#to some

While Dream and Nightmare were sat on the edge of a rocky platform, floating lazily in the vacuum of space, with their legs dangling over the ledge, the two outcodes struggled to make small talk, their conversation stilted and forced, despite Dream’s best efforts, their childhood closeness long since destroyed by bitterness, miscommunication, and far too much fighting. It was painfully apparent that too many years of too much animosity, would not be easily erased, the gap between them too wide to bridge without a great deal of time and effort. But both brothers had time aplenty to spare, and a willingness to try. They had both agreed, one with a full heart, the other in a quiet voice, that the bond they’d once shared was worth whatever difficulties they would face to rebuild it.

And so here they were, eating nice cream lollies together, in the very same Outertale AU where Dream had first laid eyelights on Lumi, the fallen star he had come to love. The estranged twins were sat side by side, not touching but closer than they’d been in centuries, outside of battle. However, the distance between them, both literal and figurative, left an ache in Dream’s soul. Idly nibbling on his popsicle, Dream gazed at the distant stars, his mind drifting to his own, beloved star.

“Wow, this place sure does bring back memories,” Dream remarked, more to himself than to Nightmare, as he smiled to himself in fond reminiscence, his legs swinging back and forth in the emptiness. “It feels like only yesterday that Lumi and I first met... The past few years passed by so quickly.”

To his right, Nightmare hummed, chewing on nice cream as his tentacles haltingly reached out towards Dream, curling and uncurling, close but not quite touching him, before retreating to their master’s side, writhing with nervous energy.

“I know what you mean,” he spoke up for the first time in a while, his deep, rumbling voice lacking its usual menace and arrogance, as the dark being grappled with his own awkwardness at his current situation, unsure of how to act around his former nemesis. “I still vividly remember the day my Frisk suddenly appeared out of nowhere in my castle, all lost and confused. And now, we’re... engaged. It has yet to truly sink in. I’m uncertain if it will ever feel real to me.”

Dream beamed at his brother, his star-shaped golden eyelights sparkling as he practically vibrated with excitement.

“Yeah, I can hardly believe it myself! You , getting married ! Incredible!!”

Nightmare shot him an affronted look.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he growled at Dream, who raised his hands up placatingly.

“Nothing bad, I swear! I only meant that I still remember how shy you were back... then . You’ve never been the type to make friends, and now, well, you’re even less sociable than before. I’m just... so happy to know that you’ve found someone who loves you for who you are, enough to want to bind herself to you for eternity,” Dream gave his brother the most earnest look he could, hoping to convey his sincerity. “I really mean it, Night. I’m so happy for you.”

Nightmare stared mutely at Dream for a few seconds, before he whipped his skull away, trying to hide the way his teal eyelight wavered in his socket. Emotions welled up within him, powerful and strange to the pseudo-Guardian of Negativity, and he viciously tried to stamp them down, feeling vulnerable and raw. His tentacles hesitantly poked at Dream, seeming to want to touch him properly, but too afraid to do more than lightly prod at his arms and back. Dream stayed perfectly still, despite the liquid negativity making his bones itch, and allowed the tentative touches, while inwardly hoping for more, but not wanting to push too hard and scare Nightmare away. For his brother, Dream could be patient.

Eventually, Nightmare could no longer stand the silence, nor his twin’s warm smile, and, desperate to change the subject, blurted out the first thought that came into his skull.

“So what’s going on with you and that star?”

Dream blinked. “Huh?”

Nightmare impatiently tapped his phalanges on the hard ground, as he struggled not to fidget, though his tentacles wriggled in agitation.

“I’m asking you when you two hopeless fools are finally going to get together, and officially start dating.”

Dream blushed a bright yellow, the colour overtaking his entire skull, as he instantly fell for his brother’s attempt to deflect the conversation away from himself. It was now Dream’s turn to fidget awkwardly, as he averted his eyelights, his bones almost rattling with nervous energy, and his fist unconsciously tightening its grip around his ice pop.

“I-I don’t know what you mean, Brother!” Dream winced as his voice came out louder and higher-pitched than he’d intended. Flustered, he attempted to lower his voice, but his words still came out jittery. “We’re just f-friends, we’re not-.... we wouldn’t... It’s just not like that, between us, okay?!”

Nightmare smirked, feeling much more at ease, now that they were no longer discussing his relationship with his fiancée (he dutifully ignored the rush of giddiness he felt at that last thought). He inwardly admitted to himself that he greatly enjoyed seeing his brother squirm like that, despite no longer hating him or blaming him for what happened in the past. It was rare for his normally so bold and self-assured twin, to act so visibly ruffled. He may no longer have any desire to harm his fellow not-quite-Guardian, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t take full advantage of this delightful opportunity, to tease and embarrass Dream as much as possible. After all, wasn’t that something big brothers did?

“Come now, Brother,” the gentle, reassuring tone of his voice belied the teasing glint in his single eyelight, as the corners of his mouth tugged upwards in amusement. His tentacles slithered languidly towards Dream, resting against his right leg and his back. “You’re not exactly subtle . It’s painfully obvious that you have feelings for the star.”

Dream’s blush deepened and he buried his skull in his hands with a mortified squeak. Nightmare’s smile widened at that, as he chuckled to himself at his brother’s expense, before he settled back, and gave Dream a considering look. After a moment, he sighed softly, his expression becoming serious, devoid of his previous mirth.

“Dream, you and I both know, better than anyone else, the importance of being honest with yourself and your emotions. You must tell her how you really feel. Don’t keep ignoring your own heart, it never ends well. Trust me, Brother.”

His gaze darkened, memories of a childhood spent being tormented by fearful villagers, flashing through his mind. Dream stared sadly at his brother, old regrets bubbling up inside him, before he looked away, trying to focus on the matter at hand, namely what he would and should do about his not-so-secret love for Lumi.

“I... I can’t ,” Dream eventually forced out, his voice tight and pained. “I just can’t tell her, Night. It wouldn’t be right, to dump my feelings on her like that. Not when she has her own worries to deal with.”

Nightmare frowned at him, clearly dissatisfied with his answer, but Dream ploughed on.

“And it’s not like we can even be together anyway! I promised her that I would help her find a way home. She... she belongs in the sky, with her sisters. I know she misses them, so much , even if she doesn’t want to dwell on it, and I have to reunite them. I know what it’s like to be separated from your siblings, after all. I won’t let her suffer any longer! I’d rather break my own heart, if it means hers won’t anymore!”

As Dream’s impassioned words rang out into the stillness of space, Nightmare watched his brother with an unreadable expression. He glanced down, seeming to gather himself, before turning his skull upwards, towards distant, out of reach stars.

“Has it ever occurred to you that maybe Lumi doesn’t want to go back?”

Dream whipped his skull around, a protest on his lips, before pausing, as he caught sight of the intense look on his brother’s skull.

“Wh-why would you say that?” he asked quietly, and startled when Nightmare let out an angry huff, viciously taking a bite out of his nice cream lolly.

“Not everyone is eager for things to go back to the way they used to be,” his voice was low and tense, his tentacles coiling around themselves, viscous, tar-like darkness dripping off them and forming small, black puddles on the rocky floor. “Not everyone clings desperately to the past. Maybe Lumi isn’t as fond of her ‘home’ as you think.”

Dream looked troubled at Nightmare’s words, at a loss as to how to respond, but his brother didn’t seem to be paying him any mind. Instead, his gaze was far off, fixed on something only he could see, grief shining in his eyelight.

“I can sympathise, if so,” his voice was softer than Dream had ever heard it, since the... incident , and the light being was astounded at the compassion he could feel emanating from his dark twin. Nightmare’s expression softened further, as sorrow coloured his tone. “Being all alone, with no friends, having no one pay attention to you, not one single person caring about you except for your siblings... If it were me, I certainly wouldn’t want to go back to that. Even if... even if it meant... sacrificing my relationship with the only family I have.”

Dream stilled, feeling conflicted as he considered that thought, a painful ache growing in his rib cage as it really hit him, again, just how much the two people he loved most had suffered in the past, with him being none the wiser, but Nightmare wasn’t done speaking just yet. With a forceful shake of his skull, as if shaking off his lingering anguish, the living embodiment of negativity turned to face his brother.

“And even if the star doesn’t feel that way, even if she does, indeed, wish to return to her place in the sky... You should still confess your feelings to her,” Nightmare insisted, his tone bordering on pleading. “Don’t hide them, or pretend that they don’t exist! If only I’d been more forthcoming about my own feelings, my own misery, back when we were children, then maybe...” he trailed off, then shook himself, refusing to allow himself to consider what ifs or what might have been. Nothing good could come from that line of thinking. “The point is, I know the cost of not sharing how you truly feel, with those closest to you. Please, Brother... Don’t make the same mistakes I did.”

Silence descended upon the brothers. Nightmare took one final bite of his ice lolly, shoving the entire frozen treat into his mouth, before yanking the wooden stick handle out and carelessly tossing it aside, absentmindedly watching it drift further and further away, out into the depths of space. Dream sat quietly, unusually still, as he digested what he’d been told, mulling over the words. Eventually, he seemed to come to a conclusion.

“You’re... you’re right, Night,” he whispered at last. “I’ll... I’ll tell Lumi how I really feel about her. And I’ll ask her how she really feels, about me and about returning to the sky. Whatever answer she gives me, I’ll accept it. I’ll be satisfied with having been honest, both to her, and to myself.” He closed his eye sockets, took a deep breath, then opened them again and turned to give Nightmare a grateful smile. “Thanks Brother. Thank you for being here for me, and telling me what I needed to hear. I... I can’t tell you how much it means to me.”

Nightmare pointedly turned his skull away from Dream, a teal blush spreading across his cheeks.

“You’re exaggerating,” he waved his hand dismissively, affecting nonchalance despite his obvious embarrassment and still-present blush. “I merely offered you some very obvious advice. I’m certain that any one of your half-witted ‘friends’ would have told you something similar.”

But Dream insistently shook his skull.

“No, I mean it, Night!” his emphatic tone and the fervent look in his eyelights gave Nightmare pause. “I really mean it. I really am so, so grateful to have you give me advice, to have you act like my big brother again. It hasn’t been the same without you; friends, no matter how close we are, just can’t compare to you. I’ve... really... missed you, Brother,” Nightmare’s eyelight widened in alarm as Dream’s voice wavered, and yellow tears gathered at the corners of his eye sockets. “I’ve... missed you... so much... so... much ...”

Dream’s voice trailed off, his emotions finally overwhelming him, and he stopped trying to hold back the sobs from wracking his body, the half-melted, half-eaten nice cream lolly falling from his numb phalanges, and drifting away and out into the cosmos. After being so used to holding his negative feelings in for so, so long, Dream found that he no longer had the will to force down that part of himself any longer, not now that he finally had his beloved brother back by his side. And so, he gave in to his still-persisting pain and grief over the loss of his brother for so long, crying his heart out for all that he’d lost, all that he’d suffered, for all this time.

Nightmare was completely caught off guard by the sudden outpouring of negativity from his brother, who was meant to be the very embodiment of positivity. Dream had always been the type to hide his pain with a smile, never letting on how much he was hurting on the inside, and always, without fail, presenting an appearance of unwavering positivity and optimism. To see his brother so openly distraught, not even trying to supress his negative feelings...

Nightmare hesitated, unsure what action to take, and uncomfortable with every option available to him, before he grit his teeth and, purposely turning his skull away, closed the distance between them and put his left arm around Dream’s shoulders, tugging him closer.

Dream stilled at the touch, his crying coming to an abrupt halt, though he continued to sniffle softly, as his eyelights widened. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to throw his arms around his brother and hug him tightly for all he was worth, just like he used to when they were children, but he restrained himself, not wanting to make Nightmare any more uncomfortable than he already was, and contented himself with leaning into his twin’s hold. Nightmare froze for a second, before relaxing minutely, his tentacles retreating into his back as his arm tightened ever so slightly around Dream.

Pressed against his brother’s side, Dream could feel cold goop seeping into his clothes, the inky corruption an unpleasant sensation against his bones, but beyond that, he could feel something else. This close to the other outcode, Dream could sense, through the mass of corrupted negativity, a tiny flicker of warmth, the still-burning flame that was, and would always be, his brother. And it whispered to him ‘ I miss you ’, ‘ I'm sorry ’, and ‘I love you ’, and Dream leaned further into his brother’s body, wrapping his right arm around Nightmare’s back, and closed his eye sockets, listening with his shining, golden apple soul to the words he’d long wished to hear.

Even though it wasn’t the same as it used to be, even though their relationship would never be as it once was, despite everything, they were still brothers. And right then, that was all that mattered to them.

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BONUS: 

Error was comfortably sat on a rock platform, floating in space. He might have hated AUs in principle, but he could admit that he hated Outertale Aus slightly less than others, besides Undernovela. He had detected an odd blip from this particular one, dating some years ago, but the AU was currently stable and, more importantly, deserted, since the monsters were freed, so he didn’t bother to investigate the anomaly further.

He’d decided to come here, by himself, to get some peace and quiet away from his family. While he very much loved his wife and children, more than he’d ever thought himself capable of loving anyone or anything, he did still value his alone time. And his darling wife had shooed him away with a fond smile, reassuring him that she’d be fine looking after their kids for the day, so who was he to say no to his dear wifey? It was also a lot harder to get any knitting done with the kids running all about the house, and glitching through the walls, and he really did want to finish knitting these socks for Blueberry’s upcoming birthday.

It was while he was blissfully ignorant of all but the yarn he was steadily turning into socks, that a small object suddenly hit him in the back of his skull. Startled, Error dropped his knitting supplies and shifted around, to grab hold of the offending object. It was a little wooden stick. Glaring at it in bewilderment, he failed to notice a half-eaten, melting nice lolly hit him in the side of his skull, with a wet smack. Feeling cold, wet, spit-covered nice cream sliding down his skull, error messages filled his eye sockets as the former destroyer of AUs started glitching out in rage.

“W-Wh@t th£ F-F#€K!!”

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Error belongs to Crayon Queen/Loverofpiggies. I just love teasing this anti-social man-baby XD His wife is a version of Frisk, but I've left it ambiguous which one, so it could be Core!Frisk, or it could be a different one (mine is too complicated for me to include directly in my fics, but she lives rent-free in my head at all times).