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Elias woke up again, he’d had that nightmare again. It was dark, past midnight. His heart was racing and for a moment he was panicking. Then noticing his surroundings he realized there was nothing at all amiss, but the state of heightened alertness meant he couldn’t go back to sleep. He knew suddenly what would help him sleep: a snack. He got up and wandered over to the kitchen. He turned on the light. There was one problem with the kitchen, Peter was in it. He was in fact lying face down on the tiled floor.
“Drunken ass,” Elias sighed, not bothering to look or see.
“I’m awake Luv,” came Peter’s muffled reply.
“What are you doing, like this?” Elias huffed.
“I feel more alone like this, miserable, on the cold tile in the dark.” Peter said.
“The light is on Peter, get up. I need you to move, you're blocking the fridge, darling.” Elias said.
Peter sat up with a grin: “Nightmare again?”
Elias rolled his eyes: “Yes.”
Peter chuckled: “Oh so the great and terrible avatar of knowing and watching saw something in a dream, so terrible that scared even his jaded heart… “
Elias shuffled over to the fridge: “Shut up.”
“Tell me, was it the one where you are late for an exam at school but when you get to the classroom you find you realize you’re naked? Or the one where you can’t find your favorite pen? Or maybe the one where your prized Archivist has turned into a flamingo and Martin keeps feeding him shrimp, instead of fixing the problem?” Peter said positively gleeful.
Elias got a hunk of stilton out of the cheese drawer in the fridge and some milk. He glared at Peter: “Why do I tell you these things?”
“Because you are an attention seeking bastard, who can’t keep anything to himself ,” Peter said. “Also don’t eat the cheese, I read they make nightmares worse.”
“I don’t care, besides I’m going to divorce you, Peter.” Elias said getting some water biscuits from a cabinet.
“Oh! oh! I can’t wait, On what grounds?” Peter said.
“Unreasonable behavior,” Elias sniffed. “It is not unusual for a person to confide in their spouse when they have a nightmare, and get sympathy. Not have it thrown back in their face for a laugh.”
Peter got to his feet. He grabbed Elias, drew him to his chest and hugged him so tightly Elias had the breath knocked out of him. He nuzzled into Peter’s chest and sighed happily.
“I do hope that made it better, luv.” Peter said into his hair. “Would you like me to heat up the milk?”
Elias, still pressed into Peter’s massive chest, gave a small “…’es.”
Peter released Elias who stumbled backwards. He moved over to the kitchen table, and sat in a chair. Watching Peter as he poured the milk into a small pot, turned on the gas burner and began to heat up the milk. Elias ate cheese and watched as Peter grabbed a pinch of dried lavender from the drawer beside the oven and sprinkled it into the milk. Peter was humming Eleanor Rigby as he stirred the milk
Elias smiled softly. He’d never tell Peter that this nightmare was about Peter himself. Or rather the knowledge to kick off his grand final plan, Peter would have to die. No he’d never let Peter know that, what shook him from his slumber was the vision of Peter’s dead face. No, that was weak.
Peter came over with the warmed milk in a mug, on a saucer. He sat next to Elias and took a chunk of cheese.
“So Luv, what was the nightmare about then?” Peter asked.
Elias took a long drink of his warm milk and calmly said: “Losing my favorite pen, again.”
Peter smiled: “Ah, well it is your favorite.”
Elias looked down into his mug, and frowned Oh poor gullible Peter.