Loyal Servant (Crossmare) (Rewrite)

End of Arcs Oneshot: Healthy Approach

Cross sucked at vacations. He was never trained to be lazy, and it showed. He just had to be doing something at all times. Even while in his own bedroom, he managed to find a way to occupy his mind with work. He had a pile of spread out notes on the desk before him, all documenting some aspect of the royal guards' training or rotations. He currently scanned through all their minor details, contemplating a way to make everything more efficient and effective. He tapped his finger while he thought. This unintentionally gathered Nightmare's attention when he entered the room.

"Aren't you supposed to be resting for once in your life?" Nightmare asked as he walked up behind him, a mug of coffee between his claws. He peered over his shoulder, running his gaze across all the papers. "This isn't necessary work, Cross. You can do all of this some other time," Nightmare pointed out. Cross waved him off. One of his tendrils curled around the base of his chair, soon dragging him away from the desk. "Don't you dare ignore your husband," He complained. Cross didn't look at him right away, so Nightmare grabbed the back of his chair and tilted it towards him so Cross would follow its movements and have to look up. He let out a low defiant hum but didn't move. "Don't be stubborn."

"Unlike the others, I can't sit around and do nothing," He complained in turn. He saw Nightmare's coffee and made grabby hands at it. The only thing Nightmare gave him was one of his curling tendrils. "That's not what I meant and you know it," He muttered, though he eased and ran his hands over the appendage either way.

"You're not allowed to have any coffee," Nightmare reminded him. He might as well have purposefully tormented him with the way he then took a sip of the dark liquid. Cross let out a low groan. He had clearly been addicted to the stuff beforehand. That much was becoming clear. "You know it affects your soul as much as it does your body," Nightmare reminded him. "And we need your soul in perfect condition if you're to form a soulling."

"I know, but that doesn't make it any less torturous," Cross whined back.

"You'll survive, you overly dramatic monochrome baby," Nightmare replied. Cross only snorted with amusement upon hearing that crafty insult. Nightmare let his chair go, and it fell back into place.

Cross heard a loud scratching sound come from somewhere down the hall. It sounded like claws raking at the door. "Ghost wants in," Cross noted, standing from the chair. He let go of Nightmare's tendril, instead stretching as he walked in the direction of the door leading into his and Nightmare's quarters. He opened it, and immediately Ghost shoved her way inside. "Hi," He greeted the mountain lion though she was already trotting in the direction of Nightmare.

"What do you want?" Nightmare asked as she came over with her tail curled. She meowed at him until he caressed the top of her head with a hand. He carelessly ruffled her fur. Cross closed the door and walked back over, finding the sight of the dark king cooing over a giant cat quite charming. Nightmare soon paused however, socket narrowing. "What's this?" He questioned, plucking a rolled up paper out from the red collar around Ghost's neck.

Cross lightly took it from his hand, unraveling the paper in order to read the writing he found scribbled upon it. He could tell from the abundantly messy handwriting that Horror had been the one to write the note. "It's from Horror," He told Nightmare before he read out the words written upon the page. "Cross, meet Killer in the garden. Fast. He is very serious about it. Also Ghost has fleas-"

"Gah!" Nightmare growled, yanking his hand off the feline. Cross was less concerned about the fleas, and more concerned about what could possibly be going on with Killer. A problem. Good. Something for me to do. Maybe it will even be a dangerous one. That was probably an unhealthy train of thought, but he just couldn't stand things being calm. He had gotten so used to the chaos... "You better go deal with that. I'll deal with Ghost," Nightmare told Cross, nudging him with a tendril.