You sighed as Kofi handed you your drink of choice, rubbing your eyes tiredly. You’d been working on a project all week, but had yet to finish. And, of course, it was due in a day. Pulling all-nighters two nights in a row probably wasn’t the best idea, but it was the only way you saw yourself getting it done on time.

“Hey…be sure to get some rest, yeah? I want my drinks to make you feel good, not help you feel bad.”

You couldn’t help but laugh a bit at Kopi’s concern. She was always so nice to you, even when you were on another productivity bender. “I’ll be fine, Kopi. Your drinks are always amazing. I just need to get this done, okay?”

“Alright, I guess. Just…be careful?”

“I’m always careful.”

With that, you strode off to your bedroom, choosing to ignore the skeptical look Kopi was giving you. You were fine; as long as you didn’t go longer than 72 hours without sleep, it was technically healthy…

…ish.

With the aid of the caffeine, your fingers flew across your keyboard. Finally, a rhythm! You hardly noticed the hour pass, though your body definitely did.

Soon, your eyelids grew heavy. The satisfaction from your progressed had eased some of your nerves, allowing you to relax just enough to grow tired. Your blinks grew longer, and before you knew it, you were floating in a black abyss.

“Shit…Nightmare?” you called out, your voice strangely void of any echo. Eyes open or closed, your view in the void was the exact same. You felt that familiar fear creep down your spine, followed by a warm arm wrapping around your middle. You couldn’t help but jump, frightened by her sudden touch in the emptiness.

“Hello, beloved.”

“Fuck, Nighmare, warn me first…” you huffed, leaning back into their touch. The warmth of their chest was nice against your skin, as odd as the giant lips there felt. Their lion head rested on your shoulder, giving your neck little nuzzles. The snake burrowed itself under your arm, hissing softly.

They chuckled in amusement, placing a small kiss on your cheek. “That would defeat the purpose of my visits, wouldn’t it?” Their hand wandered lower, giving your side a little poke. “Besides, you love my visits. I can feel your heart racing, you know. It’s quite lovely.”

That simple poke had an instant effect on you. You’d managed to avoid thinking about that during Nightmare’s pop-ins, but the simple touch had your mind racing with giddy thoughts and nervous energy. “I…shut up.”

Of course, it picked right up on that new anxiety. Its hands both grabbed onto your sides as it chuckled. “Oh? What’s this now?”

“W-wahait, wait, Nightmare, c’mon! Don’t you wanna see what bugs I’m afraid of or something? It’s really interesting,” you stammered, trying to distract them from the idea of tickles. Unfortunately for you, they weren’t swayed so easily.

“That can wait for another night,” they said, voice tauntingly soft. You knew that honey-smooth inflection was meant to build up a false comfort. “For now, we’re exploring this.”

With that little growl, Nightmare’s claws dug into your sides. They were torturously pointed, just enough to tickle the hell out of you without the chance of being accidentally scratched. She squeezed and scribbled on your soft skin, loving the squeals she was pulling from you.

The void around you shifted, changing into a park. It was a bright day, people mingling about. And, of course, they were a few of the other objects.

A whine escaped you at the sight, knowing the fear she was going to prod at. You hadn’t exactly gotten around to telling the other dateables about your affinity for the touch, and it was definitely on your mind. “N-Nihihightmahare, plehehease!”

They pressed another small kiss to your skin, this time against your neck. “Don’t worry, beloved. I’d never be cruel. This is to prove some fears to be irrational.”

Nightmare’s evil hand slid beneath your shirt, teasing your hips and waist with little squeezes. As you hiccuped and laughed, a few of the exploring objects came up to the two of you.

“Aw, how cute!”

“Look at our homie, all happy and stuff! Dope!”

“Think I’ll have to ask ‘em if they’d let me give that a try.”

“They seem like they’re having so much fun…”

Instead of the disgust and judgement your mind had convinced you was inevitable, Nightmare showed you the far more probable outcomes: your loved ones didn’t hate you for having an odd preference. True, it was still a little terrifying to have people see (even they were the non-sentient dream versions of them), but it made you feel a bit more secure in yourself.

“See, beloved? Nothing but your anxieties to fear,” they cooed, kissing your cheek. The world around you changed again, this time resembling your bedroom. It was slightly off, fuzzy at the edges, letting you know you were still asleep. Still with them. “And, of course, this little trick…”

You really should’ve learned better than to ask what they meant by that. Nightmare was more of a show rather than tell kind of entity.

They pressed their mouth hand flat against your stomach, their snake head moving up to your shoulder. In an instant, the mouth was blowing raspberries on your stomach. The snake head joined in on the fun, its tongue flicking across the shell of your ear to make you squeak.

“SHIHIHIHIT!”

You bucked in Nightmare’s hold, belly laughter tumbling freely from your lips. The dual sensations were evil; you both loved and despised Nightmare’s versatility with its strange body. It was rather amused with all of your reactions, chuckling in your ear.

“That seems quite ticklish, beloved. Good thing we have time to explore this.”

Their voice dropped as they leaned in, deep and deliberate in your ear. They knew the tone would get you nervous and squirming. It sparked an entirely new fear, though not exactly an unwelcome one. One that got your heart racing, lips wobbling, and eyes squeezing shut with flustered anticipation.