#I am working on the next chapter of HNBD

[topazshadowwolf]

GoopTales: Part 21 Cuddles with Dadmare

Lyra tends to the boys as Nightmare sleeps, but after bed it is time for bed...

Parts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21(you are here)/34

AO3: Ch 1 (1-4), Ch 2 (4-8), Ch 3 (9-12), Ch 4 (13-16) Ch 5 (17-19), Ch 6 (20-23), Ch 7 (24-27), Ch 8 (28-31), Ch 9 (32-34)

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What had been the “entertainment room” now looked more like a playroom, with toys and games in easy reach of the boys. There were some movies and video games, but only a scant amount, considering they had been adults before who preferred watching more grown-up movies and shows. They didn’t care; the boys enjoyed playing board games together rather than video games alone. This was true even if they chose to break the rules so they could somehow all win.

Actually, it wasn’t breaking the rules so much as coming up with their own, occasionally midgame. Lyra didn’t mind since they were all having fun, even if she honestly had no idea what was happening most of the time. Killer and Cross were definitely the ring leaders in all of this, and Horror, though he seemed older, just seemed to enjoy following along in the chaos.

After a while, Horror moved over by her and leaned against her side with a yawn. Placing a hand on his back, she looked down at him. “Are you done with the game?” He gave a tired nod, and that was when she noticed the tears in his sockets. “Is your head bothering you?”

The child sighed, then looked up at her. “i try to ignore it…” his voice was quivering, and she scooped him up.

“I know you do, but you do not need to,” She stood up. “Killer, Cross, can you both play quietly until I return?”

“uh huh!” Killer replied.

“i wanna color!” Cross announced, and then he waved at Horror. “g’night!”

“night,” replied Horror, who then cuddled further into her chest—the poor dear.

She walked to the kitchen, where she knew she saw a bottle of pain pills safe for someone so young. She dosed out some and gave it to him with a glass of water. “There you go. Now, do you want to stay up a bit longer or go to bed?”

“bed, please, mrs. lyra,” Horror replied.

“Of course. How could I not help you to bed when you ask so nicely?” She answered as she picked him back up and carried him down the hall to the room Nightmare had picked out.

She entered the room and approached the bed. Before she could set him down, he asked softly, “where is dust? i thought he was sleeping.”

“Oh, well, he asked to sleep with Mr. Night,” She explained.

“oh…,” He said quietly. And there was continued silence. Part of her had a feeling she knew what he wanted to ask.

“Horror?” She started, and the child looked up at her. “Do you want to sleep with Mr. Night, too?”

Then the child looked away momentarily before turning back to Lyra and nodding. “but… i should be sleeping alone, aren't i?”

“It will be alright,” She said, and she turned around to leave the room and made her way to Nightmare’s room.

Opening the door, she listened and could only hear the soft breathing of sleeping. Her soft paw pads made her walk across the old, wood floor silent as she made her way over to the bed. Dust was still cuddled up to Nightmare, but she could see that the guardian now had an arm around the child. She set Horror down, and he crawled closer. She helped him under the covers so he was on the other side of Nightmare, cuddled up to his side.

Not long after she finished tucking the child in, she noticed the covers move as a tendril curled around Horror. Happily, the child wrapped his arms around the limb and hugged it like one might a teddy bear. Still, Nightmare was asleep, and this action was done unconsciously. This made Lyra smile as she moved a paw to her mouth to hold back a giggle.

Oh, how she will tease him once this ordeal is over. For one so adamant that he is not a father, he has taken to a fatherly role so naturally, he even fathers the boys in his sleep. Content that everyone was comfortable, she made her way back to the other two.

Cross and Killer were coloring near each other to share crayons. She walked over and smiled at them, “May I join you?”

“sure!” Cross replied as Killer moved over to make space for her, even if there was plenty of space already.

She thanked Killer for being so polite before joining the two on the floor and picking a coloring book. Opening it, she found a picture of a castle with a dragon with four hatchlings. It was labeled “A Mother Dragon And Young,” but nothing about the dragon made it male or female. Lyra decided that she would change this picture to fit her narrative for the image.

As they colored, Cross and Killer took turns talking about their days being here with Mr. Night and the others. “sometimes, i take my coloring book in, and i color in mr. night’s office. i always ask if i can help him, and sometimes he tells me he has a paper that needs some colors or drawings to make it nicer. so i make it look as colorful and nice as possible! mr. night always tells me i did a good job, and he pats me on the head before setting the paper aside,” Cross explained.

“he lets me help him wash up after dinner sometimes!” Killer said happily. “mr. night lets me dry stuff, and then he uses his tentacles to pick me up so i can put some of the stuff away!”

“It is so nice that you two are willing to help him,” She praised.

They continued to color until she had almost finished her picture. She was rather pleased with it and the edit of crossing out “Mother” and writing “Father.” It was then she noticed how quiet it was, and she looked up to see Cross was sleeping. Killer’s coloring had become lethargic while his sockets drooped, meaning he was ready for bed, too.

“Alright, I think it is time for bed for you two,” She said as she carefully picked up Cross. The youngest clung to her and nuzzled his face against her neck. Killer sat up and stretched his arms up to her. Sweeping her free arm over, she scooped up the last little skeleton.

As she made her way to the bedrooms, she glanced down at them, “Now, Horror and Dust are sleeping with Mr. Night. Is that where you would want to sleep too?”

“can we?” Cross asked, opening his tired sockets as he asked.

“please, oh please!” Killer said while he started to wiggle in her arms.

“You can if you two promise to be quiet and sleep. Remember, Mr. Night needs his sleep, so you can’t be noisy,” She insisted.

“we will,” Cross said.

“i’m going to be super quiet, i promise!” Killer said loudly.

Well… time will tell.

Before long, she was setting Cross on one side of the bed and Killer on the other. Cross was curling up near Horror when a tentacle embraced him. He smiled at the limb and started to pet it softly. Then, as his sockets closed, his hand stopped when he drifted off to sleep. 

Killer wiggled around near Dust, who grunted in annoyance but did not wake. Dust did yawn before he snuggled closer to Nightmare. Rolling so his back was toward Dust’s back, Killer then scootched back until they touched back to back. This also meant he wiggled his way under Nightmare’s arm, which was still over the smaller skeleton child.

Luckily, Nightmare did not wake, but like the others, a tentacle curled around the child, and Killer hugged the limb while nuzzling it. At least Killer was being quiet.

Killer reached out to her then, and she tilted her head. “i need a goodnight kiss,” he whispered.

Lyra smiled softly, then leaned down and placed a kiss on the tiny skeleton’s skull. Killer smiled back up at her before he started to settle into sleep. With that, she took a moment to admire the little family before her.

With a pleased smile, Lyra left the little family to sleep. Now, to finish tending the animals.

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Nightmare sat in the shadow of his mother, reading a book silently to himself. It was a pleasant afternoon, not too hot, but not cold either—just the perfect temperature. Dream was away, as usual, helping the villagers. So, Nightmare was left to entertain himself, and he did so by reading.

That is until he noticed a lost child approaching him. Nightmare was a child himself, but this one was clearly younger than him.

“Hello? If you are here for the golden apples, my brother is away, and I am not to touch them,” Nightmare stated.

“n… no… i just… i don’t know where i am, and i…” The child was trembling as he looked around. The child was wearing a shirt with a sloth and matching bottoms. Odd clothing, really. He had never seen anyone dressed like that before. He looked around, clearly confused, with red eye lights, though the left eye had cyan blue in the middle.

“Where did you last see your parents?” Nightmare asked.

The child stiffened and looked down at the ground for a moment. He fidgeted with his shirt hem for a moment before finally muttering a question so quietly that Nightmare could not understand him, just the inflection of his voice.

“I am sorry, but what did you say?” Nightmare said with a sigh.

“what… what does ‘parents’ mean?” The child asked quietly, but at least this time, it was loud and clear enough for Nightmare to understand. But the question startled him.

“You do not know what the word ‘parent’ means?” He clarified, but that appeared to be the wrong thing to do. The child quickly turned and ran, but Nightmare jumped up and followed. His taller body meant longer legs, and he quickly caught up with the small child and grabbed him in a hug. 

The small boy was crying. He kept repeating that he was sorry. “sorry, i…i… shouldn’t have bothered you. i’m sorry… sorry that i… i’m stupid and a failure.”

“Shhh? Now, when did I utter such words?” He asked, and the child shivered in his arms. “A parent is the mother and/or father of a child. Or caregivers of a child who considers the child theirs.”

“oh…,” The small child looked up at Nightmare, tears in his sockets, but spoke with a happy tone, “i just learned about moms and dads!” The child then looked down and muttered the word ‘parents’ a few times as if committing it to memory. If he just learned about mothers and fathers, then this child is likely an orphan from an early age. One that has not had kind guardians. “mr. night is watching me for… the doctor. but he says i don’t have to go back to the doctor. i don’t think mr. night is my parent though… but he is nice… i mean, he’s not nice! he’s mean and horrible! oh! and very scary!”

Yeah… Nightmare wasn’t believing that last bit. The child seemed way too happy talking about this ‘Mr. Night.’ In all likelihood, this Mr. Night was some hermit who just didn’t want a bunch of people coming around by putting up a front that he encouraged this kid to perpetuate. Nightmare will gauge how ‘nice’ this Mr. Night is when he finds this child.

“Come with me, then, sit under my tree beside me and wait for Mr. Night to find you,” Nightmare said as he finally released the child from a hug before taking his hand and guiding him back to his mother.

I do not think this is wise, my child. A mortal is a mortal, even when small. His mother said. But Nightmare could not just leave this little child to wander around alone. He knows firsthand how cruel the village can be. And as much as Nightmare loves nature… a child so small would not last long alone. Saving his spot, he flipped back to the beginning of the book and started to read aloud.

After some time, a voice called out, “dust!” And Nightmare looked up to see another child approaching. The poor thing! His skull was cracked and he had… “dust! you’re here too?” The child wore a white shirt, fur-lined hoodie, and black shorts with a white stripe.

… Horror… Dust…

As the children talked, Nightmare remembered that he was no longer a child, that this was a dreamscape made by his tired mind that he drew these children into. Even in exhaustion, he seemed to want these mortals near, it seems.

How interesting that their minds choose to dress them in clothes they wear as adults…

“i am waiting here for mr. night,” Dust explained, and Horror nodded.

“okay, can’t miss this tree, so it makes sense!” Horror said as he sat down next to Dust. Horror then looked at Nightmare and smiled, “hello, mind if i stay here too?”

“No, you are welcome to wait here as well,” Nightmare replied, then continued the story after Dust explained what was going on so Horror understood.

Cross quietly walked up with a wave and sat next to Horror. Much like Dust, he wore pajamas, though they were pajama bottoms, with his favorite ‘anime’ themed t-shirt. Nightmare smiled at Cross, who waved at him before listening intently to the story. Mother chided Nightmare for keeping such mortals around. He… didn’t like the things she said about them. He could understand some of it, as he will admit, they were not the best ambassadors for mortal kind. Still, they were his, and that was all that mattered to him. He hated ignoring her, as she was his mother, even if this was a dream.

Thankfully, Killer’s boisterous entrance did drown out those hurtful things she said. The child, dressed in his regular clothes, white shorts, black sweater, and hoodie with a fur-lined hood, dashed forward and pounced on Dust. The smaller yelped out as Killer loudly proclaimed “tickle fight” before mercilessly assaulting Dust’s ticklish areas. Dust yelped and squeaked before giggling away. Horror was the one to come to his rescue, grabbing Killer and tickling the babybones, who squealed with laughter.

Dust scurried over and hid behind Nightmare as Cross faced a decision. Who does he back up? After a moment of debating, Cross jumped up and started to tickle Horror. Horror started to turn to defend himself when Killer sprang up to get the larger of the three back.

“Oh dear,” Nightmare said as he closed the book. He glanced back at Dust, “It appears the odds are against your friend. Two against one.”

Dust frowned for a moment, then looked up at Nightmare. “I am sorry for disturbing your peace, but I need to help horror.”

“That is quite alright. You do what you need to do,” Nightmare said with a smile. That was all Dust needed before running forward and tackling Killer. The two rolled around in the grass in a fit of giggles as they tried to tickle the other. That gave Horror the opportunity he needed to grab the youngest and tickle him until he surrendered.

Once the giggling died down, Nightmare stood up. “Care to join me for a walk?”

“sure!” Cross said, and Horror helped him stand.

Killer looked up at Nightmare briefly, then smiled big, “yeah! let’s join him!” Killer stood and pulled Dust up onto his feet.

With that, he led the children to the forest that he often played in with his brother, away from the ominous village and the insulting words of his mother. Once in the shelter of the trees, he helped them climb and explore…

… He almost didn’t want to wake up.

Almost… for a dream is just that, a dream. What matters more is the events in the waking world.

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next

[topazshadowwolf]

Man i swear-

On that 3 month pause of how nightmare became dadmare id just given up- then when i went to check on it again BOOM THREE NEW CHAPTERS FOR YOU and i was SO happy

Ps, i love your writing! The way you introduce worldbuilding and the way the characters interact and HOLY SHIT EVERYTHING ELSE is so intriguing to me! You might for real be the best fanfic writer ive ever known!!

Three months is not that long of a pause for me. XD I think I went about a year before updating "To the Feral and The Broken," though I highly doubt I will go that long with HNBD. That aside, I am happy to see those chapters made you happy! I'm working on the next chapter; it's taking time, though. But I'm hoping to have it done soon.

I am always so happy to know people enjoy my writing! I've always enjoyed writing, but I've never liked sharing it beyond close friends and family. So, I have to say, it still astounds me that people actually read and even like my writing. Thank you so much! Comments like this are truly humbling.

[topazshadowwolf]

I'm the person who sent the ask before about them calling him dad in HNBD, I just wanted to say I still haven't finished it yet (I'm trying to go slow cause I don't want it to be over) but I'm having a really great time!! This is the first fic I'm reading about any of the bad sanses and I'm really caught up in it, so much so that I've already started daydreaming my own fanfic of your fanfic when I can't sleep lol So thank you so much for writing this, it's really truly been a big help when I'm having a rough time and it's making me really inspired to make stuff <3

That’s okay! At the rate I’m currently writing it will never be over. XD That said, no problem, read at your own pace. I do have other fics related to HNBD if you haven’t read those yet. And, now that i introduced you to this part of the fandom, I could suggest a few fics. There’s One Small Dream by @calcium-cat that I adore with all my heart! And there is also a newer one that has caused a big stir For the Forgotten Ones. That writer is a writing machine, long chapters are posted frequently. I am waaay behind but it is so good that I intend on catching up once I have more free time.

That being said, if you totally write anything let me know! I’d love to read it! I am also hard at work on the next chapter.

[topazshadowwolf]

Okay, I feel I might need to make something very clear. I, GENERALLY SPEAKING, do not do requests UNLESS I ask if anyone has a request. At that time, IF I DO ASK, there is no promise if I do or not. Also, I will give some sort of limit to what can be requested as I only write things I am interested in at that time. I am a nurse who works full-time and has a mountain of WIP to do; plus I have random ideas that come to mind that I write. I don't have time to research something else just to fulfill a request that I won't be paid for.

That being said, to the person who asked for a comfort story with Toriel: I am interested in this and will likely write it. (again, no promise) BUT IF I DO, I will write it only AFTER the next chapter of HNBD is posted because I am 2 months behind as it is on my schedule for posting.