To Stray Too Far From Home (Wally X Reader)

Welcome Home

Wally's eyes shot open, taking in the sight of his ivory ceiling, smiling from ear to ear.

You had bitten the apple. You were here. And there was no denying his offer like your father had. No turning down his proposal in turn for a relationship or a family- it was clear you had little to no connections besides your siblings which he knew you never talked to.

Now all that was left was to find you, and he knew just where you were.

Tearing off his sheets, Wally sped off to his closet, getting changed into a blue, yellow and red striped shirt and tucking it into tan dress pants kept tight to his hips with a black belt. Gazing into the mirror within his walk-in closet, he adjusted his collar and tied the ruby red ascot from his nightstand around his neck.

Analysing his appearance, Wally saw to it that he looked perfect. This was most certainly not an event he wanted to look disheveled for. This was his first real introduction to you and he wanted to resemble his best and make a good impression.

Fiddling around with his outfit also reminded Wally of another rather important project in motion.

"Home, how are things coming along with the puppet?"

The house creaked and groaned in response, the noises trailing down the hall to the locked basement door.

Ah, so Home wished to show his progress. Very well.

Strolling out of his room and to the entry of Home's lowest level, Wally pulled out the key he kept hidden beneath his ascot, placing it within its matching lock. Turning the mechanism, he entered the darkened basement, walking down the steps.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, he was met with a bright spotlight centered on a single lengthy metal table and lying upon it was the form of a puppet. There were little to no details on its form, no face, no proper felt skin and was simply just the bare bones of a figure, but it was a wonderful start. Wally couldn't be prouder.

"They look lovely so far, Home!" he praised, clapping his hands together gleefully, eyes squinting in delight.

The basement door clicked open, widening the grin on Wally's face.

"You're right. I'll head out now!"

Making a beeline to his kitchen, ensuring the door to the basement was sealed behind him. Wally snagged an apple from the bushel he had in a basket on his table, devouring the fruit in only two blinks.

Oh, how he missed the sweet flavour of Home's apples- he couldn't wait to show you what a real apple tastes like!

Darting out of his front door, waving goodbye to Home, Wally raced to the forest in search of his new neighbor.

—

The pounding in your head thrummed like marching band drums, rattling your brain. Groaning, your throat sore and tense, you noticed just how uncomfortable you were, something rough digging into your back, curving your spine at an odd angle.

Where were you?

What happened?

Your mind was foggy and clogged in a dense film, thoughts a jumbled mess, but then...

Wally's shit-eating grin, the apple, your nightmare. It all came flooding back with a force, the ache in your head worsening with every glimpse into your memory. In a panic your eyes shot open.

Wally had said the apple would take you to the real world, though this sure as hell didn't feel like it.

You were in the clearing, beneath the apple tree, the very same one Wally had given you the apple from. This was definitely not the place you had fallen asleep in and you could probably blame the puppet for that.