30 Day OTP Challenge: Template x Pale

Day 27: On One of Their Birthdays

     Today was a special day, a special day for Pale. A day where the creators somehow praise him just for existing and looking cute while emotionlessly draining their creativity. A day considered his birthday. People are normally happy during their birthday, and although it should never be expected from Pale to feel positive even on an annual occasion as important as his birthday, today was totally unexpected.

     “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHEHEHEHHHHHHHHHHH…” Pale was bawling with blue-tinted tears running down his face as his cheek was pressed up against the table. Template was there had a store-bought cake in his hand, heaving an annoyed sigh as he placed the buttercream frosted sugar block down on the dining table and sat close to him.

     “Pale…” Template spoke softly, his hand rubbing tender circles into his back. Pale stopped sobbing momentarily, small hiccups emitting from his throat as he lifted his head from the table. Template turned himself to face him and started shedding the salty droplets flowing from his sockets and showering him with soft and reassuring kisses on the head. “Pale, what’s wrong?” Pale sniffled, using the bottom of his palm to wipe his eyes from any further tears.

     “N-Nobody showed up to my birthday party…” Pale whimpered softly as he looked up at Template with his eyes containing a robin-egg shade of blue that wasn’t too deep, but it definitely wasn’t going to end anytime soon. Template looked a bit puzzled at such a response.

     “Pale… We never invited anyone to your birthday party.” Pale slammed his palms against the cold, hard table.

     “I KNOW! I have absolutely no friends! I’m utterly friendless and nobody loves me!” Pale cried out. Tears soon returned as Pale sobbed once again even louder this time. The guardian cursed under his breath.

     “Hey, hey, hey, it’s okay, Pay-Pay!” Template told, forcing a comforting smile to his emotional husband. “I’m here, don’t you think only having one person who truly adores you is better than dozens of randos who just so happen to like you?” Pale cried even more.

     “At least I would be making friends!” Template shushed Pale once more and trying to calm the storm raging inside him. But it was like taking care of a stubborn toddler determined to keep their parents from laying down or resting, in the sense that it was impossible to do anything than just to let them cry. Template held the bridge of his nose and breathed in.

     “Why don’t we just enjoy the time we have? Regardless of how many people are here or not, I’m sure you’ll enjoy what I have in stock for you!” Template hummed, sliding the cake over in front of him. The cake in question was nothing too outlandish; a white, round cake coated and piped with buttercream frosting, rainbow sprinkles covering the sides, and three ballons made from brightly dyed icing. Template grabbed a knife set nearby and cut a slice, setting it down on a plate and handed it over to him. Pale poked at the cake with a fork, cutting a piece and bringing the piece into his mouth.

     “... There’s too much frosting…” Pale spoke, his voice brittle as he took a more cake part of the cake.

     “Well, I robbed a convenience store of that cake, so I know it isn’t the best. But we remember last time, and I don’t trust you with anything that involves the stove.” Pale looked so somber, nodding as he took another bite. “Pale, I don’t blame you for spacing out in the middle of cooking.” Pale glanced up at Template, still looking guilty as he took another mouthful of his birthday cake. Template got up and stroked Pale’s skull.

     “I have something to show you, I think you might like it! Stay here for me,” Template told him, quickly rushing out of Pale’s sight before just as quickly coming back with a thin black box and a small gift bag. He shoved the presents over to Pale. He examined them both and opened the box. “It’s make-up, for my sweet ragdoll. You like dressing up quite a lot, but I never saw anything other than clothes, so I thought that introducing you with something like this might open some new doors for you.” And sure enough, the thin black box had some rainbow blushes in squares and the little gift bag had a make-up brush and a tube of some lip gloss. Tears welled up in his eyes.

      “Tempie…” For a moment Template thought that he touched Pale even while he was sad, and he felt a little proud of thinking up of a gift Pale liked despite if he was feeling upset. Pale let out a choked sob as he looked up at Template once more, blue magic bunching up at his cheeks as tears rolled down. “Are you saying I’m ugly?”

      “What?! No! I-” Pale started to wail once more.