Caught In The Rain

An AU "one-shot" story by NYGuy322

There he was, caught in the rain again. Caught in it like he had been every day this week, as the town of South Park was now going through what was, at the present time, a record number of days in a row where it just rained non-stop. The weather channel had promised that the sun would be back out to greet the town by the beginning of next week, but in the meantime, Clyde Goodman would simply have to stand outside in his present location as the rain continued to fall upon his soft, somewhat shaggy brown hair.

Clyde was standing outside in the rain today with a purpose in mind. This purpose wasn't a particular thing or for a particular event. No, this purpose was a particular person. Craig Hutchins to be exact.

Clyde and Craig had been the best of friends from the very first moment the two of them met in pre-school just a few short years ago, and as they grew up more and more in the years and went up more and more grade-wise in school, their friendship simply grew and blossomed like a flower in spring. Though lately, Clyde wasn't looking at Craig as someone who was simply his best friend, no, Clyde was now beginning to look at Craig as someone who he could….spend the rest of his life with, someone who he could live with forever with all of the ups and downs of life, someone who could be…..a soul mate.

From the moment that he was supposed to feel a sort of longing for girls of his age, Clyde felt that he honestly just could not find any sort of attraction to anyone of the opposite sex. While other boys his age were beginning to gain girlfriends and relationships, Clyde just held back with emotions of that nature, as no matter how many times he tried, no matter how many blind dates he was set up with, either through his parents or his friends, he just could not find any sort of spark with a girl at all. It wasn't the fact that he couldn't find that right girl….It was simply the fact that he just didn't find girls attractive at all, even someone as beautiful and popular as Bebe Stevens.

But with Craig….with Craig that was a completely different story. Anytime Clyde ventured into his house, or Craig came to visit him, it just lifted Clyde's spirits higher then they could possibly be to him. Anytime that Clyde was depressed and feeling down, Craig always seemed to be the one who could cheer him up, either with a joke, or just plain spending time with Clyde with whatever adventure they happened to be on for that particular day. As the days, weeks, months, even years passed, his fondness for Craig grew more and more, and so did, dare Clyde even say it, his attraction to Craig. However, while he did feel that sort of spark for Craig, on the other hand, Clyde also wanted to make sure without a shadow of a doubt that this was, indeed, going to be his lifestyle for the future. In a sort of "last chance" to see if feelings for the opposite sex could come out, he briefly dated Bebe, that very same beautiful girl that in the past Clyde just couldn't seem to find an attraction for. They dated for about a month or two before finally, Clyde realized, with 100 percent clarity, that he just was not attracted to girls like he thought he would be, so, he quietly broke things off with Bebe. While they did break up, both he and Bebe promised they would remain good friends despite Clyde's choice in life, and in fact, it was Bebe who convinced Clyde to express his true feelings to Craig in the hopes that Craig would express those feelings back, as he too had been without a girlfriend and didn't seem attracted to them either like Clyde. And so, with all of these things in mind, there Clyde stood, just letting the rain continue to beat down upon him as he stared into the window of Craig's house towards his living room.

Clyde knew that in a few minutes, Craig would be coming in to sit down and watch one of his favorite shows on TV, Red Racer. Craig watched that show religiously five days a week for years. Clyde would know, he had been over to Craig's house to watch the show many a times with him. In all honestly, Clyde really wasn't a big fan of the show at all, he was more of a "Terrence and Phillip" fan himself, he usually just came over to watch the show for the company that was with him. The times that the two boys spent watching the show, talking, joking, eating snacks, where some of the best times that they had together, in Clyde's mind anyway, as those were the times when he felt closest to Craig, the times where he and Craig felt they could share all of their secrets with one another, whether it be able what they were looking for in the future, if they were feeling down about something on a certain day, or even how they really felt about certain class mates in school. In fact, it was several of these TV watching sessions with Craig that helped Clyde's heart in choosing to want to be with Craig forever, so, despite how bad he thought the Red Racer show was, in his mind, if things with Craig worked the way that Clyde hoped they would work, Clyde would have that show to thank for it.

3:00 on the dot. Any second now the show would be starting, and Craig would be bounding excitedly down the stairs. Clyde stared at his watch slowly, then went back to staring intently at the house for any sign of where Craig might be. Finally, almost like clock-work, there came Craig, gliding gracefully down the stairs, a huge smile upon his face, as he made his way quickly over to his living room couch and plopped down upon it. Clyde always adored Craig's smile, as it was such a warm, kind, inviting one. In fact, there were many things about Craig that Clyde was very attracted too. His almost crystal like brown eyes, the way a few strands of his hair would sometimes fall over his left eye slightly whenever he had his trademark hat off, and the way how, even though he was a tough as nails player whenever he, Clyde, and the other boys played football or basketball or baseball, he was a kind, gentle person whenever the two boys were alone and hanging out with each other. As all of these thoughts swirled around Clyde's head, he began to get lost in a sort of day-dream like haze, and would smile from ear to ear as he closed his eyes and envisioned Craig in his mind more and more until the image became crystal clear to him. However, because he had his eyes closed and he had drifted off into day-dream thoughts about Craig, he would not notice at first that a pair of eyes happened to be staring right at him as he was staring at Craig.

"Clyde? Clyde?"

It was Craig. He had looked out the window from the corner of his eye and had seen his friend standing outside in the rain, his hair, body, and clothes by now soaked to the bone. With half curiosity, and half concern for his friend, Craig had since gotten up from out of his seat on the couch and went over to the front door, opening it up and looking out into the rain at Clyde. When Clyde didn't respond to the two times that Craig called him, Craig saw that he had no choice but to go out further into the rain. Picking up his trademark hat and putting it on, Craig would then venture forth. After going about 10 steps out into the rain, Craig called out to Clyde again, this time in a louder voice.

"Clyde! Dude! Are you ok?"

Clyde's eyes finally opened in surprise and he blinked a few times before looking towards who was calling him. Yes, there he was….his best friend….his future soul mate…..his Craig. Clyde, in his half surprised/half happy to see Craig state, did not answer, he simply smiled as Craig hurried closer to him until finally the two were now inches away from each other.

"Clyde, what in the world are you doing out here standing in the rain? You'll catch a cold at the rate your going!" Craig would say as he tried in vain to dry Clyde off with hands, only to see more rain patter down upon him, as well as himself.

"I….I came here to see you…."

"See me? You mean you wanna hang out in my house?" Craig said, a curious brow raised as he did so, "…Well ok then dude, but you should have called and said you were coming, I would have made us some popcorn so we could watch Red Racer…"

Clyde slowly lowered his head towards the ground, averting his gaze from Craig as he did so. If he was going to take that next step, if he was going to take that plunge into the future, the possible future that he had with Craig, he would have to tell the truth as to why he was standing outside.

"No….Well….Yes in a way….But there's more too it dude…."

Again, Craig's brow arched a bit, but when he saw Clyde's lowered head, his look of confusion was replaced with concern.

"What do you mean dude…..come on…tell me…." He slowly lifted up Clyde's chin with his finger as he did so, "You know me and you can talk about anything….."

Clyde, seeing that Craig was willing to talk and listen, felt his confidence soar and his smile coming back to his face. That was another thing he loved dearly about Craig, his willingness to always talk and listen to what Clyde had to say, no matter how awkward or serious the subject was.

"Craig…." Clyde would begin, slowly clearing his throat before he spoke, "We've been best friends….for our whole lives basically….Ever since pre-school….And I've been blessed to have you as that best friend of mine….But…..But lately….lately I've been feeling over emotions in me that I've just been too shy to express…."

"What emotions?"

Clyde would slowly take his rain soaked hands in Craig's gloved ones as he continued to speak.

"Well….You know how…..some of the other guys….have girlfriends….or they like girls in…..that way…..right?" Craig would nod, so Clyde continued, "Well….I'm not sure if you know this or not….but…..I'm really….not attracted to any girls at all….and I mean nothing….zero….zilch attraction…..However…..after doing a lot of searching in my heart and in my soul….and after thinking about it and debating it over and over in my mind….I've come to terms with that fact that I am attracted to one person in particular in my life…."

Craig's eyes slowly landed and focused on Clyde's eyes as he heard these words. By the time Clyde had trailed off from his last sentence, Craig had moved a step closer to Clyde and gave his hands a light squeeze.

"Who Clyde? Who is it that you're attracted too…?"

Clyde opened his mouth to answer, but no sound or words could come out. Sheepishly, Clyde closed his mouth, then opened it to try again. Words managed to come out this time, but rather then be clear, they were stuttered and croaked out.

"W-Well……t-to be honest Craig…..it's…..it's y-y…..you….."

Craig was silent for a few moments, letting Clyde's words set into his mind as he did so. Clyde, fearing the worse, slowly backed up a step, let go of Craig's hands, and felt his upper lip and legs tremble with nervousness. What if Craig would react negatively, even violently, to this? What if he wasn't as understanding as he had thought him to be? Slowly, Craig took a step forward and whispered, his eyes not once leaving Clyde's

"Is this true Clyde?"

Clyde, relaxing a bit now, seeing that Craig wasn't attempting to hit him, slowly nodded his head up and down. Finally, Craig would step back closer to him and speak.

"Well….I'm glad you were….honest about all of this Clyde….I'd have rather you tell the truth about how you feel then you keep it inside forever…."

"I….I might as well as you this now Craig….But…..How do you feel…..about what I said?" These words slowly came out of Clyde's mouth and out into the open. Now, the ball was in Craig's court to either reject or accept Clyde's pouring out of his heart. Slowly, Craig sighed, then looked over towards his house, then up towards the Heavens, then finally, back at Clyde. Slowly, but surely, a smile began to come across his face, causing Clyde to smile back and his heart to flutter in his chest.

"Do you really want to know how I feel about this?"

"Yes…."

Craig exhaled a bit and slowly, linked his hands back to Clyde's. As Craig did this, Clyde felt that spark again, almost as if a sort of energy was passing between the two of them, a spark that could not be put out. Even though Craig hadn't yet officially given an answer, this feeling alone told Clyde that things were about to go as he had always hoped they would. Gently, Craig would lean forward and gently peck Clyde on the lips. The kiss lasted for only a brief second, but in that one brief second, Clyde felt so much love and emotion that it felt like it was going to burst from his body any minute. He had kissed Bebe a few times in the past during his time when he was experimenting if he liked girls or not, but it was nothing compared to how lovely and wonderful this one kiss felt. Slowly, Clyde would return that kiss to Craig, this one a few seconds longer then that first kiss. When Clyde broke away his kiss from Craig, Craig would simply chuckle, then ruffle Clyde's wet hair lovingly

"Come on….let's get you inside and dried off….Then we can cuddle on the couch and watch the rest of Red Racer…"

Clyde slowly submitted a bit into Craig's chest and a hug, and he would nod in reply.

"I would like that very much….."

Craig would gently peck Clyde on the forehead, then, walking hand in hand with him, the two would walk back towards the house and inside of it, where that warm, inviting couch was waiting for them to sit upon. It was on this day that all of Clyde's dreams for the future had come true…..and it was on this day that Craig had helped him…..to come out….from the rain….

The End