Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The study was quiet, the only noise being that of the gentle rain that patterned onto the windows. A faint light casting from a few candles into the closed chambers and coating over Nightmare. The guardian had been there for quite some time, probably too much in all honesty. It was late after all, everyone else's duties had been fulfilled for the day and so he had no reason to be anywhere else. 

Tomorrow’s schedule had already been determined; with Killer, Horror, and Cross going out to cause a minimal, but still noticeable, amount of chaos in a select few AUs. He’d been getting more prominent and bold with his actions lately. He knew his brother had begun to notice, he knew the fear it brought every time he sent out another attack. Was it right to call it a war? No direct confrontation had been made quite yet, not with Nightmare directly. His lackeys had been making more and more appearances as he requested, enough to start rumors and spike people’s paranoia. 

His planning would take a long time, these things couldn’t exactly be rushed could they? He’d been waiting for years now but he couldn’t strike directly quite yet. He had to wait. Moving too soon would lead to too much preparation put against him. While he provided himself in what he had created over the years, even he knew that with the right planning he could be defeated. 

Let time pass, it’s your best chance of success. 

The words echoed in his mind, he truly had been told them countless times. It pained him to know that he had to be reminded so often, by someone so beneath him too. It made him feel pathetic. 

Looking down at the dwindling stack of papers, the guardian decided he had gotten enough work done for the night. He could continue tomorrow; all the stress was starting to give him a migraine. Maybe the dinner he skipped was also a playing factor in his current demise. Horror was already mad at him enough for his recent lack of eating and attending meals. 

Nightmare finally stood up, feeling his spine crack and pop as he stretched. A hand rested upon his temple for a moment and moved to pinch the bridge of where his nose would be. It was a starting migraine, there was no doubt about it anymore. He cursed to himself, walking close to the large glass stained window, reaching for the curtains that hung around the grand display. The curtains were pushed back into place, the dark velvet soaking up the small amount of light they brought in and leaving the study with its candles and more traditional lighting. 

Moving closer to the unlit fireplace, one of his tendrils reached out and wrapped itself around a bottle of wine. Carefully, it brought the bottle from up on the mantel and into the guardians hands. He seated himself into one of the plush chairs, willingly sinking into it before opening the bottle of wine and downing a few mouthfuls. The sting it left in the back of his throat was heavenly, a faint taste of cherries lingering on his tongue before he continued drinking from the bottle. Half a bottle turned into an entire one, which turned into another, and another. The sensation , the taste , the burn, it was all equally as unpleasant as it was addictive. 

It must have looked so pathetic, he knew just how pathetic he was. Trying his best to get as drunk as physically possible, alone, in his office. 

Bzzzzt!

He groaned at the sudden noise, pain shooting through his skull sharply. His phone continued to vibrate against the side table it sat on, threatening to fall off the longer it rang. Begrudgingly, Nightmare grabbed his phone and squinted at the sudden bright light. 

Cross.

Taking a moment to compose himself, the guardian answered. 

“What is it you need, Cross?”

“I uhh- sorry to bother you, I know it’s pretty late. I didn't disrupt your work did I?”

“No, I decided to take a break a while ago. Why did you call me again?”

“Right, sorry. He’s back. He’s been waiting in the garden for you, you know how he gets.”

“...tell him I’ll be there shortly.”

“Of cour-”

He ended the call before the other could properly respond. 

Out of every night that damn fox could have decided to come back, he just had to do it tonight. Great, it was just great. He hadn’t even gotten to properly deep clean the bastard's room. He wasn’t meant to come back for another few weeks at least. He never did have a proper schedule, but he’d never been gone for less than 5 months. It was always at least 6 months on the dot. 

“That fucking brat.” The guardian growled to himself, standing up before nearly toppling over. His vision was blurred and his limbs felt too heavy to move to his will. His wish of getting “wasted” as some would say, had unfortunately come true. When it came to meeting anyone else he wouldn’t have cared, he probably would have been able to hide it too. 

But not with him , not this time. 

Steadying himself against the side table, Nightmare took a moment to compose himself once again. 

Be calm, be calm , be calm , be calm , be calm .  

The guardian was quick to make his way out of his study and into the castle halls. The occasional chandelier above head was enough to cast a warm light that just barely aggravated the pain.  The throbbing in his skull seemed to worsen with every damn second he spent moving and thinking. 

The hallways were thankfully empty, Dust and Killer were most likely already asleep. Cross has obviously been awake, probably too paranoid to fall asleep once again. And Horror was either in the kitchen or in the garden keeping the fox company. 

Much to his relief, Nightmare saw that Horror was indeed in the kitchen. The other skeleton waved at him from across the room as the guardian passed by, his usual apron draped over him. The smell of some sort of meat and seasoning filled the room, something which would have been nice if not for the fact it made the guardian’s migraine worse. He gave him a weak wave back, turning back to making his way to the garden.

Passing by the other utility rooms, the guardian walked through the maze that was the castle he’d created. Sometimes he truly wished to rework it, but the thought of how much time and magic it would take made him dread the task. It had been perfect all those years ago when he first thought up the plan, and had him help draw out the floor planning of each and every floor. How either of them had the energy or time to do it was a mystery. 

Coming up to the side door that led out to the garden, Nightmare groaned as he struggled to get the metal door to open properly. Pressing his side into the cold metal, it eventually gave way and allowed for him to pass through. Immediately he was met with the faint breeze and sunlight that the clouds managed to mainly dim out, leaving it looking a little past dawn at almost all times. 

He’d been able to feel the fox’s presence since he left his study. His soul. A soul so pathetically weak, yet so undeniably unique that it could never go unnoticed. Even when they'd been together, far apart at that, in an overpopulated AU, he always knew he was there. It was a cluster. Something that shouldn’t exist. He wasn’t meant to exist. But he was still necessary. 

Nightmare wasn’t surprised to see the fox, the way he held himself with pride despite the fact his clothes were slightly torn. He’d lost weight as well, as he did every time he left. His usual beige sweater, black dress pants, and black boots adorning his body. With his left leg crossed over his right, the fox sat in his usual garden chair. The one with rust starting to form at the bottom of the legs and had his initials engraved into the backing of the iron chair. Uncomfortable, no doubt, but his. Undeniably, absolutely his. 

“You are early.” The guardian stated. 

“And you’re drunk. I can smell it from here.” The fox spoke, nose twitching at the potency of the red wine emanating from the skeleton. 

“I suppose that you see straight through me. I do apologize, I did not expect your arrival for another three weeks at least. Why the sudden return?” He walked closer, sitting down into the garden chair across from the fox. The chair was far newer, many having been before it and each one customized to his specifications. 

“...you're not in the right mindset at the moment. I’ll tell you the truth later. Though I’ve finished a few of my scriptures now, and I know just how much you hate me keeping them anywhere other than your sacred library.”

“I may be intoxicated at the moment, but if something has caused you to break routine I must assume it is rather important, is it not?”

“It concerns your brother and his… little group of friends. They’ve been rather adamant about you lately. Your little plan of taking things slowly to gain their attention has been working rather well.”

“As expected, but what, precisely, is going on with them?”

“He wants to see you again.”

“... pardon?”

“He wants to have a “civilized conversation” with you again.” The fox rolled his shoulders, already knowing how the request would be taken.

“I assume he believes that everything can be resolved with a hug and a singalong.” The guardian felt disgusted at the mere thought of indulging in any of Dream’s childish fantasies. 

“Once again, you’re wrong . Your brother wants to make amends to you with a truce. The idea has been discussed rather intently over the past few days. I thought you should know about this sooner rather than later. You know how they all get when they’ve settled their mind on an idea they're sure will work perfectly .”

“They’re going to be looking for you soon .”

“... how long do you think I have?”

“A… no… shut up… probably two weeks at most… probably less.” The fox rambled to himself for a moment, something Nightmare knew to simply ignore by now. His judgment was, unfortunately , the first priority behind Nightmare’s own. 

“Thank you. We can begin a discussion with everyone else first thing in the morning on how the schedule will have to be adjusted. This was not expected to happen for another few months after all.”

“Understood. I can collect and lay out the written schedule from the library for tomorrow then.”

“Leave it, just... focus on getting some sleep for tonight. I know how tiring your travels can be, however short they may be, and I need you to be in the best possible mindset for tomorrow's discussion and eventual decisions.”

“... as you wish.” The fox truly didn’t have the energy to fight back. And the guardian was right, he’s been exhausted with getting as much information about the Star Sanses’ plan as possible. Just having to see all of them again… it made him sick to his stomach. 

“It is late, I believe we both need rest for the night. Come on.” Nightmare sighed, taking a moment to steady himself as he stood up from his chair. His vision blurred and spun unsteadily for a moment longer than he’d like to admit. Though considering how the fox already knew, there wasn’t any point in trying to deny the state he was in. 

No more words were spoken between the two creatures as the guardian led the fox into the castle. He’d become accustomed with the grounds just as the guardian had over the years, and he probably knew the place better despite how much time he spent away from it. The fox had taken inspiration from several other places he’d, and the other souls he now had, experienced in the past. He’s picked the ones he liked, and implemented them into the floor plans with Nightmare’s approval. It created a sense of familiarity for the smaller creature, even if the sights and sounds he recalled weren’t his own. 

Passing by the kitchen once again, Horror was still present and gave a smile to the fox. “I didn’t realize you were back. How are you? Do you want something to eat?” The skeleton asked, always surprisingly attentive.

“No thank you Horror, I do promise that I’ll eat in the morning though. I haven’t been feeling the best lately, so a light breakfast would be greatly appreciated.” 

“Alright, as long as you’ll eat.” And with that, the skeleton seemed to lay off the matter. 

“Horror, once you finish up, do go rest for the night. Let the others know to be well prepared for tomorrow, we have… many matters to discuss.” Nightmare spoke from behind the fox. 

“Of course, anything else?”

“No, that is all. Goodnight Horror.” The guardian bid his farewells to the other skeleton, turning back and walking down the hallways. The fox gave a small nod of understanding and kept close, but not invasive, to him. The smell of old wood and something faintly floral still stuck to the walls of carpets in the castle. Nightmare usually did a deep cleaning at the 6 month mark of the fox’s absence in preparation for him coming back again. It made him wonder a little about what else was usually done before he arrived that he never realized before. He was, unfortunately, aware of the fact that he had gotten rather used to the life he lived with the guardian. Spoiled wasn’t exactly a fitting adjective for it, but something akin to a little too much comfortability seemed to work better.

The guardian led the fox back to his room, opening the door and watching as he made his way in. He set down his messenger bag, the leather having become worn and slightly torn over the years. He watched as the fox's shadow manifested itself from off the ground and gave the guardian a small bow before sorting through its owner's bag. 

“I should be able to transfer a few of my works to the library soon. Have the covers I commissioned from Sci arrived yet?” The fox asked, taking a stack of papers bound together from his shadow. 

“Not yet, they said it should arrive soon though.”

“Good, I’ll focus on my other works in the meantime then.” He watched as his shadow sorted the bound pages onto a shelf where a few others had been sitting. 

“Right, goodnight then.” Was all the guardian said before taking his leave, closing the door to the room behind him. The fox was silent for a few moments, listening as he heard Nightmare's footsteps disappear down the hall. He relaxed his shoulders, groaning as he rolled them and straightened out his back a bit. 

“He seems a lot more standoffish, even for him.” His shadow eventually spoke, the voice being of his own yet sounding distant and slightly warped.

“I’m aware. But you know how he gets when he drinks. I suppose I can't blame him either, he wasn’t expecting me to come back so soon. At least he’s considerate enough to tone it down when I’m around.”

“... considerate, of course.” 

“You’re supposed to be the one agreeing with me.” The fox glared over at the shadow as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

“I am you, made of you, for you. What do you think that means?”

“... he said he needs me tomorrow, he’s just a bit messed up at the moment.”

“And if he’s not? Is he finally getting tired of you as a poor excuse for an ally?” The shadow asked, head tilting more than it should have. A long uncomfortable silence stretched out between the two, technically one, of them. “Go run me a bath.” The fox eventually said, resting his head in his hands as he sat there.

The shadow didn’t say anything else as it simply did as it was told, making its way to the extended bathroom attached to the room. A small sigh of relief left him as he heard the sound of running water finally coming from the other side of the wall he was on. 

He’s had his phases before, it’ll pass. Let it pass . 

A numbing feeling washed over his body as he held his head in his hands and saliva formed in his mouth. Being nauseous, unfortunately, wasn’t an uncommon occurrence for the fox, though it did happen to still be one of his biggest weaknesses. The feeling of what was inside his own body forcing itself out and up his throat was one he felt at least every few months by now. He had gotten so good at always keeping it down when he was younger, but now he knew he wouldn't be able to stop it no matter how hard he tried.

A shaky sigh left his mouth as he forced himself up, pressing a hand against the furniture and walls as he made his way towards the bathroom. His hands shook in his lap as the shadow stood above him, looking down at its master in such a pitiful state. 

“Just get it over with.”

The soft scent of vanilla filled the air in the small space that was the bathroom. The warm water that engulfed the fox’s frame was therapeutic as he worked to scrub the built up grime through his fur. It was always the same routine when he came back, one he stuck to and insisted was necessary at this point. To come back, talk with Nightmare, take a bath, get changed into the same band-tee and shorts, and then… 

Would Nightmare even allow it tonight?

Certainly he’d have to, wouldn’t he?

The thought plagued the fox for a few moments before he forced it away from his consciousness. Now wasn’t the time to be so afraid by such minuscule thoughts. His hands went back to their vigorous movements as they scrubbed his fur clean. By the end of it, the water felt lukewarm at best and has turned a slight shade darker than would be appealing to admit. Though compared to times in the past, it truly could have been worse. 

Calling over his shadow once again, the fox stepped out of the tub and onto the plush bathroom mats that covered the floor. He took one towel and the shadow kept the other, both beginning to work on drying off the fox’s fur. The task could be a one person job, but it went by much faster with two instead. When he was a child he’d have to spend an entire afternoon drying it with how thick it had been back then. Though now his fur had become a little more thin during the past few years. He had expected it, knew it would happen just as it had to both his mother and father, but still, it wasn’t a feeling he liked. 

By the ten minute mark he deemed it dry enough to allow his shadow to rest once more. The longer it was around the more drained he felt anyways. He set down both towels to dry on the rack on the wall before changing into the fading band-tee that Killer had gifted him when they were becoming acquainted, and the black shorts he’d stolen from Horror around the same time. The skeleton had enough, he probably didn’t even notice it left his laundry basket that day. 

Standing in front of the mirror, the fox looked at himself for a moment. He looked better than when he first arrived, but not nearly as good as when he’d left either. Leaning over the counter to see himself closer in the mirror, he grabbed a small hand towel and wet the edge of it before using it to massage the inside of his ears. Just as mother had told him to do when he was younger. 

Being fully clean was a nice feeling, though something that the fox truly had to work for to achieve. Still, it felt worth it after the few months he spent out. Feeling exhausted, the fox slipped out of the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He glanced back at his bed for a moment and a sense of dread flooded over his senses. A pain he knew all too well shot through his soul, causing him to shudder.

Nightmare.

The fox was quick to leave his room, the sound of his padded feet against the floor echoing faintly. His room was relatively close to the guardian’s, compared to the others anyways. The guardian had his room on the highest floor of the castle, while everyone else had their rooms scattered around on different floors according to their ranking. Moon had been the only one that Nightmare insisted be close to him, it had been just the two of them in the beginning after all. He still got to choose which room it was specifically and of course he wanted the one nearest to the library on the 5th floor. The guardian was the only creature residing on the 6th.

The trip through the dark and desolate hallways was rather short, the fox could easily find his way through with his eyes closed. Upon reaching the corridor leading straight to the guardian’s room, he could see the small crack as the door was propped open. He’d already been expecting him . The realization was just as comforting as it was nerve wracking. 

The fox closed the distance between him and the open door, quickly making his way inside and closing the large wooden door behind him. The guardian was leaned up against the railing of the balcony attached to the main room. His tendrils weren’t present, a rare sight, and he held a partially filled glass of wine. His usual black satin robe was wrapped around his skeletal form, just as it always was on this night.

“I didn’t think you’d be drinking again.” The fox broke the silence, approaching the other side of the room where a change of clothes sat on the guardian's bed. A black satin pajama shirt and shorts set, the exact same one he had every time.

“My apologies, but it is helping with the headache.” Nightmare glanced back at the smaller creature, eyeing him before looking back to the garden and forests that surrounded the castle. 

“It’s also the same reason you have a headache in the first place.” The fox changed out of his clothes for the considered stolen ones laid out for him. A hum was all that was said back in response as the guardian downed the rest of the crimson liquid and set down his glass onto a table in the middle of the room. The glass double doors that lead to the balcony were closed with a small click behind him as the guardian approached the bed. The throbbing pain in his skull had still persisted, and wine only gave a temporary and short-lived relief. The bitter taste continued to linger, strong enough for the fox to smell it as he joined the guardian on the bed. 

This… thing that they had, it was considered a ritual by the fox. The night of his return, no matter how long he had been gone for, he would have the exact same… night terror. As childish as it did seem, it happened consistently and without fail every time he came back to the castle. With Nightmare being one often known for manipulating or entirely changing dreams, it should have been a perfect match. 

Key word: should .

Though Nightmare prided himself in being a creature who had managed to hone his skills over the years he’d been taught by the younger fox, it was the only dream he was never able to change or prevent. As much as he fed off of the negative emotions of others, the fox was an exception. The first few times it had occurred the guardian hadn’t been aware of the fox’s predicament, and so it was chalked up to simple insomnia. As it continued every time he returned, it had begun to affect his work. He had refused to sleep for days in hopes that he wouldn’t have to relive the experience again. 

Nightmare’s number one priority was the fox’s well being, as it directly impacted how well he worked. The better he was, the more pampered he was, the more he was able to focus and get his works done and continue his teachings. In return it directly benefited Nightmare himself, allowing him to keep the fox’s extensive work kept in his library and now able to keep his magic in check.

The guardian seated himself onto the left side of the bed, scooting under the plush covers as he watched the fox do the same on the right side. He watched as the smaller creature leaned closely beside him, pressing his side into the guardian’s chest. In return, Nightmare pressed his skull onto the top of the fox’s head. The same position, just as they’d done countless times before. 

So why did it have to feel so wrong this time?

He’d spent so many nights sleeping beside the creature, intoxicated or not, a few times simply because the fox wanted to. It was more than he’d do with anyone else, but he never did take it as anything more than him helping him out, to be there for him. To hold him still and know another living creature depended on him, to know he was truly needed.

Why couldn’t he handle it this time?

The smell of the fox’s damp but now clean fur penetrated Nightmare’s senses; the same vanilla body wash that he’d been using for over ten years now. The sound of his steady breathing as his body fit in perfectly between the guardian's chest. It was all too much for him to handle. It was usually the perfect thing for him, always had been despite how much he knew he hated to admit it to himself. But tonight, the only night he knew the fox truly needed him, he couldn’t stand it. It made his very soul clench and burn with every emotion he knew he should represent, and he absolutely despised the feeling.

He bit his tongue, wanted to just feel like this was supposed to be happening. He always felt good despite the pain he knew the fox would be in. But just the thought of having to hold him steady as he trashed and cried, something he’d seen enough to know exactly how to react to it, it nauseated him now. It made him hate every little thing about himself, made him feel weak and pathetic for not being able to do anything more for the one creature he depended on the most. 

“Moon, I can not do this. Not tonight.” The guardian was quick with his words, more so than he meant to be. He hadn’t even known if he’d meant to say it, his mind forced his body to speak instead of slowly damaging itself. 

“...what?” The fox’s voice quivered. 

“I am sorry, but I just can not do this.”

“But we always do this, I need this. You know I can’t stop them.” 

“You need to leave.” The longer he dragged this out the more he knew it would hurt. 

“Nightmare I know you’re drunk, but I need you .” He sounded terrified. 

“I know. Leave.”

“ Nightmare I can’t han- ”

“I know. Now leave before I make you.” The guardian’s tendril ripped the blanket off of both of them. The fox's body trembled, fear enriched deeply into his soul as Nightmare’s hand gripped his collar. His tendril slithered itself around the fox’s torso, reaching his neck but hesitating to tighten.

I thought you quit. I thought you were better than this now. You promised. You promised me you’d stop.

“Do not think that even for a second, you are the one in charge here. You are beneath me. You will do what you are told, when you are told to, understand?” Nightmare explained, his voice leaving no room for argument. The choked sound that came from the smaller creature was amusing. His fear, though faint, tasted bittersweet.

The fox felt himself shiver, a lump forming in the back of his closing throat as he looked up at Nightmare. 

Liar.

“Fine, I’ll see you in the morning then.” His voice tried to sound steady, but it broke midway through his sentence as he struggled to breath. The tendrils were quick to let go and the fox could feel the skin beneath his fur that had been faintly bruised. He stole the guardian’s slippers as he got off the bed and walked towards the door. He would have looked back at him if not for the water beginning to form at the edge of his eyes. The door was quietly closed behind him as he slipped out and pressed his back against the wood for a few moments. 

It wasn’t a rare thing to see Nightmare mad, it was a daily occurrence to everyone. From a small outburst due to a stupid disagreement, to breaking multiple bones by disobeying him, the fox had seen just about all of it. He had never been on the receiving end of the abuse though, only ever watched it happen as a result of the guardian's unfavorable temper. And that wasn’t even considering how much worse it was when he first met the guardian. Gods , he could write a novel on its own about just how much destruction the single creature was capable of if he was in a bad enough mood. 

While it was something he often used to jab at the guardian for attention, he also knew that Nightmare never ruled him as a complete exception. The soreness of the skin around his neck was proof of that, but it wasn’t that bad this time. At least the fur would keep it well hidden again. The fox’s arms wrapped themselves around his figure, nails digging into his sides as he tried to calm himself. 

Be calm, be still, be calm, be still. 

His ears twitched as they pressed down against his head. It was late, most of everyone else would already be asleep by now, wouldn't they? Though there was always Dust, but it would be a burden to wake him. Then again, there was a good chance that he wasn’t even planning on sleeping tonight. The fox curled in on himself as he began to steady his breathing. He glanced around the empty corridor before beginning to distance himself from Nightmare’s room. 

His stolen slippers softly padded against the marble flooring as he went down two flights of stairs, eventually finding himself in front of Dust’s room. He could hear the faint noise of what sounded like music and other voices from the other side, most likely the skeleton still awake and on his phone. Taking a deep breath and unraveling his arms from his sides, he brought up his right hand to knock on the wooden door. 

“Killer go away, I’m not in the mo-“ “It’s not Killer.”

The fox heard the sound of faint footsteps coming closer before the door was unlocked and pulled back. He watched as Dust seemed out of it for a moment before confusion took its place over him. 

“I… didn’t realize you were back.”

“Had to come back on some short notice, sorry.”

“No, no it’s fine just… what are you doing here?” Dust asked, already moving from the doorway to allow the fox to enter the room. The fox was quick to slip into the smaller space, the familiar smell of cigarette smoke sticking to the walls in an oddly comforting manner. “Nightmare wasn’t really… he isn’t in a good mood tonight. You know how he is when he drinks too much.”

“Right, I forgot about your whole “first night of return and horrible reliving of your past” thing.”

“That the official title now?” A weak laugh came from the fox.

“A little, that’s what me, Kills, and Horror have been calling it anyway,” The skeleton shrugged for a moment. “I’m going to assume you came to me because Nightmare wouldn’t let you spend the night with him for once?”

“Ya, pretty much.”

“Alright, be my guest then. Not like you don’t know your way around.” The teasing was enough to make the fox feel better, even if only earning a weak smile from him. He watched as the skeleton made his way back into bed before he joined him and sat on the edge of the mattress.

“How did your little adventure go? I got a text from Horror that we had to be well rested for something tomorrow morning. Would that have anything to do with your trip?” Dust asked, scooting over to the right side of the bed to make room for the fox.

“Kinda… I don’t think Nightmare would like me talking about it.” Moon sat down on the left side of the mattress, allowing the other to drape the blanket over him.

“You’re like his dog sometimes, you know that?”

“Ya, I know.”

“… so why do you even stick around here with us?”

“Why do you stay?”

“… cause… I don’t got anywhere else to go.”

“Exactly. I think Nightmare has some sort of kink for collecting people that depend on him for survival.”

“Stars, I hate it here.” The skeleton groaned, more to himself than to the fox that laid bedside him. Dust wrapped an arm around Moon, digging his face into the fox’s neck fluff and letting out a small sigh of pure exhaustion. 

“Hey, watch the neck.” He flinched at the sudden contact and tried his best to create a bit of distance between them.

“Sorry… should I ask who it’s from?” The silence that followed was enough of an answer. Usually the fox would be trying to make up some sort of excuse or blame himself for whatever injury he had, but he didn't. Meaning he didn’t want to admit who had caused the bruise, because of course he didn't. 

It wasn’t even bad this time. More soreness than any real pain. The bruise would fade within a few days instead of weeks. 

“Fine, your choice.” Dust mumbled, moving to rest his head against his chest. His fur poked out from underneath his shirt and made a rather nice pillow to lay on. “Are you going to be alright?”

“... I don’t know.” The fox rested his snout atop of Dust’s skull, wrapping an arm around the both of them.

“Alright… you’ll be alright, okay? Just don’t bash in my skull in your sleep.” The laugh died in his throat at the fox’s expression. “... bad joke?”

“A little. I mean it’s not like I ever hurt Nightmare or anything, but then again, he’s… you know… used to dealing with me.”

“I know.” He dug his face further into the fox’s fur, wrapping an arm around him in return.

You'll be fine by morning, just let it pass. 

By the time the fox had woken, the body he’d fallen asleep next to was gone and all the sheets were bunched together at his side. With blurred vision, he could see the skeleton’s phone was still on the side table though. He wouldn’t have gone far without it, meaning he didn’t fully leave him. The realization brought the fox a small bit of comfort, and the leftover warmth on the empty side of the mattress only further proved his point. 

The noise of the bedroom door opening caused the fox’s ears to stand, to which the sound of shuffling slippers was heard quietly after. “G’morning sleepy head.” Dust's voice gently teased as he set something down onto the nightstand, most likely putting out a cigarette from the smell. Sitting back down onto the bed he brought the fox into a small embrace, pressing his teeth to the top of his head for a quick peck. “… mornin’…” The fox mumbled back, relishing in the warmth that the skeleton brought him and pressing his face into his chest.

“Last night was… something.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, it’s just what happens.” He held the fox close against himself, gently stroking his fur in circular motions for a few minutes. “Horror’s making breakfast, said he’d be done in about half an hour or so. Do you need any help getting ready?” Dust asked, pulling away so he could properly see the fox’s face but not quite letting him go yet. 

“No, I should be fine. But… thank you, for dealing with me and everything.” He hated it, hated having to rely on someone else. To be so utterly pathetic and weak in front of someone else.  

“Of course, ya know I’m always here.” Dust gave him a weak smile before pressing one last quick peck to the fox’s mouth before unwrapping his arms from around the fox.

“Thank you. It means a lot.” He returned the weak smile, forcing the expression onto his face. “I’ll go now. Tell Horror I’ll be down pretty soon.” The fox sat up, rubbing at the fur around his face before getting up from the mattress. With his stolen slippers, he gave Dust one last glance, and made his way out of the other’s bedroom.  

Warm lighting spilled through the castle's windows and onto the marble flooring, reflecting off the occasional mirror or glass decoration. Very, very faintly, the sound of commotion could be heard coming from the bottom floor, managing to echo through the halls and up the stairs. Horror was most definitely the one actually making food, and either Killer or Cross was there to keep them company. 

The fox made his way back up to his floor and bedroom, entering and grabbing an outfit for the day. His usual beige sweater and black pants would have to wait a bit until they could be worn again, the small rips and tears evident in the seams of the fabric. He’d have to ask Dust to mend them again sometime soon. Looking back through the decently sized closet, the fox was able to decide on a white dress shirt with a black vest top, black slacks, along with a black and orange floral patterned tie. Once he brushed out the knots in his fur and made sure he didn’t look too drained from his reliving last night, he allowed himself to leave the confines of his room. 

The fox made little to no noise as he made his way through the halls once again, slipping through the corridors until he reached the staircase that cut through the entire structure. It was essentially a straight shot from there, with the kitchen and open dining room being a short distance from where the stairs stopped. The smell of different types of meats and bread were present far before the fox reached the dining room, looking over to the doorway that led to the kitchen. He decided against entering, knowing how Horror got, and instead took a seat at the table. Killer was already there, sitting in the 2nd chair on the left side. The fox took his own seat, the chair closest to the “front” end on the right side, directly next to where Nightmare always sat. 

“I’m surprised you made it down before he did, usually it’s the other way ‘round. What’s up with that? Don’t tell me you got into a fight again.” Killer teased, close to no actual malicious intent backing up his words. His usual attire was some sort of t-shirt and shorts along with his jacket and sneakers, yet he lacked the jacket and wore a long sleeve black shirt. A small change, but still a predictable one at that. 

The fox didn’t allow himself to express anything through his expression. “It’s not my place to say.” His voice was unwavering as he stood his ground.

Killer’s smirk faltered for a split second, “You two got into an argument already? Didn’t you just come back las-” “ I said , it is not my place to say. So drop it .” His words were more a command than any semblance of a request. It seemed to do its job though, shutting Killer up from his pestering on the subject. Before any other questions could arise, Cross came from the kitchen, holding a plate of food in each hand. 

“Oh, Moon, good to see you.” The younger one spoke, setting down a plate in front of the fox and at Nightmare’s spot. He was still skinny, no, thin . His attitude seemed better though, at least compared to the day he’d left, it had been a particularly harsh day for him. The usual amount of layers he was seen wearing were stripped away, leaving only a thin black turtleneck and some sweatpants with a design down the sides. 

“Likewise.” The fox gave him a small nod of acknowledgment, smiling softly at him as the plate was set down. A slice of french toast drizzled with, most likely, sugar-free syrup, two slices of bacon, more soft than crunchy, and a poached egg cut in half adorned the ceramic plate. The fox said a small thanks to the other before he disappeared into the kitchen again and emerged with another two plates. He continued to transfer the plates, setting down Killer’s, Dust’s, his own, and Horror’s.  

Cross eventually sat down in his seat, 1st on the left side. He started to have some sort of conversation with Killer, something about how their sections in the garden were currently doing. The fox didn’t pay much mind to it, it didn't involve him after all. It made for good white noise before Horror eventually emerged from the kitchen, wearing a grey shirt under his usual jacket and some black pants. He flashed a quick smile at the fox, to which it was returned along with a small wave from the smaller creature. “Ya sleep alright?” He questioned, sitting down in the 3rd seat on the right.

“As much as I could, I suppose.” The fox knew the others knew about the reliving, of course they did, but he highly doubted that Dust had told them he hadn’t spent it with Nightmare this time. He forced out a fake laugh, as if it hadn't been in pure, brutalizing pain that didn’t really exist last night. Horror seemed to drop the matter, reading the room enough to know it wasn’t something to be pressed upon at the moment. Just as the larger skeleton was going to ask if the fox had seen either Nightmare or Dust, the pair made their entrance into the dining room. 

“Good morning to you all.”

“ Morning. ”

The guardian’s hand was placed onto Dust’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze just a bit too rough for comfort. He ushered the other to sit down, watching as he did in the 2nd right seat, right next to the fox. “Sorry we took so long, got caught up talking about stuff.” The usual hooded skeleton lacked his key feature, but he looked better in a black v-neck and dark blue jeans anyway. He gave the fox’s hand a small squeeze under the table, a silent “are you alright?” clearly being asked. The fox only smiled softly at the other before letting go and looking up towards Nightmare. 

“Thank you for the food Horror, I am impressed as per usual.” The guardian complimented, the lines of what parts were forced and what was a genuine compliment blurred for the others to clearly tell apart. The fox knew it was genuine, the faint shine in his eyelight and the gifted dark turquoise tie underneath the tailed black suit spoke more than the guardian himself would.

Once the guardian was seated, everyone else began to eat. It was a silent rule, one never quite spoken out loud but mutually agreed upon by everyone. If Nightmare was to show up to the meal, then no one would begin eating until he was seated. Sure it wasn’t an actual rule, no one ever got into any trouble when they’d begin eating before his arrival, but it was a force of habit.

The sound of scraping forks and knives against plates was occasionally broken by the conversation going around the table. Branching off of the garden, towards how Sci had been lately, to how everyone had generally been doing over the past few days. In simple terms, everyone had been doing relatively fine, besides Horror getting a minor injury on one of the more recent missions they went on. Meals are usually either one of two things, extremely talkative or dead silent. The latter usually only happened after a failed mission, a slip up, or a nasty argument having broken out earlier in the day. So an actually talkative breakfast was quite a nice thing for the fox to come back to.

Throughout the meal, both the fox and the guardian were rare to speak, only mumbling a few words or simply not responding at all. It was usual, both of them were akin to each other in that manner. Yet there was an underlying tension between the two as they ate. The guardian’s tendrils flickered behind him, a little more than they usually would in such a casual setting. While the action could easily be interpreted as anger, maybe aggression, it was far from it. 

He was at a loss for words, too deep in thought to properly control his magic the way he usually did. Surely not out of control, but its leash allowed itself to go just a bit farther than he usually locked it at. 

The positivity that emanated from the others’ seated at the table was tolerable, dulled and made lukewarm by the fox’s silent but unmistakable nervousness. He always emitted the emotion, even when he was happiest it seemed to cling to him like cigarette smoke. It was a pro rather than a con though, as it allowed the guardian to handle this setting better. It made the bitter taste a little bit sweeter, more palatable. 

The sound of utensils against ceramic eventually died down, with the quiet conversation instead taking its place. Most of everyone's plate now ranging from empty to only a few small chunks of food still left. The meals had been well prepared, nobody ever really doubted Horror when it came to cooking. It was his thing and his thing alone, to say he saw his ability to provide food as a large part of his being wasn’t a lie.

Nightmare, clearing his throat, pushed his empty planet forward before standing. The rest of the table was quick to fall into silence as their gaze lifted up to him. 

“Now then, I know all of you were informed that this morning is important. Some new information has come to light, and I believe that it’s important that we all go through this as a group. I… value your opinions.” The words seemed a bit foreign on his tongue, but he’d been getting better at allowing them into his regular vocabulary. 

“Soooo, I’m gonna assume this has to do with something foxy found while away on his little trip?” Killer asked, still poking at the remaining scraps of scrambled eggs on his plate. 

“It is,” The guardian took in a deep breath before continuing. “As you are all aware, our plan to slowly spread negativity and tip the scale of the multiverse in my favor has been going quite well. A little too well. Moon, if you could.” He looked to his side as he saw how the fox had already begun to lay down the scroll. Circling around the table in the process, he placed a few empty glasses on the edges of the paper to keep it down properly. 

“Our original plan was to allow this to go on for 8 months at a minimum, to a year and a half until the council would begin to take a large concern in the matter. Though as of recently, sometime last week, they’ve all begun to talk about a truce they wish to put into place. Though they have only seen the destruction of all of you, they have yet to see Nightmare directly connected to all of this. It doesn't exactly take a genius to put two and two together, and a certain someone happened to go blabbering their mouth to people he shouldn't have.

The council is almost certain that Nightmare is behind this, which was hoped to be avoided for up to another year. They’re moving faster than we originally planned, which is alright on its own, but certainly not appreciated.  The idea of a truce wanting to be created and signed was always a possibility, but unfortunately wasn’t thought greatly about before the operation began. So we’re a bit stranded on where to take this next. 

We’re on a time limit here. The Stars said they’d begin searching for Nightmare and his hideout soon, sometime within the next two weeks from what I've gathered. We need to build more distance between ourselves and the members of the council. But stopping the operation isn’t an option, and so we’ll need to be cautious anytime we leave the castle. Any bright ideas?” The fox circled around the large table a couple of times before stopping on Nightmare’s right side, looking up at the others that sat around the table. 

A silence fell over the group, the information sinking in. 

“How bad would it be if they began a fight with us? I know we’re more than outnumbered but haven't you been teaching Nightmare how to “be the master of his craft” for like… ten-ish years now?” Killers asked, finally giving up on the scraps on his plate and pushing it towards Horror.

“Yes, and he’s come a long way over the years. But displaying a great deal of magic such as he has now would more than likely cause the council to over prepare. I wouldn’t be surprised if they went to Sci to get something to dull it, or try to remove his magic entirely. They cannot know until we are certain he can truly strike.” The fox explained.

“So… distraction, we need to buy ourselves more time till we know we can handle everyone?” Horror looked up for reassurance. 

“Exactly.”

“What if we got someone to be a distraction for the Stars? If they want to be in charge of the thing then the council won’t yet get involved properly. But if they’re busy with someone else that may be able to get us the time we need.” Cross suggested, leaning his crossed arms against the table. 

“I mean that sounds reasonable to me, but who the fuck are we gonna get to do that? The Stars know everyone here has caused destruction and they’re not exactly happy with us. Nightmare’s out of the question, which is a shame since he’s got shapeshifting on his side. We don’t really got anyone to be able to just send out.”

“Unfortunately, Killer is correct. No one here has an exactly good relationship with any of them. To hire someone specifically to do it would be preferred, but rather risky. The process alone would likely take too long.”

“What about Moon?” Dust piped in. 

“That is not an option.”

“What do you mean? Do they know that he’s working with us?” Killer interrupted.

“They do not.”

“So what the fuck is the big deal? He’s exactly what we need for this plan isn’t he?”

“I can’t.”

“What do you mean you can’t? You just said a distraction is what we needed!” The skeleton slammed his fists onto the table, enough to shake his now empty plate but nothing else.

“Killer, do you need a moment?” The guardian asked, his expression slightly softening at the sudden outburst.

“No… sorry, I’m fine.” The other mumbled, looking down at his hands as they trembled for a second before he calmed himself.

The fox cleared his throat after giving Killer a moment to collect himself. “I burned my bridges with them many years ago. Swap… he… he wouldn’t be very happy to see me again.” His expression seemed to say enough, it was the same one Nightmare wore whenever someone brought up when he and Dream were still brothers. The topic was clearly off limits.

“I call bull , but sure, fine .” Killer huffed out and returned back to his seat. “What other bright ideas do we have then?”

The same silence fell over the table as it did earlier. 

“If we cannot get a person to be a distraction, maybe some sort of event could work? …No… the council would get involved too fast… maybe an AU? No… that’ll mess up the balance… or… maybe if we get a god we could… but they’ve rarely been able to… fuck, just shut up already .” The fox’s rambling was mostly ignored, best not to disturb him when he got like this. 

“So while he’s going insane, and until we think up a proper plan, what if we tried to trick them? We leave a bunch of hints, some real, and most made up.” Killer proposed.

“And… if we keep it up for a while it could allow for the Stars to have enough proof for the council that they’re onto something, but we really just mess around with them till they're worn out?” Horror added. 

“... It is a possible plan, but if we lead them on too much then the council is sure to get their hands on us. The balance we would need to keep would be rather difficult for us. Though I suppose if worst comes to worst… we could find a way to make it work.” The guardian rested his hands on his skull.

“Cross,” The younger skeleton flinched at the mention of his name, looking up from fidgeting with his fingers. “You got anything? Besides all that leftover food on your plate.” Killer asked before looking over at the only partially eaten buttered bread and bacon, both now cold from how much time had passed.

“I’m working on it.”

“A plan or the meal?”

“Both…” “Not to be rude but it doesn't really look that way to me. And no pressure, but I think the last thing any of us need is for you to start getting worse again.”

“... I know…”

Horror, partially feeling mad at Killer for his comment, took in a small breath before standing up. “It’s fine if you’re not feelin’ it today. But Kill’s right, ya gotta eat somethin’. We have some of that leftover swiss roll cake from a few days ago, would ya eat a slice?” The taller skeleton picked up the younger’s plate, taking a bite from the bread.

“Uh, ya… ya okay.” Cross mumbled, eyelights gaining back a little of their shine at the idea. It wasn’t the best, definitely not healthy for him so early in the morning. But he’d eat it, that's what was important at the moment. Horror smiled at him before turning to go back to the kitchen.

“Horror, while you are at it, grab Moon a slice too, would you?” The guardian was satisfied with the nod he received from Horror. Thankfully the other was quick, only a minute or two passing before he returned with two new plates in tow. He set down the one with a side of cut up fruit in front of Cross, to which he earned a rather sheepish thank you from him. The second, a slice with extra filling put into a small glass on the side. The fox had a known sweet tooth, it was hard to ignore after all. 

The plate being set in front of him caused the fox to seemingly allow himself to be in the moment again, shunning the voices of the other souls that plagued his mind. They were helpful of course, always had been, and he’d give anything to make sure he kept them. Yet it was rather difficult when a cluster of different memories that were not his own invaded his senses as he tried to search for an answer. 

“What did they say?” The guardian asked, watching as the fox next to him eagerly stuffed a large portion into his mouth. A small bit of the filling stuck to the edge of his mouth, to which his tongue quickly swallowed it along with the majority of the slice that was now in his mouth. 

“Hmhmhmhmhm G.” 

“Please remember to breathe while you eat.” The guardian grabbed his unused napkin before grabbing the side of the fox’s face and proceeding to wipe off his face. “Now, properly, what did they say?”

The fox cleared his throat, now more than happy having practically licked the plate clean. “I think I should talk to Reaper about this, probably Toriel too.” He seemed slightly disappointed at the fact he had finished the cake, knowing Nightmare would likely scold him asking for another slice.  

“You mean like Toriel, goddess of life? Oh yeah just give her a call, I’m sure she’d be more than happy to talk to you.” Killer said, rolling his head to mimic rolling his eyelights at the fox.

“I mean, you do consider her as a mother figure Moon, do you not?” The guardian held his slight smugness in the question. He’d been able to meet the goddess once in person thanks to Moon’s insistence to try and get her to tell the guardian the fox was worthy of teaching him. 

Of course she’d be able to convince him, she had to. Everything was put into its place to allow the very thing to bloom.

“I do, and while I know she keeps her tabs on me, it’s been a while since I’ve paid her a proper visit. Could you ask Error to get me into contact with Reaper? He’d be able to get me to have a conversation with Toriel to discuss what’s the best plan of action.”

“... you, you want to ask the goddess of life what we should do. Isn’t what we’re doing frowned upon to others? We’re disrupting the multiverse, everyone knows that. Wouldn't she want to like, I don’t know , protect her creations and stop us?” Dust asked, voice still low but more expressive than usual. 

“While I would agree, Moon has the best idea so far. Toriel does not take a liking to me, which I suppose is understandable. Though from the brief time I was able to meet her, she clearly did take quite a liking towards him. I do not understand why she is tolerant of his relation to us, but nonetheless, she has the power to perhaps help us immensely. I will get in contact with Error, see if he can get you the meetings you need.” The guardian's shoulders seemed to relax a bit, his posture untensing as he leaned back into his chair. 

Cross’s plate was now empty, except for the singular cantaloupe chunk that Dust was willing to take from him. Horror seemed more than happy by the sight, giving the younger skeleton a small reassuring squeeze on the shoulder as he collected his plate. The rest of the empty plates from the table were taken, with Horror beginning to clean up the kitchen.

“I believe that concludes this, though if any other ideas are created, please do share. Toriel may help, but we can not be certain to the extent that she will.

Today’s mission will be cancelled until further notice. I will tell you all when your next assignments are to be completed. You are all dismissed.” The guardian clasped his hands together, taking a small bow as he watched the others get up from their seats. 

Killer let out a groan as he stood and stretched, a bone somewhere in his spine popping as he did so. The sound earned a slightly uncomfortable look from the younger skeleton, still trying to keep the newly eaten fruit down. “Why do you feel the need to do that every time you get up?” Cross asked, leaning against the edge of the table.

“What? You mean, this ?” Killer then proceeded to crack just about every nonexistent muscle he had, causing the younger skeleton to feel queasy. 

“…should I intervene?”

“No, they are fine.” The guardian merely shrugged at the other two skeletons’ banter, watching as the two began to likely make their way to the training room. Killer had been getting better and better at boxing after all, it wouldn’t come as a shock that he’d try to get Cross in on it as well. The younger could use the extra strength and hopefully he’d begin to eat more if he was drained from the practice. 

The two of them watched as everyone was quick to go their separate ways from the dining room. The fox’s gaze lingering on Dust for a moment before giving a small wave as the skeleton made his way to the kitchen where Horror now was. 

The guardian and the fox stood in silence for a few moments before the older turned to leave as well. There was no question about whether he wanted the fox to follow or not, both already understood the gesture. The fox kept his distance, a few steps behind the guardian as they made their way up the stairs and reached the 6th floor. The guardian steadied his back onto the stair railing as he looked down the hallway, eyelight focused on the lighting that seeped through the windows and onto the marble floorings stretched ahead. He could sense the way the fox stood a small distance to his right, his stance closed off and limbs wrapped around himself. 

“How are you?” The guardian eventually broke their silence, his fingers behind him tapping methodically onto the stairs’ railing.

“...‘m fine.”

“How is your neck doing?”

“It’s alright.” The fox’s ears twitched for a moment before he flattened them against his head. 

“I… am sorry,” The words didn’t sound forced, but difficult to get out. “About last night, about my drinking, and about how I acted because of it. I apologize.”

“I know.”

“I cannot undo what I have done. I know that you are far past the point of simply forgiving me because I give you something. A creature such as yourself is far beyond that point.”

“I know.”

“What can I do? How can I ease the damage I have done?” He had been getting better at this whole apologizing thing. He knew the fox wouldn’t forget, he never did despite how badly he tried to sometimes. What’s done is done . But that didn’t mean he couldn't try and ease the burns and scars left on his skin over the years.

“ You know what I want .” 

This card again.  

“Moon,” The guardian’s tendrils lowered themselves, his shoulders slumping as he looked to his side. “I know you think it is what you want, but I assure you that it will only cause more pa-” “ I don't care. I haven’t seen them in years. I just… I just want to talk to them again. I don’t care that they won’t remember it, I don’t fucking care that it’ll only last an hour at most, I just want to see them again. Please .” The fox’s words broke as they left his mouth and the fur under his eyes became damp. 

“...I shall get you that meeting with Error soon.” He didn’t dare look at the fox.

“I don’t care about that meeting right now, I want to see my parents again.”

“No.”

“What the hell do you mean no? You hurt me, you always do, and then you try and see how much time and energy you have to spend on me to fix it. Yet the one thing that I want that you know damn well that I want, and you won't fucking give it to me.”

“Stars, Moon I am well aware of how much you want to see them but I simply cannot allow it.”

“Why? You always say that I can have whatever the hell I want because I’m your special little pet but you can't give me this one dream?”

The fox’s family was a rather nice bunch, a nicely knit together family from what Nightmare had both seen and been able to gather from others. That night though, once the fox left them… it did damage that hurt to look at. The fox had known what he’d done. He’d known what it’d do years before he made his final decision. He knew how bad it would be, how much more it would hurt to see them again. Yet he still seemed to beg for it every chance he got.

“...do they still hate me for what I did?” His grief tasted like blueberry pie. 

“No, your father still misses you. Dot does though, she and Sylvia both do.”

“And mom?”

“... you already know the answer to that.” The guardian could only watch as the fox’s face contorted as he tried his best to keep his composure. He’d already known the answer, already known that Nightmare would give him such a vague but clear answer to his question. But that didn’t mean that it couldn’t bring a pain just below his reliving to his soul once again. 

“Just… get me that meeting with Error.”

“Of course… anything else?” It felt wrong to not give him anything more.

“... can I sleep with you tonight?” He sounded so pitiful, so utterly pathetic and weak as he spoke.

“Of course.” Nightmare’s tendrils wrapped themselves around Moon, the guardian holding him close against his chest. “I’m so tired. I’m so fucking tired Nightmare.” “I know, and I am sorry.” The fox let himself cry, let himself be a pathetic amalgamation with too many souls and too many emotions for a single body to handle on its own. 

The guardian held the smaller creature, one arm supporting his back and the other holding his legs. He led the fox through the hallway, faint sunlight casting onto his figure and onto damp fur. The wooden door opened without resistance and was quick to close behind the two. 

The guardian kicked off his dress shoes and undid the tie around the fox’s neck. A tendril slipped under the sheets to lift them before the guardian placed Moon onto the right side of the plush bed. Without being any more than a few feet from the fox at a time, Nightmare placed himself onto the left side of the bed. His arms finding themselves wrapped around the fox and pulling him closer. The fox’s once unsteady and erratic breathing had seemed to calm, though still faster than it should have been. 

“Hey,” Nightmare spoke surprisingly gently, trying his best to make sure he didn’t scare the fox. “Do as I do, alright?” The guardian tilted up the fox’s head just enough to make sure he could see him. Then, slowly and clearly, he took in a deep breath for four seconds, held it for seven seconds, before breathing out for eight seconds, and repeated. He watched as the fox struggled to follow the pace, though after the first five minutes he seemed to match the other’s breathing quite well. When he allowed himself to stop, he was left with his damp fur and heavy limbs, but at least he could breathe and his hands didn’t shake. 

“Just sleep… we can deal with everything else tomorrow.”

“... okay… thank you.” The fox allowed the guardian's magic to guide him to sleep, it was almost soothing, the way the magic felt seeping through his soul. Oh how he missed the feeling.

After laying in silence for a few minutes, the guardian deemed the fox in a deep enough sleep to move a bit. One of his tendrils reached over to the end table, making sure to not knock anything else over as it brought over his phone. 

Error. 

I need you to set up a meeting between Moon and Reaper as soon as you can. I will have some sort of reward for you once you secure it. 

Nightmare let out a small sigh as he set his phone back down, responses from the destroyer could vary from a few minutes to over eight hours. He could only really pray he’d get lucky this time. Though for now, his gaze fixated back onto the creature besides him. His fur still smelled faintly of vanilla and cigarette smoke… right… of course he’d…

He’d really known about it, already asked Dust about it before breakfast after all. He couldn’t handle the night alone after all, it was only reasonable for him to look for someone else's comfort. Still, the idea wasn't exactly  one he liked. It had been his fault though, he had been the very one to push the fox away last night. Of course he had gone to Dust for the night, there was no way he would have made it through the night without someone's comfort. The mere idea of it, of the two in the same positions that he was in with the fox now, it tasted like apples. 

Nauseating.  

But he knew Moon had been happy, he seemed like it in the brief moment his attention was purely on the other skeleton during breakfast. That’s what was important, that the fox was happy regardless of who it was with. And to that he was alright with, he had Dust as first in command for a reason. He trusted the hooded skeleton, knew that he did care for the fox as much as he did for the others. He loved them, as purely as a monster such as himself could anyway. 

The guardian found himself holding the fox tightly to his chest, feeling the creature's heartbeat and slow breathing against his body. 

It didn’t matter who he had been with last night. It didn’t matter how Dust had made him feel, and the moments of intimacy the couple had shared. It didn’t matter right now, because now Moon was with Nightmare instead. Now he was wrapped in his bedsheets and in his arms, and finally getting a good night's rest because of Nightmare. 

All because of him.