So this chapter is coming way faster than the other ones have – probably because I have lots of ideas and I'm totally inspired right now.

Meh. Thank you all for reviewing, and one more note! Enter contest now, or it will be too late! I need a winner for the next chapter!

So do it!

The story's going to change a little now, but in a good way. It's going to start picking up the pace, some 'fluff' as you people like to call it will start to sprout… much to the delight of several of you I'm sure glares accusingly

Oh! And important! I made a quick sketch of deviantart of the beginning of this chapter! Since it relates to the story, you should all check it out! It's nothing special, just a quick sketch. Link:

(http/ here is chapter 7! Enjoy all!

Chapter 7 – Natural – SPOV

I woke up some hours later to discover the TV was still on, displaying a blank blue screen, indicating the movie had ended. It was fairly bright out – I checked my watch. As my blurry vision focused, the numbers 8:18 became clear. I have only been asleep maybe three hours and was still exhausted. I could feel the beginnings of a headache starting – ah, the joy of hangovers, I thought to myself. I tried to roll over and go back to sleep.

But I couldn't due to the dead weight on top of me. I opened my eyes again to see what it was.

Kyle was lying partially on top of me, head resting on my chest. Or rather, the blankets on my chest. There had to be like three of them, lying haphazardly, separating our bodies. His legs were too long for the couch and drifted over the edge. One arm fell over the edge of the sofa, almost brushing the floor. His cheek was pressed against me, causing it to squish slightly, and his glasses were askew. Apparently sometime in the night I had rolled onto my back on the couch. This was the accidental result.

I smiled at him sympathetically as I took his glasses off his face (he wouldn't be too happy if they broke) and placed them on the small table next to the couch. He didn't stir. Poor guy. He overworks himself so much. I felt a twang of something for him then, probably pity or sympathy.

I adjusted my position slightly. Kyle was totally out of it. If I hadn't slept for almost four nights, I wouldn't wake up until the next day. I wouldn't be surprised if Kyle did the same.

I watched Kyle silently for a while, hearing his peaceful breaths and feeling our bodies breathing in and out in perfect synchronization. Kyle wasn't crushing me or anything – he felt more like another blanket on top of me. While we were about the same height, Kyle had a slighter build, and I was more muscular.

I wondered if I should be weirded out or feel uncomfortable with the fact that my best friend was practically lying on top of me. Because the truth of the matter was that I wasn't. Kyle's body was keeping me warm, and it felt nice, like someone trusted me. God knows my so-called girlfriend didn't…

Kyle didn't feel like a girl. He felt like a guy, and I liked that for some strange reason. I suddenly wished there weren't all those blankets separating us. This confused me. I wasn't bi, I had never been attracted to a guy in my entire life…

… before.

My God, am I attracted to my best friend?

I tried to push the unwanted thought out of my head, but I couldn't. Maybe it was just the way our bodies were built, but it felt like we kinda 'fit' into each other, if you will. Like we were two pieces of a puzzle. Kyle's chest sloped into me at the exact place where my stomach started to slope away…

I couldn't shake this feeling. I'm not sure how to even describe it.

Natural, I guess. Yeah, that's it.

It felt… natural.

Natural was an odd implication in this situation. Natural implied normal. It was normal for a guy to like a girl. What I was feeling right now, if it was what I think it was, was not normal.

But then again, it could be just the random events that unfolded last night entangled with the juxtaposition of our bodies right now.

My attention drifted towards Kyle's hair, a brilliant red colour. It was sticking out at odd angles, and I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing and waking him. I wondered if that's what my hair looked like too…

His hair looked soft. I had the sudden urge to touch it – although Kyle hated his curls, I had always loved them. I reached out a hand and gently placed it on Kyle's head. His hair was soft beneath it. I picked up a curl, pulled it away, then let go. It immediately sprung back into its' disheveled place.

This amused me for a good while, and then I felt sleep starting to set back in. I yawned, stretching my hands up into the air. I let them fall. One went off the couch like Kyle's, the other one ended up curling around Kyle's back.

My God. My arm fit into him too.

How could I not have noticed this before?

I seriously considered drawing my hand back, afraid of what people would assume if they walked in on us. In the end, I left it, because after all, KYLE was lying on top of ME, so which one was more suspicious? Kyle would be the one to take the crap.

Not like anyone would give him crap though. Kyle was the straightest person I knew. I mean, I don't recall him ever having a serious girlfriend, but so what? It was just the way he acted. I could tell. Kyle gave off a distinctive aura of heterosexuality.

So what about me then? Was eighth grade coming back to haunt me? Or was it just the 'heat of the moment', as so called. I chose the latter, more reassured with it than the other, and allowed myself to fall back into sweet unconsciousness.

I could swear I saw a smile flicker briefly across Kyle's face…

CLICK!

I jumped about ten feet into the air, causing Kyle's head to snap back. He moaned, eyes still closed.

"What the fuck Stan?" he complained.

I was too busy occupying myself with my eyes, which felt like they were on fire. I rubbed them with my hands. It didn't help that I had a killer headache either.

"Alright, who's the smartass?" I demanded, expecting Kenny. I opened my eyes, revealing my mother. She was smiling, and holding a camera.

The fuck?

"What the hell?" I asked, frowning at her.

She frowned back for a moment. "Language, Stanley!" But then she smiled again. "You father and I just got back from our date."

I blinked at her. "What time is it?"

Kyle opened his eyes then. They focused on mom. He mumbled something inaudible, then closed his eyes again. All of a sudden, they snapped back open and Kyle jumped away from me, relieving the pressure off my stomach. He fell off the couch, his legs a tangle of blankets.

My mom looked concerned. "Kyle dear, are you alright?" she asked. "It's almost eleven," she answered in response to my question.

"I'm fine," Kyle mumbled, embarrassment showing on his cheeks. The bags under his eyes were bigger than the night before. It must be brutal to not sleep for four days, then get not even six hours on someone else's couch. I immediately felt guilty for waking Kyle so rudely, even if it wasn't my fault. Kyle climbed back onto the couch, sitting in the corner farthest from me. I did the same.

"What's the deal with the camera, mom?" I asked, trying not to sound angry.

She smiled at me again. "Oh, when we got back, we found you two here," indicating me and Kyle, "asleep together on the couch. You two looked so adorable, all cuddled up. It reminded me of when you were eight and had sleepovers. I couldn't help but take a picture."

I immediately felt a cold sensation through me. "Let me see the picture mom."

She showed it to me, but held the camera herself. She knew I'd grab it away, and delete it if I could.

I looked at the picture. Kyle stumbled over to look too. It was one of the most incriminating pictures I had ever seen. I had my arm around Kyle, and Kyle was lying on me chest. My head was tilted backwards off the end of the couch.

"Mom, you've got to delete that," I said, my heart racing.

She looked at me confused. "Why?"

She clearly didn't get it. "Do you have any idea how bad someone could get us for blackmail with that?" I tried to reason with her. What if Cartman got a hold of it? I shuddered and pushed the thought out of my mind.

Mom looked more confused. "How could someone blackmail you with this? It's not like you're doing anything wrong," she said.

I shook my head, and was just about to answer it when my dad walked in. "What's all the commotion?" he asked. He bent over mom and looked at the picture. He snickered.

"No offense boys, but that looks really, REALLY gay."

I looked at mom again. "You see? This picture could ruin both our lives!"

"I think you're being too overdramatic, sweetheart. It's just a picture."

"Mom, if you won't delete that, can you at least promise not to show it to anyone?" I begged.

She rolled her eyes. "Well, alright, if it means that much to you both, I won't show it to anyone." She paused and thought for a moment. "Maybe just your mother Kyle… oh she would find this so cute!"

I saw Kyle's eyes go wide with panic. "No!" he exclaimed. My mom liked to pretend she knew Kyle's mom, but the truth was, she didn't. Kyle's mom wouldn't find it amusing or cute, as my mom put it. She'd find it incredibly gay, just like my dad. She'd probably shove Kyle in some sort of institution and try to 'fix him' or something, when really there was nothing to fix. Kyle wasn't gay, and neither was I!

…wasn't I?

"Boys, what IS the big deal here?" my mother demanded, frowning at us both. "You're acting like Kyle's mom would shoot him or something for this!"

Oh, if only she knew.

"Mrs. Marsh," Kyle said, visibly shaken. "You can't show it to my mom. Please promise me you won't," he implored with puppy eyes. How could anyone refuse that face?

My mom considered this for a moment. "Oh, if it really means that much to you Kyle, I won't show your mother," she said slowly. She got up to leave. "Really, you two have no sense of humor." My dad and her left the room.

Kyle breathed out a sigh of relief, and collapsed back onto the couch.

Kenny took this opportune moment to walk in. "Morning lovers!" he announced. "I took the opportunity to sleep on your bed, Stan," he informed me. I grumbled a nothing response.

Kenny glanced over at Kyle, who was falling back asleep again on the couch. "Busy night?" he asked. My defenses went up again.

"Dude, he's just tired because he hasn't slept at like all for four nights," I told Kenny.

"Suuuuuure."

I ignored Kenny. "Dude, you didn't like puke on my bed or anything did you?" I asked Kenny.

"No dude!"

"Alright Kyle, we're moving you to upstairs!"

Kyle protested, saying he could just go home, but I wasn't trusting him alone anywhere just then. I hoisted him up to his feet. He groaned.

"Goddamn Stan, you like broke my neck," he complained, rubbing it with one hand. I felt the guilt again.

"You got any Advil or anything? My head feels like it's on fire," he continued.

"Yeah mine too," Kenny agreed.

My head hurt too, but I wouldn't let them know it. "Alright you pussies, let's go upstairs and get us all some sweet sweet hangover relief."

Kyle snorted a little. "So much for the smoothies," he said.

Kenny raised his eyebrows. "Smoothies?"

"We made hangover smoothies last night," I informed him.

"Ah dude! And I didn't get one?"

"Believe me, you don't WANT one," I told him. "They tasted like vomit, and they didn't even really work that much."

We headed up the stairs and went into my room. Kyle sat down on my bed and immediately fell backwards.

"Hey, you want Advil or not?" I asked him. He groaned and sat back up. I went to get the bottle of it, chucked it to Kenny, who took two pills, then chucked it to Kyle, who did the same. Shortly afterwards he collapsed backwards onto my bed again.

I took two pills, then Kenny and I left the room to let Kyle sleep.

We spent the next five hours cleaning up the smoothie mess from last night, eating various things, and playing video games. Kenny and I were just about equally matched.

Just as I was going in for the kill on Kenny's character, I felt someone grab my shoulders. I turned around, distracting me from the game, causing Kenny to behead my character.

"Aw, dude!" I complained to Kyle. "I was just about to kill Kenny too!"

"You're a bastard," he replied, smirking. The bags were mostly gone now, and the spark was back to his royal blue eyes.

"How you feelin' dude?" Kenny asked Kyle.

"Much better, thanks. Although my neck still kinda hurts," he retorted, looking at me.

"Dude, I'm sorry!"

Kenny looked at us. "What happened now?"

Kyle considered this for a moment. "I fell asleep on top of Stan last night, and his mom took a picture of us, which I guess surprised him or something, because he jerked and nearly wrenched my head off my shoulders."

"It was an accident!" I defended myself.

"So?"

"I said I was sorry!"

"Now, now, now, this simply won't do," Kenny pretended to scold us. "You two shouldn't be fighting. Kiss and make up."

I looked at Kenny, disgusted, but Kyle looked at Kenny much differently, eyes gleaming with revenge for his comment. He turned to me, and before I knew it, his lips were on top of mine once more.

It was much how he kissed Bebe the night before, quick and passionless. I tried not to be disappointed. What the hell is wrong with me?

Kyle turned back around, facing Kenny, smirking.

Kenny stared at us dumbfounded. "Oh, oh….wow." he said weakly. "I…I gotta go…to the…bathroom…now."

My face contorted in horror and Kenny left. "Dude! Sick!"

Kyle looked like he felt the same way. "THAT, was not what I intended to cause."

"What WERE you trying to do then?"

"I was just trying to shut him up. So much for that," he said. He hopped over the couch and took Kenny's remote. "Oh well, at least now you get to play with someone more your skill level with this game. You might even get to kick my ass once or twice." He pondered this. "Or not."

"Dude! It's YOU who's ass is about to get kicked!"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah."

"Bring it."

"I already brought it, bitch."

We proceeded to pummel the shit out of each other while Kenny did something incredibly disturbing in the bathroom. Soon I forgot all about Kenny, or my weird feelings towards Kyle. It was just my character versus Kyle's character, and I WOULD reign supreme.

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