Chapter Text
It was only supposed to be a harmless prank.
Every council member faced an initiation prank. The tradition began when Ink doused Dream with a glitter bomb after a brutal week, coaxing the first real laugh from the positive guardian since his release from stone. The Jokester trio—Red, Classic, and Stretch—now ran the show, and even when the bad sanses joined, no one was spared. They pranked everyone, even roping in Error with Ink’s help, snapping photos of every ridiculous moment. The pranks were meant to break the ice and help newcomers feel like part of the crew. After the initial outrage faded, most of the bad Sanses settled in like they’d always belonged.
The only one they haven’t gotten is Nightmare, their boss. Not from a lack of trying, but because they don’t know what gets under his skin. He just seemed so naturally annoyed at everything. The guy was hard to read. So they went to Dream for any assistance, but he warned them to leave his brother alone. They would have tried to bug the gang for advice, but they figured they would warn their boss of it, so they weren’t any help either.
They, of course, didn’t listen to Dream's warning, and Red was fully set that the dude had a weakness. For weeks, he paid attention to Nightmare to see if he could find any crack in that immovable force.
After a month, Red finally noticed it during one of the meetings.
They were all eating some of the snacks they had brought while waiting for Dream and Nightmare, who were running late.
An apple crumble was sitting innocently at the center of the table. Peeled apple slices decorate the top of the dessert. Ink bought it to tease the Apple brothers since Dream had told them a couple of days ago that their souls were apple-shaped.
The two had walked in, and Ink quickly went over to annoy Dream, who was flustered and embarrassingly berating Ink. However, Nightmare was suspiciously quiet. Whenever Ink did something stupid, Dream would bring angry explanations, while Nightmare followed with cold remarks. However, the negative Guardian was quietly staring at the dessert. A face of bitter hatred aimed at the dessert.
Dream noticed the silence and asked if he was alright. Nightmare had reverted to his usual neutral annoyance and stated that he found this joke inappropriate and overly disgusting.
After that, the dessert was covered and stored safely in Red’s fridge after the meeting. While he was eating it, he came up with a plan.
What better way of pranking the king of negativity than with something overly sweet?
It took a little research and talking with the others, but he was putting the finishing touch on his masterful plan before he covered the dessert with a lid.
He made it to the meeting and went straight to the table with his creation. It wasn’t unusual since he always brought something he baked over. He was even sure Nightmare would get a slice of his treat since the guardian had always grabbed something he baked. A fact he enjoyed immensely since not everyone can say that a god likes their cooking. Plus, it always satisfied him a little to see the tense guardian relax a little after taking a bite. Dude may be a bit distant and standoffish, but he was still good company to be around, and Red wanted to let the god chill for once and be a part of them.
Hopefully, this prank will pull the stick out of his ass, and they can laugh about it over drinks someday.
He winked over to Classic and Stretch, who shot him a subtle, mischievous grin before acting normal. Red went over to sit by them and waited for the meeting to start, trying his damndest to keep his excitement underneath. Nightmare won’t take the bait if there is even one thing out of place. The dude was paranoid as fuck.
Luckily, they managed to keep it on the down low, and the meeting drew on. It wasn’t until the mid-break that Strech tossed out the bait.
“So Red, you said you tried something new this time?” Stretch drawl casually as they both walked over to the table.
“Yeah, had some fruit lying around, so I made this.” Red took the top of his creation and revealed a fruit tart. It was in a deep dish and had almost two inches of custard on top of the crust. A thin layer of berries with a drizzle of honey decorated the top.
Stretch was actually impressed by the outcome, “Damn, Red, you really outdid yourself with that.”
Red preened at the compliment, but was also excited to see that Nightmare was walking over, his gaze focused on Red’s fruit tart, “Of course I did, I ain’t gonna bring shit to the meetings.”
Red then switched his attention to Nightmare and gestured to the dessert, “Hey Nightmare, here to try the good shit.”
“Perhaps.” A teasing smirk on his face, “ I do have quite a high standard when it comes to fruit tarts.”
Red just scoffed playfully, “Then go right ahead, you majesty. Bet you aint taste nothin like this.”
Nightmare chuckled, amused at the fanfare, but cut himself a thick slice onto a plate. His tentacles waved behind him slowly. Stretch went to grab his own slice, but was side glancing at the negative guardian. Looking at Classic, he could see he was still napping at the table, but a thumbs up from his slumped form let him know he was waiting and watching.
Red himself could feel himself get excited at Nightmare’s reaction. What the guardian didn't know was that the custard was an apple custard. It took some trial and error, but Red found a way to hide the apple smell for a more vanilla smell while not compromising the taste. He wanted to make sure Nightmare could taste the tartness of the apple the moment it was in his mouth. Red can already see the disgusted face he would make.
Nightmare used his fork to cut himself a piece, and Red just grinned casually, but his eyes were watching every movement Nightmare was making. Nightmare raised an eyebrow at his reaction, probably sensing his excitement, but he waved him off. Saying he just wanted to see if he met his standard.
Nightmare rolled his eyes, but the amused expression never shifted as he brought the piece into his mouth.
The moment Nightmare became aware of the apple taste, Classic came in and snapped the photo with the obnoxious Polaroid camera they kept for these occasions.
All three stared closely into the picture, excited to see their hard work.
In it, Nightmare was frozen stiff with the fork still in his mouth, his mouth set in a straight line, and his single eye shrank. His appendages frozen in mid swing. It was hilarious, and all three laughed outloud, drawing the room’s attention to them.
“Ha, we fucking finally got him, boys!”
Classic snickered right next to him, “Y-yea, didn’t know Nightmare could make a face like that.”
Stretch joined in with his own teasing laughter, “Looks like the king of negativity can’t handle a little apple.”
Dream was stomping towards them, expression angry. Red expected Dreamer to be a little pissed since he was overprotective of his brother and was waggling the photo in front of Dream, “Come on, Dream, lighten up, it’s tradition for everyone.”
Dream was having none of it and just shoved his way past them and towards his brother, who was still stuck in the same position, but his eyelight had disappeared.
Concerned, Dream reached out to the still form, “Are you okay, Nightmare?”
Red scoffed at the baby treatment, “Come on, Dream, he isn’t a babybones he can handle one little prank.”
Stretch nodded, “Yeah, I bet he is just shaking in anger. Watch, he will be angrily yelling at us for being idiots.”
Dream snapped his head towards both of them. His hand dropped as he clinched his fist, “You both stay silent and tell me what the hell you did to him!”
Red was taken back by how serious Dream was being and was about to ask what’s up, but Classic beat him to the bunch.
“Chill Dream. We all know you care for your brother, but there is no need to be so aggressive about it. A little prank isn’t going to take the king of negativity down.”
Dream just got even more enraged and hissed his next words, “Something is wrong with Nightmare, I can actually sense his emotions from across the goddamn room! That isn’t normal!”
The tension of the room was shattered as the sound of a plate clattering on the floor drew all their attention to Nightmare, who had fallen onto his knees. His powerful form was shaking, and his intimidating tendrils lay on the ground looking more like puddles than the weapon they were. His face turned downwards as a hand was held at his mouth and another on his stomach.
Dream kneeled next to his brother, speaking in a gentle tone, “Nightmare?” He lightly touched his shoulder, and the shaking stopped.
Then Nightmare heaved out a mixture of his magic and corruption from out of his mouth. Coughing and force heaving himself with a ferocity that stunned the room. Even Dream just watched silently as Nightmare kneeled over and ran himself horse with his action.
Even when the vomiting was done, Nightmare still tried to make himself vomit. His grip tightened on his stomach with the strength that had his bones creaking. Dream grabbed Nightmare by his shoulders and forced him to look up. Red, along with everyone else, had a clear view of his face.
His cyan eyelight was blown up and hazy to the point it looked more like a fucked up scribble than a circle. He was sweating, and his corruption seemed to get more liquified by the minute, staining the floor where his hands and knees lay and Dream’s clothes. He was breathing erratically, and there was still drool and vomit on the edge of his mouth, and he was mumbling something.
Dream just rubbed circles around his brother’s cheek and spoke softly again, “Breath Nighty. I need you to breath”
That only made his breathing even more erratic, and his mumbling had turned into frantic whimpers, “Get it out, get it out, get it out.”
His hands reached over to his arms, and Nightmare horrifically scratched up his arms, cyan blood running down his arms as he started to pull away from Dream.
Dream, panicking, grabbed his brother’s hands tightly. He spoke again in the same soft tone, and despite trying to stay calm, everyone in the room could see how badly Dream was shaking. “Get what out, Nightmare?”
That seemed to bring some awareness to Nightmare, and he focused squarely on Dream as he spoke, his voice hoarse and scared. Nothing like the dull and strong timbre from the usual guardian, “The Apple's Dream. I can still taste it, and it's on my tongue and in my body, and I-I can’t do this again. Not again!”
Nightmare devolved into more panic muttering and was violently trying to tug his hands out of Dream’s hold.
Dream just held strong and squeezed his brother’s hands. He placed his forehead against his brother’s and started taking deep breaths. Every inhale and exhale, Dream let out slowly, and Nightmare’s cries were loud within the quiet room.
It wasn’t long before Nightmare joined along and got to a tiredly calm state of mind, his eyes still hazy and form still not solid. But the panic mumbling had quieted down, and his erratic tugging from Dream ceased.
Dream hummed, “Go to sleep, Nighty. The villagers won't hurt you, I’ll protect you, okay?”
Nightmare mumbled a soft okay before he allowed Dream’s magic to send him to sleep, his form slumping onto Dream’s shoulder. Dream hugged his brother tightly and burrowed his face into his brother’s shoulder. Faint hiccups coming from the tired-out Guardian. No one dared to move or breathe.
Dream picked up his brother in his arms and looked over to his gang, who were all antsy, waiting on the sideline. “Here, take him to my room to sleep, and if you can stay there to keep an eye on him, I would appreciate it. I healed as much as I could, but some of the cuts might still need to be bandaged since my magic doesn't work that well on him.”
Killer gently took Nightmare from Dream and nodded. “Of course, we will keep a close eye on Boss.”
With that, the rest of the gang followed along, each with their own expression of concern, but each gang member made sure to aim a look of contempt at the three jokesters as they passed by. Drips of corruption and concern mummers follow their faded footsteps.
Dream took another deep breath and wiped his face before he turned to Red, Classic, and Stretch. The gang members' anger was nothing compared to the absolute murderous expression Dream was wearing. His molten hues condemned Red in a way that froze his entire soul. His voice barely holding back his rage, “I will ask again. What did you do to my brother?”
All three skeletons were silent, but it was Red who spoke up. “We pranked your brother with an apple fruit tart.”
Despite the intensity of Dream’s gaze and how his soul shriveled up, he continued, “I noticed how disgusted he was with the apple crumble the other day and thought he would be disgusted by the taste. I didn’t think he would break out into a fucking panic attack.” His voice sounded distant to him as he could still vividly recall the watery cyan and gasping from the infallible guardian. A broken whisper escaping him.
“I didn’t think he would react that way.”
Dream closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Before he spoke again, his tone was now more tired than anything. “I can see what you were trying to do, but I told you not to prank him, and you just had to use an apple of all things!”
Dream's anger returned near the end, and the bang from his fist hitting the table made everyone in the room flinch. Ink, who was quietly watching all of this for once, spoke up in confusion.
“Why did he react that way?”
Dream deflated at the question. “It has to deal with the past.”
At that, Ink stayed silent. Everyone knew that the Apple brothers refused to discuss what had occurred in their AU.
Stretch raised an eyebrow, “So explain it.”
Dream glared over to the tall skeleton, “Excuse me.”
Stretch just calmly stared back, but Red could see how Stretch was messing with his pack of cigs in his pocket. A nervous habit. “This wouldn’t have happened if we were told Nightmare would react the way he did.”
Even more enraged, Dream growled his magic infusing in his tone, “This wouldn’t have happened if you listened to my warning!”
Stretch shuffled in place, his previous bravery extinguished, and Classic spoke up, “What Stretch was trying to say was that we were just trying to get Nightmare to bond with us since it has been about a year within the peace, and he is still by himself. I get that it will take time, and we definitely went about it the wrong way, but how can we get close to him if we don't know anything about any of you guys? Or make sure that we don’t offend you guys?”
Dream sighed and looked away as he rubbed his arm.”While your point is valid, it's still a really tough topic for both of us. We both felt comfortable enough to talk about it with each other a few months ago.”
Classic smiled sympathetically as Dream rubbed his arm, “I get it, Dream, but none of us want to trigger your brother again, and to do that, we need some information. Not all the nitty gritty, but enough so that we know.”
Dream looked at Classic with a tired expression,“I’ll talk to him about it.”
“Sounds good.”
The meeting ended as Dream excused himself to go check on Nightmare. Everyone was on edge as the time for the next meeting kept creeping closer. Each day, Red was hard at work trying the damndest to come up with the perfect apology or something to make up for the shitty thing he did. But nothing seemed good enough, and when he thought he was close, a flash of cyan would make him scrape it.
Once upon a time, he probably would have been in glee that he brought Nightmare to his knees and laughed at how easy it was. But he couldn’t. Not after the guardian was the reason he was so confident in baking.
It was the fifth meeting with the bastards known as the bad sanses, and Red was grumbling the whole time. Ink thought it would be a great idea to have snacks provided, and his brother badgered him to provide something. So here is tossing a couple of cookies he made onto the table and slouching his way to his seat.
He loved the peace, but he hated that he had to be around the bastards who helped cause the problem. Sure, Dream and Ink ignored the balance started, but at least the fuckers never went on destroying and killing everything.
Granted, he didn’t hate all the bad sanses, but their boss was the fucking worst. Being a pompous prick to everyone and silently judging him from his stupid high horse. What Red wouldn't give to sock the smug neutral expression off the goopy fucker’s face.
Speaking of goopy bastards, he came strolling in with Dream on his tail.
“Come on, brother atleast try one thing off the table.”
“And risk death by confectionery. No chance, Dream, I would rather try Ink’s cooking before I take one thing off that cheap yellow tablecloth.”
“Don't be dramatic, Nightmare. We are in peace Brother. No one is going to poison you.”
Nightmare looked at Dream unamused, and Dream sighed, “Try at least one thing, and if it does poison you, then I won't bug you again.”
“Add in that you will no longer pester me about trying to 'get with the times, ' and I will grab one thing.”
Dream pouted but nodded his head. With that, Nightmare made his way over and scanned the table before grabbing one of the cookies he baked and sitting in his seat. Red just rolled his eyes and focused back on the meeting. He didn't want to watch the bastard's disgusted face because his baking wasn’t up to his standards. Red already knew that his baking was shit, just like everything else he fucking did.
What he didn't expect was for his full plate of cookies to be gone by the end of the meeting. He checked the trashcan, thinking someone had tossed them, but no. Not a single crumb of his cookies was in there. Not even from the piece he was sure Nightmare would have tossed after one bite.
Curious, he baked cookies again, some peanut butter ones. Yet again, Nightmare sat down and had a small plate in front of him, full of Red’ s cookies.
At the end of the meeting, he went over to finish the last of his creations, only to be stopped by the negative guardian himself. “Were you the one to make these cookies?”
Red, skeptical of his intention, cautiously said he was. Nightmare’s tentacles waggled behind him, and there was a certain hesitation to the guardian before he spoke again. “Do you perhaps know how to make blueberry muffins?”
He might know something.“ Maybe, why do you ask?”
“I was wondering if you might be interested in making those for the next meeting? I have found that your baking is quite good and would like to have something a little more with fruits next time.”
Red blinked in shock, “Ya actually like my baking.”
Nightmare just blinked in confusion, “Yes, I mean, I wouldn’t have grabbed so much of your treats if I didn’t. Honestly, I was just as surprised as you when I first had a bite of the chocolate chips the last time, but it was the only thing that looked edible on the table.”
From then on, Red happily baked things for the meeting. Even trying new things, he was always happy to talk to Nightmare afterwards about it. Not all of them were winners, but Nightmare had, without fail, eaten each treat completely. And he broke that trust with his latest fuck up.
Red groaned into his hands and let the alarm on his phone ring out. Next to his phone was the picture they had taken of Nightmare that day. It was crumpled up, but Red just couldn’t toss it away, no matter how much he had tried. It felt wrong.
Forcing himself up and out of the chair, he waited for the portal to open, anxiety making him sweat and guilt making each step feel like a walk onto his death row, but he couldn’t bitch about it. He did this to himself.