#nerdval

[waveridden]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Six years later, Val Hitherto comes home. A 1k epilogue.

[waveridden]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Val needs an accomplice. He needs somebody who can guide him, ideally somebody who can also accompany him on heists, somebody like—

There's a professor on the Sunbeams, with more doctorates than Val can count. They’re sweet but sharp, and unbearably smart. Nerd Pacheco. The perfect target.

(A 12x100, about time travel in and romance in the time of Blaseball.)

[leonstamatis]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

“Val…” Nerd says, voice small. They don’t manage another word; they’re not sure they know any others. “I knew there was a reason my timepiece kept bringing me here,” Val intones. “At first, I thought it was because I was meant to get the backup hopper back from Roseheart. But she hasn’t shown up in a while either, so maybe it wanted me to find you. What year is it, darling?” (The Black Hole closes. The game ends. And then...)

[leonstamatis]

nerdval 9

9. in public

Val has, in his opinion, a perfectly justified hatred of the 1980s. There’s plenty to enjoy about them, certainly, but it’s so much easier to hide artifacts under heaps of petticoats or a hoop skirt than a pair of leather pants or leggings.

That is the simplest explanation he has for how things have gone so ridiculously sideways. He’d done his best to be careful, or as careful as one could be when stealing priceless artifacts. Which is to say, some mistakes were bound to happen, but he’d hoped to avoid quite this many.

“Would you say, then,” Nerd starts, breathing heavily between the words, “that you have some regrets?”

They’ve been running for ages. Val already feels tired out, but Nerd seems to be doing just fine. One of the perks of being a batter, he supposes.

“Never!” Val shoots back, not bothering to hide his grin.

They weave through the crowded street together, Val holding tight to Nerd’s hand. Security guards are hot on their heels even now. Despite Nerd’s impressive stamina, they won’t be able to stay ahead of them forever.

And then Val has a gloriously stupid idea. “Follow me!”

He turns sharply to the left, tugging Nerd down an alley before they have the chance to protest or ask too many questions. Val pushes them up against the brick wall, standing so close their breath mingles in the cool winter air. Val fists his hands in Nerd’s shirt and leans up onto his toes.

“Do you trust me, Professor Pacheco?” he whispers.

Nerd nods, chest still heaving as they try to catch their breath. “Of course.”

It’s crossing a line they haven’t dared approach, likely something they will need to talk about. Some other time, when they aren’t actively trying to avoid arrest.

Val doesn’t like to do things halfway, so he kisses Nerd like he means it. Nerd freezes for just a moment, and Val thinks maybe he’d misjudged this, been just as wrong about everything as he’d been about the security system at the museum or a million other things that led them to this point. But then Nerd’s hands come up to hold him by the waist, and they kiss him back.

Maybe the security guards pass them by; maybe they’re standing at the end of the alley, readying the handcuffs. Whatever the case, Val doesn’t pay them any mind.

[send me a ship and a prompt and i’ll write a kiss!]

[madzerro]

Always is time for a cocktail!!! #misskashadavis #drink #nerdval com @fabionnet

[madzerro]

Dia bem legal no #nerdval . Um outro formato de evento que eu curti. Com mais cara é feita cultural do evento de anime. 😊 E o @fabionnet agarante! 👍 #evento #carnaval #feriadao