*~~~*

"Hey dude." Craig entered the coffee shop, and waved to Clyde's greeting. Clyde was sitting at the small table by the window, sipping his drink thoughtfully. Craig just silently walked up to the counter, looking around to see if anyone was going to take his order.

"Oh, hello." Tweek Tweak appeared from under the counter, popping up suddenly. Craig didn't jump, just raised his eyebrows. "Um, what can I g-get you?" Tweek asked, his eyes looking around nervously.

"Um, just a regular coffee. Medium." Craig placed his order, tapping his fingers on the counter impatiently.

"Oh, yeah. Ok. One regular c-coffee right away." Tweek nodded, his messy, out-of-control blonde hair all over the place.

Craig smirked as Tweek got his order, wondering if the rumors were true. As Tweek brought the coffee up, Craig decided to ask. "So, are you really hooked on Meth?"

"Gah!" Tweek twitched in surprise. "N-no! Why would I get into d-drugs?!"

"Just asking…" Craig rolled his eyes, knowing that the rumors had to be true. Tweek had always been a crazy, jumpy kid, but everyone thought that he would have grown out of it by now. He had to be on something.

Craig paid for his coffee, and walked to the exit. He saw Clyde look up at him again, but then ignored him. Craig remembered how they used to be better friends, but they just drifted apart. It wasn't their fault, they just weren't really meant to make it as friends.

Craig took a sip of coffee, but froze when he saw someone walking into the shop. The one and only, Stan Marsh. The eyeliner sporting teen looked around, and his startling gaze landed on Craig. He smiled and started walking up to him. "Hey." Craig returned the smile. "What are you doing in a coffee shop?"

"Ok, who doesn't love coffee?" Stan replied with a chuckle.

Craig shrugged, agreeing silently. Then, Stan went and made his order. Once he had his coffee in hand, he walked back to Craig, who hadn't moved an inch to wait for Stan. But he did notice Clyde look up from his own world, his eyes narrowing when he saw Stan. He stood up, and walked over to stop Craig and Stan from leaving. "Stan Marsh, right?" He asked Stan in a cold voice.

"Uh, yeah…" Stan said cautiously. "Clyde Donovan, right?"

"Yeah." Clyde sneered. "Why are you dressed like such an emo bitch? You look like a fucking faggot."

"What's your problem, Clyde?" Craig jumped in before Stan could. Craig had been known for his extremely short temper, and had actually been sent to anger management twice. But Clyde either forgot or didn't care about the short-tempered boy in front of him, and just continued on.

"Oh, just hate people like them." Clyde pointed his thumb at Stan. "Sorry to insult your boyfriend, Craig, but I hate both gays and emos."

Stan opened his mouth to reply but before he could, Craig lunged at Clyde. He knocked him back into the table where Clyde had just been sitting, and pinned his arms down. "Clyde, you really piss me off." Craig growled at the brunette viciously.

"Get off me dude!" Clyde struggled against Craig's grip. "God, I was just kidding!"

"It wasn't fucking funny!" Craig yelled, only pinning Clyde down harder. White-hot anger coursed through his veins like a deadly drug.

"Craig!" Stan grabbed Craig's arm to pull him off. "Dude, let go! Just let the bastard go!"

Craig shoved Stan off, too pissed off to care who he was hurting. He then released one of Clyde's arms to cock his fist back and punch him hard in the face. Clyde's head snapped back, but he quickly recovered and elbowed Craig in the stomach with his free arm. Craig stumbled backwards and slipped on the coffee that Stan had dropped when Craig had lunged. He fell right into Stan, who caught him under the arms. He stood back up again, even though Stan tried to stop him. He leapt at Clyde as Clyde was lunging at him, and they met halfway in a match of strength.

"Hey, hey enough!" Mr. Tweak ran in from the back room. "Stop it you two!"

They ignored him until a gunshot ran around the room. "FUCK!" Craig heard Stan scream, and looked over to see him duck to the ground. But Mr. Tweak had only shot at the ceiling, leaving a small puncture hole in the plaster. Clyde jumped back, and Craig just stood there in a daze.

"Get out of my shop before I call the police." Mr. Tweak said calmly, for he was known for being a very calm man.

Clyde just walked out, throwing away his cup of coffee on the way out. Craig looked at Stan, who was just standing up from the gunshot. He walked over and grabbed his arm to drag him out. By the time they managed to make it to the sidewalk, Stan was shaking his head like he was feeling lost and confused. His icy gaze then looked over at Craig curiously, and he finally asked, "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." Craig answered through clenched teeth. "Just don't talk to me until I cool off. Unless you want my middle finger to claw your eye out."

"Uh, ok…" Stan said, stepping a foot away from the fuming Craig. They walked in silence for a few moments, both of them not really aware as to where they were going exactly. But they soon found themselves walking up to Stark's Pond, where everything was peaceful. Craig went and sat by the water's edge, tossing some rocks into the freezing water. Stan just stood by, hands shoved into the pockets of his tight jeans as he watched his friend's anger dwindle down. Before long, Craig's heat had cooled and he relaxed the tension in his body. Stan then went and sat by him silently, folding his legs as he stared into the still water. He then took out something from his pocket, and Craig saw it was a small iPod. He put an ear bud into his ear and pressed the play button.

Craig blinked, and thought back to the coffee shop issue. "What happened back there?" He asked Stan, who looked over at him questioningly.

"What do you mean? You're the one who exploded."

"But when Mr. Tweak shot the gun, you ducked down and swore. You just seemed… terrified. Why?"

"Don't like guns…" Stan mumbled, picking at the snow rocky shore with his fingers, avoiding Craig's gaze.

"What's really wrong?" Craig placed a hand on Stan's shoulder tentatively. "You can tell me. I swear I won't tell anyone."

Stan looked up at him, his light eyes filled to the brim with secrets that it was obvious he wanted to shed. But he sighed, looking back down at ground. "It's nothing."

Craig looked over his companion, shocked at how a setting can change a person. Stan was the bad kid, even daring to step up to Eric Cartman with ease. But now, here he sat, a shell of the person he was before. He seemed afraid, even. "C'mon, Stan. Please?"

Stan sighed again, and looked back up. "I just don't like guns. They bring back bad memories. My… mom and sister died from a gun. And I was right there. It's kind of my fault." He then stopped talking, as if he couldn't finish.

Craig just put an arm around his shoulder, trying to be comforting. He then took an ear bud from Stan, and placed it in his ear. He closed his eyes to listen, having expected some screamo song. But it was a soft, but fast-paced song. He listened to the lyrics as they rang in his ears softly:

This flood (this flood) is slowly rising up swallowing the ground
Beneath my feet, Tell me how anybody thinks under this condition so
I'll swim (I'll swim) as the water rises up, the sun is sinking down
And now all I can see are the planets in a row
Suggesting it's best that I slow down

This night's a perfect shade of
Dark blue (dark blue)
Have you ever been alone in a crowded room when I'm here with you
I said the world could be burning (burning) down
Dark blue (dark blue)
Have you ever been alone in a crowded room well I'm here with you
I said the world could be burning dark blue

Craig then opened his eyes, staring out at the calm water of Stark's Pond. He glanced over at Stan to see him looking back. His crystal eyes were filled with a form of pain, and he looked scared. "You can't tell anyone about the gun thing." He whispers to me. "Please."

"I won't." Craig replied, just as quietly. "I would never do that."

Stan sighed gratefully, and looked down. Without even realizing what he was doing, Craig lifted Stan's head with his finger, and kissed him.

A/N: Disclaimer: The song lyrics are "Dark Blue", by Jack's Mannequin. I don't own them, obviously. I will be putting up the link to the song on my profile, in case you want to hear it. Sorry, I just love the song and it helped inspire the scene. And South Park is owned by Matt Stone and Trey Parker.
Ok, I don't have much else to say. Just hope you liked it. If you didn't, I'm sorry...
Ugh, I'm way too insecure...
(P.S. THIS PAIRING IS NOT OFFICIALLY PERMANENT.)