Hope?

Empty

Trigger warning: Self harm.

At first. It was dark.
There was no sound, no light, no joy...
Just emptyness.
It scared him.
He had never been a fan of the dark, not even when his brother had been around to protect him.
His brother...
Oh stars, he wished he'd left it alone.

"Don't forget who I used to be-!"

Dream screamed silently at the sudden memory.

But nobody came.
He was alone.
He was scared.
He didn't want this.
He wanted his brother...
He just wanted his big brother...

No one was left, even his own brother had abandoned him. Left him trapped within the stone prison. He had never wanted to die before. But now? Now he wanted nothing more than for his brother to come back to finish him off, instead of using him as some sort of prize. If he'd been killed all those years ago... Maybe he wouldn't feel so terrified... Maybe he wouldn't know just how little he had meant to his negative counterpart.

Dream curled up in the endless darkness and sobbed. No sound came out. That thought terrified him. The silence was deafening. Horrifying... Lonely.
He missed sounds. He missed the sights and colours.

He missed his brother...

He just wanted his brother...

HE JUST WANTED NIGHTY!

.   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .

Was it to much to ask...?

It had been so long since his imprisonment that he had almost forgotten what the other looked like.
Were his eyes always cyan...? He could have sworn Nightmares eyes were some other colour. Maybe they were rainbow! Or was it just one colour? Didn't they dress the same? Or were Nightys clothes different?

Oh how he missed his brother...

Sometimes, the other Nightmare, the mean one, would show up and taunt him. Even in his stone prison he could still hear the other.

"Now, now, 'brother'...~" The mean Night would say. "Surely you know how much you deserve this...?" He asked, with fake sympathy. "It was your fault afterall!" Nightmare said.

And dispite everything...

Dream would believe him...

It was his fault...

His fault...

His fault...

His fault...

His fault...

His fault...

His fault...

His fault...

His fault...

His fault...

"My fault..." He murmured sliding the knife against his wrist. He gasped out as he watched the blood flow from his wrists. He was still here...
And he still meant nothing to Night.
He didn't know how to fix it.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't reach out to him.
Nightmare hated him...
And he had come to terms with that...

But that didn't stop the hurt...

But the knife did! It made everything better, even if it was for a moment! He sobbed. He wasn't sure if it was out of relief or despair. He didn't give a shit. He just wanted it to stop... He didn't know how to do that...

He didn't-

"DREAM!?" A voice yelled out his name. Before he knew what had happened, his knife had been thrown away from his hands and across the room. He screamed and struggled. He needed the knife. It was the only thing that made him feel alive. It was the only thing that connected him to this world, that reminded him of something other than his own self hated, or his guilt or anything else!

"Shhhhh..." The small voice whispered. The other sounded like he was crying.
Dream sobbed. He hated feeling so vulnerable. The years of running and fear had taken a deep turn on his mental health. He never really had the time to heal...
Never had someone to trust or to tell...
"I'm s-so scared..." He muttered fearfully. "I know, sweetie... I know..." The voice responded, bringing Dream into a hug. Everything was to much for him. To loud, to bright, to much...

But...

The others presences somehow managed to calm him. Much like his brothers... And yet... So, so much better than his brothers...

Dream wailed as he buried his face deep into his lover's chest. "P-please! Make i-it go a-a-away!" He cried. The other chocked back a sob. "You promised you'd stopped..." He murmured softly. His voice sounded hurt. Wounded actually. Like jagged glass. Sharp and painful.

Dream winced. This was it... Wasn't it...? His partner had had enough of him... Right...? He didn't want a broken guardian... No one did... Why would they...?

He started laughing.
It was a broken sound that surprised his lover greatly. "I-I'm sorry!" Dream said hesterically. He knew what would come next, just like with Ink!

His partner sighed."I know what you're thinking, Dream..." He murmured. "And though I am upset at you for breaking your promise, I'd never break up with you for something as stupid as that..." He said, lifting Dream chin up and staring him in the eyes. "You're not perfect, and I don't blame you... You're broken, you're beautiful, you're sweet and kind to everyone... You give second chances to everyone, even if they don't deserve it..." Blue said, frowning at the last one. "But you're still the same person I fell in love with... And I'm not going to break up with you for something like this..." He muttered miserably. "You're hurting... And you're tired... And none of that is your fault..." Dream nodded absentmindedly, still trying to process his lover's words. "I love you..." He murmured. Blue smirked. "Of course you do... Now come on, lets get your arms fixed..." He whispered. Dream followed him. 

There was a knew feeling growing in his chest now.
It wasn't love and it wasn't dispair...

It was hope.