TW: Throwing up in the first few sentences
The Tuckers weren't home when Tweek and Craig got inside, both Craig's parents at work and Tricia at a friend's house, leaving the pair alone.
Tweek leaned on Craig, swaying on his feet. "I... I think I'm gonna be sick..." he mumbled.
"Oh." Craig was sure Tweek wouldn't make it to the bathroom on time, so he helped Tweek lean against the wall and ran to get a bucket that his mother kept in the cupboard under the sink for these exact situations. Well, maybe not exactly, but close enough. He gave it to Tweek and looked away. He heard the unfortunate sound of Tweek throwing up into the bucket, pant, gag, throw up again, retch, then throw up a third time. Craig rubbed Tweek's back gently and lead him to the bathroom when he was sure Tweek wouldn't immediately throw up again. He was thankful for his tough stomach in this moment.
When they reached the bathroom, Tweek sat on the floor in front of the toilet, breathing heavily. "C-Could I have some water?" he asked.
"Sure." Craig was out the door faster than he would've thought possible and went into the kitchen. He brought back a glass to the bathroom, mindful to not spill anything, and gave it to Tweek.
While Tweek drank, he cleaned out the bucket in the tub thoroughly, then quickly went to get a blanket so Tweek wouldn't have to sit on the cold, hard floor.
Tweek had his face in the sink when he returned, the cold water on full blast as he scooped handfuls and pressed it to his hot, sweaty face.
"I'll get you an ice pack." He put the blanket down and went to get one, returning shortly. "Anything else you need? If you want to move to the bedroom, that's fine, too. I can bring the bucket."
Tweek nodded slightly. "I-I'm tired, Craig," he murmured, cuddling the pack like a stuffed animal.
Craig hummed. "Thought so." He looked at Tweek, debating whether he would make it up the stairs or not. "You think you can manage to get to my room?"
He nodded again. "If you help me, I can." Craig moved towards him and slung his arm around Tweek's waist, giving him support. Together, they managed to get upstairs, most of Tweek's weight being held by Craig as they moved.
As soon as they were in Craig's room, he made Tweek sit on the edge of his bed, hastily kicking off the things he'd put there that morning before patting his pillow to signal Tweek it was okay to lie down. He put the bucket on the floor by the bed and went to find a hot water bottle for Tweek's agitated stomach and some cold medicine.
Tweek slipped sideways, burying his face into the coolness of the pillow. He felt bad making Craig do all this for him. No one ever had before, he didn't think he was really worth it.
Craig came back with medicine that promised to sooth his symptoms fast and help the user sleep, as well as a thermometer, and another glass of water.
He handed Tweek the thermometer so they could look at his temperature. After all, Craig wanted to make sure they wouldn't actually have to go to a hospital. The tiny machine beeped, revealing Tweek had a temperature of 101. Nothing too bad, it was just a low fever. Likely Tweek was in such a bad state due to having been so active all day.
Craig breathed a sigh of relief and took it back, putting it away for now. "Is there anything else you need?" he asked, unsure of what to do. "Mom usually makes us soup or easy on the stomach stuff and Tricia likes to watch movies when she's sick. But I don't really know what to do."
"I don't know, no one has ever taken care of me when I've been sick before. I just sleep through the worst," he said, looking up at him blearily.
Craig nodded and started combing through Tweek's slightly wet hair, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Thought so. That's why I didn't send you home."
Tweek's eyes closed. "You don't have to do all this for me," he murmured, drifting off.
Craig looked at the clock instead of answering. It was almost six in the evening and his parents and sister would be home soon. He waited until he was sure Tweek was sleeping, then got up and cleaned the bathroom downstairs a bit.
He knew Tweak Bros. would close in a couple hours but he really didn't want to talk to either of the two directly, so he called their home and left a message about Tweek getting sick and informing them he would be staying with him until he was better. He mentioned that his parents agreed, Craig knowing they wouldn't mind. It was mostly to make sure they wouldn't come get him but he doubted Tweek's parents cared enough to pick him up, anyway.
Craig's mother arrived home first and was surprised to see her son already there. Usually when the boys planned a hang out, they were gone until late, often missing curfew. This raised her concerns as she took off her coat and hung it in the closet.
"Is everything alright, hun?" she asked, walking to him and giving him a hug. "You're home early, did something happen?"
Craig hugged back, a bit relieved that she was here first. Maybe she could help him in some way. "Yeah, Tweek almost fainted at the pet store. Turns out he's sick and was hiding it to hang out. I brought him home and he's currently sleeping in my bed, because... well, you know the Tweaks." Craig shrugged, a little nervous. His parents were usually calm and chill about pretty much everything and Tweek used to be over almost every day before he had to work at the shop, yet a small part of him still worried.
Laura frowned, not at Craig, but at the thought of Tweek's parents. "Oh, yes. I know them," she grumbled before lightening a bit. "Is he doing okay?"
Craig looked relieved and shook his head. "He has a fever and he's really weak and exhausted because he's been ignoring it for the past two days. He threw up earlier but don't worry. I gave him a bucket and cleaned the bathroom," he explained, leaning against the table. "He fell asleep after we took his temperature and I gave him some water. I don't really know what else to do."
Laura smiled and patted his head. "You're a sweetie," she said. "I'll make some soup for you to take up to him, how does that sound?"
Craig grinned. "That'd be great, mom. Thanks." They both left the room and Craig went upstairs to his, sitting down at his desk with his phone and answering some concerned messages he got from the rest of the squad.
'Dude is Tweeky okay? He isnt dying is he?!' was Clyde's panicked message. Craig could practically hear his worried sobs through the screen.
'Pls answer Clydes messages. I dont want to listen to his sobbing all night' was Token's tired sounding one.
Craig snorted quietly as he sent them a response. 'Tweek is asleep. Dont worry it's just a cold but he made it worse by ignoring it. Hell probably need a few days of recovery and I hope he can stay over at my place for those' He kicked his feet up onto his desk, snatching a piece of paper and starting to doodle pass some time.
The scribbling ended up in a kind of detailed drawing of their friends. His anatomy was off and it was mostly based on stick people but he tried and he liked to imagine that, with a little bit of fantasy, you could even tell who was who. He put the sketch aside, scared to ruin it, and instead started sketching a newer version of Super Craig, one of his old personas from when they were kids.
Tweek was in a weird state of being awake but also asleep. He could hear the soft scritches on the paper and knew it was Craig, yet at the same time, he felt like he was floating, and if he focused on that feeling, he could delve further into the dream that seemed to be happening passively beside him.
Eventually Craig heard his name being called downstairs, and when he went down, Laura had a tray with a bowl of chicken noodle soup, some saltine crackers, and a tall glass of ice cold water.
"Make sure he eats at least a few bites, but drinks all the water," she said, passing him the tray. "If he needs it, you can give him some ibuprofen."
He thanked her, looking over the items before carrying it upstairs, trying not to spill any of it. Getting back to his room, he found Tweek was sitting up, woken by Laura's call and Craig's movements. He blinked slowly, looking around. It had been a while since he had been in Craig's room in the daytime, and it had changed quite a lot now that he could actually see, though that was to be expected.
Craig saw that Tweek was awake and smiled. "Good, that makes this easier." He pushed the bucket aside and set the tray down on his night stand. "Mom made you soup. She also gave you crackers and water. You gotta drink all the water but you don't have to eat the entire bowl of soup," he relayed, making sure to speak quietly. "How are you doing?"
Tweek stared blankly up at him, taking a few moments to process what Craig was saying to him. When it worked its way through his brain, he blinked. "Uh... I dunno..." he mumbled. What was he supposed to feel like? Was he supposed to feel better now? He wasn't sure. He did know he should get out of Craig's house before he annoyed him, however. He pushed off the blanket, instantly regretting it as the heat escaped and left him cold, though he swung his legs over the side of the bed and moved to get up.
"I-I should head home now," he said. "I'm sorry for making you do all this, it was really rude of me."
Craig gently put a hand in his chest to keep him from standing.. "Nope. Not happening. Called your parents that you're staying here until you're better. Trust me, this is fine and you'll make me as well as my mother a lot more trouble if you just leave since we'll be worrying our asses off." He had already expected this would happen. He really wanted Tweek to stay so he could keep an eye on him. He wouldn't put it past the Tweak's to make their son work while he was sick.
Tweek hesitated nervously. He didn't want to inconvenience the Tuckers, they had always been so kind to him. It seemed rude to impose so suddenly…
He frowned at the pause. "Please? I could've just dropped you off at your house if I hadn't wanted to keep an eye on you. Stay." He chewed on his bottom lip.
With a sigh, Tweek let himself lean back against the pillow. He supposed if Craig said it was okay, it was. Besides, he didn't think he'd be able to make the walk over to his house. Had they always lived so far apart?
Craig smiled a little, happy to have convinced him. He gave him the glass of water and sat down next to him. "Thanks."
"Why are you thanking me?" he asked in confusion, sipping at the water. It felt so nice on his burning skin, he thought he would cry.
He shrugged back. "For staying. I know it's probably difficult for you since you feel like you're imposing."
Tweek looked down at the glass in his hands. "Craig... can I ask you something?" The question had been eating away at him since they had admitted their feelings to one another. He was so deliriously happy about the fact that Craig returned his feelings, he had pushed away his insecurities but now, a few days later, his dark thoughts were returning, likely aided by his sickness.
Craig hummed and looked up to wait for the question, sensing the sinister meaning behind it and growing nervous.
"Why... why do you care about me?" He struggled to get the question out, everything in his mind screaming at him to just shut the fuck up and accept something good but he simply couldn't. He had to know- he had to know how he had likely fooled someone as amazing as Craig Tucker of all people into liking him as anything, let alone as more than a friend.
"It's just that," he continued, his hands beginning to shake, "no one really likes me except you guys, a-and even they didn't like me at first. They only did when you made them. A-And I'm glad you did, even though that's so selfish of me b-but..." Tears began to slid down his cheeks as he spoke. "There's no reason to like me. I know you said not to, but I can't help but think of myself as nothing more than a spazzy freak that no one wants to be around. You shouldn't like me back, you deserve so much more, but I want you to like me so much it hurts. S-So I need to know, why do you like me? What about this pathetic existence I call my life do you see worth in?"
By the end of his rant, he was fully sobbing, his voice breaking with the last few words. His pain was so raw and clear, it filled the space between them, invading it with a harsh reality. Tweek had never been told by anyone he was worth something, that he was allowed to be happy. He couldn't understand why someone would think positively of him when even his own family did not.
Craig felt his heart hurt at the sight. He rubbed his cheek and turned to his boyfriend. "Before I answer, do you want a hug? Are you comfortable with contact right now?" Shaking hard, Tweek set down the water, then threw himself into Craig's arms, clinging to him tightly as his response.
Craig held him with shaking hands and buried his nose in the crook of Tweek's neck. He hugged him as tight as he could without hurting him while he thought about his answer, hoping he could relay some of his feelings through the hug. He was sure Tweek could feel the fast beat of his heart as he tried to think of ways to turn his feelings into words.
Tweek sobbed quietly, sniffing frequently due to the combination of his stuffy nose and the tears. He felt even worse now than earlier, and was afraid of what Craig's answer would be. He knew from the way Craig was treating him that his confession wasn't fake, he just didn't think he deserved it.
Craig began to gently stroke Tweek's hair, hoping to calm the distraught teen somewhat. He started speaking shortly after. "Remember when Stan and his gang of assholes made us fight in third grade? I thought you were a total douche and super weird with all your yelling and twitching but once we were in the hospital and I realized you hadn't actually insulted me or my guinea pig I found out you were pretty funny. I liked you because you made me laugh and we could talk shit about the assholes at school." His fingers wandered to Tweek's neck, rubbing soft circles into the skin. "The more you're around someone you like, the more good things you notice about them. At least that's what mom says. I noticed that you get really into your theories and that you're passionate about the things you like. You usually don't take shit from anyone and you managed a few weeks with Stan and the idiots and survived, which is very impressive. I almost went nuts from just one day." He grinned, which Tweek couldn't see but was audible in his voice.
"The longer I knew you, the happier I was when you had time for us. You made things exciting, partly by being unforeseeable and partly because you brought new ways to do things into the group. Of course the others didn't like you at first. We did send each other to the hospital, I would be pissed at anyone hurting them, too. It was never anything personal, though. I think a lot of people only see the way you act when you're anxious and nervous so they don't know any better. Not an excuse, since some could make an effort to get to know you, but an explanation. It has nothing to do with your personality. Just their biased asses."
Craig stopped for a moment but it was obvious he wasn't done. When he spoke again, his voice was raspy and shaky, having entered unknown territory.
"What I like about you is harder to say b-because I'm bad at doing this and never really thought about it. Let me try, though." He took in a shaky breath, trying to calm down the nervous, uncomfortable feeling in his stomach.
"I like your laugh. It's rare, and when you do, I feel so happy, I have to join in almost every time. Your giggling has to be the cutest thing I've ever heard, too. The way you talk to me and how you trust me with things makes me confident and I feel safe to be myself around you. You also changed me for the better, I think. I used to be one of the biggest bullies in school. That changed when I met you and realized that I shouldn't pick on someone because of their behavior or because they're different... I..."
He stopped but forced himself to get over with it. "This is really personal. I never told anyone about the change thing. Mom thought I just grew out of being unreasonably mean." He laughed nervously. "There's more but I think I lost my train of thought... Sorry this is such a jumbled mess." He was shaking and his chest felt too tight for the pace at which his heart was pumping blood. He hid his face against Tweek's hair.
Tweek felt his breath catch in his throat as he listened to Craig bare his soul to him. He knew it was hard for him, emotions weren't exactly his strong suit, but he had done it all the same. Just for him. He couldn't think of a single other person Craig would speak so openly to. Not even Clyde, who had been friends with him since they were toddlers, had ever heard something like this from him. He swallowed hard as fresh tears gathered in his eyes, but these were different. Rather than being from his feelings of unworthiness and self-hate, they were due entirely to the trust Craig had put in him.
He hugged him tightly, sniffling. "Craig..." he murmured, "Thank you. Thank you so much for telling me all this. I-I know it isn't easy for you, and it means so much to me that you did it anyway." This didn't mean Tweek felt entirely better and that he suddenly felt like he deserved to have someone like Craig in his life, but it was a start. After listening to his words, Tweek was beginning to entertain a thought he had never had before.
Maybe... just maybe... he was allowed to be happy, too.
Craig nodded, not willing to give up his spot yet. Tweek smelled good. He continued to draw circles until he let his arms down to wrap around Tweek's waist to hug him in return, and Tweek curled up against him, comforted by his presence. Craig had always had a calming aura about him, and it was one of the many, many things Tweek loved about the other. They stayed like that a while longer, relaxing in the other's presence, until Craig pushed away a bit and kissed Tweek's hairline softly.
"You should really drink the rest of the water and eat something," he muttered against him, lips against Tweek's skin, voice low to not disturb the comfortable bubble that had built around them.
Tweek nodded slightly, reaching over and picking up the glass once more to sip at the cool liquid as Craig returned to petting his hair, happy to just be there for him. He finished the water quickly, putting the glass down and settling against Craig once more. He hadn't felt this comfortable in his entire life... He could feel his fight against sleep was a losing battle. His head bobbed in his attempt to keep awake, rubbing at his tired eyes.
"Are you gonna fall asleep?" Craig asked him softly, once again feeling the pride swell in his chest. He was the only one able to do this. Not even Tweek could make himself fall asleep this fast and often. Tweek hummed quietly in response, not even having the energy to form a proper response.
Craig chuckled softly. "I'll lay you down on the bed now, alright? Then you can actually sleep."
"'m fine here..." he mumbled.
Craig actually laughed, trying not to shake Tweek too much. "I need to sleep too sometime. If you lay down, I can still pet your hair." He shook him just a bit so he wouldn't fall asleep immediately. Grumbling weakly, Tweek shifted to allow Craig to move him.
He grinned and carefully, if a bit awkwardly, put Tweek onto the bed, then kicked off his socks and laid down next to him. He hoped it was okay for Tweek, he really didn't want to sleep on the mattress again.
"Tweek?" Craig's voice was a bit more desperate than he had wanted it to sound but he had already told Tweek about his feelings so a little bit extra didn't hurt too badly.
Tweek cracked open an eye, looking up at Craig in exhaustion. He shuffled closer under the blanket, sighing softly as he nuzzled his head into his boyfriend's chest. "Hm...?"
Craig's heart jumped and he needed a few more seconds to reply due to how close Tweek was. He rested his arm on Tweek's side, twirling a blond lock of hair between his fingers. "Please don't leave again tomorrow morning."
Tweek's eye closed once more, and he gave a slight nod. Even if he wanted too, he wouldn't have been able.
Craig sighed in relief, noticing how often he'd done that today and how long the day had been even if it was just close after 7:30. He texted his mother that he was too tired to eat and that Tweek was asleep and had drank the water, then texted Clyde they wouldn't be at school tomorrow, paused, then asked his mom if she could excuse them from school.
She sent him a skeptic looking emoji back but wrote 'ok'. Craig, for the millionth time in his life, thanked everything that's was holy for his cool upbringing. The next message was 'But you're doing all the dishes for the rest of the week' and he sent back a flip-off emoji and a heart. Once he had turned his alarm off and set down his phone, he curled around his boyfriend and slipped into a light sleep.
Tweek woke suddenly around midnight in a daze, confused and unsure where he was or what the comfortable thing he was curled up with was. He felt horrible, and pulled away from the warm whatever-it-was, stumbling into the hall and to the bathroom. Lucky for him, the houses in South Park all had the same layout, making it almost impossible to get lost from one house to another.
Craig woke up as soon as Tweek moved, not sleeping deeply due to his concern Tweek would leave. He got up and followed him, leaning against the wall. He watched him enter the bathroom and, still dizzy from sleep, waited to see if he'd come back or if he'd have to help him find the way.
He heard the sound of retching, then the toilet flushed, and the sink turned on as Tweek rinsed his mouth. He came back out into the hall, bumping into the other.
"Sorry," he mumbled, too out of it to recognize what he had hit.
Craig mumbled that it was fine and went back into bed, sloppily patting the side where Tweek had lain. Without a thought, Tweek fell back into the bed and snuggled back up to the warmth. A second later, his eyes snapped open and he bolted up with a shriek.
Craig scrunched up his nose looking at him irritated, definitely more awake now. "What's wrong, babe?" he mumbled. His tongue felt like lead.
Tweek scrambled backwards, falling off the bed and landing heavily on the floor. "C-Craig!" he squealed, getting to his feet. "I-I'm sorry! I stole your bed!"
Craig tried to make sense of the words, but he wasn't awake enough. "Y' didn't steal it. 's still here," he slurred and yawned. "Now come back up, 'm cold."
"I can't do that! I'm going to get you sick! O-Or- I don't know! Something bad will happen, I'm sure of it!" God, if he had gotten Craig sick, Tweek was going to lose it! "I'll just use that extra mattress from before," he insisted, kneeling to pull it out from under the bed.
Craig leaned forward to snatch Tweek's wrist, finally forcing his brain to work. "Too late now," he muttered. "We've been cuddling all night. If you got me sick, 's already happened." He rubbed his forehead with his free hand. "Just get up here, Tweek. I was really comfortable. Please."
The sick feeling that came over him and got him to cave Tweek wasn't sure came from guilt or from his actual illness. Either way, the next thing he knew he was in the bed, cuddled up to Craig's warmth.
Craig hummed happily. "Don't worry. I rarely get sick. Tricia used to sleep in my bed with me when she was and I barely ever got anything." This helped and Tweek nodded, allowing himself to relax once more. Craig began to pet Tweek's hair, almost coaxing himself into sleep with it. "So soft. Your hair's so nice..."
Tweek giggled lightly. "I'm not a cat," he protested.
Craig agreed with another humming noise. "Nope. You're better."
He blushed, then sighed. "You're too good to me."
Craig grinned tiredly. "Gotta keep up with you being too good in general." He snuggled closer and kissed Tweek on the forehead before lying back down and relaxing. Admitting defeat, Tweek allowed himself to be lulled to sleep once more, followed by Craig soon after, who dozed off with his hand still in his hair.
The next time Craig awoke and saw Tweek still next to him, he felt giddy. Somehow it felt like an achievement that he had gotten the other to stay. Craig looked at the clock and groaned internally as it was ten minutes before his alarm normally went off. You couldn't turn your own inner workings off as easily, he guessed. He stared blankly at the ceiling, finding yesterday's events confusing and mixed up, a blur that didn't seem to be short enough for only one day.
His movement made Tweek stir, but he didn't wake. Eyes closed, he crawled on top of Craig and laid back down, using Craig's body as his new bed. Craig looked down at him, too stunned to say or do anything. He gave it a few seconds before rubbing his back softly, pressing his other hand against his mouth so he wouldn't laugh. Tweek's body was warm against his and he could feel every breath Tweek took.
The thought that this was only reserved for him made the butterflies in his stomach come back. Tweek's rhythmic breathing and the warmth and pressure made Craig sleepy again and he was out in seconds.
Tweek finally woke for the day at noon. He yawned, snuggling into Craig. He didn't remember moving to this position, but it was comfortable, and Craig hadn't moved him, so he chose to believe it was alright.
Craig blinked a few times, having been only lightly dozing at this point. His hands were still resting on Tweek's back which meant that Tweek was also still on top of him. He smiled groggily.
"Morning, babe" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
"Morning," he murmured. He didn't really want to get up. After the strain of the day before, his entire body felt sore.
"Still feelin' sick?"
He nodded slightly. "Better though. My body just hurts."
Craig nodded, rubbing his eyes. "Good." He laid his hands back onto Tweek and yawned. "Mom excused us from school so we don't have to worry about more stress today. Needed a day off some time soon anyways. School is soooo exhausting."
Tweek gasped, struggling to get up. "I have to work today!"
"No." Craig didn't let go of Tweek but rolled to the side so Tweek was on the space next to him, though they both sat up. "You don't. I called your parents and since they haven't come to get you, you're off duty. Working while sick is a health hazard to you and everyone who drinks your coffee. Do you wanna be sick for the entire next week or do you wanna be rid of this tomorrow or the day after?"
Tweek groaned, but stopped trying to stand.
Craig snorted. "Oh, how horrible. Someone actually trying to care for you." He poked him in the side. "It'll be over way faster like this."
"Maybe I don't want it to be," he said, then blushed and snapped his mouth shut.
Craig raised his eyebrows, not expecting that answer at all. "You actually want to be throwing up and running a fever for like a week?"
"No, of course not," he huffed. "No one wants that."
Craig inched closer. "Why say so then?" He had a suspicion but he wanted to hear it from Tweek before jumping to conclusions.
Tweek bit his lip, then looked down. "I-I..."
Craig looked at him intently, faces only a few inches apart, close enough he could see his freckles even in the dim light. "You...?"
He shook his head, refusing to meet his eyes. "Nothing. I didn't mean to say that."
Craig took one of Tweek's hands. "Tweek."
"C-Craig." He tried to keep his voice strong, but it cracked.
Craig felt his words get stuck in his throat, ending up a bit breathless. He hadn't really realized how much he liked how his name sounded through Tweek's mouth. "You-" He breathed in, the tiniest bit shaky, and decided against his original plan of bullying Tweek into sharing things he wasn't ready to share yet. "You're b-beautiful." He felt his face grow hot and groaned. "Sorry. That was totally lame."
This was not what Tweek had expected to hear in the slightest. His head snapped up, face flushed. "I- Wha-" he stuttered. Finally, he covered his face with a hand and smiled, letting out a few giggles. "You're not lame," he said through his laughs. "You're just silly."
Craig made a frustrated noise. "See, this is exactly what I mean." He pulled Tweek's hand from his face to get a better view of his smile. He felt the urge to kiss him, which weirded him out a bit since that thought had never actively popped up and it was way too soon in their relationship. He just gotten to kisses on the head. Craig was sure he wasn't ready for that himself. The giggles of the other managed to bring a soft smile to his face.
Tweek smiled up at him. "You can be as silly as you'd like," he said. "I think it's cute."
Craig was sure that he could pin the exact moment his happy smile turned into a sappy one. He took Tweek's face between his hands, and pressed a kiss against his forehead. "You're cute."
He squeaked in surprise, then wrapped his arms around his boyfriend and hid his face in Craig's night shirt. Craig grinned, hugged him back, and flopped down on the bed, putting them back into the position they had woken up in. "Wish I could wake up like this every morning." Craig was mumbling, his voice barely audible. He used to hang around Tweek a lot and he had really missed sitting on a bed and just taking in the comfort of familiar things and dumb secrets.
"What? Did you say something?" Tweek asked, looking down at him curiously.
"Just being soooo happy," Craig grinned, squeezing Tweek slightly. He squeaked again and giggled. Craig was so weird in the morning, but he wasn't complaining.
Craig stretched. "I should get up to get us breakfast..." he mumbled into Tweek's hair.
"I'm gonna follow you if you leave," Tweek warned playfully.
"Mnh, don't mind if you do," Craig replied getting up to sit on the edge of his bed. Tweek knelt behind him, putting his arms around Craig's neck and leaning against him. Even moving this small amount was more tiring than he had anticipated.
Craig chuckled. "Want me to carry you downstairs?" he asked as he leaned back into him, enjoying the feeling.
"If you don't mind," he murmured, nuzzling his head into Craig's neck.
Craig felt goosebumps come up where Tweek touched and shivered lightly. He made sure Tweek wouldn't get hurt, then stood up, holding the other's legs so he wouldn't fall. The blond weighed more than he looked, but that didn't mean anything. He was still light. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay," he sighed, letting his eyes close. Internally, he was a bit sad. He had stopped himself from speaking before in embarrassment, but he almost didn't want to get better. He couldn't remember a time he had ever been so cared for in his life...
Craig went down the stairs, careful to not slip. He got over to the living room where he sat down on the sofa. "You gotta let go now, I don't wanna drop you while getting stuff from the kitchen."
Tweek nodded and did so, allowing himself to be dropped off.
Craig turned around humming. "So. As I said, I'm not very good at this, but I heard of a few things that are easy on an upset stomach. Mom usually gives us apple sauce or some cream of wheat thing. Want any?"
He shook his head. "I'm not hungry," he said, laying down.
Craig threw him a septic look. "You haven't eaten in a long time. You really should eat something. Crackers? Soup?"
"I want coffee."
Craig pulled a face. "That's not food." He held back from telling him that it wasn't really healthy right now either since he remembered Tweek mentioned addiction-like behavior about the drink, and went to the kitchen. He sighed when he didn't change his mind and started the coffee machine up, putting the powder into the filter and adding water. As the machine did it's thing, he went looking for food, coming up with cream cheese and bread, which he toasted. He poured the coffee into a mug when it was ready and brought it to Tweek. "I hope your body can stomach that right now."
Tweek quickly took the cup, not even bothering to wait for it to cool or to blow on it, he gulped down the entire drink in a single go.
Craig gave him an impressed but also slightly disturbed look. As far as he knew, Tweek rarely got sick, and he wondered if his coffee intake actually prevented it. He sat down next to him, putting his breakfast on the coffee table and smearing an unholy amount of cream cheese onto the toast.
Tweek let out a breath, then set the cup back down on the table, curling into Craig's side, feeling comfortable and relaxed.
Craig munched on his toast, content by the easy morning and the warm body against his. "We should do things together more often," he said around his mouthful.
"I'd be really happy to do that," he agreed. "I need more coffee though, so excuse me for a moment." He got up, going into the kitchen and pouring more into his mug.
Craig snorted and waited for him to come back. "I'm kind of impressed by your stomach but also worried. That much coffee can't be good for a sick person," he called, leaning forward to watch looked Tweek in amusement.
"Hush, you," he said with a slight smile, gulping down his second cup and filling it for a third time before coming back.
Craig shook his head in disbelief and leaned back into the sofa. "If you want, we can play video games later or watch something."
"That sounds fine to me," he agreed, crossing his legs under him as he sat. "I don't play too much, but I remember liking it when I used too."
"Nice. I have a bunch of different games. There's probably something you might like." He swallowed the last bite of his toast and watched Tweek drink his coffee.
"Cool." He tapped his fingers against the sides of the mug nervously, chewing on his lip.
Craig watched him do so. "What's wrong?"
He sighed. "Craig... I-I don't want to stop being sick."
Craig's eyebrows shot up. He actually hadn't expected Tweek to mention it again. "You gonna tell me why?" he asked, putting his plate down.
"You have to promise not to get mad," he said.
He nodded. "I promise."
"You know my parents don't really care about me," he began, the words so casual and factual it hurt. "I can't think of a time I've ever been cared for like this. I don't really get sick often, but when I do, I don't see either of them. I have to call myself in to the school. They don't check on me. Usually, dad just gets annoyed I wasn't working."
He looked down at his mug. "Yesterday and today... I've never experienced something so nice. Your mom made me food. It's been years since my parents have cooked. I feel bad I wasn't able to eat it, but the thought was so kind. Then you offered to make me breakfast..." He paused, swallowing hard. He could feel his eyes burning.
"I don't know what to do to repay you for being so nice, and I know you're going to say I don't have to, but I want to. It'll make me feel better."
Craig tried hard not to look sad. "Why would I get mad at that?" Sometimes it was hard to understand just how much Tweek's parents had neglected and hurt him until he mentioned things like this, even though Craig had already guessed that this had been what he had almost said earlier.
"I don't really know what you can do to 'repay me'. I guess getting better and taking care of yourself next time you notice you're not doing well would work?" He leaned forward to wipe away the tears that threatened to spill, then carded his fingers through Tweek's hair. "And you don't need to be sick for me to care for you. I can do that anytime you want me to."
Tweek laughed breathlessly, sniffing. "Sorry. I never know what the things I say are going to end up making people feel. Dad tells me I need to think before I speak more."
Craig made a dismissive noise. "Someone who isn't there for their son has no right to tell that son what to do and how to be." He inched closer to him so that he didn't have to lean forward so much and took the mug from Tweek's hands and put it down next to his plate before pulling his boyfriend into a hug. "I should've guessed you may need more affection even before the uh.. being boyfriends," he mumbled into his hair.
"I don't want anyone to go out of their way for me," Tweek protested weakly, hugging him back. "I don't want to be an inconvenience."
"You're never an inconvenience, babe." Craig kissed his hair. "I'm glad you told me."
"Thank you for not getting mad," he murmured.
"Not for anything like this. Never for you telling me about how you feel." Craig felt himself get weirdly emotional and, on a whim, decided to act on it. "I'm glad you told me you liked me. And that you agreed to be my boyfriend. I know I'm not the most empathic person but I promise I'll get better at that."
Tweek looked up at him, his gratitude clear on his face. "Craig, I... I don't want to say anything to make you not want to stay with me. I don't want to say something too soon."
"Then don't until you feel it's right." Craig's heartbeat was a bit too fast to be normal and he felt nervous all of a sudden. "S-some things need time to get out." Like telling your boyfriend how badly you wanted to kiss him, he added in thoughts. He'd never say it out loud, though. Tweek had already frozen up at the kiss on the head. He didn't want to scare him away. Craig was confused about the whole situation in general. They had barely been together for two days, but now all the things he had tried hard not to think about before were free to run through his head.
"I-I know, but... Craig, we haven't been officially together for long, but I feel like it's been years." He bit his lip before continuing. "I'm just afraid I'll freak you out if I say this."
Craig nodded, but the thought of Tweek liking him for much longer already seemed so abstract to him he couldn't quite wrap his mind around it. "If you feel you need to say something, you should."
Tweek took a deep breath to calm his nerves and nodded. "Okay. I will." He took his hands and met his eyes. "Craig, I think I'm in love with you."
Craig turned beet red as he felt his stomach do a loop and wished he had his hat with him so he could pull it over his traitorous cheeks. The so called butterflies were going wild again.
"I- thanks." He was caught off guard with the suddenness of the confession. He tried for honesty in his answer. "I really, really like you, too, babe. Super really. But I won't say it back yet, okay?" His voice shook a tiny bit as he spoke. "I don't want to say this just to say it back for the first time. I want it to be from the heart." He realized how cheesy and dumb that sounded only after he had said it. "Aw, man," he mumbled, but he never broke eye contact. Not just because Tweek's eyes were gorgeous or anything.
Despite Craig's reassurance, Tweek's insides felt like ice, and he immediately wished he had kept his mouth shut. When it came to Craig, he never seemed to be able to keep his thoughts inside, they just gushed out to him. And now he'd spilled his heart out to him over the last twelve hours, and in a moment of extreme vulnerability, he'd let the l-word slip. But he hadn't said it back. He just... really liked him.
His eyes dropped to the floor. "Okay," he whispered.
Craig realized how much this upset Tweek in seconds. He quickly let go of his hands and took his face in between his instead. "Tweek, listen to me, please. This doesn't mean I don't l-... That I don't l-... Urgh, that I don't like you like that. It's just a really hard topic for me and I need more time to get that stuff out, okay? Please don't be hurt, I didn't want that to happen." He took a deep breath. "Please look at me?"
Tweek understood, really he did, but he was overcome with embarrassment, and couldn't bring himself to look up. He felt foolish, first to think Craig would be able to say it back so quickly, then to realize he might be guilting him into doing it. He didn't want that either.
Craig carefully stroked his cheeks, trying to get him to look up. "Tweek..." This was a touchy subject but he wouldn't say it. He didn't think he could right now, anyways. Things like that didn't come to him easily. Actions? Sure. Actually talking about emotions, romantic or not? Next to impossible.
"I-I'm sorry, Craig," he finally said, warm tears beginning to fall on the other's hands.
"Oh, no. Oh, God, I made you cry. I'm the one that's sorry, Tweek." He quickly wiped some of the tears away. "I really didn't mean this as a rejection in any way, babe." He hesitated. "Do you want a hug?"
"...only if you want to give me one."
Craig laughed, a slightly sad ring to it. He pulled the blond half onto his lap and slung his arms around him, kissing the top of his head. "Give me time and I'll say it back," he muttered against his hair. "I may tell you stuff that explains why I've been weird about this." He kissed him again and again with short pauses and then again, this time on his temple.
Tweek finally looked up at him. He had gotten accustomed to the head kisses, but this was a new spot. He didn't mind, it was just surprising.
Craig used the moment to kiss the spot right between his eyes. "Sorry," he muttered again against his skin.
Tweek's nose scrunched up, and he let out a squeak of surprise.
Craig chuckled and inched away so that they were nose to nose. "That was hilariously cute."
He pouted, his cheeks puffing up, and Craig kissed him in the same spot again and then directly on top of his nose, grinning like the idiot he was when he leaned back. He really enjoyed doing that.
Tweek made a series of squeaking sounds, wiggling in place.
"Tell me to stop, if you don't want me, to. I won't be mad, I'm just messing with you," Craig said, still grinning, hands still on Tweek's face and thinking about how he liked the feeling. Tweek flushed brightly. He didn't want Craig to stop, it felt nice to be showered with affection.
He waited a bit to see if Tweek was going to say something but when he didn't, his grin turned mischievous. He leaned forward, leaving barely any space between them. "No objections then?" Tweek inhaled sharply, his eyes widening at the sudden closeness, but managed to not pull away.
At the sound Craig realized what the action probably looked like to the other. He hadn't intended to make it seem like he was going to kiss him like that but Tweek didn't pull away and suddenly Craig forgot what he had actually planned to do in the first place. Like every time that they were close, Craig couldn't help but notice how cute Tweek's freckles looked and how bright his eyes were. Such beautiful colors.
Craig let out a small and hopeless breath, hoping to remember where he was going with this and giving Tweek the chance to push himself off of Craig's lap if it got too much. For his part, Tweek was effectively frozen in place, watching his boyfriend, wondering what he was doing. Craig made a noise that came suspiciously close to something Tweek would usually make.
"I..." Craig tried to talk but it only made him more aware of his bad decision making. He had just meant to tease Tweek a bit and now he had trapped himself.
Finally, Tweek couldn't handle the closeness any longer. With a hard twitch and grunt, he pulled himself back.
Craig let himself relax. He started scratching at his cheek and huffed. "Sorry, man." He looked down at the couch and then back up, deciding that truth would be the best way to explain what had just happened. "Think I was about to kiss you on the mouth."
Tweek blushed scarlet. "W-What?" he asked. "Why?"
Craig looked away again, still itching at his face. "I kind of want to. All the time. Uh. Most of the time. Not when you were puking of course." He breathed out. His boyfriend stared at him. He couldn't comprehend the idea that someone wanted to kiss him in the first place still, let alone on his actual mouth.
"God, strike me down here and now," Craig mumbled as monotone as usually, while Tweek grabbed his mug, chugging from it in favor of having to say anything. Craig realized that Tweek was still half on his lap, making this even weirder before he laughed shortly. "I made this weird. Sorry, babe."
Tweek tried to speak at the same time he was drinking, ending up coughing harshly as coffee flooded his lungs.
Craig stared at him perplexed before hurrying to lean over him and pat him on the back. "You alright?"
Setting down the cup on the table, Tweek nodded, covering his mouth as he finished coughing. "I-I'm okay."
Craig grinned a bit. "Now, without coffee, what did you mean to say?"
"I-I was trying to say it's alright, I didn't think it was that weird," he said, tugging at the hem of his shirt awkwardly.
Craig pulled a face. "It was super weird. But you're cute and we're close and your- well, your lips look soft and I just find you very attractive." He said it as if that explained everything and shrugged. Tweek squealed, covering his face. How was he supposed to handle compliments like this? Were those even compliments? He wasn't used to people saying positive things to him.
Craig chuckled and gently pulled Tweek's hand away to look at him better. "My Tweek," he said.
Tweek gasped, his cheeks brightening. He swallowed hard, and grabbed Craig's hands. "M-My Craig," he breathed back.
Craig hummed, eyes lighting up and obviously happy.
Tweek smiled crookedly. "I'm your Tweek, and you're my Craig."
"Damn right." Craig kissed him on the forehead and then leaned back. "Does Craig's Tweek need anything right now?" He grinned at him.
He sighed, laughing lowly. "More hugging would be nice."
Craig wrapped his arms around him and snorted. "I don't think I have hugged anyone as much in my entire life as I hugged you today. You have the honor of all those good, good Craig hugs."
"I admit, I'm abusing the privilege," Tweek said, snuggling into him, "but since you're my boyfriend, I've decided I'm always allowed to ask."
Craig made a serious face. "Of course you are. But be careful or the hug police might get suspicious." He laughed after a moment as a thought struck him. "I bet Clyde is the chief."
Tweek giggled. "He'll only be upset I get all the hugs and he doesn't. Everyone knows he the best hugger, but..." He smiled up at him. "You're giving him a run for his money."
"Aw, that's a really big compliment there! Don't tell Clyde, he'll get really competitive and try to out hug us." Craig started drawing patterns on Tweek's back with his finger tips. "I don't think I will ever get enough of you giggling."
He blushed, pushing on his chest lightly. "Oh, hush it," he said. "I'll never know if this fever is gone if you don't stop making my face red." His body relaxed under the motion. "That feels really nice..."
Craig hummed, content. Feeling Tweek relax against him made his stomach flutter a bit, knowing what effect he had on him. "I like doing that, so that's a bonus." He leaned more into the sofa, taking Tweek with him.
"Is your goal to try and make me catch up on fifteen years of sleep?" he accused with a light yawn. "I don't know how you do it, Craig Tucker, but you make me feel like I actually can sleep. Knock it off or else every time I see you I'm just going to want to nap." The last part he said teasingly.
"Hmn, I heard napping together is a popular couple thing to do," he replied with a grin. "Also, if you sleep, you can't run back home." He didn't stop drawing the patterns but changed to Tweek's lower back. This part of his body was ticklish, and he yelped, then began to laugh.
Craig raised his eyebrows, his grin widening. "Ticklish, huh? Didn't expect that." He stopped drawing random patterns and brushed his fingers over the spot, barely touching him.
Tweek shivered hard, ticking and twitching from the sensation, making Craig snort some more. "Your reactions to things are so cute." He poked his side with one hand, rubbing the fingers of the other over the same spot again.
He jerked, squealing. "Craig!" he whined.
"Eheh heh, yes...?" Craig feigned innocence, poking him again from the other side. Tweek yelped again, jumping away and ending up tumbling onto the floor.
Craig peeked over the edge, laughing uncontrollably. He tried to speak normally but it came out as wheeze. "Are you alright?"
Tweek glared at him, pouting. "Dick," he huffed, sitting up and crossing his arms over his chest.
Craig only laughed more, still leaning over the sofa edge and wiping at the tears in his eyes.
In a single, fluid motion, Tweek grasped Craig's shirt and yanked him down, rolling so he ended up back on top of him on the floor.
Craig yelped in surprise as he hit the ground and then stared up at Tweek in shock as he realized what had happened. "What-"
He pressed a finger lightly to Craig's lips. "Shh," he said. "You totally horrible teaser."
Craig's gaze flitted down to his finger for a moment before going back up, eyes wide. He wasn't sure what exactly he was feeling but it made him feel warm all over and confused.
Unaware of the emotional roller coaster Craig was being sent on, Tweek smiled down at him, sitting on his stomach. "No more tickling," he said. "Or I'll pin you. I don't like to fight, but I didn't stop boxing, you know. And before you say it, yes, I know pinning is a wrestling thing, but I don't intend on ever K.O.-ing you." He shuffled and then got up, picking up his mug. "I'm gonna put this in the sink."
He left the room, having no clue what he had just done to his poor boyfriend. He didn't think much on the fact that he could, in fact, kick ass and take names if he so chose. It was honestly quite lucky for the bullies of South Park that Tweek was a pacifist and would always chose getting away over hitting back.
Craig made an unintelligible noise in response as Tweek got up but didn't do so himself. Instead, he continued laying there, staring at the ceiling without really seeing anything and slowly came to the conclusion that a) thinking of Tweek being able to pin him was hot and did things to him and b) one of the things was: turning him on.
Craig laughed nervously as he directed his thoughts to anything else he could come up with before some rather unpleasant surprises happened. The thought that worked was of homework and he calmed fast. He still had to finish one or two things before tomorrow.
He didn't move from the ground but he did fish his phone out of his back pocket. He opened his messenger and clicked on Clyde's name. 'tweek is hot' was the first message to him, followed directly by a 'help'.
Clyde answered back immediately.
'OH GOD DOES HE HAVE A FEVER? IS HE DYING? I CAN GET THE GUYS AND BE OVER IN 5 IF YOU NEED US'
Craig held his breath so he wouldn't burst out laughing again, which would lead to having to explain the situation. He slowly breathed out as he typed. 'no clyde hes fine. already doing a lot better than yesterday' He sent it so Clyde could calm down before reading his other messages.
'i meant hot as in ''how u thought of bebe in 4th grade'' hot' He pressed send again before adding the last part. 'but hotter'
Clyde answered back, 'Ooooooh, okay! Glad he's doing better! Haha, dude youre fucked'
Craig groaned, then pushed himself to his feet. Better check on Tweek.