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Tweek wasn’t the average 5th grader. He knew that, the teachers knew that, his parents knew that, and his peers knew that all too well.
After years of being told he just acted out and was ‘bad’, he started to believe it. Unaware of the drugs in his coffee or the affect of the trauma bestowed upon him, he was quick to fade away from his friends to not embarrass them or anything of the sort.
Although, there was one boy he allowed himself to be around.
Craig, who was the perfect blend of realism and pessimism. Craig, who had no filter and stood up for what he believed in, despite the pleas of others. Craig, who unlike any one person in his life, was kind to Tweek.
Craig was different. He was different then everyone.
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Tweek was known for his almost lethal panic attacks, often having them onset at the worse possible times. For example, during class, while in the crowded lunch room, while having conferences about his grades, while around his parents. Basically when he was around people, it was inevitable.
Now was no different.
Standing in the corner of the locker room, shirt unbuttoned by shaky hands and piled on the floor with his gym uniform under it, he felt the familiar thump of his heart in his chest. He twitched violently and fell into a sitting position. He somehow heard his breathing over his heartbeat and pressed his hand against his mouth to soften the sound. This has happened before, and he was terrified.
“GUH-“
His head fell forward as he felt his entire body shake. He was supposed to go to class! He had gym, and that teacher hated him! He was constantly a disruption and could never do anything right because he was bad and his dad is gonna be so mad and punish him- He felt the wetness from his eyes run over his hands and land on the floor in front of him.
What happens if he can’t leave? Will they lock him in there? Will they think he skipped? He can’t skip! He already has! His parents said his punishment would be so much worse if he tried it again! He couldn’t walk last time!
The constant stepping of people coming and going made his head hurt. He rocked back and forth, just wanted this experience to be over. His heart was gonna explode! He was really gonna die this time! He had no business dying yet, what if he goes to hell!? What if his parents still find him there?!
“AK-“
His voice echoed throughout the now empty locker room. Usually, he felt more at ease because of this, but he felt trapped inside his own body, and he felt like he needed outside intervention to leave his head.
Not just any intervention, he wanted Craig. All Tweek ever wants is Craig. Craig frees his mind, calms him down, makes him feel whole.
The thought of him slowed his breathing slightly, but it was still audible to anyone walking near the door of the lockers. His hands started to sweat profusely from the heat of his breath.
His chest heaved, his concaved stomach becoming more noticeable and more pitiful as time when on.
“AGH-“
He felt the bile stirring in his throat. He was gonna vomit, surely! He could barely suck in breaths past the taste in his throat.
Carefully—as if he had anything left to lose—he reached out one of his hands to move his clothes out of his projectile aim. He couldn’t vomit on his clothes, he’d be a laughing stock! He hasn’t had to keep a change of clothes on him since last year!
His thoughts went by faster then he could process them. He felt his stomach lurch as he gagged beneath his hand. He hadn’t even eaten anything today besides coffee! What was supposed to come up?? He didn’t want his throat to burn from the stomach acid, not again!
“HURK-“
As it does, his stomach betrayed him. Violently, his bile came up, hitting his hand and leaking onto the floor as it got overfilled. It was warmer than the cold sweat on his hand was, continuously replenished with the warmth by the mix of mucus, acid, and coffee.
His eyes blurred as tears were forced out of them. He was in pain, too much pain
He threw his head forward in an attempt keep himself clean. He felt so dirty already.
His body shook violently with the force, his lith body not built for the stress. His chest heaved dramatically as he coughed up more and more of what was left in his small stomach.
Finally, like a faucet turning off, the thick liquid slows to nothing more than a string connecting him to the concrete.
His new pool of what was inside him was much smaller then he felt it should be. Looking at his hand, he saw it was also surprisingly empty.
“Wha-?”
His head whipped around, looking at the floor and on himself. Where did it go? There was so much before! Did he imagine it..?
There’s no way! How could he see so much that wasn’t there?
Oh god, he was gonna freak out! He can’t see things that aren’t there, he’s already crazy!
His thoughts raced on this path, terrified of his own mind.
“Tweek?”
His head whipped towards the sound of his name. He saw the blue pants and black shoes of his favorite person, and his breath stopped in his throat.
“Tweek, calm down.” He said in his nasally and comforting voice.
He made eye contact with him as he stalked towards him, checking the ground for the dirtiness left behind by Tweek before kneeling down.
Tweek’s head twitched violently, but he felt his breathing calm down a bit.
Gently—like Tweek was an injured animal—Craig reached out and rested his hand against his arm. He made an effort to not look at Tweek’s still-shirtless figure so he didn’t become more self conscious, because Craig thinks ahead. Tweek likes that about him.
“What happened? You were supposed to come out for free time.” He asked with no malice in his voice. He was so, so kind.
“AK- I was-! I was fine and then… I saw more then was… And I… Oh god, I skipped, didn’t I? My parents are gonna kill me!!” He verbally panicked, reaching out his undirtied hand to clutch Craig’s sweater.
“Tweek.” He spoke over his ramblings. “Tweek! It’s fine. We had a free day, there was a sub.” He said, rubbing his smooth skin in a hopefully comforting way.
“…oh.” He finally slowed down, leaning into Craig’s hand a bit.
“Breathe, Tweek. Everything’s okay.” He made a point to model the breathing, taking an audible breath in, then exhaling.
Tweek—with what breath he had left in his lungs—copied him, taking a shaky breath in, in sync with his comfort person, then exhaling quicker than he planned. It was hard to calm down, but it seemed possible with him around.
“Good job.” He said monotonously, but Tweek took it as praise. Craig’s mouth turned up at the corners, and it made Tweek smile, too.
“T-“ His head twitched, cutting him off. “Thank you.” He said, focused on Craig’s face.
“Yeah.” He responded, gently rubbing his hand on his arm. “Anytime, Tweek. I don’t want you to be left alone when your like this.” Quickly—and as subtly as possible—his eyes snapped down at his bare chest, then back again.
“Huh?” Tweek’s gaze followed where Craig’s when, finally noticing that he was shirtless.
“AH!” He screeched, falling back and covering his chest with his arms, despite the bile on his hand. His whole body tensed with the realization
“Shit- Tweek, calm down!” Craig spoke up, leaning forward and outstretching his hand in a failed attempt to catch him.
“NONONO IM NOT WEARING ANYTHING!!” He screamed, scrabbling away like a bug caught in a web. “DONT LOOK AT ME!” His head twitched violently, despite his attempt to hold his chin to his collarbones.
Craig snapped his head away and squeezed his eyes shut. “Alright, alright! I’m not looking!” He yelled, keeping his hands outstretched in a desperate attempt to get him calm again.
Tweek made a noise of destress, but choose to look at Craig and see him averting his eyes.
His body un-tensed, knowing that he listened. It made his chest spread a new wave of warmth. He stared at him, watching his lips move around the words he couldn’t hear.
Craig listens to him.
He listened to him without any prompting.
Good to know.
Snapping out of his trance, he scrambled to grab his gym shirt with one hand and threw it over his head, struggling to get his head through the head hole with his constantly shaking hands.
“…Okay. You can look.” He spoke softly, feeling bashful at his reaction at this point.
Craig opened one eye and peeked at him, confirming what he said and sighing with relief. He put his hands down slowly and looked at him. “Sorry.” He said plainly. “I didn’t think to tell you. Didn’t think it was the most important thing.” He explained, shrugging with little movement.
Tweek blushed lightly. “No-“ His head twitched, “No worries,” He rolled his bottom lip into his mouth, nibbling on his lip. “Uh- Thanks.” His voice cracked.
“For what?”
“For listening… and looking away.”
“Oh. It’s fine.”
Tweek smiled. “Also! For.. for helping me.” He averted his eyes. “Thank you-“
“Yeah. It’s fine, Tweek.” He smiled slightly. “Dont mention it.”
Tweek didn’t reply for a moment, left with a stale—yet comfortable—silence.
“Come on.” Craig said suddenly, standing up and reaching out his hand. Tweek took it hesitantly, keeping his dirty hand by his side as he used the leverage to stand.
Craig couldn’t help the thoughts that came from watching his shaky legs.
Walking to the bathroom, he helped Tweek to the sink and turned on the facet for him. He couldn’t hide the grimace on his face watching the bile run down the sink and into the drain.
After his hands were clean, they both wandered out of the locker room. Tweek kept his hands up to his chest, while Craig had his arms cooly dangling at his side. As if on cue, the first bell rang and the others starts leaving.
“W-wow” Twitch. “Good timing.” He said, moderately impressed.
“I did it on purpose. You don’t like being late,” Craig revealed, wandering off and letting Tweek catch up to him.
“Oh. Well, thanks.” He smiled gently, and Craig turned around to look at him.
“Anytime.”