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He was in the library one night when he heard his name. It was a voice he knew but could not place. When he looked up, the voice revealed to be Kyle Broflovski — someone he had not seen in years. He looked older; rougher around the edges, but in a good way.
“Uh, hey, Broflovski,” he greeted.
Kyle took this as an open invitation to take the seat across from him. Craig’s eyes followed him as he did so. He looked more like a man now as opposed to the immature boy he once knew, constantly causing havoc with his friends.
“You go here?”
“Nah. Just snuck in because I think libraries are fun.”
“Still an ass I see.”
Craig shrugged, “only when asked dumb questions.”
“I was only trying to be polite, dick.”
Craig stared blank ahead. He wasn’t exactly the best at conversation and it had been a while since he talked to Kyle last. He didn’t remember the last time he saw him. Maybe in town during one of his college breaks or maybe at a party; it didn’t matter, they hadn’t really talked in those times. “Well, I see you dropped your manners now.”
“Yup. Realized you don’t deserve them.”
“Ouch,” Craig shot back but his face remained neutral. He sucked in a breath. He supposed he should contribute more to the conversation. “Well, to answer your question – yes, I go here. Working on my masters.”
“Me too,” Kyle supplied. He crossed his arms on the table and scooted a little closer. “What are you working on?” he asked, a tilt to his head.
“Physics.”
Kyle nodded, sucking on his bottom lip. “Still trying to become an astronaut?” he asked, his eyebrows raised.
“That would be cool, but also unrealistic. Just trying to do something with space; maybe engineering, or… research,” he shrugged a shoulder. “Working at NASA would be really cool.”
Kyle nodded again as a beat of silence passed between them. “This is usually the part where you ask what I’m doing.”
“Figured you’d tell me anyway.”
Kyle rolled his eyes. “I’m doing Chemistry. It would be cool to do research, and work in a lab — maybe get my patent, but I am planning to get my doctorate and become a professor.”
“God,” Craig shook his head. “You want to go through more of this?” he raised his eyebrows. “You’re truly insane, Red.”
“Why? You struggling?” the corner of Kyle’s mouth dragged up.
“Yes. It’s grad school. You aren’t?”
Kyle shrugged. “It’s rough, but I enjoy a challenge.”
“Of course you do.”
Kyle shrugged. “Keeps your mind sharp…” he explained. “If you want… we could study together?” Kyle eyed his textbook. “Might help you…”
Craig glared. “I don’t need help.”
Kyle rolled his eyes. “You literally just said you were having a rough time.”
Craig shrugged and looked to the book sprawled over the library table in front of him. His eyes scanned over the text, his shoulders caved inward. “Doesn’t mean I need help.”
“Fine, dickhead,” Kyle exasperated. “Well. Honestly, I was just offering. I don’t know many people here, besides my roommate, I guess.”
Craig didn’t know anyone either and his roommate was some weird religious freak who he did his best to avoid. He stared at Kyle. “Where are you staying?” he asked.
“Sharon Grove.”
“I don’t think that’s too far from where I’m at… um, I’m at Seven Oaks.”
“Not too far away? It’s like we are neighbors, ” Kyle laughed. “I probably live closer to you now than when were kids.”
“I guess,” Craig shrugged. “You got a pool?”
“I think all the apartment buildings have pools.”
“Yeah, I think so too… That was something my mom was so excited about,” Craig admits. “I haven’t even used it yet though.”
“Neither have I. I have never been a fan of public pools,” Kyle grimaced.
Craig shrugged. “They’re pretty gross.”
“How’s your roommate?” Kyle asked.
Craig considered lying but it honestly he took an opportunity to complain about his roommate. “Some… Jesus Freak, but like… the gay-loving kind.”
“I didn’t know that existed.”
Craig shrugged. “Apparently it does. I don’t even know what religion they are; I don’t care. Even if they weren’t talking about God all the time, I’d still find them super annoying. They are way too nice.”
Kyle cracked a smile at this. “You’re ridiculous.”
“No. I’m not. It freaks me out. No one is that nice. I don’t even know how to talk to them. We just spend most of our times in our rooms.”
He realized that this was probably the most he’s talked to anyone since arrival, which was three weeks ago. He supposed he talked to the people he worked with in lab, but it was mostly about the class. It was never anything personal.
“For some weird reason, I think you’d find a flaw in any roommate they gave you.
Craig rolled his eyes. “Whatever. How’s yours?”
“They are okay. I don’t know,” Kyle shrugged. “I can’t complain, but they spend most of their time out of the apartment.”
“I wish I could say the same — mine is fucking there constantly.”
“I mean if he is in his room… does it matter?”
“Yes,” Craig concluded, “Because he is always inviting me to like… work out with him, and do yoga, or play chess, or like… whatever the fuck else. It’s annoying.”
“Well… You’re welcome to come to my place. If you want… Like I said it would be cool to hang out with someone.”
He had to admit that he was beginning to feel somewhat like a hermit and talking to Kyle wasn’t that bad. He supposed Kyle wasn’t that bad in general. He went to his going away party after high school graduation, and childhood and adolescence around him. “You went to Berkeley, right? For undergrad? That’s pretty close by, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. Most the friends I made there went back home after graduation though… I know one guy, but he lives near San Diego, and that’s kind of drive so…”
“Why’d you switch schools? Why not stay there?”
“Better program, and cheaper,” Kyle explained. “I mean — it’s Stanford. It’s… a better school. Why did you come here? You went to University of Denver, right?”
Craig sucked in a breath. “Yeah. I mean… yeah. I went there, and I came here… because it’s a good program. Also. I just hate being fucking in the cold. I was so sick of it.”
Kyle cracked a smile at him again. He began to stand up. “Yeah. I don’t miss that… Look, I got to get going, but you have my number, right?”
He pulled his phone from his jean pocket. He was sure he had Kyle’s number saved still. He didn’t delete contacts and everything was always transferred over through iCloud. Once he spotted the contact, he clicked on it, turning it to face Kyle. “This it?” He asked.
Kyle glanced at it and nodded. “Yeah. Uh…,” he pulled out his own phone, and after a moment of scrolling, showed Craig his screen, displaying his contact profile. “Is this yours?” He asked. Craig looked it over and nodded. Kyle hummed and slid his phone back into his pocket “Well, we should hang, really. It was nice seeing you.”
With that, Kyle left him be. He decided he probably wouldn’t text him.
-
As the days went by though, he kept thinking of Kyle. He thought he wouldn’t mind being alone when he went to Stanford. He didn’t mind spending most of his time alone, filling his time with videos of Neil DeGrasse Tyson describing the universe, or compilation videos of cute animals, or rewatching Rupaul’s Drag Race. But he supposed after nearly a month of being here, he was beginning to miss the company of others.
He kept up with his friends back at home. Clyde texted him everyday with multiple daily updates of what was going on in his life. He started his job at South Park Elementary as the P.E. Teacher and was loving it. Craig thought he was weird to stay in South Park, take a job there, and settle down, but Clyde said it was home. The stories about his new job often made him laugh and repeatedly made him feel nostalgic.
Bebe started her own clothing design start-up company in South Park. From what Craig has heard, it’s actually been going very well. She sold a lot of clothing to mothers of teenage daughters. Wendy continued to reside in South Park as well secured at City Hall under the public health sector apparently getting a lot of shit done.
Token and Nichole lived on the east-coast. Nichole entered her veterinary program and Token was working as hedge fund specialist, not that Craig understood hedge funds. He practiced quantum physics but when it came to whatever the hell Token did — he was clueless.
Tweek moved to New York with Jimmy, Tweek aspiring to be on broadway, and Jimmy aspiring to be a on-stage comedian. Tweek’s boyfriend, Pete, went with them too, and Tweek was talking of proposing. He also told him of all his failed auditions and the couple successful ones. Craig always encouraged him to keep trying. Tweek also encouraged him to join clubs and get involved, which Craig ignored.
Craig considered going to a robotics club meeting but he ended up taking a nap instead.
He didn’t have time to make friends or join clubs. Graduate school was kicking his ass. Not to mention he was just irritable all the time with the lack of sleep. It was stressful. Making new friends was stressful enough but while getting your masters degree? That was… fucking impossible at least to Craig.
It seemed his dumb ass roommate had found some friends though, inviting them over after asking Craig if it would be okay. He didn’t go out to meet them. Instead, he stayed inside his room, laying in bed, and hoping his roommate got the point to leave him alone. They were loud though, still managing to annoy him through the thin walls.
He also just… wanted human interaction. He was beginning to think all the social skills he picked up over the years were going to slip away. So perhaps that’s why he sent a text to Kyle.
Kyle agreed to meet him at the front of their neighboring buildings so they could walk to a local Mexican restaurant. They greeted each other and Kyle lead the way, seeming to know where he was going. He said it was a short distance, but didn’t specify how long.
The temperature was comfortable; he could leave his house in a light-grey t-shirt and pale green cinco shorts. Kyle obviously felt the same in his emerald short-sleeve button up and tan khaki shorts. The sun was drawing closer to the horizon; the sun rays projecting across the side walk and into their eyes. Luckily Craig wore his sunglasses; his possible favorite accessory ever since his move to California.
“It’s so weird to see palm trees everywhere.”
“It was weird to me at first too.”
“And like just — succulents on the side of the pathway? Tweek would lose his shit — he is always trying to take care of plants but they always die on him. If he just moved here, they could be in his backyard,” Craig pointed to a patch of succulents, growing on the edge of the sidewalk.
Kyle looked over and nodded. “You still talk to Tweek, then?” he asked, turning his head over.
“Gonna assume that’s rhetorical,” Craig looked forward, more palm trees ahead of them as they walked; the street curving and the sunlight moving to the side of them.
“You’re such an asshole.”
“Stop with the dumb questions and I’ll be peachy.”
Kyle actually snorted at this. “I severely doubt that.”
“What about him?” Craig asked.
Kyle proceeded to ask about each person in his group of friends. Craig gave him a brief entail of each, and by the time he finished, they were turning the corner into a parking lot, belonging to a small strip mall. Kyle cut through the parking lot and Craig followed him into the small restaurant with a hanging sign that wrote out El Cerrito .
The less-than-excited host guided them to the table in the back. Craig could tell it was an authentic restaurant from the décor and smells. His stomach growled as he sat down, reminding him he hadn’t eaten since breakfast.
He knew Kyle would tell him anyway, but to make him feel better about it, he asked, “how is your dumb ass friend group?”
“They’re still dumb asses,” Kyle concurred with a puff of laughter, eyes scanning over the menu. “Uh. Stan and Kenny started dating while I was away which totally isn’t the biggest accomplishment either of them have had, so I don’t know why I’m mentioning that first?”
Craig chuckled. “I wouldn’t call that much of an accomplishment at all.”
Kyle’s eyes narrowed on him at this, a frown on his face. “Don’t be an asshole. That’s not what I meant…” Kyle’s eyes rolled to the ceiling and then back on the menu. “But like… Kenny is a nurse now, and Stan works at a yoga studio — he’s a little behind with school, but he’ll graduate by the end of next semester, and then he is going to be an English teacher.”
Craig nodded as he looked at the menu. Kyle was definitely just weird about the Kenny and Stan thing but he chose to brush past it for now, not knowing why. He had heard about the pair last year from Bebe.
“What about Cartman?”
“I don’t know. He was halfway through his degree before he decided he was too good for college and moved to LA,” Kyle rolled his eyes. “I never know what the fuck he is doing, but I’m pretty sure he is a professional scammer… or is just constantly starting these weird start-up companies. I think he tried to go on Shark Tank.”
“He lives here?”
“Well, yeah, but in Los Angelos.”
“So do you ever see him?”
“No, not much — only when we are both in South Park. It’s a pretty far drive, and I’m not willing to make it for Cartman… or deal with LA traffic for that reason.”
Craig let out a small chortle. “No, I don’t even think he’s worth a five-minute drive.”
“Exactly,” Kyle laughed. “My life is much calmer without him in it.”
They both turned their attention to the menus as the conversation dwindled; the topic changing from Cartman to what they were both thinking about getting. It didn’t take either of them long to decide on something. The service wasn’t great. It took awhile for the waitress to come over, and by the time she did, they were already prepared with what they wanted for their entrees. The food came out pretty fast though even if he hadn’t gotten a water on the side of his frozen margarita like he asked. Oh well, he would be dehydrated. He rather go without water than alcohol.
The food was good; better than any Mexican food he had in Colorado, and it was super close by — less than a 10 minute walk away. This place was a threat to his wallet. At least it was cheap.
Conversation came smoother with the alcohol entering his bloodstream. They talked about South Park a little longer, gossiping about old classmates and residents. Eventually their conversation became more focused on the present rather than the past when Kyle asked him about his roommate. Craig explained that he spent most of his evening locked away in his room, isolating himself from his roommate and company. Kyle let out an amused laugh at this and Craig rushed to the defense, or maybe offense. He wasn’t sure.
“Shut up. I worked this morning so forgive me for not wanting to waste my energy trying to find something in common with those freaks… which I’m sure is nothing.”
“I’m sure you could find something.”
“Maybe. But I don’t want to.”
“You’re so anti-social,” Kyle shook his head, a smile still tugging on his mouth.
“I’m here with you.”
“Only because you already know me.”
“Should be more reason to not come out with you, then.”
“Fuck you. I’m not that bad!” Kyle shot back.
Craig shrugged and took a drink of his margarita, “you definitely have good taste at least. This place is dope.”
“Thanks, I know,” Kyle said with a triumphant smile. “What do you do for work, by the way?” He asked, pushing his mostly clean plate further onto the table so he could rest his elbows on top of the surface.
“I work at the library,” Craig explained. “It’s nice and boring, just how I like it,” Craig smiled with the words.
“The library I saw you at?”
“That’s the one,” Craig nodded.
Kyle nodded along with him. “Maybe I’ll see you there more than once then. I tend to go there a lot.”
“Me too. Both for work, and library purposes,” Craig explained. He pushed his plate forward too, having finished it all, and set his elbows onto the table as well; leaning a bit closer than before.
“Well. My offer still stands. We can… sit together. I’m not trying to help you … just have some company…”
Craig eyed him. It would be helpful to have a study partner to help motivate him. “Sure. Whatever,” he mumbled, eyes fluttering over to ceramic tile flooring.
“You’re lucky I’m here. I definitely feel like you wouldn’t have made many friends with your horrible attitude.”
“Yeah. Wow, I’m so lucky to have someone to insult me like this,” Craig’s eyes snapped back to the irritated redhead.”
“You start it like… 99 percent of the time! Don’t dish out what you can’t handle, dude!” he shot back with fiery in his tone, red eyebrows furrowing together.
“I can handle it fine, Red,” Craig glared back, unable to hold back the small smirk tugging across his lips.
It was in that moment that he accepted he was attracted to Kyle, like very attracted to Kyle. His jawline appeared to be chiseled out of the finest concrete; his copper eyes were glossed over like steel; his eyebrows were perfectly high and arched. He reminded him of a bull dog in the most complimentary of ways. When his mouth was in a straight line across his face and his eyes were dead-set, he looked scary; like he could strangle him at any moment, and for some reason, this was so fucking hot to him.
It was probably fucked up. He blamed the weird-ass asian girls for totally fucking up his sexual development with their weirdly drawn porn.
But Kyle was cute though too, not just hot. His smile and laugh were kind and wide; friendly and welcoming. He morphed into a completely different person when he smiled or laughed, one that Craig was also attracted to, but in a different way. He wasn’t sure how Kyle managed to look like a psychopathic murderer one moment and a innocent, bright puppy the next, but it was extremely dangerous to navigate. Especially with the alcohol in his system; the way his eyes squinted slightly when he smiled and laughed, making him even more animated and adorable; it was way too much to deal with when he couldn’t do anything about it.
He knew his dumb margarita wasn’t helping.
After a brief moment of just staring at each other, they both broke out into laughter. Craig was sure it was from the alcohol. While Kyle’s was not frozen, he had almost finished a traditional 32 oz margarita as well. Not only were the drinks cheap, but they gave you a lot.
“Do you work?” Craig asked as their laughter simmered.
Kyle explained he worked as a part-time research assistant who helped perform clinical trials. It was a two-year fixed position, but it could extend longer, which was fine because Kyle was intending to get his Doctorate at Stanford as well. It was so interesting to listen Kyle talk about his job. Craig rested his chin on his palm as watched and listened.
Their bills were ignored as Kyle described the clinical trials they were running, Craig having a question about almost everything he said. After Craig ran out of questions and Kyle ran out of words to say about his position, they paid their bills and headed out.
They walked back in slightly cooler weather, the sun rays no longer hitting them and Craig’s sunglasses sitting atop his head. The walk back felt even shorter than the walk there. Once back in front of their respective apartment buildings, they took a couple minutes to wrap up their conversation. Craig considered to ask if he wanted to come over or if he could come to Kyle’s place but before he could, Kyle was saying goodbye.
When he walked back inside his apartment, his roommate and company were gone from the shared space. The lights were off and he assumed he went to bed for the night. He took this to his advantage to use the shared space, slumping down on the couch in the dark. He rested his head against the back of the couch, and tried to not think too hard about how tonight was probably the most fun he’s had since he got here.
-
Kyle asked him if he wanted to meet him at the library a few days later which was funny because Craig had already been there for his shift. Craig told him his shift would be done in an hour, able to join afterward.
He always finished stacking early; managing to shelve all the books on his cart. He was supposed to use his remainder of time checking for any books outside of alphabetical order on the shelves. It was always the most tediousof tasks so he decided to return his cart instead, taking the long way around to waste more time.
He spotted Kyle on his cart-return journey and swung around to his table. Kyle looked up as he came over, probably at the sound of the rolling cart. The redhead glanced around before chestnut eyes landed on him. “Working hard it looks like?” Kyle asked.
“Shut up — I have like ten minutes left… and I finished everything I had to do.”
“Whatever you say.”
Craig leaned against the front of the cart as he eyed Kyle. The redhead dipped his head back down to his course material; red curls greeting him in response. He swallowed. “When did you get here?” he asked.
“Like, twenty minutes ago,” Kyle mumbled, eyes still on his pages. “I have class in two hours, so I’ll probably be here until then.”
“Okay, well… I’m just going to wrap up and then I’ll join you.”
“Wrap up with your empty cart?” Kyle brought his head up to nod to the cart behind him. “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll be gone by then.”
Craig rolled his eyes dramatically as he swiped his head to turn around. As he departed, he threw up a middle finger to the redhead, hearing snickers behind him as he left him.
He oddly felt more anxious than usual for his shift to end; the minutes ticking by slower on the clock-out machine. He wanted to just say fuck it and clock-out three minutes early, but he knew they could be oddly tedious about clock-out times so he waited, moving from one foot to another until the clock read 1:00.
He grabbed his stuff and headed over to where Kyle was. He eyed him a moment before heading over; his eyes passing down his hunched shoulders, down to his crossed ankles. He definitely had gained some muscle since high school.
He walked over and sat on the opposite side without greeting, placing his notebook on his left side and textbook on the right. He felt eyes on him and looked up to meet chestnut ones, enveloped in red eyelashes. “Are you left handed?” Kyle asked.
“Yeah,” Craig confirmed.
“I didn’t know that,” Kyle hummed as his warm chestnut gaze returned to the textbook. Craig continued to stare a moment longer, noticing how long and light Kyle’s eyelashes were. His eyes trailed down his face, eying the light freckles that ghosted under his eyes, barely at all visible.
Fuck.
He snapped his eyes down. Maybe he just hadn’t gotten laid in a while; it’s been nearly eight months since his last relationship and he was beginning to feel the side effects of that. He kept his eyes off of Kyle for the rest of the time at the library. They didn’t say much to each other, instead focusing on their own work which Craig was actually grateful for because he had a lot to do.
Kyle stood to announce his departure before he knew it. He watched him leave, noticing his ass as he walked away. Bebe always used to go on about it; describing it as the best of the boys’ asses, and Craig had to agree. He had a really nice ass.
-
He saw Kyle at the library again a couple days later; Craig the one to ask this time round. While they still put most of their attention and time into their work, they talked slightly more than the time previous. The sun dipped closer to the horizon with each turn of the page; the night sweeping over them as they fell into their studies and various conversations. The yawns of the redhead indicated how late it was getting.
“You want to wrap this up?” Craig asked.
“I just … need to finish this chapter,” Kyle mumbled, eyes nearly drooping.
He grimaced. “You’re falling asleep. There is no fucking way you’re actually retaining anything.”
“I’m retaining it fine,” Kyle retorted.
Craig let out a yawn. “Well, I’m not,” he settled his elbows onto his open text-book, intending to use his forearms as a pillow. “I’m fucking exhausted,” he murmured before slouching over and resting his head onto his arms.
“Then leave.”
“I am too exhausted.”
“Well, I’m not carrying you back, so you better figure it out.”
He fluttered his eyes open to catch Kyle’s gaze on him. Kyle immediately looked away though with redness tinted to his cheeks which was unusual. It’s not like Craig minded him watching or even that it was weird to watch. Only his reaction was weird. It made him question Kyle’s sexuality for a mere second. However, in high school, Kyle repeatedly denied rumors of liking boys, or Stan, specifically.
“I’m not asking you to. I’m just asking you to walk with me, jerk.”
“Well, I’m not finished!” Kyle responded, eyes tuning back in on his text book.
“Fine. I’ll wait.”
Kyle glanced at him with a furrowed brow.
“It will be easier if someone is there to motivate me. Also if I faint from exhaustion, you will be able to call the paramedics.”
“If you really want to…” Kyle murmured as he returned his focus to what he was reading. “But it’s gonna be like fifteen minutes. It will go by faster if you stop distracting me though.”
“Will do, Red. Let me just take a nap,” he set his elbows onto the table again, resting the side of his head onto his arms, closing his eyes.
“If you start snoring, I’m going to kill you.”
A lazy smile tugged onto his lips as he spoke. “What makes you think I snore?” he asked.
“You have the most nasally voice in the whole entire world… Don’t act like you don’t… I also heard you in high school.”
“Do your assignment, Red,” he mumbled, lazy smile on his face still as he made himself comfortable. He heard an annoyed huff of air as his smile only widened. His eyes became heavy, his thoughts falling away as he slipped into slumber.
“Hey slacker,” he heard. He felt someone nudging him and he stirred, shaking his head. “Hey, you asshole. Wake up!” The voice said again in a more demanding and loud manner.
He grumbled out a “what the fuck,” as he sat up and glanced around. He completely forgotten he fell asleep in the library. He ran a hand through his hair, knowing it probably looked wild. His eyes settled on red in-turned eyebrows.
“How do you possibly fall asleep that easily all the time?”
Craig shrugged as he closed his textbook. He slipped his notebook and textbook into his bag. Kyle got up first and with a groan, he joined him, standing a couple inches taller than the other male. “What can I say? I’m a tired boy.”
Kyle shook his head and began walking. Craig walked beside him. Even though Kyle’s legs were shorter, Craig always felt like he was trying to catch up with him. Kyle was full of energy all the time; a rocket fuel by rage and competition. He wasn’t sure how Kenny or Stan managed to ever keep up with the redhead, seeming they had the disadvantage of being so short.
“What time do you usually go to bed?” Kyle asked.
“It depends how far I fall down my rabbit holes on YouTube.”
“What do you watch?”
Craig shrugged. The library was mostly empty now — most of the tables clear, save for couple students who looked like death. He hated that he would be back here tomorrow for work. At least his shift tomorrow started later than usual. “Mostly just like… documentary shit or informational videos about like certain quantum theories or the latest scientific breakthroughs in physics — a lot of space stuff, but also like, SNL skits and Brendon Urie videos.”
Kyle looked over to him with an amused smile. “You don’t get enough of that stuff already?”
“The information on space is endless, Kyle. Wanna know why? Space is endless. There is always constantly new to learn or to expand on… so much of it is so complicated, sometimes I’ll have to watch the video twice,” he explained.
Kyle laughed and looked away. “Nah, it’s cool. I watch a lot of that stuff too. I got super into the multiverse theories before. I stayed in my room a whole week reading and watching videos about it, and then I got super into like philosophy, too, and existence, and Aristotle… and all that.”
They pushed their way through the library doors into the cool night; the temperature having dropped form earlier that day, but still nothing compared to Colorado temperatures. Craig beamed at Kyle, suddenly feeling very energized as they walked down the concrete steps of the library entrance. “Dude, that shit is so interesting. Aristotle is like one of my biggest idols… Once I get down that rabbit hole, I’m gone for like a week-straight.”
Kyle chortled as they passed the stone fountain; the sound of running water becoming a background noise for their conversation. “Right? There’s so much to think about! It’s insane,” he shook his head. “It’s so fascinating… It makes me go crazy. And then I try to talk to people about it, and they never want to hear it. Like how can’t you not be interested in this stuff?”
Craig nearly jumped, his grin expanding. “Right? Fucking Clyde always says it’s boring and doesn’t get it — but he doesn’t even try to.”
“I know!” Kyle retorted, a grin on his face as well. “They don’t try at all. They automatically just think boring without even giving it a shot.”
“They are so small minded, dude. I honestly pity them.”
Kyle laughed. “Sometimes? I don’t. Sometimes I wish I didn’t think about this kind of stuff because it really makes me question my existence and the universe as a whole.”
Craig chuckled. “It can make me feel pretty nihilistic, but I stopped believing in God a long time ago, anyway… sometimes I dream about tying my roommate down to a chair and forcing him to watch philosophy videos to show him his reality is fake.”
Kyle laughed loudly at this, “you’re fucking sadistic, dude. That’s really awful.”
“Religion is stupid and so is humanity. I hate everyone.”
There was a pause, and Craig looked over. “Fuck… wait, you’re Jewish, right? Um. Sorry.”
“It’s fine. I don’t really practice it,” Kyle said. “Diss religion all you want. It’s shitty.”
They continued to walk through the the mostly desolate campus, discussing religion and philosophy. Kyle said he stopped practicing years ago, but never fully believed in it anyhow; although, he still did participate in all the traditions and led his mother to believe he was a devout Jew. Craig explained that at 14 years old, he told his parents he did not believe in God, and stopped going to church. His father a few months later came to the same conclusion and now only his mother went.
They stood outside their apartment complexes a little while longer than the last time; failing to wrap up their conversation in a timely matter. Eventually Kyle ended it; claiming he should let Craig go to bed. Craig failed to say or even try to declare that his mind was completely awake now.
As he walked to his apartment complex, he watched the redhead, swiping his tongue over his front teeth. He felt like someone had hollowed out his heart and was somehow pumping helium into it. It was painful though. He was pretty positive Kyle was straight, but there was also a nagging feeling inside him that told him he wasn’t.
He went to sleep that night, battling the fantasies of Kyle Broflovski.
-
They continued to go to the library. Between the library, trips to the dining hall, and trips to El Cerrito, he saw Kyle almost everyday. Kyle had showed him a couple more restaurants close by, but El Cerrito was still his favorite.
Kyle broke the routine a few weeks into their friendship, suggesting they visit an Egyptian museum in San Jose. Craig thought maybe he should say no. It sounded dangerous. He had kept his attraction to Kyle under control, but he was really pushing it.
He was just too fucking perfect. He spent most nights, laying in bed, thinking about him. His heart would flutter whenever he thought of the way the redhead tipped his chin down when he laughed, looking more adorable than he already was. He thought that if he had to come up with the perfect man, it would be Kyle Broflovski but attracted to males.
He said yes to Kyle anyways, despite his precautions. Kyle would just continue to ask, probably calling him lame or lazy, which seemed to be his two favorite insults.
Kyle drove them in his 2003 red Saturn which seemed very well kept up for being so old. Kyle kept his car extremely clean. It was such a relief to him. All his friends, with the exception of Token and Wendy, practically used their cars as trash cans.
Kyle didn’t give him the option of music, instead turning on his own music which consisted of Kendrick Lamar, Juice WRLD, and other various hip hop and R&B artists.
Craig hadn’t spent much time outside Menlo Park or Stanford area. He blamed it on not having time but also laziness. The drive to San Jose was short, only fifteen minutes, but it left him with the craving to go father — see more of California. Kyle struggled to find parking but eventually found a spot on the street. Craig watched him struggle to parallel park, stifling his laughter.
“Shut the fuck up,” Kyle caught him. “Like you could do better. I goddamn hate parallel parking.”
Craig shrugged. “It’s not that hard.”
“Then you do it!”
Craig was shocked by the words and even more shocked when Kyle parked and stepped out from the car, actually wanting him to do it. Luckily, Craig wasn’t bluffing. He slid over to the driver seat, adjusted the mirrors, swung out of the spot, and then effortlessly slid right back in.
When he parked and stepped out of the car, Kyle was glaring at him.
“You’re so fucking smug.”
Craig chucked the keys at the redhead and Kyle caught them effortlessly. Kyle began to walk and Craig rushed around the car to catch up with him. Kyle had his phone out, using some app to pay for parking. “I can teach you, if you like, Red.”
“I fucking know how.”
“Didn’t seem like it.”
Kyle huffed out an irritated breath as he continued to stare at the device in his hands. “It just takes me a little longer… and it’s not a race.”
“You sure make everything else a competition. Why not this?”
“I do not!” He shot back, sending him a glare as he shoved his phone into his khaki plaid pants’ pocket. Craig couldn’t help but let his eyes skim down as he did so; the khaki’s were slim fit, tight to show off how good of an ass he had, accessorized with a black belt and a black v-neck. He was pretty sure Kyle was just trying to fucking kill him, showing off not only his biceps but the chest hair that poked through his t-shirt.
Kyle directed them to the museum in his usually fast pace. The tickets were not too expensive since they lived in the county. Kyle claimed to have never been before, but still guided them as they walked through, Craig staying close behind him.
They read over most of the information together, attempting to comprehend the idea of something being over 5,000 years old, but being unable to. They both decided the tomb tour was their absolute favorite part of the museum as they walked through the underground tomb and learned more about the funerary practices of ancient Egyptians. It felt like they were actually in an underground tomb, and they supposed they kind of were, as it was modeled after one.
As they stood in the cool tomb room, edged stone around them and light somewhat taken from them, Craig thought it would be the perfect time to kiss the redhead. If it was a date. Which it wasn’t.
After they managed to explore the whole museum, they got Mexican in downtown San Jose. It still wasn’t as good as El Cerrito. By the time Kyle drove them home, the streetlights had turned on; the city glowing around them. The ride home was relatively quiet which was kind of unusual, considering how chatty Kyle normally was.
Craig didn’t question it though and instead just rested his head against the window, listening to The Weeknd’s smooth voice lull him to sleep.
Kyle shook him awake once they had returned home. He stirred awake, a little less startled the last time. When he rose, Kyle kept his hand on his shoulder a moment longer than necessary. Before Craig could enjoy the touch however, it was gone.
“You really need to stop falling asleep on me. You’re making me feel like I bore you.”
Craig shook his head, stretching out his back. “Take it as a compliment, Broflovski.”
They sat in the car a moment longer. Craig waited for the redhead to do something. However, he didn’t. He sucked in a breath to look over at him. “Today was fun. Thanks for dragging me away.”
Kyle lifted his head to meet his gaze; his eyes a darker shade with the lack of light. The shadows casted across his face just made it more obvious how beautifully shaped the man was. “Wow. Two compliments in a row, then? Who are you?”
Craig couldn’t stop the laughter from slipping out from his mouth. “I’m tired and delusional, clearly.”
Kyle shook his head, swiping his eyes away. The redhead stared straight ahead at the brick wall exposed by the headlights of the car. He heaved in a breath and the then let it go. “Sometimes I really miss Stan and Kenny,” he admitted. “I feel like… I don’t know. Being around you… it makes me feel less without them.”
“I’ll try my hardest to take that as a compliment.”
Kyle shifted his head to him, a lopsided smile pressed on those perfect pink lips. “It was a compliment, asshole.”
Craig shrugged. “I guess depends who you ask — but I know you meant well.”
Kyle punched him in the shoulder and Craig flinched away, laughing. Kyle’s grin was unwavering as he said, “dickhead, they are my best friends. It was a fucking compliment.”
“Okay. Yeah. I get it… Thanks.”
Kyle nodded and looked to his lap. “I am happy they are together, but sometimes I feel like they are happy without me? Like… I don’t know. It’s probably stupid. I just. They are still my best friends, and Stan especially… It’s nice being around a familiar face. It’s nice being able to talk about them, and you knowing who they are.”
Craig thought of when Kyle first mentioned Stan and Kenny dating, and his weird vibe that came along with it. This must have been it.
Craig smacked his lips together and nodded. “Well. It’s almost Thanksgiving break… You going back?”
“No,” Kyle shrugged. “It’s too short of a time to spend that kind of money on a plane ticket or drive fifteen hours. Are you?”
“Nah. I’ll be here too.”
“Maybe we can hangout then. Since we will both be alone.”
“Sure,” Craig said, worrying he said it too fast. He inhaled and said, “yeah… sure. You gonna cook for me?”
“Fuck off,” Kyle hissed, turning away. “Plus, I only know how to make Jewish dishes…”
“That could be good.”
Kyle flicked his eyes to the dark-haired male.
“I mean, if you want… I could even like, message my grandma and get some Peruvian recipes… Not that I really know fucking anything about that, as my mom totally abandoned her Peruvian ancestry and left me culture-less.”
Kyle laughed, “well, I have to see what that looks like, so I have to say yes now.”
Craig rolled his eyes but nodded. “Sounds like a deal, Red.”
They sat for a couple more minutes. Kyle was the one to get out of the car first, as he always seemed to be the one to wrap up their conversations. Craig walked away from him, feeling as though he was way too over his head.
-
It was the Monday before Thanksgiving when Bebe FaceTimed him. He wasn’t expecting much from the phone call. Bebe demanded they talk at least once a month over FaceTime even though Craig much preferred text. Usually she would just update him on Clyde or Wendy or her business. She would inform him of the latest gossip and most recent antics. The FaceTime would last close to an hour, and that would be it.
Today, however, went different.
She asked him how he was doing — if he made any friends or any boyfriends. He rolled his eyes, but he finally announced that he had been hanging out with Kyle. It was the first time he mentioned it to the blonde. He wasn’t too fond of discussing his life to other people. He was a hard nut to crack.
Bebe’s response surprised him.
“Ooooh,” she beamed. “Have you gotten a piece of that delicious ass yet?”
Craig snorted at this. “You’re still obsessed with his ass, Bebe? Get a new hobby.”
“Is that a yes?” She grinned, eyebrows raising.
“Um no. I did not get a piece of that straight ass, Bebe.”
“Straight…?” Bebe furrowed her eyebrows.
“Yeah? Straight?” Craig responded, his own eyebrows furrowing. “What’s with the face?” He asked.
“Craig, he’s not straight…” Bebe said.
Craig gaped at her. “What the fuck are you talking about?” Craig asked.
“He’s bi, or something. You didn’t know?”
“How do you know?!” He demanded.
“Honestly? I don’t even remember… It may have been Wendy? Or … maybe Kenny? Fuck. I can’t remember. He’s had like multiple boyfriends in Cali. They were pretty hot too. Fuck! I don’t know, Craig. I totally thought you knew!”
“You knew someone was not-straight and you didn’t tell me?!”
“Fuck off. I tell you literally everything else, and the one time I don’t —,”
“Bebe! Jesus,” he dragged a hand across his face. He felt heat rising up his neck and cheeks. He wanted to end the phone call but he was desperate for more information. “I can’t believe you forgot to mention this… I just.”
“What so you could have banged him faster? You’re so dramatic, Craig. Get over it, and do it now.”
“I’m not going to bang him,” he growled. “I just — Jesus. I’ve been hanging out with him for like two months now!? You think he would have mentioned it?”
“Oh my God Craig, you’re so red! You obviously want to —!”
He ended the call.
He didn’t know if he was angrier with Bebe or Kyle for the failing to relay this information to him. He had been trying to figure out the redhead’s sexuality since nearly the first day they started hanging out. Why wouldn’t the redhead mention it?
He had to just not be into him. It made no sense otherwise.
He was determined to figure it out.
-
When he saw the redhead studying in the library the next day, Craig abandoned his stack of books to talk to him. He pulled the chair from across the other side of the table and slumped onto it.
Kyle’s eyes narrowed onto him. “Um, hi?”
“You’re bisexual?”
Kyle’s eyes gaped.
“Uh, yes?”
“Why didn’t you mention it before?”
Kyle’s mouth shut. He set his pencil down. He was completely pink and his shoulders stiffened with the words. The eye-contact was gone as soon as the words came out, “I don’t know… I guess it just didn’t come up?”
“Didn’t come up — seriously? What the fuck does that even mean. I literally say something about being gay at least once a day — usually more than that. You know I’m gay and I still have brought it up at least a dozen times.”
“Okay? Sorry… I’m not as flamboyant as you are.”
Craig rolled his eyes.
“Why does it matter so much to you?”
Craig lifted his his gaze. Kyle was looking at him now — cheeks and forehead still red as ever. He wondered if his face looked the same.
“Maybe I just like knowing my fellow LGBT members! Jesus. Like? I don’t know, Kyle. It’s a pretty big ass thing.”
“You’re so dramatic…” Kyle rolled his eyes to look at the surface of the table. “I honestly thought you knew.”
“How?”
“I don’t know, by it being obvious, or just… gossip. You’re the fucking biggest gossip I know.”
“I resent that,” Craig stood up. “Also yeah… I was questioning it. But you had denied it so many times in high school, I wasn’t going to keep making wrong assumptions.”
He wondered how obvious he was being. Although he didn’t really care. He walked away with that. He was convinced Kyle purposely didn’t tell him. However he was struggling to understand it. He was good looking. He’s been told many times as such. He and Kyle got along very well. They logically made a ton of fucking sense… and all this time, he had been fucking into guys as well.
Craig would have done things differently. He would have kissed him in that tombstone exhibit. He would have flirted way more openly. He would have made it known he liked him. Because he did. Like him. He felt rejected without even truly have been.
After his shift ended, he went to his apartment to study instead of joining Kyle at the library. His roommate had gone home for Thanksgiving too, luckily leaving him alone to seethe.
-
They decided to have Thanksgiving at Kyle’s. For as much time as they spent together, he hadn’t been there before. It was nicer than his own apartment, both in décor, furnishing and layout. His kitchen was bigger and it was not as open of a floor plan, providing more privacy.
Neither had discussed the incident in the library. Instead Kyle just directed him to come over at 4pm on Thanksgiving. He brought his own Peruvian dish as promised and a bottle of wine. He felt more nervous than usual to see the redhead. Because it was Thanksgiving, and not because he was trying to impress him, he wore slim-fit black slacks and a dark green button up, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the first few buttons undone.
Kyle seemed to have dressed up as well, in another pair of plaid khakis, a green belt, and a white-long sleeved mock turtle neck. He wanted to point out that it was fucking almost 80 degrees outside, but he bit his tongue. Kyle kept it pretty cool in the apartment.
They sat at Kyle’s small circular table to eat. Kyle made a couple dishes, and Craig felt his Peruvian dish was inadequate against them, but Kyle seemed to enjoy it. Dinner was kind of awkward; tense in a way it hadn’t been before. The more wine they drank though, from both the bottle Craig brought and the bottle Kyle already had, they began to loosen up.
They repositioned themselves onto the couch after dinner. Kyle put something on the TV, but both of them were too wrapped up in conversation to even really notice what it really even was. Craig sat at one end, with his leg propped over the other, holding onto his ankle with one hand and holding onto his glass of wine with the other. He angled his body to the redhead, everything facing him, and everything facing him back. Kyle’s tucked his bent-leg beneath his body, facing Craig.
They chatted about everything and nothing until Craig was tipsy enough to bring up the prior elephant in the room. “Why didn’t you tell me about being Bisexual. For real?” he asked.
“For real, why does it matter so much? I really assumed you already knew.”
“It matters a lot.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re fucking hot.”
Okay. Maybe he was more than tipsy.
Kyle’s eyes grew wide as his face tinted with a red hue. Craig winced. He didn’t mean to be that forward. He chugged the rest of his wine which wasn’t much and set it on the coffee table. He glanced back at Kyle’s face; red eyebrows still high and cheeks still bright pink.
“Oh… Uh… Thank you.”
“Shit, I’m sorry. That wasn’t…” he sighed, dragging a hand over his face. He looked at Kyle, scanning over his flushed cheeks and raised eyebrows. “I didn’t mean to just say it like that. I’m not good at this… and you’re clearly not interested, otherwise you would have fucking mentioned it, so I should just go —!”
Craig began to stand up but a hand on his wrist brought him back down. He stumbled down, closer to the redhead than before, their knees brushing. “I didn’t realize you were interested,” Kyle declared, his hand still around his wrist. Craig eyed it and then Kyle’s face. “Or that you would be… In me.”
“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard you say.”
Craig said as he placed his hand to Kyle’s cheek. Hazel and copper eyes danced back in forth. Craig leaned forward, giving up on words, as he dipped his head down, brushing their noses together. His mind buzzed with anticipation as he felt the other man’s warm breath against his skin. His wrist was still encircled by Kyle’s hand and another hand settled on top his kneecap. He watched his eyelids flutter shut, red eyelashes and freckles meeting.
Kyle was the one to ultimately take the plunge, connecting their lips together in a swift motion. He shut his eyes at the kiss, parting his lips against the other’s. Electricity shot through him, his whole body jerking forward to be closer to the man.
They were drunk and messy. He failed in taking it slow; his hands finding their way in red curls as he nearly draped himself in Kyle’s lap. Kyle seemed just as eager though, parting his mouth further and sliding his tongue along his bottom lip; tugging on Craig to come closer.
Then Kyle’s lips were off him and it took him a brief moment to open his eyes. Kyle was already starting at him when he managed to. “So… like,” Kyle swallowed. “Interested in me … how?” Kyle asked. “Because… I normally don’t just hook-up with anyone… and —,”
Craig kissed him again.
Their lips brushed together for too short of a moment before Kyle pulled back. “You can’t just kiss me — that’s not an answer.”
“Kyle. I like you. A fucking lot,” Craig said. “I thought all this time I had a crush on a fucking straight guy. That’s why I was so mad.”
Kyle chuckled. “I’m sorry.”
“You fucking should be!”
“I’m sorry,” Kyle said again, placing his hand against the other male’s cheek, a small smile to his lips. “Let me make it up to you because I like you a fucking lot too,” he whispered before stealing the other male’s lips again.
They spent the rest of the time kissing and making up for lost time. Craig was so happy they both stayed on Campus for Thanksgiving.