Love is not a victory march, it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah.

"Baby," said Kenny, taking Butters' hand and pressing it to his heart, "you know that if your parents don't accept us, you'll always have a place with me. I've got the money for us to move into an apartment together. I'll pay for your college." He leaned forward, kissing the pretty boy's cold cheek. "But you don't have to tell them."

"Aw, I'ah know, Kenny. But I want them to know. They've got'ta stop trying to hook me up with girls." He flushed, and the pool of light from the the streetlamp illuminated the pinkness of his face. "Besides, I'm not scared. You're here with me."

They held hands as they walked up the sidewalk, up the stairs, and into the house.

Linda Stotch was in the living room when they appeared. "Butters? I thought you were staying the night at Kenny's house. Is something wrong?"

"No, ma'am, nothing's wrong. Kenny and I just want to talk to you and dad." Linda glanced down, at Kenny and Butters' interlaced fingers. She paled.

"Stephen? Stephen, get out here!"

Stephen Stotch hurried in from the kitchen, holding a mug of coffee. He took one look at Kenny and Butters, and scowled.

"Butters, what are you doing? Why are you holding hands with him? You're grounded, mister!"

Butters gulped and cleared his throat. Kenny tightened his grip on the boy's hand, smiling encouragingly from the depths of his hoodie.

"I-- I'm gay, dad. I've been dating Kenny for a really long time. I'ah know I shouldn't have waited so long to tell you, but I've always been so afraid--" He stopped. His father was glaring daggers at him. He opened his mouth to continue, after a moment, but Stephen cut him off.

"You aren't gay, young man. Go to your room. You're grounded." He rounded on Kenny. "And you can just get out of our house. Stay away from our son."

Kenny let his hood slip back, a spark of hatred in his eyes.

"Butters and I are together, Mr. Stotch. You can either accept it or not." He pulled Butters just a little closer.

A slap resounded through the room, and Butters stared at his father, vaguely recognizing that his cheek stung.

And then Butters did something he had never done before, at least, never to his parents.

Butters screamed, low and guttural, and lunged at his father, manicured fingernails ready to claw the man's eyes out.

For a moment, Kenny let it go on, though Linda tried in vain to stop them. Then, when he felt that Butters had had enough, he put his hands on the boy's shoulders, and pulled him back.

Butters came away with only a few scratches, but his father had not been so lucky-- the man was bleeding, and his nose was already starting to swell.

Kenny spoke in a low voice, not bothering to look at his boyfriend's parents, "We'll be back for his things tomorrow."

"No-- Butters! Butters, don't leave! Please, son, please don't go!" Linda reached for her son's hand and he pulled away. "...I love you, son..."

"I've had enough of you, mom. If you loved me, well, well, I wouldn't have all the scars, would I? I wouldn't have all the mem'ries of you hurting me." He sneezed.

"Bless you," murmured Kenny. "Let's go."

And just as quietly as they had come, they slipped out of the Stotch household.

"Kenny, it's over. I'ah'm finally free!" It only dawned on Butters now what this meant. "I'm free! I'm free!"

"We're free, baby! We're free!"

They danced through a flurry of snowflakes, kissing in a pool of lamplight, crying together.

And it's not a cry you can hear at night-- it's not somebody who's seen the light, it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

"Hallelujah!"

A/N: Mm. Rather sappy ending, but I felt that it should be set in winter, because the song (which is, by the way, Hallelujah by Rufus Wainwright,) seems to fit that time of year. I'm very happy with how this ended up, though Butters' southern drawl was weird to write, and I just kind of threw it in when he was feeling nervous (I hope). Originally, Linda was going to go crazy, and come at Butters with scissors, but I thought that would be a bit spoiling the mood of the fic.
...Butters and Kenny are going to move to San Francisco, where Butters will go to culinary school and Kenny will work as a barista at Starbucks. I really thought that out, thinking I might need it somewhere. XD
Hope you enjoyed.