Bound By A Book (KYMAN FIC)

Dance routine

The next morning, Cartman's thoughts were already in turmoil as he walked into school. It had been impossible to shake off the events of the past few days—Kyle seeing his drawings, the strange new feelings creeping into his head, and the frustrating way his heart had started reacting whenever Kyle was around.

He tried to shove it all to the back of his mind, but the closer he got to his locker, the more everything felt like it was closing in on him.

As he reached his locker, Cartman glanced down the hallway and instantly felt his stomach twist in frustration. There, not too far away, were Craig and Tweek, leaning against the lockers, talking quietly and smiling at each other.

Tweek was laughing about something, his eyes wide and animated as he gestured wildly, while Craig leaned in, rolling his eyes in that calm, slightly amused way he always did. The two of them looked so... comfortable together. Like nothing in the world could come between them.

Cartman could feel his fists clenching as he watched them. It was like they had everything figured out—no hiding, no worries, just... happiness. They didn't care who saw them or what anyone thought.

They had something real, something he couldn't even begin to imagine having with anyone. And worst of all, it made him feel things he didn't want to admit to himself.

Just then, Kenny walked up beside him, grinning knowingly as he leaned against the locker next to Cartman's. "What's up with you?" Kenny asked, nodding in the direction of Craig and Tweek. "You look like you're about to burn a hole through their heads."

Cartman scoffed, immediately putting on his defensive mask. "I don't have a problem with them," he muttered, slamming his locker shut. "Why would I be jealous of those two idiots? They're just... annoying."

Kenny raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "Really? 'Cause from here, it looks like you've got some serious issues with them. It's not like you're giving them death glares just for fun."

Cartman grumbled, looking away and crossing his arms tightly. "I don't need to explain myself to you, Kenny," he snapped, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice. "Maybe I just hate seeing people act all... lovey-dovey in public. It's disgusting."

Kenny's smirk widened, his eyes gleaming with a mix of amusement and curiosity. "Uh-huh. Not jealous at all, huh? You're just mad because they're too... 'public' about it?" He nudged Cartman playfully. "Or maybe you're mad because you don't have what they have."

Cartman's cheeks flushed with anger, and he felt his temper flaring. "Shut up, Kenny. I don't care about that crap. They're just... making fools of themselves, that's all."

But Kenny wasn't letting up. "Suuuure," he drawled, leaning closer to Cartman with a teasing grin. "Come on, man, just admit it. You're jealous of them. You want what they have. Why else would you be this worked up about it?"

Cartman clenched his jaw, trying to keep his voice steady. "Enough, Kenny. I'm not jealous, alright?" he spat, glaring at him. "Just leave it."

With that, he turned and stormed off down the hall, leaving Kenny chuckling behind him.

But even as he walked away, the frustration continued to simmer inside him, and he couldn't help but feel like Kenny had seen right through him. The thought made his skin crawl. He hated the idea that anyone might suspect what was really going on in his head.

A few hours later, he entered the gym for P.E., hoping that the change of scenery would take his mind off things.

The gym teacher gathered everyone together, ready to explain their next unit. Cartman wasn't particularly interested—he was just ready to go through the motions and move on.

"Alright, class," the gym teacher announced, his voice booming across the gym. "We're going to start a unit on dance this week, and today, we're beginning with slow dancing."

The entire class groaned, and Cartman rolled his eyes. The last thing he wanted was to be stuck dancing with anyone, let alone with the chance of being close to Kyle.

He stared down at the floor, hoping that he could pair up with someone quickly and get it over with.

"Pair up with a partner," the teacher instructed. "We'll be practicing the basics today, so pick someone you're comfortable with."

Cartman glanced around, trying to figure out who to pair up with, but just as he started to move, he noticed Kyle making his way over to Stan.

He could see Kyle's mouth moving as he spoke, suggesting they pair up, but Stan was already taken. Cartman's stomach dropped when he realized that everyone else was pairing up around them, leaving only Kyle and him left.

Kyle glanced over at him, looking mildly annoyed but resigned. "I guess it's you and me, Cartman," he muttered, not looking particularly thrilled.

Cartman gulped, his heart pounding as they stepped closer. He took a deep breath, telling himself it was just a dance, just P.E., and it didn't mean anything.

But the moment he reached for Kyle's hand, everything else around him faded. His pulse quickened as he felt Kyle's fingers slip into his, warm and slightly rough from years of playground scrapes and adventures. The touch sent a strange thrill through him, making his face flush despite himself.

As the teacher put on the music, Cartman glanced up and found himself staring into Kyle's eyes, his mind going blank.

He couldn't stop himself from taking in every detail—the way Kyle's green eyes sparkled under the gym lights, the faint freckles across his nose, the way his lips were pressed together in concentration. Cartman's heart pounded harder, his mind racing as he tried to keep his face neutral.

He was supposed to be following the teacher's instructions, keeping in time with the music, but his thoughts kept wandering. As they moved together, Cartman felt something shift inside him.

For a moment, he let himself imagine what it would be like if this were real—if they were at a dance, with no one around to judge them or make fun of him. Just him and Kyle, slow dancing, completely lost in the moment.

He held Kyle's hand a little tighter, pulling him just a fraction closer as they moved. His mind raced, each second making him feel more and more like this was something he could actually want.

He couldn't stop himself from getting lost in Kyle's eyes, from feeling a strange warmth spreading through his chest. For a split second, he even let himself wonder if Kyle felt it too.

But then the music stopped, snapping him back to reality. Cartman quickly dropped Kyle's hand, stepping back and trying to hide his flushed cheeks. He forced himself to look annoyed, as if the whole thing had been a waste of time.

In the locker room afterward, Kyle let out an annoyed huff as he changed out of his gym clothes. "Well that was totally gay."

Cartman forced a scoff, trying to keep his voice as casual as possible. "Totally," he agreed, rolling his eyes. "Can't believe we had to do that crap."

But deep down, he couldn't lie to himself. He'd loved every second of it.