Hiraeth (Ink x Error)

Eccedentesiast

Eccedentesiast(n.): someone who hides pain behind a smile

Nothing.

Ink felt nothing. Was he anything? Who was he? He looked around to check his surroundings. Nothing. Was there something missing or was that all there is? He did feel like something was missing, like summer without the warm beach breeze, or a meadow without the dandelions. It was fine, but something felt...out of place. Something needed to be added.

He didn't know what to do, so he waited.

And waited.

But...

Well, you understand what happens.

INK.

Ink gasped for air, pushing himself up from the bed. Clutching the bedsheets in horror and fear. He imagined the shadows in his room coming to get him, peeling off the walls and jumping at him. As childish as it may seem, he felt paralyzed to the bed as if it was going to protect him. He swiftly found the lamp on top and the shadowed corners filled with light.

He doubts he could sleep now that he was awake at this hour, so he got up to get a drink of water. He teleported down the steps and walked to the kitchen. He tried to grab a glass from the cabinet but he put them too high for him to reach. He grumbled in frustration and just used magic. He felt the smooth glass and let the magic go away once he held it.

"I need to do something about that." He mumbled as he looked up at the cabinets. Suddenly, a painful memory flashed in his mind.

"Squid stop, just face it, you're too short." Error chuckled. Ink looked back at him glaring bullets. Error snickers and puts his hands up in defense, "I'm just saying the truth. I can get it."

Ink offered to help with making ramen, but this didn't feel like help to Error. No, this was an excuse to call him Shorty once again and he loved every part of it. He even had his phone to record to capture this perfect scenario.

"This is to prove I'm not short!" He said quickly in defiance.

Error got bored after a minute of this idiot trying to prove something he can't. He summoned some strings and pulled him up to a height where he could reach the pots.

"There."

"I was about to get it..." Ink mumbled but got what he was looking for anyway. Error took him down. Looking at him with a "really?" look. "I was!" Ink laughed.

"Sure Shorty."

Ink didn't notice the tear that escaped his eye. He brushed it away and shut off the water and sat down at the kitchen table taking a small sip of his water. Why do I care?! He's a terrible person and I should hate him! I should but I don't...

He hears a vwip of teleportation and looks over to see Dream. The familiar yellow gave an aura of calm, the calm of a long-lasting friend that you've known for a long time. It felt like warm sunlight to Ink.

"What are you doing up so late?" Ink asked smiling with that same sunshine warmness. He sat next to Ink at the table, he traced the marble pattern of the counter with a bony finger.

"I don't really sleep. I don't really need to." He and his brother were dream masters, of course, they don't need sleep. "I felt you wake suddenly from a dream or a nightmare, but, um, Nightmare isn't around. I just wanted to ask if you're alright." He blushes in a shy way, he did that a lot, as if he thought it was too intruding to appear so late at night.