Night Terrors

Ten

Nightmare walked around the castle miserably. He didn't know how his subordinates and enemies walked. His legs hurt. He wanted to walk and crawl on his tentacles. He wanted to fade into the shadows and follow the darkness. It hurt less. But now he had to walk everywhere.

It had been a week. A miserable week. Walking. Sleeping restlessly. He hated everything. He was tired and sore and cranky and angry.

He went to the kitchen late at night. He saw Error, digging through the medicine cabinet. He turned around, and they locked eyes for a moment.

"Can't sleep?"

"Nope."

Error held out the bottle of gummies. "Melatonin?"

"Doesn't work on me; god of nightmares and stuff."

"Ah. I get it." He shook out two gummies before putting the bottle back. "Try to have a good night, I guess."

"Don't tell me what to do."

The strange thing Nightmare noticed was the skeleton never ate the gummies. He just went upstairs with them safely held in his closed hand.

Usually, the king would melt into the shadows and follow him. But he could no longer melt into the safe, invisible darkness. So, his second best option was to stay low when he crept to Error's room. But when he looked in, it was empty. The guardian was even bold enough to go inside, looking for him. But he wasn't there.

He closed his eyes, following the emotions of restlessness. And... lust?

He peaked into Ink's room, seeing the dark skeleton hunched over the bed.

"One more. Please."

"I'm tired, Ink. I couldn't get it up if I wanted to."

"Take a sip from my pink vial."

"No. I'm tired, Ink."

He could hear the whine coming from the artist.

"It'll put me to bed, I promise. Just one more round."

"Have the melatonin gummies. They'll actually put you to bed."

"I don't wanna..."

"Why not?" Error climbed into bed with his enemy, holding him close.

"... the ceiling children will get me..."

Error smiled, sighing. "No. I'll fight them, and tie them up until they promise not to do that."

"But they like getting me!"

"Then I'll just have to kill them." He kissed his forehead.

It was a constant battle at night. Ink had terrible insomnia, but refused to take melatonin. Why? Because it gave him terrifying lucid dreams. He'd usually awake crying from how overstimulating it. As much as Error understood, he also wanted Ink to sleep. Mostly because if he didn't, he'd beg him for sex. It was tolerable before, but now they lived together. Now, he had to spend most of the night pounding and pounding and pounding until Ink was finally satisfied, with his ridiculous stamina. Error couldn't do it anymore. He needed sleep, and that meant Ink needed to sleep.

"For me? I'll fight the ceiling children so you can sleep with me, for a whole night."

Nightmare watched as Ink sat up, taking the gummies. He knew the artist saw him. If he was still corrupted, maybe he could have been unseen. But his light bones shone in the moonlight.

The artist slowly laid down after taking his gummies. Error gasped as his lover licked his neck.

"Ink!" he scolded as quietly as possible.

"Who do you belong to?"

Ink was jealous. Nightmare could taste it, green venom on his tongue. It was... almost sweet. That Ink wanted, so desperately, to hoard Error to himself. Like he was something precious. Because he was something precious, to Ink.

"Ink, not now—" Error gasped as he bit his neck. "You! I-I belong to you, okay?"

Ink's red eyelight shone, staring at Nightmare over Error's shoulder.

The guardian silently closed the door. Error didn't notice. He went to his own room, thinking about the scene he'd just witnessed. It was... sweet. He liked that. He wanted that.

Much like Ink, he did not want to sleep due to the dreams he knew he would have. But unlike the creator, he would have no one to promise to fight his demons, protecting him. So he just climbed into bed, turned on a lantern, and read some porn instead of sleeping.