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 Contrary to popular belief, their nightmares did not consist of losing one another, or death, or hatred, or any number of mundane things. Those fears had long ago stripped from them, worn away by years without anyone to talk to but each other. Endless conversations passed between them had managed to give the twins an almost delusional certainty that they would always remain as one, always love and hold each other above all else. The golden rule had emerged from these conversations, during black nights when the other gods were busy with ceremonies and sacrifices and Hades had ordered them to remain in the Underworld.

Together is always the way.

     So when they had nightmares, their nightmares were simply about nothing at all. And Thanatos and Hypnos always dreamt together.

     Blank stretches of white world that made up all of existence were what was noticed first. Any movement could not be seen, any sound could not be heard- a glance down to the wrist would teach the god that there was no hand to see and no neck to motion with. Non-existent voices caught in their throats with words that had no air, no meaning, and thoughts were what was offered to the emptiness as their minds clouded with panic.

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     The other god would think he’d abandoned him. Instinctively he knew his twin was somewhere in the vast stretch of blank world, searching for him even as the panicking god clawed his way through nothing. Tears clouded vision, though he had no eyes to see with and nothing to see around him. Names were unimportant: Thanatos and Hypnos were just labels now, not something they ever truly were to each other. This god had forgotten which one he was originally, before he came here to search for his poor twin.

     Fingertips brushed against something and the stream of consciousness stopped, turning like a whip to focus on the new sensation.

     Nothing is there and yet the god knows it was his twin, feels the other’s presence like not other thing in the world. He desperately tries to find the sensation again, reaching out wildly with ever louder cries.

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     Eyes flash open and the twins sit up, grasping for each other even as thunder crashes in the world around them. No more is it pure white - trees and grass are revealed in the lightning strikes that illuminate their surroundings, a welcome alternative to the perfection of the nothingness. Soft skin and cloth beneath their fingers is comforting and Thanatos draws Hypnos close to breathe him in. In the middle of the night, it was unlikely that there were humans around the park- doubly so given the storm that raged around them. The promising smell of rain hung in the air, heavy and thick with water and echoes.

     It was minutes before Death could raise his head to inspect his brother’s face, but what he saw sent worry flooding through him. Even as he’d comforted himself with Sleep’s presence, Sleep had begun shake with tremors that ran almost continuously. Whimpers escaped his lips and gradually they escalated into screams and moans loud enough to rival the cracks of thunder. Thanatos threaded his fingers through his twin’s hair, shushing gently and rocking- anything to chase away the pangs of the nightmares that still haunted Hypnos.

     Green eyes were blown wide, the eyes of prey that can see it’s predator and knows it has no escape. They focused on something far away and desperately, Death looked around for what it might be. Any flash of white, any empty store front that glowed with emptiness in a lightning strike; but there were none to see.

     Hands tightened on the back of the Thanatos’ jacket, holding on as though the god would be torn away by the gusts of wind that blew the storm around them. Harder and harder Hypnos gripped, pulling and wriggling desperately to get closer to his twin, pressing himself into the safety of the elder’s arms.

Cloth was no match for god’s strength and the leather ripped clear away.

     Death twisted away momentarily from surprise, trying to see behind him- the resulting scream had dogs barking in the neighborhoods around them. Digging through the thin t-shirt, Hypnos desperately scrambled for another purchase on his brother, afraid that any moment would see him stolen away forever, unable to know that Sleep was there. Nails dug into Thanatos’ skin and he grunted in pain as his brother made crescent marks that began to ooze gold blood. Nails shredded down Death’s back and up again, until the slick of blood made it all the more difficult to hold on.

     The brown-haired boy began to scream once again, realizing that he had nothing to grab onto, nothing to use.

     Fingers twisted themselves beneath skin with iron strength, desperate to hold. It was Thanatos’ turn to scream his pain to the sky, arms tightening around his brother as he fought for the self-control to not pull away.

It would pass. It would pass.

     The shallow hand-holds were enough to calm the younger for a moment and the black-haired boy looked around, wondering if there was anything he could use to get back to their home. They needed a bed for Sleep, and blankets, but the god wasn’t sure he could move without upsetting his brother again. Throbs of pain poured through his back, alerting him to torn muscle and exposed veins. The skin attempted to close and heal, but the fingers in the wounds prevented that- it felt like an itch he needed to scratch, but one Thanatos didn’t dare touch.

     Looking up again, desperately, the god sees an unfamiliar form walking the sidewalk. Perhaps a human disturbed by the storm or Hypnos’ screaming, perhaps a being wandering the night. It was a risk, but they needed to get away from the open, needed to get somewhere familiar or at least quiet so his twin could calm down.

Pride would come later.

“Hey!"

     Thanatos called for their attention, realizing the predicament would look strange only at the last second. Two teenage boys in the park, disheveled and clutching at each other with all they were worth. The god wouldn’t be surprised if the human thought they were lovers having a midnight tryst, and for a second he wanted to laugh.

  Bouncing on the edge of the tree line, the boys watched each other carefully as they pretended they were looking in any other direction. A vast stretch of forest awaited them, dark and foreboding, seemingly endless. Of course it wasn’t- the humans had taken care of that. But it was the perfect place for them to exercise, without any prying mortal eyes around.

                           The brothers were going to have a race.

  It had been centuries since their last one and excitement thrummed through their bones, centering on their joined hands. It was more a measure to keep each other from cheating than an actual show of affection- if Hypnos tried to get an early start, Thanatos would tug him back easily. Not until the sun had set all the way was the competition allowed to begin, rules they had laid in place at their first such race. They thought it pleased their mother Night to see her children play, plus there was less chance of word getting back to Hades if Helios wasn’t in the sky. The Lord of the Dead wasn’t too happy when they fooled around.

  The gods wore the faces of teenagers though, and teenagers were wont to rebel now and then.

   When the sun’s golden dye was no longer visible on the fabric of the sky, the twins drew together, raising their hands alongside their bodies. Thanatos turned his head to kiss Hypnos’ hand and Hypnos did the same for the other, grinning.

  If lightning had struck at that moment, it would have found their places empty.

  Death and Sleep bounded through the woods, side by side, ducking branches and jumping roots as if they were nothing. Peals of laughter erupted and for once, it was hard to tell who they were coming from. The joy of actually being able to stretch their muscles had both twins smiling from ear to ear, a rare feat that Thanatos would deny ever happened when asked later. Miles of forest ate up under their bare feet, the ichor that flowed through their veins propelling them on and on.

  In those few moments, they might not have been gods- they might have been forest spirits, air sprites, flowing together through nature. Though they’d long since let go of each other, Thanatos and Hypnos still kept each other in sight, making sure they were still evenly matched.

  That is, until Hypnos simply poured on more speed.

   Gone in a flash, Death was left cursing and sputtering in his wake, already at his limit. There was yet to be anyone faster than Sleep was- it stole into mortal minds in less than a blink of the eye, unseen and unheard, jumping to everyone in the world every night. The baby of the two had never been beaten in a race that relied solely on running.

  It was a good thing Thanatos didn’t have to do that.

   Reaching up, the god snagged the nearest tree limb and pulled himself up in a flash. Like a monkey, he clambered through the leaves, going as fast as he could to minimize his brother’s lead. When he was high enough, Thanatos shed his shirt and discarded it to the forest floor, leaping from the evergreen’s tallest branch simultaneously. A pained grunt escaped him as his wings caught the night air and dragged him upwards, drafts straining at his muscles.

  He can just make out his twin’s figure, leagues ahead of him. With a smirk and a laugh that carries on the night wind, Death pumped his wings, spiraling after Hypnos much more quickly than he could on the ground. It was what kept them even in these races- no matter how fast Sleep was, Thanatos could fly.

  Only, there’s someone in the forest ahead of them.

  It took him less than a second to realize what that small dot was, but in that second he also saw that his twin was on a collision course with them. He didn’t have time to think how odd it was to find someone out in the woods this at this hour.