#ut ff

Here is a quick species list, in case anyone gets confused:

Nightmare=Octopus hybrid/merskeleton Horror=Lamia (snake) Error=Ghoul Dust=Harpy Killer=Vampire Cross=Imp (low-level demon)

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Nightmare leaned against one of the stalagmites, close to the pool in the back of his cave. The soft dripping of water was slowly drowned out by the sound of his mates coming in. The large chamber had some bioluminescent algae growing inside of the lake, providing more than enough light for Nightmare to look over the others.

While many of the creatures in their group were more mobile, Nightmare had to be near water. Magic only kept his tentacles from drying out for a limited amount of time. He and Horror were the biggest creatures in their group, and he was much slower on land. So they usually met in his cave, and then moved somewhere else afterwards if one of them had planned something.

Tonight they were just staying in. The skeleton hybrids all chatted casually as they waited for the final mate to show up. There was no rush; Nightmare understood that Dust lived far away, and flying in took a long time. They weren’t going to start without him, though. Horror signed along, and Nightmare looked over his body appreciatively. Horror looked like he’d gotten bigger again, and his ecto tail was glowing a strong shade of blood red.

Nightmare glanced up as he heard a scrabbling on the roof of the cave. He smiled, knowing that their mate had finally arrived. The others quieted down, all looking to the entrance of the cave with anticipation.

Dust came in, his feathers more ruffled than usual. “The wind was blowing against me tonight.”

“No matter, we’re glad to have you here. Welcome, Dust.” Nightmare said, bowing his head slightly.

A chorus of other greetings followed Nightmare, and Dust stepped further into the cave. Once he was fully inside, Nightmare used one of this tentacles to hit a switch on the wall. A counter-weight fell, ropes released, and the boulder he used as a door rolled into place. Nightmare was a private creature, and he didn’t want their night to be interrupted.

Right in front of the deep lake, Nightmare had set up their play area. There was a thick layer of river rushes on the floor, protecting their bones from the stone. He also had a few blankets and pillows, but those were set off to the side, and more for aftercare. None of them were particularly delicate, or in need of comfort during sex.

They came together easily, pairing off for the foreplay. There was excitement, but no urgency. They knew they’d get a taste of everyone eventually. Their relationship was equal. The only time that any one partner got extra attention was when they were in heat, which was obviously a special occasion.

Horror pulled Error close to him, lifting the little ghoul into his lap. Error lifted his arms up, eagerly helping Horror strip him from his clothes. Horror leaned in, flicking his tongue against Error’s neck and collarbones. His scent reminded Horror of death, but it wasn’t quite the same, and the electric passion flowing through Error made Horror’s soul feel full.

Error was cold, as if he was fresh from the grave, but Horror didn’t mind. He knew how to warm Error up. Horror ran his hands down Error’s back, then hooked his fingertips into Error’s floating ribs. He moved his hands slowly around to the front, massaging Error’s ribs from both sides. Error squeezed Horror’s tail tighter with his legs, a soft moan escaping from between his teeth. Horror hissed back softly, flicking his tongue teasingly against Error’s vertebrae.

Cross plopped down in Nightmare’s lap, grinning widely as Nightmare’s tentacles automatically began coiling around his bones. “Hey there.”

“Hello, little imp.” Nightmare lifted Cross up so their faces were level. “You look lovely tonight.”

“You say that every time,” Cross snarked, but his cheekbones still became dusted with a faint shade of pink.

“It is true every time.” Nightmare leaned in, kissing Cross.

Cross quickly formed an ecto-tongue, and Nightmare happily deepened the kiss. He rested his hands on Cross’ shoulders, while his tentacles covered the rest of Cross’ body. One of them pressed against Cross’ pelvis, but didn’t try to open his shorts just yet. Nightmare rubbed it lazily back and forth, making Cross whimper cutely.

They got distracted by a thump from behind them. Nightmare and Cross glanced over, and Horror and Error did the same.

In the middle of the rushes lay Killer and Dust. Killer had pinned Dust down by his wings, and was grinning down at the trapped harpy. Killer hissed playfully, knowing that Dust’s struggling wasn’t particularly urgent. Dust hissed back, snapping his teeth near Killer’s face. They were about the same size, but it seemed that Nightmare had missed the fight for dominance. He licked his teeth, remembering when he and Horror had playfully wrestled in the same way.

“Aw, so cute.” Cross called out.

“Oh shut up, pay some attention to Nightmare!” Dust gasped, and suddenly began fighting back harder, with Killer straining to keep him pinned down.

“Yes, pay attention to me sweetheart.” Nightmare said, pulling Cross back against his chest. In this position Nightmare could watch the others, and also show off how lovely Cross looked.

He dragged his slimy tongue over Cross’ vertebrae, taking his time with exploring Cross’ bones. Cross made the sweetest noises when he was teased, and Nightmare drank them in eagerly. He pulled off Cross’ clothes, tossing them to the side. He wrapped one tentacle around each of Cross’ limbs, spreading them apart roughly. He went exploring with two of his thinner tentacles, slithering one inside of Cross’ ribcage while the other one wrapped around his lower spine. He felt Cross’ magic prickling against his tentacles, and they twitched slightly in response, smearing some more of Nightmare’s slime on his bones.

“Not yet. Don’t form anything until I tell you,” Nightmare whispered, brushing his teeth against the side of Cross’ head.

Cross whined slightly, but he nodded.

“Good. Such a sweet, obedient little mate.” Nightmare cooed. He traced his fingers over Cross’ sternum from the outside, and moved his tentacle in the same motion on the inside.

Horror had two fingers inside of Error’s ecto-pussy, and his own slit was bulging enticingly. Error placed one hand on top of it, and it opened up quickly. Both of Horror’s penises slipped out in full erection, twitching slightly. Error grabbed one of them, but he only managed to stroke it once before Horror moved again.

Horror laid down, his tail curling protectively around Error’s body. It blocked part of Nightmare’s view, but the way Horror yanked Error’s pelvis up to his face made it clear what was happening. Error clamped his teeth together, but a sweet whine still escaped him as Horror’s tongue plunged inside of him. Error wasn’t big enough to reach Horror’s penises with his mouth, but he still grabbed one and began stroking it. Horror’s magic was such a gorgeous colour, plump and juicy, and Nightmare found himself aching to taste it. Or to feel Error’s pussy with his fingers. Fuck, he wanted his mates so much.

Dust and Killer were grinding against each other harshly. Their magic was glowing brightly in their pelvises, and Dust’s face was flushed to match. Killer wasn’t blushing as much, but there was still a sweet dusting of magic across his cheekbones. Killer suddenly bit down on Dust’s collarbone, and Dust squirmed gorgeously.

Nightmare snaked one of his tentacles out, grabbing the edge of Killer’s shorts. He tugged them down roughly, not stopping until they were around Killer’s knees. Killer grunted and glanced back, but then lifted one leg, letting Nightmare help him strip. Killer had fully formed his magic in the front and back, and Nightmare grabbed Killer’s ass, groping it once before he retreated. He didn’t want to distract Killer from pleasuring Dust too much.

“Fuck, Nightmare.” Cross whimpered, turning his head and pressing his teeth to Nightmare’s cheek. “Please.”

“Please what?” Nightmare asked, turning his head so their mouths were close to each other, but not kissing Cross. He wanted to hear him speak first.

Cross huffed, but he didn’t keep Nightmare waiting for long. “Please let me form my magic. I need it.”

“Alright, go ahead.” Nightmare moved his tentacle from Cross’ spine to his hip, rubbing it lovingly.

Cross’ magic rushed into his pelvis, forming a cock and a pussy. The glow reflected off of Nightmare’s slimy tentacles, but it was only visible for a moment. Nightmare coiled one tentacle around Cross’ dick and pressed a thinner one inside of him. He kissed Cross, squeezing Cross’ limbs roughly. Cross kissed back aggressively, and Nightmare felt every little whimper Cross made into his mouth.

Cross was tight, but his magic had begun dripping once it had formed. His slick combined with Nightmare’s natural lubricants meant it was easy to begin moving his tentacle. Nightmare had carefully memorized each of his lovers’ bodies, and he knew exactly how to hook his tentacle to hit Cross’ sweet spot. Cross moaned into Nightmare’s mouth, and he shivered.

Fuck, this was his favourite part of their nights together. Nightmare was a solitary creature by nature, and his terrifying appearance made it easy to drive others away. Yet for some reason, each of these gorgeous hybrids had chosen to stay with him. They could have easily formed a group with Nightmare on the periphery, but instead, they all made it clear that they enjoyed spending time with each other, and had no preference for any particular partner. It was wonderful, and it made Nightmare even more determined to satisfy them.

Nightmare began moving his tentacle faster, fucking Cross intensely with it. He coiled three other tentacles around Cross’ pelvis and hips, rubbing against all of his sensitive spots. Nightmare cracked his eyesockets open, taking in the sweet blush on Cross’ face.

The moans from his other partners grew louder, and Nightmare knew they must be having a good time with each other. Killer was playful, but he was a good dominant, and Dust did well when he had lots of attention on him. Error and Horror’s size gap only made their lovemaking more enjoyable. Error made such lovely faces when he was overstimulated, and Horror was the kind of skeleton who thrived on positive feedback. Horror acted aloof most of the time, but all of them had noticed how he brightened up in the bedroom. He was like Nightmare in that regard; caring for others made him happy.

Nightmare felt Cross trembling in his grasp, and his pussy clenched more around his tentacle. Nightmare finally broke the kiss, letting Cross get some air. He buried his face into Cross’ neck instead, sinking his teeth into the sensitive vertebrae. He didn’t have large fangs or sharp teeth, but he had enough force to leave a nice, deep bite, the kind that would take a week to heal. He ran his tongue lovingly over Cross’ neck, teasing the mark and getting a better taste of Cross’ sweat.

“Are you getting close, darling?” Nightmare asked, his voice almost a purr in Cross’ ear. He suddenly pulled on Cross’ legs with his tentacles, spreading them open wide. “Go on, show them how you cum.”

Cross whimpered, turning his face to hide it in Nightmare’s neck. Nightmare let him, but he used all of his limbs to show Cross’ body off even more. The others all turned to look, and Nightmare grinned as he saw Killer begin rocking his hips faster. Cross’ body jerked in Nightmare’s arms, but he had no way to free himself, and no way to hold back.

Nightmare watched happily as Cross came, savouring the whine of bliss he made. He kept moving his tentacles steadily, working Cross through his orgasm until Cross was rattling intensely. Nightmare wiggled his tentacle around once more, getting a good feeling of Cross’ pussy before he finally pulled out.

Nightmare kept holding Cross, but he moved his tentacles away from any lewd areas, instead holding Cross lovingly. He nuzzled his cheekbone against the top of Cross’ skull, watching the others.

Error was riding Horror intensely, his hands on Horror’s chest for balance. Horror had one hand on Error’s hips to help him move, while he stroked Error’s cock with the other. Horror’s other dick rubbed against Error’s thigh, smearing a trail of light red magic along it.

Killer was fucking into Dust in a frenzy, his teeth locked around Dust’s collarbone. Nightmare always found it cute how Killer liked to bite when he was feeling good, and Dust was clearly enjoying it too. He kept his wings up above his head, even if Killer wasn’t pinning them down any more. Killer had one hand on Dust’s pelvis, and the other one up inside of Dust’s ribs. There was a glimmer of magic shining through, and Nightmare guessed that Killer was just barely rubbing his phalanges over the edge of Dust’s soul. Soul play was intense, and they didn’t do it often. A bit of teasing like that was harmless, though.

Both couples seemed to be in sync, with the submissive partners’ moaning growing louder. Nightmare pressed his teeth to Cross’ neck, giving him a few light kisses. Cross squirmed slightly in Nightmare’s lap, grabbing one of his tentacles with both hands.

“Ssh, you can wait. Don’t be greedy.” Nightmare began rubbing Cross’ lower spine with one tentacle, moving slowly and steadily.

Unsurprisingly, Error came first. He screamed, his voice a high-pitched rasp. Horror groaned as Error arched his back, pressing him down even further on his dick. A bit of drool slipped down Horror’s jaw, and he only thrusted a few more times before he filled Error up. His other cock leaked, but it didn’t squirt at the same time. Like a true snake, Horror might get a dual erection, but he only used one penis at a time. He wasn’t into overstimulation like some of the others, so none of them pushed him.

Horror laid down fully on his back, hugging Error close to his chest. He got adorably cuddly for a few minutes after cumming, so Error was going to be stuck there for a bit. Nightmare smiled at them, then reached out for Killer.

He lashed out, cracking one of his tentacles against Killer’s back like a whip. Killer jerked and hissed, and Dust moaned.

“Fuck, do that again.” Dust looked at Nightmare, his glowing eyes piercing into Nightmare’s soul.

Crack. Crack. Killer threw his head back with the third hit, his eyelights rolling back into his head as he came. Nightmare slithered his tentacle around to the front, rubbing both of his lovers’ pelvises. Killer kept thrusting his hips shakily, and Dust came soon. Nightmare moved his tentacle quickly, working Dust through his orgasm. When Dust laid back and closed his eyes, Nightmare let go of his pelvis, letting both of them relax.

Nightmare couldn’t resist his urges any longer. His tentacles reached out, each one wrapping around some part of his mates. He dragged them all closer to him, a thinner tentacle rising out from the knot of strong, dark limbs. Horror hissed slightly, but once he saw Nightmare’s need, he uncoiled from his protective knot around Error.

Cross immediately leaned in and ran his tongue over Nightmare’s cock, moaning at the taste. Error scooted closer, getting down on his knees as well. His cheeks flared with a blush as Nightmare’s penis brushed over his teeth, but he obediently opened his mouth. Nightmare’s penis was long, so there was plenty of room for both of them to share.

Horror moved to sit at Nightmare’s side, tapping his shoulder. Nightmare turned, and he groaned softly as Horror kissed him. Horror’s kisses were rough, with his sharp fangs scraping harshly against Nightmare’s teeth. It was like he was trying to devour his mate, and Nightmare loved it.

Nightmare felt Dust shift at his other side, so he picked Dust up and dropped him into Horror’s lap. Both skeletons jumped slightly, but neither of them seemed to mind. Nightmare only had so many limbs, and he knew it was impossible to focus on pleasuring all of his mates at the same time.

Dust was still slick from his earlier round, and it was easy for him to position himself over Horror’s cock, then sink down on it. Horror grabbed his hips and made a sweet hiss into Nightmare’s mouth. Nightmare broke the kiss, dragging his tongue playfully along Horror’s cheek before pulling back slightly.

He moved one tentacle to rub around Horror’s slit, and let the other coil around Dust’s spine. He squeezed hard enough to feel each individual groove in Dust’s vertebrae, making the skeleton shiver deliciously. Horror was more than strong enough to bounce Dust on his cock, so Nightmare was more focused on teasing Dust than helping him move.

Nightmare grunted as he suddenly felt two of his mates squirming, glancing back to see what was going on. Killer had Cross in his grasp, both arms locked over Cross’ chest. He clearly wanted to keep Cross pinned, but the way he was holding Cross meant that neither of them had any hands free. Killer was rubbing against Cross’ pelvis, but he wasn’t about to get inside. Nightmare chuckled, and dragged one of his tentacles over Killer’s femur.

“Need a little help?” He asked, his grin betraying his amusement.

“Come on, don’t be a—aaah, bastard.” Killer moaned as Nightmare grabbed the base of his dick and squeezed, making his insult feel a bit weak.

“But you love it when I’m a bastard.” Nightmare stroked Killer’s cock twice, feeling more excited as Killer whined. He grunted as Error suddenly wrapped both hands around his dick, stroking him while sucking off what he could fit in his mouth.

When Cross whined too, Nightmare decided it was time to stop teasing. He angled Killer’s dick, pulling his tentacle away as Killer rocked his hips forward. Killer buried himself completely inside of Cross, and Nightmare coiled a tentacle around each of their legs to keep them close. He then turned his attention to the sweet little mate he had left, who had been sucking him off so obediently.

“Are you ready, little one?” Nightmare asked, brushing one of his free tentacles against Error’s face while his penis twitched against Error’s tongue.

With his mostly humanoid figure, Error was one of the smallest of their group. Nightmare thought he looked like a gorgeous little doll, but he was always a bit concerned about going too far. Error had rather strict rules about touch, and Nightmare’s preferred form of it was completely wrapping up his mate in his tentacles and never letting go.

“Yeah.” Error’s voice was ragged, and he looked away in embarrassment as it cracked on the word.

“Wonderful.” Nightmare picked Error up with two tentacles, and pushed his penis inside. His cock was long and thin, and he was able to curl it over and double it up inside of Error.

Error moaned, grabbing both of Nightmare’s hands in his. Nightmare began moving right away, fucking Error hard and fast. Error’s claws dug into Nightmare’s hands, leaving small cuts along his bones. Nightmare squeezed Error’s hips harder, moving his tentacle faster inside of Error.

Suddenly, Killer reached underneath Nightmare’s tentacles. He prodded at the well-hidden hole there, rubbing two fingers over it. Nightmare jumped, glancing down at Killer. He looked up at Nightmare with a smirk, and stuck his tongue out. Nightmare grinned back, then suddenly shoved Killer’s head underneath his tentacles. Killer shuddered as Nightmare wrapped one tentacle around his neck, forcefully pressing his face against his hole.

Cross shifted his position slightly, then flipped Killer on to his back. Nightmare coiled a tentacle around Killer’s ribs, keeping him down. He looked into Cross’ eyes as Cross began to ride Killer’s dick, grinning as he saw them flicker.

“Beautiful. My lovely mates.” Nightmare purred, speaking to all five of them as his gaze flicked between Cross and Error.

Cross muttered something, turning his head to look at Horror and Dust instead. Nightmare didn’t mind. He knew that Cross would go back to watching him if he wanted to. Besides, the show Horror and Dust were putting on was quite impressive. Dust had managed to take two of Horror’s fingers alongside his penis, and his magic bulged enticingly as Horror curled them.

Nightmare hadn’t gotten the chance to cum earlier, and he was starting to feel desperate. Error’s pussy fluttered around his cock, and Killer’s tongue twirled around inside of him. Nightmare felt the attention of his mates, and it was making him even more aroused. He had never wanted to be under another’s gaze so badly, and it was terrifying but amazing at the same time. Nightmare didn’t have the power to articulate how his mates made him feel, but as he felt their hands on him and their bones under his touch, he knew that he didn’t have to. They already knew, and they showed their acceptance of him by continuing to come and expose themselves, for not only him, but for each other.

Nightmare’s tentacles began shivering slightly, the strong muscles along them tensing up. Dust glanced over at Nightmare, and he smiled. Nightmare parted his teeth, aching to feel that sweet mouth against his.

“Please.” Error moaned, his eyelights flashing into hearts. He kept holding one of Nightmare’s hands, and he reached for Nightmare’s ribs with the other. He dug his claws in, pressing himself close to Nightmare’s body. He hid his face in Nightmare’s sternum, nuzzling in. “Please, give it to me.”

When Cross reached out and grabbed another one of Nightmare’s tentacles with both hands, he couldn’t hold back. Nightmare’s moan as he came was loud enough to make the cave walls rattle slightly, and his tentacles clutched tightly at his mates. His eyelights rolled back into his head as he bucked his hips, filling Error up. He felt Error tense up as well, but he couldn’t see the face Error made as he came too.

Nightmare’s orgasms were always more intense with his partners, and he was left breathless by the end of this one. He slumped back against a stalagmite, panting heavily. His tentacles shivered, finally releasing his mates to lie limp against the floor.

Horror and Killer kept going, and by the time Nightmare was coming back down to earth, they had finished as well. All of his mates were sweaty and flushed, and a purr rumbled through Nightmare’s chest as he saw them. He reached out with his tentacles again, wrapping one around each of his mates’ waists. Error was already leaning against his chest, and he nuzzled his face into Nightmare’s collarbone.

Killer chuckled softly, but none of them resisted the light tugging, even if they could easily get away. Instead they leaned against Nightmare’s side, each finding a place to rest between two of his tentacles. Nightmare sighed, tipping his head back and letting his eyesockets slip shut. He liked to be alone, but having all of his mates cuddled close to him like this made his soul feel light.

When Red released the last restraint, Plum flopped down on the mattress face-first, feeling boneless in the best way. He was floating somewhere between blissed-out and exhausted, like he always was after a good session. Plum heard some shuffling behind him, and he grinned stupidly.

The mattress dipped as Red climbed up on the bed next to him, lying down so that his back was pressed against Plum’s chest. Strong, scarred arms wrapped around his body, anchoring him to the earth. One around his ribs, and one over his rib cage. Plum kept his eyes closed, content to just stay in the moment and feel.

“You’re so good for me,” Red murmured, his low voice a soothing baritone rumbling through Plum’s skull. “You did amazing, sweetheart.” Red’s teeth brushed against his vertebrae, and Plum felt himself relaxing even more.

A deep sense of contentment filled him, springing from deep inside his soul. This was one of the things he loved best about sex with Red. Despite his gruff exterior, he had never skimped on the aftercare. Once Plum had told him exactly what he liked, Red had fulfilled every single need, plus a few that Plum hadn’t even thought of before they’d started dating.

Red’s rough phalanges, which had worked him into a frenzy not long ago, ran over his body soothingly. Red avoided touching anywhere that would excite him again, and Plum appreciate it. His LT made it easy to get excited, but he didn’t want that now. He just wanted to be here, close to someone who cared for him.

Plum was pulled back into reality as Red sat up, lifting him so that he was perched in Red’s lap. He grumbled slightly, but he accepted the water bottle Red handed him. After all of his past work, he knew better than to get dehydrated after a session. He took a long gulp, draining half of the water in one go. Red rubbed soothing circles on his thigh as he drank it, and lightly pecked Plum’s scapula.

Once Plum had finished the whole bottle, he handed it to Red. Plum hummed in approval as Red reached over for the second bottle on the nightstand. After the first few sessions Red had learned to keep a bottle on-hand for himself, or else Plum would refuse to finish his. They switched roles a lot, but Plum made sure that Red always took care of himself too.

Red drank slower than Plum did, but that was fine. As long as he had some water, Plum was happy. He leaned his head back, snuggling into Red’s shoulder. Red squeezed his hipbone, and Plum tilted his head and kissed Red’s cheek.

Red put his water down, and reached for a small Tupperware container. Plum had cut up some fruit earlier today, so it would be easy to get some energy afterwards. There were apples, mini orange slices, and a few grapes. Red held the container out to Plum, and he gripped the bottom of it while Plum pried the lid off.

Red used one hand to feed himself and Plum, keeping his other arm wrapped around Plum. The sweetness of the fruit and slight acidity from the oranges and apples buzzed on Plum’s tongue. He wasn’t very hungry, but he let Red feed him a good amount before he finally pushed Red’s hand away.

Red grabbed a fistful of fruits for himself, and shoved it all into his mouth in one go. Plum groaned and rolled his eyelights, but he didn’t really hate it. Red licked his fingers, cleaning them of any juices that might stain the sheets.

They laid back down again, with Plum’s head on Red’s chest. Red was breathing slow and deep, and Plum enjoyed the feeling of his ribs rising and falling. He was pretty much out of subspace by now, but he still wanted some cuddling with his partner.

“Heh, musta tired you out real good if your ecto is gone already,” Red said, a hint of smugness creeping into his voice. He rubbed this thumb against the top of Plum’s hipbone, making Plum shiver slightly.

Plum tilted his head up, looking directly at Red. “Of course. You’re so good to me. You take such good care of me, sweetheart.” He raised one hand, cupping Red’s cheek lovingly. “I’m lucky to have a guy like you. You’re perfect as a dom and sub.”

Red’s face flushed with magic, and he grumbled as he pressed his face into Plum’s hand. He couldn’t hide his blush, but Plum certainly didn’t mind a bit of touching. Plum opened his arms, letting Red hide his face in his neck.

“You don’t play fair, you know that?” Red muttered, but there was no bite in his voice.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Plum pressed his teeth to Red’s temple, giving him a few light kisses. After a moment, he spoke again, but his voice was totally sincere. “I love you Red.”

“You too.” Red kissed Plum’s neck, and shifted.

Plum made a hum of appreciation as Red slid the pillow underneath his body, then grabbed another for Plum’s side. He pulled the blanket over them both, leaving Plum surrounded by softness on all sides and warm. Plum closed his eyes and smiled, snuggling up to Red’s chest. Red wrapped his arms around Plum again, and Plum felt a low rumble deep in his chest.

Red’s purr was deeper and raspier than Plum’s, stuttering in and out, but it still filled Plum with joy. Red only did that when he felt totally safe. Plum had only found out that Red could purr six months into their relationship, when he had woken up to the sound one morning.

These past few days, something had been off. Sans spent shorter amounts of time with Red, and he wasn’t as vocal as before. He would eat a small part of Red’s food, but that was it. Red didn’t want to pry, but he was getting concerned. Even Sans’ magic was getting a bit duller, though he seemed to brighten up a bit when Red started talking to him. He usually didn’t have much to say, but Sans seemed to enjoy listening to his bullshit.

Red wasn’t doing that today, though. When Sans swam up, the first thing Red noticed were the bags under his eyesockets. It looked like Sans had been punched in the face twice, and that was saying something coming from him. He knew he wasn’t great at sleeping, but Sans must be having even more trouble with it than him.

So when Sans put down the food and water between them, Red carefully pushed both bowls to the side. Sans looked up at him, but he didn’t even make a chirp. He stared blankly, just waiting to see what Red would say. His hands were resting on the ledge like usual, but he wasn’t moving his tail at all, so he swayed slightly from the waves in the little cave. Red took one of Sans’ hands in his to make sure he didn’t just run away before he finished speaking.

“Listen, I know there’s something wrong with you.” Red kept his hand over Sans’, but didn’t put any more pressure on it. Sans would still easily be able to pull away if he wanted to, and dive back underwater. Red raised his other hand when he saw Sans tense up, shaking his head. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. You don’t gotta tell me about it. I just wanna help. I know keepin’ me here can’t be the easiest thing, and I can’t exactly get other stuff off yer plate, but there’s gotta be something I can do.”

Red pressed down a bit more on Sans’ hand, then pulled back. He didn’t know what kind of guy Sans was, but when Red was running on no sleep, getting pushy was a bad idea. He didn’t want his help to be a burden, so he waited patiently to see if Sans had something he wanted. Red wasn’t the best guy at comforting, but he would try his best.

“Sing?” Sans’ voice was very small, and he wasn’t looking at Red. Red could swear there was a slight hint of blue glowing on his cheekbones, but then again, that could just be the lighting in here.

Red as a bit surprised, but he probably shouldn’t have been. Sans practically lived off of the stuff, and he’d given Red his little sleep-box. Red sighed, scratching the scar on his eyesocket. “Well, I’m not good at this shit, but I can try.”

Red sat up, pressing his back against the cave wall. He glanced at Sans for a moment, then looked away. Damn, the second he had to think of a song his mind was blanking!

After a long minute of silence, Red finally managed to come up with one he knew most of the words to. Red took a deep breath, clearing his throat. His voice suddenly felt like a thousand rusty nails grating on a chalkboard, but that was fine. He could push through this.

Red hummed a single note, then began to sing. It started off more as speaking, but as he got through the first verse, he began to sing properly.

“Hello darkness, my old friend

I've come to talk with you again

Because a vision softly creeping

Left its seeds while I was sleeping

And the vision that was planted in my brain

Still remains

Within the sound of silence”

Red had heard tons of humans—and even a couple monsters—singing covers of this song. The first time he’d heard it, he was lying in bed recovering from a fight. It was around four in the morning, and the painkillers had worn off, but he couldn’t stand to get his own. He’d turned on the television, and flipped through until he found a random talk show. The human on it was a much better singer than him, but the bass line was the perfect range for his voice. Something about the tone of the song had always resonated with him, and he’d been listening to it for years since then.

The acoustics of the cave added a strange echoey sound, and even when Red closed his sockets, he could easily imagine the walls around him. He couldn’t look at Sans; he just rested his hand near the ledge again and kept singing. It was so small and cramped, he had no idea how he’d stayed sane in here for so long…

No, this wasn’t about him. Red was a selfish prick—it was impossible to survive in Underfell without being one—but he was going to try his best to repay his host. He took in a slightly heavier breath, regaining some air before he began the second verse. He imagined himself walking alone on a street at night, on just another one of his patrols as he sang.

“In restless dreams I walked alone

Narrow streets of cobblestone

'Neath the halo of a street lamp

I turned my collar to the cold and damp

When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light

That split the night

And touched the sound of silence”

As Red sang about the light, an image of Sans’ glowing blue light came into his mind. He wasn’t sure if it was actually coming from the cave, or just from his own imagination. Still, it fit well. Sans had literally broken the silent water around Red, and basically blinded him when he’d been rescued. Red continued on, imagining the accompanying melody in his head as he continued singing.

“And in the naked light, I saw

Ten thousand people, maybe more

People talking without speaking

People hearing without listening

People writing songs that voices never share

And no one dared

Disturb the sound of silence”

Red’s smile turned a bit hollow at the end, remembering the oppressive atmosphere of the Underground. Even working with human crime families wasn’t as intense as being a part of the royal guard. Red had made jokes and slacked off where he could, but in the end, even he fell in line against the great King. Red wasn’t much of a prophet, but he tried his best to put that kind of tone in his voice as he sang the next verse.

“ ‘Fools’, said I, ‘You do not know

Silence like a cancer grows

Hear my words that I might teach you

Take my arms that I might reach you’

But my words, like silent raindrops fell

And echoed

In the wells of silence”

Red felt Sans’ hand curling around his, giving it a small squeeze. Those thin, delicate phalanges were still slightly wet, and they felt nice and smooth against his bones. It made Red feel slightly less alone, even though the climax of the song was about just that. Red squeezed back, swallowing before he began the final verse.

“And the people bowed and prayed

To the neon god they made

And the sign flashed out its warning

In the words that it was forming

And the sign said, ‘The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls

And tenement halls’

And whispered in the sound of silence…”

Red had to cough as soon as he finished the final word, but he held it in. His voice faded out, leaving the cave silent, except for the sound of water lapping against the rocks. Red waited for as long as he could, but he finally had to see what Sans’ reaction to his song was.

“Better?” Red asked, looking to Sans.

To his surprise, Sans was no longer in the water. His ribcage was fully out, and one of his hips was propped up against the rocky ledge. He was still holding Red’s hand, leaning in close to Red’s face. Sans froze as soon as he realized Red was looking at him, his face flaring into a blue so bright that it hurt to look directly at it.

Sans slipped back into the water, and Red had to curl in on himself to keep from getting splashed. The water in the cave pool was a bright, light blue, letting Red see the motes of sand and seaweed floating in it. The magic coming off of Sans didn’t get any duller, though. Red wondered if Sans was actually leaving, or just hanging out below the surface where Red couldn’t see him.

Eventually, the water faded back to its usual dark blue. Red sighed, leaning against the wall. He knew his voice was shitty, but damn, it would have been nice to at least be told that. He glanced at the food Sans had brought, but his appetite was gone.

A minute later, Sans popped up again. Red stayed quiet, watching as Sans rubbed his face to clear some of the water off of it. He looked at Red with a small, sheepish smile that shouldn’t be as cute as it was.

“Better now,” Sans said, reaching out and patting one of the rocks near Red.

“Good.” Red picked up one of the containers, opening it up. He drank the fresh water in it with a sigh of relief, draining it in a few gulps. He put it down once he was done, wiping his mouth on the back of his sleeve. “Now get your ass home and sleep or I’ll never sing for you again.”

The look of dismay on Sans’ face was hilarious, and Red couldn’t hold back his laughter. It boomed out in the small space, drowning out any noises of protest Sans made. Red knew he was going a bit senile, and he kept giggling for way too long before he finally got himself under control.

Red took a deep breath, wiping one of his eye sockets. “Come on, you need to take care of yourself too! Who’s gonna bring me food if you wear yourself down?” Red reached out, grabbing Sans’ hand again. The blush on Sans’ face returned, and Red’s cheekbones heated up as he kept holding Sans’ hand. “Seriously. I’m worried about you. If you go home and rest now, I’ll sing whatever you want next time. Alright?”

Sans still didn’t look happy about it, but he nodded. That was fine. Red wasn’t trying to change Sans’ whole attitude, he just wanted Sans to rest when he needed it. Sans pointed to the food containers, raising one browbone.

Red reached into the second container and pulled out his meal for today. It turned out to be some kind of noodles, with a sauce that was already running down his radius and ulna. The noodles squished wetly as Red held them, making him wince slightly. He felt a bit silly, but he didn’t break. He shoved the containers back to Sans, giving him a firm look.

“Go on, get out of here.”

Sans smirked, clearly trying not to laugh. He obligingly took the containers back, and finally let go of the ledge.

Lately, Red had been acting… strange. He was never the most open partner, but he seemed even quieter than usual. More nervous, too. One time Sans had walked into the living room, and Red had actually jumped. It made sense for him to get tense when he heard a shortcut, but he hadn’t flinched away from Sans’ footsteps in a long time.

Sans had asked Boss about it, but Boss had told him there was nothing to worry about, and to not bother Red with his concerns. Sans liked him, but sometimes he could be so frustrating. Sans had just shrugged and moved on, but in the back of his skull, his worries just began festering even more. Something was going on, even Boss knew it, but no one would tell him.

Sans tried his best to relax, but Red had also begun spending more time away from their apartment. He always kept odd hours, but he would tell Sans he would be home for dinner, then show up at 10pm. Red hadn’t even apologized or mentioned it, he’d just warmed up his leftovers and sat down on the couch with Sans.

Then, Red said the words Sans had been dreading.

“We’ve gotta talk.”

Sans knew what those words meant. He’d watched enough MTT dramas to know that this was Red trying to break up with him. Neither of them were confrontational people, so if Sans had pushed him to this point, then Red must be done with him.

The worst part was, Sans had no idea what he’d done. He’d thought things were fine until Red started being around less. Sans nodded numbly when Red asked him for a few minutes to “get ready”, staring at his back as Red headed for their shared bedroom.

Maybe… he had found someone else?

It wouldn’t be surprising. There were much better monsters than Sans. Still, it hurt his soul to think Red wanted someone else. He’d never opened himself up to another monster like he had with Red, never let anyone see the extent of his depression and self-deprecating thoughts. Instead of judging him or turning away Red had taken it in stride, and said that they they could work on it together. He might have looked intimidating, but once they were officially together he had done nothing but take good care of Sans.

Five minutes later, Sans was sitting on their living room couch, his eyelights rooted on where his slippered feet were pressing against the carpet. It was a hideous neon orange and green shag rug that he and Red had seen in a thrift shop. After Boss had strenuously objected to having such a horrible thing in his home, Red had said that he and Sans would just have to move in together and winked.

He didn’t look up as Red walked into the room. He couldn’t. It was just like after a reset. If he laid in bed and kept his eyes closed, maybe when he finally opened them things would be normal, and it was all just a bad dream…

Red sat down on the couch next to him, reaching out and resting one hand on Sans’ knee. Sans slowly turned his head, looking at Red. He was sweating a bit, and he seemed just as nervous as Sans was.

“I ain’t really good at giving these kinds of speeches, so I hope you can bear with me.” Red looked away for a moment, taking a deep breath. When he looked back at Sans, determination shone in his eyelights. “You mean a lot to me, Sans. You’ve been with me through resets, the Underground, and the Surface. Even when my life was going to shit, you were always there. I know we haven’t always gotten along great, or been the healthiest couple, but I’m really glad you’re with me. I care a lot about you, and I always will.”

As Red spoke, Sans felt confused. This wasn’t the kind of speech he had been expecting. He blinked as Red squeezed his knee, pulling him back into the present.

“What I have with you is something special. I never thought I would meet someone who would understand me so well. You’ve been so patient and good to me, even when I haven’t always deserved it. You… you’ve shown me what love can feel like. I don’t ever wanna lose that.” Red reached into his pocket, pulling out a slim box. “It took me awhile, but I finally found a jeweller who would help me with what I wanted. This is the only way I know to show you how I feel.”

He held the box in one trembling hand, hooking the claw of his other one into the latch on the front. He opened it carefully, tilting the box so Sans could inspect what was inside. Sans just stared in shock at the collar sitting in front of him. The collar was thinner than Red’s, and there were no spikes on it. It had a delicate looking silver buckle, and tiny bone designs embroidered with a shimmering, silvery thread.

That wasn’t what caught Sans’ attention though. He stared at the jewel in the centre, hanging where a tag would be. It was bigger than one of Sans’ phalanges, and the facets gleamed in the low light. It seemed to be half red and half blue, with both colours swirling into a purple flecked with gold the middle of the gem.

When Sans picked it up, he noticed that the jewel was set in a silver circle. He turned it around, his sockets shrinking as he saw the inscription on the back. The words “My Beloved”, written in what looked to be a fancier version of Red’s handwriting, with a small heart underneath.

“You don’t have to wear it if you don’t want to. I know mating collars are more of a ‘fell tradition. I just wanted you to have it.” Red was smiling when Sans looked at him, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. He was picking at the edge of his shorts with his sharp phalanges. He was more afraid than Sans had ever seen him.

“I can’t believe you.” Sans shook his head, unsure wether to laugh or to cry. Red looked at him with fear, and Sans grabbed his sleeve before he could shortcut away.

He leaned against Red, pressing his face into Red’s shoulder. The cool leather of Red’s jacket felt good against his face, and Sans just stayed there for a moment. He could feel Red shifting a bit, but he didn’t pull away. He held the collar in his other hand, curling his fingers around it without actually touching the material. He didn’t want to damage it. He breathed in Red’s scent, unsure if he wanted to laugh or cry. Leave it to Red to go about something like this in the most nerve-wracking way.

“Sans—”

“Put it on me.” Sans turned around, unzipping his hoodie a bit. He sat up straight, wiping his eyesockets. He knew Red could see the movement, but Sans didn’t want Red to see his face covered with tears.

The collar felt soft against his neck, padded with extra cushioning inside. The jewel sat perfectly in the dip between his collarbones. The coolness made Sans shiver, but he knew he would get used to it soon enough. He turned around, meeting Red’s eyelights right as his face flared with crimson magic.

“It looks good on ya.” Red managed, his voice a bit strained.

Sans didn’t even hesitate. He grabbed Red’s jacket, pulling him down for a kiss. Their teeth clanked together a bit rougher than he had meant them to, but when he tried to pull away to fix it Red just followed him.

Soon Sans was lying on his back, with Red hovering over him. Red wasn’t actually leaning his weight on Sans, but Sans could feel the soothing bulk of his partner gently pressing against his chest. He wrapped his arms around Red’s shoulders, squeezing them appreciatively as he felt Red’s tongue flick across his teeth.

For awhile, Sans just lost himself in the feeling of being close to Red. He was a damn good kisser, and Sans loved the way his sharp teeth felt as they scraped against Sans’ tongue. He let his hands roam over Red’s back, feeling his strong bones appreciatively. Red did the same, affectionately feeling over Sans’ body from his ribs down to his hips.

Sans broke the kiss before things could go any further, and Red seemed to get the hint. He kept one hand on Sans’ hip, squeezing it affectionately as he pressed a quick kiss to Sans’ forehead. Sans shifted into a slightly more comfortable position, the collar jingling slightly as it shifted against his bones.

Red rested one hand on Sans’ face, his thumb rubbing over Sans’ cheekbone. “I love you, Sans.”

“I love you too.” Sans could feel those traitorous tears rising again, and Red obediently leaned in when Sans pulled on his jacket. “So much.”

“I’m the luckiest guy in the world.” Red mumbled, soothingly rubbing Sans’ shoulder.

Honey sat on the couch in his living room, his arms crossed behind his head. He wasn’t quite dozing off, but he wasn’t fully awake either. He was just resting, waiting for his bonefriend to get here. They didn’t do extravagant date nights, but they still made sure to spend some time with each other at least once a week. Honey was looking forward to kicking back and watching a movie, maybe even a little more if things lined up that way.

Honey smiled to himself at the telltale sound of the back door opening up. He kept his eyes closed, mentally following the path Slim would take. He heard wet sneakers squeak against the tile for a moment, before they paused. There was a slight shuffling noise as Slim put on a pair of slippers, and then the soft swish of plastic soles against the tiles as Slim continued on, into the hallway and then over the the living room door.

“Hey there—” Honey opened his eyes, and the rest of what he was going to say died on his tongue.

Slim was wearing a deliciously soft orange over-the shoulder sweater. It was fitted perfectly to show off his-heh-slim waist, and the design around the collar accented his strong collarbones. The sweater was a lighter shade than Honey’s favourite hoodie, almost pastel.

None of the two skeletons in the multiverse were alike, and Slim had his own fashion sense. He wore the kind of darker, edgier clothes that every skeleton from the ‘fell verses seemed to favour, so on the occasion that he did wear colours, they were muted and dulled down. Slim was also rarely seen without his fur-lined jacket which, while comfortable, hid most of his body. The turtlenecks he wore were designed for the same purpose, and the high collar hardly left any vertebrae exposed.

Honey absent-mindedly noted that he should thank Blue for this later. His baby bro was the only one who knew that this exact shade of orange was his favourite. Honey didn’t know what he’d done to deserve such a hot surprise, but he wasn’t going to question it. He oogled Slim shamelessly, his eyes sweeping over Slim’s whole body. Slim was wearing a normal pair of black leggings, and the sweater came down just far enough to hide his pelvis from Honey’s view.

Slim walked over and sat on the couch next to Honey, crossing one long leg over the other. His body language was slightly hesitant, but it didn’t show in his voice as he glanced over at Honey. “Can I help you?”

“Yes.” Honey moved closer, feeling much more awake. He paused right next to Slim, not wanting to jump his bones right away. He was more of a gentleman than that. “Have I told you that you’re hot recently? Amazing? Stunning, even?”

Slim finally relaxed a bit at that, laughing slightly even as a slight flush spread across his cheekbones. “Not enough.”

“Then let me make up for it now.” Honey leaned in and kissed Slim, keeping it soft and sweet.

He lingered for as long as possible, resting one hand on Slim’s covered shoulder. He licked Slim’s teeth playfully before pulling away, grinning as he saw a glint of magic flash between Slim’s teeth. Slim was on the same page as him, and Honey was happy to go back in for another kiss.

“I did good, huh?” Slim asked, taking Honey’s hand. He helped Honey straddle his lap, his other hand moving to Honey’s hip.

“You did great, babe. You’re always fucking gorgeous, but god damn, you look good with my colours on you.” Honey leaned in, pressing their foreheads together. He nuzzled Slim a bit, then pecked the tip of his nasal bone. “Let me show you just how much I appreciate it~”

“I thought you had a movie picked out?” Slim asked, tilting his head up subtly.

Honey ached to kiss him, but he had to make one last comment first. “Yeah, but I wanna pay attention to it, and I can’t do that and make out with my sexy datemate at the same time.”

“I guess it can wait then,” Slim said, pulling Honey down.

Edge did not admit that he was wrong often, but this time he was willing to admit he’d made a mistake. He had severely underestimated how quickly a storm could brew on the sea, and also the speed such clouds could gain over the water. The clouds he had figured were a minor inconvenience had soon spread to cover the sky, turning a sickly greenish tinge.

Then, the rain had come. The thin, biting drops fell from the sky like magic bullets, quickly soaking through everything but Edge’s boots. Though they didn’t actually deal any damage, they more than made up for that in their persistence and number. The water lingered, turning every surface into a slippery nightmare. The way the boat pitched up and down underneath Edge made nausea rise in the back of his throat, but unlike a bad shortcut, this didn’t fade.

Waves crashed up over the side of the boat, soaking Edge even more. His scarf was clinging to his bones uncomfortably, but that was a surprisingly low priority right now. His hands were much more occupied, and if he lost focus or loosened his grip he would lose what little control of the boat he had.

Edge had never realized how strong the wind could be. He strained against it, every strong gust yanking him in a brutal tug-of-war. He knew if the sail ropes flew out of his hands, he was absolutely fucked. With the way the wind caught the mainsail it was impossible to pull it shut, the fabric bulging and straining dangerously. Fuck, could the mainsail rip? This model was supposed to be durable, but humans’ definitions of durable were often far more lenient than his.

Damn it, he couldn’t risk using magic on a very sinkable boat made of wood. If there was someone else here with him, he could have easily ordered them to grab one of the ropes. With both hands he would be able to pull in each of the sails, and then batten down the rest of the hatches. Red probably would have laughed at him for getting himself into such a stupid situation in the first place, but only once they were safe again.

All he had to do was cling to the thought of Red. It had gotten him through interminable days Underground, and even more up on the surface. Every monster who scoffed and rolled their eyes, every human who whispered behind his back, none of them mattered. Edge had his brother, and that was all he’d ever needed. They could survive anything together.

Once they were back home and bandaged, Edge was going to give Red’s sorry ass the telling-off of his life for putting him through so much shit. He would tell him that the next time Red tried something like this, Edge would pull him out of the water again just to dust him himself. Red would nod and say ‘yes boss’ with that tone that meant he wasn’t taking Edge seriously at all, and they would end up trying to put each other in a headlock. Then, everything would go back to normal.

A bolt of lightning struck the water next to him. It flowed over the surface of the water like magic, a thousand little bolts arcing towards the ship. Edge yelped, but his cry was lost in the roar of the storm.

He hadn’t realized that lightning made such a loud noise. It was like an explosion; worse than any cave-in Edge had heard. He reflexively flinched back, stumbling a bit on the slick deck.

If not for the ropes, he might not have been standing. He blinked frantically, but he couldn't shake the light out of his vision. Every second felt like ten, time crawling by.

When he could finally see again, Edge felt his soul sink to the bottom of his ribcage. The hull was cracked. The jagged split sat on the stern, running evenly from the siding of the boat down to the floor. Water poured into the bottom of the boat fast, faster than Edge could ever hope to keep it out.

There was no point in holding together a boat that was sinking. Edge tied one of the sail ropes, and let the other go. He ducked as the boom swung around, nearly sweeping him right off the edge of the ship.

He would be going in the water soon enough, but on his own terms. Edge steadied himself as best he could, clutching the railing with one hand. The boom whipped back around, and as Edge ducked under it again he forced himself to move.

Edge lunged for the life vest stowed in a small cooler on the deck. Somehow, miraculously, the cheap plastic had been tied down strongly enough to avoid being blown off by the storm. He had supplies in his inventory. If he hurried he could still make it out of this, but he needed something to keep himself afloat. He didn’t trust the rapidly splintering wood to be of much help in that department.

Edge was still clutching the unopened life vest when something crashed into the back of his head. He stumbled, his skull ringing from the impact. His femur bumped against the side of the boat, but Edge couldn’t keep his balance.

Edge would never say he hated Stretch, but there were certain things Stretch did that annoyed him far more than he rationally knew they should. Namely, shutting down instead of confronting him when he had a problem.

Case in point, they were supposed to have a date today, but Stretch hadn’t texted or called him since their shared movie night two days ago. The cell network in Underfell was questionable at best, but after 3 texts and five calls that had been sent straight to voicemail, Edge knew he was being ignored.

In a way, Red was simpler under all the layers of deception. He was a pit of angry self-loathing, and his response was always to lash out. If he had a bad day he would yell about it, and then he and Edge could just move on.

Stretch and Blue had been his first true introduction to passive aggression. If he did something wrong they wouldn’t point it out, they would simply try to ignore him and then move on. Back when their universes had first merged, Edge hadn’t realized the insults he thought were playful came across as rude. It had taken Blue finally breaking down and ordering him to leave one day for him to understand he’d made a mistake.

One of the worst parts was that he didn’t even know what he had done wrong. The movie night had gone fine, he and Stretch had cuddled a bit and watched the movie. It wasn’t exactly Edge’s taste, but he could tolerate the way it made Stretch light up.

Stretch had given him no warning, all Edge had to go on now was silence. He understood he could be… confrontational, but if he had done something wrong he wanted to know. It wasn’t fair to leave him hanging, and if he had hurt Stretch then he wanted to fix it. He could deal with tears and adapt to Stretch’s particular needs until the end of time. The one thing he refused to deal with, however, was being ghosted.

In the back of his mind, Edge knew the real reason he was so upset. He had thought they moved past this, and Stretch trusted him enough to air his grievances. They might have only been dating for three months, but Edge had done his damnedest to open up to Stretch. To think that he still wasn’t doing enough to win Stretch’s trust was unexpectedly painful, and, well, Red hadn’t exactly been the best role model for healthily venting negative emotions.

The time they were supposed to meet up was fast approaching, but Edge wasn’t even sure if they were still on. So he did the only thing he could think of; he changed into some casual clothes and went down to the basement. He wasn’t going to be late for a date, after all.

Red knew where he was going, so Edge just sent him the usual threatening text about coming home to eat leftovers instead of going to Grillby’s. Their food might have been good enough to draw Red home on his own, but if anyone was monitoring their cellphones and had hacked their encryption then it was better to give them as little ammunition as possible.

Edge took a deep breath as the emerged into the crisp air of Underswap’s Snowdin. It did little to cool him off, but it was the thought that counted. He walked up to the back door and knocked briskly, only to receive no response.

Oh, right. Blue wouldn’t be home if he thought Edge and Stretch had a hot date tonight. After waiting for a good minute and a half, Edge just turned the doorknob. As expected, their back door was unlocked. Edge couldn’t tell if Stretch was deliberately trying to keep him out, or simply ignoring him. Either way, he wasn’t going to let it fly.

He closed the door loudly behind him, and brushed his boots on the mat with excessive force. He glanced into the living room, and the empty couch only confirmed his theory. When Stretch was angry or wanted to hide away from the others, he always went up to his bedroom.

Edge walked up each step with slow deliberation, resting his foot on the creakiest part of each stair. Even without the weight of his armour, his stride still sounded fairly imposing. Good. If Stretch was going to hide, then Edge was going to telegraph his moods even more.

He knocked on Stretch’s door twice, but opened it before Stretch could answer him. He stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. If they were going to fight, it was better that the whole neighbourhood didn’t hear.

“what do you want?” Stretch’s voice was hoarse, and even if Edge couldn’t see his face he could tell he had been crying. He sounded incredibly tired, but Edge’s already-thinned patience didn’t offer much sympathy.

“Excuse me? What do I want?” He asked, stepping closer to the bed. “I want you to fucking communicate with me for once in your goddamn life. Tell me what’s wrong so I can fix it!”

Edge waited, but Stretch didn’t say anything. He didn’t even move. The only sound in the room was their breathing, Stretch’s quiet rasp paired with Edge’s sharp, staccato breaths.

“Yell, scream, cry, please, just say something, anything.” Edge hated how weak he sounded, but he couldn’t help it. Fuck, was it too much to ask to get something? Even just a single hint to go off of for what he’d done wrong?

Stretch mumbled something, but Edge couldn’t understand it.

“What?”

“i said you can’t fix me!” Stretch turned around, finally letting Edge see the dark circles under his sockets. His eyelights were small and wobbly, jittering wildly around the room as if he couldn’t bear to look at Edge. “i’m the fucking problem. i didn’t sleep at all and i tried to nap today but i kept having nightmares and i don’t remember where i put my phone and i just—” Stretch took a deep, shuddering breath and curled even further in on himself. “just leave. i know i’m useless but i just can’t fucking do this right now.”

Well, that threw Edge for a tailspin. He just stared down at Stretch for a moment, processing what had just happened. Apparently he’d been a fucking idiot.

He’d gotten so caught up in thinking that he’d done something wrong that he'd forgotten Stretch might have other reasons to not contact him. Awhile back Blue had mentioned that Stretch suffered from insomnia, but Edge hadn't realized how bad it could get. He should have considered this possibility, but instead he’d failed as a strategist.

Then again, he probably should have done a lot of things in the past. Experience told him the best thing to do was try and make up for his actions. Judging by the way Stretch was still cowering in the blankets, he had a lot to make up for.

“Stretch.” He took a deep breath, making a conscious effort to lower his voice as he spoke. “It appears I have misjudged the situation. I was mad because I thought you were deliberately avoiding me.”

Stretch didn’t reply, but Edge didn’t blame him.

“May I come closer?” He asked gently, fully prepared for the answer to be no. If Stretch was having a bad day, then Edge had only made it immeasurably worse by storming in and acting like an asshole.

To his surprise, Stretch nodded. Edge paused, watching as Stretch shifted over a bit. He walked over quickly, but forced himself to slow down when he got closer to Stretch. He didn’t want to intimidate him, after all. He sat on the bed next to Stretch, and carefully put his arm around the pile of blankets. There was no pressure, and it would be easy to push him off if Stretch wanted to.

Stretch immediately pressed into the touch, snuggling close to Edge. Edge’s soul felt like it was being squeezed in his chest, and he held Stretch close. He ran one hand soothingly over Stretch’s back, feeling how his datemate was trembling even through the blankets.

Edge just hugged Stretch, letting him get it all out. He couldn’t exactly slay Stretch’s mental demons, but he could do this. He held Stretch silently, rubbing his back as gently as he could. He wasn’t good at words of comfort, so he hoped his touches would be more than enough.

He glanced over at Stretch’s window, watching as the streetlights began to dim. He’d never been able to stand just sitting in his room in Underfell. Even if someone wasn’t screaming, Edge knew there were others out there suffering. There was no hiding from the painful realities of his world; they crept into every nook and cranny and infected the very air with suffering.

Here it was almost peaceful. There were functioning lights, and the pseudo-sunset was rather calming. A part of Edge still felt uncomfortable in the silence, but that might have just been learned paranoia.

Eventually, Stretch stopped crying. Edge continued slowly rubbing circles on Stretch’s back. One shoulder of his sweater clung uncomfortably to his bones, but this wasn’t the time to deal with it. Edge tolerated far worse discomforts while patrolling every day; he could stay with Stretch for a bit longer.

“I will never mind if you have to cancel or change plans, I just need to know.” Edge murmured, nuzzling into the top of Stretch’s skull through the blanket. “It… hurts me when you just go silent.”

“ ‘m sorry.” Stretch really did sound sorry, and Edge hoped he knew that Edge wasn’t trying to hurt him. “i’ll try to keep my phone on me next time.”

“Apology accepted. Now, when was the last time you ate or drank?” Edge asked calmly. A meal might not replace sleep, but it was a good place to start for taking care of Stretch.

As he’d expected, Stretch only squirmed in response. Blue might have left a lunch, but if Stretch was doing so poorly Edge doubted Stretch would have gone downstairs to get it. Freshly cooked food would be better anyways, and Edge would pack as much loving intent into the food as he could.

“Let me go get something.” He kissed the top of Stretch’s skull, then began shifting to get out from underneath him.

“wait.” Stretch grabbed Edge’s arm, and he paused. Stretch hesitated, looking down at the floor. “stay for a bit?”

“Of course.” It took a bit of work, but Edge managed to lean down and untie his boots without pushing Stretch off of his lap.

Once they were off he scooted over, setting one of Stretch’s pillows against the headboard of his bed. He sat there, relaxing his posture slightly. Even without his armour on, the rigid soldiers’ positions he learned didn’t make for very good cuddling.

Stretch opened up the blanket, then sat in Edge’s lap. Edge pulled it up and around them both, letting Stretch rest his head on his chest. He pulled off one of his gloves, then ran the sharpened tips of his fingers over Stretch’s coronal suture. He scratched gently, and Stretch let out a pleased hum. He wasn’t exactly smiling yet, but at least he wasn’t frowning any more.

There was one more thing that would probably cheer him up. Edge usually just tried to show Stretch how he felt, but given his current track record perhaps words were better. He wasn’t quite ready to say the three words Stretch wanted to hear, but hopefully he could give him something that was close enough.

“I care about you, Stretch.” Edge moved his hand out of the way and leaned down, kissing the top of Stretch’s skull.

“i know.” Stretch tilted his head up, looking at Edge with a pleading expression that was impossible to resist.

Edge kissed Stretch, resting the back of his hand on his datemate’s neck. He closed his eyes, savouring the feeling. Stretch was always so sweet, and Edge couldn’t help drawing it out. He had nowhere to be, so he didn’t have to worry about anything besides the way Strech’s mouth felt against his.

“i love you, edge.” Stretch murmured, his breath brushing against Edge’s teeth as he spoke.

A shiver ran down Edge’s spine, and he couldn’t help the smile that crept over his face. He saw the light of his magic reflecting on Stretch’s skull, but he had no way to stop it. Hearing those words brought Edge a joy he could never hope to contain, and if Stretch still liked him despite the stupid face he was making, then it was fine.

Edge pulled Stretch back into a hug, rolling his eyes as Stretch chuckled. He shifted a bit, finding the most comfortable position. He knew he was most likely going to be here for awhile, and he was more than happy to do it.

After so many years in Underfell, Red had trained himself to pick up even the slightest hint of noise. When one missed creak of a floorboard could mean death, it meant a guy got really good at sleeping light and listening well. Sure he was up on the surface now, but the habit had stuck with him.

Of course, that meant he heard every step Blue took from the bedroom over to the room they’d converted into a shared home office. It wasn’t like he had to stay silent since their brothers had moved out, but he still tiptoed anyways. Red tapped the end of his pen against his teeth, waiting patiently for Blue to creep over to the office door. He stifled a snicker as the doorknob turned just a fraction, then all the way as Blue realized it was unlocked.

“Red? What time is it?” Blue’s voice was much softer than usual, and when Red glanced up he saw Blue rubbing one of his sockets.

“A little past two in the morning, sweetheart,” Red said calmly, looking back down at the papers spread over the desk.

There was a digital clock back in the bedroom, so he knew Blue was already aware of the time. There was only one reason he was here; to try and get Red to go to bed. This little song and dance repeated itself at least once a month, and every time Red had to carry a snoring Blue back to bed before he passed out. Boss would kick his ass if he didn’t finish this paperwork tonight, and Red wasn’t interested in piling any more stress on him. The guy was already wound tighter than a mouse trap, and Red didn’t want to be the one who set him off.

Red could just tell Blue to beat it, but Blue had a legendary set of puppy eyes. Even if they hadn’t been dating, Red would’ve had a tough time saying no to him. Blue used his powers very sparingly, making them all the more effective when he did pull them out.

Red knew he was shooting himself in the foot, but he still looked up. Blue was standing there in the doorway, looking like a cross between a kicked puppy and a mournful housewife. His usually starry eyelights were blown out wide, and his jaw quivered just a little bit. Blue had years of living with Stretch to perfect his needy expression, and Red actually felt a pang in his crusty, dark soul.

Stars damn it, there was no winning this one. Red let out an exaggerated sigh, and scooted his chair back a bit. “C’mere, you can sit on my lap until I’m done working.”

“Thank you.” Blue smiled, any trace of tiredness disappearing as he bounced over to Red.

Red tensed up as Blue plopped down into his lap, the telltale cushion of ecto-flesh pressing up against his bones. Blue’s thin pyjamas did little to hide the feeling of his magic as he wiggled around under the guise of ‘getting comfortable’. Red gritted his teeth, his sockets widening as he felt a very distinctive shape pressing up against his pelvis. Blue had already formed a pussy, and he was basically dry humping Red. Even once he settled down, Red could still feel the way he was subtly rocking his hips.

Blue closed his sockets, resting his head innocently on Red’s shoulder. They usually cuddled in this position since Red’s work was kept pretty hush-hush, but that little shit knew exactly what he was doing tonight. He wrapped his arms snugly around Red, nuzzling his face into Red even more. Each of Blue’s breaths brushed over the exposed part of his collarbone, right next to a particularly sensitive scar.

Boss might give Red shit, but he exercised a formidable amount of self control right now. He scooted his chair back in, mumbling something incoherent as he rustled through his papers. He picked up the next form, scanning it over to make sure the contract was legit.

Red got in about five minutes of half-focused work before Blue began grinding harder. He wrapped his legs around the back of the chair, his well-trained muscles locking Red into place. He pressed his hips down shamelessly, rubbing against Red like he was just a toy. His little whimpers wormed their way into Red’s ear canal, sending any thoughts of work flying out the window.

Red shuddered as Blue’s tongue dragged over the underside of his jaw, digging his claws into the desk at the last second to avoid crumpling the papers. These shits needed to be filed in triplicate, and Boss would throw a fit if they were less than perfect. He gritted his teeth as Blue lapped at the sensitive vertebrae on his neck, that perfect tongue teasing the magic that flared in his joints just right.

“Come to bed, daddy?” Blue asked, the barest hint of a whine in his tone. “Please?”

Fuck it. A monster could only take so much. Red would just have to pound Blue into the mattress, then pull an all nighter. It wasn’t like he could get much work done with a boner anyways.

He grabbed Blue’s ass with both hands, grinning as his datemate yelped. He pushed the chair away from the desk and stood up, easily lifting Blue. He gave Blue a second to wrap his legs properly around his waist, then used one hand to turn over the papers on the desk. He might be a horny bastard, but he wasn’t going to compromise their security for a quick fuck.

“You’re a fuckin’ brat, you know that?” He growled, carrying Blue over to the door.

“Yeah, but you love me anyways.” Blue stuck his tongue out, squeaking as Red lightly spanked him.

Red felt his cheekbones flush, but he ignored it. “You ain’t getting out of your punishment that easy, baby.”

“Good. I like it when you get rough,” Blue said, his eyelights turning into tiny hearts.