Under The Mask

Chapter 15: Morning Rituals

5013 words

Cross' eyes slowly fluttered open. He awoke in Nightmare's arms, cuddling the taller. A faint brush grew on his face as he shifted closer. He liked the feeling of being this close to Nightmare. He looked up at his future husband, he was sound asleep, breathing softly. Cute, Cross thought.

He stretched and groaned a bit, not loud enough to wake the other up. His arms fell and wrapped around Nightmare's neck. He moved closer till their noses touched and tilted his head a bit, as if he was about to kiss him. He stayed still for a moment before signing and backing away. Not yet. He gulped down the tension and anticipation in his throat and looked back at Nightmare. He looked nice. Cross wished that this wasn't a one time thing. He barely struggled to slip out of the other's grasp. He immediately missed the warmth, but decide it was best to get changed instead of stay there longer.

...

Nightmare slowly opened his eye. Wait, eye? Did he sleep with his eyepatch on? He raised a hand and felt where his eye was supposed to be. Yup, he slept with an eyepatch. Nightmare looked down. Wasn't there something that-

Cross.

Where was Cross anyway? Nightmare's sleepy mind couldn't process anything right now. He turned in bed, Cross wasn't there anymore. So where? Nightmare had spotted Cross, standing near the other side of the bed. Nightmare was going to say something, but all words died on his tongue when he looked closer. His face was seering in blush.

[NightmareJoku.exe has stopped working]

((Wait, he's not Error-))

Cross had taken off his and Nightmare's hoodies, leaving him in the sleeveless shirt he was talking about the night before. He almost had his back to Nightmare, from where he was he could only see about half of Cross' face. Scars littered Cross' arms, the crook of his neck, and anywhere else Nightmare could see. It was because of Cross' V-neck collar.

He's... beautiful. Nightmare just started for a bit. He couldn't help it, he really couldn't.

Nightmare snapped out of it; mostly. Cross shrugged on his own hoodie. Nightmare pretended to have just woken up, he didn't want to get caught staring. He muttered out a greeting.

"Morning." Cross looked over at him. It seems he had just woken up too.

"Mornin'..." If Nightmare was drinking or eating anything, he would have choked.

"What the f**k happened to your voice?"

"Huh? Oh, this is my morning voice..." Cross' words rumbled off of his tongue. Slow and relaxed, like soft thunder during a storm. Damn, that's hot.

"How is it so deep? You're so small-"

"Rude much?"

"Do you know who you're talking to?"

"You haven't smacked me yet so I don't think I know anymore." He turned to look out the window. "You're also very cuddly."

The sunlight illuminated Cross' features. Nightmare had to force himself not to stare. Why do you have to be so pretty?! "Good point, but you're also two-faced."

Coss raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"'HoW sO?' Really, Cross?"