Chapter Text
Astro woke up in a sweat. For the first time in a while he had a nightmare, gasping for air. He shakes off the stress from that horrible scene. His body feels weak and rigid.
His head full of fog.
"Oh geez Astro! You woke up!" Dandy cheered, getting up from his desk. He's in Dandy's room and it was only morning. Approximately 10am, he remembered. A multicolored blanket layed hazardly on his legs.
"...An episode?" He asks.
"Yep, you passed out right after breakfast. Almost ate the plate! Luckily I was next to you! Oh and fast enough- of course." Dandy's scratched his elbow. Astro stresses about it and watches him uncomfortably. His cheeks tinted sapphire.
"...thank you, Dandy... For bringing me to your room again- I think I will go-" Astro searches for his lavender blanket on the chair next to the bed and gets up. He wasn't very stable at first but he didn't care. He didn't want to stay any longer in this cage.
Dandy took Astro's wrist, his eyebrows furrowed. "Are you sure? You had quite the temperature a few minutes ago! Even Sprout got concerned..."
"It's alright Dandy, I only spike when I have an episode... It's over now, hm?" He couldn't help but smile at the toon in front of him. His concern reassured Astro, he's not like that. It was only a nightmare.
"True..." he starts. "Ugh.. fine! Leave if you must. But please come back if you feel like something is wrong, I don't want to find you somewhere passed out... you nearly knocked your head earlier." Letting the toon go, Dandy placed his palms on his hips, smiling. "Okay?"
"Alright, alright. I swear...!" He responds with a serene smile of his own before leaving.
Astro checked his body at least ten times during the rest of the day.
He found solace in the fact he wasn't actually bleeding and there was no golden cage in his room waiting for him. Only blankets and his favorite star pillow greeted the astral toon calmly, they weren't judging Astro for his teary eyes and unstable legs... Their soft texture comforted the toon as he layed in his bed. Hiding the blue one away from the world.
Sighing, the main found himself on his back looking at the ceiling. A familiar scene.
Closing his eye, Astro wished to the stars to ease his worries. Dandy isn't an egg-eater monster, he doesn't burn birds nor made him vowed for eternity a life in his shadow...
He didn't,
did he?
Sapphire blush covered the toon's cheek in a dust of stars, he also didn't kissed Dandy like that. He's not poisoning Astro, he's not making him forget about his bir- objectives.
Focus, Astro.
They have a plan, a plan that's organized in runs and exploration. A plan that helps everyone nurture their abilities and makes them do something else than wait for Delilah's return.
No.
Dandy is not a monster.
He's not.
His first pair of hands held tightly the second pair with sweaty palms.
Dandy may appear odd or selfish at times but after everything he ended up enduring, Astro Novalite couldn't get mad at the flower, even thinking about it made no sense to him.
He's not a villain.
He's nuanced...
...
Astro took a sharp breath and sat up on his bed, opening back his eye. He moved close to the wall behind him, gluing his back to the cold structure.
It's only a nightmare, Astro.
You've seen worse....
His shoulders shook against the blanket half escaping, almost choking on his own saliva.
Groaning and shaking his head to make the bad thoughts fly away, Astro placed his head on the lavender wall behind him. Letting the cold temperature cool his mind off. His cap protecting him from being hurt by the pressure.
Astro's expression came into defeat.
With a finger to his mouth, he nibbles the skin of his nails. Abandoning the idea of thinking coherently, he watched his glow stars on the ceiling reflect the morning light in a fluorescent aura.
Decided to leave his nightmare behind, Astro grabbed a stuffed plushie with his best friend's friendly face sewed on it. His merchandise is everywhere and the moon found it quite wasteful to not use them... So, hugging it close with his second pair of arms to his stomach, he let the plush of his friend comfort him as he nibbles the bad habit he gained over the months. Or years.
Although, that nightmare will continue to haunt him, creep into the back of his neck, Astro couldn't help but touch his lips with the nibbled nails and think of Dandy.
Will he taste like Ichor next time too?