Chapter 4: Beware of the Nice Ones III

"… I swear I heard the footsteps of a ghost, Craig! It tried to get me!" The blond waved his free hand around in an exaggerated fashion. Craig felt how badly the other boy was still shaking through his other hand.

"It's just your imagination Tweek," the boy in blue said calmly. "Besides, don't ghosts float? You wouldn't have heard footsteps in that case."

"Hey that's right!" Tweek stopped to think. "It might not have been a ghost, but I heard what I heard. You have to believe me Craig!"

"I believe you." replied Craig honestly, gently squeezing his partner's hand in reassurance. They both moved against the crowd, deeper into the school building towards the gymnasium. "Why did Kyle want to meet with you again?"

"I don't know… advice I guess?" Tweek decided to leave out the part of Kyle being gay. He didn't think it was anyone's business but Kyle's own.

"Why alone though?" Craig asked, frowning.

"I-I don't know," Tweek repeated lamely. "I think he's embarrassed."

"Embarrassed about what?" Craig was becoming increasingly concerned. The other boy could only reply in an incoherent jumble of words, realising he couldn't give a proper explanation without lying or outing Kyle. The normally stoic one sighed. "It's ok babe, I'm just worried for you. From personal experience, I know Kyle and those other three guys always have some stupid idea to do something, which always backfires. You could end up in some foreign country, or outer space, or something."

"I-I'll be fine Craig!" said Tweek, now sounding less than certain. They paused in front of the gymnasium doorway, still holding hands. "Kyle is a nice guy, trust me."

It was the second time today Tweek noticed that Craig had that same slight deviation in his normally stoic facial expressions, like he wanted to say something but was conflicted. "Tweek, I trust you completely," the boy finally admitted after a moment, in a volume so soft that the other thought he imagined it.

"It'll be ok." Tweek reiterated again, stating this equally for his own sake. "I'll see you around ok?" After Craig nodded, he felt the emptiness of the air around his now free hand as they broke apart. The blond gave one last gentle smile to the only person who could make him feel safe and calm, before pushing through the heavy doors alone.

Tweek saw a familiar figure in bright green and orange clothing, leaning on the furthest wall and staring intently at his phone. He moved awkwardly towards Kyle, less sure of why he ended up here in the first place, instead of walking home with Craig in comfort. As he got closer, the other boy finally noticed him and gave him a strange look that was a mixture of relief, happiness and something more.

"Tweek! You're actually here." Kyle was quickly by his side and pulled the blond boy into a tight hug. "I was about to call you."

Tweek suddenly felt really uncomfortable, squirming in the other's hold. He realised Kyle was acting quite unlike his usual self. He might have been possessed by that library ghost, Tweek thought. "Eeek! Kyle could you let go please?"

"Sorry about that." The apology wasn't reflected in any change of his facial expression. "Uh, I was thinking… I know that you and Craig have been together for some time." Kyle stressed an unnecessary emphasis on the word together. "I was just wondering, how he is like, as a boyfriend?"

"Nngh! Wha-what do you mean?" Tweek looked quite puzzled.

"You know… Like, what are the traits that Craig has that you even find… remotely attractive?"

There was an awkward pause as the blond processed what the other boy was trying to say. Suddenly, Tweek audibly gasped. "Y-you, you…" he struggled to say, pointing at Kyle.

"Yes, that's right," Kyle nodded.

"… you like Craig!"

Kyle felt like slapping his own face in frustration. Now he realised why Craig sometimes seemed to be so blunt towards Tweek, out of necessity rather than a lack of subtle. "No dude. Uh, listen… some people think he wouldn't be the most qualified to be with you."

"W-what are you trying to say?" Tweek was starting to feel like they were just talking in circles.

"I'm saying, he's clearly not an emotionally available person." Kyle continued to stare at the other boy, intent burning in his eyes. "This isn't good for you."

"You… you don't even know what he's like when we are alone." Tweek looked away. He didn't even know why he once thought Kyle's eyes were similar to Craig's greyish green ones. Kyle's was deep green, so bottomless it felt like they might swallow him whole.

"No, you're right." Kyle conceded. "But I do know him from before you two even got together. You know, when we went on a trip to Peru, he practically told me that he liked things to be simple and boring." Tweek turned quickly to look at the other boy in surprise. This was new information about Craig he didn't know. "You are not a simple person, Tweek. You are definitely not boring, to me."

"No… no that doesn't mean anything. Nngh! That doesn't… that ca-can't be right! He-he told me… he told me…"

"You can even ask Stan or Cartman, they were also there." Kyle spoke with such authority, it must have been the truth. "Regardless, you deserve much better than Craig."

"Rrrrr! Why are you even care?!" Tweek finally snapped back.

That sudden outburst caused Kyle to pause for a while, before sighing. "Listen, that person I have a crush on… that person is you."

"Wha-what… me!?" Tweek's jaw dropped in surprise.

"Ahahaha!" Boomed a different voice hidden behind a nearby platform, accompanied by the familiar sound of heavy footsteps heading towards the other two boys. "This is just perfect."

"Cartman!" Kyle turned to look at the newcomer in shock. He had on a knowing smirk. "Wha-what are you doing here!? How did you even know where… How much did you hear!?"

"I heard it all. You took everything from me, Kahl! Heidi would have still been mine if you didn't force us to go search for your stupid lost brother! I bet that was all part of your sneaky plan!" Cartman was close enough to now show the other two boys the screen on his phone. It was a recently sent text message with an attached photo of Kyle hugging Tweek forcefully, and the receiver of that message was Craig. "I can't just let you go off and have a happy ending, while I was made to suffer because of you!"

Kyle realised he had no time to freak out, his mind worked overtime. He knew Craig's house was at least ten minutes walking distance from the school, so that means he has five minutes minimum to persuade the blond of his pure intentions. However, he needed to deal with Cartman first. "Fatass! I told you that wasn't…"

"Gah! Just shut up for a second, Kyle!" The other two boys turned towards the shaking blond in alarm at the sudden outburst. Tweek thought it was strange, but for once he was thankful that Cartman was here. "Cartman, was everything he said… about what Craig likes, is it true?"

The large boy didn't immediately reply for once, instead looked at Tweek in thoughtful contemplation. "Yes," he finally admitted truthfully. "… and Kyle, I won't be interrupting you any further. After all, I now have front row seats to this train wreck." He snickered as he sat down on a nearby bench.

Kyle chose to ignore Cartman as there was no time. Instead he took a step towards Tweek, who seemed to be zoning out. "Tweek, everyone else maybe stupid, but I know you are in a fake relationship to keep everyone happy in the first place." This shocked Tweek out of his stupor, he had nearly forgotten how his relationship started. This amplified the growing feeling of doubt.

"… please stop Kyle." Tweek shook his head, not wanting to hear anymore. Kyle quickly grabbed the blond's badly shaking wrist, so that he couldn't step away.

"You don't need to be with Craig. In his twisted mind, he probably thinks staying with you is the easiest and most simple solution to keep everyone happy. Everyone but you! Has he even properly said you guys are going out as real boyfriends?" Kyle's grip was tightened so much that the other boy felt nails digging into his skin. "He doesn't even think about your feelings. He's using you."

Tweek suddenly felt as if his heart was stabbed by spikes. It's true, Craig hasn't brought up the status of their relationship ever since deciding to stay as fake boyfriends. Craig only said he liked him more than a friend, that may not mean as boyfriends. For all he knows, it might have just been his own typical delusions that he thought they now had something more together. Tweek's vision blurred as his eyes started to sting. "Kyle, sto-stop! You-you're hurting me."

"Tweek, you don't need to be in pain anymore." Kyle leaned in so close that only Tweek could hear him whisper softly. "I can make you happy. I can, because unlike that guy, I actually love you..."

There was a loud bang as the entrance doors suddenly swung open. All heads turned towards the figure in blue, who was out of breath.

"Craig!"