Crossmare Valentine Special

Part 4

Nightmare and Cross both knew that he wasn't one to listen to orders.

The next day Cross was packed, having a duffel bag full of needed items for his travels sitting next to the bag. He had found someone willing to look over his crops while he was away, since he probably would return back to the village after the trip. He just wanted to go investigate the truth, since he suspected that both of what Nightmare said and the books about the battle were lies. But, there was still one person who would give him an answer.

The castle that belonged the Prince of Light, Dream.

Dream wasn't a bad person, at least judging by his Followers he wasn't, so Cross figured he could at least squeeze out one answer from him. Cross liked snooping in other people's business, and he was bored with his life, so this would give him some satisfaction.

Nightmare knew this when he went to sleep that night.

"How much do you already have packed?" Nightmare demanded as soon as Cross arrived within his dream world, not even a hello being addressed to the taller skeleton.

"Hm?" Cross hummed, looking over at Nightmare.

"How much do you have packed for traveling against my wishes?" Nightmare asked.

"Already all packed," Cross didn't even hesitate, since he knew that there was no point in lying, Nightmare couldn't stop him anyway.

"I won't ask of you to stop, since it won't work," Nightmare spoke honestly too, sitting down across from him in the grass, "But I will warn you. You won't like what you discover. It's best if you stay in the village, maybe pick up pottery, and we could just talk in your dreams. I know you don't like your village, Cross, but it's the best option for you."

"What's so bad about finding the truth about you?" Cross asked, resting a hand on Nightmare's shoulder.

A hand went up towards his own, and Cross feared that Nightmare was going to remove the contact between them. But instead, the hand rested upon his own, not trying to remove it.

"I'm in your mind," His voice was soft, "I can find out things before you yourself figure them out."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

The next few words sent his mind into such a spiral he woke up earlier than usual, breathing heavily as the realization exploded within his soul and being itself.

Cross went to grab himself a glass of water, the shadows across the floor seeming to twirl around him as his feet shuffled across the wooden floor, the curtains covering the open window fluttering with the soft breeze. Not a sound was made but the sounds of the skeleton, with the water supply being opened and a container being brought down from his table to scoop up the liquid.

He doubted he'd be able to sleep again.

What would he say to Nightmare after that? He didn't know how to react to that, he didn't even know if it was true. He hadn't known Nightmare for long, only a few months, but Nightmare felt like his best friend, one of the few people he could truly connect with. But this... it was unheard of. Yes, of course, people respected their Leaders, but he never thought about this.

Maybe it was because he was never really used to the idea. He never thought about that in that sense, it was always work and survival. Work on his farm, grow his food, sell it for currency, use that currency to survive. That was the way it always was.

Of course, though, Nightmare came in and threw everything out of whack.

Suddenly, everything he thought he ever knew was was flipped on its head. He had a Leader. Dreams did exist for him. He had a purpose in life.

And of course, he had developed a crush.

"You love me, Cross."