Work Text:
The bottle was a familiar weight in his hand, not quite a comfortable one but familiar nonetheless. It remained practically empty despite how long it rested in his grip. Quackity hadn’t taken more than a few sips since it was opened. In all honesty he only really took the thing because Sapnap and Karl did as well, though they had already downed the entire case by now.
It had been a few hours since the three of them sat down and started drinking. The sun had gone down long ago, taking its warmth with it. Luckily their local portable heating unit Sapnap had been able to start a large fire soon after. The light also helped ward off any potential mobs in the area. That coupled with the three’s ridiculously close proximity provided more than enough heat to fight off the night’s chill.
At some point Karl had ended up laying across the other two, his head in Quackity’s lap and legs crossed over Sapnap’s. Quackity had one wing curled around the two in order to block the small breeze. The other twitched every now and then, wanting to stretch out and wrap around Sapnap’s shoulder but resisting. He glanced at their third and giggled at the vacant look on his face.
Karl hummed from his place lying down but didn’t seem to stir any more than that. He pressed further into Quackity’s lap and smiled in his sleep. Both Quackity and Sapnap looked at him lovingly.
“He looks so cute when he’s sleeping.”
Quackity muttered his agreement, a small smile still on his lips.
“I love him man,” Sapnap nearly whispered, voice thick with the kind of emotion that only alcohol could bring forward.
“Yeah, I do too.”
They lapsed into silence, staring at their boyfriend. The sound of fireflies and wood crackling spilled throughout the forest. A slight gust of wind had Quackity curl forward and press his wing around Karl tighter. Almost immediately the fire grew bigger and replaced the cold.
He laughed and stretched out again.
“Show off.”
Sapnap smiled and shrugged. He moved closer and pressed against Quackity’s side. Instinctively Quackity wrapped his wing around the other, finally letting that tight knot of nerves unwind.
Quackity looked back at the bottle he was unintentionally gripping. The drink slipped back and forth inside it as he tipped the glass. He glared at it for a second, angrily pushing down the rising disgust and panic that came the longer he looked at it. Eventually he just sighed and set it down on the grass. He jumped when a hand slid into his.
“I thought you were more of a drinker, ‘least that’s what George told me.”
“Well I mean…”Quackity paused and shifted a bit, “I used to be I guess.”
Sapnap stared at him uncomprehendingly. The look nearly made Quackity laugh.
‘ Not a thought behind those eyes.’
Instead he stuttered through an explanation.
“Look I-yeah I used to like it I guess. I just-” he laughed nervously, “-I stopped after Manberg you know? Shit was a bit much.”
Sapnap’s eyes darkened even as he flushed with embarrassment. His hand warmed slightly in Quackity’s but not nearly enough to hurt.
“Right, yeah sorry man,” Sapnap mumbled, leaning forward and bumping his head against Quackity’s shoulder. Quackity’s wing stretched out farther and tightened around Sapnap. “Why didn’t you tell me and Karl about it? We didn’t have to like, we could have done something else tonight.”
“How forward of your Mr. Nap.” Quackity giggled at his own joke, trying not to shake Karl too much. “What would your boyfriend say?”
Sapnap poked Quackity’s side with his free hand.
“I meant like, not drink. If it makes you uncomfortable or…” Sapnap trailed off.
Honestly this conversation was more painful than smelling the alcohol on both of their breaths. Quackity shook his head and swatted Sapnap with his wing.
“Forget it man, we’ll talk about it when you and Karl aren’t shitfaced.”
Sapnap grumbled and moved to bury his face in Quackity’s neck. Quackity flushed slightly and tilted his head. He let out a breathy laugh as Sapnap pressed a few soft kisses there. The touch was so much more gentle than Quackity was used to. In a way it was just fucking weird, the odd shyness of it. But it was, nice. New. Sapnap moved away and up to Quackity’s face.
“Hey.”
Quackity laughed again, shrill and breathy. “Hey.”
Without any other warning, Sapnap pushed forward and kissed him, significantly more forceful than before. Quackity let out a noise of surprise but returned the kiss, his hands coming up to grip Sapnap’s collar. He winced at the sudden taste of liquor. Sapnap pulled away and let out a questioning hum.
“‘M I missing out on kisses?” Karl’s voice cut through the silence and made both of them jump.
Quackity groaned when he realized his heartattack was for nothing. Pushing Sapnap away more, he cringed at the lingering taste and smell.
“Fuck you Karl, you fucking asshole.”
“Jesus Karl,” Sapnap muttered.
The accused giggled, voice still riddled with sleep. He reached up and ran a hand through Quackity’s wing.
“Tha’s what you guys get for not kissing meee,” Karl whined.
“We can’t kiss you if you fucking kill us Jacobs, you fucking…you dick.”
Quackity shifted so Karl could sit up, which he did not do. Like the asshole he is. Instead, he moved his hand and yanked Sapnap down to him. They both let out a giggle before melting into a kiss. Of course, the angle was probably painfully awkward, seeing as they were kissing right on Quackity’s lap. But hey, he’s not about to complain. The view was way too fucking nice.
After 30 or so seconds, Quackity started pulling on Sapnap’s shirt.
“Alright c’mon, stop making out on top of my dick.”
Karl whined as Sapnap was pulled away from him. Sapnap was grumbling something but Quackity didn’t care too much to listen. He was more focused on the way that Karl’s gaze seemed to be locked onto Quackity’s lips now that they were in view. There wasn’t much time for him to adjust before Karl shot up and moved, dragging Quackity along with him. He moved to a sitting position, now half on Quackity’s legs and half on the log they sat on.
Similarly to Sapnap, Karl didn’t say much as he leaned forward and into a kiss. Quackity smiled against his lips and tilted slightly. They slipped together seamlessly, lips pressing and moving naturally. Eventually they broke apart breathlessly. Both broke into light giggles when they opened their eyes.
Next to them, Sapnap watched with a loving (dumb) smile. His hand was resting on Karl’s waist while the other hovered over the wing curled around him. Quackity wrapped his wings around the two, purposefully making it hit Sapnap’s hand. He sighed as he felt the feathers being sorted and played with.
Happy with the attention received, Karl slips back down to a laying positing. His eyes slowly fell closed again.
“Mmm I love you guys,” Karl mumbled as he slipped back into sleep.
Quackity smiled and brushed through Karl’s curls, whispering out his response. The words were barely audible but he knew the other heard him. Karl’s breathing evened out as he fully fell asleep.
He closed his eyes, still smiling, and listened to the fire and his lovers’ breathing. The fire let out a loud pop accompanied by a soft sizzle. It crackled in a gentle rhythm along with the ups and downs of the breeze.
“I think I love you too, you know.”
Sapnap’s voice cut through Quackity’s meditative state, making him jerk. He turned to look at him, shock most likely evident on his face.
“Yeah?” He let out an unintentional laugh as he asked. It was shaky with surprise and nerves.
“Yeah.”
Quackity blushed again.
It wasn’t the first time he’d heard someone say that, of course. Karl said he loved him the first week they started dating. It had taken Quackity a bit to believe him or to even say it back, but Karl was nothing if not patient. He’d whisper it as he slipped under the covers next to the other two, or when he was (unsuccessfully) making lunch and happened to see on of them, or when Quackity got home from the cabinet and was still carrying an armful of paperwork, or when a throwaway comment made Quackity’s eyes glaze over make him defensive, or when a touch made Quackity notably flinch. Karl would say it as if the words meant nothing and everything to him.
Sapnap didn’t do that. Not that he didn’t comfort or shower Quackity or Karl with love whenever the moment arose. He just wouldn’t say it as much. Not to Quackity at least. Instead he would walk Quackity to and from work, promising to keep him safe the entire way. He would drag Karl and Quackity onto the couch simply to spend time together and exist. So Quackity always knew Sapnap loved him, or at least cared about him enough to keep him around. They just never said it to each other.
He let the words rest in the air for a minute, thinking them over.
“Think I love you too,” Quackity said back.
Sapnap visibly brightened at the response. It was annoying how cute it was. They didn’t say anything after that, both choosing to leave the conversation at that. At a non-confession of sorts. The atmosphere was enough to fill the quiet anyways.
Eventually the fire started to burn out, the loud pops and crackles going quiet. Seeing as Sapnap didn’t bring it back to life with a touch signaled it was time they left.
Wordlessly, Quackity tapped Sapnap’s shoulder and started to wake Karl. In the most predictable way, Karl whined and groaned at the idea of having to walk home once he was awake. He continued to as they gathered the leftover bottles until Quackity offered to carry him home.
It was difficult at first, because no shit, seeing as Karl was in fact much taller than Quackity and it was currently close to 2:00 am. He didn’t mind once he saw the look of drunken awe on Karl’s face. Seeing an opportunity, he of course laughed in his boyfriend’s face and mocked him. The two of them loudly bickered as Quackity stumbled along the cleared path.
In the corner of his eye, Quackity could see Sapnap standing by the dead fire. He watched as he took every one of the bottles they had, some full some not, and burned them. Melted glass was the only thing left on the firepit now, the smell of alcohol slowly dissipating from the area.
Quackity smiled at the sentiment, only to join in with Karl as he catcalled their third from his place in Quackity’s arms.
Their laughter and voices carried through the forest as they walked, the sound of the fire long gone.