play the classics

[survivalxofxthexfittest]

JP laughed gently and tool hold of his hand, squeezing gently. "Nice to see you too," he joked in greeting, obviously sensing his unease. He was the same old Ducky. It was refreshing to see he hadn't changed. "There was, but on a different level and it was taken care of," he started assuring him as he headed further inside the twins' apartment. He eyed Maddox's things still packed on the sofa. "And the stain is from something completely and one hundred percent horrible - a paint spill when the original owner was trying to redecorate," he added with another chuckle.

If he had to guess as to why Mad was so anxious only two reasons came to mind: not being in the comfort of his own home during the apocalypse and, more irratonally so, he was politely trying to get JP to fuck off. Even before they'd broken up his insecurities tried their damndest to convince him of just how unworthy he was of Maddox and it would seem they were still trying their best to cling to the falsehood.

"If you want, you're more than welcome to crash at my place," he offered. "Now that Charlie's upstairs with her new family and Jeremiah's, well, the apartment has a lot more space," he admitted with a somewhat uneasy chuckle, once more swallowing back the demise of his brother. And a lot more quiet. Lonelier. If Maddox stayed even just a night or two it would have felt more like home again in 301.

[duckycooper]

He would trust Jp's word because Jp had so rarely given him reason not to. "Okay.." Maddox accepts the explanations and his unease begins to settle. "The shape is just suspiciously... suspicious." Ducky tries to provide his own explanation. His mind was full of thoughts and most of them caused his stomach to roll. He knew that the source of his distress was the change; the loss of their home and acceptance into a new one. It was a lot to take in. He shuts the door and follows John-Paul into the apartment. There's an ugly couch and two ugly chairs sitting around a now useless television. Duck takes one of the chairs.

He peeks out at Jp. "I want you to stay here." Maddox clarifies, "For tonight." He didn't want to leave Maddie but the prospect of spending a night with Jp again after so long ( and not just any night; a night that was going to be long with restlessness and anxiety ). It would be really nice to sleep next to Jp tonight.

"Maybe we can start planning how to save the world." It would be a lot nicer to think about how things could get better instead of worse for once. "I had this idea that we'd learn to control them with music. Very Thriller-esque." Ducky joked.

[frogus-deactivated20231111]

the entire point of life is to be silly, kind, and really weird btw.

[verakedi-deactivated20240722]

[survivalxofxthexfittest]

@duckycooper

[survivalxofxthexfittest]

It wasn't a debate he cared to have in the moment, but.... "It's a good enough reason for me," he mumbled in counter argument, a second hiss leaving him as he pressed his hand to his side. "I don't think so, but it hurts like fuck and that asshole's bat hit me square. I'm pretty sure it broke a rib or two," he added, wincing as Maddox's arm went around his waist. Maybe he had been a fucking idiot jumping into this headfirst without a plan.

"Do you really think that's a good idea Duck?" he asked, his side throbbing as blood dampened his fingers. He wasn't sure if it was his adrenaline wearing off or the rising blood loss, but he could feel his energy draining. His eyes followed Maddox as he ended the chomper that had just been trying unsuccessfully to eat him through the cage, then as he began letting the barking dogs free. "What if they try to eat us? I don't want to save you just to have you end up as Alpo."

[duckycooper]

Maddox took in Jp's self assessment of the injuries and decided that they really did need to get moving. His hand was on the lock of the first cage but he paused before opening it and turned back to Jp. "Trust me Pax. They don't deserve to be stuck in here any more than I did." They were just scared.

Ducky unlocked the first cage and stepped back as he opened it. The dog continued barking but with Ducky out of his reach the animal hesitantly geared to jump to the floor. With a burst of speed it finally left the cage and sped past the two of them seeking an exit. Duck didn't wait long before opening another cage, and another. Some of the dogs followed the first and abandoned the room and others started nipping at the dead raiders.

Maddox kept returning his eyes to Jp to ensure that he was okay and his plan was going as anticipated. He'd be a real jackass if he got them eaten after Jp's heroic entrance. "Where are we going? Can we make it to the Wexley?" He returned to Jp and once again wrapped an arm around him.

[hope-zhang]

"Oh! Look at that!" Hope exclaimed once Maddy had pointed it out to her as she lifted her head from down by the soil. Though she stopped herself from being too loud to scare it away. "That's what they're called huh? I use to see them all the time at the Botanical Garden, they made the cutest chirps while I worked," she smile softened taking the pause in their work that Maddy had came to help even for a short while.

She wasn't too well verse in the bird sphere like her friend but she drew on whatever she's heard him yap with them before, memories pulling up funny ones as she tried to stifle her laugh, "you mean the geese that chased you down Central Park once?" They were scary but Hope could only laugh from the sidelines back then. "More importantly though," Hope bent back down to continue getting rid of weeds, "will those birds eat all our fruits? I don't mind some, but we gotta save some for ourselves too." Hope would have to keep an eye out for any bird pecked fruits because those with effectively render useless to them.

[duckycooper]

Maddox would have spent a lot more time visiting Hope at the Botanical Garden if it didn't host several species of plants that set his allergies off. He'd managed two visits before deciding that as much as he liked the place--it wasn't worth having to finish off an entire box of Zyrtec. "I bet birds talk a lot of shit." It wasn't like they'd have any way of understanding what all those little chirps meant. "--Geese especially," He added with a wary look at the memory of those little jerks flocking after him.

"They'd be interested in berries but that's about it." Their diet mostly consisted of insects. "The trade-off would be that we get free pest control. Mealworms, crickets, grubs..." Maybe seeing the bluebird really was a sign of good things to come.

"...Unless we're saving those for us too." Did Hope's nutritional plan for the community include shifting to insect-based protein? Ducky might finally go vegetarian if that was the case.

[survivalxofxthexfittest]

"Hrmm. I don't know about that. There were a few people over the years who are in that elite group with me," she countered knowingly with a matching smirk. They never understood how he hadn't seen just how amazing his mind could be sometimes. The way it worked was just....Madison couldn't comprehend it most days. It made her wonder if she truly was worthy of her brother's genius. Or if he knew just how essential he was to her life - most of her problems would still be just that, problems, if it hadn't been for Ducky's problem solving abilities. Life without Maddox was a life not worth living for his twin.

As if their thoughts were in sync, she got up and dug around a junk drawer in the kitchen and tossed the post-its his way. Green ones, not pink, and handed him a pen. "You draw. I'll write," she said as she tore a yellow post-it off a second stack from the drawer. She mouthed meow twice as she wrote out the note for Jimmy. "Your sure it's only two meows? Feels like it might be more," she joked lightly, sticking the note to the ground next to his bowl.

"We're leaving the tupperware," they chuckled. It would give them a reason to come back with mom, right? But he was right. Their whole lives were in this place how could they pick and chose what parts of it weren't important enough to bring along for the ride? Deciding what to take and what to leave was going to be tough. She crossed over to one of their bookshelves in the living room and picked up a picture of the twins, along with a family picture, and smiled down at them as she looked them over.

"If we're talking unnecessaries, I'm definitely taking these annnnd," Mad told him, hugging them close as her eyes scanned the books. They slid their two favorites along with Duck's copy of Giovanni's Room. "These," she added as she handed the boom off to him. "We have to have something useless from our past. I mean it doesn't all have to be tactical and logical does it?" Mad asked rhetorically, heading off toward the hall and their rooms to grab a bag and start packing, opting to also grab the hidden photo Maddox kept in his nightstand of him and the one who got away. She was sure he was going to need it at some point.

[duckycooper]

The post-it notes fell into his lap but the Sharpie was handed over with a little more grace. Maddox uncapped it and began drawing. He might need more than one post-it for this...

Ducky knew Maddie was being the sensible one saying to leave the Tupperware but his heart still panged for a moment in guilt. He could hear here moving around the room and examining the living room for necessities. The book was a welcome sight and he gave her a brief smile as he accepted it. "Okay." Ducky would trust her judgement.

It only took a few minutes after Maddie left the living room to finish the drawing. Ducky stuck the sticky notes next to Jimmy's bowl, kneeling down to ensure it would be at eye level for the feline. He picked up a few pieces of kibble that had fallen out of the bowl in his rush to fill it. Returning to the bowl, Maddox was finally satisfied they'd done all they could for the cat.

He spotted the photo in Maddie's hands and quickly took it from her. Ducky tucked it between the pages of Giovanni's Room and began his own packing. He was keeping a mental list of items to take and it was growing by the second. He wanted his cassette player, so naturally a few tapes to go with, but if the tape deck broke all of it would be useless so he may as well bring a second cassette player as a back-up. The same argument could be made for many of the items he intended on bringing... A sweater could get holes, his glasses could break...

As he passed Maddie's room Duck stopped to stand at the doorway and watch them. He knew he couldn't say this gently. He wished he could. "I don't want to turn into one of those things Maddie."

"If I get infected I want you to kill me." This seemed like the time to discuss that kind of thing, considering how much danger they were about to put themselves in crossing through the city.

[lonergirlmonologue]

"i wonder if we ever think of each other at the same time."

[duckycooper]

@survivalxofxthexfittest

[survivalxofxthexfittest]

He had no time to worry about his side with the sound of his name being called out as the raider fell. His attention was pulled in it direction and he found Maddox - Ducky! - locked up like the animals around them. John-Paul's relief was overthrown with worry when he saw he was right next to a very interested chomper. "I'm here looking for a good time," he snapped back as he rushed over to him, panic overriding the pain shooting up his side with every step. "Why do you think I'm here? I'm here to fucking find you," he told him as he hurried to open the grated door and urged him out.

He ignored Maddox's warnings over the danger of the place. Obviously it was dangerous. It was full of harmful shit. Starving dogs ready to take a bite out of one's face. Chompers right alongside them to do the same. Raiders scattered throughout who wouldn't hesitate kill an intruder. Yea, John-Paul was aware at the dangers surrounding them. He hadn't needed Ducky to point them out. But even if he had, he was too worried over the state of Maddox to care of what kind of danger he'd thrown himself in to in order to find him - and would have time and time again.

"What'd they do to you? Are you hurt?" he asked as his hands hurriedly moved over his torso and tilted his head back and forth, looking for any sign that he'd been too late getting to him. Satisfied he was alive and, for the most part well, he pulled him in for a quick, hard, relieved, and almost desperate kiss before he could stop himself.

"Fuck," he hissed quietly after parting, the pain in his side now beginning to override his thoughts. He glanced down momentarily to where the knife had penetrated his side and blood had soaked through his shirt, the bright red stain both irritating and terrifying (Asshole ruined a perfectly good Prada shirt).

"Ok. Let's get out of here. Away from all this danger," he told Maddox with a glance the chomper's way with a pained smirk, pressing a hand on his wound - right or not, he didn't want Duck to panic any more than he was sure he already was.

[duckycooper]

He crawled out of the cage and instant relief flooded through his back when Ducky was able to stand at full heigh again. Of course, he was also met with the sting of a dozen raw patches of skin that had been aggressively nipped at through the cages. He was pretty sure it looked bad. His shoulders had taken the worst of it, unable to shift away from both cages in those times the raiders had surrounded him with the undead. "Not a good enough reason.." Duck replied under his breath, knowing that Jp wouldn't like his sincere disagreement. "You got stabbed." He reminded Jp of the obvious just a moment before his cry of pain reminded them both. Maddox's hand brushed back Jp's shirt to do his own assessment. Yeah, that was a stab wound alright. "Did it hit anything?" Ducky didn't think Jp would still be standing if that was the case but he couldn't help to ask.

His own injuries felt a lot less pressing. They were in various stages of healing but even the freshest ones had stopped bleeding. The biggest concern was infection--and not even the kind that turned him into a zombie. The regular, bacteria in your blood stream kind.

Maddox was quick to wrap a supportive arm around John-Paul's waist. It was obvious that getting out of here was going to be slow and painful for him. "I'm fine but I need three minutes," Ducky insists as he helps Jp lean against a nearby counter. Before Jp could argue Ducky had already slipped the knife out of his hand and returned to the trapped infected. It took little effort from him to shove the metal through the cages holes and into the creature's skull. He pulled it out just as quickly and tried not to look as he wiped whatever was stuck on it against his pants. "Just the dogs now..." He informed as he sat the knife on the counter and reached for the closest K9's kennel.

"Stay calm." His tone indicated how serious he was. The dogs shouldn't bother them with much easier prey bleeding out on the floor.

[survivalxofxthexfittest]

He nodded in silent agreement. Maddox was right. They shouldn't let things like that get easier. But John-Paul couldn't help the fact that he'd made the conscious decision to flip that switch when needed. It was the only way he could deal with the fallout of having to kill anyone - pre or post fall. If they weren’t people ending their lives couldn't bother him. Although his brother had really been putting the coping mechanism to the test and JP had been failing miserably. Maybe Duck and his poetic outlook was a sign to finally process it. All of it.

He leaned in to his touch slightly and his heart started its familiar race with the once anticipated kiss. It now ached with regret for it's loss because desperately wanted to follow through with one now. The mention of his brother's fate dashed the spike in his joy however. A year in and it was still hard for John-Paul to deal with the death of Jeremiah. And next to impossible for him to want to try and cope with having to put him down after he'd turned.

But he was trying. "Yea. Now that she's knocked up for sure," he agreed, once more skipping over the mention of Jeremiah - that would be a conversation for a later time. He wanted this reunion to be a happy one. "But I have her better half's help so I guess I can't bitch too much. Fucking Roman Drake if you can believe it," he went on through a sad chuckle, swallowing back his grief.

[duckycooper]

Ducky's grin only grows at the information of Charlie's betrothed. He'd heard plenty about the roguish Drake and was admittedly swayed at the idea of being pinned for by a emotionally broken hunk. He'd been rooting for Roman to stop flirting around and actually commit to Charlie. "Took him long enough." Ducky chided, pleased that his beliefs had been proven right.

It doesn't go unnoticed that Jp ignores the mention of his brother. There were a lot of signs Ducky could miss during social interactions, but Jp had always been an easy read. His words, his gestures, they had sharp edges. He may not fully understand the emotional reason behind some of those things but Maddox still took it as a sign to change direction. "I'm sure he's been meeting your expectations as a brother-in-law." Maddox got the impression Roman would be able to fly just under Jp's radar if he stayed on his best behavior.

-

Ducky was unsurprised that Jp was the first visitor to the apartment he and Maddie had been moved into. So unsurprised, that when he opened the door he reached a hand to John-Paul's chest without pause. "Heeeey," Duck greeted him with discomfort in his tone. "So I really don't want to know but I want to know, what's with the big stain on the bedroom floor?" Did someone die in here? Recently? Ducky's mind wouldn't stop imagining what could've made that stain. He wanted Jp to say 'no' even if it was a lie because maybe it would stop those thoughts without putting worse ones in his head.

The emergency lights that powered most of the building had a low hum that had burred into his ears like a worm and Ducky was feeling pretty overstimulated. But he was keeping his cool! He was cool! "Also I heard something about a carbon monoxide incident and I'm kind of freaking out about that. Was that on this side of the building?" He asked, adding to his mental check list of things to keep an eye on.

His belongings sat on the couch behind him, still in their bags and ignored in favor of these concerns.

[heustons]

MASON GOODING The Kelly Clarkson Show・February 4th, 2025

[survivalxofxthexfittest]

The sound of barking, like Madison mentioned, could be heard growing louder and louder as John-Paul made his way further into the shelter. As he rounded a corner, just outside the room Maddox was being held in, the sudden crash of a bat landed square into JP's center. He heard the crunch of his ribs and dropped with a groan. Pain shot through his side and he barely had enough time to process the attack before a second swing came down on his back, flattening him to the ground.

He pushed himself back over to face his attacker and barely stopped a third hit from landing, his mind forcing itself to momentarily forget the excruciating ache from the broken ribs in order to survive the immediate threat of the surprise raider. He shoved the bat away, kicking them away by their chest. JP got to his feet as quickly as her could and charged at the man, barreling the two through the doorway to where the cages were being held.

The two men slid across the floor, along with his knife, and slammed into a pair of cages, sending the dogs inside crashing around. John-Paul leaned up and landed two good punches to the raider's jaw, grabbing him by the throat and pushing him up against the cage as the dogs inside tried to bite at his from behind the metal bars. He had yet to notice Ducky trapped inside a cage just a few down alongside undead sprinkled among other dogs now barking more wildly than before.

A finger found its way to his eye and dug itself deep into the corner, eliciting a growl of pain and he immediately released his grip from the raider, giving the man the opportunity to scramble from beneath to grab John-Paul's loose knife. His fingers wrapped around the handle just as JP regained his bearing and once more closed the space between them, grabbing hold of the knife as the raider sunk it into his side. He instinctively yanked it free and returned the favor, stabbing it into his neck and finally ending the fight.

[duckycooper]

Ducky shot his head up at the sudden commotion, a pair of bodies barreling into the room with a blurr. He'd wanted to write the sound of Jp's voice off as a stress-fueled hallucination but the sight of him bouncing agaist the metal cages made that impossible. He was here. He ( john-paul rose, the one ducky never got over ) was here ( this shithole, this obviously dangerous bad place to be ). That was a very stupid choice for Jp to make and Ducky would be having some strong fucking words about it.

He could do nothing but sit on his knees, looking up to Jp as he threw punch after punch with a clear intention to kill. It made his heart jump for more reasons than one. Maddox's fingers wrapped around the metal bars that kept him contained. His body tensed in anticipation, not wanting to distract Jp from his struggle but afraid that any second now something would go wrong and he would lose the upper hand he currently had.

And then it happened and Ducky was certain that he'd thought it into existence- the finger, the knife--all of it his misfortune manifested upon Jp. "Pax!" Ducky whined at the sight, his fingers shaking the metal cage. Jp was quick to pull the knife out and push it into his attacker, putting a permanent end to the man. It did little to quell Maddox's anxiety. "What the fuck are you doing here? Do you have any idea how dangerous this place is?" They were putting people in cages in case he hadn't noticed! "You could have been killed! You could have had your eye gouged out!"

[aspenhorowitz]

The way his smile changed tickled something inside of Aspen, lifting a blush to her cheeks as she happily wrapped her arm around his so he could so gentlemanly stroll along with her. "Stop, you don't even want to get me started on Sisko." Truly, reading was probably the better idea, because it seemed like between the two of them, once they got started on a topic they were both surprisingly knowledgeable about, they'd truly be up well into the morning hours just talking alone. Which was rare for her, to find anyone who could keep up with her gift of the gab.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Curling her legs underneath her as she gratefully accepted the glass, Aspen brought it to her lips for a sip and a little hum of appreciation for the bitter flavor. Too bad she couldn't stir in a spoonful or two of sugar. Adjusting her position to make sure he has space as he lowers down to join her on the couch, she pauses as she leans forward to get the book, arm hovering awkwardly in the air for a moment. "In your bed?" That was so super sweet and thoughtful, and if she hadn't known better she'd almost think he was coming onto her, but that never really been his style. "That's really sweet."

Resuming her motion with her words, the book is taken up into her hands and held out to him, the opportunity taken to shift to sit a bit closer so the page would be visible and she could 'read' along. "How many books do you think you've read?" He seemed like he always had a different one every time she saw him, and it was hard for her to fathom that he was going through them that quickly.

[duckycooper]

His large hands accept the book and part it's thick pages with tenderness. The stories left to read in this world were getting fewer and fewer every day. At least unlike the Greeks, Ducky could see the smoke in time to begin a rescue. So the library became his project and joined his ever-growing list of tasks that needed his attention. If there was one thing to be said about Duck it was that he stayed busy. "When I was fourteen I decided my annual goal would be to read double my age." Which hadn't been too difficult to keep up with the first several years. He'd realized the best way to keep his record up was to read a few quick children's books between his bigger novels. "Did you know there's over 600 Nancy Drew books? I'm close to halfway done."

It only took a few pages turned before Ducky held chapter one in front of him. He swallowed in preparation before his raspy voice began the story "It was a dark and stormy night..." The book opened on the main character, a preteen, sitting in her bedroom and painting a depressing picture of her life. Even now as an adult the writing elected a sadness within him.

The girl had a bite to her. She was quick-witted and over dramatic. It reminded him of Aspen and he couldn't help but try and picture the woman next to him as that precocious thirteen year old.

Maddox had gotten to the point where the main character learns that the universe is threatened by a great evil and her missing father is actually alive but imprisoned inside of a planet. His gaze was tracking the final sentence on the page when he noticed how close Aspen was. He didn't mind. It felt nice. It had been a long time since he'd felt as mutually at ease with someone besides Madison. There weren't a lot of people that Ducky wanted to fully put his guard down around. He looked down at her with a sleep-filled grin. "So what do you think so far?"

[duckycooper]

@survivalxofxthexfittest

[survivalxofxthexfittest]

💕 ducky and jp

From X

( @duckycooper )

[survivalxofxthexfittest]

"Even at the end of the world you're a fucking genius," they complimented him. She always did say he got more of the brains out of the two of them. And then would follow it up with saying that was okay because she got more of the balls - always the one more prone to act first and evaluate later. Although he could handle his own should the need arise. "A note is perfect. And we'll sign off with our secret code for emergencies. Two peas will leave no question who it's from."

Whether or not it was really viable or not, she liked the idea. It kept the hope alive that their parents were still alive. Still out there trying to make their way to them. That there was still time to have some kind of normal again. That their life pre-outbreak still had a chance to revive itself. Especially since they were being forced to leave the comfort of their apartment into the unknown. It would be nice to have the thought settle in the back of her mind that they could still come back - regardless of the impracticability of it.

"We should leave Jimmy a note too. Next to his bowl," she added playfully. Although Madison worried all the same that the cat was gone too. Jimmy hadn't shown up for his meals in days and that couldn't be good news. But he was a stray and they were always resislent. Just like the twins. So there was always the possibility that he'd just found a better place to call home. Fingers crossed. "How many meows do you think it takes to say 'Had to bounce. Head for Eden's Garden'?" they chuckled.

[duckycooper]

"You're the only one who gets my genius." He returned to her with a wry smile. It was a twin thing, right? Madison would always get him. That sentiment brought on a much needed sense of security. Ducky had never been able to imagine a life without her. Moving away from mom and dad had been difficult but do-able; Madison was another story entirely. How many summers had Maddi come home from camp early because she knew from Ducky's voice that he couldn't take another week without her? How many opportunities had Maddi turned away because taking it would open doors that wouldn't fit him? Maddox was almost certain that in some way or another he'd held her back in her pursuit of becoming an actor.

Ducky looked beyond the living room out towards the ceramic bowl sitting next to the kitchen. He filled it as soon as they shut the door behind them. As if doing so would expedite the cat's safe arrival. "About two?" It was less than half of a standard haiku verse, if you counted syllables. Which he did. "But a picture says a thousand words." Ducky joked as he scratched his mind to mentally picture the last place he'd seen his stack of pink sticky notes. He'd leave a drawing of the path from their apartment to Eden's Garden, vague enough that hopefully only a feline would recognize the directions. Jimmy was a pretty smart cat ( Maddox figured all cats were smart, even the dumb ones ).

"What do we bring with us?" Although that was the question he spoke, the real one remained silent. What do we leave behind? What are we okay with saying goodbye too? Their apartment was full of memories and trinkets that attested to their personalities. "It almost feels wrong to leave mom's Tupperware.."

[ashton-ryder]

"Not... the handyman building kind," it was almost a joking sulk at that tease, they had a birdhouse, but they probably just bought it from a store, ignoring the fact that the Ryder family just wouldn't have enough time to finish building one together if they tried, "we were more of like, hikers and campers, birds aren't my wheelhouse, like yours." Perhaps it was a nice sentiment for his former student to know more about something than his professor. He did feel bad that Maddox ultimately could never pass his class, but he's the only student to have very kept coming back. Most other simply gave up, and that was worth all the respect Ashton had for the man.

Ash had already begun making his way there before Maddox even confirmed but he did pause with a eyebrow raised when he continued, "a song for me?" He wasn't the most... cultured person in the entertainment sphere, the whole township would've known by now, cultural references of movies, shows, celebrities flying over his head, catching no ball to most jokes there. "Guess I'll hafta hear it then," that doesn't mean he wasn't open to being exposed to more, nothing like the end of the world to halt you in your tracks to stop and appreciate these things in life. "Of course, don't worry about it," Ashton looking over the route before they left had already factor in the pit stop to potentially be made, "at this point you practically own the store," he chuckled before shrugging, "why not we bring as much back and set it up in the township instead?"

[duckycooper]

"Fair enough." He conceded. "If it wasn't for nature trying to kill me I might have traded the gym for the trails too." Maddox was definitely more of a fan of nature than the crowded fitness center he frequented. ...Used to frequent. But between his tree pollen allergy ( mild ) and the fire ant allergy ( moderate ) and the highly curious mold spores allergy ( severe ) it seemed best to limit his time in the wild.

Maddox doesn't provide further information about the aforementioned song. He doesn't realize Ashton's comment may have been a question, and if he did, Maddox wouldn't have told him anyway. It would ruin the experience of hearing it all fresh and new for himself. He rolls his shoulders twice as Ashton's question is heard. He doesn't like the question. "It's not mine to own." He answers obviously. "I can't take that piece of normal away from this world. We don't have very many left--I'm not the only one left who appreciates the feeling of picking out a fresh vinyl." Ducky spoke fast as if he needed to shut-down that idea before it came to fruition in front of them.

There were still people out there, in the city--the world. New York was theirs too if they ever came to visit it's streets.

[survivalxofxthexfittest]

His hand ran itself along Maddox's arm, keeping the contact as long as possible just the same, disbelief still reeling that he was there in the flesh. John-Paul was still waiting to be woken up from the dream. That Ducky would poof disappear and he'd be left wishing for the real reunion. He almost kissed him just be a hundred percent sure"My door has always been open to you too you know," he told him quietly with a soft smile, though he knew the flirtatiousness of his comment was probably both lost to Maddox and inappororiate for the situation. But he was too happy seeing him to care. "Same," he joked gently of staying in his place since the fall - John-Paul was if nothing else a creature of habit

Maddox's discomfort wasn't lost to JP and although he still felt a need to keep him close when his touch slipped from around him, he understood what the man had gone through. While he hadn't known most of those he'd had to mercy while stuck outside the Wexley's walls, it hadn't made it any easier to do. "Sorry. That shit always sucks and I don't think we ever get used to it," he empathsized, momentarily taking hold of his hand and squeezing reassuringly. He wasn't great with his words, but he hoped they hit their mark all the same.

"Charlie is doing good. She's married now and about to make me an uncle," he answered, purposefully leaving out Jeremiah's demise. He wasn't ready to talk about how badly everything had fallen apart recently. "How's Maddie?" he asked of his sister.

He caught himself staring and laughed softly. "Sorry," he apologized, though he didn't know for what. He'd missed Maddox since before the apocalypse and he always seemed to get lost in his eyes (and apologizing for it - something Madison always made him take back when he did so). "I'm just really glad you're here," he tried deflecting, clearing his throat to avoid further embarassment.

[duckycooper]

He smiles wryly but doesn't address the comment. The problem had never been with Jp keeping his door open, rather, his heart. Jp's willingness to be vulnerable with Ducky had fluctuated throughout their relationship. Ducky would've liked to say that he was a patient enough man to deal with these highs and lows but there had been a point he'd felt it was a diservice to them both to continue on this way. In his mind, the drugs had been a symptom of a bigger problem. But they'd broken up before addressing either of them.

"We shouldn't," His expression softens into a look of sincerity that had won Ducky many hearts over the years. He was an emotionally intelligent man. He might not always have the social skills to express it, but it was little gestures like this that attested to his compassion. "They're us." There was no doubt in Ducky's mind that one day he and everyone he loved would be among those walking ghosts. He just hoped someone did him the same kindness and put him to sleep. "There's something poetic about it." Depressingly, poetic. The kind reserved for the Romantic Era ( Ducky's admitted favorite ).

There's only slight surprise in Maddox's expression, a brow creeping up just so as he digests the news. It's easy to picture. Charlie, a steady arm wrapped around her waist, smiling as she rubs that growing stomach. It felt right. Like the idea of being with Jp had always felt. Like it still felt.

Maddox knew that was a problem but he was unaware of just how much so. Because without thinking his hand reached up for the familiar lick of curls that had been swept against Jp's forehead. Following the flow of the curl had always been an absentminded motion of his when the pair had been in close quarters ( of course, this tracing of jp's locks was usually followed with a kiss but that had been a habit broken many years ago ).

"I'm really glad to be here." Ducky insisted honestly, his hands abandoning Jp's hair to clasp behind Duck's back. He squeezed them together in a learned motion of self-soothing. "Maddie's Maddie. I wouldn't be here without them." He might have played sports and protein loaded but Ducky was a lover not a fighter. He had a gentle soul.

"I'm sorry about Jeremiah." He does not beat around the bush. If there is a point that needs to be made Duck is quick to make it. "It sounded... messy." He wasn't sure about all the details and had no interest in seeking them out. It was done. None of that really mattered now. "I'm sure the pressure to protect Charlie got even heavier." Because that had always been Jp's mission in life. Duck knew that. He understood that about him.