Of a Better World

Dark Mornings

Some days, Horror wished the morning would stay dark.

Those days were the worst. He'd long since grown used to everyday being a bad one, yet there were still days more unbearable than the others for reasons unknown. Days like those were hard to describe and harder to tolerate as bleak despair pushed in on him on all sides. Most of the time, it was held at bay by the splintered memories of the past he used to box himself in. But his shelter wasn't waterproof, and on those days reality oozed in through cracks like an anguish ladden ichor.

On such days, it was unwise for Horror to wander beyond the containment of his room lest he risk lashing out at someone. And that was his excuse for his reluctance to get out of bed- he could, but perhaps it wasn't the best choice.

In the beginning Crooks had often visited him, to either try and persuade him out or to provide his feeble support. His efforts were wasted, of course. After one too many times of poking the unstable animal Horror had become he had gotten the message that his comfort did more harm than good.

And alone Horror was left.

 Today, he hardly knew what time it was. His only hint was that it was late enough in the day for him to have to constantly roll back and forth to escape the rays of light that peaked through the curtains.

He had long since turned his clock over so as to not be bothered by it's taunting face and the knowledge of how long he had spent in bed.  It had been hours past when he should have gotten up, and today not even the obligation to hunt for humans could get a rise out of him. Breakfast had come and gone unnoticed and Crooks had probably taken his absence as an indication not to bother him.

Thick, dusty curtains were well secured and hid old and cracked windows panes well enough for him to lounge in obscurity. Even the few streams of light that had slipped in struggled to penetrate deep into the gloom of his room.

The rest of the world clearly did not share his terrible mood and made it evident by the sound activity outside his window. The gentle sound of crunching of snow underfoot signaled it must have been a pleasant enough day for some of the scarce residents of Snowdin to dare to wander outdoors.

It was only made clearer by the combination of scrabbling of paws and padding footsteps down the hall. His suspicions were easily confirmed when Lust and his furry companion finally decided to make their grand appearance. In all honesty, it should have been a surprise that the two hadn't bothered him sooner.

The sound of noise and activity being so close struck Horror's nerves and sent his head pounding. Lust's voice, usually pleasant and pleasing, became grinding on his mind. He was too loud and his presence too much.

"i figured you were still in bed," Lust chimed, much too loudly for Horror's tastes. "is something wrong? you didn't get up to this morning with me- you didn't even eat breakfast actually."

Horror, more desperate than irritated, put what little effort he was willing to exert into constructing a makeshift barrier of pillows between him and Lust before digging deeper into his bed.

"sorry for barging in like that, you probably deserve to sleep in. afterall, i have woken you up early nearly every morning. how very un-sans-like of me." He joked

Lust's attempts to make light of the mood were met with strained silence.

"there's people outside, i think" he waited a while for Horror's input. " that's new."

After fidgeting in place for a while, Lust was slow and steady with his approach towards the bed, even the mutt he had brought with him even took note of the room's mood and decided better than simply jumping on top of the bed. It was meek as it neared the bed, prefering to patiently wait as its owner hobbled over on his singular good leg before moving closer.

Struggling to weigh more than a soaked cotton ball, Horror barely felt anything as it leapt onto the bed and settled with the warm nest of pillows it must have thought Horror conveniently made for it. The dingy mattress dipped slightly as Lust sat on the edge of the bed. He was warm next to Horror, and the larger, bundled skeleton took solace in one of the only pleasant things about this unexpected visit.

"y'know i was starting to think that you and crooks were the only ones here- you'll have to introduce me sometime."

Horror grunted. There wasn't a chance he would, if not for the chaos it would cause then at least because anyone here would tear apart someone so weak in an instant. While some monsters still believed themselves above cannibalism, many didn't- and such easy pickings could prompt anyone. 

He felt Lust reach out, but stop short of touching him, his hand hovering in uncertainty before retracting.

"heh, ignoring me won't get rid of me, you know that."

Horror didn't even acknowledge his dry attempt for a response.

Lust was never good at hiding his discomfort. As the silence progressed and the smaller skeleton searched for ways to fill it, he pulled at the teal tufts of synthetic fur that lined the bottom of his plum jacket. His nervous ticks were a regular sight to Horror, and it was almost cute.

"not feeling much like yourself huh?" He murmured, his voice softened to such a degree Horror was thankful. "well how about i just sit with you for a while?"

It wasn't much of a question, he could tell. Once Lust decided something or someone needed his aid, he never just left and Horror wasn't fooled by the illusion of choice. If Horror managed to chase him away, he would still be there again within just a few hours. Only postponing big, heartbroken eyes and Lust's innate ability to sense suffering souls and his uncontrollable desire to help them.

He had no option, but his words carried an undertone; if he couldn't soothe whatever storm boiled within Horror, then he'd at least be there to bear it out with him.

Lust shuffled closer to him.

"can i tell you a story?"

Horror nearly quirked an eyebrow. Anyone else would figure that his refusal to interact to be a conversation killer, but of course Lust's took it as an opportunity to tell stories uninterrupted.

But crushed with that too familiar feeling of hopelessness, Horror decided he couldn't find anything much better to do, so he stilled as Lust began to rattle off tales. 

It was a dark morning. How very lucky was he to have someone to brighten it?

A/N: heres the quote that inspired this chapter.

I cannot promise I will never become restless, 

that I won't ache in ways you don't know how to help.

There are clouds in me and they roll in from time to time, 

I hope you learn to love the dark mornings,

instead of always fumbling around for your umbrella.

-Tyler Knott Gregson

EDIT: Aw geez guys, I was so tired I posted this without even editing it and correcting all of the spelling mistakes! Why didn't y'all tell me?