Chapter Text
Every child always believed that they were destined for great things, and would work hard to achieve that goal as they get older. These children were always told they were destined for something great by their parents, trusted adults, and people that supported and encouraged them, so these children continue to dream about their future and what they’ll become growing up.
Of course…that’s just a dream…and though kids believe they were meant for something…there are times when what they wish to be will never happen. Sometimes, people end up walking a path they never thought they’d be walking on, or a path that they couldn’t avoid. A path that would only lead them far from what they initially wanted when they grew up.
But hey, in a world where all you need to do is survive in this dog-eat-dog world, all you can really do is make the most of what life gives you, and maybe have a little bit of fun along the way.
“....Alright…I’m in position…how’s your end, Big T?”
“....Good…I’ve finished hacking into the camera system, and placed a fake image in place, so you’re all good to go.”
“Perfect, that just leaves the guards standing by the entrance. Crybaby, you ready to strut your stuff?”
“......”
“...Crybaby?”
“.....”
“God damn it, Clyde!”
“Hmph!”
“What is it now, Clyde?”
“How come you guys get cool codenames?”
“We’ve discussed this, you missed the meeting when we were talking about codenames, and you insisted that we come up with something for you since you were too lazy to come up with something yourself.”
“Yeah, but why do you two get to be called Feldspar and Big T, and I’m Crybaby? I’m not a crybaby!”
“Says the guy who’s whining like a little bitch.”
“Hey! Not cool, Feldspar! Not cool!”
“Clyde, can we just talk about this another time? We got work to do.”
“Fine, but I want a cool codename like you two once this is over!”
“Sure, how about the Mosquito?”
“...Oh…that does sound cool…but why that name?”
“Because you’re being a pest and sucking the energy out of me with all your complaining, now do your job and get to distracting those guards already.”
“Fine fine,” Clyde huffed before he adjusted the dress he was making and repositioned the wig on top of his head. He then took a deep breath and began walking over to where those guards were. Once Clyde reached the two guards, he spoke in a high pitch voice, trying his best to sound feminine, “hello boys! Mind helping little old me? My car broke down a little ways over there, and I could use a couple of big strong men like yourselves to help me out,” Clyde said before giving them a wink.
“.......What…what exactly are you doing?”
Clyde paused, “um..what do you mean?” Clyde asked, still keeping his voice high pitched.
“Sir…we know you’re not a real woman.”
“W-w-what!?” Clyde stepped back, “o-of course I’m a woman! Just look at these girls here,” Clyde said, pointing to his chest where fake silicone breasts were placed into the dress he was wearing.
“Sir…those are obviously fake, and you’re obviously a man wearing a disguise and trying to distract us for some reason,” one of the guards said.
“......Would…you believe I’m a trans woman…and this is my first day as a woman?” Clyde asked.
“We could believe that…but judging from your expression and the way you just gave up with that high pitch voice, it’s obvious you’re neither a woman or a trans woman.”
“But you are trespassing, and if you don’t leave, we will have to apprehend you and call the police.”
“........” Clyde then took out his fake boobs and threw them at the guards, he then turned and began running, “by the way, trans women are real women! Trans right, bitches!” Clyde shouted as he kept running while the now furious guards began to chase after him.
“Stop right there!”
“After him!”
Once the guards were away from the entrance as they chased after Clyde, Feldspar came out from where he was hiding and walked over towards the door.
“Guards are gone, I’m clear to go,” Feldspar said.
“Hey…tell me again why we had him disguised as a woman to distract those guards? That disguise wasn’t that convincing, and I’m also pretty sure professional security guards wouldn’t even be that easily distracted from a pretty lady…not that Clyde was pretty in the first place.”
“I know…even though I know Clyde could have easily distracted those guards some other way…I thought it would have been funny seeing him walk around in a dress and heels.”
“Ah…this is payback for that time he ate your sandwich last week, right?”
“Yep,” Feldspar said, popping the p. Feldspar then took out a small device from his bag and placed it over the security code. After pressing a few buttons on the device, the security system was now turned off, and the door was now open. Feldspar smirked as he opened the door, and headed inside the building. “I’m in.”
“Perfect. I’ll keep an eye on any security that’s in the building, so stay alert and grab the treasure once you find it.”
“Got it,” Feldspar said as checked his surroundings before walking inside. Feldspar then grabbed a map from the front desk and used it to guide him to where he needed to be. As he walked around, hoping he was going the right way, Big T immediately alerted him that a guard was about to turn a corner.
“Look out, guard turning a corner. Hide!”
Feldspar looked around before finding a large pot with a plant in it. Feldspar quickly hid behind the plant, using its leaves and stems to hide himself. As soon as the guard came around the corner, he walked past where Feldspar was hiding, and Feldspar let out a sigh of relief once the guard was gone.
“That was close,” Feldspar sighed.
“Yeah, too close. Stick to the shadows, and keep your ears open, Feldspar.”
“Yeah yeah,” Feldspar rolled his eyes and continued to look at the map to see where he needed to be.
After walking around and avoiding any security guard walking around, Feldspar had finally found what he was looking for, a giant vault that led to a small room. The room where the treasure was.
“Found the vault,” Feldspar said.
“Good job, while you get that thing open, I’ll keep a look out for any security guards.”
“Got it,” Feldspar said as he took out a stethoscope from his bag, placed the earpiece into his ears, and used the diaphragm to listen closely as he turned the knob. Once he heard all three clicks, the vault was open, and Feldspar pulled the large vault door open. “Sheesh, I can’t believe they’re being this extra to hide one single diamond,” Feldspar complained as he struggled to pull the vault door open.
“Well that diamond is said to be worth a hundred million dollars, so of course the museum is going to be overly protective of it since the owner of that diamond doesn’t want anything to happen to it.”
“Millionaires…I swear,” Feldspar rolled his eyes, “for a bunch of people with so much money that they could literally buy the world’s most expensive rock…they couldn’t use that money to help the community or something? Maybe help feed the poor or make sure schools have enough funds to educate kids?”
“That’s society for you. The moment people let money influence them, the faster they lose their morality, and at times…even their own humanity,” Big T said.
“Right,” Feldspar sighed, “but in a society where you need money to survive…it’s a vicious cycle that you can’t really escape from.”
“Yeah…and also the fact that if we didn’t have money, I’m pretty sure society would crumble within itself, and we’d all be screwed,” Big T chuckled.
“Hey guys, are you two done yet? I finally lost the guards, but I really want this job to be over soon since I’m freezing out here,” Clyde said over the radio.
“Yeah yeah, I’m almost finished, I just got to…” As soon as Feldspar opened the vault and was ready to head inside, he stopped when he saw a grid of lasers. “....Seriously?”
“What?”
“The place got lasers,” Feldspar sighed.
“Really?”
“Wow…guess these people really don’t want that diamond to be stolen, huh?” Clyde said.
“Did you remember to bring a hand mirror with you?”
“No, I did not bring the fucking hand mirror because someone forgot to mention to me that there would be laser,” Feldspar huffed.
“How was I supposed to know? I had to research this place all of last night, I didn’t know they had lasers.”
“Yeah, well there are lasers in the way, and if I touch a single one of them, I’ll set off the alarm and we’re all screwed,” Feldspar sighed, “Hey..T…you think you can turn the lasers off from your end?”
“I can try, but it’ll take me a bit, and we don’t have much time to wait for me to turn them off, so you gotta get that diamond without triggering the alarm somehow.”
“....Hey…you think you can make it through?” Clyde asked.
Feldspar sighed as he began stretching his legs, “in this case…I hope I’m flexible enough to make it to the other side,” Feldspar said before he took a deep breath and began maneuvering around the lasers, and making sure not a inch of him touched him. “Ugh…this is going to hurt my back in the morning,” Feldspar said as he got onto the floor, and slowly began crawling.
“You’re almost through, just a bit more, Feldspar,” Big T said, “I’m nearly done with turning the lasers off, but keep moving just in case.”
“Yeah yeah, quit nagging me,” Feldspar huffed as he wiggled his body through two lasers that were pretty close to each other.
Once Feldspar got through the lasers, he let out a sigh of relief. However, just as Feldspar got through, Big T managed to turn the lasers off.
“Got it!”
“.....Seriously?” Feldspar frowned, realizing he could have easily waited a little longer for Big T to turn the lasers off.
“At least the trip back will be easier, right?”
Feldspar sighed before opening his bag and taking out his glass cutting tools. Feldspar walked over towards the case, seeing the diamond inside. “Christ, can’t believe this chunk of shiny rock is worth over a million bucks,” Feldspar said, “it’s not even that cool looking, nor is it even colorful.”
“Hey, captain whiner, just grab the treasure, and get this over with already.”
“Fine fine,” Feldspar rolled his eyes as he used the glass cutting tool to cut a large circle in the case before using a small plunger thing to pull out the cut out circle. Once there was a hole in the case, Feldspar reached in, and grabbed the diamond. He held it up in his hand in victory, “tch, easy. Like taking candy from a baby, or to be more exact, taking a priceless diamond from a rich millionaire,” Feldspar smirked.
“Freeze!”
Feldspar paused, turned around, and was surprised to see a familiar looking young officer with blonde hair, green eyes, pale skin, and freckles decorating his face. Currently, the officer was pointing a gun at him.
“.....Hey…Big T…how come you didn’t warn me about someone coming in?” Feldspar asked through his earpiece, annoyed that no one told him that the officer was there.
Instead of getting a reply, all Feldspar heard was static, and a broken voice from his team. However, judging from how panicked the broken voices sounded, it seemed that his team were trying to warn him, but couldn’t. Feldspar immediately realized what happened.
“Sorry, but we’ve cut off all communications with your tech guy, so it’s just you, me, and my gun,” the officer said, glaring at Feldspar.
Feldspar looked at him before smirking, “smart thinking, you know that cutting me off with my team would make my escape a little harder. Guess you finally learned something, huh…inspector Tweak?” Feldspar grinned.
The young officer stood his ground, not once putting the gun down, “yeah…real smart of me…and if you’re also smart…you would put that diamond back where it belongs, and come with me to the police station…where I’ll be sure to ask you some questions that you will answer.”
“Sure…I could do that….or you could let me take the diamond and let me go,” Feldspar said.
“And why should I do that?” The inspector asked.
“Because…I’m quite handsome?” Feldspar said.
The inspector stared at him blankly before sighing, “you and your jokes aren’t going to help you get out of here. Now…you better cooperate if you know what’s good for you,” the inspector said.
“Alright alright, I’ll listen. Just put the gun down, and I’ll be sure to-” Just as Feldspar lowered his hands, he quickly reached for something in his bag, putting the diamond inside, and taking out a smoke bomb. He then pressed a button on top of the smoke bomb before throwing it at inspector Tweak. The smoke bomb then went off, and surrounded the young inspector in a cloud of smoke.
“Gah! Ack! Not again!” The inspector shouted as he waved his hands around and tried to get out of the smoke cloud.
“Too bad, so sad, inspector, but you should know that the great Feldspar isn’t one to give in that easily! Better luck next time!” Feldspar exclaimed as he ran out of the room and started making his way towards the exit.
Once the cloud of smoke was gone and the inspector could finally see, he saw that Feldspar had already left. Growling in frustration, the inspector pulled out his walkie-talkie, alerting all the guards to surround the building and that Feldspar was making a run for it.
“Feldspar is heading for the exit! Block it, now! Don’t let him escape!” Inspector Tweak shouted.
Soon, guards started running all over the place, trying to find Feldspar and stop him from leaving. Feldspar himself kept running, but when he saw ten guards ahead of him, he reached into his bag and took out a small rod. He then pressed a button on the side, and the rod extended into a long pole. Feldspar then used the pole to vault himself over the group of guards and onto the other side. The guards were stunned when Feldspar landed a few feet away from them, to which Feldspar looked back, stuck his tongue out, and kept running towards the exit.
“Get him!”
“Stop right there!”
“Ha ha! You donut munching coppers can never catch the great Feld….” Just as Feldspar was about to reach the entrance, he stopped when he saw a bunch of guards blocking the door. Feldspar took a step back, turned, and was ready to head for the nearest emergency exit, but saw that that door was also blocked by guards. As Feldspar looked around, he realized that he was surrounded by guards. “....Well…shit,” Feldspar muttered as he realized he was trapped.
“Nowhere to run now, Feldspar,” Feldspar turned around and saw the inspector coming up from behind him, still holding his gun. “Give up if you know what’s good for you.”
Feldspar sighed before raising his hands and turned to face the inspector, “you know…aren’t you going a bit overboard with having all these guards here? I’m pretty sure a small museum like this doesn’t need this many guards on watch duty,” Feldspar said.
“Well we had to do everything we can since we knew you and your team would be coming here to steal that diamond, and knowing you, we had to be a little extra in order to stop you,” the inspector explained, “so…hand over the diamond, and I might consider asking the judge to giving you a plea deal, where you won’t have to go to jail, and will be spending hours on hours of community service,” the inspector said.
“Sure…I could do that…or you could find it in your heart to let me go. After all…my team and I don’t know any better! A life of thievery is all we know growing up! We lost our families at a young age, were forced to live from foster home to foster home, all of which was crappy and abusive towards us. We’re just poor guys that are down on our luck, and this is our only way of surviving this cruel and dark world! Can’t you just let us off and take this piece of rock? I’m sure that rich guy who owns it won’t care if it goes missing, and he can easily afford to get a new one for his collection..maybe something even more expensive and pretty than this thing,” Feldspar said.
“...I’m sorry for your sad upbringing, Feldspar, but that ain’t happening. Now hand over the diamond and come with me. This is my final warning,” the inspector said.
“....” Feldspar sighed, “cold as ever, inspector…or are you like that with me considering how obsessed you are with capturing me and all,” Feldspar smirked.
The inspector frowned, “I am not obsessed. What I am obsessed with is making sure you and your family of thieves are brought in for the crimes you’ve committed over the years,” the inspector said.
“Well then inspector…you’re about to be disappointed once again as I ain’t going with you today,” Feldspar smirked.
The inspector looked at him before sighing, a smug smile on his face, “oh yeah? Well how are you going to get out of this? You’re surrounded, all the exits are blocked, and I’ve already warned everyone here about all the tricks in your bag,” he inspector said.
“Oh ho…that’s the thing…we, the Great Thieves, are always prepared for anything, and I don’t need to pull out a trick from my handy back considering…I already have another trick already in motion,” Feldspar smirked.
“....What are you-”
Suddenly, everyone heard what sounded like a car horn honking. When someone looked behind them through the glass windows, they went pale as they saw a large black van driving towards the building.
“Look out!” Someone shouted.
Everyone that was standing by the entrance quickly got out of the way as the van drove through the building, destroying the glass windows and wall, and kept driving inside the building. The van door suddenly flung open, and a pair of hands reached out and grabbed Feldspar inside before anyone had time to react.
“No!” The inspector shouted as the van, with Feldspar inside, was getting away.
The van crashed through the other side of the building, and was back outside. It was quickly getting away from all the guards that were chasing it down. Feldspar looked back through the windows, seeing all the guards scrambling to stop the van, he smirked as he turned his head to see his team smiling.
“Just in time, you two, oh…and great driving there, Clyde,” Feldspar said.
“It’s not Clyde, it’s…the Mosquito!” Clyde said, “thinking on it…I really like that name, so that’s my new codename you guys,” Clyde said.
“Whatever,” Feldspar said, “at least we’re finally away from that obsessive inspector,” Feldspar said.
Suddenly, the van door opened, and the three turned their heads to see inspector Tweak, clinging onto the van, and staring at them with a crazed and furious look in his eyes.
“......Jesus…” Feldspar could barely utter, shocked that the inspector would risk his life by hanging onto the van just so he could capture them.
“You…sons of bitches!” The inspector yelled, “you are not getting away!” The inspector shouted. The inspector then took out his gun and pointed it at Feldspar, “now stop this van right now before I shoot you in the fucking foot!”
“.....”
“.....”
“....Dudes…what do we do? He has a gun,” Clyde asked.
Feldspar sighed before he turned towards the inspector. He then put on a dashing smile and walked over towards him.
“W-what are you doing? If you think I’m bluffing about shooting you, just know I’m not!” Inspector Tweak shouted.
“I know…but I also know you won’t be able to shoot us,” Feldspar said as he stopped once he was close enough.
“Oh really? What makes you say that?” Inspector Tweak asked, already annoyed.
“Because of this,” Feldspar then looped his arm around the inspector’s waist before pulling him in for a surprise kiss. The inspector tensed up the moment their lips were touching, and he struggled to get out of Feldspar's grasp, but Feldspar kept a good grip on him as he kept kissing him.
“....Hey…Big T, what the fuck is going on here?”
“I…I have no idea.”
“Mmmff….nnng….mmm…” The inspector tried to fight it, but even he’ll admit that the kiss was pretty good, causing his heart to skip a beat, and his whole body to feel warm. He was becoming less tense as he slowly started to close his eyes, and just allowed the thief to kiss him.
Feldspar, seeing that the inspector was distracted, he quickly grabbed the gun out of the inspector’s hands, pulled away, and grabbed the inspector by the collar of his uniform.
“W-w-wha!?” The inspector, snapping out of his daze, realized he was tricked, “you…you…” the inspector’s face was red from embarrassment and anger.
Feldspar looked at him before smirking, “see you next time, inspector,” Feldspar said before he saw a few bushes up ahead, he then pushed the inspector out of the van and into the bushes as the van continued to drive away. Feldspar poked his head out of the van, looked at the inspector with a grin, blew him a kiss, and waved him goodbye while laughing.
The inspector, taking a few seconds to realize what just happened, stared at the van as it escaped, and saw the smug look on Feldspar’s face. His whole body began to tremble as his right eye began to twitch.
“Feldspaaaaarrrrrrrr!!!!!” The inspector yelled at the top of his lungs.
As the three thieves escaped in their van, Feldspar pulled himself back into the van, laughing, “ha! Another successful escape,” Feldspar said.
“Guess you’re happy that you got to kiss your boyfriend,” Clyde said.
Feldspar frowned, “he’s not my boyfriend, it was the only way to get him off our tail,” Feldspar said.
“Sure, but you should really be more careful, Romeo, what if he pulled your mask off while you were making out with him just now?”
“Oh please, I know what I’m doing,” Feldspar said before removing his mask from around his eyes.
“Alright, whatever you say, but I hope this whole kissing the enemy doesn’t get in the way of our mission, especially since that inspector guy has it in for us.”
“Oh don’t you worry about him. I’ll make sure that inspector can’t even lay a hand on us.”
“....Hey guys…question…but…how the hell are these masks that effective in hiding our identities? I mean…all they do is cover the upper half of our faces! So…if we ever had our eyes covered or something, someone could easily recognize us, right?”
“Your point is?”
“I’m just saying…shouldn’t we be wearing ski masks instead if we want to hide our identities?”
“.....He..he does have a point.”
“True…but you can’t be suave and charming with a ski mask, can you?”
“....You just want to look good for that inspector, don’t you?”
“...Maybe…”
The two sighed after hearing the response of their leader, but they were all happy that the mission was a success. So they continued to drive back to their base without issue.
They may not look like it, but these three young men are professional thieves. Though they don’t steal from regular people, but instead steal from the rich. Though, whatever they stole are items that their boss ordered them to steal, so they aren’t stealing just any valuables that they find. At the end of the day, if the mission is a success, they get a cut of the profit, and live a somewhat comfortable life without worrying about shelter, food, or getting any necessities that they need in order to survive. Of course, being searched for by cops isn’t ideal for living a comfortable life, especially since they’re constantly being chased by an inspector that seemed to have an obsessive grudge against them, but it does make their lives a little exciting. Never a dull day in the life of a thief. Besides, it’s not like anyone knows who they really are behind the masks they wore. So by day, they are just regular people that blend in with the crowd, undetected by the police and anyone looking for them, but by night, they are cunning thieves that are feared by the rich, hated by the cops, and known around the world.
They called themselves the Great Thieves of South Park.
The three thieves ended up driving in a more secluded part of the city where most of the buildings there were abandoned, and the only people living there were the homeless, and the occasional drug dealer looking for a place to hide. The thieves soon parked in front of an apartment building that has long been abandoned, where the entrance and windows were broken and boarded up. Once the three parked the van in a secluded alleyway that no one noticed, the three then got out of the van, then headed inside the building, using a secret opening that no one but them knew about.
After walking up the stairs and reaching the third floor, the three walked over to one of the abandoned units, and walked inside. Even though the entire building was pretty much unlivable, covered in holes, dirt, and mold that grew over the years, the apartment unit that the boys went into was nicely clean, had some decent furniture, and even had electricity. Although the whole building looked rundown, it was the perfect hideout for the three thieves. It was home for them.
“Ah! Home sweet home! I just want to jump into my bed and sleep for the next three days,” Clyde exclaimed as he dropped his stuff on the floor near the entrance and basically ran towards the couch and laid on it.
“Clyde, don’t leave your stuff on the floor,” Big T sighed as he picked up Clyde’s stuff from the floor and properly placed them on the coathangers and console table near the entrance.
“Sorry, Token,” Clyde simply said before he sat up from the couch, “...I’m hungry…what should we have for dinner tonight?”
“Didn’t you just eat a burger in the van earlier? How can you still be hungry?” Feldspar asked as he started putting his stuff down.
“Well it was a half-eaten burger, and it was pretty small, so I’m still hungry,” Clyde pouted, “oh! We should order a pizza!”
“At this hour? I’m pretty sure all the pizza places nearby are closed for the night.”
“Oh..right…oh! Are there still some pizza rolls in the fridge?” Clyde asked.
“Seems like it, I’ll heat some up for us…I’m actually pretty hungry myself after that mission.”
“Yes! Thanks Toke!”
Feldspar sighed as he continued putting his stuff away.
The Great Thieves, whose real identities are Craig, Token, and Clyde, all live together in this apartment. After each of them lost their families at a young age, they only had themselves to rely on. It’s why they care for each other a lot, and tend to be very protective of one another. Craig being the most protective since he is the leader of the group. Although he doesn’t show it much, he actually does like these two. Not only were they his bestest friends, but they were his family.
“Alright you two, while you’re waiting for your pizza rolls to heat up, we better tell the boss that we got the treasure he was asking for,” Craig said.
“Right…nearly forgot,” Token said as he quickly placed the plate of pizza rolls in the microwave before rushing towards a desk that was located at a corner of the room. Once Token sat down, he grabbed a small remote that lay on the desk, pressed the single button that was there, and soon, the walls began to open and move as screens, lights, and a high tech computer suddenly appeared. Token then tapped away at the single keyboard that was on the desk before the screens turned on. “Alright, I’m calling the boss…now,” Token said as he pressed a single button, and the screen soon showed that Token was calling someone. The name on the Caller I.D. read “boss” on it.
“Hope the boss won’t be mad that we took a while,” Clyde said.
“Well as long as he knows we have the diamond, he won’t be too mad…hopefully,” Craig said as he crossed his arms and waited for the boss to answer.
Finally, the call was answered, and the screen now showed a large man with a mustache and a beard, looking at them. The man wore a gray suit with a black and white striped tie. He also wore many rings on his hands, though the biggest ring would be the emerald ring that was placed on his right ring finger. The man sat at a desk made of mahogany, with his hands folded. He didn’t say anything once his face appeared on the screen, but the three could see that the man was looking straight at them.
“Hello, boys,” the man finally spoke in a low gruff voice.
The three flinched a tiny bit, gulping at how intimidating the voice was. However, it was Craig who spoke for them. “Hello, Mr. Morgan.”
The man, Mr. Morgan looked at Craig before he smiled, “did you…retrieve the treasure?”
Craig looked at him before smiling, he then brought out the diamond and showed it to Mr. Morgan, “right here, sir.”
“Good job. You three did an excellent job…as usual,” Mr. Morgan said.
Craig lowered his head, feeling proud, “thank you, sir.”
“I hope getting this treasure wasn’t too difficult for you boys,” Mr. Morgan said.
“Nah! It wasn’t that hard,” Clyde butted in, “it was almost…child’s play!” Clyde said.
“I see, Clyde…that’s good…though…I did hear you wore…a dress for this mission?” Mr. Morgan said.
Clyde fell silent.
Mr. Morgan then let out a chuckle, “I’m just kidding. I’m very proud of you boys. You did a good job, really. Excellent work, and great teamwork. I’m so proud to have you three helping me with this job,” Mr. Morgan said.
“We’re…honored…sir,” Craig said, bowing his head.
“Yes…indeed,” Mr. Morgan smiled. “Alright boys, as usual…I’ll be sending Jimmy to a discreet location for you to hand the diamond to him. Make sure you put the diamond somewhere where it won’t raise any eyebrows, understand?”
“Yes, sir,” Craig said.
“Good…now I’ll be sending you three the location where you must deliver the package, and where Jimmy will be. So be sure to give it to him tomorrow at exactly twelve in the afternoon, understand?”
“Don’t worry, we know what we have to do,” Token said.
“Alright then. That will be all boys. You three deserve some rest, so I’ll be in contact soon with a new job for you three. So be prepared, and remember the thief’s code.”
“Thieves must always keep a secret and stay in the shadows,” the boys said collectively.
“Good. That will be all,” Mr. Morgan said.
“W-wait a minute, sir,” Craig quickly spoke up.
“....Yes, Craig?”
“....Um…what about…what we discussed last time? Have you…given it some thought?” Craig said, feeling a bit anxious.
“...Last time? ….Oh…you mean that gymnastic camp you wanted to try out, yes?” Mr. Morgan asked.
“Y-yes…sir…I mean…I know it seems like a waste of time, but…I really think it would really help me since…I am the one who usually goes in to steal the treasure while Clyde and Token are helping behind the scenes…so…this might help improve my skills, you know? B-besides…I checked and the camp won’t be too far, and I’ll usually be working during the day, so..it won’t impose any future missions, and…um…I figured…it would be nice…to you know…try it out?”
“....Craig…we discussed this…as a thief…you shouldn't be showing your talent outside of your work,” Mr. Morgan said.
“But…this could benefit you and all of us! I mean…I am the most flexible out of the three of us…and…this whole gymnastics stuff could really help with my skill!”
“Craig,” Mr. Morgan said firmly.
“.....”
“....I know you want to be around people that share the same interest as you…especially when it comes to something like…gymnastics…but it would be too much of a risk…and I need you to be available 24/7. A life as a thief isn’t easy…and that includes not being able to live a more normal and peaceful life,” Mr. Morgan said.
“....I….I understand. I’m sorry for bringing it up,” Craig said as he lowered his head.
“I’m glad you understand,” Mr. Morgan said, “but hey…I’ll make it up to you…I’ll get you a new trampoline. You have been saying that the one you have in your room is starting to wear down,” Mr. Morgan said.
“Thanks, sir…but I’m fine,” Craig said.
“Hey…Mr. Morgan, if you’re going to hand us some gifts…mind finding a way to bring some power to the elevators in the building? It’s starting to get tiring climbing up and down the stairs all the time, especially when we’re carrying heavy stuff,” Clyde said.
“You know I can’t do that, Clyde. The reason I placed you three in that apartment is because no one believes that place is inhabitable, so the chances of police finding you there is very low. You have to stay inconspicuous. Why do you think I wanted you to place those black curtains by the window, hm?”
“He’s right, Clyde. Just be glad that our apartment has electricity and running water. We can’t let anyone, especially the police, know that someone’s living here,” Token said.
“Fine…” Clyde pouted.
“Glad you understand, Clyde. Now…I better get going. Got work that needs to be done. Will talk to you three soon,” Mr. Morgan said.
“Goodbye, Mr. Morgan,” the three said.
“Goodbye,” Mr. Morgan said before hanging up.
“....Bye,” Craig sighed.
“....Hey man…so what if you can’t join that gymnastic camp? I bet it isn’t as fun as they advertised it,” Token said.
“Yeah, and besides….if you went…you would have to wear those tight and sparkly suits all the time! You’d be having some major wedgies, man!” Clyde said.
“....Yeah…you two are probably right,” Craig sighed, trying his best to look fine, “it’s just a silly camp. I shouldn’t feel so bad about not going,” Craig said.
“....You're going to be okay, dude?” Clyde asked.
“Yeah….I’m fine,” Craig said, “really.”
Before any of them could say anything or ask further, the microwave let out a ding. Clyde’s eyes widened, and he turned his head, “the pizza rolls are done!”
“Well…why don’t we ease our minds with some tasty pizza rolls, hm?” Token said as he got up and walked over towards the kitchen to grab the pizza rolls.
“Yeah…we should relax and enjoy our break! …Speaking of relaxing and enjoying ourselves…” Clyde suddenly remembered something, “what time is it?”
“Um…a quarter past midnight?” Token answered.
“Right! I gotta message her! She probably misses me!” Clyde exclaimed.
“You mean your little girlfriend from Paris?” Token asked.
“Uh huh! My sweetheart! She probably misses me a whole lot! Oh…how I wish we weren’t living in two different countries with different time zones! She must be waiting for me to text her!”
“Clyde…you only spoke to her for two weeks when we all had a job in Paris a month ago, and I’m pretty sure she hasn’t really agreed to being your girlfriend,” Craig said.
“Well..just because we haven’t really discussed it when we were in Paris doesn’t mean our feelings for each other aren't real! Why else would she be willing to text me all the time?”
“Because you’re the one bothering her by texting her practically everyday, and she’s too nice to tell you to leave her alone?” Token said.
“I’m telling you guys, it’s love! Love I tell you!” Clyde shouted.
“Sure it is,” Craig rolled his eyes.
“Oh don’t be like that! After all…aren’t you attracted to that inspector guy who’s always chasing after us?”
“I am not attracted to him,” Craig huffed.
“Then why do you always flirt with him whenever you two end up meeting?”
“And don’t forget how many times you kissed him and how you both seem to enjoy it,” Clyde said.
“I don’t enjoy it! I was simply acting! Playing a character! That’s all! I’m supposed to be a dashing and suave thief when I’m acting as Feldspar!” Craig said, “that does not mean I’m attracted to that inspector guy!”
“Oh really? Even though you seem like you look forward to seeing that inspector everytime we go on a mission?” Token asked.
“Or how you wrote in your journal that you have a thing for blondes, and thought the inspector’s freckles were cute on him?” Clyde added.
“Why the fuck are you reading my journal, you ass!” Craig huffed as he grabbed a pillow and threw it at Clyde’s head.
“Hey! If you leave out in the open like that, of course I’m gonna read it!” Clyde said.
“Argh, you two are unbelievable,” Craig sighed, “I’m telling you, I don’t have a thing for that inspector. Besides, he’s the enemy, we’re thieves, so obviously that ship ain’t going anywhere, so get your head out of the gutter,” Craig huffed before grabbing his jacket, keys, and a pack of cigarettes.”
“Where are you going?” Token asked as he realized Craig was leaving.
“Out…I need some fresh air,” Craig sighed.
“What about the pizza rolls?” Clyde asked.
“You two enjoy…I’m not…that hungry,” Craig said before he left.
Once Craig stood outside the apartment, he let out a sigh before he began walking away. After Craig left the apartment building and was now outside, he let out a sigh as he looked up at the night sky, seeing the full moon. He stared at it for quite a bit before he looked away. He then reached out and grabbed the pack of cigarettes he grabbed earlier, took one cigarette from the box, and lit it with the light he had in his pocket. After taking a few puffs, he placed his hands into the pockets of his jacket, and began to walk around.
Craig kept walking, not really having a destination in mind, he was simply enjoying the cool night air and the solitude. After walking around for a bit, he soon found himself in an area where it was somewhat more populated with people, and a bit far from where the apartment was. Craig sighed as he walked around before finding a bench. He then sat down to take a bit of a break from the walk.
As Craig sat there, smoking the cigarette between his lips, he looked around, seeing a few regular people walking by. Not a care in the world, living their normal lives, living freely, and enjoying whatever hobbies and interests they like.
Unlike Craig who can only dream of living that freely.
Don’t get him wrong, he is very thankful to Mr. Morgan for adopting him and his friends when they all became orphans after losing their families all those years ago, and heck, Craig even viewed Mr. Morgan as a secondary father-figure. However, Craig soon realized that the life of a thief isn’t all fun and games as he initially thought when he was younger. Now that Craig was an adult, he wished for more in his life outside of thievery. He wished to enjoy hobbies that he could participate in, he wished he could meet new people and make new friends, he wished he could be in a special relationship with someone.
Unfortunately for Craig, everything he hoped to have could only be but a dream of his. Although Mr. Morgan has saved him from living on the streets, given him food, shelter, and money to buy what they need and want, he wasn’t free, at least…not entirely.
Maybe that’s why Craig was having doubts about his life, why he was having second thoughts about being a thief. Craig couldn’t help but question his existence in the world, and wondered if this was it, that this was all there was in his life, that this was why he was born. Craig really was starting to have an existential crisis at that moment.
“.....Ugh….” Craig sighed as he leaned back on the bench and looked up at the sky. To his surprise, he noticed a couple stars up in the sky, something you don’t really see that easily because of all the light pollution in the city. “......”
As Craig stared at the stars, his mind suddenly wandered to that blonde haired inspector with the freckles. The thought of the inspector made Craig’s insides all warm, and a small smile formed on his lips. Although he shouldn’t be thinking about him like this, Craig couldn’t help but find that inspector to be cute sometimes.
Okay, Craig will admit it, he does find inspector Tweak to be attractive, but that was it. Sure, he liked teasing him whenever he saw him, and he did enjoy all the times he kissed him in an attempt to distract him while he and his friends get away, at least that’s the excuse he told himself, but that was all, he had no feelings for the inspector, nor does he want to form a relationship with him.
Not that he could anyways. After all, he and that inspector were enemies. They can never be more than that. As long as Craig is a thief and Mr. Tweak is an inspector of the police force, they would continue to be enemies, one of which is determined to capture the other and send them to jail, while the other is determined to steal and escape from the police. It could never be.
Still, Craig is always looking forward to seeing that inspector in every mission, it’s fun teasing and making fun of that inspector, and seeing how hard he tries to capture them. It was probably the only fun and exciting thing about the job since being a thief has ended up losing its luster after Craig hit puberty. Seeing inspector Tweak was probably the only joy he has while working.
“.....It’s getting later….better head back before Clyde ends up in a pizza roll coma again,” Craig muttered as he flicked the cigarette to the ground and put it out. Craig then got up from the bench, turned around, and headed back to base.
Although Craig still wasn’t sure if this is all there is to his life, and desperately wished he could do more and be more, he knew that was impossible. All Craig could really do was dream.
It was the next day, and the boys were out in the city. To be more precise, they were waiting at a park near a fountain. The reason they were there is because it was the destination that Mr. Morgan has instructed them to go to deliver the diamond. They found the exact location with no issues, but now had to wait for Jimmy, Mr. Morgan’s assistant, to show up so they could hand him the package.
“Argh..where is he?” Clyde asked, getting impatient.
“Relax, Mr. Morgan said that Jimmy will be here at twelve, and right now it’s only 11:57,” Token said.
“Yeah, but I didn’t think we had to wait until twelve,” Clyde pouted, “I’m hungry!”
“Well why didn’t you eat something before we came here then?” Craig sighed, “you had plenty of time to eat breakfast before we had to come all the way here,” Craig said.
Clyde pouted, “well I was planning on eating some cereal, but we were out of milk! Not only that, but there was barely anything to eat in the fridge,” Clyde said.
“What about the pack of sausages that haven’t been open and are still in the freezer?” Token asked.
“....We had sausages?” Clyde asked.
“....Yeah…I highly recommend not eating those…I’m pretty sure I remember getting those a few years back, so they might not be edible to eat anymore,” Craig said.
“Huh…we…we should probably do some grocery shopping after this,” Token said.
After waiting around for a few more minutes, they soon heard a voice calling out to them. The three turned around as they saw a familiar face coming towards them with a smile.
“H-h-hey fellas!”
“Hey, Jimmy,” the three said in sync as they walked towards him.
Jimmy Valmer, Mr. Morgan’s personal assistant. Just like Craig, Token, and Clyde, Jimmy also lost his parents at a young age, and was adopted by Mr. Morgan, though he was adopted two years before the boys. However, because Jimmy had cerebral palsy, he couldn’t be a thief like the boys, but did became a trusted assistant to Mr. Morgan, doing whatever Mr. Morgan says, which included picking up the stolen treasures that the boys managed to get in their mission. The boys and Jimmy have also become close friends, even if they only really meet when Jimmy has to pick up the treasure from them, or if Jimmy was granted a break from being an assistant. Guess the common traumas have brought them all together as they formed a bond over the years, even if Jimmy seemed to be a lot closer to Mr. Morgan since he worked directly for him.
“S-s-so…y-y-you g-g-g-got the p-p-p-p-package?” Jimmy asked.
“Right here,” Token said as he held up a small brown box where the diamond was being kept.
“P-p-p-perfect. G-g-g-goooood j-job, g-g-guys,” Jimmy said.
“Great! Now that that’s done with, let’s go get some food! Hey, Jimmy, wanna join?” Clyde asked.
“Mmm…w-w-would l-love t-t-to, b-but I-I b-b-better g-get b-b-back to the office. M-Mr. M-Morgan is w-w-w-waiting for me,” Jimmy said.
“Aw, too bad,” Clyde pouted.
“Mr. Morgan is really making you work hard these days,” Token said, “I don’t even remember the last time you took a break and hung out with us.”
“A-ah, w-w-w-well t-t-that’s b-because M-Mr. Morgan is p-p-p-planning s-s-something big,” Jimmy explained.
“Something big? How come we haven’t heard about anything?” Craig asked.
“N-not sure, g-g-guess Mr. Morgan doesn’t t-t-think it c-c-c-concerns any of us. E-even I don’t k-know much of w-w-what he’s p-planning, and s-s-simply asks me to pick up s-s-stuff involving this b-big plan of his,” Jimmy said.
“Hm…wonder what it could be,” Token said.
“Maybe it’s a surprise party for all of us! After all…in two months…it’ll be the anniversary of when we got adopted,” Clyde pointed out.
“Clyde…I highly doubt it’s going to be something like that,” Craig sighed, “you know Mr. Morgan…he’s the type that doesn’t care that much for stuff like that, finding it to be useless and a waste of time.”
“He’s right, I mean…it’s not like he ever held a party for us last year or the year before that. Heck…I don’t think he even remembers our birthdays,” Token said.
Clyde pouted, “well…who knows…I mean…Mr. Morgan has taken care of us since we were kids for so many years, so he could be planning something big now that we’re successful thieves that are known all over the globe,” Clyde said.
“Clyde, sh!” Token quickly covered Clyde’s mouth and looked around, making sure no one at the park heard him, “keep your voice down about that. You know we can’t let anyone know that we’re the Great Thieves,” Token said.
“Sorry,” Clyde said.
“Well whatever it is that Mr. Morgan is planning…it has nothing to do with us, so might as well not stick our nose into his business,” Craig said.
“A-a-agreed,” Jimmy said. Jimmy then took the package from Token and got ready to leave, “b-b-better get going, the bus I need to take will be here any moment now,” Jimmy said.
“You know…for someone who can afford high tech stuff for our apartment, and even a personal helicopter to help us travel around the world…I can’t believe he’s making you use the bus, Jimmy,” Clyde said.
“I-it’s to help not r-r-raise any e-e-eyebrows e-e-each t-time we meet. It’s b-b-basically p-p-protocol,” Jimmy said, “b-besides…I-I like riding t-t-t-the b-bus. I-I get to m-m-meet s-s-some interesting f-f-folks, w-w-who also h-happens t-t-to like my j-jokes,” Jimmy grinned.
“I see, well have fun riding the bus, Jimmy,” Token said.
“S-see you fellas n-next t-t-t-time,” Jimmy said.
“Bye, Jimmy,” the boys said.
Once Jimmy left, the boys soon relaxed as their business was finally over, and they could finally enjoy their time off from work.
“Alright! Let’s go out to eat! I was thinking…tacos, and lots of them,” Clyde said.
“But what about groceries? We are running out of the necessities…such as toilet paper,” Token said.
“We can get them later after we eat,” Clyde said.
“But there’s a sale going on right now, and it’ll be over in an hour.”
“So what? We’re loaded, aren’t we?”
“Technically…all of our money is Mr. Morgan’s money, and I really don’t want to be spending too much of his money as necessary,” Token said.
Craig sighed, seeing that this argument wasn’t going to end unless he comes up with a compromise, “look, why don’t you two get a bite to eat, and I’ll do the grocery shopping,” Craig said.
“You sure, dude?” Clyde asked.
“Yeah, it’s fine. Honestly…I need to buy a new pack of cigarettes since I’m already out of my brand,” Craig said.
“You really should learn to quit smoking, dude. Those things could kill you,” Token frowned.
“What are you, my mother?” Craig rolled his eyes. “I’ll meet you guys later,” Craig said.
“See you Craig! We’ll be sure to save you a doggy bag,” Clyde said.
“Whatever. Just don’t go overboard like last time, Clyde, and Token, keep a good eye on him,” Craig said as he started to leave.
“Don’t worry…I’ll make sure Cyde behaves this time,” Token said, “right Clyde?” Token turned to face Clyde, but noticed he was gone. “...Clyde?”
“Come on, Token! Let’s get some tacos!”
“Clyde! Wait for me!” Token shouted as he chased after Clyde.
Craig sighed as he headed towards the supermarket. Honestly, Craig actually enjoyed going to the supermarket on his own. At least when he’s shopping for stuff, he doesn't have to worry about Clyde being reckless or Token constantly nagging him to not get stuff that is considered unhealthy or inappropriate. At least when Criag is shopping alone, he can buy the stuff they need, and stuff he would want without the others knowing, and he can enjoy his walk around the city in peace.
So after successfully getting all the items they needed for the apartment, as well as some extra stuff for himself, Craig had finished his shopping, and decided to walk around the city before having to meet up with the guys. Might as well savor the peace, especially after nearly getting run over by an old lady wanting to grab the last carton of eggs that were on sale.
“Sheesh…people really do go crazy when stuff is on sale,” Craig sighed as he could still feel his foot aching when someone ran over it with their shopping cart, “at least I managed to get everything at a relatively low price…but I should probably just make Token do the shopping whenever there’s another sale…he’s more knowledgeable about this type of stuff,” Craig muttered as he carried all the items he bought in two large paper bags.
As Craig was down the street, enjoying his stroll, he noticed something on a TV that was being displayed at an electronic store, and he stopped to see what was on the television. Craig’s heart skipped a beat when he realized it was a promotional advertisement for the gymnastic camp he wanted to go to. Craig paused as he watched what was being shown on screen. People around his age doing different types of gymnastics, looking very graceful and professional. To Craig, the people on screen seemed to be having fun, enjoying the sport, enjoying their lives.
“......” Craig sighed as he looked away, seeing that if he continued to look, it would only make him feel upset. After glancing at the television one last time, he then turned, ready to leave. “Ah!”
“Oof!”
The moment Craig turned, he accidentally bumped into someone, causing him to fall and drop the groceries in his hands, and judging from the yelp from the other person, that person also fell down the moment Craig bumped into them.
“Shit…sorry! Didn’t see you there,” Craig said, quickly apologizing.
“No no, it’s my fault too! I also wasn’t looking where I was going!” The other person said before grabbing a few items of Craig’s from the ground, “here, let me help you pick this stuff up!”
“Oh, thank you very…” The moment Craig looked up to see who the other person was, his body tensed up and his heart nearly stopped. “Y-you…”
“Huh? Do you…know me?” It was Craig’s rival, or to be more exact, Feldspar’s rival. Inspector Tweak.
“A-ah..um…o-of course I know you! You’re that…famous inspector…the one who is in charge of capturing those three thieves, right?” Craig said, trying to play it cool.
“Ah…guess my reputation has spread,” the inspector said while chuckling, “and to think I’d be enjoying my day off without having to think about work…or…them,” the inspector said, making a bit of a pissed off face.
“Day off? I didn’t know you were taking a day off,” Craig said.
“Oh? What? You think that just because I’ve been known to have a slight obsession with those three assholes that I’m constantly chasing that I’d be spending every waking moment trying to find out where they are and who they are?”
“Um….yes?” Craig said.
The inspector looked at him before sighing, “as much as I want to capture those three…I know that I should take care of myself first. After all, if I’m not in top shape, then I’ll never be able to capture them if I’m constantly stressed and tired. Besides…it was the chief’s orders to have me take a couple days off, knowing full well that after a mission, the Great Thieves usually are quiet for the next couple of days, even weeks if we’re lucky.”
“Huh…I see,” Craig said, “well…that’s good that you’re looking after yourself, after all…we wouldn’t want our favorite inspector getting too tired on the job, right?”
“....Favorite?” The inspector looked at him, confused,” I know I have a bit of a reputation with what I do…but I highly doubt I’m anyone’s favorite, especially since people are calling me the crazed inspector who is obsessed with capturing three thieves,” the inspector said, “even the chief is saying I’m going overboard.”
“....I don’t think you’re going overboard, if anything…I can see just how passionate you are with your work, and how determined you are in making sure those three thieves face justice. You’re pretty much like a hero, maybe even an anti-hero that follows their own rule when it comes to serving justice,” Craig said.
“....Huh…I never thought about it like that…nor has anyone said something like that to me…thank you…..um…mister….”
“I’m…Craig,” Craig said.
The inspector looked at him and smiled, “then you can call me Tweek.”
“Tweek…” Craig muttered under his breath. Craig finally found out the inspector’s first name after all these years, and he was talking to the inspector normally, and not how they usually speak to each other while he’s playing Feldspar. It was different, but a nice change if Craig was being honest.
“Oh shoot, your groceries,” Tweek said.
“Ah, no worries…nothing seemed to be damaged here,” Craig said.
“Except for the paper bag,” Tweek said as he pointed at the now ripped paper bags that laid on the ground, no longer usable. “Here, let me get you a new bag to help you carry all of this stuff,” Tweek said.
“Oh, you don’t have to-”
“I insist, this is partially my fault that your stuff is on the ground anyways since I wasn’t paying close attention to where I was going, so let me get you a new bag. Just wait here,” Tweek said before rushing to the nearest store that might have to help Craig carry his groceries.
Craig stood there, unsure what to do. He thought of leaving since being near that inspector was too much of a risk, but he knew he couldn’t leave all his stuff behind. Not only that, but it would be suspicious if Craig just left after Tweek just told him to stay put.
“.....Oh fuck it,” Craig sighed. At least he now has an excuse to talk to the inspector a little longer, something he always wanted to do whenever they met during one of Craig’s missions. “As long as he doesn’t know who I really am…it should be fine…right?”
“Waaaahhh! Mommy! My balloon!”
“Oh I’m sorry, sweetie, but it seems it’s stuck up in that tree. I don’t think I can get it from down here.”
“Waaaaahhhhh!”
Craig turned his head when he noticed a child crying her head off as she pointed at a balloon that seemed to be stuck at the top of a tree. It was too far up in the tree for anyone to reach, even if they simply climbed up the tree. The mother looked distressed as she tried to calm her child down, and everyone just stood around, not sure what to do since the child was very upset about losing their balloon.
Craig watched for a bit before turning his head away, telling himself it was not his problem. The kid shouldn’t have let go of the balloon if she was going to be this upset after losing it. However, after hearing the girl crying even louder and refusing to listen to her mother or anyone else, and seeing how stressed out the mother was, Craig knew that he couldn’t just stand there and stay quiet.
Craig sighed as he removed his jacket, gathered up all his groceries from the ground, and used his jacket to them together, and placed his stuff to the side. Craig walked over towards the tree, not saying a word to the mother and daughter, grabbed hold of the lowest branch, and began to swing himself up until he reached the next branch. He then kept swinging himself upwards to the next branch until he was closer and closer to the balloon. Once Craig was close enough to where the balloon was, he grabbed the string of the balloon, and gave a little tug, freeing the balloon. Once the balloon was no longer stuck, Craig carefully jumped out of the tree, landing in front of the mother and daughter, and handed the balloon back to the girl.
“Here you go. Be sure not to let go this time, okay?” Craig said.
The crowd that watched what happened suddenly clapped and cheered for Craig, amazed at what he just did. The mother thanked Craig profusely, and the little girl gave Craig a big grin before thanking him herself. Craig looked around before he smiled, feeling proud of himself.
“Holy…just…what was that!?”
Craig paused before he turned around. He saw Tweek standing there, holding a reusable bag he purchased from the nearest store. Tweek stared at him in shock, clearly having seen what Craig just did moments ago.
“Oh…uh…that was nothing,” Craig said.
“Nothing!? You climbed up that tree so easily…and you were doing all those moves! Swinging on the branches! That was dangerous…yet…amazing how you did that so confidently!” Tweek said.
“Oh..well…I actually do some…gymnastic stuff in my spare time, I may not look like it, but I’m quite flexible and agile, so stuff like this is pretty easy,” Craig said.
“Well that’s…amazing,” Tweek said before laughing, “you looked so cool up there! The way you swung around like that! Ha ha…in fact…it almost reminded me of something,” Tweek said.
Craig paused, “r-reminded you of…what?” Craig asked.
“I…don’t know…but they way you were moving like that…it almost reminded me of someone else who does stuff like that all the time..I just can’t put my finger on it,” Tweek said.
Craig realized just who Tweek was talking about, and Craig knew he had to get out of there before Tweek remembered who he was thinking about. “A-ah! Look at the time, I better get going!” Craig said as he turned and started to leave.
“Huh? Wait! Where are you going?” Tweek called out.
“Sorry, can’t stay for much long, I got stuff to do! It was nice talking to you, Tweek! Bye!” Craig exclaimed as he practically ran out of there.
“Wait! What about....” Tweek couldn’t say another word as Craig was already too far away, “huh…guess he’s in a rush,” Tweek said before letting out a sigh, “or maybe he just didn’t want to talk to me? Hm…was I being a bit too…forward? Aggressive maybe? Hm….” As Tweek was wondering if he said something wrong to Craig, his eyes suddenly landed on Craig’s jacket that had all of Craig’s groceries inside. “Ah! W-wait! Craig! Craig! You stuff!” Tweek called out before he grabbed the jacket and all the stuff, placed it in the usable bag he bought, and began to chase Craig down. “Craig! Wait!”
When Craig turned to look back after hearing his name being called, his body tensed up when he saw Tweek chasing after him, calling his name. Craig cursed and began to speed walk out of there, hoping to lose Tweek among the crowd.
“Craig! Hold it! Stop!”
“Shit shit shit, he couldn’t have found out already, did he!? Fuck!” Craig cursed as he began to sprint out of there.
“Craig! Stop! Come back here!” Tweek called out as he began to run towards Craig, trying to catch up.
Craig picked up the pace, but saw that Tweek was getting closer and closer. Craig was starting to panic. He kept running, wishing Tweek would just let him go and leave him alone, but he knew he couldn’t use any of his usual tactics to escape from Tweek, not without revealing who he really is to the people around them, especially in front of Tweek.
As soon as Craig was about to turn a corner and hopefully lose Tweek, Tweek also went around the corner, determined to catch up to Craig, but ended up accidentally bumping into someone, and tripping on his own feet. Tweek then started to fall forward.
“Gah!”
“Tweek!” Craig, who looked back after turning the corner, saw that Tweek was about to fall, so he quickly ran back, caught Tweek before he fell to the ground, and held him in his arms, looking down at him. “You okay!?” Craig asked, sounding worried.
“A-ah…I-I’m fine…thank you,” Tweek said, surprised how quickly Craig saved him there.
“...You know…for a cop…you’re quite clumsy,” Craig said before letting out a sigh.
Tweek blushed, “I get that a lot,” Tweek said. Craig helped Tweek back on his feet, and Tweek composed himself before remembering Craig’s stuff. Tweek then held out the bag towards him. “Here, you nearly left this behind,” Tweek said.
“Ah…ah! So that’s why you were chasing after me,” Craig said, realizing his mistake.
“Obviously. No matter how busy you are or wherever you need to be, you should still be careful with your belongings! What if someone stole all of your stuff while you didn’t even realize it? You know one of the reasons as to why so many belongings are stolen is because the owners are quite forgetful, so please be careful! What if your wallet or important documents were in your jacket, that would have been very bad for you,” Tweek said.
“....Pff…ha ha ha ha ha,” at hearing Tweek’s worrying tone, yet scolding words, Craig couldn’t help but laugh. It was similar to how Tweek usually talked to Craig while he’s Feldspar, but this was different, maybe because Tweek actually cared for Craig, and not Feldspar.
“W-why are you laughing? I’m serious here,” Tweek pouted.
“I-I know I know….it’s just…you’re…surprisingly cute when you’re worrying about me like this,” Craig said.
“C-cute?” Tweek blushed.
“Ah…I mean…sorry if that offended you, but…you are pretty cute! I-I mean…you’re cute in an attractive way, but…wait…no…that’s not…what…I’m…I’m not trying to hit on you or anything, okay,” Craig blushed, feeling embarrassed.
“.....Ha ha ha…” Now it was Tweek’s turn to laugh because seeing Craig acting all flustered was pretty funny to look at, “now that’s…cute,” Tweek said.
Craig blushed harder before clearing his throat. “Well um…better get going…nice talking to you, Tweek…hope…we can talk like this…again,” Craig said.
Tweek looked at him before smiling, “yes…I hope to see you again sometimes…Craig,” Tweek said.
“......”
“......”
The two stared at each other for a couple of seconds, though it felt like hours. Both of their hearts were beating so fast, and this unfamiliar feeling suddenly came over them, though weren’t sure what exactly it was. After a few more seconds, it was Tweek who broke the silence by clearing his throat.
“Better…get going…can’t really enjoy my day off by standing around,” Tweek chuckled.
“...Yes…right…ha ha..I should get going too! My roommates are probably waiting for me,” Craig said.
Tweek smiled, “goodbye, Craig.”
“....Goodbye…Tweek,” Craig said.
With that, Tweek turned and began to leave, and Craig did turn as well, and began to leave too, but he stopped, looked back, only to see that Tweek did the same. The two stared at each other before laughing awkwardly, then waving each other goodbye before finally leaving.
Once Tweek was out of sight, and Craig was back to being alone, a small smile formed on his lips. He felt a lot better than before. He chuckled at the thought of Tweek and how he was worried about him, and he really did enjoy their talk. It was nice to see Tweek in a different way compared to how he is when Craig is acting as Feldspar. It was…exciting.
“....Tweek,” Craig muttered, feeling as if saying Tweek’s name felt nice on his lips. Craig then headed back home, feeling lighter on his feet.