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---Nightmare's POV----

I didn't really know what to do. After Cross' little episode he went all shaky, hugging himself tightly and staying away from me. It seemed as if he was scared he'd hurt me, or that I'd hurt him.

"Cross?"

He flinched, curling up in the blankets and tugging them tighter around his shoulders.

"Cross...it's okay..." I whispered, sitting down next to him. "You can fight it...I know you can." I knew it wasn't good to encourage him, yet the strong likeness to Dream was clouding my judgement.

He whimpered, shaking his head. "Y-You don't understand! M-My mind doesn't belong to m-me! I-I'm not myself!"

Sighing, I opened my arms for him. Every time Dream used to have breakdown I'd hold him close, rock him in my lap until his sniffles calmed down and he fell asleep. It had become a weekly occurrence after.. the event.

Instantly he tackled me down, flinging his arms around me as he sobbed into my chest. "I-I don't want to b-become a zombie..." He mumbled, clinging to me tightly.

"You won't be, I promise..." I murmured as I rubbed his back softly before kissing his cheek.

His face flushed purple and I froze, blushing as well as I realised what I had done.

"I-I'm sorry." I muttered. "I-I'll just go..." I shifted him off of me and walked to the door, stepping out and closing it behind me.

"N-Nightmare wait!" Cross called.

I ignored him, shaking my head. I could not get messed up in this. I'm only keeping this whole bite thing a secret because of how terrified he is. I'm just comforting him over his last days of being sane...and then he'll turn...

I growled to myself, glaring at nothing as I walked down the main stairway. I blinked in confusion upon seeing Error, Killer and Horror crowded around one of the main windows.

"Hey, uh...guys?"

They all turned around upon hearing my voice, waving me over before looking back at the window.

"What is it?"

"Just Dust." Horror said, going on his toes to see more.

A shot rang out and I nearly panicked, thinking about how I left Cross alone upstairs.

"Don't worry." Killer said, rolling his eyes. "He's not after your zombie. There's a rouge group that's gathered outside and he's gone out to kill them all."

"Oh." I visibly relaxed, joining the others at the window where I could see Dust outside the gate perimeter, shooting down the mob of about fifteen zombies.

"He shouldn't have gone out of the defences alone..." I muttered, gripping onto the windowsill as we continued to watch Dust shoot them down one by one.

Horror blinked, looking over at the forest that surrounded the east side of the mansion. "Shit."

"What is it?" I asked, looking over at where he was pointing.

Instantly I froze.

Emerging from the shadows the trees gave off, were zombies.

Hundreds of them.

They slowly stumbled out of the shadows, groaning and snarling.

We watched as they saw the other group of zombies, instantly noticing Dust and making a beeline for him.

"Shit we gotta help him!" I yelled, running away from the windows and grabbing onto a random gun from a table.

The others followed quickly, vaulting over the furniture and to the main doors, which was easy to open since the massive barricade wasn't in the way.

The four of us rushed outside, yelling frantically at Dust.

Dust whipped around, his eyes widening as he saw the hoard of zombies about to attack him.

He dived to the side, trying to get over to us. Zombies grabbed him from behind, tearing at his clothes as they tried to drag him back.

"DUST!" We all yelled, watching as he was tackled down my a zombie.

We could only stand there and watch. Opening the gates wasn't an option. They would swarm the mansion within minutes.

For a moment we thought we might have lost him, but he suddenly burst from the swarm, flinging himself at the gates.

"H-Help!" He choked out, his eyes wide and crazed.

I hissed, making a tentacle reach through the bars and pick him up.

Just as I flung him over the gate a zombie scratched my tentacle making me cry out and hiss in pain before I stabbed it in the chest.

Dust fell on top of Killer and Horror with a yelp, earning a groan from the two of them.

I backed up, looking over them. "You okay?"

Dust shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut. "I-I think I might have got bitten."

Instantly we all froze, realising what this meant.

"Get him inside." I said quickly. "We'll assess over him where it's safe."

We dragged Dust back inside, leaving Error to barricade the doors as we put dust down on one of the sofas.

I winced, looking back at the tentacle that had been scratched. "Horror I need your axe..."

Horror nodded, walking over to the other end of the room, where his bloodied axe was propped against the wall.

I stood still as he walked over to me.

"Which one?"

"This one." I said, making my zombie scratched tentacle wiggle.

Horror nodded and without another word, swung his axe down, cutting it off completely.

No sooner than he'd done that a loud gasp came from the top of the stairs, and we looked up to see Cross stood there, his eyes wide.

He immediately stumbled down the stairs, running into my arms. "Wh-Wha– why did he?!"

"Shh..." I whispered, wrapping and arm around his waist. "It could have got infected."

Cross watched in disbelief as my severed tentacle melted into the floor, leaving just a dark puddle.

"It'll grow back in a few minutes, don't worry."

Cross looked uncertain but nodded, leaning against my side softly as he looked over Dust and the others.

Dust had just finished shakily pulling off his torn jacket and shirt, revealing the mess underneath.

There were claw marks, burn marks and stab marks, but no sign of any bite marks.

All of his wounds were bleeding heavily, and needed immediate attention, but after a quick check, we were in shock to find he hadn't actually got bitten.

"You must be the luckiest guy alive!" Killer said, looking at him in awe.

Dust flinched, curling up. "I don't feel like it...these wounds are deep, and none of the crap we have is going to help...I'll die if I don't get healed...and we know for a fact that none of us can heal."

We all winced. Dust was right. Without immediate healing, he probably won't last the night.

Silence lapsed over the room, none of us saying anything until a whisper broke through the room.

"...I-I...I can heal..."

We all froze, turning to face Cross.

"What?" Killer asked.

Cross looked down, gripping onto the sleeve of my hoodie tightly, almost as if for reassurance. "I...I said...I can heal..."

I blinked. "You can?"

He nodded shyly, blushing slightly. "Y-Yeah..."

I looked down at him, whispering in his 'ear' "Don't overwork yourself...you seem to be more vulnerable to the virus spreading when you're tired out..."

He gulped, nodding. "O-Okay..."

I watched as he stepped over to Dust nervously, clearly scared of being around the very skeleton that wanted to kill him so badly.

Dust glared at him weakly, hissing.

"Shut up Dust." I growled, reaching out a tentacle to wrap around Cross' wrist reassuringly.

He smiled weakly at me before sitting down next to dust, placing a hand over a large gash on his sternum.

Dust let out a weak hiss of pain and flinched, but otherwise stayed still.

We all watched in awe as Cross' hands lit up slightly with healing magic, the swirling mist snaking from his hand and over Dust, slowly sealing up the cut.

After a few minutes, he pulled his hand back, making us all gasp silently. There was no longer a gaping wound seeping with blood. All that was left was a light scar.

Dust looked down at it, blinking in surprise. "H-How?"

Cross moved his hand to the side, resting it on a nasty stab wound on his shoulder.

Dust shut his eyes, leaning back and relaxing as he let Cross heal him up.

After the shoulder wound Cross healed one on his hip and that was followed by a slice on his arm.

I frowned, growing slightly worried.

Cross was looking tired, and he kept occasionally shaking his head or scratching his arm with the bandage, and worryingly, his eyes were glazing over slightly.

I squeezed the tentacle around his wrist softly, making him jolt and look over at me, his vision clearing slightly as he blinked.

"Cross, you're tired." I whispered, gently pulling him off of Dust.

He stumbled over to me, instantly clinging as his legs gave way slightly.

I lifted him up into my arms sighing as I let my three remaining tentacles coil around him softly.

Dust had fallen asleep now, a small frown visible on his face. Most of his wounds were now healed, now scars. A few of them still remained, but he could either deal with them or wait till tomorrow until they were healed.

Error walked over to him, quickly throwing a blanket on him and sighing. "He's good for now, thanks...Cross..."

Cross nodded weakly in response, burying his face into my chest as he scratched his arm lightly.

I gently wrapped a tentacle around his bandaged wrist, stopping him from itching it in case he irritated the wound.

He looked up at me with half-glassy eyes.

I shook my head, sighing as I looked over at the others. "We should all get some rest...we need our sleep..."

Horror nodded, already trudging up the main stairway. "Waaaayyy ahead of you Nightmare."

I smirked, following up behind him with Killer and Error at my rear.

Cross curled up in my arms, yawning slightly. "Nighty..."

"Yes, Cross?" I looked down at him and raised a brow, letting the amusing nickname slip.

"I'm...tired..."

"I know Cross, I know."

I walked into my room, placing him down on the bed. He immediately snuggled up in the blankets, purring softly as he looked up at me rather cutely.

I blushed slightly, stroking his cheek. "Sleep now Cross..."

He nodded, but suddenly whined as I went to move away.

"Hm?"

He whimpered softly. "S-Stay...P-Please..."

I blushed more faltering slightly. "Wh-Wha–"

"I-I don't want to be alone..." He mumbled, curling up more.

I sighed, pulling off my hoodie before getting down next to him, lying down and pulling him into my arms.

Cross blushed, snuggling up to me happily with a little giggle.

"Good night, Nighty..."

I blushed, nuzzling his forehead. "Goodnight, Crossy..."

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Mmmmmmmm longest chapter so far :3

Ahebgeehhehevd maybe Dust will be nicer to Cross now that he's saved his life?

Lets hope so :'D

And I did some more digital drawings-–

-Jess-