Detroit: Become One-Shot

⭕November 5th

That night, all of their lives changed forever.

「⫷▲⭕▲⫸」

The dull pounding of Leo's fists against him registered to nothing. He was nothing.

He felt nothing.

But seeing Carl's broken body on the floor - 

He felt everything.

"Humans...are fragile machines..." Carl wheezed.

Markus was supposed to feel nothing.

And yet...

While cradling Carl's head in his hands, he felt something.

"Remember, Markus... don't let anybody... tell you who you are..." 

And at that moment, while Leo was cursing the android in rage, and Carl's heart slowly pulsed to a stop, Markus finally realized.

He was alive.

「⫷▲⭕▲⫸」

The first time Markus came to the house, there was no answer. Only a cold, dead feeling stood in place of the once lively, warm home that he once called his own. 

The second time Markus came to the house, a whole year later, someone answered it.

「⫷▲⭕▲⫸」

"Where do you think you're going, Markus?" 

North smirked as she body-blocked him from going out of New Jericho.

"We're about to party, and I don't think you would want your little Simon to be all alone, would you?"

Markus rolled his eyes, but his cheeks became dusted in a soft blue. "I have to go somewhere, North."

He tried to walk past her, but she stepped in his direction and pressed a hand to his chest. "Why don't you tell us where you've been going? I mean, you've been doing this every year, on this exact day." Her usually confident demeanor faded away to reveal a more caring tone.

"You don't need to tell me where you've been going, but..." 

She finally stepped away from the exit and pulled a thirium beer out of a nearby fridge. "Next time, at least tell your god damn boyfriend where you're going."

She shook her head in defeat. "Get back safe, ok?"

Markus sighed.

Over his shoulder, he yelled, "Ok, mom!"

He chuckled as he felt strong anger vibes being targeted to him. 

His normally stoic smile slowly became somber, and he made his way across Detroit to the one place he went to every single year after Carl died.

「⫷▲⭕▲⫸」

He came to the house and knocked on the door. It felt more lively, and yet at the same time, more subdued.

The door opened to reveal a taller, more mature Leo. He smiled, wrinkles crinkling up near the sides of his eyes. 

"Come in."

「⫷▲⭕▲⫸」

Markus sat comfortably in Carl's old studio. Looking around, he smiled softly as he noticed more of the sculptures that Leo loved doing littered everywhere. Some were just normal pieces, like pots and hands.

Others had much more time put into them. They weren't fully completed, nor were they in the final draft, but anyone with eyes could say that they were true art.

Leo sipped his beer as Markus sipped his thirium. 

They both looked through each other as they remembered the man that was now dominating most of their thoughts. 

Because on November 5th, 2038,

Carl Manfred died of a heart attack in his home.

And Markus and Leo were here, on November 5th, 2043, getting drunk on their sorrows and toasting for a man who was both of their fathers.

「⫷▲⭕▲⫸」

i'm not dead, i swear 

i hope i didn't keep you waiting that long, but now i realize that i've kept you waiting for like, 4 months 

i finally got back to this because of this quarantine, and i found this in the depths of my wattpad 

originally, i lost inspiration for dbh, because i fell out of the fandom but who ever said that you couldn't fall back in love with it again??? 

no one because im weird af, but whatever, i'll try my best to get up to the quota of at least 28 chapters by the end of this year 

as always, prompts, ships, angst baths, and head canons are allowed!

Yeet!