Imagine being an afab s/o of nightmare and he literally does not understand the female anatomy. He might've kidnapped you, you're one of his minions, or just a normal soul minding your own business until he claims you as his.
Imagine needing to tell him that no, the clothes he has for you are not to your liking and that yes, bras actually have different sizes for a reason. He literally does not care for your complaints, claiming you as overdramatic. It takes several complaints fpr him to catch the hint that you're being serious.
He instinctively just gets you the most intricate lingerie without knowing that it is not suitable for everyday wear. Cue you actually showing him how uncomfortable it looks on you - not even in a sexual sense - just fully explanatory and argumentative.
'After Mare storms off, embarrassed upon learning he's unintentionally used you as a stress toy with his tentacles, you chase after him.'
Pairing: Nightmare x Reader
Word Count: 1,400
[Part 1]
Inspired by @sugarb0nb0n and @aestheticallycha0tic
A/N: Trying a new layout for fics again! I think I like how it stands out, but idk.
Fic Below.
…Oh, stars above, he's embarrassed.
He—as gently as possible because he treasures both books and his furniture—slammed his read to the side table, and is now storming off out of the lounge with something just a smidge faster than his typical walking speed.
Those same 'offending' tendrils clung and curled tightly to his back when he bids you a good evening with a clipped and stale tone.
Do you—go after him? This situation has never once happened in your entire relationship. Mare's always been so… put together? Not that showing physical affection to your partner ISN'T 'put together', but he wouldn't think of it that way.
He probably thinks of it as crass. Shameful? Definitely 'embarrassing', the way he's just rounded the corner of the exit. Out of sight and now going down the hall. To the right.
You can't properly guess where he could possibly be going, given the sheer size of the main castle, but typically when leaving the lounge after dark, he goes to one of two places… To the left for his bedroom, or the right to his office.
His office is more of a safe space than his bedroom. And if he's actually so upset over learning he involuntarily grabs at you with his tendrils in.. 'such a manner', as he'd say, he's probably heading there. Probably.
Nightmare's so cute sometimes, it's almost sickening.
Or, eh… Well, somewhat less cute when he's not feeling great. Lets maybe not find enjoyment in his discomfort.
Before he can consider meshing with and moving through the shadows, where you have no hope of following unless you can accurately guess where he'll end up, you untangle yourself from the blanket to rise from the sofa and go after him.
Turning that sharp corner just out of the door and to the right, into the hall, reveals Nightmare still walking at a brisk and tense pace. Having not traveled away with other means. Perhaps he's just deep in thought and hasn't yet considered he can fully remove himself from this situation by disappearing with the dark?
No matter the 'whys' of him still being in your reach, the fact is that he is. And that he could probably really go for reassurance that unintentionally holding you isn't something to feel shame for.
Needing to fidget isn't embarrassing. If it helps and literally isn't hurting anything, it's fine.
Hoping to catch up with a light jog, the sleeve of his sweater almost in gentle tugging reach to nicely stop him, he melts just before you could touch him. Turning to a pure black, jello-like liquid form, and shooting off.
There's not enough time to plan a reaction, so you—on an unfiltered and panicked reflex—"MARE!". You shout his name in a scolding manner to get him to stop. Like you're speaking down to a misbehaving little boy under your care.
…That was.. not how you meant to call out to him.
Though, to everyone's surprise, it got the job done. You've BOTH effectively stopped, the two of you equally confused by your outburst.
You feel your face warming in embarrassment as he seamlessly reconstructs his form, just to turn to look at you with… with an almost scarily blank expression. If a blank face could be scary while still being blank, then yeah. That.
It's probably nothing, and it's really not like he'll ever be a danger to you, but you still freak out a little at his reaction.
You a little frozen in place, "That is—I really didn't mean for that to come out like that. I panicked so bad—"
…No. No, his expression isn't scary. He looks sad.
He clears his throat and glances to the side before very immediately realizing how pathetic that makes him appear, and he reclaims eye contact with you. "Bringing you such discomfort was not within my Intent. It—Mm.. truly never donned on me that my corruption was—"
You take a jumpy step closer to cut him off, "No, it's fine! Really!! I just.."
It really wasn't that uncomfortable. The idea of him cradling and grabbing at you with his tentacles sounds great, but it's.. "I think I was just concerned because I could tell you weren't doing it voluntarily.
He gives you a stumped stare.
You continue, suddenly feeling very warm down your neck at the unavoidable of telling a lover you enjoy their physical attention. "I thought it was cute… But it's less cute when you're unaware of it. If.. that makes literally any sense."
That was so bad, hang on. You're panicking, "I mean, being cradled by you? There's not really anywhere safer than that—" Oh, stars, you're making it worse— "It's just a lot different when it's unintentional. Like, I'd rather you hold me while knowing you're doing it."
"…" You blank out. Your brain having finally shut down and shut up. What are you even so freaked out for? That you'll be judged for liking being touched?
You and him are technically in the same boat of assuming there'll be judgment wrought. But it really can't be helped.
But, despite your lame and unfiltered rant, Nightmare doesn't look any put off by it. If anything, he looks intrigued. Intrigued mixed in with bashful.
His posture visibly relaxes, though still stout and tall as though he's trying to regain control of the situation alongside you. "I see…"
..He 'sees'?
And to your luck, he continues. With another clearing of his throat, though this time an exaggeration to appear put-together and composed over a need. "Had I known you felt such a way.. Ah…" But his words quickly drawl off as he looks to the side, like he's so suddenly struggling to figure out what he's meant to say.
You give it a shot in his stead. Wondering if he needs more reassurance that it's okay, and that his involuntary actions never made you feel awful.
With his fixed posture comes with his tentacles no longer so wound up and curled to his back. You try your luck. Extending a hand out for one as you step forward, he flinches it away from you.
On reflex or purpose, you can't determine. "No, I'm serious. They've never bothered me. May I see? Please?"
A little more insistent, so lightly pushing on a boundary to see if it's a true one. If it's a hard 'no', or perhaps something he's unsure of. You reach for that same tentacle again, and when he doesn't immediately pull it away, you take the thin tail end of it loosely in your hand.
His expression scrunches, but before you can interpret that as a sign and back off accordingly, he wraps the tentacle over your wrist to give your hand a soft squeeze.
…You almost want to laugh at the face he's making, if that's what he looks like when he's doing something he thinks is horrendously intimate. A step too soon. A new base reached in your relationship.
Hand-holding?
You attempt a change in the energy by speaking to him with a calmer voice, "Moon, I thought it was charming and cute." Paired with sweetly squeezing his tendril in return. Really hoping to distract him from his shame, so he'll learn that this stuff is okay.
He looks back to you, locking eyes and appearing less distressed.
"Why do you think I let it happen for.. two months? Three?—I wasn't even keeping track. See?"
Mare's cyan eyelight visibly dilates, "I… Yes, I suppose.."
The air between the both of you already so lighter.
Feeling emboldened out of what feels like nowhere but an abrupt desire to see more of him bashful, almost sad that your plan to relax him is working, you try something new.
Drawing forward the same tentacle you're holding, you raise it upward to just before your lips. "May I?" You inquire consent to kiss him.
Though that appeared to be far too much for him, as along your very next blink, he vanishes into the darkness. The shadows between you two. Gone, with only a mere glimpse of a constricted eye and scrunching tendril ends.
You've taken that as a 'no'. And also that he is a remarkable being to tease… You'd say you hope this doesn't come back to bite you with consequences, but on such an adrenaline high, you concur you wouldn't mind pushback.
Not to bombard you with nightmare hehe but I saw your two recent works of him and it just got me thinking like,,, what’s he gonna do if I just suck on his tentacles.. he can’t stop me. He can’t stop US ‼️‼️‼️
Trying to explain Tumblr to Nightmare is a literal nightmare, so I make Killer do it. It isn't going well.
Could we mayhaps get some nightmare headcannons please and thank you if you do those…
Heya!! Absolutely!!
Here's some general dating headcanons for our bittersweet nightmare
Warnings: none
_________________________________________
DATING HEADCANONS
Be prepared to never date anyone else again because once nightmare is infatuated with you, you're his to keep. He's possessive and absolutely smitten for you
He loves how soft you are. You don't need to necessarily be chubby, but just being human makes you so nice for him to touch. Despite feeding off of negativity, nightmare does his best to push back his nature enoug to be a gentleman towards you. There's so many other souls to feed from, so he can spare one that. Surely.
His love language is tentacles. He will wrap them around you always, anywhere, everywhere. His most frequent spots are your waist, shoulder or wrists. It's a silent reminder that you belong to him and that he can easily yank you closer to him if anyone dares approach you.
He's a gift giver, extremely. You just need to say the word and he will get you everything of anything. Flowers? You got it. Chocolates? Eat away. He literally has the means to provide so he will provide
Cuddles with nightmare are.. something. All tentacles, all touch. You almost feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of contact he has on you when he's fully embracing you. His tentacles don't stand still, either. They caress you - almost softly - and he's growing increasingly more handsy as the relationship progresses from week into months
He's extremely touch starved. Not many dare touch him due to his.. goopy statue. But you do. He's infatuated with the way you handle his negativity. He sometimes mocks you just to offer you comfort.
'Look at you, my little, pathetic darling. Can't even reach the top shelf, can you? But fret not. You have me'
Kisses with nightmare always turn into something with purpose. He faintly tastes of something bitter, faintly sweet. When you kiss him more than a few seconds he prepared for his tentacles to lift you to carry you into his chambers.
Mediocre at pda, about a 6/10. Will jump to an 8/10 if he notices someone gets flirty towards you. Nightmare entrusts you to be loyal, but whenever killer hits you with a flirt too suggestive for his liking he will step beside you, tentacle around you shoulders - and just stare down the source of disdain until he's satisfied with their fumbling reaction
Sharing a bed with nightmare is a little hard - not matter how big. He does have a king sized bed in his chambers, but his tentacles frequently goop up the sheets. He has to have them changed about every other day - but you don't mind. And he wants to snuggle you just the more into his chest the minute you admit to it. Falling asleep with nightmare always has him somewhere in the position of power. Big spoon, you lay on top of him, anything that has you in his arms.
hiiii, hope you’re doing well! i was wondering if you could make some headcannons on how the ‘bad sanses’ would react to having a s/o with a LOT of tattoos, like either having black out designs all over their body or having a bunch of smaller pieces littered throughout their body. it’s totally up to you, i know your writing will be great! :D
Hiii! 👋
I’m doing pretty good! I made a new planner and am back on the ‘fix my life’ part of the ADHD loop. We’ll see how long it lasts this time 😅
Nightmare
He clearly likes them, you can tell by the way he stares any time he thinks you’re not looking, but he’ll never admit it on his own.
If you happen to have a moon tattoo somewhere, he’s definitely found his favorite. If you don’t have one, he’s going to not-so-subtly nudge at you to get one
He’s got a special fondness for morbid tattoos in particular, what with it matching his whole ‘king of darkness’ shtick.
Killer
His s/o is such a badass. He’s so smug, it’s not even funny anymore.
He will poke at you to get all the stories and meanings behind your tattoos. Funny or deep, he wants to hear about it! And make fun of you after
I think he’d find little pieces scattered all over your body the most fascinating out of all the things you could have. It’s easier for him to study the designs that way.
Dust
Kinda blasé about the whole thing. Tattoos, no tattoos; it’s all the same to him. Whatever makes you happy.
That being said, he’s not going to complain if you let him stare at them and tell him all about why you got them
The only kinds of tattoos that really catch his interest are the whiteout/fake scar tattoos that trended a while back. He finds them kinda cool with how subtle yet ‘fancy’ they look
Horror
He keeps tracing the line work with his thumb whenever he gets bored. It’s very distracting.
I don’t think he’d have a preference on tattoos. He just thinks they all look interesting.
He’s definitely going to make some jokes if you have anything skeleton or bone themed though, and, no, he will never stop. You will hear about it till you’re both old and grey
Cross
Tongue tied and tripping over his own feet. Can’t even try to act nonchalant the first time he sees all your art on display
I think he would especially love large, full colored works, just because it’s fascinating to watch the colors shift and move with your skin. He could stare at them for hours
Do you think he could maybe design your next one? That’s totally not themed around him or anything
Error
He likes looking at the designs, even if he doesn’t understand why someone would stab themselves with a needle for ‘art’
At some point he gets an idea and shifts your code a little to let them glow in the dark. It’s super cool.
If you have blackout designs, he is going to grumble about how you ‘look like that squid’. On a similar note, if you watch him argue with Ink, you will find that he no longer insults his tattoos, but instead brags that they’re nowhere near as cool as his s/o’s.
Inspired by @/aestheticallycha0tic's drawing of Nightmare holding up Reader. I thought it was funny </3
also WOW i've forgotten how to write short stories.
"Release Me"
'Spending time with Nightmare is rough and… supple. Uh.. He will not stop wrapping his tentacles around you.'
Word Count: 1,000
Pairing: Nightmare x Reader
The almost violent crackle and pops of the obnoxiously large fireplace, the aroma of fresh made, sweetly scented tea, the every so often turns of pages to your right. Where Nightmare is sat just beside you on the flushest sofa of your entire life, the two of you beneath the same, even flusher blanket.
It's wonderfully comfortable. And… you would say 'cute', but the grandness of Night's private lounge has you wondering if you should find more medieval type of descriptors for your vocabulary.
Uh, gran…grandiose? Perhaps some sprinkles of gothic?
…
Baroque inspired architecture, mixed with Disney's Frozen. That's the vibes of his castle and every room within, including this lounge.
Deep green velvet sofas just before the hearth, black varnished wood side tables for each, a matching coffee table in the center. Brought all together with a nice patterned rug that reminds you of a grandma's house.
He's even got mounted and lit candelabras in here, glowing a fiery purple.
There'd be lovely light coming in from the windows within the stone wall's alcoves, looking out into the western courtyard garden, but it's dark out right now. Those curtains drawn, too.
A sleek movement just behind Nightmare stops your train of thought.
Yeah, so anyway, you were lying about being 'wonderfully comfortable'.
It was tolerable at first, but he's only been squeezing you ever so slightly tighter, and tighter. And now a second tentacle has just joined the fray.
Mare has a… fun little "habit" of relentlessly fidgeting. With.. using his tentacles. And for the past few months, you've been his favored stress ball.
They used to wring together, fidget around with just himself behind his back. An actually cute tic-like motion he always did when in thought or lost with a distraction. It was awful domestic and sweet to watch.
It's no longer as delightful to watch, the way your upper arm AND NOW YOUR WAIST are being held.
The first has been coiled around your very upper arm for the longest time. Almost reminiscent of a high arm bracelet, although squishing you very rhythmically. Which is not what bracelets do.
And now… your waist is his newest target. But! Good news is that, instead of fidgeting with the meat there, he's just holding you!—never mind, he is now squeezing your waist.
You want to say something, but… Being used as a fidget toy is somehow less embarrassing than outright bringing it up. You're convinced he doesn't ever realize he does this, because he never says anything.
If he wants something, he'll ask. He doesn't do subtleties.
It makes you think he has absolutely no idea. Not a single clue he so regularly puts his tendrils on you.
The million dollar question is if you mind or not… It's—it's not terrible. Just… eh. Well, you actually don't want to consider it.
Is it only so awkward because you don't know if he's aware?
An attention-grabbing turn of his page. It rustling roughly, but not anything that'd dare harm his book or even crease the paper. A social cue he does when he wants your notice.
You turn to look at him, pointedly avoiding the way his tentacles are flexing, but that becomes impossible when you clock a third one making its way.
Uh-oh…
Nightmare's face still deep within his book, going about his business, and now apparently your's. Though his eyes remain glued to the story. "What bothers you?"
…Oh, you must be joking. How about you take a look to your left and you'll find out?!
He adjusts the book in his hands and then clears his throat, "Your anxiety is.. ah—quite potent. Just a sliver more so than the typical."
You just make a clipped hum in baffled response. Genuinely not sure what to say.
And as he becomes less distracted by his book, and more focused on you, his tendrils creep away. Unwinding from your arm, your waist, and where the third was just about to toy with the back of your neck.
Something about the freedom inspires you, "Do you… do that on purpose?"
His expression visibly freezes up. Not in guilt, but contemplation. Confusion. He's confused, he doesn't know what you're referring to.
When he finally looks up at you, his tentacles all retreat. Like they have a mind of their own, and are toying with him, but really he's simply not distracted anymore. No need for him to subconsciously fidget when he's so aware of his surroundings.
"What is it you say I am doing?"
…Okay, sure. We ball, "Do you realize you fidget?"
You're given an odd look, a squint of his eye, a subtle change in tone like he doesn't enjoy thinking about it, "..What of such a habit?"
So he knows!! He knows he gropes at you!
Not upset, but more of an 'aha!' feeling at solving that one mystery. You sit up taller, "Why have you started fidgeting with me?! Like—around my waist!"
But then he sputters in alarm, as if he's just been accused of something so foul that he has no recollection of. "I—What?—I have done no such thing!" Posturing. His eyelight slitting into a catty shape.
…You're even more confused now. So he doesn't know he squeezes at you all the time?
"Yes you do, you grab me and—and.. Your tentacles are literally always on me whenever we're together! You poke and prod and squeeze wherever you can reach!"
Nightmare's stare is blank. Mouth slightly parted.
There's a tug on your Soul. Something farther in-depth than what a regular Check would be—a type of depth only someone like him could reach.
An intimate lie detector.
He finds nothing but the truth.
His cheekbones flushing the very slightest cyan, his singular eye widening just a fracture in embarrassed astonishment.. Then he places his book down on the side table with a slamming 'THUD' and storms off in shame with a faraway and warbled, 'Have a good evening!'
