Cross wasn't asleep for days this time around. He woke sometime the following day, twitching as he stirred himself awake. Ugh, my head hurts. He sat up slowly, shoving the blanket off himself. He blinked, looking around the room. Nightmare's chambers, of course, though he wasn't in the room. "Nightmare?" He called into the shadows, but to no avail. He gave himself a moment to wake up further before he slipped out of bed. Apparently, he was still a little wobbly. A jolt of shock ran through him as he nearly tipped right over. He managed to steady himself. "Ah. Haven't forgotten how to bala-
He stopped as the shadows before him spontaneously darkened. "Cross!" Nightmare eagerly called his name as his eye opened up within the gloom. Unfortunately his sudden appearance still made Cross jump and inevitably fall back onto the bed. Nightmare laughed at his mistake. "I was just going to say I missed you. No need to freak out," Nightmare told him, holding out a tendril. Cross placed his hand upon the appendage, which Nightmare then used to help pull him up onto his feet. "How are you feeling? The drug's effects might not be completely gone just yet."
"I'm just a tad dizzy," Cross replied. Nightmare let go of him carefully, waiting a moment to make sure he wouldn't just fall right over. Once he regained faith in Cross's ability to stand, he stepped away.
"I've been eager to talk to you," Nightmare told him, voice sounding quite meek, almost as if his passive side said the words instead. Cross was in the midst of putting on his coat, but he looked over. "What you did was incredible, Cross. You fought off one hell of a drug and destroyed a book which you told me you loved, and in doing so you saved my life yet again," Nightmare told him, looking off into the shadows. Cross was surprised he was getting this flustered over such a simple praise.
He stepped over, taking hold of Nightmare's hand. He then bowed down on one knee, gently kissing the back of the king's palm. "Of course I'd do the near impossible in order to save your life," He mused, Nightmare's face holding a teal hue.
"There was something else you told me about the book," Nightmare continued, becoming Cross back up onto his feet. He stood, and Nightmare grabbed a box off the nearby desk. "You said it was the magic which felt maddening," Nightmare recalled before he placed the box into Cross's hands. Again, Nightmare looked a little embarrassed. "So I may have... Well, just open the box," He ordered.
Cross listening, pulling the top off his little present. When he moved the lid aside, his eye sockets shot wide open. Shock rocked his body. "What? How?" He questioned, quickly pulling the familiar book out and carelessly tossing the box onto the floor. He opened the leather cover and rapidly flipped through the pages. It's exactly the same. It's the Book of a Thousand Souls. He looked up at Nightmare and again asked: "How?"
"I remembered what you told me. So while you were sleeping that night, I borrowed the book, and made an exact copy. It has all the information you loved, but also no magic," He explained. Cross stared at him in total awe, hugging the new book close to his chest. This was ridiculously romantic by Nightmare's standards. "Don't give me that look," Nightmare complained, pinprick darting away. "You're my partner, Cross. Obviously I'm going to do nice things for you every now and then."
"Oh, I am so in love with you," Cross whispered.
"Tch. Yeah, you better be," Nightmare muttered. He really didn't have to say anything back. This perfect gift already spoke a thousand loving words. "We should go see the others," Nightmare then suggested. Cross nodded in agreement, placing the book in his coat pocket. Like before, it fit perfectly; the weight hardly noticeable.
When Nightmare seeped into the shadows and shot out from the room, Cross followed.
...
"Cross!" All three skeletons exclaimed at once. This time it wasn't just Ghost running over to greet him. He had to hold back a grunt as they all tackled him in a hug, Ghost trotting excitedly around their feet. Nightmare watched the reunion with amusement.
"Hey guys," Cross chuckled back, letting himself enjoy the embrace for a moment before shaking himself free from their hold. "None of you greeted me like this when I almost died," He realized, taking a moment to give Ghost a couple scratches behind her ear. She purred like mad for it.
"Yeah, because at least we had been there to know you were going down. You dropped without warning this time around!" Killer complained, giving him a playful punch to the arm. The others nodded in agreement.
"I was just as surprised as you were, I'm sure," Cross replied.
"Well, you're home and well now. Meaning things can go back to normal. And you know what day it is?" He asked, looking between the four of them. They looked back with dread. Oh no. "Cleaning day," As soon as the words left his mouth they all teleported away at once. Nightmare was left alone in the hall. He crossed his arms. "Wow."
A/N
I know this is super short! I'm just establishing the end of the arc. I'm going to be doing Oneshots again.
And there may be a surprise in the next Oneshot... One for those who have read my original book.