Chapter Text
It was 3:34 in the morning when the doorbell was rung. Stan was lying in his bed, breathing out puffs of frustration when he wasn’t getting any shut eye. Insomnia had always been a big thing for him, but tonight was just too far. Especially when he had been working all day.
But when the sound of the doorbell reached his ears, he sat up immediately. A pang of panic hitting him in the chest. He wasn’t quite sure why he was scared, but at the same time, who wouldn’t be when someone was at your door in the middle of the night?
Stan kicked his feet off the bed and slowly stood up, picking up a worn out band tee and throwing it over his head. He never wore tops to bed. He claimed that it was too hot to wear one when anybody asked.
He then went to his bedroom door, twisting the knob and going through it, just to go down the stairs. He hoped it wasn’t someone he didn’t know.
And thankfully, fate was on his side when he opened the front door. It was indeed someone he knew. Kyle Broflovski. His bestfriend since kindergarten.
He was standing there, his red hair was frizzy, going in every single direction. He had eyebags under his emerald eyes and his eyebrows were drawn together as he looked at Stan with a vulnerable look.
Oh, and he also had a nasty bruise right on his cheekbone. It looked new, and it was new. Because Stan had seen him yesterday, and he didn’t have something that colourful on his creamy, soft skin. Stan would know, he had Kyle’s face memorised into his mind.
“Kyle?” Stan gawked, completely baffled by the fact that Kyle was here on his porch. It was half past three for crying out loud! Kyle would usually be asleep by 12, and that’s if he was feeling energised.
“He hit me.” Kyle blurted out, his eyes glancing away from Stan’s. And Stan felt his heart drop to stomach. He knew exactly who Kyle was talking about.
His boyfriend.
Stan immediately didn’t like Sam when Kyle introduced him. He was cocky, but not in the way that it was funny. In the way that it was too far. Too far to the point you wanted to tape his mouth shut because he was so annoying. Stan was surprised that Kyle would go for someone like him. Especially when Kyle was so hotheaded. He would go on a full rant when Stan would drop a small crumb on his bed. So it was very surprising that he would be with…Sam. A guy who didn’t know how to keep his mouth shut.
But what was even more surprising was how long they actually stayed together. Stan swore they would break up in 3 months, max. But they stayed together for almost a year.
Stan didn’t know, but he had such an off feeling about this guy! And it annoyed him to no end when Kyle didn’t break up with the douche. He would’ve told Kyle to do it himself, but he knew he had no right to do that. And besides, he didn’t want to seem jealous. Because…he totally wasn’t jealous or anything.
Totally.
But now that Kyle had revealed that Sam had…had hit him, Stan knew the feeling in his stomach everytime he saw them together wasn’t jealousy. It’s because he knew!
Well, maybe it was mixed with a bit of jealousy.
“He what?” Stan asked, his brows turning down as he felt anger flow through his blood. Stan wasn’t a violent man by any means, but hitting Kyle was too far. And he would certainly not hesitate to track Sam down and give him a beating of his own.
“Can I come in?” Kyle asked, tucking a red curl behind his ear as he pursed his lips. His voice was quiet and weak. And Kyle had no idea how much that hurt Stan.
Stan took a deep breath, he was angry, but he knew he needed to comfort Kyle. It was a surprise that Kyle wasn’t sobbing right now.
But then again, Stan was a bit happy about that, because he’d probably cry too at the sight. “Of course, man.”
So that’s how they got on the couch, Kyle was cradling a hot cup of tea in his hands with a blanket rested on his lap. Stan wanted to make him as comfortable as possible.
“Can you tell me what happened?” Stan urged after a few moments of silence, before he quickly added, “Unless you don’t want to right now, that’s totally fine. You don’t even have to tell me at all. As long as you’re comfortable.”
Kyle would’ve laughed if he wasn’t in such a shitty mood. But a small smile tugged at his lips. Stan was such a dork.
“We were arguing…again.” Kyle stated, taking a sip of his tea. Kyle had told Stan that they argued quite a bit, but Stan didn’t know how far the arguing went.
“I told him he needs to pick his shit up after himself. I told him that he’s an adult and I shouldn’t be doing everything for him.” Kyle explained with a shaky voice, swallowing the lump in his throat. “And then the next thing I know he just…punches me, right in the face.”
Kyle tries not to cry. He hasn’t cried yet. Not even when it happened. He was just too angry to even feel sad. But now it was all just hitting him in the face. (Pun not intended.)
“I didn’t see it coming, Stan. I didn’t even have time to react.” Kyle could feel the tears burning his eyes, and he finds the courage to look up at Stan.
Stan Marsh hated Sam whatever the fuck his last name is.
“C’mere.” Stan sighed, taking the cup from Kyle’s hands and placing it on the table before opening up his arms, inviting Kyle in for a hug.
And Kyle didn’t hesitate, he moved forward and practically threw himself into Stan’s arms, burying his head into his shoulder. He couldn’t control his tears. Not anymore.
“It’s okay, Ky. I’m here for you.” Stan cooed, running one hand through Kyle’s soft, red curls that he had grown to love so much, and his other hand rubbing Kyle’s back comfortingly. He hated watching him cry. Even when they were younger he hated watching him cry.
“I’m sorry.”
Stan raised an eyebrow. “For what?”
Kyle breathed out a sob as he moved slightly so his nose was in Stan’s neck, inhaling the scent he would recognise anywhere. “For coming here in the middle of the night.”
“Kyle, don’t say that. You know I’ll always be here for you. It doesn’t matter when or where.” Stan replies, and he’s being sincere. But he mentally curses when he realises how gay it sounds.
But Kyle thinks the opposite. “I know. Thank you.” He says as he sucks in a shaky breath, nuzzling into Stan’s neck.
Stan’s heart skips a beat, but he knows better and he continues to focus on comforting Kyle. “It’s no problem, dude.”
They sit there for a while, just hugging. Kyle calms down with his crying, but he lets out little shaky breaths here and there. “Does it hurt?” Stan asks suddenly, pulling away a little to see Kyle’s bruise.
“A little.” Kyle responded, his hand going up to his injury. He pressed down it softly and winced when he felt a shooting of pain.
“I’ll get you frozen peas. Hold on, okay?” Stan uttered, ruffling Kyle’s hair with a small smile before standing up and walking to the kitchen after Kyle nodded in acknowledgment.
Stan opened his freezer and looked through it, hoping to find some frozen peas. He felt so mad, and so sad. Mostly for Kyle, but also at himself for not being able to protect Kyle. Which is a little stupid because he wasn’t even there, and he had no idea that would happen.
When he found the chilled food, he closed the freezer door with a sigh and made his way back to the living room, just to see Kyle on his phone, the light hitting his face in the dimly lit room.
“Here.” He hands Kyle the peas as he sits down next to him, his arm going behind Kyle on the couch.
“Thanks.” Kyle flashes him a small smile and holds the frozen food up to his bruise before looking back down at his phone. “Sam’s been trying to call me and text me.”
And Stan feels a surge of anger again. Really? After practically ABUSING your boyfriend, you call him and text him? Yeah, fuck him—Stan decides. “Don’t waste your time with that asshole.”
Stan doesn’t mean to be insensitive, but he only wants the best for Kyle. He shouldn’t even react to someone like that who done that to him. It was borderline evil in Stan’s books. But maybe he was just feeling that way because it was Kyle. And he couldn’t help but feel protective of Kyle.
“I know.” Kyle sighs, leaning his head onto Stan’s shoulder. And Stan feels his cheeks heat up, but he puts his arm around Kyle anyways. “He’s trying to apologise.
“Don’t forgive him Kyle. I’m telling you.”
“I won’t.”
“Good.”
“…Can I stay at yours?”