Archive of Our Own ^beta

Quackity sat at his desk in the front of the museum. He looked bored, Karl and Sapnap were off taking care of runs they had to do, and it was very quiet guest-wise, it being the middle of a Thursday.

He held a pencil, twisting it inbetween his fingers. He was practicing getting it through before he jumped at the door slamming open, a boy huffing and puffing behind it.

“Big Q!” He yelped, running to the desk and hiding underneath it.

Three larger boys followed, trying to go into the museum before Quackity stopped them, looking over at them. He was shorter, but they all looked a little spooked by his obvious authority.

“What are you boys doing?” He asked, arms crossed and voice stern.

The taller one stepped up, looking Quackity up and down before speaking.

“Looking for a kid. He’s about 5’6, he’s got nasty scars on his face. We were in the middle of something before he ran into here. Did you see him?” He asked. He looked at the desk, before Quackity moved in the way, blocking his sight of it.

“No, but even if I did, altercations should stay outside of the museum. There are breakable things here, and kids aren’t allowed in without an adult.” He said, looking at all three boys who huffed.

“We’re almost 18-”

“If you are going to behave like children, I’m going to treat you as such. Please come back with an adult if you’d like to see the museum, but if not, please leave. I have a tour I need to attend to.”

All of the boys shuffled out, being shoo-d out by Quackity. He shut the door, rubbing his eyes.

“Tubbo?” He asked, watching the brunette come out from behind the desk, looking a little ashamed.

“Yeah, Big Q?” He asked, awkwardly standing in place. Quackity laughed, rolling his eyes.

“Jesus, you really can’t stay out of trouble, can you?” He asked, a smile on his face.

“Nope! Can’t do, boss man.” Tubbo saluted at Quackity, giggling as he did so. “Thanks for keeping them off my trail by the way. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you let them have me!”

Quackity shrugged, walking back and sitting behind the desk. “It’s whatever, what did you even do? Those boys looked mad.” He huffed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I was sure they were going to beat the shit out of me next!”

Tubbo shrugged, hopping on the counter, kicking his legs. “Dunno. Probably something I did with Tommy. I don’t really mind though, it’ll probably be fine tomorrow.”

Quackity shrugged, looking away. “Well good luck, I have work tomorrow.”

“Like you do every day?”

“You know it, big man.” Quackity winked, finger gunning towards the younger.

Tubbo laughed, rolling his eyes. He kept his seat on the desk, waiting for other people to walk into the museum, bored when nobody did. He started snooping through papers, and that was when Quackity stopped him.

“You need something, Tubbo?” He asked, a smile on his face.

“I’m fucking, bored, Big Q.” He huffed, frowning. Quackity just shrugged, collecting his papers that the brunette was previously shuffling through.

“You know, Tubs, if you volunteered here for real, you’d be able to do a lot more things.” He mentioned, pointing to the younger. “And you’d get credits for your classes. Volunteer work gets so much, big man.” He reminded, smiling.

Tubbo just rolled his eyes, groaning.

“Well, volunteering is boring. I don’t get paid. And I’m already volunteering with Tommy and Ranboo at the old folks home for T’s dad.”

“Phil’s in an old folks home?”

“Nah, he works there. Although we remind him that any day now he’d be ready to be admitted into the place.”

Quackity held back a snicker, closing his mouth, drawing it into a fine line. Tubbo just broke out into regular laughter, watching Quackity break.

“You can’t do that to him! Isn’t Phil like, barely 30??” He asked, looking a little bit freaked out.

“Yeah. He’s basically on his death bed, Big Q. One day he’ll be out of commission. And we make sure he knows that we have his back.” He nodded, grinning.

Quackity rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “Of course, I get what you mean.”

He stopped for a moment though, looking at Tubbo, squinting.

“What!” The boy asked, trying to shield himself from the avain’s gaze.

“Are you supposed to be volunteering today?”

Tubbo slowly got off the desk, realizing that he’d been caught. Quackity looked offended, moving to shoo Tubbo out of the museum.

“Look, if you come in same time next week, I’ll let you and your buddies get the first peek at a new exhibit Karl and Sapnap are getting done. I’ll give you three the tour, sound good?”

Tubbo nodded, looking very happy.

“Sounds great, Big Q!” He said, moving to rush out the door.

“Tubbo, you can just call me Quackity, I hope you know that.” He said, shaking his head.

Tubbo was already out the door by the time he spoke, leaving the shorter to just shake his head and smile.

He sat back at his desk, putting the rest of the documents he was working on away.

“He’ll never learn.” He laughed to himself, looking away, going back to checking very few people in for the day and waiting for Karl and Sapnap to return.

—

The next week, just like he promised, three boys walked into the museum. A very tall multicolored enderman, another not as tall but still tall British blonde, and the boy that Quackity had come to love.

“Tubbo! Are these your friends?” He asked, smiling and looking through the three.

Tubbo looked very proud, making both of the boys next to him bend down so he could wrap his arms around them.

“Yep! My best friends, Ranboo and Tommy!” He smiled, letting both boys stand back up.

“Well, it’s great to meet you two. I’m Quackity.” The ravenette was… the shortest out of all three, but he didn’t really mind! It was always a pleasure to see Tubbo, and it was nice to meet his friends.

“Heard of ya, Big Q!” Tommy said, walking over, an arm extended. Quackity groaned, rubbing at his eyes. Of course that’s what Tubbo introduced him as.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Tommy. Feel free to call me Quackity if you’d like. Though, I don’t mind that nickname.” He shook the youngers hand, watching him just shrug.

“Big Q fits you. Especially since you’re quite…”

“Tommy!” The taller boy, Ranboo, shouted.

Tommy laughed, his arms raising in defense. “My bad! Sorry!” He said, looking back at Quackity.

“I am so sorry for him, he doesn’t know how to behave in front of others.” He said, laughing awkwardly.

“No worries, I get it. You’re Ranboo, I presume?” Quackity asked, his head tilting to the side.

“In the flesh! I use they/them pronouns, and it is very nice to meet you. Tubbo has spoken many good words.” They spoke, smiling at Quackity.

Quackity nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, that is very flattering. I assure that the word of Tubbo has gone very far through here.”

He smiled. As he spoke, two men entered from behind him.

“That’s not even the most of it. Q speaks all the time about how good of a kid Tubbo is. They’re basically brothers.” A brunette said, wrapping an arm around Quackity’s waist, pressing a kiss into his cheek.

Quackity smiled, looking away. “Well… You could say that.”

“Oh and we will.” The other man smiled back, looking to the three teenagers that stood in front of him. “Nice to meet you kids, I’m Sapnap, and that’s Karl. We’re sort of in charge, but that’s a big word.”

Ranboo, Tommy, and Tubbo shook both Sapnap and Karl’s hands, all meeting each other.

“These the kids you said you were gonna show around the new exhibit?” Karl asked, already clinging to Quackity even though they were separated for maybe a couple hours.

“Yep! I’m gonna show them the new stuff, explain the whole thing. You know how it is.” Quackity said, watching Sapnap finish getting the trio set up.

“Well we will leave you to it! You get an hour, and we gotta lock up for the day. Sound good?” Sapnap asked, basically dragging Karl off of the shorter.

“We won’t be in that long. Big Q is just gonna show us the ropes, we’ll come in when it’s fully set up! No worries, boss man.” Tubbo said happily, putting the sticker on his sweater, making sure both Tommy’s and Ranboo’s were on.

“Your friends are very nice, Q. We’ll see you later.” Both older men gave a kiss to Quackity before walking out, making sure the rest of the museum was ready for the evening.

Once they were gone, Tommy snickered, causing Quackity to look behind himself, eyebrows furrowed.

“Gay.” He said, before all three broke into laughter.

“Tommy!” Ranboo said, trying not to laugh themselves.

“Oh my god, Tubbo you need to get your friends under control!” Quackity tried to pretend to be offended, but couldn’t help but laugh along.

“You guys suck. Follow me, you can see the new exibihit and we’re leaving.”

Quackity led the way, Tubbo following closely behind him while Ranboo and Tommy lingered, taking a look at other things before Tubbo had to rush back again.

When they made it to the locked door, Quackity used the key that was on his belt loop to open it, pushing the three in before closing it after them.

Tubbo gasped the moment he walked in, his eyes wide at what he saw in the room. Tommy and Ranboo simply groaned, the blonde rubbing at his eyes.

“Oh my god, Big Q, I love bugs so much!” He said, looking at the things in the room.

“You’ve mentioned.” Quackity laughed, leaning against one of the walls.

The room was unfinished, boxes still in corners and tarps covering some parts, but there were a good amount of bugs on display. There was nothing Quackity could show that Tubbo didn’t already understand, but he was sure the younger could find more things to look at.

Tubbo looked at each bug, explaining each of them to Tubbo and Ranboo, who just stood behind him listening.

After a good amount of time, Quackity clapped his hands together, getting the attention of the teen’s.

“Alright guys, let’s go. Karl and Sapnap are gonna have my head if I let you three stay here.” He said, watching the taller two nod and shuffle over, basically dragging Tubbo along with them.

“Can I come back when it’s finally open?” Tubbo asked Quackity, a very hopeful glint in his eyes.

“It opens in two weeks, that Wednesday. If you come after school, I’ll give you a tour to yourself, got it?” He asked, walking the three out.

“Can Tommy and Ranboo come?”

“Of course!” Sapnap said, walking behind Quackity, hand in Karl’s.

“Sounds great! Thank you very much, Big Q and co!” He said, running out. There was chatter between the three as they made their way out, Tubbo begging Tommy to ask his dad to take him home, and Ranboo trying to calm whatever fight that was probably going to happen.

Quackity smiled, laughing.

“He’s like your little brother, isn’t he, Q?” Karl asked, grinning.

“Oh shut up!” Quackity said, pushing at his shoulder.