Predator (DWT x OC)

20

I bury my face in my hands as Sapnap, George and Eret erupt into shrieking laughter around me. I've been relentlessly mocked for a solid half an hour after my interaction with Dream.

"Aw Rosie, it's ok if you like Dream." Sapnap teases, putting his arm around my shoulders.

"I do not like Dream!" I shout, smacking his arm away from me.

"Yeah sure Rosie, that's why you to were practically making out in the river." Eret laughs. George is wiping tears off his face, and Sapnap is clutching his stomach in a fit of giggles.

"We did not make out you weirdo." All of them just roll their eyes at me, and I can feel my face burning at the suggestion.

"Thank god we left before we saw anything more." George interjects, wicked grin plastered on his face, eyes twinkling.

"You wouldn't have seen anything!" I say exasperatedly, as they all breakout in another fit of laughter. "Whatever, you perverts can keep fantasising about made up scenarios about me and Dream, I'm going to bed."

They wave goodnight at me and I make my way to my bedroom. I've started sleeping in there more often, and it looks more lived in, my clothes that I've stolen from everyone folded in the chests, pictures Eret found me hanging on the walls, the bed rumpled from being slept in. Slowly the stark unfamiliarity of it has soften to feel more and more like a home.

I strip off my clothes, still damp from being catapulted into the river involuntarily, and pull on a shirt and some shorts. Once I've combed the horrific knots out of my hair, I neatly arrange my armour on it's stand and polish the axe that I managed to convince George to give back to me. It's not like I've used any of them since the first battle, but it's a calming routine that gives me a sense of normality.

I hop under the cotton bedsheets, curling up under the weight of the duvet. I lie there in the dark for a while, when my mind drifts back to the place I never want to go. I squeeze my arms around my stomach, taking in deep steady breathes as I try and block out the memories from my mind. The ache in my chest deepens, feeling like my heart is ripping out of my body, but I curl my arms tighter, desperately holding myself together, even though it feels like I'm going to shatter like glass. It's a bad night, but I keep holding on, willing myself to be able to fall into the bliss of sleep, hoping that when I wake up in the morning I'll feel better. It's a constant cycle, cling on through the night and pretend during the day. It's times like this when I don't see how it could ever get better, how I could ever heal from this, but then there's days where I feel already healed.

It feels like I lie here for hours, tucked tightly into myself, as if I'm physically going to fall apart. I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight, I realise dejectedly, as I tentatively uncurl my body and and stumble out of bed. I slowly swing my door open, and tip toe down the dark hallway. I hold my breathe as I blindly stumble through the silent house, tripping over everything in the dark.

"No... please!" A voice calls out from another room. My heart leaps into my throat and I stop dead on the spot.

"Please." The voice whimpers again, and I find my feet moving towards the door, despite my brain screaming at me to stop. A carefully push the door open, as the person lets out another whimper. I recognise that it's Dream's room when I go through. He's flailing in the bed, face screwed up, but still asleep. He's having some sort of nightmare, I realise, terrified pleads leaving his lips as he shakes violently.

I step back, because I've just burst in on something incredibly private and I should not be here. But then he screams again and my heart aches at how scared he sounds. I hurry towards him, grabbing his face.

"Dream wake up! Dream it's me wake up!"

His eyes fly open, terrified, fear vivid in the bright green, his faced drained of colour. He's completely tensed up, breathing harshly, and I can feel him trembling. I've never seen him look so vulnerable.

"Rosie?" He rasps, voice shaky and unsure. I smile at him.

"It's ok. You're ok." I reassure gently. He latches his hands around my forearms as I keep stroking his cheek, and I can feel the desperation in his grasp. I slide into the bed next to him, and pull him into my arms. He's still shaking as he leans into me, resting his head just above my heart, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"It's ok." I smooth back his hair, damp with sweat that beads on his forehead.

"You're ok." I stroke my fingers again through his closed cropped hair. "You had a nightmare. You're ok."

He seems to calm under my rhythmic motions, the tension in his shoulders and neck melting away slightly, his breaths slowing. He holds on to me tightly and I keep running my fingers over his scalp, over the nape of his neck as he slowly recovers.

"It...it was awful Rosie. I- I couldn't, I jus-" His voice breaks off as he starts shaking again.

"Shhh, you don't have to tell me." I whisper, pressing my lips into his hair. His breaths even out, and the tightness around my waist lessens. I let him fall asleep on my chest, still soothingly stroking his head as he fades off into a world where nothing can touch him.

I run my fingertips over his face, and down his neck, spreading my hands over the plains of his back, and over his defined collar bones. I lean in, kissing him gently on the temple, then curling around him. I close my eyes, feeling safe in his warmth, and in his bed. I drift off to sleep, both of us holding each other together, no one shattering apart.

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A/N Some nice cuteness for you guys today!

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I hope you enjoyed,

Oopsies x