One-shots [Reqs: 5]

Siblings

Dream's arms trembled, struggling to draw the bowstrings back, the arrow tip shaking unsteadily. His chest heaved for air, his feet throbbing. His gloves were long gone, torn off and lost at some point in their battle. His fingers bled from the snap of the string. He wasn't surprised since there was nothing to protect his fingers. He paid it no mind and squinted harshly, vision spinning and blurring as he tried to aim properly. Dream swayed, fingers slipping and sending the arrow flopping harmlessly to the floor. His ankle twisted, and he stumbled, barely managing to catch himself with his bow. He pushed himself up, trying to keep himself from passing out. It was inevitable, really. This was the longest fight he'd ever had with Nightmare, and it was the roughest, too. He was breathing heavily and his body pulsed with agony. Blood trickled from his mouth, dripping down his chin to stain his cape.

Nightmare, though. Dream shakily wiped his chin, spitting out a glob of blood. Nightmare wasn't even winded. He had hardly moved the entire time, lazily batting Dream's arrows aside or dropping into a puddle of slime to avoid attacks. Normally, Dream would grit his teeth and keep trying, but something was different today. For the past two weeks or so, he'd missed sleep. Dream was already exhausted when Nightmare attacked. After using his magic and constantly moving around, he was starting to go in and out of consciousness. Even now, Dream was swaying in place, his knees quaking under the weight of his exhaustion. The world was hazy, like he was looking through murky water. His ears rang, sounds muffled and thick.

He stood sluggishly for a few seconds, staring blankly at nothing, panting openly. It wasn't difficult to see that he was struggling. Dream wobbled back and forth, teetering on the edge of unconsciousness, both mentally and physically. He lost the fight once his eyes shut.

Nightmare watched in blatant shock as Dream crumbled to the floor. The other was wheezing, face flushed with the beginnings of a fever. Cautiously, he started forward, a tendril outstretched to his brother. He pocked his skull roughly, "Dream." He got no response, aside from choked breathing. Nightmare crouched low, tapping Dream's skull with his fingertip. "Did you fall asleep?" There was a wary aura clouding around the positive guardian, Nightmare finally noticed. He sighed once he realized what was going on. "Really? After all this time, you're still like this?" Dream, obviously, didn't answer. Nightmare glanced around before he hesitantly slid his arms beneath his brother, scooping him up from the floor.

He stood silently, tearing open a portal to his domain. Dream shifted, blearily opening his eyes. He was limp for a few seconds, hazily staring up at Nightmare. He groaned at the aching feeling flooding his bones. A fever, and a considerably bad one, too. Nightmare stiffened at the noise, glancing down at Dream to find him staring back at him. He instantly released Dream, stepping back several feet, and doing nothing as the brighter twin grunted. He sat up, dazed, rubbing his skull with a yawn. "Nightmare..?" He said nothing, glaring as if he hadn't just been carrying Dream.

Dream slowly got to his feet, pressing his hand to his head, dizzily trying to keep himself standing straight. Nightmare watched, ̷c̷o̷n̷c̷e̷r̷n̷e̷d̷ curious, as Dream took in his surroundings. Reality finally caught up with him, and Dream's eyes widened. He immediately tried to summon his bow, only to wince as pain flushed his system. "Shit-" He doubled over, overcome by an abrupt wave of nausea. Burning magic seeped through his teeth, bursting from his mouth in a hot waterfall of contaminated magic. Nightmare recoiled in surprise, tendrils lashing behind him as Dream's eyes rolled and he once again toppled over. Nightmare caught him before he could faceplant in his own vomit. He flattened his hand over Dream's skull, shaking his head. The fever was already getting worse. 

Nightmare rallied his magic, driving sleep-inducing magic through Dream's soul. He relaxed once Dream had completely gone lax, surrendering fully to his exhaustion. Nightmare slung Dream over his shoulder, teleporting into his home. He'd regret this later.

~

About three weeks later, Nightmare left his home to find gift baskets at his door. He stared down at them in confusion, looking up to scan the forest edge. He hesitantly lifted a basket, holding it out with his tendrils, just in case there was something dangerous in them. It was filled with cookies and candy, as well as small trinkets, but nothing explosive or poisonous. He pulled the basket back to himself, sifting through it. He grabbed the rest, thirteen in total, and took them inside.

He dumped the goodies on his bed, digging through them and creating six different piles, one for each of his group members. He put most of the chocolate in Cross and Error's piles, the hard-to-chew candy in Horror's, and the trinkets and items in Dust and Killer's. His own pile consisted of spicy and not-sweet candy. He did this for a few minutes, eventually coming across a card. He opened it curiously, blinking in surprise. He recognized Dream's handwriting. Suddenly, the baskets weren't such a mystery. The card held a simple message:Thank you for helping me! I put these baskets together just for you :) Hope you like them.

Nightmare absently traced the scribbled letters. Dream's writing was always so messy, in an elegant way. His signature was just an apple and the letter D. He chuckled quietly, amused. Time may have changed and toughened Dream, but he was still sily and childish. Nightmare moved away from the candy piles to tuck the card away into a drawer.

He shook his head, turning back to his bed. Using his tedrils, Nightmare shoveled the candy piles into five different baskets. He put the extra baskets and candy away, leaving them to be dealt with later. He left his room, teleporting throughout his home to leave the baskets where the correct people would find them. He stood in the living room when he finished, sitting with a sigh. He'd have to thank Dream somehow.

The extra baskets in his closet came to mind, and Nightmare grinned. Perfect.