❥Ⓛiƒℯ Ⓐƒʈℯr Ⓢʈαɳ ☂ A SP RP {①x①}

[H i K u]

Since he was nothing but skin and bones, Kenny wasn't the most comfortable pillow. But he was happy to help, and he stayed put as Ike settled in on his chest. He put his arm around the boy's shoulders in a brotherly way. Unlike how he was with Kyle, Kenny wasn't trying to make any moves on Ike. "You'll have to lemme know how it goes, man." He was genuinely interested, though he did also want to help Kyle keep an eye on Ike. Kenny accepted the remote control and started to idly channel surf.

At Sheila's brief appearance, Kenny flashed an easy smile. "No problem, Mrs. B," he said, watching her head into the kitchen yet again.

"Yeah. Your ma's always everywhere at once," Kenny agreed. He looked away from the TV to meet Ike's gaze. "And maaaaybe I did. What d'you think happened?" Kenny had to wonder. Ike struck him as having a pretty active imagination.

[Spicy Kisa]

Something told him that Kenny was a little worried too, but he really didn't care. He wasn't stupid by any stretch of the imagination. In the next year or two he would be moving away to college, hopefully. He could take care of himself. "Sure." Ike agreed, not really sure at all. The prospect of having a secret was even more enticing when he had people to keep the secret from, people who actually felt curious to know. Even if he never did anything but write in a notebook with his new friend, even if there was nothing to tell, Ike still felt happy about it.

Still, he smiled and stayed put. He was curious, after all. What did Kenny do to his brother? He had to consider the facts. Kyle was a prude. Ike was fairly sure they hadn't had sex, especially since Kenny wasn't bragging much. He studied the blond's face closely, brow knit with concentration. Kenny would definitely do anything he was able, and to be fair, Kenny was sexy. Ike himself would definitely fool around with him. After a long pause, he reached his conclusion. "Hmmm, I'd be impressed if you got to handjobs, but I bet you touched his butt." Ike informed like the little know-it-all he was at heart.

[H i K u]

Kenny nodded, satisfied with that. He wasn't sure if Ike would end up telling him what happened with the goth kid, but he certainly hoped so. Regardless, he was going to do his best to trust the little d***o. Kyle did need to give his little brother more credit sometimes, though Kenny still understood the propensity to worry about a younger sibling. Kenny just thought that Kyle and his parents, especially Sheila, sometimes went overboard when it came to worrying and protecting Ike. The kid needed room to breathe.

Kenny chuckled when Ike made his guess. "Damn, you're pretty good," he complimented, giving the boy a clap on the shoulder. "I'll level with ya, though. I've been behavin' today. So I haven't been too adventurous with my hands." Kenny leaned in closer. He lowered his voice and said the next bit in Ike's ear, intending for only him to hear. "But we did kiss..." Kenny figured there wasn't much harm in letting Ike know that. He was sure to accidentally stumble upon it himself whenever Kyle finally did decide to start dating.

[Spicy Kisa]

The tween was actually surprised to hear that Kenny had been on good behavior, but not totally surprised. With what had happened today it would have been in horrible taste to try too hard to make anything happen, and his brother was a terrible prude, he was sure. When Kenny whispered, shared the secret, Ike blushed a little. It was hard not to ask all kinds of inappropriate questions, but somehow he managed. "Wow. Good job, Kenny." He praised, grinning a little at the sly blond. He wished he had moves like Kenny's. Then he wouldn't be so lonely or curious because he'd know all of this important stuff and what it was like. "Do you have some kind of plan for stepping up your game? I could help if you wanted." He offered up, amused and always one to get into other people's business, just like his adoptive mom. It seemed some of her traits ran in the family.

Around then, Sheila bustled out and brought Ike and Kenny food. She told them they could eat at the couch since Ike's foot was hurt, and even brought some upstairs for Kyle, who was holed up in her room. Finally, she went away again, presumably to eat in the dining room with Gerald, who appeared almost on cue.

[H i K u]

Before Kenny could get a reply in, Sheila entered the living room with dinner. It probably was for the best. The food was a good distraction, and eating would keep Kenny from saying anything too perverted when it came to him and Kyle. He didn't really mind, but he was trying to not have too big of a mouth to avoid possibly embarrassing Kyle if Ike happened to mention the conversation that transpired between them.

When ten o'clock rolled by, Kenny headed on his way home. There was the temptation to sleep over. The Broflovskis' home was so much nicer and warmer than his own. But he knew he had to go back for Karen's sake. He had to make sure his little sister was taken care of. He told Kyle and Ike that they could call him if they needed anything before taking his leave.


Nighttime came again. Just like the night at Cartman's house, an unnatural burst of cold air entered Kyle's room. The air came from the window and settled at Kyle's bedside again. Stan stared down at his super best friend, his eyes teeming with sadness. Kyle looked miserable and restless to Stan, but at least he was finally sleeping. "Dude..." he sighed. He took the blanket, pulling it up to tuck Kyle in better. "Sorry... So selfish..." Stan muttered. He didn't think he would disturb Kyle. He had tried talking the last time to no avail. It didn't seem like Kyle was able to hear him or see him. It made sense. Why would someone as smart as Kyle believe in ghosts? Sure, a lot of crazy things happened in South Park, but Kyle was always so logical. He liked to believe things that were backed up by scientific facts.

But kids were usually always much more in tune with the supernatural. It gave Stan an idea. Maybe Ike would be able to see and hear him. Of course, the kid was nerdy and loved science just as much as Kyle, but there was a chance he was still way more open to what couldn't be explained. Instead of trying to rouse Kyle, Stan floated out of the room. Without having a body, he could go through closed doors and solid walls. He made it to Ike's room easily. He found the boy in bed and placed his cold, ghostly hand on Ike's shoulder.

"Ike? Dude, wake up. It's me. Stan," Stan said. He didn't have much hope, but he figured it was worth a shot. He gently shook Ike's shoulder.

[Spicy Kisa]

The rest of the night was boring. Kyle never came back downstairs, and he didn't even eat his dinner. When Kenny left, Sheila insisted on carrying her son upstairs like some kind of baby. It was humiliating, especially since his foot didn't hurt that much anyhow. He got ready for bed and laid down. Ike was restless to begin with; the sudden cold in the room was enough to make him frown and squirm in his sleep. When Stan's ghostly hand tried to touch him, he sat bolt upright in bed.

When he saw Stan there, he looked confused, then horrified. This couldn't be happening. He hated to think that Stan hadn't gone into the light. "You aren't... you aren't supposed to be here, Stan." His eyes filled with tears. "You should have gone into the light." He continued, rubbing at his face. Even though he was upset, a part of him was relieved, too. He'd thought he would never see Stan again. It had been so abrupt. At least with Stan there, he could wrap his head around the idea that this had really happened, which was a little ironic.

[H i K u]

The fact that Ike could see and hear him was encouraging. Stan didn't notice the boy's eyes were welling up with tears; he wanted to savor the small victory for a moment. Nobody else had been able to see him so far. Granted, he had only tried Kyle and his parents. It seemed to take a lot of energy to attempt to communicate with the living. Once he ran out of energy, everything would go black. Stan wasn't quite sure where his spirit went then. When he came to, he would always find himself in his room again. It was like he was destined to re-live the same nightmare over and over again.

Belatedly, Stan realized how Ike's eyes were shiny with tears. "Aw, dude... Ike, it's okay. Don't cry," he told the boy. He extended his transparent hand, doing his best to help wipe the tears away. "I didn't see any light... I didn't realize I was dead. Ike, it was an accident. I wasn't trying to kill myself on purpose," Stan shared, hoping that would help matters. The fact that he hadn't been taking care of himself in recent years might have not made what he said convincing, but Stan was telling the truth. There were a lot of things he hated about life. However, he was always too much of a coward to take his own life. "Do you believe me?"

[Spicy Kisa]

This was hard. Ike knew he couldn't touch Stan, but it was so sweet when he tried to wipe the boy's tears that Ike cried more. He sobbed once, but tried to keep it together. He was glad to hear that Stan hadn't killed himself. He knew right away that he needed to help Stan, but helping him meant never seeing him again. He sat upright and hung his legs off the edge of the bed. "I believe you, Stan." He promised. Neither of them said so, but they both knew Stan was kind of a wuss. That was one reason he drank so much in the first place. He swallowed and forced a small smile.

"If you didn't see the light right away... which doesn't surprise me... you're probably going to run into a reaper." He told Stan. He really needed to help him figure this out. He wiped at his face a little more. "They'll tell you it's time to go. They're probably right... if you don't go with them, you'll get stuck here and probably go nuts watching and not being able to help or do anything. Um... is there anything you want me to say to anyone? Your parents? Kyle?" He knew Stan really cared about his brother, despite what had happened over the years.

[H i K u]

Stan was relieved that Ike believed him. It was one less thing he had to worry about. Still, it was sad to see Ike have to force that small smile on his face. When Stan saw his friends and family crying, he wished he could still be alive. He wasn't worth any of their tears.

"A reaper? Dude, Ike, how do you know about all of this?" Stan had to ask. "I know you're smart, but is stuff like that really in books?" Ike sounded pretty sure. He seemed to know more about what happened to ghosts than Stan, ironically, and Stan was the dead one. "I haven't seen anything like that yet," Stan shared with the boy. He wondered if he would end up encountering one like Ike predicted. It sounded pretty terrifying regardless. Being stuck would be no cakewalk either. "...I'd like to tell Kyle how sorry I am and that none of this is his fault."

[Spicy Kisa]

He nodded. It didn't take a rocket scientist or a brain surgeon to deduce that Stan regretted what happened with him and Kyle. That was something Ike had figured out long before Stan had died. He could tell Kyle that, though his stupid brother probably wouldn't believe him that he could see Stan. Typical, really.

The little Canadian would probably have rolled his eyes at just about anyone else. He had done so to ghosts before. A lot of them were really stupid, but this was Stan. He paused, until he was sure he wouldn't be an a*****e about it. "Stan, I see ghosts. I've seen them since I was little. Like, maybe three years old." Surely Stan remembered the time he'd been plagued by dead celebrities, before he had figured out what ghosts were supposed to be doing. He actually probably knew more dead people than living ones, since so few people could see ghosts on a regular basis. When people didn't have a choice, they had to come talk to him."And don't worry too much about the reapers. I mean, yeah, they'll take you away to go be dead in heaven or whatever, but they aren't usually skeletons in robes with big scythes. They look just like people, and it's just kind of their day job to ferry people across the river Styx or whatever." He added in explanation, since Stan looked worried. He'd only met one, but she'd been pretty cool, really.

[H i K u]

"Huh. So you're like a more advanced version of the kid from The Sixth Sense," Stan concluded, putting it in a way his own mind could comprehend. He had to smile to himself at that fact. "Guess you just can't escape being a genius." He wasn't really thinking about the time when Ike saw dead celebrities in the past, though he'd remember it if prompted. His mind was cloudy. Maybe it had to do with being a ghost or how he spent the majority of his lamenting over Kyle and getting lost in his depression before he died. The water had been too deep to swim in.

"And good to know about the reaper, I guess..." Stan said, though he obviously was still worried about having an encounter with one. The fear of the unknown always proved to be terrifying. "So... You think there's any chance of me getting through to Kyle?"

[Spicy Kisa]

Ike watched him, giving up and getting out of bed. Maybe they should go for a walk or something before he woke anyone up. He put on some socks and a sweater. "It's hard to say, Stan. Some ghosts can learn to interact with the living and be seen and stuff, but even if you do, you're still dead. You can't stay..." He stopped what he was doing and his eyes got a little misty. The truth sucked. Everything kind of sucked.

"Let's go outside, okay? I don't want to wake up my mom. Maybe I can write a letter to Kyle for you and give it to him. How does that sound?" He moved over to the bedroom door, slipped out, and padded down the stairs, making sure Stan was coming along with him. On the way down the hall he grabbed a paper and pen. Downstairs, he put on his coat and shoes.

[H i K u]

Of course Ike was right; the fact that he was dead couldn't be changed. Life was full of harsh realities that couldn't be escaped. The rest of them would join him in death eventually. Everybody died; there was no escaping it. But the fact that his own death was so abrupt and accidental added insult to injury. Hopefully, everyone else he cared about would meet their ends much later.

"Yeah. Outside sounds like a good idea, dude," Stan agreed. He followed Ike downstairs and out the front door. The letter to Kyle seemed like their only option. Stan had doubts of being able to learn how to be seen by others. It hadn't been going well so far. Ike was the only one he had luck with. "I don't even know what we're gonna say in the letter to Kyle. I mean, we both know it's such a long shot that he'll even believe us, but I've felt like I had no idea of what to say to him for years."

[Spicy Kisa]

Trying to ignore a sharp stab of jealousy, Ike went with a polite nod. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what Stan wanted to say to his brother, but he also knew he owed it to Stan to listen and try to help. He went out on the back porch, realizing a bit late that it was freezing. He sat on a patio bench with the paper and pencil. "Why don't you just tell me how you feel and what you want him to know, and I can write down the gist?" He asked, forcing a smile into place on top of his discomfort.

Looking up at Stan, he sort of wished he could die too. He reminded himself that he wouldn't be the person Stan was in agony over whether he was living or not. Besides...maybe he had really made a new friend today. Maybe there was a reason to stick around a bit longer. He could always change his mind if he started hating being alive more than he liked it, right?

[H i K u]

Stan floated beside Ike and sat by him. Of course, he couldn't really sit by the little one with being a ghost, but he liked to pretend. It felt a little better that way--a little more natural. Stan did not pick up on the fact that Ike forced his smile. He had the propensity for selfishness. Being dead hadn't changed his perspective on that. "Thanks... I owe you one. Lemme know if I can ever return the favor somehow," Stan replied. "Maybe haunt that douchebag Filmore," he suggested with a smirk.

Silence filled the space between them for a few moments. Stan really had to think about what he wanted to say to Kyle. Nothing about this process was easy. "Well, uh, first tell him how sorry I am," Stan began with what seemed most basic. "And tell him he shouldn't feel like any of it's his fault... 'Cause it's not. I'm sure we both did things we regret. And..." He trailed off for a moment. He looked off into the distance. "...T-Tell him I love him," Stan murmured in a voice just above a whisper.