To Fix A Multiverse

Chapter 10

Cross looked up at Killer, smiling slightly at the comforting gesture.

He frowned when he registered what Vigour had said.

"Orphanage?" Cross asked confusedly.

"What do you mean orphanage?" Killer asked in confusion and slight worry.

Vigour sighed tiredly. "I mean what I said. My brother left me at an orphanage when I was four. Never came back since. Which is understandable. Bad monsters.... they were after us. He did what he had to."

"Bad monsters?" Cross asked. There were more and more questions popping up in his skull and almost no answers.

Horror just watched, not wanting to add any questions to the pile to give Vigour some time to respond.

"Vigour, what happened to you?" Nightmare asked softly, trying to get the other to talk.

Vigour frowned with a shake of his skull and curled up, pulling his legs to his chest and buried half his face into his legs. He didn't want to talk about it. He didn't want to remember. He pushed down his emotions, ignoring the tears in his eyes and the painful clench on his Soul.

"Vigour..." Killer trailed off slightly with uncertainty. He wanted to know, hell it would probably be good for Vigour to talk about it. But the other was resistant and didn't want to open up.

"you don't have to talk but if you want to, we'll listen. and we won't judge." Dust explained, giving him an encouraging smile. Horror looked down in surprise. Since when was Dust awake...?

Cross nodded.

Vigour was silent for a few moments, internally fighting with himself. He gripped his legs tighter as if to shield himself. He didn't know what to do. He didn't want to remember. But he knew he had to let it out. They wouldn't judge him but he was too afraid to say anything. He was confused, scared and anxious.

"Vigour," Nightmare started softly after a few moments of tense silence. "What do you mean bad monsters?"

Finally Vigour broke. "I don't know." he choked out, almost sobbing. He sounded so broken. "I don't know, okay? All I know is that ever since I could remember, we would always move all around the Underground. Never staying in one place and never in any homes. Just caves and holes and boxes. Anything inconspicuous."

Vigour sniffed and wiped away his tears. "My brother always tried to keep me safe. Keep me happy and warm and fed. But we would always move whenever we heard someone near our 'homes'. But I was happy. I had my brother with me. But one day, he said we need to run and took me away. He left me at an orphanage in New Home before running off when he heard running in the distance. I never saw him since."

Cross' eye sockets widened when Vigour explained. That sounded awful. To have the one person that had always protected you taken from you...

"Can I give you a hug?" Cross asked quietly, not wanting to startle the other skeleton.

Horror and Dust both looked shocked.

Vigour sniffed and nodded trembling, he could use a hug.

Killer frowned and looked away in pain and sadness. Shit. That hadn't what he'd been expecting.

Nightmare frowned at the explanation. "I'm sorry."

Vigour sniffed softly, trying to wipe away the tears that kept coming. "Not your fault."

Cross hugged Vigour tightly, tears collecting in his own eye sockets as he held the crying skeleton.

Vigour let Cross hug him, curling up slightly in the other's embrace. The touch sending comfort through him despite his Soul still clenching painfully.