Chapter Text
"Well screw you guys, I'm going home!"
"Cartman don't leave." Kenny called after him, frowning as he watched his friend angrily stomp down the street. As Cartman disappeared around a corner turned and gave Kyle an exasperated look. "Dude, you didn't have to be so mean."
"So what?" Kyle scoffed, his eyes locked on Cartman's retreating form. "If he's going to be such a baby about it, it's better that he's gone. I'm not letting him ruin my summer vacation."
Maybe Kyle had a point there, but this whole thing had already soured Kenny's. It had barely started and already they weren't going to be spending the day together. Stan was going to be late, having to come up to town all the way from the farm, and now Eric wasn't even going to be here at all. He enjoyed Kyle's company of course, the guy was one of his closest friends, but if he was already going to be in a bad mood...
"I should talk to him." Kenny said, shoving his hands deep into his parka's pockets. "Before he gets too far."
"He's not going to apologize, Kenny." Kyle said, rolling his eyes at him. "He's incapable of empathy, don't even bother."
Kenny frowned. "Maybe I want to comfort him, did you think of that, Kyle? Maybe I don't want my friend to feel like he's always the odd one out."
Kyle's eyebrows came together in confusion. "Hey, what--"
Kenny shook his head and walked past him. "Forget it, I'll talk to you later. Say hi to Stan for me, okay?"
"Fine, we'll be here when you come to your senses!" Kyle said, sounding angry and maybe even a little hurt. Kenny didn't turn around to check, and after a few seconds he heard the door to Kyle's house slam shut, confirming that yeah, he was definitely hurt.
Guilt twinged in his stomach, but Kenny wasn't in the mood to deal with Kyle's anger. Or Cartman's either for that matter. He missed the days when their fights could be settled in a few minutes with a punch or two. Now it was a whole thing that they had to talk over and over again, and even then the resentment would be hiding under the surface until the next fight came along. He loved his friends, he really did, but god were they exhausting sometimes. Maybe it'd be better for him to keep his distance, if only for today.
Instead of letting his feet take him in the direction of Cartman's house, he decided to wander into town instead. There wasn't much to do when you were alone and didn't have much money, but it wasn't so bad exploring the town he'd spent his whole life in. Usually he was always trailing behind the guys, going where they wanted to without a second thought. Now he could go wherever he wanted to, see whatever he wanted to see...
Which was, frankly, a whole lot of nothing.
Kenny sighed as he walked past the post office, nodding politely at a mailman who gave him a friendly wave as they passed each other. South Park was a pretty boring place if you didn't have anyone to hang out with. Maybe he'd be better off going home. Watching a Desperate Housewives marathon with Kevin wasn't on the top of his list of things to do, sure, but it beat being bored for the rest of the day. He had just decided to turn around and start the trek back, when he caught sight of a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye. He blinked and sure enough he was right, there was Butters walking down the opposite side of the street a few feet ahead of him.
Kenny perked up immediately at the sight of him. He and Butters got along pretty well, even if they rarely got to hang out one-on-one together. He lifted his hand over his head and called out, "Hey, Butters!" but the other boy was either too far away or too caught up in his head to hear him. Then again he was still wearing his hood over his head, despite the sun shining down brightly overhead, so it was more likely that his voice was too muffled. He pushed his hood down and started walking after him, hoping to get a little closer before he tried again. Butters was apparently on a mission or something though, because he was walking so fast Kenny practically had to jog to catch up to him. Kenny needed to call his name twice before Butters finally realized he was being talked to, practically jumping when their eyes locked.
"O-Oh, I'm sorry Kenny I didn't hear you."
"It's fine." Kenny said, a little breathless from the unexpected exercise. It wasn't that he was out of shape, but summer was still summer even when they lived in a mountain town, and he was starting to get hot underneath his parka. He really should've left it at home. "Where're you off to in such a hurry?"
"Nowhere in particular." Butters said, his normally cheerful voice subdued as he started walking forward again, just as fast as he before.
"Um." Kenny blinked and hurried to keep up pace with him. "Do you mind if I come with you, then? I don't have anywhere in particular to be either."
"Sure, I don't mind." Butters said. He was blinking hard and his breathing was coming out faster than Kenny's even though he wasn't wearing nearly as many layers. The redness of his eyes was the thing that gave it away though.
Kenny felt his eyebrows come together in concern as he stared at him. "Butters, have you been crying?"
"What? N-No, of course not!" Butters said, his eyes wide as he turned his face to look at him. There was a wet spot in the corner of his eye that immediately contradicted his words. He sniffed and wiped his nose with the back of his hand. "I'm... I'm just pissed off I guess?"
"About what?" Kenny asked, holding his arm out in front of Butters as they reached the end of the street. The light was green and there weren't any cars coming, but Kenny had been run over too many times in this exact situation to risk moving without looking both ways. Only when he was sure it was safe did he drop his hand and let them continue.
"It's nothin' important, don't worry about it." Butters said, shaking his head dismissively. "You don't want to hear about my problems."
"What makes you say that?" Kenny asked, feeling a bit awkward when Butters gave him an incredulous look. "Come on, we're friends aren't we? You can talk to me about anything."
Butters stared at him for a long moment, his blue eyes strangely intense as he looked into Kenny's eyes. Then he sighed and spoke in a voice that was barely above a whisper, "Well... my folks've been fighting a lot recently."
"Welcome to the club, dude." Kenny said, throwing his arm around Butters' shoulders and giving him a sympathetic squeeze. "Sucks balls, doesn't it?"
Butters let out a little laugh, more out of surprise than anything. His shoulders slumped and he nodded. "Yeah, it's not a very fun club to be in. They... they've never really been the ideal couple or anythin' but... it's never been this bad before, Kenny. They're always yellin' at each other these days and it's gotten so bad that they told me to leave the house so they could talk 'openly' and... I'm worried because what I've already heard is bad enough. I just don't know what to do."
"Nothing you can do, really." Kenny said, feeling his own shoulders slump forward. He knew exactly what it was like having parents that only communicated through screaming and insults, Butters shouldn't have to experience the same kind of home life. "It could be worse? At least they didn't want you seeing it."
"Heck of a silver lining, there." Butters said, a smile lifting up the corner of his mouth. "Sayin' it out loud did make me feel better though, thanks for that Kenny."
Kenny shook his head. "What are friends for, dude?"
"Well hangin' out and having fun with, usually." Butters said with a laugh, and this time it sounded genuine.
"We can do that too." Kenny said. He looked around and noticed that they'd somehow made their way to Stark's Pond while they'd been talking. He dropped his arm from his shoulders to gesture at the water in front of them. "Nothing screams unrestrained summer fun like spending some time in the water."
Butters looked at him like he was crazy. "You're not sayin' you want us to jump in there, are you?'
"Why not?" Kenny asked. "It'll be fun."
"Not if we catch our deaths of hypothermia, Kenny."
Kenny eyed the water, clear and bright and tempting, then shook his head. "Nah, it can't be that cold, dude."
"It only unfroze like a week ago!" Butters exclaimed. His eyes were darting towards the water though, like he was only trying to resist because it was the rational thing to do.
"So it's going to be super refreshing when we jump in!" Kenny told him, a cheeky grin rising on his cheeks when he saw that Butters was starting to consider his words. All he needed was a little push. "You're not chicken, are you?"
"I'm not chicken!" Butters huffed, and just like that, he'd fallen for the bait. "Okay, okay, I'll go in. But just for a minute, okay?"
Kenny laughed and pulled down the zipper of his parka. "Come on then, let's go."
Butters grabbed the front of his t-shirt hesitantly, a pink hue rising up his cheeks. "I don't have anything to change into though..."
"I don't see anybody around." Kenny said, letting his parka drop down to the ground in a heap. God that was a relief, he hadn't even realized that he'd been baking under it. He grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pulled it up over his head, simultaneously kicking off his shoes too. "Besides, boxers and swim trunks are basically the same thing, right? No big deal if some little old lady sees us in our underwear."
"This is crazy." Butters said, but he was fighting back a grin as he started taking off his clothes too "I can't believe I let you talk me into this. We're definitely going to catch somethin' Ken."
"That's just a risk you gotta take in the name of fun, baby." Kenny quipped back. It wasn't until he was sliding his pants off that it sunk in what he'd called Butters just now. Baby? Where had that come from? He didn't go around calling people pet names like that. He glanced over at Butters to see if he'd noticed, but he was busy unbuttoning his jeans and not paying him any attention. Kenny felt his stomach flip nervously as he watched Butters carefully fold and set his pants one one of the few patches of grass.
"We have to do it together, okay?" Butters bit his lip nervously as he stared intently at the water. "I'm no chicken, but I swear my knees are gonna lock if I try to get in alone."
Kenny blinked and quickly shook off the weird sensation. Must've been an overdose of sunlight, nothing that a cold dip couldn't fix. He kicked his pants over to where the rest of his clothes had piled up and dug his toes into the damp earth. "Okay, we'll run in on the count of three. Ready? One. Tw--"
"Three!" Butters shouted, grabbing Kenny by the hand and rushing forward full speed into the water.
The two of them were submerged underneath freezing cold water in an instant, and for a moment there was nothing but ice and quiet and the feeling of a warm hand gripping Kenny's tightly. Then the cold officially registered on their skin and both of them were shouting, the whole world becoming a blur of air bubbles until they broke through the surface and let the sound ring out loud and clear all around them. Butters had been right, this was hypothermia temperature. Kenny could literally feel his heart skip a beat from the cold, making his fingers flex instinctively around the ones in his hand.
"W-W-We can't stay in here!" Butters said with a laugh that bordered on hysterical.
"I-It's not so bad." Kenny lied as a tremor rocked through him. "L-Let's swim a little, we'll g-get used to it in a m-m-minute!"
"It's too c-cold!" Butters said, his teeth chattering as he turned back towards the water's edge. "I'm getting o-out right now!"
He ended up pulling Kenny along behind him, their hands so frozen into the shape of the other's that it would've been impossible to pull them apart. Kenny didn't even bother protesting, his joints were so stiff that he was sure he wouldn't have been able to get back to the shore otherwise. As soon as his feet touched dry land he let himself sink bonelessly onto his back, closing his eyes against the brightness of the sun and willing himself to soak up as much of it's heat as possible. "Okay... Y-You were r-right, that was a s-stupid idea."
"T-Told ya, so."
"Did you h-have fun at least?" Kenny asked.
Butters didn't answer for a moment, his face pensive as he searched for the right words. "It w-was... really energizing?"
Kenny laughed and shook his head. "S-So basically you're miserable!"
"I didn't say that!" Butters said, laughing with him. He squeezed Kenny's fingers and gave him a sunny smile. "It d-definitely made me laugh. That counts for somethin' right?"
"If you say so." Kenny said. Butters was too kind for his own good, anybody else would've berated him and told him to keep his dumb ideas to himself next time. Not Butters though, he was looking for the bright spot even as they lay there unable to move from how hard they were shaking. Eventually their limbs unfroze enough that they could sit up, though. Kenny ran his fingers through his hair to comb out some of the water, the tremor finally leaving his voice. "So what else do you want to do? Swimming in the pond isn't an option anymore."
"You bet, once was enough thanks!" Butters said, grinning as he reached over and slipped his t-shirt on over his head. Most of the water had dripped off his chest, but a few wet patches remained and made the thin material cling onto his skin. "I guess we should do somethin' that gets the blood flowing again. Any ideas, Ken?"
"I think I have one." Kenny said, his eyes lighting up with mischief as he put his own shirt back on. He reached over and bopped his finger on Butters' nose, not nearly enough to hurt of course, but it was enough to stun him for a long moment. "Tag, you're It!"
Butters blinked as he watched Kenny scramble to his feet, but when he saw Kenny grab his parka and slide his arms through the sleeves he grinned and leapt to his feet. The brief hesitation gave Kenny a headstart advantage and he laughed as he called after him, "Hey, that's cheating!"
"Not my fault you weren't ready!" Kenny said, daring to glance over his shoulder at him before he took off running at full speed. He laughed as he booked it away from the water and towards the trees, intending to use them to his full advantage to avoid getting tagged back. His legs were a little prickly from residual cold, but after a minute of weaving around branches and trying to avoid it, Butters' fingers grazed his elbow.
"Ha, you're It now!" Butters said with a hint of victory in his voice. He was smart and didn't bother gloating any further though, turning on his heel to run as fast as he could in the opposite direction.
"Not for long!" Kenny said as he chased after him. The last time he'd played a game of tag was at a birthday party ages ago, and there had been lasers involved. Hearing Butters laugh as he narrowly dodged Kenny's hand though, he realized he didn't need any fancy equipment to play, the act of chasing someone was fun all by itself.
Eventually he managed to tag Butters, and then he was the one being pursued again. This time he decided to make the chase less about being fast and more about being tricky. He climbed over stumps and crashed through bushes, getting a couple of scrapes on his bare legs in the process. Butters was relentless, chasing after him through it all until Kenny was It again. They played like that for a long time, swapping who was It so often that Kenny lost count. At last they both became so exhausted that they ended up collapsing onto the dirt for the second time that day, breathless from all the exercise and laughter.
"Th-That was great, Kenny!" Butters gasped, his limbs sprawled out in all directions. "I never knew a game of tag could be so much fun."
"I aim to please." Kenny said, lifting his head up just high enough to give him a grin. "How many times did I tag you?"
"I lost count." Butters said, shifting so that he was resting on his side and facing him. "Does it matter?"
"Of course it does, I want to know if I won."
Butters shook his head, a twig flying out from his hair. "I think the important thing is that we both had a good time. Winnin' doesn't matter."
"So you're admitting you lost, then?" Kenny asked cheekily. That earned him a sour look, followed by Butters playfully sticking out his tongue at him showing that yes, he really meant what he'd said about winning.
A comfortable silence fell after that, and Kenny took a moment to enjoy the feeling of simply existing next to someone for a few minutes. The branches over their heads were thick with leaves, letting only a few rays of sunlight peek through to where they were lying on the ground. Kenny was fine in his parka, but the lack of warmth had Butters shivering again despite all the running they'd been doing.
"Are you cold again?"
Butters shook his head, plastering an overly cheerful smile on his face. "No, no, I'm fine!"
Kenny frowned and reached over to touch the skin above his elbow. "Dude, you've got goosebumps all up your arms."
"Ah, that..." Butters blushed and shrugged sheepishly. "Okay, I guess I am a little cold. It's okay though, I'll get used to it in a minute."
Kenny felt a twinge of guilt in his stomach. Butters wouldn't have been cold if he hadn't convinced him to jump into Stark's Pond earlier. He sat up and shrugged off his parka, holding it out to the other boy with a firm, "Here, wear this."
"Oh you don't have to do that." Butters shook his head, even as a big shiver ran down his body. "I'm f-fine, really."
"You're only going to get colder if you don't put it on," Kenny insisted, keeping his parka held out in front of him. "Come on, I don't want you to getting sick."
Butters looked at Kenny's exposed arms and bit his lower lip nervously. "Are you sure you don't need it?"
Kenny sighed. "Butters, I'm going to drape it over you like a blanket if you don't hurry. Just put it on, okay?"
Butters looked like he wanted to argue some more, but when their eyes locked there must've been something convincing in Kenny's expression because he sat up and took it from Kenny's hands. His smile was full of gratitude as he pulled the zipper up to his chest and offered a polite, "Thank you so much."
"Don't mention it." Kenny said, returning the smile with one of his own. His stomach did that weird little flip again as he took in the sight of Butters wearing his jacket. On Kenny's skinny frame the old thing always looked huge, but on Butters it fit just right. "It looks good on you," Kenny added, letting himself flop unceremoniously onto the ground once again. A stray beam of light shone right into his eyes, turning his vision red behind his eyelids.
"It's really comfy." Butters said, sinking down beside him. He wasn't shivering at all anymore. "It's no wonder you wear it so often, even in the summer."
"Kinda wish it didn't fit me so well." Kenny murmured, tilting his head just enough to crack his eye open without blinding himself. "You'd think I would've outgrown the thing by now, but here I am, still short as ever."
"Puberty's takin' it's sweet time on us isn't it?" Butters asked, heaving a deep sigh. "It feels like it's been ages since were were little kids runnin' around on adventures."
"There's still plenty of adventures to be had," Kenny said, his lips curving up in an amused smirk. "We live in South Park after all."
"There's usually more people on those adventures, though." Butters hesitated for a moment, then asked in a smaller voice, "Hey Kenny?"
"Hmm?"
"You're not..." Butters paused again, sounding distracted. "You're not upset that you got stuck with me, right?"
Kenny opened his eyes and winced at the sudden brightness that hit them before he sat up to look at him quizzically. "Uh, no of course not. Where'd you get that idea from?"
"Well it's just, usually Eric and the others are always hanging around too, and you were alone when you found me so..." Butters shrugged and seemed to shrink deeper into the parka. "I don't know, I was just feelin' like you had to settle for me today."
"Definitely not settling." Kenny said, feeling his brows furrow together in confusion. Hadn't they spent most of the day having fun together? He really did like it when it was just the two of them. Butters looked like he needed convincing though, so he reached over to take his hand and said in his most sincere voice, "Dude, today's has been one of the best days I've had in... well, forever really. You're great company."
Butters was quiet for a long moment, his eyes focused on something above them. Then a slow smile started to spread over his face, and he shyly tilted his face to look him in the eye. "Do you really mean that, Kenny? You're not just sayin' it because I'm needy?"
"Of course not." Kenny said, suddenly taken aback by how nice that smile looked. He cleared his throat in the hopes that it'd keep his voice steady and make an X motion over his chest with his free hand. "Cross my heart, I like being around you because you're... you, okay?"
"Okay." Butters nodded and averted his eyes, a bright pink blush rising up his cheeks. "And... s-same here."
Kenny didn't know how to respond to that. He was happy to tell his friends that he cared about them, but hearing Butters reciprocate the feelings so openly made him feel exposed and vulnerable. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, just... different..
He took a moment to really look at Butters, thankful that the other boy was still looking off to the side in embarrassment. Kenny had never really noticed before but Butters was... kind of cute when he blushed? Not like a girl, but there was something about the glow in his cheeks that made Kenny's brain go a little fuzzy the same way it did when he saw a cute girl. Had his eyelashes always been that long? Looking at his eyelashes made Kenny aware of the scar that ran through his left eye, and his stomach churned at the reminder of how he'd been the one to throw that stupid ninja star into it. He wanted to erase that moment in time, but that was impossible. Maybe Butters would let him kiss it better instead? They were close enough, all he had to do was lean forward...
"I hope I didn't make things awk--" Butters started in a rush, turning to face him with a sheepish expression. His words cut off mid-sentence as Kenny's lips accidentally brushed against his own, the sudden movement changing the kiss from something impulsive and guilt ridden to... something decidedly less innocent.
His lips are soft, Kenny thought, so surprised by the sensation that it took him an extra second to realize what he was doing. Butters. He was kissing Butters. He pulled back with a gasp, his lips tingling from the loss of contact.
"Oh." Butters breathed, his eyes wide as he stared at Kenny with open shock. "Kenny, wha--?
"Shit, sorry!" Kenny said, blushing so hard his cheeks prickled from the heat. He let go of Butters' hand (holy shit he'd done that while holding his hand?!) and sat up in an attempt to put some distance between them. "I... I was going for your eye but then you moved and... and that would've been weird anyway! Shit, just... forget that happened okay?"
"Okay." Butters seemed to shake himself out of the temporary comatose state he'd fallen in and sat up too. He brought his knees up towards his chest and hid half of his face behind them, only leaving his eyes visible. "W-We're both pretty lightheaded from running around, huh? Consider it forgotten, buddy."
Huh. That was... easy. Kenny felt something sink in his stomach at how quickly Butters had dismissed the accidental kiss. Had he been too hasty in his efforts to hide his painfully awkward mistake? It... hadn't felt like a bad mistake when their lips had brushed. His heart was racing and the silence was stretching long and thin between them. One of them had to say something and quick before the awkwardness killed him. That had actually happened once.
"So, um..." Butters lifted his face up from his knees, nervously chewing his lip. The lip that had been pressing against Kenny's a second ago...
"I still like boobs!" Kenny blurted out in a panic.
The bewildered look Butters gave him would've been funny in any other situation. Now it just highlighted how cute he looked. "I... like them too?"
"Cool, yeah, boobs are great." Kenny didn't seem to have control of his words anymore. God, he'd ruined everything, hadn't he? They were having a good time and then Kenny had gone and kissed him and now things were awkward and weird. He pressed his lips together and dropped his gaze down to the dirt, hoping that if he stared hard enough he'd be able to open a hole just big enough to swallow him.
"It's getting late, don't you think?" Butters asked, his voice sounding distant even though he was only about a foot away. "I bet it's almost time for dinner now. I... I should go."
"Already?" Kenny asked. He lifted his head up just enough to sneak a glance at the other boy's face. His cheeks were still pink but his eyes were still locked on Kenny's face.
"Yeah, sorry." A shy smile lifted the corner of his mouth. "But we can hang out again tomorrow, right?"
"You'd want to?" Kenny asked, his heart lurching in his chest nervously.
"Of course I would." Butters looked off to the side, worry diminishing the size of his already too-small smile. "Unless you don't want to anymore?"
Kenny shook his head so hard he made himself a little dizzy. "No! I mean, yes I still want to. I'll... call you in the morning?"
The return of his smile was like the sun rising up over the mountains. "It's a date! Ah, I-I mean... oh you know what I mean!"
Did he? Honestly at this point Kenny didn't know if that was a poorly timed phrase or a genuine plan for the day. Before he could ask though, Butters apologized and hurried to his feet, practically sprinting away from him and back to the shore. For all the running around they'd done, they had ended up just a few feet away from where they'd jumped into the water. Kenny took his time getting up, needing a moment to let the day's events settle inside himself. By the time he made it back, Butters had put his jeans back on and looked about ready to bolt.
"Well... guess I'll see you tomorrow then?" Butters asked.
Kenny nodded as he pulled his pants on, hyper aware of the fact that Butters was looking very pointedly away. "Y-Yeah, see you then."
They stood there for a minute, neither one of them sure how to leave without making things weirder than they already were. Did they hug? Wave awkwardly without making eye contact? Kenny could've taken forever to figure it out, but luckily he was spared from having to think when Butters took a step forward and pressed his lips lightly to Kenny's cheek.
"Bye, Ken." He whispered, pulling back to give him the sweetest, most sincere smile Kenny had ever seen. And then he was gone, running back towards his house as fast as his legs could carry him.
Kenny wasn't entirely sure how he made it back to his house in one piece. He couldn't remember the route he'd taken, if he'd bothered to look both ways or even wait for the lights to turn green. One minute he'd been swaying on his feet at Stark's Pond, and the next he was turning the knob and stepping through his front door. The stale smell of beer cans and mildew wrapped around him like an old blanket, causing him to sigh loudly as he closed the door behind him.
Kevin glanced up from the TV and lifted a hand in greeting, keeping the other firmly on his bowl of off-brand Fruit Loops. "Hey, you're back Kenny?"
"I am, yeah." He listened but there weren't any sounds of arguing coming from further in the house. "I'm guessing mom's not home from work yet. Is dad passed out in their room?"
"Probably." Kevin said with a shrug. "Mom did say she was going to be late this morning. Better help yourself to some cereal, kid."
"Nothing like breakfast for dinner." Kenny said as he made his way over to the kitchen table. He assumed Kevin had left the cereal out because he was expecting Kenny to come home soon, and not because he was just being a lazy teenager. Once he had his own bowl, he walked back to the couch and asked, "Where's Karen?"
"Eating dinner with a friend," Kevin said shoveling another spoonful in his mouth. "Said she'd bring her leftovers back."
"Ha, leftovers we're not going to touch." Kenny said. It was an unspoken rule that anything decent that made it into their house went to Karen and their mom. He flopped down onto the couch, snorting when he saw what Kevin was watching. "Desperate Housewives again? Really, Kevin?"
"I'm watching it for the MILFs, okay? Don't fucking judge me, asshole." Kevin said, though there wasn't any venom in his voice. He reached out to muss up his hair, but paused when he finally got a good look at his little brother. "Did you get some action today, Kenny?"
Kenny let his spoon clatter back into the bowl, splashing milk on his arm. He felt heat rising up his cheeks as he sputtered out, "Wh-Why would you say that?"
"Because you're not wearing your parka and there's a leaf in your hair?" Kevin said, though as he spoke his eyes started to narrow. "That could also be because you got robbed, though. Do I have to beat the shit out of someone, or...?"
Kenny blinked down at himself, realizing that he'd never gotten his parka back from Butters. They'd both been so nervous it hadn't even crossed his mind, but now he felt self conscious under Kevin's suspicious stare and he quickly shook his head. "No I just... let a friend wear it today, no big deal."
Kevin's expression shifted from wary to knowing almost instantly, his voice taking on a teasing edge as he said, "Oh, a 'friend' borrowed it, huh? What's her name?"
Kenny shoved Kevin's shoulder harder than he meant to, earning himself a disgruntled 'Hey!' when some of Kevin's milk splashed onto his sock. "It's one of my guy friends Kev, calm your tits!"
Kevin scooted away from him, rubbing his foot against the carpet in disgust. "Geez, no need to get so bitchy about a little teasing! It's not like you're dating this guy, Kenny."
Kenny could've said anything at that moment. "Of course not!" or "So I'm forgetful, big whoop!" but his throat felt tight all of a sudden and words just... didn't want to come out for some reason. He sat there, staring into his cereal bowl while his cheeks burned and the silence spoke for him.
"Wait." Kevin pressed mute on the TV and turned to face him. "Are you dating this friend?"
"No." But then Kenny remembered how Butters had kissed his cheek and the way he'd smiled afterwards, and something fluttered in his chest. "I mean, we just ki... we didn't talk about that yet. It's... complicated. God, please don't be a jerk about this, okay Kevin?"
"Why would I be a jerk about it?" Kevin asked. His voice had taken on the quiet tone that Kenny only ever heard when he was being serious. "Doesn't matter if the person you're dating's a guy or a girl, so long as they're treating you right. Be with whoever you want to be, Kenny."
"So you're okay with it, then?" Kenny asked, letting his guard down just a little. "You won't think it's weird if I'm with a guy?"
"I've always known you were weird, kid." Kevin said, rolling his eyes to show he was back to being a jerk older brother. "And that never changed the fact that I love you. Besides, if you're gay that just means more chicks for me."
"I'm not gay-gay, you know." Kenny said, rolling his eyes right back. "You'll still be the lesser McCormick girls have to settle for when I'm taken."
"Wow, fuck off! This is the thanks I get for being nice to you?" Kevin scoffed and flicked a piece of cereal at his face. "See if I ever buy you a rainbow flag, dick."
"Sorry, I got a little overwhelmed by all the brotherly bonding." Kenny mumbled, brushing the loop from where it had landed on his cheek. He and Kevin got along fine, though usually they stuck to their own group of friends, but moments like these made Kenny really appreciate how much his older brother cared about him. "Thanks for... just thanks, man."
"You're welcome, now can I get back to my show?" Kevin asked, his finger hovering over the unmute button on the remote.
"Yeah, and turn the volume up!"
They spent the next few hours watching the majority of season four of Desperate Housewives. Kenny had to admit, the show was pretty interesting even outside the MILF factor. He was genuinely getting invested in all the backstabbing the ladies were doing. No wonder Kevin liked it so much.
As he fell asleep that night, Kenny was blissfully unaware that he wouldn't get to see Butters the next day, on account of being sick. He didn't know that he wouldn't see him the next day, or the one after that too. He had no way of knowing that in less than a week, Butters' parents would pack up their house and just leave without a word to anybody, taking Butters with them without giving Kenny a chance to say goodbye.
No, as he fell asleep, the only thing Kenny was thinking about was how he was going to gather up the courage to kiss Butters again, but on purpose this time.