Dreaming of Demons (Dream x oc)

[55] Good Morning

The nightmares weren't usually so bad. They had faded after getting rid of the Demon. But being so close to death earlier brought them back, raising the fear up once more. I hated it, and I couldn't seem to go back to sleep no matter how hard I tried.

I huffed and sat up in my bed. I could just barely make out the shape of the door in the dark. I hadn't seen or heard from Dream since we had escaped from the Banquet, which wasn't a long time ago, but I was still confused about what happened after. Why had we started arguing in the first place? At this point, it just sounded so frivolous.

I felt the need to do something. Sitting here waiting for sleep to come wasn't going to work. I needed to clear my mind somehow.

I slipped out of bed and padded toward the door. It opened with barely a sound and I stepped out, glancing up the stairs to Dream's room. Everything remained quiet and motionless.

With my hand trailing on the wall, I carefully walked through the kitchen to the living room area, using the light of the moon slipping through the window blinds to find my way. All the stuff Dream had been gathering for Tommy still cluttered the table and counters in various groups. At least he wasn't down here ignoring sleep to work on it. I didn't like seeing that he couldn't sleep, or that he didn't want to. It always reminded me of the Demon and what it had done.

I paused when I stepped near the couch, noticing a black shape sitting on it. I squinted and moved closer. It was Dream's suit jacket.

I picked it up, brushing the jacket with my hand to relieve its wrinkles and settle it back into its original form. I draped it over my arm to find a place to put it neatly as I moved around the front room. I didn't know what I really had in mind when I walked out of my room. Maybe I would try sleeping on the couch, or finding a book to read, or eating something.

I walked over to the kitchen and started opening the cupboards, mostly just staring at the food. I opened the fridge too. Nothing really looked too enticing now. Maybe I wasn't that hungry.

I returned to the couch and collapsed on its cushions with a sigh. I stared up at the ceiling, making out little shapes in the texture. I didn't even think to pick a blanket up before heading out of my room, and I didn't feel like getting up again to find one in the living room. But as my fingertips absently ran over the seams in Dream's jacket, I realized it could serve as a small blanket. I pulled it over my shoulder and brought my knees up closer, trying to burrow into the warmth the couch could barely supply me.

Admittedly, Dream's jacket smelled good. It smelled like him, and that seemed to comfort me more than anything else. That was probably why I could feel myself drifting off into what could potentially be nightmare-free dreams.

But a creaking sound jerked me awake. I opened my eyes, straining to listen. Did I really hear something moving around or was that my imagination?

Another creak, and it sounded closer this time. I sat up cautiously.

And then I jumped so hard I almost screamed.

The dark shape that had been moving towards the couch also seemed to give a start.

"Dream!" I hissed into the dark. I hadn't expected to be jumpscared.

"Taryn?" He moved closer and I could see he was wearing a dark tee shirt and sweatpants. "What are you doing down here?"

"What are you doing down here? I thought you were asleep."

"I—I heard noises down here and just wanted to check that everything was alright." He paused, added more quietly. "I was barely asleep anyway."

His words seemed to cut off in an empty way that fell into silence almost immediately. I looked away, still holding the jacket up to my chin.

For a split second, it seemed we both had trouble saying anything, and now the awkwardness was taking up all the space in the room.