HAPPY NEW YEARRR

"C'mon Nightmare we're gonna be late!" Cross yelled from downstairs, flinging a fluffy scarf around his neck and pulling some thick snow boots on.

"Go without me!" Nightmare called, peeking down at the smol from the stairway balcony.

"No! Don't be such a miserable octopus! It's the new year's countdown, and we're late!" He looked up at his lover desperately, fiddling with his now gloved hands. "Pleeeaaasssseeee!"

The octopus groaned loudly, burying his face in his hands as he trudged down the dark marble staircase. "Why do I always agree to do these things with you...?"

"Because you love me!" Cross said happily, pulling him into a quick hug and kiss before shoving a black beanie hat over his skull. "Now come on! We're gonna be late and the only ones to miss it at this rate!"

"Oh look at me rushing." Nightmare muttered, kicking off his slippers and pulling on some thick socks and boots. In addition to the beanie on his head, he loosely wrapped a black scarf around his neck and pulled on some gloves before looking at Cross.

The smol was completely wrapped up; hat, coat, socks, scarves, long trousers instead of shorts. He smiled cutely up at Nightmare, his face tinted slightly purple.

The taller smirked in amusement, booping him on the nose and kissing his cheek before kicking the mansion door open.

Immediately, the two were smacked with the incredible force of minus degrees temperatures.

Outside, a thick blanket of pure white snow coated over the usually ashy land, giving it a completely different feel and look. The forest's trees had a fresh layer of snow and ice dusted over their leaves and branches, giving off one of those picture book effects. The sun was even out for once, it's bright rays making the snow shine even more than it already was.

The two of them visibly shivered, Cross pulling his scarf further around his neck while Nightmare shoved his gloved hands into his hoodie pocket.

Cross slipped his arm through Nightmare's, hugging his side as they walked down the mansion's open stairway, the door closing behind them.

"Well then, what time is it?"

"Half quarter past eleven! We have forty five minutes to get there!"

"Calm down Cross!" Nightmare yelped, being pulled along after his lover as the smol ran through the snow. The sound of their boots crunching through the thick white flakes had such a Christmassy feel - even though Christmas was actually seven days ago.

"No! We're gonna miss it!" He called, still looking equally as determined as they left the empty expanse and dove into the snowy landscape of the creeper vine forest.

Nightmare rolled his eye, letting Cross pull him along as they passed frozen trees, their trunks covered in a soft white frost, icicles hung from the branches, their twisted, cone-like shape mirroring the gnarled skin of the creeper vines they knew all too well.

"Hey Nightmare... Do you... D-Do you think that the snow might have killed off the creeper vines...?"

"Pff, not a chance." The taller laughed, wrapping his previously pocketed arm around his lover as they walked. "The most it'll do is force them to hibernate or some shit. I dunno, I'm not the creeper vine expert."

Cross shivered, pressing closer to Nightmare as they walked. "I swear to god if we get eaten on New Years night, I'll kill you."

"But you'll already be dead?" Nightmare raised a non-existent eyebrow, stepping over a fallen log. "So you might want to think that out a little."

"No, you wouldn't let me die. You love me too much."

"Aaaand you love me too much to kill me. What a predicament we've got into."

The smol huffed, narrowing his eyes as he glanced around. "Whatever... I love you."

Nightmare snickered, kissing his cheek, shock was flushed from the cold. "Heh, I love you too."

———————

"Do you think they've decided to skip it?" Geno blinked, tugging his tattered scarf tighter round his neck as he looked out across the unlit feild signifying Craitown's boarder.

His partner, Reaper, leaned against him softly, shaking his head. "C'mon Geno. I'm sure they'll be here, they're just running late. I mean, they have seven kids to put to bed before they can get here."

"Oh, that's true."

"And lets not forget how much Nightmare hated us at the end of all that bullshit eight years ago. He probably doesn't even want to see any of us." Reaper laughed, stretching. "A bit like our friendly neighbourhood ball of sunshine."

The two glanced over at Killer and Dream, smirking as they saw Dream's permanent frown on his face. Dream used to be the smiliest person you'd ever meet, part of the police, quite small and weak. But then when he learnt his brother was still alive after years of thinking he was dead, he changed. The small cop left his job to search for him, wasting nine years of his life searching for his brother. But then when they were finally reunited, it was a bit of a traumatic experience really.

Dream had revealed his identity to Nightmare and his group right after Error had handed Cross over to X in an unfair trade deal. So Nightmare was having a breakdown, Reaper had just been knocked unconscious, and Killer was in a flustered panic.

"Oh well. He's happy really, just not showing it."

"Mm, that frown his just him smiling, but his mouth's gone upside down." Reaper smirked, snickering at his own joke.

"FIFTEEN MINUTES LEFT!!"

The two jolted, whipping around to see Blue bouncing up and down with the energy of a seven year old, a wide smile on his face.

The small skeleton was stood by Dust's side, looking eagerly up at the large tower clock that stood in Craitown's main square.

That was the whole idea they were meeting up really. Ink had arranged for the whole gang to meet up again after a whole eight years of separation. He'd decided that on the countdown for new year, they should all meet up and celebrate. Nothing serious, just a bit of goofy fun.

They'd planned to do the most cliché thing physically possible; all the couples kissing as the clock strikes midnight, throwing them into the next year.

Speaking of Ink, he walked over, glancing over the field like Geno and Reaper were doing. "Still no sign of them?"

"None, Chief." Reaper said, smirking slightly. Despite both of them having quit the police force a while ago, Reaper would still address Ink as his chief.

"Well they've got ten minuets..."

"Maybe they're not even coming." Horror said, having suddenly appeared out of nowhere. "I mean, their last memories of us weren't overly fond."

Ink groaned. "Well you'd think Nightmare would at least want to see his brother after all these years..."

Error walked over, tugging at the knitted blue scarf around his neck. "Who knows. Anyways, c'mom guys, I don't plan on missing this because of those two."

Ink nodded, letting Error take his hand before the two walked out across the snowy square, joining the other couples around the clock tower.

Horror stretched, pulling his furry hood over his head. "Yeah, I'm with them. Let's go guys." He trudged back over to his lover, laughing as Lust hugged him tightly, complaining about how cold it was.

"Right then Geno." Reaper said suddenly, abruptly pulling his scarfed lover into his arms. "Let's join them."

Geno let out an outraged squeak of embarrassment, struggling in Reaper's arms as the ex-cop carried him over to the other four couples. "P-Put me down!"

Reaper laughed, only doing so once they'd joined the others. "Alright, Alright. Calm down sweetheart."

"Stop it with the nicknames..." He mumbled, huffing as he shivered from the cold, standing once more.

"Five more minuets." Dust called, raising a non-existent brow as he looked up at the big clock.

"Ric the Crossmare family..." Error muttered, snickering after as he pulled Ink closer to his side. "Who wants to bet they'll turn up around five minuets after the clock strikes midnight?"

Everyone went to answer -and probably agree- when another voice cut through them all, seeming extremely familiar.

"Or how about we turn up around five minutes before the clock strikes midnight?"

Everyone whipped around, breaking out in large grins as they saw the familiar figures of Nightmare and Cross walking over to them.

"Oof, we weren't expecting you to make it." Horror called, laughing.

Cross huffed, looking up at his partner. "We might not have, with all Nighty's faffing."

The taller snorted, rolling his eye. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. We're here, and we haven't missed it. That's good enough in my books."

Ink rolled his eyes before ushering them over into their small crowd of ten, now twelve. "C'mon. Three more minutes!"

Dream saw Nightmare, actually smiling for once as he ran over and hugged him, ignoring Nightmare's yelps and hissed protests. "Nice to see you again, brother."

Nightmare groaned, giving in and hugging back. "Nice to see you too, Dreamy."

Killer glanced over at Cross, raising an 'eyebrow'. "So, you managed to get your many kids to bed?"

Cross winced softly at the memory, nodding. "Incubux, NiXss, Moonlight and Noah are now old enough to put themselves to bed, Eph is pretty sensible now, and the twins are a nightmare. But they should stay asleep."

Killer snorted, rolling his eyes. "Hazel's good when it comes to bed time. A right little angel. But Copper is a bit angsty."

"Copper? You had another one?" Cross blinked curiously.

"Mmhm. He's eighteen months old."

"Cute."

"So, are you having any more ki-–"

"nO-–"

He laughed, looking the smol up and down. "Tell that to Nightmare."

"He has." Nightmare called, smirking widely as he gently pried Dream off of him. "Doesn't mean he'll stick to it."

"Oh yes I will!" Cross said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"EVERYONE COME ON! ONLY A FEW SECONDS LEFT TILL NEW YEAR! GRAB YOUR PARTNERS AND GET READY TO KISS!" Lust called, looking excitedly up at the clock as the second hand slowly moved at its own slow pace towards the top of the clock.
The number twelve.

Error pulled Ink to his side, smirking softly down at the smaller skeleton. His face flushed darkly as he looked up at his lover, intertwining their hands tightly.

Horror held Lust to his chest, dipping him slightly as he wrapped his arms gloved hands around his lover's small waist. Lust blushed softly, smirking as he looked up at Horror and pulled his hood down from his face.

Dust practically picked Blue up to make them level, the size difference between the two being just a bit more than Nightmare and Cross. He held onto the smaller securely, smiling down at him as he blushed.

Geno squeaked as Reaper gripped onto his hands, pulling him close to himself. The ex-cop chuckled softly, rubbing his lover's back gently in a comforting way.

Killer swooped Dream into his arms, laughing off his hissed protests as he wrapped his arms securely around his waist. Dream blushed softly, muttering threats to Killer before he eventually gave in and wrapped his arms around his partner's waist in return.

Nightmare pulled Cross into his chest, smirking widely down at the smol as one hand wrapped around his waist, the other cupping his cheek softly. The smol blushed softly, straining up on his toes to attempt to level himself with Nightmare. The taller's tentacles also curled around him slightly, rubbing his sides.

DING

The sound of the clock striking twelve filled the square, and each and every couple kissed, closing their eyes as they pressed their mouths against their lover's.

The clock continued to chime eleven times, and only after they'd stopped, did the couples pull away.

Cross panted softly, his face flushed violet as he pressed himself closer to Nightmare, opening his eyes to look lovingly up at him. "H-Happy new year, Nighty..."

"Happy new year, Crossy..."