I broke my slinky ;~;
AU
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"Don't leave the park, and keep away from strangers!" Patton's Mom explained with a smile, brushing his hair from his eyes. The little boy giggled and agreed, turning and running towards the swing set in the crowded park. Being new to this town, Patton didn't have any friends, but today he was determined to make one!
As he swung high, he watched the kids the same age as himself run out, laughing and smiling, yelling and whispering, a great mixture of girls, boys, tall, short, etc, etc. As he harmlessly watched, he couldn't help but notice the fact the kids never strayed from the park and into the graveyard literally right next to the park, no fence or anything.
It cut off from the black, soft material lining the park to the dark coloured grass littered with tombstones. It was slightly weird, a graveyard being next to a play park, but no one seemed to mind, yet the kids didn't even sit on the grass on the edge, nor did they use the small slide and tunnel next to it. Being young, Patton lost interest quite quickly, and ignored it.
Awhile later, Patton found himself sitting in a circle with other kids, playing duck duck goose.
Turning to the girl next to him, he smiled and tapped her shoulder.
"Why don't you use that?" He asked, pointing to the empty slide and tunnel attached. She looked at where he pointed, smiling widely. "Because the kids from the graveyard uses it!" She explained, but couldn't go any further because the boy tapped her head, yelling "goose!".
Patton tilted his head, kids from the graveyard?
Departing from the game, he skipped along to the wooden stairs leading up to the platform to either go down the slide or through the tunnel. Looking behind his back, he climbed up on all fours, crawling through the tunnel in hopes of finding a child he could become friends with.
"What are you doing?" He yelped at the sudden voice, falling back onto his butt to stare at the child in front of him, one he didn't notice before crawling in.
"I...was looking for a friend!" He explained, tilting his head and staring at the boy closely. "You're see through!" He gasped, touching his skin and gasping again when he saw his hand go through. "S-stop!" The child demanded but he wasn't that scary. They backed away from each other, but Patton persisted, smiling happily.
"I'm Patton! What's your name?"
The ghost child tugged the long sleeves of his jacket over his hands, shrugging and glancing at the circular wall of the tunnel. "Virgil" he replied quietly, bangs falling to cover his dark eyes.
Patton giggled, shuffling closer and watching him tense. "I won't hurt you! Can we be friends?" He asked excitedly, showing off his teeth as he grinned. Virgil's lips parted in shock, someone wanted to be his friend? He...he's never had a friend before.
"F-friends? With me?" Patton nodded, waiting patiently for a reply. Letting on a tiny smile, Virgil nodded, bringing his legs to his chest. "Y-Yeah..." squealing in joy, Patton went to talk when the voice of his Mother cut him off, telling him he had to go. "Oh...I'll be back tomorrow!" Patton quickly told his friend, sliding out the tunnel. He turned back to wave goodbye, but as soon as he was on the platform, the child was gone.
The next day as promised Patton kissed his Mom's cheek and raced into the park, climbing up and into the tunnel where he waited for his friend. "Virgil?" He called, holding two teddies he brought with him tightly in his grasp.
Glancing down at them, he flinched as Virgil suddenly appeared before him, looking happily surprised. "You came" he spoke softly, making Patton smile and nod. "Yeah! And this is for you!" He held the teddy out to him, holding his own to his chest. Virgil went to grab it, but his hand went straight through, making both boys frown.
"Hey, it's okay!" Patton placed the toy beside his feet, tapping it's head. "Mine comforts me, so I thought it would do the same for you!" The small child explained, smiling up at Virgil happily.
The ghost smiled a little himself, staring down at the teddy. "I've never had a teddy before..." he drifted, sitting cross legged. Patton gasped, "Really?! I have a whole bunch! Do you want more?"
He shook his head, gesturing to the one he had now. "No, it's fine"
The two carried on talking for the most of two hours until Patton's Mother called him down.
"My Mom said I can come here alone tomorrow! But I have to be home before sunset, so I'll see you after school!" Patton explained, sliding out the tunnel and to his Mom. He left the other teddy for Virgil, who stared at it with soft eyes.
"Thanks, Pat..."
Again, Patton showed up in the tunnel after school, cradling his own teddy as he waited. And like yesterday, all he had to do was glance away and there the ghost boy was, smiling a little more each time Patton came to visit.
Everyday Patton went to that park, and everyday he formed a closer bond with Virgil.
One day, Patton poked his head out the tunnel, spotting the sun setting in the distance. Shuffling back to Virgil, he smiled happily. "I'll be back tomorrow! And" he glanced at the three teddies he had given Virgil over the period of knowing each other. "I can get you another teddy!" He explained, hugging each teddy individually before saying goodbye and rushing out the park.
At this time, usually the streets are quite empty, leaving Patton to wonder alone as he huddled his teddy close, wearing a bright wide smile. Being young, comes with the absence of mind while walking across streets, and sometimes because of that kids pay the price.
The next day, Patton woke up, eyes wide open and staring at the cloudless sky above. He hummed in delight, jumping up from the grassy land he laid on. Skipping over to the park, he crossed over from the graveyard and to the tunnel where he spotted Virgil inside before he even climbed in.
"Hey, Virgil!" He called, crawling through.
The ghost kid stared at him with furrowed eyebrows. "What happened?"
Patton glanced down at himself and shrugged. "I don't know! But look!" He held his arm beside Virgil's. "We're the same!"
After that, Patton never had to leave again.
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....I found this one quite cute, actually.