Thanks for the request, @iamrunner5 ! Sam and Five are one of my favorite character dynamics to write about, so this was very fun. I usually write them explicitly platonic, but for this one I left it vague so it’s open to interpretation (a bit like the game itself, I suppose). Enjoy! :D
The moment Five sprinted past the gates, covering fire blaring behind them, they stopped, slumping like a marionette after the curtains closed. They panted, taking in cooling breaths as quickly as they could. As good a runner as they were, this mission had been particularly taxing; a struggle to get the medical equipment they were after, some particularly sickening sights beyond where the cameras reached, and a few too-close calls with some zombs; all combined into one excruciatingly long run.
And they weren’t done, not nearly. They still had to bring the tech to the lab, get their bite-check, catalogue their other supplies; all that could take a good hour or longer. At the very least, after all of that was done, they had a shower to look forward to. Between the sweat sticking their clothes to their skin, and the consequences of the muddy creak they had had to run through to evade an unexpected pack, there was little more appealing at the moment than the prospect of being clean.
Having caught their breath, Five straightened up, just in time to spot Sam coming out of the comms shack and giving them a cheerful wave.
…right, they had had plans that afternoon.
As he approached, they tensed up. They hated to be flaky, never liking to be the type to cancel plans last minute, and Sam in particular was the last person they’d ever want to do that to… but they were tired, stressed, and, if they were being honest with themself, still a bit rattled from the things they had seen in that abandoned hospital laboratory. A pang of guilt shot through their chest at what they were about to do, but they knew that even this awful feeling was better than having to chat and laugh and act like all was well.
When he approached, before he could say a word, they quickly cut him off. “-I’m so sorry, I can’t do tea today after all, I really need a rest”
“…Oh, uhm, that’s alright… are you though?“
They gave a non-committal shrug and hurried off to the lab, trying to push the image of his expression out of their mind. That mix of mild surprise and deeper concern. They hoped he wouldn’t worry too much about them.
Their post-run tasks had been just as tedious as they had feared. After showering and changing into fresh clothes, they felt marginally better; however, though it felt good to have clean skin, their stress had not washed away along with the mud, as they had hoped.
Everything had been harder lately, even by apocalypse standards. It felt like there was constantly something new being thrown at their small township, without reprieve.
They walked to the runner’s quarters, figuring they’d return their muddy clothes to their room to hold onto until it was their turn to have laundry done, then find something relaxing to do, though they had no clue what. At this point, just sleeping sounded appealing, though they were reluctant to risk missing dinner time.
When they stepped into their room, they nearly stumbled, trying to avoid treading on a folded piece of paper that looked to have been slipped under the door. Sighing, they picked it up.
A ‘5’ was drawn on the face-up side, and even the single character was enough for them to recognize the handwriting.
They hesitated only briefly before opening and reading the contents
I know today’s run was rough (to say the least), and I understand if you need a bit to yourself to, you know, recover. But, I know that when I’m under pressure, sometimes being alone doesn’t actually help. I just want you to know, if it’s that you’d rather not talk about all this, we don’t need to.
Look, there’s really no pressure; but, if you’d like, I’ve got a bit of a surprise to show you, as a distraction. Meet me at the comms shack if that’d help.
In the blank space beside his signature, there was a small drawing in his familiar adorable art style. It looked to be himself enthusiastically tackle-hugging them.
Five grinned despite themself, an undeniable bit of joy breaking through their terrible mood. Maybe he was right… they could at least try. And, if they weren’t up for it and needed to bail, it sounded like he’d understand.
So, after stowing their muddy clothes under their bunk, and taming their damp hair the best they could, they headed over to the comms shack to see what it was he had planned.
He answered their soft knock immediately, smiling sweetly when he saw them. “Five!”
“Hey, Sam”. They smiled back, though theirs was more weary.
“Right, so, are you ready to see the surprise?”
They nodded, and he stepped out of the shack, gesturing for them to follow him. “It’s just over this way”
They found their smile becoming more genuine as they trailed after him. Despite how drained they felt, his enthusiasm was strangely contagious. It was difficult not to share in his excitement; even without knowing its source.
He stopped in front of a short gate, glancing at them with a big grin as he carefully unlatched it and slipped inside.
Five followed, more confused now than ever. “…the goat pen?” They frowned, trying to connect the dots. “You’ve been volunteering here, right?”
“Yes- but that’s not why we’re here.” He paused. “Well, I guess it sort of is related? I mean, that’s why I know about it, and am also allowed to do this”
They couldn’t help but laugh. “Pff, ok… but what is it?”
He looked so excited, his dark eyes almost seemed to sparkle in the dim dusky light. “You’ll love this!”
And, with that, he led them into the small indoor hut within the pen, and they saw exactly what he was talking about.
Baby goats, three of them. So small and wobbly Five gasped, squealing softly at the adorable sight. They might’ve been embarrassed, had he not been having practically the same reaction.
“Awww, oh they’re adorable!”
“I know!” His voice reached a falsetto pitch they didn’t even know he was capable of. He turned to them with a huge smile. “Do you want to hold one?”
Of course they did. He directed them to a metal chair, tossed a towel over their lap, and scooped up one of the tiny creatures, showing them how to hold her, before transferring her into their arms.
It was so small, not much heavier than a rabbit, it’s tiny gangly legs folded underneath its soft form.
They were silent for a long time, soaking in every bit of the experience.
Finally, quietly, they said, “…Sam?”
He gave them a gentle smile, his gaze soft, and they were grateful that he didn’t comment on the tears welling in their eyes.
