It was the third day that Kenny had stayed over, much to Mrs. Broflovski's avail. She was hesitant, at first, with her son's request to have his poor friend stay the night. While she held nothing against the McCormick boy, he wasn't exactly the type of company a mother, especially one such as herself, would have wanted to be in her son's presence. Or so she'd thought. It was only a night, but night turned to day, and day had turned to night.
It was a simple request from Kyle that she had tried to avoid complying to, but there was something different, she noticed, in how he'd asked. Mom. He had entered her room, stance slack and relaxed, as per usual, though he seemed bothered. Would it be all right if Kenny stayed with us for a day or two? It wasn't a normal 'Can my friend spend the night?' It seemed to be a plea, one she couldn't seem to deny.
While, at first, she'd regretted allowing the boy to stay with them for a day or two, the more she observed him, the more she'd grown to realize that perhaps, just maybe, she had been wrong about him. He was much more polite than she'd expected, much more humble. She'd expected him to be like his father; it was only natural for her to assume, though she'd quickly dispelled her assumptions. More than his behavior, she seemed to be more mindful of her son's. It was seldom, as much as she hated to admit it, that she saw Kyle… happy. While he might have seemed complacent as he normally was, she was his mother and as such, she could spot the subtle changes. Not only did he seem happier in his friend's presence, but he also seemed worried, and she couldn't figure out why, though there was one thing she knew for certain. Kyle liked Kenny.
He'd only asked if Kenny could stay for two days, maximum, but he couldn't send the blonde home; he didn't want to, as much as he hated to admit it. While he never openly expressed his worry for the other, it was there. They lived two completely different lives, solely based upon fate, and for some reason, that bothered him. Why did he get a better life handed to him while his friend practically struggled every day, just to stay alive—and sometimes by cruel (or maybe even pitying) fate, he failed to do so—? It wasn't fair, and that alone bothered him.
It took some conning, some strategic maneuvering, to get Kenny to accept his offer to stay. He made the offer, simple and clear, after spotting the bruises adorning Kenny's body. The blonde shot the offer down jokingly, as he usually did. Dude, we're not 10 anymore; that's kind of gay. It was rare that he'd ever seen Kenny be serious without getting uncomfortable. He couldn't blame him. It was almost admirable, really, how, despite his given life, he was so optimistic and happy. But Kyle knew how difficult it had always been for Kenny to accept anything offered. Not only that, but he knew Kenny worried for Karen. He was so selfless. He'd always been, ever since they were kids. He was the protective older brother, and he could relate to that. With a shrug of his shoulders at the rejection, he'd acted nonchalant, as per usual, with a Whatever, falling silent. A few moments later? Okay, just one night. But… I need to go home first. To get some things, he said, but Kyle had figured it was to check on Karen, probably in the form of that mysterious hero that the girl admired so. He figured the same thing when, in the following night, Kenny disappeared after dinner with his plate. It was understandable, his concern. The McCormicks were all old enough to take care of themselves, but Karen? Well, she was still, technically, a kid. Someone had to look out for her.
One night turned into two nights, two mornings.
It was Friday, but it was also a school service day, which meant no school, which further meant that they had the day to do whatever the hell they wanted, so they'd made plans to hang out with the guys later that night after everyone enjoyed their chance to sleep in.
Deep green eyes fixed themselves on the red numbers glowing from the clock on his nightstand. 10AM. Still early. He glanced over his shoulder, over towards the sleeping blond-haired boy who was snoring, nestled up against the wall with a pillow. It was awkward, at first, offering Kenny to sleep in his room instead of the living room; his bed instead of the couch. Man, you're really starting to make me wonder about you. Maybe you do swing for the same team. It was a joke. The usual gay joke, but despite whatever worries he'd had, Kenny still somehow ended up sleeping comfortably in the extra space of his bed. It was a single bed, though with just enough space for two to sleep without being too close. Not that any of that mattered. In retrospect, Kyle just wanted Kenny to be comfortable, for once in his life; to have a full meal that didn't consist of poptarts and to go to sleep with that full stomach in a nice, warm bed.
Shifting slowly, he moved to sit up, moving a hand to lift the t-shirt he wore and idly scratch at his stomach. Moving a hand to his face, he brushed away some of that bright, curly red hair. The older he'd gotten, the more his hair had seemed to change—from what his friends called his Jewfro, to slightly less voluminous, to practically straight, save for the occasional curl here and there. He'd grown into his looks, just like everyone else. Except for Cartman. He was a still a fat ass.
It seemed his shift had disturbed Kenny, who'd uncurled from his position against the window to stretch out on his back. The movement caught the Jewish boy's attention, and he glanced over, narrowing his eyes a bit as the sun that spilled through the window met his eyes. Trying his best to ignore the bright rays, he instead focused on how they shone upon Kenny. He looked so peaceful. Like an angel. Fuck, that was pretty gay. Still, Kyle couldn't seem to help himself as he leaned in towards the sleeping boy, lifting a hand to lightly brush the hair from the sleeping one's face, though the gesture seemed to disturbed Kenny, seeing as he shifted, which prompted Kyle to quickly withdraw his hand. The last thing he needed to start his day off was a gay joke.