An Error's Doll

Chapter 27

After Error went through the portal and sauntered over to his beanbag, he flopped back and sighed deeply, the tension leaving him as he practically melted into the beanbag. His movement made you lean back as well. You both sat, the deafening silence of the Anti-Void filling the space around you.

...Well, someone had to start this most likely emotional and awkward conversation to be. Error for sure would not. You glanced at him and caught the corners of his mouth very slightly lifted, his sockets closed in momentary peace. You felt bad, realizing you would definitely be ruining his fragile good mood.

You could not imagine how emotionally unstable he had become with your kidnapping, and how relieved he must be now that you were both here, together again. Error obviously did not have many things, and most definitely many, if any, people he liked.

So to see you, the one person who had been with him in his Anti-Void when pain and the voices were usually his only company, be taken right in front of him, only a few feet away... it must have been horrible.

You tried imagining what it would have been like to be in his shoes, and you were the one watching him get snatched away. You felt your soul squeeze at the very thought. Your determination to apologize to him was reinforced, and you wondered briefly if you should ask if there was anything you could do to make up for your actions and words.

You shook your head, deciding now was as good a time to start as any, if there was a time to begin a conversation like this in the first place. You lifted a hand, coughing into a fist to get his attention.

Error suddenly tensed, seemingly remembering the talk you mentioned. You winced when he slowly opened his sockets and turned his skull to stare at you, displeased, his slight smile vanishing. Up this close, and without Blue to worry about, you abruptly noticed the bags even darker than his bones beneath his eye sockets, and the veil of exhaustion that practically coated his features.

Shit, you felt even worse seeing physical proof of the toll your disappearance had taken on him, besides the occasional glitches that still spiked in intensity around him every so often. The faint crackling was a quiet, but persistent reminder of how he felt. It was like listening to the constant buzz of a mosquito, causing a small bit of annoyance and an irrational feeling of fear.

You snapped out of your thoughts when Error unexpectedly huffed and spoke, having gotten impatient with your continued silence, "Well? What did you want to talk about?" he grumbled. When you only stared, hesitant, he rolled his eyelights, "If you don't spit it out, I'm going to ignore you. You're wasting my time," he growled, looking away with a scowl.

You caught the furrow of his bonebrows, his expression pinched. You wondered if he was hoping you would stay quiet so he could avoid this conversation. Emotions were not exactly Error's strong suit, so you would not be surprised if he was. The only emotion he seemed adept at displaying, after all, was anger.

You sat up from your slouch, straightening with resolve. You turned to face Error, speaking when he turned his skull back to look at you warily, "I know you don't want to hear it and are probably still angry, but..." You hesitated again, suddenly feeling apprehensive.

You had not thought much of it before, distracted by Blue's presence and your new plans, but now, you could not help but worry. What if Error was so angry he would not listen to what you had to say? What if he did not accept your apology?

What if he pretended to, but actually resented you? What if he decided he did not want to be your friend anymore, and threw you back to the Stars, or worse, out into some random AU to fend for yourself... alone and scared?

You felt yourself stiffen with growing fear. If Error left you... You did not know what you would do. He was the only one who had been by your side since the beginning. The first face you saw when you were thrown here, into this vessel and world not your own. The only person you got to know and become familiar with in a place you both knew and did not know at the same time.