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The sun had long set on Home, yet you were staring at the ceiling of your bedroom for the third night in a row. The singing of the plush cicadas seemed to reverberate through the walls of your cottage. It’d been hard to sleep lately for all of the noise in your head. You missed your family and friends back home dearly, having not seen them in months due to your contract.
A faint knock at your door made you flinch and sit up. You slid out from between the sheets, abandoning your sweet den of fluff for the cold hardwood floor as you padded downstairs to see what the matter was. Really, you knew quite well who had disturbed your non-sleeping.
You swung the door open and your favourite face peered up at you expectantly. Wally looked perfect as usual, his soft hair neatly curled into its usual elaborate style, starkly contrasting your own bird’s nest. His pinstriped pyjamas and fluffy dressing gown (with slippers to match) were the only thing indicative of the hour. Even in his nightclothes he was perfectly presentable.
“I couldn’t sleep,” he said almost sheepishly.
Without a word, Wally then reached for your hand, gesturing for you to follow him. He held onto it gently as the two of you strolled toward the treeline, shyly averting his gaze when he ran his felt thumb across the back of your hand. There was something so captivatingly delicate about Wally’s nature, you thought.
It was almost embarrassing how thrilled you were to be out in the moonlight, just you and him alone. Your town of Home was so different at night, silent and glowing like a good dream. Save for the insects in the bushes, you and Wally’s footsteps were the only thing to be heard - you were still barefoot, but the grass was dry and the bugs were friendly. You could still see the warm light from the lamposts shine faintly between the trees you had already passed.
“How’d you know I’d be awake, Wally?” You asked when it occurred to you that he hadn’t mentioned potentially waking you up.
“Oh, you know. You are not the type to fall asleep early, ha, ha.” he responded. You smiled back - he was so observant. There was a pause, and he looked down, his smile growing fond.
“I’ve never been outside this late,” he admitted. Wally’s natural speaking voice was soft enough for him not to have to whisper. “Well, except for last Homewarming at least. Sally had all of us up past midnight.”
“Yeah, it’s nice at night. Peaceful.” you remarked. He hummed in agreement.
You and Wally’s already leisurely saunter ceased as you reached the heart of the forest, where the cottony trees were so plentiful they seemed to huddle together around you. It was just about pitch black in the middle of the forest, with only the stars to light the way. There was a gentle breeze, enough to make the multicolour branches sway above your head at least. You rested your back against a tree, sighing as you tilted your head toward the brilliant stars.
Wally exhaled heartily and shuffled hesitantly closer to you. “The sound of nothing is the absolute most.” he said wistfully.
“Sounds contradictory.” you chuckled. It took Wally a second to smile and tilt his head toward you at the realisation.
“I like the quiet.” he said with an air of secrecy, like he was telling you something personal and sensitive rather than expressing a simple preference. He rested his head lightly on your shoulder. He didn’t mind having to stand on his tiptoes for it to work. You lifted your arm behind his neck, resting your hand on his shoulder.
“Sometimes the world is too noisy for me. Everything goes so fast, and so loud. I… fall behind. Do you ever fall behind?”
You just hummed sympathetically, soothed by his slow explanation. You could have fallen asleep if it wasn’t for the little jolt of adrenaline caused by the sudden intimacy.
“I like the stars, too…” Wally continued. He moved his head from your shoulder and turned to look at you. The scarce light the stars provided shone faintly on the white glass of his eyes. His gaze was persistent, like he didn’t want to blink.
“And I guess…” Wally started, suddenly shy. “I like you, neighbor. Most of all” he was grateful to the darkness for concealing the redness of his face. “You listen. You’re like the quiet, like the night.” he explained. Your stomach tightened.
Wally took hold of your shoulders. You felt him take a deep breath in and hold it, gentle eyes fixed intently on yours. You leaned down and your lips met in a gentle kiss. He hummed slightly, letting his forearms slide onto your back as he moved in closer. When your faces parted, Wally stayed completely still in your embrace like a ragdoll. You felt his heavy exhale against your chest.
“I like you too, Wally.” you whispered after a while.