One-shots [Reqs: 5]

Treehouse

i made a story for that treehouse drawing :))

------

Cross loved the forest. He loved running through the seemingly endless trees, pretending he was a ninja, feeling proud every time he dodged a protruding root or twisted around a tree. He loved climbing up the tallest trees he could find and carving his name at the top of each new conquered Everest. He loved taking his flimsy-hand made fishing rod and camping out at the shallow creek, catching crawfish and tossing them back in.

And the thing he loved the most about the woods was his treehouse. It was a rickety thing, held together with tape and old rusted metal. Cross's chest swelled with joy and pride each time he saw the messily constructed thing. It had taken him months to finish. It'd been a chilly afternoon after a long day of stomping on frozen puddles that the idea occurred to him. And he just had to do it.

The tree it was in sat in a tiny clearing, something that had also taken him a few weeks to do. With a few stolen pocket knives, Cross chopped down as many things as he could, vines, kudzu, small shrubs, thorns. Now, nearly a year later, just two weeks before his eighth birthday, Cross set his fists on his hips and admired the view from his little porch high up in his treehouse.

He didn't do it alone, of course. He'd managed to convince one of the older kids in the trailer park to help him with it. And the older monster brought a friend of his own to help. With two extra sets of hands, the workload was lightened. Though, the treehouse was meant to be a secret, meant only for Cross and Cross alone. But, in payment of the other's help, they had access to the small building too. Speaking of which...

"Cross! You up there?" Cross perked up, grinning. He hopped onto his feet, leaning over the side to wave at the ten-year-old. "Killer! Hi!!" Killer waved up at him, a grin on his face as well. He wasn't alone, a taller, darker monster standing behind him. Cross's smile hitched up, the boy beaming at his not-quite-friends. "Nightmare! You came too!!" The teen shrugged, "Don't get too excited. I'm here to babysit, Nim's orders."

Nightmare and Killer lived together with one of the residents in the trailer park. They were both foster kids, Nightmare had told Cross, and that meant they weren't brothers. So Cross wasn't supposed to call them brothers. Cross had met Nim before, and she'd been nice enough. Her son, Dream, a sixteen-year-old, was the nicest kid on the street.

Nightmare was his exact opposite, and seemed to hate Dream with all his might, despite them being actual twins. Cross didn't understand, to be honest. Then again, he was an only child, so maybe it was normal for siblings to hate each other.

Cross hurried to toss down his handmade ladder, which Nightmare eyed uncertainly. He grabbed Killer, keeping him from even touching it. "Why don't you come down here instead? This thing looks unstable as fuck." Cross gasped. "Night! That's a bad word!" Nightmare snorted, "And? I'm the closest thing to an adult out here, I can swear all I want." Killer's grin widened. "I'm gonna tell Nim you said fuck." Nightmare smacked Killer on the back of his skull, hissing at him. "Don't fucking swear, you moron."

Cross frowned, "But you just-" Nightmare glared at him, "Get down." Killer rubbed at his head, sticking his tongue out at Nightmare, "You're so mean to him, man." Cross hurried to address that, stammering a bit, "I-it's alright! I don't mind! I'm, um, I'm getting down!" Cross scrambled over the side of the treehouse, nearly losing his grip in his attempt to be fast.

Nightmare grabbed him as soon as he was within reach, lifting him off the ladder. "One of these days, you're going to end up with a broken neck." Cross sniffled, grinning as he was set down, "I'm not weak." Nightmare crossed his arms, "Uh huh. Killer, punch him." Cross squeaked, leaping back, prepared to defend himself in case Killer actually listened. For a moment, there was a hint of real fear, a mere flash, but Nightmare saw nonetheless. It didn't sit well with him.

"Please don't hit me!" Killer elbowed Nightmare, who winced at Cross's plead. "Calme down, I was joking." Cross shivered and pouted, kicking at the dirt. Nightmare frowned at his bare feet. "Killer, why's Nightmare so mean?" Killer shrugged, "Beats me. He's just a sourpuss. You wanna go fishin?" Cross smiled, cheerful and hopeful, looking at Nightmare with puppy eyes. "Can we?" Nightmare stared at him. "Why are you asking me?? I'm not your dad."

Cross giggled, taking Killer's hand and tugging on it, "C'mon, Kills!! I found a new hook and I really wanna show you!!" Killer snorted, letting himself be pulled away, the two running into the woods, ignoring Nightmare's demands to slow down. Cross cheered loudly, laughing as he sprinted to his second favorite spot.

Nightmare cursed, running after them, Cross's bare feet flashing through his mind. "Damn kid- CROSS SLOW DOWN!!"

--

"Cross, come here." The demanding tone sent shivers down the boy's spine, but he complied, hesitant as he crept closer. He forgot his fears the instant he caught sight of the child hiding behind his father. He gasped, "Pa-"

"Father."

Cross corrected himself, "Father, who is that?" His father smiled, and for a moment, Cross was afraid he'd said something wrong. But, his father only took the child and nudged them out of hiding. "This is your little brother." Cross's eyelights lit up, flashing into stars. "Brother?! Really!?"

"Volume, Cross." He lowered his voice, though his excitement wasn't any lesser. "I-I have a brother! What's his name? What's your name?" Cross was bursting with questions and excitement. Oh, he couldn't wait to show his new brother all the fun places, and his friends! What would Killer say? He's going to be just as excited as Cross, he was sure of it!

"..'m... h..." Cross reigned his excited thoughts back in, kneeling on the floor and beaming at the younger. He could wait! The little skeleton was just shy, and that was perfectly okay with Cross. The smaller monster mumbled, uttering small sounds that Cross couldn't decypher. Still, he waited patiently.

His father, though, was visibly annoyed. "Horror, I told you not to mumble. Speak clearly." Cross frowned, but he said nothing. He didn't want his father angry with him. Horror went even quieter. His father sighed, setting a hand on Horror's skull, the child flinching at the touch. It went ignored, his father blatantly telling Cross, "This is Horror, he's five."

Cross nodded. "You'll be sharing a room. Go show him where it is. I'm going to finish signing some papers, so do not disturb me." His father took his hand away from Horror, Cross holding out his arms to the little boy. "C'mon, Horror! I have a really cool blanket house!" Horror hurried over, grabbing onto one of Cross's arms.

Cross blinked. Did he see that right? "Um. P- Father? What's wrong with his head?" He got no answer beyond, "What did I just say. Go." Cross squeaked, "Y-yes, father!" Horror followed him into the hallway, a confused frown on his face. Cross smiled at him, "It's okay! Father acts a little mean, but he's not super bad."

He pulled Horror to his bedroom, holding the curtain open for him. Horror shuffled in, resembling an owl with the way he looked around. Cross skipped in after him, already blabbering. "So, I have this cool gun.."

---------

:)))))))) new au new au new au :))) i might make this a tiny series :)))))

also, killer is totally gonna have a crush on cross