Chapter Text
“Domenico Pucci was born on June 5, alongside his brother Enrico, to Emilio and Cristina Pucci of Lake View. On that same day, he passed gently and quietly into the arms of the Lord. During his brief visit on Earth, Domenico was loved and cherished by all who knew him and brought joy and happiness to those around him. He is survived by his loving parents, grandparents, and twin brother.
Graveside services for Domenico will be held at noon Sunday at Sea Moon Cemetery. There will be no visitation. Memorial contributions can be made to Singularity Catholic Church in Domenico’s name.”
N’Doul let out a long breath after Weather finished reading. “Wow.”
“Mmhmm.” Weather answered.
Vanilla Ice wet his lips. “You’re sure that’s him? I mean, that that’s—that’s you?”
“Not completely.” Vanilla Ice watched as Weather continued staring at the scanned obituary. “But pretty sure.”
“Where’d you find it?” N’Doul asked.
“My dad sent it to me. He was searching through newspapers from the week I was born back in New Orleans and found it.”
N’Doul frowned. “I thought you grew up in Florida. Why New Orleans?”
“That’s where my mom and dad met. We moved to Florida when I was really little.”
Vanilla Ice peered at Weather’s face, which was mostly blank. “Have you… looked up the family?”
“Yeah.” Weather opened a different tab on his phone. “It looks like the parents were pretty active in the church. They might be related to this pretty old Italian family from Venice, but I’m not sure. And I…” He paused and swallowed.
Vanilla hesitated, then touched the back of his hand. “You okay?”
Weather didn’t answer for a while. Then he took a breath, his lip trembling. “I found another obituary. Apparently they had a daughter who died too. Few years back.”
“My God.” N’Doul clutched the arm of the couch. “That poor family.”
“Yeah.” Weather pressed his lips together. “She was only fourteen.”
“...Jesus.” Vanilla rubbed his forehead.
There was a silence.
“What about… the brother?” N’Doul ventured.
“I’ve been looking. I found some stuff from the high school he went to that mentioned him, but I couldn’t find any social media or anything. Not on Facebook or Twitter, anyway.”
“Ah.” N’Doul looked away. “I’m sorry.”
Weather hummed in acknowledgement.
“Have you tried, like… making a post on Facebook about it or something?” Vanilla asked. “Like how adopted kids try to find their birth families?”
“I don’t… really want to make it public like that.” Weather answered quietly. “Especially before I’m completely sure about everything.”
“Right.” Vanilla sighed and nodded. “Well…”
“I’ll just keep looking.” Weather opened Facebook on his phone and stared blankly at the feed. “He’s gotta have something somewhere. I think he’s my best bet.”
“Yeah.” Vanilla agreed.
“I’m sorry you’re going through all this.” N’Doul offered. “I don’t know if ‘sorry’ is the right sentiment, but—”
“Thanks.” Weather leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes. “I appreciate it. Really.”
The silence stretched out.
“Well.” Weather stretched his arms upwards. “Guess I’ll head back home.”
Vanilla Ice glanced at N’Doul, who didn’t react. Oh. Right. Idiot. “N’Doul, um…”
Luckily, N’Doul picked up his tone quickly. “I’m sure Terence would be okay if you stayed longer. And I am too, of course.”
“Thanks, but that’s okay.” Weather got to his feet. “Kinda want to process everything.”
“Would you want to meet him? I mean, them?” Vanilla Ice blurted out. “Like, if you found them?”
“Yeah, of course.” Weather responded flatly. “It’d probably be a whole big thing, though. Especially if they still live down there.”
“Right.” Vanilla looked at the ground. “I’ll walk you out.”
…
After he saw Weather off, Vanilla Ice closed the door to his room, flopped down onto his bed, and groaned into one of his pillows.
Guess it did seem like things were going a little too well for me. Ugh, wait, why was he even thinking that? If anyone was in a shitty situation, it was Weather. Why was he worrying about his own self-created bullshit?
Then again… what had his therapist said about that? His own troubles were valid. He shouldn’t compare them to others. But this was something that was his fault, and now it was affecting someone he cared about.
But was it his fault? Was he accepting too much of the blame?
Was it his fault for allowing Dio to use him like that? And not caring? That didn’t sound right, but it had to be true, right? He was in the wrong for blowing up, right? But had he blown up for a legitimate reason? Was there ever a legitimate reason for blowing up? But he hadn’t even blown up at the right person. Or had he?
Fuck. He had no idea what to do.
He wasn’t really thinking (or was he? Was he lying to himself to absolve himself of blame?) when he reached over to grab his phone and open Instagram. Part of him was hoping he’d been blocked so he would have an excuse not to deal with it, but the other part of him was praying he wasn’t. Actually, would being blocked be worse? Then he’d have even more to try to explain—
Well, he didn’t have to worry about it, because he wasn’t blocked, for some reason.
He swallowed.
He spent over fifteen minutes—he’d counted—typing and deleting and retyping about a million variations of the same message.
vanilla_i_scream: hey, i know you have no reason to listen to me, but
vanilla_i_scream: hey, i’m really sorry for what i said to you. i just
vanilla_i_scream: i know you don’t owe me anything, but
vanilla_i_scream: ok, i’m sorry, i have a really weird question to ask you
vanilla_i_scream: this is going to sound invasive
Jesus Christ, get a hold of yourself! Vanilla yelled at himself before remembering his therapist’s advice to use gentle words in his mental voice.
Vanilla Ice. You can do this. It’s just texting someone. Why are you being so weird about—
No, no, that wasn’t being kind to himself.
But did he deserve to be kind to himself? In this situation, at least? He was pretty sure his therapist meant that he should be kind to himself about stuff that happened… before all this. Not when he was actually at fault for something.
It isn’t your fault that you were in a bad relationship, Vanilla reminded himself.
Then again, it wasn’t the third party’s fault either. Vanilla had no idea how much Dio had actually told him. It probably wasn’t a lot.
“God dammit.” He mumbled out loud before starting another message.
vanilla_i_scream: hey, i know this is going to sound weird, and you don’t have to respond to this. i’m sorry for how i treated you. i also have a very personal and kind of invasive question to ask you.
Without thinking too hard about it, he sent it, then started composing a second message. However, he was already a few words in when the three dots indicating the other party was typing popped up. Vanilla felt himself beginning to overheat.
pucci_fresh: ok, yeah, that’s very weird.
He was still typing. Vanilla swallowed.
pucci_fresh: what is it
Vanilla closed his eyes and said a silent prayer of gratitude to whoever might have been listening.
vanilla_i_scream: did you have a twin brother who died?
Predictably, the dots didn’t show up for several minutes. Vanilla wanted to put his phone face down on the bed and do something else while he waited for the response, but he couldn’t leave Pucci on a cliffhanger like that, especially when he was desperately trying to curry favor.
Finally, he started typing.
pucci_fresh: you’re right. that is extremely personal and invasive.
pucci_fresh: why on earth would you ask me that
vanilla_i_scream: again, this is going to sound crazy, but i promise i’m telling the truth. one of my friends just learned his mom kidnapped him from another family at the hospital when he was born and switched him with her stillborn baby
vanilla_i_scream: he found an obituary online for a domenico pucci who was born the same day as him in the city where his mom used to live, and it said his twin’s name was enrico
Vanilla attempted several times to write a third message explaining more of the situation, but gave up. It wasn’t his story to tell. He needed to get to the point.
vanilla_i_scream: i want to show him your profile, but he’d need to follow request because you’re private
vanilla_i_scream: so basically all this is to say when he follow requests you, please accept it.
He was trying to continue that train of thought when another message popped up.
pucci_fresh: um.
vanilla_i_scream: it’s the truth, i swear
vanilla_i_scream: i promise it’s not a trick or anything
Vanilla tilted his head towards the ceiling and squeezed his eyes shut. He should’ve thought this through more.
vanilla_i_scream: i’m just going to tell him i searched your name on insta and found you
vanilla_i_scream: i don’t want him to know we know each other, i think it’d just make things really awkward
He bit his lip as Pucci started typing, then stopped, then started again.
pucci_fresh: i don’t know what to say to any of that.
vanilla_i_scream: you really don’t have to respond to me. just accept his request when it comes through. i swear it’s real. he’ll prove it for you.
pucci_fresh: ok fine. please don’t message me again
Fuck, he was lucky he’d gotten everything important out before Pucci came to his senses. He tossed the phone away and rolled onto his back.
What were the chances? Literally, what were they? Everything was finally starting to look up for him. He was on meds. He was doing okay in school. He had a nice boyfriend. And of all the places for his nice boyfriend to find his long-lost twin brother, it was in the arms of Vanilla Ice’s shitty ex.
“Fuck.” He groaned out loud.
He needed to do something. He needed to do chores or homework or go out and see someone. Unfortunately, he’d already done all his chores, school hadn’t started back up again yet, and it was a cold January night. Vanilla himself didn’t want to go outside, and he doubted anyone else would, except maybe Weather. Who he, for once, didn’t want to see at the moment.
Just then, there was a knock at his door.
“Yeah?”
The door creaked open and N’Doul poked his head in. “Hey, Terence and I are gonna order pizza. Do you want any toppings?”
Vanilla blinked, then smiled. “Oh, I… nah, plain is fine. Thanks. Who am I Venmo-ing?”
“No one. He’s using his daddy’s money.” N’Doul grinned. “Want any garlic knots or anything?”
“Uh…” He thought for a moment. He didn’t actually want anything extra, but he needed to talk to people. “Let me see the menu.”
As he followed N’Doul out, he took a moment to give a second silent prayer of gratitude to whatever force, divine or otherwise, he had to thank for that very fortuitous sequence of events.
…
“Thanks for having me over again.” Weather murmured into Vanilla Ice’s shoulder. “Where’s the guys?”
“Terence’s here. He’s just gaming. N’Doul’s out.”
“Well, remind me to thank them too when I get the chance.” He smiled and pulled away. “I know I’ve been here a lot.”
“They don’t mind.”
“They might not say they do, but they might.” Weather countered, shucking his boots off.
Vanilla gave him a tired grin. “So… how are you doing?”
Weather sighed, his smile fading. “Okay.”
“I wish you were better than okay.”
“Sometimes okay’s the best we’ve got.”
Vanilla laughed, but it sounded forced, and his smile didn’t reach his eyes. He looked away.
“You alright, Ice?”
He nodded, not looking up. “I… so, I don’t want to get your hopes up or anything, but…” He pulled out his phone and tapped something on it. “I decided to search ‘Pucci’ on Instagram and—”
Weather felt his mouth fall open a little when Vanilla showed him the screen. The username was “pucci_fresh,” and the profile picture was of a guy around their age wearing a wide-brimmed black hat and sunglasses. His hair was the same color as Weather’s.
“Oh my God.” He managed. “Oh my—oh my God.”
“You think it’s—?”
“It’s gotta be.” Weather fumbled for his own phone, his eyes glued to the screen. “I gotta make an account.”
It took a frustratingly long time (about ten minutes) for Weather to set up his own Instagram, with Vanilla Ice patiently guiding him.
Once everything was done, Weather bit his lip. His palms were clammy.
“You okay?” Vanilla asked.
“Kinda.”
“It’ll be fine.”
“Yeah.” Weather tried to convince himself. “What should I say?”
“Well… you have to follow request him first. He’s private.”
“Oh. Wait, what if he doesn’t accept it? I’m just a random person. If he’s private, he’s probably careful about that.”
Vanilla Ice sighed. “I guess you just gotta go for it.”
Weather bit his lip, then hit the follow button.
“Says the request was sent.”
Vanilla shrugged. “Guess all you can do is wait. Want something to drink?”
“Water would be great.”
Just as Vanilla got up, a notification banner came up on Weather’s screen.
“Holy shit! Holy shit!!” Weather sat up straight. “He accepted it!”
“Really?” Vanilla came rushing back.
“Yeah! Holy shit, what do I say?”
“I mean… just introduce yourself and explain everything?”
“Right. Yeah. Yeah.”
Weather spent about five minutes composing a message, then showed it to Vanilla for approval.
the_weather_report: hi, thanks for accepting my request. i know this sounds super sketchy, but i recently learned that my mom kidnapped me from another family at the hospital when i was born and switched me with her stillborn baby. my dad and i tried to look up what family it was, and we found an obituary from the week i was born in new orleans that we think is for the baby i was switched with. the family’s name was pucci. my friend typed that into instagram (i didn’t have one) and found you. again, i know this sounds crazy, but does that sound like anything you recognize?
He sent it and let out a huge gush of breath. “If he actually reads all that and doesn’t immediately think it’s a scam, it’ll be a miracle.”
“Hey, you never know.” Vanilla patted his shoulder. “If he really did have a stillborn twin, he’ll probably recognize that.”
“Hey! He’s typing!” Weather bounced his leg. “What are the chances?”
“Not as bad as you—”
“Okay, okay, holy shit.” He leaned down to read the message.
pucci_fresh: at the risk of sounding paranoid, could you send me a picture of yourself and your ID with a timestamp so i know you aren’t a bot?
“Okay, he’s smart.” Weather dug his wallet out of his back pocket. “Can you grab me that sticky note block from the kitchen?”
He wrote down the time and date along with his Instagram handle on a sticky note, covered the address information on his ID, and took a picture of both of them together. Then he took a selfie of himself flashing a peace sign while holding the note.
They received a response almost immediately after the pictures sent.
pucci_fresh: wow, ok, you’re serious about this. in the future maybe be a little more careful about giving that stuff away, you don’t even know if i’m the person you’re looking for
“Little touchy.” Vanilla Ice commented.
“I think it’s funny.”
the_weather_report: duly noted. are you comfortable telling me if you’re enrico pucci?
There was a pause.
pucci_fresh: i did have a twin brother who died the day he was born.
He didn’t elaborate.
Vanilla Ice let out some air through his nose. Weather drummed his fingers on the side of the phone.
pucci_fresh: but as you said, that information is available online.
pucci_fresh: where is your mom? if she actually did what you’re saying she did, she’d be in serious trouble.
the_weather_report: she left home after she told us and we don’t know where she is now.
pucci_fresh: when and why did she tell you?
the_weather_report: a few months ago and it was because i took a DNA test. she’d told him i was her biological kid but my results didn’t match her or my dad’s backgrounds. she kept telling stories that didn’t add up and she ended up in a corner.
pucci_fresh: why did you take the test?
the_weather_report: it was just for fun. didn’t end up being all that fun though
pucci_fresh: can you send a picture of the results?
“Jeez, this guy’s picky.” Vanilla grumbled.
“Nah, I get it. Pretty much expected this, to be honest.” In fact, Weather had a screenshot of his results readily available for this very reason. He attached it.
The other party didn’t respond for a long time. Finally, the three dots showed up.
pucci_fresh: ok. i’m willing to at least entertain the possibility that all this is true.
pucci_fresh: so where do you intend to go from here?
Weather bit his lip.
the_weather_report: to be honest i wasn’t really expecting this to progress so quickly. i just wanted to know if you were the person i was looking for. did not have a solid plan for after that
pucci_fresh: don’t you want to at least confirm i’m the person i say i am?
the_weather_report: i mean, you haven’t exactly said it yet
the_weather_report: are you enrico pucci?
A few seconds later, he sent an image of his own ID with everything blacked out except for his name—Enrico Pucci—and his face. Weather squinted to get a better idea of what he looked like, but it didn’t tell him much that he didn’t already know.
the_weather_report: guess that answers that
the_weather_report: so do you think i might be right?
pucci_fresh: it’s possible. but again, i’m not sure what either of us can do with this information
Weather sighed. “He’s got a point. I don’t really know where to go from here.”
“Do you want to ask about… meeting up?” Vanilla suggested hesitantly.
“That’d make it sound even more suspicious. Besides, what are the chances he lives nearby?”
“What are the chances of any of this even happening?”
“Hm. Good point.”
the_weather_report: it might sound a little forward/suspicious, but would you want to try talking on the phone or something?
pucci_fresh: i’m not comfortable giving you my number, sorry
“Damn.” Weather muttered.
the_weather_report: it’s ok, i understand that
pucci_fresh: i’d actually be more comfortable meeting up, if you’d believe that
the_weather_report: really? why?
pucci_fresh: if you were willing to meet somewhere public, i’d feel better about it than about giving you my number, which i consider to be private
the_weather_report: it’s nice to hear you’re willing to meet, but i have no idea where you are
pucci_fresh: let’s see if we can triangulate something.
pucci_fresh: i’m in the northeast.
the_weather_report: oh wow, ok, me too
pucci_fresh: ok, now you say something more specific
the_weather_report: i’m in new york.
pucci_fresh: upstate or downstate?
the_weather_report: upstate
pucci_fresh: ok…
pucci_fresh: are you a student?
the_weather_report: i go to ilium college. i can send you my ID
pucci_fresh: can you give me a second?
Weather and Vanilla waited.
“What do you think he’s doing?” Vanilla asked.
“I dunno. Looking me up?”
Finally, Pucci responded.
pucci_fresh: can you meet at green dolphin cafe
Weather raised his eyebrows.
the_weather_report: uh like now?
pucci_fresh: not now, just in general, is that a place you’re near?
the_weather_report: yeah i can get there
pucci_fresh: are you free tomorrow?
Weather’s eyebrows disappeared under his hat. “Holy shit.”
“Damn, okay, zero to a hundred real fast.” Vanilla’s eyes were also wide.
“What should I say?”
“Well, do you want to meet him?”
“I…” Weather thought for a moment, then looked at the screen. “Yeah. I do.”
“Then tell him.”
the_weather_report: yeah. i am.
the_weather_report: does 3 work for you?
pucci_fresh: it does.
pucci_fresh: see you at 3 tomorrow at green dolphin then.
pucci_fresh: i’ll be wearing a big hat and a robe.
the_weather_report: cool. i’ll be wearing a tall hat and a sweatshirt.
pucci_fresh: are you making a joke?
the_weather_report: no, i’m serious.
pucci_fresh: okay. interesting. i’ll see you then.
the_weather_report: see you then.
Weather took in a deep breath, then let it out. “Wow.”
“Wow.” Vanilla Ice echoed. “Make sure to let someone besides me know where you are. I’ll be at work.”
“I’ll tell Terence and Anasui.” Weather stretched his arms above his head.
“Pretty crazy.”
He snorted. “I’ll say.”
There was a short silence.
“I wonder what he’s like.” Weather murmured as he scrolled through the message history.
“Seems kinda stiff. And cautious.”
“He seems interesting.” He paused. “I wonder if he’s anything like me.”
Vanilla gave a small smile. “I guess you’ll find out tomorrow.”