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Laughter filled the air as children, little skeletons who looked strikingly like him, ran after each other. Their squeals of “Daddy’s home!” had him looking around for their father. Certainly, it couldn’t be him, right? He didn’t remember having kids, nor did he recognize these chaotic balls of energy.
A small skeleton with black bones and round blue glasses tugged on his hand. He looked at them as they smiled, before noticing how they had eyes just like his. Red and yellow, but with the addition of green in their left iris. They spoke softly as they pulled him through the door.
“C’mon, mama’s been waiting for you!”
The child ran ahead, leaving him at the entrance. He took in his surroundings. The house looked cozy and welcoming, with browns, greens, and blues throughout the living room. The room was littered with picture frames, most of them containing children’s drawings.
The walls were painted in such a way it looked alive, swirling patterns giving the illusion of movement but it wasn’t overwhelming. Instead, it seemed as though it was dancing to an invisible tune. The patterns twisted into a wide corridor, to which Error entered carefully.
As he walked through the halls, Error looked through the pictures of each child, all of which were smiling wide and happy. Eventually, he stumbled across one of himself. There he was sitting on a large bean bag chair with two little skeletons on his stomach and a human girl on his shoulders. He had a huge grin on his face and seemed to be laughing.
He looked happy.
An upbeat tune grabbed his attention. That must be where the kids, his kids, have gone. He made his way towards the sound, determined to find out who ‘mama’ was.
He soon found himself in the kitchen, and the smell of spices wafting through the air made his mouth water. Whoever they were, they must be a damn good cook. There was nobody near the stove, which had a large pot bubbling gently on the fire. He lifted the lid slowly, like a child sneaking in a few cookies before bed.
What greeted him was a beautifully colored stew, a deep red with chunks of beef and greens. It smelled divine, and he was tempted to grab a piece for himself.
Just one bite wouldn’t hurt...
“Alright, alright, I’m coming. You don’t need to push me, dear!” A voice laughed. His soul practically jumped out of his ribcage as he quickly placed the lid back on and turned around. If the scare from almost being caught wasn’t enough to kill him, the sight of you with his children was more than enough to send him reeling.
You were beautiful. A smile on your face, you were being shoved by another little skeleton and the girl in the picture. You didn’t seem to mind, however, as you simply let them do as they pleased.
“Okay, that’s enough. Jiji, Code, go set the table and get Adwin, will you?” You asked. The pair shouted, “okay!” before running off. You called after them. “Oh, and get Teddy from the backyard!”
The only response was laughter, and you huffed while putting your hands on your hips.
You had your hair braided in rows and you were wearing a patterned scarf on top of your curly locks. You were wearing a navy blue sundress with sunflowers, along with an apron that looked exactly like his handiwork.
Error was quick to notice the roundness of your stomach, and the way you waddled over to greet him had his soul fluttering.
You were pregnant, heavily so, and yet you were still able to keep up with the kids like it was nothing. How long had the two of you been together for this to come so naturally?
“Welcome home, my thread,” you whispered lovingly. You wrapped your arms around him, burying your face into his scarf and humming in content, pressing a kiss to his mandible. “I missed you.”
Error’s face felt hot, embarrassed by the affection, but he accepted your hug and even returned your quick kiss. He wasn’t in control of his movements, and it felt like he was watching himself from miles above.
“I’m home, my needle. Missed you too. ”
His voice sounded so gentle, so loving. Error wanted to look away from the sweet display, but another part of him wanted to be in your arms, to be the one kissing you and holding you so closely. He felt like he was going to crash from how full his soul was.
You pulled away to smirk at him. “Don’t think I didn’t see you trying to steal some stew before dinner. If you're hungry, you’ll have to wait,” you chuckled.
“ I-I wasn’t! ” He sputtered. His cheeks flushed brighter at the accusation, but he knew he was wearing a goofy grin.
You only laughed jovially before taking your place in front of the stove. You opened the bottom cabinet, struggling to reach the glass pot in the back before Error stepped in. He handed you the pot and the two of you fell into a natural rhythm of dancing around the kitchen.
You would ask him to get you something and he would hand it to you using his strings. At some point, you began to sing. Your voice was silky and rich, and he melted as you serenaded him sweetly.
Cause I love you
And what love is
Never selfish
And of service~
Oooh, cause I love you
And what love is
Never selfish
And on purpose~
He wrapped his arms around your middle as you swayed together, rubbing his multicolored phalanges over the life growing inside you. Occasionally, he pressed a kiss to your temple, reveling in the way you laughed at the sensation.
Everything felt like it was meant to be. Here he was, surrounded by love and a family he could call his own. Maybe the creators finally took pity on his horrible past and forgave him for his destruction, allowing him to be here, to be loved.
Error closed his eye sockets, content to hum along to the melody and have you in his arms.
When he opened his eyes, there was only black. It was dead silent. The house was nowhere to be found, the world around him was now a feeble attempt to replicate what he could never have. Everything was stripped of warmth, and he shivered at the cold atmosphere.
“ Y/n? ”
He searched for you, frantic and worried before a droplet of red landed in front of him. The vibrant color glowed in contrast to the shades of grey. He looked up and froze.
“Error...”
Fuck.
“H... help...”
No. No, no, no, no, no!
Why were you here?!
Error almost hurled when he saw the way your body twisted. Your spine was clearly broken and your legs were all wrong, he shuddered when he realized he couldn’t see your arms.
You were strung up by thin blue strings, his strings, and covered in blood. How did this happen?
He promised you he would never let you get tangled in the deadly wires, and you trusted him. Now, look at you.
Your eyes were wide with panic, and he was close to tears when he saw the lines around your neck and plump stomach.
A laugh rang through the stillness. Error’s magic ran cold. His voice was laced with seething hatred.
“ I told you to stay away from me human. You didn’t take me seriously, and the fact that you had the gall to trust me just shows how stupid you are. ”
Error wanted to scream. He wanted to reach out and free you from your prison above him but he couldn’t move. The more he spoke, the more desperately he tried to take control of his own body.
“ Aww, don’t cry. This will all be over soon enough. You’ll be gone, and I’ll be free from your pathetic presence. You were nothing but a pass time, and I’ve grown bored of your antics. ”
Error watched in horror as he lifted his hand, phalanges tied with blood-stained magic, and yanked it downward. Your pained screams soon followed as blood began pouring onto the floor.
“ You’ve been quite the entertainment, but I’m afraid it’s time for you to go. ”
He was forced to watch as you flailed around, fighting against the wires that tore into your skin. Every time you moved they wound tighter until the sickening thud of your legs hitting the ground filled his mind. The air was thick with the scent of iron.
He wanted out.
He didn’t want to see this!
He didn’t want to do this!
Why couldn’t he stop?! Please just make it stop!
Your soul was ripped from your body and into Error’s waiting hand. He wrapped his fingers around it and tugged. You were screaming his name, begging him to stop but he didn’t.
He kept pulling until it tore, his phalanges tearing it apart with ease. Humans didn’t dust as monsters did. Error remembered all the universes he’s destroyed, how each human’s body remained after their souls shattered like glass.
Your soul, once beautiful and shining, dulled as it broke. There was a grey liquid coating his bones, spilling out from the cracks in your torn soul, and he sneered at the sensation.
“ Disgusting,” he hissed.
Your screams slowed, and he was forced to watch the light fade from your eyes. The deep, shining orbs had been tainted with a bloody red, and your sclera was an unnatural, disturbing black.
What had he done?
Just when he thought it couldn’t get worse, another soul drifted in front of him. It was small and white, with specs of dust melting off its edges.
An unborn monster soul.
Cracks ran along the glossy surface, chipping away with a faint *tik tik tik* before it shattered, its pieces being thrown to the floor. Error leaned down to pick up a shard in his hands.
He turned it over, examining the dusty edges of what could have been his son or daughter, before crushing it in his palm like it was nothing more than an eyesore.
He killed you.
He killed his children.
He killed his family.
He wanted to scream. He wanted to fall to the floor, slamming his fists into his skull, crying, begging for you to come back to him but he knew the truth.
It was all his fault.
Why did he think he could change for the better?
Why did he think he was deserving of your love? Your trust?
Nothing was going to change. Not now, not ever.
Error was cursed to be alone.
What more could you expect from a GLITCH?