Work Text:
Beneath the Stars (I’d Hold Your Hand)
Sun watched you as you arranged the large white parachute, running an extension cord, and finishing getting everything in place. A couple of air blowers were set up in the empty daycare, nozzles pointed under the massive white circle of fabric, the mischievous smile still on your face as you bounded around. Weeks ago, you had told Sun and Moon that you had a surprise for them, and they had been curious since at the things they were stashing beneath the security desk in the Superstar Daycare. Today, the entire Mega Pizzaplex was closed for a holiday that the company didn’t want to bother shelling out holiday pay for, and so you had volunteered for the shift in the Daycare to keep an eye on the anxious Daycare Attendant, who couldn’t be left alone for extended periods of time. Today was the day for the surprise.
When you had unfolded the parachute, Sun had asked a question, namely how you two were going to use the parachute when it normally took at least a dozen children to play with the parachute on a normal day, but you only waved him off, telling him you would be ready soon.
Sun watched in growing confusion as you took an unmarked box, grabbing the edge of the parachute and crawling under, a long loop of extension cord being dragged under with you as you approached the center until you were just a you-shaped lump under the fabric.
Whatever you were doing, it didn’t take you long before you were crawling back out and beginning to set up the weights around the perimeter before motioning to Sun to get beneath.
“Okay, get comfy!” you called, bouncing up one last time to rush for the lights. “I’ll be right there!”
Sun grumbled a little as he realized this was going to be more a surprise for Moon than for himself, but he would get to see, at least, he supposed. Maybe next time, he’ll get to do whatever this was going to be with the lights on…
A few moments later, the air blowers kicked on, and it took a bit, but the parachute slowly inflated, the fabric lifting up on its own as Sun tucked the edge under his metal backside. This was definitely different! Normally, they used a large and brightly colored parachute with the children and played all kinds of games under it! It was one of the most fun things they got to do! But Sun wasn’t sure what kinds of games they could play just the two of you? And in the dark!
He was about to ask again when the lights suddenly went out, just as he spotted the small round contraption in the middle. As Sun slid to the back and Moon began to front, their smooth change largely unseen in the dark of the daycare, Moon tilted his head, watching in confusion as you slipped yourself under the parachute on the other side, grinning as you clicked on a small flashlight and weighted down the corner you’d just entered from.
“Okay, close your eyes! It’s almost ready!” you said, obviously brimming with nervous excitement. Moon frowned a little bit, his eyes narrowing slightly before acquiescing. He could hear you messing with the little contraption, could tell you were muttering to yourself as you messed with something, soft clicks followed by shuffling sounds, a hand sliding into Moon’s as you joined him by his side.
“All right,” you said, clearly nervous now, “open them!”
A moment later, Moon’s eyes slowly opened, starting to look at you when a twinkle of light caught his eye, drawing his mechanical gaze up, up, up, all around, bright and soft and twinkling and moving—
“Stars,” Moon breathed, the cool air from the blowers making the end of his hat sway a little as he marveled at the sight of the night sky, projected onto the parachute.
He couldn’t stop staring, even as you placed some more weights on the edge where he was sitting, taking his hand and leading him into the center where he could lie on the padded floor and stare up at the glorious display above.
You laid down next to him, smiling as you looked up at it too, starting to point out the stars of some of the constellations you knew, and the stories behind them. Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, the Big Bear and Little Bear. Cassiopeia and her husband Cepheus. Canis Major. Orion, which you spotted easily by his belt. You adjusted the settings on the small projector as it slowly rotated around, showing them the universe beyond their little corner of the world, the histories of places they would never see, the stories of the people that lived there, and the images they saw in the sky. You showed them this, and Moon hung eagerly onto your every word.
After you ran out of constellations, you started to tell him about other phenomena. Auroras and proton arcs and the ridiculous naming of the phenomenon called a Steve (which he didn’t believe until you pulled up the article on your phone, and even then, he had his doubts). You talked about black holes and quarks and dwarf planets and gas giants and red dwarfs and blue stars.
You talked for ages, and not once did he mind, only peppering in questions or remarks now and then as he took it all in, still staring at the lights projected above.
When at last you seemed to run out of things to say, Moon finally murmured, “This is… incredible…”
“Oh, n-nah,” you sputtered, cheeks starting to turn a soft shade of red as you sat up, hair ruffled from laying down and almost rolling around to point out this star or that constellation for God knows how long. “This was just a silly idea I had… I went to the planetarium last month, and I thought it would be so cool for you guys to see it, only…” Your voice trailed off, your hand running through your hair as you sighed. “I figured, though… this had to be the next best thing, right? So some reckless spending and watching the planetarium show like a hundred times later…” You paused, motioning to the display and smiled sheepishly again. “What do you think?”
Moon stared still up in silence for a bit longer before he slowly began to smile, chuckling low.
“Sun’s jealous…” he said, looking at you with a grin before taking your hand, twining long, thin fingers with yours and gently squeezing them. “It’s beautiful… thank you…”