So I've loved South Park since forever, but the Stick of Truth really dragged me into the fandom and I have to say, there needs to be more Cryde. This is my attempt at helping to further that agenda, or, something. Anyway, please enjoy!

"A-and then we lost the Stick and I got banished from space and tiiiiiiiiime!"

Craig had known something was up with Clyde the second his friends broke him out of detention. That part was expected. The sight of some new kid wearing Clyde's helmet was not. He turned to Facebook for explanation, and there it was: Clyde was banished from the game. Weak.

So instead of going straight back to the KKK Craig stopped at the house next door to his to hear the full sob story from Clyde, complete with actual sobs.

"But he didn't have the Stick. You made him lose it," Craig reasoned. He thought it was pretty good reasoning, but apparently it was the wrong thing to say because Clyde looked at him with trembling dejection. "I mean, without the Stick he doesn't have the power to do that," Craig elaborated. This didn't help either.

"That's what I saaaaaaid!" Clyde wailed. "But he's a king so he doeees! I even tried joining the elves but I can't play anymore because a king banished meeeee!"

"Those guys are assholes," Craig said. "You're better off not playing with them anyway."

"You're still playing with them," Clyde pointed out miserably, eyes downcast.

Craig hesitated. Those guys were assholes, and he didn't like hanging out with them – nobody at school did – but the game was fun. Considerably less so now that Clyde couldn't play, but still. "The whole town's playing, Clyde."

"Yeah, except me."

Craig frowned. He wasn't a very comforting person, just in general. Put that together with a best friend who needed comfort constantly and you had some awkward moments. "I could try talking to the king. Maybe when we have the Stick again he'll un-banish you," he tried. He wasn't very hopeful, but it was worth a shot, even if all it did was cheer up the banished warrior for the time being. By the immediate look of protest on Clyde's face it did not, and Craig was still very bad at this.

"No! If he gets the Stick back all he'll do is make it official. I hate Wizard Fatass!" Clyde declared hotly. "Him and that stupid new kid!"

"He was wearing your helmet." Craig wasn't sure why he felt the need to tell him this. Maybe he just wanted someone else to be as irritated as he was about it.

"ARGH! I HATE HIM, I HATE HIM!" He was.

Craig's pocket buzzed then, and he pulled out his phone to see a Facebook notification. It was a message from the grand wizard.

Craig, the fuck?! Douchebag didn't break you out for you to watch Red fucking Racer! We're going to reclaim the Stick RIGHT NOW so you'd better report to the KKK or I will BANISH YOU FROM SPACE AND TIME!

The daggers Craig glared into his phone were only blunted by his confusion at the follow-up message, appearing just as he'd finished reading the first.

When we get back you're in charge of the shop because Clyde's gone and you sound like him.

"I don't sound like you." Craig looked up, disgruntled, but Clyde wasn't in front of him anymore – he was at his side, peering invasively to see the messages. Craig paused, but slowly angled his phone so Clyde could see it better from where he was. It didn't stop the shorter boy from leaning in, and then grabbing Craig's wrist to pull his hand closer.

"Can't you just take the phone?" Craig muttered, but Clyde did not seem to consider this as he stared intently at the small screen.

That was another thing: Clyde was touchy-feely. He supposed it went hand in hand with the whole needing comfort thing, but the point was, Craig was not. Not usually. Like many unspoken rules, there was also one unspoken exception, and for Craig, that exception was Clyde. Shoving him away seemed like a level of heartlessness he couldn't quite achieve. The other reason – the bigger one – was that he liked him. A lot.

Now, Craig didn't want to like him like that. There was nothing good about having a crush on your best friend. Who was a guy. When you were also a guy.

The point was it was bad. By the time he realized he had these feelings they became impossible to ignore. It was stupid that one little touch was all it took to make him think about Clyde like that, but that's exactly what happened every damn time. He loved it when he touched him, but sometimes he also wished he'd stop.

"Guess you have to go," Clyde finally let go of Craig to sink down at the end of his bed. "I should get to go, too. I'll make them regret kicking me out," he said, once again switching from sad to vindictive. "They're going to pay!"

Craig did have to go, but he also had to make sure Clyde wasn't going to do anything stupid. Frustrating crushes aside, it was his duty as the best friend to look out for him. "Don't do anything."

"But- but it's not fair!"

"Yep. And if I had the Stick I'd control the universe." Clyde just looked at him blankly. "Clyde, Cartman's not just going to back off if you do something. He'd get you back worse. Just consider yourself lucky you don't have to play with him anymore, and don't." As if on cue, Craig's phone buzzed again, lighting up with another message.

CRAIG I AM SERIOUSLAH

"I have to go," Craig said. "Just play video games inside or build a tree fort or something, okay? Don't try to get revenge. I'll see if I can hang out later."

Clyde didn't say anything, just nodded. Craig didn't have any more time to stick around; he just hoped that he'd convinced him to leave it alone. It sucked, but it could be worse.

Craig decided that he didn't mind Sir Douchebag as much when he was promoted and stopped wearing Clyde's old helmet. He also helped Craig break into the Inn of the Giggling Donkey's basement, and ultimately got the Stick back for the humans of the KKK. Craig had been skeptical about their chances, but Douchebag was really good at this. He could see why Cartman made him do everything.

Then it got late, and everyone had to go because it was a school night. On Craig's way home he looked up to see that the light to Clyde's room was on, and he barely got in his front door before his phone buzzed with a text message. Craig got to his room and shut the door firmly before he checked it.

u ge tit?

Clyde's texting was one of those things that annoyed Craig to no end at first, until he started to find it kind of endearing – a fact which annoyed him even more, because that text was horrible, what the hell was wrong with him? He was trying not to smile and everything, it was awful.

The Stick of Truth? Yes. It's back in the KKK.

Craig dropped his phone on his bed and went to his closet to change out of his thief costume and into his pajamas. He'd barely made it a step before his phone buzzed with a response, but he ignored it until he finished changing. In that time, it buzzed again. Two new messages.

:D

did u ask wizard about me

Craig sent off a quick 'No.' before going to his window and looking out. Clyde was there, in the window of the neighboring house with his head turned down as his thumbs jabbed away at his phone. Then he looked up and smiled, raising a hand to wave at Craig just as his phone buzzed once again.

thx :)

You're welcome.

He sent the text and gave Clyde a short nod. The brunette smiled again and went back to his phone. In the meantime, Craig's eyes wandered to the new structure in Clyde's backyard. He smiled.

Nice tree fort.

He hadn't been serious when he suggested it, not really, but Clyde took his advice anyway. It made him feel special. Treehouses were pretty much just for playing truth or dare, right? And truth or dare was just a sneaky way to kiss people you liked.

You know, maybe…

His phone buzzed.

glad u got it back im goin 2 sleep now c u at lunch tmrw u will sit w me still rite? :) thx! kinda small now it will b better

Craig blinked over at Clyde through their windows. Curfew or not, they usually texted way later than this.

Yeah, I always sit with you. Not sure if anyone else will. Good night.

:D nite!

Clyde grinned and waved at him. He waved back as the other boy disappeared, his room light flickering off seconds after.

Craig moved away from his own window, pulled off his hat, and ran a hand through his hair. He wanted to talk to Clyde more, and now thanks to his wandering mind, he wanted to kiss him too. Like, more than ever before.

Maybe… maybe it was time to go for it. Get it out of his system, or something; maybe he'd realize Clyde wasn't so great to kiss and get over him. Probably not, but maybe.

Or maybe it would help Clyde realize he liked Craig, too.

He shut off his lights and flopped down to his bed. He needed to figure out a way to make this happen, and do it without risking the devastation of losing Clyde as a best friend. As tempted as he was to just grab and kiss him senseless, he had too much to lose. He didn't think he could handle it if Clyde never spoke to him again. Scratch that, actually – he knew he couldn't.

The treehouse might just be the key. If he could get Clyde to play one of those crappy games with him, like truth or dare, then he could… what, dare him to kiss him? Maybe someone else could dare them to kiss.

Craig frowned. That would involve a co-conspirator, and no way was he telling anybody this. How else could he kiss Clyde; what other crappy clubhouse games existed? Spin the bottle? Then they'd definitely need more people, and it would be left completely to chance. More likely that Clyde would kiss everyone but him. He narrowed his eyes at his ceiling. Spin the bottle was out.

Figuring out how to kiss his best friend proved just about as challenging as he anticipated, and it was kind of exhausting. Eventually he gave up, deciding he would revisit his schemes tomorrow as he drifted off to sleep, dreaming of treehouses, truth or dare, and aliens. Weird.

So what do you think? Is there interest in more? Thank you for reading (and I'd love a review)!