An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Summary:
When Gangle placed her suggestion in the box, a part of her did so knowing it would never get picked. So when Caine needs a quick, easy adventure to tide everyone over, it's her high school prom idea that's plucked out of the suggestion box. While she'd often dreamed of a chance to overwrite the memory of her own prom, she still can't quite escape the chokehold it has on her. But she's not the only one who's trying to keep themself from looking back. Skipping out on adventures is nothing new to them, but this one in particular hits home for Zooble in a way they'd rather not think too hard about. But to give Gangle the night she's dreamed of—that she deserves—Zooble has to decide if they can set their own feelings aside for one night, for her. Because obviously just talking to her about it would be too easy. — An abstragedy-focused, suggestion box adventure where Gangle and Zooble relive their respective prom nights.
A/N: Well, I wasn't able to finish the whole thing before the end of June, but since it was getting so long, I figured breaking this fic up into chapters was a good compromise. Please enjoy!
Chapter 1
One wouldn't think that hard plastic would make a particularly comfortable place to sit for most people over the age of eight, but Gangle quite honestly couldn't think of a place she wanted to curl up more than against Zooble's chest.
With her sketchbook propped up against her knees, Gangle sat in the V of Zooble's legs, one of their arms casually draped across her lap while the other propped up their head as they rested their elbow on the arm of one of the couches. Their half-lidded gaze followed her light pencil strokes, lulled by the soft, rhythmic sound of scritch-scritch-scritching on paper. As she leaned back, nestled as close to them as possible, she could feel the gentle puffs of their breath tickling her neck as they tilted their head to accommodate her desire to rest her own against their shoulder.
Zooble did things like that effortlessly, it seemed. Knowing without even a word exchanged between the two of them what Gangle wanted or needed. To make space for her to exist beside them, because that's what they wanted, too.
It was still a little new, this subtle shift of intimacy that crossed from a cherished friendship into something that got their non-existent pulses racing. Something that hummed a pleasant and warm beat deep inside hollow and empty chest cavities that were day by day filling up with feelings neither thought were even possible for them to experience in a place like this. Or at all.
[Continue at AO3]
