Kyle entered Cartman's house and dropped his bag in the corner. So familiar, so part of him. He walked upstairs and into Cartman's room. The fat boy was at his desk writing on something. Kyle came up behind him and looked over his shoulder.

"What's that?"

"My collage application."

Kyle read it. All it said was 'Please accept me to your fine institute. Sincerely, Eric Cartman.'

"You sure you don't want to write more?"

"Nah, look." Cartman turned the small application around, and it turned out to be a photograph of a woman and young child in the garden.

"What's that?"

"The guy's loved ones," Cartman beamed. Kyle raised his eyebrows, though the show of complete insanity wasn't unlike him. It was smart in a way - it wasn't a threat.

"Fucking creepy dude," Kyle said. He'd tell him not to send it but he'd realised that for Cartman to be Cartman he would have to do it anyway. The unmoral genius inside him drove him. Made Kyle want him. Against his own righteousness he craved it.

"Eh," Cartman stuck it into an envelope and sealed it. Kyle watched him roll his tongue over the paper. Watched his every facial expression. Cartman put it down and turned to him.

"What you doing here, Jew?"

"Don't give me that," Kyle sighed. Cartman watched the inwards heave of the red heads chest. He placed a hand on it. Felt his heartbeat. Then took his hand away as if he'd touched something hot. Kyle laughed and put the hand back, intertwining his own fingers. Piano fingers, meaty ones.

"Want to go outside?" Kyle asked.

"Yeah, whatever."

They went to a snowy bank about a mile out of South Park. Because it was quieter, because it was prettier. Because they could be alone.

And it was without mental or physical trauma right until Kyle managed to somehow trip over a fucking log. Cartman reached out for him, but only managed to hold on to his jacket for a second before it was torn away from him. Typical.

"Argh!" Kyle sucked in some air through his teeth, "I think I've twisted my ankle!"

"Sucks."

"Up yours!" Kyle seethed, and Cartman shrugged. The bigger boy turned away and let a foot crunch into the snow.

"Cartman," Kyle said. The voice was monotone. He was never afraid Cartman would walk away from him, leave him to be eaten or frozen to death. Kyle knew he physically couldn't, no matter how much he wanted to.

"Yeah, yeah," Cartman yawned, and then knelt down besides the red head. He placed a chubby hand on the ankle, feeling the blood pumping through. The wince on Kyle's face, the heat on his palm…

"I could leave you for dead."

"I promise you, you'll miss me," Kyle said. Unafraid.

"You don't know the half of it," Cartman mumbled, and grabbed Kyle's forearms and jerked him forwards. When their faces were close enough, Cartman kissed Kyle's frozen nose. He looked like Rudolph.

"You'd never have saved me would you?" Cartman said, accusingly. He hoisted them up and put Kyle's arms around his shoulders.

Kyle relished feeling sturdy, safe. Relished it being Cartman who was the one doing this to him, but not surprised. Even as a child that boy faced storm and death to save him. When it came to Kyle's safety, there probably wasn't anyone more trustworthy than Cartman. Not to say Cartman didn't go through mental hell before he realised what it meant.

Not to say Kyle didn't understand. He did, always. Cartman fucking needed him.

"I saved you from drowning in that cave," Kyle retorted, genuinely hurt. He cared too. What kind of world would it be if Cartman was allowed to be the bigger savoir?

Cartman stopped abruptly, and held Kyle steady by his shoulders. He smirked a little, and before he had time to push him away Kyle grabbed the brunet's collar and had him in a lip lock.

Kyle needed him too.