Work Text:
“Okay wait, run it by me again?” KO sighed, rubbing his head.
“Okay, so around an hour after you left for the bar, my board of investors and I decided to go check on you. I mean, I told them-” PKO flipped his hands as he was interrupted.
“Leave the small details out.”
“Alright. So when we went to check on you, you were ranting about emojis and you were being like. Really well spoken. Like your vocabulary was super expanded and each sentence was like.. A poem? Anyways, we could tell you were super drunk, because you were still slurring your speech and stumbling a bunch.” KO crushed the now empty can of Ginger Ale on his head, a habit he had picked up a while back, one that seemed impossible to stop. PKO continued as he pointed at KO. “-don't do that- and you started messing with your tie and started joking around and then the rest of the night is kind of blurry-”
“Hold on, What?”
“What's wrong?”
“Everytime i ask you to repeat yourself I get a different story.”
“Weelll.. I’m recounting what was told to me. The only bits I really remember is before I started drinking. I don't exactly.. Remember what happened.” PKO sheepishly spoke, slightly smiling to ease his nerves.
“Okay. um. I’ve decided that i don't care” KO sighed, too hungover to even care. “..Can you check the mail for me?”
“Yeah.” PKO stood up. It was clear he was hungover too, but he was a bit better at managing it. He exited the apartment, leaving KO alone with his thoughts. His least favorite thing in the world. As soon as he left, PKO returned, with a singular envelope.
“Uh. it’s.. This one is from TKO.” The room went quieter than it was originally.
“What?”
“The return address is the old house. The one you lived in with TKO and Carol. Seems he still lives there with his daughter. I guess you should start packing when you feel better?”
“Packing?”
“I assume you don't want him to know your address.“
“Uh.. I'll make a decision later. Are you sure it’s from TKO? What's the name?”
“Theo Karson Kincaid. So TKO. Do you want to read it?” PKO held the envelope out to KO, who took it, opening the paper.
“Dear KO. I really hope you decide to read this. Mom passed away last week.” KO gasped.
“Keep reading!” PKO leaned over the couch.
“I know you’ll probably throw this away when you see my name on it, but I want to invite you to her funeral. Just don't bring PKO. It's at the Westward Funeral Home, next week, on the 12th. I don't care if you come or not. Just stay away from the rest of the family and things will be okay. -TKO.” KO stared at the letter.
“Do you want to go?”
“I dont know.”
“Why don't you decide tomorrow, okay?” KO didn’t respond. He laid back down and simply stared at the ceiling.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
“Are you sure I should wear this suit?” KO smoothed out the suit he had worn to the Villains Annual Ball around a week ago.
“Why, what's wrong?”
“I wore it to a villain party.”
“Ehh.. they’ll never know.” PKO shrugged as he took KOs car keys. “It’s raining, by the way.”
“Of course it is.” KO took an umbrella out and opened it.
“Don't open umbrellas indoors. It’s bad luck.”
“I'm not very superstitious.” KO rolled his eyes, putting his sunglasses on. “Seriously, I'm not wearing this. Hand me that overcoat.” KO pointed at the Black Overcoat hung over the coat rack. It also had golden stitching of his name on each side at the bottom.
“Gotcha. Are you ready?”
“Yep. I'll call you when I'm ready to be picked up.” KO adjusted his tie as he slipped the overcoat on.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––
“Rosebud, calm down.” TKO sighed, his voice somber and tired, like the weight of the world was on his shoulders, though planning a funeral for the rock of his life might as well have been the same. Rosebud, who was sitting under the cake cart holding her fathers tie looked up.
“Aw.”
“Go greet the guest who just arrived.” TKO took the tie from his daughter as he spoke, tying it around his neck. He had heard the little bell at the entrance door ring. Rosebud stood up and ran over to the door, running around the halls. Just before she reached her destination, she tripped and fell.
“You okay?” a voice similar to her fathers echoed above her. She looked up, her eyes setting on the golden letters in cursive sitting on the bottom of the black overcoat in front of her. “KO.”
“Yeah.. uncle KO?” Rosebud mumbled. “My dad said I'm not allowed to talk to you.”
“Did he, now?” KO chuckled, though there was no joy. “Your father says a lot of things. I wouldn’t believe him.”
“What?”
“When you're older and you want to know the story outside of what your dad tells you, you’re gonna want to contact me.” KO handed her a sliver of paper with a number on it. “Don't tell your dad.” TKO stormed up, interrupting the conversation.
“KO, why didn’t you tell me you were here? And what have you been telling her?”
“I just said hi, TKO.”
“Rosebud, go help Aunt Enid with something.”
“Okay..” Rosebud whispered, hiding the paper behind her back as she walked away.
“So what happened to ‘I'll kill you if I see you again?’” TKO chortled.
“Wouldn’t be fair to Rad and Enid to plan another funeral.” KO said calmly.
“Yeah, ok. Just pay your respects, sit in the back, and leave.” TKO rolled his eyes as KO walked away towards the casket.
“Is he wearing heels..?” TKO whispered to himself in confusion. KO reached the casket, his hand trailing across the wood. Then, his eyes met the portrait of his mother. She was wrinkled and older, time had been eating away the same as him. She was smiling calmly, like she knew her time was limited. Her eyes are what disturbed KO the most. They were his. Or at least, he had her eyes. He never noticed the resemblance over the years, as he forgot her face. The eyes seemed to follow him around the room, the shimmer stuck in time. A grimace across his face formed, but he darted his head around when he heard a familiar voice.
“KO?” It was Enid. her hair was longer, still in a ponytail, with an outfit similar to his Mothers favorite before he left, from what he could recall. On her right hand was a golden ring.
“Married?”
“What?”
“Your ring.” KO gestured towards her hand.
“Oh! Yeah, me and red action.” she softly smiled, however it quickly turned to a frown “I wish you could’ve gone to the wedding. We were all so worried about you.”
“Not much I can do about it now.” he shrugged. Enid clenched her fists slightly at the flippancy.
“Yeah.” she sighed, walking away.
“KO.” TKO seethed from the doorway. “What have you been telling my daughter?”
“Just the truth.”
“UGH! How are you being so.. So put-together!?”
“Would you rather me show up drunk and in casual wear? Because I considered it.”
“Cob, it’s like you’ve never lost a loved one before.”
“Of course I have.”
“Who!? Who else other than our mother!?” KO hesitated.
“I lost a brother.” KO spoke soft and quietly, almost like if he spoke any louder, he would shatter into a million pieces. TKO loosened up, his eyes widening.
“KO..” he sighed.
“Let’s get coffee sometime. I want to talk to you. You know my old number.” KO left the funeral home, leaving only a rose on the casket.