Chapter Text
As usual, Wednesday's are canceled due to a scheduling error, so no work. Nothing. Not even the traffic lights have to work today. So most people stay indoors. For the incorrect word of Safety. No one is safe.
So, with no work, Cecil sat browsing through all the new strange occurrences within Night Vale. There is a party being held that no one is invited to or is meant to know about. Looks like Michelle “accidentally” published this on the front page of her blog and also liked it herself *ahem* “accidentally”.
Old Woman Josie's non existent angels are stood at the corner of the Ralphs asking for a dollar to spare. Of course, no one has given them one because there's no such thing in angels and why would they be asking for a dollar anyway…? Why is there an article on something so untruthful? Fake news, am I right?
Carlos sits in the Dining room. As usual, Carlos is wearing his, what he calls his “Home Science” lab coat, and of course, his sparkly space leggings.
He’s sat fiddling with pages of paper on the table peering at Cecil. Markers of different colours surround the pages and beakers of different densities and deadliness bubble in an assorted line of colour.
With an appearance of awkwardness on his face, Carlos sighs and stands. He enters the living room and leans against the door frame clinging onto a piece of paper.
“Cecil~”
“Yes?”
“So, I've been researching some things...”
Cecil already rolls his eyes knowing where this situation is going.
“Carlos, I know science is your passion, but you can give up trying to convince me that mountains exist.”
Cecil sits up and crosses his arms disapproving the fact that his trusted boyfriend has gone against his word to look too deeply into things again.
“Will you at least hear me out?” Carlos’ voice goes a little higher. He kneels down in front of Cecil as if he's about to pray down to him, begging him to listen.
“Go on…” He sighed and rolled his eyes again trying to emphasis he doesn't care and he is not happy with this but that won’t make Carlos give up. He never really gave up with anything.
He smiles like a puppy. Cecil tries to hold back blushing at the sight and keep a straight face over the adorable childish eager of Carlos.
“So, mountains are part of geology. And geology, if you notice has ‘-ology’ at the end. And what else has ‘-ology’ at the end? Every science, ever! Biology, Psychology... So, I know they're real because as a scientist, I work in that field as well! Plus, just look outside. There's one there!”
“What about Chemistry and physics?”
“They don't matter right now. But look!”
Carlos holds up a creased piece of paper with clenched fists. It has the words ‘Geology = Science so... Mountains = existence’ written in marker pen followed by a doodle of a ‘mountain’ at the bottom. It felt like your kid showing you a drawing they did, and all you can do is smile and lie about how good it is.
“Your evidence is lacking. I do not approve.”
Carlos sighs and raises his eyebrow at Cecil. At that moment it felt like an imaginary light bulb appeared over Carlos’ head as he gives an energetic smile with wide eyes.
“Come here.” Carlos says as he eagly stands up tugging on Cecil’s arm and leading him over the window. He rests his head on Cecil's shoulder.
“Look a little to the right. What do you see in the distance past the wastelands?” He points over Cecil's shoulder, smiling that he may have finally caught Cecil out.
“Sand and dirt.”
“That forms?”
“Land.”
“Also a landform called..?”
“Carlos. Stop. I won't say it and neither will you.”
Cecil turns back around and places his hand on either of Carlos’ shoulders. His expression gives off the impression of annoyance.
“Just stop looking into this stuff Carlos. It doesn't matter If they exist or not! If you carry on, the council, the government, the secret police... They'll do things to you for researching and believing in that stuff. They.. already have suspicions. Please, for me, for your safety. Just leave it and forget about the science in it and trust me instead.”
Cecil speaks with fear in his voice as he tilts his head slightly with the hint of a smile.
The City Council haven't been happy with Carlos’ research recently. He's been looking too deeply into too many things that should just be accepted for what they are… or what they are not.
Carlos pushes Cecil's hands away and to his side staring blankly at Cecil.
“I'm a Scientist. This is my job and passion. I know what's right and I'm not going to be taken down for my beliefs. I'm sorry Cecil, but not this time...”
Carlos walks away clenching onto his paper. He sits down and takes some rock and places it in a beaker, acid spills out and sizzles on the table, then he puts his head down glaring at the wall through his hair.
In sadness? Maybe.
In regret? Possibly.
Cecil stares ahead worried and agitated, trying to hold back his mixed emotions of anger and sadness that are swirling through his mind.
With a clenched fist he stares down at the ground with an intense urge to grit his teeth loudly, so even Carlos can hear the anger that has swelled up in him. His vision begins to blur as tears well up in his eyes, tears of distrust, sorrow, and anger.
The fact that Carlos just said that and with little to no emotion, he spoke honestly. That he would rather go to his passion of science than believing in his own boyfriend.
He bites his lip and releases his clenched fist.
“Call me when you’ve got back your sense of reality in this world.”
And then the door bangs shut.
Carlos looks up and pushes his hair out of his face. He hurries to the window and peers out.
He sees Cecil walking away from the house, his head down possibly gritting his teeth or maybe crying.
Carlos joins in on the second option as he leans against the wall with his mind scattered with feelings and tears stream down his face.
- xxx -
Not many people are out of their homes today. No one goes out on Wednesdays. No one likes Wednesday, what an awful name to give the most awful day of the week...
A sense of Autumn is in the air as brown leaves scatter across the pavement. They crackle as you walk over them follower by a soothing whistle of the cold breeze.
Cecil sits in Mission Grove Park with his head down and his hands weakly dangling over his knees.
All he can do is think. Think about his irrational choice of if he should have left. Or maybe just admited to Carlos that they are real...
He sighs questioning whether he should feel guilty or not for what happened.
“Heya Cecil?” A voice calls out as footsteps approach him on the autumn leaves.
Cecil flashes back into reality from his thoughts as he glimpses up through the strands of his fallen hair.
It's Steve “Fucking” Carlsberg.
“Oh. Hey Steve!” Cecil exaggerates Steve's name in an annoying fashion as he stares into his soul hoping it will ward him off.
“You been crying? You doing okay Cecil?” Steve asks concerned as he peers at Cecil's face more, leaning slightly to get a better look at him. Cecil immediately rubs his eyes.
“I'm fine... Just leave me to think through things. I don't need your help..” Cecil looks away again as he can't look Steve in the eyes without getting the feeling to punch him or call him out on his previous sayings at the PTA meeting the other day. Geez, you just had to bring up all your ideas that the world is not as it seems Seriously, no one cares, Steve...
“Cecil, I know you hate me. You say it on the radio all the damn time but... If some things up I'm not just gonna leave you.” Steve speaks quite sincerely.
Still looking away, Cecil sighs heavily awaiting Steve's footsteps to go down in pitch as he walks away. They only get closer.
“Your sister wouldn't like you to keep this to yourself.” Steve mutters loudly.
“You bastard! You’re using her for me to tell you what's wrong. Well, it isn't going to work!” he snapped as he glares at him. Cecil picks his head up and crosses his arms snarling trying not to register Steves existence. A pretty easy task to do.
Steve begins walking away. Cecil opens his eye slightly seeing him leaving and buries his head into his hands.
“Me and Carlos had a fight!” He shouts out. Steve turns and smiles knowing his brother-in-law would be open with him in the end, he sits next to Cecil. He nudges away feeling too uncomfortably close to Steve.
“What happened?”
“Carlos still believes mountains exist which they don't and don't even try to make me think otherwise or I will slap you and he tries to convince me and then I was like no they don't and then he decided to show me an apparent mountain and I wouldn't believe him then I snapped at him and then he basically said no and now I left and- and-” Cecil takes a deep breath realizing he's talking too fast and not making any sense. Quite insensitive for a radio host to stutter and jumble his words.
“Basically, Carlos wanted to follow his passion for science then trust me... His own Boyfriend.”
“I'm sorry Cecil... You two are so... good together. Fights happen, you'll get over this. Me and Abby fight sometimes but we get through it.”
“But, this has happened twice before. This isn't even the worst time... so far. Carlos, just, doesn't learn! And... I've just had enough of it...”
Steve looks down, it's hard to see a relative sad. Even if that relative hates you this much, it still tugs at your heart strings.
He's just over reacting.
Steve thinks with a smug look. Cecil and Carlos have such an overwhelming love for each other that it hurts more when they have a fight so Cecils taking this in a bad way.
But, suddenly his face tenses and frowns as Cecil looks up with tears welled up in his glistening eyes and his jaw shaking slightly. His hands shake but he holds onto them trying to calm himself down. He opens his dry mouth and the words Steve or anyone never thought Cecil would never say we're just spoken and it hurt to hear and see Cecil in such distress by those words. That sentence. That actual thought that came into Cecil's mind.
“Am I dating the right person..?”