Accidentally Forever/DNF

Best Years

"Tell me about it," George admitted he never really saw himself with a kid, and talking about now wasn't going to change much. So on the couch with Quackity he relinquished a bit of control. "You would have loved Ashlyn's spit-up days as much as I did."

"Ugh," Quackity grimaced, "don't tell me."

"What, you don't want to hear about how much throw-up I cleaned in the wee hours of the morning?" Quackity drank to that and George only laughed.

"You're insane."

"Quack tee." Ashlyn cambered out of George's lap and made for the other man. "Up. Up."

"Oh, um.." he spread his arms and shot a panic look to George. "I'm not really..."

"Up, up," Ashlyn said it so aggressively Quackity abandoned his beer to George and pulled Ashlyn up. Her familiar smile took up both cheeks while she reached forward. Those tiny hands smoothed over Quackity's cheekbones and didn't waste a moment before shooting straight to his hair. The beanie remained intact despite Ashlyn's sweet assault. "Quack tee! Dada, Quack tee!"

"Yes, baby," George said lifting the beer bottle to his lips. "Quackity."

"Fuck you!" Quackity said reaching for his stolen drink. "You're not supposed to- what about Ashlyn!"

"It's one beer," He waved it off. "Besides she's in good hands, right?"

"George!" Quackity seemed to hold Ashlyn a bit firmer now, looking at her as if she'd break. George reminisced on the days he felt that way. Back when Ashlyn was a newborn with tiny breaths and nearly always shut eyes. He held her so carefully for those first few months, like an expensive glass figurine. Now, George occasionally held her upside down just to hear her little laugh.

"She'll tell you if she wants to get down." The beer was disgusting but as it went down George's headache started to lessen adding a hazy film to the world.

Quackity looked back at Ashlyn and made a face. She mirrored the look before she started questioning him, "friend with Saps?"

He smiled, "Sapnap. Yeah, friends with Sapnap. And Karl. And George-"

"Dada."

"Yeah," he looked back to his friend. "That's still weird."

"Mm," George finished the beer and placed it before them on the coffee table.

"Friend with Dream?"

Quackity nodded, "yeah. And you. Were friends."

"Quack." She replied pulling his beanie off with no remorse. Sitting stunned he watched her place it over her own head. And in the process, she hid the New Years eve bow George had wrestled into her miniature ponytail hours before. He was honestly this close to just giving up on them altogether.

"No, no," Quackity shook his head. "You can't take that! No no."

"Yes," Ashlyn said back. "Yes, yes. Mine."

George watched one of his best friends and daughter turn their civil conversation into a full-on whining war. Quackity would protest but Ashlyn would protest louder.

Instead of interfering, he let himself sink into the couch a little deeper. The tension in his shoulders was seeping out with the slow buzz of alcohol in his bloodstream. It was nice, he wouldn't get trashed as he'd done with Wilbur, but this little indulgence was enough.

"Hey," Dream leaned over the back of the couch a few minutes later. George wanted to groan but chose not to cause a scene. "You okay?"

"M'fine," he replied.