Title: Places of the Heart

Fandom: South Park

Characters: Stan/Kyle

Prompt: .083. And

Word Count: 1,740

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Stan wants to be thought of as his own person. Kyle thinks its conflict of interest to help him.

Author's Notes: Just funny insecurities of teenagers.

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

The next day when the boys waited for the bus Stan stood away from his friends. He had to break himself away from them, especially Kyle.

The redhead stood lined up with his two other friends. The fattest of the group was still panting from his rush to the bus stop. Kenny was muttering about the porn he watched the night before. And Kyle was snickering at the tale.

"Hey!" A recovered Cartman yelled. "Why the hell am I standing next to the fucking Jew! What the hell is wrong with you Stan?"

"Nothing," Stan called. He refrained to tell Cartman that he tended to stand beside Kyle regardless. "I just want my space."

Kenny yelped looking at Kyle. He was worried about his friend's reaction to this news.

Cartman narrowed his eyes in disbelief. "You two fighting?" Cartman pointed to Kyle then to Stan.

"No," Kyle shook his head. He shrugged at Kenny's skeptical look. "Stan's going to find some interest of his own."

"Oh uh..."

"Dude! So sweet," Cartman grinned. He wondered if this was the day Stan and Kyle became a thing of the past. That would be totally awesome one of them would need a new best friend. It was the day he had been waiting for since he started picking on Pip.

Kenny put a sympathetic hand on Kyl'e shoulder. The redhead would have soothed the worried blond but the bus pulled up. "HURRY UP! SIT DOWN!"

Stan sat in the third row of the bus. He rode the entire way with the thoughts of who was sitting next to Kyle. He dare not look unless he blow his new project.

"Hey Stan," Pip turned from the seat in front of him. "Are you fighting with Kyle?"

"Don't talk to me Pip," Stan hissed. He wouldn't give the Brit a decent answered. He did not want people seeing him talking to Pip.

Needless to say he was glad to arrive at school. He practically jumped off the bus running to his locker. He took his time on the way to class however.

"Hey Kenny can I trade seats with you?" Stan asked his friend. Wordlessly Kenny moved from his seat and sat down beside Kyle. The redhead frowned. He really did not think Stan would take it this far.

Stan took Kenny's seat next to Cartman. The bigger boy smiled. "Hey Stan," He greeted.

"Look Cartman. I'm trying to be my own person. That means I can't simply go from being Stan and Kyle to Stan and Cartman." The raven-haired boy explained. Cartman huffed but said nothing.

Stan stole a glance at Kyle. He felt more confident doing this knowing that Kyle supported him. His best friend was laughing with Kenny. Stan reminded himself that he wanted this. Being Stan alone mean that Kyle potentially could become an and with Kenny. It might even help his case. After all he could not be a part of Kyle and Stan if Kyle was an and to someone else. Still he bit back a rage of jealousy at Kyle's unconcerned attitude.

"Hey Stan, are you fighting with Kyle?" Wendy stood in front of his desk. Bebe was beside her.

"Nah, I just need my space." Stan reassured his former girlfriend.

"I told you Wendy. They're seeing other people now," Bebe stage whispered to Wendy. Then very concerned she turned to Stan, "If you need someone to talk to Stan..."

"All right class lets get started," the teacher called their attention, interrupting Bebe and Wendy's conversation. The teacher froze a moment looking between the super best friends, she frowned. Burying in the back of her mind, to question them later, she started the class.

--

When lunch arrived Stan's fourth teacher called him aside. Enis Ock was Stan's math teacher. He also taught Kyle's seventh period pre-cal class.

"I understand that sometimes boys your age are confused Stan, but I've seen that boys your age can be in love. Now is there something wrong between you and Kyle?" Mr. Ock asked. He was a very dry man with a love only for numbers, his interest in Stan's relationship with Kyle was surprising.

"Er...well I'm just trying to open doors and branch out. Nothing is wrong." He was surprised to find that many of his casual contacts thought that he and Kyle were dating or something like that. He ignored the assumption this time. The last three teachers had been upset at his denial. He even got his foreign language teacher to cry.

"Okay, well just know that you can talk to me." He offered before letting Stan go.

Stan hurried to lunch. He wanted to tell Kyle about what had happened to him so far that day. It was only after he got his hot lunch that he remembered that he was steering clear of Kyle.

Instead, he ate standing up. Then he went outside. He did not know what else to do. So he stared at his shoes.

This was not turning out the way he had wanted. How could he be a cool individual and not a loser loner? Did no one survive without being part of a group of friends? Bebe had Wendy, Craig had those guys, Butters...wait Butters who did he hang out with? He seemed to float pretty nicely: taking places of voids in a group, living well with threats at his life and sexuality, he had even taken up causes with Stan when his best friend was not around. Besides, he also hung out with Craig and those guys, too!

Still it was Butters? A sweet kid but could he actually call someone friend? Kyle invited him places occasionally, even when only his closest friends were invited, but Kyle was a nice guy.

Kyle, he was a great friend, the very best! Could Stan balance being Kyle's best friend and his own person? Did he have to be Butters, a filler, a floater, a taunt for boys Kyle wanted to piss off?

Stan raised his head, finding Kyle immediately. He stood with Kenny on the other side of the courtyard. All the boys played wall ball, or touched football, or basketball at lunch. Butter's had joined the group of four. He was filling Stan's—no Kenny was taking his spot and Butters held Kenny's because no one could ever fill Cartman's.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets Stan was determined to make a name for himself, even if that meant leaving Kyle behind...

The bell cut his self questioning off. He could figure it out after school, then he could talk to Kyle about it.

--

Straight after school Stan went over to Kyle's. The other boy would help Stan figure out what to do next. Standing by alone at lunch was just not cutting it. This time he did not let himself in and Stan thought he heard Shelia sniffling as he headed to Kyle's room.

"Kyle you wouldn't believe how many people think that you and I are dating!" Stan said a note of humor in his voice. "And I think I need to talk to Butters and see how he...does it?"

"How I do what?" Butters sat on Kyle's floor against his bed. Kenny laid on the bed his eyes closed. Kyle was at his desk chair facing the two other boys.

"What are you doing here?" Stan raised a brow. He felt another twinge of jealousy and an even bigger twinge of regret. He had to remind himself that he had chosen to steer clear of Kyle and not the other way around.

"The question is; what are you doing here?" Kenny was on his feet. He raised his fists ready for a fight. "You shouldn't treat Kyle like he's anything less then your best friend."

"Kenny, look I'm just trying to be my own person that does not mean that Kyle's not my best friend." Stan held his hands up in surrendering. "Come on Kyle tell him."

"It's alright Kenny," Kyle turned to the blond. "Stan's allowed to find other hobbies, friends, and his own person."

The redhead waited for Kenny to reseat himself. He sat like a dog ready to attack on command. Then Kyle turned back to Stan. "I do think its okay that you want to be your own person you. I do not think I should help you. To be your own person you have to accomplish that on your own."

"Are you kicking me out?" Stan's initial shock blocked the emotions of hurt, betrayal and loss. He searched Kyle's face and body language for any signs of a joke. "You are!"

"Watch it," Kenny growled.

"I'm not kicking you out, but if you stay it's not to discuss your new image or your interesting conversation with the school staff. Although you may speak to Butters about how he does it, but that's only if he's willing." Kyle calmly stated.

"How I do what fellas?" Butters innocently asked despite the high tensions radiating off the friends.

"But, Kyle!" Stan ignored Butters once again. He even overlooked Kenny's heated gaze. All he wanted was to understand Kyle. It was clear that Kyle understood something that he did not. The only thing he could think of was that he had a new lesson that he was in the process of learning. From past experience he usually had to continue learning it until it was learnt because he would never understand it until then.

"You're not supporting me at all in this. I thought you were behind me. You don't care at all about who I am!" Stan opted to say the only thing that made sense to him. He waved an accusing finger at Kyle.

"I do support you, but Stan. It's conflicted interest for me to help you became Stan with out Kyle!" Kyle turned away from his friend.

If Stan was less angry then he would notice the way Kyle's face fell and how his shoulders slumped. As it was, Stan was angrier then he had even known especially at Kyle. "Fine! I'll learn to be myself without you!" Stan ran from the room and out of the house. He moved too fast and too loudly to really hear Shelia Broflovski cry.

He ran all the way home and threw himself onto his bed. Buried under the covers he pretended that he did not care that Kyle did not want to help him.