The following day, Mark stopped at Kyle's house on the way to work. When Kyle opened the door, he was only wearing some baggy plaid pajama pants. He blinked his eyes rapidly against the bright sun.
"Let me guess, you just woke up?" Mark asked wryly.
"Yup. How can you manage to get up and go to work after getting no sleep last night?" Kyle yawned loudly.
"Very easily. I don't need as much sleep as most people. Well, I just stopped by to say hello and that... I had a good time yesterday."
"So did I, dude." Kyle stepped forward and was about to kiss Mark's waiting mouth when Mrs. Brovlofski appeared behind him. Kyle quickly pushed Mark away. "Oh, hello Mark. How are you today?" Mrs. Brovlofski asked cheerfully.
Eyeing Kyle, Mark answered politely, "Just fine, Mrs. Brovlofski. I just came by to say hello to Kyle before I went to work."
"Oh, how nice of you. Well, have a good day." She walked away.
Kyle blushed. "Sorry, dude. I don't want her to know about us yet. I'm not sure how she'll take it. And I really don't want my dad to know..."
"It's okay, man. I understand. I told my parents about us and they think it's cool. They wanted me to invite you to dinner on Monday. Wanna come?"
"Sure man. I'll be there."
"Cool." He took Kyle's hand and brushed it with his lips. "I'll bid thee, farewell then. Denny's awaits for I am a waiter there. Until next time."
Kyle's face flushed with pleasure. "See ya, Mark."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On Monday, Kyle came over to dinner, as he said he would. Mark's parents seemed to absolutely adore him while Rebecca just sat there in a moody silence.
"We're glad Mark has found such a good friend in you, Kyle. You can come over, anytime." Mrs. Cockswald said.
"Thank you." Kyle blushed at the this and Mark smiled. Underneath the table he placed his hand on Kyle leg. The gesture alluded Mr. and Mrs. Cockswald but Rebecca noticed and frowned. She pushed her chair away from the table and excused herself.
"I'm gonna go take a shower. Later."
Mark and Kyle exchanged glances.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later, in Mark's room, Kyle was fiddling around with something on Mark's dresser and Mark was in the bathroom, doing his business, when Rebecca opened the door quietly and slipped inside without Kyle noticing.
He turned around to see her standing there, in a robe loosely belted with nothing underneath. Her hair was gathered into an untidy bun and strands of dark hair fell around her face. She was smiling.
"Uh, hi Rebecca. How's it going?"
Rebecca walked over to him, still smiling. "Oh, nothing Kyle. I think it's great that you're so friendly with Mark, but don't you think you're a little confused?"
"What?"
"Well, I've been with you Kyle and I know how much you enjoy my company. You can't possibly be gay...at least, I don't think so."
Kyle looked at her, uneasily. "I really don't want to discuss this with you. Can we just drop the subject."
Rebecca just shrugged and leaned her body against his. Water droplets still glistened in her hair from her shower and her cheeks were rosy. "Sure we can, Kyle. But only if I can have a little kiss."
She brought her lips to his and he tried to pull away, but she had him backed against the wall. He could smell her alluring scent and her body was warm against his. He tried to turn his head but she just pressed her mouth against his harder.
The door opened. Mark stood there gaping at them. Rebecca broke the kiss and looked over at her brother. She just smirked, walked past him, and out of the room.
He shut the door hard behind her. "What the hell was going on in here, Kyle?" He asked in a rough tone.
Kyle just looked at him helplessly. "I really don't know. She just came in here in that robe, practically naked, and started to talk about you and me. Then she tried to kiss me."
"She tried? It looked like she was kissing you, to me."
"Sure, she was kissing me, but I didn't kiss back, if you get what I mean."
Mark stormed over to him and took him roughly by the shoulders. "You swear you didn't...do anything back? Did you want her to kiss you?" He shook Kyle. "Tell me!"
He released Kyle's body, and Kyle sank against the wall. "I didn't want to do anything with her...just leave me alone, Mark!"
He jumped up and ran out of the room, leaving Mark standing there with an angry scowl on his face.
Mark growled softly and went to Rebecca's room and threw the door open. She was sitting on her bed, brushing her hair. Music blared. It was Christina Aguilera's 'Infatuated'. She sang along:
"I feel his fingertips grip my hips as we dip and I slip into a state of bliss..."
"What do you think you were doing in there, Rebecca?! What's wrong with you, why do you do these things?!"
She looked up, the music still playing loudly.
("Skin the color of cinnamon, his eyes light up and I melt within...feels so good it must be a sin...")
She grinned slightly and said, "First you told him about my personal business and now you're going out with him? And you call me a slut, Mark. Look at you, you're a slut and a fag. What a combination."
Mark colored visibly. "Shut the hell up, you little bitch. You're the biggest slut at South Park High and you know it. Everyone knows it."
She shot him a dirty look. "That may be so, but at least I screw the opposite sex. You get your kicks with guys, you sorry son of a bitch."
"You stay away from Kyle, you hear me? You've hurt him enough as it is!" Mark was really angry now.
(Can't help this infatuation...it's pure infatuation...)
"Oh, I'll stay away from him Kyle. But not b/c you told me to...it's because I don't want to associate with any of your little boyfriends. Let's just hope he doesn't go the way Steve did...Run down because he was gay."
(...I'm ready to explore his world, but part of me wants to hide...can I risk it, can't resist it...)
Mark gave her a pain-filled look, his eyes full of tears. He ran from the room and out of the house.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When he got to Kyle's house he found his friend sitting on the front stoop, staring off into space.
"Kyle! I'm sorry about what happened back there. I know it was all Rebecca's fault. I believe you...in my heart, I always did."
A ray of moonlight shined on Kyle's face suddenly and he saw that Kyle's eye was swelled shut and horribly discolored. A line of blood ran from the corner of his mouth. His arms were covered with bruises.
Mark ran over to him. "What the hell happened to you?!"
Kyle looked at him, his face sad and tears pouring from his good eye. "My dad found out about you and me, somehow...he...went crazy. He beat the shit out of me and left...I don't know where he went."
Mark sat beside him and took his hand. "I'm so sorry, Kyle. God, I'm just so sorry! What are we going to do?"
Kyle just leaned his head on Mark's shoulder. "Just, hold me for awhile, Mark. Please, just hold me."
Mark did. Kyle's body racked with sobs and Mark couldn't hold it in anymore. He began to cry too. He cried for Steve, he cried for what an evil person his sister had become, but especially, he cried for Kyle.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kyle wasn't at school the next few days. Mark worried about him the whole time and he couldn't focus at all...even in art class. He just sat there sketching Kyle's eyes, tears falling from them...he hoped Kyle was all right.
After the third day, he ran over to Kyle's house and banged on the front door. Mrs. Broflovski answered. "Oh, hi Mark. Kyle's not really feeling well, so-"
Kyle appeared behind her, his face pale and drawn. "No, I'm fine ma. I want to see Mark."
Mark came inside and followed Kyle up to his room. It was a mess. Kyle sat on the window seat and gazed out at the auburn sky. "How are you doing, Kyle? Are you gonna be okay? What happened last night after I left?"
Kyle sighed heavily. "I'll be okay, I think. My dad came into my room late last night . For awhile, he just stood there, and suddenly tears were streaming down his face. He walked over to my bed and took me in his arms...I tried to break away from him but just ended up crying again."
Mark watched him and listened intently. He took Kyle's hand. Kyle squeezed Mark's hand tightly and smiled at him. "I wanted so much to hate that man...I never thought I'd forgive him. But...he said he can learn to accept my choice of sexuality. For some reason he said my happiness was more important then his comfort level."
"So, everything's okay, then?" Mark asked hopefully.
"I guess so...there's still some tension. But I think he'll get over it, in time." Kyle watched the sky some more. The clouds moved swiftly across the sky, and at times shadowed the burning sun.
"I'm so glad...I thought for sure he'd stop you from seeing me..."
"He could never do that. I'd find some way to see you. No matter what." Kyle kissed Mark softly on his neck.
"My sister said a very cruel thing that night you ran out of my house. She said she hoped you wouldn't go the way Steve did..."
"What do you mean?" Kyle asked, puzzled.
"Well, I never told you the full story about his death, Kyle. You see, he was run down...because he was gay. Someone killed him just b/c of his sexuality."
Mark turned away, his face clouded with agony. "I just don't want the same to happen to you. I can take the hatred but you're so sensitive. Just like Steve...people can be so hateful when you're different. I just don't want you to get hurt."
Kyle said plainly. "Look, man, I like you...in fact, I might love you. And what people have to say about my preferances don't amount to a hill of shit in my book. You're mine and I'm yours...and that's all that matters."
Mark smiled. "Come on, man. Let's go down to our special spot and watch the sun set. We've seen it rise together...we might as well see it fall together."
They ran from the house, Kyle's pale skin glowed in the light of the sun.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When they got to 'their' spot, the sun was just beginning to fall behind the horizon. They watched the dying sun as it sunk lower and lower into the hills. When it fell away all together, Kyle asked Mark, "Did you ever see what was at the end of this trail, dude?"
"Actually, no. This was such a nice place, I never bothered to explore it all the way."
"Well, let's see where it takes us!" Kyle jumped up and ran away down the path, Mark following. At the end of the trail, a tiny stream ran steadily by. It emptied into a glistening pool, set deep into the tree's. Mark started to pull his clothes off. Kyle blushed. "What are you doing, Mark?!"
"What do you think?" I'm going for a swim! I have to wash away all this drama that's happened the past few days!" He ran to the water's edge and jumped in, butt ass naked. Kyle shrugged and followed suit.
They splashed and played in the water like young otters. Mark grabbed Kyle and kissed him, his lips cold from the water. Kyle kissed him back, a low moan escaping him. Their cold bodies pressed against each other firmly and their hands traveled all over, stopping to caress a back a neck...anything.
There, in the cold, clear water, the tree's draping across the sky, their leaves flying from thin branches...the flowers blooming everywhere, Kyle and Mark made love in the dark of the forest. Their bodies were so alight with love and sensual feelings that they practically crackled.
Somewhere on the breeze, a bird sang its song. They felt alive in each other's arms.
Alive. And free.
THE END