I looked in my kitchen cupboard today, Friend, and I saw a salt shaker. And do you know what? That's not even the saltiest thing I saw today. Do you know what is the saltiest thing I saw today? Eric, in this fucking chapter. Goodness goshness! It's like that boy had lined the soles of his shoes with Lego, such was his discomfort! I mean, the Sizzler scene was so intense! Eric getting annoyed by everything Luke did, even simply breathing, and by Kyle giving him all his attention, was something I could easily see this stropping child of a man doing. Even though Eric was warned not once, but twice, to behave - by both Kenny /and/ Kyle - he still couldn't be perfectly polite. I could just /feel/ the strain in the air. Eric was determined to make sure everyone was just as uncomfortable as he was. That's one of his flaws - he can't suffer in silence and let everyone else be in peace. It's good of you to write him that way, though. I came here to read about my bastard boy Eric, and wow, you sure are giving him to me! Luckily Luke survived, as he said. I wonder how long that'll last for, though. Eric's patience is famously thin, after all; and he's a man with a plan - a plan which seems to involve "disarming the guy ... to defeat him." I guess I'll just have to read on to find out! For now, though, I should just be thankful that this scene wasn't entirely tense. I loved it when Luke first met Eric and he said he'd heard so much about him, ahh! I mean, Eric worries that Kyle forgot him so easily, when he hears about how quickly he got with Luke. But it sounds like he has nothing to worry about because, even then, Kyle couldn't shut up about him! Even if it /was/ just to warn Luke about how "intense" he can be (and that sure is an understated way of putting it), haha! I also loved it when Kyle was warning Eric to behave, and gosh, this part fucking hit me: ""Eric..." Kyle said, quiet and solemn. It was only his name, and yet whenever Kyle spoke it, solitary and earnest, it weakened Eric. It made him malleable, and soft, and exposed everything he would rather keep hidden, that he was embarrassed he had. Sometimes that was exhilarating, emboldening even. Often Kyle uttered his name like a spell to cure him of every bad feeling." Like, I love Kyle being the one who makes him strong, while being the same one who makes him weak. Just, agh! The flashback was even riper with good Eric-and-Kyle scenes like this. I loved when Eric was thinking over his new relationship with Kyle and thought that "In this new world there was no need to feel suspicious, bitter, unfulfilled," because that's exactly what I hope he'll find in a relationship with Kyle! I want him to be trusting, and content, and better! Because Kyle gives him the strength and the security to do so! Aaahhhhhh! Also, side-note, I fucking love that the boys used to all carpool to school together and take turns listening to each others' music! That's so wholesome! You know I love them keeping up their friendship in ways like this, so that got me absolutely weak! And then you had to go and make me even weaker by making Kyle call him "Eric," aaAHhHHhH!1!;?/ I fucking freaked when Kyle called Eric by his first name right in front of Stan and Kenny! I was so emotional! I was kind of nervous that Stan and Kenny would notice and call him out, at first; but when they didn't I was just as elated as Eric! I swear, Kyle calling him Eric must be a fucking kink of mine, because I felt all giddy and fluffy when Eric took Kyle around the corner to tease him about it, and he was smiling and kissing him and asking him to say it again over and over, and AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH! I think that had to be my favourite scene, Friend, it was just so precious and /reeked/ of young, true love! You could just /feel/ how happy they were together and it made me happy, too. I adored the way it ended as well: "Eric followed wordlessly, feeling like he could do so forever." I just love the concept of this unstoppable force who does what he wants and listens to no one being tamed and smitten by this immovable object. Eric always tries to be so independent, and insolent, so the idea of him just happily going where Kyle goes, doing as Kyle says, is kind of wonderful, and just speaks wonders of how much Kyle means to him. Ahh, I want them to be back together so badly! But I also want Luke to be happy! I get the feeling that this fic isn't going to end without at least two hearts being broken, and one of them is mine, agh! I'm still looking forward to reading the rest, though! Thanks as always, Friend! QvQ

Okay, Friend! I'm back! I'm sorry about how long it took, and I thank you for your patience! I also thank you for this chapter, because ahh! It was great! Starting with a flashback, huh? Tasty! It's so good to get a look back at the beginning and see how everything came to be. As I should have expected from you, it was sweet and sour all at the same time! Although I'm sad for my unloved boys (They're so brilliant and beautiful, how could no one be showing them love?! I'm shocked and offended!), I kind of like how Kyle and Eric are comrades on Valentine's Day. All jokes aside, they are both very difficult people. Not to mention, anyone can see they're fucking obsessed with each other - whoever was unfortunate enough to end up dating one of them would always just be third-wheeling along, lost and ignored in the middle of their already strong, refined rivalry. So I guess it makes sense for their peers to be giving them a wide berth. Their reactions to it also make sense, especially Eric's in this excerpt: "The wry smile on his face vanished, and his eyes flitted between his friends. The empathy Kyle felt for him was overwhelming, and it was unusual to see Cartman floundering for so long. It was like he was scrambling for his suit of armour, his bravado. A grin soon trembled on his face. "Pfft, as if I fucking care about a dumb, non-holiday. It's all crap. Besides, I don't need the validation of these stupid, stuck-up bitches."" I could easily see Eric playing it off like that in my mind's eye. It was not so easy, however, to see Eric picking on Kyle. I don't mean it wasn't easy as in it wasn't believable. Oh, no. It was /very/ believable. I mean it just sucked to have to see. Of course Eric had to ruin the camaraderie. It was really lame of Eric to drag Kyle under the bus with him, it actually made my heart sink a bit; but I also loved it, because it's exactly the kind of selfish thing Eric would do in an act of self-preservation. He'd soon pay for it though, because boy, what a mistake to make! Kyle's just as proud as Eric is, and he won't take such slander lying down. "No, he had to channel his embarrassment into something else. Anger seemed the preferable option, his own suit of armour." I love this line not only because it is such an accurate portrayal of Kyle's emotional reasoning, but because it is also an interesting parallel between him and Eric - how they both have these armours they seek refuge in when they're upset. You always do a great job of showing just how scarily similar these two actually are. I love it! I also love that Eric's blows actually hit harder, now that Kyle's more attached to and attracted to him. It's a natural development for their relationship, I think, that that would happen. Maybe Kyle's blows hit harder now, too, now that Eric likes him as well. It would explain why he, too, got so upset by Kyle's outburst. Then again, I think /anyone/ would get upset about being roasted /that/ hard, because oh my fucking god. Friend, I wished I had some popcorn for Kyle's fucking roast on Eric's dating past, present and future, because holy shit. That was explosive. I do not at all blame Eric for crying, because what the fuck, Kyle?! That was just /monstrous/. I love it though. There has been plenty of angelic Kyle in the fandom, enough to get a good picture of his better side, so it's refreshing to see Kyle losing control and saying horrible things to his friends. You know. Like a volatile, humiliated human being with anger issues and violent tendencies would. It makes sense for him. Bless you for being honest in your portrayal of Kyle, as hard as it may be to write sometimes, because /damn/ can he be nasty. Kyle even trying to throw the blame for the outcome on Kenny is accurate to his character, again, and shows a strong parallel between he and Eric, again, in the way they both (don't) deal with guilt. It's sad that scene happened, but I'm kind of glad it did. Because then it led to the scene in the bathroom, which I fucking loved. Kyle reaching out to Eric, Eric opening up and letting Kyle in (both into the stall, and into his mind and heart), Kyle opening up as well and trying to cheer Eric up, and Eric fuCKIGN KISSI NG HIM!? FRIEND, I'M SHOOK! There was so much emotion in that scene, and I fucking savoured every line of it. It's a shame it ended with Kyle chickening out, but - again - that probably makes more sense than him just going along with it. He's too much of an over-thinker to just let himself feel a moment. In the same way, Eric was too focused on what he was feeling to stop and think how Kyle would react to the kiss. That just exemplifies what I love about them though: how they balance each other out. It shows where their similarities end, and where they become opposites - opposites which attract. Gosh, you do them so much justice in your writing! I also liked how you wrote the flashback in accordance with the present - how Kyle leaving Eric in the bathroom parallels Kyle leaving Eric in his house, and you inserted the aftermath of Kyle leaving in the present right after Kyle taking his leave in the past. Like, I don't know if there's a term for that kind of story structuring - although I'm sure there is - but it's fucking genius. The emotions from Kyle leaving Eric back then perfectly match up and catch up with where we are now after Kyle leaving Eric again. It's so good. I fucking love and hate that Eric trashed his room and cried his eyes out after Kyle left. Hate it because it's so sad. Love it because of fucking course he would! And I love that even now, years later, Eric still goes to his BFF Kenny to talk. You know it's a massive headcanon of mine that Kenny is, like, Eric's listening ear when he needs someone other than a stuffed toy to bounce his thoughts off of. So I greatly appreciate this scene. Especially since you wrote Eric's venting so well. The way he spoke was so... Eric! So it was actually really amusing. The line "he freaked out and got all panicky, and guilty, and moral, and... /Kyle/... about it!" made me laugh, because yeah, that's basically Kyle to a T, haha! And then I laughed even harder at /that fucking exchange/ between Eric and Kenny! "So... what are you gonna do now?", Eric shrugged and came to a stop. He was yet to figure out the mechanics, but he knew what had to be done. It was obvious, wasn't it? "The only thing I can do...", Kenny sighed, and placed a firm hand on Eric's shoulder. "I hear you, buddy," he replied softly, nodding., Eric nodded too. He had no choice. "Break them up," he said, as he continued to stroll., "What?" he heard Kenny exclaim behind him." BWAHAHAHAHA! Friend, I creased over in wheezing laughter! God, that was glorious! The pacing was perfect, the build-up and the suspense, leading to absolutely ideal comedic timing! And you kind of expect it, when /Eric Thucking Cartman/ says he knows what he has to do, that it's going to be the absolute wrong thing; and you just wait giddily like, oh god, what is it this time! And you have to love Kenny's misplaced faith in Eric being able to come up with the same reasonable, rational solution as he did, haha, after all these years it's funny he didn't expect anything less! That is... one of your /best/ portrayals of the inner-workings of Eric T. Cartman. It's in your absolute Top Ten of "Times Shawty Absolutely Got Cartman So Right In A Fic That It's Like He Ghostwrote It Himself," haha! Ahh, and then it was followed by such a sweet scene between Eric and Kyle in the next flashback! A couple of my favourite lines during Kyle's contemplation were "It should have been a fantasy to lull him into sleep, not a ghost that kept him up," and "He looked to his ceiling for answers, as if it were a chalkboard he could scribble solutions on, spill his thoughts onto." Brilliant! As if that wasn't brilliant enough, though, then Kyle actually faced his fears and called Eric?! Aaahhhhhh! But that's so Kyle! Of course he couldn't just forget it and sleep it off, of course he had to confront it! And I'm so proud of my boy! He only went and fucking did it! When he finally answered the question from back in the bathroom, I was about as speechless as Eric when "[he] whispered, sounding as small as Kyle felt in the wake of his confession." (Another beautiful line, by the way!) Kyle had no reason to be so nervous, though, because it went absolutely perfectly! That confession was so cute! I was especially enamoured when they were like little kids all over again, saying "I wanna go out with you" and "I wanna go out with you too" so earnestly and eagerly, laying it all out so simple (and why can't they always be this straightforward with each other?!). All of it was adorable! Kyle fiddling with his sheets and swaying on his bed! The both of them chuckling and smiling and blushing! Eric teasing Kyle with pet names! ME CHEST, FRIEND! Thank you for blessing us with some adorable fluff in the wake of all the frustrating angst! Even if it was only a brief respite before we were brought back to the present, agh! I must ask you this, Friend, please excuse me, but I just must... Friend. Why... Why do you always have to make the boyfriends... so freaking nice?! First Neil in ABHOAL, now this guy here! Luke is so nice, haha, stop making me like him when I want to love Kyman without worrying about his feelings! I feel just as bad and guilty towards Luke as Kyle did having to face him again at the airport (which, again, just goes to show how good of a writer you are, if I can acutely feel all that the characters are feeling)! Gosh, I have no idea how this will go now! Knowing South Park and your writing, though, I'm sure there'll probably be a lot of chaos and tragedy, haha! Still, I'm looking forward to it! And I still have hope for Kyman, because Kyle still sees being with Eric as the happiest time of his life, ahh! That end, Friend! It was so bittersweet, as I'm sure much of this fic will be! I can't wait to read the rest! Thanks for this chapter, and all those after it which I will now go on to read! QvQ

Outstanding. Can't wait for your next story.

I'm in love with your writing! "Buoyant voice " is my fav!

Ohhhhh my goodness this chapter was so well-written, I'm amazed at how it didn't spiral downward into an explosive argument or severe depression. You managed to pick out all of the collective emotions of it all-the happiness, the sadness, the betrayal... I'm in awe! Content wise, I'm glad that this has caused Eric to mature. He's happy, for sure, but he's also willing to leave Kyle to make his own decisions during this painful time.
Thanks again for writing. Poor Luke! Give him a hug for me~

I'm in love with this chapter! I adore how this relationship is working out! I squealed when Kyle met Jeremy for the first time. Your story feels mature, comedic, and relatable all in the right places! Honestly! And I know Kyle's jealousy, those burning tears. You write jealousy well. I wish there was a Patreon for fan fiction or something more legit to reward writers like you!

I'm loving this story! It's weird seeing a nice Cartman who's not a complete cold distant douche lol. Great job!

The anticipation is killing me! Kenny is such a good friend, honestly I'd probably still leave Eric if I were him. It takes a lot to know where the line is, and everyone is dancing it the last few chapters.

I can't wait to see what Eric is scheming! Great chapter as always, and thanks for the update!

Man, I am so late for reviewing this! You know that university's been kicking my ass though, so thanks for your patience and understanding, Friend. Without further ado, let's get into this. Because, holy heck, this is sure something. I have to commend you, your characterisations are consistently amazing. Eric rarely does something "just because," and I love how you showed that in how he convinces the guys to play beer pong on the pretence of "Why not?" while actually planning to get into Kyle's pants, haha! And I love Kyle falling for Eric's flattery and cute face in the end, haha, he is a simple man! I'm glad they agreed to play, because that means we got to read this line: "Bebe was pouring the bottles of imported beer Token had brought along to the party into the plastic cups, while he watched, pained." Haha, so hilarious! This was a fun, funny line too: ""You can do this..." Kenny murmured, rubbing Kyle's shoulders like he was a coach and Kyle was a bloodied boxer stumbling towards victory." Not only was this scene a good laugh though; this game also allowed us to read about the boys being... so cute... so, so cute... And for that, I am thankful. You know I love these boys being pals, so you must know I love how supportive the Main Four were of Kyle when he scored in beer pong! Stan pulling Kyle in to ruffle his hair, Eric boasting Kyle's captainhoodship on his behalf, and Kenny taunting the other team for Kyle was great! This is the kind of camaraderie I love seeing from these four friends. It cleared my skin, alleviated my stress, and gave me the best night's sleep in years. And then, Friend, as if that wasn't enough, then you went and wrote this fucking thing: "Eric smiled tightly, his shoulders falling in endearment. He loved what was so wonderfully predictable about Kyle, in those moments he felt like a song that Eric knew all the words to. It was a salve when all that was unpredictable, frustrating, and disheartening left him burning with a deep, sad anger, simmering in a confusion nobody could replicate." [Sighs dreamily] ... Oh! Hold on, Friend, I'm getting a phone call... Hello? Yes, who is this?... Oh?... Oh, really?!... Oh, my! That's wonderful, just let me tell her!... Friend, that was the Nobel Prize in Literature on the phone just now. It wants to be awarded to you for that excellent excerpt I just quoted. Congratulations. You have produced, in the field of literature, the most outstanding work in an ideal direction. And that direction is Eric being incredibly in fucking love with Kyle. I think it's a direction we can all get behind. I think Eric getting jealous watching Craig and Tweek be affectionate in public was a nice touch too, aww, my poor boy! (Thanks for the Creek, by the way. And the hints of Clybe too, while we're at it. Just, all the good ships in here.) He just wants to love Kyle the way they can love each other! And he kind of did get to, actually, because tHAT FUCKING HUG!1 There was everything homo about it! The absolute gayest! And I fucking love it, Friend. Again with the meaningful hugs! I would gladly choose to read your detailed descriptions of their emotionally-charged, homo-erotic hugs over dirty descriptions of the tastiest, nastiest smut any day. Honestly, it does things to my heart. It was even better that Kyle was the one to leap into Eric and throw his arms around his neck. I was already happy he won, and then you made me even happier by making it gay. [Contented sigh] And I adored their little chat on the couch later. Even if Eric's compliments and votes of confidence had the ulterior motive of getting back into Kyle's pants, I don't doubt they came from a genuine place. It's so nice just seeing them getting along and talking nicely! Bitch, I'm weeping! Also, that section had another couple of my favourite lines: "An out-of-body, out-of-clothes experience" and "He hated this hasty, jittery rhythm he was operating in, but hoped that when he was back in Kyle's arms the cacophony would melt into a symphony." They exemplify your true writer's wit and the pure poetry that pumps through your veins! Back to the story, though. I must admit, I doubted our boy; so I'm amazed Eric's plan actually worked! I already thought he was pushing his luck inviting Kyle over, so I sure didn't expect Kyle to be the first one to kiss! What a pleasant surprise! Get in there, Kyle! Neck 'im! Neck 'im! Neck 'im! Agh, and the description of their kiss was just as delicious as that of their earlier hug! Why are you doing this to me, Friend, are you /trying/ to wreck me?! Just, that whole paragraph is a roller-coaster of sensation and emotion. My God! And then when they told each other they missed each other?! Ack! Me chest! And you know I have to do it, Friend, you know I have to quote a line: "Inhibition, commitment, and the whole world seemed to be melting around them like the town in July, and Eric’s empty, darkened living room felt warmer and stuffier than any crowded party." So fucking good. Tell me, Friend, what demon did you have to sell your soul to in order to get writing skills like this? Because I swear you couldn't be this good any other fucking way. You also couldn't be /this fucking CRUEL/ any other way, because what the hell?! It was going so good until Eric got horny on main! Agh, you done fucked up, Eric, you got greedy, boy! "In his hazy vision, he saw Kyle's eyes widen like Eric had struck him rather than whispered to him" and "He practically recoiled from Eric, shaking all over like he had awoken from a nightmare" are a couple of commendable lines from this scene, as much as they are simultaneously horrible because nooo! Why, why, why?! Even this mess was made beautiful in your hands though, Friend. I mean, as painful as it was to read, how Eric handled the rejection and the news about Luke - or rather, /didn't/ handle it - was so perfect! I could easily envision all the anger and the hatred, and it makes sense for Eric to lash out when he's hurt and humiliated and tell even the boy he loves the most to fuck off. One of the best lines from this scene was: "He clenched his jaw until his teeth would shatter, tears burning his eyes and a scream clawing at his throat." This is another example of you being so true to these characters. I can vouch that this is 100% how Eric would react to something like this. And I salute for you being brave enough to portray that level of tragedy and devastation. Although, when have you ever held back from angst? You /live/ for this, haha! And I do too because here I am reading this! And then, as if their fall-out alone wasn't angsty enough, thEN YOu had KYLE GO hoME anD PULL OUT a fuckinG T-SHIRT HE'D KEpt from Eric and fuCKING SMELL IT And THEN go the FUCK to fUcKinG BED IN IT?! FRIEND, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME?! YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT IS 1,000,000% MY MOST ABSOLUTE SHIT! THE BIGGEST, TASTIEST JAM I CAN GET DOWN TO! I'M CRYING IN THE CLUB RN, WTF?! MY HEART IS /GONE/, FRIEND! G! O! N! E! GONE! IT JUST COULDN'T ANYMORE! IT'S GONE ON HOLIDAY TO RELAX IN THE FUCKING BAHAMAS AFTER ALL THIS CHAPTER HAS PUT IT THROUGH! Kyle wanting to snuggle up in Eric's clothes and get lost in his scent is so precious... and yet so devastating, in this situation. The true essence of "bittersweet!" Agh, and they were getting along so well before... I've no idea where this is going to go now, Friend. Especially not when Luke is about to be thrown into this already messy, lumpy mix. But you can bet your talented, little butt that I'm excited to read more! Thanks for yet another amazing chapter! And for all those that come after it, too, which I can guarantee I'll love just as much if they're anything like this one! \QvQ/

Uuuugh! I’m so torn! Like I want them back together, but I can’t say I’m a fan of the way Eric is trying to do it! #invested

"Never have I ever been sucked off in Stan's bathroom." That was great! It would have been even more hilarious if Kenny also drank on that one! Poor Stan.

Didnt want this chapter to end!

I've finally caught up on this and you've set everything up so beautifully, from the tension to the conflict to the current scenario! I'm nervous but excited to see what winds up happening next, and also, I am starting to feel super bad for Luke ;o; Please save this poor bby, I hope he doesn't get too crushed in the upcoming chapters bc my heart is already hurting for him! That being said, I hope Kyle starts being honest with his own emotions and feelings- and with the people around him. He's confused! It's too bad Luke is staying with him, so realistically, he has no time on his own to sort out these feelings. Thanks for the new chapters! 3

I have a feeling lots of things are going to be revealed next chapter due to alcohol. Going to be quite interesting to read! This story has quickly become one of my favorites and it is written so well! I feel bad for Kyle, but he kind of brought it on himself. He should just be honest with Luke.

Loving this! And the flashbacks are great!