Forget-Me-Not (dreamxreader)

41 || Bargaining || Part 1

TW: SWEARING, YELLING, TRAUMA, CRYING, DEVASTATION, DESTRUCTION, GRIEF

I let Grammarly edit this one guys... Sorry for any errors, I'm swamped with papers at the moment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As we expected, the stronghold had been abandoned for centuries. I never thought spay paint would ever be so handy to have around. Tubbo had brought some in his pack, a can between the two of us to mark the rooms we had searched. He nearly left then in his saddlebag on the surface where we had stashed the horses before coming down. 

We knew the stronghold would be old and dark, but being near cities all the time gets you used to the light. I don't remember the last time I had fought so many demons. They were a distraction from my thoughts at least. I didn't have time to think about everything that could go wrong when I had to fight for my life. 

I catch a glint from the torch we carried off Dream's radio that he had hooked on his belt. We each had one of those too. Our footsteps tap solidly on the weathered stone floors. The occasional drip of moss or spray of our green paint were the only sounds. We listen for enemies. 

A hiss bounces off the walls and I freeze. 

"Did you hear that?" I say quickly. 

"I did," he confirms unsheathing his Netherite sword. I adjust my grip on my axe, to which I had remained reluctant to set down since we entered the stronghold. 

"How are you feeling?" Dream asks filling the stillness. We hadn't spoken much, or rather I hadn't spoken much. 

"I'm trying not to think too hard." It's the truth. 

"I'm doing the same," although the words sound strange on his lips I know they're the truth.

"What do you think the portal will look like?" I find myself imagining Tommy's voice saying my words. He would have all sorts of wild ideas about the portal. I wish I could listen to them all. 

"I have no idea-"

The spider lands with a splat in front of us and we both jump. In my reflex, I cut off its head in an instant. I shock myself with the violence and find that I'm standing further back than before. Dream, noticing my expression, slips his hand into mine and leads the two of us away from the corpse. 

There's the familiar hiss of spray paint from our can. I shudder when I notice how similar it sounds to a spider's threats. The labyrinth continues to weave its tangled web of halls as we wander mindlessly. Occasionally, we see pink or yellow spray paint from the others or even some of our own from where we were turned around. 

"Are you afraid?" I ask suddenly. Dream shakes his head. 

"I'm not afraid, because you're with me. I know you've got me," he squeezes comfort through our clasped hands. I smile at him and lift his knuckles to my lips, kissing them gently. If Dream wasn't wearing his mask, I would be sure that he is smiling. But instead, his mask smiles at me mindlessly. 

We follow the hall and pass a doorway. This doorway was different from the others. I stop pulling Dream with me. He gives me a confused shake of his head and then notices the doorway I'm staring at. 

Dream swipes a wall with paint, and then we follow the doorway down a short hall. At the end of it, there was a glowing yellow light. 

"This has to be it," I mumble unconsciously. 

We enter a small room. For a room holding the most divine portal in the world, it was rather plain. Like the rest of this place, made of crumbling stone. The only difference is the metal bars on the walls and three pools of lava. Two small ones on either side of us for light, and the other underneath what must be the portal structure.