-Kyman, Style fluff and some Kenman. Inspired by the Teen Titans episode, Nevermore-

Chapter 1

How long did the day have to take? It seemed to go on forever, at least to Eric Cartman. He turned his head and continued his usual routine of staring out the window during history class. The frost covered the edges of the frame and the boiler right underneath made the glass all foggy. The only time of year the heat in the school seemed to work was in the Spring and Summer, like, the only time of year where the weather was slightly warmer. Fucking figured.

'Summer break is soon. One more year in this hell hole,' Cartman thought as he drummed his knuckles against his desk obnoxiously. 'And then what?'

"Will you stop that?!" Kyle hissed under his breath and smacked Cartman's arm with his notebook for good measure.

The redhead was trying to take notes for fucks sake! They had a test coming up, and Cartman was distracting him just because he could, the inconsiderate asshole! Cartman was of course completely oblivious that Kyle had been observing his noisy hand, and was abruptly ripped out of his mindless daydreaming.

"Shut up, Jew! I'll tap my desk as much as I fucking want to!" Cartman hissed back at Kyle, not even bothering to lower his voice. This of course made everyone in the classroom stare at them, as per usual. None of the other teenagers seemed surprised, and many of them simply rolled their eyes and turned back to the board.

"God damn it, Cartman. Fuck you." Kyle growled as Ms. Somers made her way over to them. She adjusted her glasses and stood in front of their desks, clicking her teeth. Kyle shrunk in front of her as she bore down on him disapprovingly. He gulped and stared back at her, only to look away nervously.

The last thing Kyle needed was detention.

"Mr. Broflovski…" She spoke firmly and turned her head to Cartman who was already sneering and glaring up at her with attitude. Her eyes narrowed. "…Eric."

"Yeesss?" Cartman asked, raising an eyebrow facetiously.

By now, Ms. Somers was expecting Cartman's attitude. He had been giving her sass all last year. Perhaps she'd hoped that his Junior year would be different, though, she was wondering to herself why she'd even considered that in the first place. This was Eric Cartman after all, and though she'd received multiple warnings about him before she began teaching there was always a part of her that remained optimistic.

But to deny the many grey hairs this boy had given her would be impossible.

"Can I teach my class?" She asked.

"I don't know. Can you, Ms. Somers?" Cartman snickered, without missing a beat.

"What's the problem now you two?" Ms. Somers asked, turning to Kyle.

"I'll tell you what the problem is. He assaultedme." Cartman said and placed a hand on his own chest, as if he feared for his own life.

"Assaulted you?!" Kyle scoffed. "I didn't assault you Fatass! You were fucking distracting me! He was smacking his desk with his fingers on purpose so I wouldn't be able to concentrate!"

"Wow. Someone's a little full of themselves. What makes you think I did it just to piss you off, Kahl?" Cartman asked, giving him the stink eye. "Seriously—"

"Don't you fucking do that! You know damn well I'm not full of myself! You're just twisting my words around!" Kyle exclaimed. Cartman rolled his eyes.

"Boys, this happens every single day. It's getting very old." Ms. Somers muttered.

"Tch. It's not the only thing getting old. They have wrinkle treatments, Ms. Somers. You should look into that." Cartman smiled charmingly and sat back, hands behind his head and eyes gleaming in over confidence. Ms. Somers bristled as the class broke into scattered laughter.

"Do you see?! It's HIM! It's always HIM!" Kyle insisted and gestured to Cartman. "I've respectfully asked you at least seven times to move my seat! I can't concentrate with him around!"

"It's hard to see the board with your huge fucking Jew nose in the way, but you don't see me compla—AY!" Cartman began, but Kyle started smashing Cartman in the head with his thin notebook again and again. Cartman tried to block it, laughing in amusement and looked at the teacher who started walking away while shaking her head. She opened the door as the bell rang and kids started to file out of the class.

"Ahahaha! He's doing it AGAIN! He's out of control you guys!" Cartman exclaimed and grabbed Kyle's wrists, restraining him.

"SHUT UP!" Kyle demanded, struggling in Cartman's hold. "I'm gonna kick your fucking ass Cartman!"

The book clattered to the floor and none of the kids stayed to watch the rest of their spat, knowing the way it would end anyway. Cartman shoved him back and smiled, dodging Kyle's hits as he grabbed his bag.

"Ha, you're so fucking clumsy!" Cartman smiled and picked up Kyle's notebook from the floor as well. Kyle made a grab for it but Cartman held it high over his head and towered over him, eyelids lowered as he talked down to him. "And short~"

"I am NOT!" Kyle snapped and jumped, grabbing his notebook and ripping it away from Cartman's grasp. "Why the fuck can't you keep your fat mouth shut, you dick?"

"You started it," Cartman pointed out, glancing at the teacher as they started to pass her through the door. Kyle saw her at the same time and rubbed the back of his neck.

"…I'm sorry." He apologized, stopping in front of her. He jabbed Cartman in the side as the brunet walked out, no doubt to drop his books off at his locker. Cartman snickered again, rubbing where he was jabbed and flashed them both a mischievous grin before heading down the hall.

"I expect it from him, Kyle." Ms. Somers replied impatiently. "You have got to stop baiting each other. It's distracting."

"But if you could just move my seat—"

"No."

"Why?!" Kyle asked, eyes burning with the need for an explanation.

"I need you to be a good example. He's been doing better with his work ever since I switched your seat for that project." She replied.

"I did all the work on the essay! He just did the stupid trifold presentation!" Kyle defended and folded his arms across his chest.

"That was the most effort I've ever seen that boy put into anything."

"…Yeah, well, that's just because I said he'd ruin it and make it look like shit and the fat bastard just wanted to prove me wro-…" Kyle cut himself off, gears turning in his mind as he realized what she meant. "…Oh."

It had always been like that between them, so Kyle never considered it like this. Using their rivalry to encourage Cartman to work harder in her class? This teacher was pretty observant. Kyle's jaw tightened and he grit his teeth.

"That doesn't mean I want to help him." He spat.

"Of course not." Ms. Somers smiled pleasantly.

"You're just making me." Kyle insisted.

"It seems better than detention, doesn't it?" She offered and Kyle's eyebrows furrowed. He pinched his nose, a habit he'd picked up from Stan a long time ago.

"…Yeah. I guess it does." He grumbled and walked out of the classroom without saying goodbye to her, his head pounding in irritation. He rubbed the sides of his nose as he walked down the hall in a huff.

Kyle figured he should be used to this by now, getting pulled into Cartman's bullshit all the time. He was getting tired of it and didn't understand that no matter what, he always seemed to be the one that dealt with Cartman. Anywhere he went, everywhere he turned, the fatass was always there somehow. Usually that was because Kyle would pursue and keep an eye on him so that he could prevent the asshole's usual chaos. It seemed almost natural to step into this role of encouragement, and yet, that bitter part of him was hesitant.

'Why the fuck should I?' Kyle thought as he opened the door to his locker and shoved his textbook inside roughly. 'He doesn't deserve my help after everything he-'

Kyle closed the locker door and turned his head, blinking a couple of times in recognition at the person towering over him. Speak of the devil.

"Heh. You get detention?" Cartman asked while flashing his best smile at Kyle.

"Tch." Kyle replied and rolled his eyes, starting towards the exit. "I might as well have. We're playing basketball with the guys, right?"

"About that…" Cartman jogged a little next to Kyle to catch up to the redhead's quickened pace. "I uh, I need a favor."

"God damn it, really?" Kyle scoffed incredulously, glaring at Cartman as if he had seven heads. "What the hell makes you think I'd do you any favors after that bullshit in class you bastard?"

"Oh c'mon Kahl it's not a big deal." Cartman grumbled and shoved his hands in his pockets, pouting slightly at him. "Just say yes."

"The fuck? No." Kyle retorted and Cartman's jaw tightened.

"Jeez! You don't even know what I'm gonna ask, you stubborn Jew!" He snapped.

"I don't care." Kyle shrugged and walked outside, Cartman close behind.

"Wow. Rude."

"Rude? That shit you pulled in class, that was fucking rude!" Kyle exclaimed and jabbed a finger into Cartman's chest. "Telling Ms. Somers she's old and has wrinkles, THAT was fucking RUDE."

"I could have said worse shit." Cartman chuckled. Kyle grit his teeth together.

"That's not the point Cartman!" He insisted impatiently.

"Ugh will you just forget about it? It's not even relevant anymore." Cartman said rolling his eyes. Kyle stopped walking and shoved him lightly.

"It fucking, it-it literally JUST happened!" He sputtered, beyond aggravated. Cartman stopped short and looked Kyle up and down raising an eyebrow.

"Uhh… I sass the teachers all the time, Kahl. They don't care." He gestured with his hands open, as if it was the most obvious thought to have in the world. Kyle shook his head and kept walking. Cartman blinked a couple of times in confusion and once again followed behind. "Kahhhl, what?"

"You don't know that." Kyle said simply and didn't look towards Cartman as he did. He pulled his bag further up his shoulder and sighed softly. "Maybe they do care."

"Hah! Yeah right. That's a joke." Cartman laughed sarcastically and stared at his feet as he continued, which did catch Kyle's eye. "The adults in this town don't care about anything. So they sure as hell don't give a shit about me."

"They don't have to care about you to get hurt when you say fucked up shit about them, Fatass!" Kyle scolded. "It's messed up to hurt people just because you can."

"If they don't care about me then I don't care about them or their stupid fucking feelings!" Cartman spat. "That's just a waste of my time! You think they don't shit talk me? The only difference is they do it behind my back. At least I have the balls to say it to their fucking face. This whole fucking town can kiss my ass."

Kyle's eyes softened a little. The way Cartman said that made his heart lurch in his chest, and he really couldn't explain why. It just sounded so bitter. God fucking damn it. Now Kyle felt bad about bringing such a thing up in the first place, and he cursed himself for being sympathetic. Doing that around someone like Cartman was just setting himself up to fall into one of the brunet's renowned traps.

Yet…

"What is it then?" Kyle sighed and kept his eyes forward even as Cartman looked over at him questioningly. Cartman tilted his head to the side.

"Huh?" Cartman asked in a clueless way. Kyle bit the inside of his cheek and snapped his head towards Cartman, eyes blazing in impatience.

"What's the god damn favor, dumbass?!" He demanded. Cartman blinked rapidly and a smile formed on his face which only made Kyle's blood boil even more. His fists tightened. "Stop smiling at me like that and just fucking ask me already."

"Alright, alright! Don't get your panties in a twist; fuck." Cartman held his hands up passively until Kyle's glare disappeared. He slid them back into his pockets and stared at the sidewalk, back hunched over like usual. "I uh… I wanna be on your team today. At basketball with the guys."

"…What." Kyle spoke in surprise, not in question. Cartman's eyebrows came down a little and he didn't look at the redhead. For some reason, Kyle felt his cheeks begin to burn. He swallowed thickly and tried to search the brunet's blank face.

"Just let me." Cartman said, face just as blank. Kyle seemed torn.
"But you're always on the other te—"

"I know."

"Then why—"

"Don't ask why. Just say yes." Cartman cut Kyle off and finally looked up, locking eyes with the redhead. His gaze was serious and burning.

"I… But…" Kyle's pace had slowed as he found himself trapped in Cartman's stare. He didn't even realize they were in front of the court. Cartman's eyebrows furrowed and he seemed anxious at Kyle's staring.

"Well? Is that a yes?" Cartman asked.

Kyle fidgeted a little and couldn't hold Cartman's gaze any longer. For some reason, Kyle's heart was racing in his chest and his palms were getting sweatier by the second. This made no sense! Cartman and him were ALWAYS on opposite teams. What in the world would make Cartman want to change that all of a sudden? A thought popped into his head which only made his face burn even more. Could this just be an excuse to do something by Kyle's side? And, if so, what the fuck did that mean? Was Cartman… trying to tell him something?