Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Dandy shoved the dusty crate towards them, piles of books spilling out from over the top and the sides. He clapped his hands together and gave Brightney a deceptively victorious grin.
“Welp, there ya go! It should have everything under the sun that you can think of!! Happy reading!” He cracked a dim smile, the slight tremble to his voice going unnoticed by the librarian.

Brightney only nodded in response, bowing slightly. “Thank you, Dandy! I hope you have a pleasant evening. Our members will have a fun time today!” She waved goodbye as he stumbled out the doors, almost tripping as he rushed to get away from them.

Astro frowned, eyes narrowing as he tried to piece together Dandy’s strange behavior. What the hell was he up to? The flower, once cheerful and loud, seemed quieter now, jittery and slipping out of conversations. At dinner he barely spoke, shifting in his chair as if he had somewhere else to be, often excusing himself before finishing his plate. Astro made a point to walk him back, urging him to eat. But even when Astro gave him leftovers to finish in his room, it wasn’t enough to ease his worry. Mornings brought no sign of him. Nights were worse. Sometimes Astro would spot him perched on a stool in the dark kitchen, reaching for snacks. Although everything in him fought to say something, he never interrupted. The idea of pushing him too hard seemed to consume Astro, worried that Dandy would vanish behind his walls completely.

Which made it all the more surprising when Dandy had arranged to give some books away to none other than the book club! It was a nice gesture, sure, but his best friend being so social out of nowhere was alarming.
With a tight swallow, Astro concluded that he needed answers. This thought however was interrupted once Brightney mindlessly sorted through the books and handed one to him.

“Everyone take a book and read its first chapter by tomorrow. Then we can discuss the contents of each one!” She exclaimed.

The moon only raised an eyebrow as he quizzically examined the cover. It’s presence felt out of place compared to the sci-fi Dazzle had picked up and the nonfiction Brightney took. The illustration on the front was a bright pink glowing heart swallowed by a blanket of darkness. Small words were engraved at the bottom, reading “Carnal Desires”.

What a luck of the draw…

His brain sorted through possible scenarios, maybe even asking for Brightney to give him another book— but his fingers instinctively held tighter to the binding. The curiosity in him overrode the alarm bells going off in his head.
‘It looks strange…Although I guess I can take a quick look. I can always return it later...’

“Ugh, can we leave yet? (This one looks interesting…)” Razzle and Dazzle spoke as they parted ways, Astro following their lead. Brightney waved goodbye to the three of them, then skipped back to the crate to sort through the rest with greedy fingers.
On their way down the hall, Dazzle glanced at him softly. “Are you excited to read yours?” He spoke, a gentle smile crossing his face.

Astro shifted the book, instinctively turning the cover to face away from him. “Ah, yeah. I’m looking forward to it, heh…”

As soon as he met his door, he quickly slid into the room and shut it with a soft click, his focus on his surroundings slightly distracted by his newfound discovery. The small magic stars lifting the book were replaced with his real hands, slipping out of his blanket. Although he’d read the very vague blurb about a man and a woman falling in love, he felt a bit too ashamed to open it up with everyone looking. A small sense of guilt took over him as he crept towards his bed with the book in hand.

He rolled over on the soft pillowy comforters, their constellation patterns decorating the quilt. The room had an odd sense of warmth to it compared to its usual coldness. Once he was finally comfortable he sprawled out on the bed with all limbs outstretched. He layed on his belly, a pillow resting under his chin, his typical reading posture when no one was around.

‘Alright… Let’s see what this book is about..’

Tentatively, his fingers carefully grazed the edges of the paper as he flipped it open.
After half an hour of reading, Astro realized he was hooked. The story was surprisingly well written, with a hint of maturity similar to that of his astronomy articles. He’d already completed the first chapter, but the strong desire to keep reading overwhelmed him, and he continued with a giddy excitement.
Stars, space, anything about the cosmos was what typically piqued his interest. But this was something he’d never been used to. A classic romance novel…The moon let out a soft chuckle thinking how Dandy must’ve felt reading this. He didn’t coin him as the type to enjoy these types of stories. He imagined his best friend tucked away in a little nook, eyes darting from line to line while kicking his feet happily.

‘I’ll have to ask him about it later…’

The first few chapters of Carnal Desires were harmless. A rapidly blossoming love between the two main characters as sweet as Yatta’s candy. How cute!
But as the pages turned, something in the writing shifted. Sentences stretched longer, dripping with a strange, sticky tension. Intoxicating stares replaced the once innocent glances and brushed hands, words uttered with flirtations that held an odd weight to them.
The moon’s breath stuttered as he reread paragraphs, flipping pages back and forth in an attempt to keep up. The room suddenly felt smaller, even warmer, his body anchored tightly to the bed. A restless tingle traveled through his chest and crawled to his abdomen, making his thighs shift against each other without realizing.
His eyes fell on the line in front of him, almost choking from surprise as he read it.

She let out a sweet moan, watching as he slid his fingers into the tight entrance.

“Wh-wh—-” he could feel his face burning and his hold on the novel began to quiver immensely. He stared at the sentence as though it might rearrange itself into something less…that. But it didn’t, the whisper of the words taking root in his mind. It felt so wrong to keep going...Delilah made sure none of the toons were too well educated on sex. Risking trouble between them was the last thing she wanted. Even so, she couldn’t bury it completely. Astro swallowed the lump in his throat and hesitantly flipped the page.

He opened up her velvety hole, sliding deeper, stroking until she cried out.

“I— oh…” His face was now entirely a deep shade of magenta, sweat beading on his forehead. Was the book talking about….this?
A deep ache rose from low in his belly, even stronger this time, creeping down to his lower region. He looked down towards the spot in between his thighs, softly pulsating with foreign need.

‘Dandy, what the hell are you reading… It feels weird–’

The moon squeezed his legs together in an attempt to curb the alien sensations. To his demise, the fabric of his black shorts slid against his heat, cruelly catching on his slickness and making him bend over. A small whimper escaped his throat before he could help it. “Nnghh…n-no..stop…” He pleaded quietly, unsure if he was fighting against his body or the book.

He stubbornly curled in on himself in an attempt to stop the dripping slick sliding down his warmth. The strange dampness only deepened his panic—why was this happening to him? His body was responding in a way he didn’t understand, one that Delilah would definitely frown upon. This was bad. Really bad. He brokenly cried out, face burning. “I-I can’t–”
Words on the page danced in his mind, the scene from the book turning into a provocative movie against his will. His heart raced with panic as it tried to recognize the feeling.

But it didn’t help. Heat was rapidly crawling up his spine, unrecognizable pleasure pooling out from him.

Astro carefully set the book down with one set of arms, the other clutching at his blanket as if it could smother the growing feeling. He scooted back towards the headrest, the ache between his legs getting worse as he squirmed.
“Mn… nh…its weird...Dandy–ngh..” He pressed his lips together, breath unsteady, his hips giving a helpless twitch against the sheets when—
A knock at the door shattered the haze. His eyes went wide as saucers. He lurched upright, scrambling to shove the book out of sight. It slid under his bed as he ran to the door.

“Uh, Astro? It’s me…”

Dandy. The moon took a big breath, shakily wrapping his blanket back over him.
Before Dandy could get another knock in, Astro threw the door open with a cold sweat. The flower toon awkwardly stood in front of him, hands folded. “Uh, are you good, moonlight?”

Astro hadn’t realized just how tense he was until the touch of Dandy’s hand on his shoulder caused him to melt. He gave him a small smile and coughed, using stars to adjust his nightcap.

“Y-yeah. Of course, Dandy. What can I do for you?” He tried his best to maintain his composure, but looking at him was difficult after knowing what he had read. His best friend, touching something like that…? It must’ve been in the crate by mistake. That sort of thing would never have gotten out to the toons. Well, not on Delilah’s watch, at least.

Dandy scratched the back of his neck, shifting his gaze from side to side. “It’s nothing, really! I just feel a little bad for…avoiding you recently.” His voice shrank to a near-whisper, barely audible to Astro’s ears. Astro answered with a small smile, the tight knot of worry in his chest loosening just a little.

“Hey, don’t worry about me…I just want to make sure you’re alright. Have you been eating properly?”

Dandy’s cheeks flushed with color as his leafy tail gave a faint thump against the floor. For a moment, his eyes dimmed, then brightened again with his trademark cheer. “Yep! Perfectly fine! Eating up all the crumbs I can, haha!” His laugh faded into a pause, his gaze snagging on Astro’s star-filled eyes. Something heavier sat in his eyes before he smothered it again with a grin. “Uh, get some rest, okay?”

Astro hesitated. Every instinct screamed at him to push, to ask, but the fear of driving him further away made him bite his lip. Instead, he just nodded, watching as Dandy retreated down the hall.

The door clicked shut again, and Astro slid down to the floor, crumpling into a ball as all four arms wrapped around himself. His thoughts were tangled in a large knot from trying to make sense of everything. Dandy had visited him, finally! Maybe he’d even talk about what was bothering him soon. A faint flutter of hope stirred in his chest, only to be crushed by the warmth pooling low in his belly again, the damp cling of his shorts pressing against him as a cruel reminder of before. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. A whimper slipped out and he held himself tighter.
The friction against his lower region only made the ache sharper, throbbing with a need he couldn’t name.

“Nnnh–wh…why…” His voice quivered as he let out a small sob and gasped. He felt his hips start to betray him, chasing the need for more against his will, his clit pulsating with desire. He could almost imagine Delilah’s eyes on him. Would she be angry? Or worse—disappointed? Completely overwhelmed by the mixture of heat and guilt he shot up and threw himself into the bed, rolling around and forcing his mind to focus on anything else. It was terrifying. Was the book cursed? His thoughts spiraled back to where he first got it, lying so innocently in the crate and just begging to be opened.

‘I should ask Dandy…I should ask if he knows what this is— but…’

He let out another helpless sigh.

‘No… this isn’t something I’m supposed to know…’

Astro flipped onto his back and sank into the plush softness of the sheets, staring into the blankness overhead, hollow and dazed.

‘It’s fine. I'll forget about it soon, surely... What’s most important is Dandy right now…'

He recalled the moment when Dandy had come to check on him. Surely it wasn’t a coincidence, right? Maybe it was a sign…Maybe Dandy was secretly hinting for Astro to help somehow. The moon squinted, playing back the situation from the beginning.

Could he…enter his dream?

He wasn’t sure if his friend would be too fond of the idea, but it seemed like the best solution to figure out what was weighing on him. He’d have to keep a low profile, though. A set of arms rubbed his temples, the others still hugging his blanket tightly. He let out a soft hum as he stroked the material for comfort. Groaning, he rolled on his belly and stuffed his face in his star pillow. Yes, he’d slip into Dandy’s dream, figure out what was hopefully wrong with him, and take it from there. However, the wetness in his thighs gently reminded him of his current problem. He had to take care of that first…

Hesitantly, he stood up, grabbing the hem of his pants and sliding them down. A small string of fluid stretched between his underwear and skin, and a sharp pang of shame formed a pit in his stomach. He clenched his eyes tightly–refusing to look at the product of his shameful sensations, quickly grabbing a tissue from his nightstand and dabbing it clean with clumsy and frantic swipes. He tugged off the messy fabric with fumbling hands, desperate to be rid of it, and pulled on fresh clothes as if they might erase the memory of before. His legs shakily walked to the light switch and flicked it off. The darkness engulfed him as he tucked himself into bed and let himself be hugged by the star-covered comforters.

It was weird and scary, but the reactions his body was giving weren’t as important as his closest friend. He bit his lip and buried himself deeper in the softness. He’d hope that this plan would actually work…Then maybe he could ask about that book.

Shoot. Book club was tomorrow! He’d have to worry about that part later.

He let out a gentle exhale, forcing his magic to softly lull him to sleep. His usual dream-hopping ritual—plaguing his mind with the toon until he slipped through—was harder than normal, but thinking of Dandy helped him to calm himself. It was both a distraction and a comfort to his overwhelmed mind.

Chapter Text

Going into the dreamscape was not an easy feat. Dipping into one’s consciousness required some sort of permission from the target, even if they weren’t fully aware of it.

Astro only realized he had such a power a few years ago, back when Austin scolded him for sleeping in during a supposed meet-and-greet. Even the idea of Austin being the slightest bit mad at him caused him to toss and turn in bed for the entire night. His tears stained his cheeks, eyes puffy, and he’d thought about the handler so much to the point he awoke in a place unfamiliar. A place only Austin knew. Astro folded immediately when his handler questioned him the next morning. The staff were all on guard about Astro’s magic, but nobody knew the limit of what it could do. Because of this, it was subsequently decided that the moon was no longer allowed to hop into others’ dreams. But that wouldn’t stop him.

Ever since then, his efforts to keep himself hidden in one’s unconsciousness grew. More of a whisper, hiding among the shadows. Retreating even during the slightest bit of questioning. Guilt would swallow him whole if he witnessed anything too personal—secrets that he didn’t dare tell anyone else. (For example, why Sprout’s been consistently dreaming of marrying Cosmo like he's seen in the movies.) After all, his attempts were only to find out what was bothering his friends...

He furrowed his eyebrows, grasping at whatever he could to keep himself focused, like how velvety soft Dandy’s petals were when he got the rare chance to feel them, or the deep inky black of his pupils that sucked him in. A soft blush grew on his cheeks as his mind fell further into unconsciousness.

‘You sweet thing, just tell me what's been bothering you… I want to help.'

A few minutes of holding his blanket snug against him and rolling around like a caterpillar commenced until his muscles finally slipped into a restful state. Eventually, he could feel his mind start to dance into the twinkling flickers of his best friend's dream. The moon's eyes snapped open the second he transferred. He glanced down towards the four of his shaking hands, then gripped his blanket tighter with a new sense of determination. He’d get to the bottom of this, absolutely. But first… he’d need to assess the contents of Dandy’s head. He whipped around to look at the scenery, realizing he was in a bedroom. The green plaid sheets warped under his weight.

‘This is…Where am I..?’ Astro squinted his eyes, adjusting to the light of the room.

Everything was darkened except for the faint glow of the lamp beside him. Something about the air felt familiar, one that he couldn’t name. It was almost like he knew what this place was, but had never been. ‘Everything looks alright…God, I hope this works…’ Without time to properly survey, the door in front of him clicked open and interrupted his thoughts.

“Astro! Did I keep you waiting?” Dandy chirped from the entrance. He smiled, leaning on the doorway for support. Astro didn't even have time to answer before Dandy skipped up to him and held his twitching hands. “I’m sorry about that. Busy times these days! I’m glad I could drop in…You look beautiful like this...”

The moon’s mind went blank, making futile attempts to process his words. His heart caught as he felt the small hands take his; his remaining arms instinctively curling back beneath the…wait. What the hell was he wearing? He glanced down at the white silky robe wrapped around him, small golden embroidery decorating the hems. A long slit ran down one of the edges. It was comfortable, but an odd choice for sure, it being a bit more revealing than he was used to. And speaking of, only the dream’s subjects usually had physical changes, meaning—

Oh. Oh god. Astro’s heart almost leaped out of his throat.

He was a main character? Why was Dandy dreaming about him? He had to play it off. If he broke character even the slightest amount, it would be over immediately. Dandy noticed those things. He firmly swallowed and adjusted himself on the blanket. He relaxed his muscles, sitting with his legs to the side. ‘I just have to stick to the plot…We’re both relaxed, right? Focus… everything is fine.’

He hadn’t even noticed how wrapped in thought he was until the feeling of Dandy’s hands holding his released, the vast shift leaving a lingering tingle on his fingers. Dandy looked down at him expectantly with large doe-like eyes. What was he supposed to say? Great. Messing up already, way to go, Astro. It almost felt like they were in a script, the free-form nature of the flower’s dream being washed away with mechanical rhythm. He shifted from side to side, avoiding locking in on the gaze to search for a sentence to grasp onto.

“Hah, Dandy…I-It’s fine. I don’t mind waiting. And–you’re also very–ahm–handsome…”

Shit. Well, it didn’t quite come out as he imagined it. But it worked. The flower’s face filled to the brim with red from top to bottom, eyes widening before relaxing into a deep smile. Was this something he expected to hear? Astro shifted deeper into the plush of the bed; his bottom arms still hiding underneath the fabric. Holding themselves. It wouldn’t have felt as awkward if there were no sleeves instead of two, but even while dreaming, the urge to hide them away consumed his instincts. Dandy furrowed his brows and eyed him suspiciously, sitting in the place next to him as if this had been rehearsed a bunch of times. The flower leaned in closer, petals slightly bobbing.

That feeling of deja vu crashed into him like a truck as the line slipped from his lips with practiced ease: “Are you sure it’s fine? You seem so impatient…”

Oh. Ohhhhhh. The puzzle pieces began to click in Astro’s head. The shift in tone, the out-of-place dialogue, and those specifically described green plaid sheets. All of it.

‘T-this is…Ah…’ Astro’s face began to turn red, his heart almost bursting out of his chest. His airway started to cling to itself, the room closing in as the realization of what this was dawned on him. He let out a loud huff that he hadn’t realized he was holding in, his lungs emptying out his surprise. So Dandy really did read it too.. Is this what he was keeping in all this time? It would explain why he’s been so jumpy... The feelings it gave were far from acceptable. But…

The flower caressed his skin a little more; his eyes grazed fondly over him like a precious jewel. Words fell out of Astro’s mouth before he could even think of them.

“I suppose I am.. Well, I wouldn’t mind if you made up for it…” His chest seized. ‘Why did I say that?’ He didn’t even know what it meant. The words felt hollow in his mouth, spoken on autopilot, like he was just echoing something from the page. A less panicked part of him yearned to keep going, so he could understand it more. Was it going to play out just like the novel? A shiver ran up his spine at the thought of doing something so…strange and wrong. Incomprehensible. Something that made him feel hot and heavy and weird. But his body moved on its own, leaving no room to argue. It was guided by something else—something buried in the pages of that book. A soft hand cupped his cheek and tilted it to face him. Astro leaned into it instantly, helpless. His muscles ached to retreat, but the rest of him clung to the touch like a magnet.

‘I-I need to leave…I–’

Dandy gently grabbed his hips and he yelped. Hands rubbed up and down, fingers pressing and kneading the skin underneath in small patterns. The soft caress caused an electric jolt to travel down his body.

“I can take care of that…” Dandy whispered, leaning in. A hot breath ghosted over the moon’s face. He had to leave.…Right? He needed full focus to leave the dream. But his attention was hushed out by the overwhelming urges that clouded his mind. Ones he couldn’t find a name to. His body slightly wavered, his conscience attempting to grab at whatever it could to bring him back to reality. But as Dandy’s hands ever so gently dragged the tie from his robe open, waves of heat rushed in like a smooth tide. All sense of urgency was lolled out of him when the curtains of his outfit were softly pulled back.

“N-ngh…Dandy…” His thighs shifted together uncomfortably. That thing between them was hot again, throbbing expectantly for something, anything. It squeezed within itself, leaving an odd and empty sensation. A small whimper escaped him. The flower tilted his head and smoothed the skin of Astro’s cheek once more.

“Shh, you’re doing so great, my moon…Just keep still like that, okay?”

“You’re so beautiful for me…”

Dandy’s eyes glimmered with something he’d never seen before—a glaring hunger, laced with a hint of desperation for him. But also softened by a profound fondness so deep it made Astro’s heart cartwheel in his chest.

Shame must be a thing you can only feel in the real world.

His face burned with a blush from the simple praise. The moon mumbled something incoherent in return, arching his back to let the warm touch of Dandy’s fingers dance over his chest. Being flustered was a complete understatement. The pulsing in his body was past the verge of controllable, and the scripts from the book began to melt into his real thinking. Separating the two became an extremely strenuous task, and he simply couldn’t keep up anymore. Dandy unknowingly won this fight. A deep haziness weaved between his brain and body, almost possessing him.

“Mmn..” Fingers brushed down from his chest to his navel, tracing the soft indentation. Touches were slight and barely fluttered over the skin. They left him with a tingling sensation, one that sparkled with dissatisfaction.

It wasn’t enough; it just couldn’t touch the itch that was clawing at him.

Dandy hummed happily and leaned his head into the crook of the moon’s neck.

“Dandy…M-more…” Astro wasn’t even sure what he was asking for. But the throbbing was so insistent that he just had to chase relief, and more of that touch seemed to help. Dandy hushed him, a free hand squeezing one of Astro’s.

“Yeah? Is that what you want?” He felt Astro weakly nod in response and leaned in to suck on his neck. His teeth sank in just enough to sting before suctioning hard, marking him with dark bruises. A slick shine of saliva clung to the skin after every bite, each nip sealed with a flittering kiss. Astro sighed, all four arms escaping the robe to wrap around him. The material slid down and bundled up at his waist. He was way too distracted to worry about how dream Dandy would feel about the extra limbs.

Suddenly, the hand holding his unlocked from his fingers and slipped down the waistband of his shorts.

“Ahhn, ugh! N-no!!” He instinctively yelped, the throb of his lower half spiking with desire as it went lower. Dandy pulled his head back, eyes locking onto him.

“Are you alright…?” Astro sheepishly nodded, eyes darting away while the blush on his face grew deeper.

“S-sorry…I..I’ve never been touched there before…” The words tumbled out between shaky breaths, his logic still tangled in the haze of the moment. They were off-script now, but the blurred edge between dream and reality made it feel almost natural. Dandy let out a laugh of relief and kissed his cheek. The moon didn’t know how badly his heart skipped whenever he did that. The butterflies inside him were at the edge of bursting into a million stars.

“So delicate… I’ll be gentle, I promise. Tell me if it hurts, alright?…” Dandy couldn’t help the smile on his face. His eyes crinkled with happiness; drunk at the thought that this moon was finally his to claim. With careful hands, he eased Astro down, tucking a pillow beneath his head. Astro’s legs quivered and parted themselves for him helplessly. Just having his legs spread left a dull ache, a hollow yearning for something to fill the gap inside him. Dandy’s fingers slid to his waistband and tugged, peeling the shorts away to bare the slick, dripping heat he’d been aching to see. Dandy stared at it in awe, then back at him, his head leaning between his thighs. He traced down from Astro’s stomach, each inch slower than the last, fingertips grazing the edge of his pelvis before giving the lightest, playful taps further down. Astro gasped and wriggled; light whines of his friend’s name escaped his tongue.

Dandy’s touch felt good. Really good. Embarrassment or indignity wasn’t something to worry about anymore. It’s only a dream…Delilah surely couldn’t get mad at him if he indulged just a bit. What was so wrong about this anyway? The noises encouraged Dandy to go a bit further, his fingers barely gliding over Astro’s clit. A pathetically stifled moan caused him to go into submission. Every nerve felt raw and hungry, his entrance already lubricated, aching to be touched.

Astro choked out a hazy plea. “Mmh—ahh… p-please, Dandy…touch me there…it feels so good...I need it…” He looked down at him, eye drooping and faint sweat glistening over his body. He shivered from the lack of contact and softly panted, his face painted with a blissed-out expression. Any sense of his real self was replaced by a desperate yearning within him. The flower only teasingly smirked, lightly tracing around his sensitive spot. Astro’s hips instinctively arched to chase his touch–but Dandy quickly pulled back.

“I’ll make you feel really good, just a bit more…”

Astro felt a burning frustration shake his core. Did he even know how badly it ached, how much it was screaming for contact? The thick, sticky fluid leaking on the sheets was more than enough to tell Dandy everything he needed to know. The teasing was almost painful, tears threatening to well up in his eyes. “Mmn, don’t be mean… please…more…I-it's not fair...!”

The flower sighed and held one of his thighs open. “Mm...fine. I’ll help you, my moon…” Even with his feigned reluctance, his almost giddy nature to get to the main course shone through the cracks. He leaned in, his warm breath tickling the sensitive flesh.

Astro clenched his eyes, waiting for the feeling to be taken care of. “Th-thank you…” To his surprise, a slow, wet stripe trailed over his most sensitive place, and his whole body trembled in response. Dandy lapped at him eagerly, savoring the taste of his moon as though he’d been starving for it. Pleasure seized Astro’s mind as sparks flew off in his head. A flick of the tongue found the tiny bead above, rapid and insistent, making it quiver under the wet strokes. His cries spilled out unrestrained, hips jerking upward on instinct while his lower arms clutched desperately at Dandy’s petals. The tongue wandered further, sliding teasingly along his folds, spreading the slickness that only grew thicker the more he writhed. The slick overflow drooled down in shameless streams, soaking into the sheets while each wet sound echoed with his shaky cries. Dandy pulled back just long enough for a glistening string to snap from his lips. Astro could feel how uncomfortably warm it was now. He desperately tried to catch his breath–failing miserably. Then, without warning, the flower pressed forward again, plunging his tongue into the tight, welcoming heat. All he could do was wriggle helplessly as Dandy’s wet organ invaded him.

“AAH, I-Ahh, t-that’s dirty–! Dan–mmnph…!!”

“BARK!!”

Huh?

“BARK!!!”

Astro’s eyes shot open to reveal the darkness of his own room. His chest heaved in an attempt to collect himself from the dream, but the loud noise outside barely gave him any room to think.

‘I–ungh, pebble..?!’ He flipped out of bed, pulling his blanket tightly around himself and trudging to the door. Whatever it was at this hour, the pitiful whines and barking must’ve been urgent. He opened the door a crack only for it to be burst open by the four legged creature.

“ARF!!!”

“Pebble, I–what’s wrong, boy?” The unusual behavior caused a twinge of worry in his chest. The rock spun around in circles, almost tripping over itself. Something was seriously wrong. It shook towards the darkened hallway, then paced around again. “Do you want me to follow you? Is it something wrong with Dandy??” Pebble sat down on the planked floors and yipped. The moon nodded eagerly and hurriedly slid into his slippers to follow him. He had to fight the urge to dash straight to the flower’s room. His footsteps padded along the ground, sweat sliding down his face.

A million possibilities raced through his mind like a cacophony of despair. ‘Was it something I did? He’s not hurt, is he? It has to be my fault, it has to–’

The door to Dandy’s room approached and he immediately slammed it open. He gasped, using his stars to lean onto his knees and catch his breath. The second he recovered he scrambled over to see the flower squirming around in his sheets with furrowed brows. Pebble sat next to Astro’s feet and let out a harsh whine. Dandy tossed and turned, curling in on himself in a fetal position. The harsh glisten of sweat covered his flushed face, his chest gently panting. It took a few seconds for Astro to process the fact that Dandy was still dreaming.

The realization of what had happened earlier only just came crashing back to him.

‘Oh.’

A sigh of relief left his lips as a few of the outcomes he worried about crossed off in his head. At least it wasn’t terrible…right? It felt okay, even. Maybe a little more than okay. But he wouldn’t admit that. The feeling of dampness in his pants was a cruel reminder that he’d also woken up from such a dream, left unsatisfied. His thighs shifted together in response. He hesitated, attempting to drown out the strange feelings, then leaned down to soothingly scratch between Pebble’s ears.

“Shh, don’t worry, y-your owner is just having a bad dream. I’ll fix it, okay?” He straightened his back and surveyed the trembling flower. It looked almost uncomfortable to be so flustered and warm. The closer he leaned in, he could feel small noises and hushed whimpers falling out of Dandy’s mouth. Some of them even mumbling the moon’s name. The desperate neediness of his position was nothing like the confident dream version—his restless murmurs and clutching hands made him look less like the figure of control he made himself out to be. Dream Dandy must be something of a fantasy in his head. But Astro shook it off, focusing on the matter at hand. The returning warmth tried to crawl back into Astro's body, harshly shut out by the determination to look after his friend.

‘I should wake him up…right? Just to ease Pebble’s mind..’ A glowing star brushed against Dandy’s face. He was a bit of a light sleeper, so it didn’t take much for his eyelids to crack open. The dark and blurry figure caused him to tilt his head in hazy confusion.

“Whuh…? Whaissit..?” He sat up and rubbed at his eyes, blinking until the shape sharpened into someone familiar. In front of him was a very worried Astro, offering a soft, tentative smile. The moon cleared his throat and used his magic to flick the light on.

“Hi, Dandy…are you okay? You worried Pebble a bit there…” Warm light washed over the room, revealing all the shapes and colors swallowed by the dark. It was only then that Dandy fully processed who stood beside his bed.

His whole body jolted, a squeak escaping before he shrieked and ducked under the blankets. Only his wide eyes peeked out, framed by the brightest blush Astro had ever seen.

“A–ASTRO!! Wh–what in the world are you doing here?! I–I mean—! It’s late! Way too late for you, isn’t it?!”

“Well, I was awoken by Pebble. He thought you were in danger.” Dandy’s face couldn’t get any redder. He stammered, the memories of what happened striking him like a chord.

“N-no, I’m..! I’m fine, just dandy and everything! Every flower has a bit of a bad dream now and then, right?!” He poked his head out further, clutching the blanket so tight his knuckles went pale, forcing a smile. Astro’s eyes flickered down, catching the odd tenting beneath the sheets before Dandy yelped and snapped the covers tighter around himself. “A-anyway..! Don’t worry about me! I’ll—uh—lock the door next time so Pebble doesn’t bother ya!” Astro blinked, his curiosity lingering on the strange sight before shifting back to Dandy’s words. Maybe this was a chance for him to mention things…He obviously couldn’t bring up what happened, but it was a good opportunity to at least let Dandy talk..

His thumb tugged nervously at the blanket draped around his shoulders, voice soft. “You know I’m always here for you, right? I… care about you. So, if you ever wanted help with your nightmares, I could—”

“NO! No! N-no, really! You’re already doing enough, friend! I can handle it!” Dandy’s words tumbled out in a rush, his laugh too high and forced. “You should just, uh, go get some shuteye… yeah! Sleep’s important!”

Well, it didn’t seem like he was getting any answers tonight. Astro let the silence sit for a beat before nodding gently. He didn’t want to push. “Alright… but if you ever do need me, you can tell me. Anytime.” He flicked his magic and floated an extra blanket over Dandy, tucking it snugly around him. The flower’s shoulders eased as he cracked a sheepish, appreciative smile.

“Sure thing. I’ll go right back to Snooze Town. G’night, moon.”

Astro’s eyes crinkled at that, a tiny warmth blooming in his chest. He turned toward the door, pausing to glance back once more before closing it behind him. Back in the quiet of the hallway, the thought pressed into his mind and refused to let go. It was like all the previous feelings caught up to him at once. Why him? He knew he was the closest to him out of anyone, but he felt guilty for considering it may not be just that. Being the center of his dream, being praised and found beautiful, even with all his arms clenching at the sheets and exposed. It made his heart squeeze in a way it hadn't before. It was scary, but also nice. Fluttery.

But then the cold reality sunk in. It really could've been anyone, right? They were only parroting a scene from the novel, most likely since it was the last thing Dandy had read. He shook off the warmth from before and stumbled to his room.