Title: Four Times
Author: timeisTicking
Pairing: Kenny/Craig
Genre: Romance
Disclaimer: I do not own South Park or any of the characters mentioned. I'm just borrowing them.
Summary: He remembers a time when Kenny was just a good partner for projects and more of nothing, just another annoyance who caused too much trouble. He wishes he could take it back, go back to the moment when he started to not mind his presence, when he started enjoying it. He wishes he could go back and stop himself from pulling from his normal, boring life. OR the four times Kenny says he loves Craig, and the one time Craig says he loves Kenny.
A/N: So I'm not so sure I like this because the characters seem OOC to me. I don't see Craig and Kenny as the type of people to be all 'ohh I love you' and thats not how its done in this story, not really. But in some weird reason just finishing a fic has made me pleased enough to post it. So enjoy, if not, I'm sorry to disappoint you. I never claimed to be a good writer, I just like it.
One
The first time had been back in seventh grade, back when Craig didn't really have friends. Craig didn't really mind being a loner. He remembers back in fourth grade when he'd hung out with Clyde, Tweek and Token. Was somewhat the leader of the pack. Somewhere in their last year of elementary school Craig and those guys split up. Tweek was mostly seen with some kid who always wore a baseball cap while Token and Clyde seemed to enjoy each others company more than Craig's.
He was fine with this, they weren't really the closest and Craig really didn't participate in the actual talking or being friends part with them anyways. They were just people to be around and Craig was finding that he much preferred being alone. Other people have proved to cause too much trouble for his likings, anyways. He liked things plain and just a bit boring.
This is why, when Ms. Crabapple assigns him to be partners for an English project with Kenny McCormick that year, he lets out a sigh of relief and not frustration. Craig may like to be alone, may not even like other people. But in the past, hes found it was easy to be partners with Kenny. From hand holding to producing a tv show, Kenny has never been too invasive, one to slack or even talk.
"We can come up with ideas at lunch." Kenny declared after class had been dismissed. And they do. They meet up every day in the library for the following two weeks to discuss the presentation they're going to do on The Outsiders.
Their conversations never really stray from that topic. They just discuss what they're going to do while Craig eats his sandwich and Kenny nibbles on his piece of bread. It not until the their second to last day of meeting up that they talk about anything unrelated to their project.
At this point they are almost done putting together the tri fold. Craig is squeezing glue on to the back of a picture of C. Thomas Howell's head, the actor of Ponyboy in the movie version, when he hears a loud growling noise.
Alarmed, he looks up to find Kenny with his hand rested on his stomach. His eyebrows are furrowed as he lets out a little groan, his lunch seeming to be non existent today.
Craig normally wouldn't say anything, hes not really one to care. But he really wants this project grade and doesn't need his partner dying from hunger on him, doesn't want to be the only one standing in front of everyone. So with a roll of the eye, Craig pushes his ham sandwich towards the other boy.
Kenny's eyes flutter open and at first, he stared down at the food, sending a confused glance in Craig's direction. When he notices the black haired boy is not pulling some cruel joke on him, he grins and picks the food up, happily taking taking a bite out of it.
"Aw man, I kind of love you right now." he says cheerfully as he begins to devour the sand which. Craig just shakes his head as he places the picture of Pony Boy next to the title on their tri fold.
Two
The second time is in their freshman year, Kenny's hands are sweaty from holding his books for far too long and is at the point of dropping to his knees to beg Craig to agree to the favor he is asking of him.
"I'm not doing it." Craig says blankly. He slams his locker shut and begins walking in the opposite direction of the blond male frowning at his back.
"Come on Craig!" Kenny cries out as he follows after him. Craig says nothing in response, just continues down the empty hallway to the exit of the school building.
"Its just for one night. Karen finally has the money to see the movie and I don't want her to go all alone with Ruby!" he adds in. Craig just lets out a little sigh as he pushes open the door leading out to the parking lot. He really didn't want to be around Ruby or Kenny any longer than he needed to be. He just wanted to go home and poke at his new guinea pig, Stripes Junior. Not spend his friday night babysitting his sister and her friend.
But he could also understand why Kenny wouldn't want Karen to go out without someone older to watch after her. He may not like Ruby all too much, but she was his sister and he had to admit he loved her and didn't like her wandering around at night by herself.
"Ask me tomorrow." he says as he lets go of his hold on the door, letting it slam behind him.
And he did. Bright and early the next day he sits behind Craig in Biology class, throwing crumpled balls at the back of his head.
"Come on Craig, just one night. I'll make it worth your wild!" Kenny whispers behind him as Craig tries to pay attention to cell reproduction. Again he just stays silent as he watches the video their teacher has put up for them.
Later that day during his study hall he feels his phone vibrate in his pocket. Craig is not one to text and ignores it at first, continuing to study his notes from biology. When it continues to vibrate, two, three, stretching into more than twenty times, he gives in and pulls his cell out to see hes gotten 25 texts from Kyle Broflovski.
At first he is surprised because he hadn't texted Kyle since he had given him his number back in eighth grade. But soon discovers that despite the name in his cell phone, it is most definitely not Kyle who is texting him.
Kyle Broflovski to Craig Tucker
December 1, 2008 1:30 PM
Craaaaaaig
Kyle Broflovski to Craig Tucker
December 1, 2008 1:30 PM
asdfghjkl
At first those are the first few texts he sees, just his name and a few jumbled letters. But soon they turn into actual sentences.
Kyle Broflovski to Craig Tucker
December 1, 2008 1:35 PM
Craig please, I can't ask Kyle or Stan. The movie is Twilight and they wouldn't go.
Kyle Broflovski to Craig Tucker
December 1, 2008 1:40 PM
Craig, you're an ass and I'm going not giving Kyle's phone back or stop texting you until you say yes
As he reads this, his phone vibrates again in his hands. By now the buzzing has gained the attention of the teacher and a few other students who are in the classroom. Not wanting to listen to his teacher yell about disobedient students or to be on the receiving end of Kenny's harassment through text, he shuts the phone off and flips a page in his notebook.
When he turns his phone on later that night, he is close to two hundred texts and is still receiving new ones.
Finally, defeated, and admittedly not really liking the idea of Ruby being out late, he flips it open and begins typing back a response.
Craig Tucker to Kyle Broflovski
December 1, 2008 11:30 PM
Fine.
Almost instantly after he hits send, his finger still hovering open the enter button, he receives a response.
Kyle Broflovsky to Craig Tucker
December 1, 2008 11:31 PM
This is extremely gay but I kind of love you right now. Thanks dude!
Craig would never admit out loud that he didn't have a lousy time, but whether or not he knows it, the proof is shown by the increasing number of texts Kenny and him exchange through Kyle's phone throughout the day and the amount of time they hang out during their sophmore year.
Three
The third was in their eleventh year of highschool. They were both more older and closer, somehow becoming friends through the text messages and little sisters. They were in the front of Craig's truck, beer in Kenny's lap as Craig parked in front of Bebe's house. She was throwing some party and everyone seemed to be invited.
"If I drink too much, don't tell me what I did tonight." Kenny warns as he climbs out of the truck. Craig rolls his eyes as he shuts down the car before getting out himself. They both make their way into the house and go their separate ways.
Craig didn't really do parties. Wasn't much of a drinker while Kenny was an animal at such events. So instead of going to take a sip out of the suspicious looking drink Cartman was handing out or going to join the crowd around Butter's attempting to do the sprinkler, he plops down on Bebe's couch and searches the channels, ignoring that he couldn't hear what the characters on Red Racer were saying over the music and talking.
The night continues to rage on and people are dancing or doing something stupid. Kenny seems to be one of the many people to pull ridiculous stunts that night, as he is found downing that suspicious liquid Cartman was trying to hand him while many people from the crowd around Butter's cheer him on.
"Go! Go! Go! Go!" they scream.
Craig watches as he stands outside that crowd, unamused, knowing he'd be the one having to make sure Kenny didn't choke on his vomit.
When Kenny's done 'go, go, going!' he lifts his hands up. "Yeaah!" Kenny shouts, piss drunk. People are slapping him on his back, wolf whistling and smiling as he stumbles a little. He seems to search the crowd as people tug and pull, patting him on his head and giving him praise.
Craig leaves to go to the kitchen. He wanted to go home. These people were insane and he wanted quiet which he most definitely wasn't going to get here. He contemplates just leaving as he pulls a coke out of the refrigerator. That is, until he hears someone stomping in behind him.
"Craaaaaig." Kenny slurs, plopping down on Bebe's kitchen table. He lays himself out like a cat stretching after a nap.
"What?" he asks, popping open the soda and taking a gulp. Kenny lays on his side and watches him with a mischievous little grin on his face. He rolls onto his back, cutting the eye contact and staring up at the ceiling.
"Laaah with me." he says, still smiling up at the ceiling. Craig raises an eyebrow at the drunken mans request. Somehow he felt the table would probably break under the combined weight. He didn't want to explain that to Bebe, of all people.
"I don't think so." he responds apathetically. Leaning back against the fridge.
Again, Kenny's eyes meets his. They stay on him for a good while, stay on him, even after hes broken the connection and stares at his hands instead.
Kenny seems to study him a bit longer before he lets out a dramatic, frustrated huff, turning back to the ceiling.
"Thats yuur problem," he slurs, eyes closing instead of examining the tiles above him like before.
Craig stands stiff, what is that supposed to mean? For a good few minutes its silent and Craig thinks Kenny might just fall asleep. However, Craig finds himself asking anyways.
"What do you mean?" he asks, hesitantly.
Kenny doesn't respond right away and Craig wonders if he didn't hear him, hes pretty sure he wouldn't mind because he doesn't know if he wants an answer. But just as Craig is about to dump his coke in the trash and leave, Kenny speaks up,sounding more sober than he should.
"Youhar so stiff. I love youuh, man, but you never want to- want to take risks or be spon-um, spontaahneous."
Craig actually snorts at this, because whats so risk taking about laying on a table? He falls back into being quiet, not saying anything again. He wanted to blurt out that he'd rather not be spontaneous or risk taking. Hes seen the stupid things Kenny and his friends had gotten into over the years. He didn't want to end up on the moon or Japan. But instead, he bites at his lower lip and steps towards the table, pushing Kenny over as he climbs on next to him.
Kenny opens his eyes again and stares at him, looking more tired than before. He smiles and turns back at the ceiling. Craig copies his action and looks at all the little patterns and cracks in the tiles, every once and awhile Kenny lets out a little laugh under his breathe, mentioning that the little squiggles looked like something completely different from what Craig saw.
Neither of them mention Kenny moving his hand towards Craig, fingers falling into the spaces in between his. They just lay there until morning comes and Bebe stumbles through the door, screaming at them to 'Get out!' because her parents were on their way back.
Four
The fourth was the summer before their 12th and last year of highschool. Craig was angry, which was saying a lot. Craig was quiet, he tended to get annoyed easily and had a low tolerance for the bullshit he had to be around and witness. But he never really got angry, not to where he was red in the face and stood with his arms folded, cheeks damp from the tears that were rolling down his cheeks. Today seemed to be a first for everything.
"I'm not fucking off, Craig! Don't tell me you don't care. " Kenny stands behind the other boy, he goes to move closer, trying to turn the other boy around, only to have him pull away.
"I don't want to do this." Craig says dryly. Hes tries to keep himself from sounding like a girl. He doesn't want to deal with this. Doesn't want to talk about...whatever this is. He doesn't know how stupid Kenny got him like this. He remembers a time when Kenny was just a good partner for projects, and more of nothing, just another annoyance who caused too much trouble. He wishes he could take it back, go back to the moment when he started to not mind his presence, when he started enjoying it. He wishes he could go back and stop himself from pulling from his normal, boring life.
Kenny glares at the back of his head, angry. He inhales deeply and exhales shakily.
"Neither do I." he says sadly, he didn't want to argue with Craig. He didn't know what he was so afraid of, why he wouldn't just admit that he likes him, to. That there is more to just late night walks around town, hanging out with their siblings, more to just friends, to what they had. But he didn't want to force it anymore. He rubs the back of his neck, saddened and defeated.
"I know its stupid, but I love you." he says to the silent boy. He can see Craig flinching at that. He didn't care.
"I know you do to, but I'm not doing this, either. I'm not going to push for something you're not going to give in to." Again he reaches out and touches the back of Craig's head, smoothing down his mess of hat hair.
"I'll...I'll see you around."
He adds, finally. He stands there a little while longer, silently praying to whatever gods that Craig would just give in and stop being so stubborn. He doesn't, though. And eventually Kenny has to let go. So he does, He lets go, turning around and closing Craig's front door behind him.
Craig stands in his living room, blank and sad for a long time after Kenny left. It isn't until Ruby comes running in after hanging out with Karen that he moves. It takes one look at him for her smile to drop off her face. She leads him back to his room where he falls into bed, eyes closing, giving in to much needed sleep. Ruby turns out his lights for him, wishing him a good night but silently yearning to do something more. She knew her brother wouldn't want to say anything to her, though. So she goes off to her room and texts her friends for the rest of the night.
They don't talk for the rest of that summer. Craig spends his time alone, going back to the way he was in middle school. Kenny hangs out more with Stan and Kyle, just like in elementary school.
And the one time Craig said it
It was two months before their senior year would end. Neither have really moved on, but Kenny is doing much better, having gotten a job and discovering he has gotten accepted into a community college. Craig is more silent and a bit colder, but finds comfort in the fact that hes got accepted into a university close by. The two are back where they started, oddly enough, being assigned to work together on another English assignment.
Kenny smiles sadly at him and they agree to meet in the library at lunch. They do so and its quiet. A cold, empty silence and nothing like when they were seventh graders. Kenny yearns to say something and Craig always feels like something is stuck in his throat. But for the thee weeks they do not discuss much outside of Pride and Prejudice.
It isn't until the day they are presenting does Craig say something. He is sick and tired of feeling so much. Hes always been so used to not feeling anything and he pulls on Kenny's orange sleeve before they go to enter the classroom, their tri fold resting against the wall. Kenny raises an eyebrow, staring at Craig's hand gripping onto his sleeve.
"I know its late. I was stupid. I know I was and I'm sorry, but. I-I love you to. You don't...have to believe me. Or have to care, but-" before he can finish, Kenny's lips are pressing against his and they are kissing, they are finally kissing after all this time and if Craig thought he didn't want to feel before, he'd wish for the way he was now.
Eventually they pull apart and Kenny pushes Craig's messy hair away from his face, he smiles—wide and truly happy, happier than Craig's seen him in a long time since they're argument and for once he smiles back. Small and shy. Kenny kisses that smile and get lost in themselves until their teacher, Mr. Johanson comes out to call them in to do their presentation.
They don't tell each other they love each other frequently. They aren't the type to be touchy feely and aren't a load of saps, at least not outside of their senior year. But they love each other, somehow came to it after being pushed together for projects and siblings. They wouldn't have it any other way.