A/N:
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Ravenna leans against the railings of the elevator, gripping two bags that she refuses to let Morpheus help with. Her eyes are practically burning holes into the man next to her. Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams, stands still, hands buried deep in his jacket pockets, staring at the clean surface of the elevator doors, lost in thought.

"Back at the car, you mentioned testing a theory," she says, breaking the silence. Her tone is sharp, demanding his attention. "I'd like to know what it is."

Morpheus glances at her with an almost detached interest. "I can tell you're attracted to me. Not emotionally, but-"

Sexually. That word seems to echo in her mind. Another fluttering sensation stirs in her stomach, but she shoves it back down, determined to stay composed. Forget diamonds. Denial is a girl's best friend. "I assure you, I'm not attracted to you in any way."

A faint, knowing smile tugs at his lips. His gaze is both curious and amused, as though he's privy to the dirty little secret she's trying hard to keep hidden. "I apologize for assuming. But you hesitated. You never did that during the curse."

Ravenna's irritation bubbles up. "So, I threw myself at you? How tragic."

Morpheus's smile grows, a subtle hint of amusement in his eyes. "From what I remember, it wasn't exactly tragic. At least not at the start." The elevator dings, announcing their arrival.

Ravenna steps out first, moving quickly to her apartment door. Morpheus follows, but as he tries to enter, she blocks his way.

"It's been a pleasure meeting you, Morpheus," she says with a mockingly cheerful tone. "But I've got it from here. See you later. Ta-ta." She waves at him with a saccharine smile before slamming the door in his face.

"Your new man is not unfit," comes her mother's voice from behind her.

Ravenna turns to find her mother, Thea, standing with her arms crossed and a smile playing at the corners of her lips. "He's not my man. He's not even a man."

"What is he, then?"

"He is..." Ravenna trails off, searching for the right words to avoid mentioning the Endless card. "...whatever he is."

"What about Cedric?" Thea's tone is inquisitive.

"He's gay."

"Oh, that's a shame. He's a nice kid with a bit of a sharp tongue," Thea says as she follows Ravenna into the kitchen. "Still, he's a good kid."

"Cedric's the brother I never had," Ravenna replies, loading toast and bacon onto her plate. Her hunger is nearly overwhelming.

"Honey, you can't spend your whole life alone. You need someone who can bring you happiness." Thea leans against the kitchen counter, her eyes filled with concern.

"Remember how the last one ended?" Ravenna traces absentminded patterns on the table, the memory of her breakup with Johanna crashing over her like a tidal wave, making her cringe.

"What if this new guy is the one?" Thea presses gently.

"I don't know, Mum." Ravenna shrugs, taking a bite of her food. "All I know right now is that I'm starving."

"Sweetheart, you're successful in the business world, but life isn't just about business." Thea takes a seat next to her and pours two glasses of orange juice, handing one to Ravenna. "You're thirty years old, Rav. Time flies, and one day, I won't be here. You need someone who will hold onto you when I'm not around."

"What are you talking about? You're not going anywhere anytime soon."

"We can't avoid death, Rav." Thea pokes Ravenna's nose affectionately, making her pout like a child. No matter how old she gets, she's always her mother's little angel. "Think about it. It's not a crime to fall in love."

Ravenna sighs, her resolve softening. "I'll consider it."

"This is why you're my favorite daughter," Thea says, her smile turning into a full-blown grin. She pulls Ravenna into a tight hug before heading to the fridge. "Treat from me."

"I'm your only daughter, Mum," Ravenna says, rolling her eyes but chuckling when Thea places a luscious piece of cheesecake in front of her. "And you're going to give me diabetes one day with all these sweets."

After finishing her breakfast and chatting with her mother, Ravenna heads to her bedroom. She unpins her hair and lets her fingers run through the waves as she walks. Once inside, she shuts and locks the door, only to be startled by the figure sitting on her bed. Relief washes over her when she recognizes Morpheus. The simmering in her blood reaches a boiling point. Before she can throw a snarky remark at him, she hears hurried footsteps approaching her door.

Thea knocks with a hint of concern. "What's going on, Rav?"

"Nothing, mum. Just an invasion of an ugly cockroach." Ravenna throws the insult at Morpheus with a venomous glare. To her relief, Thea drops the subject and walks away. The last thing Ravenna wants is her mother discovering a guy in her room and getting overly excited, only to spread the news to Cedric. She can already imagine his dramatic reaction. She'll never hear the end of it.

"I'm offended by your choice of words," Morpheus says with a nonchalant, infuriatingly smug tone.

Ravenna turns to face him, her dark hair flying around her as she gives him a heated glare. "What do you want?"

"Destiny summoned us to discuss the rules for your freedom. We need to go, now." He takes a small step toward her, and she instinctively steps back.

"You really don't know how to take a hint, do you?" Ravenna eyes him with the intensity of a coiled snake ready to strike. "Is this how you normally operate? Just show up and boss people around?"

With every step he takes toward her, she retreats until her back presses against the cool wall. Morpheus crowds her with his warmth, and the butterflies in her stomach explode all at once. The lump in her throat feels like it's growing bigger.

"Yes," he replies simply, his confidence unwavering.

Ravenna wants to yell at him, but something about the way he's looking at her keeps her from speaking. A strand of her hair slips loose and brushes against her face. Morpheus's hand lifts gently to tuck it behind her ear.

"Beautiful," he murmurs. The low, dangerous timbre of his voice sends shivers cascading down her spine.

"All right," she breathes out, completely lost in his steel-blue eyes that seem capable of stealing all her words. "I'll go with you."

"Good." Morpheus's lazy smile is almost enough to make her melt. She knows she'll never tire of seeing him smile like that.

As they leave her apartment, the air between them is charged with an unspoken tension. Ravenna can't help but feel that, despite her irritation, there's something undeniably compelling about the Lord of Dreams.