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He was reluctant to do it, hated having to ask for such a favour. But he was so tired, he needed a break, needed a chance to relax and recharge. His job was a taxing one, keeping the balance across the entire multiverse was stressful, made even more so when you take into account that he’s also responsible for the wellbeing of four mortals. He loves his boys, would fight wars for them and burn entire universes to the ground for them, but they often leave him feeling like ripping his tentacles off in frustration.
The amount of times Killer has nearly given him a soul attack, the amount of times he’s been left stressed beyond belief trying to keep Dust from having a breakdown, the amount of times he’s driven himself almost mad trying to make sure Horror has enough food to feel safe and content. And finally, the amount of times he’s lost sleep soothing his youngest, Cross, back to sleep after night terrors. He wouldn’t trade his boys for anything, would never regret taking them in, but he does need some time to himself after a while. It’s why he and Error had organised a week-long vacation to a distant corner of the multiverse. Only problem was finding a babysitter.
Normally, they would ask Reaper or Geno to watch the boys but it was bad luck and timing that their planned vacation fell on the same week where both were exceedingly busy. Thus, Nightmare is forced to find other alternatives.
For Horror and Dust it was easy. The pair would be going to stay with Horror’s brother, Sugar for the week. That just left Killer and Cross as Nightmare and Error weren’t so cruel as to leave poor Sugar to look after all four of the boys on his own. They also didn’t trust the two to be left alone unsupervised in the castle for a week, leading to Nightmare where he was now.
“It’ll only be for a week and it’s only the two of them you’ll be watching. I’ve warned Killer to be on his best behaviour but unfortunately I don’t hold out much hope he’ll listen.” Nightmare sighed as he stood in the entryway of the castle with Error at his side. Before them stood Dream who looked both excited and terrified all at once.
“Oh, I’m sure we’ll be fine, brother. They are only mortals after all.” Dream laughed only to have both Nightmare and Error send him almost pitying looks.
“Mortals that have handed your ass to you on multiple occasions.” Error can’t help but point out causing Dream to flush golden.
“Language.” He muttered, pulling a smirk from the glitch.
Nightmare sighed, feeling like he might be making a big mistake but it was too late to back out now. He waved Error off, saying he would catch up with him in a bit and that he just had a few more things to inform Dream about. He pulled out a sheet of paper with a small list written on it before handing it to his twin.
“These are the most important things to be aware of while looking after the boys. Killer needs to take special eye drops every night before bed due to the constant overflow of liquid determination that leaks from his eyesockets. They cause him pain as well as affect his vision so the eye drops help prevent this. However, his memory isn’t the best so he will forget to take them if you don’t remind him. Cross isn’t currently taking any medication so you don’t need to worry about that.” Nightmare explained to Dream who suddenly had a soft look on his face.
“I didn’t realise that his black tears affected him so much.” Dream said.
“Neither did I until the pain began to be too much for him to mask and he was struggling to see things he’d never had issues with before.” Nightmare grumbled before moving on to the next item on the list. “The boys will sort themselves out for breakfast and lunch, you’ll only need to provide them with dinner. Killer doesn’t eat pork and Cross won’t eat mixed foods. Cross also can’t eat certain foods due to textures and if I hear you’ve tried to force him to eat any of the foods listed that he doesn’t like I will make the rest of your immortal life a living hell.”
“Noted.” Dream said with a nervous laugh. Nightmare regarded him with a narrowed eye for a moment before continuing.
“You don’t need to worry about any of the animals, Cross is more than capable of feeding and cleaning their areas for the week. The boys will also wake up at different times. Cross is almost always awake by 6:30 to go and train until about 8:00. From there he’ll shower and be in the kitchen by 8:30. Killer most likely won’t be awake till 9:30 at the latest so don’t be alarmed if you don’t see him until later in the afternoon. They will entertain themselves throughout the day so you are free to do whatever you wish as well. I only ask that you stay out of my personal quarters as well as the boys rooms unless they invite you in.”
“Of course, brother. I won’t go to any place I’m not supposed to. I’m a guest in your home after all.” Dream promised.
“I appreciate your respect.” Nightmare nodded. “The last thing to be aware of is the boys' nighttime routines. All four of the boys suffer from night terrors from time to time and each one responds to comfort differently. With Killer, you won’t know he’s having one till he’s awake and his emotions are spiking. The best way to help him is to just sit near him and talk. Do not attempt to touch him though or you’ll most likely get a knife thrown at you. Killer will eventually go back to sleep on his own, usually within an hour of waking from his night terror. With Cross you’ll most likely hear him screaming along with feeling his emotions spiraling out of control. Best way to help him is to hold him, talk to him and make sure he knows he isn’t alone. Cross will fight going back to sleep but I’ll ask that you try your best to soothe him back to sleep if you can, just don’t use your aura on him as he doesn’t react well to feeling like he’s being controlled or forced to do something against his will.”
Having finished with going over the items in the list, Nightmare looked up only to find Dream giving him a soft gentle look, a small smile pulling at his teeth. Cyan magic dusted his face as he huffed with embarrassment, shuffling uncomfortably under his twin's gaze.
“Sorry, it’s just nice to see you like this.” Dream said with a breathy laugh.
“Like what?” Nightmare asked, guarded and wary.
“Like a father. You really care for those mortals, don’t you?” Dream said.
Nightmare was quiet for a long moment, feeling so very vulnerable and exposed. He wanted to snap at his twin, wanted to be angry and defensive, and didn't want to admit to a possible weakness. But he also knew that Dream wouldn’t use any of this against him. Ever since the Golden God had sent the letter the pair had been trying to repair their fractured bond. They weren’t enemies anymore, his brother wouldn’t use his love for his boys against him.
“They are my responsibility, mine to care for, mine to provide for, mine to protect.” Is all he says.
Nightmare runs through a quick tour of the castle after that, showing Dream where the kitchen, laundry, living room, library and the spare bedroom that he’ll be using is. During all of this, Killer and Cross are suspiciously absent. It’s not until they are back at the entry hall with Nightmare ready to leave that the two appear. Cross is quiet and reserved, eyelights flicking between Nightmare and Dream warily as he fiddled with the sleeves of the light blue jumper he was wearing. Killer is the opposite. He’s smirking, body loose and relaxed as he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. He’s cunning, planning and Nightmare knows it.
“I’ll remind you one more time, Killer. I want best behaviour from you. No tricks, no games and no casualties.” Nightmare warned, eyelight narrowed as he jabbed a finger at the grinning mortal.
“Do you truly think so little of me?” Killer asked, laughing when a tentacle shoved him playfully.
“Yes.” Nightmare said, pulling a snort from Cross. He turns back to his brother who watches the exchange with amusement and feels a spark of pity for him. He truly has no idea what is in store for him. “Good luck, and if things get monumentally out of hand please reach out.”
“You worry too much brother, we’ll be fine.” Dream waved him off, missing the way Killer eyed him in a challenging way or how Cross winced at his words. Nightmare just grimaced, hoping against hope he returned home to a somewhat intact castle.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cross knows things are going to start falling apart the second Nightmare vanishes through the portal. He doesn’t blame the Guardian for looking so worried, Dream clearly doesn’t understand just how chaotic Killer can be, doesn’t seem to understand the challenge he’s unknowingly set. He can see how Killer is gearing up to make the next week of Dream’s life a living hell and he has a feeling he’ll be dragged into the chaos whether he wants to or not. He knows it’s started about two hours after Nightmare left when Killer comes skipping into the living room, empty eyesockets seeming to shine with mischief.
“What did you do?” Cross asked.
“What makes you think I’ve done anything?” Killer shot right back with a far too innocent smile.
“It’s you, and you have that air about you.” Cross said.
“Fair enough.” Killer laughed as he flopped down onto the couch beside Cross. “It’s nothing bad, promise. I just left a little surprise for our dear Uncle.”
“Do I even want to know?” Cross asked with a grimace.
“You’ll find out in a bit, I’m sure.” Killer said.
True to his words, not even five minutes later, Cross hears a startled scream echo down the hallway from where the guest bedrooms are located. He jumps, not expecting the sound before turning to Killer with wide eyes. The elder just smirked, waiting patiently as hurried footsteps came rushing towards them. Before long, Dream stood in the doorway of the living room with what looked like a green goo of some sorts dripping off his head and shoulders.
“Care to explain?” The Golden God asked, visibly displeased.
“What can I say, Dreamboat. You gotta be careful of slime buckets around these parts. They just appear out of nowhere.” Killer snorted.
“I’m sure.” Dream sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat as he turned to go back to his room to clean up the mess.
Cross watched him go, trepidation seeping into his soul when he saw the devious look stretching across Killer’s skull. “You're only just warming up, aren’t you?”
“You know it Criss-Cross.” Killer smirked.
It’s the start of what Cross can only describe as a prank war that is purely one sided. Every single day, poor Dream is subjected to all manner of bullying and pranks from Killer. He has slime dumped on him multiple times, has his clothes dyed pink, has Horror’s three chickens set loose in his room, has tic tacs placed into his bed and even has his bedroom covered wall to wall with pictures of owls. Killer also doesn’t stop with just prank’s targeted at Dream. He causes chaos throughout the castle knowing how stressed Dream is at keeping the place clean and tidy for Nightmare’s return. He tracks mud in through the front entryway, rides his bike down the east wing corridor where he ends up smashing an old looking vase and crashing into the wall and tearing the wallpaper. On day four, he decides to set his sights on the kitchen.
“Killer, I really don’t think this is a good idea.” Cross begged, watching as the elder placed a metal fork into the microwave and set it to run for five minutes.
“Don’t be such a sour puss. Live a little Crossy, embrace the chaos.” Killer snarked as he stepped back to watch. Already, loud buzzing could be heard from the microwave along with flashes of what looked like a mix of fire and electricity.
“It’s one thing to play pranks on him, one thing to mess up a hallway. It’s another thing entirely to blow up a kitchen appliance.” Cross argued, flinching when a particularly loud pop sounded throughout the room.
“You’re no fun. Besides, we’ll buy a new one before Nighty gets back. It’ll be fine.”
“No it won’t, you're taking things way too far now.”
“And you're a goody two shoes. You need to get that stick out your ass.”
Cross scowled angrily, fed up with the tallers complete disregard to other people’s feelings as well as a complete disregard to others property. The kitchen was Horror’s domain, was his safe space so to see Killer treating the place with such disrespect left a bad taste in his mouth. With set shoulders, determined to put an end to the others shenanigans, Cross stomped towards the sparking microwave to turn it off.
“Cross, wait!” Killer screamed out, reaching out for the younger but it was too late. Right as the monochrome skeleton reached the microwave, the little device exploded. Heat, glass and metal flew out in all directions at high speeds, slicing into and digging into fragile bone. Cross screamed, arms flying up to shield his face just in time so that his arms took the brunt of the damage. Above them, the fire alarm began to blare, smoke from the destroyed microwave filling the kitchen along with the loud continued screaming from Cross as he crumpled to his knees. He held his arms out in front of him, eyes staring down at the burnt and bleeding wounds as he screamed in pain and overstimulation.
“Cross! Cross, hey, look at me. Please, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it’s okay buddy.” Killer cried, crouching down beside the other and attempting to reach out to comfort. Cross didn’t seem to hear him, continuing to scream as he shuffled away from Killer as bright purple tears flowed down his cheeks. It had Killer’s soul twisting in anguish, guilt-regret-shame-hurt-hurt-guilt flooding his system as he watched his little brother flinch away from him.
“What on earth is going on?!” Killer jumped, looking up to see Dream standing in the doorway with a horrified expression on his face.
“Dream! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it. I was just mucking around. I didn’t mean to hurt him! Please, I’m sorry.” Killer sobbed, red tears mixing with his black ones.
Dream rushed past Killer, crouching down beside Cross who, while not screaming as loudly was still sobbing and crying out in pain. The younger struggled, trying to pull away from the Golden God whose hands were lit up with green healing magic. Dream grimaced with sympathy, looking at the nasty cuts and burns lining the smallers arms, some of which still had pieces of metal and glass embedded in them. He turned narrowed eyes onto Killer, emotions jumbled with concerned fear.
“What did you do?”
“I’m sorry, it was an accident.” Killer gasped through his tears. He reached out, wanting to help but Cross continued to flinch away. “Please, I just wanna help.”
“You’ve done enough!” Dream snapped causing Killer to jerk away, eyesockets wide and soul aching.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Killer whimpered.
“Just, just go to your room while I take care of this.” Dream huffed as he turned back to Cross who had curled up into a defensive ball, arms held protectively to his chest.
Killer gave a strangled sob, soul nothing more than a fizzling smear as he stumbled to his feet and ran to his room. Guilt was ripping through his body, self-hatred weighing him down as he collapsed onto his bed and screamed into his pillow. He couldn’t believe he’d done that, couldn’t believe he let his own selfish desire for entertainment get his little brother hurt. He only wanted to get on Dream’s nerves, only wanted to punish the Golden God for hurting Nightmare all those years ago. He never wanted to hurt Cross. The younger was a ball of sunshine, a pure innocent light that brought so much light and laughter to all their lives and now Killer may have ruined all of that.
He couldn’t get the sounds of Cross’ pained and terrified screams out of his head, couldn’t get the image of Cross bleeding on the ground and flinching away from him out of his mind's eye. Killer sobbed, clutching at his chest and hating himself. He was a terrible big brother, and didn't deserve to have such a title. He’d killed his brother, Papyrus and now he’d injured Cross.
Killer laid in his bed for hours, pillow soaked through with a mixture of liquid determination and red tears. He had long since fallen silent, his sobs dying down after the first hour so that only silent tears spilled over his eyesockets. He doesn’t come out for lunch nor does he come out for dinner. He doesn’t feel hungry, only feeling his own crushing guilt. He would have continued to lie there in his misery if a knock hadn’t sounded from his door followed by Dream hesitantly peeking in.
“Hey, can I come in?” Dream called out gently. Killer didn’t respond, he just stared up at the God with a distant look. Dream sighed before opening the door wider to let himself in, walking over to sit beside the prone skeleton. He’s gentle as he reaches out, wiping away the still leaking tears before resting a hand against the others face. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m not angry with you.”
“You should be.” Killer whispered. “I’m a horrible monster.”
“Hey, shhh, none of that. It was an accident, you didn’t mean for it to happen. And it’s all good now, Cross is just fine. He doesn’t even have any scars to show for it.” Dream soothed, stroking Killer’s cheek as he spoke.
“He hates me.” Killer said, voice wobbling as a sob threatened to break free.
“No he doesn’t, love. He doesn’t hate you. He was just in pain, scared and overwhelmed. He knows you didn’t mean to hurt him. He’s not angry with you, and neither am I, okay?” Dream assured. “I’m sorry for snapping at you earlier as well, I shouldn’t have done that. I was just scared for both of you.”
Killer whimpered, looking up at the God as a sob ripped free from his chest. He allowed Dream to pull him up into a firm hug, burrowing into the comforting embrace. “He’s really okay? You promise he’s okay?”
“He’s perfectly fine, if anything he’s more worried about you right now.” Dream said, pulling a weak laugh from Killer. It was just like Cross to be more worried about others than himself. Dream smiled, glad to see the other relaxing and starting to feel better. He glanced at the mortal's bedside table, spying the bottle of eyedrops. “Have you taken your eye drops yet?”
“No, not yet.” Killer mumbled, feeling so exhausted both physically and emotionally.
“Will you let me do them for you?” Dream asked. Killer looked up at him for a moment before giving a small nod. He laid back in his bed, head tilted upwards as Dream carefully applied the eye drops. He then allowed the God to tuck him into his bed, a hand smoothing down his cheek before the other stood to leave the room. Just before the door closed, Killer called out, soft and hesitant.
“Thank you, Uncle Dream.”
Dream paused, eyes wide in shock before a soft smile graced his face. “Your welcome, goodnight Killer.”
Later that night, when doing a quick walk through to check on his two charges, Dream was mildly concerned to find Cross’ room empty. However, when he hurried to Killer’s room to check on him, he froze in the doorway as a relieved smile split his face. Curled up on the bed and wrapped around each other, both Killer and Cross slept soundly. Cross was tucked securely into Killer’s chest with the elders arms wrapped protectively around the smaller. Knowing that both were safe and sound, Dream retreated back to his own room.
The rest of the week went by in relative peace. Killer helped Dream patch up the wall he’d dented as well as clean the rest of the kitchen the day after the incident. The trio also went out to buy a new microwave and replacement vase for the one Killer had broken. When Nightmare and Error returned with Horror and Dust by their sides, all four were pleasantly surprised to find the castle in perfect working order.
“No dramas then?” Error asked.
“Nope, they were perfect angels. Very well behaved.” Dream smiled, causing disbelieving stares to be sent towards Killer.
“Really, you had no issues at all?” Nightmare pressed.
“None at all. You’ve raised some fine young men, brother. You should be very proud of them.” Dream said. They share a few more words with Dream telling Nightmare to call him any time he needs someone to watch the boys before leaving, everyone but Killer and Cross staring in disbelief at where Dream had vanished through a portal.
Nightmare stalks through the castle, honestly expecting to turn a corner and find a smouldering mess. He eyes a vase he doesn’t remember owning with suspicion, blinks at the microwave that looks just slightly off and turns to his youngest and Killer with a narrowed eyelight.
“So, nothing happened?” He asked.
“I did play a few pranks on him, but other than that we had fun.” Killer admitted.
“Yeah, I like Uncle Dream. Can he look after us more often?” Cross asked.
Nightmare frowned, still feeling like he’d missed something important but deciding to let it go for now. “We’ll see. It’ll depend on his own work schedule but seeing how this time as such a success, I don’t see an issue with him coming back.”
Nightmare and Error retreat to their rooms to settle back in while Dust amd Horror press for more information. Killer and Cross just say that Dream was a very respectful and polite babysitter who was also surprisingly cool. They joke, saying Reaper definitely has to watch out if he wants to keep the favourite Uncle position. They don’t mention the incident with the microwave, don’t feel a need to. Dream had handled it perfectly and was happy to keep it a secret if that’s what they wanted. It had bonded the three of them, and Killer and Cross were excited to spend more time with their Uncle in the future.