The next morning was pretty odd. Cartman didn't say much to Kyle about the night before but the smile he gave him before getting up to shower said it all. 'I'm so lucky.'
Kyle was reclining on Cartman's bed, lazily checking his phone when an incoming call shocked him out of his restful happy thoughts. 'Mom? But she knows, er, thinks I went to Stan's.' There was still over an hour before school started but it was unlike his mom to call when he was spending the night off from home this early. He hadn't forgotten anything either, i.e. his insulin, toothbrush, or change of clothes.
He decided to answer the call. "Hey mom."
"What am I doing? Just chilling with Stan about to start getting ready for school. How come?" Kyle absolutely despised lying but after overhearing his mom's conversations and the recent events he had decided it was the right thing to do in this particular situation no matter how hard that was to accept.
"Okay. What do you need to talk to me about?"
"Cartman. You will be home right after school to discuss this. And don't even consider lying to me." Sheila hung up as Kyle all but shook with fear. The tone of her voice told him she meant business and that he was an idiot if he went over to his house without a friend as backup. Kyle wasn't a pushover but his mom was quite a bit bigger than him and could easily hurt him if she wanted to, not that she ever had before though.
Kyle was still looking off into space when Cartman came out of the bathroom fully dressed. "Your turn." He nudged the redhead playfully.
"What's wrong?" Cartman prodded.
Kyle tried not to sound as worried as he felt. "My mom wants me to come home to talk to her right after school and she said it was about you."
Cartman looked confused. "That's weird. Well you're definitely not going over there alone. No telling what that crazy bitch will do if no one is with you."
Kyle looked at Cartman barely believing what he was hearing. 'Am I dreaming? Is he about to offer to come with me?'
"Don't look at me like that Jew! Duh, I'm coming with you. Hey and for all we know she has finally realized the error of her ways and how awesome I am and will welcome you and I both with open arms." Cartman grinned.
Kyle shook his head. "I doubt it. But let's just wait and see."
Kyle showered and he and Cartman rode in Cartman's car to school. He glanced at the redhead out of the corner of his eye and couldn't help the goofy smile that crossed his face. The two had agreed to keep their relationship low key at school especially and only to tell people as it became absolutely necessary to do so. Against Cartman's better judgment, he had agreed to allow Stan to be the first person Kyle officially told.
Though there were other gay couples in South Park, that didn't mean there were no homophobes or that the openly gay students didn't get some flak every once in a while. Granted, most of the insults and issues that arose were verbal but there were acts of violence every once in a while.
As soon as the bell rang signaling lunch, Stan grabbed Kyle's arm and literally dragged him into a secluded corner of the library. Not much of anyone came in the library period, especially not during lunch. In fact, the only other people in the library were the regulars. The librarian Mr. Blackaby had his head tilted to the side as he read a well worn copy of a Shakespeare play compilation. He was hard of hearing and even if he wasn't he was known to completely zone out and ignore everything around him while reading. He wouldn't bother the two boys whatsoever.
The only other people in the library were Tweak and Craig who were sitting together at a table near the front of the library. Craig was staring at Tweak in a way that would have looked creepy to anyone else but a look that Tweak blushed lightly from and smiled at his boyfriend over the top of the novel he was reading. Tweak and Craig were complete opposites but that was okay. Tweak had to be actively doing something or he would shake and become too nervous to function while Craig was more of an observer whose favorite thing to observe was the smaller blonde. They were an odd pair, but a sweet one nonetheless.
As Stan dragged Kyle past their table, he couldn't help but notice the subtleties in the way the two looked at each other that before he would have missed. 'Imagine that.' He thought.
Stan sat down first crossing his hands underneath his chin, looking almost angry. "Okay start talking. I know about Cartman."
Kyle sighed and pulled out a chair sitting right beside Stan. "Keep your voice down. This is a library after all."
Stan bit his lip and continued in a quieter voice. "I'm not repeating myself again."
"What are you talking about? What do you know about Cartman?" Kyle decided to play innocent.
Stan shook his head. "I know you're gay for Cartman." Kyle's face instantly turned red completely of its own volition.
He said nothing in response.
"Ah ha! I knew it. Your blushing face tells me everything. But ewww, why exactly?" Stan liked Cartman as a friend but couldn't for the life of him understand why anyone let alone Kyle would find him attractive.
"I told you before." Kyle began embarrassed. "All that stuff I said I liked about a girl was actually about Cartman. He can be really kind when he wants to be too, but the tension between us keeps things interesting."
Stan swallowed the bile down. "NO! Sorry, I mean that's okay. I just don't need to know what you guys do in the bedroom or anything like that. But I'm happy for you I guess, no I am. It's just going to take some getting used to dude." Stan said clearly uncomfortable with the fact that it was indeed Cartman who Kyle was interested in.
Kyle sighed. "It's such a relief to get that off my chest. I'm so glad you know now and that you figured it out on your own."
Stan grinned, "But why'd you keep it a secret? You should know you can trust me your super awesome super best friend with anything."
Kyle leaned his head against his arm. "I know. But I-I really didn't know exactly what my feelings were and with my mom acting weird and everything that was going on in your life too I guess I just didn't want to burden you."
Stan slapped him on the back. "I don't ever want you to feel like that. But I'm just glad I'm the first to know and I promise your secret is 100% safe with me."
Kyle looked sheepish. "Wait, I am the first to know right?"
"Um, actually you're the third."
"What." Stan said blankly. "Well, who the hell are the other two?!"
"The first one's Ike." Stan began to fume. "But he really just guessed and somehow happened to be right."
Stan calmed down. "Okay, that's your brother, fine that's understandable. What about the other person?"
"Well, the other person is Cartman."
Stan gaped. "You told him?! Oh God. How did that turn out?"
"Well, we're dating now." Kyle's face turned red again.
"Oh my God! That is huge!" Kyle slapped his hand over Stan's mouth.
"Stan shut up! I don't want the whole library to know what we're talking about."
"Oh really? All three people here are really going to get that gossip mill churning." He responded sarcastically.
When Kyle was sure Stan was capable of being quieter he continued. "It's really hush hush and you're the first one to officially find out, yes even before Ike so you should feel special about that at least."
Stan hugged Kyle. "Awww wittle Kyle is growing up! Even if it's with Cartman. Oh well fuck normalcy right? It's South Park anyway."
Kyle hugged him back before they got up to head to lunch. "Thanks for being so cool about this. Seriously, I owe you one."
"Don't worry about it! You were always there for me when Wendy and I broke up for the thousandth time so let's just say I'm returning the favor."
Lunch was about as normal as it got. Cartman sat in his usual spot across from Kyle. Stan sat beside Kyle and Kenny sat across from Stan. They didn't even really act like anything was different between them but Stan at least noticed the sidelong glances his two friends would throw each other. 'Things have definitely changed.'
After school Kenny invited everyone over to his place for a change, he had just gotten his first real paycheck from his job and was just looking to have a chill night. Stan happily agreed but Kyle and Cartman said they had business to take care of which was received with an understanding nod from Stan and a knowing look from Kenny.
"Don't have too much fun guys!" Kenny called.
Cartman gave Kenny the finger as he and Kyle walked to their car.
"Ah, young love. Ain't it grand?" Kenny asked Stan as they walked to Stan's so he could pick up a change of clothes and his overnight stuff.
Stan froze. Had he been too obvious somehow?
Kenny laughed. "Relax! I knew long before those two even did. I'm a big people watcher I guess. I just pick up on things like that."
"Is my sister coming?" Stan asked awkwardly.
"Yeah, she just texted me but she has to work so she'll be over later. She's great dude. I swear—"
"Kenny, don't take this the wrong way but just know I'm happy for you both and I don't need the details." For some reason anything to do with his sister made him even more uncomfortable than the thought of Cartman and Kyle doing anything sexual and that made him pretty fucking uncomfortable.
Kenny grinned. "Alright alright! Just bragging on my girl, damn." The two friends walked back to Kenny's in companionable silence.
Kyle took a deep breath before opening the door to his house. 'This is so fucking stupid. Why am I nervous about coming home to my own house? Oh that's right because my mom is a psychotic bitch. Great.'
"Mom, hey. I'm here and um well I brought a friend."
Cartman shifted uncomfortably beside Kyle as the two walked into the Broflovski's kitchen.
Sheila walked around the corner and her expression turned venomous when she saw her son's companion.
"Kyle what is he doing here?"
"I figured if we were talking about him, he should at least have a chance at being involved in the conversation." Kyle replied smartly.
Sheila began coldly. "Bebe Stevens informed me that the two of you were quite familiar at a party recently."
Kyle opened his mouth to defend himself.
"I don't care that you went to a party. I care that you were hanging all over the likes of him! What's wrong with you Kyle? Do you want to bring disgrace on this family? It's bad enough you're friends with him, but to be interested in someone like that, to be a faggot, something's badly wrong with you." She stood up.
"Mom! Look, I know you want the best for me and this is probably a terrible time to say this, but yes, I'm gay. Yes," He grabbed Cartman's arm who looked like the nervous wreck Kyle felt. "This is my boyfriend and he makes me happy. And no, I don't want to be a lawyer. I think that pretty much covers it."
A crazed look came across the woman's face. She turned her full attention to Cartman. "You've brainwashed my son. My perfect son. You've broken him, no ruined him."
"He didn't ruin me!" Kyle stood in front of Cartman. "This is me! I have never liked girls, not really. I just tried so you wouldn't be disappointed in me." He looked down, then looked at his mother's burning gaze with a determination of his own. "This is who I am, who I have always been. I just finally found the courage to tell you and stand up for myself."
Sheila clenched and unclenched her fist as she reached into her jacket pocket, not acknowledging anything Kyle had said locking her hate filled gaze onto Cartman.. "And now, you are going to pay the price."
The woman pulled out a small revolver and pointed it straight at Cartman.
A/N: Let me know what you think! Sorry it took a while getting this out, but yeah, cliffy. Love you guys!