A short fic, set in Yet Another Battle's pre-fic world.
Error and Dream need to stop meeting like this.
Not ship whatsoever. Also, remember that Dream and Error's opinions are entirely biased. Some may argue that Ink's actions were justified considering Error's own actions.
Error laid on his side, looking bored as hell, staring straight ahead.
Ink had apparently "caught" him earlier, using creator-knows-what secret technique, tied him all up in black painted-on tape, and was called up in whatever other universe he was needed in. Of course, he'd hopped by the universe Dream was in, gave him a key and asked the star Sanses' golden boy to come look over his captive for him.
Unfortunately for Dream, he was interrupted mid-dinner, and had to excuse himself from Blue's company, who laughed and told him to take some food along as he went. So, here he was now, uncomfortable, staring at a man who was resolutely not staring back.
"WhY aRE yOu HerE.", he said, and it was almost like he was disappointed Ink wasn't here himself. Dream actually didn't really know what to answer to that.
"Uh...I guess because Ink asked me to?"
Those heterochromic eyes narrowed at nothing, and Error gave one of those mocking-yet-oddly-shaky grins only he could pull off.
"VoiD DAMn. InK MaKEs ChiLDren dO HiS DIrTY worK, nOw?"
"Wh- I'm not a child. I've just got....young-looking bones."
"AnD I'M a GOd. To EAch THeIr sTRUgGle."
In anyone else's mouth, that would've sounded like a joke, but Dream knew better. Error only joked around when he felt the need to throw witty one-liners at Ink during battle. He usually didn't even talk to the rest of them, just levelled a glare at them like they weren't even worth the effort of fighting them.
He gave a "tssk", and struggled (kind of like a worm, which was funny but Dream didn't laugh) to sit up.
"So. WhAT doEs He WAnT ThiS TimE?", Error asked, face straight, unbothered. "tO kILl Me?"
Dream sputtered in surprise, shaken by the very notion.
"What! of course not, we don't--we don't kill--!" The word even felt foreign on his tongue, and Dream couldn't help himself but to sadden. Of course Error would expect to be killed. He'd done so much evil himself, too.
What would be the alternative, though? To keep him like this, locked up, prisoner of a small room in Ink's currently chosen home? Forever? That was a fate Dream didn't even want to imagine, his compassionate soul whimpering a complaint at the mere notion. He shook his head, as Error continued.
"iT WouLDn'T BE thE FirST tIMe.", he said, detachedly, as though he'd watched that particular episode of his life on a TV. just, simply, a telenovella episode, with a gruesome end and more magic-blood budget than a stephen king movie adaptation. Dream choked on his words, plate sliding out of his grasp to tumble on the floor, smashing on impact.
But that...that didn't make any sense, did it?
Error narrowed his eyes, grinning. Guess the apple kid didn't exactly hear that part of the story.
....Ink did mention to Dream that Error was immortal, before. How would he have found out, if not by....trying? Eyeing the shattered plate, Error inched ever so closer to Dream (though he abhorred the thought of being even close.)
"guESs He dIDn'T TeLL yOu. YoU'Ve sEEn hOw HE geTS wiTh REd PaiNT?"
"yes, but! he wouldn't hurt anyone. Not really,", Dream insisted, tightening his empty hands and digging his fingertips into the soft fabric of his gloves. "Never enough to kill. Besides, you're still alive right now."
"I alREadY KnEw I CoULdn'T DiE PRoPERly. He DIdn'T. I brOKe His BrUSh, hE doWNed tHE boTTle."
Error, ever the smart cookie, set his hands on the ground. Hanging on his every words, Dream didn't exactly notice a piece of ceramic vanish into his palms.
"SmAShED mY fuCKiNG hEAd iN WiTH a ROck."
Color drained from Dream. He looked shocked, and utterly disgusted by the idea of such a thing happening. Well, Error could understand that, kind of. Dream had always held Ink in much too high a regard.
"He wouldn't," he insisted with a half-voice.
"iT DOesN't MAttEr wHAt yoU ThInK He wOUld anD WOulDN'T DO. You'Re a PAwn AnYwAYS. He dOEsn'T LOve YOu."
"No....no, you're wrong. It can't possibly--"
Dream never had a chance to finish his sentence, as blue strings erupted from Error's newly freed hands to loop around Dream. Error snickered as he left, leaving Dream tied up just like he was (after, of course, calling him a sucker and an idiot.) The problem being- Dream knew that if Ink remembered, he'd feel bad. But did Ink even apologize for that? Was there a universe where I'm sorry would fix this? Dream, slowly but surely- began doubting the skeleton who he thought was a hero. It didn't even matter if Error lied.
Thinking in absolutes was the one thing that would lead to Dream's downfall, eventually.