Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It wasn't uncommon for Dream to invite siblings to help inspire dreams, afterall, humanity dreams of anything and everything. It would only make sense plus, he rather enjoyed spending time with them all individually when creating. It made a nice change from working alone and in silence which was sometimes mind numbing, even for him

“Delirium of the Endless, i stand in my gallery and hold your sigil, attend to me, i have ideas for us both”

He stands, holding a multicolour abstract swirl, watching it in fondness of his sister as it floats around, swirling softly in his hands. He places it back where it belongs and turning to where his sister is, watching as she floats on the air effortlessly, attaching herself to the ceiling of his gallery

“Hello, Del” he smiles, walking towards the youngest, watching as her hair swirls around her face, small fish swim through it as if it were only natural. For her, it was and Dream adored her curious nature

“Hi Dream! How are you? How have you been?” Delirium returns down from the ceiling, worming around her brother in an excited manner “what are we doing today? Is it fun at least? You always lock yourself away when making things”

Dream laughs softly, leading the way through the Dreaming, Del following quickly behind, making small comments about the scenery as they go along until they reach the room he has specifically made for collaborations, figuring that his siblings may not appreciate standing in the same spot for days upon end as he often done in the past

Here, they sit for what seemed like forever and only a few minutes, Delirium pulls things out from her realm, morphing them and adding them to dreams and Dream sits mostly, smiling and watching his sister and her creative energy flow through the dreams he had created, just for her. If you asked him, he’d insist it was for the people but truly, he missed his sister

“They could have too many legs and eyes” Del snaps Dream out of his train of thoughts as she pulls out a handful of miscellaneous legs and eyes of different species, stitching them into the fabric off what now would be classed as a fever dream, something they both enjoyed making together from time to time

“If it pleases you, my sister”

“It does! Look at it go! Oh and what if they change colours like one of those chameleons” she smiles up at Dream, hands full of multicoloured balls of what looked like light

“I think that would be wonderful.”

Dream shuffles closer to inspect his sister's work. There, lie a spider.. Or what would be a spider if this were any normal dream. But it wasn't and Dream cherished it either way, knowing the time spent together was much dearer than whether or not a spider was anatomically accurate or not.

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It had been weeks since the two were truly alone together for any period of time outside the times Dream stopped by to check in and provide any affection or comfort they had been lacking due to work. Between maintenance, creation, meetings and nightly eye gouging, there often became times where the two schedules misaligned which was understandable on both parts. Running a functional kingdom is hard enough, let alone being in charge of the universe's dreams and nightmares single-handedly. Neither of them particularly minded most of the time. It's not like they didn't see each other at all for weeks, they just didn't get alone time without someone either interrupting or Matthew not getting the hint that he really wasn't needed to third wheel like a child commentating everything he thinks of or sees. Dream would mumble about that wretched bird and Corinthian couldn't help but to laugh at how funny Dream was when mildly inconvenienced. 

Considering this, of course on one of the few nights where everything was calm and Corinthian was taking a break from the normal nightmare duties he had, they both jumped at the chance to leave the castle grounds and go for a quiet stroll together, arms linked and enjoying the comfortable silence that settled between them. No words needed to be spoken for them to enjoy each other's company, the presence of each other was more than enough to fulfil the need to be close to each other. Together, above the endless starry night skies, they walk to a place that if you asked any of the other residents of the Dreaming, they would look in confusion for it only existed for the two of them. A simple yet beautiful sanctuary where the two could go to escape the business of life and the expectations a king and his lover faced. A calming breeze blew around them, Dream’s coat swaying along with it, exposing the infinite amount of stars he kept on the inside as the moon bathed them in its soft glow, illuminating them and their surroundings just perfectly, not too bright but just enough for fond glances at each other without missing a single detail of their lover. Just perfect. Just them. 

Dream had made this place, just for them, in the beginning of their growing relationship. A simple yet meaningful gesture to symbolise his love and appreciation. A cliff side, watching over the realm, an old willow tree stood as a centrepiece. Corinthian had once carved out their names in the bark with one of his knives, thinking it was a funny cliche and that Dream would get rid of it to preserve the tree’s image, only to find him smiling and tracing his finger along the rough letters. After that, they both decided the carving could stay there as a reminder of that day. 

As they sit down at the base of the tree, Corinthian sighs softly in silent contentment, earning an as content hum from his lover and rests his head on his shoulder, shuffling impossibly closer as Dream drapes his coat over the both of them before resting his head on Corinthian’s, glancing down with soft fondness in his eyes as he watches Corinthian get comfortable, again, trying to get even closer. He chuckles softly, wrapping his arms around him and squeezing softly, smiling as the other instantly relaxes before turning his head upwards, watching as the stars shine softly and form patterns humanity could only dream of witnessing. 

Chapter Text

Desire had once again successfully snuck into the Dreaming to take part in their favourite activity. Annoying their older brother until he gives them attention. They chose to ignore the fact that they couldn't actually enter the Dreaming without Dreams’ consent because that would defeat the purpose of being sneaky and unnoticed until they attacked. It would also mean that Dream had the audacity to enjoy their time together and that was simply unacceptable for Desire was far too above the idea of affection. Totally. It's not like they also enjoyed these meetings that absolutely ended up with Dream giving in and allowing his cat of a sibling to settle down by his side and receive pets.

Upon entering, Desire immediately shifted into a more appropriate form for their plan of attack; a large, white maine coon with their signature golden eyes and with a stretch and a quiet meow, they slunk through the halls of the Dreaming's castle, which in their opinion, lacked far too little leather and far too much mildly gothic trinkets and old leather bound books which didn't particularly count in their eyes. They stop at the door of Dreams’ office, pawing with their claws out for extra measure,knowing Dream would have to repair the door after their visit. They may have mended their relationship but Desire would rather die than be seen being kind to their brother. From the other side, they hear an exhausted huff and footsteps approaching the door. With a smug look, Desire went from clawing to straight up pressing their head into the door, as if assisting Dream with opening said door because he was taking far too long for their liking. The door clicks as Dream unlocks it. To this day, Desire doesn't understand that Dream even has something as basic as a door lock when he himself was the Dreaming and could simply will the door to be locked but again, they don't understand most things he does and instead decides to cause minor inconvenience whenever possible. The door swings open rather aggressively and Desire practically falls into the lowly lit room, looking up and scowling at the rather unimpressed Dream who had at this point, crossed his arms at the sight of his sibling, trying to hide the small smile creeping on his face.

He huffs before leaning down and carefully picking Desire up, placing them on his book-filled desk, which he immediately regretted, as he watched them paw off a book, sending it crashing onto the floor. He swore that if he could, he would be grey from all the stress Desire brought upon him. He picks up the book, lightly tapping Desire’s head with it, earning the smuggest look a cat could ever muster 

“I am working, my sibling.” Dream huffs, before returning to his chair, pulling out a pile of papers from underneath Desire. “If you insist on being here, at least sit still and out of the way” Despite his tone, Dream fondly pat their head before returning to the papers in his hand, sighing at the very sight of them

Desire moves slightly to peer at what seemed to be a scrawl of hardly legible writing, picking out words such as ‘trading circles’ ‘enforcement’ ‘non negotiable’ with a signature at the bottom reading two letters. L and M. Lucifer fucking Morningstar. They nudge their head into the papers, signalling for Dream to put them down but instead, he simply gets up and paces as he reads and re reads, a hand tangling into his hair as it grows longer to accommodate the need to relieve stress. This simply would not do for Desire though as they jump down from the desk with a thud and starts very loudly meowing and weaving in and out of Dream’s legs, making him stumble slightly every so often, moving his long coat out of Desire’s path as they decide that attacking the hem was the next best step in their devious plan to get their brother to just chill the fuck out for once and rest. 

Instead of this, Dream uses his foot to gently move them out of his way, earning the first words Desire had spoken this entire time 

“You kick me! You kick me like football! Jail for brother! Jail for 1000 years!” Desire gasps for dramatic effect, staring up at their brother with feigned betrayal in their eyes. 

It was only then that Dreams’ eyes softened, relaxing his tight grip on both his hair and the papers and instead, picked Desire up. 

“Yes, yes, Miette. How awful of me to kick you like a football. It’s not like you were trying to trip me up or anything scandalous like that. You are of course, too sweet for that” he looked down with fondness laced in his sarcasm, briefly stroking their head and walking back towards the desk, sitting down but not setting Desire back on the desk, instead, allowing them to curl up on his lap. They look up, glaring under the assumption he had once again, had the audacity to abandon them and return to work. If you could call stressing over lowly threats ‘working’. Desire didn't understand why dream didn't just go nuclear but apparently, that would ‘be a threat to humanity’ and ‘not very becoming of him’ so instead, he chose the more strategic, logical approach much to their disappointment. They would pay big money to watch hell and Lucifer himself explode into nothing but dust.

“I hear you, my sibling. I suppose it can't hurt too much to take a break as long as you don't disturb me when I have to return to my duties” he smiles softly as Desire starts purring, nodding in approval at the compromise. He instead summons a book from sand, opening it up to the first page and begins reading out loud.  “ It began with the forging of the Great Rings. Three were given to the Elves, immortal, wisest and fairest of all beings. Seven to the Dwarf-Lords, great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls…” he trails off, reading as Desire settles down, purring and drifting into peaceful slumber. Dream smiles fondly, silently appreciating his sibling’s persistence, no matter how annoying it was at the time.

Chapter Text

It wasn't uncommon for Desire to find Corinthian in the waking world, they both preferred to meet each other there anyways. It was like a small break from a much wider reality. Here, they had no duties, no parts to play, nothing but each other's company. Most nights were mostly silent, broken every so often, mostly by Desire deciding to think out loud. Sometimes though, they’d open up, allowing brief vulnerability, expressing feelings that go beyond the surface before going back to wordless company. It worked well for them, the mutual understanding of each other and the growing trust in each other's company and the comfort of not needing to use words to express gratitude that the other was there.

Their meetings always started the same. The smell of cinnamon like no other, a soft purr at the nape of Corinthians neck, soon joined by an arm snaking along his waist. It was always the same, just the way they liked it. Tonight, Desire found him along a pier in England, leaning casually against the railing and looking out at the crashing waves, partially lit by the moonlight. It wasn't as pretty as the Dreaming but it was private. It was a chance to breathe and let go. Like always, they approached from behind, enjoying the reaction of Corinthian instinctively pulling out a knife. He couldn't hurt them even if he tried. They snake their arm around his waist, pressing their face into the side of his neck, purring softly as they feel him relax, his own arm wrapping around them too. They stay like that for what feels like an eternity before Desire smirks, reaching up and grabbing at Corinthian’s glasses, swiftly pulling them off his face before he even has a chance to react. They grin up at him, playful mischief glinting in their eyes as Corinthian suddenly launches at them, grabbing their wrist to keep it still long enough to retrieve the glasses which until then, were covering the only things that gave away the fact he was far from human and Desire loved it, always taking whatever chance they could get to remove the glasses and admire him fully much to his feigned annoyance. Desire wiggles their wrist out of his grasp, swiftly hiding them behind their back playfully, grinning

“If I had eyes, I’d roll them sweetheart.” Corinthian half murmurs. Despite the place being empty except for the two of them, he wouldn't risk breaking the silence too much, just in case. Desire just laughs, rolling their eyes in response 

“There. I done it for you” they purr, grin not leaving their face as they step back, only just dodging another attempt at Corinthian having the absolute audacity to try and steal the glasses back. Corinthian just scoffs before pulling them in by the waist, leaning down and kisses them softly. For a moment, their guard is down and their grip loosens on the glasses, just enough for Corinthian to snatch them back, cackling at Desire’s noise of utter betrayal but not putting them back on, deciding to instead, pocketing them for later.

They gasp in mock hurt, placing their hand on their chest for dramatic effects, making Corinthian laugh even more at the sight of the being known for their sharpness, relaxed and playfully teasing. Not that he’d tell anyone but it was nice to see. An honour to be the one to witness the side of Desire no one else could ever hope to reach. Desire leans up, planting a quick kiss on his cheek, leaving a lipstick stain that probably wouldn't leave for a long time. They had a habit of staining everything they touched with that damn lipstick and Corinthian was starting to wonder if it was on purpose.

“You missed” Corinthian huffs lightheartedly, half-heartedly wiping at the stain on his cheek. As expected, it didn't even smudge

“Oh how awful of me . Allow me to fix my mistake ” they purr deeply, voice laced with honey as they reach up, pulling Corinthian into a deep kiss, purring louder with appreciation as he runs his hands gently along their sides, not in any sexual way, not craving anything except physical touch. To feel along the curves and edges that made them so intriguing. Neither of them could ever get enough of the simple things like sugary sweet intimacy. Sex was great but to be loved and not just lusted over was a whole new feeling. When they pull away, Desire can't help but to laugh at the sight of their lipstick now transferred. They swipe a thumb over the stain before draping their arms over his shoulders, pressing close and purring at the warmth of the embrace. They both stay this way for what feels like eternity. Corinthian’s hands on their hips, Desire still draped over him, the soothing sounds of crashing waves matching the tone of their meeting. Soon, they will both have to return to their duties but in the moment, basked in moonlight, they get to see the softer side of each other.

Chapter Text

The place was fairly empty for being in the center of the city and Dream was glad that it meant less attention on them both. He was fairly sure that the duo, one covered in all black with a coat that if you looked close enough, seemed to hold the entire universe inside, and the other who looked like she came out of a painting session, the canvas being herself with her mismatched eyes and various stripes of colour in her red hair and Dream would never even consider telling her to tone it down, secretly admiring her unique and whimsical dress sense. The various accessories she wore always jingled in a way that although made no sense for what they were and what they were made of, always made such pleasant sounds.

They got in easily with Dream having taken two tickets for the place out of someone's dream although the staff member did draw the line at Delirium's dog, who she had appropriately named Doggy and so he sat patiently inside the coat of Dream. It was, after all, as endless as them both. The place glowed a deep blue, the water reflections dancing along the walls peacefully, giving a calming vibe to the excitement of the experience. It was fairly simple in comparison to others, a simple yet intriguing passageway, walls lined with fish from all across the world, each in their own habitats that resembled their home. Dream, unlike Delirium who had bounced ahead, skipping along and pointing excitedly at the fish, walked with care, carefully inspecting the signs next to each tank, nodding in approval at a particular note stating that the fish living there were mainly adopted and not captured. A nod in the right direction towards animal safety and care

It was hard to not be happy when watching his sister. She had grabbed his hand to show him a particularly interesting fish, large and looking at the people as if they had purposely vexed it. He laughs, and watches as she talks to it and him at the same time, going on about how fish that looked peculiar would always be her favourite as they reminded her of herself at times. 

“What do they dream of?” She suddenly looks up to her brother whose expression changed to shock for a second at the subject change. He pauses before answering 

“Food. And swimming”

Her nose scrunches slightly at the lack of depth “that's no fun. I would dream of more fun things if I were a fish Dream, can you make them have better dreams?” and to that, Dream just chuckles and shakes his head softly in fondness. 

Fish are not as complex as humans but he was not willing to try and explain that they were incapable of dreaming such complex things and he didn't have to, as Delirium had wandered off again, waving at the people she passed and pressing close to the tanks to better see her friends as she called them. He kept up at a slow pace, happy to stand back and enjoy watching the joy simple things such as fish gave his youngest sister. The reflections made by the aquarium lights made her colours change and her form seemingly wave every so slightly, only noticeable if you knew who she was. To everyone else, she was simply colourful and excited, children would sometimes stop and stare in awe and adults glanced a little longer than they would normally but to Dream, Delirium was everything to him. 

Delirium had led him to a tunnel, one where you can walk under and see the fish and other creatures swim past and above you. The lights were brighter here, a cool shade of blue instead of the deeper shade they had been used to at the beginning. Bright fish swam past, darting and dashing and flashing as their scales hit the light in the right angles. Three turtles floated above peacefully and Delirium stood in the middle, looking straight up and turning slowly, her already wide grin growing almost impossibly and Dream can't help but to stand by her side and copy, equally as amazed at the sight of it all. They watch as a turtle lightly nudges into the glass accidentally before turning gracefully into a direction Dream hoped it wouldn't find anymore obstacles and as they kept walking, it seemed like the fish were following along, they too enchanted by the girl with mismatched eyes.

At the end, Dream had to guide her to keep going forward, promising they could absolutely go back, but insisting she would most likely enjoy the smallish gift shop that wasn't too far ahead. Her eyes lit up at the thought of being able to bring something back with her to remember their time together outside of family meals and formal meetings. Although they could absolutely create their own souvenirs, they both agreed on the fact it would be so much nicer to pick something out themselves and so they did. Dream picked out a small but soft black tip reef plush and Delirium picked out a blue ray with spots, insisting she wore it on her head like a hat. 

“Do you think Doggy would like one too?” She pauses at the smaller toys, scanning the display 

“Perhaps… this one” Dream picks up a small, pink axolotl and opens his coat slightly as Doggy pokes out his snout, sniffing excitedly. Delirium grins at the sight and its infectious, causing Dream to smile too

“Its perfect. He loves it I can tell” and she takes it from Dream's hand as they take their items to the cashier and pay with money Dream again, took from a dream of someone else.

They walk out together, Delirium with her ray hat, Doggy with his axolotl as he had now been allowed out of the coat that held him and Dream, with a shark tucked under his arm as he guides his sister around the other people who were gathered at the exit and as they part ways, back to their respective realms, both know it won't be the last time they allow themselves to enjoy time away from their responsibilities. Delirium, happy to see her big brother finally relaxed, takes an extra moment to breathe, watching and smiling as he disappears in a cloud of sand before disappearing herself, back to her colourful reality

Chapter Text

Corinthian had gone missing again and despite his very obvious presence, it was incredibly hard to find him if he was up to something he swore he wouldn't do. Dream just sighed at the news, not particularly mad, just wondering what his lover had gotten himself into and how much damage control he would have to do in order to keep whoever he had tracked down safe. Despite disapproving of Corinthian's… extracurricular activities, there would always be a certain fondness held in his heart for his favourite creation. Arguing against or straight up banning him from the waking world had not worked even in the beginning and it was time for Dream to take on another approach 

The opposites in themselves created a good balance between them. Corinthian taught Dream to relax and want things, and Dream calmed impulse control. The impulse control he created as Corinthian would argue, but even so, the balance between calm and chaos made things work well. It didn't stop the occasional disregard Corinthian showed towards humanity, but even these moments were lessening since they got together and part of the problem was thought to be lack of attention as well as boredom and curiosity. Part of his function was to reflect on the curiosity humanity would often repress because of social pressure, it was only expected for him to go and fulfil these needs. If that is what he truly wished for, Dream would not stop him, only lessen the damage 

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Corinthian sat downtown in a quiet cafe, picking out a table that faced the window that looked out to the streets, enjoying his time people watching before inevitably being dragged back into the Dreaming. He didn't hate his job, nor the Dreaming. It was simply… boring. Ordinary. The same routines on repeat became almost painful. Accompanying Dream when needed, haunting people's dreams, annoying Lucienne by knocking over books, teasing Jessamy by throwing bird seed at her. He needed more. Wanted more. People when they were awake were so much more interesting. Dreams revealed their biggest fears, their subconscious, what they truly felt and thought and wanted but here? Here they acted completely differently. They were mundane but fascinating. Appealing to social constructs they made themselves, and then complaining that said constructs existed. They always wanted more yet never dared to go off script and Corinthian loved it. Feeding off things they could never bring themselves to do or say. It fuelled him, he strove to learn more, to understand everything about the people who took so much of his lovers attention. 

He was deep in thought when the bell rang, signifying the arrival of someone else to the point he didnt notice them until they sat next to him. He almost jumped at the sight until he realised – Dream. He came sooner than Corinthian expected and as he gripped his coffee tighter, expecting a lecture, to be told off, Dream wraps an arm around his waist, pulling him closer. The silence between them lingered and Corinthian relaxed his shoulders, unclenching his jaw and leaned ever so slightly into Dream's side, sighing in content at his lovers presence. He wondered how long it would take before Dream told him to come home, how long he could get away with watching but to his surprise, Dream simply grabbed a coffee for himself too which was more an act than anything as he never drank anything. The sight made Corinthian smile slightly, watching his lover mimic his own habits was sweet in its own way, like a cat wanting to get involved with whatever its human was doing. He laughs as Dream takes a sip and frowns down at the cup as if it had personally gone out of its way to offend him 

“Not a fan?” 

“Its.. bitter”

At that, Corinthian laughed again, harder this time. He takes the coffee away and sturs sugar into it, sliding it back over and gesturing at the now fixed drink. Dream just stares at it before turning it into sand. Corinthian just stares at the pile before looking around to make sure no one noticed the fact Dream had literally preformed what would be considered witchcraft on a seemingly innocent coffee mug before quickly brushing it off the side. He turns to Dream, both equally annoyed and amused at how he dealt with things that displeased him, half expecting their meeting turned coffee date to end now but Dream stays seated, staring back, unblinking 

“I wont make you come home if you aren't ready.” 

At that, Corinthian frowns slightly, not expecting to be let off so easily. He had never explicitly been told off for leaving the Dreaming but he was always dragged back much to his annoyance

“I do, however, have some conditions-” Dream continued, turning his whole body towards Corinthian, showing he was serious in his words. Corinthian sighed and gestured for him to continue, expecting something like being supervised 24/7. He was wrong.

“You cannot kill everyone, for starters. You have a duty and so do I. I must look after them-” Corinthian sighs at that, but stays silent to allow Dream to continue 

“I can provide you with a space of your own here. I dislike the idea of you hopping from motel to motel… and you must tell me when you leave. I will check in on you when I please.” 

Corinthian stares in disbelief for a moment before snapping out of it, “alright, but I get to decorate.” And to that, Dream just laughs and agrees.

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Dream kept true to his word, and almost impossibly provides Corinthian with a place of his without questions. He knows better than to ask how he pulled it off and quite frankly, he was just happy to have somewhere outside of the Dreaming he could call his own without others bothering him every few minutes under the guise of checking to make sure he was doing what he was supposed to. Here, he could be unapologetically himself, with only Dream himself coming by periodically. Maybe it would be nice for them both to spend time here together when he wasnt working so much.

The place itself was simple, a main room with a kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. Although he didnt sleep, it was still nice to have one. He still enjoyed the act of laying down and just resting, even if it was more like meditation than sleeping. Dream made sure the lights were dim enough for Corinthian to handle having them on, being light sensitive. He was made for nighttime after all, meaning he was more adjusted to the dark and even when wearing his glasses, he was able to see clearly. This place was supposed to be a second home as such though, and Dream presumed taking the glasses off was included in being comfortable so dim, soft lights it was. Corinthian appreciated it, the act of being known was sweet, intimate, something he craved regularly and Dream was more than happy to provide for his lover, taking enjoyment from watching him relax. 

The decorating was fairly easy. Soft tones and neatly organised arrangements littered the place in a way that was both pleasing without being overwhelming. They stood in the middle of the living room, Dream with his chin resting on Corinthian's head, arms wrapped around him tightly, almost protectively. They sway together softly, humming appreciatedly at the news found privacy, away from the busy schedules and work that seemingly consumed life in the Dreaming. Dream would have to go back soon, not particularly enjoying leaving the Dreaming unattended but for the time being, Lucienne could handle things as they spend the evening just being themselves without outside expectations. Corinthian swore that he would make Dream learn to love leaving his station temporarily every so often, to spend time here in the tiny carved out part of the city they could call their own.