Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It had been a long week. Repairs on top of his position at the theater on top of family... issues had led to little sleep and very low battery. But Solar knew he couldn't just leave everything and take a few hours to charge. 

Not when there were still two busted vending machines, three control panels that still needed rewiring, snacks that needed restocking, and cleaning of the theater counter. Then a stock check of the gift shop, emptying of the cash machines, and moving his overworked ass to the daycare to help Sun clean up after the kids. 

Oh. And he needed to help Moon finish the recalibration of the dimensional portal in the ballpit so no more... accidental visitors came through. As well as finish his portion of the coding for yet another project Moon had on the back burner, the lunar animatronic deeming the portal as the more vital thing. Hence, Solar's help with put-aside projects. 

Sighing, he pulled up his HUD, checking multiple things. First, the time. 5:39pm. 21 minutes until the daycare officially closed. And, the theater. 21 minutes until his shift finished. The second thing he checked was his battery percentage. The moment Solar set his optics on the number, he winced. 10%. Well, it was enough to last the day, if he spent it right.

And he had plenty of practice with that. He could thank blame his Moon for that. 

At least there was no-one in the theater lobby. He could be thankful of that much. More socialization and work would drain his dwindling battery percentage faster. 

Resigned, Solar leaned back on the chair he'd dragged over from one of the ticket booths and put his feet up on the counter, mentally reminding himself to clean it later. His cleaning protocols would go haywire anyways the moment he took them off. 

Another glance at his battery. 8%. Time? 5:43pm. 17 minutes left.

Still no-one coming in, and he doubted anyone would. Not at this time of day. He mentally questioned whether it would be worth getting the theater work done now, finish the cleanup and his shift at the same time. Just behind the wall was the box of snacks that needed shelving. One of the vending machines was to the left of the counter. The sanitizer was hidden behind the counter.

That would be first, Solar decided. Kicking his feet back off the counter and reaching down for the bottles and rags, Solar could already feel his protocols screaming at him. Clean up, clean up, clean up, clean up, clean up- "I'm fucking getting there."

Was anyone around to hear him telling his own systems off? No. And that was fine. Even if he could, Solar would never remove those protocols. After all, he got them from Sun. His Sun. Soleil. It was practically the only thing he had left from him. 

But before he could reminisce over what else he had left from his old brother, a bottle hit the ground. It wasn't a drink bottle. Or a condiment bottle. Or a refill bottle.

It was the sanitizer bottle. How the hell did that fall over?

Looking down, he found out how. He'd miscalculated his reach, and hit the edge of the bottle instead of grabbing it, knocking it over. Solar sat up. He's never done that before. 

He's never been clumsy, everything being done precisely and with absolute perfection. It had to be, that was how he escaped his Moon's wrath. And, after he moved into this dimension, it was just habit that was ingrained in him. 

The others teased him about being as bad as Sun.

He doubted he'd ever be as bad as Sun.

Another battery check. 7%. Time check. 5:54pm.

Had he really spent 11 minutes staring at a goddamn fallen bottle?

A groan, and he picked the stupid bottle up, setting it on the counter and grabbing a rag. 

"Solar?"

He flinched, dropping the rag and whipping around to see who called him. Moon.

Why the fuck did he flinch? 

"You good?"

Well wasn't that a loaded question with a complex answer Solar did not have the energy for. "Yup. Just getting started early."

"So... you weren't in your head again?"

God fucking dammit. "If I said no would you believe me?"

"Not in the slightest." Moon huffed out a laugh and walked over, picking up the rag. That had somehow ended up on the the side of the counter. "Want a hand? Sun doesn't want me touching the cleaning shit in there because I 'do it wrong'. How you can clean wrong, I'll never know."

Solar smirked. "It's wrong when you don't do it Sun's way. Which consists of scrubbing everything spotless for roughly five hours. Seven if you don't interrupt him before he reaches the barrels for the sixth time."

A snort. "Add an extra hour when said barrels are somehow in the slides or netting because he hates using the cable."

A growing smirk. "Extra half hour if glitter blue was used during arts and crafts."

"Half hour if a paper ball war happened."

"Fifteen minutes if a kid threw up."

"Ten minutes they tipped the bin over again."

"That's fifteen if there's liquid spills. Ten if half the crayons were snapped again."

"Ten if one put gum on the chairs."

"Five of another kid brought their rock collection in."

"Five if there's lost items again."

"Five if-"

"Two days if I put one of you two to work." Sun cut in with an amused smile, the solar model leaning against the doorframe with crossed arms. "And for your information, none of tat happened today. Shockingly."

"Uh." Both Solar and Moon shared a look before turning to Sun. "How long were you there for?"

"If I say, I don't have a 'way'," He playfully glared at Solar. "It's called 'doing a thorough job because we have kids who could pick up illnesses faster than you could drink a bottle of water', does that answer your question?"

Solar coughed awkwardly. "Yep. Sorry." He dropped his gaze to the counter, avoiding Sun's. Clean up clean up clean-

Sun waved a hand dismissively. "Eh, don't worry about it. I just enjoyed hearing you two come up with different scenarios that could make clean up longer." 

Internal screaming louder the longer he left it, Solar reached for the rag still in Moon's grip with a trembling hand. Why was he trembling?

A peek at his battery. 6%. Time check, 6:18pm.

Ah. That's why.

"Solar?"

He snatched his hand back like he'd been burned, widening optics raising to Moon. "Yes?"

"Are you sure you're okay?" Moon questioned, eyeing the other worriedly. He set the rag down Solar had been reaching for. 

"Yup. Just... Gotta clean the counter." 

"I could help!"

"No!" He startled himself with his outburst, nevermind the twins in front of him. "I-I mean- Thanks for the offer, but I got it. You two go finish cleaning the daycare-" "Already finished." "-Or start heading home and I'll catch up with you later."

Both twins frowned as Solar took the rag, avoiding their gazes as he started wiping the counter. "You're shaking, Solar."

The mentioned solar model flinched. He was hoping they wouldn't have noticed it, that he'd have gotten away with simply avoiding more interaction to help save his.... 5% power. 

He should have known they'd pick up on it. "Just... tired. Busy day-"

"Maybe four people came up here."

Shit.

"And there's stuff that I need to get done anyway." Please see the excuse please see the excuse please see the excuse.

"There's literally nothing that needs your immediate attention after your shift, Solar."

His rays twitched. His hand gripped the rag. He wiped it over an already clean spot. He flinched when Moon sighed in disappointment? 

"Solar."

He reached for another rag. He dried the counter. He closed the sanitizer bottle. 

"Solar."

He stood up. He walked behind the wall. He picked the box us. He walked back. 

"Solar?"

He opened the box. His hands shook. He grabbed a few bags at once. He turned to the shelf. 

"Solar!"

Speaking would lower his percentage more. Doing anything besides minimal actions would lower his percentage more. 

A hand appeared on his own, gently lowering them until they were on the display shelf. It took the bags of chips with care, while another set landed softly on his shoulders. 

He flinched.

"Something's wrong, isn't there?" Sun's soft voice broke the sudden silence, his arms slowly moving to wrap around Solar reassuringly. "Are you worried?"

Solar hesitantly inclined his head, rays twitching again. 

Warning! Critically low battery! 4%

Moon spoke up this time. "Do you think you have to finish everything today?"

Solar's head lowered another inch, the rest of his body frozen in place. None of his functions wanted to respond. He felt a statue.

"We won't be mad if you don't Solar. Even if you didn't do anything besides the bare minimum, we would never be mad."

Silence reigned. But it wasn't an awkward one, it was a calming one. Moon held Solar's hands in his own, Sun held Solar against himself, and Solar let himself be held. He didn't fight it like he normally would do, or push away from the touches. He didn't have enough power to.

"Someone needs to." Solar managed after a few more minutes, voice tired. 

"But not now." Moon sighed softly. "Nothing's important, nothing's urgent. You can take breaks. Take time for yourself. We wouldn't be mad. We'd fucking encourage it."

The sudden curse caused both a snort and a gasp, and broke the soft moment. "Moon!" 

Warning! Critically low battery! 3%

"Am I wrong though?"

Sun released Solar, rounding on his twin instead. "That doesn't mean you should be cursing in the Daycare!"

"Ah, but this is the Theater! And I see no kids here."

"S-still! Solar, help me out here!"

Solar startled slightly at being addressed and forced a chuckle, pulling his hands away from Moon's to cross his arms. "This is still technically part of the daycare. And you never know when Jack or Dazzle will appear." 

The lunar model huffed. "You were supposed to be on my side." 

"Eh. My theater, my rules."

"You haven't stated any damn rules besides the basic ones that the daycare has!"

He grinned. "And those are my rules for here. So." His amusement rose when both twins stiffened. "No cursing around kids. No leaving shit a mess. Tell the mechanic when shit's broken." Like his filter, apparently. "Don't interrupt the worker during his shift." 

"Okay, so three of those give you more work-"

"Rules are rules, Moon. So if you don't mind-"

"Uh, no. Your shift's finished. So no more working." Moon copied Solar's stance, arms crossing over his chest with a soft 'ding' from his wrist bells. "And there's no messes, or Sun would be losing his shit."

"Excuse me?!"

A chuckle. "So get your ass out of here, and we can head home."

Warning! Critically low battery! 2%

He swiped the warning away. "Technically-"

"Don't Technically me, mechanic man. It's your home too." 

Solar blinked at him, shocked. "How did-"

"I know that look." Moon uncrossed his arms to poke Solar's chest. "Sun, help me get him home."

"Wait-"

Sun giggled. "Home time! And we can do whatever when we get there! I've always wanted an assistant in the kitchen..."

Whipping around, Solar glared lightly. "Now you know damn well I don't bother cooking. And I can't anyway. Get your brother to help!"

"Aw, but you are our brother!"

"You know exactly what I mean!" He groaned, shaking his head. "Fine. Just. Let me finish restocking and I'll go."

Sun grinned and practically bounded over to the box, grabbing three bags. "We can help! The more help you have, the faster it goes!"

He drooped in defeat. He didn't have the energy to argue anymore. "Fine. Just make sure the damn labels are facing forward. And they're the right way round, Moon."

The mentioned bot just smirked. "Have I ever fucked with them before?"

"Yes."

"Yeah, you're right." Moon reached into the box, grabbing a few bags. "But I won't today."

"So you will tomorrow?"

"I never said that."

"But you meant it." Solar grabbed the bags he'd been forced to put down earlier and finally put them on their shelf, Sun and Moon following his movement. "If I come in tomorrow and they're all wrong."

Warning! Critically low battery! 1%

He glanced the time. 7:13pm.

Well, shit. 

He swiped the warning away again.

"They won't be! Not tomorrow at least." Moon teased, unaware of Solar's predicament. "Can't say the same for the rest of the week though."

Solar groaned slightly, shaking his head as he picked up more bags. He could finish this without powering down. He could. His hands shook as he reached for the shelf. "Great. Wonderful. Thanks for the assurance."

"You're shaking again." Sun pointed out, moving to take the bags from Solar. "Do you need a-"

"No, I'm okay." Lie. "Let's just get this finished." Finished before my battery depletes.

Unsure, Sun slowly nodded and dropped his hands, watching Solar with concern. He instead turned back to the refill box, taking out the last of the stock. "If you're sure..."

"I'm sure." He placed the bags down. He adjusted them until they looked like the others. He dropped his hands. His rays shrunk slightly. 

A minor system shut down. His emotes, he believed. "Actually." He slurred, speech slowing. His limbs felt heavy. Another system shut down. His motor functions?

Both Moon and Sun whipped around, their optics wide. "Solar-!"

Another system shut down. His control for his rays. A soft click echoed in the silence. His temperature regulation system shut off, trusting his fans. His optics turned off. His audios turned off. 

The last thing he saw was Sun and Moon lunging forward, horror on their faces. The last thing he heard was Sun calling his name in panic, and Moon cursing his existence. 

Warning! Battery depletion has been detected! Shutting down! 0%

His frame collapsed as he lost consciousness.

Chapter Text

The night after the Dark Star Power had been removed from Earth was... chaotic, to say the least. Everyone was still reeling at the horrible truth that Earth would forever be in pain. That she'd be reduced in the amount if tasks she could to. That she couldn't stand for as long as she normally would.

Yet of course Earth had said that she'd be fine. Of course she'd taken it in stride, simply stating that she'd need some time to rest and adjust with the calmest tone. Of course she wasn't absolutely devastated like most people would be.

Everyone else was devastated at the news. Monty, Moon. Sun, Solar. Hell, even Dazzle was upset that this had happened. 

So why in the fucking creator's name was it hitting Solar so hard? Why was he sitting on his recently emptied bed, knees drawn to his chestplates and arms wrapped around his legs, drawing them as close as physically possible, and not Earth?

He could still hear Earth's slurred tone echoing in the silence of his room as pain affected her speech. He could still see Earth lying still on his bed, unmoving and unspeaking, spending most of her time sleeping to avoid the pain. 

He could still hear Monty loving over his girlfriend as she laid vulnerable, tending to her every need. Moon discussing any and every viable way of helping remove the dark magic from his sister's body without hurting her more.

Hell, he even heard Sun offering to help with his ownagic, desperate for a way to help his sister despite not knowing a damn thing about this type of power.

What had he done? 

He'd stood there silently, listening to his family talking and helping, not offering any solutions or reassurances. Watching and hoping that something they came up with worked because he had nothing. 

The only solution he had would have given Earth more pain. 

Of course that was shot down almost immediately. That's what always happened. But he couldn't blame them. He didn't want to do that plan either. 

Not when he already fucked up with a sibling before.

The realization hit Solar so hard his fans stalled, and he choked. 

The whole situation was so similar to his Sun. Laying unmoving, with family fretting and doing everything they can to fix the problem. 

His mind threw altered memories at him, as if unlocked by the realization. 

Earth laying in his bed motionless, except it was Sun.

Earth slurring her speech, except it was Sun.

Earth in debilitating pain, except it was Sun. 

Earth sleeping to escape the pain, except it was Sun.

Earth that shot down his poorly thought out plan, except it was Sun.

Solar choked on a sob, squeezing his legs closer to his chest. His rays shrunk into their housing without his doing, vision blurring. It was too close, too similar, too reminding. 

Only this one wasn't caused by him.

Yet it was. If he'd just done something, anything, Earth wouldn't have inhabited his bed for days, wouldn't have been in excruciating pain, wouldn't have chronic pain for the rest of her life.

It was always his fault, wasn't it?

Everything was his fault. Sunny dying at their separation. Lunar blowing up because he hadn't protected him well enough. His Moon dying by his own hand. His Monty dying by his own hand. Nexus going insane because he died. Earth being like this because he didn't do enough.

Another sob ripped itself from his throat, and he pressed his face into his knees. His claws unsheathed- Why did Eclipse have to give him claws? He was dangerous enough- and dug into his pants, threatening to tear them. He could already hear the stitches straining. 

One after another he lost someone. Because of him. Because he went near them. Because he got close to them. 

Maybe he was a virus, like his Moon had stated over and over and over and over until it rang in his head. Like a boomerang. Being thrown away only to come back and hit you. 

His fans kicked up as his frame started overheating, sobs escaping his lips freely. His blurred vision cleared as the tears escaped, only to blur again as more formed. His hands curled into fists, pulling the stitches of his pants to their limit. 

Who would his presence hurt next? This Moon? This Sun? Jack? Dazzle? 

Lunar was already suffering because he hadn't done enough for a second time with him. Hadn't been there enough, hadn't seen the other's desperation for answers. 

Solar squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn't see anyways, vision blocked by tears. It sharpened his hearing, which picked up his own gasps, sobs, fans whirring, pants ripping, tears dripping. His goggles slipped from his head, no longer held in place by his rays, and landed beside him with a soft 'thump'.

Panic filled him so fast he felt nauseous. He ripped his claws from his pants and cupped them around his goggles, holding them gently close despite his shaking. His goggles, his most treasured item that he now owned. 

Gifted to him by the Sister who nearly died because he wasn't there when it counted. He left, and he didn't even remember why. 

Twice, because then the fucking Creator came and nearly killed her while he sat in this room, tinkering away with something pointless. If it wasn't for Moon, she probably would be dead. 

His sobs rose in volume against his will. He couldn't control them anymore, couldn't control his voicebox or his tears or his fans or-

A crack filled the silence between sobs. 

Solar froze. 

A glance down.

One of the lenses had cracked.

One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. Four seconds. Five seconds.

He sobbed so hard he choked, coughing. He nearly threw the goggles away from him, panicking. He'd broken them, broken the gift that his sister gave him, broken the one thing that meant so much to him.

Stupid stupid stupid "St-tupid stup-pid stupid!" Hands rose and gripped his faceplate, claws digging in. "Stu-upid st-tup-pid s-stupid!" 

He scrambled away from the prized possession, away from the bed that held memories of pain and suffering, into the corner. He barely registered when he tripped over the weight bar that sat on the ground, pressing into the wall as if he could merge into it.

"Stupi-id st-tupid STU-UPID FUCK-KING-!"

"Solar?"

A voice, soft and worried, hit his audios, and Solar flinched viscerally, lifting his head so hard it hit the wall. But he barely felt it, fans audibly spinning a mile a second to cool his rapidly overheating frame. Sobs still blocked his hearing, loud and rapid. Tears still blurred his vision, spilling down his cheeks and ruining his shirt. 

"Can I come in?"

Dazzle? Sun? Moon? Solar couldn't tell, overwhelmed and distraught. "N-no!" He yelled, voice warbling and breaking. He didn't want anyone near him, not when he caused everything wrong!

"... Please? I'm worried about you."

He wanted to laugh. Worried? About him? 

His claws dug into his cheeks, the tips tinted black. His knees pressed against his chestplate again, digging his hoodie into his stomach plating. His rays extended and retracted, ticking to the side each time they appeared. 

He couldn't control anything anymore. Could he ever?

"I'm... I'm coming in."

The panic increased tenfold.

Inhaling mid sob choked him, and he coughed again, only to sob more. "N-no! N-no no n-no no no-"

"Hey, hey. It's okay."

It wasn't okay! Pressing himself further into the corner, Solar hid his face. He didn't want Sun to see him like this, didn't want Sun to come near him. Didn't want Sun to realize how his presence ruined everything.

But Sun didn't hear his silent hopes and wishes. He instead slowly crouched down in front of the despairing mechanic, eyes wide. "Oh Solar..." If Sun was being honest, he'd half expected this. 

Expected someone to crack from the pressure of what had happened, and his unfortunate bets had been on Solar. After all, he'd been through almost everything. A horrible separation and following abuse, deaths, murders, injuries, kidnappings, betrayals, all with a stony exterior. 

So Sun took the initiative. He leaned forward and carefully wrapped his hands around the other's wrists, gently pulling them away from his faceplate. "Shh... You're okay..."

But Solar yanked his hands away desperately, pulling them close and curling himself up tighter. Protective. Isolated. Alone. "D-Don't touch m-me!" 

Overwhelmed. 

Sun moved back understandingly, his gaze never once leaving Solar. "I won't. I'm sorry. No touching. Can I sit with you?"

It took too long for Solar to hear the question over his renewed sobs, and even longer to respond. His wrists tingled from Sun's touch. His faceplate stung from his claws. His throat hurt from his sorrow. 

The silence was torturous. But a virus like him deserved it.

"You're not a virus Solar. Not anywhere close." Slowly, hoping Solar wouldn't react negatively, Sun crawled forward until he was beside him, a foot's distance between them. He drew his own knees to his chestplate, though looser than how Solar has his. "It's okay to cry. Especially after all of what's happened."

Seemingly, it was the wrong thing to say, since Solar started sobbing more, chestplates heaving with each one. But Sun knew it was what he needed to hear. He knew that Solar needed to cry, needed to let out everything with the affirmation it was okay to do so. 

So he sat there quietly, listening to sobs from the normally stoic solar model while offering reassurances every so often. 

Time seemed to crawl by, minutes feeling like hours until Solar slid down the wall, head hitting Sun's shoulder. 

"Solar?" He questioned softly, hands raising yet not touching. He didn't want to risk setting Solar off again, waiting for approval or for Solar to move him himself. "Can I touch you?"

The faintest of nods, and Sun let his hands fall onto Solar, one on his arm while the other moved to rub his back. "It's okay. You're okay. Everything's okay."

"N-no it's not." Solar sobbed softly, turning his head to bury it in Sun's shoulder. "It's n-not okay!"

"But it will be." 

"H-how?"

Sun smiled softly, gently pulling Solar closer. "Because we're all still together. Yes, things have turned for the worse right now, but they'll get better. We're all still together, and we'll get through this."

"I'll jus-st make it w-worse-"

"No, you won't. You'll never make anything worse Solar. You make things better by being here. You're family, we'll always want you here." 

A hiccup, and Solar turned to press himself into Sun, as if he could hide in the other's plating. He barely noticed the arms wrapping around him, or the hand rubbing his back soothingly, or the gentle grip on his wrist holding it away from him. 

"Everyone's d-dead because of me..."

"No, oh gosh no Solar. That's not true at all. Everyone who's... gone, at one point or another isn't because of you. You haven't caused anything that's happened. Who told you this?"

"N-no-one had to, it just mak-kes sense. Everyone st-tarted dying after I met th-them..." 

Sun sighed softly and held Solar closer. "That's not true. Lunar, Nexus, your brothers, none of their deaths were your fault. You knowing them didn't lead to their deaths. What happened to Earth wasn't your fault."

He smiled sadly when Solar didn't respond, keeping up rubbing the other's back. It only hit him then that Solar's goggles were missing, and he gently traced where they usually sat with his free hand, internally perking up when amber rays peeked out from their housing. "What happened to your goggles?"

"Broke them." Solar mumbled sadly, hiccuping. The embrace was shockingly helping calm him down. "

Maybe because it reminded him of Soleil. How the way he always comforted Solar in the headspace was similar to how Sun was comforting him now. "On the bed." 

Sun didn't miss how Solar said 'the bed' instead of 'my bed'. He didn't say anything about it though, assuming he didn't feel comfortable calling it his right now. After everything that had happened, he couldn't blame him.

Instead, he looked over to the bed, spotting the mechanic's treasured goggles. Indeed, he could see the crack running through one of the lenses from his position, and a pang of sympathy hit him. 

Solar must have done that accidentally. 

He smiled warmly. "They don't look too broken, we can replace the cracked lense easily tomorrow. Earth won't be mad, she'd be more worried than mad. Do you feel comfortable moving up there, or do you want to stay here for a little bit longer?"

Silence as Solar nodded minusculy, pulling away just enough that Sun could see his face. Dark tear tracks trailed down, and pinpricks of oil welled on his cheeks. His tired eyes somehow looked more exhausted. "Move." The mechanic muttered, raising a hand to scrub at his face. He didn't shift from his position though, staying pressed against Sun's plating. 

"Alright. Up we get." Keeping his arms wrapped around Solar, Sun maneuvered them both to stand up, stepping over the barbell. "Careful, that's it." He soothed instinctively, making sure Solar didn't trip over the equipment before the two sat on the edge of the bed. "There we go, much more comfortable."

"I'm sorry." Solar murmured under his breath, turning to hide against Sun again. His legs drew up against his chest, leaving him leaning moreso against the other than sitting on his own. "For making you come in here."

Sun almost instantly shook his head, scooting back to cross his legs. "Don't apologize Solar, not for this. You didn't make me do anything here, I came in because I was worried. Never apologize for having a bad moment."

Amber rays peeked out slightly more. "But-"

"Nope. No buts, you have nothing to apologize for. Everyone's allowed moments where they just. Let go and cry. I have. Moonie has. Lunar has. Earth has. Don't feel bad for needing to as well." 

Solar let out a wet, weak chuckle. "Moon crying?"

"He has!" Sun giggled softly. "Not very often, and usually when no-one else is around to witness it, but he does! But that's besides the point. Crying can be healthy for you, so don't feel bad when you need to. Okay?"

A soft nod, and Solar muffled a yawn. Unfortunately, it seemed Sun noticed. 

"Tired?"

"A little." Solar hesitantly admitted. "It's... been a day."

"Isn't that the statement of the year." Sun smiled. "Come on, let's get some rest. I know I could definitely use some sleep right about now, and I bet you do too. Sleeping on the couch for the past week can't have been the best."

Letting out a sheepish chuckle, Solar moved away from Sun, only to sober up when he glanced at his goggles. Still sitting there, in the middle of the sheets, lense cracked. His rays shrunk back into their housing, smile fading to a somber frown. 

"Hey. It's okay. We'll get them repaired." Apparently Sun noticed his change. "First thing after breakfast. Promise."

"I should-"

"Nope." Before Solar could do or say anything else, Sun picked the accessory up and set them aside, put of the way where they couldn't get more damaged. "Not right now. You need to not bury yourself in work and rest."

"But..." Tearing his gaze from the goggles, Solar sighed in defeat. He was too drained to argue, and Sun did have a point. Plus, some rest sounded good. "Okay."

He let out a startled noise when Sun pulled him back to lay down, blinking at the ceiling for a few seconds before turning to glare lightly at the other solar model. "Sun!"

"Yes?"

"You-" Groaning, Solar shifted to get more comfortable instead. "Ass." He ended up on his side, legs slightly bent and arms curled against his chest. His faceplate was pressed against Sun's shoulder, revealing his still-upset state despite his small smiles and laughs. "Don't do that."

Sun chuckled before getting comfortable himself, placing a hand on Solar's back for reassurance. "Okay, okay, I won't." With his free hand, Sun groped around off the edge of the bed until he found a discarded blanket, pulling it up and over the two of them. "Now get some rest."

"Yes Mom." Solar teased, systems already whirring down as sleep mode took over.  

Sun stayed quiet until he was sure Solar had fallen asleep, sighing softly to himself. He was glad Solar was feeling better, but he had doubts it would he the same in the morning. After all, nightmares were a thing. 

But he'd make sure he'd be there. After everything Solar had done for them since fleeing to this dimension under the threat of death, Sun was determined to make it up to him. 

After all, that's what brothers were for. 

Chapter Text

It was well known that Moon wasn't a people person.

During the day, he'd stay up in his and Sun's room, the lights off. The darkness didn't bother him, he enjoyed it, using his inbuilt night vision to find his way around if he needed to move. 

He stayed there until naptime came along, trading shifts with his twin and using his wire to lower himself into the daycare. He'd smile when the kids cheered and rushed over to hug him before ushering them off to their sleeping arrangements, picking out a bedtime story and setting up his music box for when the story finished.

Then, he'd sit and watch his charges sleep, soothing any that awoke from a nightmare, or assisting one that needed the bathroom or a drink. When naptime was over, he'd gently wake them all by cutting the music and lightly shaking their shoulder, and say his temporary goodbyes when he and Sun switched shifts once more.

His wire would take him back up to their room, and he'd stay there until the daycare closed for the day, when he came down, embraced his tired twin and go about helping clean up.

That was most days. Today was different. Today was one of the days where Moon's plating tingled at the thought of anyone touching him. Where his normally comfortable pants scraped his legs like sandpaper, his ruffles itched his neck and waist, his ribbons constricted his wrists.

But he had a shift to complete, kids to send to dreamland. He didn't want to. But he had to. 

So when Sun's voice called for him after lunch, the children chorusing with varying levels of excitement, Moon hesitated. He stood up, blanket falling from his lap onto the bed, but didn't move towards the balcony, or call his wire.

Sun and the kids called his name again. Moon could hear the worry in his twin's voice. 

"Hm, maybe Moonie's still asleep!" Moon heard Sun exclaim, making some of the kids giggle. "Let's call really loudly, and wake him up!"

Sun was stalling from him. Sun knew. He never took this long unless something was upsetting him.

So Moon took a deep, simulated breath, shook himself, and called the wire just as everyone down below yelled his name. 

"I hear some movement!" Sun grinned, bouncing in place. He had to hide his worry, to stop the kids from worrying alongside him. "Let's see if we can find Moonie before he gets here! Where was he last time everyone?"

"The ceiling!" One giggled, eyes already directed upwards. 

"Nu uh! He was on the play structure!" Another countered, though not harshly. They were already wondering towards the tall green structure, eyes searching. 

"Jessica's right! He was on the ceiling! He jumped down from his wire!"

"I see him! I see him! I see his stars up there!"

Sun's smile wavered slightly. Moon hadn't come down yet, and when he glanced up to where the child who'd seen him pointed, his worry increased. Blue and red eyes were wide, and arms were wrapped around his chest. 

Thankfully, Sun had a plan. "Alright my sunshines, I think Moonie's had a bad day!" There were some gasps, and everyone crowded around Sun. Even Moon looked curious, lowering slightly. "What do we do when someone's had a bad day?"

"Be quiet!" One responded, voice quiet. 

"Lots of space!" 

"No touch unless they say yes!"

"That's right! So we need to do all this for Moonie too. How about we help him and set out all our sleeping gear?"

When all the children ran off excitedly, Sun dropped his smile and turned to his hovering brother. He watched as Moon slowly lowered himself, shifting on his feet. "Moonie?"

"Sorry." Moon responded quietly as he finally landed, not meeting Sun's gaze. "I just..."

"It's okay! How about I stick around today? I can do all the touching for you!"

Moon smiled weakly, ducking his head. Sun was too good to him. "You don't have to. I'll manage."

"Nope! I'm helping! I know mostly what to do, so you just read and I'll handle the little ones!"

Moon was about to respond when the kids came rushing back over, some bouncing in place while others stood there tiredly, yawning and rubbing their eyes. "We finished Mr Moon! Which story are you gonna read us?"

"Can we have Time for Bed?"

"We had that on Monday! What about Black Beauty?"

"Nu uh! That's too grown up! I really like Goodnight My Angel!"

"I have an idea! Goodnight Moon!"

The two daycare attendants smiled as the kids quietly cheered. "Yeah! Goodnight Moon!"

"Goodnight Moon!" 

"Alright my little starbeams, we'll have Goodnight Moon." Moon chuckled softly, already walking towards the shelf where the story books were kept. "Sunny will be helping tuck you all in tonight, I hope that's alright."

"That's okay Mr Moon! Can we still have the candies?"

"Of course you can. I-"

Sun quietly bounded over. "I'll give them all out today! Just so we have no accidents with touching Moonie." 

Moon nodded softly in thanks as he carefully retrieved the nap time book and sat criss-crossed beside the children's sleeping arrangements, opening his stomach hatch to take the candies out. When Sun held his hand out to take them, Moon hesitated, glancing between it and his own for a few seconds.

"No touching. You can pour them." Sun whispered reassuringly, quiet enough so Moon could hear, but the kids couldn't. "At your own pace, okay?"

The lunar model nodded slowly, turning his hand until the wrapped sweets tumbled into the awaiting one. He then pulled his hand back, closing his stomach hatch and opening the book to the first page. Mix matched eyes scanned the pages, the start of the story and an illustrated picture.

A bunny, lying in bed. Pictures on the walls. A tiger rug. A fireplace. A side table with a lamp. A chest of draws. A balloon. A window with stars. 

He loved this book. Not just because his name was ironically in the title, but because of its simplicity. It's rhyming scheme, it's little pictures, it's sentimentality. He knew the words by heart, could recite it on the spot. Yet holding the book, seeing it physically in his hands, comforted him.

"We're ready Moon!"

As he looked up, Moon chuckled softly and re-settled himself. It seemed his starbeams loved it too.

So after a look towards Sun, who huffed playfully but sat down to listen, Moon started reading. "In the great green room..."

~~~~

After a successful naptime, where all the kids had fallen asleep by the second book Moon had read, Sun had reigned his energy in long enough to carefully awaken them all for the remainder if the day.

Sun's second shift of watching over the kids as they all played passed by quickly, with Sun running around, or sitting at the crafts station, or climbing inside one of the play structures. Moon had retreated back to their room, sitting on the bed. Though he was keeping an ear open down below, to the squeals and laughter and bells. 

But before either animatronic knew it, it was nearly closing time.

And despite his casing still crawling at each brush of clothing, Moon was determined to help. Sun had taken time out of his resting period to help Moon during naptime, so Moon wanted to help his twin during closing. 

When a parent arrived, he called the child's name until they ran over, and he usually offered his hand to hold until they reached the front desk. Then the parent would take over, and leave until the next day.

But he'd tried, once, with Sun when the kids were asleep, to see if he could handle that. The touch had burned before 3 seconds had passed. He'd pulled his hand away so fast Sun had worried for his joints. 

Moon was hesitant when six O'clock drew near. He'd been hovering by the balcony, watching Sun playing with the children, picking them up and twirling them around, coercing crayons and glitter glue away from their mouths, hugging them close.

A pang of guilt flooded through him. He couldn't do that, not today. Even though everyone seemed understanding, he still felt guilty. 

An alarm startled Moon out of his thoughts. It was 6 O'Clock. Closing time.

He called his wire before he could reason himself out of helping. 

Landing with the grace his programming allowed him, Moon padded over silently to stand behind Sun, making a shushing motion towards the kids who saw him. They giggled but nodded, confusing Sun.

"What's so funny? Do I have glue on my rays?"

"Nothing Mr Sun!"

"Yeah, nothing!"

"Not a thing in the world, Sunny." Moon snickered, and ducked.

Sun whirled around in a fray of frantic motions and jingling bells, eyes wide and rays retracted slightly. "Moonie! Oh goodness, you startled me!"

"That was the point~"

"You shouldn't sneak up on people!" Sun made a calculated fake punch at Moon's arm, making sure to miss the other's plating by a few inches. 

Moon appreciated the gesture. "Aw, but it's fun seeing your reaction~ But do you all know why I'm back?" He turned to the kids, tilting his head to the side with a soft 'tick'.

"It's bye bye time!"

"Home time!"

"Aw, but I don't wanna go home..."

Moon smiled, returning his head to its normal orientation and kneeling down. "I know Emily, but just remember you can come back tomorrow. You can have all this fun tomorrow, and play with everyone here. Who knows? I might even be feeling better by then!"

The girl gasped and grinned. "I can make you a card! Those always helped mama feel better!"

"That's a wonderful idea!" Sun praised, clapping his hands. 

Moon turned to stare at him. 'Don't you dare.' His twin only smirked.

"How about you all make Moonie a card to help him feel better when you get home! Then, when you arrive tomorrow, we can keep them somewhere safe until we can give them to him at naptime!"

"Yeah!"

"Mine's gonna be the best!"

"Mine's gonna be all sparkly!"

"Alright my starbeams." Moon cut in, tearing his death glare away from Sun and altering it into a smile. "I think it's time to tidy up until your parents get here."

"Oh! And I think one is here already! John, it looks like your mom is here early today!" The sunny animatronic bounced nervously, gazing towards a mother already standing at the front desk, talking with the guard there. "Why don't you go with Moonie to get your stuff, and he can take you there?"

When the boy nodded and ran off, Sun turned to his brother, tugging at his ribbons. "John's mother can be... harsh, sometimes. It's stress from her work, John says, but I don't know.."

"Sun, it's fine. Security bot, remember? I can handle a parent. You go help the other kids, I'll sort John out and rejoin you."

"Okay... just be careful!"

He nodded, and turned to follow John, who was already tugging his jacket on and picking up a strap of his backpack. "Do you have everything you need?"

"Mhm!" They started walking. "And I'm gonna bring back a really good card for you tomorrow! I hope your bad time ends soon, I don't like them when they happen either. But you and Sun always help me feel better!"

"I'm glad we do. And I'm sure it'll be gone by then, so don't you worry yourself over it. I'll have-"

"JOHN!"

Moon flinched. Oh God. This was John's mother? His hand hovered only an inch away from John's, their compromise instead of touching.

"What are you doing to my child?! Oh my god, what were you going to do to him?!"

"Mama, he was-"

The woman paid no attention, moving forward to push Moon's arm away. "You shouldn't be near my child, or in this place at all! I can't begin to imagine what you've been doing to the others-"

"Ma'am, there's no need to-"

Moon's arm burned. He could feel her handprint ingrained on his metal, acid branding onto him.

"There's every need! He was going to hurt my Johnny, or- or-"

"Mama, Moon was helping!"

The mother scoffed. "Helping? That?" She prodded his chest. 

That burned.

"Helps with nightmares and injuries!"

"Mama!" John stood between Moon and his mom. "Moon's really nice! Please don't touch him, he's having a bad touch day!"

"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Moon couldn't move. Couldn't speak. His arm and chest was aflame. The guards hand brushed him, and he flinched away. 

"How can a babysitter robot have a bad day? Whatever. John, we're leaving." Without checking to see if her son was even following, the woman turned and walked out, huffing and grumbling. 

John turned to Moon. "Moon? Are you okay?"

Moon didn't respond. He didn't even hear John, senses overwhelmed from the three single touches. He stepped back from the close proximity, eyes snapping to the boy. "You should go." He murmured, voice strained. 

"I... Okay. I'm sorry about Mama. I'll see you tomorrow."

He nodded jerkily, yet still didn't move, even when John left his sight, or the guard groaned and spoke into his radio, or the soft jingling of bells approached from behind. 

"Oh dear... Moonie? Can you hear me?"

Sun. 

Slowly, he turned to see his bright twin standing a few feet away, hands raised yet not touching. The remaining kids were gathered around his legs, watching him worriedly. 

"Did you get touched?" One of them asked, gripping Sun's pants. "Are you okay?"

"I..."

"Do you want a blanket?"

"I think we need to give Moonie a few moments, my sunbeams. Why don't you all go and make sure you all have everything ready, and I'll help Moonie?"

"Okay!"

"Make sure Mr Moon feels better!"

"Even we know not to touch someone having a bad day..."

Moon watched blankly as the kids ran off to different places, muttering and huffing amongst themselves, before redirecting his gaze towards Sun. He raised a hand, though it barely made it past his waist before dropping again. 

It burned. Everything burned. The feeling had spread, hands on him everywhere yet not a single one was. He could still feel the woman's touch ingrained on his arm.

"It burns."

"Shh... I know Moonie... I'm so sorry I sent you to deal with her. She's never normally this bad, you shouldn't have had to handle that." Sun leaned forwards until his faceplate was nearly touching Moon's, yet didn't. "How about you go and sit down in the Sensory Corner, and I'll finish close up today?"

"But-"

"Moonie... It's okay. I don't mind, really. You need to look after yourself first. Why don't we go to the Sensory Corner together, get you settled down. Then I'll rejoin you once everyone's gone home." Sun held out a hand, inviting yet not intruding. "I promise it's okay."

Moon's hand slowly raised to meet Sun's, hovering inches away. "I-" Every inch of his metal felt inflamed. Faux pain attacked his sensors, scrambled his thoughts. "I'm sorry." He choked after moments of silence, shaking his head. "I can't-"

"I know." Slowly, Sun held his ribbons up until they just barely brushed Moon's hand. There was a twitch, but the other didn't flinch away. "And it's okay. It never won't be okay. Hold my ribbons, okay? And I'll take us there. No need to touch then."

His hand curled around the red strips, tangling them between his fingers. It... didn't hurt like he assumed it would. Answering was hard, voicebox needing a total of three resets before he could manage a simple "Okay." 

Moon followed after Sun a few steps behind when his counterpart started walking, vision bouncing around and scanning for anyone nearby. He glanced at the kids, who were watching with concern and worry, forcing a smile. "I'm alright my moonbeams. Just... Need a few moments."

"Did she hurt you badly?"

Moon froze, stumbling slightly when Sun took another step before the other realized and stopped. How would he explain without worrying them more? Explain that every inch of his metal was on fire, pain lancing through every limb?

"She's a bully! She shouldn't have hurt you!"

"I don't think she meant to." Moon reasoned, rubbing at Sun's ribbons between his fingers. "But let's not worry about that anymore. Do you all have your things? We don't want to be rushing around when your parents arrive."

"I'm still gonna worry." One of the kids grumbled, crossing their arms. "But I have everything."

"So do I!"

"I do!"

"Good." Moon nodded with a smile. "I'm going to go rest now, so you all need to be good for Sunny, or I'll read you a scaaary story tomorrow!"

"Nooo, don't do that!" They giggled, mood elevated. "We'll be good!"

He chuckled, releasing the ribbons. He could walk there now, his focus more on his surroundings than it had been only minutes beforehand. "That's my moonbeams. I'll see you all tomorrow then." Instead of calling his cable, like he normally did when he left, Moon walked, intent on hiding away for the next few hours.

Just until the burning faded.

"Bye Moon!"

"Get better soon!"

"Bye!"

Moon could feel his twin's eyes on him as he walked, could feel the worry that emanated from his other half. But he didn't stop, only sending a message saying 'I'll be okay. Watch over the children, they're more important.' as he neared the Sensory Corner.

With its soft fairy lights, pillow and blanket hoard, and enclosed space, Moon felt more comfortable as he crawled inside, pressing himself into the corner and settling with one of the softer blankets covering him as much as they could. 

Closing his eyes, time passed quickly again. He could hear each child cheering that their parent was here, and Sun saying his goodbyes as they slowly went home, one by one. He heard as Sun tidied up the more hazardous things, like the thrown barrels or the tipped over chairs.

Heard as bells got louder, footsteps drawing nearer until they were just outside. "Moonie?"

"You can come in." 

Sun did, lowering himself to the ground and moving one side of the tent door away. "Are you feeling a bit better?" 

Moon hesitated, taking stock of himself. It was true the pain had dissipated somewhat, though it was still there and present. It wasn't distracting anymore, leaving him much more open to focusing on what was happening. "A bit. I'm sorry I-"

"Oh, Moonie. You don't need to apologize." The solar model crawled inside, settling himself beside Moon. "None of what happened is your fault. If anything, I should be the one apologizing. I asked you to deal with John's mother when I knew she would be trouble."

"You had other children to watch over, Sun. I should have been more on guard than I was."

"You shouldn't have to be on guard all the time! I should've known and gone myself!"

Moon sighed lightly, though smiled. "We need to stop this blame game. We both made mistakes today."

"We did." Sun agreed, nodding. He brought his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms loosly around them. "I'm still sorry though."

"As am I." Hesitantly, Moon raised a hand to Sun's shoulder, letting it rest centimeters away. "Thank you, for helping me."

"Of course Moonie! I'll always help you when you need it!"

The nighttime animatronic chuckled softly and dropped his hand, touching Sun. Relief filled him when it didn't hurt. "And I'll always help you."