A bottle is dropped at my elbow, clattering loudly against the kitchen counter.

"For you," Dream says, spinning the bottle so it almost topples. I snatch out a hand and steady it, sending him a dubious look once I see the label.

"Where did you get this? It looks expensive."

"Wine fit for a king, you could say. I'm sure Schlatt with have no reason to say no it." Dream hums vaguely, and I come to the conclusion that he must have stolen it from Eret.

"As long as it's strong," I mutter, playing with the bottle's thin neck. "The quicker I can get this over with the better."

"That's the spirit," Dream remarks and I turn to give him an annoyed look. We're in the kitchen, a room no one uses except for myself when I make Schlatt his meals. I have his lunch ready now, four slices of seeded toast, completely plain. It's the most I can get him to eat as of late. His appetite hasn't been too good, which only adds to my already building guilt at what I have planned for today. I have to keep reminding myself that I'm doing this for him, not for Dream. And that the end will justify the means. Schlatt is a businessman. He would understand.

"I suppose I should thank you for getting this," I say with reluctance, placing the bottle to the side.

Dream hops up onto the counter and leans his elbows on his knees, resting his chin in a palm. "Don't go looking so sour. This is what you wanted, remember?"

"Yeah...yeah I know." I run a hand through my hair, eyeing the bottle of alcohol like it's poison—which technically it is. I've always trued to avoid the stuff, nervous of the side effects. The idea that people willingly submit to fuzzy vision and slurred speech had never made sense to me. Even if it does make you feel good, what's the point if you don't even remember the fun come next morning? "I just hate that this is what it's come to. It feels like betrayal."

"Well it is, technically." I give him a glare and he shrugs. "What? You don't think getting your boss drunk to steal his most valuable possession doesn't count as betrayal?"

"Wow, well now I hate myself even more. Thanks." I snark, taking the plate and bottle, ready to leave.

"Hey, come on, I'm just saying it like it is. Ares. Ares."

I leave the kitchen, ignoring Dream's calls. The wine is heavy in my hand as I walk, and I keep looking at it, wondering what would happen if I were to just drop it and let it shatter, forcing me to postpone the plan.

No, I can't do that. Dream is patient, but not that patient. If I tell him I dropped the bottle he'd immediately know I was stalling for time. I need to grow a pair and get on with this awful deal. A deal that I made. God, I hope Schlatt never finds out.

"Your lunch, Mr President," I call out, bumping open the door to his office. It's empty aside from the horned man, a fact I already knew. Dream had helped in that aspect—he'd sent everyone away to do smaller tasks around Manburg in preparation for the war. The war that is now only two days away. Ugh. I couldn't have left this any later if I tried. And I really did try. But Dream had been adamant he needed paying before the deadline, not after.

Schlatt, who had been flipping boredly through a book, turns his dark gaze to me. His eyes immediately spark with interest as they land on the bottle and he hastily puts the book aside.

"What's that?" He asks.

"Toast," I say, placing the plate down beside him.

His face scrunches up, clearly unamused. "The wine, Ares. Tell me about the wine."

My smile falters for a split second before I pull myself together and flash a grin. I can do this. "I thought we could have a celebratory drink. You know, since we'll be winning this war in just a couple of days. I think we've earned it, don't you?"

The man blinks. Then he blinks again. "You, want to drink? Am I hearing right?"

"Well, we don't have to..." I begin to move the bottle away and Schlatt panics.

"Hey, hey, don't be hasty now, Ares, babes, angel cake. You just surprised me. But that's fine. Just— Hand the bottle over, 'kay?"

I place the wine gently onto the desk and he swipes it up like a desperate man, not even bothering to hide his evil little cackle.

"Haha, oh, Ares, baby, this looks good. Where the fuck did you find this?" I open my mouth but he interrupts, "actually forget that. I don't care. Let me get this puppy open."

I glance nervously to the window, where the midday sun sits high in the sky, "you... you don't want to save it till later? It's only the afternoon."

Schlatt actually growls, a corkscrew already in hand as he works on opening the bottle. "Fuck that! Let the others handle the work. This is a celebration drink, right? Well I don't see anything wrong with getting the party started early."

I don't have the nerve to argue so I simply nod, allowing him to pop the cork and raising an eyebrow when he brings out two glasses from a desk draw.

"What?" He says when he catches my look, "every hour is happy hour. It pays to be prepared."

"Hmm," is all I say, taking the offered glass. I look down into the red liquid, my stomach already flipping at the pungent scent. I know nothing about wine, but if this is as strong as Dream says then I should try to keep to the one glass. I'll cut Schlatt off once I deem him drunk enough to spill state secrets.

Three hours and an entire bottle of wine later, Schlatt is lead out on one of the sofa's, his suit jacket discarded and his head cushioned against my thighs, my hands combing through his dark curls.

"Y'know you're, like, smokin' 'ot, right sweet cheeks? Y'know that right?" He mumbles, eyes half closed as he enjoys the feeling of my fingers against his scalp. "So fuckin' hot."

I nod tiredly, my head feeling heavy like it's been stuffed with cotton. I tried sticking to the one glass, I really did, but Schlatt kept topping it up despite my protests. I've been pushed past the border of cognitive thought, straying dangerously into the world of intoxication. I still remember who I am and what I'm doing, but every now and then a thought will enter my head that my body will try to act upon. Thankfully I've held all my urges in, but it's well past time I asked Schlatt the question that's been burning on my tongue since I first brought in that awful bottle of wine.

"Can I ask you something?" I hum, gliding a hand around one of his curled horns.

"Shoot."

"It's...about the book."

"Book?"

Oh dear. Maybe I got him too drunk.

"The...the revival book, Schlatt." I clarify.

"Huh? Oh, right. Tha' thing." He reaches up and brushes his fingers along my cheek. "What 'bout it?"

"Would you be will—willing to let me hold onto it?"

"Mm, sure."

I gape, my eyes bugging. Suddenly I'm sober again. "Are...are you sure? You haven't even asked why."

"Does it madder? I tr'st you. You always 'ave a reason. Yer good girl." He grins lazily and the hand that's been squeezing my heart all afternoon finally punctures through, digging nails into my soft insides. It hurts.

I lean down and wrap my arms around his head, pressing my forehead to his.

"Thank you. I promise it's for a good reason." I whisper, my throat clenching around my voice.

"Mm. Bottom drawer of the d'sk."

I pull away, confused. "Pardon?"

"Bottom drawer." He repeats with increased volume, and points a finger awkwardly to the desk. "Right 'and side."

He can't mean—

I stand carefully, slipping his head away to rest on the sofa cushions and walk unsteadily to the large desk. I crouch and pull open the instructed drawer, choking when I see a book, leather bound and with strange words scrawled across its front in gold italic like some kind of fancy diary.

Has Schlatt seriously been keeping a book that can literally bring back the dead in a drawer this entire time?! It's not even locked! I've heard of hiding things in plain sight, but this is just ridiculous.

I lift the book carefully, thumb running over its old leather. It's unnervingly heavy for such a thin book.

"Schlatt, is this..." I trail off when I see him sound asleep, drooling into the sofa.

Hugging the book to my chest, I exit the office with quick, uneasy steps, and I don't stop till I make it all the way back to my room.

Dream perks up, sat cross-legged on my bed. His green jacket hangs from one of the bed posts, and in his lap is the netherite axe he favours so much.

"You got it?!" He asks, clearly eager as he sets the cloth he'd been using to polish the axe aside.

I nod, walking up to him and holding out the little book. "Here..."

His fingers glide over the cover, reacting in the same way I had. Then he chuckles and takes the book, testing its weight. "It's lighter than I thought it would be."

I take a seat beside him, dipping the mattress as I gaze down at my hands, flexing my fingers. They tingle.

"You know that saying, that you don't know just how drunk you are till you stand up?"

Dream pauses in his inspection of the book's cover and turns to stare at me. I blink slowly at him, suddenly seeing double.

"Oh my god," he laughs, "are you drunk?"

My face scrunches up and I rub at my forehead, "yeah... I think so."

"Haha. Well you were gone quite a while." He reaches over and ruffles my hair, "how much did you have?"

"I... I don't know..."

"How many glasses did you drink?"

"I don't know..."

"Pfft—"

I swat his arm with a glare, but completely miss, hitting the air instead. "Don't laugh, this is awful. I'm... I'm awful..." my voice cracks and I bury my face in my hands, trying desperately to rub away the blur in my eyes.

Dream manages to reign in his laughter long enough to rub soothing circles against my back. "Hey, you did what you had to. And you did a good job. You held up your end of the bargain, see? You got the book." He waves the flimsy thing and I catch sight of it from between my fingers.

"I hate that book," I breathe, "it makes me feel uncomfortable."

"Eh? It does?"

I nod slowly.

"Hm, interesting."

"You're a heartless bastard," I pout and Dream snorts.

"Yeah, I guess I am. You want some water?"

I nod and he stands, tucking the creepy book into his hanging jacket and heads for the bathroom. When he returns I'm sprawled out on the bed, an arm thrown over my eyes.

"I've never fought in a war before," I say. The bed dips and I remove my arm, eyeing the masked man as he offers me the glass. "Have you?"

"Of course I have. I've been in quite a few, actually. None as big as this one, though."

"Did you win?"

"As if I'd lose," he remarks cockily.

I sit up and take the glass. It's cold in my palm as I stare down into it, seeing my worn reflection. I look surprisingly relaxed. And also a little bit sleepy.

Dream has returned to studying his new prize, flipping through its yellowed pages. I try to catch what's written on them but my eyes simply refuse to focus.

"I'm going to go put this somewhere safe," he snaps the book shut and I blink. "You should stay here and sleep off that alcohol."

I look down at the glass, then up at him again as he begins to stand.

"Sleep with me?" I blurt, catching him so off guard that he drops back onto the bed. Setting the glass to the side, his voice hitches when I lean forward to place a hand on his thigh, the other coming up to rest along his jaw. "Please?"

Dream swallows thickly, and I can feel the spike in his pulse as he registers my words.

"I don't know if I should believe the words of a drunk lady," he replies cautiously.

"I know what I'm saying, Dream," I frown, offended that he'd think otherwise. It's not like I haven't thought about sex with him before. It's just that the alcohol is making me a little more loose-lipped. And I may also be playing it up a bit to see his reactions. "We could die in the next two days, and I don't want to leave this world with any more regrets than I already have. Plus, with Schlatt out for the count, this might be our only chance to be together."

For a long while the man is quiet, yet the red never fades from his ears. He eventually chuckles and places a hand over his mask, as if to hide his face. "You really are something, sprout."

"Shut up and show me that mouth already," I huff, shoving his mask up so hard I probably bump his nose and smash my lips with his.

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IF THIS BOOK HITS 1 MILLION READS I WILL COME BACK AND WRITE A SMUT CHAPTER!

Also have long haired Ares~