Safe With Me (Shatteredmare fic)

Don't Leave

Nightmare sighed as he sat on his lavender, silk canopy bed. He flopped onto his back, his head resting on his pillows. His hands palmed over his eye sockets. He still didn't understand Shattered at all. Why had he saved him? Why didn't he save Dream instead? Dream would have been a much better option, wouldn't he have been?

Maybe Shattered didn't have a choice, and he wanted to save someone, so in desperation he saved Nightmare. What a shame. He will know of his mistake later...

A knock on his door echoed loudly into his room. He could recognize who it belonged to immediately. Perking, Nightmare sat up and threw his legs over his bed, fixing the crown on his head and he pulled down his shirt a little. "Come in!" He responded. He put his hands in his lap as he sat on his bed, watching the door expectantly.

In came Shattered, who Nightmare was expecting. He wore his normally lax expression, with the same sly grin he usually wore. "There you are, Nighty. Surprised you weren't in the library as usual," Shattered said. He shut the door, making sure to lock it. "Why didn't you have the door locked?" He asked before Nightmare could respond.

Nightmare winced. "Sorry, I forgot to..."

Shattered almost snapped, he could tell. "You need to make sure it doesn't happen again. There are people that won't hesitate to take you away from me, Nightmare," he stated clearly.

Nightmare nodded, his head lowering as he locked his gaze with Shattered. They didn't say anything for a couple of short heartbeats.

Shattered sighed, sitting next to Nightmare closer to the foot of the bed. He put his hand on his back comfortingly, robbing it slightly. "I'm sorry, Nightmare, I just... want you to be safe," he whispered.

Nightmare couldn't take it anymore. He sat up, although he still wasn't as tall as Shattered (even when he was slouching a little), shouting, "But why?! Why do you care about me?! Why did you save me instead of Dream?! Didn't he deserve it more than I ever will?!?"

Shattered flinched a little. Tears swelled up in Nightmare's eyes, threatening to spill down his cheeks. "Nightmare," he said, his voice hoarse as it was breaking, "don't talk about yourself like that..." He planted his right hand on Nightmare's cheek, wiping the tears out of his left eye socket. "Dream was--" Shattered started, but he stopped himself. He thought about what he wanted to argue for a heartbeat. He used his left hand to wipe the other eye socket, which was slowly building up tears. His hand hovered slightly over his eye socket as he admitted, "I knew you for some time before the Incident." He paused. He then argued, "You seemed much better than Dream... Even if you don't think so."

"Why though??" Nightmare questioned, squeezing his sockets shut and pulling away from his hands. "Why am I better than Dream? Isn't he the Positive one?! The better one? The good one??"

Nightmare didn't catch it, but there was a quiet growl that came from Shattered. He clenched his fists, but immediately the frustration that washed over him died as quickly as it had came. Instead he hugged Nightmare, setting his head on top of Nightmare. He then purred, "Nightmare, you are just as important as Dream was." His hands were stroking Nightmare's back lightly over his spine. This sent a chill down Nightmare's spine, forcing him to shudder. Shattered growled, pushing himself closer to Nightmare, as if his movement had angered him somehow.

Nightmare just had to be confused. He was overthinking everything, wasn't he? Just like how he always did.

Shattered sat there with Nightmare in his arms for a good while. Nightmare lost track of time. He didn't know how long he was being cuddled for, but Shattered abruptly separated himself from Nightmare. He held Nightmare's hands on the bed, his thumbs pressing up against his own. "Nightmare, please... I love you," he said simply. He took his hand and cupped Nightmare's cheek again. Nightmare blushed slightly.

Did he love him as a brother? A friend?

Maybe he doesn't know what he's talking about. He's making a mistake. He doesn't love Nightmare... he's lying. Lying to himself; lying to Nightmare.

"I see you doubt me," he proclaimed slowly, taking his hand away. He looked away from Nightmare, letting go of his hands as he set them beside his own legs.

Nightmare gasped quietly, leaning forward and gripping Shattered's arm as he exclaimed, "I-I'm sorry, I didn't--"

"Didn't what?" Shattered growled, still not looking at Nightmare, his shoulders hunched.

Nightmare hesitated. He shuddered in pain, pulling himself to Shattered and wrapping his arms around Shattered's closest arm. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to doubt you... I just can't..." Nightmare started sobbing into Shattered's sleeve. He hoped he didn't mind, he felt so bad, he was wasting clean clothes for nothing, for his stupid feelings-

Shattered's free arm wrapped around Nightmare. Nightmare could feel his head burrow into his neck, to the left of his head. "I said it once... I'll say it again... I love you," he whispered softly. "Don't doubt me or yourself any more... You are just as valid as you think Dream was," he uttered quietly.

Nightmare nodded, still sobbing. He continued to choke, saddened by his own thoughts and feelings of self-loathing. "Pl... Please," Nightmare choked.

"Yes?" Shattered asked, nuzzling the side of his head into Nightmare's neck gently.

"Please... Don't leave me," Nightmare cried. "Don't l... eave me l-l-like Dream did..."

Silence for a heartbeat. "I promise, Nighty, I won't. I won't ever leave you."

Despite currently sobbing into Shattered's arm, Nightmare's face broke into a smile. "Th... Thank you, Shattered."