Four bodies writhed around under the royal purple sheets of Nightmare's bed.

"A-ahn Cross!"

"Does it feel good?"

"Faster you smug asshole!"

"I'm close!"

"AH don't pinch them! Hahhh K-Killer!"

"Such a tight pussy boss."

"S-shut ah UP!"

"Oh! Ahh Cross! Ahnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!"

"Hhhnnn fuck Dream I'm coming!"

"Inside me! Give it to me Cross!" Two loud moans follow, and the bodies collapse on the sheets curling around each other with soft whispers of loving words and reassurances. Shortly after they all go still their breathing deep and even as the slip out of the waking world.

When Killer wakes it's because the warmth of his lovers' bodies is no longer next to him. Blinking his eyes open he sees that the bed is empty aside from one other body which serves to do nothing but infuriate him as the memories of the previous night come rushing back. He feels rage boil in his soul and grabs the blanket with force pulling it off the good for nothing traitor.

Cross is woken from deep sleep by the blanket being forcefully yanked off him. He blinks his eye lights fading back in as he meets Killer's furious gaze. "Get up you asshole." He growls his soul hovering between a target and inverted heart. "You broke our agreement! Get the fuck out!"

"They invited me the last I checked?" Cross replies still half asleep.

"Well I didn't! You are always getting in my way when it comes to boss and Dream!"

"You know I have feeling for Dream! You knew before you started fucking my brains out to vent your frustration. You're the one who walked into my room without knocking!" Cross snaps. "You agreed no strings when there were clearly two very important strings attached." Cross's soul is thumping loudly hurt by Killer lashing out like this despite knowing about his feelings toward Dream and about his small crush on Nightmare. He realized that Nightmare was unsure of how he felt about said crush, so he never pressed the issue not wanting to make boss uncomfortable. Then they all ended up in bed together with no prior discussion all because of a heat potion Dream and Night got hit with. Cross had followed the twins' lead unsure of how to react to the twins cornering him in his room only for Killer to come in for their nightly unwind. After that it was a blur of shredded clothing and tender intense fucking before everything went black.

"Don't you fucking dare turn this on me! You know how I feel about boss and lil light!" Killer hisses angrily small tears gathering in his flickering eyes. "Fuck off traitor we're done."

Cross holds back tears mumbling he has no clothes to leave in as the twins shredded his last night.

Killer sneers at him cruelly "Guess Dust and Horror will see you doing the walk of shame then." He snaps his fingers teleporting Cross into the hall with nothing to cover himself.

Cross teleports back to his room and rushes into his bathroom turning on the shower. His soul is beating wildly with anxiety and betrayal; he nearly screams as the water almost scalds him. He twists the knobs with shaking hands standing under the spray for 5 minutes before starting to scrub his body. He feels sick. By the time he gets dressed he is the only one not at the dining hall. He arrives and everyone stares at him. Nightmare discusses the events of the previous evening leaving out the carnal parts for the sake of the other members of the team. "I would like to pursue a poly relationship with proper boundaries with you both." He rumbles looking at Dream who nods.

"I would like to pursue a poly relationship with you both as well. I look forward to where it leads us." Dream adds smiling.

Killer grins looking over at the twins before looking at Cross who has paused with a forkful of eggs half-way to his mouth. "I think this is the start of something great for the three of us." Killer hums looking Cross dead in the eye making it clear that he is not welcome. Was it petty? Yes. Did he care after what Cross did? No. Cross betrayed his trust by not pushing the twins away in the heat addled state. He hears Dream inhale sharply and Nightmare's eye goes wide with shock.

Cross meanwhile feels as though Error ripped his soul out all over again. He turns his head not saying a word keeping his emotions held in a vice grip as he finishes his breakfast. Afterwards he drops his plate in the kitchen before heading to the dining hall doors.

"Cross-!"

"It's f-fine Boss." He chokes out determined not to cry in front of them. He turns and leaves the dining hall the door slamming shut after him. Cross hurried to his room. God it hurt. But you know what this is fine. He is fine. He knew sooner or later he'd screw it up. He always does. He has 0 idea why he thought jumping into a poly relationship would end well for him when it involved Killer. He and Killer had a rocky relationship at best, and it was purely sexual. Killer said no strings, but two very important strings were in fact attached. He couldn't help having feelings for the one monster who had rescued him and cared for him FOR YEARS without demanding anything in return. He developed a slight crush on Nightmare after his boss cared for him while he was ill after a mission went wrong. He slams his door his hands shaking as tears burn in his sockets. he lets out a wet gasp trying to reign in his emotions lest he draw Nightmare to him again. he wants to be alone. he wants to... well... Everything feels wrong in his room. He shivers as he sinks against his door. Taking a few shaky breaths, he crawls over to his closet slipping inside and closing the door. He focuses and teleports out of the room.

Back with the others Dust and Horror exchange a look and glare at Killer. Sure, they're killers but, that was just plain cruel. Nightmare finishes eating and stands to leave heading to the doors. The duo finish eating shortly after and he hears Horror rumble, "What the fuck Killer?" Before the hall doors slam shut.

Nightmare heads to his study and feels Cross's anxiety spike along with a deep self-loathing and something else he only glimpses briefly before it all suddenly vanishes making him stumble in shock.

That can't be good.

He gets to his study and opens the door sitting behind his desk and staring at the wood. What the fuck does Killer think he's doing?!

Cross meanwhile curled up in the bell tower on the mattress he had dragged up here two years ago. He lets the tears flow as he lays there sobbing. He hates himself for thinking that he would ever be able to have Dream or Nightmare with Killer around. He cries until he has not more tears and the sun shines through the stain glass window showing he's been up here for at least 2 hours. He sits up rubbing his sore sockets as he looks at the colored shapes on the floor still not wanting to be around anyone. It's not like anyone knows he's hiding up here. This place along with the clock tower have strong enough auras that it blocks out the twins' ability to sense his emotions. Screw it unless he feels boss summon him, he'll stay here and be out of everyone's way. They'd probably call him a crybaby anyway. Cross stays in the tower until dinner when he teleports back into his closet. Dinner is a tense, awkward affair where not even Dream attempts conversation looking uncomfortable. No one comments on the fact that Cross had clearly been crying nor the fact that he vanished from sight for 6 hours.

2 weeks pass and Cross wakes up each day and looks in his mirror. "I'm fine." He tells himself despite the dark circles under his sockets and the dimmer state of his eye lights. "I'm fine." He tells anyone who asks. None of them buy it but he insists that he's 100% fine. No one needs to lose sleep over him. He no longer steals glances at Dream only really interacting with the lighter twin when Dream instigates it. This naturally upsets Dream, but he doesn't press the issue not wanting to make it worse. Nightmare is having no better luck with him. No one sees Cross outside meals where he only speaks when spoken to. He otherwise tucks in with his head down. No one knows where he goes during the hours between meals as they can't locate him in the usual places. Horror tried following him but only found an empty room.

After another 2 weeks Cross and Dust are sent on a scouting mission that ends up being violent.

"Cross round up the stragglers!" He yells as he injures a larger monster.

"Right." Cross leaves to do that startling Dust who expected him to object. They finish up returning with minor injuries and a report about the AU. Dust stays behind to deliver the report. This repeats every time they are sent out. Dust calls the shots and Cross obeys unnerving the other. Cross being a mindless drone is not what he wants. He likes Cross's bite in battle but instead he has the obedient soldier they had when Cross first joined the Bad Guys. That doesn't sit well with Dust.

They get sent to a mountain AU next and learn that a village is causing the imbalance. They find a mountain lodge where the elder explains about their standoff between the Yoruki tribe and the Yamyokai yeti monsters. The Yamyokai are territorial and aggressive to the point that it will take everyone in the group to kill them off. The tribal village seems to be full of lying backstabbers and will be much easier to handle but Dust can't afford to gain any more LV, and he is unsure if Cross going in alone is wise in his current state. In the end he tells Cross that they need to regroup, and they leave back to the castle. They return and Cross is ready to skip dinner to go back to the tower and sit on the window ledge staring at the ground while he slowly slides down it. He can sense that Dust does not like working him clearly preferring Horror. It causes is soul to twist again more pain rushing through him as the dark cloud of self-loathing settles back over his head reminding him of how fucking useless, he is. Before he could escape Nightmare called out for him to come to the study to give the scouting report. Cross grits his teeth not wanting to be around Nightmare, not in the mood to be a meal for him. He is in no state to be around the negative empath and has no desire to potentially encounter Dream who also spends time in the study. He doesn't want pity or comfort; he just wants to be alone. He wants to stay out of the way until he's forced to interact with the team. His arms begin to itch with the urge to do damage, but he shoves down those feelings heading toward the study. Sure, enough the moment he steps inside he sees that Dream is on the couch reading the book he had picked out for him last shopping trip. He focuses on Nightmare who is studying him with his elbows resting on the desk his fingers bridged and his tendrils swaying behind him.

"You called Boss?" He says quietly naively hoping Dream did not hear him but no such luck. Dream marks the page setting it aside turning to face Cross. Cross refuses to meet his concerned eye lights focusing on Nightmare knowing how much Nightmare loathes anyone breaking eye contact during conversations. "There are aggressive yetis on the mountain causing tension between the clan and family that built and run a lodge inn by the springs. The village seems suspicious but there is no hard evidence of them intentionally sending the yetis after those climbing the mountain or visiting the springs." He wants to leave very badly and feels anxious being around the twins after that disastrous morning. Killer of course has done nothing but cozy up to Dream and Nightmare every time he is around making sure their eyes meet. Nightmare says nothing pondering how to proceed with the village, family owned inn and yetis. Dream stands up and Cross goes rigid clearly uncomfortable as he waits for Nightmare to dismiss him. Nightmare does not dismiss him even after forming a plan to handle the AU's issues. Cross is sweating struggling heavily to keep his emotions bottled up away from the very source of them. Nightmare keeps his eye closed as Dream comes to stand by the desk looking into Cross's eyes his own full of worry and concern. Cross can't break eye contact with Dream without looking away from his boss. So, he sweats his entire body stiff as a board.

Nightmare sighs opening his eye, "You are clearly NOT fine Cross."

"I'm tired Boss." He replies cautiously.

"Tired does not explain why you are stiff as a board just from us looking at you." Nightmare retorts.

"Cross please—" Dream starts moving to touch Cross and his emotions flare momentarily before he gets them under control again. The flare up is harsh enough to make Nightmare startle at his desk as it felt like a slap in the face. Cross's emotions are a cocktail that Nightmare wouldn't drink even if he were barely conscious. Dream lets out a soft gasp the emotional slap being even harsher to him. He inhales shakily and goes over to Cross reaching up to touch his cheek, "Please…" He whispers his voice raw and Cross inhales sharply. He doesn't respond to Dream looking at Nightmare praying to be dismissed. He needs to leave before he breaks down in front of them like an idiot. At that moment Killer comes into the study clearly there to make his own report. Cross hits the end of his rope then barely swallowing down the lump in his throat unable to handle all three at once. Nightmare has still not dismissed him, and Killer makes his report. Cross watches Killer cozy up to Dream again completely maintaining eye contact with him and Nightmare shifts clearly wanting some attention himself. Cross is once again reminded he was not needed at all. He feels a tear roll down his cheek as he turns to leave assuming that he is dismissed now that boss is occupied with more important matters. "Cross-!" Dream calls after him, but he doesn't stop continuing to leave practically running down the hall toward his room once he was out of the study. Tears burn in his eyes as he runs his soul feeling crushed all over again. Dream pushes past Killer chasing after Cross unable to stand aside and watch Cross suffer any longer after almost two months. When Dream gets to Cross's room, he's thankfully still there but clearly preparing to go wherever it is that he runs off to when he's not eating meals. Dream soul's squeezes harshly when he sees that Cross is fighting tears and senses his emotions are being held back by sheer willpower alone. "Cross?" He questions gently and Cross chokes his shoulders shaking.

"W-why Dream?" Cross whispers his voice cracking a few more tears slipping down his cheeks as he quickly teleports away leaving Dream alone with tears in his eyes as the thought, he picked up from Cross rings loudly in his ears. You all clearly don't need me anyway.

Cross emotions vanish with him causing Dream to stumble as he exits the room. Why did we all have to end up bed without discussing it first damn it?! Dream continues to walk desperately trying to make sense of things. Killer clearly wants Night and I to himself, but he knows that Cross is deeply in love with me. He HAS to know at this point. I know Cross has a crush a Nighty and... and... Dream blinks finding himself in Night's bedroom when he snaps out of his thoughts His brother and lover is looking at him concerned. "Nighty…" He sniffles tears gathering in his eyes as he reaches the bed climbing onto it and reaching for his lover.

Nightmare pulls him close and nuzzles his skull, "I know." He replies not bothering to hide the tremor in his voice. "I know." What a mess.