Cartman smiles wider as I speak those words, his eyes lighting up, and I can faintly hear the sound of his racing heart. My own heart is thumping wildly as well and I feel my face flush in slight embarrassment.

We're silent for a while, though the peace is heavenly. Our foreheads remain pressed against each other's and time seems to pass by very quickly as we search the other's eyes, finding nothing but overwhelming happiness deep within them.

Suddenly, the sound of my bedroom door opening is heard and we jump away from each other in shock, our eye contact shattering. We both look over and see my mom walking in, smiling politely at Cartman before her eyes rest on me and a look of surprise sweeps across her face.

"Oh, Kyle, you're up!" she cries happily. "I'm very glad. Would you two like to come down for a bite to eat?"

At the mention of food, my stomach growls loudly and Cartman and I burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter.

My mom smiles at the sight. "I'll take that as a yes," she says, before leaving the room.

Cartman wipes away a few joyful tears from his eyes before grinning widely at me, his face beaming. I return a grin, feeling a warm bubbly feeling swell up inside me, burning my heart blissfully.

"Well, we should probably go down," he says, standing up from my bed.

I nod and suddenly frown as I try to get off the bed. For the past few weeks, I've never really left my bed except for short bathroom trips. My legs feel dead. Now, I need to walk downstairs and my legs seem to ache at the thought. I throw them over the side of the bed and push myself up.

As soon as I'm standing, my legs go weak and I fall forward, hitting the carpeted floor with a thud.

"God dammit!" I mutter under my breath, glaring at the floor when I hear Cartman laughing behind me.

"Aww, come here, you clumsy Jew," he says, and I can hear the amusement in his voice.

I feel his warm arms reach around my chest and pull me to my feet with ease. I feel his warm breath on my neck as he holds me against him.

I stand on my two feet but still can't seem to find my balance. I'm briefly reminded of that day when I fell in the snow and Cartman did the exact same thing, picking me up again. No matter what happens, Cartman seems to always be there. I don't really know what I'd do without him.

He leans his head gently on my shoulder and I smile, feeling warm at the gesture.

"Do you want me to help you down the stairs, my little Jew?" he asks quietly, though his voice remains slightly mocking.

I ignore the mocking tone and instead just answer the question. "That would be appreciated, my dear Eric."

At the sound of his first name, his head swiftly turns to me and I see a look of surprise on his face, to which I smile.

"What? Am I not allowed to call you by your first name?" I ask innocently.

He scoffs. "Of course you are. I just… didn't think you would."

I grin at him, leaning even further back in his embrace, enjoying the blissful warmth radiating from his skin.

"Well it's going to take a lot of getting used to, that's for sure. But I'm willing to give it a go, Eric," I add, flashing him a smile.

He blinks slowly before grinning, nuzzling his nose into my neck playfully, sending a warm electricity shooting through my body.

"Kyle! Eric! Come down!" my mom calls from below, once again ruining our golden moments.

Cartman raises his head, his hold around me loosening slightly. "Come on. Let's go."

With Cartman keeping a steady arm around my waist, I manage to control my feet again and can walk again by myself, though even when I tell Cartman that, he still doesn't move his arm from around my waist.

We walk into the kitchen and he finally removes his arm before anyone can see. Ike is already seated at the table while my mom finishes cooking. My dad is still at work.

Cartman and I sit next to each other on the opposite side of Ike, who's sitting directly in front of me across the table.

"Hey, little bro. How was your day?" I ask cheerfully.

Ike stares at me, surprise clean on his face. His eyes glance at Cartman for a brief moment before returning to me.

"You seem very happy today," he points out, smirking, not even bothering to answer my question. He turns to Cartman. "What did you do to finally get him out of his boring, 'sick' state?" he asks.

Cartman meets my eyes and I look away, blushing crimson, praying he'll tell my nosy little brother a convincing lie. He looks back at Ike.

"Nothing really," he says. "Just said a few things to make him realise that lying in bed all day isn't going to cure anything."

Ike cocks an eyebrow at him. "So what kind of things did you say?" he asks curiously, suspiciously.

Cartman shrugs. "Nothing much, really."

Ike's smirk widens. "Did you tell him you-"

"Ike!" my mom suddenly shouts, startling everyone. "Stop being so nosy! Shouldn't you just be happy that your brother is feeling better and not ask questions? We should be thankful to Eric here, for somehow helping my little bubbe feel better."

Cartman smirks at the nickname but hides it quickly, though not before I caught it.

"Oh, it was nothing, Mrs Broflovski," he replies, feigning modesty.

"Nonsense. Of course it was something. Thank you for what you've done. This is the first time Kyle's been out of his bed for weeks!" my mom cries.

Cartman smiles at her before looking at me, seeming proud, genuinely proud, not smug. I smile back, loving the adorable look on his face. He reminds me of the day I was at his house and he made me a delicious wrap. He looked really proud when I told him I loved it, as if no one ever complimented any of his small skills, which I guess they didn't.

"Here you go, boys," my mom says, placing a plate in front of Cartman, Ike and me, full of a delicious stew. The smell of it rises into my nostrils and I breathe it in eagerly.

"This looks delicious, mom," I say.

"And it tastes even better!" Cartman adds, already starting to wolf down the food, clearly hungry. I laugh before beginning to eat myself, desperate to feed my rumbling stomach.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Dinner passes quite quickly, as I've enjoyed it. Cartman seemed to enjoy it too, which delighted me. There was casual chat among the four of us which eventually turned into fits of laughter, every one of us nearly crying from such laughter.

I never knew dinner with my mom, brother and my 'worst enemy' could be so much fun!

Near the end of dessert, my mom asked Cartman if he'd like to stay the night, as it's a Friday. Cartman shot me a questioning look, silently asking if it's okay with me, to which I eagerly nodded for him to agree, nervous excitement seeming to build up inside me.

Cartman told my mom he'd love to stay the night, to her approval. Despite the fact my mom has always hated Eric as she thinks he's a bad influence, after tonight she seems to love him, not as much as Stan but pretty close!

That makes me happy. I always wondered what my mom would say if I ever dated Cartman. I used to think she'd go to the ends of the Earth to stop us from being together.

Now I think she wouldn't really mind, though she still doesn't know about my sexuality, and I'm not exactly planning on telling her just yet.

But my relationship with Cartman… is unknown to me. I mean, he said I meant the world to him and I told him I love him… but are we really together? We didn't exactly say. I'd love to ask Cartman… but I'm slightly afraid of the answer.

"So do you two want to go back upstairs?" my mom asks, as we help her clear the table.

"Sure," I say. "Let's go."

Cartman and I race upstairs and into my bedroom, closing the door behind us. We throw ourselves on my bed and exchange grins.

"That was the most fun dinner I've ever had!" he says, grinning widely.

"Yeah, same here. I thought I was going to collapse from all the laughter!" I admit, giggling at the very thought.

"I know. Me too," he replies. "And now I'm staying the night! In a house full of Jews, I might add. What a crazy day!"

I ignore the point on Jews and laugh. "It really is a weird day," I agree.

He nods slowly, smiling. There's a brief silence between us before I check my watch. "Wow, it's already 9.30!" I cry.

His eyebrows shoot up. "Seriously? This day flew!"

"Yeah," I agree. "You should probably call your mom and tell her you're staying over."

"Meh," he mumbles, shrugging indifferently.

I frown. "But she needs to know, Eric," I say, raising an eyebrow.

"No she doesn't," he disagrees, a sudden change in his voice. "She doesn't care where I am. She'll probably be thrilled for a free night without me. She won't be worrying."

I stare at him, not believing his words. I scoot closer to him, wanting him to look at me though his eyes remain on the floor.

"Eric… I may not know your mom too well, but what I know for sure is that she loves you and cares about you. And she will worry if you don't tell her where you are."

He scoffs, smiling humourlessly at my words.

"Yeah, of course," he mutters, sarcasm clear in his voice. "If she loves me and cares about me, then why does she bring strange men into my house and fuck them all day and night? Or why does she leave me all alone in the house so she can go out with those men and sell her body to them so she buy fucking crack for herself?" he shouts, meeting my gaze at the last second, so I can see the hateful anger and hurt clear in his eyes.

He glares, at nothing in particular, though he's looking my way. I'm silent for the next few minutes, listening as he angrily sighs every few seconds and quietly mumbles under his breath.

"I… I didn't know…" I say softly, meeting his eyes again. "Eric, I had no idea it was that bad… I'm sorry."

My voice cracks slightly at the last word and I drop my gaze to the floor, blinking repeatedly to hold back any tears. I can't bear seeing him like this.

I hear Cartman exhale a deep sigh, though this one doesn't sound angry. I suddenly feel a pair of arms wrap around me and I'm pulled into Cartman's warm embrace. I bury my head in his shoulder blade as tears prick my eyes. His hold around me tightens and I nuzzle into his shoulder, horrible realisations swimming through my mind.

I imagine Eric all alone in his house, his mom bringing in another strange man, while Eric lies on the sofa, comfort eating, feeling upset and completely alone. He's sad and lonely. That's why he's such an asshole to everyone, because he has no dad and his mom is never around.

I've never really thought about it before. I'd always assumed Cartman acted the way he does because that's just the way he is. But there's a reason for it. I should have realised it earlier. Then maybe, I would have treated him better and I would have been there for him. Who knew how much he needed someone to be there for him when he never showed it at all? He never showed anyone how much he was hurting and how he needed someone at his side.

But now that I realise it, I'll always be there for him, no matter what. Whether he wants me as a boyfriend or just a friend, or even an 'enemy' again, I'm always there. If he ever needs me, all he has to do is call my name, and I'll come running to save him. Always.

I really want him to realise this, but I'm too shy to tell him. I'm afraid he'll just laugh.

Instead of saying anything, I just keep my mouth shut and enjoy my brief moments in his warm hold.

He finally lets go and smiles awkwardly at me. "I didn't mean to snap, Kahl. Just thinking about my stupid whore of a mom angers me so I took it out on you. Sorry."

I return a soft smile. "It's okay, Eric. Don't worry about it."

He nods briefly, a small grin on his face.

We're silent for the next few minutes until I finally break it.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" I suggest.

He nods. "What kind of movie?"

I think carefully, recalling all the DVDs I own. I'm secretly eager to watch a romantic film, so maybe something will happen between us, but I'm not exactly going to tell Cartman that!

"How about a scary one?" I suggest. "Or a comedy."

"Hmm…" He wraps his fingers around his chin and gazes skywards in a dramatic thinking motion. "I'm in the mood for a scary film. What do you have?"

I stand up and walk over to my drawer where all my DVDs are kept. I have them all grouped into their appropriate genres, so it's easier to find specific ones.

"You're so freaking organised that it's fucking abnormal, Jew!" Cartman smirks, suddenly by my side.

"I like to know where things are and to be able to find things easily!" I retort, feigning an annoyed frown.

He rolls his eyes and then looks through my DVDs. Most of the scary ones I've gotten as gifts though I haven't watched a lot of them.

"How about this?" he asks, holding up a DVD of 'Insidious.'

I gaze at the cover, unsure. I've never watched it but I heard it's meant to be terrifying.

"Okay," I reply, feeling slightly nervous. I've never really been a huge fan of horror films. I sometimes watched them with Stan but he'd occasionally talk through a lot of them, which kept me calm.

Cartman smiles and hands me the disk. I pop it into the DVD player and we sit on my bed, leaning back against my pillow.

The movie starts and the terror begins…

The movie is pretty scary. I jump a lot, which Cartman finds funny, and I cover my eyes at times. My heart is also pounding at the intense scenes.

Without realising it, I manage to scoot closer to Cartman until our bodies are touching. I feel a bit braver now.

The movie finally ends and I switch the DVD player off.

"Wow, that was awesome!" Cartman cries.

I nod slowly, though I'm really terrified.

"Kahl, you okay? You look… strange," he says, and he looks both amused and concerned.

"I'm fine," I mumble quietly. "We should go to sleep now. It's pretty late."

He nods and gets into the sleeping bag I laid out on the floor for him and I climb into bed before switching the light off, darkness instantly filling the room. My heart begins to race, my fear surrounding me. I'm really not a fan of scary films…

I snuggle into my pillow for some comfort but find none. I could be awake for a while. I can't help thinking that demons are watching me and one might possess me, though I know it's ridiculous. Then again, this is South Park. Weirder things have happened. Anything can happen here. That thought doesn't help me feel any better…

I begin to shiver beneath the covers, feeling surprisingly chilly. I curl myself up into a ball but don't feel any warmer. I shut my eyes tightly and try to tune out the sound of my racing heart, without success.

"Kahl?"

The voice makes me jump, having startled me, though I soon relax when I see Cartman's face appear at the side of my bed. He's gazing up at me, the light of the moon shining down on him through the window, causing his eyes to glisten.

"Yes?" I mumble, trying to mask my fear, but failing.

"Are you okay?" he asks, frowning.

"Yeah," I mutter. "I'm fine."

He doesn't look convinced.

"Did that movie scare you?" he asks.

"No," I reply, though I don't sound convincing in the slightest.

He sighs heavily, gazing out the window for a brief moment, thinking, before looking back at me.

"Come here, you wussy little Jew," he says, smirking slightly. I watch as he scrambles out of his sleeping bag and gets to his feet. He then walks around to the other side of my bed and climbs in quickly, the coldness of the room hitting him quickly.

I gasp in surprise and gawk at him stupidly.

He smirks wider. "What, Jew? I'm just here to make you feel better. I remember earlier when we were watching the movie that when you moved closer to me, you relaxed a bit. I'm hoping that will happen again."

My eyebrows shoot up and I stare at him in surprise.

"Uhh thanks, I guess," I say, smiling.

He nods and moves onto his side, facing me. "Night, Jew," he whispers, closing his eyes slowly.

"Night, Cartman. Uh, I mean Eric," I correct myself. "Sorry."

He opens his eyes briefly to grin at me. "Don't apologize, Kahl. You'll get used to it eventually."

I nod and smile. "Goodnight, Eric. Have a nice sleep."

"You too. Night, Jew."

We both close our eyes and try to sleep. I have to admit, Cartman was right. I feel a lot better now that he's here. Even without touching, his warmth radiates off his skin and warms me up in no time. And I can hear his soft breathing as he shuts his eyes, which relaxes me immediately. He makes me feel safer. I feel like nothing bad can happen to me now.

I soon begin to drift off, feeling safe and warm enough to finally have a good night's sleep which I haven't gotten in about three weeks.

"Kahl?"

The voice startles me again as I wasn't expecting it. I open my eyes and meet his, feeling my heart speed up.

"Yeah?" I reply quietly.

"Do… do you really love me?" he asks, a hopeful look on his face.

I can't help but smile. "Yes, I do. I love you."

He fidgets with the duvet and shuffles slightly, seeming nervous or awkward. I don't blame him. He isn't used to this.

He soon starts to shiver, though I don't know how he could possibly be cold now. I scoot closer to him and wrap my arms around his neck boldly, pulling myself closer to him.

His shivering ceases quite quickly and he hesitates before wrapping his own arms around my waist. I smile and bury my head in his shoulder blade, enjoying the sound of his racing heartbeat.

We're silent for the next few minutes before I ask something which I can't keep in any longer.

"Eric, how do you feel about me? Be honest."

I lift my head so I can meet his eyes and I see him looking back, thinking.

There's more silence between us as I wait for his reply, though, after a while, I begin to think he's not going to say anything.

"Kahl, you really are my life," he eventually says. "I'd do anything for you. But I don't really know if it's love yet. I'm not sure."

I nod, understanding. Eric is the first person I've ever actually loved, and it took me a long time to actually realise that it's love. I searched through every dictionary, looked at loads of websites about love. It doesn't really have a definition that completely explains it properly anywhere.

It's just something that feels absolutely amazing and new and the person you love makes you feel like you're on top of the world.

No one can ever really tell you if you're in love or not. You have to realise it yourself. They don't know how you really feel about someone on the inside. I think you find out if you love someone when the time is right.

And I know now, more than ever, that I really do love Eric Cartman.

"I completely understand," I tell him softly, smiling. "You will know someday whether it's love or not, trust me."

"But how?" he asks. "How will I know? What are the signs?"

"Hmm… well I'll ask you a few questions and you answer them honestly. Then at the end we can think about what it might mean."

He nods and grins. "Fire away, my little Jew."

I roll my eyes and smile. "Do you often think about me, even at the most random moments or even when I'm not around?"

He smiles awkwardly and averts his eyes. "Yeah. Even when I don't want to, I nearly always end up daydreaming about you. Mostly when I'm bored. It makes time pass pretty quickly."

I smile slowly. It feels good to know that he thinks about me as often as I think about him.

"Does your heart beat faster when I'm near?" I ask.

He nods and smiles sheepishly. "It's beating pretty fast right now."

I chuckle. I know that already. I can hear it.

"Could you live without me?"

"No," he quickly answers, without even having to think about it. "I need you, whether as a friend or.. whatever else, I need you. I need you around."

"If I somehow died, like in a freak accident or something, what would you do?" I ask, fearing both the question and the answer.

He exhales a deep sigh, thinking it over. "I'm being really honest when I say this, Kahl. I think I'd just kill myself. I'd have no other choice. If it meant seeing you again up there," he points upwards, indicating Heaven, "I'd do it."

My heart speeds up, out of fear and pain more than anything else. "What if I was dying of an illness in hospital and before I died, I told you to please stay alive and live a long, happy life. What would you do then? Would you disobey my wishes?"

"Yes," he answers, again without thinking. "I never obey you anyway and I wouldn't start then. You don't seem to understand how much you mean to me, Kahl. I couldn't live without you. I wouldn't, not if I had the option to reunite with you, by ending my life."

My heart pangs sharply at the thought of Cartman killing himself… because of me. I could never let him do it.

"Eric, please don't say that. If I died, I would do everything in my power to stop you from killing yourself. My ghost would secretly watch you and stop you if you ever tried to commit suicide. I promise you that."

He smiles and pulls me closer to him. "Don't worry. That won't ever happen. We'll both reach the age of eighty, at least, whether we're together or not."

I return his smile. "I sure hope so."

There's a short moment of silence between us before I feel Cartman's lips beside my ear, his warm breath tickling me.

"Any more questions?" he whispers, grinning.

"No," I reply, too tired to think of any more.

"Well I think I know how I feel now anyway," he whispers.

I turn my head and meet his eyes. "And?"

"And I've found out the truth. I love you, Kahl."

A warm smile gradually spreads across my face and my heart practically melts beneath my skin.

"I love you too, Eric."

We exchange a quick kiss and Cartman tightens his hold on me, hugging me to his chest. I rest my head on his shoulder and slowly close my eyes, feeling the happiest I've felt in a long, long time.

I know for sure that tonight's sleep will be the best sleep I've ever had.

"Goodnight, Eric," I whisper softly. "I love you."

"I love you too, Kahl. Goodnight."

He kisses the top of my head and then shuts his eyes. It's not long before we both drift off, our minds already planning wonderful dreams of the other for this very night.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Ahh, I'm so sorry again for Cartman being OOC. I'm finding it pretty hard to keep him in character now that he's told Kyle how he feels about him and all that. I really hope you guys still enjoyed it.

Please, leave a review. Chapter 16 is on the way! xxx