Under The Mask

Chapter sixteen: Over The Phone

6078 words. TW V E R Y dark humour, implied blood and abuse.

Cross tossed and turned in bed. Chara had already left for school and XGaster for the bar. He was trying his hardest not to disturb Nightmare immediately. He wanted to call him so bad, though. His hands were shaking and fumbling with the phone, desperately trying to distract himself until 10 AM., but he couldn't decline it when Nightmare called him first.

He was under his blanket at the time he pressed the "Accept" button. The light flashed on his face, illuminated him and the things around him. Nightmare showed up in the camera. He appeared to be against the bathroom door. "Cross? Are you okay? Why didn't you show up-"

"I can't frickn' move!" Cross was annoyed at his current state.

"Pardon? Have you been severely paralyzed by a Pikachu from government experimentation on a rat?"

Cross froze. Experimentation. He shook it off and laughed at Nightmare's joke instead. "No, I just got hurt again."

Nightmare's eye widened. "How? What happened!? WHO HURT YOU!?"

"Calm down, gosh. It happened when I fell for you~"

Nightmare blushed. His eyes averted away from the screen and his brows furrowed. Stay calm, Nightmare, stAY CALM! "Not the time, Crossy."

That nickname always made Cross blush. "Alright, I dropped a vase on my foot." Cross laughed a little.

Nightmare raised an eyebrow. "Butterfingers, much? Who bandaged you?"

"I am very much a butterfingers. And Chara helped bandage me."

Nightmare got an idea. "Well, you can always count on me not to drop you like how you dropped the vase if we got married-"

Cross started choking on air. Nightmare freaked out. "I was kidding!"

"Nightmare, that was terrible." Cross joked, he made it obvious that it was.

"Pff, I know. I'm not too good at that. Never had to do it, everyone was afraid of me."

"Well, do you want to know how to?" Cross smiled, more like a smirk and grin at the same time. "Su majestad~"

Nightmare blushed at the tone. "What?"

"Spanish."

"You know Spanish? What did you say?" Nightmare was worried it was an insult.

"Si. I barely use it, though. Also, I said 'your majesty' since, y'know, the whole 'king of the school' thing."

Nightmare got more flustered. He heard the school bell ring. "Is that the class bell or...?" Nightmare's attention went back to Cross.

"Nah. It's for the other grades."

"M'kay..."

"Are you ok? Does it hurt? Wha-"

"I'm fine, Nightmare." Cross looked hesitant again. "It's just... Can you promise me something?" Cross just that sweet tone, the one that makes Nightmare feel like he's melting just by listening to it.

"Of course."

"Can you take care of Chara when I'm not there?"

Nightmare panicked. "What?! Cross, you're making it sound like you're going to die soon..." His voice started fading and he barely refrained it from cracking. Nightmare couldn't even begin to think what would happen to him if Cross was gone.

"Relax, I'm not going to die," Cross reassured. "Not yet, anyway." He said quickly.

((Foreshadowing, perhaps?))