So this is it! Thank you all so much for your sweet words and patience! Take care. :) 3

Disclaimer: WTNV is a production of Commonplace Books. It is written by Joseph Fink and produced by Jeffrey Cranor. Cecil owns himself. I own nothing.

It Came Upon a Voidless Clear

A Welcome to Night Vale fanfiction

By doodlegirll

...oOo...

Chapter Sixteen: I'll Be Home in Night Vale

The next few days went by in a whirlwind, flying by so quickly that in some ways, Carlos found that he could easily equate it to an existential crisis in that he wondered if it had actually happened at all; before he knew it, it was the day before he and Cecil were set to return home.

Cecil was sitting on the floor in a circle with Cody and Donovan, all three of them clicking away at the controls of their DSes frantically, as though their very lives depended on the pressing of the A-button in rapid recession, their faces the very picture of concentration. Cecil had his tongue poked out between his lips, and Carlos couldn't help but note that it was actually kind of adorable when he did that as he glanced over the pages of the book he was reading about mathematical matrices.

"Yes, I caught it!" Cody cried triumphantly, pumping a fist in the air. "Do you know how hard it is to catch a Snorlax?!"

"Try catching a Dratini." Carlos interjected. "It took me exactly seventy eight tries to catch my Dratini in Pokémon Blue when I was a kid."

Donovan rolled his eyes. "Big deal, you caught a Snorlax." He said to his twin, who stuck out his tongue in retaliation. "Tío Carlos is right, Dratini is really hard to catch with just a regular Pokéball."

Carlos chuckled as his nephews went on arguing over which Pokémon the hardest to catch was, and bookmarked the page he was on and set his book aside. He walked over and sat down next to Cecil, who hadn't looked up from what it was he was doing, and peered over his shoulder.

"Look, Carlos!" Cecil said excitedly, holding up his DS so his boyfriend could see. "I caught another Zubat!"

Carlos raised an eyebrow. "How many of those have you caught so far?"

Cecil shrugged. "I don't know. Let me check…"

After a few more clicks, he pulled up the folders that filed all of his Pokémon. Carlos took the DS from him and looked at the folder titled "Sacrifical," noticing that the entire contents consisted of nothing but Zubats, all of which were named Steve.

Carlos laughed. "Cecil, why are these Zubats named Steve?"

"They're sacrificial Zubats, dearest Carlos." Cecil said flippantly, taking his DS back. "And you know very well why they are named Steve."

Carlos shook his head, still grinning as he pressed a kiss to Cecil's forehead.

"Don't forget we have to pack." He reminded his boyfriend. "Dad's running me up to the post office here in about an hour to ship what we can't pack."

Cecil nodded. "Don't worry, I haven't forgotten." He assured him, pressing another kiss to Carlos's scruff. "Who is taking us to the airport tomorrow?"

"Andre and Carmen." Carlos answered. "Andre has to stop by the city to get something for work, and Carmen isn't going to pass up an opportunity to go into the city if she can absolutely help it."

"I wish that you could stay longer, Carlito." Abuela lamented from her rocking chair in the corner, where she was knitting. "You both must come and visit again in the summer sometime."

"I'd like that." Cecil said. "The snow is lovely, but I would enjoy seeing all the greenery."

Carlos chuckled. "I'll look into it." He promised.

He got to his feet and dusted the lint from the carpet from his jeans and the elbows of his flannel shirt. Cecil clicked a few more buttons on his DS, and tapped the stylus against the screen three times, before he turned off the game and closed it. Carlos held out a hand, helping him to his feet.

"Awww, Tío Cecil, do you have to stop playing?" Donovan pouted. "We were about to team up and battle together!"

Cecil shrugged. "Sorry, guys, but Carlos is right." He said. "I do still have packing to do."

"Okay." The boys chorused together dejectedly. Carlos reached out and ruffled Cody's hair.

"Hey, don't sound so disappointed. You did just catch a Snorlax. That's something to be proud of."

Cody visibly brightened, and he grinned before he looked back at Cecil.

"Will you come back out and play when you're done?" He asked.

"I don't see why not." Cecil consented. "But it might be a little while, okay?"

"Okay!" Donovan said excitedly. He looked back at his twin. "Ready to battle?"

Carlos slipped his hand into Cecil's, and tugged gently on his arm. "Come on," he said quietly. "Before they get distracted."

The two walked down the hall into Carlos's room, where Carlos had put their suitcases on the bed. He released Cecil's hand and walked over to the chest of drawers in the corner, and opened the top drawer. He pulled his neatly folded shirts from the drawer and crossed the room to deposit them in his suitcase, flipping the lip of it open with his toe.

"Nine days flew by entirely too quickly." Cecil lamented as he pulled his own shirts from the top drawer.

"Mmm," Carlos hummed in agreement. He laid his shirts in the corner of the suitcase and crossed the room once more to wrap his arms around Cecil from behind, pressing a kiss to his white blond hair lovingly. "But it will be nice to be home."

Cecil turned around in his arms, and buried his face in Carlos's shoulder happily. Not a word was said as they stood there for several minutes, simply reveling in each other's company and warmth.

"I love you." Cecil murmured finally, sighing contentedly.

"I love you, too." Carlos kissed him, gently, and ran a thumb over the stitches on Cecil's eyebrow. "Bet you're ready to get these out."

Cecil nodded, and brought his own hand up to them. "They itch."

Carlos smiled. "That means they're healing." He said. "Dr. Garland said that she talked to Teddy Williams, and you can get them out after the New Year."

"I know that." Cecil quirked an eyebrow.

"Didn't say you didn't." Carlos stuck his tongue out at his boyfriend, who chuckled. He kissed him again, and released his hold around him. He grabbed another few shirts still in the drawer, and put them in his suitcase, while Cecil followed suit.

As they packed in companionable silence, Carlos couldn't help but sneak glances at his boyfriend out the corner of his eye, and he thought about how much he didn't want to consider a life without him. He and his team had another year before their grant was up for renewal, and while he didn't doubt that the grant would indeed be renewed for another three years, Carlos found himself contemplating the alternatives should it fall through. If this trip had taught him one thing, just one thing, besides the fact that he was absolutely and scientifically in love with Cecil Palmer, it was that he never wanted to be without him, even for a little while.

Impulsively, Carlos reached out and grabbed Cecil's wrist as he turned to walk back to the chest of drawers for another set of clothes. Cecil blinked at him, those brilliant, impossibly wonderful purple eyes wide with surprise.

"Carlos?" He asked. "Is everything alright?"

Carlos nodded. "Yeah, everything's fine. It's just…" He gently pulled Cecil closer, pressing the other man as close to him as he could. "I love you."

"I love you too." Cecil still sounded mildly confused as he brought his arms around Carlos to hug him back, but Carlos couldn't seem to articulate with any cell in his brain how else to communicate just what it was he was feeling in that moment.

"Carlos?" Cecil said after a moment. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Carlos said. "I just had to tell you is all. I feel like I don't say it enough."

"You do." Cecil assured him, nuzzling his nose against Carlos's. "And even when you don't, I know."

Carlos smiled and closed his eyes, his forehead pressed against Cecil's, and the two stood there for several more minutes, Cecil's arms around Carlos's neck, and Carlos's hands on Cecil's hips. Nothing more was said as they pulled apart and went back to their packing.

But as their hands brushed against one another as they leant over each other to pick up clothing and other items to place them in suitcases and pockets, the small looks and faint blushes filled Carlos's heart with butterflies and a radiating warmth that he knew spoke so much louder than any of words, even when coming from Cecil's spectacular voice, ever could.

...oOo...

Early the next morning, after showers and one last shared breakfast with the rest of the family and making sure every last little thing had been collected and tucked into carry-ons and suitcases, Cecil followed Carlos out the front door and onto the porch of the Ramirez home, where Andre took their suitcases and loaded them into the back of his minivan as the family piled out onto the porch to say their goodbyes.

"You'll come visit, right?!" Gracie whimpered as she threw herself at Cecil's legs, hugging him tightly. "I'm gonna miss you!"

Cecil smiled and crouched down to give the child a hug. She threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his coat.

"Of course!" He promised her. "Or, perhaps, you could come visit us in Night Vale. Either way, I promise, you'll see me again soon."

"Plus, I have your Tío Carlos on Skype." Carmen reminded her daughter. "We can always call them if you start to miss them."

"I miss them now!" Gracie wailed, pulling back, her lip trembling, her big brown eyes wide with unshed tears. "I don't want them to go!"

"Hey, we'll see you again soon, kiddo." Carlos said as he, too, crouched down to the little girl's level. She released Cecil and hugged her uncle, who picked her up. He ruffled her curls lovingly. "Prometo."

Gracie sniffed and nodded, and Carlos sat her back on the porch.

"Love you, Tío Carlos." She said as she released her uncle.

Carlos smiled. "Love you, too, Gracie Girl."

Gracie turned to Cecil, and launched herself at his legs again. "Love you, too, Tío Ceesaw."

Cecil chuckled, and patted her head. "Love you too, Gracie."

Gracie released him and stepped back, and her mother smoothed down her daughter's hair as she hugged her.

Maria stepped forward and cupped her son's face in her small hands, and Carlos leaned down to accommodate the height difference. She tenderly pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"Te quiero mucho, mi hijo." She said, smiling lovingly. "You take care of yourself, Carlito."

"I will, Mamá." Carlos promised, and he hugged his mother, lifting her off her feet. "Te quiero, también."

He sat her back down gently, and she patted his cheek one last time before she stepped back, and turned to Cecil. She raised her hand to his cheek as well, and Cecil felt the warmth of her palm travel from his cheek to the corners of his body. She smiled at him.

"Christmas has always been my favorite time of year," she said. "Because of the blessings that it brings. But this year I never could have imagined that the blessing I would receive would be a new son to love."

Cecil blinked, his eyes flooding quite unapologetically with tears. He bent down and enveloped Maria in a tight hug, and he felt his heart swell in his chest as she brought a hand up to stroke his hair, just as he remembered his own mother doing when he was a child. After a few more moments, they pulled apart, and Maria kissed his forehead.

"You are my son now, too, Cecil." She said sternly. "And I love you. No more car accidents, do you hear me?"

Cecil nodded, the smile on his face so big he could hardly contain it.

"Definitely not." He said, his voice slightly choked. He wiped away a few stray tears as they fell. "Thank you so much, Maria. For everything."

Maria smiled at him one more time before she released him, withdrawing her hand from his face, and stepped back. José stepped forward and held out his hand to Cecil, his face neutral as usual, but his blue eyes were much warmer than they had been when they had first arrived, and Cecil knew he could consider that a step in the right direction, at the very least. He took José's proffered hand and shook it, grasping it tightly in his own.

"You take care of yourself." José said. "And of Carlos."

"I will. Always." Cecil promised.

José gave him a curt nod, and a small smile, and he turned to his son.

"Words cannot describe how proud I am of you, hijo." He said, smiling he slipped an arm around Carlos.

"Gracias, papá." Carlos nodded at his father, smiling so brightly, Cecil was almost certain it could light an entire room. "For everything."

José said nothing more as he nodded once more, releasing Carlos. He helped Abuela to her feet from where she sat in the swing on the porch, and she smiled at her son appreciatively as she walked up to Carlos, who encircled her in a hug.

"You come and visit me sometime, you hear?" She said firmly. "And you take care of that boy! I want him in one piece the next time I see him."

Carlos laughed. "Yes, Abuela." He kissed her cheek. "Te quiero."

She turned her gaze to Cecil. "You are good for our Carlito." She reminded him. "And see to it that he stays out of trouble. Lord only knows he could use it."

Cecil laughed when Carlos looked mock-offended, and bent to peck Abuela on the cheek, just as Carlos had done. "Yes, Abuela."

Abuela beamed and squeezed Cecil's good hand lovingly. "Next time you see me, you bring your knitting needles, and we will knit together, yes?"

Cecil nodded, still grinning. "I would like that. Perhaps you could show me how to make a pair of socks like the ones you're knitting for the baby? I never was able to make the socks look right. They always ended up without a heel and with what appeared to be an extra pocket for a stray toe."

Abuela laughed, her wrinkled face nearly splitting in two as she threw her head back. "Yes." She said, nodding. "We will knit socks."

Abuela stepped away after patting his cheek one last time, and José helped her sit back into the swing.

Cody and Donovan detached themselves from their mother and launched themselves at Carlos, very nearly sending him tumbling backwards from the porch into the snow of the yard, had he not caught himself at the last minute.

"We'll miss you!" They said in perfect unison.

"Come back and visit us soon!" Cody piped.

Carlos laughed and ruffled their dark red hair. "I promise, you'll see me again soon." He said. "In the meantime, you take care of your mom and dad when your new siblings gets here, okay? They're gonna need all the help they can get."

"We promise!" Donovan said, nodding. "And don't worry; if it's a boy, we won't let them name it after you."

Carlos laughed heartily again. "Hey, there is nothing wrong with the name Carlos! It's an awesome name."

"No, we meant your middle name." Cody said, shaking his head. "Emilio just sounds weird."

Ashley bit her lip, obviously trying not to laugh, as she made eye contact with Cecil, who chuckled. Carlos gave an exasperated look, and ruffled the twins' hair again.

"Stay out of trouble, you two." He said.

Ashley was next, stepping forward to peck her brother-in-law on the cheek before she hugged him warmly.

"Next time you see me, it'll be easier to hug me, I promise." She said lightly, and Carlos grinned as he placed his hand on Ashley's stomach.

"Can't wait to meet the little enigma." He said, addressing Ashley's stomach, grinning widely as the baby inside kicked. "You be nice to your mom. She's the only person I know that can keep your dad in line."

"Hey!" Andre protested, and Ashley grinned.

"Oh, don't even try to deny it." Carmen put in. "Other than me, you know it's true."

Andre grumbled something under his breath as he stuffed his hands in his pockets sullenly.

Ashley turned to Cecil, and enveloped him in a soft, tender hug.

"Thank you so much for coming out here this year." She said, pulling away. "It was wonderful to meet you! You're so good with the kids."

"Thank you for having me." Cecil replied as they stepped apart. "It was so wonderful to meet you all."

Ashley reached out and pressed Cecil's hand to her belly.

"Next time you'll have a new member of the family to win over." She said. "Say goodbye to your Tío Cecil, little one."

The baby inside of Ashley kicked Cecil's palm in response, and he felt a flare of affection wash over him for the unborn child he would one day hope to call his niece or nephew. Ashley released Cecil's hand and stepped back, patting her belly. The twins attached themselves to Cecil as soon as their pregnant mother was clear.

"Bye, Tío Cecil!" Cody said. "We'll miss you!"

"Bring your DS next time so we can trade Pokémon!" Donovan added. "We'll build a team that will leave Tío Carlos's team in the dust!"

"In your dreams, kiddos!" Carlos chimed.

Donovan stuck his tongue out at his uncle, and Cecil laughed.

"Promise." He said.

"Alright, nerds, we'd better get on the road if we want to make it before midday traffic!" Carmen piped from the yard. "Chop chop! Time's a wastin'!"

Carlos rolled his eyes, and pecked his mother, grandmother, and sister-in-law on the cheek one last time and nodded to his father before he took Cecil's hand in his own, and Cecil felt butterflies dance in his stomach at the contact, and he saw José smile slightly as he glanced at their joined hands.

"Well, this is us." Carlos said.

José gave a nod. "Safe travels to you both."

"Call us as soon as you get home to let us know you arrived safely!" Maria said sternly. "I will be waiting! Don't let your mamá worry!"

Carlos chuckled. "Sí, Mamá, yo prometo." He assured her.

"Tu cuida a ese niño!" Abuela added, wagging her finger at her grandson.

Cecil didn't know what she had said, but by the way Carlos pulled him closer, and the warmth of his smile as he turned to look at him, he knew it had something to do with him, and he blushed.

"Lo haré." Carlos said, nodding.

"Tick tock!" Carmen chided again, this time from her place by the passenger side door of Andre's car.

"We're coming, Carmen, hold your horses!" Carlos called over to his sister as he and Cecil turned and walked down the steps of the porch into the snow laden yard.

"You know very well I have no horses to hold, dear hermano." Carmen said as she slid into the front seat and fastened her seatbelt, Carlos and Cecil doing the same. "They were left behind the day you lost me at the mall."

Carlos groaned, running a hand over his face, and Cecil chuckled, making a mental reminder to have Carmen explain the story to him later; he doubted Carlos's rendition of the tale would be as humorous.

As Andre executed a near perfect three-point turn and began the slow decent down the driveway, Cecil turned around in his seat to look back at the family waving from the porch of the Ramirez home. Gracie, Donovan, and Cody had clamored down the steps, and were running after the car as it drove away, grinning and waving frantically. Cody cupped his hands to his mouth and yelled something in Spanish, and his twin and cousin chorused him before they continued waving.

Cecil watched as his newfound family shrank further and further into the distance until the minivan crested the hill, and they disappeared from sight. He turned back around in his seat and nestled close to Carlos, who put his arm around his shoulders.

"See?" He whispered as he pressed a kiss to Cecil's stitched temple. "You're a member of the family now. They love you, just like I do."

Cecil said nothing as he turned his head and pressed a kiss to Carlos's lips. His boyfriend smiled at him and nuzzled his nose against his.

"Alright, lovebirds, story time!" Carmen interrupted from the front seat, beaming as she looked into the rearview mirror at them. Her blue eyes sparkled with mischief.

Carlos cocked an eyebrow. "Story time?"

"Well, seeing as we've got a two hour drive ahead of us, I figured I would fill Cecil in on some of the embarrassing stories from your childhood." Carmen said giddily. "You know, like the time we went camping with Dad and the two of you ran out of our campgrounds with nothing but towels around your waists because you thought there was a bear outside your tent?"

Andre's eyes widened, and he made eye contact with his brother in the rearview mirror. Carlos looked equally as horrified as Carmen laughed. Cecil bit his lip, trying to contain the giggles as Carmen began to tell the story despite both of her brothers begging her to stop.

It was good to have a family again, he decided. And it was even better to have siblings again.

...oOo...

The flight back to Arizona had been much easier than the first, as Carlos had made sure to pick up some Dramamine from the corner drugstore on the way to their terminal, and he had called and changed his and Cecil's return flight home to one that included a three hour layover in Denver, both of which helped tremendously in fighting Cecil's airsickness.

After having arrived back in Night Vale, the two had come straight back to Cecil's apartment, where they shared a slice of Big Rico's and watched a documentary together, finally alone for the first time in over a week, snuggled up under the quilt Abuela had made for Carlos on Cecil's plush couch. In the end, they had abandoned the documentary in favor of kissing, which had eventually led to the two of them stumbling into Cecil's bedroom, where they currently resided, curled together under the soft sheets of Cecil's bed, Cecil snoring softly as Carlos watched him sleep, smiling fondly.

Carlos hummed softly as he carded his fingers through Cecil's soft, disheveled white-blond hair, watching as his tattoos curled lazily around his elbows and along his back. Despite how wonderful it had been to see his family again, and to spend Christmas with them, it felt good to be home in Night Vale again, with the most wonderful man cuddled against him, his handsome face serene and unblemished with stress or anxiety, his tattoos once again swimming beneath his epidermis, just as they were supposed to, shuddering slightly as they continued to shake off nine days' worth of stasis from their forms.

He bent his head and pressed a kiss to a passing tentacle on Cecil's bare shoulder before he slowly lowered himself back onto the bed, putting his arm around his slumbering boyfriend and pressing him against his bare chest.

"Te amo, mi querido." He whispered.

He closed his eyes and nuzzled his nose into the hair at the nape of Cecil's neck, breathing in his familiar scent, still slightly musky and mingled with sweat, and let out a sigh of content.

Yes, he thought. This is where I'm meant to be.

He pressed his lips close to Cecil's ear, and whispered, "Marry me? Someday?"

In his sleep, Cecil smiled.

He drifted off to sleep then, his and Cecil's naked bodies tangled together, and dreamt of his life. He dreamt of love, of the ocean, of science and faith, and of Cecil, who somehow managed to combine both into one solid, tangible object. Cecil, who he'd lay down his life in a second for, who loved him for his imperfections and perfections alike, who he was certain, now and forever, he simply could not do without.

As the two of them slept peacefully together, side by side, the cool desert air gently wafted through the town, in between the slumbering buildings and across the sand wastes, and over the ominous dog park, brushing the leaves of the Whispering Forest and gently tousling the curtains of Cecil's open window, wishing them, and all of Night Vale, a goodnight.

Thank you all again!

Translations:
-Te quiero mucho, mi hijo: "I love you very much, my son."
-Te quiero, también: "I love you, too"
-Gracias, papá: "Thank you, father/dad."
-Te quiero: "I love you" (non romantic)
-Sí, Mamá, yo prometo: "Yes, Mama, I promise."
-Tu cuida a ese niño: "You take care of that boy!"
-Lo haré: "I will"