Finding a car was easy, the difficult part was driving it. The roads were littered with abandoned vehicles, often with the keys still in the ignition and sometimes even the remains of the driver still inside. While this gave Stan a free choice of car (he went for a relatively new-looking blue Ford Fusion), it also meant he had to navigate his way past hundreds of obstacles blocking the road. Progress was slow and Stan was tired and impatient, almost wrecking the car a couple of times in the first hour of driving. Denver to Fort Collins should only take an hour and a half or so, but it would be at least twice that at the speed he was forced to go.

That was particularly worrying because with every passing minute it was getting even darker around him. The afternoon felt like one long twilight period with the sky still consumed by the heaviest clouds Stan had ever seen, like black thunderclouds but seemingly thicker closer to the earth. Back in Denver the ground had been dusted in little grey flakes of ash, and Stan wondered if that was what was descending on him from above. Occasionally Stan thought he could see fires in the distance as well, just a small orange glow like a candle flickering on the horizon. He was momentarily distracted and nearly rammed into an overturned truck on the road, having to swerve violently to the right to avoid it, leaving just two wheels touching the road and his heart beating franticly for a couple of seconds. He was careful not to jerk the wheel in panic though, and the car righted itself, letting him weave on towards Interstate 25.

It was getting close to complete darkness now and Stan still hadn't reached Fort Collins, so when he saw a Target just off the highway he figured the smartest move was to pull over. He hadn't eaten in over a day, and driving with just headlamps for visibility on roads blocked with this many hazards wouldn't end well. As he took the exit off the highway and steered into the parking lot he heard a crunch, and the car jolted ever so slightly. Stan pulled up, letting curiosity get the better of him, and lying on the ground a few feet behind the car was a skeleton, decomposed so literally only the bones were left. His front-left wheel had run straight over the top of the skull, obliterating everything above the lower jaw into tiny fragments that scattered over the tarmac like smashed pieces of opaque, white glass. Stan staggered away backwards, wishing he'd had the restraint not to look. He leaned against his car and braced himself to throw up, but nothing happened. Normally he would be emptying his stomach at the drop of a hat - or at least going through the motions if his stomach was already empty – but this time there was no incident. He was tougher now, Stan supposed; after all it had only been the third worst thing he'd seen in the last 48 hours. In a strange way he wished he was hunched over feeling nauseous though, since he didn't want to let go of the innocent part of him it came from.

The Target was still standing, but only just. Half of the building had collapsed on itself completely, damaged fatally by fire, and of the sign at the front only a solitary, red letter 'R' had survived. He headed inside the most structurally safe-looking part of the store, and set about finding some light. Batteries were easy, stacked on a shelf near the registers, but he had to spend ten minutes rooting around in the semi-darkness before he eventually found a torch. He only really saw how ransacked it all was when the yellow beam illuminated the bare shelves, and the discarded products littering the aisles. It looked like the place had been looted, which was quite possible now he thought about it. This side of the building had little sign of major damage at least, beyond the odd bit of debris and the thin layer of ash that coated almost everything.

Stan managed to find a tin of beans and a jar of pickled onions, a horrible but at least edible meal amongst the empty shelves and mould, and he pretty much inhaled it instantly without the formality of chewing. Once he'd finished he regretted not dragging it out though, since now all that was left to do was try to sleep.

In his whole life he'd never been one to be afraid of the dark, or afraid to sleep alone, but tonight as he got ready to go to bed he was terrified. He looked for blankets or cushions but there were none to be found, so they must have been in the collapsed side of the store. Instead he grabbed as many winter coats as he could find and dragged them to one of the registers, draping some over the sides of the counter and creating a bed in the footwell underneath the desk with the remainder. It just looked like the sort of fort the four of them would build at sleep overs when they were much younger, but somehow it seemed comforting. Before crawling in he placed the torch on the countertop above the fort, still switched on and shining out into the store to keep watch, though for what he wasn't sure – everything he had to be afraid of was in his own head.

Once he was under the counter Stan curled up and waited for sleep to come. Tomorrow he would reach Fort Collins, where there would be survivors, and maybe even a cure. He kept repeating that idea, trying one of Mr Mackey's old 'positive thinking' exercises but with no effect. Instead he issued yet another apology to Cartman in his thoughts, and clutched close to his chest a hat that he'd picked up from the aisle next to the coats. A lucky charm: a green ushanka.

X

"This is so fucking stupid. There's no way anyone could do that!" Kyle gestured wildly at the TV before turning to Stan looking for agreement.

"Dude it's Die Hard, it's not exactly meant to be realistic." Stan replied, his eyes still glued to the action sequence unfolding on the screen. "Besides, how do you know it's impossible?"

"How do I know it's impossible to destroy a helicopter by flinging a car into it? Gee Stan, I'm not sure..." Neither of them were massive action film nuts but there was literally nothing else watchable on, unless you count an old Friends episode they'd seen before or a documentary on a 70's band neither of them had heard of. They were sprawled out under blankets in Stan's living room, waiting for Kenny and Cartman to show up so they could figure out what to do with themselves today.

"Hey, if you drove fast enough and got enough air why couldn't it work?"

"He didn't even use a ramp, it was just a toll barrier thing. The car would've just crashed into it and wrecked!" Kyle failed to notice that Stan was struggling to keep a straight face as he spoke, and he took the bait greedily.

"There's nothing in physics that says that's not doable. If John McClane had time to set up a proper ramp that met your exacting standards then I'm sure he would have, but you have to make do with what's in front of you..."

Kyle muted the film to make sure he got Stan's full attention. "You can't be serious Stan!" He said incredulously.

"Oh, I'm deadly serious Kyle." Stan replied, but his smile betrayed him this time.

"You're such a dick." Kyle grumbled, turning the volume back up before folding his arms petulantly.

"Aw c'mon, I'm sorry Kyle." Stan said, still laughing. "I know you forgive me."

Kyle said nothing, because as easy as he was to wind up, Stan was just as easy to guilt trip.

There was a slight pause, then Stan flung the woolly blanket they were under onto the floor and lunged at Kyle, grabbing his wrists and pinning them above his head on the arm of the couch. He managed to hold them in place with just one hand and proceeded to slide the other under Kyle's shirt, moving his fingers rapidly over the bare skin.

"St- Stop! Please...I can't take it!" Kyle forced out between breaths, his body reacting uncontrollably to Stan's touch, squirming around in a futile attempt to escape the tickling feeling.

"Am I forgiven?" Stan asked, stopping the torture but keeping Kyle pinned down.

"Yes, you're forgiven." Kyle said, still panting for breath. A large part of him had wanted to keep up the resistance though, just so he could enjoy the close proximity of their bodies for a little longer. It would have seemed weird though, and he was already worried that he wouldn't be able to keep all of himself...under control, if this went on any longer.

"That's good." Stan said softly, though he wasn't moving to get off his best friend. His blue eyes were locked onto Kyle's jade ones, and though Kyle's were more unusual there was something so strikingly clear and deep about Stan's that they were every bit as captivating. "I live for your acceptance, after all."

"Shut up." Kyle murmured, smiling. "Now get off me before Kenny and the fatass show up, we don't need any more comments from them." Cartman's accusations about the nature of their friendship had become more frequent recently. It was totally unfounded, sadly, but they had been a little more 'hands on' of late, so to speak.

"So what?" Stan asked, his legs still trapping Kyle underneath him. Kyle watched as Stan leaned in slowly towards him, before turning his head to the side at the last second and whispering in his ear, "I don't give a shit about what any of them think. Especially not Cartman."

For a few lengthy moments Kyle couldn't really muster up a reply to that. Why should he care what anyone thought? Anyone but Stan, obviously. He was feeling nervous now, and a little hot, not helped by the trick Stan had just played on him by letting their lips get so close to touching. "Still." He said, pulling his arms free suddenly and taking Stan off guard, pushing him with both hands to send him tumbling off the couch. "I don't see the point in just handing him something to rip on us for."

"Whatever suits you." Stan said nonchalantly, getting up and pretending to dust himself off. There was a silence as they both looked at each other, processing what had just happened.

"Kyle!" Stan then strangely said, taking a step closer to him. "Kyle!" He repeated, almost shouting now.

X

"Kyle!" There was a hand waving right in front of his face, and when it was removed he saw Kenny, wearing a bemused expression. "Dude are you alright? You were so out of it."

"Oh, uh yeah I'm fine, just daydreaming." He replied, inwardly cursing Kenny for intruding. He hadn't had such a vivid memory of Stan in a while, one where he seemed like his real self, and it was blissful while it lasted. That was the day he had decided he wouldn't just wait and hope for Stan to make a move, and he'd build up the courage to make one himself. He'd seen something in those blue eyes that had made him think maybe Stan was just as desperate and worried as he was.

"Some fucking daydream." Kenny said, sitting down next to him on his bunk. "Or should I say, some daydream about fucking?"

"No, you shouldn't say." The pain in Kyle's stomach then returned, and it was brutal, forcing him to bend down and put his head between his legs in an effort to ease the throbbing agony. He wasn't sure why, but it sort of worked.

"I know man, I know." Kenny said, noticing his discomfort and putting a hand on his shoulder. Kyle was no longer leaving his bunk unless it was absolutely necessary, as part of his energy saving measures. If the calories he burnt walking across the room to talk to Jimbo were what killed him before Stan arrived he would never forgive himself. Well, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself anyway if he was dead, but the point still stands.

"What's up anyway?" Kyle asked, hoping Kenny's visit would be brief and he could go back into isolation.

"We have a bit of a problem." Kenny said, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "It's Ike."

"What about him?" Kyle asked. He could see Ike sitting down talking to Karen across the room, so it couldn't be anything major. He looked more healthy than most of them to be honest.

"He wants to go outside. Butters and I have tried to talk him out of it but he isn't exactly receptive to our opinion."

"Could you bring him over? I'll have a word with him." Kyle wasn't letting this happen under any circumstances.

"You're not getting up?" Kenny asked, raising an eyebrow. "You really are taking this energy-saving thing seriously aren't you?"

"Dude, I have to. Now go grab Ike, we can't let him go through with this."

Once Kenny walked off Kyle lay back down, but he saw his dad give him an exasperated look. His behaviour seemed to be annoying everyone suddenly, and he didn't know why. They were all disappointed about the broadcast perhaps, since they'd been hoping yet again for good news but instead it had been a confused and scared looking Stan. Something was wrong in Denver if the normal people were unable to make the broadcast and Stan was doing it instead. To Kyle that was the best news ever though, and if they disagreed then fuck them.

"Ike, what is all this about?" Kyle asked as his brother approached with Kenny. Butters and Karen had stayed across the room but were trying to listen in on the conversation in a pathetically unsubtle way.

"I don't have to explain myself to you or to anyone. I want to go outside, end of discussion." Ike turned to walk away, but Kenny grabbed his arm.

"Why?" Kyle hoped to appeal to his logical side – it was something they had both always had in common. "Randy never came back, Ike. Out there means certain death, we've heard it enough times."

"And what does staying here mean if not certain death as well?" Ike replied angrily, shaking his arm free of Kenny's grip. "You were the first person to admit that a couple of days ago, but now suddenly you've changed your mind because your boyfriend is alive? By all means you wait here for Super-Stan, but don't make me do it with you." The words were spoken with surprising venom, and it took Kyle a little off guard.

"I'm just being sensible. He's immune to whatever it is, so he could help us!" Kyle chose to ignore the boyfriend comment for the time being.

"Yeah right, your stupid jock fuck buddy is going to save us all from the apocalypse." Ike snarled, the comment making Kenny actually emit a little noise in shock, before composing himself again. Kyle was instantly too angry to act surprised.

"Shut the fuck up!" He shouted, and though it was fairly quiet as shouts go it was enough to get everyone else in the bunker to turn and see what was going on. "If you want to go running off without a second thought for your family, for your mother who would want you by her side, then you can. I don't care anymore." That wasn't true, he was just furious, but evoking Sheila seemed to work somehow and Ike's face admitted defeat; he just turned and walked back to his bunk without saying another word.

"Well done." Kenny said, sitting down next to him. Kyle was feeling a little light headed from all the energy he'd exerted, so he just lay back and offered no reply. "You know he didn't mean that." Kenny continued, lying down as well. "About Stan, he was just angry."

"I know." Kyle muttered. Ike had always gotten along well with Stan, so he was pretty sure it wasn't his honest opinion.

"Would you have gotten so annoyed if it was me he was insulting?" Kenny was absent-mindedly twirling a strand of Kyle's hair between his fingers. It was a massive, out of control mop of frizz these days, built of brittle hair that felt horrible to Kyle, so he couldn't understand Kenny's apparent pleasure in playing with it. Tomorrow he would cut it all off, since he was getting annoyed by the weight of it on his head.

"Of course." He replied, not sure of what the right thing to say was. Kenny reached over and began to stroke Kyle's cheek with the back of his hand, but the touch felt a little dirty now, like he was betraying Stan by letting it happen. He knew he had to be there for Kenny though, the way Kenny had been for him, and Stan would understand that too.

"Kyle…" The blond boy began, looking up at the ceiling as he spoke. "I wish I could believe that."

X

Thanks to all readers and reviewers, as always it's really appreciated.

I actually have something to ask you all. Currently this story is down as 'angst' and 'romance'. It has occurred to me that I chose those really arbitrarily, so any ideas on which two genres this story should be labelled as would be great.

I feel like it's clearly a bit of sci-fi, but it's also action and romance, and I basically have no clue haha.

Anyway I hope you enjoyed, and let me know any thoughts!