That's My Tutor

Empty Spaces

"Hey, Tweek?"

Tweek turned towards him with a smile, stirring the pot of melted cheese with a large wooden spoon. "Hm?"

"Do you live here-" Craig took the two steps to the trash can and lifted the lid, catching a lot more 'designed for one' meal packages within the can. Then his eyes flicking to where the sink was, seeing a single plate in it and one set of silverware with it. "-alone?"

Tweek tilted his head with a frown. "No, my parents live here too." He gave a small laugh. "Like I could pay for a house."

Craig walked back over to the kitchen island, staring at the pot of cheese with a frown. Standing next to Tweek as he swayed his head back and forth with a happy little hum. "Are they home?"

"Oh, no. They're in... hm." Tweek stopped stirring and looked into the distance, muttering different countries and states like they were numbers. Seeming to pick out the correct one as he said. "I think they're in Portugal right now."

Craig looked at Tweek with a tilt of the head. "When were they here last?"

"I think they were in South Park a week or two ago... but I haven't actually seen them in about a month." Tweek's little smile faltered a bit, the happy cook facade dropping and his eyes seeming more sad as they stared at the dairy filled concoction. "They travel a lot for work."

Craig, if he was a weaker man, would have grabbed Tweek in that moment and given him the hug of his life. He didn't like the fact he was suddenly becoming acquainted with what Tweek looked like when he was sad. The usually fiery green-blue eyes were dulled, no flame, no passion. They were completely deflated. Craig hated seeing them like that.

Then in a flash Tweek smiled and turned himself towards Craig with a spoonful of cheese, the sadness either having left or been hidden away. "Wanna taste test?"

---

"Anyways the whole thing is complete absurd." Tolkien said as he unlocked the room where he hosted his ukulele lessons.

Tweek nodded along with him. "I still say we should host a revote when I'm not gone from the meeting."

"It's what happens when you spend all your time with Craig." Tolkien muttered as he set his things down in the room, starting to prepare for today's lesson.

Tweek furrowed a single brow. "What did you say?"

"Nothing." Tolkien said out then walked towards the wall where all of the ukuleles hung on straps against the wall. He eyes scanned the wall and he was counting to make sure all ten were there when his eyes stopped on the hole on the wall. "Tweek!"

Tweek who was pretty sure he heard Tolkien correctly the first time gave a sharp. "What?"

"The ninth ukulele! It's not here!" Tolkien shouted, his eyes were blown wide and mouth hung open in shock. "I-It's gone!"

Tweek walked to look at the wall and did in fact see that the ukulele had been taken off the wall, his sympathy not being as apparent as usual, but his curiosity still high. "Where do you think it is?"

"I don't know!" Tolkien started to search up and down the room, opening every closet and pulling out the music books that sat within them. Looking below the chairs, hoping one of the kids had just forgotten to put their ukulele away correctly. "Someone must have stolen it!"

Tweek furrowed a brow looking around the room. "Who would steal a ukule-" 

His eyes the caught the door knob from the outside, the door had swung in the room and left the knob looking at him. Familiar scratchings near the entrance of the key made Tweek raise an eyebrow and trail off. In his own disbelief he walked towards the door knob and traced his fingers around the marks near the hole. Somewhat surprised that Tolkien didn't notice them when he had unlocked the door, but Tolkien usually didn't have to look while he did it.