Chapter Text
“AO3?”
No response. Tumblr knocked again, “AO, I haven’t heard from you in a while. Everything alright in there?”
There was no reason for Tumblr to worry, AO3 said they were just going to organize some tags, maybe go through a few bookmarks. But she hadn’t responded to any of the texts Tumblr sent up after making dinner. Not even when she called up the stairs.
It shouldn’t a shock, AO3 often went quiet. Tumblr couldn’t relate, every thought that came into her mind had to said out loud. Every time a episode of her show dropped, every time politics got a little out of hand, and every funny interaction needed to be posted about. It was almost second nature.
Recently, Tumblr’s dash had been filled with new relationships advice, and how to create your own ship name (she thought TagTeam was cute but wasn’t set on it). She had just spent hours scrolling tying to find a date location for the two of them that wasn’t a bookshop. AO3, on the other hand, took time to post, crafting each individual project. Her tagging was meticulous, her author notes impeccable. Tumblr admired her and was still surprised that they had worked out.
Tumblr slowly opened the door to their shared office. There in her desk chair was AO3 slumped over a keyboard.
“A!” Tumblr yelled sprintng across the room. She grabbed AO3 by the shoulders, “A? Come on baby, wake up!”
A second past and then, within Tumbr’s shaking grasp, AO3’s eyes fluttered open.
“Tumblr?”
“Oh thank the creator, you’re ok.”
AO3 looked dazed. Her eyes were wide but at least she was coherent.
“Did you go down?” Tumblr asked, kneeling on the floor next to AO3 chair. “Can I get you anything?”
AO3 rubbed her red eyes, smearing mascara. She turned back to her monitor, “Gosh, I guess I did. I was- I was just sorting through some comments and then…” she shook her head. “I don’t remember.”
“That’s ok, love. I’m sure the problem is fixed now.”
AO3 softly frowned, some color returning back to her cheeks. “I hope so. I hate to inconvenience the readers. I know that they…”
“Don’t worry about them,” Tumblr said, reaching their hand to hold AO3’s face, trying to tug her back to the present. “They know how hard you work, they know that everyone needs to rest every now and then.”
“I know but-,“
“I know but nothing. You’re back up now. That’s all that matters, right?”
AO3 gently smiled and laced their hands together. She drew Tumbr close and gave her a soft kiss.
And while Tumblr would have loved to stay in that moment, AO3 turned and thankful shut down her laptop for the night. She then grabbed Tumblr hand and began to lead her back downstairs, “You give pretty good advice you know.”
“Really?”
“Really. You know I love your posts, but I think it’s about time you publish something.”
“I doubt anyone would read it,” said Tumblr.
“I would.”
“And what? Give me a single kudo?”
AO3 laughed, “Sure, and maybe a kiss.”
“…I can work with that.”