Imperfect
A South Park fanfiction

A/N: So I told a few people about how I was planning on writing a one-shot when I had finished US.
This is not that one-shot. xD
I wrote this up really quick last night when I remembered it was Stan's birthday today, hence the shortness of it. Something a bit different than my usual, mainly due to the facts that it's both told in third person and written in the present tense (both styles I don't tend to write in often) so I'm not entirely sure how well it flows, but I gave it my best.
There is minor Style in this, that's slash for all you who aren't pairing-savvy, although it, like the rest of the piece, is very, very brief.
So enjoy, and please review.
Happy birthday, Stan =)

Kyle is smart. He knows what words like fulgurating and wantage mean without having to look them up in the dictionary. Half the time when he talks people have to stop and ask What did you say? because he uses so many big words that no normal human being knows. He doesn't do it because he feels like he has a superior intellect, or to show off; not at all. He doesn't even do it on purpose. He is just so used to making complicated sentences and using as descriptive of words as he possibly can that he often forgets that people have trouble understanding him. It's not just talking that he's smart with, either. He can solve calculus problems in his head; no need for calculators here. He's close to fluent in French. He claims his intelligence is due only to the fact that he spends almost all his free time studying, but everyone knows that even if he never studied at all, he would still be in mostly advanced classes.

Kyle is pretty. He has electric green eyes that can flash with anger or light up with excitement, drown in sadness or smolder with intensity, as well as show a whole array of other emotions. He has a strong, obviously Jewish nose. He used to not like his nose but now he says he is proud of it and he likes how it shows his heritage. He has bright red hair, inherited from his mother, that falls in thick, bushy curls around his face. He has a light dusting of freckles, only visible from very close up, smattered across his nose. He has a mischievous grin and a wiry, lanky frame that on most boys of his age would be awkward but suits him rather well. He moves with long, loping strides with a grace similar to that of a wolf, and he is a beast on the basketball court.

Kyle is popular. He is president of his school class. He is the star player of the basketball team. He is president of three clubs and member of at least four others. He has a lot of friends and says hello to almost everyone he passes in the hallways at school. There are lots of girls after him, and he could choose whichever one he wanted, if he wanted. He never wants. He doesn't pick favorites. He is favored among all his teachers, and he is consistently looked upon as Park County High's "golden boy." He is featured in the local paper often for his academic and athletic achievements. He hates all the attention and sometimes the hatred and jealousy of his classmates that is associated with this. He didn't ask to be special.

Kyle is a liar. He lies when he says he doesn't choose favorites. His favorite color is blue and his favorite class is English and his favorite food is his mother's special latkes, which she only makes on holidays. His favorite person slash super best friend Stanley Marsh can tell you any of these things. He lies when he says he has self-confidence. He thinks that without his achievements, he would be no one. He fears being a no one. He has seen it happen to others and he never wants to go through that so he works as hard as he can to remain a someone. While he is truthful when he says he doesn't like attention, it also helps him feel relieved because it reassures him that he is still a someone, for a little while longer. He lies when he says that he fears dating will distract from his schoolwork, because the simple truth is that he has already fallen in love and decided that it is wonderful.

Kyle is emotionally unstable. He gets angry over almost nothing and goes into a great rage, yelling and cussing and making a fuss. He will sulk and pout and mope around until suddenly, almost as quickly as the gloom took over, he is happy again. He tries to control his anger but finds it increasingly difficult as he gets older. He is highly impatient, especially around people that act stupid when he knows they are smart, and people who insult him. The thing he hates the most is when someone insults him or his family or his heritage. He can't help the way he is. He thinks that people should deal with and accept this. However, he often doesn't go about the best way of informing them of this opinion.

Kyle is forgetful. He forgets people's names almost the second after they tell him what they are. He forgets what time he needs to be places and is always showing up late. He forgets that he needs to go places and never shows up. He forgets when his mother asks him to do things around the house, or to run errands for her. He forgets when his little brother asks him to play catch after school, or to help him with his homework. Most of the time he can't even remember what day it is.

Kyle has many faults. He has many perfections. They somehow manage to equal out. It doesn't mean that he isn't loved. In fact, Stan loves him very much.

It's still not any less frustrating to pass the whole morning of October 19th without so much as a word from the redhead. Stan drops subtle hints. Kyle, per usual, fails to pick up on them. Stan decides that Kyle really has forgotten, and by the time lunch rolls around, has given up all hopes that it will finally dawn on his friend what the date the calendar is proclaiming.

Kyle walks Stan home. He does this every day, except for the days when Stan goes over Kyle's house. Then they walk there together instead. Even when one of them has to stay after school for something, the other will wait so that they can walk. It's the high point of Stan's day, usually, being able to spend time with Kyle. Today, however, it's different. Stan is sulking, brooding in his own cloud of upset, and he is refusing to say a word to Kyle.

"See you tomorrow," are the only words Stan says to his friend once they finally arrive outside of his house. He turns to go inside. Kyle grabs his arm to stop him. Stan turns around.

Kyle digs through his bag and pulls out a present wrapped in brightly colored paper. Stan's eyes light up when he sees it, and an expression of vague amusement crosses Kyle's features. "You really thought I forgot, didn't you."

"Well, you hadn't said anything all day, so I just figured…" Stan reasons, suddenly feeling bad for doubting Kyle. Kyle just grins and hands over the gift. Stan absently toys with the ribbon on top, still gazing thoughtfully at Kyle. "You know," he starts, "for all your flaws you really are kind of amazing. I don't know how you do it."

"It's a gift," Kyle shrugs, still smiling softly.

Stan easily smirks in return. "So modest, too. The perfect boyfriend."

"You're not too bad yourself," Kyle teases. He leans forward and presses his lips to the dark-haired boy's. "Happy birthday, Stan."

The End.