Two Halves | Book One of The Judgement series

Chapter 30

Nightmare and I went back inside Grillby's, where the party was in full swing. I silently held his hand since I didn't know how to support him. I mean, my being back here just destroyed his relationship. I looked around the large room. Raven and NaJ Dream were talking adamantly about something with Sci. Sci's brow bones were furrowed, like he was deep in thought about the discussion. Ink was trying to start a conversation with Error, who was being a wallflower. A few Sanses and Papys were moving some tables and setting something up. I looked like a makeshift stage. I felt Nightmare pull his hand out of mine. 

"I'm gonna go get a drink." I looked up at him, no doubt with worry in my eyes. 

"I'm sorry." Nightmare shook his head and pressed his teeth against my forehead. 

"It was my choice. There's nothing for you to be sorry for." Nightmare pulled away and disappeared into the crowd but I wasn't alone for long. 

"Well if it isn't the little glass breaker herself." I turned towards the familiar voice only to come face to face with a purple fire elemental. Fell!Grillby's fire seemed to flicker into a smirk.  "You haven't changed a bit have you Dove?"

"FG! It's great to see you again." He held his hand out and I clapped it into my own. "How's business bud?"

"Still same old place. Sans has been getting drunker than usual though. From what he's told me it's cause Nightmare's putting some real pressure on the team to find you." 

"I knew I couldn't be safe forever. Tell Edgy sorry for me cause I hate to be trouble to him or anyone else." 

"Don't apologize for shit. If anything someone needs to put the crybaby 'king' in his place. I'm glad you were the one to stick it to him. Kinda sucks what you had to go though though." 

"Yeah," I absentmindedly rubbed the scars on my stomach. 

"So who was that I saw kissing your head? He ain't any skeleton I've ever seen." 

"That's cause he's from this universe." My eyes found Nightmare at the bar, talking to a Grillby I was unfamiliar with. "That's NaJ Nightmare. Universal nickname, Lune. His twin brother," I pointed over at Raven, who was laughing at something Sci said, "is Dream. Otherwise known as Sol." 

"Sol like days out in space?" Outer stepped up and joined the conversation. 

"Sol as in latin for sun and Lune as in crescent moon. The two are about as opposite each other as Raven and I are." Dream made his way over to Nightmare, most likely since he noticed that Nightmare was drinking. 

"Oh, I know that look darling~," a skeletal hand made its way around my waist and I cringed despite myself. 

"What do you mean, Lust?" I twisted out of the short skeleton's hold. 

"You're in love, honey." 

"Ha ha, funny," sarcasm dripped off of my tongue. "Even if I was in love with Nightmare nothing would ever come from it. I'm too broken for that sort of thing." 

"You only say that because you're scared. You think he'd be like the original when it's so obvious that he's different." Lust pointed over to the bar where Nightmare and Dream were smiling and having a normal conversation. Unbeknownst to me, a smile made its way onto my face. "He's made up with his brother while you were gone and based on what I saw through the window he even gave up his relationship for you."

"You saw that?"

"I can sense sexual tension from a mile away, honey. I just had to check it out." 

"What is he talking about," Outer's brow bones furrowed in confusion while FG's fire glowed brighter.

"You're not getting it on with anyone while I'm around." FG glared at Nightmare from across the room.

"Calm down. I wasn't 'getting it on' with anybody." I patted his arm, "I appreciate the concern though." 

"No one's touching you without permission," FG cleared his throat and glared at Lust, who was staring at my breasts. Lust held up his hands when he realized he was caught. 

"Not without permission. I got it. Doesn't mean I can't look though." Outer smacked Lust in the back of my head and I rolled my eyes. 

"I'm gonna talk to NaJ Grillbz. Make sure it's alright to sing." I walked over to the bar area, away from the bickering skeletons and protective fire elemental. "You can always find a Grillby polishing a glass behind the counter," I said as I sat down in front of the orange and red elemental. "It's just in your guys' nature."

"I reckon that's true," the Grillby sat the glass down. "Can I get ya anything?" 

"Not tonight. I actually came over to see if it was alright to sing for the crowd. It's something I do for fun at these types of events." 

"Ah, so you're the famous Dove?"

"That's me. Let me guess, everyone's come over to you and asked you if it's alright to set up that?" I pointed over to the makeshift stage area. 

"Hit the nail on the head there. The other mes told me that I wouldn't regret it if I went along with it so I told everyone who asked to go crazy as long as they didn't break anything." 

"If you tell them to go crazy then expect something to get broken," I laughed and Grillbz chuckled. 

"Well I hope you can distract them so they don't break anything." I stood and sent a two fingered salute to the young fire elemental. 

"You got it." There was feedback from a microphone, which instantly made any chatter cease. I felt a smile come onto my face. "Whelp, that's my cue. I'll make sure these monsters behave." I got up and made my way to the makeshift stage, where Ink was setting up speakers with Error. 

"JuSt So YoU kNoW, kIkI, i DoN'T lIkE tHiS." 

"Yeah, yeah, I know Ruru. Could you plug this into the wall?" Error did as he was asked and Ink handed me a microphone and a cell phone that was hooked up to the speakers. I smiled at my friend and turned to the crowd. 

"Let's get this show started."