Dreaming of Demons (Dream x oc)

[33] Wither Effect

Ranboo?

I caught my jaw and snapped it shut before it could fall all the way onto the table. I could only stare as Ranboo's gaze drifted over to me, not entirely looking into my eyes as usual.

What was he doing here? How was he—what? My brain was completely frozen, leaving my questions to swirl around until I couldn't make sense of them anymore. What was going on?

And then his red and green eyes shifted away like I was nothing more than a passerby on the street. The frozen spell snapped and realization took its place.

There weren't two demons. There never never were. It was Dream's demon all along, and the demon was never truly imprisoned. He was just using Ranboo under everyone's noses while the larger "threat" seemed neutralized.

"Ranboo?" I breathed, slowly rising from my seat.

Dream turned and put a hand to Ranboo's back, a friendly gesture. "What a nice little reunion, right? I thought you would enjoy a guest."

Ranboo didn't offer any words, his face devoid of any expression and his eyes blank and unseeing.

"Why don't you grab yourself some dinner and go sit down?" Dream gestured to the table, an undercurrent of a threat beneath his words.

I was fully standing now, watching as Ranboo dished a bowl of stew and sat in the empty chair neighboring mine. He didn't once look at me or Wilbur, seemingly content in his own little world.

Dream stepped near me and I didn't realize how close he was until his hand came to rest just at the back of my neck. Every muscle in my body tensed, and I felt that if I moved—even just to breathe—he might close his hand around my neck again. With steady pressure, he pushed me down onto my chair and I didn't resist. But even when I did sit down, his hand stayed on my neck, and the warmth of his rough palm seared into my skin.

My gaze lingered on Ranboo. If I didn't know any better I would have thought nothing of his behavior. He acted normal, quiet but still...normal.Yet deep inside, he was far from that idea now. I just wanted him to look at me, to really see me. To wake up and realize what was happening.

He looked up after a bite or two of his stew, but he wasn't looking at me. He looked toward Wilbur.

"Did you make this?" He asked, sounding genuine.

"Yes, you like it?" Wilbur smiled. "Maybe I should have made a stew van instead of the burger one."

Ranboo shrugged. "You could add stew to the menu."

"No, no, no. That van is strictly burger," Wilbur shook his head, and then paused, something lighting in his eyes. "But you just gave me an idea. We can up the competition by making another van. All of Quackity's tourists will come to us if we've got the variety!"

"What?" I interjected. What did food trucks have to do with Quackity?

Ranboo and Wilbur looked at me.

"It's—it's just a harmless competition," Ranboo said. Was that a hint of hesitation?

"You're helping Wilbur?" I kept my gaze steady even as his shifted back to Wilbur.

"Well...yes, I am."

"Ranboo," My hand began to slide over to his, to make him look at me again. "This isn't—"

Dream's hand came down on mine, trapping it to the table as he leaned forward. His hand on my neck squeezed slightly.

"Let's just finish up dinner, hm?" Dream angled his head to me.