Holy fuck has it been a year I can explain. I had chapter two done and ready on my other computer but the thing took a shit on me and I lost all my files and it took me awhile to get a new laptop, but here I am. Back and better than ever haha. But no really I'll try to update when I can. Anyways hell yeah let's do this.
Throughout the rest of the night Kenny still tried to use every opportunity shown to flirt with the smaller, fresh faced blonde waiter. Although Butters was, of course, too naïve to notice Kenny's true intentions and merely played each advance off as a joke before getting back to work just like before.
Some time later Craig looked up to see a bent over Kenny checking his reflection in his glass, using his pinky as a makeshift toothbrush. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Does he think I'm ugly?" Kenny's brow furrowed, turning his head side to side to get a better view of his mug. "Why isn't he responding to my advances?"
Craig leaned back in his seat and pinched the bridge of his nose, a habit he had picked up from watching his old classmate Stan over the years. "He's a kid, Kenny. He doesn't understand you're trying to get his number."
"That ass doesn't belong to a kid, Craig. What time is it?" Kenny sat up straight, tired of looking at his morphed reflection.
Craig huffed before leaning slightly to the side and grabbing for his cell phone from his pocket. As he pressed the button to check the time he saw he had several missed texts and calls from several men and women who didn't understand what a one night stand was. Dismissing them he looked at the time. "It's about five minutes to eight."
As if on cue Butters walked up to their table, hands behind his back untying his apron. "My last table just left fellas, you wanna go wait out back for me while I change and call Tweek?"
Kenny and Craig had already been gathering up their belongings before Butters even finished speaking and rose up from the booth. "That sounds like a plan, Buttercup. Don't keep us waiting though." Kenny, once again for maybe the tenth time that night, offered Butters a wink. Butters, who once again didn't get the hint, just nodded an 'okay' and walked away from them.
"Aren't you ever going to learn that your winks aren't working?" Craig slipped on his jacket along with Kenny and walked beside the blonde to the back of the restaurant. The cold air stung on their cheeks, turning them a light shade of red.
"You're talking crazy. They always work."
Craig didn't really say anything back because he knew no matter what he said that Kenny wouldn't believe him. The guy was more in love with himself than anyone else he knew. "Do you think Tweek is going to say no? Like he hates me?"
Kenny just gave Craig a weird look, the corner of his lip twisting up in confusion as he side eyed him. "Um, I don't think he really has a reason to. You're starting to be delusional like him."
Craig glared at Kenny. "Don't call him delusional."
"He kinda is Craig I mean-"
"I mean that you better stop it right now before I knock you out." Kenny held his hands up in defense.
"Okay bro, just chill. I won't say another word." Kenny made a zipping lip gestor before locking it and throwing away the key. A cheeky grin now plastered on his face and directed at Craig.
The two turned their head to the sound of a door slamming shut. Butters walked up to them bundled up with some earmuffs and a stereotypically adorable large turquoise scarf. "Hope I didn't make ya fellas wait too long! It sure is chilly out here, huh?"
"Yeah, but I'm a strong man so it's alright. Got plenty of muscle to keep warm." Craig rolled his eyes. "So what'd Tweek say, Buttercup?"
"Oh! He's really excited to see you guys!" Butters was grinning from ear to ear, small lines sculpted almost perfectly on his face. Craig felt a wave of relief roll over him. "Says he hadn't seen Craig since High School so it'll be nice to see him again."
Craig rubbed his neck awkwardly. "I'm excited to see him too."
"Well that's great! Let's get going then!"
"We can take my car." Kenny took out his keys and pressed the button to unlock the door to his precious baby across the parking lot.
"That'd be awful nice, Ken, but I got to take my own car home."
"Did I say my car?" Kenny tossed the keys to Craig who juggled a bit before finally clasping onto them. "I meant Craig's car." Kenny patted Craig's shoulder. "Nice ride huh? I'm sure Craig would like it if I rode with you though instead of with him in his car. Personal space and stuff y'know?"
"Well um, sure? That's alright. I don't mind at all, but um my car isn't all as fancy as that one."
"Doesn't matter. Which one is it? Let's get a move on."
"It's that one over there" Butters pointed to a run down, rusty old Saturn that looked as if it were going to fall apart any moment. The ugly dark green paint was chipping off and there was duct tape holding the bumper on. Not exactly a pretty sight.
Craig laughed, returning the pat Kenny gave him earlier. "Well, I guess I'll see you there, man." Craig walked away to the nicer car, laughing the whole way.
"I'm sorry if you don't like it, Ken." Butters eyes lowered to the ground as he nervously played with the sleeve of his shirt. "I just don't have all that much money."
Kenny, who at first had to admit he almost thought of bailing and riding with Craig instead, fell victim to the almost evilly cute blonde in front of him.
"Awe Butters, it's okay. I'm sure it's a very um… reliable vehicle?"
"It gets me where I need to go I guess." Butters shrugged and a sheepish smile grew on his face. "Well c'mon, like you said let's get a move on. I'm freezing my gosh darn booty off out here." Butters began walking to the car, Kenny trailing behind just to get a look at Butter's swaying hips.
"We wouldn't want that to happen, now would we?"
Butters car wasn't anything all that special. The leather of the seats was growing weak and was decorated with several small holes. The cloth covering the roof of the car had come off, revealing orange Styrofoam type substance in its place. Which itself had handprints and smiley faces drawn into it. Kenny had to admit it made the car kind of cute.
Kenny spoke up over Uptown Funk which had been playing on the radio. "Butters if you ever want a new car you can just tell me. I have the money to buy you a new one."
Butters merely glanced at Kenny before focusing back on the road. "I'd never ask you to do that for me."
"Why not?" Other people did it all the time. Lovers, friends, family, etc. People weren't usually shy about asking Kenny for jewelry or cars and he didn't mind giving it to them. He loved having the money to do things like that.
"Well, for one, I don't need it. This car runs fine and the heater works."
"Well sure you don't need one, but don't you want one?"
Butters shrugged. "Everybody likes material things to an extent I think and yeah it'd be nice, but I'm alright with just this. Even then, material things aren't the most important thing out there."
Kenny had lived his whole childhood being poor and wasn't happy until he finally had become rich. He felt like his material things brought him happiness. Money could buy anything he wanted. "What's something more important that money can't buy?"
Butters stayed silent for a second, filling the car with nothing except the words of Maroon 5's latest hit, before finally answering the question. "Love."
Kenny stiffened in his seat as Butters turned into parking garage and parked the car.
"Well, here we are, Ken." Butters undid his seatbelt and got out of the car, leaving behind Kenny who sat in his seat for a few seconds longer before slowly following Butters' lead.
They had met up with Craig in the parking lot before going up to the apartment. Craig noticed Kenny seemed a bit troubled, giving him a small nudge which knocked Kenny out of his thoughts and back to normal. He wasted no time in giving Craig a shove back.
Butters fumbled for his keys in his pocket once they got to the door, freezing and looking up when hearing the door being unlocked and opened by his blonde roommate who was standing on the other side. "You guys s-sure took your time g-getting here."
Craig took notice that Tweek's hair had grown a bit fuller since they were teens and seemed to have had an attempt to have been combed through. He still had the same fashion sense, but his buttons seemed to be all nice and in order now. He didn't look as if he was twitchy anymore either. Craig was a bit disappointed at that. The only thing that still remained was a bit of stuttering and his nervousness (obvious through the way Tweek was looking around the hall nervously.)
"We didn't take that long. You're just excited huh?" Butters giggled as Tweek began to sputter in his defense, a light pink decorating his cheeks. "I-I'm not THAT excited! I mean a little, but um- AH!" Tweek reached up and grabbed his locks.
'There it is.' Craig thought as he smiled to himself.
"I'm just kiddin' Tweek." Butters walked into their apartment, peeling off articles of his snow gear along the way. "Come on in fellas. It probably ain't as big and nice as you're used to, but it's warm and comfy."
Butters was right. The apartment wasn't very big at all. One bedroom which Tweek and Butters shared. No worries though because they had two separate beds.
The bathroom was nothing to brag about either. Cramped with nothing but the bare necessities and some drug store soaps and shampoos. The living room was a bit bigger but was furnished with nothing more than a medium sized couch and an older version television which were separated by a chipped wooden coffee table. The kitchen smelled off coffee and sweets, which honestly surprised neither Craig nor Kenny.
Although it was small, Kenny thought it had a comfortable and warm feeling just like Butters had said. Something different from his large mansion.
Craig and Kenny took a seat on the couch with Tweek pressed between them. Craig was a bit awkward and unable to grow some balls to actually start up a conversation so Kenny did it instead.
"I'll get us some snacks." Butters left the three of them and went to the kitchen.
"So Tweekers," Kenny started, leaning back in the less than comfy couch. "What you doing now a days?"
Tweek fumbled with the bottom of his shirt nervously, hands shaking as he avoided eye contact with the both of them and focused on the tan carpeted floor. Craig on the other hand couldn't take his eyes off of him. "L-Like what do you mean?"
"I mean like a job. Butters is a waiter, so what do you do?"
"Oh I um… work at a local grocery s-store. Check out." Tweek's voice got a little quieter. "It doesn't pay too much though."
"I would have thought you'd get a job with some coffee involved honestly."
"I've cut back a lot. I still d-drink it, but definitely not as much. It'd be hard for me to control my urges if I was around it a-all the time."
Kenny nodded. "That's true."
Craig was surprised to hear that the blonde had cut off something he loved so much when he was younger and now cut into the conversation without a second thought. "Why?"
Tweek ran a tongue over his bottom lip nervously and for the first time that night looked up and met eyes with Craig. "Well I guess I got tired of everyone making fun of me and calling me a freak. Well th-that and no place would hire me because of how twitchy and weird I was. The b-bills needed to be paid y'know?"
Craig only now just noticed how cold and almost sad Tweek's eyes looked in that moment. They craved love and nurturing. Craig nearly kicked himself for not being there. Being there to kick anyone's ass who dared to call Tweek a freak. To defend him. Why should he have to change the way he was for anyone? Craig thought he was perfect. If Craig were around he would have given Tweek the money so he wouldn't have had to worry about getting a job and impressing some fat assholes just to get hired.
"Tweek," Craig reached forward to clutch Tweek's hands in his, causing the blonde to jump in surprise. Kenny at this point felt it was going to get very awkward if he stayed so he wasted no time in standing up and booking it to join a pleasantly surprised Butters in the kitchen.
"If you want I don't mind giving you money." Craig's eyes were serious as he stared into Tweek's own. "You can quit your shitty job and drink all the damn coffee you want."
Tweek stayed quiet before gently pulling his hands back from Craig's. "Now w-why would I wanna do something like that?"
"Huh?"
"This is good for me Craig. I'm getting healthier this way. It's h-helping me break off from an unhealthy addiction." Craig didn't know what to say, but Tweek kept talking. "I don't need you helping support my addiction and I don't w-wanna take money from you for no reason either."
Craig tried to choke out words in a response. Tweek was right. Craig ran his hands over his face. How stupid could he be? "Tweek I'm sorry. God I'm a fucking idiot I just thought-"
Craig felt Tweek's hands on his shoulder and back in a comforting gesture. "D-don't beat yourself up and insult yourself. Y-you're not an idiot, you just wanted to h-help me out with something you thought I wanted."
Craig peeked at Tweek. A blonde angel. "I can still give you money though."
"Craig, I don't need it. H-honestly."
"Tell me what I can do for you?" Craig asked almost desperately, but managed to hide it enough to where it didn't break his 'cool' composure. Tweek wouldn't say it out loud, but he knew Craig enough to read him pretty well. Craig knew it too which is probably why he was too comfortable and almost let his guard down already.
"Well you c-can come to visit me more. I k-kinda miss being friends with you."
"…Just that?"
"Do you not w-want to?" Tweek began to look a little panicked.
"No no. That's not what I meant at all. I just…" He paused. "You don't want me to buy anything for you?"
"I don't need you to buy anything for me, Craig. Just be my friend again." Tweek bit his bottom lip, looking up at the taller black haired man on the couch next to him. Craig thought Tweek's large coffee brown eyes reminded him of a guinea pig. A really cute eyed guinea pig.
Craig never had anyone ask him for just his friendship in such a long time. "You got it, Tweekers." And with that he gave the blonde his first genuine smile of the night.
"You should spend the n-night." Tweek offered cautiously. "We can sleep out here and watch old VCR tapes like when we were still kids."
Craig laughed. "You still own a VCR player?" Tweek gave him a playful, very weak, slap on his arm which just made Craig laugh even harder. He missed this. This was just pure fun that wasn't based on his incomes. It was a comfortable change.
Meanwhile in the Kitchen Kenny sat up on the counter as he watched Butters, adorned with a pink hello kitty apron, remove some jalapeno poppers from the oven. It was almost nostalgic as he remembered all those nights he would sneak out when Butters parents weren't home and his friend would make him food and listen to Kenny complain about his family as he ate whatever snack Butters cared to make for him. He was the only one who ever really cared to listen and care for what Kenny had to say.
They used to be pretty close friends until Kenny took off and got rich.
"If you came over to my place I'd have my cooks make you a feast like you never had before."
It was around now that Butters had finally started to catch on to Kenny's lines. He may be slow, but he wasn't completely ignorant. "I'm sure they would, but…"Picking up a popper he stuffed it into Kenny's mouth. "These are pretty tasty too."
Kenny shrieked while opening his mouth and dropping the hot popper into his palm and tossed it into the trash before he fanned his tongue.
"Too spicy?"
"No!" Kenny spoke with his tongue out, a pout on his face directed to the other blonde in the room. "Hot. It burnt my tongue."
"Oops! Sorry Ken. I'll fix that for ya. Just a sec." Butters giggled mischievously as walked to the cupboard.
"You can fix burnt tongues?"
"Mhm. It's a trick my mom taught me." Butters reached for the sugar and carried it back to Kenny. "Stick out your tongue for me please.
Kenny did as told and Butters reached in the bag for some of the sugar before placing it onto Kenny's injured tongue. "How's it feel?"
Kenny smacked his lips a bit as he moved his tongue around his mouth to distribute the sugar all over his tongue."Wow! It's like…healed?! How'd you do that?"
"Um… with the sugar?" He laughed.
"Nah." Kenny beamed at him. "You got to be like a healing angel or something with some magical healing powers."
"Well, not the last time I checked." Butters walked back across the room to put the sugar away.
"I should hire you as my personal nurse. You'd get paid a lot more and you can live in my big mansion."
Butters sighed, catching Kenny off guard. "You sure do like to brag about your money, don't cha?"
In shock, Kenny barely knew how to respond. "Is that a bad thing?"
"It's something I don't particularly care about honestly."
"You're not impressed?"
"It's not that it's not impressive Kenny, I told you earlier that there's just more important things than money and material things."
"…Like love?"
"Exactly."
"I can give you that." Kenny replied in a serious tone and hopped down from the counter.
Butters turned suddenly on his heel, surprised as he looked at the other blonde who crossed the room over to him. "Huh?"
"I can give you love too. Love and money." Kenny reached to set his hands on Butters waist.
Butters just looked at him before slowly lowering hands to take Kenny's own off of his hips. "You still just don't get it, Ken."
Kenny looked concerned at his response. "Get what? I said I'd give you my love too."
"Well for one, you don't love me. It's lust. Second, you still just don't get it." Butters sighed disappointed, going to pick up the poppers. "Maybe…" Butters clicked his tongue. "If you come to understand I'll possibly fall for you and take you up on that offer." An almost playfully naughty grin found its way onto Butters lips. It might be fun to make a little game out of this.
Kenny stepped closer. "Understand what? Tell me."
"Figure it out yourself. It's a challenge." Butters just gave him a playful wink and carried the tray of food out to Craig and Tweek in the living room, leaving Kenny behind.
Kenny just stood dumbfounded in the middle of the kitchen, completely confused as he tried extremely hard to understand what the hell Butters had meant.