Chapter Text
The beginning
The one where they meet
“Ah so you decided to come and try it out then?” Valentine looked up from her work to see her professor stood before her hands in pockets grinning like he’d proved a point.
“I was intrigued, i’ve never known a pub to be conducive to studying but you were right professor. It is a lovely place for it” she replied with a gentle smile gesturing to the seat opposite her. Her professor scoffed as he reached for the chair and sat crossing his arms in mock annoyance.
“Call me Hob, we’re not in the classroom”
“Ok. Hob” She replied smiling again “I suppose it is a bit formal isn’t it?” They both chuckled then, for the situation at the time had been terrifying for the both of them but once they had both realised the others particular talents and that neither was a threat to the other they had become fast friends.
“Just a bit, i swear i saw some of your bones” Hob said with a smirk, thanking the barman who had brought over two tumblers of amber brown liquid placing them down gently before hurrying back to the bar to serve someone.
“Oh Hob you didn’t need to get me a drink” Valentine commented softly reaching for the drink regardless.
He shrugged then reaching for his own glass and taking a sip before replying teasingly
“Shush. We’re friends aren’t we? Besides i feel it is my duty to introduce you to something other than that swill you call Whisky” he smiled as he watched her eyes slide closed briefly, a pleased hum escaping between her lips and when they opened they shone with pleasure.
“That is good” Valentine sighed smiling to herself at the feeling of warmth spreading through her chest. “But as i said at the time Glen Morangie is like home to me and i shall drink it until i die”
“Doesn’t mean i can’t introduce you to new tastes occasionally, does it?” Hob asked noticed immediately how she straightened and stilled in her chair and completely unable to help himself Hob turned his head smiling with delight as his dark friend approached.
“Morpheus, my friend join us! Would you like a drink?” He asked cheerily as the man known as Morpheus looked at Valentine uncertainly shaking his head briefly as he sat.
“No. Thank you. If i am interrupting something we can meet another day” Morpheus said in a measured tone, acutely aware that the woman with Hob sat with a curious immobility, though he had no doubt that if she chose to she would move quickly and without hesitation.
“Oh no, please don’t let me interrupt a pre-arranged meeting. I really should get going anyway” Valentine said lightly finishing her whiskey a barely contained shiver from the alcohol passing through her before reaching for the notebook and pen she had been writing in an expression of annoyance settling over her features as the man called Morpheus picked it up eyes flickering briefly over the page full of notes briefly before handing it to her.
“Fraternising with a student friend? For shame what would the university say”? Hob knew that even though Morpheus tone and words were flat, they were also teasing and he winced as he looked over to Valentine. She had bristled at the words, they sounded and admonishing , full of scorn and she HATED them. Quickly she shoved the notebook and pen into her bag and stood sharply the chair legs scraping the floor as it was pushed back.
“I’ll see you in class Hob. Thank you for the drink” She said her words clipped as she shouldered her bag and scooped up her motorcycle helmet from the not looking at Morpheus as she made to move past him. Morpheus realised then that he had offended the stranger and as she moved to pass him he did the only thing he could think to stop her so he could appoligize quickly. He gently grabbed her wrist. She froze as she felt the cold fingers wrap around her wrist and had they not been in such a public setting she would have snarled and yanked her hand away from his.
Sensing her objection to being touched by a stranger so casually he immediately released her wrist and had the decency to look apologetic.
“I appoligize, my lady for offending you” Valentine scoffed and rolled her eyes severely doubting that he cared at all, but as she looked down into his eyes she was momentarily taken with the absolute beauty of them that she doubted her own thoughts for a second. Shaking herself and taking a deep breath she smiled very briefly before speaking
“I have never been a lady, but if you must call me something my name is Valentine MaCleod”
“Valentine” he almost whispered the word and the the ghost of a smile briefly pulled at the corner of his lips as he watched her leave the pub and put on her helmet before speeding away.
The one where she dreams
Slowly making her way through London traffic the sound of her bikes engine filling her ears she thought of Morpheus and the strangeness of him. Her eyes were what she couldn’t help coming back to. The eye contact had barely lasted thirty seconds but the thing that struck her most was the other wordly quality to them and she was sure that if she possessed any type of artistic talent she would have been able to draw them down to the most minute details.
A blaring car horn shook Valentine from her thoughts then and she cursed as she drug her attention back to the the road and shook her head briefly as if to clear it. The man had been astoundingly rude and she made a mental note to quiz Hob after her next lecture. Valentine could not understand how someone as likeable and kind has Hob had come to befriend such a seemingly cold man as the pale man.. Sighing deeply Valentine parked outside her house, grimacing as she got off her bike. She needed a scolding hot shower to shake off the encounter with Morpheus, nobody had gotten under her skin like this since Connor had been alive and it made her heart ache just a little.
Gasping Valentines eyes flew open and as she sat up she looked about eyebrows knitting together with confusion. The last thing she remembered was sitting on her bed braiding her hair while it was still damp from hthe shower. She hadn’t felt tired in the slightest and looking up into the branches of the tree seemingly bent low she noticed the small flowers settled amongst the leaves. Swinging her legs out of bed she settled her feet into the impossibly soft grass the boughs of the tree almost brushed her cheek and she wrapped her fingers around her sword relief flooding through her when she stood and felt the familiar weight of it settle against her palm. Picking a direction she began to walk cautiously and it occurred to her as she walked barefoot through the undergrowth without so much as standing on a sharp stone or other forest debris that she was dreaming. Hearing running water in the distance she started towards it she hadn’t really drempt since her first death but even if this was a dream heading towards running water seemed like the best course of action to her.
When she finally broke through the tree line she couldn’t help the small gasp that escaped her and blinking in surprise at the stream and pool before her she had bathed in one much like it as a child.
“Do you like it?” The deep sonorous voice surprised her greatly, she had heard no steps behind her or branches snapping as she would have expected in a forest like this and she spun she spun around her sword point levelling at Morpheus throat, who merely quirked a brow and pushed the sword aside with a pale, slender finger.
“It’s lovely, but how are you here, in my dreams?” She would get to the question of how she was dreaming at all but at that moment she was far more concerned with why the man she had been angrily ruminating over was looming so large in her dream.
“This is my realm” He replied simply, hands spread open as he noted that although she had lowered the sword somewhat it was still pointed towards him. “You have no need of weapons here, you are safe”
“All the same i shall keep it with me and what do you mean 'your realm’ ? What ARE you some king of dreams or something” Valentine asked sarcastically startling when he let out a small chuckle the sound of it as pleasant to her ear as it was surprising. When she had met him earlier that day he hadn’t seemed like the type to crack a smile let alone laugh.
“That, my lady is exactly what i am. I am dream of the endless, king of dreams and nightmares and this is the dreaming” he was vaguely surprised then when she gave a disbelieving bark of laughter and looked at him incredulously.
“You are actually joking aren’t you? Do you really think i’m going to believe that?” Valentine asked barely flinching when Morpheus came closer to her without seeming to move.
“Mind your tone when you talk to me for this is my realm and you WILL respect me” His tone was low and dangerous and though Valentine had the sense to take a half step back she refused to be cowed and she looked up at him levelly suddenly feeling a power in him that she had definetly not sensed when they met.
“For someone that demands respect you give very little. How do you expect me to give it when you grabbed my notes, invaded my personal space and even after i asked you to not call me a lady you still do” Valentine spoke Cooly but the change that came over his features was astounding . What little emotion he had been showing was gone and he stood stock still a silent fury blazing in his eyes that was as captivating to her as it was terrible and he uttered a single word.
Valentine shot bolt upright in bed her sword clattering to the floor beside the bed. Scrubbing her hands across her face roughly and she was reassured that she actually was awake by the sounds of London traffic in the distance drifting through the open window.
The one where she waffles at Hob
“Hob who the hell is Morpheus?” Valentine hissed as student filed out of the lecture hall.
“Well hello to you too” Hob exclaimed looking over the students to make sure no one else seemed to be paying attention. “I did wonder why you seemed so distracted today, you are usually so attentive” Hob said casually as he gathered the papers that had spread across the desk during his days lectures.
“Hob i’m not joking. I fell asleep yesterday and drempt for the first time since i died! And who do i come across? Friggin Morpheus!” She exclaimed as quietly as she could manage. The whole situation had unnerved her and finally being able to talk to someone who would understand was more of a relief than she expected.
“Help me get these files back to my office?” He asked gently the deep confusion on her face making him feel a modicum of sympathy for her. Picking up a stack of files he gave her a small smile as she also picked up a stack and followed him the short distance to the small but comfortable office.
“I’m sorry that was rather an outburst, it’s just since it happened i’ve been going over it in my mind and i feel like i’m going insane” Valentine appoligize placing the files down before sinking into the chair Hob had for students.
“It’s ok. I can understand that must have been a shock. Drink?” Hob asked gently placing his own pile down and reaching into a desk draw retrieving a bottle and glasses when she nodded pouring them both a drink before settling into his own chair.
“Shock is an understatement, I think. But really Hob, who, or what is he?” She asked making an effort to speak evenly as she took the proffered glass greatfully.
“I’ve been asking myself the same thing ever since i first met him and i eventually came to the conclusion that he was just a lonely person in need of a friends” he stated wryly raising his glass to Valentine before taking a drink. She could certainly understand that, how many times over her long life had she been desperately lonely?
“Well you sure know how to pick ‘em” Valentine exclaimed.
“The first time i called him my friend he stormed out in a sulk and didn’t speak to me for a century and a half. He’s a little…..”
“Dramatic?” Valentine interrupted and they both laughed “Oh the fact that i laughed at him and asked if he was joking will have deeply offended him wont it?” Valentine asked with a groan pinching the bridge of her nose when Hob gaped at her briefly.
“I’m sure it’ll be fine” Hob reassured even though he himself wasn’t so sure. He could still remember how angry Morpheus had been in 1889.
“This all seems insane, the king of dreams is a story we tell children to help them sleep” Valentine herself had told the story to many a small and her mind to reeled to think that Morpheus actually was the king of dreams.
“Are you kidding me? Valentine we are immortal beings, unable to die. Have you never thought that their could be other fantastical beings out there?” Hob asked softly. Valentine paused at that, thinking carefully as she sipped her drink.
“You know sometimes i forget to keep an open mind. Living as long as i have everything becomes…. mundane and i cannot see past my own normality. Thank you for the reminder” Valentine stated softly draining the glass and standing.
“Don’t mention it. I’ve got some work to d here, forgive me for not walking you out”
“You are so old fashioned, i’ll be fine” Valentine teased crossing to the door and opening it partially pausing to turn back. “Thank you for the drink. I’ll see you next lecture.”