miragexd

She groggily opened her eyes to the sight of a pale face inches from her own. On instict she slammed her fist forward only to have it halted with impressive speed. There were very few who could stop an attack from her. Such as:

'Wait, Bill?'

'Sup.'

Her eyebrows furrowed and she sought out the clock in her room. 'Urgh, it's like 3am. Why are you in my room?'

'Let's sleep together.'

'...eh?'

He smirked. 'Not like that you sick pervert.'

'I'm not-!'

'I figured I'd give what you said a try, and since you're the only one around what d'ya say?'

'Uh...' An attractive guy was asking to share her bed. Granted, it was Bill Cipher though that only made the request even more bizarre.

He quirked an eyebrow. 'Cm'on, I don't bite.' A pause. 'Much.'

'Okay, fine!' She just wanted to go back to sleep. Although that prospect was seeming less and less likely the more her heart rate picked up.

She felt the covers shift as he shoved off her stuffed unicorns and slid in. 'Jesus Christ, how many stuffed animals do you have?'

'Never enough and- hey, don't touch me with your weird cold feet!'

'Aw cm'on share the warmth, Shooting Star. I'm freezing.'

'I thought you said you did't feel the cold!'

'I feel it, it just doesn't bother me.'

'Then keep the ice blocks at the end of your legs away from me, you dorito!' She already regretted this as she turned her back towards him and curled in on herself. 'Either that or get out and go back to your own room.'

'Okay, okay, I'll behave.' She felt him settle behind her, though she was still on high alert. But as the minutes ticked by and he remained quiet, she began to ease up, gradually unfurling her body.

But it was still impossible to sleep!

'Why did you change your mind?' she asked, cutting through the piercing silence.

'I change my mind a lot, I'm funny like that.'

She glanced back over shoulder, narrowing her eyes. 'If you try to pull something, I'll punch you in the eye.'

'Jeez louise, relax.'

'Then be honest and stop lying! Why did you really come in here?'

She could feel him scowling at her through the darkness. 'Tried the whole sleeping thing, and it was awful. Lotsa screaming and nuisances I'd rather forget about. Was a big pain in the ass.'

She blinked. So, he'd had a nightmare?

'So that's why I came here,' he said cheerfully. 'You said sleeping together helps you forget that weird stuff so here I am. And guess what, you were right. You make quite the good distraction when you keep wriggling around like a worm cut in two.'

'Wha- gross!' Did she wiggle that much? 'And you should try sleeping again, maybe you'll have a nice dream.'

'Shooting Star, it's cute and naive you think like that but I'm literally made of nightmares. I don't have any good dreams in me.'

'That's sad.'

'It's true!' A pause. 'I mean I guess there's-' He cut off abruptly and she arched an eyebrow at his sudden silence. She could make out his profile in the darkness but that was it. She rolled over so she was completely facing him.

'There's what?' she asked, prodding him to speak.

'....Nothin', forget it. Demons and good dreams don't mix. It would never work out.'

She frowned. 'You just need to learn how to have nice dreams, it's like learning anything new. If you want, you can watch me for practice. I can be like your fun teacher.'

'What?'

She poked him. 'I'm cordially inviting you to pop into my dreams tonight. I'll show you how exciting it can be.'

'What happened to you punching my lights out if I invaded your dreams?' He still had a bruise from last time.

'Tonight's a one-off. And you better behave! No turning ribbons into human inestines, that still makes me wanna hurl.'

'Oh yeah I forgot about that, heh.'

'So?'

He turned over so they were facing one another in the bed, and she became acutely aware of how close in proximity they were. It was fine. It was just platonic. Totally platonic. So what if she could feel his breath hitting her skin?

'Alright, deal,' he said, voice quiet and the way he said it made her heart tug slightly. Haha, weird. A warm hand covered her eyes and she swallowed thickly.

'Sweet dreams, Shooting Star.'

She fell asleep, and the real fun began.

The god stopped, raising his head to look across the gardens where he saw a dark shape sleuthing through the shadows. He narrowed his eyes as the canine-shaped creature slinked out of sight.

‘Atum?’

He glanced back down, meeting Meri’s gaze. ‘Sorry, what did you say?’

She offered a wry smile. ‘I said, will you be staying with me tonight?’

He wanted to.

But, it looks like he had a more pressing visitor.

‘Not tonight,’ he replied, and he hated the way her face fell even as she tried to quickly hide it behind a smile.

‘Oh, okay. That’s fine, I’ll see you tomorrow then.’ She stood up, swiftly gathering her things and turning to leave. He hastily jumped to his own feet, grabbing her by the wrist with a gentle tug.

‘Oi wait, don’t be mad.’

‘I’m not mad.’

‘Then why aren’t you looking at me?’

She frowned, her gaze still averted to the side. After several seconds she eventually looked in his direction with reluctance, gaze neutral. ‘Does this please you, my prince?’

His right eye twitched. She could be bratty too when she wanted. ‘Okay fine, just gimme an hour. I have to go sort something out.’

That raised her curiosity. ‘Sort what out?’ Before he could reply, she added: ‘Is it Bebiankh stuff or Atum stuff?’

Damn, she was intuitive.

‘Just stuff, I’ll talk to ya later.’ He leaned down, planting her with a kiss. She had the softest lips, it was so easy to get lost in them. In fact, the god had only meant to give her a peck but here he was seconds later sliding his mouth over her own and pulling her closer as she pressed up against him.

Heh, it was almost as if she was…

...was...

….wait.

He ripped himself away and shot her a pointed look. ‘Hey.’

Meri flashed him an innocent smile as she stepped away. ‘Are you still sure you don’t want to come back to my chambers?’ She raised an eyebrow pointedly.

Oh, that little-

‘Later,’ he grunted, turning away before she tempted him anymore. Her laughter trailed after him.

‘I’ll be waiting!’

>

By the time he entered his own private chambers he had calmed down. He never would have thought one human was capable of working him up so much but she was special of course.

‘Having fun, it seems.’

The dark haired price raised his head to the sight of a dark jackal sitting on his bed. Atum offered a sardonic smile. ‘To what do I owe the unexpected visit, Anubis?’

The canine stood, leaping off the bed towards him and as its paws landed on the floor it transformed into a man with a jackal head dressed in regal clothing. The Prince shifted his weight from one foot to the other uneasily. He’d been living as Bebiankh for several months now. Whilst Ra had made his opinion on the matter clear with his little eclipse, this was the first time he’d been visited by one of his fellow gods in person.

‘Relax,’ Anubis said, offering a wry grin that looked off on his canine face. ‘I’m not here for you.’

‘...You’re not?’

‘Nope.’ Anubis approached a table, selecting an apple from the bowl of fruit. ‘I’m here on business.’

Atum raised an eyebrow. ‘Who died?’

‘Nobody yet. But by the end of today I'll have my work cut out for me.’

The prince snorted, folding his arms as he leaned against the wall. ‘Yeah, the Pharaoh's been on death’s doorstep for days now.’

Anubis nodded. ‘That will come to an end today.’ The guide to the underworld glanced aside at his fellow god. ‘As will many other things.’

Atum frowned. He’d never ever been that close with Anubis, found the guy kinda creepy to be honest. ‘What does that mean?’

‘You’ll find out very soon.’

‘Really? Thanks, very helpful,' he remarked dryly. 'Any other reason you’re in my private chambers?’

‘These are not yours, they belong to the late prince. Have you already forgotten who you really are?’

He scoffed. ‘Of course not.’

‘Hm. It never ends well when our kind involve themselves in the affairs of humans.’

Atum said nothing, only glaring.

‘Goodbye brother, I wish you the best.’

The jackal god left, and Atum was left alone with a sense of uneasiness. Whatever, it was fine. Looks like his old pops was gonna kick the bucket by the end of the night, which meant he’d be King. Good, he could dote on Meri even more. 

As he turned to head back to his beloved however he heard it.

A piercing scream from the palace courtyard.

The god frowned. Jeez, what now? He sighed as he walked through the corridor only to run into a couple of his guards who were running frantically. When they saw him, their faces paled with the one in front rushing forward. 

‘P-Prince Bebiankh! It’s your wife!’

‘Hm? Which one?’

‘Meri!’

His expression faltered, blood running cold in his veins. 

‘S-She fell from the balcony! Please, come quick!’

A presence shifted. Atum looked aside, meeting the gaze of Anubis as he shifted through the shadows of the corridor pillars. The god raised a hand, pointing towards the direction of the courtyard before he melted back into the shadows and headed towards his next target.

Meri.

As he ran out into the courtyard, the white lotus lay on the floor in pieces and stained red with blood as he screamed her name.

It never ended well when gods consorted with humans.

>

That night she had the same dream. She grumbled as she was awoken by a knocking, suppressing a yawn as she went to the door. But just as she was about to reach it-

'Don't open it.'

She froze, the lingering sleep falling off her in an instant at the adamant voice. She glanced behind, catching sight of her sleeping body still in bed.

And then she got annoyed.

'Urgh, this again? After you were such an ass this morning?'

'I was?'

'Yes!' she snapped, grabbing the handle roughly.

'Oi, don't open the door-!'

'Too bad!' She threw the door wide open, revealing the sight of―

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. There was nobody there.

She frowned, shoulders drooping. 'Bill?' Stepping through the doorway, Mabel glanced around the attic but it was empty.

Urgh, figures.

She closed the door and returned to bed, dismissing it as one of the demons pranks. As she pulled the covers over her head the door to the room creaked open, and a solitary bulging eye peered in through the darkness.

The door was open.

>

Mabel snapped her head around at the knocking that sounded much more insistent, almost as if it was responding to her internal thoughts and confirming them.

Oh boy.

'Um, hello?' she asked, stepping towards the door. There was no answer. Urgh, creepy. 'Bill? Is that you? I thought I told you not to invade my dreams without permission!'

Still no answer.

She reached out for the door handle, feeling uneasy. But just before she could turn it there came a reply:

'Don't open the door, Shooting Star.'

She froze. The voice had come from the other side. 'Bill?' She blinked. 'Why not? What are you playing at anyway?' She began to turn the handle.

'Don't open it.'

The girl froze at the guttural growl lacing his words. '...Why not? It's you, right? On the other side of the door, I mean.'

'Exactly.'

Her eyebrows furrowed together and she released an exasperated groan. 'I don't get it, why are you being so weird and creepy? You're the one who came here!'

'Eh, it's more like I got dragged here. It's... a weird and long story.'

'Huh?' She began to turn the handle again only for something heavy to slam against the door with such velocity it rattled the hinges. Mabel jumped back in surprise, eyes wide. 'What the hell!?'

'Quit being a brat and do as I say unless you want to know what nightmares are made out of,' Bill hissed from the other side.

'I don't get it, what happens if I open the door?'

'You don't wanna know.'

'But it's you, right? And we're- I mean, we're sort of allies now. You wouldn't hurt me.'

A pause and there was a tapping as if he was drumming his fingertips along the wood. 'I don't really get a say in that right now, Shooting Star.'

'What the heck does that mean?'

'It means I'm a demon, kid. And there's a lot you don't understand. So for both our sakes, do me a favour and don't open the door regardless of what you hear. I kinda like you and it'd be a shame to lose that.'

A chill ran through her spine. Spooky. 'You like me?'

'....Seriously, that's the part you focus on?'

She shuffled on her feet for a moment before approaching the door once again. Placing her back against it, she slid down to sit on the floor in front, hugging her knees to her chest. She heard a soft thump on the other side and wondered if he was doing the same. Urgh, her curiosity was eating her up! She seriously wanted to open the door. What if he was just in a super embarrasing outfit or something and that's why he was acting all shy?

...No, she'd behave. This time anyway.

'I kinda like you too. When you're not being crazy and trying to take over the world or kill my family and friends, we get along.'

'Heh.'

Welp, guess she was waiting here for a while.

...

'You're not like naked on the other side of this door, right?'

'If it was just me being naked, things would be a lot more simple, kid.'