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Fundy was silent as he sat with Phil, waiting. Waiting for Eret, who was supposed to be here an hour ago.
Frustration lit the growing pit in his stomach with a fire and embarrassment spread that fire over his cheeks. His eyes felt damp with tears but he wouldn’t let them fall. Eret didn’t deserve his tears, not after giving him the hope of family and tearing it away in the cruelest of ways.
The worst part is he was almost certain that Eret hadn’t meant to abandon him either.
Eret loved to explore, loved to run away from the hell hole they all called home, to discover things and just get away for a while. And often they got caught up in areas where their communicator didn’t work and stayed there for longer than intended. That was probably what had happened today. He shouldn’t be mad at Eret for it, after all, he’d done it himself, taking unplanned time off to hang out in cogchamp with his boyfriend.
But he was. Because Fundy had always gone with a group, letting people know before he left. And he always did his best to make it back in time for important things. Eret only ever went alone, and was always slow to return. Because today was supposed to be the best day in Fundy’s life after Wilbur’s death. Today was supposed to be the day his life turned around.
Instead Fundy was sitting alone with Phil in the middle of New L’Manburg waiting for someone who wasn’t going to show up.
Finally Phil stood, looking almost like he felt bad for Fundy. Fundy didn’t really want Phil’s pity, not when Phil indirectly caused this situation by killing his father. Not when Phil had all but abandoned him, declared that he didn’t want Fundy as a grandson.
“It looks like they aren’t coming. I’m sorry mate, I know you were looking forward to this a lot. Do you want to stay at my house for the night? Just so you aren’t alone tonight.” Phil asked, holding a hand out to Fundy.
Fundy wanted to take it. He wanted to cling to Phil, to not be alone tonight, not after that. But it wasn’t real. In the morning Phil would go back to hating him and Fundy would have to make the sad trek back to his house all alone after a morning of disappointment.
“No I--” Fundy choked out, “I think I'm just gonna go home. Might call 5up. Thanks anyway Phil.”
Phil nodded and let Fundy stumble back to his home. Fundy collapsed into bed the moment he got home, not even bothering to attempt to call 5up like he had wanted to. Fundy had told 5up about his plans for the day, he wasn’t expecting to call until late that night, after Fundy was done celebrating with Eret.
The thought was what broke Fundy and he sobbed loudly into his pillow. He was supposed to be celebrating the adoption with Eret right now, instead he was sobbing alone while Eret was off who knows where.
After a little while Fundy’s communicator went off, buzzing in his pocket. Fundy hesitantly pulled it out. 3 new messages from 5up. A good luck message from 2 hours ago, sent right when the meeting was supposed to start and two messages from a couple seconds ago.
hey funds call me when you get done with mister king guy, i got a surprise for you
;)
Fundy let out a little laugh at the dumb nickname he’d given Eret. He wiped his eyes and hesitantly hit the call button. The dial tone rang once, twice, and then 5up picked up.
“Fundy!” came 5up’s gleeful voice. Fundy felt himself brighten a bit just hearing it, it felt great knowing he was wanted . “I wasn’t expecting you to be done for ages! How did it go?”
The question hurt more than Fundy was expecting, and the tears he had managed to bury at 5up’s message resurfaced, “They uh…” a sob escaped his mouth, “They didn’t show up.”
5up was silent for a moment before he hissed, “
how dare they. I’m going to steal their fucking ankles.
”
Fundy barked out a laugh that he tried to suppress. 5up’s protective rage was comforting, as was his (hopefully joking) threat against Eret’s ankles. It wasn’t often that his loving boyfriend got actually angry, it was sweet to know that this anger was for Fundy’s sake. It was just as sweet to have him try to cheer him up
“I really don’t think they meant to,” Fundy tried to explain, because despite it all he did want to defend Eret who had been willing to take him in when no one else on his server wanted him, “I think they are just out on one of their adventures and lost track of time.”
“Doesn’t matter.” 5up said, “They chose to do this, they should have been responsible and made sure they’d be on server for it.”
5up was right but Fundy didn’t want to get anymore upset at the only real decent adult left in his life. Niki didn’t count, she was basically his sibling, basically a child, just like him.
5up sighed, “Alright Funds, I wasn’t gonna offer this right away since I thought you’d be spending time with the bastard, but I'm moving back home, back to the crewfu. Come with me, come meet my family.”
Fundy knew about the crewfu, had heard all about them from 5up. He knew that they were chaotic and had made killing each other into a game and 5up loved them and had missed them every day he spent away from them in Cogchamp. He’d just never had the chance to meet them.
“Yes. yes! A thousand times yes 5up, I'd love to. When are you leaving, I'll meet you in the hub.” Fundy cried, getting up out of bed to start packing.
“How soon can you be packed and ready to go?” 5up asked, Fundy’s excitement making him even more excited.
“Tomorrow morning.”
“Then how about we meet at 11am hub time and get lunch together before we leave?”
Fundy’s grin was so wide, “That sounds amazing, I'll see you there babe.”