Darryl POV.
I rolled over on the air mattress that Philza had set up for me. It was past midnight and everyone in the house was asleep. The mattress I had was on the floor in Ranboo and Tubbo’s bedroom, both of them were sleeping on their beds. Tommy was sharing a room with Wilbur, and Techno and Philza each had their own room.
Even though I was tired from walking so far today I managed to keep myself awake. Finally I climbed out of the sleeping bag I had been laying in and stood up. Being as quiet as I could I moved over to the door, trying not to bump into anything in the dark.
The door was quite quiet but just as I was about to step out of the door I heard movement behind me. “Darryl? Where are you going?”
I turned around to see Ranboo sitting up and rubbing his eyes which glowed in the dark, lighting up the room slightly. I gave myself a smile, not that he could see in the dark. “I was just going to go get a drink… you can go back to sleep I can find my way around.”
The demon’s eyes dimmed and he nodded before rolling over and going back to bed. I stayed watching him for a couple of moments before glancing over to Tubbo. The small boy was curled up on the bed with a blanket pulled up to his chin.
I turned around and walked into the hallway and through to the main room. The lights were all off and I turned them on, before weaving between the furniture and over to a glass door which led outside. The air was cool and I suppressed a shiver.
I moved barefoot onto the grass, it had a light frost over it and I knew my feet were probably going to turn white from the cold.
“You know if you are planning on running off, then it might be better if you had some warmer clothes to wear. Plus a pair of shoes to wear.”
I turned around to see Philza sitting on a deck chair and sipping on a steaming coffee. I just shook my head, “I’m good thank you.”
He stood up and moved over to me, and then draped a blanket over my shoulders. Philza gave a smile before looking away from me. “My sons all seem to like you. They will probably be disappointed when I tell them you left.”
“Yeah they all seem nice. Can you tell them I said goodbye?” I asked.
“Of course I will.” he let out a sigh, his breath visible in the chilly evening, “you know it is still cold and early, I could make you a hot drink and then you can leave when it’s lighter and maybe a little warmer. Or you could go back to sleep for a while, Techno is the only one who wakes up before 9am.”
I thought about what he said for a moment before reluctantly nodding a yes for the drink and following him into the house. He had me sit down on a stool and then made me a steaming hot drink.
“Do you drink coffee?” Philza asked, as he moved around the kitchen.
“Never had it.” I tapped my foot uncertainly, unsure of whether he was trying to keep me trapped here or if he was actually going to let me go like I wanted.
“How about a hot chocolate then?”
I remembered having hot chocolate on several occasions as a kid, and I remembered them tasting delicious so I eagerly nodded, which caused Phil to chuckle.
Eventually he placed a steaming cup of hot chocolate in front of me and sat down in a chair to my left. “So now that it is just you and me… who were you running away from?”
“What do you mean?” I asked, taking a sip on the steaming liquid.
“You clearly didn’t live out in the forest like you told Tommy. Where are you from? I know that those clothes are clearly newly bought.”
Should I tell him that I had an owner that I ran away from? Or should I just say that I never had an owner. My green eyes met his grey ones and I felt like he was looking right through me, but not in an intimidating way, in a fatherly way. I trust him, I want to trust him and him to trust me. “My owner wasn’t that nice to my people… I left.”
Philza seemed to silently question what I was saying but then just nodded, "do you mind telling me who it is?" He asked.
Immediately I shook my head, he might tell Skeppy where I am if I tell him. I don't want to go back to Skeppy… but he was so nice to me…
"I think I'll go to bed for a couple more hours if you don't mind."
The demon's eyes flared up for a moment before dying down back to their usual colour and he nodded. "You do that. I can get you some more clothes to wear tomorrow morning, and some shoes… although they may be a bit big. I'll also leave you some food in a bag on the bench that you can take with you."
I nodded a thanks as I finished my drink and returned to Ranboo and Tubbo's room and climbed back into the sleeping bag. Both of the boys were still asleep and I looked at the two of them. Seeing them both happy and asleep made me smile as I laid down.
Maybe this place isn't so bad.
Skeppy POV.
I let out a pant as I took another sniff in the air, hoping for any way of finding Darryl but once again I was unsuccessful. My claws dug into the ground and I let out a growl of frustration.
Surely it was some time after midnight, it was cold and frosty and I hated imagining Darryl out here and I tried to think positive thoughts. Maybe Darryl found a warm place to sleep, some nice man or woman let him stay the night with them, but I didn't believe it. If I did believe it I would not be out here, I would have gone back by now.
A sad whine left me at the thought of Darryl in pain, is he okay? Is he scared? Is he hungry? I don't know and it is freaking me out.
My diamond skin was shining in the dim moonlight as I made my way over to a frozen lake. I raised my left paw which was made of rough diamond and stomped against the ice, causing it to crack and break until my reflection was visible in the chilly water underneath.
My crystal eyes met my reflection's and I let out another sad whine as I shifted back to human form, immediately after a tear rolled down my cheek. Who knows how long I sat there, I didn’t. But eventually the ringing of my phone called my attention away from the water which was rippling with each tear that rolled down my face and hit the water.
“Hello I am kind of busy right now sorry… call again la-” I got cut off by Dream.
“Skeppy come back. You need sleep.” he instructed.
“No,” I replied, “I’m a demon, I don't need sleep. Plus, I'm not coming back until I have found Darryl. You would do the same if George ran off.”
“Look. It is after 2 in the morning. I doubt he will be heading anywhere fast. Come back to my house and tomorrow Sapnap and I will come help you look while Quackity takes Karl and George to the casino.”
After a moment I let out a huff, “fine. I’ll come back. See you soon I guess.”
I hung up and stuffed my phone into my pocket, then I shifted back into my second form and began running back in the direction of Dream’s house.
_________________________________________
1346 words.