Work Text:
He’s terrified.
There haven’t been many occasions in Craig’s life where he can say he was scared. Nervous maybe, unsure definitely, but not scared. He clenches his fists when he feels the tremor in his hands is getting too much and allows himself to take a deep breath and just be in the moment.
He’s been planning this whole day for weeks now, and it’s important damn it. Tweek is due to arrive within the next ten minutes, taxied by Tolkien and Clyde in order to keep the air of mystery and Craig really cannot afford to flake out now.
He goes over his mental checklist, he’s pretty sure he’s got everything ready. Down from the way he’s dressed - smart but not overly so, a nice button down he know Tweek likes and some smart, form fitting jeans to match - he’s spoken to the manager three times already, just to confirm their booking and the projectionist is well aware of where he needs to be and when. So in theory, there is no doubt that Craig should be worried, but he is. More than he thinks he ever has been.
He shoves a hand in his pocket, just to make sure...yep. All good.
Okay, okay, he’s got this. He’s eighteen, not eight and it’s just Tweek right? Tweek who he has been ‘fake-dating’ since ten and ‘real-time dating’ since thirteen. Tweek who he loves fiercely like no other, who makes him cupcakes when he’s stressed and who wakes up with the most adorable yet out of control bed head. This is the right decision, he knows it deep in his heart.
Craig looks up at the sound of an approaching car and immediately he can tell this is Tolkien's. No way anyone else would have a car this nice, driving straight towards him. He steels himself, takes a breath and smiles as the car stops. The back door opens and Tweek steps out, looking utterly confused and just as cute as always.
“Hey babe.”
“Hi…” Tweek says slowly, looking up at the building in front of them, hand still on the door of the car.
“The planetarium?” Craig rubs the back of his neck sheepishly, shrugging his shoulders.
“I like space.”
“I know that, the reason for all the hush hush is…?” Tweek quirks an eyebrow at Craig, who shrugs at his boyfriend. “It’s a surprise.” Is all he says in response, before bending down as the front window rolls down, hand on the roof of the car.
“Thanks for bringing him man.”
“No worries dude,” Tolkien looks over at Tweek and then back at Craig, “let us know how it goes? No pressure though, you’ll be fine.”
“Clyde couldn’t keep his mouth shut could he?” Craig says, realising that his other friend is conveniently missing from the car.
“No. No he could not. I had to ditch him after picking up Tweek.”
“Yeah and that wasn’t weird at all.” Tweek says, leaning in through the back door, eyes flicking suspiciously between Craig and Tolkien. Craig laughs nervously and nods over at Tolkien, fist giving two knocks on the roof.
“Heh. Fingers crossed eh?” He stands up and Tweek closes the back door and steps back, moving to Craig to lace their fingers together. The window rolls up and Tolkien beeps the horn as the car revs and he drives, turning the car out of the car lot.
“So.”
“So. You look good. I love this shirt.” Tweek runs a hand up Craig's chest, admiring the way the shirt pulls and ruffles along his boyfriends body.
“I know.” Craig smirks, pecking Tweek on the lips. His eyes run down Tweek's own body, taking in the tight white, t-shirt and black skinny jeans. The knee length, navy coat Craig bought him last Christmas completing his look.
“See something you like Tucker?”
“Always, babe.” Craig kisses him again before he starts moving toward the entrance of the planetarium, tugging Tweek along with him.
“Are you going to tell me what we’re doing here?”
“Nope. It’s a surprise. Would be a shitty one if I told you straight away.” Tweek huffs and pulls back on Craig's hand, making him stumble. He gets a glare for his efforts before Craig tugs back, pulling Tweek closer to him so he can wind his arm around his waist instead.
They approach the reception counter and Craig offers the lady behind the counter a short smile. He’s already been in here about four times since he’s arrived, so she’s probably been sitting here wondering what the hell was taking him so long.
“All set?” She smiles politely at the both of them and hits some keys on her computer.
“Yep.” Tweek eyes Craig before leaning forward on the counter and peering at the receptionist.
“I don’t suppo-”
“No.” Craig cuts him off, shooting a look at Tweek while the receptionist laughs.
“It’s all ready for you Mr. Tucker. Auditorium six, you know the way. I’ll let them know.” Craig nods, and without releasing his grip on Tweek he turns the two of them off to the left and leads them along a corridor lined with doors. All with large numbers above them.
“Mr. Tucker?” Tweek teases, and Craig shakes him slightly.
“Some people seem to think I’m a gentleman.”
“Clearly they have no idea about you.” Craig snorts but keeps his eyes forward until he finds the entrance he is after. He lets go of Tweek to take a few steps ahead of him and open the door, holding it open.
“After you Mr. Tweak.” Tweek rolls his eyes and steps into the room. He takes five steps in and as the door closes behind Craig the two of them are shrouded in darkness. Above them is a circle ceiling, completely pitch black apart from the purple LED lights surrounding the whole edge. The room is filled with rows of seats, all leaning slightly back. Craig takes the lead and moves forward to the centre point between the seats, where there is an empty circular area completely void of anything but a small blanket and a basket.
“Craig…”
“C’mon.”
Tweek follows Craig, eyes fixated on the area in the middle, he jumps when the entire room goes black and he loses all vision. He blinks slowly when a low, dim light begins to creep over them. His breath stutters when he looks up and realises that the once blank ceiling above them is splattered with stars, constellations and vast space, stretching out, pulling him into their atmosphere.
“Tweek.” Craig says softly, and Tweek looks over at his boyfriend, who is stood in the centre part of the auditorium, hand held up and open for Tweek to take. Tweek slowly walks forward, his heart thumping heavily in his chest.
“Craig this is…”
Craig smiles at him, something so beautiful and so endearingly Craig that Tweek can’t help but hastily grab at his hand and pull him roughly into his body, arms going straight around his waist and tightly hugging him.
“This is incredible.” He mumbles into his chest, and one of Craig's hands runs slowly up and down his back while the other entangles in his hair. He pulls at blonde locks lightly until Tweek leans back to look at him.
“I love you. You know that right?”
“Of course, I love you too.”
“Good.” He pulls Tweek into a passionate kiss, their lips moving in tandem with each other. Tweek is still dazed when Craig pulls back, nudging their noses together. “Come sit with me, we need to talk.”
Tweek bites his lip and nods at Craig, knowing nothing ever good comes out from, ‘we need to talk,’ but Craig loves him, he literally just said so, and so Tweek tries not to let his anxiety flood through him too much, instead he desperately clings on to this beautiful moment with his boyfriend instead.
They both sit on the blanket and Tweek shucks off his coat as Craig pulls out a thermos from the basket he has next to him. He hands it to Tweek with a small smile and Tweek laughs as he accepts it, taking a long sip of the still steaming beverage.
“Damn, this is good.”
“It better be. Cost me a fortune.” Tweek rolls his eyes and sticks out his tongue, taking another sip.
“What else do you have in that basket of wonders?”
“Not much, some small snacks. They don’t really like you eating in places like this.”
“Fair.” Tweek says, popping the cap on his thermos and dropping it back into the basket. “So…”
“It’s beautiful isn’t it?” Craig motions to the ceiling, staring at the mix of colours showing boundless galaxies above them, a serene look on his face. Tweek follows his eyeline and bites his lip.
“Yeah. Kinda scary though. The unknown and all that.”
“Sometimes the unknown is a lot scarier than we think. I like to think that there is a beauty to not knowing. Like, the thrill of adventure? Of finding out what could be? Ya know?” Craig leans back on two hands, head tilting right back at a somewhat awkward angle.
“Hmm. It’s so quiet. ” Tweek says, crossing his legs.
“Easy to forget yourself, staring up there. Easy to get lost. Easy to forget things you're worried about, responsibilities you know you have to face.”
“You worried about something over there?” Tweek looks over at Craig, who pointedly doesn’t look back at him.
“Maybe.”
“Well don’t. That’s my job,” he jokes. His nervous energy weaving into humour.
“Wow. I feel all better now.” The two of them share a laugh and Craig lies down, his legs a little too long before they end up hitting the seats on one side instead he bends them up at the knee. Tweek watches him for a second before joining him, clasping his hand.
“What’s going on Craig?”
“I don’t want to forget, or get lost. I don’t want to be scared of the future, or the unknown. I wanna face it all, and I want to face it with you.”
“Who says you won’t?”
“My parents are getting on about me and college. It’s a long time ya know? And Arizona isn’t exactly close.” Tweek closes his eyes, desperate for the burning sensation creeping at the corners to disappear. He's apprehensively been waiting for this conversation, knew they had it coming, but the consensus had always been that the two of them would manage long distance. Even when Craig had first approached him with the Arizona State pamphlets in shaking hands, telling him that Arizona was offering him something he could never get with Denver, and he wanted it. Who was Tweek to ever tell Craig no? Tweek had never planned to go away long term like Craig had, he’d been accepted into the local community college in Denver on a part time business studies course so he could continue working at his parents coffee house. It was something they had discussed many times and something they didn’t always agree on, but Tweek was content with his decision.
“I know.” Craig sits up, looking over at Tweek as he sighs. This is the moment he has really been waiting for, probably since they were ten he thinks. Everything they've been through over the years has led them onto this exact path. Craig feels like he's waited months for this exact moment here, and suddenly it's now.
Craig sucks in all the courage he can, keeping his voice as steady as possible. The little box in his pocket almost feels like it’s burning through his trousers and into his skin.
“Tweek I love you, more than anything. I would give everything, would give up the entire world for you, you know that?” The tears are slipping down Tweek's cheeks before he even realises it. Craig sits up, panicking.
“Tweek. Baby please look at me.” Tweek shakes his head and Craig grabs at his arms, pulling him to sit up. He cups Tweek's face in both hands, wiping his tears away, he leans forward and presses a soft kiss to Tweeks forehead.
“Look up.” He whispers. Tweek squeezes his eyes closed tighter, he doesn’t want to face whatever reality this is, because he doesn’t want to face a day without Craig.
“Tweek, honey, please. Trust me, look up.”
Tweek takes a deep breath, he opens his eyes, meeting Craig's own before he glances up and his breath is pulled out of his chest. He pulls away, immediately, standing up and spinning on the spot and ignoring Craigs worried look as he does so. He wipes roughly at his eyes, trying to make sure that this isn’t a trick, that’s what written in amongst the vast black, the scores of purple and red galaxies, in bright stars, is what is really there.
Will you marry me?
“Tweek.” Craig says, and Tweek looks down. Craig is down on one knee, there is a small box held in his hands. “I don’t want to ever spend a day of this adventure without you. I want to face the unknown with you by my side every day for the rest of my life. I know, this is probably earlier than we would ever have planned but…” Craig bites his lip in apprehension, “...if we’re engaged, no one can question us. No one can tell me that this isn’t real, that what we have isn’t important and can’t survive the distance because it can. I believe it can, and I want to do it. I don’t care if it means we don’t get married until after college, but I want the world to know that you’re mine, the same way that I’m yours.”
Tweek stares at him, mouth opening and closing, eyes going between the open box in Craig’s hand where a plain silver band lies, Craig’s open and terrified face and the sea of stars above them, proposing hope for their future.
“Yes.” Tweek chokes, “Yeah. Yes. Fuck. Yes.” Craig sighs a breath of relief, coming to stand in front of Tweek and pulling the ring out of the velvet box, bringing Tweek’s hand up to slide the ring on.
“I thought you were breaking up with me.” Tweek stutters out, his heart still beating a mile a minute in his chest.
“Holy shit Tweek no.” Craig laughs, “You think I would have asked Token to drive you here all in secret, throw Clyde out of a car so he doesn’t blab and hire an entire planetarium auditorium...just to break up with you?”
“...well when you put it like that.” Tweek wipes at his face, ridding it of the stray tears that have left tracks down his cheeks. He looks at his ring finger, the cold band, dimly glinting in the low light. Craig pulls him into his chest and hugs him tightly.
“Thank you,” he mumbles into Tweek's hair. “You have no idea how terrified I was you would say no.” Tweek leant back and stared into Craig's eyes, “would be stupid of me to say no when you went to all this effort to get that really expensive coffee.”
Craig stared blankly at him for a second before laughing loudly and nuzzling himself back into Tweek's hair.
“You are an ass.”
“Yeah,” Tweek shrugs, “but you love me.”
“You have no idea how much.” Craig agrees.