Title: It was Cartman's fault

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Rating: M, just to be safe.

Pairing: Stan/Kyle

Summary: Cartman always has to go and push it that one extra bit. I blame him for all this. Caution: most people will probably find this disturbing, and this is slash!!!

Stan's POV

It was Cartman's fault.

Funny how that doesn't surprise me in the least. It's always been his fault. This though….this went much further than the other crap he's pulled.

It had been a lovely day, perfect blue sky, not a cloud to be seen…..ah who am I kidding? The day was fricking miserable. It rained constantly, and if you dared to look up and chance getting the heavy raindrops in your eyes, then you'd see the never-ending layer of grey cloud that looked more than ominous. Kyle….Kyle had been getting worse and worse. When he was thirteen the doctors diagnosed him with schizophrenia. Personally I think they were full of crap, he was fine, but his bitch of a mother insisted he was ill and kept pushing till he 'got the help he needed'. When they put him on the meds…the change was noticeable. He got dark…worryingly dark. He suddenly acquired an unhealthy obsession with destruction and fire. He really started scaring people – me included. But he was, and always will be, my best friend. I wasn't going to leave him to suffer this alone-what kind of a friend would that be? Unfortunately everyone else disagreed with me. They avoided him like the plague. The only one who talked to Kyle, apart from me, was Cartman, and that was just so he could make his life miserable.

One day Cartman pushed too hard. He did the one thing that seemed to get through to Kyle – insulted me. Cartman could say anything else to him, but the only way he'd get a rise out of him was to target me. This day was particularly bad though. He cornered me and Kyle one day after school, trapping us in a dead end alleyway. He told Kyle one day he'd pick up the courage and get rid of me, and then what would happen? Course Cartman said it with far more words and a far stupider accent, as ever, but the meaning was obvious. He wanted me dead.

Kyle snapped.

In one rapid movement he darted forwards, kicked Cartman in the balls, and pushed him to the ground. He placed his foot on Cartman's neck, keeping him in place, and pulled me to him in a protective embrace. We'd done this before. In Kyle's….delicate condition, he needed affection, especially as most people refused to go near him. We had always been very close friends, but now we were even more. It had started with hugs, and holding hands- reminding him I was still there. Naturally it seemed to move onto holding each other at night – he had nightmares and it seemed to stop them, and then onto nuzzling, and eventually kissing. He's disturbed, he and I both recognise that, but I love him. I can't help it – he needs me, and in some strange way I need him too. Looking after him kinda defines me.

Anyway, he pulled me to him, and stared down at Cartman who, like normal, never knows when to shut up.

"Ya' goddamn queers" he choked out "always knew you were freaks" Kyle just saw red- he jumped forward with his foot, crushing Cartman's neck and silencing his irritating voice forever. My eyes grew wide with shock, as did Cartman in his final moments. I doubt Cartman thought Kyle would actually go through with his silent threat. I wasn't surprised at that, Kyle never backs down, I was just surprised that Kyle has killed someone. I knew it was going to happen at one point, Kyle just didn't quite see life like an 'ordinary' person, but actually seeing him doing it was another matter indeed.

Kyle pushed down as hard as he could, twisting his foot and making sure Cartman would never get up. I just kept my eyes on his face – he may be capable of killing, but it makes me a bit queasy, and his eyes. He looked so focused, so dangerous, and so, so beautiful. God I sound insane myself when I say that, but he did. He had an 'avenging angel' vibe to him, one that utterly suited him, and was mesmerising. He looked up at me once he believed he was 'done' and his eyes softened immediately upon falling on me, just as they always did, and I was greeted with a warm preoccupied smile. That was as good as it got for Kyle.

I gulped, and, taking Kyle's hand in mine, began walking out the alley quickly, yanking on his hand to follow me.

"Where are we going?" He asked his voice oddly vulnerable and innocent as he tipped his head to one side in confusion, a stance that always made me melt with emotion for him. How could I not love him when he looked at me like that?

"We have to go Kyle, if they find us here, then they'll arrest us for killing Cartman"

Kyle shrugged

"I don't care if I'm arrested, they can't do anything to me" I took his other hand in my free one.

"They'll take me too" I murmured "and you'll get insanity, you'll be okay" I agreed nodding my head "but I'll get either the death penalty or life in prison" I shuddered "both of which ends in me being dead" His eyes grew hard and defiant

"I won't let them kill you" He said, every word oozing promise.

"Then come on" I tugged at his hand again "if you don't want me to die we have to go. Now!" He nodded once, concisely, and then followed me out the alley way, before we both ran.

We had loved South Park. We'd lived there since we were born, and our families and old friends lived there. But we couldn't go back, not after what Kyle had done……no…..not Kyle, he couldn't help it.…this was Cartman's fault.