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“I can’t believe you think this is a silly idea Stan,” Xeno crossed his arms.
“Xe, come on. I said it was dumb idea,” Stan corrected.
“You’re not helping your case here,” Xeno pointed out as the two walked home
“I’m not trying to,” Stan replied.
“And here I thought friends were supposed to be supportive,” Xeno scoffed.
“Heh,” Stan chuckled. “Where’d ya hear that? I’m ya only friend Xe,”
“I read it in a book,”
“You read a book about friendship?”
“I thought it may help me make more friends,”
“But you don’t like other people,”
“I needed them for my plan,” Xeno added.
“There it is,” Stan playfully rolled his eyes.
“It seemed like I’m only left with you though but you think it’s dumb,” Xeno huffed.
“Ok ok, remind me of the plan again,” Stan sighed.
“Well tonight is Halloween correct?”
“Hmh,”
“Welllll,” Xeno sang. “You know how I only need a few more dollars for some uranium for my rocket?
“Yeah,” Stan answered, already knowing where this was going.
“Since Halloween is about giving out free candy, we could collect that and then sell it back to kids at school for money,”
It was a plan only a nerd like Xeno could come up with. No way would kids buy candy after a night of getting it for free. Especially from Xeno… Stan thought Xeno was great but other kids… Not so much. Stan was going to point out the plan’s absurdity but Xeno had got that sparkle in his eye.
“So are you in or not Stan?” Xeno asked.
“Might as well,” Stan shrugged. “Don’t need you getting picked on by the other kids,”
“Perfect, I needed a bodyguard after all,” Xeno hummed.
“Don’t call me that,” Stan groaned.
“We’ll find a better name then,” Xeno grinned.
“Yeah because a 9 year old being a bodyguard? Not likely,”
“Good point,” Xeno noted. “Though you are quite intimidating,”
“Uhhh huh, that’s something you want to hear from your best friend,” Stan sarcastically sang.
“You’re welcome,”
“Xe I was being sarcastic,’ Stan bumped Xeno.
“Did I offend you?” Xeno questioned.
Stan sighed. “No ya didn’t,”
For as smart as Xeno was, he had his moments- “Good,” Xeno smiled. -And then he had moments like that.
I’m so glad he’s my best friend.
Why other kids thought Xeno was weird never made sense to him. Didn’t they see how great he was?
“So meet ya out at 6?” Stan asked.
“Sounds good to me,” Stan and Xeno rounded the corner to their cul-de-sac. “What are you dressing up as?”
“It’s a surprise,” Stan looked so proud of himself.
“More like you don’t know yet,”
“Hey!”
Stan and Xeno said their goodbyes and went into their decorated houses. Stan was so excited as he rushed into his parents’ room. There was his mother with her sewing machine finishing up a costume.
“Hmh Stanley? Home already?”
“Well yeah,” It’s 3 after all,” Stanley pointed to the clock.
“Is it?” His mother cracked her neck. “I’ve must’ve been here for hours then,”
“Is it done?” Stan asked, too excited to acknowledge his mom’s other comment.
“Now hold on. Give me a few minutes,” His mother replied. “You want to come out good right?”
“Oh yeah! Right!” Stan nodded, still focused on the fabric in the machine.
“Why don’t you start on your homework?” Stan’s mom offered.
“But-,”
“It’ll make time go faster,” She added.
Stan looked at the clock that only read 3:02 pm. He had 3 hours left until Halloween. That was way too long.
“Fineeee!” Stan groaned, turning to go to his room.
“Love you, Stanley!” Stan’s mom called after him.
“Love ya mom,” Stan walked over to his room.
Stan closed the door behind him. He let his backpack slip off his shoulder and flopped onto his bed.
“Good,” Xeno’s smile had caught Stan so off guard.
He was so glad Xeno was his friend. Seeing him happy like that- Stan hopes the two of them can be friends forever.
“Oi! Xeno hurry up!” Stan knocked on the door of Xeno’s house.
“I’m coming I’m coming,” Stan heard Xeno shout back.
Stan sighed with his pillow cover in his hand and a cardboard sword in the other hand. Other kids were already out and about with their bought costumes on. It made him feel a little silly in his costume. A t-shirt and jeans painted and sewn with more fabric for a design.
“Ready,” Xeno came out with a white sheet over his head.
Stan was tempted to laugh. “A ghost? Really?”
“It’s the most logical costume don’t ya think?” Xeno replied. “Easy and cheap. Plus no one can see my face. I don’t really care for the dirty looks some adults give me,” Even without seeing his mouth Stan felt Xeno’s sadness.
Stan stepped forward and hugged his friend. “Trust me I won’t let that happen,”
Xeno let his hands hang by his side but rested his cheek on Stan’s shoulder as his way of returning the hug.
“While I appreciate the hug Stan shouldn't we be going?” Xeno pointed out.
“Ahh right!” Stan snapped out of it and let go of Xeno.
“Plus I don’t want to ruin your knight consume,” Xeno pointed out.
“Heh thanks,” Stan weakily laughed.
“Is something wrong?”
“Ehhh, I just wish I’d bought a costume,”
“Why? This costume makes you different from the other knight costumes,” Xeno pointed out. “Oh wait hold on!” Xeno rushes back inside for a second before quickly coming back out with a big black sharpie in his hand. “Stay stilllllll~,”
Xeno popped the lid of the marker and pushed it on Stan’s costume on his shoulder. With a few strokes Xeno was done with what he’d drawn. It was a little picture of himself with his name under it.
“Wha-?”
“You’re my knight now,” Xeno huffed. “Which makes you different from the others,”
“Heh heheh,” Stan started to laugh. Somehow Xeno had made him proud of his dinky costume. “Yeah Xe, I’m your knight for the night!” Stan lifted his cardboard sword to the sky.
It was a cool moment until the cardboard sword flopped to one side.
“Pft-,”
“Xe! Don’t laugh!”
“I’m sorry my friend,” Xeno held the back of his hand to his mouth as he tried to regain his composure.
“I hate you,”
“I doubt that, now let’s go before all the good candy is taken,”
“Yeah whatever,” Stan rolled his eyes but followed Xeno to the first house.
.
.
.
The rules Stan and Xeno’s parents had agreed on were that the two could go out on their own as long as they stayed in the neighborhood and weren’t out past 8:30. Xeno and Stan looked at their haul of candy. Xeno’s little plastic jack o'lantern basically filled to the top with how much candy he had. Stan on the other hand had much more in the pillowcase and had to throw it over his shoulder like a thieving Santa Claus.
“You need help there?” Xeno offered.
“Heh, You’re just jealous you didn't get as much,” Stan commented.
“Hardly, I followed the signs put up,” Xeno had his arm across his body.
“And that’s why you don’t have as much candy,”
“Society has rules Stan,”
“Ehhhh,” Stan shrugged it off.
Most kids had called it a night. A few people were out on the street but for the most part the streets were clear. Stan looked in the pillowcase full of candy. He was more than happy with himself. He couldn’t wait to go home and count the candy. Stan was so excited he had forgotten to look ahead of him.
Stan bumped into a taller kid in front of him. “Ah sorry,” Stan said without a second thought looking up at the kid.
There were 3 of them. They could be not older than 12 but they looked so smug.
“Oi watch where y’all going,” The kids scoffed.
“I said I was sorry,”
“Man, that’s not good enough,” The other kid looked down.
“Useless,” Xeno unfolded his arms. “Let’s go Stan,” Xeno grabbed Stan’s wrist and tried to pull him to get around the three.
“Where do you think you’re going casper?” the third kid pushed Xeno.
“Hey, cut it out!” Stan shouted.
“Listen, if you ask me it’s only fair if you bastards give us your candy,'' the kid Stan bumped into said.
Xeno quickly held his bucket close to his chest.
“Aw hell nah, we earned this!” Stan protested.
“Don’ matter,” Kid one put his hand out. “Life ain't fair, kids."
“You’re only like 3 years older,” Xeno pointed out.
“Whatever, hand it over,” Kid three glared.
Stan was tempted to do so. The kids were older plus he was outnumbered. Stan glanced over at Xeno expecting him to be ready to do the same but the other held the plastic pumpkin closer. Him and Xeno had worked hard for the bounty they had gotten and Xeno looked determined to keep it.
It filled him with confidence. “Fight me for it!” Stan held up his bent cardboard sword.
“Heh, is the kid kidding?”
“No way,”
Stan handed Xeno his bag and put his fist up just like his father had tagged him. Win or lose. Xeno needed that candy for his plan and like hell he'd let some smug 12 year old bastards take that from him without a fight. For Xe’s sake.
“Ahh!” Stan shouted as he swung with all his might at kid one.
Whatever arrogance drove a nine year old to think he could take on three twelve year olds by himself filled up in Stan. He wasn’t thinking properly. Not of consequences, not of himself, only of the goal, he managed to get one of the kids on the ground, as he got on top and kept punching his face. The other kids tried to get him off but Stan was flying into such a blind rage.
“Man get off him!” The kids finally were able to keep Stan from swinging and threw him off.
“Out of my way!”
“Stanley!” Xeno shouted. That snapped Stan out of it. “I think that’s enough,”
Stan hadn’t even noticed he was bleeding… No, that was wrong. There weren't any deep cuts on him. It wasn’t his blood. The main guy was out with a bloody nose.
“Y- yeah…,” Stan got off the kid with shaky hands. The consequences hit him.
“Shit, let’s go,”
“It’s just damn candy man!? What’s wrong with you?!” The kids helped their friend up.
Stan said nothing as he went back over to Xeno. He was scared of what he’d done.
“Keep your fucking candy damn!!” The kids walked away, helping their friend walk.
Xeno said nothing to Stan but he pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and helped Stan help get blood off his knuckles.
“Xe I’m-,” Stan started.
“Not now,” Xeno helped clean. “That was a rather inelegant display if I may add,” Stan just nodded. “But… there was elegance in you standing up for me,”
“You think I hurt that guy?” Stan asked.
“Probably,” Xeno replied plainly.
“Did I scare you?”
“Kinda,”
“Sorry,”
“It’s fine,” Xeno got the blood off. “I just don’t understand what made you so upset. It was just candy after all,”
“But it wasn’t,”
“Huh?”
“You need that candy for your plan right?”
“Yes, but I thought you said that plan was silly,” Xeno pointed out.
“So what?” Stan regained himself. “So what if the plan was stupid?! I don’t care if your plan was the dumbest thing ever! It’s your plan Xe, and I wasn’t going to let some freaking jerks take that from you!”
Xeno looked confused for a moment before regaining his grin. “I take it back. That was a very elegant display. Thank you Stan,” Xeno leaned his cheek on Stan’s shoulder. “You were a pretty good knight after all,”
.
.
.
Years passed and Stan continued to be Xeno’s knight. Helping to carry out Xeno’s will.
Blam Blam Blam Blam!
“Well done,” Xeno brushed debris off his shoulder. “Although this rescue took nearly 100 days. I’d imagine you’d come sooner my knight, or were you dragging your feet because your damsel in distress was no princess but rather the scientist you find yourself tethered to?”
“Shut up man,” Stan was just happy to have his husband back. “This ain't really the time for your warm and fuzzy gratitude. Not with the petri beam coming,”
“You’re probably correct,” Xeno hummed.
“Just kiss already!” Maya shouted.
“Ms. Biggs! I hardly see-,” Stan did mind the comment though.
It was a quick kiss and I totally threw Xeno off but it was kinda cute seeing Xeno fluster for a moment.
“Missed ya Xe,”
“You too love, but save it for after the war,” Xeno raised his brows.