Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It all came crashing down around him about three years ago.

His life had been an interesting one, for sure… At least up to that point. So many adventures lived, almost no dull moments existed in his early childhood.

Nothing lasts forever though, and as most things, it all came to an end naturally, if uneventfully.

People change, evolve, regress… It’s always a constant dance that leaves behind only remorse and regret.

He was never truly loved. Not really.

People put up with him, for the most part. His mom kept up a facade of motherly care, interest in his well being and overall happiness.

His “friends” couldn’t stand him, for the most part. It’s pathetic really, to have ever called such a group of idiots his friends in the first place. It only felt as if he was setting himself up for failure in the end, he just lacked the insight to understand it.

Three years prior, the single most significant event in his miserable life took place and with it, all his stupid illusions crumbled and he was left alone, as he should’ve always been.

Even Butters… That one constant that kept up with his schemes and inane actions… Even he looked down on Eric on that fateful day. Eyes full of pity and resentment, that’s when Eric Cartman finally broke.

Such things don’t really matter anymore, he supposed. Some things were better left buried deep.

His head held high, he never let it bother him, at least not anymore.

Alone and resentful, he kept on living and putting up with life the best way he knew how. Not a single person in this town looked at him positively.

And he, for the most part, made sure to keep it that way.

The only person that still had a semblance of a friendship, a kinship perhaps, to him was Kenny.

That poor excuse for white trash always came around, talked to him briefly, asked him if he was okay.

It was all he could do to keep his mask on and tell him to fuck off.

Kenny took that in stride, he’d grown used to the other boy’s rudeness and mostly interpreted it as a sign that, while he was not necessarily okay, he was fine enough to deal with the usual shit.
The other boys never bothered.

Butters became weirdly popular in high school, his bubbly personality and soft, cute demeanor made him bully proof. No one could bring themselves to give him shit when he greeted absolutely everyone with the brightest smile ever.

Well, everyone but him he supposed.

Stan was the expected jock with a sensitive side. The kind of super annoying douchebag you saw in christian movies, always being the voice of reason, promoting healthy living, good treatment of animals and immigrants.

The typical hippie really, the kind he despised the most.

He never really looked at Eric either.

Finally… there was him.

At one point, he’d have called him his nemesis…. His rival…. His obsession really.

To remember that it was Kyle the one responsible for his downfall, it still left him hurt beyond words.

He actually thought that they shared a unique understanding of each other. He believed that they fed one another all throughout their dull empty lives, fanning each other’s fire like no one else was capable of doing.

As it turns out, Kyle was the one who actually, truly hated him the most. So much in fact that he made sure that Eric’s life was as terrible as it should be and that no one else in that piece of shit town would ever willingly engage him in a meaningful way ever again.

He seemed fine and dandy lately, which pissed him off to no end. Him and Stan, still super best friends, still insufferable together.

Without Stan, Kyle would’ve been the typical nerd that people spit on and gave wedgies to. With Stan by his side, he actually was looked at as the smart and collected one, the usual voice of reason and the one person people came to for advice usually.

The notion itself made him want to laugh hysterically. Eric was still the only one who saw through Kyle’s personal brand of bullshit. He knew it was all posturing, no substance. The hateful jew had no fucking idea how to lead his own life, let alone help others do the same.

Other than those four, things were business as usual, nobody else was ever really that interested in what he said or did and so he returned them the same kindness.

The days eventually bled into each other, and that’s how he preferred it.

But, as luck would have it, today was going to be the start of a rupture, a schism in his way of life and how he faced life.

Eric found himself behind the school, quite a few feet away from the goths, smoking as he often did.

He usually respected their space, mostly because he hated their naive view of life and ignorant focus on shit that didn’t matter. If he was slightly less prideful, he’d probably be welcomed in their circle, since his pain was true and heartfelt, a magnet to the goths' own obsession.

Still, Eric craved solitude, the only one he could trust was himself after all.

Then, suddenly interrupting his musings, came a deeply grating and nasally voice he probably hadn’t heard in at least 4 years.

“Got a smoke you could give me?” Craig said, with his usual disinterest.

“What the fuck? Why the hell are you here Tucker?” Was his not so friendly reply.

“Jesus asshole, it was a simple question. You don’t have to be all pissy at me”. Oh, what nerve he had, came asking for something only to aggravate him? Fuck that.

“Look loser, I can’t give smokes to any poor ashole that comes asking ok? If I did those fucking goths wouldn’t leave me alone”. Eric thought that was good enough for a reply and resumed his smoking.

Bizarrely enough, Craig remained there, in his impassiveness, looking… Staring really.

“Fuck, what the hell do you want from me dipshit?” Craig continued to stare, as if unperturbed by the other’s abrasive nature. Most people would’ve fucked off by then, which further distressed the overweight teen.

“I want a smoke, like I said before”

At this point, Eric had few choices. He could give the stoic teen a smoke and be rid of him, or he could drag this out for as long as it took Craig to finally understand he was intruding in the other’s space.

Sadly, he lacked the patience for a stretched out interaction and, albeit reluctantly, offered a cigarette to the asshole in front of him.

Craig took it with a weird smoothness that almost betrayed his outward apathy. The way he moved, gestured, took the cigarette and placed it upon his red lips.

All of it was, unfortunately, deeply engrossing to Eric, starved as he was of human contact. At that moment, Craig seemed like a living contradiction. A voice that betrayed his actions, a face that hid his emotions.
Eric was well versed in burying things inside, and so he caught on to these subtle signs.

He could bear this no longer.

“So, you got what you wanted douchebag, what else are you waiting for? Leave.”

Craig took it in stride, he was often unfazed by shit around him. He had to be in order to put up with Tweek’s constant breakdowns.

“Dunno, don’t feel like leaving, this place is nice”.

Why must shit like this happen to him? For fuck’s sake all he ever wanted was to be left alone.

“I don’t get what your game is here. You took the cig, that’s fahn. Why the hell are you still near me?” He said as he finished the last of the cigarette.

“Who knows? Probably just bored is all”

“Well, I’m not your personal entertainment, the freak you can come piss off when you’re bored.”

The very notion made Craig slightly frown, almost imperceptibly if not for Eric’s attention to detail. What the hell was going on here really?

“Look dude, I don’t get why you feel the need to be so antagonistic all the time. I asked for a smoke and maybe a conversation.”

The whole thing was getting really suspicious by now. But Eric couldn’t quite see what his true intentions really were.

“That’s just fucked up dude. We haven’t talked in years and you just stroll up all dumb looking to ask for a smoke and exchange pleasantries. That’s not really the Craig I know.”

To that, all Craig could do was let out a smirk and say:

“Perhaps you don’t know me then.” And as he said that, he threw the cigarette to the ground and stepped on it.

As he turned around and started to leave, he looked over his shoulder at Eric for a final intriguing bit of interaction.

“For such a lonely fuck, you should be a little more friendly to people who take pity on you and try to start a conversation.”

The nerve of this ashole was almost intoxicating.

“Well, fuck you too!”. At that, Craig shook his head slightly, all the while smirking like the insufferable jerk that he was, and walked away.

‘What is going on here?’ Was pretty much all Eric could think as the bell to last period rang and he rushed back inside. Something stirred inside him though… And even though he couldn’t quite piece together what just happened, a little part of him, deep inside, felt a little bit better weirdly enough.

Not too far from there, two pairs of eyes looked on. One in mild curiosity and the other in quiet outrage.

“I wonder what they were talking about.” Stan said while scratching his head.

“Who the fuck cares dude? Those two are fucking losers.” Replied Kyle, with a deep seething rage churning his insides. He hadn’t felt like that in a while and he struggled to understand why he was feeling this way right now.

“Well, whatever. Let’s go dude or we’re gonna be late.”

As they too went about their daily lives, none of the four people could ever imagine what was in store for them this year.

Chapter Text

Kyle couldn’t really pay that much attention to class after seeing that grotesque scene outside.

Not that it mattered much since academic bullshit came so easy to him, he could afford not to pay attention sometimes. Of course it helped tremendously that basically every teacher loved him.

No no, his mind was preoccupied with much more sinister things.

He never really liked Craig all that much. That kid had a strange vibe to him that he couldn’t quite figure out, and he usually figured everybody out. That strange aloofness, bizarre apathy, was beyond acceptable.

Nonetheless, since Craig was practically a personality vacuum, he seldom showed up on his social radar.

But oh did he get his attention now.

Ever since the incident, many years ago, it was a sort of unspoken rule that nobody should ever approach or engage Cartman in any way, shape or form. He was out of limits to everyone in this town. An outcast, true and true, he was better left alone and isolated, so that he couldn’t plot, scheme or manipulate those around him.

The only real exception to that rule was Kenny.

Kyle had certainly tried to curb his friend’s ill-advised interactions with that fat piece of shit, with no success since Kenny could be as stubborn as a mule sometimes.

Therefore, they reached a civil agreement that their interactions would be summed up into Kenny checking up on Cartman’s supposed “mental well-being” whatever the fuck that meant.

That rule had led to 3 blissful years, where Kyle had no need to ever worry about the fatass’ behavior or intentions.

And, if he had to admit, it was damn sweet seeing Cartman isolated, miserable and unhappy every day for those past 3 years.

Because of those reasons, Kyle found himself seeking out Craig, to get to the bottom of this unsettling ocurrance.

After classes ended, he knew that Craig and Tweek spent time just hanging out, smoking and talking with Tolkien and Clyde by the basketball court. So, he told Stan he had some last-minute studying to do and approached Craig’s gang just as they were settling down at their usual spot.

“Hey there guys.” He said simply, as a way of greeting. It was probably better to be as courteous as he could be to start.
“Hey man, what’s up? What brings you to this neck of the woods?” Clyde said back, in his usual chirpy, if dumb-sounding, way.

“Actually, I wanted to speak to Craig a little bit, if you wouldn’t mind?” As he finished his sentence, he looked pointedly at the boy in question.

“Oh, that’s a curious thing, what do you want to talk to me about?” Oh great, this conversation’s already started well, with Craig exhibiting the usual unfriendly disposition he treated everybody outside his close friends with.

“Look, it’s a bit personal… So I’d really appreciate it if you could spare me a few minutes.” While Kyle was not well known for his patience, he tried to keep his temper in check as much as possible, at least until he could speak with that bastard alone.

“Hum, no thank you dude. If you have anything to say to me, you can say it right here, out in the open.”

Just as Kyle was starting to lose his composure, much to his chagrin, Tweek intervened.

“Craig, baby, hn, don’t be like that to Kyle… it’s clear he, huh, doesn’t want us to know about whatever it is he wants to, hn talk about…. Just hear him out please..”

Kyle had to admit that Tweek sounded much more coherent these days. He never really understood how anybody could remain friends with such an annoyingly explosive, paranoid person like Tweek. But, at least he was trying to talk some sense into his boyfriend and for that, Kyle was grateful.

At Tweek’s interference, Craig muttered something under his breath and said “Fine fine, walk with me then.” He barely waited for Kyle to compose himself and walked a couple of feet away from the group.

Kyle quickly went after him and as they reached a distance that Craig seemed content with, he turned and addressed him.

“Well, spill it out and be quick about it, I have better things to do.” As he said it, he took a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.

“Ugh, must you do this? Those things smell like shit.” Craig only rolled his eyes when he heard Kyle’s complaint.

“Dude, I can leave here at any moment, just say what you want to say before I get bored and decide you’re not worth my time anymore.” Kyle was starting to wonder how the fuck anybody could tolerate this douchebag’s personality. Regardless, he thought it better to cut to the chase already.

“I saw you talking to Cartman earlier today…”

Craig snorted and interrupted him, “Of course it’s about that, I should’ve known you would get all weird about anyone daring to talk to him.”

“Well, what did you expect? Nobody gives a shit about him and that’s worked great for everybody in this school, hell, everybody in this town for that matter.

So, please tell me why would you want to disturb that balance?” It was a very fair question, or at least Kyle thought as much.

“Look Broflovski, who I choose to talk to is none of your business. I do what I damn well please and you can’t do anything about that.” It was Kyle’s turn to snort when he heard that.

“Craig, you don’t like me and I don’t like you, that’s fine. However, you must be completely stupid or completely insane to ignore what EVERYBODY in this town knows by now, and that is that Eric Cartman is better left alone.

So, I don’t know, and frankly don’t care what possesed you to do such a stupid fucking thing, but for the sake of everything everyone’s been through at the hands of that fat fuck, keep your distance. That’s just what’s best for everybody.”

Suffice to say, Craig was unimpressed by that display of false concern coming from the jewish teen.

“Dude, you should learn to let go of shit that happened so goddamn long ago, it’s just not healthy for you.” Having said all that he was willing to say, Craig went back to his group.

Kyle was left there, a little stunned by the audacity that was displayed in front of him.

“Fucking asshole…” As he muttered that under his breath, he started the journey back to the comfort of his home.

This was even more suspicious now that Kyle talked to Craig.

It was clear to him that Craig was being purposefully obtuse in his answers, posturing some kind of bravado to keep his intentions unclear.

The only possible conclusion was that he wanted something out of that encounter. It was impossible to say if he got what he wanted or if he would come back for more.

Maybe it was just a freak occurrence? Perhaps Craig really didn’t mean or need anything specific and just chanced upon the fatass randomly, and to stay true to his devil may care attitude, conversed with Cartman as if he couldn't really care less for the consequences.

No… That couldn’t be it….

Kyle was no fool, and he’d be damned if he let Craig do whatever he pleased with no repercussions.

_________________________________________________________________________

As Craig made his way back, he couldn’t help but feel completely amused by the exchange that just took place.

If a mere 10 minute interaction with the isolated teen garnered this kind of response from Kyle, what delicious reaction would he have for what he had planned?

Craig’s intentions shouldn’t be misunderstood as simply trying to instigate Kyle. He couldn’t give less of a shit about him honestly.

No, this was merely an interesting byproduct of something he’d wanted to do for a long time now.

Just as he arrived back, the questions he knew were coming started to pour in.

“So, what did he want after all?” Asked Tolkien, with just the tiniest hint of curiosity.

“That guy makes it his business to bother everyone else, who knows for what fucking reason.” was his reply.

“But he must’ve said something right? What did he say?” Leave it to Clyde to not get the subtle hint Craig left that he didn’t want to talk about it. It seemed only Tweek knew him well enough to get it, and he was giving him a weird look he couldn’t quite place.

“Dude, leave it alone will you? It was nothing that interesting, trust me.” At that, Tweek finally decided to speak up.

“Yeah but, he wanted to know why you talked to Cartman earlier right?” Damn Tweek’s good hearing.

“Like I said, nothing interesting at all.” Jesus, couldn’t they just drop the fucking subject? What the hell.

“Man, you gotta admit that's hella bizarre though.” Clyde said.

“Don’t say hella Clyde, goddamn it…

“Look guys, I wanted a smoke and didn’t have my pack with me, so I asked for one of his… Now could you all stop it with the third degree already?” Sometimes Craig honestly just wanted to be left alone…. Much like Cartman.

They all gave him a weird look but they all knew Craig enough that they decided to just drop the subject and focus on something else.

Craig was relieved and resumed his usual attitude of passive listening to others’ conversations.
He didn’t really blame them for their curiosity though. He knew perfectly well how bizarre such a thing must’ve looked to anyone looking in.

It’s just that he wasn’t counting on his little interaction to be out in the open so soon. Who knew Kyle kept such close tabs on Cartman after so long.

As the years went by, and Cartman was left ostracized and alone, he started to grow a sense of respect for the rotund boy. Living alone and bereft of most human interaction was something not even he was able to fathom.

Craig prided himself in his sense of self-sufficiency and curated apathy towards most things. The only ones who usually glimpsed behind the curtains he so effortlessly construed were his groups of friends, in particular his boyfriend.

Still, even those moments were getting rarer and rarer. He often found himself completely bored and annoyed of other people’s shit worries and preoccupations.

The worst offender was Tweek.

It was always something with Tweek. Mindless conspiracy theories, paranoid fantasies, delusions and the like.

He tried to keep himself grounded as much as possible, which was really fucking challenging when you had someone like Tweek making absolutely every fucking thing so hard all the time.

From hidden cameras in his bathroom, to microphones in his lunchtray, to satellites and aliens and gnomes.

It was just so goddamn exhausting.

Over the years, he was forced to admit that the love he once harbored for Tweek changed from romantic to something not quite like that.

He cared deeply for Tweek, knew that he was the great constant of his life, upon which his well-being hinged precariously.

Such a fucking burden for him to carry at only 17 though…

He’d never be able to resent him, not really… But the sex… The intimacy was starting to suffer.

So much so that he often manipulated Tweek’s nature to drift away from sex, whenever the teen felt so inclined.

The whole thing left him feeling increasingly scummy.

Of course he knew that that was no way to treat a person… But what other choice did he have, really?

In time, he grew somewhat emotionally distant, which he suspected worsened some aspects of Tweek’s personality, but he couldn’t quite grasp what. Maybe he was just too close to the issue to know for sure.

So, he found himself stuck, with a relationship he wasn’t really into anymore and being more and more incapable of relating to his peers.

It all left him a little hyper focused on Cartman, as this totem that represented so much that he wanted, just there within reach but at the same time so untouchable.

Who gave Kyle this unwritten authority to decide how everybody else should act in regards to Eric Cartman?

Craig had enough of playing by other people’s rules. His relationship with Tweek only started because of societal pressure and he’d be damned if he let social consensus run his life any longer.

It was with that attitude in mind, that he finally decided to take the plunge and engage in open communication with the school pariah.

And he regretted none of it.

Sure, that interaction could’ve been better. He had every intention of being friendly with the overweight boy.

That, sadly, didn’t really take.

Of course, part of it was Cartman’s fucking obnoxious and aggressive attitude, but at this point in his life, who could really blame him for reacting with anger towards anyone who approached him?

No no, the problem was Craig himself, who let a little bit of his temper get the best of him and instead of trying to coax the other into some sense of security and friendliness instead berated him.

He could only hope he’d do better next time.

Chapter Text

After about an hour of hanging out with his friends, Craig said his goodbyes and went on his way.

It was pretty clear that his group was bothered by this latest development. He often wondered why everybody seemed so keen on keeping the status quo in regards to Cartman.

I mean, why did it matter at all that somebody was finally, after so damn long, interacting with the teen? Maybe it was because his group did not take well to change. They had a particular way of going about their lives and anything that disrupted that was quickly shut down.

He fucking hated that mindset.

Craig could not stress enough how sick and tired he was of the same old, same old that this town devolved into.

It seemed almost a fantasy, a kind of weird, collective dream that this town was once so lively and the target of so much shit.

He didn’t appreciate it back then. In fact, the more it happened the less he wanted to be involved in any of it.

In retrospect, it at least kept it interesting. As it turned out, a podunk mountain town such as South Park was a soul draining place where absolutely nothing ever happened.

Besides all that, he was still reeling a little from his earlier interaction with Cartman.

That kid was just so fascinating to him… What could possibly be going on in that head of his? This enigmatic enegy that he gave off was unbelievably cool to him.

Halfway to his house, a daring thought struck him and made him stop dead in his tracks.

He should pay Cartman a visit.

He knew where he lived, so that would be no problem. And he figured the other teen didn’t really have a lot going on in his life. Nobody seemed able to account for him throughout the day anyway, so he probably spent most of his time secluded in his home.

Cartman didn’t have a job as far as he knew, and he probably never would have one as long as he lived in this town. After all, who would hire him with his reputation?

Having decided the next step in his plan to become Eric Cartman’s friend, he changed his course to the maligned teen’s home.

As Craig approached the Cartman residence, he felt a little nauseous about what he intended to do.

He would try his best to be as honest as possible, while trying to not aggravate Cartman. This was never going to be easy, after all who knew what kinds of walls Cartman built over the years in order to keep himself safe and protected from others’ hatred.

He had no idea if he was doing a smart thing or not, but he had to try.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Dude, Kyle, just chill out for a minute will you?” Stan was seriously starting to lose it at this point. What the hell was going on with his best friend?

“How can you tell me to chill out, Stan? Why is this happening right now after all this time? Everything was just fine as it was, everybody and everything in its place. But then that fucking douchebag Craig had to go and be an asshole.” Kyle was babbling non stop for the past 30 minutes about how fucked up this situation was.

“Kyle, what is going on with you right now? They barely talked for, like, 10 minutes today. That means nothing. Besides, it’s been so long, I really don’t see what the problem is if Cartman starts talking with some other people every once in a while. The guy must be incredibly lonely.” As soon as Stan finished that sentence, he regretted it.

Everybody knew by now to not rile Kyle up… Not unless you wanted a verbal assault to happen. Stan loved his best friend dearly, but he could be extremely difficult whenever something got to him.

“How can you say that to me Stan? After all that fat fuck did to me? To us?

He was never a good friend to anybody in our group. Always coming up with ways to piss us off and hurt us… You know this well enough, so why are you defending that bastard?” Kyle looked at him as if he was an insect at that point. Stan tried not to let it bother him.

“I’m not defending anybody ok? It just seems excessive to worry this much about a short conversation that, as far as we know, meant nothing.” Could Kyle please just drop this subject already?

It was amazing, really, just how much Cartman still affected the jewish boy, even after so long.

Stan considered himself a pretty chill kind of guy. Sure he sometimes obsessed a little bit over how shitty the world was, but I mean, how could you not?

Everything seemed to suck nowadays, and Stan rarely felt happy about stuff. There was always this underlying sadness, a sort of crushing feeling that made him feel like the future could only ever get worse, no matter how much he struggled.

“Stan, you probably got used to things being this calm and uneventful, right? Well, guess what? That’s only a possibility because Cartman finally knows his place. If Craig fucks this up somehow, there’s no telling what kind of demented shit the fatass will do, specially if he’s just waiting to get back at us for all these years.”

Could Kyle be any more paranoid? The way he spoke almost made it seem as if Cartman was this grand master schemer, biding his time for years just to strike at the right moment.

I mean, who would have the energy for that?

“Let’s just talk about something else? Please? I can’t stand the way you become when you start talking about Cartman…. It’s really draining.” Please, just this once let him drop this shit.

“Ugh, fine… But I’m keeping an eye out just in case. I’ll be damned if I ever let Cartman hurt me or anybody else again.”

Thank god for small miracles, Stan thought.

At least for now, they could go back to just hanging out as they often did.

Sadly, he knew this wouldn’t last. Kyle’s obsession with Cartman really occupied such a large part of his mental state, that he often wondered if there was something else there. Something Kyle was not really being upfront about.

I mean, don’t get him wrong. Stan certainly thought that Cartman had a way of being so malicious and hateful, that nobody else could stand it.

At least, that was the reality back when they were younger.

Still, after so many years of social isolation, was it really that far fetched to imagine that he changed? At least a little bit?

He really hoped so.

Everybody deserves a second chance in Stan’s book, even someone like Cartman.

However, Stan had a deep sense of loyalty towards Kyle. They’ve been friends for so long that he was kind of obligated to stick by him, no matter what.

Besides, Cartman did really fuck things up that last time. Even Stan, as forgiving as he could be, couldn’t really blame Kyle for his violent reaction.

It was all so tiresome to him anyway.

He wished everybody would just grow the fuck up and deal with things like the adults they almost were.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Despite the brief awkwardness of the morning, this day was like any other day in Eric’s life.

He was alone at his home, a dainty rundown house in the poor part of South Park.

Like most days, his mother was nowhere to be found. When was the last time he saw her? He couldn’t quite remember… Probably last month he guessed.

She usually turned up once, maybe twice a month to pay some bills and check if he was still alive and the house still standing, but otherwise she left him well enough alone.

Who could blame her, really?

Well, Eric certainly did. She was one of the reasons why he had to face such adversities in his life. The education she provided to him was severely lacking.

She failed to teach him how to deal with frustration, having everything he wanted when he wanted it. She lavished him with toxic affection for most of his childhood, only to pretty much abandon him as soon as he grew too old and she found some bastard to bed her regularly.

He couldn’t really say that he had a stepdad, since the guy never spoke to him and wanted nothing to do with him in fact.

It was all fine to him. Good riddance, he thought.

He never had a father, and now he didn’t really have a mother either.

Over the years, he learned to adapt and take care of himself as best he could. The house was in pretty bad shape overall, but the one part that showed any semblance of tidiness and dignity was his room. His one true sanctuary.

The one place where he truly felt secure. Away from people’s judgemental stares.

All he really needed was his computer and an internet connection.

He liked to think of himself as a kind of wizard of the net, and it was through the net that he got most of his income, which he had to spend on food and some amenities.

Shady dealings, stock broking, scamming rubes. It was all the same to him. I mean, it’s the 21st century. If you still don’t know how to keep your information secure then it’s your fault really.

So, that’s where he found himself currently. Sitting in front of his computer, looking for the next unsuspecting fool he could squeeze some money from when his doorbell rang.

That, in itself, was not all that weird.

He often purchased things online, be it food or stupid shit he wanted. Online shopping and next day deliveries were his gods, and he prayed at their altar constantly.

However, he couldn’t quite remember having any deliveries scheduled for today, as he was pretty sure that he hadn’t purchased anything lately.

Not thinking much of it, he went to answer his door and suffice to say was quite shocked when he realized who rang the doorbell.

As soon as he opened the door, he was greeted by a shy, almost hesitant smile on the face of the one and only Craig Tucker, local badass and apathy’s poster child.

If Eric was just a tiny bit more honest with himself, he’d have admitted that seeing that face and smile actually made his heart jump just the tiniest bit.

I mean fuck, was he that emotionally needy or what?

“Hum, hey there man… Hope I’m not intruding or anything but I kind of wanted to talk to you, if you don’t mind?” Shit, Eric must’ve looked as sedated as he felt if Craig was the one starting this conversation. I guess it’s unusual to answer a door just to stand there looking foolish and paralyzed.

“Wh… What’s that now? You? Talk to me? The fuck?” Christ, where the hell were his braincells when he needed them?

“Yeah, you. Will you let me in or are we supposed to talk out here in the cold?” Craig was looking more and more dejected by the second. Perhaps he made a mistake, he thought.

Eric was still slightly stunned, so he moved a little bit on autopilot and made way for Craig to enter his home.

At that, Craig was feeling a little more hopeful, I mean things weren't that bad if Eric let him enter his home right?

As he entered the other’s home, Craig couldn’t help but take notice of the derelict look of everything. Where the fuck was his mom? It’s hard to imagine any functioning adult would allow this kind of decay in their home. It kind of made Craig’s skin crawl.

Meanwhile, as they stood there silently and awkwardly, Eric’s mind was moving a million miles a minute, trying to figure out what in the seven hells was going on on this goddamn day.

Then, his brain just sort of rebooted and he took a hold of his emotions once more.

“What the actual fuck are you doing in my house, Tucker? I don’t have any more fucking cigarattes to give you if that’s what you want. Go get your own, freeloader.” Craig couldn’t help the displeased look that passed through his face at the other boy’s comment.

“Look Cartman, I have my own cigs ok? I just asked you once, it’s not like I expect you to feed my vice or anything like that.”

Eric snorted at that, “Sure thing, as long as you know what’s up, we’re kewl.”

Taking a step forward, he continued, “So, what brings you here then? You’re getting in the way of my me time.”

Suddenly, Craig’s mouth was as dry as the desert, “I had nothing to do and wanted to maybe hang out for a while. I don’t think we left off that great this morning and thought I should rectify that.”

Huh, what a curious thing was happening to Eric. It was almost as if he waited years to hear similar words coming from his former friends’ mouths, and yet they were coming from Craig fucking Tucker.

“Did you hit your head, asshole? Don’t you realize who it is you’re trying to ‘hang out’ with? People will throw you to the wolves if they see you hanging out with me.”

It was Craig’s turn to take a step forward, and with that they were standing perhaps a little bit too close to be considered just friendly. “Look, I don’t give a shit what other people think alright? You could’ve been an outright asshole and treated me like shit when I asked for a cig today and yet, you went ahead and gave me one anyway. Even if you bitched about it, I thought that was pretty decent of you.”

“Wow, so you’re that easy then? One cigarette and you’re there, ready to spread your legs and do whatever I want right?” What was the deal with this guy? Was it that hard to believe the words Craig was saying?

Fuck it, Craig will convince him that his intentions are genuine, one way or the other.

Craig took another step and, suddenly, their chests were touching and Eric was forced to look up thanks to the taller teen’s couple extra inches.

“Don’t talk to me like that, got it? I get it that it must be fucking hard for you to understand that anybody in this shit town would want to hang out with you willingly, but I’m here am I not?”

Eric couldn’t really think straight at that… This closeness… God how he longed for it, for so fucking long.

He was a fool, a pathetic piece of shit… All these years and he thought he was above it. Above the need for some fucking human contact…

He had to do something, fast, because if they remained this close any longer he was afraid he would fall down onto his knees.

And then, just as suddenly as their chests touched and Craig said his piece, Eric shoved him as hard as he could, “Ok ok fine! Fucking shit dude, don’t you know anything about personal space? Christ…”

Craig took a moment to understand what had just transpired between them. His cheeks were slightly red, probably because he felt fucking anxious and exasperated at this point. Eric’s words almost didn’t register properly.

“Wait, for real?” Argh this fucking guy, was he not satisfied that he got what he wanted?

“Yes asshole, let’s just go up to my room and whatever.” Eric was about done with the whole thing at this point.

No matter his feelings or emotions running rampant, he was still in control dammit, and he’d be damned if he lost the progress he achieved in the last years.

As they made their way to Eric’s room, Craig was feeling positively elated. Maybe they started a little roughly, but at least they were having some progress here. He didn’t really mean to get all up in Eric’s space like that, but it seemed to have worked beautifully.

Maybe the overweight teen had some issues with physical closeness? Perhaps Craig could exploit that weakness to get him to be a little more accommodating sometimes. It was certainly worth a try.

Not that he minded the closeness either. The robust teen emitted a very pleasing warmth that surprised Craig in a good way.

As they entered Eric’s room, Craig felt like he was going through a portal into another reality.

This room was so much different than the rest of the house. It was clearly kept with care, clean and organized, with decorations showing a bit of Eric’s personality and tastes.

The walls were a delicate shade of white, the bed had Terrance and Phillip covers. His computer sat opposite the bed on a simple wooden desk.

There were a couple of posters on the walls, of classic horror movies and some video games.

By the corner, there was a small fridge, the kind you use to keep energy drinks and the like.

Craig was absolutely fascinated.

“So, here we are dickwad. You’re the first person to enter my room in about three years, so fucking appreciate it jackass.” Oh, he appreciated it alright.

This was so surreal to Craig. It was at this moment that he realized he actually knew absolutely nothing about Eric. All the theories and expectations that he had did not prepare him to actually see a functioning human being’s well kept room.

He felt ashamed to have thought so little of Eric. I mean, what the fuck did he expect? That he lived like some kind of animal? Fuck, what a wake up call this was turning out to be.

“Wow dude, this certainly was not what I was expecting!”

Eric let out a derisive laugh, “Yeah well, this place I actually care about. I have some standards, you know.”

“It definitely shows man, my room is a mess compared to this one.” It was true, Craig didn’t really care all that much about where his shit was.

He always suspected that a person’s room reflected a lot of their personality. The way they kept things, organized them and arranged them in the decor.

If he took that to heart, then his room represented a boy who didn’t really care about image or appearance at all. Taking things at face value and only as functionally as possible.

Tweek’s room was even more messy in comparison. He could never find anything he wanted quickly enough, which helped aggravate his anxiety to insufferable levels, always rushing to find what he needed and being late anyway.

Eric’s room on the other hand was pristine, almost artificially so.

It seemed to him like the kind of room you’d see in a soap opera or maybe even a sitcom. Where every little thing had a calculated resting place, serving a function, even if only aesthetically.

He imagined that was the perfect room for someone trying as hard as they could to control as many things as they could in their life. Almost as if the tiniest thing out of place would make the whole house of cards come tumbling down.

“Yeah well, you could learn a thing or two from me Tucker.” Craig was sure Eric was right about that.

And so, they spent most of the evening together, talking about shit they liked and trying to find some common ground on which to relate to.

To Craig, it was the most interesting and stimulating interaction he’d had in the recent past.

To Eric, it was a dangerous thing, unsettling and upsetting in ways he did not expect. He was a wounded beast. Having lived through tough times, learning to rely only upon himself. This interaction felt awkward and he felt exposed in ways he couldn’t really understand yet.

And that fucking chest to chest thing was ever present in the back of his mind, much to his annoyance.

A little bit after sunset, Craig decided he should probably leave, so as to not overwhelm the other boy too much.

After saying their goodbyes and fist bumping for good measure, he started the trek back home.

They had talked and teased each other, they cussed one another when a joke was a little bit too personal.

All in all, he was feeling pretty good with the progress they managed to make in just a single day. Maybe he worried too much for nothing.

It was clear to him that Eric needed the company. So much that he fell into a pretty normal teenage interaction with him very quickly.

In a lot of ways, it was almost as if they'd been hanging out for years.

Although, he should still be careful not to come in too strong. He was sure that, if Eric even so much as suspected foul play, he’d close himself off for good and then there would be no salvaging this budding friendship.

He’d take his time.

After all, for the first time in a long while, he actually had something to look forward to.

Chapter Text

It’s been a week since the Craig/Cartman incident, and things have progressed smoothly, for the most part.

The actual extent of their new friendship was not really disclosed to the people at school, to Craig’s friends or anybody else, really.

Cartman himself didn’t mind this at all. If he were being honest, he was already very thankful to finally have a consistent source of human interaction.

Of course, he was still incredibly suspicious of Craig, but that was mostly thanks to his paranoid personality, and the suddenness of the friendship.

It was a hell of a thing, really, how one’s life can change like that with almost no warning at all. He should be used to it after all that’s happened, but it was still freaky nonetheless.

As for Craig, he was feeling a little bit divided.

On the one hand, he was extremely proud of the progress made so far. They’d met outside of school about 4 times now, excluding that first time. Those repeated interactions eased them into a conversational sweet spot, where Craig felt he could easily identify, and thus avoid, any touchy subjects or things that would piss off the larger boy.

However, he felt a little annoyed that he had to actively suppress this development, as well as avoid the probing questions his group had for him. One would almost think that Eric was some sort of alien or animal, when they repeated stupid questions over and over like, ‘Is he polite to you?’, ‘Aren’t you afraid he’ll try to kill you or something?’ and other stupid shit like that.

Still, Craig thought that was better than the alternative.

After all, all these questions came about simply because he decided to spend every class break with Eric, smoking and talking nonsense, the usual teenager shit.

Well, Craig supposed the truth would come out eventually, so he didn’t want to dwell on that as long as he could help it. Let him deal with it when necessary.

Out of all his friends, Tweek was the one that had the most problems with the whole situation.

Of course, that was to be expected, since the teen was so mentally compromised in a lot of ways.

He kept telling Craig how he thought what he was doing was a terrible idea. How Eric was dangerous and unpredictable. How he’d probably be plotting to ruin them even as he smiled in front of him.

Craig expected that, in part, it was jealousy that motivated Tweek to complain so much.

It was not news that the twitchy teen had a severe problem with any kind of change at all, seeing most of them as threatening things to be avoided at all costs. And this change, which happened to deprive Tweek of Craig’s usual company at school, was felt most bitterly.

Suffice to say, Craig didn’t really have it in him to put up with Tweek’s usual shtick like he often did.

Perhaps it was one of the benefits that a friendship with the rotund boy brought about. Now that he took that important first step, he felt less chained to social dogma somewhat. Not entirely of course, but well enough to feel like he didn’t owe Tweek his complete commiseration.

Tweek felt this, of course, and he was getting more and more concerned with Craig’s recent nonchalant attitude towards him.

One could argue that this was an over exaggeration from Tweek, but it was very difficult for the boy to comprehend and accept these changes in behavior in the boy he loved so much. It spelled something sinister to him, that he couldn’t quite touch upon, which made things rather more difficult.

So it was that Friday came around, and Craig was laying down on Tweek’s bed, as per their most traditional ritual.

Every Friday, they would sleep at each other’s houses, alternating between them every week. It was a time of privacy and connectedness, full of love and care… At least for Tweek.

For Craig, it meant sex and spending time with a close friend.

He still told himself that he cared for Tweek, and he really did, deep down inside. He was just tired from the circumstances that brought them together in the first place. Tweek’s dependence and reliance on him was also problematic.

“Baby hn, I really don’t think that you should be spending time with hn, Cartman.” And this again, of course. He expected it as much, but Craig couldn’t help but feel completely put down by it all the same.

“Look honey, it’s fine ok? I understand your concerns, but Cartman’s a cool guy y’know? He’s actually really funny and much nicer than he was when we were kids. I think he really learned to become a better person after all this time… maybe you should come hang out with me and him as well just to see that?” This was clearly a bluff on Craig’s part.

He knew Tweek would never in a million years get out of his comfort zone that much. He also knew that inviting him would put some of the more… jealous thoughts of Tweek to rest.

Besides, the thought of somebody else spending time with him and Cartman felt very intrusive to him.

“Jesus, of course not Craig! I couldn’t possibly come close to that fatass like that, I really don’t understand how you can.”

What the fuck? Why was Tweek being that much of an asshole? Why call Cartman names like that?

Craig would have none of it.

“Listen Tweek, I get it that you don’t really like him alright? But you shouldn’t call him names like that.

I’m telling you, the dudes’ pretty alright actually, but if you’d rather stick to your stupid prejudices, that’s fine too.” As Craig finished his sentence, Tweek’s eyes got bigger and glassy-looking, almost as if there were tears there that he was trying to contain.

God fucking damn it.

He knew that he should’ve left that well alone, it was that easy for Tweek to start crying over the smallest thing just in order to guilt him into submission.

Fuck, he couldn’t stand that shit anymore.

“Tweek, honey… I’m sorry I didn’t mean anything by that ok? I’m just asking you to trust me on this. I’m not dumb and I’ll be able to smell any kind of shit Cartman might come up with ok? It’s fine.” For his part, Tweek didn’t look any better after Craig’s attempt at assuring him.

“But baby, I hate to say this but shouldn’t you trust Kyle on this a bit? I mean… I know you don’t really like him, but out of everyone, he’s the one that probably knows Cartman the best right?” No, not anymore he didn’t, Craig thought. “So, maybe he’s onto something when he says that Cartman can’t be trusted, ever.”

Craig definitely didn’t want to talk about this anymore. He was a man damn it, he would make whatever choices he wanted and nobody would tell him otherwise.

“Enough about that love, come here for a minute.” As he said that, Craig took Tweek into his lap and started to gently kiss the other’s neck, just below the ear which was a particularly sensitive spot for him.

As Tweek started to feel a little too hot for it, Craig took his shirt off and proceeded to suck at his nipples while he threw Tweek on his back upon the bed.

So, once more, Craig did one of the things he was least proud of. He manipulated Tweek in order to get his mind off the subject at hand and into something else.

Often, he could do that by gently replacing the object of Tweek’s obsession with something a little less severe or at least a little more interesting to him.

When all else failed and they were alone together like this, sex was something that worked, usually.

He sensed that Tweek’s wasn’t that into it all that much, maybe he was assexual or something like that? He never really started any kind of sexual situation with Craig, and he was mostly submissive and let him do all the work.

At first, such a disposition made Craig really hot, but he soon learned that there were clear limits to how submissive Tweek was willing to be and how much he actually wanted to be dominated.

It only happened once. He took hold of Tweek’s hair a little too strongly, bit him a little too roughly.

Immediately Tweek went on one of his mini rampages, saying that Craig wanted to hurt him and saying he was sorry for whatever he did in order for Craig to want to punish him. Suffice it to say the mood was instantly killed and Craig learned that Tweek was just as delicate and mentally unstable in bed as he was out of it.

Perhaps that was the first nail in the proverbial coffin of their relationship, as far as Craig was concerned. Still, sex was sex and he invited that release gladly, for the most part.

Some times it was just the tiniest bit more trouble than it was worth though, and made Craig long for the day were sex would be just a pleasurable thing for him, and not a tool for pent up frustration to be released or to shift the focus of a stressed out person.

Tweek just went with the flow, for the most part. Since most of the effort was made by Craig, he could concentrate on trying not to freak out as another person’s… mouth… was right there on his thing and maybe it could bite his thing off or something? Shit, sex was hard for Tweek, in more ways than one.

Regardless of both boys’ feelings and motivations towards sex and how much it differed from one to the other, Craig's overall objetive was achieved.

And if he were entirely honest with himself, which he was not ready to be by the way, as he climaxed his mind did wander off a little bit… Thinking of how cool Cartman was and how fulfilling it was to be in his company.

Not the strangest thought to have ever ocurred to Craig in the midst of fucking, but he disregarded it as just his mind being not entirely connected to his physical pleasure.

He wondered what Cartman was doing right now?

_________________________________________________________________________

Friday nights were pretty much like any other night to Eric.

Being without parental supervision had its perks for sure. He could get drunk if he felt like it, he could order any food he wanted and he could play games on his computer or watch movies as loudly as he wanted without anybody fucking nagging him all the time.

Still, shit could get lonely sometimes, but that’s just what he was used to.

Until Craig.

Until fucking, goddamn shitty Craig came and messed his life up in the most delicious way possible.

That douchebag managed to climb some of the carefully constructed walls he painstakingly built over the years of social neglect.

Still, he couldn’t say he trusted the nonplussed teen completely, it was much too soon for that and he was no fool.

This could be some grand scheme, plotted against him by Kyle, maybe… Although he struggled to understand why Kyle would have chosen Craig as his tool. There were many better subjects, much more willing to follow instructions. Even people with actual personal grudges against him.

Maybe Craig was chosen precisely because he was such an unlikely candidate?

Nah, that just didn’t seem right to him by what he knew of Craig. Besides, he’d kept a close eye on him in every interaction that they’d had so far, trying to spot signs of lies or suspicious intentions.

He saw nothing worth mentioning, so far.

I mean, he suspected that Craig hadn’t yet told his little group of friends that they were meeting at Eric’s home every other day. That suited him just fine really. He didn’t see that as Craig being ashamed of him or anything like that, more like him wanting to be left alone, from what he told him up to this point.

They touched the subject very briefly. Craig’s reluctance to be completely upfront with him as to why he decided to engage Eric was the main reason why he was still mildly suspicious of his motivations.

Still, he kept humoring the other teen, much as a way to keep him around more than anything.

He would never admit this out loud, but he needed these interactions deeply.

For years he saw himself as above it all, but that turned out to be just a silly illusion he made up in order to protect himself. He knew that much about himself to call out his own bullshit at least.

And… since he apparently was being honest in all of this, he should be able to admit the underlying physical attraction of it all.

Eric was bi, that much was clear to him. He could look at pretty much anybody and realize in the first couple of minutes if he wanted to fuck them or not. Not just as a hotness thing, but the way the person spoke, their tone of voice, the way they held themselves. All of it factored into Eric’s attraction requirements, so to speak.

Craig ticked off a lot of his boxes.

The infuriating teen had a nice, well built body, almost as if he effortlessly had defined muscles. His clothes hugged his body nicely, with tight jeans and shirts that left little to the imagination.

His face was, simply put, gorgeous. Nice silky black hair, pointy, well defined nose and sharp features. Eric could easily see him as a model if only he’d have been lucky enough to be born in a big city. The kind of guy that would get scouted while grocery shopping or some shit.

But, that was only the start of Eric’s attraction.

Getting to know him better was doing wonders for him as well.

He used to think his apparent apathy to be a great deterrence to any sane person that would ever want to talk to him. A guy that never really showed interest or excitement in anything.

But that was not quite the case when you looked a little deeper.

He had passions, he talked about things that interested him, and he seemed to enjoy watching Eric play video games a lot.

The way he held himself was unmistakably guarded, and yet, he exuded a confidence that dared you to cross him or upset him in any way. A sort of silent dominance of others, that made people constantly look at him for approval or agreement, to make sure they were not upsetting him in some way.

Eric greatly admired those qualities, for years he wanted to emulate them and make people respect him by virtue of his mere presence, all of it in vain.

This whole thing was incredibly screwed up and it frustrated him endlessly.

Of course Craig wouldn’t return these feelings of attraction. He dated a cute little slim thing in Tweek, which was clearly his type. Eric couldn’t be further from that standard if he tried.

It was at times like these that he wondered what kind of deity hated him so much, that every object of his attention was either emotionally abusive or painfully apathetic to him.

Just as Eric was pondering over the injustices of life, his doorbell rang unexpectedly yet again.

Grumbling to himself and wondering if he should just install a camera, he moved to open the door. A small but insistent part of him hoping that it was a surprise visit from the boy he was obsessing over just then.

That’s why he couldn’t avoid the dejected look that crossed his face when the person to greet him at the other side of the door was none other than Kenny McCormick.

“Well sheesh, looking at me like that really makes me feel loved, man!” Kenny said as he moved to give Eric a fist bump and moved to enter the house.

“The fuck dude, are you high or drunk again? I’ll tell you I have zero intention of letting your sorry ass crash at my place again, you hear me?” Eric was not exactly used to these visits from Kenny.

Although a part of him always expected the poor boy to drop by unannounced, it was always slightly jarring when he did.

“I’m just dropping by dude, there’s no need to bite my head off… I just wanted to check up on you, that's all.” Kenny was an expert at making him feel like shit for treating him badly. He never quite could keep him away.

“It’s fine, whatever… Hang out if you want, there’s food on the fridge and snacks in the pantry if you’re hungry.” Kenny smiles softly at that.

“Are you sure you should be offering your food that freely? It’s not like you’re swimming in money dude.” Eric had to laugh at that.

“Ha, it’s not like you’re that better off Kenny. I’m just trying to be a nice host, but you can fuck off for all I care.” Of course he wouldn’t. Not quite yet.

Kenny was very used to Eric’s abrasiveness and he knew it was mostly posturing. The fat teen was unable to really be upfront about his feelings, at least to him.

“So, I actually wanted to talk to you about Craig, your very new best friend!” In retrospect, Eric should’ve known that would be the trigger for this visit.

“What of it? It’s not like I owe you an explanation about who hangs out with me or some shit. What’s it to you?” The sooner they ended this conversation, the better. Eric was not yet ready to discuss such things with other people. Maybe he’d never be.

“Hey hey, you don’t have to be so defensive about it Eric.

I don’t ever intend on telling you who to talk to or not, you know I’m not Kyle… I was just wanting to hear from you how you were feeling about the whole thing.” As he said it, he placed a gentle hand on Eric’s shoulder. “I’m happy you’re finally making friends and talking to people other than me or scam victims man, I’m really happy for ya.”

“Yeah well, don’t be. I’m fine either way. Craig’s probably gonna grow bored and move on soon enough anyway, so don’t worry about it too much.” At that, Kenny let out a small, sad smile.

“You know, you’d be surprised my friend. Craig has a bad rap, but I’m pretty good at reading people, especially the ones in this town and I can tell you, Craig is probably genuine about trying to be your friend.

I have no idea what made him take this step, but I’m glad that he did. He seems like he needs it as much as you do, weirdly enough.” Eric couldn’t help but let out a snort at his friend’s corniness.

“Dude, I doubt anybody needs anything even remotely like me in this town.” At that point, tired of this conversation, Eric turned towards the stairs, to go back to his room. “Either way, I’m just taking one day at a time, like usual.

Like I said, feel free to eat anything you want, you’re welcome to what I have. I’ll be in my room.”

_________________________________________________________________________

Kenny knew at that point that his once best friend wanted to be alone, and as usual he respected his wishes gladly. Contrary to what Kyle might believe, Kenny didn’t keep his distance from Eric because of his warnings or psychotic behavior if anybody dared approach the overweight boy.

Kenny couldn’t care less about what Kyle thought in regards to who could or couldn’t interact with Eric.

What he did care about was Eric’s feelings on the matter.

Kenny knew he’d fucked up before when the fallout of their group’s dissolution came about. He should’ve tried to listen to Eric’s side of the story instead of putting most of his trust in Kyle’s version of events.

Yet, Kyle was so fucking convincing at the time that he couldn’t help but side with him on that…

Suffice to say that he regretted it immensely… So much so that he barely interacted with Stan and Kyle anymore. It just felt wrong, and he was still to forgive Kyle for his blowing up all over Eric’s life like he did.

And he knew that Eric would never forgive him either… He betrayed his trust that day, and Eric would never allow him back in after that.

He could only hope that Craig wouldn’t fuck this up like he did.

Chapter Text

Stan was starting to lose it.

Sure, he was used to the nastier and more obsessive behaviors from his best friend. But nothing ever came close to his toxic attitude towards Eric Cartman. He understood the huge amount of bad blood between them, since not that long ago they seemingly lived to one up and piss off each other.

Back then, when Cartman was in the room, it was almost as if Kyle and him lived in a vacuum, the only two people in a vast, empty universe.

Nothing else mattered more than the quips, the insults, the aggravation that the two shared. It never mattered where they were or who was watching, they brawled without a care in the world. The bystanders could mostly just watch these two hurricanes clashing so violently.

It annoyed the shit out of Stan.

He was a mellow kind of guy, more often than not wanting to be left alone, unbothered. To even conceive of the amount of energy that those two spent fighting was tiresome to him. He never understood that dynamic, at all. Especially since both boys were so completely different when isolated from one another.

Kyle was a sweet dude, very smart and quick thinking, always interested in whatever problems or issues that you had, wanting to legitimely help you in any way he could. He was, usually, a joy to be around.

Cartman was conniving, charismatic and funny. He knew how to always keep you engaged in whatever subject he was talking about. He had a kind of aggravating charm that you couldn’t help but be drawn to time and again.

Put those two together, and they became hateful, spiteful, annoying and confrontational. Any small thing could set them off catastrophically, much to the detriment of everyone else who happened to be unfortunate enough to witness it.

So, in a way, he was relieved when the group split apart. Finally, there would be peace.

No more stupid, meaningless fights between those two. They could all finally grow the fuck up as people.

He never really contemplated what the isolation that followed did to Cartman.

Stan had no ill will reserved for the overweight teen, despite Kyle’s best efforts. He knew that Cartman’s so-called bad side was, for the most part, reserved to his interactions with Kyle.

Because of that, he didn’t really feel bad about outright abandoning Cartman and sticking to his best friend.

I mean, he didn’t know what else was expected of him in that kind of situation short of being loyal to Kyle, no matter what. Things were so much simpler back then, so much more black and white.

He also felt strongly that, if there was anybody who could take the hate, that person would be Cartman.

Stan always saw him as a strong presence that didn’t take shit from absolutely anyone no matter what. He really admired that trait, particularly because Stan himself was often way too accommodating of others, so Cartman’s uncompromising attitude was very enticing to him.

So, in his blissful ignorance, Stan really thought that Cartman was fine being by himself. Surely he would have made friends with other kids if he actually wanted to right? Craig entering the picture after so long just served to make him more sure of that. It would appear to Stan that Cartman was finally ready to make friends again, which he was mostly thankful for.

If he were honest, he’d rather Cartman had chosen somebody else. He coudln’t fucking stand Craig, that asshole.

Either way, he was glad for him. Nobody should go through their days alone like Cartman was doing, no matter how strong he was.

That being said, Kyle seemed to be truly incapable of letting things go.

What was it about Cartman that messed him up this much? He understood the background and everything but it’s been years since they fell out… Why the hell wouldn’t he let just it go?

These past few days had been utterly miserable to Stan because of that.

Every single time he interacted with Kyle, the other one complained and moaned about Craig talking to Cartman, it was all fuck the fatass this, screw Craig that.

Tiresome as fuck.

That was essentially the main reason why Stan found himself avoiding Kyle on a cold and miserable Friday, the day where, normally, they’d go straight to one of their houses to hang out.

Kyle was so shaken by the whole Cartman/Craig situation, that he didn’t even seem to bother the break in their longest tradition, easily accepting that Stan needed to go to the library to catch up on study. For fuck’s sake, he didn’t even offer to tutor him like usual.

Thankfully, in Stan’s case, since he wanted a break from hanging out with him and was just terrible at thinking up excuses, this suited him just fine.

What he didn’t expect was running into the very same boy that attracted such vitriol from his best friend.

Stan had to admit that Cartman looked good.

He seemed good enough even though he was still overweight, his body size, posture and weight distribution worked great, making him look stout and a little intimidating, even if he was shorter than Stan. All things considered, he did look physically well and healthy.

Maybe it was his aggravation with Kyle, or some kind of remorse for the way he abandoned Cartman that made him spring a conversation on the unsuspecting teen. He couldn’t really tell.

“Hey there man…” Suffice it to say, Cartman’s eyes looked positively shocked as he acknowledged Stan’s awkward attempt at a greeting.

“Hum, hello Stan?” Cartman couldn’t really help but be less than articulate, in this situation. After all he was just minding his own business, like he usually did, and hadn’t really noticed another person in the deserted library until Stan spoke up, startling him out of his Craig-related musings.

“So um, you doing ok? I’ve seen you hanging out with Craig for the past week and was wondering how that’s going since he’s kind of a douche.” Stan finished with an out-of-place chuckle, probably trying to lighten the mood somewhat.

Hearing Craig’s name coming out of this almost stranger’s mouth had a jarring effect on Cartman, sprouting in him a yet unseen overprotectiveness he didn’t know existed.

“Oh, yeah I get it right? Craig’s a douche, so no wonder he’s hanging around the biggest douche in South Park eh?” Stan could only stare at that, wondering where the fuck that came from, and almost regretting his decision of greeting the pudgy boy.

“Wow dude, I didn’t really mean anything by it I swear!” Stan turned his body towards Cartman then, as if to give him his full attention. “It’s just unexpected, is all… I thought you hated Craig too.”

“Oh yeah, I’m sure you know me so well, huh Stan? We hang out all the time after all.” Just as Stan thought that was a douchey thing to say, Cartman continued: “Look hippy, just go about your day okay? You stay in your lane and I stay in mine, that way Queen Bitch won’t piss me the fuck off.”

Through context, Stan surmised that Queen Bitch was probably Kyle, which flared up a bit of his best friend defensive stance, that he tried to keep at bay. “Dude, don’t talk about Kyle like that ok? He’s got nothing to do with why I’m talking to you right now anyway, so why bring him up?”

This conversation was getting out of hand fast. Mentioning Kyle was a sure way to make Cartman extremely belligerent, and Stan couldn’t really fault him for that.

“I don’t give a shit Stan. You fuckers are attached by the asshole, so I’d rather you just stay away if you don’t mind.” His mood soured, Cartman decided to simply go the fuck home.

As Stan was left there speechless, Cartman took one look back and said:

“By the way, you don’t fucking know me anymore shithead, so don’t pretend like you do. It pisses me off.”

As he left, Stan wondered how things got to be so fucked up… But Cartman was probably right in the end, he probably didn’t know him at all anymore.

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Something similar was going on through Cartman’s mind.

He resented Stan, he couldn’t help it.

Back when they all hung out, Stan was a bit of a role model to him. He was always seemingly attractive physically, doing sports here and there and looking more and more handsome as the years went by.

He also had the cool, laid back personality that Cartman respected, almost as if he saw the world through a glass of contempt and disappointment, and he couldn’t help but be into shit like that.

Cartman saw himself as superior to others for the most part, but a part of him always strove for attention, from these supposedly inferior beings.

Stan made it look effortless. He had it down to a tee. The utter self-sufficiency that Cartman longed for and tried helplessly to emulate.

Still, Stan proved how little he thought of Cartman when he stopped hanging out altogether in favor of Kyle.

He honestly wanted nothing out of that conversation, stirring more feelings that Cartman thought were deep and well buried.

Stan meant so much to him, once.

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While Stan and Cartman were having their small interaction, there was another unlikely pair discussing similar matters.

Kyle wasn’t an idiot.

He knew there was something going on with the fatass and Craig. He just couldn’t quite imagine what the hell those two idiots had to talk so much about.

Cartman was dangerous and Craig had a reputation as a kind of bully. That was a problematic combination, with potential to stir up some real shit if left to its own.

Craig was also gay.

Why would a self-respecting gay guy like him, one that was in a seemingly fulfilling relationship, want to hang out with a fat tub of lard instead of with his significant other?

Something in this smelled bad.

Something in this smelled like shit in fact.

But, how could Kyle actually find out whatever it is that was going on before it was too late? He couldn’t really spy on them or hear what they were saying when they hung out by the back of the school.

That place was pretty open and anybody trying to approach would be easily spotted. The goths were also pretty territorial and made their best effort to expel any intruders there.

Maybe they were in on this somehow? Otherwise, how the fuck didn’t they mind that Craig had wormed his way so close to their space? Perhaps they allowed it for fear of his retaliation? It was hard to tell and he figured that it was mostly unworthy of contemplation.

No no, what mattered is that they wouldn’t let Kyle himself get close, he knew that for a fact.

Cartman had started to hang around by the goths about two years ago.

At first, Kyle didn’t worry much about it. He figured they would simply drive him out since he didn’t belong.

He was wrong.

About a month after Cartman started to hang out in the periphery of the goth’s territory, he started getting more and more paranoid that they would befriend the fat fuck and be manipulated by him.

So he did what any concerned person would do and approached them to ask why they hadn’t driven him out yet.

They didn’t take that well at all. Kyle couldn’t have gotten out of there faster. Ever since then, they looked at him as if he was the scum of the earth.

Gratefully, nothing really came out of that development, so he let it slide.

Well, fuck them anyway, he didn’t need them.

So, since he couldn’t really spy on them effectively and learn what was going on, he was unable to correctly guess either party’s intention. That left him with precious few ways in which to interfere.

He tried talking to Craig when this whole shitstorm started and he quickly understood that, the more he prodded Craig, the more he would contradict him. Having learned that, he thought that maybe Craig’s heart could be swayed, not by him but by someone he cared for.

That’s how, at present, he was talking to Tweek on a corner table of Tweek Bros Coffee. Maybe the overly anxious teen could listen to reason for once?

“So you see Tweek, I’m really concerned about what kind of horrible things Cartman might be instilling in Craig.” Kyle had a sort of conspiratorial tone as he leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table and joining his fingers together.

“Make no mistake my friend, Cartman is a terrible, awful person. I know this first hand after all that he put me and my friends through. He’s conniving, scheming and homophobic. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s even now trying to pollute yours and Craig’s relationship with lies.”

As it turns out, Tweek was easily manipulated and quite deeply invested in conspiracies and the like, to Kyle’s luck.

“Argh, I don’t know what the fuck is going on anymore man!! Craig just won’t talk to me about this weird friendship he’s developed, and he gets all pissed off if I try to warn him of Cartman’s ways.” So Craig was that involved already? To the point of becoming defensive over that piece of shit? That rang quite a few alarms in Kyle’s head.

He had to focus, this conversation had to be about Tweek’s wellbeing if he wanted to convey his point across as a concerned third party.

“Damn dude, that’s rough… I can’t say for sure but that seems like the kind of shit Cartman pulled all the time back then.” As he said that he shook his head sadly, prompting Tweek to lean further towards Kyle.

“Wha, what did he do man?” Tweek’s eyes were looking a bit crazed as he asked, more distraught by the minute.

“He kept going behind everyone’s backs, trying to poison us against one another. Making us doubt our bonds, with the final intention of splitting the group apart so that only he was friends to everybody else.” This could be called an embellishment of the truth, but it served a higher purpose, at least Kyle thought as much.

“No way! Hn, that’s like, so fucked up!” Good, Kyle could see he basically had Tweek by this point.

“You got that right, thank fuck it all backfired in the fatass’ face.” With that, Kyle thought it was the perfect moment to drive the final nail into this ridiculous situation.

“Hey you know what? Wait, nah, don’t mind me, I’m sure it’s not what I’m thinking anyway.” As he said that, Kyle leaned back on his seat just as he brought the coffee to his lips. Urgh, Tweek Bros coffee tasted like monkey shit.

“What? No way, tell me please, god damn it I need to know!” Tweek’s voice was getting progressively louder and it was starting to get the attention of the other patrons of this shit hole. Kyle had to reign it in fast before this paranoid idiot drew more attention to them.

“Calm down, Tweek! I guess I can tell you, but I have no idea if that’s the case ok? I just have this nagging feeling in the back of my mind, based on what I know of Cartman.”

“I don’t care dude, just tell me please! I have to know if Cartman’s planning to hurt Craig in any way.” Kyle had him now, hook, line and sinker.

“Look, maybe the fatass is telling Craig that being gay is wrong and whatnot, trying to make him dump you since he probably believes you shoudn’t be together, that homophobic piece of shit.” As far as Kyle was concerned, that was one hundred percent the truth. Cartwan was indeed a homophobic piece of shit.

“Fuck no, Craig can’t be letting him get to him like that right? I need him man, I love him so much.” Tears were already threatening to fall down Tweek’s face. The sight of it made Kyle sick.

“I don’t know Tweek, honestly. Maybe that’s it, maybe not… But Craig has been a lot more impatient and distant with you lately right? You’ve said as much, it can’t just be a coincidence.” That did it, Tweek was full blown crying into his hands after he finished saying that.

He had to get the fuck out of there.

Kyle got up, came to Tweek’s side, gently placed his hand on the other’s shoulder and said:

“I’m on your side Tweek, I just thought I had to warn you of the dangers Cartman represents… If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to come talk to me okay? I want nothing more than to stop that fatass from hurting anybody else.” Tweek, still crying desolately, nodded almost absentmindedly.

Kyle was pretty satisfied with himself, finally some good developments coming his way. Surely Craig would listen to Tweek’s concerns and stop this silly venture of his.

The pieces were coming into place, thank fuck.

Now he can just lay back and watch as Cartman falls back to his rightful place of isolation, once and for all.

Chapter Text

Tweek remained there, crying inconsolably for about thirty minutes, before his father came by and asked him to stop making a scene. He was so emotionally exhausted that he could only get up from his booth and walk out of the coffee shop, amidst his father’s protests.

He couldn’t deal with that shit at the moment.

Kyle’s unexpected visit served only to upset him and, worst of all, confirm some of his deep suspicions that Cartman was manipulating Craig, trying to break them up.

Who would be so cruel as to want to demolish other people’s happiness like that? Tweek was nothing without Craig, he loved him with all his being, needed him as much as he needed air.

He had to put his cards on the table and ask… No… Demand that Craig stop seeing the fat teen. He couldn’t take the pressure of constantly wondering what kind of poison Cartman was feeding Craig.

He used to trust Craig, implicitly, but for the past year or so, he’d started to notice some weirdness about him. Like he was getting a little more distant everyday, slipping through his fingers somewhat.

But Tweek had a hard time understanding if this was due to his normal bouts of paranoia or if there was something else going on entirely.

Just in case the signs he saw were there, he absolutely could not allow Cartman to keep sowing seeds of doubt into their relationship like that.

No matter how different Craig was becoming to him before, after meeting Cartman things were more and more obvious… Even when they made love, the way Craig acted towards him was a little rougher than usual, a little more impersonal, like the sex was mechanical instead of romantic.

These worms had been eating away at him, to an almost unbearable point, which steeled his resolve even more in his decision to confront Craig.

With that in mind, he made his way towards Craig’s house. He rang the doorbell and was welcomed enthusiastically by Craig’s mom and then he made his way to his boyfriend’s room, like many times before.

Craig, for his part, was only slightly surprised with Tweek’s visit being earlier than usual. It was not the first time that the twitchy teen had an episode and came running to him. It was definitely not a great way to start his weekend.

Tweek barely gave Craig a peck on the lips before getting straight to the point.

“We need to talk about Cartman, man.” For his part, Tweek tried his darn best to show confidence and resolution in his voice and posture, to make sure that Craig knew he was serious.
Craig, for his part, could only lean back on the bed while rolling his eyes.

“Goddamn it Tweek, not this again. There’s absolutely nothing else to discuss about this. You don’t like me hanging out with him, but as I’ve said before, that’s not a good enough reason for me to stop talking to him ok?

“Craig please, for the love of god listen to me ok? I talked to Kyle today and he told me how manipulative and homophobic Cartman is, he clearly started talking to you in order to drive us apart, don’t you see that?” Craig simply looked at Tweek as if he’d gone insane, which to him might very well be the case.

“What the fuck Tweek? You listened to Kyle? That dude is an asshole, he hates Cartman with all he’s got, of course he’s going to want you to think that.”

At this point, Tweek was beyond logic or rational thought, he was reduced to pure, paranoid, instinct. Every word that came out of Craig’s mouth in defense of Cartman just made him worse.

“Craig, stop being so stubborn for once ok? You’ve been getting more and more distant from me ever since you started talking to that fatass, he’s been telling you shit about me, about us! He’s clearly trying to separate us because he can’t handle the thought of two guys together like that!”

At this point, Craig got up and came close to Tweek, towering over the anxious boy as if to intimidate him physically. Tweek could only hug himself in response.

“Shut the fuck up Tweek.” Craig’s voice got lower and deeper, commanding Tweek’s attention completely, in a way he’d never done before. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, so you better fucking drop it, you get that?”

“I can hang out with whomever the fuck I want, you have no control over that… I’m sick and tired of always bending over backwards to please you, in every single one of your fucking paranoid delusions alright?

“I’ll never forget that time you made my life a living hell for two months, two goddamn months Tweek, over a fucking nightmare you had where I cheated on you. I've had enough of it.”

Craig was feeling like a man possessed, he was clenching his fists so tightly they were completely white, trying to hold himself back. He’d never be able to live with himself if he hurt Tweek physically, no matter how much he wanted to do just that at the moment.

“I’ve lived in this relationship for the past 9 years the best way I knew how, always being understanding and accommodating to your issues, no matter how fucked up and nonsensical they were.” Tweek was clearly lost in light of Craig’s reaction, he never expected this to happen, this person was not the Craig he knew and it scared him shitless.

“For the first fucking time in all these years, I’m doing something for myself… Something that doesn’t fucking involve you… And you can’t handle that?”
Craig then went and grabbed his coat from the closet and walked towards the door to his bedroom, pausing only to say:

“Wake the fuck up Tweek, and stop being this goddamn selfish.”

And with that, Craig went out into the night, not bothering to answer either his mother or his father, while Tweek remained in his bedroom, kneeling down and having a panic attack so bad he almost couldn’t breathe.

Concern overflowing, Craig’s mother went up to see what had happened, only to find Tweek on his son’s bedroom floor, rocking back and forth and breathing heavily.

She immediately knelt down beside him, took him in her arms and started to rock him as if he were just a small child. She didn’t know how to properly deal with Tweek’s episodes, Craig was the only one who could, or so she thought.

Her maternal instincts took over, and as she stood there, comforting this poor, broken child, she could only wonder what had gotten to her son.

_________________________________________________________________________

Craig didn’t really understand what had just happened to him and Tweek.

On a base level, he figured that he blew a fucking gasket and trounced all over Tweek’s feelings, but somehow something had changed.

Before, he’d never been able to do that… Treat such a delicate being in this way… His concern and care for Tweek were real, he cared deeply about him even if he didn’t really love him the way that he should.

And yet, after taking the first steps of independence in his life, breaking one of the town’s biggest taboos and befriending Eric… It was almost as if a switch had been turned off in his brain, that part that put Tweek’s comfort and happiness above even his own.

Maybe Tweek was right. Perhaps Eric had bewitched him without him knowing.

These past days had been a bliss to him, getting to know the chubby teen, understanding a bit of his depth and his strength. He was smitten by what Eric represented, he’d never met anyone with the resilience that Eric had.

But he wasn’t homophobic, that was some bullshit lie that the jewish boy had concocted in order to convince and freak out Craig’s impressionable boyfriend.

He hung out with him, never making any comments about his sexual orientation or even bringing Tweek into the picture at all.

Craig knew that there would be hell to pay once he returned home. His parents would drill him endlessly and there was the fallout of him blowing up in Tweek’s face like that. He couldn’t deal with that shit, not right now… Perhaps not ever.

Just as he was thinking about where the fuck to go, he realized that he was standing right in front of Eric’s home. Apparently his feet took him there without his clear consent. What the fuck was going on with him?

At this point, Craig figured that he’d have nothing to lose, so he proceeded to knock on the plump teen’s door.

It was almost worth it just to see said teen’s surprised face when he greeted him.

“Holy… What the fuck are you doing here Tucker? I thought this was your day to be with Tweek.” Craig preferred to ignore any mention of Tweek at this point.

“Good to see you too Eric… I wanted to see you and, well, get completely shit-faced if you could oblige me.” A smirk happened upon said person’s mouth as he said that.

“Sure thing buddy, let’s get fucking plastered!” Suffice to say, Eric was extremely pleased and thankful for the impromptu visit on what he thought would be another miserable and lonely Friday night.

As it turned out, Eric had been on his third beer by the time Craig came about.

He was still dealing with Stan’s unwanted meddling, stirring up shit long since buried. At first he thought it would be Kenny once again coming to check up on him, and for once he’d willingly invite him for some drinks, but Craig was even better.

And so, both started to drink compulsively, while watching some bullshit shows on TV and joking around about anything and everything that only a drunk mind could find funny. They were both on Eric’s bed, backs to the wall and side by side, shoulders touching.

Somewhere down the line, the conversation took a turn for the serious and personal, something that both teens had tried to avoid up until that point.

It was Eric, in his usual unceremonial way that broke the tentative truce they unknowingly shared.

“So, don’t take this the wrong way Tucker, I’m actually glad that you’re here with me right now..” Craig’s heart did a little jump at hearing those words, god he must be really drunk.

“What is it man? You can say whatever you wanna say, it’s cool.” Craig’s reassurance seemed to give Eric the final bit of courage he needed to breach that unknown.

“Why are you actually here? I thought you had said that Friday was Tweek day. Could it be some trouble in paradise there?” Eric let out a small chuckle, adorable really, his cheeks were a bit flushed and Craig couldn’t help but stare at them.

“We had a stupid fight… Kyle went to him to say some bullshit about you being homophobic and out to split us up, and Tweek, being the paranoid person that he is, believed every single word that fucker said to him.”

“It just pissed me off, you know? How Tweek chose to believe some crap Kyle said instead of what I had to say. I don’t think you’re homophobic at all, you never said shit about my relationship and he just fucking refused to believe me.

Tweek gets like that so often it’s become a drain in our relationship. Sometimes I just can’t stand how he makes everything about him and his issues. And then, after years I finally choose to do something I want to do and he can’t fucking let me have that?

That’s why I came here today, cause if I stayed with him another goddamn second, I was afraid I’d punch his face in.”

Eric heard all of that pretty attentively. He couldn’t say he was that surprised about Craig’s little confession. Fuck, he knows that if it were him, he’d probably have murdered the anxious teen a long time ago.

What he was surprised about, is that Craig basically fought his lover for him? That really didn’t make any sense to him.

“Holy shit dude… I thought you guys were the perfect couple, you’ve been together forever.” Craig could only shake his head at that, sadness coming to him in waves.

“Nothing more than a show, for appearance's sake. The truth is that this relationship was thrust upon us when we were basically children, we had absolutely no idea what we wanted out of life and out of nowhere there was this huge fucking shadow dictating how we were supposed to live.

Thank fuck both of us turned out to actually be gay, otherwise things would’ve been a whole lot more miserable.

As for Tweek, I think he grew too dependent on me over the years. I think he really does love me, in a desperate way even.”

At this moment, Eric was completely drawn to Craig, and he was utterly aware of just how much he was attracted to him. This kind of complex emotion drew him in completely, the drama and the underlying sadness of it all.

“And me?” Craig continued, “I care deeply about Tweek and want what’s best for him… But I don’t love him like that… I don’t think I ever did.” As he finished, Craig looked considerably miserable, as if the weight of the world was sitting upon his shoulders.

He wouldn’t let this bother him for long. The last thing Craig wanted was for the shadow of his and Tweek’s relationship to sour the time he could spend with Eric. So, in his drunken mind, he chose to switch his position with the other boy, as far as sharing feelings was concerned.

“But what about you? What the fuck actually happened with Kyle three years ago that fucked everything up so much that he still hates your guts?”

Eric was simply not prepared to discuss this with anyone else. He didn’t think he ever would be, but the booze has a way of muddling up people’s resolutions to the point where they didn’t really think of the consequences.

“The fuck man, why the hell do you wanna talk about that shit now?”

Craig then gave him a little punch to the shoulder and said, “Come on Eric, I’ve just told you something I never told anybody else… It’s only fair that you do the same.” And, as if he meant nothing by it, Craig shifted a little closer to the fat teen, so that their sides were completely in contact.

Eric couldn’t really think straight after that. It was a mix of alcohol and Craig’s intense warmth that made him less careful, less guarded.

“What is there to say, really? It was a fucking stupid misunderstanding that fucked everything up for me, made my so called friends turn their backs on me and leave me to be ostracized and hated, bearing the weight of everybody’s judgement, alone.

A long time ago, I was starting to come to terms with my feelings towards a boy in my close friend group. It was hard as shit to do, to accept that weakness and vulnerability… I was living everyday so close by to someone I loved dearly but couldn’t tell them about my feelings, I was so goddamn afraid of being rejected, I just didn’t know what the fuck to do.”

Craig had his suspicions about Eric’s sexuality before, he often wondered, and hoped, that the boy wasn’t straight. But he had to admit he didn’t expect that kind of confession.

Before Craig had a chance to really process that admission, Eric continued.

“So, I tried my best to deal with that shit on my own y’know? Mostly I drew pictures of him, wrote some silly, bullshit poems and mock love letters… Anything that felt palpable, instead of keeping all that inside, threatening to explode at any moment.

And then, one day, after a particularly nasty fight, Kyle was feeling vindictive and came to my room while I was away and checked all of my shit, trying to find something to hold over my head no doubt.” At this point, Eric’s eyes were turning glossy and red, it was clear to Craig that even talking about this shit was too much for him, even after all these years.

“That fucking jew… He went absolutely ape shit… He thought I was scheming something, trying to play with the heart of my object of affection in order to torture them or something like that.

I tried to explain to him, I was super pissed off and afraid that something so deep and personal was now out in the open, and I tried to take my things away from him but he kept fucking screaming at me. I never saw his face become that red before or since then.”

Eric’s tears were now running down his face. He didn’t seem to take note of that, and just kept talking.

“Anyway, he then beat me up. He just fucking destroyed me, bruised my ribs and everything, almost broke my nose and left me there, unconscious on my bedroom floor.

“After that, things kind of blurred together, I had to be hospitalized for a couple of weeks and to this day I have no fucking idea what he said to Stan and the others. I just noticed that nobody in the fucking school was even looking at me anymore once I came back.” As he finished retelling his trauma, Eric placed a hand to his face as if trying to hide the tears and the shame.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve that Craig, I don’t fucking know it. I just loved someboy and my reward was to get fucking beat up and left by the people that were supposed to stand by my side.” Eric’s whole body was shaking by then. The sadness he exhibited was pretty overwhelming.

Craig was completely heartbroken by the end of Eric’s story.

He never knew… He never suspected a thing… And the amount of pain and suffering that Eric had endured was almost too much to him. Compared to Eric’s pain, his own troubles seemed so stupid and childish.

Eric’s tale had finally cleared the fog in Craig’s mind. Even with all the booze, he felt like he was finally aware of his feelings towards this broken person by his side. How could anyone ever hurt him like this?

After what felt like ages, with courage partially summoned by those high strung feelings and alcohol, Craig took Eric’s face gently and turned it towards him.

As Eric looked deeply into his eyes, confusion and a hint of something else clouding his vision, Craig finally kissed him, with all he had.

And as they caressed each other and undressed, exploring each other’s bodies for the first time ever, both of them could only think that there was nowhere else they’d rather be than here.

Chapter Text

It was early Saturday morning when Craig gently started to wake up from the best, most restful sleep he’d had in ages.

He was still a bit groggy from the post-sleep haze, when he began to notice that the body he was currently spooning was quite larger than what he was used to, but so much more warm it was crazy.

When he finally opened his eyes fully, only to see a mop of brown hair instead of blond, he began to freak out a little bit.

All at once, in a rush that could only be caused by a hangover, the images of the previous night came to him. The best sex he ever had in his life, with the sexiest person he’d ever seen.

He was so fucked.

Almost as if sensing the unrest of the person who was currently spooning him, Eric woke up, much more alert than Craig had been.

The first thing Eric did was elbow Craig in the stomach, not as hard as he could’ve done, and back away from him as much as he could in the single bed they were currently sharing.

Then, just to make sure he wasn’t completely insane, he looked underneath the covers to note that they were indeed naked, both of them.

They were so fucked.

“Craig, please tell me that what happened last night was just a dream.” Eric pleaded.

“Hum, unless we had the same dream, I don’t think so? Besides, I don’t know if you noticed it but… We’re both naked, man.” Craig couldn’t look dumber at that moment if he actively made an effort.

“I noticed we’re fucking naked douchebag! Did you fucking rape me?” At Eric's preposterous accusation, Craig couldn’t help but get angry.

“What the fuck asshole? Of course I didn’t rape you!” This whole situation was getting out of hand fast, and Craig felt he needed to control this as best as possible.

“Look Eric, we were both pretty drunk last night” At that, he put his hands on Eric’s shoulders. Surprisingly the fat teen let him.

“You remember what happened right? We shared some personal stuff… And then I… I kissed you and one thing led to another.” He let the words hang in the air, so that both of them could process the reality of what had transpired.

“Dude… Ok… I can deal with this, it’s done, we fucked and that’s that.” Eric seemed about ready to just move on and pretend like the whole thing happened to somebody else.

Truth was, Eric was feeling extremely scared and vulnerable at the moment.
“What? What do you mean that’s that?” Craig asked indignantly.

“What do you think I mean you dick? This was a fucking mistake, brought on by booze. You’re in a fucking relationship! It’s best we just move on and never mention this again.”

Craig couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Eric’s words cut him deeply and made him want to bawl his eyes out. He refused to let him ruin this, whatever this was.

“I don’t want to do that Eric…” Craig began caressing Eric’s cheek at that. “I felt something by being with you last night.” Eric looked from Craig’s hand to his eyes, trying to understand what the other one meant by that.

“Sure, I freaked out a little bit when I woke up, as I imagine you did too, but I don’t fucking regret it for a second…”

Craig then leaned forward, brushing his lips against Eric’s, as delicately as he could since he didn’t want the larger boy to freak out on him anymore. He hoped that small kiss could convey the depth of his feelings to him.

“I like you a lot Eric… For the first time in my life I’m feeling emotionally connected to someone else, and I don’t want to cut these feelings short. I want to explore them with you, help you heal while you do the same for me.”

Eric was stunned.

He couldn’t really comprehend, or trust so implicitly the other boy. At least, not as easily as Craig seemed to have done.

However, he had to admit that he never felt so alive before. This morning, this supposed mistake that they made, made him the happiest he’d been in who knows how many years.

It would be an egregious mistake to let this precious thing die out… He wasn’t that strong or self-sufficient as to know affection and turn it away.

“Craig I… Ok, I’ll admit that last night was fucking great. I never expected you could make me feel so… cared for.” While listening to those words, Craig opened the biggest, dumbest grin he could muster. This was really happening.

“But, I don’t like sharing things, you know? Besides, you’d have to be a huge fucking piece of shit to just go on cheating on Tweek.” The words that would come out of Eric’s mouth next would make Craig the most apprehensive that he’d ever been.

“If you want us to try… You have to break up with Tweek. You just have to.” As serious as Eric looked and as determined as he felt, deep down he was truly fucking petrified that Craig would choose Tweek over him in the end. He couldn’t handle that kind of pressure and paranoia.

Besides, as selfish as he was, cheating on someone was just downright scummy to him.

“Ok, fine… I’ll talk to Tweek later alright? For now, can we just be together and enjoy ourselves?” Craig almost begged him for that reprieve. He didn’t want to talk about his boyfriend anymore, never again, as long as he was next to Eric.

“You have to give me your word Craig. Don’t make me regret this ok?” Eric was, in his own way, also begging Craig to do the decent thing. Trusting him was going to be hard enough, he just couldn’t handle being an enabler to cheating in a relationship.

“I promise Eric, I’d never hurt you.”

With those words said, Craig couldn’t hold himself back anymore. He embraced Eric, kissing him just as desperately as he had last night.

Eric in bed was everything Craig wanted out of a partner. He was submissive, but he made you work for it.

He could handle Craig’s roughness pretty well, moaning just as Craig bit him all over. It was pure, raw, and loving. It was all both of them needed for so long.

As Eric laid back on his bed, Craig above him, inside him. They fell to an easy rhythm, two kindred souls, connecting again and again.

It was pure bliss.

At least, for the moment.

_________________________________________________________________________

Somewhere else in town, a distraught Stan Marsh was hanging out, or hiding really, in his friend Kenny’s house.

He didn’t want to have to do this. It was sad that things had come to this point.

But, he couldn’t stand to be around Kyle anymore. He needed a bit of a break or he might do something he’d deeply regret later on.

Kyle was almost insufferable lately. Shit couldn't be healthy man. All he talked about anymore was Cartman this, Cartman that.

Things reached an unsustainable point yesterday, when Kyle came and triumphantly retold his master plan of involving Tweek into this mess, in an effort to make Craig stop seeing Cartman.

Stan found the whole thing to be pretty demented, he was starting to get actively concerned about his best friend’s psyche. So concerned in fact, that he voiced his worries when he knew he should’ve kept his mouth shut.

Suffice it to say, Kyle did not take kindly to Stan’s opposition to his great plan, and they fought like they hadn’t fought in years.

And Stan, being a dumbass, actually mentioned his interaction with the fatass earlier that day. Kyle had never before looked at him with so much venom. He felt like the scum of the earth underneath the jewish boy’s gaze.

So, as catastrophically as shit went, the following Saturday morning Kyle sent him text after text, telling Stan that he was sorry and that he fucked up and wanted to hang out with him.

He was not that easily swayed however.

There was no way that he’d pretend like Kyle didn’t offend him with his accusations and name-calling. Besides, he knew that taking Kyle back so soon would only reinforce the other’s shitty behavior.

For those reasons, he was currently in Kenny’s decrepit room, something he hadn’t done in a long time.

To be fair, their friendship was not the same as it once was after the whole Cartman fiasco. Kenny felt it the most of all of them probably, since he genuinely cared about the pudgy teen’s feelings and well-being.

Said boy, inevitably, became the center of their conversation not too long after Stan asked for Kenny’s help.

“Thanks again for letting me hang out with you man, I know it’s been awhile since we did this sort of thing, but I had to get away from Kyle for a while” Stan shared a deeply grateful look with the other boy.

“It’s cool my friend, you know I’m always here for ya.” As he said it, Kenny gave a little wink to him. “But honestly, if Kyle gets on your nerves so much, why don’t you just tell him so?”

Stan shook his head and said, “You know Kyle, words won’t reach him when he gets into one of his moods… The only person who seemingly managed to reign that shit in was Cartman, and that’s clearly not a possibility anymore.” To that Kenny had to agree, and then he added:

“Eric served as Kyle’s punching bag when we were all friends, and he took it because he was the only one that could. Not that he didn’t retaliate in kind, mind you.” Kenny looked like he had mixed feelings about that memory. “Still, it served to keep our group dynamic flowing, if not exactly healthily.”

Stan nodded at him. “Yup, I don’t know how they operated like that man, shit was so aggravating all of the goddamn time.”

“And yet, that’s what kept Kyle in check, for as long as it did.” Kenny continued. “I’d imagine that putting up with him these past few years must’ve taken a toll on you, no doubt.”
Stan could only chuckle at Kenny’s supposition. “It was not that bad really. He sometimes got a little angry for no apparent reason, but nothing that got out of hand.”

“I’m sure that, if Eric was still a part of the group, those moments would be the ones he’d say ‘Get that sand out of your vagina Kahl’.” Stan burst out laughing at Kenny’s impression of Cartman.

“Oh man, Kyle always fucking flipped out when Cartman said that!” Reminiscing about the good old days was something that Stan seldom did. Better leave things in the past more often than not. This was fun though.

“My guess is that Kyle’s energy or aggression or whatever, built up over the years and now that he has a clear target to focus on, he’s thrown himself into it body and soul so to speak.” Kenny stopped only a second to scratch his chin, maybe wondering how to word things in a way that Stan could digest.

“You’re not a martyr Stan, you don’t have to be the one to suffer Kyle’s craziness each and every time just cause you’re his best friend. That’s a great way to ruin your health, you know.”

Shaking his head, Stan replied. “It’s not that, Kenny. I’ve always been at his side and I love him like a brother. But I just wish he’d go to therapy or something… There’s clearly something wrong if he just can’t let shit go like that.”

“Stan my man, you speak the truth, but if I know Kyle he’d never admit the need for that. The dude’s a mule.” Stan felt a little bad for laughing at that.

“Kenny, there’s actually something else I’d like to ask you about.”

“Shoot.” Kenny said while making an over exaggerated expression of interest.

“I actually tried talking to Cartman yesterday…” Stan’s attitude could only be described as sheepish.

“No way dude, really? How’d that go?” Despite his previous exaggeration, Kenny was actually interested now.

“Well, terribly? I mean, he got very confrontational almost from the start, there was not that much to it really. He basically just disregarded me and went away after insulting me.” Stan frowned as he contemplated his next words. “I guess he’s the same guy he’s always been, huh?”

Stan had tried to be dismissive in his comment, unwilling to admit that on some level, he was hurt by the way Cartman acted towards him. He never really had the issues Kyle had with the overweight boy, and he actually missed him.

“Stan, please don’t take this personally but, are you stupid?” Kenny said, while looking at Stan with eyes full of pity. It didn’t sit well with him at all.

Just as he was about to protest, Kenny put up his hand to signal he wasn’t finished. “Look at it from his perspective man. You just drop his friendship as if it meant nothing and after a lot of time has passed you just decide to talk to him again, completely out of the blue.”

When Kenny put it like that, Stan had to admit it made some sense. Kenny continued.

“What’s worse, you come talk to him after Kyle’s clearly seen him interacting with Craig, of fucking course he thought you had bad intentions.”

Fuck, Kenny was right.

Not that Stan really wanted to rekindle a friendship with Cartman, Kyle would never let him live that down.

“I guess when you put it like that it makes sense.”

“No duh man!” Stan preferred to ignore Kenny’s interjection as he kept talking..

“Either way, do you really think that he changed then?” He had to admit he was curious about that.

“Everybody changes Stan. Even Eric, even Kyle.” Kenny had a forlorn look on his face. “Eric has been through a lot… I think he is the person that suffered the most in this town. Even with my shitty parents and house, I still have Karen you know? He had nobody for the longest time.”

“Wait, he has his mom Kenny, she lives to please him.” Kenny was actually surprised at how dense Stan could be.

“No Stan, she doesn’t really give a shit about him anymore. He’s all he’s got unfortunately.”

As that notion struggled to settle in Stan’s mind, something so cruel he could scarcely fathom it, Kenny made Kyle seem even more cruel by what he said next.

“I’m happy that Craig did the one thing everyone else was too chickenshit to do. He befriended someone in desperate need of human care and contact and for that I’ll be eternally grateful to him.”

Thankfully, they quickly moved on from that subject and kept hangin out, like old times.

When noon came, Stan proceeded to make his way back home.

Being by himself allowed him to reflect on all that Kenny told him. He never imagined that Cartman was going through such hard times. It pained his heart to imagine the struggles his former friend went through.

If nothing else, Stan resolved that he would do what he could to dissuade Kyle from messing up things for Cartman. No matter how much that would be hard.

He owed Eric that, at least.
_________________________________________________________________________

After spending most of the day together, kissing and having sex, getting to know each other’s body in every way that they could, Craig finally accepted the fact that he had to get home.

He gave his heartfelt goodbye to this man that came to mean so much to him in so little time and went about his way, dreading what was to come.

Craig had promised him to break up with Tweek, but that was probably the hardest thing he would ever have to do. He never actually even thought that possibility existed before. He’d long since resigned himself to being Tweek’s companion for as long as the anxious teen needed him.

Even the mere thought of breaking up with Tweek made him as anxious as said teen.

He also did not know what awaited him back home. His mom would probably tear him a new one for the way he left Tweek in his room, not to mention the fact that he disappeared for almost twenty four hours and that they couldn’t reach him since he purposefully left his cell phone at home.

As soon as he entered through his front door, his mom was on him, a disappointed look on her face tugging at his heart. He hated to let her down.

“Young man, what you did was extremely irresponsible, not to mention cruel to that poor boy.” He could only lower his head in apology.

“I’d half a mind to ground you for a month for the stunt you pulled. But luckily for you Tweek explained things to me and while I disapprove of your actions, I understand that you were feeling overwhelmed.”

Dang, he got off extremely easy there, he’d have to thank Tweek later.

“So, go on to your room and apologize to that sweet boy.” Wait, what?

“What do you mean mom? You want me to call Tweek?” At that, his mom could only shake her head, a sad look on her face.

“No darling, Tweek is in your room waiting for you. He’s been there ever since you left, worried sick about where you’ve been.” Fuck… That did not bode well.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Go on now, talk to him. And you better apologize profusely!”

With that she pushed his back towards the stairs, as if to rush him to his doom.

This was going south fast. Tweek was sure to be emotionally spent, and he’d have to break up with him as well, the boy would be a mess and his mom might very well murder him.

As he slowly made his way to his room, he could start to hear what seemed to be the faint sound of tears, which gripped his heart like a vice and made him want to vomit.

When he finally opened the door, there was but a moment of stunned silence, before a blur of yellow and green came at him and hugged him almost to death.

“Oh my god Craig, I’m so sorry please you have to forgive me I love you so much you mean everything to me please don’t leave I’ll lay off Cartman please I swear I love you.” Tweek’s ramblings barely registered in Craig’s mind.

The only thing he could think about was how desperate and delicate this person was. How much he relied upon him. Craig couldn’t bring himself to crush this being’s heart so cruelly.

He promised Eric that he’d break up with Tweek… But they didn’t put a deadline to that, right? So he could do it later, when Tweek was a little more stable emotionally… Perhaps he could ease him into it, make the ordeal a little less painful for both of them?

Craig was sure that Eric would understand his choice. Right?

Chapter Text

Two weeks came and went after Craig had promised Eric that he’d break up with Tweek.

And yet, he still hadn’t done it. He just couldn’t bring himself to do it… The timing was never perfect or even adequate.

Ever since the day they fought, Tweek went through a momentous change in his overall behavior that made Craig feel even more guilty than he normally would’ve.

The scare and uncertainty that Tweek felt in regards to Craig breaking up with him was enough to make the anxious teen be way more forgiving and understanding of Craig’s reasons to remain in close contact with Eric.

He didn’t complain anymore, or question him about it. Tweek simply accepted that Craig was now friends with Eric and that he had to live with it. It still clearly made him uncomfortable and concerned about possible consequences, but he kept all of that to himself.

Tweek didn’t even mind that they hadn’t had sex since their fight.

The whole situation was weirdly convenient for Craig, which made him relatively comfortable in omitting it from Eric.

He figured, since he and Tweek didn’t have sex anymore, they were basically friends anyway, even if they hadn’t oficially broken up or even talked about it.

To Eric, he told only half a lie. He said that he and Tweek were no longer involved physically and Eric chose to believe in the stoic boy’s good faith on the matter.

There should be no problems anyway, as long as Craig was careful and mindful of his actions and the like, he could keep stringing Tweek along harmlessly while he explored his feelings towards the heavier boy.

And oh boy, talk about feelings.

Craig was falling in love fast, he couldn’t help it. Which was another reason to protect this new relationship at all costs. He had to keep his head focused. It shouldn’t be that hard, it’s not like people interacted with Eric at all, so there was no risk there.

These past two weeks had, without a doubt, been the best he ever had. Getting to know someone in bed was a rush unlike anything else. He remembered when he and Tweek were just starting their sexual lives, it was really fun and sexy.

But compared to Eric? There was no contest there.

Everything about him made Craig crazy. He was just as stubborn in bed as he was out of it. They often fought for who would be on top, but Eric always relented in the end, giving himself over to Craig completely.

Shit, thinking about Eric’s face and moans never failed to make Craig hard, no matter the place. He’d never thought he could be this happy with someone and it scared and excited him a lot.

There was a bit of a downside to it though.

He’d started to notice just how fucking often Kyle looked at Eric. Every single goddamn day, there the redhead was, watching them hanging out at school, stupid looking Stan sitting by his side miserably.

How fucking dare him?

Craig had his suspicions about the jewish teen. It was completely bizarre the relationship that he had with Eric when they were kids. Outright toxic and unhealthy, but they couldn’t seem to leave each other alone.

The fact that the redhead couldn’t let bygones be bygones, even when he was the one in the wrong for his overreaction, made Craig increasingly certain that the fruit of Kyle’s obsession was some demented form of unrequited love he harbored for Eric that he just couldn’t accept.

When he mentioned that to said teen, Eric laughed at his face and told him there was absolutely no way Kyle liked him at all. Craig was unconvinced.

Still, Eric swore to him that Kyle was not the boy he fell in love with back when he was younger. Which left precious few candidates.

He doubted the object of the overweight boy’s affections were Kenny or Butters.

Kenny was too much of a bro, Eric would more than likely have told him how he felt, even if he expected the feelings would be unreturned. There were no real issues there except hurt feelings.

The same could be said of Butters, who was an even lesser threat and who would probably have jumped at the opportunity to be with Eric at the time.

It basically left Stan as the obvious choice, even if Eric refused to admit it to him. After all, it made sense that Eric would fear the popular boy’s reaction, since he’d been with Wendy for most of their young lives up to that point.

The notion that it was indeed Stan that Eric had harbored feelings for pissed Craig off to no end. He really disliked Stan, the town’s most perfect little jock, that everybody fucking loved. Even Eric at some point, it would seem.

Thankfully though, Stan didn’t feel at all like a threat to him, since the boy seemed to prefer ignoring their existence altogether.

Kyle’s stares were the problem.

It often felt to him that, for Broflovski, there was no one else on the planet by the way he looked at them, with such vitriol it made Craig want to go up to him and beat his ass down.

Unfortunately, Craig’s hands were tied since he wanted to draw as little attention to him and Eric’s relationship as possible. Beating up the Broflovski douche would raise way too many questions and it’d be hard to explain appropriately.

Still, he found a perfect way to mark his territory and get back at Kyle, in his own way.

It didn’t take much at all. A prolonged touch to the shoulder, a brushing of hands that ended with him holding Eric’s hands for a little bit. The looks he gave to Eric that he made sure Kyle saw.

Shit was glorious.

Kyle got so fucking red it was crazy. One time he even seemed about to come over to them, only to be held back by his loyal lapdog Stan.

A part of Craig wished Kyle would’ve come to him. That way he could just beat his ass and blame the jewish boy’s attitude that everybody knew so well. Lord knows Craig had beaten people up for less in the past.

At the end of the day, Craig supposed it didn’t really matter all that much, disregarding just how pissed off he got, he was still the one that had Eric all to himself. He was the only one that’d ever heard the pudgy teen’s screams and moans of pleasure.

And that was enough. At least to him.

_________________________________________________________________________

This was fucking bullshit.

Kyle couldn’t believe what he’d been seeing for the past few days. At first, he thought his mind was playing tricks on him, it had to be, after all, who in their right mental factions would willingly touch and look at the fatass like that.

That blob of shit even had the audacity of looking coy at Craig, pretending to dislike the touch but making no effort to stop it. It was driving Kyle completely insane.

“Holy fucking shit, they are fucking.” Kyle said, almost out of his mind.

“What the fuck are you talking about dude? Craig has a boyfriend and Cartman’s not even gay.” Oh right, Stan was there, for a moment he completely forgot the presence of his best friend.

To be fair, lately Stan had been just short of impossibly aggravating. Always trying to talk Kyle down, as if he were a child or some emotionally underdeveloped dickwad.

“Stan, fucking look at them for fuck’s sake! It’s obvious that Craig is fucking the fatass.” Stan could only roll his eyes at Kyle.

“Kyle, for the love of god, you have to stop this! You’re being mentally affected by all this staring and obsessing you’re doing. Please just let it go? Cartman’s not even bothering anybody…”

They’d had this very same conversation about a thousand times by now. It was getting extremely tiring to Kyle how unsupportive his best friend had been throughout all this.

“Whatever Stan, I know what I’m seeing… Just you fucking wait and I’ll prove it to you I’m not going crazy!” Said teen chose to just shake his head and go back to his phone, trying his best to ignore Kyle as much as possible.

For his part, Kyle didn’t give a shit what Stan thought about this. He didn’t know Cartman like Kyle did. He was the only person in this god forsaken town that understood just how fucked up and evil Eric Cartman was.

But this… this whole thing was just not right.

What was Cartman’s angle here? Could it be that his motivation was to actually break Tweek and Craig’s relationship like he inferred to the twitchy teen?

No, that was just too simple for him. At most, that would be a sweet bonus for that hateful fat fuck.

His real goal had to be pissing Kyle off. It just had to be. Pour more salt into the still open wound Cartman left him three years ago.

He was provoking him. Making him watch as he got involved with another man, all of that while Kyle sat back and watched miserably. He was certain that Cartman was out to hurt him, in every way he could. These years of peace? Just to lull him into a false sense of security, making him think that he’d won.

Or maybe… Maybe that was him finding a way to ask for Kyle’s forgiveness?

When he found that note, back when they could still call each other friends, he was completely devastated. For the first time he actively felt the depth of the feelings that were festering in his heart.

To think that Cartman would actually like… no… love his best friend. It made Kyle sick. It made literally no sense at all!

He was the one that put up with Cartman!

He was the one that interacted with him the most, that took the brunt of the boy's aggression, the one he constantly fought with. Eric Cartman was completely fucking obsessed with him for as long as they’d known each other.

Maybe he overreacted back then… Maybe Eric just wanted him to know that he was gay, as if to test the waters, afraid of Kyle’s rejection so instead he pretended to have feelings for Stan.

Kyle couldn’t help but smile fondly at that thought, at how endearingly stupid Cartman could be sometimes.

He probably tried to move on, to love someone else, but he couldn’t. Kyle was the only one meant for Cartman, the fat boy knew this as much as Kyle did.

After so long trying to get over him, Cartman decided to get his attention in the only way he knew how, by pissing him off.

Yes… that’s the only thing that made sense. This was all an elaborate theater that the scheming fatass concocted for Kyle’s benefit. But he would not fall so easily into his trap, he most definitely would not.

Cartman wanted to play? Kyle was game.

The first step was checking in on Tweek, sounding him out. He was sure that the pathetic blond had no fucking idea about Craig’s indiscretions, but he had to confirm his suspicions before he took steps to get evidence of the torrid affair.

The fatass’ intention of breaking up the town’s poster couple would probably be successful in the end. Kyle would be gracious enough to help him achieve that. Serves Craig right for daring to touch Cartman underneath his nose.

It would also do some good to Tweek, that kid desperately needed to grow a backbone.

Kyle never really bought into the whole Tweek/Craig thing anyway, as far as he was concerned, they were overrated.

Let the games begin.
_________________________________________________________________________

Stan could feel Kyle’s deteriorating mental health almost palpably.

The way he kept looking at Craig and Cartman was mildly concerning, but a compromise he had to accept in this instance.

It took a lot of convincing on Stan’s part in order for Kyle to give the two boys their space. He managed to keep the most confrontational aspects of Kyle’s behavior in check pretty well. Part of it was the guilt the redhead was probably feeling for having mistreated Stan that one day.

Stan also hoped that some of it was the fact that Kyle might be finally accepting that there was no harm in the friendship like he first thought.

As far as he was concerned, Cartman definitely looked so much better these days. He didn’t have that gloomy look anymore, and Stan had actually managed to glimpse a couple of smiles on the chubby boy’s face, making him look actually endearing for once.

When Kyle said that they were fucking, Stan's initial reaction was to vehemently reject the notion.

As far as he knew, Cartman was not gay and Craig was in a lasting relationship. Kyle was certainly seeing things that weren’t there as a product of his growing unrest.

However, after sitting on that notion for a few hours, Stan began to wonder and look for signs.

The boy had had his fair share of suspiciously homosexual adventures back when they were kids, often dressing up as a woman quite confortably. Of course, dressing up as a woman didn’t actually make him gay by itself. There was that time where he put Butter’s balls in his mouth, and when he desperately wanted Kyle to suck his balls.

Holy shit, maybe Cartman was gay after all? He had to be at least bi right?

If that were truly the case, then Kyle made a terrible mistake when he found out Cartman’s love letter.

Stan remembered that day vividly.

Kyle had come to his room, bloodied hands and tears streaking his face. Crying to him almost incoherently. It was probably one of the most alarming things Stan had witnessed, coming from the jewish teen.

After about an hour hyperventilating and being coddled, Kyle finally became articulate enough to explain what had transpired.

He told Stan that he went through Cartman’s things and found a bunch of incriminating evidence that the fat boy was planning on manipulating Kyle’s heart, making him believe that Cartman loved him so as to let his guard down and crush him completely on an emotional level.

Of course that, being a good best friend, Stan believed every word that came out of the distraught boy in front of him. He was outraged at Cartman’s behavior and intentions.

He actually believed that Kyle was honest in his anger, after all it would’ve been an incredibly shitty thing for Cartman to do.
But what if Kyle overreacted? If Cartman was in fact gay, as Kyle seemed convinced he was. That meant the entire thing was blown entirely out of proportion and that the poor guy had faced years of isolation based on a fucking misconception.

Cartman had actually loved Kyle, and he had his deepest secret intruded upon and all he got out of it was a stay at the hospital and being ostracized by the people that were supposed to stick by his side.

With that thought in his mind, for the first time in his life, Stan’s heart wept for Eric fucking Cartman.

Chapter Text

The following day started out pretty much just like any other day for Eric Cartman. He got up, all the while making a pretty convincing impression of a dying seal which Craig previously mentioned was super charming, then he went to the bathroom for his morning bowel movement and subsequent shower.

Overall, things were pretty great.

…It scared him shitless.

Eric was accustomed to adversity in his life, it was his unflinching companion day in and day out. Case in point, there was still no sign of his mom, maybe she finally chose to cut all pretenses and leave him to his luck.

It didn’t matter. One way or the other, he would thrive and keep on moving, head held high. The problem was not the things that were wrong in his life, but the things that were right.

Craig had been a godsend to him.

For the first time in his life, he felt genuinely loved and cared for. Craig saw his beauty, his charm, his intellect and his humor. And he accepted and loved all of it. To be fair, Eric had believed for the longest time that no one would ever appreciate him for who he was.

And that was precisely what scared him about the whole thing.

He was so out of his comfort zone with Craig. His past friends mistreated him and made fun of him constantly. His mom showered him with one sided, phony, affection. Craig Tucker was the first individual he’d ever met who truly liked him.

The thought of losing him was becoming progressively worse every day.

He wanted to trust Craig completely. He honestly felt like he could get there eventually. It was just a lot harder than he expected. His history probably played a huge part in his trust issues.

Still, he’d be damned if he pushed Craig away by being a prude little bitch or hesitating needlessly. So far, Craig had not shown him any reason not to trust him, and sometimes that simplicity was all that was needed.

Eric didn’t have a clue how fucking lonely he had been up to that point. It took one person to show him just how utterly miserable his life was. This newfound fragility was awkward and detrimental to his sense of self, but he was nonetheless pushing through the doubt.

Spending most of his mornings with him was great, they bickered and joked around without any bad feelings or overreactions.

It was the complete opposite of his past friendship to Kyle. The jew was the single most frustrating person he’d had met in his life.

For the longest time, ever since the incident, he plotted and schemed, thinking up the best way to get revenge against said jew.

The perfect idea never came to him. Nothing was poetic enough, righteous enough or cruel enough to his liking. It had to be the single greatest thing he ever did, only that could actually pay for the shit Eric went through.

But as time went by, he grew more and more apathetic towards the whole thing. The abandonment of his mother was probably the final nail in his hatred. He just couldn’t be bothered anymore, there was no point to it. He was alone.

The realization was nothing short of an epiphany. Eric Cartman was finally unshackled from his anger and the need to constantly prove himself to his peers, the ones who always put him down.

In a way, it was this very same separation of feelings and retribution that allowed him to eventually mellow out enough as to permit Craig to crumble his walls the way he did, as quickly as he’d done.

Eric was thankful for that. Who knows how’d he have reacted even just a year back. Perhaps things happened for a reason after all.

And his sex life? Fucking amazing.

Craig was a fucking fiend in the sack, as far as Eric was concerned. He took him and handled him just as roughly as he liked it. Every touch, every bite, a testament to his attraction and care. Eric never thought it was possible to feel this fucking good. Poetry in motion, as cliche as that sounded.

Their new routine consisted of a lot of cuddling, kissing and fucking, all the while talking about shit they liked, mostly movies. And even watching said movies. Craig had the same appreciation he had towards B-movie gorefests surprisingly enough. It was all so effortless.

In retrospect, perhaps Eric should’ve listened better to his intuition. The part that told him that nothing was ever perfect.

But he would soon learn, there’s always a catch.

_________________________________________________________________________

It was frustratingly hard for Kyle to actually get a moment alone with Tweek. That freak was always by someone’s side. These days, it was Tolkien more often than not. Which was another proof that Tweek’s relationship was fucked.

Nonetheless, he found his opportunity at the end of the school day.

Usually, Craig accompanied Tweek to their usual hang out spot where Clyde and Tolkien awaited them.

That had certainly changed, what with Craig spending seemingly every fucking waking moment hanging onto Cartman’s dick.

So, Tweek had to make his way from class to his usual spot utterly alone.

Kyle, of course, fucking pounced at that.

The way he ambushed Tweek at the corner of the corridor, grabbing him by his arm and pulling him into the wall was nothing short of manhandling. It had its intended effect on the frayed teen.

“GAH, what the fuck man!!’ Tweek all but screamed in Kyle’s face, drawing attention to them from a few bored teens. Nobody blinked at that though, they all wanted to get out of school as soon as possible.

“Sorry Tweek, I called you but you didn’t hear me.” Kyle stopped gripping Tweek’s arm and instead patted the teen in the spot he was holding, as if to subdue him.

“Shit, I heard nothing! Don’t do that man, I almost had a heart attack.” By now, Tweek had started to sweat nervously. Kyle thought it disgusting.

“Sorry sorry, my bad!” As Kyle gave him the fakest smile he could muster, he scratched the back of his head. “Anyway, I just wanted to see how you were doing? I’ve noticed that Craig’s still hangin out with Cartman…”

Kyle’s concerned look didn’t impress Tweek.

“Look man, stay out of it ok? Because of you I almost lost Craig and all because you kept messing with my head!” In Tweek’s mind, Kyle was responsible for Craig’s reaction and not his own attitude in confronting him about Cartman.

“What the fuck are you talking about Tweek? You had the same suspicions I did! In fact, you seemed determined to put an end to the fatass’s scheme.” Kyle just needed Tweek to confirm his own suspicions and then he’d let the boy go.

“No man, that doesn’t matter! I believed you and Craig got super upset with me, not because Cartman was trying to break us up, but because you stuck your nose in our business!” Tweek then poked a finger into Kyle’s chest, to a point it almost hurt.

Kyle had to do his best not to beat him silly for that.

“So butt out and mind your own fucking bussiness, Kyle! I trust Craig and he loves me, so go spread your shit to someone else.” With that, Tweek simply brushed past Kyle, pushing into his shoulder as he went to meet his friends.

That piece of shit apparently had a spine after all, too bad he could only man up towards other people, while his so-called boyfriend pushed him around and slept behind his back.

Well, fuck him, he had what was coming to him as far as Kyle was concerned.

What actually mattered was that his suspicions were right on the money. Craig ignored Tweek’s pleas, made him scared and hostage to a possible break up, all the while Craig himself was free to screw around with someone that didn’t belong to him.

It didn’t matter to Kyle one bit. He couldn’t care less that Tweek was a pathetic cuck.

No, now Kyle had much more important things to think about. The main thing was how to catch those assholes in the act.

The small crumbs of affection that they shared on the back of the school were just not good enough and could be misconstrued as friendly gestures.

What he actually needed was tangible proof that they were together, a kiss maybe? Kyle was sure they hadn’t fucked yet. The mere thought of it was enough to make him sick.

Cartman wouldn’t do that anyway. He’d kiss Craig’s detestable mouth out of necessity, to convince that idiot that he was into it but sex was too much.

The only one for him was Kyle. That was clear.

Nonetheless, Kyle had no illusions as far as his own behavior was concerned. He knew that he had some fault in all of this.

Yes, it was Kyle’s fault that he misunderstood Eric’s intentions back when he found that dreadful fake love letter. He should have known what the fatass was up to then, but he let his emotions get the best of him.

This would be Kyle’s apology to him. He’d help Cartman break Tweek and Craig up as a gift, an offering of peace really.

After that, Cartman would not need to pretend to enjoy that asshole’s company, and he and Kyle could finally reconnect and be together.

They never should’ve been apart in the first place.

_________________________________________________________________________

This was probably the perfect window for Stan to talk to Cartman. Kyle was nowhere to be found and hadn’t texted him asking where he was. So he needed to act fast.

Suffice to say, Stan was apprehensive as fuck.

His last attempt at cordiality was met with rebuke and scorn. Thankfully talking to Kenny about it steeled his resolve a little bit, enough for him to brave Cartman’s infamous attitude.

Stan had to do it. He couldn’t fucking stop thinking about that goddamned love letter and Kyle’s crazy reaction to it. Nothing before had made him feel as guilty as being an accomplice to the overweight boy’s unjust treatment.

With that in mind, he took a couple of deep breaths and approached the boys just as they were about to leave together for the day.

As soon as they noticed him, Craig immediately glared in his direction and positioned himself in front of Cartman, as if to shield him from Stan.

It seemed Kyle actually had the right idea about those two being involved.

“Marsh, why the hell are you here?” As Stan suspected, things started splendidly.

“Tucker.” Stan said as he nodded towards what seemed to be Cartman’s guard dog. “I actually came here to talk to you, Cartman.” He made sure to address said boy directly. He had no patience for Craig’s obtuseness at the moment. The one he felt he owed reparations to was Cartman alone.

Just as Craig seemed ready to intervene again, taking a step forward in a clear show of aggression, Cartman took him gently by the cusp of his elbow, holding him back.

“Craig, it’s fahn. Could you excuse us for a few moments?” Cartman pleaded.

“Are you sure?” Just as Cartman nodded, Craig looked back to Stan. “Listen Marsh, if I so much as suspect that Eric is uncomfortable with your presence, I’ll make sure to remove you, with as much force as necessary.” Stan could only roll his eyes at Craig’s silly display of bravado.

Eric though? Stan thought only Kenny and Butters dared to address Cartman in that way. They must’ve been even closer than Kyle had suspected. Thank fuck the jewish teen wasn’t here to hear that, he’d surely flip out.

After Craig gave them a bit of space, just enough that he could still hear them if he tried, Stan attempted to disarm the situation.

“Jesus dude, what crawled up Craig’s ass today?” Cartman seemed unimpressed at his attempt at small talk.

“Stan, just get to the point please? My day’s been great and I’d hate for you to ruin it.” He then crossed his arms and waited for Stan to begin.

“Cartman… Eric…” Said boy frowned a little at that, but didn’t verbally complain. “I just wanted to tell you that I’m so sorry about the way I treated you. You have no idea how guilty I feel about that.”
Stan took a step closer, an action that Craig did not fail to notice as he observed their interaction carefully, almost hawkishly.

“I just wanted to tell you that. I’m sure you’ve noticed that Kyle has some issues with what you have going on with Craig, but I’m not judging you at all. I had no idea about your sexuality man, if I had known I’d never have taken Kyle’s side back then.”

Cartman could only scoff at that.

“Nice words Stan, but shit happened and it’s fine. You stood by your little friend and never fucking gave a shit about me. That’s why you never bothered to come to me and listen to my version of the story.”

Stan knew that Eric was right, which made him feel even worse. It was a tough pill to swallow, being confronted with the truth of his neglect.

“Eric, you’re right. You’re completely entitled to your hatred of me, I was a shithead that let you down. I can’t change the past, no matter how much I want to. But I can make amends if you allow me too. Even if you don’t think so, I’ve always cared about you and wanted you to be well.” Stan had to cut himself short after all of that. He was getting way too damn emotional by now. It would do no good to anybody to start crying in front of Eric.

While Stan was struggling with these new found emotions, Eric was going through his own issues.

How could Stan, this beautiful man, ever think that Eric hated him? Even with all that happened, he could never bring himself to hate Stan. He was not responsible for what Kyle did. He acted like an asshole in the fallout, but the blame was not his to take.

“Stan, what’s done is done. I won’t sit here and blow smoke up your ass as if what you did had no effect on me ok? But I don’t blame you for what happened. I can’t give you the peace of mind that you want, I can only say that it’s fine, it’s over. Let’s just move on with our lives.”

This was far from fine in Stan’s mind.

As if sensing something that Stan couldn’t feel, Craig chose that moment to come over, maybe in a sense of misguided overprotection, as if Stan were going to hurt Eric.

It pissed Stan off.

“Hey Eric, let’s get going? Day’s wasting while you’re here listening to this douche.” As he said that, Craig took hold of Eric’s right arm and gently tugged on him, as if to mark his territory in some way.

“Fahn, let’s go home.” Eric took one last, almost pitiful look, towards Stan and just like that, the two lovebirds were gone.

It was a lot for Stan to digest. He just stood there, contemplating the whole situation.
Craig was such an asshole… Who the fuck did he think he was? Sure, maybe Stan had been a piece of shit friend to Eric for the past three years, but who the fuck was Craig?

Stan had known Eric for most of his life. They had countless memories together, and here this douchebag was, behaving as if Eric was some sort of thing he owned, some poor animal that needed protection.

Fuck that guy, right in his ear.

Even so… Eric’s attempt at comforting him did little to assuage his guilty heart. Stan was the kind of guy that could not possibly bear the idea of hurting somebody else so gravely. He absolutely had to make amends somehow, or he’d never have peace of mind.

It would be incredibly frustrating to do that while managing Kyle’s pathetic anger and dodging Craig’s shitty dick waving.

He finally understood Kenny’s point of view. Eric was a sweet person, deep down he’d always been. It took him years of emotional miscare to be able to convey that sweetness freely like he just did.

After all he went through, even then Eric didn’t harbor ill feelings towards Stan. It was enough that he vowed to himself, he would make it up to him.

No matter what.

Chapter Text

As they left the school, Craig and Eric were thinking about Stan.

Eric was taking in everything that Stan said… The earnestness and care in his voice almost broke him, right then and there. It pissed him off how much of an effect Stan still had over him.

Craig, for his part, was stewing a bit in his own hatred for the boy. This was a development he hadn’t foreseen. He hadn’t expected the jock to actually come talk to his boyfriend like that.

Yes, in Craig’s mind Eric was his boyfriend. The whole situation with Tweek notwithstanding.

Stanley represented a clear threat to him. The object of Eric’s affections, the one that had unwittingly changed Eric’s life just by existing. While he was confident that his boyfriend didn’t really love the Marsh kid anymore, a gaping doubt still lingered in his mind.

After spending all that time with Eric, he’d learned how to read the more subtle facial expressions that the overweight boy exhibited.

And while he was talking to Stan, he detected hurt, emotional distress and finally, to his desperation, a longing deep within his eyes.

That very longing he detected was the trigger that sprung Craig to action, desperately putting a stop to that damned talk they’d been having.

Craig had listened in on it, he’d despised Stan’s fucking pathetic eagerness to please Eric in any way possible. It reeked of desperation and melancholy.

He was happy that Eric rebuked Stan’s advances though. Perhaps not as emphatically as he would’ve done if he had been in his place. No matter, Stan had his chance back when they were younger, and he screwed it up.

It was Craig’s turn now.

With those thoughts in mind, they finally arrived at the Cartman residence, going straight up to Eric’s room, as they’d been doing ever since that fateful night where they made love for the first time.

“So, what’s in store for us tonight honeybun?” Craig asked, knowing quite well how Eric despised that nickname

“First of all, screw you asshole,” Eric said, only half-joking. “Second of all, I expect we will do what we always do, no?”

“Well, if you want? I mean, I guess we could go on a date if you wanted? I know it’s kind of weird for… whatever the hell we are, to just always sit in your room watching shitty B-movies.” Craig certainly didn’t mind their current arrangement. Spending time with Eric was always good to him.

Particularly in private like this, where any touch or kiss could turn into a full-blown lovemaking session.

Craig would always be ok with that.

“What? That’s super gay dude. Besides, I can’t stand people. If you don’t mind being here with me, then I’m super fahn with it too.” Craig was thankful that Eric had the same opinion he had on that matter.

“And fuck you Craig! Those movies are not shitty, they are an underappreciated form of art!” And that was precisely the reason Craig loved pushing his boyfriend’s buttons like that. He absolutely loved the chubby teen’s overblown reactions.

As they settled in bed, Craig being enveloped in a tight embrace, the usual debate over which movie they would watch began.

“So, what options do you have for today, my liege?” Even though Craig enjoyed those kinds of movies immensely, he often deferred to Eric’s deep knowledge of the subject.

“Cut that out you dork!” As he said it, Eric gave him a gentle slap on the head. “Today we’re gonna watch my favorite fucking movie, ‘The Return of the Living Dead’, it’s the best movie ever made, my darling.”

Craig had his doubts.

“Well, that makes it what? The seventh movie you’ve claimed was the best movie ever made so far?” Craig said, as he tilted his head back upon Eric’s shoulders to look at him.

“It’s called marketing asshole, look it up!” As he said it, Eric couldn’t help but let a little smile reach the corners of his mouth. “Anyway, no bullshit though, this is definitely the best movie I’ve ever seen.”

To see this man as enthused as he was made Craig’s heart soar in a way he could scarcely describe. Eric was always so passionate about the things he liked and disliked. It was refreshing to see such passion.

“Welp, what are you waiting for then? Put it on!” As Eric did just that, Craig settled back upon his ample frame, enjoying the bigger teen’s warmth and comforting presence at his back.

As the movie started, Craig couldn’t help but smile to himself. This was so… simple. So effortless compared to all his moments with Tweek.

They talked like friends, behaved like lovers and cared for each other in ways Craig believed were reserved for corny romance movies.

It was heaven on earth.

_________________________________________________________________________

After standing there for a couple of minutes, Stan decided to go talk to Kenny one more time. He had way too much on his mind at the moment and Kenny was always a perfect filter with which to get his head back on track.

Besides, he felt increasingly put off by the idea of confronting Kyle. He feared what he might say or do if he heard Kyle’s derogatory terms aimed at Eric.

This was, as far as Stan could tell, just a huge misunderstanding.

He understood Kyle’s reaction, to a certain point. Those two seemed to live for pissing each other off, so when he was confronted with the notion that Eric might love him, his first reaction was one of anger.

That didn’t really justify it though. Stan felt sickened by the notion that he thought it did in the past.

That second interaction with Eric was also leagues better than the first one, thankfully. He wanted to convey to him his complete sincerity in his apology, to make sure Eric understood just how much Stan regretted his part in all that happened.

Thank fuck Eric seemed to get that. Stan was mentally prepared to fall down to his knees begging for forgiveness if Eric had rebuked him.

Even so, there were a few pieces of this puzzle missing. Another reason to seek Kenny out and try to get to the bottom of it.

And thus, once again, Stan found himself sitting upon Kenny’s messy bed, while the other waited expectantly for him to begin talking.

“So, Kenny, I’ve apologized to Eric today.” Whatever the fuck Kenny had been expecting, this was most certainly not it.

“Stan, wow… Seriously?” At Stan’s nod, Kenny continued. “Holy shit my man, I’m so proud of ya! You’ve finally done something right for once.”

Stan couldn’t help but feel a little attacked by that statement, though he guessed he deserved it.

“About time right Kenny?”

“Damn right dude.” Kenny was nodding his head along to the words coming out of his mouth in a clear show of approval. It made Stan feel a little bit better. “I’ve also noticed you calling him Eric. Nice job my friend!

“It just felt weird calling him Cartman y’know? That shit seems so juvenile in retrospect.” Kenny couldn’t help but agree.

“But I have to ask, what made you finally do that, after so long?” It was a question Stan was ready to answer.

“Well…It took me a while, but I’ve realized that maybe the whole fucking thing started thanks to a misunderstanding on Kyle’s part.”

Kenny dramatically rolled his eyes at Stan’s duh moment.

“Of course it was a misunderstanding, Stan! I think you know Eric enough to understand that he’d never do something like that. He genuinely believed in love and all that gay crap. Ever since he was a little kid, in fact.”

“…To be fair he did pretend he and Kyle were in love just so that Nichole would stick to Tolkien.”

“Stan, he was a child back then. Can you honestly say that anybody genuinely loved anybody else romantically? Hell, you were hung up on Wendy back then for Christ's sake.”

Then, as if he forgot something obvious, Kenny added. “Well, except for Craig and Tweek I suppose. Those two stuck together way longer than I thought possible.”

“Hum, I wouldn’t count them if I were you.” Perhaps Stan should’ve kept things to himself, but he honestly wanted to vent a little to Kenny about the whole thing. Craig’s attitude was still bothering him after all.

“Stanley, are you about to drop some hot goss on my lap? I barely recognize you anymore man!” Kenny was grinning ear to ear at this point.

“Kenny, stop being an ass…” Stan chided. “I have no proof or confirmation on the matter, but Kyle mentioned to me that he was sure that Craig and Eric were fucking.” Kenny’s eyes couldn’t be bigger if he tried.

“At first, I thought he was full of bullshit, but when I went to talk to Eric earlier today, Craig acted so territorial he looked like a fucking bear protecting his cubs or something.”

It left Stan feeling like punching the shit out of him, but he was not ready to admit that or say it out loud. “It was fucking annoying dude.”

Kenny couldn’t care less about Stan’s annoyance towards Craig’s attitude. Something much more sinister was going on through his mind.

“Back the fuck up Stan. Are you sure you’re not seeing things? What about Tweek?”

“How am I supposed to know about Tweek? I have no idea what’s going on there and no, I cannot say anything for sure. It was just the impression he gave off.”

Kenny was looking increasingly pissed off. Fuck, he was gonna have to confront Craig about this shit, before it was too late. He hoped that Stan was just being a baby and imagining things. Otherwise, Craig would have a lot to explain.

Stan noticed the mood getting heavier and decided to try and lighten it somehow.

“Either way, if it’s true then I don’t get it. I mean, Eric not liking Kyle anymore I understand, after all that happened, but going for Craig? They couldn’t be more different if they tried.”

At this point, Kenny was wondering just how dense Stan could be. Nonetheless, it was not his place to divulge certain things. He would not betray Eric’s trust again.

However, maybe he could nudge Stan in the right direction, at least a little bit.

“Dude, what makes you think that Eric loved Kyle?”

“Kenny, now you’re just messing with me… Don’t you remember that love letter? Kyle found it and freaked out? Jesus man, I shouldn’t have to retell those events to you.”

“Yeah yeah, I know what Kyle said man. What I’m asking is, what makes you so damn certain that he told you the truth?” Kenny hoped to whatever deity might listen, that Stan understood where he was getting at.

“The fuck, Kenny? Kyle is your friend too, you know? He had no reason to lie to us back then, you didn’t see how fucked up he was after it… There’s no way he was faking that reaction.”

“My dear Stanley, I’m not saying that Kyle didn’t freak out. All I’m questioning is if the reason for his freaking out was actually what he told us.” That was pretty much all that Kenny was willing to say on the matter.

For Stan, the mere notion seemed ludicrous.

He saw it firsthand how messed up Kyle was that day, it shook him to his core to see his loved best friend like that. There was no question about Kyle’s feelings being genuine at the time.

Nonetheless, Kenny often knew things that escaped Stan. Maybe with time he figured out something that Stan himself had never dared to question.

He’d have to talk to Kyle about it, there was no use assuming shit.

Damn it, he would get to the bottom of this, once and for all.

_________________________________________________________________________

As soon as the credits for the film started rolling, Eric was quick to put on the soundtrack for them to hear. It was something he loved to do after watching any movie, for he felt that focusing more on the soundtrack allowed him to re-experience the movie he’d just watched in a more appropriate light.

Craig didn’t complain, it was actually nice to have some songs as background noise while they talked.

“Dude, I have to admit, that movie was amazing, but super depressing holy shit.” Craig mentioned, as a way to start up the conversation again.

“Yup, that’s why I love it so much. It shows you that sometimes, there’s no happy endings. Sometimes, things don’t just magically resolve themselves in the most convenient way. For my part, I’ve learned that more often than not, things just go to shit more and more, until eventually you die.”

Hearing those words coming out of the boy that meant the world to him made Craig deeply upset.

“Eric… I’m so sorry for the shit you’ve been through.” Craig gently placed his hand on Eric’s inner thigh. “But you have me now alright? I’m not going anywhere, you can count on that.”

“I know Craig, thank you” Eric smiled sweetly, in a way that was reserved for this man in front of him and nobody else. “I even think I might be starting to love you, who would’ve thought?”

As those words registered in Craig’s mind, the only thing he could do was pull Eric down for a deep kiss.

They hadn’t really talked about love and relationships yet. They were both afraid of it being too soon for such talks. As wonderful as this was, it still felt fragile in a way, maybe because of how young they were and how uncertain the future seemed to them.

Still, those feelings were there, bubbling just beneath the surface, threatening to erupt at any moment. It was really just a matter of who would say those words first. Perhaps the most infuriating game of chicken either boy had ever participated in.

“Craig, it seems you always get horny for me when we talk about my shitty life, do you have a hard on for fucked up people or something like that?” Eric said, laughing quietly at the notion.

“It’s not that Eric. I just… Care for you so much that whenever I remember the fucked up shit you’ve been through, it makes me want to kiss you all over, to try and make you forget those times when I wasn’t there to keep you afloat.”

Eric had to hand it to Craig, the bastard knew how to say the most romantic and supportive shit. It was something he loved about him. One of the many things actually.

“That’s why I got so pissed off at Stan today, at the gall he had to approach you like that, as if he hadn’t ignored you for years.”

Eric most definitely did not want to talk about Stan. Not ever and especially not now. So, the best diversion he could think of was to make Craig focus on other things.

“Forget about the hippie, ok? Just focus on how fucking horny you make me” As he said that, he took Craig’s hand and placed it firmly upon his groin, where something hard and bulging was demanding Craig’s attention.

Just as soon as his hand touched that delicious hardness, Craig instinctively gripped it firmly, making smooth, up and down motions through the fabric. Eric could do nothing but moan at the way that Craig took him in his hand, so authoritatively, demanding his compliance.

“Oh, I do like the way you think, honeybun.” One final quip wouldn’t bother Eric too much, Craig figured.

“Shut up and kiss me, asshole.”

And Craig did just that.

Just that and so much more.

Chapter Text

The talk with Stan had left Kenny extremely concerned.

If Craig was indeed involved with Eric, then shit could hit the fan in the most spectacular fashion.

It certainly put Kenny off of Craig quite a bit.

He had appreciated tremendously the fact that Craig had befriended his best friend. It was completely unexpected, but very much welcomed. Even though Kyle and Stan seemed to hate Craig, Kenny himself never really had a problem with the stoic boy.

At least until now.

He had to confront Craig and try to pry some answers from the boy, which he suspected would be excruciatingly difficult given the boy’s usual demeanor. Nonetheless, shit could not go on like this.

Getting Craig alone was almost impossible, since he seemed to spend all of his time with Eric. Kenny definitely didn’t want to approach them when they were together, lest Eric started suspecting things that might not even be true.

Therefore, the best moment to talk to Craig would be just as he was about to enter class.

In the usual hubbub of teens trying to get to their classes before being late, he grabbed Craig by the arm, signaled for him to be quiet and dragged him to one of the restrooms before the hallway was emptied and they could be seen by a hall monitor.

Craig would’ve normally protested, but it’s not like he was the most punctual or invested student in the first place. Besides, he actually liked Kenny. The fact that Kenny didn’t represent a threat to him in regards to Eric made him even more compliant.

As the boys settled down in the restroom, Craig quickly lit a cigarette and gestured for Kenny to begin talking.

“So, Craig.” Kenny wasn’t really sure how to properly address his doubts, especially since Craig had little reason to be forthcoming. “I wanted to talk to you about Eric.”

Suffice it to say, Craig expected as much.

“I guessed that McCormick, it’s not like we have that much to talk about usually.” Ok, Craig seemed relatively fine with the subject, though his impassivity made him difficult to read.

“Right… Anyway, I’ve noticed that you seem to be very involved with him lately.” Craig frowned a little bit at that.

“Oh, you’ve noticed that? And why, pray tell, is that any of your business?” Dang, bad start.

“Look dude, I’m not here to drill you or anything. I still consider Eric my best friend and I care for him, so I just wanted to make sure that your friendship with him was a positive thing, instead of a mistake.”

Kenny thought, fuck it, let’s get to the point then. He knew that people were more likely to let things slip when they were angry anyway.

“Ha, that’s rich coming from you.” Craig smirked at him arrogantly. “For a so-called best friend, you were pretty quick to ditch him when things got inconvenient.”

Ok, fuck that asshole.

“Craig, Craig, Craig… Lovely of you to posture like that. You’ve known Eric for how long now?” Kenny took a step closer to the apathetic teen. “You’ve no idea who Eric is my dear, I’ve known him for most of my life, while you’re just the brand new toy.”

At that, he could clearly see Craig’s fists clenching and shaking a little bit. Yes, that was the way. Try and make Craig jealous of him, that would be the key.

“Careful there McCormick, you don’t want to get on my bad side.” Shit, why were people so fucking predictable?

“You are the one who should be careful, Craigy boy…” Kenny made sure to look down on Craig, a hard thing to do given Craig’s taller frame. “I know Eric, and I know that he will soon lose interest in this fling you have going on.”

Kenny was betting it all on Stan’s possibly misguided intuition. Even so, the worst that could happen would be Craig thinking he is fucking insane and leaving it at that.

He hoped that would be the case, but he was almost instantly proven wrong.

Craig took him by the front of his shirt by the neck and backed him into the wall of the restroom. It would seem that Kyle was not the only one with anger issues.

“You don’t know shit McCormick. You better watch your fucking mouth, you got me?” Craig shoved him once more, as if to punctuate his threat. “You don’t know anything about Eric and I, so don’t meddle in shit that’s not your concern.”

“Geez baby, I do like to play rough but we haven’t even agreed on a safe word yet.” Kenny knew that the best way to keep bullies at bay was to get sexually awkward with them.

It worked like a charm as Craig just as quickly let him go and backed away a few steps.

“You’re sick.” And that was the end of it, Craig left with nothing but a look of mild disgust. Nothing that Kenny hadn’t faced countless times before.

Craig’s reaction was very concerning, for a number of reasons. Still, it was about as good of a confession as he would get out of the jealous teen.

Stan had been on to something, clearly. Perhaps Eric and Craig’s relationship had not yet evolved into a sexual thing, but Craig had obvious feelings that he was terrible at conceiling. Kenny had seen his fair share of jealous lovers after all.

He doubted he could go to Eric on this, the boy was extremely reserved nowadays and would be unwilling to divulge any personal involvement. Besides, things were still foggy as to how serious they were.

He should probably go talk to Tweek next. He was certain he could draw more from the anxious teen if he pried nicely enough.

At the very least, he’d be able to piece things together and go to Eric if need be.

Sadly, there were precious few ways in which Kenny could act.

_________________________________________________________________________

Kyle wasn’t really expecting Stan to just drop in on him unannounced. They usually exchanged a couple of texts to agree on what to do or what time to meet. Still, this wasn’t that bizarre or out of the ordinary for them.

It had been a while since they hung out peacefully. Ever since Eric started this whole scheme to get Kyle’s attention, they’d argued more often than not.

Kyle was very disappointed in Stan.

He’d always been completely supportive of his best friend, even throughout all the breakups Stan had gone through with Wendy. He was always there to fucking pick up the pieces of that sham of a relationship.

And now that Kyle was going through his own woes, Stan was being a little bitch, complaining every step of the way and trying to look down on him, as if he had such high standards and morals when it came to dating.

Fuck him.

Even so, Kyle was willing to pretend nothing bad happened, as long as Stan stopped trying to talk him out of it. Only Kyle knew the best way to deal with the fatass after all and he should fucking accept that.

Stan didn’t look like he wanted to make nice with him though.

“Kyle, sorry to drop in on you like that, but I needed to talk to you…” Goddamn it, Stan could be so uncertain in his speech. It pissed Kyle off.

“Don’t worry about that Stan, we’re best friends dude!” Kyle tried to offer up the olive branch in the conversation.

“Yeah… We are.” Stan sounded slightly hesitant and Kyle fought the urge to smack him a bit.

“So, what is it that you want to talk about so desperately that you had to drop in like that?” Kyle gestured for Stan to join him in his bed, but Stan stayed rooted to the spot with arms crossed above his chest.

“Kyle, I wanted to talk to you about that love letter you found three years ago.” At Kyle’s frown, Stan clarified. “You know, the one that caused all of this mess.”

“I know what fucking letter you’re talking about Stan.” Why the fuck did he want to dig that shit up? “What’s puzzling me is why the hell do you want to talk about that shit now.”

“Well, I’ve been thinking a lot about the whole thing, and I think you possibly misunderstood the contents of that letter.”

How fucking dare Stan doubt Kyle’s judgment like that? Wasn’t he supposed to trust him implicitly? Why the fuck were they best friends then?

“Stan, what are you going on about? How could I have possibly misunderstood that? I’m not an idiot.”

“Dude, you said it yourself, Craig and Eric are fucking right? You told me he wasn’t gay back then!” Kyle had to suppress the urge to flinch when Stan mentioned Craig and Cartman being involved.

“Eric? Why the fuck are you calling him that?” This shit was getting weirder by the second.

“Kyle, don’t deflect, you said he wasn’t gay, so how the fuck did you accept so easily the fact that he and Craig are together?”

He didn’t really want to explain himself to Stan, he felt like he didn’t need to as this did not concern Stan in the slightest.

“Well, maybe I overreacted back then, don’t sit there and pretend like you wouldn’t have either. Out of the blue the fatass was saying he was gay and in love, of course I thought he was up to something.”

“But that’s just it Kyle, how can you try to dismiss this as a simple overreaction on your part? Eric confessed his love and you put him in the hospital.”

Stan was shaking his head now, almost as if he was trying to hold on to this image that he had in his mind of who his best friend was.

“Ok, when you put it like that I’m sure it sounds awful. But it’s not like the fatso and I didn’t clash violently in the past dude. You’re blowing this way out of proportion.”

Kyle seemed to want to dismiss Stan’s complaints with a mere shake of his hand.

“Besides, I finally understand what his intentions truly were back then and why he’s putting up with that douchebag Craig now.”

Stan couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“What the fuck are you talking about Kyle?”

Once again Kyle was looking at him with so much arrogance that it pissed Stan off. It was not the first time Kyle had looked at him like that, but this time he actually felt like putting the redhead in his place.

“Stan, I know how Cartman thinks ok? I know him better than anyone else. All this shit he’s pulled? It was to get my attention. To get a rise out of me.” The smirk that appeared on Kyle’s face was nothing short of sinister.

“Don’t you see? He wanted to call me out, to say he is there, waiting for my next move, waiting for me to do something.”

Stan was at a loss for words. There was no way this… person in front of him was his lifelong best friend.

“Kyle… You’re so fucking delusional right now. You need help man… Let me support you, I’m sure you can process this whole thing in a healthier way if you only take a step back and distance yourself from Eric and the situation as a whole.”

Kyle’s usually bright green eyes, so full of life, seemed to turn duller, more akin to the color of a deep bog than the shining emerald that Stan was used to.

“Stan, I’m sick and tired of how unsupportive you’ve been.” Kyle took a step closer and jammed his bony finger into Stan’s ribcage.

“You’re supposed to trust me! Trust that I know Cartman and trust that I know better!” He was almost shouting at this point. “What do you want huh? Why do you want to keep me away from Cartman? Do you want him for yourself? Is that it?”

This was useless and Stan was sickened by Kyle's deranged demeanor. It hurt him immensely to see this man he cared for become this… This psycho right in front of his eyes.

“Kyle, what happened to you? I barely recognize you anymore.”

Looking at Stan with the most venom he could muster, Kyle put an end to it.

“Get the fuck out of my house Stan. Right now.”

Said boy could only shake his head in desolation, before taking his leave.

Kyle was alone now, he could feel it. He knew it would come to this eventually. There was nobody else in this world that he could trust, not even his so-called super best friend.

In a pathetic and ironic way, the only person Kyle could trust was Cartman. He knew that fat fuck so well that he could always trust him to do exactly as he predicted. They were each other’s world, they always had been. Even apart they were still connected.

That was just fine. It was the way it was meant to be after all.

_________________________________________________________________________

Kenny seldom frequented Tweek Bros. Coffee, he wasn’t that big of a fan of the beverage and he hated the hipster culture that surrounded coffee shops like these.

Having said that, it was the most reliable way to get in touch with Tweek outside of school, since he spent a lot of time working there. Child labor laws be damned as long as it was the family business, he supposed.

Kenny made sure to arrive just as the rush-hour chaos ended and he approached the counter with the friendliest smile he had.

“Hey there Tweeky bird.” On seeing Kenny approach, Tweek couldn’t help but grin at him in welcome.

“H-hey there Kenny! What can I get you?” Tweek was indeed adorable, as far as Kenny was concerned.

“Actually, I wanted to talk to you a little bit. How are things right now? Could you perhaps spare me a couple of minutes?”

“Sure m-man, just give me a second and I’ll take a break. Sit anywhere you want, things have just died down around here.”

Kenny chose the leftmost booth and sat down, getting himself as comfortable as he could while he waited for the lovely blond to come talk to him.

He really liked Tweek. He was such a pure soul, Kenny often felt like he needed to be protected in some way from the harsh, cruel world. He couldn’t really help it since his protective streak was something all his friends knew about him. He really didn't want to fight it either.

As far as Kenny was concerned, the world had enough assholes.

Case in point, Kenny knew very well just how much people tended to think of Tweek as a burden, a mess waiting to happen. Even his closest friends often manipulated Tweek’s nature to try and disarm his episodes or at least unleash them on someone else.

He could never treat him like that.

Kenny knew that all Tweek needed was understanding, acceptance and comfort, not reassurances or problem solving. Still, he understood how some people were just not ready to deal with that kind of thing.

What a fucking shame it all was.

It wasn’t long before Tweek came about, coffee mug in hand, disrupting Kenny out of his musings. Not that the poor teen minded it.

“Sorry about the wait Kenny.” At that, Kenny simply dismissed Tweek’s worries, gesturing that it was fine.

“So, I actually wanted to talk to you about the big elephant in the room. Craig and Eric’s friendship.” The most adorable frown chanced upon Tweek’s face as he heard those names.

“What is there to talk about? I didn’t react to that very well in the beginning… Craig was actually pretty pissed off at me because of that.” Tweek said, while looking sideways in discomfort.

“But that was at first… After Craig got upset that I wanted to break up his friendship with Cartman, we talked about it and we’re fine. I accept that, even if I absolutely hate Cartman and am constantly scared of what he might do to interfere with mine and Craig’s relationship.”

As it would appear, Craig once again forced an agreement out of Tweek in order to do something he wanted to do. It wasn’t the first time.

Nonetheless, at first Kenny saw the friendship as completely positive.

He wasn’t so sure now.

“Dang man, I’m sorry about that. I know Eric has a… reputation, to put it mildly” Kenny said while chuckling. “But I’ve known that guy for most of my life, and I can tell you for sure that he wouldn’t try to break you guys up knowingly.”

“Knowingly? What do you mean by that?!” Shit, Kenny should be more careful in his wording.

He didn’t want to lie to Tweek, but he had to avoid potential triggers for his paranoia.

“Don’t worry about it! It’s just a form of expression Tweek. All I meant is that, as much of an asshole as Eric is, he’d never try to break up a couple like that.”

Kenny’s reassurances probably did little to assuage Tweek’s heart, but he did seem to calm down after he said that.

“If you say so Kenny… To be honest with you I don’t even know what to think of anymore, ever since Kyle came to me and talked shit about Cartman, how he was a homophobe out to break us apart.” Of course Kyle fucking did that.

“Kyle is full of shit Tweek, don’t take anything he says seriously. He has a fucked up obsession with Eric and he only serves his own agenda.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that! He tried talking to me a second time after he realized Craig and Cartman were still seeing each other and I told him to fuck off!” Tweek smiled proudly at that. It was the cutest thing Kenny had ever seen.

“Good job Tweeky bird!” Kenny’s words of encouragement made Tweek blush a little. It was good to receive that kind of support.

“But, to be honest Kenny, I think I only deflected some worries I’ve had for a while now unto Cartman.”

Tweek gripped his coffee mug so hard his knuckles turned white.

“Craig has been distant for a long time now, for years if I’m honest to myself.” He then took a nervous sip of his hot coffee.

“I’ve been feeling like I was losing him and there was nothing I could do to stop it… Craig’s love has been the longest thing I’ve known in my life by now and the mere thought of losing him was enough to break me apart.”

Tweek was displaying a fragility Kenny considered himself lucky to witness. It was proof that he felt some sort of trust in him, which warmed Kenny’s poor, old heart.

“Kyle’s words just brought to light a ton of shit I had been scared to face, which in turn made me lash out at Craig. The desperation I felt when he disappeared was just too much for me to cope with.”

Tweek’s eyes had become glassy at this point, but he was trying his best to hold back the sadness that threatened to consume him.

“Ever since then, it’s almost as if Craig has an excuse to hold over my head, so that he can justify not spending any time with me… I suppose we’ve been over since that day, he just didn’t tell me and I kept on moving along, pretending we were still happy together.”

Hearing such hurt coming from this beautiful boy made Kenny act without hesitation. He couldn’t bear to see Tweek suffer so.

With that thought in mind, Kenny placed his right hand gently over Tweek’s, holding it in place and caressing it with his thumb.

“Tweek, I don’t know the extent of the troubles you’ve been through, and I certainly don’t know what’s going through Craig’s mind right now…” He squeezed Tweek’s hand a bit harder.

“But I do know that you deserve closure. You need to know what’s up, to finally have a frank, honest conversation with Craig in order to get to the bottom of this.”

With a final caress, he released Tweek’s hand. Throughout all that Kenny said, Tweek kept his eyes fixated on Kenny’s hand… It had been so long since anybody held him with such care that it stunned him a little.

“And, never forget that you’ll always have me to talk to, ok Tweeky bird?” Kenny then gave Tweek the most charming smile he’d ever given anyone.

With all that said, Tweek’s break came to an end and Kenny said his goodbyes, since he didn’t want him to get into trouble with his father.

While making the somewhat long way back to his rundown home, Kenny hoped that Tweek would heed his words.

He had been extremely frustrated by his lack of options and overall impotence in front of this shit that was happening with his best friend and Tweek. Luckily the twitchy boy could have some closure there, for better or for worse, and Craig would stop stringing along two people.

Kenny had no doubts about it anymore, Craig and Eric were romantically involved. To what extent he did not know.

Hopefully Tweek would confront him and Craig would do the right thing. Either way, he meant what he said to the anxious teen.

He’d be there for him, come what may.

Chapter Text

Kyle couldn’t believe what he was about to do.

He’d never before believed that he would stoop so low as to use a patented Cartman tactic in order to get what he wanted. Though, it was probably poetic to do so, in a way.

Stan’s betrayal had done a number on Kyle’s psyche. He was becoming increasingly restless about the whole situation with Cartman, so much so that he decided to end their little game a little earlier than the fat boy probably wanted.

The problem is that Kyle couldn’t quite go on like this, now that he was utterly alone in the world.

Such desperate loneliness gripped at his heart in a way he didn’t imagine possible. It almost made him wonder how the fuck Cartman had managed to put up with that shit for as long as he did.

Even worse in all of this, was the thought of Craig touching the fatass in ways that he shouldn’t.

Fuck this game, fuck subtlety.

He was sure that the fatass would be pissed off at him for ending their personal game so abruptly, but Kyle simply could not go on feeling like this. He was pretty sure Cartman would forgive him, as he always did, but it still left him feeling a bit bad about all the effort that the overweight boy spent setting up the whole thing.

That’s why Kyle Broflovski found himself in a cold Saturday morning, setting up a ladder beneath Eric Cartman’s room.

He wanted to at least get the incriminating evidence that would break up Craig and Tweek. Therefore, armed with his phone, he intended to catch both boys in a moment of intimacy that would leave no question that Craig was interested in Cartman. A kiss would be the ideal scenario.

Kyle assumed the best opportunity he’d have would be early Saturday morning, when Craig dropped by to visit the fatass.

He’d been quietly watching their comings and goings ever since his epiphany. They spent entirely too much time together… Cartman was probably being a bit overzealous with the whole thing, so as to make sure Craig didn’t lose interest.

It still bothered Kyle tremendously.

As Kyle set up the ladder, he figured that it was probably too early for Craig to have arrived.

Nonetheless, it wouldn't hurt for him to catch a glimpse of the fatass sleeping, as he often did back when they were younger and still doing sleepovers. It was a marvelous thing to behold, how such a big asshole could have the nicest, most relaxed sleeping face Kyle had ever seen.

He missed those simpler days, where he had that constant fire in his life to keep him on his toes. The endless times where Cartman would do just as Kyle was doing, invading his privacy without a care in the world.

Kyle smiled fondly at that. They never had such a silly notion as privacy in regards to each other. Their lives were shared, open, intertwined.

In his mind, it was further proof that Cartman was just as obsessed with him as he was with the fat boy.

With those nostalgic memories in mind, Kyle made his way up the ladder, trying his best to keep his balance. He couldn’t help but wonder how the fuck the fat teen made this all seem so effortless when they were children.

As he made his way to Cartman’s window, making sure to make as little noise as he could, what he saw through the glass was the last thing he expected to see.

He had been a fool, a goddamn fool.

There they were… Snuggly pressed against each other in Cartman’s narrow single bed. The covers were slightly askew, which allowed Kyle to attest that they were both shirtless.

Such a revelation tore Kyle’s word asunder.

No no no no no, it was simply not possible…

Cartman would never do this to him, he wouldn’t defile his own body by being with someone other than Kyle. He wouldn’t taint himself with the touch of another man, doing unspeakable, disgusting things.

It had to be a prank… A cruel joke to get Kyle back for the years of emotional isolation. Cartman was so cruel he made sure to rip his heart out, just when the hope of them getting together was implanted in his mind.

He should’ve known things would turn out like this… Of course that piece of shit fatass would do this to him. Cartman would pour salt into his open wounds, all the while laughing at his misery.

But… Maybe this was part of it? Maybe they hadn’t fucked…

Yes, that made sense.

Craig was probably a pushy motherfucker, trying to get into Cartman’s pants from the start. With that kind of pressure it was only so long before the fatass had to do something to keep him interested.

But he wouldn’t fuck him, there’s no way that could happen. He probably just convinced him to sleep together without their shirts on, just to appease that douchebag.

Kyle had miscalculated the whole thing disastrously.

He thought he was jumping the gun, but clearly he took too long to act and Cartman was in desperate need of his intervention.

This would end right now. He would save Cartman from this situation he got himself in, just like old times after all.

Kyle quickly took a picture of the boys sleeping together and climbed down the ladder, running as fast as he could to the fat teen’s door.

He didn’t want Craig touching his fatass for even a second longer.

And while he pressed the doorbell with enough force to almost break the damn thing, his mind kept screaming at him louder and louder to put an end to this travesty once and for all.

Just as he was about to try to tear the door down, a groggy Cartman opened the door.

It was simultaneously the most beautiful and most horrible sight Kyle had ever seen.

That fat boy of his dreams, his world, was so handsome that it hurt him. From his disheveled hair to the way his underwear was hanging low upon his bulging waist. It enticed him tremendously.

However, the fact that Cartman was only in his underwear brought back all the fears he tried to set aside just a few moments earlier.

Eric, for his part, was simply too stunned to do anything but gape at the jewish teen standing in his front door like that. It was a visit he most definitely was not expecting as he got out of bed.

This was certainly as fucked up as things could get.

At this point, only seconds had transpired between these two estranged souls. It was enough for Kyle to take matters into his own hands, as he often did, pushing Cartman aside and entering his home, uninvited.

“Hey there, fatass.” Kyle’s expression could only be interpreted as fondness, which only served to leave Cartman even more confused than he already was.

“What in the fucking shit are you doing here?” It was about as articulate as Cartman could be, given the circumstances.
“What do you mean by that? I’m here for you Cartman, what the fuck else would I be here for?” Kyle was not in the mood for their usual banter, he wanted to get to the point quickly. He needed to.

“Jew, I have no fucking idea what the fuck is going through that piece of shit head of yours, but kindly GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE.”

Eric was not in the mood for this shit. This asshole didn’t so much as fart in his direction for years and now he was all up in his space, saying shit that made no sense. He just wanted to get back to bed and ignore the fact that this whole thing had happened in the first place.

“Calm down you asshole! I’m saying that it’s okay, you can finally drop the act, I’m here for you!” Kyle was looking progressively more deranged, with widened eyes and perspiration running down his face.

“Eric, is everything ok down here?” Craig appeared, making his way down the stairs.

Eric’s yell had sprung him out of bed almost instantly, and he only had the time to put on his sweatpants before going to see what was going on.

As soon as Kyle heard Craig’s voice, something snapped inside of him. Fucking shit, this was supposed to be his and Eric’s reunion, what the fuck was this asshole still doing here?

Once Craig saw Kyle, he wasted no time in getting between his boyfriend and the redhead. Whatever this was, it was not a good thing, particularly since Eric had screamed so loudly before.

“The fuck are you doing here Broflovski? You’re not welcomed. Get the fuck back to your house before you regret it.” Suffice it to say, Craig’s usual aggressiveness did little to improve Kyle’s mood.

It was almost like throwing gasoline into a fire.

“Shut the fuck up Craig, I’m not here to talk to you!” Kyle regarded him with a look of unbridled rage. “What are you even doing here anyway? Go back to that retard you call a boyfriend and leave me and Cartman the fuck alone”.

Just as quickly as Craig had sprung to anger, it subsided, leaving behind a deep and gaping fear. This was not good… If Kyle said shit he shouldn’t, it could ruin his and Eric’s relationship, which at this point seemed to be precisely the redhead’s objective.

“Kyle, listen to Craig ok? I’m in no mood for your bullshit, not today and not ever. Just fucking get out of my life and leave me alone!” Cartman had taken a step forward, passing Craig and looking at Kyle in defiance.

It would seem that Cartman would not make things easy after all. Kyle understood that he had a lot to atone for, but the way that the fatass was treating him was hurting him profoundly.
Words often failed when interacting with Cartman. He could be incredibly stupid quite often, not following a clear train of thought or rationalizing things as he should.

That’s why Kyle and him had often come to blows in the past, because sometimes only actions could get through to that fat fucking asshole.

In mere seconds, Kyle decided what he had to do. What would be the most effective method of reaching Cartman and putting an end to this sick game they were playing.

With that in mind, Kyle took advantage of Cartman’s proximity to him and, faster than anyone in the room could react, he clashed his lips into the fat teen’s surprised ones, immediately intruding into Cartman’s mouth with his tongue.

Kyle had sincerely hoped that this simple act would adequately convey his feelings to Cartman, so he put everything he had into that kiss, expecting it to transmit his contrition and his love for the fat teen.

That abrupt kiss shook Craig out of the stupor he had gotten into at the mention of Tweek. He took a step forward, pushed Kyle away from Cartman and punched him so hard in the face that the jewish teen dropped to the floor like a sack of shit.

And just like that, the kiss was over almost as soon as it had begun.

The silence that followed seemed to stretch forever. Kyle was laying there on the floor, blood dripping from his mouth and a shocked look upon his face.

Craig was vivid, looking down at Kyle as if he was giving it his all not to keep pummeling the redhead until he was unconscious.

As for Cartman, he was just standing there, with a vacant look in his eyes, hand upon his mouth and touching his lips softly.

“Are you going to just stand there fatass? That asshole punched me!” A few meager tears got stuck to Kyle’s eyes.

Before Craig could say anything, Cartman took him by the shoulders and pulled him back, once again putting himself in the front.

“Kyle, you need to leave, right now.” As Kyle opened his mouth to speak, Cartman held up his hand to silence him.

“I have no idea what kind of garbage you have going through your head right now, but I think I can understand what it is.” Cartman had no tact in regards to this matter, nor did he want to have it. As far as he was concerned, the jew could rot in hell.

“What I don’t get, is how the fuck you could consider, even for a second, that I harbored anything but complete and utter apathy towards you.” As Cartman said those words, Kyle struggled to comprehend the meaning of what he said.

“No Cartman, you can stop that bullshit! I get it ok? I know I fucked up, but I’m sorry… I know that you had your reasons to start this shit with Craig, but you don’t have to keep this up! I’m here for you, we can finally be together!” Kyle pleaded, as if his very sanity depended upon Cartman’s acceptance.

Cartman could only shake his head, as if the mere thought revolted him.

“Kyle, I’ve hated you for so long you have no idea. That hatred took up most of my mindspace for as long as we were so-called friends. But after what you did to me, I cast you out. I tore you away from deep inside me and burned the threads that once connected us.”

Taking one more step closer, looking down upon Kyle with as much indifference as he could, Cartman uttered the words that finally broke him.

“I’m free of you Kyle Broflovski. I’m finally free of you.”

Said boy never expected that mere words could hurt him that much. He felt as if his soul had been ripped apart.

How could he have been so blind? What sort of poison had seeped into his mind to make him into such a fucking fool?

As Kyle slowly got up, he was facing the biggest turmoil of his life. His very outlook on life was shaken at this point. His certainties, his hopes, all crushed underneath this fat fucker’s feet.

“Broflovski, just get the fuck home already, before you humiliate yourself even more.” Oh, that’s right, Craig was there wasn’t he? Witnessing Kyle’s lowest point.

That motherfucker, looking so smug just cause he got to Cartman first. Where did he get off judging him like that?

“Why are you even here Craig? Shouldn’t you be sniffing Tweek’s asshole or something?” Kyle was quickly approaching a scorched earth perspective at this point. Why should Craig have what he could not?

“Leave Craig alone jew, he broke up with Tweek a while ago.” How cute this was, Cartman actually believing in people. Actually trusting them not to hurt him.

Kyle would have none of that. He would show the fatass that no one could be trusted.

“Oh my fucking god Cartman, don’t tell me you’re a cuck?” A sadistic smile took over Kyle’s features. “Craig and Tweek are still together you dumb fuck! I talked to Tweek very recently and he’s still under the impression that this douchebag loves him more than anyone else.”

At this point, Craig was looking like a deer caught in the headlights, while Cartman had a broken look upon his face.

“He just wanted to fuck your lard ass, god knows why though since Tweek is much hotter… Maybe he just got bored and wanted to take you for a ride?”

Kyle’s cruelty was too much, he was feeding off of it, growing bolder by the second.

“I guess things haven’t changed at all huh? People still see you as a pathetic fat piece of shit, just there to amuse them before they discard you like the trash that you are.”

The redhead had gotten uncomfortably close to Cartman at this point, almost as if feeding off of his desperation and sadness.

His movement was not ignored by Craig, who used the opportunity to punch the jewish teen once again, in his nose this time instead of his mouth.

Taking advantage of Kyle’s slow reaction after being punched a second time, Craig grabbed him by his coat, forcefully pushing the hurt boy towards the front door. As he reached it, he opened it with more force than was necessary and threw Kyle to the ground.

“If you ever show your face here again, I will put you in the hospital.”

Kyle quickly got up, brushing the snow from his pants and coat.

“Craig, you’re pathetic, you know that? That fatass will get tired of you pretty soon, but even if he didn’t, you fucked up by lying to him and stringing him along…”

As he turned to leave, Kyle said one final thing over his shoulder, because he needed to drive that nail in as much as he could.

“I know the fatass more than you ever could, and you just ruined your chances with him by being an indecisive little bitch.”

Having said all that he wanted to say, Kyle took his leave just as he heard the front door to the Cartman residence close behind him.

Being alone with his thoughts was something that Kyle couldn’t handle right now. He felt like he couldn’t trust himself anymore to look at this objectively.

He must have missed something… There had to be a reason for the way Cartman treated him.

Perhaps he felt that Kyle had to pay more for all that he did? But why now? Kyle played into his hands perfectly. Cartman had the best opportunity to use Kyle in whatever way he deemed fit, but he discarded him without a second thought.

Kyle needed help… He couldn’t process all of this alone, he was too damn biased.

He needed to talk to Stan.

_________________________________________________________________________

Back at the Cartman residence, a deafening silence threatened to consume the boys.

Of course, Eric knew deep down that nothing good ever lasted. He always knew that life had a way of fucking you over just when you had allowed yourself to believe that things would turn out alright.

He had asked one thing, just one thing. Eric had made sure to be honest with Craig in how much breaking up with Tweek was important for Eric to trust him, and just like every other person in his life, the stoic teen let him down.

“Is it true Craig? Are you still with Tweek?” Eric asked, dreading the answer.

“Eric, I can explain…”

“Craig, just cut the bullshit and tell me ok? Be honest with me for once, are you still with Tweek?”

Craig couldn’t bring himself to look into Eric’s eyes.

“Yes, technically we’re still together…” Eric simply did not have the strength to hold back his tears anymore.

“But Eric, I swear to you that we didn’t have sex anymore, ever since you and I got together, I barely touched him! There were a couple of kisses but they were just pecks on the lip, nothing serious or meaningful.”

“That’s not the fucking point Craig!” Eric was trying to keep some composure, he did not want to break down in front of this man.

“Eric, please don’t let this get in the way of us… Don’t do this! I love you so much you have no idea.”

Finally hearing those words coming out of Craig’s mouth was the most bittersweet thing. He’d lived in anticipation of that declaration of love for a while now, but its weight had been drastically diminished in light of Craig’s betrayal.

“Just leave Craig… I need to be alone right now.” Eric made an effort to wipe the few tears that had managed to escape. “Don’t come back looking for me, don’t contact me anymore.”

“No, don’t do this Eric, I beg you! Forgive me please, I didn’t mean to hurt you, I can explain everything if you only let me.”

“Stop, just stop. Let me have my space and when I’m ready to talk, I’ll contact you. But let me have this, for the love of god just let me have this.”

Craig wanted to keep protesting, fighting for their love, but he was feeling extremely guilty at the moment, having hurt this man he loved so much. It was truly never his intention to do so, but it was too late to regret it.

The least he could do was give Eric his space and hope he’d be willing to hear his side of the story once he calmed down.

“I’ll grab my things.” Craig then quickly got up the stairs and back to Eric’s bedroom.

It was insane to think that they’d had been so comfortable in bed together just a few moments ago. Craig wished as hard as he could to turn back time, to prevent that son of a bitch from ruining the one thing that made him happy.

Alas, there was no turning back now.

Once he’d gathered his things and got dressed, Craig made his way back downstairs to find Eric still in the same position as he left him. It seemed like the pudgy teen hadn’t moved a single muscle. It creeped him out and hurt his heart all at once.

“I’ll let myself out… Please contact me as soon as you feel like it, ok?” Eric barely nodded in acknowledgement before Craig went out his front door.

As Craig slowly made his way back home, on the coldest Saturday morning he could remember, the only thing he could think about was how he managed to screw the one thing that meant something to him.

All that was left for him was the hope that their love was strong enough to survive this.

Chapter Text

The way things ended with Kyle left Stan feeling extremely uneasy.

The other teen had shown a deeply concerning behavior, being borderline delusional about what had transpired years ago, not to mention the more recent events.

To be honest, Stan had no idea how to address the whole situation and help Kyle see the truth.

In all honesty, it had been pretty obvious that the redhead’s obsession with Eric stemmed from some unresolved feelings he harbored for the fat teen. He should’ve made that connection years ago.

Kyle was one to overreact to simple shit, Stan knew, and finding that love letter probably took him for a loop that he couldn’t get out of. He was certainly too young and immature back then to properly digest such feelings coming from his so-called nemesis.

Regardless, that reaction was too problematic to be dismissed entirely as an overreaction. Such uncalled for violence was simply not okay in Stan’s book, especially since he didn’t disclose the events properly to him in the first place, making it seem like the most despicable act.

His heart still pained when the thought of Eric, alone for so long after having his feelings exposed so crudely.

In retrospect, Stan should’ve probably cast Kyle out entirely after his latest worrisome outburst. However, he was loyal to a fault and there was still a part of him that hoped for the jewish teen to get help and get better.

As far as Craig was concerned, Stan still despised him completely. He had despised him even before the whole Eric thing, and he certainly didn’t appreciate the way that the stoic boy had treated him a couple of days ago.

Just as Stan was considering texting Kyle in an effort to push said boy towards the help he desperately needed, he got a message from him, asking him to meet him at Stark’s pond as soon as possible.

Concern overflowing, Stan quickly got dressed and went towards their meeting place.

Stark’s pond was a sad place nowadays, derelict and mostly abandoned by the town’s administration..

It devolved into a meeting place for teenagers wanting to fuck, crackheads and homeless people, for the most part.

Still, it was a place you could meet someone and be sure that nobody else would intervene or give a fuck.

As he arrived, he could see that Kyle was already there, walking back and forth with a concerned look upon his face. He had to call out to him twice, before the perturbed boy actually acknowledged his presence.

“Thanks for meeting with me Stan, I really need another person’s opinion and you’re the only one that would even bother to help me right now.” It didn’t feel like Kyle was that contrite about the way he treated him before.

“It’s okay Kyle, you know I care about you and want to help you as best as I can.”

Stan knew that he’d have to be careful with how he approached the topic of therapy with Kyle. Said teen was the first person to advocate for mental health, but when it came to him he seemed to believe he was above such things.

“Yeah well, what I’m about to tell you will certainly fuck you up man.”

He had to admit he was curious about the reason for such a desperate call for help. Usually, thanks to his infamous pride, Kyle would never come to him for help after such a fight was left unresolved.

Whatever had happened must’ve shocked him to the core.

“Well, I’m here for you man.” Stan hoped he sounded as reassuring as he wanted to be. “So, what do you need my help with?”

“Alright, before you say anything or judge me, I need you to hear me out ok?” Stan nodded reluctantly.

“Good.”

As Kyle recounted the events of that morning, Stan couldn’t help but feel increasingly appalled.

Not only did Kyle think it ok to invade Eric’s privacy like that, but he forcefully kissed him it seemed like and possibly ruined Eric and Craig’s relationship.

It was all so… grotesque and mean-spirited that Stan had to force himself to believe that his best friend was even capable of such behavior.

The whole thing seemed entirely too fucked up.

Not only was Kyle apparently in love with Eric, but said overweight teen had actually been in a relationship with Craig, who was still with Tweek and lying about having broken up with him.

This shit was starting to feel like a fucking soap opera all of a sudden, Stan could barely keep up.

As Kyle finished retelling those dreadful events, he was completely at a loss of what to say to the perturbed teen standing in front of him.

“Well? What do you think?” Kyle asked, a bit impatiently.

After a couple more moments of stunned silence, Stan said the only thing he could think of.

“Dude, what the fuck were you thinking?” Welp, so much for subtlety and getting Kyle to calm down.

“What do you mean what was I thinking? Did you not hear a word I said?”

The jewish teen always wore his feelings plainly on his face, and he was clearly pissed off.

“Kyle, you went way overboard here! Not only did you take their picture without their consent, but you probably destroyed their relationship.”

“What the fuck Stan? Craig was making a fool out of the fatass, sleeping around with him while being with Tweek.” Ok, Kyle had a point there, that was an incredibly douchey thing to do.

“Besides, he probably did that cause he was ashamed of people knowing he was fucking such a revolting person in the first place. But who could blame him, right?”

The mean-spirited comments at Eric's expense were simply not okay. He was clearly the victim here in this whole thing, and right now he was probably feeling awful.

“Dude, Eric is not the bad guy here! Sure, Craig fucked up and was an overall asshole, but you’re not that much better with the shit you pulled.”

“Fuck you Stan! I really needed you right now and you just shit all over me like that!” After saying that, Kyle pushed Stan a bit roughly.

Thankfully Stan was much bulkier than him, so he barely moved. Still, the action hurt him.

“You just don’t get it after all… Cartman is playing a game with me. He’s been doing that all of this time in order to get back at me for what I did when I found that stupid love letter.” Of course, it seemed like it all came back to that fucking letter.

Goddamnit.

Before Stan could interject and try to calm the troubled teen, Kyle continued.

“Fuck, I was right all along.” Stan could only wonder what the redhead meant when he said that, but he feared asking about it. Thankfully, he didn’t have to.

“That love letter was clearly a fake… That fucking piece of shit must’ve realized I liked him and so he staged the whole love thing in order to screw with my head.”

Kyle was mostly talking to himself right now, it was almost as if Stan didn’t exist at that moment.

“Yes, and he probably expected me to play right into his hands, but I did something he didn’t expect. I beat his ass down and made everybody discard him like the garbage he is.”

At this point, Stan could only look on in awe of Kyle’s crumbling psyche.

“But he wouldn’t go down without a fight, no no, not the fatass! So he waited, and plotted, and thought of a way to get back at me by making me jealous and crushing my feelings in the process.”

This was getting out of hand once more, so Stan felt compelled to intervene. He doubted Eric was such a conniving schemer anyway.

“Kyle, dude, you’ve got to calm down! You’re sounding completely deranged right now.”

At this, Kyle seemed to be drawn back to earth as he realized Stan was still here.

“Go to hell Stan! You don’t know what I’ve been through at the hands of that fat fuck.”

“Kyle, I know you have a fucked up history with him, but maybe his feelings were genuine? I honestly think that love letter was real and a way for him to deal with his feelings for you.”

Stan’s response resulted in Kyle laughing hysterically at him.

“Of course not, maybe if the letter had been addressed to me I would’ve been more understanding of his so-called feelings, but no Stan, that fucking thing was made in order to anger me and humiliate me!”

In the midst of Kyle’s rant, Stan almost missed the most vital piece of information that was so casually dropped in his lap.

“Wait, what? What did you mean by that? Wasn’t the letter meant for you?” He couldn’t fathom what his reaction would be if Kyle had lied to him about that.

“Jesus Stan, how could you be so slow? Of course those letters were meant for me! They were meant to piss me off and get to me like I’ve said before.”

Just then, as crazy as Kyle sounded, Stan couldn’t have expected the revelation that was to come.

“And that dickhead knew perfectly how to mess with me. He knew that if he pretended to love you, it would be all the more humiliating.” Stan’s heart seemingly stopped in his chest.

“Wait, love me? Do you mean…” He couldn’t quite bring himself to say it aloud.

“Oh, didn’t I tell you before?” Kyle asked, a look of boredom on his face. “He made it seem like he loved you Stan, thinking that it would be such a stroke of genius to pretend that I, the focus of his whole world, was not the one he fell in love with in the end.”

It nearly broke him, to hear that for a second time.

He couldn’t do this anymore, stand in the presence of this man that ruined so many lives, so carelessly.

Thankfully, just as soon as before, Kyle was back into his own mind, interested only in himself.

As Stan turned to leave, the final words he heard from the jewish teen left him cold to the core.

“The world would be a better place without that fat fuck in it.”

Stan was almost running by now, he had to find Eric and talk to him.

The weight of it all was just too much for him to bear.

_________________________________________________________________________

As Eric stood alone, once again, in his room, all he could think about was how empty it all felt. Was it always like this?

Probably.

He had grown accustomed to Craig’s presence, the months they’d spent together, slowly getting to know each other and falling in love every step of the way.

It seemed that fate did not want him to find happiness. It merely conspired to let him soar through the air, in high hopes, only for his wings to melt and for him to fall flat on his face.

To be fair, he probably should’ve seen it coming.

Kyle was right, Tweek was just so much hotter than he was. He was fat, he had a difficult personality and everybody hated him. Whereas Tweek was skinny, cute and loved by all.

Maybe Craig had just tested the waters with him, tried to explore being in a different kind of relationship, or maybe he was just polyamory or something like that.

Nonetheless, he was clear from the beginning that for them to be together, Craig had to break things off with Tweek.

Deep down, he knew that it was a selfish request. He knew that it was not his place to demand anything from a person that was willing to spend time with him, the only person apparently.

Still, he was so damaged, so alone, so deprived of human contact that he just couldn’t bear the thought of sharing someone. It was just not in him to compromise like that.

And Kyle, what the fuck was up with that asshole?

Eric thought it understandable that someone from outside of his former group could construe his and Kyle’s relationship as being obsessive and romantic in nature.

But to him, it was such a bizarre notion. They had always been so toxic to each other, so violent and hateful that a relationship could never blossom from it. To even consider the possibility put a knot in his stomach.

It was just not something he could agree with, he certainly never had positive feelings about the redhead before, and he wasn’t about to start now.

He knew that Kyle had exposed Craig to serve his own agenda and to make both boys suffer. Still, in a twisted way he was actually thankful for it.

Eric would rather suffer than be made a fool of, any day of the week.

That is precisely why he didn’t know if he could bring himself to forgive Craig. The breach of trust was something he never handled well, even before things went to shit.

The mere thought of somebody that he loved lying to him was enough to make him want to throw up. He felt like thorns had replaced his veins, and the blood pumping was poisoned, dirty.

He couldn’t face Craig after what happened, but he didn’t really want to be alone. Perhaps he should call Kenny? The poor boy would surely come rushing to his side if he asked him.

Just as he was seriously considering the possibility, his front door rang.

At first, Eric remained in place. He didn’t care about the unknown person at his front door. He feared it was Kyle, he dreaded the possibility of it being Craig.

The person was insistent though, and they kept ringing with no signs of stopping.

After about five minutes, Eric simply couldn’t take it anymore and he got up from his bed, fully intent on telling whoever it was to fuck off.

The person he saw when he opened the door was the last person he ever expected to see.

Stan, for his part, could only look embarrassed at the boy in front of him. Part of the reason why he came to Eric’s house was impulse.

The other part of it was a sense of sheer desperation at what Kyle had revealed to him. He needed to set things right with Eric, the thought of going on and pretending everything was normal put a chokehold over his heart.

“Hey there Eric… May I come in?” Stan smiled shyly at him.

Normally, if it had been any other day, Eric would’ve gladly told him to fuck off back to his boyfriend.

Today though, feeling vulnerable and hurt, he didn’t want to be alone anymore and even Stan’s presence was welcomed, as hard as it was to be with him.

As Stan entered the house, Eric simply turned around and went back to his room, fully expecting the jock to follow him.

Stan got the message and quickly closed the door, sprinting a bit to catch up afterwards.

Once back in Eric’s room, said teen barely had the disposition to sit, so he went right back to bed and laid down while Stan stood awkwardly in front of his desk.

“So, what is it that you want, hippie?” As he said that, Eric placed his forearm upon his eyes, looking dejected and miserable.

“Hum… I came to check in on you actually. Kyle told me what happened earlier.”

At the mention of the jewish teen, the corner of Eric’s mouth dropped.

“Oh? That didn’t take long at all huh? So you came to gloat or what?” The last thing Stan wanted was for Eric to think he had anything to do with what had happened.

“Dude, I know you have no reason to believe me right now and I can’t imagine how shitty things are for you, but I promise that I had nothing to do with Kyle’s behavior at all.”

Stan wanted to take a step forward, sit by Eric’s side and grab his hand, but he refrained.

“In fact, not too long ago we had a pretty fucked up fight about the way he’s been treating you and well, I thought our friendship was mostly over by then… I guess he was so desperate after you rejected him that he swallowed his pride and came to me for advice.”

Eric was looking at Stan from the corner of his eye. Suspicion still clearly there.

“Oh, yeah? And what advice did you give to that fucking jew?”

“I… I didn’t really tell him much actually… To be frank, I’m pretty appalled by the way he’s been acting up and I only agreed to talk to him because he seemed pretty frazzled and I wanted to convince him to look for help.”

Eric couldn’t help but bellow out a laugh at the notion.

“Ha, that’s a good one! The uptight jew, seeing a shrink. It’s never gonna happen.” As fucked up as it all was, Stan couldn’t help but smile at Eric’s words.

It was amazing how, even after so long had passed, Eric still managed to make him smile and put him at ease.

“Yeah well, I guess I had to try.”

“You’ve always been a better man than me, Marsh.” Stan disagreed about that. After all the obstacles and difficulties, he doubted he’d had the mental strength Eric had exhibited. “If it were up to me, that asshole would’ve been committed a long time ago.”

“Maybe you’re onto something there.” He was smiling more easily by now. Incredible.

“So you see, I’m doing pretty well, considering. So you can go back to your life.” Just as easily as before, Stan’s smile was replaced by a frown.

“What? No dude, I want to be here for you! I imagine you want to talk about shit with someone, so why not me?”

“It’s fine Stan, I can call Kenny and he will come running, it’s okay.”

Stan couldn’t allow that to happen. He was here for something more than just checking in on Eric, if he went away now he knew that they’d never rekindle their friendship.

“Eric, I’m still your friend… I told you before that I wanted to make amends, not just because I feel guilty about my part in all that happened, but because I actually miss you.”

The words Stan was spewing did little to comfort Eric’s heart. They could’ve been easily misunderstood as something else and he just couldn’t handle that shit right now.

“Stan… What are we doing here? I just don’t get why you want me back in your life so suddenly. Do you want me to replace Kyle or something?” Said teen could only shake his head at that, denying the concept as ridiculous.

“Then what is it dude? I just don’t understand this sudden interest in me.”

There were a thousand ways to say it, but Stan honestly didn’t know what was the best approach in this situation.

He had given little thought to his own feelings on the matter. The notion that this boy in front of him loved him was more than he could take. He'd neglected his love life for the most part ever since he and Wendy broke up for good.

Ever since then, he’d fooled around here and there, with boys and girls, trying to experiment and understand what his deal was.

The only certainty he had, is that there had to be feelings involved if he were to truly be interested in someone.

Eric had never really been in his radar. At first because he thought the chubby boy was straight and then because he believed him to have loved Kyle in the past. The fact that he was involved with Craig didn’t really help things either.

Stan honestly didn’t know how things would’ve turned out had Eric confessed to him three years ago. He knew for a fact he’d have had a better reaction than Kyle at least.

He probably would’ve agreed to go on a date with Eric and seen what came of it.

That notion served to piss him off and leave him in a sense of deep melancholy. There was potential there, he could’ve spent the last three years with someone who truly loved him by his side.

That possibility was robbed of him.

“Hum, Stan? Are you there buddy?” Fuck, for how long did he stand there like an asshole?

“Sorry Eric, I was thinking about your question and I guess I wasn’t completely honest with you about why I came here.”

Stan’s tone of voice was concerning to Eric, so much so that the overweight teen sat up, eyes betraying the worry he was feeling.

“I did come to check in on you, but also because of something else Kyle told me…” Eric couldn’t really handle that suspense but he refrained from rushing Stan.

“He told me that the letter he found… That in it you were confessing your love… for me.” Stan couldn’t help but put a hand to his heart in expectation.

“Is it true Eric? Were you in love with me?”

The pudgy teen couldn’t look him in the eyes anymore. Eric turned so that most of his back was to Stan as he considered carefully what to say next.

For years, those feelings lay dormant and buried. He preferred to think they were dead and talking about them now, with the object of said feelings in front of him, was almost too much.

“What does it matter, Stan? It was so long ago… And besides, it was not like I ever had a chance anyway.” Eric then gave the most self-deprecating chuckle Stan had ever heard. It broke his heart.

“No Eric, that’s not true!” Stan’s outburst made Eric look back at him, surprise and tears stuck to his face.

“I can’t tell you how I would’ve reacted back then, but I’d never have dismissed you like that! I’m sure I would’ve at least given us a chance.”

What was Stan saying? His words brought about a tempest of feelings in Eric. They made him so happy, so miserable, so desperate all at once.

“Stan, please don’t just say that ok? The love I’ve felt for you almost consumed me, it took so long for me to get over you, to abandon any hope of being with you… Don’t take this lightly, as if it was a silly crush. You have no idea.”

The hurt in Eric’s voice sprung Stan into action, making him drop to his knees in front of the chubby boy to hug him as tightly as he could.

Stan was so tall that Eric's head rested gently in the crook of his neck, even with the heavier boy being seated at his bed.

“I swear to you Eric, I’m not taking your feelings lightly at all. I meant every word that I said.”

It was too much for him, so many feelings erupted all at once that Eric could only cry into the shoulder of the person he’d loved for so long.

“Stan, I… For the longest time I wanted to hear you say that, I can’t believe this is actually happening right now.”

Stan had never been that great with words. Those talents belonged to the other people of his group.

Still his heart spoke to him, it demanded to be heard, even by this broken person that he wanted so much to comfort.

With no other words being said, Stan gently took Eric's face and kissed him. It was almost exactly how Craig had kissed him, seemingly ages ago.

Eric wanted nothing more than to melt into the kisses of this handsome man. His heart craved that connection as much as his lungs craved air.

However, the situation was so similar to how his and Craig’s relationship had started, that he couldn’t help but feel tremendously guilty for indulging in this.

He loved Stan, it was a love that had been dormant but clearly still alive, waiting just beneath the surface, threatening to erupt at a moment’s notice.

But he also loved Craig. What he had experienced with the stoic teen was a part of him he couldn’t easily abandon.

So, instead of doing something he might regret and not wanting to be a hypocrite, he begrudgingly pulled back from Stan, placing a gentle hand upon the other’s heart.

Shit, it was beating so fast.

“Eric?” Stan, for his part, was fearful of being rejected. That kiss had finally cleared the fog in his head, the emotion behind it, the deep and desperate love he felt when he shared that touch with the chubby teen was enough to convince him of what he wanted.

“Stan… Please don’t take this the wrong way but there’s just too much shit going on at once and I can’t think straight.”

Eric then placed his hand upon Stan’s cheek, caressing it in a comforting fashion.

“I love you Stan, I’ve loved you for so long… But I love Craig as well, even after what he did he still means so much to me…”

Those words hurt considerably, but Stan refused to be an asshole about the whole thing, he knew that Eric’s mind must be in turmoil after the day he’d had.

“I just don’t know what to do at the moment, and I can’t tell you that we will be together or anything like that… But I don’t want to be alone and I need a friend right now.”

Eric’s eyes were pleading with him to stay.

He would be there for him, Stan decided. He wouldn’t force things with him, he would do what Kyle couldn’t and respect his feelings.

“It’s okay Eric, I’ll be here for you, for as long as you need me.”

And as both boys gently embraced in bed, sharing a deep comfort that was desperately needed, they couldn’t help but worry about what was in store for them.

Chapter Text

Craig couldn’t really deal with the shit that happened in a healthy manner.

He was sullen and depressed, barely even leaving his room to eat, which made his mother and father extremely concerned. They left him alone for the most part though since they very well knew how the boy preferred to deal with his problems.

How could he have been so fucking foolish? He actually believed he could have both things at once, the love he shared with Eric and the care he felt for Tweek.

That was just a stupid illusion though, a weakness of his character that came back to bite him in the ass and possibly ruin the best thing that had ever happened to him.

For a while there, he actually forgot he was still technically dating Tweek since they barely saw each other anymore.

Now that he thought about it, it was very out of character for the twitchy teen to simply allow him his space like that… He must’ve really freaked him out with his disappearance back when he started being involved with Eric.

Just then, as if the mere act of thinking about Tweek was enough to summon the boy, he received a text from him asking if he was ok.

He almost left him on read at that. Dealing with Tweek was at the bottom of his list of priorities after all.

But… Wasn’t that precisely the problem here?

Yes, it was. If he wanted to have any shot at being with Eric again, he’d have to take a stand and put an end to this charade. The notion of it threatened to swallow him whole, but for the love he felt for Eric, he’d do it.

Tweek took about 20 minutes to arrive once he asked him to come over. The boy was probably as eager as he was to settle things appropriately.

“Hey there Craig…” Tweek began.

To be honest, ever since his talk with Kenny, Tweek couldn’t stop thinking about what he confessed to the other blond.

Such a simple act as someone genuinely interested in hearing him out seemed to break the barriers he’d had placed around the frail relationship he shared with Craig.

Nonetheless, closure was something he definitely craved.

“Hello Tweek, thanks for coming so quickly.”

“No problem man, I was actually pretty surprised you wanted to see me for once.” Tweek couldn’t help but sound bitter. Craig felt he deserved the treatment.

“Yeah well, I’m sure you’d agree that we have to talk about us.” Craig preferred to get to the point as quickly as possible. Ripping the band-aid and all that.

“I suppose we should. I’m just really surprised that you’ve finally summoned the guts to do this.”

“It’s not about guts Tweek. I’ve really tried to think of the perfect moment and situation and nothing ever seemed good enough… But this has definitely gone on long enough.”

Tweek had tried to prepare himself mentally for this, he had known it would come and he was glad to finally be done with the whole thing.

That didn’t stop the tears that were falling down though.

“Just say it Craig, just say what you mean and be done with it.”

Even now, after all that they’ve been through, Craig hesitated.

It was not a simple task, to finish breaking the heart of the person that had been his closest companion for most of his life.

Ending it would throw him headfirst into uncharted territory, where he’d be completely lost.

Craig then realized that it was about guts after all.

“I want to break up with you Tweek, I’m sorry.”

That settled it then, with just a few words it all came crashing down around Tweek, his love and dedication, simply discarded.

“Why Craig? Can you at least explain to me what happened? I thought you loved me… Was it all a lie?”

The stoic teen was looking more and more miserable by the second.

“Tweek, does it really matter? You know very well that this relationship started off as peer pressure from the town, neither of us wanted it at first.”

Tweek shook his head violently, the tears were coming stronger now.

“I know that! But we made the best of it and there was love there, you can’t tell me there wasn’t.”

Tweek took a couple of steps in Craig’s direction.

“I know for sure that I love you more than anything else in my shit life! The way you’ve been treating me was awful but I put up with it because I believed in our love.”

Just then, Tweek took hold of Craig’s shoulders and smashed their lips together unceremoniously.

It was the kiss of death for their relationship, so to speak. Tweek gave off desperation and craving, while Craig chose to stay impassive.

Tweek didn’t know what he was expecting, he hoped there would be something there, even pity would’ve been better than this stone cold reaction he got.

As Tweek distanced himself from this man he loved so desperately, he couldn’t help but want to hurt him in any way that he could.

“Is any of this related to Cartman?” Craig’s eyes widened slightly at that, a movement that didn’t go unnoticed by Tweek.

“There is, isn’t there? Ever since you’ve approached him, you’ve been steadily caring less and less about us. It can’t just be a coincidence.”

“Just leave it alone, will you Tweek? What does it matter anyway, we’re done.”

How could Craig be so heartless?

“Of course it fucking matters! If that fat fuck is responsible for this, I deserve to know!”

Craig never liked when one of his friends was insulted, it always drove him to anger and even violence.

Eric was no different, of course. If anything, he was much more important.

“Don’t do that Tweek, ok? Let’s just end this graciously. There’s absolutely no need to bring Eric into this.”

“Eric, huh?” It was all so fucking clear now, Tweek could’ve beaten his head into the wall for how blind he’d been.

“Of course. Tell me then Craig, who fucks who in that shitshow? I can’t imagine that fat selfish bastard taking it up the ass from anyone, so could it be you’re actually the one biting the pillow?”

Craig knew that Tweek could be vicious if he wanted. Heck, he had been at the end of his anger before.

Still, nobody talked to him like that. And nobody talked about Eric like that in front of him.

It only took one shove from Craig for Tweek to collide with the bedroom wall, knocking down a framed picture that was hanging there.

For his part, Tweek had expected Craig would do something, thanks to his short temper. He had provoked him precisely because of that.

That dead kiss had left him miserably wounded, and Tweek needed to drive some emotion into the stoic boy or he’d go completely insane.

With that intention clear, he was entirely ready for both of them to trade blows until only one was left standing. However, the noise of the glass breaking shook Tweek just enough to distract him from his path of self-destruction.

As Tweek looked at the broken frame, he noticed that it was a picture of both of them, hugging in front of a restaurant where they’d had their first official date. Seeing that picture on the floor amidst the shattered glass snapped him out of it. Tears were once again falling down his face.

“Have it your way then, Craig.” With one final look, Tweek turned and left the apathetic teen behind, once and for all.

Knowing well what was to come, Craig quickly locked his door and went to bed. Pretty soon his mother was banging on the door, asking him what happened.

He could only tell her to leave him alone, before promptly ignoring the meddling woman.

When all was said and done, he figured that things could’ve been much worse than they were. The gaping emptiness he’d been feeling ever since Eric told him to leave was now even bigger.

How alone could he become, until he finally broke?

_________________________________________________________________________

The weekend had been a rollercoaster of emotions for Stan, so to speak.

After finding out the earth-rending truth of Eric’s feelings for him and trying to console the boy, he’d gotten a new understanding of his own emotions and needs.

Truth be told, Eric had quickly become a fascinating new possibility to him. Such a smart guy, funny and charming, loving him so deeply like that shook him to his core.

He wanted him. He needed Eric in ways he didn’t think possible.

At the same time, he dreaded the possibility of taking advantage of the hurt boy. The whole thing with Craig was simply too recent for Eric to be able to think straight.

And so, Stan managed to stay with Eric until Sunday night, when he reluctantly had to part ways, but not before making sure that Eric was well enough to be alone. He also explicitly told him he’d be with him at school whenever possible.

The chubby teen had tried to dissuade him of that, but there’s no way that Stan would let Eric isolate himself. The boy had faced enough misery and despair alonef.

All in all, even with a few caveats, Stan was actually feeling pretty good about himself.

That went to shit pretty much as soon as he got to school Monday morning.

He’d started to notice there was something wrong when he arrived at the school gates, noticing much less people than usual. At first he didn’t think much of it, imagining that there was some event or school assembly he simply forgot about.

But as he neared his own locker, that was when he first noticed something quite disturbing.

In the school trophies’ display case, there were multiple copies of a single picture. A picture clearly depicting Eric and Craig, clearly naked and sleeping together in the former’s bed.

Alarms instantly started going off in Stan’s head. He struggled to believe what his eyes were seeing… How could Kyle do something as careless as this?

Then, the shocked teen noticed a cacophony of voices coming from further down the hallway. With the worst scenario in his head, Stan ran as fast as he could towards his newfound love’s locker.

Before he could even arrive, he was blocked by dozens of teenagers screaming and insulting the object of his affection.

There Eric was, alone by his locker, face cast to the floor and a trickle of blood coming down from the side of his forehead. At his locker, more copies of that damned picture, together with spray paint that loudly proclaimed HOMEWRECKER for the world to see.

People continued to cuss him out while throwing crumpled pieces of paper at his face, along with pencils, erasers and whatever school supplies were available.

At first, Stan could only stand in place, shocked into inaction by such a nightmarish vision. Just then, someone he couldn’t identify at first came closer to Eric, only to spit on his face. It was Butters.

Having had enough, Stan forced his way through the crowd, making sure to elbow and punch his way to the brown-haired boy.

As soon as he reached him, Stan wanted to embrace him and shield him from what was going on, but he knew that would do little to help the situation. So, he chose to place himself in front of Eric, his back touching the other’s chest in a clear display of protection.

The notion of anybody daring to stand by the maligned teen’s side was enough to quiet the rambunctious crowd.

Taking advantage of this newfound silence, Stan stood his ground.

“Who the fuck do you people think you are? Leave Eric the fuck alone already!”

What appeared to be a purple missile made his way to the front of the crowd, just as quickly and violently as Stan himself had done just a moment before.

“Stan! Why the hell are you standing there next to that fat piece of shit? That douchebag made Craig cheat on Tweek!” Said purple missile was Wendy, always ready to take people’s pain and make it all about herself.

Stan felt suddenly ashamed of ever having loved this person.

“You don’t know the whole story Wendy! Eric was fooled by Craig from the start, he didn’t know they were still together!”

Wendy could only scoff at that.

“Don’t be an idiot Stanley, everybody in this town knows that Craig and Tweek love each other.”

At that moment, Eric spoke softly, just loud enough for Stan to hear.

“Stan, dude, just leave it alone ok? Before they take it out on you.” The idea that even now Eric was concerned about Stan’s wellbeing instead of his own, made him want to scream and punch each and every one of these assholes. Even Wendy.

Said girl was not yet done talking.

“Of course this fatass wanted to break up the cutest couple in town. He knew that he’d never have as wholesome a relationship as theirs, so he plotted to ruin it for everyone.” At that, the crowd seemed to agree unanimously.

Herd mentality was a real bitch sometimes.

It was clear by now that this situation would not disarm itself. Stan’s priority however was protecting Eric from it.

With that in mind, he took Eric’s hand and punched a smarmy douchebag, who turned out to be Clyde, in the mouth as he made his way through the crowd, towards the exit.

Most of the people in the crowd didn’t want to face Stan Marsh’s wrath, so they parted like the red sea before Moses, allowing a pissed off jock to take a wounded pariah away from the veritable circus that had transpired.

What nobody seemed to notice was a pair of lifeless and dull green eyes watching everything from afar.

_________________________________________________________________________

Stan decided to take Eric home for the day, there was no way either of them would have a productive school day anyway.

Eric was dead silent the whole way, looking at his feet the entire time.

Once they got to the safety of Eric’s room, Stan sat the larger boy upon his bed and proceeded to check the wound on his head.

Thankfully it was nothing serious, probably the impact of a mechanical pencil or something like that.

“Eric, I’ll treat this wound real quick, do you have any first aid kits around here?” Said boy nodded towards the bathroom.

Stan quickly went and got everything he needed to treat the cut. As he was applying the first aid, he didn’t expect Eric to start talking.

“You didn’t have to do that, Marsh. I’m used to people treating me like shit anyway, you on the other hand have a reputation to hold on to.”

Stan couldn’t help but frown at the chubby teen’s dismissive nature.

“What are you talking about Eric? Of course I had to do something… Fuck my reputation!” Both boys chuckled at that, at least it served to disarm the tension a little bit.

“You should’ve kicked everybody’s ass man! That would show them.” Stan said.

“Nah, it would serve no purpose. Better to just put up with it in the end.”

It was despairing to see what used to be such a headstrong boy, so complacent and passive in the face of mistreatment.

There seemed to be endless little things like this to remind Stan of how shitty he had been, leaving Eric to fend for himself all these years.

“Stan, I just don’t get it… I really don’t. I appreciate the help, not just today but throught the weekend, fuck knows how I would’ve taken being alone after all of that shit.”

By this point, Stan had finished patching him up, so he placed Eric’s first aid kit on his table and took a seat beside the overweight teen.

The wounded boy continued. “Even so, why are you helping me so much? Why now?

“Eric, I…” Stan didn’t want to dump all of his feelings on him like that, after he’d been through so much. “I care about you so much… It took me this long to realize that, but now that I have, I just can’t bear to see you suffer anymore.”

Stan had tried his best to show his affection in a platonic way, after their first kiss that Saturday.

But goddamn it, their emotions were so high strung right now that he couldn’t really hold himself back.

So, once again, Stan kissed this beautiful man with all the affection he could muster.

This time, Eric let him. He had needed it for so long, how strong could he be expected to be, given the circumstances?

As Stan ended the kiss, he caressed the larger boy’s face. “You’re so strong Eric, I admire you so much and I feel so terrible about the suffering you went through because of me.”

“I know you still love Craig, I totally get that.” Eric looked embarrassed at the mention of the boy.

“But I don’t care about that… I like you a lot and I feel that there’s so much potential there, for us to take care of each other.”

Eric didn’t think Stan knew exactly what he would get himself into if they started dating.

“Stan, everybody fucking hates me in this town… Even Craig with his reputation didn’t seem too keen on letting everyone know we were dating, though that was probably thanks to Tweek as well.”

“So? It would be you and me against the world, love. I actually like the sound of that, it seems so romantic” Stan smiled as he said that. He meant it too.

This time, it was Eric who started the kiss.

He figured that, at least this once, he should indulge in this thing that he’d wanted for such a long time. It seemed so fucking farfetched to even consider the possibility of Stan liking him back when he was younger.

Eric’s heart was split, but he didn’t want to consider the facts at the moment, he simply wanted to feel, to be loved.

And Stan gladly complied.

Chapter Text

Craig had decided to skip school in the end. He was so depressed with what had happened that he simply couldn't be bothered.

Besides, he didn’t know what he would’ve done once he saw Eric again in person… He doubted he’d be able to respect his wishes for space.

There was the whole Tweek thing as well, that shitshow he definitely did not want to deal with. No doubt Tolkien and Clyde would fucking berate him endlessly about that shit.

So, he knew that it was probably wiser to avoid all of that in the end.

His parents wanted to approach him, to understand the extent of what was going on with him, but Craig didn’t allow them to come into his room.

He spent most of the day sleeping and crying, wallowing in his misery, so to speak.

Throughout the morning, he received a couple of texts from Tolkien and multiple texts from Clyde. He didn’t bother to even read those texts, knowing for sure that they would be accusatory and reprimanding in nature.

Besides, the only text he wanted to get was from Eric, telling him to come see him, telling him that he forgave him and that everything would be ok.

One of the things he didn’t expect was to see Clyde knocking on his window with a big bruise on his face.

Knowing Clyde, it was better to just let him in and get the whole thing over with, otherwise the obstinate teen would keep knocking at his window until he caved in. Better to get it over with quickly.

As soon as he helped the other boy enter his room, Clyde took him by the shoulders and shook him back and forth.

“Dude what the fuuuuuck?”

Suffice to say, the chubby boy was not the best at communicating, sometimes he needed a push. With that in mind, Craig took hold of the boy’s hands and removed them from his shoulder, keeping a hold of them so as to prevent him from touching him again.

“Clyde, what are you doing here? Can’t you see that I want to be left alone?” At Craig’s words, the brown haired boy shook his head violently from side to side.

“No dude, fuck that! Why the fuck weren’t you at school today? You have no fucking idea what sort of shit went down.” Goddamnit Clyde, why did he think Craig was interested in school gossip?

“I don’t give a shit about what happened at school today man.” Even as he finished saying it, Clyde had a smug look on his face that spelled mischief.

“Oh really? Even if it involves Cartman?” The mere mention of the overweight boy was enough for Craig to cave in.

“What about him?”

As Clyde retold him the events that had transpired, Craig couldn’t help but curse his own decision to stay at home.

Fuck, he should’ve been there to set those assholes straight. It was all his fault after all, Eric had tried to make him do the decent thing but he fucked up! Shit… Eric was probably even more pissed off at him right now, since he was basically assaulted by the student body for something he had not done.

And Marsh, who did that fucker think he was, jumping to Eric’s side as if he’d been there all this time? He didn’t trust the jock’s intentions one bit, he had to want something from Eric and whatever it was, Craig was sure to dislike it.

When Clyde finished telling him what had happened, he placed a gentle hand upon Craig’s shoulders and tried to console him.

“Look dude, you know I don’t judge who you’re attracted to or anything like that.” Clyde then took a step back, almost as if he was preparing for some kind of lashing out from Craig.

“Still, what you did to Tweek was a major asshole move man. How could you treat him like that? And with Eric fucking Cartman of all people? The fuck?”

Craig hated this.

Why the fuck was he expected to justify every single fucking thing he did? Sure, maybe what he did to Tweek was questionable. But the writing had been on the wall on that one, if only Tweek was a more mentally stable person from the start, all of this could’ve been avoided.

“I don’t have to defend myself to you Clyde, ok? I know I fucked up with Tweek, but that’s between me and him and its nobody else’s business.”

Then Craig took a step closer to Clyde, getting into his personal space as if to intimidate him.

“And don’t talk shit about Eric ok? He had nothing to do with this, I was the one who fucked up, not him.”

The brown haired boy had a bit of trouble believing that.

“Oh, so you mean to say that Cartman didn’t manipulate you or anything like that? Then why the fuck did you cheat on Tweek with him?”

Releasing a groan of pure frustration, Craig went to sit on his bed. He didn’t have the energy for this shit.

“Clyde, I told you I’m not gonna justify myself alright? Not to you and not to anybody. My decisions are my own and you can accept that or not, I don’t really give a fuck.”

The chubby teen actually looked at him with reproach at that.

“Wow Craig, how can you be this much of an asshole? You cheated on Tweek, fucked up our group and then you don’t expect people to question you about it? Then how are we supposed to understand and accept your actions?”

“I don’t care who accepts what Clyde, can you understand that at least? I just want to be left the fuck alone.”

“Have it your way then. No wonder you’re attracted to Cartman after all.”

Normally Craig wouldn’t let that shit slide, but he was too goddamn exhausted after that whole interaction. It was enough for him to just see Clyde leave his house.

He had to think hard about how to proceed, in light of today’s events. It was clear to him that he would have to talk to Eric, despite him being ready for it or not. At the very least he would need to go to school in order to keep an eye out for the overweight boy.

Craig needed to protect him, at all costs, and he’d be damned if he let Stan take that responsibility unto himself.

_________________________________________________________________________

Kenny was worried.

He was worried about Eric and he was worried about Tweek.

This whole situation was fucked up beyond repair at this point. He hadn’t expected the whole school to learn of Craig and Eric’s involvement like that. It was a shitty way to out someone and it smelled of Kyle’s doing.

His first instinct had been to seek out Eric, talk to him and help him out in any way that he could.

However, as he rang the boy’s doorbell, he was shocked to see Stan there.

“Stan, holy fuck, I did not expect to see you here!” Kenny couldn’t help but grin at that. Perhaps things weren’t so dire for Eric after all.

“Hey Kenny, sorry about the shock, I just didn’t think it would be good for Eric to open the door after what happened at school today, y’know?”

The blond completely understood Stan’s reasoning and agreed with him.

“Of course man, you’re right! I heard you stood up for him today but actually seeing that you spent the day with him is very comforting.”

The most adorable blush graced Stan’s features at Kenny’s kind words. It instantly made Kenny realize the feelings hiding beneath the surface.

“Oh well, I just couldn’t leave him alone after that… People are so fucked up sometimes, Eric didn’t deserve to handle that shit by himself.”

Kenny gave him a knowing stare. “Sure man, I’m just happy you’re finally understanding Eric, and yourself of course.”

To Stan’s credit, he didn’t let Kenny’s attempt at teasing him bother him.

“I’m happy too Kenny. I wanted to thank you as well, after all if it weren’t for you I probably wouldn’t have realized how much I cared for Eric.”

Stan’s confident attitude was expected of course. The jock had always loved proudly and completely, so it wasn’t any surprise to see him be upfront about these newfound feelings for the resident fatass.

“Anyway, want to come in and talk to him? I’m sure he’d be happy to see you.” Just as Stan made way for Kenny, the blond put up his hand and shook his head.

“Nah, it's fine. I just wanted to see if he was fine and clearly, he is.” Kenny then blinked suggestively at Stan, which once again made the black haired boy blush. “Besides, if I know Eric as well as I think, he’d much prefer to be alone with you right now.”

Stan had turned almost as red as a tomato by then and Kenny had to control himself so as not to tease him more. If he wasn’t careful, teasing Stan about his feelings for Eric could very well turn into a favorite pastime of his.

“Anyway, I’ll be going then. Take good care of Eric you hear?”

Giving him a wave and a smile, Stan guaranteed that he would.

As he walked away, Kenny was immensely relieved for Eric. Stan was a good person and he’d never take advantage of his insecurities and fears. He was the best person to help pick up the pieces that Craig left in his wake.

Speaking of which, with Eric’s well being taken care of, Kenny’s mind wandered back to Tweek.

That had actually been a common occurrence ever since their pleasant talk at the coffee shop. They were even exchanging texts every now and then.

Of course Kenny was respectful of other people’s relationships, but he couldn’t help but flirt a bit with the twitchy teen. He figured the anxious boy needed to understand that there were other possibilities out there besides Craig, and he was quite glad to pick up that mantle if need be.

Perhaps he should pay him a visit after all. It seemed that the relationship was pretty much over at this point, and he could possibly make some sort of move in the end.

He wanted to be there for Tweek. Even if he only needed a friend, Kenny would willingly step up.

_________________________________________________________________________

It had all been so sweet at first.

Finally Kyle felt like the ball was on his court in regards to the fatass. He had a nice view of the almost lynching that had ocurred to the boy.

At first, he thought that writing ‘homewrecker’ upon the fatass’ locker might’ve been too much, but it seemed to spur on the conclusion of the student body that it was indeed the fat fuck the one responsible for the cheating. They probably assumed it had been Tweek the one to spray paint the message in the first place, which was an added bonus.

Still, it would seem that Cartman would not take his comeuppance lying down, no no, of course he wouldn’t.

He had been extremely shocked at first, when he saw his traitorous former best friend make his way through the crowd in order to protect the fatass. He even stood up to Wendy, a person he’d been extremely passive with in the past.

To see Stan take his nemesis in hand and lead him to safety was almost too much to bear.

So that was Cartman’s endgame, huh? It all came back to Stan after all.

That cursed love letter he’d found, orchestrated to mess with his mind and bring him torment. It was Cartman’s master stroke, to finally take Kyle’s best friend away from him.

The odious pile of shit that was Eric Cartman had always been jealous of his and Stan’s friendship and loyalty. So, he fully intended to rob him of that and leave him alone and isolated in some sick form of poetic justice.

Probably the worst thing about all of this, was that Stan was such a fucking idiot, that he would eat from the fatass’ hand eagerly, possibly even falling in love with that dickhead.

Kyle had to do something about that. He could not allow Stan to be corrupted in this way, to be used in what was meant to be Kyle and Cartman’s game.

It was all incredibly frustrating to Kyle. The fact that Cartman always seemed to be one step ahead of him made him more and more paranoid of what the fatass’ intentions were. He was probably right in guessing the endgame, but to do something about it would leave Cartman cornered.

A cornered Cartman was extremely dangerous and unpredictable, he would do anything to protect himself and his plan.

So, the obvious conclusion was that Kyle needed to prepare for the worst, which led him to visit Stan’s stupid white trash uncle.

“Hey there kiddo, you’re Stan’s little buddy aintcha?” Jimbo said, stupidly.

“Hello Jimbo, yeah I am.” Kyle returned, with the fakest, most saccharine smile he had.

“Welp, fancy seeing you around these parts buddy!” As Kyle approached the counter, he stood in awe of the impressive collection at display.

“So, what can I help ya with? What kinda beast will ya be huntin’?

“Actually Jimbo, I’m not intent on hunting anything at all.” Said man frowned a bit at that, almost as if Kyle had cussed out his mother or something. Argh, the jewish teen had absolutely no patience for rednecks like Jimbo.

Before the old fart could go on a rant about the benefits of hunting, Kyle continued.

“What I need is a personal defense item. Something discreet that still packs a punch and can stop an assailant if need be.”

At Kyle’s clarification, Jimbo actually smiled again, eagerly showing him what was probably the best options available, based on the redhead’s needs.

Said teen was a bit overwhelmed, to be sure. He didn’t really like weapons in most cases, even if he understood their usefulness. Still, he felt like choosing the best one was an incredibly daunting task.

“To be honest with you Jimbo, I don’t really know a lot about this stuff so… I’ll take whatever one you believe to be the best!” Kyle supposed that, in Jimbo’s pathetically boring life, to have a person trust his judgement so implicitly had to be a momentous occurrence.

“Alrighty then Kyle, in that case I’d wholeheartedly suggest the Glock 19. It’s an incredibly reliable weapon that’s easy to use in a pinch.” As he suggested the gun, Jimbo showed it to him.

It was clearly an object worthy of awe and admiration for Jimbo. Kyle couldn’t care less to be frank. He viewed the thing only as the tool that it was.

“That’s perfectly fine then Jimbo, I’ll take that one!”

“That’s great kid, this one is normally 500 bucks, but since you’re Stan’s pal I’ll sell it to ya for 450.”

The price was admittedly steep. Thankfully Kyle had a steady allowance that he never spent, preferring to save up the money in case he ever needed it. That had been a wise decision in retrospect.

As the usual procedures of gun ownership were attended to, Kyle couldn’t help but feel better about himself. Now he had power in his hands, something to keep Cartman in his place if the need ever arose.

“Hey Jimbo, if I could ask this of you, please don’t tell Stan about this, ok? I’m sure he wouldn’t approve of it.” It was imperative that nobody knew of his ace in the hole, especially Stan since he was now so buddy buddy with Cartman.

“No worries Kyle! Stan’s such a bleeding heart unfortunately… He actually hasn’t talked to me in years, the ingrate.” Perfect, thank fuck Jimbo and Stan were estranged.

Just as he was about to leave the shop, Jimbo called out to him one last time.

“Now there, I’d highly recommend you practice a bit with that Glock son, it’s a great weapon, but it will increase your effectiveness with it a lot if you’re used to shooting it and maintaining it yourself.”

Kyle supposed he should heed the redneck’s suggestion. After all, he was probably the expert in these things.

“Sure Jimbo, I’ll make sure to do that! Thanks a lot!” As he left, Kyle couldn’t help but grin in anticipation.

That fat fuck would certainly take him seriously now.

Chapter Text

Stan was trying to be carefully optimistic in regards to the latest developments.

It was now Thursday, and despite the disastrous beginning to the week, everything was going better than he expected, specifically in regards to his newfound relationship with Eric.

Of course, things at school were as hellish as possible.

From what he managed to observe, Tweek was now one of the most popular boys at school, with a constant cadre of people following him around and showing sympathy. The anxious boy was seemingly hating the constant attention and pity that was being thrown at him and Stan couldn’t blame him. He’d never particularly enjoyed being in the spotlight either.

Kyle was being evasive and weird. Not that he had tried to reach out to him ever since this shit started. But Stan was barely seeing him around at school anymore, he was even missing out on a few classes, which up until then was completely unheard of from him.

Craig was another bizarre case. It seems the school body was hating on him too, for his part in breaking Tweek’s heart and all that. Stan didn’t really give a fuck about him to be honest, as far as he was concerned, this was all his fault anyway.

For his part, Stan was basically considered Eric’s ally now, so people only bothered to throw angry glances at him and whisper when he was around. At least nobody dared talk shit about Eric to him.

Even so, he was not completely alone.

Kenny was by his side more often than not, and when he wasn’t he was hanging out with Tweek, weirdly enough.

As for Eric, Stan managed to convince him that the best course of action was for him to skip school the entire week, so that things could calm down a little bit. Thankfully the overweight boy listened to him.

There hadn’t been a single day where Stan didn’t immediately go to Eric’s house as soon as school ended. He’d been spending every night together and he could honestly say that he was on cloud nine.

Sure, they didn’t make love again after that wonderful first time, but they were constantly cuddling and even kissing each other. It seemed that was as far as Eric was willing to go while his situation with Craig remained unresolved.

At first, he had been completely understanding of Eric’s wishes, after all Stan wanted to be as supportive as he could be, no matter Eric’s decision.

To Stan, it had been extremely important to make sure Eric knew he was there for him, come what may. That his love went beyond the physical needs he might have, and that he needed Eric in his life, even if he belonged to someone else.

While all of that was still true, the mere thought of losing Eric left him completely miserable.

To Stan, all that the history they had was, looking back, a prelude to the most meaningful relationship he could ever have.

Even with the years of estrangement, it was incredible how easily they related to one another. Everything was seamless and effortless, with every little piece falling into place comfortably.

Still, this decision was something only Eric could make. Stan, for his part, was doing his best to show he was boyfriend material and that he’d be there for Eric, despite his decision.

“Hey there Stanny boy, are you doing ok?” The sudden appearance of Kenny was not an unwelcome one.

It seemed that, whenever he had a difficult time figuring something out, Kenny was there to help him. He’d have to remember to get something nice for the blond, as a way to say thank you.

“Hi Kenny, you’re just the guy I wanted to see!” Kenny couldn’t help grinning a bit at that.

“Oh gosh, it’s great to feel loved, my man!” Stan’s only reaction to that was rolling his eyes. “Anyway, what can I help you with?”

“You know how things are progressing with Eric, right?” Kenny nodded. None of this was surprising to the blond, Stan had chosen him as his personal confidant after all. “So, I’m just a bit restless about the possibility of him choosing Craig over me.”

Kenny wanted to reassure Stan in that regard, but to be completely honest he had no idea who Eric would choose in this situation. He still didn’t know the depth of the chubby boy’s feelings for Craig, but for him to be reluctant in being with Stan told him that those feelings must be considerable.

“Ah, I’m afraid there’s little I can do to help you with that, Stan.” Kenny gave him a sad smile while he continued.

“I think you’re doing great though! The most important thing right now is for you to be there for Eric… He’s had to deal with a ton of shit by himself and you being there for him is certainly helping.”

“Yeah I know… I want to be with him more than anything, even as a friend would be ok if only I managed to stay in his life.” By this point, Stan was looking up towards the sky, a somber look on his face.

“I’m sure Eric would welcome that!” Kenny then placed his hand on Stan’s shoulder, trying to comfort him as best as he could. “Things are often just short of what we want, even so we need to be thankful for what we can get.”

“I understand that… even though Eric told me he forgave me, I can’t say that I’ve forgiven myself.” There was no appropriate response to that, as far as Kenny was concerned.

Even so, he didn’t want his friend to be stuck berating himself.

“Stan, I totally get you. I often consider the part I played in how Eric was treated.” It seems sad smiles were all Kenny could offer him at the moment. “It makes me feel awful, but I always considered Eric’s need above my own necessity of being forgiven.”

With a final squeeze on Stan’s shoulders, Kenny said, “The best you can do is be there for him, as I said before. He let you in, so don’t squander that.”

Stan certainly wouldn’t.

_________________________________________________________________________

After talking to Stan for a good 20 minutes, both of them had to go back to class. Thankfully, it was one he shared with Tweek.

Arriving at his table, he made sure to send him a text, telling him he was thinking about him.

Kenny paid close attention to Tweek’s reaction upon receiving the text. Thanks to that he noticed the slightest blush on his cheeks, which made him grin like an idiot.

Ok ok, he admitted it. He was into Tweek, he had been for a while now.

Being exceedingly observative, Kenny had noticed quite some time ago that Tweek and Craig probably had some issues, it was a slight awkwardness in the way they behaved in public, like there was something bubbling underneath the surface that Kenny couldn’t quite place.

He stayed in his lane though, since he detested meddling into other people’s affairs, usually. His friends were an exception to that rule.

Eric was an exception to that rule, if he were completely honest.

As far as the chubby teen was concerned, Kenny figured he was in good hands with Stan. Being perfectly frank, he wished that Eric would choose Stan in the end. They had a great chemistry together and if nothing else, at least Stan would never lie to Eric the way Craig had.

Kenny couldn’t easily forgive that indiscretion.

Soon enough, class had ended and Tweek came by Kenny’s desk, who didn’t waste any time in packing up his shit for the day.

It was a new tradition that Kenny loved, leaving school with the anxious teen and accompanying him to the coffee shop, where he hung out with him for most of the day.

Thanks to that newfound interaction, he’d seen Tweek be surprisingly resilient, all things considered. He figured he should mention that.

“Hey Tweek, you’re actually really incredible, you know that?” Said boy blushed at Kenny’s words. He usually did whenever someone complimented him in any way.

“Why is that Ken?” Dang it, even the way Tweek regarded him made him swoon.

“I’m just really happy with how you’ve been handling things… It couldn’t have been easy to lose someone you’ve been with for so long.”

“It’s probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done Ken, definitely the most painful.” Tweek said, eyes looking straight ahead as they made their way to the coffee shop.

“But unlike what people might think of me, I’m not one to dwell on dead things. I tried to please Craig and fight for us in ways I knew how, but there was nothing there to save in the end. I’m just happy that I’ve been able to finally kill off that hope that kept me putting up with his shit.”

Kenny wanted to think that some of that was thanks to his help and the endless talks they’d had since Tweek confided his insecurities to him, but he knew that the anxious teen was stronger than a lot of people realized.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that Tweek… Nobody deserves to be strung along like you and Eric were.” At the mention of the overweight teen, Tweek couldn’t help but frown. It was still unpleasant to hear that name, even if Kenny guaranteed to him that he didn’t sabotage his relationship with Craig on purpose.

“Please Ken, I know what your opinion of Cartman is, but I’d rather not hear his name… Even if he didn’t want Craig to cheat on me, he’s still the one who eagerly fucked him.”

It was a damn shame that things had to be this way, but Kenny knew how fresh those wounds still were, so he let it go.

“Anyway, we were talking about how put together you’ve been in this! Pretty soon you’ll be open to dating again I bet.” Kenny knew he was reaching, but he couldn’t help himself at this point.

Tweek knew exactly what Kenny’s intentions were, so he gave him a sly look before commenting.

“Yeah well, soon enough anyway, I can only hope I can get someone a bit more considerate.”

Seeing an opportunity, Kenny flung his arm and placed it upon Tweek’s shoulders.

“I wouldn’t worry about that, Tweeky bird.”

_________________________________________________________________________

The past few days had been the worst of Craig’s life up until that point.

He’d gone to school every day, hoping to catch a glimpse of Eric, who had been ignoring his texts so far.

People kept their distance from him, most of them were afraid after he clobbered a douchebag who whispered something bad about him while he was passing by, so he figured most people would know their place and keep away.

His so-called friends had rallied behind Tweek, not even bothering to try and talk to him anymore.

Good-riddance, as far as he knew. He did want to be alone after all and he certainly did not want to have to explain or justify his actions to people who had nothing better to do than stick their noses in other people’s lives.

The only person that mattered to him at this point was Eric.

Which is why he was getting more and more irritable with the overweight boy’s absence and overall disregard for him.

Yeah, he knew he fucked up, sure. But goddamn it, how long did Eric intend to make him suffer for it? Besides, it wasn’t like he was fucking both him and Tweek at the same time. Why couldn’t Eric just understand how hard that shit had been for Craig?

He was at his wit’s end by this point, so much so that he decided to confront the only person that seemingly knew just what the fuck was going on with the fat boy.

“Marsh, wait up!” Craig said, while quickly jogging to meet Stan, while the taller boy was leaving the school grounds.

The fact that he was headed towards where Eric’s house was didn’t escape Craig.

“What is it Craig?” Was Stan’s less than happy reply. He figured that there was a chance of Craig coming to talk to him, but he was nonetheless unhappy about the occurrence.

“I know you’ve heard from Eric, and I want to know how he is and why he’s not coming to school.” Stan really didn’t want to share anything with Craig. Besides, if Eric wanted Craig to know anything, surely he’d text him about it.

“Look Craig, it’s really not my place to talk to you about that alright? Eric is the one you should be asking and if he hasn’t replied to you, then clearly he doesn’t want you to know.”

Craig was a bully, everybody knew that. That’s why Stan wasn’t surprised when said boy got into his personal space and held him by the front of his shirt.

Stan refused to be intimidated though.

“Don’t be such a sanctimonious asshole! I’m worried about Eric and he’s too stubborn to reply to me, but I deserve to fucking know how he’s holding up!”

Those words actually managed to shake Stan a little bit. No matter his dislike of the Tucker boy, he knew that if it were him in his place, he’d feel like shit, desperately wanting to know about the one he loved.

Stan knew that this person was his rival. He was the one thing currently standing between him and Eric, but he wasn’t a cruel person, not really. With that in mind, he decided that he could at least put his mind at rest.

“Look Craig, Eric is fine, ok?” Stan said, while removing Craig’s hands from him. “We both decided it’d be best for him to skip school this week so that things have a chance of dying out a bit.”

In Craig’s mind, hearing that Eric was fine was great and all, but the way the Marsh kid told him how they had decided together that the best course of action was to remain home pissed him off to no end.

How dare Stan try to influence Eric’s decisions like that? As far as he was concerned, Eric should’ve come to school and faced every single asshole with his face held high, punching anybody who dared say shit to him.

And in this scenario, Craig would be proudly by his side, demanding the respect that they deserved and showing how deeply in love they were.

Instead, Marsh had convinced him to be a chickenshit, hiding in his room while praying that the world got better somehow. Fucking pansy.

Besides, who knew what kind of shit Stan was saying to Eric in order to poison their relationship. No wonder Eric refused to answer his texts, he’d been played by this fucking douchebag.

“Look Marsh, why are you sticking your goddamn nose in things that are not your concern? This whole thing is between Eric and I, so I’d really appreciate it if you went back to your shitty little life and left us both alone!”

Intimidation was a known tactic that Craig liked to employ, to moderate success, over the years. However, despite what the stoic boy thought, Stan was no pushover, especially when it came to people he loved and cared about as much as he did Eric.

“Fuck off Craig, this shitty posturing of yours doesn’t scare me alright? So save it.” Before Craig could object, Stan continued, “Besides, Eric is my dear friend, I’m spending time with him because he wants me to be there for him instead of you, so tough luck.”

The way Stan talked, it was almost as if he was insinuating that Eric liked him more than Craig, which didn’t sit well with him at all.

“Who the fuck do you think you are Stan? You spend years not giving a shit about Eric and now, when it’s somehow convenient, you parade around as if you were his goddamn best friend!” At this, Stan actually had the decency of looking remorseful, a sign that Craig was getting to him.

“So fuck off back to your perfect suburban life you piece of shit jock, and leave Eric and I alone!”

Just as quickly as Stan had looked down, he brought his eyes back to look at the asshole that was daring to speak to him like that.

Sure, Stan had made mistakes, and he hated himself for them. But Eric had forgiven him, Eric loved him, he knew that for a fact and he’d be damned if he was going to just stand there and take that kind of abuse from Craig.

“I understand your desperation Craig, I truly do.” Stan said, while taking a step towards the other boy in a display of confidence. “Deep down you know that Eric loves me, that he loved me first and for way longer than you.”

The closer he got to Craig, the more said teen got upset and clearly bothered by what was being said.

“And that scares you shitless, doesn’t it Craig? That by being an idiot, you threw the man you loved right into my arms.” At that point, Stan gave him the most cruel smile he could muster.

“You’re right about being scared, because unlike you, I’m not gonna fuck up this precious opportunity. That’s right Craig, I love Eric and I’ll make him mine.”

In retrospect, perhaps it wasn’t wise of Stan to back Craig into a corner like that.

And that was precisely Stan’s thoughts just as he was being punched in the face, harder than he’d ever been before.

The fight itself didn’t last long, it couldn’t really be called a fight either.

Stan was taller and stronger, he had more muscle. Craig was lean and mean, with a ton of experience fighting dirty fights. There’s only so much that experience will do for you though, in particular against pure, raw talent and strength.

Stan’s punch was like a moving train, quick and relentless, weighing seemingly a thousand tons. It knocked Craig flat on his ass, leaving him discombobulated and harmless.

“Fuck you Craig, you had your chance, the least you can do right now is respect Eric’s wishes, for better or for worse.”

And just like that, their altercation was over.

Craig wanted to get up and go after Stan, fuck his shit up and leave him bleeding by the sidewalk.

Much to his frustration, he couldn’t. That punch had left him so out of it, so disoriented that by the time he recollected himself, Stan was long gone.

He knew where the boy had gone though, and the mere thought of it made him want to puke. For a minute he considered going to Eric’s house, for a final bloody confrontation.

It would seem that the punch did knock some sense into his head however, and thus he refrained from a course of action that would’ve surely killed his chances with the object of his affection.

No, this situation had gone on long enough by this point, but he had to be more strategic. He had to talk to Eric alone, far from Marsh’s poisonous influence.

Tomorrow then.

Tomorrow he’d skip school and go straight to Eric’s house, and he wouldn’t leave until the larger boy took him back.

That was a promise.

Chapter Text

Stan woke up feeling Eric’s arm draped over his chest and hearing the gentle sound of the fat teen’s snores.

It was the most comforting feeling he’d had in a long while.

The events of the previous day had left him feeling quite bummed out, something that Eric easily noticed but left alone. It was amazing really, how considerate the brown haired boy could be, Stan realized.

The confrontation with Craig was terribly bittersweet. He’d felt great at first, being able to put the stoic boy in his place with a nice right hook and some truths that he’d wanted to say for days.

Still, the whole thing made him acutely aware that Eric had not talked about his feelings ever since they made love and had yet to make an appropriate decision in regards to which boy he wanted to pursue.

Stan did not want to rush him or berate him about it, he knew that such a big decision would take time and he should feel grateful that Eric had even allowed him to be present throughout the whole thing.

That being said, the possibility of Eric choosing Craig over him scared him a lot.

Eric’s feelings pertaining to the seemingly apathetic boy were something out of limits to him and Eric absolutely refused talking about it with Stan. Everytime Stan tried bringing it up, the overweight boy got a sad look upon his face and immediately shut him out, leaving him to feel like shit about probing for answers.

Stan was probably being a bit self-centered about it, regardless of his intentions.

Even so, waking up for the past week feeling Eric’s warmth made it all worth it. It was clear from Eric’s actions that he still loved him deeply. Stan felt it with an intensity that almost robbed him of breath, something he’d never felt before in his life.

Leaving Eric alone in order to go to school was something he was loath to do, but besides being a necessity, Stan actually wanted Eric to have those few hours alone, in order to rest and reflect about the course of action he wanted to take.

Stan’s love for him was not a smothering one, unlike Craig’s and Kyle’s. It was the fruit of mutual respect and a genuine desire to see him well, to see him laughing and happy, a thing that Stan was yet to see in full.

And, as much as he wanted to stay in Eric’s arms, he truly felt compelled to get up and go about his day. So, he gently took the large arm currently on his chest and put it to the side, being careful not to stir the larger teen out of sleep.

While taking his morning shower, Stan couldn’t help but alleviate himself amidst memories of his and Eric’s first time together. It was such a tender thing, warm and wild at the same time, every action transmitting just how much lust and love there were between the two boys.

As Stan gripped his hard-on, pumping and trying to mimic the frantic rhythm he’d had whilst inside Eric, he couldn’t help but moan as his release came, not as thunderous as the one he’d had with the larger boy, but still enough to leave him weak in the knees.

Almost as soon as his orgasm came, it was replaced by a feeling of utter shame.

He couldn’t help but feel weird, jerking off in Eric’s shower like that while said boy slept soundly just a room away.

As he finished the shower and dressed for school, he went to look at Eric a final time before departing.

Despite not wanting to wake him, he knew that when Eric eventually woke up he might feel bad not having Stan there to greet him. With that in mind, Stan approached him carefully, caressing Eric’s hair in a soothing manner and whispering to him a warm good morning.

When Eric’s eyes opened, it took him a minute to adjust, before he realized who was in front of him. The recognition of who it was made him open up a drowsy smile that Stan couldn’t help but think was absolutely adorable.

“Hey Stan.” Eric said, a smile still in place.

“Hi there love, I’m sorry to wake you but I just wanted to let you know I’m going to school, alright?” The thought of school instantly placed a small frown upon Eric’s face.

“Do you have to go? Stay here just this once and sleep with me.”

Stan had to admit he felt tempted to do just that, but a part of him refused. The part that was ashamed of what he did in the shower, the part that was still reticent about trying to force Eric to make a decision.

“I’m sorry love, I can’t… But don’t worry, I’ll come straight back once school’s over and we’ll order as many pizzas as you want and marathon a bunch of gory movies ok? You can pick whatever movie you’d like.”

To Eric, that combo of things he loved was enough to bring his smile back full force. So much so that he took Stan by the back of his head and kissed him tenderly.

They had refrained from indulgent displays of affection, but Stan’s care and gentle nature was sometimes too much for Eric to resist.

“Ok Stan, come back soon.” With most of his strength depleted at this point, Eric laid his head back upon his pillow and almost immediately closed his eyes.

Stan was still a bit stunned by Eric’s kiss, but managed to compose himself and part ways with the boy, planting a loving kiss upon his head as a goodbye.

He couldn’t wait to come back to him.

_________________________________________________________________________

It didn’t take long for Eric to wake up after Stan left.

Somehow, he’d grown extremely dependent on having another person sleeping with him in bed, for him to properly get some rest.

With all that had happened, he feared that going back to his previous isolation would be the death of him.

He needed company, he desperately needed love and care and Eric felt he couldn’t keep going without it. It was such a miserable display of weakness on his part, but he was so emotionally drained that he couldn’t even bother with that pathetic realization.

So, being alone in bed was not something he could stand anymore, and after Stan woke him up, he had trouble actually relaxing enough to get the rest he needed.

With frustration rapidly increasing, he decided to finally get up and have a shower.

Cold showers in the morning were something he adored. It was the one thing that managed to draw him out of his stupor and kickstart his brain so that he could think clearly. As he stood there, having cold water pouring over his head and back, his mind wondered.

Sure, he was finally aware that he detested isolation. Nonetheless, he appreciated Stan’s desire to give him his space. He didn’t want it, but felt that he needed it, bizarrely enough.

To be perfectly frank, he was at a loss.

He never imagined that there would be two people actually interested in him romantically. The mere thought that even a single person would be had been the target of his constant self-deprecation in the past.

Shock of all shocks though, it seemed life consistently wanted to throw him curve balls.

He had tried to approach the topic rationally before, to decide what to do based on pros and cons. Sadly enough, that didn’t help him at all. It was incredibly difficult to actually bring some semblance of logic into his feelings like that.

On the one hand, Craig had been the one to approach him first, to take that chance and do something no one else dared to do before. Stan only did it once it was safe, once he knew of Eric’s feelings so that action betrayed a bit of cowardice in Marsh’s decision.

Still, Craig lied to his face for the whole time they were together. That kind of betrayal was difficult for Eric to swallow, it shook him to his core and made him doubt every good thing about him.

Kyle’s words that day had stuck with him, the idea that Craig was only looking for some fun, that he might’ve been ashamed of him.

The thought that he was just a diversion, something to do because Craig was bored, crushed Eric’s confidence in himself.

At the same time, the way Craig had treated him seemed sincere and heartfelt… It frustrated him a lot.

On the other hand, Stan had been an angel to him, a real godsend.

He was tender, loving, patient and kind. He must’ve been extremely concerned about Eric’s choice and yet, save a few times, managed to not pressure him and give him his space.

There was also the small, teensy detail that he had been the love of Eric’s life for as long as he could remember.

Never in a million years had he ever imagined Stan actually returning his feelings. The fact that that happened made him even question his grip on reality sometimes, since it was so incredibly unlikely.

A small part of him cursed Stan for dropping that bomb on his lap and a huge part of him cursed Kyle for crushing the illusion he’d had with Craig.

He had to draw himself out of the shower, thanks to the myriad thoughts that drenched him just as much as the cold water had. It felt precarious, this small bit of peace he’d managed to achieve in the past few days.

As he dressed himself and went to prepare his breakfast, memories of that fateful Monday morning came back to him.

He hadn’t been at all surprised to find those pictures at his locker. Of course Kyle would try to fuck his life somehow, that’s just how their relationship worked. One slight after the other, vindictive actions dictating how they related to one another.

A part of him also expected the harsh response from the other people at school. He knew everybody despised him after all, and of course they thought this was some fucked up plan of his to ruin the town’s poster couple.

It didn’t take much at all to set that ball rolling on Kyle’s part. He had resigned himself to whatever might’ve come from it when Stan, like a knight in shining armor, braced the crowd and stood by his side.

Eric had noticed Craig’s absence at that point, which didn’t help his doubts that the stoic boy was ashamed of him somehow.

And yet, Stan was right there, ready to discard his reputation and social standing to help him out. Stan was gallant like that, one of the reasons he’d fallen in love with him in the first place.

For all that was going on, Eric didn’t regret having sex with Stan that day. It was the kind of connection that he needed.

It had been such a different experience from sex with Craig.

While Craig was dominant and demanding, controlling every action taken in bed, Stan was slow, considerate, gentle.

Stan made you melt into him, he effortlessly managed to get Eric to comply with everything he did, as naturally as breathing.

Craig made you submit, Stan made you want to give yourself fully, in your own terms.

Both of them made him feel loved though, which made everything more difficult in the end.

While Eric was deep in thought, he managed to go through the usual motions of his day, he made his breakfast and he ate it, with no thought given to the mundane actions he was performing.

After washing the dishes, he glanced at the clock upon his kitchen wall and noticed it’d been two hours since Stan's departure.

Just as he was wondering what to do with his time, there was a loud knock at his door.

Normally, Eric would’ve questioned such a knock and probably ignored it. His mind was a little foggy still from all the musings he’d had, so it was almost automatic how he quickly went to his door and opened it.

There stood Craig, looking a bit manic in the way his eyes were opened and unfocused.

Eric barely had time to react before Craig pushed him aside and entered his home. He at least remembered to lock the door behind him.

“What the fuck Craig?”

“You didn’t respond to my texts and you’ve been absent from school. I just had to come and talk to you.” Quick and to the point. In a distant corner of his mind, Eric thought the action was warranted.

Being frank. Eric had avoided Craig not because he was mad or angry, but simply because he was at a loss of what to do.

“Yeah, about that… I didn’t mean to just up and disappear, it’s just that things have been pretty fucking shitty for me and I couldn’t deal with much.”

Eric’s words garnered little sympathy from Craig, especially since he knew that Stan had been frequenting the fat boy’s house a lot.

“Oh, cut the bullshit Eric! I know Marsh has been hanging off your dick all this time!” At Craig’s accusation, the overweight teen could barely respond, instead only being able to put a shaky hand upon his mouth.

This complicated things considerably.

At Eric’s silence, Craig continued, “So that’s it then huh? You chose that asshole over me then? Made me fall in love with you just to leave me, I guess you are as much of an asshole as people say you are.”

The larger boy could understand Craig’s anger. He knew he had some anger issues both from his reputation and from being together with him and getting to know him. Nonetheless, he wouldn’t roll over like that.

“Fuck you Craig! I’m not dating Stan at all, but even if I was what’s it matter to you? It’s not like you were faithful to me while we were together anyway.” Eric’s reassurance that there was nothing between him and Stan did little to assuage Craig’s growing paranoia.

“Goddamn it Eric, I told you I wasn’t together with Tweek like that! We never fucked while you and me were together, I stopped that shit completely.”

“That’s not the point asshole, it’s still cheating if you’re in a relationship!” Craig pushed Eric a bit at that, a slight shove at his shoulder that he instantly regretted.

“I’m sorry Eric, but it’s not like that I swear… You know how fucked up Tweek is, he’d never take a break up well and I was afraid of the amount of pain I’d cause him, so I strung him along for a bit, waiting for the opportune time to break up.”

That didn’t help at all, Eric thought. It was clear that Craig was too much of a pussy to break up with Tweek, that opportune time would’ve never come, he was sure of it.

“Oh Craig, so you mean to tell me that you care so much about Tweek that you’d jeopardize what we had? I guess that answers any questions I had on the matter.”

As Eric turned and moved towards the front door, fully intent on throwing Craig out if necessary, said boy stopped him with a hug from behind that rooted him in place.

Fuck… This boy still had a hold over Eric’s heart, it seemed.

“Eric I’m so sorry… I love you more than anything in my life and if I could take it all back I would! In fact, I broke up with Tweek the very same day we fought, we’re officially not together anymore.”

It took almost all Eric had to forcefully remove Craig’s arms from around himself. He then turned to look at him.

“Craig, you don’t get it… I’m just not sure I can ever trust you again after that. You knew how I felt, you knew how fucked up I was and how deep my trust issues were.” Craig’s eyes were full of tears at this point.

The sad look upon his face pained Eric’s heart, so much so that he couldn’t help but touch the black haired boy's cheek and gently wiping out any stray tears that managed to fall down.

“You gambled with our love Craig, and what hurts me the most is that, if Kyle hadn’t exposed you that day, for how long would you have kept that shit up? For how long would you stomp on my trust, hoping I was ignorant to what was really going on?”

Before Craig could reply, the sound of the front door being kicked open startled them both.

_________________________________________________________________________

The week had been incredibly productive so far.

His first step towards revenge was deliciously accomplished, with great results. Now, the final part was about to unravel in a splendorous fashion.

Kyle had decided to skip most of school that week, choosing instead to practice and learn how to handle his gun. He’d trained almost maniacally for hours upon hours everyday.

Finally, he’d felt confident enough to be prepared for anything the fatass might throw his way.

Having seen Stan with Cartman was extremely concerning, and he needed to make sure to catch the fat fuck alone. So when he quickly confirmed that Stan had gone to school but Cartman was still absent, he made his way towards said piece of shit’s home.

Kyle took his time, savoring the moment. What a great day it was. The sun was out and the birds were chirping excitedly.

It was almost as if nature itself predicted what was to come and wanted him to feel loved and vindicated in his decision to confront the cancer that had plagued not only his life, but the world itself.

When he finally reached his destination, he took a minute to breathe in the morning air, smiling contently while he contemplated his next move.

It took him less than a minute to psyche himself up to what needed to be done. With his final purpose clear in his mind, he approached the front door ready to ring the doorbell.

He stopped himself though. The door was certainly locked and there was a chance the fatass would ignore him. The best way to go about it was to simply beat the door down and catch him by surprise, putting the fear of god into him.

And thus, with a grin from ear to ear, Kyle Broflovski kicked down the obstacle that was in his way.

The scene that welcomed him was unexpected to say the least. He’d forgotten all about Craig.

As both boys looked at him in shock, he decided that this outcome was fine. Craig had been an instrument in the fatass’s revenge after all, so he deserved whatever was coming to him as well.

“Well well well, it would seem you actually are a whore Cartman… Stan and Craig? My oh my what a thirsty bitch you are.”

It took both boys a couple of seconds to recover, but when Kyle’s insults registered, Craig decided to move.

The Tucker boy was ready for some violence after all and to have such a pleasing outlet in front of him clouded his judgment.

Eric sensed that something was wrong about the whole thing. It was unlike Kyle to be so clearly deranged, and concern made him grab for Craig’s shoulder in order to stop him from doing something stupid.

Kyle’s reaction was too fast for them though, and before Eric could touch Craig, the gun had been drawn and aimed at his chest.

“Ah ah Craig, don’t you dare take another fucking step.” Kyle said, face contorted into a look of pure sadism.

“What the fuck are you doing jew? Where’d you get that fucking gun!?” Eric was trying to come up with ways to handle the situation, but things were looking extremely dire at the moment.

“Does it matter? Isn’t it obvious that I would take measures to protect myself from you?”

“Protect yourself? Kyle, you’re the one aiming the gun.” At Eric’s words, Kyle only chuckled.

“Call it preemptive measures then, you fat fuck.”

Craig wanted to jump him, take the gun away and beat him to death. He’d probably have done just that if he didn’t fear for Eric’s safety.

“Broflovski, are you out of your damn mind?” Craig probably considered it a bad idea to provoke an unstable person. An unstable person with a gun at that. But in his own concerned way, he wanted to draw Kyle’s attention and violence to himself, so that Eric might have a chance if things went to shit.

“Just shut the fuck up Craig, I’m not talking to you right now.”

At this point, Kyle’s gun was carefully aimed at Eric’s chest, his finger upon the trigger and his hand shaking.

“You… You’re the most vile person I’ve ever met, Cartman.” Just then, Kyle took a step towards the fat boy.

“You don’t deserve to live, you don’t deserve to go about your life, even alone. You’re a hateful fuck that lives only to bring misery to those around you.”

Tears were running down Kyle’s face, a stark contrast to the grin he was still sporting on his face.

“You made me love you, you humiliated me and discarded my love after you got what you wanted… You didn’t care how much I longed to be with you, to touch you and kiss you… What am I to you, really?

Kyle’s initial bravery, a product of adrenaline, was starting to run out, to be replaced by a deep sadness and fear of what his actions would mean. He had backed himself into a corner, without even realizing it.

“Kyle, I’m sorry about all the shit we’ve done to each other throughout the years. We hurt each other for so long that violence was all we knew. But I don’t want to have that relationship with you anymore, one based on hatred and distrust.”

Eric was carefully approaching Kyle at this point, noticing the redhead’s inner turmoil and wanting to take advantage of it.

“Just lower your gun, ok? We can talk it out and perhaps even be friends again.”

Kyle wanted so much to believe him it hurt.

But he knew those were lies. Once again Cartman was trying to manipulate his emotions, to make him vulnerable and weak. It was clear that he wanted to take the gun away from him, he’d probably shoot him dead and get rid of his corpse so that nobody would ever find him.

Stan, Kenny and Craig would probably help him too.

Perhaps he could still escape? He only needed to turn away and run as fast as he could. He was sure that he could outrun Craig, if only he acted fast and-

A loud bang deafened all sounds in that small living room, followed by the most oppressive silence anyone present had ever experienced.

Craig’s mind barely registered the flash of the gun and the motion of Eric’s body falling backwards, almost as if it were in slow motion. The only thing going through his mind was the opportunity that had presented itself to him.

The gun was falling from Kyle’s hands, just as slowly as Eric’s body, towards the floor.

Craig wasted no more time and immediately threw himself upon the redhead, bringing both of them to the ground and instantly punching him over and over and over again. He could only see red. He wasn’t sure where all that red had come from.

Was it Kyle’s hair? His blood? Eric's blood? He didn’t know. The world itself had turned crimson, and he could only keep punching and punching. Not even the crack of the bones in his hand shook him out of his single minded hatred.

It was impossible to know how much time had passed since the bang and the silence.

And then, out of nowhere, Craig’s world started turning again.

He heard a gurgle coming from somewhere behind him, a deep struggle for life that made him turn his head back and witness the horror that had taken place.

Eric’s body was lying there, in a pool of his own blood, with no discernable movement. The image spurred him into action, leaving behind the ruined husk of Kyle Broflovski.

Craig was scared of touching anything, of making things worse… It seemed that everything he touched could only rot away.

Before he lost himself in a typhoon of desperation, a second gurgle escaped Eric’s parted lips.

Craig could only bring himself to get his cell phone and dial 911, what happened next was nothing but a blur.

_________________________________________________________________________

It was lunch period and Stan found himself sitting with Kenny and Tweek, surprisingly enough.

Those two had become so close, Stan wondered when that had actually happened. He needed to start paying more attention to his friend’s life, to show some gratitude for all that happened.

As he finished his food, Stan got up to throw his trash in the bin, but before he could pick up his tray, a deep void took hold of his heart. An all-encompassing emptiness and sense of dread he never experienced before.

The shock was so great, that he fell to one knee, clutching his chest as if there were a shadow of a pain there, a pain that had no reason to exist.

Kenny and Tweek quickly went to him, to check if he was ok. He could barely reassure then, since he had no idea what the fuck had just happened.

The only thing going through his mind was sorrow, a foreboding sorrow that screamed for him to do something.

He just didn’t know what the fuck he had to do.

Chapter Text

The rest of the school day was a slog to Stan. Time seemed to crawl along as he got progressively more concerned.

He tried sending quite a few texts to Eric but received no response for his efforts. He even tried to call him but had no success. While this was not a first-time occurrence, coupled with his previous desperation he felt in recess brought him to a very dark place mentally.

So, trying to put up with it for as much as he could, his patience broke when the fifth period came around and he decided to ditch and go to Eric’s house.

When he arrived, the sensation he felt earlier came back in full force.

Eric’s house was cordoned off, like a crime scene from a police procedural. There were policemen in his modest front lawn, police cars all around and bright yellow tape. It was one of the most surreal things he’d witnessed in the past years.

There was also a small crowd forming, being corralled by Officer Barbrady. He hoped the aging policeman would recognize him and tell him what was going on.

“Hey there Officer, can you tell me what happened?” Stan pleaded.

“Hello citizen, there’s nothing to see here, move along!” Damn it, perhaps Barbrady was too far gone to help him.

“Officer Barbrady, don’t you recognize me? It’s Stan, I’m a friend of Eric Cartman!”

A glimpse of recognition seemed to pass Barbrady’s face at his plea.

“Oh right, Stanley! I can’t tell you much buddy, only that a gun was fired and three people were hospitalized.”

It was worse than Stan had feared.

With a quick thank you, he made his way out of the crowd and started on his path towards the hospital.

His mind and his feelings were decidedly numb. It felt kind of like a dream, a terrible dream.

But wait, he said three people were hospitalized? Certainly Eric was one of them, but who could be the other two? His heart feared the answer…

As he arrived at the hospital, he was greeted by a weirdly chipper nurse.

“Good morning young man! Are you here to visit someone?”

“Hum, yeah… I wanted to know if Eric Cartman was brought here earlier?” As he asked his question, the nurse made a face that Stan couldn’t quite place. Probably one of the common townsfolk that equated the name with a monster.

“Why yes, he was brought here this morning with two other boys.” At that, a sliver of hope appeared in Stan’s heart.

“Please, tell me his room number!” At his anxious demand, the nurse could only give him a sad smile in return.

“I’m so sorry dear, he’s not up for visits at the moment. He’s currently being operated on as we speak and afterwards he will spend some time in the ICU which only family members can access, if of course the surgery is a success.”

Goddamnit, just like that the sliver of hope was consumed by an oppressive darkness.

“What about the other two? Can you tell me who they are?” Stan had his suspicions, but he dared not say it to himself.

“I’m so sorry hon, I can’t divulge other patients’ information like that…” Just as Stan felt like strangling her, she continued. “But one of those boys only stayed for a bit and he’s already been discharged. He’s sitting right there waiting for any news.”

She then pointed towards the waiting room, where Stan quickly located the boy she was talking about. He quickly thanked her and went to talk with said boy.

As he approached him, he quickly noticed how ragged and out of sorts he looked. His right hand was bandaged to hell, almost looking like a bizarre punching glove.

“Hey Craig, I know we’re not on the best terms right now, but could you please tell me what the fuck happened?” Hearing his name brought Craig out of a deep trance.

As soon as he noticed Stan there, his dumbfounded look was replaced by a deep annoyance. Craig had been on autopilot ever since calling 911, firmly replicating any directions given to him in order to preserve Eric’s life.

He didn’t want to talk to Stan at all, but at that moment, they were kindred spirits. Both suffering greatly while waiting for the love of their lives to survive. With that in mind, Craig was surprised to find a sense of kinship with the Marsh kid, enough that he felt compelled to share the burden of what happened with him.

As he recounted the events of that morning, Stan had a concerning poker face in place. He barely reacted to Craig’s retelling of what transpired, showing emotion only when Kyle shot Eric.

“Kyle, oh my god, how could you be so fucking stupid.” Stan said.

Deciding to ignore Stan’s interjection, Craig continued. He explained how he beat Kyle to a pulp and called for help right after.

Craig told him that the police and ambulance soon arrived, confiscated the weapon and then all three of them were sent to the hospital.

Eric was, of course, the worse one off. The shot had cleared his chest, going right through him and seemingly missing any vital organs, otherwise he’d been dead by the time help arrived.

Kyle was in bad shape as well, the beating Craig gave him left him completely unconscious and unresponsive, with a swollen face. Craig had heard them mention his jaw was broken and out of place, his nose basically ruined and his left eye possibly lost.

As for Craig himself, he had 3 fractures in his right hand, nothing to worry about. He was given first aid and was very quickly discharged, then spending almost two hours with the police telling them his version of the events.

Stan tried his best to digest all that Craig told him.

It would appear Kyle made a grave mistake by shooting Eric, possibly spurred on by nerves and a deep sense of paranoia, something that had clearly consumed him whole. Stan felt no pity towards him and he couldn’t even begin to entertain notions of forgiveness after what he pulled.

Even with all that Eric had done to harm Kyle, at least he never tried to shoot him dead.

With Stan up to date, the boys stopped talking to each other. He sat across from Craig and shot a few texts to Kenny, trying to explain what happened while simultaneously making an effort to calm the poor boy down.

Just a few minutes after Kenny told him he was coming over, the nurse from before beckoned Craig to approach her desk. Imagining it had something to do with Eric, Stan quickly followed.

“Hey there sweetie, I just wanted to tell you that Eric Cartman’s surgery was a success!” At her comforting words, both boys let out a desperate sigh of relief.

“Thank you so much for telling me!” Craig replied. “Can I actually see him now?”

Stan was a little pissed off at being so blatantly disregarded just then, but he didn’t blame Craig for ignoring him.

“Of course honey, he’s in the ICU but he can get a visitor while visiting hours are up!” Just as they started to move towards where the ICU was, presumably, Stan began to follow.

He was, however, immediately stopped by the nurse.

“Hum, excuse me sir, I told you before that only family can visit patients in the ICU.” At her refusal, Stan actively got upset and pointed at Craig.

“What? Then why is he allowed to go in? He is not family!” Stan’s somewhat loud accusation actively brought about a bit of commotion as other visitors and nurses started to look at the source of such noise.

Craig looked pretty out of it, almost as if Stan was fading in and out of existence just then. The nurse looked at him as if he were scum.

“Sir, please control your voice!” She harshly said, Stan had the decency to look embarrassed at that. Ironically enough, the nurse’s voice was even louder than his.

“This brave boy here is Eric Cartman’s boyfriend, he’s clearly family you homophobic, intolerant boy!” Woah there, where the fuck did that come from?

“Please, that’s not what I meant, I just don’t think it’s fair that…” The nurse was completely out of herself by then, very red in the face and with a vein popping out in her neck.

“No sir, we’re in the 21st century and this hospital does not discriminate! Or do you mean to say that two brave boys can’t be in love? That they are not family?” This was getting out of hand pretty fucking fast.

“No! I don’t mean that…” At that point, the captive audience started to boo him pretty loudly, the situation was so ridiculous that he actively took a step back.

“We don’t take kindly to your kind in this hospital sir. Gays are people just like you! If you don’t agree with our policies, you’re more than welcome to leave!” After saying all that, she took Craig’s arm on her own and turned to lead him away. “This way honey, I’ll take you to see your boyfriend now.”

She didn’t fail to look back at Stan with disgust as they left. Craig was so out of it that he barely complained.

People were still glaring at him and Stan made the decision to wait for Kenny in the hospital’s entrance. At this point, it was clear that he would not be allowed to see Eric, as long as he stayed in the ICU.

Thankfully, the boy pulled through and seemed to be getting better. He’d have to wait until that aggravating bitch of a nurse was replaced before trying again. It was pretty clear that she would not help him.

On the outside, Stan felt like the reality of everything had finally caught up to him.

He couldn’t help throwing himself against the wall, assuming an almost fetal position, and crying like he never cried before.

It wasn’t clear how long he stood just like that until he felt a hand upon his shoulder, he then raised his head to see Kenny there, looking at him with glassy eyes and a small smile on his face.

Kenny said something to him, but Stan could hear nothing, almost as if his ears were full of water, he only heard things very distantly and could barely puzzle out the words that were being thrown his way.

All he could do was just envelop Kenny in a crushing hug and cry upon his shoulder.

_________________________________________________________________________

He couldn’t open his left eye.

It was weird, he felt like he was floating around, suspended in air, drifting away from everything that threatened to consume him.

Fading in and out of consciousness, he struggled to understand what had happened to him. He remembered his love, talking to him, wanting to reconnect with him… Trying to bring him back into his life so that he could finally be loved, for once he’d feel that love that he so desperately needed.

But someone else was there, someone with angry eyes, talking to him and judging him. Why was he here? This was supposed to be his moment with his love and this vicious being was there, ruining it.

And then, a bang, his whole universe, shattered.

His love, falling away from him, he wanted to reach him, hug him close and cry for all the years they wasted away from each other.

He couldn’t though. That violent thing jumped him, and darkness came soon after.

Since then, it was almost as if he was on a journey, he felt things happening around him but couldn’t experience them properly.

Cops coming in and out of frame, blinking into existence right by his side, looking down at him with the same violence of that boy from before.

And then, emptiness, he was alone again. Oh how he hated to be alone… Why was he alone here? Where was his love? Was he alright?

No doubt that violent thing had attacked him as well. The mere notion of it made his chest bubble with a deep seething hatred he had felt before, in a different life almost.

Ah, there was his mom, she was crying so much… What’s going on here? Why did she appear like that?

He tried talking, but his mouth was not his own anymore, it belonged to someone else and ignored his every plea. He wanted to comfort his mom, to ask her what had happened and why she was crying so.

Something must’ve happened, some movement or noise he couldn’t quite place. She raised her head and looked at his one eye, that one that hadn’t been stolen, and immediately screamed to someone else.

An unknown person, a nurse perhaps, manifested herself into his world and just when he felt the slightest touch coming from her, darkness enveloped him once again.

_________________________________________________________________________

After telling Kenny the details of his horrible interaction with that nurse, said boy insisted that they leave to get some coffee and talk.

Stan’s first reaction was to scream at him, saying that he had to wait and see what happened to Eric.

Kenny was almost overbearingly patient with him, smiling all the time and trying to touch him, to ground him in the here and now. Stan almost hated him for it.

Stan felt like he wanted to scream at the top of his lungs. He felt like reaching Eric by force if necessary. He felt like killing Craig for failing to protect Eric.

This turmoil of feelings was natural, Kenny had said to him after he verbalized his thoughts.

Kenny was right there, hearing him out and letting him be as vicious as he wanted, as hateful as he felt was necessary, with no judgment on his part. He just took all that Stan threw at him, until the raven haired boy was all but spent and ready to collapse.

The caring blond knew that, despite his physical exhaustion, Stan would not be able to fall asleep right then and there. He needed to put some food into him and unwind a bit more before he could properly rest.

And so, Kenny took him by the hand and led him away from that damned hospital, towards Tweek Bros. of all places.

Stan complied, but only because he hadn’t the strength to put up a fight anymore. Besides, he didn’t want to hurt Kenny, not really. He loved his dear friend and he was deeply thankful to have such support at this time… He couldn’t fathom what he would’ve done, had he been alone throughout all of this.

Once they arrived, Kenny quickly placed him in a booth and went to speak with Tweek.

Huh, those two had gotten so close recently, how didn’t Stan notice it before?

As Kenny most likely recounted the events of the day, Tweek’s face grew progressively worse, to a point it felt almost as if he was going into shock. Stan couldn’t blame him.

Soon enough, both boys came around to his booth. Kenny sat across from him, pushing a brownie towards him while Tweek placed a mug of hot tea in front of him.

They said things to him, Stan could see them looking at him and their lips moving, but he couldn’t register anything that was being said. The water in his ears wouldn’t leave him, and he felt like concentration was a thing long gone.

He managed to eat and drink what had been offered, after Kenny gently nudged him along. It took an ungodly amount of time though.

All throughout Stan’s meal, Kenny and Tweek talked, sometimes at him, but mostly at each other. He didn’t mind it.

Pretty soon, Stan started to feel his eyelids drooping a bit while he struggled to keep awake. He needed to go and see Eric, who knows how long it had been, he needed to know how he was.

He got up and went to the door. Kenny quickly joined him, saying something to Tweek as they left the coffee shop.

Kenny was leading him again, which was fine to Stan since he had no idea how to get to the hospital anymore.

Soon enough, they approached a familiar residence. It was only then that Stan noticed they were in front of his house. That revelation left him shocked, how out of it was he, that he failed to recognize his own neighborhood?

Kenny was talking again, something about him needing rest. Stan wanted to hear none of it, but the blond was firm and guided him forcefully, all the way up to his room.

Just as Kenny placed him on his bed, he complained once more, he wanted to see Eric again, talk to him.

The poor boy had such a devastated look upon his face, for the first time he saw him crack a bit. Stan had almost forgotten how much Kenny loved Eric, how could he have been this self-centered?

He stopped struggling then, amidst Kenny’s constant reassurance that he’d contact him as soon as he had any news from Eric. It finally felt like the water in his ears, in his mind, was receding. The tide was finally going away.

With a delicate kiss upon his forehead, Stan drifted off into a fitful sleep.

Chapter Text

The last couple of days had truly been hellish.

What had happened to Eric left Stan in such a state of depression that even his emotionally distant father was trying to show support.

Stan had been back to the hospital quite a few times, though he faced issues with staying by Eric’s side for as long as he wanted to be.

Turns out that crazy nurse had warned the rest of the hospital staff about the so-called homophobe and they made their best efforts to get in his way as much as possible. Thankfully Eric had been cleared of the ICU and transferred to a normal room the very same night he got his surgery. By now, they were eagerly waiting for him to wake up since the worst was past.

His relationship to Craig hadn’t improved in the meantime.

The stoic boy was still very dickish to him, though his energy seemed to be focused on Eric most of the time. They had barely talked when they were together and it felt like Craig had not left Eric’s side ever since the surgery.

What they actually had talked about, unsurprisingly, was Kyle.

Stan had actually gone to visit the redhead once, mostly out of morbid curiosity. What he found was a fucked up boy, barely cognizant and looking like he’d been through hell and back.

The jewish teen had his face almost completely bandaged, with basically just one eye free. Sheila and Gerald were there and talked to him a bit. They seemed taken completely by surprise and wanted Stan to tell them what had happened.

He didn’t have it in him to be honest with them, instead telling them that Kyle was having some issues for a while and that he had tried talking him into looking for help, but the redhead had refused. Sheila seemed shocked and Gerald looked disturbed.

Stan didn’t stay for long after that, there was nothing in there for him anyway.

The police had conducted their investigation and told Craig that they found only Kyle’s prints on the gun, so Craig’s response had been considered self-defense for the most part. They had yet to take Kyle’s testimony but since the boy was unable to talk, that was on hold until his recovery.

Perhaps the most surprising event of all, was Liane Cartman actually showing up to see her son in the hospital. Though she didn’t stay for long, she told Craig that the hospital bills would be taken care of by her, naturally. Well, at least she had that much decency.

And thus, once again Craig and Stan were sharing the hospital room, eagerly awaiting for Eric to wake up. After what seemed to be a long time, the Tucker boy finally broke the silence.

“So, do you actually think Eric will choose you over me?” To say that Stan was dumbfounded was an understatement.

“What are you talking about Craig?” Said boy only rolled his eyes.

“I’m sick and tired of sitting here doing nothing and I wanted to know what you think about that… After all, it’s still an unresolved thing.” Stan readjusted himself in the hospital chair, damn were these things uncomfortable.

“Look dude, at this point in time all I care about is talking to Eric again ok?” A loud scoff was heard coming from the usually stoic boy.

“Yeah right, I know you’re pretty competitive Stan so I doubt you’re that casual about the idea of Eric choosing me over you.”

It was true, the mere thought of it was enough to leave Stan terribly upset, but he didn’t think this was a time to think of himself.

“Of course I want him to choose me, but even if he decides to be with you, Eric’s still my dear friend and I’ll stay by his side as long as he’ll let me.”

The idea of having to put up with Stan constantly displeased Craig greatly. When Eric chooses him, he’d have to convince the heavier boy to abandon this friendship with Stan. He knew very well that his jealousy would not allow Marsh to stick around, a constant threat to him.

“What a pussy answer man, I know for sure I’d never want to be near him again if he didn’t choose me… To be constantly reminded of what I lost and having to see him go be happy with another person, that’s some cuck shit.”

Stan supposed Craig had a point, but he didn’t care. He was Eric’s friend, first and foremost. The greatest regret he had was abandoning that friendship for so long and he’d be damned if he lost it again.

Besides, he was pretty damn sure Eric wanted him around anyway.

“Whatever Craig, we’re clearly not the same and I don’t expect you to understand.” And just like that, their talk was over. That was perfectly fine, it’s not like Stan enjoyed speaking to Craig in the first place.

Either way, Craig’s opinion was mildly concerning to him, it seemed like he fully intended to isolate himself and Eric from the rest of the world, living in a bubble together.

He’d be damned if he let him do that.

_________________________________________________________________________

It took another day before Eric woke up.

The whole thing was extremely jarring to him at first. After all, Eric had terrible past experiences waking up in the sterile rooms of Hell’s Pass Hospital.

Still, things could’ve been worse, he supposed.

When he’d woken up, Craig had been there next to him, holding his hand and resting his head upon the bed. It was extremely endearing and definitely helped him avoid an all out panic attack, especially after he managed to recall what had happened.

It was a bizarre thing, to be looking upon the scared face of a childhood friend and then, out of nowhere, darkness.

To him, it felt particularly weird because it was like he had blinked for a very long second, only to be transported somewhere else. The soreness of his body was a little fucked up too, but secondary to his mental worries at that moment.

Craig probably felt the bed being disturbed because just as suddenly as Eric had woken up, there he was kissing his cheek and asking him if he was alright.

After a long winded explanation of the events that led him to his hospital bed, Eric was left almost speechless.

He had to hand it to the jew, he never expected him to actually pull the trigger like that. The heavy teen always saw Kyle as a pussy after all. He had to admit he was impressed.

On a rational level, Eric understood what he was supposed to be feeling right now. Anger, sadness, depression or some equivalent feeling. He couldn’t though.

All he felt was a creeping emptiness, the notion that he could have died not really bothering him all that much. Throughout the years of loneliness, he had expected to end up dying alone at some point, and he welcomed the notion.

Ceasing to exist was such a relief to him more often than not, having been burdened with such shitty feelings for so long.

Still, he was alive and well, apparently, no lasting damage had been done to him. Luck had been on his side and from what he heard, Kyle’s wounds ended up being much more grievous and lasting than his.

Fuck, he’d have to pay the jew a visit once he was well enough to do so.

Eric was actually surprised at the fact that he didn’t hate the redhead. Maybe that was the expected reaction from him but he couldn’t bring himself to care about that all that much. He was weirdly thankful for being alive and it seemed that Kyle got what was coming to him anyway.

Losing an eye, fucking scary shit.

Moving away from Kyle, Eric’s biggest problem at the moment was the unresolved nature of his relationship to Stan and Craig.

Before he was shot, he had been guilty of indulging a bit in the notion that he was wanted and desired by two of the hottest guys in school. It astounded him really. Not in a million years he’d imagined such a thing could occur.

Still, as much as he wanted to indulge further in that notion, it was simply not fair of him to string someone along like that.

He was immensely thankful to Craig for being there for him when nobody else dared even come close. He showed him he was indeed worthy of love, care and companionship. The moments they shared were simply some of the best in his life. To rediscover closeness, to experience love making for the first time. He’d always have a place in Eric’s heart.

However, Eric couldn’t ignore what had transpired between them. The betrayal was something he didn’t know how to forgive, much less forget. It would be a constant shadow in their relationship, always drawing doubt upon them.

And, while Eric completely understood Craig’s reaction towards Kyle, the extent of the redhead’s injuries and Craig’s propensity for violence concerned him deeply. He wasn’t afraid of Craig exactly, but he feared what could happen thanks to the other boy’s jealousness.

Particularly if Eric kept Stan in his life. And oh boy did he want Stan in his life.

A part of Eric felt guilty that Craig’s betrayal wasn’t that hard on him in the first place, and he suspected Stan’s constant presence had something to do with that.

The jock was simply everything Eric had imagined, so many years ago when he first realized his love for the boy.

Caring, loving, gentle and interested, Stan was the picture perfect boyfriend. He honestly couldn’t understand how the fuck Wendy had managed to let him get away like that. Even with his clear inexperience in love, Eric could clearly see how rare of a find Stan was.

Them being together was effortless, they easily fell into place by each other’s side and his absence made Eric feel terrible.

It wasn’t really a choice… It wasn’t really a contest either.

It felt more like an inevitability, a predestined meeting of two souls meant for each other. And Eric had been completely swept up by Stan’s very nature. It was true back then, just like it was true now.

The only issue was telling Craig of his decision…

After the usual check-ups on him performed by the hospital’s staff, Eric found himself once again alone with Craig in the hospital room. It seemed that the staff was under the impression that they were boyfriends, probably thanks to the stoic boy. It made the whole situation even more awkward for Eric.

Still, he had to put a stop to it now, before things got worse.

“Hey Craig, can we talk about us?” In Craig’s mind, there couldn’t be anything but good news coming to him.

“Sure Eric! What did you want to talk about?” He seemed so eager and vulnerable, all at once. It made Eric hesitate a bit, before continuing.

“Hum… We didn’t really finish our talk properly before Kyle… Interrupted us.” At the mention of the redhead, Craig could only frown and look at him, clearly upset.

“There’s not much else to talk about I think, we were fighting before but everything’s ok now, right?” Craig said.

It would seem Craig’s response to the whole thing was to try and ignore what they had been talking about back then, almost as if he could pretend that their initial fight and subsequent break up was just a bad dream in the first place.

“No Craig, that’s not right. I mean, I don’t want to fight with you, don’t get me wrong on that.” For a brief moment there, a sweet smile touched Craig’s lips.

“But still, things are not resolved and we should put an end to it once and for all.” Eric concluded.

Once again, Craig was frowning at him. Eric definitely hated to see that expression upon the boy’s face.

“What do you mean by that? Haven’t we been through enough? Just forget about all that and let’s be thankful that we can be together again, with nobody else meddling in our affairs.”

The way he was speaking immediately raised an alarm in Eric’s mind. It almost felt like Craig’s intention really was to isolate them both from the rest of the world.

“Craig please, don’t make this harder than it has to be alright? We can’t be together… I can’t trust you anymore.” At Eric’s words, the taller boy stood up from his chair and grabbed him a bit roughly by the shoulders.

“What the fuck Eric? You have to trust me ok? I won’t let a small mistake like that separate us, our love is stronger than that, it has to be!”

Craig’s rough handling was making Eric a bit queasy and extremely uncomfortable. For a split second he wondered if he should call a nurse, just in case, but in the end he decided against it.

Mustering up as much strength as he could, Eric took Craig’s hands and forced them away from him.

“Don’t do this ok? We can still be friends, I’m really thankful for what we had Craig, but we just can’t be together any longer.”

Said boy didn’t seem to be listening to him anymore. He had a lost look upon his eyes and he was just standing there, unnaturally still and unmoving, almost like a living statue.

“No Eric, I love you, we have to be together.”

Now, Eric was not the most subtle, or the most emotionally mature for that matter, person around. He was getting increasingly frustrated with Craig at the moment and he was running out of things to say to him.

He decided he should be as direct as possible, for better or for worse.

“I love Stan.”

Those three words, those three simple fucking words, were all it took for Eric to break Craig’s heart completely.

Upon hearing Eric’s profession of love, something he had yet to say to Stan himself, Craig took a couple of steps back, almost as if he’d been slapped. His eyes were unfocused, his mouth hung open like a poor imitation of a dead fish.

Without another word, he turned around and left the room.

He was running, he was screaming…

He was getting out of Eric’s life, once and for all.

Chapter Text

As Stan returned to visit Eric once again, he received the wonderful news that the plump boy had woken up. He had to refrain from outright running towards the room where his love was.

The walk was very surreal to him, as it felt quite like a dream.

To be fair, he hadn’t really taken the whole situation very well, up to this point. That first day when he heard the news, he had barely been able to function properly. Thankfully Kenny had been there for him, otherwise Stan would’ve probably have spent the entire day and night by the hospital’s entrance.

It was a mix of bittersweet feelings.

On one hand, the newfound love of his life had faced an awful risk and Stan could’ve been robbed of his presence, just when they had managed to finally reconnect and allow their feelings to blossom.

On the other hand, he had basically lost his best friend for good. He still couldn’t believe Kyle had actually done something so vile, fruit of what had to be a total mental breakdown. Stan could empathize with the mental distress his once best friend had gone through, but he could never abide such violence. Especially if he had lost Eric thanks to Kyle’s stupid behavior.

Still, he was thankful. Thankful for Kenny who was such a great friend, and for Eric who made his days so much happier.

As he opened the door to that quaint little room, he couldn’t help but grin at the sight of his love sitting up in the bed with a frustrated look on his face. Stan couldn’t have asked for a scene that better represented Eric’s whole personality.

When Eric saw Stan enter, that frustrated look was replaced by one of mild mischievousness.

“Hey there hippie, finally showing your face around here huh? Thought you had more important things to do or something.” Eric was only half-kidding, he had missed Stan after all and had been anxious to see him again.

Stan however, didn’t detect the slight joke on the other’s voice, so he immediately started to fret, coming over to the side of the bed but without touching Eric for fear of hurting the larger boy.

“Holy shit Eric, I’m so sorry! I only needed to go back home for a couple of hours, the staff here doesn’t seem to like me very much for some reason so I was as quick as possible in order to return while visiting hours were still up!” Stan was almost breathless after rushing to explain things as quickly as possible.

Now, normally Eric would’ve milked Stan’s concern a little bit, but he was honestly just super stoked to see him again.

“I’m just kidding Stan, don’t worry about it! In fact, just you being here is enough to make me feel much better.” Said boy could only blush at that statement.

“Don’t even mention it man, I’m so happy you’re awake now! You have no idea how scared I was these past few days, with all that’s happened.”

Eric had made his peace with most of the things that had transpired. He had a thick skin for tragedy one could say. That didn’t mean the notion of losing everything didn’t make him queasy.

After talking for a while, with Stan retelling his version of the events to him, the subject finally came back to Craig.

“Hey, to be honest, this is the first time I’ve been here and Craig’s nowhere to be found. I thought for sure he’d glue himself to your bed or something.” Stan tried to make light of the situation, he was a bit curious of how Eric had dealt with the boy’s presence.

“Well… Forget about Craig for a moment.” Eric supposed there would be no better time to talk to Stan about this. Still, he couldn’t help but feel scared at the notion of rejection. As much as he was confident about Stan’s love for him, a part of him refused to believe his luck in having his feelings returned.

“Ok… What is it Eric?” Somehow, it seemed that Stan’s stomach was completely filled with butterflies by that point.

Gathering all the courage that he had, Eric began.

“Stan, this is not easy for me to say… Even though you know most of what happened, I think you should listen to my side in full.” At Eric’s words, Stan gave him his undivided attention.

Eric proceeded to explain, in great detail, how he learned that he loved him, all those years ago.

It was after a camping trip, where by a twist of fate Kyle couldn’t be present. So, for the first time in a while, Eric had to share a tent with Stan.

Kyle’s absence was the trigger needed for both boys to spend almost every minute of the day together, talking and playing around like teens usually do.

Eric had always felt at ease with Stan, in particular when it was just the two of them. It was pretty simple for the larger boy to take things in stride, playfully teasing the Marsh boy, but with no real venom present in his words.

Constantly being with him, sleeping next to him, even smelling Stan, who by then had that distinct teenager smell, was enough for Eric to be plagued with thoughts of the other boy all of the time, to a point where he dreamed about him almost every night.

Stan, for his part, remembered that fateful camping trip and how much he had enjoyed Eric’s constant presence.

At first, Stan had been unwilling to even go on that trip, Kyle’s absence robbing him of any want to go. His father made him go though, and to be fair, in little time he had even forgotten the fact that Kyle was not there, thanks to Eric’s constant attention.

In retrospect, Stan had been pretty blind back then. The signs had been there, if he had cared to see them. Eric had always treated him differently in their group, with respect and reverence even, something he almost never showed towards the others.

If only Stan had been more attentive and less hung up on Wendy, he might’ve been able to see those signs.

Regardless, Eric kept talking. He confessed to countless drawings he had made of Stan. When the jock told him he wanted to see those, Eric replied that sadly, all of them had been destroyed by the fat teen in an attempt to overcome his feelings.

After the tragic event with Kyle, Eric had decided to try and erase every proof of his neediness and emotional weakness, so he burned every piece of evidence that existed and buried his feelings as deeply as he could.

The retelling of such events made Stan feel extremely guilty once again. It was not Eric’s intention to make him feel like that, but he couldn’t help it. He had been completely blind and ignorant to these things that were now so precious to him.

“I’m so sorry Eric… I wish I could rectify the mistakes I’ve made these past few years. I can’t believe how stupid I was.” At his words, Eric took hold of Stan’s hand and squeezed it in an attempt to comfort him.

“Don’t be an idiot Stan, what happened is in the past now. I grew because of it and you did too. Now you know to not take things at face value and I learned to take more chances with my feelings.”

Stan wondered just what Eric meant by that, but he soon had his answer.

“Stan, hippie, I love you more than I can express in words. I’ve loved you for a long time now and I can’t believe how lucky I am that you want to give this thing a try… So I’m asking you right now, do you want to be my boyfriend?”

Stan was over the moon by then, he hadn’t really expected Eric to ask him that. So that’s why Eric had told him to forget about Craig. A small part of him wondered how the stoic boy took the news.

The raven-haired boy’s first reaction to that question was to hug Eric and kiss him, with all the love that he had.

Eric had mentioned how lucky he was, but Stan actually thought that he was the lucky one instead. After all the mistakes he’d made, after the years of distance and neglect, even after meeting someone who had wanted him, still Eric loved him above all else.

Yup, Stan was the lucky one alright.

“Of course I want to be your boyfriend Eric! I love you so much!” Stan finally said, after the most passionate kiss he’d ever had.

Both boys were finally happy, as things seemed to fall into place. It had been a long road for them, but things had a way of working themselves out.

_________________________________________________________________________

About a month had passed since Stan and Eric had officialized their relationship. So far, the only people who knew of it were Kenny and Tweek, surprisingly enough.

These days it felt like the two blonds were almost inseparable anyway, so Tweek knowing about them didn’t bother the lovebirds, as Kenny referred to Stan and Eric.

Craig had kept his distance, for the most part. He never interacted with Eric anymore, preferring to pretend the overweight teen didn’t exist. As for Stan, Craig never missed the opportunity of giving him the evil eye.

Overall though, things were great, Eric and Stan’s relationship was all they dreamed it would be. Solid companionship, great sense of humor, respect and consideration every step of the way.

Stan was essentially living with Eric at this point, which his parents were pretty ok with. Even though it had been somewhat of a shock to find out their son was involved with another man, they didn’t want to seem ignorant and thus allowed it all to happen without much objection.

In fact, Stan had even managed to get himself a job at Tweek Bros in order to help with the bills.

With all that going for them, Eric still felt a bit unsettled.

After a lot of consideration, he realized that he needed some form of closure with Kyle. He needed to face the jewish teen and put an end to their long rivalry. Eric wanted desperately to move on, but he needed to make sure that Kyle would not be a problem in the future.

He had struggled a bit, thinking about the best way to approach such a confrontation. Even Stan seemed at a loss about what to do in this instance. Kyle had proven to be extremely volatile and even dangerous in the past, so it was necessary to proceed with caution.

Gossip traveled fast in a town like South Park, so pretty soon everybody knew what had transpired at the Cartman residence and the ensuing fallout of Kyle’s actions.

Kyle was not ok. He had lost the sight on his left eye, which had been badly damaged by Craig’s rampage. His jaw was mostly fine after recovery, but the boy refused to talk in any way.

After compulsory psychiatric evaluation, Kyle was diagnosed with hysterical mutism, which basically meant that he couldn’t talk anymore, even though there was nothing physically wrong with his vocal chords.

Besides that, he was oftentimes catatonic and unresponsive to outside influences. Thanks to that, he was probably going to be acquitted as mentally unstable.

The whole thing left a bitter taste in Eric’s mouth.

Years ago, he would’ve rejoiced from the fact that the jew was now completely fucked up, he would’ve laughed in his face about it.

But now, he had a different perspective. Having abandoned his vengeful ways before, all he had felt for Kyle for the past couple of years was apathy. Now, after the whole shitshow, the most he could bring himself to feel was pity.

Knowing Kyle, if he found out Eric felt pity towards him and nothing else, it would probably be the biggest blow to his pride ever.

Even so, Eric couldn’t help but feel that way.

He finally had what he always dreamed of, a loving and caring boyfriend to take care of him. And his boyfriend was Stan for fuck’s sake, literally the best looking guy in the whole town.

And Kyle? He had been rejected by the object of his obsession and left in a state of complete dependency… It was such a miserable position to be in that anybody would pity the poor fucker.

Still, Eric had to confront him. He had to talk to him and settle things once and for all, even if the boy was unresponsive and too far gone to understand him. Stan also supported his intentions, thinking it would do him good.

In fact, Stan had volunteered to go with him, as a sort of buffer, but Eric had declined. He needed to do this by himself.

Approaching the Broflosvki residence was not an easy thing to do. Eric hadn’t interected with either Gerald or Sheila in years, and they possibly blamed him for the state their dear son was in now.

Foreseeing a possible fight, he had prepared quite a few arguments to try and convince them. To be honest, he had even considered sneaking into the redhead’s room, like he used to do so long ago.

Thankfully, none of that was necessary.

The Broflovskis looked quite ragged, at the end of their ropes really. Sheila in particular was looking so much worse than her usual powerful self. It all left Eric feeling even more pity than before.

Taking Eric to Kyle’s room, Sheila soon left him alone, trusting him not to do anything harmful to the boy, or perhaps thinking that there was nothing worse to be done to him in the first place.

Kyle was looking even worse than his mom.

He was sitting up on the bed, a vacant look in his one visible eye. The one that had been ruined beyond repair was behind an eyepatch, making him look like a fucked up pirate.

As he approached Kyle’s bed, Eric tried calling out to him, only to be ignored. Not letting that deter him, the overweight teen went and sat down by the chair that had been positioned at the side of the bed.

If Kyle noticed either his voice or the movement next to him, he didn’t let it show. That vacant look making his once vibrant green eyes look despairingly dull.

Once he was comfortably seated, Eric leaned a bit forward, getting himself into Kyle’s field of vision and tried once again to greet the jewish boy.

“Kyle? Hey, it’s me, Cartman.” As he said that, Eric tried touching the redhead briefly on his shoulder.

The redhead’s eye seemed to shine a bit at that, almost as if some part of his mind recalled who it was that was sitting by his side. Eric failed to notice that brief moment, but he was a bit freaked out when Kyle grasped his hand in a tight grip, almost as if he was looking for some comfort in that touch.

Eric tried to remove his hand a bit meekly, giving up after a few seconds of futile struggle. He didn’t want to tear his hand away violently for fear of Kyle’s reaction. Instead, he decided to talk to him and get it over with, as awkwardly as it would be with the redhead holding his hand.

“So, hum… If you’re still in there, you might be wondering just what the hell I’m doing here after the shit you pulled.” No reaction from Kyle.

“Well, I guess I just wanted to talk to you about all the crap that’s happened between us.” At the notion, Eric couldn’t help but sigh. “Even though I really don’t think I owe you anything in that regard, I wanted to do that for my own peace of mind.”

“I guess, in a way, I’m thankful you can’t really talk back to me right now. I don’t want a discussion or arguments, I don’t want excuses or justifications, I just want to talk and for you to listen to me, ok?”

It was weird and fucked up to talk to a person in that state, but Eric was determined to treat Kyle as someone who could listen to him and understand his words.

“So, I guess the first thing I wanted to say is that I'm with Stan now… I asked him to be my boyfriend and he said yes. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been with him. I’ve loved him for a long time, but you already knew that, right?”

Still no noticeable response from Kyle, except how his grip on Eric’s hand had become a little firmer. The overweight boy barely noticed.

“I don’t get how you thought back then that I created a ruse to fuck with you. I guess our relationship was always fucked up and toxic, but for you to think I’d stoop so low as to do something like that was honestly a shock to me.”

At this point, Eric couldn’t really look at Kyle anymore, so instead he chose to look around his room instead.

“My feelings for Stan were legitimate Kyle, they’ve always been… And even though I tried to kill them, to erase them in order to protect myself, I never could. Stan is all I’ve ever wanted in a boyfriend and not even in my wildest fantasies I imagined it would feel this good to be with him.”

Eric couldn’t help but smile as he said those things. Thankfully he was not looking at Kyle anymore, otherwise he’d have seen the jewish teen’s eyes glazing over, unshed tears threatening to fall.

“But I’m not here to gloat, y’know? I just wanted to tell you that despite your best efforts, I can finally say that I’m happy.”

Having said what he wanted to say, Eric finally stood up, removing his hand from Kyle’s quite easily by then, since the redhead’s grip had turned lax.

Making his way towards the bedroom door, Eric stopped and looked back over his shoulder. Kyle was still there, in the same position he had been when the plump teen first entered his room.

“Even though I’ve never loved you Kyle, I don’t hate you either. Perhaps if things had been different, we would have remained friends somehow. But there’s no use in wondering about such things… I’ll live my life, I’ll be happy and you… You’ll live your life as well.” Closing his eyes for a brief second, Eric took a deep breath.

“I do hope you get better jew, I hope you can find happiness too someday.”

With those final words, Eric finally left. If he had stayed just a few seconds longer, he would’ve heard his name being called out by a frail voice.

Perhaps it was better that he didn’t hear that, in the end.

_________________________________________________________________________

Quite a few years later, Eric was entering a bar in Denver. He had grown into an imposing man, working as an investment broker, making the best out of his abilities to teeter on the edge of legality, an invaluable skill set in the stock world. Still quite heavyset, sporting glasses and dressed in a formal way, he looked to be straight out ot The Wolf of Wall Street, which as it turned out, was one of the most inspirational movies of his life.

After entering the bar, he immediately made his way towards where he knew at least one of his friends would be. Finally spotting that mess of wild blond hair, he took a seat by Tweek’s side and greeted the anxious man.

“Hey there Tweeks, it’s been a while huh?” Said blond’s reaction was expected, as he gave off a self-contained scream and turned to look at Eric.

“Gah! Hello Eric, I didn’t see you come in!” The overweight man could only smirk in response.

“I’d imagine you didn’t since you’re probably looking for Kenny as if your life depended on it.”

It had taken a while, but by this point in their lives Tweek had grown accustomed to Eric’s teasing, so he took it in stride.

“It’s not like that man, he’s about to start his shift so I’ve just been hanging around, lost in thought.”

Just then, almost as if he had been summoned, Kenny showed up behind the bar, leaning forward and giving a quick peck on Tweek’s lips as a way of greeting him.

It had been an honest shock to Eric when he found out both blonds had started dating. Stan said he had seen it coming though and Eric wondered why he hadn’t mentioned anything to him.

He had to admit those two looked great together, they were definitely an attractive couple.

“Hey there Eric, how is my favorite fatass doing?” Kenny said, after greeting Tweek.

“Fuck you Kenny, I’m doing great if you need to know, now bring me a goddamned beer already.” Said boy only laughed in response, but he went about his job just the same.

Kenny’s life had been quite inspirational, if Eric bothered to admit as much. He was still working on his degree, while keeping a moderately profitable job as a bartender, he was great at it as well, thanks to his amazing people skills.

Tweek of course, never did manage to go to college, he said he couldn’t handle the pressure of higher learning. Not that he needed to go either way, since his family business was doing better and better, particularly since he started to run the place.

“So, where's the lovely wife?” Kenny asked, humorously.

“He should be getting here soon. Things have been pretty hectic for him lately.” Eric answered.

Stan had become a philosophy teacher, something that Eric had deemed quite appropriate for the ponderous man. Thankfully, he had learned to deal better with his nihilistic tendencies.

“So, you’ll never guess who I heard from.” Kenny said, a bit hesitant.

Knowing Kenny, there were only a few people that he would’ve bothered to mention to Eric, which made the large man consider his next words carefully. Did he actually want to know? Tweek was looking at him with concern.

“Do I even want to know?” Eric finally said after a few moments of contemplative silence.

“Dude, don’t be like that! I’m sure you’re at least curious about it.” Kenny had him there.

“Ok fine, tell me all about this mystery person, oh dear friend of mine.” Eric replied while scoffing a bit.

“Kyle actually contacted me yesterday.” By Tweek’s unexpected lack of a response, Eric deduced that Kenny had already told him all about it.

“Urgh, I don’t care what’s going on with that jew Kenny.” Eric made a show of rolling his eyes as he said that.

To be honest, after that final confrontation, Eric had never again seen the redhead. It was not like he was willing to go out of his way to do so in the first place, but he considered himself lucky that Kyle had never looked for him or tried to contact him in any way, unlike he had with Kenny.

“I’m not saying you do, but I thought you’d be happy to know that he’s doing ok for the most part… And also because he wanted me to tell you he’s sorry for all the shit he caused.” Kenny looked at him with a pained expression that Eric couldn’t quite place.

“So, I promised I’d tell you that, and also that Kyle wants a chance to apologize to you directly… He swears he doesn’t have any ulterior motives or anything like that, he just wants to turn the page once and for all.”

Fuck that, Eric thought. He didn’t owe the jew anything, not after everything that had happened.

Still, he just didn’t want to admit that he’d be fine with that. He’d wait a couple of days and then ask for Kenny to relay a message with his contact info. What the redhead did with that was not Eric’s problem.

“Anyway, I was sure you’d mention Craig, I haven’t heard from him in a long time, and unlike with Kyle, I actually give two shits about how he’s been.” Eric said.

At the mention of Craig, Tweek was the one to speak up, surprisingly.

“Oh, I’ve actually heard about him from Clyde!” The anxious man said, happy to contribute to the conversation. "Apparently he’s touring Europe? Getting to know a lot of different countries and all that, Clyde didn’t give me many details besides that.”

About two years after rejecting him, Craig had finally confronted Eric, calling him a lot of names and insisting he didn’t give a fuck about him anymore, even though he clearly still did.

Eric, to his credit, actually apologized to him. He still felt bad about making Craig suffer like that, even if he could never actually regret choosing Stan over him.

Nonetheless, venting about it seemed to help Craig a lot, since he eventually managed to reconnect with a lot of his friends, even Tweek though their relationship was still quite strained.

Clyde was the one closest to him after that, even to this day he was the only one who had any kind of reliable information about the stoic man’s whereabouts and general wellbeing. Eric had wondered about the nature of their relationship more than once thanks to that.

After that brief moment they spent reminiscing about the past, Stan finally arrived, in all his glory, instantly opening up a smile as soon as he saw Eric.

The events that led him to this moment quickly flashed in Eric’s mind. The ups and downs of his relationship to this beautiful man, the growth they had experienced together.

And as Stan reached him and gave him a long kiss, there was only one thing going through Eric’s mind.

It had all been goddamned worth it.