#sunsetduo

almost forgot to post lol, heres some sunset duo doodles i did ages ago (for something a little more wholesome)

like LOOK

Sigh

He gets them both a blanket (which the egg, named Empenada, only uses for a moment before looking fresh and dry) and sits down with jaiden and a cup on tea. As the water was heating up an even smaller egg poked an edge around the corner of the room and stole Empenada from their company.

Jaiden and Roier sit in silence for a minute, watching as the eggs share news and stories with way more emotion than someone whose entire being is just but an oval shell should be able to.

"So, you got one too?" Roier breaks the silence mid-Jaiden-sip and she responds, "Apparently."

"She's cute. Her hats so adorable," and Jaiden replies "yeah," with a laugh. There's a beat before she adds "yours seems... um,"

"I don't know actually. I love Pepitos shirt, the stripes are super silly. Um, thanks for taking me in by the way." Jaiden's words come out mumbled, kind of pushed together and rushed, like she's horrified of taking up too much space. Like she isn't used to it.

Roier can't really add any more descriptive words. "Yeah, Pepito's.. fine, I guess." And he says, "I don't think I'm ready to- be a parent, you know. Again. To someone new."

There's a small silence, where Jaiden picks up her cup and sips from it, and holds it up to her nose to warm it up. "Me neither."

The silence prevails. Jaiden picks her eyes up from her tea and joins Roier in people-(egg)-watching the two kids chat and play and run. They watch as Pepito takes a fall and Empenada goes and helps Pepito up, and then they run off again.

"I really tried to love her." Jaiden starts, "At first it just sounded scary, and then I thought, 'well it can't be that difficult, I mean, everyone else already loves her', and so I told Tina that 'sure I'd Love to spend an entire day with Empenada alone together, sounds lovely, and then- it just-" Jaiden waves her hand about a bit, doing circles with her wrist and trying to put something she can't speak into a language that doesn't use words.

A language Roier understands. He sighs, his entire body expanding and then collapsing as he does. "I think I hated Pepito at first."

"Pepito's great, don't get me wrong. The egg did nothing wrong. It's just, like- all of Pepito's other parents eggs are Dead. Dead Dead. Like funeral dead, like code dead. Bobby- he's- ... he's still right here, sometimes."

Roier let's his words hang, gives Jaiden an exit, but he doesn't even have to look her way to know she's looking his way, eyes full of understanding.

"I'm basically Pepito's only parent right now, so he's also living with me. You know how weird it is to live with an egg again? How weird it is teaching an egg how to hold a sword properly, hearing tiny footsteps and tinier sniffles, doing daily tasks, and how weird it is to do it all Again?"

"Bobby was my only one. I know saying Pepito isn't my son is as cruel as I can be, but it's just not fair that anyone thought I could ever be a Father again. No one else should be calling me Papa. I don't think I want anyone else to call me Papa"

Roier can't even tell he's crying until Jaiden gets up to receive paper towels for him. When she returns, she pulls her own chair next to Roiers, holding out the roll of paper towels intended for a kitchen and running her scarred hand over his back.

He sniffs his nose and wipes his cheeks off with the back of his sleeve.

"Sometimes I wish it had been anyone but Bobby."

Roier whips his head up, looking at Jaiden who's looking at the eggs again.

"Like- okay, I don't wish anyone else had gone through what we did. I don't think it was humane, but I just wish that- you know. I wish that anyone else went through that instead of us. I miss him every day, and some days it's like just a fact, you know. I just look at an egg running around and think 'I miss Bobby' like I'd call the sky blue

but some days it's so much. Some days I watch Fit and Ramon building something together or Sunny and Tubbo bickering and I have to go home because all I want to do is scream and cry and tear down everything I see."

Jaiden gulps. Her eyes are still dry, but her hands are shaking and she feels as breathing becomes a task to focus on.

"I miss our family so much, Roier. And some days I think if Cucurucho told me if I killed every single egg on quesadilla island for the Chance to be teleported back and have 12 hours with Bobby and you and a field of flowers and birds and sunshine I'd do it. I'd learn Spanish until it became a second mother tongue, I'd sell every organ I have, I'd do anything at all for a chance."

Roier has to wipe his eyes again.

"I don't want to be a mother Roier. I can't do this, not without you. Not for anyone but Bobby."

They sit in a silence surrounded by small laughs and the patting of running feet. Roier's eyes stay fixed on Jaiden as she looks straight ahead, her entire body shaking and lip quivering. Roier puts his hand on her knee.

"I love you."

And she leans her head on his, and her wings fall limp behind her, and the light in the room starts shifting to a soft orange.

"I miss you, Roier."

"I'll always be here."

"But I think I miss a you that died when Bobby did."

"I do too, Jaiden."