Ship In A Bottle || South Park Pirate AU

Nine

Inwhich the truth comes out and stays in.

Butters was over the moon when he learnt that they had at last acquired a ship's cat. Hat spent most of the day hiding under various bits of furniture, so the two did not cross paths until the following evening, up on deck after dinner.

"There he is," said Kyle. He pointed to Hat, who was sharpening his claws on a nearby piece of rigging.

"He's adorable!" gasped Butters.

"He's a menace, that's what he is," said Kyle. "There's already been an incident of Hat swiping at a crewmate. It's only a matter of time before someone gets sent down to sickbay covered in scratches."

"Oh, but you wouldn't hurt a fly, would you?" crooned Butters as he drew closer to Hat.

"He's not exactly cuddly," warned Kyle. "You might want to give him some space."

Butters crouched down just a few feet away from Hat. Aware he had an audience, Hat turned, golden eyes fixed on Butters, as if sizing him up. Butters held his hand out to be sniffed. "Hello," he said gently. "Aren't you pretty?"

Kyle expected the hand to be clawed clean off, but to his surprise, Hat stretched his neck out and nosed at Butters' knuckles. He giggled, and Hat jumped backwards at the sudden sound, turning in circles with his tail raised.

"It's okay," said Butters, sitting down with his legs crossed. "I'm not going to hurt you. See?" He held out his hand again. Hat approached once more, a little bolder, and after a moment's hesitation, rubbed his head against Butters' palm. "Oh!" said Butters. "Would you like me to pet you?"

Kyle watched on in disbelief as Hat proceeded to wind around Butters, leaning into his touch. A deep, rumbling purr began to emanate from his chest. "How did you do that?" asked Kyle.

Butters rubbed his nose on his wrist and grinned. "You'd be skittish too if a great big, gigantic beast came lumbering towards you. Sitting on the floor puts you on equal footing."

"Huh," said Kyle. Cautiously, he sat too, but Hat paid him no mind, preoccupied by the head scratch Butters was giving him. "Butters," said Kyle, as he watched him coo at the cat, "I want to talk to you about yesterday."

"About Nichole?" Butters asked quietly.

"No, before that." Kyle tried to think of the most tactful way to phrase his question. "Are you avoiding Kenny?"

"What makes you think that?" Butters did not look up.

"Recently you always seem to have an excuse to disappear whenever he's around."

"They're not excuses," said Butters. "I just have things to do."

"That's not an answer," Kyle said. "Are you avoiding him, yes, or no?"

"Um," Butters pulled his sleeve over his hand to scrub at his nose. "Maybe a little bit."

"Did you have an argument?"

"No! We've never fought."

"Is that because you never tell him when he has upset you?"

Butters tipped his head back. "Kyle," he said, in an exasperated tone which suggested an oncoming rant, but then he stopped himself, and sighed. He closed his eye, and when he opened it again, Kyle noticed that it was watery, and a little red.

"I'm sorry!" said Kyle quickly. "That was terribly rude of me. I shouldn't have said anything." This would be the second person within twenty-four hours that he had made cry. He was not proud of himself.