The Truth About Love (Stan x Kyle)

A long and awkward journey

Over the next week or so, we took turns driving the horse across seemingly never ending forests filled with trees so tall there tips seemed to touch the sky itself. At some points, we casually conversing but an overly whelming awkwardness hung over us, which seemed to smother our usual friendship. There was so much to talk about but I had no idea where to start. Now, we were approaching the castle. It was basically now or never, as there would be a lot of explaining to do when we returned.

I cleared my throat. I felt completely terrified about what I was going to ask. My heart felt like it was attempting to fly away and I was tempted to follow it. "Kyle, can I ask you a question?" What our relationship was now and how it would develop weighed heavily on my mind. Days of him hugging me or me hugging him, in order to stay on the horse, had not been helping me work out what exactly the fuck was going on between the two of us now. What if I screw up and our entire friendship shatters around me? Something that usually felt so robust had diminished into a fragile state, like I had a pet lion, which had somehow aged backwards and now all I had was a tiny cub.

"Sure Stan," he said, sounding a little nervous.

"Do you... do you know what I said when you were brainwashed or is that something you can't recall?" I questioned hesitantly.

"Not really, everything's really hazy. I only remember bits and pieces. I don't really remember you being there at all. I blacked out when Cartman managed to overpower my mind, but then I came to and it was like I was trapped inside my own mind. It was horrible. I thought I was going to be stuck that way forever. Someone other than me controlling my every move and word. And then, he ordered me to suck his, his-" the words were stuck in Kyle's throat. I felt terrible for bringing it up. I hugged him tighter against me. "If you hadn't arrived Stan..." There was a long pause. "Thank you for coming to save me." I could tell Kyle was sobbing silently but I decided not to comment, only stroke his side gently. "Stan, I was wondering, how exactly did you break the spell?" Kyle asked, changing the subject.

"Dude, I don't know! I wasn't expecting my words to work."

"It was really only words?" Kyle asked, sounding perplexed.

"Yeah dude, what do I know about magic?" Then, Kyle started laughing, and wouldn't stop. I was very glad to hear the familiar, beautiful noise, but that doesn't mean I wasn't confused.

"Cartman," he managed to say in between a fit of giggles, "is going to be so pissed!" Kyle managed to say through his laughter.

"Why?" I asked more bewildered than ever.

"Stan, in order to break a spell, you need to overpower it with stronger magic. Because we're connected mentally I think you were able to send your magic, your energy, your life force, over to me through the bond via the power of love. You were able to shatter the bond with the sheer force of your mind." My cheeks lit up like the early morning skies around us. "That also must have been why my spell was so powerful, you'd lent me a lot of your energy." I vaguely remembered Kyle explaining at some point that we all had a supply of magic, life force, energy, whatever, for the day and that you could replenish it by eating, hydrating, sleeping etc. 

"Dude! That's so fucking gay!" I said laughing.

Kyle grinned. "Cartman always calls the two of us a bunch of faggots and now we've defeated him by basically being just that!" The two of us burst into even larger fits of laughter. "I guess that is what the bond is meant to do, allow you to access my magic. I just didn't think it could work both ways." I smiled, so, so, so glad we'd decided to become bonded.

Unfortunately, after a couple minutes, the laughter died away and the uncomfortable silence was back. The castle was looming before us, like some foreboding monster and with it uncomfortable emotions and feelings swarmed my mind. I remembered waking up completely alone. I remembered reading the letter, and thinking why wouldn't he trust me enough to talk to me about this? Why would he leave me?

"Kyle, please never do anything like that again. Please never leave me again."

"Stan, I didn't have a choice." We had reached the castle gates by this point. His words awakened a foul anger within me. Yes he did have a choice. He had many choices. His choices lead to days of me riding around in the human realm, with no real idea that I was going in the right direction, terrified out of my mind that he might be killed the next second.

"Yes, you did. You had a choice between Kenny and me," I said quietly, as we trotted through castle grounds, crowds already surrounding us.

"What?"

"You chose Kenny over me," I stated louder.

"No, I didn't. Your life wasn't in the balance. What do you mean?"

"Yes, it was Kyle." I said getting a little teary once more, which was seriously getting old. "You are my life. I can't live without you. This whole time I've been scared to death that you were at death's door and then when the mind control happened I thought I'd lost you forever. You didn't even ask me what my opinion was. You just drugged me and fled." I said tears streaming down my face. I knew I was maybe being a little unreasonable. Kyle was just trying to do right by his friend. But the dam that had been keeping back all the emotions I'd been penting up for the last few days had broken and now they were flowing down my face like waterfalls.

"Stan- Stan I'm so sorry, don't say that. What if I die one day in battle and it breaks you and it's all my fault!" said Kyle, crying himself now. Great job me. We'd reached the courtyard by this point and Kyle was dragged off the horse by Princess Kenny before I could reply.

Xxx 

Hey guys~ sorry for all the cringey metaphors/similes; I will never stop though. Sorry the updates weren't sooner, my editor was with the leprechauns (in Northern Ireland) and also, he takes forever to read the latest chapters becuase he ships Stendy and he's salty. Also, fun fact, my autobiography will also be called a long and awkward journey. Anyways, have an awesome day~