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Karl Jacobs is not a saint.
Nor is he a sinner.
He's just him, the guy with limbs a little too long and a smile a little too big (who can sometimes be a little too much, who can love, hate, be afraid, be sad, a little too loud).
Time has always been Karl's biggest enemy; it was always running out when he was doing things he enjoyed and stretching out when he had to do something boring.
And lately, time seems to have something personal against him.
Because Karl knows his name, his age and a lot of stupid facts about cartoons, but he can't name the place from where he's supposed to be from, he doesn't remember how his house looked, there are loose memories about a town and a city, faces he knows like the back of his hand but can't place why, he remembers cowboys, a mansion and a maze.
He remembers so much and at the same time, he's not capable of recall any specific detail clearly.
He's-
“You're forgetting those important to you.” The Overseer says, it almost sounds regretful in a way.
Karl frowns. “I would never forget my friends.”
The demigod shakes his head. “You don't even realize it's already happening.”
He's forgetting, his friends, his home, he doesn't even remember what the ring in his finger means.
Looking at the last entry of his diary, Karl's breath shudders with how foggy it makes him feel to read something he apparently did not so long ago.
“It, it can't be…” Karl whispers, and instead of feeling like he's talking to himself, it's more like his words are just being ignored by someone else, like he's having a one-sided conversation.
His head hurts, his entire body feels like it's being torn apart and he wonders if he's been feeling like this since the beginning but was too busy traveling through time to notice it.
The ghost of hands run across his skin; whispers of voices make him involuntary flinch because it's been so long since he's heard them, he doesn't like this and he hugs himself, panting heavily and closing his eyes, praying that this will be over soon- because there's something missing and all of these sensations don't make him feel secure like he knows it should and he doesn't know why-
“If you don't stop that, you'll lose your mind,” A distorted voice makes Karl open his eyes to look up, “that wouldn't be fun, would it?”
“Who, who are you?” Karl asks, the words feel familiar on his mouth and he backs away, but noting that he doesn't crash into the wall of his library, Karl scans his surroundings.
He doesn't know where he is, there are huge gears and clouds everywhere, Karl gulps as he takes that how the place is so ethereal and that his grayish colors ruin the composition of wherever he is.
“I don't have the luxury of losing my time with things like this, you should know, time traveler.” The (man? Karl can't know for sure what the figure in front of him is, it looks human and not at the same time) other talks, a white mask with and X on it stares at Karl.
“How do you know I'm a time traveler?” Karl demands, something in the back of his mind tells him to shut up.
“I'm afraid you are losing yourself more and more,” He says, “As I said before, I've been watching you for some time, Karl Jacobs and I have great faith in you, so I'll let you make your move, by granting you any wish you have.”
Karl swallows, then, a realization hits him.
This is a God in front of him, the God who made him a time traveler.
And who got rid of another one because they forgot they were one.
“Any…any wish?” Karl hesitates, it sounds too good to be true, “Without restrictions?”
XD nods, the mask seems like it's taunting him. “Whatever your heart desires, time traveler, if you want your memories back, I can make it happen.”
“But, why? Why can I have them right now, you wanted me to choose before, why all of sudden-”
The place turns red for a second before it returns to its normal appearance.
“Are you questioning me, mortal?” XD impotently talks and while he stays in his place, a few steps ahead of him, Karl feels like he's towering over him nonetheless.
“No! No, uh, I wouldn't, I'm sorry.” Karl quietly pleads, practically pushing the words from his mouth.
The God pauses, “I have great plans for you and I'm sure you don't want to end up like your predecessor, so, do you want your wish or not?”
Karl worriedly looks around, but there's no one else except them, a vague memory of black hair and beautiful gold wings washes over him, for some reason, he thinks if that person were there, they could tell Karl what the right decision was.
“Will it have consequences, whatever I wish for?” Karl says, the God tilts his head.
“Of course, everything has consequences, time traveler, this won't be an exception.” He states.
Empires have fallen, people have died, history is meant to repeat itself and Karl is the responsible to change it, to save those who can't do it on their own, he's supposed to protect, this is why he's here, why he's been on both the future and the past.
But something is burning him from the inside, his mind keeps screaming and Karl doesn't know what it's saying, there's still a ring in his finger and while he looks at it, something is still missing.
He needs to do something about his memory before he ends up useless and reaches the point of not being able to help anyone, not even himself.
“I want them back, my memories, I want to remember everything,” Karl speaks, so he can stop feeling empty and so lost.
XD nods once and then he's in front of Karl, touching his forehead. “Then I shall grant you your wish, mortal, though you should remember it will have consequences, one way or the other.”
Everything goes black and Karl has a second where he considers that maybe making deals with a God might not have been a very good idea.
There's silence for a long time, it may have been seconds or years, but in the tranquility that Karl feels, it's impossible to know, a war could be happening next to him and there would be no way that it would stress Karl in this moment, not when he's infinite.
When he thinks about it, Karl should stay here! so he wouldn't have to worry about Kinoko or Dream who lies free from prison, or George who spends more time living in dreams than in reality, the only bad thing would be that he couldn't see his fiancés, at some point Karl would miss too much Sapnap's natural warmth and how cute he looks when he gets annoyed, also Quackity and his endless chats about everything and nothing, he couldn't preen his wings anymore too and-
And then he's drowning.
The memories of his entire life threaten to drown him, the tyranny of Schlatt, the wars, the L’manburg explosions, his fiancés, the fight between them, he was forgetting Sapnap, he told Quackity he was a murderer-
He fucking told his fiancé he was responsible of murdering him.
Then, he abruptly wakes up, his mind feeling clearer than it has in ages, it all comes to him, but what stands out is something that should never have been taken from him, his moon, one of the loves of his life, Quackity.
Running is almost second nature to Karl these days so, not even the pain in his legs and the tightness in his chest that makes it hard to breathe stops him from wanting to -having to- get home fast and find Sapnap.
The kingdom seems almost deserted, that hurts even more when he remembers he had promised Tina to spend more time with her.
In the distance, Karl can see their home, it looks exactly the same compared when Foolish built it, cursing under his breath when he hits the door, Karl doesn't waste time opening it and rushing inside.
“Sapnap?! Sap!” Karl calls, gulping when he doesn't see any traces of Sapnap being in there.
Someone out there is on Karl's side though, because a second later, there are hurried footsteps going down the stairs, when he sees Sapnap, it's like the world stops for a moment.
“Karl, baby, darling,” Sapnap whispers so softly he could have missed it and when they meet eyes, it's impossible to know who approaches first with how fast they both move.
This isn't James or Mason, this is Sapnap, so damn real in his arms, it's like nothing ever happened, like Karl never left the familiarity of his partner.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Karl murmurs, squeezing the other with perhaps more force than necessary, "I missed you so much honey, my sun."
Sapnap lets out a plaintive laugh, pulling away slightly, his hands find their place at his cheeks and he carreses them slowly, amber eyes looking into purple eyes, "I missed you more, shit- Karl Jacobs, where the fuck have you been?"
Karl laughs in the same way, “You can't even begin to imagine it,” then gulps and speaks again, "I'm a time traveler."
Sapnap blinks in surprise, then sighs wearily, "I don't care what you are, just don't do this to me again."
Leaving no room for Karl to reply, the other's lips kill any response he might have had.
Like a man stranded in the desert drinking water again, Karl returns the same fervor that Sapnap puts into the kiss, it's messy and uncoordinated but that doesn't matter when Sapnap's hands rest on his cheeks and the contact almost makes Karl cry.
“Do you know how long I waited for you?” Sapnap says softly, his lips are still against Karl's and it's only a little difficult to pay attention to his fiancé. “I thought you were gone for real; I didn't want to think you would do that, but-”
Karl shakes his head, kissing the other more calmly, he shakes his head again, looking at every inch of Sapnap, he places his forehead against his, Karl puts his arms around Sapnap's neck, “I know, I'm sorry, I didn't- I would never leave you, okay? You're my everything, I would do anything for you.”
And it's true, Karl would even dare to trust in a God as long as he could see his fiancés one more time.
As if lightning were going through him, Karl feels like his whole world comes crashing down again.
“Quackity,” Karl murmurs, a lump forming in his throat as the name feels practically new in his mouth, “Oh my God, Sapnap, I ruined it, I need to fix it- we need- we need to find Quackity, I need to talk to him, fuck-" Karl breaths, he can remember now, it all comes crashing at once and suddenly he feels sick.
"Baby- wait a minute, you look like you're about to fucking faint-"
While he may have all the time of the world until XD needs him again, this can't wait any longer, he can't let their lover think for another moment that everything Karl said was real.
“Okay, let's just run down some things, okay sweetheart, think we can do that?” Sapnap asks, frowning a little in that way he does when he's trying not to panic.
So, Karl inhales and exhales and tries to slow his thoughts. “Yeah, that- that sounds good.”
“You're a time traveler.” Sapnap states and it doesn't surprise Karl he doesn't sound confident when he says it, he nods regardless, “and you've been going to places in the past or whatever.”
He nods again, trying to form sentences to make sense of everything he's lived. “There's this God, XD, he apparently chose me because the time traveler before me, kind of forgot they were a time traveler? and there those places called the In Between and the Other Side and there were two demigods who told me to choose between them and- I know it sounds crazy but then XD- he told me he would let me make my move, whatever that means, and he conceded me a wish-”
He sees the exact moment it clicks in Sapnap's mind. “Your memories, you were- you were forgetting a lot of things, Karl.”
Karl sighs, ruffling his hair nervously. “Yeah, I know I was getting worse but I didn't know what to do! and every time I traveled, I ended up in places that were so- people always ended up dying! I couldn't even control where I would go or when and I didn't tell anyone and- I forgot our fiancé Sapnap! Who does that?”
"Darling, calm down," Sapnap firmly says, stopping Karl's ramble, "alright, so you- you remember everything, right? I'm Sapnap, we're fiancés, this is Kinoko, all of it."
Karl nods, unsure of where Sapnap is going.
“Then, you remember what happened the last time we talked with Quackity, right? We aren't exactly on good terms.”
He only huffs. “I remember but we can't- I can't just let him leave like that, not when it was my fault he left in the first place, he deserves an explanation,” He frowns “and an apology.”
The promises they both made to him go unsaid, because Quackity was always the one people left, he had people say some horrible things to him, they needed to fix this, to apologize for being the ones who swear would be different but ended up hurting him all the same.
Sapnap, still looking unsure, smiles slightly. “You're right, but…I want us to go knowing that this can go wrong, okay? As much as I want things to go back to normal, I'm not sure Q will even want to see us.”
Of course, Karl knows that, the worse outcomes are the only thing he's been capable to imagine, but instead, he responds. “Okay, I'll keep it in mind.”
Sapnap exhales shakily, letting his shoulders drop a little. “Can we stay five more minutes, though? I know you want to go now and Prime knows I do too, but I haven't seen you in fucking weeks, let me hold you for a while, sweetheart?”
Something still itches in Karl's body, but he already failed one fiancé and well, his fatigue is screaming at him to keep still if only for a few seconds.
“Yeah, come here nimrod.” Karl whispers, giggling when Sapnap practically jumps to his arms.
"Please, don't scare me like that again." Sapnap murmurs, he doesn't wait for an answer before his hands run to Karl's hips, making slow soothing motions there.
"I'm sorry love," Karl says, leaving a trail of kisses from Sapnap's shoulder to the palm of his hand.
They stay like that more than five minutes, both relishing in the other's presence.
The journey to Las Nevadas is relatively short, it's actually something to laugh at when he realizes how near it is to Kinoko (as he does with most things that hurt, Karl ignores that they could have made it on purpose if they had just talked, their nations could be one, if the universe weren't so cruel to them).
Las Nevadas is so much more compared to everything Karl has seen, it's beautiful and grand, and while he may be a little biased, the personal touch that screams “Quackity is here! He made this!” makes it more amazing and appealing.
In the distance, he sees Fundy, he's about to wave at him but the fox just looks worried all of the sudden, before they can even get to talking distance with him, he's running to one of the casinos.
“What happened to him?” Sapnap frowns, Karl is about to answer before someone else begins to walk towards them.
“Sam?” Karl didn't know Sam was part of Las Nevadas, well, he didn't know Fundy was part of his (ex?) fiancé's country either, but the last thing he knew was that Sam was the warden of the prison.
Fundy trails behind him, glaring at them and that tells him that apparently, they aren't on good terms with both of them.
The creeper hybrid isn't being that obvious about his discomfort with them as Fundy is, but he sure doesn't happy to see them, his face hardening when he's finally in front of them, trident in hand.
“I believe you aren't welcomed here, Karl,” Sam says, serious, “and I'm sure Quackity isn't going to be happy you're here with him, Sapnap.”
Sapnap tsks, standing his ground and putting his arm in front of him. “We're to talk with him Sam, nothing else.”
Sam hisses, “You talked last time you were with him and it didn't go right, with your record, I advise you to stop pestering him and if you ever cared about him, you'll leave before he even finds out you were here.”
Karl looks pleadingly at Sam, “I screwed up Sam, please, we need to talk to him- I need to apologize for everything.”
Still, Sam doesn't look unfazed. “You need to leave right now, Karl.”
“Yeah!” Fundy says, crossing his arms.
This wasn't supposed to be a problem, what hope do they have if their plan goes wrong even before starting it?
“Sam, I'm not in the mood to fight.” Sapnap dangerously murmurs, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword.
“Bad luck for you then, because if you keep this up, I'll sure be.” Sam snaps back.
Karl -who doesn't even know how to throw a good punch- is about to do something to stop his fiancé before he starts an unnecessary fight and then.
And then he sees Quackity.
The sudden urge to run to him, to embrace him and kiss him and mark every inch of his body so Karl doesn't have any other option but to see his fiancé and remember he's his, that Quackity gave them a chance before, that he said yes when they asked him to marry them (who cried because he thought they were going to leave him, Karl wants to do everything in his power to let him know he never wanted to leave, that they didn't give him any other choice).
But the obvious sadness and anger in Quackity's eyes makes him freeze.
Right.
The image of him shouting and firmly believing the most beautiful and smart man he's ever met could be a murderer, even worse, his murderer.
To tell him face to face there wasn't any history between them.
Karl fucked up, seriously fucked up.
"Karl, Sapnap." Sam's serious voice calls him, he raises his trident. "You have to leave."
He analyzes the possibilities of passing as fast as possible hoping that Sam doesn't catch him and that neither does Fundy, he forgets the idea quickly, it would be really embarrassing to lose a life in front of Quackity while trying to talk to him.
"I need to talk to him, please, Sam-" Karl begs, his eyes meet Quackity's again and he notices how he begins to carefully walk towards them.
"Don't make this any more difficult than it has to be," Sam speaks again, his voice tinted with poor controlled anger, "Quackity doesn't want you here."
"Sam, Fundy." Oh, it's been a while since Karl heard that voice and while the man it belongs to looks like he's about to murder someone, Karl is relieved that he's there. "It's okay, I'll talk to them."
Sam frowns, he doesn't lower his weapon. "Q, are you sure?"
Fundy chirps in, clearly offended. “But they're assholes!”
Quackity pats him softly on the arm, an almost smile grazing his lips, while he fondly rolls his eyes at Fundy. "Yeah, I'll call you if anything happens," he pauses, his face hardening again, "just don't tell the others yet, okay?"
Sam hesitates for only a second, turning to look at Fundy, he gives him a nod, then he's sighs, "Alright...just- okay."
Quackity nods. "Thanks."
A knife could cut the tension that takes over them once Sam and Fundy leave, it's thick and uncomfortable, Karl hates it.
“Gentleman, I can't say I expected to see you here, especially after I told you, you weren't welcomed here.” Quackity calmly says, but Karl knows him enough to know he's trying to keep his composure.
He feels his nerves trying to get the better of him, his instincts wanting him to become something smaller than his normal appearance but when Sapnap takes his hand and squeezes it ever so slightly, Karl takes a breath.
"We came here to talk to you."
Quackity raises an eyebrow, "I don't have anything to say to you two, especially to you Karl, so if you could leave my country-"
"I understand why you're angry," Karl quickly replies, wincing as he notices that he interrupted Quackity.
That is also not ignored by the other. "Oh, so you come here, disrespect me and dare to imply that you understand why I'm mad, I don't think you can even fathom why I don't want you here.”
“Quackity-” Sapnap begins, making the mistake of trying to reach out to him.
“Don't.” Quackity bites, his hands are shaking but he's quick to hide them in his pockets. “I told you, Sapnap, you could come here whenever you want, but not with him.”
“Q, please, you have to listen to us-” Karl tries, another mistake.
“I have to?! I don't owe you shit!” Quackity laughs, it's bitter and it doesn't sound right for him to laugh like that.
For some reason, he's still fucking this up, but the right words won't come out, how is he supposed to phrase what he's feeling, what can he say to make Quackity believe him he still loves him? That he would tear his chest open if he asked him to?
“Do you remember the night we proposed?” Karl finds himself saying.
It's like streaking a nerve, because Quackity completely stops, even standing straighter.
“No.”
“Well,” Karl licks his lips, smiling somewhat sadly, “I do, you thought we we're going to break up with you-”
“Stop.” Quackity says, his voice trembling. “Stop right now, Karl.”
“And us, we were afraid you wouldn't to say yes and that it might made things awkward, we were fucking terrified you would think we were too much or that it was too soon,” Karl feels like this is it, he'll stop talking and Quackity is going to understand this is the drop that spills the glass and that he doesn't anything to do with them and Karl will accept it, how could he not? “We spent weeks trying to find the perfect rings and I tried so hard to hide them, but you've always been the smart one and you immediately knew that I was doing something,”
He breaths and he doesn't know if it's a good thing that Quackity is looking at them so intently.
“I make mistakes pretty often but confessing to you, proposing to you, loving you, that will never be one and I'm sorry that I said those things to you,” saying it doesn't stop the pain, but it makes it easier to continue, “I want to say it wasn't me, but it was and while I wasn't, um, okay when it happened, I regret every word.”
Las Nevadas concedes them a silence little characteristic of a place meant to be extravagant and full of attractions and it's like it's just the three of them.
Quackity hesitates before he lowly asks, “What- what do you mean you weren’t okay when it happened?”
Karl turns to look at Sapnap and again, the guilt consumes him when he notes how he's practically a viewer of their talk.
He takes Sapnap's hand, trying his best to directly look in the eyes of Quackity, standing so close and yet, so far away of them.
“I'm a time traveler.” Karl admits again. “That's why I disappear sometimes and why my memory was bad, when we talked, it had gotten worse and I couldn't- I couldn't tell you, before.”
“So what, now you can?”
Karl hums, humming unsurely. “Well, not exactly? I kind of made a deal with a God so I could have my memories back, he didn't tell me I couldn't tell you I was a time traveler so, uh, I guess it’s, okay?”
Again, silence settles between them while Quackity processes things, then, he lets what Karl assumes is an involuntary giggle.
“What the fuck.” He says, face scrunching, “What the fuck!”
Sapnap side eyes him, Karl shares the confusion that is in his eyes.
“That's- fuck, shit, that's the most absurd thing I heard in my entire life!” Quackity growls, “The worst part is that I believe you! I don't need to see, to see- I don't fucking know! Evidence or some shit to know it's true.”
Karl opens his eyes, surprised. “You believe me?”
“Of course, I do!” Quackity cries, his wings puff behind him and Karl still doesn't know if this is a good thing or not. “Karl, you still love me?”
The question catches him off guard, not because he doesn't have an answer to it, but because it only serves to confuse him more. “I do, a lot.”
“And you, Sapnap?”
His fiancé frowns, hands warming up slightly. “I never stopped loving you, Q.”
There's something that Quackity is still trying to find, like this can't be all of it, like he's waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“Oh,” He whispers finally, clenching and unclenching his hands. “Damn.”
Karl waits, because he knows the look Quackity is wearing right now, it's one of finality.
(Karl, despise knowing Gods and demigods exist, is not a religious person, but right now, he prays to whoever is down to listen to him, that this isn't the end for them).
“I can't forgive you,” Quackity whispers, Karl stops breathing, his heart shattering, “not yet, at least.”
He blinks, when he turns to look at Sapnap, he looks as hopeful as Karl feels. “So that means-”
“It means we can try, to solve things between us but I can't forgive you like it's nothing, Karl, I love you,” he smiles softly, looking at them both with eyes so soft Karl thinks he's dreaming, “I love you two so fucking much, even when I shouldn't, because this wasn't supposed to end like this, because you promised me it wouldn't, the worst part is that it wasn't your fault, but-”
Karl sniffs and feels a little guilty when Quackity's eyes turn worried. “No- it's okay, I understand what you're saying, it's just, I didn't think you would give me, us, another chance, I'm sorry-”
“Cariño,” Quackity mutters and it's worth it, whatever XD has planned for him in exchange of giving him his memories, is all worth it if Quackity calls him like that, if Quackity still loves him, even Karl's death would be worth it. “I know it wasn't your fault, don't cry okay, I'm here, we're here.” And then he's finally walking the steps that separated them.
And when Quackity takes Sapnap's hand, the hybrid doesn't look too far for crying too.
“Fuck- I didn't think- for Prime's sake, I thought I had lost this,” Sapnap shakily admits, finally letting the tears come out.
Quackity smiles shakily, “I'm sorry too, for everything, I missed you both so much.”
It's everything Karl wanted to hear.
Later, when the noticed they were standing in the middle of Las Nevadas, Quackity shyly takes them to his room, Karl smiles when he sees it's the last one of the largest buildings in the country.
“Ignore the mess, please, I didn't expect to have guests today.” Quackity mutters, Karl as discreetly as possible, drinks in the sight of red cheeks.
Sapnap laughs, shaking his head. “Don't worry, it's not like we're any better.”
Karl sticks his tongue out, admiring the view from so high up. “Speak for yourself, I'm literally the cleanest person in the server.”
Quackity rolls his eyes. “Yeah, sure, like your library isn't a fucking disaster.”
They're still walking on eggshells, which doesn't surprise Karl in the slightest, but it's this, the normalcy that he's been craving for who knows how long and it recomforts him that even after everything, it's still there.
Karl is looking again out the window when Quackity comes back from showing the bathroom to Sapnap, who wanted to take a shower to calm down.
He notes that it's really been a while since they were together, maybe Karl should give him space? The wound is probably still open and even if they're on normal ground again, it doesn't mean Quackity feels comfortable around him, maybe Sapnap should stay here with him and Karl should stay in another room-
“Stop thinking so much, dumbass, you look like you're about to shit yourself.” Quackity interrupts his internal conflict, making him snort.
“Sorry.” It's all Karl manages, still feeling unsure of his actions.
Quackity hums, looking at him with open curiosity. “What's wrong? Come on Karl, tell Big Daddy what's bothering you.”
Karl wheezes, unable to control himself, “Dude! What?! Oh, my honking God, don't say that ever again, please, I totally forgot Bad bought that stupid mug and now it's your fault I remembered it.”
Quackity smiles proudly, shrugging. “Yeah, whatever,” he pauses, softening ever so slightly, “you can tell me though, if something is bothering you.”
Karl feels conflicted for only a second before he decides, it's time he stops keeping so much to himself. “I don't know, I just feel, out of place I guess, I don't to make you feel uncomfortable or something like that.”
Quackity opens his eyes, surprised. “Oh, yeah, you worry about things like that,” Karl is about to retort to that, that of course he worries about things like that, but Quackity talks again, “don't worry, I'm okay, it's just…new and not at the same time, I guess.”
Karl sighs, “Yeah I get that.”
While the conversation dies there, it's obvious they still want to be in each other's presence, with how they don't stop looking at each other.
After a while, Karl finds himself taking in Quackity for the first time, he looks thinner and a lot more tired, but he still one of the most gorgeous men he's ever seen, his dress shirt (which has the first three buttons unbuttoned, the sight makes Karl blush a little) looks good on him, his whole outfit, well, fits him.
He then stops on his lips and Karl feels goosebumps when Quackity smiles knowingly.
“Can I…?” Karl mutters, he's not sure what he's asking for, in this point, it feels selfish to ask for anything, but the want of being closer to Quackity is so strong, he wants to embrace him and rest his head on his chest, just to hear the beat of his heart, maybe that will help convince him this is real.
Quackity laughs, taunting, he puts his hands in Karl's cheeks. "Can you what, Karl?"
Karl gulps, even if it's not a pet name, the way Quackity rolls the letter of his names takes his breath away.
"Can I kiss you, please?" Karl mutters, lost in the slow movements Quackity makes, it's like he's dancing, all calculated and without a doubt.
He giggles, the sound it's like music to Karl's ears. "It's been, it's been so long since..." he trails off, but Karl knows what he means.
"We don't have to, you know it."
Quackity smiles, so gentle and loving it makes Karl heart ache, he would fight XD just to have this forever.
"Yeah, I know," his eyes scan Karl's face, he searches for something, what exactly he's looking for, Karl can't tell, but he eventually finds it when he starts coming closer, "I know."
Then, they're kissing and Karl knows he's the luckiest man in the world.
It's not heated and rough, not like when he kissed Sapnap, it's slow and precise, methodical in the way only Quackity can be.
Galaxies must be born like this, based on kisses full of love, forgiveness, absolute adoration, they have to be formed with such soft touches and silences full of affection. Quackity is the one to break away first and Karl doesn't even mind making a fool of himself when he mindlessly follows his partner's lips, groaning under his breath as Quackity pulls further away.
“Wow.” Quackity wonders aloud before kissing him again.
Footsteps makes their way to them and they separate once again to receive Sapnap, freshly out of the shower and looking at them like he just witnessed something wonderful.
“You two are so beautiful,” Sapnap whispers and Karl is falling in love even now, when his two fiancés are in front of him.
“Come here idiot.” Quackity huffs, clearly embarrassed.
Sapnap doesn't need to be told twice before he makes his way towards him, he stands in front of them and hugs them at the same time.
“You smell nice.” Karl mutters against the crook of his neck.
“Thank Q, he has the biggest collection of shampoos, I just choose the one who looked the fanciest.”
Quackity snickers, “Fuck you.” and then he says more firmly and with more seriousness in his tone. “I meant it when I said I'm sorry too, after all the shit that happened with El Rapids and L’manburg, I just, bailed on you, I thought- I don't know, that everything would work out even if we didn't talk, this place was supposed to be for us.”
Sapnap rubs his side, separating to look at him in the eye. “Yeah, we're not the greatest when it comes to communication, but we're here now, and if you gave us a second chance, we're giving you one too.”
Karl nods, “We're trying, aren't we? We're going to be okay, Q.”
And it's a promise, that they're trying to improve, that they're willing to do it for each other, Karl knows it and if anyone tries to mess with them, Karl will fight it, for them, for his fiancés, he'll do anything.