Rainbow Heart

Chapter 15

It was a few days before Barney could talk again. Purple called him in sick at work. Adam had been very kind about the ordeal and told him to take care of Barney. Barney seemed to be locked in a deep state of sadness. He wouldn't talk or eat and most of the time he was just laying in bed staring off at some uncharted point in the distance. All he could think about was what he had seen that day. The explosion of energy, the scenes of the men surrounded by their loved ones taunting them, how Purple looked when sent out that blast. And how every man seemed to be reaching out, desperate for someone to help them, to be there for them. Everything was so dark and cold all the time. Barney seemed to be constantly shivering. But eventually he started to notice how Purple wasn't coming to check on him anymore.

How long had it been? Where was Purple? Had Barney driven him away? Was he okay? Was he eating?

Groaning, Barney started to pull himself out of bed. His legs and back hurt. Immediately he was dizzy from standing up so quickly and as soon as he did he realized how hungry and thirsty he was. How long has he been laying down?

He wandered the house, shaking and leaning against the walls. "Purple?" He called out hoarsely. "Purple?"

Eventually he found him leaning up against the kitchen table, staring off into space out an open window. The curtains fluttered lightly in the breeze. Purple seemed to be... Thinking.

"Purple." Barney croaked, damn his throat was too dry. "You aren't... You aren't crying."

Purple scoffed. "I'm not always around just because we're having a panic attack or blackout. Purple represents moodiness and mystery, and we're all just slaves to our colors. I'm the type to brood due to my personality."

Barney sat beside him. "This seems like something Green would do."

Purple laughed. It was a dry and humorless laugh. Bitter and distant. "Green isn't really like that. That's just how he acts. He wants to be tough because he's damaged by seeing the depth of the wounds done on our psyche. He thinks that he can protect us all on his own. But he can't. That's not how it works." Barney saw a tear drop into Purple's lap. "We're supposed to work together, and support each other! I thought... We were all equals."

"You are." Barney told him. Purple looked up at him, and the look on his face shocked Barney and shook him to his core. There was nothing but pure emotion on his face. Anger and anguish and hurt.

"How would you know?! You don't know anything! You have no idea what it's like to be us!" Purple screamed, clenching his fists. "We can't remember what happened to us! Do you have any idea how terrifying it is to wake up bloody, bruised, and surrounded by empty pill bottles and syringes with no recollection of what happened to you?"

Barney fell silent. "What?"

Purple was quiet. Too quiet. "Purple, what happened to you?" Barney asked, scared out of his mind now.

"I... I don't know! We can't remember!" Purple sobbed. "All I can remember is men in white clothes with masks and goggles. Gloved hands holding me down and forcing pills into my mouth and shoving syringes in all over. Then it's all black! What happened to me?!"

Barney tried to speak, but no words came out. All that came were tears. Thinking of Purple, a scared child curled up in a corner sobbing uncontrollably as doctors descended upon him and forced drugs into him. A child, beaten by his parents, neglected, and drugged.

Barney reached to hold onto Purple, but he drew back. Inside, Barney was hurt by Purple's rejection. But he understood why he didn't want to be touched. He was surprised any of the colors EVER wanted to be touched after what happened to them. Whatever that may have been.

Now Barney heard Green's words clearer than he ever had before.

They need you, Barney. Sometimes you won't know what's wrong, sometimes we'll go off for no reason. You may not always be able to help us. But you need to be there for them. They need you.

All that Barney could do now, was be there for them in their time of need.

"It's okay, Purple. I'm here now. I will never let anyone hurt you ever again."

Purple curled up into fetal position, sobbing into his knees. The sight broke Barney's heart.

"I would die before I let anyone hurt you." Barney promised. "You know I would."

He didn't stop crying, and Barney didn't even try to touch him. Just continued to try to console him from a distance.

That's the way it was for hours. Purple was inconsolable and unreachable. But Barney didn't leave him. He stayed with him. After a while he stopped talking, letting Purple cry himself to sleep. At the end, when Purple had finally cried himself into a slumber, Barney was exhausted. Emotionally, mentally, physically drained. His eyes were swollen and sensitive from the amount he had cried. He couldn't stand to see the one he loved so upset. Now he knew that they must feel everyday of their life. The helplessness, the hopelessness, the anguish and confusion. Barney wanted to vomit.

He made a vow that night that he would protect his boyfriend. No one else would ever hurt him ever again. As long as he was alive.

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I explained this earlier, but I'll explain again because it's sort of important and if you still don't understand that's bad because it's big for the plot.

The colors, whatever form they may have been in at the time, were forcefully drugged in hopes of finding a way to control his emotions, and therefore his changes in color. His parents wanted their normal child, and were willing to take ANY chance of that meant they might get him. Even drugging their own child into overdose after overdose on seriously dangerous pharmaceuticals.

The reason the colors are functional AT ALL and not so damaged by their childhood is because they were in almost constant blackouts due to the drugs they were on. Many of the drugs they were on cause amnesia and weakness, among other things. It's very tragic.

-💕 Bubblegum 💕