Hey…so this is my first Undertale fanfic, I've fallen in love with the fandom…also the multiverse. I have to admit, I'm a little picky when it comes to the fanfiction community…in general really. Anyway, I hope people enjoy this, I came up with this during an rp I was doing. Now um…I don't really know what all powers Ink has so I'm just going off what I think he can do. Also…sorry if Error is OOC…

Summary: while investigating somewhere in one of the universes Ink gets severely injured, soul on the verge of shattering, the next thing he knows is that he's in the anti-void with strings holding his soul together.

Strings That Hold Me Together

Chapter 1

Pain…pain was all that could be felt at the moment as he found himself coming into consciousness, at first all he could see was darkness due to his eyes being closed but then as he opened them all he saw was white. Was this…yes, it was the anti-void; he hissed in pain as he tried to get up but found himself to be bandaged, but he was still hurting. It felt like his soul was in millions of pieces, god it just hurt so much and he couldn't stand it. "Ugh…" Ink summoned his soul, eyes widened as he looked at the strings wrapped securely around his soul. There were tiny cracks that could be seen from under the strings, it was like they were holding his very soul together…but these strings! T-they were Error's, there was no mistaking that, but why? What was going on?

Ink tried his best to sit up but found he was just way too sore to even attempt such a feat, god he didn't think he had ever been in this amount of pain before. As he laid back down Error went over to him and looked him over to see if something was wrong.

"Don't move, I just finished patching you up." Error said, voice glitched as it always did when he spoke.

What, why had…why was Ink trying to help him? I didn't make sense, after the millions of times they had butted heads, after the millions of times Ink had to do his best to repair a universe. What the hell was Error playing at anyway, this had to be some sort of joke. God he couldn't think straight right now, so much pain. "W-why am I here…" His voice was but a whisper, throat feeling scratchy from lack of use, it made him feel thirsty; he needed a drink or something.

"You were fighting that creature, it was a good thing I was in that universe, you wouldn't have survived. You were about to be dusted." Error said, and gods; he was not about to touch the other to patch him up yet again if he started bleeding once more, there was just no way. But as he thought about it, he realized he would obviously need to redo the bandages and everything, why hadn't he thought about this more?

Ink sighed shakily as he looked at the other. "Y-you are helping me…?" He asked, completely unsure if he should trust this or not; he couldn't move, couldn't find the strength to defend himself in an attack at the moment. If Error wanted to, he could totally destroy him completely right now and Ink could do nothing about it. "What is…why?" God his headache was getting worse now, and the whole thing with Error acting strangely…that wasn't exactly helping much.

His question went unanswered as Error inspected him and started taking the bandages off, obviously willing to forgo his phobia of touching so he could change the other. Ink had to admit he was a little freaked out right now, watching Error concentrate on his injuries.

Looking at his bones once they were uncovered Ink frowned, there were so many cracks and bruises littering his body, not to mention his arm seemed to be broken. Okay, that explained that pain obviously…but his head still hurt; his free hand went up to his skull and he frowned, there was a crack on his cranium. Damn, how the hell had he managed to survive with all these injuries that alone, could have killed him?

He doubted Error would allow him to leave for a while, especially with wounds like these, a hiss of pain escaped him as some medication was applied to his wounds. Thought's returned to his soul, which was obviously back in his body…covered in the strings that Error used.

The very same strings that had held him a number of times, squeezing tight on his soul, about ready to dust him if necessary. "Are you going to finish the job…" His eyes landed on Error who seemed to tense up a bit, staying silent a moment before answering him. "What would be the point of healing you when all I was going to do is kill you?" He asked and Ink thought about it, that made sense he guessed, but still.

"Then…why is my soul tied up in your strings?" He asked.

Error glitched a little before looking at Ink. "Had to…your soul is in pieces." He stated before going back to bandaging the other up.

"H-how long have I been out?" Ink asked and Error looked up in thought before answering him. "About a week I believe."

It didn't make sense, as Ink tried to process the information, it just…it doesn't make sense as to why Error would just help him, but he guessed he shouldn't dread on it. Ink had spent a lot of time trying to convince himself that Error had some good in him, there just had to be. Maybe, just maybe Error was finally showing him that he had some good in him after all.

Admittedly Ink saw the good in everything, the good in every universe that was created, the good in every person; he even saw the good in Error even if it didn't seem like there was any good in him at all. If you looked deep into his corrupted soul, there was something in it that just…screamed that he was good, Error just needed to be reminded.

But at the moment he couldn't think too far into it, right now he just needed to rest and heal up. A week; he had been in Error's care for a week and his soul hadn't shattered and turned him to dust...a week and he hadn't been out there taking care of the multiverse, a week and he had been in the anti-void…and Error could have caused havoc the whole time he was out.

Either way; he needed to just get out of here and make sure things were still in working order, make sure the universes weren't destroyed because he wasn't there to protect them. His thoughts were interrupted when Error finished up and started working on the injury that was on his head.

It amazed him how Error was doing his best to contain himself from an outburst; he hated being touched or touching others. A hiss of pain escaped him as he felt some healing ointment was being applied to his skull, head swimming a bit and it became hard to concentrate for a few seconds till Error had finished.

He was left with watching as Error walk away from him, little glitches popping up everywhere as he left Ink alone for now.

Okay…so I hope you like this beginning, I can't exactly promise updates but I will do my best.