Archive of Our Own ^beta

There is a phone ringing. 

There is a hum of plastic vibrating against wood. 

The ringtone is definitely Craig's but Craig is still, pointedly, not moving and obviously ignoring the repeated ringing. Tweek glances over at the clock on his bedside and frowns as bright red digits presenting 07:06 stare back at him. 

Who the hell is calling them so early?

"Craig."

Silence. 

"Craig."

Silence. 

Tweek doesn’t even need to look over at Craig to know that he is awake. Craig is a snorer, and not a quiet one at that. Over the years he's become used to the drones of Craig's snoring through the night, but it means that, unfortunately for Craig, he can never really pretend to be asleep and right now? He is way too quiet. Tweek sits up and slaps his hand to the right, hitting Craig straight in the side. 

"Craig!" 

"No." he grumbles back, curling further in on himself. 

The phone stops ringing for a moment, only for the irritating band song Craig has set as his ringtone to start all over again. Craig’s phone screen lights up and his phone shuffles across the dark wood of his bedside table and vibrates along to the music. 

"Craig! Phone!" 

"I can't hear anything." 

Lying bastard. 

Instead of answering the damn thing, Craig rolls over and squints up at Tweek. It's still somewhat dark outside, the sun just starting to peek through the heavy, black band of sky and it won't be long before it creeps underneath and around the edges of their curtains. Craig’s hair is flattened all down on one side and there are red pillow marks imprinted on his face. 

There is a window above their bed along the slanted ceiling, and there are shallow drops of rain pattering against the glass. They've left the blind open, a terrible habit of Craig’s, when he comes to bed and decides that this is a night he is going to stare up at the stars before he falls asleep. Even better when they make love and Tweek is riding him, Craig gets to stare up at his husband with the backdrop of the night sky and admire the beauty of both. The only regret is when morning finally hits and the sun blares down at them unwaveringly. 

The phone finally stops ringing. 

Tweek sighs and flops back down on his back and into the plush covers of their bed. It’s big. Huge, in fact. Probably too big and unnecessary for the two of them, but there are some nights, though thankfully not most, where Tweek claws at the sheets in his need for space. And having a bigger bed means Craig surrenders it to him without having to sleep on the couch. 

They can hear the early morning tweeting of the birds outside, the low grumble of cars passing by the house on commutes to work. They’re lucky - Craig’s company closed for the holidays yesterday and isn’t expected to reopen for at least a week, and Tweek is his own boss so his holidays are his to do with what he will. He’ll have to go into the shop later today for the last collection day before Christmas, but otherwise his small town bakery is closed for the holidays. With all pre-orders complete, his one employee smiled gratefully when she was told she could spend the holidays visiting her extended family in Idaho.

“Fuck, I’m awake now.” Craig grumbles, smacking his hands against his pillow in frustration. His mornings generally consist of him getting up before the ass crack of dawn to be heading out to work Monday to Friday, Tweek doing the same on weekends. It means most mornings are passed with quick, chaste kisses tasting of coffee and jam and hurried goodbyes. 

Having the luxury of being able to sleep in late together, curled under the covers until 11am when one of them - normally Tweek - stumbles out of bed to make coffee, is a rare occasion which is deeply treasured. Definitely not something that should be rudely interrupted by the incessant ringing of a phone. Especially not during the Christmas holidays. Tweek closes his eyes; he supposes that if he’s awake, and so is Craig, they could look at picking up some last minute groceries at the store before the holiday rush hits. He really ought to ring his parents, too, and finally give them an answer to the question they’ve been bugging him with for days. 

Are they going home to South Park for the holidays?

The simple answer Tweek wants to give is no. He loves his parents, he does. Everytime they speak however, they seem to have the same argument and Tweek really wants to have one holiday that isn’t riddled with family drama. Craig and Tweek live in Littleton now, roughly an hour and thirty minutes out from their hometown. They both have jobs they love, a home they spent time making theirs and are in the process of hopefully having a family of their own. With the stress of everyday life, Tweek really doesn’t feel he has the mental capacity to deal with the bullshit his parents plan on serving this year, and now more than ever he sort of wishes he wasn’t an only child so he could convince his parents to spend the holidays bothering their other kid. Exactly like Craig has. 

Craig’s sister Tricia moved into an apartment share in LA, much to everyone's surprise, a few months back. The two of them had taken the long journey there to help her move in and, in some weird twist of fate, Craig had managed to convince his sister that it would be her turn to host Christmas for their parents since Craig and Tweek had done so for many years before. It wasn’t until three days ago when Tricia called Craig, and the two had got into a pretty standard argument on the phone, that Tricia realized exactly what she had agreed to do as a payment for her brother and his husband driving a truck load of her staff across state lines. Safe to say, Tweek would be surprised if they received a Christmas card next year. 

Tweek feels the shuffle of the sheets around him and a warm hand sliding across his chest and he smiles to himself. Craig leans over Tweeks body, his breath warm as he plants soft kisses along Tweeks bare shoulder. Tweek could open his eyes, he could shift and pull Craig closer and make it all that easier for Craig to access his body like he wants to. He could, but it’s still an early Tuesday morning and Craig was a bastard for not answering his phone like an adult in the first place, therefore waking them both up instead of allowing Tweek to slip back into a fitful sleep while he deals with the call. So he could, but he certainly wasn’t going to. Apparently, Craig already knows what's going through Tweeks mind. 

“Don’t be a dick, it’s just you and me-”

The phone rings. 

Plastic vibrating against wood. 

Craig drops his head down onto Tweek’s chest. Tweek huffs a laugh. 

“...and apparently the phone.” Tweek pokes at Craig’s head. He glances over at the clock and sees 07:24 glinting back. He already feels his heart rate spike a little, the tight, sharp grip of his anxiety starting to crawl it’s way through his chest. The call has to be important. It has to.  One call can be taken as a wrong number, an accidental dial, an ‘oh I’ve missed them I’ll call them later’, but two? Someone really wants to speak to Craig, which means something is happening that can’t wait until a more reasonable time, and that something is about to eat away at Tweek until he knows what it is. Craig picks up on the stiffness of Tweeks body and the slightly rapid rise and fall of his chest, because of course he would. Craig has been around Tweek, has been such a pivotal person in Tweek's life for as long as he could remember, that it would be weird if Craig didn’t pick up on all of Tweek’s tells. 

Craig pats Tweek’s arm as he sits up and reaches for his phone. Tweek watches as Craig leans over his side of the bed and picks up his phone, frowning slightly at the call ID. 

“Hello? Oh, yeah, Hi. No, no it's okay we just woke up sorry. No, it’s no problem. Is there a pro- okay? What? That soon? But we thought?-” 

Tweek sits up biting his bottom lip. He grips the edge of the comforter as he watches the expressions on Craig’s face shift while he runs a hand through his hair and then over his face. He can hear the voice of a woman, one that doesn’t really sound like Tricia or Linda Tucker, and Tweek mentally goes through the list of women they know that would be calling them at seven in the morning, two days before Christmas, and his heart stutters. Craig nods at whatever is being said and turns to him. 

“...I mean it shouldn’t be a problem, we just weren’t expect- no, no. I get that. I just- yeah. Okay. Here let me just- yes- look I get you now let me- Tweek’s right here let me just check with him. Okay. One moment.” Craig puts the phone speaker down to his shoulder. His mouth opens and then closes like he is searching for something to say and he sighs, trying to rub the remains of tiredness out of his eyes.

“Craig?” The anxiety works its way through Tweek's arms, his legs, he feels heavy. 

“Can we take them? Are we ready?” Tweek doesn’t even need to ask, he already knows who Craig is talking about and Craig, Craig is looking at him like he doesn’t know the answer himself. 

There is something a little terrifying about that.  

Tweek purses his lips, automatically thinking yes. Yes, of course they can. They’ve been planning for this for months, hoping for it, even. He just wasn’t expecting the day to come at 07:29 on Tuesday the 22nd of December. A day that Tweek knows now will forever change for him and Craig. 

“Tweek?” Craig is looking at him with those eyes of his and although he is waiting for Tweek's reply, Tweek knows that Craig has already started forming a response, plans running through his head. 

“When?” Tweek's voice breaks. 

“Christmas eve.” Tweek nods slowly, there is a lingering taste of copper in his mouth. He’s bitten into the soft skin of his lip. He steals himself. “We’ll be ready," he agrees and Craig nods and goes back to the call. 

“Yes, sorry. Yes that’s fine. Yep- Uh huh. We’ll make sure everything is sorted at our end for Christmas eve. Just let me know what time and if you need us…” Craigs voice drifts over Tweek as he looks up and out the open space of their skylight. 

Christmas eve. 

Everything changes on Christmas eve. 

Tweek is pacing. 

Back and forth. 

Forth and back. 

Back and forth. 

Forth an-

He knows he is driving Craig mad already and it’s only 08:12 am. 

The two are in their living room, Craig is sitting on their sofa, a notepad in hand and pen in the other that he is rapidly hitting the pad with while he watches Tweek burn a hole in their three week old carpet. 

“Babe. I know you’re anxious, I do, and I am too. I kinda need you to focus now though.” Tweek stops in his tracks and looks over at Craig who is staring worriedly at him. Craig motions to the seat next to him and Tweek nods, dropping himself down onto the sofa and putting his head immediately in his hands. 

“I know! Argh! I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Tweek's fists tighten in his hair, pulling at the blonde strands. Craig, almost instinctively, tosses the pen and notepad onto the table and grabs at Tweek’s hands, pulling at his fingers gently until they release his hair. He clasps both of Tweek’s hands in his own and brings them to his mouth, closing his eyes as he presses a soft kiss to them. 

“Don’t be sorry, you have nothing to apologise for. I get it, I do. You’re scared, so am I, but we planned for this, remember? So it's a lot earlier than we were expecting, but the room is ready and has been for weeks. We got this. We deserve this, babe. We've waited for this day, for that call and I know, I know it's not under the circumstances we hoped, but we get them now, Tweek. We get to have those two kids for Christmas and give them the best damn holiday they ever had." Tweek turns his head away from Craig. He knows, he knows what Craig is saying. He gets it, understands it on the most logical level but he can’t rid himself of that shred of doubt that crawls its way through his chest and spreads through the rest of his body like wildfire.

"But what if they-" he starts, but Craig sighs, squeezing his hands ever so slightly. 

"Tweek. Don't even go there honey. They already love you. Don't torture yourself with this." Craig presses another kiss to Tweeks hands before letting them go. They fall limply into Tweeks lap and Tweek still doesn’t dare look up to meet Craig’s eyes. Craig lifts Tweek’s chin up with a finger and smiles at him. It’s a small thing, some would even dare to say it's barely a smile at all, but Tweek knows. He’s been on the receiving end of so many of these smiles before, it’s Craigs way of pouring his soul back into Tweek and calming him without saying anything. 

It says to him --

I’m here

I love you

It’s an --

We’ll get through this

Together

Its --

You and I

Me and you

Forever

Tweek breathes it all in and closes his eyes. He allows himself another moment as he centres himself in the here and now. In him and Craig and their house, their home, in their life together. In and out. In and out. 

“Okay.” Tweek says, and he means it. He opens his eyes and he stares right back at Craig. 

I’m okay

I get you

Thank you

“Okay?” Craig asks, thumb grazing over Tweek's bottom lip and Tweek nods. “Okay.” 

“Good.” Craig removes his hand completely, standing up. “Well then Mr. Tucker, we gotta lot of work we need to do.” Tweek huffs a smile and stands himself. Craig is right, they still have things to do, last minute necessities to buy and Tweek still has to pull himself together enough to get to his own store, ready for the last straggling customers to pick up their Christmas orders, all without having a mental breakdown himself.  

The afternoon is going to be stressful. He knows this, but by Christmas eve -- when the two arrive -- Tweek knows it will have all been worth it. 

Tweek has already been home from the bakery for an hour when Craig traipses through their front door, arms filled to the brim with bags. He stops in his tracks and slowly puts down all his purchases when he sees Tweek precariously balancing on the rickety old ladder they salvaged from someone's front lawn when they first moved into the house. The thing was barely holding together as it was. It was clearly left out in the cold night air, a piece of soggy paper with a messily scrawled ‘ FREE: PLEASE TAKE’ written on it for a reason. With all the extra expenses that had come with their house and despite having reasonable savings and help from their parents, Tweek had thought that saving a few dollars here and there and rescuing the damn thing was a good idea. Craig had cursed both Tweek and the ladder out many times and kept on saying he would replace both of them. 

He has yet to follow through on his threats. 

Tweek turns when he hears Craig clear his throat behind him, noticing his husband staring around their once nicely decorated living room and brightly lit Christmas tree. Now bare. 

“You’re back!” he says, a bright smile on his face, as though this scene before Craig should be normal. Craig frowns at him. “What...are you doing?” Tweek glances around the room and smiles sheepishly. 

“Oh, you mean the decoration and stuff?” Craig rolls his eyes, crossing his arms. “Yeah Tweek, the decorations and stuff.” Turning his back to Craig, Tweek stumbles down the ladder and Craig winces when the whole thing wobbles to the left suddenly. Tweek, somehow, seems completely unphased by this and Craig wonders how Tweek will freak out about crossing the road, but will happily clamber up and down this death trap. When Tweek reaches the bottom, he drops the decorations he holds in his hands into the nearest box and moves across the room to Craig. 

“I thought it would be nice, if we could get a new tree. A real one, and some new decorations and well, decorate everything together. You know, the four of us.” Their current tree isn’t something to really write home about -- it’s cheap and plastic. A hand me down from Tweek’s own parents, who didn’t see the need in having a tree anymore when the only reason for celebrating Christmas so thoroughly was finally moving into his own place. Tweek and Craig had always talked about getting a new tree, or, even better, a real one, with the fresh pine scent filling their living room. They just never really got around to it but now, now they had the best excuse to kick their own asses and move to do something about it.

“Sure honey, that’s a really good idea. We can get rid of this piece of crap while we’re at it.” Tweek laughs in agreement before eyeing the bags at Craigs feet. “Good haul?” he motions to the bags surrounding Craig, who nods sheepishly. 

“There is more, in the car.” He rubs the back of his neck and Tweek watches him fondly. He doesn’t think he has ever seen Craig so excited and nervous at the same time before. Sure, there was definitely a similar feeling to this when they got married, but this is a lot different to that. This isn’t just them, declaring a love that everyone is already aware of to the world. This is them, sharing that love, sharing their home and their hearts with two children who they hope will share their lives with them back. 

“What?” Craig says, looking left to right the longer Tweek stares. Tweek simply, shrugs and smiles, “do I need a reason to stare at my husband?” Craig arches an eyebrow and Tweek laughs, holding his hands up in mock surrender. Craig rolls his eyes and begins to grab at the bags around his feet.

“Well, your husband needs a hand with these so…” Tweek nods, moving across the living room to Craig and starts to sift through the bags.

Their life isn’t perfect and neither are they, but sometimes, moments like this, Tweek thinks it is just about getting damn near close. 

Christmas eve approaches faster than Tweek or Craig know what to do with. There’s a flurry of movement in the house, trepidation flowing through the both of them. Tweek and Craig have the day before the kids arrival to flit through the mall for last minute gifts and wrapping paper. 

Tweek’s had about five take out coffees by the time the two of them arrive back at home in the afternoon and he steels himself with another before tackling cleaning the house. He knows it’s something Craig hates -- cleaning, chores. Tweek's always been the tidier of the two, his anxiety getting the better of him when he sees things cluttered. Craig lays himself out on the living room floor, couch pushed back so he can finish the last bits of wrapping with enough space. Tweek hates wrapping and so this is a duality between the two that works perfectly for them. 

Craig applies the last piece of tape to the present he’s wrapping when Tweek sits slowly down next to him, a large pile of papers in his hands. Craig glances over at him, takes in what’s in his hands, and pats Tweek's knee, putting the gift in front of him into a large plastic bag on his other side. 

“You okay?”

“Yeah. Tired, but good.”

“Good. Is that-?” Craig motions to the papers in Tweek's lap and Tweek nods, sighing. 

“It’s going to be okay babe. I promise.” Craig leans to the side and rests his head on Tweek's shoulder. “Did you call your parents today?” 

Tweek folds his hands over the papers, pausing a moment before he answers. “Yeah. They weren’t too thrilled they wouldn’t be seeing us again this year but…” Tweek shrugs, “they understood, so.”

“Cool.” Craig scratches at his forehead before nudging Tweek in his side. Tweek leans his head to the side and looks down so he can see Craig’s face. 

“You wanna wrap this one?” Tweek huffs a laugh and drops the papers carefully into Craig's lap. “Ack-God no. You’re doing just fine.” Craig pulls a face and he smooths his hand over the cool surface in his lap. 

“I can’t believe this could be it,” he says, looking back over at Tweek again, Tweek smiles, looking up at the ceiling, knowing what room is above their living room. 

“I know, it’s crazy.” 

“What’s crazy is someone trusting us with minors, yeah.” 

“Oh hush, you,” Tweek retaliates as he slaps his husband's shoulder. Craig laughs and nuzzles his head into Tweeks shoulder. Their eyes meet and Craig almost feels like he is about to fall in love with Tweek all over again. 

“Give me a kiss?” he asks, reaching across Tweek's lap to clasps their hands together. Tweek nudges his nose with his own. 

“Like you even have to ask.”

December 24th, 2020. 

The display of the clock glares red at Tweek as his eyes stare at the bright red digits. 

06:27.

“Craig,” he whispers, testing the waters. There’s a good chance that Craig is still asleep; his snores have dwindled to mild puffs of air escaping and this is usually when he starts to rouse. This early in the morning, however, Craig may just grumble and tuck himself further into their pillow. Tweek rolls onto his back, staring through their skylight. The blind is pulled down though, so the rays of the early morning sun struggle through the beige material. 

Tweek sighs and rubs a hand over his face. He knows there is no point in him trying to get back to sleep, but he feels a bit mindless about getting out of bed right now. They spent most of yesterday sorting out the house and, other than the last minute jobs in the kids room that need doing -- something he purposefully has left until their arrival day -- there isn’t a huge amount of things Tweek can do. 

“Craig,” he says again, a little louder this time. Craig starts and coughs and Tweek turns his head to his right to see Craig blinking into the slight darkness of their bedroom. 

“Sweetheart? You okay?” His voice is raspy with sleep and Tweek closes his eyes and savours the sound of it. 

“Yeah, yeah I'm sorry to wake you. Just argh- ya know.” Tweek raises his hand to his head and grasps at his hair and without even looking, Craig lifts his own arm and pulls Tweek's away from his hair, instead lacing their fingers together. 

“You’re okay.”

“Yeah.”

Sitting in a comfortable silence, they simply enjoy each other's presence. The air of their room is warm and relaxed and Tweek evens his breathing out, the flecks of his anxiety disappearing. “What time are they arriving?” Craig looks over at him and then faces back to the ceiling. 

“10.”

“Okay. Have you spoken to Elizabeth since Tuesday?” Craig shakes his head, fingers flexing around Tweek's. 

“No. Nothing has changed.”

“So, she’s still expecting us to…”

“Yeah.” Craig turns to look over at Tweek, a small frown on his face. “Are you having second thoughts?” Tweek startles, and he tightens his grip on Craig’s hand. 

“No no, not at all. I just- I want to make sure we don’t get this opportunity taken from us. Again. I don’t know if I could handle that a second time.” 

“No. Nothing like that at all. The plan remains the same.” Tweek nods and swallows deeply. 

“Okay, well. I’ll make coffee. You want breakfast?” Tweek sits up, releasing Craig's hand and stretching his arms up to try and rid himself of the small crick in his back. Craig stares at the motion, admiring his husband's lithe body. 

“Sure, give me 10 and I’ll be down.” Craig rolls over into the space Tweek vacates as he stands and he rubs his face into the still warm comforter. Tweek turns and shoots him a look. 

“Don’t go back to sleep, Tucker, or no coffee.” Tweek makes his way out of their bedroom, grabbing his sleep shirt that's hanging at the end of the bed. Craig lifts his head and stares out after his husband. 

“Well that’s just rude,” he says, puffing out air as his head falls forward into the sheets.  

The room they turn into a second bedroom was once an office, of sorts. There was once a large oak bookcase, a small patchwork beige sofa that also doubled as a pull out bed, and a deep mahogany desk that had somewhat filled the space. It was a large room and, since it hadn’t been used regularly enough, the couple never really found a proper purpose to fill it. 

On the desk there had been a mouse and mouse pad with space for a laptop, but that had now found a home on the coffee table downstairs and therefore had never retreated back up. The room was barely used, only when their parents, Craig's sister, or one of the guys came to visit, or when Tweek was feeling particularly anxious. In those times where he needed a moment to himself, he would often come in to browse one of the many books that had accumulated between the two of them over the years. 

Now, however, the room has been completely redone. It still looks fairly bare, though both Craig and Tweek have hopes that it will be filled and decorated soon. The walls are painted a pale light green and there are two beds at each end of the room. Next to each bed there is a small table and a dresser adjoining that. Each bedside table has a small light on it, with a couple of books laying next to them. The covers adorning the bed are a bright pink and blue respectively, now softened from Tweek's rigorous washing and drying in order to make them feel more comfortable. 

Tweek stands in the room and his eyes glaze over all the furniture for what must be the tenth time this morning. He can hear Craig fussing downstairs and he takes a breath, before he drops the plastic grocery bags he has in his hands down on the closest bed. 

This will be Evan’s. 

He touches the comforter and gives himself a moment to take it all in again. This still doesn’t feel real and as the clock on the wall ticks and ticks closer to 10 am, Tweek can feel himself vibrating with barely contained nervousness. Swallowing, he grabs at the first bag to check the items in it before he starts placing them around the room. There isn’t much, some toiletries, a couple of sets of pyjamas, socks. Without knowing exactly what the two will be bringing or what they like, it has made it difficult for Craig and Tweek to be as prepared as they like. The mere essentials will have to do for the moment, and they can always take them shopping for more when they arrive. 

Tweek pauses when he reaches over to the other bed. 

This will be Kasey’s. 

He places the small, soft pink pyjamas in his hands down on the bed, and bites his lip at the thought that what they have will somehow be completely unwanted. The items themselves aren’t worth worrying about, Tweek knows this, but the meaning behind giving them something without knowing their preferences bothers him and makes him worry further about their Christmas presents. 

He shakes his head, no. He knows he can’t think like that. Like Craig has said so many times before, they’ve got this. They’ve prepared as best they can and there is nothing more they can do but wait. 

Tweek isn’t sure how long he just stands there for; seconds, minutes, it all blurs into one. That is, until there is a knock at their front door and then the sound of the doorbell rings through the house. 

He freezes, desperate for his heart to slow its beating. 

bum be bum be bum be bum-

“Tweek?” Craig calls him from the hallway downstairs.  

Tweek closes his eyes, his heart is in his throat. 

“Coming!” he says after a moment, before taking another deep breath and heading out the room and down the staircase where Craig is waiting. Craig holds up his hand for Tweek to take when he reaches him and he gives it a squeeze. Their eyes meet and all Tweek feels is an all encompassing warmth surrounding him.

It’s a-

We have this

It’s a-

We have each other

And-

This will work I promise

I’m scared too

Craig lets go of Tweek's hand as he reaches for the door and twists the handle. He can make out the head of a figure through the top of the rippled glass. He knows immediately who it is, Elizabeth Martin, child welfare officer and the very woman who is in charge of their case and potentially their future.

She’s a petite woman, with dark brown hair that pulls tightly to the back of her head in a tidy bun. Craig opens the door and she smiles instantly at them. She’s wearing a dark blue blazer over a white shirt and black pencil skirt. Tweek idly thinks that the heels she is wearing could probably kill a man, if nothing else they are definitely putting her back on equal footing with her height. 

There are two small bodies hidden behind her, both have their hands clasped together tightly and are so silent that it is easy enough to miss them. 

“Morning, I’m sorry we are a little late! Traffic was awful.” Her voice is sweet and soft and Tweek thinks that is the perfect voice for someone who deals with children. Craig shakes his head dutifully in response and gives her a short smile. It’s a smile that Tweek has duped his ‘public smile’, it’s a smile Craig reserves for situations where he knows he has to be polite but isn’t quite sure how to react. Born from a nervous energy tailoring to becoming an adult and an inability to just keep flipping people off all the time. 

“It’s okay, we were just- well you know, sorting things out. Please, er, come in.” Craig motions with his arm and steps back into the hallway to give them room. Tweek sends his own smile at Elizabeth and tilts his head for her to follow him. It’s not until he turns around once he’s in the living room that he finally gets to see the two young children. They enter slowly and cautiously and Tweek is captivated, his heart pounds relentlessly. 

They’re here. 

Evan and Kasey Hillborough. 

They look exactly like they did when Craig and Tweek last got to see them, and he still can’t believe they are standing here now. 

“Kasey, Evan, you remember Tweek and Craig don’t you?” The two children nod. “I did tell them where we were going and that we’ve planned for them to stay here, but it’s always nice for another introduction isn’t it.” She glances around the room at all of them, her overly peppy attitude coming off almost awkwardly. 

Evan, who is the eldest of the two, has his backpack swung over one of his shoulders. The one hand that is gripping the strap is slowly turning white from pressure. His baggy blue jeans have dirt marks over the knees and around the cuffs, and he has a white shirt that is hidden mostly under a red zip hoodie. Tweek notices there is a small hole at the left wrist of it. Evan glares mainly at the floor, his face is tight and his body is screaming tension. 

His sister Kasey, on the other hand, stands behind him, both hands gripping each side of his hoodie at the waist, but her eyes are flickering around the room. Her eyes skim over the many pictures Craig and Tweek have hung on the walls, photos of them, their friends and family, of Stripe and her many successors. Kasey has a worn brown rabbit held limply by the ragged ear in her left hand and a pale yellow dress on. A chain of thick, plastic rainbow beads hangs around her neck and a dark blue hoodie -- that is clearly not her own -- is draping over her shoulders. 

They share mousy brown hair and wide brown eyes, both sitting on the skinnier side of how kids their age should be. 

“They have another bag of theirs in the car. We haven’t got any more information than what I told you on the phone, I’m afraid, but I’ll update you over the next couple of days and maybe we can talk about what we discussed?” Craig nods but Tweeks eyes are still fixated on the two children. Kasey’s eyes eventually fall on Tweek and he gives her a small smile when she catches him staring at her. She promptly disappears behind her brother's back, hiding her face before peeking out around his waist again, a mirthful smile playing on her lips. Tweek chuckles. 

They’re perfect. 

It’s been over two months since Tweek and Craig have last seen them. It feels so much longer to them and Tweek is so thankful for the opportunity to have them here now, despite the awful circumstances bringing them here. 

It’s been eleven months, eight days and fourteen hours since Tweek and Craig first met the two children -- not that either of them have been counting. The siblings have had a difficult past, with an even more uncertain future that Tweek and Craig are hoping to change. Their biological parents have been inconsistent since each child's birth, with a history of drug abuse and domestic violence that has continuously left the two siblings being removed and moved from home to home over the last few years. Every so often their parents win back custody, only for the same pattern to return and the children once again finding themselves in a limbo of temporary homes and strange surroundings. 

It has taken many months, a court appearance and mediation meeting to even get to where they are right now and Tweek was, and he supposes he still is, consciously fearful that it will be more months, weeks, even years before Tweek and Craig can finally ask Kasey and Evan to be a part of their lives permanently. 

“...eek?” Tweek blinks, his self returning back from the recesses of his mind. He looks over at Craig, wide eyed. 

“I said I’m going to get the rest of their stuff babe.” Craig frowns and Tweek waves a hand, signalling that he is okay and turns his attention to Evan and Kasey. 

“Oh, yeah, of course. Do you guys wanna sit down?” Kasey immediately nods, moving around her brother and giving a little jump as she plants herself on the couch, Evan moving himself at a significantly more sedate pace, watching Tweek through dark eyelashes. Elizabeth follows the two as they situate themselves into the seat before she meets eyes with Craig and the two leave to her car. 

“Do you guys want anything? Drink? Something to eat?” Tweek says softly, and when the two shake their heads his shoves his hands in his pockets. “Oh, hey, so I-ah, I know the place looks a little bland considering it's Christmas tomorrow, but Craig and I thought it might be nice for us to all go shopping and get some new decorations, pick out a tree?” Kasey looks up at him curiously, she hugs her rabbit closer to her chest when she speaks. 

“You don’t have a tree?” 

“We did, but it was a bit worse for wear and made of plastic. We thought it would be cool to go and get a new one. We really gonna need some expert advice on this because we’ve never bought a real one before, so are you guys up for the challenge?” Kasey bounces excitedly in her seat and Evan glances up at Tweek, a small smile at the corner of his lips. 

All three turn however when there is a mumbling of voices in the hallway and Craig disappears up the stairs with a duffle bag in hand and Elizabeth enters the room. 

“I’ve caught Craig up on some things,” she directs at Tweek before she looks over at Kasey and Evan, smiling as she crouches in front of them.

“Okay you two, is there anything you need from me before I go?” Evan shakes his head, but Kasey bites her lip and clutches her rabbit even tighter. “What is it Kasey?”

“Do we get to stay here for all of Christmas?” Elizabeth puts her hand on Kasey’s knee and gives her a friendly pat. “That’s the plan, if that’s okay with you?”

“Yes!” Craig enters the room just as Kasey answers and he and Tweek share a laugh at her excitable response. There is something so beautiful about the sound of her elation, at the fact that she wants to stay with them, that Tweek doesn’t feel he’s going to be able to contain his happiness over the course of the next few days. 

Elizabeth stands and straightens her skirt, before looking around the room. “Well if that's everything?” When she’s met with silence she motions to Tweek and Craig. 

“You have my number. Anything you need, just call me. If you can’t get hold of me, call the office and they’ll be able to get someone out. I’ll contact you in a few days to let you know what’s happening long term.” Craig and Tweek nod and Elizabeth moves to leave, Craig follows her out and when he returns not a minute later he claps his hands together.

“So, Tweek tell you we need a new tree?”

As it turns out, Christmas tree shopping on Christmas eve with two kids under the age of ten isn’t as stressful as Tweek expects. There is a local store not far from them with at least twenty or so trees out front in the lot and Kasey and Evan make no complaints getting into the car and heading over. There is an assistant wondering somewhat aimlessly between the trees when they arrive and he smiles politely when he sees Craig and Tweek approach. 

The air is cold and brash, and Tweek pulls his coat tighter around himself. Kasey and Evan both are wearing similar puffer jackets, though both are looking threadbare and Tweek mentally adds that to the list of things they’ll need to update for them. 

Kasey immediately runs forward when she is close enough to the trees, her excitement palpable and buoyant. Tweek moves quickly after her, desperate to keep her in sight. Evan’s pace quickens, though he is desperately looking for all the world like he is not interested. Craig smirks, and points his head to Tweek and Kasey. 

“You better hurry, or your sister will pick a tree before you can have a say.” Evan shoots Craig a look but Craig chuckles under his breath when the young boy begins to move a whole lot faster. 

The trees left in the lot aren’t much different from each other, but Kasey and Evan make sure they are spending their time thoroughly working out the pros and cons of each one. Tweek and Craig stand back, watching them with amused expressions as they fight over the smallest differences of each tree. It’s the most animated they’ve seen before. 

“This one!” Kasey yells finally, waving an arm over at them and they both head toward the tree both kids are standing in front of. It’s a bit of a sorry looking tree and Tweek and Craig give each other pointed looks as they take it in. The trunk of the tree is bending, meaning it is leaning to it’s right rather than up. The tree’s top is folded down and will no doubt take a little extra work to get the topper on. It has a good colour though and the pine is still fresh and alive.

“This one? You sure?” Tweek says, making eye contact with the assistant to signal him over. 

“Yep !” Kasey pops her p and puts her hands in her pocket, clearly proud of their decision. The assistant greets them a little awkwardly and looks over at the tree they’ve chosen. 

“Well that’s a mighty fine tree miss, but surely you want one of the others? One that’s not this...one, maybe?” Kasey shakes her head, “Nope, this one! It has carroc- carroct-'' she huffs in frustration, and Tweek steps in. 

“Character?” He offers up and she gives him a wide smile.

“But-” the assistant begins again and Craig opens his mouth fully ready to tell the guy to just wrap the damn tree, when he gets interrupted. 

“She said she wants this one. Are you gonna sell it to us or not?” Evan freezes, eyes wide as he looks at Craig and Tweek, terror starting to fill his eyes as he realises that he spoke out loud and very out of turn. The two men, however, have both covered their mouths in an attempt to hide their amused expressions.

“You heard the kid,” Craig says, “that’s the one.” The assistant nods, getting to work in wrapping the tree up in the netting for them. Evans' shoulders slump in relief, something that doesn't go unnoticed by them.  

“Good work guys,” Tweek praises, “That’s a good tree, I think it’s going to look perfect.”  Kasey beams up at him, and from her pocket she pulls out her rabbit and shows it the tree. 

“C’mon, let’s get inside and look at their decorations.” The four of them head into the store, Kasey wasting no time in heading over to the Christmas section and excitedly picking up anything and everything that takes her fancy, no matter how big. Craig looks over at Evan, who is standing off to the side and watching his sister under a careful gaze, hands empty. 

“Anything you see you like, kid?” Evan shrugs, but Craig sees him eyeing up some of the meter high candy canes that stick into the ground for front or back lawns. “You want a couple of them for the yard?” Evan shakes his head, the excitement and energy that was shown at the tree clearly starting to dwindle. Probably not the first time that he’s let his sister take the reins. 

“Kasey is choosing.” He points out, nodding his head towards her. She moves like a whirlwind around the displays, talking a mile a minute at Tweek who is slowly following behind her, listening intently and carrying a basket now laden with items.“You can both choose some stuff. No fun if it’s only one of you, right?” 

“...really?”

“Sure.”

Evan looks over at one of the large wall displays of outdoor decorations, he tilts his head to the side as he contemplates the different items. After a moment, he looks up and down at the units before stepping onto the bottom shelf and on to his tip toes, reaching up to grab at the large candy canes he had been eyeing. Craig moves before he even realises what he is doing and grabs at Evan’s arms gently.

“Hey hey hey,” he says and Evan yelps, his whole body going rigid. Craig moves away instantly. “Sorry, hey, I didn’t mean anything by it. I just don’t want you to hurt yourself. What do you want? Let me get it for you.” Evan shakes his head furiously, eyes on the floor and Craig is cursing himself when Tweek turns the corner around a central display with Kasey, wide eyed. 

“Everything okay?” Craig looks over at him and nods. 

“Yeah, it’s fine.” Craig bends his legs as he tries to catch Evans’ eyes. “Evan, bud, you’re not in trouble, okay? I just didn’t want you to fall and hurt yourself, alright? I’m sorry I grabbed you and scared you like that, I won’t do it again. You did nothing wrong, kid, I promise.” Evan looks up at Craig, his eyes a little misty. He nods in response, but the look in his eyes is telling that he doesn’t really believe what he’s being told.  

“You wanted the light up candy canes right?” Craig moves over to the unit and grabs two down from the display. “Done. Just...ask next time you want something and it’s too high, it’s not a problem for us to help you.” Evan pulls his arms around himself and moves instead towards Tweek and his sister. Craig looks over him and Tweek helplessly. Tweek can tell there’s a guilt that is already eating at him. Kasey automatically clings to her brother, hugging him from the side and, keeping them in eyesight, Tweek moves closer to Craig. 

“You okay?” he whispers, eyes searching Craig's face as he rubs the back of his neck. 

“Yeah, I frightened him I think. Let’s - lets just pay and get them back home.” Tweek takes Craig's hand and gives it a squeeze before leading him to the checkout. 

It’s just past lunchtime by the time the four are arriving home. Craig carries in the tree while Tweek hefts all the bags of decorations. He drops them into the living room while Craig moves the awkwardly shaped tree into the corner of the room by the French doors. Tweek pops his hands on his hips and looks at the two kids standing silently in the doorway. 

“Why don’t you help Craig decide where to put the tree, and I’ll go make some lunch. Anything you guys really want?” Evan and Kasey shake their heads and Tweek sends them a soft smile before he heads into the kitchen.

Tweek potters around the kitchen, mumbling to himself about what to make when he hears a small footsteps on the tiled floor. He turns and sees Kasey looking sheepishly over the island counter, both hands gripping the edge. Tweek cocks his head at her. 

“You okay, honey?” There’s something almost funny about Tweek using a pet name. Craig is usually the one to do so, but the words feel so natural coming out of his mouth. Kasey nods but doesn’t say anything, just keeps on watching Tweek. 

“You want to help me make lunch?” 

She shakes her head. 

“You just want to watch me, huh?”

She nods. Tweek chuckles. 

“Leave those boys to do all the work right? Gotcha.” He winks over at her and she giggles quietly, Tweek smiles as he turns back to the counter, this time rather than his quiet mutterings to himself, he makes sure he starts speaking loudly, so that Kasey can hear.

“What to eat, what to eaaat- we could have...PB&J sandwiches?” 

He glances over his shoulder slyly and sees Kasey shaking her head. 

“Nah, too boring. What abooouutt…” he moves across the kitchen to the refrigerator and opens it, leaning in. “Ah hah! What about a nice, healthy green salad?” 

He looks over at Kasey again and sees the face she is pulling and laughs, closing the refrigerator.  

“Okay, no salad. Right.” He pretends to think for a moment. Raising an index finger to his chin. 

“Grilled cheese?”

Shake of head. 

“Soup?”

Shake of head. 

“Pop tarts?” 

Kasey begins to shake her head and then stops, an adorable frown on her face as she looks up at Tweek slightly hopeful. Tweek laughs again and turns completely around, facing her and braces his arms against the other side of the island. 

“Okay okay, I was teasing about the pop tarts, we gotta eat something proper before we can have them.” Kasey pouts at him and he smiles back at her all the same, “I’ll tell you what, you tell me what you really want for lunch, and after, you can help me make some gingerbread cookies? Would you like that?” Kasey's eyes immediately brighten and she nods furiously. 

“Deal.” Tweek says, he raises his eyebrows at her and leans further across the island. “So, come on. Tell me, what do you want me to make you for lunch? It can be anything - within reason of course!” Tweek adds, leaning his head on his hand. Kasey copies his movements from earlier, raising her own little index finger to her chin in thought. 

“Sketti!” She shouts, raising an arm into the arm. 

“Spaghetti huh? I can do that.” Tweek slaps the surface of the island lightly. “Spaghetti, right. Let's do this. Why don’t you tell Craig and Evan what we’re having, you guys can start decorating the tree and I'll come in when I'm done here.” Kasey jumps up a little with happiness and scurries out of the kitchen and back to the living room. 

Tweek can’t help but stare after her, a wide smile across his face.

The tree is already glistening brightly when Tweek next sees it. It’s big, bigger than he thought, though that could be with the way it sits awkwardly at an angle. There is rainbow tinsel wrapped around somewhat haphazardly, and an array of silver baubles hanging off the odd branch. Evan is on his tiptoes adding a Santa Claus riding a Space Rocket while Kasey rummages through the bags at their feet. 

Craig is braced on his hands and knees, fiddling with the tree stand that’s precariously taking too much weight on one side. After a minute, he gets up and brushes his knees, conceding his battle with the tree’s trunk. “That will have to do.”

“Looks good.” Tweek says, Craig smiles and motions to the two kids to his right, “blame these two, they’ve got a real eye.” They both look bashful, though Kasey looks up and gives both of them a huge toothy smile before returning her attention to the bags, Evan merely shrugs a shoulder and crosses his arms. 

“Yes!” Kasey pulls herself up and brandishes a large, glittering star in her hand. “Can we put the star on now?”

“Sure thing, sweetheart,” Craig grins, holding his hand out for the decoration so he can pull the hanging price tag off it. 

“Can I do it?” Kasey asks, vibrating with excitement. Craig motions to Evan, before handing Kasey back the decoration. 

“Well, why don’t we ask your brother first?” Evan’s mind is clearly a million miles away, as he stands and stares into the tree. Tweek doesn’t want to even think about what he could be remembering, but somehow, Tweek really hopes it's good. 

“Evan?” Tweek says softly, pulling Evan out of his reverie. 

“Hmm?

“You wanna put the topper on, kiddo?” Craig asks as he moves into the young boy's eyeline. 

“Please, Evan, can I?!” Kasey bounces in front of him as she grabs the arm of his hoodie. He looks between Craig and Tweek before looking back at his sister and smiling. “Sure. You do it.” 

“Yes!” Kasey waves the star in the air as she does a small happy dance and then immediately makes her way to Craig, holding her arms up. He looks down at her and arches an eyebrow. 

“Oh I see, you want a human ladder!” Kasey giggles and wiggles her arms to emphasise her point. Craig picks her up and holds her close to him, lifting her a little higher so she can reach up to the top of the tree easily. His eyes are solely on her as he does so, almost hypnotised and Tweek quickly pulls out his phone, snapping a picture of the two. 

It’s a bit of a struggle, with the angle of the tree and the way the tree's top is folding over, but the two of them manage to get it on without toppling the whole thing. 

“Wow.” says Kasey as Crag steps back so they can both admire their handiwork. 

“Yeah, wow.” Craig says, but it isn't the tree he’s looking at.

The kitchen has become a disaster zone. 

Once the tree is finished and lunch has been eaten, it doesn’t take Kasey long to remind Tweek of their deal in making gingerbread. He had Craig buy aprons for them the other day while shopping and he had returned with bright green kids aprons in the design of an elf outfit with the words ‘Santa’s Little Helper’ embellished on the front. Tweek had thought it was cute until Craig pulled out a further apron from him, pure red with the detailing of a Santa’s outfit on the front. 

They match! He had said, and Tweek hadn’t known whether to hit him or kiss him.

So here they all are now, aprons on yet still looking for all the world that a snow storm has hit. Despite flour going everywhere, the prep has been successful and there are now sixteen or so, slightly wonky gingerbread men aligning a pan which Tweek is putting in the oven, when Craig comes in from the living room finished with hanging the last of the chosen decorations on the walls, and utterly clean.

"You guys look like snowmen." he says smugly, as he sits on the other side of the island and away from the main destruction.

"Haha." Tweek says, wiping his hands on his apron and taking a good look around the kitchen. Kasey attempts to slyly stick her finger into the used mixture bowl, eyeing desperately the remaining sticky mixture while Evan is running his hands through his hair trying to rid it of excess flour. 

"No seriously, did you bake in here or just to recreate the north pole?" Tweek grabs a nearby cloth and throws it at Craig, who catches it instantly. 

"Alright, well why don't you take that cloth and help us clean up?"

"Don't look at me, I'm the clean one here. I'm not getting in amongst this mess and getting as dirty as you." Tweek turns slowly to face him and leans back against the kitchen counter. He hums, before he looks down at Evan and Kasey, both are looking at him. He arches an eyebrow and motions to the bag of flour on the side of the counter. Within seconds all three of them have grabbed a handful of flour and are launching across the island surface at him. There is a flurry of white and coughing and as the flour settles, they can make out Craig's unimpressed form staring through a face of flour. 

"Wow." 

Laughing brightly, Tweek holds his hands up to high five both the kids, Kasey does it promptly however Evan hesitates and Tweek pouts, "c'mon Evan, bud, don't leave me hanging here." Evan smiles sheepishly and brings up his hand lightly for a high five. 

The three are so busy celebrating their success against the once clean Craig, that they don't see him at the sink until it's too late. He has a sly smile on his face and his arms and plunged into the sink, holding something in his hands. 

"You know, you guys really could use a wash." With that, he throws the contents of a shallow bowl of cold water at them, splattering them from head to toe. Kasey screams and jumps up and down while both Tweek and Evan freeze in shock. 

"That. Was a very silly thing to do, Craig." 

"Now, Tweek, be an adult here." 

Tweek presents the bag of flour to both Evan and Kasey so they can grab handfuls of it. Craig holds his hands up in surrender, eyes wide but glinting with amusement. 

"Come on, it was a joke, right? You got me, I got you." 

Evan and Kasey simply stare at him with wide smiles and Tweek leans down between the two of them. The three of them look pure evil, staring at him with glinting eyes, hands clenched with white powder. 

"Get him."

Before Craig's even moved he has another face full of flour, he sputters, turns and runs to the other side of the island, only to be met with a smirking Tweek.

"Babe-" 

Safe to say, half an hour and sixteen nearly burnt gingerbread cookies later, Craig is considering flour a permanent remodel of their kitchen.

Dinner that evening, Tweek rules, is take-out pizza. The kitchen’s clean enough that he knows it won’t bother him too much to leave it to until the following morning, when he’ll no doubt whisk himself around in cleaning it before creating a further mess with Christmas lunch. With that said, Tweek definitely knows he does not want to spend any more time there today. 

There’s showers and baths while the pizzas are ordered and, when they finally arrive, Kasey and Evan look at Tweek and Craig as if they have been giving all their Christmas presents there and then. They both decide that this is going to become a more regular occurrence if the kids enjoy it so much. 

Between the four of them, it’s agreed that Christmas eve isn’t Christmas eve without some sort of Christmas movie playing to bump up the spirit. Craig pulls up Netflix and both kids sit close together, flicking through the numerous choices until they agree on a film that neither of them have seen. 

They all settle, snuggling down with steaming cups of hot cocoa and marshmallows made by Tweek. Both kids are wearing the soft pyjamas that Craig had bought for them only days earlier, and he had given them both a delicate smile when they’d come down from their room, wearing them and thanking them both profusely. 

Tweek is the last one to sit down, turning down the lights and settling himself in his favourite armchair, feet pulled up to his chest and a gingerbread man balancing on his knees. The atmosphere is comfortable and warm, it envelopes Tweek and he already knows this is something that he can get used to. That he wants to be used to, every day for the rest of his life. The nights like this shared between Tweek and Craig since moving in together had been as near perfect as Tweek thought they could ever get, but here with Kasey and Evan, he feels that they are incomparable to this moment now. 

The Christmas tree lights flicker slowly, casting shadows across them all and soft interluding music from the film fills the room. Tweek glances across at Craig, who is sharing the sofa with Kasey, a plate of gingerbread between them. She’s got two of her tiny hands wrapped around one of Tweek's favourite mugs and there is a line of hot chocolate smudged across her top lip. She looks over at them and smiles, running her tongue over her lip and eventually, when she realises she can’t get it all, wipes her arm across her face. 

Craig laughs, something so deep and languid that Tweek feels his heart skip a beat. Kasey turns back to the TV immediately and absorbs herself in the film. Evan sits on the floor in front of his sister. His own plate of treats next to him, he is taking slow and scrupulous sips from his mug, though Tweek thinks he must be enjoying it, because after each sip he sighs. 

Tweek himself takes a large gulp on his own drink, allowing the smooth taste of the chocolate to calm him further. He’s never been the biggest fan of hot cocoa. That had, and still is, Craig’s thing; however, there is definitely nothing like this moment here, sitting around the TV with your family, small flecks of snow falling outside, the smell of fresh desserts and warming chocolate, that allows the peace to overtake you.

By the time 9:30 pm rolls around, both kids are looking dead on their feet and Craig and Tweek are no better. Kasey’s head is lolled to the side and into Craig’s chest, his arm around the back of the couch to accommodate her. Her chest is rising and falling slowly as she sits warm and quiet, in a restful sleep. Tweek thinks he could never tire of a sight like that -- Craig sat contentedly watching the TV, while their daughter falls asleep in his arms. 

Their daughter.  

God, Tweek hopes he can call her that one day. He wants to, so desperately. To take her straight into his arms, and brush her hair out of her face and tell her how proud and honored he is to be a part of her life as her father. He can’t though, not until both Evan and Kasey have shown that they want that, too. Craig turns toward him, no doubt feeling Tweek’s eyes boring into him, and they both smile softly at each other. 

The film is coming to an end, the penultimate overture of music casting over the scene before them. Evan is still sitting on the floor, his legs pulled up to his chest and his head tilted to the side as he watches the film, his plate and mug both empty and discarded to the side. All the tension he seemed to have been holding this morning has seemed to have bled out of him throughout the day. His person is a little looser, back not as rigid. Tweek hopes that's a sign of something good, but it’s still early at this stage and who knows what the next day will bring. 

“Hey,” he says softly, and Evan’s head turns sharply toward him and Craig. His eyes catch sight of Kasey and they narrow. “It’s late, we should get you two to bed.” Evan turns back to the TV, the credits beginning to roll and then looks back at Tweek. Nodding slowly. “What about--?” He starts and Craig smiles at him. 

“No worries, I got her,” and with that, Craig lifts Kasey into his arms bridal style. She whines and shifts slightly before turning her head and tucking it into Craig’s neck. Her hands tighten around the worn rabbit she has carried around with her all day. Evan tenses when he hears his sister make a sound, watching her and Craig carefully until she finally settles in his arms. He sighs and his body relaxes if only an inch, and Tweek and Craig know at this stage they will take what they can get. To them, this is a win. Craig moves slowly, stepping around Tweek and heading toward the stairs. Tweek’s heart feels like it’s about to burst with affection just watching the two, and he can only imagine what Craig is feeling. He turns toward Evan and motions for him to follow. Evan hesitates, unsure, before shaking his head and making his way toward the stairs.

When they arrive at the kids bedroom, Tweek comes to a stop a little further back from the doorway, giving Evan some extra space as he enters his new room. Evan watches Craig sharply as he slowly puts his sister down on her bed and tucks her under the covers. When Craig is done, he turns to see the both of them staring at him. There is an awkward silence that fills the air, waiting for someone to speak. Tweek is the one who breaks it, unable to stand there with this weird tension starting to fill the room. 

“Look, I- ack. I know the room isn’t much, or...or doesn’t really have much to it yet, but we thought -- well Craig and I thought -- that if you would like to stay, then you might want to decorate it yourselves. Your way.” Tweek clasps his hands together, fingers twiddling in an anxious manner. Evan looks between them; however, it is Craig who speaks next. 

“I used to have glow in the dark stars stuck all over my ceiling. Some on the walls as well, now I come to think of it.” Craig looks up as though he is seeing the stars there now, almost lost in the memory of his old bedroom. “My mom used to buy me a new pack every few months because I would always complain there wasn’t enough. Tweek and I spent hours one night having to pull them all down before we went to college. I wanted to take them with me, but Mom convinced me otherwise.” Tweek laughs at the memory. 

“That’s because you're a complete giant dork.” Craig shrugs at Tweek's teasing, clearly saying ‘so what, you love me.’ and the lopsided grin Tweek shoots back at Craig is definitely one that says, ‘duh!’. 

Evan looks between the two of them before looking down at the pale carpet, scuffing his feet across the plush surface. “When you say ‘stay’, you mean if you decide to keep us right? That you aren’t bored of us? That we’re not a burden .” Evan spits out the word as though it’s something sour and twisted in his mouth and Tweek startles. He’s sure he knows exactly who has said that to Evan and in that moment, Tweek has never hated anyone as much as he hates them. He feels something dark and heavy settle in his stomach at the thought that this small, vulnerable nine year old kid and his little sister could ever think that they were nothing more than a burden. Craig glances across at Tweek before approaching Evan, stopping a reasonable distance away from him and crouching down to his height. Evan tenses, clearly nervous at Craig's approach but Craig doesn’t falter even as he speaks. His tone is soft, yet Tweek has known Craig long enough that he can hear the residual anger hidden there, and Tweek knows that he isn’t the only one feeling a bitterness, wallowing inside him at the situation. 

“Hey. You’re not a burden okay. Never, ever, ever think that you are a burden. You or your sister. You aren’t a burden to anyone, not to your parents, or your case worker, and sure as hell not to us.” Evan still refuses to meet Craig’s eyes and Craig sighs, falling back on the heels of his feet and arranging himself so that he is sitting cross legged opposite the both of them. 

“Did you know that Tweek and I started dating when we were 10, so pretty much around your age?” Evan looks up at that, confusion written on his face. He looks up and over at Tweek, who nods, and then back to Craig. “Really?” he asks. 

“Yep. That means we have been togetheeerrr...eighteen years. That is a long time, kid. To be with one person, to experience things with them. You know what that means though?” 

“You got desperate from an early age and settled?” Tweek snorts at Evan's response, something so surly and somewhat Craig-like. Craig himself, amused, just rolls his eyes. 

“No. It means that, even way back then, we knew. Maybe we didn’t understand...no, I don’t think we really did, but there was something, connecting us. Sounds stupid, but it’s true. I can’t imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else. I can’t imagine not living through the last eighteen years without Tweek. If I had to do it all again, if I had to wait a million years to relive these moments with him, I would.” Tweek can feel his own eyes getting misty. It’s not like Craig hasn’t ever not been forthright with his feelings for Tweek, if nothing else getting more sentimental as the two of them age, but no matter how many times he hears it there is always something new and refreshing about hearing it just once more. Every time Tweek thinks it will undoubtedly be the last time, after all, how many times can one man wax poetic about his husband? Craig surprises him each and every time. This isn’t about him, or even them right now, however. This is about Evan and Kasey; this is about letting them know that there is a place here for them, if they want. All they have to do is reach out and take it. 

“When we first met you and your sister, we felt like we had the same connection. We knew then, that the same thing that brought Tweek and I together, brought you two to us. So, we’ll wait, because we’re good at it. We waited twelve years for the moment we got married and we waited seventeen years for the moment we met you, and we will wait for that moment, that we will hope will come, when you say you want to stay with us. Whenever you're ready. It’s up to you and Kasey, Evan. We’ll wait as long as we need to for the both of you to tell us what you want.” Craig leans back on both his hands and casts a look over at Kasey, who is still settled in her bed, a deep sleep holding over her. Unaware of the conversation that they are having, of the choices that are being laid out for her. Maybe, he considers, he will have to have this conversation again with her, or maybe Evan and her will come to their own secret consensus. The road ahead is paving itself ahead with unknowns and both Tweek and Craig know they will simply have to wait. 

Evan considers Craig before him and in turn looks over his shoulder at Tweek. He frowns, obviously contemplating Craig’s words. “Why?”

It’s a simple question, one that should be easy to answer. Craig looks back over at Evan and then over his head at Tweek, who shakes his head. There isn’t a clear cut response here, it is what it is because that is how they feel. Neither of them could express it more articulately if they tried. Craig takes a breath, “Like I said, we-”

“I heard what you said, but why us? There are loads of kids out there without parents. And- and what if we're not ready! No one asked us if we wanted to leave our parents. No one asked us if we wanted to move around from house to house because no one could decide if they wanted us. What if we don't want YOU. What if- if we don't want a pair of…” Evan stutters, fighting for his own mind and the words he wants to say, the words he doesn’t, “...of, fags , looking after us.”

Kasey moans in her sleep and rolls onto her side. 

Tweek chokes. 

Craig frowns. 

This moment is pivotal. Tweek knows they can react with anger, with horror, with disgust, but they shouldn’t. They’ll lose him, they’ll lose both of them. Evan and Kasey have been hurt, they have been shown animosity and neglect by everyone and anyone who has ever been present in their lives. Naturally untrusting, no matter how the day has gone, Tweek and Craig know this isn't his fault. They can’t blame him for anger misplaced, directed at those who haven’t been able to provide a home, provide love and warmth and everything a child needs. 

Besides, this isn’t the first time that someone has used that word to hurt them, and Tweek and Craig are long over it. Craig takes a breath and focuses his attention on Evan, leaning forward. 

“We don’t use that word in this house, Evan. It’s okay, I know you’re upset and confused, and if you don’t want to stay here, then that’s okay, too. If that’s what you want. We are asking you kid, definitely not telling. You and your sister get to decide what you want. We’re just laying out your options, letting you know how Tweek and I feel, that’s all.” Craig sighs and stands up, moving slowly around Evan, who moves further into the room as Craig moves out. Evan keeps his eyes to the ground and Tweek takes a step forward, desperate to go to him, to do something to take that awful look off of his face. 

“We’ll speak to your case worker and see what we can do, okay?” Craig continues, “I can’t make any promises about your parents though. Your case is...complicated. We’ll find someone who you can have your moment with. No one is telling you it has to be us. We want you to have a good Christmas while you're here and hope, someday, you'll choose us back.” Tweek and Craig stand in the doorway as Evan still refuses to make eye contact with them. 

“There's a lock on your door,” Tweek starts, the atmosphere awkward. “We wanted you both to feel safe while you were here. Have your own space.” Evan nods and steps forward, taking hold off the handle and slowly closes the door. 

The sound of the thick lock clicking into place reverberates through the hallway.  

The box Tweek holds in his hands feels heavy. It’s not, not really. The actual weight of the item physically isn’t worth much, but the contents and what it means to them as a family weighs heavily on him and Craig. The wrapping is impeccable, done by Craig himself as Tweek has no ability to steady his hand for lining up the thin paper correctly, which is something that was always considered strange by him due to the nature of his job. 

Their tree lights sparkle in the low light, the small bulbs that were hung so gently by Kasey and Evan glinting at him in the reflection of the silvery paper. 

Tweek contemplates the tree and the numerous boxes lining it underneath, Craig still meticulously adding to the pile. Presents that had been bought over the last few months or over the last few days when Craig had disappeared into town for hours. Things they hoped the two would like. Material things, Tweek knows, aren’t exactly all that important. It's nice to have them, and no doubt the excitement of opening in the morning will get to all of them, but the package that Tweeks holds in his hands is the one he is most anxious for. It’s the last thing he and Craig wrapped, which almost seems silly now to wrap at all. 

Craig glances over at Tweek. With the grip he has on the gift, the paper is starting to pull taut. “Be careful,” he says, eyeing Tweek cautiously, “We don't want the paper to rip.”

Tweek releases the breath he didn’t realise he was holding, his whole body deflating. He nods almost numbly in agreement and moves across the room. Craig finishes emptying the bag of presents next to him, and looks up at Tweek.

“Where do you think we should put it?” Tweek asks. Craig tilts his head to the side in thought. 

“Why don’t we put it at the back? Let it be the last thing they open? Or wait until after lunch?” 

“No no, I don’t think I can wait until after then for them to open it.”

“I know this is pretty stupid of me to say, but you gotta relax, sweetheart. Worrying about it now is only going to put a damper on things tomorrow, ya know?” 

Tweek hums in agreement, knowing that Craig is right. He can’t help it though, this is something they’ve dreamt of for months, and suddenly -- that day is tomorrow. It’s terrifying. Tweek licks his lips and closes his eyes. His thumbs move side to side, stroking the smooth packaging. He takes it in, what this means, what this present represents. 

“Okay.” He says. 

“I’m ready.” He says. 

He hands the box to Craig while he’s still on his knees, who then places the box right at the back of the tree, nearly out of sight. Standing up, Craig brushes invisible dirt from his trousers and grabs at the plastic bag to the side. 

“Let me go put this away and we’ll go to bed, okay?” He places one hand on Tweek's cheek and kisses the other before leaving him. 

Tweek stares at the tree, allowing himself to get lost in the greens, flashing lights, and the smell of pine. Through the shakiness of his anxiety, he can feel it, the hum of excitement, of the possibilities of the future. 

For the first time in a long time, Tweek closes his eyes and prays.

Tweek and Craig lay awake in bed, desperately listening for any sounds that the two children are in distress or needing something. 

They’re met with nothing but silence. 

Both lie flat on their backs, recalling the events of the day, how an afternoon filled with such hope, fun and laughter had slowly turned into moments so caustic by the end. It’s a necessary evil, Tweek thinks, such a moment. The two will never trust them if they cannot express how they feel, no matter how much that may hurt both Tweek and Craig. 

It won’t always be this way, he says to himself. Over and over again. If they stay, it won’t always be this way.

Tweek glances over at Craig and then over at their bedroom door. He thinks of Kasey and Evan, locked and hidden in their own room and he rolls onto his side, propping his elbow up and resting his head in his hand. Craig glances over at him, waiting patiently for Tweek to sort out his thoughts. Tweek bites his lip again and Craig casually swipes at it with his thumb, pulling his lip out from under his teeth. 

“What if it wasn’t a good idea to give them a lock on their bedroom door? What if something happens and we can’t get in, or...argh, or there is a fire and they can’t get out Craig? After tonight, what if-- Evan was so…” Craig smiles sadly at Tweek and rolls on his side too, mimicking Tweek's position. 

“It’s a bit late to be worrying about the door now, isn’t it?” He says and Tweek immediately frowns. 

“Craig!” Tweek grabs at their comforter, pulling it up to his chest. He feels his right eye twitching ever so slightly. Tweek’s twitches have always been triggered with his worsening anxiety and he knows on some level that Craig has probably been aimlessly wondering how long it would take for him to get to this point. Tweek has come so far over the years, and has done so well in overcoming his fears, irrational or not. Craig is never silent in regards to how proud he is of him, but Tweek knows there is a small niggling part of him that is always worried for these moments, when Tweek allows this awful sickening feeling to overtake him and override his generally rational thoughts. 

Sometimes, Craig gives Tweek this look and Tweek worries about the place it comes from. He wishes he knew on some level, but, yet again, he doesn’t. He knows that Craig accepts all of him, wholeheartedly and without care. He knows Craig will be there for him, do anything and bear the brunt of his anxieties on his shoulders if it meant another day of being with Tweek. He knows this. This look, however, this small but biting look, almost pity in his eyes. Pity that maybe Tweek will never be normal and that Craig will always have to talk him down from the ledge that Tweek will allow himself to hang so precariously off of. He takes a step back from his metaphorical rooftop as Craig takes the hand he has gripping at the comforter, skin turning slightly white. Craig forces his fingers between Tweek's own and Tweek watches as Craig's tongue runs over his teeth, mulling over his response.  

“Tweek, honey, we talked about this. We read their file, and spoke to their case worker. She even approved the idea. We've gone through everything we can think off, we've even practiced taking the whole damn door off. They need this, babe, we gotta give them that space and their security.” Craig idly rubs his thumb across Tweek's fair skin, watching as the skin wrinkles with the pressure. “They need to know that that room is theirs and theirs alone, and they are safe there. That no one is going to come crashing in there in the middle of the night.” There is a pause before Craig carries on, his grip on Tweek’s hand tightening a little. 

“I hate them, Tweek, I hate their parents for what they’ve done to them. How they’ve hurt them.” Craig looks off to the side, a twisted look upon his face and Tweek simply nods his head in agreement. He wishes he could will away the pain and trauma that Evan and Kasey have faced. The shadows around their eyes and a show of blatant mistrust to adults who have been sworn to protect them. His heart hurts and he hopes, prays, dreams, that he and Craig can be enough to help heal them and give them the life they deserve. 

Tweek opens his mouth and then closes it a couple of times before he can really work out what he wants to say. He looks up through the skylight and frowns into the night, the deep black sky almost seeping through the window and into their thoughts. He knows Craig is right, about the door, about letting the two have their own space, their own sanctuary. The reality of it however, is always often masked by his fears. He’s working through it, and he knows with Craig by his side there is nothing he can’t overcome. He trusts with everything he has in Craig, in their home, their life, his heart. He knows that he has to entrust these two children with him too. 

Huffing a breath, Tweek turns back to Craig who is now staring at him. “When the hell did you become so damn smart? Or good with kids?” he teases, and Craig immediately feigns offence, his sour mood dropping instantly at the sight of Tweeks wry smile. He lets go of Tweek’s hand to splay it on his own chest, loving the way Tweek laughs at the action. 

“Hey! You married a man of many talents. Speaking offf…” Craig shuffles forward a little, getting right into Tweek's personal space. Tweek eyes him suspiciously as he leans back slightly, suddenly catching sight of one of Craig’s hands disappearing under the comforter. He meets Craig's eyes and arches an eyebrow at him, Craig just smirks back at him and Tweek catches on to exactly what Craig is doing when he feels a cold hand ghost across his skin. Closing his eyes, Tweek shudders, allowing himself a moment to get lost in the light touches of his husband; however, when Craig’s hand reaches the waistband of his sleep pants he grabs his wrist and shoots him a pointed look. 

“Don’t you dare. Not with Evan and Kasey next door.” Craig pouts and Tweek can’t help himself but laugh at the sight, thinking how utterly adorable and ridiculous that expression looks on a grown man. Especially his husband. “You know,” Craig starts, lick his lips, “if they do want to live here, with us, you’re not going to be able to wait to say yes to sex until they’re 18.” This time it’s Tweek's turn to smirk at Craig as he pulls both their hands out from under the comforter and drops Craigs on top of the plush sheets, patting it lightly. 

“Oh yeah? Watch me.” With that, Tweek turns completely over, his back to Craig, who chokes on a laugh and warily eyes Tweek.  

“Yeah sure, that was a joke right, babe? Babe.”  

Tweek stretches an arm out to check his phone, hitting the side button to turn off the screen before leaning further across to turn on his bedside lamp, sending the room into complete darkness. “Go to sleep, Tucker. We’ve got a busy day tomorrow.” 

Craig slumps onto his back with a huff.

“...Asshole.”

A warm, early morning light cascades through kitchen windows. Christmas music is playing low from a radio set tucked away on the counter top and the smell of freshly made pancakes is floating through the house. It’s not too early, barely past eight, but the encompassing atmosphere of the morning envelops the couple standing by the stove. 

“...just watch the icicles form, what do I care if icicles form, I’ve got my love to keep me warm…”

Tweek has the handle of a hot pan in hand as he flips another pancake. Craig holds him round his waist, swaying their hips side to side. His chin is perched on Tweek's shoulder, as he sings quietly into this ear. 

" ...I’m burning with love, my heart’s on fire and the flame grows higher, so I will weather the storm…"

There’s a plate of already steaming pancakes on the counter next to them, and Craig lets go of Tweek for a moment so he can slide another pancake onto the pile and ready the pan with more mixture. 

"...off with my overcoat off with my gloves, who needs an overcoat I’m burning with love…”

Tweek hums along to the tune, enjoying the closeness this moment brings. 

“.... why do I care how much it storms, I’ve got my love to keep me warm…"

Craig nibbles on Tweek's ear and squeezes his hips. Tweek laughs and nudges back into his husband with his elbow. “Stop, you’re gonna make me ruin the pancakes.”

“Impossible.” Craig replies, kissing Tweek's neck. 

An awkward cough and small giggle irrevocably ruin the moment, both Craig and Tweek startling to see Kasey and Evan standing in the doorway of the kitchen. There’s a tint of red colouring their faces as they stand there awkwardly until Evan rolls his eyes. 

“You’re gonna burn that pancake.” He nods towards the pan and Craig immediately lets go of Tweek as he mutters oh shit under his breath and quickly flips it again. Craig clears his throat and gives the two kids a smile. 

"You guys hungry? Tweek’s pancakes are awesome . Well, when he hasn’t burnt them..." Tweek looks over his shoulder and sticks his tongue out and they all laugh. Kasey hugs her rabbit a little closer to her chest and looks up at Craig through dark eyelashes. 

“For us?”

“Of course! Take a seat, okay?” Evan climbs up onto the island bar seat easily, while Kasey struggles to pull herself up into the taller chair. Craig moves around the counter when he catches her struggling and lifts her up, settling her in comfortably. When he looks up Evan is frowning at him, but he tilts his head to the side and mouths okay? at him, Evan nods but turns away guilty. There are placemats set in front of them, with plates and cutlery and a number of condiments across the counter. Craig grabs some bananas out of the fruit bowl as Tweek opens the fridge and pulls out a pack of strawberries, which Craig dutifully begins to cut up. 

There’s a comfortable silence between the four of them as music continues to play through the radio and Tweek finishes with the last of the pancakes. Kasey is studiously grooming her rabbit when Craig looks up from what he’s doing and points in her direction.

“I meant to ask, Kasey, whose this?” He motions to her rabbit and she pulls it straight to her chest protectively. “She’s mine.” She says, pouting slightly. 

“That’s okay, I just meant her name.” Kasey smiles shyly and pulls her back so she can stroke a hand over the rabbits head. 

“Her name is Ms. Fuzzles. Nana gave her to me to look specially after, when we stayed with her before, a long time ago.” She gives the rabbit a kiss on the head and stares up at Craig, who holds out his hand. “Nice to meet you Ms. Fuzzles. My name is Craig.” Kasey giggles and holds out the rabbit's paw so that Craig can shake it. 

“Looks like you’re taking really good care of her.” he says, and Kasey looks down a little guiltily. 

“I tried but- Mama hurt her ear. I tried to fix it, I did.” Craig smiles sadly at her and he catches Tweeks eyes as he leans forward on the other side of the counter, so he can get a better look. Ms. Fuzzles’ left ear is missing a chunk of material from the top, the cotton surrounding it blackened slightly in what clearly is a burn mark.

“Well, I think that her ear like that gives her character.” He winks and Kasey shouts, pointing directly at Tweek, “like the tree!”

Tweek chuckles, “yep, sweetie, like the tree.”

Breakfast begins and continues on without much fuss, and it’s not long before Tweek is clearing plates and dropping them into the dishwasher while Craig is ushering the two children into the living room. 

The Christmas tree lights shimmer across small piles of boxes wrapped in glossy paper. They gleam up almost teasingly at Kasey and Evan as Craig sits in front of the tree and gestures for them to sit on the couch. He crosses his legs and grins at them from his position, and they both glance back at him a little unsure. 

“So, when Tweek gets back we’ll start on the presents. You see any you like that you wanna open first?” Kasey and Evan stare at him in shock, and Craig's smile falters slightly. 

“There’s presents for us?” Evan says, biting his lip and twisting his hands in what Craig notices is an anxious tic that Tweek often does.

“Course there is, bud, this pile here is yours”, Craig points across from him to the furthest side of the tree, “and this one's Kasey's.”

“That's...all for us?” Kasey asks looking over at her brother whose eyes are slowly looking like they are welling up. Evan covers his face with his arm and rubs at it furiously and Craig watches, desperately wanting to hug them both. 

“Yeah, sweetie. They’re for you guys, okay? There’s something else as well, that we -- well, Tweek and I wanted to -- well, we’ll talk about it when Tweek’s ready, okay?” Kasey nods, hugging Ms. Fuzzles closer to her chest and both her and Evan eye the presents under the tree longingly. It’s another few minutes before Tweek enters the room, a cup of coffee held in each hand. He places them on the coffee table to the side of the couch and Craig smiles up at him. 

“Thanks, babe.” He says and Tweek settles himself into his arm chair, his own hands around his mug. “You guys want anything?”

“Presents!” Kasey jumps and Tweek laughs. “Okay okay, I meant to drink, but let's do these first, right?” Both kids nod furiously and time almost stops as Craig hands them their first present each. Kasey squeals, frantically pulling at the paper until it rips and she can get to the toy inside. Evan however, holds his gingerly in his lap, both hands skimming over the polished paper.  

“...is this real?” He says it to himself, but through the noise his voice is almost deafening. Kasey brandishes her toy wildly in the air, finally getting through the packaging. Straight away she turns to Tweek, who smiles at her sweetly when she talks rapidly about the present in her hand. Craig crawls forward to Evan, who is still sitting rigid in his seat, the wrapping paper still pristine as it ever was.

“Hey,” he says, putting a hand on Evan’s knee. “It’s real, Evan. For as long as you want it to be, okay?” Evan looks up at Craig, searching. He obviously finds whatever it is he is looking for in Craigs gaze, because he gives him a small smile and turns his attention back to the present in his lap, carefully ripping at the paper. 

Craig meets Tweek's eyes across the room as he shuffles forward to the coffee table to get his drink. 

“Okay?” Tweek whispers, looks over at Evan who is now shaking his head at his little sister's antics as she ferociously rips the paper of her fourth present. 

“I think so.” Craig takes a large sip of his coffee and raises his eyebrows at the other two. 

“If you don’t hurry up and open these, I may have to start opening them myself.” Kasey shouts and jumps up, hurrying over to her pile of presents and grabbing at the nearest one, Evan hot on her heels. 

Slowly but surely the assortment of well wrapped boxes dwindles down and the collections of toys and clothes gets bigger and bigger. Tweek and Craig sit with pride. No item has been rejected, each gift held and treasured with affection. This day has been a long time coming for both of them. Weeks and months of anguish and build up has led to these very few, impressionable moments. It’s hard to think that this time last year this would have only been a fantasy, something whispered between them in the cover of night. 

This isn’t the end, however, and as Tweek pulls out a last present, hidden behind the tree, he feels his own elation start to waver. The box, so well wrapped by Craig, is cool to his touch. 

“This. This is the last one.” He says, holding it close to his chest. Tweek moves through the sea of wrapping paper to sit next to Craig, facing the two children. Craig wraps an arm over his shoulders, and takes one of Tweeks hands in his own when he notices him gripping the wrapping a little too tightly. 

This is it.

“This is for both of you,” Craig says, “and there is nothing you have to do or say now, okay? We just want you to know this is what we want and that you have this as an option, too. If you want it.” Tweek places the package on the floor and pushes it forward. The two children instantly move toward the package, sitting directly opposite Tweek and Craig. Kasey immediately begins pulling at the bow and paper on it and, when that’s thrown aside, she lets her brother open the box. Tweek takes a breath and leans his head on Craig's shoulder, watching them intently. 

Inside the box lays a thick pile of papers, pristine white, the corners ever so slightly crinkled from continuous turning. Bold black letters stare up at them, imprinted above their names, their previous addresses, their parents. 

STATE OF COLORADO 
CERTIFICATE OF ADOPTION

Evan looks up at them first, his face is contorted in bewilderment. Kasey however, cocks her head to the side, eyes squinting as she tries to read the wording across the top page.  

“What is it?” she says, glancing up at Tweek and Craig. Tweek takes another breath, but it’s Craig who answers.  “They’re adoption papers.” 

“Adoption papers? For us?”

“Yeah. We would like you to stay with us. Here. As part of our family.”

“Forever?”

“Yeah, honey, forever.” There’s a pause of brief silence before Kasey screams, standing up and jumping up and down in excitement. 

“Really really really really?!” Tweek laughs, watching her bounce around the room animatedly. It’s only when his attention turns to Evan that his own happiness at her reaction stutters. Craig is already moving towards Evan, whose face is pulled tight and fists clenched. 

“Evan?” Craig says, “Kiddo are y--” Craig is cut off when he suddenly has his arms full with a sobbing boy. He wraps his arms around Craig’s neck and holds him tightly, burying his head into the man's chest. Craig pulls Evan into him, securing an arm around his waist and rubbing a hand down his back. “It’s okay, kid, it’s okay.” He mumbles into his hair, rocking them back and forth slowly. 

Kasey freezes, her own small sob escaping when she sees her brother so distraught. Stepping forward, she stands awkwardly in front of Tweek for a second before he opens his arms wide and she falls into his lap, resting her head on his chest sideways so she can watch her brother. Tweek runs a hand up and down her arm reassuringly, as she leans forward to touch Evan. 

“Can we really stay here? Evan. Can we really?” Evan takes a moment to answer, his heaving breaths slowing with Craig's soothing movements. He turns to glance at her with blood shot eyes, “I want to.” he mumbles, before turning his head back into Craigs chest. 

Craig runs a hand through Evans' hair. “If you want to, both of you.” Kasey nods furiously, jumping up to grab her rabbit and then climbing back into Tweek's lap. Tweek wraps his arms around her small body and rests his head on top of hers. 

“You don’t know how happy you make us.” he says quietly, a tear sliding down his own cheek as Kasey tries to bury herself deeper into Tweek's chest. Craig lifts a hand to Tweek's cheek, rubbing away the tear with his thumb. 

I love you, he mouths over Evans head, Tweek smiles, and Craig knows that his sentiment is unequivocally returned. 

“So what do we call you?” Kasey says a few minutes later, looking up curiously at Craig.  Evan shuffles from his position to pull back from Craig and look up at both of them. 

“You can call us whatever you want, okay? Craig and Tweek are fine. Or, if you want, Dad, Dad 2, assholes-who-adopted-us. Whatever works.” Tweek makes a disgruntled noise and smacks Craig on the arm, pointing at him angrily in warning as Evan and Kasey laugh. It’s such a beautiful noise, such a wonderful thing for them to hear, that it doesn’t really matter right now as to what’s so funny. That is to say, until Kasey looks between the two of them, a mischievous look in her eyes. 

“Asshole!” She yells and Craig and Tweek turn so quickly towards her, that Tweeks pretty sure he’s just pulled a muscle in his neck. Craig, the irresponsible adult that he is, bursts out laughing and Tweek tries to frown disapprovingly, but it’s completely lost on his somewhat amused expression.  

“No,” he says, “No honey, please don’t say that. Craig is wrong for saying that in front of you.” Kasey opens her mouth in an over-exaggerated fashion and Tweek raises his eyebrows. “Don’t you dare...” He says, and when she opens her mouth even wider Tweek immediately starts tickling her as she squeals and squirms in laughter. 

Craig looks down at Evan still in his arms.

“You okay?” 

Evan looks up at him and it's-

Thank you

and- 

I’m sorry

It’s-

I’ll be better 

And-

You give me hope

Evan nods and Craig smiles. 

It’s Friday the 25th, December 2020 when the Tucker two become the Tucker four.

It’s pretty damn perfect. 

1 YEAR LATER--

footsteps-

handle creaks-

BANG. 

Their bedroom door swings open and loudly smacks the wall. Over a year ago, Tweek probably would have jumped a mile, probably screamed, probably assumed that someone had broken into their house and was about to brutally kill both him and Craig. Today however, both his eyes blearily shoot open and he stares at the bright red digits of his alarm clock that mocks him with 05:23.

A heavy weight settles slowly at the end of their bed and there is a moment of peace as a small body fits itself into the comforter. It disappears for a second before it comes crashing down again painfully between Tweek and Craig. 

"Arggh!" Tweek shouts, and Craig huffs out a breath rolling over and gripping his stomach. 

There, in the middle of bed, looking for everything like the perfect picture of innocence, sits their seven year old daughter, breathing heavily and her large brown eyes wide and bright.

“It's Christmas!” she yells, as though the date would have somehow been forgone by Craig and Tweek. Tweek sits up and stares at her earnestly.  

“It's 5 am, sweetheart.” Kasey grabs his face between both her hands. They’re warm and clammy, and Tweek feels the burn of affection and love as she leans in closer until their noses are nearly touching. 

“It's Christmassssssss, Pap!” She whispers, as though jumping on their bed and yelling can only be fixed by the quieting of her voice. Tweek laughs, and smacks his hand around to his right until it finally hits Craigs form. 

“You hear that, Craig? Apparently, it's Christmas?”

“Craig is asleep. Come back later.” The comforter gets pulled up and over a mop of black hair and Tweek turns back to Kasey. 

“You hear that, Kasey, he's asleep.” Kasey, her unbridled excitement unmatched, jumps rapidly on her knees, laughing. 

“DAAAAAD. WAKE. UP. IT'S CHRISTMAS. COME ON. PRESENTS.” She stands up and Tweek goes to grab at her before she jumps and launches herself off the bed and steamrolls out of their room and down the hall. Tweek turns to look over at Craig who is now furiously rubbing his face into his pillow. He leans over, laying his body over Craig's side and nibbles at his ear teasingly. 

“You know she'll only come back if you don't get up.” He says in a low voice and Craig whines. 

“Still think they are the greatest Christmas present?” Tweek laughs and sits up, stretching and throwing the covers off of him. “Yep. And so do you.” 

“They're alright.” Craig sighs, resigned. 

There’s suddenly a loud crash and then the call of their ten year old son breaks through the following silence. 

“What the hell, Kasey?! Pap! Dad! Seriously?”

Tweek and Craig groan simultaneously. 

“Come on, you wrangle the kids and I'll get the coffee.” Tweek begins to swing his legs over the side of the bed when Craig grabs his arm and pulls Tweek down towards him. 

“Hey.” He says, and Tweek cocks his head to the side. 

“Happy Christmas, Tweek.” Tweek smiles and leans down, pressing a soft kiss to Craig’s lips. 

“Happy Christmas, Craig.”