Horror opens the small closet door. Not much else to see besides the other jacket he had and a few shirts. He huffed with tiredness and put on a shirt. His eyes meet the burns on his ribs but he avoids them, averting his eyes and putting over his usual jacket. Full of bloodstains he could never get out. The inside a fluffy, dirty tan fluff. He wondered just how long this jacket would last. How long until it was completely useless fabric?

Grabbing his trusty ax, he had an ax sling that he carried his favorite weapon around with. He wasn't exactly allowed to hold it around the castle anymore since it looked murderous to Nightmare, so Nightmare gave him a gift, the ax sling. Horror actually liked it. It was better than what he was previously doing, holding the ax like he was about to swing it at someone nearing him.

He looked over at a tray with bread and leg of chicken he left there yesterday night. It was still good, so he ate it. He took out a flask of medicine he kept with him. He had to take it so his condition didn't get worser than it was. As bad as it tasted, a few bites of chicken made him forget the unpleasant taste. Wonder what I'm doing today? I think Nightmare was talking about exploding some part of the other kingdom. He broke open the bones to eat the marrow.

What's up with that new guy? Horror pondered, I mean, Nightmare bands together all sorts of people. Especially guys like me and him—but, him specifically? I don't trust him. Horror left his room with the clunk of the door shutting behind him. He didn't have to go far down the hall to stop at a door. He knocked but no answer. A second time got only a mumbled curse.

He teleported in and saw the mound of a person under the blankets. Grinning, he quietly snuck up to them. He shook the bed violently, "Fuck off!" The mound yelled. Horror laughed soundlessly at the reaction. "Horror! Stop waking me up!" Dust growled. Throwing the covers off himself. He was shirtless, but at least he had grey pants on.

Horror kept laughing, which pissed off Dust more. You should get up. Horror signed.

"Yeah yeah, now that I'm awake I'll get up." He groaned. Horror and Dust go way back—before they both started working with Nightmare. Both of them killed for the joy and strength. They had great amounts of LV and EXP and both knowing that the other was the same, they banded together to kill off small towns on the outskirts of the kingdoms.

After Dust was presumed dead from a suicidal killing spree in the Light Kingdom. Horror lost his ability to speak and was captured by Nightmare's guards. That's when he learned Dust faked his death to join this guild of murderers, which after learning the benefits, he joined too.

"Horror, I can't tell if you're checking me out or staring into space." Dust said. Horror blinked and realized he was staring at Dust. He averted his eyes, the embarrassment showing on his face in a blush. They shared a house in the town. They were both somewhat okay at being roommates, both annoying the other from time to time, a weapon thrown every other week.

Sorry. Dust muttered something and sheathed two regular knives on the belt around his Dust He had so many knives he might as well have a whole collection. Dust looked over to Horror who signed, What do you think we're doing today?

Dust shrugged, "Dunno, hopefully something better than being one of the guards for the whole day." Horror sighed and nodded in agreement. "The changes are nice once in a while." They both exit the house and they merged with the crowds of people. They looked normal in this kingdom, so no one batted an eye when looking at Horror's bloodstained clothes or Dust's Determination.

"Hey, Horror," Dust started. Horror looked over at him, "When was the last time you went someplace?" Horror looked at him confused. "Like, for fun."

Horror shrugged, I don't like going places. It's too social for me and me being like this doesn't really make it better.

"Ugh, yeah no, you're getting out. You sound like a introverted vampire." Dust said as if it was final. Horror tried to sign something but Dust wasn't looking. Horror glared at him with sharpened glass shards. Dust chuckled and Horror punched his arm, pushing the laughing other away a little.

"You're late." Nightmare said. Horror pointed at Dust who pushed his hand down. Nightmare was not pleased by their shenanigans, "It's not like I can expect better," He sighed painfully. "Dust, go down to the armory, Fell asked for you." Dust smiled excitedly, his favorite thing was weapons. "And Horror, you come with me. Come to the conference room when you're done Dust." Nightmare started walking and Horror took hurried steps to catch up, leaving Dust to go to the armory.

They arrived at the room with several others already there. Raspberry and the Cross guy were there. Horror squinted at him when he waved. He sat down in the chair next to Raspberry. What's this about? He wondered.

"So, assuming you all know about the tunnels," Oh, that. "The plan was to break the ground underneath them, causing a good portion to fall to ruin." Horror heard his tone become sour. But...? "But unfortunately, I found out from an inside force that there's a bubble around the entire kingdom, prohibiting everyone not from the kingdom." Murmurs came from several people.

"What now?" An voice came from an unknown source.

"Well, we need to break it of course." Nightmare said. "Now we only have a few people inside, but if we can find the source then we can destroy it." Nightmare looked determined. Horror looked over at Cross. He had a smirk looking at Nightmare, something about that made Horror continue to question his motives. Is he...? "Any ideas?" Nightmare's voice snapped him out of thought and he listened more of the conversation.

"Dust," Red's gruff voice called him over. "Think fast." Red threw him a weapon. It was a knife with a bronze handle. Green and yellow leaf shaped gems symmetrical on the bottom of the handle.

Dust does some tricks with it and whistles, "Where'd you get this?"

"Found it in the western deserts. Farthest point from the Hotlands." He explained as Dust slashed it in the air. "It's like this magical thing where it makes people plants or somethin'. Had to fight this Weed Prince with a buncha' elves." He watched Dust throw it past his face to hit the bullseye behind him, "Nice. They let me keep it as a prize."

"Heh heh, you have all the cool stories." Dust grinned pulling the knife out of the wooden board.

"Yer' welcome." Red chuckled. Dust was confused and then he laughed too.

"Thanks, I hate those meetings." Dust put the knife back on its holder. "They drag on, and on..." Red agreed with Dust as he shrugged, "Say, do you know anything about Cross?"

"Cross? That guy that hangs 'round the king so much? Yeah, why?"

"Where's he from? Like, what he do before this?" He saw Red raise a bone-brow at him, his hand held out and his fingers wiggling for payment. "Seriously?" Dust huffed. He wasn't even sure if he had anything on him. It was such a habit not to. He rummaged his pockets and fished out 5G and smacked it in a grinning Red's hand.

"Thank ye kindly," Red pocketed the money. "But ya sure ya don't know 'em? He's one of the most wanted in his kind of practice."

"Well, what does he do?"

"He's an assassin. Apparently really good too. He's probably broken every law, dirty crime boy," Dust snickered at that nickname Red called all highly wanted criminals. "He went missin' fer a whole year last year in the Light Kingdom. Apparently, he worked fer King Dream, but that sounds like a myth for someone like 'em."

Dust scoffed. "That sounds bizarre as it is—no wonder it's just a myth."

"Well, as ya' can tell from my stories, some myths are real. Jus' most mortals choose ta be commoners instead of somethin' great."

"Most mortals."

When Horror saw Dust at the end of the day he was tapping his foot impatiently. "What? I was helping Red."

As a poor excuse to skip your work. I had to do your work too today! Horror signed furiously in a rush of hands so fast that Dust almost didn't catch it.

Speaking of you missing the meeting, Cross was eyeing the king. He smirked. Dust gasped for comical effect. Imagine that relationship.

"Imagine that—I don't want to think it!" Dust scoffed. "But it's possible."

Where are we going?

"Well, I'm paying you back by taking you someplace." He nudged Horror in the arm with his elbow, "C'mon when was the last time you got laid?" He got a punch in the arm by a embarrassed Horror.

I just don't sleep with every hot person I see. Horror glared. What would pay me back is some food, a nap, and you leaving me alone for a day.

"Ah ha ha, I'm not letting you off the hook—c'mon, just live a little." Dust groaned and dragged Horror down the busy street.

Horror sat at the bar staring at the alcoholic drink he was peer pressured into getting. How did I let him drag me here? Now I feel tipsy, I want to go home, Dust is...somewhere doing god knows what. He didn't dare to make eye contact with anyone. A quarter of the people were prostitutes and another half were horny.

When Dust gets back we're leaving. I don't trust myself going outside and back to the house like this. He felt nausea come up his throat. He tried his best to push it down as he got up to go clear his mind.

Opening the door, this room only had a table, a couch, and a mirror. Trash in each corner. He was too out of it to properly shut the door. His shirt didn't cover up the scars that well, making him self conscious again. "Dumb...zipper." He mumbled as he was trying to zip up his jacket.

"Hey.~" He froze as he heard someone behind him. Horror's grasp let go of the jacket. "You seem a little lonely." Their hand grazes his arm, as they move to his side, "Wanna fix that?" They smirk. Horror faces them, his body following soon after.

Another skeleton, a smirk playfully on their face and their purple pinpricks in the shapes of hearts. They were small compared to him, but their confidence was definitely bigger. They seemed to have been drinking—possibly more than Horror.

They didn't know who or what he is, how he could kill them right now in this empty room with only them.

He couldn't say anything, so he backed up, but they get closer. He stumbles and takes another step back, falling into the couch. They climb on top of him, trapping him there. They push their hands against his chest as the pull themselves up to kiss Horror passionately. He kissed back unsure what else to do. What am I doing? Horror felt them press against him, he huffed in retaliation.

"What's you're name?" They broke away with a heavy pant.

He didn't know to try to answer or not. "H-Horror..." He gulped, trying to ease the strain on his voice.

"Lust.~" They reply just as simply. Horror could see to confusion on their face as he spoke but he came back to kiss them. The alcohol washed his brain of common sense. He was going off of the pleasure and the thrill. "You don't talk much, do you?" They guessed. "It's fine, we won't need words for this.~" Kissing Horror again, Lust's hands slip up his shirt.

Lust brings the shirt up to his neck and when they notice the burn marks, they stop. Horror stops too. Both strangers stare at the burns for a while until Horror looks up at Lust's face, and they look at him.

"That's why...I...don't...speak." Horror mumbled.

"Ah," Lust let the shirt fall, sensing how uncomfortable Horror gotten with his scarred ribs exposed. "So that means you know sign language?"

Do you understand it? Horror signed close to his chest. They nod, and Horror smiles a little bit. This conversation was oddly strange when they were literally drunk strangers kissing on the couch mere seconds ago. Probably because he was less drunk than Lust. A friend made me come with him here. I'm not the best at socializing. He admitted feeling the blush creep to his face.

Lust laughed leaning on him, "I can tell, I've been watching you since you got here," They watched?Horror's face become confused. "What? I can't help it when I see a cute guy." Lust laughed as he saw Horror goes cherry red.

You like flustering me, don't you? Horror huffed, letting a smile tug at the corners of his mouth.

"For a big, scary guy like you, you are by far the shyest guy I've ever met.~" Lust purred. Horror huffed as it was true. He didn't like compliments for that reason and that reason alone. "Wonder if I could get you out of your comfort zone?~" Lust smirks, and Horror does too. If it wasn't for the drinks he would've left. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all.

Would this matter if I did this? He does admit that he want to kiss Lust, and touch them, and more in his whirl of a mind. And that's what he did, flipping Lust over their body pressed into the cushions underneath Horror. Lust's cocky smirk widened and their arms wrapped around Horror's neck pulling him down to kiss him again.

Yes indeed. Horrorlust.

Question my friend asked: What's Lust's gender in this AU?

Me: *quadruple A battery noise*—