A Friend (Stanford Pines x Reader)

Nightmares

Ford had a huge grin on his face when he entered the room again. You leaned against the wall, watching him curiously. It took Ford a few moments to notice you were there. "So... what did you think?" He asked. "I know my mom can be, well, a lot at once."

"I love her," You said with no hesitation. "She's so nice! I almost forgot she was a pathological liar." Ford laughed at the remark and crossed the room to the bunks and placed a hand on the frame. "And my dad?"

"I will admit, he did intimidate me with his question at first. I wasn't expecting that of all things. He's okay. I'll warm up to him eventually. It'll just take longer than I hoped it would, I guess."

An apologetic expression came over Ford. "I'm sorry he asked that right off the bat."

"Did I give the wrong answer?" You asked. You remembered Ford's physical responses and the tension in the room as you answered. You had heard the comment Filbrick made while you were in the hall, but you had to be certain. "No," Ford said finally. "There really isn't a right or wrong answer. You were honest. That's all anyone can really ask for."

Ford's POV

In all honesty, I didn't have the slightest idea of what to expect when I arrived home. But all went well with (Y/N) and my parents, and I was elated. At the same time, one thing bothered me: My parents removed any and all traces of Stanley from the home. The only evidence that indicated that there was another son was the vacant bunk that (Y/N) was currently asleep on. Anything he owned that he hadn't taken with him, any photographs, any gift he had given my parents was all gone. It was as though Stanley Filbrick Pines never lived in the home at all.

I didn't know how to feel about this. Would it hurt more if they had left his belongings untouched? I didn't know, and I didn't want to find out. They could erase physical evidence of Stanley, but my parents couldn't get rid of the memories they carried with them in their minds.

My feelings about Stanley were conflicted, to say the least. On one hand, and most of the time, I was angry with him. Stanley sabotaged what could have been my big break. It could have gotten us potential millions. He selfishly put his needs before my own. I suppose I wanted to be angry and nothing else, but sometimes guilt eats away at me. When there's nothing to entertain my active mind, my thoughts will stray to him.

I turned my head to stare out the window across the room. I could make out stars through the glass. If I strained enough, I could barely make out the crashing of the ocean waves. I wonder where you are now. As far as I was aware, Stanley didn't have a plan for what to do with his life. He didn't even have a diploma. Sure, people could get by without one, but that didn't mean that it wasn't difficult to do. I screwed my eyes shut and clamped my hands over my ears, but that didn't block out the words that rang in my mind. "Stanford, tell him he's being crazy! Stanford...? Don't leave me hangin'...high six?"

The sky had turned yellow. The wind picked up significantly, sending the clothing that clung to your body billowing and your hair whipping around your face. You collapsed onto your knees, feeling the singed grass beneath you. Instinctively, you dug your fingers into the earth, trying to ground yourself. How had this happened? You searched your brain for a solution, but none came to you. Was this the end of the world? The thought sent chills up your spine.

Slowly, you tilted your head upward. The sky was yellow, just as before, but that's not what caught your attention. A large, glowing tear had developed in the sky, shaped in an X. Terrifying creatures that you could only conjure up in your nightmares spewed through the tear like water from a busted pipe, shrieking and howling in delight. Fear wrapped around you, rendering you immobile. As horrified as you were, though, you were unable to look away.

Shrill peals of laughter filled the air. You jerked your head in their direction. A yellow, one-eyed triangle stared down at you. Despite having no mouth, or any facial features other than his eye, you could sense his amusement in your small, helpless form. He pulled something out from behind his back. He roughly waved the object in his hands, then tossed it, sending it plummeting down to the ground. You flinched, but it never hit you. Instead, it landed right in front of you with a thud.

A golden statue lay before you. His hands were stretched out before him, as though he had been trying to fend something off or defend himself. He had a frozen, horrified expression on his face. You stared at him, unsure of what to do. A strange sense of familiarity took over as you stared at him, but you couldn't place it. The other creatures stood behind the triangle, cheering and manically applauding, like the triangle had performed a spectacular magic trick. He raised his thin, black arm and snapped his fingers.

In an instant, the ground beneath you erupted into flames. You jumped up and stumbled backward. You were only able to make it back by a few steps before feeling heat against your back. You were trapped inside the flames, and they inched closer and closer like hungry, venomous snakes. You whipped your head over to the statue again. The flames had crawled onto it, snapping and crackling. The face seemed to stare at you with malice.

"Y/N!"

The voice echoed from all around you. You looked around, but you couldn't see a speaker through the flames. You fell to your knees again, clamping your hands over your ears. "Make it stop!" You implored. The flames inched closer, the heat overwhelming you. As you tilted your head up to the sky again, the yellow triangle stared back, still laughing.

"Y/N!" You jumped and bolted upright, heart hammering in your chest. The surroundings were unfamiliar to you, only causing more panic. A hand reached for your arm, causing you to jump again. This time, the action caused you to slam your head on something above you. You cried out slightly in pain.

"Y/N!" Your eyes landed on Ford, and in an instant, it all came flooding back to you. You were in his childhood home in his childhood house. He stared at you with wide, concerned eyes. "F-Ford?" You asked, partially expecting him to become engulfed by the flames that you had just seen.

"It's okay, Y/N, it's okay. It was just a nightmare," He said soothingly. You threw your arms around him, and with no hesitation, he accepted. He climbed into the bed beside you, never releasing his hold on you. Warmth trickled down your cheeks, and you realized that you were crying. "It was just a nightmare, sweetie." Ford rubbed his hand on your back in a circular motion, steadying you.

"Everything was on fire... And - and, the laughter, it..." You tried to explain yourself, but the lump in your throat made it difficult to speak. "Shh, shh," Ford pulled you closer. You allowed it, burying your face into his chest. You absorbed his scent in warmth, grateful he was here with you. "Y/N, whatever you saw, I promise it wasn't real. You're in Glass Shard, New Jersey, with me, and nothing bad is happening. You're safe. I will never let anything bad happen to you. You know that, don't you?"

You nodded weakly.

"Take deep breaths, Y/N. It's okay," Ford's reassuring voice served as an anchor holding you down in reality. Suddenly, you felt ashamed. You drew back and looked up at him. "I'm sorry, Ford. I was overreacting, and I woke you up, and-" Ford put a finger on lips, ceasing your rambling. "Y/N, you do not owe me an apology. Nightmares happen. You didn't wake me up and you're not bothering me. You've been there for me countless times when I needed someone. Let me return the favor."

You smiled and melted into his embrace again. Ford leaned you back into a lying position. "Feeling better?" He asked quietly.

"Yes," You assured him. "Ford?"

He hummed in response.

"I love you,"

"I love you too, Y/N."