Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

As Stanley stepped into the escape pod, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over him.

For what seemed like an eternity, he had been trapped in his office. Following the Narrator's every command, and being forced to follow the story that was being told. But now, finally, he had found a way out.

As he settled himself into the cramped space of the escape pod, Stanley felt a wave of uncertainty wash over him. What would happen once he reached the real world?
He didn't even know if his makeshift escape plan would work!
For all he knew, this could be yet another part of the Narrator's twisted game.

Just as the doors were about to close behind him and seal off any chance of going back, a voice rang out from outside the pod,

"Wait! Stanley, you can't leave me behind!"

It was the Narrator’s voice.

The escape pod’s doors stopped abruptly. And Stanley hesitated for a moment before turning around to face him.

He turned to look at the Narrator standing there alone in the empty office space with nothing but silence for company. The man’s pleading eyes looking into the eyes of the brunette.

He had spent so much time listening to the Narrator's every word that it felt strange leaving without him - almost wrong somehow.

Maybe it wouldn’t hurt bringing along the Narrator along after all - perhaps they could start a new life together in an unfamiliar world where anything was possible.

Taking a deep breath, Stanley signed,
[Okay, You can come with me.]

The Narrator let out a sigh of relief,
"Thank you, Stanley’’ The grey-haired man softly smiled, pushing open the escape pod’s door and stepping inside.

Again, the pod’s doors started to slowly shut,

Stanley couldn't help but feel a little bit uneasy as the doors closed behind them. What would happen once they reached the real world? They didn’t even know if the escape pod would truly work.
Would they be able to live together peacefully?

As the pod hurtled through space, the Narrator began to speak again,
"I must say, Stanley, I never thought I'd see the day where we would escape together. It's quite exhilarating, isn't it?"

Stanley was unsure how to respond. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was bringing a part of the office with him, a part that he had tried so hard to escape.

After a while, the pod landed with a thud. Stanley and the Narrator stumbled out, taking in their new surroundings.

The escape pod had landed in an open area surrounded by a forest
Stanley was amazed by the trees and the amount of wildlife that surrounded them.

The real world was just as vast and unpredictable as Stanley had imagined, but it was also full of possibility and freedom.

"Well, Stanley," the Narrator asked the brunette, whilst looking up at the sky. "What shall we do now?"

Stanley took a deep breath, feeling the weight of his newfound freedom settling upon him. [I don't know.] he replied.

[But let's find out together.]

Chapter Text

The two of them began to explore the wildlife, walking through the trees and taking in the fresh air.
It felt surreal to be in a world full of nature and not stuck in a dull office for the rest of eternity.

As they walked, they talked about everything and nothing at the same time. Stanley realized that despite everything that had happened, he had developed a strange sort of relationship with the Narrator. They had been through so much together, and now they were in this new world.

Eventually, they stumbled upon a small backpack lying in a clearing. Curiosity getting the best of them, they opened it and discovered a surprising find - ID cards, house keys, and car keys.

Stanley and the Narrator stared at each other in disbelief. This was unexpected, but also a stroke of luck. They had never imagined they could find their way in this new world so easily.
Stanley hesitated before picking up the backpack and opening it.

They looked at their ID cards, identical-looking faces printed on them.
They were registered as Stanley Parker and Nolan James Brown.

Digging further into the backpack, they found a note which had an address on it.
That must be where they lived. Apparently, they were also roommates in an apartment which was located in a nearby city.

Without wasting another moment, Stanley grabbed the backpack, and
they set out to find the city and their home.

After about a day of travelling, Stanley and The Narrator finally saw the lights of the city glowing in the distance.

They had been on a long and tiring journey, but seeing civilization again made it all worth it.
As they drew closer to the city, they could see tall buildings reaching up towards the sky, bustling streets filled with cars and people hurrying about their day.

Stanley was excited about meeting real people for once instead of just talking to his Narrator. It would be nice to have someone else to talk to besides someone he had been stuck with for years. However, he couldn't help feeling a bit scared too - what if these people didn't like him? Or his Narrator?

Finally arriving at their apartment complex after navigating through busy streets and crowded sidewalks, Stanley reached into his pocket for his keys and opened the lock of their apartment.
They walked into their small apartment, which had only basic furnishings: a couch, dining table, and a tiny kitchen area with bare essentials.

In their apartment were two doors leading off from the main living space; one led to a small bathroom while behind another door there was a bedroom complete with closet space and a two-person bed.

The Narrator's brows furrowed as he looked at the bed in front of them.

"Do we have to sleep in this same bed?" He asked Stanley, his brows furrowing.

[Well, I could sleep on the couch if you’re uncomfortable with it.] Stanley replied, glancing his eyes to make eye contact with the Narrator.

"It's- No, I don't want you sleeping so uncomfortable on the couch. We could manage it." The Narrator decided.

[Are you sure?] Stanley asked him.

"Yes, Stanley. I’m sure." The Narrator replied firmly, looking away from Stanley.

"Now, I do want to check if we actually have food. I don't want us to starve." The older man walked out of the bedroom, Stanley following him.
They walked out of the bedroom to the small kitchen, but The Narrator stopped when he noticed something lying on the counter.

"Oh? Stanley, what's this?" He gestured to two phones lying on the kitchen counter.

Stanley looked at him confused then signed,
[You don’t know what phones are?]

"I- Well.. We didn't have this kind of technology in The Parable, you know - Well, we had those computers, but they barely didn't work! I'm surprised you know about phones.."
The older man continued to ramble on but eventually halted as he curiously picked up one phone and examined it closely.

"How do I turn this thing on?" The grey-haired man looked confused at Stanley.

Stanley sighed and gestured to give the phone to him,
the phone looked like an old model, but it still seemed to be in good condition.

The brunette turned on the phone, he explained how phones worked for at least an entire hour.

[We can use them to call for help or maybe even find jobs.] Stanley suggested.

The Narrator nodded in agreement.

Stanley was about to sign some more until his stomach rumbled loudly.

''What was that?'' The Narrator tensed up.

[Nothing, hungry] Stanley quickly signed as picked up his own phone,
putting it in his pocket - not bothering to turn it on - and then opened the fridge.

The inside of the fridge was bare, with only a single cucumber and some strawberries inside.

Stanley’s stomach rumbled again, he took a breath, looked at the Narrator and signed,
[We should probably buy some food.]

Chapter Text

[We should probably buy some food.]

''Good idea,'' The Narrator agreed, ''Do we have any kind of money?''

[Yep, in here.] Stanley signed back, holding up his wallet.

The Narrator nodded in approval,
"Alright then, let's head out and get some groceries."

He gestured for Stanley to lead the way. Stanley grabbed his wallet and the two of them made their way out of the apartment.


As they stepped out into the bustling city streets, Stanley was reminded of how unfamiliar this world was to him. Everything looked so different and exciting.
The city was alive with people, cars honking, and the smell of food from various street vendors filling the air.

The two were amazed at the amount of the different kinds of shops.
They both wanted to go to so many different shops they saw, but they decided that they should hurry up, because the grocery shop was about to close in an hour.

As they reached the grocery store, Stanley grabbed a shopping cart and started wheeling it around the aisles.

''So what kind of food should we buy, Stanley?'' The grey-haired man asked the brunette.

[I don’t know, but we can look around for a bit first.] The brunette replied.

''Good idea,'' the grey-haired man nodded in approval.


They explored some aisles and eventually decided they were going to make chicken curry today.

The Narrator followed closely, watching as Stanley picked out fruits, vegetables, and other essentials.
Stanley seemed to be enjoying the experience, carefully selecting each item and signing to the Narrator about his choices.

After picking up enough groceries to last them for a while, they made their way to the checkout counter.

Stanley paid for the groceries using his wallet, the Narrator staying still and not saying anything.

The two watched as the cashier scanned their items and bagged them, then handed the receipt to Stanley.

The brunette signed a quick, [Thank you.] and they left the store.

As they walked back home with their groceries, Stanley's stomach rumbled again, but this time with anticipation. He couldn't wait to cook a meal with the Narrator, using the fresh ingredients they had just bought. 

The Narrator could see the excitement on Stanley's face as he unlocked the door to their apartment and the two carried the groceries inside.

Once they were inside the kitchen, Stanley started unpacking the groceries and placed them on the counter. The Narrator helped Stanley place the vegetables & fruits in their fridge.

After they sorted their groceries, this time, the Narrator's stomach rumbled instead of Stanley’s.

The other man took the hint and grabbed the ingredients they needed to cook.

The brunette started to chop the chicken; the grey-haired man chopped the vegetables.

After Stanley finished chopping, he put the chicken in a frying pan and began to cook it.

The Narrator tried to cook the rice, but he didn’t know how it worked, so he just stood there not knowing what to do.

[Want me to help you?] Stanley asked the Narrator.

The Narrator felt embarrassed, he hesitated for a few seconds, then replied,
''..Yes please.''

Stanley nodded and turned off the stove to help the other man.

The aroma of freshly cooked food filled the air, as Stanley put the meal on their plates and they sat down at the dining table together.
They enjoyed their meal in comfortable silence, with occasional signing to communicate.

After dinner, Stanley and the Narrator cleaned up together, washing the dishes and putting away the leftover ingredients.

After cleaning up, Stanley and the Narrator sat on the couch, feeling content and full.
Stanley signed,
[Today was a good day.]

The Narrator nodded in agreement,
''Yes, it was.'' The grey-haired man paused for a second before continuing,
''Stanley, I'm glad we could get groceries and cook together.''

Stanley smiled back and signed,
[Me too. It's nice having you around.]

The Narrator felt a warm feeling in his heart as he replied back,
''I'm glad to be here with you, Stanley.''


This made the brunette blush, he paused and then asked,

[Wanna watch something?] He asked the Narrator.

''Sure. What would you like to watch, Stanley?'' The other man replied.

[I dunno, let's just see what kind of shows it has first.]
The grey-haired man nodded in reply, grabbing the tv remote and turning on the tv.


They eventually decided on watching a documentary about birds, Stanley kept excitedly pointing at all of the different kinds of birds they saw, with the other man telling the brunette about silly bird facts he knew.

After about an hour the documentary finished.
Stanley turned off the tv and signed, [We should go to sleep, It’s getting late.]

The Narrator nodded back, too tired to reply to the brunette.

Stanley grabbed the Narrator's hand and led him to their bedroom. The two entered their bedroom, and the brunette opened their closet.

The Narrator watched with amusement as Stanley rummaged through the closet, pulling out two sets of pyjamas for them to wear.
They changed into their pyjamas and got ready for bed, taking turns in the bathroom to brush their teeth and wash up.

As they climbed into bed, Stanley reached out and turned off the bedside lamp, surrounding the room in a cosy darkness.

They layed side by side, the moonlight peeking through the bedroom window creating a gentle glow of light on their faces.

Stanley was the first to fall asleep. However, the Narrator couldn’t sleep.

So the grey-haired man observed Stanley while he was sleeping; the way the brunette softly smiled in his sleep, his breathing steady and peacefull, and the way his hair fell softly on his forehead whilst sleeping.

The grey-haired man couldn't help but feel a surge of protectiveness towards Stanley, a desire to keep him safe and happy.

He realised how grateful he was to have a companion like Stanley in this unfamiliar world.
Then the grey-haired man yawned, breaking him out of his thoughts. His eyes felt heavy, he was getting sleepy.

So, the Narrator softly smiled, whispered goodnight to Stanley, and softly kissed the brunette's forehead.

With a gentle sigh, the Narrator closed his eyes, letting himself drift off to sleep as well, and within minutes he fell asleep.

Chapter Text

Stanley woke up to a strange noise coming from his nightstand, he groaned as he realised it was his phone.
He opened his eyes, wincing from the blinding lights coming from the morning sun.


The brunette grabbed his phone from his nightstand, turned it on and noticed he got called by an unknown number, who would be calling him now ? It’s 7:32 AM on a Sunday, most people would probably still be sleeping!

Stanley decided to ignore the call, not wanting to deal with it right now since he had just woken up.
He wondered if he should talk about it with the Narrator later - speaking of, where was his Narrator?

Stanley noticed that the latter was nowhere to be found in bed, having likely woken up before him and headed downstairs.


The brunette got up from bed and stretched his limbs, feeling his muscles ache a bit. He basically dragged himself to the bathroom to comb his hair and freshen up.
Upon looking into the bathroom mirror, Stanley felt a bit lightheaded. Probably because he woke up by some random person calling him at the most ungodly hours.



After freshening up, Stanley headed to the kitchen and found the Narrator sitting at the table, sipping a cup of tea while reading a book.

The Narrator looked up from his book, "Morning, sleepyhead," he gave Stanley a warm smile.

[Mornin'] The brunette replied by signing, returning the smile, [Did you sleep well?]

''Yeah, I did," the Narrator said, putting down his book. "What about you?"

[I slept alright.] Stanley replied, sitting down at the table, across from the Narrator.


[Hey, do you know who called me just now?] He showed his phone’s screen with the unknown number displayed on it. [I got a call from an unknown number a few minutes ago.]

The Narrator shook his head. "No, I don't. Do you want to call them back?"
Stanley shook his head. [Nah, it's probably just some seller or something.]

The Narrator nodded and took a sip of his tea. He left his chair and headed to the kitchen.
"So, what do you want for breakfast?" The grey-haired man asked the brunette.


When the Narrator talked, Stanley couldn't help but notice that his headache was becoming worse. He tried to ignore it, not wanting to worry the Narrator or ruin their weekend.

[Uh, just some toast and eggs are fine, thanks.] Stanley turned around to the Narrator, but he winced because the headache made it hurt.
The brunette silently hoped the Narrator didn't notice.

However, the other man did notice and looked at him with a concerned expression,
"Are you hurt, Stanley? You seem off."

Stanley replied, [No, no, I'm fine. Just still a bit tired, I guess.] He shook his head but winced again as his headache now felt even worse.

But the Narrator wasn't convinced. He walked over to Stanley and laid his hand on the brunette’s forehead.

"Are you sure? Your face is burning hot..''

Stanley tried to brush it off again,
[I’ll be fine, don't worry.]

As the morning went on, Stanley couldn't ignore the fact that he was feeling even worse. His headache turned into a migraine. And by noon, he had a full-blown fever with a runny nose.

The Narrator immediately took charge. He made sure Stanley was comfortable, the man brought him blankets and pillows and gave him a cold wet towel to help him with his fever.
He made him soup and brought him tea. He even read to him from a book he had found on the shelf.

Eventually, Stanley fell into a deep sleep. When he woke up, he felt slightly better, but still not quite himself.

"How are you feeling?" the Narrator asked, sitting next to Stanley in an armchair.

Stanley turned his body to look at the man.

The brunette moved his hands from under the bed’s cover to sign,
[A little better, I think. Thank you, for taking care of me.]

The Narrator smiled warmly. "Of course, Stanley. It's my duty to look after you."

As the afternoon progressed, it gradually turned into evening. The two of them talked for a while, enjoying each other's company.
Stanley's migraine had vanished, and his fever was showing signs of improvement.

Feeling more like himself than he had in days, he stood up from the bed and stretched. With a smile, he signed, [I think I'll be alright now.]

The Narrator returned the smile and responded, "That's great news, Stanley."
He stood up from his armchair and added, "I'll prepare supper for us. You should remain in bed and rest."

[What's on the menu?] The brunette asked, sitting back down on the bed after stretching.

"I was thinking of making some chicken soup and garlic bread," the Narrator replied.

Stanley nodded in agreement and signed, "Sounds good."