Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was a beautiful early autumn morning.

The birds chirped overhead, singing sweet songs, making Wilford look up and smile at them.

"We should do this more often, my sweet buttercup."

Dark and Wilford were walking through a park, not too far from the manor, silence between them broken only by Wilford's dreamy tone.

They didn't usually leave the ego's refuge. There were too many risks and too many chances for things to go wrong for the two men.

When Wilford got carried away, he was too carefree with the information he gave to strangers and didn't care as much as he should have about his actions. At best, people were left confused and maybe questioning their sanity after only brief conversations with him and at worst, people ended up dead.

Dark, on the other hand, quickly grew irritated of people. People who always walked too close, always wanting to talk to him and Wilford for no good reason. 'Small talk'. All of the small business owners and their patrons they came across always wanted to know the most minute, useless information about the pair and it drove Dark mad if he was subjected to it for too long.

But seeing the soft, content smile on Wilford's face as he took in the scenery always more than made up for it in the end.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, Wil."

They followed the paved path, arm in arm and shoulders pressed together. It lead along the little lake at the edge of the park and to a small bench tucked under a shady tree next to a road lined with various shops.

"This looks like a perfect spot to take a breather." Wilford finally said, a bright smile on his face. He lead them both to the seat before they plopped down with a light sigh. They'd been walking the entirety of the time they started their venture outside.

The sun's reflection danced across the surface of the lake as they quietly watched a couple feeding the family of ducks that were cautiously drifting closer to them.

The wind blew lightly, making the tree branches sway above them. It was mid-morning and time seemed to slow down around them. It made the pair sit in comfortable silence for a while, completely entranced by the serene calmness that seemed to blanket them.

Their hands were intertwined, sides pressed together comfortably as they took in the lovely view before them.

Normally, Dark didn't like public displays of affection, but it felt like they were in their own little world as they sat in the shade.. merely observers of the lives of the ordinary people around them. He gently rested his head onto Wilford's shoulder with a content sigh.

"Feeling sentimental, are we, love?" Wilford squeezed Dark's hand before bringing it to his lips and giving a light kiss.

"Suppose I am too."

Dark gave a small smile, squeezing his hand back.

Things had been getting crazy at the manor lately. New egos had been coming in one after the other and it was draining for the both of them.

Introductions, explaining the ground rules, explaining supernatural occurrences (that mostly came from Dark, Wilford, and Host), learning everything they needed to know about the new housemates, explaining the loose schedule they've had to keep changing and changing multiple times to accommodate for the new egos.. so many meetings. It was alot.

It made both men appreciate the small, calm moments like this. Just the two of them, soaking in the morning rays and breathing in the cool air.

After a while, Dark spoke up. "This is perfect, Wil." Wilford smiled and shifted in his seat to sit up straight. "Almost." Dark finally sat up and looked at him curiously.

With a sudden burst of energy, Wilford bolted up and pointed up with a flourish, his pink hair bouncing and falling over his face.

"We are in desperate need of ice cream!"

Dark tried to hold back his laugh but failed. "Are we now?"

Wilford nodded enthusiastically. "Why of course! Don't you know? All the best romantic scenes have them, Darky!" He quickly scanned the lined up stores and smiled when it landed on a gelato shop.

Wil dramatically fell to one knee and grabbed one of Dark's hands, giving it a loving kiss. "I will return to my beloved with the frozen sweets that he deserves, post-haste!"

Dark rolled his eyes, but there was a smile plastered to his face. "I will wait with bated breath for my noble Prince to return." He said with a halfhearted attempt to match his partner's theatrics.

Satisfied with his response, Wilford got up and kissed Dark's head before he started quickly walking toward the mostly empty street.

Dark watched him until he got to the door and turned back to the lake when the pink-haired man disappeared into the building.

There was a faint smile that still lingered as he watched the family of ducks swim across the now still lake.

His mind drifted to Wil.

Wilford was alot. That much was true. But Dark couldn't imagine spending his existence with any other being. Wil spiced up his life in a way that only Wilford Warfstache could.

If it weren't for him, Dark would probably still be in the manor, nose in a book, or going over paperwork a third time over, just in case he missed something. Which Dark didn't mind, but if that were the case, he would have missed out on this absolutely perfect day.

Wil pulled him out of his office, without a word, and dragged him outside and as a result.. Dark found a peace that he could only get from being under a grand blue sky with the person he loved.

Sure, some of the plans Wilford made ended up making some convoluted problems for the two, but he'd happily go through 1,000 bad adventures with him if it meant he could have days like this with him.

Days like this kept him sane.

Dark slid down on the bench and sighed happily, eyes slipping closed. He made a note to himself to make some more time for this. Maybe every other week or even weekly.

Maybe they could find different paths to take around the manor or drive somewhere completely new and make new ones. He felt the stress easily drain out of him at just the thought.

Something about nature eased his soul.

Dark couldn't remember the last time he had such a strong pull to be outdoors. Not since-

"Dames, dear!"

Dark stopped breathing. That voice. That name.

It couldn't be.. It can't be. It was impossible.

Icy tendrils of fear gripped around his heart and Dark started to panic.

Maybe it was his imagination. Just his mind playing tricks on him.

If he kept his eyes closed, maybe he would be woken up by Wilford. He would tease him for falling asleep so fast and they could continue their day out, eat their ice cream, and make it back to the manor. They would finish their day and Dark could put this weird dream voice out of his head forever as he laid in bed with Wilford.. his Wilford.

"Bully! There is no way that my Damien would sleep on such a dreadfully common surface! He requires the finest of silks and pure down pillows before he even thought about sleeping!"

The voice was so friendly and teasing, but it made Dark sick to his stomach.

With a shaky breath and a steady pit growing in his stomach, he finally lifted his head and snapped his eyes open.

It was Wilford.. but something was off.

He was holding two ice cream cones, a playful smile on his lips, but it was different. Everything was different. His odd accent wasn't as thick either. Scanning the other man's face, Dark eyes went wide.

The pink from Wilford's hair and mustache were almost completely gone. Just the very tips of his once cotton candy pink quiff were now the faintest shade of rose. The rest was raven black.

His mustache was even slightly unfurled and matched the hair on his head.

Dark felt dizzy. It took him a moment before a single word forced its way through his lips.

"William."

Chapter Text

"The one and only, I'm afraid." William proudly said as he walked over and plopped down next to the other man, easily sitting close enough to have their legs pressed up against one another.

Dark was still wide-eyed as he watched, not sure on how he should approach this... whatever this was. Would this be a joke?

Wilford had pulled many elaborate pranks in the past, most of which had left Dark upset and/or exasperated. They always made up afterward and everything usually went back to normal between them. However, in all the years that Wilford and Dark had known each other, neither of the two had ever mentioned William.

Dark had personally never brought it up before because he figured it might have been a sore subject for the other. In all the time that they had been together, Wilford had always referred to himself as.. Wilford.

He'd certainly never referred to Dark as Damien, not after the first time he'd done it randomly one day. It had upset Dark enough to avoid him for several days. Wilford had been so distraught about the silent treatment that he had sworn to never do it again once he was able to talk to him again.. even though he wasn't entirely sure as to why it upset him so much. Willford had kept his word ever since.

This couldn't be a joke.

Something was seriously wrong.

"I got you your favorite, Dames! Take it before it melts." Wilford held out the second cone for Dark to grab.

The ice cream was bright pink and blue swirling together into a waffle cone, topped with a ridiculous amount of rainbow sprinkles. A few drips had already started to slide down the side of it.
Dark took it and held on to the cone, his mind still reeling.

He never knew the whole story, but he knew of William. Vague lingering memories and general feelings had stayed with Dark, but he knew almost nothing about the actual man other than he liked being called Colonel.

"I'll never understand how you could enjoy something so sickeningly sweet. This one is sweet, but at least it has a flavor other than pure sugar." William teased before starting on his cone. His was plain chocolate ice cream and Dark found himself staring at it, dumbly, before finally deciding to say something.

"Uh.. Wil- I mean, Colonel.. how, uh, how are you feeling?" Dark said, not sure of what to do at this point. What could he do?

"Me? Bully! I'm right as rain! Better than usual actually, now that you mention it." William said before he started eating his ice cream again. Then he stopped and stared at Dark, smile growing a bit.

"Oh, and might I say, you look absolutely stunning today. Less formal. Sexier some would say.." William chuckled and moved a stay strand of hair off of Dark's face. "My, you even have some make-up on! A bold look, but it definitely pays off. You look very enticing." William had a coy smile on his face as he brought the ice cream close to his mouth again, but licking the sweet treat much slower now.

What could Dark do? What was the right course of action here? Wilford, as crazy he may have seemed to other people, had always known who he was. He may not have known where or when he was occasionally, but he had always been Wilford.
His Wilford.
He'd certainly always known who Dark was no matter how far gone he seemed to be.

He needed to do something.

While Dark was so lost in his thoughts of trying to figure out what to do, he hadn't realized that he was directly staring at the ice cream that 'William' was licking. He inadvertently gave off the wrong idea to the man next to him.

His own ice cream had already started melting down onto his fingers and dripping onto the grass underneath the pair. It seemed to be rapidly melting in the rising, mid-morning sun. The other man smiled and looked down at the melting cone.

"Dames, you've got it all over you. Here, let me help." William took hold of Dark's wrist and brought his fingers to his lips. Gingerly, William licked the drips of melted ice cream off of Dark's hand, making eye contact with the other as he slid his tongue across the other man's fingers.

Dark was too stunned at the sudden display to do anything immediately. Then, William had started to suck on his index finger, clearly making a show of it.

All at once, an avalanche of memories that weren't quite his own had started to flood his mind.. all including the man in front of him.
Not Wilford, but William.

Everything felt off,
It felt wrong.

Everything was wrong.

Dark quickly pulled his hand away as if he'd been burned, ice cream falling onto the ground with a small thump.

His mind felt hazy.
Disoriented.
What were they doing?
Nothing made sense.

"What? I'm just having a bit of fun." William said, he still had a playful smile on his lips, but there was a thread of annoyance laced in with it that was hard to miss.

"William." Damien said with a scowl.

"Oh right. Mister Mayor has a squeaky clean image to uphold. Wouldn't want anyone to see him doing anything crazy, like enjoying himself." William said in a teasing tone, trying to keep the mood light.

"William. We're in public. I can't be seen with a-"

"Yes, yes. I know, Damien. I'll wait until we're behind closed doors like I'm your dirty little secret." William said. He gave a wink and leaned back onto the bench.

Damien stopped.

Wait.
What was happening?

Where was he?

Who was he?

He squeezed his eyes shut as he leaned forward and held his head in his hands.

"Damien? Are you okay?"
William dropped all hostility and attitude he had at that moment and gently put his hand on Damien's shoulder. The voice was so friendly and soothing, but it did nothing to ease the swirling thoughts in his mind.

The world felt like it was spinning.
He felt the start of a splitting headache, greater than he'd ever had before.
He looked down at his hands.
Who was he?

His mind felt like it was spiraling into a deep, dark pit and he had no chance of fighting against it.. but just before he fell past the point of no return, he caught sight of a ring on his left finger.
It was a thin, silver band with delicate engravings of vines and leaves all leading toward a single pink flower.
It was beautiful.

Dark remembered the day that he and Wilford decided to exchange rings.. 'a token of our undying affection, so we can always be together.' Wilford had said, so much love and tenderness laced in his voice. There was no chance that Dark would deny him.
He remembered the scene, clear as day, in his mind.

It grounded him.. let him have something to hold on to. It gave him just enough to be able to clear his head and focus on the present.

He needed help. Whatever was happening to Wilford had seemed to be deeply affecting Dark. Maybe one of the other egos would know something that could help them. He needed to get them back to the manor.

Taking a deep breath, he finally looked back at the man next to him.

"I'm fine. Just ..alittle tired, I think. Would you mind if we head home?" He mustered the best smile he could to try to convince the concerned man next to him.

William seemed fairly confused but didn't question his odd behavior any further. He gave a half-smile and a quick wink. "Ah, trying to get me alone I see.. Your place or mine, Mr. Mayor?" He said, quickly bringing back his playful tone.

Though the mood was light again, it did nothing to ease Dark's nerves. "Well, actually.. Would you mind if we go to the manor? I've been staying there for a while."

Dark was internally panicking. How was he supposed to explain all the events that had happened to them? All the egos that seemed to be magically drawn to the house and drawn together? Or how Mark had been cast out and how they needed to find a way to get rid of him? There was no way he could explain the entirety of their complicated situation to William. At least not all in one day.

Dark didn't even know how long Wilford would be stuck like this.. or if he'll ever come back from this. What if he was William forever? What if Wilford was the one that was temporary? Panic had started to set in as his mind was quickly declining once again.

Would he have to live without Wilford?

"Damien! Are you still in there?" William's voice broke through momentarily and Dark was pulled back from his spiraling thoughts.

"Oh, I'm sorry, what did you say?" Dark was still slightly frazzled, but William didn't seem to mind.

"I said, Mr. Daydreamer, why are you staying with Mark? I know his house is large and extravagant enough for his ego and maybe one guest, but I thought you enjoyed having your own space?.. Also, he's not exactly the most friendly housemate to have, if you ask me." William said, slight annoyance in his tone.

Dark quickly stood up and forced another smile. "Well, actually, uh, Mark... moved out. He left it to me." Before William could react, Dark grabbed his hand and started to pull him back down the path that they had walked down, toward the manor.

"Wait, he just.. left it to you? And where did he go?" William asked as he tried to keep himself from falling over as he got pulled so forcefully from his seat, without warning. Confused as he was, he kept eating the continually melting ice cream in his hand.

"I'll explain at the house."

Chapter Text

The pair hurriedly made their way back to the manor. It was blissfully a mostly quiet one due to William finishing his ice cream while they rushed.

Though the times that the silence was broken, William was offering to 'help' Dark.. or Damien rather, to relax or loosen up in his extremely flirtatious tone, obviously implying something. Dark had tried to deflect, but William had been awfully persistent and Dark could only steer away from the topic for so long as they walked.

As William was licking the sugary remains of his ice cream from his fingertips, Dark had pushed the front door of their house open with so much force, it slammed into the wall with a loud thud.

"Are you sure you're alright, Dames? You seem so stressed. You know.. I know of many ways that I could-" William said, trying to flirt with him again, but Dark swiftly cut in.

"I'm FINE. " An ear-piercing ring had started to grow louder, coming from Dark.

"EDWARD." He yelled toward the upstairs of the house, before closing the door with more force than was completely necessary.

"I might need to get my hearing checked, Damien. I've been hearing a ringing since we left the park." William commented, trying to plug and unplug one ear to see if he could get said ringing to stop.

Dark took a deep breath to try and calm himself down. His headache was coming back full force by the time Dr. Iplier reached the bottom of the stairs.

He was still wearing his lab coat and had his stethoscope draped over his shoulders, clearly in the middle of something he was working on in his lab in their house. Though he was interrupted, he still wore a slightly nervous look on his face.

"Ooh! Just what I need!" William immediately put on his most alluring smile as he walked up to Edward. He instantly started touching the stethoscope that was around the doctor's neck as he spoke.

"Why, aren't you Dr. Sexy." William chuckled and slowly let his finger drag down from the stethoscope down to the middle of the doctor's chest. "I'm afraid that I am in dire need of an appointment." William smiled and bit his lip. Edward furrowed his eyebrows in confusion for a moment as the bubbly man in front of him continued.

"Let's say a.. very thorough exam." Wiliam's eyes were hooded and it was clear to even Edward what he was actually suggesting. "You, no doubt, have.. exceptionally skilled hands to get the job done. Are you free tonight?" He asked with a wink.

Wilford was a few inches taller than Edward, so it made the doctor look up at him in surprise. Was he.. suggesting they- Edward was baffled. He'd never known Wilford to be so flirtatious to anyone other than Dark.

His shock from the situation had quickly morphed into fear as he thought he put two and two together in his mind. The slammed door, the way he had yelled at him to come downstairs, the scowl that seemed to be set on Darks face.. Oh no. Oh no no no

He held up both of his hands as he looked over at Dark in a panic.

"I have never.. I would never-! I don't even- He's never called me that before, I swear! I don't know why- I would never do that to you- or to- Please believe-" Edward stumbled over his words as he tried to explain the situation he had found himself in.
As he nervously rambled, William couldn't seem to stop touching the doctor's arms and chest, his eyes shamelessly roaming all over his body.

Dark rubbed his temples as he listened to the rising terror in Edward's voice and briefly wondered if he would be able to make it through this day without murdering anyone.

"That's not why I called you down here." Dark cut into the doctors maundering. "-Though, just know, if I ever hear about you trying anything inappropriate with my partner, I will tell your partner and I will personally make sure they won't be able to find your body." Dark hissed, not particularly caring how cold or absurd he was being. He knew that it was ridiculous to think that Edward, of all people, would ever do anything to break his or Henrik's trust, but considering how his day was going, he had every right to be alittle irrational.

"Ooh. Partners now, is it? Have we gone into business together?" William said with a laugh, his attention still fully on Edward. "Well.. there's nothing wrong with mixing alittle pleasure with business, don't you think.." William gently tilted Edward's chin so that their gazes met again. His hungry eyes flicked from Edward's wide eyes to his lips. "..doctor?"

Edward was beet-red and was sure he was going to pass out.

There was such a stark difference between the goofy, upbeat Wilford that was always doting on Dark that he had come to know and the man that was standing in front of him. It was like they were two completely different people. He didn't know what to do.. he felt like a deer caught in headlights.

Wilford was so close, their noses almost touching. He could feel his hot breath ghost across his skin as he practically whispered the last word of his question. He had never seen Wilford this.. seductive. Especially toward him. He looked so.. predatory. It sent a shiver down his spine.

"I- um. No, not really.. well actually. My business partner is also my life partner now. So, maybe- uh, and um, it took a while- his name is Henrik! You know him- you know, the other doctor guy for the- for our clinic? Uh, it just happened not too long ago- he's great and I think I love him- um- uh-"

The infuriated man behind them had finally had enough.
He stalked over to the pair in front of him and roughly grabbed the back of William's shirt. He quickly pulled him away from the blushing, rambling, and clearly uncomfortable doctor.

"William. That is enough. This is neither the time nor place. Stop it now." Damien nearly growled. He kept his fist clutched onto William's shirt, not trusting him not to try anything else.

William didn't even blink. He had undoubtedly been expecting the outburst. "Oh really, Mr. Mayor?" He said in a teasing tone as he challenged the man next to him. "I was just inviting this strapping young man over here into my company. You clearly do not want it. So, I fail to see why this would concern you." Their eyes met and William was so caught up in their game that he didn't even notice the color change of the furious man's eyes that was holding him.

The quickly growing tension between the two seemed to fuel William's confidence, rather than taking any away. He licked his lips before giving Damien a wolfish grin.

"So.. if you would wish for me to stop, I'm afraid you will have to.. make me, my dear Damien." William roughly whispered, volume so low that only Damien could hear.

"You are so-"

Edward had enough time to collect himself and focus back on the two men in front of him.. who seemed to be acting drastically different toward each other than he'd ever seen before. So he interrupted, hoping to ease things a bit.

"Uh, Dark? Let's maybe calm things down a bit. I'm sure that- Dark?" The doctor cautiously stepped forward and put a hand on Darks shoulder. Focusing more on his face, Edward furrowed his eyebrows and leaned alittle closer. "Are your eyes.. blue? Is this why you called me?"

It wasn't unusual to have ridiculous problems for any of the egos. They brought everything to the two doctors and Edward was pretty sure that they had to have seen everything by now. A change in eye color was very mild in comparison, but it was certainly odd to see something like this happen to Dark however. He had barely ever seen him as a patient at all.

The spell that William had cast on Dark broke as soon as Edward touched him, making him immediately let go of William's shirt. He blinked a few times before the doctor's questions finally registered in his brain. "My.. my eyes?" Dark rubbed his temples again, headache still not completely gone.

"Dark? Is that some sort of nickname? I don't think it's very fitting for him." William commented, slightly spiteful. He had his arms crossed and was watching the two with only mild curiosity. Clearly, the well-practiced dance that William had perfected had been interrupted and it left him severely disappointed.

"Nickname?.. I'm sorry, I don't follow. If you guys are doing something, I don't quite-" Edward finally was able to look at Wilford without being blindsided by his odd behavior.. well, even more odd than usual.
His hair was almost completely black and his mustache was.. different. He shifted his attention completely off of Dark and onto Wilford.

"Wilford. Your hair.. when you left it was-"

William laughed and held up his hand to stop Edward.

"I apologize, my utterly handsome stranger. I never gave you a proper introduction. My name is William. William J. Barnum." William gave an exaggerated bow toward the doctor as he quickly brought back his most charming smile.

"However, my friends call me Colonel. You are free to do so as well, if you wish."

Dark frowned and gripped Edward's shoulder for more stability.

"That.. is why I called you down here."

Chapter Text

"I see.. that is.. that makes sense now." Edward commented. He examined the man in front of him, now through the lens of a doctor. He took a step toward William and felt his forehead.

"So.. William. How are you feeling? Are you in any sort of pain?" He looked at pupil size, for any changes in his skin, and any other symptoms of his apparent identity crisis, even opening William's mouth briefly to have a look inside.

"I'm doing fine.." William said hesitantly. He let the doctor poke and prod, but he still crossed his arms. "I don't know what the point of this is. I've never felt better in my life. Though, as long as you're examining me.. I suppose I don't mind." He winked, but the doctor didn't seem to notice.

Edward tapped his chin in thought before turning around to talk to Dark. "I think it would be best to go to the clinic so we can monitor him efficiently. Two minds working on this will be much better than one. I'd like to check you out as well."

Dark nodded and tried to straighten himself out, fixing his hair and suit. "That would be best.. I don't want anyone seeing him like this anyway. We'll follow you." Dark walked over and linked his arms with William. William, thankfully, went along easily. They followed the doctor out through the back door of the manor.

***

"Hello, Dr. Schneeplestein. It's always good to see you." Edward's smile seemed to soften at the sight of the fellow doctor entering the patient room they were in.

Henrik smiled back and nervously looked down at the tiled floor. "The feeling is mutual, Dr. Iplier. I brought you some coffee." Their eyes met as Henrik handed over the extra cup in his hand. Both of the men's fingers lightly brushed as he handed over the coffee. They stared at each other for a brief moment until Edward cleared his throat to try and hide the light blush on his face.

"Thank you for coming so quickly. We've seemed to run into a... rather unique predicament." Edward started, regarding the pair behind him as he spoke. He walked closer and brought Henrik away from earshot of the other two, voice lowering a tad as he continued.

"As you know, Wilford is the cause of a great deal of the cases we get in, but he himself is why we're here today." Henrik nodded along as he listened, eyes scanning said patient. "Apparently, he is convinced that he is a William J. Barnum. I know, given his average behavior, this would not seem that out of the ordinary, however, Dark has made it very clear that-"

Edward and Henrik continued to talk amongst themselves as William and Dark stood, having their own conversation.
"Damien, why are we here? I'd rather go back to the house.. and when they put a clinic here? Does he live at the manor with you? I didn't-"

Rubbing his temple for the thousandth time today, Dark took a breath and tried to remain calm.

It was much harder without Wilford with him. No one would guess it, but he was the one to keep Dark level. He'd always been the one to find the silver lining in all of their problems and it was something that Dark absolutely adored about him. It made him feel like things weren't as bad as his mind always tried to convince him it was. Now that the problem was Wilford.. or lack thereof, he had a hard time trying to keep a clear head.

"You.. you need to be checked out. Something's wrong, whether you think it is or not." Dark sat down on the hospital bed with a sigh. He was tired. It was just now noon and he felt like he was already ready to go to bed for the day. And on top of everything else, his headache hadn't gone away.

"I know you said you're fine, but you look tired, Dames." William relaxed and sat down next to him, making the bed dip down a bit with the added weight. "Have you eaten or drank water today? I know you tend to forget sometimes because you get so caught up in all your paperwork and mayorly duties and such." He gave a softer smile as he tried to get Dark to look at him. "If you'd like, I can whip something up for you. I know how absolutely dreadful you are in the kitchen." William teased, bumping his shoulder into the other.

Dark could feel a pit growing in his stomach. The words were so thoughtful, but it just left a bitter taste in his mouth. He tried to smile, but it fell as fast as it came.

"I know that this will sound absurd, but.. I need you to listen." Dark finally looked over at William and he instantly regretted it. All of his attention was focused on him in a soft stare, a small smile tugging on his lips. If he tried hard enough, he could actually convince himself that it was still Wilford in there and that everything was fine.

He took a shaky breath and collected himself.

"I'm not.. who you think I am, Will."

Dark braced himself. He wasn't sure how this would go over or even if it was the right course of action, but he couldn't do it anymore. It hurt too much.

"I'm not Damien."

He quickly looked away and waited.

..However, nothing could have prepared him for the bark of laughter that he was met with.

"Oh, Dames! You rascal! I knew something was up!" William gave a full-bellied laugh as he slapped Darks back. "I should have known! The make-up, your voice, your hair." Wiliam gave Dark's hair an affectionate ruffle.

"You got these doctors in on it too? Is that why he kept calling you Dark? Bully! You almost had me!" He exclaimed as he wiped a tear from his eye.

"That was a good one! Thank you for that, Damien." William sighed, leaning back onto his hands. He remained sitting next to Dark, looking back at the two doctors who were still talking and taking notes on two separate clipboards.

Dark ran a hand through his hair. There was no way he was going to make it through this day. Part of him so desperately hoped that he was still asleep on that bench.

"Do you even remember waking up this morning?" Dark asked. He expected the question to have some sort of impact, some sort of punch that would shock William enough for.. for something to happen.

He wasn't that lucky though.

William simply shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't remember most mornings." He looked down and inspected his outfit, immediately scrunching his nose at what he saw.

"I definitely don't remember picking this outfit. Way too formal for my taste. This pink bowtie.. And rainbow suspenders?" William scoffed and unhooked the front clips before undoing the back and pulling off the offending clothing. He tossed it on the pillow without so much as a second thought. Dark, however, let his eyes linger on them for a while.

"Too tacky. Say! Speaking of not remembering, do you think we could go for some drinks soon. I feel in very much need of a drink."

Dark was still looking at the suspenders that were splayed carelessly over the hospital pillow as William talked. Gently, he grabbed them, treating them like they were delicate.
The colors were still vibrant, but not as bright as they used to be, faded from significant use over the years. His thumb tenderly grazed over the stretchy material and he felt a knot form in his throat. Dark felt lost.

"Damien, stop ignoring me!" William harshly grabbed Dark's shoulder, giving him a firm shake.

In an instant, his headache spiked and Dark felt himself slipping into the background. It felt like he was watching a movie through his eyes, not able to control his own body or voice. Blue eyes turned to glare at the man next to him.

"William, you are acting like a child." Damien scolded. He brushed off the hand on him and readjusted his suit jacket, tossing the suspenders back on the bed. "Just because the attention isn't on you, doesn't mean you can act out."

Edward noticed a slightly out-of-the-ordinary tone that came from Dark, so he stopped his note-taking to look at the pair on the bed.

"Well, I wouldn't have to 'act out' if you would just listen when I spoke to you." William used finger quotations and then crossed his arms, a frown on his face.

Edward got Henrik's attention and signaled toward the bickering pair on the bed, concern written on his face.

"Well, I would listen to you if you had anything meaningful to say that didn't involve getting drunk in the middle of the day!" Edward and Henrik were in front of the two in an instant.

"Dark?" Edward tried, but neither of the men seemed to hear him. They seemed too caught up in their argument.

"I have things to do! I can't merely drop everything just for-" Henrik was the one to step in this time, hand shooting to Dark's shoulder. He gripped it lightly but gave it a quick shake. "Dark, can you hear us?"

"What do you-" Damien caught himself and stopped. He quickly cleared his throat and softened his tone. "I'm sorry what did you.." Blue eyes looked from one doctor to the next. They looked.. familiar.

"You can drop the act. Damien, here, already gave the punchline. Can we go now?" William impatiently looked up at the two doctors, his frown still firmly on his face.

Edward scribbled something down on his clipboard right before Henrik did the same. The partners shared a glance before looking at William.

"Yes, well.. We'd like to run a few tests first-"

"What for? If you're going to keep us locked up in this building I demand a-" Damien quickly put a hand on William to try and defuse the situation. William stopped talking but still glared up at the pair standing in front of them.

"Now, William. I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for these doctors to.. to.." As Damien's eyes met the taller doctor's eyes, he felt like he was forgetting something.. someone?

"Ed.. Edward?" The room felt like it was spinning. His heart pounded in his ears and his hands shot up to grip the sides of his head. The voices around him quickly got drowned out. Then, everything went silent.

Chapter Text

The next thing Dark knew, he was lying in a hospital bed. Blinding, white lights above him made him squint and blink a few times. He rubbed his eyes and tried to sit up, but he realized, suddenly, that he was hooked up to a few machines. One of them being a heart monitor that was beeping unusually slowly, filling the quiet room.

Once Dark adjusted his eyes and could see properly, he looked around the room and saw Henrik moving things at the counter across the room. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, Henrik turned around.

"Oh good! You're awake." Henrik walked over to the side of the bed and felt Dark's forehead and checked his pupils with only mild protest from him. "How are you feeling?" He asked, grabbing the pen from his coat pocket and giving it a loud click.

"Tired." Dark managed to say, running his hand through his hair. He huffed out a sigh and leaned back onto the hospital pillows. He knew that the doctor was expecting more of an answer, so he tried to come up with a more precise response.

"Uh, well. I still have a mild headache, my body feels sore, and my mind feels.." Dark took a moment to think it over, trying to come up with an accurate description. "..clouded." He finally settled on.

Ever since William had shown up, Dark's mind had felt like it was moving through molasses. It made dealing with the problem they had that much harder.

Henrik scribbled down alot while Dark was talking. It seemed out of proportion with how short Dark's description was, but he didn't think too much of it.

"Where's.. um.." Dark looked down momentarily before bringing his gaze back to the doctor and clearing his throat. "Where's Will?" He asked, voice softer and more vulnerable than he had intended. He hated hearing it.

Once Henrik was done writing, he looked up and gave a quick smile behind his mask. "We put him in another room while I set you up in this one." He started looking through the many sheets of paper that were clipped to his clipboard as he spoke. "William had assumed that this was a.." Henrik squinted and read from the sheet of paper.

" 'Damien Episode' " He air quoted with one hand. "Where he overworked himself to exhaustion" He put the sheet down and sighed. "And we.. simply did not correct him."

He kept his eyes firmly on the pages as Dark looked down at his lap, a small frown on his face. "And Edward is with him?"

"I deemed him too close to the patient.. you- to have a clear head in a crisis without emotions getting in the way." Henrik flipped a page and wrote something else, eyebrows furrowed in thought, as they usually were. "He regards you quite highly."

Dark smiled briefly before it dropped and he looked up at Henrik, eyebrow raised. "And.. I suppose you don't share the same sentiment?"

Henrik stopped writing for a moment and stared at his clipboard, blinking a few times. Dark could swear he could hear the gears turning in the doctor's head.

"Oh, nien. I didn't wish to offend. I also regard you highly, it's just.. I don't.. uh, I mean-" Henrik shook his head as he struggled to find the right words. Dark couldn't help the small smile tugging on his lips.

"Scheiße.." He muttered and huffed a sigh. "My ideals are not how I'm conveying them-" Dark finally took pity on him and put a hand up to stop him.

"It's alright Henrik, I know what you're trying to say."

Dark had noticed the change in the two doctors after they had finally gotten together. It was quite cute to see, actually.

Henrik had started to try and explain the intent of his what he was saying. He'd even been able to catch himself when his words seemed to sound too cold or too harsh when they didn't need to be sometimes.

Edward, on the other hand, started cutting his explanations down to most essential information. He got to the reasons of his ramblings much quicker than before. Though, he still tended to go on tangents from time to time.

Neither were perfect, but they both seemed to be actively trying. Dark supposed that it was Edward's friends, as well as the egos next door that also helped with their methods of conveying emotional information.

However it came to be, having the doctors communicate better with patients and amongst themselves was something Dark was outrageously grateful for.

"I really do appreciate you taking care of us." Dark said, giving a small, but genuine smile.

Henrik easily waved him off with a smile of his own, evident under his mask. He held eye contact for a moment before reviewing his clipboard again.

"I am a doctor, it is what I do." Henrik turned and started to prep various tubes and needles on the counter across the room. Dark looked over curiously.

"Now.. let's get started on these tests, hm?"

Dark drew his eyebrows together in confusion and shifted in the bed. He wasn't sure if he liked the almost too cheery look in Henrik's eyes.

"Uh.. tests?" He asked, looking at the needle in the doctor's one hand and a glass test tube with a colored rubber stopper in his other, thin, clear tube connecting them both.

"Yes, tests. It seems like our only option, no?" Henrik walked back to Dark's side and carefully put everything on the small metal table next to the hospital bed. He pulled out an elastic band and an alcohol wipe from his pocket before sitting down on the small circular rolling chair next to him. "You're clearly directly affected by whatever is happening to Wilford.. or William, I suppose."

Dark looked away for a moment, a frown on his face. He didn't particularly enjoy the idea of letting the two doctors poke and prod him to see how he ticked. It was something that Edward had asked about alittle after they had arrived. He wasn't comfortable about it then and he wasn't very much now, but this was for Wilford.. So he gave a small sigh.

"Alright.. as long as it'll get us closer to helping him." He outstretched his arm for Henrik as he lifted his sleeve and prepped him with the wipe. "How long do you think all of this will take?"

Henrik quickly tied the band around Dark's bicep before he looked up at him with a smile.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll be out of here in no time!"

***

It had been several hours since the four men had entered the clinic, but if you asked Dark or William, they'd been in there for an eternity.

Thankfully, there had only been a few egos to come in with minor ailments. Things that would only take the doctor's attention away for 15 minutes at most. It was luckily a slow day for all of the egos, excluding Dark and Wilford.

Which was great because Dark had given the doctors strict orders not to let any of the other egos know about their.. situation. So, having a bunch of them coming in and out of the clinic wouldn't have exactly been ideal.

So far, nothing had explained why Wilford was acting this way.. which, they weren't really that surprised. He was always an odd case who never gave much of an explanation as to why things happened around him, they assumed William to be the same. It didn't make the doctors any less frustrated though.

They'd done every possible test that they had access to, but everything had come up normal. Well, normal for Wilford at least.

Dark's results had been.. confusing, to say the least. His resting heart rate was slow, his blood pressure was dangerously low, his body temperature was barely above room temperature.. most of his results said that he shouldn't even technically be breathing, let alone walking around and talking normally. His bones were a whole other ordeal completely. The only normal result was anything to do with his brain.

Dark commented casually about chronic pain. Edward wanted to ask more about it to try and fix some of it or at least to help make it more manageable. However, Dark had insisted that they should deal with the bigger issue first. He made a note on his desk to talk about it later with him.

"The blood test should be done in a few hours. I recommend that you relax and stay in this room. We don't want anything to happen to you before we get the results back." Edward was holding his clipboard, going through the numerous pages of information on William.

"I've been here for hours. Bully! What's another three, right?" William said with exaggerated enthusiasm and a smile before he quickly dropped it and huffed an exasperated sigh.

He needed to get out of this place. He was far too sober.. things had been entirely too boring for his taste.

He flopped down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, his forearm resting on his forehead.

"Would the lovely couple mind if I napped? This whole process has left me exhausted." William asked before he yawned and got more comfortable on the bed. He pulled the blanket up to his neck and curled himself into a ball.

Edward finally looked up from his papers and nodded. "Of course, I think that would be a good idea. I'll close the curtains for you." He walked over and pulled the curtain around the edge of the hospital bed with one hand, the other still clutching the clipboard.

Just before it was closed all the way, William spoke up. "You're an angel. Thank you." He winked just as the curtain met the wall and Edward sighed.

"I'll be back to check on you later." He made his way to the door of the hallway when William called out, suggestive tone evident.

"If you're up for some fun, just let me know.. I know how to keep a secret~"

Edward closed the door and rolled his eyes. William knew that he was with Henrik, yet he was still being so persistent. He figured that maybe that was just how his personality was.

Still though. He felt like he needed to tell his partner about it. If nothing else then to get rid of this gross feeling in his stomach. It felt like he was keeping a secret from Henrik and he couldn't stand it anymore.

With a frown, he went to go find the other doctor.

Chapter Text

"Henrik? Can we talk?"

The other doctor had seemed to just settle down on the couch of their small break room with a cup of coffee. The room was mostly made so that the two could quickly get something to eat and sit down for a few minutes, but it wasn't used very much, considering how much the doctors liked to keep busy.

Henrik smiled and patted the seat next to him. "Of course." He seemed to just beam up at Edward and it made his heart skip a beat.

Edward put his clipboard down on the coffee table and sat on the couch. He had a slight frown on his face, but Henrik didn't seem to notice.

"What is on your mind?" He asked, happiness still clear in his tone. "Did you have a theory on the 'Wilford/William case?" Henrik leaned in alittle closer and Edward unconsciously smiled.

"Well, uhm.. no." Edward nervously scratched the back of his head and continued to avoid eye contact with the man next to him.
"I did though, uh, come to talk about William." He moved his gaze from the coffee table to the refrigerator, eventually to Henrik's legs.

Henrik furrowed his eyebrows before setting his coffee down on the table. He laid his hand on Edward's shoulder, gently rubbing circles with his thumb. "Alright.. are you okay? What happened? He wasn't violent, was he?" All at once, Henrik's face was written with concern and Edward wished he could just disappear.

"No! No.. nothing like that." Edward was quick to reassure. He rested his hand on top of Henrik's and finally made eye contact. He almost regretted it.

Henrik's big blue eyes seemed to be completely focused on trying to read his face. Edward gave a small smile and quickly kissed him on the cheek. "I'm fine."

Henrik smiled and slipped his hand down to Edward's forearm before bringing it to his hand. Edward easily fit his fingers between Henrik's and smiled down at their intertwined hands.

"I am totally fine, especially now.." He gave a few quick kisses to his partner's hand before he took a long, slow breath. "William is just.. very.. um.. he's-"

Henrik raised an eyebrow and Edward faced forward, away from his partner. He closed his eyes and squeezed onto Henrik's hand.

"Well, as you know.. Wiliam is quite.. uh, he's much different than Wilford. I actually like Wilford, despite his more outlandish traits. He's friendly and upbeat. Just a really good friend all around. He's always made me feel comfortable and he's never been, um.. weird-" Edward cut his rambling when he saw the mildly confused look on Henrik's face.

He shook his head and decided to just rip it off like a band-aid. "William, however, is, uh, very flirtatious and he.. propositions.. me.. but he seems to only do it when, uhm.. when you're not around." Edward quickly felt the hand that was holding his tighten and he chanced a look at the man next to him.

Henrik was quiet for a moment, but the look in his eyes gave away just how furious he was. "So you're saying William has been-" He gave a humorless laugh and smiled in an ingenuine way, making Edward, honestly, alittle nervous. "..making sexual advances toward you?... While my back is turned?"

Edward tightened his grip and simply nodded his head. He'd never seen that look on Henrik's face before. He looked absolutely livid and was using every ounce of strength to try and hide it.

"And.. how did you respond?"

Edward didn't expect that question. He tilted his head in confusion and blinked a few times.

"How did I.." His mind seemed to catch up when he saw Henrik raise his eyebrow in question. Edward immediately raised their joined hands and kissed it again.

"I said no! Emphatically! And repeatedly. I told him I'm happily taken, Hen! I said that you're the only one that I-" Edward cut himself off and cleared his throat, a slight blush on his cheeks.

"Uh, I told him that I didn't want to do those things with him." Edward quickly finished and looked away. He absently tugged at his lab coat.

"I'd.. only ever want to do those things with you." Edward mumbled, eye's still avoiding Henrik.

Henrik seemed to think about Edward's answer for a moment as his hand slipped out of the others grasp. Edward shifted uncomfortably as the other doctor started to examine him.

Seconds felt like an eternity before Henrik gently placed a hand on Edward's shoulder again, making him jump slightly. He quickly turned to look at the other man.

"This has been very stressful for you, yes?" Henrik asked, voice softer than he expected. His hand started to massage his shoulder and all Edward could do was nod.

"Well.. as your doctor-" A small smile tugged on the corner of Henrik's lips.
Edward's eyes shot wide as Henrik swung his leg over and ended up sitting on his lap, knees on both sides of his hips and nose almost touching the others.

"Holding onto all of this stress isn't good.." Henrik brought up his left hand and grabbed Edward's head mirror, tossing it across the room. It landed on the floor with a small thunk.

"You need to do something to unwind." Henrik said, in a professional tone, but quickly followed it up by trailing kisses from where Edward's shoulder met his neck to behind his ear. "I recommend me."

Edward was in shock as a blush spread on his cheeks. He did nothing to stop Henrik as he started to nibble on his ear.

Everything felt.. weird. His mind was raising red flags, but his hands involuntarily slid up to Henrik's hips. Henrik responded by tangling his fingers in Edward's hair and gave a slight tug before trailing kisses to his mouth.

Before Edward was too far gone, he pulled away and quickly looked to the door.

"But I.. we're at work, Hen-" Henrik immediately kissed Edward deeply and smiled into the kiss.

"Both our patients are sleeping. The tests won't be done for an hour at the least. No one has access to back here without a card. And if someone did come to the clinic.. the light would let us know." He gestured to the large red light that hung above the door and immediately leaned in for another kiss.

Edward still felt wrong for giving in to his urges while they both had jobs to do.. but it didn't stop him from sliding his fingers up underneath Henrik's shirt and feeling the heated skin there. It earned him the lovely sound of Henrik's breath hitching.

This was so.. out of character. They had been dating for alittle bit now, but neither had ever once expressed interest in engaging in anything inappropriate on work time. Especially in the middle of a case.

Sure there was an occasional make-out session on slow days and harmless flirting, but never anything this aggressive. They both loved their work and were very dedicated.

Before Edward could think anymore about how odd this was, Henrik bit his collar bone before starting to suck onto a particularly sensitive area on Edward's neck. He felt his unfinished thoughts crumble along with the last of his resolve.

He groaned and quickly went to all but rip Henrik's coat off of him along with his shirt.

***

William didn't even wait a full minute when Edward left the room. He quietly got out of bed and made his way to the door. He didn't want to waste any more of his time.

He stood by the door for a few seconds before opening it and quickly checking the hallway. Seeing that the coast was clear, he silently closed the door and made a beeline to the door that they entered what felt like an eternity ago. It didn't take him long to stroll back into the large manor.

Everything looked the same since he last saw the place. All except the odd statues were missing and there seemed to be more pops of color around. It made the manor seem more like it was actually lived in, more like a home. He liked it.

William made it through the living room and up the stairs without seeing a single person. He briefly wondered how many people lived in the large manor.

The master bedroom, he figured, would be Damien's, so he easily made his way in and stopped.
The room was definitely different.
The colors weren't his style, but he paid no mind to it. It was Damien's room after all. He could decorate it however he wanted. William simply shrugged and walked over to one of the dressers.

The first drawer he opened had one pair of clothing and a pair of big, round wire glasses, tinted slightly yellow, and suspenders. They were far too big for Damien and definitely not his style. It seemed like he had set some clothes aside for William. How sweet.

William took no time in changing into his new clothing and looking into the full-length mirror next to the dresser.

A deep red, long-sleeved button-up tucked into a pair of dark grey slacks. Both seemed to be perfectly fitted for his body, and the black suspenders tied it all together. He rolled up the sleeves and slipped the glasses on before undoing a couple of the top buttons on his shirt. Damien sure knew how to pick out clothes for him.

He felt like a new man.

By the time he finished fixing his hair, he could hear what sounded like a few people downstairs. He straightened out his clothes one last time and left the room.

Chapter Text

Once William made it down the stairs, he was met with a man with long hair and a cowboy hat. He seemed to be arguing with someone who was already walking away. It didn't stop him from flipping off the back of the other guy's head.

William chuckled, which made the man turn around. He had sunglasses on, but he could still see the slight surprise on his face.

"Well.. looks like we got another one. Who er you?"

William smiled and held out a hand as he descended the last of the stairs. "My name is William. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Ed." They briefly shook hands as William caught sight of the beer in Ed's other hand.

"Say, would you happen to have anything stronger than that?" Ed stared at him for a moment before his face split into a grin.

"Finally, someone 'round here who knows how tuh have some fun! I think I'm gonna like you, Billy." Ed slapped him on the back and started to lead him into another room. William made a slight face, but easily smiled and walked along with his newly found friend.

**

When they got to the bar, William poured himself a drink in a glass tumbler.

There weren't many people there that early. A few stragglers here and there. Some had drinks, but a majority didn't. William didn't pay attention much as he finally brought his glass to his lips and felt the burning liquid go down his throat and straight to his stomach. It brought an instant warmth through his body and he smiled.

"I'm glad there's someone else here who knows how tuh appreciate a good drink." Ed raised his glass to the man next to him. William raised his glass as well before drinking the last of what he poured. Ed eagerly grabbed the bottle and poured them both more into their glasses. William happily took his freshly poured drink.

"So, Billy.. what's your deal?"

**

William and Edgar had talked for a short amount of time, but the ease of their conversation made it feel like they had been casual friends forever.

After a bit, they heard footsteps coming down the hall, an enthusiastic voice with them.

"I'm tellin' youse Erik, you have a great singin' voice! You gotta-" The voice stopped when they reached the bar. The shorter man was quickly shaking his head in protest.

"I-I'll just embarrass myself, Yancy." The taller one, Yancy, bumped his shoulder and gestured to the piano. "We can practice out here tonight. Come on~" He persuaded.

William popped up next to them, smile on his face. He briefly checked out Yancy before setting his gaze on the shorter one.

"Hello, boys. I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. I'm planning a get-together here and we definitely would need some entertainment." Yancy and Eric jumped and looked up at William. They were still processing his words when William shook his head and held his hand out to the two.

"I'm sorry, where are my manners. I'm William." They each shook his hand and introduced themselves.

"I'm Yancy. Nice to see a new face around here."

"I'm, uh.. I'm Eric." Eric looked up at William and felt some familiarity. He couldn't pinpoint it exactly, but he wouldn't have brought it up even if he could.

"So, what do you say? Care to perform for us?" William smiled and draped an arm around Eric. Yancy looked concerned as Eric seemed to stiffen up at the sudden physical interaction but quickly relaxed after a moment. Yancy looked confused.

"I'm uh, not sure. I don't want to pressure Eric into somethin' he ain't ready for." William squeezed Eric's shoulders with his arm and looked down at him.

"Oh come now, Eric, my boy. You should be open to new experiences!" Eric gave a small smile at William before looking to Yancy.

".. I-I guess we could try." William let go of Eric and cheered.

"Wonderful! We'll get the party going and then I'll let you know when you can go up." William quickly disappeared toward the bar and Yancy looked to Eric, nudging him with his shoulder again.

"Youse doin' okay, Eric?" Eric gave a genuine smile up at Yancy and nodded.

"I'm feeling pretty great, a-actually." Yancy smiled back. He hugged him with one arm and shook him excitedly.

"I'll drink to that!"

**

It wasn't long before other egos started to fill up the bar area. William had offered to make drinks for everyone, effortlessly making small talk and getting to know the others.

Someone had dimmed the lights, put on music, and the atmosphere instantly started to pick up. William was thriving on it. He had even gotten a handful of men to start a poker table in the bar area.

Just as everything had settled into a good rhythm, he caught sight of a man at the end of the bar. He was dressed in a safari style shirt, leather ankle boots, and wool twill pants. He even had a leather cross bag and was wearing a fedora. He looked like he was dropped straight out of an adventure movie.

William smiled and sauntered his way over to him.

"Hello there, handsome. Come here often?" William said with a playful smile. The man looked up and easily smiled back.

"I do.. but I don't think we've met. I would have remembered such a gorgeous face." The man reached out his hand and smiled coyly.

"The name's Illinois. Pleasure to meet me." William chuckled and happily took the offered hand and shook it.

"It certainly is. My name is William, but my friends call me Colonel." They shook hands and William casually leaned on the counter to hear Illinois better over the music.

"I have to warn you, Colonel. I am single, but I'm married to the job. So it's best not to fall in love with me." William chuckled again and leaned in close to Illinois's ear.

"That's perfect.. because I'm not looking for love tonight, Illinois." William whispered. The flush could be seen on Illinois's cheeks, even through the dim light, but he kept a confident smile.

"I'm always up for an adventure."

**

"I didn't know you were so.. fruity, Billy." Edgar stood behind William, arms crossed as he watched the two men exchange in flirty banter. William sat up at that and turned to look at him.

"Here, I thought we finally got a man's man 'round here." Illinois scoffed and was about to retort, but William held his hand up to stop him.

"Well.." He stood and faced Edgar, quite a few inches taller than him, and gave a mischievous grin.

"If it's my manliness that is in question.. how about we do a friendly competition, hm?" Edgar seemed to mull it over for a few moments before nodding. "Sounds good ta me.. what did ya have in mind?"

William feigned to think on it for a moment before looking at his glass and holding it up.

"How about a good ol drinking contest? The first one to stop is less manly." William kept his friendly smile as Edgar folded over and laughed heartily.

"Boy, you have no idea what yer in fer.. deal!" They shook hands, just as more of the egos started to surround them.

**

It wasn't much later, after the two men had started their competition that Ed was slumped over the table, arms hanging off both sides, thoroughly passed out. William was buzzed but completely unaffected in comparison.

William chuckled as he picked up the half-empty second bottle and poured some into his glass tumbler.

Their little competition had drawn in a crowd, and they cheered as he quickly drank a victory shot.

The crowd buzzed happily as William made his way back next to Yancy, Eric, and Illinois by the bar. After their congratulations we're exchanged, William leaned toward Yancy.

"Well, now that I've warmed up the crowd for you, are you two ready to go up?" Yancy smiled, clearly much more excited to perform than he was earlier and looked over to Eric.

"I guess it's now or never, right?" Eric said with a smile, more confidence in him than Yancy was used to seeing. Yancy quickly hugged him and quickly shot up from his seat.

"Let's do this!"

Chapter Text

"If I tried to live this good out there... I'd have to be a thousandaire!!"

There was a cheer among the crowd that had seemed to quickly surround Yancy and Eric as they sang in unison.
Yancy thrived off it, making him try harder to make the experience entertaining enough, putting his all into singing and dancing.

"This is where I wanna grow old!"

Yancy belted out. Eric played along with him, his soft, naturally higher voice seemed to compliment Yancy's slightly deeper one nicely. He smiled and easily sang like there was no one else in the room.

"So I'm just prayin', I don't make parole!"

"Cause I don't wanna be free!"

Yancy and Eric sang in perfect harmony, the crowd drunkenly joining in on the last words of the song. The room erupted in a fit of applause and hollering as soon as the last note was played.
Yancy immediately grabbed Eric's hand and pulled him up from the piano chair. They both took a bow as they heard whistles and applause, just for them.

Eric was blushing deeply as reality hit him. He sang.. in front of multiple people. And they liked it. A smile plastered itself on his face as he thought about it.

A laugh bubbled out of him as soon as they made it back to their seats at the bar. "I sang!" He said, laugh growing more hearty.

"Youse sure did! I'm proud of youse!" Yancy clapped Eric's back as the normally nervous guy absolutely beamed up at him. It made Yancy smile even harder.

Everyone had reached a comfortable drunkenness unusually fast. It felt like the atmosphere alone in the bar was enough to get intoxicated off of. Something about William's presence seemed to lower the inhibitions of everyone around him.

Yancy settled into his seat next to William and took another sip of his cocktail, a smile still firmly on his face.

"That was absolutely stunning! You, my boy, are a natural-born performer!" William praised. He rested his hand on Yancy's bicep, letting it slowly drag down to his forearm. Yancy blushed and unconsciously leaned closer to the touch.

"Thanks!" He stirred his drink with his straw, before taking another drink, slower than before.

"You know Yancy.. Illinois and I were talking. We had a proposition for you. An.. adventure of sorts." William gently placed his hand down onto Yancy's thigh and gave it a light squeeze.

The bar had gotten loud enough that William had to lean in close and talk directly into Yancy's ear. He felt his lips lightly graze his ear and a shiver ran down his spine. It made Yancy blush deeper, eyes quickly darting to Illinois.

Illinois had a blush lightly dusted across his face as well, but he still gave a charming smile that always seemed to be on his handsome face.

"Yeah Yance... I uh.. I think we could have alot of fun." Though his blush became more prominent, Illinois's voice was smooth and seductive as he leaned closer to Yancy, making sure the other man heard him. It made his knees weak.

Yancy wasn't sure if it was the high of his performance or the alcohol in his system or something else entirely, but he barely took a few moments to think about it before he chugged the last of his drink and nodded his head enthusiastically.

"Oh hell yeah. Let's do this." Yancy said before the three men stood up and made their way up the staircase.

*

Eric was mid-conversation with Captain Magnum and Bing when he finally noticed Yancy had left along with the two other men he was sitting next to. He wasn't sure how long it had been. Time seemed to sludge together, making it impossible to distinguish one minute from the next. He took a moment to think about how close and flirty they'd all been to each other before he decided to speak again.

"Do you think they left to uh.. to do it?" Eric leaned in and whispered the last part to the two.

The question was asked with such a simple tone that it caught the other two off guard.

Magnum nearly spit out his drink at the bluntness of the question, especially considering who asked said question. As soon as he was able to breathe properly, he burst out in a hearty laugh. Bing laughed along with him but didn't find it nearly as hilarious as the captain did.

"Boyo, we're gonna need ta cut ye off! You've clearly had enough!" Magnum said as he laughed and gripped Eric's shoulder, giving it a small shake.

Eric furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, looking from Magnum to his drink and back again.

"I.. this is only my second glass, and.. and I'm not even halfway done with it! And I feel great. I haven't been this relaxed in... in ever!" He smiled brightly and took another sip through his straw as Magnum and Bing watched in amusement. They'd never seen Eric so carefree before. Maybe it was just the night. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves alittle more than usual, and the happiness was infectious.

Eric swallowed a gulp of his drink and happily bounced in his seat. "This is better than any of the other times I drank! Not that I drink very much.. but I don't feel like I'm suffocating from fear or overthinking things. It's amazing! Actually-" Eric took a deep breath and made complete eye contact with Magnum, growing serious for a moment.

"Captain.. now that I can actually talk to you.. uhm-" Eric only took a moment before he collected himself and leaned in closer so that Magnum could hear him properly.

"Did you.. want to join me in my room? Or we could go into your room. I'm not picky." Just as Magnum was going to question what that meant, Eric hesitantly put a hand onto his thigh and looked back up into his eyes.

"I've only done it once with a girl before. It was really nice.. but I've always wanted to be with a guy as well! Especially a guy like you.. that's so-" Magnum quickly moved forward to cover Eric's mouth with his hand, actively stopping him from his ramblings.

All the humor drained from Magnum. His eyes went wide as he tried to process the scene in front of him. He felt like he was in an alternate universe.

Bing, who was close enough to hear the entire question as well, raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Woah, dude. TMI."

Magnum, much more sober now, immediately grabbed the drink from Eric, giving it a smell. Something wasn't right.

Eric wasn't stuttering. He wasn't slurring his speech. He wasn't swaying in his seat. He wasn't displaying any traits that said he was drunk.. but he was not okay.

"Who made this for you, Eric?" Magnum asked in a serious tone, all hints of drunkenness completely gone. He lifted his hand off of his mouth and gently moved Eric's hand off of his leg.

Confused as to what the Captain was asking for, Eric took a second to answer, blinking a few times.

"Uh.. William.. why?" Magnum didn't respond but quickly turned to Bing and pushed the drink toward him.

"Yer a robot, right? Can ye see what's in this?" Magnum asked, concern rapidly turning into anger. Bing wanted to correct him and say that he was, technically an android, but he figured that it was irrelevant at the moment. So, he picked up the glass and took a swig.

"Hmm.. there's like.. 2-ish shots of rum... about the same amount of passion fruit juice syrup and lemon juice... and alittle bit of mint. It's pretty good." He took another sip before putting it back on the counter. "Nothing weird though, dude."

Magnum's frown deepened. What was going on?

"I'm sorry, Captain. I wasn't sure if you felt the same.. I know I'm not much to look at, but I can make up for it in-" Magnum immediately stood up to stop Eric from going anywhere. This was dangerous.

"Eric! Did ye smoke or take any drugs or.. or something?" Magnum was holding Eric's shoulders, trying to look into his eyes to get him to focus.

Eric finally met his gaze and gave a half-smile. "No, but if you have something, I'd be open to trying!"

That was the breaking point. Without wasting any time, Magnum swiftly and easily picked up Eric and started to carry him out of the room, bridal style.

"Bing, make sure everyone else is okay. I'm taking him to the clinic." Magnum yelled over his shoulder before disappearing out the door.

Bing watched the two leave, alittle at a loss on what to do. Taking a moment to consider his options, he quickly went to find Google in the crowded room.

Chapter Text

Yancy felt like the last 20 minutes, hell, the whole night had been a blur. Performing, drinking, talking, all sludging together and crashing into this moment that felt crystal clear in comparison.

They were in Illinois' room, which was only lit by his fireplace and a few candles scattered around the room. The room was fairly large with an oddly sensual vibe.

Illinois was all talk until they actually got into the room. Then, suddenly, there were no quips, no flirty banter.. he could barely give coherent responses other than nodding and following William's gentle instructions, bright blush and a smile on his face.

Now, Yancy was sitting on the bed. He was watching Illinois in front of him being passionately kissed by William, who towered over him. William, who wasted no time in unbuttoning Illinois's shirt and all but ripping it off of him, throwing it off to the side. They finally broke apart when Illinois found the edge of the bed and fell onto it.

William stood back and admired Illinois.. he had a flushed face and a slightly glazed look in his eyes. He smiled and then set his sights on Yancy.

William sat on the edge of the bed next to Illinois and gestured to his own shirt. "Yancy, would you mind helping me out of this? I'm afraid I'm terribly overdressed."

Yancy hesitated for a moment before reaching over to undo the top button. William instantly grabbed Yancy's wrist and pulled him onto his lap in one fluid motion, with ease. Yancy's knees were on either side of William's hips and their faces were much closer to each other now.

"Come now. I don't bite.. unless you want me to." Yancy flushed even darker in his new position. He could feel Illinois' eyes on him. He slowly started to slide off William's suspenders, now that he was at a better angle for it.

Just as he started on the first button, he couldn't stop himself from asking a question that popped into his mind.

"Is this youse first time?" Yancy instantly regretted the question as it left his mouth. He pointedly focused on the buttons as he kept undoing them, feeling stupid for slowing the pace that was set. He wanted to say something else to dismiss his question, but he didn't want to speak and mess this up even more.

He was expecting a rude comment or for William and Illinois to make fun of him, but he was surprised when William chuckled and gently put his hands on Yancy's thighs and started to massage them.

"First time with a man or first time in a threesome?" William asked easily.

"Uh.. both, I guess." Yancy answered as he finally got toward the bottom of William's shirt.

"No, for both. Though it is my first time with two men. Usually, there's a woman involved as well, but.. I'm always up for a new adventure." William turned and winked at Illinois, who was enjoying watching the two. He seemed especially focused on Yancy and the way he was sitting.

"And why did youse include me to be here too?" Yancy asked as he slid the shirt off of William's shoulders, finally gaining the courage to make eye contact again. Illinois hungrily, and shamelessly, looked at William's now bare chest as they spoke.

"Well.. you sounded so good up on stage, I wanted to see what other pretty sounds I could get you to make."

An involuntary noise came out of Yancy's throat as he felt fingers caress under his shirt and onto his waist. William smiled and started kissing up Yancy's neck to his ear.

"That's a good start."

William slowly and carefully pulled Yancy's shirt up and off of him, as if he was unwrapping a gift. Once he was finished, he sat back and looked up at Yancy, clearly admiring him.

"Besides, look at you." William glided his hands over Yancy's stomach and chest before his eyes landed back onto his face.

"You're so beautiful.. how could I possibly resist?"

**

Magnum stood at the front desk of the clinic, a tired Eric in his arms. If he had to guess, the alcohol he did drink was finally hitting him and making him sleepy. Magnum didn't mind, though. Getting Eric help was his top priority right now.

Magnum pushed the button on the desk a few times and waited. Eric looked like he wanted to keep his eyes open, but eventually, he yawned, gave in, and closed his eyes. A few moments passed before he spoke up.

"Sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Cap.. I just really like you." Magnum could feel his heart breaking in his chest. He sighed and hugged Eric closer.

"Ay, lad.. I like ye too." Magnum looked down at the mess of short curly hair under him and gave a sad smile. "Just not like this."

Magnum smiled when he felt Eric's breathing even out and he seemed to fully relax. He kept a tighter hold on Eric with his left arm and stretched out his right to impatiently press the button a few more times.

He waited a minute before pounding on the button repeatedly until he heard the door open behind him. Google, Bing, and Host walked through and stood next to Magnum.

"I tried looking around for the others to see if anythings wrong. The only one who seemed to be acting weird was Host, I think." Bing said, uncharacteristically flat. Like he was discussing the change in weather. He didn't even try to pretend he was concerned at all.

Magnum briefly looked at Bing before his eyes landed on Host. He was hunched in on himself, hand covering most of his face and looking like he was trying to even out his breathing. Magnum reached out his free hand and tried to offer a tiny bit of comfort, hand going to the other man's shoulder.

"Host, are ye alright?" Host didn't seem to register the gesture and continued to massage his forehead with his fingertips.

"I.. I can't see.." Host said in a whisper, almost in disbelief.

Google huffed an angry sigh and crossed his arms. "You couldn't see before, Host." He's said, unnecessarily harsh. Bing seemed to be lost in his own world, staring off into nothing. Perhaps looking through his glasses that worked like a screen, Magnum couldn't be sure. Despite the rudeness, Host still seemed unaffected by the men around him.

"What the fuck is goin' on?" Magnum asked, mostly to himself.
As if on cue, Edward came bursting out of the break room. His shirt was untucked, and the buttons were noticeably misaligned. Missing his head mirror and hair horribly disheveled, he tried to straighten himself out as much as he could before he reached the front desk, but it didn't seem to help.

"Yes, hello. How can I help you?" He had an almost angry look on his face, and his voice seemed much too formal for how long they'd all known each other. Despite the weirdness, Magnum carried on with his mission.

"Somethin' is wrong with Eric. He's acting like.. like he's not himself, at first I thought it was the drinks, but he's barely had anythin'." Magnum gestured to the man in his arms who seemed unbothered by the commotion around him.

"Also, I would look into these three as well. They're actin' strange." He gestured to the men behind him as Google inspected the doctor, unamused.

"And what took you so long, Edward?" Google's eyes narrowed as he looked directly at the scattering of hickeys along Edward's neck. It was more of an accusation than an actual question.

"If I'm not mistaken, that is none of your business." Edward said, aggravated tone evident. He was just going to speak to Magnum again when Google interrupted them.

"-If I'm not mistaken, it is my business. Dark and Wilford entrusted Bing and I with monitoring everyone to make sure everything runs as efficiently as possible." Google frowned and stepped closer to Edward. The doctor instinctualy stepped closer to Google as well, scowl on his face.

"Well, I don't see how he could entrust so much to someone like you." Edward crossed his arms and stood his ground in front of Google. Even Bing, who was in a haze, had to look over at the pure hostile energy that was radiating off of the two.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Just before Edward could answer, the door to the breakroom opened and shut. Henrik walked into the waiting room a second later.

He quickly assessed the situation in front of him and put a comforting hand on Edward's shoulder.

"And what seems to be the problem, hm?" He smiled at Google and tried to dissipate the negative energy fogging up the room.

Google turned his fiery gaze from Edward to Henrik, frown still firmly in place. He looked more put together than Edward, but Google glanced down at the matching hickeys on Henrik's neck and scoffed.

"I was just going to inform Edward that there's a reason we have cameras everywhere.. including your clinic. And since he doesn't want to tell me what had him so distracted, I might just have to take a look at them." Henrik and Edward eyes widened as they looked at Google in disbelief. This seemed to set Edward off and just before he could start yelling, Henrik physically pulled him away from Google and shook his head.

"Wi will unpack that later." Henrik turned and pointed at Google for emphasis. "Definitely." Google just rolled his eyes in response.

Henrik guided Edward to Magnum, Eric, Host, and Bing.

"Clearly, there is something wrong. Dr. Iplier, can you please put Host into a room and assess what is going on?" After a deep breath and a quick glare at Google, Edward did as he was told and gently guided Host to one of the rooms in the back. "So, Host.. what's going on?" Edward asked, alittle calmer now. They disappeared down the hallway and Henrik turned to Magnum.

"So, what is wrong with Eric?" Magnum sighed and tried to boil it down to the essentials.

"At the party, Eric started actin' funny. He said it wasn't the alcohol, nor drugs or anythin' like that-" Henrik signaled him to stop and Magnum sighed again.

"What party?" Magnum started to walk toward the gate and opened it to get into the hallway, toward the rooms.

"The party fer the new guy.. Billy, or Willy or something." Magnum started down the hallway and Henrik yelled back in a panic.

"William?"

"Yeah, I think so."

Henrik was instantly thrown into a near panic attack.

"Dark is going to kill me." He whispered under his breath. He quickly turned to Google and to Google's suprise, he actually looked scared.

"Please, for the love of everything good, stay in the clinic vith Bing. I will be back."

With major confusion, Google begrudgingly grabbed Bing and sat them both down on the waiting room seats.

Chapter Text

Dark heard a commotion down toward the waiting room.. some arguing from various voices that seemed to last a bit too long for Dark's liking.

He wanted to stay in bed and let Edward and Henrik take care of it.. he really did. But worry quickly overtook him as another pit started to form in his stomach, making the count entirely too many for one day.

Gently pulling out his IV, he untangled himself from the machines next to his bed. The heart monitor flat-lined, and it made Dark jump. He swiftly and quietly found the power cord and all but ripped it out of the socket.

Once he figured no one was going to come check on him, he quickly got dressed and carefully opened the door. The second he did, he was instantly met with Edward who looked over with wide eyes. He was helping a slightly overwhelmed-looking Host to another room.

Before Edward could say anything, Dark spoke up in a concerned and slightly wary tone.

"What happened?"

Edward nervously straightened out his lab coat and cleared his throat. "Well, um.. Host was telling me that.. It would appear that in our absence, the others decided to.. have a get-together and things might have gotten alittle out of hand."

Dark stared into Edward's eyes, seeing the nervousness practically oozing out of him. He looked disheveled. Dark's eyes flicked down to his neck, which was scattered with hickeys, and then back to Edward's eyes.
Edward awkwardly tried to cover it up with his lab coat.
Dark's stare turned into a glare.

"Where's Will?" Dark asked. Edward's panic only seemed to amplify as he fidgeted and tried to come up with an answer. Host, now calmer than he was a few moments ago, turned his head toward Edward and finally spoke up.

"He's not going to like the answer."

Edward quickly looked over to Host and lightly hit him on the shoulder. "Host." Before Edward could say anything else, Dark was storming out of the clinic, an ear-piercing ring radiating off of him.

"Dark is going to kill me." Edward said, leading Host to another room, alittle rougher than he was before.

**

Henrik ran through the large mansion in a frenzy. It was easy enough to find where the party had been. There were still a few egos in the bar and even a majority of the Septics were there as well. Nearly all of them were drunk now and Edgar was splayed over one of the tables, clearly passed out.

Henrik pleaded with anyone who would listen, but all of them either couldn't give a straight answer or didn't know anything. All of them except Jameson, that is.

"You have seen him??" Henrik could have cried with relief. Jameson nodded and started to sign something, but Henrik couldn't understand. He shook his head and huffed a sigh of frustration.

"I-I'm sorry.. I don't.." Henrik briefly took a mental note to increase the frequency of his sign language lessons and cursed himself for not learning it sooner. Jameson rolled his eyes but brought out his whiteboard anyway.

{Eric said that the new person, William, went upstairs with Illinois and Yancy. I think to Illinois's room.} Jameson held up the sign, and all the color drained from Henrik's face. This was way worse than he could have imagined.

"Scheiße!" He exclaimed. Henrik didn't even spare a look, let alone wait for Jameson to react as he bolted for the stairs.

**

Seconds felt like hours as Henrik made his way up the stairs and through the hallway to look for any sign of the men.

Henrik had been to the mansion plenty of times, but it was mostly confined to the bar, the kitchen, and Edward's room. He didn't like to wander around in another person's home, and now that fact was currently biting him in the butt.

He hurriedly tried to listen to each of the doors until he got to one where he could faintly hear someone's voice. The voice was too quiet for him to know who it was.

"You look so pretty like that.. such a good boy."

Henrik pounded on the door before desperately trying the doorknob to no avail.

"Illinois! Is William in there with you? Please!" Henrik asked, still knocking and doing everything in his power to stop whatever was going on in there. There were some whispers and shuffling behind the door before Illinois cleared his throat.

"I'm busy, Henrik. Come back later." Illinois replied, voice raspy. Henrik started to hit the door even more. "Illinois. Is he-" He stopped when he heard more whispers, and Yancy finally spoke up.

"Um.. we're in the middle of somethin' Schneep." Henrik finally stopped knocking for a moment. This was his only lead, and he needed to make sure William was 100% not in there, without a shadow of a doubt. To make sure of that fact was worth any amount of embarrassment he could possibly have at that point. He took a deep breath and then asked a question.

"Tell me.. is it only you two? It's a matter of life and death! Please open the door!" The whispers continued until one of them got louder than the other two.. and then there were footsteps coming to the door.

Henrik breathed a sigh of relief as the door unlocked and opened... That was until he saw what was inside the room.

Yancy opened the door in only his boxers, face flushed, and looking extremely guilty. He did his best to hide behind the door. Behind him, William and Illinois were in bed together with the blanket covering their lower half. The only thing covering them, as far as Henrik knew.

Illinois's cheeks had a matching blush to Yancy's, and he wasn't making eye contact with anyone. William, on the other hand, had his arms crossed and was glowering at Henrik.. as if the doctor was the one in the wrong here.

"Both of-.. Oh, Dark is going to-.. why couldn't you have-.. How hard is it to-! This is so.." Henrik groaned and silently cursed every single decision he had ever made that got him to this point. Then he rubbed his face in frustration and tried to think of the best possible way to approach this.

"Okay.. I need you to get dressed right now. And-" Henrik turned to wait outside, but quickly pivoted around and decided that that was a terrible idea. He quickly shut the door behind him and pointed to William. "You. Dressed. Now."

Yancy and Illinois were already getting dressed by the time Henrik was done with his ramblings and only sped up when he started to raise his voice.

William was ready to argue, but once he felt the moment for the three men long pass.. he leisurely got up from the bed with a sigh. Henrik was ready to look away but was surprised (and relieved) to see that William still had clothes on underneath the blanket. It was just his boxers, but it was much better than the alternative.

William loosely pulled up his pants. He didn't even bother to zip or button them, but he sloppily put one of his suspenders on his shoulder. Then he slung his shirt over onto the same side. He stared at the doctor for a moment, eyes cold and sharp, before he flippantly gestured for him to lead the way.

Henrik gratefully took what little compliance he could. He quickly grabbed William's wrist as he led him out of the room, slamming the door as they left.

Yancy and Illinois were left in the now too-quiet room, more confused than they had ever been before.

Chapter Text

"Do you have any idea what Dark is going to do? Why did you leave? That was so.. so stupid! I expected so very little of you, and you still managed to let me down. I should just -" William had finally had enough of the constant berating from Henrik. Just as the pair reached the bottom of the stairs, he ripped his arm away from the doctor with a growl.

"That is enough." The sudden aggression made Henrik turn around to face him, and he froze in his tracks.

"I already told you that Damien was done with his little prank.. I doubt very much that you're even a fucking doctor with the way you've been acting!" Henrik felt like he was stuck at William's mercy with the way the other man towered over him.

"I have been poked and prodded and treated like a child in the place that I have grown up in and I am done being disrespected in my own home.. Do you understand me 'doctor'?"

William stepped forward a few times as he spoke until Henrik ended up bumping the wall behind him, eyes still wide.

Wilford was one of the tallest and largest ego in the house, only seconded to Magnum, but it was so easy to forget with how easy-going and light-hearted he was. However, with William, it seemed like he liked to use his size to his advantage quite often.. and he was very good at it. It made it hard not to feel in danger when he was angry in front of you.

"Know that if you touch me again, I will treat it as a threat.. and I have killed men for much less." Wiliam was at the tail end of his speech when Dark found them.

"Tell me where my friends are now before I actually stop being so polite."

"William! What are you doing? Why are you.." Dark stopped and looked at William when he turned toward him. His clothes easily gave away what he had been up to.

Dark's mind swiftly started slipping back into that deep dark pit again, and it fell into the background. The headache that never quite went away from earlier that day started growing steadily alongside the anger inside of him. Blue eyes burned holes into William.

"How am I not surprised that you couldn't manage to keep your pants on for one afternoon? You are so predictable." William fully took his sights off Henrik and happily joined in the argument with Damien, much to Henrik's relief.

"Oh, so you do actually notice me when I do things. I thought I wasn't important enough for that. I'm so honored, Dames." William and Damien quickly made their way closer to each other. The tension in the air between them was electric.

They both stopped inches from each other.

"Why must you always make this about yourself, William? Do you even care about anyone else around you?" Damien held his ground against the taller man, despite having to look up when they met in the middle. William laughed, but it was short and definitely humorless.

"Do you? Do you even care about me? About how these strangers have been treating me or how I feel about it?" He gestured to Henrik, who couldn't stop anything that was happening here, even if he tried.

Damien faltered. His eyes searched William's for a moment before he spoke.

"Will.. you know that I-" Damien stopped as he caught sight of the few people from the bar starting to peek their heads out to watch the argument in the hallway. He straightened out his posture and fixed his jacket nervously. William shook his head in disbelief.

"You care more about the opinions of fucking strangers than you do about your best friend! Do you understand how dehumanizing that feels? We fucking grew up together, Damien.. Fucking unbelievable." William turned and walked away, wiping his face. Damien couldn't help but follow him.

He was about to say something just as William suddenly spun back around a moment later. His eyes were cold, and he looked at Damien with so much disgust that it made Damien stop.

"Can you imagine how Celine would react if she knew how poorly the people she cared about were being treated? She wouldn't stand for it!" William snapped, furious tone still evident with layer of bitterness added to it now.

Damien stopped dead in his tracks as more memories started to mix and swirl together, headache still steadily growing.

"Celine.." He felt.. anger, pain, jealousy.. betrayal.

"Yes. Celine. She knows how to tell people that she actually cares for them.. isn't that such a crazy concept??" William scoffed and shook his head as he watched Damien try to find the words.

"It is baffling that you two are twins, it truely is.. you're like night and day." Damien listened to the venom dripping from William's voice and it only served as fuel to his fire. He quickly started to walk back up to the other.

"Oh yes.. of course you would bring her up. You and Celine- ... you and Celine.." Damien stopped. New memories and new feelings started to pop up into his mind and his headache grew tenfold. He shut his eyes for a moment and pressed his hand to his forehead, willing the pain to subside.

Then he opened his eyes and looked at William.. or at least he tried to. His vision had suddenly started to go blurry and he was finding it harder and harder to remember what he was saying.. or even doing.

His thoughts felt just out of reach. Muddling together into a mess that he couldn't even hope to decipher.

All at once, he couldn't remember who he even was.

William stopped glaring when he saw the man in front of him drain of any ounce of hostility he had and just look so confused.. so lost. It was so jarring that it completely destroyed his anger for him and quickly turned it into concern.

"Damien.. are you alright?" William's words muffled in his ears as he tried to understand what was being said to him.
Damien.. the name sounded familiar and alien. A single coherent word appeared into his mind. He blinked a few times and tried to speak.

"Wil..?"

William reached out for a moment and stopped. Damien's eyes.. for the first time today, he noticed them changing. William wiped his own eyes, trying to make sure what he was seeing was real. Damien's eyes were changing rapidly from blue to red to black faster than he could even blink.

A loud, high-pitched ringing quickly began to fill the room, and William had to cover his ears.

Memories of Damien.. Dark.. Celine.. Mark.. William.. Wilford.. all different memories, feelings, perspectives, reasonings, lives were all crashing into each other in Dark's head. Like they were all fighting for space and they all tried to force their way out in the most painful way possible.

Everything became too much as the ringing started deafening everyone in the mansion, and Dark started to feel his legs give out.

William quickly ran to Dark and caught him just before his head could hit the hard marble floor.

Chapter Text

Darks mind had felt like it got thrown into an icy lake and left to sink down into its cold, black dephs. He was falling deeper and deeper. He had no sense of time or feeling or anything.

He saw a faint red glow in the distance, but it was too far away. It looked like flashes of a life, but the pictures were blurry with parts missing and the edges were frayed like a deteriorating strip of film.

He tried to focus on it until a bright blue light rapidly started coming toward him. He didn't even have time to react as the light enveloped him, and he was thrown into a new place.

Dark started to live someone else's life.. Damien's life.

He was in Damien's body, but he could do nothing to control it.. but he could know what Damien was thinking and feeling. It was like he was a character in a game that was controlled by someone else.

He didn't live through his entire life.. or if he did, the memories erased from his mind as fast as they came.

Milestones in his life are what stuck out to him. Growing up with Celine, William, and Mark. His parents instilling him with a need to be perfect. Graduating from school. Going through university. Becoming Mayor.

He went through decades of his life, and one thing had stayed true throughout all of it.. Damien was completely in love with William.

In the back of his mind, Damien always seemed to carry a piece of William with him. What would he think of this or that or just wondering what he was doing or if he was alright.

Years of laughing and caring and loving met perfectly with the exact same amount of years of shame and denial and self-hatred.

All of that came to a head one random night.

**

Damien slammed the door to his house with a loud bang. Today had been the most stressful day that he had so far as mayor.

No one would simply listen to him. Which wasn't too out of the ordinary, unfortunately. But he was the mayor, and it felt like not a single suggestion or comment that he gave was considered or even listened to.

He knew that wasn't true, but it was hard not to feel that way when practically nothing you wanted to fix in this town got done.

He'd been the mayor for a while now, and it felt like he was incapable of making a single change in this town.

He felt powerless.

His family had done everything they could in their power to get Damien into the office, like his father had wanted. He had an obligation to keep his good reputation and to keep his spot as mayor.. whether he wanted to or not. So, there wasn't much he could do other than keep suggesting things politely until someone bothered to listen to him, and it made him want to scream.

It was a Friday evening, clock heading to 7, and he felt like he needed to do something to get out of his head space. He was too wired to go to sleep, and he felt like he needed a drink.. or several.

Going to a bar was out of the question. He would immediately get recognized and then the papers would be filled the next day claiming that their beloved mayor was a secret raging alcoholic and there was no way that he was going to let that happen. So, he decided to make his way to Mark's house.

Many years ago, Mark and Celine had given both Damien and William a spare key to his house in case they ever needed a place to stay. They were Mark's two closest friends, and Damien was Celine's brother, so it made sense.

Though.. Damien had a sneaking suspicion that they got lonely living in their huge mansion with so few people in it, and they'd hoped that it would get them to visit more often.

Which it did. The mansion had become like a second home to the two.

With his cane and jacket in hand, he grabbed his keys and quickly made his way out the door and to his car.

***

The house felt quiet as he walked to the double doors of the large manor. He hadn't visited them longer than he had intended to. He had tried to make it a habit of checking in on them as much as he could, but his new position made that impossible recently.

As soon as he entered, he heard laughter coming from the bar. All of the lights were on in there, and the sound of music could be heard softly playing in the background. He smiled and walked toward the area.

"Safe to say that I will never be-" William stopped in the middle of his sentence and practically beamed over at Damien in the door way.

"Ah, there he is! Mr. Mayor!" Mark and Celine looked up and smiled up at him as well.

"Brother! I tried calling you not five minutes ago.. must be a twin telepathy thing." Celine got up from her chair and quickly came to give Damien a hug. Damien easily hugged her back.

"I thought you disappeared off of the face of the earth." Celine playfully swatted Damien's arm. Damien laughed and raised his arms in mock surrender. "Alright, I'm sorry. I'll try and make more time to visit."

Satisfied with that answer, Celine turned and took her seat back next to Mark at the cards table.

William pulled out a spare chair and scooted it right next to him. Damien smiled as William looked to him and eagerly patted it. The fluttering in his chest grew, but he ignored it as he always did.

He took off his jacket and stopped briefly at the bar to grab a glass before making his way over to them.

Once he was sat, William wrapped his arm around Damien and shook him. "My good luck charm is here! You two better watch out." The flutters came back with full force with the friendly gesture. He shoved them deep down and laughed casually as William released him.

"You are in desperate need of one.. I don't know if your lover boy here can save you, though." Mark said in a sing songy tone, elbowing Damien for emphasis. Damien smiled and rolled his eyes before pushing him back with his hand.

"Oh shut up, Mark.. you're just jealous that William has always liked me better." That got a laugh from the group and Mark casually threw a chip into the pile.

"He has, but I don't know.. Since you've become mayor and you've been ignoring us, we've become awfully close.. I might replace you as his favorite soon~" Mark made kissy lips at William and William threw one of his chips at him, smacking him in the face, making the two laugh.

"Oh, please. It would take alot more than time to make you my favorite.. try starting with buying me a new car first." Mark rolled his eyes and Celine giggled next to him.

"It goes Dames, Celine, Benjamin, and then you, if your chef is in a bad mood." William noted, counting on his fingers as he spoke. Celine seemed to get a kick out of the brotherly hazing and almost spit out her drink. Mark threw a chip back at him and William laughed as he blocked his face from it.

"Hey, remember whose house your in." Mark reminded, trying to hold back a smile. William nodded and pointed at Celine.

"Yeah, I'm in hers."

**

The night easily flowed as the four life long friends drank, laughed, and caught up on life. Damien could feel the stress he had earlier that day melt away. They'd talked about everything and nothing. He enjoyed himself so much that he lost track of time quickly after arriving.

The visit went on so long that both Celine and Mark had to call it a night. They offered their spare rooms to the two men before stumbling back up to their bedroom.

Now it was just William and Damien sat on the couch, drinks still in hand. Their conversation freely flowed from one subject to another until it eventually went back to Damien's job.

"It's just been so.. " Damien searched for the words, but eventually just gave an exasperated sigh. William chuckled and rubbed Damien's back to offer some comfort.

"You just need to take more breaks, Dames. You're not a working machine." Damien drank the last of his drink and set his glass down on the table with a thud. He lost count of how many glasses that had been now.

"I don't have time, Will. I technically didn't even have time now. I should be finishing up the paperwork I need to-" William waved his hand, making Damien stop.

"Damien. If you keep going like this, you're going to end up in the hospital.. again." William chastised.

"That was one time! And besides, I've started only taking one assignment home a day which, if you ask me-" William cut him off with a flat tone.

"What about eating and drinking water? Have you done either of those today?" Damien instantly went quiet and tried to remember if he actually did. The blush on his face grew while William waited for an answer.

"I had coffee this morning.. and half of a sandwich at lunch. But in my defense-" Damien was cut off yet again when Wilford instantly stood up and dragged him by his arm to the kitchen. Damien started laughing and playfully tried to get out of his grasp.

"Will!" He said with a giggle. "You're being ridiculous. I'm fine!" William ignored the protests as they arrived at the sink and he finally let go. He quickly filled a glass with water and pushed it to Damien.

"Drink." Willam ordered, crossing his arms. Damien rolled his eyes, but complied. He didn't realize how thirsty he was until he was greedily gulping down the water, drops of it sliding down both the sides of his mouth.

Once he was done he wiped his face sloppily and handed it back and William put it in the sink.

"Damien you need to take your health more seriously." Damien started to wave him off and look away, but William caught his hand and held it in his own. It made Damien look up at him.

"I'm serious, Damien. I care about you." Damien suddenly felt the moment hit him like a freight train all at once. Their faces were inches apart and William looked down at him with such a softness. It made him weak. It took all the strength he had in him to turn away and try to hide his faint blush.

"Will.. I'm fi-" Damien felt all the air leave his lungs as William brought his other hand up to cup his cheek and gently guided him to look back up at him. William didnt move his hand when they were looking into each others eyes again and his blush grew even darker.

"Promise me you'll take better care of yourself." Damien nodded, but he couldn't really hear anything else that William was saying. He just felt the tension growing between them, electricity running through his body, and his eyes flicked down to William's lips briefly.

In that moment, his parents, his job, his wellbeing, his reputation, everything.. it all felt so irrelevant. They all paled in comparison to the way William was looking at him. The way he could feel the warmth of his body against him.The way his calloused hand felt on his face. The way his thumb ever so slightly glided over his cheek.

In that moment, his drunken brain couldn't find a single good reason not to close the gap between them and do what he had been dreaming of for years.

"Do you-" Before William could finish his question, Damien surged forward and quickly brought them into a kiss.

The kiss was messy and rushed. He smiled into the kiss when William's mustache tickled him, and it was everything Damien desperately wanted. Decades of pining and denying and frustration suddenly felt worth all his suffering when he felt William reciprocate the kiss.

Things felt like they were moving too fast for thought when the hand on his cheek slid up into his hair. William's other hand had let go of his, and he moved it down to Damien's waist and roughly pulled him closer.

Damien groaned into the kiss before he suddenly pulled them apart. William looked confused.

"Let's go to the spare room." Damien didn't wait for an answer as he quickly grabbed William's hand and dragged him toward the room.

"Are you sure, Dames? I mean.. have you ever.. I mean, you know.." They reached the door, and Damien chuckled.

"Yes, I have. I never told you this Will, but.. I did alot of.. experimenting in university." The door opened and Damien pulled William back into a kiss as the door slammed shut.