Bound By A Book (KYMAN FIC)

Copeing mechanism

Stan, Kenny, and Kyle sat at the table, a noticeable quietness settling between them as they exchanged glances toward the bathroom door. Cartman had been gone for a while now, long enough that even Kenny had stopped eating the fries to look over, eyebrows raised in curiosity.

"What's taking him so long?" Stan muttered, slouching back in the booth. "It's just a bathroom. It's Cartman, not like he's, I don't know, fixing his hair."

Kenny smirked. "Maybe he's checking his reflection, making sure he's still the prettiest girl in school."

Kyle rolled his eyes but didn't laugh along. Instead, he looked a little worried, drumming his fingers on the table as he glanced at the door yet again. "Honestly, he has been acting weird," he said, a thoughtful tone in his voice. "Like, normally, Cartman would be back here stealing all the fries and calling us idiots by now."

Stan shrugged, leaning back. "Maybe he's finally learned to chill out. I mean, maybe all that pent-up rage finally wore him out."

Kyle frowned, the crease deepening. "No... it's something else. He's been quieter lately, almost like he's... distracted." He stood up, his tone determined. "I'm gonna go see what's up. If he's, like, passed out or something, it's probably better we find out sooner than later."

Kenny chuckled as Kyle headed off, half-jokingly saying, "Good luck, dude. If he's doing anything weird, don't say we didn't warn you."

Kyle ignored Kenny's teasing and strode over to the bathroom door, hesitating for a second. He knocked firmly. "Cartman? Are you in there? You've been in there forever."

Inside, Cartman was sitting cross-legged on the cold floor, his sketchbook resting on his lap as he clutched it like a lifeline. His heart was still racing, his mind whirling with thoughts he couldn't shake.

All he could think about was Kyle's laugh, the way it brightened his face, how it made Cartman's own chest feel warm in a way he didn't know what to do with.

He'd never felt so vulnerable, so... weirdly exposed, even though Kyle hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary. The realization that he might actually like Kyle, of all people, was terrifying.

His hands were a bit shaky as he held the pencil, forcing himself to focus on the sketch of a cherry blossom grove he'd started, trying to calm his nerves.

Drawing always helped when he felt overwhelmed—it was his secret escape, his own way of processing things. He focused on the delicate branches, the falling petals, each detail soothing him as he tried to get his mind off of Kyle.

But then he heard Kyle's voice outside, closer this time, and before Cartman could even think, the bathroom door swung open. He'd forgotten to lock it in his rush, and now Kyle was standing in the doorway, looking down at him with a mix of confusion and curiosity.

"Dude... what are you doing?" Kyle's voice held an unexpected softness, breaking through Cartman's daze.

Cartman's eyes widened, his face immediately flushing a deep red as he stared up at Kyle, his sketchbook still open in his lap. He quickly scrambled to close it, his hands clumsily trying to cover the drawing of the cherry blossoms. "Nothing! Just... leave me alone, Kyle!"

But Kyle didn't leave. Instead, he stepped closer, his gaze catching a glimpse of the delicate sketch beneath Cartman's hands. Kyle's brow furrowed, curiosity turning into surprise as he pieced together what he was seeing. "Are you... drawing?"

Cartman swallowed hard, feeling like he'd been caught doing something embarrassing, even though he knew it was just a drawing. He hesitated, then reluctantly held up the sketchbook, eyes fixed on the floor. "Yeah. So what?"

Kyle's expression softened, surprise melting into something more genuine. "Cartman, that's... actually really good. Why didn't you tell us you could do this?"

Cartman clenched his jaw, his fingers tightening around the edges of the sketchbook. "Because it's none of your business," he muttered, his voice defensive. "You'd all just make fun of me for it anyway."

Kyle frowned, his eyes fixed on the drawing. "Why would we make fun of you? This is... this is amazing, Cartman. I mean it. You should be proud of it."

Cartman looked up, genuinely taken aback by Kyle's words. He hadn't expected any of this—especially not for Kyle to be so... supportive.

Vulnerability wasn't his thing; he wasn't used to being open about anything that actually mattered. And yet here was Kyle, looking at him with admiration instead of mockery, as if he actually saw something worth respecting.

Kyle stepped forward, his hand moving to point at the cherry blossom sketch. "You put so much detail into this... It's like... peaceful." He glanced at Cartman, his eyes filled with a softness that made Cartman's chest ache. "I didn't know you had this in you."

Cartman swallowed, barely able to speak. His mind whirled with conflicting emotions—gratitude, embarrassment, a sudden fierce longing he couldn't quite explain. "Yeah, well... don't get all mushy about it," he mumbled, looking away as he tried to hide the blush spreading across his cheeks.

Kyle laughed softly, but there was no malice in it, only warmth. He looked at Cartman with something close to admiration, and Cartman felt his heart skip a beat. "You know, you could have told us," Kyle said, his voice gentle. "It's cool to see this side of you, Cartman. You don't have to hide it."

For a moment, Cartman considered showing him more—pages and pages of sketches he'd done in private, including the ones he'd drawn of Kyle himself, each filled with an attention to detail that he'd never admit to anyone else.

But then reality set in, and he clamped down on that urge, a pang of vulnerability making him shove the sketchbook shut. He couldn't show those drawings, the ones that laid bare everything he felt but couldn't say.

He forced a grin, trying to play it off. "Yeah, yeah, whatever," he said, brushing it off. "It's just some dumb sketches. Don't go getting all emotional about it."

Kyle's eyes softened, seeing through the facade but choosing not to push further. "Well, I think it's awesome," he said simply, smiling. "Maybe next time you can actually show us more."

Cartman felt his heart swell with a strange, quiet pride, even as he tried to suppress it. "Yeah... maybe," he mumbled, almost under his breath.

Kyle took a step back, gesturing toward the door. "Come on. The fries are probably getting cold, and Kenny's probably eaten half the basket by now."

Cartman let out a reluctant laugh, tucking the sketchbook back into his bag as he stood up. "If there's any fries left, it'll be a miracle."

As they walked back to the table, Cartman couldn't help but steal a glance at Kyle, feeling a flicker of something he wasn't ready to admit. But for the first time, he didn't feel like he had to hide all of himself.

Kyle had seen a glimpse of who he really was, and somehow, he didn't hate it.