"Nightmare! Nightmare! Nightmare! Don't I look scary!"

"Uh yeah, I'm severely shook."

"This costume will get me all the candy and sweets!" Cross grinned widely and gave a spin, arms spread and jumping up and down to try see himself in the bathroom mirror - he didn't have one in his own room.

Nightmare leant against the the towel rail and stared in amusement at the boy's Halloween costume. "Yeah, I guarantee."

The bean was dressed up in a green zip jumpsuit, the fabric of it being soft and fluffy with acrylic painted cut off semi-circles that resembled rippling scales. The front of the jumpsuit had a sewn on yellow oval of bright fluffy fabric that was split by the zip, additional added orange acrylic ran over it in thin stripes, the lines a little wobbly but still effective. The sleeves had green wooly gloves stitched on, the fingers having little cheap red acrylic nails glued on the tips to represent claws. He wore a pair of green camo-coloured trainers with black laces (his second favourite pair of shoes) and thick wooly socks to cover his exposed ankles.

Attached to his green trousers, a wool-stuffed tail hung limply, red spikes trailing down it's ridge and getting smaller each time. Every time the smaller moved it would swish weakly - except for the times when he spun around and that tail became a bloody weapon - and looked at least semi-realistic. His hood had a giant stuffed dragon head attached to it, the rim of the hood lined with white spiky fabric teeth that wouldn't even stab a block of microwaved butter. It had little webbed wings and google eyes that swivelled about madly every way he looked, giving the impression that the dragon had just snorted cocaine for the first time (Nightmare's opinion only).

The only part of the costume that wasn't home made, was the wings. They were shop bought fabric ones. They were green and rimmed red, and though the colours didn't match completely, Cross didn't seem to care. He was ecstatic with his costume.

It was tradition that each Halloween costume was home made by the family, with Jakei doing almost all the work with the kids chipping in with the little messy jobs they loved so much. For example, Cross helped out with the wobbly orange lines on his fluffy dragon's tummy. And he'd also painted about thirteen scales on the dragon's body before deciding he was tired and went off to watch scooby doo. His favourite part had been sticking the googly eyes on, barely able to stop giggling for a second as they swerved around madly when he shook them. It had taken a good fifteen minutes to stick the two things on due to his childish hysterical laughter.

"Aren't you dressing up for Halloween, Nighty?"

He blinked, looking down as the smaller tugged on his hoodie sleeve expectantly. "I uh, no. I'm not."

Frowning, he tilted his head to the side. "But Nighttyyy! Why noooootttttt?"

He wasn't sure where the boy had picked up that nickname from, having never suggested it to him or even thought as himself as to being associated with a name like that. Yet Cross had just blurted it out one day as if he'd been calling him that all his life, the nickname flowing so smoothly from his mouth that Nightmare hadn't even registered it at first.

And now no matter how much he reminded the oreo that his name was "Nightmare" and not "Nighty" the child seemed to think that the shorter abbreviation was better.

"Because one, no one else can see me. And two, I'm already scary looking." He raised a brow and patted him on the skull before gripping onto the back of his dragon hood and tugging it up over his head swiftly. "But not as scary as you."

His previous question then went completely forgotten, Cross giving a giggle of delight and pushing the floppy hood back a little so he could look up at him with his signature wide eyes and lopsided grin.

Raising his arms the bean grasped at the air and jumped up and down quickly. "Up! Up! I wanna see my costume fully!"

Nightmare suppressed an eye roll and crouched down to his level, his arms circling around his waist and dragging him up into the air. He rested the smol on his hip, and hoisted him up to level with the mirror. You see, Cross was still quite small. And even with his little stool that helped him reach the sink, he could only see his costume from the shoulders and above. So of course he made Nightmare lift him up to get the full view.

Yelling happily he flung his arms around Nightmare for support, his eyes darting all over the mirror to take in his scales, wings, fluffy tummy, clawed gloves and tail. He gave what sounded almost like a shriek of happiness, his face positively glowing. "It's perfect!"

Non-existent ears ringing, Nightmare nodded. "Yeah- ouch- it's perfect for you."

Cross laughed gleefully and bobbed his head up and down, watching as the googly eyes went mad, swerving everywhere like a drunk driver on a motorway. He continued that until his head got dizzy, soft strings of drunk giggles flowing through his mouth for a few minutes before he dug his face into Nightmare's shoulder. "Mm..."

"Don't get tired already, you've still got to go out Trick-or-Treating, remember?" He pulled down the oversized dragon hood and rubbed the back of his skull, a fond smile forming on his face.

"Oh yeah." Cross rubbed his eyes softly and nodded, his wide eyes staring up at Nightmare admirably. "But you'll still come out with me, won't you?"

"Of course." He pressed his forehead against the smaller's, smirking at his delighted expression. He'd have to go even if he didn't want to, really. Being his 'imaginary friend' had its perks, but a definite con was the twenty metre radius he was allowed away from the smol before his body would slam into an invisible brick wall of ice. And if he reached that limit and Cross decided to walk in the other direction, he'd be dragged along hopelessly behind him- no matter how hard he clawed at the floor. He learnt this on Cross' first trip to the swimming pool. Let's just say, it wasn't his favourite experience ever.

Cross went to chirp something happy back in response, but froze as a knock rang out on the bathroom door, soft and quick.

"Cross? Is that you in there?" 'Twas Jakei.

As quickly as possible, Nightmare detatched the smaller from his hip and placed him on the floor just as the door swung open and his fingers slipped trough his waist like he was made of air. Which is what he seemed to turn out to be wherever anyone other than Cross saw him.

He'd never came across the scenario of what would happen if Jakei or Chara burst into a room while he was holding Cross in his arms - something the smaller asked for frequently - but he could only assume that he'd go crashing to the ground. He didn't really want that happening.

"Yes, it me mummy." He looked up at her and fumbled to pull his dragon hood up over his head before spreading his arms and giving her the full display of the costume. "And look!"

She stepped in and smiled softly, a hand resting on her chest and the other straightening her glasses. "You look terrifying, darling."

"Yeah! That's right, I'm terrifying!" He roared and ran forwards, shoving his face into her side and wrapping both his arms and his legs around her body before miming biting her hip. "Nom nom nom, chomp chomp."

"Oh no! Please spare me mighty dragon!" She cried, never loosing her smile as she let her leg buckle. "Please!"

Cross gave her a sly look before laughing and jumping off. "No need to be scared mummy! It's just me, see!"

"Oh yes, silly me." She rested a hand on his skull and pet him softly, sighing. "...Are you ready to go out now? Chara's been whining for ages about wanting candy."

"Oh! Yes! I'm very ready!" He nodded vigorously and jumped up and down. "Trick-or-Treat! Trick-or-Treat!" The small boy gripped onto his mother's hand and squeezed it tightly, his eyes cast up at her excitedly as they walked out of the bathroom and across the landing.

Nightmare slipped after them, and cast his eye across the now very familiar walls of the stair top landing. It had been over a year since the incident where he'd supposedly died and come back to life as an imaginary friend for this little boy. Cross had been seven when he first met him, and now he was eight.

He hadn't mentally grown up at all, still being five at heart with his eccentric actions and whiny needs. But they honestly didn't annoy Nightmare as much as he thought they would, the octopus finding all his silly antics rather cute over dumb.

Walking down the carpeted stairs he caught sight of Chara stood at the bottom, his arms crossed over his chest as he waited impatiently for them with a black pillow sack in his hands. Unlike Cross, who had a little orange bucket, Chara had decided to take a pillow sack with the mentality that the bigger the bag for sweets, the bigger his haul of sweets would be.

Cross himself only had a small orange bucket, but Jakei had told them that they'd have to share out their treats with each other anyway, so there would be no arguments about who got more or unfair givings.

Chara was dressed as a vampire, a white buttoned up shirt warn that was covered in splashes of blood (watercolour paint) and ripped in some places. He wore black, creased trousers and grey trainers, having no other shoes that really went with the outfit. Wrapped around his shoulders, Jakei had turned an old black sheet of fabric into a vampire cape, red fluffy fabric sewn to the inside to one- look good. And two, keep him warm in the chilly autumn night. His skin was already pale enough to mirror a vampire's, but he had insisted on having the whitest makeup powder their mum had dabbed on his face to add to it. He also used some of her red lipstick she never wore (a tasteless gift from their father) and smudged it round his mouth for blood. He also had plastic fake teeth that pointed into sharp, but not too sharp fangs.

He'd mimed sinking those fangs into his mother's wrist and Cross' arms countless times to the point where even Jakei grew a little tired of acting out fear.

"Are you done talking to your imaginary friend?" He deadpanned, giving his younger brother a quick glance.

Cross riled up and glared at him, little hands balled into fists. "He's not imaginary!"

"Oh boy..." Nightmare sighed and leaned against the stair banister. Arguments like this happened quite frequently in this household, with Chara constantly making fun of Cross for his friendship with him (Nightmare). It always ended with Cross upset, Chara mad and Jakei exhausted.

"Boys- please don't start this argument again."

She shook her head and rested a hand on both their shoulders. "Let's just go trick-or-treating, yes? Before it gets too dark."

Chara grumbled something under his breath, but nodded softly. For a nine year old, he seemed to have already hit his moody emo phase - at least you'd think so at some points.

Jakei gave a sigh of relief and quickly grabbed her phone and keys, a torch slipped into the rucksack she was taking that had two fluffy jumpers stuffed inside for the two if they got cold - like they usually did - and whined. They'd made that mistake last year and she wasn't planning on repeating it.

"Let's go."

The two kids bounded out the front door and giggled happily, looking around their streetlamp lit road. Kids were already running about excitedly dressed up in costumes ranging from pretty lame and last minute, to eccentric and very well done. There were zombies, classic bedsheet ghosts, mummy's wrapped from head to toe in toilet paper and some skeletons.

Last year Chara had dressed up as a toilet paper mummy. Everything had been fine for the first half of trick-or-treating, but then it had started to rain. Let's just say that- that year Halloween had to end early for them. Not wanting a repeat, he was dressed as a vampire this year for safety.

One group of teens that looked far too old to even be trick-or-treating hadn't even tried in Nightmare's opinion- though he found the costumes amusing. One black fluffy looking goat monster had toilet paper thrown all over him haphazardly, the costume looking more like a vandalised house over a mummy. With him was a human with their skin pained blue and a fake crown on their head. They were covered in patches of paint - supposed to be blood - and an arrow sticking through their side. Then the last one was probably the best one. Some sort of monster was on all fours, scuttling along like a spider with a giant Amazon box wrapped around them. Their arms, legs and pink scaly tail poked through the back allowing it to run. Probably the best costume of the night - and they'd barely left the house yet.

Cross giggled a little at their antics, but did cast a wary glance at the box-monster, non-existent brows furrowing slightly. But he didn't question it, only looking back to check Nightmare was following behind them - which he was. "C'mon Nighty...!"

The octopus rolled his eye and slid up to Cross' side, his fingers aimlessly brushing through the smaller's palm as he tried a halfhearted attempt to grip his hand. Of course it didn't work, he should have known it wouldn't have.

Cross gave a small huff of disappointment, but simply reached up to grab Jakei's hand instead and squeeze it with his stuck on red acrylic nails that were already threatening to fall off the glove's difficult fabric.

Chara walked on about three paces ahead, his eyes scanning across their neighbours houses for any signs of pumpkins. You see, the rule on their neighbor hood was that you could only go and knock on someone's door if they had a pumpkin outside. That way, people that didn't celebrate couldn't complain about kids knocking at their doors all night. It was a simple system, but had worked for years.

"There!" He cried suddenly, pointing towards a house two doors down where a large pumpkin was displayed at the front door, it's surface carved into an angry scowling face.

The two beans ran excitedly towards it with their bucket and pillow case held tightly in their hands, giggles spilling from their wide open mouths.

And thus their Halloween adventure began.

——————

"Slow down boys! Make sure there's a pumpkin." Jakei called from the top of the driveway, a fond smile on her face as she watched the two boys run past the parked car and up to the stairs that led to the porch. "

"Kids..." She muttered to herself in amusement, arms crossed over her chest.

"Yeah, tell me about it." Nightmare grunted, flicking her through the head and waking down to join the two boys.

The house had Halloween bunting strewn everywhere, the front wall and driveway covered in it. A fat orange pumpkin was set on the edge of the small stairway that lead up to the front door, a cliché face with triangle eyes, triangle nose and a wide grin supporting sharp uneven teeth. The candle inside sent orange flickers dancing around their feet as the dragon and vampire stomped up the oak spruce railed stairs and jumped up to ring the doorbell.

Nightmare slumped against the brick wall on one side of the porch, his eye boredly wandering across the scenery as Cross and Chara listened to the sound of someone marching towards the door.

There was a cactus resting on the wall near the door, it's surface looking extremely prickly. It was surprising for it to be outside, Nightmare having sworn on two of his tentacles that cacti preferred the heat of the Sahara instead of the chilly October weather of magical Britain.

But he tried not to dwell on it too much, his gaze travelling up to the basket plant that was hung from one of the thick oak beams that supported the porch. It had some sort of ivy plant growing in it, the leafy vines spilling from the sides of the wicker woven basket and snaking down to claw at the breezy air lazily. A few leaves had scattered across the floor - either from the cold or careless kids knocking into it. I mean, better that then the cactus, right?

A click rang out and the octopus turned to see the door swing open, a middle aged looking man and their partner stood in the yellow light that poured from the door and illuminated the cactus rather magnificently in Nightmare's opinion.

"Trick-or-treat!" They both cried enthusiastically, bags already pretty full of sweets.

They both smiled and pulled out a bowl of sweets from lord knows where, crouching down to the kid's level and offering them. "Only one."

"Of course." Cross nodded and stared intently at the options on offer, his small white fingers - he'd taken off the gloves for practicality - hovering over the colourful packages before grasping onto one of those mini Cadbury's chocolate bars that only had two pieces in them.

The majority of his bucket contained chocolate, the bean having gained a rather great obsession over the coco treat. Whenever Jakei allowed it he'd love to scoff a bar of the sweet, his face always ending up covered in dark smears at the end. So tonight was practically like Christmas.

Chara grabbed the largest thing there, which turned out to be one of those packs of fizzy haribos - the ones that all the kids would fight over to get when someone brought in sweets on their birthday (English tradition).

The couple looked down at the two and gave another grin before shutting the door and leaving Cross and Chara to bound back down the stairs to Jakei excitedly. "Onto the next house!"

Opposite the one they'd just went to, a set of three pumpkins were set up in a long row in front of the driveway, their faces all ominous and looming.

"Look! There!" Cross and Chara ran forwards excitedly only for the smaller of the two to screech to a stop abruptly as Nightmare gave a yell. "Cross wait!"

The smaller stopped just before crossing the road, whipping around to look at Nightmare as he quickly went to his side. "You didn't check for cars, idiot."

Cross blinked before looking at the road once more to see a van drive past rather quickly, the driver texting on their phone. "O-Oh- s-sorry Nightmare..."

The octopus let out a large breath of relief and nodded, his eye darting warily across the road. "It's okay Cross- I just didn't want you getting hurt..."

Like I did-

Chara blinked, having ran across the road without checking. Thankfully he hadn't got hit, but Jakei was just as mad as Nightmare had been.

"Chara Peñaloza! You know to look both ways before crossing!"

"But I did!" He nodded quickly. "I did, I swear."

She cast a disbelieving look, but lowered her voice, not wanting to spoil the mood of the night. "Well check better next time, and wait for me."

Chara sighed and nodded softly, watching as his brother checked both ways anxiously about five times before looking up at something he couldn't see for approval. He then skipped across the road quickly, Jakei close behind.

"That's more like it." She sighed and rubbed her eyes before looking down at the next house. "Now lets do this one."

They both nodded and stared down the driveway, a shudder rippling through their bones as they did so.

The grass was decorated with faux gravestones, skeletal hands and zombie body parts erupting from the ground in a freeze frame of the dead coming back to life. The hedge circling the front garden was choked with giant cobwebs, massive hairy spiders attached to them with legs that physically moved, twitching up and down. The door was stained with blood, the windows having messy handprints that dribbled with the red liquid.

"Y-You go first--" Chara blurted, shoving Cross forwards suddenly.

The smaller gave a muted shriek, shaking his head rapidly and clinging to his arm tightly. "N-No! You go first!"

"No you!"

"No you!" The two squabbled for a good minute before Cross realised that Nightmare had already marched down the drive as if it were decorated with fairy lights and pretty candles, not a care in the world.

"Nightmare!" He squealed and ran forwards, not wanting the taller to go in by himself and get scared. He tried to grab his arm, but of course, that failed and he ended up stumbling right to the front door.

The goopy skeleton looked down at him in amusement, a smirk on his face. "Finally decided to join me and stop being scared?"

"I-I wasn't scared! I-I thought you might be!" He crossed his arms over his chest, ignoring the dirty look Chara gave him.

"Nah, you're the scaredy cat." He teased, snickering. "You wouldn't even knock on that door, would you?"

"Yes I would! I'll show you!" He spun to face the eccentrically decorated door and lifted a shaky hand to the brass door knock, his fingers barely able to curl around it's slick surface. He swallowed nervously before firmly giving it two loud knocks and stumbling back.

The sound echoed throughout the house followed by shuffling and the hushed murmur of voices. Cross went stiff as the door lock clicked and a second later it swung open to reveal someone stood at the other side.

They were dressed in a long jacket covered in fake blood, rips and tears with a hood rimmed in thick faux fur that also seemed to be stained red instead of white. The person was male, a wide grin spread across their face that showed off sharp white teeth. He was a skeleton, only one pupil showing; blood red and slightly crazed. But what scared Cross the most, was his skull. There was an entire chunk missing from the top left segment, jagged and sharp shards of bone jutting up around the gaping black hole.

Cross gulped, his eyes wide and fingers readjusting his grip on his bucket handle. "T-Trick-o-or-treat...?"

The monster stared down at him for a good moment before barking a laugh and nodding. The within a second another skeleton appeared at the door, their dress attire seeming rather skimpy for the chilly weather.

"Oh don't mind him sweetheart." They rolled their purple heart shaped pupils and lightly shoved the other on the skull - the side without the chunk missing - and snickered. "He's just far too into this Halloween thing."

Cross smiled nervously up at them, nodding as the new skeleton reached round behind their partner and grabbed hold of a bowl. Bringing it round, he held it down to the small boy and winked. "Take a few, seems like your brother is too scared to come and get some himself."

He stifled a giggle and nodded, taking two pieces of candy and thanking them both before turning on his heals and walking back up the driveway triumphantly. Once at the top he shoved the second piece of candy into Chara's arms, smug. "They said I should get one for you, seeing as you were too scaaarreeeddd."

"I-I wasn't scared!" He protested, standing up taller. "I-I was just keeping mum company! Wasn't I mum?"

She ruffled the top of his white hair and laughed softly, shaking her head. "Yes, But I think you were a little scared to go down there."

"I was not!"

Cross covered his mouth with his hands and giggled, catching a sly look from his mum that confirmed she wasn't convinced.

"Oh alright then, if you insist." She winked and the small boy and grabbed his hand softly. "Just thank your brother for getting you something."

"Hmph... Thank you." He muttered rather darkly, his gaze cast at the floor with a scowl.

"No problem, Chara!" The bean chirped happily and bouncing along beside his mum as they continued to walk, Nightmare trailing along behind them. This was going to be a long night.

——————

"But Chara it says only take one!" Cross said, pointing at the happily drawn message sellotaped to the bowl of sweets that asked rather nicely for kids to only take one.

The boy scoffed, instantly plunging his hand into the bowl and grabbing at least ten sweets from the it. "Don't be a wimp Cross- no one will notice."

The bean stood by his brother anxiously, clasping his fingers together and biting his lip. "Chara... it's not fair on everyone else..."

"And? I don't care. More for me." He took another hefty handful before standing and running back up to Jakei.

Cross sighed softly and crouched down next to the food bowl, his fingers pushing aimlessly through the thin layer of sweets that survived Chara's selfish onslaught. Next to him, Nightmare leaned over to whisper in his ear. "Take a few, kid."

He shook his head firmly. "It says to only take one."

Nightmare rolled his eye and looked down into the bowl of treats. "Then take one for me. Then you're technically only taking one for yourself, but also one for me."

He looked up at him doubtfully. "...Do you want one?"

"Uh, yeah." He stabbed his finger randomly at one of the sickly looking sweets. "That one-" Truth be told, he hated all kind of sweet things, they just tasted far too sugary and artificial for his liking. In fact, when Dream had told him to buy the treats for Halloween years ago, he'd come back from Asda with a large bag full of tiny plastic rubber ducks saying "they'd probably taste better". That was their last Halloween.

Cross hummed and reached into the bowl to grab that particular sweet, his face visibly wincing at the prospect of taking more than one. But he didn't put another one back.

"C'mon now boys, it's getting late!" Jakei called, waving Cross over with Chara hugging her side. "We're going home now!"

Despite the annoyed groans, both boys complied and held their mother's hand as they walked down the street and back to their house, taking extra care when crossing the road this time.

As they walked they talked, Jakei bringing up the conversation. "So, which one was your favourite house?"

"The blood and gore one." Chara replied immediately, chest puffed out.

"But you were too scared to even go down there!" Cross pointed, shaking his head. Chara gasped in offence, shoving him. "No I was not!"

"Boys please-" Jakei lightly whacked them on the back of the head - more of a tap - and hushed them. "No arguing, remember? Now anyway- Cross, which was your favourite house?"

The small bean frowned, furrowing his non-existent brows in thought. He liked all of the houses- really, he did. They were all decorated so beautifully - some more so than others of course. He took a good moment to think about it before deciding. "The one with the large pumpkin man."

"Oh yes, that one was nice."

There had been a house completely drowning in Halloween themed bunting and tinsel, those glowing colour changing ghosts placed on just about every surface possible. But the best part was the sort of scarecrow propped up in the front, it's head having been replaced with a glowing pumpkin that showed a wicked grin and evil eyes. The people at the door had been extremely cheerful and nice, actually dressed up themselves for a change. Cross was given a whole bar of Cadbury's milk chocolate (his favourite) at that house, and had been ecstatic ever since.

"Well mine was the one with the beautiful carvings." She smiled softly and stared down the road, as if she could still see the house and its pumpkins.

An artist lived down the end of their road by the name of Ink, and every day you walked past that house the curtains would be drawn back to show the skeleton stood at his easel painting. For Halloween he'd always buy a minimum of ten pumpkins, and would carve them into literal Mona Lisa's, detailed nature scenes, portraits or spooky Halloween silhouettes. He'd done it ever since he moved into that house with his grouchy husband. So that would be around four years now.

"They were so cool..." Cross nodded softly and glanced behind them to where Nightmare was miming whacking a pumpkin off of the brick wall. Of course he couldn't actually do that, but it was the effort he felt counted.

He waved for the taller to come over and smiled, voice a hushed whisper. "Nighty, which was your favourite house?"

"Wh-? Oh- I uh--" He paused, his mind having a complete blank. It took him a few good moments to snap out of it before he could blurt something out. "The one with the pretend zombies outside."

"Oh, that one was really scary." He bit his 'lip' and looked away as his mum pulled them gently down the drive to their front door which currently had sign reading "out Trick-or-Treating, he back later" stuck on with sticky tape.

She pulled that off quickly and unlocked the door, the keys quickly being dropped on the coffee table they kept by the door and the paper being scrunched up and thrown in the bin. "Go off and count your sweets then, but don't eat all of them!"

The two boys barely heard the last part, already thundering up the stairs with their stuffed bags full of sweets clutched tightly in their hands. They scrambled into Chara's room, seeing as it was bigger, and instantaneously dumped their sweets on the wooden floor.

They spilled out like a river from a crack in a damn, chocolate eyeballs and lollipops rolling across the floor and under the bed where they'd probably stay till next Halloween.

"I want all the chocolates!" Cross cried, his fingers already dragging all the shiny packaged bars of the coco treats towards his lap.

"Only if I get all the gooey eyeballs and lollipops!" Chara grasped a handful of the polka-dotted packaged lollipops that were majority red and purple - the best colours and flavours - and shoved them in his pillow sack.

They then spent the next half hour sharing out the sweets as fairly as possible with Jakei overseeing the process to ensure no unfair deals. There was a little squabbling in between bargains, but eventually the two found themselves satisfied.

"Right, you can eat a maximum of three things now, then you have to brush your teeth and go to sleep. You cannot have all of them in one night."

"Is that a challenge?" Chara grinned up at her with his gappy teeth.

"No, that's your mother giving a motherly order." She shook her head. "So don't even thing about it. In fact- take three now, and I'll store the rest somewhere safe. Okay?"

"But muuuuummmm...!" Chara whined.

"Nope, that's my decision. Now choose."

Grumbling under his breath the boy grabbed three sweets at random before reluctantly handing over his stuffed pillowcase. Cross did the same more willingly, two bite sized bars of chocolate arranged neatly arranged on his lap with his third sweet being the one Nightmare had picked.

"Alright now, go to your rooms and eat them, then brush your teeth thoroughly."

"Yes muuumm." They chorused before Cross stood and walked off to his room with the sweets clutched tightly in his tiny hands. He shut the door behind him and turned to the bed, grinning as he saw Nightmare slumped on it and staring up at the ceiling where glow in the dark stars had been stuck randomly.

He giggled loudly and bounded over to him, the force of a small eight year old child whacking into the octopus' chest and knocking the air out of him. "Nighty!"

"Sweet mother of Joku--" He choked, eye going wide and expression turning from lazy to heart attack. "Kid please give me warning--"

The boy ignored him and flopped down on his chest happily, his head resting on his sternum and the hood of his dragon costume booping him on the nose with the eyes swerving like crazy. His arms were flung around him tightly, eyes closed. "You're comfy..."

"Glad to know." He grunted, poking the smaller's cheek repeatedly.

The smol giggled before suddenly gasping and sitting up, which earned another surprised groan form the taller beneath him. "I got you something!"

"Oh dear." He looked up at him warily. "And what night that be?"

"Nothing bad, silly." He thrust his hands up to his face, a shy and anxious smile crossing his own.

"...What is it?" Nightmare blinked, staring incredulously at the see-through packaged sweet laying flatly in Cross' palm.

"It's the sweet you wanted me to get!" He grinned widely.

"Oh uh Cross- you didn't need to, really--" He spluttered, his cheeks growing hot for a stupid reason he'd have big trouble trying to explain.

"But you wanted it!" He shoved the sweet into his hand. "So now you have to eat it."

"...Ah."

"Pleeeaaaaaassssseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

"I don't really--"

"PleEeeaaAaAAaaasSsSSSssEeeEEEEeeeeeE!"

"Well I--"

"PllleeeeEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

"I--" He trailed off, seeing the boy's puppy-eyed expression and hopeful look. "Oh- fine." He groaned loudly and tore the packet from the sweet, his eye narrowing as he hesitantly held it up to his mouth.

Cross' eyes were as wide as saucers, and you'd think he was watching that scene in the Lion King where Scar throws his brother off the cliff, not waiting for Nightmare to eat some damn sweet.

He then quickly threw it in his mouth, clamping his teeth shut after and letting it sit there in his mouth like a lump of sand. "Mm..."

"Do you like it?" He looked anxious, fingers fiddling with each other. Nightmare forced a slow nod, staring down at him. Truth be told it tasted sickly already, the jelly top already melting from the heat or his mouth and dripping onto his tongue.

"Yay!" He quickly unwrapped his chocolates and started to nibble at one, his expression dreamy and happy at the taste of the treat he was rarely allowed because of sugar highs. "I love Halloween..."

He nodded stiffly, the sweet melting more and more in his mouth to the point where it felt like he had a baby jellyfish slapped on his tongue.

Cross seemed to take forever to eat both chocolates, with Nightmare swearing he was doing it on purpose. But eventually he'd finished, and Nightmare felt like he was going to be sick.

"Imma go brush my teeth, you coming?" He looked up at him and pushed off of the bed, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

Nodding once more, Nightmare waved for him to go on. The bean nodded and stepped out of his room, his little voice heard singing that really annoying, but really catchy "spooky scary skeletons" song.

As soon as he was out of sight he went to spit the sweet out. But then he paused, feeling - for whatever reason - a wave of guilt. Cross had gone against what he 'believed in' to get Nightmare this sweet, and now he was just going to throw it away carelessly.

Grimacing heavily he squeezed his eye shut, braced himself, and swallowed. The feeling was just as bad as he'd expected, a sickly jelly mess sliding down his throat and dragging at a slow pace until it disappeared from his mouth and into his 'stomach'.

He stuck his tongue out in disgust and gagged, but thankfully didn't throw it back up. Shaking his head and standing, he then walked to the bedroom door and out into the hallway. He could hear the rustle of sweet wrappers from Chara's room, and the clink of a toothbrush being grabbed from the bathroom. He trudged in there and pulled his best smile, only to yelp as he was greeted by a big hug from Cross.

"Nighty! Are you gonna count for me?" He already had his toothbrush in his hand, a blob of that stripy toothpaste on his brush - the one with the hideous cartoon blobs on the packages. And he'd clearly already ran it under the tap.

Rolling his eye Nightmare nodded and leant against the heated towel rail, staring the same routine they did every single night.

"One, two, three, four, five..."

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6,200 words gAmErS

I liked this a lot uwuwuwuwu but it took forever to write like skshxhusjsixysu Christ

But yay, more of my favourite concept. I have like five other things planned for these guys >:3

Soon enough Cross will have an age skip to an emo teen so look out for that 😉

Kzjzhsjsuxhsjjsyxhzhzhxhd sorry for the wait, another oneshot shall come soooooonnnn

OH AND LOOK-

I drew a scene from the oneshot uwuwuwuwu cuz I wanted to show you the outfit and Cross' innocent little self-

I'm so proud of this ngl like I've never spent so much time on art like apparently it took ten hours-

I hope you liek itttttt :DDDD

-Jess-