Halloween. It used to be your favorite day of the year when you were a kid. You loved to dress up in funny or scary costumes and go out all around your neighborhood begging for candy from random strangers you would never speak to otherwise.
Your tradition ended when you were twenty-two and moved out into the big city to attend university. Lolly tried to get you to trick-or-treat with her, but you didn't trust the city folk. Your neighborhood was fairly kind and...law abiding citizens, but after being mugged for the third time in the first year you lived there, you had enough. No trick-or-treating for you.
Now that the world ended, you had even more reason not to go trick-or-treating.
You wished you could take Stardrop trick-or-treating. Imagine being a year old and not experiencing the fun of Halloween, even if you were living in a post-apocalyptic city crawling with mutated human remains that only wanted to eat your skin and flesh.
Stardrop didn't even know what Halloween was. You and Sun had decided not to tell her. Why tell her something she would not get to experience in her lifetime? Moon, on the other hand, wanted to tell Stardrop everything. He had told you, and very wisely at that, that "just because the world ended, it does not justify depriving a child of the best moments in life."
You had to agree with Moon on that one. It wasn't like you could take Stardrop trick-or-treating. There was one other person living in the building, and you didn't think January would appreciate being woken up before guard duty just to play dress up.
Either way, you and Moon settled down to talk to Stardrop about the wonders of Halloween. Since she was a little less than a year old, she didn't understand too much other than "monsters." She could walk, run, and climb a fence, but could barely sign her own name.
Fair enough.
She never had candy, either, so there wasn't anyway to hype her up for that. Moon wasn't sure what else he could do to teach Stardrop about Halloween.
Eventually the two of you gave up, and you and Stardrop went to sleep.
When you woke the next morning, Sun had a surprise for the two of you. He had found some Halloween movies in some of the neighboring apartments, and Moon and January had spent her guard making "caramel." (It was only melted sugar and water, but Stardrop didn't need to know that.)
Sun had also put together a cute little ghost costume for Stardrop to wear while the three of you watched the Halloween movies that evening.
All day, while you and Sun taught Stardrop about Halloween, she seemed to get more and more excited. The few words she could sign without struggle seemed to multiply as she asked Sun a thousand questions (she knew better than to sign at you rapidly, your signing would never be as good as Sun's and Moon's).
By the time the sun set and Moon had set up the movies on the television, Stardrop was beginning to get tired. Even her extra long afternoon nap did nothing to keep her awake. She managed to get halfway through Halloweentown, and her eyes just couldn't stay focused between darting back and forth between the screen and Moon's signing.
It was barely eight when Moon tucked Stardrop into bed. The caramel would have to wait until tomorrow.
When he came back, you were curled up on the couch, blanket wrapped around your shoulders. Now that he didn't have to sign, he could relax next to you on the couch.
He sank in beside you, stealing some of your blanket so his metallic limbs could warm up. Moon knew you weren't keen on cuddling him when he freezing to the touch - which was often in the autumn and winter seasons.
Moon motioned for you to come closer, which you did, tiredly. Usually, you went to bed shortly after the sun set, and you didn't always get to spend time with Moon. It was nice on those rare occasions when you could. He was gentle and calm with you, more than Sun was (not that you minded, you loved them both).
Moon began to run his fingers through your hair, careful not too tug too hard and disturb your comfort. As his fingers carded through your hair, you felt your eyelids getting heavier. But, you didn't want to sleep yet. You wanted to just spend more time with Moon.
If you voiced that concern to him, though, you knew how he would act. Even now, after months of working on his behavior, Moon got a little skittish around you not sleeping, especially if you hadn't been sleeping well at all the last few days.
He would know. Moon hovered around you while you slept, and sometimes would even lay in bed with you to keep you company - "keep you safe" he would always say.
You had gotten used to his presence at bedtime. In fact, you couldn't sleep without him there, anymore, and you didn't have to often. Stardrop slept through the night now, and January kept most of the creatures out of the building at night with her traps.
"Go to sleep," Moon whispered, bending down the push his face plate against your forehead and humming, "If you're tired, you should go to sleep."
You rolled over slightly so you could stare up at him. He gazed back down at you before he nuzzled your forehead again.
"Moony," you whispered back, "Did you know that I love you?"
He hummed again, "Are you trying to butter me up so that I don't force you to sleep?"
"...no..."
Moon's grin widened against your forehead, and he pulled back to stare down at you. His one eye was bright red, and the other was dark. He usually had to focus really hard to illuminate both eyes ever since the one got damaged.
"Have I ever told you...how...glad I am that you dug me out of that pile?"
You could feel the heat rush to your face. He doesn't bring up your meeting often, and usually only as leverage.
"I don't think I can sleep, Moon," you cooed, "All these Halloween movies are going to give me nightmares..."
Moon's face deadpanned. Halloweentown was one of the least scary Halloween movies, and here you were claiming it was going to give you nightmares. You couldn't help but giggle up at his face plate.
"Shh, I'm kidding."
He bonked you with his forehead, and you giggled even more. His fingers trailed along your sides, feather light, until they curled into your hips and held you still.
Moon leaned down, his face awfully close to yours again, and he said: "You're an idiot."
He gently pecked your lips with his permanent grin and then lifted you from the couch, spinning you around as he did so. You giggled harder and wiggled, trying to get out of his grasp.
You couldn't, naturally.
Moon carried you in a ball of blanket toward your bedroom, humming a lullaby while he did. He deposited you on your bed and then flopped down on the mattress beside you.
"I think we should continue Halloween tomorrow," he concluded, "For Stardrop's sake. She didn't get to celebrate too much."
He was a softy when it came to Stardrop. Of course he would want to please her. The three of you would probably spend all day watching more Halloween movies and eating the caramel January made.
"I'm not sure Sun will let us lay around all day," you said, "Especially not with that much screen time."
Moon rolled over on top of you, hovering just above and stared down at your face for a second, "He said that he can be persuaded," he nearly purred, "You just need to spend some time with him...in the morning before Stardrop wakes up."
You push Moon's face plate away from your face. He chuckles and rolls off you onto the bed again, pulling the blankets up and around the two of you. The only light you see is his eye light, and it's gazing at you, like usual.
"Goodnight," he whispered.
"'Night," you agreed, "Halloween two tomorrow."
He bumps his faceplate against your head again, and begins to card through your hair with his fingers.
Maybe next year, you could take Stardrop for a proper trick-or-treat. Maybe the world will be better by then...
Here's what I picture Sun and Moon looking like in CC - Tall, a broken eye. Sun has several missing/broken sunrays. Their torsos were destroyed, rusted so yn gave them a sweater to wear.
yn is just wearing layers to stop bites from getting through her clothes xx
