(requests closed) Stanley x Narrator Oneshots - The Stanley Parable

(This is a hurt/comfort fic requested by @Rarry09! The Narrator is in a physical form in this, and Stanley is mute. I hope you enjoy!)

TW: depression, low self-esteem

Stanley stepped into the bosses office, and went into the executive bathroom, locking the door. He stepped in front of the mirror and looked at himself, disappointed at his reflection. He sighed. He had never loved himself, or even liked himself for that matter. He had always preferred working alone, because he didn't like being seen by others. But with the Narrator following him around, he felt more self-conscious than he usually did. He got breaks of course – like now – but he just wanted to be fully alone again. After all, he did harbour some feelings for the Narrator. It was just embarrassing seeing him, knowing that the Narrator would never like him, or perhaps love him. Stanley felt worthless, looking at his useless body in the mirror. He couldn't even make the right choices without the Narrator getting somewhat upset. There didn't even feel like a right choice at all. Everything just felt... pointless. He would never make the right choices, he would never get a happy ending (or even an ending at that), and nobody would ever love him – not even himself. His thoughts spiralled as he kept staring at himself in the mirror.

"Stanley? STANLEY???" The Narrator called through the office building. He had been looking for Stanley for about 50 minutes now, originally wanting to get on with the story, but now he was just concerned for Stanley's whereabouts. What if he had found a way out of the Parable? He knew that was probably what Stanley wanted, but at the same time, he loved spending time with him, and taking him through all sorts of stories and adventures.

He quickly ran up the set of stairs, realising he hadn't checked the bosses office yet. He looked around the office, next to the keypad, back outside the office and in the elevator, but Stanley was nowhere to be found. He felt himself tearing up as he continued his search, steadily losing hope. He didn't want to be alone. He didn't want to lose Stanley.

He pushed against the executive bathroom door, and after noticing it was locked, his eyes widened. Was Stanley inside? "S-Stanley?" He stammered, pressing his ear to the door to listen for any signs of life.

Stanley looked up from the mirror as he heard the Narrator approach and say his name. He contemplated replying, but he stayed silent. He didn't want to be seen, or make any sounds to alert the Narrator. Not right now. He just wanted to be alone.

"Stanley, please, if you're in there, knock on the door..." Stanley heard the Narrator say. Stanley sighed. He felt... guilty. With a huff, he walked over to the door and knocked on it.

The Narrator's eyes widened as he began to knock on the door with more force. "Stanley, what are you doing? Are you alright? I haven't seen you in... oh, it must be an hour now?" He asked, worried. Stanley sighed, walking back over to the mirror. He sat down and brought his knees to his chest, shutting his eyes tight. "Stanley, please, let me in... don't tell me you're doing something stupid..." Tears began to fall down the Narrator's face. Stanley heard the droplets hit the floorboards. "I... I miss you, Stanley..." He admitted quietly. Stanley blushed a little, hearing the Narrator say that, but he didn't reply. The guilt began to pile on, but the Narrator also began to feel responsible as the pace of his tears grew quicker, more and more hitting the floorboards with little taps.

"I'm so sorry, Stanley... was it something I did?" He asked, concerned. Stanley shook his head, even though he knew the Narrator couldn't see him. He felt awful as he tensed up. "Stanley... there's a spare key out here somewhere to the executive bathroom. I'm going to go find it. Don't move. Just... stay where you are, please. I'll be back in a moment..." The Narrator said to the door, and Stanley heard the sound of his footsteps getting quieter and quieter as he walked away.

As the Narrator searched for the key in the drawers and cupboards of the bosses office, he began thinking to himself. "Poor Stanley..." He muttered. He knew Stanley didn't have the best mental health, but he had no idea it had gotten to the point where he'd lock himself in a bathroom just to be rid of the Narrator. Maybe he just didn't want to be seen... or maybe the Narrator said something wrong? In his mind, he went over all the conversations he'd had with Stanley in the past few days, overthinking each one of them, and pointing out little things that could've made Stanley feel worse about himself. This only made the Narrator feel guiltier as he finally found the spare key and hurried back to the executive bathroom to unlock the door.

"Stanley? Stanley, I'm back, I have the key... am I okay to open the door? Knock once if yes, or just... give me some sort of sign." The Narrator asked, his voice increasing with worry. Stanley didn't want to move, as his knees were still tucked up to his chest and his eyes comfortably shut, unable to see the Parable around him. However, he opened them a tiny bit, just enough that he spotted an empty glass resting on a cabinet in the corner of his eye. He reached over with one hand and gently tipped the glass over the edge of the cabinet, causing it to make a loud noise as it hit the ground and smashed into tiny pieces.

"Okay Stanley, I heard that, and I'm taking that as a sign... I'm coming in." The Narrator declared, pushing the key into the lock and turning it, opening the bathroom door. Stanley shut his eyes again tightly in anticipation. Seeing Stanley on the floor, in such a vulnerable state... it just made the Narrator feel sad. He cautiously walked over to Stanley, careful not to make any sudden movements, like he was a wild animal he was trying to capture. Only this time, he just didn't want to alarm him. He crouched down next to Stanley and hesitantly put his arm around him, trying not to be too fast or unexpected. Stanley let the Narrator know he was okay with this by nestling closer to him, keeping his eyes shut. He originally wanted to be away from the Narrator, but after feeling his touch, he realised how much he missed his presence. The Narrator blushed. "Stanley..." He whispered. "Will you tell me what's wrong, so I can help you?" He asked hopefully. Stanley nodded, pulling away from the Narrator and putting his hands up to sign. "I just don't feel like myself. I don't want to be seen. I feel worthless, Narry." He signed, tears beginning to stream down his face as he admitted his vulnerabilities. "Oh, I see... I'm so sorry you feel that way, Stanley, I really am..." The Narrator stammered, feeling a little helpless. He  scooched across the floor so he was in front of Stanley, and invited him into a hug. Stanley accepted, wrapping his arms around the Narrator's body and feeling a sense of comfort that not even the bucket could provide.

"I swear, Stanley, I'll always love you for who you are. I'll always care about you, no matter what. You really must know that you mean the world to me." The Narrator whispered to Stanley as the two shared a warm embrace. He didn't want to let go. Those were just the words he needed to hear.

Stanley may have been unsure about the Narrator's romantic feelings towards him, but what he did know was that he was loved. He had somebody, and he didn't need anyone else apart from him to know he was going to be alright.