Chapter Text
The first time he met his soulmate, Craig Tucker was thirteen years old.
The autumn-colored leaves were beginning to cover the ground, and the sky was overcast, causing a crisp chill in the air. His friends wanted to spend the day at the park before the winter frost rolled in, but Craig couldn't be motivated to move from his bedroom. He instead spent the day catching up on the manga he had just started reading. His guinea pig, Stripe, slept comfortably on his lap.
Through his window, Craig noticed a large moving truck pull into the driveway of a house on the other side of his street. Three bulky men carried boxes out of the truck and into the old Harrison house. Craig hadn't even realized that they had moved.
A station wagon pulled up next to the house and parked on the street. Two adults stepped out of the car; the woman grabbed a box from the back while the man immediately started to direct the movers.
One more person climbed out from the back of the car. Craig boy pressed his cheek against his window, craning his neck to get a good look at them.
They definitely weren't an adult; probably the couple's kid. All he could see was a mop of blond hair peeking out from behind a large box they carried as the mystery figure disappeared into the house.
Craig pouted and decided he was bored. He gently scratched the top of Stripe's head in apology for disturbing his nap. He then picked up his abandoned book and put his mild curiosity to the back of his mind.
The dark-haired boy let himself lose track of time until he heard his mom's voice calling for him from downstairs for dinner. Craig hadn't even noticed that the sun had mostly disappeared behind the other houses on his street. He carefully carried Stripe to his cage before he walked down the stairs.
His stomach grumbled from the mix of smells coming from the dinner table. Craig immediately started digging in, earning him a light scolding from his mom. He was a growing boy; he needed to eat!
"I met the couple who moved in across the street," his mom said to no one in particular. "They have a son about your age, Craig."
Whoop-de-frickin’-doo.
Craig thought back to the head of blond hair carrying a comically large box into the house. He looked kind of small for someone his age.
"He seems like a really nice boy. A little skittish, but very polite. Maybe you could try to be nice to him and show him around. Being a new student must be hard, especially since it's already a few weeks into the school year."
The dark-haired boy fought all of his instincts not to groan and roll his eyes at his mom. Did she really expect him to bend over backward for some random kid? Fat chance.
"Sure, Mom, whatever," he said, picking at his peas.
He knew he wasn't going to go out of his way to befriend the kid, but his mom didn't need to know that.
His mom seemed satisfied enough by his answer as she excitedly recounted the rest of her interaction with the neighbors. Craig couldn't even pretend to listen.
There was a strange pulling feeling growing in his chest. Maybe he ate too quickly. He took a deep gulp of water to help ease his queasiness. Craig asked if he could be excused, using the excuse that he had to study for a test the next day.
Craig's dad grunted in approval for his dismissal, and he left his family at the table. Craig closed the door quietly behind him as he reached the top of the stairs.
A headache had slowly started to pound in the back of his skull. Craig had been fine before he went upstairs. All of this seemed to sneak up on him. He probably spent too long looking at the tiny text of his book.
Without meaning to, Craig's eyes looked over to the house across the street. There were lights on in every room, but his eyes landed on one room in particular. The blinds were only half open, and he could see someone moving behind them.
Craig wondered if that was the other boy's room. He then wondered why he even cared. The dark-haired boy huffed before closing his own blinds, blocking out any light from outside.
Craig quickly changed into his pajamas before settling into his bed and pulling his blanket up to his chin. His head was still throbbing, but he hoped he would be able to sleep it off. Craig lay in his bed for what felt like hours, but eventually he fell asleep.
The next morning, Craig stood at the bus stop as his friends chattered away. He still felt off from the night before, much to his annoyance. Not the best way to start another long, boring week of school.
Thankfully, his friends didn't make any comment about it. They were used to Craig's apathy, especially early in the morning. They learned not to expect much input from Craig until at least noon.
When they arrived at school, Craig and his friends crossed the front office on their way to their lockers. Through the glass window on the office door, Craig noticed a blur of blond hair out of the corner of his eye. Blond hair that looked suspiciously like the hair of the boy from the day before.
Craig hadn't even realized he had stopped in his tracks until Clyde collided with him.
"Dude, Craig! What the fuck?" his friend growled.
"Oh, um, sorry, dude," Craig mumbled dumbly.
His friend punched him in the shoulder, and Craig shoved him back, his little misstep quickly forgotten. They gathered around Craig's locker and waited for the warning bell to ring.
Craig had been feeling off since the night before. He had hoped that he could sleep it off, but his head was still pounding. The tugging in his chest had also grown stronger, and Craig wondered if he should go to the nurse.
Suddenly, Craig's body jolted forward as someone collided with his back. He turned around to scold the culprit when his breath caught in his throat and he stopped dead in his tracks.
Craig's gaze met a pair of wide, shiny green eyes hidden behind a pair of thick black glasses. The boy in front of Craig was unfamiliar to him, except for his crazy blond hair.
Craig felt like all of the air had been sucked from the room. The rest of the hallway began to blur together, and the only thing he could focus on was a blond boy with stupidly green eyes. The tugging feeling in his chest seemed to be pulling him towards the other boy.
A cold sweat began to break out across the back of his neck. Oh fuck.
The dark-haired boy's bubble popped when someone behind them cleared their throat. He was quickly brought back to reality, and panic started settling in his chest. Panic that Craig wasn't entirely sure was coming from him.
The blond boy's eyes grew wide as he quickly gathered the things he dropped on the floor and rushed away from Craig and his friends.
"Do you know that kid?" Tolkien asked him. "I don't think I've seen him before."
"I think he's my new neighbor," Craig offered, hoping he didn't sound as disoriented as he felt. "They just moved in yesterday."
"The kid looks like a weirdo," Clyde added, causing Craig's nostrils to flare subconsciously.
His head was swimming with a million different thoughts, and he had no idea what to do about any of them. He needed to get some distance from his friends so he could figure out what the fuck just happened.
The warning bell finally rang, and the other boys walked away towards their own homerooms. Craig took a deep breath before he walked down the hallway. As soon as he walked into his homeroom, he stopped in his tracks when he saw the blond boy talking to their teacher in the front of the room. Great.
The blond noticed him immediately, and Craig could feel the spike of anxiety coming from him. Craig quickly made his way to his seat, trying his best to ignore the side glances coming from the other boy.
The final bell rang, and all the other students hurried to their seats. The pull in his chest was urging him to look up, but Craig stubbornly forced himself not to look.
Craig could vaguely hear his teacher talking in the background, but he couldn't focus on the words. He couldn't look up; he wouldn't. Not when the other boy was so close. He would just have to make it through the next half hour, and then he…
"...can sit in the seat next to Craig."
The sound of his name broke him out of his trance as he saw the blond boy nervously fiddle with the books in his arms. Craig gulped, and his heart began to race as the other boy approached his desk and sat down beside him.
Craig was hyper aware of the blond fidgeting in the seat next to him. The other blond's anxiety was rolling off of him in waves, and Craig had to force himself to ignore it. Acknowledging it would mean something he wasn't ready to face. Something he never wanted to even consider, despite the obvious signs glaring at him.
As much as he hated the idea, he knew he needed to talk to the boy. He couldn't ignore the pulling in his chest forever. He needed to squash this so he could hide it away and never think about it again.
The sound of the bell startled Craig from his thoughts, causing him to jump slightly in his seat. The other boy shot up from his seat and made a mad dash for the door before being stopped by their teacher.
Craig waited outside the classroom, hoping to catch the boy before his next class. The sooner he got this out of the way, the better. An annoyed grimace flashed on his face after a minute, and he tapped his foot impatiently. Craig couldn't loiter for much longer without being late for class, though it wasn't a huge deterrent for him.
Suddenly, Craig felt someone throw themselves at his back, wrapping their arms tightly around his neck and giving him a noogie. Craig pushed the person off of him and rolled his eyes when he saw Clyde with a shit-eating grin across his face.
Craig rolled his eyes at the other boy as he fixed the hat on his head. The dark-haired boy took one last glance at the classroom and walked with his friend to their first class. He would have to deal with this later.
During lunch, as his friends chatted loudly with each other over the dull roar of the other students, Craig was lost in his own thoughts. Even without looking up, Craig knew exactly where the blond sat. His body could fucking sense it. He wished he could just shut it out, at least until he could talk to the other boy and straighten this all out.
When the last bell of the day chimed, Craig was out of his seat and rushing to his locker. He didn't know where the blond boy's last class was in the building, but he was hoping to catch him on his way out.
Craig immediately noticed the blond boy fiddling with the lock on the locker right next to his. Of-fucking-course their lockers would be near each other.
He took a deep breath and marched over to the blond boy. "We need to talk," Craig said in what he hoped was a steady voice.
The blond jumped and let out a surprised yelp. His eyes went wide when he saw Craig standing behind him and bit down on his lower lip. "O-oh, um, okay," he stuttered nervously, fiddling with his hands.
"I don't know what happened today," he started, then paused. "Wait, what's your name?" He realized he didn't even know the other boy's name yet.
"Tweek," he replied meekly. Craig felt his heart flip in his chest at the sound of the other boy's soft voice. You gotta lock that shit down, Tucker. You're here for business.
"Right. Tweek," Craig repeated dumbly. "I don't know what's going on, but I'm assuming you have been feeling a stupid pull in your chest all day?"
The blond nodded his head and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He had his books clutched tight to his chest as he looked up at Craig with wide eyes.
"W-We're soulmates, aren't we?" the blond supplied for him, which caused Craig's eyebrows to fly up and disappear behind his hat.
"Shhh!" Craig said, covering the blond boy's mouth. "Don't say that word! We can't let the other kids know."
"Why not?" the other boy said when Craig uncovered his mouth, biting down on his pink lower lip. Craig could kick himself for even focusing on such a thing.
"I can't be soulmates with a boy!" he hissed. "The guys would never let me live that down. This has to be one big cosmic joke because I'm not even gay!"
Craig felt the sharp pain of hurt through their bond, but he could easily read it on his face. It makes him feel like a dick, which he supposed maybe he was. "Besides," he added. "I don't even want a soulmate, so just do us both a favor and leave me alone."
The other boy's lip began to tremble, and his eyes suddenly became glassy and wet. Craig set his jaw as his eyes surveyed the other boy. He refused to let the other boy's sad look affect him.
"Fine, Craig, I'll leave you alone."
The blond, Tweek, hurried away from the dark-haired boy. Craig pretended he didn't notice the tears rolling down the blond's cheek as he quickly turned away and stormed off down the hallway. Craig's own heart clenched violently in his chest
Craig feels an annoying pull for the rest of the night, a constant reminder of his harsh words to the other boy. He didn't feel good knowing he hurt a kid who hadn't done anything to him. Tweek was just a victim of circumstance.
He looked out his window at Tweek's house and sighed. Craig felt what could only be described as heartbreak coming through their bond. His mind was shouting at him to ease the pain of the other boy.
Craig's brows furrowed together in frustration. Hated that his body was yearning for someone he had just met that morning. He didn't owe Tweek anything!
This was the reason Craig never, ever wanted a soulmate.
The idea of soulmates was simple enough. There is a person who is perfect for you; your "other half". But Craig didn't like the idea of not being able to choose who he wanted to be with. What if his soulmate didn't like Red Racer? What if they didn't like Stripe? What if they were ugly?
Soulmates were supposed to be rare, about one in a million. There were billions of people in the world; how likely was it that the one person who was supposedly perfect for you lived in the same place as you?
Craig's parents weren't soulmates. They both have never left the small town they grew up in; Craig's pretty sure they've never even left the state. His parents seemed happy most of the time. They had to work on their relationship, but wasn't that the point? Life wasn't easy, so why would being in a relationship be easy? It meant that they cared about each other.
Craig was certain he didn't ever want a soulmate. Most people would never meet their soulmates. They had the chance to meet someone and fall in love. They had a choice in who they wanted to spend their life with.
To be honest, Craig had never considered the possibility that he might meet a soulmate someday. South Park was a small enough town where everyone knew everyone. Craig had met every person, and none of them had been his soulmate, so the chances seemed slim. Nothing to ever worry about.
Why did it have to be Tweek? What did it have to be a boy? He didn't want this; any of this.
That night, Craig struggled to find sleep. The constant pulling in his chest was a reminder of his harsh words to the other boy. Images of the blond boy, tears running down his cheeks, taunted him in his head.
Craig shouldn't have to feel bad for hurting a stranger, especially when he hadn't done anything. This whole situation was fucked up.
The next morning, Craig waited until the last second to go into his homeroom to avoid the other boy. Craig could feel the blond's anxiety as soon as his eyes opened, and it only grew worse the closer they got to the warning bell. Eventually, he knew he couldn't avoid Tweek any longer and walked into the classroom right as the bell rang.
Tweek was already in his seat and was practically squirming in his seat. He had dark circles under his eyes; clearly, he slept about as well as Craig had. Craig noted the large thermos of coffee sitting on his desk.
Craig could tell that Tweek was trying not to look up at Craig as he walked in. He knew the blond was just as aware of the other as he was. Tweek flinched when Craig sat down, and he couldn't help but feel a little bad for the blond.
The dark-haired boy spent the rest of the morning trying to act as stoically as possible. He wouldn't let the other boy's mood influence his own. He was his own person. He didn't need to feel bad for something he didn't even ask for.
As soon as the bell rang, the blond shot up from his desk and ran out the door. Craig let out a deep breath that he hadn't even realized he had been holding. The subconscious tugging feeling in his chest wanted him to follow after the blond, but the rational part of his brain was relieved at the distance. At least he didn't have to see Tweek squirming next to him.
For some stupid reason, Craig's friends started talking about the new kid that day during lunch, much to his disdain. Craig just couldn't catch a fucking break today.
"The kid's a freak. I had my first period with him, and he drank this huge thing of coffee in like, five minutes. What eighth grader drinks that much coffee?" Clyde said as he stuffed his mouth with food.
Craig felt anger suddenly flare up in his gut at the jab. Who the fuck did Clyde think he was? Tweek wasn't a freak. Who was Clyde to judge him?
Why the fuck was Craig getting so defensive? He doesn't even know Tweek. He hated this feeling.
"Dude, leave the kid alone," Tolkien rolled his eyes. "I've seen you drink three energy drinks before lunch."
Clyde scoffed. "Whatever, I still think he's a weirdo."
"Shut up, Clyde," Craig suddenly snapped at the other boy.
"Dude, what's up your ass?" Clyde replied with a look of confusion.
"Nothing, you're just being annoying."
His two friends shared a look but thankfully decided to move on. Craig tried to silence his lingering annoyance. What was up his ass? Clyde has said a lot worse than calling someone weird. Why did he have to get so defensive?
He knew why, but he wasn't willing to admit it even to himself. The worst part was the spike of curiosity Craig felt coming from across the lunchroom. He knew if he looked up, Craig would probably see Tweek looking at him.
Craig always prided himself on being able to appear aloof and unbothered to those around him. Now this kid had easy access to how he truly felt at all times. It fucking sucked.
That night, Craig was looking out of his bedroom and realized he could see right into Tweek's room when he looked out his window. There were still a few boxes scattered across the floor, and things were sorted into little piles throughout the room.
Craig saw the blond boy sitting on his bed, hugging a pillow to his chest. Craig was suddenly confronted with a sharp pain of sadness coming from Tweek's side of their bond.
What was wrong with this kid? Was his curse for not wanting a soulmate to be forced to suffer for the rest of his life? He shouldn't feel guilty for hurting the feelings of some random kid for something he never even wanted.
Craig didn't ask for a soulmate. He didn't ask to be tied to someone so deeply that he literally could feel their existence at all times. It wasn't fair.
There was also the important detail that Tweek was a guy. Craig had never once thought about boys like that. He's kissed plenty of girls, and he enjoyed it…mostly. At least until they started talking to him, and he would completely check out. But he's never, ever thought about kissing a boy. Especially not Tweek.
The dark-haired boy huffed in annoyance before he quickly shut the blinds so he didn't have to look at Tweek any longer. He could still feel the pull of sadness as he crawled into his bed, pulling the covers over his head.
He hated Tweek. He hated him, and Craig hoped he could feel it. He shouldn't be the only one who has to feel miserable.
The rest of the week went like that. At night, Craig would feel Tweek's misery until he eventually could fall asleep. The blond would come to school with circles under his eyes and a huge thermos of coffee.
Craig had also noticed that the other boy still wouldn't look at him. If the dark-haired boy had to suffer like this, at least Tweek was following Craig's wishes. At least his soulmate wasn't a complete asshole.
When Craig awoke on Friday morning, he was in a great mood for the first time in over a week. Friday meant it was almost the weekend, and he would be free from having to see Tweek for the next two days. He felt practically giddy as he went through the school day, which earned some strange looks from his friends. Craig couldn't be bothered to care.
The dark-haired boy practically skipped into his house at the end of the day, throwing his backpack haphazardly near the door. Craig was even tempted to start whistling when his mom poked her head out from the kitchen.
"Hi, Honey!" she called out. "We're going to have guests over for tonight, so please make sure to clean up before dinner."
Craig groaned loudly and rolled his eyes. " Mom ," he whined. "It's Friday night! I'm not staying for dinner tonight. I have plans with my friends."
A lie, but his mom didn't need to know that.
"You're not getting out of this, mister. Dinner will be at six, and you will be there."
All the boy wanted to do was unwind from his messed-up week. Now he had to entertain some random people, probably from his mom's book club. Hopefully someone from his mom's book club…
"Who is it anyway?" he demanded in annoyance, his arms crossing over his chest.
"Our new neighbors," she replied. "I wanted to welcome them to the neighborhood."
Craig had been refusing to acknowledge the worst-case scenario. All he wanted to do was to escape his new fucked up reality for a few days. Was that really too much to ask?
It was just his luck that his mom would invite Tweek's family over. Fuck his life.
His mom had been practically giddy when retelling her interaction with them on that first day. Small towns were fucking boring, so being the first to connect to the fresh blood gave his mom higher social capital among the other moms in town. Girls were weird like that, even the old ones.
Craig felt his eye twitch in irritation, mumbling a quick Fine before he turned away and stomped up the stairs. He went up to his room and threw himself down on his bed, looking at the glow-in-the-dark stars on his ceiling.
This was bullshit. Most people don't ever meet their soulmates, but Craig can't seem to get away from this kid.
There was suddenly a sharp spike of anxiety that vibrated through their shared bond. Ah, Tweek must have found out about this horrible nightmare they were about to endure.
Deep feelings of fear, panic, and dread were fighting so hard for dominance that it all made Craig's head spin. At least Craig knew their feelings about the situation were mutual.
Craig couldn't focus on anything but the constant swirl of emotions coming from the blond. Craig had no choice but to lie in his misery until they could finally get this over with.
The sound of the doorbell made a pit form in the dark-haired boy's stomach. There was polite chatter coming from downstairs, and Craig knew he only had moments left before this nightmare began.
The dark-haired boy let out a deep sigh as he mentally prepared to face the bane of his existence. Craig's legs felt like lead as he walked down the stairs. He could hear his mom happily chatting with the other boy's parents. Tweek was hiding behind them, clearly trying to make himself appear as small as possible.
The other boy's eyes looked up at Craig only briefly once he made it down the stairs. Even if he couldn't feel what Tweek was feeling, he could easily read it on his face.
Their parents spent most of the time talking, completely unaware of the horrible awkwardness between the two boys. They both kept quiet unless they were addressed directly by one of the adults.
Just like school, Tweek clearly was trying his best not to look at Craig. It made Craig feel kind of guilty seeing him like that up close. It made this thing harder to ignore and for him to wish that Tweek was just as miserable as Craig was.
At the end of the meal, Craig felt practically giddy with the assumption that this would be all over soon. He had made it. He would be freed from his misery for the next two days.
Craig should have known that luck was not going to be on his side.
"Why don't you boys go upstairs?" Craig's mom said to them as she began to clear the dishes.
Craig had to stop himself from groaning. The last thing he wanted was to have the blond in his bedroom. That was way too familiar for what Craig wanted them to be. He couldn't exactly explain that to his parents, so he stood up and begrudgingly told the blond to follow him.
It felt like Craig was walking towards his own death. He couldn't even tell whose feelings were whose at this point, both of them dreading what was to come once they were alone.
Craig opened his door and let Tweek walk in behind him. The blond curiously looked around the room while Craig shut the door behind them.
"So, you didn't tell your parents?" Craig asked as soon as the door clicked shut behind them.
Tweek looked up at Craig with wide eyes and nervously twiddled with the sleeve of his shirt. "Of course not," he replied nervously. "How was I supposed to tell them my soulmate doesn't want me to talk to them?"
Craig frowned. It felt like a low blow, even if it was true. Maybe he deserved that a little.
"Look, I promise I'm not trying to be a dick," he sighed as he sat down on his bed. "I'm sure you're not a bad guy. I just…never wanted to have a soulmate."
"Why not?"
When Craig was growing up, his mom would read him stories about boys and girls locking eyes from across a crowded room and running into each other's arms and living happily ever after. It always made the boy's lip curl up with distaste. The idea of soulmates was stupid to Craig. The idea that two people were destined to be tied together for the rest of their lives sounded like a nuisance, not some romantic fantasy.
"I just think the whole concept of it is dumb," the dark-haired boy said as he rolled his eyes. "Just because you're compatible with someone shouldn't mean you should be forced to be with that person forever. People should be allowed to choose how they want to live their lives."
"I see," Tweek said, clearly trying to absorb the new information. "That makes sense, I guess."
Despite their bond, Craig was left unsure about what the other boy was thinking. It was a bit unnerving after his constant reminder of Tweek's existence this week.
"What about you?" Craig asked. "How do you feel about the whole soulmates thing?"
Tweek was quiet for a moment, his bottom lip tucked behind his teeth. His eyes looked up at Craig for just a moment, like he was trying to figure out if he was safe to share his thoughts.
"I-I always found the idea of soulmates comforting," the blond started nervously. "I know I-I'm kind of weird a-and awkward, so knowing there was someone perfectly meant for me…I don't know."
The dark-haired boy was kind of taken aback by Tweek's honest response. Craig always had such a rigid view of soulmates. He couldn't understand why anyone could see it as a positive thing.
Craig was by no means the most social person, but he had his own group of friends, and that's all he cared about. He could find someone to date if he wanted, but Craig didn't want to.
Tweek was definitely an awkward person and always seemed to be anxious. Maybe the blond had a hard time connecting with people. It could be easier for someone to overlook those things if they knew that they were supposedly perfect for each other. Maybe if that person wasn't Craig.
"I'm sorry I'm such a bad soulmate." Craig was surprised when he realized he really did mean it.
"I'm sorry you have to have a soulmate," Tweek replied, a wistful smile on his face.
Silence fell over the two boys, neither knowing what to say next. Neither of them was winning in this situation. There wasn't a way to make the situation better. Craig couldn't give Tweek what he wanted, not without completely ignoring his own feelings on the matter.
Tweek didn't seem like a bad guy, he supposed. A little twitchy, but he didn't seem like an asshole. He deserved to have someone who wanted him like that. Craig didn't like that he couldn't be the kind of soulmate Tweek needed, but he also wasn't willing to sacrifice the rest of his life for him.
Thankfully, the silence was broken when Tweek eventually noticed Stripe. "Oh, who's this little guy?" the blond asked as he walked over to Stripe's cage.
The guinea pig was chewing on a piece of hay and squeaking happily. Craig wished he could be as unbothered by the uncomfortable tension in the room.
"Oh, that's my guinea pig, Stripe."
"What a cutie," Tweek said with a genuine smile. "Could I hold him?"
"Oh, um, sure," Craig replied dumbly. "Just be careful, he bites people sometimes. My friend Clyde tried holding him once, and Stripe bit him so hard his hand started bleeding. He's still afraid of him."
The other boy giggled softly as Craig carefully handed him the small animal. Craig realized this was probably the first time he had ever seen Tweek really smile. The thought made the more guilt build in Craig's gut.
Stripe doesn't end up biting Tweek, of course. He chirps happily while Tweek gently pets his furry head. It was a nice buffer for the awkwardness between them.
"Tweek, sweetie, it's time to go home," Tweek's mom's voice called out, cutting through Craig's thoughts and breaking through the tension in the room.
"Thanks for letting me hold your guinea pig," Tweek said, carefully handing Stripe back to Craig.
"Oh, yeah, no problem," he replied before biting down on his lower lip. "Tweek, look," Craig blurted out without thinking. "I still don't like the idea of soulmates, and I don't think that will ever change. I'm not saying I want to be friends or whatever, but I don't want you to think I hate you or whatever. You seem fine."
Tweek didn't respond right away. His eyes were scanning the other boy's face, and Craig had to try his best not to squirm under his gaze. Eventually, Tweek nodded his head and gave Craig a small smile. "Thanks, Craig. I-I'll see you around."
After the night of dinner, Tweek's feelings seemed to get a bit lighter during the day. The blond still avoided Craig in school, but he didn't force himself to avoid eye contact, which was fine with Craig.
Craig meant what he said that night. He really didn't hate the kid anymore; he just didn't want to spend the rest of his life with him. Being just friends seemed out of the question. If he gives Tweek an inch, the other boy might try to take a mile. Craig couldn't let that happen.
There were still times late at night when Craig could still feel a treble of sadness coming from the other end of their bond. It would sometimes go on for hours, but it wasn't as all-consuming as that first week. At least there seemed to be some progress.
The last day of school couldn't come soon enough. Craig wanted to spend his summer with his friends, not trapped in a room with the other boy at least once a day. Craig thought he deserved that little bit of peace after one hell of a year.
Everyone in his homeroom was signing yearbooks on that last day. Craig didn't care about the whole yearbook thing. He knew he wouldn't care about his middle school yearbook in ten years, so why bother now?
His yearbook sat unused on his desk, not a single signature gracing the pages. Just the way he wanted. Then Tweek shyly walked up to Craig's desk and gave him a small wave.
"Hey, Craig," the blond greeted softly. "I w-was wondering if you might want to sign my yearbook?"
Tweek's green eyes shined brightly behind the thick frames of his glasses as he waited for an answer. Craig could say no and send Tweek on his way. They weren't friends; they were hardly even acquaintances. Still, something about telling the kid to scram seemed a little cruel.
"Sure," Craig replied and reached out for the book in Tweek's hands.
It was obvious that he surprised Tweek with his answer. His eyes were wide, and he fumbled the book as he passed it to Craig. The dark-haired boy grabbed the pen on his desk and signed his full name. Craig Tucker. Just the right level of familiarity.
Craig passed the book back to the blond, who had a rare smile on his face. It looked nice on him, Craig could admit that without it being weird.
"Thanks, Craig. Have a good summer."
"Wait, Tweek," Craig called out suddenly, much to his own surprise. "Um, do you want to sign my yearbook?"
Craig immediately regretted his decision to ask when Tweek's smile grew twice in size. The other boy nodded his head before opening up Craig's yearbook to one of the many blank pages. When Tweek picked up the pen, Craig had the horrifying realization that Tweek was left-handed, just like himself.
It didn't mean anything, though. Definitely didn't mean anything.
"Here you go," Tweek said with a smile as he passed the book back. "See you later, Craig."
The dark-haired boy spent most of his summer hanging out with his friends. Craig was rarely at home, which made it easier to avoid awkward run-ins with Tweek. In fact, Craig realized a few weeks in that he hadn't seen Tweek at all since the last day of school.
Craig found it odd that Tweek's emotions had been coming out less and less clearly lately. The blond's feelings were usually ever-present and all-consuming; something Craig was never able to tune out. Maybe after all this time, Craig was finally able to master ignoring it.
Craig honestly started to think he might go the whole summer without seeing the blond. Then one day at the beginning of August, Craig's mom stopped him as he was coming back from Tolkien's house. "Craig, sweetheart," she called out. "You got something in the mail today."
Craig stopped in his tracks and raised an eyebrow in confusion. He had never received a piece of mail in his life. Who even sends mail anymore, apart from credit card companies and bill collectors?
His mom handed him a white envelope with his name messily written on the front. There wasn't a stamp on the envelope, which meant someone had to drop it into their mailbox. Craig carefully opened the envelope and slipped out an invitation to a birthday party. A birthday party for Tweek .
"Oh, that's so sweet!" his mom cooed from over Craig's shoulder. "We'll have to go and get him a gift this weekend."
Craig stared at the invitation to the party. The two of them weren't friends. They hadn't really talked since that first night at his house. It was what the dark-haired boy wanted: to pretend the thing between them didn't exist. Going to a party felt too familiar, too intimate for where their acquaintanceship stood.
Craig knew their moms still talked regularly. It made Craig nervous that maybe one day Tweek would decide he didn't want to keep their situation a secret anymore. That he would tell his parents, and Craig's life as he knew it would be over.
His mom would probably not let him get out of it without some explanation; an explanation that he wasn't prepared to give. Maybe the party wouldn't be so bad. Craig didn't know who Tweek's friends were, but he probably had friends. Right? It was just a few hours; Craig could pretend for a few hours.
The next day, Craig noticed the blond taking out the trash through the front window. He should get this over with. Craig quickly slipped his shoes on and opened the door.
It didn't take long for Tweek to notice him. The blond's eyes were wide when he saw Craig crossing the street. He gave Craig a weak wave as he put the trash bag into the bin.
It was the first time Craig had seen him all summer. Tweek's blond hair was lighter than it had been at the beginning of the summer, and his face had soft freckles scattered across his cheeks. Had the other boy always have freckles? Craig couldn't remember.
"Hey, Tweek," Craig said awkwardly.
"H-Hi, Craig," the boy replied, his lip nervously tucked behind his teeth.
"Um…how are you? I haven't seen you around in a while."
"Oh, um, I spent the summer with my grandparents in Minnesota," Tweek said. "I go there every summer."
Interesting. It seemed the more distance between the two boys, the weaker their bond. Maybe if Craig moved to the other side of the world, Craig could tune the blond out for good. Perhaps not the most realistic plan, but a good Plan B.
"I see," Craig said. "That makes sense. I um, haven't really been able to… feel things this summer."
Ugh, why the fuck did he just admit that? Not being bombarded with Tweek's emotions had been a nice break after months of constant reminders of his existence. Craig was allowed to be just himself this summer, not just him and the soulmate he never asked for.
A tiny smile appeared on Tweek's face, and Craig's heart fluttered wildly in his chest. God, he wished the earth would just open up and swallow him whole.
"You noticed that, too? It was pretty weird at first, but I bet it was a nice break for you, huh?"
The blond didn't seem like he was being facetious. It genuinely felt like Tweek was glad that Craig didn't have to deal with the constant pestering of his emotions. Tweek really was an alright guy, even if he would never admit it out loud.
"Yeah, I guess it was," Craig laughed dryly. "So, uh, I got the invitation to your birthday party."
"Oh, yeah, um, my mom told me to invite you. I-It's okay if you don't want to come. I won't be offended."
Tweek was offering Craig a lifeline, and Craig would be wise to take it. He didn't want to be in such a familiar situation with Tweek. What's more familiar than being in the house where the guy lives, celebrating his existence?
But Craig hesitated letting those words out, telling Tweek that he wasn't going to go. The blond had done what Craig had asked all of those months ago. Tweek stayed away from Craig the entire year. He didn't try to manipulate something between them just because they were soulmates. Tweek wasn't an asshole like that. Maybe going to this party was the least he could do after respecting Craig's boundaries.
That's how Craig found himself outside of Tweek's house the next week, fiddling with a poorly wrapped gift in his hands. He had no idea what to get the other boy since he didn't know anything about Tweek or the things he liked. Craig had to run on what little knowledge he had.
After several moments of hesitation, Craig knocked on the front door. The door swung open to reveal Tweek's mom, whose eyes lit up when she realized who had arrived. "Oh, Craig, I'm so happy to see you!"
Craig fought the temptation to writhe in his horrible discomfort. The dark-haired boy knew that Tweek hadn't told his parents, but there was still a part of him that feared that she would be able to tell somehow, like some sort of freaky parental sixth sense.
"Thank you for having me in your home, ma'am."
"Oh, you are such a polite young man," she replied, pinching his cheek. "Why don't you join the rest of the boys downstairs in the basement?"
Craig rubbed his cheek in annoyance as soon as he was out of the older woman's view. He could hear animated chatter as he carefully made his way down the creaky wooden stairs.
There were more people than he expected. Most people Craig didn't recognize, probably kids from Tweek's hometown. There was one person, however, with whom he was all too familiar.
"Tolkien?"
"Oh, hey, Craig!" his best friend replied happily.
Hey Craig? Hey Craig? That's all he has to say? His best friend is apparently friends with his soulmate, and all he has to say is hey Craig ?
"Dude, what are you doing here?" he questioned in annoyance. "I didn't know you knew Tweek."
"We had advanced science together last year. He's a really cool guy. What are you doing here? I didn't know you guys were friends. You've only ever referred to him as your neighbor."
"We're not," Craig said. "I barely know the kid, but our moms are friends, so she's forcing me to go."
It wasn't the whole truth, but his friend didn't need to know that. Craig didn't know Tweek, not really. They just happen to be bound together in the same deeply unfortunate circumstance.
Craig's mind couldn't stop reeling over the fact that Tolkien had been friends with Tweek this whole time. Craig had gone out of his way to ensure there was as much separation between the two as possible. His best friend being friends with his soulmate? That was too close to home.
The idea annoyed him more than he wanted to admit. Craig couldn't be mad that Tolkien chose to be friends with Tweek. Craig had never told the other boy that they were soulmates. Despite being best friends, Craig didn't want to draw any more attention to their situation.
"Hi, Craig," a soft, familiar voice came from behind them. Tweek was smiling at him as he gave a little wave. "Thanks for coming."
"This is for you," Craig said suddenly and pushed his gift towards the blond. "Oh, and um, happy birthday."
Tweek giggled cutely and bit down on his lower lip. Tolkien gave him a strange look at Craig's awkwardness, but Craig wouldn't allow himself to linger on it.
The rest of the party wasn't nearly as awkward. Despite Craig's initial annoyance at the discovery of Tolkien's friendship with Tweek, having his friend around made the situation easier to endure.
Craig couldn't help but observe the way Tweek interacted with his other friends. Things were always so tense between them because of their situation. Tweek always was tense around him, not that he blamed him.
Tweek's emotions now were light and carefree. His smile rarely left his face as he animatedly talked with the others. He was like a different person. It made Craig feel weird.
When they all eventually gathered around Tweek to open his gifts, Craig realized he was nervous. He couldn't name why he was so nervous. The gift wasn't anything special, and Craig had no way of knowing if Tweek would like it.
Still, there was a part of him who hoped Tweek liked it.
Finally, Tweek picked up his gift from the pile. The blond's eyes found Craig's from across the room, holding his gaze for a long moment. His small fingers carefully unwrapped the crinkled, colorful paper. A smile stretched across Tweek's face as he turned the exposed box in his hands.
"Oh, wow, Craig!" Tweek said, trying to hide his smile. "This is so great."
Inside the box was a thermos that had stars and planets covering the side. The one thing Craig knew for sure about Tweek was that the boy drank an unhealthy amount of coffee each morning. It wasn't much, but it was all he had to go off of.
The dark-haired boy couldn't help but smile in return, his stupid face betraying him. Tweek's eyes grew softer as they stared at each other for a moment too long.
Craig still wished Tweek weren't his soulmate, but maybe they could exist together without it being a big deal. Maybe things between them didn't have to constantly feel so cold and jilted. Maybe, just...not yet.