A/N: More spookiness! But mostly angst…poor Albel. –sniffle-

Fayt: Why are you making me a damsel in distress? I want to fight ghosts too!

Disclaimer: This story was not originally meant to be yaoi..i thought there would be too much horror for any romance to get in, and it's not really romance…it's just, my Albel muse demanded to be gay, so he is. 0.0 I have no idea if there will be any romance later on, but you have all been warned!

Fayt led the way down the hall to a small bedroom. The door was closed and he twisted the knob. Nothing happened and Fayt frowned.

"What's wrong?" Albel asked quietly.

"The door's stuck," Fayt muttered, tugging harder on the handle.

"Is it locked?"

"It can't be. It's locked from the outside."

"Nothing is impossible in this house. Just get out your key and unlock it."

Fayt grumbled as he dug out his key, turned it in the lock, and tried the door again. "Damn, it still won't work!" He angrily kicked at the door.

"Here, fool, let me try."

Fayt stepped aside and Albel had his turn, but even he had to admit defeat. "Stupid ghosts just don't want us in here. There's another bedroom, right?"

"Just my parents' room. I'm an only child."

Albel sagged against the door frame. "I'll sleep on the couch."

"No, you don't need to do that. We can share. I trust you."

"Maybe a little too much," Albel muttered.

Fat looked concerned. "You don't still smoke, do you?"

"No," Albel muttered bitterly. "I gave that up years ago."

Fayt was relieved. "Oh good, nothing to worry about then."

Albel grinned wickedly. "But just wait until you see what nasty habits I replaced it with. Come on, Fayt."

The two boys were very modest. They changed into their pajamas facing the other way. After they were done they crawled into bed, being careful to stay on their own side as far from the other as possible.

Fayt was silent as he watched the tortured look on Albel's face. At last, Albel sighed heavily. "Fayt, may I sleep without my shirt? It's how I sleep at home."

Fayt was surprised. "Of course you can. I've seen you at the beach before. It doesn't bother me."

"Thank you," Albel sighed, wriggling out of his shirt.

Fayt stared up at the ceiling. "Why do you wear long sleeves all the time? I remember you always used to be so hot in the summer."

Albel froze. "Shit," He hissed through his teeth.

Albel tried to move away from Fayt, but Fayt was quicker. He snatched Abel's wrist and switched on the light. Albel winced as Fayt traced his scars with a disapproving sound.

"Albel, this is terrible! Why have you been cutting yourself?"

"I missed you," Albel said miserably. "I felt so lost without you."

"I've missed you too," Fayt said softly, "but you don't see me doing that."

Albel sighed. "You've always had a lot of friends, Fayt. All I ever had was you."

Fayt rolled his eyes. "That's because you're mean to everyone."

"Bah," Albel said irritably. "They drive me a reason. They're all so stupid and obsessed with their lives to ever take the time to know me. Remember Professor Vox, our chem. teacher?"

Fayt snickered. "Well, he liked you before he knew you. You used to call him Noxious Vox because hew as wrapped around your finger."

Albel snorted. "The man was an ass. He thought because I had an A in his class it made me a model citizen. I sure showed him."

Fayt laughed. "You showed him how much you like mean practical jokes."

Albel scowled. "It wasn't mean. It was…necessary."

"Sure it was," Fayt muttered, rolling over to face the wall.

"I miss the good old days," Albel whispered. "I miss having you around to keep me company."

"You have your baseball team for that," Fayt muttered.

"They kicked me out, remember?" Albel sighed. "They were just looking for an excuse to cut me from the team."

Fayt was curious now. "Why did they hate you so much?"

Albel sighed heavily. "It's because I bat for the other team."

Fayt was confused. "You cheat?"

"No, it's an analogy. Haven't you heard the phrase, 'he swings both ways'?"

"Ah, yes. It means he likes both girls and boys."

"Right, but I swing one way-the wrong way."

Fayt looked wary. "You're gay?"

"Yup."

Fayt made a noise that sounded like he had a hairball.

Albel pretended he didn't hear it. "That's why no one could stand me. They were afraid of me. You were the only who took the time to come near me and find out all about me."

"Not all," Fayt said scathingly.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but I didn't want you to act like everyone else who can't see past my sexuality. I'm surprised no one else told you, but I suppose they just assumed."

"Assumed what?" Fayt asked in outrage.

"Assumed we were going out because we spend so much time together."

"And you didn't tell them otherwise?" Fayt raged. "Or maybe you were actually planning on that happening later."

"Fayt, please. You're my best friend. I would never get romantically involved with you. I promised myself I would look at you like a brother and not a possible date."

"I don't believe you," Fayt growled. He turned his back to Albel and muttered. 'Tomorrow, you better get out of this house."

"But we have to stay to defeat the ghosts."

"Only I do," Fayt snarled. "You're not my father's heir. Now stay away from me and let me sleep."

Albel felt as if he had been punched in the stomach. He couldn't breathe. All he could do was lie there, feeling alone, even though Fayt was right next to him.

Suddenly, Albel tensed and bolted out of bed. "Fayt, do you hear that?"

"I said I wanted you to leave me alone," Fayt growled.

"But Fayt, something's-" Albel paused to anxiously sniff at the air. "Are you sure you don't smell that?"

"You're being paranoid," Fayt grumbled, putting a pillow over his head.

Albel switched on the lights and stood staring at the ceiling. "It's a coppery smell, almost like blood."

A slight sound from directly overhead caught Albel's attention. He screamed as a drop of blood fell; onto his forehead.

Fayt sat up angrily. "What is it now?"

Wordlessly, Albel pointed to a growing red stain on the ceiling. Fayt's mouth dropped open as he crawled across the bed to stand next to Albel "What do you think-"

He never got to finish. Almost as if a hole had opened in the veiling, a torrent of blood poured down. Albel turned to shield Fayt from most of it. Once the blood trickled to a stop, Albel warily straightened up.

A female corpse landed on the bed with moist of the skin decayed away and a huge hole in her face. Fayt screamed for nearly five minutes until Albel covered his mouth. "Do you want everyone to hear, dumb ass?"

Fayt took a deep, reassuring breath. "That just scared me. So we know now the house has killed twice."

"Damn, we're idiots,' Albel muttered. "It's the same girl."

"Sophia?" Fayt's eyes widened. 'But she wasn't so chewed up when we found her."

"Well, the house chewed her up some more," Albel said gruffly. "Come on, let's go back and look at her body."

Using flashlights, they returned to the spot, but found nothing.

"Told you so," Albel said smugly.

"I'm scared," Fayt said, keeping close to Albel.

Albel shoved him. "Get away from me, you homophobe."

"Look, I'm sorry. You can stay if you want. Just don't get too close to me."

"Hmmn, okay. You can sleep on the couch"

"Are you crazy? That's where a dead person was!"

Albel shrugged. "There's a dead person in the bedroom too."

"Then where will I sleep?"

Albel flipped him off. "I really don't give a shit after how you treated me, but-oh wait…your room is opening again. Go in there."

Before their eyes, the locked door swung open.

"Fine," Fayt grumbled, stomping off to his room. "Be an asshole for all I care. I'm not talking to you again."