I'm Just A Killer For Your Love
Chapter 21 – The End
By: StalkerDex
(Author's Note: FINALLY here is the end! I hope it lives up to the long wait!)
He shuddered as he thought of that night; that dreaded, awful night. Fuck, nothing had ever changed his life so rapidly and significantly before. No, that night, the night Eric Cartman and Stan Marsh were shot, everything changed in an instant.
As he laid motionless in his bed, the air around him stale as the ceiling fan above him spun quietly, he recalled the events after the shooting. It had all happened so fast. The ambulance took Eric away, the police came to examine Stan and then collected both he and Craig for questioning. The interrogation went on for hours. Who killed Clyde? Who shot Eric? Who shot Stan?
"S-Stan killed Clyde and Eric…Eric was trying to protect me because he was threatening to kill me. He was in love with me and Eric was trying to save me!" he recalled stammering, frantic to cover up any crime that Eric may have committed. He wasn't sure why he had at that point; after all, he was very likely dead. Still, he had done his best to at least preserve his memory. He wasn't a murderer. He wasn't a bad person. He just wasn't.
He remembered sweating profusely in the warmth of the interrogation room. It had been musty, dark and overbearing. Two cops were on him at all times. In rare moments, they would treat him with kindness. However, throughout the rest of the grilling, they had been ruthless. Still, he would not budge. He would not let Eric's reputation be smudged. He was good. He really, really was.
"Well, your friend Craig is talking! Is what he has to say going to line up with your story?" he recalled one of the officer's stating somewhere along the line.
His stomach had dropped at that one. Of course; they were questioning Craig too.
"It's the truth. So yes," he recalled saying flatly.
That had pissed the cop off even further. The interrogation went on for quite some time after that before, after hours upon hours of getting nowhere, he and Craig were both released.
It had been such a huge relief when he'd walked out of the police station, the cool Colorado air immediately calming him down. He had spotted Craig waiting at the bottom of the concrete stairs, a cigarette hanging lazily from his mouth. Despite the fact he was casually leaning against the gate and smoking, his crystal blue eyes seemed desperate as they watched Kyle approach. He knew what the question was. He also knew what both of their answers were.
"I didn't sell him out."
Craig's eyes had immediately shown relief; he even went so far as to let out a sigh, which was a lot considering who he was.
"Good, because he told me to take care of you, and I can't take care of you if you let that fat asshole go to jail."
He remembered feeling his stomach drop to the floor at that statement.
"W…what? He's alive?"
Craig nodded, "yeah. I asked the cops."
Of course! Why hadn't he thought to ask? So stupid. However, he didn't take long to scold himself. There were more pressing matters at hand.
"Well…take me to see him, then! I need to see him!" he had demanded as he lunged forward, only to be frustratingly stopped by Craig's lanky, yet surprisingly strong, arms.
"Hey!" Kyle hollered as he leaned backwards, his emerald eyes locking with Craig's.
"Relax. In time. They're not going to let us in. Apparently Stan missed any major organs when he shot him, which is a fucking miracle if you ask me. Anyway, in the meantime, you're coming to hang out with me, okay? We've got to get our stories straight."
And get their stories straight they did. Kyle smirked to himself as he continued to lay listlessly on his bed, putting his hand to his head. What a fucking trip. It was almost like he and Craig had been on the same damn frequency or something because they'd told the cops the same story, amazingly. There were, of course, follow up questions and they were harassed by the police department for quite some time before, finally, they declared Stan the murderer. Kyle always felt like the cops knew better, but he was also aware that they were in the clear for all of it, mostly thanks to Craig. If Craig hadn't have confirmed their story things wouldn't have turned out the way they had.
"What are you all smiley about?" Eric's voice said curiously, softly interrupting Kyle's less-than-fond memories of their past.
"Huh? Oh…nothing much babe…just spacing out," he responded, smiling affectionately as he reached out and grabbed Eric's hand.
Eric returned the sentiment, rubbing his thumb over his hand as he accepted that Kyle wasn't going to tell him what he was really thinking about. Of course, he could guess. That night was something they both thought about frequently.
"Don't worry about it…it got us where we are now," Eric said absent-mindedly, not bothering to hide the fact he knew what Kyle was troubling himself with.
Kyle let out a deep sigh before rolling over on his side and looking Eric up and down. He looked really good; healthier than he'd seen him in years. The medicine his therapist got him on seemed to be working. There hadn't been any further episodes since he'd been diagnosed with schizophrenia.
"And where is that?" Kyle asked quietly, his eyes wavering just the slightest.
Eric smirked before rolling over to face Kyle, reaching out and brushing his cheek with his thumb.
"You know where that is."
Kyle swallowed before speaking sheepishly, "tell me again."
Eric let out a chuckle. He found Kyle to be very endearing in these soft and vulnerable moments.
"We're safe. We're moving forward. You love me. I love you. Me and you against the world Baby. Always and forever."
Kyle couldn't help but smile at the actual truth. He was right. That was how it would be forever; if they had already made it through what they made it through, nothing could break them. Kyle Broflovski and Eric Cartman were fucking invincible.
Kyle Broflovski and Eric Cartman were made for each other.
They needed each other.
They were nothing without each other.
"That's right," Kyle whispered, leaning forward and planting a quick and desperate kiss on Eric's lips.
Eric's hazel eyes widened as Kyle pulled his face back, his eyes burning with intensity.
"You and me…and that's how it always will be."
Eric smiled, nodding his head in agreement as Kyle delivered one final message before moving on from the subject.
"I love you, Eric."
Eric smiled as he enveloped Kyle in his arms and pulled him close. No further words needed to be spoken. They simply reveled in the relief of the fact that they each had the one they loved for always and forever because, against all odds, Kyle Broflovski and Eric Cartman were alive.
Sometimes the bottom line is just that simple.