A/N: A couple months. Not a year. Try to enjoy it - it's a labor of love.


Tweek Bros coffee shop looked objectively better than it had when Stan was in the eighth grade. They'd renovated and expanded the building, adding to the lobby so it wrapped around the service counter and installing big windows. From where Stan and Wendy stood outside the front door, it almost looked like a respectable business. Stan probably could have stood there and looked at it all day if Wendy hadn't dragged him inside.

"W-welcome to Tweek Bros Coffee!"

The voice came before the face, but there was something specific in the stutter that told Stan exactly who it was behind that counter before the frizzy hair or burlap apron even appeared - Tweek Tweak.

"What can I - Stan?!"

Hearing his name snapped Stan from his visual once-around of the building, but by the time he looked up, Tweek was already gone. He cocked an eyebrow at Wendy, who responded with a matching expression, and they made their way up to the counter together. Wendy called out softly to Tweek, and Stan went the route of pressing the small bell on the coffee counter, but there was still a short pause before anyone came out, and who did appear surely wasn't Tweek. It was a girl. She was short, blonde, and had a cutesy but confident air about her.

"Well, heya! Sorry about that wait. What can I do ya for, strangers?" she said, though she had a mischievous look on her face as if she knew something that Stan and Wendy didn't. "We've got a nice hot mocha that's really in-season right now."

"Um, actually, do you carry any floral teas? We don't drink coffee," Wendy replied, cutting off Stan as he opened his mouth to inquire about Tweek. The girl raised her eyebrows and proceeded to cross her arms, stand on her toes, and plant her top half against the coffee counter. Something about her felt familiar to Stan, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Now what d'ya mean you don't drink coffee? What else would ya come into a coffee shop for?"

"We don't really do caffeine, and we're just meeting friends," Wendy replied when Stan fell short of a response. "Really, we'll just take the tea. Two regular cups. Anything floral, as long as it's black." The girl gave a little huff in response, but her smile didn't disappear as she prepared the cups, took Stan's money, and gave the couple a wait time. By the time she began to pour the tea, Wendy had to drag Stan to a table. He could hear Wendy talking to him, but he was fixated on this girl. He could have sworn that he'd known her before.

It wasn't until she was halfway to their table with two hot cups of tea that he understood why.

"Here ya go, strangers! Two hot cups of -" the girl began, but she was suddenly interrupted.

"Hey, Leo!"

It was Kenny's voice at the door, and as soon as Stan heard it, a rush of memories came back to him. He flipped through a dozen or more instances that Kenny called a very specific blond Leo.

"Butters?!"

The whole coffee shop stopped and stared at Stan's outburst, his wide eyes and hands white-knuckling the table. Then there was a snort from Craig, who'd followed Kenny inside, and a soft discomfort rippling off the girl as she finished walking their teas up.

"Actually, it's Marjorine now," the girl replied, and Stan's heart stopped beating in his chest. "Or Leona, 'cause Ken likes to call me Leo." Kenny smiled and waved on his route from the coffee shop doors to Stan's table, and Marjorine set their teas down. Then, she let a short sigh leave her and straightened up, smiling softly.

"It's okay that you didn't know, Stan," she said, her smile genuine. "You weren't here when I transitioned. Just... please don't call me that name anymore, okay?" Stan could only nod, still in shock that But... Marjorine was a woman, with wide hips and a prominent chest and everything. Wendy seemed startled, but in truth wasn't anywhere near as shocked as Stan about the revelation. By then, Craig and Kenny were settling themselves down in the other chairs at Stan and Wendy's table, and Marjorine made a comment about locking up for dinner and fetching Tweek.

"Really, don't worry about it, Stan," Kenny said, suddenly ripping Stan the rest of the way back into reality. "She just gets upset cause that old name holds a lot of negativity for her. She understands that you didn't know."

"How could you not?" Wendy replied, not giving Stan the chance to speak. "I mean, don't get me wrong - I was startled, but I knew he was different from the beginning."

"She," Craig corrected stoically, and Wendy flushed just slightly. Stan shook his head and sat back up in his chair, taking a small sip of his tea. An awkward silence hung in the air for just a few moments.

"So, Wendy," Kenny started, relieving the room of quiet, "I've heard Stan's version of events. How about you? Any good stories?" Wendy smiled, and began to talk. She rehashed a lot of what Stan had said, adding in girly details like places they'd had dinner and different languages' words for "bread". Stan lost himself in the conversation, matching only Craig for his feigned indifference. Then, halfway through one of Wendy's stories about a German café, Craig suddenly left Stan in first place for indifference because he looked up and smiled.

Stan followed Craig's gaze behind them to Marjorine leading a very stiff Tweek outside of the back room. Stan could only see half of Tweek's face, and only hear certain words that he was muttering (though Stan thought he heard Tweek say "Kyle"). It seemed almost like Tweek was trying to cover his face. Any notions of that, however, subsided when Tweek saw Craig and finally seemed to calm down. Tweek and Marjorine walked to the table together, and Marjorine left to lock the doors before returning.

Stan could see now why Tweek wanted to hide his face - he had a small tube sticking out of his nose and disappearing behind his neck. It was filled with a tan-colored substance, what Stan could only guess to be some kind of food drip. His suspicions were confirmed when Tweek spoke.

"S-s-sorry for running away earlier," he said, hand coming up again to try and hide his tube before it was batted away by Craig's hand. "I just - I have the permanent tube now and, well, I don't like for people to see it." Stan figured that that was fair, but the excuse didn't seem that legit.

"Somebody doesn't chew," Kenny quipped. The words were harsh, but Kenny still had a friendly aura. For the first time since he'd known him, Stan saw Tweek crack the tiniest smile and bat at Kenny. Craig didn't seem too humored, though.

"Yeah, like he's the only one," Craig replied, voice just short of a snarl. Kenny continued to smile and gave a shrug, and Stan found himself once again on the outside of some bubble. He felt like everyone in this town was in on some secret that he couldn't get close to.

The conversation continued - about Tweek's disorder and Marjorine's transition and Craig's useless degree and Kenny's parents - but Stan couldn't get himself into it. All he could do was sit and try to weasel into this secret society of people who wouldn't talk about his best friend.

Stan couldn't help but be relieved when the conversation began to wind down and Marjorine indicated that she should open the shop back up for the evening rush. Stan and Wendy left amicably, though Wendy could tell that Stan was upset. As they got in the car, she confronted him.

"Stan, what's wrong?" she asked, fastening her seatbelt. "Isn't this what you wanted?"

"It is, but it's..." he replied, but couldn't find his words.

"It's Kyle, isn't it?" Wendy finished for him. It was in moments like this that Stan remembered why he fell in love with her. "Don't worry, Stan. Kenny said Kyle will be in tomorrow, and I'm sure he'll be glad to see you." Stan wasn't so sure, but he kissed Wendy's cheek and thanked her anyway.

When they returned home, Wendy went right up to the bathroom to start getting ready. Stan made a pitstop in the kitchen, opening the fridge to look for a soda. His mother was finishing up some dishes at the sink. If Stan could see the smirk she was giving the plate in her hands, he wouldn't have even asked his next question.

"If Kyle's family moved, where would he come back to when he gets in town tomorrow?"

"I have a new address for him," Sharon replied. "It's in the new residential block of South Park. Let me finish up these dishes and I'll get it for you." And she did, scrawling the address on a Post-It and giving it to Stan. He thanked her, and then headed up to bed himself, clutching the paper.