I've decided to reorder my stories, so that the three stories that will share a common timeline will be all together. To clarify and reiterate: this is not the first story I mentioned in "The Proposal"; it's just a random one-time story.
The third chapter of this story has already been written, so the second and third chapters will be posted at the same time.
A hurricane was hitting the small town of South Park. Rain was falling in sheets, and the sun had been completely blocked out. Kenny and Kyle found themselves alone on their way home without umbrellas.
"Come on! Hurry up!" shouted Kenny.
"I'm trying! I'm not as athletic as you!"
They finally arrived at Kyle's completely soaked. Even Kenny's parka was no match for the wind and rain that had the residents of South Park cowering in their homes. Kyle invited Kenny inside; an offer the blond boy accepted immediately.
"Thanks." said Kenny as Kyle held the door for him.
Once Kenny made his way inside, Kyle quickly closed and locked the door behind him. The boys then headed upstairs – completely ignoring Kyle's parents and brother – into Kyle's bedroom, dripping cold rainwater with every step they took. Kyle quickly changed from his ice-cold soaked clothes to his warm pajamas, but Kenny had no such luck. All he could do was take off his wet clothes and remain in his underwear, much to Kyle's amusement.
"I'd lend you some clothes, but I don't think they'd fit." said Kyle as he laughed.
"Besides, this is much better."
"It's n-not my fault you're s-so short!"
"Why are you stuttering?"
"Because I'm f-freezing! C-Can I use your phone t-to call my brother to come p-pick me up?"
"Of course, Ken. Here."
Kenny shakingly dialed his brother's phone number on Kyle's cellphone and asked him to pick him up with dry clothes and an umbrella. Afterward, he turned to Kyle, still shivering from the cold, and asked him if he could borrow his bed for a while to warm up.
"Sure, Kenny." Kyle replied. "I'll make you some warm tea too."
"T-Thanks."
Kenny quickly made his way into Kyle's bed as the latter rushed downstairs to make him some tea. The bed was still freezing, but it warmed up rapidly once Kenny got under the sheets.
After a few minutes, Kyle returned with a warm cup of tea. He found Kenny on his cellphone, talking to his brother.
"I see... Alright, Kevin. I'll try to hang on until tomorrow."
Kenny hung up the phone and faced Kyle, who was standing at the bedroom door with a cup of tea in his hands.
"What did Kevin say?"
"Storm's too bad to risk driving over here. I'm going to have to spend the night here... if that's OK with you."
"Fuck yeah!" thought Kyle with great excitement.
"Sure." said Kyle inconspicuously.
Kyle handed the steaming cup to Kenny, who drank it slowly, so as not to burn his lips or the inside of his mouth. Kyle watched him drink the tepid tea with great care for a while, but his attention soon turned to the outside conditions. The weather had worsened severely – the windows and doors of his house were vibrating, almost being ripped off of their hinges – and now it was snowing. Kyle was so focused on the weather that he didn't notice Kenny calling his name.
"Kyle? Kyle!"
"Hm? Sorry, what were you saying?"
"I was just thanking you for the tea... It's good."
"You're welcome, Ken." replied Kyle as he smiled.
"I'm glad you like it."
Later that night, the weather was still as beastly as ever, and the boys were facing each other whilst lying in bed. Kyle had lent Kenny his spare pajamas, in spite of their relatively small size, which the taller boy accepted, for lack of a better option.
"...This is cozy." said Kyle.
"Yeah. Are you sure your parents are OK with me sleeping here?"
"It's not like they had any choice. They couldn't just send you outside with that storm."
"Thanks, Kyle."
"You're welcome, Ken... You know, you look kinda funny with my pajamas on."
"No kidding. They're small as hell. I don't know how you fit into these things."
"Well, I'm kinda small too."
"That's one of the things I love about you, Kyle. You're just so fucking adorable."
Kenny closed his eyes and fell asleep shortly afterward, followed by Kyle.
The following day, Kenny woke up to find Kyle standing over him with a breakfast tray full of food.
"Is that for me?"
"It's for us."
Kenny picked up a sandwich from the tray and took a small bite. Once he had acquired the taste for it, he chowed it down like he hadn't eaten in weeks. Kyle was surprised by his reaction, since he was used to eating food prepared by his mother.
"Is it that good?"
"Yeah. I don't usually eat breakfast. Too lazy to make it for myself."
"Doesn't your mom make it for you? Or your dad?"
"...She and my dad are usually high on something. They just don't care."
"I'm sorry... Here, have another sandwich."
Kyle handed Kenny a second sandwich, which the blond boy wolfed down without hesitation. Kyle then sat down next to him on the bed and ate a couple of sandwiches himself, albeit more slowly than Kenny.
When the boys finished their breakfast, Kenny left for his home, to get ready for school.
"I'll see you later, alright?"
"Yeah, Ken. See ya."
The boys stood next to each other for a while, with only one thing on their minds.
"C'mon, kiss him! He's just waiting for it!"
"...See ya."
"Dammit!"
Kenny found the roof of his home completely ripped off and scattered on the ground, much to his surprise. He entered the small home and saw various puddles on the floor, from the aggressive rain of the previous day. He found his brother, Kevin, along with their mother trying to clean up the mess caused by the hurricane.
"Hey, guys... I guess that hurricane really screwed up our house."
"No kidding." said Kevin. "We're gonna have to dip into our savings to fix this roof."
"Well, I'd love to help, but I have school today."
"Thank god for that too, because I really hate cleaning up."
"Well, I'll see you guys later!"
"Later, bro."
"Goodbye, Kenny."
Later that day, all four boys – Kenny, Kyle, Stan and Cartman – were at the school together. Kenny and Kyle were looking at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking and smiled. Stan noticed the boys' strange attitude, but since he knew Cartman hadn't, he decided to keep his mouth shut until the right moment presented itself.
"So... How were your weekends?"
"Good, I guess." said Kenny as he looked at Kyle.
"It was OK." replied Kyle as he avoided staring back at Kenny.
"What about you, Stan?"
"You know, just playing games on my computer. You?"
"None of your business."
"That's code for eating until you almost had a heart attack. No wonder you're so fat." thought Stan as he smiled.
"Anything you wanna say, Stan?"
"No, no... Nothing at all..."
"Fatty."
After school, the boys split up in order to head back home. Kenny went with Cartman, while Kyle went with Stan. Once Stan and Kyle reached the latter's house, Stan decided it was the right time to ask about what was going on between him and Kenny.
"So what's up with you and Kenny?"
"What?"
"I saw you guys today. You look at him when he's not looking at you, he looks back when you're looking away... And it's not just today; you've always seemed a little too interested in Kenny. I'm not Cartman; I know something's going on."
"Well... Do you promise to keep it a secret?"
"Sure, Kyle. We're friends, after all."
"I... kind of have a thing for him."
"'A thing'?"
"Yeah, Stan. A thing."
"And does he have 'a thing' for you?"
"I think so..."
"So what's the matter? You guys should be dating then!"
"Shh! Keep your voice down. I don't want my brother to hear you. Anyway, it's tough to explain."
"Try me."
"...We've done a few things, but we've never kissed."
"So?"
"A kiss is the universal starter of a relationship. Without it, we're just... very good friends."
"...That is probably the single dumbest thing I've ever heard coming out of your mouth."
"Thanks, Stan. I knew I could count on you to be supportive."
"Look, I'm sorry, but it's true! Why should it matter if you've never kissed?"
"...You just don't get it."
"Then help me."
"Like I said, a kiss is the universal starter of a relationship."
"Yeah, I got that."
"That's all there is to it. No kiss means no relationship, as far as I'm concerned."
"Alright, Kyle. Whatever floats your boat."
"You still don't get it, but I'm done trying to explain it to you."
Kyle and Stan shook hands, and Kyle headed inside his home and up into his bedroom. Unbeknownst to him, however, his brother had heard the entire conversation with Stan. Ike smiled to himself, glad that Kyle had finally confessed his feelings for Kenny.
"It's not like everyone didn't already know. Well, everyone except Cartman. But he's an idiot, so he doesn't really count."
Meanwhile, in Kenny's house, the blond boy reluctantly picked up a mop to help clean up the floor of his home.
"Fucking weather... Why couldn't we have moved somewhere nicer? Maybe somewhere without hurricanes... But then I wouldn't have met Kyle, so I guess that's OK... Kyle..."
Kenny stopped working and started daydreaming about Kyle. Memories flooded his brain, from the first time he slept over at Kyle's to the first time they almost kissed. They made him smile, but completely distracted him from the work he was supposed to be doing, until Kevin stepped in and did something about it.
"Kenny! Wake up, little bro."
"Don't call me 'little bro', Kevin. I'm almost twenty now."
"Sorry... You'll always be my little bro to me, Kenny."
"...Thanks, Kevin."
"I know you don't mean anything bad by it."
Kenny and Kevin had the house clean shortly after the sun went down, and decided to go to sleep sooner. Kenny wasn't used to sleeping more than six hours per day, but now he decided it was time for a rest.
The boys headed for the bedroom they shared and lied down on their respective beds. However, they couldn't sleep. Kevin was trying to figure out just how much money his family was going to have to spend to get their roof fixed, whereas Kenny was thinking about Kyle.
"Kyle... I love you so much."
"Hey, you still awake, bro?"
"...Yeah."
"Can't sleep?"
"Nope."
"Me either... What's on your mind?"
"N-Nothing."
"C'mon, Kenny, you can't lie to me. Why else would you be awake?"
"What's on your mind that's keeping you awake?"
"Nice try, bro."
"...You promise not to make fun of me?"
"That's what family's for."
"I... kinda have a crush on someone."
"Really? Since when do you have crushes?"
"He's special."
"Since a few months ago."
"Have you... done anything about it?"
"No... I mean, we did some stuff, but..."
"You haven't said anything about it, have you?"
"No... It's kinda weird, to be honest. We've done pretty much everything, but when it comes to talking..."
"So? Some things don't need to be said. You just need to do something about it."
"I... didn't think of it that way. Thanks, Kevin."
"You're welcome. Now go to sleep. I know you haven't slept 8 hours in several weeks."
"I'm OK."
"Right..."
Kevin fell asleep a few minutes after his short conversation with Kenny, rightly convinced that it had had an effect on his sibling. Kenny, on the other hand, couldn't sleep. He replayed all the chanced he had had with Kyle that he could have used to kiss him or say something. He was regretting that he had wasted all those opportunities to confess his feelings to Kyle. Every time the perfect moment presented itself, Kenny would run away from it as if he was on fire. Kyle was no better; the opportunities revealed themselves and he shied away from them. The fact that he had admitted, not only to himself, but to Stan as well, that he had a crush on Kenny was nothing short of a miracle, given his usual reaction to personal things. Kenny, on the other hand, was simply surprised that he had actually developed a crush on someone. He was used to dating people a couple of weeks, then switching them for someone else, but he actually wanted a relationship with Kyle. He wanted something he had never had in his life – love.
"Kyle..."