The ABC's of Mr. Erratum

More the merrier

Having his own bed is weird, Horror decides almost instantly. 

It wasn't that he wasn't grateful- he couldn't be more grateful, in fact. It was just.. weird. Not bad weird, just weird. He felt far too high from the floor, and far too close to the ceiling. He wasn't used to having to make sure he didn't roll off the bed and onto the floor.

He'd already made Erratum come up three times since he got here because he fell of his bed. It hasn't even been a week!

So yeah, it was weird. It was weird like how Erratum was actually caring about him, and how it was weird that Ink and Blue (Because he can apparently call them that now-) didn't judge him like everyone else had before.  

They didn't judge him when he said it was too hot because he wasn't used to the warmth. They didn't judge him when he couldn't finish the dinner they made because it was more than he would sometimes eat in a whole week. They didn't judge him and they understood and it was weird.

Like he said, not bad weird, just weird. Perhaps, it was sometimes even a good weird.

They understood far too much for it to be comfortable, sometimes. Like when Horror forgot he wasn't with him anymore and had just started to make breakfast out of habit- despite the changed kitchen- and when Blue had found him he hadn't told him to stop. 

He just joined in, like it was perfectly normal. Like they knew he wasn't ready yet to just stop. Like they knew that he would feel frightened for the rest of the day if he didn't do it, even though he was safe now. 

They let him do it because they knew that everything couldn't stop at once. They knew he needed time and no one else had and it was weird. Horror couldn't understand- they understood, and it was weird- and a part of him wanted them to stop understanding but an even bigger part didn't.

He...

It was weird. That's all.

(They understood when they found him hiding in the closet, they understood when they saw him sleeping on the floor instead, they understood when he-)

(...)

(They just... Understood.)

Horror twisted and turned in the bed, but found himself once again, unable to sleep. For whatever reason, his stupid body decided it felt more in danger when there was no danger. As if he was subconsciously waiting for someone to shout, 'sike!'. 

Horror knew there wasn't any danger though. Not anymore. His body didn't seem to get the memo however, so for now, Horror was stuck like this. 

He huffed, shuffling around again. He felt restless yet tired, which Horror quickly realized felt horrible. He had tried everything that Dust had told Paperjam to do when the older couldn't sleep- flip his pillow, sleep on top of the cover, try and find funny faces in the swirls on the ceiling. Hell, he'd even tried to count sheep! That didn't work either, unsurprisingly. 

He tried to keep his eyes closed, and to stop moving, but for some reason, that felt impossible at the moment. He'd have them closed and then they'd be open suddenly and he wouldn't even remember opening them. He kept shuffling so he was sleeping on his right side, and then over to his left side. 

He was restless. Paperjam said he got like that sometimes. Couldn't stop moving. 

He stared forward at the wall. It was plain and close- a little too close, actually. Everything about this room just felt uncomfortable and wrong, even though nothing was wrong. Horror was aware all of these problems were coming from purely him.

Closing his eyes briefly, and letting out a harsh breath, Horror sat up from the bed, the covers dragging lazily with him. He felt his feet land on the cold wooden floor, and he gripped the bed tightly, unsure of what to do.

He didn't want to accidently wake someone up- but he really couldn't stay here any longer. He'd feel better in the living room, or even the kitchen. 

His decision final, Horror stood up, his bare feet walking as quietly as possible. He took his time, making sure every movement was quiet as possible. It came naturally to him, the quiet footsteps and ability to dodge things that would make noises. It came to him far too easily due to far too many years of practice. 

He left the attic and entered the hallway. He opened the door slowly, ignoring the cold that suddenly started to affect his bones. When the door opened, he was greeted with the newly familiar sight of the living room, quiet and empty as expected-

-Was there light coming from the kitchen?

Horror paused, confused. Had someone just left the light on? No- Blue wouldn't've forgotten, he always made sure all the lights were off. Something about energy bills Horror didn't understand. 

He walked closer, unsure of what he was going to find. Maybe someone else was having trouble sleeping. After a few steps, Horror could hear noises coming from the kitchen- light and whispered, making Horror realize that what he was hearing was a voice. Voices, he realized a moment later. 

"Are you not even going to try and go to bed?" He heard Ink's annoyed voice ask, dull and knowing as if he's asked the question before. There was a huff, "I DOn't NeeD slEep InK, yOu kNOw THat" Erratum replied.

Another voice scoffed, "That doesn't mean you can't- don't even try to lie to us Erratum" Blue said, his voice purposefully quiet, "The proof you can is literally leaning on you" He then added, his voice slightly amused.

"hE's BeEN sTresSEd, sLeEP wiLl Do HiM soMe GOoD" Erratum responded, and even Horror could tell it was an attempt at redirecting the conversation. He continued to walk closer to the kitchen, his eyes aching at the light. 

"Pigment's always stressed. It's practically a personality trait at this point" Ink huffed out. "Don't be like that, Ink" He heard Blue instantly reply, as well as a loud sigh from Erratum. 

He reached the kitchen, and as the voices implied, everyone was in the kitchen. Ink was sitting on the counters, and Blue was standing in front of him, on the opposite side of the wall. Erratum was sitting on a dining chair, with another one right beside him, which hosted Pigment (Who for some reason was bare foot?). Horror wasn't sure how the God was sleeping in that kind of position. It looked like it hurt.

All eyes instantly landed on him, making him unwillingly tense up. Erratum frowned, "DiD wE wAKE YoU Up hOrROr?" Erratum questioned, concerned. Horror shook his head, his voice escaping him for a moment, "uh- no. I couldn't sleep." He whispered, looking away uncomfortably. 

Erratum didn't move- couldn't really, due to the currently limp figure practically sprawled over him- but he did look at Horror with concern, "NigHTmaRE?" He questioned, making Horror shake his head.

"no- I just.. wanted some water" Horror replied, the words coming out without him even thinking. He hadn't thought about getting water up until this point, but thinking on it for a second, he realized it would probably do his throat some good. 

Ink, who had been closest to the sink, nodded and went to grab a glass without another word. His movements were slow and quiet, like everything else that had happened. It appeared that Horror wasn't the only one who didn't feel right at being too loud this late.

Ink handed it to him, "Come sit up here, Horror. Your feet look freezing" He muttered, as he sat back on the kitchen countertops. Horror nodded, and sat there with him, Ink giving his shoulder a tight squeeze of encouragement. 

They didn't needlessly ask him questions, nor did they give him any concerned looks after their initial ones. Instead, they continued on with their conversation as if he wasn't there, the only sign that they remembered being Ink's comforting hand squeezing his shoulder every once in a while. 

It didn't take him long to fall asleep after that.