How was Quackity going to face Karl and Sapnap? Quackity sat in his car, staring at the house that they had bought shortly after getting engaged. It was silent still, the small house looking peaceful and welcoming. Welcoming to everyone but Quackity. At least unwelcoming to Quackity as of late. Staring at the house he was contemplating if going inside was a good idea. He already felt anxiety fill him at the thought, remembering how Sapnap had slapped him, how he was screamed at. All the while Karl sat in the entrance to the living room, watching with huge green eyes as he stared at Sapnap in fear. He had done nothing to help Quackity in that situation, and part of him thinks that Karl would have taken Sapnap’s side if he had joined the fight. 

Was he really prepared to go back in there after all that? His knuckles tightened around the steering wheel, blue eyes squeezing shut as he let out a long breath. It was like he could hear the yelling in his mond, the fresh burn of a slap on his face. He hadn’t been treated like this in a long time, since he had left Schlatt at least. 

Schlatt was a man that felt he had all the power in the world. Schlatt definitely did not have all the power in the world, matter of fact it was the exact opposite. Quackity wished he had never fallen for that sick man in high school, letting the man take over his life completely to the point he could barely think for himself. Looking back he just couldn’t help but think of how pathetic he was back then. He had dreams to become a lawyer back then, wanted to help people that needed it. Schlatt had talked him out of it though, told Quackity they’d be fine without such fancy jobs, telling him that it wasn’t worth it and that he’d probably be horrible at being a lawyer anyways. And Quackity had believed him, threw his dreams away for someone that he thought he could have a life with. Turns out that sometimes happy endings just didn’t happen. It had been three years of hell with the man, and Quackity still hasn’t fully healed over what the man had put him through. 

High school was easier, since he wasn’t living with him at the time. He’d keep tabs on him, tell him who he could hang out with, kept Quackity at arms reach at all times when at school and out of class. The worst that happened to Quackity back then was being yelled at, and manipulated into believing whatever Schlatt told him. 

When Quackity moved in with him, his phone privileges were restricted, he was rarely allowed to leave the house without the man by his side, and the verbal abuse quickly turned into physical. But Quackity was dependant on Schlatt, he had nowhere to go if they ended things. Quackity had no job, Schlatt going to work hoping to one day take over the business his father had built when he retired. Quackity is sure that if he hadn’t run into Wilbur on one of those scarce days he was allowed to leave alone, he’d still be with Schlatt to this day. 

It was supposed to be a normal grocery run, one that wasn’t going to take long. Quackity had left their apartment to go to the local grocery store after Schlatt got home, money in hand and list in pocket. He was in a random aisle looking for flour when he heard someone say his name in a questioning way, his dull blue eyes looking towards the voice to see Wilbur Soot. Wilbur Soot had been his best friend in high school, one of the few that Quackity refused to get rid of. Quackity had no choice but to break off communication once he moved in with Schlatt. They ended up standing in that isle catching up, Wilbur telling Quackity he was working on a book (something that he was not expecting to hear from Wilbur, seeing in high school he was serious about starting his singing career) and how Quackity was now living with Schlatt. Wilbur seemed to get worried at that bit of information. 

Wilbur never liked Schlatt, and often expressed it both with Quackity and with Schlatt present, probably one of the reasons that the man wanted Wilbur out of Quackity’s life. Wilbur ended up convincing Quackity to go to a cafe with him to talk more. After that Quackity would sneak out of the house every Wednesday afternoon to see Wilbur, which was a big risk for the raven-haired male in the kind of situation he was in. Eventually, Wilbur started telling Quackity that Schlatt wasn’t good for him once he started peacing together what was happening from what Quackity was telling him. Quackity broke down crying when Wilbur said he could move in with him to get away from his abusive situation, of course he couldn’t force Quackity to leave so the next Wednesday they met up at the normal coffee shop Quackity agreed to leave and began to plan an escape. 

It was set up to be Friday night, Quackity would leave once Schlatt left for work. He still had to pack, and so he had let Wilbur in to help him out. It was only a two hours later, once they had finished packing, that Schlatt had showed up early because apparently, they didn’t need him at work. There was a fight, that's all Quackity remembers from that situation, Wilbur ended up punching the man in the face, knocking the man's head into the wall. Schlatt ended up going unconscious, from what Wilbur told him. They left after that, and thankfully he never saw Schlatt again. 

He did end up living with Wilbur for two years, and slowly Quackity started to get better. He stopped freaking out over small mistakes, stopped depending on Wilbur to tell him what he can and can’t do, he stopped having nightmares of Schlatt worried that somehow he’d find him and drag him back to that pain-filled apartment where he had no control over what he did or what happened to him. He got a job as a bartender and started making his own money, it brought tears to his eyes when he got his first paycheck. It had been his hard work that got him that money, and he just couldn’t believe that it wasn’t just some type of sick dream that he’d wake up from. 

As anyone could guess living with someone can get you to know other better, and Quackity and Wilbur were no exception. Quackity and Wilbur had been best friends in high school, but actually living with someone you see twenty four seven can make other things you didn’t know emerge to the surface. Quackity had realized he had grown feelings for the other only months before he met Sapnap and Karl. They had been out with Dream and George, the two being as cheesy as usual since they had just officially became a couple, Quackity didn’t even know they had liked eachother in that way when he first met them. They had decided to go out to a diner that wasn’t that far from his and Wilbur’s apartment and had been heading back before Dream and George had to leave. The moon was high in the sky, the light making the sleepy streets look almost mystical with the shadows it produced. But more than that, it made Wilbur’s face glow in the most beautiful way possible. 

Quackity remembers watching his face as he talked, his voice only background noice as he took in his features. It ws no lie that his face was clear of imperfections, something that Wilbur only laughed at if a friend ever mentioned it. His curly hair framed his face, making small wispy shadows fall onto his face. His brown eyes sparkled like athousand jewels, and the poor raven couldn’t help but get lost in them. His face looked so angelic, his lips pulled into a smile as he talked, animating with is hands like he always did when he got excited. It made butterflies run rampant in his stomach. 

It wasn’t until he wanted to kiss the other he snapped out of his trance, realizing what was happening. He had kept his gaze away from the other after that, refusing to look at the other afraid he’d kiss him if he did. That night Quackity had went to bed conflicted. 

Quackity remembers high school Wilbur, how the brunette seemed uninterested in the idea of ‘love’, or at least the romantic type as far as Quackity gathered. It wasn’t brought up a lot back then, but when it did Wilbur would only chuckle and shake his head at the idea. Being in highschool Wilbur always seemed less focused on started any romantic relationships and more on school work, but then again he had always said he’d become a musician and the more famous singer ever. Its laughable that now he sat in a small apartment on a quiet street writing bestseller books. 

But still, he doubted that if he was to admit he liked Wilbur that the brunette would try and start a romantic relationship with him. He doubts Wilbur would ever start a romantic relationship with anyone if he was honest. It was almost too weird for Quackity to think about. 

He had decided to keep quiet, afraid that his friendship with Wilbur would be ruined. Months later he met Sapnap and Karl, and his problems seemed to finally have a solution. 

But now he had just basically thrown himself at Wilbur and admitted that horrible secret he had been hiding for what felt like forever, drunk no less. He couldn’t say he was too surprised when Wilbur had told him to forget it ever happened, or the fact he seemed so nervous when QUackity came into the kritchen. He’s sure he ruined his friendship with the other, and that hurt more than a slap to the face. 

Speaking of which, he wasn’t sure he could go back into the house he had hoped would be his peaceful ending. Looking at it his grip on the steering wheel only grew tighter, refusing to let go as if it was a lifeline. Taking deep breaths he forced his hands to unlatch from the wheel, opening his car door seconds later before stepping out. Once he shut the door he looked back towards the house, nervously biting at his lip as he thought of the many outcomes of entering. He looked back to the car, the temptation to leave to Wilbur’s house growing in every second he just stood outside the house. But then again, would Wilbur want him back at his house after last night? He doubted it. So, he looked back towards the house, blue eyes taking in the sight, before forcing his feet to move. He was already pulling his keys out of his hoodie pocket when the door opened, Karl looking back at him with a warm smile. Karl was barely taller that Quackity, his brown hair messy as if he had just woke up, black shorts barely poking out from under the oversized purple hoodie he wore. His brown eyes stared into Quackity’s own before he spoke. “Hey.” Quackity forced a smile, yeah he was deffinantly not prepared to be back in this house.

“Hey, Karl.” Karl sadly sighed, moving out of the way for Quackity to step into the house. 

“Sapnap is still sleeping, so I think we should talk before he wakes up.” The brunette says. 

“Karl-” 

“Quackity.” Karl shut the door once the other way inside, his frown only growing. The ravens fists balled, brows furrowing together at the others tone. “You know he’s just trying to look out for you.” He crossed his arms, gaze growing hard as he looked at the other. 

“By telling me to quit my job?” Karl sighed, crossing his own arms. 

“Quackity, you work at a bar, you’re not getting paid that much as it is. Why does it matter that you quit?” Quackity still doesn’t know why Sapnap had even brought up the idea of Quackity quitting his job, the only income he’s ever made himself and a job he was proud of. Since his hire he had managed to become the bar manager, and he would say he made good money if he did say so himself. He was doing good, and he was so happy with how his life had turned out up to this point. If he couldn’t be a lawyer, something he wished he could have been, then he’d be the best manager anyone had ever seen. But now it seemed both Karl and Sapnap both wanted him to throw it all away. 

He had worked hard to get where he was, and he was proud of it. He had come from nothing, basically living off of Wilbur as he tried to recover before even thinking about making his own money. Quackity sometimes think less of him because he didn’t have a fancy job like they did. Sapnap was the firefighter chief, and is very proud of it. Karl was running his own library, given to him by his mother after she retired. They both had successful jobs, at least ones that they deemed successful. Quackity hadn’t cared what they did, he had just liked them for them. But now it seemed like they just didn’t like the job that Quackity did, and he just couldn’t figure out why. “Karl, I love my job.” He began. He had to try and get them to see his point of view. “It was my first taste of freedom after I left Schlatt.” He could see Karl sour at the mention of Quackity’s past abuser. “I’m a bar manager, I do get paid a good amount of money. I’m not just a bartender anymore Karl. I don’t want to quit my job, and I wish you two would stop trying to pressure me into doing so.” 

It was sad that this disagreement had so much strain on their relationship, but if the raven was honest Quackity believes the tension between him, Sapnap, and Karl. Fights where common now, at least of recent. If it wasn’t quiet bickering between Quackity and either Karl or Sapnap, it was straight up yelling. Quackity saw the signs of their relationship turning more toxic as the days past. But at this point he doesn’t know if he could leave them. He loved them, at least he thinks he does. But with Sapnap slapping him just the other night, Karl sitting on the sidelines watching the two and doing nothing to sooth the situation, and his once buried feelings once again resurfacing, it seemed less and less like love and more like a blind desperation for something he had been craving since highschool. “You know we’re just trying to look out for you.” Karl’s voice is small as he speaks, brown eyes pleading. Quackity couldn’t help the amused and disbelieving laugh that left his throat. 

“It doesn’t seem like it to me. Your trying to get me to quit my job! I don’t have a backup, and I’ve worked hard to get where I am. I’m not just quitting my job because you two want me to.” Karl sighs, walking away from the door and towards the living room. It seemed the brunette was done talking, probably going to the couch to turn something on the TV. Quackity just took his shoes off, blue eyes dazed as he tried to make sense of the situation. Once Sapnap woke up he was sure the yelling would begin again, and that only scared Quackity more. He was never good with yelling, and it showed inthe other fights they have had in the past. Yet he doubted that either really cared in those situation, or they probably would have stopped after seeing his shaking hands and the many other signs. Quackity bit his bottom lip, crossing his arms after taking his shoes off. Man, was his life was a fucking mess.