The Blinding Light of Sunrise - TNT Duo Dream SMP AU Fanfic

Chapter 6

While Wilbur slept, Quackity went over to the small bar and poured himself a shot, shuddering as he heard the words sugar pumpkin echo in his mind. "I'm not going to bring you back," he said to the air, downing the shot. You never were marriage material, pumpkin. "Just shut up and let me have this!" he shouted.

"Big Q?" Wilbur's sleepy voice crept in through the crack he'd left in the door.

"I'll be right there!" he called. He glared at the chest where Schlatt's bones were hidden and hissed, "You can turn to f-ing dust in that box, I'm never bringing you back." He downed another shot.

"I heard there was a special place where men could go emancipate..." The song echoed from the bedroom, not in the way he'd heard Wilbur sing it, but in that stilted, ethereal way he'd heard before their failed execution of Technoblade.

Quackity raised his brows followed by his glass. "Hey, Ghostbur. It's been a while. I guess we're both being haunted tonight."

It wasn't really Ghostbur, though, just echoes of memories Ghostbur had made but Wilbur couldn't recall. He hadn't heard Ghostbur's voice in a long time, he mostly only heard it when Wilbur was upset or stressed. He sat on the sectional couch and ran his fingers through his hair. "Why don't you just tell me the f-ing truth, instead of making me play these goddamned f-ing guessing games all the time!" he yelled in frustration towards the man sleeping in his bed.

"My L'Manberg, My L'Manberg," the ghostly voice sang.

"My L'Manberg, My L'Manberg." Quackity joined in the last part. He stared at the empty glass on the coffee table. As he leaned back he felt the chafing of his bindings around his chest. Wilbur was out cold, he didn't need to worry about him seeing. Slowly, he unwrapped the bandages, letting out a sigh of relief as his back was freed. Then he winced as he felt the back of the couch against them.

There was no reason, at this point, not to let him see. See the ugliest part of him, the part of the outside that matched the inside even more than the scar that split his face. They both had scars, but Wilbur didn't have... didn't carry this. And he was afraid to let him see, to allow himself to be that vulnerable and out of control of the situation.

As much as he'd come to love Wilbur, trusting him, relinquishing control to him, he wasn't sure he could wholly do that. He needed to feel like he still had some control of his world until the last possible moment. And Dream, Dream was an element that was so far beyond his control... There was no telling what Dream would do. What Dream would say... and tell Wilbur. And if Wilbur would stay with him after he heard it.

"Two... Three... Four..."

The f-ing numbers again. It must be something really bothering him. He'd be awake soon. He'd need someone to hold him in that first moment before the memory vanished. Quackity quickly rewrapped the binding and returned to their bedroom, just as the screaming started.

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Almost two weeks had passed since Wilbur had asked about visiting Dream. Every day he felt more and more like he was living in the eye of a worsening hurricane that threatened to tear him to pieces. His smiles were more and more forced as he threw himself into his work. He knew Big Q had noticed, but he just couldn't... he wasn't a good enough actor to pretend he wasn't bothered.

If Quackity intended to take Paradise from him, lulling him into the belief that they were truly partners would certainly be the way to do it. He'd even, on his own with no suggestion, considered selling the hamburger truck before he'd found out about the other account. Now, it was his most prized possession, his only leverage.