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author's note: This is a shorter fic idea I've been noodling around with for a while but finally sat down and wrote it recently. I'll be speculating a bit about the relationships of the kids with their parents, and their parents' relationship with each other. Enjoy!
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It's a cold winter night in South Park. Sharon Marsh sits on the side of her son's bed as she finishes tucking him in.
"Goodnight, Stanley. Sweet dreams," Sharon says softly. She pats Stanley's dark hair for a moment before leaning down to kiss him on the forehead. She pulls back, smiling warmly, and Stanley stares up at her with wide eyes.
"Mommy?" his tiny toddler voice squeaks, slightly muffled from the covers pulled up over his chin.
"Yes, sweetie?"
"Um… Can you sing me a song?"
Sharon nods. "Of course I can. Which song would you like?"
Stanley is silent as he ponders his choices, frowning slightly, but then the furrow in his brow disappears when he finds an answer, eyes lighting up.
"The Little Drummer Boy?" Stanley asks.
Sharon blinks and lets out a quiet laugh.
"Honey, Christmas was two months ago. Wouldn't you like another song? How about "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star?""
Stanley shakes his head.
"I like the drummer boy song," he mumbles, eyes darting to the side.
Sharon looks at him for a beat, then she sighs. "Oh, alright. We can pretend it's Christmastime for now, okay?"
Stanley gives her a tiny smile. "Okay." He snuggles a little further under the covers, settling in for his lullaby.
Sharon clears her throat and begins
Come, they told me
Pa rum pum pum pum
A newborn king to see
Pa rum pum pum pum
She continues the song in a soft voice, trying not to be too loud as to wake Shelly in the next room.
Our finest gifts we bring
Pa rum pum pum pum
To lay before the king
Pa rum pum pum pum,
Rum pum pum pum,
Rum pum pum pum
So to honor him
Pa rum pum pum pum
When we come
As he listens, Stanley's bright blue eyes get that little twinkle in them that Sharon just adores. She reaches out and brushes the dark hair on his forehead aside to see them a bit better, still singing.
The minutes pass and eventually Sharon reaches the last verses, slowing down the tempo.
I played my drum for him
Pa rum pum pum pum
I played my best for him
Pa rum pum pum pum,
Rum pum pum pum,
Rum pum pum pum
Then, he smiled at me
Pa rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum
"Me and my drum…" she repeats the last line slowly one more time, and the song ends. Sharon sits back and tilts her head, watching Stanley's face as he looks up at her, his eyes significantly heavier but now he has a wonderfully endearing little smile on his face.
It's quiet for a moment.
"You have a pretty voice, Mommy," he says softly.
Sharon's eyes widen and she feels her cheeks heat up.
"O-oh, well…" she stutters. "I don't know about that, honey…"
Sharon was never a good singer by any means. Sure, she sang in the choir at school for maybe one or two years, but she was never considered particularly talented by her teachers. It wasn't something she ever considered pursuing further.
Stanley blinks up at her again.
"I wanna sing like you when I grow up."
He says it so matter-of-factly that Sharon is caught off guard. She feels her eyes prick unexpectedly and her heart aches with affection for her little boy. She gives him a wobbly smile, reaching down to pet his hair.
"That's very nice of you to say, Stanley," she murmurs, afraid to talk louder in case he would be able to hear her voice on the verge of breaking. "I'm sure you'll be an amazing singer."
She feels a bit silly for wanting to cry right now.
Stanley's smile widens at the compliment, briefly showing off his missing front tooth before the smile fades again.
"Love you, Mommy," he says.
"I love you too, sweetie," Sharon replies, leaning down to kiss his forehead once more. "Go to sleep now, okay?"
"Okay," he says, snuggling under the covers and finally closing his eyes.
She watches him for a long moment as his breathing slows and his body relaxes further and further into the bed. Carefully, she stands and walks to the door, giving him one last look before turning off the light and closing the door.
She lets out a deep sigh and takes a moment to compose herself before heading to her own bedroom.
She finds her husband sitting up in bed reading an old geology textbook of his. He looks up at her as she enters the room.
"Hey, Sharon," Randy says. "Stan's in bed?"
"Yup," she replies, settling herself in under the covers next to him. "He wanted me to sing "The Little Drummer Boy" as a lullaby for some reason. Kinda strange, right?"
Randy furrows his brow.
"You remember the words to "The Little Drummer Boy?"" Randy asks, perplexed.
Sharon scoffs and rolls her eyes. "Of course I do, Randy. I've been hearing that song on the radio during the holidays for decades."
Randy looks impressed. "Huh."
Sharon folds her arms. "I don't know why you're so surprised. You somehow manage to know all the words to "American Pie" and "Stairway to Heaven.""
"Guess I never paid attention to Christmas songs," Randy says with a shrug.
Sharon sighs. "You know, you could stand to learn the words to some actual lullabies. That way you wouldn't have to sing "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" anytime the kids ask for a lullaby and I'm not home."
"Hey, it's a good song!" Randy balks defensively. Sharon rolls her eyes, but after a moment she smiles fondly.
"Okay, okay, yeah. It is a good song," Sharon concedes.
"Exactly! Works just as good as any actual lullaby, if you ask me."
Sharon laughs. "As long as it gets the job done, I guess."
Randy smiles deviously as he sets his textbook to the side table and leans in close to her.
"In a gadda da vida, honey. Don't you know that I'm lovin' you—" Randy sings, falsely seductive and obnoxious right in her ear.
Sharon shoves him away, fighting back a smile.
"Oh my God, Randy. Shush."
Randy of course doesn't listen and instead retaliates by mimicking the intro electric organ riff, leaning into her again and putting his arm around her shoulder, giving her rapid kisses on her cheek as he continues squealing out measures of the song.
Sharon finally gives in and laughs, hugging him back as he falls on top of her and squishes her into the mattress, still kissing her.
In the back of her mind, though, Sharon is still thinking about what Stanley said to her. He said it so earnestly, with that unashamed honesty only a child can have, reminding her how differently he sees the world compared to her. Even though she's been a parent for a while now, it's still so strange.
She doesn't necessarily agree with Stanley's comment, but she knows her voice is at least good enough to sing lullabies to her children.
So, that has to count for something.
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author's note: This was based on a memory I have from when I was quite young with my own mom. And my dad did actually sing "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" to me and my brothers as a lullaby lol.
I felt the need to add some fluff at the end there because I'd like to think that Randy and Sharon at least had a few good years of their marriage before the resentment and bitterness set in :(
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