Author's Note: This was one of the chapters I re-worked. I felt like after certain things I needed to change the plot and things that happened. The result is something that I'm proud of. I feel like this was one of the most personal chapters for me. I was amazed at how well this came together after I changed some things. That being said I have some editing in future chapters to do and I'll probably be adding in a few chapters here and there.
Anyway, I think thanks are once again in order. There are many people I talk to on a near daily basis, and others who have told me their stories in one way or another. Each one has made me stop and think, and each one has made me so incredible to have a chance to talk to you. That you have given this story a chance, and me a chance. And that you feel you can talk to me- that's what this is about really. This is life, and life is a huge curveball. Trust me, I know. And if you can relate to any of these moments, you can relate to me, and you can talk to me about anything.
I want to extend some new thank yous first, because these are some incredible people who have either made me think or have actually brought tears to my eyes. Thank you, so incredibly much to: Lucenthia, WaveGoodbyeCaroline, Kiros Razer, Nicky P, and cortez30. Thank you for your words, conversations, questions, and support.
And of course, thank you to my usual suspects: fallingwthstyle (I'm just going to refer to you as that from now on :D), AKA 24601, MoonPrincessDiana, and Specimen 12. Thanks for talking to me, keeping me company, letting me vent, lending a hand, and just being awesome. And I'm glad to have helped any of you in any way as well. :) Also, thanks for any feedback and anything you say about my writing; it helps me, tons.
Song title from "Stick Stickly" by Attack Attack! (Christmassy, I know.)
Chapter Thirty-Three: You Never Said This Would Be Simple
Kenny and Karen woke up to the smell of delicious food and were surprised to find the Broflovskis had woken up so early. Kyle was sitting anxiously in his normal chair as the siblings walked into the room, Kenny in front of Karen as per usual, and Sheila set down their breakfast plates first.
"We wanted to wish you two a Merry Christmas, I know it may be a little different for you this year but... we wanted to do something nice." Kenny smiled graciously and Karen blushed as Ike scooted a little closer to her. Kenny grimaced as he Sheila put her hand on his forehead and she sighed, "your fever is down but it's still there. I'll get you some Ibuprofen."
"You didn't have to, Mrs. B." Kenny said quietly, "you've already done more than enough."
"Nonsense!" She exclaimed, setting Kyle's plate in front of him, and then Ike's. "Now, Gerald will be down in a minute and he has some things for you both. I know it may not be like the Christmases you had before, and we really did try to come up with present ideas but... we felt this would be something you both would truly want."
"Materialistic gifts are just an attempt to shove commercialism down the consumer's throat," Kenny said, causing Kyle to stare in shock, "I mean, gifts are okay but... obviously we didn't have a lot and Christmas was never really about gifts for us. It was more just about time and..."
"And family." Karen said, smiling at her brother. He nodded and looked up at Sheila, who shook her head at him with a sad smile.
"You're exactly right, you know." Kenny shrugged.
"But... whatever you did, thank you." Kyle raised his eyebrows at his friend's sudden courtesy. This was so unlike Kenny; he was half-tempted to check his temperature. It wasn't the fact that Kenny wasn't a nice person, he was extremely friendly and loyal, he just always had a snarky remark or sarcastic approach to most of what he said. "But I have to say I sound like a hypocrite because Karen and I got you guys stuff, even though we did for Hannukah too... we just felt like it was necessary to say thanks."
"Dude, you didn't have to." Kyle said; he knew Kenny was trying to save money. He was working two jobs and Kyle was fairly sure he never spent a dime of his earnings.
"We wanted to." Karen said with a smile, "unless you don't want them." Sheila tutted and kissed the top of her head. Over the past couple of months Karen and Mrs. Broflovski had developed a close bond. Perhaps it was because Sheila and their mother had been fairly close, or the fact that she had always hoped for a chance to have another child, specifically a daughter. It was nice for Kenny to see Karen was able to warm up so easily to the Broflovskis.
Gerald entered the room and clapped his sons' shoulders then did the same to Kenny and smiled at the blonde. He had a box tucked under his arm and he pulled up a chair next to him.
"I know this is a little unconventional for Christmas, but I think you'll really like this. Karen, I have something for you too, but this affects both of you." Kenny nodded and set down his fork as he looked at Kyle's dad curiously.
"Is it something about our dad?" Kenny asked slightly worriedly. Gerald shook his head and gave a sad chuckle.
"No, Kenny... here." He handed Kenny a folder. The Broflovskis had grown silent as Kenny opened the manilla folder and pulled out the papers. His eyes bugged out from his sockets and his breath hitched as he looked up at Gerald.
"You're serious...?" He asked, a grin slowly spreading on his face.
"Your petition for emancipation was accepted last week. We have a couple of hearings and those will be in January and February, depending on the ruling... but, this is a very promising start." Gerald tensed as Kenny hugged him, yet he returned the gesture and relaxed as he patted his back. "But, we wanted to also talk to you... you have several choices. Upon emancipation you know you can do... pretty much whatever you want. I know you've been looking for apartments, but if you want to save up your money like you have been, you can always stay here."
"We wouldn't mind at all, dear," Sheila added, rubbing his back as he slouched forward and stared at the legal documents.
Kenny looked to Karen who had teary eyes yet a wide smile on her face. Suddenly he realized he had no one to look to for answers; legally, he was practically an adult. This was his decision, and his alone. And suddenly he felt so small.
"Um..." Kenny said, running a hand through his near shoulder-length hair, "this is a lot to think about... but I'll let you know my decision as soon as possible." Gerald nodded vehemently and smiled at the sixteen year old.
"Of course, of course. I hope this was a good thing, I know it's legalities and a bunch of work but-"
"No, this," Kenny said, holding up the papers, "is the coolest thing ever. Thank you, Mr. Broflovski." He carefully filed them in the folder once more and held it close to him. Gerald stood up, with the small box, and walked over to Karen. She looked kind of shocked as he handed her the box.
"This is for both of you, but I figured you may want to hold on to it first." Karen pulled back the box flaps and pulled out several old photo albums. She opened one and nearly dropped it in shock as tears fell from her eyes.
"Oh my God..." she said, examining the photos closely. "Kenny, it's mom and dad. When they're our age." Kenny was on his feet in an instant and rested his chin on Karen's shoulder as he looked at the pictures with her.
Sure enough, there was a photo of Gerald and Stuart smiling as they were joking around. They looked about fourteen or fifteen. Kenny touched his jawline as he realized he had inherited the same features as his father.
"Huh..." he trailed off, eyes widening as Karen turned the page. A photo of their parents met their eyes and Kenny shook his head. "How old was she in this?" Kenny asked Gerald, who glanced at the photo momentarily.
"That one? That was the summer I got back after graduating college so... she was fourteen."
"She's pregnant," Kenny said, looking closely. Karen nodded, "shit, she's pregnant with Kevin." He looked up as Sheila gasped and his cheeks flushed pink a little, "sorry," he apologized for his language and Karen hurriedly flipped through the first album. Sure enough, she found what she was looking for.
"Look!" Karen cried. Kyle and Ike had gathered as well. Their parents were several years older and Kenny could tell it was their house, except it looked much better than it did when he was growing up. So did their mom. "See, she's pregnant with me! Kevin always told me I was adopted."
"If any of us is adopted, it's me." Kenny teased, "how else do you explain this hair?" he pointed to his blonde mane and Karen rolled her eyes as she smiled. "Kev was just giving you a hard time. Look, there he is now... what is he doing?" Karen giggled. "Oh God, is that me?"
A pre-school aged Kevin was shoving something in a baby's mouth on the couch. Neither of them could tell exactly what it was, but it was amusing Kevin and making the baby cry.
"No, that's not you, you weren't that chubby." Kenny gave her a curious look, as he wondered how she knew that, and looked at the picture some more. "There's you." Kenny followed her finger and laughed in surprise.
"Why does that not surprise me?" Kyle teased, causing Kenny to snicker as he glanced at his toddler self running in the background, completely naked except for a pair of boots on his hands.
They continued looking through the photographs and soon were able to talk about memories and various things that they came across that they remembered. Of course, Gerald was happy to explain the photos from his childhood and teenage years. The reminiscing soon turned into story after story. They sat at the table until breakfast was finished; soon all four teenagers were sitting in the living room, listening to Gerald tell the tales as he showed them all the photographs. It was like watching children gather around for story time.
After "story time" was over, Kenny and Karen hugged Mr. and Mrs. Broflovski and Karen wiped away tears as she saw memories of a childhood that didn't seem quite as bad in photographs. Kenny ran upstairs and returned with several presents that had been wrapped. Kyle couldn't help but laugh as he saw the newspaper.
"Shut up, I was at work!" Kenny defended as he tossed him his gift. Kenny read the label, then handed the next one to Ike, he had one for both Sheila and Gerald together, and finally, Karen, who groaned in annoyance at her grinning brother.
"Kenny!" She cried, "we said none for each other."
"Kar-bear, there's something you gotta know about me," he began, still offering her present, "I, on occasion and very lovingly, lie." She rolled her eyes and took the present from him grudgingly.
"Dude!" Kyle said, "and Karen!" he added, causing the girl to laugh. "You seriously didn't have to..." He held a pair of leather gloves in his hand and a new "Call of Duty" game.
"They're texting gloves," Kenny said, "I know you hate wearing gloves 'cause you can't text."
"Oh my God there's another. Damn you!"
"Uh..." Kenny said, getting closer to Kyle, "save that for later." Kyle nodded slowly and pocketed the smaller gift and silently thanked Kenny, who smirked.
Ike smiled as he unwrapped his present. It was a framed picture of him and Karen at homecoming. Attached was a letter; his eyes widened when reading the name of the author.
"W-what is that for?" Ike asked Kenny cautiously.
"Just some advice," Ike opened it and two ticket stubs fell out. "Oh, forgot about that." Kyle shook his head at Kenny as Ike picked up the tickets.
"Holy hell! These are Mayday Parade tickets!" Ike cried, tackling Kenny in a tight hug. "Why did...?"
"I dunno, I've heard chicks really like concerts. But keep the girl away from any mosh pits and drunk people." Kenny winked at Ike, who blushed darkly and glanced to Karen, who stared at Kenny in disbelief.
He turned to Sheila and Gerald, who were shaking their heads and smiling at Kenny and Karen. They smiled sheepishly back; both were slightly afraid they had done wrong.
"We figured the past few weeks have been really stressful so we thought you two could take a break from it all." Karen said, Kenny nodded.
"It took awhile, and normally I'm not a 'let's give money for a gift' kinda guy but... I didn't want to make reservations for places you didn't like. There's enough for dinner, entertainment, and a night's stay in a hotel. A nice one, too. Not those Super 8 ones but like... a Holiday Inn or something."
"Kenny, there's $300 here." Gerald said quietly, Kenny winced as Kyle stared at him.
"I... uh... could give another $50 for gas? I might have under-priced it." Sheila shook her head.
"Honey, honey, no this is too much. Way too much for us to accept." Kenny shook his head and smiled genuinely at them.
"It's a gift, it's okay, I mean, I want you to have it. You two have spent a lot of time and money on us and it's the least we could do." His breathing was constricted by Sheila hugging him tightly. He didn't have the ability to even hug her back. His cheeks heated as she kissed his forehead and smiled proudly at him, then did the same to Karen.
"You two are sweethearts. Thank you both, so much. This is completely unnecessary and we don't want to-"
"Nuh-uh," Kenny interrupted with a smug smile. "I earned that money and as an adult I am choosing how I want to spend it." Gerald glanced to Sheila and smiled softly at Kenny as he patted his back.
"You're right, this is extremely thoughtful and generous. Thank you."
Kyle left the room momentarily and Kenny looked after him curiously. A part of him wondered if he had upset him, yet when Kyle came in with several wrapped presents, Kenny glared at him.
"Merry Christmukkah!" Kyle chirruped, laughing at his friend's dismal look. "You didn't actually think you wouldn't get presents, did you?" Kenny grimaced and watched as Karen looked at him timidly. He nodded and she slowly opened the presents designated for her.
The first present she opened was from Kyle. He had given her a makeup kit with a list of several techniques and styles to try. Her face lit up and she looked ready to experiment yet she kept her cool and hugged Kyle in thanks.
She opened Ike's next; it was a pair of earrings and, she couldn't help but laugh, a picture of them. Not at homecoming, but one Ruby had taken of them laughing hysterically at something stupid someone had said. She smiled at him and squeezed him tightly in a warm embrace.
The last was from Kenny; the last Christmas they spent together, when she first woke up, he had gone all out for her. Based on his openness to spending so much for the Broflovskis she was slightly afraid of what he may have gotten.
A silver locket fell in her hands, with a fine silver chain. The locket itself was a heart with a vine border that created a nouveau look. Karen opened it and smiled; it wasn't a picture of them, yet a tiny sketch in pencil and ink. On the inside of the left part of the locket there was something engraved. She sniffled as she read the italicized words.
I will always be here. Love you, Kar-bear.
Karen sighed and wrapped her arms around her brother. He kissed the side of her head and hugged her close as he lifted her off the ground.
"Your turn!" Kyle cheerily cried to Kenny, who sighed and slowly opened the package from Kyle. He furrowed his eyebrows when seeing Batman pajama pants, but smiled and thanked him.
"Thanks, dude. I think these might be the first pair that actually fit!" He teased, folding them carefully and set them on the dining room table. He opened the second package, from Ike and grinned. He had given him a sketch pad with a collection of pencils, colored pencils, charcoal, and oil pastels.
"It's from Kyle and I... figured you'd wanna draw with professional stuff rather than a mechanical pencil and a notebook."
"That's awesome, these are good quality too... not like the stuff the school has, the pastels especially." Kenny looked up to find Kyle grinning at him and he rolled his eyes. "I like to doodle, shut up."
"You do way more than doodle," Kyle countered with a smile. Kenny shrugged and balled all of the torn wrapping paper, and makeshift wrapping paper, in one large ball and threw it away in the kitchen. The four teens then took their presents upstairs, except Kenny put on the pajama pants.
"You're actually wearing them now?" Kyle asked as he changed into jeans and a sweater. Kenny nodded.
"Duh. I'm Batman." Kyle gave him a look and shook his head as Kenny tied an old pair of Converse Kyle had given him.
"You did too much," the redhead murmured before hugging Kenny tightly.
After getting dressed, they thanked Mr. and Mrs. Broflovski, and went over to Stan's house. Kyle had been invited too, obviously, and Ike didn't want to miss out on the potential Marsh-McCormick showdown.
Kenny knocked on the door. Stan answered, looking haggard and upset, yet smiled when seeing Kenny and Kyle. The blonde thrust a newspaper-wrapped present at him and earned a smack to the back of the head in thanks.
"How goes it?" Kenny asked, peering in the house. He could hear talking in the distance.
"Uh... after the initial shock of 'here's my baby daddy' it was actually okay. Kind of. My dad deemed it necessary to talk to Kevin..." Kenny actually snorted and shook his head as he laughed. "You sound better."
"I feel a little better, you were all just over exaggerating." Karen rolled her eyes and hugged her brother's arm.
"Shelly, c'mere!" Stan cried. An exasperated groan of annoyance came from the living room and in moments his sister appeared. Kenny's eyes looked to her stomach immediately, where a small baby bump had begun to show itself. He smiled at her and Karen waved.
"What?" She asked.
"Kenny and Karen are here."
"Your point?" Stan shrugged his shoulders and poked her stomach, earning a hard slap to the back of his head. Kenny saw his eyes water from the impact yet said nothing.
"How are you doing?" Karen asked gently, smiling at his brother's girlfriend. Shelly shrugged her shoulders and leaned against the wall.
"Between school, work, and the puking, okay." Karen smiled sympathetically at her and glanced to Kenny momentarily, who was making a funny face at Stan, as he narrowly avoided being caught in a headlock. "It hurts to eat too, which sucks."
"Have you tried warm saltwater? I know my mom did that when she was pregnant." Shelly looked at her curiously.
"How do you know that?"
"Mom was pregnant when I was in fourth grade," Kenny said, "she miscarried." Actually, she ended up giving birth to him for the fifty-second time in her life but that wasn't something he couldn't explain. "So, does she like kick or anything?" Shelly laughed and shook her head.
"No, that won't happen for awhile. But she has gotten hiccups," Kenny's eyes lit up.
"Can you feel it?!" He asked excitedly, she nodded.
"It's just a little nudging. If it happens today I'll let you know."
Time passed and they had moved to the living room. Stan and Kyle were openly cuddling as they talked with everyone, and Kenny was half tempted to touch Shelly's stomach. Karen giggled when she saw his gaze turn to her baby bump from time to time, and Kenny gave her a look yet said nothing. Sharon seemed frazzled and stressed as she talked to the kids, then left to the kitchen.
Kenny felt bad. He could feel the tension in the house.
His phone chimed quietly and he unlocked the screen. His eyes widened when he saw a text from Butters. He opened the message quickly and let out a squeak as he saw the picture. Karen tried to grab his phone yet he quickly picked it up and read the message.
From: Lee!
Received: 12:10PM
Merry Christmas love of mine.
He looked closely at the scandalous-for-Butters picture. He was shirtless and the placement of his hands under the waistband of his underwear made it very obvious he was at least suggesting something. Kenny's cheeks heated as he quickly typed a reply.
To: Lee!
Sent: 12:10Pm
merry christmas to you too :) need some help there?
Kenny sighed heavily and pocketed his phone, but not before turning it to vibrate. Karen looked at him curiously and he shrugged.
"It was just Facebook." She nodded slowly, not believing him for a second, and turned back to the conversation currently taking place. Kenny tried to pay attention, but he found himself staring at that picture again. Kenny smiled as he saw a new text.
From: Lee!
Received: 12:12PM
I wish you were here.
Kenny's eyebrows raised and he suddenly found it hard to swallow as he reread the text. His fingers fumbled as he quickly typed back.
To: Lee!
Sent: 12:12PM
what would you do if I was?
Suddenly Christmas could go to hell. Kenny coughed softly as he leaned back on the couch and crossed his legs as he looked to the Christmas tree. The lights blinked in a rhythm and he concentrated on that rather than the possibilities of what he could be doing.
From: Lee!
Received: 12:15PM
Mmm... Iwhat wouldn't I do? God I wish you were here right now...
Kenny's face flushed as he read the text and he quickly texted back.
Kevin walked in and squeezed him in a hug right after Karen. Kenny smiled awkwardly as he received a noogie.
"Stop!" he whined, wriggling away from his brother. Kyle and Stan laughed at him and Kenny glared momentarily before looking at his brother.
"How're you? Heard you been sick." Kenny shrugged his shoulders and quickly sat back down on the couch.
"I'm better than yesterday," Kenny mumbled, bouncing his knee as he looked around the room. Stan and Kyle had resumed kissing, and Shelly and Karen were talking.
"So, where's the other blonde?" Kevin asked, looking at his brother with a smirk. Kenny grimaced.
"He's at his house, he'll be over later... his parents are going to visit his grandma or something."
"Lame! No Christmas morning head?"
"Dude!" Kenny exclaimed, covering his now blushing cheeks. "No. Besides, I've been sick." He scrolled through his texts after feeling his phone vibrate.
"No texting while family visits," the brown haired boy teased, then snatched his phone. Kenny's eyes widened and he pounced on his brother for his phone.
"I won't, just give it back!" Kenny pleaded, scrambling for it yet Kevin pinned him down and laughed as he read through his messages. His laughter died and he furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at Kenny. Kyle and Stan broke apart and were now watching curiously.
Shelly looked at the brothers warily and Karen approached. Kevin handed Kenny the phone and gave him a testing look, which caused the blonde to tug on his shirt, just like he used to when he was younger.
"Kevin..." Kenny trailed off, embarrassed and worried, although he didn't understand why he felt that way. He didn't get why Kevin was so shocked, or concerned. The brunette saw this in Kenny's expresion, and sighed heavily as he patted his shoulder.
"You sure you should be goin' on like that?"
Oh. That's why. He thought they were over all of that now; apparently not. Kenny lowered his eyes and ran his teeth over his piercings.
"What are you talking about?" Kyle asked, Kenny sighed softly and shook his head.
"Lee and I were just texting," Kevin scoffed, causing Stan to smirk and Kyle to hit his shoulder. "And he mentioned something, it's not a big deal."
"Kenny," Shelly said with a small smile on her face. He looked at her curiously and looked scared as she ushered him over with her hand. Hesitantly, he approached her. "Give me your hand."
"...why?" She rolled her eyes and grabbed his wrist and placed his hand on her barely swollen stomach. He furrowed his eyebrows at her, until he felt a gentle nudge on his palm and he grinned. "Oh my God that's your baby..." He laughed quietly as he felt the rhythmic movements and shook his head. "Hello there, this is your cool uncle-"
"Hey!" Stan cried, causing Kenny to grin.
"Like I said, cool uncle, and you should stop hiccuping so your mom can relax. Even though this is awesome. Are there ways to make smart and awesome babies before they're born? 'Cause she should be a genius. You're gonna be smart, okay? Smart like Kyle, cool like me, strong like Stan, a sweetheart like Lee, and a spitfire like Karen. And you're gonna be a real looker 'cause you got a nice looking mom and a... tall dad."
"You little shithead," Kevin grumbled with a grin.
"No swearing in front of the baby!" Kenny put his hands to where he thought her ears would be, causing Shelly to laugh.
"I don't think she'll be cool like you, she'll be a nutcase like you." Stan snickered and Kenny made a face as he moved his hands away.
"Whatever. If you guys ever need a babysitter let me know because I don't want anyone else doing it. Not even Uncle Stanley. Then I can teach her all the stuff she needs to know. Like... how to sneak ice cream and the best way to get her dad to say yes to anything."
"No," Kevin barked with a smirk. Shelly was smiling at Kenny as she saw a different side of him. He patted her stomach and pulled his hand away but sat next to her on the floor. Karen was grinning from ear to ear.
"Kenny," Kyle said sincerely, "I think you'd make a really great mother." Kevin roared with laughter as Kenny's jaw dropped. He flipped off Kyle and looked to Shelly's stomach once more.
"Shut the fudge up," he said, censoring himself for growing and innocent ears. Kyle rolled his eyes. "I'm not motherly, I am fatherly. Sue me."
They hung out awhile longer, just talking and joking around. Shelly told Kyle embarrassing stories about Stan, which was a relief to Kenny because last time he had been the target. Ike and Karen were watching videos and Shelly was resting comfortably on Kevin, who rubbed her stomach soothingly as she had begun to grow pale from nausea. For the first time Kenny saw his brother actually treat a girl with respect. He hadn't figured out exactly how Kevin and Shelly went about touching, they hadn't so much as hugged whenever he was around, but as he saw them cuddle on the couch he realized they found what all of them had found.
Time was wasted and Stan got irritable as his parents started to fight. Shelly told him to just ignore them and yelled at them to shut up. Stan, however, seemed on edge after hearing glass break in the kitchen and his mother cry. It reminded Kenny of his own home life and he wondered if Randy and Sharon had done this all along too. They had always seemed happy; he wondered what went wrong.
A knock on the door brought them out of their long rambles and talks. Kenny was surprised to find it was already 5:30.
"Keeeeennny!" Stan called, "Christmas present!" Kenny stood up from his comfortable position on the floor and followed Stan. He saw Butters standing in the doorway with a Christmas bow in his hair. "I don't know how much unwrapping you can do now but I would wait til later..." Stan teased, causing both blondes to flush, as he walked into the living room.
Kenny moaned as Butters captured his lips in a heated kiss that caused him to fumble backwards and hit his back against the wall. His arms looped around Butters and he drew him closer as they sought for that feeling of completion. Butters smiled as he finally pulled away, gasping for breath, and Kenny wiped his mouth.
"Hello to you too..." he murmured, fingers tugging on his belt loops.
"My parents left early... God I wanted you with me all last night and this morning..."
"That's why you shouldn't have left last night." Butters giggled and embraced him in an amorous hug. His hands slid down Kenny's back, causing the taller boy to shiver.
"You don't know how bad I want you to unwrap me..." Kenny smirked and kissed him again; this time he was surprised to find Butters wrap his legs around his waist and actually thrust against him as their tongues danced together.
He tensed at that, and took a deep breath. Butters eyed him, as if testing the waters, and mewled happily as Kenny tugged his lip with his teeth.
"Jesus," Kenny gasped in a whisper, hands and body shaking as he fought off his growing need. "You're making it really difficult for me to not lay you down right here." He didn't know if he could go through with that, but the thoughts were there.
"I dare you," Butters giggled, kissing Kenny's nose as he gaped in shock. "I don't know what's gotten into me. You... I just... ugh..." Kenny smiled and situated Butters slightly so his hands would be more comfortable; he rested them on the curve of his rump and massaged his cheeks slowly. Butters shivered and arched his hips.
"I have a present for you. You can wait til... later, right?" Kenny asked, "if not we can totally sneak to the basement and re-enact that text..." Butters moaned and kissed Kenny deeply as he clung to him.
"You have no idea how bad I want to... but I can wait. You promise we'll do that though?" Kenny nodded as he nuzzled Butters' neck.
"Hell yeah," he whispered in his ear, causing the smaller boy to shiver. "But I may make you beg..."
"Oh God..." Butters whimpered, legs like jelly as Kenny led him into the living room. "Y-you said you had a present for me? 'Cause I have one too." Kenny nodded and laid on the floor once more, on his stomach like last time. Butters couldn't help but stare at the way his shirt rode up slightly, exposing his back. Or the fact that his pajama pants fit and accentuated the curves of his body perfectly. He shivered and blushed as he saw Kyle follow his gaze and smirk. Butters laid down like Kenny; their faces were close together and he bent his knees so his legs were in the air. "It's not much but..." Butters pulled out the sheet of paper and handed it to Kenny. He unfolded the paper and his eyes lit up.
"Those are... that's the Kingdom Hearts logo." Butters nodded.
"I thought... maybe we could get these tattooed? You could have that one. I'd have that." Butters pointed out the key for Kenny. He saw the dark blonde nod excitedly and smiled as he squeezed his hand.
"I cannot believe Kenny turned out to be gay," Shelly said, causing Kenny to grin at her as he shook his head.
"I'm not gay... I just like beautiful people." Stan rolled his eyes as he smiled, while Butters gazed adoringly at him. "I have an appointment coming up for a tattoo, wanna go with?" Kenny asked Butters, who nodded. Kenny handed him a newspaper-wrapped gift and watched Butters giggle as he opened it.
"Oh, Kenny..." Butters said as he examined the presents in the box. Inside was "Annotated Alice", the movie and book "Cloud Atlas", candy, popcorn, a new "Hello Kitty" game, and- "oh my God, did you make this?" He asked, holding up a coffee mug. Kenny shrugged and nodded.
"We had to do pottery in my art class, so..." Butters examined the obviously handmade yet carefully constructed coffee mug. It was a light blue color with intricate designs on the border and handle.
"I love it! This is for date night, isn't it?" Kenny nodded.
"I have something else... but that'll be private." Stan cackled and Kevin scoffed, causing the blonde to look at them both oddly. "It's nothing like that, ya pervs."
The next hour passed by and everything quickly fell apart as Sharon stormed out of the house, with Randy yelling behind her. Both of them left and Stan stared at them, like a broken child from a broken home, and shook his head. Kyle held him and Shelly looked as if she wanted to comfort him but remained seated as his boyfriend reassured him.
"Why don't... why don't we go to my house? My mom's making a really good dinner tonight, and we can watch "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" or something." Stan sighed and looked to Shelly, who looked at him sympathetically.
"I'm sorry you had to deal with this," Stan mumbled, "dad'll come home drunk and mom'll come home Monday. So there isn't a point to stay." Shelly stood up and walked over to Stan; she slugged him on the shoulder.
"Well, you're here, aren't you, turd?" She teased, he smiled up at her sadly and she hugged him loosely. "I'm sorry you deal with this alone." Stan shrugged and rested his head on Kyle's shoulder. "I do think we are going to just head back home though, Kevin has to work at ten."
"Kay," Stan said, standing up and awkwardly hugged his sister. She rolled her eyes and hugged him tighter; he seemed to settle slightly as he patted her back. Kevin lifted an unexpecting Kenny off of the floor, causing him to yelp and bite at his older brother.
"Lemme go!" Kenny cried as Kevin actually held him by his feet. Kyle lost it as Kenny tried kicking, but decided to punch at Kevin's legs. "Kevin, I'm gonna puke!" The brown haired boy effortlessly flipped him into a standing position, causing Kenny to sway and clutch his head. "What the fuck kinda hug was that?" He asked himself. Kevin just grinned and shrugged. He then hugged Karen and kissed her forehead, before he shook Stan and Kyle's hands.
"You guys take care, if you need anything let me know." He said, then turned to Stan, "Good luck, kid." The black haired boy smiled and nodded. Kevin shook Butters' hand as well and sent him a devilish smirk as he glanced to his younger brother. "Take it easy on 'im." Butters' cheeks darkened and he nodded as his eyes went to the floor.
After Kevin and Shelly left, Stan turned off the lights in his house and grabbed his keys.
"So what d'you wanna do?" Kyle asked the group as Stan shut the door behind them. "We can watch movies or just chill or play Wii or X-Box or..."
"Call of Duty!" Ike cried excitedly, Stan nodded in agreement.
"Uh, Kenny... you said you'd help me feed Rascal, right?" Kenny nodded.
"Yeah, his dog has epilepsy so I'm gonna help with his meds. We'll be over in a bit." Kenny said nonchalantly, looping his ungloved hand with Butters'. Kyle and Stan nodded and smiled knowingly, yet didn't say anything.
"Kay, just go to the basement when you're done."
"Alright, see ya." Kenny said as Butters began to walk in the direction of his house. As they walked a considerable distance away from them, he swore he could hear Ike say something about 'fucking' but chose to ignore it as Butters giggled.
He broke into a run and Kenny laughed as he chased after him. Butters squeaked as Kenny caught up to him and wrapped his arms around his waist, lifting him. They kissed quickly and couldn't quiet their giggles as Kenny twirled Butters in the middle of the snow-covered road. Butters just wrapped his legs around him and smiled down at Kenny with pink cheeks. They were alone.
They crossed the street, then hurried to Butters' front porch. With shaking hands, he unlocked the door and grabbed Kenny's wrist as he pulled them into the dark house.
The taller boy groaned as he was pinned against the entry way wall; his head smacked against it and he laughed as Butters kissed him with a sudden ferocity.
"Your house smells nice," Kenny said once they broke apart, causing Butters to give him an odd look, "I never noticed it, shut up!" he said, his voice turning into a mewl as Butters sucked on his neck and his hands explored his torso desperately. "I just gotta ask..." Kenny said in a half-moan, "what's gotten into you? I'm not complaining, I'm just a little..." he groaned and shifted as Butters rolled his hips into his.
"I don't know... I had a dream last night after I got home..."
"Uh-huh...?" Kenny pressed, caressing Butters' arm. He nodded and blushed.
"It was the... craziest dream I've ever had. It even made me come in my sleep, you were so hot in it... it was rough and when I woke up I felt like it actually happened."
"So you've been pretty wound up all day," Butters nodded and smiled, "is that the only reason you want to?" He shook his head. Kenny tucked a wispy blonde hair behind his ear and pressed their foreheads together. "I know we've talked about this..."
They had. No matter what they did Kenny still wasn't comfortable the concept of touching anywhere below the waist. He couldn't. Of course, he felt more open to touching rather than being touched. And he knew he wasn't being fair to Butters... in a sense. However, the blonde said it wasn't about him and his feelings- it was all about Kenny feeling comfortable. He supposed that was important too, and the thought of someone being concerned with what he wanted... what he felt... it made tears well up in his eyes every time he thought about it.
No one had even considered what he may or may not have been comfortable with. He was always thrust into situations and took the best from it.
But he could see it in Butters' eyes; he was on the verge of pure desperation and that wasn't entirely fair either. They had messed around a few times prior and it always left Kenny feeling disgusting. Mostly in himself. He wanted to touch Butters and make him feel good, he really did. But every time Butters touched him below the belt he was back in that alley, back against the asphalt, trying to find a knife or a rock sharp enough to kill himself. He was back in that alley feeling their sausage hands all over his body, stretching and scratching and ripping and-
And here he was. His body trembled as he looked down at Butters, who was watching him.
"Where did you go?" He whispered softly, "you were talking and then you just..." Kenny sighed heavily and shook his head. "I-I'm sorry, I'm pressuring you. Dammit, I'm sorry, I didn't-" The ash blonde silenced him by seizing his lips in a powerful kiss. His fingers tilted his chin upward and his arm draped around Butters' waist, pulling him closer.
He was hard; he could feel his erection against his leg. His hand hesitated in the air, he wasn't quite sure what to do with it, so he pulled at the bottom of Butters' maroon sweater.
"I want to... to try..." the hesitation in his voice made Butters wary but he didn't object, either. Kenny wasn't sure if that was his brain or his heart speaking; honestly it felt like neither. He honestly just wanted time with him; time alone, without being physical. That thought almost made him laugh; considering who he was and the reputation he earned that was damn laughable. But it was true; he just wanted to be held. Not fondled, not squeezed, not caressed. Just held.
But he could do it for Butters' sake. He wouldn't do it for anyone else, no matter if they were dating. But Butters was different and he trusted him more than anyone else in the entire world. It wouldn't hurt to try, anyway, and once he got it over with he could tell Butters he just wanted to cuddle instead of on the receiving end of Butters' sudden sex drive.
He didn't want it... and that scared the shit out of him. Because sex was one of his favorite things in life. What if he never wanted to again? That couldn't happen. He wouldn't be him if the idea of being intimate with someone repulsed him. Or even just screwing someone, really.
But the thought made him want to puke. The thought of someone touching him wrong made him nauseous. The thought of his body made him ashamed. He closed his eyes and bunched Butters' shirt in his hand and raised it slightly. The skin beneath his fingers prickled from the cold and he stroked his side gently.
"Ken..." Butters gasped, his breath hitched as Kenny sucked lightly on his throat. "O-oh... geeze... h-hey can we talk for a minute?"
Kenny didn't want to talk; he wanted to get this over with and then talk.
Then he froze. He shouldn't feel like that with Butters. He shouldn't feel like it's a chore; he should want to touch him and make him feel good. He should want him to touch him. What the hell was wrong with him?
Kenny shook his head and rested his head on Butters' shoulder.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. Butters threaded his hand through his hair and shook his head. He pressed a kiss to Kenny's head and breathed in his scent; it was earthy and he wondered if that was because he resurrected. He then was worried Kenny had died sometime during the week; he didn't look any different. But he smelled like pot and cigarettes too, and in an odd way it was calming.
"Don't ever be sorry," the bright blonde replied in the same tone. "Here, let's go to my room." Their fingers locked as Butters headed up the stairs, to his room. The light was off and the glow in the dark stars glowed their greens, blues, and pinks. Kenny smiled as he entered the room; it felt like familiarity. It reminded him of a time when all the shit in their lives could be forgotten by playing Kingdom Hearts or drawing while talking endlessly, or laughing until their sides hurt and they cried, or kissing in the dark, or...
And that bed was where he gave his last thread of innocence to Butters'.
And then that was shredded.
Tears burned his eyes and he felt a hand on his shoulder. Butters sat on the bed and pulled him over; Kenny sat down and ran his hand over the puffy green comforter.
"The last time I was in here-"
"You tripped on your pants in the morning and we both laughed so much Karen checked on us to make sure we were okay." Kenny smiled gently and nodded. "I have another present for you." Butters reached at the side of his bed and pulled out a small box. Kenny tilted his head and watched as Butters opened it.
He couldn't stop the tears from falling.
Inside that box was memories. Pictures of them from pre-school all the way up to the homecoming dance, and some even more recent. They were laughing, goofing around, candid pictures, and then there were others they took on their own when they were thirteen and thought photo-shoots were cool. There were several folded pieces of notebook paper; notes they had passed when class was too boring to pay attention. Other pieces of paper lay underneath; drawings, written things; he saw his eight year old handwriting and realized it was the note he wrote apologizing for throwing the ninja star in Butters' eye:
It was an accident but I knew you would be ok. I'm sorry. I will make it up to you. Get better soon. - Kenny.
Underneath was the card Butters had drawn when Kenny was dying in the hospital, on the airplane. They were best friends not too long after he came back... had they been back then, too? He didn't remember. Butters was just always there.
There were ticket stubs from the concerts they all went to when they were younger, wrist bands too, and a guitar pick Kenny managed to capture after the crowd had cleared away from the small venue. He had been so proud of himself, and Kenny remembered that Butters had told them all he was going to go home with something from the concert. He dropped it right by Butters, and waited a few seconds for the surprised exclamation. The smile on his face had been worth it, even if Kenny wanted that guitar pick; it had touched the hand of his favorite guitar player, after all.
"You... you saved all this stuff?" Kenny asked as he touched the faded lei from when they went to Hawaii. Butters blushed and nodded, and rested his head on Kenny's shoulder. "This... this is the most amazing thing ever, Lee. I... I..." he trailed off; he had no clue what to say. The bright blonde held up a sticky note that was on the bottom of the lid; Kenny's throat tightened as he read the message.
My Favorites
Thanks for saving my life, Ken.
He couldn't stop the tears from falling and he clutched Butters' hand tightly. This was the most touching thing anyone had ever done for him. Someone cared. Someone had cared all along, when he didn't think anyone gave him a second thought.
"I want you to have it."
"I can't, this is all the stuff that you-"
"It means so much to me because it's things I did with you. I've wanted to give it to you for awhile now... it's not much bu-"
"I have never felt so loved," Kenny whispered his admission. Butters made a choked noise as he heard the quiet voice. "All of this..."
"Kenneth, you are loved. You are one of the most loved people I know... for good reason, too. I love you and... I just want you comfortable. I know you're not. I see it in your eyes. Hell, I can feel it. You just have to tell me... I've told you that." Kenny lowered his eyes and reached inside of the box that contained Butters' presents. He pulled out the last newspaper-wrapped item, and sighed.
"I have something else for you, too." Butters furrowed his eyebrows as Kenny handed him the small present. Butters carefully pulled at the newspaper and tilted his head.
"I'm a little confused..." Butters trailed off honestly, as he looked over the book in his hands. He hadn't even heard of it and he didn't know why Kenny was giving him a book. He never knew Kenny to read.
"This is my favorite book." Butters looked over the cover and saw a rabbit. He turned it over and read the back.
"I've never even heard of it."
"I just... I know it's stupid but I figured you could read it and know something new about me. Something that no one knows. It's my favorite book in the world and... I dunno. I thought maybe..." he trailed off. Thought what? That the book he read as a child out of boredom to get away from his fucked up life would be a good Christmas present? That it was worth the whole privacy thing? The way Butters looked now told him otherwise. "And John Hurt does the voice of the main character, I remember he was in that Doctor show you watch..." Butters laughed softly and nodded as he opened the front cover.
Kenny was met with his eight year old handwriting once again.
Propurtty of Kenny McCormick.
Please retern if lost.
635 Avenue de Los Mexicanos
719-287-9924
Thank you.
"My spelling wasn't the best," he mumbled, suddenly embarrassed.
"Still isn't," Butters teased with an adoring smile as he looked at the chicken scratch handwriting. "But that's okay, Watership Down... what is it even about?"
"Bunnies." Kenny blurted, "and consumerism. Think Lord of the Rings meets bunnies, only they're trying to find a new home because of people and the hrududus." The bright blonde burst out laughing at that yet caught his boyfriend's serious expression; apparently it wasn't funny.
"What is a... hrududu?"
"What they call cars," Kenny answered, "it's so cool. They have their own language and a runt bunny is psychic and then they fight cats and dogs and evil bunnies... I didn't get it was about consumerism and dictatorship until I got older, I just liked talking bunnies and the story was good." His cheeks suddenly felt hot as he shared one of the most private things about him. He saw the eyes the shorter boy sent and he wondered if it was stupid. This was his copy after all, one that he stole from the school library because it hadn't been checked out since 1977. No one would miss it. "I know it's kind of stu-"
"This is one of the sweetest gifts ever. Ken, you don't know how much this means to me." Kenny shrugged and smiled a little as Butters wrapped his arms around his shoulders. "It's something that means so much to you... and you can tell me all about it. I... I love you, Kenny. Thank you."
"I love you too. I felt like you could have something else like that, y'know that's not ruined... and I just..."
"You're not ruined. I've told you that..." Butters murmured as he pressed a kiss to his forehead. "You've just been through something so traumatic, on top of being kicked out of your house... and your sister being in a coma, and your mom dying... and here you are. You're right here, giving me your favorite book. I love you just as much as I did before all this shit happened, if not more."
The ash blonde smiled weakly and kissed the corner of Butters' mouth. Butters caught his bottom lip and pulled one of the rings gently, then locked their lips together in a comforting kiss. He smiled against his lips and leaned back against the headboard.
"I'm not asking you to do anything," Butters whispered as Kenny leaned against him. His skin yearned for that naked contact but he closed his eyes as he felt his chapped lips kiss lightly on his neck, down to his collar bone. "I don't want you to..." he trailed off as Kenny nipped down on his skin just the way he liked it.
"Can we try something?" Kenny asked quietly. The lighter blonde narrowed his eyebrows and glanced down as Kenny began to lift his sweater. "I just... I want to do this." Butters nodded and shivered as his upper body was exposed to the cooler air. The heat was down since his parents weren't home and he would get grounded if he turned it up; somehow they would know.
"Sure," Butters said and watched as Kenny took his hands and put it on his parka. With Butters' hand, he unzipped the coat, showing off a threadbare ZZ Top shirt. Scars littered his pale arms, and he let go of the shorter boy's hands. His fingers instantly traced the various white and pink marks on his arms and he closed his eyes.
Kenny felt his shirt drag up his body and he immediately wrapped his arms around himself as he was left bare for Butters to see. But this was his idea, so he pulled his arms away from himself and looped them around Butters' bare back. He pulled him closer and caught his lips in a slow, passionate kiss. There wasn't want in the way they were pressed together.
Butters' heart ached as he felt Kenny rest his head on his shoulder and caressed his back with delicate fingers. Their legs tangled with each other and he couldn't believe how close they felt, how in tune and connected they were with one another, as they hugged close and breathed in the mixing scents of each other. Vanilla and earth combined and it was right; there was no other way to describe it.
Their chests were flush against each other; Butters slowed his breathing in time with Kenny's and he cherished the feeling of his warm skin. He felt new, felt different, but still he was Kenny. He didn't understand why this was different but it was; he didn't mind though. Butters ran his fingers across his back; the muscles twitched and his body arched as he touched the small of his back. Kenny couldn't help but laugh at the tickle, and goosebumps raised from the sensation.
"Sorry," Butters whispered. Kenny shook his head; he liked that. He didn't know what it was but that was a really nice feeling. It sent shivers all the way to his toes and made him squirm, but it wasn't an unbearable tickle. It was nice.
"Do that again..." he felt the bright blonde smile against him and gently grazed his fingers down his back once more. His hips pressed down instinctively and Butters moaned from the contact. He instantly regretted it, of course. Kenny said nothing as he melted from the soft and constant pressure on his back.
"I think I found a new sweet spot," Butters hummed as he stroked his hair. Kenny nodded and made a jumbled mess of vowels and consonants in response to his innocent ministrations.
His eyes widened as Kenny's thin fingers unbuttoned his grey skinny jeans. Butters eyed him warily but continued to caress him in this new way he really liked, and bit his lip as the ash blonde managed to wriggle them off without pulling himself away. Kenny had known Butters was hard for awhile now and was trying to will up the courage to do something about it.
He raised his hips from the boy underneath him and undid the tie on his Batman pajama pants. Butters' free hand went to the waistband and carefully helped pull them down. The only fabric covering them was from their boxers, and he wasn't quite sure if they were going to come off, either. He kept looking up at Kenny whose eyes were closed and his cheeks grew pinker every second.
Butters gasped as Kenny's hips gently rolled into his. Their noses were pressed together and they were looking deep into each others' eyes. Neither of them had decided to blink for quite some time; Butters' eyes burned but he couldn't tear his eyes away even for a moment.
Kenny's hands traced down his sides, over the curve of his hips, then inward. Butters bit his lip and watched as he massaged his thighs and spread them apart. His thumb rubbed against his inner thigh, causing his body to jerk and his arousal to throb.
"K-Kenny... I..." he trailed off with flushed cheeks. He was embarrassed because it took so little to get him to this point and he felt as if he were on the brink of desperation. But he was the only one; as Kenny straddled his leg he realized he wasn't hard at all.
Butters whimpered as Kenny removed his boxers. He was left naked beneath him and he wasn't quite sure what his body was telling him he needed, but he could hardly even comprehend what was going on. His mind was hazy as Kenny's fingers danced around his navel, then trailed down his body. Butters closed his eyes and let his body be overcome by the radiating pleasure coursing through his veins. Kenny's gentle and slow thrusts brought the friction he needed and Butters reached his hand down to stroke himself.
Kenny flinched and pulled away, thinking Butters was reaching for his own boxers. The older boy's eyes widened and he was met with frightened baby blues.
"I..." Butters trailed off, suddenly humiliated, "I wasn't going for you... I didn't think..." he whimpered as Kenny's long fingers grasped his arousal. He didn't stroke him, however; he seemed to just want to touch him. In fact, Butters swore he was trying to search all of him; he would let him. He couldn't stop himself from moaning as Kenny caressed, squeezed, and brushed him; everywhere. He was suddenly feeling warm and tingly all over and he swore there was more than one hand on him. It was too much and it felt hot, too hot. He was aching for that release; when he accidentally thrust, Kenny exhaled and swiped his thumb over his slit.
"O-oh God..." he arched his back as Kenny's left hand squeezed his backside, then soothed the ministrations with caresses on the back of his thighs. "K-Ken..."
He didn't want to ruin this moment, however. He had never felt something so pure. His entire body felt as if he had been blessed, and although he sought release he wasn't full of lust. It was love, overwhelming and almost unbearable as Kenny held him, touched him, and loved him in the only way he felt he could. As the pressure built deep in his stomach he felt tears burn his eyes; he didn't know he could ever feel this good, this innocent, from sex. But as he thought about it... this wasn't sex at all. This was connection, this was trust and reaching for someone to finally understand. And he did, he understood loud and clear.
This was making love. Even though they weren't having sex, he knew that's exactly what they were doing. This was true passion, and by far the most amazing and surreal experience he had ever been through. Because he felt him, right now he was him, and with every caress and brush of skin on skin, he felt closer to that ethereal unity he would only ever experience with Kenny.
They weren't victims. They weren't statistics. They had both been used, molested, raped... but they both made it out okay. There was more to them than that and they wouldn't let it hold them back. Kenny's wounds were fresh but he was trying to find the strength to move on; and as he connected their bodies, as he simply touched Butters, he realized this flesh had been damaged too. But he wasn't ruined. He wasn't tarnished, by any means. What he had been through was just as traumatic, if not worse, but here he was... still pure, still innocent. He was still everything good.
So what did that make him? Was he just the same?
"L-Lee?" Kenny finally whispered as he brushed his thumb over his hip, then ran his fingers down his length. Butters was quickly losing composure and a part of him was still scared... but he wanted this.
He wanted it.
"Uh... uh-huh?" Butters managed between breathless gasps. His cheeks were practically on fire as his body was lost in the same innocent oblivion he wanted to completely overtake him. His eyes opened and he saw the click in the eyes that stared deeply into his. He saw the brightness and the love and want.
"Can you touch me...?"
The simple question, with Kenny's vulnerability, caused the bright blonde to lunge forward and seize Kenny's lips in the kiss he had forced himself to never initiate. his hands ran through his hair, massaged his neck and shoulders, and his body arched as he wrapped his arms tightly around the taller blonde, who buried his head in Butters' chest and continued his soft caresses.
Butters pulled down Kenny's boxers and watched as Kenny tossed them on the floor. Their limbs tangled in a mess of skin and Butters couldn't help but let out a dry sob as he pulled the taller blonde close and rocked his hips against Kenny's in a rhythm that was them.
Butters' hands trailed over the curve of his backside as he reached to hold them closer. His fingers ran over still-scabbed gouges and deep cuts on the back of his legs that ran to the inside of his legs and to places Butters didn't even want to think about. Above him, Kenny appeared vulnerable as his own body stilled, letting him have the chance that he had had earlier.
There were multiple cuts on his thighs that caused Kenny to wince as he touched them. Butters massaged his hip bone with his thumb, something he was more than well aware that Kenny liked, and then lowered his hand.
"Are you okay?" Kenny nodded with his eyes closed as Butters' fingers ghosted over his length. He felt a long cut on his shaft, and Kenny shook his head. Butters pulled his hand away and instead rested against the small of his back instead.
With his free hand, Butters' fingers raked through his hair, and through a buzz of emotion, passion and mirrored movements of searching and solace, he felt complete. Nothing would ever compare to this moment, and his entire body felt on fire as a surge of overwhelming love, and nothing more, wracked through his body. He held tight to Kenny, who had pinned their hips together and slowly ran his hands down his back.
They lay burrowed in each others' arms, hoping to just stay in this moment for the rest of their lives. Kenny kissed Butters' neck and breathed in the scent of vanilla and lavender body wash and him... just as Butters buried his nose in Kenny's hair and smelled earth, mint and weed.
"W-what... what was that?" Butters finally managed to gasp as his body calmed down slightly. The ash blonde rested his head on Butters' chest and listened to the frantic drumming of his heart as he tried his best to calm down.
"I..." he trailed off; he had no words to describe that. It was completely ethereal and left him feeling...
"I have never felt so... full or perfect, or..." Butters trailed off, as if he knew what Kenny was thinking. The younger boy considered that; perfect. That was a good word for how he was feeling. He hadn't experienced this lightness, this innocence in far too long and it was so bright and warm to his heart that he couldn't help but wipe away a couple of unshed tears.
"I know what you mean," Kenny murmured sleepily against his temple. "Except you're always perfect to me, so..."
"Oh, stop..." Butters giggled as Kenny grinned.
Butters leaned on his elbow as he looked down at Kenny, who was still breathing heavily and was laying fully naked in full view before him. He didn't realize how until now beautiful he was. Butters touched his taut stomach and ran down his leg as he caught Kenny's gaze.
Tonight was theirs. Butters wouldn't let anyone change that. He closed his eyes and basked in the warmth of Kenny that held him protectively. His head rested on Kenny's and he felt his arms draped over his. They held hands as Kenny began to drift off to sleep. Butters' was suddenly quite exhausted himself, so he burrowed his head closer to his boyfriend and slowly drifted off as well.
Both were broken from their half-asleep daze as their phones vibrated. Kenny groaned and shook his head as he held Butters tighter. He giggled and rubbed his hair on Kenny's chin, causing him to turn his head away and chuckle.
"Kenny, they're probably worried."
"Let them, we're cuddling."
Butters hadn't ever pegged Kenny to be a "cuddler" until he had been cuddled one night when they were around fourteen. Ever since then, Kenny has managed to wriggle himself either into Butters' arms or held him. Butters obviously didn't mind, then and now.
"We can like... stay here tonight, I'm too tired to move." Kenny mumbled, then dramatically threw himself on the bed and snored loudly. Butters giggled as he bent over the bed to find his phone in his discarded pants.
"You don't snore that loud," Butters said as he searched around in the dark. He yelped when feeling Kenny's hand on his bottom; although he wouldn't have minded, it managed to shock him enough to fall off the bed.
"Shit!" Kenny exclaimed, peeking over the edge; he was suddenly wide awake and alert. "Are you okay?" Butters laughed from the floor as he sat up and rifled through his pants. He pulled out his phone, then found Kenny's and handed it to him as he crawled back onto the bed.
"I'm fine!" Butters assured, smiling as he cuddled up against Kenny, who held him tightly.
"I'm so sorry," he murmured, resting their heads together as they read their messages.
"I have two from Kyle, one from Stan, and one from Karen." Kenny said to Butters, who nodded.
"Same here."
From: Kyle
Received: 7:03PM
How's the dog? ;)
From: Kyle
Received: 7:38PM
My mom says you shouldn't be out late because you still have a fever! :P I covered for you. But you're not letting me go without deets.
Kenny rolled his eyes at that and scrolled through to Stan's message.
From: Stan
Received: 7:16PM
once you two are done you need to get your asses over here kyle and ike are kicking my ass at this game! Oh and be safe! ;D
Kenny smirked and glanced at Butters who was typing furiously into his phone. He sighed and opened his message from Karen.
From: Kar-bear
Received: 7:42PM
Thanks for the presents and thanks for what you said to Ike in that letter, Kenny. I hope you and Butters come home tonight but if not I hope you have fun. :) I know it's been tough on you both so you deserve some alone time.
Kenny set down his phone and wrapped his arms around Butters as he rested his chin on his shoulder. The smaller boy squealed and wriggled as his breath tickled his neck.
"I want to be like this all the time," Butters said, turning to look at Kenny, who nodded. "I mean, I want to just have these quiet moments where it's just us, laying naked and talking endlessly and cuddling and no one can bother us and no one will hurt us. Style wants us to go back to Kyle's house though... but I just want to stay with you," Butters ended up whining as he clung to Kenny.
"I know, m'love... but, can I tell you something?" Butters gave him a blank look as he kissed his cheek. "Kyle's dad told me my petition was accepted today and I have a hearing in January. But they gave me the option to stay with them, so... I don't know."
"That's... amazing, Ken!" Butters chirruped, "and you just have to weigh the pros and cons. I mean... there is a lot to consider. Like if you stayed with them you could probably drop a job and save more money. But... if you had your own house you'd have your own room and I could come over..."
"You win," Kenny teased as he fell on the bed with Butters in tow. "Kidding, you're right... I mean, I have lots of time so... but will you help me?" Butters nodded.
"Of course... ugh, we smell like sex..." Butters mumbled, smiling a little as he said so.
"Good... if you do then everyone will know you're mine." Kenny replied, squeezing his lover's rear. Butters giggled and rested his head on his chest as they embraced.
"I'm a little shaky," the bright blonde mumbled as he quickly packed a bag. He squeaked as Kenny picked him up effortlessly and smiled down at him.
"Well then, my dear, you shan't be walking."
"...you're gonna carry me all the way to Kyle's?" Kenny grinned.
"I'm gonna carry you to the end of the world!" He exclaimed, as he ran out the door, giggling madly with Butters who burrowed his head in his chest and laughed with him all the way to Kyle's house. They still had the night, and they still had each other. Both of them couldn't stifle their hysterics because for the first time in their young lives they felt like they were free. They felt like they could take on the world.