Perfection

Perfection

~Dreaming of him~ - Morpheus x female Reader (not sfw)

warnings: smut and fluff, (less) p*orn with (more) feelings, oral s*ex (f! receiving), nudity

summary: reader falls asleep while thinking of Morpheus and has an e<rotic & emotional dream

words count: 3,312 k

"Finally!"

A loud sigh of satisfaction left your lips when you collapsed on your bed, sinking into the soft sheets and warm furry blanket.

You always looked forward to that moment, especially after a long busy day like the one you had just barely survived. You felt tired, like your whole vital lymph had been drained out and even slightly feverish although you knew it was your usual migraine making your heart pound in your head like crazy.

You needed to close your eyes and have a good night's rest. Your sore muscles however were making it a bit too hard to find a good position to sleep into.

There was only one efficient way to help you relax, to ease your tensed body and although you were quite sleepy you convened that pleasuring the tiredness off your body was what you needed. To this end, you turned and laid on your back, spreading your legs a little under the sheets. Your hand crawled under your nightgown and slipped unceremoniously in your panties.

You couldn't just touch yourself, tough. It wouldn't work. You needed to make up a fantasy in your mind or else you'd still be wanking in the morning. Well, perhaps not the morning but it would definitely take you a lot more time than you were willing to sacrifice that night. You needed to make something up real quick and with that aim in mind you closed your eyes and started rubbing your fingers on your clitoris.

You gasped when your mind presented you an highlight of a few different memories, all associated with the same person or well, a supernatural being. Morpheus.

You have had a crush on him since the first time you saw him in The Dreaming. He had helped you with a particularly aggressive nightmare and since that night you had had a few other brief but pleasant encounters. Literally everything about him intrigued you and captivated you. Although, his voice was what attracted you the most. It was like a soothing balm for your very soul but at the same time a lit match that aflamed your whole body with passion.

And it was his voice that you tried to recall and replicate in your mind as you touched yourself, making it whisper whatever you needed to hear to whet your arousal. With his deep voice came a vivid image of him, his charming eyes wandering over your exposed skin and his full lips parting to kiss his way to the inside of your legs, getting closer and closer to the point where you wanted to be touched the most.

"Y/N... " He whispered and you flinched a bit, startled at how the voice in your head could sound so real.

"Y/N?"

Maybe a bit too real.

Your eyes flied open and you heart almost jumped out of your chest. He was right there, in front of you, on your bed, kneeling between your legs, his crystal eyes curiously looking at you.

"I heard you call my name." he said, his gaze slowly traveling down your laying body, halting at your lower belly, were your hand disappeared inside your panties.

You followed it and gasped, abruptly withdrawing your hand and unfolding the nightgown that was rolled up to your hips.

"I fell asleep?!" you asked alarmed looking around you as you retreated a little to put some space between the two of you, leaning your back against the headrest. Morpheus was looking at your every move, amused, a small smile curving up his lips.

You were deeply mortified. How could it have happen? You were laying there in your bed, pleasuring yourself in the privacy of your room and then what happened? You fell asleep while thinking of Morpheus and inadvertently brought him to you? Oh God. You wanted to dig a hole in the ground right then and there and hide inside it forever or better yet, you wished you could immediately wake up and never ever dream again for the rest of your life. How could you look him in the face after that?

You tried to hide your embarassement as best as you could by covering your face behind your hand, fingers lazily scratching your forehead while you kept your eyes fixed on the ground, not daring to look up.

"Sorry...", you huffed in a whisper, "c-could you wake me up please?"

He chuckled in response at which you flinched a bit in surprise and your head snapped up. He moved your hand away from your face and took it in his.

"Why should I, Y/N?"

The look he was giving you was so genuine and alluring at the same time that you felt your heart missing a beat or two.

"You're here now...", he said, bringing your hand to his lips and leaving a gentle peck on its back, "exactly where you wanted to be."

Your breath itched at the touch and you gawked at him in disbelief. What was he doing? Why was he doing it? It took a moment for his words to fully register.

"I-I didn't mean to come here! I was just- I just wanted to... "

He smiled as he pecked your skin again, then turned your hand around and planted another delicate kiss on your palm.

"Morpheus?" the tremble in your voice betrayed your eagerness and he looked up, locking his gaze with yours.

"You were touching yourself thinking of me, calling my name."

He knew, he knew. Of course he knew. You wanted to melt, vaporize, get struck by a thunder! Anything!

"Isn't it true?" He arched an eyebrow, his head tilting a little to the side, his now seemingly innocent gaze boring into yours. You gaped at him, unsure how to react.

"Was it my hand that was pleasuring you?"

You gulped. The embarrassment of the situation couldn't keep you from feeling a growing warmth in your lower belly at the thought of the fantasy you were only a few minutes ago so nicely weaving in your mind.

"How did it feel?"

You wanted to answer that it was the best fantasy you ever had but you were stunned and kept your mouth shut. The whole situation felt unreal. It was unreal.

"Y/N? How did it feel to be touched by me?"

His gaze was too intense and you couldn't resist.

"So good."

The words spiraled out of your lips in a shaky huff before you could realize what was happening and stop yourself. You looked away, feeling ashamed.

"Oh?", he smiled, visibly amused. His hand moved on your cheek to caress it. You felt a light tingling where his fingers brushed over your skin, making your whole body shudder.

His fingers curled around your chin and he turned your head to face him. Your eyes locked for a moment before his gaze began to wander over your features, admiring every inch of your face, halting at your mouth. His thumb moved up to delicately brush the outline of your parted lips.

"Did I kiss you in your fantasy?"

He looked up at you and you flinched again, heart jumping in your chest. All you could do was shake lightly your head in response.

"No? Well, that's a shame. I think we require one kiss, at least."

He bent over you, slowly closing the distance between your faces. His lips brushed over yours in such a subtle way that made you lose your head and lean forward, attracted to him like a magnet. It seemed to you that your yearning was the only sign he was waiting for because as soon as you moved, his smiling lips crushed on yours. You moaned in the kiss, surprised by his eagerness. He was literally devouring you. His hands came to clench your sides and you felt like jelly, melting in his touch.

You were literally gasping for air when he leaned back, putting an end to that heated kiss.

Dream's eyes were scanning your face once again, seeming to revel at the sight of your flushed cheeks and dumbstruck look. Without uttering a single word, his lips moved back on yours only to tease you with a peck before he trailed them toward your cheek, then along your jaw, stopping at your neck, at the level of your throat. He planted a open mouthed kiss on that spot, sending goosebumps all over your body.

"Morpheus?" you shakily whispered, "why are you doing this? Am I making you do it, somehow?"

You felt his hot breath on your skin as he chuckled and lightly shook his head. He sought your eyes and his hand gently cupped your cheek.

"You are not. I am still the ruler of this realm and I make your dreams."

He saw the puzzled look on your face and tried to explain himself better.

"This is your dream, Y/N. And I am, voluntarily, making it happen. I'll give you anything you wish."

"And you are willing to..."

"I am, my dear."

You searched his eyes, trying to understand, to catch any sign that could finally ease your mind about the whole situation. Was he really willing to play out your fantasy for you? Was he interested in you as you were in him? Would he take as much pleasure in having you just as you would in having him?

Feeling your hesitation, Dream captured your lips in another kiss, less voracious than the last one but equally passionate. It was slow and deep, in one word, intoxicating. Your eyes fluttered close and you reveled at the sensation of feeling desired by someone, by him.

He begrudgingly brought the kiss to an end just to move his lips up to your ear and whisper, "I want you, Y/N. Do you want me?", then moved back and locked his eyes with yours, now wide open.

Of course you wanted him! You were the one who had fantasised about him and brought him to you. You nodded repeatedly, mind already wandering in anticipation to what was to come.

Dream tilted his head a little, scanning your face.

"Y/N, I want you to say it" , his forefinger moved on your mouth to gently tap your lower lip, "I want to hear it from your lips."

"Yes, Morpheus", you cleared your throat to let your voice sound more full and confident. "This is what I want. This is my dream."

The beautiful smile that appeared on his face brought one to yours as well and a warm reassuring feeling rose in your chest.

In no time his lips were back on your neck to tease the sensitive skin there, under your jaw, on your jugular, down to the swell of your chest, stealing a series of moans from your lips. He threw a glance up at you and locked your eyes with his as he resumed his descent, peppering teasing kisses over the light fabric of your nightgown. He moved down in a straight line along your chest, kissing between your breasts, on your belly button, halting only as he hovered over your groin.

His fingers skimmed over your legs, igniting the skin through their climb toward the inside of your thighs. They danced around the hem of your nightgown, teasing you with the lightest of touches, before they slid beneath the fabric and reached the hem of your panties, tugging them down in an agonisingly slow pace.

"Morpheus, please..." you cried out impatiently, rubbing your thighs together to make up for the ever more frustrating absence of his touch where you most needed it.

He smirked up at you as he slid off your foot the last portion of your underwear. His hands moved on your knees to give them a little squeeze then trailed up your thighs, spreading them wide, fingers slowly dipping under the hem of your dress, traveling upwards.

"You are so beautiful Y/N."

That compliment caught you off guard and you blushed visibly, bit your lips and averted your eyes from his.

You were on the verge of begging him to touch you and put you out of you misery when he lifted your dress, dipped his head and slicked his tongue through your folds. You couldn't possibly hold back the loud moan that escaped you.

After a second solid stripe down your core he placed a soft kiss to your clitoris and peeked up at you to watch your face contorting, then he continued littering you with teasing kisses until you were writhing under his touch.

"Morpheus!" you cried in frustration as you squeezed your eyes shut and bucked your hips towards him.

He was pleased to see you so desperate under him and he chuckled, his warm breath going cool against the wetness between your legs, driving you mad.

While his hands gripped your hips to hold you down, he latched his lips to you and started dragging his tongue back and forth, occasionally swirling against your most sensitive button.

Your hands instantly found his head, fingers tangling in his dark hair and tugging at it, making him groan against you while you whined pathetically.

He moved to focus on the clitoris sucking gently at first then with more decisiveness. He pulled the little botton up into his mouth, just past the lips as he sucked on it up and down.

A loud deep moan escaped you when his tongue dove into your entrance, making you arch your back and bent your head backwards on the headrest.

You were already worked up before he started so it wasn’t long before you felt your release growing closer. All your muscles felt tense like a violin cord and your hands tightened their hold on each side of Dream's head, supporting his motion.

"Morpheus, I'm- I'm-"

Looking down, you met his eyes which watched your reactions with a hazy, love-drunk gaze. His tongue slid up to focus once more on your nub, sucking firmly on it a few times. That was the last straw for you. A second later a rolling wave of pleasure washed over you and you cried his name out loud, eyes squeezing shut and seeing stars, legs twitching around him. He had to plant his palms on your inner thighs to keep from being squeezed as he got back up.

He licked his lips as he watched you come back from the ecstasy, eyes lingering on the rising and falling of your chest gradually going back to normal and then on the contraction on your face fully abandoning your features to give them a relaxed and satisfied look.

He was smiling softly, hands caressing affectionately your thighs when you reopened your eyes and met his gaze. Your hands were still at the sides of his face so you gently cupped his cheeks.

"That was..." you whispered, still trying to regain your breathing, "that was intense."

He took your wrists in his hands and as his eyes fluttered close he placed a lingering kiss on both your palms. That sweet little gesture after the thoroughness and care he just put in giving you the best orgasm you ever had, felt so intimate and meaningful that it made your stomach flutter and your eyes start to sting a little.

"Did it measure up with your fantasy?" he genuinely asked, looking down at you with the most tender gaze.

You could feel your eyes beginning to fill with tears and before he could notice, you leaned forward, throwing your arms around his shoulders.

"Are you kidding me?", you tried your best to swallow a sob as you nestled on his shoulder and against his neck "this was a billion times better."

His arms were around you in no time, hands supporting your back and he squeezed you against his chest making you feel so safe and happy and loved. You couldn't possibly hold back the tears any longer. A stifled series of sobs escaped your lips and you clinged tighter to him, fingers tugging at his robe.

"Y/N..."

His beautiful voice, resonating so close to your ear only made you more emotional. You genuinely had no idea what had gotten into you.

"Y/N, why are you crying?"

In an attempt to soothe you he ran one hand up and down your spine, while the other kept supporting your lower back.

"I don't know..." your shaky voice was interrupted by your sniffling, "I just- I've never felt like this... I'm so full to the brim of emotions and they're pouring out."

He hummed, nodding his head. "You must know that emotions here are amplified. It's totally normal to feel overwhelmed."

"Is that true?" The grip you had on his robe loosened and you leaned back seeking his eyes.

Dream immediately brought one hand to your face, wiping a tear from your cheekbone with his thumb.

"It is."

It made sense to you. That was still a dream, after all, even though one of a kind. And just like in any other dream you had, good or bad, everything you felt had been ten times more intense. You knew however that what Morpheus had made you feel was totally new for you, dream world or not. You've always yearned to know how it would feel to be desired, to be loved, and truly cared for and Dream had just given you all of that and more. At least that was what you felt. Was it real? Was that intense bubble of emotions pouring out of you real? And was it love? Or something else? Something made up entirely? Would you have felt different in the Waking World? All those unanswered questions were really starting to mess with your head.

You took a moment to scan his face, taking in all his beautiful features, the ones you adored so much. Your fingers reached up to follow your sight in its contemplation, grazing delicately over his skin as if you were scared he could disappear at a moment’s notice, but also as if you were touching a forbidden piece of art of invaluable worth and feeling undeserving of the permission granted to you to even stand so close to it.

You begrudgingly let your arms fall back.

"I'm sorry...", you sighed, giving him an apologetic smile, "I ruined the mood. It was your turn... You still want to...?" You babbled feeling a bit ashamed.

"Y/N. You have not ruined anything." he admonished kindly, brushing affectionately his hand through your hair. "And, I think we should keep something for the next time..."

You perked up at his words.

"For your next dream..."

"Right", you couldn't hide the hint of slight disappointment in your tone.

"Or-", he resumed, leaning forward, a knowing glint in his eyes, "for when you're awake."

As soon as the meaning of his words hit you, you gawked at him, a wide grin taking form on your lips.

"Y-you would?!"

Your earnest reaction made him smile and he nodded.

"If it will ease your mind, of course."

"Oh...", you averted his eyes, rubbing nervously your fingers against your cheek, "am I that easy to read?"

"Perhaps a little", he whispered, taking your hands in his, "the look you gave me just a few moments ago spoke louder to me than words could ever have."

With a sheepish smile you fiddled with his fingers in your lap then you interlocked them with yours and looked up.

"So", he said, leaning his forehead against yours, "until next time, my love?"

You screamed internally at the word 'love' he so earnestly uttered to adress you. There was no way you could refrain the wide smile that popped up on your face as you answered, "until next time".

You both leaned forward to meet in a soft and lingering kiss worth a thousand words.

-

"This dream is over."

A/N = thank you for reading! I hope you liked the story. Feel free to leave a comment to tell me what you think of it, feedback is always appreciated.

Also, you're welcome to come over on Ao3 and Wattpad where this story and other my works are published as well, to live kudos, stars and read other people's comments and opinions. [author's name is the same everywhere]

I officially don't take requests but I'm open to suggestions and I might use your ideas for a future story so either leave a comment under one of my stories, dm me or send an anonymous request.

Thank you again and until next time! xx

I love it

Perseverance | Sandman Imagine.

Summary: As an eternal being, love didn’t seem to be Dream’s friend, as he lost you, his one true love, but something told him you would eventually come back to him.

Pairing: Morpheus x Reader

Requested: Yes

It had always been a lonely existence as an Endless, Morpheus was mostly used to it and surrendered to the reality of his role. Love didn’t seem to fit in his world, that was until you came along.

You weren’t exactly human but you weren’t inmortal either… Morpheus fell in love with you centuries ago, and even when you perished, you would eventually reincarnate and come back to your loved one.

You had all types of appearances, bodies, but Morpheus would recognize you every single time, and every single time you had the same name.

Y/N.

The Endless tried to find an explanation to your existence but there was nothing, or at least nothing in concrete, the only thing he could find that was a very reduced answer to his constant question was that you had some sort of soul contract to the Lord of Dreams.

But this particular soul contract didn’t have an estimated time as to when will you be able to reincarnate and for what you told him, you had no control over it.

The reincarnation could take thirty or fifty years for all you knew, it could even extend to centuries and there was no true way of knowing when you came back, it was your duty to find him.

No matter how long you took, you would always make the most of your time together, because you didn’t know when you would see each other again, but every time you left at least, the King of Dreams had a new wave of memories to remember you.

You recently had died in 1755 at the Lisbon earthquake, he felt devastated but he was hopeful, because you would find him, just like every other time. So he waited.

But one day he was deprived from his freedom at the hands of an amateur occultist and he felt completely helpless.

It would be impossible for you to find your way to him now. He wanted to scream, curse, kick, anything that would ease his rage, but he remained silent.

Morpheus didn’t speak a word, even through the anger, frustration, he just waited for some opportunity to get out of that humid hell hole.

He was completely alone, cold. Until his ears buzzed as he heard a familiar voice… but it couldn’t be, could it?

Dream tried to listen with much more intent this time. He could hear footsteps fading in the distance and then it took a few seconds to hear the sound of someone coming down the stairs.

A chill ran down his spine.

You were there, somehow you were there. His beautiful Y/N, you ran to him, completely shocked and appalled by the sight of Morpheus completely bare sitting in some kind of prison bubble, he stared right into your eyes, forgetting about his imprisonment for a single minute.

For a single minute, the world ceased to exist. There was only you.

“What have they done to you?” You asked him, completely distressed. He put his hands at the sides of yours, and even when he could only feel the cold glass, he imagined for a second he was touching your hands.

“Y/N? How did you find me here?” It was the first words he spoke in God knows how many years, so his voice sounded raspier than usual. You smiled.

“I heard some whispers and I had to come close to Roderick Burgess to finally sneak in” you explained a little too simply.

Morpheus looked at you reluctantly, making you roll your eyes.

“We didn’t do anything Morpheus, maybe just a little kiss but that was it” you said, Morpheus arched a brow.

“A kiss?”

“Seriously, Morpheus? Don’t you think we have bigger problems than where were my lips?” He looked away, but he still didn’t feel comfortable with you kissing Roderick Burgess.

“I have to go, but I promise I’ll find a way to get you out of here” you said to him, before quickly leaving the place, the last thing you wanted was for Roderick to find you anywhere near his dungeon.

It had been ten years of his imprisonment and he trusted you to get him out of here, if there was anyone stubborn enough and intelligent enough to outsmart Burgess it could be you.

When you came back you were joined by Jessamy, his loyal raven. You had brought a wrench to break the glass, with your strength and repetitive impacts as well as Jessamy’s effort the polymer was starting to crack, the cracks were growing stronger and Morpheus’ eyes glowed with hope, you two shared a look.

He was going to get out of here.

But then, two loud bangs echoed through the room, the first full on impacting Jessamy, as her blood was spluttered on the cristal, you step aside from Morpheus, and he caught a glimpse of the wound you were putting pressure on, your hand was covered in blood, a few drops falling to your feet.

When you looked at him teary eyed, his heart shattered. You collapsed to the floor and Morpheus couldn’t keep his eyes off your lifeless body.

Alex Burgess was standing at the end of the stairs, his father asked him to get rid of the bodies as Morpheus sat back, feeling like his whole world crumbled before him as his loyal companion Jessamy and the love of his life Y/N died at the hands of a coward and scrawny young boy like Alex.

He couldn’t stop the tears that rolled down his eyes as they took you and Jessamy away… this wasn’t supposed to happen, you came back but this time he didn’t have a lifetime of memories to remember you by, you were brutally taken away from his side, and Jessamy as well.

With all your efforts he knew he could at least try and break free, but he didn’t. Morpheus sat in the cold of his cracked prison cell plotting his vengeance.

A century passed until he was able to punish Alex Burgess and now being regained his power he still felt a void within his soul, because nothing he did would bring you back. Only time could do that.

Present day, he sat on a park bench feeding the birds, replaying in his head your atrocious murder, he hated that was the last memory of you, how your eyes showed the fear and pain of dying too soon.

“Is the seat taken?” That voice he knew so well filled his ears, when looking up you stood before him, with a beautiful smile and the rays of the sun shining down on you.

“Y/N?” He asked, even when he could recognize you, it was unbelievable, you laughed and hugged him, he slowly pulled you in, taking in your scent, the texture of your skin, your eyes…

You sat beside him, holding his hand, he caressed your face, repeating to himself over and over that you were truly here with him.

“I’m sorry my love, I’m so sorry” he apologized, your eyes soften in sympathy with his affliction.

“No, Morpheus listen to me. The only thing I am sorry for is that I left you to deal with grief and anger, but I would do it all over again if I had to” you spoke sincerely.

“But you were murdered trying to save me and I saw how they dragged you like you were nothing. And Jessamy” he explained, bubbling with anger once again. You cupped his face in your hands, forcing him to look at you through his tears.

“I would take a bullet any day, for you. Jessamy loved you so much she risked her own life to try and set you free. Don’t weight yourself down with guilt”

You were so good to him and sometimes he felt like he didn’t deserve it.

Nevertheless, he did the one thing he couldn’t do all those years ago when he was trapped by Roderick Burgess, he kissed you. With so much intent, love and passion, the love of a man that had been waiting for you for almost three hundred years now, one lifetime was stolen away from you and Morpheus was determined to make up for the lost time.

He also promised that day, to find a way to free you from the ties of reincarnation, so you could finally be together for eternity and you could be free from the pain of waiting ages to be together for a limited amount of time.

How do you think Morpheus and dark Morpheus would react to find a dildo in his lovers draw?

Omg, are you a mind reader? I have been toying with the idea for ages.

I would imagine at first he would be insulted, like why would you need such a thing, and why the hell does it vibrate?

Then he would question you, whispering darkly in your ear, smirking as you spluttered out a response. And then he just has to test out your answer.

Every possible position, testing out every setting. Pulling orgasm after orgasm from you with dark glee till he has tried out every setting and function, you a broken mess on the bed sheets before he decided that now it's his time for some fun.

I'm obsessed

TOM STURRIDGE as Dream of the Endless The Sandman 1.01: “Sleep of the Just”

What if Desire put like a spell or something to the reader and so it’s almost like she is in heat, or it makes her almost addictive and Morpheus like can’t get enough of her. With the song Desire playing in the back ground or as a prompt (maybe with some of the lyrics as dialogue? Morpheus smut please if anyone is willing to write. If anyone does, just make the smut long and passionate please. My hormones are killing me here.

; However Long the Night [ i ]

Dream x gn!Dawn!reader (no use of y/n)

summary: with dawn comes waking, and with waking comes the end of dreams. perhaps that’s why you and Dream work so well together. usually, at least.

word count: 1.5k

(note: i do not do tag lists, and my blog and fics are 18+)

gif from this beaut set

The Dreaming is always there to welcome you; even after centuries, and no matter how long your absence, the sun brightens and the flowers bloom along the path you walk towards the heart of this realm. This is not your realm, but it always feels like coming home nonetheless. Jessamy welcomes you, soaring overhead and dipping playfully now and then, so you know your appearance will come as no surprise to the King of Dreams.

He is waiting just beyond the doors of his palace, hands tucked behind his back and expression unreadable.

The smile you offer as a greeting holds the warmth of every sun you have ever lifted into the sky. “Dream.”

In return, his head dips but his eyes stay on you. He will not bow to another in his own realm. You return the formality, bending at your waist to acknowledge his sovereignty as he responds. “Dawn.”

This is how it has always been. The both of you have many names, but with one another you each settle for your first. Failing that, the Greeks of old created names for you that in turn became your favourites outside of The Dreaming: Morpheus and Eos.

You waltz through the entrance of the palace of The Dreaming as though you belong there; with no realm of your own to govern, you flit between others so long as you are welcome, but there is none you like so much as Dream’s. He starts walking, and you follow him towards the library without another word. He often brings you here, and he knows you’re following without looking over his shoulder.

“You interrupted one of the dreamers this morning,” he tells you, though his tone is far from accusatory. He stops at a desk, and watches you from the corner of his eye while you continue to drift through the library as though in search of something.

You laugh, light and teasing, fingers skimming over book spines as you walk. Not all dreamers wake with first light, but the ones who do are your favourites. They are the ones who most appreciate your work, more often than not. “The sun must rise, Dream. There will be questions if it doesn’t.”

A smile threatens the corner of his mouth. He fights it. “You disappointed The Corinthian.”

“The Corinthian ought to get used to disappointment,” you answer, “You’re too proud of him.”

It isn’t untrue. The Corinthian is Dream’s masterpiece, and by his very design he is a source of torment for humanity. You like him well enough, charming smiles and honey-voiced, but you loathe his purpose; you’ve always been bad at hiding your fondness for humanity. Even the first humans sat in awe of the sunrise, depicted it in their art, wove it into their stories by the fireside. You have loved them ever since. The Endless think you’re more protective of them than you have a right to be.

You glance at your old friend and must remind yourself, as always, that Dream does not only govern dreams.

“He serves his purpose,” Dream reminds you.

“His purpose is cruel.”

A pause.

“Then perhaps you should consider it fortunate that sunlight was enough to wake the human.”

“I do.”

There’s a moment in which he watches you with quiet interest, as he so often does. You’ve stopped, scanning the books in front of you before you turn back to him; he is long past his concern at being caught watching you, and if he feels much of anything while he does so you cannot tell from looking at him.

He opens his mouth, and you sigh preemptively. You know what’s coming. It’s a line you’ve heard a thousand times.

“Nightmares are as necessary as dreams to the mortals,” he says, voice low and steady, “There cannot be one without the other.”

You smile at him. “Then perhaps I should consider it fortunate that I am here to wake them.”

“Or unfortunate,” he counters as you start back towards him, “That you take them from dreams prematurely.”

You hum, and stop to perch yourself on the edge of the desk by his side. You tilt your chin up at him, searching for any ill-intent, and he raises a brow.

You find nothing but a playful challenge, so you answer: “Only some of them.”

Dream smiles at that - as much as you’ve ever seen him smile, at least - and any threat of tension between the two of you is broken. What’s left is a fondness you both stopped hiding centuries ago.

Peering down at you through thick lashes, he changes the subject. “Why have you graced my kingdom with your presence today, Dawn?”

“Should I have an excuse to visit my favourite among Night’s children?”

He tilts his head. “Death is your favourite of my mother’s children.”

He says it so matter-of-factly that you’re not fast enough to stop the laugh that escapes you. He doesn’t look as amused as you, and you wonder how Death and Destiny managed to get nearly every ounce of common sense within their family between them.

“Ah, yes,” you answer with feigned thoughtfulness, “That’s why I spend all of my time in The Dreaming when I can go anywhere I choose.”

“Then it is The Dreaming you are visiting, not I. Or Lucienne,” he thinks for a moment, “Fiddler’s Green, perhaps?”

He knows you too well.

“Well, it is my favourite of your creations.”

“Do not allow the others to hear that,” he scolds gently, “They are much too fond of you to face it.”

You bite your tongue against the question that sits upon it, and instead jerk your head towards the door. “Will you join me, Dream Lord, or have I disrupted you enough for one day?”

“It has been some time since you last disrupted me so,” he reminds you, though he makes no further mention of the years-long space since your last visit, “I think I may be able to hear it a while longer.”

You’ll take it. Dream has always been bad at admitting a desire for companionship; instead, he shows it through quietly seeking it out and never speaking more on it. You’ve never made the mistake of mentioning it: he’s proud, and that pride is easily wounded which in turn can give way to a wrath you don’t want to be on the receiving end of. But it does bring another question to the front of your mind, and you voice it as you walk beside him out of the palace:

“Didn’t you visit that mortal friend of yours recently?”

You’re three strides ahead of him before you realise he’s stopped completely, and turning to him you can tell you’ve made a mistake. A storm has settled over him, a hardness set in his features and his shoulders rigid. You’ve struck a nerve, and immediately wish you’d kept quiet.

“Dream-”

“Friend is not the word I would use.”

You quirk a brow at him. “You’ve met this man every century for, what, five hundred years? Why do that if you don’t consider him a friend?”

“He is an insight into humanity, nothing more.”

You tut at him, and he narrows his eyes at you. It’s an effort not to roll yours in return.

“The need for companionship is not a weakness, Dream. The desire for it isn’t. You’d do well to remember that - you’ll be better for it.”

He steps towards you, stopping only when you are toe-to-toe and forcing you to look up at him. A cold anger passes across his features, and in that moment it’s hard to remember a time he looked upon you any differently. He will not be lectured by you: he has seen countless more universes and lifetimes than you, knows more horrors of existence than you. Who are you to lecture him on matters such as this?

His voice is low and menacing as he speaks. “And you would do well, Dawn, to remember your place when you are in my realm. I am Endless, and my existence thus far has prospered despite solitude. I am not in need of companionship.”

You’re reminded of when you first met him. He was hard and distant, and duty came above everything for him. It still does, but he has cracks in his cold exterior now through which your sunlight pours. Here and now, your light fails and his cracks close up and close you off from him.

Outside, clouds form across the sky of The Dreaming that the sun struggles to pierce through.

He doesn’t mean it, you tell yourself, you’ve simply struck a nerve. Still, he isn’t the only stubborn one here.

“Of course, Dream Lord.” You step back, and smile sadly at him despite yourself, “Then I am sorry for burdening you with mine for so long. Forgive me, for making the mistake of thinking us friends.”

You’re gone before he can think to open his mouth and protest.