Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2010 18:19:00 -0700 (PDT)
From: Will Ren <latexren@yahoo.com>
Subject: It's not the blood part 8

The usual disclaimers apply.  This story will have some mild m/m sexual
content as well as possible fetish situations.  If that bothers you, or you
know you shouldn't be reading this, then ask yourself why you are and then
go do something to repair your karma.  If it is legal for you to read this
kind of entertainment (because really, that's all it is) then do so.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ryan woke before Trevor.  Opening his eyes and blinking into the morning
sun, blasting through his window, he was amazed he hadn't woken up earlier.
He realized that last night was the best night's rest he'd had in a long
time.  He looked down at his stomach, saw someone else's hand resting on
his abs, and smiled.  Could things get any better?

Careful not to wake Trevor, he gently slid out from beneath his arm and let
it fall gently to the mattress.  He walked to the window and stretched,
unconcerned that he was butt-naked and anyone passing by might see him.
Life was especially good at the moment, and his worries were a million
miles away.

Ryan walked over to the bed, and picked up Trevor's hiking boots and jeans.
He quietly made his way out into the living room and set the clothes on the
couch.  As he no longer needed to hide his desires, he entered Trevor's
room and began snooping through his closet, looking for other clothes to
wear.  He pulled some socks and a shirt from the laundry basket.  Neither
was especially dirty, but both smelled wonderfully like Trevor.  He made
his way back to the couch, and proceeded to dress himself.  In a few
minutes, he was covered from neck to toe in Trevor's clothes and his pulse
was racing.

He suspected most people would find his desire to wear Trevor's clothes
strange, if not repulsive, but to Ryan, it made the two of them all that
much closer.  The clock displayed just past 9:00am, so he had an hour
before the mall opened.  He checked his wallet to make sure he had the
credit card his father had given him for `good times', as he had said.  He
knew his father had envisioned Ryan taking a nice young woman out on the
town, and treating her right.  Ryan laughed quietly, as he imagined his
father's reaction when he saw the credit card transaction from Leather
City.  Ryan wouldn't be in trouble; he couldn't spend enough money for that
to happen.  Still, maybe his father would inquire about his purchase.  He
could either tell him the truth or just say the leather pants and jacket
were for himself.

He grabbed his keys off the counter and left the apartment.  Ryan hesitated
outside for a minute, wondering if he should leave Trevor a note saying he
would be out for a few hours.  He had never done that before, and, besides,
that's why he had a cell phone.  He climbed into the jeep and headed
downtown.  It took about fifteen minutes to get to the mall but it wouldn't
open for almost an hour so he needed to do something, to pass the time.
Across the street was a bakery so he grabbed a few doughnuts and some milk,
and had breakfast.  After eating, he drove back over to the mall.  It
wasn't quite 10:00am, so he sat in the jeep until he saw someone come out
of the food court and check that the doors were unlocked.

Ryan entered the food court and for a moment, looked at the table where he
had intended to meet Cody yesterday.  A strange sensation came over him.
He still wanted to see Cody, but now he didn't feel it was as important as
it first had been.  He had Trevor, so he wasn't alone.  He smiled.  Maybe
he and Cody would still become friends, and hang out, well...assuming he
ever saw him again.  He didn't really care if he ever got the exercise suit
back.  He planned to buy two more so he and Trevor could wear them around
the apartment.

Ryan headed straight for Leather City and arrived just as the guy inside
was raising the security gate.

"Good morning," the clerk greeted him with a smile.  "I'm not quite ready,
but come on in and look around.  Most stuff is on sale at quite a
discount."

Ryan entered the store and was overwhelmed by the smell of new leather.
"Thanks."

The clerk went behind the counter and started up the register and credit
card machine.  "Are you looking for anything in particular today?"

Ryan nodded.  "Yeah, a pair of pants, and maybe a jacket."

"For yourself or someone else?"

Ryan tried not to smile, as he used what he hoped would become a common
phrase in his vocabulary.  "For my boyfriend."

The clerk looked up and met his gaze.  "Awesome."

Ryan smiled.  "Thanks."  He looked at the clerk for a moment.  The guy was
older, maybe late twenties, and he was definitely attractive.  He was tall,
with short black hair and a goatee.  "Um, where are the pants?"

The clerk pointed to the back corner.  "Over there.  Let me finish up here,
and I'll be over to assist."  He looked away, and pulled some keys out of a
drawer.

Ryan headed to the back of the store, and looked at the long row of leather
pants.  Some were too fancy for what he assumed Trevor would wear.  They
had laces running up the legs, and others had fringe all over the place.
He just wanted plain, leather jeans; like Cody's.

"See anything you like?"  The clerk was standing to his side.

Ryan faced him.  "Not yet.  I'm looking for plain leather jeans.  These
seem like biker stuff."

"Yup.  You need to go to the end of the row."  He pointed to the right.

"Thanks."  Ryan moved to the end, and found what he was looking for.  While
these were new, they were exactly the same as the ones Cody had lent him.
"Yeah, these!"  He pulled one off the rack, and looked at the size tag.
"Do you have any with a 30 waist?"

"Probably.  Let's look."  The clerk stepped up next to him, casually
bumping into Ryan's arm.  He thumbed through the pants on the rack and
pulled out a pair of 30's.  "Here, we have one pair."

Ryan verified the tag and held the pants to his waist.  "Yeah, the waist is
right, but they're too long."

The clerk smiled.  "First time buying leather pants huh?"

Ryan smiled.  "Yeah, why?"

"They're sold long and uncut.  You have to hem them at the length you
want."

Ryan frowned.  "Oh, can that be done now?"

The clerk shrugged.  "I can certainly take your measurements but the guy
who does the tailoring doesn't work Sunday.  I could have them for you by
Wednesday, probably."

"I was hoping to give them to my boyfriend today."  He was disappointed.

The clerk was silent for a moment, staring at Ryan.  "You can always buy
them now, and bring them back in later to be hemmed."

Ryan beamed.  "Oh, that's true."

"Think it over.  In the meantime, have a look around, and see if you find a
jacket."

"Great!  Thanks much.  Where are some cool jackets to go with these pants?"

The clerk motioned to the opposite wall.  "Over there are the jackets.
Most are NASCAR or team logoed, others are biker style, but I think you
will find a few plain black ones."

Ryan nodded.  "Thanks."  He moved across the store, to the jackets hanging
on the wall.

The clerk watched him go and smiled.  He returned to the desk, and busied
himself until his coworker would arrive.

Ryan looked over the various styles of jackets, but most were not what he
had envisioned for Trevor.  He wanted something plain, waist length,
without too much metal showing.  These all seemed to be geared for bikers,
were bomber style, or were too colorful.  At the far end of the wall, in
the corner, he finally found what he wanted.  Three jackets were off to the
side.  He pulled one out and looked it over.  "Oh, yeah, this is perfect!"
He removed it from the hanger and slid his arms into the sleeves.  The
jacket was a perfect fit.  He needed to find one size larger, to
accommodate Trevor's more muscular chest and arms.  He pulled the next
jacket off the rack and it was one size larger.  "Ok, this must be fate."
He took both jackets up to the counter.

"Can I leave these here while I look around?"

The clerk nodded.  "Sure.  Can't decide which one you like?"

Ryan shook his head.  "No, I'm getting them both."  He set the jackets on
the counter, and headed back to the pants.

The clerk looked surprised and checked one of the price tags.  He did a
quick calculation and even with the 60% discount, each jacket was still
around one hundred dollars.  He worked commission, and today was looking to
be a good day.

At that moment, the second clerk walked in and set his lunch bag under the
counter.  "Morning Matt.  Sorry I'm late."

"Hey Chuck.  No biggie.  It's not like we are swarmed with customers."  He
smiled.

Matt pointed to the two jackets on the counter.  "You want me to go hang
those up in the back?"

"Nope.  Some guy is buying these.  He's back there looking at pants."

"Yeah?"  Chuck looked at Ryan, back at the pants rack.  "Well sucks to be
me.  I should have gotten here first.  Oh well."

"Sorry man.  You snooze you lose!"

Chuck nodded.  "That's what I get for dragging my ass in late.  So, why
does he need two jackets?"  He looked at the tags, and saw they were two
different sizes.  "If he wants to wear them both and bring the one back
that doesn't fit, we can't do that.  At these prices, all sales are final.
That's how we got stuck with that pair of hemmed pants, remember?"

"Dude!  You rock!"  Matt ducked around his coworker and dashed to the back
of the store.

"Um...ok."  Chuck moved up front, and busied himself with a display of
lady's coats near the entrance.

Matt pushed past a pile of boxes, and in the very back of the storeroom
were several items which were either defective, or had been returned for
another reason.  He lifted two pairs of pants and walked back out into the
store.

"Hey, I forgot about these."  He walked up to Ryan and displayed the pants.
"These were returned last week.  They're both hemmed, so maybe one will
work for you?"

Ryan looked at the pair in the clerk's left hand, and shook his head.
"Nah, I don't like all that fringy stuff."

Matt set that pair down and held out the other pair.  "These are the same
style you were looking at earlier.  They're already hemmed."

Ryan held them up to his waist.  "They look about right.  Can I try them
on?"

Matt nodded.  "Sure thing."  He pointed across the store to a small room.
"Right over there."

Ryan closed the changing room door and took off his boots and pants.  He
slid into the leather pants, and pulled them up to his waist.  They fit
perfectly, but had been hemmed too high.  Trevor was an inch taller than he
was, so they would probably look like he was expecting a flood.

He removed them and pulled his clothes back on.  He opened the door and
walked back the rack of pants, where Matt was waiting.  "No, they're hemmed
too high.  My boyfriend is taller than I am so they'll be too short for
him.

Matt took the pants from him and nodded.  "Oh well, thought it was worth a
try."  He set them just inside the storeroom doorway, and turned back to
Ryan.  "You want to get the un-hemmed ones then?"

Ryan smiled.  "Yeah, I do.  As you said, I can always bring them back in to
be hemmed.  And actually, it makes more sense for my boyfriend to be
wearing them when your tailor measures, right?"

"Exactly."  Matt was unable to hide the smile that spread across his face.

Ryan started to grin.  "What?"

Matt shook his head.  "I'm sorry, I don't want this to come out wrong, but,
how long has he been your boyfriend?"

Ryan shrugged.  "What time is it now?"

Matt was confused.  "Uh, ten thirty or so, I think."

Ryan counted on his fingers.  "About eight hours."  He smiled.

Matt nodded.  "I thought so.  You are way too happy."

Ryan blushed a little.  "Sorry.  You probably don't care, but he's my first
boyfriend.  It's all a little crazy right now."

Matt smiled.  "Well if you're buying all this stuff for him, he's one lucky
guy."

Ryan looked at the clerk for a minute and then nodded.  "Thanks, that means
a lot to me.  I'm a little concerned people are going to freak, out or
treat me badly, when I say `boyfriend'.  But, I like saying it."

Matt winked.  "I can tell."  He extended his hand.  "I'm Matt."

Ryan shook his head.  "Ryan."

"You a student at the university?"

"Yeah.  How about you?"

Matt shook his head.  "Nah, never wanted to do the whole school gig."

Ryan nodded.  "That's cool.  I wasn't sure I wanted to either but my dad
made me."

"How old are you Ryan?"

"Eighteen and a few months."  He felt his pulse quickening.

Matt leaned down, and close enough not to be overheard by anyone else.
"Your boyfriend is very lucky.  You are seriously cute."  He straightened
up and smiled.

Ryan felt his ears warming, and knew he was blushing.  "Thanks."  He
smiled.

"So, anything else you looking for today?"

Ryan shrugged.  "Well, I've got him pants and a jacket.  What else do you
think he would like?"

Matt shook his head.  "I don't know him, so I'm not sure.  He's bigger than
you right.  Taller and more muscled?"

Ryan was shocked.  "Yeah.  How did you know?"

"You told me he was taller, and the two jackets are different sizes."  Matt
smiled.

"Oh, yeah.  I forgot."

"What does he like to wear?"

Ryan thought for a moment.  "Well, last night he had on a tank top, my
leather pants, and black boots."

Matt smiled.  "Nice."

Ryan looked into Matt's eyes.  "Yeah."

"So how about a leather tank top?"  Matt beckoned Ryan to follow him, and
walked to a small rack by the changing room.  "Something like this?"  He
held up a shiny, black tank top.  "We have other colors too, just not out
here.  Black seems to be the most popular.

Ryan instantly knew what he wanted.  He quickly looked at Matt.  "Do you
have a white one?"

Matt smiled.  "I bet I do.  Wait here."  He disappeared into the back room.
I a minute he returned with two white tops.  "One is a medium, the other a
large"

Ryan held them both up.  "I don't know which would fit him."

"Well, try one on and see what fits you.  Then, get the next size up."

Ryan nodded and took them into the changing room.

Matt stepped up to the door and spoke softly.  "If you don't mind, can I
see what you look like in it?"

"Sure."  Ryan opened the door and stepped out.  He had on the medium and
while he wasn't especially muscular, it hugged his chest nicely.

Matt whistled quietly.  "Wow...can I take you home with me?"  He smiled.
"That looks great on you but I bet it'll be too tight on your boyfriend."

Ryan nodded, feeling his ears blazing hot.  "I agree.  I'll get him the
large."

Mat nodded.  "Good idea.  It will stretch a little, but better to start
with one slightly larger.  Are you going to keep that one for yourself?"

"Me?  No, I don't like to wear sleeveless shirts.  I don't have the chest
and arms for it."

Matt shook his head.  "Looks good from where I'm standing."

Ryan smiled.  "Are you this nice to all your customers, or just the ones
who are buying half the store?"  He didn't go back into the changing room,
but pulled the tank off right there in the store, exposing his bare chest
for Matt.  He reached back into the room and retrieved his shirt.

Matt stared at Ryan's hairless chest and flat stomach and grinned.  "Just
the cute ones."  He took the larger tank from Ryan.  "I'll put this up on
the counter with your other stuff."

Ryan pulled his shirt back on and followed Matt to the counter.  "What else
do you think he would like?"

"How about a belt?"

"Nah, he has lots of those."

"Well other than briefcases, backpacks, and wallets, all we have is
clothes.  You've seen most of them."

Ryan nodded.  "Yeah, I guess I'll get this stuff then."

Matt smiled.  "Cool.  Your boyfriend will be very happy."  He rang
everything up and the total was just under three hundred and fifty dollars.

Ryan paid with his `good times' credit card, while Matt bagged the clothes.
He didn't care for a moment that his father had never intended him to be
buying stuff for another boy.

Matt thanked him for the purchase and reminded him to come back in if they
wanted to hem the pants.  He also commented that Ryan could stop in any
time he wanted to, maybe for lunch some day.  He handed Ryan his business
card and smiled.

Ryan thanked him and left the store.  He had another small shopping spree
in mind, and headed towards the sporting goods store.  He looked at Matt's
`Leather City' card and turned it over.  On the back was a telephone number
and the word `cell' next to it.  Ryan laughed and shook his head.  He
pocketed the card and continued toward the next store.

********

Cody lifted his feet off the bed and wrapped them around David's waist,
locking his heels behind David's back.

David leaned forward and paced his hands on the bed, on either side of
Cody.  He began to increase his thrusting, and bucked his hips forward.  He
pumped into Cody for a few minutes and then pushed forward one last time,
strongly, and came.  He continued to thrust gently, for a little longer,
and then straightened up.  "You going to let me go?"

Cody shrugged.  "Maybe.  Or maybe I'll keep you here until you are ready to
go again."

David grinned playfully.  "You think you are strong enough to hold me for
that long?"

Cody gave him `the look' but didn't respond.

David nodded.  "Yeah, that was a stupid thing to ask.  I suppose you could
crush me between your thighs if you wanted to.

Cody nodded.  "Maybe not crush you, but it would hurt."  He unlocked his
ankles and let David back away, his dick sliding out of Cody's ass.

David stretched and yawned.  "I'm beat kiddo.  Time for bed."

Cody thought about reminding him that he was over eighty years old and not
a `kid' but didn't.  He was glad David was so comfortable with him,
considering David wasn't gay.  "Ok, see you tomorrow."  Cody stood and
pulled on the exercise pants.  "Is it ok if I surf the web most of the
night?"

David nodded but looked confused.  "I didn't know you went online?"

"Yeah, well not too many motels have computers in them.  Certainly not the
dumps you usually take me to."  He smiled.

"Hey!  It was always your idea to lay low someplace seedy."

Cody waved his hands.  "I'm kidding.  But as long as I'm here, and you have
a computer, I might as well see if the web is still there."

"Sure, come on."  David led Cody to his own bedroom and turned on the
computer.  "You want me to sleep in your room so you can have some
privacy?"

Cody shook his head.  "No, I'm just going to look at news sites, and maybe
look for some others I know."  He sat down in front of the monitor and slid
the keyboard tray forward.

"Try CNN.  They seem to cover a lot of stuff."  He removed his clothes and
crawled under the covers.  "Oh, if you want to surf porn, just be careful
of the really bad sites.  I don't want any viruses on my computer."

Cody turned to face him.  "Why would I surf porn?"

David propped himself up on his elbows.  "I thought all guys did."

"Well I have no use for it.  Besides, if I get horny again, I'll just crawl
under the covers and suck you off while you sleep."  He raised his
eyebrows.

"Don't be offended if I don't wake up.  I'm really tired."  David lay back
down and sighed.  "Goodnight."

Cody faced the computer screen.  "Good night David.  Don't let the bed bugs
bite."

David rolled over so his face was away from the bright screen.  "It's not
the bugs I worry about biting me."

Cody smiled but didn't respond.  He punched up CNN and began reading.  He
always tried to keep up on what was happening in the world.  While not
overly concerned with the humans' problems, it never hurt to know what was
going on around him.  After several hours of reading, he began to get the
urge to visit a few sites that were unknown to most people, except to him
and his kind.  He paused.  Normally he visited those sites from a public
location, such as a library.  If people were monitoring those URL's it was
likely they would be able to trace the ping from David's computer.  That
was a bad idea.  He knew which people were likely to be watching, and they
MUST not find out he was there.

Cody switched off the computer and went out into the living room.  The
clock on the wall displayed 3 am.  He wasn't tired, as he really didn't
sleep, but he could rest to pass the time.  It would greatly slow the
depletion of the life energy sustaining his existence.  He could slip into
a meditative state, but remain aware of his surroundings, able to be fully
alert and reactive in an instant, if necessary.  He had once spent almost
two months in such a state while hiding out in a forest, several feet
underground.  That had been many years ago, and he hoped to not repeat that
event anytime soon.

He stretched out on the couch, folded his hands across his chest, and
closed his eyes.  His pulse slowed to approximately two beats a minute.
That was enough to keep his organs `alive' but just barely.  Should he stop
his heart altogether, tissue damage would begin to occur.  Being a vampire,
however, the tissue would instantly repair itself, at the cost of consuming
life energy.  He had practiced, and knew the exact heart rate to bring his
body to the lowest level of energy consumption.

His body began to cool, and his face lost most of its color, looking now
very pale.  He relaxed his mouth, and his fangs descended over his lip,
that being their natural state.  This is probably where most of the
`undead' myths originated.  Should someone see him like this, they would
surely believe he was dead, only to have him wake a moment later.

Time flew rapidly past in this state, and soon the sun was shining brightly
through the balcony window.  Cody sensed it, and felt its warmth on his
face, but continued to rest.

Around ten o'clock, David stepped out of his bedroom and stretched.  He saw
Cody on the couch and walked over to him.  "Hey, I thought you didn't
sleep."  He looked down, and saw how pale Cody's skin was.  He saw his
fangs and took a step backwards.

He had never seen Cody look so...dead, and it frightened him.  He
momentarily thought about getting his gold watch and the cold neck chain he
used to wear, years ago, but didn't.  Cody trusted him with the secret that
gold could harm him, and he didn't want to betray that trust now by arming
himself.  He stood on the opposite side of the coffee table and called to
Cody.  "Hey, you awake?"

Cody had sensed David come into the room, but on the chance he was just
getting a glass of water, he had not stirred.  He could now feel the fear
flowing from David.  Cody opened his eyes and retracted his fangs, color
slowly returning to his face.  He inhaled deeply and sat up.  "I wasn't
sleeping."

David sighed, obviously relieved.  "Well whatever you call it, you were
creeping me out, again."  He sat on the table.  "By the way, what were you
doing?"

"I was meditating to conserve energy."

"Hmm...it looked like you were asleep to me."  David smiled.

"I heard you come into the room.  I felt you standing next to me, looking
at me.  I heard you back away, and sensed your fear.  Trust me, I wasn't
sleeping."

David shuddered.  "Why do you have to be so creepy?"  He went to the
kitchen and got a glass of orange juice.

"I can't help what I am David.  Sorry if that bothers you."  Cody swung his
legs over the couch and stood.  "What are you going to do today?"

David finished his glass and set it in the sink.  "I don't know.  At some
point I should send an email to my boss to let him know I'll be working
from home tomorrow."

"Why?"

"Um...because he may fire me if I just don't show up.  Duh!"  David
shrugged.

"No, I meant why not go to work?"

"Oh, well, I guess I could, seeing as you are all healed up."

Cody opened his hand and looked at the red scar across his palm.  He flexed
his fingers but the wound no longer hurt.  "Yeah, all better now."

David walked over and looked at his hand.  "Well, you have a bit more to
go, but good enough to be on your own right?"

Cody traced the scar with his other hand.  "This may be all the better the
wound gets."

"No shit?  I thought you always healed back to the state when you were
changed."

"Gold did this to me.  It's more powerful than my regenerative power.  I
have a few other small scars from over the years."  He balled his hand into
a fist.  "This will be fine."

David shrugged.  "Ok, then I'll go to work tomorrow.  What will you do?"

"I don't know.  Do you need anything done around here?"

David laughed.  "You mean like cleaning?"

Cody nodded.  "Yes.  Does that seem so odd a request?"

"I just never figured you for a maid."  He smiled.

"I want to be useful, if you need help with anything.  In the past, when I
stayed with other people I would help out, as needed."

"Oh yeah?  Like what?"

 Cody was thoughtful for a moment.  "Well, once, when I stayed with an old
farmer in Ohio, I used to do chores around the farm and in his barn, in
exchange for a room in his house."

"Oh yeah?  You never told me about him."  David took a seat at the small
table, next to the kitchen.

"I haven't told you one percent of what I've done in my life."

"What was he like?  Did you...feed on him too?"

"No, I never fed on him.  He was too old to offer me much energy, and he
needed it all for himself."

"Oh, I didn't know that.  No offense, but if you didn't feed on him, why
did you stay?"

Cody had a distant look on his face, as if remembering those days.  "He was
kind to me, and he was very lonely.  He never knew what I am, but he
enjoyed my company.  I stayed with him for almost an entire year."

"Why did you leave?  Did someone come looking for you?"

Cody faced him.  "He died."

David was silent for a moment.  "Oh.  I'm sorry."

Cody smiled, sadly.  "Me too.  He was a good friend."

"So you moved on?"

"He had two children.  They came to take care of his estate and I was no
longer welcome...so...I left."  Cody wiped his eye with a finger.

David reached out and put his hand on Cody's arm.  "I'm sorry.  I didn't
mean to bring up old memories."

Cody shrugged.  "That's okay, I have a lot of them.  Anyway, that was years
ago."  He smiled at David.  "Besides, I'm with you now.  So, how about it?
Do you need anything done?"

"Not that I can think of, but I'll give it some thought."

"Good enough."  Cody nodded.

"So, assuming I don't come up with some chores for you, what are you going
to do today?"  David got up and poured himself a second glass of juice.

"I'd like to wander the mall.  Do you mind driving me there?"

David returned to the table and sat back down.  "You going to look for your
friend?"

"His name is Ryan and we aren't friends, at least not yet.  Seeing as I was
supposed to meet him yesterday at noon, I don't expect he will still want
to be my friend.  But, I need to return his clothes, if I can find him."

David finished the juice and walked back to the kitchen.  "I don't know.  I
bet he'll understand you couldn't be there, if you tell him why."

"I can't tell him what happened!"  Cody followed him into the kitchen.

David turned to face him.  "Sure you can.  You were `sick'.  He doesn't
need to know the specifics.  Hell, show him your hand and tell him you were
burnt.  That much is true."

"Yeah, I guess I can.  We'll see.  So how about it?  Drive me there?"

David nodded.  "Sure thing kiddo.  There is a doughnut shop across the
street.  Let's get some breakfast, and then I'll drop you at the mall."

"I don't eat."

"So you keep reminding me."  He picked up his car keys.  "You ready?"

Cody shook his head.  "No, I need to change out of this exercise suit, and
into my own clothes."

David nodded.  "May I make a suggestion?"

"Sure."

"Keep the suit on and just put his clothes back on over it.  You know, like
you were when you wore them home."

"Why?"

David smiled.  "It will be easier than carrying a bag with his clothes
around all day, in case he doesn't show up.  Besides, I know how much you
enjoy wearing his stuff."

Cody nodded.  "Makes sense.  Be right back."  He went to his room and
pulled Ryan's jeans on over the exercise suit.  He had to put on his own
shirt as Ryan's had been destroyed.  If he ended up meeting Ryan at the
mall, he would let him pick out a new shirt.  He slipped into Ryan's tennis
shoes and returned to the living room.

 "Hey, I need some cash."

David nodded and grabbed some money, from the stack Cody had taken from the
bikers.  "How much?"

"Not sure.  I need to get Ryan a new shirt, and enough for bus fare."

"Hell, just take a couple hundred bucks.  Now that we no longer have to
worry about motel rent, this is all play money."  He handed Cody a few
hundred dollars, and set the rest under a book on the kitchen counter.

"I guess I'm ready to go."  Cody pocketed the money, and moved to the door.

"Ok.  Breakfast first, then the mall."  David opened the door and let them
out, locking it behind them.

They drove to a doughnut shop across from the mall, and David bought a few
long johns and some coffee.  "You want anything?"

Cody faced him.  "World peace?"

David looked puzzled.  "What?"

"Never mind."  He took a seat by the window.

David sat next to him and began eating his breakfast.

Cody looked around the room, watching the other people come and go.  He
closed his eyes and turned his head slowly from side to side.

David tapped his arm.  "What's up?"

Cody opened his eyes.  "I'm not sure."  He rose and slowly walked over to
the doughnut counter.

The woman behind the glass smiled happily.  "What can I get you?"

Cody shook his head.  "Nothing for me thanks.  I'm on a strict diet.  Just
smelling things."  He walked over to the drink cooler and smelled the air
around it.  For a moment, he lingered, and then returned to the table.

David crumpled his napkin and finished his coffee.  "What was that all
about?"

Cody sat back down.  "I'm not sure.  I think he was here."

"Who?"

"Ryan."

"Oh yeah?  Can you tell when?"  David rose and threw his trash away.

Cody followed him.  "Recently, I think.  It is hard to tell with all the
food smells."

David opened the door and walked out.  "Well maybe he is at the mall."

Cody followed him and got into his car.  "Yeah, I guess I'll find out."