Summary: The Lord of Dreams has to rescue his witch from her demise at the stake.
A/N: 1675 Morpheus lives in my head rent free. This might be ooc. And it's long and maybe not historically accurate linguistically speaking.
Angst/Fluff. Slow burn? Pun not intended.
Part two. Part three.
1680, London.
Your breath was ragged as you pushed a chair against your door, trying to prevent anyone from getting inside. You heard their whispers earlier, you knew their plans, the village you've been living in for the last two decades has found you out and you will be burned because of your secret.
Your hands are trembling as you brush your hair back, almost too hard, without much thinking you took a leather bag, taking things that you deemed important, you could still flee, make a run for it and live.
Books, diaries, cards and amulets, you wished you could take it all, all the memories but there is no time.
Shivers ran through your back as you heard them, the mob, the shouts, someone must've known you wanted to escape. Your gaze roamed around your home searching for something, anything.
So you knelt.
"Dream Lord." You called to the air, clasping your hands together.
His steps are slow, walking with no rush, clothes blend with the shadows. The Lord of Dreams has heard your callings, he has told you many times that he was not at your beck and call, that he cannot save you for any small inconvenience you come by. And for the most part of the century you've stuck to those rules, if you were so insisting this time it meant trouble.
Leaves crush against his shoes, everything is silent as he opens the door of your home. The raven perched on his shoulder ruffles her feathers, sensing the heavy energy.
His expression doesn't change much, his starry eyes only took into the scene, your home was wrecked, everything you owned was broken and there was no sight of you. His jaw clenched as he saw the small altar you have for him undone and ruined.
"Please, my lord. Please." He could feel your calls at the back of his mind, they were now more desperate, pleading. Jessamy caws at him, catching his attention before she took flight again, guiding him.
"I do not deserve to be put in the pyre!" You shouted, everyone in the trail looking at you. "I am not a follower of satan!"
"You have lived in this village for twenty years, yet you hold no signs of aging and have no children, you look younger than any woman in here, but you are older." The judge says, his gaze is scrutinizing.
"Much more older." The man continued, something was handed to him, a piece of clothing, he stepped closer, you could sense anger but there was fear, everyone in the room was afraid of you to some degree.
"This fell from your blouse one day, is this not you?" He asks as he unfolds the cloth, revealing a small portrait of you, he turns it around, the date in it reads 1568 following with a small legend of your name. One of your lovers was a painter, you remember feeling so cherished when they showed a painting of yourself, now you only feel cold sweat running down your skin.
"That is my grandmother." You said confidently, your chin up and gaze not waving from the judge's. But he did not believe you.
"Your name is in this portrait. You are over a hundred years old." He stated before walking away. "I have never harmed anyone in this village!" You plead with a crack on your voice. The judge turns around, meeting your gaze again.
"You are a temptress, seducing women to do your bidding, making innocent men suffer from the most bizarre dreams after meeting you."
It was true, mostly, the women were pretty, those that were unhappy with their husbands found themselves in your home more often than not. And the men were insufferable, they made you angry with their ignorance, with their attempts at courting you, perhaps one or two suffered your wrath in the form of nightmares. But you were already lectured about that by your patron.
"You shall be burned, return to hell with your master!"
"They will burn her tomorrow." Morpheus said to his sister, who stood in his gallery after being called.
"Humans have done that recently, it is quite a shame." Death spoke softly, a soft sympathetic expression on her face, her brother wasn't pleased, in the slightest, she would dare to say he was angry about your demise. Dream knows your nature as a witch doesn't grant immortality, only longevity, and he doesn't know of any mortal that survived being burned alive.
"She has been working for me for eighty years. I granted her protection in exchange for her loyalty and work. She has not failed me." His star filled eyes looked away.
"She became important to you." Death says with a small smile, leaning her body against a wall. Morpheus let out a small huff, side eying her, instantly, almost burning holes into her.
"I shall keep my word. As she kept hers." He said simply, almost offended at the claim from his sister.
"And how do you plan to do that?" She asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"I have a favor to ask from you, my sister." He stepped closer, his eyes meeting hers.
Everything is a blur. You haven't slept all night, but who would in a dark cold cell. You could hear your heartbeat on your ears, merging with the screams of insults and the occasional rock being thrown at you as they dragged you around the village.
They tie you. You don't understand what the preacher is saying, if he is condemning you or asking God to have mercy on your soul, you cannot concentrate, your eyes look down as the wood piles around you.
"Dream Lord... please, help me." You whispered with trembling lips, you thought of yourself as strong, you cannot help but weep now.
And so it begins, soft crackling cuts your thoughts, the smell of wood burning fills your lungs, the smoke starting to rise and cloud your surroundings. You looked up at the sky before closing your eyes.
Gasping.
Erratic gasping for air, your eyes shoot open, your body trembling frantically as you choke on tears, making you cough, you sit up, hugging yourself.
A soft cawing noise makes you lift your head. The now familiar raven with a white chest hops onto the bed you now realize you're resting in.
"Calm yourself." His voice reverberates through your mind making you jump a bit.
"My- my- mas-ter." You choked out the words.
His fingers found their way to your chin, the touch is gentle, just a small coaxing for you to look at him.
"That was no dream." The dream lord spoke, almost like he could read your mind at the moment. "And yes, you are still alive." He reassured, his tone laced with a discreet softness that wasn't there before. But the lord of dreams wasn't sure you even understood him.
"I burned. I could feel it." You whispered out, trembling slightly at the memory. His fingers lingered for a moment but he caught himself and pulled away, tucking his hands into his pockets "They said some vile things about me." You sniffle.
"Do not let their ignorance harm you further." That was all the comfort he offered before silence fell upon the room.
"Those are yours." Morpheus pointed with his eyes, making you look at the leather bag on the nightstand. He could feel the relief in your expression.
"Thank you, master. I am in your depth." You mumbled out, bowing your head in gratitude, your hands still caressing your own skin in seek of comfort.
"There is no need to thank me. I merely kept my word, so you do not have to give me anything in return." Morpheus said before walking to the door. "I will send someone to fetch you for dinner, in the meantime I suggest you rest." With that he left, leaving you and Jessamy alone, she tilted her head at you before hopping onto your lap, your hand resting on her body as the feeling of her feathers grounded you.
Morpheus closed the door of your room, he walked away, his hand pulling from his pocket, looking down at the small portrait of you for a moment before tucking it back into his coat, keeping it safe, and most important, a secret.
"What a weekend, literally end up dead."- Reader, 1680.
A/N: (Divider 1) (Divider 2) hiiiii, heeeyyyy, we're SO BACK Sandman girlies and theys, omggggggggggg, send requests as always I might take some time to do them. Also I do not support NG, idk if it needs to be said, but now u know.
English is not my first language, sorry for the mistakes but be nice about it!
Summary: Dream Lord guards your dreams in hope of finding himself in them.
Warnings: literally none? this ones just sweet and fluff and a tiny itsy bitsy angsty? dunno.
Word Count: 2.5K
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Waking up in the morning was always the hardest part of your day. It was like fighting the need of never leaving your dreams, those perfect places made out of your hopes and wishes. Always drunk in the bliss of resting in a place where your worries wouldn’t chase you.
Slowly —almost sweetly— the chirping birds and the bright sunrays covered your senses coaxing you to come back to the waking world. It always welcomed you with it's warm embrace that never failed to make you feel goosebumps.
But this morning wasn’t just the sun you woke up to.
He looked just like a dream, which was understandable since that was one of his many names.
You love calling him that, Dream. It was the first name of his that he gave you and the one that rolled the sweetest on your tongue.
Morpheus was currently sitting on your armchair, in front of the coffee table. An open book was lying on his lap, probably from your own bookshelf. His eyes were closed and he had his fingers intertwined under his chin.
He definitely knew you were awake, but refused to acknowledge it. Too focused in whatever thought he was stressing himself out with.
You sighed, sleepily still. Rubbing your eyes, you convinced yourself that getting out of the couch was the least of your priorities at the moment. Not when everything around you was designed to make you feel embraced and supported in warmth.
Looking back at your Dream, you smiled. And just when you were about to call for him out loud, someone beat you at talking.
“He’s been like that for ages” you jump a little, taken by surprise by Matthews’ voice sounding too close to you. You turned your head towards him “Not sure what he’s thinking about, though” the black raven, loyal companion of Morpheus, was perched on the back of the same couch you slept the whole night on.
“Probably in that he has to go and feed the birds at the park” you flash a smile to your singular friend, who gave you a way too human-like scoff.
“Please, he doesn’t even feed me” you huff a small laugh at the raven’s joke.
“Perhaps if you didn’t criticize every step I take, you would actually have time to put food in your beak”
Matthew jumped down to rest on your side, his small claws squeezing the skin of your hip softly two times— calling for your attention at his next jab “Someone can’t take a joke” the raven whispered looking at you, only to then turn towards his master “I shall go to the kitchen to press more buttons, my Lord, but this time the coffee machine’s ones” and with that overly played impression of Morpheus’ accent, the bird took flight disappearing in the kitchen in matter of seconds.
You looked at Morpheus with a smile. He was still with his eyes closed “You shouldn’t have taught him that” he said, his words dragging lazily.
You chuckle sweetly, remembering how at the beginning of the week Matthew learnt how to operate the coffee machine without breaking it in the process. Morpheus watched the two of you in silence, knowing better than anyone that your little shenanigans consisted in a ten percent of the goal of learning a new skill and ninety percent in annoying him. It was the way you and his raven bonded: the amusement you both got out of making Morpheus grumpier than usual.
Now, Matthew insisted every morning to make you coffee and you didn’t have the heart to deny the overly sugared mug.
You closed your eyes, snuggling even further under the covers “Good morning, Dream”.
When you opened your eyes, he was already looking at you “Good morning” he said with a voice deeper that the ocean you were dreaming about a few minutes ago.
The sun, entering from your window, bathed the whole apartment in a beautiful light. Morpheus, in the center of the scene, looked glorious. Godly like. The warm rays bathing all his features and making him look soft in all the right places.
“I can tell it was a good night sleep”
Your sweet smile turned into an amused one “When I ask for your help to sleep, you didn’t have to watch over me the whole night”
“How else am I going to make sure you’re sleeping well?” he inquired, a small smirk pulling at the corner of his lips.
Cheeky little god.
You raised an eyebrow “You are the king of the Dreaming, sweetheart”
The corners of his lips pulled totally upwards thanks to the nickname you gave him “With you, it’s not enough” his voice was hushed, a murmur that lulled you into an incredibly flustered state in the most delicious way.
You sighed, trusting that with your eyes closed it wouldn't sound too dreamily “You still can’t find me in there?”
“We’re not sure where you go when you sleep, that is the reason why I need to keep an eye on you for now”
“How is that even possible?”
“Well, you do have the same magic I use to nourish the Dreaming inside of you” he explained “It’s not hard to hypothesize that the reason we don’t find you back home is because you simply don’t want us to”
You nod slowly, wanting to agree with him. You came from a long bloodline filled with magic. Your power was a gift from Dream to one of your ancestors and those same powers bled down your family line for centuries. When you met him, it was the first time someone of your own saw him after a really long time.
At first, he came to you for your magic. Needed it back to retrieve his stolen amulets, the ones he lost to the pretender Roderick Burgess. And when instead of giving him your gifts, you offered him your help… he was intrigued to see firsthand what his powers could give to a simple mortal like you.
But that was a long time ago, when you still wouldn’t call each other a friend and the only worry between the both of you was the possibility of losing your power to the other.
“So, why?” he questioned. You open your eyes to look at him confused, then he insists “Why don’t you want us to find you in there?”
You frowned, dropping your smile “Dream. If I knew I would’ve corrected it already, don’t you think?”
“No nightmares, no bad dreams, only happiness” the man recalled your first conversation on the matter, not even stopping to listen to your point “And you don’t let any other entity to get closer to your mind but me”
"You just said you could not find me in there" because it sounded like he was getting at a dangerous point, an overwhelming conclusion.
"It's not the only way you shared your mind with me" Morpheus explained his point "When you offered your magic to help my cause, you had to let me in. Why are you keeping me out now?"
You sat on your sofa, the warm cover falling to your lap. You tried to ignore the implication of his concerns: it wasn't the fact that a dream or a nightmare could not reach your mind, it was that himself could not cradle it with his own intentions.
"I'm not doing it on porpuse" you defended yourself.
"But that's the only explanation I can offer you" he stood up and got impossibly close to you. You had to tip your head up to look into his eyes that were looking down to yours. You were filled with surprise when you saw a bit of hesitation on his features.
"What are you thinking about?" you whisper softly, worried about him pondering himself into misery.
"You are casting me out"
The accusation almost makes you jump from your seat "I am not" you shake your head side to side.
"You're keeping your mind beyond my reach, you've been doing it this whole time" he interrupted you before you could defend yourself again "On purpose or not and you're doing it because there's something you don't want me to see"
"Why are you taking this so personal?" you insist, a bit desperate.
"Because the alternative is that you're keeping an endless out of your mind— because there's something in there you don't want a cosmic entity to see" his cold tone stole your breath away "Which is the most dangerous and threatening thing you could do against someone of my kinship"
You stay in silence for a few seconds "I'm not keeping anything away from you"
"You're keeping yourself away from me" he whispered, mindlessly and filled with disappointment.
"I'm right here" you whispered, distraught "I don't understand this accusation—"
"What are you dreaming about?" hard. Unbending.
"I—" you felt tears welling up in your eyes "I told you" you croak out, standing up and circling him "I need to see what Matthew's doing"
"I forced Matthew back into the Dreaming— I need to understand what are you doing. We need to discuss this. What are you dreaming about?" he demanded. you gave your back to him.
"I told you about it, Dream" you voice was a plea "It's always something nice, something that makes me feel just right. Tonight it was the ocean. Blue and dark and—"
And you— you thought to yourself. So awfully and beautifully you.
You face him, not finding a safe haven from his questioning.
"I do not understand it" he insists "And I need to understand you, before the alternative becomes unbearable to ignore"
You adverted your eyes from him, looking out your window. A tear rolled down your face and you dry it quickly before he accused you of using them against him.
"You accuse me of casting you out" you tried to hide a sob "You believe in the good in this world, and yet that's not what you think me out to be"
"This is not a matter I'm bringing to you lightly" he insists, stepping closer with urgency.
You cross your arms, just to hold yourself for a moment and then you smile sadly at him.
"I can't believe this morning started feeling like one of my dreams and now it's turning into this nightmare" you tilt your head to the side, a tear rolling straight to your earlobe.
Morpheus stayed in silence, looking intently at you for a few seconds.
Suddenly, realization brightened up his face.
"Why did you feel the need to keep this from me?"
"I didn't even know I was keeping this away from you until Lucienne made me list my dreams to her" you whispered "I suppose some part of me thought that one glance to my dreams and you would understand"
"Show me"
"Dream" you begged "Why do you wish to humiliate me like this?"
"I need to know" he got closer to you in an instant, so suddenly that he took your breath away "Share your mind with me again"
You look up at him, eyes bluer than any sky you could imagine— more inviting than any waters you could dream of.
And if you didn't know any better, you would think that was a plea.
"If I do that, my mind won't be the only thing I would be sharing with you" you breath out, feeling a bit helpless.
"What is the wrong in that"
You looked intently into his eyes.
He looked away from you, turning his face to your window "Admidts of a confession and you're still keeping your love away from me"
"I'm keeping my heart" you almost need to sob "I don't want to expose it just because you need something to be proven"
He turned his face to you again "I believe in you, I don't need anything to be proven to me"
"Then why are you demanding my mind?"
"Because it's the only way I get to protect my heart"
Somehow that took your breath away in an instant.
And without even attempting to, you allow a wave of your ocean crawl onto his shore as you feel his hands cupping your jaw. Eyes closed, breathing jagged and tears feeding his hunger.
Your mind opens up, and your heart bursts into emotion as soon as your feet touch the evergreen grass of the Dreaming— summer breeze caressing your skin and sunshine hitting against your closed eyelids.
As your eyes open, he´s standing tall in front of you still. Dark and glistening, eyes of deep gold and fire burning at the hem of his black tunic.
And just as it began, you force yourself to wake up.
Back home, back in your apartment.
You need to take a step back, but he doesn´t let you get far as he smirks widely at you.
Cheeky little god.
"Cheating darling girl, you barely showed yourself" he cups your jaw securely once again, face contorting around amusement as you let a smile creep in too.
"I've shown enough" you counterpart, a bubble of giddiness about to explode in your inside.
He contemplates you in silence, eyes traveling around your face "I will see all of it—" he warns "—even if I have to take it out of you caress after caress-"
"Dream Lord" you warn, the formality foreign in your tongue.
"Lady enchantress" he warns as well, playful and too close to happiness for you to stand on your offense for long.
You look around his face, shaking your head as your nose bumps against his "I can't dare to dream about you anymore"
Dream stands in silence at that, "In counterpart, you'll find a piece of you all around the fabric of my Dreaming—" he rasps, forehead nudging against yours "Inspiration used to be something I gave away, now I´m tempted to keep it all to myself"
"Mellow and needy" you accuse him.
"All the more reason for you to stop casting my love away" he demands softly, almost as a plead.
"In exchange I would demand far more consideration when giving me dreams" you shift slightly, lips kissing the palm of the creator.
"Demanding and needy" he accuses you now "Always getting your way around me"
And just when you´re about to talk once again, a high pitch croak can be heard "Is rather rude to cast me away when needing alone time, my Lord" Matthew's voice is heard. He's standing on the window frame.
You chuckle.
Morpheus sighs in annoyance, "Tell Lucienne I heard her calling the first time"
Matthew croaks once again, "Boss Lady just wanted to make sure" and then he was off.
You look back at Morpheus, and he´s already looking at you.
"Consideration you will have, dazzling creature" he reassures you softly.
And before he goes, his lips tingle against yours.
I cannot be convinced that he wasn't made by a Goddess. Like Aphrodite really was tired of these low standard men out there that she said "gods here, us woman need to raise our standards by both Tom Sturridge and his characters."
