Waking up early to fly home from California was a lot sadder than anyone anticipated. After straightening everything up after the fireworks, everyone went to pack up and go to bed. The flight home was just like the flight to California, except this time their destination wasn't as desirable. A few weeks later, Craig was working the lunch shift at the restaurant he works at, standing behind the bar on his phone (his manager didn't care if no one was at the bar). It was a slow lunch and Craig desperately wanted to be doing anything else right now. Sure, he likes this job, but it was annoying having to flirt with older women for more tips. He shot Tweek a text.
This is when I wish you were twenty-one so you could come to see me at the bar. He started cleaning bottles, his phone buzzing ten minutes later on the bar top.
Slow day? He chuckled, reading the text.
I had an elderly couple come in at eleven and the lady kept hitting on me because her husband couldn't hear her do it.
Hey, she saw her opportunity and took it. Craig pocketed his phone as someone pulled a chair out from the bar, smiling a bit as he walked over.
"Afternoon." He said, the woman looking up. She was in her thirties for sure, laugh lines starting to form on her face. She smirked.
"Well…you're new here." Craig chuckled.
"I started almost…two months ago?"
"And I haven't gotten the pleasure to see you? What's your name, kid?" She purred, leaning on the bar to push up her breasts.
"Craig." She grinned slowly.
"Samantha."
"Pleasure, Samantha. Can I get you anything?"
"Just a cosmopolitan," He nodded, stepping back to make her drink. "So, tell me, Craig. What's a guy that looks like you doing here?" She asked. Craig looked up a bit, chuckling.
"Just trying to get some money for college." Samantha's eyes practically lit up.
"College?" She purred.
"Yup. I leave for my freshman year in a few months." He put a napkin down on the bar, placing the pretty pink drink on top of it. She took a sip, her bright red lipstick leaving a ring on the glass. Samantha hummed in approval.
"Mmm Craig, you make a mean cosmo." He smiled, laughing softly.
"Thanks."
"Anywho, back to our conversation," She twirled a finger around her blonde curls. She reminds me of Tweek. Craig swallowed that thought as quickly as it appeared. "So, freshman year? You're only eighteen?" Craig nodded, leaning against the edge of the bar.
"Yup. I got a full ride to University of Colorado to play ice hockey for them." Samantha's eyes lit up.
"So, you play hockey? Is that where that ugly scar came from?" She ran her nail gently down Craig's cheek, Craig's skin tingling under her touch.
"Yeah. Puck to the face." She hummed, running her nail over the scar that ran through his right eyebrow.
"And this?" He flinched, looking down and clearing his throat.
"Actually…that one was, um, from my…uncle." Samantha's façade fell slightly.
"Uncle?"
"Doesn't quite approve of my…life style choices."
"What do-"
"I came out as bi on Christmas Eve. Wasn't too happy. Super religious. The entire story is super cliché." Why are you pouring your heart out to this woman?
"Bisexual?" Her flirtatious façade was back, eyes darting to Craig's neck.
"…uh huh." She hummed.
"We have something in common," Craig looked up at her, a bright smile on her lips. "I'm gonna cut to the chase and just say that you are very handsome, Craig. It's a shame some hick uncle of yours decided to scar you." He laughed softly, running a hand through his hair.
"Well thank you. That's very kind of you." She looked him up and down once more.
"Do you smoke?"
"Yeah."
"Can I bother you for a smoke break?" Craig looked around. No one is here. He shrugged, nodding as he walked around from behind the bar. He followed her out the front door, leaning against the building as he pulled out his cigarettes. He blinked, a flame already in front of his face. He leaned the cigarette between his teeth into it, inhaling deeply as Samantha tugged the flame away.
"Tell me," Craig looked at her after exhaling. "How long have you been seeing someone?" Craig blinked.
"S-Sorry?" He tensed up a bit, her hands grabbing the pendant around his neck. She smiled, running her thumb over it as she turned it over to see the date.
"What does the date mean?"
"The uh…date I was undoubtedly his." She hummed.
"Him, huh?" Craig nodded, closing his eyes as he took a long drag from his cigarette.
"I've known him since fourth grade. He's my best friend."
"That can be the best kind of love." Craig smiled around his cigarette.
"It is the best kind of love."
"I dated my best friend once. His name was John. Kind man. Beautiful soul, soft eyes, wide smile. He was perfect. I love him dearly." Craig frowned.
"What happened?"
"He…passed away from cancer three years ago."
"I'm sorry for your loss."
"We were going to get married. But…I'm no longer sad about it. I used to be. For a very long time. Then last year, on the anniversary of his death…I don't know if it was the alcohol, but I…I heard him. He told me to stop dwelling so much on what could've been and look forward to what every day has to offer," She looked up at him. "Where is he going to college?"
"Temple University in Philadelphia." She grimaced.
"Long distance is hard, Craig. Have you talked about anything involving it?" Craig bit his lip as they walked back inside, heading back towards the bar.
"We do…but I just…I get so angry every time we try to talk about it. It makes me so angry, thinking about him leaving."
"Stop being angry." Craig blinked as he got back behind the bar, the entirety of Samantha's demeanor changing, her voice stern.
"I…I've tried. We've fought so much over this and I hate that we keep arguing." She sipped at her drink again. She hummed as she thought a moment.
"The more you argue over it, the more you'll drive yourselves apart. Is that what you want?" Craig shook his head. "Didn't think so. See, when John got sick, we argued every night! I regret that. I regret it to no end, because all those months we spent arguing were months we could've spent happy together. Instead, we were arguing and crying over everything. You don't want your most recent memories to be sad ones. When you think about him while you're away, you want to feel happy, not sad!" Craig nodded slowly, his heart twisting in his chest.
"When did you know you wanted to marry John?" Samantha chuckled, playing with her necklace.
"When I was sixteen." Craig blushed, looking down.
"I…want to marry him. He's…just…so incredible and makes me feel all these emotions I've never really experienced until I dated him. I feel…proud a lot. He's a figure skater! He won a competition back in February and-and he was just…so graceful and-and talented!" Craig rambled on for another minute about Tweek, Samantha smiling at how bright his face had gotten. She grabbed his wrist.
"Show me a picture of him." Craig blushed but nodded, pulling up the yearbook picture of them that they both scribbled on. She grinned slowly, leaning her cheek against her hand.
"He's cute as a button," She slid his phone back to him. "And you've completely fallen head over heels for him."
"It was more graceful than that…it was over the span of ten years." She chuckled.
"So, you fell with grace, then," She smiled, looking at her watch. "I have to be going. I have a meeting in a few hours to prepare for," She slid a fifty across the bar along with her business card. "Keep the change, kid. Don't be a stranger. Call me if you need someone to talk to." She grabbed his chin, looking him in the face before smiling and patting his cheek, chuckling as she walked away. Craig watched her go, looking down at the fifty-dollar bill in his hand as his heart fluttered. Samantha's words rung in his head: you don't want your most recent memories to be sad ones.
Tweek had started playing piano while he waited for Craig to text back, his anxiety growing as he feared Craig had gotten hurt at work and couldn't text him. He jumped as his phone buzzed, hands slamming onto the keys. He looked down at it, humming softly as his anxiety melted away.
Sorry I had a customer. I get off in about an hour. Dinner? My treat?
Where?
The place that sits on the lake in Jackson's Ridge?
Sounds good. I'll see you in an hour!
Tweek's heart was soaring as he got ready for their spontaneous date, his mind racing as to what the reason could be. He was trying to think positive, but again, his anxiety had started kicking in. Each button on his shirt seemed impossible with his shaky hands, jumping as there was a knock on the door.
"Nngh! Come in!" He yelled, cursing as he button missed the loop again. He blinked, seeing his father's hands appear on his shirt to button it. Once all his buttons were secure, Richard fixed up his collar, chuckling.
"Date night?"
"Yeah. Spontaneous."
"Nice. I just wanted to see if you were okay. You were playing piano for a while."
"I-I'm fine dad. Thank you." Tweek smiled up at him, Richard placing a hand on his back.
"You sure? I heard you pacing around in here."
"I-I'm gonna be fine. Just…over thinking." He hummed knowingly, smiling softly.
"Be safe, alright?" Tweek nodded, his father placing a kiss to the top of his head as he left the room. Tweek left about twenty minutes before the hour mark, wanting to take his time to get to Jackson's Ridge. He still felt tense as he drove, his mind racing about the possible reasons for this spontaneous dinner. As he pulled up almost thirty minutes later, he saw Craig sitting on a bench with a cigarette between his fingers. He got out of the car, walking over to him.
"Hey you." Tweek breathed out, smiling as Craig stood after putting his cigarette out. He kissed his forehead, the smell of tobacco lingering.
"Thanks for driving out. I know it was last minute." He said, walking into the restaurant with him.
"Oh! It-it was no problem, really. I was just…playing piano." Craig frowned.
"You do that when you're anxious." The host lead them to their booth (both boys glad she silently understood their desire for a booth), each sliding in on a side.
"I-I know. It was when you weren't t-texting me back. I thought something happened at work and-and you couldn't text me…" Craig chuckled, grabbing his hand from across the table. Tweek followed his arm, his black button up fanned opened a bit to show his chest and the sleeves rolled up. Fuck, how does he look this good after working all afternoon?!
"I thank you for your concern," They ordered drinks, glancing down at the menus. Once they had decided what they wanted, Craig spoke again. "I had an interesting…encounter today."
"Yeah? The elderly woman?"
"Well…yeah here, but there was another woman. She's the one that came in when I stopped texting you." Tweek hummed, sipping at his water.
"What was interesting about the encounter?"
"Well…she was absolutely gorgeous. She…kind of reminded me of you a bit? Features wise! You had similar features!" Tweek chuckled at the sudden panic in Craig's voice. "Her name was Samantha, and at first I didn't care much for her. She kept flirting too much and it was becoming annoying to try and flirt back with her. But…then she asked about you."
"You told her about me?"
"She figured it out," He held out his pendant, Tweek nodding as he understood. "But she gave me a lot of…advice, if you will."
"On?"
"Our relationship." Tweek snorted.
"Some random woman gave you relationship advice on us?"
"She lost her fiancé a few years back to cancer. They were best friends. She said she knew she wanted to marry him when she was sixteen years old," They paused to order their food, Craig grabbing Tweek's hands as he looked back at him. "However, she said that she wishes the first few months of her fiancé's last few months were happier. They argued a lot and she looks back and remembers that the most. She wishes that she had been just a little more understanding and caring for him." Tweek nodded slowly.
"So…why are we here, then?"
"Well…I really wanted to get the seafood special tonight from here."
"Craig!"
"I'm hungry!" He laughed, both boys smiling at each other. "No, but seriously, the reason why we're here really is because…I don't want these next few months to be angry or-or bitter, okay? I want to look back at this summer and feel happiness when I do. I don't want to think back and see us arguing or crying about college." Tweek blinked, surprised to even hear Craig say the word college.
"You…really? You mean that?"
"Of course, I do! I just really want to feel good. I want to be able to talk things out with you better. I know my communication has been really bad these past few months. And I know I haven't been the nicest guy to you, and that isn't fair," Craig bit his lip, looking down. "And…I wanted to wait until right before we left for college…but now…now seems right to me." He rummaged through his backpack (his go to bag to bring snacks and drinks for work), grabbing Tweek's hand and placing a small box in it. Tweek felt his breath catch.
"Craig, I-"
"Open it." It wasn't a command. It was kinder than a command. It was more like coaxing Tweek to open it. His cheeks turned a bright red as he opened the box, a silver band with a small pearl on it sitting inside. Tweek looked up slowly, smiling softly.
"I-Is this…a promise ring?" Craig's cheeks were a dark red, but he nodded.
"Yeah…I, uh, I bought it not long after Valentine's Day." Tweek blushed a darker shade of red, laughing softly.
"It…it's beautiful Craig."
"I was afraid you'd hate the pearl. But…I decided to go with it because it looked so unique, and our relationship is pretty unique." Craig plucked the ring out, sliding it onto Tweek's finger. The blonde hummed, holding his hand out to look at it. He stopped suddenly, looking back at Craig.
"But…what are you promising?" Craig laughed softly, leaning back in his booth seat as he ran a hand through his hair, thinking.
"To…always be a phone call away, even if it's really late at night and you just need to talk or vent or cry. I promise to try and remember to text you good morning every day, making sure you start your day out right and, hopefully, with a smile. I promise to always help you any way I can, even if I have to fly to Philadelphia to kill a cockroach for you. I promise to always cherish you with kisses or," He looked around, smirking. "Sex, for however long you want. I promise to never lie, letting you know when something doesn't match or if something is bothering me. I promise to be more expressive. I know that I've gotten better, but I know it's still difficult for you to decipher this stoic mug. And, finally, even though there are countless more promises, I promise to always love you, cherish you, validate you, and support you in any way I can. Forever and always." Tweek sniffled a bit, wiping his eyes.
"Damn…h-how long have you been planning that speech?" Craig chuckled.
"Every day. Since I bought it. I…repeat it before bed every night so I remind myself my promises to you." Tweek blushed, looking back down at the ring.
"This…has so much meaning," He leaned across the table, kissing Craig's cheek. "Thank you, sweetheart." Craig smiled, blushing.
"Y-you're welcome." As their dinners came, they chatted quietly amongst themselves, the entire situation feeling quite domestic. It was relaxing to them both, the idea of them both potentially living together one day making their hearts feel just as full as their stomachs. It was a cheesy way to say all those promises to him, but Tweek thought it was perfect. It was quintessential Craig, and that was pretty wonderful to Tweek.
NOTE: I have been training for work again today, I'm half asleep and a little tipsy, and I had writers block if I'm being honest! Sorry this is such a short chapter, but again, I'm half asleep and a little tipsy and I promise you the next chapter will be a lot better than this because I have a plan to bring back a character we haven't heard from in a while ;) Hope you still enjoyed this lil' chapter and, as always, any and all feedback is appreciated!