that's what'll get you through the shopping," Ken said as he turned his attention to the men's room door and unlocked it. 

Dean steeled himself as he followed Ken out of the bathroom and into the rest of the mall. It had still been a bit overwhelming at first glance but he simply recalled that Ken had been with him and would never let anything happen to him on his "watch" as he called it.