A/N: Okay I'm just going to clear up any confusion that when I said Stan's parents were 'out,' I meant out of the house, not gay. I can understand how that may have sounded though. :L

Thank you for all the reviews! I love you guys this much. (You can't see me but my arms are really far apart)

I hope you don't kill me for this chapter... I also realise that it's quite short.

It's Not Worth It

Stan and Craig were strong with Kenny again. The blond, after listening to everything Stan had to say, and all the thanks Stan owed him, just couldn't stay made. It wasn't in Kenny's nature to stay mad with someone when they were so obviously cut up and sorry about it. Besides, they needed to stay together. Clyde seemed happy enough to talk to Stan when they happened to be together at the same time, not really knowing to notice anything else - Stan and Craig were incredibly careful.

"When are we going to tell Clyde?" asked Stan cautiously as they walked down the corridor together. He had to check there was no one that could overhear. He and Craig were going to reveal their secret, but they knew that Clyde ought to know first.

"Tell Clyde that I'm also fucking a guy?"

Stan pulled on the straps of his bag nervously. "I was hoping it was more than that."

"Oh, you know it is, Marsh." Craig almost threw his arm around Stan, but remember why he couldn't at the last minute and punched him in the arm instead.

"Yeah I know."

"So you mean when we tell Clyde that in the war between the sports I have betrayed the basketball team for the football?" continued Craig with a self-amused smirk on his face.

Stan rolled his eyes. "You don't fool me, Tucker. You still hate football."

"...Yeah, but I hate basketball more." Craig looked around as if Clyde would appear from behind a bin and attack him for that comment.

"Then just continue doing the one sport I know you love."

Craig looked expectantly at Stan. "Oh, and what's that."

Stan smirked. "Swimming."

Craig pretended to think for a few moments. "Well, my recent swimming experiences have revolved around you getting naked... and wet. Not to mention you get those cute goose bumps all up your arms." He licked his lips. "So I suppose I do kind of enjoy swimming. It was much more successful for us than for my idiot best friend."

Stan glanced around and in seeing the corridor was momentarily empty he quickly pecked Craig on the lips. He pulled away swiftly and went back to usual friend body language.

Craig smiled smugly. "What was that for?"

"That was for you."

Craig briefly stroked Stan's face. "Aren't I quite the luckiest person in the area?"

"So... going back to my original question. When are we going to tell Clyde?"

"I think soon... but when things have calmed down a bit. Clyde says he's having big problems with the basketball team. He almost feels like quitting. And though he won't say it out loud, I think he's worried about Kevin growing distant. That guy has spent a lot of time in the art room this week." Craig frowned. "He seems to flinch every time he sees Clyde as well."

"How do you notice all this?"

Craig shrugged. "Just do."

Stan saw at that moment that they were approaching Token. In also seeing this, Craig dropped the smile from his lips and replaced it with his usual deadpan face. The friendships between him and Token had very obviously been put on hold. Stan saw that Token looked slightly nervous about running into them. Perhaps he was still embarrassed about his relations with Wendy, or maybe it was all revolving around Clyde. In a way it had to be both. Stan was sure that seeing both him and Craig at the same time was not what Token wanted.

They realised by walking towards them, Token was blocking their path.

Craig scowled. "What do you want?"

"From you? Nothing," replied Token. "I'd rather not-"

"Be seen with me?" interrupted Craig.

"Sure, if you want to say that. Actually, it was interesting to hear that you're both still going to hang out with that Nerd." Token especially looked at Stan. "I would have thought you'd wouldn't want to risk your teammates turning on you as a result?"

Stan glared at Token. "If they do that then they're obviously not worth being around."

The next thing Token said surprised Stan. "I agree."

Craig was too angry at that moment to hear that Token agreed, or to take in his rather sheltered stance. His mind was still turning over Token's other comments. Craig just heard what he perceived to be more intolerance and abuse. Because Craig was Craig he didn't deal with that in the best way. "I've had just about fucking enough of you."

Token backed slightly in alarm. "You have?"

With a final growl, Craig pulled back his arm to throw a fist into Token's face. Had he really meant and wanted to do the action, no one would have been able to stop him. Had he really wanted to causes harm, Token would be lying on the floor. However Stan was able to intercept the fist before it could do any harm to Token, causing it instead to collide with his side in the rebound. Craig stiffened in alarm and stared at what he'd done - only slightly better than what he was about to do.

Craig grabbed Stan's arms and held him up straight. "I am so sorry, Stan."

Stan held his side and coughed. "It's fine." He wriggled out of Craig's grip and patted him on the shoulder. "I'm fine." Stan looked around him - Token had already disappeared. Token was good at that, managing to do it successfully for the past week. Stan looked cautiously at Craig. "Why did you do that?"

"I didn't mean to hit you."

"No. Why were you going to hit Token?"

"Didn't you hear him?"

"Did you hear him?" Stan grasped Craig's shoulder tightly. "Were you listening? I thought you were meant to notice things!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Marsh." Craig glanced at his watch and frowned. "I've got to get to class."

"Okay," Stan said slowly. "I'll... I'll talk to you later."

Craig briefly hugged Stan, not daring to hold one for more than a couple of seconds. He just made sure he squeezed tighter. "Yep." He smiled at Stan. "See you at lunch."

"Yeah, dude."

Stan frowned when he knew Craig couldn't see him, wondering what to make of Token. He saw Kenny and didn't hesitate in talking to him.

Kevin had managed to do something he never thought he would: he'd managed to get out of his house. Needing to go to the store, his mom had left him alone to do his schoolwork. Kevin knew there'd be repercussions if she found he'd left the house, but things really couldn't get much worse - short of being kept in a cage and that would never happen. So Kevin boldly dashed out of his front door as soon as she had left the drive and rushed to Clyde's house. He didn't plan on staying long. He was only there for one reason.

He hated himself the moment he knocked on the Donovan's front door and saw Clyde's sister's happy face. This family was turning into his second family... and he was about to disown them. He would miss Megan. He stumbled through the usual greeting and forced himself to Clyde's room.

"I'm so sorry for what I'm about to do, Clyde," he muttered outside the door, knowing no one could hear him. Just as he was going to open the door, the temperamental cat came up beside him and hissed at his ankles. Walking past Kevin she scratched at the door, yowling for entry. Kevin could hear Clyde sigh and walk across his room. Opening the door, Clyde screamed and jumped back in alarm. The cat rubbed against his leg - stray white hairs transferring onto his black jeans - and then went to claim her place on his bed.

Clyde beamed and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend. "Kevin!"

Kevin tensed. "...Hey."

Clyde pulled Kevin into his room. "How did you get here?! And what were you doing standing out there?" He chuckled.

"The... cat... and then you opened."

"I hope she wasn't being mean to you." Clyde sat on his bed and tickled the cat behind her ears, much to her to delight. "I've told her not to do that."

Kevin smiled and nervously sat opposite Clyde. "I think she's ignoring you." He bit his lip. "Clyde, I have something I have to tell you..." Seeing Clyde's happy face he almost thought he was making a mistake, but then he noticed the bruise and the tiredness in Clyde's eyes. He noticed how the covers were ruffled as if through unrestful sleep. And he remembered why he was doing it.

"Sure, but let me tell you something first!" Clyde looked excited as if he'd just remembered his news. "Kenny told me Craig tried to hit Token today in the corridor. It failed and he caught Stan instead." Clyde let out a little laugh. "But according to Kenny, Stan said that Token was acting oddly. Apparently he-"

"Stop!" interrupted Kevin, looking very distressed at hearing this. "I can't hear any more bad news!" A heaviness entered his eyes and he dropped his head to look down at the bed covers. "You shouldn't laugh about that."

"I know, dude, but can you not see the funny side? Besides it's not all bad news. Tok-"

"No. Enough." Kevin chewed on his lip. He wouldn't make eye contact with Clyde and that's when Clyde realised something was up. In fact, the whole situation of Kevin coming into his room and sitting nervously on the bed was weird. He thought it was maybe just because Kevin had snuck out, but he realised that they'd hardly made any physical contact. Clyde leaned forward to take Kevin's hand but Kevin hastily retracted it.

Clyde frowned. "What?"

"That's terrible. We can't have your friends fighting over this."

"It wasn't really a fight," offered Clyde.

"We can't have the whole school messing up over this," continued Kevin, "and you getting hurt. It's not worth it."

"It's not the whole school. And what do you mean not worth it?" asked Clyde in a hurt voice.

"My happiness isn't worth it."

"What?"

"The reason we kept this a secret was because of how mad things would be if people found out. And I could handle the weird looks and whispering, but I can't handle the violence, particularly the thought of you getting hurt again... and that's bound to happen while you're still with me."

Kevin looked up. Clyde could see that his eyes had become even heavier, and his face was pale. Clyde never saw it coming until that moment and it made no sense to him. It was the worst thing he could ever think of and he knew at that moment that it was happening. "We'll get through this," he choked out.

Kevin shook his head. "No, Clyde. I can't do this to you any more. It's denting your reputation, your future, everything. Look, if you leave me now, maybe everything will be okay."

"Fuck my reputation, dude. I don't give a shit! All I care about is you!"

"I care about you too."

Clyde started to cry. It was clear to both him and Kevin that he was going to end up doing it. He let the tears flow, not trying to stop them. They were a sign of just how much Kevin was hurting him at that moment. He had never thought it possible that Kevin could hurt anyone, but now he knew that Kevin could hurt him more in a few seconds than anyone else could.

"Do you not love me?"

Kevin didn't say anything.

Clyde felt the tears increase in their force. "You... You don't love me?"

"Does that help the pain?"

"NO!"

"Then I do love you, Clyde." Kevin sighed. "I love you more than anything else in the galaxy, or any other galaxy far far away. That's why I don't want to wreck your life." He was trying to soften it but of course it wasn't working. Kevin couldn't expect Clyde to understand his reasons because he didn't fully understand his reasons. It felt like the only thing left that he could do. He was so used to doing things on his owns - Clyde wasn't.

"You say your happiness isn't worth it? Well, what about mine?" cried Clyde. "If you're trying not to wreck my life, Kevin, then that's exactly what you're doing!"

Kevin didn't say anything else. He got off the bed and left the door, hiding his own tears from Clyde.