A.N- Hey! Thanks for reading, and thank you so much for reviewing! I was so happy, I had to write a reply:

Guest 1: I can't begin to explain how much I enjoyed your review! I love all reviews but yours was just so detailed and I love love love reading it (a few times), and just… thank you for putting the effort and time into writing it. It made me so happy. And I agreed with pretty much everything you said!

Guest 2: Glad you like the details! I can't help it, and they're a pain to reread…

ChibiMegane: Recognise Luigi? Hehe. Wait and see…

Kyle broflovski: Thaaaaaaaank yoooooooooou! And here it is!

Symphnot: Thanks for reading so many of my stories, old friend! It makes me happy to know you like the Kenny and Kyle moments ;)

Sorry, I don't do this every chapter.

Anyway, thank you for waiting! Hope you enjoy~

14

'I can't believe that he pierced my nipple,' Kyle grumbled, placing his right hand on his left breast. They had cleaned the wounds, stopped the bleeding and had bandaged the deeper cuts. A small bandaid covered his left nipple, which Kenny had found quite amusing.

'Maybe he was tryna give you a nipple piercing. They're quite hot.' Kyle gave Kenny an annoyed glance and the blond blinked contemplatively. 'Nah, you're right. They're ugly. Loogie has bad taste.'

The blond finished up bandaging Kyle's left arm and Kyle looked at it, impressed. He had doubted Kenny's ability to treat wounds, since Kenny didn't seem to be the person who would come to the infirmary very often (more the type to inflict wounds than to suffer from them).

'Where did you learn to treat wounds like that, Kenny?' Kyle asked as Kenny got up to return the first-aid box to the nurse.

'Long story,' Kenny said, disappearing into the nurse's office. Kyle hummed and looked at the slip the nurse had given him. It was the paper that would give Kyle the special exception at labour, like the one Craig had been given twice before. Now Kyle could understand why Craig was relieved when he finally got to do normal labour. It wasn't a good feeling, being treated specially for being weak…

As they made their way back to their cell, Kyle scraped his foot along the ground, kicking the air as if he was splashing an invisible pond. He was wondering whether to ask Kenny for something, and how to ask for it, how to sound as casual as possible.

'Kenny, you're strong, and fast, and move very efficiently…' he finally began.

'Thanks for the compliment. I never noticed that before while I bashed people up,' Kenny said sarcastically, making Kyle smile.

'I'm just saying because… I'm weak as fuck.'

Kenny blinked at Kyle's words and watched as the redhead as he chuckled troublingly at himself. The weak laughter morphed into a sigh and disappeared.

'I need to get stronger,' Kyle said to himself. He looked up at Kenny. 'Can you help me?'

'What?'

'If you help me,' Kyle held Kenny's arm enthusiastically, keeping their eyes knit together, 'teach me, how to defend myself, I wouldn't have to rely on other people to help me, and you won't have to worry about me anymore. It would be good for both of us!'

'What a great idea,' Kenny said, dully, not getting on board with the idea. 'But even if I train you, I will still be worried. I can't train you to become even close to how strong I am, and unless you are, you're not going to be safe. The rumour is the best defence you have. People are scared of me, and are scared of pissing me off.'

'So what? Am I just meant to sit around, hoping to be saved every time someone tries to hurt me?'

Kenny smirked.

'Sick of being the damsel in distress, huh?'

'Sick of being in distress, definitely. Sick of being— a passive, naïve, useless, stupid, everything— princess. I'm living on the outside world now. It's time I learnt how to defend myself. How to let myself live…'

Kyle gave Kenny a hopeful smile. Hopeful for Kenny to understand where he was coming from. The blond shook his head, holding back a smile.

'You know… Not many people would call prison the "outside world".'

'Well. It's more of an outside world than I ever lived in.'

'Maybe that's right… Fine. I don't know how much good it would do ya if you do get yourself in a sticky situation, but I'll teach you how to throw a good punch or two. But don't think you'll learn how to become superman and save the world or anything. Leave that to me. You, just learn how to save your own skin. Or how to buy some time until you come up with a plan to get yourself out. You have a good brain, you should put it to good use.'

Kyle smiled brightly and squeezed Kenny's arm, either in excitement or with gratitude for Kenny's acceptance of becoming his self-defence tutor.

'Thanks, Ken.'

'You're welcome, Ky.'

They both chuckled, exhausted from the long night and in Kyle's case, the pain of his sliced torso. But they laughed nonetheless.

'I'm only gonna start teaching you after your wounds heal though.'

Kenny added, making Kyle groan.

'Stupid Luigi,' he grumbled, making Kenny laugh even louder.

'If that is all he gets from torturing you, then I don't know what to say.'

'Stupid motherfucking asshole Luigi die and burn in hell!' Kyle shouted, cutting Kenny's laughter off with insults that echoed through the hallway. Kyle huffed, cheeks flushed red, but with a satisfying colour lighting up his eyes. Kenny stared at Kyle, stunned, but then quickly burst into a cackle even louder than before.

'That's my princess!' He said between his laughter, leaning his temple against Kyle's head.

'That's my prince,' Kyle mocked softly, leaning his own head against Kenny's shoulder. Kenny's laughter died down and they leaned away from each other's contact. But they both walked slightly closer to each other, as their made their way back to their cell.

.

Kyle looked down from the balcony, just to check if his "students" were studying properly without him watching over their shoulders.

'Craig, wake Clyde up,' Kyle called. The raven looked to the boy next to him, whom had his face pressed against the pages of the book and his arms dangling lifelessly beside him. Craig slapped him across the head and Clyde jumped up with a shriek, shouting something about elephants.

'Clyde, if you're going to sleep, do it in your room. You'll get a stiff neck if you sleep here.'

'I'm not sleeping,' he grumbled, picking up his book.

'Then learn from Tweek. He started late and he's already caught up to Craig,' Kyle grinned challengingly at his raven friend, who gave him the middle finger. Kyle laughed and waved before turning back to the bookshelf.

'So, are all these romance novels?' Kyle asked Gregory, who was making a checklist of books of the library.

'Yes. Those three bookshelves are.'

'That's a lot… Do you have any recommendations?'

'I'm afraid romance is not my forte. You should ask Christophe. He's the romantic one.'

Kyle leaned over to look at Christophe. He was still sleeping against a stack of unsorted books, still as a statue.

'Maybe later…' Kyle murmured, sliding out a random book from the bookshelf. "A room with a view". He placed it back with a sigh.

'Why do you want to read a romance novel anyway?' Gregory asked.

'I was told to do some research on love, since I have very little knowledge of it.'

'I doubt you know less than most people here.' Gregory took out a book, looked at the back cover and put it back, scribbling on his notepad. 'You have a decent upbringing. Your parents must have loved each other?'

'My parents? Oh… I think they did.'

'But they didn't love you?' Kyle looked up, and found that Gregory was staring at him intently for the first time. 'I only assume this because of what you did to them,' he added, quietly.

'I think they did… They told me so sometimes.' Kyle answered, and then he looked down. 'I just… never knew them well enough.'

'You knew you didn't know them well enough, and still you killed them?'

Kyle looked up again. Gregory didn't seem judgemental, or even interested for an answer. But his gaze was strict, as if what was important was not the answer, but the act of answering, and to answer sincerely. Kyle felt a cold stone sink deep inside him, from his chest to his stomach, slowly sinking, painlessly.

'It's not how much you know someone to wish that they were gone… It's what they do to you.'

Gregory smiled an empty smile and turned his head back to the books. He wasn't going to ask what might have been done to him, and Kyle was grateful for that.

'How about your brother then?' Kyle's heart jumped. 'There must have been love there.'

He dragged his finger across the backs of the books, letting his nail bump along the peaks and troughs of the spines until he reached one of the fattest books. He pulled it out an inch, and then pushed it back in, repeating this gesture a few times.

'My brother didn't believe that he was loved. He wasn't birthed by my parents and said that that was why they would never love him as much as they did me. And I always wished for that to be a lie, because that would be too sad. I always felt like a pawn to my parents. A figure to carry on the family name, and if I didn't suffice, then there would be Ike, the younger, but better and smarter brother… I knew that my parents loved me, but I never really felt it, at least, not for a long time. And if my brother felt it less than me, then how lonely must he have felt? He always said that I was the only one who really loved him…always.'

Kyle's hand dropped lifelessly to his side as he let out a long streak of breath.

'I give up…' he said. 'I'll wait until Christophe wakes up.'

'I don't know when that'll be,' Gregory chuckled, giving the still boy a warm glance. The familiar colour in Gregory's eyes made Kyle's jaw loosen.

'Do you love him?' Kyle asked the blond, who looked at him with his blue eyes widened.

'What? Christophe?' Kyle nodded. Gregory was frowning, as if he had never considered the possibility before. 'Well, he's the only person who really matters to me. I will miss him if he dies. It would be a great inconvenience. He is like the body to my brain.'

'So…?' Kyle tilted his head to rub the exposed skin of his neck. 'Do you love him?'

'Kyle—' Gregory sighed, chuckling with tired amazement. 'I told you I don't know much about love. All I know is that love is only a word. It's a word that describes a strong emotional connection between two people. It varies between people and there are as many types of love as there are stars in the sky. I don't know if I would or should label my relationship with Christophe love, it's a complicated thing, labelling emotions. But if there's one thing I know? It's that reading a romance novel isn't going to be much help.'

Kyle looked up at the bookcases stacked with romance novels without a single gap in between. He let out another long breath and leaned against the railing of the balcony. He enjoyed history and philosophy, but romance and love… he felt drained just thinking about it.

'I met Luigi yesterday,' Kyle said, wanting to change the topic. Gregory seemed quite willing as well.

'The Southern Boss? How interesting.'

'I know. Now I've met three leaders, the West, the East and the South, and so far Luigi has been the worst.'

'Most people would take Luigi over the other two any day, he's much more predictable, but— you have special circumstances, so I can understand your view.'

Kyle blushed and tried to hide it by stretching his fingers. It's not like anyone could possibly know about his special circumstance: the fact that Kenny wanted to kiss him.

'Anyway, I was wondering… Does the North have a leader? I've met the other three but I haven't even heard of him, if there is one.'

'There is one,' Gregory answered, his smile dropped at the mention of the leader of the North. 'But I don't know who it is. Nobody knows. He is called the Northern Shadow, and is said to have been in this prison longer than anyone… But the North is small, most of the space taken up by officer's rooms and service facilities, like this library. Being the leader of the North doesn't seem to be such a great deal, so not many people are interested in him. I am though, but then again, I am interested in everything.'

Kyle had stopped blinking. He stared into space as the name echoed in his head, and an image that appeared along with it. A boy, dressed in the black of the prison uniform, ink-black hair, and eyes, like obsidian stones, staring at him. The boy that was waiting in his cell on Kyle's first day… the boy that had healed the pain in his cheek.

Why did that boy's face appear with the name of the Northern Shadow? It was the first time Kyle had even thought of him in such a long time. He hadn't seen him since his first day; except for that one time he passed him on his way to "help" Butters from Trent's gang.

'You know, I thought that you two were the leaders of the North for some time,' Kyle said, smiling.

'Many people seem to think that. Maybe that's another reason why not many people claim to be the new leader of the North, other than the fear for the unknown Shadow.'

Despite his lack of interactions with Gregory, Kyle was quite confident to say that he was probably the most resourceful person when it came to information, even though he didn't seem to show it very much, (unlike Luigi, who enjoyed demonstrating the information he had on Kyle and Butters' relationship). And so, Kyle believed that if Gregory didn't know about the leader of the North, then no one did.

'Oh well, I better get back down there,' Kyle murmured, looking over his shoulder to his students. 'Ask Christophe for a recommendation when he wakes up for me, will you?'

'Of course,' Gregory smiled as Kyle walked past him.

'Thanks.'

Gregory watched as Kyle made his way to the stairs, and as he began to climb down, the blond shifted his eyes to the boy lying against the stack of books. He had his eyes loosely open, watching Kyle through his heavy lashes, and then he looked up to meet Gregory's gaze. Gregory wasn't surprised. He knew the brunet had been awake for most of their conversation.

'You love me?' he asked through a thin grin. Gregory smirked.

'Only as much as you love me.'

'Oh. Not very much, then.'

Gregory shook his head and went back to checking the books.

'I thought you loved Kyle.'

'I do. From the first time we met, I knew he would be my king.'

'Oh? And what would I be?'

Christophe's eyes were glazing over again, about to sink back into his sleep. He murmured something through still lips before his body finally sank into the books. His quiet snoring replaced their conversation.

There was a soft smile on Gregory's lips as he listened to Christophe's unmannerly snoring, the sound almost comical and childish. Christophe, always so romantic.

.

Kyle wasn't aware, but it was the end of his second month in prison. There wasn't a celebration waiting for him this time when he returned to his cell, instead there was Kenny who reminded him that another month had past by indicating his bed.

'Hey, honey,' Kenny said in a mock-feminine voice, twirling his foot around in the air as he read a magazine. 'How was work today?'

'Today's a day-off, Kenny.'

'I know. I meant how was teaching your little minions how to read?'

'It went well,' Kyle chuckled at the cute ring of the word "minions". 'But if Craig heard you call him my minion, he'd probably punch you.'

Kenny turned to his side and laughed, letting his magazine fall from his chest.

'Oh, yeah… The post came today. I put them on your bed,' Kenny nodded in the bed's direction. Kyle blinked a few times at the news and slowly followed Kenny's eyes to the letters on his bed. There were four.

'Thanks…' Kyle murmured, almost too softly to hear in contrast with Kenny's bright voice.

'Sure. I think they're all from the same person though, telling from the handwriting. They're probably from your brother.'

Kyle didn't say anything, but crossed the room to grab his towel and soap, making Kenny rise up in confusion as Kyle headed for the door with a change of clothes in hand.

'Hey, aren't you gonna read them?'

'Saving them for later. I'm taking a shower now. I smell enough to give me another life sentence.'

He gave Kenny a quick smile and rushed out the room before the blond could question his attitude.

As Kyle made his way to the showers, he came across Stan, still delivering a handful of letters to their new owners. The way he solemnly checked the letters and the cells, making sure they matched, made Kyle's heart squeeze a little. Stan was just so good-hearted and hard working, it showed in almost every gesture he made…

'Hey Stan,' Kyle said once he was close enough that a loud voice wasn't necessary. The guard shot his gaze up and smiled warmly when he found who it was.

'Hey,' he said. 'Did you get your letters? I delivered yours a few minutes ago.'

'Yeah, thanks… About the letters though…' Kyle pursed his lips as he met Stan's blue eyes and looked down. 'Could you possibly, if more letters come for me… ignore them?'

'What?'

'I mean, like, could you not deliver them to me? It's just that… we can't write back, you know? And it hurts me to see him, my brother, sending me letters, knowing that I can't write back.'

'Well, you could,' Stan laughed softly, letting go of the tension from the confusion towards Kyle's sudden wish. And then he let his voice drop. 'I could send the letters for you, once a month or so… If you don't tell anyone.'

Kyle's lungs shrank at the offer, retreating against the back of his ribs.

'Thanks, but… That won't be fair to everyone else. I mean, Craig can't write back to his sister either. It won't be fair.' Kyle placed his hand on Stan's arm as he passed by, thanking him for his kindness nonetheless. 'See you later.'

Kyle could feel his heart rattling in his chest. He didn't act strange, did he? He was calm and natural, right? Kyle forced out a deep, long breath out of his lungs. He could really do with a cold shower right now.

.

It was a beautiful day, and it wasn't just the smoke intoxicating his mind. Yet "beautiful day" itself was a silly thing to say since it hardly ever was not a "beautiful day". In fact they probably needed a day that was not beautiful. It had been a long time since the last rainfall. But right now, the day was beautiful in every blissful way. Butters was sitting on the rooftop of the prison, his legs dangling off the roof between the metal bars of the fence that kept the inmates from falling off the edge.

'Safety first,' Butters sniggered to himself sarcastically, breathing out a thin streak of smoke.

A minute later, his time alone with himself and his joint was interrupted with a tap on his shoulder. He turned around with a drunken grin, but when he saw whom it was, he almost instantly sobered up. The boy behind him was unfamiliar, but beautiful, with black hair, white skin, and red lips. Butters giggled. He always liked tall, handsome men, although looks weren't everything to him, otherwise he wouldn't be so dear to his fat guard Cartman.

'What do you want?' Butters asked, still ogling at the boy with a smile. 'I normally only take customers at my cell, but I could make an exception.'

The boy smiled and it made Butters' insides jiggle. Fuck his whores; he would take this boy himself.

'Unfortunately, I am not your customer,' the boy said, to an instant disappointment to Butters. 'I am here to give you some information.'

Butters' disappointed frown deepened with suspicion and wonder. But the boy kept his smile. In fact, it didn't move.

'Who are you?' Butters asked darkly. The boy lightly shrugged.

'Just a messenger.'

'That's not a name.'

'My name doesn't matter.' The boy's smile still didn't quiver, but his black eyes flared, reflecting the sun's light and glowing in a colour that Butters could have sworn was red. But that was only a quick moment, and the flare disappeared before Butters could even check what he saw. With Butters quietened down, the boy told him: 'The Southern Boss offered Kyle to help him get rid of you.'

It took a while for Butters to fully process the information, and when he did, the colour in his cheeks drained away into a cool blue. He looked at the boy; he was still smiling.

'What did you say?' Butters' voice was quiet and careful, but the stranger didn't change a single tone, just like his face, as he continued.

'Since Kyle hates you now, and rightfully so, Luigi thought that it would be a good idea to make Kyle get rid of you for two reasons. One: it would get rid of his business rival, you. And two: it would build a connection with Kyle, who is rumoured to be a special someone to the Western Prince. Luigi didn't believe in the rumour but he was interested, after all, there is no smoke where there is no fire.'

'That fucker…' Butters muttered to himself, his pale face beginning to shine from cold sweat.

'Luigi?'

'No. Kyle!' The blond shouted with angry spit. The boy finally twitched a muscle in his face with Butters' outburst. 'That fucking cocksucker is getting together with Luigi to kill me, huh? Well fuck him, that fucking hypocrite! I'll fucking break that bastard before he can even try to lay a hand on me. I'll cut his cock off and fuck him in the ass with it!'

The boy's smile had finally disappeared, but Butters was too angry to notice. He got to his feet to leave but the boy blocked his way, staring deeply into Butters' eyes and making him forget his rage.

'Kyle declined.'

Butters blinked, glaring as if the boy was made out of his words, but the strength in his eyes slowly loosened along with the tension in his jaw.

'What?' he asked.

'Kyle chose not to team up with Loogie to get rid of you. For that, he got tortured, but still he chose not to hurt you. Even if all you've been trying to do is hurt him from day one, ever since you saw him with the Western Prince. You've been green with jealousy because you could see the influence Kyle was already having on Kenny. You felt the changed atmosphere surrounding the prince while he was around this new redhead; you could feel that Kenny had already begun to care for Kyle. While you've been trying to win over the Prince's favour with whores and drugs, Kyle appeared, and Kenny instantly cut all ties with you, stopped your whores and drugs, which is the only thing you have. All because of this new pretty little preppy.' The boy's black eyes seemed to be becoming darker and darker, and the insides of Butters' stomach was turning colder and colder to the point that he was almost shaking. 'You are a pathetic little human. And still Kyle chose to be hurt than to hurt you. Why that was, I'll probably never know.'

Without giving Butters a last glance, the boy turned and walked away with silent footsteps. It was as if he had forgotten that he had been talking to Butters at all, despite how much his words had shaken the blond. And Butters just stood there, trying to digest what the boy had said to him. But the words kept on buzzing in his head like bees and he couldn't swallow a single one of them. He looked down at his joint. It was a second away from burning his fingers.

.

The news that Luigi wanted to get rid of him didn't surprise Butters. In fact, he had been aware for quite some time that his business was in the way of Luigi's, but he wasn't worried. He didn't believe that Luigi was seriously intending of killing him, even if he wanted to; come to think of it, the fact that he would ask Kyle to kill him out of all people proved it. He was too smart to kill Butters so hastily, especially while Butters still had some powerful customers. No, the word that Luigi wanted to kill him didn't bother Butters at all.

What did bother Butters was the fact Kyle chose to turn down an offer from the Southern Boss; risk that than to agree to hurt him. He didn't understand it, and it made him frustrated. If Butters were Kyle, he wouldn't have hesitated to take on Luigi's proposition. Hell, he probably would have killed him even without the encouragement from Luigi. He couldn't understand Kyle. The princess seemed so easy to read, so easy to manipulate, while in fact he was impossible to understand.

Butters' nails were digging into his palms until he arrived in front of a certain cell door. He knocked on it and crossed his arms, waiting for it to open. And when it did, he strengthened his glare. Kyle himself had opened the door.

'Hey,' Butters said, sneering, yet with his glare still in tact. Kyle's cheeks tensed, like a puppy growling without showing its teeth.

'What do you want?' The redhead hissed under his breath. He had his cell door opened to a minimum, as if he didn't want his cellmate to know who had arrived at their door.

'Oh, I- I'm not intruding am I? Should I come back in a few minutes after you guys finish up?'

Kyle's glare tightened with Butters' sarcasm.

'Who is it?' Kenny's voice called from the inside. Kyle blinked, and with that moment the colour in his eyes changed from anger to worry.

'It's just— Craig,' he said, still blinking rapidly. He looked back into his cell, and Butters popped onto his tippy-toes, trying to look over him, but Kyle blocked his way. 'I'll just step out for a second, alright?'

Butters heard Kenny groan.

'Come on, don't leave me hanging! I'm on edge, you fucking tease.'

Kyle blushed and stepped outside, closing the door behind him swiftly. Butter's eyes widened, a shocked stare replacing his hostile glare.

'Were you guys actually—?'

Kyle frowned in confusion, trying to make out what Butters was implying, and when he did, his white cheeks caught fire.

'What? No!' He rushed, backing up against his door. 'We were just doing a card game and he's winning for once. We're not having sex!'

'Oh,' Butters rolled his eyes, looking bored all of a sudden. 'Why didn't you tell him it was me?'

Kyle's blush began to fade and the tension in his face returned.

'Because he's angry at you.'

For a second, Butters stopped blinking and the natural pink in his puffy cheeks paled. But it was a subtle change, difficult to detect if you weren't paying attention.

'Why?' Butters asked, trying to keep himself calm. Kyle placed his hands on his hips, annoyed at such a stupid question from the cunning and manipulative blond.

'Because of what you did to me.'

'You told him?' Butters' shot his eyes up, not expecting Kyle to do such a thing. The shock was quickly replaced with anger. 'You tattletale fucking pussy—'

'I didn't tell him,' Kyle spat, interrupting the blond's insult. 'Luigi did.'

'Luigi?'

'The Southern Boss.'

'I know who he is!' Butters bit. But his anger seemed to be defensive right now, covering up his building panic, instead of coming from his resentment towards Kyle. It made the redhead relax his shoulders, and his voice soften as he elaborated:

'Luigi wants you hurt, bad. He thinks that you're in way of his business.'

'Yeah. I've heard.'

'He wanted me to help him… get rid of you. But don't worry. I turned it down.'

'You think I'd be worried about having you out to get me?' Butters asked distastefully, making Kyle smirk.

'No, I guess not,' he said through his laughs. 'But because I turned down Luigi, he told Kenny about how you've been trying to manipulate me, hoping it would anger him enough to want to hurt you. But I made him promise not to hurt you, so there's no need to worry about that either, although I guess that wouldn't bother you to begin with.'

But that news did bother Butters, at least the implication that telling Kenny about Butters' betrayal of Kyle would make the Prince want to hurt him. Did that mean that the Prince really did care about Kyle? Enough to make him want to avenge for what had been done to him?

'Why do you do it?' Butters hissed through his teeth. Kyle squinted, missing his words. 'Why are you so fucking special?'

'What—'

Before the word could completely leave Kyle's tongue, Butters grasped him by the hair and pulled him down until their lips met. The smaller boy kissing him felt like an invisible chain holding down his body, but then he saw the blond hair, and he quickly pushed the younger boy away.

'Butters, what the—'

The blond ignored him and pushed him back into the door.

'Why do you do it, huh?' Butters repeated quietly against Kyle's neck. His breath was warm and moist, but more than that, Kyle noticed that it was shaking. He didn't protest, somehow feeling less vulnerable while Butters' breath was shaking against him.

The warmth of his breath multiplied and attacked his neck. Butters sucked on the thin skin so hard, it was as if he was trying to draw the blood right out of his pores.

'Butters—' Kyle groaned, the suction on his neck like pinning needles. He placed his hands on Butters' shoulders, about to push him back, but he froze as Butters cupped his crotch, making a shiver rush down his spine. The sucking on his neck stopped but Kyle could still feel the warmth of Butters' breath on his numbed skin.

'How can you do all that, while this is all I can do?'

Butters' hands moved under Kyle's shirt and the cool fingers shot Kyle's mind awake. He was about to slap the blond out of his lunacy, but just as he was about to, he saw Butters' shocked expression. It made his hand stop mid-air. Butters too, had let go of Kyle's crotch. He was feeling the bandages around Kyle's torso as if he was in denial. His other hand reached to raise Kyle's shirt, but before he could, the redhead finally shook himself awake and pushed the younger boy away from him.

The impact wasn't strong, but it sent the blond a few wobbly steps back. He stared at the floor, and then drew his eyes up to Kyle. He was looking down on him from such a distance, appearing much more taller than usual.

'Grow up,' Kyle said, and returned back to his cell, closing the heavy door behind him without another word.

Grow up. Grow up…

Butters stared at Kyle's cell door with heavy eyes clouded as Kyle's last two words replayed in his head, echoing dimly, over and over. Grow up, Kyle told him. The one most naïve, ignorant, stupid, innocent little baby princess Butters had mocked him to be, had just told him to grow up.

Butters' feet buckled back a few steps and he turned to make his way through the hallway. Strangely, he wasn't angry; he didn't know what to feel. He knew where the wounds hiding under Kyle's bandages must have come from: the Southern Boss. That mysterious guy had told him that Kyle was tortured because he wouldn't agree to hurt him, but Butters didn't believe it at first; how could he?

But wasn't this what he wanted? Kyle being hurt because of him?

Somehow, not a single part of him rejoiced with those bandages. He wanted to hurt Kyle, but he didn't want Kyle to be hurt trying to protect him. He didn't want Kyle to protect him at all; he hated Kyle! And Kyle was supposed to hate him.

Why did everything suddenly seem so complicated now all of a sudden? And just because of a few bandages…

Butters cringed. He was trying to ignore the fact that this was the first time someone had been hurt trying to protect him. In fact, it was the first time someone had tried to protect him at all, without an ulterior motive… The thought made Butters hate Kyle even more than before, if that was even possible. He hated Kyle for making his hatred for him so complicated; he hated Kyle so much it hurt his heart.

The painful hatred inside him wanted to know one thing: what other pain was awaiting Kyle? He wanted to know, because seeing Kyle's wounds weren't as fun as he had thought it would be; it made everything complicated. He didn't want to associate with Kyle anymore, he didn't want to see Kyle being hurt because of him. So he turned. He made his way to his accomplice's room, wanting to know what other pain that Butters had fed was waiting for Kyle. Once he finds out, Butters was sure he would be able to forget about the redhead, let the princess suffer and die however way he was supposed to, and Butters would live on with his little life, free of complication.

.

As Kyle closed the cell door behind him, his mind was focused on the pinning pain in his neck where Butters had sucked on him. He covered the spot with his hand, annoyed that it would inevitably change into an obvious and ugly colour for Kenny, and everyone, to see.

'Hey, what's up?'

Kyle's gaze was drawn up by the sound of concern in Kenny's casual voice.

'Nothing.'

'What was that banging against the door?'

'What banging?'

Kenny raised his brow but didn't say anything, returning his eyes back to the cards on his bed. He was obviously expecting Kyle to continue where they had left off, but Kyle didn't. Instead he sat on his own bed, still holding the burning spot on his neck; his actions were strange enough to make Kenny suspicious.

'Why are you holding your neck?'

Kyle's eyes widened, as if he had just realised that he wasn't alone.

'Nothing, I just— twisted my neck just then, that's all.'

'Just then?' Kenny smirked, the humour not reaching his eyes. He got to his feet and moved towards Kyle, tilting his head to closely observe his face. It was enough to make the redhead uncomfortable. He averted his eyes and shifted slightly, until Kenny's grinning face was right in front of his. Staring into those icy-blue eyes, Kyle could barely manage a gulp. Kenny's gaze worked like a hypnosis on him. The muscles in his arms relaxed, and when Kenny took his hand, it slipped off his neck only too easily.

'What the fuck?'

The spell broke and Kyle quickly covered his neck again, blushing furiously, but it was too late. Guilt began to sink into his stomach. Guilt… why guilt? But the feeling was almost stronger than the embarrassment, and it was worse than the sensation of Butters actually kissing him.

'A hickey? Craig did that to you?'

'No!' Kyle exclaimed, and then looked down. 'I lied. It wasn't Craig at the door, it was Butters.'

'Butters gave you that hickey?'

'He was acting really strange… For a second it was almost as if… It felt like he somehow knew what happened with Luigi and me but— that can't be right. I can't imagine Luigi telling him about it and, we haven't…'

Kenny didn't say anything. His face was stone-still in a frustrated pout. His sizzling glare made Kyle stop and sink his shoulder in annoyance.

'What?'

'So you're not gonna fucking tell me why Butters suddenly kissed you on the neck?'

Kyle let his hand fall from his neck, tired of covering the burning spot for a person who seemed to be able to look through his hand and at his red skin anyway.

'I don't know why! I told you, he was acting strange.'

'So you let him kiss you? Just like that, because he was acting strange?'

'I tried to push him away. But what was I meant to do? Punch him?'

'Yes! Break his jaw. Why the fuck not?'

'He's only fourteen, Kenny. Okay, so he might have tried to make my life a living hell. But despite the fact that he acts like he knows so much and all grown up, he's still only a kid that barely comes up to my eyes—'

'You're a kid, Kyle! Butters is fourteen? So what? How old are you, fifteen?'

'More like sixteen. But you can't be so different. You're a kid too.' Kyle said challengingly, but Kenny only smirked at this, although, softly, and much less sarcastically than before.

'Of course I'm a kid. That's the only reason why I'm here instead of hanging by a rope. You too, Kyle. The law saved us because of our ages. But unlike law, pain doesn't discriminate with age. That's why, when pain comes to get you, you punch them right in the face, no matter what their age or height, even if it's just a kiss, (especially if it's a kiss). Right in the fucking face, Kyle.'

Kyle stared dumb-founded at Kenny, but then slowly, a chuckle of disbelief began to leak out of his open mouth.

'What the fuck are we even talking about?' He laughed, finding the whole conversation off track and ridiculous.

'About kissing,' Kenny answered, unamused, halting Kyle's weak laughter. 'And I don't like looking at that fucking kiss mark on your neck.'

'Well, I'm sorry I'm an eyesore, okay? Look away or something. There's not much we can do about it.'

'There's one thing I could do,' Kenny suddenly grinned. 'I could kiss over it.'

Kyle blushed and hid the red mark with his palm again.

'And how would that help?' Kyle tried as much as he could to not exclaim.

'Well, the problem with that hickey is that it's done by someone else, especially by someone without consent. So if I could cover it up with one consented by you, everything would be fine. Besides, when someone asks you where you got it from you could say me, instead of that whore. Two birds, one stone, what do you say?'

He finished with a wink and a playful click of the tongue, clearly not expecting a serious answer from Kyle. But Kyle knew that it was what Kenny genuinely wanted, despite his act of hiding it under a light-hearted tease.

Kyle got to his feet, staring into Kenny's eyes, not showing any response to his playful attitude, and slid his hand off his neck again, exposing his hickey. The crooked grin left Kenny's lips and he looked at Kyle with loose confusion.

'Fine,' Kyle said, firmly. Kenny only stared at him with a half-open mouth, seeing the last response he had been expecting. 'Cover it up your own way, then.'

'Really?' Kenny finally said, still with a loose jaw. Kyle nodded, as firmly as his voice.

Kenny's icy-blue eyes flowed to the aching red mark on Kyle's neck, and he gulped. Secretly, having Kenny looking so intently as his neck made Kyle's stomach squint, responding to a strange sensation Kenny's gaze was making him feel. Hesitantly, almost suspiciously, Kenny drew his face down towards Kyle's neck, as if waiting to be pushed back any moment. But Kyle didn't push back, in fact, as he felt Kenny's moist breath on his skin he almost wanted to pull him in.

Kyle heard Kenny's lips parting beside his ear and felt the tip of Kenny's tongue reach his skin, but then he lightly pulled back.

'Softly?' He whispered, to make sure Kenny wouldn't hurt him the way Butters tried to suck the blood out through his skin. Kenny smiled, finally realising that Kyle wasn't simply playing with him.

'Trust me.'

Kenny leaned down again, and this time, he didn't hesitate to glide his tongue against Kyle's neck. The redhead tensed and shut his eyes, making Kenny's breath shake with quiet laughter. He pressed his lips against Kyle's skin and nibbled the spot Butters had stained, before lightly sucking on it. The suction was much softer than Butters, but strangely, Kenny's light sucking was enough make his insides rattle in response and all his blood travel to his neck. His chest ached and he felt shivers rush up his inner thighs. It almost scared him how much he was responding to Kenny's soft kiss on his neck. When Kenny's mouth began to move, slightly away from that single spot on his neck, Kyle let out a moan. As if it was a sign of acceptance, Kenny's hands moved to his back and cupped his buttocks to pull him closer. It made a different sound leak out of Kyle, like a choked groan, and Kenny's eyes opened wide, and he slowly pushed Kyle away from him.

'Sorry,' the blond murmured through heavy breaths. 'I was— going ahead of myself.'

'It's okay…' Kyle turned away, his voice equally dying under his loud breathing. He didn't know what was burning more: his neck, his buttocks, or his face. He watched Kenny from the corner of his eye, seeing him return to his bed and gather up the cards. Even though he had his back on him, Kyle could tell that Kenny's habitual smile wasn't on his lips anymore.

'Hey, Kenny?' Kyle asked before Kenny finished clearing up his bed. He hummed lightly for Kyle to continue. 'Why are you always so careful not to hurt me?'

The muscles in Kenny's back tensed for a moment, before they loosened for him to continue piling up the deck. He was taking his time.

'Because I know how fragile people are, and I don't want to end up like all those sadistic assholes that hurt everything they touch as if they own it, breaking things without caring about how important they might be to someone.'

'And you've met… a lot of people like that?'

'Sometimes, it feels like all I've met are people like that. Hell, my whole life's been ruined by people like that. I began to think that kindness and care were just things that I dreamed of in my early childhood; I forgot that they actually exist. But then I met you. And I could immediate tell that you're a good person; despite the fact you're here,' Kenny indicated the cell walls as he lied down back into his bed. 'You reminded me of the good things that once existed in my world, love, innocence, happiness—despite the fact that you might not have had any of them. You made me remember the good in this world. I can see clearly now the rain has gone—'

Kenny suddenly began to sing, softly sending the melody on his breath, his voice cracking through warm chuckles. Kyle grinned embarrassingly as well, and slowly sunk into his bed, listening to Kenny sing. Although Kenny wasn't singing properly, merely hinting lyrics to some humming, Kyle could tell how beautiful the song was. He thought that he could listen to Kenny sing all night, and that if he did, it would have been the best night of his life.

.

Butters looked up and observed his small shadow covering the door in front of him. He had been rubbing his fingertips together furiously, trying to get rid of the sensation of Kyle's bandages from his skin. His fiddling fingers only stopped once he curled his hand into a fist and knocked on the door. As it opened, Butters lifted his eyes and a hint of light returned to them as he did. Cartman was as unpleasant as ever, and for a while Butters forgot that that was what he liked about him.

'What the fuck do you want, you little whore?'

Butters stitched a smile onto his face before answering.

'What does a whore ever want?'

Cartman smirked and let the young blond in.

'When's your roommate coming back?' Butters asked, sitting on the fat guard's bed. Cartman locked the door and joined him, pushing the blond back into the mattress as he did.

'Not for a while.'

Butters stared at the ceiling, his hands automatically undoing the buttons of Cartman's shirt, while his mind was still focused on the thick cloud trapped in his head.

'I need a cigarette,' he muttered to himself.

'You're the supplier.'

'If you give me one of yours now, I'll give you a free pack later.'

Cartman frowned, but reached out under his pillow and handed Butters his pack and a lighter. The blond took one and quickly lit it up, inhaling a deep long breath, hoping it would help loosen up the son-of-a-bitch knot in his head.

'Satisfied?'

Butters looked up at Cartman's annoyed face and rose up, only to push Cartman underneath him. He wasn't satisfied. Not close to it.

'I will be if you let me fuck you.'

'What? With that small dick of yours?'

'It's big for my age,' Butters said through a thin grin, forcing it over his internal voice: "it's bigger than yours". Oblivious to this, Cartman laughed and placed his hands on Butters' hips.

'Fine. Show me what you've got big boy,' he challenged the preadolescent, amused by the young whore's mock-big attitude.

Butters leaned up and reached for the lube that Cartman hid under his bed. The pop of the bottle's lid was the only sound that filled the room, while both of them were strangely silent: Cartman, quietly observing the blond with thin eyes, and Butters spreading the liquid on his hand as Kyle's words continued to pull at his brain: grow up, grow up, grow up.

'Hey, watch it!' Cartman barked as Butters pushed his fingers forcefully through the guard's fat butt cheeks as he was used to doing with his workers.

'Sorry,' Butters murmured, slowing down his scissoring.

'I'm not a fucking whore you know,' Cartman grit his teeth, carefully relaxing back into the bed. He seemed quite uncomfortable, simply waiting there for Butters to loosen him up.

The blond took his time preparing Cartman as he waited for himself to erect. Somehow, it took a while until he fully erected; maybe it was because his mind felt as if it was so far away. When his cock finally pointed upwards with the help of his hand, he placed himself between Cartman's legs and pushed his fingers into the fat of Cartman's thighs. There was so much fat. Everywhere. Layers of it. Butters hovered his erection above Cartman's arse for a second, determining where to go, and then slowly pushed in. The brunet grunted and locked his jaw at the uncomfortable feeling of having someone inside him. Butters drew out, and then pushed in again. He knew what he was doing. Once he got the rhythm and the pleasure began to flow, he could finally stop thinking.

'Eric- Can I- Ask you- Something?' Butters panted, his movements speeding up. Cartman didn't reply, but he took that was a yes. 'What are you planning on- doing- with Kyle?'

Cartman opened his eyes, just a thin slit to stare at Butters through. His showed his teeth, hinting a grin, even if it let some noise leak out of him. Butters could feel the reaction Kyle's name had on him, feeling Cartman slightly tighten around his thrusting cock.

'Planning… for Hell—' Cartman grunted, letting out a tight sigh through his nose. Butters stopped his thrusting at that answer. He froze inside Cartman, and the fat guard grinned. He dug his fingers firmly around Butters' hips and pushed him out of him as if he were a love-doll. Butters didn't protest as Cartman shifted his angle and suddenly slammed the blond's arse down onto his erection. The impact sent the air out of Butters' lungs along with a painful noise, but Cartman kept on thrusting his hips up into Butters without a squint of a pause.

'I'm gonna bury him— underground—' Butters began to hear Cartman say, once the shock of pain began to ease. It was difficult to understand his words under the slapping of skin-against-skin, but Butters was intent on catching every single word. 'That little whore will- know his place— I'll send him- to the shadows- and he'll- beg for mercy— and I'll give it— I'll fuck it into him— until he breaks—' Butters felt Cartman release into him, and the motion quickly came to a halt. The slapping stopped, and the sound was replaced with heavy breaths. Cartman chuckled, making a noise between a cough and a choke. 'In the shadows,' he finished.

Butters stared at Cartman without a word, even as the guard drew out of him. It took a moment for him to finally gather up his voice.

'The shadows?' he asked softly, his eyes not blinking. Cartman was smiling at himself intently.

'Shadow Labour.'

Butters felt a cold chill in his chest, the sweat from sex cooling on his skin.

'I'll send Kyle into Shadow Labour Two as soon as I get the chance to be the Two's supervisor. And his friend too— Tucker. I'll send him underground as well. That's what they get for pissing me off. I might have to wait a while, but I'll make sure it'll happen. Great idea, don't you think? Fucking hilarious. Can't wait.'

'Yeah…' Butters smiled, his breath shaking in a soft laughter. His sweat was cooling right down now, his whole body turning cold.

Butters guessed that this would probably be the end and he wouldn't have to associate with Kyle anymore. But that's what he wanted. Kyle would lose his mind at best; he would be gone soon enough, physically and mentally, consumed by the shadow.

Finally Kyle's words had stopped ringing inside his brain. Now there was just a hint of his voice left, echoing endlessly, like leaves whispering in a summer breeze.

A.N- Thank you for reading! I can't believe how slow this story is moving… I hope to end it by the end of the year, which is… not the most ambitious goal I believe… But all the questions will be answered by then!

Thoughts? Comments? Please review!