¡Blame it on me!《Crossmare/Nightcross/crightmoss》

Change 'n' Plans

☆2 Days later☆

RiiiiiIIIIPP

"Hehe" Chuckles Horror. "Well well well...Guess who's gettin' a beatin'!" sniggers Horror as he turns to Cross after he ripped the loungeroom curtains.

"..." Cross doesn't reply, no point in it. He knows what's coming and there's nothing he can do about it. 

"Heh, do you really take me for that big of a fool, Horror?" questions Nightmare with a smirk of rage. The King's been on high alert waiting to catch a 'Blame Game' participant.

"N-Nighty?!" Stammers Horror as he swiftly spins around to meet eyes with his Boss. Horror had no idea that Nightmare discovered the 'game' and this petrified after discovering this way.

"So Cross...How long have they been 'playing' with us?" Nightmare asks, expecting an instant answer but instead he receives complete silence. "Useless bastard, you can't even answer the simplest of questions!" Hisses Nightmare in frustration. "...Since I started work here..." Cross murmurs, reluctantly. 

Nightmare leaves to plan his punishment for Horror and the other participants. 

While thinking, a sudden thought crosses Nightmare's mind. "If everything bad Cross has done wasn't actually him, then he has been a fantastic worker..." Nightmare pauses, a sudden devilish smirk spreading across his skull.

"I have the perfect idea..." Nightmare chuckles wickedly. 

☆Meanwhile, with Cross☆

Siiiigh~

Cross heavily sighs as he slumps down against a dead - but still beautiful - tree. "How did Nightmare find out? Did someone tell him? No...He would believe the others over a simple servant any day" Cross mumbles aloud to himself. 

He stares at the midnight sky, mesmerised by all the diamond-like stars. Cross often sneaks out of the castle and comes here to see the night sky. He would go to OuterTale, but he's forbidden from leaving Nightmare's universe unless it's for a mission.

"Wait a minute..." Cross mutters, "Why do I listen to him?! I mean, he's done nothing but torture me this entire time, so why?!" Cross scolds himself. But just then, another thought comes to his mind. "Nightmare saved me from living in complete isolation, he gave me a home and relatively good food...How could I not listen to him after he did all of that for me?" He mumbled, once again to himself.

"Heh, nice to know that I have a sincere worker" Nightmare says, a hint of humour in his voice. "H-Huh?! Lord Nightmare?!" To Cross, the King's just appeared out of thin air, but in reality, Nightmare's been leaning against the tree for a few minutes.

Cross panics, what is he doing here?! How much did he hear?! Does he think I'm being disrespectful?!

"I never realised you came out here so often. I don't understand why, this place always leaves me with a bitter taste in my soul" explains Nightmare who looks up to also stare at the stars, except he isn't mesmerised - he's more disgusted.

Cross doesn't speak, he just continues staring at Nightmare in shock. Lord Nightmare is talking to me... Properly! He's not yelling, mocking or hurting me! Is this what a normal conversation is like? 

Nightmare quickly notices Cross's unrelenting gaze and becomes irritated. "What?! You got a problem with me being here or somethin'?!" Nightmare yells, frustrated.
"Sorry! It's just, this is very... Different..." Cross stammers, scared that he's gone and ruined whatever mood Nightmare is in. "Different how?" queries Nightmare, who is somehow solemnly confused. "Well...You're...Not angry at me...For starters..." mumbles Cross, who brings his knees up to his chest, remembering all the horrible times that he's had with Nightmare. "Guess so" says Nightmare, taking note of Cross's change in body language.

Cross sits there, and Nightmare continues to lean on the tree. The two of them admiring the stars - or in Nightmare's case, glaring at them with disgust - together.

"I...It's getting late. I should head to bed..." whispers Cross after 20 minutes of silence between him and the King of Darkness. Cross pulls himself up in preparation to leave, and Nightmare scoffs. "Whatever, I need you to meet me in the throne room tomorrow at 6am, sharp"

"Uh, sure?" Replies Cross, confused.

Wait, that's way too informal! He'll take it as disrespect.

"As you wish, Lord Nightmare" Cross corrects. He walks a few steps before he stops, looking over his shoulder to say: "See you tomorrow, I guess?" Cross smiles awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck while doing so. He stands there for a few more seconds, but Nightmare doesn't reply. Cross takes this as his cue to finally leave and bows before scurrying away completely.

"Heh" Nightmare breaths, watching Cross leave before teleporting himself to his own room.