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voiceless-terror · 3 years

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Ink (TMA Fanfic)

For TMA Gerry Week 2021 Day One

Pairings: Jonathan Sims/Gerry Keay/Martin Blackwood

Rating: T

Summary: Art’s how Gerry shows his love- a few snippets where he does exactly that. No powers-au, Gerry and Martin own a bookstore. Takes place in this universe but can be read alone!

He’s getting used to having people who want him around.

Gerry’s had friends, sure. Once he left the institute and began working odd jobs, he realized how much he genuinely enjoyed having company. He still isn’t the most social of creatures, but he does enjoy a night out with old coworkers who enjoy his stories and laugh at his jokes. But now, with Jon and Martin, they want him around all the time. Even after they started dating, even after he moved in, he was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. It never does, though. And Gerry, in spite of himself, begins to relax. Begins to feel at home.

He’s laying on the couch, scribbling in his notebook when Martin surprises him with a peck to the top of his head. “Whatcha drawing this time?” He was very excited when he heard Gerry liked to draw, immediately asking to see his notebook or anything he’d done. He’d only recently shown him some of his work; he knows Martin would never make him feel embarrassed, but, well. It’s another part of himself no one’s ever been interested in. Until now.

“Jon,” Gerry responds, leaning into the touch. It’s an amateurish attempt in his opinion, just a rough sketch. But he’s got the proportions down and he never forgets a face. Couldn’t forget, in Jon’s case.

“That’s…” Martin trails off, peering closer at the page. “That’s really good. You’ve even got him smiling!” It’s not that Jon never smiles; he smirks and laughs and snarks. But he’s managed to capture that rare, bright grin that makes Gerry’s heart skip a beat.

“Mhm.” Gerry nods slightly, pen tapping against his sketchpad. He turns around, seeing the naked fondness in Martin’s eyes and has a particularly wicked thought. “Y’know, this is how he looks when he’s watching you.”

Martin sputters, turns a lovely shade of red. “W-What? Really?”

“No,” Gerry smirks. “It’s the way he looks at the Admiral.” A groan and a light smack to the shoulder prove his joke is unappreciated. “Sorry, sorry! I’m sure he also looks at you that way-”

“You’re an ass.” Martin rolls his eyes but oh-so-gently picks up his hand, pausing to inspect the ink-stained fingers. “A very talented ass.” His mind blanks as Martin kisses them one by one.

Thoroughly distracted, he never gets around to finishing that sketch.

_______

Painting, as it turns out, is a lot harder than it looks. Still quite fun, though.

They’ve just found the perfect space- a little out of their price range, but Gerry’s got savings and Jon was willing to part with a bit himself. Martin fretted over his ‘meager contribution,’ as his savings were depleted in the final months of his mother’s care. Ridiculous that he would ever think his contribution meager, considering he’s the one who scouted for locations and did all of the paperwork and stayed up late, agonizing over their finances. Some days, Martin’s the only one keeping them sane. Gerry and Jon are due to remind him of that.

Which is why they’re handling the decorating. Jon claims to have no artistic talent, but he does have a knack for making places seem like home. There are boxes filled with knick knacks and rugs and pictures, all waiting to be hung somewhere once Jon’s finally settled on a layout. Gerry’s left with painting the walls, labeling the different sections in whatever way he sees fit. He’s currently at work on the horror section, painting a stylized eye above the tarp-covered bookshelf when he hears the sound of the bell; Martin must be back from the store. They’d run out of appropriately-sized nails and after a minor freak out, he’d been on his way.

“Find what you were looking for?” he calls, listening as Martin’s footsteps grow closer, the crinkle of bags in his hand. “Here to save the day?”

“I wouldn’t call it saving,” Martin snorted, setting them down on the ground with a thump. “But it’ll certainly help. That looks nice.”

Gerry pauses, considering his work. He really needs a darker green for this. “Thanks. It’s a work in progress.”

“I’m sure it’ll turn out great,” he murmurs distractedly, and Gerry turns to look back at him. The lines of his face are more pronounced than usual, as are the shadows under his eyes. A sure sign that the stress is getting to him. Gerry understands, and he’s not much for being particularly sappy but he does what he can to help.

“Hey,” he calls down to him from his ladder. “C’mere. Need your opinion on something.”

Martin sighs, but heeds the call. “What is it? You know I’m rubbish with this art stuff-”

“It’ll only take a second. Come closer.”

“What am I supposed to be looking at-”

“Closer.”

As Martin huffs and leans towards him, Gerry darts his paintbrush out, drawing the quickest of hearts on Martin’s cheek before he can pull away.

“Gerry!” Martin startles and his hand reaches up to wipe at his cheek.

“Don’t smear it, it’s a heart.” He pauses, going for his gravest voice. “Because I love you so much. I’ll be devastated if you ruin it.”

“I don’t appreciate that.” Martin sighs but drops his hand, his face softening already. Exasperation has never been paired with fondness, not when it’s aimed at Gerry. Another thing he’s starting to get used to.

“Shame. It looks good.”

Martin goes home with a heart on his other cheek as well. He looks ridiculous. Gerry loves it.

_________

When Jon’s particularly stressed, Gerry leaves him post-it notes.

Often he leaves before Gerry even wakes, so he’s got to do them the night before. A little cat here, a little caricature of Bouchard there. He leaves a variety, depending on his mood. Jon always gives him a kiss when he gets home, a soft ‘thank you for the note,’ and that’s all he needs, really, to keep doing it. He likes making Jon smile.

Martin’s gone grocery shopping and Jon’s pulling a late night again, so Gerry’s alone in the flat looking for something to do. There’s nothing on Netflix worth watching (or at least, worth watching by himself) and he’s not in the mood for his latest novel, so he decides he’s going to be productive, make a list of all the things he has to do this week. Jon’s always going on about lists, though he leaves them everywhere and never seems to accomplish everything on them. Maybe it’s the act of making them that’s relaxing. It’s worth a try.

He makes his way over to the second bedroom they (mostly Jon) use as an office. He’s sure Jon’s got a little notepad here that he can use, and he wants it to look as official as possible. He opens the left hand drawer but only finds Martin’s receipts, and on the right he finds a plain-looking notebook, a little worn with use. Maybe that’s what he uses-

Gerry opens it. Pauses. Blinks. Feels something heavy and thick form in his throat.

It’s his notes- his stupid little sketches, his ‘have a good day at work’s, his smiley-faces and little hearts. Each carefully placed on page after page with an accompanying date, neat and tidy, like a little scrapbook. Mum used to throw out his ‘doodles,’ as she called them, told him his time was better spent on actual art, but Jon’s kept all of them. Like they mattered. Like they were important. He sets it back down on the desk and just stands there, heart beating hard in his chest.

Gerry’s tearing up like some sort of moron so he’s distracted and doesn’t hear Jon come home, doesn’t hear his usual grumblings and sighs. Doesn’t hear him until Jon’s right behind him, startling him with a hand on his arm. “Sorry, I was just- Gerry, are you alright?”

Alright. Alright. It’s a word that doesn’t encompass everything he’s feeling. Wanted, embarrassed, a little overwhelmed. And so, so happy.

He turns around and grabs Jon in a fierce hug, overcome with affection and eager to hide his stupid tears as he squeezes Jon to his chest. “You’re adorable, you know that?” he says, peppering kisses to the top of his head despite Jon’s weak protestations. “Real fuckin’ cute.”

Jon melts into his embrace, even as he complains. “I’ve got no idea what you’re on about, Gerry,” he says into his chest, the words muffled. “You’re being absurd.” Jon’s just about the only person he knows that uses ‘absurd’ on a daily basis. It’s insufferable. Gerry loves it.

“Just let me hug you, you little ogre.”

_________

Sometimes, Gerry’s the one who’s got to be up early. Doctors appointments are a bitch, and after a brief scare last year, it’s important that he keep up with them. Martin helps him schedule, marking the appointments on the calendar with a bold black marker that can’t be missed.

This morning’s particularly brutal, with an eight o’clock appointment an hour’s commute away. Jon went to sleep at a reasonable hour last night and he needs the rest; Gerry knows if he wakes Martin, he wakes them both. Jon’s never been good at sleeping alone.

He’s stumbling blearily around the kitchen, about to put the kettle on when he notices it. On the table is a post-it note; he doesn’t remember leaving one for Jon last night, but he’d been rather tired, so who knows? Gerry putters around, fixing his tea and nibbling at toast when he finally spares it a glance.

It’s not for Jon. It’s for him.

Good luck at your appointment! It reads in Martin’s familiar, neat script. Accompanying it is a small doodle that has to be Jon’s; it’s not particularly good, but it clearly shows a little Gerry, makeup and all, with a plaster on his cheek and a heart over his head. It looks like Jon spent time on it. Spent time on some stupid little post it note to make Gerry smile.

He puts it in his pocket. Takes it out a few times in the waiting room, stares at it. Everything looks fine, the doctor says at the end of the appointment. He’s so lucky.

He’s so lucky.

ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29635833

#tma #the magnus archives #tmagerryweek2021 #gerry keay #gerard keay #jonathan sims #martin blackwood #jongerrymartin #my writing

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yourheartsaremine-blog · 7 years

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You’ve been matched with...

@viishiik Sorry that the short scenario...isn’t really fluffy at all AND IS JUST RANDOM, but I hope you enjoy regardless! ;; And warmest thanks for your kind words @ your request! <3

I think someone level-headed and willing to speak about their opinions and concerns would be a good match for you! Akira has the kind of personality where he’d be able to remind you to stop and take a breather whenever it seems like you’re overthinking things; he’d do so in a gentle manner, of course, but he’d help you take a step back before you overcomplicate manners and stress yourself out. Because of how sharp he is and how easily he familiarizes himself with the people around him, he’d also be able to pick up when you’re about to go down that particular road and try to guide you down a different line of thought. You get along well in part of the fact that you’re both quite self-aware. Just as you understand that you have virtues and flaws, Akira is very much aware of this for himself as well. To be self-aware means that you may be better able to reflect on yourself as a person, and with that can come growth and understanding as you gain more experience. Akira has goals for himself as to what kind of person he’d like to become, and he would seek to help you better yourself and reach your own personal goals as a person if you’d let him. Akira loves that you have a desire to help others, but will sit you down and discuss your selfless nature when he believes that it may be going too far; he’ll remind you that it’s not selfish to say no or sometimes put your own needs before others, difficult though that may be. He’d also be there to let you know that there’s no shame in letting out your emotions run free from time to time, something that can seem a little ironic from someone as collected as he is. At the very least, he will strive to make you happy; your laughter and smile brings him joy as well, and he wants to be able to give something to someone who is usually doing all the giving.

HCs (w/ Akira):

He finds the fact that you can sometimes be awkward rather endearing…which means that if he’s with you in a situation where you’re trying to talk to someone new, he won’t necessarily step in to help you—not at first, anyways. If he sees that you’re genuinely getting uncomfortable, he will smoothly interject and change the subject, but otherwise sometimes he just likes to see you squirm a little.

Akira has no qualms about being a part of any sort of impulsive idea or plan that you may pursue. So long as it makes you happy in some way, he’ll go along for the ride. This is partly to ensure that he’s there in case anything goes wrong, and partly because he literally has no hesitations about anything really (I mean the boy posed as Jesus for Yusuke in a church and then offered to strip for god’s sake—)

It takes little to no convincing to get him to play video games with you since it’s something he dabbles in as well. He’s happy to try whatever it is you bring him, though be wary if you challenge him; the boy’s got some impressive skills. Horror games especially can be fun with him because he’s got a great poker face and will never (outwardly) jump even in the most terrifying of scenarios.

He loves to hear about your characters and stories, and will frequently ask you about them. If you’re in the midst of writing a story and you told him a little about it before, it’s more than likely that he’ll bring it up again at a later date to ask how things are progressing. Akira is truly interested in hearing about all of your creative ideas and will always encourage you to continue writing partly because he thinks it’s a good hobby, but mostly because he thinks you have great ideas.

HCs (w/ Phantom Thieves)

Did Yusuke hear sketching? Because he’s always up for chatting with another fellow artist, whether they’re a professional or someone who just doodles from time to time! He’ll ask you a lot about what you’ve been sketching recently and, upon hearing that you like to dabble in writing, might just ask you questions about your stories as well. You may meet with him one day to find that he’s painted a picture based off what you had told him of one of your characters or the setting of your story…but whether or not it actually matches what you had personally visualized will probably be hit or miss.

Ann is that wonderful, supportive friend that will play games with you, shop with you, and absolutely tell off anyone who tries to take advantage of your kindness. If she senses that you’re taking too much upon yourself for someone else, she’ll let you know, but she’ll also respect if you’re too uncomfortable to stand up for yourself, which is why she’d do it for you if the situation were to ever arise.

Makoto the mom is another person who I think you’d get along with well! She takes on a rather logical and maternal role among the Phantom Thieves, and the care that she shows the others extends to you as well. If she learns that you’re feeling unwell or that you’re stressed out, she’ll show up at your door with some little gifts and a listening ear if you need it. Because she loves to read, she would also like it if you shared your stories with her, but would respect your wishes if you aren’t comfortable showing them to her!

Short scenario:

Yusuke paints one of your characters for you and you and Akira wonder what in god’s name happened. Where did you even start. It was unbelievably flattering to know that Yusuke had gained enough inspiration through your creations that he had painted a picture, and there was no denying that he had incredible skill…but when you had detailed your character’s physical features to him you hadn’t quite been expecting anything like this. “Why does she have cat ears?” Akira voiced the same question that had been on your mind. The corner of his mouth drew upwards in an amused, lopsided smile as he gazed at you from the corner of his eye, and then back at the painting. He had been present throughout the conception and development process of this particular character of yours, so he knew better than anyone about their features and personality. None of those features had involved cat ears. “Originally, I did not include them,” Yusuke explained, hand on his chin as he also regarded his painting, “But Futaba had happened to see the work in progress and informed me that it was not nearly ‘moe’ enough.” You did a double-take, sputtering out a surprised, “I’m sorry, what?” Then again, maybe you shouldn’t have been surprised; it seemed like Futaba had been teaching the boy a lot of strange things lately. You had begun to recall a conversation about drawing doujinshi when Yusuke’s voice suddenly snapped you back to the present. Yusuke nodded sagely. “Apparently it is a trait that is desired in many popular characters nowadays,” he explained, “As are large, soulful eyes and an ample bosom.” “Which explains the shiny eyes and the huge chest.” Akira offered in your place, correctly sensing the fact that you were completely speechless at the moment. You could detect the laughter in his voice, and turned to look at him with wide eyes. What do I even say to this? You mouthed the words to him but then jumped as Yusuke addressed you directly and asked for your opinion. You floundered for a second, and then cleared your throat. “I think…that you have an incredible technique and a remarkable eye for colour, Yusuke.” It wasn’t a lie…but you may have tried to dodge the question just a little there. Even though you hadn’t said anything about the painting specifically, that seemed to satisfy him. With a smile, he informed you that he wanted to put a few finishing touches on it but would present it to you as a gift once he was done. You told him you couldn’t wait (and in all honesty, you did appreciate all the hard work and the generosity he was showing). When he had left, Akira turned to look at you. “You lied to him.” “I did not!” You said, quick to defend yourself, “It was amazing!” “But that wasn’t anything close to what it was supposed to look like.” A beat of silence, and then you slipped your hand into his and looked up to meet his eyes. “No…but could you really bear to say that to Yusuke’s face?” There was more silence as Akira laced his fingers with yours, looking thoughtful. Finally, he shook his head. “Good point.”

#Persona 5 #Akira Kurusu #Matchups

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