Chapter Text
When I Dance
Notes: Inspired by Silcatian, and her little series of ‘monster under the bed’ shorts. Go read them! The stories are adorably cute!
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“Papy? I want to dance.” The tiny voice said.
“Shhh, little human, you should rest.” The tall skeleton Papyrus was usually pretty jovial and cheerful, loud as well, which was good that her parent’s where such sound sleepers, else he might have been discovered. Long ago.
But tonight, he was unusually quiet. Maybe because it wasn’t the child’s room, he risked much being here at the moment as just beyond those heavy curtains were people. Everyone was out, leaving the child alone.
But he could not leave his human alone. Not now of all times.
The little girl with eyes as soulful as a kitten and skin like chocolate shook her head, once her head was a mass of fluffy curls that bounced with her movement and as the child was always in movement meant her hair was too. But now only a bandana graced the brown skin. “I want to dance, please?” she asked holding out her arms to the skeleton “Please Papy?”
He stared at her for a long time before giving her his best cheer “I can never say no to you!”
He scooped her up, with a little spin that made her giggle. Careful of the medical equipment in the room.
And he helped her dance. A child who had dreamed of nothing but being a dancer on a stage. She had so much talent, Papyrus was sure one day she would be amazing.
There was no music except hospital equipment, but neither of them needed it. Movements synchronized from years of dancing to the mp3 player she’d gotten when she was 6 years old.
There really was nothing else he could do, but he could give her this. Let her feel like she was dancing on that stage she so dreamed of her whole life.
Even as her steps stumbled he supported her, and kept her graceful as a good dance partner should.
The sun would rise soon and she was tired. But smiling hugely. “love you.. papy” she said softly as he tucked her form that was too tiny, too frail, back into the bed.
He held her hand and leaned forward, giving her a skeleton kiss good night. “I love you too, tiny human.”
She took a breath and there was a long sigh.
Then no more.
The sun was touching the edge of the bed before he was able to tear himself away. The light touching the tips of his phalanges, even through the gloves he could feel the pain. Voices behind said that nurses where coming to make their rounds. He turned back on the machines he turned off earlier.
Then he was gone.
Once home he wailed his grief and loss into the endless twilight of the monster world.
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He still wasn’t sure about taking a new assignment, it still felt too soon. But as he waited beneath the crib he figured he would just hang out, not interact. Some monsters never needed nor wanted to reveal themselves to their humans. It was perfectly fine.
It was dark as he rested curled a little uncomfortably under the crib. It will definitely be easier once the human was big enough to get a real bed. Maybe he should move to the closet until then? Carefully he snuck out and turned to see the child was staring at him with huge stormy eyes, the sort of gaze of a child before the color settled. Pale skin this one, covered in freckles and with a slight tuff of red hair showing. He tilted his head and the baby tilted theirs back.
Then held out arms towards the skeleton, laughing infectiously legs kicking.
“OMG YOU ARE TOO CUTE TINY HUMAN!” he crooned carefully scooping up the child. It sounded like there was something going on downstairs and he could hear laughter, and music. This was not an inner city home with car traffic outside the window, he could taste salty sea air and the music had that quality that only live music hand.
He felt his feet tap a bit to it and he spun around the baby bursting into happy giggles. “Let’s dance” His laughter mixed with the child’s.