Affection Faded Blue - Inking Love sequel

Recovery

Hi.

Yeah. There's more.
Hahahaha.

bye bye baby blue..

~~~

Error's POV

The kids stayed in Outertale for the first two weeks after the battle. I didn't want them to see Ink like this, so broken and lost.

When we first got home and I showed Dust to the guest bed so he could be alone, I led Ink around the house, trying to help him to get used to touching, smelling, hearing, and seeing things again. He giggled the entire time.

I had sat him down in a chair while I made soup over the stove, and he was mostly quiet.
Until he had his first panic attack, that is.

I remember hearing the clatter of something behind me. I had figured Ink had just knocked something off the table, but I didn't hear any of the usual laughter that came when he did it. I just hear panting. I'd turned around to see Ink in the fetal position on the floor. I immediately dropped everything and knelt down beside him and put a hand on his back.

"It's everywhere," he'd whispered.

"What is?" I asked worriedly.

"The white," he said. "And the pain. So much pain. Ripped apart. Whipped apart. Dust. Blue. Blue dust." Ink started sobbing hysterically, and I hugged him to my chest, whispering to him to take deep breaths. It hurt so much seeing him like this, being unable to help.

Throughout the first week, the panic attacks continued. I found that the only thing that comforted him was just to be touching something or someone.

Other than that, he was getting better. The insane giggling had almost completely stopped, and he was starting to make real sentences and not just babbling about "bright bright bright people with yucky yucky grey dusty dust."

At the end of two weeks, when Ink seemed to be interacting with most things well, I decided it was probably time for the kids to come back.

When they did, they were really happy. Mostly. Gradient kicked me in the shin and told me if I ever let Ink be captured by bad people again, I'd be in trouble from him.

Ink laughed at that, his laugh sounding less crazed. The two kids both turned to the creator, who was sitting upside down on the couch. He had this thing about having to sit weirdly on things or else he'd freak out. I hoped that we'd get that resolved soon.

"Dad?" PaperJam asked. "Why's Papa sitting like that?"

"Yeah," Gradient added, "is he okay?"

Ink smiled at them. "I know your voices! Gr.. Gradient and Paper." He stumbled over Gradient's name a bit, and just stuck to PaperJam's nickname.

PaperJam walked over to him. "Of course you do. We're your kids!"

I winced a bit. Even though Ink had gotten better with most things, he wasn't up to speed with the whole 'having kids' thing.

"Kids!" Ink exclaimed, turning upright. "I remember kids.. I think.." He turned to me, "Error, do I remember kids?"

"Yeah," I told Ink, sitting down beside him. "We adopted them. From the big house. Remember the big house?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "I remember! I remember fighting.. over a stabhorse. What's a stabhorse?"

I looked at him, startled. His memories had been a bit scattered, and he had trouble remembering recent things. He'd remembered that I was his fiancé at the end of the first week, and had recollection of the Star Sanses and his origins, but hadn't been able to think of much past that point.

"Dad?" Gradient whimpered. "Did Papa forget us?"

I looked at him sympathetically and waved both him and PJ over. "Your Papa's been having some troubles since he's gotten back," I told them. "He's going to be really off for a bit, but he'll get better, okay?"

"Okay," PaperJam said.

"But did he forget us?" Gradient asked again.

I looked down. "For a while, yes. He forgot about who I was to him as well."

PaperJam teared up. "But he promised," he cried as he leaned in for a hug. "He promised he wouldn't forget us."

"I know," I whispered.

Dream's POV

When Cross and the other Evil Sanses led Halluciv, Castor and I through a dark portal to Nightmare's castle, I passed out immediately.

While I was unconscious, I don't remember having any dreams. I could only hear voices.

"So we're not going to back stab him and kill him?"

"No. As much as I hate it, Cross wants to help his boyfriend, and so we'll let him help."

"We can kill him when he's better, right?"

"You touch him and I kill you."

"Calm down, Criss Cross."

"Hey guys? How do you think Dust's doing?"

"Badly. I can feel his anguish strongly."

"We should have a funeral. Maybe that'll help him let go."

"How the hell is that going to make things better for him, Chara?"

"I dunno. It helps humans to know their loved one has reached their 'final resting place' or something dumb like that."

When I woke up, tears were streaming down my face and the pillow I was laying on was soaked.

"Hey."

I looked up suddenly. Cross sat at the end of the bed, looking at me with a comforting smile. "Thinking of Blue and Ink..?"

"I guess? I'm not sure. I don't remember," I confessed. "How long was I out?"

"Three days," he replied.

"Three days?!" I exclaimed. "I have to get up, I have to seal off-"

"Already done."

"What?"

"I convinced Nightmare to seal off that AU for you. You just worry about getting better, okay? Your wounds haven't completely healed yet."

I looked at him in confusion. Cross pointed at the blankets. I took them off and saw that my ribs and legs were bandaged up.

"O-oh. Thank you, Cross."

He got up, walked up to me and kissed my forehead. "Anything you need, just shout, okay? I'll leave you to get more rest."

I was going to argue, but as soon as my head was on the pillow, I was out cold again.