BFDI AND II ONESHOT BOOK!

Nightmares: Nickloon

It had been a bit over a month since season 3 of Inanimate Insanity wrapped up. Nickel and Balloon had patched things up and were now good pals. Balloon got invited back to stay at OJ's hotel, and life was looking up. He finally shook off his past and earned the respect of everyone who once doubted him. It felt great. Balloon was relieved! He didn't want any more drama. Being with his friends, especially Nickel, made him happy. They did everything together—playing games, chatting, just hanging out. Their friendship grew stronger each day.

They wished Suitcase and Baseball could see them now! Nickel and Balloon missed their pals. As they geared up for the end of season 2. They realised they hadn't seen Suitcase and Baseball since that whole mess in season 2. A lot has changed since then, and they hope Suitcase and Baseball have moved on too. Balloon especially wants Nickel to keep liking him. He can't stand the thought of going back to when Nickel didn't trust or like him. This friendship feels right, and he wants to keep it safe.

Even though things are better now, and Nickel and Balloon are finally getting along, doubts still linger. Despite Nickel's promises to always be there and support him, Balloon can't shake the fear that things will regress, that Nickel and others will change their minds about him and abandon him again. The thought terrifies him. He's put so much effort into fixing these friendships, and he can't bear the idea of losing them. Going back isn't an option for him.

. . .

It was late at OJ's hotel, with the moon high and the air chilly. Most everyone was asleep in their rooms. Balloon shared a room with Nickel, who was fast asleep, snoring loudly. Balloon was asleep too, until a nightmare jolted him awake. He trembled all over, sweating, his face filled with dread. The dream was awful—it was about Nickel leaving him, saying he wasn't good enough and never really his friend. It felt like he couldn't breathe, gasping for air, trying to calm down with shaky breaths and a hand on his chest. Tears welled up as he looked at Nickel, still sleeping peacefully beside him. It was just a dream, but the pain lingered. If it wasn't real, then what was wrong?

Perhaps Balloon's fear of losing Nickel still lingered, the trauma of past events haunting him. Even though they'd made amends, the dread of losing his newfound best friend gnawed at him. He finally felt understood by someone, and strangely, it was Nickel, the rude and sarcastic Nickel. But what if Nickel realised Balloon wasn't a good enough friend? What if old grudges resurfaced, tearing their friendship apart again? Terrible thoughts flooded Balloon's mind, refusing to go away. He desperately wished they would vanish, but they persisted, overwhelming him. He buried his face in his hands, tears streaming down. Losing Nickel was something he couldn't bear to imagine.

As the sobs grew louder, Nickel stirred in his sleep, disturbed by the noise. He weakly opened his eyes, trying to make sense of the dark room. Sitting up slowly, he rubbed his eyes with one of his limbs and then noticed Balloon. Frowning immediately, panic surged within him.

"Balloon?" Nickel asked, turning his head to try to get a better look at Balloon's face in the dim light.

Balloon gasped, hastily sniffing and wiping his eyes. "I'm fine," he blurted out, which probably wasn't the best thing to say because now Nickel knew he wasn't fine.

Nickel shook his head, unconvinced. He leaned over to the bedside table and switched on the lamp, casting a warm glow that illuminated the room. In the light, Balloon's weak and tear-stained eyes were unmistakable. He definitely wasn't fine.

"Jeez... Balloon... you look terrible– and I mean that in the most respectful way." Nickel commented.

Balloon sniffed and turned away, he didn't want Nickel to see him like this.

"I'm fine, really, please go back to bed."

"Oh yeah, I'll just go back to bed... No! Balloon, No, You're crying and you want me to just ignore that?" Nickel snapped. He didn't mean to sound so rude... he just was really worried and didn't understand what was going on.