No Matter What (A Dreammare Fic)

Chapter 3: Lesser Embarrassment

"We wouldn't want to star up trouble, now would we?" Dust continued as he walked over to Horror.

Killer followed the two, joking as he went. "As star as sun puns go, those were a bit of a light down."

Dream's embarrassment had finally calmed down now that the spotlight was off him. Cross motioned for the guardian to follow the others, willing to bring up the rear and answer any questions Dream may have while the idiots shot puns to each other and wandered around.

As Dream left his suite, the scale of the manor hit him like a sack of bricks. Much like the 'wardrobe', 'suite' simply was too small of a word to fit the house that was Dream's quarters. Cross explained that he was staying in the 'Master Guest Suite' on the third floor. Said floor also includes the 'Master Suite', where Nightmare stays, and Nightmare's study.

"I wouldn't enter Boss' quarters without an invite, but his study is fair game. Just don't touch anything and you'll be fine," Cross said as the group passed by the Master Suite's looming doors on their way to the staircase. Dream nodded, matching the monochrome skeleton's demure mannerisms without much of a thought. Dust had fallen back to walk with the quieter pair at some point and was commenting small additions to Cross' guidance.

Although Horror and Killer stayed a few steps ahead trading jokes for most of the walk, the two of them stopped at the staircase. "Just a heads up, there are a lot more people from here on out and a lot more stairs," Horror called to Dream as the rest of the group caught up to his position.

Dream tilted his skull slightly to the side. "Who else would be here?"

"Servants, cooks, the cleaning staff--" Horror listed off, then checked a clock on the wall--"and Nightmare should be holding court, so guards, envoys, prisoners, other constituents..." Horror blinked a couple of times and his face dropped to a frown. 

Killer slipped an arm around his shoulders and continued, "the med staff, tailors, and a bunch of other random shmucks. Most of the crowd should be on the bottom floor, so you've got time to prepare yourself." 

Something about Horror was still off, Dream noticed with concern. He was blinking repeatedly and looking around with his brow heavily furrowed. Without fully meaning to, Dream read his emotions: confusion, confliction, and a hazy sense of worry.

"Are you alright, Dream?" Dust asked softly, snapping the guardian out of his thoughts.

Putting on a convincing smile, Dream replied, "Yes, I'm fine, just wondering what I would need to prepare myself for."

Dust narrowed his gaze, his piercing red and blue left eyelight scrutinizing Dream's face along with his other red one. The hooded skeleton appeared to drop the issue and walked up to Horror. He took the still dazed butcher by the humerus and whispered something to him before leading him down the stairs.

With a look somewhere between concern and confusion, Dream turned his stare to Cross, who looked like he was having an internal screaming match about how to answer the spoken and unspoken questions.

"The envoys and guards can be a bit... flighty, at times," the monochrome skeleton began, "and considering your aura, they'll definitely notice and swarm you. It's our job--" he glanced to Killer with subtext lacing the air--"to make sure you don't get any more injured." 

Killer strolled towards the two with a smirk. "Don't worry, Little Light, we'll protect you," he cooed flirtatiously.

Dream stiffened and a small blush peppered his cheekbones. He deflected the topic away from himself with a question. "What about Horror and Dust?"