Title: Sand
Rating: G
Warnings/Spoilers: None really, unless you want to count "Brief Lives," since that's where we get to meet the missing brother Destruction.
Fandom: Sandman
Characters: Delirium, Destruction
Summary: Family: the ties that bind so tight.
"Hello lass! How is my darling little sister?"
His voice boomed so loud it made my toes curled all tight and tiny into the palms of feet, my smile swarming like a bunch of fish, nibbling-kissing my cheeks. They felt blue, my cheeks, since it was so cold out. The ocean's blue sometimes, and fish are so wet, like my lips. I think the snow melting on them made them wet like the ocean.
I swiped my tongue across them and tasted blue.
"I found some little pebbles," I told him, holding them out.
He looked at them in earnest and nodded approvingly. He smiled, like me, but warm, like camel's fur. Not like fish at all. Camels live in the desert, under the big, fat sun all the time, so I bet their fur is always so warm.
"Fine pebbles, for certain," he laughed, his big hands under mine, holding them holding the pebbles.
I decided they'd be better as little stone people and he laughed again as they sprouted little legs, little arms, little breasts and faces and hair. They felt so heavy now. A good thing he helped me hold them up.
"And beautiful people, as well. You have quite a gift, sister."
I shook my head. It was only natural, I told him, I made things all the time. Nothing special or shiny like all those boxes under a candy-colored tree. I think that's my favorite flavor of ice cream I ever made up, Christmas tree.
"A gift," he insisted, laughing again.
I blushed and now my face felt like camel hair too, but gritty from sand, like in the desert. It gets everywhere when the wind blows and I hate how it gets stuck in my pores. Despite the sand, I felt happy.
"May I keep one of these, as a memento of our meeting?"
"You're leaving again, aren't you?" My voice felt mouse-tiny. I hated that Brother always came and went, so busy all the time.
"I'm sorry, but work calls. It's a busy season for me. Winter brings so many troubles."
He didn't look so happy anymore.
My hands curled around the little stone-people and it hurt, because I held them too tight. Gently, since everything Brother does is so soft and kind, he pulled open my fingers and took one of the pebble-now-people. It disappeared into his bag and he gave me a soft kiss on my cheek.
"Until next time, sister."
And he was gone.
I hate the winter, even more than I hate sand.
-fin-