Work Text:
Cross was packing up in a large hall, wrapping up a Sunday afternoon. He stretched, removing his robes and picking up the various Bibles that had been misplaced by the church-goers. Owning a church was a bit difficult, but he managed. He enjoyed spreading the word of the things he believed in, especially because it was good. At least, that's what he believed.
The thought of other people coming in and hearing his word calmed his nerves on the topic of sharing his beliefs, despite the being-a-priest thing. The occupation was wonderful, and the people he met were very sweet and gentle beings. He was given the choice to help broken people out of poverty, helplessness, and the grasps of Hell. He was saving lives everyday, and he couldn't ask for anything else.
There was a face he hadn't seen in the church in a while, and that was of Dream. Usually, he'd go to support Cross on his faith and had actually fallen into it because of him. He stopped attending a month ago, and even though Cross tried to call him, he never picked up the phone. His brother Nightmare attended after becoming a victim of possession. Nightmare said he hadn't heard from Dream either when Cross asked of him. The two even went to his cottage together, but nobody was home. It was like he had just... vanished. Merely vanished.
Cross prayed for him every night. Dream had been a friend of his since the beginning of time, and he wouldn't know what to do if something happened to him. He shook his head, finishing up and heading to his office to grab his belongings.
He heard the phone ring while locking the door. Rushing to open it once again, he sprinted towards the phone line and picked it up.
"Hello, thanks for calling. We're closed at the moment, but we'll be open tomorrow at-"
"Cross, it's me." Nightmare's voice rang through the line. Cross was taken aback at the voice.
"Night? You could've just called me though my personal line."
"That wouldn't be very smart right now." He had a tone of fear in his voice. "I found Dream, but he's not exactly... himself. I'm using a local phone post, and I figured I'd just call the church's line in case it can track it."
"'It'? What-"
"Don't freak out, but I think he's got what I had. He is acting just like how I did during... that. He hates the sun, and that just isn't him. He loves bright things."
"...You think he's... possessed?"
Cross sighed, placing his hand on his forehead as Nightmare agreed via the speaker. Of course- it made sense...
"Okay," Cross clicked his tongue, "do you have him somewhere?"
"He's in my car. I bribed him with food. He looks starved."
"Jesus Christ... okay. I'll make a date for Tuesday. Bring him in at... hold on-" Cross grabbed his phone, checking his calendar. "12:30. Is that alright?"
"I mean, I'm off, so yeah. Anyways, he looks impatient, I need to tend to him."
"Don't make it obvious. He can't run off, God knows how long he's been out like that for."
"Right. See you."
"Bye."
Cross hung up the line and could barely believe what he had just heard. His head spun and hurt. Poor Dream... he was such a pure soul. He sighed after thinking for a few moments and locked the doors again, leaving and starting his car.
Monday's session went by quickly, as did the day. Before Cross knew it, he was waiting in the hall in robes, a stone bed lying near the cross on the stage. He shook his foot, anxiously gripping his Bible. He hated exorcisms, much now more than ever because it was a friend being harmed.
Suddenly, Cross heard a thud near the entrance. He heard a scream belonging to Dream and some grunts from Nightmare. He stood up quickly and darted towards the doors, opening them to find Dream resisting Nightmare's firm grasp and appearing to be attempting an escape. Nightmare's skull was bleeding with a slice of something, but Cross assumed it the broken porcelain pot in the grass. He grasped Dream's shoulders, and it appeared weakened and defenseless. There was a glare of hatred in Dream's eye lights as they shook relentlessly.
"Oh goodness- thanks Cross. Heads up, it's a feisty one."
"Lovely. Wait in the car, it's best I work alone."
Nightmare nodded and walked back to his newer-modelled black cruiser. Cross pushed Dream inside the church, and he appeared to be breathing abnormally inside the hall. Demons, after all, were weakened in the houses of Christ. Cross laid the sweating figure down on the stone, tying up his wrists and ankles. There it stood, pathetic and demonic, on a bed of stone.
"Hold on..." Cross grabbed the tools he had set aside when Dream and Nightmare came and walked over, directing a sentence towards Dream as the demon in his body appeared to be hissing and moaning lightly. "I'm here to help."
"As for you... unholy demon, leave this poor body, and I won't hurt you."
Dream's head turned toward the priests. He frowned at first, though it quickly turned into a vicious and bloodthirsty grin as Cross' warning went through its skull. It giggled.
"If only you could, ya stupid priest." It was laughing as Cross appeared taken aback. "There's no pain for me. Only hatred. You don't have any of that. It's sucked all into "love.""
"Go away. You're not welcome here." Cross replied sternly, disregarding its words.
The demon laughed again in amusement. Cross could see fear in its eyes as it reflected in Dream's sockets.
"...Look at you, such a nice boy..." It fidgeted with Dream's phalanges, stretching them in and out. "You deserve to take advantage of such an amazing... situa--"
Its scream echoed through the hall as Cross testified from the book he held, holding the cross in front of Dream. The scream was horrifying, yet he went though it. After what seemed like a millennium, Dream appeared to be coughing and still sweating.
"Dream?"
"C-Cross-?!"
Cross rushed to untie Dream's restraints and grabbed a thin blanket, wrapping it around Dream as he sat up, sniffing. He was crying and appeared to be mumbling to himself. Cross raced towards some hot water and a tea packet, stirring as he approached Dream's traumatized body.
"I-I can't anymore... C-Cross, please-" He sobbed, shaking uncontrollably.
"Shh... it's over. It's gone." Cross adjusted Dream's blanket and handed him the cup he prepared. "Here, drink this."
Dream grabbed the glass and drank from it, calming down a little. He sighed of relief.
"Oh Cross- that was a living nightmare... I'm so sorry my brother went through that- my God-"
Cross sat down next to him, keeping close. It was best he stood for a while. Dream looked... scared. Part of his job was helping the needy, though. He held his shoulder reassuringly.
"Don't worry. It won't come back."
"N-No- it threatened it would come back. Probably not in a while since it's weakened, but... it said it would return." Dream sipped and glared at Cross' bamboozled expression. "I didn't want to believe it- I tried praying it away but it just... didn't go. It's strong. It's a very strong demon..."
"It's no match for you, alright? If anything, I'm here."
"Could you promise me something, Cross?"
Dream said this suddenly, getting Cross' full attention.
"When the demon comes back... please kill it."
Cross blinked, nodding. He seemed a bit taken aback by Dream's request, but it had made sense to him. He supported Dream as the two stepped down. Cross led Dream to Nightmare's cruiser.
"He's okay?" Nightmare asked, concerned.
"Hi Night..." Dream said this with a smile, standing beside Cross.
"Oh thank God." Nightmare sighed, appearing of happiness and relief that his brother was fine. "I was worried. I heard screaming, but I figured it was just the demon. Cross, I couldn't thank you enough."
"Of course. It's what I do. I'd like to stay with Dream for a while for counseling though. That horrid thing scared him half to death." Cross sighed, picturing himself in Dream's situation.
"Right. Do what you must. I'll get going, but call me when you get the chance or if you need me. Like I said, no work."
Cross nodded as Nightmare started the car and went. Dream shut his eye sockets and allowed himself to get held and dragged back into the church by Cross.
"Come on, buddy. Let's get you calmed down."
After a month, Dream still stood with Cross and attended Sunday meetings. Cross somehow couldn't stop thinking about that demon. What did it mean by "taking advantage of the situation?" Was that bribery? Of course, the affairs of a demon are not to be trifled with, but he had been curious. He caught himself thinking about this often, furious at the fact that the demon "caught" him in this loop of thought. It meant no good, and that was point-blank. Yet he still kept thinking of it.
It kept him up at night. He was intrigued by a demon, a DEMON. A priest, someone of whom people looked up to, was intrigued by evil. How could he? He felt like a traitor.
Cross noticed Dream wasn't at a session on Sunday without notice. Immediately, after he had finished with the day, he went to his place. He couldn't have been possessed again. His hypothesis had been answered when he heard thudding in the yard.
"Dream?" Cross rang the bell. "Dream, it's me. I'm just checking up on you."
No answer.
"Dream..." Another knock. "Come on, buddy, I'm worried. There's strange noises. I know you're in there."
No answer.
"Let me in. Please."
Then, Dream appeared behind a tree, looking frantic as he stood fully covered by the sun.
"Please go." He said before running off into the trees once again. Cross shouted, near panic now.
"Dream! Dream, open the gate! I-I- I promised you, no? Come on- just let me in!"
Cross heard the door lock click, and quickly opened it, running off into the yard. The place was a mess, broken glass nearly everywhere and the garden in pieces. Cross looked, both in shock and terror. Dream was spaced out, a horrified expression on his face. He was mumbling, apologizing to himself. Cross tried to grab his shoulder, but Dream retorted and jumped back, a look of anger and sadism now on his face.
"Ah. The priest. You were worried, weren't you? How cute."
Cross pulled out his cross-shaped necklace from the inside of his turtleneck and held it in front of him, mumbling a prayer softly. Dream flinched, but merely looked away and shut his eye sockets.
"Not going to work. Nice try, though~"
"I warned you the first time. Go. Away." Cross said aloud this time, still desperately praying.
"Christ won't solve all of your problems. May be my weakness, but it won't kill me. Try as you might, love. I will only keep on coming and coming. This is an excellent host."
"Go back to where you belong-"
The demon smiled, clearly amused by Cross' failed efforts.
"My proposition stands, boy. Come, let's sit down and discuss. Stop with your vain-filled attempts of getting rid of me."
Cross stopped, not knowing what he was doing and resting the necklace back down to his chest. Defeated, he stopped with the soft chants and looked at the pleased Dream.
"Pardon my... mess." Dream said, walking over to a nearby bench and resting on it. "I've been busy."
"Possessing innocents?"
"I'm in no need of your church talk, priest. Anyways..."
Cross felt himself forced to the bench. It was eerie. Very, very eerie. He got a knot in his ribcage. He stared at Dream, sweating and with shaking eye lights. They nearly looked diluted.
"I... You are one of the interesting ones. You fear me. You fear me in the good way. You don't fear me because of my actions, but you fear me like you fear Christ. It's rather obvious." Dream smiled, Cross drowning in cold sweat.
"No. That's where you're wrong-"
"But am I? You were hesitant during our first meeting. I can sense everything. You were excited with my demeanor, yet you still attempted to get rid of me anyway. Because it's your "job." Your stupid little occupation. You are so much better than where you are now; I can feel it."
"At least I'm happy where I am."
"Don't drown yourself in pretty lies, boy. One can only dig a hole so far down."
Cross was shocked.
"You dare call me a liar?" He laughed, bewildered.
"Oh, it would be awful to sin, hm? Shame everyone has done it. After all, it's what that book of yours says."
He stood silent and glared at the demon. It had a point. He shook his head, clearing the thought of giving into its words.
"I know that. I've studied-"
"Ohoho~ You're holding back now! How curious. See what I mean? All you do is lie to yourself. It's so sad. Tut, tut..."
Cross was angered. He flustered and got up, furious.
"I'm leaving."
"No, you're not." The demon somehow pulled Cross in, grabbing his wrist and savoring his disbelief. "Not until you let me stay."
"You won't stay."
"Then you aren't leaving."
"I made a promise to Dream, I'm meant to kill you. I will do that."
"If only you could! HA!"
The demon begun laughing maliciously. Cross was extremely uncomfortable now, his head hurting as he looked away from the sight of Dream's body being used for evil.
"Hahaha... oh my, you holy figures make my day... ah. You should accept the fact the promise you made was a lie. Another lie of yours. Another lie you want to conceal to uphold your beloved image."
"I- No, I-"
"No, I'm telling the bitter truth. Bitter to you, at least."
Cross shook his head, processing it all. He hadn't noticed. He fell into the demon's grasp the moment it first spoke. He was so foolish- how couldn't he have noticed? He sighed miserably before making his decision.
"Fine. Stay. Don't make me change my mind."
"Attaboy... that's it..."
Cross felt released and went to the entrance at once.
"Goodbye." He said, opening the fence door and slamming it.
The car ride back was thought-filled. Mostly negative ones. He had betrayed Dream's trust. He put it into the hands of the enemy.
He prayed Dream would forgive him for this.