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

Chapter 16

"Couldn't sleep?" Tommy asked as Quackity emerged from the tent.

The morning air was cool and steeped in dew not yet fallen. Quackity grabbed the coffeepot from its place beside the fire and filled a cup. He held it at his lips, breathing in deeply the steaming aroma as it wafted around his nose and warmed his cheeks. He took a sip. It was the f-ing cheap sh-t, the kind that came in a large metal tin and would outlast all f-ing life on earth, but, as he closed his eyes and savored the warmth, it was almost f-ing heaven. He took the cup and sat down on a stump next to the log Tommy sat upon as he poked at the fire.

"No. Could you?" Quackity asked, placing the cup down on the ground beside him.

"Not really. You know, Dream's out there and he's got all the money and all the power." Tommy sighed. "And he's got Wilbur working with him. I don't know how Tubbo does it." He glanced to the tent where Tubbo lay fully clothed, letting out bleating snores.

"As much as he's been doing, I'm f-ing shocked he didn't pass out earlier."

"He's a good friend."

Quackity gazed into his coffee. "He tries so f-ing hard and I don't think he thinks I see it. But it's so f-ing hard not to when he's f-ing diving headfirst into a f-ing tunnel of spiders. I'll be honest. When I was sitting on that curb, so f-ing wasted I couldn't even see straight, and Wilbur didn't come to get me... I was ready to let Dream kill me. But Tubbo wouldn't let me go like that. And yeah, he may have had some f-ing mixed-up motivations for it, but he still f-ing did it. And he's still f-ing here. I owe him for that or some sh-t. Don't get me wrong, I want to kill him for what he did to me, I really f-ing do, but... I'm not going to."

"Good, cause I'd really f-ing hate to have to help Dream do his own f-ing dirty work." Tommy poked a bright orange and black log with his long stick, sparks cascaded up in the air. "So what's the plan, Big Q?"

"F-ck. I'm exhausted, Tubbo's exhausted, the last time either of us had anything close to a f-ing shower was when we capsized the f-ing boat, we've been wearing the same clothes for days, and we haven't had a real meal since we left. All we've been doing is running. We need a place to rest for at least a day or two."

"We could go to my house," Tommy suggested.

"We're what, just south of Rutabagville now? Sh-t, Tommy, I honestly don't think I have it f-ing in me to go that far."

"Well, who the f-ck do we know around here that doesn't want at least one of us dead?"

Quackity thought for a moment, he suddenly felt something very warm and wet creeping up his wrist. "F-ck!" The loose cuff of his shirt had dipped itself in his coffee and was drinking deeply of it. He put the cup down and wrung the f-ing cuff out. The pale brown of the cuff hung almost at his fingers. He rolled the sleeves up his forearms. "I f-ing hate it when that happens."

Tommy snickered. "Your shirt's too big for you."

"It's not my shirt."

Tommy's cheeks reddened. He took a drink of his own coffee, then stared into the thin brown liquid for a minute. "So, if you don't mind my asking... how long were you two... you know, together?"

"A couple of months."

"And you got married?"

"Almost a month ago, now."

"Kind of rushed into it, didn't you?"

"We knew it was the stupidest thing we'd ever done when we did it. We said it. Repeatedly."

"And you still did?"

"Yeah."

Tommy was silent for a long moment. "Do you regret marrying my brother?"