[Tweek]
It was a rare day off. Even so, Tweek had gone to the coffee shop. It was likely he would see Butters, maybe Stan, Craig, Pete, or Bebe, depending on how long he lingered in the shop. Mostly, he was going because he was really craving a caramel frappe with two shots of espresso.
He smiled at his dad as he accepted the cold monstrous drink and went to the booth to sit with Butters.
The other man was typing furiously on his keyboard, not even glancing up to acknowledge his friend.
This didn't bother the blond as he sipped his drink and scrolled through the pages Bebe had made and the others were working on with her. He had yet to really contribute.
However…, gazing at the work the others had put forth, he had an idea.
He opened an art app on his phone and began.
Absently, he chewed on the straw of his drink, taking the occasional sip as well.
When it was finished, it was a lot of black, dark gray, red, and a little white.
It was a familiar scene, a boy that looked a fair amount like Tweek, with messy white hair, was in the middle of the piece, on his knees and clutching his head. Around the boy, there were phrases in black and red, occasional gibberish, but also "no one wants you here", "you would be better off dead", "death would be easy", "just do it already, coward", "they all hate you anyway", "die". The rest of the piece was varying shades of gray, with splotches of red on the boy's shirt, almost like he was bleeding.
He signed it in small writing on the bottom corner and then tried to drink more of his frappe, only to find it gone. He pouted at the drink, jerking back in surprise when a mug of coffee was placed within his reach.
He looked up sharply, surprised to see Craig standing there.
"Sorry," he rumbled, "Didn't want to disturb you while you were busy."
Happily, Tweek grabbed the mug with both hands and took a calming sip. It was his favorite.
"I'm about to go to work," Craig speaks again, standing next to the booth with an easy confidence Tweek wished he could emulate.
Tweek placed the mug safely back on the table along with his phone before he scooted along the seat to be closer to Craig. He wrapped his arms around Craig's waist and pressed his face into his boyfriend's stomach.
He knew Craig generally disliked public displays but he was overjoyed to see him.
Craig ruffled Tweek's hair affectionately, as he often did.
Tweek let go reluctantly, Craig had said he was on his way to work.
"Enjoy your coffee, I'll text you and stuff," Craig says before raising his to-go cup in farewell.
Tweek saves his art and checks his notifications, he has numerous, mostly from Craig, but a few from the group chat.
"Are you going to post that piece?" Butters asks, the first time they've spoken today.
Tweek blushes and looks down at his coffee.
"I… I was thinking about it yeah."
"If you feel comfortable, go for it. It's great. It could be a solo or someone could attach a poem to it, unless you have one of those too?"
Tweek stares harder at his coffee.
"I… I mean, I could probably try writing something."
"If you want to," Butters takes a drink of his own coffee. "But don't feel pressured to."
Tweek also takes a drink, thinking.
He opens the notes app on his phone and stares at the blinking cursor.
'Dying isn't easy.
There is so much that can go wrong.
I know,
I tried.
I didn't do enough,
I'm still here.
I listened to those that said
I should be dead
But I'm still here.
They're wrong,
You belong here,
Same as me.
Dying isn't easy,
But neither is living.
The difference is,
You're not alone.'
He chewed his lip absently, upon realizing it though, he stopped and took another drink of his coffee. Tweek went back to the top of the note and added a title, 'Easy'.
He then went to the proper apps to post the art and his poem, sending copies to the group chat as well. He signed his post as Coffee, and set his phone down, exhaling a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.
Butters had clearly read the poem and looked at the art, the way he was looking at Tweek said it all. He fidgeted under his friend's gaze.
Butters realized he was staring and apologized, "I…, I uh I know we've all more or less talked about this stuff, but I honestly hadn't realized it was the same for you too."
"Mm, yeah… It's not like I talk to anyone about this besides Craig and my therapist." Tweek admitted before taking a long drink of his coffee.
"That really makes sense, we, as a whole, don't really talk about these things," Butters said as he relaxed back into the booth, looking off into space.
"Which I'm sure as you know, is one of the reasons Bebe started the pages and is part of her vision for this new line of work."
Tweek nodded and the silence between them grew again, both lost in thoughts of their own.
Eventually, Tweek's coffee was gone again and he wanted another frappe, he offered to get Butters another drink and Butters gratefully accepted, requesting a frappe.
Minutes later, Tweek returned with their frappes and they enjoyed their drinks in a comfortable silence as the coffee shop began its closing routine.
"Walk me home?" Tweek asked, not that Butters wouldn't, even without the request.
"Of course," Butters smiled, sliding out of the booth.
"Thanks," Tweek smiled back at his friend and together they began the slightly chilly walk back to Tweek's parents house.
"Are you and Craig doing good?" Butters asked as they walked.
"Yeah! We're great," Tweek replied, smiling at the thought of his boyfriend.
"Always good to hear, I mean, I figured given he came to see you before going to work," Butters chuckled.
Tweek turned a faint pink and didn't reply.
Soon though, they were at his door and said their farewells.
Tweek went to the kitchen to grab dinner, his mother had gone home earlier than he and his father and cooked for them. He took his plate to his room and changed into pjs before sitting on his bed to eat and watch some Hulu.
He felt good, which was odd. Maybe doing all that art had been good for him. He sent numerous texts to Craig before he eventually laid down, not going to sleep, but just laying in the warmth of his blankets and reflecting on the day.