Chapter Text
Quackity was tired. Drop to the floor and sleep on the ground tired. After several weeks on the campaign trail, every day felt like a struggle. It was no wonder that he was so sleepy given that he had given multiple high energy speeches today. Even as a vice-president candidate, there was always work to be done. At least tonight he could sleep in a bed instead of the official Schlatt2020 bus. Speaking of the bus, he lurched off and towards the bright lights of the San Diego Hyatt. As he got closer, he heard several heated voices, one familiar and one unfamiliar.
“Sir, I’m sorry but there is nothing we can do! We only have one room left, you can take it or leave it.” Quackity walked through the doors and noticed a hotel employee arguing with his other half. Other half of the ballot, that was. Jay Schlatt towered over the poor girl, but there was a weight on his shoulders that suggested he was as tired as, if not more than, Quackity.
“Fine, we’ll take it.” He grunted, and snatched the key out of her hand. Seeing Quackity, he strolled over and gave a wry smile.
“Looks like we’re late to the party. Only one room left, roomie.” Quackity sighed and shrugged. He had no more fight in him today.
They rode the elevator in silence up to the third floor, carrying small duffel bags of toiletries and pajamas. A short walk down the hall and they finally made it into the room where they could rest and relax and-
Oh no.
Oh no no no. This would not do. An alarm went off in Quackity’s brain as he looked around the room, frantically looking for a couch, a murphy bed, anything. But the only furniture that looked comfortable to sleep on was a large bed, smack in the middle of the room. Despite his previous outlook, there was no way he was sleeping in a chair tonight. Schlatt looked at him and Quackity saw a faint blush cover his skin. He was probably just embarrassed. That had to be it. Quackity gave another sign of defeat, and resigned himself to the fate of a restless night in an uncomfortable chair. He started to walk towards an overstuffed armchair, but before he could sit down, Schlatt’s bag was thrown onto it. With a huff, Quackity turned around and glared at the tall man.
“So where am I supposed to sleep then” He asked in annoyance
“In the bed, obviously. I don’t bite, but I might if you try to cuddle or any of that shit. It’s big enough for the two of us Alex. We’ll be fine.” Schlatt replied. Quackity knew that he meant business when he brought out the first name. Schlatt definitely did not want to be argued with tonight, and Quackity did not want to argue with him. Quackity used the bathroom first, taking a quick shower, changing into a ratty shirt and shorts, and brushing his teeth and hair. Then Schlatt went. Quackity did not know what the protocol was for this. He shifted from foot to foot until he decided that he was too tired to care. He flopped onto the bed, and despite the low mattress quality, it was still a bed and not a chair. He soon drifted off to sleep and was barely conscious when Schlatt exited the bathroom and found him asleep on top of the bed. He briefly registered being lifted up, and then placed gently under the covers. And then something he did not hear at all.
“Goodnight Quackity.” Schlatt whispered in a low voice, careful not to wake the man. Then he climbed into bed and fell asleep turned away from the other side of the bed.
Quackity was not tired now. Tired is painful and cold. He was now sleepy, which is warm and safe. He felt warm blankets surrounding him, which he did not remember being there at the time of his departure into the land of nod. He also registered someone else in the bed. Quackity was awake now. Did he have another one-night stand? He couldn’t keep doing that, especially not now. Quackity looked over at the man in the bed, and tried to search his memory for the events of last night, but then the man rolled over, now facing him, and everything flooded back. The bus, the argument with the employee, and the sheer awkwardness that followed. But Schlatt looked different. His lips were slightly parted and his hair was far from its normal slicked back look. Schlatt mumbled and reached out to Quackity’s side, where he found nothing. Grumbling, he pulled his arm back and began to softly snore. Quackity watched him for a moment longer, not quite knowing why. Looking at the clock, he saw that there was still an hour until they had to get back on the bus and drive to the next stop.
Five minutes later, Quackity was standing in line at a coffee shop, ordering breakfast for Schlatt and himself. He didn’t know why he was feeding the other man, they never did things like this for each other. They were running mates purely out of political favor and the fact that Quackity was a second generation immigrant, which really widened Schlatt’s demographics. While waiting for the coffees to be ready, Quackity’s phone rang. It was Schlatt.
“Hey Schlatt, is everything good?”
“Jesus Quackity don’t leave like that. I didn’t know where you were. At least leave a note.” Quackity swallowed hard and began to blush furiously. This felt awfully domestic to him, and he did not appreciate the feelings it was awakening in him.
“Sorry Schlatt, I’ll leave a note next time. I was just getting us coffee.” Quackity replied and then froze. ‘Next time’? Would there be a next time? Probably not, but did Quackity want there to be? He was not awake enough to have that conversation. He looked down at his phone, and saw that Schlatt had hung up. ‘Bastard, he’s got no manners’ Quackity thought, grabbing their coffees and walking back the room. When he got there, he swung open the door to a shirtless Schlatt, stretching and rubbing his eyes in the middle of the room. Luckily, Quackity had not been drinking his coffee, because if he had, it would have been all over the floor. Again, way too early. Schlatt took it all in stride, grabbing his coffee from Quackity and taking a sip.
“Thanks man. How’d you know how I like my coffee anyways?” He asked. Quackity had no answer for that. And he definitely did not have a good answer for the question that came next. With a smile Schlatt said,
“I was thinking. We’ve got to conserve our campaign funds, so why don’t we just share a bed all the time? It would certainly save us money, and I didn’t mind it. What do you think?” Schlatt had no reason being this way, and Quackity was certain that it would be the death of him. But without thinking, his heart answered for him by uttering one word.
“Sure.”