Chapter 11

It's your birthday soon, Stan? Kyle asked as they flew above their families.

You didn't know? Stan giggled, I guess that was what Izanami meant by "the child I bore 17 years ago"…

Well, in any case, Happy Birthday, dude.

Thanks.

When's the party?

Didn't you hear Dad? It's Saturday of next week. Can you make it?

Yeah. Luckily there are football games on Sundays and Fridays, not Saturdays…

The two finally landed at the Marsh home, exhausted from a long night.

"Oh, I forgot one major point," Sheila just realized.

"What is that?" Kyle asked.

"Kyle, do you know where your laguz blood comes from?"

"No, not exactly."

"The reason Sharon called you 'Prince' was that you are the prince of both the wolf kingdom of Hatari and the lost heron kingdom of Serenes," Sheila then turned to Stan, "As for you, Stan, you're not only the prince of Begnion, but you also are tied to the royal families of Gallia, Serenes, the beorc nation of Daein, and the raven kingdom of Kilvas. That's about 75% of the whole continent of Tellius!"

"Quite a responsibility for one so young!" Randy laughed.

"Don't rub it in, people," Stan had a horrified look on his face.

"Well, we better go home, now," Gerald declared as he took Ike's hand and the Broflovskis were on their merry little way.

"Bye, Stan," Kyle still remained, even after his parents made their way for home.

"I can't wait to see you at my party!" Stan endearingly smiled, "I'll see to it that you get the greatest portions of food!"

"Oh, that's not necessary," Kyle blushed lightly, "I don't want to cause your family too much trouble. Well, bye."

"Bye."

Hee… Kyle laughed, Your dad is really silly sometimes.

Stan giggled back, I know.

The two boys laughed together.

"Hey, what are you laughing about?" Randy thundered, "You better not be using mind-speech, you twits!"

"Oh, we were just recalling something, Mr. Marsh," Kyle told Randy as he and Stan continued to laugh, "I really gotta go now, though! You'll love what I-"

"What you what?" Stan beamed, "What you got for my birthday?"

"Uh…" Kyle once again tried to dodge yet another question, "Good luck on the math test tomorrow!"

Leaving it at that, Kyle flew away to his house, which was not very far from Stan's house.

"We don't have a math test tomorrow…" Stan worried somewhat. For he knew that his Algebra II Honors class had been learning about quadratic functions and factoring – not something he was very good at.

~But the next school day…~

"Okay, class!" Ms. Choksondik announced as soon as the 10-minute morning announcements were over, "Get out two sheets of paper, one to cover your answers and the other to do work! We are having a Chapter 5 Quadratics test!"

Oh, shit… Stan's heart sank, I guess we really did have a test… Kyle, I didn't study. Can you mind-message me some of the answers?

Sure, It did not take long for Kyle to agree, Anything for you, especially since-

It's my birthday. Yes, yes, I know.

And so the class started what could possibly be the hardest algebra test in the world. Stan managed to do quite well, however, but almost Christmas-treed a few.

Hey, Kyle

What?

What's the answer to number 15?

Did you try it, at least?

Yeah. But no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to get an answer that is one of the choices.

Sigh… You're so hopeless sometimes, Apostle. Fine. The answer is 2x squared +3x+20=y. Satisfied?

All right. Thanks, Kyle.

No prob, dude. Kyle blushed slightly.

The rest of the class went rather smoothly. Stan constantly asked Kyle questions about the test, for all of which Kyle answered them correctly.

"All right!" Stan cheered when the bell rang to go to second period, "I bet you we aced that test!"

"What do you mean, we?" Kyle was somewhat irritated, I mind-speeched you about ¼ of the whole test!"

Right… Sorry… It's just that I didn't study.

God, I worry about you sometimes, Stan. If I keep on telling you the answers, you will never learn!

Dude, Kyle, take a chill pill. The way you're acting, I would think that you have a crush on me or something.

No, you know I have a crush on Wendy…

Oh, yeah. That one time you told me that… it was in the hospital. I remember…

You sure as hell better remember. Or else…

Or else what?

Nothing, nothing, nothing at all! Time for shop class!!

At that time, the two boys were already in the class, far sooner than expected.

"Okay, boys," Mr. Bob had no need to say "everyone", since all of the class' students were males, "If you haven't finished your vegetable oil-coating project, continue to do so. Otherwise, you may quietly, and I do mean quietly socialize. Okay?"

"Good, good," Kyle nodded, "I've been done with that for a while. How about you, Stan?"

"Oh, no," Stan replied, "But I am almost done."

"May I… Um… watch you?"

"Watch me? But why? I'm just coating wood with vegetable oil. Nothing special. If you insist, though, I guess it's okay."

"Thanks.'

Stan got immediately to the other end of the classroom, where the tubs of vegetable oil were. He took a piece of wood from a cupboard, putting it in the tub. Despite how odd it sounded, Kyle enjoyed watching Stan doing this. Even the mere dripping of the golden dew on the dull wood made it coruscate like pure gold. Stan's finished project was very commendable.

"Phew!" Stan wiped his brow, "Finally done!"

I… I think it's time, Kyle thought.

"What? What is it time to do?" Stan looked up at Kyle.

"Uh.. you'll see."

Kyle felt somewhat giddy as he went to the other side of the room, where the cubbies were. From one of them, he pulled out something that appeared to be a small present. When Kyle walked up to Stan, his heart was pounding.

"What is that you have there?" Stan peeked behind Kyle's back.

C'mon, Kyle, Kyle tried to gather all of his courage, It's now or never!

"Here," Kyle gave Stan the wrapped present with its rather fruity ribbons and blue wrapping, "Happy Birthday."

"For me?" Stan's eyes lit up, "I have to say I am rather touched. May I open it?"

"Of course."

Stan needed no other words as he carefully undid the wrapping on his present. Apparently, a lot of Japanese culture had influenced him, so he took care not to rip the paper in Kyle's face. When it was cleanly unwrapped, Stan could not be any happier at what he saw.

"Oh my GOD!!" Stan jumped, holding the book in his hands, "Junjou Romantica volume 8?! How in the seven HELLS did you get it? It just came out a few days ago! Not one bookstore in the whole world could have it..."

"Not so..." Kyle held up a finger, "That one bookstore we went to at the South Park Mall had it, but just one volume."

"Thank you, Kyle!" Stan glomped Kyle nearly to the ground in thanks.

But just as the young apostle did this, Cartman managed to catch sight of it, giggling, "Ooh... Stan and Kyle, sitting in a tree..."

At this point, all of the class, with the exception of Wendy, chimed in, "K-I-S-S-I-N-G!!"

"Man, you two look totally gay!" Cartman taunted.

"And he even went to the ends of the Earth to get you the rarest manga in the world!" Craig rudely added, "Aww, how sweet!"

"A Branded boy and his winged hero!" Butters could not think of any better words to use.

The whole class only continued to put shame on Kyle.

"Um..." Kyle was at a total loss for words. In a dazed action, he grabbed his handbag and left for class.

"Kyle!" Stan began to chase after Kyle. The bell rang to go to lunch, so the whole class left with him.

Stan attempted to search for Kyle throughout the entire hallway, despite the fact that there were classes still going on. Perhaps Kyle wanted to take advantage of his new wings, and maybe he was in a tree or something, Stan thought. In ten seconds, the goddess' voice told him just that.

"Kyle!" Stan flew up to the highest tree around the school, which towered to 25 feet high.

"Stan!" Kyle averted the Branded's gaze, "Go away!"

"But Kyle, at least let me talk to you..."

"It was the goddess' voice, isn't it? She told you I would be here... Goddammit!!"

"Be that as it may, Kyle... You can't let Cartman get to you. He does crap like that all the time; let it go. You're straight - you said so yourself. Hey, watch it! Your bag is falling!!"

It was too late, however, as Kyle's entire handbag fell from the tree, mysteriously staying intact the whole fall. Much to Kyle's dismay, he held a book in his hand.

"Huh," Stan breathed, squinting at the book's front cover, "What's that? How to Deal With True Love? Why the hell would you need a book like that? You already have Bebe... And with your smarts, athletic abilities, and stunningly good looks, you could nab Wendy, or any girl for that matter, in no time."

"No, I told you that we broke up!" Kyle roared, "And I'm not in love with Wendy."

"But I thought you said in shop class that you did."

"Um… well... that is, I…"

"And you even marked the part where it says 'What To Do If the Other Person is a Guy'. Kyle, are you really gay? Don't be afraid to admit to who you are."

"I'm not gay!"

"Then why did you mark this? Is it for someone else? Kyle, it is damned time you told me who you like already. I'm sick and tired of having to guess. You act all strange around Wendy, Bebe, and other girls, and I'm not sure which is the one you like. Can you tell me?"

"All right… I'll tell you. But, Stan, can you promise me this?"

"What?"

"That we'll still stay friends forever and that you would not laugh?"

"Of course. I swear it."

"Okay, then…"

"Kyle?" Stan stooped his head slightly so that he looked Kyle in the eyes, "Are you okay? Do you need to go see Nurse Gollum?"

"N-no..." Kyle's heart wanted to escape his chest, "Stan, I... Forgive me, but... I really love… love… Swear to me again that you will not laugh or otherwise diss me."

"Okay. I think we've established that. Just tell me who it is.. Tell me right out!"

"Stan! I don't love Wendy, Bebe, or any other girls! You're the one that I love!!"

"L-love?" Stan could not surmise a definite thought, "Oh, I see. I love you, too. You're my best friend in the whole world."

"No, listen! You're the one who wanted to ask. I'm totally head-over-heels in love with you, Stan! It's not just a mere crush! I… I would die for you, for any reason whatsoever. I just feel it that you're the only one for me!!"

"Then... That time during shop class... The bookstore... The whole damned reason why you acted both flustered and angry around me lately... You were actually in love with me?"

"Dumbass!!" Kyle bared his wolf fangs and growled, as if he was feral, "I thought you were the Apostle of Begnion, and that you were wise! Of course I love you! All of my actions thus far... they were in your good name! Stan..."

"I... I don't know what to say..." Stan's coloring made him seem like he was about to go into shock.

"Stan!"

"What the..."

Without any warning, Kyle had seized Stan's face. Their wandering gazes had met, and Stan could feel Kyle's arousing breath on his lips, as warm as day. But just as Stan could literally taste the savor of the sacred air, he pushed its source away.

"Kyle, get the hell away..." Stan could almost feel in his chest what Kyle was feeling in his own, and was afraid that Kyle felt his heart beating, "I'm sorry, but... I don't... I know you're my best friend and all, but... We're both guys. I'll accept your feelings and all that, and we can still be the best friends we've always been. But... I can't guarantee you that we'll ever be more than that."

"I see..." Kyle would have cried if he weren't so manly.

"I'm very sorry..."

Just as Kyle was about to open his mouth again, Principal Balls came out of the school, shouting, "Where did those two misfits go?"

"Damn!" Kyle was ready to leap out of the tree as he morphed into his winged wolf form, "Gotta go before they catch us. Hurry up and transform into your winged cat form before you get caught."

"You can go..." Stan transformed into a cat anyway, "I'm going down there so I don't get as busted as you're about to become."

"Suit yourself," Kyle took wing on the sky, clearly heading for his house.

Meanwhile, Stan flew as fast as he could to the rear of the school, landed, and then met Principal Balls at the front door of the school.

"Stanley Marsh!" The principal put his hands to his hips, "Why are you out here instead of being in class like you should?"

"But it's lunch time, Principal Balls!" Stan explained.

"Oh," Principal Balls shrugged, "Well, sorry, then. But it appears you only have ten minutes to get to your next period class, so get a move on!"

"Dad's right," Principal Ball's eldest son, Dicken, reinforced his father.

"Better get inside before you get yammered at again," One of the principal's adopted Thai daughters, Sukmai, said.

The minute the principal left, Stan called out to Kyle via mind-speech, Kyle, it's okay! You still have ten minutes to make it to Spanish class!

No, I think I'll stay home, was Kyle's sad reply, I... I don't feel well.

Kyle, I really am sorry for what you have been through. I appreciate your feelings for me. Really. So come back.

I can't... Honestly, if I saw you right now, I think I would go crazy...

Kyle then put a thick wall like the one of Berlin around his head to prevent Stan from reading his thoughts.

Kyle? Kyle!! Stan attempted to break that wall. But even as the apostle, he couldn't.

Kyle, words cannot express how sorry I am. It's just... I'd rather be just a friend forever with you that be your lover and end up hurting you in the long run.