The Deck of Destiny - A Caraval Oneshot Collection

night time loving

     A request for Scarlett comforting Julian after a nightmare <3

Julian's heart pounded fast in his chest, his body sheen with sweat. He drew in shallow, quick breaths as he took in his surroundings, realizing everything was just a nightmare.

     A terrible, terrible nightmare.

     His first thought was Scarlett, and if she was okay. She should be okay, because none of it was real, but he needed to know. The scared child inside of him that he tried to push down still sometimes came out to play.

     Julian tossed the dark blue sheets from his body, hastily buttoned up a crumpled, white shirt from his floor and started towards her rooms.

     Scarlett's scream still echoed in his head. The blood, so much blood.

    Julian arrived in front of her door, but didn't knock. What the hell was he doing here? Scarlett would probably think him a fool for believing a nightmare a reality, especially considering Julian was a performer in Caraval for nearly fifty eight years. A game that bordered on reality blurring into dreams and magic.

     He paced in front of her door, about to turn away, when the door swung open, revealing a sleepy, gloriously alive, Scarlett. Her brown hair was slightly frizzy, her eyes half closed, and she wore a white lace slip.

     A very short lace slip.

     "What are you doing up?" She mumbled through a yawn, hand pulling through her hair.

     "Maybe I was having scandalous dreams about my fiancée and wanted to make them a reality." He winked at her, using one of his best defences to avoid being vulnerable.

     Scarlett didn't say anything, just grabbed his wrist and pulled him inside. She took him by surprise, closing the door with a thud.

     "Crimson, I was joking-"

     "I can see emotions, Julian," Scarlett deadpanned. "I know it's sort of an intrusion, but I can't just turn it off."

     Julian sometimes forgot that Scarlett possessed magic seeing as she rarely ever mentioned it or brought it up. He swallowed, knowing he was going to have to tell the truth.

     "I had a nightmare about you and just wanted to make sure you were okay. That's all. Nothing too serious." Julian pressed a kiss to her forehead and began towards the door. But once again, she caught his wrist, and pulled him back beside her.

     Scarlett was silent as she started unbuttoning his shirt, and Julian watched her in quiet awe. As her fingers brushed his bare skin his heart rate went through the roof.

     "Not that I'm not enjoying this thoroughly, Crimson, but I must admit I'm confused."

     He wouldn't have interrupted her if they had been kissing, because usually the heat of the moment led to the removal of clothing. But nothing was inspiring Scarlett, she was simply unbuttoning his shirt.

    "Wouldn't it be uncomfortable to sleep in that stiff fabric?" Scarlett asked, blinking slowly, evidently fighting off sleep.

     "It would be."

     "Well then hush." Scarlett pulled off his shirt and let it drop to the floor, climbing into bed and patting the spot beside her. "This way the next time you wake up, you won't have to walk through the halls just to find me. I'll be right here."

     Julian grinned as he accepted her offer, pulling her silk sheets over himself. "Look at you, the empress, inviting me into her bed. I'll be damned."

     Scarlett smiled smugly, turning onto her side to face him and traced a finger over his stubble. "Wanna talk about the nightmare?"

     Julian breathed in deeply, knowing it would do him some good to talk about it. "When I was thirteen, my brother and I lived alone. Except he was becoming Legend, and in order to do that, he needed training. By a certain witch."

     Scarlett's eyes widened in understanding. "Esmerelda," she whispered.

     Julian nodded. "She would come over sometimes, and I knew they did more than just train. If I'm being honest, she terrified me, and often plagued my nightmares as a child. Her black tattoos would come to life, her red hair turned into fire, childish nightmares. And-" Julian cut off at the look of her expression. "I know it's silly, but..."

     "No, no. It's not that, it's just I knew someone who fits that description."

     Julian's heart stopped, fearing that his bad dream was a warning. "What?"

     "I'll elaborate after you've finished."

     He closed his eyes.

"In my nightmare, she had killed you. And there was so much blood."

     Scarlett frowned, and weaved her fingers into the hair at the back of his head, before placing a kiss to the top of his nose. "I'm okay, Julian. She's dead."

     "She's dead? How do you know?"

"Gavriel... killed her. I don't really want to talk about it."

Julian knew how hard it would have been if she did, so he just nodded. Her fingers continued to play with his hair while and other hand traced his chest. Julian let her touch distract him from the nightmare. Scarlett must have known what she was doing, because it was working.

After a few minutes she stopped and wrapped her arms around Julian, engulfing him into a hug. Scarlett's head tucked into his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her slim figure as well. He listened to her breathing turn even, and Julian knew she was too tired to stay awake any longer.

So Julian matched his breaths with Scarlett, letting himself fall back into sleep. He did not wake throughout the night again, and woke up with the most beautiful woman in his arms. It became Julian's favourite way to wake up.

Her morning grumpiness and soft smiles. His soon to be Scarlett Santos, forever his.