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“G’night Boo.” Michael murmured, yawning. Boo smiled quietly and gently shut the door.
It was a while after that, of just blankly staring at the ceiling and waiting to fall asleep. Michael’s nightlight was not nearly bright enough, even though his fathers insisted it was enough, and that he couldn’t sleep with the lights on.
“Why not?” Michael whined, one night when Boo was gone and Bee was pacing the room, muttering big adult words in a serious adult voice, and that was Michael’s warning not to push it any further. Uncle Tommy was watching him while Bee was downstairs in the kitchen
“Because then you won’t sleep big man. And I’m not dealing with a cranky Tubbo and a cranky you.” Tommy said, carrying him up to bed and tucking him in. Michael knew Bee looked upset then, but he wasn’t quite sure why.
“Will you tell me a story?” Michael asked, tugging on Uncle Tommy’s sleeve before he could go. Tommy took one look at Michael’s pleading puppy-dog eyes and sighed.
“Alright, just one. And I’m not a very good story-teller either, so you don’t go saying “Oh that story was sh-” Tommy coughed suddenly. “...Like the story is bad.”
“I won’t!” Michael promised, squirming into a more comfortable position.
“Well…,” Tommy began, sitting on the edge of his bed. “Have you heard of the Angel of death?” He was a man who lived long ago, before anyone on this server was born. Or their parents. So a very long time. He had a wife, who was the goddess of death.”
Michael shrank back into the bed, and Tommy stopped. “Oh crap- I didn’t mean to scare you big man! I forgot everyone doesn’t like hearing about that kind of story… Let me tell you another one.”
So Tommy did, and Michael fell asleep that night, but the story, what little he had been told- stuck with him.
Many nights later, Michael hummed quietly as he stared up at the ceiling. Still, he couldn’t shake a creeping icky feeling from his stomach every time he tried to lay still.
The room was too dark, the wind howled outside, and Michael could imagine all the monsters that might be under his bed with a shiver.