Work Text:
It’s the moment Quackity pauses playing piano to stretch his hands that Karl strikes.
In a split second, Karl goes from dancing with Sapnap to handing him off to George, and heading straight for Quackity. It’s honestly kind of impressive, Quackity notes, right before Karl metaphorically pounces.
“Why are you avoiding us?”
Quackity rolls his eyes good-naturedly. Of course. “I’m not avoiding you, I’m working.”
Karl grins, drapes himself over the back of the chair, leaning his head onto the top of Quackity’s. “But you’re not dancing with usssssssss,” he says, stretching the word out.
“Yeah, cause I’m playing the music you’re dancing to,” he replies, amused despite himself.
“Okay, but genius idea: what if you did both?”
Quackity snickers. “Babe, that’s impossible.”
“For most people, sure, but for you?”
“For me too,” Quackity says, bringing a hand up to lightly tug on Karl’s hand, which has made it’s way over his shoulder. Karl obligingly lets him lace their hands together, and Quackity bites back a grin. “It’s music or dancing, I can’t do both.”
“Hmph,” Karl says, and his pout is audible in his voice. “Well… didja know that Sapnap hates me?”
Quackity raises an eyebrow. Doubtful. Incredibly doubtful. “Really?” he questions, “cause uh, your tone of voice kind of sounds like that’s not true. It kind of sounds like you’re pulling my leg, actually.”
“What? Me? Pull your leg? Quackity, my beloved, I would never,” Karl vows, sounding even more like he’s full of shit. Quackity snickers, squeezes his hand. Karl squeezes back.
“Alright, why do you say that Sapnap hates you then?”
“He’s talking to George and ignoring me.”
Quackity pauses. “Karl, I watched you hand him off to George right before you came over here.”
For a moment, Karl is silent. Then– “Okay, well, then he told me he wanted me to die, real and true.”
Quackity cackles. “He did not.”
“Yes he did! Look at him, there is malice behind those eyes! Malice, I tell you.”
Quackity looks over at their third, amused. Sapnap is laughing at something George just said, pointy canines visible. He looks about as malice filled as a newborn puppy.
“Yeah, I can see it,” Quackity says sarcastically, leaning his head back onto Karl’s shoulder. “Totally malice filled. Similar to how you’re full of shit,” he says teasingly, poking Karl’s arm.
Karl pauses, backpedals. “Quackity, love of my life, how could you break my heart like this? My poor, precious, fragile heart? Saying that I am full of shit?”
“I call it as I see it, babe,” Quackity replies with a grin, and he lets himself curl slightly closer into the warmth of Karl’s side. Not much farther, mind you– he’s still sitting on a piano bench, if he curled too far he’d straight up fall off it, which would be extremely embarrassing– but still. Closer.
“This is so hurtful,” Karl says, fake sad, and Quackity reaches his other arm up to pat him on the shoulder.
“L,” he says sympathetically.
“Ouch.”
Any response Quackity may have had to that is cut off by Sapnap suddenly walking over to them, the affronted noise he makes upon getting within hearing distance. “Wait, Karl’s getting Quackity time? Now that’s not fair, I want Quackity time.” Despite his fake hurt, his eyes are soft, a small smile tugging on the corners of his lips. Quackity searches the crowd, and– yup, there’s George, rolling his eyes at Sapnap’s words as he heads over to where Tina is standing.
“Boohoo, nimrod,” Karl says, and Quackity sees him stick his tongue out at Sapnap in the reflection on the piano. “Not my fault you were too busy talking to Gogy to get over here.”
Sapnap sputters. “I– what– You’re the one who practically threw me at him!”
“Did not,” Karl blatantly lies.
“Did too!”
Quackity clears his throat, trying to force down his smile. He fails miserably. “Gentlemen, gentlemen,” he says, “there’s enough of me to go around, there’s no need to fight.”
“No, we’re gonna throw down,” Sapnap says, just to yelp as Karl reaches out to flick him on the forehead. “Hey!”
“Ha, I won,” Karl says, smug as can be.
“My ego,” Sapnap bemoans, “Karl, you’ve injured me, I think I’m gonna lose a canon life.”
“Oops,” Karl replies, sounding utterly unrepentant. There’s a moment of quiet, before Sapnap grins that grin that indicates that he had an idea.
“I think this is the kind of injury that can only be solved by… cuddles,” Sapnap says, then launches himself at them. Karl squawks as Quackity laughs, bracing his feet to support them better. For a moment, it seems to be working, with Karl only sort of holding him in a death grip as he tries to support Sapnap as well.
Then: “Shit, the piano–”