Chapter Text
The island certainly proved to be a perfect pit for spontaneous and exacerbated events. Quackity couldn’t even keep track of all of the bullshit that had happened to him in the whirlwind of the last month. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t continue to cause chaos, though; it was in his blood to be an enabler.
Case in point, the man across from Quackity was giving him the widest brown eyes he had ever seen, but were a little less familiar from time away, as his lips were gaped in shock and the words were slung out of his mouth in a drawl of surprise, “You want to marry me?”
Quackity did his best not to look too deep into the wondrous eyes following him, instead unraveling an apple from his pack and tossing it down to the golden-red scaled hands reaching up at him eagerly. Tallulah took the fruit, happily nibbling on it while Quackity got his own out and chomped on it, letting the sweetness flow through his blunted words, “Yeah. I do. We’re getting married now.”
“What happened to ‘hello?’ Or ‘welcome back’? How much did I miss?” Wilbur’s feet stumbled in the slow steps he took to match Quackity’s quicker pace, fumbling over the dirt and grass before quickly chasing after him as they walked through the fields next to the river. In the distance, Quackity could see the small bulbs and lanterns of Wilbur’s ran-down house nearby that they had parted from when Quackity invited Wilbur to a stroll after his return from being gone for a while. There was furious shuffling and incoherent squeaking behind them, followed by rigorous flapping from Tallulah’s small wings as she hustled behind their steps trampling the blades with her insistence on joining them in their trek. Quackity would never refuse her, but he had to hide his smile at her indignant squeaks and furious steps racing after them to keep up.
After Wilbur stumbled, he quickly hustled back up to Quackity’s side while he kept moving along, keeping one of his hands in his pockets and his brown eyes sliding to the side to lock with Wilbur’s own still frazzled and wide as he shook his head and threw his hands up with palms and longer fingers exposed. “Hold on. Hold, hold, hold. Just- Wait. Where is this coming from? Not even a catch up on everything I’ve missed? We’re just engaged now?”
“Yup.” Quackity took another bite out of his apple, his eyes flicking out to Tallulah rushing forward and bowling herself through the grass, throwing herself down and rolling in it with furious giggles as she beamed up at them. Quackity felt his heart tug, but kept his smile pressed down and unnoticeable as he shuffled along to linger in the beginnings of where the light started to peek. Don’t let him question it or make you doubt it. Just go along with it, please. Be your usual joking self and laugh about it, then agree to it. Come on.
The cluster of Wilbur’s outpouring questions didn’t end however, his signature golden jumper ruffled and disheveled to match the messy hair and bouncing look in his eyes as he drowned in his own befuddlement, blinking rapidly. “What is even happening? Do you even have a ring? Do you have this all planned out? Without me? Where is it? Who’s invited? Who’s officiating it? I mean, did we even get a cake we both like?”
Quackity rolled his eyes, finally planting his feet still in the dirt and whipping around towards him. Wilbur froze and stumbled again in his steps, grabbing his sleeves and tilting his chin down to ogle down at the shorter man as he huffed and waved his hands, keeping the walls within his chest locked down as he kept his voice curt and matter-of-fact, “Look, the semantics of everything don’t matter. All that matters is that it’s happening. We can make out those fine details later.”
Wilbur froze for a moment, eyes flicking out to Tallulah shaking the clumps of dirt off herself before moving back to Quackity with a noticeable red tint in his cheeks caught by the lanterns nearby and a shuffle of his feet. “That’s, um… Fine choice of words there.”
Quackity paused, the small nudge in his chest at the walls pestering them before rolling his eyes again, angling his body so he wasn’t completely facing Wilbur and tossing the apple away with a huff. He could feel a small trickle of heat on his face, moving his feet forward again to distract himself with the taller man once again starting forward to keep up. “Shut up. You know what I mean.”
Quackity nudged his way up to the boardwalk in front of Wilbur’s house, standing still and tucking his hands into his pockets as he watched the sunset slanting over the rapids of the river rushing nearby. He folded the small golden wings he had over his back, providing a small glove of insulation paired by his ears still tinged in warmth when he heard Wilbur fumble up beside him, still in his own dishevelment. Tallulah shook out the rest of the dirt clumping over her and trotted along the river, plopping down beside it with her hands and feet dipped into the water as she combed the bits of dirt from her long and wavy hair with soft chirps.
Quackity chanced a glance at Wilbur, seeing his flashing eyes still and the small tremor running through his fingers as he attempted to register what was going on as he combed them through his frazzled curls. Quackity squashed down the small flutter of a drunken beat trying to peek through, tuning back in when Wilbur stammered along with confusion and disarray, “But I mean, the semantics of things are quite important, Quackity. Such as the two biggest questions you’ve still yet to answer about it all.”
There was a more solid thunk near Quackity, and he looked up with another lurch in his chest as Wilbur leaned into him, fingers flicked up in the air as he listed out in exasperation, “ What? And why?”
Quackity wrinkled his nose and raised a hand to press his fingers down, ignoring the small sizzle from the contact as he shook his hand out after the touches. He drew it away, the uneven flutter in his chest making him frown harder and a more flinted tone peter through as he grunted, “Do I really have to answer those? Can’t you just agree with it and be on our way?”
“I mean, if you’re wanting to marry me, I would like answers to those.” Wilbur obediently withdrew his hand, but he was still giving Quackity round and disbelieving eyes clouded with his attempt to process it all. He pressed his hand more firmly to his head and cradled a few strands of hair in his fingers with a breathless laugh. “Everything’s been so confusing in the short time I’ve come back and said hello to everyone. This has been an endless and confusing cascade of events. I would like some clarity, at least.”
He gestured over to the small humanoid waddling back up to them, wiping her hands on the enlarged yellow jumper matching her father’s and blinking golden-brown eyes up at them as he let out another weak laugh when she reached up to rest a hand in his. “Tallulah was trying to fill me in with everything going on when I got here and was walking around to see everyone, but it was all just… It’s all a bit much.”
Tallulah pressed her lips together when Quackity craned his head down towards her, letting go of her father’s hand and going into her closest pocket in the bag nearby to tug out her small pink notepad and pen with a quick snap of her wings, jotting something down. The pensive furrow in her brow made Quackity soften for a moment looking at her, the awkward tension subsiding in the mutual feeling of love coursing through them both evident in Wilbur’s relaxed stance as well and the calm behind his eyes as they both waited.
The golden-red dragon tail trailed behind Tallulah as she finally turned the notepad up to Quackity, crouching down to read it in the glimpse of light as it read with a small frowning face next to it, “I tried, Quackity.”
Aw, Lu… The walls were thrown down in an instant, letting room in for Tallulah without a moment’s hesitation as Quackity reached down and gently pressed his hand through her hair. She leaned up into it, eyes fluttering at him while he shook his head. “Don’t worry about it, Lu. Not your fault for anything; don’t feel bad.”
Tallulah relaxed under his touch, a relieved smile on her plump cheeks as Quackity released her and stood up taller, eyes flicking briefly from Tallulah back to Wilbur as he pressed the walls back down and insisted firmly, “Look, Wilbur, it’s going to take absolute eons to try and explain everything that’s happened on the island while you were gone. So much shit is going on. I can’t even wrap my own head around whatever the fuck’s happened here yesterday much less in a month’s time.”
Wilbur flinched, a small pinch of guilt in Quackity’s chest following before the man bowed his head and nodded while folding his arms into his body. He watched Tallulah trot back over to the riverbank nearby, flopping down in the dirt-ridden sand and starting to pick small shells out from it as he sighed and turned back to Quackity, both of them now fully focused on the other again as Wilbur pinched the bridge of his nose and nodded slowly. “Alright. That’s fair. That’s fine. You don’t have to. If you can, just answer me this then.”
He took a small step closer, then another smaller one that made Quackity’s chest clench up. It only grew tighter when Wilbur leaned down closer to him, his glasses mildly askew on his face and his eyes still spinning with everything as he stressed again with more exasperation, “Why?”
“What?” Quackity hissed thinly, mostly bristling out of defense now at the closing gap in between them. It was making his heart arch around and batter against the protective walls still up, but he backpedaled away and shook his head furiously while brushing away thick black strands of hair away from his eyes. Don’t let him get to you. Shut the fuck up, you stupid heart. Don’t do anything stupid.
“Why me?” Wilbur didn’t seem keen on relenting soon, keeping his distance but having a footstep closer now as he gripped his jumper in his fists tightly again with clear disarray still in his eyes. The milky brown met Quackity’s darker gaze, softened but still strained as fireflies buzzed and mingled in the orange light with their golden bursts and reflected off his scratched frames of his round glasses. “Why this wedding? Why… Why so sudden? Why all of this?”
Quackity pressed his lips tighter together, his fingers slowly curling around into fists with another step backwards and a more uneasy flip in his chest descending down into his stomach. I wasn’t expecting him to question all of it this much. “Those are a lot of questions.”
Wilbur pressed his fingers more firmly against the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes briefly before letting out a thin sigh and opening them up again with a hint of resignation but stubbornness all too familiar to Quackity. The familiar sight made his gut swing around again, Wilbur’s voice seeping through, “Can you please just answer the grand scheme of it, then? Why are we getting married?”
Because there’s no one else left who doesn’t treat me like shit. Quackity shrugged, shuffling closer to the small lip of grass overlooking the river rushing steadily beside them. He glanced down into the shimmering mirage, seeing a shattered glimpse of his image staring back at him from within. “You were the best option.”
“Was I?” Wilbur sounded almost breathless again, Quackity looking up into the face that stayed where it was at but more hunched and feeble-looking than before. Tallulah had turned back to them, watching in a concerned silence as her father let out an incredulous laugh and shake of his head. “I’ve been gone for a month and some. I’ve been the absent father I knew I was going to be despite not wanting to leave. I don’t think that qualifies me for good husband material.”
Tallulah and Quackity both flinched, the young girl turning away without any remark but her face obviously saddened as she went back to poking at the miniature shells she collected. Quackity’s heart seemed to splinter into pieces, sinking away into more of the darkness away from the lantern’s glow as he yearned for the shadows away from the intent stare now focused on the side of his face from Wilbur’s prying eyes. Stop looking at me like that. Stop trying to pretend you know me or the hell I’ve gone through.
“It’s enough,” Quackity assured flatly, but he winced at the faint catch in his words. He kept his sights angled downwards, pressing his hands further into his pockets as he set his jaw tightly and steeled the gates in his chest down even further. It’s enough. It will be enough.
But the way Wilbur was looking at him was enough for the cracks of doubt to seep over, a look that seemed so gentle yet almost scolding as well when he took a smaller step forward to come closer to Quackity. The tips of his hair and back were still shrouded in light, but there were only glimpses now of scattered fireflies as he folded his hands close to his chest with another pursed frown.
“I don’t know if it is, Quackity,” Wilbur murmured, further shaking the building fissures within even when his hand reached up to grasp at his own chest while Wilbur studied him with a weakened smile. “That’s not a good standard I want to present. At least for you, shouldn’t it be-“
Wilbur cut himself off abruptly, Quackity furrowing his brow at him when he only looked away with a small flush of pink tinting his cheeks. His eyes had found his daughter’s again, who was giving him a poignant look that Quackity wasn’t able to decipher quickly enough before she was focused back on her sand, a much more amused look on her face. Quackity frowned, glancing between them in his own bubble of confusion. Did I miss something?
“Shouldn’t it be what?” Quackity pressed after another beat of silence between them all, his shoulders hunched up and tense now from the odd interaction. He took a small step closer to Wilbur, but he could feel the cool shade of confrontation over his shoulders and gently pressing under his eyes as he narrowed them at the taller man again in accusation.
Wilbur didn’t move from where he was, still hunched up within himself and fiddling with his thumbs for a moment before shrugging, his eyes not having as much fire behind them now but still focused and intent when they met Quackity’s. His voice was quieter as well, smoothed out with his slacked expression once again making Quackity’s chest creak and rumble. “Enough. For you. That’s- Thats how it should be, right?”
What does he mean? Is he fucking with me? Quackity squinted at him, following the lines of his angled jaw and the rise around his eyes to try and pinpoint the signs of mistrust and mockery he had gotten used to in sneering faces. All of them looked calloused and gritty in their grins, making it clear what their intent was before batting Quackity down in memories still too fresh and leaving bitter residue on his tongue.
But in Wilbur’s eyes, none of that was present. All there was in front of Quackity was a man folded over in his own confusion and sincerity, oozing out of him like a freshly bloomed flower fragrant and flourishing. It was evident in the pooling of his eyes, in the softness of his lips and tilted head with softly looped hands. It was all achingly obvious, more microscopic fractures resulting from it all.
Don’t fall for it. Don’t give into it. Don’t give him or anyone anymore reason to hurt you. Focus on the goal.
Quackity returned to his step backwards, folding his arms tightly across his chest as he looked away from the genuine fragrance emanating from him. He sniffed loudly, shaking his head and latching his eyes on the vines trailing the large wall in the distance and the blurred figure of Tallulah standing to gaze out as well. “It’s enough. Being married and claiming that title is enough.”
“Is it?” Wilbur whispered, a smaller step not seen but heard through the soft crumpling of dirt under his shoe. Quackity could feel his heat and the emotions following radiating from him, forcing himself not to step away out of cowardice and try to hold strong despite his heart rate jumping up a few beats. It was hard to distinguish anything through it, but he thought he could hear a catch in Wilbur’s breath when Quackity inclined his head back to stare at him.
For a moment, neither of them moved or spoke as they just stared in a tense silence. The river whispered its own theories beside them in the beginning hints of moonlight starting to ripple through, Tallulah watching them with her own reserved and knowing smile beside the ripples. Quackity saw the tremble in Wilbur’s hand, as if yearning to reach out, but the lurch in his chest was pulling him in two clear ways. Safety or danger.
The defenses within started to give, and Quackity stepped back to lean into safety and add extra reinforcement to it as he waved his hand again, stepping past Wilbur hurriedly and walking through back to the house as he spoke listlessly to keep himself distracted, “Let's stop thinking about all the details and shit about this. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Flaunt our rings and shit. Do all of that without another thought. It won’t mean shit. We can get married, we can get our benefits, and we can move on with our lives.”
“Benefits…” Wilbur echoed from the distance, still by the water when Quackity turned around to look back at him. The musician was frowning now, eyes clouded before suddenly shooting alight as he blinked with another incredulous expression at Quackity lingering closer to the light from inside the house. “Are you only marrying me for benefits?”
Quackity’s cheeks flared with an embarrassed flush, a confused and uneasy chuckle leaving his lips at the sudden change in Wilbur’s demeanor as he shook his head slowly and took a small step back away from him. “No, no. That’s not-“
Wilbur stepped forward to cut him off, a louder stomp that made Quackity jump and Tallulah start to frown again with a worried coo as she slowly trailed behind her father with the man’s eyes suddenly ablaze. Quackity felt himself stagger back from his energy, shoulders now tensed up and a weak and wry grin stretching Wilbur’s cheeks too far wide. What’s happening? What did I do?
“That’s so fucking cruel,” Wilbur rasped with a harsh laugh that made Quackity flinch again. He gestured to himself, the weakened and cracking grin still remaining on his face. “And not to mention absurd with my circumstances. Are you actually serious?”
“Wilbur-“ Quackity tried, but his voice fell flat with a lack of defense. His hands twitched again, seeing Tallulah shying around Wilbur’s leg with a slightly panicked look at the quaking coming from her father as he faced Quackity with rigor. All Quackity could do in the moment was stare at him, folding into himself and curling his wings around his body in an attempt to protect himself more. What happened? Why does he look so angry?
Wilbur’s brief spurts of pained laughter were soon to answer however, his voice scraping his throat and Quackity’s ears with a wince as he jeered incredulously with an emphatic gesture of his arms, “I am poor, Quackity! You should not be marrying me for benefits!”
Quackity stumbled back with Wilbur’s heavy advances, either unaware or ignoring the smaller humanoid child tugging at his pants and letting out growing cries of protest from his crackling anger. Quackity shrank away from the brooding force, gritting his teeth and curling his fingers into unsteady fists once more as his own panic was starting to boil through. “No, it’s not-“
“If you want benefits, marry rich!” Wilbur wasn’t listening to Quackity’s attempts at protests, the other man still laughing weakly with a voice growing more hoarse and worn through battered laughter. He gestured out to the sprawling fields in the mesa nearby and the lands beyond, shaking his head with further laughter. “Marry those fuckers with titan-like buildings and gear! Not me! I’m living out of a dirt and wood hut! Don’t take what little I have left!”
“It’s not like that!” Quackity was finally able to fit in between Wilbur’s breaths, jumping forward back into more of the light so they were both now standing right beside a lantern. It highlighted every crease and divot in their expressions, Wilbur’s more pinched while Quackity’s was more hardened and stiff. His heart was pattering around in its own panic despite his mind’s strong will, the sights of Tallulah backing away in defeat and covering her ears with a faint wince enough to make himself falter slightly. Have I ever seen him this angry before? Why is this what set him off?
It wasn’t enough to stop the rage, however, as Wilbur loomed in front of him with a disbelieving snort. He took a step closer to Quackity once more, gritting his teeth in similar fashion as he flashed him a disbelieving grin. “It’s not? Really? Really?”
Quackity stiffened, the gap closing slowly between them as Wilbur now stood around an arm’s length away and leered down at him. As Quackity’s eyes scanned his face, however, he could only see the drop of fire in Wilbur’s eyes and replaced with a cracking hurt his chest constricted at once more. Shit. I fucked up somehow. I don’t even know how, but I know I fucked up.
“You’re cruel,” Wilbur croaked with another weak laugh, shaking his head and rubbing his face again so it left a pinkish-red imprint on his cheek. There was a sting in his eyes, glassy in appearance with a grin that didn’t meet his eyes. “You’re a cruel motherfucker, Quackity. This is some cruel joke, even for you.”
Quackity swallowed, the closeness and the callouts making his throat dry and his panic increase in steel-like injections into his bloodstream. He was locked where he stood, only staring up at the man with a pulse that ricocheted in his ears as he sank down into his shoulders. “I…”
Wilbur waited to see if he would say anything, but still nothing came through. His lanky shoulders were tense, the man’s anger palpable and making Quackity retreat into himself further at the tension now sifting from the awkward bounces to an intent accusatory heat crawling from his ears down to his jaw. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this angry before…
Wilbur let out another weak laugh; his clear coping tool as he shook his head and waved his hand angrily around, eyes spinning to dart to the trees in the distance with a huff. “Alright, fess up. Come on. Is this some sort of fucking prank? Are you just messing with me?”
Quackity backpedaled more, not realizing he was until he thumped back into the front wall of Wilbur’s misshapen shack. He pressed his hands to the solid ground behind him, eyes widened and staring up when Wilbur creeped more slowly, staying away but still visibly trembling with the cracking grin.
“You want to marry me for benefits, is that right?” He gestured fiercely to the building just behind Quackity, the one his wings were pinned against and trapped in between the structure and the fuming man. “Look behind you at that dirt-shack of a house and tell me what kind of benefits I provide that you so desperately want from me. Squeezing out whatever little I have left, apparently.”
“It’s not like that!” Quackity was able to protest after choked in his fear, but it came out much weaker than he wanted it to. He shivered and ducked his head, looking up at Wilbur through the tops of his eyes while his fingers shook. His heart rate has quickened, thumping clearly in his ears and stretching through the skin of his neck. This isn’t how I saw this going… I didn’t plan for him to be this… Upset about it.
“Really?” Wilbur didn’t relent in his pursuit, now taking a longer step closer to properly trap Quackity in between him and the wall. He didn’t lift his arms to pin him, but his angry and hurting stare was enough to pin him down. “What is it about then, Quackity? Because right now you look like an asshole.”
The poignant twinge in Wilbur’s words was enough for a snap in Quackity’s brain; a flicker of memories from shrouded faces slowly bumbling through layers of smoke. He could see their sneers clearly, the muffle of coddling and snickering incoherent voices wrapping around his ears. All of it shimmered with his look, starting to mix in with a severe drop in Quackity’s gut almost sending him to the floor as his body trembled more.
No. No, no… This wasn’t… This wasn’t how I saw this going. He’s just like them, isn’t he? He’s going to be just like them. That’s what this is about.
The walls seemed to fortify themselves more with Quackity’s realization and rationalizations, the scared and unsure feelings now replaced by a coldness paired with tilting his chin higher and pressing his lips into a fine line as he responded stiffly, “I want to be the first one married here.”
Wilbur faltered for a brief second at his change in attitude, but he was still frowning as he glanced around again before shifting his eyes back to him with anger still lingering within. “On the island? Why? Is there some special award for those that get married first? You could’ve gotten away with that much sooner.” With another glance away down at his shoes, he added in a mutter, “Unless I’ve missed a lot more than I thought.”
“No, it’s not-“ Quackity’s voice broke for a moment, but the reservation was there again as he shook his head more fervently and snapped blithely, “None of what you’re accusing me of is true! Stop assuming shit!”
“What kind of benefits are you seeking from me, then?” Wilbur demanded, his voice sharpening and raising to match Quackity’s pace. The trees shivered behind them, trying to back away as much as they could with implanted roots when Wilbur leaned in closer with a leer in his mouth. “Because this seems very exploitative of the more unfortunate. Is that what it is? Some sort of capitalistic stunt you’re trying to pull?”
“No!” Quackity snapped when Wilbur finally got into his bubble, more angry flares fastening into his skin as he shoved fiercely at Wilbur’s shoulders. He followed when he stumbled back, glowering at him as the rest of his mind spurted with anger and made his voice rise further. “Stop it! Stop questioning it! It’s not that fucking deep!”
“Why, Quackity?” Wilbur pressed, strain still evident as he ducked his head but matching pitch as he continued scowling at him. “Why shouldn’t I question it? Are you trying to hide something? Did something important happen that I missed out on and you’re trying to manipulate me into? Why do you want me out of everyone? The poorest motherfucker on the server? That’s gotta mean something, right?”
He took another threatening step towards Quackity, both of them now pinched in the brightest section of the field in front of the house and wavering near the boardwalk as their gazes were alight with fire. Quackity stared into the flames, burning and searing but not relenting even with the building hurt and anger as Wilbur hissed, “Why do you want to marry me, Quackity?”
The sparks were shot off, everything fizzing out as cords in Quackity’s brain finally snapped. Any chance of resolve or calm dispute fizzled away, and he was the one now to finally step into Wilbur’s space and grab his collar in one of his hands as he bared his teeth and snarled furiously, “Because I want to show I’m worthy of love!”
Wilbur froze up in his grasp, face draining from the angry red color as his eyes widened, but Quackity continued to burn further as both hands were in his collar now, backing him up towards the river’s edge as his words fumbled now out of him in blind fury, “I want to show I’m worthy of success, of love, of all these good things all these fuckers mock about me not having or not ever able to have. About the shit they think I don’t have, the skills they think I lack and the love they think I don’t possess.”
He pressed his fists further into the thickened collar, eyes stinging more at the corners with his harsh laughter and widened grin when he shook his head. Everything was still burning and clouding his eyes, a tint of red filament clouding his gaze. “I got a lot of shit going for me! A lot more than they realize! And I’m proving it to them by getting married! Because maybe if I do this, they’ll finally take me seriously! They’ll finally realize that I’m worth more than the little bits and pieces they’ve amounted me to! They’ll stop picking on me, and they’ll treat me like I fucking deserve!”
Wilbur’s jaw opened, but no words fell out as he only gaped in a stunned silence. Quackity pressed his hands against him further, leaning up into his face until he saw nothing but the very faint freckles on his nose and the widened brown eyes behind cracked glasses with no more anger and only shock as Quackity gritted his teeth again, hissing thinly, “I’m going to prove them all wrong, Wilbur. And if you want to fucking help me, prove to me that you’re a good friend, then you’ll shut up and go along with it without questioning it this much!”
Wilbur’s cheeks puffed out slightly, both of them falling into silence as they let their heavy breathing take over for the both of them. Quackity was still shaking in his rage, but the odd look in Wilbur’s now much calmer eyes was slowly bringing him back down and replacing the rage with resignation and exhaustion once more. He let out a heavier breath, shaking his head and finally releasing his collar as he turned away from him to stare at the ground.
I’m tired of justifying my every fucking move here for something. He unclenched his fists, wincing at the soreness taking over as he scowled at them now. I’m tired of fighting back, of having to justify my reasons for shit. I thought his ignorance and innocence to anything would’ve made him more complying and willing to do it for the fun of it, not turn him into more of a stubborn idiot than he already is.
He shook his head again with a mumble, but both of them froze up again when they heard a whimper and a sniffle nearby. Their heads whipped up and around towards the sound, seeing Tallulah’s small head poking over a tree stump and watching them with fear and pain in her own gaze. Her little hands were gripping the wood, her wings and tail folded close around her as she trembled with teary eyes rounded and glistening.
The cracks in Quackity’s heart grew more at the sight, Wilbur’s hushed voice being the first to speak up with more gentleness and quieter than before, “I think we should stop yelling at each other. Let’s not fight anymore.”
“Yeah,” Quackity muttered in agreement, watching Tallulah slowly step around the stump and folding her hands in, assessing them with fearful eyes still. Quackity ducked his head to look into her eyes and crouched down partially to meet her half way, doing his best to soften his voice beside the ragged rips in it. “Sorry, Lu.”
Tallulah blinked her tear-ridden eyes at him for a moment before nodding, tucking her head afterwards and hustling over into her father’s arms. He scooped her up immediately, deeper cracks buried within spreading over while Quackity watched her nestle into Wilbur’s collar, smoothing out the creases Quackity caused. He bit the inside of his cheek, ears burning now with shame as the heavy beating of his pulse died away and his body finally eased. I’m sorry, Tallulah.
Wilbur lifted a hand up to cradle her head close, watching her for a moment with softened eyes before looking back up at Quackity. His gaze was clouded, clearly swimming with thoughts as he tried slowly, “Quackity-“
Quackity waved his hand quickly to silence him, turning away and sitting himself down at the river’s edge with a grunt. He folded his arms into his lap, a faint buzzing noise around his ears as he let out a quiet and bitter laugh. “I swear to fuck, Wilbur, if you’re gonna hit me with some sort of deep shit or scold me like a fucking child, I don’t want to hear it. I’ve had enough of that shit; I don’t need any more.”
Silence fell after his statement, slipping a rock into his hands and tossing it far out into the river. It landed with a thunk, disappearing rapidly within the ripples as if they hadn’t been disturbed at all by the force as he curled in tighter to himself. The walls were still there around his exposed heart, trying to build themselves up again, but the bitterness and aches were already pouring out from it from the words he spilled as he slowly lowered his head into his hands.
Idiot, He scolded himself, the words he spoke now registering as he growled quietly at himself. Stupid fucking idiot. The one thing I didn’t want to do. He’s just going to join in with the mockery now. I should’ve fucking expected it.
But there was no jeering or laughing behind him, nothing of what he was bracing for with tense shoulders. Instead, muffled steps slowly approached his right side and lowered down to the grass beside him with a heavier thump from his daughter’s added weight. Quackity peered up at him through his hands, seeing Wilbur situate Tallulah comfortably in his lap and fondly stroke her hair with a pensive twist in his mouth, his daughter watching him expectantly as well. None of them spoke for a moment, Wilbur’s eyes drifting up to the river after a moment to watch the rapids gurgle along while his fingers continued moving through her hair.
But after staring out for what seemed to be a lifetime, Quackity watched the bulb in Wilbur’s throat lurch as he swallowed and began in his softer tone still hushed while he stroked his daughter’s hair absently, “I… I don’t know if it’s deep what I’m about to say. And I’m not trying to- To pry or just throw words out there with ‘deep’ meanings. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or try to make you hate me either. I don’t want to do anything like that. And I don’t…”
He trailed off for a moment before finally turning his head to Quackity, the gentle look in his eyes piercing straight through the feeble defenses Quackity had to directly strike his heart and make it ache further with the gentle and heartfelt look in his eyes. “I don’t want to hurt you, Quackity. I just… Want to understand.”
Quackity reached up to clutch the ruffles of his shirt under his hand and squeeze it tightly, turning away quickly from his prying eyes. The aches in his heart were making it throb more, the heat in his ears growing from the intimate eyes watching him. He shook his head at himself, gritting his teeth further. Don’t let him sway you still. Don’t let… Don’t let yourself melt at his gestures. He’s being nice for now, but that won’t last. He’ll be just like the others.
The grass beside him shifted, whipping his head back up quickly to see Wilbur a few inches closer and studying him with a worried glint in his eyes. It was off-putting from the rage he had before, his and Tallulah’s inquiring eyes almost worse than the blatant anger that had been in his eyes just moments before as he tried his best to question, “Quackity, what do you mean you want to show your worth to the others? I don’t… I don’t know if I follow that. I want to understand how you’re feeling.”
Quackity studied him for a long moment, wagering with the possibilities and repercussions in his head when meeting his worried eyes. He bit his lip tightly, pressing his hands down onto his knees as he scanned them for another moment before mumbling, “If I explain things, can you promise you won’t make fun of me?”
He was expecting the other man to laugh at his request or even mock him again like he was used to, but Wilbur’s eyes arched briefly in surprise as he nodded immediately and straightened up as he held Tallulah closer, who was nodding in her own agreement. “Yes, of course. Why would I?”
Quackity narrowed his eyes, a painful spasm coursing through his heart at the aching sincerity oozing from him as he ran a hand through his hair, turning to look back out at the water with a ragged sigh. “You’ll see. After I explain it, you’ll understand why.”
A quieter shuffle again with the form coming closer and the faint wisps of heat coming from Wilbur were evident, his voice much softer again as he swore to Quackity quietly, “I won’t make fun of you, Q. I promise.”
Quackity’s eyes shifted back over to him, catching the truth behind his words and seeing it in his eyes when he moved closer. He looked attentive now, him and Tallulah leaning in and ready to listen with patient looks on both of their faces. Despite his protest, Quackity’s heart and brain were caving and fizzing quietly with the gesture.
You’d think I wouldn’t soften up with being shown basic decency, Quackity chastised himself as he stared down at his shoes in the hint of his criss-crossed posture, plucking at the grassy blades near him with a small frown and another brief sting by his eyes. But it feels like a lifetime since I’ve been given that. Maybe he’s being truthful. Maybe he won’t judge me at all.
Maybe… Maybe he’s not that bad. Maybe it’s fine to trust him for now.
He smoothed his hair back one more time, rubbing his face briefly before staring out at the water, keeping his eyes focused on that instead of potentially fumbling when looking at Wilbur’s. He began with a bitter chuckle, hands folding into his lap, “Everyone shits on me, Wilbur. They pick on me all the time. They have been for the past months. Even Phil’s fucking kid hates my guts. Everyone’s been shitty in one way or another to me and hone in on every little mistake that I cause.”
Wilbur shifted again where he was sitting, but didn’t speak up as he remained silent and listening. Quackity closed his eyes and pressed a hand to his forehead, rubbing it as his voice strained further with his admittance, “I don’t want them to shit on me anymore. I want to prove that I can actually do something with myself. Prove that I could be better in some way compared to them. And I figured that marrying someone would get their attention; it would make me wanted. It would make me look like how I finally wanted to be seen by them.”
He let out another weak laugh, reaching up to clutch his chest once more as the aches spread through to every inch of his bones and the stinging seal around his eyes finally broke to let the few tears building up escape away. “Maybe they would regret belittling me. Maybe some would’ve wished they got with me. Anything. Any sort of regret for how they treated me or what they missed out on would’ve been good enough for me.”
He didn’t look over at Wilbur still, afraid of what he would see from the silent man, but he waved his hand at him and huffed in a short breath, “And well, we’re friends, I think. You haven’t picked on me as much since you’ve been absent and all. Seems kinda fucked, but you were the best person for that reason.”
There was a sharp inhale from his side, followed by a thump and a shuffle as a smaller figure now pressed up against his side. He turned slowly towards Tallulah, leaning into him with golden-brown eyes looking up at him in sympathy and sadness for him. Another fractured piece in his chest snapped off, and he slowly drew his fingers through Tallulah’s thick curls as she leaned into his touch with a soft noise of content, round eyes blinking up at him and softening the aches slightly with her love shining through. He’s got a good kid. Guess that shows the kind of person and parent he might actually be…
Quackity slowly rose his head up, finally meeting Wilbur’s eyes that were shrouded as he continued stroking Tallulah’s hair and trying to justify himself with with a weakened smile, “I figured you were the best option with how absent you were- you didn’t know about any of it, you don’t care much about it all, you’d hear it and just go along with it because it’s some sort of joke. Maybe it’s all still a mockery of me somehow, and I know the teasing and shit won’t end, but at least I’ll win something. Maybe I could get a little bit out of it all at the end of the day.”
He looked back down at Tallulah, who had wrapped her hands around his wrist and cradled the hand stroking through her hair. Quackity let her hold it, smiling weakly and seeing one of his tears fall down and quietly soak into a few strands of her hair. “With all the shit I’ve dealt with, that would be enough.”
Silence snuck back in after he finished, continuing to run his fingers through Tallulah’s hair to distract himself away from Wilbur’s clearly searching eyes boring into his skin. Both of his hands came through Tallulah’s hair now, a content smile making the scales along her face ripple as she nuzzled her way into Quackity’s lap now, clambering in with soft huffs. She burrowed her face into his chest, wings folding in as she relaxed into his arms. He raised a hand up briefly to wipe his soured eyes, pressing away the small droplets flecking from them and resuming the therapeutic running of his fingers along her hair and wings.
She’s her father’s daughter alright, Quackity admitted as he adjusted the small beanie skin to her father’s resting on her head, tugging it tighter along her head. A lot more empathetic and intelligent than I might want her to be. Glad she’s more of the comforting type instead of confrontational, though…
The field remained silent besides the river’s whispering until Wilbur finally spoke up, his voice more blunted than Quackity expected as he pried, “Is that all?”
Quackity looked up from his stroking, Tallulah turning her head around to peer at her father as well while Quackity blinked in his own confusion at him. “Huh?”
“Are those the only reasons you want to marry me?” Wilbur pried directly, shuffling in his pose with nonchalant words that sent Quackity in a small spiral from the straightforward notion. Wilbur didn’t reveal anything in his face, now guarded behind a thoughtful haze instead as he observed him evenly.
Quackity felt more heat crawling into his face, his head lowering slightly to try and shelter the color blooming along as he stumbled over his words, “Uh…”
Is there supposed to be another reason? Quackity wondered to himself, searching around his brain and trying to run his eyes over Wilbur’s face to see what he was missing. There were no hints from him, however, and there was no inclination in his brain of what he was missing. His cheeks heated up again, seeing Tallulah’s poignant look now from down below as he blinked in befuddlement down at her. Am I missing something? This wasn’t- It was just a marriage for the bragging rights of it. That’s what it was supposed to be.
I thought those were good enough reasons; I thought he’d be a bit more sympathetic after this, not… Questioning. He peered at Wilbur again, both of them staying silent in their own few minutes of quiet observation of the other with nothing to assist Quackity found. He’s not making fun of me, but he’s also not entirely siding with me. I don’t know how to interpret that.
Wilbur was the first to pull away and subside, letting out a soft sigh before nodding and looking out towards the water now. His eyes still appeared distant, not giving away anything as his fingers tapped his knees and the grass beside him. A weak smile was on his face as he hummed, shaking his head now. “Alright, Quackity, look. I know you don’t want me to be deep or anything like that, and I’m not trying to be. But I wanna tell you this because you need to hear it.”
Quackity’s ears heated up again at the forewarning, startled by the small lurch of panic and almost yearning throbbing in his chest briefly as he choked out quickly, “Wilbur-“
Wilbur leaned forward again, Quackity jolting from the sudden touch as his hand came out to touch Quackity’s knee. It was close to Tallulah and was almost distracted enough by her separate weight, but the lightning jolt from the contact was much stronger and more effective than anything he’d felt before. He met the soft but insistent eyes across from him, seeing him shake his head again with his weak smile lingering. “Don’t. Don’t, Quackity. Just let me talk.”
Quackity’s mouth pressed closed in obedience but mostly from the shock pounding through him with the lightning-like feeling, staring at him in stunned silence instead. His heart was pounding into his throat, heard in his ears even as Wilbur slowly withdrew his hand and repositioned himself, sitting close again with their knees only an inch apart as he looked back out at the water.
Even though he wasn’t looking at him when he spoke, Wilbur’s voice was rich and smooth with a gentleness making his chest feel closely related to jelly as he spoke softly, “Quackity, you are worthy of all those things. And I know you said that earlier and want to enforce that, but I think… I think you need someone else to tell you that. Because I think you don’t entirely believe it yourself yet. It might be a compensation thing.”
He slid his eyes over to Quackity’s, seeing his flustered and startled state as his smile widened just a pinch and became a little more real. His knee nudged Quackity lightly again, the contact making Quackity’s skin buzz further as he mused lightly, “By marrying me, I think I have a duty to tell you these things.”
“You don’t need to,” Quackity forced himself to choke out, sounding more begraddled and much more harsh than he originally intended. He shrank back in himself, cheeks burning even more when Tallulah smirked up at him with a small giggle. He resisted the urge to press his hand onto her face, instead scowling down at her. Shut up! Stop laughing! Why do you look so smug? Why are you the one making fun of me? I thought you were on my side!
Wilbur scooted in again, shoulder meeting his and making Quackity’s head jolt up to meet Wilbur’s eyes again as his smile remained with a light in his eyes and reflected from the thin glass in his glasses. He leaned his face closer to Quackity’s, ducking it to look straight into his eyes with the lingering softness. “Well, I’m going to anyway.”
Quackity couldn’t reply, staring at him in muted shock as Wilbur tilted away, watching the river again with his listless smile and pensive eyes pooling over slightly with his sincerity. “I don’t know what they’ve been saying about you while I’ve been gone, Quackity, but I know that you are deserving of love. You’re deserving of respect, of decency, of all that the others fail to give you. You are deserving of all of what you want.”
Wilbur gently touched his shoulder to Quackity’s again, his heart missing another beat from the contact as Wilbur’s face smoothed out even as it was angled away. His fingers tapped out a tune, eyes softened to a milky glow. “You don’t deserve to be pushed around as much as it sounds like you have been. You deserve- You deserve good things.”
His eyes flicked up to scan the darkened treetops and the hints of the moon watching over them in her own serene smile before looking back over at Quackity. He was finally able to read something within the facade he had up; a nervousness that made him both confused but feeling his heart quicken as if it understood something his brain didn’t. “It… It sounds like it’s been hard for you here. And I’m really sorry I couldn’t be here for you. As a- As a friend. I wish I could’ve been here to tell you and reassure you after it all. I really wish I could’ve.”
Quackity didn’t respond to him, both of their eyes meeting and unable to turn away as they fell into a brief bit of silence. Even if he wanted to, Quackity’s throat felt closed over with his own heartbeat still drumming wildly throughout his body, an uncertain but heavy pulse throbbing in his neck and wrists. It was pounding with hesitance still, all of his body still stuck in a fight-or-flight mode.
But looking into the softened eyes, eyes he hadn’t seen for ages looking at him that were much different from the scorn and chastising he was used to… Something was stirring in his chest, something he stomped down as best as he could but started feeling within again. I don’t want to get hopeful for anything. I shouldn’t. I don’t want to be vulnerable. I don’t want to be… I don’t want to be hurt.
As if sensing Quackity’s confliction and uncertainties, Wilbur removed his shoulder from his and straightened out, a much sadder smile on his features as he looked down at his calloused hands. “I don’t… I don’t think I can give you what you’re looking for at the moment, Quackity. I know you’re thinking lightheartedness and ignorance is what you want in this sort of… Situationship.”
He shot him a side look, another flicker deep within his eyes that Quackity wasn’t able to decipher before it was replaced by his resigned expression. “But it’s not what you need nor deserve. You deserve something full of love and genuine care. And I don’t think- I don’t think I can provide these things in the capacity you deem reasonable if you don’t… If you don’t want it at all.”
He leaned back briefly to gesture to himself, chuckling to the jumper smeared in dirt that he wore, stained from his adventures and matched the exhaustion now evident in his face. “I mean, I dunno how capable I really am of anything along that nature. I’ve been gone for ages. I’m in a jumper that smells like rain and glasses that definitely need fixing. I’ve got a daughter whom I love to the very ends of the earth and have put my well-being before every day when I am here, but can barely fend for her and myself.”
Tallulah let out a soft coo in protest, reaching for her father with a small hand from Quackity’s lap. Wilbur took her offer, gently holding her small hand in his as he looked back up at Quackity with a hefty smile clearly covering the pain and exhaustion he was feeling. “I have no riches. No wealth. Not much to offer besides my heart. And I… I don’t think it’s enough for you. I want it to be enough, but...”
A tint of pink seemed to appear on his cheeks, looking back down at Tallulah before closing his eyes, a shuddering exhale leaving his lungs as his hand slowly moved from Tallulah’s to Quackity’s. It rested over his tentatively, the touch electrifying as Quackity sat up rigidly but didn’t dare pull away or move from his grasp. Why do I feel like this? Why don’t I… Why don’t I want him to move away?
Wilbur didn’t seem to notice Quackity’s new flustered state, eyes opening to look back up at him directly. Quackity felt as if he was looking right into his soul, presented clearly in the soft brown depths as he leaned in a little closer. “I want to be enough for you, Quackity. But I don’t think I can be what you want if… If you’re looking for just an empty marriage for the hell of it right now.”
His hand moved away, only a brief touch still burning with the aftershock as Quackity tucked his own back next to Tallulah. Wilbur pulled away a little more, folding his hands and pressing his lips together tightly. “And for that, I don’t think we should get married. Because you deserve a good, genuine marriage born from love and a desire to be together because you want to be, not because of what you have to be. Not from tax benefits or bragging rights or any of that. The feeling of having to be together versus wanting to be together coincides with what you individually feel like you have to be versus what you want to be. You know?”
Quackity’s tongue was tied and thick in his mouth listening, jumping slightly from Wilbur turning to him with an expectant expression. He slowly nodded when Wilbur blinked at him, looking back down at Tallulah and the soft eyes shining up at him with her own mysteries. “…Yeah.”
There was a soft hum from Wilbur, shifting again to rest back on his hands when Quackity glanced up at him. He was still observing Quackity with that quiet smile from the rest of the evening, the one kicking his heart down and almost strong enough to bend the barriers he had made for himself. “I think you know all of that, deep down. I really think you do. But I think you’ve been hurt a lot too. And it’s probably hard to see it or recognize it with how much hurt you’ve had to process.”
He shifted on his hands, looking away with another small flush of color along his skin caught in the faint buzz of a firefly and the glow of a lantern. “I just… Want to reassure you that you do deserve those nice things. You don’t deserve the superficial love you think you deserve. You deserve more.”
There was a small tug on Quackity’s collar, followed by a reassuring patting motion on his chest that made him look down. Tallulah was bobbing her head up and down eagerly, Wilbur chuckling as he supported his enthusiastic daughter, “I think Tallulah agrees too.”
“Yeah,” Quackity repeated again in a whisper, his hands slowly coming up to run along her hair again. She patted his chest even more, eyes shining with more soft chirps coming from her mouth as he tapped his nose with a claw. He wrinkled it down at her, and she giggled as they fell into a peaceful silence as they all turned to listen to the river’s melody singing softly to them in the night, his hands and body relaxing. The light rippled around them, the whole clearing glowing now in the settled darkness gently soothing his aching shoulders.
Quackity chanced a few glances over at Wilbur peacefully looking out, his heart quietly tearing around itself from his words. One of his wings came around to fold across his chest instinctively, trying to shelter all the hurt and protect what still remained as he tried to process all of his statements. A genuine marriage… I deserve more… I can only hope that’s true. I can only hope he’s right.
Another moment passed before Wilbur finally lifted himself onto his feet, stretching out his arms with a long sigh and blinking down at Quackity with a smaller smile than before. The weights under his eyes were more obvious now, rubbing his neck and smoothing out the frizzled hair. “Well, Quackity… It’s been a long few hours catching up and trying to absorb this all. I should probably tuck Tallulah into bed and, uh… Go to sleep myself. I’m a bit exhausted.”
He hesitated, studying Quackity again and fiddling with his fingers as his smile grew a bit wider. “But we can… We can talk about this more tomorrow, yeah? We can talk more and just hang out tomorrow, if that’s alright with you?”
Quackity hesitated, but his heart was quick to answer for him at the faster lurch it presented as he gave him a nod, looking away when his cheeks grew warm. “Yeah… Yeah, we can.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” Wilbur gave him another more genuine smile, stretching more along his cheeks and pressing fiercely to Quackity’s chest as the man looked down, opening his hands up to the small humanoid in Quackity’s lap. “Tallulah, you comin’?”
Tallulah glanced up at Quackity briefly before digging into her pockets, pulling out the bright pink notepad she had and scribbling down on it before holding it up to him. Quackity caught a glance of the words, seeing it write out, “Uno momento, papa.”
Wilbur nodded, not seeming concerned as the tiredness he was feeling now took over. He gave Quackity one last hefty wave, blinking slower and a sleepy smile replacing the constant one he had for the night. “Alright. I’ll see you in there. ‘Night, Q.”
“Goodnight,” Quackity sent off in a quiet murmur, watching the lanky man brush off his jumper before stumbling away towards the house. He watched the man continue on in case he tripped, but he made it to the house in exaggerated and exhausted steps as he clicked open the door and stepped inside to a very dark house. He closed the door behind him, but left a little bit of space for his daughter when she was ready to come in.
With the daughter in question, Quackity looked down at her to see Tallulah’s eyes watching him already with a small glint within them. He still wasn’t able to read what was going on, a nervous lurch in his throat as he tilted his head down at her. “What’s up, Lu?”
Tallulah studied him for a moment longer, a small frown on her face making his chest lurch again. Her thumb was tapping the paper, a furrowed brow on her face before she looked down, quietly scribbling onto it and turning the page towards him when she was finished. “Por favor no rompas su corazón.”
Quackity’s heart dropped down into the pit, a sudden slam of emotion smacking against him as he stared over at her. His mouth had taped open, a lull chiming in between as his eyes flicked from her back down to the paper. “…What?”
Tallulah gave him a small smile, one very similar to her father’s and making his heart ache again as she flipped to a new page in her notepad, writing down with a concentrated face and pausing briefly to hum to herself before finishing it and turning it back to Quackity, gently resting it on his lap with her hand holding it down. “My father is gentle. Kind. He wants what’s best for you. He cares about you lots. Please be kind. Please don’t hurt him.”
Quackity sucked in a breath, his chest caving despite his brain’s sharp yelling and berating. He shook his head slowly, eyes drifting up to meet hers at a lagging pace. “Your father doesn’t care about this that much, Tallulah. He doesn’t owe me anything. It can be a loveless marriage; so long as it happens, it shouldn’t matter. He doesn’t need to feel like that.”
It shouldn’t matter. He looked back out towards the water and up at the moon, suddenly feeling as if the whole world was watching and raking down his shoulders. He shuffled where he was sitting, Tallulah shifting along still with him in his lap as he shook his head more fervently. “It’s fine. I’ll figure out a way for him to benefit if it means he’ll do it. We’ll work it out.”
Tallulah tilted her head up at him, tapping his chest to direct his attention back down when she scribbled more earnestly onto her paper. She turned it around quickly when she finished, tapping it repeatedly with a small frown deepening. “Do you really think it’s loveless for him?”
What? Another harder lurch hit him straight in the chest, his heart now sinking and staying in his gut. He stared at her once again, a wave of ice creasing his back before burning away with the hottest wave he had felt that night as it spread all over his face and neck. “…What?”
Tallulah didn’t write anything right away, sitting back but still in his lap as she frowned at him in a silent response. Quackity sat up straighter, resting a shaking hand on her arm and looking into her mystical eyes with his own desperate ones as he tried to search for any hints within. “Tallulah, what do you mean?”
She shook her head despite his insistence, reaching for her notepad and writing down quickly on it before turning it back to him, shaking her head. “I’m not the one who should say it. You two need to talk about it.”
“I…” Quackity’s mouth ran dry, fading off as he raised his free hand to cover his mouth and face as he turned away again with heated cheeks. His heart was still careening around deep in his pit, a stronger surge of emotions starting to pool into his veins. She can’t mean what I’m thinking of. She doesn’t mean that, does she?
He heard her pen click and sketch down more, eyes flicking back to see her arm moving quickly before nudging him again, an encouraging smile on her face as she turned the paper back to him. “Talk to him tomorrow. Offer him a date! Something nice! Because I promise you it’s not loveless for him. There’s much more you’re not seeing about his feelings. Trust me.”
Quackity’s pulses jumped up once more, removing his hands to press them together more tightly as his eyes skimmed along them. He held his breath as she flipped the page and continued writing, wings flapping along with her handwriting. They folded back down when she finished, giving the notepad to him while she worked her way out of his lap. “He may have been gone for a while, but he’s my papa. I know him. Please just give him a chance. And give yourself one too.”
Quackity took it while she stretched herself out, wings unfurled and tail twitching behind her as he stared down at the paper in his hands. His chest felt seized, unable to breathe properly as he slowly looked up at her again with a small nod. His voice was thin, quiet with absence of breath, “…Okay. Thanks, Lu.”
She smiled at him again, hands outstretched for the notepad and writing down into it again when Quackity passed it back to her. She clicked her pen after she was done, tucking the pen away and flipping the paper towards him with a smile. “Buenas noches, Señor Quackity.”
“Night, Lu,” He murmured quietly back to her, his throat still closed over but softening slightly with her own sleepy eyes blinking at him and a drift of a smile on her features. “Buenas noches.”
She let out a soft purring noise in return as she tucked her notepad away, trekking up and wrapping her arms around his neck in a brief and sleepy hug before trotting off to the house. Her tail flicked in the light, her red and gold features glowing in the bulbs of light within the clearing before vanishing within the crack of a door leading to the darker house. She reached up on the tip of her toes for the handle, giving Quackity one last wave at his watching eyes before pulling the door closed with a soft click.
He was alone now, only nature’s eyes seeping over him now as he leaned forward towards the river with his head in his hands, letting out a small groan to himself, “Fuck.”
It wasn’t supposed to go this way, Quackity beseeched, now kept within as he propped his chin up on his hand and stared out, frowning with a twist in his gut and chest. It wasn’t supposed to be taken seriously. He was supposed to laugh and say “fuck it, let’s do it”, and it would’ve been just fine.
But he questioned it instead. He asked all those questions, got offended when he thought I was exploiting him, then went on one of his deep fucking tyraids about how I deserve better apparently. About how he… Wanted it all if we were going to get married. An actual genuine marriage, not a fake one.
His chest clenched again, pounding faster as he clutched it with a sharp inhale. And with what Tallulah said, him caring about me and caring more than I think… It feels as if it meant… More to him. Or he wanted it to mean more. She was hinting at him feeling more, but… I can’t… We can’t…
He let out a frustrated sigh, shaking his head and standing himself up. His muscles were sore from being planted on the ground, rubbing his face again before looking back at the quiet house behind him still shrouded in fireflies and lantern glow. I don’t know what he wants. I don’t know what I want. I don’t know if I want this marriage shit anymore.
He softened out as he watched the house however, hearing a very faint hint of a flute coming from the inside. Everything was still dark, unable to tell what was inside, but the soft melody took his mind to a much more peaceful place than before. It reminded him of the soft look in Wilbur’s eyes, in the way his heart seared with his expression and every touch they shared.
Yet I still… He clutched his chest, feeling it pound again as he let out a shaky breath once more. I still… Want to be around him. I… Liked the idea of hanging out with him. Maybe we can just… Start with that, I guess. He deserves that after being gone for ages.
He turned to look towards the moon, which gave him no answers in her serene glow as he let out a quiet sigh again. Maybe that’s what I need, too. Just a friend. Or just something… Genuine. And I think I’m running out of options.
He glanced back towards the small hut-like house again, his heart softening but still kicking in gear as he let out another quiet sigh. He’s not a bad option, though. Maybe it’s alright to trust him. Maybe I should just… Give him a chance. Maybe things will turn out alright, or even better than I thought if I just hang out with him.
Maybe.
Quackity rubbed his face, a sudden wave of exhaustion hitting him from the darkened sky above as he shook his head, finally turning towards the path home through the woods. He started on his way, blinking blearily and trying to straighten his thoughts from the events that occurred. Even though he tried, they still drifted to the soft smile Wilbur had for him the whole night and Tallulah’s little notes to him, talking about the date and everything within. His brain started clouding with ideas, forming and shaping in his mind.
Maybe, Quackity repeated to himself as he headed home, disappearing within the shadows and a soft throb remaining in his heart. Maybe.