A/N:
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Ravenna sprints through a field of multicolored flowers, her laughter echoing in the breeze. The petals brush against her legs as she twirls, her dress billowing out like a cloud around her. She’s free, light as air, her heart soaring—until she spots a figure standing at the edge of the field, watching her. The figure is familiar, a presence that tugs at something deep within her. She squints, trying to make out his features, but before she can, the sound of an alarm bell shatters the tranquility.

Ravenna's eyes snap open. The dream dissolves as she’s pulled back into the waking world, the blaring alarm dragging her out of bed. She groans, reaching out to silence it with a heavy hand. As soon as the noise stops, her phone buzzes on the bedside table, her mother’s picture flashing on the screen.

“Oh, shit,” Ravenna mutters, bracing herself for the inevitable scolding as she answers the call. “Hello?”

“WHERE THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU, RAVENNA ROSÈ EDWARDS?! I WAS WORRIED SICK!”

Ravenna winces, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “I was drunk, Mum. Didn’t want to risk driving, so I stayed at a friend’s place. I’m sorry.”

“Friend’s house? You don’t have friends, Rav,” her mother retorts, suspicion lacing her voice. “Are you with someone?”

“I’m not!” Ravenna snaps, rolling her eyes as she buries her face in her pillow. Out of the corner of her eye, she notices movement—a shadow shifting in the corner of the room. Her heart skips a beat when she locks eyes with Dream, his gaze intense and unwavering. She quickly sits up, narrowing her eyes at him, trying to suppress the rush of heat spreading through her body.

“She definitely is! That hot guy from the restaurant!” Cedric’s voice, disoriented and annoyingly chipper, filters through the line, and Ravenna grits her teeth. If only she could throttle him through the phone.

“Doesn’t that bugger own a house?” she mutters under her breath, glaring at Dream, who remains stoic, observing her with that infuriating calm.

Her mother chuckles on the other end. “He dropped by for breakfast.”

Ravenna rolls her eyes. “When is he not dropping by?”

“She’s trying to play the innocent card, Thea,” Cedric’s voice cuts in again, and Ravenna can practically hear him smirking. If she ever gets her hands on him, he won’t know what hit him.

“Don’t mind him. It’s okay to have a little fun, sweetie,” her mother says, her tone lighter now, teasing.

“Mum! I’m not with anyone.”

“Whatever. I’ll see you soon, then. Love you.”

“Love you more,” Ravenna sighs, but before she can hang up, her mother adds, “Use protection—”

“Mum!” she hisses, cutting the call and tossing her phone aside. “Darn it.”

Ravenna glances down, realizing she’s in pajamas, not the dress from last night. She doesn’t need to ask who changed her. With a sigh, she swings her legs over the side of the bed, her feet meeting the cold floor. Dream is still in the chair, his eyes locked onto hers with a look that she can only describe as pleading.

“Drop it,” she snaps, crossing her arms.

“How do you mean?” he asks, his voice rough with sleep, a faint line of confusion creasing his brow.

“The act. The silly, pouty face and those annoying goo-goo eyes. I won’t fall for it. I won’t.” Ravenna glares at him, her heart betraying her with a flutter at the sight of his forlorn expression. He looks like a scolded child, and for a moment, he’s almost... adorable. But she shakes her head, trying to push the thought away. Get yourself together, Ravenna.

“You’re up,” Johanna’s voice breaks the tension as she enters the room with a warm smile. “You can shower. I have your clothes from the last time you stayed over.”

Ravenna nods, but Dream tenses visibly at Johanna’s words. Ravenna notices, feeling a strange, uneasy awareness that he knows. The last time she spent the night with Johanna, she had tried to fill the emptiness inside her by making love to her. It had been a night that should have been filled with passion and pleasure, but all she felt was a void—cold, unfeeling, empty.

The silence that follows is thick, awkward, making Ravenna’s skin prickle with discomfort. This is going to be a long day.

After a long shower, she dresses and emerges into the living room, her dark hair twisted into a messy topknot. Her eyes immediately find Dream, who is engaged in a quiet conversation with Johanna. His expression softens as soon as he sees her, a subtle shift that makes her heart skip. Damn it, she thinks, frustrated with how easily he affects her.

“Do you want to stay for breakfast?” Johanna asks, her tone gentle, her smile inviting.

“I’d love to, but my body needs more rest, and my mum’s already worried,” Ravenna replies, offering a small, apologetic smile.

“I will wait outside,” Dream says, standing up with a graceful fluidity that draws Ravenna’s eyes. He grabs a small bag from the sofa, his fingers brushing the fabric almost tenderly before he exits.

“What’s in the bag?” Ravenna asks, unable to take her eyes off the door Dream just disappeared through.

“Your clothes from last night.”

“Please tell me it was you who changed me last night,” Ravenna says, looking back at Johanna with a mix of hope and dread.

Johanna smirks, wiggling her eyebrows mischievously. “Does it matter? I’m sure he’s seen you naked before.”

“You’re joking, right?” Ravenna cringes, crossing her arms defensively over her chest.

“I am, love,” Johanna laughs, the sound warm and comforting. “Give him a chance. He’s not the bad guy.”

“Yeah, I vividly remember you telling me that last night,” Ravenna retorts, her voice tinged with bitterness.

“Do you hate me for last night?” Johanna asks softly, her tone tentative.

Ravenna shakes her head, guilt gnawing at her. “No, I don’t. I’m sorry for how I treated you. I made you feel like it was your fault. It was terrible of me to do that. It wasn’t about you. It was me. It didn’t feel right, so I had to let go.”

Johanna nods, her understanding clear in her eyes. “I understand.”

Ravenna takes Johanna’s hands in hers, rubbing her knuckles gently. “And I heard about your friend. I want you to know that you’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met. I used to be envious of your confidence. I still am. The one meant for you is out there. You just need to find them.”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but people around me tend to get ripped in half or cast down to Hell,” Johanna jokes, a wry smile tugging at her lips.

“I’m still alive, aren’t I?”

“You ran away.”

“Touché.” Ravenna places a hand over her heart dramatically, the remnants of amusement tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Johanna beams at her, leaning in to press a kiss to her cheek, then another to her forehead. “It’s truly a pleasure to see you again.”

“Will you forgive me?” Ravenna asks, her voice soft, almost childlike in its vulnerability.

“I forgive you,” Johanna replies, her smile gentle.

Ravenna’s throat tightens with emotion, but she hides it by pulling Johanna into a tight hug. “Take care of yourself for me, will you?”

Johanna hums, her arms wrapping around Ravenna with warmth and reassurance. “You as well.”