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Hold me closer

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Your name is Terezi Pyrope, and your nightmares are slowly driving you mad.

They come every night without fail, full of Vriska’s and Jack’s and John’s. But the whole time everything is dark, and you can’t tell where anything is. None of your senses work but your ears, and you thrash around desperately trying to fight and scream and apologize.

But in the end you always end up killing the wrong person, and one rushes to the aid of the dead on one the ground while the other flies away. You can always tell you’ve killed Vriska, but that’s the only thing you’re ever sure of. It could be Jack crumpled on the floor next to Vriska, or John flying away with an evil laugh in the back of his throat. But the only thing that stays consistent is the dead Vriska and the Dave who wakes you, a thick taste of tired surrounding him as he tells you to shut up and get back to sleep.

The morning’s are always a relief, and the evenings a nightmare within themselves. You don’t want to go back to sleep when you know those horrors are waiting behind closed eyes and mind. But you do anyways, just to escape the tired yawns and angry mutters of people you keep up with your nightmares. You try not to, really, you do, but it never works. You’re always overcome with the sheer dread, shame and confusion that you experienced when killing Vriska once before.

Sometimes those dreams leave you halfway through, and someone whose aura tastes just like Vriska tells you it’ll be alright. She talks about Mr. Vanilla Milkshake and Scratches and worlds. She asks you what you think, and if there could have been any other way for it to happen. That’s the same question she asks every time, but you never have an answer. You only saw two options when killing Vriska: death for her, or death for all of you.

Like the saying goes, a Queen for a Queen. Or maybe you just made that up, but the whole point is if you’ve got to kill someone to save countless other lives, you’ve got to get your priorities straight.

One death is better than twelve… right?

But you stop thinking about this as you’re pulled from your dreams again by Dave.

“Terezi, you alright? Because seriously, this is one hell of a routine.” You hear him yawn and stretch, and feel him sit on the edge of your bed.

“No.” There’s no point in lying to Dave. And anyways, you need him to stay. With him here the nightmares aren’t so close.

“Well can you at least not be alright quietly? Personally I’m a fan of sleeping without someone screaming their little blind head off.”

“Sorry.” You grope for your glasses, but they aren’t where they usually are, so you just look where you think Dave is and try not to make your eyes drift around too much.

“Aw, shit, don’t say sorry.” Dave let out a sigh, running his hands over your bed sheets. “Makes me fell all bad and stuff about bothering you.”

You can’t stop a small snicker from escaping. “Yeah, Dave. Don’t be such an inconsiderate prick.” You stick your tongue out at him only to be shushed by his soft voice.

“Come on, Terezi, do you know what time it is?”

“Of course not. I’m blind, you idiot, do you think I can read a clock?” You try and make your best pouting face, but it’s been so long since you’ve seen one you’re not sure how it turns out.

“Its a couple minutes after three in the morning.” Dave’s voice is right next to your ear, his warm breath on your cheek. “In other words, too damn early to be up. Go to sleep Terezi.” His hand pushes lightly on your shoulder, and you lie down again, listening to Dave’s soft footsteps as he walks away.

“Dave?”

You hear him stop, take a few steps backwards and lean against the doorway.

“Yeah?”

“Don’t leave, okay?” You sound so pathetic and weak, but just this once you don’t care.

“Okay.” To your surprise, Dave walks back into the room and sits on the bed again, the back of his hand pushing your bangs off your forehead and then brushing them back into place.

“But just this once, Terezi.” And Dave lies down next to you, his arms wrapped around your shoulders, his warmth comforting and protective. It strikes you that he’s probably not wearing his shades, and you stick your tongue out slightly to taste the air.

Cherry cough drops, cheap strawberry candy from a human ‘department store’ and the metallic tang of blood.

So his eyes are red.

And as Dave’s breathing becomes soft and even, you too close your eyes. And something happens that hasn’t happened in much too long.

You fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.