Chapter Text
Oliver always knew that he was different.
He didn't know where he came from, all he knew was that his world was nothing more than a black and white monochrome. Time was irrelevant, none of it really mattered to him anyway. All that really mattered were the customers who walked in through the front door of his small shop that only those who knew would know where it was, spread of word of mouth was truly such a wonderful thing now wasn't it?
However, what was the most interesting part of his business wasn't in how his customer base found out about it. It was what was up for sale for both owner and customer alike.
He dealt in dreams. From the simple and basic, to the erotic fantasies, to the deepest darkest nightmares that one could imagine. It was the ones that held the most secrets and the most intimate parts of one's soul however were what he was most interested in.
And he had one particular customer that he enjoyed the most. It was the man who just walked into his shop with the only alert being the small ring of the bell over the door. Despite appearing to be more tired than usual, it was always those piercing green eyes that always captivated him so the second he walked into his shop. Straightening himself up behind the counter with one hand resting on his hip, adjusting the bow tie around his neck with the other.
"Good afternoon Mr. Kirkland... You're here early today. What can I do for you today?"
"I had that damn bloody nightmare again. I thought you said that you could fully get rid of them for me!" Even with the quickness of the slamming of Arthur's hands against the wood of the counter caused the clerk to jump from the surprise of it, however his service smile never once left his face.
"Now now dear, I never said that." Oliver started with a hint of a sigh, shaking his head as he pushed his bangs up and out of his face before allowing them to fall once again. "And there is no reason to snap, it's most unbecoming of a man of your stature you know. What I said is that I can keep them at bay for little while, but I can't make them go away in their entirety. It was all in the contract you signed you know."
"..." Arthur fell silent for a moment while listening to what Oliver had to say, having to think back at what he had told him the first time he had set foot into this strange shop six months prior. Taking a breath to calm himself, the Briton straightened himself up in turn before adjusting his suit jacket. "Yes... You're right, I'm sorry. I had forgotten about that little detail, so do forgive my unsightly behavior."
"It is quite alright, now, don't worry you're cute little head about it! You claim that you had the same nightmare once again? Which one was it? The one where you felt as though you were drowning? Falling into a never-ending abyss?"
"Being completely and utterly alone."
Well, blunt and to-the-point now, wasn't he? Trouble in paradise? Such was far more than likely, the more this man came to see him, the more open he became despite being nothing more than a shop clerk. Trouble in his relationship to a Frenchman from what Oliver understood, from what he understood. Much to the point of breaking it off, in a way, he kind of hoped that it would.
He had taken quite a liking to the Brit standing in front of him.
Maybe all he needed was just that little push over the cliff.
"So I see..." Oliver started, a low hint of a purr ringing through his words as he held up one finger next to his face. "Such a shame that you have been dealing with such a horrible nightmare, I recall you telling me once that it was your deepest fear? I'm surprised... I thought that it would have been the drowning."
"Well, that is certainly none of your business as to why now, is it?" Arthur's arms immediately crossed over his chest by the seeming implication of what he was being asked, if it was one thing that irritated him about this strange shop keep, was that he seemed to be nauseatingly nosy. While the implication was that it was so he could do his job more efficiently, it didn't stop the vapid belief that it wasn't all that necessary.
"You want me to help you stave off these seemingly endless nightmares, don't you? Don't you believe that that sort of information might be pertinent to what I may need?"
"Why would it matter to you?"
"I deal in dreams, remember? It seems as though you always seem to forget that mere fact dear." The clerk replied with his grin slowly growing, stepping from behind the desk toward his charge. Fingers clasped with each other behind his back, seeming as though Oliver was staring off at the ceiling for a brief moment before turning his attention back toward the man in front of him. "Dreams, nightmares... All are manifestations of a soul's deep subconscious. Many times, these sorts of visions are the subconscious trying to reach out to your conscious by, nightmares for example, by manifesting in what one fears the most. Have you maybe once thought that each of the recurring nightmares that you are having may very well be connected? I think so... After all, you have been coming to me for six months, practically every week, complaining of the same three. It seems to me as though it has been nothing more than a continual loop. Odd, don't you think?"
Arthur merely stood there, fully allowing himself to listen to what this strange clerk had to say. He actually did have a point. Even with the method that Oliver used to keep them at bay, at least once a week, one of the three would return with a horrifying vengeance. Maybe it was something that was buried so deep in the back of his mind that these troublesome nightmares were actually trying to tell him something.
"Yes... Right... Odd..."
They really began eight months ago when all of the problems especially with Francis began. Constantly plaguing his sleeping hours to the point where he didn't want to sleep at all, merely throwing himself more into his work and doing whatever means necessary to stay awake. It wasn't until a friend of his told him about this strange shop, how that boisterous American knew about it was beyond him nor did he even bother to ask.
All he wanted was some damn sleep and for the nightmares to end.
To a degree, since Arthur had begun to see Oliver and seek his help, the nightmares frequency lessened. Now, they really only occurred once a week. Once they did, he would go and seek his help once more. Each time, he would give him this specific pouch of a special sort of tea to drink before he would go to bed. While it had a bitey aftertaste, it wasn't at all unpleasant. Rose, chocolate, and notes and hints of other ingredients that he just couldn't put his finger on. It seemed to actually help, however on the final day, the spell appeared to fail.
Maybe that was how he kept his customer base, to keep them coming back. It was a good business tactic, he had to admit. After all, he too was standing in the middle of this small pink room that smelled of a combination of sandalwood and brewing earl gray lavender tea. Or maybe it was because of his lingering intrigue on just who and what this Oliver fellow was.
He was certainly a strange one. Fluffy pink hair, bright collared shirts and sweaters, dangling bejeweled earrings. Never once had he seen him without a bow tie, freckles covering the entirety of his face. However what stood out the most were those bright, piercing azure eyes that just seemed to twinkle with some sort of lingering knowledge and mischief.
Even more beguiling about him was his trade of choice, dreams of all kinds. Maybe that was part of the reason why Arthur chose to keep coming back despite his continual frustrations with the nightmares continuing to plague him at least once a week. It was his lingering curiosity about this person, and something about him just drew him to keep returning to see Oliver.
Each time, it made him wish to return home less and less.
Where the fighting only continued to get worse as the weeks went on, escalating to breaking point levels. But here, for reasons unknown, Arthur felt... Comfortable. For reasons unknown to himself, he wanted to see him.
On some level, Arthur had a feeling that Oliver himself knew that.
"Now!" Arthur was broken out of his train of thought with the sudden sharp clap of hands together from the clerk standing in front of him, much to his surprise, his grin never once left his face. "Dear, what would you like for me to do for you? Would you like the usual, or would you like something a little more potent? I unfortunately cannot guarantee that it will have the same sort of effect, that really ultimately also does depend on you I am afraid."
"Oh--... No, no... The usual is fine, I quite like the flavor of it unless there is a way you can tweak it to make it a touch more potent. Can you do that?"
"Why, of course I can do that for you love! Just stay here, and I will have that for you in a right jiffy!" Arthur watched as Oliver turned on heel and practically strode with a bouncy step back behind his desk and back into the room behind the clerk's counter. He merely shook his head, taking a seat in the more unusually ornate chair in the corner while he waited. At the very least, it gave him time to think and reflect.
Just why was he here?
Was he really just looking a way to get rid of those nightmares?
Or... Was he looking for an out?
There was no love any longer with Francis, that much was perfectly clear. Yet, they were so used to one another and their patterns and habits were so intertwined that it was only natural that they would remain together. He wasn't happy, maybe that was what Oliver meant when he said that his nightmares seemed to be a loop of his deep subconscious trying to tell him something. Falling into nothingness, drowning, the fear of being alone. All were connected in some form or fashion, each one feeding off of the other. Each one a warning, trying to engulf his very consciousness.
Maybe that was it?
Maybe he was just looking for an out.
Maybe... That was what Oliver was really providing for him.
"Alright Mr. Kirkland, it's ready for you!" That cheery voice called back as he re-entered the main room, a medium-sized, purple velvet sachet in his hand. "I just tweaked it a little more for you, so I do hope that it is to your liking."
"What did you do to it?"
"I'm afraid that I cannot tell you, but I know you will quite enjoy it. Now, for your payment..."
"How about dinner?" Arthur blurted this question out without as much of a second thought, as for why, he didn't even know himself. Maybe it was the magic residing in this shop or from his sheer curiosity, that didn't matter. His proposal was on the table, and judging from the look of surprise on Oliver's face, it certainly one that he didn't seem at all to expect.
"Dinner? My, I didn't expect such a proposal from you Mr. Kirkland--"
"Arthur."
"Yes, Arthur... My my, I'm not really sure what to say since after all, aren't you a married man?"
"Practically separated, but technically yes. At least think of this as a way for me as another way to thank you for what you have done for me." Arthur's tone was matter-of-fact as he spoke, getting up out of his seat. Rubbing at the back of his neck, the ring on his finger suddenly feeling more heavy and burdensome than it ever had before. "Well? What do you say?"
Oliver was indeed taken aback by this proposition, let alone by a client. Though at the same time, such wasn't one that was unwanted. Unconsciously flicking at the earring dangling from his right ear, his grin shifted to that one of a genuine, warm smile. "I would love to. This Saturday then, once I close?"
Arthur couldn't believe that he actually agreed to it. Clearing his throat as he adjusted the tie around his neck, sputtering out a response in return before he took the sachet from Oliver's hand. "Yes-- Right. Saturday. 7pm. I will pick you up from here."
"That sounds wonderful. I will see you then." With the quick, awkward goodbyes, Arthur left the shop to just leave Oliver standing in the middle of the room mid-wave. Once the door closed behind him, the corners of his lips upturned into a broad smile. Seems as though his plan worked like a charm, and soon he hoped, his monochrome world would no longer be despite being surrounded by color. He would finally have the color that he so craved, starting with those beautiful eyes that captivated him so the second that Arthur first walked into his shop.
He was now finally his.