Our Pen

Chap 26

(I really like how this came out... I didn't think I'd finish it, honestly.)
*Cross POV*

Nightmare, Killer, Dust, Horror, Axe and I swooped in to find a human-looking me and a beaten-up Y/n. Much to my displeasure, I still held some kind of concern for both humans. Even after the first one insulted me.
I'm still quite worried about their condition, neck red and raw with what seems like handprint bruises starting to form. "Are you okay?" The other me asks the other Ink. They nod and brush it off, before forming eye contact with me. Sorry those eyes seemed to say, you're not as bad as I thought you were. 

Y/n slowly retreated into the six of us, bringing the other me along at arm's length. Damn. What'd he do? Bff/n soon followed into the portal, smacking the other me $h*ttl3$$.
Fresh was also there with them, and I think it's because we're all in the tall GC (it used to be the Bad Sans' GC, but we needed a cover; so we added Bff/n and Fresh in hopes to throw the stars off our trail).

"HOW COULD YOU?!" Bff/n roars with the same fury Error often displays (his window to this world now open, as he is also in the GC, probably because he'd refused to go through the same rip in space and time with Fresh). "I wasn-" The other me tries, but Bff/n's so angry they just turn and leave with Error, who seems almost unconcerned.
Dust is half-hugging Y/n (which is kinda a shock to me, considering he's not usually one for touch- probably still thankful for that human saving his life, which has to be the only reason) as a form of comfort (I know Ink loves physical touch [from a long time stuck in the void and being friends with him, several conversations about ourselves have been brought up, such as things we like; there was nothing weird going on I promise 😭]- so Y/n must be the same). 

I walk over to the other me and outstretch and hand, asking, "What's your name?" They're crying, and their cheek is full-on red. I feel bad. "F-F/1..." They take my hand, and I pat it with my unoccupied one before walking through the portal with the others, whom are already starting to leave.
"Why does Bff/n hate you so much? Why does Y/n seem iffy with you??" I question, and I get answers. "I was in a group with two others. They dragged me into doing bad things, and Y/n happened to be in the CROSSfire, and they were taken away." 

I snigger, but gesture for them to continue. "Y/n and I used to be friends as kids. Something happened, and they went all emotionless on me. I kinda freaked and started avoiding them because their empty stares were getting to be too much, and I was uncomfortable being around them. Then, the others took me in and dragged me into bad behaviors, such as bullying my once-friend. I wasn't allowed to retaliate... This is all my fault, isn't it?" I want to set them straight, saying, "Damn right it is." 
But that would be rude, and this guy obviously feels guilty about what they'd done. I let it off the hook. "Maybe apologizing and explaining why you did the things you did would be best." I don't know why I'm giving advice to the opposite me, if what they did to Y/n was the same as what MY Ink did to ME. What Ink did was unacceptable, but from this point of view, maybe I was making it something bigger than it needed to be.

I mentally shake my head, Downgrading my experiences and pretending they're nothing is something I promised myself (and XChara) I wouldn't do anymore. Maybe Ink and I are both in the wrong- Him for starting it, and me for continuing. 
I wait for feedback from XChara, but when I get none, I change the topic from whatever F/1 and I were talking about to something else more lighthearted. I know my soul can't take the thought of this much longer. Thank the gods that F/1 doesn't catch the switch and easily starts talking about something else.

"Yo Criss-Cross!" Y/n cheers, slinging a shoulder over F/1. "Yes?" Both I and F/1 respond, and when I realize that Y/n wasn't talking to me, but my other version.
I can feel my face light up in embarrassment, but Y/n just smiles at me, trying to start some small talk with F/1. "I forgive you, ya' know. It must've been stressful." Y/n says sympathetically to my other version, and my eyes widen as I watch the scene go on around me.

We go back to Y/n's house, and Y/n frowns, mentioning that they miss playing their flute with F/1. F/1 mentions that they still have theirs on their person. "How?" I question, "The case is too big for you to fit in your pocket."
Y/n smiles as they take a small instrument out of their pocket. "Well, not a Piccilo's! I recently started carrying it around with me again." F/1 then smirks, before unzipping their jacket, revealing an inside pocket with the case inside, "I never stopped."

They play a small medly, before Y/n went to their room to fish for more music. Nightmare entered the living room (where we all were at the moment), smirking. Bff/n, Error and Ink were all sitting in the corner, working on yarn projects.
They talking about Y/n and F/1. Bff/n mentioned that Y/n didn't talk about their past much, so it was refreshing to meet an old friend of theirs.

Killer, Horror and Dust were sitting on the bar stools at the kitchen counter (while Axe used the kitchen to cook a small meal), leaning on the granite as they talked, playing with knives from the sharp drawer (I assume that's where they got them from, considering they don't look like fighting knives).
Fresh was on the other couch, scrolling through his phone and chuckling every once and a while. F/1 was gone with Y/n, and I was just existing on a couch cushion on the floor because I didn't want to sit on the couch (I felt as if I didn't belong there).

Y/n came back shouting, "Nightmare! How could you!?" "What?" Nightmare asks, smiling evilly.
"Why'd you flip all the toilet paper upsidown?? Don't you- AGHRGJMANDMJAGFRQIOQWAN-" They slurred their words in anger, but they didn't seem truly angry. It was humorous.