Sweet Dreams

Sleep was one of those fleeting, superfluous luxuries that the great lord of darkness had forsaken countless years ago. There were times when he grew tired, or his eyes grew heavy, but there was only so much time in the day and, even for an immortal, there were things to better spend his efforts on. Why he even owned a bed escaped him on those scarce moments he stopped to consider the oddity. Maybe it was out of custom or habit? He couldn't say for certain. Aku did not sleep.

That's not to say he never slept before. No, perhaps that was the real reason. Sleep allowed his mind to wander and consciousness to drift away. Sleep brought on dreams. And dreams, well...even for one as wise as the mighty Aku, dreams were easily confused with visions.

Visions of the past. Memories he could never forget, writhing helpless under the ethereal wrath of the gods. Searing arrows, vicious blades, and terrifying streams of light far too bright, far too hot to bear. Even now, powerful as he had become, invincible though he was, the memories of his past cut deep. Thinking back, it was a wonder he survived. It was only by the faintest of chances, the slightest of mistakes that he lived to arrive on Earth. Terrifying as those visions were, they paled compared to his visions of what was to come.

The future was a monster, a great, terrible, and gaping maw threatening to swallow everything he'd ever known and everything he'd accomplished. He saw him, that horrible phantasm stalking the shadows of his empire, in these dreams. The one threat; the foe he couldn't crush. It was inevitable that, one day, there would be no where for him to flee. One day, one fateful day, one terrible day, he would be forced to truly face Samurai Jack. And in spite of his power, in spite of his bluster and his taunts...Aku knew the only way their conflict could end. In sleep, and in dreams, Aku had seen his own end.

How could he sleep, knowing what waited?

How could he dream, knowing what he would see?

How long had it been since he last slept?

Well...to be honest, he'd slept last night. And the night before. And before that. In fact, thinking back, Aku couldn't quite recall his last sleepless night. He was sure it was within the past year, but no, no, that wasn't right. It had certainly be more than a year, that much was certain. Yes, Aku knew it had been over a year since his last sleepless night. After all, it was over a year ago when...she took up residence in his palace.

"Mmm...hm?" Aku groaned, sitting up and glancing around the dark room. He started to yawn, but froze, spotting the softly snoring form curled up so close to him. The Master of Masters chuckled softly and ran his hand through her long, soft tresses. Something fluttered in his chest and even Aku wasn't strong enough to fight the grin from spreading across his lips when she purred at his touch. Stifling another yawn, Aku laid back in bed and slipped his arm around her and pulled her closer.

This wonderful woman, this angel with auburn tresses. They'd known each other, as foes, as cautious allies, and as friends for years now. Only recently though, they'd come to know each other deeper still. Aku grinned again, recalling the night she appeared at his throne. His grin softened. How she'd poured her heart out to him, expressing her deepest desires, her insecurities and uncertainties. Her deepest fears. And he recalled how he'd begged her to stay, how he promised her the world, offered her all the riches in his empire, anything she could ever dream of, so long as she stayed.

And...he recalled how she'd said yes. Her cheeks warm, not with shame, but with longing. Her eyes sparkling, not with tears, but with passion. How her lips touched his, for the first time, blessing him with the sweetest taste he'd ever known. Her breath was like ice and her kiss soft as fresh fallen snow, but within her, he'd felt a fire. One that had burned ever since, and one that he knew even the coldest winter couldn't smother.

Aku's arms snaked around her; he buried his nose in her hair and kissed her head softly. That had been the first night he'd ever known peace. He slept through the night, free of terrors from the past, or ghouls of the future. He'd slept safe, content with her beside him. So many nights had passed, he was sure he couldn't go back to how things had been before.

He heard a soft moan, followed by the sweetest yawn he'd ever known. She stirred, cracking open her cherry blossom eyes to peer up at him, "Mm? Aku...what time is it?" she murmured.

He smiled and said, "Still early, Blossom, go back to sleep." She yawned and nodded, snuggling into his arms and drifting off again. It wasn't long before the quiet room was filled with her soft little snores again. Aku felt his chest stir pleasantly and sighed with a content smile. Tender as he could manage, he placed his lightest kiss on her lips. Since that night when she appeared to him, he'd found himself spending longer mornings simply lying in bed. When he did sleep, he'd found he cared less about the difference between dreams and visions.

Now when he closed his eyes, all he could see was her.