Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

There was a small sound of something closing. The light in the already dark soon went down a bit. The next sound was of something going on a desk gently, the quiet air around now more apparent. It was late outside, only told by the clock on the wall, the only thing that showed that time was definitely passing. It was like an anchor in the house.

The blonde sitting at the desk sighed as he kept still. His hands stayed gently on the laptop as he held it closed. He couldn’t tell why he did, maybe it was the fear that it’ll come open and show his face. After all he went through to hide it, it would be lost and he would be forced to live forever.

He quietly just got up and walked into his room, turning off the lights as he left, sending his house into complete darkness. His room was no better, only having a small lamp on his bed. The thing emitted a soft green light, it was comforting to him. His windows were boarded up and any mirrors were gone. Sighing, the man walked to his bed, not bothering to change as he fell on the warm sheets. His porcelain mask was set carefully on his night stand.

The mask was a gift from his aunt, who was almost like a mother. She gave it to him when he was little. He never took it off when he first got it. At first people got scared when they would see him with it. The smile on it was unsettling to most people. Eventually it just became a thing that they became used to. He still doesn’t take it off when around other people.

The lamp turned off, the room silent as the blonde curled up on his side. The darkness and assurance of things made it easy for him to fall asleep for the night. The house became completely still, like it was locked in one moment in time. Ironically, it’s the opposite of what he wanted. But if that’s what it took to get what that was, then he could put up with that.

Dream wasn’t human, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself otherwise. No one knew what he was, and he tried telling people not to find it out. He didn’t want to be non-human, he wanted to be a mortal like everyone else.

His face could change that plan though. He knew barely anything about his origin, all he knew was that Schlatt found him and Tubbo one day. He claimed there was a meteor and when he went to go see it, he found those two. He always tells that story, but no one believes him. They don’t think that what was up there would find its way to someone like him.

The things up there, no one knew what they were. Most called them angels, others treated them as gods. But they did have powers, all with non-human forms. They weren’t well liked though. There were some in the Overworld, though they were rare. But some people didn’t like them. It was even worse than what normal hybrids got.

Dream was one of them. He hated going outside for a couple of reasons, but that was one of them. At least he was lucky enough to be able to cover himself up enough. There were other explanations as to why he stayed inside though. He just felt uncomfortable interacting with people, the non-human parts of his skin were also sensitive to the sun as well.

But his face was his biggest problem. Dream wasn’t unattractive, he was fine in that sense. It was just that whatever he was had certain rules when it came to that stuff. There was a special power that came when he turned 20, the one that granted immortality.

Living with someone for eternity was important to the species that Dream belonged to. It could be a family member, a pet, a friend, or a partner. Anyone that saw Dream’s face would live forever with him, and he could only live forever if he had that person.

He used to be excited for something like that, to be able to live forever with someone. The first person in his mind was his friends George. Dream tried being with him, tried to win his love. He almost had it, too.

But that’s when the fear began to settle in. His friends were human, and they weren’t so interested in stuff like that. Dream never told them what he was, only his family knew. Until they started talking about it was when he considered if George would even like him when he found out what he was, what he could do.

It got worse. He didn’t even know if he wanted to live forever. He was there, he was hanging out with George, and then the question settled in. It felt heavy, so heavy. Dream didn’t stay for much longer, leaving his friend and the dread that came with it. They still stayed friends, but Dream never told him.

He wasn’t going to tell anyone, it would be taken to his grave. He knew it would, because it being a secret assured that there would be a grave in the first place. He just wanted to live a mortal life. So he made sure his face was as hidden as possible. He would never become immortal.

There wouldn’t be anyone who could convince him that he should. Even if he did find someone to love him, he didn’t want to condemn them both to go through what he only saw as a curse. It was either that or he never showed his face to the person he loved. Both were terrible options to him, so he just swore to never fall in love.

It wasn’t hard since he was in his house most of the time. Besides, there probably wasn’t anyone who would put in enough effort for him to be affected by it. He knew that there wouldn’t be a person that would be so adamant about it while he has no plan of reciprocating. Whoever would is just an idiot.

Dream snapped awake as he heard his phone go off. He sat up as he went to grab his phone. It was just George. A sigh escaped as he answered the call. It wasn’t like he had to completely isolate himself, as long as he could just stay online, he didn’t need to worry.

He’d been doing this for a year, he could do it for a century more if he needed to.

Chapter Text

Dream hung up the call with George after an hour. It got him through the morning pretty well. He paced around his living room for a while talking about stuff. It would change a lot, sometimes they would talk about Sapnap, sometimes they would talk about Patches. Dream enjoyed his friend’s company, even if there was a small sting in his heart.

He knows that he’ll never be with him, and he knows that so well. There’s a part of him that thinks that George likes him. But he couldn’t do anything about it. It hurt. But at least it wouldn’t be for forever. Besides, George might like him, but he didn’t seem interested in a relationship with him. As long as he didn’t have to deal with that, then he was fine.

Dream sighed as he sat on the couch. He threw his phone on the desk beside him. It was nice being alone, but at the same time, he really wanted someone to hang out with someone. Not just outside for a short while as friends. He hated this whole situation, and he hated this curse. He wanted to get rid of it, but that would require making someone immortal. He didn’t want to ask people because he would have to tell others what he was. Being immortal was a horrible power anyway.

The room became more tense as Dream heard a knock at the door. The blonde went to his room to get his mask. He didn’t know who would be there, usually his friends would just call him like George did. They knew how he was, and everyone agreed to only do it when it was important. He just grabbed his mask and quickly went to greet the person outside.

Dream adjusted the porcelain as he opened the door, he hummed in surprise seeing Fundy at his door. Fundy was a good friend of his. It was rare they did stuff together by themselves, but they did interact sometimes. Though it was odd that Fundy would come to his house, especially with flowers in his hand.

“Fundy?” Dream called. Fundy smiled at the masked blonde happily. He wasn’t completely decked out in formal wear, but he definitely looked nice. Fundy never usually called Dream by himself, so him coming to his house was weird, “What are you doing here?”

“Well, I noticed that you were pretty alone most of the time, so I wanted to take you out!” Fundy said. Dream looked at him surprised. He didn’t think Fundy would be interested in doing that, it was actually the first time someone asked him about doing that. He did think it was nice, but he was worried about the flowers.

“On a date?” Dream asked. Fundy seemed to get a bit flustered at the question, he played with the lavender roses in his hand a bit. The air became more tense as Dream waited for an answer.

“If you want it to be that, it depends on what happens, but it can just be us hanging out if you want,” Fundy said, his face had a red tint. Dream shut down a bit hearing it. He didn’t want to hear that. He didn’t want the thought in his head that Fundy would want to go on a date, that he liked him. Dream wanted to tell him the problem with that, but he couldn’t, he just had to vaguely reject him, it’s all he could do

“I don’t think you should do that,” Dream mumbled. He didn’t mind hanging out with Fundy, and he didn’t doubt that it would be fun. Someone asking it was new, but he just couldn’t let Fundy take him out on a date. It doesn’t have to be one, yet he can tell that’s what Fundy actually wants.

Dream grabbed the door, ready to close it. Fundy gently put a hand on the doorframe as he looked at Dream with a concerned expression. Dream felt dread fill him as he saw his worry. He couldn’t tell him, he just had to make him leave and hope that he doesn’t get too suspicious.

“I just want to make sure you’re happy and treat you to something nice,” Fundy said. His voice was soft as he looked at Dream. Dream sighed as he threatened to close the door again. He couldn’t, that would only hurt him in the long run and he knew it.

“Trust me, you’ll regret it,” Dream breathed quietly. Fundy didn’t leave though, he wanted to make him happy, and it was starting to hurt.

“I won’t regret it if I can make you happy,” Fundy said. He held out a hand to Dream. Dream panicked as he looked at him.

He wanted to go with him, have fun with his friend, but he knew Fundy wanted it to be a date. Fundy was always known as being a bitter person when it came to love, and he didn’t want him to have another bad experience if he did fall in love with him. Dream grabbed the mask, holding it close to his face. Fundy seemed to get more concerned as he watched him. He called his name, but Dream didn’t want to hear it.

“I’m sorry,” Dream mumbled. He suddenly closed the door in Fundy’s face, leaning on it as he was stuck in the darkness of his home once again. The tense air faded as the door kept the outside away once again.

Dream sighed as he slid down the door, the air was quiet once again. He curled up in a ball, listening to see if Fundy would leave. Dream grabbed his mask, hiding even more under it. He didn’t handle that well at all, he just hoped that Fundy didn’t hate him after it.

It was silent for a few minutes, then there were soft steps from the other side. He looked at the door as he heard Fundy leave his doorstep. Dream hesitated as he slowly got up, putting a hand on the doorknob for both leverage and to later open it.

After a few seconds of thought, Dream opened the door once again. Fundy was gone, as was a car that was outside, which he assumed was his. Dream was about to go back inside, when he noticed the flowers that Fundy brought him were laid on ground. He picked them up carefully, looking at the lavender roses.

Dream sighed as he closed the door again, holding the flowers close to his chest as he went to go find something to put them in. They were definitely real, and he felt obligated to keep them alive for as long as he could. Dream got a glass pitcher from the kitchen, setting the flowers down as he put water in it.

The blonde spent a few minutes looking at the roses as he sat on the couch, the flowers set on the short table in front of him. He had a feeling Fundy would be back to ask him out again, and he didn’t want him to. He appreciated him wanting to make him happy, it was sweet. But he couldn’t let him get trapped in being with him.

He just grabbed his phone as he tried to ignore the situation. Fundy would get the hint that it was a bad idea, and he would just leave him alone for his own sake. Dream knew he was bitter towards love, he doubted he would try again. The roses he got were pretty though.

Chapter Text

Dream sighed as he dropped more flowers into the vase on his table. He was wrong, unsurprisingly, Fundy did not give up. In fact he was pretty adamant in making him happy. It wasn’t a bad thing to Dream, he actually found it quite nice, especially with the flowers and gifts he brought him.

His problem was that it was directed at him. He didn’t want to be cared for like this, he didn’t want Fundy to waste his time and money doing this. Being with him was a trap in either living normally but not seeing his face, or living forever. Dream just wanted to stop him from making that mistake, but it was hard since he couldn’t tell him that he was a non-human.

Fundy was a hybrid, so he might understand, but he just didn’t know. Hybrids and non-humans were usually against each other when they weren’t against normal humans. The fact that Dream and his brother could hide the fact of what they were was lucky. He couldn’t believe Fundy hadn’t figured it out yet.

He almost wished he could though. He didn’t want Fundy to not be friends with him anymore, but at least he wouldn’t be chasing something that was going to hurt him. He loved the flowers around the house, they really did make his normally dark and closed off house look nice. But he just didn’t wish Fundy spent so much on it, even if he could.

Fundy is an adult, everyone accepts that, but in human years, he’s not. He’s supposed to live with care still, which doesn’t help since he’s been adopted into Eret’s family. Though being in her custody does give him some money, at least more than his previous family. Dream knows he has the money to spend on him, he just didn’t think it was worth it.

His requests got more and more frequent. He did it a week after the first time, two days after that he asked again with a small box of chocolates. Fundy really did want to win him over and take him out. Dream wouldn’t let that happen though. He’s a curse, and he didn’t want Fundy to fall in that.

Eventually the next day came, and Dream waited for a familiar knock again. It came, and Dream grabbed his mask to greet the fox. Fundy was smiling again, this time with a small nice bag in his hands. Looks like there was more than flowers and chocolate.

“Hey Fundy,” Dream sighed. Fundy gave a small wave, “I’ve already told you that this is a mistake.”

“And I’ve told you already that I’m going to make you happy,” Fundy said. Dream grabbed at the doorknob again, ready to close it. He couldn’t even try and satisfy him by going with him, that wouldn’t end well and he knows it.

“Just leave the gifts on the doorstep, I’ll get them later,” Dream mumbled. He started to close the door, only to get stopped by Fundy, who gave him a concerned look, “Fundy, you’ll regret it.”

“Please, I just want to let you have a good time. You’re always inside and everytime I see you, you seem a bit down,” Fundy said, holding the door a bit open. Dream looked down. He felt guilty for denying him so much, Fundy really did care, “I really want to make you smile just as big as the one on your mask.”

“I know, but you really shouldn’t. It just isn’t worth it in the long run,” Dream mumbled. Fundy seemed to look a bit hurt, but he still stuck around, concerned about his friend, “Thank you for the gifts.”

Dream was about to shove Fundy out of the doorway himself, but Fundy just stood still and handed him the small bag. He walked away on his own, leaving the blonde with the stuff he brought this time. Dream sighed as he closed the door.

After sitting on his couch, Dream decided to open the bag. There were more roses, this time a dark blue. Some more chocolate was in it as well, Dream could tell it was expensive, which kinda hurt. They did taste good though, even if there was guilt.

The third thing in the bag was a small plushie. It was a cat. Dream smiled as he played with it a bit, it kinda looked like Patches. Speaking of her, Dream saw a familiar pattern of fur jump on his couch. Dream laughed as he pet his cat. He felt bad that she couldn’t even see his face, but she was smart enough to not look. That was good. As much as he loved Patches, he really didn’t want to curse her with immortality.

Dream sighed as he leaned back on the couch, holding the small cat plush in his hands. Patches curled up on his lap, letting him pet her tiredly. Dream felt like he broke Fundy’s heart, but at the same time he didn’t think the hybrid would stop.

It was sad, sad on both ends. Maybe if he didn’t have a burden like this, he could go out with him. If he didn’t have a burden like this he would’ve probably been with George. But he does, and now the fox hybrid is coming to his door, unaware of what could happen if he did win his heart.

Dream just played with the toy cat, ignoring his phone’s ringtone. He didn’t have the energy to answer it. Even if it was George. Dream kept hearing it, eventually hanging up manually to get the message across. It stopped after that, thankfully. Dream just stayed silent for the rest of the day, it wouldn’t be the first time.

Chapter Text

Dream listened for a familiar knock at the door the next day. He couldn’t tell why, but it just became instinct. The sound never came though. Fundy didn’t visit again for the next day, he didn’t visit for the day after that, or the day after. He wasn’t even online for Dream to call him. Dream felt guilty, he didn’t want to hurt Fundy, but it looked like he would do that anyway.

Fundy didn’t come for almost a week. It made Dream feel dread in his stomach. The roses didn’t help either. Dream played with his mask a bit as he laid on the couch, tapping the porcelain lightly with the pace of the clock. He hadn’t talked to his friends that much since Fundy last visited. George still talked to him sometimes though. He didn’t make the situation better, just saying that Fundy should’ve left him alone after the first time. It was difficult when he didn’t tell what the actual problem was.

Dream was fine with Fundy constantly coming over. It was nice knowing that he was cared for by him. His problem was that he didn’t want him trying to be in a relationship with him. Fundy wasn’t the problem, he was.

He didn’t know why he didn’t stop him though. Fundy would’ve listened to him, he knows it. But Dream still let him come over to give him gifts and assure him he wanted him to be happy. He felt selfish for it. He didn’t want Fundy to get hurt by dating him, and yet he still let him come over and do stuff like this.

Dream sighed as he dropped the mask on himself. The phone was ringing again, he lost count of how many times. He bet it was a mix of George and Sapnap trying to check on him. He wasn't doing a good job of taking away their worries.

A knock at the door alerted the blonde. Dream put on the mask as he went to the door. Some part of him was dreading it if it was the hybrid. Fundy should just leave him alone for his own sake, he’d been telling himself that the whole time. But he also wished it was him. He hated it.

Fundy stood on the other side of the door, smiling at Dream when he opened it. He didn’t hold much, just a single green rose in his hand. The two were silent for a couple of seconds, words lost from both of them. Fundy looked down at the rose as he looked away from Dream. He seemed nervous, which was rare coming from him.

“Look, I’m sorry for constantly bothering you about this. George already told me about it. I just want you to be happy and have a nice time. You seem tired constantly, and I’ve heard you complain about being alone. So I decided to suck it up and actually ask you out, something I had been thinking of doing for a while,” Fundy said. Dream leaned on the doorframe as he looked at Fundy. He couldn’t deny his claims of him being tired, as much as he wanted to ignore it. Even with the mask he was easily readable, “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, so I’m going to ask you one last time. Please let me treat you to something. If you won’t let me, that’s fine.”

Dream looked at the hybrid silently. He knew it was stupid to even consider it, he should just stop him right there. Fundy doesn’t deserve to be cursed and he doesn’t deserve to be with someone without seeing their face. Dream doesn’t want that for him, it’s unfair.

But seeing him look so desperate for this hurt. He was fucked either way. It would be fun to hang out with Fundy. He was always eccentric with his friends, so he knew Fundy would do something special for him. Dream really wanted to make him happy, at least for a while. There could be a chance that Fundy would give up on him. Hopefully it would end up that way.

“Fundy,” Dream sighed. He felt like he would regret it, but it couldn’t end that bad, “If you can promise that we’ll both be happy, sure. I’ll go on a date with you.”

“Yes!” Fundy yelled. Dream gave out a laugh as the hybrid got happy at his answer. He suddenly felt Fundy hold his head as he put the rose in his hair. Dream froze as he looked at him. He could feel his face get warm, that wasn’t good. Fundy grabbed Dream’s hands, they were soft, it was nice, “I’ll see what I can do! I’ll call you later to figure out when we can go! Thank you, Dream! I promise you won’t regret it!”

“I’m sure I won't,” Dream said. Fundy smiled as he left. Dream closed the door as he took the rose in his hands. A sigh escaped as he put it with the others, putting it on top of them.

Dream took off the mask as he fell back on the couch. The phone had stopped ringing, leaving him in silence. He didn’t know why he said he would go. Fundy being upset the last time just killed him to look at, he couldn’t just deny him like that. He deserved better than rejection. At least if he did find out about Dream’s curse, he wouldn’t be taking the full effect of the pain.

There could be a chance that Fundy won't even like Dream like that by the end of it. He’ll just want to be friends after spending time with him, and everything will be alright. He hoped so for Fundy’s sake. Either of their sakes. Dream didn’t even know who would get hurt more if it didn’t end like that.

The blonde just grabbed his phone as he waited for Fundy to call him about it. While he did that, he decided that it would be smart to tell his friends that he was alright. He wasn’t, but he was alive at least. Dream couldn’t help but think about when Fundy put the rose in his hair. He got flustered at it, that wasn’t good. Dream couldn’t fall in love with him, he didn’t want to. At least, he hoped he didn’t.

Chapter Text

Dream let out a small laugh with the hybrid across from him. His head was propped up on his hand as he tapped the desk a bit. His hand messed with the strap of his mask, fidgeting with whatever he could while Fundy talked about whatever he could think of. His words swam around Dream head as he went on and on about a story from his childhood. Fundy was never too open about stories like that around others, he really did want to make the blonde feel special.

The date was going really good. Fundy took him to a lovely restaurant, taking him there in his car himself. The food on the menu looked great, the environment was gorgeous. Fundy did so good at making him happy. The air was sweet, only helped by the roses on their table. Ivory. Dream couldn’t help but think about how Fundy might be trying to tell him stuff with them. He wouldn’t be surprised. The hybrid had done such a good job at putting care into his time with Dream, caring about rose colors is definitely something he would do. Dream didn’t mind it either, it was cute.

He would always hear him making jokes while in calls, but talking to him one on one was something else. Fundy was way more charming when he was around the blonde, his jokes laced with some light flirting. Dream didn’t think he would enjoy it, but it was oddly nice to him. Fundy was strangely smooth with his words, it was nice to listen to, his voice was great as well.

Dream just sighed as he cut in sometimes to Fundy’s small remarks, not staying quiet as he participated, Fundy seemed to enjoy it. He forgot what he was even doing, the thoughts of keeping Fundy from wanting a relationship with him were gone as he got caught up in his and Fundy’s words. Dream knew something was up though, he just couldn’t tell what. A small sour feeling hit him as he talked, though it wasn’t hard to get rid of with the help of Fundy’s compliments as well as a drink.

He was lucky he could lift enough of his mask up to actually eat without activating the curse. To his surprise, Fundy was actually pretty nice about not trying to see what he looked like. Dream had gotten so used to his friends trying it, he liked how Fundy didn’t seem to care about doing that.

“You know, I’m really enjoying this time with you. I hope one day we can do this again,” Fundy said. Dream smiled as he looked at the hybrid, it really was fun so far, “You’re really entertaining to be with, not to mention the sight is amazing.”

Dream laughed as he felt his face warm up. Fundy seemed to notice it too, leaning onto his hand on the table as he gave a soft chuckle. Dream paused as he realised what was going on. He couldn’t be doing this. He didn’t want to start falling for Fundy, and he was actively letting himself indulge in the date. This wasn’t the plan.

A sinking feeling hit his stomach as the thoughts filled his head again. He couldn’t run away now though, he was stuck in his seat as he just tried to think of something, anything to get him out of this situation. Dream was stuck though, with Fundy concerned again. The hybrid was quiet though, just letting his date calm down a bit before deciding to talk again.

“You don’t have to worry about me, Dream. I know what I’m getting into with this. I know you’re a non-human, I know what you’re worried about,” Fundy said softly. Dream relaxed as he looked down at the table. The hybrid didn’t hate him, so that was a positive. He didn’t know why he was still going after him though. Dream saw himself as a curse. He hated it, but for some reason Fundy didn’t mind, “If you want to continue with this, just know that it doesn’t matter to me.”

“I don’t see how. Honestly it seems like a curse to me,” Dream mumbled. He just looked away from the hybrid, focusing on the ivory colored roses. Dream tensed as he felt a soft hand grab onto his. He looked back to Fundy, who seemed to look slightly guilty.

“I see it as a blessing. I know you’re always so afraid of showing your face, but just know that it doesn’t matter to be. I still want your heart, and I hope you’ll give me the chance to try and get it,” Fundy said, tapping his fingers on Dream’s hand gently. Dream sighed as he gently brushed his finger up against Fundy’s hand, letting him stay there.

He didn’t know how Fundy was fine with living forever, especially if it was with him. Dream always had a negative feeling towards immortality, but there might be a chance that he could enjoy it. After all, he never had been cared for this way, so the thought of having this forever didn’t seem too bad.

Dream wasn’t in love with Fundy yet though. He was calmed down by the hybrid’s assurance, but there was still a part of him that wanted him to reconsider. Dream knew he couldn’t do that though. Fundy knew what he wanted and he knew what that meant. The blonde was fully prepared to turn him down and just tell him that it wasn’t worth it, but maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

“Fundy. I’m not sure why you would want a relationship with me, but if you’re sure, then I’ll let you do what you want,” Dream said. Fundy’s ears perked up as he looked at his date, a small twitch in one of them made Dream smile a bit. He could hear soft tapping from below the table on Fundy’s side, his face warm as he recognized it as him bouncing his leg, “I’m not in love yet, but I’m not going to try and stop myself and make it hard for you.”

“Oh I am so happy. Dream-” Fundy lifted up Dream’s hand, pulling it towards himself. The blonde went red as he felt the hybrid put a small kiss on his hand, his mind blank as he became a mess right in front of Fundy, “-I won’t disappoint you.”

“I- I’m sure you won’t,” Dream said, his breath suddenly gone. Fundy dropped their hands from his lips, though he still had them together. Dream didn’t mind, just letting himself take in the feeling of it as a server gave them their food.

He still had the thought that this was a bad idea, but he tried pushing that away. Dream had only tried to be with someone once before, and George wasn’t that reciprocating. But Fundy was actively trying to be with him, he wanted his heart and he was doing something to get it, even with the conditions.

Fundy knew what he was doing, he could think for himself. Dream didn’t want to treat him like he was stupid anymore. Whatever he wanted, he wouldn’t stop him anymore. If Fundy wanted to be in his life so bad, then Dream would let it be. He just sighed with a small smile as he lifted his fork while he let his hand wrap around Fundy’s a bit.

Chapter Text

Dream curled up on his chair as he listened to his friends talk. His phone was close to his face as he leaned back into the back of the chair. One earphone was in, the other dangling freely as he sat at his computer. It was quiet for one ear, the only thing heard was the soft tapping of his nails on the screen, the other was filled with his friends’ voices.

It was usually like this for Dream, he would call his friends without showing his face, and just stay like that for a couple of hours. It was calming to him, he’d known them for a while, so it was fun talking to them, even if he was quiet sometimes. He was more quiet than usual though, his mind was occupied by other things, mostly his outing with Fundy a few days ago.

The area around was almost the same as it always was. The only bright light was from the computer and his phone. Dream didn’t really care enough to change the environment, letting it stay dark. It was oddly nice. The most it changed was with the new gifts from Fundy scattered around. Dream tried telling him that that he didn't have to give him anything, but it didn't work, so he was just stuck with the stuff Fundy left at his house.

Dream lightly jumped as he felt his phone vibrate. He smiled seeing that Fundy texted him. Dream tuned out of the conversation that George and Sapnap were having as he went to see what Fundy had to say. Fundy really wanted to flirt with Dream, so whenever he could, he just occasionally sent a cute line to him to make him laugh.

ItsFundy:
Hey is Dream actually your name? Because that's one hell of a coincidence with how perfect you are

It worked, too, making Dream give out a small laugh. He loved seeing stuff like that, Fundy was really sweet. He heard George and Sapnap stop talking, tensing a bit. He didn’t really tell the two much about his date. He said that he was with someone, but he didn’t really say who or why. They didn't really question it, so he never felt obligated to explain to them what happened.

“What’re you laughing at, Dream?” Sapnap asked. Dream sighed as he started to try and think of something to write back. It wouldn’t hurt to tell them about it if they asked, they were his friends.

“Just something Fundy texted me,” Dream answered. The two seemed confused at his response, but didn’t really think much of it at first, “I was actually with him that one night.”

“Were you two on a date or something?” George jokingly asked. Dream laughed a bit. He didn’t want to lie to the two, so he just decided to drop it on them.

“Yep,” Dream said. The two were silent. He couldn’t blame them, no one had really seen them interact too much by themselves. But the way they seemed confused felt different, “He took me to that expensive restaurant downtown, it was really fun.”

“Fundy huh? Isn’t he a part of Philza’s family?” Sapnap asked. Dream winced at it. Philza’s family wasn’t usually at the top of everyone’s list for they’re favorite family. The people there were loud and sometimes unbearable to deal with. Schlatt wasn’t a fan of them with how much one of the sons tried to hang out with Tubbo, technically meaning that there was a small feud between the families. Dream didn't even consider that Fundy used to be apart of that family.

“I mean, not anymore. Fundy’s getting adopted by Eret, that’s how he was able to afford that place, and the gifts,” Dream said, mumbled the last part as he played with the yellow roses on the desk, he thought it’d be nice to spread them around the house.

“Still, I didn’t think you were that close to him,” Sapnap said. Dream hummed a bit. It was then he noticed how quiet George had been since he asked if they were on a date.

“That’s why I’m letting him try and be that close, he’s been nice enough for me to give him a shot,” Dream said, still playing with the flowers. He did enjoy Fundy’s company, even if it wasn’t romantic, it was nice to be a good friend of his. Sapnap just dropped it, Dream figured Fundy wasn’t his kind of person to befriend. He heard about that argument they once had before, so it made sense that he was worried about his friend being with him, but Fundy was good person, he didn't need anyone worrying about him.

“I thought you didn’t want people to date you,” George said. Dream paused as he looked at the roses. He forgot he tried dating him before. He just sighed as he went back to trying to text Fundy. He couldn’t exactly tell them that Fundy didn’t care about his curse, they didn’t know he was a non-human in the first place.

“I guess I changed my mind,” Dream said. George was quiet for a few moments. Dream tried not to think much of it. He doubted George liked him, if he did he would have put more effort when he actually tried to date him.

Sapnap noticed the tension and decided to change the subject. Everything went back to as it was, the three pushing the previous conversation aside. Dream looked back to his phone as he thought of what to say to Fundy. It didn’t matter if George and Sapnap weren’t fans of it, he just had to be with Fundy, who wouldn’t hesitate to send him sweet things.

Dream looked back to the yellow roses, a soft smile appearing on his face. He heard the soft tapping of his nails on his phone as he thought of something, once again ignoring his friends’ conversation in favor of something else. Fundy began to take over his mind again. Dream wasn't too good at coming up with the stuff Fundy could pull, so he just gave him the first stupidly sweet thing to come to his head.

Dream:
keep being this sweet and i’ll be forced to call you a lemon instead of a fox

ItsFundy:
Do it

Chapter Text

Dream followed Fundy around as he led him through a park. It had been a few weeks since their first date, and the treats from Fundy didn’t stop. But Dream eventually got used to it. It wasn’t a bad thing, he was actually getting used to going on dates. He still thought that being immortal was a curse, but Fundy made sure it wasn’t on his mind all the time, even if it was unintentional.

For once, the outside was nice. It was bright out, not a cloud in sight. Of course, Dream would catch the sun in his eyes, though at least it was still cold enough to justify Dream bringing his jacket. Fundy seemed fine with the breeze, which made sense, he did have his fur to keep himself warm. Dream wasn’t jealous of having it, but a part of him did wish he had Fundy to keep him warm. He didn’t think it meant anything, the fox just looked really soft.

There was no plan for their outing, just a walk where they could get to know each other. The formal dates were nice, but that was just it, they were formal. Dream much preferred stuff like this. He didn’t have to worry about looking nice, and he could talk about anything he wanted. Not to mention he just liked moving around.

Normal roses were a bit odd to give on a date like this, but that didn’t stop Fundy from thinking of something else. So Dream wore a rose pin in his hair instead. It was smaller than a real rose, but it still felt similar. It was a nice gift, and Fundy even helped him put it in. He couldn’t look at it while it was in, but he did see it beforehand for a second. It was orange, the same shade as Fundy.

Dream always liked the gifts that the fox gave him, even if they were a bit much. Fundy didn’t mind spending stuff on him, so the guilt of it went away. He just wasn’t used to it, he was always the one treating his friends. Fundy didn’t seem to be a fan of that though, insisting on switching it up so Dream didn’t have to worry.

He wasn’t in love with Fundy yet. At least he didn’t believe so. Dream didn’t know much about it, it confused him. He thought he was in love with George, but after considering immortality, it didn’t take long for him to get over him. Dream didn’t know if he was in love with Fundy yet, the only way to tell quickly was if he lost him. And he didn’t want that.

Dream tried not to think about that, only focusing on the date. Fundy wanted him to have a good time, so he’ll do that. He doesn’t know if he’s in love, but he’ll try to be if that’s what Fundy wants.

“So Dream, how about some facts about non-humans?” Fundy asked. He was walking a bit ahead of him, turned around so he could look at the blonde, “Any odd secrets or anything of the sort? I’m honestly really curious.”

“It depends on the person really. I’m based on a slime, so I have some of those traits. Tubbo doesn’t but we can both shapeshift to varying degrees. He actually made himself more sheep-like to match our dad,” Dream laughed. Fundy gave a small giggle at it. It was actually kinda nice to talk about what he was, he never had someone other than his family to talk to, “But if you want to know something universal about us, we don’t actually have physical limitations for who can get pregnant.”

“Whoa really? Like you can just have a kid?” Fundy asked. Dream nodded at him. Fundy seemed pretty happy with that fact, Dream tilted his head at it, “Sorry, I don’t mean to seem weird. I’m just glad to hear another guy can do that.”

“You’re trans,” Dream mumbled. Fundy went a bit red as he nodded, he seemed a bit embarrassed at it. Dream felt his hand grab Fundy’s, he didn’t know why he decided to do that. It was a more impulsive move than he was used to, but it made Fundy brighten up. He smiled seeing the hybrid’s tail move behind him, “How’s that been going? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“I’m fine with questions, but it’s been going great so far!” Fundy answered. They sped up their pace to what it was before, only this time, Dream’s hand was in Fundy’s, “Really the only thing I need is bottom surgery, which is why I’m kind of glad I have a guy I can relate to somewhat there. At least I’m assuming they would be similar.”

“They are. I’m happy I can make you feel better about it,” Dream said. Fundy smiled at him brightly, slipping out a small fox noise. Dream sped up a bit, this time taking lead as he gently tugged at Fundy’s hand, “Now let's continue this date, okay lemon boy?”

“You weren’t kidding when you said that. I don’t mind though,” Fundy mumbled. Dream laughed a bit. He was joking at first, and actually saying it was a bit odd, but as long as Fundy was fine with it, he could call him that. Besides, he had to give him some sort of nickname, what would be better for someone so sickly sweet? “I thought lemons were sour though?”

“Well, I guess I just taste things differently than most people,” Dream said. He heard a small purr escape from Fundy as he gently rubbed his thumb against the hybrid’s hand. Fundy gave a smile as he did the same.

“I’m glad,” Fundy mumbled. Dream felt his face heat up a bit as Fundy took the lead again, dragging him to something. He couldn’t tell what it was, so he just had to see what idea Fundy had when they got there. He doubted he wouldn’t enjoy it though, Fundy just had that power.

Dream gently touched the rose pin in his hair. He couldn’t see the orange color, but he could see Fundy, and they had the same shade. As long as he could touch it and see the color in his date, it was fine. At least it gave him more reason to look at Fundy.

Chapter Text

Dream sighed as he leaned on the desk in his living room. He played with the straps of his mask a bit as he hovered over the bag on the wood. In it had what he needed for a few hours when at someone else’s house. He wouldn’t be this prepared on his dates with Fundy since he didn’t really need anything like extra food or drinks then. Fundy would always get him something to eat when they were together, so he could just bring his phone.

This was different though, because he was going to Schlatt’s house. His dad had assured him that he was free to make himself at home there, but it was still awkward for him. He had moved out 3 years ago, and had only visited when he needed. It wasn’t like he hated his family, in fact they were the people he visited most. The thing holding him back was the curse, it was always that.

He was supposed to take care of Tubbo though. Schlatt was going to be out doing something, Dream didn’t question what. Puffy was on a date with Niki so she couldn’t take care of him. No one was going to let Tubbo stay home alone by himself, he was just 16 and Schlatt didn’t want to take any chances with the law anymore. So Dream had to take care of him.

He was fine with that though. Dream loved his little brother, so he was happy to see him again. Surprisingly, he had gotten more used to being with people. Ever since Fundy started taking him out, being around others got more easy. He was still scared of his mask coming off, but that was reasonable, now it was the only thing he was worried about.

Dream tied his mask around his head, making sure to tighten it so there was no chance it would fall off. The last thing Dream wanted was to curse his brother before he even turned 18. With another small breath, Dream pulled the bag over his shoulder, letting the strap hang against his hip. It was half past noon, and he had to be there by 1pm. His dad lived in walking distance, despite moving out, he wasn’t going too far from his family.

Dream walked over the door. He didn’t really care about if he accidentally left anything, it was his family’s house. Dream still wasn’t comfortable with being in someone else’s house, but being in Schlatt’s was a bit better, the assurance from his dad helped.

Opening the door, the blonde immediately ran into Fundy. Dream looked back at him in silent confusion for a few seconds. Then it clicked. Dream quietly cursed under his breath as he avoided looking back at Fundy, who was still standing in front of him with a white rose in his hand.

Dream was supposed to go out with Fundy that day, he forgot about that entirely. He just never got used to going out with people like this, it never crossed his mind when he talked with his dad. Dream tapped his nails on the door quickly while Fundy looked at him with light concern.

“Are you okay, love?” Fundy mumbled. Dream paused hearing the small nickname, though he just decided to ignore it for now. He could worry about that another time.

“Yeah, I just forgot we were going out. I said I could look after my little brother. I’m so sorry, Fundy,” Dream said. Fundy was oddly fine with it. He thought the hybrid would be at least upset about it, but he wasn’t that bothered.

“We were just going to walk around town, Dream. You should prioritize your family first. We can always choose another time to go out” Fundy said. Dream let out the breath he was holding as he leaned on the doorway. That didn’t go as bad as he thought it would, “If you need any other company while you’re taking care of your brother, I could always come with. It’s Tubbo, right?”

“Yeah! I guess you already knew him since he’s friends with Tommy,” Dream said. Fundy nodded. It would be nice to have Fundy with him, besides, Schlatt wouldn’t mind since Fundy isn’t a part of Wilbur’s family anymore. Dream actually heard his father say that Fundy didn’t really fit in in the first place. Bringing Fundy might be fun, plus he owed him for forgetting their date, “Sure, you can come with me.”

“Yay! Don’t worry, I’ll find another time we can go out,” Fundy said. Dream let out a laugh, stopping when he felt Fundy put the rose in his hair again. Dream went warm as he looked away from Fundy, who was smiling brightly, “It matches your mask.”

“It does,” Dream mumbled. He still wasn’t confident in saying that he loved Fundy, but whatever the hybrid was doing, he was doing it right, “Come on, lemon boy. We got less than 30 minutes to walk there.”

“Do we have to wa- Hey!” Fundy’s complaining was cut off by Dream pulling him by his hand. Fundy just whined as he let Dream drag him. He wasn’t going to try and fight him, Dream was way taller than him. Fundy didn’t really mind having his hand in Dream’s though.

Fundy caught up to Dream, smiling as Dream still kept hanging onto his hand. He knew he probably just forgot about it, but he still found it nice. Fundy kept close to Dream, careful not to let him notice it. Dream probably wouldn’t mind, but it was pretty fun to see what he could get away with considering that Dream has his mask covering some of his vision.

The mask was nice, but Fundy was still curious what was under it. He knew little about non-humans, only that Phil and Eret were ones. Fundy didn’t feel like he could ask them about it though. Phil had already given up his immortality, and Eret was still wearing glasses to hide her face. Fundy had perfect examples for his questions, but he didn’t want to ask them.

Fundy didn’t know why he was interested in Dream, but for some reason he just wanted to learn from him. Maybe it was because Dream was already so interesting without the non-human part, but Fundy found him fun. Going on dates with him and trying to win his heart just seemed much more easy than asking anyone else. Fundy just admired him that much.

-

Dream opened the door to his family’s house. Schlatt had given him a key before he moved out, telling him he could visit at any time. Dream thought it was stupid at first since he was never planning on leaving the house, but he still kept it. He almost wished he didn’t, since he could tell Schlatt had the proudest face hearing that he didn’t need to borrow one. Almost.

Tubbo was in the living room, talking to what Dream assumed to be Tommy. Fundy looked around the house, looking at the old pictures on the wall. Dream sighed seeing that Schlatt had some pictures of him up. He knew they weren’t there when he lived there. Dream just walked over to his little brother, leaving Fundy to look around the place.

“Hey green boy,” Tubbo said. Dream rested on the back of the couch, gently shoving Tubbo’s legs as the kid laid in an odd position on the sofa. He let out a small hiss as he focused on his game again. Dream didn’t try and remember what it was, he couldn’t bother to care.

“Hey bee boy,” Dream sighed. He could hear Tommy yell through Tubbo’s headset once he talked. Tommy wasn’t much of a fan of Dream. He had helped his older brother Techno prank him a couple of times when he was younger, and Tommy never got over it. Tubbo said that Tommy would forget about it soon, but Dream doubted it.

“What’s with the rose?” Tubbo asked. Dream went to touch it, he forgot it was there. Fundy was muffling a laugh behind him, Tubbo still hasn’t seen him from over the couch. Dream stumbled on his words a bit trying to find a way to explain it, only to be saved by Fundy walking up behind him. It took Tubbo a few seconds, but eventually he realized what was going on, “Oh did Fundy give you it? Aw!”

“Doesn’t it match his mask? I thought it’d be fitting,” Fundy said. Dream just laughed as he took off his bag and set it on the table beside the couch. Tubbo focused on his headset, the other two could hear Tommy yelling again, “Oh is Tommy mad that his nephew is trying to date Dream?”

“He is so pissed off right now,” Tubbo laughed. Dream walked over to the front of the couch, tapping Tubbo on the head. Tubbo looked back at him for a second, “What?”

“Can you please lay down normally, I feel pain just looking at you,” Dream said. Tubbo groaned as he just ignored his masked brother. Fundy watched the two interact curiously, he didn’t really have any siblings himself, so it was fun seeing Dream interact with his own.

“It’s comfortable,” Tubbo said. Dream sighed as he grabbed at Tubbo’s horns. Tubbo didn’t flinch as Dream started pulling him so he didn’t lay straight over the couch, “Dreeeeam.”

“Are you purposely making yourself heavy so I can’t drag you?” Dream asked. Tubbo started laughing as Dream pulled harder on his horns to get him to move. Fundy laughed silently at the two. Dream definitely seemed much happier when with other people.

Fundy just left the two alone, looking at the pictures around the place. The curse doesn’t work with old photos, so Fundy was able to see what Dream used to look like. He actually looked pretty similar to Tubbo, it actually took Fundy a while to tell between the two because apparently Dream’s hair wasn’t always blonde. Fundy wasn’t surprised at that though, everyone could see the darker roots in his hair. Though he didn’t remember them being that dark.

Dream also had green eyes, they looked haunting almost, like seeing them in person would take away your life force. Fundy really wanted to see what they looked like now, if they still looked that way. The pictures here weren’t a good way to tell what Dream looked like, the newest were probably when he was about 16, 5 years for him to look different than what Fundy was seeing. Things about him could have changed because of the curse. Eret used to have normal eyes, but apparently they turned pure white.

Schlatt seemed to like photos, he had a few of his kids as well as his own childhood, including his sister Puffy. Fundy never really knew about the family much, his father hated Schlatt and that was it. He seemed like a nice person though, he raised Dream and Tubbo, so how bad could he be?

Fundy jumped hearing a loud thud behind him. Tubbo had left the couch, probably on the ground. Dream stood over him, looking down with masked disappointment. For someone whose expression is always hidden, it’s easy to tell how he’s feeling.

“That’s why you don’t shapeshift yourself into becoming more heavy,” Dream said. After a second, he went to pick him up and drop him on the couch again, this time in a more normal position. Tubbo mumbled his thanks before Dream left him alone with a small ruffle of his hair.

“Your family is so stubborn,” Fundy mumbled. Dream laughed a bit. He walked over to a chair, laying down on it. His legs were on the arm rest as he took his phone out of his pocket. Fundy stood next to him awkwardly. He really didn’t know what to do.

Dream looked up at him, moving so Fundy could sit down with him. Fundy sat down on the edge of the seat. Eventually he got comfortable enough to lean on the back of the chair, his body now over Dream’s. Fundy relaxed as he mimicked Dream in taking his own phone out, slightly leaning into the blonde a bit

Dream was oddly fine with it, he was still obviously flustered, but he was getting comfortable with this. He wasn’t going to say he was in love with Fundy, he just wasn’t sure, but he did like how warm this felt. Dream went to touch the rose Fundy gave him this time, there’s definitely a reason for them. He could figure that out later though, right now he just liked being appreciated.

Chapter Text

The noise outside was muffled to Dream. He couldn’t let anything see him from outside, so the pouring rain sounded light to him. He knew it was heavy though, it was just something he had gotten used to. Rain was never rare in this area, it was actually really common. The most it would go without is about two weeks. It sounded awfully heavy though, he felt bad for anyone who had been caught in it.

Dream just let it become background noise as he kept playing on his computer. He wasn’t at his desk, instead laying on his bed comfortably. It had just reached midnight, though the thought never bothered him. He knew it wasn’t good to stay up, he just didn’t care. Usually he was fine at keeping a good schedule, but he never minded missing out on that.

He did admit, he wasn’t using his time to do much of anything, he wasn’t even talking to his friends. Though he didn’t talk to them that much before anyway. He still cared, but his mind was on other things. Mostly Fundy. Dream didn’t want to ignore his friends in favor of the fox trying to win his heart, but it was that last part that distracted him.

Fundy conflicted him so much. It wasn’t his fault either, he just really couldn’t tell how he felt about him. Dream didn’t know if he was in love with Fundy, he didn’t know what that felt like. He thought he was in love with George, and maybe he was at one point. But he just never could pin down that feeling to know what it was. If it was there, then it didn’t even last after he stopped trying to be with him, when it became apparent to Dream that it wouldn’t be smart with his curse.

Dream didn’t want to find out that he loved Fundy by losing him though, he didn’t want Fundy to leave. Maybe that meant that he did love him, but he just didn’t know. He couldn’t tell if he was just gaining some sort of pity crush or if his charms were actually working. He didn’t like how confusing it was, but it just never left him alone. It started to get annoying. Fundy was fine, but he just wished he knew how he felt.

Dream suddenly heard a knock on his door. No one is ever out this late, especially in this weather. If they were, then they wouldn’t come to his house unless they knew him, and he couldn’t really think of anyone from there that would go outside that late and get caught in the rain.

But he knew someone who wasn’t from there. Dream put on his mask as he walked towards his front door because he knew the person who would walk late at night and get caught in rain. He knew the person who would come to his house for help. Because that person was right in front of him when he opened the door, his clothes wet and tail wagging as he looked at the masked man.

“Dream can I please stay here for the night?” Fundy asked nervously. Fundy was wearing pretty warm clothes, it wasn’t like he just was walking somewhere and it happened to rain. The clothes were still soaked though, as was his hair and fur. Dream didn’t really want to acknowledge it, but Fundy did smell like a wet dog. He didn’t think of it as a bad thing, it was just obvious. It was oddly cute with him like that though. He couldn’t really place why though. Dream sighed as he leaned on the doorframe. It was only after getting up he realized how tired he was.

“Did you come here immediately? It started raining a few minutes ago,” Dream asked. Fundy seemed to stammer a bit as he tried answering the question. Dream wasn’t trying to single him out on it, he just liked poking fun at how Dream was his person to go to at this time.

“I assumed you were the closest person at the time,” Fundy mumbled. He couldn’t see it, but Dream was definitely smiling at him. He seemed to be nervous about Dream letting him stay, and of course he would, “I would have called Eret, but my phone died right before.”

“You can charge it here. I’ll give you some spare clothes, use the bathroom to dry off,” Dream said. He let out a small yawn as he let Fundy in. Fundy seemed happy, though he was cautious since he was still soaking. Dream gestured for him to follow him as he walked over to his room again, going to the closet to pick out something for him to wear. Fundy just stayed outside of it, nervous about going into his room “So what were you doing out there? I’m sure you know it rains here a lot.”

“I was just walking around, it’s just a calming thing for me. I decided to look around this area because you lived here,” Fundy said. Dream pulled out a jacket and pants for Fundy as he let himself laugh slightly at it. It was just some black pants with a white sweater, the arms of it decorated with dark pink roses. Dream thought it was fitting with how much Fundy gave him roses, he had a vase of yellow ones on his desk.

“I hope you like the area, not many people visit Manburg, especially where you come from,” Dream mumbled. He threw the clothes to Fundy, who caught them while he seemed to be thinking a bit. Fundy was from L’Manburg, which definitely threw in more tension between their families. While Philza wasn’t from there, Wilbur was born there, and he was very adamant about the place. He made Fundy like it, too. Fundy had become a bit apathetic towards it as he grew up, it didn’t help that he moved to The Greater DreamSMP with Eret when she adopted him. Fundy didn’t mind Dream being a part of Manburg, and neither did Dream, but they knew the tension there.

“The area is nice. I can see why you stay here, I wouldn’t mind living here either,” Fundy said. Dream laughed slightly. The hybrid gave a small smile before going to dry off and change into the clothes he gave him. Dream walked back over to his bed, he couldn’t help but think that was some kind of flirt about living with him, but if it wasn’t, he was at least happy that Fundy liked this place.

After a few minutes, Fundy came out of the bathroom. His fur was a bit fluffed, though he was at least dry. The clothes were a bit big on him as well, making Dream regret not giving him some smaller ones, he forgot how Fundy was much smaller than he was. Fundy seemed a bit nervous again. Dream couldn’t help but notice how timid he was. It was oddly comforting though.

Fundy was always known to be a bit sour at the thought of love, whether that was from failed attempts at dating or his complicated family relationships. It didn’t really stop him from trying again and again, it was how he was. Fundy always had some kind of shield during that, but now it was almost gone. Fundy looked comfortable around Dream now.

“I should probably sleep on the couch since you don’t really have an extra room, I’ll make sure I’m gone by morning so I’m not a bother,” Fundy said. Dream felt his heart tug violently for some reason. He didn’t feel like he was even in control of his own body for a few seconds, at least his brain wasn’t.

Next thing Dream knew, he was grabbing Fundy’s hand as he lightly pulled him back to his room. He didn’t know why he did that, he was fine with Fundy sleeping on the couch. He wasn’t actually, he didn’t want him to be uncomfortable. But Dream didn’t know why he was pulling Fundy to his room. Fundy’s face went red as he looked up at Dream. He wasn’t really expecting him to do anything, and Dream wasn’t expecting himself to do anything either. Dream started backing away a bit in panic, but Fundy started following him, neither letting go of the other’s hand.

“The couch is pretty uncomfortable, isn’t it?” Dream said. Fundy swallowed a bit as he kept walking with Dream back to his bed. He gave a silent nod, Dream mimicked him as he backed into the side of the bed.

Dream slid back on the bed, letting go of Fundy’s hand to properly get on it. Fundy took a few seconds until he eventually got on it, too. Dream closed his computer and set it on the nightstand. He figured it was time to sleep anyway.

Fundy got comfortable on the bed, curling up a bit. Dream laughed a bit hearing his tail hit the bed repeatedly happily. He laid down next to Fundy, putting the covers over both of them. They both tried not to get too close to each other, but Dream eventually found his head against Fundy’s chest, while Fundy’s tail would occasionally brush against his leg.

“Good night, lemon boy,” Dream mumbled. He could hear Fundy laugh as he started to finally let himself sleep, it was a nice sound to end off with.

Chapter Text

Dream played with the rose on his desk as he heard his friend yell at his computer. He just ignored George’s annoyance as he thought about the gifter of the flower. It was the same yellow rose from before, Dream liked having the bright flower in his dark room. He couldn’t open windows because no one could see his face, so seeing the sun was rare for this room. The rose was a nice substitute for it though, he actually preferred it more than the sun.

At least he could find a use for it, it was getting hard to find ways to use the flowers with how much Fundy gave him. Dream adored them, but sometimes he just didn’t know what to do with them. He couldn’t bear to tell Fundy to stop though, he looked so happy giving them to Dream.

Dream was happy receiving them, even if he wasn’t sure how he felt. A part of him wished Fundy could see how happy it made him, but the mask got in the way. Dream found himself wishing that more. Before he was perfectly fine not showing anyone, but with Fundy around, he wanted Fundy to see how he’s feeling without having to guess.

It confused him, because he’s never felt that way with anyone else. Even when he was trying to be with George, the wish of showing his face never crossed his mind. This sounded like love, but he just didn’t know. Dream didn’t want to make a mistake, he didn’t want to accidentally damn himself and Fundy to immortality because he thought he loved him.

“Why are you being so quiet?” George asked. Dream snapped out of his thoughts, remembering that he had his friend calling him. Dream didn’t want to admit that he was thinking about Fundy again, it had become a joke because it happened so much, “Are you still thinking about Wilbur’s son?”

“He’s Eret’s son now,” Dream corrected. George laughed at it. His plans to not tell that didn’t seem to last, so he was stuck with his friend laughing at him defending Fundy’s parental custody. At least he had an excuse to think about him out loud, “Why wouldn’t I think about Fundy? He’s been taking me out a lot.”

“Well yeah, but you just always think about him,” George complained. Dream silently sighed as he considered his words. He had to admit, Fundy really had taken over his mind. It wasn’t his fault though, Fundy really made his mark, “It’s like I’m talking to a love-struck wall.”

“I’m not in love with him!” Dream defended. It was silent for a few seconds after that. He didn’t know why he was so defensive about that. Maybe it was because George was around. He did feel a bit guilty about trying to date him and then going back on his statement about not wanting a relationship for a hybrid. But George never minded it, at least Dream couldn’t tell if he did.

“I sure sounds like you are. I’ve seen you walk around with him, I know that you love him,” George said. Dream couldn’t help but recognize a soft hint of envy in his voice. It was faint, but he knew it was there. It was something he learned to pick up when he was with Fundy, it helped when calming him down from anything, “I know that you’d show your face to him.”

The quiet comment caught Dream off-guard. He expected George to put together the fact of what he was, but he didn’t think it would be like this, not in some comment from jealousy. Dream didn’t even know why it was there. George was fine with not being with Dream, if he wasn’t then it wouldn’t have taking so much effort before Dream finally gave up

“Well can you blame me?” Dream took a yellow rose from the vase. There was worry creeping up his veins at the thought of George knowing what he was, but Dream just put it aside. Now he knew about the immortality thing. It’s not like George would want that anyway, “Fundy is a very charming hybrid. He’s treated me more than I thought I could handle, and gifted me more than I need. I said I didn’t want a relationship before, but maybe it was because I hadn’t tried anything bittersweet yet. Maybe that’s the taste I want.”

“But would you want that forever? I know what you are, and I know why you don’t show your face. Are you going to show it to Fundy, would you live forever with him?” George asked. This was envy, Dream knew it. He shouldn’t answer him, just move on from the subject.

Dream just played with the rose in his hand. He knew that if he did be with Fundy that he’d have to show his face. It was either the moment they got together or later down the line, but he just wouldn’t be able to hide it. So Dream didn’t have an answer. Dream just put the yellow rose in one hand as he prepared to end the call. It was getting late anyways.

“I don’t know. We’ll see when we get there,” Dream said. George was silent on the other end, “I could put aside my fears of living forever, just as long as someone will promise me that forever won’t feel that long. I just want someone who’s energy won’t run out, and if I find someone like that, then the mask will come off.”

Dream ended the call quickly, leaning back in the chair. He didn’t have an answer still, and neither had a good conclusion. Dream just sighed as he felt a petal fall from the rose, balling it up in his hand as he put the flower back. It didn’t feel like anything got any better, but George wouldn’t be mad at him for that, right?

They both weren’t mad, just conflicted. It wasn’t confusion though, because they both knew the only ending to this. They both knew what Dream needed to get over his fear, and Fundy was the only one around to fit the role. He was already succeeding, too. Dream didn’t want to admit that Fundy was the one person he needed, he didn’t want to mix up needing him for wanting him. He couldn’t bear making a mistake like that, especially to someone like Fundy. Dream didn’t know what to think, but George already had a plan.

Chapter Text

Dream sighed as he leaned against Fundy, the two being quiet as night started to fall. Fundy had taken him out again, this time to a cliff. While Fundy didn’t go to L’Manburg as often, he did want to take Dream to this place. Dream was fine with it, too, he liked this place. Fundy was actually really good at finding places. Even if it was just a restaurant, Dream always had fun with it.

Usually Fundy’s vibrant energy makes it better, but this time it was oddly missing. Dream didn’t want to ask anything that made him uncomfortable, but he was still worried. It didn’t help that Fundy brought him green and black roses. They were separated, one side being green while the other was black. It was suspicious along with his more sour demeanor.

Dream let the roses lay in his lap as he felt the wind brush against his face. Fundy seemed to sink deeper into leaning against the blonde, a tired breath escaping. Dream looked down at him, he looked visibly lost, something Dream had yet to see from him.

A few seconds passed as he looked back up at Dream. Dream was tempted to give him a reassuring smile, but it’s not like Fundy could see that. All Fundy could see was a porcelain smile that stared blankly at him. Dream couldn’t tell how Fundy could put up with it. But it didn’t seem like Fundy needed to see his face, because he let a small smile crack. It was weak though.

“You know, you’re not really the only one with a curse here,” Fundy said, looking away from Dream again. Dream hummed as he looked at Fundy. Wilbur’s family wasn’t cursed as far as he knew, it was actually one of the things Schlatt envied when it came to their rivalry, the fact that his kids would live normally, “It’s funny, because ours seem like opposites.”

“I didn’t know Wilbur’s family was cursed,” Dream mumbled. Fundy laughed tiredly. He shifted his position so that he wasn’t so dependent on Dream’s body being there, Dream did the same, though they both were a bit regretful of it.

“It’s not from my father’s side of the family, it’s from my mom’s,” Fundy sighed. Dream was silent. He could tell where this was heading. Dream didn’t know much about Sally, Schlatt always steered away from conversations like that. But he heard that it wasn’t exactly a normal death, not a natural one at least, “It’s been a thing with her side. No one knows where we got it, and postponing it has become harder and harder.”

Dream felt his breathing stop. His grip on the roses loosened as he tried not to ruin them, leaving them to just go still like the rest of his body. There was no way that Fundy had that kind of curse. But he did say it was the opposite of Dream’s.

“There was never really a way to stop it naturally, only ways to put it off for a couple of years. But that’s more difficult to do now,” Fundy brought his legs up and leaned on them, curling up in a ball. It really did hurt to hear it, because Dream knew that Sally died at 25, and now Fundy wasn’t as far from that age, “It’s damn near impossible to change it now. The only way to really stop it is to see the faces of people like you. Yeah that would make me immortal, but at least I wouldn’t be dead in 4 years, right?”

Dream didn’t want to hear that. He didn’t want Fundy to die that young. He knew Wilbur’s side of the family was known for living a long time, even Eret’s family had lived for a long time. Fundy couldn’t have that though. Dream set the roses down between him and Fundy, the black side brushing Fundy on his hip.

Fundy tensed seeing Dream reaching behind his head. The mask was only loosened slightly before Dream felt Fundy push it back against his face, taking his hands in his and pulling them away from the straps. The straps fell a bit, cueing Fundy to let go of Dream’s hands to tie it back. He secured it tight, making sure it never came loose again.

After it, Fundy just leaned back, picking up the roses again. Dream was silent as he watched him play with the green ones. He couldn’t tell why Fundy stopped him, Dream wanted to help him, he didn’t know why he stopped.

“I feel like either you forgot about the fact that you became immortal, too, or you actually wanted to do that on purpose,” Fundy mumbled, looking back up at Dream. Dream felt his heart sink a bit as he realized what he almost did. He forgot about it, he forgot about his worst fear trying to help Fundy. Why would he forget that? “I think you should wait a while before making that decision. I don’t want to try and tell you that you want to do that, or that you love me.”

“But-” Dream stopped when he felt Fundy give a small kiss to the mask. His body was only capable of taking the roses in his arms, as everything else had shut down.

“Don’t worry, I have a few more years at least. Sure it may get shorter, but hopefully I can get your heart before then,” Fundy said, his voice only slightly louder than a whisper. Dream started to speak, but the words just fell flat as soon as they hit his mouth, “I don’t want you to do it until you love me, that’s not fair to you when you're not. So until then, I'll stay trying to live that immortality with you.”

Fundy stood up and held out a hand to Dream, who was a bit dazed as he held tightly onto the roses. Dream looked up at Fundy as he considered the hybrid’s words. He was oddly nice to him about it. George told him that he knew he loved Fundy, but Fundy just didn’t even entertain the fact that it was true. He said that Dream wasn’t in love with him, but he was going to try until he was.

There was a time limit to this, in a few years when Fundy’s life will run out. But unlike what Dream expected, Fundy was patient with him.

Dream took Fundy’s hand as the hybrid helped him stand up. It was getting late anyway, it was probably best to head home. Dream stayed close to Fundy as he walked him over to his car, still holding his hand. Fundy gave a small squeeze to his hand, not walking too fast and keeping Dream close.

It wasn’t like he was going to say that he loved Fundy yet, but after this, he almost didn’t want to keep Fundy out of his sight again. It was odd, because he’s never actually been protective of anyone like this. It wasn’t a bad feeling either, it just meant that he wasn’t going to let him go.

Chapter Text

Dream messed with the flower crown on his head a bit. Fundy said he was thinking of better ways to give Dream his gifts rather than just bouquets. Dream liked it, 11 white roses made into a crown, it was nice. Fundy also gave him one that was separate from the rest, which Dream thought was cute.

It had gotten late, the area dark since they were in the forest near Manberg. It was actually the same forest Schlatt found Dream and Tubbo in. Dream kept Fundy away from that though, even if he already knew what he was, he didn’t want to talk about that. Fundy seemed distracted by other things though, which Dream couldn’t blame him for, fox hybrids really did like the woods.

Fundy was still a bit out of it. Dream didn’t want to question why specifically now he was down, maybe something happened that brought up the idea. The good thing was that he was a bit more happy. His normal energy was still drained, but not as much as when he told Dream what was going on.

Eventually they found a bench to rest on. Fundy was getting tired, Dream didn’t pry on it, but a part of him dreaded that it was because of the curse. He shouldn’t feel guilty for it because it wasn’t his fault, Fundy told him that when he was taking him back home. But he knew he was the thing that could stop it, he was just confused about if he wanted to live forever, too. Fundy told him that he would wait as long as he could for Dream to find out his feelings, but with how Fundy was acting, Dream was worried that it may not be long.

Finding out if he was in love was hard, he doesn’t know what it’s like. Dream didn’t even know if it would last forever, if he could love someone that long. If he did, he wasn’t sure if he could even show Fundy love for that long or if he would enjoy it after a while. Fundy said he didn’t have to love him back, that if it didn’t work out that he would try and find someone else, but Dream almost didn’t want that. He couldn’t tell if it was guilt that he couldn’t give Fundy what he needed to live past 25, or a genuine want for him to stay with him.

Dream hummed as he felt Fundy sink onto his shoulder. Looking over, he found out that Fundy had fallen asleep. Dream laughed nervously, he didn’t know what to do. He just sighed as he turned to face him a bit more, holding him slightly. Fundy was stupidly soft on his chest, it really was like holding a small fox. Dream found it oddly cute, something about how peaceful Fundy was and how his eyes were closed was adorable to him. It didn’t help that Fundy was smaller than him.

He hated being confused about it, he just didn’t want to make a mistake. He didn’t want to say that he loved Fundy and show him his face, only to grow bored after a while. He didn’t want that. Dream wanted someone that could keep him feeling happy forever, someone that kept him entertained, and Fundy seemed like the person that could do it. But he thought George could, and now he doubted that.

Dream sighed as he looked back at Fundy’s sleeping form, the hybrid was out cold. He kept an eye on Fundy as he started to take off his mask. Immediately he was hit with fresh air, he didn’t even realize how long it had been since he had gone out with his face covered. If he was with Fundy, he could always do this.

Fundy let out soft whimpers, which wasn’t that bad on it’s own, but Dream didn’t like how it was accompanied by him clawing at Dream’s leg. Dream sighed as he started comforting the hybrid. He put the white rose above Fundy’s ear, Dream actually liked it there, he looked cute with roses.

Dream wrapped his arms around Fundy, it actually felt nice. Fundy was just really relaxing, even when he was asleep. Dream felt like he could do this for a while, for as long as Fundy needed. He should probably wake Fundy up, if he was feeling tired then he should just go home and rest. But Dream really liked this.

A part of him even forgot that his mask wasn’t covering his face. The fear of Fundy waking up and seeing it was still there, but he never put it back on. Fundy could wake up and just look up to see his face, it was easy. Dream didn’t know why he wasn’t hiding it from Fundy in case he woke up, he was aware of it, but the need never came.

Dream laughed instinctively as he felt Fundy’s head brush under his head. He tilted his head down, nudging his hat slightly askew. Dream took it off though, messing with his hair. He didn’t know why, the thought barely crossed his mind that it was odd. He was just letting himself try stuff, and it felt nice.

He remembered the small thing from Fundy on their last date. Fundy seemed to ignore it, but Dream has been thinking about it for a while. Fundy kissed his mask, and Dream couldn’t really keep his head straight after it. It was interesting to him. Dream wasn’t human so kissing was odd, even hybrids weren’t accustomed to it. Dream had never really done it before, and no one he had been around did it either. Fundy was really his only experience with it.

It was nice though, for some reason he wanted to try it. Just try and see if he likes it, specifically with Fundy. It was to make sure he would be able do it for a while, a small kiss on the head. Dream sighed as he held his hands under Fundy’s ears, holding his head up a bit.

Dream held his breath as he gently nuzzled his face under Fundy’s hair, hesitantly giving him a small kiss. Dream was frozen for a few moments, unsure of how to feel. It felt the same, no answer to his question on how he feels. The tense air dissipated when Fundy started purring happily, which made Dream let out a laugh.

This felt nice. Dream actually liked this, something about Fundy was so comforting. There was still no clear answer, Dream didn’t want to give one incase he was wrong, plus Fundy would have him wait a while just because he was concerned like that. But at least when he did have an answer, he could definitely do this for a while. Dream just really hoped that Fundy would be fine by the time he does. His body was doing okay, but it definitely wasn’t it’s best, and that scared Dream.

Chapter Text

Fundy smiled as he walked aimlessly around his room. His mind raced with ideas on what to do for his and Dream’s next date. There was a fountain in The Greater DreamSMP they could go to, Fundy liked going there since it was really pretty, Dream should enjoy it, too. Fundy could also take him to another restaurant and treat him again, though Dream didn’t like being around others, so Fundy would have to work his way around that.

The gifts would be another thing. Dream really liked the flower crown, he could mix other roses in it. Fundy always wanted to give him red ones, but he figured that would be too obvious. Dream would look great with red, but he just wanted to wait a bit. He seemed to like the orange roses though, which Fundy found interesting since the ones he got were the same shade as his fur.

Other gifts would be good, too. Dream said he thought the cat plush was cute, he liked how it looked like Patches. Fundy would love to have Dream meet his own cat, Boots would have so much fun with a friend. Fundy also wanted to give Dream chocolates again, even if he couldn’t eat them with him. He already had a short lifespan, he didn’t need to to end even quicker.

Fundy laughed nervously at the thought. He really was getting close to when he would die. It really wasn’t easy to deal with that. He knew it could come sooner, too. With the right mental conditions, the process would speed up, and it wouldn’t be painless. It was a bad time to be 21 and bitter at the idea of love. Fundy was already starting to become a bit more fatigued than usual, so his worry about not living as long as his mother was justified.

But Dream wouldn’t break his heart. He knew he wouldn’t. Dream cared about him a lot, he even offered to show him his face when he told him about the curse. Fundy didn’t want to say that Dream loved him, he didn’t want to force that, but Dream at least was starting to. Dream wouldn’t just hurt him like that, he wouldn’t damn him to die that quick.

Fundy jumped as he heard his phone buzz on his desk. A part of him wanted to just ignore it and continue thinking about Dream, but it would be rude. Fundy just sighed as he went to answer his phone. George was calling, that was new. Now he had to answer it.

“Um hi?” Fundy tapped his paw on the ground as he greeted George. He didn’t talk to him that much, so him casually calling was odd. George was silent for a few moments, Fundy could hear faint noises on the other end, but he couldn’t tell what they were.

“Hey Fundy,” George said. He seemed kind of happy, at least Fundy could tell he was smiling. Fundy couldn’t tell why, “You’re the one who’s been taking Dream out right? How’s that been going?”

“I am! It’s been going great, I was just thinking about different things to do on our next date,” Fundy said, happy to share what he was thinking about. It was nice to do it to someone else, since everyone else had gotten tired of him talking about the same person for hours.

A part of him knew that George probably was going to try and get Dream himself, he could just tell it. Fundy wasn’t scared though, he knew he could upstage George in trying to win over Dream. The fact that Dream knew George for longer didn’t change his confidence in it. He would be able to win, he was sure of it.

“Yeah, there’s something about that,” George said. Fundy felt his mood dip a bit, the fatigue coming back again, he just couldn’t tell why. Everything was fine. Dream was okay, Fundy was still alive at least, they were getting closer together, “Dream is going to be staying with me for a while I think, honestly I think anyone would be jealous that I saw his face first.”

Fundy felt his heart drop before he could even process the words. That couldn’t be true, Dream didn’t show his face to George, he couldn’t have. Last night they were just on a date, Eret said that Dream took him home. There was no way he actually showed George his face already, not when he told him that he wasn’t going to last past 25.

“He looks really nice, you should see him. He had freckles on his face, as well as faded scars,” George said. Fundy felt his claws grab onto his table as he tried to stay standing, “He has green eyes, a slightly pinkish fa-”

Fundy hung up before he could finish.

Everything felt numb, his chest was aching. Fundy dropped his phone on the table, only for it to fall on the floor. Painful coughs erupted from his throat, his breathing messed up from it. He wasn’t going to die, not now, he promised himself he wouldn’t, he always promised himself every morning that he wasn’t going to die that day.

There was an aching feeling in his chest, right where his heart was. It was like a weight had been strapped to it, making it hard for him to stand up. Wherever his heart went, he did. That heart just happened to be going down and making his body want to fall onto the floor like deadweight.

Fundy started to collapse a bit, clawing into the table to catch himself. His legs were useless now though, folding under him lazily. The coughs worsened, ripping at his throat. Fundy let one arm cover his mouth, falling down a bit more to the ground, just barely keeping himself upright as he felt his body start to rip at its seams.

Before Fundy had built up a shield so that he could stay alive for much longer than if he didn’t. He would have died a long time ago if he let everything get to him. His biological family would have killed him already with how much pain he felt from it, but he’s still there, and he thought it would last that way for a while. Dream broke him, Dream is everything he ever wanted, he was everything he ever needed. Fundy loved him more than he could handle, and he hated how that ended up stabbing him in the back.

Dream showed George his face, he was screwed. Dream didn’t even say anything about it. He knew what was going to happen, Dream knew Fundy was going to die in a few years. Fundy didn’t even know how long it had been since he apparently gave up that ability for George, how long ago it had happened. It couldn’t have been last night, they were out late, unless Dream immediately showed George it right after taking him home, right after carrying him back to his house with a flustered and happy aura like Eret said he had.

Fundy pulled away his arm from his mouth, stopping his coughing for at least a few seconds. His head felt light, his vision blurry. The only thing he could see were the red stains on his sleeve. Fundy couldn’t even process what it was before he started violently coughing again. This time he could feel what was going on.

It didn’t take long before Fundy started feeling like he was going to pass out. He felt his breathing go a bit empty, his head cloudy and body almost completely numb. Fundy wanted to go to sleep, he wanted to wake up. This had to be a nightmare, it was just a dream, because his Dream was still interested in trying a relationship with him, his Dream was willing to give him the chance to live.

Fundy’s claws sunk deeper into the table as he felt his legs fall from under him, trying to keep himself up. It barely even registered, but Fundy started crying. He could feel familiar tear streaks down his face. He was crying, he lost his only hope of living anymore than 5 years, hell he’d be lucky to last more than a single sun’s rotation with how in shambles he was.

Eventually the room was filled with a mix of coughs and sobs. Every shield he had that protected him from dying quicker was shattered, just because a person he thought he could trust called him to tell him that the person he cared for way too much took away his only opportunity to live a long life.

Soon the thoughts piled up too much, leaving Fundy to go completely numb. Fundy finally let go on the table, finally fainting on the ground behind him. Every thought had circled through his head before he passed out, but none rang louder than one that hurt him the most.

“I thought he would help me”

Chapter Text

Dream laid down on his couch as he played with Patches, who was resting peacefully on his chest. He had his mask on so she couldn’t see his face, which sucked, but at least it was funny when she tried swatting at it. Dream laughed at it tiredly, he hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before, something had kept him up.

He couldn’t tell what prevented him from sleeping, he just had a heavy feeling in his stomach, like some kind of worry. There was nothing to worry about though, he was doing fine. Of course George seemed kind of jealous, but it couldn’t be that much of a problem. Fundy cared about him, he wouldn’t let anything get in the way of his goal.

Fundy was a strong person, he wouldn’t give up at that. He knew his death date and was attempting to get over it. Dream always liked that about Fundy, he was so energetic and lively. Dream wanted Fundy to live forever, his energy could definitely last that long.

It was what Dream wanted in a partner, he wanted someone who could keep him entertained forever, and Fundy really did seem like the best person. Dream wanted to wait a while until he said he was in love with Fundy, but he wouldn’t let anyone else have immortality. Fundy deserved it, and if he became immortal with Fundy, he wouldn’t be upset.

Dream heard a knock at the door. That was probably Fundy, but Fundy didn’t really give him a heads up for if they were going out. It must be a short trip, which was odd. Dream just sighed as he moved Patches off of him, setting her on the couch to get up. He brushed off the cat fur from his jacket, going to open the door.

Fundy didn’t look so good. He already looked tired, but the added look of sickness didn’t help. Dream looked at him with worry, though he couldn’t tell that with the mask. Fundy had a small box in his hands, he seemed almost sad.

“Fundy? Are you okay?” Dream asked. It was a genuine question, but Fundy seemed to react negatively to it, looking away from him and stepping back a bit. Dream’s worry was only getting worse, “Hey Lemon bo-”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Fundy asked, his voice raspy and torn. He wasn’t joking in his question, looking serious. Dream wasn’t keeping anything from Fundy, he couldn’t answer. That silence didn’t seem to help though, because Fundy couldn’t see his confused expression, “I tried to find a way to stop myself from dying. I tried to find someone to care for, someone who would care for me. You were supposed to be that, Dream. I thought you would help me but you just helped George.”

Dream went still as he looked at the hybrid. That couldn’t be right, Fundy was wrong he knew it. Dream didn’t help George at all, he still had the ability to give Fundy what he needed. Dream didn’t even know where he got that from. Dream did care for Fundy, he cared for him so much, why would Fundy doubt that.

It was actually easy to, since Dream couldn’t force a word out the whole time. He hated this mask, he hated that Fundy couldn’t see him. He couldn’t just show him his face though, not in his current paralyzed state. Fundy probably wouldn’t even want anything to do with Dream now. It wasn’t true, but Dream couldn’t just prove it to him like that. He was too scared.

“I’m leaving,” Fundy sighed. Dream hated the mask, all it did was smile when he didn’t want to, and keep Fundy from seeing how he was actually feeling. Fundy said he wanted to make Dream smile as happily as the smile on his mask, and Dream wanted that, too, “I hope you have a nice life with George.”

Fundy handed Dream the small box. Dream could barely even take it, but held it close when he got it. Fundy walked away from Dream’s doorstep, not spending another second looking at Dream. There still weren’t any words from the blonde, he couldn’t even move. Fundy slowed down a bit as he started coughing, Dream just watching as Fundy began to fall apart for a second before he tried to fix himself to keep walking.

After a few minutes, after Fundy left, Dream was able to just close the door. The house went into darkness again, it probably would just go back to the way it was before Fundy started being with him, maybe even more secluded. It was funny. For a second, Fundy was able to pull Dream out of this place, make it brighter with flowers and a positive energy, but as he left, the light went with him. With how he was looking though, it seemed like he didn’t have any at all.

Dream let his head lean on the door, the box close to his chest. He was still in a sort of shock. Fundy was really done with him. Dream couldn’t even do anything about it, he didn’t know who lied to Fundy about it, and his only proof was by actually showing Fundy his face. His silence didn’t help, he knew he should have said something, anything to convince Fundy that it wasn’t true. Dream had learned how to show how he was feeling with his voice, but then, all he wanted to do was to have Fundy just understand using his expression alone. But all Fundy got was a smile from a porcelain mask that he didn’t even think did anything anymore.

Eventually Dream turned around and leaned his back against the door, sliding down it easily. Dream curled up into a smaller form, still holding the box. Patches curled up beside him. Dream decided to look at the box. It was a dark wood, one the top was a small painting. A lemon and two roses, both a beautiful red. Dream was always curious when Fundy would pull out red roses, it sucked that they came up like this.

Dream looked at the box more, it had a way to open it. Inside was a note and a windup key. It was a music box. Dream reached under his mask to rub his eye. He didn’t want to admit that he was crying, especially not over his mistake of being too afraid to tell Fundy the truth, but that probably made it worse. Dream picked up the note.

“This was supposed to be given to you when I actually had won you over, but I guess that never happened. When you called me “Lemon boy” I decided to get something for that. I don’t think you’ll ever call me that again, though with how short my lifespan is now, the name still kinda fits. I still love you, I always did and I always will, but I guess I’ll take that loss. I’m sure you look amazing under that mask, even though it’ll never help me live anymore, I can’t help but wish to see what I almost had.”
- Fundy

Dream shook as he felt tears run down his face. He knew he didn’t show anyone his face, he wanted to show Fundy only. No one deserved it more than him. Dream would give it to him in a heartbeat if he wanted it. He didn’t care about his fear of it anymore, he cared for Fundy way more.

He loved Fundy. That really was what love felt like. He still does love Fundy, all he wants is to just do what they did before when Fundy fell asleep on him, or when Fundy stayed over at his house and slept in his bed, or when he laid over him at his family's house. Dream missed that, and he wanted more. He even had it when he tried giving Fundy a kiss on the head, the small tug at his heart when Fundy started purring at it.

Now he knew what heartbreak felt like, and it hurt so much. Dream knew he could still give Fundy immortality, but why would he even listen now? He blew his chance when he couldn’t talk at all. He knew it was stupid, he knew he should have said something. Fundy really seemed done with him now. Dream hated how he had to learn that way that he actually loved Fundy, how he actually wanted him to stay with him forever but couldn’t force the words out to keep him.

Dream held the box close to his chest as he felt his tears fall into the mask, his crying as quiet as possible. He’d been quiet for a while, it’s why he was so silent when Fundy left him, or when he was actually happy with him. He was quiet when Fundy gave him a shot, and it was clear he would stay that way. As long as that mask muffled his words.

Chapter Text

Why? Dream had only that thought bouncing around in his mind for the past few days. It had been a good while since Fundy last talked to Dream, and Dream wasn’t handling it that well. It wasn’t terrible, it was just that Dream hadn’t left his room the whole time and spent most of that time trying not to cry. It wasn’t the worst he could be doing after losing someone he actually loved because he was too scared to talk to.

It wasn’t the best reaction though. His friends kept calling him, trying to talk to him after he basically went socially dead for a bit. He didn’t want to talk, he didn’t want to tell anyone about it. People probably already knew, it would explain why the calls were so frequent. George seemed to call the most.

Dream wasn’t scared of his curse anymore, he wanted to live forever with Fundy. But for some reason he was too scared to clear anything up. It wasn’t the curse, it was just something else. He really was that scared to be with someone, he was just that afraid of it. Dream didn’t know why that was surprising, it wasn’t like it was easy for him to tell if he was in love.

He did love Fundy though, but some part of him was fearful. It was new to him. Dream could tell why George didn’t get what he was doing at first when he tried to be with him, he barely even knew what he was doing. Fundy did though, and that just confused him. But with him being confused, it let him follow Fundy’s lead, and he really liked doing that.

Dream had to try and get Fundy back, he missed him so much. He wanted what they had on their last date, when Fundy fell asleep against him and he just held him until he decided to take him home. It was nice, It wasn’t like anything Dream had felt before. He could do it forever, he could be with Fundy forever. He wanted that so bad.

Dream sighed as he sat up on his bed. He curled up a bit, resting on his own knees. He wasn’t in the center of his bed, so he could just look over to the side, right where Fundy slept that one night when he got caught in the rain. Dream woke up later than Fundy, but he did recall sleeping close to him just before he fell asleep.

That really should have been the thing that ended his confusion about his feelings. Dream missed that. Having his head on Fundy’s chest while Fundy’s tail brushed against him. It was especially odd since Dream was obviously taller than Fundy, so being held wasn’t what he expected. He liked it though, he had to stop himself from asking Fundy to stay with him like that every night, the question bouncing around excitedly in his head. He ignored it before, but he couldn’t now.

The gifts were great, too. Even the last one he gave, the music box. It sounded great, plus he found it nice that Fundy wanted to give him something that related to how he called him “lemon boy” the first time. Fundy said that he probably wont call him that again, he was definitely wrong.

Dream looked up at the roses on the desk. One vase had yellow ones, another had orange ones. He carefully stood up, walking over to his desk. He didn’t know why Fundy gave him gifts like these, ones that actually took thought to figure out. It wasn’t like Dream didn’t like it, he actually liked looking into it, he figured one day he could return the favour.

The yellow roses weren’t looking that good, especially compared to the orange ones on the other side of the desk. Dream walked over to the familiarly colored flowers, they had the same color as Fundy’s fur. Dream held the rose close to himself, letting his face settle on top of them. He didn’t used to care about roses before, but now they were really comforting to him.

Dream tensed hearing his phone ring again. He looked around for his phone, finding it right under the yellow roses. It was George calling. Dream almost reached out to answer it, but stopped. Instead he held the orange roses close and watched as the phone kept ringing. He didn’t want to talk to anyone, he just wanted Fundy. He didn’t want to talk to George.

George. Dream watched as the call ended, looking back at the slightly decaying roses next to his phone. George told Fundy about Dream showing their face to him. George lied to Fundy because he was jealous. George was the reason Fundy left.

Would George really do that though? He couldn’t act that petty over it. George was his best friend, he had to accept that Dream wanted to be with someone else. George knew Dream was in love with Fundy before he did, he wouldn’t be that mean enough to lie to Fundy in order to chase him away.

Dream stopped himself, taking a deep breath as he stopped his thoughts. He stepped back in his head a bit, rethinking. George would do that, he did. He couldn’t say things weren’t true anymore when they weren’t. Dream wasn’t going to be in denial again, he learned his lesson before. He loves Fundy, and George tried to stop that.

It just kinda hurt realizing that your best friend tried to sabotage your relationship. It was conflicting to Dream, he felt like he had to stay friends with George, but he couldn’t help but fear that it would happen again sometime. He could just take a break from hanging out with George, but what would Sapnap even think? Hell what about Quackity, he already hated Dream but him ditching the person his father adopted wouldn’t be the best. Staying friends with him wasn’t going to be easy either, especially knowing now what George would do out of jealousy.

Dream just sighed as he went back to holding the orange roses tightly. He could worry about that later, maybe tomorrow he could call George about it. After that, he was going to get Fundy back. If it didn’t work, then that sucks, but he’s at least going to try. Fundy was his lemon boy, so he was going to take care of him, he was going to make sure he lived longer than any other like him.

Chapter Text

Dream rested his head on the desk as he held his phone in his lap. He wasn’t tired, he was just preparing himself mentally. He had his normal clothes on, ready to go outside when he needed. His mask was on, too. He was going to get Fundy back, he made up his mind on that. There was just something he needed to do first. He wouldn’t forgive himself if he didn’t, he had to talk to George before he could talk to Fundy.

He needed to, he needed to confront the problem, and that was by telling George to go fuck off. It would be fine, he just needed to tell George that he knows what he did, and leave him. What that would mean Dream didn’t know, but he wasn’t going to let it happen again. Whatever the outcome was, he wasn’t going to let Fundy get hurt again.

Dream sighed as he turned on his phone again, going to call George. He could do this, and he was going to. There was doubt that George was responsible, but no one else could possibly think of doing that, no one else was as jealous as George. Dream just called his friend as he leaned back on his chair, he’d just have to see how it would go.

There were a few seconds of the phone ringing. Dream breathed out as he let himself go empty of most of his feelings. It would be much easier that way. George had been his friend for so long, it was definitely going to hurt. So Dream just cut himself off from those previous connections for now. He could always bring them back, but right now, he just had that connection towards Fundy, he was the only one that mattered now.

“Hello,” Dream greeted. He could hear the sudden discomfort from George’s end. It was just a trick he had picked up to scare others. He couldn’t show his face so he had to convey things from his voice, and one thing he learned was how to scare people with it. This time it was intentional, just to make it harder to get out of the conversation for George.

“Hey Dream, why are you sounding like that? Did something happen?” George asked. Dream was silent for a few seconds, both because he was upset that George of all people would ask that, but also to further George’s fear in this. Dream couldn’t ever decipher why he liked doing this, but inciting fear, even a little, was just fun to him. He felt like it was a bit deserved, “Is there something you want to talk about?”

“You lied to Fundy. He told me that I gave you immortality instead. I know you were the one that gave him that idea,” Dream stated, his voice empty. George was silent on the other end, Dream could hear something move on the other end, something moving on a desk, “George.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I’m assuming that Fundy stopped taking you out,” George said. Dream sighed as he stood up, leaning on his desk instead. He looked at the yellow roses on the desk that were now beside him, pushing them back and out of his sight, “It’s been a while since we met in person, why don’t we go out to the movies tonight?”

“Come on George, you know you can’t lie to me. Don’t try and get your way out of this or I assure you, you will regret it one day,” Dream said. George went quiet again. It was an empty threat, but he wasn’t going to let that little fact get in the way of scaring George, “You lied to Fundy. He’s heartbroken both mentally and physically, George. He deserves to be immortal more than anyone.”

“I just wanted to be with you Dream, I know I had my chance before, and I should have taken it. But do you honestly think Fundy wants to try again after thinking that. I mean I told him a while ago, I think it’s kinda solidified in his mind that you don’t want him,” George said. Dream pushed the yellow roses back further, though he didn’t even process how close they were to the edge of the table, “Dream it’s going to be hard to get him back after this, I’m right here and that has never and will never change, why do you take such hard ways to get what you want?”

“I said this before George, you should have listened to me,” Dream said. He let the act drop for a while, instead putting up a new one. It wasn't more open or vulnerable, but more cocky, “I just like the taste of something bittersweet better, and Fundy is just way better than you. I don’t care if it’s hard, because the pay-off when I’m able to give him what he deserves is going to make it taste even better.”

Dream heard nothing on the other end. Just sighing as he went to hang up. Dream moved a bit, but ended up pushing the yellow roses off the edge. The shattering of the glass rang through his ears, forcing him to put his phone on the desk and lean on the chair. Eventually he calmed down and was able to think more clearly.

He ran his hands through his own hair as he set down his thoughts in his head. He didn’t want to keep hanging up on people, but he really didn’t want to hear any excuse or rebuttal George had, if he could even come up with anything. This really did seem like the end of his friendship with the guy, Dream dreaded finding out how Sapnap would feel. The actual cut-off connection with George didn't really matter, it was quite easy for him. It just felt odd

Dream stared at the roses on the floor for a while, eventually going to fix up the mess. They were dying anyway. Dream threw away the pieces of glass first, making sure to get every tiny piece so Patches didn't accidentally get hurt on one of them, then went to toss the roses. He appreciated Fundy giving them to him, but he had enough to make up for it.

Dream looked at the covering on his bedroom widows. He had them for a while, using them so he could have his mask off in his house. He was always so scared of someone seeing him, and because of that, it was always unnaturally dark in his house. It took a while for Dream to get used to it, but even then he didn’t exactly like it.

Letting out a sigh, Dream secured the mask around his head tightly, then walked over to the windows. He took down the covers on the glass, letting the more natural light fill the room. It felt nice, it had been a while since he used the windows to actually see. He thought of them as inconveniences for so long, hopefully after tonight he won't, instead being able to share them with someone else.

Dream heard the phone ring again. He just groaned as he stopped George’s attempt to call him back, picking up his phone as he walked out of his room. He didn’t have time to talk to George, not that he even wanted to. Right now, he just needed green roses.

Chapter Text

Dream stood at Fundy’s doorstep nervously. He held green roses behind his back, making sure to keep them a secret for now. He wore his normal outfit, but he kept it neat, just like Fundy did the first time he asked him out, and Dream was going to do the same now. At least he was going to attempt to, it was hard when there was the sinking feeling that he should just leave.

Dream stood still though, forcing himself to keep his legs in the same spot, trying not to let himself walk away. He couldn’t turn back, not when he got this far. He already talked to Eret and she respected him, he had to go through with this plan, for Fundy’s sake.

He was still a bit shaken up from his call with George, but he couldn’t wait any longer. The longer he ignored Fundy, the more ingrained it would become that Dream didn’t love him. That was so wrong though, and Dream couldn’t stand Fundy not knowing that. So he just had to pull himself together for today, because Fundy deserved it.

Dream sighed as he looked around the peaceful area. The property was actually quite nice to Dream, it looked really relaxing, he could see why Fundy liked spending his time here. Of course it was nice though, Eret was the richest person in The Greater DreamSMP, she had the money to spend on making sure the place was nice. But that also included Fundy’s house, so there was a bit of tension at first since Dream had to talk to Eret.

She was skeptical at first, and Dream couldn’t blame her, he didn’t really tell her his plan and he wanted it to be somewhat of a secret. Eventually he had to tell Eret, which made her very welcoming of him. She really was just looking for the best for Fundy, and whatever Dream’s plan was she found the best. Dream was just glad that Eret was on his side, he relied on the fact Fundy would trust her judgment.

It would be fine though, Dream was sure of it. Just one last date that night, for one last gift. There had to be one, he wasn’t letting Fundy go without giving him what he deserved. That could just be all it was, too, there didn’t need to be any others after that, Fundy could completely cut Dream off after it, even if it would break Dream’s heart. It’s not like Dream didn’t deserve it for ignoring him for a while.

Dream just sighed as he knocked on the door. He found it odd. For a while, Fundy had been doing this to him. Dream actually quite liked being in Fundy’s place, even if it was a bit nerve-wracking. He wondered if Fundy felt this nervous, he strangely liked the thought of Fundy being nervous about talking to him, how when Fundy came over and he greeted him it made him feel relaxed. Dream wished he was able to appreciate that before.

A click came from the other side of the door, alerting Dream to look at it and wait for Fundy. The door hesitantly opened a bit, then it opened more a bit faster so Dream could see Fundy, who looked surprised to see him there. Dream wished he could give him a smile, but Fundy couldn’t see it, at least not yet.

He regretted that thought though when he saw how Fundy looked. He wasn’t at his healthiest, Dream could tell that. He looked tired, seeming like he could fall over and sleep at any moment, but there was something keeping him awake, maybe fear. Dream tensed seeing it, looks like he wasn’t guaranteed to live to 25, it was just the maximum.

“What are you doing here, Dream?” Fundy mumbled out, his voice sounding rough. Dream felt his mind go blank for a second, thankfully he immediately recognized it. Fundy looked down a bit, thinking about something for a second before he looked back up at Dream, “How did you even get here? Eret rarely ever lets anyone in, especially since he knows what happened.”

“I explained myself, and trust me I’m not going to stay for too long, just to ask you something,” Dream said. He was slipping, he knew he was. Luckily Fundy didn’t immediately turn him away, instead leaning on the doorframe, as if he was just humoring him. Dream couldn’t blame him, in Fundy’s eyes he basically betrayed him and left him to die in favor of George. Dream just hoped he could clear that up, “Look Fundy, the truth is, George lied to you. I never gave him anything, and honestly even if I did love him I would never take that away from you. Not that I do though, I definitely don’t love him, especially not aft-”

“George was the one who did this?” Fundy asked, cutting Dream off. Dream went quiet, just resorting to nodding. Fundy didn’t say anything after it, only parting his lips to quietly ask Dream something else, ”Why didn’t you say anything when I came over?”

“I don’t know, and I’m sorry. I guess it was just because I didn’t know who told you that, but I think I was just scared. This was really new to me and I’m sorry you had to be dragged into that,” Dream said. Fundy’s expression seemed to soften a bit. But he still was quiet. Dream breathed as he kept his heels on the ground, he wasn’t turning back now, “You don’t have to be with me, or even talk to me again. But I want to take you out one last time tonight, I have something I want to give you, and I need to give you it alone.”

“What kind of gift?” Fundy asked. Dream felt himself smiling under the mask, he didn’t immediately say no, that was good. He didn’t know how Fundy would react to him saying it was a surprise. It wasn’t like he was gonna give up though, he was going to give Fundy what he deserved.

“I can’t tell you yet, but I need you to meet me at the cliffs in L’Manburg, where you took me before,” Dream said. Fundy looked away from Dream, considering his request. Dream tensed as he waited for an answer. He didn’t want to tell Fundy what the surprise is, but he also didn’t want him to decline it.

“One last time for now, we’ll see if that stands after it,” Fundy said. Dream smiled under the mask, happily tapping his heel on the ground. It didn’t matter if Fundy was probably going to drop him after it, he was just glad that Fundy was able to pity him enough to let him take him out again.

“Meet me there at sunset, I promise I won’t disappoint you,” Dream said. Fundy gave a soft laugh, which Dream felt his heart burst at. It was so much easier when he actually let himself be in love with Fundy, he felt happier. Of course, Fundy probably didn’t have those same feelings anymore, but at least he could let himself be happy with him one last time, “Oh right, I also brought something for you, I figured I would return the favor at least once.”

Dream pulled out the roses from behind his back, handing them to Fundy. Fundy seemed taken aback by the gift, though he did look more lively at least. Dream looked at him patiently as he took them, holding the bouquet close to his chest. It felt really nice to see Fundy being the receiver of the flowers. Dream really regretted not being able to do this before, he wished he could do this more, maybe Fundy wouldn’t have believed what George said if he did.

“Dream? Are you okay?” Fundy asked. Dream immediately reached a hand under his mask to wipe at his face. He didn’t even realize, and Fundy had to see that.

“I’m fine. Just meet me at the cliffs later, and after that, you won’t need to talk to me again,” Dream said. Fundy looked a bit worried, but eventually moved so he could close the door. The roses were still close to him though. Fundy looked nice with green, Dream was almost jealous of the roses. Almost.

“I will. I’ll see you later, Dream,” Fundy said. Dream walked back a bit while Fundy turned around to shut the door. He didn’t know what he was saying, or what he was even thinking. But somehow, for a few seconds, he managed to make Fundy stop in his tracks.

“We’ll see each other at sunset, Lemon boy.”

Chapter Text

Fundy closed the door of his car quietly, a small sigh escaping. He couldn’t just leave Dream, as easy as it would be to ditch him, he seemed very eager to show him something. He didn’t think anyone came with him, Dream wanted to see him alone. Fundy couldn’t think of why, and unsurprisingly it was very suspicious, but Fundy shouldn’t have to worry about anything. It wasn’t like anything was going to hurt him, even if he was in his weakest state.

He could hold his own though, he didn’t need Dream and his immortality, and if anyone tried anything, he could hold his own. Fundy knew he wasn’t weak, even if he was close to death now. He just needed to get what Dream wanted to give him, and he’d be free to forget him, move on, and spare himself some more time.

Dream was just happy hearing a car pull up behind him, the nervous feeling dissipating as he heard familiar steps on the ground from soft paws. Dream didn’t know why, but felt like something was going to intervene with his plan. It was only Fundy though, just him.

He looked at the sunset for a few seconds longer before going to stand up. It seemed like he’d have to get used to the sight. Dream looked back at Fundy, who looked a bit more tired now. He breathed in and out shakily as he walked over to the fox hybrid. Fundy already looked ready to leave.

“What did you want to give me?” Fundy asked. Dream tensed a bit, Fundy really didn’t want to be with him again. Who could even blame him, Dream didn’t even try to stop him from leaving before, he never tried, “And why did you want me alone? It seems kind of suspicious, don’t you think?”

“I don’t want anyone else to see it right now, only you can,” Dream said. Fundy didn’t seem to be any less comforted. Dream stammered as he tried to fix his words, but couldn’t. He couldn’t tell Fundy what it was just yet, his voice was lost to it, “It’s nothing bad, I think you’d enjoy it- Uh-”

“Whatever you plan, I hope for your sake that it’s worth it to me,” Fundy said, avoiding looking at Dream at this point. Dream gave a laugh, it was nervous and almost sad.

“Trust me, in either option I won’t be the one benefiting,” Dream said. Fundy seemed to soften a bit, trying to process Dream’s words. He wasn’t benefiting, but Fundy would like it. Something he thought he deserved. The thought was right there, but Fundy couldn’t think of what it was. Dream was empty handed, nothing except the mask.

Fundy’s thoughts were cut off when Dream took his hands in his. He wasn’t wearing his gloves, there were rough patches on the inside of his hands. Fundy always suspected he had them, but it was much more prominent on his palms. Fundy liked it though, it reminded him of his own hands.

“Fundy, I know you probably don’t want to talk to me ever again, and I can understand that. You deserve to be happy though, so before you go, please just let me do something for you,” Dream said. Fundy was still as he looked up at Dream, feeling a sense of dread as Dream pulled his hands away. Then it hit him what Dream wanted to give him.

“Dream you can’t be serious. Isn’t that your worst fear?” Fundy said, weakly grabbing at Dream’s wrists when he lifted his hands to his mask. Dream gave a small nod, Fundy saw the mask move a bit, the straps were a bit loose. Fundy would love nothing more to be immortal, but he didn’t want Dream to go through that, too, especially if he said he wasn’t benefitting from it, “I didn’t even win you over, you don’t have to do this. You know that, right? Dream please tell me that you know you don’t have to do this when you don’t love me.”

“I do love you, I’ve just been an idiot who didn’t know what they were the whole time. It’s why you don’t have to talk to me after this. But I’m done with that,” Dream pulled his hands out of Fundy’s grip. It didn’t take much strength on his end. Fundy just felt his breath catch in his throat as he watched Dream grab the sides of his mask, “You deserve to live a long life, Fundy. Even if it scares me, I love you too much to care if it’s going to be alone.”

Dream wrapped his fingers around the straps, easily pulling them out of the loose knot. Shaking, Dream pulled the mask down to his chest. The cold air finally hit his face as his heart restarted, his pulse slowing to a new pace. That was it. Fundy saw him, and he was damned to be immortal.

Fundy put a hand on his chest as he felt his own heartbeat stiffen for a second, breathing nervously as it slowed. He felt the same, but nothing became worse. His current conditions weren’t damning him anymore, they were just something he could sleep off now. He got what he wanted, he could live longer now, he could do what he promised his mom what he would do.

There was an air of silence as the two looked at each other. Dream didn’t look much like George described. He didn’t have a human face, it looked familiar to a human, but it wasn’t. He had a darker tip of his nose, a line running down it to his lips. His cheeks had faint crescents on them, dots of green scattered around his face like freckles. His face wasn’t completely normal either, having some white patches. His eyes looked like a cat’s with green and black. Fundy could see his ears now, too, since they were hidden under the straps and his hair. They were like Ranboo’s, inhuman and able to flop down completely or perk up to the sides. Dream was like an enderman, except he was an albino one, which were actually quite rare.

Without his mask, it became easier to tell when he became nervous. Fundy watched as he played with the mask, looking down at nothing as he pulled it up a bit. Dream hadn’t even considered how he looked, there was the chance that Fundy may not like it. He couldn’t imagine any other reason why Fundy would be looking at him for that long. Fundy probably hated him at that point.

Dream let the mask fall a bit, grabbing it’s straps as he went to tie it back on. Fundy stopped him though, only looking down for a second to grab his hands. Dream looked back at Fundy confused, until he saw the blur of orange behind the fox hybrid. Fundy’s eyes never unlocked from Dream’s, like he was trapped in them, and it didn’t seem like he minded it at all.

Eventually, Dream let his hands fall. Fundy freed his hand from the grip and went to hold Dream’s face. Dream tensed at it, it felt odd, but eventually he softened in his hold. Fundy raised his other hand to hold the other side of Dream’s face.

“I thought you’d hate me,” Dream mumbled. Fundy gave a small laugh, brushing his thumbs against his face, gently.

“How can I hate a cute face like that?” Fundy said. He smiled seeing a red tint overcome Dream’s face. He was glad to finally see him move, his small reactions were adorable. Fundy really didn’t want to leave Dream, how could he just leave him after this? “Dream you could be the dumbest person ever but the way you want to help me is so endearing. You want to give me what I deserve, and I want to do the same. I can’t let you be alone like that.”

“Come on, Lemon boy, you can’t possibly like me after how stupid I’ve been,” Dream said. Fundy hummed as he leaned closer to Dream, standing up more, his face closer to Dream’s. Dream let out a small purr, Fundy could see his eyes dilate like a cat’s.

“Come on, Dream, you can’t possibly be doubting how much I want to kiss you right now,” Fundy mumbled. Dream laughed nervously as Fundy leaned closer to his face. It wasn’t like he didn’t want that, he just didn’t know how to react to it, the only time he got familiar with it was when he kissed Fundy’s head, and he was sure that this would be different, “Because I’ll be honest, I’d feel so bad if I ditched you after this, you deserve so much more than that.”

“You shouldn’t feel guilty for it, I’ve been an idiot this whole time,” Dream said quietly. Fundy only scoffed at it, then returned to a more softer demeanor. Dream just played with the mask in his hands.

“Dream you’re confused, this is new to you. Yeah you’re kind of stupid, but you don’t want to be, and how could I not feel guilty for giving up on you with what you’ve done to make it up to me,” Fundy mumbled. He could feel Dream’s face warm up in his hand as he buried his face in his palm. Dream looked down, Fundy could hear his breathing falter a bit, “Dream I’m going to kiss you, I’m going to hold you, and I’m going to drive you home where you can be comfortable knowing that I want to see you happy. Like I said, I want to see you smile just as happily as the one on your mask.”

“Fundy?” Dream whispered out, his voice a bit strained. Fundy hummed as he moved his thumb to wipe away a tear about to fall down Dream’s face, he knew from Ranboo that endermen hurt when they cried, he wasn’t about to let that happen with Dream, “When you drive me home, can you stay with me for the night?”

“Of course I can,” Fundy whispered back. Dream smiled brightly as he let out a small chirping noise. Fundy laughed silently. Dream seemed to calm down, so Fundy closed his eyes as he gently pushed his face close against Dream’s, inching his lips to his. Dream quickly noticed was Fundy wanted to do, so he just mimicked him and closed the gap.

It wasn’t anything but soft and quick. As much as Fundy wanted to just hold Dream’s face against his kiss like there was nothing left to do, he knew Dream wouldn’t be familiar with it, and the last thing Fundy wanted to do was overwhelm the poor guy.

Fundy was the one to pull away, dropping his hands a bit from Dream’s face. Dream seemed to want to linger around Fundy though, following him as he gently nuzzled his nose against Fundy’s cheek. Fundy sighed as he went to wrap his arms around Dream’s waist, pulling him down into a sitting position. Dream simply followed him down, resting between Fundy’s legs as he pulled the non-human close against him.

Dream smiled as Fundy held him tightly. He started rambling about dates they could go on, he really wanted to take him to see a movie. Dream just listened to him gush about one that he liked, an animated one, it sounded fun.

Fundy seemed to tune out everything around him, but Dream didn’t, hearing a soft rustling of bushes. Dream perked up, but made sure to not let Fundy know, instead letting him talk freely about the movie. Dream then saw someone familiar looking back at him.

George seemed to be out of breath, he had just arrived there. Dream stared his old friend down, wrapping his arms around Fundy protectively, almost mocking George. Silently, Dream forced George away from the area, wordlessly making him scared of what would happen if he stepped any closer, or if he got there any sooner. It worked well, Dream was lucky that he could show his eyes, it was a lot easier to influence people that way. Sometimes a simple voice didn’t work.

Dream relaxed as he went back to listening to Fundy. He was talking about renting a place out so that Dream wasn’t overwhelmed by a bunch of people when watching the movie. Dream joked about it being a restaurant, Fundy took it as a challenge. The more and more Fundy talked about this date, the more Dream got excited for it, because he knew Fundy would do it somehow.

After a few minutes, Dream let out a yawn. He couldn’t process what Fundy was saying anymore, he was so close to sleep, he hadn’t even realized. All he could feel was Fundy’s breath gently brushing against his face as he moved to carry him. Dream couldn’t stay awake long enough to see if Fundy could even lift him up, but he didn’t really need to. Fundy would do anything for him, and he would do anything for Fundy. His lemon boy would find some way.

Chapter Text

Fundy gently held Dream’s lower back as he walked him over to another room. It was the easiest place to hold since he was smaller than his dear partner, but Dream didn’t seem to mind at all, he actually seemed to like the small touches from Fundy. Fundy was just glad he was getting used to it, especially when he would try holding Fundy himself.

It had been a nice few weeks with Dream, though this was the first time they went on an actual date since Dream took him out. Fundy really wanted to take Dream out, but he was so insistent on having him rest since he needed to take care of himself. The state he was in wasn’t easy to get rid of, he didn’t even realize it was that bad. He felt so much better now though, and Dream definitely helped.

Fundy became pretty immune to the joke that he was moving in with Dream now, it was made so often around him whenever he was in the Manberg area. It wasn’t like Niki and Ranboo didn’t have a point, before Dream, he never found a reason to go to Manberg. Not to mention after he started dating Dream, he was at his house so much he would accidentally call it home sometimes.

Dream did treat him like he was living there when he was resting though, having him stay in his bed while he went out so Fundy didn’t have to do much. Fundy was glad Dream liked going outside now, but a part of him worried since Dream still kept wearing the mask. Even when they went to the restaurant, Dream panicked when he forgot it. It wasn’t like he wasn’t used to it being off, he was completely fine not wearing it around Fundy, that’s how he misplaced it in the first place.

He was still wearing it, only moving it to eat. Fundy grew a bit concerned for his partner, but he decided to wait until they were alone to talk to him about it. He already rented out the place, but there was still staff, plus he figured it would be better in the room where Fundy was taking him.

Dream settled in Fundy’s hold when he stopped to open the door, which was kind of difficult when Fundy was shorter than him, but he at least tried. Fundy just put a small kiss on Dream’s jaw near his neck, having him let out a small chirp that was just barely audible to his ears.

“I’m sure I already talked about this, but I have something really cool for tonight. I know you don’t like crowds, so-” Fundy pulled Dream into the room, letting him look around while he closed the door behind them, “-I did this. It was originally just a room for couples that paid enough for it, as some sort of way to be alone to do whatever. But I brought in a few things, like a screen and roses, maybe some other things if we need them.”

“This is really nice, Fundy. I’m still surprised you would do this for me,” Dream mumbled. Fundy playfully sighed as he lifted Dream up, it was actually fun how he could do that so easily, Dream was lighter they both realized. Fundy put him on the couch in the room, getting on it after it to hold Dream there on his lap, “Okay then.”

Fundy just laughed as he moved them so Dream could comfortably lean on him, pulling the nonhuman in a ball by grabbing at his legs and pulling them up. Dream let him, resting his head on Fundy’s. Eventually the two got in a good position, Fundy sitting relaxed while Dream was curled around him on his lap.

Dream started humming next to Fundy’s ear, it didn’t seem random, but it definitely wasn’t a tune Fundy had heard. He liked it though. Fundy just grabbed his phone and played the movie on the screen. It wasn’t a normal one, he couldn’t possibly put a regular tele in the room, the waiter he knew that worked here could only let him get away with so much.

So Fundy made a portable screen. It wasn’t the best, but it worked. It didn’t take much space, and he could easily hide it. Dream seemed impressed when he started talking about it out loud, going on and on about whatever he could. He started wondering about what else he could do for Dream.

Eventually the two quieted down and started actually watching the movie. Fundy wasn’t doing much watching, he had already seen it many times. Instead he just looked at Dream, who still had the mask on. Fundy didn’t know how he could see in that thing, but he didn’t want him hiding behind it every time he went out anymore.

Fundy moved his hand up to pull the mask off, easily untying the straps. Dream seemed to look shocked at it, reaching back for it while Fundy held it out of his grasp. Fundy gently nuzzled his face against Dream’s, calming him down and making him retreat back onto his hold.

“Why are you so nervous to show your face outside? You told me you don’t have the fear of others turning immortal anymore, but you’re always scared of going outside without it,” Fundy said. Dream huffed as he buried his face against the side of Fundy’s head, gently moving his hat a bit, “Dream are you scared about what other people might think of your appearance?”

Dream didn’t answer, just silently going to grab the red and white roses on the table in front of them. Fundy just let him move around, watching him hold the flowers close to himself. He figured not to pry anymore, it didn’t seem like Dream wanted to talk about it.

“You look really good with red,” Fundy said. Dream’s face warmed up a bit as he lifted the bouquet up to cover some of his face. Fundy sighed as he pulled them down, looking at his partner again. He couldn’t see why he was so scared of people not liking how he looked, Fundy found him absolutely adorable, “You look good all the time actually, I’m glad I get to see this until the end of time itself.”

Dream purred as Fundy started kissing all over his face, giving attention to every little spot. Dream still wasn’t too familiar with kissing, but he did really like it when Fundy would do it to him. He really could do this forever, and he really wanted to.

“Hey Lemon boy,” Dream called quietly. Fundy hummed as he pulled away Dream, resting his hands on his arms, “Can we try and kiss again? I know you keep trying to keep it quick whenever we do, but I think I want you to actually do it properly.”

“Of course I can do that, love,” Fundy said. Dream breathed in for a second before he felt Fundy lock his lips with his. It felt a lot more passionate, which caught Dream off guard. He only faltered for a second before mimicking him.

Fundy really did seem to be holding back those previous times, he seemed so much more energetic in this. It wasn’t that long, Fundy eventually stopped to pull away, though Dream followed him back a little. Fundy laughed at his partner’s excitement.

“You certainly liked that,” Fundy said. Dream continued humming as he nuzzled his face against Fundy’s cheek. Fundy felt the roses brush against his chest, holding them like Dream was. He then remembered the movie playing in the background, “Oh, I was supposed to be showing you a movie. Do you want me to try and catch you up, or-”

“It’s fine, we can watch it when we get home,” Dream said. Fundy felt Dream move to lean on the couch, grabbing onto Fundy to go back with him. Fundy let out a small yip as he was suddenly over Dream, who was locking him in a stare, “This is already enough.”

“I want to give you more though,” Fundy said. Dream put the roses aside and wrapped his arms around Fundy’s neck, pulling him down more. Fundy smiled as he put his hands at Dream’s sides, looking down at his partner happily.

“We have all the time in the world, Lemon boy, let's just slow down,” Dream mumbled, his voice quiet and soft. Fundy eventually laid down next to Dream, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him closer. Dream happily clung onto him, burying his head against Fundy’s neck.

He could always show Dream the movie later, Dream seemed much more happy like this at the moment. Sometimes it never really processed how he really could wait on things. Fundy was going to live forever now, he didn’t need to fit his whole life into a few years anymore.

There was one thing he wanted to do though. It could wait, he realized that, but what harm could a promise ring do? He could do it at any time, it was in the car so wherever they went it was ready. But Fundy wasn’t really a slow person, and he doubted he would ever run out of ideas. He could go as long as Dream needed him to.

Fundy snapped out of his thoughts hearing Dream start to hum again. This time he knew the tune, it was from that music box he gave him. Dream’s arms tightened around Fundy, like he couldn’t survive without him. Dream wasn’t asleep at all, not even close, he just really wanted Fundy, he always did. Fundy did as well, which is why he tightened his grip on Dream, too.