NOTE: Little time skip in this chapter and there's some mentions of dark themes such as past self harm. Enjoy!
"Clyde-Clyde, dude, PIVOT!" Token grunted, trying to carry the couch up the steps of the apartment complex.
"This is harder than it looks!" Clyde shouted over the couch, his tank top sticking to his chest. It's been a year since they've graduated college now. The time flew by as if it barely existed, but man, they were happy to be done school. Token was working as a psychologist in Denver, Clyde worked with the Denver Bronco's as a physical therapist, Jimmy landed a job as an English teacher in a small town outside of Denver, and then there was Tweek and Craig. They waited to see where Craig would be assigned to figure out where they would look for apartments, and luckily, he was assigned to a lab in Denver (how they all found jobs so close together, Craig isn't sure). Tweek also applied for a job at a hotel as the front desk manager in Denver, all of them enjoying their lives in the city. They were twenty-three and things have only been going up since their summer going into sophomore year of college. They don't bring up the wedding much, Tweek and Craig deciding to wait until they had the funds to go on some form of a honeymoon. They had found an apartment in the middle of the city of Denver, a small, open studio apartment. One bedroom, one bath, a living room, and a kitchen. More than enough room for them and their cat (they found the cat on the streets and Craig about had a panic attack when Tweek wanted to leave it, but the little tabby cat has grown on him). Craig was up in their apartment when Token and Clyde shoved the door open, Craig looking up from the end table he was trying to put together.
"Oh, thanks guys." He said, smiling a bit at them from his place on the floor. The apartment was relatively empty. They were gifted a TV from the Tucker's, a nice coffee machine from the Tweak's, and Craig's abuela had sent them money for groceries. The décor came from their bedrooms at home, and honestly, it fit well for the small space. They were on the fourth floor and they overlooked a busy street, a small balcony giving them a place to listen to the hustle and bustle of every day city life. Tweek was in the kitchen, getting lemonade ready for them all. Colorado was currently facing a heat wave in the middle of July, so it was safe to say everyone was feeling exhausted. He carried the tray of drinks out, Clyde gasping when he saw him.
"Oh, fuck yes." He groaned, grabbing the cool glass and pressing it to his red cheeks first. Tweek smiled, laughing softly as everyone took a glass.
"There's more in the kitchen." He said, sipping from his own glass. Token and Clyde plopped onto the couch, Token using his tank top to wipe the sweat off his face.
"Christ, it's fucking hot. Why did I we ever think about living somewhere warm?"
"I don't know. I'll take the bitter cold over this heat any day." Clyde murmured, his head leaned back on the couch. Craig walked over, opening the balcony door and tugging the screen door over it to let some air flow through the small apartment. Music played softly in the background, their little apartment, despite the current mess, slowly coming together.
"Come on Craig, let's give them a break. There's only a few things left." Tweek said, Craig nodding as he followed his fiancé down the steps. There was no elevator (to Craig's distaste), but then again, the apartment complex was only seven floors (and Craig thanks they're on the fourth floor). They walked to the truck they rented, Tweek handing over the last two boxes to Craig while Tweek grabbed a rug his parents found in their basement.
"Is that all?" Craig asked, adjusting the boxes in his hands. Tweek nodded, hopping down from the back of the truck with the rug over his shoulder.
"The last of it!" He repeated, closing the truck up before heading back up the steps with Craig. When they got back upstairs, Clyde was cooing to Venus, the little tabby cat they rescued off the streets. Craig set the boxes down, closing the door after Tweek came in. He walked over, plucking the kitten out of Clyde's hands.
"Hey!" Craig set her on his shoulder, Venus often liking to perch there. Craig grinned, scratching under her chin and listening to her purr.
"Someone's a daddy's girl." Token murmured, Tweek choking on his sip of lemonade as he let out a laugh. Craig rolled his eyes, looking up at Venus.
"Don't listen to him, pretty lady, he's just sad you don't love him like you love me." Craig cooed, placing a kiss to the cat's chin. She nuzzled into the touch, her eyes closing as she let out a soft mew. Tweek smiled, sighing as he looked around.
"I can't believe we did it." He murmured, leaning against the wall on the floor. Clyde smiled a bit.
"I can't believe we're twenty-three and graduated and we have jobs and we're adults that do adult things." Token snorted, his eyes closing on the couch.
"Yeah…it's crazy, isn't it?" Craig sat against the wall next to Tweek, Venus hopping down and wandering around the new environment some more.
"It's going fast, gentlemen." He sipped at his lemonade, wiping his eyes to clear off any sweat. Tweek stood, walking into the kitchen before coming back out with four wine glasses and a bottle of wine. Clyde grinned.
"Well, Tweek, I'm impressed with this wine choice." Tweek chuckled, handing everyone a glass before pouring some into each.
"A gift from my grandparents." He said, Craig walking over so they could clink their glasses together.
"To you two and your new beginnings." Token said, Craig sliding his arm around Tweek's waist.
"To you, Token, on your job, and to you, Clyde, on your job and engagement to Bebe." Clyde blushed, Token slapping a hand on his shoulder.
"Cheers to us, dudes. A shame Jimmy couldn't get off work today, but to him as well." Clyde said with a grin. They laughed, clinking their glasses together lightly before sipping their wine down. Tweek took a quick glance around. Their apartment was perfect. It was everything he had dreamed for. They spent the rest of the day after Token and Clyde left just organizing in their underwear (it was still hot and the AC in the building wasn't working right). Craig was still attempting to put things together, working on a coffee table now after finishing the end table he had started. He was humming along to the playlist he found online (his record player was still packed away), not really knowing the lyrics to the songs, but he enjoyed them nonetheless. Tweek came out from the bedroom, grabbing the rug that was still rolled up and unrolling it in the living room. He hummed, moving the couch to face the TV. Craig glanced up at him, his heart full as he watched him move around. He smiled a bit, setting his screw driver down as he stood.
"Dance with me." Tweek blinked, blushing a dark red.
"Wh-What?"
"Dance."
"Craig, no."
"Come on! We danced in front of the entire senior class in high school!"
"That's different! I don't like doing it with one other person!"
"You've danced with me before!"
"I was drunk! Plus, this is a faster paced song! It's not slow dancing!" Craig thought a moment.
"What if we danced with our eyes closed?" Tweek snorted, biting his lip.
"Hmm…I suppose that works…" Craig smiled, closing his eyes as he started moving to the beat of the old country song. Tweek closed his eyes, moving with it as well. After a minute, Craig opened his eyes slowly, stopping his movements as he watched Tweek move. He had a grin on his face, his hair pushed out of his face by the bandanna he used, hips moving as a laugh escaped his lips. Craig walked over, grabbing Tweek's wrists. Tweek gasped, his eyes flying open. He met Craig's gaze, his blue eyes half lidded as he smiled wide at Tweek.
"You're incredible." Tweek blushed.
"Y-You watched…"
"Only for a little bit…I couldn't help it." He whispered, pressing their foreheads together. Tweek smiled a bit, pressing a quick kiss to his fiancé's lips.
"Come on, handsome. I wanna finish unpacking before dinner time." Craig hummed, nodding before returning to put the coffee table together. Tweek brought him a glass of rum and coke, Craig sipping at it with an eagerness. He didn't realize how thirsty he had been. Tweek chuckled, walking back into the bedroom to put their clothes away. Craig lit a cigarette, letting it dangle from his mouth as he turned the coffee table upright and set it in place. He put an ash tray on it along with some magazines and a few coasters, the remote for the TV, and the controllers for his Xbox that he brought from home. On the TV stand, he put a few candles, images of him and Tweek and their friends and family. By the door, he hung their diplomas so they could be displayed proudly, and everyone could see them before they left the apartment. He started working on putting a bookshelf together, Venus rubbing against his ankles as he set the shelf upright as he finished (it was a rather simple build). He chuckled, tugging the cigarette out of his mouth.
"You can't be climbing this, Venus. This is a no kitty zone," He scooped her up, walking into the bedroom to check on Tweek. He smiled as he saw him hunched over their dresser, organizing the drawers. He even went ahead and added some décor to the bedroom and made their bed (it wasn't much, they didn't have a frame, so it was just a box spring with the mattress pushed against the wall. "Looks great." Tweek jumped.
"Jesus!" He looked up, sighing as he saw Craig. "Christ, Craig, you scared me!" He hissed, tugging the cigarette out of his hand and taking a draw from it. "Why is this so stressful?" He breathed out, handing the cigarette back to Craig. He hummed, pressing the cigarette into the ashtray that sat on Craig's end table.
"It's a big adjustment, Tweek. It's gonna be stressful." He frowned as Tweek tugged at his hair, a habit he hasn't done in a while. He set Venus now, walking over and grabbing Tweek's wrists. Tweek gasped, looking up.
"S-Sorry." He choked out.
"How long have you been working in here?" Tweek glanced at the clock on the wall.
"T-three hours?" Craig frowned.
"If you wanted some help why didn't you come get me?"
"You were busy doing your own thing!" Tweek screeched, his face flushed. Craig tugged him out into the kitchen, starting up the coffee machine. "Craig, it's almost eighty degrees and humid outside! I-I can't-nng-drink hot coffee! What-what if I overheat and-and die?!" Craig didn't acknowledge Tweek's worrying as he put some ice into the mug, pushing it under the spout, and pressing the button to brew it. He hummed along to the music still, grabbing the creamer from the fridge and the sugar from the cupboard. He whistled slightly as he grabbed the coffee, adding a few extra ice cubes before pouring the cream and sugar in and handing it to Tweek. The blonde blinked, taking the mug with shaky hands. "Th-thanks." He breathed out, sipping at the cool coffee. Craig leaned against the counter top, sipping at a rum and coke he poured. He watched Tweek, concerned about Tweek's anxiety. It hasn't been bad for a while, having found more ways to cope with it in college. Once Tweek set his empty mug down, Craig set his drink aside, opening his arms.
"C'mere." He murmured. Tweek blinked, walking over slowly and walking into Craig's embrace. He let out a shaky breath, nuzzling his nose into Craig's throat as he felt his arms wrap around him. He wasn't sure what brought it on, but he felt…sad. It was creeping up on him slowly, a weight pressing down on his shoulders. He hasn't felt this sadness in a long time. It's been about two years since he last felt his sadness. He instinctively ran his hand down to his thighs, shivering as he felt the divots of scars there. Tweek went through a depressive episode his junior year, the stress of everything consuming him: internships, classes, the distance between him and Craig and his parents. He missed home. He missed being close to his parents and Craig and Craig's family. He had started scratching at his thighs one night, accidentally making them bleed. It was the first thing Tweek felt that semester. He of course talked to Craig about it, his fiancé telling him the same thing he told him about his panic attacks: call him whenever he felt the need to scratch his legs. And so, he did. They spent countless nights talking on the phone, Tweek sometimes feeling too sad to talk, so they'd text. When Tweek saw his therapist over winter break, she said it wasn't uncommon for students with anxiety disorders to develop depression. He started taking antidepressants, and although they helped a little bit, it ultimately wasn't enough. Tweek had considered dropping out of college, but after Craig flew out one weekend to visit, Tweek knew he needed to stay. If not for him, then for Craig and his parents. He couldn't stand to disappoint them. His skating didn't even make him happy that winter. Craig kissed the top of his head, snapping him out of his trance.
"Is it back?" He whispered, and Tweek knew what he meant. He closed his eyes.
"I…I don't know…I don't know if it's just stress or…sleepiness…" Craig rubbed his back.
"Why don't we get a nice cool bath, yeah? Maybe you're overworked." Tweek nodded slowly, walking towards the bathroom. Craig grabbed his phone, bringing the music into the bathroom with them. Tweek had started filling the tub already, the water refreshing to their too hot skin. Craig kicked his boxers off, climbing in while the tub still filled with water. One of the requirements for Tweek was a big tub, so this tub was big enough for them to both fit into easily. Tweek's skin turned a light pink as he took his boxers off, climbing in and sitting between Craig's legs. He let out a shaky breath, leaning back against his chest and letting his eyes flutter shut. Craig wrapped one arm around his waist, his other hand resting on his chest. He ran his thumb over his collar bone, kissing the shell of his ear lightly. Tweek swallowed hard, tilting his head back more against Craig's shoulder.
"I-I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"G-getting emotional…"
"Tweek, honey, today was a busy and big day for us. We moved in together. We moved to a major city after living at our parents for a year. This is an exhausting day and you did such a good job decorating our room and-and making sure everyone was taken care of," He kissed the side of his neck lightly. "But part of me thinks you weren't taking care of yourself." Tweek's lips twitched a bit.
"I never do…" He breathed out, glancing up at Craig. He chuckled, squeezing Tweek's hip lightly.
"I know. And I wish you'd change that."
"…I'll work on it." He whispered, kicking the faucet off. The sound of music filled the room, Tweek finally fully relaxing against Craig's chest. The heavy feeling of sadness on his shoulders was slowly lifting away, instead being replaced by light kisses from his fiancé. He smiled at the delicate, warm kisses making their way across his shoulders, humming in approval at the feeling.
"You feeling any better? Is the bath helping?" He murmured against Tweek's skin.
"Yeah…thank you, Craig." He whispered, lifting his head to look at Craig, leaning his forehead against his. Craig hummed, holding him closer.
"It's my pleasure." He whispered back, smiling softly.
"You know…I used to think you were psychopath when we were younger…"
"Why is that?"
"You never…flinched at anything. Remember when you fell on the playground and sliced your hand open on the ground? You didn't cry. Didn't flinch. Your hand was gushing blood and you just…walked casually to the nurse's office…how many stitches did you-"
"Fifteen." Craig lifted his right hand, looking at the long scar that ran down his palm.
"And you…didn't flinch when you fell…"
"I used to think that…maybe I was a psychopath…for the same reason…I just…never felt anything," He lifted his leg up, showing his knee. Tweek had always wondered about why the skin on his knee was so discolored. Craig never offered any explanation, until now. "I poured boiling water on my knee one day when no one was home. Third degree burns. I showed my mom when she came home and she about beat the shit out of me. Thankfully, she had her nursing training, and knew what to do, so she didn't have to take me to the hospital. I remember it hurting a lot but…I didn't feel scared or concerned…so I was convinced that the kids were right, ya know? I was a psychopath." Tweek frowned, running his hand lightly over Craig's cheek.
"But…you're not."
"I know that now. After I started hanging around you more…I…felt things. Good things. I felt happiness and-and concern for other people. I felt lonely on days I couldn't hang out with you, sad on days you weren't in school…I-I had never really…felt that way about anything. In hockey, if I got hit…it never hurt me…then, after meeting you…it hurt every time…it's like you…woke something in me." Tweek blinked, his cheeks a dark red as he turned around to face Craig.
"Craig…you…it isn't just me that made you-"
"Yes, it is, Tweek…and I know that's not, ya know, fair of me to say that to you. That you're the source of me feeling…but, we're getting married and I'm not gonna lose you, ya know? So…I wanted you to know this about me…I felt like you should know." Tweek let out a shaky breath, closing his eyes.
"I…you really think highly of me…don't you?" He whispered eventually, leaning his forehead against Craig's again. Craig stayed silent, eventually nodding. Tweek opened his eyes, seeing Craig had his eyes closed as well as his thumb ran over his scarred knee. Tweek set his hand lightly on it, running his fingers lightly over the raised and scarred skin, his eyes following his fingers. "I always knew you were tough…but pouring boiling water on your knee?" Craig smirked a bit.
"Yeah…I know…it was stupid…" Tweek looked back up at Craig.
"You were young…it's okay. You were…scared…but didn't realize it at the time…" Craig blinked, looking up.
"I…yeah…you're right…" He breathed out, Tweek standing.
"Come on…lets order some food." Craig smiled a bit, nodding as he stood. They drained the tub, walking out to the living room after Tweek tugged on a tank top and boxers on, Craig opting to just stick with boxers. They called for a pizza, plopping on the couch with drinks in hand (Tweek with wine and Craig with his rum and coke). They watched TV while they waited for the pizza, they watched TV while they ate pizza, and they watched TV after they ate pizza. They had gotten invested in watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! and other silly shows that have been on for way too long. When it was around ten o'clock, Craig glanced over, Tweek slumped against his hand and his legs pulled up onto the couch. Craig smirked, turning the TV off. He took the empty glass from Tweek's hand, walking the empty pizza box and glasses into the kitchen. Once he cleaned up, he made sure Venus had her food and locked the door, scooping Tweek up and carrying him into their room. Their room. His heart swelled as he realized that this was the first night in their room. He laid Tweek down before laying down next to him, pressing his chest to Tweek's back. He ran his thumb over his shoulder, pressing a kiss to the top of his neck before letting his eyes flutter shut. This was the beginning of their lives together, not the marriage certificate. That would come in time. But this apartment together? A place for them to come back to and see each other every day and wake up next to each other and a place where they got to cook and eat and drink and have sex and dance because they could? Yeah. This was the start of everything.
NOTE: Wowie! I'm back! I was rushing a sorority this weekend so I was exhausted after everything and didn't want to write! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! We're getting close to the end and I already have my next story in the works! It's gonna be a sci-fi theme! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and, as always, any and all feedback is appreciated!