"Are you alright?" Alter asked after having Cross sit down by the table.

"Yeah. I just don't like snow that much," Cross answered simply. He wasn't about to reveal his whole past just to explain why he didn't like something.

"Are you physically okay? No injuries? No illness?" Alter tilted his skull, looking Cross up and down.

"Yeah. I'm alright," Cross nodded.

"That's good," Alter hummed. "Will you come watch the show tomorrow?" he asked curiously.

"Yes," the monochrome skeleton nodded again. "All I have to do is just watch it, so that should be alright," he added. The after show however was a completely different situation, but Alter didn't need to know about that.

"Good. It's good to watch a show before actually becoming a part of them," Alter hummed, pouring another cup of tea for himself and offering to pour Cross more. The monochrome skeleton nodded to him.

-----

     Soon Cross found himself back in the snow. He tried to ignore it the best he could, but that wasn't really successful.

Suddenly he was distracted by a surprised yell from the direction of the animal tents. He changed his direction and went to examine the situation.

By the animal tents was Ccino. He had a small crack on his cheekbone that he was holding. Cross could tell that he was in pain.

"What happened?" he asked as he rushed to the other.

Ccino spun around, a bit surprised. "Oh, hey Cross. It's nothing serious, Fell just hit me for accident getting too close while trying to feed him," he answered with a sigh.

"You're cheekbone has cracked. You should go to the medical tent," Cross frowned, moving Ccino's hand to see the injury better.

"I guess you're right," Ccino sighed. "But how are you doing? You didn't look so good when Lust and I found you from the prop tent." There was worry in his eyelighst. Cross had already forgotten that also Ccino had witnessed that.

"I'm alright. Blue and Ink are both in the medical tent, so you can ask their situations there, but I can already say that Ink isn't doing that well," Cross explained, looking down.

"What happened to Ink?" Ccino furrowed his browbones, worried.

"Right, you don't know yet," Cross remembered. "Blue and I walked in on Ink getting raped by Nightmare," he explained hesitatedly.

Ccino dropped the empty bucket he had been holding. There was shock in his eyelights. "Why..?" he asked, raising his hand to cover his teeth.

"Ink refused to tell," Cross answered. He tried to act as normal as possible, but the snow still terrified him.

"That's horrifying.. I didn't know he was after others than Lust like that.." Ccino mumbled before stopping in front of the medical tent. He noticed that Cross was staying behind. "Do you want to come as well, or do you have something else to do?" he asked from the monochrome skeleton.

"He has something else to do," answered a smooth voice for Cross. He immediately stiffed.

"A-alright..!" Ccino visibly paled before escaping to the medical tent, leaving Cross alone with Nightmare.

"Come with me." It was an order. Cross obeyed with no questions.

-----

     Nightmare stopped by his own tent, opening the flap for Cross. The monochrome skeleton hesitated for a second before walking in. At least he got out of the snow finally.

"I would like an explanation for your previous behaviour," Nightmare informed, slipping his gloved finger under Cross' chin. This time there was a bit of concern in his eyelight.

"Just bad memories of snow.." Cross answered, trying to avoid the full truth. Even saying where they're from could cause Nightmare to figure out something.

"What kind of memories?" Nightmare inquired, tilting his head. There was curiosity in his eyelights. "What have you been through?" he asked, whispering straight to Cross' ear.

"It was just an accident that happened," Cross lied. It hadn't been an accident. It had been a planned bombing.

"Does the snow bother you?" Nightmare was right against Cross, caressing his cheekbone with his gloved finger.

Cross couldn't keep his face from colouring purple at the too close contact. The Ringmaster chuckled at his blushing, "Do I bother you?" he taunted.

Cross gaped his teeth open, but couldn't get an answer out. He came to regret that soon as a cyan tongue slipped into his mouth.

Nightmare moved his hand down and wrapped his arms around Cross' waist, holding him close. The touch was dangerous, poisonous even, but yet it felt addicting. Cross kept his teeth open, letting Nightmare get a taste of him.

"You hate me, don't you?" Nightmare chuckled after finally pulling his tongue out. It wasn't just a question, it was knowledge.

"I could feel it from you the moment you saw me with Ink in that tent. It was pure hatred, and yet it was so delicious," Nightmare purred. "You hated me for doing that to him, and I think that you hate me for everything else I've done." He was amused.

"I.." Cross didn't know how to answer. He was still blushing purple. He knew that he should agree, he should say that he hated him, but yet he couldn't bring himself to say that. Especially not when Nightmare was right against him.

"Wait~" Nightmare's grin widened. "Don't tell me" – his tentacle slipped under his chin – "that you can't bring yourself to hate me!" he sang, leaning closer again. "Is there a reason? There's no way that you find me actually attractive due to my behaviour?"

What was the reason? Was it because Nightmare was– No! He couldn't think about that. That was what Chara always blamed him for.

"You're speechless, why?" Nightmare tilted his skull.

"I do hate you," Cross answered – lied. It was a clear lie. Nightmare raised a browbone, clearly amused.

"I see," he hummed before stepping away. "I have things to do, but we'll be seeing each other here tomorrow after the show," he reminded.

"I know.." Cross breathed out. Yet a part of him wished it would be now.

"You better not be late, otherwise you'll have to pay the price," Nightmare hummed, a sadistic smile spreading on his teeth. "Now go ahead, get out."

Cross obeyed in a blink of an eye. He disappeared out of the flap, back into the snow.

Nightmare watched after him. "What are you hiding from me?" he wondered out loud.

-----

     Cross made it back to the newcomers tent. His Chara was staring at him. They were staring at him, still looking a bit out of it.

"Do you remember it?" Cross asked hesitatedly, "Your death?" he added to clarify.

"The snow, bombs, all the pain and blood, him. Yes, I do remember it all. It's a bit hazy, but I still remember how you begged for him to save me, but we all knew that there was nothing left to do."

"The snow scares you," Cross pointed out quietly.

"You aren't in a better situation either," they scoffed. "Well, did you go see that bastard again?" They already knew the answer, Cross could hear it from their blaming tone.

"You already know that I'm a mess.." Cross answered, sinking to his bed and burying his purple face in his hands.

"I wish I had just died instead of getting stuck with you.." Chara groaned. "You cause too much drama and make absolutely shit life decisions!"

"And you're saying that you've made any better life decisions than me?" Cross raised a browbone.

"I have never been free in my entire life," they pointed out, making him immediately regret his words.

"I'm sorry.." he stuttered. He had forgotten that the only freedom they had had was the time after he had escaped from the second hell hole they had gone to. They had started off as test subjects and after escaping gone to place as worse as it.

"Nothing we can do," Chara snarled. They clearly didn't like the subject.

Before Cross could answer the flap opened, making him immediately shut his mouth. Chara was back.

"I don't know where Ink and Blue are so I can't get my tent fixed," they announced before flopping onto the same bed that they had used last night. "And now that it's snowing there is cold as fuck. I'm not about to die from hypothermia," they ranted before kicking their shoes off.

"They're both still in the medical tent," Cross pointed out. Chara raised an eyebrow, but didn't ask any questions. Getting to the medical tent was, sadly, something that happened often.

"Well, you'll have to suffer with me a bit longer then," they just announced.

-----

     Cross didn't sleep well that night. He kept tossing around in his bed, dreaming of that day when bombs had rained from the sky, painting the fresh snow crimson.

He got up and went to the window, staring out of it. The whole circus was dark. The feelings around were strangely calm. There wasn't much pain or agony.

"If you don't sleep tonight, you'll have a really fun time tomorrow," his Chara warned, scoffing. They were still very annoyed over the fact that Cross had promised himself to Nightmare.

"I can't sleep, doesn't matter.." Cross mumbled.

"Can't you at least try? I don't like your stress," they groaned, glaring at him from where they were sitting on the top bunk bed.

"Fine, but I can't promise anything," he sighed, moving back to his bed. It was still warm when he dove under the covers.

The music faintly got through the tent fabric. It was another familiar song. It reminded him of home, and for a moment he thought that he could hear a familiar voice humming it. The memories of home flooded back and soon he felt himself start slipping to sleep.

And as he closed his eye sockets he thought he could see a familiar person smiling to him.

Words: 1651

[28.12.2022]

Not me posting at 1:35 am, again–

Anyways, I made a Sanscest Phasmophobia oneshot to ao3. My account is Shado89 and the story is called Ghost Hunting Gone A Bit Wrong. The ships there are Killer/Geno and Cross/Reaper.