" Thanks for saving me the other night" Kyle smiled warmly, making Cartman blush under his mask. " Its uh.. Its just what I do" The coon said, looking towards the window for dramatic effect. " Can I uh.. Can I tell you something? I think.. I think you're really cool. " Kyle admitted, blushing as he avoided eye contact. Cartmans heart flipped, until he remembered the truth. Kyle thought the coon was cool, not him. " I've got to go" Cartman said, feeling tears threaten to fill his eyes as he thought about what Kyle had said about him to Stan earlier. " What? But you just got here" Kyle said sadly. " Wait! " Kyle grabbed Erics arm just before he left through the window. " Who are you. Please. Give me that at least. " Kyle looked at Cartman with pleading eyes. Silence filled the room as Cartman felt a pit growing in his stomach. " I can't Kyle" He finally said. He sounded so sad, so hopeless. " Why? You can't just leave without even telling me your name! " Kyle replied frustrated. " I just can't ok? " Cartman was starting to raise his voice. Why wouldn't Kyle just listen? " Just tell me! " " I CANT" " WHY NOT! " " BECAUSE YOU WONT LIKE ME ANYMORE" The pair were silent as Kyle loosened his grip. Tears pooled under Cartmans mask, and he lept out of the window, scratching his legs on the tiles and ignoring the pain as he hit the floor awkwardly. He wiped tears from his face as more began to fall, and raced away from Kyles house.
The next day at school was quiet. Kyle forced a smile when he pretended to listen to Stan, too busy thinking about the night before to focus on him. Cartman sat with his head on his hand, eating his problems away as he watched Kenny flirting with random classmates and getting rejected. " Kyle, dude, whats wrong. " Stan asked, snapping Kyle out of his thoughts. " Huh? " Kyle looked at his friends concerned face looking back at him. " Dude don't think that I can't tell when my super best friend is upset. What's going on. " Stan asked. " Its just.. I think I fucked something up... " Kyle admitted sadly. " This about the Coon? " Kyle nodded in response. " Wanna talk about it? " Stan offered. Meanwhile Cartman tried to distract himself from thinking about Kyle. He watched as Scott Malkinson walked past and tripped him over, but couldnt even find it in himself to laugh. Instead he sighed, watching the boy on the floor and taking a sip from his mountain dew. " Cartman, what the hell is wrong with you? " Wendy scowled at Eric, helping Scott up. " I don't know Wendy, what is wrong with me. " Cartman said quietly to himself. He got up, walking towards the cafeteria door. He had to stop being the Coon. That was the only way he could stop thinking about Kyle. He grabbed a peice of paper, writing in black pen, " Goodbye Kyle - The Coon". Before stuffing it in his friends locker.
At the end of the day Eric stood by his locker, waiting for Kyle to see the note. His heart broke when he watched Kyle open the paper, tears welling in his eyes. Cartman sighed. He couldn't just watch this happen. " Hey Jew, whats up" He said softly as he slowly walked up to his friend. " Go away Eric" Kyle sniffled, looking away so that Cartman couldn't see his tears. " Kyle. Im sorry for being such a dick the other day.. I didn't uh.. I didnt mean it. " It was harder for Cartman to apologize when he didn't have a mask to hide behind. Kyle wiped his eyes on his sleeve. " Hey uh.. Im here if you uh.. If you need to talk or whatever. " Cartman offered. Kyle turned around, making Cartman frown sadly when he saw how red and puffy Kyles eyes already were. " Thanks fatass. " Kyle sniffed as he smiled weakly. Cartman took a deep breath, before holding out his arms. He was surprised when Kyle accepted the hug, wrapping his arms around him tightly. The smell of cinnamon filled Cartmans nose, and he felt an unfamiliar warm feeling fill his chest as he comforted his friend. " Kyle I-" Cartman began, but he was interrupted when Stan came out of the toilet with Kenny, laughing loudly at whatever they were talking about and making the two seperate before anyone had time to call them gay. " Come on guys, I wanna get home before Shelley steals the TV." Stan said as the four began walking out of the school. Cartman sighed. One last visit couldn't hurt, right?
That night Eric stood outside of Kyles window. What was he doing? He had sworn that this was it, no more coon. But he couldn't bear the thought of causing Kyle anymore pain. He took a deep breath, and began to climb the tree. Kyle sat on his bed, pillow over his face as he stained it with his tears. He had been stupid to fall for someone like the coon. Suddenly he heard knocking at his window, jolting up and staring when he saw a familiar silhouette on the other side of the glass. " Coon? " He whispered. He walked over, opening the window and letting Eric in. They stood in silence, staring at eachother. " But I thought.. " Kyle began as fresh tears filled his eyes. " I just couldn't watch you cry anymore.. " Cartman said sadly. Kyle launched himself at the coon, hugging him as tightly as he could. He didn't know what it was about the coon, but he felt like they had known eachother their whole lives. " Please don't leave me" Kyle cried into his chest. " I need you" Cartman sighed as he listened to his friend cry. " I came to say goodbye Kyle. I can't keep hurting you" Kyle said nothing as he began to cry harder. He didn't know why he was so upset, he had just met the coon, but he couldn't let go of the feeling in his chest. Cartman sat down on Kyles bed, the ginger still hugging him tightly. As time went on, Kyles breathing slowed, and his crying stopped. Cartman let his eyes close, holding Kyle and imagining that he knew who he really was.
The next morning, sun shining on Kyles face woke him up. He shot up quickly, looking around his room for any sign of the Coon. " I should go" Cartman said sadly from the end of the bed. He turned around to meet Kyles scared eyes. " I love you" The ginger let out softly. " Me too Kyle" He admitted. " Then stay". Kyle said, knowing what the answer would be. " That would be nice" Cartman smiled sadly, before standing up and walking towards the window. " PLEASE" Kyle said suddenly, making Cartman stop. " I don't care who you are, just please don't leave me again" Cartman sighed. He had to tell the truth, that was the only way that Kyle would be able to let him go. He lifted his hands to his mask, slowly removing it. " I think we both know that's not true.. " He sad sadly. ".. Jew" His mask fell to the floor as he finished his sentence and Kyle gasped in shock. " Cartman? " They stared at eachother " I meant it for the record... When I said I loved you. " Eric told him. He had gone this far, he might as well let everything out. When Kyle didnt respond, Eric sighed sadly, looking away. " I told you" He said, walking back toward the window. Suddenly he felt a hand on his arm. Kyle pulled him to face him, and before Eric could think he felt Kyles soft lips on his own. After what seemed like forever, the pair pulled away. " I love you too Eric. "