Chaos requires Balance (Paris the puppet x puppet!reader)

Chapter 13: Just like magnets

You were quickly pulled into a hug by the other puppet. His hair was damp and unkempt, and his body reeked of filth and sewage. He had dropped his blade before he'd gone to you, something that he'd never done before. This wasn't like him, to just hug someone out of the blue. Not unless he was worried. You looked to yumi for a clue on what to do, only to see the poor girl shaking like a leaf. "Pari-"

"What happened to you?" You had been cut off by your partner. His tone was shaken, and his grip was tight. It seemed as though your stoic partner had finally chipped his porcelain... he was afraid when you disappeared. Taking this to note, you softly returned the hug and slowly pulled him down to his knees. You looked to yumi again, this time gesturing for her to join in the hug. You would've gone over to comfort her yourself, but paris had been too quick to act.

Yumi stood shakily, making her way over to the two of you and hugging you from the side. You wrapped an arm around her and Paris, finally allowing yourself to relax into the hug. However, you felt Paris flinch when yumi joined in, and he turned his attention down to the little albino girl. It seems as though he'd completely forgotten about her, with his attention being caught on you as soon as the mirror had been dealt with. He slowly lowered his defenses as he realized who had joined the hug, before gently petting yumi's head. 

"... I'm sorry I went off on my own. I didn't realize that the soldier would capture me..." you apologized to the two hugging you. Paris shook his head, some of the dampness from his hair dripping onto your shoulders. "... It was planned for you to go ahead before everyone else... nobody could have realized this would have happened..." Paris denied your apology, and let the two of you go. You had honestly forgotten where you were until you smelled the sewage once again. 

You cringed slightly, and muttered to yourself about needing a bath once more, before turning to the unconscious child nearby. "We need to get this boy home... his mother must be worried sick." You told Paris in a soft voice, earning a nod in agreement from the puppet. He picked up the child, placing him on his back while you knelt in front of yumi to allow her to mount your own. Once you were sure she was holding tight, you stood and turned back to your partner. "Would you happen to know the way out? Unfortunately I wasn't conscious while I was being brought here." 

He rolled his eyes in typical Paris fashion, before grabbing your hand with a soft click, and leading you towards the entrance of the sewer. It was silent, save for the sloshing of you and your partner's footsteps, for a full minute as he navigated his way back. That was, until Paris paused and broke the silence. "... We were never meant to work separately. So perhaps let's not let one go ahead of the other next time this happens," he began, not even turning to look back. "We both know the rest of those monsters are out there... and if we're to capture them all.. we must stay together." 

You chuckled at his tone. Even though he was often the stern one of you two, he seemed much more sincere in this speech. The tightness of his grip, his reaction after the mirror was destroyed, he was simply afraid to lose his partner. At least that's what you could tell.

(Surprise! After a while, I wanted to try to pick back up on this!)