SCP-049/Reader [Commission]
Prompt: âCan i ask for something with SCP-049 just sorta pining a lil bit for a researcher he's come to like? only this researcher is the Chill, Oblivious type, the kind who can't tell a casual observation from a declaration of affection.â
This work was a Commission. You can commission me here.
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âAmazing...â SCP-049 whispered, the words slipping out without him realizing it. You were working on another report, diligently scratching the words down on paper (âMy handwriting is awful, I know- donât laugh!â), and it was hard to say what amazed him more; your brilliant observations, or the way you managed to impress even him. âExcellent work as always, doctor.â
âOh, itâs nothing,â you casually dismissed, âMy colleagues could do just as well.â
SCP-049 stilled in his work, the cadaver judging his hesitation silently. He forced his tone to remain neutral, even though the words made his heart flutter. âYes, but none of them are you.â
Would that be enough? It certainly felt like a mountain to even speak the words, the declaration of affection, almost as though he was laying his heart bare to you. His hands didnât shake as he continued his work, for which he was grateful. But the seconds dragged on, and when a whole minute had passed, 049 had to admit that he felt a cold chill pass down his spine. He looked up to you. Were you disgusted? Upset? You-
You were still writing your report.
SCP-049 cleared his throat. âDoctor...â
You blinked. âOh? Did you say something? Iâm sorry, I was just-â you gestured helplessly to your paper, âtrying to find the word for this. It starts with a b? Synonymous for smart... itâs on the tip of my tongue, I swear.â
âBrilliant,â SCP-049 smiled, shaking his head. âThe word youâre looking for is brilliant.â Much like you were. He returned to his work, but kept his head inclined to you. Listening to you work, happily, softly humming.
âThanks. Itâs always so annoying when something is right there but you canât quite get it...â you trailed off. It should have been aggravating, but 049 could only sigh with something like affection as he continued his own work. Surely he shouldnât have felt the way he did, with the way he swore his heart beat faster when he saw you, the way his very limbs seem to flutter with an almost nervousness when you drew near. No one had ever instilled such a feeling in him before- is what he could have tried to say. But that would have been a lie, too. Long ago, perhaps. Someone as beautiful and brilliant as you; perhaps he could have said he loved them, but time had torn away the memory, dulled the sound of their laughter and even the color of their hair. He wondered if they would have been happy together.
He wondered if he should have been worried, too, that their face in his memory was slowly being replaced by yours.
Oh, but then you spoke, and all those worries seemed to blow away in the wind. Certainly he was pining, but he couldnât exactly stop it, nor did he feel as though he wished to.
âHave you tried any tests with the sacrum or the coccyx? I believe your current subject had ankylosing spondylitis.â You poked your pen at the air. âThat might shed some insight.â
That hadnât occurred to him to test for at all. 049 began maneuvering the body around to begin investigating the spine, wiping some of the congealed blood off on a nearby cloth. âYour diligence is astonishing, doctor,â SCP-049 hummed. âAs always.â
Your only response was to continue quietly scratching away at your paperwork. Sometimes 049 wondered what, exactly, you were writing. Certainly you couldnât be writing all the time; perhaps you were idling on occasion, not that he could blame you. Dissection was never the most entertaining of work. Necessary, but still.
The rest of the work passed in something like silence. A comfortable silence, as it always was when you were around. Only you, him, and the unfortunately deceased fellow on the table. At any rate, 049 had found all the information he could delve from the cadaver, providing numerous exciting insights into the continued research of the Disease. At the very least, he was grateful you didnât have it.
âAnother one done. Forgive me, doctor, but I believe our time together has come to an end once more.â
You glanced up, surprised. Then, a brief frown marred your face, as you quickly checked your watch, looked back to the corpse, and signed.
âOh, damn. Youâre right. Iâm sorry, I wasnât really paying much attention, was I?â
âOn the contrary, doctor, I found our time together very enjoyable.â
Your smile returned. You clasped your pen to the clipboard, standing up from your seat. âThen I certainly hope we can do this together again soon. If the Foundation lets us.â
SCP-049 smiled softly. There you were in his memory, in those French vineyards, the rolling countryside. Here you were now, with your smile, your enamoring obliviousness. Despite himself, he felt his heart yearn, and even though he could not reach forward to touch you, he wished for nothing more than to hold your hand, to gently cup your shoulder and lean against you.
Yes. Yes, he certainly hoped the Foundation would allow you both to work together again.
âI look forward to it.â









