Chapter Text
Harry's P.O.V
"Brush your teeth twice a week! Twice a week, no, twice a day! Twice a day to get rid of decay!" The large tooth danced around the room.
"That doesn't even make sense! You contradicted yourself," Robin complained.
We were no longer in the house, now dragged into another lesson.
I had made what I believed to be an innocent comment about how my hair made brushing my teeth a hassle.
Now, of course, the comment had been contorted by the nightmare house into a new lesson to torment us. The teacher, simply calling itself "Tooth," whisked us into a large bathroom. It wasn't the bathroom in the house, that one was much smaller.
This one had three sinks, each lined with toothbrushes and mouthwash. Tooth continued its song, describing each item. "Mouthwash fights germs! Swish swish swish! Keeps your teeth quite delish!"
Before I could ask what the hell that even meant, we were whisked to yet another room, the teleportation making me dizzy.
When I regained my bearings I was trapped in a large reclining chair, my hands tied down with ropes. I struggled, trying to get loose, but the ropes only tightened.
Robin and Doi were on either side of me, also trapped in chairs. "Time for a tooth cleaning! Quick before your teeth start greening!"
"But I thought teeth turned grey?" Doi questioned.
The tooth paused, taking in a sharp breath. The music track in the background silenced. "I think you need your gums cleaned. Maybe then your mouth will learn when to stop talking," it said. It grabbed a handful of sharp tools.
Doi screamed. The tooth was obstructing my view, but I could imagine the blood and pain.
"STOP! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" I screamed, struggling even harder against the ropes.
"Oh, is it your turn now?" The tooth stalked over to me. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the blood and wounds covering Doi's face.
Before I could even struggle, the damned tooth put a device into my mouth to force it open, muffling my screams. Reducing me even further to powerlessness.
"My my, you've taken poor care of these. Look at these molars, it's clear you grind your teeth. Guess we'll have to remove them," the tooth threatened. It laughed, grabbing a pair of pliers. They were definitely not medical grade.
It clamped one of my molars, the tooth breaking under the force. I kicked at the teacher, screaming. The pain was exploding through my mouth. Shards of the teeth that were being destroyed lodged themselves into my throat. I tried to cough, but the device in my mouth made it difficult.
"This is why you have to take care of your teeth! Go to the dentist once a week!" The tooth was singing again.
My vision was starting to become fuzzy from the pain. My wrists burned from struggling against the ropes. I gasped for air, but I still felt like I was suffocating. My throat was being stabbed with each gasp, the tooth shards shifting.
I tried to scream stop, but the word was distorted by the device forcing my mouth open.
"There, last one," Tooth said calmly. It waved the pliers over my face, a tooth clamped within it. It was covered in blood, which slowly dripped onto my cheek. I squirmed, but I was still trapped.
Eventually it moved on to Robin, leaving me to suffer. I could only hope that I passed out soon. Maybe I could wake up at the kitchen table, like it was all a nightmare.
Robin was screaming now, but my energy was spent. I couldn't struggle any longer. Eventually he went silent. The only sounds in the room were the quiet sobs. I didn't even know whose they were at this point.
"And remember friends, taking care of your teeth never ends! Brush your teeth twice a day, and remember not to grind them away," the tooth sang. She stared at me after the last comment, as if to say 'especially you.'
We were back at the kitchen table as if nothing happened. I frantically ran my tongue across my teeth, but they were all there, completely undamaged. I took a deep, gasping breath, and nothing stabbed my throat.
"Is… is it gone?" Doi finally choked out. He had been feeling each tooth with his finger. His mouth looked normal, nothing like the torn up gums and flesh the tooth had left him with.
"Looks that way," I said, voice barely above a whisper.
Robin was staring at the table. I couldn't tell if he was dissociating or thinking over what had happened.
I started fiddling with my hair, trying to find comfort in the familiar texture.
"Can I have a hug?" Doi whispered. He was standing next to my chair now.
I nodded, and he slowly wrapped his arms around my shoulders. I hugged him back, squeezing tightly.
Robin looked at us. I put my hand on the table, palm facing up. He grabbed it. His eyes were glistening with tears, causing my own eyes to well up.
"That one was bad. Worst in a while," he finally said, a few tears slipping out.
"Yeah," was all I could manage to say. The word felt heavy. My whole body felt heavy. My wrists still hurt, even if the rope burns had been magically healed.
The room sank back into silence. The sun was beginning to set, coating the kitchen in warm orange light.
"Hey Harry?" Doi asked, unburying his face from my shoulder.
"Hm?"
"I think I'd like to do something else now. Something to get rid of it," he whispered. I nodded. A distraction would be nice.
"Robin, are you ready?" I asked. The words felt wrong in my mouth, like someone else was moving it. He sighed.
"I suppose we can't mope here all night. Maybe we should make dinner," he suggested. I nodded again, going to turn the light on.
"What should us- should we make?" Doi asked.
"Grilled cheese? No, I don't want to deal with the bread today," Robin thought out loud.
I grabbed the tortillas from the top of the fridge and offered them to Robin as a silent suggestion.
"Perfect! Quesadillas! It's like grilled cheese, but without the screaming," he smiled at me. I gave a half smile back.
Doi and I grated the cheese while Robin cooked the quesadillas. I kept a close eye on Doi to make sure he didn't hurt himself on the cheese grater. We had all been hurt enough today.
I shook my head. I didn't want to think about it. Tonight was a normal night, where we made dinner as a family-clump.
"Done!" Robin announced.
"Yay!" Doi cheered, bouncing slightly. Robin handed him a plate which he carefully carried to the table.
"Looks great," I said when Robin handed me my plate. The words were slightly easier to get out now.
"Of course it does. I made it!" Robin said, puffing his chest out proudly.
We ate in relative silence, but it was less heavy than before.
Doi yawned, breaking the silence.
"It's a bit late. Maybe we should sleep soon," Robin suggested nervously. Doi wrinkled his nose, and I frowned. None of us were looking forward to the nightmares that were certain tonight.
Eventually we settled on sleeping together in the living room. We shared a room anyway, but something about changing locations for the night was comforting.
"Goodnight guys," Doi said from his blanket nest on the floor.
"Goodnight," I mumbled. I was curled into the side of my chair. My back was going to hurt like hell the next day, but after today that was the least of my concerns.
Robin was already snoring in his rocking chair. Normally I would be annoyed, but tonight I appreciated the white noise to focus on.