Daemons

The days had blurred from one to the next, Cross overall losing track of time save for the passage of his university courses. It was weird to not actually go to campus for his courses, but Nightmare had seen to it that he could do everything he needed to from the comfort of the luxurious mansion that the other skeleton called home. His new boyfriend had an insane amount of disposable income, providing him with a computer and paying for any online resources he needed to complete his assignments. The purple skeleton was even helping by tutoring him in math, helping him get through the first-year course that he’d put off for so long.

It was... oddly peaceful. The two of them had the whole place to themselves, with all of Nightmare’s family having apparently cleared out for their own reasons. The only one he’d seen in his entire time staying in the mansion had been some emo skeleton by the name of Reaper, though he really wished that the guy hadn’t walked in on one of Cross’ ‘study breaks’. It was still embarrassing to recall, and it had left a sour taste on the day as Nightmare had been a complete grump after he came back in from arguing with his brother.

Other than that one day though, the purple skeleton had been the most doting and caring person he’d ever met, assisting him in every possible way with his plan for vengeance before assuring that he was fine both physically and mentally afterwards. It had taken quite a bit of work to convince the taller that he really was fine with the weight of his sins, the monochrome skeleton feeling little guilt or remorse for his actions. Those humans were the worst of their kind, and the world would be better off without those two.

The only downside in this whole mess had been CC. His ghostly brother had been a constant point of contention after his and Nightmare’s first date, criticizing his decision to remain with someone that they both knew was a daemon. Instead, CC had insisted that he should be at the hospital to check in on Geno. Cross’ argument had been that the hospital hadn’t called him to even inform him that the frail skeleton was conscious, let alone anywhere near ready to be released. Their argument on the subject had gotten so bad that the skeleton felt compelled to do something he hadn’t in years; exercising his power as the one of them with a physical body, he sealed CC away in his soul to prevent him from constantly screaming at the monochrome skeleton. It wasn’t a decision he’d made lightly, especially with how his brother’s constant fighting to be free left his soul in a state of constant pain, but he honestly didn’t see any other way until things between them calmed down.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to go see Geno, he just didn’t see any point while his brother was unconscious. Sure, he usually recovered quickly due to the determination lacing his soul, but he’d honestly been horribly injured, so it didn’t strike him as too odd that Geno had yet to wake up. In the meantime, he could focus on his studies and spend time with Nightmare. Geno would want him to be happy, and that’s exactly what his boyfriend made him.

Today was no different from the rest, save for the fact that courses were finally done and the rest of his assignments had been turned in. All that he had left was to study for his finals, which annoyed Nightmare to no end that he’d actually had to head onto campus to write them when the time came. For now though, he was content to enjoy a study break in the taller’s arms, resting as he ignored the ache in his soul from CC and the one in his skull from trying to wrap his head around algebra. “Have I mentioned how much I hate math?”

“Several times, Crossy,” Nightmare chuckled, gently petting his skull as he said so. “But you are getting better at figuring it out on your own.”

“Still wish you could write my math final for me, I’ll be lucky to get a C.”

“Have some faith in yourself, you’ll do fine. All you need to do is pass, and then you can move on to courses that you’re actually interested in.”

Cross would’ve agreed with his boyfriend were it not for the sound of a phone ringing interrupting them. The ringtone wasn’t familiar, meaning that it had to be the purple skeleton’s phone going off. Nobody had called either of them in quite some time, so it was an odd disturbance to their peaceful rest that had both of their attentions. Shifting the two of them to sit up, Nightmare fished his phone out only to frown at whatever was on the screen. “Yes?” He greeted, standing up and shifting away from Cross. It was far enough that the smaller couldn’t eavesdrop, though he had no intention of doing so in the first place.

The call really didn’t last long though, a puzzled look replacing the mild annoyance on his boyfriend’s face. As the daemon turned back to look at him, the monochrome skeleton’s face silently asking what happened, the frown grew deeper. “That was Reaper. He said... he told you to check your phone, and for some reason he didn’t seem happy.”

“My phone?” Cross echoed, utterly confused why Nightmare’s brother would want him to check his phone. The two of them didn’t even know each other, so why would he be upset about him not checking his phone. “My phone hasn’t even gone off recently,” he muttered, though he pulled it out to oblige the odd request.

What he wasn’t expecting was for the device to not light up as he tried to unlock it, blinking a couple times as the screen remained dark. He put the stupid thing on the charger every night, so the battery wasn’t the problem. Now growing nervous, he tried to figure out what was wrong, only for pain to lance through his soul.

This went beyond the fits that CC normally threw, the pain strong enough to have him doubling over and clutching at his chest. Nightmare was at his side in an instant, trying to figure out what was wrong as the pain only increased. CC really wanted out now, the monochrome skeleton practically feeling the two halves of his soul trying to rip themselves apart. As the agony only grew, Cross figured that it was safer to let him out than risk him actually doing any serious damage to their shared soul.

“FUCKING FINALLY!” The ghost yelled as the restraint locking him was released, his brother materializing in an instant. He was practically seething as he glared daggers at the skeletons, with Cross trying to recover from the lingering pain while Nightmare looked utterly shocked. The two had only seen each other briefly during the attack on the hunters, and they’d never discussed CC’s presence before or after, meaning that this was likely coming as a bit of a shock to his boyfriend.

“You mean... you’re actually real?” The daemon murmured, blinking a couple times while remaining by Cross’ side. “I thought you were some sort of spell or illusion, just a trick to throw those bastards off.”

“Of course I’m real, you daemon fuckboy!” The ghost snarled, the look of shock turning to one of panic as CC called him out on his true nature. “Ya know what else is real? How badly you fucked up this time, Cross!”

“CC, knock it off!” The monochrome skeleton hissed, trying to get his brother to stop his angry tirade.

“You will not silence he who speaks the truth!” The monochrome boy floated up to be pressed against the ceiling, hissing like a feral animal as Cross tried to get him down. “I’ll scream to the fucking heavens how messed up this is! Seriously, instead of being with our brother who needs you, you’ve just been making out with some daemon fuckboy this whole time! Do you have any idea how painful it is to share a soul with you right now? All I’ve wanted was to check on Geno, but nooooo. I can’t go anywhere since you won’t leave this stupid house, and you even had the fucking nerve to lock me away because you were tired of me calling you out on your bullshit!”

“Geno is fine! The hospital would’ve called if his condition changed!”

“YOU TURNED YOUR PHONE OFF YOU FUCKING MORON!!!” That caused Cross to pause, his expression mirroring his boyfriend’s shock. CC was right. He’d turned his phone off when he and Nightmare started planning the murder of those two hunters in order to avoid it being a means of them getting caught, and never once had he thought to turn it back on. There was no telling who had tried to get a hold of him in that timeframe, or what had happened in the time he’d been here.

The ghostly child floated down after his words earned a stunned silence, seemingly a little more content to finally have been heard. His mouth was still twisted into a frown, and his apparent anger was soon directed at the silent daemon. “This is all your fault! You’ve been the one keeping him here, convincing and manipulating him to stay for your own benefit!” He accused, jabbing a finger in the purple skeleton’s chest repeatedly. “Our life was fine without you in it, so why don’t you fuck off and let Cross be with his family?”

His words instantly got to Nightmare, a growl emanating from the back of his throat. “Don’t you dare turn this around on me, you brat! I’ve been doing everything I can to make sure Cross is safe and cared for! I’m keeping him here for his own protection, but he can leave whenever the fuck he wants!” The two were practically nose to nose, both snarling at each other. If it weren’t for CC’s status as a ghost, Cross was afraid that Nightmare might actually try to kill him. He looked pissed enough to try something, prompting the smaller to intervene and put himself between the two.

“That’s enough!” He snapped, pushing his brother and boyfriend apart as he filled the space between them with his own body. “CC, I get that you’re pissed that I locked you away, but you can’t take it out on Nightmare like this.”

CC’s anger temporarily faded from his body, the ghost blinking in disbelief a few times before the fury came back stronger than ever. “Seriously?! Not only are you fucking wrong about why I’m pissed, but you’re taking the daemon’s side?! He’s gotten so deep inside your head that you’ll side with him over your own family! You act like you don’t even care about Geno anymore!”

“Don’t you fucking dare accuse me of that,” the monochrome skeleton growled, hands balling into fists in an effort to control his anger. “I care about you and Geno with all my soul, but I also care about Nightmare! You and I know exactly what he is to me, and we also both know that things can’t just go back to the way they used to be. It’s time for you to grow up and accept that I’ve got someone else in my life now!”

“I need to grow up?” His brother scoffed, sneering at the skeleton. “I’m not the one hiding away from the world and all my responsibilities. And to think you had me fooled all this time. I thought you’d actually grown up so that you could pay Geno back for everything he did for us by taking care of him, but you’re still the same bratty kid that he gave everything up for!”

Those words hurt more than Cross could ever say, partially because he too believed them to be true. He was the one supposed to be taking care of Geno, and yet his brother always did so much for him despite his health. As tears built up at the corners of his sockets, he could hear CC’s taunting grow even louder, reminding him of all of his failures. “Is this how you handle having the ugly truth thrown in your face? You’re turning into a big crybaby. Honestly, I’m surprised that Geno was able to protect us for as long as he did with how weak you are! You can’t do anything right, and when your failures hit you in the face, you just fall apart! No wonder Geno was the favorite... no wonder he wanted to get rid of us!”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP, CHARA!” With the skeleton finally hitting his breaking point, the words ripped themselves out of his throat without any conscious thought. It took him a second to even process what he’d said, but once he saw the pain on his brother’s face, he immediately regretted it. “CC, I... I’m so sorry-”

“How dare you?” His brother growled, teeth grinding against each other as his head fell in such a way that his snow-white hair cast his eyes in shadows. “My name... is CC. NOT Chara. Even when I’m pissed at you, I’ve never called you by your old name, but you clearly don’t have the same respect for me. So fuck it, I’m done. Deal with the mess you got yourself into by yourself, I’m not lifting a finger to help. I’ll be there for Geno when he needs me, but that’s it.” CC vanished without another word, not allowing Cross to get a single word in edgewise. From the cold fury he could feel burning in the human half of his soul, he could tell that his brother was locking himself away to make good on his promise.

For a moment, the monochrome skeleton just stood there, processing the full weight of what he’d just done. CC had been his best friend for as long as he could recall, and the two of them had been through hell with nobody but each other to rely on for the longest time. Even when Geno had entered their tiny world, the pair still relied heavily on each other and trusted one another without fail... and he’d just broken that trust by dredging up one of the most painful reminders of their past, an unspoken taboo that none of them had ever resorted to even in fits of anger. “I’m so fucking stupid,” he sobbed, words full of regret as he collapsed onto the nearby bed.

Just like before, Nightmare was by his side in an instant, trying his best to comfort the other. Neither of them were really the best at dealing with strong emotional outbursts though, so the daemon opted for silent comfort as he held the now crying skeleton. Part of Cross felt like he didn’t deserve this, as his relationship with Nightmare was what sparked the whole argument in the first place, but that didn’t stop him from burying his face in the other’s sweater. A hand came to rest against his skull, gently encouraging him to let everything out.

Unaware of how much time had passed since he broke down, Cross eventually pulled away when he found that he had no more tears to shed. His skull hurt from the emotional outburst, and that didn’t change the lingering ache in his soul that only grew stronger as he recalled his horrible actions. “I’m a horrible big brother,” he sniffled, trying his best to keep from bursting into tears again.

“Don’t say that,” Nightmare hushed, cradling his boyfriend against him as he struggled to come up with the proper words to say in this moment. “Look... I’m not good at this kind of stuff, and I honestly didn’t understand half of what that argument was about, but you shouldn’t beat yourself up about it. You made a mistake, but one mistake doesn’t make you horrible.”

“It’s not just one mistake,” Cross insisted, turning his watery sockets to his boyfriend as he rubbed at the lingering tears. “I literally owe Geno my life, which is why I’ve done everything I could to help him to pay him back. But I got so wrapped up in being cared for that I forgot that I still had someone so utterly dependent on me. Hell, Geno’s even got autophobia, the fear of being alone. Between that and his trust issues, he needs me around or he’ll fall into horrible panic attacks. As for CC... our past isn’t pleasant, and we don’t like any reminders of it. Calling him by his old name is like erasing all the years we’ve had free of that pain, throwing him back into those awful memories. That, and he had a right to be mad at me in the first place. I should’ve just taken the verbal beating instead of retaliating, but my stupid temper got the better of me... as it usually does...” He’d never been one to maintain a calm composure when it was needed, usually overreacting in emotional situations and relying on his brothers to deescalate half the fights he almost got himself into. If someone dared to bring Geno into the mix, then he was almost always a loose cannon. The moment CC had accused him of not caring about their crippled brother, he’d lost any chance of keeping his emotions under control.

Nightmare sighed, shifting to sit beside the smaller so that he could rub his back. “I’ve had my fair share of arguments with my brothers, and more often than not my temper doesn’t help either. But at the end of the day, they’ve always had my back, and after some time for everyone to calm down, a sincere apology usually helped make amends. If calling that ghost by his old name is as serious as it sounds, then you’re probably gonna need to do a bit more to make it up to him, but I doubt a bond as strong as you claim is forever broken from a slip of the tongue in a heated moment. I’ve had my fair share of things that I will forever regret saying to my brothers, but they’ve all forgave me with time, and I’ve never made the same mistake twice. So give CC some time to calm down, and I don’t think you’ll ever call him by that name again.”

It was surprisingly helpful to know that he wasn’t the only one that had fucked up so spectacularly, even more so to hear that Nightmare’s brothers had all forgiven him after an apology. “If you’re sure, then I’ll trust you,” he sighed, rubbing at his arm. He didn’t expect CC to make forgiveness easy to obtain, but he had to hold out hope that he could fix what he’d broken. “Guess since apologies are in order, I should probably apologize for dragging you into my problems.”

“It’s no trouble, Crossy. I’m more than happy to help. Though... I have to ask, why did your brother call me a... daemon fuckboy?”

Damn, the monochrome skeleton really should’ve seen that one coming. He hadn’t wanted to reveal that he knew what Nightmare was yet, cursing under his breath as he prepared another apology. “Yeah, sorry about that. Um... I’ve kinda... known that you were a daemon from the very beginning. I know that I should’ve said something, but I just... didn’t know how. CC was the one to tell me, his spiritual nature lets him tune in to the souls of others, and he knows how to recognize the differences in a daemon’s soul, so he warned me back when you approached outside the hospital.”

“You’ve... known this entire time?” Nightmare echoed, the smaller nodding sheepishly as the disbelief in his voice only grew. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Dunno... figured it was supposed to be your secret to tell or something... didn’t feel right to comment on it.”

A sigh emanated from his partner, Cross risking a shy glance over to see his expression twisted and difficult to read. “Do I even wanna know why he keeps calling me a fuckboy?”

“Oh, that’s just CC’s way of saying that he doesn’t approve of our relationship. He’ll get over it though once things calm down about... Geno...” The monochrome skeleton gulped as he looked to the phone still clutched in his hand, the dark screen reflecting his unease back at him. Part of him felt that ignorance was bliss, but he also knew that he had to check his phone before something went horribly wrong. It took a pair of hands firmly gripping his shoulders to convince him to unlock it, only for his worst fears to be confirmed.

Something had definitely gone horribly wrong, and it was all his fault. His phone was suddenly lighting up as it processed all of the missed calls and texts since it had been shut off, and nearly all of them were from his brother. The first missed call had been from the hospital three weeks ago, shortly after he and Nightmare had been on their “date”. Following that were enough calls that his voicemail was completely full, along with several texts that spelled out his brother’s panic clearly. He could see how Geno had tried his best to stay calm when alone after leaving the hospital, only for his condition to quickly deteriorate to where he was begging the older skeleton to come home. And after a week of solid, frantic messages, they all of a sudden just stopped.

“I need to go home,” Cross gasped, his soul pounding in his skull as he rushed to his feet. He didn’t even wait for a response from his boyfriend, unable to even hear anything over the all-consuming panic. Why had Geno stopped messaging him? Did something happen? Was he hurt? What happened to his brother?

Just as he was about to rush out the front door, a slimy appendage wrapped around his waist and pulled him back. “Cross, stop for just a minute!” Nightmare barked, his words cutting through the smaller’s frantic struggle to escape. It drew his attention back to the source of the voice, his eyes widening as he saw four tentacles sprouting from his boyfriend’s back. The taller was panting, left eye glowing teal while the other socket was dark. There was a creeping blackness rippling across his bones, though after a moment it seemed to disperse from Nightmare’s white bones. The tentacles and teal eye remained, making it clear that this was his daemon form.

“I get that you’re fast, but you’re not faster than a car. I’ll drive you there.” The tentacle set him on the ground before beckoning for the monochrome skeleton to follow. He was led to an area of the mansion that he’d never been, his eyes once again wide in shock as he was taken to an unground parkade stocked full of several vehicles. They ranged from practical to collector to race-worthy, all in pristine condition. Nightmare led the way as his tentacles retracted, vanishing from sight by the time they approached a fancy sports car. “This one should get us there fast enough so long as traffic isn’t a pain.”

“Wait, you know how to drive?”

“If you’re asking whether I can operate a motor vehicle, then yes. If you’re asking whether I was properly tested and possess a license, then no. Now get in.” The daemon was already in the driver’s seat, pulling the keys from a hiding spot and slipping on a pair of sunglasses pulled from his jacket while Cross was left to contemplate just what the hell he was doing as he crawled in the passenger seat. God, he hoped that his boyfriend was as good of a driver as Dream was considering that they were twins.

Any hope of that being the case dissipated once Nightmare punched the gas, tires squealing as he barely gave the garage door enough time to open as he sped off. The monochrome skeleton was left desperately clutching whatever piece of the car happened to be under his hands at the time, biting back the urge to scream. Nightmare certainly was getting them to their destination fast, though he seriously wondered what their odds were of getting pulled over once actually in the city proper. “Are you gonna drive like this the entire way?!”

“Is there a problem with my driving?” The taller coolly asked, keeping his focus on the road through the forest at least. The desire to scream overpowered Cross’ will as they drifted around a corner, leaving him wondering how they were actually still on the road. “And quit screaming, you’re distracting me. I haven’t drove in... about five years, so I need to focus on what I’m doing.”

“You’re gonna get us killed!” Cross screeched, wishing he’d chosen to run instead. Though in the daemon’s defense, they were entering the city in record time thanks to his extremely reckless driving. “Please, for the love of god, slow down!”

The purple skeleton rolled his eyes, but did hit the breaks. It was more of a lurch to a stop before continuing than a gentle deceleration, but at least they were going a speed that was way less dangerous. “Happy?”

“I’ll be happy once I’m out of this metal deathtrap,” the smaller wheezed, though he did focus on regaining his composure. If Nightmare was as rusty with his informal driving skills as he claimed, then the last thing Cross wanted to do was scream and distract him from the road. In an effort to draw his own focus away from the terror of this experience, he decided that idle chatter would help. “So... you have tentacles.”

“Yes, I’m an octopus daemon. Four tentacles to bring my total limb count to eight.”

“Okay, cool... and what was that black stuff?”

“A camouflage technique, my body often uses it by default to make my bones blend in better with shadows. I have to actively decide against it when changing forms in order for it to not happen. The consistency is kind of like the ink that cephalopods are known for, which acts as a shock absorber when I’m hit. Not always the most pleasant feeling, but I’ve grown used to it over the years.”

“So... you’re a goopy octopus?” A grunt was the only response he got to that comment, though he could tell that Nightmare wasn’t a fan of his summary. “What about your right eye? When the other one turned blue, that one went dark.”

The daemon paused for a moment, his right eye visibly twitching a bit behind the sunglasses as it was mentioned. “For reasons that I don’t want to get into right now, my right socket is damaged. It doesn’t work in my daemon form, so I often cover it with my camouflage. It’s effectiveness in my monster form is... not ideal, but I can still somewhat see out of it. Now that I’ve entertained your curiosity, can I return to focusing on the road? As I said, I’m rusty, and I lack empathy for most humans, so I might unconsciously hit one of the squishy things if I’m not paying attention.” He didn’t know what was worse, his curiosity to know what happened to the taller’s eye, or his fear of Nightmare committing hit and run on some unsuspecting human. Not wanting to be brought up on charges for killing someone though, he figured it best to find another means of distracting himself so that Nightmare hopefully wouldn’t hit someone just because he felt like it. He could ask about the eye some other time... when he was less likely to die for his curiosity.

Another half hour of the most anxiety-inducing ride of his life, and they were at the apartment. To his credit, Nightmare got them there faster than Cross thought possible, and was very good at following the directions given to him. He even parked the car where instructed, even if the daemon questioned why they didn’t park in front of the building since it was closer. Trying to explain parking laws to someone who had broken no less than 20 different laws on the way here was absolutely pointless, the monochrome skeleton turning his focus back to the reason why they were here.

Without waiting for the other, he dashed into the building and up the stairs, praying that everything was alright. The front door was locked, which was a good sign, Cross fumbling with the lock as he heard Nightmare cursing his way up the stairs. As he pushed the door open, calling his brother’s name as he went, the scene he walked in on made his soul stop for a moment.

The main living room window was shattered, glass blown into the room and all over the furniture. He hadn’t noticed from outside due to the window’s location, though he was surprised that nobody had called in a potential disturbance. As far as he knew, the apartment next to theirs on one side was vacant, but that still left their other neighbors that could’ve potentially heard what happened to cause this. What really left him unable to breathe though was the pool of dried blood he could barely see in the kitchen, his feet carrying him towards it despite his fear of what he’d see.

It wasn’t just the floor that was stained, the counters and one of the kitchen knives tainted with crimson as well. To his relief, there wasn’t a pile of dust soaked in blood with a red scarf, though closer examination did reveal flecks of either dust or bone littering the dried pool of blood. Something had happened to Geno, leaving him severely injured, and there was no way for him to know because he hadn’t been there for him.

“This is all my fault,” he murmured, sensing Nightmare approaching behind him. He turned to the daemon, tears in his eyes again as he honestly didn’t know what to do. “H-His dust isn’t here, b-but this is too much b-blood for him to g-get anywhere on his own.” If Geno had called the paramedics, this place would likely be a crime scene right now as they tried to piece together the same clues Cross now had.

Just as his boyfriend opened his mouth to say something, a crackle of energy could be heard nearby. The purple skeleton practically leaped in front of him, holding out an arm defensively as his daemon form took over. The smaller peered around him, seeing something sparking to life in front of the pair.

The rift forming in his kitchen widened before opening, revealing a skeleton that was somewhat familiar to him. Empty sockets stared back at them, their depths somehow conveying the twisted mix of rage and smug cockiness the other skeleton radiated. “You’re just as predictable as Nightmare is,” Reaper chuckled, eyeing the pair and their guarded reactions. “Though at least you were able to follow a simple instruction to finally check your damn phone. Do I even wanna know how many messages he left you?”

“Reaper! What the fuck is going on here?” Nightmare barked, bristling at the other skeleton who merely smirked at the angered reaction.

“What’s going on here is I’m showing your soulmate what his negligence caused.” Before Cross could pipe up to ask what Reaper had to do with this mess, the hooded skeleton continued. “Oh, and before you ask, Geno is safe. I’ve been taking care of him myself as a matter of fact! I do apologize for the window though, my little swan gave me quite a lecture about that little stunt and pretty much ordered me to fix it. Once he’s feeling a little better and I feel comfortable leaving his side, I’ll see to it that the window’s replaced and all evidence of my little break-in is cleaned up! You can deal with the blood though, that one’s on you.”

The octopus daemon’s agitation faded as the other spoke, realization flooding his face. “He’s your soulmate.”

“What?!” Cross blurted out, looking to the skeleton in the magic window. Reaper’s grin widened as he nodded in confirmation, leaving the monochrome skeleton in a bit of shock. That skeleton was a daemon, and supposedly he was Geno’s soulmate. That explained his involvement in this mess, Cross’ gaze hardening as he stood straighter. “Where are you? I’m coming to see Geno.”

“You’ll do no such thing,” Reaper snapped, enough venom lacing his words to make the smaller skeleton jump. “My little swan specifically requested that you be kept away from him as he recovers, and I’m all too happy to oblige. So, why don’t you actually do some good for him by cleaning up that little mess?”

“Reaper, you bastard!” Nightmare growled, growing defensive on his mate’s behalf. “It’s not Cross’ fault, it’s mine! So punish me, not him! Just let him see his fucking brother!”

“Look, I told you that Gen’s in no mood to see him, and I’m not lying. Until my little swan changes his mind, there’s no way I’m letting either of you anywhere near him.” His piercing gaze then flicked back to Cross, the monochrome skeleton steeling his nerves enough to not flinch under such fury. “Besides, he’s not innocent in this mess in the slightest, isn’t that right Crossy? You and I both know that you could’ve left at any point, and you should’ve. Even with you ignoring your phone, you should’ve checked on him at some point in the past three weeks, but you were too busy living in your paradise to pay attention to the hell you put him through.” The daemon’s attention was diverted elsewhere for a moment before his calm smirk was back. “As much as I’d love to stay and nail home how badly you fucked up, Gen is in need of me. So be a good little boy, and stay the fuck away. If I see you, I can’t guarantee that I won’t try to bash your face into the wall.” With that, Reaper offered a jovial smile and a wave as the magical window started closing, the rift vanishing just before Nightmare could lunge at it.

“That bastard! I’m gonna pluck those stupid feathers of his one by one and turn them into a feather boa!” The octopus snarled, his expression losing its anger and growing more remorseful as he turned to the smaller. “Crossy, I’m sorry, this is all my fault.”

“No,” Cross cut him off, shaking his head as his fists clenched together. “Reaper’s right, I’m to blame for whatever state Geno’s in right now. I fucked up, so now it’s time for me to face the consequences and go apologize to him.”

“What about that whole Geno not wanting to see you thing?”

“Pretty sure your brother is just pissed at me. At best he’s twisting Geno’s words to try to keep me away, at worst he’s straight up lying. Once Geno realizes that I’m there to apologize, I’m sure things will be fine.”

“You have more confidence in fixing this mess than I do,” the taller sighed as they left the apartment, waiting for Cross to lock the door and donning his sunglasses before they headed out. “Do you even know where we need to go?”

The monochrome skeleton nodded as they left the building, heading back to the car. “They’re at the hospital nearest to us. Geno and I have been there enough times for me to recognize the interior easily.” Reaper’s little window didn’t give much away, probably by design, but Cross had spent so much time at the various hospitals around the city that he knew the interior design of a fair amount of them. A glance was all he needed to recognize the design of the one he visited the most, giving out directions as they returned to the road.

Nightmare was silent, though the tension in his hands gripping the wheel was clear. “I should warn you,” he started, drawing the other’s focus. “Out of all of my brothers, Reaper’s the only one I truly fear. He’s far more powerful than me, though it’s rare for something to motivate him to actually use that power. Your brother, his soulmate, is exactly the kind of motivation that would prompt him not to hold back.”

“I’m not too worried, Night. Your brother doesn’t strike me as an idiot, no matter how powerful he is. He wouldn’t dare cause a scene in the middle of a hospital.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” the daemon interjected, his grip tightening just a bit on the wheel. “Reaper’s a mage, and a talented one at that. He knows spells that can cause all kinds of effects, and I have no doubt that he’s already prepared for us to show up regardless of his warning. He’s a tricky bastard, and vengeful too. If he really blames you for Geno’s current condition, then you can bet he’ll do everything possible to keep us away from your brother.”

“That’s... not exactly the pep talk that I was hoping for,” the smaller muttered, noticing that they were pulling up to the hospital. Taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, Cross steeled his nerves once more as they parked the car and stepped out.

“I’d rather let you know exactly what we’re dealing with instead of filling you with false hope.” Nightmare was just as serious as he’d been when they’d gone after the hunters, leading the way into the hospital and sticking close to the smaller. “The way he is right now, underestimating Reaper might get one of us seriously hurt. He won’t kill either one of us, but he’ll do whatever he thinks is necessary to protect his mate.”

Cross knew enough about daemons and their mates to know his boyfriend wasn’t exaggerating. They were about to waltz right up to an extremely powerful and protective daemon, but that wasn’t going to deter him. Right now though, he really wished that he hadn’t pissed off CC, as his ghostly brother could help him pinpoint exactly where to go without having to ask hospital staff. Instead, he had to rely on the brief glimpse he got of where Reaper was, his knowledge of the various wards in the hospital, and even Nightmare helped out by searching for Reaper’s presence. He warned that doing so would give the other daemon a warning that they were coming, but Cross deemed the assistance more important than the element of surprise.

It took quite a bit of navigating, made only more difficult by some staff questioning if they were lost. He knew that Geno likely wasn’t allowed to have visitors yet, and there was the slim chance that his brother truly didn’t want to see him, so he’d likely be ushered out of the building if he told any of them why he was here. Instead, he quickly assured each one of them that he knew where he was going despite having no clue, simply hoping that he wouldn’t have to backtrack to the point that anyone caught on.

Lucky for him, they finally managed to pinpoint where they were going, coming across a hallway with Reaper casually leaning against the wall next to a room. The daemon tilted his head as the pair approached, sighing as they continued to get closer. “I knew you’d come despite me telling you not to,” he grumbled, pushing off the wall to stand defensively in front of what Cross assumed was his brother’s room. “Like I told you, I’m not letting you in no matter how much you beg or scream. Geno charged me with keeping you away, and I intend to do just that.”

“I still don’t believe that he’d tell you to keep his brother away, not when I’ve come to apologize and make up for my mistakes,” Cross insisted, but the daemon didn’t budge. Growling under his breath, the monochrome skeleton quickly caught on that words weren’t going to work here. After a quick analysis of the situation, he noticed how there was a large enough gap between Reaper and the door for him to sneak around and into the room. He knew that he was fast enough, gritting his teeth as he darted to the side in the hopes of catching the hooded skeleton off guard. What he wasn’t expecting was to collide with something solid, causing him to bounce off with a grunt. “The fuck?”

Laughter came from the tall skeleton beside him, that same annoying smirk directed at him. “You and Nightmare are more alike than I initially realized. Both of you think that the easiest way through a problem is to literally go through it, heedless of whatever obstacles may remain unseen.” The daemon reached behind him, pounding on the invisible wall with a fist. Each hit caused it to ripple with dark energy, making it briefly visible. The barrier completely surrounded the door and beyond, preventing access to the room hidden behind it. “Like I said, I knew that you’d come, and I prepared accordingly. There’s no way you’re getting in this room, and I won’t even have to deign to get physical to prevent your entry.”

Cross knew that Nightmare warned him of this possibility, but now that it was right in his face, he realized that he hadn’t taken the warning on Reaper’s powerful magic seriously at all. If he couldn’t get past that barrier, then what other option did he have? Scale the side of the hospital? Break through the wall? Yeah, that totally wouldn’t get him arrested at all. “You seriously made a magic barrier in front of his room? What happens when a doctor or nurse tries to go through? You gonna keep them away from him too?”

“Oh please, give me some credit,” Reaper scoffed, his grin radiating a smug confidence that Cross really wanted to punch off of his face. “I built this trap for you two, not for them. Only one of you would trigger it, anyone else can easily pass through without resistance.”

“Wait... trap?” Nightmare questioned, immediately radiating tension. The daemon glanced around the area in suspicion, prompting his boyfriend to do the same. Despite the three of them having a showdown in the middle of a hospital corridor, nurses and other staff flitted about without a care in the world. It was almost as if... they couldn’t see the three skeletons. Just as he made that realization, a tentacle wrapped around his middle and yanked him back, depositing him behind Nightmare’s taller frame.

The octopus had clearly come to the same conclusion as the smaller had, abandoning all discretion as he now openly stood in his full daemon form. It was mesmerizing to see his inky camouflage ripple and shift with even the slightest movements, appearing to drip perpetual shadows even if a single drop never hit the ground. His attention was quickly stolen by the other daemon’s chuckle, glaring up at the one standing between him and Geno. “I’ve been at this hospital for several days now, so weaving a complex spell into the area would be child’s play for me,” Reaper bragged, a spark of magic flickering from his fingertips just for flair. “Welcome to my latest creation, a pocket dimension! It’ll contain any damage we might do when you two inevitably default to your typical brutish tactics, y’know, since you both appear to think with your fists. But only I can allow entrance and exit into this space, and guess where it stops?”

“Right before the door to Geno’s room,” Nightmare growled, his eye narrowing as he looked around the space. The two of them had openly walked right into this trap, and now the two of them were stuck in here until they were allowed to leave. “Have I mentioned how much of a fucking bastard you are?”

“Once or twice,” Reaper chuckled, completely relaxed as he shoved his hands into his pants pockets. “If you two head back the way you came, then I’ll happily let you out. But any attempt to return will just place you back in here with me, and I’m sure as hell not gonna let my little swan’s abuser anywhere near him.”

That did it. Any restraint Cross had snapped as he lunged at the hooded skeleton, screaming profanities as he slipped around Nightmare to get his hands on him. Reaper simply smirked however, sidestepping and letting the monochrome skeleton crash into the pocket dimension’s barrier. His action seemed to prompt Nightmare to follow suit, tentacles attempting to spear the other the second he made a move to get closer to the smaller. Reaper continued to dodge and weave, easily avoiding the frontal assault.

It was now very clear that his boyfriend wasn’t exaggerating when he said that Reaper was powerful, the daemon dodging their strikes with ease. Taking a deep breath to calm his rage, Cross knew that he needed to be smart to get around him. “Nightmare!” He shouted, the octopus instantly responding and using his tentacles to jump back to his side.

“Hope this means you’ve got a plan,” he growled, both never taking their eyes off of the emo skeleton across from them.

“Not... really, but we clearly need a change in tactics. A frontal assault isn’t gonna cut it, and even if we take him down, that doesn’t change that we can’t leave without him allowing us to. Magic like this won’t be beaten in a brawl.”

“And how do you propose we beat it then?”

“You know I can hear you two, right?” Reaper called, waving at the two and grinning at their obvious struggle. “There’s still the easy way out down the hall, I’m not gonna lock you two in here permanently.”

Cross had to pause even as his partner started cursing at the other daemon, struggling to come up with any ideas beyond retreat. He was rarely the tactician in battle, leaving that task to CC or Geno. What would those two suggest if they were here?

“Fight fire with fire,” Cross blurted out, recalling a common response that Geno used. It served to bring the attention of the two taller skeletons on him, though he only cared about Nightmare as he turned to address him. “In this case, we need to fight magic with magic.” A metaphysical space like this wouldn’t be destroyed by brute force, so they’d need to use magic to bypass it. The only problem is that he wasn’t a mage, so he had no hope of finding a way out of this. His pleading gaze focused on Nightmare, hoping that his soulmate would get the hint as to what he was asking.

For a moment, the taller’s grow furrowed in confusion before regret. Just as he was about to lose hope that Nightmare had no such skill either, the daemon had a look of realization as his eye went wide and he grinned. “I getcha Crossy, and I think I have just the fix to our little problem.”

“Wait, what are you two planning?” Reaper growled, his jovial expression turning sour as his hollow sockets narrowed.

“None of your business, bird-brain!” Nightmare snapped back, taking a deep breath as he prepared... whatever it was that he was gonna do. “Full warning, never done this before, so it’ll probably be unstable as fuck, but it should work. Keep him off of me until it’s ready.” Cross nodded, now the one adopting a defensive position in front of his boyfriend.

“Shadows twist, writhe and consume, let the night’s dark tendrils bloom,” the octopus chanted, tentacles whipping about behind him as his eye was closed in concentration.

Reaper blinked a few times before his relaxed posture went rigid, a snarl replacing his grin. “You sneaky bastard, I know that spell!” Half a beat passed before jet black wings ripped out from the daemon’s back, his hands and feet twisting as claws formed.

"Ethereal abyss, open your arms unto me, grant me passage into eternity.” The winged skeleton lunged, talons bared as he aimed for Nightmare. Cross didn’t hesitate to defend him, determined to not let the taller interrupt his boyfriend. A hand slid up his opposite sleeve as the daemon approached, allowing him to grab the knife concealed carefully within. The blade arced up and slashed across his target’s outstretched hand, causing him to recoil with a hiss as blood bloomed at the cut almost instantly.

“Shield me from the harsh rays of the dawn, let its followers look for me and find me gone.” Murderous rage shone in his opponent’s sockets, this fury taking physical form as a scythe the other pulled out of nowhere. It was moments like this that left him wishing for a knife the size of what he usually wielded, but his concealed blade would have to do. He’d even wondered if it was a good thing to bring it with him to the hospital, but now he was definitely glad that he did. It stood as his only proper defense against the large blade now being swung relentlessly at him, and parrying a scythe with a pocket knife was more difficult than he could ever imagine. But there was no way in hell that he’d let Reaper stop whatever Nightmare was doing, determination burning in his soul that helped him keep pace with his opponent.

“In my shade shall I vanish from the light, into the realm of deepest night!” The words were spoken with such finality that Cross was certain the spell was finished, but a quick glance back revealed that nothing had changed. “Fucking shit, work you fucking spell!” Nightmare snarled as he opened his eye, glaring at the flickering magic in his hands. Whatever he was trying to do was clearly not working.

A chuckle stole the monochrome skeleton’s focus back to his scythe-wielding opponent, Reaper now far calmer and more and relaxed than he’d been a moment ago as he practically leaned against his weapon. “Damn, you really got me there Night! I thought you’d actually managed to learn an invocation on your own.”

Cross was expecting defeat and anger on his boyfriend’s face as a tentacle slowly slithered its way around his middle. Yet as he looked back, he was able to catch the corners of his mouth curling up into a grin. “Fun fact Reaper, I studied this spell just to get you back for that stupid portal spell you trapped me in. Didn’t have much else to do while Cross was studying, so I figured that I should give it a shot if you of all people said that I could pull it off. And you of all people should know how I get when someone insults me. I won’t rest until I make them eat their words... which is exactly what you’re about to do.”

The tentacle around Cross’ waist yanked him backwards without warning, leaving him stumbling backwards on a crash course with the floor. As he looked down to see where he was about to land though, something was off. His shadow wasn’t adjusting to the sudden movement, almost as if it were frozen in time. It would flicker and minutely adjust, almost like a video with horrible lag, but ultimately his shadow seemed to be disconnected from him. Was this what Nightmare was trying to do?

A glance back revealed shock on Reaper’s face, his hand reaching out to grab the smaller. The tentacle around his stomach jumped to life, uncoiling only to wrap around the daemon. “I’ve got him! Jump in the shadow before this stupid spell collapses!” Nightmare ordered, frantic shouts of protest coming from the other daemon as he scrambled to grab him.

His backwards momentum left the monochrome skeleton crashing towards his shadow, everything else happening so fast. Before he could even adjust the way he was falling, his body was slipping into the lagging darkness underneath him, swallowing him whole and pulling him away from the two daemons now tangled together. As he passed through, Cross could tell that this portal wasn’t stable in the slightest, likely a result of Nightmare’s inexperience. It could collapse at any moment, and already seemed to be in the process of blinking out of existence. If there was any way to fall faster, he would’ve done just that to limit his chances of being stuck in the thing when it closed.

Lucky for him, the darkness spat him back out before it finally collapsed, melting away until there was no evidence of it ever being there. He even managed to be dumped not far off the ground, resulting in a gentle and quiet landing as he hit the floor beneath the portal. While he had faith in what his boyfriend was trying to do, Cross pushed himself to his feet so that he could see the room. He needed to know where he was, and looking at the hospital bed in the room would give him the best clue.

As he stood up, the monochrome skeleton blinked a couple times before sighing in relief. There was Geno, asleep in the bed with a peaceful look on his face. He didn’t even seem to be in any pain, which left the older brother hopeful that whatever had brought him here wasn’t serious... well, serious by Geno’s standards.

As he moved closer to the bed, trailing his fingers over the metal railing, the frail skeleton sleeping in the cot shifted as he rolled from his side to lie on his back. As Geno rolled over, Cross’ breath caught at the sight of the bandages wrapped tightly around his wrists. The monochrome skeleton blinked a couple times as he processed everything, gritting his teeth as there was only one answer.

“You little shit, you did this to yourself!” He snarled, his hand reaching for his brother’s nearest arm. Blinded by feelings of anger and betrayal, the taller squeezed as he yanked the limb closer, forcing Geno to wake with a scream as his grip intentionally put pressure on the cuts hidden behind the white bandaging. “You promised me! You promised you’d never do this!”

Geno let out a pitiful whimper as he came to, clearly still in a daze from being awoken in such a way. His good eye fluttered open, watery with tears as his free hand moved to weakly claw at the iron grip around his injured wrist. As he properly came to, the smaller’s eye went wide and fearful as he turned to face the monochrome skeleton, desperately yanking his arm to try to free it. “C-Cross? W-What are you d-doing here? R-Reaper p-promised he’d k-keep you out!”

That only fueled the anger burning within him, his grip tightening as he drew another cry of pain from the bedridden skeleton. “I don’t believe it! You seriously set your pet daemon to keep your own family out?!”

“Because I knew you’d react like this!” The other screamed back at him, tears streaming down his cheek as he kept trying to free himself. “You’d immediately blame me for what happened even though this is your fault!”

"My fault?!” Cross was taken aback that his brother could accuse him of such, a growl coming from the back of his throat. “Did I put a knife to your bones? Was I the one that spilled your blood everywhere?” He hissed, the smaller trembling as he tried to shift away. Taking that as a clear sign of guilt, the angry skeleton continued with his tirade. “No? Well then clearly I’m not the one responsible! The only one to blame here is you! You’re the idiot that so recklessly went against his word, and for what?!”

“YOU LEFT ME ALONE!” The younger skeleton’s eye lit up in a brilliant mixture of crimson and blue, only serving to highlight his tears as he grit his teeth at Cross. “I did everything I could think of cope, but I had no one! If Reaper hadn’t found me when he did, I would’ve lost myself to despair! You know my fears, my trauma, and yet you have the gall to blame me for this! You promised me that you’d always be there for me so I’d never feel the need to resort to a blade again, and yet you broke that promise! I...” The hurt and fury in Geno’s voice died off, a sob interrupting him as he stopped fighting against the tight grip around his arm. “I was so worried about you, I thought you’d died or something and that’s why you never came home. Before Reaper... you were all I had...”

Part of Cross wanted to let his anger go, let it vanish as his brother admitted to such fear of losing him. This was one of those times that he wished he wasn’t such a slave to his anger, but it had practically been beaten into him when he was younger, and now clearly wasn’t his time to break free. Instead, his eyes narrowed and his hand yanked the limp skeleton up by his injured arm, dragging another pained cry from him even as his mind was screaming at himself to just let go and walk out. “So, the minute you get Reaper, that’s it? You turn your back on family, on the person that’s spent years trying to take care of you?”

“N-No, I-”

“You told him to keep me out, Geno! That’s a pretty fucking clear indication on who you’d rather have!” Cross snarled, a small voice in the back of his skull screaming at him to knock it off before he did something he would regret. That voice was unfortunately lost in the torrent of anger rushing through him, drowning him in the same hate that had sent Dream running from him, that had caused CC to abandon him. And as the sound of bones creaking and cracking cut through the roar in his ears, Cross felt it deep in his soul that he’d fucked up just as bad as he had those times too.

“REAPER!” Geno cried out, his voice cracking from the pain he was in. It served to snap the taller out of his blind fury, Cross shaking his head only to recoil and let go of his brother’s arm. Fresh blood leaked through the bandages, some even staining his hand as he stared at the dark stains in disbelief. He knew that he had issues with his temper and was easily triggered by certain things from their past, but he honestly couldn’t believe that he’d lost control so much that he’d hurt Geno like this. For years he’d been his protector and provider, and now he was his greatest threat. No wonder Geno wanted him kept away; his brilliant brother knew how emotional Cross would get at the sight of his wrists, and tried to prevent this all from happening.

Before he could try to undo the damage he’d caused though, a set of sharp talons dug into his skull before he was slammed into the nearby wall. A wince escaped him as he opened his eyes, seeing a blazing blue eye light staring back at him while leaking a wispy trail of magic. If Reaper was angry before, he was fucking livid now, murderous intent rolling off of him in waves as he pinned the smaller skeleton to the wall. ”You hurt my fucking mate!” Came an inhuman growl, the words sharp in tone and laced with more venom than a poisonous frog. The talons dug further into the bones of his face, and a flash of glinting metal proved that Reaper’s scythe was on hand as well.

“I-I didn’t mean t-to,” Cross stuttered out, trying to explain himself only to be slammed back against the wall with more force.

“Didn’t mean to?! His blood is on your hands, you bastard! You did this to him! How the fuck could you possibly do this without meaning to?! Your intent was to fucking hurt him, and you succeeded! Now... how about I show you my fucking intent?” The scythe twisted in a way that Cross couldn’t see from his current position, though he could definitely feel the cold kiss of steel against his neck. The blade seemed to burn with the cold fury of its wielder, digging into the first layer of bone with ease. That weapon could slice his head clean off without issue, and Reaper was making damn sure he knew that.

“Get your hands off my mate, bird brain!” Came Nightmare’s familiar voice, four tentacles darting forward to wrestle the smaller away from Reaper. A brief glance to the sound of his boyfriend’s voice revealed a similar shadowy portal fading from above the octopus daemon’s head, just as unstable as the first one had been. The dark skeleton seemed winded, his magic likely strained from the unfamiliar use of invocations as well as fighting off Reaper earlier, but there was a ferocity to him that mimicked the other daemon’s. It made sense though, as both were fighting to protect their soulmates.

The scythe was ripped away from his neck, cutting a bit deeper in the process but not enough to cause serious damage. A thin trickle of blood dripped from the wound as Nightmare practically threw himself at the other daemon, tentacles weaving around both Reaper and Cross in his efforts to pull the two apart. The bird daemon wasn’t giving up easily, his talons scraping at the other’s skull before being pried off. Nightmare didn’t waste a second, jumping away while using his tentacles to bring the monochrome skeleton back to safety. They were all wrapped around him, acting like a cocoon until the pair were safely away from the threat in the room.

“Crossy, are you alright?” Dark bones gently brushed against the many bleeding scratches all over his face, wiping the blood away as it dripped.

“I-I’m fine,” he assured, pushing himself up in the octopus’ protective hold to survey the scene. Reaper had jumped back to adopt a similar position to his counterpart, perched in Geno’s bed and cradling the smaller as close as he could. That single eye light burned fiercely as they made eye contact, his hold on the frail skeleton in his arms tightening just a bit. It was as if he were daring the two to approach again, his frame tense and prepared to lash out again in necessary.

Ignoring the hooded skeleton, Cross’ focus fell to his crying brother. The injured skeleton refused to look up from his current position, head buried in his daemon’s chest as he sobbed. “Geno,” Cross called out, voice quiet and filled with regret as he so desperately wanted to fix things.

His efforts were in vain though, his brother’s body tensing at the sound of Cross’ voice. “Just get out!” Geno shouted, still refusing to look the other in the eye. “Get out and leave me alone!”

“Gen, I’m sorry-”

“I don’t care!” The words that cut him off were laced with such pain and fear, words he rarely used to describe Geno. The frail skeleton’s health wasn’t great, but he was a survivor that faced every challenge head on and often with a smile. But right now, he was afraid... of Cross. He was afraid that the monochrome skeleton would hurt him again if he approached... and he had every right to be.

Hurt filled his soul, bringing tears of his own over the edges of his sockets. Forcing himself away from Nightmare’s protective hold, he stood straight as he regarded the trembling skeleton on the bed. God, he was terrified, and it was all his fault. He’d done this to his own brother, his impossibly strong and determined fighter of a brother. The sight of it broke his heart, the pain only growing every moment that he watched. Before long, it was too much to bear, the monochrome skeleton turning on his heel and bolting. “I’m sorry Geno,” he murmured just before throwing open the door, racing out without another thought other than escaping that scene.

Nightmare would follow him, he knew it. But right now, he wanted to be alone in his misery, fleeing from any nurses that tried to stop him before descending the stairs as quickly as possible. Geno was better off in Reaper’s hands anyways; the daemon would take care of him better than Cross ever could. All he did was cause problems for his brother to deal with. It had always been that way, and now any hope that he’d grown past that was gone. No more though, he wouldn’t let Geno suffer at his hands ever again. Someone like him deserved better than what Cross could ever hope to give.