Stan's POV

I wake up again, gasping for air as it rushes down my throat. It's that dream again, the dream where Z is hurt, alone and abandoned. This time, he was in an alleyway where I found him and his stepbrother before. Z was bloody and his limbs were so broken it twists my guts into knots just thinking about it.

Stop, Stan. Stop thinking about that.

I blink away the morbid image that will no doubt haunt me for days as I start feeling lighter and warmer from the embrace around me and the head tucked against my shoulder. Somehow, Kyle and I have shifted from our spooning position to him laying half of his body onto mine. I feel bad for letting myself enjoy the warmth and love that envelops me when Kyle's around me. I'll let myself indulge in this for a few more minutes. Please, let me have this moment.

I smile and try snuggling a little closer, to feel closer to that love that Kyle has given me. That's when I hear my phone ringing and the spell around the two of us breaks. I reluctantly pull away from the warm feeling, much to Kyle's annoyance if his sleepy whines and mumblings are anything to go on, and I answer the call.

"Hello?" My voice a little soft from the sight of a very cute sleepy Kyle.

"Hey, Stan. It's Z. I got your messages. Sorry to worry you, man."

"Z, it's OK. I was just worried when you suddenly vanished on me. I was worried your brother might've done something." I walk away from the bed for a little more privacy.

"Stan… Jeff has been gone for days. My mom and I have been looking all over the state for him."

"What?"

"Yeah, my mom has been freaking on and she needs me now more than ever."

"Shit, I'm sorry to hear that. Do you need help?"

"No. It's our family business. We can handle it." Z dismisses halfheartedly, "Enough about my sob story. How have you and Kyle been doing?"

"We've been pretty good. This trip has had its up and downs, but I had fun and I think Kyle did too."

"Today's the day you two are coming back, right? Tell me all about it tonight under the bridge." The kid's tone goes back to something brighter and a little playful.

"You know what? Come see us at the airport when we arrive. We can meet up and talk about finding Jeff."

"I do need a distraction from all this crap, I'll ask mom and let you now. Now get off the phone, I think your boyfriend might be getting lonely." He teases.

Just as Z finishes his sentence, I hear the bed shift and the lump cocooned in the thick blanket starts to stir. "Shut up, smartass." I snark into the phone and end the call.

"Was that Z?" Kyle sits up with a drowsy yawn and his bright green eyes barely open.

"Yeah." I turn to face him, looking bemused by my adorably sleepy boyfriend with his wild bedridden hair. "Morning, carrot top."

"God, don't remind me." He groans in annoyance, smooching his face into the pillow in that all-too adorable way that I probably shouldn't mention to him. "Do you know how much time it takes to tame this thing?"

"I don't mind." I walk over and ruffle his already poofy hair, "It's soft and fluffy."

"I'm warning you this once because you're my boyfriend. Call my hair fluffy again and I'll kick your ass."

I laugh at his supposed threat, his glare would be a lot more threatening if he wasn't wearing one of my shirts that slightly oversized on him with his unruly bedhead. "C'mon, Ky. We better hurry up if we wanna get breakfast and make it back to Colorado before school starts again."

He grumbles but complies. We pack up what little stuff we have left lying around and get our breakfast to go, checking out of our hotel. We put our stuff in the truck and hit the highway. It is a lot more lively the way back. Kyle's even making plans to come back to the cove next time. I'm so glad that it worked out. We really needed this.

Just as we pull up the car at our house, my phone goes off with a bleep. I pull up my phone to check, "Z just texted me."

Kyle nods as he pops the truck and starts unloading our bags. "OK, just let him know that we just got back and-"

I couldn't hear what Kyle said after that. I get out of the car and look around the street but I don't see Z there. "That's weird. I thought he said he'd meet us here." I then remember the text and open it up, it's a short message and it only took a few seconds before it sends me into a panic. "Shit. Can you take our bags in? I'm gonna go look for him."

Kyle's head just pops up from the trunk and looks at me like I just told him I'm siding with Cartman, he puts the suitcase in his hands on the ground and approaches me, "Stan, wait-" Kyle is probably trying to reason with me, but right now reason is the one thing I couldn't care less about. I need to go. I need to make sure that Z is alright. I take one step back before pulling the key out of the keyhole of the trunk and jump into the driver seat.

"STAN!" I hear Kyle cry out from the outside of the car but I didn't stop, instead my foot stomps on the gas pedal and I nearly swerve into a lamp post in a hastily made turn before speeding down the street.

A voice in the back of my head is chastising me for doing that to Kyle, he's going to be furious with me, after he stops worrying himself crazy after the stunt I just pulled.

I shove the guilt-ridden voice down. I'll find a way to make it up to Kyle but I can't afford any more distractions. I thought I'd have to go all the way to the park to find him, but he was actually a few streets down, as if he was just late to our meeting. A heavy weight is lifted from my mind now that I know he's OK.

I stop the car and talk to him, "There you are, Z. What're you doing here? I thought you were gonna meet me and Kyle by our place."

"Sorry, man. Mom had a bad moment." He answers bashfully then looks around as if he just noticed that I was the only one here. "Where's the boyfriend?"

"I kinda had to leave him since I came looking for you." I say. Once again, it sounds so much worse when I say it out loud. "Maybe another time then." Z nods in response, it's a shame. I do want the guys to finally meet Z.

"Maybe." He soon changes his tone and smiles into a more Kenny-esque smirk. "So tell me, how far did you get with him? Tell me you at least made it to third base."

I give him a playful shove, "Shut up, dick. Since when'd you become so nosy?"

Z gets into the car and I start driving him back to his house. He talks about Jeff and how his mother is doing, all I can do is a nod and give minor responses while my mind is locked in conflict. On one hand, I'm concerned about how Z and his mom is holding up since it's more that obvious that Jeff's actions are wearing them down; on the other hand, I'm kinda relieved that Jeff is out of their lives. I didn't mention it, but I can see the bruises on his arm that Z keeps trying to hide, probably his parting gift from his dear stepbrother.

How could I stay positive about this when those marks of black and blue remind me of what could happen if Z does find Jeff?

Kenny's POV

Charlie and I are watching TV, with my fingers running through her soft hair when the door suddenly swings open with a long bang. Kyle bursts through the front door, with bags dangling off his lanky limbs like ornaments on a tree. "Little help, guys?"

I jump off the couch and save our green hatted housemate from his own luggage. Each of us sharing the load before we set them down by the stairways and I give Kyle a big bro hug. "Welcome back, buddy."

"Thanks, man." He replies and then he notices a pair of big chocolate eyes popping up from the couch, "Charlie? I didn't think-" His green eyes dart between the two of us before his mind makes the connection and a hopeful grin appears on his freckled face,. "Are you two back together?"

I was about to answer before I feel Charlie jump onto my back and her lips on my cheek for a wet over-the-top smooch. "We're working things out." She chirps as she props her chin on top of my head. I can't help but feel content and pleased that Charlie is comfortable enough around me again to do stuff like that again. I missed my quirky little princess.

"Fucking finally! I'm so happy for you two." Kyle hugs me, then Charlie once she's off my back. He seems much happier now that me and Charlie started talking again. Makes sense, Charlie is basically Kyle's little sister at this point and it must be so relieving to know that Charlie's happy again.

It's then that I realized that the boyfriend isn't here, "Where's tall, dark, and handsome?"

"Z called, Stan asked me to drop him off near the park and I drove our stuff back." Kyle explains as he moves Stan's bags up the stairs. Although subtle, I notice the grimace on his face and the faint twitching in his legs with every step he takes.

"You having a little trouble with the stairs? Probably sore from all that action, huh?" I feel a huge smirk on my face as my mind races through the possibilities, but by the looks of things, I was right about Kyle being a bottom. Note to self: remember to claim $40 from Tweek later.

Kyle is clearly not amused, but he hardly looks as threatening as he wants to when he looks like a flustered tomato with freckles. "Fuck off, you pervert" He huffs.

"Holy shit, you two did it?" Charlie gasps, but it's obvious that she's just as impressed and happy for Kyle as I am.

I even call up Tweek, he didn't put up though, probably busy with work and stuff. So like any good friend would, I leave him a nice loud voicemail right in front of Kyle's face. "Hey, Tweek! Our little boy's a virgin no more."

"Seriously, guys?" Kyle glares at us with annoyance, something tells me he would've thrown his hands up if he wasn't holding something. "Fine, yes. We did it. We had sex. Are you happy?!"

"I expect details. And by the twitch from your ass-" My eyes widen as I hear Charlie in gossip mode. She must be hanging around me for too long, I never thought she'd say something like that, and judging by the same expression on Kyle's pale face he's probably thinking the same thing.

Kyle soon recovers and says in the most deadpanned yet commanding tone I've heard from him, "Charlie, you're like my sister and I love you. But I will kick your ass, if you don't shut up and help me."

Charlie just rolls her eyes and smiles, "Fine."

She picks up one of the bags at the bottom of the stairs and follows Kyle up, making casual chit-chat about Stan and Kyle's trip and about things that happened in Boulder while those two were off in California sucking face.

EC: You need a job? I got you one.

KM: What are you talking about, fatass?

EC: Stan and I need someone to help with audio work. You've got experience with this shit. You help us and we'll give you a piece of the cut.

KM: Why are you helping me this time?

EC: To be honest, I don't really care. But Stan said that you'd think it's a pity act if it came from his pussy-ass mouth, so he asked me to help deliver the news.

I know Cartman, he'd never think of me since the day he left South Park. I should've known Stan would pull this kind of shit for me. But now I know, this isn't charity. It's an opportunity and I'd have Satan drag me back to hell before I let this go.

KM: I'm in, what do you need?

A/N: I am sincerely sorry for the super long wait. It was a weird combination of too much time with university and a lack of drive to write. But now that university is done once and for all, I can finally start writing again. I'll admit, it's the comments of so many of you guys to push me to finish this. Thank you so much for your support. This story is back online and we are nearing the end of the second act. I'm in it till the end of the line, and I hope you guys are ready too.

Anyways, as always feel free to check out the drama this story is based on, "It's Okay That's Love" by SBS. Please let me know what you think, reviews and comments make my day.

Thank you all again, and take care, Loves.