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Christmas, or any other kind of holiday, wasn't always a priority for him back in his dimension. By the time he gained sentience and made his existence aware to his Sun and Moon, things already took a turn for the worse. Either Moon didn't bother, or Solar was too busy, especially with Sun practically brain dead. It's not like he would try anyway; what was the point? He was trying to make it day by day without being scrapped by Moon. Things like gifts and celebrations are not of any use when the only two people you know are dead or hate you with all of their being. It wasn't like the concept was entirely foreign to him. Kids in the daycare celebrated those holidays; he had a connection to the internet for a reason.
But yet, he did remember one Christmas, albeit barely. His Ai was still so new then, not even having a name or personality. The only thing that he could feel was the joy and warmth of the Sun celebrating with his brother. He couldn't see or understand what was going on. Everything was muffled and slightly out of reach. It seemed so long ago; part of him wasn't even sure if it happened. Perhaps it was just a figment of his imagination or a misunderstanding. Anything besides that? There was nothing.
Hell, even in this new dimension, he completely forgot about Christmas until Lunar dropped the bombshell that it was two days before Christmas Eve. Sun was alive, Moon was understanding, and other new faces treated him better than he could ever hope for. He still wasn't out of the "fight or flight" mindset. Probably since there was still so much going on. After he and the others defeated Eclipse, there seemed to be a non-stop chain of events that constantly needed attention or problems to be solved. He wasn't surprised when Earth wanted to celebrate her first Christmas with her family and friends.
However, when she mentioned that it was Solar's first Christmas here as well, he almost short-circuited.
He didn't dare say that it was technically his very first Christmas too; the last thing he wanted was more attention to himself. Fortunately for him, Sun dramatically panicking about gifts and decorations gave him a minute to catch up. Sure, Solar got them gifts to be courteous to them celebrating Christmas. Celebrating with them was a completely different story. Being around them was already awkward enough for him, feeling like he was intruding on a moment he shouldn't even be a part of. Even now, he tried to keep up with the conversation, not knowing how to react when Moon told him one of his gifts.
"Oh, hm. That could be useful..."
He so badly wanted to kick himself. He was so much of an idiot he couldn't even say thank you. He did agree to Moon's devious plan of buying cheaper gingerbread house kits and erasing the footage. That was something he could do.
-
So, it turns out they ended up with more than just gingerbread kits. Things to make ugly sweaters, cookies, and other seasonal things. More movies, blankets, and clothing. Solar attempted to hide his hesitation or true feelings, not wanting to ruin a time so sacred that others cared about. As usual, he kept to himself. Not risking getting in the way or, heavens forbid, them needless worrying over him. Earth may have an innocent front, but he knows she'll be the first to know what's wrong. That tall, Barbie-loving, tree-hugger of an animatronic can be ruthless when she wants to be. (And he means that with peace and love).
Of course, they also had to invite Monty. Both as Earth's significant other and how much Monty has done for them and vice versa. Thankfully, tensions were resolved enough for now, for everyone's sake.
They decided to start with gingerbread houses first, not wanting their sweaters to get dirty after putting the effort into making them. Solar made his look like the box art, and he was pretty good at it. Placing the correct pieces in the proper places was just like repairing a machine. Halfway through, he looked up at the other's houses and immediately found Earth trying to console Monty, who had broken a wall piece with his claws.
"Monty...Monty, it's ok. We can fix it. We need to be creative!" She was patting his shoulder and smiling sweetly at him. However, Monty still looked like he was about to throw the pieces across the room.
"How the FUCK do kids do this? I can't even place a piece without it falling or snapping in half!" He fumed. There were even more broken pieces on the table besides the ones in his hand. He must have been holding out for Earth because Solar was surprised he hadn't smashed everything yet.
Earth hummed and looked at her house, which already had the base done. Then, her eyes lit up with an idea.
"What if you shared my house? We can decorate together, and you don't have to worry about building it." She gave him her best set of puppy eyes. She definitely learned that tactic from Lunar.
Monty, not being able to say no, sighed. Frustration left him as he rolled his eyes and smiled back at her. "Sure, if that's what you want."
As Earth tugged him along, Solar couldn't help but snicker at them. Monty glared at him as he did so but focused back on Earth.
Sun's house was a lot like his, neat and organized but with his own design. Solar tried not to dwell on how it made him think his Sun would have done the same. He was quickly pulled out of his sorrow when Moon stole Monty's broken pieces to add to his abomination of a gingerbread house. He couldn't help but lean over to Sun and question it.
"Um, do you have any idea what he's doing?" He whispered.
At first, Sun shook his head, not knowing what he was talking about until he looked at Moon's house(?).
"Huh?... What do you mean- oh my god ?!" Sun's voice picked up in volume as he started to shake his brother by the shoulders. Solar took that as his cue to shrink back as he accidentally let all hell break loose between the two.
Moon looked concerned for a minute before realizing what Sun was pointing to, then just shrugged. "What? Earth told me to be creative. So that's what I did."
The way he said that so casually only made Sun more confused. Sun gave him an 'Are you kidding me?' expression before ranting.
"Creative? Yeah, she said creative, not questionable decisions. What even is this, Moon?! Why are Monty's gingerbread house remains glued to the roof?!"
Solar decided it was best to let them settle it themselves. He opened a can of worms; he wasn't getting roped into it too. Even Lunar just looked away and licked frosting off his fingers. Speaking of which, his house was coming along nicely. It was messy and all over the place in a charming way, much like how a child would do it. Though he would never say that to Lunar's face, knowing Lunar would kick his shins if he did.
But he wouldn't want it any other way.
-
Note to self: when making anything that involves sugar, keep Lunar supervised by someone. At. All. Times.
It was bad enough that he kept swiping chocolate chips and other ingredients to eat. Solar lost count of how often he or someone had to shoo him away or chase him out of the kitchen. They were lucky that they even still had things left to make the damn cookies. Plus, they had hoped to save Lunar's sugar high after they did sweaters. Though, judging by how Lunar was running circles around them and climbing things he shouldn't, it was far too late.
Monty jokingly suggested they put him on a kiddie leash but then got a slap on the wrist by Earth.
Surprisingly, it was even more messy and chaotic than the gingerbread houses. From throwing flour on each other, trying to wrangle Lunar, and a stupid dough sculpting contest that Solar somehow won. He was sure Earth convinced them to let him win, but he was taking what he could get. Once they finally finished and put them in the oven to bake, they decided to work on sweaters. So, they would have both ready for the movie marathon planned.
Thankfully, it's hard to screw up sweaters that are supposed to be ugly. Sun and Moon didn't bicker as much as they did with the gingerbread houses. Moon threw some stars and snowflakes on his and called it a day, not wanting to invoke more of Sun's wrath. Since sharing a gingerbread house worked so well for Earth and Monty, they decided to make matching sweaters. All was peaceful until Lunar made a dramatic entrance, chasing one of Sun's cats and holding his plush reindeer above his head.
"BEHOLD SPIGOT! BOW DOWN TO HIM PEASANT FELINE!" He shouted triumphantly.
At this point, Solar wasn't sure if Lunar was using the sugar high to his advantage or genuinely too hyper to think. Either way, Solar couldn't help but chuckle at him. Sun gets up to save the poor cat. Moon takes this as a chance to film for blackmail.
"Lunar! Stop, that cat has already been through enough! LUNAR!" Sun called out to his gremlin of a little brother, frantically taking off after him.
Moon laughs as he follows, recording every last second of this moment to dangle over their heads in the future. Meanwhile, Earth looks over at Monty with a concerned face.
"Should we...do something?" She asks quietly.
Monty just laughed and shook his head. "Nah, he'll tire himself out eventually."
Then Solar looked over to Lunar's empty sweater, who was too busy running around to sit still enough to decorate it. Suddenly, Solar felt guilty. When Lunar first came to his dimension, he was scared, small, and alone. It pained Solar how much Lunar reminded him of himself. A new little AI that gained sentience not long ago, only knowing his current emotions and not much else. Who was being treated so horribly and not knowing why. To even think someone should do such a thing to someone like Lunar made him want to scream.
And the fact it is another version of him didn't make it better.
Whenever Lunar came over, they could both forget about their problems for a bit. They would play games and have fun together as if Lunar was actually his brother. For those few months, Lunar was the light of his life. It was the only thing he looked forward to doing, dreading when the time came for Lunar to go home. The way his mechanical heart would sink when Lunar didn't come back.
He looked back up to see Sun finally catching Lunar, holding him up under his arms as Lunar kicked his legs and squirmed to be free. Moon was laughing and recording the entire thing. The last time he saw Lunar that carefree was before he died. Solar knew Lunar wasn't a child, but God damn. Sometimes all he wanted was to scoop him up in his arms, giving him the 'uppies' he used to ask for. Even if now, it would result in an electric shock or a kick to the stomach.
Solar knew he needed to spend more time with Lunar and tell him how much the little bot meant to him. He wasn't good with words or finding time to ask for a moment alone. He didn't want to intrude. Lunar might find all this too mushy for him anyway.
But then his gaze drifted back to Lunar's abandoned sweater.
Maybe he couldn't do all of that now, but he could do a little something in the meantime. So, he got to work.
-
After finishing Lunar's sweater, he set up the movie area. They decided against using the theater, choosing to set up in the daycare lobby couches for a cozier atmosphere. As he was placing the blankets, he heard a slight clanking sound.
Solar looked around, trying to find the sound before he gave up. But then it happened again, sounding like it came from the vents. He sighed before looking up to check it out.
"I swear, if we have another rat-...oh. It's just you." He said he was not expecting Frank, of all people, in the vents.
The fork-faced animatronic huffed and shrank back into the vents, looking as if he was sad. Wait, sad? Since when did he empathize with the guy? When Frank started to retreat further into the vents, Solar spoke up before he knew what he was saying.
"You know, you're welcome to watch from the vents. I can't promise they won't freak out if they see you, but I don't see a problem with you staying..." He shrugged, not knowing for sure if he said the right thing.
Solar was even more surprised when Frank crawled closer to the vent, his nose sticking out slightly as he nodded. His eyes were brighter as he let out little puffs of air. Was that a sign of gratitude? Solar had strangely felt warm at Frank happily making himself comfortable in the vent. He couldn't help but smile at him.
Not long after he finished, he felt a slight tug on his pants. He turned to see Lunar clutching a piece of clothing in his arms, looking at Solar with teary eyes. He thought Lunar was upset, immediately kneeling to speak with him more directly.
"Lunar?" Solar's worry was evident in his voice.
"D-did you make this?" Lunar whispered, even though it was only him and Solar there. (And Frank, but Lunar didn't need to know that.)
Solar just blinked until Lunar held up the sweater he decorated for him. It was light blue with Spigot wearing a crown, the words 'King Spigot' under it. Solar immediately wanted to take everything back and cringe into the void.
"Shit, I knew it was too childish. Now I ruined your sweater. You didn't even get a chance to decorate it-"
"I love it." Lunar softly cut him off.
Solar had to do a double take.
"You what?" He asked dumbly.
Lunar clutched the sweater again and smiled at him, wearing a rare expression of affection.
"I love it, thank you. Thank you so much."
It took every atom of his body to hold himself back from hugging Lunar into bits, so he settled on patting the top of his head. Solar thanked every god in existence that his body couldn't produce tears. Because if he did, he would be in trouble.
"Heh, you're more than welcome, buddy. I'm glad you like it. Consider it an early Christmas gift." He smiled back at Lunar.
The way Lunar leaned into the touch made it seem like he was back in his dimension all over again. Just how it was before Bloodmoon or the other horrible things going on.
Back then, Lunar still had his innocence, and Solar's Sun had a chance at survival. Things may not have been great, but they were at least simpler than now.
Moon then walked in and waved them over.
"Hey, cookies are done, you coming?"
"COOKIES!" Lunar cheered and ran out of the lobby.
"Lunar, that's the wrong way!" Moon went off to catch Lunar for what felt like the hundredth time.
Solar fondly shook his head and followed after them at his own pace. But not before glaring at the vent to a snickering Frank.
-
Now they were all together, dressed in sweaters, sitting around the television and watching Christmas movies. Earth and Monty snuggled with one another in a blanket. Sun was petting a purring cat in his lap; the cat was wearing a sweater Earth made for them. Moon was lounging behind them, snacking on some popcorn. Solar and Lunar were sitting next to each other, Lunar still having his Reindeer plush in his arms.
Solar still wasn't sure about Christmas, but he was proud of himself for making it through today. To have fun and spend time with his new family. He was still getting used to calling them that and having family in the first place.
They were about halfway through the second movie when he felt a little head lean against him. He gazed down at poor Lunar, who could barely keep his eyes open. While Monty was right about his eventual sugar crash, Lunar's sleepiness felt more than that to him.
He already knew that his powers and training drained his battery dangerously low. Plus, the mental toll everything must have taken on him. It probably added more to his exhaustion.
Lunar hiccupped a little and startled himself awake, grumbling as he wiped the cookie crumbs off his face. Oh, how Solar missed moments with Lunar like these. Something as simple as Lunar fighting sleep while watching a movie was a common sight when he would visit Solar. He remembered how Lunar would eventually crawl into his lap and nap for a while. Lunar didn't have to care about looking weak or childish, willing to seek the comfort he desperately needed.
If anyone deserved to act like a kid without consequences, it would be Lunar.
Lunar's head was leaning over again, eyes fluttering as he tucked himself into a ball. Solar was about to tell him to go to bed, but then Lunar let out a soft yawn. The same yawn he would do when curled up against Solar's chest when they first knew each other.
Screw it, he'll be damned if Lunar had to sleep on the hard floor alone. Solar didn't care if it would lead to him getting shocked, frozen, or any other Lunar's powers affecting him. The last time Solar let him go, Lunar was killed and brought back to life with more problems than ever. So, he gently settled Lunar into his lap and let him rest against his upper body. Lunar made a questioning noise as he lifted his head a little to look at Solar, confused as to why he was suddenly in his arms.
"Shh, go back to sleep." He soothed, whispering so quietly that only Lunar could hear him.
Lunar could only sigh as his eyes fluttered closed, finally resting his heavy head as he relaxed. Solar wrapped his arms around Lunar's middle and leaned back to let Lunar lay more on him. Melting into a puddle when Lunar started to sleep, knowing he was safe and comforted. If it weren't for the fact that others were here and had a sleeping Lunar in his lap, he could have done backflips. He could have never imagined the holidays would be this successful for him.
Solar didn't even bother watching the movie anymore, smiling at Lunar instead.
Maybe Christmas wasn't so bad after all.