Take Me Home.

Chapter 3: The Picture Was a Painting of You

He shook himself out of it. Nightmare didn't notice. ..Right? Fuck what was he doing?

Why was he here?

Why did he, though unconsciously, bring himself here? This was Nightmare's domain.

And he was out.

And he was searching.

And he was searching for him.

"Why hello there, Killer." Killer nearly jumped, turning around in a split second. All he could see was his eye light, the rest not easy to make out in the darkness, though Killer could tell that his tentacles were probably flickering in annoyance.

He tilted his head at him at the silence, as if expecting Killer to do something, before then realizing what it was. "A-Ahahah.. Hey.." It wasn't like Killer could make some stupid excuse that he was just out for a walk and not running away. Nightmare'd see through that, not to mention that it'd been days.

..But then he realized. He was out here. And that glint in his eyelights..

He knew.

He had known where Killer was.

He knew that Killer was going to come back, whether it be intentionally or not.

Because that's how he trained him.

A shiver ran down his spine, and he shook his head. "You seem so broken now. Shame.. Being with my brother-" Nightmare spat out that last word like it was poison. "-has taken it's toll on you, hasn't it?"

"Regardless.." He held out his hand to Killer, almost as if giving an option.

"You'll come back, won't you?"

His mind was in conflict.

One one hand, he wanted to leave, to get as far away from this bastard as he could, but on the other? Stay. Cling to his side like the loyal dog he was. And he liked it. He liked being loyal.

"You know I love you."

The l word stung, and suddenly it was as if time had stopped, and there continued the conflicting feelings.

In a way, he had Killer wrapped around his finger, almost like a doll he could control.

It took too long to snap out of it then, and if Killer were to fall to it now without Cross around..?

Well he'd be the definition of screwed.

Not in the sexual way, more like an 'oh fuck I made a huge mistake and I can't fix it' type of screwed.

But he had hesitated, and that was more than enough reason for Nightmare. "How ungrateful." He started.

"And here I was, willing to give you a chance. I suppose being with him is better then being with me?"

Before Killer knew it, he shot back a response. "He is."

And that was a mistake. Because now Nightmare knew his doll was disobedient. Now he knew that his loyalty was straying to another. He wasn't feared for no reason after all. He was observant, and would no doubt be concocting a plan, the gears probably turning in his head already.

He jumped as he felt something start to climb up him, and by the time it reached his hands, he had gotten a good look as to what it was. Corruption?

Killer struggled against it to no use, being stuck in place like superglue. But that's when he noticed something was wrong. Nightmare couldn't do this, could he? As far as Killer was aware, it wasn't an ability of his.

So..

As the corruption seeped into his bones, and climbed to his collarbone, Nightmare forced his chin up to look at him, it freezing there in place. "Shame I must let you go for now, but don't worry, I'll return."

He pressed a kiss onto Killer's forehead, before darkness started to disrupt his vision, and then it was all black.

And he jolted up, shaky and confused. Killer stretched his hands in and out, moving the fingers. It felt so weird being able to again when not too long ago, it felt like he was frozen. Out of control.

Where..?

He looked around, finding a familiar patch of flowers. A groan slipped his lips as he slowly sat up from the ground, getting onto his feet with the help of a tree for support. At least it hadn't rained as of recently. Otherwise, it would've been hard to explain, why the entirety of the back of himself would be coated with mud.

But.. His eyesight was a little hazy, and his eyelids felt heavy. Had he been sleeping? When did he?

His hand moved to his pocket, patting it and feeling the flower still there. So not too long after then? He couldn't have just sleepwalked all the way back here from Nightmare, could he..? No.

The reasoning that made sense the most would be his encounter with Nightmare would be just a dream. But if that's so, then it-

He shivered. It must've been real, wasn't it? Nightmare truly was there.

But how come he hadn't checked up on Killer the previous days..?

A mystery for another day, he thought as he went back inside, a pleasant sigh escaping at the warmth.