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free-pancakes · 3 years

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the commander’s voice

LeviHan - a canonverse oneshot

Characters: Levi, Hange, Onyankopon, Jean, Armin, Sasha, Mikasa

Summary: Onyankopon gifts Hange a vinyl record player from Marley, and Levi uses it to help the dear Commander find a small moment of respite among her stressful duties.

Notes: Hange has been really sad lately in the anime, so here's a happy Hange oneshot. The song Hange sings is called “Mrs." by Leon Bridges

crossposted to AO3

The Commander’s Voice

Hange gripped her fingers gently around small cup of tea in her hands—she smiled softly as the warmth caressed her fingertips and the earthy aroma tickled her nose. She took a small sip, and stole a quick glance at Levi, searching for signs of his approval.

A tiny flicker in his warm, grey eyes signaled his liking. To everyone else in the room, Levi maintained an unreadable glare, but Hange knew better. She playfully tapped his foot with her own, with a sly smile plastered on her face. Levi returned the gesture with a swift kick to her shin.

Hange was already accustomed to arguing under the table like this, and quickly bit her tongue to keep herself from yelping out in pain. She quietly grumbled as he smirked behind the cup he held up to his lips. He hated when she could see right through him like that—but he supposed it wasn’t an entirely bad skill for someone around here to have.

“Is it up to your standards, Levi? It’s only the finest tea from Marley! I only have a few boxes stashed away with me.” Onyankopon looked towards Levi earnestly for a reaction, but per usual, his genuine friendliness was met with a blank stare. Hange had convinced Onyankopon to share the tea with their little group today, hoping it would convince Levi to trust their allies a bit more, and she panicked at Levi's seemingly negative reaction.

“No, no, Onyankopon, Levi thinks it’s delightful! Thank you for sharing it with us,” Hange said with a bright smile.

Happy conversation buzzed around them in the large tent, but their table was jarringly silent. Hange, Levi, Jean, Armin, and Onyankopon had a long day of planning their strategies moving forward, but since they finished earlier than expected, they thought they’d sit together, talk, and relax a bit. Sitting and relaxing clearly wasn’t an issue, but maybe they had too little in common to really have a casual chat.

The silence gripped fiercely at Hange’s sides, and it felt as though it was trying to squeeze words out of her— it was absolutely unbearable. She had to break the silence, and at least attempt to get these socially incompetent fools to talk to each other.

“Hey Onyankopon, can you possibly tell me the name of this song? I kept hearing it play on one of your comrade’s radios a few weeks ago!” Hange closed her eyes as she tried to remember the melody, and she flawlessly hummed the tune, filling in a few lyrics that she could recall here and there. The sound resonated in her chest, and the tenseness in her shoulders relaxed as singing this song made her ridiculously happy. She wondered if it was the song that made her feel that way or if it was simply the person that seemed to permeate her thoughts whenever she hummed it to herself while working alone in her office.

She opened her eyes, and cocked her head to the side in confusion at the sight. All of Onyankopon’s Marleyan comrades around them were turned, facing their table, all eyes on her. Armin turned to look at Jean, whose jaw dropped at the sound of Hange singing, and nudged him. “Jean, come on, you’re making the Commander uncomfortable.”

“What? Levi, what is everyone—“ she shifted in her seat, embarrassed at the sudden and unwavering attention on her. Before she could see Levi’s reaction, he was standing up, glaring at everyone in the room. “Oi, what are all you nosy scumbags staring at? Have some respect for the Commander,” he hissed with a threatening tone, evoking fear in all the people in the room. The sound of talking and commotion resumed quickly, maybe even louder than before as no one wanted to further anger the formidable Levi Ackerman.

“Wait hold on a second, why did everyone just—“

“It’s because you have a beautiful voice, Hange-san, I don’t think any of us have ever heard you sing before actually…” Armin whispered softly, with a bashful, yet encouraging smile on his face.

Hange felt the blood rush to her cheeks, and she looked down at her hands, twiddled her thumbs, and let out a nervous chuckle. “Oh, I um, sorry. I guess I don’t usually do that...in public. My apologies.”

Onyankopon gently touched Hange’s hand—“I know exactly what song you referenced. Here, how about you all go get some sleep, and I’ll give you something special regarding the song in the morning, okay?” He gave her a reassuring look, and Hange felt more at ease. They saluted each other, and four Paradisians retreated to their tents for the night.

————- “Hange-san, here you go—It’s all ready for you!” Onyankopon held a large, box-shaped device in his hands, along with what looked like colorful cardboard envelopes on top of it. He set it down on the table as Hange, Armin, Levi, and Jean hovered around it.

Hange and Armin bent down to observe the object closely, opening its lid to reveal a flat surface with a small spoke in the middle, and a metal arm jutting across with a small needle on its end. The two eyed each other, both utterly fascinated at the intricate device.

“This here is a vinyl record player, and I picked out a few songs along with the one you told us about last night. I marked that one, and wrote out the lyrics for you!” he exclaimed with a grin.

Hange’s eyes glowered at the wonderful gift, and couldn’t help but give him a warm hug.

Levi walked towards the two, inserting his arm between them, cutting their embrace short. “Okay it’s time to go, Commander,” Levi said curtly as he guided her shoulder towards the horses.

“Levi, wait it’s still early, we have a lot of time to—“

“Until next time, Onyankopon,” he muttered with a glare and gave a half-hearted salute. He grumbled as he hurried Hange away, while she tried to wave back at Onyankopon. Armin and Jean looked at each other trying to stifle laughter at the scene—Armin took the record player and vinyls, and nodded at Onyankopon. “Sorry about that sir, I assume you already know how that goes...”

“Yeah, the Captain’s pretty protective over Hange-san, isn’t he?”

“Yeah you could say that,” Jean said with a small laugh. He waved goodbye, and the two hurried towards the horses, as it seemed Levi and Hange were already set to leave.

————- Levi sipped at the tea Onyankopon sent them home with. He sat alone at a table, listening to the 104th crew talk and laugh animatedly a few tables away, bickering and yelling as they finished up their dinner. He hated to admit how relaxed he felt seeing them having fun like that—it reminded him a lot of how he, Hange, Erwin, Mike, and Nanaba used to be with each other years ago. He sighed and stood up with purpose—Hange skipped dinner again. He brought a sandwich with him as he silently slipped out of the mess hall and made his way to the Commander’s office.

He saw the glowing light spilling into the hallway through the slightly cracked-open door, and pushed it—he was met with bright light, both literally and figuratively. He looked at Hange busy writing, not even noticing him walk in and close the door.

He gently slid the sandwich towards her, and she slightly jumped in her seat, startled. “You gotta warn me when you walk in sometimes, yknow??”

“Eat, and meet me outside. The usual spot.”

“I have a lot of work to finish up! I don’t think I can take a break right now—“

Levi placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed, his eyes softening as he stared into hers. She returned his gaze, and he didn’t need to say a word for her to understand. She gave in.

“Okay, fine, fine. You’re right. It’s been awhile since I’ve taken a step back, hasn’t it...”

————- Hange stepped out into the clearing behind the barracks, the light of the moon melting over the cover the trees and illuminating the blades of grass beneath her feet. She heard a small scratching noise, and suddenly...music played. She turned the corner and saw Levi sitting on the ground with the record player. She skipped over happily and knelt down next to him. “Isn’t it amazing? You don’t have to wait on the radio for a song you like to play! You can just play the same song you like, over and over again whenever you want.” She stared at the spinning vinyl excitedly, and Levi looked at her, a tiny smile tugging at his lips. After they listened to the one song, Levi picked up the other vinyls—“Hey, so which one of these was the song you sang to us that night, the one that got that whole damn room staring at you?” Hange smiled shyly and felt herself blush. She reached over and pulled the specific record from the pile in Levi’s hands.

Inside the barracks, Jean, Armin, and Sasha walked down the back hallway on the second floor, exhausted. Suddenly, they heard...music? Jean and Armin made eye contact, and ran towards the sound. “Hey, wait up! What’s going on??” Sasha yelled. The two barged into the room where the sound was echoing through the loudest. Mikasa was sitting on her bed, folding her clothes calmly, unphased by the two breaking in. She gave them both a mostly blank stare, but a tiny hint of a questioning lingered in her gaze.

“Hey, rude! Dont just go barging into our room like that!”

“Shut up, Sasha! Listen!” Jean whispered aggressively. The calming sound filled the room through their window facing the clearing among the trees behind the barracks.

“Onyankopon said that sound is one of something called... an electric guitar?” Armin said quietly. The wonderful sound made them oddly want to sway, along with the mellow, waltzing backbeat of the drums underlying this so-called electric guitar.

“Hange-san sung this song to us at our last meeting with the ally Marleyans.”

“She...sang?” Mikasa asked, almost confused at the idea of Hange singing.

“Hold on, listen, listen!” Jean said in a hushed tone. The four of them pressed their faces up against the window, and spotted the Commander and Captain standing together out in the grass below, their figures shrouded by the white glow of the full moon.

“You really like the tea, and the record player. It was genuinely kind of him to share that with us—so why can’t you trust our allies?” Hange asked, an innocently questioning look in her eyes.

“You never know, Hange. It’s good to be a bit skeptical of them for now. But, let’s forget about that.” She felt Levi’s fingers search her skin for the ties of her medal, a symbol of her role as the Commander. He untied it, slipped it off from her neck, and placed it gently into the grass next to the record player.

“Tonight, you’re relieved of your Commander duties. Right now, you’re just Hange.” Hange lost herself in the soft grey sea dancing in his eyes, and fought back tears at Levi’s gesture, his attempt to help her feel like... feel like Hange again. The Commander role often seemed to strip her of the privilege to be simply, and unapologetically, herself.

He took her left hand, interlaced his fingers in hers, and gently placed his other hand behind her right hip. He slowly pulled her close, and she closed her eyes, finally relaxed from her duties, nearly melting in his embrace. She rested her cheek on his shoulder, and he felt even, puffs of breath from her nose on his skin—keeping him warm in the cool night breeze. He swayed her back and forth, and she followed his lead.

“Why do you like this song, anyway?”

“Because... the lyrics make me think of us a bit, Levi.”

His eyes widened at her words, and he wanted to listen closer now—and suddenly he had an idea.

“Can you sing it to me?”

Hange lifted her head abruptly, staring straight into Levi’s face. “So you did like my singing! I was wondering about that—sad I didn’t get to see your reaction.”

He was relieved she didn’t see his face in that moment—he had never felt so vulnerable. Her singing made his knees weak.

“Hmph. It wasn’t bad, four-eyes.”

The four watched the two start dancing, and when the sound of Hange quietly singing reached Sasha and Mikasa’s room, Sasha squealed in excitement. “Hey Armin, wanna dance too?” She gave him a big, goofy grin, and he agreed with a laugh. Jean turned to Mikasa, bowed slightly and reached out his hand, “May I have this dance, m’lady?” She let out a smile at his dumb little gesture, and took his hand.

They all couldn’t help but smile at the sound of their Commander’s voice along with the calming song as they swayed around the room—it was nice to forget about the weight of the world for a little bit.

She sang the whole song softly into Levi’s ear along with the record, singing one part a little louder than the rest:

“Sometimes I wonder why I went knockin' on your door. Then you come knock, knock, knockin' on mine and I remember—I remember how it felt the first few times. Skin-to-skin before you knew how to get under mine. If we get it, get it right... we'll be together for life.”

She buried her face into the crook of his neck, and he felt her lips curve into a smile against his skin.

The two heard Jean, Armin, Sasha, and Mikasa's laughter from the only window with the lights on in the barracks.

“Looks like we aren’t the only ones enjoying the night,” Hange whispered happily.

Levi smiled. “Hey, can you sing the song again for me?”

“Of course. But only if you join me!” She playfully shoved Onyankopon’s lyric sheet into his chest. Levi grumbled in reluctance, but he gave in.

They let the song replay over and over again as they continued to dance and sing to each other, late into the cool, starry night.

#if yall only knew how soft this song makes me #and the idea of levihan dancing to this #*chefs kiss*#levihan #levihan fanfiction #levihan fanfic #levi ackerman #hange zoe #hanji zoe #onyankopon #jean kirschstein #armin arlert #sasha braus #mikasa ackerman #snk #aot

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marvinswriting · 4 years

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Northshore's couples, written by anonymous, about anonymous.

a crack idea bear and I had that I took seriously

g/t mean girls

November, 12th

Ifykyk.

Hey, Northshore! Welcome to a new section of the school newspaper. I've been fighting for a gossip blog for a hot minute now, and since the paper is dying down, Northshore is finally allowing it.

But this isn't just any gossip blog.

This is the place where I'm gonna -try- to answer your most burning questions about Northshore couples in question.

All through anonymity and observation.

To start, let's meet the students. All names have been changed so identities can stay hidden. In the tinies we've got: J, A, and R. Then in the giants there is: D, C, G, K, and S.

Who's with who? Who hates who? Who's got some secrets under the surface? Come back next week.

"Full offense to Northshore, this sounds stupid as fuck." Janis huffed, tossing down the newspaper, letting it fall to the table.

Karen looked at the small girl of Damian's shoulder.

"Why do you think?"

"Gossip blogs are unoriginal and boring. The school newspaper is grasping at straws."

"They can be fun when done right." Regina points out. "I say we check in next week and find out more about the students it's about."

"Whats-" Cady frowned. "What's a gossip blog?"

"Aww, baby's first gossip blog! We have to keep up with this one. Just for Cady." Damian said.

Karen watched with amusement as her friends discussed gossip blogs and if they were any good.

This will be fun.

November 19th

Love the feedback from last week guys! You're all as hyped as I am. And no. I won't confirm who your suspicions are. Stop slipping notes under the computer lab door.

This week J and D were seen together. (It's not uncommon.)

A was seen kissing C when they thought nobody was looking. But don't be fooled, somebody is always looking.

Not to be creepy or anything.

Just- we saw that, A.

You won't spot R without K or G anywhere near them, don't know if any of them are dating though.

Development into J and D's relationship as D is seen defending J from S. Sources couldn't hear what they were saying but it sounded pretty hostile. Is it just caring friends or something a little more?

This blog is focused around uncovering Northshore's couples once and for all. Have any tips? There's been a box placed by the computer lab door. Got any other people you want to see covered? Let me know!

Until next week, the anon who writes about anons. Xx!

"So," Cady looked down at her newspaper. "A gossip blog, is just talking about people?"

"Hence, the gossip part." Janis folder her own tiny newspaper, tossing it onto the cafeteria table from Damian's pocket. "And it's stupid."

"I wonder who it's about?" Gretchen said. "I know everything about everybody. But all this info? This is news to me."

"It's obviously about-" Karen paused. Was she the only one to figure it out?

Wasn't she the dumb one?

"Never mind. I dunno who it's about either."

"I don't understand why you care so much." Janis huffed.

"Because its fun to be nosey about lives that aren't ours. Duh." Regina said.

November, 26th

Happy Friday, Northshore!

Wow, lots of you sent in info about J and D. Whether you've cracked the code on who they are or maybe you're just observant of two fellow students- there is no denying they're pretty affectionate.

Since we're on the topic, let's start with J and D.

Kisses. Lots of them.

Romantic, or just friends? The duo themselves give pretty mixed answers so we must take matters into our own hands and draw our own conclusions. J was seen skipping class on multiple occasions and hiding with D. I hope J has a good tutor. I could never miss that much info.

R and G are seen together. K seems like they're third-wheeling. Somebody get them out of there. K, if you need a sos, slip a note in the box bby. We've got you.

If you want to talk about PDA, look no further than A and C. Wow! A hello kiss, a kiss kiss, a GOODBYE KISS? They may not say it themselves but those two are definitely a fairytale couple.

No updates to S. #singleforlife.

Sorry, S. If you're reading this.

"Well, A and C just sound gross." Janis frowns.

"Don't be negative, Jan." Damian shakes his head at the girl on the table. "They sound cute."

"Overly cute." Cady says.

"I'm glad somebody agrees." Janis huffed.

"Poor K. Thridwheeling a couple is awful." Gretchen sympathizes.

"We don't know if R and G are dating." Aaron points out. "We don't know if any of these people are dating. I'm kinda hooked."

"Well, third-wheeling best friends is even worse." Cady sighs, glancing at Damian and Janis.

Karen looked at the newspaper in her hands with a soft smile. She had a note to drop off.

December 3rd

Happppppy Friday! I have a big announcement right off the bat!

It is I, the writer, formally known as Anon. But now there's two of us! Me, the writer, and another student- the spy. Between the two of us (and your help from the box!) we're gonna crack these relationships open in no time!

This week's rundown!

R was with G the whole week. There was not one time they were separated.

A, J, and R were seen in the tiny halls together where A was overheard talking fondly about C.

Is there a fight for J?

D and S seem to never want to leave J alone.

Although, if you asked the writer, I'm totally team JD. Message for S? This isn't middle school anymore. Being mean to somebody isn't a good way to show your emotions. Message for D? You're doing fabulous, I'm rooting for you. Message for J? Pick fucking wisely.

I'm a bit biased but my info is not.

Don't you worry.

Until next week, you know where the box is! Xx.

"Aw, J and D sound like a cute couple." Regina cooes.

"A and C don't." Janis shook her head. "To sappy."

"Is Jan warming up to the gossip blog? And forming opinions?" Damian teased.

Karen shook her head in disbelief. The fact that her friends were yet to catch on-

-they were dense. Not idiots, just dense.

"S sounds like an asshole." Gretchen shook her head. "Bet its a boy. Yknow when a boy would pull your hair in elementary school and you'd get told, oh boys will be boys. He just likes you! Yeah. S is a dude for sure."

"Not every boy was like that. I wasn't." Damian said.

"You're gay." Janis rolled her eyes.

December 10th

Heyo Northshore! It's the writer. Might I say, you look wonderful today?

I don't see you but I'm sure you're just stunning.

A must be p r e t t y stupid because they were seen all this week studying with C. A kiss for every problem right? Hey, it's not a bad deal.

R was seen primarily with K this week, throwing off all previous theories.

Must have been a rough week for J. I'd imagine you've got to be stressed as hell to just break down randomly but guess what- they did. Lack of sleep? Hunger? S? Who knows what the culprit was.

But don't you worry, D was quick to whisk them off to someplace quiet.

Love to see it, I want a significant other like that.

The day they confirm their relationship is the day I expect a wedding invite.

See you next week! Xx.

"Wow! Looks like Jan isn't the only one in Northshore who needs to learn when to take a break before the break takes them." Damian deadpanned, lowing his newspaper.

Karen blinked. Are you kidding me?

"I was just tired." Janis huffed. "I needed a nap."

"I dunno man. A and C sound cheesy as fuck." Gretchen shook her head.

"They do. Now J and D though? That couple goals." Janis said.

Karen's hand shot to her mouth as she covered a laugh with a forced cough. "Couple? You think they're together?"

"For sure. They sound made to be!"

Oh dear.

December 17th

Winter break next week! Who's excited? We get full two weeks off this year and I'm so ready for a break.

I'll miss our resident couples in question though.

Not to throw everyone off but-

J spent the week with G. R spent the week with C. And A was with D?

Now granted by the time you're reading this print, this is two-week-old information- but why?

Did you get bored and just s w a p?

Anyway, I guess S wanted into the mix too? Because they took advantage of no D to try and get to J. It didn't work. G was there to protect our favorite JD ship. I'm not saying they're a cockblocker bc I don't wanna imply anything, but S is d e f i n it l y trying to get something out of J. Motive unclear but hey, we can assume :/

Gross.

Anyway, there were multiple fights that broke out that day so idk what yall were on but jesus christ calm down. Not relationship-related but be fucking nice to tineis.

Ugh.

K had no part in this swap of s/o but hey, they weren't third-wheeling anymore.

Xx!

"Be fucking nice to tinies!" Regina cheers.

"J and G?" Janis frowned at the tiny newspaper in her hands. "Sorry, only know about J and D."

"Janis went from, ew gossip, to I'd die to have JD confirmed, real fast." Aaron pointed out.

"As she should." Gretchen pointed out. "They sound cute as fuck.

"Hands down they're lesbians." Regina said.

Karen shook her head, totally dumbfounded.

January, 7th

Did you miss me! I missed you. Mwah.

Right off the bat-

Uh. The box has been filled with messages from S saying, they do not like J.

So I guess they're just an asshole.

Hey, just means team JD is gonna win.

Speaking of-

When J was asked directly they said that, I quote "D is the love of my life." But when asking D, I was told: "[J is] just a good friend". Sort your story idiots. The school wants to know!

While S may be out of the running, many sources say JC is a rising ship? Between A and C and J and C, I can't help but wonder, is there a behind the scenes JCA?

Fellow tiny students report A and J not being very close in the tiny hallways though. Now J and R tho-

J is just one lucky mate.

Who's your favorite? Let me know in the box! Xx.

"J and D." Janis says from her perch on Damian's shoulder.

Karen just looked at her phone.

"You think there's a threesome going on in school?" Gretchen asked.

"Unlikely. I don't even this A and C sound cute. Why add another." Aaron rolled his eyes.

You don't think-

Karen sighed.

She really should tell them but- it was so much funnier this was.

Janis stood up on Damian's shoulder, pressing a quick kiss to his jaw without motive.

Karen turned back to her phone, unsurprised if that would pop up in next week's article.

January 14th

I love you- signed the writer.

Glad we got that out of the way.

NOW.

This was quite the week for our "couples".

First off, D and J? PDA through the roof.

Idk, maybe it's a special week, or maybe we're paying more attention and they've always been like that.

Those tiny kisses aren't lost on me, J. I see all.

Ugh, so cute.

A and C are-

"Skip this passage," Janis whined. "Nobody cares about them."

Everyone around the lunch table nodded as Karen began to read out loud again.

G kissed R?! R might have given a scowl but bystanders didn't miss the blush. Platonic or something more? That's the big question of this article but hey- this is a big step for all you GR shippers. Sorry to whoever wrote that long letter in the box passionately explaining how JR was peak friends to enemies to lovers.

Shame.

#JD, anyway, you know where the box is! Xx.

"Fuck A and C. All my homies hate A and C." Janis grinned.

Cady nodded. "They're too cliche. It's annoying and I don't even know who they are."

Karen placed her head on the table with a groan.

She may not be smart, but these people were flat out idiots.

She felt a tug on her hair and looked up, resting her chin on the table.

"You okay, Karen?" Janis stood in front of her, Newspaper held at her side.

"Yeah, just dying on the inside a bit. Yknow, leaf emoji."

Janis made a face. "I don't but uh-" She leaned in, pressing a quick kiss to Karen's nose. "Don't leaf emoji. We like you here, alive on the inside."

Karen smiles. "Thanks, Janis."

January 21st

Just when you think it's all figured out- J kisses K.

In front of D.

At this point- they're all together. One big happy family.

I'm still clinging onto my JD dream.

Speaking off-

S is back. Did you miss them? Me neither.

They just grabbed J like nothing? Anyway, D was there to save the day obviously.

Our great big hero got a pretty precious nose kiss from J.

I could make their own newspaper section about how cute they are. There is no way you can be that cute and n o t already engaged.

On another J note, if JD doesn't happen, I'd be pretty content with some CJ. C was seen giving J "a nice-sized smooch" (somebody from the box).

No development in the R and G category, just their usual cuteness.

Leave any tips in the box! You know where it is. Xx.

"Uh uh. JD over CJ." Janis shook her head.

Karen just placed the newspaper in her bag. Janis and Damian were quick to become J and D's biggest shippers. They were so good at confusing the school about their relationship status that they had themselves fooled.

Cady and Aaron, who were dating and just won't confirm it, hated C and A's relationship. Calling it cheesy and artificially sweet.

And Regina though R sounded like a bitch and G deserved somebody better.

The whole thing was just crazy.

"I gotta go talk to a teacher this period. It was fun reading the paper together though." Karen said getting up.

There was a chorus of 'bye Karen's as she walked away.

The newspaper holder in the hallways was empty. Northshore's 'couples' was quick to catch on and save the newspaper program.

Karen pushed the door open to the computer lab, making her way over to the tiny end.

"Hey, Glen."

Glen Coco looked up at her with a grin. "Got anything for me, spy?"

@realmisspolarbear @smallsoysauce @musicallygt

#this was fun to write #g/t #g/t mean girls #Giant/tiny #g/t writing #tiny janis #tiny regina #tiny aaron #giant damian #giant gretchen #giant cady #giant karen #tiny glen

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thiswasinevitableid · 4 years

Note

winter promts: 100 with ot4!! (mayb 2 double beds so they have room yknow)

I went with fluff rather than smut with this one, so there are references to sex but the fic is SFW. For context, Stern in this universe has a lot of anxiety around belonging somewhere.

100 from this list: The b&b we’re at asked if we wouldn’t mind sharing a room since we know each other and this snow storm has brought in some unexpected guests...one bed...three nights...

“I’m so sorry, sir.” The harried looking young woman behind the desk looks between Stern and Barclay, “between the blizzard and it already being New Years weekend, we’ve had to take in a few more people than expected.”

“So our room’s been given to someone else?” Stern puts on his professional demeanor, the one he uses to soothe tourists who’ve definitely seen something they shouldn’t

“Yes, unfortunately. The, the only room we have left is the cottage in the back. It sleeps four, but we can’t guarantee you wouldn’t have to share with another couple.”

“Uh, ‘scuse me, miss, but I think we can make that work.” Duck Newton steps around Barclay, Indrid busy looking over the many brochures on the far wall, “you see, my friend and I’d more than willing to bunk with these two, since they’re friends from back home. Assumin that’s alright with them?”

“Of course.” Stern smiles.

“Oh, thank you, thank you all for being so accommodating. And I’m sorry again about the inconvenience.”

---------------------------

“Well, that went better than expected.” Stern sets down his duffel bag on one of the two beds.

“You’re tellin me, this is way easier than bookin the two next to each other and sneakin back and forth.”

“Yeah, had my fill of sneaking around.” Barclay adds, evaluating the small kitchen.

“I mean, unless one of the other guests took a rather blurry photo of you, it’d be better than your previous attempts to ‘sneak’” Indrid is finally down unwrapping himself down to his sweatpants and the pink and yellow sweater Duck bought him.

“You’re on to talk stealth, mr. my-pants-say-mothman-on-the-ass.” Barclay grabs said ass, making Indrid squeak.

“I am wearing them ironically.”

“Uh huh, sure.”

Duck, meanwhile, flops down on the bed where Stern is unpacking.

“Jesus, darlin, how many books did you bring?”

“Three. When Indrid said there’d likely be a blizzard, I assumed that would cut down on our outdoor activities. And cable is so atrocious these days.”

“So…” Duck tugs the front of his shirt, bringing him down for a kiss, “you really can’t think of another thing we’d be doin to stay out of the cold?”

“Duck, we can’t do that for three days straight.”

“You sayin you opposed to tryin?”

“I’m saying” Stern puts away the last of his clothing, “that I am a mortal man, and three days of non-stop fucking would probably kill me.”

“Hey, we’d stop some. Gotta eat, and sleep too. Probably throw in a few showers. Unless what does it for you is the smell of a bunch of sweaty dudes.”

Stern wrinkles his nose, and Duck laughs.

“Oooh!” Indrid steps into the room, clapping his hands excitedly, “I’m going to take a bath.” He swings the bathroom door open, revealing a tub. It occurs to Stern, as the skinnier man strips down without delay, that none of them even bothered asking how Indrid knew the tub was there.

Stern never thought he’d be around them long enough to get used to his boyfriend always being a bit ahead of him.

He heads back into the main room of the cottage, finds Barclay unloading groceries.

“Glad we stocked up before we left. Think trying to get the car down to that grocery store we passed would be impossible. I have had enough car-based hijinks for one lifetime, don’t need to add doing Icecapades in a Jeep to the list.”

“Car based hijinks?’

“Long story.” Barclay turns, offering his hand, “c’mon, agent, haven’t gotten to hold you nearly enough today.” The larger man stretches out on the couch, Stern laying so he’s cuddled against his chest.

A chirp-moan splashes out of the bathroom.

“Guess Indrid’s got company.” Barclay chuckles. Another chirp, this one more of a trill, and Barclays legs shift as if he’s hiding something. Stern has a good guess as to what.

“Feeling the need to join them? I know you get wound up when Indrid makes sounds like that.” He traces a finger along the blue lines of Barclays plaid shirt.

“Nah, not right now. Right now, kinda enjoying being all warm and cozy with the best thing to ever come out of the FBI in my arms.”

Stern snorts, kisses his chest. Let’s his mind wander like a cat searching for a sunny spot as intermittent moans continue reaching them.

“Wait…there was a report from the 90s that I always thought was absurd. Something about Bigfoot stealing someone’s car. But the location, the timeline…”

“Uhhhh.”

“Oh my LORD, why would you steal a car?”

“Things got out of hand! Quickly.” Barclay regales him with the story, Stern doing his best to look affronted at the reckless behavior but tipping quickly into pure amusement.

Barclay eventually coaxes Stern off of him so he can go ask the kitchen in the main B&B if they have cumin. Stern wanders into the bedroom and finds a now mothed-out Indrid falling asleep with Duck in his arms. The Sylph lifts the wing resting atop the human, an offer for Stern to join them. He does, looping his arms around Duck as the wing gently returns to its role as blanket.

“You know” Indrid murmurs, “one of these days I ought to make you all moth disguises, just so I can see what all the fuss is about.”

“That could be a fascinating exercise.” Stern whispers.

“Hell yeah.” Duck wiggles in Sterns embrace “Mothman cuddles.”

--------------------------------------------------

Stern wakes up alone, though someone has thoughtfully draped a blanket over him. As he rouses, voices drift in from the living room.

“Do you think he knows?”

“Judging by the futures, no.”

“Please tell me we’re tellin him soon. If I end up havin to try to lie about this it’s gonna go bad.”

Hmmmm, that is not the kind of conversation one wants to overhear their boyfriends having in hushed tones.

He yawns exaggeratedly, assuming that will bring a hush over the trio.

Instead, it brings a certain ranger right on top of him. Duck kisses him, smiling as he does, and all Sterns worries evaporate.

“Perfect timin’, darlin, dinner’s almost ready.”

“I’d love to join you all, but it appears I’m being attacked by a bear.” He smirks. Duck growls playfully, bending down to drag a rough kiss up his neck. Stern retaliates by placing a hickey on the first exposed patch of skin he sees.

“You two are welcome to continue in that direction, but be warned I will eat any cheesecake not claimed in the next five minutes.”

“Indrid, that’s for dessert!”

“I reject such arbitrary notions of EEEEEEEP”

“Come on” Stern sits up, Duck coming with him, “let’s go make sure Indrids glasses don’t come off from Barclay throwing him over his shoulder. Again.”

----------------------------------------------------------

“The methodology in this show is truly abhorrent.” Stern rests his head on Ducks belly, the two watching one of the dozen ghost hunting shows airing on the Discovery Channel.

“No kiddin’. Also, these fellas startle so easy they’re doin a better job scarin themselves than any ghost could.”

Duck strokes his hair and he sighs, nuzzles at the slip of skin that’s showing between his boxers and white t-shirt. The boxers only went back on about ten minutes prior, as Stern had been seized with a desperate need to unhurriedly and lovingly suck his boyfriend off, fingers teasing and squeezing the thighs he so adores.

The front door creaks open and whines closed, Barclay and Indrid walking in arm in arm.

“Did you have a nice walk?”

“Indeed.” Indrid’s face is school-girl shy.

“You’re blushin, ‘Drid.” Duck teases, before sitting up so animatedly that Sterns rolls to land facedown in his lap with an “oof.”

“Holy shit, Barclay, did you work some kind of magic shit to make him willin’ to have sex in the snow? Because that’s fuckin impressive.”

“No, I am merely feeling a bit nostalgic.” Indrid unzips the first of his three outer layers.

“The first time Indrid and I met was in the middle of a really, really bad winter.” Barclay sits on the edge of the bed, rubbing Sterns legs gently as he talks, “Uh, is it gonna weird either of you out to hear this?”

“No.” Stern reaches out to squeeze Barclays hand once, before returning it to rest comfortable on Ducks knee.

“Nope. Gotta admit, been kinda curious about it ever since you first mentioned y’all had fucked around when you were younger.”

“Well, long story short, I was in a trailer park, renting a little spot while I tried to sort shit out. One night, I kept hearing noises I recognized as being from another Sylph. And whoever was making them sounded real upset. So I trudged out in my pajamas and followed the noise to this other trailer. Poked my head in and there was Indrid, looking sad as could be. And, y’know, like a giant fucking moth.”

“I was busy feeling sorry for myself and was therefore not watching the futures. It was startling to suddenly have a human in my space. At least until you took off you, hmmm, what was it then?”

“I think it was a ring. Anyway, once we were on the same page, Indrid just kind of started, uh-”

“You can say babbling. It’s an accurate portrayal. I was lonely, I’d been having a run of bad visions, and I’d found myself more homesick than made sense.”

“Aw, ‘Drid.” Duck opens his arm and the Sylph slips under it, Barclay scooching closer as well.

“I was also, shall we say, dealing with an unexpected spike in my arousal levels, almost like a heat. So I was craving touch and connection. I must have been a sight.”

“Yeah” Barclay rumbles, “a real cute one. Little moth.”

Indrid chirrs bashfully, pressing his face into the crook of Ducks neck.

“Anyway, ended up spending the next few days together. Bumped into each other a few times after that, but nothing could ever top finding him that first night.” Barclay smiles at his fellow Sylph, who continues making charming chirrs. After a moment, Indrid lifts his glasses, smiling at the trio. It starts off sweet, moves to wicked as he finishes his question.

“As I sense that’s brought a, ah, romantic air to the evening; would anyone care to help me push the beds together?”

------------------------------------------

Stern is about to be broken up with. He can tell.

That morning he’d awoken with Indrid still snuggled up around him, purring softly, but when he stepped into the kitchen he’s certain Duck and Barclay had switched to an innocent topic at normal volume, rather than the whispers they’d been making before.

Later, as they’re lounging about by the little bot-bellied stove, reading (or, in Indrid’s case, drawing), he noticed the pale-haired man taking care to not let him see certain pages.

But truly, the most damning fact is that Stern has never had a relationship last more than a year, no matter how well it seemed to be going. And no matter how much logic he applies to the situation (Duck murmuring filthy suggestions for that night into his ear, Barclay kissing him any time he walked past, Indrid pulling him into the bedroom for a vigorous bout of sex), he cant stop thinking that the end has come. Patterns are patterns, and while he knows that’s a tautology, he can’t help feeling it offers some unshakeable truth.

It’s the early evening when Barclay, coming up behind him for a hug, says, “Damn, babe, your back is all knotted up.”

“It must be from the cold.” He replies, sighing when Barclay nuzzles his cheek.

“If you need to shake the chill, I found that bath yesterday quite helpful.” Indrid lilts.

And so Stern draws himself a bath and settles in with the “champagne” scented bubble bath provided by their hosts. How very seasonal.

Maybe they won’t do it until after the all return to the lodge. That makes the most sense, as it won’t ruin anybody’s trip. If that’s the case, maybe he ought to savor this last little bit of bliss.

He does feel a little better after the bath, though he’s now covered in a faintly sugary smell that’s far better suited to Indrid than him. He pulls on one of the fluffy robes, heads into the main room to see if dinner is ready.

“SURPRISE!”

“JESUS!” He jumps, unprepared for the sight of his boyfriends standing around the table, at the center of which sits a cake and...are those fondue pots?

Hanging on the table is a banner, obviously handmade, that reads, “Happy Anniversary.”

“Anniversary?” He looks at the others, perplexed.

“Little delayed, on account of we thought it’d be more fun to wait and do it now. And, uh, you had to fly back to D.C the actual week.” Duck says, stifling the giggles he got from Sterns surprised outburst, “but it’s the one year anniversary of when you turned up in Kepler. Kinda. And we wanted to celebrate you comin into our lives, even if it scared the livin hell out of us--you okay, city mouse?” Duck’s face falling is the last thing Stern sees before his head collapses into his hands, his built up dread pushing out of his body in shuddery gasps.

Barclay’s arms are around him in an instant, “Hey, babe, hey, it’s alright. We’re so fucking glad you turned up.”

“It’s, it’s not that.”

“Oh dear.”

He glances over Barclay’s shoulder, sees Indrid coming out of a peek at the futures.

“Oh pet, did you really think all the secrecy was because we were going to leave you?”

“Wait, what?” Ducks glances at Indrid, who nods, “Joe, we’re crazy about you. Hell, Barclay was flirtin with you even when he thought you might put him in area 51 or some shit.”

“I, I know. It, it seems silly in retrospect but unfortunately my track record is a bit bleak. I once had a date I’d been seeing casually for six months sneak out the bathroom window while we were out to dinner. Never heard from him again. Another called me up the day after I got accepted into the UP and said we could never see each other again. We’d been fine two days before.”

“Yeeesh” Barclay kisses his forehead, “can see why you got jumpy.”

“Even so, I’m afraid I let my anxiety drive more than I should have. I’m sorry”

“Unnecessary apology accepted.” Indrid teases, pulling out a chair, “come, Barclay’s been having to beat me off with a stick the entire time he was making that red velvet cake and my patience is waning.”

“You didn’t mind the spatula to the ass.”

Indrid chirps, mock affronted, and Duck snickers, settling across from Indrid as Stern and Barclay take their seats.

“Only you could manage fondue in a rental cottage.” Stern smiles fondly at the cook.

“I’ve got like, a dozen fondue sets. Jake keeps giving them to me at the holidays. I’m not sure if it’s a joke, or if he just forgets he’s gotten me that before. This year he put Hollis’s name on it too.”

“That...explains the color palette.” Stern grabs one of the black skewers from the yellow pot. To his side he sees Indrid set his hand out on the table, Duck’s coming to rest in it automatically, as if the two were made for each other.

“Hold up” Duck uses his free hand to lift his glass, “wanna make a toast. Here’s to makin it through the end of the world, to findin each other even if the mess of monster-huntin that was our lives and” he grins at Stern, “here’s to the fact no one could lie well enough to keep you from stayin at the lodge.”

Stern raises his glass and clinks it with the others, smiling back as he murmurs, “cheers.”

#sternclay #winter aus #indruck #OT4: Government Men and Their Cryptid Boyfriends #agent stern/barclay/indrid cold/Duck newton #agent stern/duck newton #Indrid cold/Barclay

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ask-secretagentsquad · 5 years

Text

Witherstorm's Rest

Orion had holed himself up in his own chamber in the base to tend to his wounds and try and get a bit more comfortable. He was sat on the edge of a light blue bunk, his wounded arm resting in his lap. He reached back up around his neck and pulled down his ponytail, running his fingers though his hair messily to undo the tight hairstyle. His hair fell over his face and against his neck as he blew out a soft sigh, even the slightest bit of loosening bringing relief.

He took a moment to breathe before deciding that the biker uniform he was still currently wearing was too tight, most likely stuck to him because of the blood against the slick leather. He unzipped the jacket, pulling it off carefully and wincing as he twisted his arm in an odd direction in order to pull the wet sleeve from his skin. Eventually he peeled the jacket clean from him, leaving all of the visible wounds clearly exposed.

He pushed himself to his feet, cradling his wounded arm in the other as he sauntered messily to the mirror. Catching a good look at the damage, he groaned through a sigh and didn’t even try to conceal a disappointed look. He’d have to postpone the project yet again.

His torso was covered in cuts and scrapes, and he had a few massive bruises around his midsection. Too large and too dark already for a simple bruise. This was mass internal bleeding. Something he wouldn’t be able to fix on his own. Mixed in with the dark bruises was the still fresh blood coming from his bullet wound and many other gashes and scrapes. Then there were the few burned marks into his scarred back from the taser darts, of course. He was visibly a mess, and even he couldn’t deny he was in terrible shape.

He tugged off the rest of the leather suit and folded the stained and glossed clothes neatly as to not make further of a mess. He decided against redressing yet, instead heading to the bathroom and grabbing a towel, wetting it to clean the fresh blood off of his skin. He cleaned over each cut and gash, working extra carefully around the bullet wound in his shoulder, and held the wet towel over the wound to help block more blood from escaping. Luckily the wound was a clean shot, and the bullet had gone right through. There wasn’t much to do for it besides patch it up and hope for the best, but he had no doubt he would be fine. He’d survived much worse, after all. He knew the medbay in the base would be able to help him fine, which is where he was planning to head after he’d gotten somewhat cleaned up.

Though, there were some questions dancing in the back of his mind. He’d noticed something was off with Lukas, and it’d left him a bit uneasy. The more time he got to think, the more little details he could pick out from the past couple weeks that formed even more questions. He was worried for him. What was prying at the poor man’s mind? Orion never thought to ask. Perhaps that was something he should do, check in on him, make sure he was alright. Their mission did take a rattling turn, after all. Perhaps he was simply shaken from recent events. It would be best to ask at least.

Orion moved the now bloodied towel away from his wound, which had expectedly not done too much to halt the bleeding. He set the towel back on the counter and sighed, watching the fresh blood that had seeped into the fabric slowly coat the metal. Whenever Orion was injured, it always brought some sort of realization to him.

He bleeds.

With all of the wounds, the beatings, the burns, the miraculous survival through explosions and mechanical failures; it felt normal to be in pain. He’d grown used to it. It felt so normal that sometimes, he forgot that it made him bleed. He forgot that it was dangerous, that death was real. However, even though it brought such a powerful realization, it also reminded him that he was stronger than that. He’d cheated death, fought it off by hand and will successfully each time. He was stronger than death, and he wouldn’t let it overtake him.

So, he powered through it. He bandaged his shoulder just enough to hold until he got to the medbay, and he slipped into a more comfortable outfit of a black t-shirt and blue sweatpants, something similar to sleepwear. A bit of his bandage still stuck out from under his sleeve, and his lips were still wet with blood from the lightly pulled stitches, but he did all he could to look not so much a mess, even if it was still obvious. He fixed his hair a bit using his good arm before leaving the bathroom slowly as to not hurt his already pained midsection further. He left the room and started making his way down the hallway, trying to keep his commander demeanor through each struggling step.

Eventually, he stopped, just hesitating outside of Lukas’s bunk. He heard nothing inside. Perhaps he wasn’t there.

Orion lifted his hand until it was hovering just a few inches away from the door in a fist. He didn’t want to intrude— yet, he was worried, so he led by his worried brother gut and knocked on the metal door.

~~~

“You excited for you next trip up to PAMA?” Trevor asked Ranger as they both sat in the control room. They’d been silent for too long, and Trevor was getting antsy from the silence. Each of them were sat in their respective chairs, Bullet and Toaster curled by their feet.

“I am, yeah! I love going up to Norway. The trip takes a while, sure, but it’s really calming. Yknow, some time to myself— I pass over a few nice reefs too,” Ranger responded more cheerfully than Trevor expected.

“It must be a nice trip- How’s PAMA been doing?”

“Same old same old really. Some minor glitches in Aiden’s connection though, probably nothing too hard to fix. PAMA’s been reporting a third presence in Aiden’s mind. It’s kinda weird but I’m sure it’s just some sort of interlinked connection, maybe a glitch in the streams. I’ll take care of it when I get there,” Ranger brushed off the situation as simple, but Trevor didn’t find it so minuscule.

“That sounds like an issue, don’t you think-? Who’s that third presence?” he asked, trying to pry a bit more information into the open.

“Can’t tell- could be anyone. It’s probably just another one of the Hacked accidentally mixing streams with Aiden’s. He’s been a bit glitchy since he’s been under for so long. Don’t worry, bro, I’ll fix it when I get there,” Ranger assured him.

“Fine, fine. But be careful anyway. Those CIA, FBI, whatever they are could be out there still,” Trevor sighed and leaned back into his seat.

“If I come across them I’ll gladly shoot them down- I’ll just leave with my weapons actually loaded, no biggy.”

“You seem awfully relaxed-“

“It’s my way of coping. Everything’s fine-! We’ll all be fine. Leader’s pulled through a lot worse, and our subs are crazy fast and really powerful. We do also have the advantage of hidden, familiar turf, radio static, and an entire creature out there somewhere that Leader's trying to weaponize-“

“Oh, Gargantuine?”

“That’s it’s name?”

“Yeah, Gargantuine is what I called it a while back and Leader adopted it. Gargantuine was the thing that destroyed the Witherstorm before us.”

"I think Leader's recorded something about that thing getting even bigger."

Trevor and Ranger shuddered simultaneously at the thought. The creature lurking in the depths was just another horrible problem. All they could do was pray that Orion's improvements to the base could hold it off. And- hope whatever system he's creating to control the beast would be a success, and not a horrific life or death situation.

"He's trying to weaponize the thing either way. Hopefully that'll keep it off our backs--" Ranger finished, subconsciously rubbing Bullet's belly with his foot. Bullet seemed to be in bliss.

"Yeah, hopefully. That should make your leave easier too, huh?" Trevor asked lightly, looking on the bit more positive side.

"It should, yeah, since the thing always manages to get in the way somehow. If Leader has it distracted, then maybe I can slip out unseen. We know it can't follow outside the field, or-- well. It never has. But I don't see any reason why it would change its decisions now- so once I'm out I should be free sailing."

"I sure hope it goes that way. I'll be stuck here though, having to take up your dumb duties on top of mine, as usual-" Trevor scoffed and threw a crumpled slip of paper at his brother's forehead. It bounced off and landed in his lap.

"Oh come on, it's not like my stuffs too hard, just make a couple of the Hacked do it. I'll be doing all of the routine checks from my sub, as per usual," Ranger replied, letting his playful snark slip through his tone. He picked up the paper ball and threw it back.

For a few minutes, the two tossed the ball back and forth to each other, focused on catching the slowly falling ball instead of talking. Until Trevor spoke up again.

"Do you think Leader's gonna be okay?"

Ranger looked lightly shocked by the question.

"Of course! He always pulls through-! He's Leader- he's.. Unstoppable!" Ranger choked out almost half-heartedly.

"He's just been making this a thing lately-- Coming back mortally wounded, and all.. I'm just worrying about him a lot more.. Like what if he brushes off something serious--"

"Trev," Ranger cut him off, "Orion knows what he's doing.. Sure he seemed a bit more open when we got back today, oddly sentimental, but that doesn't mean he's not gonna be okay. He could just be relieved-- he IS almost done with his project- and it's been years. I'm sure he knows when things are too much for him-- and if anything, no worries, he's got ol Green to take care of him."

"Ah, Green. A stubborn one, huh.. I've never seen anyone speak to Leader the way he does.." Trevor answered unsurely to the comment, still not really sure what he thought of Green.

"Personally, I don't trust him. He looks WAY too similar to that Lukas agent guy that we have record of. And the way he is with Leader-- I don't like seeing Leader's guard lowered like that.. It gives me chills." Ranger threw the crumpled ball one last time, throwing it past Trevor and onto the monitor behind him.

"I'm not really partial.. He saved my life, after all- Twice, I think-- I can't exactly be too skeptical of someone like that.. Maybe he's just-.. Special? Who am I to say? If Leader trusts him, there must be a good reason why," Trevor finished strongly, leaning into the armrest of his seat.

"I guess that's true..." Ranger fiddled with his own armrest, clearly restless.

Trevor noticed and snapped to Toaster, causing the black lab's head to shoot up with his ears perked high in response.

"You know, I think we've got some last minute routine checks to do before we're done--" Trevor glanced up to Ranger, who still looked lost in thought, "I'll race ya, first one back here and finished wins. Loser has to wash the dishes for a week."

Ranger's head perked up for a moment, and Trevor grinned, leaping to his feet. He shouted his countdown as he was already heading off down the hall, followed by a stumbling Ranger.

"1 2 3 GO!!"

#Witherstorm #Story #Mcsm au #Ranger #R!Lukas #Orion #Trevor #SA!Witherstorm #Bullet #Toaster

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deku-lily · 6 years

Text

A (late) b-day gift for Perf and TK!

This here is just a little something I wrote to celebrate Time Kid Sans’ birthday (and to thank Perf for, you know, bringing him into the world in the first place.) It’s pretty late, but the idea popped into my head and wouldn’t leave! >//w//< So, here we go! ^o^

TK!Sans and all the other Time Kids/the QuantumTale gang are PerfectShadow06’s babies. I’m just writing about them for kicks and (hopefully) laughs. :3

~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~

It was a nice day out. The birds were singing, the flowers were blooming… A young skeleton known outside of his universe as “TK” lounged beneath his favorite napping tree, staring up at the sky through its leaves. However, he wasn’t napping, this time. Today, he was thinking.

TK Sans had unique abilities, allowing him to travel to other worlds and their timelines. In them, he met other versions of himself. Almost all of them were older than him, and that made him wonder. Was he one of them, in the making? If so, which one would he be? Was that something he could decide, or would Fate ultimately decide that for him?

He hoped Fate stayed out of it. Some of those other Sanses were pretty ticking weird, when they weren’t total goobers or just plain insane…

His thoughts were interrupted when Undyne stomped up to him and, without any preamble, boldly said, “YO, nerd punk!! How old are you?”

Sans sat up, raising a brow ridge at her as he asked, “why d’you wanna know?”

Undyne rolled her eyes impatiently. “Because Papyrus told me it was your birthday, today! And there’s this human tradition I heard about, that I want to try. But it depends on how old you are, so just tell me, already!”

Sans didn’t immediately answer. He hadn’t realized it was his birthday, already. But leave it to good ol’ Papyrus to remember, for him. Sans couldn’t help but chuckle at how cool his baby bro could be. Finally, he said to Undyne, “before i tell you, what’s this tradition you heard about?”

She grinned before telling him, giving him a really bad feeling.

“It’s a good luck tradition, where the birthday boy (or girl, I guess) gets spanked once for every year they’ve lived, plus one. And guess who gets to try it out today?” She cracked her knuckles with a smile that did NOT bode well for Sans.

The skeleton sat upon the ground for a second, blinking at his friend. Then he calmly stood, brushed himself off, looked her straight in the eyes and said “no tickin’ way,” before running for his life. He heard her roaring behind him.

“NGAAHH! GET BACK HERE, YOU BONY COWARD!!!” Sans didn’t dare look back, but he knew she was gaining on him.

*not good! The young skeleton reached into the bag of tricks he kept on hand for emergencies like this. Finding what he was looking for, he chucked a special little surprise behind him. Undyne was stopped by a cloud of smoke and confetti, letting him slip away. She wasn’t going to be happy with that, but if it got Sans away from the spearfish hunting for him, it was all good to him.

~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~

He decided to hide in the lab, for a while. Upon entering, Sans tip-toed his way around all the bits and pieces scattered on the floor. It looked like Alphys was working on her latest pet project (that, or it blew up. Again.)

Suddenly, one of his shoelaces caught on something, tripping him! His arms windmilled as he fell chin-first into a box full of miscellaneous parts. He heard Alphys’ surprised voice as he struggled to heave himself out of the box, his legs kicking in the air and unable to find any purchase.

“Oh my god! S-Sans? Are y-you alright? I-I didn’t hear you come in…” Finally, she got over her shock and pulled him out by the back of his coat. A couple of gears were stuck in his eye sockets… Sans grinned at her, pointing at his face.

“oh, you know me. just gearing up for my next big adventure!”

Alphys didn’t laugh, but she did take the gears out for him, letting Sans see her unamused expression. It still made him chuckle.

“If you can joke around like that,” said the budding scientist, “then you’re fine. But what are you really doing here?”

Sans shook himself and his coat, a little, making sure no smaller parts were rattling around, anywhere. As he did, he said, “undyne had this stupid idea, just because she found out it’s my birthday. there was no way i was just gonna go along with it, so i got outta there.”

Alphys smiled as she clapped her hands together. “It’s your birthday? Tanjobi oumedetou!”

Sans stopped shaking to stare at Alphys. “…huh?”

She was blushing miserably as she said, “Um… th-that’s how they s-say ‘happy birthday’ i-in anime.”

“oh… okay. thanks, al.” He smiled at her. It wasn’t surprising that Alphys didn’t know it was his birthday. He usually didn’t tell people, since it wasn’t all that important. But it brought up a good question. “wait, why did paps tell fish lips it was my birthday?”

Alphys shrugged uncertainly, unsure whether the question had been directed at her, or if it had been rhetorical. She didn’t get to find out because a loud, insistent knocking was visited upon the lab’s front door.

“Hey, nerd, open up! We need to talk!” Bam, bam, bam, bam went Undyne’s fist, making Alphys worry about the door’s structural integrity.

As a comedian, Sans was offended. He shook his head with one brow ridge raised as he said, “worst knock-knock joke ever.” He shoved his hands into his coat pockets and started walking in the opposite direction, to the lab’s back door. “welp, time out.”

Alphys tried to stop him, reaching a hand for him. “H-hey! You can’t j-just leave me here to deal with her, alone!”

Sans said, over his shoulder, “sorry, al. but i’d kinda like to stay in one piece ‘til my next birthday, yknow?”

His lizard friend’s hand fell as she said, “I see your point.” Undyne then burst into the room, but Sans was already long gone.

~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~

Back outside, Sans sighed. Was the fish stick going to chase him all day, until she got her hands on him for that stupid human thing? Why did Papyrus have to sic her on him, this way? Then again, he probably didn’t know she’d be doing this sort of thing, so it was hardly his fault. He was probably just trying to do something nice. He would have to track Papyrus down and ask him. Come to think of it, he hadn’t seen his bro since breakfast. Granted, he hadn’t been back to the house in a while. Maybe that should be the first place to look? But before he could head that way, another familiar voice stopped him.

“Hello, Sans! What brings out here?”

He turned around, finding Toriel behind him. She was in her clinic uniform, and was carrying a box in her arms. “oh, hey tori. nothin’ much. just about to head home, actually.”

Toriel smiled. “I am going home, as well. I was asked to run an errand, and-” She stopped mid-sentence, focusing intently on Sans’ face.

It made him a little uncomfortable. “uh, do i have something on my face?”

“Yes, you do,” said the princess. “There is a small hairline fracture along your mandible, on the right side.” She grabbed him by the hand and started hauling him behind her. “You are coming to the clinic to have it treated.”

“aw, c’mon, tori! i’m fine!” Even as he said that, Sans touched his mandible and finally felt it. It was a tiny thing, so small he hadn’t even noticed it before she pointed it out, but it was there. It must have happened when he fell into that box of metal and plastic parts. It stung a bit…

Without looking behind herself, Toriel said, “I have heard that one before, Sans. I am still treating you.”

The time bug rolled his eyes. “fine. but you don’t have to hold my hand! i can walk by myself.”

She didn’t let go. “If I release you, you will run away.”

Sans scoffed. “oh, puh-lease! name one time.”

“Last Thursday. You were due for your booster shot and ran off before it could be administered. You have not visited the clinic, since.”

Sans blushed, having forgotten about that. “oh, right. heh! sorry, tori. i, uh, don’t like needles.” He had been dealing with the things all his life. Could he be blamed for not wanting any more stuck in him?

Toriel, still facing forward, didn’t notice any change in Sans’ expression. But she did say, “I am well aware of your discomfort with needles, Sans. But your health is of greater concern to me.” Her hand tightened on his. “So please, do not run away, again.”

He thought for a moment, then sighed as he said, “oh, alright.” She really was a good friend, even if she was a bit of a worrywart.

The treatment didn’t take long. Just a little healing magic to his mandible and he was good as new. But before he could leave, Toriel smiled brightly and said, “That is right! Sans, permit me to wish you a happy birthday.”

Stopping mid-stride, Sans stared at her. “how’d you know that was today?”

“I met your brother, while I was on my errand. He was the one to tell me.”

“he did, huh?” Just what was the little rascal up to? “anyway, thanks, tori.” He tried to leave again, but Toriel’s hand grabbing his wrist prevented that.

With a pleasant smile, she said, “I do believe there is still the matter of that booster shot to attend to.”

Sans was filled with dread. He tried wheedling his way out of things. “aww, but it’s my birthday! you can’t expect a guy to deal with that on his birthday, can you?”

Still smiling, Toriel said, “Had you received your shot when you were supposed to, we would not have to do it today.”

Sans couldn’t argue with that. He tried to pull his wrist away, but Toriel wasn’t making it easy. In fact, he knew she could drag him away to see the doctor, bag of tricks or not.

A chill wind blew through his bones. It looked like he was getting ticking shot, after all.

~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~

Sans rubbed at his chest, since he couldn’t rub his soul in public. That magic booster shot always hurt! He didn’t even need it, but he got it every couple of years, anyway. Doc Gaster always said there was no harm in it, but Sans’ opinion differed on matter. Vehemently.

He sighed. Welp, what was done, was done. There was no point in wasting energy whining about it. He still had to find his little brother and ask him what the tick he thought he was doing, telling all their friends about his birthday. Though he seemed to have missed Alphys… that or Sans had run into her before Papyrus had the chance to tell her. Still, it raised the question of “where was he, now?”

Probably not at the castle. Prince Asgore Fluffybuns was way too busy with royal stuff to entertain unannounced guests. Probably not Gorgette’s house, since they didn’t know where she lived (and Sans REALLY hoped Papyrus wasn’t going to tell her.) Of all their friends, that just left the Blook cousins and…

Just as he was thinking about them, Sans saw Frisk up ahead. They were reading a book while sitting under a tree, which gave him an idea.

A little sneaking and a little blue magic later (much easier than climbing), Sans was above Frisk, in the boughs of the tree. He started dropping handfuls of leaves on their head, confusing them for a little while before they thought to look up. Their face met more leaves, making Sans chuckle.

Frisk was smiling, too. “I guess it’d be asking too much for you to get down and leaf me alone?” they asked.

And so, the pun-off began. Sans retorted with, “why should i? trees are the best place fo-rest.”

“You don’t look very rested to me. You look sapped of energy.”

Sans suddenly didn’t feel like playing, anymore. “ugh, don’t remind me.”

Frisk was concerned. “What’s wrong?”

Sans climbed down the old-fashioned way, sitting next to Frisk as he said, “undyne has this stupid idea about spanking me, just because it’s my birthday. she says it’s something humans do.” Incredulously, he asked, “do you seriously do that sorta thing?”

Frisk nodded, but also said, “They aren’t supposed to be real spanks, though. Just fake ones to embarrass you in front of your friends. But it doesn’t sound like Undyne knows that…”

Sans shuddered, rattling slightly. “pretty sure she doesn’t. and she’s already tracked me down twice.”

Frisk looked up, and in the general direction of the clinic. “I think she’s working on number three.”

Sans followed their squinty gaze, seeing the tall dust cloud that somebody was leaving in their wake as they ran. Sans softly said, “no tickin’ way,” as Undyne became visible.

Frisk put a hand on his shoulder, saying, “Quick! Hide behind the tree. I’ve got an idea.” They stood and left the shade, making themselves more visible to Undyne as Sans hid. The royal guard-in-training arrived shortly afterward, skidding to a stop and making her dust cloud expand. Sans peeked around the tree as much as he dared to watch them while they talked.

Thankfully, Undyne hadn’t seen him before he hid. To Frisk, she said, “Hey, punk! Have you seen Sans, today?”

Frisk, coughing on the dust a bit, shook their head. “Can’t say I have. Why?”

Undyne reached into a pocket, pulling out some kind of piece of paper. “It’s the dweeb’s birthday, and Papyrus asked me to have our friends sign this.” She gave Frisk a pen, and the human signed whatever-it-was. Sans was curious, but Undyne wasn’t done.

“I’ve already seen Alphys and Toriel. I’m supposed to go see Asgore now. But if you see that bony coward, stall him. Papyrus doesn’t want him home before 4pm!”

“Okay. But one thing, first.” Undyne raised an eyebrow at them, just before Frisk said, “Since you don’t normally do stuff like this, does that make you a fish out of water?”

Sans had to hide completely behind the tree, covering his mouth as he struggled not to laugh. Undyne’s face had been priceless!! But Frisk boldly went on.

“It’s odd that you would do anybody a favor. Are you feeling alright?”

Undyne spoke through clenched teeth. “I. Am fine. Thank you.”

“Are you sure? You’re looking a little… green around the gills.”

“SHUT UP!!!” Undyne glared at Frisk for a moment, but then…

“Whatever you say, sturgeon general.”

Undyne roared, and Frisk bolted while dodging spears like a pro. They led her away from Sans and the tree, and the skeleton finally let himself laugh out loud.

~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~

After recovering from his belly-laughing, Sans went home. It was a little after noon, and he was hoping to catch Papyrus in the middle of whatever-it-was he was doing.

Sans snuck in quietly, wanting to surprise his brother. But he wasn’t in the living room, or the dining room or kitchen, and everything seemed normal. Maybe he was in his room? Or outside? But when Sans opened the door to Papyrus’ room, he was met by something unexpected.

Nothing. There was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. With no other leads, he went outside. Again, there was nothing to indicate anything was going on. Sans was left scratching his skull.

Was he too early? Was Papyrus off somewhere, gathering whatever supplies he needed for his plan? What did he think he could do, all by himself? Where was he?

*…is he okay? he knows he should be home, by now. did something happen? what if-

Sans’ thoughts were interrupted by a sound, coming from his room. Papyrus didn’t normally go into his room…

He grit his teeth. *a burglar? i swear, if they did something to paps…!

Sans ran up the stairs. He kicked opened the door, eyes glowing and ready to rumble. He startled the intruder, who was laying on his belly on the floor.

“NYEH?! BROTHER? YOU’RE HOME! I-I MEAN, DON’T LOOK! IT’S NOT DONE, YET!”

Papyrus was trying to cover up a large piece of paper with the upper half of his body. As relief flooded Sans’ body he looked around, finding all manner of things that he hadn’t had in his room, this morning. Colorful chains made with construction paper, ready to hang wherever, party hats and little party favors, rolls of streamers, the list went on.

Now calm, Sans asked, “paps, what’re you doing in my room?”

Busted, the little skeleton stood up, clutching his project in his hands. Hesitantly, he confessed.

“I KNOW I’M NOT SUPPOSED TO BE IN HERE, WITHOUT PERMISSION BUT… JUST IN CASE YOU CAME HOME EARLY, I WAS HOPING THIS’D BE THE LAST PLACE YOU’D THINK TO LOOK FOR ME! YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU ALWAYS SLEEP ON THE COUCH, FOR YOUR AFTERNOON NAP! AS FOR WHAT I’M DOING…” Papyrus turned the paper he was holding around, letting Sans see it. It was a half-colored drawing of the two of them and Doc Gaster, with all their friends surrounding them. Sans was in the middle of it all, with a big smile on his face. Papyrus continued while he looked it over.

“YOU’VE BEEN QUIET, LATELY. WELL, QUIET FOR YOU, I MEAN. AND A LITTLE SAD, EVERY NOW AND THEN. I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING NICE, TO CHEER YOU UP, BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT COOL BROTHERS DO!”

Sans was a little stunned. “so… you’ve been planning a birthday party, for me?”

“YES!!” Papyrus grew more animated as he revealed everything. How he had enlisted Undyne to help everyone sign a special birthday card, and keep Sans from coming home too soon. How he had figured out Sans’ favorite cake flavor, and had asked Toriel to help him bake one up, later. How he was going to make all the decorations by himself, so everything would be extra special! Toriel had said she’d help him hang them up, too. But now…

“EVERYTHING WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A SURPRISE! BUT NOW IT WON’T BE. I WAS HOPING UNDYNE WOULD KEEP YOU DISTRACTED, LONGER!”

Sans held back a laugh. “s-sorry, pap. she was the one that got distracted. she ran into frisk, and they tried out some puns on her. you know how she is with puns.”

Papyrus nodded. “EXACTLY! I THOUGHT SHE’D BE CHASING YOU AROUND FOR MOST OF THE DAY!”

Sans’ smile became a little fixed as he thought, *so he DID sic undyne on me… Aloud he asked, “were you the one who told her about the human birthday tradition?”

Papyrus tilted his head. “WHAT TRADITION?”

“nothin’. forget i asked, buddy.” Sans pat his brother on the head, relieved that he was innocent of THAT much, at least. Still, he hadn’t realized his thinking about the future had been that obvious. Had he really been that much of a mope about it? He didn’t mean to worry anybody, especially not his little brother. He might have to take his thinking someplace else, from now on…

Changing the subject, Sans said, “sorry about the surprise being spoiled. y’know, i could always pretend to be surprised. i can be pretty convincing, look!” Sans feigned surprise, knowing full well it wasn’t very convincing, but giving it a shot, anyway. Papyrus wasn’t amused.

“THAT DOESN’T COUNT!” He pouted up at his big brother, looking adorable despite his frustration.

“heh! sorry, pal.” Even as he chuckled, Sans did feel a little bit bad. Papyrus had clearly been working hard on this surprise. It was a shame he hadn’t managed to pull it off. But running around today, seeing all his best friends, having a laugh or two… All-in-all, it had been a pretty good birthday (minus that shot but hey, a guy couldn’t have everything. At least Toriel had meant well.)

It all made Sans think, *i’m a pretty lucky guy, aren’t i?

The older brother smiled. “hey, paps. you wanna know somethin’?” When the younger brother nodded Sans knelt down, meeting his eyes. “you did manage to surprise me with one thing. you reminded me of how many cool friends we’ve got. and how i’ve got the coolest little bro in the world.”

Papyrus was beaming. “REALLY??” At Sans’ nod the brothers embraced, though the elder added a bit of a noogie for the whole Undyne thing. But he was laughing as his brother tried to wriggle away from him.

Just for today, the future could wait. All those timelines, all those possibilities, Fate… they could wait, too. Right now, metaphorically surrounded by his friends and family, Sans’ present was looking pretty sweet.

#undertale_au fanfiction #fanfic #tk!sans #timekid!sans #timekids #quantumtale #perfectshadow06 #hopefullyitsfunny #i had fun writing this

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petaldancing · 6 years

Text

fic: but only one truth

fandom: persona 5 characters: makoto, ann summary: she finds her in a koban, five years later. this time, things might be different. (chapter 1 of 4)

Makoto only noticed it was drizzling when she took off her helmet and hung it on handlebar. She eased the motorbike into its allocated lot next to the koban, mentally picking out the what she was going to include in her report. Leaning on the seat of her bike, she flipped open her lined notebook and began to jot down the details in point form. The neighbourhood patrol, which included helping tourists find their way around Tokyo and talking to Shujin students that were loitering out late, had taken her more than an hour. It was ritual more than anything else, the patrol and the report thereafter, and though it wasn’t anything exciting, it gave rhythm to an otherwise chaotic job. It was sort of like being student council president again. Makoto did not know whether the comparison was comforting or disconcerting, pressing the tip of the ballpoint pen onto the page for a moment.

She pushed these thoughts aside as she entered the koban, tucking her notebook under one arm. There was a blonde woman sitting on the waiting chairs along the wall, tapping the heel of her sneaker on the tiled floor. A visitor making a report was common. What wasn’t was the fact that Makoto recognised her immediately. The pages of her notebook flapped open as it fell to the floor.

The woman removed her sunglasses as her mouth opened in delighted surprise. “Makoto! What are the odds!”

“Ann? What are you doing here?” Makoto rushed to her side after she picked up her notebook, concern overriding the embarrassment of having Ann see her in uniform. She was an officer now, and her priority was attending to the needs of the civilians, even if this one didn’t bother to hide the smile that appeared on her face.

“You look really good, Makoto,” Ann’s smile widening into a toothy grin. Makoto remembered how the whole gang had asked for a photo of her in uniform ever since she’d officially signed on to the police. She never took that picture, nor did she let on to which station she was posted at, which made Ann the first to see her on duty.

“N-nevermind that!” Makoto hoped that the warmth spreading across her cheeks wasn’t obvious. “More importantly, what happened?”

Ann slipped her sunglasses into her red purse as she said, “There was a snatch thief. Ryuji didn’t manage to catch the guy, but he did get a good look at his face and his motorcycle plate. They’re getting the details from him right now.” She nodded to the back of the koban, which housed just one interview room and the staff office. Kurosawa was the other officer on shift, and she wasn’t the type who startled easily. She would be able to deal with Ryuji by herself. On the other hand, Makoto didn’t know if she would be able to handle Ann one on one. She fidgeted with her notebook and reminded herself that as long as she focused on doing her job, there wouldn’t be any problems.

“Where did this happen? Are you hurt?”

“Just down the road, near Yoyogi station. You know, at that intersection where 7-11 and Big Bang Burger are? Ryuji wanted to grab something to eat after running some deliveries, and I just finished a shoot nearby, so we decided to meet up,” Ann explained.

It seemed that sheer coincidence brought them to this part of the neighbourhood. Makoto nodded, slowly adjusting to the fact that she wouldn’t have been able to keep her friends from finding out about where she worked forever. Still, she couldn’t help but feel out of her depth. Ever since she graduated from the academy, she only ever visited Leblanc on special occasions. It felt so odd and undeserved, for her to be talking to Ann now, and more than that, the thought of Ryuji and Ann grabbing a meal together without asking her reminded her that they were no longer as close as they used to be in high school, when they were the Phantom Thieves.

Ann continued, “We were deciding where to get dinner and then the snatch thief ran past us and Ryuji chased him. When we didn’t manage to catch him, we tried to find the nearest koban, and here we are.” The bangles on her hand clinked with her gestures.

Makoto’s thoughts shifted from one kind of regret into another. If only she hadn’t taken so long on patrol. She would’ve heard the commotion on the way back if she were fifteen minutes earlier. Her hand balled into a fist at her side.

Ann seemed to notice her frustration. “I know it’s a shame the guy got away, but hey, it looks like we’ve finally figured out where you work!” She pointed a manicured finger at Makoto and winked.

In response, Makoto pressed her one hand to her forehead. “Please… don’t tell the rest.” Futaba would probably tap into the security cameras just for fun, and the others would surely drop by just to have a look since she’d been so strict about separating her career from what remained of her social life. Working shifts meant that she spent most of her off days training and reading. When was the last time she sat down with the gang? Perhaps Christmas, last year.

“Promise.” Ann lifted her pinky finger to Makoto without saying anything else.

Makoto blinked. She remembered a chilly winter’s day, her graduation certificate gripped tight in one hand, and the other, holding Ann’s and all the words she was too afraid to say.

“Makoto?”

“Ah, um—” She linked her pinky with Ann’s before her brain could object, and felt like she was eighteen all over again. Ann held their fingers together before slowly letting go. Yes, it was just like back then, except now, Makoto was an adult who could no longer run and hide behind convincing excuses.

If Ann also remembered, she did not let on. Instead, she raised her gaze to the ceiling, as if searching for the next part of her sentence. The action gave a clear view of her neck and collarbone, and made Makoto acutely aware that Ann was wearing a dark off-the-shoulder dress.

She lowered her eyes to the floor, nearly biting her tongue as she hurried to blurt out, “Tha—Thank you. I appreciate it.”

“What’s up with that? We’re friends, Makoto. No need to be so formal,” Ann chuckled, and said these words like they were the simplest thing.

Makoto couldn’t help but crack a smile. Ann never did hold anything back. Even now, she found herself wishing she could be just a little bit more like her.

“Oh!” Ann interrupted her thoughts, having decided what she wanted to say “In return, I have something that I want you to consider very seriously.”

Makoto pressed her heels together. When was the last time Ann had asked her for help? It felt so long ago since she felt like she was a senior in high school, and Ann had achieved so much on her own since then. She cleared her throat and asked, “What is it?”

“Well... Shiho’s moving out in about two months. She got a great offer for work at a rehab centre in Kyoto. And I was looking for a roommate.” Ann tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as Makoto felt her chest tighten. “You’ve been staying with Sae-san all this while, so do you wanna consider moving in with me? Remember what we said years ago?”

Makoto couldn’t forget, no matter how hard she tried. The words came out instinctively, defensively: “Why me?”

Ann creased her brow at Makoto’s sharp response, but before she could say anything else, the door of the interrogation room swung open just then, and out stepped Ryuji Sakamoto with his hands perched behind his head.

“I’m starving! Ann, let’s go get dinner!” he called out loudly, no different from usual. His eyes flitted from Ann to Makoto as he registered her presence. He practically jumped as he shouted, “Woah! Makoto! You’re really a cop now! What did I say Ann? I knew we’d run into Makoto!”

“That’s what you say everytime we pass by a police station.” Ann rolled her eyes.

“And I was right this time!” Ryuji folded his arms triumphantly as he approached them. Behind him, Makoto exchanged nods with Kurosawa, who excused herself to the break room.

“Anyway—dinner. Makoto, do you wanna join us?” Ryuji asked.

“She’s on shift.” Ann pointed out as she stood up and pulled the wrinkles out of her dress.

“I’d love to, but my shift doesn’t end until tomorrow morning,” Makoto gave the young man an apologetic smile. “I’ll treat you to dinner next time, alright?” she added, feeling like she should. After all, Ryuji just saved her from a conversation she was not prepared to have.

“That sucks,” he replied, pocketing his hands in his loose shorts. “We can get you something if you want though, just drop a message! We’re probably gonna go to the ramen stall just across the road.”

“When did we decide on that?” Ann asked pointedly as Ryuji stepped out of the koban.

“It’s good,” Makoto offered, if only to stop the neighbours from complaining about the noise Ann and Ryuji would make if they got into a disagreement. “They have pretty good miso ramen.”

“Alright, gonna grab seats now. See ya’ Makoto!” Ryuji waved, before setting off, pulling up his jacket hood in the rain.

Ann did not follow him straightaway. She stood at the threshold, taking out her sunglasses to wear even though the sun had set and the rain was getting heavier. “I hope you’ll take me seriously, Makoto. Being able to find you today... It’s a sign, isn’t it?”

Makoto could not reply to that. Instead,she reached over the front counter and pulled out one of the spare umbrellas they kept for civilians who happened to be caught in the rain. She stepped up to Ann and held it out to her. “Here. You can return this to us another time.”

Ann’s eyes were hidden behind her sunglasses, but her earnest smile had not changed. She accepted the umbrella, hand brushing across Makoto’s.

“I’ll take that as a maybe.” Then, she disappeared into the downpour.

The smell of her perfume persisted in the koban, as if telling Makoto not to forget this time.

notes: i’m so unsure about this that i don’t know if i should post it onto AO3 (yknow, like drabbles stay on tumblr and Good Work goes on AO3) but if you prefer reading on AO3 lemme know!!

OK so would you believe me if i said that the prompt for this was ‘mako/ann, firm kiss’?? welp you know me, if it’s not satomaya i need to work my brain to come up with a reasonable scenario that would allow them to kiss and so ive been struggling over the storyline for a very long period of time and i think this piece might be the one that i can’t overcome/grasp the characters as well as i usually do, which is giving me a huge writer’s block, but all the more, i want to conquer this!! i’m not very confident portraying these characters but maybe if i pace myself and post it up as one chapter per week it might work out better and help me overcome this writer’s block, especially since the end of this part spoke to me like “hello... there is no way you can write the next part unless you break this fic into chapters” and voila!

#makoann #persona 5 #*gestures wildly*#*holds map upside down*#i'm not sure what this is but it might work better if i break it into chapters.. maybe???#fandom: p5 #pair: makoann

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