Summary: Papp is devastated by the sudden passing of his wife, but he bottles up his feelings in order to be strong for Partitio. As the pain starts to become too much to handle, Papp luckily finds out that he has someone to be strong for him as well.

Even though he made sure to shut it as quietly as possible, the sound of Partitio's door closing seemed deafening to Papp. It was well-past midnight, and after a long night of crying for his mom, Partitio had finally exhausted himself enough to fall asleep. Letting out a deep, weary sigh, Papp pressed his back against the door and slid down it slightly, cradling his head in his hands.

He was still trying to process that she was gone. His Maria, his starling, his beloved wife … It had all happened so fast. Only a week had passed between her collapsing out of nowhere due to an unknown illness that quickly rendered her bedridden, and using her last breath to tell Papp that she loved him and to take good care of their little chickadee. He didn't understand why this had happened.

Papp felt tears start to prick at the corners of his eyes, but he clenched his jaw so hard that it popped and managed to blink them away. No, he couldn't show how much he was hurting; he needed to be strong for Partitio. That was easier said than done, because every breath that he took was like razor sharp glass in his lungs, his heart hurt so much that he thought it might burst, and the perpetual nausea that festered in his gut had prevented him from having a proper meal in days.

"Papp."

Jerking his head up, he swallowed thickly when he saw Roque standing before him. He had been a godsend during this horrific time, having taken over Papp's share of their work to keep their business running, as well as bringing over hot meals for him and Partitio, and helping to keep the house clean. He truly could not have asked for a better business partner and friend.

"R-Roque…It's late…" Papp said, trying and failing to keep his voice from cracking. Roque averted his gaze and worried his bottom lip between his teeth.

"I am aware, but…I'm worried about you, Papp." Roque stepped closer to him and examined his face. "You look…pale. Have you been eating? Sleeping?"

"I-It doesn't matter, I need to be strong for Partitio, above all else-" Papp was cut off when Roque took both of his hands and held them between his own. A lump had formed in Papp's throat and he averted his gaze as his composure started to waver, causing him to tremble with the effort of keeping himself from breaking down.

"Papp, listen to me. Look at me." Roque paused until Papp slowly lifted his head and their eyes locked. "You must be strong for Partitio, yes…but please, let me be strong for you ."

Papp felt his composure crumble even more, and his eyes welled up with tears when Roque gave his hands a gentle squeeze. "If you keep those feelings bottled up, they will eat you away from the inside out."

"I lost a good friend in Maria, but Partitio lost a mother, and you lost the love of your life." Roque lifted a hand to cup Papp's face as the tears he tried so hard to hold back finally broke free. "I cannot fathom the pain that you are feeling right now, but even so, I want to help you in any way that I can. So let me do so, please . I…don't want to lose you too."

Something seemed to snap deep within Papp, and his legs gave out under him as he let out an anguished cry. Roque caught him by the arms before he could fall, and he slowly lowered them both to the floor as Papp clung to him and sobbed against his chest. He cried and cried and cried, and continued to cry, even when Roque helped him to his feet and led him safely downstairs.

Papp felt numb to his surroundings, and he barely noticed when Roque sat him down on the couch and draped a blanket over his shoulders. He cried into his hands as a few minutes ticked by, until he felt Roque's arms wrap around him again, and Papp was pulled back into his comforting embrace. He didn't know how long they sat there like that, but by the time Papp had stopped crying, his throat was raw and a dull pain had settled behind his eyes.

Taking in a deep breath, Papp let it out slowly, before rubbing at his red, swollen eyes. The smell of tea had filled his nose, and he looked at Roque, who was holding a steaming mug towards him.

"Here, drink it. I also have some stew heating up for you," Roque said, and Papp gave him a slight nod in response as he took the mug from him. However, he couldn't stop trembling, and Papp was grateful when Roque's hands covered his and helped him to take a drink without spilling the hot liquid all over himself.

"...T-Thank you, Roque…" Papp managed to finally speak, and he winced at how hoarse his voice sounded. Roque nodded in response and helped Papp drink the rest of his tea. Taking the empty cup, he moved it to the end table and placed his hand on Papp's back, rubbing it in a gentle, circular motion.

"...Better?" he asked, and Papp sighed and leaned over to lay his head against Roque's shoulder.

"Eh…"

"Right, a foolish question on my part." Roque hummed as he rest his head against Papp's, and they sat in a comfortable silence for a while.

"I should never have let it get this bad," Papp finally said, and Roque shook his head.

"Grief manifests itself differently for everyone, and it is hard to keep going as if your whole world wasn't cruelly taken from you."

Papp's chest tightened painfully, and he bit his lip hard. "You've got that right…I miss her so much , Roque."

"She was an incredible woman." Roque turned to Papp and offered him a small, sad smile. "And I know that she loved you and Partitio more than anything."

"Partitio…" Papp sighed and rubbed at his temples. "My poor chickadee's cried himself to sleep every night since the funeral. Wish I could take his pain away…"

"You will help him get through this. The bond that you have is stronger than steel." Roque's smile grew as he placed a hand on Papp's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "And I will also be here, whenever and wherever you need me, come what may."

A ghost of a smile crossed Papp's lips, and he pulled Roque into a tight hug. "Thank you, Roque, for everything. I was a fool to keep my pain all bottled up like that. I couldn't ask for a better friend."

"Likewise, Papp. I will always be here for you both."

"I'll hold you to that, partner."

Roque let out a chuckle and stood up, holding a hand out to Papp. "Come, the stew should be hot by now, and I don't want you withering away to nothing on me. That's bad for business."

Papp finally managed to smile, and he placed his hand in Roque's and let himself be pulled to his feet. "Hells, I doubt that would be enough to put a damper on your mercantile prowess, Mr. Rainbow Tongue."

"Hmm, perhaps, but then who will do all of that pesky paperwork that I hate so much?"

"You ass."

Papp delivered a playful swat to Roque's chest as they made for the kitchen, hand-in-hand, to get a much needed meal in him. Papp knew that there were more downs than ups waiting for him as he navigated his own grief, and Partitio's on top of that. With Roque by his side, however, Papp didn't have to worry about stumbling, because he knew that he had someone to pick him up again should he fall.

I am very much a fan of these two ex-ex-husbands, and for some reason I was compelled to write a chapter fic for them lol

When thinking up a name for Papp's wife, Maria was the first one to pop into my head haha, and I also thought that Papp would call her starling, due to his nickname for Partitio being chickadee ^.^

Anyway, this is my first time writing these two characters in earnest so go easy on me lads, and thanks for reading!