Quackity_V68 whispers to WilburSoot_V63: Im extremely hurt and offended you haven't been pining at the window for the last 48 hours

Quackity_V68 whispers to WilburSoot_V63: I'm in kinoko - local sapnap's place, very mushroom themed and pretty and quiet

Quackity_V68 whispers to WilburSoot_V63: befriended the local wilbur but don't worry you're still my favorite 

WilburSoot_V63 whispers to Quackity_V68: I was not worried about it. 

It's not... all the way a lie. It's certainly not the biggest or most important lie he's ever told Quackity. 

WilburSoot_V63 whispers to Quackity_V68: I am tentatively staying in Las Nevadas I think.

WilburSoot_V63 whispers to Quackity_V68: but don't worry you're still my favorite

Quackity_V68 whispers to WilburSoot_V63: oh cool

Quackity_V68 whispers to WilburSoot_V63: did he not threaten you with an axe, my first day he threatened me with an axe

WilburSoot_V63 whispers to Quackity_V68: He did not, he was very helpful to me.

The key phrase, of course, being to me. He's not sure what exactly the difference is. Quackity had lightly implied it was just the difference in time, that he hadn't known what was going on the first time and now did; on the other hand Wilbur isn't sure to what extent he meant to imply that, let alone whether it was true. 

The key phrase, of course, being to me. 

He types, and deletes, three or four variants on it's worse than that, talk to me not over text, and deletes them all. Some conversations you really, really don't want written records of, even the written record that you didn't want a written record. 

Quackity_V68 whispers to WilburSoot_V63: glad to hear it

Quackity_V68 whispers to WilburSoot_V63: I still have your headphones actually I should give those back

WilburSoot_V63 whispers to Quackity_V68: I suppose I'll have to come visit you in Kinoko, then.

WilburSoot_V63 whispers to Quackity_V68: unless we see each other when you're near here? 

Quackity_V68 whispers to WilburSoot_V63: we might but our alternates have some sort of weirdass rivalry thing going and will 100% be fucking weird about you being my actual fucking friend

Is this true, yes, is it the whole reason he doesn't want to have this conversation where Quackity will see it, no, can Wilbur please indicate that he is picking up what Q is putting down here—

Entirely understandable; Wilbur wouldn't want to be sincere or vulnerable in front of his alternate or where his alternate might happen across them either. 

WilburSoot_V63 whispers to Quackity_V68: Why, Quackity, I would love to be an obnoxious troll with you <333

AUGH. 

...well, better than nothing, he also would prefer their usual routine to maybe being vulnerable in Las Nevadas. 

Quackity_V68 whispers to WilburSoot_V63: xoxoxo looking forward to iiiiiiiiiiiiit 

Whatever happens, he reminds himself, will happen. At least Wilbur's here. 

Q really has missed him. 

In the meantime: 

Quackity_V68 whispers to WilburSoot: are you still in the arctic?

Sigh. He should probably answer and not just ignore Q forever. Even if he wants to, because otherwise he'll have to deal with his own imminent replacement.

WilburSoot whispers to Quackity_V68: yes

Then Q will, once again, show up at Phil's house. Somewhere in his head he makes a note to himself that if he keeps doing this he should start making something to bring with him, at least if he's trying to do 'polite friend of your son', which he is. 

"Hey," he says to Wilbur. 

"You're here."

"...yes, I am." Does sitting down on the bed next to Wilbur have immediately disastrous results? 

It doesn't have any results at all. Wilbur blinks.

After a few moments of pause: "How's your Wilbur doing?"

He doesn't quite manage to not sound bitter about it.

"We are gonna have to get you guys nicknames, using the possessive is weird when you're both actually here. —He's doing fine. How are you doing?" 

"I'm alive." He's not sure what's come over him. A week ago, it would have been a whoop: Everything's great! I'm ALIVE! How can anything be bad, I'm alive I'm alive I'm ALIVE--

--But right now it just feels like well, it beats the train station.

It's not just everything with the--other him. It sucks, but--he can imagine himself a week ago dealing with that, too, running around the server, yelling and coming up with plans. He would have talked to the other Wilbur by now, and both Quackities. Wouldn't have hid himself in his room staring at the wall. He'll feel that way again, he knows he'll feel that way again, he always does, it's just--hard to believe.

"Don't worry about me, Q, I'll be back to normal in a couple days. I won't die if you replace me, if that's what you're checking. Got kind of permanently turned off of the whole dying business. World's stuck with me now."

He thinks, is there something I can say that would get you two to not both decide you've been replaced. He thinks, great, glad to hear it, did you know I wasn't worried about that until you brought it up but I sure fucking am now. He thinks, thank you for at least saying outright that you think I'm replacing you instead of just being weird and passive aggressive about it, you get the point this time. He thinks, fun fact, he and I still haven't actually seen each other, I tried to say hello and it took him almost an hour to respond because he was busy talking to Quackity, and he may or may not think it's a skill issue that Quackity hates me and keeps threatening me, so have you considered that maybe I'm the one who got fucking replaced. 

He doesn't say any of those things but especially that last one, because they're all stupid and unhelpful but that last one takes the stupid grand prize. 

"...well, that's good and I'm glad to hear it, but that's not why I'm here and I don't plan on replacing you." 

"Oh." Wilbur contemplates this. "Why are you here, then?"

"Look, if you don't want me to be I can go, I won't die either." 

"That's not what I said." His fingers find the edge of Quackity's shirt, hold onto it tightly.

With some difficulty: "I want you to stay. Please don't leave."

There's something warm and ugly and pathetic that makes a pleased noise in Quackity's head about being asked. It's nice, and also he hates that it exists. 

He takes Wilbur's hand, the one that isn't in his shirt, and laces their fingers together. "...Course. I'll stay as long as you do." 

Half-laugh. "Gonna be honest, Q, I doubt I'll be leaving for a while."

"I meant you, not this room." 

He looks away from the wall and right at Q, into Q's eyes, for the first time since Q entered the room. His eyes are big and shiny, full of wonder and adoration. I love you, he doesn't say.

"Oh."