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He's so, so tired.
Normally, hanging out with his best bro would rejuvenate him, but while visiting Cross had improved his mood, Epic was still exhausted. He's been sleeping even less than usual lately, exhaustion slowing him down even in his dreams, and pain jolted him awake when he faltered against the beasts in his nightmares.
Cross didn't pry — he hated when people pried into his moods and problems, so he never pried into the problems of others unless he was very worried — and normally it was something Epic was grateful for. He preferred to let Cross worry about himself, and to act as the cool mentor figure that his younger friend needed.
But something must have clued Cross in, or maybe Epic just looks that bad.
"Dude," Cross says hesitantly, now fully awake when he was dozing before. Epic feels a bit bad, because he thinks he startled Cross awake by drifting off himself, before waking up abruptly with a jerk. "I hate to offer but… Nightmare could probably get you to sleep."
Cross knew of his dreams, and the monsters in them, so implying that his boss could help meant that he could help with all of it, and perhaps it was his sleeplessness, or just plain frustration from being at the end of his rope, but… Epic is intrigued. "Yeah… okay."
Cross looks surprised, but doesn't say anything, instead reaching over Epic to the nightstand for his phone. Epic gets a glimpse of his phone background — a picture of one of Killer's many cats, from Epic's quick look — as he unlocks it.
His vision is blurry. It's not something that happens often, because it very rarely gets this bad. He's so tired, but he can't sleep.
As he often does, Epic hopes Gaster is rotting in hell.
He startles a little when Nightmare pokes him with a tentacle, right on his forehead.
"You didn't notice me come in," Nightmare surmises correctly.
"I'm not usually this tired, bruh."
"And yet you agreed to let me help," he muses.
Cross seems completely at ease, which, knowing how on edge he can be, has Epic relaxing minutely. He's thankful that Cross has found people he can be comfortable with — he can't remember him being so content with just being at all in the past.
"Yeah."
Nightmare hums. "Goodnight, Epic."
He hardly feels the touch of a tentacle on his head again before he's drifting off. He hears Nightmare's low voice, but he doesn't comprehend what he's saying, and he feels Cross gently maneuvering him into a more comfortable position. Beyond that, he's not aware of anything.
The first thing Epic notices is that his body isn't sore upon waking, like it usually is, and his soul isn't pounding against his ribs with adrenaline. He actually feels rested, despite his sockets sticking together, and the deep grogginess that disappears slowly the more he wakes.
Cross is still in bed beside him, which is a surprise. Normally, Cross wakes up at 6 o'clock sharp to exercise and shower before breakfast, but today he's remained under the covers. He is awake, though, typing away on his phone.
Epic rolls over, dropping his head onto Cross's shoulder with a dull thump. Cross's mouth ticks up in a small smile. "How're you feeling, dude?"
"Like I've actually been sleeping the past week," Epic replies. "What the hell, bruh, what did he do?"
"I'm not really sure how it works," Cross admits. "But Nightmare's able to give us dreamless sleep. It's… kind of amazing, honestly. I couldn't sleep at all after… what happened with my universe. And when I got here, I just kept having nightmares. But now I can sleep, and Nightmare keeps me from having too many nightmares."
"Must be in the name," Epic muses. "Either that, or like… he can take away negativity, right?"
"Yeah, but he only does it if we're, like, in danger of hurting ourselves or something."
"Bad dreams cause negativity, so if he can take away the bad dreams… he's technically taking away negativity, too, I guess."
Cross nods, though he doesn't look convinced. His phone dings, and as he scans whatever message he's gotten, he says, "Boss wants to talk to you after breakfast."
"Uh, why?"
Cross shrugs, unconcerned.
"Maybe he's gonna give me a shovel talk," Epic snorts.
"That ship has long sailed, dude."
Following breakfast (which Nightmare was suspiciously absent from, though Horror didn't seem to mind too much), Epic finds himself in Nightmare's study. It's not overly large — perhaps a bit bigger than Cross's bedroom on the other side of the castle — but it's cozy and a bit dim, with one lamp on the desk and a fire in the hearth. There's a couch across from the hearth, but Epic is sitting in front of Nightmare's desk, trying not to twiddle his thumbs and give away his nerves.
"Did you sleep well?" Nightmare asks casually, He was reading when Epic came in, though he's since put a bookmark in the book and laid it down. Epic can't see the title from his angle, and the cover just looks like a smudge in the low light.
"Er, yeah, actually," Epic replies, cursing his awkwardness. Nightmare just takes him off-guard, every single time they talk, which is often since he and Cross rekindled their friendship. Something about him just makes Epic falter.
"Excellent. We weren't entirely sure my magic would work on you, given your…" He pauses for a moment, searching for a word, before settling on, "Your unique… issues."
"Ah, yeah, it worked," Epic confirms, scratching the back of his neck self-consciously. "First time I've had any actual sleep in…" Twenty years, thirty…? "In a really long time."
"Yes, Cross mentioned that." Nightmare hums. "And you did not dream at all, correct?"
"Nope, nothing. Just sweet, sweet slumber, bruh."
Nightmare looks pained. "Please do not call me that." Epic only grins in reply, so the other just sighs and continues. "I'm sure you're aware of the deal I have with Cross, and perhaps of the deals I have with the others."
"Uh, yeah, vaguely." He knew Cross worked for Nightmare — mostly doing reconnaissance, but also the occasional mission to spread negativity — in exchange for what basically amounted to room and board, and that Nightmare took care of him even beyond that, but he really had no idea what deals the others had struck, except for maybe Horror. He'd seen the residents of a Horrortale in the Omega Timeline, but he hadn't been entirely positive that they were from Horror's timeline until he'd seen Horror visiting.
Dramatically, Nightmare steeples his hands on the desk. "I would like to offer you a similar deal. If you accept, I will give you as many nights of restful sleep as you need."
"And what do you get?" Epic replies suspiciously. He knows what Cross does and why, and he can hazard a guess at what Horror gets in return for working for Nightmare, but he has no idea about Killer or Dust.
And he has no idea where he fits in with this. He has no universe, not anymore, but he has his people in the Omega Timeline. He has no LV, and nothing that could really be exchanged…
"You're a doctor, correct?"
Epic frowns, confused. "Uh, yeah. Bit of a jack of all trades, since the Underground needed a little bit of everything."
"You have medical training then?"
"Yessir."
" That is what I get. A competent doctor to take care of our little family here," Nightmare declares. "Cross is the only one of us able to consistently heal, and though Killer, Horror, and Dust all have scientific backgrounds, that pales in comparison to real medical training."
"Wait," Epic says. "Lemme get this straight. You're gonna give me a good night's sleep for… basically the rest of my life, and in return, all I have to do is play doctor? You've gotta be pulling my leg, bruh."
"Do you think anyone else gives me more?" Nightmare asks in reply. He looks a bit annoyed, but Epic isn't overly worried — annoyed is basically Nightmare's resting state.
"Well, don't they?"
"Cross has not told you much," the guardian sighs. He steeples his hands again. "From each of them, I receive negativity. All of them — and you as well — have some form of trauma that rears its head often." Bitterly, he laughs. "I suppose it comes with the territory. I've yet to see a 'Sans' that's completely, utterly content with his lot in life. But, yes, I take care of them, and in return they serve me as best they can."
Uncomfortable, Epic says, "I don't think I have that much negativity, bruh."
"You are considerably more well-adjusted than the others, I will agree on that point. But underneath that you are repressing things, and your nightmares upset you more than you care to admit." Nightmare's eyelight is piercing. "That is completely normal. Frankly, I prefer not to have to intervene too much."
"So that you get more negativity?"
"No," Nightmare's response is immediate. "If I am intervening, the negativity being felt is so overwhelming that I feel there is no easy way for them to overcome it alone. I don't take all of their negativity, only enough to help them help themselves."
"Like a therapist."
"Perhaps," he shrugs. "Killer says I have a soft spot for the downtrodden that the multiverse refuses to accept for their sins. Horror believes I dislike to see people at rock bottom at all. I couldn't really describe it."
"...What happens if I say no?" Epic hazards, though he regrets it as Nightmare's face splits into a grin.
"You're not going to say no," Nightmare replies smugly. "But here is what would happen — you would simply go on and live your life, miserable and exhausted. That is it."
"You'd just let me leave."
"I think you would come back. But yes, I would just let you leave."
He hates that Nightmare is reading him like a book, but then again, he's seen the library in this castle, so he's not entirely surprised.
"It's like a racket," Epic says after a few minutes of silence. To his surprise, Nightmare laughs.
"Yes, yes, I suppose so," he agrees. "Though I would argue that negativity — which everyone has in varying degrees — is a much cheaper currency than money."
"Yeah, that's true," Epic muses. "Nothing more renewable than anxiety."
"Exactly," Nightmare says. "Now, I think I have some ruffians to inform of a new member in our midst."
As Nightmare stands, Epic follows him, stretching as he makes his way towards the door. "Sounds good, bruh."
As before, Nightmare looks pained at Epic's informal speech. Epic only grins when their eyes meet. "Didn't you say we had some ruffians to find?"
"I can already tell you're going to be worse than Killer," Nightmare sighs as he holds the door to the study open.
"Hey, you brought this upon yourself…" Nightmare's single eye narrows as Epic pauses dramatically, his grin growing wider. "Bruh."