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After the dust settled. After the pain and the hunger and the song. After twins and lost loves embraced again.
There was what there always had been.
Three boys.
Tres Horny Boys.
None of them were sleeping because of course they weren't. The apocalypse had ended only hours before and Taako's hands were still shaking from an adrenaline high he couldn't seem to come down from.
People were still celebrating on the lawn below. Barry and Lup had now retired on their own, craving each other's company after ten long years apart. The three of them perched on the roof of the abandoned fantasy Costco, the highest reachable point here on the moon.
This close to space you could feel the heat of your body being sapped away. The universe taking what little you had to service an equilibrium much larger than anything you had to offer. Which is to say they were all a bit chilly.
"Should I be feeling… good right now?" Merle asked a bit unsure, "I don't feel bad exactly I just…"
He said nothing more.
"Yeah," Magnus agreed.
Taako drew in a breath preparing to speak, "Less than 48 hours ago I was… several levels lower, less than a century old, I was hotter and I was getting ready for the last job with you guys. I was about to be alone again."
"'Ko," Magnus began wincing at the reminder of the century, at the fact that it still felt unreal and like someone else's life a little bit.
"I forgot my fucking sister," He said, face still and expressionless, "I forgot you doofus's. And Lucretia, she- she ruined my life. Then has the audacity to let me risk my fucking neck over and over working for her, not giving a fuck where we live or die."
"It's more complicated than that Taako," a voice behind them said and they all turned. Seeing a gnome, climbing up the last rungs of the ladder to reach the roof they sat on.
"Captain," Magnus said, clearing his throat but not sure what to say.
Davenport's mouth pressed into a thin line for a moment before he tried for a smile, "can I join you?"
Taako scooted closer to Magnus, his arm pressed into Magnus's side, making room between himself and merle. The extra warmth between them was welcome.
Davenport sat.
"I know it's not that simple," Taako said quietly, "and I'm sorry if anyone's got the right to complain it's not the washed up tv star, I know. It's just… I've trusted a grand total of seven people in my life, I'm so goddamn careful. And then I got betrayed anyway."
Merle frowned, counting on his fingers but getting stuck at six, "seven?"
"The crew," Taako said, holding up six, then putting up one more, "and fucking Angus McDonald. Kravitz might get there, we've not been going long enough to know for sure."
Merle nodded slowly and they lapsed into silence.
They watched as a circle.of dancing formed, everyone singing, and grateful to just have who they still had with them. There were other bards playing energetically but Magnus felt Johann's absence sharply.
Then, "John tried at the end."
Magnus looked down the row at Merle, curiously.
"He was my friend, and he tried at the end and I don't think he deserved it. Any of that, I mean."
"I don't know that much of this is about deserving," Magnus said tiredly, "regular folks get their memories wiped, nice liches get trapped in umbrellas, the guy who completely disregards his safety constantly gets a second body."
A too long pause.
"And the literal coolest sword ever, you're welcome," Taako said, drawing half of a laugh out of the rest of them.
Silence followed again. Did they even know how to talk to each other anymore? Magnus wanted to lighten this, he didn't know how.
"Thanks for letting me come up here. I saw Lucretia coming my way and I understand why she did it all but… I might need a few days before my heart stops beating so fast anytime she says my name… or anytime I do," Davenport said with a slow exhale.
"You're always welcome with us," Merle said and then added with almost a chuckle, "No reason we can't be the Cuatro Horny Boys."
"Or better yet do away with the name in general!" Taako put in, "drop the number, drop the horny. We're just boys now."
Davenport laughed at that, and he didn't stop. Kept going, laughing harder and causing Magnus to crack up and then Merle and Taako and they all sat there laughing a little too hard for a little too long, tears building at the corners of their eyes.
They would be okay. Tomorrow they would eat, Davenport would laugh at a joke Barry told and it wouldn't be the last ditch effort not to cry that this laugh had been. And Lup and Magnus would target practice together. And Taako would cook for his family for the first time in a decade. And Merle would summon an angel to duet with him on Its Five O'clock Somewhere.
And they would be okay.