He gripped at the knife in his hand, staring down the opposing team. It was a two-on-two match, his favorite. The air was cold, a light breeze kicking up some leftover snow on the ground. As he exhaled, a burst of his warm breath levitated visibly in front of him. He'd been practicing his moves for three years now, and he wasn't about to lose. With another quick breath he lunged forward at his opponents, letting out a warcry and brandishing his knife-
"Hey! That's not fucking fair!"
Craig flew back in the dirt, holding at his now bleeding nose. "You're not supposed to actually hit me, Jimmy!"
"I don't remember that rule." Clyde smirked, giving Jimmy a high five.
Tweek ticked, making an unhappy noise. "No, that- ngh, that's a foul! You're not allowed to hit anyone, what if- what if you broke his nose or, or worse!"
"Stop being a p-p-pussy," Jimmy commented, examining the bottom of his now bloodied crutch. "You b-brought a real knife. I got f- fuhh-..freaked."
"Yeah, Tweek, he deserved it." Clyde was practically hanging on Jimmy's shoulder, sticking out his tongue. At thirteen years old, he was still just as chubby and obnoxious as when he was a (younger) child. "If you wanna fight, you better fight. He was comin' right at Jimmy like a madman."
"Dude, step off." Craig glared at his friends, slowly stumbling over to Tweek and placing a hand on his shoulder. They'd been together for three years running now, and with time, he'd gotten used to sticking up for the both of them. It wasn't unusual for their group to kid around, but sometimes Craig got a bit too defensive.
"Jeez, both of you are being dumb today," Clyde sighed, searching the slush for his dropped weapon. It was just a stick painted gold, but he was too lazy to make a new one. "Just hurry up, I wanna play some more before dinner."
"Whatever. If you hit me again though, I'm going home." Craig gave Tweek another reassuring pat on the shoulder before stepping to the side, wiping at his nose again with the hem of his homemade cape. "Clyde, Tweek, it's your turn."
They both got ready to fight when Tweek's phone rang. "Aw, come on!"
"You've g-guh- got to be k-kidding me."
"Tweek, are you fucking serious?" Clyde grumbled, kicking at the dirt. "Don't tell me you gotta run home again, this is the third time this week! We've barely been playing for an hour."
"Hold on, maybe they just wanna check on me I- hold on!" Tweek answered the phone, murmuring about how fucking stupid it was that this happened every goddamn time.
"Yeah, shut the fuck up, Clyde," Craig echoed, crossing his arms. He wasn't wrong though. Every game seemed to be interrupted lately. It was getting to be annoying, especially with how busy Token was with extracurricular activities. They never had the time for team fights anymore, and one-on-one was frankly too boring. He turned to Tweek, watching intently as he began to talk into the phone.
"Hello?- But dad it's- I'm playing, come- come on can't you- ngh- No, I swear I'm- No! No! I... Fine! Fine okay, I'm c-coming I- I'm coming! Goodbye!" He hung up the phone, taking the time to glare at the object as if it had betrayed him instead of his father.
"What'd he say?" Craig asked, still staring at him. "Don't tell me…"
"He said I gotta do the five o'clock delivery again! It's not fair, why do I have to do it everyday, it- I, I wanted to stay here with you, not go... Fuck, I hate it I want out, I want out!" Tweek pulled at his hair, obviously unnerved about the whole ordeal and not exactly the most excited to go home.
"Are you serious?" Craig gasped, exasperated. "If you leave, I don't have a teammate!"
"Craig's being a whiny bitch today," Clyde commented, rolling his eyes. "Dude, just see if you can text Token or something."
"I texted him earlier, he can't come. Tweek, are you sure you can't stick around? What's the worst that could happen?"
"My parents could sell me into slavery or take my coffee away or- AHH IT'S TOO MUCH PRESSURE!" Tweek pulled fervently at his hair and shirt, twitching like mad and trying to curl in on himself.
"J-J-Jesus!" Jimmy stuttered, eyes going wide.
Craig's body released it's frustrated tension, immediately moving over to Tweek. "Hey, hey- s-sorry, no, it's fine. I don't want you to get in trouble or anything." He wasn't going to lie; there were times he was really worried about him. The kid's parents gave him awful vibes every time he visited. It was like they had eyes everywhere. No matter where they were in the house, there was a sense of being watched and listened to. No wonder Tweek was always so freaked out. "Just go home and take care of stuff, okay? Text me when you're done, maybe we can get together after dinner."
Tweek looked up at Craig, clinging at his jacket a bit. "Y-... Yeah, after dinner. I can come back after dinner…" The blonde bit his lip and jerkily moved to hug Craig, jolting into his arms and smooshing his face in his shoulder. "I'll come back when I'm done I- I promise…"
Craig sighed, relaxing into the embrace. "Okay, I guess I'll see you later then." He hesitated, almost worried to let go. "You sure I can't go with you? I dunno, these deliveries...maybe you shouldn't go alone." Tweek was always so quiet about it, so it was hard to tell what exactly he was doing. It always gave him a bad feeling.
Tweek's eyes widened, and his grip tightened a bit too noticeably as he shook his head against Craig's shoulder. "No no, no, I'm fine… I'm fine alone, it'll be okay. I'll go fast okay? I'll go fast and... and then we can go back to playing, right?" Tweek moved to look up at him, eyes betraying a bit of the fear he felt.
"Alright." Craig gave him a reassuring smile and one last squeeze before letting go. "Oh- hold on, don't go yet." He stooped back down to the ground, searching until he found the knife he'd dropped. "Borrow this then. Ya know, just to be safe." He was sure his mom wouldn't miss it from the kitchen for one more day.
"Thanks," Tweek muttered, looking bewildered at the knife now in his hands. "I'll keep that in mind…"
Satisfied, Craig waved to the others. "I'm going home too, then," He said, pulling his cape a little tighter around his shoulders. It was getting cold, and he needed a break. Besides, he didn't have anyone to fight beside him now.
"CRAIG, YOU CAN'T GO HOME!" Clyde begged as he and Tweek began to head down the hill, going their separate ways.
"Wuh- well, I guess it's just the t-t- t-... two of us now, ey Clyde old p-pal?" Jimmy winked at his friend, casually sauntering over and placing a hand on his shoulder.
Clyde jumped at the sudden touch, rolling his eyes. He leaned into his hand, sighing. "I guess so. Looks like we're the only ones who actually wanna play these days." He twirled his play weapon in his fingers, watching it spin. "You up for some one on one?"
"You knu- know it, compadre." Jimmy smiled and stepped away to ready himself for their friendly duel. The two of them began to jump back and forth, swinging their weapons and giggling as they kicked up the snow.
Craig just pulled his cape closer around himself as he marched down the hill, his friends' giggles fading as he headed home. It just wasn't fair! He always got the short end of the stick when it came to their fantasy game. He liked Tweek being his partner - they made a great team when he was actually around - but that's just it! Tweek wasn't around most of the time anymore. Oh well; now all there was left to do was head home and hope dinner would be ready.
It was hard to keep his mind from wandering.
These deliveries though… They hadn't been sitting right with Craig. Tweek always seemed so scared about them, and not the normal kind he could snap out of with a bit of soothing. It was in his eyes, and it was starting to freak him out.
Craig had never been much for showing care towards other people, but with Tweek, well… He didn't know, it was different. He knew this all started out as a ruse but he was glad that it had gotten so real over the years. And if Tweek was in some kind of trouble, he wanted to know if he could help.
With thoughts still spinning in his head, the exhausted teenager climbed the steps up to his front door and pushed it open. "Moooooom! I'm home!" he called, pausing until he heard her yell a quick hello in response. He discarded his wet, slush-filled boots at the door, rubbing at his arms in attempt to warm himself up. He could hear the TV on in the living room, blaring cartoons. His sister, Ruby, was probably going to hog it all evening until his dad turned on the news. He sighed with frustration, stomping up the stairs and letting the makeshift cape untie and flutter to the floor behind him. He'd pick it up later.
Craig eventually made it to his room, kicking open the door as he pulled his phone from his pocket. He'd taken ten minutes to get home from when he'd last seen Tweek. How long did those deliveries last again? Shrugging, he flopped on to his space-decorated comforter and pulled up his number.
5: 17 PM Craig: hey dude where are you
5: 17 PM Craig: are you done yet
5: 18 PM Craig: i kinda wanna finish playing
He paused, staring at the dimly lit screen.
5: 18 PM Craig: or something idk whatever you wanna do
5: 18 PM Craig: just text me when ur done
Craig sighed, setting his phone down and rolling over on his bed. He wondered if Tweek was okay. Not just with this delivery… The Tweaks always creeped him out. He wondered if Tweek was safe with them…
No, he was. Someone woulda figured it out already, and they aren't exactly pulling any methodical fire alarms, here. Sure, Mr. and Mrs. Tweak were weird, but Tweek woulda told him if they were doing something really bad. He told him everything.
"Craig! Dinner!"
He glanced at his phone one more time, hoping for an answer. Nothing. Nothing at all. "Jeez, Tweek, you're leaving me hanging…" He quickly began to type, feeling uncharacteristically desperate.
5: 21 PM Craig: heeeeyyyyyy im going down to dinner ok i prob wont respond
5: 21 PM Craig: so if you text me ill get back to you later
5: 21 PM Craig: ok?
He set down his phone, biting his lip. "Come on, Tucker, stop worrying, you're acting like your boyfriend," he muttered, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Whatever. Tweek was fine. He left the phone face down on the bed before sliding off the sheets, feet hitting the floor.
"COMING!" he shouted, skittering out the door and going down the hall. As he descended the stairs, he looked back just one more time towards his bedroom. If it was really just a delivery run, he'd have his phone-
"FUCK!" he screamed, stepping on the cape he'd lazily discarded earlier. He went tumbling down the remainder of the stairs to the floor. "Goddammit!" he whined, rubbing at his arm as he sat up.
"Did you really just fall?" his father's voice asked. Craig jumped, eyes darting up to see the tall man towering over him.
"No," he muttered, embarrassed as he flipped his father off. Just preoccupied is all.
"Oh," he replied, shrugging his shoulders and heading towards the table. Craig wobbled to his feet, deemed himself not broken, and hurried to catch up.
Dinner at the Tucker house was pretty predictable. Craig said something about his day ("Tweek had to leave early again,"), Mr. Tucker "Oh"ed him, Mrs Tucker scolded her husband ("Don't just 'oh' him Thomas!" "Yeah, don't just 'oh' me!"), and everyone flipped each other off. It was just their way of interacting. They all understood that no harm was ever meant by it, so it worked out.
Tonight, however, went a little different. After the initial flipping off, Craig just… Couldn't help it. He needed to get something off his chest.
"Um...Mom, Dad? Do you think Tweek is… safe with his parents?"
Silence. No 'oh's from his father or anything that normally followed. Craig shifted uncomfortably in his chair, and Ruby just pushed around her mashed potatoes. It was… awkward.
Finally, his mom broke the silence with a soft cough. "Honey, what do you mean by that?"
"I mean, uh, Tweek just always seems so nervous, and they make him go on these weird deliveries that he'll never tell me about… I always feel weird when I'm in their house. Do you think they're doing something to him?"
"I...I dunno, that's not really…" she paused, almost unsure of how to continue. "Hmm. Maybe you should bring it up with him? I really don't know what else to tell you, Craig, but I've talked to his parents before and they seem just fine." She gave him a small smile before reaching for one of the bowls on the table, trying to change the subject. "Do you want more mashed potatoes?"
Craig looked down and shook his head. "No mom, they- they make me feel uncomfortable. Whenever I go over their house it feels like someone's watching us… And Tweek's always so jumpy, and some of the things he says… Don't you think something might be wrong?"
"Craig, honey, I said I don't know," she repeated, setting the bowl back down on the table. "Tweek's always like that though, isn't he? He's got that ADHD or something like that, I suppose it's normal for him. I wouldn't worry. I think it's great he helps so much with the family business, I'm sure he's a great help."
"Mom, I've seen kids with ADHD, Clyde has ADHD, listen- Would you ever let me drink anywhere near as much coffee as he drinks?" He needed her to understand.
"It's none of our business," she sighed, scooping a bit more potatoes for Ruby. "I can't tell them how to parent. There's nothing we can do about it, alright? Don't worry about your boyfriend. He's going to be just fine."
"You wouldn't say that if it was your boyfriend! Mom, he's been drinking ten cups a day since he was eight! He's constantly worried his parents are gonna sell him into slavery if he doesn't listen, isn't that bad?! I'm sure there's something we can do!"
His mother shifted uncomfortably, refusing to make eye contact. "Craig, we're done talking about it."
Craig banged a fist on the table, frustrated and distressed. "No we're not! He's my boyfriend and I'm worried about him! You're an adult, there's gotta be something!"
"Craig William Tucker, I said enough." She glared at him, giving him a look that dared him to continue. "Finish your dinner."
"I'm not hungry," Craig grumbled. He pushed his plate away and stood up, deciding to go back upstairs. He had to check to see if Tweek messaged him. With a frustrated huff he climbed his way back to his bedroom, flopping back onto his bed and flipping over his phone.
Zero notifications.
"Dude, what the fuck?" he muttered, raising an eyebrow. He picked up the phone and unlocked it, opening their chat.
Nothing.
5: 54 PM Craig: dude what the fuck where are you
He set it back down, resting his chin on his crossed arms as he laid on his stomach. He stared at the screen as if it would make something happen; maybe if he stared hard enough, that little typing bubble would appear. As the seconds slowly ticked by, his panic began to return. Were his deliveries supposed to last this long? He said he'd text him after he was done, the messages weren't even showing as read!
5:58 PM Craig: tweek im serious, text me back
5:58 PM Craig: i know you don't put your phone on silent unless its an emergency
5:59 PM Craig: wait
Jesus Christ! He set down the phone, blinking in thought. Was he in danger? Nothing was lining up today. Craig slid back off the bed, taking his phone with him as he left his bedroom and headed down the stairs.
"Mooooom! Mom!"
No answer. She was probably busy. "Goddammit," he muttered, stomping towards the living room as he continued messing with his phone. The vibration of an incoming message made him jump, quickly switching back to his messenger.
6: 04 PM Clyde: dude are we playing more r what
"Ughhhhhhh," he groaned, clicking the screen off and flopping onto the couch. The news was playing quietly, his dad sitting in a chair across from him. He rolled his eyes, letting his attention wander towards the screen. A news anchor was introducing a new story.
"...The alleged South Park drug ring investigation is still under development tonight..."
Craig perked up, suddenly interested.
"This long running case has been the talk of the town ever since South Park Police Chief, Sergeant Yates, declared it a threat to the city in November. Officers have been looking into the many missing person cases believed to be associated, as well as the various suspected houses in our neighborhoods. According to Yates, he believes they are quote 'coming one step closer to cracking down on the source of the illegal trade and distribution.' If you see or hear anything suspicious, do not hesitate to report it to officials. Stay safe everyone. In other news-"
"I bet ten dollars it's the fuckin' McCormick's," his dad muttered, shifting in his chair. "They've got all sorts of shit in their yard, I wouldn't be surprised…"
Craig grimaced uncomfortably, eyes darting back to his phone. He opened back up his conversation with Clyde.
6: 10 PM Craig: idk tweek wont fucking message me back
6: 10 PM Craig: he wont answer his phone its really weird and tbh im worried
He glanced back up at the TV. They'd been talking about the drug ring story for nearly two months now, but he was getting a strange feeling in his stomach he'd never gotten the last time he'd heard about it.
6:11 PM Clyde: calm your shit dude, tweek flakes sometimes. hes probably chugging coffee somewhere away from his cell, maybe try calling the home phone?
Craig sighed, pressing his phone to the front of his forehead and closing his eyes. Clyde didn't get it.
6: 11 PM Craig: no you dont understand then his parents are gonna fucking pick up and im not in the mood to deal with that right now ok
6: 12 PM Craig: theyre just creepy
6: 12 PM Craig: weird
6: 12 PM Craig: you only talk to them if you have to okay
Craig had always felt a little wary around his boyfriend's parents. They'd always be checking up on them, and they'd offered him coffee on at least fifteen occasions at this point. However, that was nothing compared to how he'd seen them act when they thought he wasn't around. He'd seen them tell Tweek some pretty terrible things… He even remembered hearing from Token about the first time he'd been over at Tweek's; his parents apparently got mad he didn't lock the door or something, they flipped! It just had never sit right with him… He could tell they were trying to seem more approachable and friendly when he came over too; they always had this strained look suggesting they were hiding their true feelings…
It just creeped him out. Sometimes he wished he could just take Tweek away from them and have him live at his house… but it didn't work like that. His parents wanted him around. Probably because he's their errand boy, Craig thought bitterly.
The bottom line was, something was very wrong with Tweek's parents. He was… worried. He was very worried about it.
6: 15 PM Clyde: fine whatever then i guess thats not gonna work
6: 15 PM Clyde: idk what to do then lol
"Fucker," he muttered, dropping his phone lazily onto the couch beside him and staring blankly at the TV screen. The news was still blabbering, but he couldn't seem to focus on it. His mind was elsewhere. Whatever was going on tonight, he would just have to find out tomorrow at school. Clyde was probably right. Tweek was just being a flake again.
He could only hope that was the truth.