It was Craig's second day at Harbucks. Last night had been unusually busy so Tweek had successfully avoided any real conversation with the noirette. What he couldn't do was figure out why he wanted to ignore him. It's not that he didn't want to talk to him...in fact, he thought, it would be nice to have a normal conversation with the boy. But little Tweek couldn't get over his shyness and work up enough courage to talk to him.
Tweek arrived early to work, as he always did. He was constantly paranoid about being late. So many different scenarios and threats that could delay him!
Craig was due in about five minutes, the small coffee shop was currently void of anyone but Tweek himself, so Tweek took a seat on the barstool they kept behind the counter and pulled out his phone while simultaneously taking a swig from his thermos he always kept with him. He scrolled down his contacts, looking for someone to text while he still had nothing to do. He was about to send a text message to Pip when he heard that incessant bell ring, signaling the arrival of a customer. He cast his hazel eyes up to look right into the chocolate brown eyes of Eric Cartman.
"Eh..." Tweek growled/whined in the back of his throat; he didn't like Cartman. At all.
"Hey spazz." Cartman callously greeted, taking a huge bite of a Krispy Kream doughnut he clutched in his hand.
Cartman had grown out of most of his fat by freshman year. He was still big-boned, and could stand to loose a pound or two, but he wasn't as bad as he used to be. Tweek was picked on by him relentlessly in middle school, until Craig taught him how to stand up for himself. Even so, he was still intimated by the much larger and older brunette.
"Did you want something or did you just come here to be an asshole?" Tweek hissed. He almost wished he had stayed silent; he always felt some sort of regret every time he said anything that sounded like an insult, whether it was because he felt bad for doing so or was afraid of what the response would be, he wasn't sure.
Cartman's smirk turned into a sneer as he glared at the hazel eyed boy behind the counter. Tweek tried to glare back but couldn't help but twitch a bit, ruining the effect.
"You piss me off, Tweek." Cartman growled, taking a step forward. Tweek flinched and backed away from the counter.
But just as he thought Cartman was going to jump over the counter and tear him a new one, he heard the bell jingle and glanced towards the door to see Craig stride inside.
"What are you doing, fatass?" Craig asked in a disinterested voice as he shoved past Cartman to stand next to Tweek behind the counter.
"None of your business," Cartman growled as he shot a venomous look at Tweek, who ever-so-slightly shrank against Craig.
"What's up your ass today?" Craig smirked as he took a drink of the Monster he held in his hand, the other one shoved in his jeans pocket.
"Nothing's up my ass! That little scrotum licker called me an asshole!" Cartman snarled, nodding his head towards Tweek.
Craig looked down at Tweek and made what looked like a small smile. Tweek didn't know what to do so he just tugged on his hair.
"Really? Good job, Tweek." The noirette chuckled as he patted the small blond's shoulder, like how an owner would praise their dog.
"You guys are dicks." Cartman muttered as he finished off his doughnut.
"Just leave, Cartman." Craig stated as he took off his hat and smoothed his neck-length black hair against his scalp and tossed the headwear towards the coat rack.
"Or else what?" Cartman raised an eyebrow at Craig. The noirette just smirked and pulled out his phone from his pocket.
"...What are you doing?" the confidence in Cartman's voice wavered.
"I'm telling Clyde about that crush you've had on him since fourth grade." Craig grinned deviously. His teeth were slightly crooked, and his two front canines were unusually sharp, making them look almost like fangs.
Cartman's face went red. He, also, used to be friends with Craig, only for a year, but he remembered telling Craig that particular secret of his.
"No!" Cartman squawked, panic covering his face. Craig looked at him, and cocked an eyebrow.
"Alright fine, I'll leave." Cartman quickly mumbled under his breath and strode out the door, giving Craig a pleading look over his shoulder while doing so.
Craig chuckled darkly to himself as he slipped his phone back in to his artfully ripped skinny jeans and cracked his neck loudly.
Tweek looked up at him curiously, "Does Cartman really, nghn, like Clyde?"
Craig looked down at Tweek, "Yep. He even told me himself." Craig responded as his tied an apron around his thin waist.
"Nghn, does Clyde know?" On one hand Tweek kinda liked having a little piece of gossip to black mail Cartman with, but on the other hand it could start drama, and Tweek didn't like drama, too much pressure!
"Heh, yeah, told him as soon as I found out, which was like... a year ago."
Tweek didn't really respond, he just sorta looked down and twitched. He couldn't help but feel grateful towards Craig for defending him against Cartman.
Craig walked towards the back room to punch in, Tweek watching him go out the corner of his eye.
"Craig!" Tweek called maybe a little too loudly.
Craig stopped and cast his steel gray eyes expectantly towards the semi-shivering blond.
"Nghn... thanks." Tweek mumbled as he looked down, feeling his cheeks heat up with a blush. Why did he blush every time he tried to talk to Craig?
"Thanks for what?" the noirette blinked.
"Thanks for, nghn, getting rid of Cartman." Tweek forced himself to look at Craig.
"Oh, that. No problem. He was annoying me, too." And with that Craig disappeared into the back.
For the majority of the day's shift it was a slow but steady stream of customers; enough to keep the boys occupied but not too busy. But at around 7:00 it was almost completely dead.
Tweek was sitting in one of the booths; his head buried in his folded arms in front of him. He hadn't slept in two days, due to his insomnia, and was almost too tired to take a drink of coffee. Craig was out back taking a smoke break so he had a moment to relax.
God, why did he care so much about what Craig thought of him? Why did he feel so anxious around him? (Well, Tweek felt nervous and anxious around everyone, but Craig especially.)
Tweek's thoughts were interrupted by feeling someone slide in the booth across from him. He tensed and snapped his head up to see Craig, staring at him again.
What was so special about Tweek? Why did Craig feel the need to stare at him all the time?
"Mind if I join you?"