The Stage is Set

Contacting A Past Life pt.6

Ink smiles brightly, and he nods. His gaze softens, and Cross feels his cheek flush. It's like a mom looking at her kid with pride, and he doesn't feel like he deserves that look. "It's perfect." Ink gasps, "I forgot! I need to check the other AUs! Oh, dear. I'm running behind!" Ink stands up, one of his hands moving to the large paintbrush hanging on his side. Is he going to make a paint portal like he was telling Cross?! Is he going to leave him all along again?!

NO!

He doesn't want to be left alone!

Not again!

Cross lunges for Ink's sleeve, gripping it tightly as he tears up. Ink freezes and looks down at Cross on his knees. "Please!" Cross's voice cracks and Ink looks down at him as if he's going to cry at how soft Cross's voice is. "Take me with you. It's so lonely here." He buries his face into Ink's waist. He pretends to not feel the flinch Ink gives."I don't want to be stuck here anymore. Take me with you."

Ink pauses and Cross can feel the way his arms hover over him. Cross tries his best not to cry. Though he fails at it badly. He feels Ink relax before feeling his hands rest on his back.

Ink coos, rubbing circles on Cross's back. "Hey. I'm not leaving you." Cross looks up with weary hope. Ink moves to wipe some of his tears with his thumb. "I'm not going to leave you here in this emptiness. I just... Don't have a spare room in my house." Cross feels more hope swell in him and Chara. Ink tilts Cross's skull to the side, "So until I make another room in my house, you have a choice."

Cross nods, what is it that he has to do? He just wants to leave. He'll do anything to stay with his first friend in such a long time.

Ink smiles at him. "You could stay here while I build another room, or you can stay on my couch while I build your room."

Cross only looks at Chara for a moment. A couch is better than this empty floor. Would it have more color than his magic? Would it be like the browns that make up Ink's clothes? He hasn't seen color like it before, not in this many hues and shades. He's so lonely. He doesn't want to stay one more moment. He wants the comfort that Ink brings him; he wants to leave this void. He wants to leave now that nothing here will ever be his home again.

Cross grips Ink's sleeve tightly before making eye contact with Ink once more. "C-can I stay on your couch?"

Ink smiles and nods before pulling Cross up to his feet. He pulls Cross over to the right of where he was. Cross hopes that they're not going through a paint portal, Ink had made one to show him what it looks like, and he had felt like he would throw up going through one. Cross and Chara stare in bewilderment as Ink grabs something like a doorknob and turns it. Cross's bewilderment turns to awe and wonder as a door appears in front of them. He walks through it to see what Ink described as the DoodleSphere. He takes in all the colors and the rivers of paint flowing down each island. Every color he can think of is here. He can see a few islands giving off two colors, but he looks to his side to see a river of red flowing off his island. He wonders if that shade of red has a name. Apple red. That's what color determination is. He knows this now.

Ink turns to him, "Careful, you don't want to get too close to the paint. You could fall into it."

Cross nods, "How do we get down from here?"

Ink chuckles, his wings spread out as he smiles. "I could fly us down."

Cross wants to facepalm, how did he forget about Ink's wings? He moves to grab onto Ink's sleeves, unsure of what or where to grab. He can hear Chara's laughter at him. Ink laughs as he moves to pick up Cross. Ink spreads his wings out as Cross stares at them, he's never seen such beautiful wings on someone before. Ink pushes off the island, gliding slowly down to the floor, and Cross closes his sockets trying to not think of how his feet are not touching the ground. Pressing himself closer to Ink's ribcage, he hears something.

Ink said he was soulless, so why is there a soul beat coming from his rib cage?

That's not right. Ink got his soul long after the stars were formed. And he never had wings... What is this? Why is this memory all wrong? Their meeting didn't go this way. He wasn't alone for such a long time...What is-

Cross looks back up at Ink with shock. Does Ink have a soulling? He's carrying such a precious gift, and he's doing such a dangerous job? Oh no, Cross isn't going to let that slide. He's going to help. He wants to help. He wants to protect Ink. It's the least he can do in return for Ink saving him.

Ink puts him down and opens the door, "Welcome home."