Not what I expected
Everything was so loud. The speakers announcing incoming and outgoing flights, the scanners, the sea of people all around him. Kyle wondered how after such a long flight and with all those things happening he didn't have a huge headache. Although the red head knew that if he spent too much time there he would surely develop one. Emerald eyes scanned the crowd behind the division lines until he spotted a blond man jumping and flailing his arms in his direction next to a black haired one holding a huge sign with his name. Kyle smiled and rushed past the other passengers of his flight towards those two faces he had been needing to see so bad for so long. Once on the other side he was practically tackled by an almost teary Stan who hugged him with enough force to knock all the air off his lungs. Kyle hugged him back though with the same fervor and kissed him deep for a long while, separating only when he absolutely felt the need to breathe "Stan! Oh my god I missed you so much!"
The taller man rubbed at his eyes, clearing them from the tears he had almost spilled and smiled wide "I missed you too Kyle"
A woman who was passing near them looked at the pair with a disgusted expression. Kyle raised an eyebrow and then looked at the blond standing near Stan, letting go of the black haired man and going for another deep kiss with Kenny, only taking his eyes off him when they separated to see that the old woman was now staring at them with eyes like plates and persignating herself. Kyle gave her a devious grin before kissing Kenny again to then laugh at it still holding the blond "Okay… I think the altitude messed your head or something" Kenny gave him a puzzled smile.
"It's nothing" Kyle chuckled and hugged both men tight again "I was needing this so bad!" Then he separated and looked around clearly searching for something.
"Uh… Kyle…" Stan said with a tone that didn't matched the joyful welcome he had given the ginger before "He didn't come"
Kyle knitted his brows still with a little smile on his lips "What, he stayed in the car or something?"
"He didn't come to the airport" Kenny pursed his lips.
"Why?" Kyle's face showed his concern now "Did something happened? Is he okay?"
"Yeah he just… Well he said he couldn't come. That he was too busy preparing everything for tonight and tomorrow" Stan gave Kyle a small and unconvinced smile.
"I see…" Kyle looked quite puzzled and then shook his head "Okay then, let's get out of here. The sooner we leave the sooner we'll be all together"
Kenny nodded and grabbed one of Kyle's bags while Stan took the other. The travel to their house was way less lively than what Kyle would have expected and even if he was bursting with joy about finally being back home and with the men he loved more than anything else, the empty seat beside Kenny in the back was like a suffocating void that muffled his happiness.
It took them a bit more than half an hour to reach the suburb in Fresno where they had their own house. Sometimes Kyle was astounded at the fact that the four of them had been able to buy a house there and a very nice one in a very nice location too and at a decent distance from each of their universities, except for Kyle's of course since he was studying at Oxford. Stan pulled over in front of the garage and told the other two that he would take care of bringing the bags inside. It was a pretty hot day even if it was the end of December and Kyle was clearly not used to those temperatures with having lived all his life in Colorado and the past two years in England. The moment Kyle opened the door and got into the house a very strong and incredibly delicious smell invaded him and the red head smiled wide knowing who was producing that. He looked excited back at Kenny who indicated him where the kitchen was. Kyle had only lived there for a couple of weeks before he went to Oxford and it had been a long time ago so he didn't remember quite well where everything in their house was.
Nonetheless Kyle walked fast towards the kitchen where he could hear clearly that someone was there. He peeked over the side of the door and could see a huge man clad in blue shorts, a black t-shirt and a red apron who was stirring something in a big pot over the stove. All around him were several ingredients and varied already prepared dishes "Smells good in here…" Kyle said without being able to contain a huge smile and not wanting to either. He could see the brown haired man stopping what he was doing and standing there like frozen for a moment before he grunted and kept stirring at the pot. Kyle frowned a bit weirded out by that and walked into the kitchen slowly wrapping his arms around the other from behind. But the large brunet didn't make any indication of even knowing that he was there. Kyle's frown deepened and he let go of the other, standing beside him and looking up to him with a mix of indignation and concern "Is this the welcoming I get from you after all this time?"
Eric put out the fire under the pot and turned around making sure to avoid Kyle's eyes and walked past him to put some things into the fridge "I'm busy" He half grunted and kept doing his thing.
Kyle just stood there in complete shock. Of all of them four, since they had started to be together in a relationship, Eric had always been the most affectionate and the one who showed his love in a physical way the most, either with tight hugs, tender kisses or by doing something he knew any of the other would like. But now, after two years of not seeing each other it was as if the brunet didn't know Kyle, even less loved him "Eric what…?"
Kyle had started but Eric just huffed and frowned at him "If you're gonna help here do it in silence, otherwise leave until I'm done" The brunet's look was hard, almost angry but when their eyes locked his expression softened for a second and Kyle could swear he saw tears in those big brown eyes he loved so much. But Eric just gritted his teeth and moved away again, going to cut some vegetables.
The red head wanted to say something more but the very air around them felt strange and heavily charged with something that stirred his stomach in an awful way. And arguing with a knife wielding Eric was not a good idea under any circumstance so he just forced himself to get out of the kitchen and back to the living room where Stan was already coming inside with his bags "Kyle! Something's wrong?" The black haired man could see the shock, anger, confusion and sadness in his boyfriend's face.
Kyle looked at him briefly feeling lost and slumped onto the main couch. Stan hurried to sit beside and hugged him "Eric, he…" Kyle was talking quietly, making an effort to form words around the knot in his throat "He kicked me out of the kitchen… He didn't even greet me…"
Stan sighed and kissed Kyle's cheek "He's acting a bit weird today…"
"A bit weird?" Kyle raised his voice now "He fucking snarled at me like a vicious dog! What the fuck's up his ass now?"
"Nothing for a few days" Kenny closed the door behind him after coming from outside "Probably that's why he's all grumpy and acting like a douche"
"I don't get it. He was so happy when I told you guys I was coming and also the last time we talked before I left for London…" Kyle leaned against Stan and dabbed a stray tear that had appeared in his eye.
"He was fucking jumping around like a puppy going for a walk" Kenny rolled his eyes and sat beside Kyle "Then a couple of days ago, right after you said you were going to the airport he started with this horrible mood he's been in"
"We couldn't even make love to him" Stan sighed "He just said he wasn't in the mood for that and claimed to be tired whenever we asked what was wrong"
Kyle frowned and scoffed "Eric not in the mood for sex? Yeah right…"
"This is serious Kyle" The black haired man's tone was one of deep worry "Something's not right at all with him"
"Don't be so dramatic dude" Kenny shook his head "It's probably just the shock of having you here after so long Kyle. You know how much it affects him when one of us is away"
"Yeah but…" Kyle closed his eyes and took a deep breath "Okay, I won't push him. Maybe it's just what you say Kenny and he just needs some time and space to get adjusted… I really fucking hope it's just that though…"
Stan hugged the ginger tight and kissed him "I hope so too"
"He's cooking dude" Kenny caressed Kyle's back "Eric never cooks if he's truly upset"
"Unless you count that time when Stan went on vacations during summer and he almost set my parent's house on fire because he zoned out while making sausages" Kyle shook his head with a little smile in his lips "Mom almost kicked him out for that…"
The other two laughed fondly and Stan kissed Kyle again "Are you okay?" Kyle nodded "Good. I'll go see how Eric's doing then. We can't afford him setting our house on fire"
Kyle snickered and nodded while Kenny stood up "Come on Kyle, let's leave your bags upstairs and I'll show you around. We've made some changes since the last time we gave you a VC tour around the house" The red headed man smiled and followed Kenny carrying his bags to the master bedroom.
Kyle left his bags by the closet and plummeted on the huge bed that occupied most of the room "This thing looks even bigger than on the camera"
Kenny laid beside him, draping an arm over the ginger "Eric insisted in having the biggest bed he could get. In the end he had to order it made according to his specifications. Even the sheets had to be custom made. It's a good thing though, no ordinary bed would withstand all our combined weight" The blond scoffed "Especially when Eric gets freaky and pounds us like a madman"
Kyle chuckled and rolled to his side so he could cuddle with Kenny "What is it made of?"
"Iron frame and aluminum alloy for the springs" The blond pulled Kyle closer to him and kissed his forehead.
"Will that guy ever stop exaggerating with everything?" Kyle laughed taking off his shoes so he could rest better on the bed.
"Remember what happened to his bed the time we all tried to have sex on it together?" Kenny raised an eyebrow.
"Holy shit yes…" Kyle shook his head and laughed "Do you still have the scar?"
Kenny raised his arm and pulled the sleeve of his t-shirt to uncover the scar he had on his armpit from where a spring of Eric's couch had embedded itself inside him "An inch more to the center and I would have died from arterial puncturing"
"How were we so careless at that time?" Kyle sighed and rolled to lay on his back "I mean we did some really crazy shit earlier on our lives but when we began to date… It was as if Eric's recklessness rubbed off on all of us"
"Dude, we had gone through some tough shit back then and being carefree and not worrying about stuff seemed the only way to keep Eric from sinking again" Kenny shrugged.
"What's with him now? You have no idea how much I longed to kiss him again and now he doesn't even wants to look at me" Kyle's voice was heavy now and the knot in his throat was starting to grow again "Did I fucked something up?"
Kenny sighed and hugged Kyle tighter "I don't think he has healed… Not fully. We've managed to keep him standing but you going away might have messed him up in a way he's showing just now"
"I knew it was a bad idea. I felt it in my guts when I got into that plane two years ago…" Kyle felt tears falling from his eyes and he cleared them with a hand.
"Don't say that Kyle. You need this career. It's been your dream ever since we were in middle school" Kenny propped himself up on one arm and loomed over Kyle smiling to him "Look, Eric might need some… Special care, but you're part of us and we all want you to be happy, even him, especially him. And we all know that you studying at Oxford and becoming an archaeologist is crucial for that so yes, Eric might be feeling bad but it's something he needs to deal with. We can help but depriving yourself from what you want will only make you miserable and in turn will make him and all of us miserable too"
Kyle nodded and sighed "I really hope we can work this whole thing out…"
"We will" Kenny smiled to him and they kissed deeply.
A quarter of an hour later they went down to the living room again where Eric was going around as if he was looking for something and Stan was sitting on the couch looking defeated. Kenny cleared his throat and Stan looked to them, Eric just stopped moving around but still with his back to the other two "So, Kyle left the bags in the bedroom and wants to just chill with us for a while but first he's needing something…" Kenny announced and Kyle walked to the couch where he put a hand on Stan's shoulder, closer to Eric but still at a good distance "Eric, didn't you forgot something? Like giving Kyle a welcome kiss and a hug?"
Eric fumbled with the photos that sat on the drawer near the window and shrugged. Stan sighed loud "Dude, stop being a douchebag and fucking greet your boyfriend who's been dying to see you"
The large brunet grumbled something but turned around, walking towards Kyle and pulling the smaller man closer giving him a one armed hug and a brief kiss on the top of his head before quickly grabbing the keys of their car that were on a bowl near the couch and walked swiftly to the door "I'm going to pick up Butters at the airport" And before anyone could say anything he left the house.
The other three men looked stumped at him and finally Kyle groaned furiously and kicked the couch "Fuck! What the fuck is happening?!"
"Calm down Kyle…" Stan stood up and hugged the red head from behind.
"Calm down?" Kyle let out a high pitched squeak "It's like we're back at when we were nine! What the fuck was that about going to pick Butters? His plane doesn't get here until one more hour!" Then Kyle covered his mouth and gasped "You don't think…"
"What? Him and Butters?" Kenny scoffed and shook his head "Butters is straighter than a lamppost and he's coming with his girlfriend remember? Besides… I hate to say this but this is something about you…"
"Kenny's right" Stan pursed his lips "When you went upstairs I went to the kitchen and he was curled up on the floor crying… When I got there he latched onto me like a parasite and didn't let go until I swore him ten times that everything would be fine…" The black haired man sighed and shook his head "He didn't want to tell me what's happening though"
Kyle pulled out from the embrace with Stan and rubbed his face with a hand, trying to calm his shallow breathing "Maybe coming here was a fucking mistake…"
"No dude! How can you say that?" Kenny moved closer and tried to put his hand on Kyle's shoulder.
But the ginger moved past him, almost running to the stairs "I need a shower and then some sleep…" Kenny moved to grab Kyle but Stan grabbed his arm instead, stopping him and shaking his head knowing that Kyle needed some space right now.
***Disclaimer: I don't own the South Park characters or any of the brand names mentioned in this story. I don't own any of the songs mentioned on the story or used as chapter titles.