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“i don’t really get to do this often with……….humans…”
“Oh? Who else do you do this with?”
“......no one really…”
Napstablook wasn’t exactly shy, at least for the most part you didn’t think so. When you two first met he was in tears, a depressing and saddened individual who was open and honest about how they felt. But for some reason when the two of you met later on and he brought you here, to his house, the down and blue ghost seemed rather… nervous?
“not a lot of people come over to visit… but that’s ok, i know everyone is just busy….”
One of Mettaton’s many television shows sounded throughout the mediocre to empty room, creating a vibe that was a bit better than the actual one. The place looked down in the dumps, and while it fit Napstablook’s mood perfectly, you also didn’t enjoy seeing him in such a state. He was lonely, he was sad, and you wanted to cheer him up.
“Hey.” You said, getting his attention as he looked your way with those big eyes of his “So what do we do first?” Perhaps the best technique was to distract him from his inner demons, at least for the time being, and hang out like he had wanted to. You of course wanted to as well, because really, who would pass up hanging with such a cute ghost?
“oh…. right.” He nodded his head fast, unlike his usual slow and calm movements, he was suddenly rushing over to the television to turn it off with whatever invisible hands he had. And just as quickly, he flew to the fridge and it swung open with a clanging noise. The condiments on the shelves rattled a bit with the force of it opening, but nothing was out of place or fell so you had flinched for nothing. As Napstablook hovered there expectantly, you approached with a smile, which seemed to cause the ghosts cheeks to flush.
“i-i um…” He stammered, nervously trying to think of the right words to say. Whatever was on his mind was completely gone now, and you pouted before trying to nudge him to keep going. He cleared his throat, raising his voice as best as a soft spoken ghost-boy could “i-i usually do this sort of thing after i had a snack… so.. .” Napstablook glanced inside of the fridge, and you did the same to try and look for whatever it was that he was looking for. You saw a napkin begin to float towards you, empty but obviously there must have been something in it considered it was wrapped in a perfect square around some sort of invisible object. “i love… ghost sandwiches, maybe you’d like to try?”
You’re almost too eager to take the sandwich into your hands, but in the rush of things you felt it easily starting to fade through your fingers, and it didn’t even make it to your mouth. Napstablook seemed to let out an upsetting noise at this, though you tried to laugh it off “Oh gosh I mean, maybe it’s only meant for ghosts. Do you have anything else I could snack on? Maybe that can be an exception?”
“i just have… this glamburger Mettaton gave me…..” Napstablook said gently, now trying to bring the burger to you in all its glittering and shimmering splendor. A regular hamburger from what you recalled on the surface, however this one had glitter all over it, rhinestones, all sorts of glam coated it that you were pretty sure wasn’t healthy for your organs.
But Napstablook stared at you with hope in his already watering eyes, and god… he was too adorable to let down.
You took the biggest bite you could manage, shocked that the burger actually tasted amazing. However you made a mental note that it probably will still make you feel crappy later.
You carefully handed it back to the napkin that hovered before you, and as it was put away you dared to ask “Is that your hand?”
“no” Napstablook was as blunt as he always was, finally he was calming down in your presence “i don’t have hands but…… i can possess things… comes with the whole ‘being a ghost’ package”
“Wow~” You lift your hand and wiggle your fingers, before holding it out “Possess my hand?”
Napstablook blinks slowly at you, their teary eyes had subsided and now they were just full of curiousity “huh?”
“Can you take control of my hand?” You clarify your thoughts to him, giving a little wink “Maybe it’ll feel like we’re holding hands.”
You see his cheeks flush again, the shyness returning as he looked away and around as if trying to find a way to escape. Maybe it was the fact that people are easier to handle out in public that made him more shy in closed quarters. This was, after all, his haven, his safe place… and he let you into it without realizing your intentions.
Of course your intentions were good, you knew that the moment Napstablook actually let a tear fall you would stop all your persistent flirting and calm down. But so far you’ve seen pretty positive reactions out of him, and you had no need to give up just yet.
And apparently he was trying, at least, trying for your sake.
Because as you waited with your hand held out towards him, you felt a surreal and strange tug. Pressure, a hold, it felt like something was heavy and wrapped around your hand, and you gave Napstablook a small look of wonder, and he kept his eyes elsewhere. You forced your fingers to curl around the invisible grip, and it only made Napstablook’s entire being turn pink from embarrassment. You try to carry on “Okay, let’s hang out then.”
“r-right…” He was in such a rush to lead you elsewhere that he probably forgot he was still possessing your hand, suddenly you stumbled after him.
Napstablook gasped and looked to you “i-i’m sorry….! i haven’t done this sort of thing before……”
“It’s okay!” You chuckled, squeezing his hand(or whatever was possessing a hold of your own) as a sign of reassurance “Whatever you do, don’t let go, alright?”
Napstablook looked like a marshmallow just wanting to melt and hide, he was so embarrassed and shy that he was turning more translucent by the minute, a sign that he wanted to fade away to escape.
But he wasn’t. For whatever reason that may be; personal goals of getting through the evening, wanting to impress you, or just having a tiny big of will… he held on. Faint enough to vanish in the blink of an eye, but present enough to not disappear on you. You felt a need to let him know, as calmly and as gently as possible “Napstablook… are you alright?”
“i-i’m fine….” He said this all too quickly for you to believe, and you tried again “Look, I know you’re not a fan of being given so much attention, it means a lot you pushed out of your comfort zone just to bring me to your place… but if this is too much for you then just… tell me okay? I don’t want to pressure you or anything, I don’t wanna force you, I want you to feel comfortable and alright around me.”
“i-i’m…. “ Napstablook started again, letting out a rather sad sigh as his blush remained “i want to impress you……. i don’t get to hang out with many people and… and when i do, it isn’t for long. i’m …… not like Mettaton…… i’m not popular, not talkative… i don’t make friends easily like he does…….. i just want to impress you and have you like me like……. him…..”
The sad thing about all this was that he was wrong, Mettaton actually had little to none of your attention. You didn’t even care all too much for his television shows. You were never the loud and boisterous type who sought the spotlight or wanted to be surrounded by roaring fans, friends, and other people… you were confident in yourself enough, but you were just like Napstablook. Quiet, calm, and sometimes undermining yourself. You were an introvert, the type that didn’t mind extroverts but it was hard to get along with them. That’s what made you seek out Napstablook though, Mettaton’s attempts at gaining another human fan had fallen short, and he mentioned seeking out his cousin, Napstablook.
And then you did find him, however he was crying to himself. The moment you comforted him and he opened up to you even the tiniest bit, it was the moment you knew you wanted to be his friend. And hell, you obviously were interested in him even more than just that… but things take time.
“Mettaton is cool and all…” You started off with the wrong words, Napstablook’s hold on your hand loosened, but you tried to squeeze him together “But not as cool as you. Look, you invited me over to hang out, you aren’t afraid to express yourself and who you are behind closed doors. You invited me over and fed me, and you have amazing cool tricks up your sleeve--” that you didn’t want him to show, because the moment he sheds any tears around you, even for the Dapperblook technique, you were going to hold yourself back. “--but I don’t care for the spotlight, or for having tons of friends, I’m content with the few I have and… I’m happy with you, Napstablook.” You gave the most genuine smile that you could muster towards him, and though he keeps his watery eyes focused on the floor, his ghostly grip returned to your hand, and he smiled.
You were jealous that the floor got to see his smile more than you, but you couldn’t punch it or anything.
“Well… now what?” You tried to change the subject, hoping it would make things easier on the both of you. He nodded, slowly letting go of your hand and taking it out if his possessive magic. The absence of it made your hand lighter and return to your full control, but you were disappointed. He noted this and mentioned “sorry…. we have to lie down for this… so……..”
You simply began to slowly lie down on your back, staring up at the ceiling with your arms on either side of you “Like this?”
“yeah…….” The ghost slowly laid down and joined you, also staring upward to the ceiling. With Napstablook’s head right beside yours, you wanted to simply turn your head to kiss his face but you suppressed the urge and kept your eyes focused upward. He continued “and just…… so long as you don’t move…...we could be like this for as long as you….. want to….”
You weren’t sure what was going to happen, but you were appreciating the closeness it brought the two of you. Laying side by side, or at least head by head together, was really nice and calming. You were starting to think of this as some sort of breathing exercises, or some type of relaxation technique. You and Napstablook were more alike than he realized, you were just better at hiding it than he was.
The longer you stared at the ceiling, silently laying with Napstablook, the more relaxed you became. It felt like you had melted into the ground, and suddenly it felt as if the ceiling were slowly parting ways. Your eyes widened at the sight before you, and it didn’t even take long for the world around you to simply vanish.
There was nothingness, a black and dark empty space, and then as you lied in waiting for the next event, stars and planets, the stardust of the galaxy seemed to fly by. It waved in place before the two of you, and you were completely mesmerized.
“Wow…” You found yourself taking a gentle breath. It all felt so surreal you weren’t sure you could even trust your eyes. Was this all Napstablook’s doing? Or were you truly so relaxed that your brain had slowly let go of reality?
You opened your mouth but for a moment nothing seemed to come out, nothing but a tiny noise of awe, before you finally murmured “So this is… what it’s like to…-”
“feel like trash.” Napstablook finished for you rather softly. You blinked, turning your head to face him only to discover he had done the exact same. If he had a nose, both of you would be pressing them together from how close you were. Everything had returned to normal almost as quick as it had faded away. And you laughed “That was amazing!”
“you liked it?” He sounded surprised as you sat up and he followed suit, you nodded quickly “Yeah! Gosh it was so… relaxing…” You hummed in content, looking back to him “But it’s really impossible for me to feel like trash when I’m with you.”
And it was back to square one; Napstablook’s cheeks turned pink instantly from the compliment.
He suddenly jumped as if surprising himself “o-oh, Mettaton’s game show is on now i got… distracted um……. do you…… do you want to stay with me a little longer to watch it?”
You didn’t like Mettaton, but to get to Napstablook’s heart you probably had to get to theirs.
“Suuurreeee.” You said simply, and he lead the way to the television and sat himself down on the floor in front of it. You joined him, sitting down and folding your legs underneath you. You wanted to snuggle right up to him, but you also made sure to give him a little bit of space and room to breathe. He was a nervous wreck as is, you didn’t want to make things worse during something he enjoyed.
The television flickered on and almost immediately Mettaton’s voice blared “HELLO MY BEAUTIFUL AND ADORING FANS!!”
Napstablook immediately smiled, you found yourself mostly watching him rather than the show. Mettaton strutted around the stage with his ‘fabulous’ legs and a wireless mic in his hands. Today there was a lion-like monster on the show, in a rather beautiful blue gown. “Now today we have a great fan of mine, Lionel, sporting this absolutely stunning dress that looks all too familiar, darling~! Tell the audience where you obtained such fabulous fashion sense!”
The camera and microphone were focused on Lionel, who stammered shyly “W-Well you, Mettaton you… you gave me the dress as a gift and everyone's been talking about how amazing it looks on me and I can’t thank you enough I--”
“Deep breaths, sweetheart.” Mettaton had mumbled to the lion monster who was now gasping and wheezing, his entire face red that contrasted the dress he wore. Even if it was a mumble, it was close enough to the microphone for you and Napstablook to hear, and probably everyone else.
“But doesn’t it look stunning on him, ladies and gentlemen?!” Mettaton continued, gesturing(and spotlighting) on Lionel once more. The crowds applauded, and you joined in as well with a small smile on your face. Even for a loud-mouthed pushy robot like Mettaton, he seemed to know fairly well how to make people feel better and more confident about themselves. Maybe it made sense why Napstablook was always so excited about watching him.
“Now let’s continue~” Mettaton began once more “On today’s game show, if you answer all the questions correctly, you may be one of the lucky few who wins THIS BABY!!”
The camera focused on a red curtain, slowly it rolled up to reveal a shiny mo-ped that you could only assume Alphys had scraped together and built up for the sake of today’s show. The audience roared as loudly as Lionel did, and god you kept looking at his amazing dress.
“SO~! Lionel.” Mettaton’s focus, as well as the camera’s, returned to the contestant that now sported a more comfortable facial expression “Are you ready to begin? You have a limited amount of time to answer each question, and one wrong answer leaves you out of the running for this beautiful masterpiece of transportation~” Mettaton swayed his hips at this, before the monster quickly nodded “I’m ready!”
“Alrighty then~ Let’s START THAT CLOCK!” The robot pointed right at the digital wall-clock, that went from 0 to 30 seconds “Each question you have thirty seconds to answer! So jumping right into the first here we go~”
There was a pause then, the crowds continued to cheer and yell in excitement even as Mettaton was taking a moment to read over his cards. He had gotten to one, but then gave it a peculiar look before smiling widely. He then looked right into the camera, almost seductively, lifting a shoulder with his hand on his hip and the hand that held the microphone he brought it so close to his lips he was mostly making out with it.
He mumbled just as seductively as he looked into the camera, staring at you and Napstablook as he asked:
“First question, cutie. Would you smooch a ghost?”
Your face flared up.
Mettaton knew. And he was staring right into your soul.
And even the choices that appeared for Lionel that shot up on the television screen looked mostly like options for you to decide.
A) Heck yeah,
B) Heck yeah,
C) Heck yeah…
Or D) Don’t Act Like You Wouldn’t You Better Do It
As the contestant was flustered and trying to figure out what answer was the right one, you looked over to Napstablook and quickly blurted out “Heck yeah, I would!”
In return he looked towards you quickly and surprised from your sudden yell, his cheeks showing the same blush as they had been since you first arrived. He mumbled softly “wh-what?”
You didn’t hold back, you leaned forward and booped your lips against theirs, smooching the ghost.