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Morpheus spends most of his time with Ravenna, slipping into the rhythm of their days like it’s the most natural thing in the world. By night, he returns to his kingdom to fulfill his duties as the Lord of Dreams, yet even there, his thoughts often drift back to her. The days blend into each other, each one colored by her presence, and he finds himself savoring these moments more than he ever expected.

A month passes in this strange, beautiful routine. Ravenna, despite her best efforts, finds herself teetering on the edge of something terrifying and exhilarating. She’s managed to cage the butterflies in her stomach, but sometimes—just sometimes—one escapes, fluttering wildly.

Like the time she catches him helping Thea set the dinner table.The way he makes her mother laugh with his lame attempts at jokes. Another time when she finds him sprawled out on her bed one evening, passed out from exhaustion, looking so unguarded, so human. And then there’s the time she sees him struggling to keep up with her during a yoga session, muscles flexing as he tries to mimic her movements. Each of these moments makes her heart skip, makes her want him more, even though she’s not ready to admit it.

Sometimes, she wants to strangle him. He knows exactly how to push her buttons, how to enrage her like no one else can. Yet, despite the irritation, she’s drawn to him like a moth to flame. He’s intoxicating, and she hates that she craves him as much as she does.

Their relationship is a strange dance of affection and friction, the banter between them sharp and playful, like the back-and-forth of swords clashing. They’ve formed a peculiar kind of friendship, though ‘frenemies’ might be more accurate. He’s determined to win her over, and to her dismay, he’s succeeding. She knows, deep down, that he’s already claimed a part of her heart, though she’s not ready to admit it out loud.

One afternoon, she’s storming through the house, trying to escape the storm inside her head. Morpheus, ever the patient shadow, follows her into the kitchen.

“Maybe it’s a sign you should be somewhere else,” she snaps, glaring at him over her shoulder.

Morpheus tilts his head, genuinely confused. “Have I done something to offend you?”

She whirls around to face him. “Only every time I see you.”

He steps closer, his gaze steady, unwavering. “Will you ever love me?”

The question hangs in the air, heavy with unspoken feelings. Ravenna lifts her chin, meeting his eyes, which are filled with a patient, enduring love that makes her heart clench. “No.”

Morpheus doesn’t flinch. Instead, he smiles, the corners of his lips tugging up in a way that softens the sharp angles of his face. “I will always love you, Ravenna. So when you change your mind, I’ll be here.”

She huffs in frustration, the sincerity in his voice unraveling her composure. “How aren’t you fed up already? You could find someone else—someone who doesn’t fight with you every minute over everything. Why go through all this trouble?”

His answer comes without hesitation, his voice low and intimate. “I would rather fight with you than love anyone else.”

His words send a shiver down her spine, a tremor of emotion she can’t quite contain. She stares at him, the world narrowing down to the space between them. There’s a roaring in her ears, a heat building in her chest that she can’t ignore. She wets her lips, and his gaze drops to follow the movement.

“What are you waiting for?” she whispers, the words slipping out before she can think better of it. “Kiss me.”

For a moment, everything stills. Then Morpheus cups her face with one hand, his thumb brushing over her lower lip, sending a jolt of electricity through her. “How rude of me,” he murmurs, his voice a silken thread, “to keep you waiting.”

He leans in and presses his lips to hers, a touch so light it’s like a whisper of a dream. But the effect on her is immediate—her whole body hums with the connection, a wave of warmth flooding through her. His kiss is tender, but there’s a depth to it, an emotion that makes her head spin. She can feel the honesty of it, the way his lips speak of everything he’s too afraid to say out loud.

Her fingers find their way into his hair, pulling him closer, wanting more. The kiss deepens, becomes more insistent, more real. It’s like the world fades away, leaving just the two of them in this moment, where nothing else matters. She thinks of Johanna’s words, echoing in the back of her mind. 'You were never mine from the beginning. You belong to him.'

Morpheus kisses her again, firmer this time, and she opens up to him, letting him in. His tongue brushes against hers, and the sensation sends a surge of heat through her. Her mind clouds with desire, her thoughts dissolving into a haze as his hands slide to her hips, lifting her effortlessly onto the counter.

He positions himself between her legs, his touch igniting every nerve ending in her body. His fingers barely graze her inner thighs, teasing, leaving her wanting more, needing more. She feels like she’s burning, consumed by the fire he’s lit inside her. It’s a sensation she’s never known before, a pleasure so intense it borders on pain.

When he finally pulls away, she’s breathless, her heart pounding in her chest. She whimpers at the loss, her body aching for his touch.

Morpheus leans in, his lips brushing against her ear as he whispers, his voice rough and full of emotion, “Sometimes I wonder if love is worth fighting for. Then I look at you, and I know—it’s worth everything.”

His words resonate deep within her, and she knows he means them. She can’t pinpoint the exact moment her feelings for him shifted, but she knows they have. He’s awakened something in her, something she can’t deny. He’s set her ablaze, and the thought of that fire ever going out terrifies her.

Morpheus rests his forehead against hers, and she feels herself melting. There’s something so intimate, so raw in this simple gesture that it takes her breath away. He’s become her everything, and that realization both exhilarates and terrifies her.

Later that evening, Ravenna sits at the dinner table with her mother, absently pushing her food around her plate. Her mind is a thousand miles away, lost in thoughts of Morpheus and the emotions he stirs in her.

“What’s bothering you, sweetheart?” Thea asks, her voice laced with concern.

Ravenna sets down her fork with a sigh, her indecision weighing heavily on her. “He said he loves me… and that he’d wait for me to love him back.”

Thea regards her daughter with a raised eyebrow. “And do you love him?”

Ravenna nods slightly, her heart heavy with the admission. “But I’m scared. What if… what if one day he gets bored of me and leaves? I don’t have a lot of people I love, and I’m terrified of losing him.”

Thea takes a sip of her wine, her gaze thoughtful. “When I met your father, he was… well, let’s just say he wasn’t exactly charming. Stubborn as a mule, and he drove me up the wall. But over time, we learned to love each other, flaws and all. I don’t regret a single moment we had together, even the difficult ones. They’re all precious to me.”

Ravenna listens intently, a soft smile tugging at her lips. She loves hearing her mother talk about her father, Derek Edwards. Though she didn’t have much time with him before cancer claimed his life, she cherishes the memories her mother shares. Thea had filled the gap left by Derek’s passing, making sure Ravenna never felt the absence too keenly.

“Love isn’t easy, Rav,” Thea continues, her voice gentle. “It’s messy and painful, but that’s what makes it beautiful. That boy is head over heels for you. If he ever falls out of love, you chase him to the ends of the earth and remind him what he’d be missing. You’ve got your father’s stubbornness—use it. Don’t let him go without a fight.”

Ravenna chuckles softly, shaking her head at her mother’s advice. This is why she loves her mother so much. “I’ll keep that in mind, Mum.”

Thea’s expression shifts to a mock-serious one as she adds, “And as adorable as it was, you two should probably keep your snogging sessions out of my kitchen. Save it for the bedroom, darling.”

Ravenna groans, burying her face in her hands in embarrassment, which only fuels Thea’s amused laughter. Despite the teasing, there’s a warmth in Ravenna’s chest that she knows has everything to do with the love that’s blossoming between her and Morpheus, even if she’s still too scared to fully embrace it.