Loyal Servant (Crossmare) (Rewrite)

Lost And Found

"Oh my goodness. Look how pretty this world is!" Dream exclaimed, holding up a gorgeous piece of art. The paper had been one of the many scattered between her and Ink. They were his notes, drawings and bits of information he jotted down about the worlds currently within Nightmare's grasp. "I'm not even sure how they can suffer in such a pretty place," She said with a pout. "We have to put this one near the top of the list! I'm just dying to save them!"

Ink let out a small chuckle as he scanned through the others. "At this rate they'll all be at the top of the list," He pointed out, gesturing to an already tall pile of pages. "And unfortunately we can't liberate them all at once," He added.

She let out a heavy sigh. "I knowww," She whined, flopping back onto the anti-void's floor. She let the art she had been holding drift back down to sit amongst the others. "I'd blame your art, since you make them all look so precious, but it's really just me. I can't seem to prioritize people," She muttered, throwing an arm over her eyes.

"You can't help it. You're literally designed to be too pure of heart," Ink told her. She heard him stand, and when she moved her arm away from her face, she found him hovering over her. "How's that leg feeling?" He asked, in reference to the injury she had sustained in a fight. One they had gotten into with a handful of corrupted AUs. Had that really only been yesterday? It definitely still hurt, aching even when she wasn't putting any weight on it, but she wasn't quite eager to tell him that. Apparently her hesitance spoke volumes. "Alright. If you're still hurt, we can take a break from-"

"I am not taking a break," She insisted, swiftly sitting back up. Ink crossed his arms, but she easily brushed off the stern look he gave her. She grabbed two of the nearest pages. "I already took a break. One that lasted nearly five hundred years. If I hadn't been trapped in stone, I'd have been here to help protect these AUs," She shook off the lingering coil of guilt, knowing it wouldn't get her anywhere. "I have to make it up to them. I have to save them. And the sooner I do so, the better. So let's pick a world and get to work."

"I don't think being turned into a statue really counts as a break," Ink replied with his brow raised. He then pointed to her leg. "Plus if you don't rest, you're only going to end up in a worse shape than a fractured leg," He said before taking a knee beside her. "Maybe you have a hard time prioritizing people, but I don't. You're at the top of my list," He told her, gently plucking the pages out of her hands.

She kept quiet for a moment, staring blankly at all the notes and art before her. He's right. I can't help anyone if I end up dusted. She let out a long breath and gave him a smile. "Alright. I'll take a break," She agreed. He smiled too and she quickly lifted a hand. "But! We're jumping right back into action as soon as I'm healed!" She stubbornly warned.

"I'd expect no less from you," Ink chuckled back. "You're never down for long," He said. His gaze softened, turning into a more affectionate stare. As soon as she processed the look, she shot her pinpricks back down to the notes. "Wow. You looked away real fast."

"Because you're giving me the look," She murmured back. She spared him another glance. He took the opportunity to tilt his head inquisitively, though that charming smile of his remained. A golden blush tinted her cheeks which she already knew she couldn't hide. "Don't play dumb. You know what you're doing," She said, pointing a finger at him accusingly.

"Do I?"

"Yeah. You do. Five hundred years in stone hasn't erased that look from either of our memories," She said matter-of-factly. Ink shifted a bit closer and her blush deepened. "Ink-" She paused her warning as a powerful shudder ran through her. That wasn't an emotional response, though Ink sure thought it was. He looked ridiculously proud for half a second, until he too shuddered.