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Kyle rarely got time to go on patrol, leaving that up to the others. But he was lucky that today he could get time off from studying and force Kenny to take a break. He was so bad at sleeping, replacing the time that he should sleep with patrol.
He had to make sure that he gave Kenny no choice, there was no choice in going on patrol or getting a good night’s sleep. He forced him to stay home and told Stan, who also had the night off, to make sure that he stayed there and actually slept.
He sighed, watching the street, feeling himself getting tired. He forgot to eat before this, so that really wasn’t helping.
“Damn, it’s not very often that I get to catch you almost falling asleep on patrol,” Cartman said, sitting down next to him. Kyle rolled his eyes.
“It’s not my fault that I’ve been so busy with school. I’ve been studying all week.” Kyle said, slightly annoyed.
Cartman looked him over for a moment, silent, before asking, “Did you eat?”
Kyle didn’t answer, but Cartman apparently got all that he needed from that. He got up and was off before Kyle could actually say anything. Kyle kept his eyes on the streets, waiting for something to happen.
It seemed that any day that he took to go on patrol, that was always the day when nothing was happening. It wouldn’t be that big of a deal if he wasn’t exhausted from how much time he spent studying the night before.
He jumped, feeling something icy touch his shoulder. He looked up, ready to fight, but it was just Cartman holding a soda out to him. Kyle raised an eyebrow. To which Cartman shrugged, “I know it’s not food, but it’s a little difficult to find vending machines that have food that isn’t in locked buildings around here.”
Kyle rolled his eyes, but took it, anyway. He quickly opened it, downing half of it at once. He took a breath before finishing it with another drink. He hadn’t realized just how much his hands had been shaking. A friendly reminder to eat before patrol.
“I thought Mysterion was supposed to be out here today,” Cartman asked, to which Kyle rolled his eyes.
“Yes, he was supposed to be here, but I forced him to go home. He’s been on patrol every day this week so I had to force him to take a break.” Kyle said shaking his head, “He’s not going to be any good to everyone if he’s not taking care of himself.”
“How did you force him to take the day off? How do you know that he’s not still on the streets? We all know how difficult it is to keep him home on a day that he could roam around.”
“Oh, come on, like I didn’t think of that. I put Toolshed on him to make sure that he stays there. I trust him enough to call me if Mysterion slipped out.” Kyle said, waving it off.
They were quiet for a moment, neither really knowing what to say to the other. They had spent so much time being rivals, even on the same side, that being whatever they were now, neither friends nor rivals, was weird. Neither knew how to deal with it. Neither knew how to deal with the other being nice to them. Neither really knew how to not say things to hurt the other.
“Thanks for the soda by the way,” Kyle said, having been raised too polite to just not say thanks.
Cartman nodded, saying, “Sounds like you shouldn’t be lecturing others on taking care of themselves if you can’t even remember to eat before patrol.”
Kyle sighed, rolling his eyes again, “I didn’t think that I would get so tired and shaky.” He looked around for a minute, not really wanting this to become some weird knowledge of a journalist or villain. “I didn’t think it would set off my diabetes so badly.”
“Dude, how the hell have you been living with it for this long and you don’t know what sets it off?” Cartman asked, laughing slightly. Kyle rolled his eyes again. He found himself doing that a lot when it came to Eric Cartman.
“It’s not like it’s taken over my life like some people,” Kyle said, a slight hint of anger that was hard to control around his former rival in his voice. “I try not to let it get in the way and then I just kind of forget to eat. Plus, I was pretty busy all week with studying and having to make sure that everything was fine.”
“You weren’t even the one on patrol,” Cartman said, smirking over at him.
“I may not have been on patrol but I still had to make sure that the right people were getting out and actually going on patrol. I was almost constantly watching the news to make sure that there was nothing big going on. I was waiting for my phone to go off if someone needed backup or if someone died.” Kyle said, his voice getting faster. He had to pause, taking a breath before continuing, “Just because I’m focusing more on school than everyone else doesn’t mean that I’m not always on the lookout to make sure that everyone is fine and that none of my friends have died in the middle of the night or need my help.”
Cartman was quiet for a moment, so quiet that Kyle almost forgot that he was there until he spoke up once more, “You know you don’t have to be looking that closely.”
Kyle laughed dryly, “Why? Why should I not worry that my friends are dying and there was something that I could have done?”
“Oh, come on,” Cartman said rolling his eyes, “I think we’ll all be fine even with you not there most of the time. I’m honestly surprised that we have had nothing worse than Cthulhu because this is fucking South Park but we haven’t. And even then we survived Cthulhu I think we can survive a few robberies aka the worst that we ever have to deal with.”
“But it’s because of Cthulhu, which might I add you made friends with, you weren’t there while we were trying to defeat him. It was quite terrifying. I’m worried that,” Kyle paused, looking over at the other and sighing, “I’m worried that it will happen again and none of us will make it out alive.”
“Dude this is South Park. When has anything happened twice?” Cartman said, snorting. “I’m pretty sure the universe has a list of all the shitty things they want to happen to us and they never repeat themselves.”
“It sometimes feels like some sort of tv show.” Kyle said, “But clearly not one that actually has a fun universe you want to be a part of.”
“We literally watched superhero movies, created fake superhero personas, and then actually went out and started fighting crime. Clearly, there would be someone out there interested in our lives.”
“I guess,” Kyle said, and the silence was back over them for what felt like forever.
“Who else is out tonight?” Cartman asked, trying to fill the silence. Kyle thought for a moment before answering, trying to picture the schedule that was always hung up somewhere in their hideout.
Their hideout used to be in Cartman’s basement, but that was when they were just playing superheroes. When they didn’t know so much about themselves. When they thought it was all some kind of game. Now it was in an abandoned warehouse that belonged to Tokens parents.
“I think Tweak and Craig, Call Girl, and Mosquito should be out.” Kyle said, “If I’m remembering correctly.”
“Wonder what the others do with their days off.” Cartman pondered, to which Kyle shrugged.
“Not only do I not know, I honestly don’t care. As long as they show up for the days they are scheduled and don’t on the days they aren’t I couldn’t care less. Also that they aren’t actively killing themselves in some way or another.” Kyle said, shrugging. “I only really know about us four outside of school and this. Other than that I don’t really care.”
“Damn dude. Brutal.” Kyle rolled his eyes.
“Where was that vending machine anyway,” Kyle asked, changing the subject. “I think I’m starting to shake again. And I’d like to not have to fight with low blood sugar.”
The other said nothing for a while and Kyle looked over, only to find the spot next to him empty. Of course, he just had to get up and do it for him. He could do things for himself. Seriously, he would not fall over, he hadn’t neglected his heath that badly. He’s only fallen over after not eating once.
But regardless, he waited. If Cartman wanted to go to the mysterious vending machine wherever it was, then Kyle would not complain that much. He kept watching on the street, making sure that nothing happened. But the streets seemed to be rather silent tonight.
Nothing had come through on his phone, no phone calls telling him that someone needed backup. The news, which he always had playing in the background in his headphones was rather stagnated. Of course, they still filled the time with something, but it was all boring stuff. Nothing about that was actual news. He had contemplated just turning it off, but he was worried that he would miss something if he did.
“Anything?” Cartman asked as he came back sitting down. Kyle shook his head, taking the soda from the other’s hand, his hand briefly brushing against the others.
He snatched his hand back, not looking at the other as he opened up the can. Neither of them had actually brought up the change between them, although they both knew it was there. Or at least Kyle assumed Cartman could feel that something had changed. He was at least smart enough for that.
But Kyle sure would not be the one to bring it up. He was quite fine with letting it simmer. To just never address the underlying feelings that they both knew were there. He was fine with the way things were now, with them pretending that everything was as it always was.
Even then he didn’t have long to think it over as almost the moment that he finished the drink, there was a robbery being projected over the police communicator that they had stolen from a police officer who was just a little busy a while ago.
It wasn’t difficult, but it had to be taken care of, and they were the closest.
The underlying feelings could be talked about later. Right now, it was time to kick some ass.