Caretaker Kankri: Kankri X Female!Reader

Part 1

Here it is: the voice of the angels. His speech flows into your ears like the force of the tide, forceful and commanding. The notes seen tuned to your core, a perfect pitch to entrance you. You could listen for hours, just hearing the lullaby of his words. They seeped into your tissues, producing a serenity you had yet to find with anyone else.

Your name is (f/n) (l/n), and sound is your life. Music is your soul. And this lecturing troll's voice? Your obsession.

Yes, you could absorb the nuances of his tone for long periods of time, basking in the cadences and rhythms. But that doesn't mean you don't actually LISTEN.

"[Name], are y9u ign9ring me? Y9u kn9w h9w triggering that is f9r me."

Your eyes snap open to the sight of Kankri Vantas, with his arms crossed over his scarlet-sweatered chest and a slight annoyed, overall compassionate expression defining his features. You quickly shake your head to prove you are listening, mindful not to interrupt his lecture. As much as you love hearing his lectures, you prefer to avoid triggering this particular troll if at all possible.

"If y9u were listening, then why w9uld y9ur eyes 6e cl9sed? N9rmally y9u are much m9re c9nsiderate 9f my triggers than this. Is s9mething wr9ng?" He paused in his tirade, suddenly becoming concerned. "[Name], are y9u alright? Are y9u sick? 9r in pain?" He pressed his hand against your forehead, feeling for a fever. Your face flushes with color at the contact.

Have you mentioned you have a crush on this troll? No? Well, you do. Though no one knows it yet, least of all Kankri.

"Y9u d9 feel a little warm. W9uld y9u like t9 g9 lie d9wn? Shall I retrieve P9rrim? 9r y9ur m9rail? F9rgive me, [Name], I sh9uld n9t have kept y9u 9utside f9r s9 l9ng with my ram6lings." He pulls you close to him for warmth and begins to lead you in the direction of your hive, oblivious to the deepening color of your face as he mutters to himself. "Trigger warning: th9ughtless lecturing. P9ssi6le aid in causing illness. F9rced endurance 9f the elements..."

"No—wait, Kankri. I'm fine!"

He looks you over doubtfully. "Are y9u certain?" You nod. "Then are y9u perhaps tired? Y9u sh9uld g9 t9 y9ur respite6l9ck and rest. Shall I walk y9u there?" You open your mouth to reply but don't get a chance. "9h, l99k. There is y9ur m9rail. Excuse me!" he calls out to them.

As he does so, you can see them grimace in annoyance. Unlike you, they are none too fond of Kankri's speeches. But when they spot you next to the boy, they come over anyway.

"C9uld y9u perhaps take [Name] t9 her hive? She—"

They proceed to pull you away and begin to run, throwing a hasty "Sure thing, Kankri" over their shoulder along the way.

~At your house/hive~

You bid your friend goodnight, evading their questions by slipping past them and quickly shutting the door closed.

"Goodnight then, you brat," the call out from the other side. You couldn't hear your moirail leave—they were oddly quiet when they weren't talking—but you did sense when they were gone. With a sigh you set about preparing for sleep. You were suddenly tired from the emotional turmoil Kankri had unwittingly put you through. But as you slipped into the soper slime of your recuperacoon a small, familiar figure padded to the mouth of the opening.

"Meoo-oow." Your pawbeast certainly did have a way of exaggerating his sentences. Tarqin, so named after you vetoed Nepeta's suggestion of Karkitty, curled up as closely to you as he dared to without actually touching the soper.

"What do you want? I know you have food," you teased. "I made sure of it before I climbed in here." Tarqin purred at the sound of your voice, which ended in a small wail. He stuck a paw out over the slime, shaking it vigorously once it connected. Laughing, you dried your arms with the towel you kept close by, then rested your chin on one while scratching him with the other. His dark tortoiseshell fur was silky beneath your fingertips, and contrasted to his white paws and chest. You smiled as he moved closer to rub his nose against your face.

"You always know how to cheer me up, Qin. How do you always know when I need it?" He merely blinked humorously at your words, and maneuvered himself into a better position for attention. With a single paw he lightly prodded your nose, mewing amidst his rumbling purr. You laughed at his antics and pulled him closer, cuddling him to you while scratching him behind the ears.

This was another reason why naming him after your flushcrush's brother wouldn't have worked. Qin loved everybody—and showed it. Unlike Karkat, (or Kankri for that matter,) he adored being smothered and held.

You stayed like that for a long time, eventually falling asleep nearly halfway out of your recuperacoon. Sometime during the day you slip back inside, probably from tossing and turning from nightmares....