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Angela had been pretty successful in her mission to travel back in time and find her parents. It just so happened to be that her parents are incredibly popular and successful YouTubers. To be specific, Angela’s parents happened to be Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla of Smosh fame. Angela had left her present life, the life she was living in the year 2056, to travel back to 2022 and find her parents. It had been fairly easy to find them, but a lot harder to get close to them. The only method she had of being around them was auditioning and then luckily getting hired into the Smosh cast. Suddenly, she was an employee of her fathers, and she realized, that in this time she was now living in, her parents were not yet together. With the way they act in the future Angela had thought maybe they had always been together, but she’s startled to find that when she arrives in 2022 that not only are her parents not together, but they are also barely even friends.
Angela had successfully stayed undercover, had bid her time getting close to her dad Ian, waiting for the time she knew when her pop Anthony would eventually return to the company, when her parents would reunite, the action that would kick off her eventual birth. Angela had never intended on telling Ian and Anthony that she was their daughter – conceived and birthed through futuristic medial science – so she really did have both of their D.N.A. biologically she was their kid. She never wanted them to know, understanding that the laws of time travel were fragile, and she didn’t want to mess up any timelines or create any paradoxes, but then half a year ago, Ian got in a car accident. It wasn’t his fault, some drunk driver that came out of nowhere as Ian had made his way home from the office one night. With Ian’s life hanging in the balance and Angela literally fading out of existence, she had to tell her parents exactly who she was.
The two men took it well enough, at least for the circumstance. Angela remembers that at the time all Anthony cared about was Ian getting better, Ian coming back to them. Ian was bleary from the accident, but he had nodded like he understood. Luckily for everyone involved Ian pulled through the accident and Angela got to continue to exist. Though simply just because Ian and Anthony now knew the truth about her existence and the nature of their relationship in the future, it didn’t magically cause them to get together in the way that Angela had somewhat hoped it would.
Apparently, the 2023 versions of her fathers were extremely stubborn, or shy, or both. Either way, their relationship fell into the realm it had before Ian’s accident, maybe with a tad bit more affection, a little more care that they were back in each other’s lives. So, Angela still found herself in the past, unwilling to go home until she sees more of her parents’ lives, until she’s sure she’ll still exist in her present.
--
“You really can’t tell me what happens to me?” Chanse asks, giving Angela a hard look, but with no real heat behind it. Chanse is perfect at empty threats.
“No!” Angela says, throwing her hands in the air, “I probably already said too much! I’m surprised the Time Police aren’t after me…” Angela flops her head back against the soft cushion of the couch behind her.
“Whoa, they have Time Police?” Shayne asks from her right. He’s seated in an armchair off to the side.
They’re on the Smosh Games set and gearing up to play a round of Secret Hitler, Anthony joining them for the first time. Ian and Anthony aren’t on set yet, as filming isn’t going to start for another fifteen minutes. The rest of them are sitting on set, shooting the shit until it is time to roll.
It is no big secret within the company that Angela is from the future. With Ian’s accident her secret became known to her co-workers. It was kind of a relief in a way, she didn’t have to hide who she really was or where she was really from.
“Yeah, and they suck as much as the actual police,” Angela says with a shiver. She doesn’t want to be hauled in and interrogated about the things she said and did while in the past.
“Besides,” Courtney says, jumping into the conversation from the chair on the left-hand side of set, “it’s more fun not having your future laid out for you.”
Chanse scoffs, “Says you! I want to know if I’m married to a rich husband, living in the lap of luxury.”
“Oh, me too!” Arasha says, her eyes brightening as she leans over the stool behind Angela and looks into her eyes, “Spill.”
“If she tells you your future, it might not come true!” Damien says, sounding extremely serious over the matter, “I mean, I’m curious too but not at the expense of actually living that future.”
“I’m pretty sure you’re thinking of birthday wishes,” Shayne says with a laugh, “but I agree, I don’t really want to know.”
“Not to mention,” Angela starts, “that in my present you guys are all way older than me. We definitely wouldn’t have been friends unless I came back to the past.”
“Does that mean you don’t know us from future Smosh?” Courtney says with a frown.
“I thought you didn’t want to know?” Chanse says, his voice edging on sass, he raises an eyebrow at Courtney.
“I mean, do you guys still want to be working here in thirty something years?” Arasha asks.
“Good point,” Damien says.
Eventually, Ian and Anthony show up to set and the talk of the future winds down. Ian sits on one end of the couch and Anthony on the other.
“Did Spencer explain the rules to you?” Shayne asks Anthony.
“Yeah,” Anthony says, making sure his mic is in place, running a hand through his hair. He turns to Chanse who is next to him, as if seeking his approval, Chanse giving him a quick thumbs up in response, “I’m pretty sure I get it. If I don’t reveal my role, I think I’ll be okay.”
“You will,” Ian says from his end of the couch, “you’re going to be great.”
Anthony gives Ian a wide smile and Angela looks between the two of them, feeling more at home in this line of conversation. In her time, she’s used to her dads fawning all over each other just in a more extreme fashion.
Just as everything is ready to go for filming there is a sudden crackling in the air, like extra energy forming. Angela looks up, her eyes going wide.
“Oh no…”
“What?” Ian and Anthony at the same time.
Before anyone can speak there is an electric blue orb of energy building in the center of the room, stretching wider, looking like a portal trying to open on their set.
“What’s happening?” Courtney shouts.
All around them the lights above them flicker, the cameras turning off. The blue light turns a piercing white in the middle, so bright that Angela and the others have to close their eyes to shield themselves from the light. There’s a sharp zapping sound and a loud thump, and then the power goes out.
“What the fuck?” Shayne says in the now silence and darkness of the set.
“Your elbow is in my ribs,” they hear Ian say, but he sounds a little off.
“Sorry, sorry, it wasn’t a smooth landing.” That’s definitely Anthony’s voice, but he too sounds strange.
“Can we hit the breaker?” Spencer yells from somewhere off set.
“Got it!” Marcus calls from further away.
There are a few silent beats where Angela’s heart is thumping wildly in her chest, as she sits in the dark on the couch. Then, the studio lights flicker back to life, the set too bright once their eyes had adjusted to the darkness around them.
Angela blinks and then her stomach drops to her feet. There on the carpeted floor of the Smosh Games set is Ian and Anthony, but not the 2023 version. No, these are her parents on the floor in front of them.
The 2056 versions of Ian and Anthony are crumpled on the floor of the set. Ian flat on his back and Anthony half-way on top of him. They look up at the couch, locking eyes with Angela before scrambling to their feet.
“Angela!” Future Ian says, “Oh, thank God.” He moves towards her, grabbing her face in his hands tilting it and inspecting her as if she’ll suddenly be different.
“I’m happy to see her too, Ian, but you’re squishing her face,” Future Anthony says.
Ian lets go of her, but then he’s scowling, “Angela! We have been all over time looking for you!”
“Uh,” Angela says sheepishly, “you found me?”
Future Anthony sighs, “What your dad means is that we were very worried about you.” He leans down and then he pulls Angela into a light hug, her arm coming up to pat Future Anthony’s back.
“Sorry,” Angela mumbles, she can feel her face getting red.
“Is that…Ian and Anthony from the future?” Shayne asks, a little breathlessly.
The two men from the future turn their heads to look at Shayne, then their gaze slowly turns to everyone else on the couch, including their own past versions.
“Shit,” Future Anthony mutters.
--
They don’t end up filming that day, instead Angela sequesters her parents in the Smosh conference room, the past versions of Ian and Anthony following behind her, along with most of the cast on set.
“Okay,” Angela says after she has both the past and future versions of her parents in the conference room, she uses her body to block the doorway so the rest of the cast can’t join them, “we need some private family time.”
“What?” Arasha says, “we want to hear what is going on too!”
“I’ll explain later!” Angela shouts as she shuts the door on her co-workers, locking it. Almost instantly the group of them are gawking at the two sets of Ian and Anthony from outside the conference room, looking in through the clear windows next to the locked door.
Angela turns to face the men and finds four sets of eyes staring at her.
“Alright,” Angela begins, “I’m really sorry!”
“I…” Anthony says, turning to look at his future self, “I can’t believe this is us…”
“How old are you guys?” Ian asks.
Future Ian and Future Anthony look at each other, “We’re about to be sixty-nine.”
“Oh my God, we’re so old,” Anthony whispers.
The future men make offended noises, “We’re not that old,” Future Ian says.
--
Ian looks at the future version of himself, the sixty-eight-year-old version. His hair is styled much like it is now, just a little thinner, and steely gray and white. He’s got some fine lines, some wrinkles around his mouth and eyes. Overall, he doesn’t look as bad as he imagined he could look at almost seventy-years-old. He looks like he’s in good shape, he’s well-dressed wearing a comfortable T-shirt and a pair of dark slacks, and most importantly, he’s still in Anthony’s life.
Ian’s eyes shift to the older version of Anthony. He looks good too, better than Ian if Ian is being honest. In a way Ian’s always kind of felt that way. He’s aware that Anthony’s always been good looking, and it holds true even in their older age. Anthony’s hair is a darker grey, colored like storm clouds. He doesn’t have his piercings anymore, but his curly hair is cut a little shorter, and Ian can still see the dark black of Anthony’s tattoos that travel across his body like a map. Future Anthony also has some wrinkles, but his deep brown eyes twinkle the same way they have since the two of them first met as children in middle school.
“Wow,” Future Anthony says, stepping closer to his young version, as if he is inspecting himself, “Look at my hair,” he says, looking back at his future version of Ian.
“Still better than the emo cut,” Future Ian says, and both versions of Anthony laugh in response.
“At least I didn’t have a bowl cut,” Anthony says to Ian’s future self.
Future Ian shrugs off the insult, but current Ian nudges Anthony in the side, “Don’t roast me in front of myself, dude.”
Now Future Anthony turns to smile at Future Ian, “Dude. Remember that? When’s the last time you’ve called me dude? Now it’s all ‘Honey, did you take out the garbage yet?’”
“Okay, next time I’ll say, ‘Hey Dude, you take the garbage out yet?’” Future Ian says with a roll of his eyes.
“Honey?” Ian asks, raising an eyebrow looking between their future versions and his version of Anthony next to him. He can’t quite think of a logical reason that he would need to call Anthony Honey or ask him to take the garbage out.
Next to him Anthony’s cheeks are starting to go pink.
“Okay,” Angela says, cutting in-between the two sets of her parents, “don’t you think this meeting might create some fucked up time paradox?” she asks, turning to her older fathers.
“I’d say you have a bigger risk of doing that by setting up a life here, Angela,” Future Ian says, pinching at the bridge of his nose.
It is so bizarre to see himself this way, and Anthony, and well, Angela too. Ian vaguely remembers coming back to his senses after the accident and Anthony and Angela rambling on an explanation about time travel and relationships, and things that were going over Ian’s head in the foggy state he was in. He hadn’t really thought about it all, but seeing himself standing there with Anthony, older, and still bound together. It makes something in his chest hurt.
“I’m sorry,” Angela says again. She looks at the ground, “I didn’t even really mean to come here. I was just messing around with the time watch, and I thought it would kind of be cool to see you guys, you know, when you were younger. Then Ian got in an accident, and I just felt like I couldn’t leave.”
“I remember,” Future Ian says, pointing at the upper part of his left arm where he’s got a faded, but long and jagged scar from the glass of the driver’s side window cutting him during the accident. Ian reaches out, on instinct, and touches the matching scar on his own arm.
Future Anthony takes Future Ian’s hand, intertwining their fingers together, looking at Future Ian with a soft and sad smile. Future Ian meets Future Anthony’s eyes.
“That was the scariest time of my life,” Future Anthony says, his voice small and scared.
Ian looks at Anthony, his version of Anthony, his best friend. His Anthony is also wearing a sad smile. Ian stares at the future version of himself, watches as Future Ian hold hands with the future version of Anthony, Ian notes for the first time, the wedding ring glinting on Future Anthony’s finger. Ian sucks in a sharp breath before his eyes shift to his own future self, to his left hand, where there’s a ring that matches Future Anthony’s.
“Wait, are you…” Ian starts, his voice drawing all eyes to him, “are you two married.”
Future Ian and Future Anthony look at each other before they look at their past selves, “Well, yeah?”
“To each other?” Ian says, aware of how strange and high pitched his voice sounds.
Future Ian looks at Future Anthony, “Shit, I think we’re back in time from before we started dating.”
“You mean before I swept you off your feet,” Future Anthony says, waggling his eyebrows at Future Ian.
“Oh my God,” Angela says. She points at her parents, “stop freaking them out!” she turns around and looks at her bosses, her past dads, “and I did tell you guys that you were my parents…”
Ian opens and closes his mouth, unsure of what to say. Next to him Anthony is watching their future selves, he watches the way that Future Anthony rubs a thumb over the back of Future Ian’s hand, warm and affectionate. Ian meets eyes with himself, and maybe Future Ian can see the panic there, because then he slowly lets go of his husband’s hand.
“What year is it exactly, Angela?” Future Anthony asks, turning to look at his daughter.
“2023,” Angela says. She lowers her voice, “and no, you’re not dating yet.”
“I was in my denial phase,” Future Ian explains.
“I am not denying anything!” Ian snaps at himself.
“See?” Future Ian says, waving a hand at current Ian.
“Yeah,” Future Anthony says with a nod, “let’s see. If it’s 2023 we wouldn’t get together for another- “
“Don’t!” Angela says, interrupting Future Anthony, “don’t tell them when they get together. That will probably fuck everything up.”
“She’s probably right,” Future Ian says to Future Anthony.
Future Anthony looks at himself, the younger version of himself before he nods, “Okay, okay.”
Ian feels a little stunned. He and Anthony get married? They’re together? Angela really is their kid? Ian’s head spins and he feels a little sick, not in a bad way, it’s just so much in this moment, too much to take in. Anthony likes girls. How…how do they end up together after all?
“So,” Angela begins, turning to look at the older version of her parents again, “I think the best way to solve this is for you two to go back to your own time.”
“Not without you,” Future Anthony tells her.
“Pop,” Angela starts, her face flushing a bit as she glances back at current Anthony, “I don’t want to go back yet.”
Future Ian and Anthony step towards her, Future Ian placing a hand on her shoulder, while Future Anthony touches her cheek, “You don’t belong here. You belong at home with us and Frank.”
“Who, um, who is Frank?” Anthony ventures asking.
“Our dog,” Future Anthony says brightly, “though I should say Ian’s dog because Frank follows him around everywhere. He spoils the hell out of him.”
“I do not,” Future Ian says.
“Right, I totally didn’t find you snuggling in bed with Frank and giving him treats in that dumb baby voice you do.”
The two of them exchange barbs but it’s playful, painfully domestic, it reminds Ian of his own parents and all the silly little things they loved about each other that he saw as he was growing up. Is that their life? Raising a daughter and having a dog? He can’t say that it sounds like a bad life, it sounds pretty nice if he’s being honest. All he wanted for years was to be around Anthony again, and this future version of himself lives that wish every day.
“Well,” Future Ian says, ignoring his husband, “even if your pop and I were going to leave back to our own time. You know we can’t. The time watch isn’t recharged yet.”
Future Anthony holds up his wrist as if to make the point. Strapped to Future Anthony’s wrist is something that looks like a radically more advanced smart watch.
“That’s how you time travel?” Anthony asks, “Can I see it?” Anthony’s eyes are alight with interest. He’s always loved technology and the temptation of future tech must be too much for him to bear.
Both Ian’s sigh simultaneously.
“Alright, we need like two days to charge the time watch. So, we just need to figure out what to do with you two for the next two days,” Angela says, tapping her chin.
“There’s enough room at the Smosh house,” Future Anthony suggests.
“Your bachelor pad,” Future Ian says with a smirk.
“It isn’t a bachelor pad when I will be there with my husband and adult child.”
“And our past selves,” Future Ian adds.
“Hey, Future Self, if you remember, the Smosh house is my house that you just volunteered as a hotel,” Anthony says to his future self.
Future Anthony crosses his arm across his chest, “We’ll sleep in the guest bedroom that makes up Ian’s bedroom set.”
“Can’t one of you sleep on the couch?” Ian asks, making a face at them.
“I can’t. I have a bad back,” Future Ian says, touching his lower back as if to prove it to them. He then jerks a thumb at Future Anthony, “and he snores unless he sleeps on his stomach on a mattress.”
“It’s not like you’re going to catch gay from us,” Future Anthony adds. He lowers his voice, “because it’s already there.”
“We can hear you; you know?” Ian says.
“Alright,” Angela says, clapping her hands together, “how about I take these two to the Smosh house and you guys get back to filming.”
“But you’re in this video,” Anthony says.
“Film the next one while I’m gone! I should be back in an hour!” Angela says as she puts one hand on Future Ian’s shoulder and one on Future Anthony’s shoulder and guides them towards the door.
She opens the door, and the rest of the cast is still waiting outside, gawking at the visitors from the future.
“Wow, you all look so young,” Future Ian says, “Look! Spencer still has both arms!”
Spencer’s face goes pale. Angela turns to face Spencer.
“He’s joking! That’s a joke!”
Future Ian breaks down into laughter, Future Anthony joining in.
“Still a bummer after all these years, huh?” Damien mutters.
Ian and Anthony watch Angela whisk away their older selves, leaving the two of them alone in the office. Ian glances at Anthony before he looks away, his face reddening.
“We should, uh, probably get back to filming?” Ian says.
Anthony nods, “Um, yeah, let’s go.”
---
By the time Anthony gets home that night, the future versions of him and Ian are asleep. Ian had rejected the idea of coming over that night and Anthony didn’t force the issue. He could tell that Ian was freaked out by the conversation that had been had earlier that day, the knowledge that it appeared like the two of them would end up together in the future, married, kids, a spoiled dog, the whole shebang.
Anthony pads quietly through the house. The door to his guest bedroom where their future selves are sleeping is cracked open and Anthony has never been good at denying his curiosity. He creeps over to the door and peeks in through the crack. Through the meager light entering from the hallway Anthony can’t see much, but he can see the two figures curled together in bed, one spooning the other. Anthony backs away quickly, feeling like he’s intruding even though it’s him. It’s him, and it’s Ian, it’s them cuddling in bed together, like it is the easiest thing in the world.
Anthony goes and takes a shower, spending a little extra time inspecting his face in the mirror. Now that he’s seen himself older, almost seventy, he’s feeling a little weird, like maybe he should put on a little more face cream tonight. Anthony changes into pajamas and pads downstairs to grab something quick to eat before bed.
He’s warming up some leftover vegan food from the fridge when he hears footsteps behind him. Anthony whirls around and it’s Ian, well, Future Ian. Future Ian looks adorably sleep rumpled in a way that reminds Anthony of when he and Ian lived together, and he’d wander around the house bleary eyed and barely awake. His glasses are off because he was sleeping, and he yawns as he spots Anthony in the kitchen.
“Sorry, did I wake you?” Anthony asks, hoping he wasn’t too loud.
“No, I had to piss anyway,” Future Ian says and Anthony laughs. Moments like these remind him that even though he’s older, it’s still Ian, still sounds like his Ian.
Future Ian pads away to use the bathroom and Anthony takes his food out of the microwave. He grabs a fork and stirs it, trying to make sure it’s warmed all the way through. Before long Anthony hears the flush of a toilet and the sound of the faucet coming on as Future Ian washes his hands. Then, he’s back in the kitchen, he stops, his eyes still so clear, so bright and blue and as mesmerizing as Anthony remembers them always being.
“That smells good,” Future Ian says, nodding at Anthony’s food.
“Are you more used to my vegan food in the future?” Anthony asks, poking at a bit of his meal on his fork and blowing on it before taking a bite.
Future Ian smiles, “Yeah, you convinced me it can taste good eventually.”
It is strange talking to this Ian. It’s like every other iteration of a conversation with his best friend, but different at the same time. When this Ian looks at Anthony, he doesn’t just see a best friend or a business partner, he sees a husband, a co-parent, a dog dad, and when Anthony looks at this future Ian, he sees a list of endless possibilities and years of promised happiness.
“I guess that’s a win,” Anthony says, taking another bite of his food, “are you hungry?” he asks Future Ian, “I still have some of this in the fridge.”
Future Ian puts his hands up, “No, if I eat this late at night, I’ll get heartburn for sure.”
Anthony lets out a little laugh, “Man, we’re really dads, aren’t we?”
“You’re a great dad,” Future Ian says, “not that I doubted it. I doubted it about myself honestly, but from the moment Angela was born I couldn’t have loved her more.”
“I’m still getting to know her,” Anthony says, “but she’s hilarious. Everyone here says that she reminds them of you, from back when Smosh first started.”
Future Ian lets out a laugh, “Thank God Angela didn’t go that far back in time. I don’t think our teenaged selves would be able to handle the fact that they would end up married.”
Anthony rolls his eyes, “My Ian’s barely handling it now.” He looks up, “Um, sorry?” he says because technically that Ian is the same person as this Ian.
Future Ian shakes his head, his face going more serious than before. “Listen, don’t give up on him, okay? He’s terrified. He doesn’t think that it will work out, even with the proof right in front of him. He’s scared,” Future Ian turns around and glances at the guest bedroom, where his husband is fast asleep, “but he does love you, Anthony. He’ll get there. Just…give him time.”
Anthony doesn’t know what to say. He sets his food down and looks at the floor. He understands because it’s hard to admit to himself. It’s hard to admit that somewhere between leaving and coming back, reconnecting with Ian, his feelings have begun shifting for his best friend. He’s not sure how all this future stuff works. Is it all really promised? Pre-destined? Or can Ian simply choose to defy that future, make a different choice and change everything, not only for them, but Angela, and the older versions of themselves? Do all of their fates hang in Ian’s hands?
“I trust him,” Anthony says, meeting Future Ian’s eyes, “I trust him more than I trust anyone else in the world.”
Future Ian smiles and nods like he knows, and he probably does, Future Anthony probably tells him that every day.
Future Ian crosses the expanse of the kitchen, his bright eyes focusing on Anthony. Up close, Anthony can see the familiar freckles, the blue eyes, how no matter the age or time, Ian will always be Ian. Future Ian reaches up and cups Anthony’s cheek, just for a moment, the hand warm and a little rough with age.
“Don’t tell older you I said this, but I almost forgot how handsome you were in this time,” Future Ian says, his voice dripping with fondness.
Anthony feels himself blush and he smiles. Future Ian’s hand falls away and then he yawns again.
“I’m going to go back to bed before he wakes up looking for me. Goodnight Anthony,” Future Ian says, as he starts to head back towards the bedroom, “oh, do you have a fancy coffee maker or is that only at our place in the future?”
Anthony smiles. “Ian had me buy one when we started filming here.”
“Cool,” Future Ian says as before he slips back into the darkness of the bedroom that he is sharing with his husband.
Anthony finishes his meal quietly in the kitchen, thinking of what Future Ian told him. He could never give up on Ian again, he never would. He’d wait for as long as it took.
--
In the morning Anthony is woken up by Angela standing next to his bed.
“Jesus!” Anthony says, sitting up in alarm, “how did you get in here?”
“My parents gave me the key yesterday when I dropped them off,” Angela says, like it’s obvious.
“How did they know where the key-oh,” Anthony says, piecing it together himself. They knew because Future Anthony remembered where past Anthony always hid the key for the house. “Any particular reason you’re in here bugging me and not with them?”
“Look,” she says, holding up her phone and showing Anthony a picture. The picture is of the future versions of themselves, sleeping, the daylight streaming into the window. Future Anthony is curled protectively around Future Ian, spooning him. They look cozy and well and deeply in love even in their sleep, “Isn’t this the cutest thing you’ve ever seen?”
“Angela,” Anthony says, yawning, “I’m your boss and your dad. I’m sure there’s a boundary being crossed here somewhere.”
“Sorry,” Angela says, tucking her phone away, “I may have also texted it to Ian.”
Anthony sighs, “For the love of God. I know in our timeline you’re not born yet or whatever, but can I ground you? This feels like a groundable offense.”
“I don’t think so. You could fire me.”
Anthony waves a hand at her, “I’m going to tell the future versions to ground you.”
“I’m twenty-nine!” Angela says as she stands there in his room with her hands on her hips.
Anthony climbs out of bed, running a hand through his hair, “Will you go bother your future parents so I can wake up?”
“Yeah, they actually wanted me to come up here and let you know that they made breakfast,” Angela says. She hesitates for a moment, “and that Ian is downstairs.”
“What?” Anthony asks, half-way into the bathroom attached to his bedroom. He peers out the doorway at Angela.
She shrugs, looking sheepish, “After I texted him the picture, he showed up here and said he couldn’t trust me with his future self.”
Anthony sighs, but he thinks about the conversation he had last night with Future Ian. Patient. He can be patient. As long as no one makes Ian even more freaked out about this whole situation. Angela leaves the bedroom and returns downstairs and as Anthony washes his hands in the bathroom, he can smell the beginnings of the promised breakfast that their future selves cooked.
When he gets to the kitchen the future versions of themselves are seated at the table along with Angela and Ian. There’s an empty spot with a full plate that seems to be waiting for Anthony.
“There he is,” Future Ian says brightly.
“This is weird,” Anthony says.
“Yeah, it definitely is,” Ian agrees, shaking his head, but he still sips at a cup of coffee that no doubt Future Ian had brewed upon waking up.
Anthony sits at the table and eats the vegan breakfast that their future selves made. It is strange, but also nice in a way, nice to have Ian and Angela there with him, with them? In this way, it does feel like a family, like their family.
As the five of them eat, the future Ian and Anthony tell stories about Angela’s childhood, simple things, like how they knew she was a natural born comedian when she disrupted her first-grade play with her improvisation skills.
“Your Pop was laughing his ass off,” Future Ian says through his own giggles, “and we had Angela’s teacher glaring at us. It was embarrassing, but hilarious.”
“It isn’t my fault she inherited your comedic genius,” Future Anthony says, smiling at Future Ian so fondly, in a way that Anthony knows he’s been caught staring at Ian in the present.
Future Ian waves him off, looking embarrassed. “She gets it from both of us.”
Anthony is smiling as he listens to them, so is Angela. Ian, he takes a deep sip from his coffee, his expression unreadable. Anthony frowns at his breakfast.
Before long Ian, Anthony, and Angela are due at the Smosh office. Future Ian and Anthony are in the kitchen, drying the dishes from breakfast as the three of them prepare to leave.
“What if we came with you?” Future Anthony asks.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, guys,” Angela says, “you might say or do something that changes our timeline.”
“We just want to watch! We won’t say or do anything. We just want to reminisce,” Future Anthony continues.
Angela turns to the present version of her parents, her eyes big and pleading. Anthony looks at Ian.
“Don’t make me be the bad guy!” Ian says, elbowing Anthony lightly.
“Maybe they can come for one shoot,” Anthony says, knowing he’s a pushover.
“I’ll bring them back here after!” Angela promises.
Now, everyone is looking at Ian like they need his approval. Ian sighs, throwing his hands in the air, “Fine.”
--
They wind up at the studio, Future Anthony and Future Ian sitting off to the side and watching the shoot. It’s strange because whenever a joke makes the current Ian or Anthony laugh, the future versions laugh too. It reminds Anthony a little of when he and Ian would react to their old videos, how jokes were still funny even years down the line. It reminds him of the nostalgia that pushed him to try and reconnect with Ian, to try Smosh all over again. A small decision that rippled its effects far into the future.
Ian and Anthony film a Beopardy video together alongside Courtney. When the video is over and they leave set, their future versions are nowhere to be found. Instantly, the two 2023 versions of Ian and Anthony walk around the office to look for their future selves.
“Maybe Angela took them back to the Smosh house already?” Ian suggests.
They round a corner just as Ian finishes talking and spot Angela in the kitchen, microwaving a cup of instant ramen.
“Angela!” Anthony says, making the girl jump in surprise as she turns around to face them, “did you take the future versions of us home?”
Angela goes a little pale, “Um, no.” she shakes her head, “they were watching the Beopardy episode.”
“Well, they aren’t now,” Ian says, his voice a little strained.
Angela abandons her cup of ramen as she hurries out of the kitchen, “I’m sure they’re fine.”
“I’m not so much worried about them as I am what they might be getting into…” Ian mutters.
The three of them search the office and eventually find their future selves sitting in Ian’s office with Erin. She’s got her phone out and she’s filming the two of them.
Angela bursts through the door, “What are you doing?” she asks and whether she was talking to Erin or her fathers it isn’t clear, but all eyes turn to her.
Erin looks guilty for just a moment before it passes, “We were making a Tik Tok.”
“Erin!” Ian says, “you can’t film the future versions of us for Tik Tok!”
“Relax,” Erin says, “everyone is going to think you’re just using that old age filter that’s super popular right now.”
“I think they can tell the difference between a filter and an actual old person,” Anthony says.
“Hey,” the future Ian and Anthony say at the same time.
Erin rolls her eyes and turns the old age filter on her phone, pointing it at Anthony.
“I literally see no difference,” she says bluntly.
Angela glances at the phone and then snorts.
“It looks just like you, Pop.”
Erin shows them the Tik Tok she had recorded before they had interrupted. It was their future versions doing a play on the copying sketch where they spoke at the same time. As Anthony watches the Tik Tok he can see the smiles on the older versions of their faces, how even after decades their chemistry is still there, still strong. It makes Anthony’s chest feel warm. He doesn’t have the heart to tell Erin to delete it.
--
The next day the five of them are gathered in the living room of the Smosh house. The future versions of Ian and Anthony are preparing to travel back to their own time, without Angela. The girl steps up and hugs the Future Ian and then the Future Anthony. The two men look at her fondly, Future Anthony ruffling her hair.
“We love you, kiddo,” Future Anthony says, his voice catching in his throat. At least it’s nice to know that Anthony has retained his ability to be emotionally open into the future.
Their future versions level the 2023 versions of themselves with a serious look.
“Make sure you two keep her safe,” Future Ian says.
Ian and Anthony nod, reaching out to pat Angela on the shoulder.
“Will you come visit for Christmas?” Future Anthony asks.
Angela sighs, “Of course, Pop. A travel through time. Easy-peasy.”
The two future versions smile.
Ian and Anthony watch as their future versions link hands, twining their fingers together as the technology strapped to Anthony’s wrist starts to beep. The beeping increases into a high pitch, the same bright light as before emitting from the time watch and spreading through the room. Anthony closes his eyes to shield the light. He feels that same electric crackle through the air, a flash, and then their future versions are gone.
There’s a silence in the room and Angela wipes her eyes. Ian, the current Ian, leans forward and pulls her into a hug, rubbing her back. Anthony smiles fondly at the both of them. The man that would become his husband, and the girl he knows is their daughter. He’s grateful for the knowledge of what is to come, what will be, he knows the two of them will get there, knows they have a whole life of joys to share together. He can be patient. He can wait.