Beastly Beauty

Seeing

Nightmare was frantic in checking the children for injuries after they came to him. He had saw the smoke moments before he saw them. He was glad they were safe but confused on why only Cross was the surviving adult. It seemed rather specific in a way, but the Nobleman didn't care at the time.

"It was a raid." The blacksmith gave a heavy sigh, shaking his head.

The gooey monster could only feel a pain in his soul as he looked at the dirty and scared looking children. They were all looking at him with sweet, innocent eyes, so he gave them a sweet smile. The most he could do was ease their pain.

"Rest, everything will be alright." He cooed to the children, hurriedly getting them something warm and soothing to eat after dealing with the raid.

For a few days, the children and Cross clung to him, wanting reassurance that he wouldn't leave them. He didn't think much of it as after what had happened, he was sure they just needed some love and care. Yet, after those few days, they were back to being happy children running around and playing games.

Now Nightmare was definitely the last person to call something like that weird, but he knew it was odd. He had read hundreds of books, he remembered that after most accidents or something traumatic, children wouldn't immediately go back to being happy and playing. It depended on the child, but most times they would grow quiet or get violent, maybe have night terrors... None of things happened, they all acted as they usually did.

"Are you taking care of the children when I'm asleep?"

Cross raised an eyebrow at the question, rather confused by it.

"I don't-"

"Are they having night terrors? Are you taking care of that?"

The white-clad monster blinked some as he saw the desperate look on the other's face. The question now made sense, but also brought a feeling of unease. They weren't waking up screaming or crying, they always stayed asleep throughout the night. They didn't truly understand what they had done, but they only needed to know that they saved Nightmare. Yet, he couldn't tell that to his naive love, he would ask too many questions after that.

"I am. I don't want you to worry too much. They're still children, they'll forget about that all in time." As he spoke, he cupped Nightmare's face and gently pulled him closer.

The gooey monster nodded slowly, closing his eye to hide the fact that he didn't believe those words. He had thousands of years to forget the trauma laid out before him, he never did. Sometimes he would wake in the middle of the night from those horrible dreams. Even when he had Cross next to him, or even after a day playing with the children, those memories never stopped hurting him. It takes a long time to heal enough to let people in, to trust people after all that...

After that talk, he began to quietly leave the mansion during his office hours. It was the only time he had to himself, he noted. The children were almost always around him, even if they weren't playing or talking with him. It felt like they were keeping an eye on him, and he hated that. So, during those short hours, he hurried to the ruined village, looking for something. He wasn't sure what exactly he was looking for, just that there was something for him to find.

It took him many weeks to find it, and when he did, he felt sick. He found one of the less burned and ripped apart bodies, and it looked like it was attacked. Now, this could easily go with the raid, but he knew his knife marks and the favored weapons of raiders.

Raids needed to be fast, just in case there was a town militia, or the Army was close by to hear warning bells. Because of this, their favorite method of attack was always a long-bladed weapon or a long-range weapon. They were short on time, so they never stayed to butcher someone, stab or cut them deep enough they can't get in the way. That was how they worked, it was quick and efficient, a way for them to spend more time looting than actually killing.

However, the weapon used on the body he found, was a short-bladed weapon, a hunting dagger if he were to guess... And there were too many stab wounds for it to have been done by a raider. The angle was off too, the cuts appeared as it the weapon was thrusted up from a short height, a child's height.

Nightmare quickly left the area, hurrying back home. He didn't know if he wanted to ask, he didn't know if he could. If he was wrong, how would that make the children feel? They would feel hurt and betrayed that he so easily believed they killed and destroyed their own town! But if he was right, how could he protect himself? How could he get them out without hurting them?

For the rest of the day, he spent in his office. He knew it was out of character for him, but he couldn't think of anywhere else that they wouldn't enter. He still needed a plan to deal with them, to understand why they destroyed their own town, killed their own mothers and fathers. From what he had seen, the parents were only worried for their children's safety. They may not have been the greatest parents, but they were doing what they could with what they were given.

The next day, he acted as normal, watching them more closely, listening to them more closely as well. They appeared as normal children, but he quickly saw how they moved was anything but normal. They moved with skill and silence, their reflexes and strength more than a child's should be. If anything, they reminded him of Cross.

After that tensing thought, he continued to watch them and comparing them to his lover. It truly looked like children had learned from Cross, some of the older children were even able to sneak up on him! It was beginning to scare him when he thought back to how the town was ruined.

Eventually, he couldn't take it and confronted Cross. He had to know the truth, he wanted to hear him deny it! To deny it all! To give a reasonable explanation for everything he saw. Yet, he told his lover everything, those sweet eyes became amused, and a smile bloomed on his face.

"I forget myself when it comes to you." He murmured, cupping his lover's face. "You want me to lie to you, don't you?" He chuckled, but it wasn't relaxing. "I can't do that, not to you."

Nightmare felt tears blur his vision, his legs becoming weak. He had planned it all, used the children to hide the fact too.

"We just wanted to protect you. Those bastards were planning on burning you inside this place, or having the Army attack you." His soothing voice became harsher, a scowl forming on his face. "We had to protect you; I knew you'd just let them. You're too kind, far too kind."

The Nobleman shook his head, trying to pull away from the other. Even as true as that sounded, he couldn't condone that! The children were without their real parents! Without their real family members! Cross manipulated them!

"Yo-You used them." His voice cracked hard, making him unable to shout his words.

The blacksmith chuckled, shifting to his bigger form. It was time he stopped hiding what was happening to him. He knew Nightmare would understand more then. And he did, to his horror he did.

Nightmare's mouth opened and closed like a guppy, unable to voice his questions or wonders.

"I'm an assassin, been one long before Char was part of my family. For the longest time, I had wanted to retire, I was growing bored of killing, but in this town, a blacksmith's money can only go so far." He chuckled darkly, easily pulling the now smaller monster to him. "Do you think I regret doing a job? Regret being so vile and so in love with you? No, I won't regret anything like that."

The dark Nobleman began to cry, burying his head into the other's firm chest. He felt so small and helpless. He wasn't a trained fighter, much less an assassin, and now they were on the same level... Cross would win no matter what he tried, and he knew the Mansion belonged to him now.

Cross kissed Nightmare's head, picking him and laying them both on the bed. It was late and he knew it would take time for Nightmare to truly be alright with what he was doing and becoming. The children would be the easiest to convince his transformation to be good. They then can convince Night of it as well. He just needed time to adjust.