Chapter Text
“So… this is the guy you’ve been wanting me to meet?” you mused.
Ink nodded with enthusiasm as he dragged the monochromatic skeleton, Cross, beside him, to the couch where you sat in your living room. The artist sandwiched himself between you and the other monster.
You leaned forward, locking eyes with Cross’ white eye-lights. You sent him a warm smile.
“My name is Y/N. It’s nice to meet you, Cross,” you said warmly.
“It’s… nice to meet you as well…” he stammered, voice low.
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, gazing around the room. He fiddled with his sleeves.
You made sure to choose your words carefully around Cross, considering his backstory. Ink told you almost all of it, at least what Cross had explained to him.
Ink quickly caught onto the awkward silence. The artist blinked, his eye-lights changing into a purple diamond and a green circle.
“He likes to draw, too! He’s improved immensely from the first time I introduced art to him,” cheered Ink.
Cross blushed and looked away from the both of you. A purple hue erupted on his cheekbones.
… Huh, interesting.
Inks blush wasn’t normal either. It wasn’t a red color like humans. It was instead a rainbow of colors. Skeletons sure are intriguing.
You unintentionally stared at Cross, lost in his blushing cheekbones. He shot you a side-eyed glance.
“W-What’re you looking at…?” inquired the monochromatic skeleton, his brow-bones furrowing in confusion.
“Sorry, sorry! I was lost in a daze,” you admitted.
He grunted as you averted your eyes from him, landing on Ink’s figure. He glanced back and forth between you and the skeleton next to him.
“Anyway! I was thinking you both should get to know each other more, y’know?” said Ink.
You nodded in agreement. “We could go out to a café,” you offered.
Cross’ skull perked up. “Will there be hot chocolate?” he asked.
Ink poorly held in a snort. Cross protested, more blush rising to his skull as he stumbled words out of his teeth.
“I think there is, yeah. Are you a chocolate fan?” you hummed, ignoring their slight argument.
Cross nodded slowly, his eye-sockets lidding halfway as his eye-lights darted to the floor in embarrassment.
Your lips curled into a grin as you rose to your feet. You extended a hand for Cross to take. He stared at you as if you had morphed two heads. He hesitantly intertwined his phalanges with your fingers.
You hoisted him up before you untangled your fingers from his. You departed from the living room with Cross and Ink in tow; the latter starting up a conversation.
Cross’ eye-lights changed into stars as he downed his hot chocolate. He didn’t even take a break, even though it was scalding hot. He hummed in pleasure, a small smile etching on his teeth. You couldn’t help but smile, too.
“I take it you like it?” you commented.
He nodded vigorously as a ‘yes’. A giggle left the back of your throat as your heart warmed at his reaction.
Ink sat beside you in the booth you picked when you entered the establishment. A sketchbook was in his hands, his pencil scribbling away on the paper with his tongue out of his teeth. He was lost in his artwork.
You peered to the side. “Whatcha working on?” you asked.
He snapped his skull up, turning towards you. He pressed his sketchbook to his ribcage protectively.
“None of your business!” he retorted playfully, with a big smirk.
You scoffed and folded your arms, taking a sip from your drink. You snatched the sketchbook away from him when he was distracted from grabbing hold of his caramel mocha.
Your eyes widened in shock, taking in the illustration.
It was a realistic picture of you and Cross together, walking beside each other while you were in a park with Ink running behind you both.
“Ink… this is beautiful,” you breathed out.
“... You think so…?” murmured Ink bashfully.
You nodded before you returned the sketchbook. “It was… supposed to be a surprise. I was thinking it was refrigerator material,” admitted Ink.
“Oh… I’m sorry, Ink. I shouldn’t have looked,” you pouted.
He waved his hand dismissively. “Nah, it’s alright, pal. Feedback is important,” he said.
“Uh… can I see, too?” questioned Cross, adding himself to the conversation. He waited impatiently for a response.
Ink shrugged nonchalantly. “Sure. It’s only fair.”
He handed the sketchbook to him, watching with amusement as he gasped in shock.
“I-I agree with Y/N, this looks great,” complimented Cross.
Ink beamed.
“Aw, you guys are gonna make me blush!” chuckled Ink, pressing his hands onto either side of his cheekbones.
“Your blush is pretty to look at, though. You don’t see someone flush the colors of the rainbow often,” you drawled.
Ink processed your words before he blushed vigorously. His brow-bones reached the top of his temple, glaring at you dumbly.
You began to panic. “S-Sorry I didn’t mean to-”
Ink cut you off, leaping into your arms, nuzzling his skull into your neck warmly. You wrapped your arms around him, pulling him close.
You continued to hug each other until Cross coughed awkwardly into the bustling air. Ink removed himself from you, settling back into his seat.
You tentatively sipped your drink before swallowing the liquid.
Suddenly, an idea sparked in your head.
You tugged on Ink’s sleeve and grabbed his pencil from his hand and his sketchbook, flipping to an empty page.
I know this sounds weird, but I should offer Cross a room in my apartment. I have a guest bedroom I don’t use and you’ve already told me how lonely he is in his abandoned world. Do you think he’d accept the offer?
Ink blinked owlishly before he made grabby hands to the pencil, which you complied with.
Hm… I dunno. It took a while for me to gain his trust, but I think it’s worth a shot.
You grinned ear to ear and Ink’s teeth curled into a cheshire smile, too. You turned your head towards Cross, who froze in response as sweat began to bead down his skull.
“This is gonna sound sudden, but I wanna offer you a home at my apartment. I have more than enough space there, considering I have a guest bedroom. You can decline my request, but I think it’d help you,” you uttered.
“... Why would you do that for me? I’m basically a stranger to you,” replied Cross in disbelief.
“Any friend of Ink is a friend of mine. He picks them well,” you answered.
Cross glanced at Ink pleadingly for a moment. Say yes, screamed Ink’s facial features.
“I… I… accept your offer…” sighed Cross against his better judgment.
You twisted open the doorknob with Cross behind you. You gestured with your hand.
“This’ll be your room,” you said happily.
It was a plain room with a wooden dresser in the room’s left corner and the queen-sized bed across from it. There was a nightstand beside the bed and a wide painting Ink drew for you across from where you and Cross stood.
“We can go out this weekend and get more decor, if you want,” you suggested.
Cross shook his skull. “No, this is more than enough,” he replied firmly.
You patted Cross’ back gently. “Well, settle yourself in! We should get you some more clothes, now that I think about it,” your voice trailed off, thinking thoughtfully.
You bid him farewell as you exited the bedroom and made your way to your own room. You flopped on your bed with an inaudible huff. You pulled out your phone from your pocket, sending a quick text to Ink.
Just showed Cross his room. I hope he likes it.
The artist responded less than a moment later.
I’m sure he will! It’ll take time for him to come around, but the reward of his friendship is worth it.
You played with your phone mindlessly until you heard the familiar sound of a blip behind you. You moved your head around, quickly realizing Ink had teleported into your room. He almost collapsed to the floor, but you caught him before he fell.
You picked him up bridal style, taking in his injuries. There were several wounds scattered about his skull and his ribcage, but it’s nothing you couldn’t handle. He’s come to your house worse than this.
You rushed to the kitchen and placed him in one of the seat’s. You rummaged through your cabinets and picked out a jar of monster candy you bought previously from the grocery store. You set the glass jar down on the table, popping open the lid before you offered a few pieces to him. He sluggishly took it from you, rolling it in his mouth.
Seconds later, green magic swarmed around his injury like angry bees, and he was healed.
“Thanks, buddy,” he whispered.
You nodded in response. “I’m assuming this was the Bad Sanses doing?” you asked.
He hummed in agreement. “Yup. They really did a number on me specifically,” he replied with a heavy sigh.
You slid in a chair beside him. “They never stop, do they?”
He sighed again. “Nightmare needs his negativity to survive. To a degree, I understand why they destroy AUs. We can’t have an overpopulation of them. There needs to be a balance,” he explained.
You kept yourself silent, pursing your lips together.
If it wasn’t for Ink rescuing you during the time the Bad Sanses were running amuck while you were on a walk in the park, you may not have been alive right now. So because of that, you had a lot of respect for the artist. That’s how you befriended him, after all.
“How’s Dream doing?” you asked, changing the subject.
Dream was a part of Ink’s team, and they were currently looking for another member. You hoped they’d find one soon. They needed all the help they could get.
“He’s fine. He’s still determined that his brother’s still in Nightmare’s corrupted soul. But deep down, I think he knows his efforts are futile,” replied Ink.
Footsteps approached you. You turned around, coming face-to-face with Cross. He teetered on either side of his feet.
“Uh… is everything okay…?” inquired Cross nervously.
“Yeah, everything’s okay! I was just helping Ink after a fight with the Bad Sanses,” you replied casually.
Cross beelined to Ink, his entire demeanor changing. He bent down to eye level of the artist. The monochromatic skeleton inspected the other carefully. Ink smiled anxiously in response.
Cross grunted before he rose, feeling satisfied. His hands changed into fists, shaking ever-so-slightly.
“If I ever see them, I’ll give those villains a run for their money…” threatened Cross darkly.
Ink laughed heartily, a tear forming on the edge of his right eye-socket. Cross bristled.
“You’re a sweetheart, Cross. A true royal guardsman. Er— ex-royal guardsman,” corrected Ink.
Said skeleton folded his arms in response, turning his skull to the side. He ignored his blushing skull.
“No one messes with my friends,” he muttered bitterly.
You checked the time on your phone, realizing it was around the time to prepare dinner. You rose to your feet.
“Ink, you can stay for dinner if you’re not busy,” you said. He nodded eagerly in response.
You turned to Cross, who stood awkwardly beside Ink. “What do you want for dinner? Your input is important because you’re my roommate now,” you explained.
He toyed with his phalanges, tapping his chin in thought.
“Mac and cheese, maybe?” he requested.
“That sounds lovely,” you responded.
“Aw~ are you a babybones, Cross?” teased Ink.
“I-I am not!” he retorted.
You ignored their banter like you did earlier that day, opening the fridge to begin the meal.
“Did you like it?” you questioned.
Cross nodded vigorously in response. You smiled gently. “Good, I’m glad,” you replied.
“I agree with Cross!” added Ink.
You stretched your limbs and as you were about to grab the dirty plates to wash them, Cross beat you to it. You batted your eyes several times, staring at him.
“I’ll do it. It’s the least I can do from all the generosity you’ve given me,” he explained.
“Okay… thanks, Cross. You really are a sweetheart,” you replied.
He chuffed in response before he spun around and marched over to the sink to clean the dishes. He finished in record time. You told him where the plates were held and he swiftly placed them back in their original spot.
You clapped your hands together. “Why don’t we do a movie night?” you offered.
“Oh, that sounds like fun!” said Ink joyously. “I can’t remember the last time I had one…”
“You had one a week ago with Dream,” you deadpanned with a quirk of your brow.
Cross chuckled low in the background.
Ink waved his hand. “I did? I wonder if I wrote that down…” whispered the artist, more to himself than anyone else.
You rolled your eyes and shook your head as Ink scanned his scarf for confirmation. You exited the kitchen with the two men behind you. You left them in the living room to search your apartment for a few blankets and plushies.
You returned soon after, handing two blankets to Ink and Cross before throwing two plushies of a bear and a frog to each skeleton.
You wedged your hand in the gap between the couch’s cushion, feeling around for the remote until you pulled it into view. You pressed a few buttons; the television changed channels until you three settled on a movie.
You sat in the middle of the couch, Ink and Cross on either side of you. Ink was nice enough to share his blanket with you.
Ink fell asleep once the credits rolled, clinging onto you like a baby koala with his frog plushie left forgotten on the floor. Cross scoffed at him, fighting off a smile that grew on his teeth.
You turned off the television, a yawn leaving your lips.
“Tired?” drawled Cross, your yawn making him yawn.
You nodded slowly. It wasn’t that late, but you had (work/school) the following day.
You and Cross stood up. You maneuvered Ink to a sleeping position before draping his blanket on top of him, tucking him in softly.
He didn’t even stir, sleeping soundly.
A soft smile grew on Cross’ lips as he stared at Ink’s sleeping figure.
“He’s a friendly soul. Scatterbrained, but lovely to be around,” you said pleasantly.
Cross nodded in agreement before you both took your exit, leaving to your respective rooms down the hallway.
The light from outside of the morning sun shone between the gap of the window flaps. You blearily fluttered your eyes open, getting a grasp on your surroundings.
You quickly realized there was a weight on top of you. Your eyes darted towards your chest.
Ink was on top of you, his arms snaked around your torso with your legs tangled together like a pretzel. This wasn’t the first time he showed up in your room unannounced, craving affection you could provide him with.
The first few times you startled him awake from pure shock, but now you were used to it. You warmly stroked the back of his skull, feeling purrs emit from him.
You checked the time, realizing you should get up. Although you were more than happy to cuddle with Ink, you shimmied away from him, using a pillow as a substitute for you, watching as he held onto it like a lifeline.
You swiftly snapshotted a picture of him before you grabbed your clothes for the day, trotting to the bathroom to change and brush your teeth.
The smell of bacon and eggs entered your nostrils as you left the bathroom. You deposited your pajamas in your hamper, tiptoeing out of the room, as not to disturb Ink and his awful sleep schedule.
You made your way to the kitchen, where you found Cross finishing cooking scrambled eggs that resembled dog food and bacon that was burnt beyond repair.
“… Hey, Cross,” you greeted.
He whirled around, facing you with a spatula in hand.
“H-Hello, Y/N. I… uh… wanted to show my thanks by cooking you breakfast,” he said hesitantly.
You swallowed thickly. “Can’t wait to try it,” you forced out with a tight smile.
Cross handed you the plate of food as you sat down. You held in a long sigh and downed the scrambled eggs and didn’t even bother to chew it. The bacon tasted incredibly bitter, but you did your best to ignore the taste, for the sake of Cross’ ego.
He stared at you pleadingly, searching for acceptance. “Do you like it?” he inquired. You sent him a thumbs up as you swallowed the last bite of your eggs and bacon.
A wide grin stretched on his teeth. “I… I was really worried you wouldn’t like it because I don’t consider myself a superb cook, but I’m glad!”
You guzzled down the water, eager to get the unpleasant taste out of your mouth. You wiped away excess water that trickled from your lip. Cross took the dirty plate away from you and your fork, beginning to clean them in the sink.
You finished the water, throwing out the plastic bottle in the trash can. “Well, I have (work/school) to get to, so I’ll see you later. Once I’m done, let’s go out shopping, okay?”
“B-But I don’t have any money,” spluttered Cross.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be paying for it,” you responded simply.
“You’ve already done so much for me!” protested Cross.
You shook your head. “Nope, I’ve already decided,” you smiled as you took your exit, much to Cross’ dismay.
A few minutes after you left, Ink entered the kitchen and plopped himself down in an open seat.
“Did they leave?” questioned the artist.
Cross nodded in response. “Are you hungry? I can cook you something,” offered the soldier. Ink gestured with his hand as a ‘no’.
“Nah, I’m alright. I’m not hungry. I have to patrol soon, anyway,” replied Ink.
He grunted in acknowledgment. Ink tapped his index phalange on the wooden table as Cross slid in the seat next to him.
“So… what’re your thoughts on Y/N?”
Cross blinked, shocked at his sudden question. “I think they’re nice and considerate. I’ve never met someone as thoughtful as them,” answered the monochromatic skeleton.
“Agreed,” he said before he leaned close to the other skeleton with a shit-eating grin on his teeth. “Maybe you like them more than a friend~?” hummed Ink.
Cross scoffed as purple blush flooded on his cheekbones. “I-I barely know anything about them! And you’re one to talk!” hissed Cross defensively.
“Huh? Whaddya mean?” Ink tilted his skull in confusion.
“It’s obvious you like Y/N, too. You were clinging onto them like a baby animal last night,” stated Cross matter-of-factly.
It was Ink’s turn to blush. He stammered incoherently, his words slurring together like ice-cream. Cross smiled smugly in response. It took a moment for the artist to regain his composure.
“Welp, we should probably do something about it instead of walking on eggshells around this,” said Ink.
“How so?” asked Cross with a frown.
“We should confess to them,” admitted Ink, leaving Cross speechless.