Chapter Text
*Cross's POV
The event has been over for a few years, the war between the two extremes has reached a stable stage.
Despite the confrontation, Ink and I's relationship still goes quite well. We actually just got back together a few months ago, when everything calmed down.
We often stay together after disputes between the two sides.
Simply enjoy each other's existence and pull out some random pranks, mess around the multiverse, or just tease some interesting victims. Error is quite a frequent target of ours, believe me, it's quite funny and entertaining.
All up until now, I'm extremely unhappy and restless.
He started avoiding me lately.
I suspect that Nightmare said something, he warned me about making friends with our enemies.
Secretly doubted that myself, and Killer just burst out laughing when he heard our small conversation.
It seemed like he knew something we all shouldn't know.
Boss glared at the foul-mouthed guy and then leisurely let him clean the yard and assist Horror in the kitchen. I was a little concerned about letting Killer into that place, our kitchen had by some miracle been covered in desserts the last time, despite the scrutiny of both Horror and Dust.
I bet he'll piss up Horror again when he's done. Right, cause from behind the door, I saw the final boss grin up a murderous smile.
They'll be fine, I don't have time to get involved in other people's family matters, anyway, in the end, Dust stood up to stop them.
The important thing is now I have to find that idiot.
I was going crazy because I couldn't relax for a second, as his presence kept creeping into my mind and making me overthink all kinds of things that could happen. The thing gives that colorful guy a reason to avoid me.
I had to find him myself thanks to Error's instructions, which cost me half a box of chocolate. I had worked so hard to accumulate and protect It from others for half a year.
'You will be responsible for it when I find you, Ink!'
I went to the address with a rather uneasy soul, that glitchy-ass gave me a rather strange and rambling look about not coming to find him at this time.
Good consolation! I silently gritted my teeth and cursed my 'good' friend because he had successfully doubled my anxiety about the current problem.
It turned out I knew the address of this AU, but I quickly put it behind me, after all, now I had a bigger boil that needed to be scratched.
Caught my eye was an endless void. I unconsciously instinctively cowered down. I thought my fear of large spaces had improved, but apparently not.
There was nothing around but white and a small black space in the distance. I squinted my eyes, placing my hand on the hilt of the sword in defense as I moved closer to the unusual place.
Black patches flow across the background with trash.
It felt like I missed a step, something just fell into my non-existent stomach, and this feeling was bitterly familiar.
That thing crouching right next to the mess was... Ink?
A side of him that I really hate to see, a lifeless state, and is currently looking at me with that blank look.
[The X Event]
I wanted to leave immediately, but the black ink writing next to him successfully prevented me in time.
[help]
Looking at the half-empty vials crumbling to pieces on the floor, all of them instead of having their colors were now completely black as despair.
The ink had dried a bit, it seemed like Ink had been here for quite a while, which explained his absence all week.
Avoided his eyes, I only dared to look at the scene that had been laid out, in his lap was a pile of papers stained black with ink. Then squinted my eyes to look closely at the clumsy scribbles appearing in the area of the paper that was luckily free of ink.
It can't be Ink's drawing, I'm the one who knows that best.
But it's also familiar.
It's my drawing, from when I first started drawing when he first found me in the void.
The clues kept connecting and led me to a horrifying truth.
I'm not in any void.
This is my home, used to be, in other words, my AU.
And it's also where I met him.
When I realized that harsh truth, the desire to leave Ink here and run away became more and more attractive and motivating.
I stepped back, half wanting to run and half wanting to stay.
But Ink was holding me back, only loosely holding on to my scarf, he didn't move an inch.
"Ink?.. I..Wh-Why are you here?"
It took me time to finally break out a small question, but he didn't answer my question.
Instead, there was a sorry, a chorus of bale apologies. All of them look as empty as the way I saw him at that moment.
"I'm sorryI'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry"
"I'm really sorry, Cross!"
"I shouldn't have done that, I shouldn't have interfered with the AU so soon, I should have realized my stupidity!"
He shouted angrily as if he had drunk a vial of red paint mixed with the deepest blue.
No, all the vials were smashed.
So this is probably a real feeling, right?
"I should have stopped him right there when the original timeline was established"
I knew this through Chara's vague memory but when truly heard someone say it out loud, it hit me like a truck.
The fact that Ink helped 'HIM' have more ambitions to create worlds and timelines, he was the one who indirectly helped that person made me angry, and decided to join Nightmare's group.
But I also spent a lot of time pondering about whether if such a story didn't exist, would I still exist and be here?
I will still have bone-deep hatred for that person.
I also have to admit that because of HIM, I am here, existing as a living entity.
"Maybe I should realize my uselessness and stop meddling with AUs for the sake of my boring life..."
I hugged him tightly as Ink was trying to scratch his skull in panic, I knew it was all wrong from the start, I knew forgiving Ink would be like betraying my soul.
"You're not useless Ink! And stop talking shit about yourself! Is that why you've been avoiding me all this time!"
Holding both of his arms tightly I kept him from continuing to scratch himself.
"Your idiot! Wake up for me!"
Unable to hold back, I angrily snapped at him.
It seemed to have successfully pulled him from whatever panic attack he had now. I sighed and decided to lower my voice and loosen my grip.
"I knew about what you did.... a long time ago."
He was startled, his eye lights shrank into a white streak, he was scared.
"So why did you still decide to become my friend again? You don't disgust me or hate me?"
My eyebrows furrowed even tighter when I heard him say those unfamiliar negative words. Ink I know will always joke around and try to bring positivity.
He will kick the sorrows before they can touch him, I guess they are always there and pile up every day. And here, I have his limits, they're bursting and no amount of fake emotion can cover them up.
Even when I'm under the command of the one known as the king of negativity, I rarely hear them, and if I do, it doesn't bring as heavy a feeling as it does now.
"I used to hate you so much, Ink. You such a dull to believe his words."
"But, you weren't wrong to show him other universes, you weren't wrong to let him create a world for us. You were wrong for not stopping him in time and not realizing his ambition."
Ink stirred a little, pushed himself closer to me, and then leaned his head against my sternum, sobbing, he tried to curl up like a wounded little animal. He looked at his trembling fingers as they lay still in my palm.
"Sniff, I was so forgetful and curious, I couldn't feel, I just wanted to help a creative person create, I didn't know it would turn out like this"
Ink held the bright white vial, his empty eye sockets looked at the vial, I also paid attention to it with a hatred rolling like a tide.
"I shouldn't have kept it"
Ink throws it away right after the sentences end. Luckily, I was able to hold it back with blue magic.
Secretly relieved that it didn't fall or break, I was bitter to admit that I should have given it back to my boss instead of destroying it right here.
Boss will know what to do with the seed that can change the balance of the multiverse.
"Cross?"
"I don't expect a Gaster to pop out and turn the entire multiverse upside down, not any time ahead. So I'll keep it."
I put the peril in my bunker and then came back to wipe the ink stains on Ink's cheeks, gently avoiding the scratches he accidentally left on his face. The fact that he hurt himself made me quite upset, I grumbled about it while trying to wipe the dirty away.
In return, there was a small giggle from Ink and I saw his cheekbones shine a beautiful rainbow color.
"I thought you wouldn't want to be my friend after everything that happened, I have hear about how hard it was for you to balance yourself."
"What? Who did you hear them from?"
I moved a little, letting him sit in my lap, pushing those dirty papers aside. Giving an intolerable look at his ink-stained scarf, I can't bear to pull it off and throw it into the pile of dirty paper next to it.
"Your slimy octopus Boss! Obviously! I was threatened by him after war and none of you guys were there."
Ink simply followed whatever his bro did with his clothes, obediently pulling his head out of the dirty scarf while still answering questions. Tried not to let my eyes wander too far, just silently gliding over that ivory bone and leaving as soon as my mind thought of anything else.
"I also received threats about going out with the opposing faction, I guess he knew about it"
He gave a weak smile, his eyes returning to some basic shape but they were dull, adding to the dark spots under his eyes.
Ink looked extremely tired and depressed, I told myself I wouldn't let him touch any artwork until he was completely back.
"Then, you still disobeyed and came here..."
I felt a bit worried about myself coming here without any reason. After all, I was still a suspect in the group's eyes.
My thought one way but my words and reactions were so strange, my cheeks warmed and my words became noticeably softer.
"Yes, I'm not used to not seeing you or relaxing alone."
I don't dare look at him.
"Same, looks like someone misses me, awwww"
I used one hand to push the face that was close to mine with a tantalizing purpose, I groaned dramatically and grumbled in embarrassment.
"Oh come on, Ink. We're having a moment, don't ruin it!"
"But you're so cute when you say that. See! You blush"
"I'm not! And you should compensate me for the damages when I try to find you. Pluss, I won't accept stolen goods, so don't you dare..."
"Oh okay~"
"Whah..!?"
He didn't hesitate to agree. Ink stretched out and lay on his back. He looked at me with heart-shaped eyes, cheeks covered with rainbow-colored freckles, and a rose from nowhere stuck in his mouth.
"Well, can I pay you with this body? It's One and only."
He winked, then ran one hand along his body. I couldn't help but follow that movement with my eyes. Sure enough, I caught something I shouldn't have seen.
His neck, which had always been covered, was exposed, the bones of his neck along with his ivory collarbone were adorned with beautiful delicate ink marks. They remind me of a white chocolate femur I received for Christmas.
I was thinking about how it would taste when I relish it, whether it would be as sweet as that chocolate or... Eh, what was I thinking???
"Hmm, C.! Found something you like~"
I was startled and unconsciously turned around to look at the miserable expression on his face.
It took me a few seconds to realize the problem. Then immediately took the longest part of the scarf to cover my face, trying to hide the burns spreading all over my skull. I could hear his laughing and he was trying to pull my scarf off.
"No! No more joking Ink! I don't need you to give me your body! I want a box of chocolate!"
"Well if you insist on that, Are you sure about your choice yet?"
Ink purred and whispered close to my ear. It made me even more panicked, completely turning me into a mess of embarrassment.
"Absolute!"
Well someone will regret not agreeing to Ink's super-good offer soon.