My eyes open, reluctantly. I have to squint to let them readjust to the lighting, which isn't much but the fire and light that seeps through the window. I'm on my side, staring at the fire. I roll onto my back and stare up into blue eyes.

I don't jump, just stare. "You fell asleep." Craig tells me. My head's in his lap.

"I fell asleep." I repeat. It sounds impossible. "I fell asleep." I say it again to make sure. "How long?" I ask because I'm feeling refreshed, which is also unusual. Even when I do sleep it usually doesn't do much to help me.

He shrugs. "An hour?"

Wow, that's amazing. "Do you sleep?" I ask him, knowing Craig's an insomniac even with it not verbally announced. It was obvious. I just wonder to what extent. Because I never see him sleep.

"Not really."

"How do you... stay sane? You don't drink coffee or anything."

Craig shrugs. "You don't need to be worrying about me. I'm fine. I sleep when I sleep."

"Okay." I say. Craig looks back to the window. I consider asking about his family and their well being, or even Clyde and Token. But I haven't seen Craig use his phone at all since I've been here. I doubt he'd know. And I kind of doubt he even cares. He's not heartless. I suppose it is just a blizzard. They're probably fine right? Well, on that note, what about my own parents?

I glance at my phone on the floor in front of the fire. They're probably okay too. They're fine. I don't feel like dealing with them. So, I stare at Craig again. His face is even attractive from this angle. Amazing.

He suddenly looks back at me. We don't speak just stare. I guess it should be weird but it's not even awkward. Its comfortable. Me, in his lap. Us, staring at each other. Together, in a snow storm with no power or heat. Just this huge blanket he snatched from his parents room because it's the heaviest cover the Tucker's own and I'm too small to possess any type of body heat of my own.

The first time we really talked was that day of the project. I know Kenny talked to him about me and he was so nice. Maybe. I don't honestly remember the day/ night clearly. But if it had gone bad, wouldn't we not be here?

And then over time, I don't know what happened. I always knew Craig was attractive, but so is Stan and Kenny. But I don't feel so compelled to hold them and kiss them. I want to hold Craig so badly. I want his arms around me. If I had to be away from him long, my heart would burn.

This kid. This kid with black hair and - strangely - blue eyes. This kid who doesn't seem to own any other hat. This kid who has two freckles on his left ear, neck, and collar bone right next to each other in such coincidental precision, I have no choice but to blame illuminati. This kid who's captured my heart in an iron hold and doesn't seem to have any plan of returning it. This kid, that will ultimately be the death of me, I know. Somehow, I can't care.

"Your-" my voice comes out so alien. It's like its not my own. High and frail. Like I'm breaking. I'm breaking. I gulp. Craig's still looking at me. Has been the whole time. Cold, Medusa eyes. Turning me to stone. "Texts." I finish, averting my gaze, uncontrollably. Death of me. Breaking.

Craig just raises an eyebrow, urging me to continue. "You said you had something you- you wanted to talk about." I say. "And, I know you've already said a lot. I just don't feel like that's what you initially had planned to say and- and I just want you to know now that you're a bastard. And, I am gay, Craig. So, I know all of this- us- whatever, you don't really care. I might start to..." The more I speak the weaker my voice gets and the redder my cheeks become.

Craig expression, blank, turns almost amused. I'm glad my pain makes him happy at least. Craig leans forward and places a nice kiss on my lips. "Sorry." He says, pulling back.

I assume he means for leading me on like he has. Which is the worst thing he could have possibly said to me. And to top it off he gives me a kiss. What an asshole.

My heart burns but Craig's right here. How could I even hypothetically think Craig could/would like me. Craig's cold, Medusa eyes match his nonexistent heart. Just like Thomas. I'm just like Thomas and next, I bet he'll get Pip. Go through all the weak crazy blondes because they're vulnerable, no one cares about them, and you're bored.

I shove Craig's chest as far as my arm can reach away from me. This does cause me to topple to the floor but that's even better because I'm out of his dirty lap. "I'm not comfortable with kissing you until we establish what the fuck we're even doing. I'm not gonna sit here and let you use me because I'm..." My eyes flick to the fire, "Not normal." I'm not crazy. "Because you think Thomas and I are the same person in a different body and he's done with your shit. I bet," I start, " this was your plan the whole time. That's why you were so nice to me. No one's ever that nice to me unless they're sympathetic or just as fucked up as I am. And I hate every single one of those people."

Craig stares at me blankly. Yeah, I bet he didn't think I'd be smart enough to see it or say anything. My heart aches, nonetheless. But, Craig said he liked me. He told me he had feelings. "You said you had something to tell me. What? I feel like you're dancing around it. Stalling- I don't know. I should go."

"Seems like you already have an idea what I was gonna tell you."

"I am not a f- fucking mind reader!" I snap. "Just say what you have to say or s- swear to g- God, Craig, I'm leaving." Craig snorts. No one ever takes me seriously. I stand and Craig follows. "What are you afraid of?"

"Tweek, you're overreacting." He grabs my arm and skilfully twists me back into his arms. His grip tightens as soon as he's got me. "Calm down."

I'm gonna lose my fucking mind. My cheeks burn but not because I'm embarrassed. I'm fuming. "Craig, let go." I say through gritted teeth.

Craig shifts me without letting go. So now I'm facing away from him. He presses against my back. "Make me." He breathes against my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.

I kick him hard in the leg and he let's me go but soon has me in a lock again. I push him away and kick his leg again. He goes toppling to the floor, taking me with him because he's still has a hold on me. I yelp. We wrestle around for ten more minutes. I bite him twice and he licked my face (like I even care), until we're back in front of the fire, disheveled and out of breath.

Craig's arms are wrapped around me and I might as well be sitting in his lap. I gave up. It was fun. The wrestling. I've calmed down. But I'm still upset and unsold.

We watch the fire in silence. Once my breath is caught, I'm breathing hard from being so close to Craig. I'm sitting on him for Jesus sake. Sitting in Craig Tucker's lap. My face burns.

"People started a rumour about me in middle school." Craig says, suddenly. I try to glance up at him but the position's awkward. "Because in middle school I dated Wendy and I kissed Red and later slept with Bebe. And then I just stopped. I didn't pay attention to girls or anything. I didn't have a girlfriend and I'm 'attractive' so I have to have a girlfriend, right?" He shrugs. "They started calling me asexual when I started turning girls down. After people found out, it became some sort of game. Like, 'let's see who can turn Craig on'."

"Uhm."

Craig ignores me. What he's saying must be important. "It was disgusting. I slept with Bebe when I started getting worried. But it only made things worst because it assured me that I wasn't attracted to girls." Craig pauses and it seems like he won't continue.

"Yeah." I say.

"I don't know. I just thought this would make you feel better." He says.

"What?" I ask, shifting, causing friction between us. I blush again. I wonder if Craig is even concerned.

"I didn't like girls!" He repeats. "But," he chuckles. "That doesn't mean I'm asexual. God, teenagers are stupid."

It takes me four full minutes to register his words and what they mean. I flip around. My hands on his thighs, holding me up. "You're gay?! Fuck- you always were!" How could I have not seen it? Maybe I did. I wouldn't have let myself fall for someone straight. Oh, thank you, Jesus.

Craig laughs. "Yeah, yeah." He says. "Clyde knows. Token knows. My mom knows. Ruby probably knows. I think she snoops on my computer." I grimance. "Yeah." He says.

He pats his lap and I settle back into my spot. A little more comfortably with my newfound knowledge. I know something about Craig Tucker. Something no one else knows. I can't help but feel giddy.

"Still," Craig says. "I don't like anyone. I haven't ever, I think. That's why sometimes I think I might really be asexual." He says. "It's lonely. But no matter who I've ever been with, it never felt right. And I've never had a crush on anyone." He tells me. "Contrary to what you believe, I know you and Thomas are very different. Tweek," he says. "You're different." He says. "I- God- Can I be gay for a second? Fuck it."

Craig takes a deep breath that I feel on my neck and then he leans his face into my shoulder. "I think you're cute when you act skittish because it reminds me of my guinea pigs. I like the way you look so peaceful when you sleep. I like how you always smell like coffee and fresh laundry." My cheeks burn brighter.

"Craig-"

"Shut up, I'm not done." He tells me, arms wrapping around my torso. "I like when you're around and we're alone and we just hang out. I hate when you're with Kenny. I fucking hate Kenny. I like you're eyes. I like you're smile. I like you're hair and you're freckles and how much you blush, but you're such a pervert. It's okay though, I like that too. I like how weird you are and how distant you are and trying to figure you out." Craig stops. "Do you get it?"

I open my mouth but it only feels like a desert and proves to be useless to me now. I shake my head and turn around, moving out of Craig's lap to see his face because I don't get it. I don't get someone like Craig. Someone like Craig Tucker, he could virtually have whoever he wanted in a snap of his fingers. Someone like Craig Tucker, who supposedly hates people in general. And I'm a spazzy nutcase. Someone like Craig Tucker, who was in football, track, and baseball. Who's six-foot-whatever, who's got dreamy blue eyes, a 4.0 GPA. And he likes me because I'm a freak...? "How?" I sputter. "Why?"

"I just told you why." He says, looking a little dejected. "Tweek, you're genuine. You don't care about what those kids think and you think no one cares about you but, somehow, you have me and I care. I purpose next time my families out, we can order Chinese food and watch a movie as a date. So, what's your move?"

"My- my move?" Craig nods at me, expectantly. "I don't- No one's ever really liked me... Or cared." I tell him, lost. "I don't know, I guess."

Instead of getting mad, as I anticipated, Craig just looked sympathetic. "That's okay too. Think about it. You can figure it out. I'll wait."

I smirk. Nice. Craig Tucker, who, despite popular belief, isn't cold and doesn't have a Medusa heart. Craig Tucker who wants me and doesn't care that I'm weird. He likes me because I'm weird. Craig Tucker, who makes my heart ache from just looking at me because, dammit, I want to kiss him so bad!

"Y- yes!" I tell him quickly. Craig smiles and there's no way those eyes were ever anything but warm and inviting and so damn attractive. I push forward and kiss him. I kiss Craig so damn hard. He just chuckles and pulls me back into his lap. I wrap my legs around him, to hold myself in place. My hands start at his neck, working their way into his hair.

"Good." Craig starts kissing my neck. "I don't want you to see Kenny anymore."

"Pfft. Done." I say. "But I'm gonna have to lock you up because every girl seems to want you."

Craig snorts, "I don't think you have anything to worry about." His hand grazes my cheek.

"Just 'cause you're gay, doesn't mean they won't try something."

"Aren't you friends with them?"

"Oh, yeah." I say, adjusting a strand of hair that's fallen in his face. "But, still, those girls are crazy and I'll fight if I have to."

Craig laughs, "Good to know."

"Can we..." I pause, looking down, "-because I know you said the marks turn you off." Craig smirks. "Can we keep kissing?"

"C'mere." He grabs my thighs and pulls me into him again. He leans his face into mine.

finally, but troubles ahead o: