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I didn't know a lot about Craig Tucker until we fought that day in third grade. Even after fighting each other all night in the hospital I didn't know him. Sure, I knew his fighting style, and his physical weaknesses. I knew that he has a soft spot for his guinea pig Stripe. Other than that and his love for flipping people off I didn't know anything else about him. But that night in the hospital I learned something about him that I didn't know and I don't think anyone has ever discovered this: Craig is a sweetheart.
It was around one thirty in the morning. Most of the hospital staff had gone home and the security guard patrolled the hallways. He passed by our room every forty-five minutes, fifty-five if he flirts with the nurse at the desk down the hall. I was wide awake and trying not to rip the IV from my arm again. Scared noises passed my lips, but I'm so accustomed to it that I hardly noticed. The hospital was silent except for ominous hospital noises, the guard's footsteps, and my mumblings.
As far as I knew, Craig was asleep next to me. I couldn't go to sleep because I didn't want him to beat me up again or kill me. “Hey, shut the fuck up. I'm trying to sleep.” Hearing Craig's voice made me scream automatically. The next instant I heard him curse and get out of his bed.
With wide eyes and a racing heart I watched Craig come over to my bed and put a hand over my mouth. “Don't hit me!” I begged from behind his hand. It came out muffled but all of us were experts at understanding that since we know Kenny. Craig's eyes – which I noticed are blue with a ring of gray and then another outer ring of blue – widened with surprise. I got the feeling that very little ever surprises Craig Tucker.
“What, the fuck, dude?” Craig doesn't move his hand for me to answer and I don't want to punch him in the face. We're both already covered in bruises and my ribs hurt. “Do not scream.” Oh shit, I've had nightmares like this! “I don't want the nurse to come back in.”
Craig looked a little bit concerned about the nurse coming back in but I couldn't think of any reason why except maybe: “W-Why not? Is she a vampire?” To which Craig promptly rolled his eyes. Oh Jesus what if she sucks my blood?! I'm probably already anemic!
“No, dumbass. She's just too cuddly.” If it wasn't so dark I would say that I saw Craig blushing a little. There was probably definitely some color there on his cheeks and I'm not talking about the bruises. “I mean she's a grown woman. I don't want to cuddle her.”
Any of our friends would have jumped for the chance to cuddle our nurse. She was rockin those tits. Yet somehow, I found that I had to agree with Craig, it just sounded unappealing. In spite of that I still don't know what I was thinking when I said, “I'm not a grown woman.” I saw a hint of a smirk on his face.
Apparently neither did Craig, but he didn't miss a beat in his reply. “You're not a woman.” It was then that I noticed he was sitting on my bed having a conversation with me. And I wasn't freaking out. And Craig Tucker – the kid who just spent all day beating me up – is having a conversation with me. My mind felt like this was just one big trip from all the pain killers they pumped into us.
So when I replied, “I'm not grown either.” I actually kind of smiled. I don't know what either of us were expecting...But after a few anti-climatic seconds we both felt a little awkward. Personally, I was hoping the thought that crossed my mind was not going to come back. Unfortunately it did.
Of course Craig being the gentleman and caring hospital roommate he is asked, “So why can't you shut up and sleep?” I began to fidget and make those somewhat embarrassing noises. Why does he want to know? Is he still going to knock me out? “Get it out already.”
Well, at least we'll both get some sleep when he punches my lights out for being such a pussy. “I'm scared.” I whispered. Craig sighed and a yawn parted his jaws. I noticed bags under his eyes and wondered if he had been training as much as I was. Suddenly I felt kind of bad for keeping him up all night.
“What would make you not scared anymore?” The noirette asked. I played with the thin hospital blanket as I thought about it. The first thing that came to mind is someone to keep me safe. Someone strong. I flushed red because I had someone strong right in front of me.
In a strange moment of courage – or stupidity depending on how you look at it - I blurted out words that seemed strange to both of us at the time. “Sleep with me!” Followed by me gathering the blanket to protect my already broken face. No pain came but it was a while before I lowered the blanket to see what the hell was going on.
Craig must have stared at me for a minute but it felt like an hour. Neither of us moved for a long time. I was holding my breath. “Are you a fag?” Quickly I shook my head no. Although if I was being even a little honest with myself I would have said that I didn't know.
“A-Are you gay?” I don't know why I asked. I must have been really stupid or something. Craig gave me a glare that made the blood in my veins freeze. “Well...will you?” Don't mind me, just digging myself a deeper grave.
In response he forced me to lay down and laid stretched out beside me. “Don't tell anyone.” Was his tired last words. I promised not to. Craig would probably land us both in the hospital again if I did. So that was when I fell in love with the mysterious, serious Craig Tucker.