AN: Chapter three already? Well I hope you enjoy it, and leave your thoughts in a review if you like as I like reading them :3


CHAPTER 3

It's never that easy

It never seems right

When careful meets carefree

And in just 4 minutes they knew each other for life

Kenny POV

"Here we are, a hot chocolate and cappuccino," an impossibly smiley waitress places the drinks on the booth Butters and I are occupying, "Can I get you two dears anything else?" she asks in an overly sugary singsong voice. Her forced happiness is irritating to me.

"No, but thank you ever so much," Butters declines with a politeness I don't think I could ever muster.

I glance around the place Butters decided to take me for our date; the Tweak Bros. coffee shop. He and Tweek are pretty close friends, or so I've heard. Ever since middle school I've kind of lost track of Butters social life since my own life was collapsing in on itself. I feel guilty, I shouldn't have let a bond with someone as nice as Butters fall apart, he was a great person.

It's a humble yet authentic little place. The smell of caffeine has attached itself to everything in the vicinity, and the whirring of the grinder resonates on all the wooden walls. You can hear the light-hearted banter between costumers as they slurp their orders and every once in a while there's an irritated burst of noise from behind the storage doors that is undoubtedly Tweak Tweek having a mini panic attack as he probably deals with figuring where to put things away. This place is real, not trying to be something it isn't. I like that.

I watch as Butters fiddles with the hems of his pale-blue shirt. When he doesn't say anything I reach down for my cappuccino. I originally was content with just drinking water but he insisted I get something he could pay for, since he asked me out he figured he should have to pay for everything despite my pleas against it. Even if I only had eighty-four cents to my name I could still steal enough to pay for at least half, the man sitting at my right seemed like he could spare a few dollars from his leather wallet…

The smooth brown mixture is incredibly hot as it seeps between my lips and onto my tongue. It's a good roasted blend honestly and I gulp it down quickly, letting the warmth fill my stomach. When I place the mug back on the coaster I lock eyes with my date. I smile to myself, he's a pretty cute kid, with his neatly brushed hair that shines many shade lighter than my own and innocent blue eyes that are so open yet guarded at the same time, if that makes sense. It's been so long since I've hung out with him, since I've even seen him, but he obviously hadn't forgotten about me. I wonder how he's been doing.

"Wh-what are you thinkin' about?" the soft southern twang of his voice through the stutter snaps me out of my reverie. I blink at the question before leaning back on my chair.

"How you haven't changed one bit over the years," I admit casually taking another sip of my coffee, I've never been known as a very secretive person. Ask and you shall receive and what not.

He looks up at me like a deer in the headlights. "Is- Is that a good thing?" his voice seeking approval.

"Yeah, I think it's a good thing," I wink in my usual flirtatious tone. He sighs relieved and begins his habit of rubbing his knuckles again. He's not very good at feigning confidence, but I find his poorly concealed jitteriness fittingly adorable for him.

"Well gee, that's good," he stares back down into the steaming chocolate drink sitting before him.

"You should relax, I won't bite you or anything," I verbalize my thoughts aloud without thinking, but he doesn't seem to feel any pressure from them and his shoulders almost instantly fall down from their hunched position that neither of us had noticed they were in prior to now.

"S-Sorry 'bout that, I'm just a little shy is all," another blush spreads across the features of his petite pale face. I swear, everything he does resonates sweetness if that's humanly possible.

"Yeah, I've noticed," I mentally smack the back of my head, I really need to learn how to think before I speak, "you seem like you're pretty tensed up,"

The blond looks out the window beside us, resting his cheek against the frosted over glass, "Well, a-actually I'm s'pposed to be grounded right now," his eyes dart around, analysing each snowflake as it hits the window pane and melts into nothingness.

"Grounded? Shit! Then why are you out here with me?" even though Butters had faded into the background of whatever pathetic life I was leading, even I still knew that his parents weren't the most forgiving of his errors; that's why he strived so hard in school to be the best. It was common knowledge in South Park.

"I- I was grounded but then I did something awful bad and Dad kicked me out for the night, He told me not to come back until I learned how to not be such a disappointment to our family," he quoted, and I had to put effort into not letting my mouth hang open. I knew they were strict but kicking out your own son? Even my parents, as terrible failures of role models as they were, had never done that. Sure, I myself had slept outside last night, but they had never forced me out; I chose to leave. Knowing Butters whatever he had done probably wasn't even big!

"Man, you're parents are such tight-asses, seriously, they shouldn't be allowed to treat you like that," I shake my head but Butters is quick to defend them for some reason I can't fathom I'd ever truly understand.

"My folks aren't that bad, really! My- my dad hasn't even beat me for a year now," he tells me like it's some sort of vindication. I think his mother and father meddle in his life to much and he shouldn't let them, I wish I could free him from that kind of tyranny somehow. He deserves better, yet he remains so optimistic, that's pretty inspiring if you ask me.

"Hey promise me something"

He looks at me, eyes eager to please yet they retain their permanent guard.

"Stay in the clouds, Butters, and never come down. Trust me," He tilts his head in the same way a confused puppy would.

In that moment a thought makes is way to the front of my mind and sticks. 'Just what the hell am I doing here?' it asks me and I simply don't know how to answer it.

My gaze skims over Butters once more. I see a boy who looks put together despite his overt timidness. I see someone good natured and bright, who has a great future already paved straight ahead for him. He's the kind of boy who's kind and thoughtful, careful and safe, unique and special. The kind of person who deserves someone that is perfect because only then will they find someone who lives up to their level.

I don't know why this boy would want with a wreck like me. Butters and I are polar opposites in our worth as human life.

I fiddle with the cup sat in front of me. My source of caffeine has long since been drunk by now and at the bottom of the empty cup drained of cappuccino, my reflection stares back at me. Now I see another boy, but this one looks like he hasn't slept in days, like he doesn't have the means to take care of himself like any normal person. This boy looks like the kind of person you would cross the road to avoid walking past or the kind of person you wouldn't take home to meet your parents because anyone can see he's one of the hopeless rejects. He probably doesn't do well in school if he hasn't already dropped out, probably does things that aren't legal with his mates, and probably doesn't give a crap about whether he lives or dies because you can tell just from looking at this boy that he's worthless.

"Butters?" I speak up, keeping my eyes locked on this sad, sad kid looking back from the bottom of the cup, "Why are you wasting your time with me?"

"What do you mean?" he says but I know he's lying. He knows exactly what I mean, so I just raise an eyebrow at him. He's looking down at his hands again, how his knuckles not bleeding from the friction at this point, I'll never know. "Honestly, I- I- I have a crush on you! I think you're an amazing person despite what everyone else says and thinks!" He's squeezes his eyes shut tight in clear embarrassment shut and the words tumble out so quickly I almost don't catch them. But I do, and they make me smile and I chuckle a little. At the sound of that he opens his eyes again, once more revealing their stunning blue colour. "So, what do you think?" And I notice he doesn't stutter for the first time since this morning.

"I think you're insane," I shake my head but my smile won't leave. "But I'm a little crazy too, so I'll give this a try,"

"W-What do you mean?" He looks at me with a look that spells confusion and slight worry. Maybe he and Tweek bonded over their apparent anxiety.

"I mean I'll be your boyfriend if you'll be mine," I explain slowly and I swear the smile on his face in response to that could light up the entire town. He has a lovely smile, one of the few genuine ones I've seen in the last few years. And it's directed at me, which only causes myself to mirror one back at him.

It's one of the times when you feel like you've known the other person for your whole life.