Chapter Text
Ink chewed the end of his pen as he listened to you hum idly from the swing set. The chains creaked with every pass, screeching out an odd rhythm that probably shouldn’t have been as soothing as it was. Little glow bugs flickered and buzzed around the area as he tilted his head, squinting down at his sketch book from the top of the slide.
Something was missing from his latest sketch, but he couldn’t figure out what. It was annoying, staring down at what had originally been a quick piece for fun and having the neverending nag of ‘not quite right’.
Before he could grumble again and destroy another eraser in his frustration, your boots dragged loudly against the concrete, stopping your pendulum-like motions with another screech of metal. Ink jumped a little at the sudden shift in noise and turned his head to you as you sighed loudly. Your solid black eyes stared out at the skyline unseeingly as you pointedly stated, “I want ice cream.”
You did that a lot. Telling Ink what you wanted rather than asking him to take you somewhere or do something for you. It was… weird was the wrong word. Charming was too positive. Refreshing, maybe?
Ink liked that you gave him information rather than asking him to complete an action. It was rare. People always wanted things from him. You just told him the facts and continued on your way.
“I’ll take you to a shop over the hill.” The Protector chirped, jumping down from his perch. A break would do him good. “They have good options!”
You grasped his hand readily and let the much shorter monster lead you on your way, quietly taking in his chatter like you always did. The thick tears of Determination slid down your face as the two of you walked, plopping into the scarf Swap had gotten you at some point. It certainly did help keep you from staining so many shirts, but Ink wasn’t fond of the faint undercurrent of the monster’s magic that still clung to it. You were his human… friend… something.
If only you'd let him steal it for just a few hours… but you were terribly possessive of it. Liked the way it could be unraveled just enough to cover your Soul when others were around.
“What flavors do they have?” you asked, startling Ink from his thoughts. You lifted your face up from the fabric to fully enjoy the faint breeze.
“Oh, lots!” he hummed, waving your linked hands as you walked. “The basics, of course, but they also have pistachio, and orange, and sweet cream! And they have bunches of popsicles, too. My favorite’s the cafe-sicle. Tastes like real coffee."
You nodded in consideration, “Will you read me the options when we get there?”
“Sure!” Ink chirped, like he always did. You asked such silly questions sometimes. You’d think by now you’d know that he was happy to describe things to you.
You simply hummed in pleased acknowledgement, Soul flickering between its circular state and something calmer that he’d never seen before.
~~~~~~~~
“What are you so frustrated about?” you asked, breaking the easy silence before chomping down on another spoonful.
Ink grumbled at the paper taunting him before motioning to it like the sketch had offended his bloodline, but was met with puzzled silence. You stared at the air around him expectantly.
“Oh, right!” Ink giggled, realizing you couldn’t see the paper. “It’s a drawing of you!”
You tilted your head to the side with a funny befuddled expression. Goop dripped down your cheek as you blinked, restaining your freshly napkin-wiped skin. “Me?”
“Mhm,” Ink nodded, setting the notebook back down in his lap with a sigh. He always hated being frustrated, no matter how many times his paints forced him to go through it. “But it’s missing something, and I can't figure out what.”
You hummed and consumed another spoonful as you thought. Ink nibbled on his cafe-sicle as he watched you curiously. Your mind seemed to churn differently than others, it was fascinating to watch. “Is there anything else, or is it just me?”
“Just you.” Ink echoed in confirmation, yellow-blue interest starting to overtake the irritation bubbling under the surface.
“Well, why don’t you draw yourself then?” you stated unexpectedly, voice sounding as if the claim was obvious, rather than completely out of nowhere.
“Huh?”
You leaned back, staring in his vague direction with a small smile. “I mean, I'm hardly ever without you, so maybe you’re what's missing.”
Ink stared at you for a few moments, gears turning.
“Maybe?” he turned back to the offending notebook, pen in hand. “It’s worth a shot.”
The addition wasn’t wrong, like the others he’d tried, but there was still something off about it. “...it’s a bit better.”
You leaned back against your seat, shrugging. “That’s the best I've got.”
Ink tapped the pen to his teeth and stared at you, wondering if he could figure out the answer better now that you were in the semi decent lighting of the patio outside the ice cream shop. He’d tried before, but it had been dark and you’d been swinging, so maybe the change of scenery would benefit him. A bus whirled by, stirring your scarf.
There.
The faint glow of your Soul drew his eye before he even thought about it. The typical storm had settled, calming into something new. The electric heart that pulsed in front of him was different then the one he’d drawn.
“One sec.” he said. “Hold still.”
You froze in your position, taking him too seriously as usual. Ink quickly erased the old Soul pattern on his sketch and replaced it with your new one.
Holding it up to the light, the Protector grinned. “Perfect!”
You chuckled, “Me, or the drawing?”
“Both!”