Unwanted protection

Pinocchio

Dream and Blue looked at each other from across the table, uneasy, as did everyone else when Ink and Error entered the room.
The two of them had tried to brace themselves for how Ink would act that morning, but this was... unexpected.

"Ink..." said the empath "What do you have there?"
Ink tilted his skull and answered: "Our baby."

Dream looked at the doll in Ink's arms, and how he was absentmindedly rocking it. Blue was distraught (and trying to hide it), his brother was fascinated, and all the Murder Trio felt various degrees of confusion. Error was the only one feeling a positive emotion, endearment.

"They're beautiful." he said, trying to not shatter Ink's precarious mental state. He was unsure as to why Ink had chosen this coping mechanism after Error had... done what he did the night before, but they'd have to tread lightly. Ink smiled faintly and replied: "I know." He then turned to the doll, kissing its cheek. "Hear that, Baby? You're beautiful. Yes, you are. Yes, you are."

Error put his hand on the small of Ink's back, and guided him to the table; the artist tensed slightly, and held the doll closer, but didn't object and sat down. Everyone was still looking at him cooing at the baby, until Killer, exasperated, shouted: "Alright, is anyone gonna say it? This is fucking weird!"
Ink flinched and hugged the doll tighter. Error noticed and glared daggers at Killer, furious.
"үσ𝕌 Ｇσt Ａ ⓕ𝕌𝓬𝕂𝐢ŇＧ ｐяσᵇ𝔩Ｅ爪?!"
"Yes! Take away that shit, it's creepy!"
Error stood up and tried jumping at Killer from across the table, but Nightmare caught him with his appendage by the waist.
"Killer!" He yelled. "Do you have to always pick a fight with Error?! Are you a toddler?! Incapable of playing nice for 30 minutes?!"

While his brother was scolding Killer, Dream turned to look at Ink, who was rocking the doll and murmuring reassurances against its forehead. Horror, who was seated at Ink's side, put his hand on the artist's shoulder, and Ink seemed to calm down.

Dream tried listening in on their conversation.

"Don't... worry... Killer is... a brat... Your baby isn't... creepy..."
"Thank you, Horror." He rocked it more "The noise is scaring them. Hush now, don't cry, don't cry..."
Dream then got up and moved at Ink's side.
"Why don't we go to the living room for now? So the baby won't get scared."

He looked at his twin for approval, and he gave a quick nod, so the two of them walked away. Error was too angry to notice them leaving, still swearing at Killer and trying to attack him.

Dream and Ink sat on the couch, and the positive Guardian tried to think of a way to approach the subject without upsetting the Protector.
"What's- what's their name?"
"Baby."
"...Descriptive."
Ink chuckled and took the doll's hand in his, rubbing its palm.
"Well, we all have descriptive names here. Blue, Killer, Error... It's fitting."
Dream felt conflicted: Ink seemed way less apathetic and passive than before, but this delusion didn't seem a good trade-off.
Still, it was best to leave it alone for a few days, and avoid taking any action that would distress him. Maybe Ink would snap out of it on his own, even if it seemed unlikely.

==========

Ink wasn't getting better.

It had been three days, and Ink carried his Baby everywhere, talking to it, playing with it, and never letting it go.
When Dust had tried touching it, Ink had yelled: "NO!", terrified, and burrowed his face in Error's shoulder.

Sans knew that Dream didn't want to rock the boat, but the more they waited, the worst it would get, because Ink wouldn't want to lose his only defence.

They had finally understood why the artist always had the doll with him: it was a way for Ink to refuse to Error's advances without repercussions.
Every time the Destroyer tried touching him in a sexual way, or suggested spending time alone in their room, or made lewd comments, Baby would always start crying and fussing, at least according to Ink, and the Protector would direct all of his attention to it.
Error, though, didn't look bothered by this, and kept indulging Ink, even if it was clear he knew the doll was just a doll: he'd ask how Baby was feeling, if it was happy, sad, and sometimes he'd even bring some baby food for the doll to "eat", all the while making sure that no one tried breaking Ink's delusion.