"So this is Diamond" - she softly says. Beneath them, the land of Diamond stretches out, the full splendor of its bright colours made more evident by the morning sun. She probably should be using her vantage point to survey this new land, which is about to be her next place of living. Instead, she chooses to focus entirely on the man who is holding her in his arms as they levitate high above.

Nightmare.

"It is arguably not as green as Clover" - incubus's serene voice supplies, - "And not as-", he cuts his words abruptly, not wanting, perhaps, to say anything derogatory about Diamond. Or maybe not wanting to say anything that might worry her.

"It has its perks", - he declares after a small pause.

She hums noncommitingly while studying his face, hoping for something she can't name.

"You would like it here, I am sure", - he adds. The confidence of his words makes a restless tug the girl felt inside her since being brought here worsen. His words, however, are contradicted by the way his hands move to press her closer to his chest as if wanting to protect her.

Soon he will be unable to. Once his self-appointed task is accomplished, she will be left in this foreign land to fend for herself.

"You can't come with me, can you?", - the words come out before she can stop herself. Immediately Alice hates how weak she sounds.

Dream demon sighs. "No", - with a moment of hesitation he goes on. "Though you'd hardly need me. There'll be plenty of new people for you to meet"

He turns his gaze back towards the new country beneath and proceeds to describe who exactly dwells in this land, but for whatever reason, the girl can't make herself pay attention. It is silly of her for incubus is trying to supply her with all necessary bits of information to make her stay in Diamond easier. The memory of her feeling so lost and unhappy after the Move brought her to Clover must be fresh in his mind, given how much effort he was putting to ensure she won't have to go through the same ordeal again.

Still, all she can do is look at him as he speaks, listening to the familiar cadence of his smooth voice, without making out words. So reassuring, gentle like a gust of spring breeze on her skin.

So many times she heard him speak, both in dreams and in the outside world, during Assemblies and meals.

But it's like she can't get enough of it.

"Alice"

He is looking at her now, his one eye taking all of her in. "Have you been listening?"

Alice feels too disconcerted to admit she wasn't paying close attention, so she just makes a clipped nod.

"If you say so. Any questions?"

The girl arches her brow. "So eager to be rid of me, Nightmare?" The words taste more bitter than she expects.

Incubus blinks. Her bitter tone seems to surprise him equally. "Of course not!"

"You don't have to lie to me. I know your life would be considerably easier without me around", - she hates admitting it aloud because it is most likely true. What was her contribution to the Tower of Clover? Nothing to brag about, mostly paperwork and nagging. Who'd miss that?

"It is very foolish of you to underestimate yourself like this. All of us at the Tower liked having you", - incubus says seriously and then adds in a quieter tone "Too bad we couldn't give you what you wanted"

What she wants at the moment is to look down and see the familiar green hills of Clover.

"I am afraid it is too late for that", - his voice is gentle, as his hands are around her. "But you will like Diamond, I am sure. Look at it. It is rather impressive in sunlight. All golden"

She bites her lip. Right now she doesn't care for Diamond, doesn't want to think about what would happen when she is left on her own.

If there are some more moments at her disposal, she'd rather spend them all looking at him instead.

"Alice", - Nightmare probably read her thoughts (again she thinks irritably), - "I wish I didn't have to do this"

Didn't want to see her off? Then you should have let the Move take me.

"Out of the question", - his voice dismisses the possibility with no room for argument. - "I would not have the Move scare you again. Not when I can easily prevent it from happening"

Considerate as always and so sweet, Alice wants to hug him. Is already hugging him in a way, with him holding her in his arms and her wrapping her hands around his neck as they float among the orange-tinted clouds. She leans into him a bit more.

"What is on your mind?", - he asks softly, watching her.

"It is not that I am ungrateful", - she starts carefully, while her heart is pounding so loud he should probably hear it. It takes all of her courage to say the next words. - "I was just wondering if you could, perhaps, take me back?"

There. She said it.

For a long moment, his expression doesn't change as he is processing what exactly she requested. Then he shudders and nearly drops her in the process.

"You don't mean it", - his voice has strange roughness to it.

"But I do!", - she finds it so weird of him not to believe her, when in all these moments as they floated above Diamond she barely glanced at it.

"You can't possibly want to go back", - he is getting more agitated.

She has never seen him get like this. But it is too late to deny what she said now.

"This is exactly what I want", - Alice insists. Then shyly she adds, "Why don't you believe me, Nightmare?"

His expression is stormy as he leans forward to her. It makes her tremble to see him like this, so close.

"Because I've done everything in my power to keep you!", - dream demon snaps, his voice retaining none of its usual calm serenity. For a moment there's a hint of anger in his visible eye, but it quickly disappears, as dream demon takes a deep breath, attempting to calm himself. His next words come out ragged, graceless, stripped of any hope. "And the Move still happened"

"What does the Move have to do with anything?" - his words ring in her ears. I've done everything in my power to keep you.

"Everything!" - again there's so much emotion in his voice. Incubus is almost shouting now. "It means you are not happy where you are!"

"It can't work like that!", - it seems so ridiculous, so completely and utterly stupid. - "I was happy at Clover! And before that, I was happy at Clocktower"

"The Move doesn't have power over those who are strongly tied to a place- Or a person", - he pauses.

She doesn't know how to respond to it. Happy she did feel. Content.

But tied down?

"You weren't", - he says and she wonders if that is regret she hears in his voice.

"If that was the necessary condition you should've tied me down, Nightmare. You are, as you like to point out, the most important person in Clover"

It sounds bitter this remark. Too bold too.

He doesn't back down, surprisingly. "I didn't do it while I could, true. But not from the lack of wanting to"

His grasp is almost painful now. She feels his fingers digging into her sides, but can't bring herself to care.

"Is that what you wanted?", - he all but demands. - "I tried so hard to live up to your expectations, Alice. Did all I could think of, save the marriage proposal. But I could never imagine-!"

It all happens too fast. He can't possibly be saying what she thought he did.

"I tried to make you rely on me. Think me cool", - he shakes his head, as if in shame, - "Did a poor job of it, didn't I?"

She thinks back to when she'd wake up from a bad dream - when the only solid thing in the world would be him, ever so patient with her. All those long walks of theirs in Clover town: velvet-warm purple nights, bell-shaped streetlights rippled awake with a hazy glow. His hand in hers, fingers wrapped delicately around hers, not to lose each other in a crowd.

She lifts one of her hands to touch his face.

"I think", - she says slowly, not looking away from him, - "that you should take me back to Clover"

Her words make him shudder again.

"I can't", - he whispers and it hits her how this is no longer a dream.

The air is suddenly cloyingly heavy, and the orange sky looms down on them, almost touching their heads. Incubus no longer holds her with ease, as if in an instant his hands became weak as a child's. His breaths come in heavy huffs, his posture far too hunched to be nonchalant.

"Pay no heed to it", - he clears his throat, and even then, his voice remains husky, - "It's just- Diamond-"

The realization comes with his words and is sickening. The land she didn't care to look at sensed her presence, and now was pulling her down, eager to make her fall into its gravity. It felt as if she was waking up from a dream, her body heavy with sleep, her head swimming with the night heat.

It was a miracle Nightmare managed to hold her for as long as he did. He was probably channeling lots of his power right now, just to make sure her second Move was less abrupt and scary than the first.

"It is nothing", - it ached her to see the visible strain on his face, - "I don't want to let go"

She didn't want him to let go either. It felt safe here, in the circle of his arms, far from any danger Diamond could throw her way.

But it couldn't last forever. The longer he held her, the weaker he'd feel; she wants to spare him that.

He'd given her so much, had shown her so much kindness and warmth. It will be wrong to demand more.

"Alice", - even now, despite his fatigue, there is so much gentleness in his voice, she could barely bring herself to look him in the eye.

I'd miss you. She rubs his shoulder as if wanting to impart some of her inner turmoil, make him understand how much he means to her. I'd miss you so much.

Despite the effort, the words won't make a way out of her mouth. Already, it seems as if she has said too much, revealed too much of herself.

He too seems to be stunned into uncharacteristic silence. They look at each other as if words failed them both, leaving only hope that the other moves first.

He finds the answer first. Suddenly his face is much closer and then he is kissing her.

It is brief a kiss, fierce and desperate. Instead of tilting her chin with a brush of his fingers for better access, he lifts her up, to cover her mouth with his. When they finally break apart, he whispers into her lips: "You have no reason to worry. For as long as you dream, I'd find my way to you"

The fervency of his proclamation alone makes the tight knot in her chest ease.

"I wish I could return", - she whispers back, fondly tracing his cheek with her fingers - "But I guess there's only one way for me to find out if I can"

With that Alice finally pulls away—incubus lets her, probably no longer having any energy left to protest - and immediately starts plummeting down. It feels horribly real unlike the time Nightmare made the two of them fall through the stars in his realm.

The air roars past her in a torrent, but Alice doesn't bother to look down. Instead, she looks up and watches as incubus becomes more and more distant until he completely disappears out of the sight.

The title comes from "Heavy in your arms" by absolutely divine Florence And The Machine.