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Puzzles shoved through the front door and sighed heavily as he threw his heavy coat onto the floor. He shook the snow from his shoes. He tugged at his bow tie, fumbling it until it finally gave and loosened. He tore a few top buttons open and threw his suspender straps off his shoulders. He gave another huff and stomped further into his decrepit abandoned film studio home. The kitschy Christmas decorations he and WPNZ had put up around the dusty and decaying building did nothing to lift his spirits. He simply stormed past them and deeper into the labyrinth until he found his quarry.
“I knew it would go that way!!” he shouted suddenly, “Because of course it would!” As he complained in his typical disjointed way, he struggled to shrug his grey vest off and grumbled, “Ugh- too much on me—! Get off get off-!!”
WPNZ quickly circled around the island in the kitchen-like break room he was sharpening up kitchen and combat knives in. He had a feeling he’d end up regretting encouraging Puzzles to try and rekindle with his father. It wasn’t like ‘rekindling’ went all that well with WPNZ and his own family anyway. But he figured it might give Puzzles some closure. And when Puzzles’ dad seemed open to it over the phone, they both held hope that maybe the man would’ve come around to his son’s eccentricity in the many years Puzzles had been ‘missing.’ Clearly, though, that wasn’t the case… judging from the way steam was quite literally venting from the sides of Puzzles’ boxy head.
“He doesn’t care about me and he never did!! And he just doesn’t listen! And of course he was appalled by my face- because who wouldn’t be!!? It was a mistake! Everything!”
Puzzles threw himself into a chair and hid his face in his hands.
“I should’ve never done this…”
Whether he meant his whole face situation or going to meet his dad was unclear… But his stress was apparent. WPNZ pulled up a chair next to him and raised a hand to comfort him, only to hesitate for a moment. Thankfully he didn’t have to verbally ask, as Puzzles instantly pulled the large hand to his shoulder. WPNZ readily accepted the invitation and began to rub comfortingly, which drew a pathetically small whimper from his boyfriend.
“Oh, WPNZ,” Puzzles sobbed, springing up suddenly and throwing himself into his unprepared lover’s arms, nearly taking them both to the ground, “I just.. I just…. wanted it to work this time! I just wanted him to love me!!”
Beneath the dramatics, WPNZ knew there were serious feelings involved. He couldn’t even remember his own parents, but still, he sympathized with Puzzles. Ultimately he hated seeing his partner this worked up. While Puzzles did tend to be very expressive, he had a habit of hiding what genuinely got under his metal plating. WPNZ didn’t even bother asking what went down at this meeting… because he knew Puzzles wouldn’t want to say. Not until he was ready. Puzzles knew WPNZ would be there for him. But he wasn’t ready. Besides, wasn’t it good to occasionally leave things open ended? Viewers loved to theorize, didn’t they?
“Bo- uh.. Puzzles… I- uh.. look- I suck at the whole family thing… but I’m uh.. here for ya, y’hear?” WPNZ began with gentle pats to Puzzles’ back. He was trying to ignore how awkwardly the comically large TV man was draped over him.
“I’m real sorry things didn’t go well with your pops. Just.. feel what ya gotta feel right now ‘n then we’ll talk it out, kay? I’m gonna take ya to the couch in the other room. Hold still.”
Still ignoring the mess of knives he’d neglected, WPNZ scooped the sniffling Puzzles up into his arms, to which Puzzles responded by curling even closer and nodding against WPNZ’s neck. Helping his partner was more important right now. Coats and ties and knives could wait. WPNZ’s attention was caught by the sensation of tears from under the vibrant screen against his skin. It felt strange… lumpy drops rolled beneath the surface of the cool glass, warping it as if it were melted until they slipped free from the edge of the screen, becoming cold liquid static against WPNZ’s skin. The feel of them prompted WPNZ to smooth his thumb over the back of Puzzles’ head- right where his neck cables plugged into the casing. The feeling was nice when it was kept consistent. A sweet spot between too harsh and too light. No, it was perfectly right. Upon this reflection, Puzzles noted how WPNZ gave him an effort that no one else had given him, except maybe his mom before she passed. WPNZ was everything to him. A wonderful lover and a reliable friend. WPNZ finally noticed that Puzzles had looked up from his neck. As soon as they made eye contact Puzzles only began to cry harder.
“Wah— h-hey!? What’s wrong? What’d I do??”
“N- no! You didn’t do anything! I mean- you did everything!! E-everything good! Just keep holding me..!”
WPNZ’s nerves settled when Puzzles wrapped tighter around him.
“I’m just- sniff- glad you’re here,” Puzzles mumbled innocently against WPNZ’s skin.
WPNZ responded in a gentle tone that only Puzzles was familiar with, “Course I am, Puzz… I told ya I would be before ya went out… I’m proud of ya for tryin’. Takes guts to do that, y’know?” WPNZ sank into the couch, arranging Puzzles to fit more comfortably on his lap, taking the lower edge of the rectangular casing into his pointer and thumb. “Y’wanna tell me about it? Or somethin’ else? Wouldn’t want ya feelin’ all sad on Christmas,” WPNZ lightly teased as he playfully pinched the lower corner of Puzzles’ casing and then shifted to caress that bottom edge with both hands, causing Puzzles to melt into the touch with a quiet groan. WPNZ could be shockingly soft at times. It seemed he grew softer by the day, becoming more mature and working through his anger with more ease. He wasn’t perfect by any means, but maybe the old dog could learn new tricks. He was definitely willing to do so for Puzzles.
Puzzles spoke up, only stuttering when WPNZ removed his small bowler hat past his antennas for him, “I wanted to think he’d accept me now… that maybe time would’ve helped us both heal and grow. But it was.. it was foolish of me to think that. My appearance only made things worse. And my decisions- hah- he was thinking I had finally grown into the person HE wanted me to be. Imagine his shock when I showed up looking the way that I do- hah- ahaha- EhEHAHA— oh god!! You should’ve seen the look on his face! HAH— I’m not sure what exactly he expected but I’m sure I’m the farthest thing from it!! Regardless… it’s too late in the game for me to change- in those superficial ways I mean. And.. I do cherish the life I have now,” his hands found WPNZ’s, taking them and holding them close to his ‘heart’, “It was a bumpy road… but it led me to you. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. It feels much better to be loved for what I am than to be stifled under his restrictive ideals.”
WPNZ was a bit surprised by Puzzles’ ability to work through his own problems. But he supposed it made sense. After being on his own for so long with nothing but time to think, naturally Puzzles had grown to be independent in that way. WPNZ scoffed at the thought of Puzzles’ dad rejecting such a good son. “What the hell does he know? It’s his own goddamn fault that he hasn’t seen ya all yer life! He shoulda been grateful you even gave ‘im a chance. He’s lucky. He should be proud of you…” WPNZ’s voice lowered to a sweet murmur, “I know I am.”
Puzzles stared sparkly eyed at him in awe for a moment before he started to tear up again.
“WPNZ…” he started, “how did I get so lucky..? At least… in all this- you’re here for me… Thank you. For ah… taking your chances on me. For… uhm… having faith in me. I love you…” He leaned in to give a soft staticky kiss to WPNZ’s cheek. WPNZ’s face scrunched up in delight and his arms crushed Puzzles in a big hug.
“C’mere, dollface~!! I know what’ll make ya cheer up!” WPNZ exclaimed before smothering Puzzles’ screen in kisses and aggressive nuzzles. “WPNZ!! You’re going to smudge the glass!!” Puzzles shrieked in return, squirming but making no real effort to escape his lover’s sudden bout of cuteness aggression. “That’s a shame~ am I messin’ up that pretty face of yours, sweetheart~?” WPNZ snickered, resuming his onslaught before Puzzles had time to recover. The affectionate attack caused Puzzles to giggle and discharge small bursts of electricity.
“We still got time to have a good Christmas yet… how ‘bout a movie, huh?” WPNZ asked with a grin, “Go on ‘n pick one out. TOOMP!! GET IN HERE, LIL DUDE! WE’RE GONNA WATCH A MOVIE!!” Puzzles giggled quietly to himself at the casual way WPNZ summoned their squishy roommate, as if that sort of thing had become second nature.
He carefully selected a few movies as the aforementioned slimeball scurried into the room to join them. He didn’t need approval from his father. But he found himself feeling proud of himself for trying his best. Puzzles started the first movie and snuggled up to WPNZ, his heart feeling full. As corny as it was, his real family was here… and they loved and valued him for who he was.