Our Little Toys

CHAPTER 40

TW: Mentions of body mutilation & PTSD

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Dream groaned, slowly drifting into consciousness as the medicine keeping him sedated wore off. His eyes opened groggily before they snapped open and he looked around to see the same room he'd spent the last month in. He immediately freaked out, looking around for something, anything, to show that being saved wasn't just a dream. He heard his name being called, though not by Killer, Nightmare, or Ink's voices, that had become so familiar to him. He covered his ears, tears welling up in his eyes as the voice calling his name became so loud it felt like his ears were bleeding.

Dream jumped, his eyes shooting open as he felt hands wrapping around his shoulders. When he opened his eyes he saw Cross as he held him tightly, shaking him out of whatever trance he was in. Dream started sobbing, hugging him tightly and thanking god he was still here and that this all wasn't a dream. He was long past thinking that the kidnapping was a dream, but he was so glad it was all over. Glad that he was safe, and that he was able to be held by someone who hadn't hurt him.

He calmed down enough to let Cross go, but he still held Dream's hand and stayed close at his side. It took him time to even realise that his arms were free, not sewed together. Though the second he did, he was ecstatic, he was so happy, and relieved. He looked down at his body, his cuts, bruises, and scars all covered by the scratchy hospital gown. He was thankful that he wasn't still naked with Cross and any doctors in the room.

"I-is Error...?" Dream asked quietly.

"He didn't make it. Ink did though, he isn't okay per se, but he is alive." Cross explained, trying to give Dream some form of comfort.

"I do not care." Dream insisted, looking away from Cross and leaning into his bed comfortably.

"What?" Cross asked, moving in closer to him.

"That is not Ink, Ink is gone." Dream insisted, wiping the tears welling up in his eyes.

"He's not dead, he's here, a few rooms over."

"They fucking broke him, my best friend is gone, he is not in this hospital, it is just a hollow fucking shell of who he used to be."

Cross sighed, glancing over to the wall to the right of them. Dream followed his glance, chuckling to himself. It was the same predicament, Dream and Ink across the wall from each other, in the exact same way, Dream to the left and Ink to the right.

"Would you like me to stay with you? Or would you mind if I go see if Ink's alright?" Cross asked quietly, not looking Dream in the eyes.

"Stay with me, he is asleep. Even if he was not, he is not worth it."

"What happened in there? Why are you acting like this towards  him?"

"Do you... I managed to get out and ran to the park. When I got back Killer... Killer raped me, and it turned out Ink told them I ran away. That is not Ink, he is so broken that he thinks it is better for me to be raped and tortured then to actually get out."

Cross sighed, sighting and making hesitant eye contact with him. Dream didn't look back at him, his eyes trained on the door, freezing every time he heard even the quietest footsteps. Cross ignored what he was about to say and tried to make sure that Dream was okay. He reassured him that it was okay, and that no one outside the room was going to hurt him. He told him that Nightmare and Killer were in the police station and no one would ever let them out.

Dream leaned his head into Cross's shoulder and he reviled in the first real affection he'd gotten from someone outside that prison in months. He enjoyed it, not because of the touch, but because of what it meant. It meant he was free, free to be who he wanted, to touch who he wanted, and it meant so much. Cross didn't try to push him off, Dream had never really been all that affectionate with anyone outside his very specific circle-which was basically just Ink and Error-but he did understand.

He wrapped his arms around Dream hesitantly, not fully sure if he was allowed to, but he accepted the affection and hugged him tightly. Dream closed his eyes, trying to block out the quiet footsteps and talking from the other side of the wall. It was the calmest he had been in months, no fear, just comfort and safety. Cross as well, he was so relieved to hold Dream in his arms and not worry whether or not he was even alive and okay. That doesn't mean that he wasn't worried or anything, he had no real idea how badly he and his lover had been affected by the torture they'd gone through.

He hadn't even seen how bad it was for them physically outside Dream's limbs being sewn together and Ink losing the majority of his legs. Cross was glad they were alive and safe now, but he was still terrified of everything that could've happened to them and how it really affected them. Though the doctors hadn't even told him about their diagnoses yet, he was in the dark and over the last month he'd learned that it was so much worse than actually knowing things, no matter how bad things were.

He felt Dream freeze in his arms, hugging him so tightly he could've squeezed all the air out of him as the door opened. A young woman, one of the doctors, walked into the room to check on Dream. She stood at the end of the bed, quietly and sweetly asking him if he was okay, and if she could ask him a few questions. Dream forced himself to look at her, his shaking dying down when he was sure that she was actually a person and he hadn't lost his mind so much that he was hallucinating.

She asked Cross to leave and after making sure that dream was okay with it he left and went to check on Ink while the doctor was doing her checkup on him.

Cross walked down the hall to the next door over and walked in. He carefully opened the door, but Ink was still asleep in his bed, handcuffed to the thing in case he freaked out like he had when he was rescued. He sat down on the bed next to him and cupped his cheek affectionately. Cross leaned down and kissed him on the forehead.

"You'll be okay baby, I'll make sure you're okay." Cross promised, though he wasn't sure if he was promising it to Ink or to himself.

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1158 words
Have a good day/night and I hope you enjoyed :]

I hope you enjoyed the last part of Our Little Toys! This book has been an adventure, but it's over. For now at least.

There will be a second book, a sequel if you will, but I want to work on different projects first. But thank you for coming on this journey with me <3