Chapter Text
If anyone were to ask where Hypnos, the disappointing slacker, and God of Dreams, wandered off to instead of staying at his post within the House of Hades- well, he’d say in her dreams and he’d mean it. Ever since discovering her while dozing at his station, he couldn’t get enough and he didn’t understand why. As a twin born of Nyx, night herself, Hypnos was prone to being treated with a light hand; even Lord Hades rarely if ever gave him a second glance, too full of his paperwork and ordering everyone around. And Nyx? His goddess of a mother had grown distant; in the beginning, he didn't notice it, he would call and she would answer. But then the responses came less and less until he realized he was simply speaking to himself most days or to the newly arrived shades.
Despite his sunny disposition in the House of Hades, Hypnos had grown… saddened. With Zagreus gone into the varying chambers of Tartarus, his mother no longer by his side, and his elder twin, Thanatos, given all the glory, the sleeping God wondered where his place in the world was.
And then he wandered straight into the most beautiful dream he could've ever imagined.
It's sunny in her dream versus the darkness the God is used to, and Hypnos finds himself in the center of a lush meadow. Various flowers he'd never seen in real life blossom all around his feet, their petals falling and whisking around him before floating higher and higher. Looking around, the sleepy God tried to find the source of such wonders but grew distracted as more flowers, black roses, and purple tulips, spring up at his feet.
In the distance, there's a certain buzz that breaks Hypnos away from the fanciful flowers. He walks towards it and the buzzing begins to sound like humming and when he's finally close enough- Hypnos realizes it's singing. Walking through a short patch of golden roses, he comes across a woman singing to herself as she fills a golden pitcher with crystal clear water from a small lake. It's almost like he's in a trance, sleep walking closer and closer until the sound escaping her cuts off.
"Oh! Didn't see you there?" Hypnos blinks once, twice, thrice, before it dawned on him that she was speaking directly to him. She could see him? No mortal could do that- not that he knew of. Who exactly stood before him?
"Love… what you've done with the place," he nervously chuckled, the blue of his skin flushing slightly. Venturing a glance at her, he regrets it because she is positively lovely and it only makes his nerves grow. He rarely spoke to women, let alone beautiful, dreaming ones with blossoms blooming in her hair right before his eyes. All of the… available women in Tartarus and the House of Hades terrify him- or better yet, they'd tear him to shreds if he even offered them a bottle of nectar or a sliver of advice. Besides Dusa; she would quickly escape by rising above his head to hide in the darkness of the roof, asking him not to interrupt her work.
"Why thank you, I take pride in my flowers, you see. And my, I was just wishing for company when you wandered your way in. Care to stay awhile?" You should be at work right now, not slacking off in a dream . Hypnos could hear the berating voice of his older twin in his ear, griping at him for shirking his duties yet again, but he ignored them all for the sense of ease that washed over him in her presence.
"They're beautiful, although you probably already know that better than me. And I would very much like to, for however long you'll have me. I haven't even introduced myself-"
"Hypnos, was it?" He choked the second he heard her voice speak his name. Beside him, a small rosebud sprang up from the ground.
"H-How do you know my name? I- did I already say?" Well, he was prone to forgetfulness so perhaps he had said his name already and forgotten?
"No, not at all. But I've heard of you, God of Sleep, I presume? You've brought me sweet dreams aplenty," She responded, busying her hands with turning the pitcher over lightly, letting the water spill around her feet in a crescent shape. The water seeps into the ground and springs forth bright yellow and orange cosmos and soft purple aster flowers.. Venturing a single step closer, Hypnos watched her with interest, wondering how her water could produce something so beautiful. Ah , how could he forget? It is but a wonderful dream where anything could happen.
"I have? I mean- I- I try my best but I can't possibly take responsibility for what you've done here." I could never dream up something this magical.
Wordlessly, the woman bent over and plucked up a single aster, its lilac leaves drifting to a dark purple. Straightening up, she held out the flower in his direction. Brows furrowing further, he reached, just close enough to pluck the flower from her palm. The deep purple changed once more to a dark berry stark against his pale, blue flesh.
"You've already given me the best dream I could conjure up tonight. I wish I could hold more of your time, but now you must awaken."
Hypnos opened his mouth to respond, but no words flowed out. Before his eyes, her form began to fall apart into thousands of flower petals, drifting away on a breeze. Where the petals landed, more flowers would spring up, golden and glinting in the eternal sun. But I'm not ready to wake up! Stay!
"Sweet awakening." It's the last thing he hears before the banging against his door reaches his ears. He flings himself out of bed, the dream half-remembered, half-forgotten. As he rushed to dress, he realized a purple aster lay against the messy sheets sprawled out over his canopy bed.