Perfect • Dream

2

The rest of your walk proceeded in deafening silence. You could feel him watching you from behind. You continued for a couple of minutes before you decided to break the silence, looking back at him for second. "So what are you doing here anyway?"

He continued to look forward in silence, you almost believed that you just imagined saying it out loud before he decided to answer. "I was invited to dinner."

Interesting, your father would have mentioned if a guest as rare as Dream was going to be stalking through your gardens in the afternoon. "It's seldom Father invites a business partner to our house for dinner, much less a mercenary."

"Are you trying to get information out of me?"

You kept quiet, instead deciding to inspect the pattern on the walls around you. "I'll admit, I'm curious how my father even knows you...and why." You spoke the last piece in confrontation, stopping and turning your body around to face him. You were greeted with a hard smack right into his chest.

He was standing closer than you thought.

With an unwavering gaze, Dream held onto your back to steady you. "I'm not usually this clumsy," you apologized for another awkward situation.

He faced down at you in response, "Somehow, I doubt that." It takes you a moment to realize he's teasing you, a hint of humor in his tone. You quickly backed up and turned around, choosing to ignore him and get this over with as quickly as you could.

God, why are you suddenly acting like this? It's almost as if you were cursed.

Thankfully you could see your dad's study room become visible as you paced closer to it. "Er, my dad's study is right through this door." You stopped in front of it turning once again to face him.

One thing you learned from this encounter was that despite his cold appearance...his touch was surprisingly gentle.

He thanked you with a firm nod before entering the room and closing the door behind him. As he disappeared in your father's study, you could hear their quiet voices.

"Dream! Welcome - so good you could make it. Let's head down to dinner."

~

Dream looked down at the professionally prepared steak platter in front of him. Silently picking at the meat under his fork, the indents permanently marking the food. The others couldn't tell what his expression was. They could only speculate from the irritated frown on his lips.

He could see Sapnap disorderly eating his own steak, the sight disgusting him at the mess he was making. He really had to start giving this boy some lessons on etiquette.

"A dinner? You don't really think a homemade meal is going to make up for the millions you owe me, do you?" He turned to the older man sitting at the end of the table. He seemed to eat peacefully but Dream could sense the nervousness radiating off of him.