Predator (DWT x OC)

32

I force myself to get out of bed and to get dressed, brush my teeth and comb my hair. I'm the only one in the house, my bare feet padding on the shiny wood floors as I drag myself to the kitchen, and choke down on fruit. I'm chewing small chunks of apple when I hear a knock on the door. 

The door swings open and Tommy, Tubbo and Wilbur walk in. I drop the apple I was holding.

"Why are you here?" I ask, surprised.

"You can come back Rose!" Tommy yells excitedly, Tubbo nodding along with him. 

Oh god. 

"I can't believe it, but Nikki said that Dream was letting you come back to us! We can finally be togeth- Rosie?" Tubbo cuts off uncertainly, noticing my sad expression and lack of excitement.

"Rose aren't you happy? This is great news!" Tommy says, eyes flicking in confusion. Wilbur is hanging back, and I can see the knowing expression set on his face. He puts a hand on Tommy's shoulder.

"She doesn't know if she's coming back." Wilbur says quietly. I look down in shame, and I feel so awful, because how could I do this to them? After everything?

"She doesn't know? What do you mean she doesn't know?" Tommy protests angrily, shrugging off Wilbur's hand and staring at me. "Rose?"

I swallow hard, trying to stop my throat from closing up, the familiar sting needling my eyes. 

"I- I- I don't know who I'm going to choose." I admit. 

"Choose? What are you talking about?" Tubbo interjects. 

"I don't know if I'm going to choose Dream or Wilbur." I reply.

"Why would you choose Dream?!" Tommy yells indignantly.

"Because she loves him." Wilbur answers. I look up and meet his eyes, trying to tell him how sorry I am. Tommy seems to be frozen in a state of catatonic shock, eyes open wide, face stuck in horror, incomprehensible protests stuttering from his lips. 

"Do you?" Tubbo asks softly. I nod, squeezing my fingers together, digging nails into my knuckles. 

"It's ok Rosie." Tubbo murmurs, sending me a small smile. I let out a small exhale, a small ebbing web of relief spreading in my stomach.

"How could you love him?" Tommy whispers, still glued to the spot in shock.

"I don't know Tommy, I just do." I answer truthfully. "I love you, and I love Tubbo, and I love Wilbur. I never stopped, and I never will stop. But I also love Dream, in a different way." 

"So you don't know who to choose. You can't be with both and you don't want to give one away to be with the other." Wilbur explains for me. I nod again. 

Tommy shakes his head. "I love you too Rose. But I can never forgive Dream."

"I know Tommy, I wouldn't ask you to." I say, and I can see the thin white gashes still sliced on his arms from Dream's axe, and the empty look that sometimes clouds over his eyes. The war never finished for them, it still haunts them everyday, still fresh in their minds.

"I'll still be with you no matter what, right?" He asks timidly.

"Of course Tommy." I respond firmly. "No matter what. You too Tubbo." Tubbo smiles at me, shuffling forward and giving me a tight hug, Tommy following along, wrapping me up in his arms. Wilbur motions with his head, and they murmur goodbye, heading back out the door. 

"If you do choose Dream, you can't come back." He states softly, voice shaking. "He destroyed everything, everyone. You didn't see what he did to Fundy and Tommy. They almost bled out. I'll never forget the fucking image of their blood on the van walls, Rose, never." I nod, and he continues.

"But I won't blame you, and I won't hate you if you choose him. None of us will. What you went through, what I put you through, was awful, and no one can blame you for embracing something good in your life." He finishes. 

"Thanks Wilbur." I whisper. He stares at me for a moment, before bending down and kissing me gently on the top of my head. I close my eyes, a tear sliding down my cheek, and I hear him walk out of the door. 

I spend the rest of the day on the couch sleeping. I don't want to think, I don't want to feel, I just want everything to stop. I wake up to the sound of everyone coming back home.  Eret sits down next to me, Sapnap and George sinking into the armchairs. I can't see Dream as I pull myself up and tuck my feet under my calves. 

"We heard about what Dream said to you." Eret starts. I stay silent, exhausted from my talk with Wilbur, Tommy and Tubbo. 

"We don't care who you choose." George says. "As long as you're happy, that's enough." 

That seems to be a running theme, be happy Rosie, be safe, choose whoever makes you happy, choose whoever makes you feel good. The problem is, I don't fucking know anymore. I'm so confused, all my feelings tangle together in a confusing mess that even I couldn't begin to sort out. 

"Yeah, it's your choice Rosie, and we don't want to make it harder." Sapnap adds. I'm grateful to them, truly, because if the choice was any harder I think I would snap under pressure. I lift my eyes up to look at them.

"Love you guys." I mutter, they all smile gently at me, when the door flies open again and Dream stomps through. 

He looks awful. His hair is wild, tousled and wind blown. His face is red and splotchy, tear tracks glimmering on his pale cheeks, dark purple bags stark in contrast. Eret, Sapnap and George all abruptly stand up, leaving me lingering looks as the file out of the room. I'm left alone with Dream, refusing to look back up at him.

"Where'd you go last night?" He suddenly questions. I don't answer. 

"Rosie, where did you go?" He asks again, voice raising. I shrug my shoulders.

"You can't just run off like that." His voice softens as he collapses onto the couch, and I shrink into the cushions, wanting them to swallow me whole. 

"Well I'm sorry, I was a little bit surprised." I mutter sarcastically. 

"I know that what I said was out of the blue but I still care about you. Please don't shut me out Rosie." He pleads, shifting his body to face me. I slowly turn my head, eyes locking with his. 

"What I need is for you to leave me alone Dream. I'm so confused, and I need space to choose." I say firmly. His eyes widen in surprise.

"You haven't decided?" He whispers, like he's afraid to ask.

"No? Of course I haven't." I say incredulously.

"I never thought I had a chance." He breathes, so quietly I almost can't hear him. He gets up, walking towards the corridor. 

"I'll give you space." He says over his shoulder. I say it before I can stop myself. 

"I love you too." 

He pauses at the door frame, hand clenching the wood tightly. I can hear him sniff, and see the hand come up to his face to wipe his tears before he heads off into the darkness of the hallway. 

 When I wake up the next day, I know who I need to choose.  

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A/N I'M SORRY ITS ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER OK? PLEASE DON'T KILL ME. Anyway next chapter we find out who Rosie will choose. This chapter is not actually meant to help Rosie understand her decision. This chapter was for Rosie to say her final piece and set things straight with the people she needed to, and to help her finally settle things, which then allows for her to make her decision, which she already knew in her heart. 

Also I got approached by a company to publish this on another site and I said no LMAO, look at me putting my mental health first.

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I hope you all enjoyed this chapter,

Oopsies x