A place to stay

 "Bro, you got it rough," Cedric snickered as he took care of his friend's dreds. Yeah, Cedric was many things, but not a real hair stylist. Although, he'd been doing dreds since he was a kid. And he liked how he could give Axton style. "What in the world are you gonna do for the long haul?"

Cedric knew the lowdown about that Emily chick with the baby bump. "And you're sure it's yours?"

"Can we not talk about this," Axton squinted. Of course, Cedric did him no harm, just a jab of gossip.

"Alright, alright, alright," Cedric guessed he could come clean, but there was no baby news. There never would be in fact. Although, as he smiled practically from ear to ear, he might have found himself a baby. Of course, he was grown, but one might never really know it. "I have been helping out someone, as of late."

"Sure, sure you have," Axton chuckled back hanging on to the back of the dining table in the dining chair in Axton's humble abode, the basement at Yuki & Em's.

"I am just trying to be careful, you know. Nothing has been the same since the pandemic." That's when he told him how they'd met at the ER. "I was working, bro."

"Uh-huh." He knew Axton wished he'd hurry it up. His nimble fingers kept going through the rows of hair.

"Look, he needs me, all right," Cedric said he needed to get back to his apartment.

"Yeah, if you say so." Axton sighed as Cedric finished up on the fresh dreads. He rolled them tight. 

"Dory is in dire consequence, you see. He didn't have any place to go. They didn't think he needed rehab. I mean, it was just Nquil that he overdosed on."

"Just what are you gonna do for him?" Axton caught Cedric's gaze then.

"Beats me," he shrugged and backed away for Axton to sit up. "It's just his roommate is finished with him. Says he doesn't have time for this. Hell, he's getting married."

Axton nodded as if he guessed he knew what Cedric was up to.

"I don't fall in love that easily, anymore." Cedric shook his head no. "But that little man is a sad sod. I tell you what, he needs a good friend."

"Oh, you can be a really good friend, when you want to," Axton shook with laughter. He stood up, looked in the mirror at his new do, and said, "Nice," He reached in his back pocket for a couple of twenties.

"Naw, man," Cedric winced. "I'm good. You better save every dime you get these days."

Axton let out a slight sigh. "Ced, you better watch it, don't get too involved, you know."

"Don't you worry. I'm just a friend indeed." Cedric grinned back.

"Yeah, but you know you got a lot of need too." Axton looked him in the eye.

"I am gonna behave," Cedric grinned even more. "I think he's a little scared, that's all."