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"Here." The package landed square in the smaller's lap with a huff, "Take it. Or don't, it don't matter to me either way." Blue eyed the small package with a blatant sense of curiosity, looking up at Error with a tentative smile. "What's this for?"
The glitch rolled his eyes at the question and hoisted himself up to lounge sprawled atop his strings. "What does it look like, dumbass? It's a birthday gift. For, y'know, your birthday." The swap skeleton's eyes lit up as the destroyer turned away, running a gloved thumb over the delicate wrapping paper. "You remembered my birthday?" Blue whispered, eyes trailing along the ribbon wrappings and fighting against the swell of love he felt for the larger. "Duh. 'F course I did." Error muttered, "I'd be a dick if I forgot." The smaller knew the glitch well enough to read between the lines and know what the darker was really trying to say; 'I love you and you mean too much to me for your birthday to just slip by unnoticed'.
"Aw, Erry, you didn't have to get me anything." Blue exhaled softly, "Just being here with you is more than enough!" Error snorted, asymmetrical eyelights rolling sarcastically in their sockets. "I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to. I'm almost sorry I didn't have the time to get more shit done." It was Swap's turn to shake his head in disbelief, beaming up at the destroyer above with a million-dollar smile. "Don't be silly, Error. You don't have to feel bad about that at all! You remembered and cared enough to spend time with me in the first place, and I mean it when I say that just that alone is one of the best things I could ask for. I don't need an extravaganza to be happy, Ru."
"I know." Error muttered, and the simple words were true. Blue wasn't a high-maintenance skeleton nor somebody who liked wild and robust celebrations. Birthday bashes were fun, sure, but the small skeleton was more than content to just spend the day curled up quietly with a person or two he loved. The simple fact that Error had taken him here and offered a gift was a surprise in itself- everyone had been awful busy these past few days celebrating Ink and Outer and a plethora of other birthdays -and the gesture was so sweet that Blue found his soul melting a little at the recollection.
"Well, go on. Open it already, I don' wanna sit here all damn day." The gruff sound of his lover's voice shook Blue from his thoughts, the package jumping into the air as his small body jolted. "O-Oh! Right, stars, sorry! I didn't mean to get caught up in my thoughts!" Error grumbled at the stuttered apologizing, the destroyer shifting to look down at Blue with a rare fondness in his gaze. "'S fine, Berry. Jus' get on with it."
Gloved hands stripped away the hand-knit ribbon- of course it was handmade, the swap skeleton recognized that stitching anywhere -with more care than he usually displayed. He took precaution in gently slitting the paper apart, pulling up tape and unfolding the outer covering to reveal a sight that made Blue's soul stop beating in its tracks.
Tucked away within the folds of tissue paper was a beautiful set of dolls.
A small version of Blue and Error stared back at the swap sans from where they lay side-by-side. It was amazing how lifelike they looked with ornamental details and painstaking stitches, and Blue was hit with a sense of just how much time Error must have spent on making them. The dolls were utterly perfect, petite and plush and deliciously comfortable. "I-" The smaller's voice died in his throat before he could get the words out. "Error, these- they're beautiful."
It must have taken ages to stitch the both of them together in just the right way, and Blue gently nudged the tissue paper out of the way to slide one of the dolls into his gloved grip with a wobbly breath. The little dolls had a bit of velcro expertly embedded in their hands, and Blue nearly cried at the realization that if you pressed the two of them together the dolls would delicately hold hands. "Oh gosh, they're perfect." The smaller skeleton sniffled, reaching up a hand to brush away the tears that had begun to brew in his eyesockets. "Hic- thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Error. I love them. I l-love them-" Both dolls were moved to be crushed against an armor-covered sternum in a bear hug, Blue holding both the dolls as close to his soul as he could possibly manage.
"...'M glad you like 'em." Error mumbled softly, lowering himself to sit cross-legged beside his partner. "I know they ain't the best, but I figured-" the destroyer was cut off as Blue threw himself at the glitch's darkened frame, dragging Error into a bone-crushing hug that nearly threw the larger straight into a reboot. "They're perfect." Blue spoke against Error's neck, "They're the best birthday gift I've ever gotten. I love them. I love you."
Error's breathing hitched at the small admission, dark arms looping around the guard's back to hold Blue close to his own chest. "Love ya' too, dork." The destroyer murmured back, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of the smaller' skull. "Happy Birthday, Blue. Yer one year older, babe." Blue laughed, burying into Error's scarf with a happy purr. "I sure don't feel like it." He giggled, and Error told him that he definitely didn't look like it either considering he hadn't grown at all.
"Hey-" Swap huffed, "-that's not true! I grew an entire quarter of an inch!" It was a desperate plea and both of them knew it, but Error went along with the ridiculous claim nonetheless. "Oh 'm sure ya' did. A whole quarter of an inch, huh? Can practically touch the fuckin' ceiling now." The teasing remark earned a gentle swat from Blue who nuzzled up against the destroyer with a contented sigh, both dolls still tucked in between his chest and the glitch's darker torso.
"Can we stay here for the rest of the day?" Swap spoke softly, "Just you and I?" The request was a bit unexpected, and Error drew away to better direct his gaze at Blue. "Are ya' sure? Ya' only get one birthday a year, Blue, and I dunno if you should waste it all here." There was a hum in response to the glitch's dubious concern, but the swap didn't budge from his position in Error's lap. "I know." The guard shifted, "But I want to spend it here with you. Just the two of us- and, well, Ru and Blu."
"Ru and Blu?" Error leaned back onto his beanbag with a lopsided grin. "Mhm! Our doll selves, dummy." The swap skeleton had already dubbed the fabric versions of himself and Error as 'Ru and Blu', the shortened nicknames they often used for each other. "I wanna stay here with you if you'll let me." The smaller was well aware that today was the only birthday he'd have for another three hundred and sixty-five days. He knew that spending it here would trade off the possibility of having another celebration elsewhere, but Blue simply didn't care. He wanted to be here, with Error, more than anywhere else with anyone else.
This was right where he wanted to be, sprawled out on a beanbag with the destroyer himself and a pair of miniature dolls that grasped at one another with velcro embrace.
"Hell, you're the birthday boy." Error laughed, "Guess I can't turn ya down, specially not today. Sure, Blue, we can stay here 's long as you wanna. With, y'know-" color-tipped hands gestured to the small dolls pressed against armor, "-Ru 'n Blu too, I 'spose." The confirmation was all the swap needed before adjusting himself to lie closer to Error, gloved arms looped around the glitch and porcelain skull pressed up close against an ebony one. "I love you, Erry." Blue mumbled, "Thank you for the birthday gift. They're perfect." Error sighed and reached over to drag a blanket over the both of them, a few error signs fizzling as the destroyer dipped to place yet another kiss against the guard's skull. "Only the best for you, Blue." He muttered, the words echoing a bit in the anti-void's infinite space.
"Love ya', Berry. Happy Birthday."