July Prompts #10: String
TW: a lot of RainbowVerse Error being weird around being interested in Vice, including some not strictly consensual kissing
"Are you two going to be okay by yourselves?" Dream asked, tilting his head towards Nightmare even as the question was also directed to Error.
Nodding, Nightmare buried himself back in his book. "Mmhmm. Now shoo."
His brother chuckled, shaking his golden-furred head. "Alright, alright. Have fun together." He called over his shoulder as he made his way out of the house.
Nightmare side-eyed the guy Ink had brought over: Error, his name was. He was taller than Nightmare, but much shorter than Dream, and watching Ink drag him over through the window had been nothing short of comical.
The guy himself was actually half-decent looking: tall, but not crazy tall like Dream, with thick curls that framed his face. The twin pairs of yellow-and-red ears were a little odd (and eerily similar to Ink's), but they weren't in and of themselves dangerous. If he hadn't been just staring blankly at Nightmare with no visible thoughts, he might've even tried his hand at flirting. As it was, Nightmare just kept his eyes on his book and tried to focus on the story instead.
Unfortunately for him, Error decided to break the silence. "Have you ever felt love?" The word "love" sounded strange in his mouth, like Error was speaking it for the first time.
"Uh." Nightmare wondered if he could pretend he hadn't heard, but he could already imagine Dream's lecture if he ignored a guest. "Well, sort of."
"Sort of?" Error tilted his head, his long striped tail swishing slowly behind him. There was an odd look in his eyes, but Nightmare tried not to let it get to him. This guy was nothing but odd, and one weird look wouldn't kill him.
Nightmare shrugged. "Well, I've liked people sometimes, but it's never stuck. Either they don't like me back, or we try it and it just turns into a bunch of fighting."
"But if you love each other, why would you fight?"
"Sometimes you like how someone looks, but not how they act." Nightmare shrugs. "Or they don't like how you act. Or they just learn too much about you and don't like what they learn." Because most people didn't want to date the guy in charge of spreading the negativity that Ink made around the multiverse, but he kept that to himself.
"Hm." After turning this over, Error looked at Nightmare again. "Do you love me?"
For a long moment, Nightmare didn't know what to say. His mouth opened and closed a few times as he tried and failed to compute what had just been said. "Huh?" He finally said, intelligently.
"Do you love me?" Error repeated, as if Nightmare hadn't said anything weird at all. "I see the way Ink and Dream look at each other, and you look at me like that sometimes."
Nightmare tilted his head, flicking his ears as he tried to think about it. "I… guess?" Realizing that sounded very dismissive, he waved his hands. "I'm sorry, I mean yes, but… sorry." He looked down at the floor. "I'm not good at this." When Error only looked confused again. "I'm not good with people."
Error just shrugged. "I'm not either. Ink says I should practice." He looked at Nightmare again. Nightmare wasn't sure he liked the look in those eyes. "Maybe we can practice together." He leaned closer, eyes locked onto Nightmare's face.
Sensing something off with the situation, Nightmare shrank back. He couldn't help but feel like something that was being hunted. "Uh… sure," he said uncertainly. "Like, just… talking, right?"
But Error was already shaking his head. "No, I want to try love. I want what Ink has."
Nightmare's heart was hammering in his ears. "I— what?"
"I want what Ink has with your brother. I want it with you." Were Error's eyes always pink? Nightmare wasn't sure.
"I don't think—" Nightmare cut himself off upon seeing the flash of magic; thick pink strings, materializing from Error's fingers. "Hey—"
But before he could finish, Error had closed the distance. The strings wrapped around his arms, and Nightmare jolted as he realized how beautiful Error was. His eyes were mismatched, but held every color Nightmare could imagine and more. His hair tickled Nightmare's cheeks when he leaned in for a kiss, and Nightmare found himself meeting Error halfway, letting Error’s tail wrap around him so tightly that he
It felt good. It felt right. Nightmare had kissed people before, but with Error's strings coiled around his wrists, this felt like the best thing that had ever happened to him.
All too soon, Error pulled away, reeling his strings back, and Nightmare felt like a part of himself had gone with them. Like there was a void in him, begging for Error back.
"I liked that." Error said, and Nightmare realized he was smiling for the first time since Ink had dragged him into the house. "Did you?"
And Nightmare answered almost before he thought.
"Yeah."










