FicWad

In Deep Water (in a situation that is beyond your abilities to resolve)
California, July 2014, Summer
They had managed to rent a basement level apartment with one bedroom in a fairly safe suburb when they had first moved to Pasadena. The letting agent was a woman in her early 20s, who had taken a real shine to Craig as soon as he had stepped out of their car. Sensing her positive reaction to his warm, throaty, deep voice on the phone he had worn tight Levi’s and a sleeveless muscle shirt, flashing her a winning smile and enthusiastically shaking her hand while maintaining intense eye contact. From the passenger seat, Tweek had tried not to laugh as he watched her touch his arm. She was enchanted with him.
Craig had squeezed his knee during the car ride over from the motel they were staying in.
“Ok, to reiterate. I’m going to tell her again we’re friends who are splitting the rent to save money. I know I’m being a manipulative jerk, but I can tell she’s hot for me and I know you really don’t want us to have to share facilities with anyone. So, y’know. We’re acting straight.”
Tweek had laughed.
“Roger that. I’ll make sure I fit all the bad stereotypes, somehow. And I’ll keep my hands out of your pants.”
“I know, it’s bullshit.”
“You know everyone is hot for you, right? Like, even the straight boys we’re pretending to be and maybe even some of the charming self-described lesbians.”
“I really think you overestimate it, babe. Besides, any attraction dries up as soon as I open my mouth.”
“I told you, we can afford to fix your tooth.”
“We really can’t, angel. Our insurance won’t cover it. Technically it’s cosmetic.”
“I know you hate it, and once I’ve found a part time job I’m saving for it. But for what it’s worth, you’re perfect and the chip in your tooth is really fucking cute.”
“Financial stability first. But I appreciate you caring so much about my white boy vanity complex. Right, we’re here.”
Craig had introduced Tweek as his friend. He stretched his muscular arms above his head to wipe the dust off the power meter, pulling up his shirt to expose his abs. Tweek fought to keep himself from bursting out in laughter as she openly stared as Craig’s ass while he bent over to examine inside the cupboard under the sink. It came as no surprise when she rang Craig back an hour later to offer them the place.

The landlord was remarkably hands-off, which suited them well. They doubted he’d have cared even if he’d known about them being more than roommates, as he was happy with them as quiet, clean tenants who paid rent on time.
It was a blisteringly hot summer evening. Tweek and Craig laughed happily together as they washed the car and splashed each other with water.
Tweek stifled a laugh as he glanced across the street and noticed the elderly man and woman across the street giving them dirty looks from their deck chairs on their front lawn. He caught Craig’s eye and grinned at him as he raised his eyebrows meaningfully. Craig noticed, and shot Tweek a devilish wink before waving to the couple playfully.
“Evening! Lovely night to be outside, isn’t it!”
His grin grew wider as he watched them give him even filthier looks.
Tweek threw a sponge at him, hitting him in the chest. Craig burst out laughing.
“Cheeky!”
He pulled off his tank top and threw it at Tweek’s head. Tweek ducked, laughing.
“You’re the cheeky one, Craig.”
He dropped his voice with a furtive glance at the elderly couple still shooting them death looks.
“Sassing American Gothic over there. I can’t believe you’re wearing those shorts outside off the house. Classic.”
Craig poked his tongue out and wiggled his ass in the skimpy cut-offs he was wearing.
“Don’t act like you don’t appreciate them. Besides, it’s like a million degrees out here.”
Tweek groaned. “I know.” He wrapped Craig’s tank top around his head and sighed. He wore a sleeveless shirt and denim shorts too, but he was feeling painfully self-conscious in them. The shorts belonged to Craig as none of his own would zip up anymore, and he was well aware of how tightly the shirt stretched over his soft stomach and lower back, exacerbated by the water splashed on him.
He put down the bucket he was holding.
“Hey, I should run my tutoring application over to the department.”
Craig frowned. “Right now? It’s due tomorrow, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, but if I do it now I don’t have to do it tomorrow.”
Craig slowly walked towards him, his eyes gentle. When he spoke it was soft.
“Are you ok, sweetheart?”
Tweek laughed shakily and glanced down at his feet.
“Yeah, I’m ok. I just kind of want to feel like I’ve achieved something today. And to be honest I want to change, I feel pretty gross in this.”
“Tweek -”
“Honestly, I’m fine.”
He shot Craig a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, and made to walk back to the house. Craig stepped forward, grabbed him and enveloped him tightly in his arms, nuzzling the top of Tweek’s head. Tweek laughed.
“Is this to annoy the neighbours?”
“Nah.”
Craig clutched him tighter.
“Isn’t your tank a bit soapy?”
“I don’t care.”
Tweek relaxed and hugged Craig back. “I love you, Craig. Thank you.”
“I love you too.”
“Do you want to come with me?”
“I will if you want.”
Tweek gave Craig a gentle squeeze around his waist.
“You want to study, don’t you?”
Craig had started studying for his GED a few months previously.
“Would you mind?”
“Nah, it’s cool. I’ll be really quick. I get to show off our beautifully clean shiny car, woo.”

He didn’t notice the dark figure approaching him in the campus parking lot until a hand clamped down on his shoulder. Tweek yelped, sounding eight years old again, and whirled around.
“Tweek.”
He breathed a sigh of relief. It was Sam, a guy he knew vaguely from some of his classes.
“Jesus, Sam. You scared the shit out of me.”
“Sorry, man.”
Sam was the only person Tweek had ever met who was as twitchy as he was. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. He offered the packet to Tweek, who shook his head. Sam took a drag and exhaled.
Though Tweek was relieved it was someone he knew that had approached him in the dark, Sam had always somehow made him uncomfortable. He forced a smile, hoping he could get away quickly.
“I’ve got to get home soon, dude. I only popped in here for a minute. Are you having a good summer?”
Sam gave a harsh laugh.
“A good summer?”
“Well, yeah.”
“Look, Tweek. Let’s cut the bullshit, alright? I know what’s wrong with you. This is Cali.”
Tweek frowned, starting to feel more nervous than irritated.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Sam. I have to get home now. I’ll see you around.”
He turned and started to walk away, digging his car keys from his pocket. Sam called after him.
“Tweek! I know what you need. I can help.”
Tweek stopped, squeezing his eyes shut as he slowly turned around.
“Sam. Look. I don’t know what you think, but I’m not interested.”
“The withdrawal fucking sucks man, doesn’t it? I know it does. I tried to quit. I really did. But it doesn’t go away.”
Tweek stared at Sam, who gave him a bitter smile and took another drag of his cigarette.
“You know what the really fucked up part is? I was off the stuff for a year. But if you’ve been on it for too long, you won’t get yourself back.”
Tweek sighed.
“Sam, I don’t -”
“Look, Tweek. I’m not here to tell you what to do. But I like you. And I just wanted to tell you that if you need help, I know a good guy to go to. If you change your mind, you know where to find me.”
Sam flicked his cigarette onto the ground and they watched it burn briefly, then die. With a nod, Sam turned and walked away. It took Tweek a few moments to register how hard his heart was pounding.


Craig moaned as the warm wetness of Tweek’s mouth enveloped him.
Tweek sighed in response at the vibrations Craig’s moan sent through him.
“Unngh.”
“Mmm.”
Tweek carefully slipped Craig’s cock from his mouth and turned his head back.
“What if I were to spread you?”
“I’d love that. Oh man. Please.”
Tweek gasped as Craig licked around his head. Tweek reached under the bed for the litre of lube they’d bought online, Craig bursting out laughing when the surreptitiously labelled package arrived on the doorstep. He had forced himself to talk Craig out of triumphantly opening it in front of the neighbours. Tweek stifled a laugh at the memory as he pumped some onto his fingers.
He put his head back down and took Craig back into his mouth, positioning his arm around Craig’s strong hip. He gently began to finger Craig while deep throating him, gently dabbing the tip of his tongue over Craig’s urethra and licking off the pre-cum this produced. Craig groaned enthusiastically and took Tweek in his mouth again.
Tweek slipped Craig’s cock out of his mouth before addressing him again.
“Oh Tweek, don’t stop.”
“Sorry. Careful with teeth.”
He stroked Craig in gentle circles, starting to carefully slip his finger inside.
“So. Tucker. What if I were to get your g spot?”
Craig laughed, the rumble in his throat making Tweek’s toes curl as it made his cock tingle. He gave Tweek a hard suck that made his breath catch, and gently pulled his mouth from Tweek to look at him, his bright brown eyes sparkling with mischief.
“If you were to do that, hypothetically, I would be so happy.”
They looked at each for a few seconds before both exploding with laughter.
Tweek shook his head. “Dear God we have problems.”
“You bet your sweet ass we do. But we’re experts at sixty-nining so it’s fine. Go on. Rub me there. Please.”
Tweek grinned at the throaty moan he elicited.
After months of their not being intimate with each other, they both quietly wanted to make up for lost time, Tweek in particular. He knew Craig would never have wanted for him to feel obligated to sleep with him, and he didn’t. But he had spent months feeling like he was underground; immobilised, hibernating. Now it was as if he was emerging back into the fresh air, blinking in the weak, clean spring sunlight.
One of his favourite things to do was to slip into the shower with Craig when he came home from work, helping him to wash off the sweat, road dust, and engine grease of the day. Craig religiously showered in the mornings too, given the sweaty humid California nights even midway through fall. So there wasn’t really that much washing to do, and it almost inevitably evolved into soft, wet lovemaking that would culminate in them stumbling back into the bedroom and collapsing on the mattress together, still dripping from the shower and desperate to use their mouths on the other’s freshly cleaned intimate areas.
Even when it didn’t end in their sleeping together, Tweek loved the pure, loving experience of washing his lover. Even in their total exposure to each other, it felt so innocent, so sweet, so caring.
He gave Craig a powerful orgasm that sent him over the edge at the same time, mutually swallowing each other’s spilled hot seed and continuing to stubbornly suck each other until they were both completely spent.
Together they lay there for a few moments, euphoric. They carefully removed their hands from inside of each other and Tweek moved around to lay with his head on Craig’s toned stomach, hugging his legs.
Craig gently ruffled Tweek’s hair, somehow making it more messy than it had already been.
“I love you, angel.”
Tweek kissed Craig’s hip and shuffled up to lay under his arm, closing his eyes as Craig wrapped his arms around him tightly.
“I love you too.”
Tweek sighed and turned his face into Craig’s chest.
“Ugh. I should really do some work.”
“Let’s rustle up some dinner first.”
“Yeah. In a minute. I just need to stay here with you for a moment.”

Colorado, August 2010, Summer
Craig’s father never beat him as hard as when he found his son in bed with Tweek, the morning after they had first slept with each other.
Dawn was just beginning to break, and they were snuggled in Craig’s bed, dozing peacefully in each other’s arms. Both were naked, and the air dripped with the warm, pungent odours from a night of sweaty lovemaking. Speckle squeaked contentedly from her hutch on top of Craig’s dresser.
Tweek stirred as the door creaked open, and began shaking so violently that Craig instantly woke.
He froze when he saw his father, tall enough and muscular enough to almost fill the doorway, his eyes locked on Craig. His expression was filled with revulsion and hate.
“Get out” he breathed.
“Dad -” Craig began, sitting up in bed and trying to cover Tweek and himself with the bedclothes.
“I SAID GET OUT!!” his father suddenly screamed.
Tweek snatched his jeans from the floor and wrenched them on beneath the sheets. He stumbled across the room, tripping over the trailing covers, and forced Craig’s bedroom window open. He hurtled out, landing a few feet below, barefoot in the snow. Out of the corner of his eye, Craig could see Tweek standing in the garden, trembling with cold and fear for Craig as he watched through the window, hugging his arms around his bare torso, his face streaked with tears. It went against every piece of Tweek’s being not to run back inside and try to stop what was about to happen, but he had learned long ago that he would only make it worse.
Craig’s father advanced on him, pulling his belt through the loops of his trousers as he approached.
Tweek climbed back in through the window as soon as it was over. Craig’s father had left him on the floor, and gone to work. Craig was barely conscious, but his eyes filled with tears as he saw Tweek kneeling over him, felt him touch his bruised cheek. “Tweek,” he croaked, through a mouthful of blood and broken teeth. “You can’t be here. He said that if he sees you here again, he’ll kill me.”
Tweek felt tears spilling onto his cheeks as he held Craig’s hand between both of his own, stroking his thumbs over Craig’s sensitive palms. His other arm stuck out at a strange angle as he lay face down on the floor, his breathing ragged. Tweek checked Craig’s pulse, and saw him wince as he touched his neck.
“Craig?”
“Ribs.”
Inwardly, Tweek shuddered. He jammed his shoes on his feet and yanked his jacket over his head. He grabbed Craig’s sweat pants, hoodie, and blue jacket from the floor.
“Honey? I really need to take you to the hospital. I think your arm might be broken, if nothing else. Can you stand?”
Slowly Craig nodded, and Tweek helped him kneel, and then stand. Craig was silent, but tears streamed down his face onto his bare chest. Tweek carefully moved him to sit on the edge of the bed, and gently pulled Craig’s sweat pants onto his body. He offered Craig the bottle of water that had been left on the nightstand, and after Craig gave a weak nod he carefully lifted it to his mouth so he could drink. Craig was shaking. Tweek carefully placed socks on his feet and laced up his Van’s.
“Alright, I’m not going to try and move your arm. I’m worried about your ribs so I’m not going to bind it to your chest, I’ll go lower.”
Craig nodded and Tweek carefully secured his arm across his stomach, avoiding his ribs. Tweek pulled Craig’s oversized hoodie over his head, taking the utmost care not to touch his injuries. He pulled Craig’s jacket over his shoulders without putting his arms in the sleeves, and picked up Craig’s old blue hat from the floor to keep it on his head.
“There we go. I don’t want you being cold on top of everything. Come on, angel, let’s get you in the car.”
Tweek supported Craig as they carefully moved down the stairs. Mercifully they didn’t encounter Craig’s father again, or his mother, but then again it was barely 7am.
Together they slipped out of the house and across the yard. The sun was just beginning to rise over the snow so that they glinted. Diamonds, Craig thought, in his twilit state of consciousness. His ribs throbbed and he choked back a sob. Blood diamonds.
Tweek had cooed to him softly as he carefully bundled him into the car and buckled him in, his sounds closer to the mewing of a kitten than formed words. He put the car into reverse and carefully manoeuvred out of the Tucker’s driveway, turning on the heater as he turned into the street and began driving to Hell’s Pass. Tears were falling thick and hard onto Craig’s jacket, and Tweek gently held onto his thigh after putting the gearstick into third.

When they arrived at the hospital Tweek leapt out of the car, skidding slightly on the ice. He whipped around to the passenger side and threw open the door. Craig dimly registered how rapidly Tweek was moving when he wasn’t carefully touching Craig, and remembered when they were nine and Tweek had found a dying baby bird on the pavement. Craig recognised the behaviour, his mind casting back to Tweek flying into the house to get Craig’s mother whom he had ordinarily been painfully shy around, and then picking up the bird with immeasurable gentleness in a juxtaposition that broke Craig’s heart. The little bird hadn’t made it, and Tweek had been inconsolable.
Now Tweek unbuckled Craig from the seat, smiling up at him reassuringly, and put an arm that was exceedingly stronger than it looked around his shoulders to carefully slide him out of the beaten up Toyota. Craig leaned onto Tweek as he stumbled across the parking lot towards the entrance.
The receptionist blinked when they appeared in front of her desk. “Morning, boys. What happened here?”
Craig’s eyes stung from the hot salty tears falling out of them with renewed vigour.
“Craig here got -”
“Fell off my bike.”
Craig could feel Tweek turn his head off to look at him. He glanced down to see the green eyes boring into him.
“You fell off your bike?”
“Yes, ma’am. He fell. He’s my friend from school and he goes past my house for his paper route. He slipped on some ice a few blocks down and fell down pretty hard. He rang me to get him and here we are. We think his arm is broken, and maybe some of his ribs too.”
The receptionist stared at them both. Craig nodded.
How did this happen? I’m the baby bird.
“Ok then. Take a seat, boys, we’ll be with you soon. It shouldn’t be long.”
Tweek thanked her and carefully moved manoeuvred Craig into the waiting area. They were the only ones there. Tweek helped Craig into a chair and sat down beside him, gently squeezing his good hand in both of his own. He softly kissed Craig’s cheek.
“Oh, look.” He pointed at the hot drinks dispenser in the far corner of the room. “I’ll get you some tea?”
Craig nodded. “Thanks.”
He realised he was still crying. For Christ’s sake, Tucker. Get a grip.
Tweek sat back down beside him with a steaming cup. “Here we are. Can you smell the bergamot?” He paused. “Goddamn I’m gay.”
Craig laughed weakly and winced as pain shot through his ribs. Tweek frowned and looked to the reception desk, raising his eyebrows as the receptionist caught his eye. He squeezed Craig’s knee. “Can you hold this by yourself, Craig? I’m going to talk to the lady.”
Craig took the polystyrene cup from Tweek, who got to his feet and walked to the lady, smiling politely.
“Hi, look.”
“You shouldn’t have to wait more than another fifteen minutes. There’s no one waiting before you as you can see, but all our medics are occupied right now.”
“Great, look, is there any way we could get him some painkillers in the meantime? He’s not allergic to anything, and it’s hurting him to breathe with his ribs. He’ll sign whatever you need to.”
“Is he eighteen?”
“No, sixteen.”
She twisted her lips uncomfortably, looking over at Craig.
“We really aren’t meant to, without the permission of a legal guardian. And we haven’t even talked about health insurance. Do you have his parents’ contact info, or another adult relative?”
“No.”
Tweek took a deep breath and dropped his voice further.
“Look. His Dad did this to him, and we’ll figure out what to do about that once he’s ok. But we can’t call his parents.”
“His Dad?”
“Yes.”
She sighed.
“I see.”
“How much is this likely to cost, ma’am? I’ll pay for it right now. But please, I mean this. Calling his parents isn’t an option. Please.”
Renee hadn’t been scheduled on that morning, but she really needed the money so she’d taken the shift when her manager rang. This shift was typically very quiet, even with the ending of the school year a few weeks ago. Luckily her sister had been able to take her daughter for the morning. Involuntarily she thought of her baby’s father, the bruises he had given her before she finally left in the middle of that snowy night, and she stifled a shudder. She met the wide eyes of the scared looking kid standing in front of her, silent tears beginning to fall onto his pale cheeks.
He gulped and leaned in a little closer, his voice hushed. “I’m scared he might have bad internal damage.” Clearly he didn’t want to scare the boy in the waiting room.
His voice was barely above a whisper. “Ma’am, what will it take to get him some painkillers?”
His eyes were desperate. “Name your price. I’ll drop the keys to my car in your pocket, just say the word.”
She stared at him for a moment, and saw him reach for his pocket. She shook her head.
“Don’t. Wait here. I’ll find a nurse.”
She shot him a smile as she left the room, pushing open the double doors to a corridor he couldn’t see.
Tweek turned back to Craig, who sat ashen-faced, his head drooping against the back of the chair.
“Craig?”
Slowly Craig raised his head.
“It’s going to be ok, Craig. She’s getting the nurse.”
“Tweek”, Craig choked out. “What do I do now?”
Tweek blinked hard as he sat down and stroked Craig’s hair, swallowing the lump in his throat.
“It will be ok, angel. I promise. Once you’re sorted here I’ll take you back to my place and get you cleaned up.”
“What then?”
“We’ll go and get your things. Or, I will. I’ll tell my parents we’ve got a new video game that we want to marathon.”
“And then what?”
Tweek sighed.
“Fuck video games. I’ll just tell them what he did. They’re not going to force you back.”
Craig put his head on Tweek’s shoulder and squeezed his hand back.
“I can’t report him, Tweek. He’s friends with every cop in town.”
Tweek nodded slowly. “I know.”
He stroked inside Craig’s wrist as they waited together.

. . .

Craig lay back on the hospital bed, the morphine drip in his arm. Tweek sat in a chair beside him as they scanned him for broken bones.
Dr Parsons smiled.
“No soft tissue damage or anything like that, no internal bleeding. You do have three broken ribs on your left side, and your left forearm is fractured. Dangerous paper route, huh?”
Craig smiled weakly and winced, his eyes half shut and glassy. Tweek breathed a silent sigh of relief.
“Fortunately there was no damage to the jaw, despite the damage to that front tooth. You’ll have to see a dentist for that, Craig, but there was no medical damage – it’s cosmetic at this stage, but keep an eye on your mouth in case the scan missed anything. It should be fine.
“So, here’s what we’re going to do.” He addressed Tweek more than Craig, despite Tweek ostensibly claiming to be nothing more than a friend.
“We’ll splint the arm, but not the ribs. We’ll prescribe medication for the pain, and breathing exercises a little down the line, but we don’t compress breathing because it can cause pneumonia. Ice for the swelling, but no ibuprofen for 48 hours since it can impair healing. Really, you just need to rest. You boys are on summer break, aren’t you?”
Tweek nodded, and the doctor smiled at him.
“Good timing, huh?”
Craig moved his head in what could have been a nod, and blood leaked from the side of his mouth. The doctor handed Tweek a piece of cotton, and Tweek gently wiped it up.
Luckily the Tweaks had been at their coffee shop when Tweek had parked outside his parents’ house a little after 9am. Dizzy from shock and adrenaline and medication, Craig had slipped in and out of consciousness as he lay in their tub, Tweek gently washing him with a cloth. After that Craig had used Tweek’s toothbrush to carefully scrub his teeth, spitting blood into the sink so that he could properly inspect the damage. Luckily it was just the one tooth that his father had chipped, his front left one. When Tweek brought him some cold water he hadn’t felt the sharp sting of exposed pulp, to both of their immeasurable relief.
Tweek had tucked Craig into his bed, and gently placed an ice pack across his ribs. He’d checked that Craig had caught up with medication, and then lain down beside him to cradle him softly. As Tweek tenderly kissed his forehead, the reality of what had happened to Craig finally hit him and he broke down in renewed sobs in Tweek’s arms.
Eventually he had dozed off in Tweek’s double bed, much wider than the twin in what had until a few hours earlier definitively been Craig’s bedroom.
He woke to the sound of Tweek’s voice, speaking in furious hushed tones.
“No, Laura. It’s up to him. Not you.”
Pause.
“I’ll come for his things. He’s asleep. He’s not going back there.”
Pause.
“Yes, I know. We know.”
A slightly longer pause than its predecessors.
“Are you fucking shitting me?”
Craig blinked at the ceiling, hearing the uncharacteristic harshness to Tweek’s tone.
“Nice parenting, Laura. Well done.”
Tweek’s voice was incredulous. Craig heard him sigh.
“Okay, okay. I’ll be fast. Yup, I’m on my way now.”
Craig tried to sit up as Tweek came back into his bedroom.
“Hey, lay down angel. I brought you a sandwich. PB and J, your favourite. And a glass of OJ. Dude, these lazy ass contractions are the worst. Can you use your good hand?”
“Thank you. Yeah. Was that my Mom?”
Tweek bit his lip and nodded.
“Yeah.”
“Tweek -”
“It’s ok. You can stay here. Your D- Thomas isn’t there now. I’m going over.”
“Tweek –”
“I’ll be ok. Um.”
Tweek unzipped his jacket and gestured at his inside pocket.
“My Dad’s handgun. Thank God for ‘Murica’s bad gun control laws.”
Craig reached for Tweek’s hand.
“Don’t go. It’ll be ok. I don’t need my stuff, I have my savings. And Tricia will take care of Speckle.”
Tweek squeezed Craig’s hand.
“Thomas told Laura he’d burn your things if I didn’t get them.”
“But -”
“Including Speckle.”
Craig tasted vomit.
Tweek squeezed his hand harder.
“Craig, I have to go. I’ll see you soon. We can watch Red Racer and laugh at how terrible it is. With Speckle.”
He kissed Craig a little harder than he normally would have, shooting him a nervous smile and a little wave as he left the room.