Chapter Text
Butters looks closely at his hands, noticing they're a little dry, so he leans over and reaches into his backpack for one of his favorite self-care things: his strawberry-scented Hello Kitty hand cream. He hums happily when he finds it and places some in the palm of his hand, spreading it gently in slow massages that he really enjoys.
"Butters."
The little blonde turns around and smiles widely when he realizes that it's Eric Cartman. They hadn't really gotten along years ago, of course, Butters followed the stout boy everywhere, almost like a dog; but the chestnut did not consider him a true friend.
That changed when they entered sixth grade, when Kenny, Stan, and Kyle were put in different classrooms from Cartman, who had no choice but to start hanging out a lot more with little Leopold. At first they only spoke between classes, since the chestnut was with his three friends at lunch. However, thanks to the fact that they were basically neighbors, Butters started walking Eric to school and home; soon after, both were frequenting both houses, having sleepovers or simply going out together for a walk or riding their bikes. Eric was starting to consider the fact that maybe he had misjudged Butters throughout his childhood, and Butters, well, the kid was fucking happy to be able to spend quality time with his once crush.
"Eric!" The blond's smile is still there as he gives his robust friend a big hug. "Today at your house or at mine?"
The other kid hesitates for a moment, but finally answers. "In mine."
In front of both of them is a cute makeup set, courtesy of Liane, who had left their lunch in the fridge and a "very lovely surprise that they would surely love to wear" in her poopsickin's room. The tender woman knew that her little boy was going through a very important stage in his development, and she did not find anything wrong with the fact that he enjoyed things that were not normal for other children his age. Indeed, the sweet mother was relieved that her son was not consuming any harmful substances like her in her young days. Perhaps that was the reason she was too supportive of him in his gender discovery.
"Ohhh, cute." Stotch is the first to speak, her cute little eyes sparkling with delight in the lush colors of the pretty and shiny eye shadows and lipsticks. "Do you want to try them, Eric?"
Eric is totally self-conscious, it's normal, he knows it. He's done makeup, and even cross-dressing before, but he can't help but blush at the thought of Butters looking at him in the way he'd decided would be his way of dealing with problems.
But that's okay, he shouldn't be ashamed. Butters seems to notice, because she decides to undo the updo she was wearing earlier to make her long hair less obvious. She shakes it and adjusts it a bit, trying to give it shape. She smiles sweetly at Eric.
"Don't worry." She murmurs, opening her arms in an inviting way that makes the action of hugging the only one on the other boy's mind. "You know that in our rooms we can be who we want to be."
Eric nods gently into the small blonde's arms. He likes when Marjorine is around, when they're together alone and he can turn into his true self, when he can be Erica and not Eric. When he can be she.
"I want... I want you to do my makeup." She murmurs almost inaudibly, luckily, Marjorine manages to hear her, because she nods effusively, totally excited. "I want to look very pretty."
"Of course!" She gives her a cute little kiss in the forehead and caresses her cheeks, sweetly. "Stay still, I'm going to start."