The erratic thumping of his heart fills his chest with pains of longing, desperate for the teen across the hall. Fascination swirls in his irises while silently observing his longtime friend and recently discovered crush. The way his whirly blonde strands bounce with his constantly fidgeting frame, and his ever so slightly trembling hands that he balls into fists in an attempt to still them. His shirt presents a new coffee stain that is only partly covered due to several buttons on his flannel being unintentionally left open. Tweek Tweak is the definition of anxiety, and for weeks now, Clyde Donovan has been asking himself just what it is that makes his meek friend so attractive to him. Just as he ponders on this question once more, he nearly chokes on his Gatorade when Tweek lets out a snort. Clyde is certain that it's the most adorable thing he's ever witnessed in his life. He roughly swallows and rubs at his throat, a grin spreading across the soccer player's face as Tweek's frail shoulders lightly jump with his angelic laughter.

Angelic…

That's it: Tweek looks like an angel.

He should ask him if his mom was up there before Tweek fell from heaven.

Yeah, that's surely the best way to hit on your oblivious friend.

In between Tweek's laughter his eyes go from the floor to the lockers on the opposite side of the hallway before spotting Clyde. Tweek's mirthful expression explodes with glee at the sight of his friend, and he nods Clyde over. The latter teen melts at the way Tweek's hair flows with the small action, practically floating over to the group without commanding his body to do so.

"Good morning, Clyde. How are finals treating you?" Clyde slides his arm around Tweek's slim shoulders and pulls him close, relishing how the blonde feels beside his. He notices Tweek's protruding collar bone and how soft his hair is as it flattens against him. Words escape him for far too many seconds. He hears Token, Jimmy, and Craig offer their own greetings before he gains back the ability to speak.

"Not gonna lie, Tweekers, I'm surprised that I haven't collapsed yet. I know there's only a few more days, but my brain is already on summer vacation!" Clyde's words earn an understanding from everyone else, but he barely notices, too caught up in the way Tweek's hair tickles his bicep as it moves across exposed skin. He just had to wear a muscle cut shirt, didn't he? All the other guys said that they're lame, so why didn't he listen for once? Clyde suddenly remembers how he had told his team that they were merely jealous of how much bigger his arms are. Well, he can only blame himself for spending so much time developing his arms when he's a goddamn soccer player.

"We all feel you, man. Soon we'll be out of here and then we can chill all we want after our hard work. Don't give up yet." Token eyes everyone, who each solemnly swear not to slack off for the remainder of the school year. With a dramatic sigh, Clyde leans over to lay his head on top of Tweek's, taking in the scent of vanilla that makes him so weak in the knees that he nearly topples over. Craig shoots him a glare, but before Clyde can process it, the former's face returns to neutral. For a moment, Clyde wonders if it even happened, until Craig uncrosses his arms and grips the back of his tank. Understanding the signal, Clyde releases Tweek from his side, immediately missing the warmth. Tweek shoots him a questioning look that Clyde answers with his own as he and Craig step away from the group. He can feel his friends' gazes on him, hurrying to catch up to Craig's long strides. Ordinarily, he's the slowest of them all, lingering just behind the rest, but suddenly, Craig is anything but lethargic. The space-obsessed tree is nervous, which is quite rare for him. Clyde can tell from the lack of uniformity in each of Craig's steps that are usually thought out and precise. Clyde considers what Craig is so distraught about that he's letting it show so much until the latter spins on his toes to face him. The two almost collide, Clyde managing to stop mid-step.

"Dude, what is going on with you? You're like a machine that's malfunctioning," nervous chuckles spill from Clyde's lips, though he's quick to shut up when Craig continues to stare blankly at him.

"Do you like Tweek?" With a loud gasp, Clyde takes a large step back and nearly bumps into a passing student. A twitch sparks under Craig's left eye as he watches Clyde sputter. "What? Me? Tweek? Like? No, nope, not at all! I mean, of course I like him, we all like him! He's our friend, but that's all he his to me. Why, uh, do you ask?" Craig doesn't look convinced, but his eyes drop and his shoulders sag, hands shoved deep in his pockets. Seeing the change in Craig's demeanor, Clyde wipes the crooked smile from his face and pays close attention to his friend.

"I want to ask him out. I've wanted to for a long time, but…" His downcast eyes suddenly shoot up to meet Clyde's, who has been unconsciously leaning forward as Craig spoke, "Are you sure that you don't feel that way about him? I always thought that you had a thing for him, and if you asked him out, I didn't think that I could compete." With each syllable Craig's voice goes lower just as Clyde's cheeks burn brighter. He's mumbling by the time he finishes speaking, and Clyde could easily be mistaken for a tomato. "You mean, you're intimidated by me?"

Craig sends him another heated glare before directing his gaze downwards again, nodding. Forcing his own feelings for Tweek down, Clyde coughs a bit into his mouth, contemplating what to say next. "You, uh, have no reason to be intimidated. I'm totally not into Tweekie anyway, so yeah. If I did, you'd have some real competition, buddy!" Laughing much too enthusiastically, Clyde slaps Craig on the shoulder multiple times before Craig grabs his hand as it's about to strike again. "Well, if you're sure…"

"Oh yeah, definitely. Go get 'em tiger!" With that, Clyde yanks Craig and pushes him back in the direction of their group. He stumbles a little before turning back around to Clyde, hints of red highlighting the tips of his ears.

"If that's the case, do you think you could help me? I, well, don't know anything about this stuff and you're pretty much the complete opposite of me in that department." A dull ache pools into Clyde's chest as the situation begins to truly dawn on him: Craig likes Tweek, and he wants his freaking advice. Would Tweek say yes to Craig? Is Craig the right person for Tweek? Craig had said it himself. He and Craig are complete opposites in everything. Clyde is optimistic, athletic, and charismatic. While Craig is a total nerd, he's also frightening as hell, despite the fact that he'd probably lose in a fight if he provoked a jock enough. His height, even managing to hover over Clyde, also helps, but at heart, Craig is a geek with a passion for the stars, which makes sense considering that he's always spaced out. Could Craig make Tweek happy? Could Clyde make him happier? Clyde liked to think that he would be better suited for someone like Tweek, who needs reassurance and someone who can listen to him through panic attacks and see him through his worries. He had never thought about this seriously before, but all of a sudden, Tweek has gone from being a beautiful dream to a necessary part of his life. How happy he would be if he could call Tweek his…

"Sure, I'd be glad to assist in your time of need!"

The words flow out of his mouth without his approval.

"What else are friends for?"

Oh, right. Clyde is everyone's buddy, the shoulder to cry on, the one who's always there to aid those in need. Craig has never been in a relationship, and if he liked anyone else, Clyde would be clicking his heels together in joy that the normally stoic teen is seeking his support in this new endeavor. Why does it have to be Tweek?

"Thanks, I'll owe you one."

Why does Clyde have to be such a nice guy?