Author's Note: I wanted to write a quick little story about how hard it would be for the boys to grow up being gay in such a Hick town as South Park. So this was created. I own nothing! All characters and Titles belong to Matt & Trey!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Heartbeats ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

They're staring again. I know it. I can feel their stupid fucking eyes on the back of my neck as we walk past the food court. Why can't they just get over themselves for two seconds? Why don't they just ignore us like our parents do? Why do they have to make it so hard to be like me?

This is how it always is whenever we go anywhere. No matter where it is, the scrutinizing stares always follow us. Every single eye on us. I guess that's the downside of living in a hick town like this. The religious and self-centered assholes make up three-fourths the population. I guess that's why the other two moved out.

We're walking past the indoor-playground, now. The place covered in that speckled, foam rubber shit that smells like piss but prevents the little snot-nosed brats from skinning their knees should they fall off the overly colorful metal jungle-gym. As we walk past, a mother sitting on a nearby bench turns her salon-pampered head towards us, and her eyes follow us.

"Mommy, look!! Those two boys are holding hands!!"

I clench my jaw to prevent me from screaming the outburst that arrives from the girl's exclamation. Next to me, I can tell that he senses it, because he lifts his other hand, the one not occupied by mine, and places it on my shoulder, swiftly leading me away from the playground.

My muscles are still clenched by the time he sits me down on a bench. No, not just a bench, I realized, our bench. This was the bench we sat in when we shared our first slushy, our first secrets, and our first kiss. It was a sort of shrine to what we were.

It was also private. Which was good. If you know what I mean.

It was sandwiched between the security office and the entrance to the men's restroom, and this area was always deserted. There were no eyes to watch us here. It was our safe-haven.

He was looking up at me now, his look of "are you okay?" plastered all over his beautiful face. I tilted my head back until it hit the wall, groaning out what was left of my infuriated eruption. He sat up on his knees in order to look me in the eyes. He said what I already knew.

"I love you."

And he was probably the only one who did.

I smirk up at the ceiling. His words always made me do that. There was something about the honey-sweet texture of his voice that made me smirk if he said anything. I lift my head and look him in his eyes, his big, beautiful, deep blue eyes. I've had fantasies where I'm actually swimming in his eyes, they're that blue.

He smiles, and I melt.

"Are you gonna tell me what's up your ass?"

Typical. He always gets straight to the point, leaving me in the dust. I look away for a moment, pretending to be interested in the flashing neon EXIT sign above his head. But he cups his slender fingers under my chin and directs my attention back to him. His thin, flawless lips briefly brush across mine. "Tell me."

If you insist.

"I fucking hate this hick town. Everyone's against us. I feel so cut off from everyone around me, around us. I wish we could just fucking get the hell out of here. Be like those lucky bastards that got away, you know?"

I let my head fall against the wall again, this time letting my eyes slip closed, blocking out the harsh real world, and falling into the world we make real. I feel him wrap his arms around my middle, and lay his head on my chest.

I know that he's listening to my heartbeat. He loves to listen to my heartbeat. And I love listening to his. It's the only steady thing that I can always count on to be there when I need it.

I slide my arm across his lower back and relax. I can feel his heartbeat as he presses his chest to mine. It doesn't take long before they're beating in sync.

I feel myself getting drowsy. I can feel his body relaxing. The mall will be closing soon. They won't find us. They won't look. My mom will be wondering where I am in the morning. And his parents, well, his parents could give two shits about him. Best let me take care of him.

And do I care? Nope. Not one bit. Because I can feel his heartbeat. It's the same as mine.

And that's the only thing that matters.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ fin ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Author's Note: So? What did you think?! Please RnR and let me know how it was!! Oh, and bonus points uf you can guess the pairing!!