Suffocating Joy {Nightmare x Reader}

Pick and Choose

This chapter contains a mention of suicide. Nothing too graphic, though.

~(Y/N)'s POV~

I sighed and watched Nightmare leave. He may have thought he hid his emotions well, but I could tell he was upset. Cross groaned and grabbed his blades. "I'm going to talk to him, (Y/N). You stay here, okay?" Before I could talk, Cross was gone. I sighed and took another sip of my hot cocoa, which was now cold cocoa.  I slammed my head on the table, groaning loudly. "You seem sad, pal. What's wrong?" 

"I'm just...it's all my fault. If I could just pick one, this wouldn't...wouldn't be so bad for them both. But I'm scared that if I do pick one, the other would be upset..." "...Ya know, I had something like that happen a while ago, too." I turned over to look at Ink- how did anyone find him attractive. "My current boyfriend and I were always affectionate, but then someone else came into the picture. He was attractive, sure, but he wasn't the nicest. He and my boyfriend never got along..,"

"After a while, they made me pick. Well, not really, but they really wanted me to. And I did. It left the other guy really upset. So upset he killed himself, actually. My boyfriend tries to cheer me up, but it's still stuck in there...Oh, guess that doesn't make it easier to pick, huh?" I sighed and groaned again, putting my head on the table. "Well, the point is, I picked, so I can help you pick, too!" I looked up, seeing Ink's kind smile. "Okay...well...how do I start?"

Ink pulled a small notebook out of his...somewhere, I'm not really sure. "Let's list off the cons of both first!" I cocked my head. "The cons of a relationship. Let's start with Nightmare! List off anything, okay?" "Um...okay...he gets angry really often, but only around Cross...he's also really shy when it comes to physical affection. Like he's...scared?" Ink was scribbling furiously in his little notebook. "Now Cross!" 

"He can be really mean, especially to Nightmare. He's also really...clingy? In a way Nightmare isn't. Like, he tries to be at my side and if he's not, he wants me to stay put..." Ink continued writing. Then he put his pencil on the next page. "Now, Cross's pros?" "He's...well, he's an amazing kisser. Like really good. And apparently he's a good cook, but he never made me food...he also told me about him and didn't keep any secrets...Nightmare did, though...Um, he's got a really nice smile, too!" "What about Nightmare's pros?"

"He's...he's really nice. And he cares. He may keep secrets, but I don't believe that he does it because he wants to, but because he's afraid to get attached. He's a great hugger and I love the way he talks, all fancy-like? So cute! Not to mention how his cheeks are chubby when he's sleeping! And he tries really hard to make me happy, no matter what it is..." "I think we have a winner, just based on how you're smiling and blushing talking about a certain goopy skeleton~"

I looked over at Ink, who had a smirk on his face. "C'mon, you know who, (Y/N)~" "N-Nightmare?" "Yep! Now we just have to tell Cross you hate him and never want to see him again!" "What?! No!" Ink giggled and put the notebook away. "Teasing, teasing! But you do need to tell them both how you feel. Sooner rather than later." "Why?" "Because if you wait, the more attached you, and by proxy they, get attached. Waiting is...is what got the other friend killed, (Y/N). Don't wait, it'll only hurt everyone worse in the end..."

I sighed and nodded, looking down. "Well...can you help?" Ink gagged and when I turned, he puked up black stuff all over the floor. "Are you okay-" "I'D LOVE TO HELP!" Ink pulled out another notebook, this one was different, and opened to another page. "Okay, what were you thinking? Some epic proposal of love? A dating game show? Making an entire house for you and your one love in an AU completely destroyed and abandoned?!" "How about...apple pie?"

~Dream's POV~

I sighed and leaned back, the beanbag shifting. A glitchy portal opened, revealing Error. "Hi, Error!" He offered a smile and sat beside me, pulling his legs into his chest. His aura was tried and annoyed, with happiness rising. Aw, is it from me? "Did something happen, Ru?" Error chuckled and turned to me. "Yσυɾ Ⴆɾσƚԋҽɾ'ʂ ԋαʋιɳɠ ԃαƚιɳɠ ιʂʂυҽʂ." I giggled softly and leaned closer to him. "Iɱαɠιɳҽ, ɾιɠԋƚ?" Error's face turned a soft yellow and he smiled, but pulled away a bit.

"Right, haphephobia...sorry, Ru..." "Dσɳ'ƚ ɯσɾɾყ αႦσυƚ ɱҽ, ɯσɾɾყ αႦσυƚ ყσυɾ ʂƚυριԃ Ⴆɾσƚԋҽɾ." "Why? He's a grown up, too!" "I ɾҽιƚҽɾαƚҽ, ɯσɾɾყ αႦσυƚ ԋιɱ." I giggled a bit and laid back more, smiling over at Error. "With (Y/N), right?" "I ɠυҽʂʂ. Hҽ'ʂ ƚσƚαʅʅყ ϝαʅʅҽɳ ϝσɾ ƚԋҽɱ, ƚԋσυɠԋ. Aɳԃ ყσυɾ...ყσυɾ ҽx ʅιƙҽʂ ƚԋҽɱ, ƚσσ." "...C-Cross?" I felt myself get really sad, curling in. A hand lightly laid itself on my shoulder. The feeling comforted me, I'm so glad Error- Wait, Error!

I turned and saw him flitching out majorly, his eyes barely visible. "R-Ru, let go! You're going t-to crash!" He let go and it took a while for the glitches to clear his systems. "Are you okay?" "Y-Yҽαԋ, I'ɱ ϝιɳҽ," he said, offering another smile. He tried to hard to be affectionate even though it was visibly painful for him. "Ru, please stop doing that...you-you're hurting yourself-" "Iƚ'ʂ ɯσɾƚԋ ιƚ, ƚԋσυɠԋ. Yσυ ϝҽʅƚ Ⴆҽƚƚҽɾ, ɾιɠԋƚ? I ʝυʂƚ ɯαɳƚ ყσυ ƚσ ϝҽҽʅ Ⴆҽƚƚҽɾ. Yσυ'ʋҽ Ⴆҽҽɳ ƚԋɾσυɠԋ ҽɳσυɠԋ." 

I smiled again and giggled again. "Ru...do you think I could kiss your cheek?" His face exploded into a yellow blush, his glitches acted up. I waited for him to calm down and reset himself, but he still seemed nervous. "I-I ԃσɳ'ƚ ƙɳσɯ, I ƚԋ-ƚԋιɳƙ I ɯσυʅԃ ƈɾαʂԋ..." My smile dampened, but I wasn't going to try and guilt trip him. "Okay, maybe one day?" He nodded and started crocheting, not focusing. I closed my eyes and slipped into the Dreamscape, trying to contact my brother.

I entered his mind and saw him sitting there. "Brother?" "What?" "I...I sensed you were upset. More so than normal," I lied, not wanting to get Error in trouble. "I...could be better. It's irrelevant, though." "Brother, please. I'm here to help..." "It's (Y/N). Cross and I are...well, we both crave their affection, but...but they haven't decided who they favor. I want it- No, I need  it to be me. I...Dream, I don't just like them, I... I'm in love with them. I'm in love with (Y/N)."

Date: 10/17/22 2343

Word Count: 1105