Chapter Text
Wilbur was back in London. This was a surprise in itself; for a city that held so much of him he wished he could leave behind to the grey puddles in city streets and rotting wood of all the places that had closed down, it was a place he both hated and loved so preciously.
Sure London had its downsides. The people were cold, grey blobs under black umbrellas in stark blue rain. But there were kind people, who he wished he could see again hidden in warm alcoves of dive bars and pubs alike. The streets smelled like smoke and smog and things you didn’t want to breathe in but it was one of the only places he could breathe. He breathed with the city and the city lived in him. So here he was, back again after two years on the road. It was really no surprise; something told him he’d always end up back here as much as he wished he wouldn't.
He’d managed to make it to Vienna; hopped a ferry across the channel to France and gotten a train from there. He’d always wanted to go, and it was everything he had dreamed. Leaving had been hard, but it was easy for him. He could go back. He was here, if that proved anything.
So far, in total he had come back to London from different places twice, not counting growing up down in the southeast side of the city. And he had said something. He wouldn’t call it a promise; promises were fickle businesses in a job so…unpredictable, but it was something he wanted to revisit. Someone he needed to see again, a story he wanted to complete.
And as Wilbur made his way through the unlocked employee entrance of the venue, he was ever grateful he didn’t have to go through the somehow even more gentrified horror story that was El Rapids, once a great queer space, a fun little drag club in Soho was now being taken over by rich hipsters and straight people who came for a show.
The door opened up, and standing in almost the exact same place as the last time he saw him was-
“Wilbur! Oh my god, hi!” Fundy called out, running up to him. “You're back!” Wilbur smiled widely. Fundy seemed like a nice kid (because there was no way he was over 20, maybe 18, 19 at most. There was no way he was older than 17 when he was last here.)
“Fundy! Good to see you! Yeah, I was in the area and wanted to stop-” A flash of green in his peripheral vision made his eyes skip to the door, where Dream stood. He just stared at him for a second.
“You’re not scheduled to play. And-sorry, who let you in?”
“I did! He’s my friend Dream, you remember him right?” Dream just nodded, calculating, before shaking his head.
“Whole night’s booked. If you wanna play here you need to talk to a manager or me.”
“That’s alright. I’m not playing here.” Dream nodded, and turned to leave.
"Fundy, you’re on in twenty, don’t miss it.” he called as the door shut behind him. Fundy turned back to him.
“He can be…not very nice sometimes. Sorry.” Wilbur shook his head.
“Not your fault. But how’s it been going, how’ve you been?”
“Good! Everything’s been okay. I got a place by myself!”
“Really? That’s amazing, good for you!” Fundy smiled widely.
“I’ve always wanted to just have my own place, and it’s just the absolute best. If you ever need a place to stay, my door's always open!” He said kindly, and Wilbur nodded.
“Thank's for the offer. Also, is Quackity coming? He still works here right?”
“Yeah! He should be showing up soon, he told me-” Luckily, comedic timing and dramatic irony seemed to follow Wilbur wherever he went, as just then, the employee door opened. And there he was. He stood stock still in the doorway, eyes fixed on Wilbur.
“No fucking way.” He said, before errupting into those shocked giggles that come out when you’re not quite sure what's going on. “Wilbur Soot!”
“Quackity!” he repeated in the same tone of voice, and even though they shared essentially one day together, Quackity caught him in a hug you gave a proper old friend.
“How the hell have you been? Your hair’s gotten longer.” Quackity said pulling back from the hug.
“Let me say, it’s been a couple years.” He said, a little bit of a sigh.
“Couldn’t stay away for long huh?”
“I never can.”
“Wow, commitment issues and attachment issues? Pick a struggle man.” Quackity joked, putting their bag down as they sat. it was the same exact vanity as before, even though there were now pictures hung up around the mirror.
There was a picture of a boy with brown curls standing on a stage, and another one with him and Quackity in a kitchen, seemingly doubled over laughing over a batch of burnt pastries. There was one of Quackity, the boy and a person with long brown hair at the beach (The piers at Brighton by the looks of it, he’d been there enough times.) Quackity saw him looking and smiled.
“That’s my kid. And my current partner.”
“You did it then?” He asked, and Quackity grinned, something relieved and proud and above all real.
“We’ve been away for almost six months. Kid’s staying with an older friend of ours, he’s got a much bigger house, and I’m staying with them.” He pointed to his partner, where he and them were pictured in drag together, on an unfamiliar stage. “I’m working harder, getting an apartment come next summer and I'm gonna try going back to school. it finally feels like things are getting back to normal.”
“That’s fucking incredible, I’m so happy for you.” Wilbur slung an arm around Quackity and noticed how much longer his hair had gotten as well, brushing his shoulders now. Still tucked under that same hat.
“Yeah. it is! If you stick around maybe you could meet them?” Wilbur shook his head.
“I’m just-“
“Passing through?” He nodded and Quackity looked down, smiling and shaking his head. “Always are.”
“I’m headed to a show tonight actually. Just had to stop by, I was on this side of town and I wanted to see how you were.”
“Well I’m fucking fantastic. How about you though? Huh, Mr. Mysterious-local-avoiding-my-questions?”
“Finally made my way to Vienna. Best place I’ve been so far.” He shrugged. Quackitys smile flashed something genuine before going to that joking-sarcastic thing it seemed to stay often.
“You should write a song about it, and me in that order.”
“Keep dreaming Q.” Wilbur winked, and handed him a slip of paper. “Here. I…don’t give this out a lot but If you ever want to reach out, I always end up back here.” Quackity took the little scrawl of paper, and had some sort of incredulous smile.
“I can’t believe you." Quackery smiled and pointed to him, raising his eyebrows. "One lunch. I’m holding you to that, Soot!” Wilbur smiled.
“You’re on. I’ll see you later.”