Chapter 5

"I wish words were like little toy guns, no sting, no hurt no one, just a bang bang rolling off your tongue,"

Before Kyle knew it a month had past in this god awful place, then two, three, even four months had past. Some days time went by in the blink of an eye, then some days it just felt like an eternity; especially the days where Kyle found himself interacting with the Commandant. Kyle didn't understand why the Nazi felt the need to bully him, not when there were thousands of other Jews, hell even other people he could be bullying, why him?

Often times Kyle would find himself tripping to face plant in the dirt and the Commandant nearly falling over with laughter; but Kyle would always hold his own and glare right back at the Nazi commander. All Kyle did was glare and hold his head high, he never spoke out. Didn't the Nazi realize Kyle was breaking one of his rules? Why didn't he punish him for defying him? Well, he may not have punished the redhead in a typical manner, but the punishments seemed to come in the form of more bullying. He forced Kyle to work harder, pushing him to an almost inhuman speed and strength he never knew he possessed, he pushed him and pushed him to his limits, but this only angered Kyle. Over the past few months he was losing so much weight due to poor diet and horrid working conditions, he couldn't move as fast as he used to and Commandant Cartman took advantage of that every opportunity he got.

Some days Cartman didn't even speak to Kyle or even come near him, but yet he still watched him, watched every single move he made. If Kyle was being honest he found it extremely creepy, who knew what was going on inside a crazed Nazi's head when they were quiet. Was he fantasizing about how Kyle would die? Would it be by his hands? Well if the Commandant had death planned for Kyle he had another thing coming because he was nowhere near ready to give in and he would fight to the end no matter how much Cartman put him through.

During these blistering summer months Kyle would do all he could to keep his family standing, literally. They were denied water throughout the day and so many times he caught his brother and father from passing out in the heat. He would steady them, whisper words of encouragement that they just needed to make it to dinner where they could "replenish" themselves. Sure, it was barely anything to eat and drink, but it was something. Kyle kept up the moral for his family and for Tweek, if not more so for Tweek because he was much worse off. Tweek had been at this camp long before the Broflovski's, Tweek was skinny when Kyle met him but now it was almost gruesome how much weight he had lost. Kyle could feel his ribs and hips bones when they slept next to each other at night, and he wondered how long until Kyle and his family reached that point. The red headed Jew was already thin from his years of dancing, but he had so much muscle tone and strength; strength that was rapidly depleting from the inhuman labor he was forced to do every single day.

"He's s-staring at you again," Tweek mumbled under his breathe while wiping sweat from his brow. Today they were breaking rocks with a pickaxe, they didn't understand why but they didn't question it. Kyle chuckled to himself as he brought his axe down and broke apart a rock.

"Is he? What a shocker," he mumbled not at all sounding amused. Tweek and Kyle continued to work but also talked quietly.

"You realize it's c-creepy right? It's like he's undressing you with his eyes," just after he said that sweat dripped down into Tweek's eyes and burned briefly. "Ah shit," Tweek cursed as he dropped his axe and palmed at his stinging eyes. Kyle just shook his head and smiled.

"Karma, Tweek, I highly doubt that's what is on his mind, I wish he wouldn't. I'd be happier if he'd just kept his fatass in his hoity toity villa," Tweek blinked a few times to stop the stinging and then picked up his axe and continued to work.

"You're probably r-right. Nah he probably ju-just wants to e-eat you," he joked while breaking a rock.

"Hope he likes kosher," Tweek actually had to bite his bottom lip to hold back the laughter that really wanted to explode from his belly up; Kyle was doing the same. They both hated their lack of free will, not being able to laugh was really a curse. Kyle and Tweek continued their labor for the day and tried to keep the talking to a minimum; but the interaction between the two was really good for their morale.

There was probably an hour until evening roll call and Kyle dared glance where he knew the Commandant was watching him, but he wasn't there. 'Good,' Kyle relaxed with a sigh, but then noticed the first officer who followed the Commandant around, the one whom seemed to terrify Tweek at the welcoming. In the months that have passed, while Kyle noticed Commandant Cartman looking at him, he noticed Tweek and this soldier exchanging glances as well; but this felt different to Kyle. With Cartman and Kyle it was defiance, a challenge, Kyle would take whatever he threw his way. But with this man and Tweek…

Tweek never looked at this soldier the same way twice, sometimes it was pure rage, other times it was sadness, there were even times where Tweek seemed confused when looking at him. But the emotion that Kyle noticed the most was longing, as if he longed to return to a time long ago, a happier time. Did Tweek know this soldier? He really wanted to know, but with how emotional Tweek seemed to be when their eyes met, he thought it best to leave it alone.

"You've got your own admirer you know," Kyle said nonchalantly but Tweek didn't answer; this surprised Kyle a bit. "Tweek are you alright?" Tweek seemed to be swaying on the spot, blinking his eyes as if trying to focus them on what he was doing.

"I'm f-fine Kyle," but Kyle knew he wasn't fine at all.

"Tweek maybe you should stand still for just a moment, get it together," Kyle whispered, all his alarms going off for his friend. It was horrible advice he knew, for a moment's pause could mean cruel retribution, but Tweek looked like he was about to pass out from dehydration and exhaustion.

"I-I said I'm fine Kyle, do-don't worry," but Kyle did worry. Tweek weakly scooped up a pile of rocks in his arms and started to walk away to dispose of them. Kyle kept up his work, but his eyes never left his friend. Tweek was swaying while he walked, almost stumbled once, and just before he reached his goal he dropped all his rocks and tumbled forward.

"Tweek!" Kyle's body reacted on its own. He dropped his axe and began to run to his friend with hopes of catching him, but he didn't. He halted at who did. Tweek fell into the arms of the black hair, blue eyed soldier and for a brief moment time seemed to stand still, it actually looked like more of an embrace to Kyle, as if the two found a moment of bliss in this hateful reality. But this tranquility was very short lived for the waves of reality were ruthless.

"Get away from me!" Tweek shouted in revulsion while forcefully pushing away the soldier with his palms. Kyle was surprised, he didn't know Tweek had a mean bone in his body. The soldier stumbled back and looked at him at first with what Kyle took as ache, perhaps wounded pride, but that quickly morphed into raw hatred.

"You ungrateful twitchy bastard," he sneered through clenched teeth. "You should be grateful I just saved your pretty little face from being butchered by those sharp rocks," Kyle saw something flicker in Tweek's eyes, but couldn't place it, whatever it was getting under his skin.

"I didn't ask for your help!" Tweek yelled at the soldier who again looked taken aback while he stared down into Tweek's raging blue eyes.

"You're such a freak!" What happened next was almost too fast for Kyle to register. Tweek had slapped the soldier across the face and as he pulled his hand back there were tears in his eyes.

"I hate you," Tweek didn't raise his voice, but Kyle had a feeling the words cut the soldier even deeper with him saying it so quietly. Kyle was definitely missing something, but now was no where near the time to find out what that was. Tweek had just struck a soldier and knew this wasn't going to end well. Once the soldier was over the shock of Tweek's actions, he was readying his body to strike back, but instinct kicked in with Kyle. The instinct to protect.

Kyle pulled Tweek behind him and stood his ground in front of the soldier, glaring at him the exact same way he glares at the Commandant. This only angered the soldier more. "Get out of my way Jew, this is between me and that freak!" Kyle felt Tweek twitch behind him, that word really was a horrible trigger for him. But Kyle didn't move and he wasn't about to. "I said move!" the soldier went to raise his fist to Kyle, but his hand was suddenly stopped. Kyle's eyes widened in shock when he saw Commandant Cartman holding the soldiers wrist, stopping him from hitting Kyle. Where the hell did he come from?

"Lieutenant Craig, you're going to be late for evening roll call. Get to your post," so his name was Craig.

"But Commander-" Cartman gripped his wrist much tighter to where Lieutenant Craig winced in pain.

"That is an order," Cartman sneered through his teeth, glaring at Craig with blazing eyes; a sight that would terrify Kyle if he were staring back. Cartman dropped Craig's wrist and the soldier bowed to his commanding officer.

"Yes sir," and left to prepare for evening roll call. Once he was gone, Kyle returned to the situation at hand, they were face to face with the Commandant now, not some soldier. But it didn't matter if he was staring down the Fuhrer himself, he was still going to protect Tweek; he'd even take his punishment for him; when his eyes locked with Cartman's, something told Kyle the Nazi knew this. However, what happened instead shocked Kyle. Commandant Cartman merely smiled, and then walked away.

"I-I think he just spared us," Tweek whispered behind him. He was right. The Commandant just walked away without reprimanding them, and stopped his first officer from striking Kyle. But why? "Come on, we need to finish this before roll call," Tweek told Kyle who agreed, but not after one more glance at the Commandant's back.

/

Kyle had become so accustomed to sleeping next to Tweek that his body recognized when it was missing the warmth it was used to. Kyle grumbled as he sat up alone in the small bed and looked around for Tweek, he found him sitting against the wall from their bed, his knees against his chest and his head in his knees; he was shaking. Quietly, Kyle got out of the bed and walked over to his friend. "Tweek, hey come back to bed," he whispered while crouching down next to him. But Tweek didn't answer him, he continued to shake into his knees and Kyle heard a very faint sob. The Jew knew there was no moving him so instead he grabbed the thin blanket from the bed, sat down next to Tweek and wrapped them both up in the blanket. Once he was comfortable next to the blond he just sat there, remaining quiet until Tweek had calmed down; he wanted him to know he was there for him when ready.

Several minutes past when Tweek's muffled sobbing stopped and he came up from his knees. He looked a mess with his tear stained face, puffy eyes and hot cheeks, but still Kyle smiled to assure him he was still there for him. "It's Craig," Tweek said quietly, but loud enough for only Kyle to hear; they had to speak in near whispers in the barracks because even the prisoners would turn on each other. "That friend you wanted to hear about. It's Craig," Kyle's eyes widened slightly but gave a nod of understanding; he should have put that together from the start. "We grew up together, we were the best of friends. He helped me through all my anxiety and insecurities. Whenever I had an attack he was the only one who could ever calm me down. Craig was always there for me, it didn't matter what time of day, if I needed him he was there," Tweek paused for a moment to take in a shaky breath, trying to push down the onslaught of fresh tears that he knew would soon come. "But then some rumors started going around school that we were a couple, that we were both gay. After that we both got bullied a lot, I mean I was already bullied for how I am, but Craig was always there to defend me. But when the bullying actually happened to him and people called him gay, he stopped defending me and started to get distant," Tweek reached up to grip his hair hard, something Kyle learned he did when he was really at war inside his head. Gently, and with caution, Kyle grabbed his hands away from his head to ease them at Tweek's side, but the hand closest to him he wrapped their pinkies together. Ever since the first time they did this it had become normal for them, almost like a coping mechanism. Holding hands was too romanticized, joined pinkies meant a promise, a promise that they were there for each other as friends during this twisted time.

Kyle squeezed his pinky. "I'm here Tweek, keep going if you can," he whispered to his broken friend. Tweek took in a few shaky breathes while wiping tears from his eyes.

"One night I was having one of my episodes and Craig was with me and calmed me down. We were in bed together, nothing happened, we were just friends," but Tweek didn't need to defend himself, friends could sleep in bed together regardless of gender, Tweek and Kyle did it every night. Kyle squeezed his pinky again as to say that he understood and to go on. "But that night I did something stupid, Kyle. Something so stupid," now Tweek was gripping Kyle's pinky so hard that he was worried he might break it, but Kyle pushed through the pain.

"What did you do Tweek?" the tears poured from Tweek's baby blue hues and he really did try his best to stay calm and quiet, the quiet was working, the calm-not so much.

"I told him I loved him, Kyle," he wanted to scream but knew he couldn't. "I told him that I loved him, that I had been in love with him for a long time, long before the rumors started. I was trying to be brave Kyle, brave like Craig was standing up to all the kids who picked on me. I confessed my feelings and told him if he felt the same we could get through it together," Kyle noticed his eyes were glazed over, as if he was replaying the memory in his mind, remembering every single detail of the moment he tried to be strong. Kyle knew that must have taken him guts to do.

"What happened Tweek?" Now Tweek actually laughed, it wasn't a normal laugh of amusement, but more of a twisted, crazed laugh that one would expect from a mental patient.

"What happened? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. He smiled that stupid attractive smile of his, said nothing, and we went to bed. The next morning he was gone, didn't come to school the next day or the day after. When was the next time I see him? At the welcoming! At the fucking welcoming Kyle! He left me, his best friend, to join these monsters and never told me!" now he was yelling but Kyle understood completely.

"Shut up freak!" one of the men called out in the barracks.

"Fuck off!" Kyle was almost surprised Tweek yelled back, but after the way he yelled at Craig today, he wasn't surprised at all. Tweek was back to crying in his knees now, but Kyle wasn't about to let him stay there all night.

"Come on Tweek, you can cry with me," he helped his friend stand and led him back to the bed they shared. They laid down facing each other, but Tweek moved as close as he could on his side and just sobbed into Kyle's chest. The red head had his arm around his waist while he broke down against him. "You were brave Tweek, very brave," Kyle couldn't even imagine what Tweek was going through, or what he felt in his heart. All he knew was that he was hurting, badly. For the second time Kyle saw how love could hurt someone and he still wanted nothing to do with love.

/

"What the hell was that about, Eric? Why did you stop me?!" Craig shouted when they stood in the Commandant's office.

"Watch it Craig, you forget your place," Cartman quickly warned his officer when he kicked off his boots.

"Sorry sir! Now what the hell was that about sir?!" Cartman sighed and placed a finger to his throbbing temple.

"You're such an asshole Craig, tell me, what would you have done if you actually got the Jew out of the way?" this shut Craig up and he stood frozen, panic rising from his belly.

"I would have-" but he couldn't finish his sentence and Cartman smirked in amusement.

"You had no idea what you were going to do did you Craaig? Let me tell you what I knew was gonna happen. You wouldn't have been able to touch that boy if it came right down to it, he would have hit you again, nice red mark by the way," Craig blushed in embarrassment unaware Tweek had left a mark on his face. "Perhaps the Jew would have even joined in, and what if other people saw it? That would cause quite a scene, they would have probably caused a riot and I just can't have that in my camp. You had been doing so good these few months Lieutenant, don't lose your backbone now. Get your shit together," Craig stood straight and bowed to his commander knowing he was right. He messed up today, and not just as a soldier.

"It won't happen again sir," Cartman nodded in approval.

"See that it doesn't. I do not care what punishments you dish out, just make sure you have the balls to go through with it," Craig bowed at the waist.

"Yes sir," Cartman waved him off.

"Now get out," just as Craig touched the knob of the door he turned back to his commander.

"Sir, you knew I wasn't going to hurt Tweek, but what about the Jew. You saw me raise my hand, why did you stop me?" for a moment their eyes met and everything was silent and still, but Cartman smirked and turned to gaze out his window.

"Dismissed, Lieutenant," Craig took the warning and didn't press further, he left the Commandant's office without a word. Cartman smiled down at the red head Jew in the crowd and watched him enter the mess hall. "Because no one will lay a hand on my Jew."