Work Text:
"i cant sleep"
He noticed the buzz in his pocket before his brain could register what it was - only that it had interrupted his own late night insomnia. He sighed, a lazy train of thought thrown off guard like the notification that cut through his music. Squinting at the tiny letters on screen, he reached through the thick dark hair that poked out from under the headphones and pinched the bridge of his nose - a habit learnt from that one redhead guy, probably - before he clicked out a reply.
"Stop drinking coffee before bed then."
He flicked his thumb casually over the send button and returned to his music, something a little louder this time, resting his head back on the pillow and sinking back into his heavy guitar. He needed to clear his head after a long day and the complex riff was the only way he new how.
The phone pinged him again. He jerked awake uncomfortably, tense like a string that's been wound too tight around his brain. What the fuck did he want?
"i didnt have any 2nite. I just can't sleep right now :("
Craig sighed, propping himself up against one thin elbow. He's gotta stop typing like a twelve year old, he thought as he hastily threw together another reply.
"Try distract yourself then."
"idk how I can't shut my brain up."
Well...he could sympathize there. Pressing the volume button, the man turned up the solo to his song and tried to defog his mind.
"I know that feel."
Craig set the phone down, rubbing the pressure in his forehead as he tried once again to remove the oncoming headache that was this conversation. Fucking Tweek. The only reason they had each other's numbers was because Kenny had borrowed his phone one time. But hey, the guy had ran out of credit so whatever. Ken was a nice enough roommate; even though he sometimes fell short on rent he still understood Craig's blunt humour.
"So what r u doing up l8? U got scratching in ur walls as well?"
Craig actually smirked at that. Maybe not scratching as such, but McCormick was listening to porn with the volume up. Half the reason he had these headphones on in the first place was him trying to block out the muffled moans of the pervert through the wall. Fucking gay as shit.
"Well idk about scratching but there's a p bad noise through the wall if you get what I mean."
A few moments silence before the phone buzzed once more. Craig didn't even care what song was playing anymore, seemingly distracted by the oncoming messages.
"lol thats kenny 4 u i guess... So watcha doing???"
"Nm really just listening to music."
"Send me smthng? :)"
Craig stared at his phone, unsure of how to reply. Was metal really the best thing to send to someone as jumpy and sensitive as Tweek? His thumbs hovered over the keypad before another reply broke his chain of thought.
"i mean if u dont wanna thats ok to. U probably just want me 2 shut up & let u sleep right???"
"No hold on I'll be a sec."
He jumped onto soundcloud, grabbing the link. About time he shared the track, to be honest, that and it was just about to start playing next. It was a slower number - not so heavy - with more focus on vocals. Craig hit send and waited.
And waited.
The song faded off.
Shit. He'd triggered the guy. Fuck it, he thought, chucking off his headphones and flopping back into the bed. It was his problem now. Kenny had finally finished his nightly rounds anyway. About time they both got to sleep.
***
Craig felt a familiar buzzing next to his ear.
Fuuuck. How long was he out? The sun was already out, glaring through his window as he heard Kenny reheating City Wok downstairs in the microwave. With a tired grunt, Craig rolled over and checked the phone.
A single message showed up on screen.
"Thx 4 last nite. Finally got 2 sleep. Btw u have a gr8 singing voice."