Chapter Text
Dong. Dong. Tap. Dong.
Pause.
Tap–Tap–Tap!
Butters Stotch propped himself up on his elbows, opening his eyes and sighing. He just wanted to sleep this awful night away. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust, but once they did he saw the culprit of the noise. Twigs and rubberbands hitting his window. He watched a few more hit the glass, confused, and then looked to his Paris Hilton alarm clock. It was 4AM. Fucking 4AM. Who the hell was trying to get his attention at 4AM? He groaned, slinging his feet over the edge of his bed and standing slowly. He opened the window carefully, trying not to let it creak and moan and wake his parents. Apparently the person below was having too much fun, because a twig hit him square in the face only moments after.
“Ow!” He whisper-shouted, covering his nose. “Who is down there?” Butters stuck his head out the window, peering down at the person below. The guy looked up and smiled, and Butters had to restrain himself from sighing.
His orange hood was pulled down and he waved, hand full of twigs and rubberbands decorating his wrists. “Hey Leo!” It was a normal volume, but loud enough to make the platinum blonde cringe.
“Shh! Kenny, what are you doing here?!” He crossed his arms on the window sill. Kenny was stepping closer to his house, but Butters gave him a warning glare.
“Who pissed in your Cheerios?” Kenny put his hands up lazily, like he was being arrested. Butters guessed the question was rhetorical because he switched subjects. “Why were you out of school? It was a lot harder to make trouble without Eric’s worker-bee around.”
The boy in the window pouted, maybe from the ‘worker-bee’ comment, maybe from missing out. “I’m grounded.”
“From school?”
“From leavin’ my room.”
“Why?” Kenny took a seat on the snowy ground, ready for a story.
Butters thought for a moment, then chuckled. “Well, cause of you.. Momma and Dad were cross about me going to the new Terrance and Phillip movie.” He pauses, but Kenny waits. “Dad’s fine with me seein’ boys, just not..”
Kenny’s smile softens. “Not me?”
“Not you.” Butters ran a hand through his neat hair. “I think I’m grounded ‘til we.. uhm.. are over.”
Golden blonde hair bobs as Kenny nods slowly. “Is…is this the end?” It's almost too soft to hear.
“No..” Butters stands up straight, making it harder to see him. “No, but you sure are trouble.”
Kenny grins. He rises to his feet quickly and thrusts his fist into the air, winking. “I warned you. I told you not to fall in love with me! And look at you now. Locked up like a Disney character.” It elicits a laugh from Butters, so he continues. “You know, Paladins are supposed to save their princesses, not the other way around. Villains are supposed to take captors, not be captured.”
He sighs thoughtfully and slowly puts his legs out over the edge of the window, sitting on it and looking at the sky. “Professor Chaos is immune to love, you’re lucky I don't play dress-up anymore.” Butters then purses his lips. “Well, not publicly.”
They stay in comfortable silence for a moment. This early in the day, South Park is peaceful. The only light is an occasional porch light, triggered by a stray raccoon or squirrel. The forest critters chatter to distract themselves from the cold and the stars shine brighter than the sun. It almost feels like Leo is down there with Kenny. Almost.
“We should run away together.” Kenny suddenly speaks, and Butters almost flinches himself out of the window and down two stories.
“Excuse you?” Butters picks up the stick that hit him earlier, which fell on the window sill, and drops it on Kenny’s head. Kenny hisses.
“What!? It's a good idea. What do we have here? Shitty families, shitty friends, shitty schools, shitty lives.” He throws his hands up like he's offended Butters didn't immediately fall into the idea and then huffs like it was so much effort.
Butters feels like this whole night is one big sigh. “What about Karen? Hm? What about the fun of a new adventure every week? What about being teenagers, being punished for stupid stuff and hatin’ everything? We can’t run away.”
“It’ll just be us.” Kenny tries again. “We could get married, do odd jobs or farm in the middle of nowhere. No one would find us, and we’d be happy. Together.”
“Kenny.” It sounds like a warning. “I love you, but we can’t run away right now. Not yet..”
“Not yet?”
“Not yet.”
Kenny smiles, that's good enough for him.