Unrequited LOVE

•Chapter 41•

"What?!" You exclaim, shellshocked. Nightmare, the King of Darkness, Guardian of Negativity, it your SOULmate.

...My SOULmate.

To your surprise, the thought doesn't disgust you.

Dream raises his gloved hands in a pacifying manner. "Please c-calm down!"

You go stiff with indignation. He's telling me to calm down after dropping a bomb like that?! "Dream, how the heck do you even know?!"

"...I saw it," Dream admits. "When you were- when we thought you were dusted, he began, well, acting differently."

The though of Nightmare acting 'differently' sent shivers down your spine. "How different...?"

"He tackled me in broad void-light under the impression that it was you," the thought would have been funny had you not felt so frazzled. "It was quite concerning."

"I bet," you took a breath and ran your fingers through your hair. "...I don't... disagree with the idea, but it's really unexpected."

Dream sighs. "I know. Thankfully, only me, Nightmare, and you know, so it isn't some hot gossip. You do need to address it with him, otherwise things could... go wrong."

Well, that was ominous. "Yeah... do you know where he is?"

"I, uh, kinda snuck in," Dream chuckled, albeit nervously. "He'd probably dust me if-"

"-I found you here?" A voice interrupted him. "Yes, I believe I will."

Oh shit.

There, leaning against the closed door is Nightmare himself, a deadly look on said skeleton's face. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself, Dream?"

"I was telling her the truth," Dream says, surprisingly confident, though there is a hint of worry in his expression. "About you."

"Oh? And what would that be?" Nightmare's voice is practically dripping with rage. His single eyelight zeroes in on you for a few seconds before flicking back to Dream. "Because it looks to me like you're just bothering her."

Dream opens his mouth to respond, but you beat him to it. "It's alright, Nightmare. He isn't bothering me."

It's as if a switch's been flipped. Nightmare's face immediately softens as he addresses you. "Are you sure? If he is, I'll-"

"No, he really isn't," you interject quickly, raising your hands in a pacifying gesture (similar to what Dream'd been doing minutes earlier). "He was just telling me about how we're... SOULmates..."

Silence. Nightmare's body has gone stiff, so much so that he looks like a statue. "..."

...I shouldn't have said that-

Dream derails your thoughts with a loud cough. "I can leave if you two want to... talk it out."

"...Yes," Nightmare says. "I believe me and (Y/n) are in need of a chat. Privately."

Dream smiles awkwardly. "Alright then... have fun,"

Just before he teleports away, he mouths the words 'good luck', accompanied by an encouraging wink. You smile.

Thanks, Dream.

"...So," Nightmare clears his nonexistent throat, looking... nervous? "Dream told you everything?"

"Yeah," you mumble, a bit embarrassed. Your hands fist the soft blankets, and you miss the way his gaze flits to them. "He did."

"Are you mad?"