Chapter Text
Purple particles filled the air around Don as he arrived at Quackity’s statue. He took in the monument that lost all of its glory immediately after it was built. Some of his fondest memories on this island was vandalising the statue with his buds.
Jeremy had mentioned that he and Duncan took a quick trip to the statue a few days ago and left Quackity a “little gift”, all while cackling about how much Quackity was gonna looovveeee it. But after getting a good look, he doubts that’s the case.
The statue’s head was defaced with a few obscenities spray painted on its cheeks and its left arm was spinning around in circles. Don let out a small chuckle seeing the scene as he began to look for Quackity.
Pulling out his spyglass, he looked up towards the statue's head to see Quackity on its shoulder, scrubbing off the picasso equivalent doodles Jeremy and Duncan left.
“Yo Quackity! Down here!” Don yelled up, cupping his hands around his mouth to hopefully make his voice a little louder.
Quackity turned and squinted down, trying to pin point the sound. Don could see when he finally realized he was down there, and Quackity started waving his hands up in the air in a friendly gesture. He pulled out his paraglider and started to slowly sail down to the ground. Don never got why Quackity didn’t use his wings to fly, but hey, not like that was any of his business.
Quackity’s feet hit the ground and he quickly jogged over to where Don stood, “Don my man! How’s my favorite Dutch cafe worker doing?”
They dabbed each other up as Don let out a small laugh, “Your favorite? How did I earn that title?”
“Well you didn’t vandalize my statue unlike the other two. I know this prank has Jeremy and Duncan written all over it. Unless I’m wrong and this is your doing, you evil mastermind.”
Don laughed, “No, no, no don’t worry, this time it definitely was not me. I’ve been too busy with the cafe recently to make my mark on your statue. Once we get our pipes fixed though, you better watch out.”
The two laughed for a quick second till Quackity asked the question.
“So Don, what did you need me for?”
Don took a sigh and put his hand on the back of his neck. God, he didn’t think he’d be so nervous. Well not really nervous, but he just didn’t know how to word his….predicament.
“Well, you see, I’ve kinda been having this issue lately and I was hoping maybe you could add some insight to it? Maybe help me understand my situation a little better.”
Quackity looked at Don, clearly puzzled, “Sure man what’s up?”
“Well, uh, I’ve been getting these headaches lately, and well, I don’t really get why but-“
“Headaches?” Quackity interrupted, “Um I don’t know how to help you out with that I’m not a doctor or anything? I might have a health pot on me but that’s it. Oh! Maybe go to Multi. He's kind of a doctor! Sort of…?”
Don shook his head, “No it’s not that type of headache it’s like…well…I think Katie B causes them.”
Quackity looked at him like he was fucking crazy and started cackling, “Katie B?? That’s so random and fucking hilarious! I’m sure she gives everyone on this island a headache I mean the other day she ran into Schlatt’s place screaming her head off and he almost-“
“I THINK I KNEW HER BEFORE WE CRASHED HERE!” Don blurted out, cutting Quackity off. Quackity sharply turned his gaze directly at Don, his mouth agape. Both men were completely silent as that heavy claim sat in the air, marinating.
“You…” Quackity finally spoke, “You think you..knew her before? Before all of this happened?”
“Yeah…I mean…it’s the only explanation for what I’m feeling right now. I mean, at least I think so, that’s why I wanted to ask you.”
A beat passed till Quackity spoke again, “And what gave you the impression that I’d know anything about that.”
“Well Jeremy told me that you said you figured out you knew Schlatt before the crash, so I wanted to see if what I’m feeling was the same thing that you felt.”
Quackity let out a big sigh and put his hand to his head, “Jesus Christ you can’t tell Jeremy fucking anything. He’s like a fucking water spout.”
Don chuckled, “Yeah I love the guy but he’s got some real loose lips.”
“Well it’s true, Schlatt and I figured out we knew each other before losing our memories. Well at least we’re 90% sure. And he wanted to keep that on the down low, but I guess the cats are out of the bag now.”
Don harshly sucked in air between his teeth, “Yeah sorry about that.”
“Nah, don’t worry, I was sure word would somehow spread anyways. Let’s sit over there by the water, I’ll tell you all about it.”
Don took a deep breath and followed Quackity to where he sat, hoping that he might soon find the answer to his problem.
————————-
Schlatt admired Katie for one thing and one thing only, her lungs. She could scream as loud as anything, never got any type of cough, and could hold her breath for almost 10 minutes. Shame she can’t swim though, she’d be hell of a diver.
The reason he’s thinking about his jealousy towards her lung capacity is the amount of cigarettes she’s currently sucking down. Hell by now his lungs would be fried. She’s on her third in the last 20 minutes, and somehow the nicotine still hasn’t calmed her mind. She’s swaying her legs back and forth while she sits on the edge of the dock, cigarette in one hand and the other tapping the deck in a constant, anxiety ridden motion.
He is partially to blame for this, they’ve been sitting out here after he promised to talk to her, but instead he chose to smoke in silence. At first he wanted a few minutes to collect himself and figure out what he wanted to say, but after getting a quick glance at the peonies she crushed in his garden this morning, he thought she needed a bit of payback.
But now, watching her fiddling with her fourth cigarette, muttering obscenities to herself trying to light it, he felt bad for his lack of maturity, and decided it was time to speak.
“Before he even introduced himself to me, I knew his name.”
Katie turned at this sudden admission, looking straight at him. She turned back to her cigarette, quickly lit it, then put all her concentration back on him. He was surprised her usual talkative tendencies were completely absent right now.
“I remember he walked up to me and went to shake my hand, and somehow, I already knew his touch. He does this fucking stupid thing with his ring finger that when you shake his hand he tickles your palm with it, it’s so fucking annoying. But somehow, I already knew it was coming.”
Schlatt stared out at the ocean, his beautiful backyard view that was recently blocked by some random ass French battle ship someone decided to move there. He leaned back a bit in his plastic lawn chair, one he knew would break in the next few weeks or so.
His eyes wandered down to Katie’s feet, still swaying back and fourth, her toes touching the water briefly with each sway. She had insisted on taking her shoes and socks off to feel the water on her skin, while Schlatt stayed sitting on his crappy lawn chair on his well built dock. They slowly crept up to meet her eyes again, and while she stayed silent, he could tell from her expression that she wanted to hear more.
“And you saw it, I mean, after that he started hanging around me all the fucking time. I swear before my house was built and I was just camping out here, I’d hear a rustle in the trees at night and swore it was his boney ass. But…in all honesty..I didn’t mind his presence at all.”
Schlatt took a breath and continued, “It wasn’t like with you,” Katie perked up at the mention of herself, “Where I had to get used to your loud voice and crazy antics. With him I already knew what to expect, knew his jokes, his emotions, how good his ass looks in leggings.”
Katie looked very confused at the last thing he mentioned, but he ignored her stare and continued.
“I didn’t want to say anything to him cause just imagine me going up to this guy I met, what, two weeks ago and going, ‘Hey! I think I’ve known you since before we met actually met and I have these weird feelings for you that I’ve never felt before especially not towards some random avian I met 2 FUCKING WEEKS AGO!’” Schlatt animatedly shouted, in a mocking tone. He ashed his cigarette, watching the debris as they fell. Some went straight into the ocean, while others blew in the sea’s gentle breeze.
“And then, he made me a grilled cheese. And I realized that he had to have been having the same sort of déjà vu I’d been feeling.”
Woo! That was a lot. Schlatt slid back in his creaking lawn chair taking another drag of his cigarette while closing his eyes. He opened them to see Katie B’s shocked, confused, and annoyed face.
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE MADE YOU A GRILLED CHEESE AND THEN YOU KNEW, THAT MAKES NO SENSE!!! YOU CAN’T STOP THERE!! ENOUGH WITH THE CRYPTIC SHIT!” Katie yelled at him, spit flying out of her mouth onto his face.
“Jesus stop fucking yelling you’re getting your spit fucking everywhere,” he angrily expressed back while wiping her spit off his cheek.
“Then tell me what the hell you’re talking about!!”
Schlatt let out a grumble, and reluctantly continued, “Ok fine, fine. I only like my grilled cheese one way….burnt.”
Katie then had the balls to outright laugh in his face, “You like it burnt?? Of course you fucking would.”
Schlatt let out an annoyed huff, “Yeah, yeah laugh it up, whatfuckingever. I like them completely burnt, like I want to see that toast be darker than the night sky. And I also love a pinch of oregano on top of the cheese before making it, but NOT on top of it after.”
“Prissy ass grilled cheese..” Katie mumbled.
“You gonna keep shitting on my taste or let me fucking finish,” Katie slapped her hand over mouth at that, “that’s what I thought.”
“I only ever eat grilled cheese this specific way, and rarely tell anyone about it because they shit on me for it. But somehow…Quackity knew it. I was outside gardening out back, when he stopped by and said he made us both lunch. Honestly I was not in the mood to deal with his bullshit, but I don’t pass up free food, not in this economy. He let me know he made us both grilled cheese and that he’s made it just the way I liked it.”
Schlatt thought back to this memory, remembering it like it was yesterday..
________________
“I made it just how you like it!” Quackity said, a big smile on his face. His strangely pearly white teeth stared at Schlatt as he took the wrapped sandwich from Quackity’s hand.
“Hate to break it to you bud, but no one can make a grilled cheese the way I like it. But I’ll still eat it, free food is free food.”
“No, I'm pretty sure I got it down! Once you take a bite of this grilled cheese you’re gonna cream your pants!”
“Don’t fucking say that weird shit to me Quackity.” Schlatt said as Quackity cackled. Schlatt closed his eyes and prepared to be disappointed by the sad soggy taste of an unburnt and unseasoned grilled cheese.
As Schlatt’s mouth closed in on the bite, Quackity started up again, “But I know I got it down to a count! You’re a fucking weirdo and like your grilled cheese burnt to a crisp with a little oregano on top of the CHEESE, but not on the bread, you priss.”
Schlatt hearing his exact and very secretive taste come out of Quackity’s mouth startled him so bad he almost bit his tongue biting down on the sandwich. And then he tasted it.
The sandwich was in fact just the way he liked it. A small pinch of oregano mixed in with the crisp burnt bread. He swallowed much too quickly for his liking and started to cough.
“Jesus man, are you good?? Let me grab you some water.” Quackity ran inside Schlatt’s house and came out a few seconds later with a small glass of water. Schlatt gulped down the water and finally cleared his throat, but that didn’t stop the shock in his head.
“How..” Schlatt started, clearing his worn throat, “How the fuck did you know that?”
Quackity let out a nervous chuckle at Schlatt’s quick change of tone, “Wha- What are you talking about?”
“How the fuck did you know how I like my grilled cheese.”
“Jesus man you’re getting all serious about that, I don’t know you probably offhandedly mentioned it before.”
“No, no I didn’t.”
“The fuck you mean you didn’t? You’re going senile old man.”
“One, fuck you I’m not old, two, I tell no one how I like my grilled cheese. A total of two beings know how I like it and they’re my fucking cats. I never tell it to anyone cause they always shit on me for it.”
“Well you gotta admit man you have a weird taste palette-“
“Stop trying to change the subject. How the fuck did you know?”
Quackity went silent, looking straight at Schlatt. He seemed nervous, but not guilty. Schlatt felt the same.
“I-“ Quackity started, then stopped, took a deep breath, and continued, “I don’t know. I was just- I remember you mentioning that you’d be working on your garden today, and I thought it would be nice to bring you some food. I made myself a grilled cheese then went to make you one, and something in my brain somehow made it the way you like it. I don’t even eat it close to burnt at all, and I surely don’t put fucking oregano on the cheese, so I don’t get why my head told me to do that for you.”
The pair went silent again. Schlatt looked at Quackity, looked down at his sandwich, and took another bite. It was perfect, but not just because of the taste, but the hands that made it.
“I knew your name before you told me.” Schlatt blurted out.
“What??”
“You heard me, somehow I knew it. Like as you walked up to me I thought ‘Oh look it’s Quackity’ when I’ve never even heard a name as stupid as that before.”
“Hey don’t shit on my name-“
“And that fucking thing you do when you shake someone’s hand, that little tickle, I expected it before our hands even touched, like it’s happened to me a million times before.”
“Ok Schlatt hold on-“
“And I know that sounds fucking insane and weird and I swear I’m not a stalker or some weird ass creep, but I keep realizing things about you and feeling things towards you when I fucking shouldn’t because we met like three fucking weeks ago. It feels like I’ve known you all my life and it’s fucking freaking me out and-“
“SCHLATT SHUT THE FUCK UP FOR ONE SECOND!” Quackity screamed in his face. Schlatt stopped his ramble and looked at Quackity. Both of them were panting, exhausted not just from yelling, but this situation as a whole.
Quackity took a deep breath, and said, “I don’t think you’re a stalker, and sure you’re weird, but definitely not a creep. And honestly, I’ve been…I’ve been feeling the same.”
Schlatt stayed silent as Quackity watched for his reaction, and when he realized he wasn’t getting one, he continued.
“I knew your name before we shook hands, I knew you smoked cigarettes before you ever lit one in front of me, I knew the exact type of brandy you like before you showed me it, and I knew how you like your grilled cheese made.”
“You knew how I liked my grilled cheese made.” Schlatt repeated, looking back down at his almost finished sandwich. He looked back up, opened his mouth, and then…
“OHHH NEIGHBOR!! WHERE ARE YOUUU??”
“You gotta be fucking kidding me!” Schlatt mumbled, standing up from his place on the ground. He did a nice big stretch, took a final big bite of his sandwich, and started to walk around to the front of his house where Katie waited for him. Before he made it all the way around though, Quackity grabbed him by the shoulder.
“Are we not going to talk about this?” he shouted. Schlatt quickly covered Quackity’s mouth with his hand and shushed him.
“We will, but not now, I don’t think we should let anyone know what’s going on with us. Whatever’s happening…shouldn’t be. We know things about each other when we should be clueless about our lives before the crash. We can’t let the Feds find out.”
Quackity met Schlatt’s wary eyes, and gave a nod. Schlatt removed his hand from Quackity’s mouth as Quackity removed his hand from Schlatt’s shoulder. They both looked at each other one more time, and then went to greet Katie out front.
And later that night they talked. And the next day they talked again. And again.
The two begin to message each other every bit and piece they remembered about the other. Quackity’s favorite flower. Schlatt’s old cologne. Quackity’s drink of choice. Schlatt’s first kiss. Small facts that some wouldn’t even think of, but to the pair, meant the whole world.
———————
“That’s…EXACTLY HOW I FEEL WITH DON!!” Katie jumped up excitingly, “It’s like all these little bits and pieces and emotions that I have towards him, but I just didn't get why! Now it all makes sense!”
A smile crept on Schlatt’s face, “Well glad I could be of service kid. I mean look, that’s only a theory Quackity and I have. We have no clue if we actually knew each other before, but all signs point to it.”
“It’s the only explanation though!! Maybe people who had really strong relationships before the crash kept some of their memories! Like you and Quackity had some weird romance situationship going on and it was so strong it stuck with you!”
“Woah, woah, woah we did NOT have some sort of relationship ok I have no fucking idea what you’re on about.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. But the feelings I feel are definitely NOT that…more like…I feel like Don is like…ummm…”
Katie paused, clearly trying to think of the right word to use. Schlatt flicked his finished cigarette into the ocean, and watched as it slowly floated away, as he began to reflect a bit more on his…theory.
Well, in reality, Schlatt knew for a fact his theory was right, either that or he was fucking crazy. He hadn’t been only remembering facts about Quackity. He remembered things like the smell of war. He remembered how to be a leader, one who ruled with an iron fist. He remembered how defeat feels. He remembered feeling the loss of Quackity, and though he doesn’t know how it happened, he knew it was because of own stupidity. He remembered burnt toast, and the feeling of cold, hard dirt in his face. But he didn’t want to tell Katie, Quackity, or anyone else for that matter about it. Because he didn’t want to lose it all here too. Whatever he did….before this island…was bad, and he knew it. He just hoped maybe this time, he can be a somewhat decent guy, live a peaceful life, and keep his friends, and more importantly Quackity, by his side.
“I GOT IT!” Katie yelled, pulling him out of his thoughts.
“Oh yeah? So what do you think Don is to you,” Schlatt asked, amused curiosity in his voice.
Katie turned, stared straight at him, and confidently said, “He’s my brother!”