This Time Around - Wally Darling x Reader

1 - Dawn

It was many days later before any of the neighbors saw you again. After their brief introductions on your porch the very first day you had moved in, you hadn't spoken a single word to any of them, save for answering a brief phone call from a concerned Julie. You had secluded yourself within your unfamiliar brightly colored home, once again a juxtaposition of your surroundings. And, if you had to be truly honest with yourself, you were scared. There was a sort of underlying fear within your soul, something within your heart that willed you to get up and run away as far as your legs could possibly take you. The fear swelled and grew, overcoming any sense of comfort you had received from any of the friendly puppets. Worthless, you were worthless and useless and stupid-

There was a knock on the door. Three perfectly timed knocks, almost melodic in rhythm. You sat on the freezing linoleum of your kitchen tile, hoping, praying, that whoever was at the door would go away.
"Neighbor? Are you all right?" The voice was soft and delicate, with the words coming out in a sing-songy slant. You sat still, willing your jagged breathing to quiet down. It was relentless, however, one more thing you were simply not in control of. The knocks sounded again, though more hurried.
"Neighbor, can you open the door?" Though his tone never changed, a sense of urgency laced the words, convoluting the soft nature of the voice. You once again remained silent, unwilling and unable to hold any form of a conversation. The knocks sounded one final time.
"I'm coming in."

To say Wally was startled by the sight of his new neighbor would be an understatement. You sat in the corner of your pastel kitchen, and there seemed to be an absence of light anywhere in the house. Curled into a ball, you stared defeatedly at the puppet, watching his actions like an injured dog would a predator.
"I didn't say you could come in." Your tone was matter-of-fact, though your voice shook to no end. Wally moved a step closer to you, causing you to pull back ever so slightly. From here, he could see the deep-purple eyebags that painted your face, as well as the discernable tear stains that marked your cheeks.
"You haven't left your house in four days, dear." The softness of his voice combined with the concern in his eyes made you feel as if you would bawl once more. You were embarrassed to be seen in such a state, especially so soon after moving in. You would have to move out and go somewhere far far away, you were sure of it. You had no response to Wally's remark, rather you simply stared, not daring to look away from his unwavering gaze.
"Are you cold?" He asked, desperately wracking his brain for ways to help you. You stared at him sheepishly before nodding your head yes, ever so slightly. Enabled by a new task, Wally walked to the living room to grab a blanket for you, though when he returned, he found you sobbing once again. He seemed to move out of instinct, kneeling down in front of you and softly placing the blanket on your shoulders. You mumbled a quiet 'thank-you' as his eyes bore into yours.
"You can't stay here on the floor, silly. The couch is a lot comfier." You wanted to giggle at his monotone concern, though it came out more as a hiccuped cry. Realizing that you were not going to move of your own accord, the yellow puppet stood up once more, scooping you up in his arms in a single swift motion. (Which was impressive, considering you were a good bit taller than him).
"Silly, silly, silly," He purred, trying ever so hard to relieve the tension that ebbed from your shoulders. Sitting you atop your plush couch, Wally then set off to turn on a few lamps in the area, if only to physically bring you out of the darkness that surrounded you. He moved to stand in front of you, his concern only evident in his slightly dilated eyes. From this angle, which was face-to-face due to his height, you could truly study his face. From his cat-like eyes to the upturned mouth that graced his features, he was actually kind of cute.
"I'm sorry, Wally. I haven't been a very good neighbor so far." You said. He studied your face inquisitively, looking for the joke that was hidden behind your words. He found none. If he had eyebrows, one would've been raised.
"You are sad! That is not good! I am sorry that I let you be sad, neighbor." You could've sworn that for a second, a frown graced his features.
"No, really, I'm sorry for making you all worry-" BAP!

Wally's hand had, albeit subconsciously, flown over your mouth, attempting to stop the nonsense tomfoolery that would follow. You stared back at him with wide eyes, unsure of whether or not you should remove his hand or accept your fate. He quickly drew his hand back, his cheeks flushing pink with embarrassment.
"I'm sorry friend! I didn't mean to hit you! I just really do not want you to say negative things about yourself!" You could almost cry from the sweetness. Speaking of tears, you had noticed that yours had dried up sometime between being forcibly flopped onto the couch and being bap-ped in the mouth by Wally, nice! You began to laugh, causing Wally to stare at you even more inquisitively.
"You don't have to apologize. See? No more tears. You made me feel all better!" You teased, your laughter only intensifying as the pink blush deepened.
"I know." He responded, plopping down onto the couch beside you with a crash. For the first time since he had walked into your door that night, he broke eye contact. Rather, he glanced at the faint streams of sun that danced on the horizon. Usually, he would be painting the sunrise on a beautiful morning such as this. But to him, you were the subject of his artistic vision right now, and he wouldn't dare miss it. You laughed at his remark once more.

Your laughter was as sweet as honey to him, a tantalizing melody that only the most deserving ears should hear. You moved to place your head on the nearest available comfortable pillow, his shoulder, snuggling into his side. He moved his hand towards yours, grasping it gently, and began to rub circles on the middle of your palm. And as you began to dose off, your head lazily placed atop Wally's comforting shoulders, Wally swore he could see some of your color return.