A/N:
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Destruction welcomes them with his wide, warm grin, and suddenly Ravenna finds herself standing inside his house in the waking world. The place is elegant, but not ostentatious—decorated in light, calming shades that somehow don’t fit her image of him. As they walk through the rooms, Dream seems miles away, lost between worlds. She notices, of course; she always does.
“What’s on your mind?” she asks quietly, and for a moment, he hesitates, his dark eyes clouding with something between guilt and shame.
“There is… a matter that requires my attention. A nightmare.” He drops his gaze, almost embarrassed. “But it can wait. You are my priority, Ravenna.”
She shakes her head with a soft laugh. “Morpheus, it’s okay. Go. Your kingdom needs you.”
Destruction claps a hand on his brother’s back, his laughter bright and loud. “She’s right! You don’t need to hover over her like a worried mother hen. Besides, she’ll be in the best company—mine!”
Dream's lips press into a thin line. “That’s precisely what concerns me,” he mutters, though there’s a touch of humor behind it. He turns to Ravenna, his features softening, his voice low and earnest. “Take care, my little raven.”
She reaches up, smoothing back a lock of his dark hair that has fallen across his forehead. “I’ll be fine, I promise.”
He leans down, brushing a kiss against her temple. “I mean it, Olethros,” he says to his brother, his tone suddenly serious again. “If she gets so much as a scratch…”
Destruction chuckles as Dream vanishes in a swirl of sand. “Dramatic as always,” he remarks, rolling his eyes.
Ravenna smiles faintly. “Shall we?” she asks, gesturing to the training room.
Destruction grins. “Oh, we shall.” He leads her to a room filled with various weapons and combat equipment.
She squares her shoulders, lifting her hands, ready to fight. “Bring it on, redhead.”
He arches an eyebrow, amused. “Lower your center,” he advises.
She does, and they begin—a flurry of strikes and blocks, a dance of motion and momentum. For every move she makes, he counters it with ease. “Not bad,” he teases, deflecting a jab aimed at his side.
Ravenna narrows her eyes, thinking fast. Destruction knows every fighting technique known to creation; besting him with strength is impossible. She decides to change her strategy. Feigning pain, she lets out a soft yelp, clutching her leg. “Ow! I think I twisted my ankle.”
Destruction's face instantly floods with concern. “Are you alright?”
She sniffs, her voice wavering. “I don’t know… it really hurts.”
He rushes forward. “Let me see—”
And she strikes, twisting him into a joint lock, catching him off guard. He grunts, caught, and she grins. “Gotcha.”
Destruction laughs, tapping her arm. “Alright, alright, you win. But I didn't realize we were competing!”
“Oh, come on,” she retorts, still grinning. “You expect me to just let you win?”
He snorts, shaking his head. “Well played, little mortal.”
Later, they find themselves in the kitchen, attempting to make dinner. Destruction is peeling the skin off chicken pieces, clearly out of his depth. “Did you and my brother…” He waggles his eyebrows. “You know…?”
Ravenna rolls her eyes, slicing vegetables with far more skill than he manages with the chicken. “We’re not discussing my sex life, Olethros. How about we talk about you?”
He pouts exaggeratedly. “What about me?”
“Tell me, how did you go from the Prodigal to… whatever you are now?” She inquires.
He shrugs, his grin a little sadder than before. “I am not fond of my job. I rather abandon it than watch mortals destroying each other. I did not want to be responsible for such massive devastation. I believe it was a mere matter of conscience. I prefers to think myself as a warrior poet and try my hand at creating various forms of art.” Destruction explains with a deep sigh following as his companion listens to him, remembering all the form of arts scattering around Destruction's art gallery, none of which are very good. “As you can see, things that I am involved with never work out properly. Unlike Dream who got the best as he is mother's golden child while Death is father's favourite.”
She pauses, watching him. “And your realm?”
He snorts. “A wasteland, naturally. A great, endless desert, forever swirling in a sandstorm. Not exactly a vacation spot.”
She chuckles softly. “And yet here you are. Back with your family.”
He nods. “I missed them. Even Morpheus, the insufferable git.” Then his grin grows wider. “Speaking of family, I hear there’s a wedding in the works?”
Her smile falters. “Is it really necessary? Marrying him this soon, I mean?”
Destruction’s face grows more serious. “You know the forbidden rules, Ravenna. An Endless cannot involve romantically with a mortal. Dream has no choice, unless he is willing to put your life in risk again. The risk of your downfall. The trial period ends on the day of the family dinner and he will have to ask your hand in marriage. It's either you accept his proposal and be his consort or break every romantic link you have with him and resume your life like none of this ever happened. The choice is in your hands, of course.”
She sighs, looking away. “Maybe I should say no.”
His eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “What makes you say that?”
“Morpheus acts like everything’s fine, but I know it’s not. There’s a weight he carries, something heavy. I can see the way he dose off. Something is bothering him.”
Destruction opens a cupboard, fishing out a champagne bottle. “And you assume that it is about you?”
“Isn't it obvious?” Ravenna asks, checking the now cooking Casserole in the pan. “I think it is not fair for him. He watched me die over and over again and went through all of that suffering for me for years. And I keep dragging him down. I feel like it's the other way round. The downfall part.”
Destruction pours the champagne, handing her a glass. “My brother… he always fights for what his heart desires the most, which is you. He will steal the sky and empty the seas if it meant making you smile. You are what he wants. Don’t doubt that.”
Mumbling a small 'thanks' to her companion, Ravenna takes a sip, mulling over his words. “That is what I am talking about. He deserves better. Better than a silly moral like me.”
Destruction laughs. “Why do you think he loves you, Ravenna? You have something he craves the most yet other women lack.”
With interest, Ravenna glances up at the creature in front of her. “And what is that?”
“Self-reflection,” he replies simply. “Dream sees himself in you. Dream sees himself in you. He seems to be this cold hearted, arrogant twat who fancies to boss around with his awful attempts of intimidating the people around him. But deep down, he loves to be loved.” He says, preparing the dinner table. “My brother deserves everything and his everything is you. So do not say or think otherwise.”
Before she can respond, footsteps echo in the hall. Dream steps into the kitchen, his eyes softening when they meet hers. He approaches, resting his chin atop her head. “How was the combat?”
“Good,” she replies, leaning back into him, her heartbeat quickening with his nearness. He hums, the deep grumble of his chest making her hairs stand on end. His presence is eating her alive. It is a bliss. And it is merely his arms and chest resting against her back and shoulders.
“I beat your brother.”
Destruction dramatically gasps before he glares at the mortal accusingly. “Only because she cheated!”
Ravenna points her wooden spoon at the redheaded Endless with a deadly glare daring him to say otherwise. “It was a fair win.”
“I believe you.” Still pressed up behind her, Dream whispers in her ear with a knowing smile which results Destruction to scoff.
"Oh yes, baby her all you want-" The redheaded Endless cuts himself in the mid air when the doorbell rings. "It must be my noisy neighbour. I'll be right back."
Just as Destruction disappears out of the kitchen, Dream turns his full attention back to his lover. “Did you miss me?”
“Let me think.” Ravenna grins as she takes his forearm around in her hands, leaning into him before spinning around to face him and places her hand on his chest. “No at all.”
He pouts like a child. “Such a shame.”
“Indeed, it is.” Ravenna drops her hands when the delicious aroma of the Casserole fills in the air as she swiftly moves to turn off the stove. “I taught Olethros how to make homemade sauce.”
“Here.” She scoops a bit of sauce from a spoon and holds it up for him with a delightful smile. “Try it.”
Morpheus takes her hand instead, dipping her finger into the sauce. Bringing it slowly to his lips, he sucks her finger clean, his gaze never leaving hers. Her breath catches, and a heat floods her cheeks, her pulse hammering. He continues to look directly into her eyes and starts to suck on her index finger, and his mouth is hot and wet.
She swallows past the dryness in the throat and the renewal of the ache in her lower belly as vivid visuals of their past wild experience appears in her mind.
He pulls her close until their bodies pressed flush against each other, resulting in a soft gasp from her. Then he sweeps his thumb over her bottom lip.
“I do know every possible way to please you, to make you scream again and again all night long,” he whispers against her skin, his voice like velvet. Every word comes out slow and deliberate, like he wants to etch them into her skin. “So, my love, all you have to do is ask.”
Ravenna's legs instinctively clench together as desire rushes through her body before setting at her core while the silly organ in her chest doesn't seem to respond to her commands to calm the hell down, continuing in its attempt to give her a heart attack. She rasps after a long, dizzy pause. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Nothing, however, will prepare her for the devastation his lazy smile wrecks on her heart and the butterflies lying dormant in her stomach goes crazy.
When the food is served to the table, the three of them find themselves in a deep, engaged conversation about the annual ball of Ravenna's company while thriving the dinner.
“A ball?” Destruction asks, simply enjoying his meal. “Fancy people.”
“It is held to attract investors and expand the business. I am truly not a fan of it, but my participation is mandatory as I am the leading face of the company.” Ravenna explains and turns to Dream, who is already looking at her with admiration. “I am in need of a date and I was wondering if you can go with me.”
“It'll be an honour.” He replies with a charming smile.
Once the dinner is finally over, Ravenna insists on helping the redheaded Endless to clean up everything.
She envelops Destruction in a warm hug which he returns in no time, hugging the life out of her. “I had a great time.”
“You did?” With disbelief written on his face, he questions when they back away.
She nods. “We must hang out often.”
“Absolutely,” he agrees, his grin wide and pokes her nose. “Take care, tough one.”
She rolls her eyes at him before flashing a smile. “You too.”
Ravenna looks behind the redheaded Endless. At him. Dream leans against the wall, looking up at her with a small smile. She beams at the sight of him before jogging to him. After bidding farewell to her newly formed friend, Dream leads her back home. His arm around her waist, whispering things only for her ears. And for a moment, as they vanish in a swirl of sand, everything feels right.