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“Dude! Slow the hell down!”
Stan definitely did not slow down, laughing at Kyle from his position in the driver’s seat.
It was a sunny evening in September, and the boys had had the “brilliant” idea to turn donuts in the empty high school parking lot after football practice. Tweek thought the idea was far from brilliant.
As did Kyle, who refused to climb into the bed of his boyfriend’s truck with Clyde, Tolkien, Craig, and Jimmy. He instead stood at the far side of the lot, arms crossed and a scowl on his face, next to Tweek.
Craig had, of course, wanted Tweek to join him, but Tweek DESPISED speed and feeling the wind on his face. He also despised the loud volume at which Stan was blasting his music, but he couldn’t exactly do anything about that.
The four teenagers in the back of the old blue Chevy seemed to be having a blast, though; getting knocked around with every loop their reckless driver turned. Tweek found himself grateful that Kenny had gone to work. The notoriously reckless blonde would have surely climbed on top of the truck and been flung off already.
Stan whipped the steering wheel to the right, causing a shriek of laughter to erupt from his passengers. Kyle grumbled.
“Someone’s going to get hurt. I can feel it.”
Tweek nodded. He had been internally panicking ever since the guys had started this stupid game of donuts, and he was terrified it would go wrong.
And, of course, that’s when it did.
An ill timed jerk of the steering wheel, and Craig was flying out of the bed of the truck, hitting the ground with a sickening crunch.
Tweek’s world stopped for half a moment, but then a scream was tearing through him.
“OH MY GOD! HOLY SHIT! AAAAAA!!!!!”
The boys in the back of the truck were banging on the cab, shouting for Stan to hit the breaks. Kyle just let out an explosive string of curses.
He and Tweek were at Craig’s side as soon as the truck came to a stop, the other boys jumping out and gathering around the heap that was Tweek’s boyfriend.
“Oh... fuck dude.” Stan’s reaction did nothing to ease Tweek’s frantic thoughts.
Kyle sprang in to action, speaking over the muttering from the others and Tweek’s panicked whimpering. God, he wanted to shut up but he COULDNT.
“Craig? Dude can you hear me?” Kyle was surprisingly calm.
Craig gave only a grunt to indicate he could hear the redhead, but fluttered his eyes open.
Focused on the task at hand, Kyle continued checking their friend over.
“Don’t try to move, okay? Do you know if you hit your head?”
Voice barely a whisper, Craig said he hadn’t, and then turned to Tweek, wincing as he spoke. “Tweek, honey, it’s okay. I’m okay.”
Tweek was barely aware of his own shrieking. It was coming out of him against his will. At Craig’s side, Kyle almost shook with suppressed annoyance. He shot a look into the crowd.
“Can someone please calm him down? He’s making it worse.”
Tweek KNEW he was scaring everyone. But he couldn’t help it. Couldn’t stop it. Oh god. Every fear and every thought was piercing his brain. Craig was HURT. And Tweek couldn’t do anything to stop it. He was vaguely aware of Tolkien’s hands on his shoulders.
“Tweek, calm down. Just breathe, okay?” But Tweek couldn’t breathe. Craig seemed to blink into coherence.
“I’m-“ Craig gasped as he attempted to push himself up. The noise was echoed by everyone around them as Craig fell back down, cradling a VERY misshapen arm. Oh fuck.
Stan suddenly turned to the side, vomiting at the sight. Tweek felt like his heart was going to explode. Craig was hurt BAD. The parking lot was silent other than the quarterbacks gagging at his injured friend’s arm. Then Jimmy spoke up.
“That’s, like, super b-b-broken, dude.”
Yeah, no shit. Tweek felt another shriek rising in him before Kyle took charge.
“STAN. Go home. Take Tweek to his house too. The rest of you get home, I’m taking Craig to the emergency room.”
“Wait.” Craig was easing himself up with his good arm. “Tweek’s coming too. I’m the only one who can calm him down.”
This was true. Tweek felt himself shaking, and embarrassment flooded him. Jesus. Craig should be the one freaking out, not him.
Kyle sighed, obviously annoyed. “Alright. Craig, can you stand?” Upon a nod from the hurt boy, Kyle stood.
“I’ll keep you guys updated in the group chat. I promise.” Tweek felt himself moving to gently help his boyfriend to his feet, barely aware of Kyle checking in with his own partner. He hauled Craig up, twitching when he moaned in pain.
“Oh god! Craig! I’m sorry!”
“It’s okay, Tweek.” He said again. “I’m okay.”
But Craig wasn’t okay. Tweek tried to contain his emotions.
“Let’s... agh! Let’s just get you to the hospital.”
He carefully eased his boyfriend into the backseat before going around to join him on the other side. Come on, spaz. Keep it together.
Soon Kyle was in the drivers seat of his small grey car, glancing at his two passengers in the rearview. He was wearing a careful mask of contained emotion. How the hell did he keep himself in check like that?
“You guys cool?”
Beside Tweek, Craig nodded, but Tweek could still not contain his shaking. How were they both so calm?
The entire ride to Hell’s Pass, Tweek was twitching intermittently, trying to wipe away any tears that fell. Craig finally spoke.
“Honey. I know you’re scared. Just breathe, okay? You can breathe.”
I CANT! But Tweek forced a smile at his partner instead of voicing his thoughts. Here Craig was, comforting him as always, despite being the one badly injured. He owed it to both him and Kyle to try and appear somewhat calm.
Hospitals. Tweek hated them. Hated the bright lights, the smell, the people. Luckily the waiting room wasn’t too full as he and Kyle sat there, Craig having been called back an hour or so ago.
Tweek was VERY aware of his anxious twitching. Kyle had long since abandoned the attempt to calm him, evidently realizing he was only making it worse. Tweek felt guilty. He wanted to be strong, but he HATED knowing that Craig was back in the offices by himself.
Luckily, the ER visit was short lived, and Craig was walking out of the double doors into the waiting room, discharge papers in his left hand and a blue cast encasing his right arm from elbow to hand. He was frowning, quiet and slow moving.
Back in Kyle’s car, Craig told them what the doctors had said, that it was a clean break and shouldn’t take long to heal, but that was all the dark haired young man had said, even when pressed.
Beside his boyfriend, Tweek tried to control his breathing. Oh god. Craig was right handed. How was he going to do his schoolwork? How long would he be out of football? Was he hurting a lot?
He trailed his eyes up his partner, thinking of the advice the other often gave him. Five things he could see. The knees of his jeans dark with blood. Those familiar bony thighs. The hint of middrift where Craig’s shirt had ridden up. Blue cast. Craig’s face, streaked with... tears?
Tweek stilled. He had seen Craig cry maybe twice before, only when his own panic scared his boyfriend.
“My love? Are you okay? You’re crying.”
At this, Kyle glanced back at the two in the backseat. “Ah, shit. Craig, you good dude?”
Craig just shook his head, and Kyle slowed the car down. “Is it your arm? They didn’t give you anything for the pain?”
Again, Craig shook his head, tears flowing more freely with every second. Tweek just stared.
“...talk to me, babe.” He quietly urged.
Craig took a shaky breath, running his hand over his face.
“It’s... it’s not the pain.” He turned to Tweek with such a look of fear that Tweek felt his heart clench.
“I need it OFF, Tweek. I can’t BREATHE!”
Tweek mentally kicked himself. Of course. Craig was claustrophobic. It was one of the only things he openly struggled with. Having his dominant arm immobilized must be torture.
“Oh, baby. I’m sorry. It’ll be okay.” He cringed at his own words. Being told that everything would be okay never helped when he was freaked out. It felt dismissive. Craig just cried harder.
“It WONT. It won’t be okay, I can’t breathe!”
“Yes, you can, sweetie.” Goddamnit. Rationalizing wasn’t going to help. Fuck. The roles weren’t usually reversed like this. Tweek gently took Craig’s good hand in his own.
“I’m sorry. What do you need, my love?”
Kyle glanced back again. “Should I pull over?”
Tweek nodded and Kyle parked on the side of the road, shifting in the seat to face his passengers. Tweek turned again to his boyfriend, who was fully sobbing at this point.
“I need this fucking cast off!” Craig’s voice was choked and breathless; Tweek was all too familiar with the signs of the edge of hyperventilating. He had just never seen it on another. Shit.
“I know, honey. I’m so sorry. It just needs to stay on for a little while.” God, that sounded weak. What did Craig usually do to calm Tweek down? Ah. Let him let it out, then reroute the energy.
He pulled his crying partner to his chest. “It’s scary, isn’t it?” He felt Craig nod. “It sucks.” Another nod and a sob. “But what can we do to make it suck less?”
Slowly Craig pulled back. He looked drained, but his breathing was slowing a bit. He shrugged, looking down at the offending blue plaster. Tweek had an idea.
“Kyle, you have a marker or anything?”
The redhead smiled, opening up his center console. “I think something metallic will show up well. You want gold?”
Tweek grinned, taking the sharpie. “You read my mind.” He held out his hand to Craig, gesturing for the boy to extend his cast.
He drew the first thing that came to mind: a cluster of stars, forming a constellation of a hand flipping the bird. He signed his name underneath, adding a little heart. Craig let out a snorting laugh.
“Dude. That kicks ass.”
“Fuck yeah it does.” This was Kyle, grinning as Tweek passed back the marker.
Craig looked up from his newly decorated cast into Tweek’s eyes.
“Thanks, honey.” His tears had stopped, and he leaned into his boyfriend. Kyle took that as a sign to resume the drive home.
Tweek ran his hand through Craig’s hair. Damn. He had actually calmed him down.
Against his chest, Craig let out a sigh. “Fuck, man. I get to sit out like, a month of games.”
Kyle laughed from the front seat. “Dude we all know you and Tolkien only joined the football team because Clyde and Stan convinced you to. Just don’t let them know you’re happy to have an excuse.”
Craig was grinning now. “My parents are gonna be pissed, though. Oh well. Fuck ‘em.”
Tweek giggled now, and Kyle Informed Craig that he had texted Laura, letting her know that Craig had gotten hurt and was being taken home.
Everything would be okay. Strangely, Tweek was no longer freaking out. Easing Craig’s anxiety had negated his own too. It felt good to be able to help, even if Tweek had just been winging it.
He smiled at his boyfriend as the car pulled up to the Tucker house.
“You want me to come in with you? Explain shit?”
Craig shook his head, smiling. “Nah, it’s okay. I’ll see you at school tomorrow. Can I call you after I get my parents off my ass?”
Tweek chuckled, feeling very warm inside. “Yeah, definitely. I love you.” He accepted the kiss from his partner.
Craig gave a wave as he exited the car. “Thanks for the ride, Kyle. Tweek, I love you too!”
Kyle was smiling in the rearview again. Tweek rolled his eyes as they drove off. “What, man?”
“Nothing, you just did really good, dude. I’m proud of you.”
“That’s gay.”
“Tweek, you’re gay.”
“Exactly, so I can say that!”