❤️💜7K MAKSLOSKSKSPKSNE💜❤️

---Nightmare's POV----

I turned around, hugging Cross back tightly, pushing his face into my chest as he mumbled pointless apologies, the fabric of my clothes muffling him.

"You have nothing to be sorry about Cross..." I murmured, a hand stroking the top of his skull. "I should be the one apologising for using your feelings to try and take advantage you..."

Cross blushed, nodding weakly. "Apology accepted..."

I snickered, nuzzling him. "You're just too pure pure for this world..."

He smirked, looking up at me. "Oh trust me Nighty, there's a beast lurking inside of me~"

I looked him up and down, chuckling. "And I'd love to see this 'beast' one day~"

"Mmm maybe you will."

He smiled innocently at me, making my soul stop for a moment. God damn it he's so cute.

"We should get over to the ship..." I muttered, nuzzling him lightly.

He instantly stiffened at the mention of the other ship, his mind clearly on Reaper and what he could do to him.

"Don't worry..." I whispered softly. "I won't let him or any of the Crew touch you...just make sure you stick by my side the whole time..."

Cross nodded quickly. "Th-That won't be a problem..."

I chuckled softly, gripping onto his hand softly as I pulled him along, over to the boarding plank.

Cross followed with only minor resistance, holding both his arms out by his sides for balance as he ran quickly over the plank to the other ship.

I followed after him, stepping slowly over the plank, the dark swirling water beneath me making my body shiver.

I really, really don't like water...

As soon as I'd made it across, I let Cross grip onto my hand again, squeezing it tightly as I made my way across the ship, to the centre of the deck, heading for where the glow of torches was coming from.

On the way we got eyed up by a few crew mates, but one look of my threatening glare was enough to shift their attention to somewhere else, keeping their eyes off of us, only occasionally glancing back.

"Stay close..." I muttered, squeezing his hand tighter.

He nodded, staying right by my side, now having a death grip on my hand. "D-Don't let go..."

"I won't..." I said softly. "I won't..."

He relaxed slightly, only to tense again as we came across the rest of the Crew, both ships members gathered in a large circle, a fire in the middle.

Reaper was stood up on the raised section of the deck, leaning against the wheel casually.

For once, Geno wasn't by his side. In fact, I couldn't see him anywhere. Which unnerved me a bit. Normally if Genos nowhere in sight, it means he's up to something. And it's never something good.

"Oi Nightmare!" Reaper called from up top, waving me to come up to him.

I winced, that one action drawing the attention of the rest of both Crews. All of them now looking at us.

"Come on up here! I wanna talk to you about something!"

I sighed, starting to walk along again, pulling Cross along with me.

Reaper frowned slightly as he saw that Cross was with me, sticking to my side like glue, not planning on letting go of my hand, ever.

Reaper let out a painfully obvious fake cough as we made it to him, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh...I meant, talk to you...alone."

I hissed softly while Cross growled, neither of us agreeing with that.

"Calm down Nightmare." Reaper said, a smirk working its way across his face. "If I'm up here talking to you then I can't do anything bad to him, can I?"

I glanced at Cross, sighing defeatedly. "Go down there...but stay where I can see you."

Cross nodded, hesitantly letting go of my hand.

"Go on then." Reaper ordered, not looking very impressed.

Cross glared at him, pulling his hood up over his head, casting half his face in a dark shadow before he walked down the steps to main deck, ignoring the crew entirely and sitting down against some barrels full of what I would assume to be supplies or alcohol at the edge of the ship.

I turned to look back at Reaper, narrowing my eye. "Alright. What do you want to talk to me about?"

---Cross' POV----

I growled, hugging my knees to my chest as I watched Nightmare and Reaper talk. Reaper was clearly offering something while Nightmare continuously denied and refused, making me think that I was probably what they were talking about.

Reaper was probably trying to make Nightmare give me to him.

I shuddered, the thought making my non-existent stomach twist. I'm pretty sure Nightmare wouldn't accept a bribery deal...I hope he wouldn't...

He told me that he no longer wants me just for the treasure, and that's reassured me.

But then again. Maybe that makes me less of use to him...

Suddenly, a small pain in my shoulder sparked up, making me jolt in surprise, my thoughts being torn from me. "H-Huh?"

I looked around quickly, my eyes scanning over the ship warily for any signs of what, or who could have hit me or caused that random pain in my shoulder.

Nothing seemed out of place as far as I could tell. All the crew were just casually talking to each other, looking fairly happy. Nothing looked wrong at all.

Then I saw him.

It was the skeleton that had been by Reapers side. The one Nightmare called Geno.

He smirked as we locked eyes, immediately indicating for me to come over.

I stiffened, glancing quickly up at Nightmare.

He was still engrossed in his conversation with Reaper. The two of them seeming to be having a full blown debate about something, voices slowly starting to raise in volume.

"Psst! Hey you! Over here!" Geno whispered, urging me to come over. "I wanna talk to you!"

I winced, looking at him warily. Every fibre in my body was screaming at me not to go, to stay still, ignore him. Yet I felt my body stand, rise to its feet and begin walking towards him.

He grinned, reaching forwards and grabbing my arm before quickly yanking me along with him.

I nearly yelped, but he quickly slapped a hand over my mouth, muffling any sounds I was about to make.

"Don't make a sound." He growled, his eye fixated on what was in front of us as he dragged me along.

I pulled back against him weakly, not liking where this was going at all.

I yelped as he suddenly spun, yanking me to the side, stumbling and falling to the floor with a thump, a pained gasp escaping me at impact.

Before I could even attempt to roll to my feet, he had jumped down on top of me, straddling my waist, a long dagger being pressed against my neck.

I froze, my previous attempts to struggle diminishing to nothing as I went stiff, my eyes wide in surprise.

"That's better~" He purred, the knife being traced across my cheek. "This will be so much easier if you don't resist~"

I gulped harshly, my whole body shaking. "Wh-What do you want from me?!"

It was pointless asking. I already knew the answer.

"I want answers to my questions of course~" He purred.

I panicked, my breath hitching. "A-And what if I don't want to answer y-your questions?"

He smirked, suddenly raising the dagger up and stabbing it back down, the blade digging into the wood, mere centimetres from my neck.

"I'll just have to force them out of you~"

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Hhhhhhhhhhh leave my smol bean aloooonnneeeeeee ;-;

Poor Crossy T-T

Comment here if you're in the CrossProtectionSquad!

Cyaaaa

-Jess-