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Stanley had woken up to an interesting sight- well, more like he woke up to an interesting sound. It was slow, helping his sluggish brain that felt as if it had been dipped in honey slowly awaken, fluttering his eyes open. It almost sounded like… jazz? And what sounded like birds chirping in the distance in the background. Even though the building could only have bulbs as a source of light, the room had been painted with an orange hue, watching as fake dust bunnies floated around in the air above him.
And, of course, there was his Narrator. He seemed to grumble something, yet it was pure gibberish to the awakening man's ears. Upon closer inspection, his Narrator had his high ponytail he once wore tugged down, letting his gray hair spill past his shoulders as he seemed to stare at the monitor in his lap. A laptop, he assumed Stanley slowly. Another blink, and he felt himself yawn, watching as the being next to him startled at the sound.
`` Ah, you're awake? ,, His Narrator spoke, voice low as if he was afraid to wake him up any further. Now that his face was tilted towards Stanley, he could see they had gotten a new pair of glasses, as well as his eyes once more being mahogany brown as they looked at Stanley with unhid interest. `` Sorry if my clicking woke you, I was just revising the script a bit. You know, make it more interesting. ,, 'for you' was a part that was left unsaid, yet Stanley could tell his Narrator was working hard to make him happy.
Still, Stanley only shrugged and let his jaw open into another yawn, humming as he scooted closer to the being next to him. His Narrator's hands stilled on the keyboard, noticing the way they look almost surprised Stanley had now wrapped his arms around his middle, yet he quickly began typing once more. Stanley smiled, the sound soothing to his ears as he nuzzled his face into his Narrator's waist, eliciting a hum from the other.
`` Is there something you need, Stanley? You're rubbing up against me quite insistently. ,, His Narrator scoffed, and the brunet paused for a moment before he forced his hand to raise up. It was slow due to the sleep still running through his veins, making everything feel all the more slower as he grasped His Narrator's wrist, watching as the others face twisted into an unreadable expression. Then, he placed the hand in his brown locks, sighing as he quickly signed 'attention' before pointing to the being.
`` Attention… from me? ,, His Narrator spoke, sounding astonished. Upon seeing Stanley nod, he bit the inside of his cheek before he nodded, fixing his glasses higher on his face. `` Yes, ahem… I suppose I can do that. You humans are so needy. ,, He clicked his tongue, yet no venom bled into his voice, causing Stanley to merely smile brighter, practically beaming by the time His Narrator had grown comfortable enough to run his fingers through his strands. Stanley couldn't help but feel a fluttering feeling in chest, yet he decided to ignore it. It could wait, if it meant he could have this moment. This small, tiny moment of just the two of them. No parable, no endings in sight, just… them.
… `` Stanley, whilst I do like this, I don't think lazing around in bed all day is going to help either of us. ,, His Narrator sighed, breaking the spell of content silence the two had submerged themselves into. He didn't know how long it'd been, whether it was mere minutes or an hour, yet he still protested, audibly whining as he buried his face deeper, much to his Narrator's utter dismay. `` Stanley, come on, don't be so lazy. ,, His Narrator chided, and Stanley lifted his head up with a glare, making his Narrator laugh. Stanley decided he liked that noise very much, no matter how cackly or obnoxious it sounded.
`` Come on, I'll make us that coffee I promised. ,, He sighed, and Stanley begrudgingly raised himself up, noticing the laptop and whatever else his Narrator had on him now gone from the bed. Where did they go, he had no clue, but he also didn't feel the need to ask. He merely nodded, watching as his Narrator beamed for a moment before he schooled his expression, nudging Stanley gently. `` Come on, you lazy slug, I'm not going to carry you there. ,,
With one last complaint and a middle finger (to which his Narrator had the gull to gasp as if offended), Stanley got up from the bed and wandered to the small kitchen he had been given. It wasn't much, but a table for two sat in the middle, thankful he wasn't going to be forced to stand up as he let himself fall onto the chair, hearing his Narrator sigh once more.
`` Stupid, lazy Stanley… ,, he heard his Narrator mumble, to which Stanley's expression soured. He was stupid? For what, letting himself enjoy this one break he got? He scoffed, watching as the Narrator manifested two cups in front of him, seemingly already steaming with coffee as they sat down as well, looking at Stanley with a soft frown.
`` So… we should talk about… what happened. ,, The Narrator said, slowly, as if he didn't even want to think about it at the moment. Stanley merely watched as the being tugged his hair back to tie it into a ponytail once more, taking a sarcastic sip (how does one make a sip sound sarcastic?) as he didn't dare sign a single word. Surprisingly, the coffee tasted rather good. Exactly to his taste, he remarked with a smile. Okay, maybe his Narrator wasn't so bad after all, if he was so thoughtful as to remember his coffee preference of all things.
`` You're thinking so loud I can almost hear it… ,, His Narrator sighed, which Stanley knew was a lie. Especially when he kept repeating the words 'stupid narrator' in his head and the being didn't even flinch, just took a sip of his darker looking coffe. `` Look, I… understand you're upset. But can't we just- put it behind us? ,,
Stanley nearly dropped his coffee at such a suggestion, lips curled into a sneer. Him, forget all the things The Narrator had put him through? Not in a million years. `` Okay, clearly the wrong choice of words. I just, erm… ,, The Narrator spoke, fidgeting with his hair. It seemed as if, now that he didn't have any papers to rustle through, any script to check, his hands wandered around, trying to find something to soothe himself with. It annoyed Stanley, but it was also one of those quirks he couldn't help but find endearing. Sweet. It almost gave him a tooth cavity just thinking about it.
`` I just… I want a new start. Especially after that whole ultra deluxe fiasco. ,, The Narrator spoke, and he sounded almost… afraid? Of what could he possibly be afraid of? `` I've- I've changed, Stanley, believe me. Being given thousands of years alone really made me ponder… ,, he sighed, rubbing his temple. `` I just- It's hard. I know you probably can't understand it- 'why is this old omnipresent being struggling of all things?'. Trust me, I wish I knew.
`` I thought about it and… we're both stuck here, so what's the point in being evil and rude? What's the point of-of hurting each other? Of hurting ourselves-,, The Narrator sounded bitter on the last word, but he quickly got on track, `` I don't… lord above this is so embarrassing to say. ,, The Narrator groaned, to which Stanley couldn't help but chuckle, yet quickly covered it by sipping his coffee.
`` I- the simple answer is I'm scared, Stanley. I'm scared that- that you'll see that Cookie9 person was right, that I'm just an unfunny chat box and you'll grow tired. And I don't want you to grow tired. Not of me. I don't think I could take it. ,, The Narrator sighed, and it made Stanley's heart clench in his chest. He stood there, silent for a few minutes, lips pressed into a thin line as he processed what The Narrator had said. `` Because-Because if you despise me, if you start thinking I'm just some nerd that you don't care about, I-I'll stop having a purpose. You won't listen to my story, you won't- you won't mess around with me anymore, you won't hold me dear anymore- ,,
Stanley cut the rambling man off with a simple 'stop' sign, doing it harshly enough that the chair legs shrieked as The Narrator flinched back at the motion. Stanley then paused, thinking over his words, chewing on them as he swallowed down the last bit of coffee remaining. Now or never, he supposed.
'I would never grow tired of you,' he settled upon, watching as The Narrator's eyes shone with something unreadable. ' I've literally just slept with you, what makes you think I'd hate you?'
`` Don't word it like that Stanley! ,, the being barked, looking pensive before he sighed, bringing a hand to wipe his eyes which looked as if they were ready to burst into tears, setting his glasses aside. `` I don't know- I don't know what came over me, but seeing your face- ,, the being gasped, shaking his head as he clutched at his hair- `` Seeing your face as you-you hit me over and over, it looked inhuman. It looked like, like you despised me. That you hated me so bad you wanted me dead, and it- it hurt more than the punches. ,,
Stanley, once more, was at a loss for words. They stood there, in the heavy silence, before Stanley heard a strange noise. It sounded akin to a sob, and it made Stanley's head dart up as he saw the being in front of him wipe their eyes, another sob escaping their mouth.
`` I'm sorry-I'm sorry for bringing it up, please don't hate me- please, I just- ,, The Narrator choked on his words, and Stanley darted up from his seat, uncaring how the chair fell back and The Narrator - oh fuck it, his Narrator jolted in his chair with a small cry. It hurt Stanley's heart more than anything, seeing such a once proud man being reduced to-to this. To this sobbing, anxious thing, stumbling to apologize at the second he noticed any displeasure on Stanley's face.
'Calm down', Stanley signed, even as his own hands shook, ' I'm here. I'm here, I'm not upset'. What sounded both like a relieved sigh and a sob spilled past the beings teeth, and Stanley had no choice but to gently wrap his arms around their figure. It shook in his grip, as if they were unaware of what was happening, but quickly clutched at Stanley back, slightly regaining some composure.
`` Dear God I'm so fucking pathetic- ,, hearing his Narrator curse made Stanley jolt, feeling a frown tug at his face. He lifted his head up from where he had nestled it on his Narrator's shoulder and gently cupped the man's face, watching as their eyes darted to his expression, which Stanley quickly changed into a smile.
' I'm here. ' he mouthed, not feeling like signing. ' You're okay, I don't hate you, you big dork.' Stanley couldn't help but affectionately add, watching as his Narrator's frown twitched before it lifted into a smile, Stanley using his own thumbs to wipe away the stray tears.
' Calm down. Coffee? ' he offered, watching as his Narrator pursed his lips before he nodded, yet made no move to grab the mug and lift it to his mouth. Stanley groaned, shaking his head and making himself comfortable on the man's thigh ( trying to ignore how the lights dimmed again- seriously, was his Narrator's light feature broken or something?) before he grabbed the mug in his own hands, gently leading it to him.
His Narrator looked ashamed for a moment, but after an encouraging look from Stanley he parted his lips and let the dark liquid enter his throat, the office man being careful as to not tilt it too much for them. When they made a sign to stop, Stanley quickly pulled the mug away, rubbing the stray bits of caffeine that had dripped down on their chin and to their stubble.
He let his thumb wander until it met the others bottom lip, stilling for a moment as they made eye contact. The room seemed to darken even further, but His Narrator's blush nearly glowed in the dark as they looked utterly mortified, glancing away from Stanley. Still, the office worker just grabbed the other's chin and forced him to look at him, smiling proudly when the man jolted and their arm automatically wrapped around his waist as they kept their eyes fixed on Stanley, looking beyond flustered.
Stanley himself didn't know what he was feeling, or why he was doing this. Perhaps the lights dimming eased him into a more dangerous mood? Maybe it was His Narrator's expression that made him more daring. He looked at him with such wonder in his eyes, as if he was his earth and His Narrator was his moon, orbiting around him day in and day out.
Still, Stanley didn't dare push it further, instead letting his hand drift to simply holding the other's cheek as he flashed them an utterly amused grin. The lights flickered once, twice, before it once more turned to that orange hue he had woken up to, watching as his Narrator practically shoved him away with a huff.
`` You-Did you also hit your head or something? Seriously, Stanley, you looked at me so- so- indecently! You should be ashamed, truly. ,, the being grumbled, yet his cheeks were still bright pink as they got up, leaving Stanley sitting on the chair as he himself wandered to the bed, burying half of his face in his hands as he muttered something inaudible.
His Narrator then began tugging at his tie, the sight making butterflies reappear once more in his stomach. It looked… he didn't know how to describe it, but it certainly made him feel things. He bit his lip, glancing away as the being turned to look at him once more, shakily signing an 'uncomfortable?' before he could think of it.
`` Uncom- oh, good heavens no, Stanley. ,, His Narrator mumbled, although it sounded more breathy. `` It's just… the temperature feature must have broken, yes. It feels way too hot for this kind of suit, truly. ,, they grumbled, and Stanley hummed for a moment before signing: 'strip?'
His Narrator sputtered as he looked at him for a whole five seconds before he looked away, shaking his head. `` I am not a stripper, Stanley, you and I both know that. I don't even know what's under my clothes, why would you want to see me naked anyways, you're a man! ,,
'Fair enough', signed Stanley with a huff before he continued 'Change of clothes? ' `` Hmm… yes, perhaps that could help. ,, His narrator hummed, the slightest of smiles playing at his face as he snapped his fingers together, making Stanley blink out of reflex.
Suddenly, in front of him stood a different dressed narrator. Even if he knew the blink had been not even a second, his Narrator's wardrobe has already changed completely. He now was in a more simple black t-shirt, one which had a breast pocket that had the words 'the end is the never the end' repeating seemingly infinitely. His golden tie remained, but his long pants were changed for a more shorter, beige alternative, although Stanley couldn't tell if it was better or worse. Now that His Narrator had more skin exposed, he could clearly see the arrows snaking around their hands and feet, smiling to himself as he followed them with his eyes.
With a small yet definitely loud enough ahem, Stanley darted his eyes to the pile of clothes next to the being. It didn't look like his old clothes, that's for sure, so that meant…
`` Come on, Stanley, isn't the heat suffocating? ,, His Narrator salaciously purred, and at that moment Stanley knew this was no accident. The temperature in the room only seemed to rise (he had noticed his Narrator's hand flick, he wasn't slick at all), blinking for a few moments before the man continued. `` Go on, I'm waiting. Waiting to see you made humble for your own perverted thoughts. ,,
Stanley swallowed dryly, his voice dying on him as he shook his head, yet his legs moved forward. Well, guess he had no choice. Stanley watched as the figure merely made itself more comfortable on the bed, grumbling to himself as he unbuttoned his shirt. To hell with dignity, he thought to himself, watching as his Narrator's mouth quirked with mild interest.
`` Hmm.. Stanley opened his shirt up slowly, ,, He narrated, and Stanley couldn't help but obey, much to his utter dismay. Why was this happening to him? Wasn't this supposed to be an apology day? Once he got the shirt off, His Narrator chuckled before he continued. `` Hmm… good. Stanley then undid his pants and slid them off his legs, pausing afterwards for a minute or two to let his narrator fully drink the sight in. ,,
Stanley scrunched his nose and signed 'who is perverted now?' watching as his Narrator's nose scrunched yet he made no comment. Stanley obeyed either way, dragging the pants off his feet and, like promised, let him 'drink the sight in', whatever that meant.
`` Stanley felt pretty done with this game, yet his Narrator wasn't about to let him off so easily. Oh no no, Stanley truly needed to be punished. ,, The office worker gulped at the choice of words, suddenly regretting leaving only a thin piece of fabric to hide whatever dignity he had left. `` Stanley turned around and sat himself nicely on the bed, his behind facing his Narrator as he arched his back, exposing his muscles… or lack thereof. ,, Stanley couldn't help but flush at those orders, yet did as he was told, arching his back only slightly. He wasn't about to let His Narrator win everything.
Still, his Narrator seemed content with that, falling silent as Stanley got himself dressed back up, this time in less suffocating clothes. He quite honestly liked the idea of the matching, yet opposite colored t-shirts, and black shorts didn't bother him at all. So he was content with discarding his normal work attire, watching as they vanished before he turned around, looking at his Narrator who merely grinned and patted the spot next to him as a sign for Stanley to join.
`` Ah, you should've seen your face! It was truly a humbling experience, wasn't it Stanley? ,, the being laughed, yet wasn't shy of wrapping his arm around the office worker, who gave him a weak glare. `` Oh come on, it was a fun little game. Plus, you were such a good boy listening to my orders… I should suggest them like that more often, if it gets you to obey. ,,
The words made Stanley's heart pick up again, even as his Narrator quickly backtracked. `` I mean- If you're not okay with it that's fine. I don't-I don't know what came over me, truly. Maybe isolation is driving me insane. Oh God, I shouldn't have said that should I- ,,
A simple press of his palm against his Narrator's chest made him stop, watching with focused eyes as Stanley seemed to realize something. Something that shook him to his core, judging by his wide eyes and jaw open look, but the being didn't dare ask, instead waiting for Stanley to speak instead.
' It's fine,' Stanley quickly signed, smiling. ' It was fun. Thank you for the shirt.' the man hummed as his Narrator's cheeks grew a tiny more redder, light dimming as his hand snuck lower to grasp Stanley's lower back instead.
`` We-well, we should… probably find a way to pass the time, ,, His Narrator offered and Stanley looked at him with a quirk of his eyebrow, to which his Narrator sputtered. `` No, not like- not like that, Stanley. ,, Stanley shook his head, which made his Narrator's voice lower to a meek as he spoke again- `` Oh you weren't referring to- oh, God damn it- ,,
His Narrator hid his flushed face and Stanley's eyebrow quirked higher, raising his hands to sign: ' why do you keep thinking about that? ' he quizzed, to which he heard a strange sound-something between a squeak and an embarrassing noise, his Narrator unwilling to meet his eyes before he shook his head, clicking his tongue.
`` You-you know, out of the parable technology has evolved. ,, His Narrator settled on instead, and Stanley was content with just… listening. Even if his question about His Narrator's strange… fantasies went unanswered. `` Now there's new consoles, new everything. We should- I mean, we don't have to but… ,, His Narrator paused, shrinking down on himself before he spoke again. `` Would you like to… play with me some games? Ive- I've managed to find some… downloads online, and I've downloaded quite a few. What do you say? ,,
Stanley pondered, waiting for a beat before his eyes shined with pure excitement, nodding as his Narrator chuckled at his child-like curiosity at the new technology. `` Alright, alright, just so you know I've never… played video games before. You'll have to lead me through it. ,,
His Narrator then conjured up what looked like a handheld console, one with a singular screen and two red and blue controllers sticking to the side. Opening the console up with a satisfying 3-tap home enter, the narrator quickly selected one of the more alluring games- some sort of creature capturing game, he assumed based on his limited research.
Stanley smiled as he snuggled up against the narrator, watching as the title screen popped up after an intro. His Narrator struggled to utter the title- (`` Poke- Poke-ay- Stanley, I don't think I can pronounce this, nor can my copyright censor allow it. ,,), but eventually they entered the game, and the two men leaned against one another.
After one more long intro sequence, the two were put into the game. By now their legs had tangled together and Stanley practically was snuggled up against his Narrator's chest, smiling at the small thuds he heard inside. A sort of heartbeat, even if he knew his Narrator didn't need one. Still, it comforted him.
Still, after being stuck in the first room of the entire game for a whole 5 minutes, Stanley had had enough of it. He huffed as he placed his hands over his Narrator's, ignoring the small squeak that was heard, placing one of his thumbs against his Narrator's on the controller as he moved forward, the being behind him cheering for Stanley was oh so bright for figuring out basic controls. From there, they picked up a little, sobbing and dreadful creature, and his Narrator let Stanley pick the name.
After they had acquired their first ever creature named Bucket (no, his Narrator did now grumble in protest and slight jealousy), the two continued playing as normal. With Stanley guiding his Narrator's motions, hands put over theirs as they held one another, practically snuggling by this point. However long it had been, Stanley couldn't tell, but eventually his Narrator had fallen asleep, a soft jazz song starting to fill the empty void of his voice as background noise. Eventually, Stanley had also grown tired and after saving the game, he pushed his head under his Narrator's and held their hand, placing a shy kiss to their neck before he drifted off with a gentle 'good night'.
And Stanley was more than happy. And His Narrator was happy.