Title: The Midnight Gnomes

Description: Craig is called on exceptionally early one night. As he looks after his twitchy little friend, he starts to ponder his true feelings for the blonde boy in the incorrectly-buttoned shirt…

A/N: Come on, Creek is CUTE!! One of the CUTEST!! Warning: Swearing (ah its South Park what do you expect?) and slash pairing (you're pretty stupid if you actually didn't know about the above warnings.) Rated T for general South Park-ness and swearing. Please enjoy!!

An annoying ringtone set off in Craig's ear. At first the exhausted boy ignored the voice, but soon the irritating voice yelling 'SOMEONE'S CALLING YOU! ANSWER THE DAMN PHONE!' got on his nerves.

"Who the hell is calling me at 1 in the fucking morning?" He growled down the phone.

"GAH! D-d-don't k-kill me C-Craig!! I'm -nngh- sorry!!" a terrified voice squeaked from the other end. Instantly, Craig felt bad for snapping, though what would you expect if you'd just called someone at 1 in the morning. What normal person was awake at that time?! By this he was wondering why the scared boy was calling him and expecting him to be awake, seeing as no-one could really call Tweek Tweak normal by any degree.

"Sorry Tweek. You woke me up. What's the matter?"

"They're a-after me again -nngh- you gotta help me man! Aaah! Jesus Christ, THEY'RE AFTER ME!!!" Craig could tell from the blonde's tone he was pulling his hair – and probably damn close to pulling a clump out. Craig sighed.

"Ok ok dude. I'm coming over. Have your bedroom window open for me to get in." Craig tried to calm his best friend. He could still hear occasional squeaks and gasps from the other end of the phone, but eventually Tweek replied.

"I-it's open. C-Craig, how are y-"

"Dude, just look out the window for me, I'll be there soon. I'll bring some coffee grounds so you can make some more, you sound like you've run out." Craig by this time had his coat and hat on, plus the backpack he kept for such cases as this. This was an often occurrence, though usually it was early morning at around 9:30, when the underpants gnomes came to Tweek's room and Craig got ready for school. He'd never been called on this early. The bag contained a book to keep him occupied, some chocolate for him and coffee grounds for Tweek.

"Thanks -nggh!-. B-but ho-"Tweek tried again to ask his question, but Craig cut him off yet again.

"See ya in a few minutes dude. Keep holding on in there Tweeks." Craig disconnected the call. He jumped out of his own bedroom window to a tree branch and climbed to the snowy ground. As he walked he considered why on EARTH he'd call Tweek 'Tweeks'. A friendly nickname maybe?

Or something more than that? Oh crap no…

Craig shook the thought from his head. 'Not the time to think of that now Craig' he told himself firmly. When he came up outside the Tweak house, he saw one window open, with the light on and the figure of a boy, shaking and jerking, silhouetted. Even from the front yard he could hear Tweek's gasps and mutterings.

"Dude, Tweek, calm down already!! I'm surprised your parents don't wake up." Craig hissed.

"Aaargh! They're used to it. C-Craig how -nngh- how're you gonna get up here?" Tweek fretted.

"There's a tree here, I'll climb to your window. Don't stress it."

"But what if you lose you footing -nngh- and fall? Oh God, Jesus, you'd crack you head open and your brain would fall out and I'd never be able to save you and IDON'TWANTYOUTODIEONMYYARD!!!" Craig sighed as Tweek into over-load worse scenario mode, though he mused how when Tweek started his ramblings he never stuttered or stumbled over his words.

"Man Tweek, you come up with another way for me to die every time I climb up this tree. It's like you want me dead." Craig tried to joke with his friend, but it failed majorly.

"Why would I want you dead man, has someone been saying something, IT'SNOTTRUEIDON'TWANNAKILLYOUCRAIG!!!" Tweek started yelling again, pulling at his hair. Craig sighed again, climbed up the tree and landed safely on Tweek's window sill, slipping down to the boy's room. The boy in question jumped violently at his sudden appearance on his sill. Craig placed a hand on Tweek's shoulder, only succeeding in making the twitchy blonde jump again.

"Tweeks, CALM. Ok? I brought you some stuff so you can make your coffee, yeah? Go calm yourself down." Craig handed the packet of grounds to Tweek. Tweek's eyes widened, twitched and he smiled, taking the packet and hugging Craig briefly. That definitely caught the blue-hat wearing boy by surprise. He had no idea why one friendly hug from this boy would make him blush like he was now, so he stared at the back of Tweek's head like his held the answer.

He shook himself and gained composure, putting his normal 'neutral bordering on bored' expression as he picked out his book and chocolate, taking off his coat and hat. He sat on Tweek's bed, back leaning against the wall and facing the door. He watched Tweek making his coffee with mild interest. Tweek could make a great coffee fast, and although Craig doubted the calming affect on Tweek's nerves – he had a suspicion too much coffee was what actually caused the twitchy paranoid nature of his best friend – but whenever Tweek had a cup of coffee in his hands he certainly didn't shake as much. Probably because he learned twitching with coffee equals burns.

He read his book for a minute, waiting while Tweek made his coffee. It was pretty impossible to ignore the boy, if he'd wanted to that is, because Tweek pretty much never stopped gasping, squeaking or making any other kind of surprised noise. The mattress of the bed dipped down next to him as Tweek sat down. The boys sat in as close to silence as they could with Tweek there for a while, save for the occasional swish noise Craig's book pages made as he turned them.

"T-thanks for c-coming man, I appreciate it. The gnomes -nngh- they were gonna g-get me. B-but they never come if you're here. GAH! Oh G-God, just a -nngh- shadow. Phew." Tweek stuttered, leaning his head onto Craig's shoulder. Craig was sure he'd blushed again, though luckily Tweek couldn't see from the angle he was resting on Craig.

Once finished his coffee, Tweek stood up to set the cup on his bedside table.

"Tweek, turn the light off. I've got a torch. It'll be easier to fall asleep." Craig said over the top of his book. Tweek hesitated.

"Y-you know I n-never -nngh- sleep man! W-why does it m-matter?" Tweek asked, puzzled.

"Tweek, you are going to TRY and sleep yeah? It'll make this much easier. And I'll guard you while you sleep, no gnomes will get you." Craig lowered his book and looked into the turquoise-blue eyes of his paranoid companion. Tweek stood and stared at him for a minute then turned his light off. He scurried back over to the bed, and huddled with his back against the wall, his eyes darting everywhere. He leaned over to Craig again, trying to hide himself behind the raven-haired boy.

Craig stiffened for a moment then hesitantly put his arm around Tweek's shoulders. The blonde twitched but burrowed himself further into the shelter of Craig's arm.

They sat like that for a while, Tweek shaking but calmer than before, Craig smiling happily to himself. It took a while, but eventually Tweek's breathing slowed and his twitching all but ceased. When Craig checked he was asleep. 'I wonder if this is the first time in his whole life he's ever slept…' Craig thought to himself. A small smile was playing on the blonde's mouth, and that made Craig smile. Damn, Tweek looked really cute when he was asleep.

'And that just sounded really gay…' Craig fretted to himself. Again, he tried to push away the thought.

Soon Craig was also tired. He decided that as long as he woke up before Tweek, he could pretend he'd been up all night. Hoping that would work, Craig rested his head on Tweek's, and drifted off to sleep.

When he woke up, he was lying on his back, with Tweek, still asleep, curled up to one side of him, head resting on Craig's shoulder and upper arm. His arm was till around Tweek, and the boy was still twitching. Craig was quite comfortable, but after a few minutes awake he started to think about last night. He definitely enjoyed Tweek's company, and was honestly honoured to be the person the little weirdo (he called Tweek this in the friendliest way) called when he was scared. He guessed they were best friends.

So why had he blushed when Tweek hugged him? Why did simply putting his arm around the blonde make him smile like a Cheshire cat? Why did he have a cute little nickname for him, why did he think the twitchy, paranoid caffeine-aholic was so damn adorable and irresistible?

Face it dude. You're gay. For Tweek. Craig thought to himself, and sighed. The rising of his chest disturbed Tweek from his slumber, and he tried to sit up. With a little shaky yawn, he rubbed his eyes and blinked, trying to see clearly. His beautiful eyes fell upon Craig, and he smiled.

"H-hey Craig. Man, did you stay up all n-night for me. God, did I fall asleep? W-wow -nngh-. " Tweek sat up fully, causing Craig's arm to fall off him. Craig sat up too, facing Tweek.

"Yep. All night. No underpants gnomes." Craig said, a small grin spreading across his face.

"You make a g-good pillow Craig" the blonde smiled. Craig blushed.

"Uhhh…t-thanks Tweek." He stammered. Damn, now he was stuttering.

Tweek leaned over and hugged him. Craig blushed even deeper. Damn I'm never gonna be able to go near him till I tell him. I bet he'll freak. I bet he won't want to be my friend…

"I like you Craig."

That came totally outta the blue. Craig stared at Tweek slightly awed. Although he guessed Tweek didn't mean it in the way Craig wanted it too, it still made him… happy. The blonde twitched and blinked rapidly, suddenly blushing from the pressure Craig was putting on him by staring at him.

"Y-you what?"

"I like you. You're cool, and kind, and you stand up for yourself, and your brave, and…and…" Tweek paused. Craig vaguely registered that the twitchy boy hadn't stammered at all in that sentence. "And I think your kinda… cute."

Now Craig was totally gobsmacked. Tweek thought HE was cute? The blonde in question was now shaking violently, blushing, and he flinched away from Craig.

"DON'T HURT M-ME!! I-I-I'M SORRY!!!" he yelled. He was starting to go totally stir crazy.

"I-I'm not gonna hurt you Tweeks. Why would I hurt you?" Tweek looked at the raven haired boy quizzically, still nervous. "I-I think you're… kinda cute too." Craig blushed and clenched his hands together. Tweek's face lit up.

"You do?!" he smiled happily, then leant in to grab Craig into a big bear hug, which wasn't so much of a bear hug considering Tweek was a small, skinny boy and not quite strong enough to crush Craig. As he leant back out of the embrace, he kissed Craig lightly on the cheek. They both blushed, and sat side by side. Tweek leant back on his hands, and almost jumped out of his skin when Craig's hand covered his. He studied his friends – his crush's – face and it was smiling. Tweek started chuckling at the sleepy look in Craig's eyes.

"You fell asleep didn't you?" He giggled. Craig looked up, red.

"You caught me. Sorry." He grinned sheepishly.

"It's ok. They never -nngh- come anywhere near me when you're here." Tweek snuggled against Craig's shoulder and then stood up.

"Shall we have some coffee to wake ourselves up?" he smiled.

"Naturally" his counterpart grinned.

A/N: Words 1,945

Wow a long one-shot, longer than my others. I love Creek it is just too damn cute ^^

I'm currently drawing a fan-art comic-like thing with a scenario much like this one, but different. If I wrote it, it definitely wouldn't be anywhere near as long as this one. Probably lucky if it reached 1,000 words to be honest. But I might write it anyways, just for the sake of it. Then include the link to the picture, I might just MIGHT get a Deviant Art account. Even though my drawing ARE pretty crap and most of them are on paper . SO yeah.

I've set myself a task of writing 10 Creek fanfic one-shots. Get ready for Creekiness ^^