My Dearest Narrator

                                    

                                          
Stanley never really got tired because of the strange properties of the parable, but there were always moments when Stanley missed the comforts of his bed and the joys of taking a nap. He recently considered asking the narrator if he could go to his apartment so he could sleep. He started by giving a subtle yawn that fell upon deaf ears as the Narrator was far too focused on telling the story to notice. Stanley wondered why the Narrator was so focused on telling one specific story rather than moving on to a new one after he finished the first. Perhaps it was because the Narrator would need to get more assets that he could get to tell that many stories if he wanted them all to be different. Perhaps the Narrator did have many stories to tell, but this one was his favorite. Stanley let go of the thought and moved on. He felt exasperated, but not in the way where one has been deprived of sleep or energy. It was more in the way where one was incredibly energized but still yearned for the comforts of bed. After the next reset, and many failed attempts to subtly hint to the Narrator what he wanted, Stanley finally decided to directly ask the Narrator if he could go to his apartment, but without the ending to go with it. 
“Oh come on Stanley, just a few more endings? You’re doing so well!” 
It took a lot of strength for Stanley not to give in to Narrator's praise, but he stood his ground firmly insisting to the Narrator that he wanted to go to his apartment and rest. He may not have needed it for him to be healthy, but he knew he deserved it. 
“Alright Stanley, you’ve convinced me. Let me just do something real quick, I’m going to have to reset the game”
After the reset, Stanley found himself in his office as per usual. He took a moment to wonder what the Narrator needed to do that required resetting. He continued to wonder until he heard the narrator's voice.  
“Go on, Stanley, open the door.”
Stanley opened the doors, expecting the office he usually saw when he opened the door, instead, he was greeted by the sight of his apartment. Or at least the one that the Narrator had made for him. Stanley didn’t remember much about his life before the parable, but he was fine with that. Stanley didn’t feel like he needed to know about that. It couldn’t have been any better than it was here. Stanley quite enjoyed the parable where it was just him, the Narrator, and the bucket, or even the Curator, the Glitch, and Mariella occasionally.  
“I made it so that your apartment is right outside your office so that we don't have to walk so far to get to it this time. Of course, when we’re done everything will be put back in its usual spot, but I moved it just for you!” 
Stanley gave a gentle smile as the Narrator rambled on about how he moved the location of the apartment for Stanley. Stanley enjoyed listening to the narrator's rambling. He found the Narrator's voice soothing like chamomile tea. Stanley didn’t know what chamomile tea was, but he had heard the Narrator compare something to it within a similar context. Stanley walked into his bedroom. He chuckled to himself as he remembered the ending relating to his apartment with the bucket and how he found it on his bed with rose petals scattered about and candles lit for mood lighting. He didn’t find the bucket in his bedroom this time, nor the rose petals and lit candles. 
Stanley walked into his closet to get changed into a set of pajamas, he knew that the Narrator could still see him and he was fine with that, it just made sense to him. When he walked out he was wearing a comfortable blue nightgown. He could have sworn that he heard the narrator chuckle and sarcastically comment on how Stanley was ‘quite the fashionista’. Brushing off the comment, Stanley got into his bed and snuggled up in his blankets. 
“You look quite comfortable.” 
Stanley was comfortable as he snuggled into his blankets more. The only thing that would have made Stanley more comfortable would have been if he had the Narrator with him. He knew that the Narrator wasn’t the type of person to rest much, but surely the Narrator must have been tired from all of the hard work the Narrator did. 
“Now Stanley, you can’t possibly expect me to come down there just to take a nap with you. I don’t even have any pajamas.” 
Stanley thought that was an awful excuse from the Narrator. Not having a set of pajamas to wear wouldn’t be an issue. Stanley had a special pair to lend to the Narrator just for the nap. 
“Look Stanley, I know you want me to nap with you, but you must understand that I have work to do and I must stay productive or I simply wouldn’t get anything done.” 
Stanley believed that the Narrator was being unreasonable. Perhaps if the Narrator saw the pajamas that Stanley had planned on sharing with the Narrator he would begin to sing a different tune, so he leaped out of bed and headed to his closet once again. The pajamas that Stanley pulled out were a blue pair of footed pajamas with an image of a rubber duck plastered all over them. He held out the pajamas proudly like they were the most valuable item a person could own. These would most definitely convince the Narrator to come nap with him. 
“Stanley, those are the most immature pajamas I have ever seen. I can’t believe I even let you have that in your closet. I think I’ll delete them on the next reset for both of our well-being. “
Stanley grimaced with rejection, he couldn’t believe that the Narrator didn’t like the footed pajamas. To Stanley, they were some of the best pajamas in the world. He would only share these pajamas with the most important of people, which said a lot about how Stanley felt about the Narrator since he wouldn’t even share these pajamas with the bucket. 
“Well, I must try on these pajamas if it is such an honor to wear them.”
Stanley heard the jiggling of the doorknob and sure enough, it opened to reveal the Narrator who had come to try on the pajamas. Stanley handed the Narrator the footed pajamas so that the Narrator could try them on. He watched as the Narrator walked into the closet for privacy while he put on the pajamas. A few minutes later the Narrator walked out of the closet wearing the footed pajamas. 
“As much as I hate to admit it, Stanley, I may have been wrong. These pajamas have proven quite comfortable. I may just take you off on that offer to nap with you.” 
Stanley sat down on his bed, patting the other side as a silent way of telling the narrator that there was always a spot open to him. The Narrator walked over to the bed and lay next to him as Stanley repositioned himself and the blanket so that both he and the Narrator were comfortable. He placed his arms around the Narrator so that he could hold the Narrator close to him.
“You know Stanley, I think this nap was a good idea after all. I feel quite cherished.”
Stanley was glad for that, after all, he couldn’t have his dearest Narrator leave him because the Narrator felt uncherished. What would Stanley do without his precious narrator? Without the Narrator, there would be no one to direct him, no one to give Stanley one-sided witty banter, and no one to support him throughout his awful bucket addiction. Stanley heard the Narrator chuckle. 
“Alright Stanley, I get the message. Let’s stop the conversation and take that nap you were oh so insistent on,” and with that, the two lay in comfortable silence until they fell asleep in each other's loving embrace.
About an hour or two later Stanley woke up from his very nice nap. Stanley had never slept that well in his entire life. Stanley began to sit up until he felt the Narrator try to pull him back down to continue the nap.
“No no Stanley, the nap can’t be over yet, I’m quite comfortable here. Just a little bit longer Stanley, please.”
Stanley could hear the grogginess in the Narrators voice, obviously still half asleep. Whatever happened to the Narrator's constant need to be productive? Stanley chuckled to himself as he laid back down. 
“Now Stanley, how could you possibly expect me to be productive if I am not properly rested?”
Stanley smiled at the Narrator’s newly changed tone towards taking a nap with Stanley. He held the Narrator close again and began to fall asleep.