"Y/N!" Sally cheers, jumping off the stairs and into his arms.
"Sally! You need to be careful!" Y/N laughs, easily catching her and twirling her around. "I've been gone three days!"
"It's three days way too long!" Sally huffs out as she clings to Y/N. "We don't run very well without you."
"Really? What couldn't you handle without me?" Y/N asks, his luggage floating behind him as he carries her upstairs.
"No one can make eggs like you! The don't season them right. Daddy missed your tea. He was grumpy without it," She explains with a shrug of her shoulders.
"All you miss is my food?" Y/N questions with a laugh. "I'm offended."
"No! We love you for everything else too! You're just good at it!" Sally gasps. "I promise!"
"I'm teasing," Y/N laughs, pushing open their bedroom door.
"You're back. How was the trip?" Slender asks, appearing in the doorway.
"Y/N, I can help you in this level. You've been stuck for weeks!" Ben says as he suddenly appears on Y/N's bed with Y/N's switch in hand.
"Hey! You're back! Can we go killing?" EJ asks, popping up beside Slender.
"Y/N! I have new candies!" LJ cheers, appearing in a puff of smoke and tackling him and Sally in a hug. "We must try them immediately!"
"Y/N! Yes! You down for a kill?! You've been working three days. Time to let loose!" Jeff shouts, pushing past Slender. "I'm craving violence."
"Guys, can I settle for five minutes?" Y/N snorts with laughter. "I'll get to everyone."
"Work first. We gotta go. Hunters in the area," Masky calls, Y/N laughing and grabbing his scythe.
"Duty calls!" Y/N chirps, setting Sally on the bed and getting out of LJ's arms before he jumps out the window.
"What have I told you about using the door?!" Slender calls out after him.
"Sorry boss man!" Y/N shouts before he disappears into the trees.
"Boss didn't know what to do with you gone," Masky says as they run through the trees.
"I doubt that. You're all capable," Y/N laughs with a shake of his head. "Thanks though."
"D-Dimwit," Toby huffs out.
All of the proxies scale the trees and the forest goes quiet except for the hunters stalking through the woods. The proxies wait for the hunter group to get close before they descend, the hunters having no time to react as they're slaughtered. Y/N easily slices off heads with his scythe, branches and rocks rising from the ground before flying at the hunters. He laughs as he mutilates their bodies, stringing their intestines across the trees.
The other three proxies fall back and let Y/N let loose on the hunters. He obviously had some pent up energy. After they're sure the hunters are gone Y/N stands on the forest barrier, focusing as he shuts down the contact between the hunters and Slender's forest. There's a loud snapping sound as several trees fall, creating a barrier to ward off anyone attempting to cross or open the connection again. The proxies get back to the mansion and report to Slender before heading their separate ways. Y/N visits some of the pastas before bed, assuring the others he'd still be there in the morning. Geez, he was only gone for three days!
~~~~
"KYAH!!!!!" Is heard through the mansion, everyone who wasn't awake now wide awake.
A few pastas rush to the source of the yell while others grumble and go back to sleep. They'd be up in a few minutes when breakfast started cooking.
"OFFENDER!" Slender barks as he slams open Y/N's door, his brother naked and laughing on Y/N's bed.
Y/N was bright red and standing with his scythe in hand, glaring at Offender.
"Why can't I wake up next to him?" Offender snickers. "He's such a peaceful sleeper."
"I'm going to murder you," Slender barks, attempting to attack his brother who just disappears.
"Geez, he could have at least put clothes on," Y/N huffs with a shake of his head. "Sorry everyone."
"We want your cinnamon rolls as compensation!" Jeff laughs as he and the others disperse.
"I'm sorry Y/N. I can't put a barrier without locking everyone out and I need you to be able to leave here quickly," Slender sighs.
"Not to worry. He is what he is. Guess I better get started on breakfast," Y/N chuckles.
Slender watches Y/N get into the bathroom before he returns to his room, 'glaring' at his brother who was currently posing on his bed.
"Which angle of me do you like better? I'm gonna woo that proxy of yours one of these days!" Offender snickers. "Unless someone tries to stop me."
"Do what you will," Slender huffs in annoyance. "Just don't wake up my entire mansion!"
"Oh come on! I know you like him. Stop pretending," Offender groans, annoyed his brother wasn't giving in to his games.
"He is a capable creature. That's all, but if you keep harassing him I'm gonna trap you in your mansion," Slender huffs. "Now get out of my bed."
Offender pouts but does teleport away, Slender huffing with a shake of his head. He liked Y/N. He's a very capable creature but that's as far as it went.
"It's so good!" Sally gasps, her face sticky with icing as she munches on her cinnamon roll.
Several others nod and hum in agreement as they eat their own, Y/N smiling at everyone.
"Glad you guys like it," Y/N laughs. "I think I've officially perfected my recipe."
"Needs more cinnamon," Slender comments as he reads his paper, two cinnamon rolls on a tendril as he eats them.
"That's personal preference," Y/N argues. "What do you guys think? More cinnamon or stay the same?"
Everyone gives out their answer but it's a pretty even split across the board, Y/N laughing at this.
"You guys aren't helpful," He teases everyone.
~~~~
"You're lucky you don't have eyes or else you'd be given away. Of course you have the excuse Sally is with him but if anyone pays attention they can see you staring," Trender comments.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm watching my daughter," Slender remarks. "She's building a sand castle."
"Uh-huh. He's practically her mom you know," Trender comments to his brother.
"I suppose you could call him that," Slender says with a shrug of his shoulders. "He does help take good care of her."
"Slender, wake up and smell the pheromones. You should give him a chance," Trender says. "I know you're nervous about it but I'm sure he likes you too."
"As a boss and fellow Creepypasta. That's all we are," Slender grumbles softly.
"Daddy! Help us build a moat!" Sally calls, waving her hands at Slender.
"Duty calls," Slender hums, collecting several buckets and going to Sally and Y/N.
He helps them dig out the moat before collecting water, Sally laughing in delight.
"Rawr! It's filled with sharks!" Sally cheers, using a few figurines inside the water.
"I, the mighty prince, will brave these waters!" Y/N declares, walking a male figure towards the drawbridge.
"A troll leaps out, challenging you!" Sally laughs, pulling out a troll figure. "Do you accept his challenge?!"
Slender watches the two, a hidden smile on his face as Y/N interacts with Sally. He had just as big an imagination as she did so he could keep up with her ever active imagination. He could step out of the adult role and into the childhood friend role. Y/N truly was fantastic. Slender shakes his head of that thought, a low growl growing in his chest. He couldn't do it again. He was a good addition to the mansion. That's all. He couldn't put his heart out there again. Still......he did so amazing with Sally.
~~~~
"What's wrong?! What happened?!" Slender barks, pushing through the Creepypastas to get to Y/N's bedside. "Sally, what happened?"
"These mean girls threw Charlie in the road! I'm sorry daddy, I didn't see the truck!" She hiccups, her arms covered in a few scratches.
"Shh, it's okay baby. Is Charlie okay?" Slender asks, gently grabbing her hands and looking her over.
"I'm fine," The bear comments from beside Sally. "Just got a little crushed."
"Y/N is heavy," Slender remarks, pulling Sally into a hug.
"That's rude," Y/N mumbles, throwing Charlie into Slender's face. "At least I don't have a dad belly."
"I do not!" Slender protests as everyone laughs. "You're lucky they all like you."
"You like me too old man," Y/N snorts with laughter.
~~~~
"How is he?" Slender asks, having finally gotten Sally asleep.
"His lungs are struggling. This damn virus," Doctor Smiley sighs. "I just don't understand. He's always been so healthy!"
"He's prone to pneumonia. I should have seen the signs. I knew he wasn't feeling well but I didn't think he was that sick," Slender sighs, looking over the sleeping Y/N.
"None of us did. He hides it so well. I just hope that with the virus on top of it it's not too much on his body," Doctor Smiley sighs. "I'll keep watching and treating him as best I can. For now it's up to him."
The COVID virus had made itself present in the creepypasya household. Many of them had mild symptoms while other were a little more severe, but they were all able to fight it off. Y/N had seemed more rundown than usual but that was all they saw. He was his same self! Then he didn't wake up for breakfast, or lunch, or dinner. He never came out of his room! Slender checked on him and thankfully Doctor Smiley was home as Y/N was running a dangerously high fever. The man never had a fever! He was always below temperature! That's what made the pneumonia hard to detect whenever he had it. Usually it had to settle in his chest before anyone knew it had developed.
Doctor Smiley hadn't meant to. He was so worn out after working in the human hospital and he didn't think twice about it. Plus, everyone else who had gotten the virus were able to fight it off. So when he returned home and did his usual routine check up he didn't consider the consequences of Y/N catching the virus. The fever they had managed to break came back, the gunk in his lungs seemed go get thicker, and it was all he could do to stay awake. Doctor Smiley had finally set up a colostomy bag when he failed to make it to the bathroom. Now he had been asleep for a week straight. Doctor Smiley kept him fed, hydrated, and cleaned up but he was worried. He wasn't sure the proxy would make it out of this one.
~~~~
"You're awake," Slender says, jerking to his feet when Y/N suddenly opens his eyes.
Slender is gentle as he works to pull out the breathing tube, Y/N gasping for his own breath once it's clear. He brings a weak arm to his face and rubs his eyes before trying to gauge his surroundings.
"What happened?" Y/N asks him, his voice hoarse.
"Pneumonia and COVID hit you at the same time," Slender explains, helping him drink some water. "You've been out for a while."
"I'm sorry," Y/N croaks out, his cheeks blushing when Slender gently cups his cheek.
"Don't apologize. You couldn't control it," Slender scolds gently. "I'm just glad you pulled through."
"Y/N!" Sally cries, running into the room and climbing onto the hospital bed, her touch gentle as she gives him a hug. "You're finally awake!"
"Hi princess. Sorry, guess I needed some sleep," Y/N teases, gently running his fingers through her hair. "Thanks for waiting for me."
"I'll wait for you forever," She smiles happily.
Unseen, a smile stretches across Slender's face, a soft sigh leaving his chest. He steps closer to Y/N, leaning down and gently grasping his chin. Y/N's attention shifts to Slender before his eyes widen when a kiss is pressed to his lips. Sally gasps and Y/N relaxes, melting into the kiss. Slender pulls away after a few moments, Sally staring at him with wide eyes.
"What?" He asks after a few moments.
"I knew you liked him!" She gasps with happiness.
Slender can only huff and shake his head but he was smiling. He was happy. Maybe he could give this another shot. He couldn't be alone forever after all.