Author's Note: Well, these chapters are going to be considerably shorter for a bit. I believe this is where I started to get writer's block. I still have writer's block, and this was April. Literally the only reason why I'm not trashing this one along with the other ones I wrote 6 months ago is because this one is Halloween based and it's October 30 so there.
So SAC is going through some major editing and I'm in crisis mode with it. I should have thought of that when I was uploading three times a damn week. Maybe it would be easier for people to catch up on too. Anyway, here's the latest chapter. Hope you enjoy. I'm rather ehh about it. It's just... nothing. I don't know where I was going with it, I thought I did, but then I ended up not doing that idea, which I don't know why as it would tie in with the end but... nope. Ahh well. Here ya go. Think of it as basically a holiday special that has hardly anything to do with the plot whatsoever.
Chapter Fifty-Three: "In This Town We Call Home"
"I am the one hiding under your bed
Teeth ground sharp and eyes glowing red
I am the one hiding under yours stairs
Fingers like snakes and spiders in my hair..."
Butters moaned quietly and turned away as he heard Kenny sing the lyrics to "This is Halloween". Except, he yelped when he felt fingers wiggle in his hair, and cried out when he opened his eyes to find Kenny's face pressed up against his.
"What the heck?!" Butters exclaimed amidst Kenny's cackles of laughter. A thud was heard as Kenny fell off the bed, and Butters slowly peered down to see if his boyfriend was okay. He was still overcome by giggles as he kicked his feet and his cheeks were red from laughing so much. "It wasn't that funny."
"It is when I've been singing for ten minutes!" Kenny cried, before falling into even more hysterics. Butters laughed a little and looked down at Kenny, who was trying his best to not laugh.
The door to their bedroom opened and Karen poked her head in curiously. She shook her head and smiled a little before she closed the door once more.
"Leeee get up it's Halloween and I love Halloween and I made a pie and there are caramel apples and we have our costumes and-"
"You made a pie?" Butters interrupted, perking up. Kenny nodded and sat cross-legged on the floor.
"I've been up for like... five hours." Butters glanced to the clock and saw the red digits display: 11:38. He turned back to Kenny, who shrugged and pulled at his arm. "Puhleeeeeze get up?! You know Halloween is my favorite holiday!"
"I thought Christmas was..." Kenny narrowed his eyes and huffed as he stood up. Butters smiled smugly, until Kenny's arms wrapped around his back and behind his knees, and lifted him out of the bed. "Kenneth, put me down, you know I hate being carried." Butters whined feebly as Kenny held him, bridal style, as he walked down the stairs.
"Kidnap the Sandy Claws
Lock him up real tight
Throw away the key and then
Turn off all the lights.."
"I am not Santa!" Butters snapped, although he was trying his best not to smile.
"Well the thing is, I can sit on your lap and I'll tell you what I want for Christmas and you'll call me your ho, ho, ho... so... you're Santa." Kenny explained chipperly.
"Okay, Mrs. Claus."
"Hey!" Kenny cried, pouting his lip. Karen was laughing at them as they walked into the living room, and Butters looked at her; his face was void of any amusement. Kenny let go of Butters, who was used to this, and landed on his butt on the couch. "I am not Mrs. Claus."
"No, if anything you're Jack Frost," Karen quipped. Kenny furrowed his eyebrows for a moment, then nodded brightly.
"Yeah! We go hand in hand, Santa can't have Christmas without snow-"
"What about in the desert? And in California?"
"...that's not real Christmas!" Kenny flailed, "and you need Jack Frost to make snow. So... without me, you, as Santa, wouldn't be relevant." Butters gawked, "I said as Santa! And... without me we wouldn't have snowmen either. So no Frosty the Snowman was a jolly happy soul, with a corn cob pipe and a button nose and two eyes made out of-" Butters covered Kenny's mouth as he finished the lyric, although his cerulean eyes glared as he did so.
"Wrong. Holiday."
"You're right," Kenny said, voice still muffled by Butters' hand, "Christmas is my favorite. Followed by Halloween, and then St. Patrick's Day."
Butters turned to Karen, who was laughing in astonishment as she paused an episode of "Doctor Who".
"Is it sad we understood that?" She asked, Butters shrugged, then patted the top of Kenny's head. The strawberry blonde slumped his shoulders and sighed heavily before he leaned back on the couch. Butters pulled his hand away, but not before giving Kenny a stern look; he received a mocking expression in return.
"Did you have coffee?" Butters asked; caffeine didn't usually affect Kenny. Except when he had too much; which he was prone to doing on the weekends.
"Yush," was the reply he received. Karen was grinning at Kenny's cherubic expression. "We need to get ready! We have things to see and people to do and candy to get and... Bebe's having a kegger and I really really really really-" Butters covered his mouth again, but he continued to repeat the one word. When he paused, Butters moved his hand; unfortunately for the bright blonde it was only to take a breath, "-really really really really really really reaaaalllly wanna go."
"Fine."
"YES!" Kenny shouted and raised his fists in the air. "Why can't it be 6:00 already? I wanna go trick-or-treating and show off our kick-ass costumes."
"Maybe Kyle and Stan will actually think you have a cool costume for once," Butters teased, earning a pout from Kenny, who huffed and folded his arms over his chest as he looked at the television. "Hey, I didn't say your costumes were bad. You were Iron Man one year, after all."
"That doesn't count, we were "The Avengers"," Kenny grumbled, "I've had the coolest costumes every year but no, stupid Chewbaccas and Gangnam Style and... stupid things are apparently better. Stupid." Butters smiled softly and ran his hands through Kenny's hair.
"I know, baby," he teased as he patted his cheek lovingly, "they just don't understand your kind of awesome."
Karen burst out laughing at that, and Kenny let out a dejected whimper as he stretched out on the couch.
They watched a couple of episodes of Doctor Who, then Kenny stole the remote and searched through Netflix until Karen and Butters both begged him to watch "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". He decided since he liked Tim Curry he would give it a shot, and by the end of the movie Butters sincerely regretted asking him to watch it.
Kenny stared in awe as the credits rolled. Karen looked at her brother worriedly and glanced at Butters, who waved his hand in front of his face.
"That... was..." Kenny trailed off, looking at his sister and boyfriend, "AMAZING! I WANNA BE DOCTOR FRANK N. FURTER!"
"For Halloween?!" Butters cried, Kenny nodded violently. "We've planned our costumes for a month, and there is no way you can get all of that in an hour. And I will not be Rocky!" Kenny pouted and threw himself on Butters, who sighed heavily and ran his hands through Kenny's hair. "Calm thyself," Butters murmured. "Fine, how about we ask Kyle and Stan if we can do it next year?"
"YES!"
"But I wanna be a part of it!" Karen cried, "it has been my dream to be a part of a Rocky Horror themed... something!" Butters and Kenny looked at each other, shrugged, then nodded. "Woohoo!" She cried, much like her older brother, than ran up the stairs to her room to get dressed.
They soon followed and Kenny was practically shaking from excitement, or caffeine intake, as he hurriedly dressed in the costume Butters had stayed an extra hour at school for the past month making. Bebe had helped of course, in fact she did most of it. But it was the thought that counted.
Kenny disappeared downstairs after dressing in the baggy blue jeans, white, yellow, and black zip up shirt, and blue and white sneakers. Butters shook his head, and opened the grocery bag with semi-permanent hair dye that Bebe said would come out after a few washes.
Kenny was thankfully in the bathroom when he went downstairs to rinse his hair in the sink. He held up his phone as a mirror, and gawked at the difference in hair color; he wasn't used to anything but light blonde. Honey brown looked weird on him, but not as weird as the black he had dyed it during his vampire days. He shrugged, decided it would do, and quickly spiked his hair before Kenny came out of the bathroom.
Butters then ran back upstairs and grabbed the most important part of his costume; the keyblade. Even though it was made out of foil, paint, and cardboard, it was one of the coolest things he had ever made. Kenny said not to worry about making one for him, so Butters hadn't.
When he went downstairs, the bathroom door was open and Butters slowly walked into the living room.
He cried out in alarm when seeing Kenny, dressed in a long black cloak with the hood pulled up, standing in the corner.
"Sweet Jesus, you scared me!" Butters cried. He saw Kenny's eyes widen in the darkness of the cloak and Butters blushed.
"Your hair!" Kenny cried, running over and touching it, "it's brown and spiky!"
"Duh, I'm Sora." Kenny scoffed and touched the spikes once more before sighing and taking a step back. "I see you went with the Organization 13 look..." Kenny nodded and Butters saw his teeth flash against the darkness of the shadows cast from the cloak.
"Lookit!" He chirruped, then pulled the hood from his face. Butters gawked, and covered his mouth as he took in Kenny's costume.
"Your... your hair is silver." Butters reached for a tendril and twirled it in his fingers. Kenny just grinned toothily and shrugged his shoulders, "in the weirdest way I really like it."
"I thought I did a decent job," the now silver-haired teen replied as he poked one of Butters' spikes one last time. They kissed each other briefly and Butters reached up to pull the rest of the hood from Kenny's head. As they parted, Butters turned to the stairs and gawked.
Kenny caught his expression and followed his gaze. His eyes settled on the figure at the bottom of the stairs and his heart sank.
Standing before them was Mysterion. Only the little sister version. Butters looked to Kenny; he heard the quiet sigh, saw the quivering lip, and looked back to Karen, dressed as her guardian angel. She stepped off the stair and walked up to them with a grin.
With her hair hidden behind the cape and her face half covered by a black mask, Butters could definitely see the similarities between Kenny and Karen. In fact, looking at the fifteen year old was like looking at Mysterion from a couple years ago. It amazed him, and Kenny just stared in awe at his younger sister.
"What... what are you, the Riddler?" He teased. Butters bit back a smile and Karen furrowed her eyebrows.
"No!" She cried, then coughed and covered it with a growl, "I'm Mysterion." he fought back his laughter as Kenny wore a blank expression upon hearing her impression of his Mysterion voice.
"Does he really sound like he's coughing up a furball?" Kenny asked disbelievingly. Karen shook her head and her cheeks heated in slight annoyance and frustration as she clenched her fists.
"No, jerk... he's like Castiel." Butters' smile faded and Kenny quickly turned around so he could set his own cape on the couch. "We're all going as our idols." Karen explained, as if her brother had silently asked her. Butters lowered his eyes and bit his lip as he waited for Kenny speak.
But to hear that and know that Mysterion was still her hero must have been hard for Kenny to handle. He could tell as he slowly turned around and wore a small smile as he looked at his sister.
"Are you sure you wanna wear that around town? What if someone bad thinks you're him?"
"Then... I'll make his job easier for the night." Kenny sighed and tugged lightly on the mask, causing the string to snap on her face.
"Nuh-uh, you're supposed to say, "oh, well if anything happens you'll be there, big brother of mine!" Kenny said, raising his voice to a falsetto. Karen laughed at his terrible impression of a general girl and shoved him lightly.
"I guess," she replied sarcastically and sneered at him before she burst out laughing once more. Butters bit back his smile and locked eyes with Kenny; oh, if she knew the power beneath her words.
Kenny and Butters managed to win compliments to their costumes from Stan and Kyle. This seemed to be the highlight of Kenny's night, because he had an even bigger spring in his step and seemed giddier than before; which Butters hadn't deemed possible. The other duo went as Terrance and Phillip; Kyle even straightened his hair and when Kenny teased him about it the redhead hotly explained it was Stan's flat iron.
Ike went as Batman, and Ruby was dressed as River Song from "Doctor Who". Wendy and Cartman met up with them, the raven-haired girl was dressed like Snow White, and her not-boyfriend was Adolph Hitler. Kenny couldn't help but laugh for a good five minutes upon seeing the couple, and Kyle lunged at Cartman, who threw a cardboard swastika at him. Stan had to pry the redhead off of the chubby boy, who had a quickly swelling eye, and when he turned to Wendy for comfort she snapped a, "you deserve it, assface" and hit him.
No one said a word about Karen's costume other than a quick, "I like it" or "you look nice." But the looks they gave Kenny burned through the back of his head and he kept his eyes away from his sister, who seemed just as happy as he.
Four hours later they hauled their loot, huge bags and pillowcases full of candy and various other treats, to Kyle's, where they would conduct their usual "trade-off." Cartman usually ended up with more candy than anyone else, but they threw their unwanted candy at him so it didn't really matter anyway.
After Kenny set down his bag, Kyle pulled him to the side, away from everyone else. His eyes held genuine concern and the now-silver haired boy felt a little worried.
"Dude, have you seriously not told Karen who Mysterion really is?" he whispered. Kenny sighed heavily and scrubbed a hand through his uncharacteristically styled and sprayed hair.
"No, but-"
"She's fifteen, you really think you can let it go for much longer? How has she not questioned?" He hissed.
"She hasn't questioned because she doesn't feel she has to. And I don't want her to feel like that."
"But, Kenny, it's a fantasy for her... and maybe even you. You can't let her continue believing in things that aren't real." Kenny scowled and shook his head. "You know what I mean. She's almost sixteen and she still believes she has a guardian angel protecting her when it's really just her brother who can't let her go!"
"The last time I let her go she ended up in a fucking coma!" Kenny fired back, "and that was just her brother. Her brother has let her down time and time again. But not him. He was there for her when I couldn't be."
"But he is you, Kenny. Don't you get it?! It's just a superhero game and you're the only one still playing. Do you know how bad it'll break her heart to find out-"
"That her useless brother is the one she spent her nights wishing would keep her safe? Yeah, I get it."
"That's not what I meant and you know it." Kyle quipped darkly, "and the only one who thinks you're useless is you. She doesn't need a superhero guardian angel to look up to, she just needs her brother. The only reason she looks up to him is because you were too-"
"Too what?" Kenny growled. Kyle sighed heavily and shook his head. "No, man, c'mon. What were you gonna say?"
"Nothing..." Kyle resigned, "look, I'm not trying to fight with you. But aren't you at least a little concerned about the fact she dressed like you?"
"Yes. Now tell me what you were gonna say," Kenny growled. Kyle groaned and hit his head on the wall.
"Ugh..." he trailed off, "you were too trapped in your own ways to show her yourself that you would protect her. Because then, and even now, you view yourself as nothing. But you're not. I'm betting all those nights she cried she wanted you, not some guardian angel with a green question mark on his head."
"I was in control," Kenny murmured, "they wouldn't take their kid seriously. But I put the fear in them, I had them under my control. And Karen knew that. But you don't know how Mysterion started, Kyle, so don't... don't go all psychological on me."
The redhead looked at him, and Kenny saw him tilt his head slightly. He was confused.
"How did it start? All I remember is after Cartman dressed up as The Coon everyone started hearing about you." Kenny sighed heavily and shook his head.
"I can't... it started way before then," Kenny trailed off, "with us we couldn't say what we wanted to say because our words never meant a thing to anyone else. We were poor so we were stupid. We were less than everyone else, even in our own house. So we had to find other ways to help our words come out. So, hypothetically speaking, let's just say there was someone else before Mysterion, before Karen could walk, or talk, there was always someone."
"That doesn't make any sense." Kenny groaned in annoyance and gave a look to Kyle.
"Karen wasn't the only one who had a protector," Kenny barked, then walked down the stairs to leave Kyle to his thoughts. Butters perked up from the couch and set down the can of Coke as Kenny entered the Broflovskis living room. "I need a smoke," the blonde told him, then shut the door behind him.
Butters saw the shocked expression on Kyle's face as he entered the room but he chose to say nothing. Not now at least. He glanced out the window, unable to see Kenny, and sighed heavily.
By the time they arrived at Bebe's party, Kenny and Stan were buzzed. Cartman also had a few drinks in his system, but not as much as the other two; although he planned to change that. Wendy immediately went to look for Bebe, and Butters grimaced as the booming bass, that nearly shook the entire house, irritated his ears.
Everywhere he looked there were people touching each other. It was as if alcohol made people want to paw at each other, or fight, or make out in obscure areas like on toilets or kitchen sinks. And everyone was dancing, the smell of booze, sweat, and smoke infiltrated his nose and soon he himself was more than a little tipsy, a little baked, and a little sweaty.
Kenny and Stan, on the other hand, were well on their way to oblivion. With every move they staggered and laughed and wore glazed expressions as they goofed around and talked to just about everyone, even people they never spoke to before. Kyle kept a protective arm around Stan, and Butters Kenny, who wore the perfume of hard liquor rather than just beer.
"This's the bes' party evurrr," Stan slurred as he slumped his head on Kyle's shoulder and began nipping at his neck. Kyle blushed and pushed his head away. Kenny grinned as he heard Stan's mouth break the suction on Kyle's flesh, and snickered.
"You think every party is the best," Kyle replied, earning a drunken laugh from Stan and jumped as the black-haired boy ran his hand up his shirt. "Stanley, not now."
"You're too... uptight." Stan said, enunciating the "t". Kyle rolled his eyes and Butters smiled as he lazily ran his fingers through Kenny's hair. Kenny always became fairly quiet after a certain point in his drunkenness. It was as if he were observing things in a whole new way. It was always interesting, because he went from a screaming party rage to serene and content. "An' I could help witthat."
"I'm sure you could," Kyle laughed and turned to Butters, who giggled quietly and adjusted his arm around Kenny, who was beginning to lean backward.
"Kenny. Ken-Keeeeennnnyyyyyy!" Bebe screamed, then giggled as she nearly tripped on the leg of her coffee table. Her beer sloshed all over her shirt, and she made a pouty face before she caught the drips from her glass. "Hi honey," she slurred to Butters, who smiled and winced as he now had to carry the weight of Kenny and Bebe, who leaned on his mostly wasted boyfriend.
"Yeah?" He asked, caressing her side as she laughed in his chest. Butters looked between them and Kyle caught the look in his eyes. It was the same look he wore when Wendy and Stan would talk and act like they were closer than ever; which, they were.
"I'm gon' tell you someshing, kay?" He nodded and she whispered in his ear. Butters could only make out a couple of words and it didn't sound bad, But Kenny appeared as if he had sobered up considerably.
"You can't." Bebe put her finger to his lips and shook her head.
"Shhh... yeah I can, baby. I'm eighteen. Ellie an' I... we... we're gonna go with'im and... and we're gonna... be actresses and be famoush and getcha in all the parties." She raised her arm and let out a high pitched whoop; one that rang harshly in Butters ears. But Kenny shook his head and pulled himself from Butters grasp.
Apparently, this was serious to Kenny.
"No, Bebe, you can't. You dunno 'im."
"You don't eitherrrr." Kenny sighed heavily and shook his head.
"But... but I do. And you don't wanna get messed up in that shit, kay? Is not good. At all. Tha's like... sherious sit." They both laughed a little at his mispronunciation, but it quickly faded as they looked at each other.
"I'm gonna be in the new "Hunger Games" movie, Kenny. He promised... and Ellie's gonna be a dancer so she doesn' work at Hooters anymore. Mm... but I'm gonna miss that outfit, her tits are soooo fucking hot in it." Kenny shook his head and looked to Butters; but he had no idea what was going on and why this was a bad idea. The only bad idea was her dropping out of school. She had enough talent for an agent to contact her. She had been in a couple of commercials the past two or so years, after all.
"Bebe, he's bad news. He's not an actor dude. He's... he's a trafficker." Bebe tilted her head and Kyle gasped. "Like... sex trafficking. Human trafficking. Prostitution. That shit. He's... he's gonna take you... from here... and put you in California with those disgusting pervs... and then they're gonna... don't do it. Please... believe me. I can't let you." Bebe shook her head and scoffed.
"You're just jealous... 'cause I'm gonna be famous! And I was gonna thank you in my Oscar speech, but now 'm not." Kenny shook his head and looked desperate as he gripped her arms.
"Bebe, listen to me. I know he's a trafficker because he almost got me." Her hazy eyes focused on him and her mouth parted slightly as she looked at her closest friend. "I was a hooker... an' he went to the strip club I worked at... an'... he said he knew I wasn't eighteen and he could help me get my feet on the ground in California... and I almost did it. But this... lady saw me talk to him and she told me to get out and fast. You gotta, you gotta promise you're never gonna see or talk to 'im again." Bebe looked at him with wide eyes and a trembling lip. "Two weeks later these guys found me and got me outta there." Kyle and Butters both nodded, and Bebe covered her mouth.
"You... you're serious? He's... part of the human trafficking ring?" Kenny nodded and Bebe stomped on his foot, "and you didn't say anything?! You realize you could save hundreds of lives... and put him away... and... you didn't tell anyone?" Kenny sighed heavily and lowered his head; he hadn't though to. His mind was so absorbed with protecting Karen he hadn't thought about protecting others. In a sense, that's how it always was. "Oh my God... this is huge. Shit. I'm gonna puke." She gasped, stumbled away from Kenny, and walked three steps before reaching for a decorative bowl on the table and decided to heave in it.
Heidi ran up and held her hair back as she threw up, and Butters nudged Kenny's arm. The bright blonde looked at the taller boy with a shocked and somber expression.
"Are you... are you serious?" He asked quietly. Kenny nodded and took his hand before he captured his lips in a kiss.
Whether or not anyone would remember, Butters realized Kenny had just saved Bebe's life. That thought alone sent shivers down Butters spine. And to think Kenny had been naïve enough to be in her place shocked him more than anything. Even more than the fact that that was something Kenny never shared with him.
All he could do right now is thank his lucky stars for the hand that had been drawn that day. If it hadn't been for that lady to persuade Kenny not to go, then he probably wouldn't have his best friend right here right now. And that thought was enough to make him race to the bathroom.
And Kenny made his way to the guest bathroom with a sour stomach, and rubbed his back as he brushed away his hair as he puked the contents in his stomach. Butters' eyes stung as he tried to spit out the acrid taste of bile and beer, but it just wasn't enough.
Kenny held him close after he finally stopped throwing up. He kissed him and was almost desperate for that contact, and although he was embarrassed to be kissed with vomit-mouth, Kenny didn't seem to care in the slightest.
And in a blur of fervent kisses and searching hands and stumbling legs they were out of the bathroom and into the first room available,which happened to be Bebe's room, and fell in a tangled mess of limbs onto the floor. Kenny reached under the bed and found a bottle of lube, it didn't concern Butters at all that he knew it was there.
And for the first time in a long time they made love. It wasn't the kinky, sometimes raunchy, sex they usually wanted. It was a need for connection and closeness and that overwhelming love and lust burned brighter than anything in their eyes and hearts. Even though they were drunk and on the verge of passing out they could feel it.
Every thrust and every soft touch of Kenny's hand through his hair and down his back made Butters pull toward him and cling to him tighter and tighter as they kissed and touched and fucked. It was all a blur; in his drunken mind he didn't know if minutes passed or hours but he sometime found himself drifting off to sleep in the naked comfort of Kenny's embrace. And at that point feeling him, knowing he was there with him, alive and well, was all he needed.