A Destructive Family-Sequel to Errormare Story

Chapter 63: Distant Company

Error's POV another month later

It did not go away. Nighty did not get past his odd behavior. The past few weeks, I have found Nighty acting odd one way or another. Clingier one day, distant the next. He will be shaking, his tentacles trembling, looking ready to break down but the moment I show some concern or inquire about it, he goes blank. He shuts down and gives me nothing to work with. I'm growing concerned the longer this goes on. What if he is in trouble or senses that something is wrong? Why does he try to hide it? Or if it is just pain, why does he close off when I can comfort him? I recall how I hid my gut feelings and got in trouble with my family for doing so, including the promise NM made me make. That hypocrite...Why should I promise to tell Nighty when he senses trouble when he won't do the same? We're married for Asgoro sake!

One day I got sick of his avoidance and grabbed him with my strings. I could feel him tremble in my strings. I could only think of how something was clearly wrong and how he needed help. If he won't talk to me about it, he can tell an expert!

.....I dumped him into a therapist's office. That was two weeks ago yet no change in him. This only makes me even more frustrated but I know better than to yell at him on impulse or rage. So I've been writing notes down in my room while petting Perl on what exactly frustrates me in order to calm down. All these thoughts get put into a note, forming a letter to him. The aforementioned note just got placed on his desk today while he was stars-know-where. It reads:

"Dear Nighty,

I am writing this because if I were to speak to you about this, you would either shut down or I'd snap something at you out of frustration. Both are things I don't want. I've gotten sick of your behavior lately. You are NOT fine no matter how much you lie that you are. You cannot simply go from two seconds away from a breakdown to a cold statue and look for me to think that you're okay! To go on as if things are normal and not be concerned about you! You can't shoo me away when I am concerned about you because being all secretive does nothing to help either of us! I'm your husband! I'm supposed to care for you through the best and worst of times, but that only works if you let me know what's hurting you in your bad times! I may not be able to sense negativity, but I know you and you do not hide the issue well. How can I help you if you won't let me? You can't act as if things are okay because you are NOT okay. Your behavior is hurtful too, Nighty. Our marriage which is only reaching its two-year anniversary is built on love, trust, and communication. Don't you trust me enough to communicate what is wrong? I know you'd be upset if I were to hide something that's bothering me so I don't understand how you think your actions won't hurt and upset me either. You shut down one day, then get clingy the next as if nothing happened! Or hours later as if it didn't matter! It's so frustrating, Nighty. I just want to know what's hurting you. But until that happens and until you're able to communicate that with me without turning into a brick wall after a near-breakdown, don't expect any cuddles. You'll know where to find me to talk about this.

Sincerely,

Glitchy"

Currently, I am focusing my attention on managing the balance and working on destroying AUs. If he doesn't want to talk, I won't make him. But I won't sit around waiting for him to open up and won't play this game with him forever. I smile, feeling a weight gets lifted off of my shoulders. How bad is it that I got excited fighting Ink again? I find it fun as long as it lasts before sending him to another AU. Soon the balance was secure again so I grew tired of destruction. 

Time flies past me as I focus more on destruction and balance, socializing with other friends or relatives, and relaxing in my antivoid. I happily help around on the farm to spend time with Horror and Farm one day before going to chat with Lust or Blue the next. I join Buffer and Paps at the antivoid for scrapbooking. It isn't until I check my phone to make plans with Lust that I see that a few months have passed. And yet...I feel happier and less stressed...Even in Nightmare's silence. As far as my boys say, he is still just as distant and colder even...He'd often just stare silently at them, or through them even when they ask him something. Horror and Dust make more plans to be out of the castle aside from caring for Horror's numerous pets while Killer takes advantage of the distant conditions to fool around. I once caught him sliding down the railing from the top floor to see how far down he could go on a spiraling staircase as if it were a slide. Cross often stays in the castle with Dream, doing their own things to give him space. Dream shares my concern but we both know Nightmare's stubbornness and mostly give him space aside from the check-ins.

Still, it's unsettling to be out for months and not even get a call or text from him. But if he wants to put walls up between us and act cold, he can go right ahead if that pleases him. I'll find other ways to spend my time.

I've even been meeting Probe more often. This is often by chance while alone exploring AUs, though it easily morphs into us starting to talk as we go along. Error gets to know Probe quite well. I dare to even call Probe a friend. He is quite understanding and I guide him through the AUs, showing him the good in them. He amazes me with his skills in hacking code or accessing deep files of anything.

He's sweet and has adorable reactions to discovering the smallest of things. He has really shown me how to appreciate the smaller things despite doing this mostly in bigger, deeper conversations.

It's nice to have company but it doesn't keep my mind from worrying about Nighty after a while. It sits in the back of my mind and that's where it will stay.

It's up to him now how he will react.

TBC