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When Techno first awoke to somebody at his window, he was sixteen and wondered how his father was going to have to break the news to his boyfriend of two months that he was murdered.
Once he had gotten past the initial shock, he fumbled around for the scissors he had left on his bedside table一Tommy had asked for a paper crown and they were the sharpest thing he could reach without getting out of bed, sue him一, before turning his attention back to the window.
He could barely make out a person standing outside the glass, the light from a nearby street lamp along with the occasional strike of lighting一 why is this the exact setting of a horror movie一 illuminating the silhouette of a figure. Techno felt ice-cold fear encasing his heart, but the grip he had on the scissors was steady, refusing to give the person outside the satisfaction of scaring him.
He slowly got out of his bed, grabbing his phone from where it lay on his table, momentarily being distracted by the numerous texts from Dream present on the lock screen under the daunting numbers reading 2:41. The latest message read “please respond”, but Techno’s sure if Phil explains how he was murdered through his window, Dream will understand why he isn’t responding. He refocuses back on the present when another knock came from the glass, slightly more forceful than the last.
As soon as he reached the window, only bumping into a few things in his blind navigation, he took a deep breath before springing into action. With one hand, he unlatched the lock on top of the window, while the other hurriedly turned the flashlight on his phone on, the scissors momentarily still in the unlocking hand, before being pointed towards the person at the window.
He was expecting some random person he’s never seen before, who’s simply desperate enough to try and break into a random teenager's window to try and steal some stuff. He expected a black ski mask with holes cut out of it like one would see in the movies.
He did not expect the bright light to illuminate his drenched boyfriend with visible tear tracks mixing with the chilling rain from above.
He could see shivers wracking the boy’s form as he flinches from the unexpected light, his hands gripping the opposite biceps, almost as if he was attempting to hug himself. His usual lime green hoodie was now darker with the water it absorbed, and the hood seemed to provide no cover for the dirty blond hair, which was dripping rain onto the freckled face.
The two stood there in silence for a moment, only the sound of the rain slamming into the side of the house filling the air, before Techno finally came to his senses. In one movement he had placed the scissors and his phone down on his desk near the window, the light from the device shining towards the ceiling rather than into Dream’s red-rimmed eyes. Techno’s hands then reached out to the other boy, his heart clenching painfully at the wince the movement caused.
“Dream… what happened?” Worried ruby eyes raked across the boy’s figure, his hands hovering close but not suffocating the boy. The dirty blond seemed to uncurl slightly, his hands releasing their death grip on his arms. Techno could feel his hands becoming increasingly more damp, platters of rain making their way onto his skin.
“Could I come in?” Techno almost winced himself at the raspy tone of voice, laced in pain and exhaustion. Without a second thought, the pink haired boy yanked the window up more, creating a space large enough for somebody to fit through. Dream slowly made his way through the open space, his whole body shaking dangerously.
As soon as he was safely inside, the window shut by pale hands behind him, Techno opened his mouth to attempt to choke out a sentence past his worry, but before he could continue, he suddenly had a very wet body flung into his chest. Techno took a moment to shiver at the drenched cloth before he was winding his own arms around a shaking back. A cold face emitting muffled sobs squished against his neck, and he rested his chin on freezing blond hair.
Dream seemed to crumble in his hold, Techno’s legs barely able to support the both of them, but he persevered. The two stood there for who-knows-how-long before Techno reluctantly pulled away; he tried not to feel too bad about the betrayed expression that crossed Dream's face at the action. However, he didn't know how long the blond boy was out in the frigid rain, and he needed to make sure the boy wasn't going to contract hypothermia.
When he voiced this thought, Dream’s expression morphed to understanding, but there was still an ounce of sadness present in his face. Before Dream could open his mouth and say something that would undeniably cause Techno to wrap him in a hug until the two of them couldn't breathe, the pinkette was heading towards his bedroom door. When his hand touched the doorknob, he turned back towards the blond, not daring to look into his emerald eyes not yet bare of tears. He offered a small “be right back” to the boy before he crept out of his room.
He kept his steps light, knowing the smallest noise would wake up his father, whose larger footsteps would without a doubt wake up Techno’s brothers. When he reached the bathroom, he grabbed the fluffiest towel he could find, before he crept back to his bedroom, luckily without stepping on any creaky floorboards.
When he entered the room again, he saw Dream standing awkwardly in the middle of the space, gazing around the interior as if he’s never been here before一which he technically hasn’t at three in the morning, but that’s besides the point. Techno took quick notice of the fact that Dream had flicked on his lamp and turned off his phone flashlight, before the pinkette was striding towards him.
After the blond boy had successfully dried off the best he could, Techno moved to take the towel back to the bathroom while Dream changed into a pair of sweatpants and Techno’s favorite hoodie. The pink haired boy was sure that if this entire scenario wasn’t so frightening, he would be cooing at how cute the blond looked.
When everything was settled down, Techno moved to engulf the blond in another well-needed hug. He was glad he couldn’t feel more tears wetting his shoulder, but the blond’s face was still flushed red. The longer the two stood there, the sooner the haze of sleep left Techno’s mind, resulting in his previous worry morphing into red-hot anger.
Whoever caused Dream to turn out like this will pay, preferably in murder, but he’ll take simple bloodshed too, Techno will make sure of it.
The pinkette quickly tried to clear the fog in his head, loosening his grip slightly when he noticed he was unconsciously squeezing the dirty blond, though the boy didn’t seem to mind. As much as he enjoys hugging his boyfriend, he really needs to find out who he’s going to have to pummel.
“Hey, Dream.” The aforementioned made a disgruntled sound against Techno’s shoulder, his hands momentarily tightening around the pinkette’s back. “We need to talk about why you’re here.” Dream tensed up slightly, and began to pull away from the pink haired boy, a frown now covering his face. His emerald eyes couldn’t meet Techno’s, instead locking their gaze onto the sleeves of the hoodie he was wearing. “How about we go lay down and you can tell me, alright?”
When they were settled under still-warm sheets, Dream tucked securely under Techno’s chin, the pinkette could almost imagine that nothing was wrong. That they were just having a simple sleepover一like the ones they used to have as children一and there wasn’t any crying or dull eyes or worrying. But he wouldn’t blame the dirty blond boy一he couldn’t一for causing the night to turn out like this.
“Dream, I need to know what’s going on so I know the best way to help you.” Techno’s hands were rubbing soothing circles on Dream’s back as he spoke, his voice light yet firm. The blond didn’t answer, opting to tuck his face further into the pinkette’s clavicle.
Warm tears began to dampen Techno’s shirt for the second time that night. When Dream spoke, his voice was watery, and it hitched slightly on the first word. “Can we talk in the morning? Please? I- I’m just so tired, Techno.”
The pinkette knew it was probably logical to pry the answers out of Dream tonight, but he finds it very hard to listen to logic while his boyfriend is crying against his chest, pain lacing the few words he’s willing to speak. With apprehension swirling in his gut, Techno turns the lamp off, the small sigh of relief against his chest placating him more than he’d like to admit.
“Okay, Dream, but we need to talk in the mornin'.”
With one final nod from the dirty blond, the boy fell into a deep sleep, the pinkette not far behind.
-
The sound of Tommy’s loud yelling woke Techno from a restless sleep, his ruby eyes barely processing the 7:15 present on the clock on his nightstand before his door was busted open, an energetic young boy bouncing in. It seemed as though Dream had woken up too, for he flinched at the sound of the door opening, burying his face into Techno’s chest.
If Techno was more awake, he could have stopped the impending loud voice that would come out of his younger brother’s mouth. However, he was powerless as a confused expression broke out on Tommy’s face before he began to speak, loudly.
“What the fuck?!”
At that exclamation, a small “what?” could be heard from down the hall before Techno’s other brother popped into the doorway. Mirth-filled smiles crossed the two boys’ faces once they both caught sight of the dirty blond in Techno’s bed, and Tommy bolted out of the room, screaming “dad!” in seemingly the loudest voice he could muster.
However, Techno could barely pay attention to the two of them, his hazy mind entirely focused on how Dream’s breathing became increasingly labored during the entire interaction. Techno could faintly hear small mutters of “no'' and “not dad” against his chest, and the hands on the pinkette’s back started to shake. It seemed he wasn’t the only one to notice the actions, for the mischievous expression on Wilbur’s face shifted to one of confusion and shock.
By the time Tommy had dragged Techno’s father into the small room, Dream had tears cascading down his face, blurring the freckles on his cheeks. Techno was attempting to comfort the boy, his hands wiping away the tears with soft fingers, but nothing seemed to be working. He desperately looked up at his family, who were standing there with mirrored expressions of shock.
Phil cleared his head the earliest, ushering Tommy and Wilbur out the pinkette’s door, which closed with a click, leaving the two intertwined boys in an empty room. Dream calmed down significantly now that they were alone, the whispered encouragement from the pinkette hopefully assisting in the process. When the tears turned into the occasional sniffle, and the boy’s breathing had returned back to its normal rhythm, Techno let out a sigh of relief.
The pinkette knew now would be a good time to bring up the reasoning for Dream being at his house, but he had no idea where to start. Even if Dream were to willingly start talking out of the blue, Techno wouldn’t know how to help the boy. His mind strayed to his father, who was always so intelligent and understanding, surely he would know how to help, right?
“Dream, I’m going to call Phil in here, so I’ll have to yell.” Dream’s breathing only seemed to pick up at that, his hands clutching Techno’s shirt tighter. A confused expression crossed the pinkette’s face, did he say something wrong? Nevertheless, he rubbed soothing circles onto the dirty blond’s back, small “shh”s managing to calm the boy down slightly, his shoulders still tense.
With calloused hands covering Dream's ears, Techno called to his father, who made an appearance in record time. His face was contorted in worry, and his eyes stayed locked on the boy against Techno’s chest. The pinkette slowly raised Dream so they were sitting on the bed, their backs against the headboard, before he addressed his father, who had perched himself on the edge of the foot of Techno’s bed.
“Dream, I need you to explain why you showed up at my window in the middle of the night.” Techno’s words cut through the air like a knife. The pink haired boy steadily ignored his father’s shocked expression, his entire focus on the dirty blond who was wiping his eyes with the ends of Techno’s hoodie sleeves. He showed no signs of opening his mouth, and his gaze stayed on the comforter atop his thighs. “Please, love, I hate to see you like this.”
Dream seemed to break at the name, warm tears making another appearance in the emerald eyes usually filled with joy. A choked sob left the boy’s mouth before he was covering his face with hoodie-covered hands. Techno’s heart broke at the noise, his hand grabbing the one nearest to his, squeezing it lightly. “I’m just so tired of it, Techno.”
Techno’s hand tightened at the pain that laced Dream’s words. Whatever一or whoever一”it” is is going to have one hell of a time when Techno finds them. Phil was watching the two of them with a face full of compassion, his hands no doubt itching to comfort the crying boy. Dream’s words started spilling out of him without abandon, as if he couldn’t stop them if he tried.
“And normally I can handle it by just staying out of the way, but now it seems like anything I do is just wrong and I don’t know what he wants from me. If I stay silent, he yells about how I’m ignoring him. If I talk back, he yells at me for not letting him speak. It- it makes no sense, and I’m so tired of everything, and I just want everything to go back to how it was back then and- and-”
Dream choked on a sob, an anguished cry being muffled by the end of Techno’s sweatshirt. Techno can feel his own vision start to go blurry, the blond’s shaking beside him causing his head to ache as it tries to hold in tears. He tilts his head down into dirty blond hair, placing a small kiss, before he opens his mouth, his voice uncharacteristically soft.
“Who, Dream? Who is ‘he’?”
“…My dad.”
And… oh.
Suddenly, puzzle pieces Techno didn't realize were out of place started to form one big picture. Suddenly, the way Dream stretches out their walk home from school has a meaning behind it. Suddenly, the wondrous expression Dream always has on his face as he watches Techno interact with Phil makes sense. Suddenly, the small flinches that wrack Dream’s frame everytime a voice is raised has a cause behind them. Suddenly, the way he fears the word “dad” becomes crystal clear.
Dream continues speaking while Techno’s mind is falling into place, his voice barely managing to register in the pinkette’s head.
“And I know, I know, that I need to protect Tubbo一and I do! I always make sure he’s either here or at Ranboo’s house, which is where he is now, or- or he’s up in his room while I attempt to calm our dad down. But… but sometimes I just want to sleep for an entire day, and not have to worry about my door getting busted open by a man drunk out of his mind. I just want to relax in my own house, but I never seem to be able to, and I know it’s selfish, and I know I need to focus on making Tubbo’s childhood as good as it can be, but I’m just tired.”
“Dream, you forget that you’re still a kid too.” Phil, who had stayed silent the entire time, suddenly spoke out. The mentioned boy’s head whipped up, tears cascading down the freckled face as he looked at the older blond. Phil smiles, and it’s the smile Techno’s seen since he was welcomed into the family, the one he’s associated with unconditional love and understanding words, the one he forgot every child doesn’t get to see.
“It’s admirable that you’re protecting Tubbo, but you shouldn’t have to raise your younger brother all on your own.” Techno watches as Dream registers the words, his once steady stream of tears lessening until they almost disappeared. “Your father should be the one to provide for you both, you shouldn’t have the stress of practically raising a child on your shoulders at age sixteen.”
Dream’s guarded expression contorts into confusion and then apt interest the more Phil speaks. He seems to be hanging onto the older blond’s every word, and the hand still in Techno’s squeezes occasionally.
“How long have you been protecting Tubbo for?”
“Since I was twelve.” Dream’s voice hesitant, but so very different from the anguished tone he had earlier.
“You’re doing an amazing job, Tubbo’s turning out great.” The encouraging smile on Phil’s face worms its way into Dream’s heart, and even Techno is starting to become emotional. “I’m proud of you, Dream.” At those words, Dream started sobbing again. This time, however, there seemed to be a small smile hidden under streaks of tears. Techno wonders just how long it’s been since somebody told Dream that. “You can rest now, mate, it’s alright.”
Techno wiped his own eyes as Dream nodded at the words, his form crumpling against Techno’s side. The pinkette shifts the boy so he’s laying down, his own body following after a tug of his hand. Phil smiled at the two, fondness lacing the expression. “You’re welcome here anytime you’d like, Dream.”
After patting Techno’s head, and hesitantly grazing Dream’s hair, Phil made his way towards the door. He stopped before he left, however, lingering in the doorway as he watched the two boys settle into the sheets once again. “I’m calling the both of you out of school today, even if the receptionist fights me about my ability to pardon Dream.” The two on the bed laughed lightly at that, the fond expression never leaving Phil’s face as he closed the door.
As Techno lays on the bed, his boyfriend tucked tightly against him once more, he lets a hopeful smile cross his face.
Dream can finally rest.