A/N: Someone on tumblr left me a suggestion for a crackship fic, and here it is!
I ship these two as palemates now. ^^
Also, GHB's name is Grant in this because I saw it in another fic and I wasn't sure what else to use.
This is also on Ao3! :/ / archiveofourown works / 1171333
Twas another boring afternoon at the Makara household. A really motherfucking boring afternoon. Grant Makara doesn't remember an afternoon that was as boring as that particular day off. Well, at least the first part of that afternoon. The boring afternoon. So. Boring.
A deep sigh sounded from his throat before he chugged down a good portion of liquid out of the beer bottle he held in his hand. He absentmindedly scratched the side of his face with another sigh as commercial after commercial played out on the screen not very far from where he was seated. And that's how many hours of the early noon were spent, until he got an unexpected phonecall.
He grunted into the phone as he picked it up lazily, though his whole demeanor changed and his face sort of, brightened, when he heard who it was on the other line. He wasn't excited though. Definitely not. Most certainly not.
"Hello dear, how's the day off?" the elderly lady chuckled happily. Grant could hear Nanna bustling about in that kitchen of hers, it was pretty much her habitat. He could almost smell whatever she was baking through the phone.
"Sucks ass," he replied gruffly, unable to hold back a smile at hearing her tongue click quietly. He turned down the blaring TV, not that he was paying it much attention anyways. It was merely reruns of shows he didn't give a shit about. There were pros and cons to his day off and limited activities were one of the unfortunate cons.
"I'm sorry to hear that," she said in return, though it sounded slightly sarcastic. Slightly. She even muffled a 'hoo hoo' that still made it to his ears anyways, to which he rolled his eyes. "I could always use some company, you know. The boys aren't home right now and I can't think of what to do with these cookies...!"
Grant hesitated, but smiled. "Say no more, I'll be there soon." Nanna 'hoo hoo'ed again, and soon the formerly bored-out-of-his-motherfucking-mind Makara was sluggishly getting dressed and walking down to the Egbert residence. Yes, he walked. Kurloz borrowed the car for something or other. Little shit.
His mood was sour once more when he arrived at his destination. He didn't realize how far the house really was and he was done with having legs now. Nitram's kid was lucky, in a way.
He didn't even knock, he just barreled in through the door. Nanna didn't even flinch, she just set a big plate of baked stuff into his oversized hands. He wasted no time and devoured the hell out of it all. He was tempted to even lick the plate clean. But he didn't because Nanna was watching.
They sat at the round table tucked into the kitchen and snacked and ate. Grant wasn't one to socialize with anyone, quite frankly, and if anyone had the balls to try and talk to him he would just glare them away. Except for Nitram. He wouldn't back off. He was like a fucking fly. But that's not the point. The point is that Makara, despite having about no friends really, he and Nanna had a deep connection. He wasn't even sure how it happened but he found he had a soft spot for her. And he doesn't have a soft spot for most old women like her. It wasn't just to get free cookies out of her, he could do that to anyone's grandma. He just clicked with her. She clicked with him. They both enjoyed each other's company quite a lot. And hell, they wouldn't even be sitting there if he had seen her stumble and drop any second later than he did. Why he helped her, he didn't know: probably instinct.
He didn't like her family as much though. Her son was, well, her son. There was no other way to describe him than that and frankly, he didn't look at him very fondly. Her grandson was probably worse though, he didn't really like kids that much anyway. (Stop that look on your face there, he has his own reasons for having children of his own.)
Yet, they seemed to all be happy. They looked happy. Their photos, happy, the air around them (when the grandkid wasn't being a little shit) was... happy. Sometimes he thinks about the Egbert family, and it brings a... smile. Then, he would look to his own family. His eldest son that wouldn't ever speak again. His youngest son who he knew was doing some sort of drug but he could never just fucking prove it- he wishes somehow that he could look more fondly upon that.
He looks like a big heartless monster, he acts like he's the deadliest thing you could possibly come across, which might as well be true, and he even believes it himself. But then people like Nanna come along and a light beams down and shines right on him, and it brings out his best. Not out to anyone else, but he's noticed it himself. He's not as terrible as he thought he was but actually still quite terrible in his own Makara-ey way.
There was a break in their conversation as the elderly lady went to go get a cake from the oven. Grant looked around the cozy little room he was so used to in the meantime, taking in the sweet and familiar smells of the baked sweets and the warm, relaxed atmosphere. He didn't notice the light smile he held on his face, but it was soon wiped when he heard a yelp and a loud clatter. He was out of his seat quickly, padding over with heavy steps to go assist Nanna. She held her hand close to her chest and from her pained expression, he could only assume she got burnt.
"Oh, it's nothing," she brushed him off when he pulled her arm away from her small frame. He let her go, however, to the fridge to get aloe. "I've had worse burns, trust me."
Grant moved to pick up the hot tray Nanna had burned herself with off of the floor with a potholder as the woman chuckled. The cookies were a big mess on the floor, but he didn't really care, and neither did she, really.
There was a silence as the mess was cleaned and Nanna was taken care of. The Makara felt his heavy chest become light again. Apparently his expression was visibly grim, seeing as Nanna came forward to wrap her thin arms around his huge frame.
"I'm fine now," she mumbled, not minding the rather unpleasant stench of his clothes as she pulled away to reveal her hand. "See?" He looked it over, his fingers gentle as he brought it close to his face. Satisfied, he brought it to his lips and kissed the wound tenderly.
Nanna chuckled again at that, and again upon her forehead being kissed as well. Grant would have felt a blush if it weren't for how incredibly manly he was. Kissing an old lady who just got burned wasn't to be blushed over like a little schoolgirl.
Even though he was done with the kissing, he still held her hand. And she didn't mind. They stood in a comfortable silence for a while, until Nanna made the first move to go and do her own thing by the oven again. Grant's smile returned as he slowly walked to his seat again, and soon Nanna brought over cookies and a cake, and once again they talked and ate and Grant's heart swelled with a bittersweet joy when the time came to hug goodbye, the feel of her warm skin remained on his lips when he kissed her face for the final time that day.