Chapter Text
Nothing felt right anymore.
He'd been taken weeks, or perhaps longer before his rescue. He'd been tricked and lied to, told his best friend needed to see him, was too busy to come himself and, in the trust and friendly companionship he felt with Dream, the diamond boy had followed without a real thought.
He'd made idle conversation that Dream took to easily, answering questions and returning sarcastic, teasing remarks with ones of his own like the two were old friends. He had Skeppy laughing, lightly nudging him or running a little ahead only to stop and make sure Dream was still in sight as the masked man led him down the path the boy didn't recognize.
But Skeppy didn't see anything wrong. He was optimistic, he knew he could be dramatic and temperamental but he'd been in a good mood, and he remembered friendly bonding with Dream, remembered the masked man training the diamond boy in axe combat, how to crit, when to back off, how to use a shield.
Skeppy didn't think anything was wrong. Dream was his friend. Although, they weren't that close, and Bad had known the man far longer than Skeppy had, but the two got on well despite how much teasing Bad and Skeppy endure from the Dream Team.
His mistake was having so much trust in him; it was him paying such little mind to past events, not involving himself in the chaos of the SMP and thus having no idea the danger he could find himself in depending on who he spoke with, who he spent any amount of time with.
And his first mistake was believing it when Dream said he'd take him to Bad.
He was taken off guard, knocked out with two strong hits to his head when they were a good distance away from the main SMP. The first hit sent him to the ground, looking up in horror to see striking hazel eyes looking down on him with a sick grin matching his mask before Skeppy's world went black.
He'd been threatened, and he brushed the threats off like they were nothing, but when Bad was threatened, Skeppy was disgustingly compliant, although angry. He wasn't afraid to admit how much anger he felt, how any friendliness and companionship was now twisted and as disgusting as the vines from that stupid egg Bad loved so much.
Dream didn't care, ruthless and unforgiving. Skeppy fought back twice, and only twice.
Because each one ended in a lost life. Dream thought into it, so unaffected by Skeppy's punches and hits when the diamond boy didn't have a single weapon and Dream was decked out in Netherite.
Skeppy suffocated to death
Skeppy went up in flames
He hated it, everything about it.
He was shoved into the wall, barred in and left to rot.
Dream had the sense to take away his communicator and every night, after forgetting and patting his pockets again, Skeppy would hide any tears that leaked out into his pants, curling up the best he could into the tight space as he bawled into his knees. He was never more grateful that Dream rarely spent the night around the area.
He had the audacity to ask Skeppy if he was okay the first time, and the diamond boy nearly threw up, instead heaving for a few minutes before he hid in his hoodie, pulling the strings tight as he squirmed back as far as he could.
He knows he can be dramatic, throw tantrums for the sake of it and the amusement of a frustrated Bad, he knows he can be incredibly emotional, but it felt warranted. He was barred in a two block tall hole in the wall in an incredibly dark room, left all alone and god, he wanted Bad.
He begged a few times closer to the end, starved and tiny and weakly pleading Dream let him see or talk to Bad, he'd give anything even to just be greeted by Bad.
As expected, he was denied every time.
When it all came crashing down, Skeppy used his hoodie to shield his eyes from the light brought into the cage by torches as Dream led Tommy and Tubbo through the hall, chills making the diamond boy shiver as he peered up from his incredibly stiff knees and met the worried and frankly terrified eyes of two of the kids of the SMP.
His fingers gripped the bars, a hint of his old spirit back in him as he hissed words in a language the boys didn't know, and the only clear words of English, "Don't you lay a fucking hand on them, you ᔑʖ⍑𝙹∷∷ᒷリℸ ̣ ᒲ𝙹リᓭℸ ̣ ᒷ∷!"
They didn't understand anything he spoke from there, but he was certainly riled up, absolutely furious to see and hear what Dream was up to, to piece it together in his head as the boys plead for their lives.
He seemed to quiet when Punz's voice echoed through the large room and he was hiding in his hoodie again as footsteps approached. When a shadow blocked the little light he got from within the cage, he flinched back, uttering incomprehensible words against his pants until a soft voice reached his ears, "S'geppy...?"
Skeppy's breath hitched in his throat, he could hear the gasps and whispers of horror of their friends as he slowly lifted his head. When he saw the other, he was sitting up more, shaking fingers of one hand gripping the bars tight as the other tried to reach through the bars. A broken sound left the diamond boy when void black fingers brushed his, a soft voice cooing, "I'm here, S'geppy, I'm here.."
"!¡ꖎᒷᔑᓭᒷ ⊣ᒷℸ ̣ ᒲᒷ 𝙹⚍ℸ ̣ 𝙹⎓ ⍑ᒷ∷ᒷ..."
Bad's brows forrowed, but he responded in the language just as easily as Skeppy spoke it, "↸𝙹リ'ℸ ̣ ʖᒷ ᓭᓵᔑ∷ᒷ↸, i'ꖎꖎ !¡∷𝙹ℸ ̣ ᒷᓵℸ ̣ ||𝙹⚍..."
The boy whimpered, tugged once at the bars, and when Bad held his hands up, whispering reassuring words and promising protection as he held up his pick, breaking the bars rather quickly and freeing him.
But when Skeppy slowly crawled toward the opening, he glanced over, saw the smiling mask and he crawled back in, shaking as he shook his head, breath coming quicker as he refused to leave, hissed foul language and explanations in Galactic as Bad first seemed to pale, but then his fear turned into blatant rage, a low growl leaving his lips as he turned to the masked man.
Sam was the one to coax Skeppy out, getting him as far as sitting on the edge. The creeper wouldn't let Skeppy turn his head or look at Bad, even getting in his way when the sickening sounds reached his ears and Skeppy's head jerked in that direction.
It was only a few minutes and the boy only really calmed down when the creeper pressed his gentle hands over his ears, reassuring the boy it was okay, he was safe now.
Skeppy felt a little relief upon seeing Tommy and Tubbo standing with the rest, watching on in horror, and he felt a bit more relief when Sapnap walked over, gently wrapping his fingers around his father's upper arm, offering a weak smile when Skeppy looked up at him.
He only really relaxed when Bad returned to their sides, and his head was too loud, he couldn't think, but the room was eerily quiet as Skeppy reached up, choking on any words he was about to spout when Bad lifted him up like it was nothing, gently tucking his smaller husband against his chest and purring. "ᓵᔑリ ∴ᒷ ⊣𝙹 ⍑𝙹ᒲᒷ リ𝙹∴?" Skeppy asked softly, letting his eyes close as his arms reached up, winding around Bad's neck and more comfortably allowing him to tuck his head against the nether demon's neck.
Getting back to normal living was proven to be quite difficult.
It took days to more regulate Skeppy's diet and get him eating and drinking again. It took even longer to get him to sleep through the night.
The first night had scared the life out of Bad. A yell had woken him up from where he'd dozed on the couch, and when he'd booked it to their shared bedroom, he found the boy curled up on the floor in the corner, blankets twisted mercilessly around his legs as he heaved for air he couldn't get.
Bad was horrified, but he resisted his urge to run to Skeppy's side, instead tapping his knuckles against the wall to catch the boy's attention. When he looked up, Bad crouched slowly, holding his hands up as his tail softly thwapped against the ground behind him. "S'geeeppy," He cooed, watching the boy hiccup and gasp, coughing on his words and watching the demon with wide eyes.
"It's just me, your husband," he breathed. "You're safe here, okay? Deep breaths, sweetheart." It didn't seem to be helping for a moment, but Skeppy eyed him, shaking as he breathed harshly and pressed a hand to his own chest, trying to show his breaths.
Bad didn't move until Skeppy whimpered, reaching a hand out for the demon and squirming closer. He crawled over to the other, gently pressing himself against Skeppy's side and holding out his arms. He had to smile somewhat as the boy scrambled into the demon's lap, shakes and gasps starting to quiet down when Bad purred loudly under him, tail wrapping around one of his legs as one of his hands gently pressed against Skeppy's back. He rubbed his back firmly, his other hand gently scratching through his hair with his claws as he calmed him down. "Follow my breathing, S'geppy, it'll be okay..."
"Bad..."
"I know, I know..."
The two sat in silence for a long while, holding onto each other in the dead of night as Skeppy came down, whispered the details of his dream into Bad's shoulder and begged the demon to stay by his side.
Skeppy only slept from there with Bad at his side, and it became rather common to find him on the couch, wrapped in a blanket with dark circles under his eyes waiting for Bad when the demon came home late. Bad did his absolute best to not stay out too late with friends, and it was soothing to know they were okay with the demon cutting it short.
He'd glance up at the sky, gasp upon seeing the stars and look so guiltily at his friends, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize how late it was getting! I need to get home so S'geppy can get to bed!"
They always understood after what they'd seen that day, and Bad always found him half asleep on their couch, struggling to stay awake as he awaited his husband. Bad would step in slowly, rid himself of his armor, and go about his nightly routine.
And when he was ready, he'd lift Skeppy up into his arms, carrying him to bed and curling up with him, whispered promises to never leave his side keeping him calm until he finally fell asleep.
It'd be a rough recovery for everyone, but that meant they understood that much more. Bad didn't mind the ride, watching after his husband and using spare time to check in with his friends.
Sometimes there'd be a visitor there for Skeppy, and while it was hard if Skeppy didn't truly know who they were, Bad's presence always kept him calm, and Skeppy only really clung to and spoke to them when it was Puffy, Sam or Sapnap.
Quackity had stopped by once, but Skeppy didn't say a word to him the whole visit. It was unsettling, but Quackity found his footing in silence, telling stupid jokes and stories to see the corner of Skeppy's lips quirk up during each dumb joke or goofy line in a story. It was a relief for Bad to see.
It was a rough recovery, and it'd go on for such a long time. But Bad would hold out as long as it took, peppering kisses to Skeppy's face and promising love and safety and loyalty until he'd see that pretty smile again.
And when he began to lose some hope, to worry maybe nothing would get better from the damage done, they had gone on a nice long walk through the SMP.
Bad had softly asked what he could do, how he could perhaps make things better for Skeppy or lessen the pain, what he could do to see that smile and hear that laugh he knew, what could he do to make his husband less afraid each day.
In response, Skeppy reached down, twined their fingers together as they walked past Church Prime and when Bad's gaze met his, the diamond boy looked back, offered him a shaky grin. "We'll be okay," Skeppy murmured, squeezing Bad's hand tightly for a moment.
"╎ ꖎ𝙹⍊ᒷ ||𝙹⚍ ᓭ𝙹 ᒲ⚍ᓵ⍑, ᒲ|| ↸ᒷᒲ𝙹リ...."
Bad couldn't help but smile, pressing a soft kiss to the back of Skeppy's hand.
"╎ ꖎ𝙹⍊ᒷ ||𝙹⚍ ℸ ̣ 𝙹𝙹, ᒲ|| ↸╎ᔑᒲ𝙹リ↸."