A/N: Now this is what I call a chapter!
Enjoy!
Tweek
Tweek couldn't stop moving.
It wasn't a matter of being nervous or not having enough coffee, no, he was excited because after school today, they were going to wage war. Okay, maybe it wasn't war but it was going to be exciting. Tweek could feel his whole body vibrating to the beat of inaudible war drums. Craig and I are going to lead people against the Elves and we're going to win! He wanted to shout it from the rooftops.
Of course, he couldn't, that was the whole point of a sneak attack. But he was still ridiculously excited. After spending the whole day yesterday swinging from trees and practicing, Tweek was nothing if not ready for this. I should trust Craig when he says I can do something, climbing trees wasn't that hard. Sure his fingers were covered in splinters, but he didn't really care. He'd had too much fun.
Because once it had been just the two of them, Craig always got softer somehow and Tweek never felt quite as nervous.
Flicking his eyes to the side, Tweek glanced at Craig, who was sucking on the eraser of his pencil as he stared at his paper. Craig had a habit of doing things like that. He never bit his lip like Tweek did and he didn't chew gum incessantly, but he did do things like roll the end of his pencil around between his lips. I wonder why he does it? Is it just an unconscious habit? I can never tell with Craig, I wish I could understand him like he seems to understand me.
Catching Tweek's gaze, Craig slowly raised an eyebrow, to which Tweek found himself smiling excitedly. Whipping back around to his own paper, Tweek stared at the worksheet before deciding that, really, he couldn't possibly do this. No, his head was far away from school and from boredom and from things of that nature, it was all focused on the battle after school. I can't believe that Cartman put me in charge with Craig. I hope I don't screw everything up. Oh Jesus, what if I do?
Feeling himself start to get nervous, Tweek quickly grabbed for his thermos and drank down some of the coffee inside. No, it was hardly lunch yet, he needed to keep calm, otherwise, he'd end up freaking out by the time he needed to fight. Craig will be there, I won't freak out, he wouldn't let me. Tweek believed that much, Craig knew him too well to ever let him get the point of a full-blown panic attack.
It was funny; when Tweek thought about it, he couldn't help but realize that in reality, Craig had only known him for a month or so. At this point, after everything they'd managed to put themselves through, it felt like a lifetime. Does Craig feel like it's been forever too? I wonder if he's going to get tired of me eventually… Shaking his head, a bit like a dog, Tweek dismissed the idea. No, he knew that Craig wouldn't. Friends didn't just get tired of each other after all.
Feeling Craig's eyes on him, a familiar feeling, Tweek jerked and spun in his direction just in time to feel a hand ruffle his hair. It was a funny sight, Craig with his pencil dangling from his lips, watching Tweek with a look of intense concentration as if fluffing his hair was the most important thing he could do and he needed to do it perfectly. As the nervous energy in him calmed down, Tweek stopped vibrating quite so quickly and actually sat still-ish for a moment.
Seemingly satisfied, Craig let his fingers slip from Tweek's hair, dragging some of it with him, pulling it over the blonde's face. Letting out a squeaky giggle, Tweek brushed the hair out of his eyes and grinned at Craig, who didn't exactly smile back but definitely looked satisfied with himself. As Mr. Garrison started to say something, Tweek let out a strangled sound and quickly turned back to his paper, not wanting to get himself or Craig in trouble.
Thoughts straying again, Tweek thought about the bag he had stuffed into his locker that held his Barbarian gear, including a small jar of the coffee paint. The plan was to stop by Craig's house to get changed before hurrying off and using what remained of their time before the Elves attacked to get ready. Picturing Craig in his Thief's outfit, sailing through the trees like some sort of hawk or bird of prey, Tweek shivered. This is going to be so awesome, I can hardly wait!
Glancing up at the clock, Tweek hardly had time to jump in excitement before the bell rang, signaling the beginning of lunch. With a yelp, Tweek almost fell out of his chair in his haste to put his things into his backpack. Craig grabbed his thermos and held it patiently as he waited for the other kids to stream around them, leaving the classroom as quickly as they could. "You're excited," he commented, watching Tweek as the boy looked up at him quickly and bobbed his head.
"Aren't you man?" Tweek asked, struggling to stuff his books into his already stuffed bag. "W-we're going to be so cool!" Lowering his voice, just in case any Drow Elves were listening, Tweek hissed, "I bet after this battle, I'll –ngh- gain two levels!" The idea excited him into fumbling one of his textbooks. The thin hardcover made a slapping sound as it hit the linoleum.
Stooping to the ground, Craig patiently took over Tweek's attempts at putting his things away, handing the shivering boy his thermos to hold as he worked. His long fingers were so much swifter than Tweek's, so much more precise in what he was doing. Twitching as he clutched at his thermos, Tweek watched with wide eyes as Craig finished packing his back in half the time it would have taken Tweek to do it.
In response to Tweek's earlier statement, Craig calmly said, "Probably," before handing Tweek his backpack. Shouldering it, Tweek shot to his feet and bounced on the balls of his feet as he waited for the second it took Craig to straighten. Oh man, I wish it could be the end of the day right now!
As they both started towards the door, Mr. Garrison called, "Craig Tucker? If you wouldn't mind, I'd like a word with you." Turning around towards the man, middle finger already raised, Craig stared at the teacher, who simply glared at said, "You'll be out to lunch in a moment."
Looking between them, Tweek stared at Craig nervously for a moment before the boy waved him towards the door and said, "I'll be there in a moment. Wait for me outside?" Go out there without Craig? Oh Jesus! Feeling nervous, but unwilling to let it show, Tweek put on a brave face and nodded jerkily before hurrying from the room, closing the door behind him.
Without Craig, the hallway seemed ten times more claustrophobic, but Tweek managed not to get trampled as he scrambled towards his locker. Keeping his eyes peeled for anyone who might try to cause trouble for him, Tweek wondered where Clyde and Token were as he crouched over the lock on his locker and shakily put in the code. They were probably in the cafeteria with Cartman and Kenny, which made Tweek's face twitch into a frown. He didn't particularly want to deal with Cartman without Craig around, and besides, the Noirette had told him to go outside and wait for him, so that's where Tweek would go.
Depositing his bag, Tweek shut his locker door and allowed the swell of children to push him towards the playground outside. The chill of late autumn hit him and he shivered slightly, from the cold before he managed to fumble his thermos open and take several sips of the still hot coffee inside. Eyes darting over the playground, to the group of Elves that had started gathering on one side and then to the group of Humans that typically congregated in the other corner, Tweek chose to head for the Merry-go-round, the most familiar of any territory.
Sitting down on it, Tweek tried to stretch his short legs to kick himself around but as always, he had trouble getting up any speed. With one hand wrapped around his thermos and the other holding on tightly, Tweek managed to spin himself in a circle, enjoying the free, sailing feeling he got whenever he spun around on the thing. Of course, he liked it better when Craig did it but Craig wasn't there at that moment so he'd make do.
Looking up at the sky, Tweek twitched and let various memories filter through his thoughts. They were nothing but snippets, conversation and moments of time, but they all sort of formed a picture. Recalling small smiles, hands in his hair and Craig's hat on his head, Tweek found himself smiling. Despite the drama that he'd been put through, he'd never been happier in his life than he had been this past month with Craig. He'd always thought that he was nothing but a freak, but now, he was able to believe that despite being a freak, he was capable of so much more.
Suddenly, the gentle spinning of the Merry-go-round stopped, jerking Tweek to a halt and nearly sending his head into the bar. "AUGH!" Twitching, Tweek watched as his thermos tumbled out of his hand and to the ground below. Throwing his head around, Tweek's eyes widened when he saw who had stopped the Merry-go-round.
The boy was tall, taller than even Craig by a good bit. Looking him over, Tweek realized it was because he wasn't a fellow fourth-grader. OH JESUS, WHY IS THERE A SIXTH-GRADER HERE?! WHAT DID I DO?! Shaking, Tweek could do nothing as the boy glared at him and slowly spun the equipment around, bringing the blond closer the angry looking boy.
Before he could scramble away, the sixth-grader seized him by the collar of his improperly buttoned shirt and dragged him off of the Merry-go-round. Powerless, Tweek twitched violently and let out a screech of terror as the boy holding him shook him roughly. "Where the hell is your fuckbuddy, fourthy?" Unable to understand what the boy was saying, Tweek just trembled and let out a cry of pain when he was tossed to the ground.
"GHA- I-I- I don't kn-know what you're –ngh- talking about!" Tweek screeched, scrambling back over the ground as the sixth-grader advanced on him. Oh god, what does he want from me?! What's going on? Where is Craig!? Unable to get out of the way in time, Tweek couldn't avoid the boot the taller boy planted squarely in his ribs, kicking him a few inches over the ground.
Groaning, Tweek curled up and cringed as the boy snapped, "I asked you a fucking question twerp! Where's your boyfriend?" WHAT?! I don't have a boyfriend? Why would I have a boyfriend? Why is he hurting me? What did I ever do to him?! Twitching, Tweek whimpered as the boy got in his face. "Is there something wrong with your ears? Why won't you fucking answer me?!"
"I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!" Tweek shrieked, covering his head with his arms, fear clouding his brain. It had been a long time since someone had hurt him; since Craig had started hanging out with him actually. This is why I don't hang out at the playground! The sixth-grader, apparently fed up with Tweek's inability to answer him to what he felt like was a sufficient standard, dragged him upright by his shoulder, forcing Tweek to cooperate.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about, fag!" the boy snarled, even as Tweek twitched and whimpered, his panic skyrocketing as he tried and failed to get away. "Your little Thief friend made me look like a fucking fool on Saturday and I'm going to beat the shit out of him for it! So where the fuck is he?!"
HE'S TALKING ABOUT CRAIG!? OH JESUS! Tweek shook his head wildly, not wanting to tell this kid where he was. The sixth-grader towered over him, his fist raised, but Tweek refused to tell him where Craig was. IF I TELL HIM, HE'LLL KILL CRAIG! I CAN'T LET HIM KILL CRAIG, THEN WHAT WOULD WE DO!? "N-No!" Tweek squeaked, even though his knees were knocking together and images of him lying somewhere in a ditch kept flashing through his mind. "I w-won't tell you!"
"Yes, you will!" Pain flashed through Tweek's mind as the boy's fist connected with his face, sending him sprawling. His cheek throbbed and when he coughed, he saw blood. Tweek wanted to scream for help, but as luck would have it, the Merry-go-round happened to be the one secluded place in the whole playground. And besides, who would listen if I called? Only Craig and Craig's not even here! Tweek could feel complete and utter defeat welling up in his mind and it quickly swamped any and all ideas of fighting back. Because he couldn't fight back, he wasn't strong enough, he'd never been strong enough.
"If you don't tell me," the boy warned, leering horribly at Tweek. "Then I'll just hurt you instead. That'll teach that Thief not to mess with someone like me again. I don't care if it is a game!" Trying to scramble to his feet, Tweek caught sight of his thermos in the corner of his eyes and wondered if he could use it as a weapon to defend himself. Before he could act on the idea, however, he was being dragged to his feet once more.
"Is that how you want to play it, huh? Think I won't get him later?" Face inches from Tweek's the boy snarled, "I'll get your boyfriend too, you can't protect him, you're just a shitty little fourthy who thinks-" Whatever Tweek did or didn't think, the blond would never know, because it was at that moment that a blue blur streaked at the corner of his eyes and the sixth-grader let go of Tweek as he stumbled back. In the confusion, Tweek's knees gave way, sending him tumbling to the ground.
"What the hell-" the boy started, rubbing his jaw and looking for who had punched him. Then his eyes focused and narrowed as he found who'd hit him. Tweek, meanwhile, stared up with undisguised wonder at the towering, strong form of Craig. The boy had his fists balled and his eyes narrowed in anger, all of it directed at the sixth-grader, who didn't look the least bit scared.
"Don't you fucking touch him," Craig growled, not an ounce of fear or apprehension in those dark eyes. Whereas usually, they were bright and full of life, Craig's eyes looked like nothing but twin black holes, soulless and furious. Feeling a shiver run through him, Tweek let out a soft whimper at the sight. He couldn't help it, Craig looked downright terrifying as he stared down the sixth-grader.
Chuckling, the sixth-grader straightened and said, "Well lookie here, the other fag has arrived to protect his little boyfriend." Advancing towards Craig, a frightening grin on his face, the boy said, "You're just the Thief I wanted to see!" Without a second's warning, he struck, his fist aimed for Craig's face.
Tweek screamed as Craig sidestepped swiftly and his own fist connected with the boy's shoulder. Looking very much like a bear flicking a flea off of him, the sixth-grader simply turned and threw his weight into Craig, who stumbled backward, nowhere near as heavy or strong as the boy he was fighting. "You think you can stop me from hurting you?!" the boy demanded, advancing on Craig. "You're fucking dead fourthy!"
"I never said I was going to stop you from hurting me," Craig said in that cold, soulless, and furious voice that Tweek had only ever heard when he'd seen the Noirette beat up Cartman. "I said I was going to stop you from hurting Tweek!" Quick as a snake, Craig darted back in and landed several punches to the boy's stomach, which drove the air from the sixth-grader's lungs.
"OHMYGODCRAIGWATCHOUT!" Tweek shrieked suddenly, seeing the strike before it connected. With far more force than he'd used with Tweek, the sixth-grader landed a blow to the side of Craig's face, which hit his nose. Tweek could see the blood coming from Craig's nose even from where he was huddled, hiding. As if the blow hadn't even affected him, Craig simply wiped the blood off his face and jumped back at the boy.
Craig was much faster than the sixth-grader. Throwing his weight against the other boy, Craig managed to kick out one of the boy's legs, making him roar like the bear he appeared to be as he stumbled backward. "You piece of shit!" the boy yelled, swinging for Craig, who dodged each strike by the skin of his teeth.
Drawing back his fist once more, Craig managed to land a hit on the boy's face, growling as he did so, "You're the piece of shit." Whimpering, Tweek backed up till he was pressed against the Merry-go-round. He just wanted the fighting to stop, he didn't want Craig to get any more hurt than he already was. Stop defending me and run! Why are you doing this?! He's going to kill you!
As the boy pulled back his fist to hit Craig once more, the Noirette darted in and caught the boy's groin with his foot. When the boy doubled over, his face nothing but pain, Craig delivered a swift knee to the solar plexus, once more leaving the boy gasping for air and curled on the ground. Standing over him, Craig breathed heavily for a moment, wiping the blood from his nose as he did so. "Fucking serves you right," he muttered voice still dark and coated in rage.
Tweek couldn't help the small sound of fear that escaped him. Spinning around instantly, Craig's entire face changed as he hurried over to Tweek, all his own injuries forgotten as he stooped to the ground and crawled closer to the blond, who was shaking and twitching in fear as he watched Craig advance. Looking down at the blond in a helpless sort of way, Craig's hand traced the air over the side of Tweek's face where he'd been hit. Unable to help himself, Tweek jerked away from Craig's hand, his mind still in panic mode.
Looking devastated, if only with his eyes, Craig muttered, "I- I'm not going to hurt you," as if he thought that Tweek believed he would. Balling up his fists, Tweek uncurled himself and just let his head thunk against Craig's collarbone, allowing the boy's presence to finally start to calm down his thundering heart and his frantic mind. Freezing under Tweek, Craig gently lifted his hand and put it in Tweek's hair, slowly stroking it.
Hearing a groan from behind them, Tweek let out a shiver and an, "Ack!" of remaining fear. Eyes flickering behind them, Craig quickly helped Tweek to his feet and moved away from the Merry-go-round, pulling the blond with him. Grabbing Tweek's thermos from where it had fallen, Craig wrapped an arm around Tweek's shoulder and pulled him towards the school, entirely ignoring the kids who had witnessed the fight and were now staring at them with wide eyes.
Huddling against the Noirette's side, Tweek felt the urge to cry hit him and he clung to Craig's coat instead, shivering as he saw blood from the boy's nose drip onto it. "Fucking asshole," Craig muttered mutinously, opening the doors of the school for them and hurrying Tweek inside. "He's the Elf I fought on Saturday, I didn't think he'd try to get revenge like that. Piece of shit should be kicked from the game."
As he was pulled towards the Nurse's office, Tweek shivered and choked back a whimper as his cheek throbbed. "W-why would you do something like that?!" he demanded, his throat protesting his high-pitched words. When Craig pushed open the door to the Nurse's office, Tweek shivered, but no one was inside. Not caring, Craig threw on the lights and pushed Tweek onto one of the cots in the corner.
"Because someone fucking had to," Craig growled, his gaze darkening, his mind no doubt going to the sixth-grader once more. "No one is allowed to touch you, no one." Shivering, hating how dark Craig's eyes got when he talked like that, Tweek pulled on Craig's shirt helplessly and whimpered. As if he was being dragged back from the edge, Craig's eyes cleared and he looked down at Tweek, concern making his brows furrow.
"B-but you shouldn't have done that," Tweek insisted, his eyes wide and pleading. He could feel his ribs aching from where the boy had kicked him, but he ignored it in favor of trying to get his point across to Craig. "W-what if –ghn- h-he comes after you later?! What if he hurts you even worse? Jesus man, I can't handle that!"
Eyes softening, Craig's hand reached around and wove itself into Tweek's hair. Dragging the boy's head forward until it was pressed into his stomach, Craig rumbled, "I don't care if he comes after me later, no one is allowed to push you around." As Tweek's twitching started to slow, just because of the sound of Craig's voice and the hand in his hair, the Noirette continued, "Not Cartman, not fucking sixth-graders, not Stan or Kyle or Kenny."
Craig was silent for a moment before adding, "Not even me." Twitching in surprise at that, Tweek struggled to look up at Craig so he could see the boy's face. Looking down at him seriously, with the blood under his nose drying and his impossibly blue eyes fierce, Craig repeated, "No one is allowed to push you around, you're Tweek fucking Tweak and that means you don't deserve to take shit from anyone."
Biting his bottom lip to keep it from trembling, Tweek nodded firmly, unable to speak without breaking down into tears. No, Craig's right, I don't have to take shit from anyone! I'm Tweek Tweak and I'm stronger than that! Even though his body hurt and he felt pathetic, Tweek sat up straighter and held his head high.
Looking proud, Craig's face flattened out into its usual deadpan as he simply ruffled Tweek's hair, calming and peaceful in his familiar task. "I'm sorry I didn't get there sooner," the tall boy said, his tone even, yet regretful by the same token. "I shouldn't have let you get hurt at all."
Softly, Tweek muttered, "As long as you come –ngh- I don't care how late you are. I just d-don't want to be alone again."
Looking down at Tweek, Craig softly said, "I already told you, you aren't alone anymore."
And Tweek believed him. Because it was Craig and because it was all he wanted to hear.