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Cleaning the attic was so dumb and useless, why would it need to be cleaned anyway no one was going to see it. But Quackity decided that it would be a great way to keep Tilin entertained for a while so he could get some rest for the first time in the week. Unwillingly they walked upstairs.
“If all dad wanted was time for him he could just let me get out of the house for once in a while, but no, I need to clean this stupid attic” Tilin mumbled while going up.
"It’s not like a visit is going to come in here running just to check if the attic is clean” Tilin muttered to themselves. “They would be so…pendejos”
There was a lot of dust in the place, most things were completely covered in it but one box stood out. The box was not heavy but it seemed to be old, and really damaged, and of all things it had the most dust over it, why would their dad keep that shit.
Tilin stood a second contemplating the box, their curiosity was rising and anyways it's not like they were going to actually clean the attic. So with a few steps they approached the object and blew air over it. A thick cloud of dust filled the air in the room, Tilin coughed and opened the box. There were not a lot of things in there but everything was weirdly interesting.
Inside the box was a gun, not a plastic one, a real gun. “Alv apa, i knew you lived in the north for a while but damn” Their little hands roamed the gun with curiosity but still careful they wouldn't like to trigger the gun and shoot themselves. After a few seconds they put it down and looked back at the box.
Inside there was a yellow charro hat –well kinda– it was completely torn down, some parts were burned, others were missing. The hat was so damaged that if they never had seen a photo of their dad using it it would be impossible for Tilin to recognize it. Obviously they didn't grab it, maybe a single touch could make it dust.
Just about when they were going to set the box aside in disappointment they saw a piece of paper at the bottom of the box. With their curiosity revived Tilin moved to the side the rest of the hat and grabbed the paper.
They turned it around and realized it was a photo of their dad, much younger for sure. Apart from him in the photo there were two more people, to be specific two children. My dad had other kids apart from me? Tilin asked themselves intrigued by this new information. The kids in the photo were young, no more than 15 years old but old enough to be young teens. It was a sunny day and not a cloud could be seen in the sky.
The three of them posing in front of a pyramid type of structure smiling, but not that forced smile that you need to put for a photo, it was genuine. Quackity looked so happy Tilin could swear they’ve never seen him like that, their own father has never given them a smile like that. Sure, Tilin has seen him happy, sure, they both have had awesome movement as a family on trips or just cozy days but that light in his eyes was so foreign to Tilin, and it hurted.
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It has been a week since Tilin found that photo, of course they wanted to ask right away what was that about but something in them felt like it was a heavy topic and the fact that their dad never talked about those kids was making it even worse, so they didn’t.
That afternoon Quackity and Tilin were in the living room watching a movie, the atmosphere was calm, it had been a while since they both spent this much time together. They both seem absorbed by the cheesy story on the screen but with a closer look you could notice that Quackity was lost in his thoughts and Tilin was no different. Tilin gathered the confidence to finally confront their dad. Taking a deep breath they looked at him and spoke.
“Apa…” their voice sounded shakier than they meant to but still continued. “You remember I was cleaning the attic last week right?”
Quackity looked at them smiling back “You mean when you left the attic even dirtier than before?” Both laughed, though Tilin’s was mostly from the nerves.
“Yes, well I wanted to ask you something, cause you know… I found a photo” their hands were fidgeting and their eyes were looking at the ground. Quackity didn't say a word, instead he gave a warm hand over the shoulder of his kid, noticing their nervousness and already knowing what they were talking about.
Tilin took it out from their pocket and handed it to their father. Quackity held it, his eyes started to water and his thumb softly caressed the face of the child in the picture. Tilin looked at him waiting for him to speak.
After a deep breath he finally said “you know that I wasn't born here, I come from a far away place, this place” he pointed at the photo.
“And there I lived with my son… Merlon” he sounded broken as he mentioned the name of the little boy.
“So, I'm not your first kid apa?” Tilin wanted to know what had happened to that kid, why they never even heard of him, that photo couldn't be much older than them.
“No…” a tear rolled down from his eye to his cheek, his voice cracking with the pain of a father who just experienced the unimaginable.
“He was Merlon, my sweet kid. We used to live together when I was young in a town called karmaland, one day he just appeared in my life but I loved him as a son.”
“I taught him everything he needed to know about life, we spent all day together and I was feeling complete for once in my life, finally I had everything I ever dreamed of. Even though I was too young to be a father I promised I would do anything for my kid” Quackity's eyes lighten up while remembering, a kind of face Tilin had never seen in him.
“I remember you mentioned that place once, where you met uncle Rubius right?” Tilin spoke, trying to make the atmosphere less heavy.
“Yeah, we were out of his house that day, everything seemed so perfect.” A gentle smile took place in his melancholic face. “Merlon loved to play with Titi, the other kid, his cousin”
Tiling eyes scanned the other's face, he looked the same age, maybe younger, and something inside of them told them that if they knew each other they would be great friends, but that would never happen, and that supposition would always stay as an idea.
That day was specially pretty, not a single cloud could be seen in the sky but the sun was not burning hot, the air was refreshing and Quackity was taking care of the two most precious kids in his life.
He was cleaning some of his chests when the two entered the room, the high pitched voice of his son reaching his ear. “Jefecito can we go out please” Merlon begged Quackity with Titi seconding, both giving him puppy eyes.
“Sure why not, we can go to your uncle's house, prank him a little” the kids jumped with excitement running to the entrance of the house ready to go. Quackity smiled, putting down his sword to take his keys.
All the way up to Rubius’ house the three of them were laughing, why was really not important their presence was enough to justify it. After making sure that Rubius wasn't there Quackity started to take some stuff out of his bag while Titi and Merlon ran after each other.
“Ok, don't go too far, i’ll be here putting some traps in his front door, see if you can find something to add here” Quackity shouted receiving vague responses.
Maybe if he had them next to him helping everything could be avoided, maybe if one of them had noticed the guys following them they could have been prepared, maybe if he had taken his sword he could have fought back, but that never happened and the outcome became inevitable.
A scream alerted Quackity but the three shots after it made him look back. Three shots from which only two reached their objective, three shots but only one was from the gun he once gave to Merlon.
Filled with panic he leaved his stuff running to the place where the chaos was at. What he saw would haunt him forever. Titi was crying with his hands covered in blood pressing against his leg and Merlon was on the ground frozen.
Quackity looked at Titi with preoccupation filling him. “What happened?!” He tried to stay as calm as possible to not alter the kids more.
“T-two masked g-guy they… trying to kidnap me, one bullet- my leg, b-but the other” Titi could barely speak he was shaking and pointed to Merlon. Quackity fearing the worst focused on him.
Merlon was laying on the ground, his eyes barely open and filled with tears, he couldn't speak, not even shout. The pain was too much. His clothes were getting redder with every second the flood staining his skin. The bullet had reached his chest.
Quackity dropped next to him, pressing against the wound trying to stop the blood from coming out hearing Titi trying to call someone for help.
“Merlon, look at me, please don't close your eyes, stay with me, stay with dad” his free hand lifted him resting his body over his lap and then caressing his face.
“Apa, it hurts…” Merlon’s voice was weak, barely hearable. “I kept Titi safe, shot them like you taught me but- they were faster…” Quackity could hear that Tilin had successfully called Rubius, and focused his attention in comforting his son.
“You did great mijo, the help is comming” he hugged Merlon tighter, staining his own clothes and hands with his blood. Merlon's eyes were threatening to close, his breath and heartbeat feeling weaker and slower.
“Dad please don't leave me, I'm scared” Quackity kissed his forehead in a weak attempt to calm him, humming a lullaby closing his eyes to stop the tears.
Then he felt his son's body getting cold and his heart beating a last time,
Tilin was left speechless, now everything they once consider odd or even annoying was clear. Why their father never let him go out alone, why he always held their hand, why he looked sad when he thought Tilin couldn't see him.
Tilin's arms hugged his father as warm and comforting as they could letting him cry. They supposed that a similar thing happened to the other kid but that would be for another ocation, now they needed to be there for their father.
"Thank you mijo, I never told you cause it happened before you were born and I didn't want to dumo this much information to you" Quackity said while cleaning the remaining tears from his face. "How about we finish the movie"
Tilin smiled in return.