My Friend Over the Phone

Chapter 25 (Pt. 2)

It was 10 in the morning. Cross had let Nightmare sleep in, knowing his issues with sleeping at night. He didn't snore when he slept, but he could tell he was out.

    "I don't know how long climbing this will take," he said to himself, his phalanges tracing over the map of the mountain. "but I don't wanna get to the summit at midnight." He rolled up the map, and made one last look around the room to make sure nothing was going to get left behind. He packed both of their things and put their backpacks at the door. He went over to Nightmare, who was sprawled across the mattress. Cross smiled and rolled his orbits, remembering having to practically untangle himself from the other's limbs to get up.

    He cupped his cheek with his free hand, rotating his head to face him. "Hey, you.." He whispered. Nightmare groaned a little, but didn't open his sockets. "Time to wake up, sleepyhead." He groaned louder this time, bringing up his numb arm to block out the sunlight. He sat up, rubbing his eye sockets. "Already..?" He said, his voice cracking a little after the misuse.

    He shook his head, supposedly shaking the sleepiness away. He quickly slid out of bed, and remade to be nice and neat. Like no one had ever slept in it before. Cross rubbed at his own sockets, yawning. "Yeah, we gotta get on that trail, remember? I packed your stuff for you." Nightmare seemed to snap awake at that, grabbing his bag and rushing into the bathroom. Cross stared with confusion and worry, but shrugged it off. He knocked on the door. "I'll be outside, honey. Come join me when you're done."

    Nightmare opened the secret side pocket he had been keeping the ring in and took out the tiny, velvet box with wonderful gold designs circled all over it, with a waning crescent moon on the top. He stared at the ring, not even daring to touch it.

    It was one of a set; royal family heirlooms of four gold and platinum rings that were priceless in their time, and were certainly priceless now. This one and a duplicate for the wedding was left by his parents for him, and Dream had the other two.

    It had a deep purple gem in the middle that if you looked into it, looked like a galaxy, with a waxing crescent moon inside. There were minuscule pieces of gold lining around the rest of the ring, meaning to look like stars. Inside the platinum was an obsidian base, so the ring itself would be unbreakable by most forces.

    It was supposed to be a wedding ring, and he knew nowadays that there was the engagement ring and then the wedding ring, but this ring was made for both. Barely anyone could afford to buy two, no, three rings in total for their loved one and themselves back then, so in their kingdom, the engagement ring was for both engagements and weddings, and you would have a matching ring for yourself once the wedding came about. And because he was a stubborn old geezer, he refused to do this the new way, insisting it costed too much and that it would be a waste of good rings, he was doing this the way he had grown up with.

    The box appeared to be unharmed and perfect like he left it, and it was in the same compartment in the same orientation, so now he knew for sure that Cross didn't find it.

    He put it back, reaching for the pocket several times in a way of 'practicing'.

    Then, he turned to the mirror, thinking about what he thought he saw, what he thought he felt. He could've sworn his tentacles were there.

    He felt a sudden odd rumble in the floor. It reminded him of that earthquake that one time back at home. What was that? Just remembering it made him both curious and paranoid. What if this wasn't of a natural cause? What if something one of them were doing caused it? And who's to say it won't happen again!

    He sighed. This proposal thing was really putting him on edge. He needed to calm down. He needs someone to tell him it would be okay. But who..?