Sobbing in my arms was the weeping Thomas, his arms outstretched beyond my back and trembling. I was expecting him to cry, especially from that whole story he just spilled into my ears. It was enough to push me to crying, yet I fought it back. I didn't want his sadness to be multiplied because of me.

Even with the things he told me, it was clear to me that my self-proclaimed victory was also his, yet he doesn't want to achieve it. He doesn't want to repeat what happened. Despite that retreat from victory, I don't give up that easily.

The moment I tried to stand up, Thomas clung to me like a lone cat, each arm holding me down onto the bench. "I d-don't want to go..." He murmured.

"Go where?" I blinked.

"Go home," He whined. "Go anywhere. I want to go nowhere."

"Is a mansion nowhere?"

"No..." Thomas sighed, every single one of his eyes wandering anywhere else that wasn't where I was. He attempted to hide his face from me, his face positioned as perfectly as possible so that I wasn't able to locate anymore of his visage. I faintly smiled, "Do you want to eat cheap spaghetti?"

"No."

"Walk around?"

"No."

"Do... nothing?"

"Yes," Thomas' tone had calmed, its tears calming down to a neutral, dead voice.

"...Then we'll do nothing," I stated dejectedly, my eyes analyzing the area around me. It was still the same as before, not a soul in sight. Any instance of wind was vacant and the orange light was leaving the sky's grasp. The only issue was that it was getting dark. We can't do nothing in the dark if we're murdered by the darkness. So, I positioned my arms correctly to hold him in whatever style he mentioned before (something about brides) and stood right up, causing him to squeal. He's not that strong, strong enough to hold me down. "I thought we were doing nothing𑁋"

"Can't do nothing if we're dead," I shrugged.

"Dead by what?"

"Murderers, kidnappers, etcetera."

"The only thing in this town is a kidnapper..." Thomas grumbled but I ignored the comment. I marched along the path to my home, a whining and squirming Thomas vibrating in my arms like an excited boy brought to a beautiful attraction from an alien world to him despite the fear in his expression. Even if he didn't want to go, anywhere is dangerous in the dark. A mansion would be the perfect place to stay.

"I... am... not..." Thomas shook and squirmed.

"You did say that if it worked, right?" I asked.

"Yeah... but..." Thomas huffed, releasing his arms from me and sprawling out in my bed of blue fluff as his arms unfurled in a sassy yet glorious display. "Fine. You win. Just know that I'm a terrible boyfriend, if your dream somehow attracts me."

"You did say I was nice and exercised," I chuckled. "I think you're already𑁋"

"Hush," He puffed his lips, turning his chin up with each of his eyes snapped shut like doors slammed shut.

We continued walking to my place in hushed silence, the misty blue chalk swirling around the air and the pink trail of dreamy, sparkly fur creating a thin trail as the adorable dream baby laid comfortably as I cradled him, the stars brewing in the bluish nebulas barely visible to the naked eye high up in the sky sending glimmering spotlights that illuminated the pastel red in Thomas' many eyes that appeared lavender from the soft blue that entrapped us. Hopefully, his sadness had evaporated into the blue and disappeared forever for he seemed to be less distressed from his calmed disposition, all remnants of vibrations and violent shaking were erased from existence altogether into starry, sparkly wonder staring into my eyes. Maybe my eyes are sparkling for him too.

He stirred when we entered my home, the feeling increasing as we headed through the gates and front door. "If you don't want spaghetti, then what do you want?" I asked. "Something calming? Like𑁋"

"Milk..." Thomas whispered.

"Really?"

"Yes," He nodded. "It's very soothing..."

Shrugging, I carried him through the dining hall, his wonder condensed into a simple glance around the room. Upon entering the kitchen, we both froze.

There, a small, circular creature with stubby, skinny arms and legs with the body of a mouse and the visage of a distorted cookie was cowering in fear in front of the fridge from a towering, slender figure completely made with black goo. The child's body was feeble and crumbly, constantly disfiguring and warping like a glitching sprite corrupted by a string of spaghetti while the shadow creature was like a moving silhouette with various lengths in its limbs, edges straight as the sides of a rhombus constantly melting and reforming. Its fingers were long and pointed like gooey claws, nearly as long as its body and just as tall as its legs that were thinner than toothpicks. On its vicious visage were two empty white eyes that occupied most of its oval-shaped head with makeshift teeth placed haphazardly across the lining between the bottom of its chin and the space between the eyes and the nose that was vacant from its head that consistently melted and reformed like a slime cut into pieces just to regenerate every sliced off limb and close every open wound.

It was impossible to move or even run. The creature's presence over the other surpassed its impact in every conceivable fashion, whether it be the jagged stones for teeth or the enormous eyes of pure white void. Despite that, the shadowy monster did not strike or lunge or run. There was a deliberate flow in its motions as it stood straight up and tightened an invisible tie around its neck. "I-I-I-I'm s-s-s-s-sorry," Its voice stuttered, stammered, and shuttered. "Allow me to f-f-f-fit into s-s-s-s-something more a-a-a-a-attractive."

A pool of maroon pooled at its stubby feet, forming a circle of deep red puddles that screaming and tendrils flung from, wrapping around its legs and torso like tentacles tearing a ship into many variations of a ship. The pieces of its body swirled and flung around, picking and choosing the mimics of human body parts and placing them neatly into place like demonic legos. As the body formed the androgynous being, a string of fabric curled around its body, effortlessly and swiftly forming dress pants and a closed suit over its chest. For only a moment, it lacked a head, a dapper, headless anthropomorphic goo with a muscular frame yet in a flash of black blood, a smirking cherry on the top to the body formed in a display of dull, dead hues. In a way, the creature resembled Thomas with the array of arms and large feet, though the monster's toes were jagged, crooked, and claw-like. With a dramatic swish of its topmost hands, it unbuttoned the suit to reveal that it was wearing a maroon tuxedo. "Much better," The foregin beast laughed casually, stepping away from the inferior beast below its ankles.

"Wh-what𑁋" I stammered out the first word I could imagine saying.

"Oh, so that's what you meant by... scary..." Thomas was shaking again, yet his voice wasn't as horrified or affected by its transformation. "That's Knox. He's the nightmare eater."

"Thank you for introducing me for me," The spidery monster chuckled and chortled.

"You know this thing?"

"Calling me a thing is rude, you know," Knox snickered. "Ah, and please don't be too shocked. Your little child in this house woke up rather suddenly. She was not meant to see me in such a... primitive form."

"That's my sister?"

"Sleep state," Thomas shrugged.

"How are you so calm about this?" I raised my voice for the first time in a long time.

"To be honest, the crazy stuff that's been out of the ordinary is starting to lose its effect on me."

"What out of the ordinary crazy stuff?"

"Knox," Thomas pointed at him.

"I visited him one night. We're acquainted." Knox covered his mouth to laugh.

"Are you two like𑁋"

"We have a symbiotic relationship."

I glanced between the pink, cutesy spider of stars and sparkles in my arms and the beastly tarantula of bloodied shapes and melting goop standing before me several times, checking both if they existed and if it's even possible for them to coexist or know one another. My body wanted to faint and escape what was before me yet his sharp blue gaze locked me in place, the dark spider's gaze of teal cages locking my legs in place with the key lodged into his heart locked away from dreams.

Knox glanced at the melting pot of objects on the ground, who was supposedly my sister, that was rising from her place on the ground, shaking rapidly. He lowered a hand onto the top of her head, patting her gently yet she quickly backed into the fridge door, trembling. "What's your sister's name?" His eyes darted to meet mine, his eyelids shut halfway.

"Lisa," I answered quietly.

"Louder."

"L-Lisa𑁋"

"Louder," Knox growled.

"...Lisa," I called sternly, causing the cowardly creature to bolt upright and stare at me.

"Wh-why are there monsters everywhere...?" She stammered, backing into one of the cabinets. "You were the thing that tore up the hallway? Sp-Spencer?"

The first question gutted me, spilling a history of blood onto the floor. The second question opened it further, causing it to drip even more than planned. "I'm... a monster?" My eyes were shaking. I could feel every movement. She thinks I'm a monster? A thing?

"Now you know how I feel," Knox snickered. "Thomas, can you explain?"

"About sleep states?" Thomas blinked, his voice normalized and streamline with his natural tone. "Sleep states are monsters. Right now, you're one of those monsters. We're just normal people. Lisa, right?"

Her nod was as stuttered as her words.

"Apologize to your brother," Thomas sweetly demanded.

"Wh... what?"

"Apologize to him."

"B-but that's𑁋"

"Spencer. You called him something mean. Say you're sorry."

"My brother turned into a deer?"

"Yes. He does that sometimes." Thomas laughed.

"If I apologize, can he leave?" Lisa gestured to Knox with the tilt of her head.

"Of course, dear Lisa," Knox purred as his body vanished into the pool of red that formed him pulled him back inside with his creators and the darkness that molded them. Just before his body vanished from the mansion, his parting words were spoken, "Farewell, you three."

"I'm sorry..." Lisa rushed to the doors. "Please don't be a deer when it's morning... please don't be a deer when it's morning𑁋"

The slam of the doors cut off her repetitions.

I stayed silent for a few moments, shaking off the chains that locked me in place. Thomas poked my chin, "Are you all right?"

"...Uh, yeah," I nodded, walking toward the fridge. "Still want milk after all of that?"

"Of course," Thomas smiled. "That should wash the image of Knox with the weird goo... whatever that was."

"Hopefully," I chuckled, opening the fridge door. Inside were assortments of juices and leftover food, a few basic condiments left on the side door including a container of chocolate syrup lonely in its own compartment at the top near the plastic cage for the cheese. I reached over the door to one of the cabinets attached to the ceiling, opening it and pulling out a couple of two tall glasses that I set on the nearest surface. I slipped my foot under the gallon of milk's base and kicked it into the air, snatching its handle with practiced grace. Chuckling proudly, I glanced to see the awestruck sparkles in Thomas' eyes, the selfish reward I was hoping for.

After shutting the fridge door, I poured us both glasses of milk. "Amazing how you can do that all while carrying me..." Thomas squirmed, his eyes' sparkles reflecting off of the glass.

"I've carried a lot of friends before," I shrugged, grabbing the chocolate syrup out of the fridge and pouring some into my glass.

"Bridal style?"

"I guess I carry people that way," I laughed heartily, returning the milk and chocolate syrup back to their original locations. I opened up a cabinet below the countertop and pulled out a spoon to stir the milk. "You prefer chocolate milk over normal milk?" Thomas asked as I stirred the glass of milk, stirring the syrup into the ether.

"Not all the time," I replied. "Sometimes, it's best to just relax with the normal kind."

"I guess so," Thomas shrugged. "But why have chocolate milk now?"

"It's, um... more relaxing," I nodded, leaving the spoon inside the glass as I placed my open arm back on Thomas' back. "Can you carry those for me? It's a bit hard to balance a glass with a person in your other arm."

"Yet you can pick up gallons so effortlessly," Thomas giggled, letting out a prolonged sigh afterwards. He reached over and cautiously picked both of them up, letting them rest upright on his stomach. "Walk slowly, please," He softly ordered his body completely still.

"I'll try," I smiled, walking as carefully as I could from the kitchen to my room.

Thomas held the glasses carefully as I made my way through the dining hall, clinking them together as if they were pecking each other's cheeks with feather kisses. "They look nice together, don't they?" He beamed.

"They do," I nodded, glancing at them briefly before focusing on walking.

"They must like each other too," Thomas smiled.

"Are you implying that you like me?"

Thomas' eyes stared at the chocolate milk. "I guess it is a bit hard to deny..." He mumbled.

"You kind of make it obvious sometimes," I remarked.

"Oh, whatever," Thomas pouted, though his lips quickly relaxed into a neutral expression fighting a frown. "How does sugar relax you?"

"Huh?"

"There's sugar in chocolate, right? If it's more relaxing than milk, then how so?"

"It... tastes better. More smooth. More... close to home." I faintly smiled, carefully making my way up the stairs. "Why does vanilla milk relax you?"

"Vanilla?" Thomas giggled. "Well, normal milk relaxes me because of how thick it is. I don't get to drink it often, so I guess I savor it. A delicacy of sorts."

"I'll get more milk than normal then," I chuckled.

Thomas laughed, "...Yeah. That'd be nice, as long as you can afford it."

"Who can't afford milk?" I blinked.

Thomas didn't respond.

I made my way into the hallway, the place still trashed from some stupid sleep walking rampage forgotten by the future. At the very least, the door was wide open so I didn't have to use any hands. Panting silently, I made my way through the hallway, carrying Thomas to his final destination of today. I stood in front of the door to my bedroom, closing us off from comfort. "Can you get that for me?" I asked. "...Please?"

Thomas nodded, leaning one of the glasses against my chest so he could reach over and open it. Once he got a hold of that glass, I headed inside.

This time, it smelled less like me and more like it was rigorously sprayed with air freshener. There was also no light on. I didn't forget to turn it off in the morning this time.

I expertly stepped through the shadows, promptly placing him on the bed that was always in the same spot. Thomas was frozen in place, holding the glasses carefully like hand-shaped cup holders. Snickering, I made my way over to the other side to switch the lamp on, filling the room with orange light. With a sigh of pure comfort, Thomas sat up with the drinks still in his hands. "Where can I put these?" He asked.

"Here's fine," I responded, patting the top of the chest that sat in front of the bed. "I'm... going to go talk to Lisa. I'll be right back."

"O-okay," Thomas subtly stuttered, placing my glass of chocolate milk on top of the chest safely, his glass of milk still on his lap with security.

I pressed my ear to the wood of the door, my ears able to hear confused cries of Lisa. With a swift knock, the door opened slightly with a subtle creak. "Are you Spencer?"

"Yes," I answered with my calmest of tones.

"Are you still a deer?"

"For now."

"...How long will you be a deer for?"

"I dunno. I think I dozed off some time at the end of school."

"What does that mean?"

"Thomas said sleep states last for eight hours‒"

"So only a few more hours...?" Lisa whined.

I sighed, "Does the deer scare you?"

Lisa nodded.

"How come?"

"He ruined the hall..." She murmured. "And made all of those noises. I... I don't want to be near him. I don't want to be like him. He's a living n-nightmare..."

"Lisa, I am that deer𑁋"

"Spencer wouldn't destroy this place." Lisa sniffed. "That would destroy everything that we live with. Everything that we need to make it... normal, right?"

"...You're right, but I wasn't... awake," I mumbled. "I was sleepwalking."

"You don't destroy everything in the hall when you sleepwalk."

"I don't usually have antlers."

Lisa stared at me momentarily with befuddled eyes. She wiped her remaining tears away. "Please go away..." She whimpered. "I-I want to talk when you're not a deer."

"Then we'll talk then," I nodded. "Goodnight!"

"Good... night. I hope you're... normal soon. And me..."

"I hope so too," I chuckled as I shut the door as softly as humanly possible. She's smart, for her age. She'll be able to get through this, much like the difficulties of life that we've both had to endure in the past. If she can get through living with only me for so long, she can get through just about anything else life throws at her, I'm certain of that.

When I stepped back into my room, Thomas had his glass of milk to his lips and my comforter wrapped around his body and over his knees and feet. His eyelids snapped to meet mine, his hands lowering the rim of the glass from his mouth. "Does she not like you?" He asked.

"She's just... not used to this whole sleep state thing," I explained, walking toward him. "I think she'll get used to it soon."

"You didn't seem very mad at her," Thomas added.

"Why would I be?"

"Didn't you not like what she said?"

"Well, it's not... an unreasonable reaction to this all." I chuckled. "Curious question: do you know why the whole sleep state thing happens?"

"Not at all. Nobody really does."

"Do you want to know?"

"No. I don't really want to know about it." Thomas looked at his feet. "Though I guess if I wanted to know, I'd ask Knox about it."

"...Do you know how to spell that guy's name?"

"Again, no." Thomas giggled. "Maybe like knocks, since that's how he says it."

"...How weird," I mumbled. "Do you think his existence correlates with yours?"

"He is kind of like me but with less watching and more... eating," Thomas shivered at the word. "Maybe he's like this edgy rendition of me."

I chuckled, "Like he's like you but from another life?"

"If I ever am reborn," Thomas sighed. "I don't think I'd want to be someone who stalks other people and eats away an ability really important to humanity. Dreaming is something I wouldn't want to take away from other people, whether they be nightmares or happy dreams. It's mental torture to keep an imagination away from someone."

"That's a... poetic way to look at it," I softly laughed.

He nodded in response, taking a light swig of milk upon its execution. There was still a lot left yet he drank for longer than a few seconds, as if he savored every milliliter. Watching his actions were fascinating now, as if there was hidden life in the mundanity of what he was doing. Was it creepy to like watching another human drink something? I've never done this before until now.

His eyes were drawn to mine once again, every single one of them trained on mine. I expected a staring contest to ensue, watching the galaxy in his pupils without backing down, but he spoke, "So... you wanted me to see your dream, right?"

"Y-yeah," I nodded. "A dream date."

"I would prefer if it were just called a dream watching session," Thomas rolled his array of eyes. "But I guess so?"

"A possible dream date that if it doesn't work, it's a dream watching session," I smiled.

"I... I guess," Thomas sighed, setting his glass of milk beside mine. "Are you going to drink yours?"

"Oh right," I laughed, leaning down and taking a drink. When I set it beside his, my glass had the same amount as his, just from how it appeared. For some reason, it made my smile.

He laid down in his previous location from when we first had done this. I laid down, my face facing his face. Thomas sighed as he wrapped his arms around my sides, which made me squirm slightly. "Why do you do that?" He blinked.

"I'm not used to the first part," I explained softly.

After he rolled his eyes, I let out a soft breath and shut my eyelids. His forehead pressed against mine as another set of arms curled around me and then another one. As sleep slowly overtook me despite my aware mind, more arms had hung around me, an unimaginable amount, that enveloped every inch of what was once my skin. As I lost the strength in my body and the strength of his embrace had fallen, I felt my body jolt closer to him. Despite the twitching my body had felt while I fell into rest, nothing was interrupted. We were like-minded. We were destined. I was determined. I am determined. He is asleep. I am asleep. We are held together by bound fates and excitement that I hope he has as well.

We were everything we needed. I had everything I could've ever wanted. We were dreaming.