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It was quite rare for the island to look this quiet and pacific. Only the gentle sound of nature around the little cottage tower invaded the humble abode, turning into white noise for the little father and daughter family that slept peacefully inside the spruced walls.
Wilbur hated the silence, but this time it was so well appreciated after the whole month of never stopping, always on a stage, shouting lyrics and jumping around, having fun while he was all over the place, everywhere at once. Maybe silence wasn't that bad…
Then a simple melody invaded his already rare dreams, his untouchable out of reality experiences that neither aphantasia could block, getting broken by the touch of the outside world. It all crashed like glass as he woke up with an annoyed grunt, who knows when he'll have a dream again…
He tried to go back to his nap, but the melody kept him awake, aware of his surroundings, aware that…there was someone in his yard?
Welp, there goes his peace
He got up in a careful motion, fixing his jumper as he got upstairs to check if the sweet melody came from his equally sweet and amazing daughter, smiling to himself as he found the little dragonet sleeping peacefully. His starlight, his niña, his little amapola , gently embraced by Morpheus. He approached, kissing her forehead while pushing her from the edge of the bed, fixing the duvet to cover her little curled up figure
But the melody kept going, a distant song that invited his curiosity, that made his sixth sense tingle in warning. He went out on Tallulah's balcony, not finding anything in the front yard, realizing it was probably on the side of the house…great
One section of the stairs down, he opened his balcony door cautiously, sighing as the melody got louder as he walked to look beneath
The situation he saw made him laugh to himself.
Of course it was Quackity. Quackity playing a very beautiful carved guitar, head tilted down enough for the sombrero to hide his face. It was very ridiculous, Wilbur thought to himself, but he couldn’t stop himself from adorning his face with a curious and amused smiled, shaking his head softly while propping himself on the rampart
The shorter one looked up to him, starting to sing softly in Spanish, what looked like a very…romantic song...fuck he was actually serenading him, at these ungodly hours…
This man never gives up and Wilbur respected that perseverance immensely
When he finished the song, the brunet clapped quietly, resting his head on his hand afterwards
"What do I owe you, el patito mariachi?" Asked with a subtly husked voice, he just woke up after all
"Uhm…you know, i thought a little serenade could make our reencounter after one month…i don't know, special?" Scratched his neck, a very shy smile gracing his face. Why so pretty?
"You're an idiot, you know that?" Voice went out in an amused tone, smirk never curving down
"...i didn't wake up Tallulah right?!" Oh he's concerned about this now, okay yeah—
"Nope, don't worry, Big Q. She's a heavy sleeper"
"Oh thank God—"
The british man giggled, tilting his head down. Quackity saw a chance there, and started to play again, catching the older's attention again. Brown eyes clashing as the moonlight graced the flower garden around the house
(Ugh…why was Wilbur actually enjoying this?? And his voices mocked him for it...of course)
The song ended, earning the mexican another soft claps from the brunet. He didn't broke character this time, tossing a…branch upwards, getting messily catched by the older one.
"Oh—" Wilbur analyzed it, letting himself smile and chuckle "Yellow acacia huh?"
"Yup, what's the matter with it? Is just a pretty flower and…and i know you quite like yellow" looked around embarrassed and confused, looking rather suspicious in Wilbur's eyes
"You…you weren't expecting the fact that I know flower language right?"
Oh shit
"Wait….no mames Wilbur, no mames—"
"My daughter has a plant and flowers special interest, of course she made me read the flower language book we found while we made the garden, y'know" explained deadpanned, trying extremely hard to not break character and giggle hysterically "Also i can sense the smell of beer, are you drunk??"
"¿...talvez?" Shrugged slightly, letting a hiccup escape
"God dammit—"
"If you know what the branch means then, say it, mr i-know-it-all"
"It means secret love…right?" The answer went out quite uncertain, with a subtle tone of hope…it felt he was hoping to be right
A shy and confused nod sufficed, he didn't look so sure, and that made Wilbur smile fondly to the drunk man beneath. He knew he shouldn't be so relaxed around him, he was unexpected, unpredictable, every step was a mystery, danger. But he knew all of the heavy baggage he carries, he just needed some understanding, love, A LOT OF THERAPY and a really good reality check
He could give that, is not that his sleep would come back soon, innit?
"Go to the door, silly goose, I'll open for you. It's fucking cold outside and maybe i don't want you to fucking die" With that being said he went inside, descending and going straight to his door, unlocking it to find the little mariachi in front of him, cheeks red of embarassment and drunkness
It was a pathetic view, but he could only chuckle in sympathy
"W-why are you laughing, pendejo??"
"Why you submitted yourself to such…something" teased, propping on the doorframe
"Cuz I'm drunk and I missed you?"
…
"Fair enough, come inside, come on. Come come. Mi casa es…su casa? Not that much, im not—"
"I know Wilbur, I know" dismissed as he hugged himself, a sheepish smile splattered on his facial features. The bespectacled frowned, noticing how much the other one was trembling…
He sighed, grabbing his jacket and putting it on him
"Oh Wilbur, you didn't need to—"
"Shut up, you're cold" grabbed his blue scarf after fixing the big jacket, putting it on him carefully. He looked so cozy now, a little bundled idiot. Wilbur stifled a giggle as he pushed the sombrero up, finally being able to see Quackity's eyes "Hola"
"...hola"
"Looking very cozy huh? Ya cozy bitch"
"...yeah, kinda. Your jacket is big as fuck"
"I wonder why–"
With a flick he made the sombrero fall off his head, earning him an annoyed huff. And—
Oh
Oh…
He never saw Quackity without a hat before…a rare sight for sure. And he was quite impressed that he wasn't complaining about the sudden hair reveal
(And he was…very pretty)
"How was the tour, señor guitarrista?" The raven haired asked softly, voice a little tipsy and slurred
"It was good, very fun and poggers. I had a lot of fun—"
"Bueno, bueno, bueno…" nodded with the information, relaxing his features
"But i missed here" broke eye contact, hands somehow still gripping his shoulders carefully, still there "Like…a lot"
"Well, that's understandable. Your daughter n shit"
"Yeah…" he smiled to himself, freckles getting more apparent as his cheeks painted themselves with reddish tones.
And oh Quackity was so tipsy, that view didn't help either, so cute
"Guapo"
"Hm?"
"Guapo, guapíssimo. No one told you how pretty you are? Tsk, what a sin–" He slurred out, a crooked smile unhidden from the scarf. With a warm chuckle he cupped the taller's face "Hombre guapo"
Wilbur laughed, a very melodic and homefelt laugh "Big Q–"
"Hermoso"
"You are very drunk, yeah?"
"Calláte, cariño. I'm complimenting you"
Mumbled in a hushed tone, brushing his thumbs on Wilbur’s cheekbones "I like your freckles"
"Mhm..?"
"Mhmmm, they look like constellations…constelación…"
Wilbur decided to play the same game, just to see how the motherfucker would react. He cupped one cheek, brushing his thumb on Quackity's beauty marks
"Yours are pretty too, y'know"
Bingo, that was enough to break Quackity's confidence, making him blush violently.
"¡¡S-Su hijo de puta, no se habla así!!" He stepped away, pushing the english man without real strength
" Huff– W-Why not?"
"Cause' no!"
"Getting mad cuz I can play your little game at the same level?" Asked almost seriously, almost, his chuckle gave it all up, his defiant composure breaking down instantly
"Hmph– cabrón hijo de un pendejo…" he mumbled, making the older gasp almost fakily
"Hijo de pendejo es tu, Jesus Christ how are you so damn drunk mate?"
The ravenette smirked, gazing Wilbur very groggily "I was in Las Casualonas earlier. You know what i mean by Las Casualonas "
".......you know what? I regret asking, I really do. Nop"
"What's the problem with me going to the club?? What's the problem of me seeing pretty bodies and drinking myself to sleep frantically and and drugs and—"
"NONE! No problem, shhhhh, I don't wanna know! Shut!"
"O-okay okay geez—"
…
Muteness settled in the cozy home, both looking at each other while the vibe got uncomfortable. Oh well, shit—
"Uhm, so, uhm, haha. Wanna watch tv? A cup of tea? Maybe…are you hungry—???" Tried to melt the ice between them, scratching his neck sheepishly
"Hm…i'm not that hungry, I guess…"
"Ok that's enough answer, sit on the couch, i'll make us something"
As he sat a comfortable silence filled around them. He hugged himself, keeping himself warmer as he felt the fabric of the jacket on his hands, cozy…he felt cozy. He hasn’t felt cozy in a while
Wilbur yelped slightly, kicking the furnace as he mumbled profanities at it, which earned Quackity a little giggle, making Wilbur look at him rapidly with an annoyed and apologetic grin.
He began to look around, to pay attention in every detail, the little signs and post-its adorned the spruce perfectly, like it was meant to be there
He could make a harsh comment again, he could make fun of that stupid theatrical relationship Wilbur and Tallulah shared…but maybe it wasn't fake
He felt the love that poured in every sign, in every interaction they had. The pet names and soft voices and genuine care…
How did Wilbur manage to do this so well, even when away? How Tallulah actually loved him…? How—
"I can hear your cogs moving" the other caught his attention, fond and worried eyes piercing through his bones "What's in your mind?"
Quackity shifted uncomfortably on the couch, fingers gripping his shorts like his life was on the line, hands sweating underneath his gloves…should he talk about it? Would Wilbur understand?
Before he could settle his mind he started speaking beyond his control, it was like instinct:
"I don't get it…"
The other closed the spaghetti pot he started to make, gazing the winged man on his sofa, frowning
"I don't…get…how do you do this? How does Tallulah love you? How….? Why?!" Broke eye contact, little yellow wings fluttering anxious beneath the jacket "i just don't get it…"
"...what do you mean…?" Concern dripped from his words like honey, a strange warmth that wrapped around Quackity's brain, which made him talk more
"How does she still love you?? You're always away, she's been taken care of by other people for so long, but she still looks at you like you mean the world to her and I don't get it!!" A frustrated sigh escaped his throat as he hid his face on his hand, he felt pathetic, he wanted to cry
Wilbur crouched in front of Quackity, silent and patient
"I know I've been an asshole, a creep even. Raising many red flags, and I know grieving is not an excuse but I just don't know how to deal with how UNFAIR this is!" Tears streamed down his face, hands trembling on his tights, it hurts…it hurted so much
The older grabbed the latter's hands, caressing them with his thumbs
Quackity hiccuped, letting a sob out
"I know I wanted to kill the eggs. I know that and I'm so ashamed I'm such an idiot I just didn't think it was fair! Why does everyone get to keep their eggs and be genuinely happy?! Where did I fail?!?"
"Shh…Q, breathe…breath honey" mumbled, exaggerating his breathing so the younger could mimic it. But the sobs kept going like waves "It's not your fault…look at me, it's not your fault they died"
"I know Wilbur…b-but it was my fault they didn't love me…I was neglectful, a vagabundo, always making empty promises. She deserved better, so much better….fuck im—"
Wilbur sighed, wiping Quackity's tears "She loved you, I'm so sure they did…yes you made a mistake, but they're in the past Q" brushed the bangs aways from his eyes, making their eyes meet softly "you can't go back in time…and i'm not telling you to fully move on, hell man i'd be worse than this if Tallulah died by my incompetence, i'm saying that– that one day you gotta…let it go"
"¿Como…como aquella película…Frozen?"
"Uhm...kinda?" Both giggled, but Quackity's laugh didn't last much, being interrupted by a gentle sob "Hey, mira-me…mira-me, you'll be fine. You're already doing so good! You're spending time with the brazilians and you're visiting Roier's therapy lounge, you're on the way"
"But it still hurts Wilbur…."
"I know…the pain will never get away. But you gotta open room for it, and let it heal correctly" he cupped the mexican's face gently, resting his forehead on his "Okay..? You're not alone. You creeped me out and raised a lot of red flags, you scared my daughter…but I forgive you."
"Y-you shouldn't–"
"But I do…you’re on thin ice? Yes, very thin. But I'm willing to help you out of this…vale?"
"...vale" whispered gently, melting with the soft touch on his cheek…then his eyes gazed to the furnace, seeing the pot on his peripheral vision "t-the spaghetti"
"........FUCK!" The brunet got up, going to the furnace in a messy jump, making Quackity laugh wetly while he wiped his tears away. He zoned out a little, looking down as he felt numbness fill on his chest, till he saw a plate being extended to him "Here, for you"
"...gracias Wilbur" he grabbed it, letting the silence fill in on the little house again as he forked the pasta and brought it to his mouth. It was really good…the sauce was spicy but tasty, when did Wilbur learnt how to cook so well?
The same sat beside him, smiling to himself the second he tasted his dinner. He patted himself on the shoulder, a silent self-congratulation. They kept themselves engulfed by the comfortable silence, both waiting for the earlier vibes to subside, to the bad energy to go away as peace filled their lungs and brains…just them and the warmth of each other at 4am
"How's lil Rich?"
"Richarlyson?"
"Yup, the wonder boy. I heard you have like…what? 5% of his custody? 10%? How does that even work??" Both chuckled, melting on the comfiness of the sofa
"Yeah, around that. And he's fine, having 06 dads kinda helps with that. Even with the whole chaos that is the Favela and around my house, we manage him well" Approached without noticing, curling up at his side while he ate the delicious spicy pasta "And Tallulah?"
"She's good! Being the same sweet little princess as always, mi pequeña niña…la amo tanto… "
"Your spanish is getting better man"
"Gracias…i'm trying really hard" laughed to himself, feeling embarrassment rising on his cheeks.
Then he grabbed the acacia branch again, full of little yellow fluffy flowers, beautiful, pristine. Quackity probably grabbed it straight from a tree, which makes the image of a drunk silly mariachi just battling against the branch to get it funnier in Wilbur's mind " amor secreto… "
"Hm? Oh– the acacia flowers. Uhm—"
"If you wanted to confess your infatuation you could've done a full bouquet y'know? Only one flower doesn't picture a whole message" 'although i understood this one perfectly…' he wanted to say, it was there, at the tip of his tongue
"How do I do that??" Asked with naïve excitement, drunkenness apparent on his face and voice
"Ok, uhm, gimme a second" he grabbed the empty plates, laying the branch on Quackity's lap while he put the dishes on the sink. After that he went to his barrels, searching for something the younger didn't know "Shit…wank…i'll go up rapidly, wait here"
The black haired watched him ascend on the staircase, hugging the flowers as his mind drifted away to oblivion, nothing and everything at the same time, floating in the confused landscapes of his now tired mind. He wondered if Wilbur would come back, he wondered if he was being obnoxious and a threat to him. Was he being a threat now..? He'd never hurt him, right?
He came back to reality as Wilbur appeared in his vision again, jumper slightly skewed down on the shoulder, now with his glasses adorning his face, holding a book. He sat beside the hybrid, sighing in delight. "Here, I borrowed Tallulah's book about flower language, wanna see?"
"Sure!" He curled on his side again, looking at the book with interest and curiosity "¿puedo decir esto…?"
"Go on, Q"
"Mentí, no sabía el significado de las flores, solo agarré una rama al azar pensando que te gustaría…." Confessed with a husked and slurred intonation, melting on Wilbur’s shoulder "Porque te gusta el amarillo…"
Wilbur waited for the translator to catch up, remaining silent as the confession made itself understandable on his ears. The second he understood the message he laughed, a very beautiful laugh
(He heard the voices awww and spam little heart symbols onto his conscious, it was VERY hard to ignore and that wasn't helping either)
"Oh Quackity, oh Big Q. How can you be so stupidly threatening but at the same time so endearing?"
"es mi encanto, bebé"
"Oh now you're flirting in Spanish, great–" both chuckled now, letting the energy ease upon then "So, you just got a random branch for me cuz it had cute yellow flowers and you thought i'd like it?"
"Yyyyyyeees!"
"Well, you're right, I loved it. Gracias'' the words came out almost like a whisper, a strange fondness painting his voice. "Here, lemme teach you some flower based rizz"
"Tsk shut up" pushed the man aside in fake annoyance, smiling as Wilbur laughed "Before we start! You gotta explain me this bullshit here" putting the backpack on his lap, he plunged his hands inside, searching for whatever thing he wanted there, taking a magazine out of it
Wilbur recognized that magazine VERY WELL
"Oh no, oh Q wait—" cheeks painted themselves red like spilled wine on a white fabric, strong embarrassment running through the brunet's veins. The voices inside his mind laughed and went crazy about it, mocking Wilbur and calling him silly names
"Who gave you the right to be this pretty huh??" Opened the magazine in a specific page, almost shoving it into Wilbur's face "This can't be you! You go with your band and become another person, yeah??"
Wilbur lowered the thing from his face, eye contact being built again "I was just posing man, c'mon! There's nothing wrong with that—"
"That should be a crime, man. This is DANGEROUS for society! Too much beauty to handle—"
The freckled sighed, hiding his now red face in his hands "Q stop"
"Do you have a double life, Wilbur??"
"Wha– what a fuck— no?!? That's just me bro!"
Quackity laughed, a laugh his vocal chords forgot he could produce, maybe he thought he could never laugh like this again. And that made Wilbur smile softly to him
"I'm just kidding man, but for real, te ves muy guapo, muy muy guapo, hermoso para un carajo"
"Thank you Quackity, i put my whole wilbussy into it"
"....i despise you" an explosion of guffaw came out of them, forcing them to cover their mouth and stifle it as much as they could "Eres un pendejo, un imbecíl, never say that word again!"
"What, wilbussy? " With an eyebrow arched he teased, approaching almost comically. He tried to ignore the voices shouting at him, trying his hardest to not laugh at them in mockery
"CAN WE SEE ABOUT THE FLOWER STUFF??
"jesus christ— YES! Now talk lower you piece of shit if you wake up my gorgeous daughter you're done for"
"Shit, sorry Wil"
"No te preocupes…c'mere, lemme show you the stuff"
Minutes passed, the night lingered, the only sounds perceivable being Wilbur's constant ramble and infodump about the book and flowers, the white noise from the lamps mixing with the outside world, and the old television on, almost muted, running a random late night soap opera.
Quackity was completely curled and melted at the older's side, and when they least noticed he fell asleep there, feeling a strong sense of true safety after so long…so so long
Wilbur giggled to himself, turning off the tv and putting the book away while he made Quackity lay down on the sofa properly. He couldn't help but smile at that curled up figure, he didn't seem threatening like this…not at all. He covered him with a soft blanket, kissing his forehead before whispering "buenas noches, patito"
He turned the lights off, and went upstairs to finally sleep.
The next day arrived, the dulcet rays of sunshine invaded the little house softly through the windows, nature sang its mysterious symphony. And with that Wilbur was awake, ready for a new day
He descended, thinking about what to do for lunch and normal homely things. Then his voices tingled frantically inside his mind, making him look everywhere around the house
Quackity was here wasn't he?? Was he crazy? Was tonight a dream???
Seeing the crack on the big window behind the sofa answered his worries. He was, but not anymore for some reason that made him sigh to himself. He gotta fix it now…
(He noticed his jacket and scarf on the sofa, a detail that made him and the voices wonder if he was cold while going back home…)
Maybe yesterneve was an exception of his behaviour, maybe now that he's probably sober he'd try to ignore everything that happened at night and still engulf himself in his delusions and harmful coping mechanisms, who knows…who fucking knows
But Wilbur looked at the acacia flowers, now prettily put into a vase, where it was written a very messy "sorry for intruding again <3"
"Ay Quackity…." He mumbled to himself, a sad smile gracing his features, worry apparent in every tangent of his being.
He hoped to see him again soon…maybe he could give him a present, who knows. A bouquet could work
Yeah it could work—
(Chat hoped he'd be no threat or a walking red flag the next time…just as much as Wilbur hoped…)
But for now, he could only wait to see. Everything he wanted to think about was his bundle of sunshine who just got down, yawning and smiling at him all sleepy and sweetly.
"I heard Quackity tonight, was he here, papa?" She wrote in her magical canvas toy, making Wilbur almost choke with air
He forgot she had sensitive ears
"Uhm…."
"Papa :O! You had a date??"
"N-no! Stop truthing me you silly goose i'll put you in the silly b-box!" He blurted embarrassed, the feeling getting stronger when the little girl giggled adorably "Did we wake you up darling…?" She nodded, still smiling, not a hint of feeling upset "Aww, m'so sorry mi amor… "
Oh how to explain to her without making it sus? Well, good luck to him I guess.