Predator (DWT x OC)

20

Someone's yelling. 

I straighten up, arms full of brilliant wildflowers, their soft velvet petals tickling my skin. I squint my eyes, trying to block out the white glare of the noon sun, and make out the commotion that's spiralling at the entrance to L'manburg. While I'm still trying to figure out what's going on, Wilbur and Niki fly out of the van, the door swinging shut loudly behind them. 

I wince as it slams against the doorframe and start to step closer, the muffled words becoming clearer. Wilbur looks over his shoulder, eyes locking onto me.

"Rosemary, go inside the med bay and stay there, ok?" He calls out hurriedly. I fight the urge to roll my eyes dramatically, as I completely ignore him and keep walking.

"Rosemary I know you don't want to, but trust me, Rose, please, just stay inside until we figure this out." He says again, voice rushed and panicky as he turns, arms outstretched to intercept me. I stop, and see him exhale in relief, watching me like a hawk as I carefully bend down and deposit my flowers in a neat pile. 

I stand back up, look him directly in the eye, and take another step forward. 

"Rose! Please just listen to me!" He pleads, a last ditch effort before I make it within ear shot of whatever's going on. I keep walking, refusing to even acknowledge his words. This whole protector act is getting on my nerves. My sight focus in on the large arching entrance, and I stop dead in my tracks, heart pounding as I realise who's there. 

"I don't care Tommy, get out of my way before you get hurt." I hear Dream snarl dangerously, and I see him, hovering just outside the boundaries, gleaming in lethal armour, mask pulled over  his face, axe in hand. My feet have planted themselves into the ground, and the sight of him has frozen me on the spot, and I think my lungs have forgotten how to breathe.

"You're never coming in here, you- you- you ugly piece of shit!" Tommy yells at him, finger pointed directly at Dream's face, blue uniform childish in comparison to the power Dream silently exudes. Dream's head whips in my direction. 

"Rosie!" He calls out to me, and my mind seems to disconnect completely from my mouth. 

"Don't talk to her." Wilbur interrupts, sidestepping in front of me. Dream's scarred fist clenches around the axe handle.

"You think you can tell me what to do Wilbur?" He mocks, but there's no humour in his tone. My mind is still empty, a buzzing blank void that doesn't seem to be able to currently function. Wilbur scoffs, and Dream turns his attention back onto me. 

"Rosie, come on, we're going back home." He says abruptly, and the sheer audacity he has to use that tone snaps me back into reality. 

"We're what?" I ask bluntly, stepping out from behind Wilbur, who fruitlessly attempts to swat me back. 

"We're going home." He repeats.

I narrow my eyes. "We agreed on me staying at L'manburg."

"I changed my mind." He says.

"Well, I didn't, and I'm staying here." I snap, flares of red hot, itchy irritation shooting up the back of my neck. The nerve of him to come here, after everything that happened, and to then try and order me around, is astounding. 

"Princess, come on, let's just go home and we can talk." He tries, and I almost start laughing. He's oblivious. Completely oblivious. Like he has no fucking idea the shit I have been through in the past couple of days, the changes I've gone through, the person I've become. I just want to punch him in the face. 

"I'm not going, but we can talk." I answer, staring at him in defiance. 

"Rose? What? No!" Tommy interjects. "You're not talking to her." Wilbur nods along with him, and Niki and I look at each other, shooting each other knowing glances.