Hold.

His fingers strode lightly against his keyboard, and an oddly nostalgic sense washed over him. It wasn't one that he was familiar with, either. Stanley fell backwards into his office chair, rubbing his eyes. The Narrator, one who he had used to loathe, but now considered a friend of his, had disappeared elsewhere for another one of his new "particularly stunning assets he has decided he'd suddenly like", in his words.

The Narrator had an odd knack for being able to keep Stanley stable for such a vast amount of time, years have gone by, as chance would have it. He would create objects and utilise them into something more fun, much to his surprise. Almost every day he'd arrive with that same gleaming smile on his face as he presented his new little trinkets, even new buildings or areas he had implemented into the game for exploration purposes. To say that the Narrator himself was lazy would certainly be far from the truth. A white lie, even.

Stanley felt a small sense of questionable inquisitiveness to truly find out the reasons why The Narrator had even bothered. Was it because he was lonely? Or was it for his own entertainment, so he could witness an individual walk alone whilst making irrational decisions based on whatever they feel like doi-

His thought process ceased entirely as he heard that same, enthusiastic deep tone he had always been aquatinted with.

"Stanley! My goodness, I wasn't quite sure where to find you at first. But of course, you were moping around here ... Do you really miss pressing buttons all day without a care in the world?"

He felt a pair of arms slowly wrap themselves around him, pulling him up from the chair he had basically glued himself onto. The Narrator smiled warmly as he spoke; "Stanley, would you perhaps like to see something I've been working on? Or perhaps you'd like to revisit the Memory zone? I have quite a few updates on that, I even added a new room! Stanley, can you believe that?!" He chortled, pulling him in closer for a surprisingly comforting hug. Stanley couldn't help but hug him back in response, his eyes glued to the floor for a few solid moments.

Eventually, the Narrator cleared his throat, stepping away from him. "So Stanley, what do you choose? What will your adventure be today?" He asked, eyes wide in mere anticipation. Stanley considered his options - would he rather visit a place he's already so familiar with, that may have a few updates that'll catch his eye? Or the idea he has in mind, that, according to him, will stun and surprise him?

Stanley shook his head lightly, eyes narrowing as he slowly raised his hands, extending them as he gestured a set of incoherent words. Of course, The Narrator wasn't quite aware of what it was he was saying, for sign language within itself was a difficult feat to memorise. Regardless of this, he had managed to decipher what Stanley had truly wanted.

"You merely want to hang out? Oh, but Stanley, we do that all the time! Still, perhaps the walking has tired you out. Mm, yes, only for today though. Come come, let's go to the lounge. Don't even glance at the bucket, alright? I was absolutely shocked the first time you l-" Stanley waved his arms frantically, to which the Narrator grinned in bemusement, clasping his hand gently around Stanley's hand as he began to trod off.

Of course, this wasn't unnatural for them both to intertwine hands, moreover, it felt normal. Sometimes, they felt as though verbally speaking wasn't needed. All they needed was a notebook and a few pens, and they'd be discussing topics for hours on end. They both arrived in the employee's lounge, and the Narrator immediately turned to face him. He had quite the knack for memorising how many times Stanley and himself had been in certain rooms, so it wasn't entirely unexpected. "Stanley! Take a guess at how many times we've been in here for ... Oh why do I bother, over 1000! God, we must be suckers for this place!" He was quick to find a place amongst the small number of sofas within the lounge, pulling Stanley towards him inevitably - almost as though he had entirely forgotten about them holding hands.