Title: dream a little dream sweetheart
Prompt: Dec 26 / I cannot meet you in the real world
A/N: Moving into s2 content now! When I heard about the dreams, I was worried it'd be as cringey as the star wars ones, but I rather liked their link here.
Summary: It was only in his dreams Aleksander could see Alina, could find the peace that came from her presence.
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An unfamiliar darkened room. Aleksander glanced around, the flickering candlelight just bright enough to make out the dresser and bed nearby. In the gloom, his reflection in the dirty mirror reminded him of the shadowy monsters who heeded his call. For once, he had no headaches, no voices whispering in his ears, no wild darkness raging in his heart.
No scar on his face.
A dream then. Another one. He had been having these often these days. The locations changed, each room as unknown as the last. The only constant was that Alina was somewhere in here.
No, not somewhere. As though drawn by a magnet, Aleksander pivoted to the bed. Perhaps triggered by his realization, sound filtered into the dream, Alina's soft snores filling the room. He stayed stock still, just listening, just being. There was something comforting about the sound and something within him quietened.
Alina didn't stir as he stalked closer, his shadow falling over her. Even in the dark, she glowed like moonlight. It was easy to see the bags under her eyes, the soft furrow of her brow. She looked as tired as he felt. Perhaps these past few months were as hard on her as they had been for him.
Perhaps, at least in his mind, he could imagine that she missed him too.
Gingerly, he reached down, brushing her hair out of her face. She still didn't wake. Alina looked all too real, in ways she couldn't possibly be, as though she would spring up at any second and catch him. Would it be better if or worse if she did? This was a dream, after all. Her eyes could flutter open, a sleepy smile crossing her face as she leaned into his touch, trust colouring her voice as she welcomed him home.
Or perhaps this would be a nightmare and she would recoil, shoving him back into cold reality.
It had been centuries since Aleksander had last known peace. As a child, he had spent his days running from village to village. As an adult, he had spent his hours protecting his people and watching his lovers die in his arms.
The closest thing to peace he had found was in Alina's eyes, in her touch, in the way she had leaned into him in the study, desire on her lips.
And now, brushing her ear with his thumb, watching as she shifted in her sleep serenely. Aleksander smiled. Dream or nightmare, he didn't care.
Even if it was only for a few more minutes, he wanted to stay like this.