The Scenic Route

Chapter 19

Smut Warning

"I really did," Stan says. "You don't even know how many sick scenarios I came up with. I thought you might have stayed on campus during the break because of some guy, and that he'd be in there with you, naked, laughing at me -"

"Oh, God! Poor Stan." Kyle pets him, just wants to take care of him now, for as long as he can. "I thought terrible things about you, too. I thought you were going to buy a house for a cheerleader."

Stan snorts. "Is that a euphemism?"

"Sort of. Better get your bag before it gets buried in the snow."

It's only three o'clock, but it's already getting darker as they head back toward Kyle's dorm. When he scans his key card he has a brief fear that some kind of holiday glitch will have locked them out, that the cozy little cave he wants so badly to return to will be barred from them, but the door opens as usual and the heat is still blasting in the building's empty lobby, a sign posted at the front desk that warns students who are staying over the holiday that security will be limited until classes resume.

"Good thing I have my jock boyfriend around," Kyle says, nodding to the sign. He feels dumb for calling Stan his boyfriend, but Stan loves him, is in love with him, so maybe Kyle can call him whatever he wants.

"I can't believe you were going to stay here alone," Stan says. They're taking the stairs slowly, both of them tired after walking around in deep snow all afternoon.

"It's funny, now I don't feel like that was really the plan," Kyle says.

"Some part of you knew I would come for you?"

"I knew something was coming. I think I assumed it was my icy death."

"Kyle!" Stan stops on the landing to hug him. "Don't even joke about that. Remember that time we went camping -"

"Yes, Stan," Kyle says, still getting hugged, ready to return to the bed. The stairwell isn't heated and he wants some of that champagne. "Why didn't you kiss me that morning? There were a few seconds when I was sure you were going to."

"I wanted to," Stan says. "But it seemed inappropriate. And I thought you might hate me if I tried it."

"Oh, please. Everyone in South Park knew I loved you. I might as well have taken a billboard out."

"Everyone knew eventually. I was the last one to figure it out."

"When did you know?"

"Um," Stan says. "In Vegas, I think?"

"Not until Vegas? Jesus, what did it take to convince you? Me drunkenly holding your hand?"

"Did you -? No, it was in the pool. That was before I was totally trashed, when I was just, you know, the highest point of drunkenness, when everything seems perfect and you could forgive all the faults of the world? You were so, just. Warm, and sweet, and you trusted me so much. And your nipples were like ice picks on my back."

"Shit. I remember being self-conscious about that. So that's how you knew I was into you? My aroused nipples?"

Stan moans and pulls Kyle up the stairs, just one flight left now.

"The nipples were a side-issue," he says. "They made me hard, by the way - well, the whole, you being half-naked and clinging to me thing did, but. Did you notice?"

"No. For a guy with such a big dick you sure hide it easily when it's hard. Tell me every time you got hard for me and I didn't notice. I want a list."

"Uh, maybe later. But, listen, okay - this moment when I knew, or I thought I knew, that you were, you know. Wanting me, too. It was in the pool, it was the way you didn't need anything. You always have to be doing something, Kyle, even when you're drunk, you're either talking your head off or asking what we're gonna do next. That night, I wanted to stay where we were for as long as I could get away with it, and I realized that you did, too. We didn't even need to talk. It was so fucking nice. God, and then you almost died."