A World Once Familiar (Splatoon/Subnautica x Male Reader)

33: The Last Loose End

  The arcade granted some relief from the pains of that day. Pier, 3 and Marina's issues with him, and the little grudge you held for his actions.

  Since then, it's been a few weeks. There were still lost logs, there was still the occasional time you sat down to sing a song with your girlfriend, there was still the tender moments with 8. It was... life as you always wanted...

"Hey, Y/n?" You looked up from building a toy trebuchet with 8 to Marina, who had been in the middle of a book.

"It just occurred to me that... there might still be things you wanted to finish up, from before your time on 4546B." She told you.

"Things to finish... I made my debut as a singer again, met some great friends, re-experienced my greatest lows with your support, and have been slowly getting a hold over my nightmares, right?" You asked.

"I... guess so." She agreed.

"I don't think I have much more... to go back to, anyway." You stated, looking back to the trebuchet you were making.

"If that's what you say." Marina shrugged, turning the page.

"Pearl's ordering take out for dinner today, so make sure to check with her about what you're getting." Marina reminded you.

"Got it." You nodded, focusing on the toy first. So much cooler than catapults, anyway.

  Your life had grown... normal over the days, weeks, months. It was a peace you appreciated, a life you wanted. Uneventful days, after the action of the last years.

  "Ooh, that's a cute bag." You overheard Marina whisper about something she was scrolling by, probably from social media.

"Hm?" You looked up at her. Marina pointed the screen to you, letting you get a few of what she saw. It was a simple handbag, dark in color, with a floral design stitched on.

"Yeah, it looks nice." You nodded in agreement, looking across the living room you were in to 3, who was still watching your PDA. She had been binging it for a while, like a show.

It was another few weeks before you found something that... reminded you of something you had forgotten a long time ago.

You had been straightening up your room, the one you had originally slept in. Since you started sleeping with Marina to quell your night terrors, you had neglected this room, and it was overdue for a good cleaning.

You folded some loose laundry, setting aside some for washing out of the uncertainties surrounding how clean they were, when you lifted an old hoodie off your dresser, freezing in place.

Ashley's worn out face smiled up at you, from the card you kept in sight. You stared at the plastic rectangle, biting your tongue. A familiar aching came up in your heart, and you let out a long sigh, bunching up the hoodie in your arms. It was better you tried to get this out of way instead of constantly telling yourself that you'd do it 'someday.'

  "Hey, I'm heading out real quick. I'll try to be back before dinner." A day later, you were making true on that promise to yourself. You had spoken to whoever was listening as you walked past the kitchen, where Pearl and Marina were stirring a pot of steaming hot chocolate, to 8's delight.

  "Alright! Call me if you need a ride!" Marina told you.

  "Will do!" You promised, opening the front door to leave the house, starting the usual walk.

 
  Inkopolis Square came up, where you only stopped for a drink before you moved on to the subways, boarding one to move on to your relative destination.