Kross Headquarters

killer is so silly

He’d hopped up onto the windowsill of Killer’s room only to find it empty. Well, Killer’s other cats were there, but the monster himself was mysteriously absent. On any other night Cross might have just turned around and left, or made himself comfy and waited to see when Killer might return, but something different had happened today.

Their teams had met up in the field earlier in the day, the usual fight for an AUs survival in the balance. At some point Killer had snuck up on him, and out of instinct Cross had dealt him a pretty hard blow. He wouldn’t have normally been so rough but it caught him off guard, and although it succeeded in getting Nightmare and his gang to retreat, he couldn't help but feel guilt tangling amongst his ribs as he’d watched Killer get carried off.

His relationship with Killer was something that was also getting tangled. They used to just simply be enemies, rivals on opposing teams, but ever since Killer started doting on him so sweetly in cat form Cross had become conflicted. Seeing a new gentler side to his rival had introduced all kinds of confusing feelings. Did he really… like Killer? If anybody else had been asking him that he would have told them no immediately, definitively. Certainly not.

Though, it made it much harder to explain why he was treading around Nightmare’s castle looking for him.

He should have just stayed in the room or gone home, but seeing Killer’s door was ajar had been too tempting. Even as an inconspicuous little cat, Cross felt his soul pounding as he darted down hallways and around corners. Sure, Killer may have been taking in strays like a shelter, but that didn’t mean the others would be so kind if they found him.

Why was he even doing this??

It was a silly question, he knew perfectly well why. He just needed to make sure Killer was okay. He felt guilty enough about hurting him earlier, now that the other was missing from his room it just weighed too heavily on Cross’s mind.

Finally, as he approached an open door, he heard familiar voices. He could hear Killer’s voice! Cross hurried over and peeked inside the room and sure enough, there was Killer lying on a bed.

There were two other beds in the room with sterile white sheets, and the walls were lined with cabinets full of bottles and jars and boxes. It looked like some kind of infirmary, but Cross had never imagined Nightmare’s group would have one. He didn’t have much time to think on it though, as once again his instincts took over when he saw Killer and he let out a little chirp as his tail raised up to greet him.

Killer shifted at the noise and propped himself up on one elbow to look down, his whole face breaking out into a grin as he saw the other. Cross refused to acknowledge the purr he let out at seeing that smile directed at him.

“Oreo!” he cheered. “you found me!”

Cross started happily trotting towards him, but stopped dead in his tracks as another figure stepped around the bed. A big dark goopy figure that fixed him with a suspicious stare, he could feel his back raising as he stared back into the single cyan eye.

It felt like he spent several minutes under Nightmare’s scrutinising gaze, waiting to be picked up with a tentacle and turned into paste or thrown from a window, but really it was only seconds.

“I don’t remember this one.” Nightmare finally uttered, turning his sceptical expression on Killer. “Are you still bringing in strays?”

“only sometimes,” Killer replied, far too casually for the look he was getting. “this one doesn’t stay all day, he only shows up at night.”

Nightmare was doing something to the top of the bed but Cross couldn’t make out what, it was too high up. All he could see was a strange blue-green glow coming off it. He did see Killer’s hand though, since the other was leaning it as far down from the bed as he could reach and motioning for Cross to come over.

Now that Nightmare seemed distracted enough, Cross continued his little dash over to meet Killer’s hand and happily purred as the other stroked his head.

“I wish you would stop bringing in these creatures who need so much care and attention.” Nightmare chided.

It wasn’t how Cross had ever imagined Nightmare reprimanding his henchmen. No yelling, no threats, no swinging them around. He sounded more exasperated than angry, like a desperate teacher trying to reason with the rowdiest child in their class.

“isn’t that what I said to you when you brought in Horror? you didn’t listen to me either.”

Cross didn’t need to see over the bed, he could hear the smug grin Killer was wearing for that remark. It was one thing to have that attitude with the enemy team, but it was another to speak like that to the powerful monster giving you orders. It made his fur start to stand up a little, was he trying to get himself killed??

There was a beat of silence that felt icy cold to Cross, but he must have been the only one as Killer kept petting him as though nothing was happening.

“I don’t have to heal you, you know.” Nightmare responded finally. “I can very easily let you lie here and heal slowly with time like everyone else.”

“yeah but you wouldn’t do that, you love me too much.” Killer chimed with all the confidence in the world.

Healing him…? Cross knew Dream had some basic healing magic, but he never suspected Nightmare would too, what good would it be to him? Was he actually fixing Killer’s injuries?

Suddenly Killer let out a little yelp, like someone had pressed their cold hands against him. Cross felt his back going up again and a hiss rising in his throat.

“okay okay, no more cats” Killer relented. After a moment he added, much quieter “…this month.”

He could hear Nightmare heave a sigh and the strange glow disappeared from over the top of the bed.

“I should have condemned you to the void long ago and avoided all this trouble.” He said, sounding more weary than annoyed.

“love you too boss!” Killer replied, and from the sound of it he was grinning widely again.

“Stay in here for the night and it should be fixed by morning, don’t do anything foolish before it’s healed.”

Nightmare stepped around the bed to leave and caught sight of Cross again, who tried to make himself look somewhat big and imposing. If only to cover up the chill of fear that ran through him at having Nightmare look down at him like that.

“And make sure that beast doesn’t destroy anything in here, or I shall make a rug out of it.” He added before walking out.

Cross could feel his fur standing on end, he didn’t take a threat from the god of negativity lightly. Killer must have been used to it though, as Cross heard him making little “pss pss” noises at him as he leaned over the bed.

“aw, don’t listen to him,” Killer cooed when he saw how riled up Cross had gotten. He smoothed his hand over Cross’s head and gave him a comforting little scratch behind the ear. “he’s just grumpy cause we lost, he won’t hurt you.”

Cross had no such confidence. Although… Killer did have a pretty sizeable collection of cats who seemed calm as could be in his room. If he was able to keep so many for this long maybe Nightmare really didn’t bother with them, but it was still very jarring to hear his greatest enemy talked about like he was nothing more than a crabby old neighbour.

“c’mere little guy, can you get up here okay?” He said, motioning for Cross to jump onto the bed with him.

With a little preparation (and some butt wiggles), Cross managed to leap up next to him, and was immediately greeted by two arms pulling him in and nuzzling on the top of his head. He didn’t bother fighting the purrs that erupted from this, it wasn’t because he liked Killer. He just enjoyed the affection, that was all.

“aw, I missed you too” Killer mumbled into the top of Cross’s head before planting a little kiss there.

It was apparently something Killer did pretty often to his cats, but Cross still wasn’t used to it as he immediately let out a little surprised chirp and began kicking his paws around. Thank the stars cats couldn’t blush, or he would be ruined.

“ah!” Killer sucked in a breath as one of Cross’s paws met his ribs, the same place where he’d struck Killer earlier.

Cross jumped at the sound, trying so hard to back away from the spot he almost fell right off the bed. Killer readjusted himself and rubbed at his chest but didn’t seem too annoyed, he even held out a hand to coax Cross closer again.

“heh, careful there oreo, can’t be stepping on me there.”

Cross walked back to Killer’s face like he was stepping over landmines, testing each spot with a delicate paw before putting any weight on it. Killer let out a little chuckle at his weird movements and wrapped an arm around him when he was close enough. He let out a quiet, apologetic meow.

“it’s okay buddy, it’s not your fault.” Killer explained. “Criss-cross got me pretty good, did a real number on me.”

He continued rubbing one thumb up and down on Cross’s cheek as he went on, sounding almost a little bit sad.

“we haven’t been as rough with each other lately, we were kinda having fun with it a little bit, talking shit to each other while we fought and all. I was starting to think maybe he likes me, but… I guess not.”

Cross let out what sounded more like a bark than a meow. No!!! That was an accident, he didn’t mean to hit so hard! It wasn’t that he didn’t like him just- just-

“heh, what? you think different?” Killer asked, amused at Cross’s little panicked outburst.

“Rrrrow!” Cross responded defiantly. Killer just laughed.

“eh what do you know, you haven’t even met the guy yet.”

Cross tried not to sulk as Killer resumed petting him. He pressed his face into Killer’s neck as the purring kicked up again, making the other giggle as his whiskers tickled the top of his spine.

“oh well, at least you like me don’t you oreo?”