Create And Destroy (Error X Ink)

Corting

Ink stammered, his mind frantically searching for an explanation, for anything to say that sounded plausible.

"Ink... Are you... in heat?" Asriel asked, his tone surprisingly earnest, utterly oblivious to the true nature of the situation.

Ink's blush deepened to an even more alarming shade of magenta and violet. He glared at the prince, despite himself. "I don't go in heat! Not in this time of year!" he retorted, pushing down a wave of mortification.

The Prince, though, simply nodded, undeterred. "But... you smell... aroused."

Inside the cramped confines of the wardrobe, Error had to clench his teeth, digging his claws into his palms to keep from letting out a booming laugh. His little painter, so wonderfully sensitive. To touch, to sound, to scent. It was both frustrating and utterly endearing.

Ink stammered even more, his brain short-circuiting in its desperate attempt to concoct a convincing lie. "I-I-I just..."

"Do you need help?" Asriel offered, stepping a little further into the room, his hand reaching out instinctively.

Error's eyes, glowing menacingly in the darkness of the closet, narrowed into furious slits. That spoiled brat better not lay a hand on him, he thought, a silent snarl escaping his throat.

Ink, however, managed to gather his wits. He laughed softly, a slightly strained sound. "No, no, I'm fine, Asriel. Thank you. I just finished a wonderful piece, you see. And... well... I took a nap, right here, and had a rather vivid dream..." He trailed off, hoping the implication was enough.

Asriel's eyes widened in sudden realization. "Oh. Ohhh. I see. I'm so sorry, Ink! I didn't mean to intrude on such a... private moment." He flushed himself, clearly embarrassed.

"No, it's fine," Ink quickly cut him off, eager to steer the conversation away from any dangerous ground. "Did you need something, Asriel, or were you just checking in?"

"Just checking on you," Asriel confirmed, still looking a bit flustered. "Uhh... I should go. But I'll see you tomorrow, Ink!"

Ink nodded his head softly. Asriel, before leaving, leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to Ink's forehead, a gesture of affection. "You smell good," he added, almost as an afterthought, before turning to go.

A low, guttural growl, full of raw possessiveness, vibrated unmistakably from the wardrobe.

Ink coughed softly, a desperate attempt to cover the sound, his face a kaleidoscope of panic.

Asriel, however, was not so easily fooled. He paused, his head cocked, and looked around the room, his gaze searching. "W-what was that?" he asked, his voice laced with confusion and a hint of trepidation.

"What?" Ink asked, feigning utter cluelessness, tilting his head with practiced innocence. "Hear what?"

Asriel looked around slowly, his eyes narrowing slightly as they scanned the room. His gaze lingered for a beat on the wardrobe door, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes, before he shook his head, dismissing the thought. "Nothing..." he finally mumbled, stepping back. He turned then, and hurried out of the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

Error waited for a few more tense moments, ensuring Asriel was truly gone, before finally pushing open the wardrobe door and stepping out.

Ink, a furious, flustered rainbow, glared at him with such intensity that he looked like a mad, vibrant storm cloud.

Error simply smiled, that infuriating, knowing grin. "Not my fault," he said, feigning innocence.

Ink, in a burst of pent-up frustration and lingering embarrassment, grabbed a nearby pillow and hurled it at Error's face, feeling a small, satisfying surge of relief when it connected with a soft thump.

"It is too!" Ink retorted, his voice still a little breathless.

Error chuckled, catching the pillow as it dropped. He walked over, his movements fluid, and wrapped his arms around the smaller skeleton, pulling him into a tight embrace. "Yeah, I know," he purred, his voice rough with amusement, "but you're to blame too, my little rainbow. You shouldn't be so tempting, should you?" He punctuated the statement with a soft kiss to Ink's cheek, sending another wave of heat through the artist.

Ink blushed furiously, his entire face a spectrum of riotous color, utterly lost for words.

Error's eyes, ever aware of the passage of time, rolled over to the window, seeing the last slivers of the sun beginning to dip below the horizon. He had to leave.

"However," Error said, his tone shifting from playful to slightly more serious, "I suppose your earlier statement is correct. I should leave."

He leaned in, his lips brushing against Ink's with a quick, tender peck, then pulled back, moving with practiced ease towards the window.

"Wait!" Ink called out, a sudden urgency in his voice, not wanting the fleeting, stolen moments to end.

Error paused, turning his head to look back at Ink, a silent question in his gaze.

"You always leave right before the sun goes down," Ink murmured, his expression wistful. "Why don't you stay longer... just tonight?"

Error smiled, a genuine, soft curve of his mouth. "I think you're hinting at something I would absolutely love, Ink," he admitted, "but I can't. I have something important to do."

"Like what?" Ink asked, a flicker of curiosity returning to his eyes, overshadowing his yearning.

Error's grin faded, replaced by a grimly determined expression. His eyes, usually playful, hardened with resolve. "Protecting you. There's something going on within these walls, Ink. Something bad. And I'll make damn sure that whatever happens, you come out on top."

Ink watched as Error, without another word, simply dropped silently out of the window, disappearing into the twilight. Error's words, though cryptic, sent a shiver down Ink's spine, yet even with the sudden darkness and confusion, he felt a strange sense of calm. He knew better than to question Error's methods or motives too deeply.

After all. It's Error.

Below, hidden in the deepening shadows, Error landed soundlessly at the base of the castle walls. He watched as the last few monsters retired for the night, their lights flickering off one by one. He waited patiently, a predator in the dark, for his moment of opportunity, the precise break in the castle's security he knew would come. He needed to get in, to uncover the truth behind the unsettling undercurrents he had sensed.

Finally, a side door creaked open, and a monster, not one of the important, perpetually vigilant workers, stepped outside for a careless smoke break, leaving the door ajar.

Error seized the chance. He flowed through the opening like a phantom, his movements silent and swift. He knew this castle better than its architects, having meticulously mapped its every hidden passage. He knew exactly where the secret tunnel was, and precisely where it led within the castle's depths.

He watched them closely, these shadowy figures he'd been tracking. They were doing something bad, something that reeked of ill intent and impending disaster. And he knew, with a certainty that chilled him to the core, that whatever was about to happen, whatever chaos was brewing, he would protect his only rainbow, no matter the cost.

*remastered*