Chapter Text
Craig held out his hand, silently.
Fuck it.
The blonde beside him couldn’t fight his smile.
He took Craig’s hand.
And all of a sudden, Tweek and Craig became Tweek and Craig.
Maybe they could try this out together after all.
–
“Tolkien.”
“Tucker.”
High school brought out the worst in people, Craig had decided. It was like social rules and stereotypes multiplied. Like Cartman’s stupid ideals were suddenly considered normal, or something.
He sighed, slamming his locker shut and leaning against it, eyes closing.
“Wmmat’s mrong?” a muffled voice asked.
Craig opened his eyes and scoffed. “Take that thing off, McCormick. I can never understand you.”
Kenny shuffled his orange hoodie and mask down, uncovering his face. “Hi to you, too, hot stuff.”
Craig would have to say if anyone changed the most, it was Kenny.
Everyone knew the kid was poor, but teenagehood hit with its puberty and suddenly everyone was paying Kenny for hookups. It was kind of pitiful - the poor kid resorting to prostitution - but Craig guessed that’s just how Kenny worked his life.
He really couldn't care less.
At least this time it wasn't Butters.
Kenny’s sharp cheekbones accompanied dusty blonde locks of hair and blue eyes, which tugged along their own subtle eye bags. He had his looks, that’s for sure.
“I’d asked what was wrong.” Kenny chuckled, his laugh cracking, but in a cute way rather than awkward.
Not cute like cute, though. Cute from a descriptive perspective. Cute from a narrator’s perspective. Not Craig’s.
Craig shook his thoughts away. “Right,” he began, “..Why are you asking me that?”
“I don’t know, let me check in on a guy every now and then.”
There was a brief silence. Craig sniffed, not from the cold or sadness, but just because that was Craig. He always seemed to be nasally congested.
“...So?” Kenny pressed.
Craig groaned. “Nothing is wrong. I’m just a little tired.”
“That’s not what I heard.”
There was a pause. Craig rolled his eyes, unimpressed.
“Ohhh, you’re here from a rumour. And I thought you were checking up on me. My poor feelings.” Craig whined sarcastically, “I couldn’t give less of a shit about rumours. It’s probably untrue.”
“So you didn’t beat Stan up?”
Craig cringed.
Kenny raised an eyebrow.
“Maybe some rumours are true.”
Kenny groaned and opened his locker door, which groaned right back at him. “Fuck, man, what beef do you have with him? You guys are punching every second day.”
“There’s no beef,” Stan said, “Marsh is just really fucking angry lately.”
“He’s one of my friends, but yeah okay, I can agree with that.”
Craig hummed - his point was proven.
“...Did you win?”
“Of course I fucking won. Do you see him around?”
Kenny snickered. “Alright then.”
He shut his locker door and clicked the lock, Craig doing the same to his. “Is that it?”
“Yep,” Kenny replied, tugging his hood up and concealing his face again.
Craig thought for a minute. “You’re happy I gave him a punch, aren’t you?”
Kenny paused. Blue eyes crinkled at him. “See you around, Tucker.”
And with that, it was over. Kenny made his way to wherever he was needed next.
Craig leaned back against his locker and exhaled slowly. Finally, peace.
“H-hey Craig.”
Opening one eye, Craig’s mouth turned up its corners. “Hey, babe.”
Tweek gave back a twitchy smile, leaning down to reach his locker.
“What’s up first then?” Craig asked, watching people pass by in the hallways. He wanted to be sure no dickwads were gonna approach him.
He was too fucking tired.
However, fatigue was never getting in the way for some time with Tweek. Something about the boy just…completed him. Like his other half. It wasn’t gushy, it wasn’t hormonal and it wasn’t a crush.
It just…was.
Call it love, call it magic, call it soulmates.
Craig didn’t care for labels, except for ‘boyfriend’ - that one sat with him nicely.
‘Gay’ he accepted but never really minded what he was called.
It was simply Craig and Tweek against the world. Always has been.
Well, not always.
They used to hate each other as kids. It was funny - Tweek telling him all those years ago that he’d never known his potential until Craig told him….Tweek telling him that he brought out something inside him…
Some pretty mature bullshit for a kid to spit out, Craig thought to himself.
But he’s glad Tweek did.
He didn’t think he’d be able to get through this hell to 12th grade without him, or his silly, twitchy antics.
Craig smiled. Tweek was his twin flame.
“......and then I have maths.”
Craig’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Ah, sorry Tweek, I missed the first half.”
“O-oh! That’s okay Craig.” Tweek asked, standing up. They weren’t the same height, but Tweek was pretty close. His eyes lined up with Craig’s when they were in front of each other, but Tweek always felt and seemed shorter. “Are you still feeling upset about Stripe?”
There was a sharp pang in Craig’s heart. He wasn’t still upset at Stripe’s passing three months ago, but it would always hurt him a little. “No, not Stripe. I’m just feeling tired today.”
Craig turned to his boyfriend, melting only a little at his face. Tweek wore worry so cutely. “Nothing’s wrong, honey,” he insisted, “Just a little issue with Stan the other day.”
Tweek groaned. “B-but you’re okay, right?”
Craig cupped Tweek’s face, squeezing it gently and smiling. “Yes, I am. You’re being silly.”
He let go, and Tweek smiled. “O-okay. Just checking.”
“I know.”
There was a soft look shared between them as the bell rang. “Off we go, then,” Craig said, taking Tweek’s hand.
Hopefully, today was easygoing.
The imagery of Tweek and Craig walking down a South Park School hallway hand in hand was nothing strange, but they always seemed to get at least one remark.
“Morning, twinks!”
Craig flipped off the direction of the voice and kept his eyes forward. After a couple of seconds, he cracked and quickly checked on Tweek.
The blonde was humming gently, watching the environment.
Good.
Things like that shouldn’t get to them anymore.
Not that they ever did, but still.
“Hey, you guys.”
“Hey, Kyle!!” Tweek chirped, “Do you have what we have?”
Craig squeezed Tweek’s hand. “WE don’t have class together, honey. You’re going to history, I’m going to science.”
“Oh. Do you have what I have?” Tweek corrected, smiling at the redhead.
“Sure do. Wanna walk with?” Kyle asked, readjusting the books in his arms.
Tweek glanced at Craig. “I’ll see y-you at recess, Craig.”
“Alright.” Craig smiled, letting Tweek wander off with Kyle.
Alone once more. Craig hummed, picking up the tune of whatever Tweek was mumbling earlier. Science. Wasn’t too bad.
Who was in science…
Craig began to walk down the halls, dodging the occasional younger kids who were bustling past him.
…Jimmy, Butters….ugh, Cartman, Heidi…
Just as Craig reached the said science labs, he felt a bump at his side. His eyes darted across to a blur of blue, red and brown.
“Sorry, dude. Let me- Oh.”
Stan Marsh looked up at him, angry blue eyes practically slapping him. “Do you fucking mind, man??”
Craig scoffed. “Thanks for the apology.”
“Whatever.”
Craig pushed open the science door, ignoring Stan’s middle finger and laying his eyes on the very, very unfortunate empty room.
Great.
He was early.
The bell had already gone, but it seemed everyone was too busy with each other or those new vape things to go to class. Placing his backpack on a desk near the front, Craig sighed.
Stan was shuffling around with god-knows-what, probably waiting for Cartman.
Craig never understood why they hadn’t all dumped the racist fucker’s ass. Sure, a comedic friend was funny, but the anti-semitic, racist, ableist, and every other “ist” joke always pushed it.
Stan sighed loudly, ripping Craig from his thoughts.
“What?” Craig asked, for lack of anything better to do.
“None of your fucking business, Tucker.”
Craig knew he should stop pressing, but he felt his curiosity bubble up a little more and get the best of him.
“None of my business, huh?” Craig began, leaning back against his plastic chair, “Then why would you sigh so loudly if it wasn’t to get my attention?”
“News flash, not everyone wants your attention, dickhead. Maybe Tweek and the other fags do, but not me.”
“Right, right. Bringing out the homophobia card.”
“That’s not what I’m doing.”
“You just called my boyfriend and every other gay guy here a slur.” Craig droned.
“That doesn’t make me homophobic.” Stan fired back.
“What, because you’re gay yourself?”
Stan flushed red. “I’m not fucking gay, you idiot! I’m just saying that your head doesn’t have to be so far up your ass! Not everything is about you! Just because you’re sooo perfect doesn’t mean-”
Something clicked in Craig’s head.
Like a small puzzle coming together, the final piece snapped in.
“Stan.” He interrupted.
The usage of his first name shut Stan up, the boy quietly seething.
Craig’s gaze softened into mild confusion. “Stan, are you jealous of me?”
Before Stan could do anything, the door creaked open. “Why, good morning Stan and Craig.” Cartman sang, waddling over with his books, “Now what brawl could I have possibly interrupted?”
Stan flipped Craig off. “Self-absorbed shithead.”
Craig shrugged. “Angry closeted gay guy..” he mumbled to himself.
Cartman dumped his books next to Stan and chuckled.
Stan slumped down on his desk, tugging his beanie over his eyes.
The other students began to file in, Heidi fiddling with a compact mirror and Butters giving Craig a huge smile.
“W-well hi Craig!” he chirped, sitting beside the teen, “I sure am excited for science! Say, w-why’s Stan look so….mad?”
Craig hummed. “I have a feeling that he’s not as tough as he seems.”
Butters looked over again, ignoring Mr Garrison walking in and beginning the lesson. “S-stan? But he’s like, almost the toughest guy in school, next to you!”
“I’m gonna talk to him during recess.”
“Woahhh boy, I’ll come with you. I don’t want you fightin’ again!”
“Thanks Butters, but I’ll be okay.” Craig began, “I think I know why he's been so hostile lately.”