Chapter 125: Within The Confines Of A Stormy Heart

The Kennison Estate, Latimer Ave, Baltiney, New York...

 The morning had come and a lingering chill right along with it as Dean Hudson found himself awakening in bed alone and as naked as the day he was born, Ken had seemingly been absent for quite some time with his side of the bed having gone cold long beforehand. The blond lad sighed as he unceremoniously rolled out of bed, his pink cock slapping rather comically against his thighs as he made his way toward the kitchen. He'd been quite thirsty since the previous day's events and an ice-cold glass of water had been just what he needed to alleviate his symptoms. The naked lad slowly made his way through the vast house yawning as he took his steps not at all paying any attention to where he'd been going in a sense. He had only rounded a corner when he took note of the mess that was made of videos and photobooks being scattered about the living room as he attempted to pass through. 

He had been a bit put off by the mess but knew instinctively that Ken had been responsible for it in some way shape or form and proceeded to look for the older man after taking note of the playing home video that had been left on in the background. Dean recognized Sera Kennison and her two boys Kevin and Carter laughing and playing in the late afternoon sun on what seemed to have been a pleasant day for the family. 

It was apparent as it had been with most of the videos that Ryker had been operating the camera and thus not present for most of the moments aside from chronicling them. Dean's expression had shifted from confusion to outright sadness as once more the reminder of just how happy Ken had been in the past and the family he no longer had played a pivotal role in what he'd become in the present. 

"Ken?" said Dean unsure of what he'd been expecting to find as he ventured further into the living room. 

His steps had been cautious and his breathing uneasy as he moved about in search of his boyfriend of sorts wondering just how much he'd been hiding when it came to his heartbreak despite his insistence that he couldn't remember the people that he once called his immediate family or what truly happened to them. 

Dean continued to look around for Ken only to find that he had not been in the living room but had ventured into one of the formerly locked bedrooms that had been off-limits to Dean since he first arrived at the Kennison estate. The now concerned lad eased his way into what looked to have been a child's bedroom, belonging to a boy no older than the age of eight as he took note of an unconscious Ken lying on his back in the center of the room amid old photo albums with pictures of the late Carter Kennison and a few of his favorite toys along with empty bottles of booze and one of Spyder's infamous purple baggies. However, Ken didn't seem capable of getting it open before he subsequently passed out. 

Dean had not been shocked to see a naked Ken in such a state at first, but when he'd been twitching and convulsing the blond lad had dropped down onto his knees beside him. Terrified about the situation and for his lover's safety and well-being, Dean did not know what to do, as he scrambled to attempt to get Ken to awaken. 

The older man groaned as Dean found himself near tears as he attempted to awaken the ailing older man. Ken seemed to rouse as his brown eyes opened and became fixated upon the blue orbs filled with tears that had been before him. 

"D-Deanie?" asked Ken attempting to get through a fog of confusion. 

"Ken..." began Dean, his voice cracking in the wake of his fear getting the better of him. 

Ken blinked and yawned despite the dull pain in his head. 

"Fuck..." he hissed as he examined his body and took note that he'd been naked and wet due to having unconsciously urinated on himself. 

Dean still hovered over him even as he slowly began to sit up taking note of the empty booze bottles and the purple baggie filled with Spyder's Kandy. He took a few deep breaths just as his nose wrinkled in reaction to the wafting stench of his own urine before he elected to get to his feet with a trembling Dean's assistance. 

"W-what happened to you?" he asked visibly shaken in the wake of finding Ken in such a state. 

"Must have been a bad trip," said Ken taking a look at the baggie despite it being unopened. "Look don't make a big deal out of it....I need to take a fuckin' shower...alright...go...eat something or whatever...just leave me alone for a little while."

Ken pushed passed a concerned Dean and headed toward the bathroom, leaving the visibly shaken lad to ponder what Malcolm Reeves had told him about Ken. 

While they'd been more or less hopping in and out of bed since their first meeting, Ken had still been by all accounts a very sick man and it had been something his family deeply worried about despite his tendency to distance himself from their vital concerns. 

Dean sighed as he turned his attention to the toys and photos in the room. 

Carter Kennison had been a typical eight-year-old when he'd been alive and it seemed it made it all the more difficult for Ken to process what truly happened to the sweet child. 

The naked blond lad slowly began to clean up the mess Ken had left behind in the wake of his binge unsure of what to think as he recalled the horror he felt when noticing how long Ken had possibly been unresponsive or what would have happened had the worst come to pass. 

Dean had made up his mind to see his way to taking care of Ken just as Malcolm had asked him to, even if it meant Ken wouldn't be too pleased with his efforts to do so.