idk if i feel comfy writing abt keswick forgiving his parents (i dont think he would if given the chance) soooo instead i took that concept and applied it to dudley!

also this ending is really soft i think so i'm just dropping it here: yes the black things on top of keswick's glasses function like eyebrows (and they levitate) and yes i do headcanon that the blue things on them are piercings!

also, i headcanon dudley is pan! this is an explanation for one (1) sentence.

"My mom invited me over to dinner and I… think I'm going to come out to her?"

"You s-s-sure that's a good idea, D-Dudley?" replied Keswick from the other end of the room. "I mean. Your m-m-mother is the same person who s-s-s-ssssewed a tracking device in your ass."

"Mhm…?" replied Dudley, laying across the couch. Keswick leaned over the back of it.

"And she made you q-quit your job at TUFF?"

"Mhm?"

"...and she hates Kitty?"

"Yeah?"

Keswick thought a moment. "...and she dated Snaptrap?"

Dudley groaned loudly and flipped onto his back. Then he whimpered. "You're right, Kes! What if my mom makes me break up with you! You're in, like, my top five favorite things!"

Keswick furrowed his brows and blinked, confused, down at his boyfriend. "...what n-number am I?"

"Three."

"What am I th-third to?"

"Bacon and candy," Dudley replied softly.

Keswick hummed. "Glad to know I'm the first living thing, then."

The mention of candy and bacon didn't console Dudley however. Keswick reached down and grabbed Dudley's shoulder. The mutt blinked up at him, blue eyes watery.

"You're an adult, Dudley," Keswick stated, "Even if your m-mother doesn't like me, she can't do anything. You don't l-l-live with her."

"She can hate me for all of eternity…" sighed Dudley.

"She might like me, th-though!" Keswick tried to console, though he didn't believe a word of it.

Dudley finally sat up and looked at his partner properly. "I don't know, Keswick…" he sighed, "My mom doesn't like Kitty and I'm not even dating her. But she might like the thought of me dating someone she doesn't like more than…" he sighed again, "She likes the thought of me dating a boy."

Keswick circled around the couch and sat down beside the dog. He grabbed Dudley's white hands in his own beige ones. "C-c'mon, Dudley. Why don't you think P-P-Peg would like me?" Inwardly, though, Keswick's answer started and ended with one word: boy.

"Wweeelll…" sighed Dudley once more. "You. Aren't a girl."

"I'd h-h-hope so, yes," Keswick replied, trying to be chipper.

"You're also an alien," Dudley continued.

"Your mom doesn't need to know that," snickered Keswick.

Dudley tore one of his hands from Keswick's grip and dragged his thumb across one of his partner's thick eyebrows. "You have piercings."

Keswick grabbed Dudley's wrist and pulled it back into his lap. "It's tw-tw-tw-twenty-nineteen, Dudley, she'll just have to deal with that."

Dudley soon tore his hand free again, though. This time he rolled up one of Keswick's flannel sleeves. "You've got cut scars…" he continued.

Keswick hurriedly shook his sleeve down. "She doesn't need to know th-th-that, either!" he exclaimed.

"You have a stutter!" Dudley exclaimed.

"Like I can h-help it!" replied Keswick.

"You swear like a sailor," Dudley continued.

"Oh, f-f-fffuck you," laughed Keswick.

Dudley rolled back a bit and moved his legs up on the couch, on either side of his arms. He looked back at Keswick a few moments later.

"You took my virginity?" he went on.

Keswick flushed and laughed. "Your m-mom especially doesn't need to know that!"

Dudley whimpered again, pulling himself into a ball. Keswick let out his own sigh and leaned forward, placing a small kiss to Dudley's cheek.

"I could t-t-take your mom," Keswick muttered.

"Don't fight my mom…" whimpered Dudley with a frown. With one more sigh, he stood and circled around the couch. "Will you come with me?"

Keswick nodded.

"I need to call my mom and tell her I'm bringing a friend," Dudley informed, "She'll be upset about that first."

(...)

If Peg was upset about Keswick's appearance, she didn't show it.

"Hi, mom!" called Dudley as soon as he stepped out of his car. All his earlier worries seemed to be forgotten as he grabbed Keswick's wrist and rushed toward the door. He soon crashed into his mother in a hug, tail wagging wildly.

"It feels like it's been so long since I last saw you, Dudley!" exclaimed Peg. Then she faced Keswick. "And this must be your little friend!" she extended her hand, "I'm Peg, but you can call me Dudley's Mother!"

"N-no, thank you," replied Keswick, shaking her hand anyway. "I'm Keswick."

"Keswick," Peg repeated, "That's a bit of a strange name."

"Th-thanks!" replied Keswick in a sigh.

"Come in, come in!" Peg invited, still holding Dudley's hand. "I hope you don't mind, but I figured that since you were inviting a friend, I'd invite one too! Dudley, this is Kanga!"

Dudley's ears promptly fell back and all expression drained from his face. Keswick's eyes widened a bit as the three of them stared. Sure enough, at a small wooden dinner table sat a kangaroo with her brown hair tied back. She waved.

Dudley soon picked his jaw up off the floor and chuckled. "O-oh! That's, uh… that's fine, mom. Right, Keswick?"

"Don't d-dr-drag me into this!" Keswick angrily replied.

"Kelsmitch, honey, there's no need to be nervous!" Peg interjected.

"Nervous n-n-nothing-" Keswick scoffed, though Dudley shoved his arm gently and cut him off.

"Keswick's not nervous, mom!" he informed, "He just… talks like that!"

"He should get that checked out," Peg said, her voice the quietest and most concerned Keswick had ever heard it. "Anyway. I'm going to put the finishing touches on dinner, why don't you introduce yourselves with Kanga, hmm?"

The night was long and tedious. Keswick never stopped being "ever-so-slightly" with Peg's off-handed comments about his stutter, name and eyebrow piercings. Dudley didn't seem bothered whatsoever though; either with the fact there was even more of an audience to his coming out, or to the fact that his boyfriend was upset.

In fact, Dudley only ever seemed to show any sort of negative emotion when his mother whipped out the wooden Scrabble.

"OH NO!" fretted Dudley, "I'm no good at that! I can't spell!"

"Why don't you let your friend Kelsmitch help you?" Peg suggested.

"Keswick," he corrected, ignored by everyone.

Dudley cooed. "Yeah, why don't you help me, Keswick! You have a PhD!"

"I have an ScD," Keswick corrected, a small smile crossing his face, moreso at Dudley than his accomplishments.

Kanga squeaked. "I love a smart man…" she cooed, then turned to Peg. "But I don't believe I can stay! You know how the little joeys get…"

She stood and hugged Peg before quickly grabbing her purse and heading out. Almost immediately, Dudley's face was consumed by anxiety. Peg was arranging the pieces properly, however when she finally looked up at her son, she looked anxious herself.

"What's wrong, honey?" she asked.

"Uh, well…" Dudley's voice was high-pitched and strained. He glanced nervously over at Keswick, who quickly interlaced their hands under the table. Dudley cleared his throat. "Keswick is… my roommate."

Peg smiled then. "Oh! Good for you, Dudley." She then went right back to figuring out to the game.

"That's not all," Dudley whispered, catching her attention again.

He looked to Keswick one last time. Keswick smiled gently and patted his hand under the table.

"I've. Uh," Dudley went on, "Learned lots of times that… lying is bad, so, uh, I… I can't lie to you anymore."

Dudley didn't continue for a few moments, and, for once in his life, needed to work up the confidence to say anything. The silence was so thick he could've shot it with his blaster.

"...Keswick is my boyfriend," Dudley announced quickly, his voice high-pitched. Under the table, his hands were squeezing the ever-loving heck out of Keswick's.

Peg blinked. "He's your what? He can't be! You dated girls all the time in middle and high-school!"

Dudley didn't have the energy to even start to explain he liked them both. Instead he replied, "I'm not in middle or high-school anymore, mom. I'm twenty-seven."

"How did this happen, Dudley?" Peg asked hurriedly, "Was it because you never had a father? Did you just get tired of a woman's touch?"

"What?" Dudley replied, "No! I just! I like boys, mom!"

Peg stared at the two of them blankly, her hackles risen. "Why?"

Dudley opened his mouth to reply. But, for once in his life, he couldn't get anything to come out. Suddenly, Keswick let out a deep, shakey breath.

"I need to-" he said, breathlessly, tearing his hands from Dudley's iron grip and standing up from the table. "-g-get some fr-fr-fresh air, r-r-real quick."

"Don't leave me, Keswick!" begged Dudley.

"I think the both of you should get some fresh air," replied Peg, her voice clearly reflecting all the other thoughts that swam around her head.

Dudley glanced up at his boyfriend, terrified. Wordlessly, he stood as well and grabbed his hand once more, leading the both of them out the open front door. Night had fallen on the two lone figures as Keswick dragged Dudley to their car.

"We can't leave yet," Dudley whispered, "I still have things I like in my old room, I need to get them before my mom boots me out her life forever!"

"D-D-Dudley P-P-Puppy, I am ab-about to have a p-p-p-panic att-attack."

Keswick was leaning on the side of their car, arms crossed and shaking. His glasses were half-fogged up and his breaths came out unsteady. Dudley crossed his arms as well, gently rubbing his biceps. His face heated and his vision blurred.

"This was a bad idea, huh?" he asked softly.

"No sh-sh-shit, Sh-Sh-Sherlock," replied Keswick. His eyes were watery too, though Dudley could hardly see them.

Dudley let out a shakey sigh and grabbed one of Keswick's arms. He pulled him gently forward into a hug. Dudley pressed hard into the space between Keswick's neck and shoulder.

"I'm sorry…" the dog squeaked.

Keswick was still shaking and letting out half-muffled sobs in his partner's embrace. He released his shaking hands, though, and looped them around Dudley's broad shoulders.

"It's n-n-not your f-f-fault," Keswick whispered shakily, "It's n-not y-y-your f-f-fault…."

(...)

Dudley and Keswick stayed outside for a very long time. Keswick calmed down, and Dudley got more emotional. Even after everything, there was absolutely no mistaking the both of them had been crying.

It had been long enough, though, and Dudley needed to speak with his mom again.

"G-go on without me," sniffled Keswick, tossing his keys in the air for a moment. "...I want to insult your mother, but I won't," he said before ducking into their car.

Dudley sniffled himself and slowly padded back inside his childhood home. Peg was waiting not too far from the doorway.

"I saw that," she whispered.

"Saw what," Dudley replied, too emotionally drained to make a proper question.

"That… thing where you and Keswick tried to calm eachother down," Peg explained.

"Yeah, well…" Dudley replied. Then shrugged, "I love him, so."

"I think I reacted too boldly," Peg went on.

"You think?" Dudley replied.

Peg nodded. "I just… I lived through the eighties, Dudley, I worry about you."

"Neither of us have anything," Dudley answered, then flushed, "My… my first time was with Keswick. And his was with me."

"Don't tell me that," Peg laughed, "And Keswick doesn't look the best, either! He's a nerd, Dudley! A nerd with eyebrow piercings!"

Dudley nodded. He knew that.

"And he stutters!" continued Peg, "And I sat across from him all night trying to figure out what kind of animal he is! Is he a mole? A quakea, whatever those Austrailian things are called?"

"Jellyfish," Dudley answered.

"What?" replied Peg.

"Ooh, maybe he is a quakea," Dudley thought aloud. He then explained, "But he's mostly jellyfish."

"And he's a crossbreed of all things!" Peg went on, breathless.

Dudley furrowed his brows and felt his own hackles raise. "Don't you have anything nice to say about him?"

Peg blinked, then answered, "Yes. He seems to love you very much. And you seem to love him very much."

"Yeah…" sighed Dudley. Though, inwardly, Dudley figured Keswick probably loved him significantly less after this encounter.

Peg grabbed her son's arm then. "I never cared much for gays, Dudley. But I learned my lesson with you. You need your, hm… 'man space.' You were devastated when I made you quit TUFF, and that's just a job!" Peg laughed. "My parents never stopped me with my wild rock-n-roll boyfriends. Keswick may be the polar opposite, but you know what?"

For once since the whole ordeal, Peg and Dudley's eyes met. Peg smiled softly.

"I'm not going to stop you either."

Dudley beamed, eyes lighting up. His tail wagged wildly as he rushed forward, pressing into his mother for a hug. They also sat there for a while, though Peg eventually pulled away and looked up at her son, face very serious.

"Just don't go around getting any STD's," Peg said, voice dry and monotone.

Dudley laughed and stepped back, "Don't worry, mom! I'm gonna marry Keswick."

Peg blinked. "What, tonight?"

Dudley chuckled again. "Uh. No, I need to talk him into the whole thing first."

Peg smiled and pulled her son into one more hug. "I'm so happy for you, Dudley," she said, placing a kiss to his cheek. She then gently pushed him away. "Off you go then. I want grandkids."

"Mom!" Dudley laughed, padding out the door. Peg stood by, ready to close it. Dudley turned on his heel half-way to the car, though, and waved. His mother waved back, then closed the door their home.

(...)

"I guess you m-made up, then?" asked Keswick quietly as Dudley got in the passenger side door.

Dudley nodded happily and wiped his face with one of his hands. He then took note of Keswick's seat. "Why are you driving…" he asked.

Keswick smirked up at him. "What? You expected me to wait in a car for g-g-god knows how long in f-f-f-fifty fucking degress? I don't th-think so, Dudley."

Dudley sighed wistfully while Keswick chuckled to himself. Then the alien faced his partner.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Yeah, hang on," Dudley replied. He scooted over in his seat and placed one of his hands on Keswick's jaw before pulling him into a deep kiss. Keswick sighed himself, dragging his hands from the steering wheel to Dudley's shoulders. Then Dudley pulled closer (as close as he could, anyway, with the armrest) and Keswick rested his elbows on his boyfriend's shoulders instead.

Dudley pulled away with a heavy breath and Keswick pulled away, fur lit up with red.

"I'm ready," Dudley said, shifting into his seat properly and buckling his seatbelt.

Keswick huffed, fixing his posture though still looking at his roommate. "...you're a j-j-jackass, Dudley Puppy…" he whispered, then glanced away. "...I love you."

Dudley smiled and blushed pink. "I love you too, Kes," he answered.