Sorry guys :/ meh meh meh. I'm a liar.
Short chapter grar
enjoy!
a/n
Chapter Twenty One: This is What Happens After the End
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Deep inside of you / there's a ruby glow / and it gets brighter than you and I will ever know / there's a rushing sound / that surrounds us / when we walk alone / and it's everything I've ever known
-Owl City, 'I'll Meet You There'
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Wendy held the letter in steady hands. They couldn't be her hands. She couldn't feel them or the weight of the letter or the texture of the paper.
She watched them carefully open the letter and extract the single sheet of paper inside.
When she saw the heading everything rushed into her. The paper so raspy against her skin, so light, so innocent seeming of the words scribbled there. With suddenly shaking hands she smoothed the paper on her desk.
Deer Wendy, it began. She traced the misspelled word with a choking breath, knowing just what had caused this childlike handwriting.
The rest of the letter was just as innocent, speaking in heavily misspelled, erased, and crossed out words of forgiveness and the lack of blame, of how the world would be beautiful soon. She was crying quietly by the end, guarding the paper with a sleeve.
Lov, Tweek.
They had sat for what was perhaps a minute and perhaps an eternity watching each others eyes. Tweek was so wary, starting quietly at Craigs every blink. His body was gathered into himself now, knees to his chest, but he had an arm outstretched between them, fingers overlaid with Craigs.
Craig broke the silence of the ticking clock.
"Can I come up?" he asked quietly.
Tweek had flinched at his voice but the tilt of his eyes when he looked back up could have been labeled hopeful.
"If you want." He scooted over with eyes downcast, maneuvering cautiously around the IV tubes and wires. Craig climbed carefully up next to him, settling in and hesitantly wrapping an arm around Tweek's emaciated shoulders. They were bowed, Tweek staring at his hands, nestled in his lap.
"You don't believe me." Craig sighed. He could sense the cold bewilderment emanating from Tweek still.
"How…" Tweek paused, silent for so long Craig started to wonder if he had fallen asleep. But then he stirred.
"How can I believe?" He looked up at Craig. His face was pleading. It was an honest question, Craig realized, not Tweek discounting his words.
"I don't know." Craig admitted. Honesty. The first step on the road to recovery. "but I'm going to find a way, I promise."
Tweek offered a weak but genuine smile and rested his head on Craigs shoulder.
Craig supposed that was all he could ask for.
Long experience with listening to Tweek sleep told Craig when he had fallen deeply enough that sounds and movements wouldn't wake him.
Carefully he shifted Tweek into his lap, making sure the IV tube wasn't disturbed. The feeling of the frail – skeletal – body against his was a constant reminder of what he had almost lost.
"I love you." Craig finally admitted to the sleeping Tweek.
Tweek didn't make a sound, but he shifted in Craigs lap, hand seeking warm skin. Craig lifted his own and wrapped his fingers around Tweeks brittle, frozen hands.
"Visiting hours are over." A tart but quiet voice echoed from the door. Craig looked up and found an old prune of a nurse, mouth permanently stitched into a frown.
With a roll of his eyes Craig carefully extricated himself from Tweek, making sure to keep him asleep and tucking the blankets more tightly around him.
Grabbing the pad of paper and pen off Tweeks bedside table he scribbled a quick explanation and apology down. He brushed a cautious kiss against the corner of Tweek's mouth, ignoring the way the old nurse's lips tightened, and tucked the note into his hands.
"Be back soon." Craig promised, slipping off the bed and into his shoes. Tweek frowned and grumbled unhappily, hand creeping into the warm sheets Craig had left behind, searching for him.
"Come along." The nurse's voice was vivid with distaste. Craig flipped her off behind her back and followed her out the door. They could evict him for now but they couldn't stop him from coming back.
Bebe looked up when the nurse slammed the door with more force than strictly necessary. Her face was sour and pinched, as if she were sucking on lemons. Walking behind her with his head down was Craig.
The nurse left him and he walked in Bebe's general direction, face preoccupied.
"How'd it go?" She asked quietly. Craig looked up.
A tiny smile lit up his face. The first she could ever remember seeing. It was beautiful.
"I think it'll be okay." He murmured.
"Thank god." Bebe whispered, shutting her eyes.
a/n
It might be worth noting that Tweeks father in no way is sorry for what he did and is in fact a rapist asshole. Just saying XD
Author out -peace sign-