#sleeping peacefully but the danger is lurking close by palette | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

fluentmoviequoter · 10 months

Note

hii!! if you’re still taking requests could you please do one where the reader can also astral project and reader and dalton see each other in the further but don’t realise the other one is alive until they see each other in the real world or something like that?? i LOVE your writing so much btw 🤍

Thank you so much for the request and the kind words! This is SUCH A GOOD IDEA! Apologies that it took so long, but in all honesty it stressed me out because I knew I was going to mess it up. I hope this is at least on the right track and please let me know what you think! :)

Warnings: goes back and forth between reader and Dalton at first, a lil angst, fluff, lots of flirting, canon-typical (I hope) descriptions of the Further, 3k+ words

Don't Believe Everyone You See

Ten years ago, you watched yourself sleep for the first time. You thought it was a nightmare, so you didn’t tell anyone. Then it kept happening. When you finally shared what was happening, someone made a phone call. You were soon introduced to a woman named Elise, who claimed to know what you were experiencing and promised to help you navigate the ability. Elise told you that some people ventured completely into the darkness, which she called the Further. She said that you shouldn’t go all the way, at least not until you were ready to face what was in there.

You will never be ready. But the Further doesn’t care about whether or not you’re ready. Or whether or not you make it out alive. As you age, you learn more about the Further, take longer and darker trips, learn the triggers that deliver you into the Further, and don’t get as scared when encountering the souls trapped within. Although you have more experience, you still have little control over when you project and how you make it into the darkness of the Further. When it happens in your dorm, you can walk around campus and experience a world frozen in time. Which might be really interesting if there weren’t monsters lurking in every shadow.

After a few weeks of traveling in the dark, you know the campus inside and out, including where the darkest souls live. However, now it is more dangerous than ever to step into the Further; it's like a door was opened somewhere. Whatever the cause of the increase in violent creatures, the problem must be remedied. Perhaps you can be the one to close the door or plug the leak.

Closing your eyes, you count slowly backward from ten. After seeing a video in which surgery patients do so while receiving anesthesia, you tried it, which led to the complete relaxation that delivered you directly into the foyer of the Further. Opening your eyes and standing from your bed, you look down and see your body resting peacefully. Steeling your nerves and planning to find the source of this unseemly invasion, you exit your dorm and venture toward the darkest shadows.

Across campus, Dalton Lambert is trying to stay awake while he finishes an art project. He is settled in a peaceful place to work since Chris is in their dorm “blowing her hooter,” her self-assigned music homework. He releases a sigh as he finishes the last brushstroke, setting down his palette and brushes. Dalton leans back and looks at the complete painting of the house, remembering the time spent inside it before his coma but he has never been to it again. He feels something is missing, so he leans forward to get a better look, groaning at the realization that he is no longer in his body. Astral projecting, a term that Dalton knows due to Chris’ dutiful research, always happens at the worst possible times. Shrugging, Dalton decides he has nothing better to do and begins exploring under the cover of darkness. What’s the worst that can happen? Dalton thinks, then immediately wishes he could take it back. A bad phrase in the real world is usually nightmarish in the Further.

You walk until you can no longer see your dorm before you see an area that might be a gateway. There is a stretch of sidewalk with no streetlights and absolute darkness before you. Taking a deep breath, you walk into the emptiness and remind yourself to breathe as your senses disappear, one by one.

Dalton turns a corner, not paying attention to where he is, and is bathed in blackness. Continuing, he has a distant memory that there is a light somewhere within the Further, and he only has to keep walking. Seeing a faint flicker ahead, Dalton speeds up and follows the illumination until he can see the full outline of the lone lantern sitting on the ground. Dalton turns to look for another light and bumps into something, unintentionally grabbing it to steady himself. As his hands make contact, he realizes that it’s someone he’s holding.

You chase the light, not seeing anything in your path until you collide with it. Hands grab your waist as yours raise to what feels like biceps. Looking up, you make eye contact with what must be a very young soul and a seemingly innocuous one. Your eyes focus, and with the light of the lantern, you can clearly make out the face of a handsome guy, and you wonder how a spirit that looks like this – and saved you from falling – is trapped in a place like this. Suddenly remembering your purpose for coming, you remove yourself from his grip and walk around him, forcing yourself not to look back, scared that you’ll see the opposite of what you want.

Dalton stands completely still, flexing his hands beside him as he analyzes what happened. Taking a deep breath, he thinks about what the woman in the video, Elise, would say. Dalton recalls something about the souls being drawn to the living who cross into their realm. Nodding to himself, he decides it was just some twisted mind game that made the soul appear alive. As he turns to leave, he can’t help but think maybe the Further would have better luck claiming souls if they all looked like that. With one glance back, seeing nothing but the light from the lantern, Dalton heads back to his body and prays to anyone listening that nothing insidious happens along the way.

Waking up, you immediately think back to your encounter in the Further. With that in your mind, it is unlikely you will be able to focus on anything else. Pulling your computer out, you find videos of Elise teaching about the Further. Your research nearly makes you late for class, yet you leave with more questions and no answers.

Someone yells your name as you exit your last class. Your roommate runs up beside you, looping an arm through yours and saying, “I was thinking we go get ice cream then binge watch horror movies. What do you think? Wait, you aren’t scared of horror movies, are you?”

“How could I be?” you mutter.

“Perfect! So, I want to watch this one about a boy who goes to a summer camp and drowns, but-“

Your ears filter everything out as you stop, dragging your roommate backward. Not believing what you’re seeing, your eyes follow a boy exiting the art building across the street.

“What are you staring out?” your roommate asks. “Oh! He’s cute. But we have movies.”

You lose sight of him as you are dragged further down the sidewalk. Looking over your shoulder, it’s as if he vanished into thin air… or the Further.

Dalton is not paying attention where he walks as he sees someone who looks incredibly familiar. He had spent all morning convincing himself that whoever or whatever he had run into the Further wasn’t alive; it was just one of the many souls trapped there. Maybe the occurrence had been meant to keep him in the Further or distract him from reaching the door. Either way, Dalton believes that it was not what it seemed. Now he questions his belief as he sees someone across the road. Chris yells at him for nearly running her over, then grabs his backpack strap as she continues talking about her trip to the housing office. Stumbling behind her, Dalton looks back but sees nothing, just as in the Further. He was right, to begin with; it was never real.

When you finally return to your dorm room, you return to your computer and continue researching the Further. Clicking a promising link, you sigh as you realize it is an excerpt from a book. Skimming the contents, you check for an eBook and see that the book was published years ago and was never released digitally. Crossing your fingers, you check WorldCat and see that the library on campus has a copy. You quickly gather your things and open your door, stepping into the hallway with a newfound hope that you can separate the Further from this realm... forever.

“They just emailed me my new room info,” Chris says as she closes her laptop. “Time to help me move, Dolphin.”

“Please?” Dalton prompts as she stands and begins packing.

“No problem,” she quips.

He shakes his head before standing, immediately weighed down as she places items in his arms. She squeezes everything Dalton isn’t holding into one bag and hoists it over her shoulder.

“The end of an era,” she begins dramatically. “I’ll miss your annoying nightlight and your persistent refusal to let me set you up on a date. I won’t miss some things though.”

“Chris, this is heavy, can we go?” Dalton interrupts.

“Fine. We’re only going up a floor. I’m the room above you, so be warned, young man.”

Dalton rolls his eyes as he follows Chris out of the room, closing the door behind him. While climbing the stairs, Chris rambles about something while Dalton wonders if he should return to the Further for answers. The videos Chris had shown him were helpful when figuring out what was happening, but not much more. The more answers Dalton found, the more complicated the questions became. He stops behind Chris as she pulls a key from her pocket and opens the door.

“Roommate is a transfer student or something, won’t be here ‘til October,” Chris cheers as she enters, pulling her suitcase behind her.

Dalton feels eyes on him but ignores it as he enters the room behind Chris. He drops all of her stuff on the bed and then collapses next to it.

“Need anything else?” Dalton asks, crossing his fingers that she says no.

“Nope,” Chris answers, popping the p sound. “You are free to go. This isn’t goodbye though, Dolphin, someone has to keep forcing you to have fun.”

Dalton stands and walks toward the door. “Yeah, yeah, go blow your hooter.”

He closes the door behind him and rubs his eyes. Once again sensing that someone is looking at him, he takes a deep breath and prepares to explain his presence on the girls’ floor of the building, but doesn’t get a chance to.

You look up from your phone as you lock your door, seeing someone’s back walking into the once-empty dorm beside yours. The boy looks familiar, but you can’t place why based on what little bit you can see before he closes the door. Clicking the phone number for the library, you stand outside your door as you wait for an answer. When the line connects, you immediately begin speaking.

“Hi, I’m looking for a book for a research project,” you explain, then provide the book's name and author. You hear someone typing on a keyboard, then a moment of silence.

The librarian speaks again to say, “We’ve got that one. It’ll be at the front desk when you get here.”

“Thank you so much!”

You end the call and smile, hoping the book provides some answers. It has all the keywords you are looking for, but the Further isn’t known for its consistency or any way to crack its code. Slipping your phone into your pocket, you turn toward the stairs to go to the library when the door beside yours opens again. The boy steps out and leans against the wall as he rubs his eyes. You watch him, feeling like your heart is in your stomach as you recognize him. Looking down the hallway, you see other people moving and confirm that what you see before you is real.

“Hey,” you say quietly, watching as he turns toward you and his eyes open.

You can tell he recognizes you because he does the same thing you did, looking for other movements and signs of life. Once he confirms he’s awake, he takes a step closer to you. As you get closer, you both begin to speak at the same time.

“I thought you were,” you both say together. Smiling at one another, you finish, “So did I.”

“I, uh, I’m Dalton,” he introduces, extending a hand to you.

You smile as you shake his hand and tell him your name. “There’s a book at the library that has a ton of information on the Further and how to contain it. I’m on my way to check it out, if you want to come with me?” you offer.

Dalton nods and quickly says, “Yes.” He clears his throat and tries again, “Yeah, I’ll come with. That sounds… helpful.”

You chuckle and walk down the stairs with him. He holds the door for you as you exit the dorm building. The silence grows awkward as you steal glances at one another as you walk.

“So, how long have you been projecting?” you ask.

“About ten years. You?” Dalton replies.

“The same.”

Dalton stops and runs his fingers through his hair. When you stop and face him, he smiles and shrugs. “Why is this so awkward?”

“The first time I saw you I thought you were a spirit trapped in the Further. Or some kind of trick to trap mine there. We didn’t really have a meet cute,” you answer, smiling.

“You don’t think that’s a cute story?” Dalton gasps sarcastically, placing a hand over his heart.

“What was your first impression of me?”

“Pretty much the same. I mean, I questioned it though. Never seen something that looks like you in there.”

“Thank you? I think,” you respond with a laugh.

Dalton opens the library door and follows you in, standing beside you as you check the book out. Walking back into the daylight, you hold the book out.

“Do you want to read it? Together, I mean,” you clarify quickly.

“Absolutely. I don’t have a roommate right now, so we can go to my dorm if you want. So, your roommate doesn’t see,” he looks at the book and reads the title, “The Further We Go. Seriously?”

“What do you expect from two guys named Tucker and Specs?” you counter, laughing and leaning against him.

“Wait, the Best Buy guys?” Dalton exclaims.

You grip his arm to stay upright as you laugh. “They do look like the Geek Squad!”

A passing student sends a slightly concerned look in your direction, and you try to compose yourself, letting your hand stay on Dalton’s arm as he leads you to his dorm.

“Before we do this,” you begin as you set the book down and sit on the bed across from Dalton. “What is this? Are we working together, or do we go our separate ways and probably never see each other again?”

“We’re in this together,” Dalton states. “We may be the only people in the world who understand one another.”

“You’re right about that.” you grab the book and sit next to Dalton, opening The Further We Go and spreading it across both of your laps so you can see. “Chapter One: Determining if You Have the Gift.”

“I think we can skip that,” Dalton states.

“Buzzkill,” you whisper, chuckling when Dalton nudges his shoulder against yours.

“Chapter 2: When You Meet a Really Cute Guy in the Further.”

“It does not say that,” Dalton argues, bending down to get a better look.

“No, but it tells me you weren’t paying attention to the book,” you point out.

Dalton turns his head and sees the smirk on your lips. I should kiss it off, he thinks.

“We should be able to skip to chapter five,” you say, eyes on the book again.

“You think I’m really cute?” Dalton asks, still distracted by you.

You look into his eyes and smile again. “You don’t pay attention very well do you?”

“To you,” he counters, his smile matching yours.

“We can’t read and flirt at the same time, Dalton.”

“Fine,” he groans.

After reading several chapters, you plan on how to enter the Further, find one another, and locate the source of the dangerous souls together. Dalton insists on escorting you upstairs to ensure you get home safely. When you reach your door, you turn and smile at Dalton.

“Thanks for coming with me. I’m glad we got a chance to actually meet.”

“Of course. I’m not hanging out with you ever again though,” Dalton says, his smile absent.

“Oh. Uh, can I ask why?” Your heart is in your stomach again but for a new reason.

“You wouldn’t let me flirt with you while you read.” He finally smiles as he finishes and dodges your hand as you try to punch his shoulder.

“You’re such a jerk.”

“Me?! That was cruel and unusual punishment back there.”

“Next time, you can flirt while I read,” you promise.

“I don’t know if that’s good enough.”

You roll your eyes and stand on your tiptoes, kissing his cheek before stepping back again.

“What about that?”

“One tiny kiss for two hours of not flirting? I think that’s a war crime in some countries.”

“Are you always like this?” you ask with a laugh.

“I’m never like this,” he answers honestly. “Just really glad you’re alive, I guess.”

“That sounds weird,” you tease. “But I’m glad you’re alive too.”

“I wouldn’t want to close the door with anyone else,” he admits. “Goodnight.”

“Me neither. Goodnight.”

Just before Dalton enters the stairwell, you yell his name and run to catch up to him.

“You were right.”

“About what?” he questions.

“It is a war crime,” you state.

Before he can speak, you fist his shirt in both hands and pull him down, bringing his lips to yours. His hand grabs your waist as he moves his lips against yours. The kiss is far too short, and Dalton leans into you as you pull back, smiling at him as you smooth out his shirt.

“Go get some sleep. Or don’t. Maybe I’ll see you in the Further.”

“You’ll see me either way,” Dalton points out, referring to your plan to meet the next day.

“I better. Or I’ll commit real war crimes.”

Maybe the Further has its perks after all, you and Dalton think as you return to your dorms.

#dalton lambert x reader #dalton lambert fluff #dalton lambert fic #dalton lambert imagine #dalton lambert #insidious #insidious the red door #requests

261 notes · View notes