Chapter 26 More Christmas
Kyle sighed inwardly as he walked through the crowd, trying to stay happy and cheerful. Shaking hands, giving autographs and dealing with these people was getting tiring. He wanted to go home and be with Jason. He hoped Jason didn't' worry too much, or maybe have a cutting trigger from being nervous. People must have been worried. Kyle would be if he saw a ship Jason was on suddenly blow up. Jason had been doing great for the past several months with his cutting thing, but it still cropped up now and then. Kyle kept thinking Jason might have freaked out watching the ship explode.
"Hey Kid, are you ok?" the Dylan boy asked. Kyle groaned. The kid was cool, but a little too dreamy eyed. It was cool to know he had some real hard-core fans, but this kid was bordering on psychotic. He wondered how such an energetic kid could have such laid back parents.
"Yeah. Just tired. I wanna get home to my family," Kyle replied, Which wasn't the whole truth. Yes, he wanted to get back to his family, but he wanted to see Jason the most. He'd been talking and shaking hands and signing autographs for a long time and, adding in everything else, it was no wonder he was tired. Well, mentally tired anyway. Physically, he just felt hungry. At least the super vitamins he'd been taking helped make him less hungry.
"So you got anyone special?" Dylan asked him, still following behind. Kyle wasn't sure how, but somehow the kid had set himself up as Kyle's weird little secretary. Granted, Dylan had been a big help in organizing the people who were pushing for autographs, not to mention he was really cute. He reminded Kyle of the kid from Bridge to Terabithia. Slightly stocky, but not fat, and a small number of freckles that really were starting to grow on Kyle. Not to mention the yellow muscle T, and the forest green cargo shorts with the nice smooth legs below them. But, he wasn't Jason.
"Oh, honey. Please don't bother Kid Rush," Dylan's mother said, coming out of nowhere. She was a slender, well-dressed lady, and she looked good, considering she'd been held captive for several hours. Even with her rumpled, pink, knee length dress, she looked calm. Kyle wanted to kiss her. Dylan had been cool for a while, but now he was getting on Kyle's nerves.
"It's ok, Mrs. Freeman," Kyle replied. Dylan flashed him a grateful smile. Parents could be a pain sometimes, even if, as in this case, they were rescuing him.
"Anyway, I wanted to talk to you," She continued. Talk to him? She'd talked to him on and off all night. "How would you feel about being a spokesman for a Christmas charity event?" Huh? Christmas? Well, it was the season. But him?
"Can I get back to you on that? I have to check my schedule," Kyle replied. He really did have a lot of things going on. His mother wanted to take the family to see the forgotten carols or something like that, he wasn't sure. Then, there were the Christmas parties, homework, and everything else going on.
"Of course." She laughed. "Now, there is the matter of your reward. Warren and I were thinking a million? And then another several million to donate to a charity in your name?" Huh? Reward? Heroes didn't take rewards. But Kyle did need to go shopping for Christmas presents, and it's not like he had a job or anything. Having his mother buy stuff for him to give to people was getting kinda lame. "Some of the other passengers want to contribute as well." she beamed.
Dylan looked at Kyle expectantly. What? What did he want? What was Kyle supposed to say to that?
Else where...
"Well?"
"Information is spotty. But our satellite information has tracked something moving from the harbor after the explosion."
"Hmm. perhaps the Hostage situation was a decoy?"
"Yes. What little data we've gathered says that the situation on the boat wasn't normal; not that you can call a hostage situation like that normal."
"So, it was a distraction?"
"We aren't ruling that out yet, sir."
"So, tell me again. You're saying that the rich people you saved wanted to give you money?" Jason asked, leaning against his boyfriend. The feeling of safety and love in his boyfriend's arms was priceless.
"Yeah. They wanted to give me a million, and then donate another 5 million to a charity for me," Kyle replied, stroking Jason's hair. "But that's not all. One family, the Freeman's, wanted me to be some kind of charity spokesman for a fundraiser, or something. They gave me an email."
"Are you going to do it?" Jason hoped Kyle would. Kyle deserved to do something positive that didn't involve disaster. "I think you should." Wait. They were going to give him a million dollars?
"They were going to give you a million dollars?" Jason exclaimed. Wow. A million dollars. Jason wouldn't even begin to know what he would buy.
"Yeah. I know, I know. But it's Christmas, and I wanted to buy presents for everyone." Kyle blushed. Wait. Presents? Did Kyle take the money?? But super heroes didn't do that.
"But, you're a super hero!!!" Jason protested. "You aren't spending a million dollars on presents are you?" That was a lot of Christmas. Fuck; it was a lot of money, period. Jason wished he had more money. Then he could get Kyle a real gift.
The dark haired boy giggled. "No. Just a little. You don't think it was bad to take the money do you?" The boy in front of him was now looking very concerned. Jason didn't really know. Was it bad? These were rich people giving it to him.
"Well, superheroes usually don't," Jason replied, snuggling back up against his boyfriend.
"Yeah but those are comics. I'm real. I'm a real person," Kyle said, sighing. Oh yeah. Comics were just comics. But if Kyle wanted to be a super hero, shouldn't he be more... Jason couldn't' think of the word.
"What's wrong?" Jason asked, stroking Kyle's arm. He was so firm, and yet soft. Jason loved the way Kyle felt, and the way he would hold him.
"They want to build a statue of me..." He sighed again. A statue? Of Kyle... his boyfriend? Jason didn't know what to think. Maybe he should change the subject before Kyle got anymore weird on him.
"So are you going to contact those people about the charity?" It really would be cool if Kyle could use his influence for good things besides natural disasters.
"Oh yeah! I told them I wanted to ask my boyfriend, but I'd let them know by email as soon as possible." Jason loved the way that word felt, coming from Kyle. Boyfriend. Jason rolled over, putting his chest against Kyle's and kissed him on the nose. Kyle made a face and playfully pushed him away.
"Ewww! You got cooties!!" Kyle giggled. Jason was glad. Maybe
he was pulling out of that weird mood.
"And that's all your getting for Christmas, too." Jason added. Jason had actually been saving up his money for this charm thing he had seen at the store. It was really cute. It said "you hold the key to my heart." and it was small two-piece charm. One side was a key and the other was a heart, with the key fitting into the heart. But if Kyle had more money... and he got Jason something nice... that would make Jason's present pointless.
"Then, I'll just have to take another one," Kyle said, kissing Jason on the lips. Jason wanted to melt into his boyfriend right then and there, but he was suddenly very concerned about his present. It was stupid... it was so not expensive. Jason suddenly felt tears coming to his eyes. Why now? He thought he was over these stupid emotional attacks. After months of doing so well, it hurt to have it hit him again. The urge to cut had really died down.
"So, what did the government want?" Jason asked, throwing his shirt into the corner. It was nice to be like this, and not worry what Kyle was thinking. And this way he could change the subject, not worry about his present.
Kyle shook his head as if to clear it. Jason giggled. He knew how much Kyle liked looking at him shirtless. "So...?" Jason finally drawled.
"Oh yeah. They said they have some sort of satellite information on something out in deep space." Kyle's face fell. Jason felt a chill run up his spine. So there really was something in space? Jason didn't want to know. Kyle pulled his knees up to his chest, now sitting squarely on the bed.
"They want me to investigate it. I guess they have satellite information from when I went into space before." Kyle sighed as Jason wrapped himself behind his boyfriend. Kyle was always the one holding Jason, but now Jason could hold him. It felt good, knowing he could do something for the super boy who was always saving other people.
"I don't want to go into space!!" Kyle cried suddenly. "I'm sorry Jason. I don't know if I can... I know I have to... I have to find whatever it is... but ... I just can't!!" Kyle wept. Jason held his shivering boyfriend, who was now sobbing like a baby. Jason wanted to help, wanted to be able to do something, but what could he do? He couldn't go along, he couldn't be there, and he was just a useless friend... who couldn't do anything. Jason began to cry, and soon both were covering each other with their tears.
"Why are you crying?" Kyle managed through his tears. "You don't have to go into space."
Kyle wished he could explain it better. He'd tried to explain it before, but how do you explain the sense of emptiness out there? So quiet, and so... empty. It scared him. It scared him that he'd have to go so far.
So why was Jason crying? It didn't make sense. Kyle was the one who had to go out into space. "Because I can't help you. I wish I could do something," Jason answered into Kyle's shoulder. A fresh wave of emotion surged through Kyle's chest. He wanted to help? That's why he was crying? Well, now that he thought about it... he'd feel pretty bad if Jason had a problem he couldn't do anything about.
But it wasn't Jason's problem; well it wasn't his problem to handle. It was Kyle's. Why? Why him? Why couldn't he be a normal teen?
"I'm sorry I can't do anything." Jason sniffed again.
"Hey, it's okay," Kyle said feebly, but then Jason erupted.
"NO IT'S NOT!! You always help me feel better, always take care of me, and I can't ever do anything for you," Jason cried. But... Jason was his friend. Jason was always there to talk to, to listen. Kyle didn't know whom he would talk to if Jason weren't around. Rick was always being weird, and Steven and Josh just weren't good at that kind of stuff.
"Yes, you do," Kyle whispered. "You always listen to me, and give me advice. You need me to be Kyle, and not Kid Rush." Kyle wrapped his arms around Jason, relishing the feel of soft skin under his hands. But now wasn't the time for that.
"Kyle!!! Your mom is on the phone!!" A call came from downstairs. Kyle and Jason looked at each other, and then shrugged. The slender, dark haired, bare chested boy walked into the hallway, wiping the tears from his eyes. He didn't want to sound too broken up on the phone.
"Yello?" he sniffed, picking up the phone while trying to control
his tears.
"Honey! Are you ok?" his mother asked. Damn. She always knew when he was feeling bad.
"I guess." Kyle sniffed, trying to hold back his waves of emotion. "It's a long story." How was he going to explain his trip into space?
"Did something bad happen on the boat that they didn't mention?" she asked with a worried tone. He wished it were something that easy. But this... this was looming in front of him like... well like nothing ever had.
"No mom, everything went fine," Kyle protested, stretching his free arm.
"Then is everything okay with Jason? He didn't do anything..." She trailed off.
"No, he's^Å" Kyle jumped when he felt Jason's smooth arms wrap around his chest. "Fine." Kyle leaned back into his boyfriend, who was still sniffling. "Look, we're just... having a moment." How do you explain you have to leave your boyfriend, to go into space looking for a giant meteor? "It's hard to explain mom."
"I see. Well, tell me once you figure it out, okay?" Kyle loved his Mom. She was so understanding. He was still surprised at how well she'd taken the news he was Kid Rush. It was nice having an understanding mother, even if she was a little naggy at times.
"Okay mom. I got to go. Jason is waiting." Jason gave Kyle a reassuring squeeze around his neck.
To be continued...
And, for those of you who don't know, Josh Hutcherson is the boy in "Bridge to Terebithia" and that really retarded one about the firehouse
dog thing. And he was in " how to eat worms"
Okay. I have been informed that one of my readers didn't' know Kyle had
a mask. I am stating this now!! Kyle has a mask. In the comic world it
would be one of those eye masks, that don't have strings that magically
stay on the face even with out any apparent kind of adhesive!!