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The pounding rain had started the moment it happened.
Nada had left.
Dream’s first and greatest love had left. Turned him down, even after he saved her from Azazel. Despite that, she never could forgive him for condemning her to hell for thousands of years only because she didn’t want to be his Queen, so she left to The Waking World.
Dream had stood on his balcony for hours now, soaked through from rain he caused, just staring at the bridge where Nada had walked before stepping away from The Dreaming for good.
You felt awful for it. Not because Nada left, you perfectly understood her reasons — but because something deep inside you felt triumph about Nada turning Dream down.
You should be sad too, if you really loved him, you should respect his heartbreak, even if he isn’t longing for you.
But you just couldn’t help it. Your hear ached at seeing his heartbreak, but it ached because him loving her so much made it feel impossible he could ever love you instead.
Lucienne knew about your feelings, she had tried to make you tell Dream about them for centuries now, but you refused. Him turning you down would break your heart so bad that you wouldn’t be able to stay at The Dreaming either. You would never be able to look at him in the eye if he turned you down, so you kept quiet, silently watching him brooding at the balcony in the pouring rain.
But at some point, when he finally came inside and walked to the main hall, you approached him carefully, swallowing once you stood in front of him.
“My Lord, I am sorry about Nada,” you mumbled. “If there is any way I can help—”
He cut you off by raising his hand. “There is nothing left to say.”
You bowed your head. “Of course, my Lord. I just… I know how you feel.”
Silence. You closed your eyes, you had not meant to say that.
“You, have gotten your heart broken?” he finally said, and you sighed and nodded. “By who? I have never heard you fancy anyone in my realm.”
“I… uh. I would rather not talk about them, my Lord. I just… I wanted to tell you that I can relate to your pain. The one I love also will never love me. They have never loved me and likely never will.”
Dream was silent again for a moment, and for a moment you were sure he knew exactly who you were talking about and just waited for him to tell you you’re right and he’d never love you.
But instead, he sighed. “The one you love does not know what they miss if they have turned you down.”
You felt all the blood in your body gather itself on your face. “I have never told them, my Lord. But… I know they would never love me. They… have someone else.”
He squinted his eyes slightly. “Strange. I do not recall anyone who has someone special by their side.”
Great. So, maybe you had to lie. “They are not from… The Dreaming.”
He lifted his chin slightly. “You love a mortal, then?”
You tried to hold his gaze. “Yes.”
His eyes swept over you once. “Normally, I would advise you to forget them because a dream cannot love a mortal, as that only gets your heart broken. But there seems to be nothing to scold you about.”
You nodded. “As I said, I know what it feels, having your heart broken. So if you ever need a listening ear… I am up to listening. And offer my thoughts, but if you want me to just listen, I can do that too.”
He was silent once again, before he slowly nodded. “I will keep your offer in my mind. Thank you.”
Then, he was gone again, retreating somewhere deep in his palace. And somehow, you felt lighter, even if he didn’t realise you were talking about him and not some mortal. You caught Lucienne smirking at you by the door of the library, and you shot her a glare.
“Shut up.”