Chapter Text
It was no surprise that the day had ended in fighting.
It typically did.
The Misclicks had tried to have a simple outing, that was their first mistake. Bobby and Juanaflippa would have a nice playdate and the adults could hang out with Jaiden and Roier. It could not be more simple.
It had been going great too. With their luck they should’ve suspected it wouldn’t last long.
Screaming came from the outside and the source was soon identified as Juanaflippa in a near fatal scuffle with a phantom. The kids tried to fight it but they weren’t wearing any armor and it hit hard. Had it not been for Jaidens quick reflexes their children would’ve surely died.
They all agreed that it was time to go after that.
The goodbyes were short and it wasn’t long before the walk home became a back and forth shouting match.
Mariana and Charlie were tired, stressed, and neither one would take the blame for her accident.
“All I’m saying is you were the closest so maybe if you had been watching-“ Charlie started, trying and failing to keep the pettiness out of his voice.
“¿Oh, entonces esto es mi culpa?” Mariana laughed bitterly. “¡Recuerdo que un pendejo les dijo a los niños que salieran afuera!”
“And you agreed!” He pointed out. “I couldn’t see the window, how was I supposed to know it was nighttime already?”
“¡Cualquier buen padre lo habría comprobado!”
“That must be why you didn’t!”
Juanaflippa silently trailed behind them fidgeting with her braids nervously.
She knew her parents loved each other, they just put on the toxic couple act in front of other people for comedic effect. It was like their family’s inside joke. She tried to find the humor in this situation but it was feeling too real.
They had fiery tempers when it came down to it. Especially when it came to her safety. Sometimes they were overprotective to a deadly degree.
She shuddered at the memory of her dad killing other eggs with no hesitation under the devils guide. All for her.
When it was directed at other people she didn’t mind as much, she kind of loved it actually. But when it was towards each other it made her stomach twist into something awful.
She should’ve been more cautious, then this never would’ve happened. The guilt was almost worse than the phantom had been.
Charlie sucked in a deep breath. “Take Flippa to the warp pad and go home if you can’t stand me that much!”
“¡Cualquier cosa para alejarme de ti!” He snapped, abruptly halting and turning around. “Ven, Juana.”
It took her a moment to process that they had stopped walking and were both looking at her. It was in her best interest to take her mamas outstretched hand and not argue. She was then lifted off the ground in the same movement.
She watched her papa as she was carried away. His hands were curled into fists but his face looked more sad than angry.
She curled her tail anxiously around her leg. She knew how they both got sometimes.
Stress manifested as fury for her mama, but for her dad..
She had to spin around in her mothers arms, trying not to feel too bad about turning her back on her dad. Poking his shoulder felt kind of like poking a sleeping bear.
‘¿Qué hay de papá?’ She was almost afraid to ask, hands shaking as they signed.
“Él está caminando.” He grumbled.
From the way he kept his eyes trained forward she could tell he didn’t want to speak any further.
Charlie watched them leave, flickering out of reality in a purple haze. The particles danced in the moonlight taunting him.
Warping always made him nauseous, he didn’t know how they did it.
The sudden silence was suffocating. Distant bugs humming and rustling leaves were all that kept him company. It was lonely, but it was better than what had previously accompanied it.
He walked forward a few more steps, each one feeling like there were weights tied to his ankles.
Thats when he collapsed.
His mind was still reeling from everything. Even moving on autopilot felt too tiring. It wasn’t worth it to keep going. The concrete path dug into his palms as he pathetically crawled off of it and into the grass. With his back now pressed against an oak tree, he could finally breath.
He was just gonna sit here awhile, it wasn’t too long of a walk back, the time shouldn’t add up too much.
He was just really fucking tired.
It had been a long day.
He knew Mariana felt the same. He knew thats why they were both acting like assholes. He knew they both wanting nothing more than to collapse in their bed and sleep contently knowing that Juanaflippa was safe.
It still hurt a little bit.
Selfishly, he allowed that wound to sting. He let it fester and infect in the uncleanliness of his mind.
To think that in the dangerous midnight right after an attack directly related to that, Mariana had still left him alone with zero hesitation.
It was selfish to be mad about because he had been the one to suggest it anyway. He knew it was irrational and unfair.
So what? Maybe he was selfish for wanting someone to care. Maybe he was the most selfish man in the world but he didn’t fucking care.
He just wanted Mariana to care. Just once in their relationship it would be nice to not be the only one.
Juanaflippa. His beautiful little girl. To think that he had been so careless earlier. His total disregard for safety almost cost her her life. Maybe even Bobbys too.
He really was the worst.
Mariana was right, he was a terrible husband and an even worse father.
He plowed over his bitterness and in its freshly ground up wake he left acceptance. A complete mental refresh.
There was a lesson to be learned here and to him, it had just been discovered.
It was no wonder Mariana was so quick to leave him, he was a danger to their family.
Looking at the path where they had been standing together just minutes before he could visualize Flippas little face before she looked away. She had been scared.
He’d promised he’d keep her safe and yet here he was being the cause of her fear.
A thought entered his mind then. It wormed its way through the self deprecation and fed off of the insecurity.
He was completely and utterly alone.
Juanaflippa and Mariana were safe at the house.
He could just…leave.
Disappear into the unknown and be out of their lives forever.
Never again would they be plagued by his presence.
Never again would he be a danger to them.
It was almost too perfect. All of the circumstances that brought him to this place beneath the oak tree were just the push he needed to see what must be done.
He’d be sure not to mess it up again. This time he’d do the right thing.
Mariana was still silently fuming as he stomped into Charlies house. For how much he stayed over, he basically moved in.
Once her feet were on the ground Juanaflippa punched her mothers leg. Her little face twisted in a glare.
“¿Que? ¡Que!” He threw up his hands.
Juanaflippa crossed her arms, her tail smacked the hardwood like a stomp.
“Vamos Juana, ¿qué es?”
‘¡Papá!’ She signed aggressively as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“No te preocupes por tu padre. Él está bien.” He avoided looking in her direction as she signed Papá a few more times. Instead Mariana went into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. It was tempting to grab the wine but he decided against it.
Juanaflippa made her annoyance known in other ways such as stomping around and purposely dragging her tail. Not even rushing water could drown out its presence.
Mariana pinched the bridge of his nose and tried not to let his rising temper get a hold of him. Out of the family he always was the most prone to outbursts.
“Estate molesta si quieres, pero quédate dentro.” He took his glass in tight fists and exited the house; trying not to slam the door as he went.
Charlie did this to himself. He was being an idiot and it got Juana hurt. This was his fault.
He sat down on the top of their staircase. The cold stone was grounding beneath his arms. With a loud and drawn out groan he took a sip. It was sobering.
He wanted to be mad but he knew he couldn’t.
To be completely honest, it had probably been his fault. He was the one with the children in view, he always sat next to the windows. Had he cared enough to glance over and check the time this could’ve easily been avoided.
But he didn’t, and Juana got hurt, and Bobby got scared, and Charlie got mad.
It was all so laughably avoidable and yet they never learned their lesson.
That was the Misclick way, he supposed.
He took a deep calming breath and laid back, feet kicking off the edge. The anger was melting away, showing what it was all along. Plain old exhaustion.
The cool nights air was nice as it flowed through his hair. He pulled off his gloves and let his fingers feel it as well. He’d always been a fan of the cold.
This was the silent alone time he needed to get everything out of his system. A trick he’d used many times, and had grown accustomed to as a coping mechanism.
Crickets distantly hummed and he watched as more and more stars appeared. A part of him wanted to go back right now. He’d run down the path and spin Charlie around with a kiss and an apology, but he shouldn’t.
He recognized in his rational thoughts that they needed distance right now and Charlie was getting his. Just like him, this time alone was necessary.
That didn’t mean he had to, or wanted to, be alone right now though.
As the door creaked open once more he saw Juanaflippa sitting on the edge of their ‘window’. It was obvious what she was on the lookout for.
Sensing his arrival; she turned and glared at him.
“Escucha, Juana, no estamos enojados el uno con el otro. A veces solo necesitamos tiempo a solas.” He explained softly, sitting down besides her.
Her expression lost its ferocity, instead she just looked a little upset. ‘Es una caminata larga.’
“Sí.” He nodded. “Mucho tiempo para calmarse.”
She thought about that before nodding.
Mariana smiled, holding out a hand. “Es hora de ir a la cama, ¿de acuerdo?”
She looked back out the opening and for a second seemed conflicted before eventually taking his hand. Mariana smiled and helped her up.
He was further into the forest now. A single torch held close to his chest for warmth even if that meant sacrificing his vision. There wasn’t much to look out for anyway.
He hadn’t paid attention to the temperature earlier but now that he was alone he was realizing just how cold it was. Just another oversight on his part.
He didn’t know where he was going, only direction being away from the path. Away from anybody who could stumble across him. He needed to make sure he was unreachable.
He knew he was making the right call. He had to be.
The thought that kept his delusions afloat was knowing that they were safe. Safe without him.
He would keep it that way.
A low hissing filled his left ear. He spun around, free hand fumbling for his sword while his other waved the torch threateningly as if it could do anything. He had noticed moments to late as the green monster bowed its head and a flaming blast sent him flying backwards.
He cried out in pain, scrambling to relight his torch through his shivering hands. The leg he had landed on was covered in a mix of soot and dirt and it hurt like hell. The flesh burned to the touch, a sensation which carried to his insides like he’d swallowed hot coals.
Before he could even process the collection of injuries an arrow imbedded itself into the tree trunk behind him, narrowly avoiding his hips.
Charlie grit his teeth, adrenaline puppeting him forwards. He swung blindly, limping like the zombies that also roamed the night. Trying to hear his enemies movements over the pounding in his ears was proving just as difficult.
Fighting skeletons was always hard because you never knew where to hit. Mariana had taught him to cut the head off, it always ended things pretty fast. Though, that tip could go for really any opponent.
He heard his sword collide with something, he could only hope it was a spine. Each breath felt like there was fiberglass in his lungs, and when he staggered backwards he clutched his chest in confusion.
As the animated pile of bones crumbled back into the dirt so did Charlie. He brought his hand forward and even in the darkness the moonlight made out an unmistakable red.
“Fuck.”
Time ticked by.
Mariana tucked her gently into the blankets, he told her a bedtime story filled with magic and adventures, he kissed her forehead and folded her glasses, he turned off the lights and turned on the nightlight.
Surely enough time had passed now. And yet, even despite it all, when he closed the bookshelf there was nobody waiting to greet him in the doorway.
He tried not to worry to much, there were many explanations and only a few of them involved death. He tried not to think about those ones.
Downing another glass of water he paced the house like a madman.
It had been at least an hour now.
Mariana promised himself he’d relax, maybe read a book or something, but instead he was sat exactly where Juana had been earlier that night; watching the horizon for any signs of life.
How had it been an hour with no sign of his Charlie?
Space be damned he needed to see his husband this instant. He didn’t bother trying to sugarcoat it in his mind. He was really fucking worried.
Charlie didn’t even like taking late night walks, and he sure as hell wouldn’t do that without some type of communication.
There was no need to change his clothes to something more suitable for the outdoors because he hadn’t taken the one from earlier off yet.
Within seconds found himself back outside of Jaidens house, stumbling a bit before regaining his balance. He didn’t do any of the prep work that teleportation usually required, too hyper focused on the task at hand to bother.
The change in scenery shocked even him, he’d barely processed the fact that he’d warped. There was no time to deal with the splitting head pains that took a second to wear off, he had already wasted enough time.
He rapidly banged on the door in front of him until Jaiden opened.
“You’re gonna wake up, Bobby. What do you want?” She whisper yelled, looking pissed off but also curious.
“Slime? Is he here?” Mariana scanned the house behind her for any sign of his husband. All he found was a dark quiet home with a single lamp turned on. A book was still open beneath it.
“No? Why is he okay?” She glanced behind him at the empty air.
Mariana made a noise of frustration before turning and leaving. He could hear Jaidens questioning shouts behind him but he didn’t answer. He didn’t bother walking away either, instead breaking into a sprint down the path. “Slime! Slime!”
He yanked out his communicator and sent out a message. ‘¿Alguien ha visto Slimecicle?‘
Jaiden was left reeling in the doorway. Nobody ever knew what was happening with that family and what was satirical or not. Even as one of their closest friends she couldn’t even tell most days. Normally when they’d come banging on the door it was for some dumb reason like asking for a divorce. She knew they never meant it, but this one seemed serious. Especially considering how they’d left earlier.
She went back inside and threw on a satchel and grabbed a sword, still in her pajamas kicking on her boots as she sprinted after Mariana.
He called the nickname over and over as he raced across the concrete. Jaiden couldn’t deny his stamina, in just under a minute he’d made insane distance.
“Charlie?” She found herself calling as well.
The chat was filled with half awake parents and the servers night owls as they all answered something along the lines of ‘No, why?’
Mariana squinted against the darkness, trying to make out anything as the trees grew thicker and more tightly packed. Taking a quick pause to gather his breathing he realized there was a faint scent of gunpowder lingering in the area.
“Jaiden! Creeper!” He called, waving her over.
“Oh shit, recently?”
Following the trail of clues he saw more and more dirt thrown up. The closer he got to the explosion site, the more overpowering the smell of blood got.
“Slime?” His blood ran cold as his fingers ghosted over an arrow jammed into a tree, a small scrap of white fabric stuck to it.
Jaidens footsteps slowed the closer she got, the torch she’d been carrying illuminated the small clearing and the moment the light reached she gasped. Mariana felt his heart stutter in his chest, almost taking him down at the sight in front of him.
Something woke him up again, he didn’t know what and he didn’t know how long he’d been out. It was hard to sleep with the agonizing pain but it was hard to stay awake too. The arrow was lodged perfectly in the center of his chest, the tip of it was buried deep in flesh.
He knew not to pull it out and even if he was going to he couldn’t muster enough strength for it. Any slight movement would send flashes of white hot pain through his entire being. He could practically feel his nerves alight.
His leg was fucked up so he couldn’t walk and he could barely breath because of the arrow, he was rendered absolutely useless.
This wasn’t part of his grand plan but maybe this is what was meant to happen. Maybe running away had never been truly good enough, maybe he needed to disappear permanently.
Yeah that must be why this was happening. He must’ve done something really bad to deserve this slow and painful death alone in the forest.
It was best case scenario really, exactly the death he deserved for the sinful life he’d lived.
Footsteps came closer, maybe if he was lucky it was some other mob that would finish him off. That was probably what had awoken him.
“Slime! ¿Mi amor, Estás bien?”
Charlie blinked blearily. That was the unmistakable voice of his Mariana. But that couldn’t possibly be right.
He was safe with Juanaflippa, why would he be out here?
“I’ll go get help! Keep him awake!” Faintly he made out Jaidens voice. What would she be doing here? She was supposed to be with Bobby.
“Okay! Okay!” Mariana lifted his body and winced as Charlie whimpered. “¿Mi querido, how long were you here?”
“You should be at home.” His throat was dry and his words were painful.
“So should you.” Mariana maneuvered him to fit contently in his arms without touching the wound. He held him tightly, pressing a soft kiss onto his forehead. The other man was freezing, lips dusted blue. Mariana yanked his cape off and wrapped it around his shaking husband. Now he was very thankful he hadn’t thought to change clothes at home.
He began anxiously speaking spanish so rapidly that the translation was tripping over itself to catch up. Charlies vision was too cloudy to make out anything anyways so it didn’t matter.
There was one phrase he could recognize, one that amidst the rambling; Mariana kept repeating.
“Te amo”