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The sound of the snow crunching underneath each step the pair took filled the air. Comfortable silence following them as they headed towards the nearest convenience store. Craig glanced over to Tweek, who was buried into an oversized scarf that Craig had poorly knitted for him and an unzipped dark brown jacket that Craig insisted on him to wear while he claimed he wasn’t cold.
Despite these claims, Tweeks hands trembled as they searched the coffee cup he was holding for warmth. Craig looked at his hands which were covered with his own blue mittens, then looked back to Tweeks’. He slipped his mittens off, grabbing the both of them with one hand and then reaching out for the warm cup of coffee that Tweek held.
“Craig?” Tweek asked in confusion but letting Craig take the cup away from his hand. Craig quickly placed the cup on the concrete floor littered in snow. He opened one of his mittens and guided Tweeks hand to go into it. “Ah…. I-I’m not cold…. You don’t— mmgh… have to…” Tweek spoke, flustered and his face flushing red in embarrassment. Craig didn’t reply, just continued to slip his mittens onto his pale hands. Craig blushed whenever he felt Tweeks palm brush against his finger. Once he was finished, he grabbed the cup on the floor and then handed the coffee cup back to Tweek.
Tweek didn’t take it back though. “Your hands are going to be cold now, just hold it, at least that’s warm.” Tweek insisted, shaking his head but Craig didn’t listen, he pushed further and Tweek had no choice but to take the cup into his hands. He huffed in defeat, feeling guilt for leaving Craigs hands cold as he stuffed them in his pocket yet feeling butterflies fill in his stomach at the gesture.
When the continued walking, Tweek wrapped his arm around Craigs and continued to hold his cup with both hands. Craig moved closer, so their shoulders were touching, and they could feel each others warmth despite the cold temperature never rising. They finally arrived to the convenience store and Craig noticed how the cashier had their headphones in, he could hear the loud music from where he stood and the worker didn’t bother to look up to see who was entering. But Craig didn’t think much of it.
Until the lights turned off and they heard a door shut and lock while they were checking out the back section of the store.
“WAAAAHH!!! What just happened!?” He screeched, gripping onto Craigs sleeve with both of his hands, causing him to drop his half empty cup of coffe and spill it on the floor. He yelled again at the mess. Craig walked to look over the rack they were looking at and saw the worker walking away and Craig glared at his back, hoping that maybe he’d forgotten something and walked back in to no avail.
He looked back over at Tweek who was gripping his hair with one hand and reaching down to pick up his cup with the other. Craig walked up to Tweek and put a hand on his shoulder. “Gah! Jesus- Craig! What happened!?” Tweek asked, clearly in panic. “The worker locked us in.” he explained, his tone unbothered, incomparable to Tweeks harsh shaky one. “What!??! Nononono!” He dropped his cup once again to bring both of his hands to his hair, crouching down and curling up into his knees, twitching and shaking and hyperventilating. Thankfully, Craigs mittens minimized the amount of pulling Tweek could do.
Craig went down with him, putting both his hands on both his shoulders. “Hey, hey it’s gonna be okay. Remember what the therapist said, deep breaths. Here, watch me.” Craig said, it rolling off the tongue, not hesitating to help the blond. Tweek looked up at Craig, slowly, his eyes wide and teary. “….One…. Two…. Three, c’mon, do it with me…. Four….” Craigs hand moved up and down as his chest slowly rose and sunk. Soon after, Tweek copied Craigs breathing pattern until his heartbeat calmed and his shaking minimized.
The two sat in front of each other, taking deep breaths together and Craig didn’t stop until Tweek let out one long breath and started breathing calmly on his own. “We’re okay; I’m here.” Craig comforted, his hands moving from Tweeks shoulder to his covered hands. He saw Tweek stretch his fingers apart in the mittens, trying to intertwine their fingers together with the mittens but it didn’t work. Craig slipped the mittens off Tweeks hands carefully, being sure not to startle Tweek.
Tweek smiled weakly as their fingers finally wrapped around each other. “We’re okay.” Tweek reassured himself under his breath to which Craig smiled at. “Let’s just wait it out, yeah? I’m sure someone’ll come by.” Craig suggested, sitting with his back pressed against the shelf and Tweek did the same, laying his head on Craigs shoulder, sinking into the warmth and safety he provided.
Tweek ended up falling asleep not long after, but Craig didn’t, just in case someone came in while they were asleep. In the meantime, he texted his friends, or anyone he thought might be awake at this time and waited until someone answered.
Eventually, Stan answered and got Kenny to help him pick the lock on the transparent door. Once he heard the door open and Stan call out his name, he cautiously removed Tweek off his shoulder, not wanting to wake him up, and then picked him up bridal style. Luckily for him, Tweek was a deep sleeper, so it wasn’t easy to wake him up.
Craig took Tweek to his house and set him on his bed, removing all necessary clothes to make sure Tweek slept comfortably and then did the same to himself before laying down next to his boyfriend. He kissed his forehead and then slept peacefully next to Tweek.
He couldn’t help but think of how wonderful life would be if he could sleep besides Tweek every night.