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It was all going perfectly, really. Their date was really going perfectly. They started the day by having breakfast together at Kyle's house; waffles and fruit parfaits made by the redhead for the raven. Craig had told him it wasn't necessary, but Kyle replied by telling him it was his love language (and maybe his mom had forced him to cook something for Craig, going on about how important and romantic it was to feed the ones you cherish).
Later, they walked hand in hand to the public library a few blocks from his house so that they could study together for the upcoming math exam later in the week. Kyle helped Craig with anything he couldn't solve, although the raven really just wanted to copy the answers the redhead wrote down in his practice exam.
After a few hours studying, they had decided it was enough and headed towards the arcade to play a few games and eat some pizza. Ignoring the stench of sweat and the sea of people they had to fight through to reach the machines, it was very enjoyable.
They decided to end the day in Starks Pond—Kyle's idea. He said it was romantic, and that on a Sunday night they would have complete privacy.
That's where it started to go downhill.
"Craig, I had a lot of fun today… Thank you for spending the day with me," Kyle said, laying his head on the raven's shoulder while admiring the twinkling of the stars being reflected on the still water in front of them.
Craig lips twitched upwards, laying his cheek atop Kyle's head. The sweet scent of the apple shampoo the redhead used reached his nose and overtook his senses, the red curls tickling his skin. The raven wrapped his arm around Kyle's shoulder before murmuring, "It was nice. I also had fun today."
Kyle sighed, closing his eyes and letting the cool breeze pass by, enjoying the feeling of being pressed against the heat of Craig's body. They basked in the comforting silence, just enjoying each other's company. The only noises nearby were the rustle of the leaves and their quiet breathing.
Both boys had had dates before, simple things such as studying together, or going to Tweek Bros after school. It had been happening for the last few weeks, after Clyde had accidentally revealed to Kenny that Craig had romantic feelings for a certain redhead. Kenny, of course, couldn't keep a secret for shit and immediately told Stan, who obviously told his super best friend. It really was a chain reaction that Craig was horrified by, but in the end tried to hide the fact he was grateful for his best friend's mishap.
Kyle finally looked up, shifting his body so that he could face the raven. He appeared nervous, hands suddenly fidgeting with the ridges on the bench. The green eyes flitted downwards, focusing on his own pale and freckled hands. Craig, not oblivious to the sudden change, tilted his head.
Kyle spoke, voice quiet and reserved: "So… when will we start dating?"
The raven blinked twice, then furrowed his brows while observing the shorter boy in front of him. "What do you mean? We've been on, like, more than 10 dates."
The redhead rolled his eyes and huffed, asking again: "No, Craig. Like, actually dating. Being boyfriends and stuff…"
"But we're already dating," the raven said bluntly. His lips curled downwards into a frown.
Kyle finally looked up, green meeting hazel. The redhead's smile faltered. He sat up, sitting straighter in a more serious position. "No we aren't. We still haven't talked about that. You haven't even—"
"Kyle, we literally go on dates all the time. We hold hands. We sometimes kiss. I literally spend most of my weekends with you, don't I?" Craig droned, shrugging slightly.
The redhead took the words in, absorbing them and staring bewildered at the taller boy. "No, Craig, that's going on dates," he argued. "Dating is different. There's a whole difference."
"Is there?" The raven countered.
The calming atmosphere that had been there before had soured in a state of seconds, Kyle's face pinching into a frown as Craig continued oblivious as to what was disturbing the redhead.
Kyle was the one to break the silence, his voice now having an edge to it, "Yes, Craig. There is. You just decided on your own that we were dating and decided to not clue me in?"
Craig's frown deepened, eyes darting to the pond that now seemed way more interesting. "I thought you knew."
The redhead nodded, a scoff escaping through his lips. "You can't just decide these things by yourself. You need to say it to me!" Kyle's voice had risen an octave, arms flailing around demonstrating his growing impatience.
"Why does saying it out loud matter?" Craig deadpanned, arms crossing while his jaw tightened, lips pressing into a thin line.
"It matters to me, Craig!" Kyle exclaimed, the clear disappointment finally catching up to him, voice cracking at the end.
Craig rolled his eyes before stating simply in a voice as monotone as ever, "Whatever. Fine, we're boyfriends. Happy?"
"Sure. Thank you so much for this, Craig. You really figured out how to handle this, huh?" Kyle seethed, voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Why are you turning this into such a big deal when I already said it out loud? I did what you asked," the raven grumbled, eyes rolling once more.
Kyle narrowed his eyes at Craig before sighing. He stood abruptly, taking a few steps and turning his back to Craig. "Whatever, Craig. Do whatever you want, but I don't think I can date someone who won't consider what I'm saying," he muttered, already walking away. "I'm going home."
And with that, Kyle left, leaving Craig behind to wallow in the rustle of the bushes and the moon that didn't seem to shine so brightly anymore.
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Craig got home a few minutes later, dashing to his room and slamming his door shut, all the while ignoring the shouts from his mother inquiring about what had happened. The texts he sent the redhead had gone unanswered, not even marked as read—though he didn't know if he preferred having confirmation that Kyle was ignoring him.
The raven laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling. The glow of the moon filtered in through the curtains, causing shadows to dance around his room in rhythm with the rustle of the curtains. He observed the glow-in-the-dark stars he glued to his ceiling eons ago when he was still a child while listening to the occasional squeak caused by Stripe III.
Craig groaned, one arm raising to lay across his eyes. Dating was already complicated. He should've known dating Kyle would be even more. Valentine's Day was basically in two days and he'd been rejected by the one boy he had been dreaming about for months.
"Great going, Craig," he murmured in the quiet room, speaking to himself.
Maybe this could all work itself out. If some God really did exist, then he would help Craig out and Kyle would be acting as if nothing had happened tomorrow.
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Craig should've known better, again. Kyle was relentless, and when he meant something it usually meant it was final. He absolutely loved Kyle's pettiness, but not when it was directed towards him. The raven had walked in through the school doors, sleep still heavy on his shoulders, but with a little bit of hope coursing through his body, hoping that the redhead would be waiting in front of his locker like they had been doing since they started going on dates.
Instead, his optimism was quickly dashed when the only person waiting for him was Clyde, leaning against his locker while waving enthusiastically at him.
"Hey, dude! You're looking miserable as always!" The brunet greeted him, a little too energetic for his taste.
Craig sighed, taking lethargic steps towards his locker. He grunted in response to his friend, punching in the combination and opening it, making haste to grab the things he needed for class so that he could get going and avoid any sort of conversation with his best friend.
Clyde stood straight, observing his friend with a frown. The brunet crossed his arms as he took in the dark crescents that had bloomed in the raven's pale skin beneath his eyes, his usual deadpan expression seeming even more aloof and apathetic than normal. "Jesus, you look more miserable than usual," he said. "What happened?"
The raven sighed before replying, "Nothing. I am fine."
"You clearly aren't, Craig," Clyde insisted, taking a step closer. "And where is Kyle, by the way? He usually waits for you here."
Craig didn't know if he should just slam his head against the door repeatedly and hope for a concussion or go home and wallow in self-pity. Both options seemed really great.
The raven shoved his locker shut, turning his body to face Clyde with an inscrutable look before saying, "How should I know where he is? It's not like we're dating or anything."
At that very moment, a sweet voice reached his ears from across the hall. Craig looked over his shoulder and stared at Kyle as he walked down the hall with Kenny. They were talking and Kyle seemed… normal. They passed him by. Kyle didn't even glance back. Craig felt his chest tighten; it had been a long time since Kyle didn't even look at him. He had gotten used to receiving affection and soft smiles. Being ignored like this now caused a new, sharp pain to tug at his heart.
Clyde shifted his gaze repeatedly between the redhead and his best friend, clearly confused and unaware of what had transpired between them last night. "Dude, what happened?"
He rolled his eyes, vision darting everywhere except for the brunet that stood in front of him. "Nothing happened, Clyde. Let it go," he groaned, already turning to make his way to class. He was stopped by a hand gripping his shoulder.
"Craig, you guys have been glued to the hip for weeks. He literally walked past you and didn't even look at you," the brunet said, forcing the taller boy to turn around slowly.
Craig sighed, counting to three in his head before replying: "We had a minor disagreement yesterday and he doesn't want to talk to me right now."
"What disagreement?" Tolkien's smooth voice appeared suddenly behind Craig. The raven looked over his shoulder to see Tolkien, Tweek, and Jimmy already staring back at him.
"Great," the raven muttered under his breath. This is just what he needed right now. All his friends being aware of how his relationship with Kyle was going downhill.
"W-Well, Craig?" Jimmy pressed, all four boys staring intently at the raven.
As soon as Craig opened his mouth to speak, the bell rang. The students around quickly scurried away to class. He felt a wave of relief take over his body. He didn't even wait for his friends to speak before doing the same as the other people surrounding them in the halls.
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Craig completely zoned out during class, vaguely listening to the teacher drone on as he laid his head against his arms atop his desk. The only moments he lifted his head was to stare at the back of Kyle's head, fixating on the red curls that slipped out from under his green hat.
A finger suddenly nudged his side, and Craig flinched at the sudden touch lightly tickling his waist. He twisted around so he could glare at Clyde, raising an eyebrow questioningly.
Clyde pointed towards his hand, and the raven's gaze traveled to the piece of paper in his hand. Craig rolled his eyes but yanked it, unfolding it under his desk.
wat happened
Craig sighed before picking up his pencil and writing down an answer:
mind your own damn business
He crinkled the sheet of paper into a ball and tossed it back, not even turning to face his friend. Craig pressed his forehead against the desk once more, ignoring the lecture in front of him. Soon he felt something hit his cheek. A groan erupted from his throat. He turned his head, cheeks now against the desk.
you ARE my busines craig!!! we are best friends tell meee pls i wont tell anyone promise
whatever. kyle and i were at starks pond yesterday and he asked me when we would start dating. i told him we were already dating because we have been going on many dates lately and i thought we were already dating. he told me dating is different from going on dates and i told him i really didn't see much of a difference. it was basically just that. the rest was pointless arguing.
dude
Craig rolled his eyes for what felt like the hundredth time and turned his gaze back to study Kyle's hair, his back, his every movement as he wrote down his notes diligently.
buzz
The raven's phone vibrated in his pocket, but he ignored it.
buzz buzz buzz
The vibration against his legs was nonstop. Craig sighed, pulling his phone out and swiping to unlock it.
Tweek: WAT!!! craig noioooooo 😓😓
Clyde: yeah…….. idk whay we csn doto solve dis
Jimmy: we can organize a surprise for kyle, craig can ask him to be his boyfriend
Why did Craig trust Clyde to keep a secret? He should've known better, again.
Craig: you guys are not getting involved in this. leave it be
Tweek: crsig!!! domt do that, fight for ur man!!!🥰🥰😍😍❤️❤️
Clyde: craig u KNOW we arw not letying this go
Craig: what can i do to avoid you guys from getting involved
Jimmy: nothing, craig. you know that. just let us help. we know you're not going to do anything to solve this. you're just gonna ignore this and be miserable forever. you're going to make lunch in the cafeteria super awkward
Tweek: YAAY lets orhanize someyhing FOR VALANRINES DAY OMG ITD RHE PERFEFT OPRTUNIRY ❤️❤️💜🩷💕🌈
Clyde: YESSSSS u are so smart tweekomg
Tweek: 😊😊🥰
Goddammit. Why did he have such meddling friends?
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Today, instead of sitting with Kyle and his friends, they sat at a table far from them. Clyde said that it was because they needed to "plan."
Craig sat next to Tweek, placing his tray on the table. Clyde sat in front of him, a notebook opened for everyone to see. PLAN: GETTING CRAIG AND KYLE TOGETHER written in bold red letters, little hearts and doodles adorning the page.
"What is this?" Craig asked, glaring at the paper in front of him.
Clyde smirked, unfazed by his friend's harsh tone. "This, my friend, is us planning on how to get you and Kyle back together."
Tolkien sighed, observing his two friends interacting. "I saw the group chat after class ended," he said, "and I prefer hearing what happened from Craig. No offense, Clyde."
Craig reached for the pack of candy on his tray, opening it slowly and placing a gummy in his mouth. "You guys are so fucking annoying, goddammit," he said after chewing.
Craig proceeded to tell the whole story to his friends begrudgingly, annoyed that he had to retell the story of last night. The only thing he wanted for today was to do his best to forget about yesterday, but he forgot the type of friends he had. His friends listened, completely absorbed in the story. The boys rarely got to know stories or details of Craig's dates, so they all were enjoying it thoroughly (although still feeling bad for Craig's troubles).
"Kyle might be right—AH!" Tweek exclaimed, fingers tugging at his blond locks.
Clyde snapped his head to stare at Tweek, eyes wide. "What? Kyle definitely overreacted. I don't think Craig is wrong at all!"
And so it began: the debate on Craig's love life. He dragged his hands down his face, hating every second of this.
"Craig shouldn't have just assumed, and I think I can make an educated guess and say that he acted indifferently when Kyle called him out," Tolkien argued, continuing to eat his PB&J.
Craig grumbled, crossing his arms and resting them atop the table. "I guess."
His gaze traveled from his plate to the redhead, sitting far away. Stan had an arm wrapped around his shoulder, and Kyle seemed to be laughing at something Kenny had said. Oh, Craig would do anything to listen to his laugh right now, to be the one wrapping his arms around him.
The raven sighed before mumbling, "Fine. What can I do?"
Clyde's eyes immediately sparkled, a beaming smile practically blinding the others sitting at the table.
"Do not make me regret this," Craig hissed while his index finger pointed at Clyde.
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They had all gathered at Tweek's house after school, since he was the one that knew how to draw and loved arts and crafts. "It's a way to distract my hands," Tweek used to say.
Craig lay on the floor next to Tweek. Jimmy and Clyde sat close together on the bed, and Tolkien sat on the chair near the desk. They had been sitting in silence for a few minutes, the five boys seemingly out of ideas to help the raven.
Clyde was the first to break the silence, chin resting on his palm: "Maybe Craig can make him some chocolates?"
Jimmy snorted, "C-Craig can't cuh—cuh… cook for shit."
Tolkien sighed, spinning around in the chair while he suggested, "Maybe Tweek can make them?"
Tweek sat up, using his elbows to lift himself. "True."
Craig sighed, still on the floor. "Kyle would know I wasn't the one to make the chocolates and I want to be the one to make his gift."
"Kind of hard when you don't know how to do shit…" Clyde huffed quietly.
Clyde yelped, hands immediately flying to grab his shin where Craig had kicked him. "Dude!"
Tolkien ignored his friends' antics, once again speaking: "What about some flowers and a poster? You can't go wrong with that."
"True! I can help start decorating the poster while Craig goes out with Tolkien to buy some flowers and chocolates," Tweek suggested, standing up and starting to rummage through his desk and boxes, already looking for the materials to use.
"Great ide-idea, Tweek. We can brainstorm what to w-write on the poster," Jimmy added.
Tolkien stood from the chair, making his way over to Craig and extending his hand to help the raven stand up. They made their way over to the door together, Craig turning to glare over his shoulder before saying, "Don't do anything too cringy. I mean it."
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A bell rang as both boys stepped into the florist shop, the sweet scent of blossoms greeting them at the entrance. The store was practically filled to the brim with couples doing last-minute shopping for their partners. They looked around the room, trying to find something nice for Kyle.
"I don't know what to choose," Craig stated, feeling overwhelmed by all the choices on display. A wide variety of bouquets of a range of different colors and sizes.
"Well, you have been spending basically every day with him. What do you think he would like?" Tolkien asked, gingerly touching the petals of a bouquet of roses.
Craig grimaced while observing people around him seemingly choosing flowers and chocolates with ease. Why was this being so hard for him? He just needed to grab something and go along with it. Ok, maybe it wasn't just going with it. Craig wanted to buy something nice, something Kyle would love. The raven was so focused he almost jumped out of his skin when he felt a hand gripping his shoulder. Craig looked over to find Bebe and Kenny staring back at him, amused smiles on display.
"Well, hello, Craig! Fancy seeing you here," Bebe teased.
"What are you guys doing here?" Craig asked, feeling more annoyed with each passing second.
Kenny smirked, wrapping his arm around Bebe's, pulling her close: "Tweek told me you'd be here and that you needed help buying my best friend apology flowers. Bebe was already with me so I thought I would bring her along to help."
Craig clicked his tongue, foot tapping against the wooden floor beneath him. "Does everyone know about my fucking fight with Kyle?" He gritted through clenched teeth.
Kenny chuckled. "Kyle is my best friend so I obviously know what happened, and Bebe knows because I told her."
"Great," the raven groaned.
"Craig, do not fret! I searched online for the symbolisms of different flowers to help you make the perfect bouquet!" Bebe exclaimed, distancing herself to step closer to the different array of flowers.
Tolkien smiled, curling his arm around Craig's shoulder. "We are here to help, man. Don't worry."
Craig grunted, listening to Bebe babble about different flowers and different meanings: "Red roses are a great choice, even if they are pretty basic. They mean passionate love. How romantic!" Bebe exclaimed. "Baby's breath is also a good option. It means everlasting love."
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Craig walked out of the store with a beautiful bouquet of red roses, white tulips, and pink camellias, along with a heart-shaped box filled with strawberry-filled chocolates, Craig remembered those were Kyle's favorite. They parted ways with Bebe and Kenny after he made the blond boy swear to secrecy.
Tolkien and Craig walked into Tweek's room, being greeted by total disaster. Glitter all across the floor, different color pencils strewn about, paper scattered all around the floor. In the middle, Jimmy, Tweek, and Clyde were all huddled over a poster. Tweek seemed to be painting, Clyde writing, and Jimmy correcting him on grammar.
"What are you doing?" Craig asked, stepping closer to take a look at the poster.
It was made on white paper; strawberries, hearts, and cats all around the poster. Right in the center, "I THINK IT IS TIME TO UPDATE YOUR RELATIONSHIP STATUS ON FACEBOOK. WILL YOU BE MY BOYFRIEND?" was scribbled in red, with glitter glued to every letter.
Craig read the paper over and over, agape. "What the fuck? Who the fuck let Clyde choose this?"
"Wha?!—Craig, it's cute!" Clyde exclaimed, and when he looked up Craig could see glitter stuck on different parts of his face.
"Yeah, Craig! Don't—AH! Don't be a party pooper, Jesus Christ!" Tweek said, not looking up from the little bow he was drawing.
"We haven't even used Facebook in years. What made you think of this?" Craig groaned. "I even told you not to write anything cringy," he added.
"Dude, relax. It's really corny, but I am sure Kyle will love it if you're the one holding the poster," Tolkien said.
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Hours later, Craig was laying in bed once again, a thousand scenarios coursing through his head of how tomorrow might go. What if Kyle hated it? What if he laughed at him and decided it was best to stop pursuing a relationship with him?
The poster was laid against the wall, atop his desk. The raven couldn't stop staring at the hideousness with a clenched jaw. 'This is so embarrassing', he thought bitterly. Maybe he should give up. Kyle was going to hate the abomination his friends made, Craig was sure. The raven didn't even want to think of what it would look like under the sun. The amount of glitter used was surely going to blind the redhead.
Sleep didn't come easy that night, but eventually the sun rose and Craig had no more time to debate this.
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Craig was absolutely miserable at school the next day. In the morning, he stood in front of his locker, holding on to the poster tube tightly, grimacing at the glitter that seemed to fall onto the floor. Clyde and Tweek definitely exaggerated, but he couldn't blame them; he was the one to allow them to do the damn poster. He shoved the poster into his locker, slamming it shut. Tolkien decided to take the bouquet with him to school, hiding it in his own locker with the chocolates, so that Kyle didn't suspect of anything.
The raven sighed, turning to make his way to class. That was when he spotted him. Kyle, meticulously organizing the books he needed for class. The redhead's usual green ushanka, beautiful red curls escaping from their confines. Craig hadn't even realized he was making his way towards Kyle until the redhead turned, green meeting hazel once more after what felt like an eternity (but it really was just two days). Craig gulped, his throat suddenly dry. He was itching to end the distance and talk to him once more, but Kyle looked away. He closed his locker and walked away, steps quick and precise.
The raven's chest tightened. Did Kyle hate him now? Craig was feeling too much—a slight tremor coursing through his body, his throat tightening, his stomach dropping at the thought of Kyle hating him. Craig was feeling too much, but he didn't understand what he was feeling. He didn't know how to make sense of his emotions and how his body reacted to them.
The raven continued to watch Kyle walk away, curls bouncing with every step.
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The hours passed quickly. Craig was so out of it, he couldn't remember a single thing from his classes today. He sat on a wooden bench right outside the school's entrance, poster tube on his lap as he listened to students zoom by. The day had been utterly horrible. Valentine's Day proposals in each corner he went to, couples holding hands and kissing, heart decorations everywhere, and worst of all, Cartman rambling about Cupid Me or whatever the fuck that was supposed to be. The world seemed to be trying to remind him of his misery.
Craig stared at the snow that covered the floor until feet appeared in his peripheral vision, followed by Stan's voice: "You look like shit."
"Fuck off, Marsh," Craig grumbled, tilting his head upwards to meet Stan's gaze.
Stan moved to sit next to Craig, both suddenly engulfed by an awkward silence. It was no secret both boys only started to put up with each other for Kyle's sake.
For a minute, neither of them spoke.
"I'm bringing him to the pond when you're ready," Stan was the first to speak.
Craig's jaw tightened. "I didn't ask you to."
"I know." Stan paused. "He's miserable, too, by the way. He won't admit it but I've known him all my life to know better."
Craig said nothing, his grip on the poster tube tightening.
Stan then stood from the bench, his back facing Craig. "Be there," he said before walking. He stopped midway to look over his shoulder. "He just wants you to care."
"I care."
"Then show him," he replied before walking back into the school.
Craig sighed, sitting by himself for a while longer until he stood with the poster tube in his hands. He slowly started making his way over to Starks Pond, by himself; his heart thudding against his chest.
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Craig was greeted at the pond by Tweek fumbling with a huge boombox, Clyde by his side arguing what song would be the best choice to woo Kyle. Tolkien stood behind both of his friends, carrying the bouquet and the chocolates while Jimmy stood next to him, leaning on his crutches.
As soon as Clyde took notice of the raven, he stood, immediately taking charge: "Ok, Tweek! You're gonna be on Craig's left with the music and I'm gonna be on his right with the flowers and the chocolates." He then turned to Craig. "Craig, you're gonna be front and center with the poster."
Craig stared at his best friend, unblinking. "Why are any of you here? I can do this alone."
"No you can't," Tolkien said flatly. "You'd stand there holding the poster and wont know what to say."
The raven bristled but recomposed himself quickly. "Whatever," he muttered.
Clyde set everyone into position and sent a quick text to Stan, informing him they were ready for Kyle.
Tweek clutched the boombox to his chest, already shaking. "What if—AH!—what if he hates the song? What if he—"
"Tweek. Breathe," Craig said.
Soon, the song started playing, the initial tunes flowing around them until Craig's brain recognized the tune playing.
Craig groaned, turning to Tweek. "What is this?"
Tweek regarded Craig with wide green eyes. "C-Clyde picked it!"
"It's Ed Sheeran! He's a ginger just like Kyle, I thought it would be funny."
"Kill me," Craig muttered under his breath.
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Kyle sighed, closing his locker after packing his backpack. Stan had texted him to meet at the school's entrance, so he quickly walked towards his destination. He was desperate to leave, not being able to tolerate all the romantic fluff he was being surrounded with. Kyle spotted his super best friend, both boys starting to walk back to Stan's house.
They kept walking until Stan made the wrong turn. "Stan?"
"We're going to the pond," he replied as he continued to walk, not looking back.
Kyle rushed to catch up with Stan, eyes widening. "Stan, no—"
"Stan, yes," the raven replied.
"Dude, I'm not ready!"
"He is, and you miss him. Shut up and keep walking."
Kyle grumbled under his breath, following his best friend. As they got nearer and nearer, his heart stopped when his ears picked up:
I found a love for me
Kyle halted, almost tripping due to the abrupt stop. "Is that?..."
Stan didn't reply. He only pointed towards the pond. Kyle took slow steps until it came into view.
Oh, darling just dive right in and follow my lead
Craig stood front and center holding the most ridiculous glitter bomb Kyle had ever seen. Tweek stood next to Craig, struggling to hold a boombox and shaking like a leaf. On his other side was Clyde, trying to look nonchalant, but he was clearly hiding something behind his back. Looking past the trio, he could see Tolkien and Jimmy's heads peeking from behind a tree.
Kyle froze, trying to make out if this was all a dream or if this was really happening. Meanwhile, the song continued to play.
'Cause we were just kids when we fell in love, not knowing what it was
Craig cleared his throat. "Hey," he tried to say indifferently, yet it came out strained. The raven winced at the sound of his voice.
Kyle blinked. "Hey."
After that, a long pause ensued. The song continued to fill in the silence.
I will not give you up this time
Tweek, growing anxious due to the silence, turned the volume up abruptly. The boombox blared Ed Sheeran's voice. The group around him flinched and Clyde hissed, "Too loud!"
Tweek fumbled to turn it down once more, and Kyle's lip twitched upward, staring at the scene in front of him.
Oh, darling, just kiss me slow, your heart is all I own
Craig breathed before starting to speak. "I was wrong on Sunday." He paused. His voice was rough. "You asked me a question and I just… decided the answer without you. I didn't listen."
Kyle's eyes widened a fraction, fingers lifting to tug on his earlobes due to the sudden rush of anxiety.
Baby, I'm dancing in the dark with you between my arms
Craig shifted his weight, seemingly organizing his thoughts before continuing. “You said you wanted me to make it official by asking you to be my boyfriend. I didn't get it, but I get it now. It matters because it matters to you. And you should matter to me more than… I don't know. More than being too stubborn to use words."
Barefoot on the grass while listenin' to our favorite songs
The raven took a step forward. "I like you, Kyle. I thought that was obvious. But obvious isn't the same thing as saying it, so I'm saying it now." With that, Craig held the poster a bit higher so that the redhead could focus on it. His heart was hammering against his chest and he could feel his hands shaking, terrified of Kyle's reaction.
I THINK IT IS TIME TO UPDATE YOUR RELATIONSHIP STATUS ON FACEBOOK. WILL YOU BE MY BOYFRIEND?
Kyle stared. Strawberries. Hearts. Cats. Glitter everywhere. So much glitter it was falling off the poster onto the snow. The redhead blinked once. Then twice. He opened his mouth and closed it again.
Then, he laughed. A sweet and genuine laugh.
Craig peeped from behind the poster, warmth climbing up his neck and reaching his face in one rush.
"Craig, what the hell is this?" the redhead asked, still giggling.
"The guys made it. I told them not to make it too corny but they ignored me," he grumbled.
Kyle continued to laugh openly, and it was the best sound Craig had heard in days. While the redhead was distracted laughing, Clyde shoved the flowers and the box of chocolates into Craig's free hand, taking the poster from him. The raven fumbled, nearly dropping the items, but managed to hold onto them.
Craig cleared his throat once more, extending the bouquet. Kyle's smile faltered, eyes darting between the flowers and the boy holding them.
"These are…" Kyle seemed speechless as he reached for the bouquet, admiring each and every bloom while holding them close to his chest.
"Bebe helped pick them. She said they mean stuff." He paused, voice getting quieter. "The red ones are obvious. The white tulips are… I don't know, forgiveness or something. And the pink ones mean… wanting someone. Longing. Whatever."
"Craig…" His green eyes started to shine. "No one's ever…" The redhead couldn't finish his sentence as one tear fell down his cheek. He wiped it quickly, embarrassed. "Sorry. Sorry, I don't know why I'm—"
The raven shifted awkwardly, a rush of panic taking over him. "Don't apologize. It's fine. I mean—fuck, don't cry. I don't know what to do when people cry—" He was suddenly nudged by Tweek.
"S-say something nice! Quick!" he whispered.
Clyde then whispered to his right, "Hug him!"
Craig glared at both of them until Kyle got his attention by taking a shaky breath. "I overreacted on Sunday," he said, staring at Craig through wet lashes. "I was hurt and I just… I don't know. Maybe I shouldn't have left you by yourself that day. I should've explained to you why it mattered instead of assuming you'd understand." The redhead let a quiet chuckle escape his lips. "You're standing here with a glitter bomb and a boombox and our idiot friends. You did try. I know how hard this is for you and you're doing it anyway, for me."
Craig shrugged. "You had a right to be mad."
"Whatever. I missed you, Craig." His voice wobbled. "These past two days sucked ass."
The raven smiled softly. "They did."
Silence consumed them once more, the song continuing to play on an annoying loop.
Craig sighed, getting himself together before asking, "So… boyfriend?" He paused. "And Valentine's, I guess. If you want."
Kyle beamed, taking steps to stand closer to Craig, the flowers pressed between them. "Of course, you dumbass."
The raven's free hand lifted, and he hesitated before cupping the redhead's cheek. Kyle leaned into the warm touch.
"Can I?..." Craig started, tilting his head downwards.
"Please."
Craig leaned down to press his lips against Kyle's, a spark of electricity coursing through their bodies. From behind them, they could hear their friends cheering and applauding. They pulled apart, a few inches between them. Craig rested his forehead against Kyle's, smiling sweetly at the pink dusting his pale cheeks. Kyle pecked his lips once more before pulling away to get a better look at the poster.
"This is hideous."
Craig snorted. "I know."
Clyde suddenly yelled from behind them, "Group hug!" He then lunged forward, arms wide open, but before he could engulf the new couple, Craig wrapped his arm around Kyle's waist and pulled them away.
"Do not do that."
Hours later, Kyle and Craig sat at the same bench they did on Sunday, pressed against each other. The poster lay next to the redhead, flowers sitting on top of it. The unwrapped box of chocolates sat on Kyle's lap. They both shared the chocolates, their tongues and lips tasting sweet with strawberry jam.
Craig sighed, pressing a kiss against red curls. "Happy Valentine's Day, honey."
Kyle smiled. "Happy Valentine's Day, Craig."
A beat of silence.
"I'm never letting our friends plan anything."
The redhead chuckled, turning to face him, "At least they got us back together again."
Craig didn't answer, but he didn't have to. The strong arm tightening around Kyle was enough.