Chapter Text
Karl stared at the whitewashed ceiling of the hospital the next morning, where he lay on the edge of the starch white bed, holding onto Quackity's sleeping form, and Sapnap on the other side. This wasn't what usually happened.
Karl fell asleep in the same bed as people regularly, but he didn't wake up like this. Feeling like this.
All his romances were fleeting. He never did strings attached, which is what made it so easy to move on.
He'd stopped believing in what the stories told a long time ago, the ones that said he'd find the one and they'd create a happy life together, because settling down meant staying down, and Karl despised the idea. Since he no longer had a family, he had no reason to stay anywhere for too long.
His heart was as wild as his brain, and it wandered with his legs. It didn't crave the comfort of a home, not when there was still so much to learn from the world.
Travelling meant building up a network of allies, writing meant keeping in touch with said people. Karl wouldn't have been able to score a ticket on the Titanic without them. And once he set foot in America, a whole new world of adventure and stories would be at his fingertips.
He would admit, it was easy to adore Sapnap and Quackity the way he currently was. They were funny and charming and respected Karl, and there was little more he could ask for. He held his hands out and they grabbed on without question. It only made him more endeared - the recklessness of their relationship was flattering, in a way.
But Karl moved on. He'd done this before, and would go on to have many a relationship after this.
When Sapnap had mentioned they run away, just the three of them on arrival to America, Karl was scared. He was impulsive, sure, but he wasn't stupid. This kind of relationship didn't work out. Fits of passion rarely ended in meaningful relationships, they were three souls on different journeys, they weren't even meant to meet.
He was inwardly glad that Quackity said no for him. He had a genuine reason, not just him being scared.
Despite all Karl wanted to turn tail and run at the idea of settling down, he didn't want this to end... not yet. He was far more comfortable in the presence of Quackity and Sapnap than he'd ever been with any other person before, besides his mothers, of course.
A mixing bowl of sugar, and salt, and sand, and water.
Karl was startled out of his head by a rough hand taking his. He almost choked as his head whipped to Quackity, whose eye was only half open, lidded and glazed with sleep still, but tracking Karl diligently.
Karl thought he saw himself in Quackity's eye as it gently woke up and began to crease in the corners. He knew that he was easy to read, and Quackity seemed to work out the moment he seriously looked at Karl.
The hand in his began to trace shapes across the palm, and Karl sighed, head lolling back to the ceiling. Despite Quackity's refusal to run away, he wasn't making it any easier for Karl to stop adoring him. After a few minutes of shared silence, Karl began to realise Quackity was writing invisible words in his hand. He caught the tail end of 'you are pretty handsome', to which he suppressed a snort over.
"No, you're pretty handsome." He argued back, and Quackity paused his antics for a moment before he started up again.
'Thank you'
"I did what anyone would do, Q."
'Not anyone'
"... No, I guess not."
Another lull followed, where Quackity looked at Karl and Karl looked at Quackity. Sapnap still lay asleep, pressed to Quackity's back. His arm was thrown across both of them, and had settled itself on Karl's hip in the night. It felt nice to be held by both of them.
Quackity moved slowly, drawing Karl's hand closer to their faces before he began to trace again.
'I love you'
Karl was sure the ship disappeared in that second, and he'd been dunked in the morning ocean, still chilly from the night. He didn't dare move an inch, battling valiantly to not give away a reaction.
To his surprise, his voice came out steady, a small smile gracing his face. Karl had never been much of an actor.
"Don't say that."
'I mean it'
Karl spluttered, a somewhat hollow laugh breaking out of his throat as he pushed Quackity's shoulder gently, careful not to do anymore harm.
"This is a weird way to say thank you."
Quackity just looked a little sad as he stared, unblinking at Karl. It broke Karl's heart a little, to see the wounded face twisted by his denial of love, so he surged forwards, kissing Quackity's eyelid before bringing his forehead to rest on the other man's.
Quackity captured Karl's hand again, bringing it to where his lips would be under the bandage. Karl hoped it meant he understood.
"Hnngr," Sapnap appeared to have awoken, if his stretching form was to be any indication. Neither Karl nor Quackity were all too candid as they watched Sapnap flex his arms in the hospital lights, "What's a weird way to say thank you?"
"Oh," Karl looked away, "Q was just being silly."
"I don't mind a bit of silly," Sapnap propped himself up on one arm, leaning over Quackity to kiss his uninjured half, "I love me a bit of silly, actually."
"I'm far too serious for that," Karl huffed jokingly, crossing his arms. The defense was only used to drag him forwards so Sapnap could capture his lips as a good morning.
"I love me a bit of seriousness too. I love every bit of both of you, honestly." He said softly between kisses, and Karl...
Karl was weak.
"Eww, morning breath," He lamented instead, pushing his face away, "Quackity doesn't have that problem."
Quackity casually sat up, already anticipating the peck Karl landed to the right of his lips.
"Someone's eager," Sapnap chuckled as Quackity turned to be kissed by him as well.
If he could, Karl is sure Quackity would have rolled his eyes, but instead, his head whipped from left to right, searching for his notepad. It must have fallen from his grasp while asleep, and after a quick check, Karl passed it to Quackity after finding it on the floor, along with the piece of charcoal.
'I just woke up with two of the finest guys on the ship.' Both Karl and Sapnap snorted as they read over Quackity's shoulder, 'I'm allowed to be eager.'
"Of course," Sapnap pulled Quackity so that his back was pressed against his chest, hooking his chin between the crook of his shoulder and neck.
Karl shuffled over to make room for them at the head of the bed, situating himself in front of Quackity and in between Sapnap's legs. From this position, he could see the downcast look Sapnap hid from Quackity. Karl did his best to ignore it, taking Quackity's hands as the other relaxed against Sapnap.
If Quackity had actually had wings, Karl could picture them unfurling cautiously as Sapnap began to mutter soft words in his ear and press kisses to his neck. The bound book looked unlocked.
A knock on the door startled the three, turning to the doctor as they walked into the room. They held a new bandage in one hand, and a dish of food in the other.
Karl shuffled back as they approached, but Sapnap stayed attached to Quackity as the doctor began to unwrap the bandage. The material came of clean, other than a scab or two that had peeled off in the night.
Quackity's eye was slightly less swollen than it had been last night, lens completely milky now. He blinked a few times, trying in vain to perceive any light to his left. It amounted in him bodily tilting as his depth perception was violently screwed off centre. If it hadn't been for Sapnap and Karl rushing to catch him, he most definitely would have ended up on the floor.
He must have learnt his lesson from yesterday, because he kept quiet as he chewed breakfast slowly and let Sapnap and Karl talk for him, about how well he was healing and how they could barely see the wound.
Quackity let himself be lied to.
The doctor began to rewrap his face as he was held tightly by both Sapnap and Karl. They were probably making it awkward for the doctor, but Karl couldn't find it in himself to care.
"It's healing nicely," The doctor nodded approvingly as they repinned the bandages, "And I would feel terrible to keep you and your lovers," Karl pointedly looked away, "In here for the rest of the ship's voyage. So, as long as you return every few hours to get your bandage rewrapped, you can go out and enjoy your days left on the ship."
Quackity nodded in understanding, brushing off Karl and Sapnap's attempt to aid him as he got up and stretched.
"A message was also sent for you this morning," The doctor continued as Quackity began to dress himself. His shirt was brown with dried blood, "From a J. Schlatt."
He stopped, bent over with his shirt in hand. Looked at the doctor.
"He won't be able to meet you at the docks on arrival."
The shirt fell on the floor.
"That's all there was to the message. No plans to meet anywhere else. Will you be okay in your current state?"
Quackity attempted to nod rapidly, before he winced painfully and gave the doctor a thumbs up. They didn't look entirely convinced, but left as the hospital door was knocked upon.
Alone again in the room, Quackity's whole body whipped to Sapnap, visible eye wide. He grabbed the notebook again, only drawing two quick lines before throwing it back onto the bed and proceeding to continue to collect his clothes.
The 'No.' from yesterday had been resolutely crossed out.
Karl's gasp mingled with Sapnap's, but unlike Karl, Sapnap practically threw himself at Quackity, who was in the process of buttoning up his shirt. He abandoned it as Sapnap swept him up, spinning in a circle before setting him down, devastatingly gentle, before taking the right on Quackity's face in his hand, letting Quackity wrap his arms around his waist. Even from the way away that Karl was, he could see the smile in his eye.
"You mean it?" Sapnap whispered, his face managing to light up even more when Quackity nodded slowly, with a look that said 'I want to try. With you.'
And who was Karl to break up such a heartwarming moment?
He was Karl Jacobs.
"Do you guys want to come to third class breakfast before we change out of our bloodied clothes?"
"This is what you get for breakfast?"
"I know, right! They actually give us meals on the Titanic!" Karl exclaimed, digging into his porridge that was more water than it was milk and oats. No bother to him, of course, food was food.
"Right..." Sapnap nodded slowly, taking a bite out of his marmalade covered bread. He did his best not to pull a face. Karl was acutely aware of the other third class passengers openly staring at the three of them, two thirds of their ensemble covered in dried blood, one with a bandage obscuring their face, and two in fine clothing so rare in steerage.
"What do you have for breakfast in first class?" He asked to keep conversation flowing instead.
"You sure you want to know? Might make you jealous."
"I'll bite," Karl grinned, leaning his elbows on the table, twirling his spoon around the bowl.
"Okay," Sapnap glanced at Quackity who, having already eaten, was writing in the notebook again, "Well, I usually have the baked apples and grilled mutton with these nutty crepe like things? And any of the other meats they have available."
"You big on meat and nuts, huh?" Karl snickered, tilting towards Sapnap with a wicked grin. He just snorted, taking another bite of his (noticeably stale) bread.
'I usually just have rolled oats. All the other food is way too rich for breakfast.' Quackity wrote, then paused before adding, 'Who the hell eats baked apples for breakfast?'
"They're nice!" Sapnap defended and Karl giggled to himself as they continued to bicker. God, they were easy to adore.
He was finished with his bowl of porridge by the time that Sapnap was accepted that maybe every type of meat on offer was a little excessive for breakfast. He watched them for a few more seconds, leaning on his hand as Quackity continued to write and Sapnap watched to combat whatever he spouted next.
"Karl, Karl!"
All three looked over at Ranboo, who was ambling over with a large grin. Karl pulled them up onto the bench next to him.
"Yeah?"
"There's a party tonight! In the general room with the piano!"
"A party! For who?"
Ranboo shrugged, barrelling on, "There's gonna be a guitar and a fiddle and my mom's gonna be playing the piano."
"Woah," Karl chuckled, nodding along, "I'd love to go! Guys?"
"Sounds fun! I'm down!"
Quackity nodded enthusiastically too, humming in his throat, before wincing and stopping abruptly. Ranboo looked at him, tilting their head curiously.
"What happened to your face?"
Karl winced at the unminced words, subtly attempting to turn Ranboo's attention back to himself. It was not working.
"Well, you know Ranboo, it's best to..." He was cut off by the notebook being pushed towards Ranboo.
'I fought a shark'
Karl blinked as he reread the scrawl, and Ranboo laughed, "No you didn't!"
'I did'
"Sharks aren't on board! They're in the sea!"
'Flying sharks'
"Wh- really?!"
A raised eyebrow, something that was meant to look pleased, 'I fought it back into the ocean'
"Woah..."
'I understand why you're scared of water now. Got flying sharks.'
"Exactly!" Ranboo paused, "Will you be okay?"
'Practically already healed.' Quackity stared at the page for a second, before scribbling something else, 'I'll get a pretty cool scar out of it.'
"You're so brave, wow..."
"Isn't he?" Karl hummed softly, eyes wandering to Quackity and holding his gaze for a few seconds before the visible section of Quackity's face turned red and he looked back to the notebook.
'Shut up, Karl.'
Ranboo gasped, "Don't tell Karl to shut up!"
"Yeah!" Karl goaded, "I'm just a poor boy! All I have are my words!"
"And your good looks," Sapnap muttered, mostly to himself.
"So true," Karl agreed anyway, "That's all I have. My words, and my looks."
'And we wouldn't dream of taking that from you.' Despite them being written down, Karl couldn't help but feel that Quackity's words were bitter.
"Thanks for the invite, Ranboo," Karl smiled at the kid instead of addressing the book, "We'll try and make it."
"Yeah?" Ranboo said, eyes focused on Quackity.
"Yeah," Karl confirmed as Quackity nodded.
Ranboo pushed off the bench and started to run back to where he'd come from, yelling to Bea that's they'd said yes. The commotion he caused made more heads turn and stare at them, and more to gape at Quackity. The three of them sat in silence for a second before Sapnap cleared his throat awkwardly.
"If you want, we can go to my stateroom. It's in a quieter area of the ship, we shouldn't run into anyone."
Karl agreed quickly, knowing it would be a welcome respite from the loud saloon, where the floor whirred over the engines and there were too many eyes attached to mouths that wanted to ask about Quackity.
"This is your room?!"
Karl gasped as he spun around the centre of the room, taking in the ornate details of the white and gold panelling, the faint green carpet floor, the marble vanity. Quackity sat on one of the turquoise beds, also staring around in wonder.
Sapnap chuckled as he sat next to Quackity, the other leaning against him as he scribbled something on the notepad that made Sapnap press a kiss to his freshly changed and non-bloodied shoulder.
"I'm serious!" Karl spluttered, pointing at the windows running along the wall, "You have stained glass! Not even Philza's room had those."
"You've been in Phil's room?"
"Yeah? He gave me the suit I wore to dinner," Karl tilted him head, sitting on the green chaise, "I thought you were the one who told him about me?"
"No?" Sapnap's nose scrunched up in disgust and Karl catalogued the expression as one of his favourites, "I wouldn't want to talk to a Minecraft even over telegram."
Karl didn't miss how Sapnap's hand wound tighter around Quackity as he spoke.
"Well someone had to have told him about me, because no way Philza Minecraft knew about barely even blue collar worker Karl Jacobs before offering me Wilbur's suit."
"The only people I told about you were Q, the wait staff that I had to tell for the reservation, and Bad! I d--" Sapnap's eyes widened, "Bad?!"
He seemed startled at the very idea of Bad being capable of offering a helping hand to a third class passenger so that he didn't embarrass himself at dinner.
"That's why he said what he did yesterday," Karl muttered, flopping back to stare at the ceiling.
"You talked to Bad? I thought he just saw you go into the hospital and then found me."
"No, he helped me carry Q down. Then had a go at me."
"He had a go at you? What did he say?"
Karl lifted his head to look at Sapnap, his expression controlled if not a little taut. He sighed, head falling back again.
"It doesn't matter. Nothing that wasn't true, I don't think."
He heard Sapnap exhale slowly, "That doesn't exactly fill me with hope."
Karl ignored him, "But he said something about the clothes. Said I looked like I belonged before I opened my mouth."
He heard someone get off the bed, and wasn't surprised when Sapnap entered his peripheral. He knelt down slowly, and turned Karl's head to face him with a painstakingly gentle hand.
"I love you, alright? Bad's full of shit, ignore what he says," He ended the sentence with a simple kiss, one Karl halfheartedly indulged in.
If only you knew, he thought as he broke away.
"Thanks, Sap," He said instead, subconsciously turning to Quackity. He still sat on the bed, but once he realised Karl was looking at him, flipped the notepad around so Karl could read what he'd written.
'Ew you've worn Wilbur's clothes'
That drew a laugh out of Karl, finally. He sat up slowly.
"It was terrible, man. They were so stiff, and for what? I felt like I was being choked by the collar, I swear," Subconsciously, Karl tugged on his own shirt collar, now a sea foam green. He'd hadn't realised while in the hospital, but the temperature had appeared to have taken a drop during the night, so Karl had pulled on a soft blue cardigan while changing in his room, "Men's fashion is so boring."
'Upper class fashion is so boring'
Karl pulled a face, "Even working class men's clothing is pretty boring," He paused to flip his collar up, "I'm breaking the mold over here."
"Sure you are," Sapnap hummed as he flipped the collar back down again.
'I preferred my working class clothes from before. Way less restrictive.'
"Before?" Karl cocked his head to the side as his gaze flicked from his notebook to Quackity's face, "Before what?"
Quackity's brow furrowed as he stared at Karl for a few seconds, before his eye widened and he began to write again.
'Do you think I've tried on working class clothes for fun?'
What?
...
Oh.
Oh...
"No offense, I wouldn't put it past you."
A muffled snicker made its way through the bandages, Quackity shaking his head as he continued to write.
'I see a lot of myself in Ranboo, honestly. He has the same dreams I did.'
Karl wasn't sure he had the right words for whatever Quackity was telling him. There was a momentary pause, and what surprised Karl was that Sapnap was the one to speak up.
"Is that why he prefers you?" Quackity blinked at the question, tilting his head questioningly until Sapnap continued, "I mean, the kid's infatuated with you. Both times I've seen him with you, they're practically hanging off every word you say- or write."
Quackity paused for a few moments, before shrugging and scribbling, 'Maybe I just know how to approach kids, unlike Mr I'm-Not-That-Strong-Then-Shows-Off-Muscles.'
Sapnap groaned as Karl burst into laughter, "He's got you there, Sap."
"I don't talk to many children! And all of them are usually impressed with my muscles," He groused, crossing his arms petulantly as Karl continued to giggle.
"Yeah, because they're conditioned to be polite."
"Are you saying my muscles aren't impressive?"
Karl chuckled as he wrapped his arms tightly around Sapnap, making sure to squeeze around his biceps. He could feel the vibrations of Sapnap's laughter from there.
"Of course they are, darling. Just maybe not the best conversation starter for a five year old."
"Darling?" Sapnap murmured, turning his head to look into Karl's eyes, "I like the sound of that."
Karl stuffed his face into Sapnap's chest so he would avoid seeing how Karl's face dropped. The pet name had slipped out, which was unusual for Karl. He picked his words and meant them. The least spontaneous thing about Karl was his vocabulary.
And maybe he wanted to motorboat Sapnap too.
"What time is it?" He asked after Sapnap had stopped laughing at his antics.
"I would answer, but you're blocking my access to my pocket watch."
"Hm," Karl squeezed Sapnap a little tighter, "Nah."
"Nah?"
"Tell me the time without looking. Your impeccable muscles are too nice to let go of just yet."
Sapnap sighed, resigning himself to fate and letting Karl pull him down to join him on the chaise. After a moment, a small object hit Karl's back, and he finally pulled away to see a wristwatch, wrist not included.
He picked it up carefully - it looked expensive - and checked the time. It was 11:40. Still too early for lunch, which would have been a convenient excuse to slip away and rethink his life choices. He hummed as he handed it back to Quackity.
"Where'd you get that?"
Quackity shrugged as he adjusted it to fit onto his wrist again, then scribbled, 'Gift. I've had it years now, from before I even met Schlatt. I'm surprised it still works.'
"It's nice," Sapnap whistled, "They cost a lot of money, you must have pleased someone rich."
'No-one I'm in contact with anymore.' Quackity coughed, low in his throat, and Karl could see how his face attempted to contort at the discomfort. 'I want to take this stupid bandage off.'
"Already getting bored of it?" Karl sighed sympathetically, "Sorry to say, Q, but it's your own new fashion trend for the next few weeks."
Quackity sniffed pettily, 'I've got to eat.'
"It's not time for lunch yet." Sapnap pointed out.
"And do you want to go to lunch without the bandage on yet?" Karl doubted.
Quackity looked down, an irritated twitch in his brow. Karl could see how his chest expanded slowly as he took a deep breath.
'I haven't even seen myself yet.'
There was a short silence. When Sapnap spoke, it was as if he spoke too loud he'd shatter the ship.
"The en suite's got a mirror. You can have a look in there, if you want."
Slowly, very slowly, Quackity nodded, setting down the notebook and getting up. Sapnap snapped up, Karl following just as quick.
Quackity was already unpinning the bandage before he made his way into the bathroom, letting the clean white material unravel itself as he walked. Karl caught Sapnap's hand as he began to move forwards.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" He whispered, "If he hates what he sees, I don't want him to... you know."
Sapnap looked unsure, but squeezed Karl's hand reassuringly, "If he does, we won't let him out of our sight. I promise you, he's too important to me now."
Karl held his gaze for a moment, thinking over his words. He sighed, "He's too important to me, as well."
Sapnap wrapped his hands around Karl's waist. He basked in the warmth, letting his eyes close as Sapnap rested his head on Karl's shoulder.
The quiet that blanketed them in that moment was almost enough to trick Karl that they were alone, that he really didn't have anything to fear. That his adoration had no repercussions.
A gasp from the bathroom broke them apart. They were dashing towards the door before either could comprehend the action.
Quackity was stood in front of the mirror, holding his own gaze as the bandage dropped from his hands into the sink.
He simply stared at himself for a few seconds, taking in the swollen eye, the stitches puncturing his skin, the dark crimson line trailing down his face. Karl and Sapnap trailed behind uncertainly, hands held in front of them preemptively in case Quackity faint at the sight of himself.
He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. Karl prepared for the worst.
His eyelashes fluttered as he opened them again, "It... doesn't look as bad as I thought it would."
His voice was hoarse yet soft. The way his face had smoothed out to avoid any pain from unnecessary movement of the scar, he somehow appeared younger now than when Karl had first properly met him, a vulnerability unleashed as he stared at his marred face.
"The scar will be a thin one, if you keep tending to it properly," Karl conceded.
Quackity's lips twitched up as he traced at his face, barely grazing the line of the scar with his finger.
"I don't... I don't mind it, actually," His seeing eye shone, "I look badass."
"Hell yeah you do, Q," Karl laughed, moving forwards to press a kiss to Quackity's hair, "You still shine brighter than the stars in the sky."
"Flatterer," Quackity huffed, but allowed Karl to hang off his shoulder.
"That's not a shut up," Sapnap mused ardently, moving to link his arms around one of Quackity's.
"Life's too short to tell pretty boys to shut up," Quackity shrugged, and Karl didn't have to look in the mirror to feel his face heat.
"As much as it pains me to say this, you probably should shut up though," Karl said, "Even if you are the prettiest one here."
Quackity frowned, but yielded as he continued to stare at his face. Karl propped his chin atop his head and let his eyes wander.
The bathroom, unsurprisingly, was just as grand as the stateroom. There were no panelling to hide the white hull that were the walls, but there was a shower, toilet, and sink with a large mirror that comfortably held Karl, Quackity, and Sapnap's reflections. On the side Sapnap's room was, a door connecting the rooms stood, obviously, but another door mirrored it across the room.
"What's that door for?" He couldn't help but ask.
"Hm?" Sapnap looked over his shoulder at the offending door, "Oh. It's to room B-57."
"You have to share an en suite with them?" Karl pulled a face, "Seems counterintuitive."
Sapnap shrugged, "I haven't had any problem with them yet. I met the woman in the room on the first day, Rose I think her name was? Had a beautiful hat on, although it was so big it covered half her face."
Quackity swallowed, his eyes on the reflection of the door, "I don't really want to go out without my bandage on just yet."
"That's fine," Sapnap assured quickly, kissing Quackity's unscarred cheek, "Titanic's got this new thing called 'room service'. I can order lunch for us and they'll deliver it to our door."
Quackity didn't let any emotion pass over his face, schooled and held tight by many years of attempting to blend into the upper crust. But his voice betrayed him, just slightly, at the quiet, "thank you," He whispered and Sapnap pecked the corner of his lip.
Karl, once again, wished he could be given more time to adore them.
"I'm not putting that back on."
"Q, the whole point of us eating in here was that you didn't have to go out without it on."
Karl sat in between Sapnap and Quackity, who were both stood on either side of the room. Sapnap stood at the en suite's door, Quackity's bandage in his hands, while Quackity paced around the opposite wall, practically hissing as Sapnap held the bandage out towards him.
Lunch had been quite a modest affair. I had been on par with the dinner from the second night, which Karl shouldn't have found surprising, but he found it far more enjoyable, especially since the only tolerable first class passenger was around him this time.
Sapnap and Karl had attempted to make the experience as comfortable as possible for Quackity, fluffing the pillows and shifting the small table over to where he chose to sit. In the end, he huffed and sat on the floor, petulantly tearing into his grilled mutton until the other two gave in and sat with him.
Once they were finished, Sapnap had gathered up the plates and set them aside. And then gone to get the bandage from where it had been abandoned in the sink.
And Quackity reacted as if Sapnap had pulled his grandmother's clothes out of her coffin and was offering them to wear.
"Q, it's not even that big a deal," Karl tried, "We can wrap it then go down to the hospital and let the doctor give you a new one."
"No." Quackity spat, "That's still disgusting."
"It's only been on your face," Sapnap groaned.
"Well now it's been off my face," Quackity scowled, then winced and let his face fall back to near expressionless again. It was a little eerie. "I'm not putting it back on. Anything but that."
Sapnap huffed, bringing his hands - which were now clutching onto the fabric of the bandage - to his forehead, "What do you suggest instead then?"
That seemed to floor Quackity somewhat, like he hadn't thought that far ahead. His hand moved mindlessly to where the scar ran though his lower lip and his eye fell to the floor, but he just looked lost.
Karl took the moment to push off the floor, gently taking Quackity's hand away from his face and interlacing their fingers slowly enough that he hoped Quackity found it soothing. He appeared to, if the deep breath he took while watching Karl was any indication.
"Do you have anything in here that could cover Quackity's face in some way?" Karl turned to Sapnap, who had also calmed down slightly, dropping the bandage to the bed.
"Not unless you want to wear some dirty clothes over your face which... no, yeah, I didn't think so."
"Seriously? You don't have any hats or anything..?" Karl paused as Sapnap shrugged unhelpfully, then gasped, "Hats!"
"I've just told you I don't have any hats," Sapnap frowned.
"But the woman in B-57 does!"
"What?" Sapnap shook his head minutely like he didn't understand what Karl was saying, and even Quackity blinked at him owlishly, "What does Rose have to do with this?"
"You can get the hat she was wearing when you met! The one that covered half her face." Karl said like it was obvious. Because it was.
Sapnap's brow furrowed, but his eyes flicked to Quackity who, after a moment of consideration, shrugged and nodded.
"Okay..." Sapnap nodded too, as if making sure that its what Quackity had confirmed, "Okay. But she won't be in her room right now, so I can't knock and ask for it."
Karl snorted, "Sneak into her room through the en suite, obviously."
Quackity looked like he really wanted to start laughing as Sapnap's face dropped and he yelled, "What!?"
"What?!" Karl snickered, "If it's such a big hat, you should be in and out immediately."
"I'm not breaking into someone else's room!" Sapnap cried.
"It wouldn't be breaking in! Less breaking and entering, more like... borrowing and entering," Karl pouted in a way he knew was hard to say no to, "We'll return it as soon as Q has a new bandage."
"Come on, Sap," Quackity urged, batting his good eye in a way that felt vaguely similar to Karl's pout, "I'm not leaving this room without it. And we promised Ranboo we'd go to the party tonight."
He sighed dramatically, bringing a hand to his heart in a way that was more performative than his eye trick. Karl grasped on quickly, practically throwing himself onto Quackity's side as he brought his hand to his head.
"Oh Sap, think of Ranboo! How sad he'll be if we can't make it because you didn't steal a hat!"
Sapnap's eyes flicked to his pocket watch before he grumbled under his breath - something about pretty privilege and love - and turned on his heel towards the en suite with a put upon, "Fine!"
As soon as the door swung shut behind him, Karl and Quackity doubled over in laughter, Quackity's more restrained than Karl's, but both still wracked with mirth. Even Karl's face hurt from how much he was smiling.
"He's cute," Quackity sighed once they'd calmed some.
"You're cute," Karl responded, although he nodded in agreement.
Quackity's mouth opened as if to respond, but it shut just as quickly and he looked away, a small smile gracing his features. Karl grinned, wrapping himself around Quackity with a dopey grin.
"I was about to tell you to shut up, don't make me regret the decision," Quackity said resolutely, although he allowed the kiss to the corner of his lips. He sighed, "It's unfortunate I'm never gonna get another proper kiss out of you, Karl. I would have kissed you sooner and more often if I'd known I wouldn't get another chance."
Karl froze, "What?"
Quackity's hands started to run up Karl's sides, "I know you don't want to run away with Sapnap and me. I, out of all people, understand why you wouldn't, I really do."
Karl swallowed heavily, looking away, "Q..."
"It doesn't change how I feel about you. It wouldn't change the way Sapnap feels about you, I know it," He moved his hands off Karl's person, but Karl only had to lament for a moment before they took a hold of his face, cupping his cheeks so tenderly, "You don't have to be scared. Even if you don't love me, I love you. And even after we run, if you ever want to find us, we'd be there with open arms."
"Quackity..."
"I really am sad that I won't get to kiss you again," Quackity carried on, "I'm not all that religious but kissing you is heaven."
"Stop waxing me lyrical," Karl huffed, blinking rapidly, "You're meant to be the quiet one now."
"You've rubbed off on me," Quackity shrugged.
"I found it!"
"Sapnap!" Karl whirled towards the man emerging from the bathroom. The smile he slapped on became genuine as he properly looked at the hat Sapnap carried in with him.
"That is a beautiful merry widow hat!" He gasped, taking it from Sapnap to admire it closer.
The hat was a deep purple with a wide brim - more than enough to cover Quackity's face - and although the large cream taffeta bow wrapped around the top would obviously make him stand out as they travelled through the ship, it would block out any wandering eyes from catching a glimpse through the slightly sheer hat.
"Oh, Q, you are gonna look a picture," Karl hummed as he placed the hat delicately on Quackity's head, tilting it just so, then stepping back to admire him.
Quackity let himself be the model as Karl continued to adjust the hat to make sure he didn't look too odd wearing it, but sufficiently covered his face. He basked in the warm gazes he was held by, especially when Sapnap sat in a chair behind where Karl was pottering about, giving the occasional tip or comment, smile bright yet soft like a sunset.
Eventually Karl drew back, nodding to himself in satisfaction as he flitted around Quackity, making sure he was as covered as possible. Quackity had no doubt that he looked pretty stupid, in men's formal wear but in a large purple woman's hat, but when Karl and Sapnap looked at him like that, he thought that he'd probably go out stark naked if they asked him.
Sapnap stood, taking one of Quackity's hands while Karl took the other, "Let's get you down to the hospital then," He paled minutely, "I need to return that hat before Rose returns."
Quackity chuckled softly, letting Sapnap open the door. With these two by his side, he could do anything.
The doctor only gave them an odd look when they arrived, and didn't condemn them for taking off the bandage. Karl assured the doctor that Quackity had stayed quiet, and the doctor checked the stitches and condition of the scar before rewapping the bandage and sending them off again.
Quackity messed with the brim of the hat as they walked back to Sapnap's stateroom. More people were staring at him now than when he'd had the hat on, which wasn't all too surprising, but even after adorning the bandage for almost a full day now, he still felt self conscious.
He was usually so confident, and didn't care... too much... about his appearence, but the looks he was receiving from other passengers...
He was glad Schlatt had decided to piss off to who knows where on the day the Titanic touched down in New York. He wouldn't have to see how his face would pull into a grimace of pure disgust at the sight of him.
No, instead Quackity was leaving New York behind him as soon as he could and nobody needed to know except Sapnap and Karl. And at least one of them was going to follow, completely in earnest, and they would try and love him as they found their footing in the world, and...
Quackity was giving up everything he had worked for.
But he'd finally found his princes. And they had swept him off his feet from the moment they met, literally, figuratively, it didn't matter. He didn't deserve them, yet they clung onto him, and it seemed they would until their time together naturally came to an end.
And he clung to them too. He was in love, it was only natural.
For the first time in a long time, Quackity was in love. And he would not let himself forget it.
So he relaxed minorly as Sapnap pulled him closer to his waist as they passed an elderly gentlewoman that took it upon herself to stare with as bewildered a look on her face at Quackity. He breathed slowly as Karl made a show of tangling their hands together as a well dressed twelve year old turned to his nanny and loudly asked what was wrong with him.
When they finally made it back to the stateroom, he felt like collapsing on the bed, but chose to sit first in the imitation of being held together before he flopped onto his back and groaned in his throat.
Sapnap chuckled as he retrieved the hat from Quackity's grasp and began to walk over to the en suite. Karl sank onto the bed beside him, patting his chest sympathetically as Quackity continued to grumble unintelligibly.
"I know, I know," He hummed, although Karl definitely did not know what Quackity was saying. Still, he felt comfort in the words, and sniffed one more time before closing his eye and letting Karl continue to murmur reassurances.
Until the en suite door was thrown open, Sapnap barrelling out, still holding the hat.
"She's in the room," He whispered urgently.
Both men on the bed sat up immediately, Karl matching Sapnap's volume and urgency, "Did she see you?"
"No, thank gods," Sapnap shook his head and Quackity managed a sigh of relief, "I just heard voices on the other side of the door before I opened it and booked it back in here."
"Okay, okay," Karl bit his lip as he thought up a plan, "Okay, stash the hat under the bed, or somewhere else that isn't too obvious, and then we should get out of here for... an hour or so, until she leaves for dinner. Then we return it! Easy."
Sapnap looked unsure, but voiced no word of it as he swept the curtain hiding the bottom of his bed aside and pushed the hat under the frame.
"Okay, hide the hat, done." He nodded resolutely, then turned to Karl, "Now let's get out of here before they come knocking.
"Although..." He glanced at Quackity, who picked up the notebook and charcoal from where it had remained on the bed, "Do you know anywhere that isn't too densely populated?"
Karl thought for a moment before he brightened and nodded. He grabbed both men's hand and began towards the door, a surety in his stride.
Quackity let out a sigh as Karl led them away from B-57 and towards the bow of the ship, where they passed surprisingly few passengers. It was barely 5 o'clock, but he supposed that other passengers would be busy at this time, socialising elsewhere on the ship.
Karl let go of them to shoulder open a door that broke them away from midship and into the cool air of the Atlantic. He took a deep breath, letting the cold refresh him, then kept walking forwards.
Quackity eyed the sign forbidding any passenger to go any further for fear of machinery mishaps, then followed right behind Karl. Sapnap hung back for a moment, then let out a loud grumble and followed as well. Although Quackity couldn't really move his face behind the bandage, a smile worked its way onto his lips as he grabbed Sapnap's hand and squeezed.
The three bypassed two large sets of chains, presumably attached to the ship's anchors, and then Karl was at the very front of the ship, leaning on the railing as he stared out into the horizon. Quackity situated himself on Karl's left as Sapnap joined his right, and the three stared out for a minute, basking in each others presence and the comfortable silence.
The sky was still blue, but the horizon was slowly lighting up yellow as the first hints of sunset edged into the setting. Quackity tilted his head against Karl's shoulder as he took a slow breath out, eyes glued to the horizon.
"There's so much out there," The taller man breathed, almost too quiet for Quackity to hear.
Unsure of how to respond, he pretended he hadn't heard at all.
After another long bout of silence, Karl perked up, smile that almost reached his eyes drawn across his face. He stepped away from the railing, although he was still close enough to grab onto it.
"Sap, stand on the first wrung of the railing right here and close your eyes."
"Okay," Sapnap agreed immediately, sliding into the space between Karl and the railing.
Karl's arms wove around Sapnap waist, holding him steady. Quackity watched as they stepped up together and Karl gently urged Sapnap to let go of the railing and open his eyes. He couldn't see Sapnap's reaction, but heard the exhale of breath in fascination of whatever he was experiencing.
After a minute or so, Karl stood down, Sapnap following with his eyes still out on the horizon.
"How'd you know all these things?" He sighed, turning his head to give Karl a kiss.
"I travel a lot," He hummed, "Snuck into every section of every ocean liner there is."
Sapnap snorted, stepping away from Karl's hold.
"Q, do you wanna have a go?"
Quackity nodded quickly, ignoring the sting to his face, and took Sapnap's place, closing his eye and allowing Karl to guide him as he had just done. He was slow and steady on Quackity's back, and it gave Quackity the sense of security needed to step up onto the railing and allow Karl to spread his arms.
"Okay, now open your eyes."
The words were whispered and lost in the wind instantly, but Quackity blinked his eye open immediately and let his breath escape him just as it had with Sapnap.
It was the same view as before, obviously, but with so little contact to the ship now that his feet were on the bar of the railing, and the wind in his ears blocking out the sounds of the heavy machinery, and nothing in his view but the slow moving waves below and the sky above, a whole new feeling captured Quackity. A feeling of rushing water and bitter snow, of holding and being held in comfort and nothing more.
Quackity felt like he was flying.
He savoured the moment as Karl's grip rubbed up to his chest and down again, as the cool ocean air held him too and bolstered his dream, as the waves stayed crashing below him.
When Karl eventually stood down, Quackity loathed the idea of breaking the spell cast over him, but followed regardless. The sun was lower now, the sky gaining its first hints of orange as the blue became more and more washed out, lending itself to the deep purple it would soon become.
"Let's go back inside," Karl murmured, taking both of their hands again.
And if Quackity had thought he would go out naked if Karl or Sapnap asked before, he knew there was nothing he wouldn't do for them now.
By the time they made it back to Sapnap's stateroom, Quackity had broken out the stupor Karl had put over him at the bow, enough to start feeling self conscious again when they passed a group of first class passengers in the corridor. Sapnap and Karl had held him close, but they couldn't block out the stares and whispers pointedly made behind fans and gloved hands.
He was the one to grab the hat from where it had remained under the bed, handing it to Sapnap as he took care to open the en suite's door quietly and sneak in. Quackity set Karl's notebook on the table as they both lay down on the other bed, Quackity half on top of Karl's chest and letting his eyes shut. He was healing, sue him for being tired.
The quiet contentment that set itself was hardly broken by Sapnap's return, thankfully sans hat this time. He lay a quick kiss on Quackity's jaw, and one on Karl's forehead before walking over to where a large portrait of another ship in the White Star Line hung. Quackity watched lethargically as Sapnap stared for a few moments, before swinging the portrait open on hidden hinges and revealing a safe behind it.
He glowered at it for a moment before twisting the dial systematically and throwing it open with a little too much force. He took a deep breath and rolled his neck as the safe's door smacked against the wall, calming himself for a second before reaching inside and retrieving a small black box.
Still lain across Karl, Quackity watched as Sapnap closed the safe door, leaving it unlocked, and swinging the portrait back again. The moment he made sure it was secured to the wall, he turned sharply to the two on the bed, walking over so briskly Quackity might have been afraid he were about to tell them to get out if he didn't know any better.
(He was glad he knew better.)
With a sharp set in his jaw, Sapnap dropped to his knees before the two watching him, setting the box on the edge of the bed. His fingers deftly worked the latch open, and he took out its contents before Karl or Quackity could peak in.
His hand found where Quackity had tangled his fingers with Karl's on his stomach, rubbing a warm thumb over Quackity's cool one.
"I would do anything for you," He started solemnly, "I promise."
"What's in the box, Sap?" Karl asked quietly.
Sapnap exhaled softly, then brought what he had taken out to eye level. It was a necklace made of fine, clear diamonds - or some kind of gem that looked like them anyway. The centre piece is what drew Quackity's eyes though. A large, light blue clean cut diamond sat surrounded by other small diamonds, carved in the vague shape of a heart.
"It was Bad's, before Skeppy died." Sapnap explained softly, allowing Quackity to take it slowly and hold it up so Karl could examine it too, "I'm meant to give it as an engagement gift when we reach New York, but I can't think of giving it to anyone other than the two of you now."
"Sapnap..."
"I know, Karl. But if you did chose to run away with us, I'd let you keep it. I'd let you sell it, if that's what the two of you want. I'd pawn it off in the blink of an eye if you asked."
Karl looked at the ceiling, and Quackity got a weird sense of deja vu as Karl attempted to blink away the glassiness in his eye. He considered tracing soft words onto Karl's palm like he had then too, but decided against it as Karl began to speak. He voice was thick, as if it were stuck in his throat and his words were actively fighting to escape him.
"I feel... I feel like I'm at a split in the road. And once I pick my road I won't be able to turn back."
"We'd try and give you everything, Karl," Sapnap promised steadily, Quackity nodding resolutely as he slipped off Karl and sat by Karl's head.
Karl took a shaky breath, sitting up and collecting his tears in his cardigan sleeves. Quackity and Sapnap sat back as he shook himself and swung his legs off the side of the bed, ignoring their gazes.
"I'm going to write for a while," He moved to the other bed, collecting his notebook from where Quackity had left it and leaving them on the bed.
"Okay," Sapnap exhaled, shoulders drooping as he moved the box off the bed and took the necklace off Quackity, slipping it in his pocket. With one last glance at Karl, who was already curled up with his back to them, he crawled onto the bed beside Quackity, holding his face and looking into his eye and mumbling, "I wish I could kiss you."
Quackity slowly reached up to unpin his bandage, but Sapnap snatched his wrist before he could.
"Don't even think about it," He shook his head, giving Quackity a disapproving glare, "I'm not stealing that hat again."
Quackity snorted, dropping his hand and letting Sapnap kiss the corner of his face available for skin to skin kisses. He exhaled softly as Sapnap appeared to shoot at random across his face, and continued to once he started hitting his bandaged cheek.
"I'm trying to hit all your moles," Sapnap informed him once he reached Quackity's jaw, and Quackity huffed before he stilled as Sapnap lowered further and began kissing his neck.
He tilted his head back, just slightly. Sapnap latched on to the permission, kissing each mole one too many times. Gods, Quackity loved him.
His eyes fell shut as his hands found Sapnap's hair, carding through the silky strands with utter devotion. How he wished to kiss properly in the moment.
Upon finding a knot, he opened his eyes to work through it gently, then returned to letting his fingers slip through the hair. He did this until Sapnap fell still against his neck, breathing too shallow to be asleep but steady and warm against him.
Looking up, Quackity caught Karl's eye from across the room, and even from the distance, he could read Karl like a book. He was still split, but it looked like it physically pained him to not be with them, even though he was the one that had relegated himself to the other bed. When he noticed Quackity watching him, he looked down to his notebook, steeling himself for a moment before he got up and walked over to them.
"I wrote you a poem."
Sapnap turned his head in Quackity's embrace, offering his hand out. Karl took it.
"Do you want to read it to us?"
Karl nodded, kneeling beside the bed. Quackity was reminded of the near exact position Sapnap had been in not long ago.
"I was kind of inspired by Walt Whitman, and it's not even that good really, I just needed to put something down, and--"
"Karl." Sapnap squeezed the hand in his, "You wrote it about us. We'll love it no matter what."
Karl gulped, "Okay... okay then," He sighed, bringing the book up and beginning,
"Sailor, o sailor,
Have you seen my beaus,
The stars that hold their faces so dearly,
The waves that catch their skin
One, the apple of my eye,
A true diamond in the ruff.
If the ruff were rhinestone topaz,
Fake quartz and counterfeit emerald.
He shines brightest of all
A warm heart with blazing hands
Which hold so dearly true.
Two, the life most beautiful
Birds perch where he walks
Sharks cower when he raise a hand
The adoration of all, and rightly so.
Hard fought sapphire
With a future to be adored
And held steady in the cold.
The lucky few that hold these hands
The lips that get to kiss
They will never be enough,
But will adore them, no matter what."
He opened his mouth as if there were another verse, but then shut it and looked up, signifying the end.
"Oh Karl," Sapnap breathed, leaning over to kiss Karl properly, "I love you."
Karl looked ready to cry, "Don't say that. Please."
He sounded genuinely distressed.
"Okay," Sapnap said, then sat up and gestured towards the book. Karl gave it without a word, and Quackity took the empty hand. Sapnap read the poem once more, then took the corner of the page, "Can I?"
Karl nodded jerkily, "It's for you."
Sapnap ripped the page out. Quackity slid on the floor beside Karl and wrapped him in a tight hug. Sapnap stood. Walked over to the portrait. Swung it open and opened the safe. Put the page of the poem inside. Shut it. Swung the portrait back again.
"It's more important to me than any stupid piece of jewellery."
Karl broke into sobs.
It took a while for him to stop. Quackity held him through it, Sapnap joining them on the floor to join the hug, and both let Karl cry into their shoulders without a care for the wet patches he left.
"You're not making this easy for me," Karl cried some way through as he clung to Sapnap.
"I don't intend to," Sapnap had replied, which sent Karl into a whole new round of waterworks.
Quackity hung onto his arm with a steady grip, and slowly, very slowly, Karl's tears dried. He sighed glumly, scrubbing at his eyes for a moment before bringing his head up to face the two of them. Quackity marvelled at how his hair bounced with each movement.
"Do you want some water?" Sapnap offered, already reaching for a glass bottle by the bed.
"Thank you," Karl mumbled, taking a few sips while the other two watched on quietly, "I still haven't decided, not yet. I'm sorry."
"And that's perfectly okay," Sapnap insisted, "We've still got time to win you over."
Karl laughed wetly, taking a longer drink before placing the bottle down. He took a deep breath in, bringing the heels of his palms to his eyes before dragging them down his face as he exhaled.
"Gods, I can't go to the party like this."
He did look a bit of a mess. Puffy, bloodshot eyes and angry red cheeks, coupled with swollen lips from how he'd bit them trying to quiet himself and tear splattered shirt, didn't exactly leave Karl looking ready to go out just yet.
Quackity still thought he looked drop dead gorgeous.
"We can wait in here while you calm down some more," Sapnap offered, rubbing his hands up and down Karl's arm.
Karl sniffed, "Thank you."
Quackity couldn't help but feel he wasn't thanking them for the party.