28/09/2019 6:15:04 ¶ ● ⬈

## Laughing together for Jon/Michael?

cuttoothed:

> This one took a while to come together. It’s not very shippy, but I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for the prompt!

> *

> “I have a joke for you, Archivist.”

> For a moment the Archivist looks deliciously startled, then simply wary. Michael sighs, mourning the loss for just a moment; startled is how they like the Archivist best.

> “A joke?” the Archivist says. His eyebrows arch and then furrow, as if they can’t decide whether to be surprised or annoyed. “What on earth does that - no, actually, never mind. No, thank you.”

> “You don’t want a joke?” Michael is not offended, as such, because a sense of rejection requires a sense of self. But they are surprised; humans are known to enjoy jokes.

> “I, ah, let’s say I’m a little concerned about what you might consider to be a - a joke.” The Archivist’s voice is low and harsh and gentle at once. It is a pleasant static buzzing in Michael’s consciousness. Michael laughs, echoes rippling back and forth through their being.

> “I have a wonderful sense of humor, Archivist.”

> “I’m sure,” says the Archivist, not sounding very sure at all. Michael’s mouth stretches. He will see.

> “A person goes to the doctor,” they say. “And tells the doctor that they’ve broken their arm in two places. So the doctor tells them to stay away from those places.”

> The Archivist is looking at them with a questioning expression, his hands flat on the desk as if bracing for something unpleasant. Michael spreads their hands, wide and wider.

> “It’s a joke. Because the doctor and the person didn’t understand each other. It’s often funny when people don’t understand each other.”

> “I see,” says the Archivist carefully. “Well, thank you, Michael. That was, ah, very funny.”

> “You didn’t laugh.” The Archivist’s mouth makes a rough noise that sounds a bit like a nervous dog. It isn’t a laugh. Michael sulks, and opens a door.

> “I’ll find another joke for you, Archivist.”

> “That’s fine, really - ” the Archivist starts to say, but Michael is already gone. They leave an echo of their own laugh behind to keep the Archivist company.

> Keep reading