Work Text:
Today is going to be a lazy day.
You have the day off, allowing you to spend it how you wanted, and most importantly, away from your shitty colleagues.
You woke up late, loving to be comatose in bed until hunger forced you out of your cocoon. You texted Pope on your way to the kitchen, telling him he could come and do nothing with you if he had the time.
Although Pope didn’t question you, he was still confused by your text. Shouldn’t you be at work ? Were you sick and unable to go ? Did you skip ? He figured he’d have all the answers he wants by visiting you sometime later. So he left you on read.
Typical of him, you thought amused. He rarely ever responds or uses very short answers. He’s not a text kind of guy, face to face is way better.
Your lunch was very dietetic. A bowl of your favorite cereals.
Once your hunger was gone you placed the empty bowl in the sink and went back to your room, taking with you your Switch and unlocking your front door in case Pope decided to show up.
You connected the Switch to the TV and climbed on the bed, back resting against your pillows as you started Animal Crossing. Time passed, allowing you to talk to all your villagers and to do a few errands for them before beginning to hunt for insects.
“[Name] ?!” You heard a voice call out.
Pope.
“Bedroom !” You replied loud enough for him to hear.
He looked around on his way to you, not to look for you but for clues. Did you leave a “sick trail” ? Used tissue laying around, meds on the counter, was the throw blanket still on the couch ?
But there were no signs of sickness. So did you skip ? Did you had enough of your coworkers and decided to not go ? Did you quit ?
He slowly reached the bedroom’s door, knocking briefly before entering.
You… didn’t look sick either. He followed your eyes, only noticing now the soft and bubbly sound filling the room as he watched the screen.
Pope frowned, standing awkwardly by the door.
“What the fuck is that ?” He asked, confusion evident in his voice.
“Animal Crossing.” You replied simply, looking at him.
He frowned even more. That game looked way too cutesy and whimsical to be played by a 40 years old man.
“You can fish.” You added, hoping it would ease the lines on his face. “There’s also fossils to collect. And art. And bugs.”
His eyes were still on the screen, watching your character run between trees and flowers.
“What’s the age demographic for that game ?”
“Adults play it. It’s very relaxing when you’re not chased by a tarantula.”
“Chased by a tarantula ?”
“Or a scorpion. Or bees, even.”
Pope stared at you, before focusing back on the screen.
“Can you die ?”
“No. We faint if we get stung and wake up at home.”
That’s the only danger ? No zombies ? No guns ? No monsters rushing after you ? No deaths ? He was used to hear Craig’s games, loud gunshot sounds or explosions followed by frustrated screaming, not whatever game you were playing.
It was… weird.
“Is there something you wanted us to do ?” You asked, amused by his perplexed face.
He shook his head no.
“You said you wanted me here.”
“Yeah to hang, relax together or something.”
“Did you quit ?” He asked without missing a beat. You frowned before chuckling.
“No. I just have a free day.” You smiled. “The shop is closed for the day. Tomorrow, I go back.” You added with a grimace.
Pope nodded. He knew how much you hated your coworkers, he hated them too. What you hated he did too. But as much as you disliked the workplace, he knew it was better than to have you spiraling and depressed, spending empty day after empty day at your place. You know that yourself, so even though you hated it, you refused to quit, praying to see the day you’d find someplace better.
“Wanna come ?” You asked, arms open, inviting. “I’m gonna get in the water to fill my museum.” You weren’t. But you knew he liked the sounds of the sea so you decided to focus on the few last species you needed to find and farming for bells.
Pope glanced once more at the screen, your character did a twinkling 360, now in a bathing suit, before entering the water, and finally he moved, climbing on the bed to rest in your arms.
“Are you gonna stay in the water ?” He asked, positioning himself in a way to still be able to look at the screen.
“Until my bag is full. Then I have to sell everything and come back.”
He didn’t reply, instead watching your character swim toward a darker spot in the water to quickly dive in, bringing up a whelk. You figured he was still curious about it as he silently watched you swim around, bringing random stuff up.
You could feel him relax, body going limp against you, attentively listening to the sound of the waves, stopping only when you had to make a run for the museum and the shop before quickly returning to the beach, the soft ambient song constantly accompanying you, endlessly looping, forever warm.
“Would you like to have your own island ?” You asked after some time.
“What ?” His voice sounded too quiet, as if you had woken him up despite him not being asleep.
“You can collect so much stuff. Fill your museum with fish, fossils, bugs, and art pieces. Collect and grow all the fruits the game has, same with the flowers. You can plant them anywhere you want. You can breed flowers to get special ones. You can sort them by color and species or grow only your favorite. You can change how the ground looks, choose how to decorate your house. You can craft things too.”
He stayed silent for a moment before finally talking as you showed him your island.
“Why would I play this game ?”
“I don’t know. Because it’s not stressful ? And you can do a lot of things ? Except holding people at gun point or stealing. You buy and sell a lot to get rich and pay your debts.”
“You have debts ?” That seemed to really surprise him.
“Ah, you did not see that one coming, huh ? Not anymore.” You said proudly. “From a tent to a house with six rooms. Paid it all. Five million and seven hundred thousand bells.”
“Bells ?”
“It’s the currency. You can befriend the villagers, participate in fishing or bug catching contests.” You added, still trying to convince him. “You can ask to build bridges or other stuff but you’re gonna have to pay a lot of money because the villagers are not much help. You can visit my island and exchange stuff too.”
Pope said nothing, visibly still not convinced. You felt him move, a warm hand sneaking under your shirt to rest by your side, rough thumb caressing your skin.
You entered your house, showing him your rooms with each a different set of decoration.
“What are those things ?”
“Gyroids.” You simply replied as you walked around the room before exiting and going back to the main floor.
“What’s in the last one ?”
“Last one ?”
“Downstairs.”
“There’s no downstairs.”
“I see the fucking stairs on the right. What’s down there ?”
“Nothing.”.
“Show me what’s downstairs.”
You quickly debated mentally before letting out a big sigh, slowly making your character walk downstairs.
“What the fuck is that ?” He asked as he saw the floor and walls covered in photos of a green koala and in the middle of the room a framed picture of the same animal, along with random objects, not fitting a theme at all.
“My Lyman shrine. With every gift he made.”
Pope pulled away to fully look at you, actually concerned. You squinted your eyes and ignored him, focusing on the screen.
“He’s my favorite villager.” You said before he could ask who the fuck it was. “He was the first to move in. I didn't want him but he grew on me. A lot.”
“No shit. What the fuck is wrong with you ?”
You smiled with all your teeth, awkwardly.
“He wants to be an astronaut.”
“He’s a fucking koala. Green at that. He has zero chances of going up there. How old are you again ?”
“Love has no age.”
“Yes it fucking does.” He replied and you laughed.
“It’s just a shrine in a video game, not in my real life house !”
“Your room is painted green. At a rather close shade.”
“It was before him. And you know my favorite color is fucking mint green.”
Pope’s lips formed a line as he hummed, thinking before taking back his initial position.
“Why are you still in that fuckass room ? Get out, man.”
Your character moved toward the framed photo of Lyman before emoting out a heart.
“Oh my god. Are you serious ?” Pope groaned, making you laugh as you exited the room. But right as you were back in the main room someone knocked on the door before entering.
“Oh my god, Lyman !”
The timing was fucking perfect.
“Jesus fucking Christ, get that thing out of your fucking house.”
“That’s not how you treat a guest, Andrew. And he is gonna love my shrine.”
Pope sighed. Not wanting to see that stupid game anymore, he planted his face in the crook of your neck, no longer interested.
“Get back to the sea.”