Four Years Earlier...
"Dream, are you ok! Dream, hey!"
Dream landed with a thud on harsh grey ground, his feet aching from the impact while his entire body tingled with a strange splintering energy. The positivity guardian's body sprawled across a gravelly surface, the cooled surface of spiked stones pressing numbly into his bones. He hardly watched as his hands shook, barely noticing his convulsing limbs. He felt like he was on fire. His own hands crawled, slipped, across his chest and clutched desperately without sense at his soul. There were hands too.
"Dream, hey, can you speak? Shit..."
There was squeezing at his arms, numb tapping against his face. Neon blurs colored his vision against a miserable blob of a sky, but that didn't matter. Pain took full hold. He had to get himself together. He tried to fetch his jaw muscles, to summon his voice. But his jaw wouldn't move, trapping his mind in a state of verbal immobility. That's when he felt the dripping. The metallic taste in his mouth. It wasn't like he could let it out, anyway. The blood just kept pooling and pooling in his mouth.
" Stars." He managed to choke, his chest heaving the top half of his body off of the ground.
"Dream Dream Dream, shit, here." Cold hands gripped his shoulders, a hand went to the back of his skull, gently pressing him forward. "Dream can you hear me? Is there a doctor around here!"
" Fine." Dream gasped, watching the blood spool out of his mouth, trickling into the cracks of the supposed road. He finally felt his jaw move normally, though his soul still throbbed like it had just been dipped in poison. "I'm fine.... Cross."
Cross, however, didn't look all that convinced. His eye lights were still bugged out and his mouth did that little concerned frown it always did whenever he was stressed.
Cross still supported Dream's skull and Dream still stared at the blood.
"Uh, do you mind telling me what the hell that was? I don't know if you noticed, but that's a lot of blood."
Dream's head still felt woozy and foggy, he blinked his sockets a few times, trying his best to hide it from Cross. He mustered a smile and wiped the drippy blood on the sleeve of his glove. It was in fact, a lot of blood. He coughed and discreetly emptied his mouth of the remaining liquid. He inhaled deeply, biting his tongue to stifle a wince. "Trust me, I've dealt with worse things." A trickle of blood slid down the sloped street, leaving behind a rusty splotch of stained concrete between Cross and Dream, basking in the orange artificial glow of a street light.
Cross didn't even flinch. "Dream, if jumping through those portals is going to hurt you like this, then, we're going to have to find another way."
"Cross I said I'm fine."
"Dream please listen-"
"Cross!" Dream instantly felt bad at the sudden force of his voice. He tried again. "I'm fine."
Cross closed his sockets and reopened them, his gaze drifting to the ground. "I said the same thing back there, but you continued to help me. Dream let me do the same thing for you. Don't you think I have that right?" Cross's voice lowered, fueled by this undying need to prove himself worthy of Dream. "Let me help you. Please."
Dream caught Cross's gaze then instantly looked away, fiddling with the tops of his gloves, closing his sockets. He reopened them. Dream didn't acknowledge Cross's request, only saying, "we're too similar." He slowly pulled his legs up to his chest, preparing to stand up.
"Well then I guess you leave me no choice." Cross rushed to Dream's side, looping his arms under Dream's as he wobbled to his feet. Dream's soul beat hard against his ribcage. Now more than ever it felt so wrong that Cross was helping him. Because deep down Dream knew this was his mess to begin with. At least, it felt like it was. No. It had to be. He should have got out of that tub when he heard that noise. He should have been more attentive with Lux when she was hurting. He should have spent his nights with Cross instead of helping Ink. He shouldn't have kept Palette a secret. Palette shouldn't exist in the first place. He shouldn't have hid him from Cross- the one person who trusted him more than anyone in the whole multiverse. That hurt the most, knowing he was secretly hurting Cross. It gnawed at his soul every day. But now, it just simply took gouging bites. Ever since the kids went missing, everything just became worse.
"Watch out, the hell!"
Dream felt his vision flooded with light and his body being abruptly dragged across the pavement, which somehow resulted in him tumbling on top of Cross in a surrounding grassy patch.
"I'm getting too old for this. Though I'm too young for death." Cross groaned, pulling himself alongside a disoriented Dream up to his feet. "Car. I haven't seen one of those in a while."
Dream didn't speak. He watched the lone car zip down the street and merge onto a highway, his eyelights following the red glare of tailights until they disappeared into the mouth of the metropolis. He faintly detected Cross's arms securely around him, as if the car might turn around and run him over.
"Underlust." Dream murmured. "A pacifist timeline. The timeline in our own multiverse at least. I've been here quite a few times. For missions. It's been a while, though."
"You've got to be joking..." Cross groaned, his cheeks igniting to the point that Dream could feel the hot mortified glow against his neck.
It was a wonderful sight. Dream couldn't take his eyes off of the sky... he hardly sees anything like this. Cascades of towering buildings dressed in bright multicolored lights complimented the soft indigo sky and delicate clumps of falling snow. A line of businesses hugged each other along the strangely stagnant road in front of them, all bound by the glow of neon lights and signs and flashing advertisements. A glowing city sprawled beyond that, reaching to the charcoal night sky like hands reaching for promise. He felt the lingering tears of the previous AU freeze on his face, drawing a torturous yet somehow pleasant feeling into his blood. "It's so beautiful, isn't it?"
"It is," Cross agreed. "But I could never live here. Too many people. And too much-"
"Energy?" Dream let himself chuckle for a moment, knowing that Cross was well aware of the implications of Underlust timelines. Though his smile sunk back into his face as quickly as it came.
"Yeah, something like that." Cross let out a rare laugh, trying to cover it up with a cough. "Uh, Dream?"
The guardian made a hum. Dream was still focused on the lights. The howl and bustle of city life filled the silent gap between Cross and Dream. Cross's fingers slightly trembled from where they rested on the fabric of Dream's cape.
"Do you-" Cross started, coughing again to excuse the quiver in his voice. He fought back the blush. He fought back his thoughts too. The real thoughts that he'd been wanting to spill for quite some time. But the real thoughts stayed back. The real ones stayed away. He could kick himself. He tried again. "Did you... ever consider living somewhere like here?"
Dream's initial silence scared Cross, he felt awkward all over. Maybe he shouldn't have asked-
"Sometimes," Dream finally responded. "Sometimes... I did." He paused and took a sigh. "I used to wonder what it would have been like if I moved us to the city. If I would have enrolled Lux and Star in school with the other kids in the Omega Timeline. I don't know if things would be... better, exactly? It certainly would be different." Dream's voice hovered over the noises in the background, a dull hum against a larger world. "Do you... think it would have been better if we left Dreamtale?"
Cross coughed. "No, that's not what I meant at all. I was just... curious. We are safer in Dreamtale, I trust you, Dream." Cross squeezed Dream tighter.
"Yeah, that's why we're here, looking for our lost kids," Dream retorted dismally. "We were that safe."
"It's not your fault," Cross quickly interrupted.
"How do you know?"
"Because I know you Dream. You're the strongest protector out there, you would never let this kind of thing happen if you had any say. This time it just... slipped."
"Slipped." Dream bitterly laughed, his breath puffing out as silver mist against the cold world. He closed his eyes and pretended for a moment that he wasn't here, that everything was alright. The cold air hurt his nose socket as he sucked in, biting back the warm well of tears behind his eye sockets. The rapid beat of Cross's soul accompanied the guard's deep chest expansions against Dream's back. Dream knew Cross was uncomfortable, which made him all the more guilty about dragging him into this.
Dream wiped his running nose cavity with his sleeve, sniffling a few times. Snow began to fall. He reached into his pocket and wrapped his trembling phalanges around the corrupt violet. His phalanges were too numb against the cold to feel much pain.
"Do you... do you know where we're heading next?" Cross asked. His arms fell away from Dream as he took a place beside the guardian instead.
Dream's eyelights scanned the sparkling horizon, fighting through the snow which had begun to pick up. "Somewhere." He squinted more, letting the violet's magic mingle with his own. Dream's gloved hand lifted tentatively, pointing out an undefined space off in the distance. "There. A ways into the city."
Cross groaned deep within his chest before a look of determination settled into his sockets. Dream grabbed his hand firmly, noticing Cross's obvious distress.
"I'm not going anywhere, Cross." Dream smiled to himself, but that smile soon felt like he was cheating someone. How could he smile in a situation like this? In a time like this? He gripped Cross tighter. "It's alright for you to be scared." His voice was quiet.
"Uh." Cross blushed again, rolling his eye lights. "I wasn't scared." He saw Dream notice his flushed cheeks. "It's just the cold. I guess my complexion isn't used to this kind of weather, being in Dreamtale and all, huh? Let's just go." To prove himself, Cross headed off, leading the way with a disbelieving Dream following behind foot.
Their shadows dashed across the orange light spilling out across slick evening roads, across crosswalks, leading up to a well groomed sidewalk winding along the outskirts of a strip of neon accented shops. Cross and Dream's footsteps rattled against the silent and cold world, harmonizing with the distant roar of traffic life. Dream kept checking the flower, pulling it in and out of his pocket while nervously glancing around his surroundings. The atmosphere became colder the more they trekked into the city.
And Cross was cold. The tips of his phalanges felt frigid against the fabric of Dream's gloves. Surely, Dream's phalanges must be warm. Maybe they weren't. Cross wished he knew how Dream was feeling. Cross wished Dream knew how he was feeling too. A few times during their silent walk, Cross thought about confessing to Dream again. About not being enough, about not being worthy of Dream. Every silent moment was a perfect moment to start the conversation. But his voice ran short. He shut up. As always.
"Down here, Cross."
Cross just noticed he'd fallen behind Dream, realigning himself as the guardian swerved to the right, down a sidewalk that opened up into what must be the heart of the city. Glowing skyscrapers illuminated a dark sky, watching over criss-crossing streets populated with screaming cars. Cross's eye sockets went blank with overstimulation. He glanced to the side and saw that Dream was just as awestruck; his yellow sockets expanded, glistening with artificial light while his mouth hung slightly open. "Oh stars." People moved in and out of shops, flitting about with separate destinations and separate intentions. It was always a surprise to Dream, to see life like this again. It was so easy to get lost here, so easy to get swept away. Dream felt emptier than ever.
"Dream?"
"Huh, Cross, what is it?" Dream peeked over his shoulder but soon realized the voice did not belong to Cross.
" He's... back? It's him?"
A young cat monster with ruffled, stained fur looked up at him with yearning eyes, tugging at his cape.
" Dream. The guardian?"
There were more. More monsters.
"Dream... Dream!"
And more.
"Please. Dream, oh my. Oh it can't be..."
And they said his name like some kind of prayer, sliding smoothly off of tongues.
"Dream... Dream... Dream!"
And soon he and Cross were surrounded. Tens, maybe hundreds, of faces looked desperately and almost savagely into Dream's sockets, a clash of sequin skirts and tuxedos and feathers and ragged clothing alike closing in faster and faster. "Oh..." Dream was stuck, uncertain. He didn't feel he had much positivity to dish out to these desperate monsters, let alone the time to counsel each and every one of them. He'd only had to deal with such unruliness once or twice. It hurt him, knowing he couldn't do his job, knowing he was incompetent. Not enough. His gaze flicked back and forth, his mouth tried to formulate something to say. Everything became so loud, soon hands were grasping at his, cries of either relief or pure desperation pouring into his soul.
Until all of it stopped. It all stopped, well, because everyone was frozen. "I'm sorry," Dream finally managed to say.
The telltale glow of Cross's magic outlined the mob of desperate monsters. The guard's arm was outstretched, accompanied by a glowing mass of magic flaring within his palm. "Listen Dream," Cross said, his voice low and cautious. "When I say go, you run. Down that alleyway, you see there?"
Dream's eyes swept the frozen crowd one more time before he faced Cross and nodded.
"Alright... One." Cross's magic wavered against the snowfall. "Two." Dream steadied his legs and eyed the dark alley. "Three!"
Dream launched himself as fast as his legs would take him, the cold air whipping his face. He heard the crowd's clamoring resume behind him, followed by the heavy footsteps of Cross. An arm wrapped around him and his body slammed up against a hard surface all in one whirlwind. His hands reflexively flailed to defend himself but ended up smacking Cross instead. "Sorry!" He whispered.
"No apologies." He and Cross's icy breaths inhaled and exhaled rapidly, mingling in the small abandoned doorway they took refuge in. Dream's face felt flushed and chilled with the concoction of adrenaline and crisp air. A gust whistled down the alley and nipped at his exposed arms. "I'm sorry you had to see that," Dream murmured. "That happens. Sometimes." Faint strings of crying and fragmented conversations still cut through from the other end of the alley. He found himself slumping back against the stained bricks, his eyes closed. "I- oh stars."
"Dream if this about me freezing the crowd, I'll always help you ou-"
"No, that's not it," Dream interrupted, forcing everything that tried to leak out of his eye sockets back down.
"Then what is it?" Cross's hand found its way to Dream's shoulder.
The guardian inhaled. "Nothing." He just leaned into Cross, wrapping his arms around him in an embrace. He felt so sick to his soul. He literally felt his livelihood drain out of his being, letting a tear trickle down his face. But only that. Nothing more. Cross's arms automatically reciprocated, pulling him into the plush fabric of his black pullover.
Dream eventually pulled away and wiped his nose cavity with his sleeve again, pulling out the glowing violet. The space between him and Cross glowed with purple luminosity, Dream could only hope the dull light didn't give away the sadness etched on his face. "Don't worry about what happened! I'm alright. I forgot my alternate uniform back... home. Though it doesn't really matter what I look like, my aura..." Dream muttered.
Cross looked like he wanted to say something, but Dream began speaking before anything could come of it. "Anyway, looks like we don't have much more ground to cover. We're almost there! The source is coming from somewhere... somewhere close. It's all good. It's all right. Everything's ok." Dream stuffed the flower back into his pocket, sinking the two back into darkness before his other hand was caught by Cross.
Dream looked up and caught the faint white glow of Cross's eyelights, they stuck there unmoving. "Well." Cross sighed. "Well let's get there. It seems like the crowd is gone. And... here." Cross reached his hands behind Dream's head and pulled up his hood so that it sat just above the guardian's circlet. His hands lingered on the fabric of the hood, near Dream's face.
Dream laughed. He knew this wasn't going to do anything to hide himself. It was all in the aura.
Now, Cross really looked like he had to say something. His eyes had that look of intent, while his mouth was poised to initiate a sentence.
"Cross?"
The socially awkward guard in question dropped his hands to his sides, opening and closing his sockets. "I, uh. Dream? I just really want to say that, helping you out never bothers me." He clasped at his shirt sleeve.
Dream looked unaffected. "We're a team, I help you too, remember? He said, flatly, soon replacing it with sincerity. "I'd rather it be me than you in danger. Don't argue."
Of course Cross knew that. That's the first thing that Cross ever knew about Dream. His selfless determination. It was the thing he both adored and hated about Dream. "Well. Nevermind." Cross folded his arms.
After Dream realized Cross wasn't going to say anything else, he once again laced his fingers with Cross's and led them both out of the small space. "Now come along." They made their way to the alley's end, planted just behind an overflowing dumpster filled with what appeared to be stained party dresses and shattered glass. Dream carefully crept up to the exit, peeking around the corner. "We're here. The negative source must be somewhere in here." The guardian beckoned Cross up to where he stood, pointing out a boxy shop with cinder block stairs leading up to the entrance, sandwiched between a smoke shop and discount buffalo wing restaurant.
This time Dream didn't have to convince Cross to move along with him as they rounded out of the alley. A strong gust of wind projected wet and cold specks of snow into Dream's face, eliciting a surprised yelp. He headed over to the road, looking a bit nervous as the guardian had completely forgotten how traffic signs worked in city settings. "Stars..." He fumbled with the crossing light, trying to figure out which button triggered the pedestrian light. "Oh, not the right one." Dream watched as a line of cars stopped in anticipation of someone crossing, but this was not the correct crosswalk.
"Dream, maybe we need to ask someone," Cross casually suggested, watching as Dream became visibly flustered.
"What are you doing?" A gruff voice barked. Dream looked over and saw a fluffy cat monster with a fedora and a pair of yellow eyes glaring accusingly over the rim of thick black glasses. A fat cigar bobbed in his mouth. "Countryfolk." He brushed Dream's hand away and firmly pressed what was apparently the correct button.
"Hey, don't treat Dream like that," Cross scoffed, towering over the plumpy cat.
"What?" The cat scoffed, unamused. "Got a bone to pick with me, eh? Tough guy?"
Cross stood there, his face unmoving, arms crossed. He honestly did not know how to respond to this. The guard was a bit weary when it came to physical confrontation, anyway. Ever since the X-event. He'd rather preserve a decent reputation.
"Oh, looky, it's time to cross," the cat dryly chuckled, gesturing widely to the open crosswalk. "That light means 'go', didn'cha know. Why aren't cha moving? Skedaddle! You're going to that club, right, with that sexy body of yours? MOVE!"
Dream grabbed a purple-tinted Cross's arm, walking along the white gridded pavement while giving the stranger a rude passing look.
"How do people- how does someone think they can treat someone like that? I should've- this is why I miss Dreamtale." Cross fumed, mumbling to himself.
"It's fine," Dream said, reaching the sidewalk with an affirmative step. "I have thick skin, with my job and all. Well, you know what I mean."
"I know," Cross sighed. He hated the implications of what Dream had to go through while he sat back at home.
Cross and Dream quickly dribbled up the long concrete steps and arrived at the door, basking in the pink glow of a tacked on neon sign.
Grillbeatz.
"Why is it always a Grillby's?" Cross murmured as Dream wrapped his hand around the gleaming metal bar.
"Just happens to be, I suppose." Dream said, watching the indigo sky dim into further dusk. Dream looked up at Cross, putting a hand to his forehead to block the pink aura of light. He could already hear very loud syncopated beats rumbling from beyond the door. "Ready?"
"As I'll ever be. Might as well be now than never. We're just going in, then out," Cross reassured himself. "But, Dream?" Cross shuffled his feet and stepped a little closer to Dream.
"I'm sorry, Cross, but we've got to go now." Before Cross could do or say anything else, Dream thrust his body forward and unleashed the gate to social electricity.
Dream's eye lights nearly popped out his skull as a warm, electric gust of air encompassed the two skeletons, a rumbling electronic beat shook the entire building while strobe lights flicked here and there across the walls and reflected off of the hundreds of guests.
"Whoah woah woah, hey Mr. Sunshine," a firm voice followed by a firm hand planted itself on Dream's shoulder, stopping him midstep. Dream, startled, turned to look up at a muscular, tall frog monster dressed in a deep purple authoritative uniform. "Holy shit." He took off his glasses and stuffed them into his shirt pocket, looking directly at Dream's face. "It's actually the Dream? Shit, the guardian of positivity is actually here...."
Dream flushed an embarrassing yellow, not used to letting Cross see how much attention he got when out and about. Well, Dream supposed this was a normal reaction to seeing the guardian of positivity in Underlust; he hasn't been to this particular place in, what was it, more than twenty years ago? "Y-yeah. It's me. Dream. How are you?" He said, looking up at the security guard. Dream tried to elevate his voice above the clamoring music, though it wasn't much of a struggle since his voice was naturally falsetto in tone.
"Same new same old," the guard chuckled, dryly. "Another client I presume?"
"Huh? Oh, no-" Dream paused, catching himself. "I mean, yes... yes I was called here to help someone." Dream awkwardly looked up at the guard, praying that he wouldn't try to pry more out of him.
"It's been so long..." The frog said, almost nostalgically. Almost longingly. "Well, Dream," the frog smacked his mouth and pulled out a strip of paper. He ripped a tab and wrung it around Dream's wrist as a bracelet. "Our treat, of course. Happiness doesn't come for free but you might as well be." He chuckled again and pat Dream on the shoulder.
"Thank you." Dream said, unintentionally dismal. Of course, Dream himself knew most that he didn't come for free. He didn't even come for free for himself. Lost in thought, Dream found Cross's hand and laced their fingers together before he felt a resistant yank.
"Hey! Whatcha think you're doing?" Dream whipped around and saw the frog monster forcefully grab Cross by his shoulders and turn him firmly in his direction.
Cross hardly flinched, his eyes remained placid. He blinked. "I'm going with my partner. Dream. He's my partner."
The frog smirked, his eyelashes fluttering. "Don't we all want to be? Nice. I've heard that one before."
"Please let him go, we don't have time for this," Dream said, irritated.
"Mm. Nope! "Hubby" doesn't go unless he pays."
Dream shook his head and walked up to the frog. "He's telling the truth. He is actually married. To me. I don't have any money, please, we are in a hurry, I'll pay back another time. He's helping me. With my mission."
The frog's angry face returned to a state of shock. Y-you're married to... him?" Dream could have called himself insane, but there looked to be a hint of jealousy and anger in the frog's dead shiny eyes.
"Yeah. Got a problem?" Cross said, folding his arms.
The frog let go of Cross and simply looked back and forth between the two skeletons for a quick moment. "No. No problem. I'm sorry." He picked another bracelet out of his pocket while he kept glancing up at Dream's eye sockets, which looked less than pleased at the moment. "Good luck, Dream, and..."
"Cross." The skeleton blinked once and stared expressionless at the pink security guard, waiting for his trembling hands to fasten the ticket.
Once Cross had the bracelet around his wrist, he hummed and stepped away, joining Dream at his side. Cross's respect for Dream increased exponentially from that encounter alone. He knew he could never charm or negotiate with people, let alone in a desirable manner. He felt so stupid in front of Dream now. "That was embarrassing..." Cross said, but he didn't think Dream could hear him over the pounding music.
Now that Dream was beyond the check-in, he could truly focus on his surroundings. Or try to, at least. The pumping music rumbled his feet and echoed up to his head, rattling his entire body. This was practically the only thing he could notice. Dream took down his hood since he was getting sweaty, and looked around the club. He and Cross were currently under some sort of staircase structure, hidden from most of the flashing lights minus the colorful circles that managed to touch the tips of his boots. "Alright, Cross, let's see where to go from here." He fumbled with his pocket, reaching for the flower before he became slightly lost in thought. Everyone here looked so happy. Flashing sequins atop dresses, skirts, and tuxedos mingled with the lights and pulsing music above in a soup of hypnotic life. Dream wondered if everyone here, in this AU, was truly happy. They must be. His aura has not called him here in ages. If they were so unhappy Dream would have been called here. But the events of the prior AU led him to doubt that theory. Was he truly failing?
Dream didn't have time to think.
Because he was suddenly under those lights, immersed in that pulsing music, a part of that soup of hypnotic life. Swung around in the middle of it all by no one other than Lust. Dream's eyes widened before he could say anything.
Dream knew Lust's mouth moved only because of the lollipop stick bobbing around on his teeth. His expression was undecipherable too, masked by a pair of pink heart-shaped sunglasses. A few monsters with drinks in their hands smacked into him, staining his clothes with whatever was in the glass cups. Dream tried to pull away but was too frazzled with the all high stimulation consuming his body. Dream didn't want to admit to himself nor Cross that his body still felt a bit weakened from crossing between this and the previous AU. He could feel the effects of it in his limbs, the pinching and lethargy in his bones. He jerked around his shoulder and hollered, "Cross!" His nervous system spiked, he couldn't lose Cross. Not in the crowd. He may never find him! What if something happened to him, what if-
Soon enough Dream found himself on top of a balcony, his sockets blazing with a kaleidoscope of color. Hands were still gripping his shoulders and he saw a confused Cross below, presumably looking for Dream. "Cross!" Just in case he wasn't going to make it, Dream plunged his hand into his pocket and threw the flower, letting it plummet to the ground for Cross to see before he was swept off into a maze of hallways.
Everything was quiet now, the pulsing music was only a mere muffle against the soft pink halls, illuminated by an array of neon signs and the blue lanterns which hung from the low ceilings. Overlapping clicks of heels mingled as monsters in flashy clothing dipped in and out of various rooms. Studios. He's been here before. He wondered if the monsters he helped in the past were still here. A few shouts and hysterical laughs occasionally erupted. Lust's furry gloves still gripped his shoulders, neither he nor Dream talked. Dream's soul pounded in his chest and he wondered where Cross was. He took a deep breath. He was wasting so much time.
"And... here." Lust quickly jiggled a heart-shaped key into a lock and tapped the door open with a sparkly magenta heel. He messily flicked the light on and ushered Dream into a plush throne-like chair.
Dream opened his mouth for the first time. He mentally kicked himself for being so stupid, swept away like this like some kind of unknowing child. "Lust, what is the meaning of this, I can't be here right now-"
"Ah hah." But it looked like Lust was a bit busy. Half of his body peeked around the door frame, his one hand twirling the shiny red lollipop between his thumb and index finger. "Well don't take the deal unless you know what's part of the deal." He scoffed. "That's what I always say, at least. Mm. Kay. Well I'll be out in a bit, hon, I got a special sweetie to meet with right now. Kay bye!" Lust giggled and stuck the sucker back into his mouth, shutting the door behind him. "Oh my GOD!" He whipped around with a wide smile on his face, his hands spread out gleefully. He clicked over to the royal purple plush chair directly in front of Dream, a glass violet desk bordering them. "Hi Dream." Lust rested an elbow on the desk, placing his head on the back side of his hand. The lollipop swirled in his mouth in anticipation.
"Hey," Dream said, distracted. He wrung his hands around and around. He took the chance to look about the small studio. The entire space was dimly lit with the help of stylish lamps emitting a low pink glow. Over in one corner stood a wrack with many different colored boas. A pink one, a violet one... blue one. The room itself would be clean if it weren't for the various sparkly and largely revealing outfits messily strewn about the floor. There was a large open cabinet off to the left, however. Dream's eyelights continued to drift around in the dim light, catching sight of a mirror adorned with lights and a small stool in front. Open cases of makeup and paint and loose feathers lay about the counter. Slowly, Dream turned back to face Lust, his eye lights connecting with the thick frames of the other skeleton's sunglasses. A cup full of red lollipops, the same kind twirling in Lust's mouth, sat on the desk, surrounded by many crumpled letters with red smudge marks. The most prominent part of the place was the smell. The entire room smelled heavily of artificial cherry.
"Your hands."
Dream's eyes widened. "What?"
"Your hands, Dream. You're stressed." Lust rolled out his own hands and wiggled his fingers. "Give me."
"I'm ok." Dream reassured, lightly. "Lust, wait- I have to go."
"Dreaaaam." Lust groaned, removing his sunglasses from his face, revealing a pair of soft purple eyelights and delicately powdered face. His eyelights reminded him too much of his brother's. "Honey, you're stressed, give me your hands. Y'know, it's my job."
"Your job?" Dream curled his hands into his chest.
"To fix people. Give me."
Dream narrowed his eyes and brought his hands forth, figuring that he could get through with his point if he satisfied whatever Lust was trying to do.
"No! Silly. I want to see the real you, y'know? Down to the guts. "
"I don't understand," Dream tried to hide the irritation in his voice.
"Your gloves, hon. Take them off."
Dream didn't know where this was going, but he did it anyway. He tentatively slid off his yellow gloves and placed them by his side. Now that they were bare and poised in the air, Dream just now realized how clammy and shaky they were. They looked helpless.
"Ah, there we are," Lust grinned, taking Dream's hands into his slightly larger ones. Lust's hands were warm and thinly powdered, Dream could feel their heat radiate into his own. He hoped Lust didn't notice the contrast.
"So. What brings you to the old club, dear. Or, to UnderLust, for that matter? Surely you're not here for some good old pleasure now are you?" Lust asked as he began to rub repetitive circles onto the backs of Dream's hands with his thumbs.
Dream suddenly wanted Lust's sunglasses back on. This was getting too intimate, as if the other skeleton could pry up open like a can of beans. He carefully thought before speaking. "I'm here to help someone." He took a breath, his chest elevating. "I'm in a hurry, Lust I really do appreci-"
"No tell it to me. I know tired. I know miserable. I know stress. And honey, Dream, I know you are experiencing all three. Tell me what's wrong. I don't bite in here." Lust giggled.
Dream's body seized up. No one has come this close to prying him. He wasn't used to people other than Cross asking about his wellbeing, too. He didn't know why they did it. He couldn't understand. No one would do this for him if they knew what he did. And what he did was at the tip of his tongue, on the verge of sailing into the open, riding on words. He wanted to tell someone about what he did, he wanted the pain to burst so he could bear the suffering no longer. But he couldn't let himself off, he had to suffer because what he did was unforgivable. He had to keep it in. He opened his mouth to speak, ever so carefully. "I'm here because my-"
"Ooo." Lust intervened, his fingers brushing against the ring on Dream's left hand. "So who's the lucky guy? Or... girl." The skeleton crunched on his lollipop, his eye lights fixated on the sun carving on his ring.
"Cross. And... we've been together for about twenty years."
"I'm sorry what?" Lux exclaimed, the lollipop falling out of his mouth.
"Yeah... it's been a long time."
"THE X EVENT GUY?!" Lust's eyelights went wide, he let go of Dream's hands as his own flew to his chest.
Dream blushed. He forgot that some of the more isolated AUs were a bit misinformed in regards to Cross's reputation. Some still thought that Cross was a raging lunatic bent on destroying lives. An even greater population thought that Cross's reputation was forever tainted and unforgivable. This is why Dream tried to keep his and Cross's life private, so that outside drama could't leech into the peaceful life he tried to build with him. Of course, Dream knew these efforts were a bit futile. Drama could leak from within, and he held the source of it. "Oh no, he's not like that anymore! He's changed. He's very sweet and humble and caring. I'm so lucky to have him. Too lucky." Dream took another full breath, returning his eye sockets to Lust's. "And we have spawned two children..."
Lust looked every inch and bit confused. He cocked his head slightly. "S-spawned? I've never heard of that method before..."
"Energy spirit terminology." Dream sighed. "Well... that's kind of why I'm here." The guardian's mouth pressed into a solemn line. He reached into the other pocket of his uniform and pulled out a small sun-shaped locket. He carefully opened it and laid it on the table in front of an intrigued Lust. "This is my daughter, Lux. And my son... Starcross." Dream pointed out his two children, who were happily sitting next to him at the kitchen table, drinking hot chocolate. It was somehow strange to see their faces again, it was the first time he'd even looked at them since the disappearance. Something struck Dream deep in his soul. "They went missing. Not too long ago." His voice was hardly there anymore, he felt overwhelmed with a storm of guilt and sadness. "Me and Cross are trying to find them."
The crinkling of a candy wrapper roused Dream back to awareness. "Oh my! What darlings!" Lust took the locket and examined it, placing the new and unwrapped lollipop into his mouth. "Oh what happened! How did this happen!? How did they go missing! Oh I wish I could help. Tell me Dreamy, can I help in any way?" Lust perched his head on his folded hands.
"I don't know... how they disappeared." Dream whispered. Despite Dream's involvement and guilt in the matter, he truly did not know how exactly Lux and Star disappeared. "And I'm sorry. I don't think you can help in any way." Dream shifted awkwardly. Suddenly his eye sockets felt heavy.
"Well hon, they look like they really love you." Lust whirled his finger along the soft pink boa around his neck. "Hm. I used to know what that felt like. I know, funny, imagine someone like me having someone to take care of." Lust kicked up his legs and crossed them, revealing a pair of blue platform boots. "See, there used to be this one small one I used to look after. He... well. Strange." Lust's violet eyelights slowly moved up and down Dream's body. "He kinda looked like you." Lust's features grew sympathetic. "What's wrong hon? You look like you've seen a ghost. Do you need a trash can?"
"N-no. What-how...?" Dream did in fact, feel ill. The world in front of him became all blurry and unaligned. His phalanges wavered until they found grounding on the side of the desk. "I'm-" He swallowed but there was no saliva to swallow. "I'm just really scared." That wasn't a lie. He couldn't mean...
"Aw, sweetie, I can only imagine."
Part of Dream registered a pair of arms reaching around him, accompanied by the strong scent of cherry filtering into his nose cavity. Dream's own arms stayed rigid, his soul pounding harder and harder. He let out a small, "I'm fine."
"Oh I'm sure everything will be fine!" Lust cupped Dream's cheek and held it there for a moment. Dream's stunned eye lights locked with Lust's. It was almost a fear response. From this perspective, it looked like he was staring right into his brother's eyes.
Lust backed away and got up from his chair, heading over to the light-rimmed mirror and unfolding his makeup set.
"What are you doing?" Dream asked, peeking over at Lust. His voice had lost most of its quaver, but his soul was still heavy. He couldn't shake the implications of the child Lust was talking about. He hoped with all stars above that it wasn't who he thought it was.
"Oh just getting ready for my next show," Lust said, applying a thick layer of shimmering purple lipstick. Dream could see the other skeleton's reflection in the mirror, his hands worked skillfully and his features were concentrated.
"Hm." Dream nodded. "Lust?"
"Yeah hon?" Lust whipped out his powder and added a few more dabs to his cheeks.
"Are you happy?"
Lust paused what he was doing. "Well, that's a thing to ask!" He snapped the powder closed and headed off into another small room connected to this one. A light bled out into the main room while Lust's voice echoed. "Sure thing. I'm happy." He returned with an armful of sparkly clothing items. "But my happiness is a two-faced bitch."
"Oh. I'm sorry." Dream murmured.
"Don't be, sweetie." He started hanging the clothes in a railing attached to the wall, sifting through them. He settled on a hot pink sequined dress with matching velvet gloves. And he stripped his existing clothes off right before Dream's eyes, tossing them aside.
A bewildered Dream grasped at his neck collar. "Don't you need a closet?"
Lust scoffed, stepping into the selected dress. "Honey, are you kidding? I'm already out of the closet, why would I go back in?" He clicked his tongue and wrapped a blue boa around his neck. "Anyways, about my happiness. Yes, I love what I do. I love my art. At least I think I do while in the moment. The people, the colors, passion." He sat on a stool, slipping on a pair of clunky fuchsia high heels. "All of the glitz and glitter in this place can't truly conceal the rugged hurt that runs through every soul here. One moment you're happy and shiny..." He ran a hand down his sequined side, producing a dull strip of muted pink. "And the next, you're all messed up and alone with your thoughts. That's when you realize how empty you really are." His voice was quiet now. "And yet I do it all over again." He laughed. "Funny how people can make love with you but never give you any love." He tapped his fingers on his cheek, looking at Dream with a piercing gaze. "But I'm too in love with what I do to quit. I don't know. Stuff is complicated." He walked over to Dream and lightly grazed his shoulder with a delicate hand. "You're a lucky person, Dream. To have Cross, from what you tell me about him."
Dream felt embarrassed. That was a fact. He had no idea Lust was suffering like this and now he was unsure he even had the ability to help him, if he had the time. All he could do was shake his head. "I'm so sorry. I really really am. And I'm not that lucky, you know."
"You are." Lust kept his hand on Dream's shoulder. "Everything will work out. I know you'll find your kids. You're Dream. Everything will work out, I know it." Lust bunched his hands up to his chest and sat on the desk.
Dream's eye sockets slit hazily, his gaze cast off. His hands trembled at what was about to come out of his mouth. "Lust? About that child you were talking about... what. What was his name?" Everything within Dream wanted to shun the answer yet his soul bled to know. His breath waited on edge for Lust to speak.
"His name? Oh well it was something really eccentric. What was it?" Lust paced around the room, his heels clicking with every step.
"It's alright, you don't have..."
"Ah! It was Palette. Well, Palette Roller to be exact." The heels stopped clicking. "Seriously, hon, do you need to puke?"
Dream's vision tapped out again, leaving Lust's glowing eye lights as the most defining feature. But some kind of force made him keep going. "How?" He croaked. That was all he could get out.
"How did I find him, you mean? Well, I was just going out to take a nice breather, y'know, stare at the sky for a while, and I happened to see the little guy cowering in a puddle of garbage. Poor thing. He had the most adorable little costume and paint splash on his cheek, though. SO. I led him inside and cleaned him up in my studio. That's when he told me his name. It took forever though, he was too afraid to speak, and I could tell just by the look in his eyes that something terrible had happened to him. He never told me what. But while he was here, we had a grand old time." Lust smiled.
Dream was still rigid, his eyes wide in thought. He hardly registered his voice coming out. "How long... ago."
"Oh? Maybe, about six years ago? Palette was around eleven when I found him. But don't worry, I never let this place hurt him like it hurt me. I kept him safe. I couldn't tell him what this place was really about." Lust sighed, his eyelights drooping to the floor. He dabbed the rims of his eye sockets. "But one night he got out into the crowd alone, and got severely hurt. I ran off to my studio for supplies but when I came back, he was gone. I haven't seen him since." Lust turned his head away and made a stifled chuckle. "Though stars did he know how to have fun... He loved dressing up in my costumes and bouncing around to mingle with folks who rolled up here. He was the best thing in my life, he was like a son to me. At one point I wanted to get legal papers to adopt him." Lust wiped his cheek with his boa. "That little guy never ran out of energy, and well, I guess that day when I lost him, I couldn't keep up."
"He's just like him." Dream said, his voice low. The fear that once coursed his body turned into solid rage. His cheeks were flushed and hot.
"What was that?" Lust walked over to his makeup station and started reapplying powder.
"Was there any dust on the ground when he was gone?" The question was surprisingly sharp and demanding as it exited Dream's mouth."
"Well, no. But it could have easily been swept up by the crowd's feet, sweetie."
"I'm going to fucking kill him." Dream spat low in his throat, inaudibly, his hands twisting in his lap. He heard Lust's voice but it sounded like it was muffled against a thousand layers of padding. The guardian was seething, his cheeks hot. Everything was hot. And blind. All he could do was sit there in that chair and ruminate on two thoughts: killing Ink and punishing himself.
"Here. Dream?"
Dream faintly registered the smell of something delicious wafting through the room. He didn't know how long he was lost in thought.
"Dream, sweetie, I brought you something to help. To help you calm down. Well, it calms me down, at least."
Dream slowly turned his head up to face Lust, who slid a plate with a steamy fudge-drenched brownie on it toward him.
He didn't feel hungry. But it for sure smelled heavenly. He felt ill. "My son loved chocolate," he said. The moment it came out of his mouth Dream was horrified, talking about Star as if he still didn't love chocolate. Loved, like he was a thing of the past.
Lust pat Dream's shoulder. "Well, when you find him, make sure to bring him up here and we can have some brownies together. Wouldn't that be nice? I would love to meet him, I bet he's just as sweet as you."
"Y-yeah... it would be nice. And yes, he's the sweetest kid I've ever known." Sometimes Dream wondered if the multiverse made Star so sweet just to punish him. He couldn't take his eyes off the brownie.
"Oh, and this." Lust layed out a sparkling golden jumpsuit on the desk. "You might want to put this on."
"What... why. I don't understand," Dream didn't move his eye lights away from the plate.
"Let's just say... I have a present for you. Something that will make you feel a whole lot better. Before you go."
Dream nodded. "Fine."
"Good. Well I have to back out of the room for now, I have arrangements to make! Be right back, hon."
Lust's hands left Dream's shoulders and once he knew Lust was gone, he pushed the plate of brownie out of the way and bowed his head to the table and sobbed uncontrollably. His cries must have been heard from down the hall, but he was too distraught to care. The tears were hot, large, and ugly, fueled by the pain that came with how much he hurt people. How he hurt Lux, Star, Cross... and Palette. And he could hardly breathe as the sadness and anger mingled in his throat. Horrific images of what happened to Palette and what was possibly happening to his children flashed through his closed sockets. And he was too weak and helpless to do anything. He was always too weak and helpless, useless, except when it came to making people happy for a split second. Life itself broke his heart. "I'm so sorry..." He kept repeating that over and over into his arm, which was now glued to the desk with yellow tears. He could cry all day and his chest would still feel full with all that he kept from people. At some point he must have gotten up and blindly stepped into the outfit Lust had given him, before the other skeleton came back. He sat down at the desk and slumped his head into his hands. He would hate it if Cross saw him like this. He could never display his crumbling, because if he did, he would make Cross worry. And that's the last thing he wanted...
"Oh my goodness honey what's wrong?"
At that, Dream went over and threw himself blindly at Lust, who caught him in his arms. Dream squeezed Lust and let out a long sob.
"Oh my... Dream. It's alright, it's ok. Listen, all will be ok-"
"I've done something terrible," Dream choked into the crook of Lust's neck.
"No... this isn't your fault. Sometimes terrible things like this happen, I know you'll find your kids..."
"No. I-I did something else. You wouldn't understand..." Dream squeezed his sockets shut even more.
"What wouldn't I understand, hon I've done things too. Please! Tell me, look at you!" Lust guided Dream's face up to his, the other hand kept running back and forth along the sequins of Dream's jumpsuit.
Dream took a deep breath before he spoke, but his voice was hardly there. "You would hate me."
"Do you know how many things I hate about myself? How could I hate you ?" Lust sighed at Dream's silence. His voice delved into a place of softness and understanding. "Well. Have you talked to Cross about this? Whatever is hurting you?"
Dream shook his head. " I couldn't."
"Can you at least tell me?" Lust tried again, softly.
"You'd hate me. Everyone would hate me."
"Everyone does not hate you. No one could. Whatever you're going through, I know you'll make it out. I know it." Lust squeezed Dream's shoulders affirmatively, his powdered features wearing pure sympathy. "Here, this is what I've been wanting to show you." He looked toward the hallway entrance, as if listening for something. "It's almost time, anyways." Lust took Dream's hand and tugged him toward the door. Dream numbly followed, wiping his nose cavity with his arm, at least he was moving beyond the studio. He needed to reunite with Cross, quickly.
Dream strode side by side with Lust, his eyes forward, the cold circulation of the hallway stung his exposed back and shoulders. He wasn't used to walking in heels, let alone tall, golden, sparkling pumps. People run to and fro, chattering about. Dream didn't know what Lust was leading him into, but he figured he was about to find out soon.
The two rounded to the left into a dark hallway with small golden globes lining the ceiling. The air became significantly colder and draftier. Dream's senses tingled at his fingertips, a strange type of happiness radiated around the space. Out of the many different categorizations of happiness, this was one was the strangest to experience. Mostly because it was happiness, but streaked with fear.
"Lust, what is this?"
The performer took Dream's arm and led him into what appeared to be another room. A dressing room. "See, look, you are fabulous! Looks good, looks good." Lust murmured, placing Dream in front of a long mirror rimmed with dimmed yellow lights.
"Oh... stars?" Dream could hardly recognize himself in the golden one-piece. The outfit's neckline dipped far down his ribcage, coming short just before the tank top-styled top connected with a high waistline. The bottom half bloomed around his hips until the pant legs flared around his feet, revealing a pair of large golden heels twinkling against dim lighting.
"Isn't it ethereal? You look fabulous, darling. I didn't apply makeup, because, well, you already have such amazing natural beauty."
Dream turned away from the mirror and looked at Lust, whose face was just visible amid the lukewarm light. "What is it I'm supposed to do?" Dream squinted his eyes, prodding an answer. A faint chattering could be heard off beyond the dressing room. It seemed to grow louder by the moment. Dream could sense that something was about to happen, he could tell by the large energy readings gathering in one collective spot not too far away.
"Well." Lust motioned for Dream to follow out of the room. "When the curtain rises... just be Dream. No script, no performance, darling. You are performance!"
Dream now found himself climbing a steep set of stairs, his and Lust's heels echoing within the cavernous heart of the club. Soon the stairs leveled off to a wide flat space. The chatter that Dream heard before was now rising in volume beyond him. He turned and faced a large deep violet curtain before him. He didn't like the idea of this, not one bit. His soul smacked against his ribcage and his hands got all clammy. "Lust what exactly is this-"
But Lust was already gone, slipping behind the curtain. "Just be natural!" He mouthed, peeking back at Dream before he disappeared for the last time.
The chattering instantly went silent as Lust slipped behind. The muffled sound of Lust walking saved Dream from utter silence. There was a tapping at the microphone. Dream's breath halted.
"Hello!" Lust's flirtatious voice boomed. "Now now, calm down! I know, I know, we're excited for the show, aren't we?" Lust chuckled. "Well, what if I told you there was a better reason to be excited besides my show?" The crowd went wild at that.
Dream looked to the staircase, contemplating an escape.
"Tonight... we have a very special guest in our company. Now, save your excitement!"
The curtain began to rise and Dream felt cold air and anticipation cling to his body. He balled his hands up and shook them out, watching the curtain roll up into the ceiling.
"He's sweet, he's golden, he's Dream, the guardian of positivity!" Not a second after, an earsplitting, collective scream consumed the crowd. It made Dream's head all fuzzy, his gaze focused on Lust's sequined Dress and beckoning hands. The curtain finally rolled up all the way, revealing a shimmering crowd nearly filling up the entirety of the dance floor. He dizzily stepped forward, bathing in the bright hot lights and golden glossy stage. His gaze went to the ceiling, utterly in awe, the crowd's hollering became background ambiance against the glory of it all. The guardian had never felt more exposed.
"Everyone give it up for Dream!" Lust did a twirl and locked fingers with Dream and gave a squeeze before he ducked gracefully behind the curtain. That only made the crowd go more ballistic with ecstasy joy.
"DREAM! DREAM!" His name popped up here and there in cascades. Arms waved and people screamed. And Dream just stood there, unsure of what to do with his limbs. "Hello!" He finally managed, giving a friendly wave. He tried to pick Cross out of the crowd, but he was nowhere to be seen.
He moved to the edge of the stage, plunging his hand into the crowd like bait to fish. The overhead spotlight ate him up just like the clubbers. He was like this golden island in the middle of the cold ocean of this club, hands reached towards him. Everyone wanted a taste of sunshine. Fingers ran across his. Soon, dozens of hands were on his, piling up. He kept his smile. As always. His mind reeled and he still couldn't comprehend the palace and time of the situation. "Dream! We love you! Stay strong Dream! I hope your family is ok! I hope you find them!"
"Thank you..." Dream said, confused. How did they know? Then Dream realized. Lust. He must have told them. It also dawned on him why Lust wanted him to do this. It hit him like a brick. He wasn't supposed to be an object per usual. This was supposed to be a sendoff. He wanted him to feel loved. The affirming rather than rabid way the crowd squeezed his hands proved this. The glow of the individuals' eyes proved this.
Dream started to tear up a little. He didn't want this. He couldn't stop thinking, no one would be doing this if they knew what he did. They would think he was sick as much as he thought himself was sick. He pulled back away from the hands, pulling back. Away.
A loud wave of applause boomed as Dream now stood in the center of the stage. Rose after rose flew from the crowd, landing near Dream's sparkling heels. There were so many of them, soon the entire stage was littered with the beautiful flowers. They were so hypnotic. All for him.
Suddenly something different landed at his feet. There, among the red petals, was that corrupted orchid. Dream's fingers wrapped around it. "Cross?" He scanned the crowd, and at last, he found the guard's piercing white eye lights among the crowd. He waved to him, earning a surprised wave from Cross. He had to reunite with him right away. Because Dream just found their next exit. The negativity radiating from the flower harmonized with somewhere beyond the curtain. Backstage. Dream could feel the negativity tugging his fingertips.
"Thank you so much!" Dream tried his best to keep his head up as he subtly backed up and slipped behind the curtain.
"Stars!" Dream nearly jumped out of his skin. "Oh, it's just you. Lust, you didn't have to do that for me." Dream turned to the performer, his cheeks practically neon against the darkness.
"Sweetie, I didn't need to do this, you did. Listen." Lust took Dream's hands. "I need to go perform now, but... I need you to remember one thing. People out there love you. I don't think people really love me, but Dream, I know they do."
"It's... my aura." Dream murmured. He still couldn't let go of that age-old belief. It's because a good chunk of himself still believed it.
"Dream you promised me!" Lust looked serious now. "You have to promise to not hate yourself so much. Don't beat yourself up, please."
"I-I promise." Liar.
"Alright then, sunshine. I need to go. Oh, and here is your old uniform. Although, your new outfit is quite delicious..." Lust indicated Dream's guardian uniform on a nearby stool. "Best of luck-"
"Lust wait!" Dream grabbed hold of Lust's wrist, simultaneously digging into a pocket of his uniform. "Here..." He slipped a clear, reflective bracelet-type thing around the other's wrist.
"Honey, I already have so many bracelets, you keep it."
"No," Dream said, quickly. "This is an instant portal. It's your way out of here, if you ever need it... you could go anywhere. Just tell it where to... and you've got a portal. To anywhere in the multiverse. You need this. One favor from another." Dream smiled a small smile at the look on Lust's face. It appeared he was about to cry; his eye lights were all puffy. "I don't give these to many people, I'm so sorry I didn't realize how much pain you were in. Just don't tell everyone, I don't want to cause a riot." That was one of the prices Dream had to pay as the guardian of positivity. He couldn't always dish out happiness to everyone without preserving overall multiversal peace. The only other people Dream handed the instant portals to were Cross... and Blue. Unless there were others he was forgetting...
"I just don't know what to say..." Lust hugged Dream. "Thank you, darling. Oh thank you... Don't worry, I never would have demanded you give this to me. Just... you are a beautiful individual Dream. Oh goodness!" Lust stepped back and began making his way to the curtain. "I got to go! The pole needs a partner! We will meet again, please do come back!" And just like that Lust was swallowed by the stage and Dream was alone again with his thoughts. The muffled roar of the crowd and Lust's performing voice started up. Beginning a new show.
Dream whipped his head around at the slight sound of sudden footsteps.
"Dream?" The voice whispered.
"Cross?" Dream instantly headed up toward the voice, navigating the darkness until he saw the familiar figure.
"There you are!" Cross quietly exclaimed, running up to Dream and sweeping him into a hug. "I was wondering if I would ever see you again- Is... is this the new look?" Cross asked, regarding Dream's shimmery display.
Dream shook his head, embarrassed. "Is this your new look?" Dream looked Cross up and down, noting the purple boa around his neck and the indigo eyeshadow surrounding his sockets. It looked like Cross had fun. There was an extra bounce to his voice, like a bit of his shell had been cracked while swept up by the club.
Cross's cheeks flushed purple, darkening the purple makeup that already powdered his cheeks. "Heh. No, I just got a little swept away, I guess. It was an experience, that's for certain..." He paused, letting the two into silence. The applause and cheering of Lust's show continued.
"You know, you should really look into show business, you were great up there." Cross said, breaking the silence.
"Oh! No!" Dream exclaimed. "It was just Lust, he put me up to this. You know how he is. I'm so sorry... Lust sort of just got hold of me, and threw me into all this. It was a lot in a short amount of time, and I guess we got separated." He apologized. "I'm sorry for abandoning you."
Cross's expression didn't change. "Hm, I get it. The culture here is so very different. I heard some really crazy stuff, I uh, saw some crazy stuff too. You wouldn't believe what I heard, it was the strangest thing. It was about you... but it couldn't be true."
"What did you hear!" Dream blurted, his voice catching on a stammer. He should not have asked that. His mind instantly went to the boy Lust told him about. Palette. His hands went to his chest and began to quake.
"Oh." Cross tugged at his sleeves. "Oh someone said you are a legend around here. You won... what was it called? The Shot Slam Championship. You downed 15 shots in one minute flat. That... is that true?"
Dream let out a breath of relief. He smiled for a faint second. "Yeah... that's true."
"It is!" Cross exclaimed, his sockets going wide.
The guardian laughed, smacking Cross's arm. "It was a long time ago! Anyways, no one's ever come close to beating it yet."
This was the first time since the whole incident that Cross and Dream felt normal. It was almost like before, when they would stay up late, casually talking only to find out something outrageous about the other's life. But that soon wore off as the situation at hand sunk back in. Dream looked at the flower in his hand, and began to change back into his regular clothes. Cross turned to give Dream privacy, waiting for him to finish before he began speaking again.
Dream adjusted his belt and gently laid the golden jumpsuit and shoes on the same stool. "It's here, Cross. The next portal." His voice was all dismal again, melancholy. He hated how the sparkling hope within the atmosphere transitioned into despair again.
"Dream I've been wanting to talk to you about that," Cross said, the tone of his voice deflated.
"What do you mean?" Dream walked over to his partner.
Cross took a breath. "We need to find another way. You can't keep hurting yourself. I know what that negativity does to your soul, and I just can't see you like that again."
Dream just stood there. He took an irritated breath, hating it when Cross was like this for him. "Cross, I have to do this. There's no other way. Now let's go-"
"No." Cross stopped Dream, putting his hands to his shoulders. "You can't do this. You... can't be selfish."
Dream's body went rigid, burning with hatred for himself. "You're right, Cross! I can't be selfish." His heated voice rose, but luckily, the stage performance swallowed up the noise. "I can't. Not when our kids are suffering! I have to do this! I have to!"
Cross kept his voice calm and level. "Well there has to be another way. You're all about possibilities, Dream. You have to believe-"
"No, there-"
"Please! Dream!"
"No!"
"Dream-"
"There. Is. No. Other. Way..." Dream took a shattering breath, keeping it stiff within his body."
"Who wants more!" Lust's voice and the crowd's clamor didn't even compare to the heavy loud silence between Cross and Dream.
"Are you purposely doing this? Dream, do you want to be hurt?"
"What-" Dream whispered.
"..."
"...no." Dream whispered. "I don't. Because that would hurt you... but right now, I have no choice." A part of Dream was glad he had no other choice.
"I just... don't know how much more you can take before... well."
"I don't know how many more AUs we'll have to go through. It is the only way to find Nightmare's realm and yes, I'm willing to go through it. I'm willing to find out. For them."
Cross took a deep breath and pressed his mouth. He wanted to speak but it will forever be futile against Dream. Dream squeezed his hand, and with the other, produced the portal, showing the two in a cascade of deep angry purple.
And just like that, they were gone.
"Thank you for the show, darlings, of course, we'll do this another time. I'm already looking forward to our next performance!"