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“bye mister philza! hopefully tech and i can play again soon,” the seven year old smiled up at his friend's father, clutching a worn bag. his tail was happily waving, and his ears perked up.
phil ruffled his fluffy hair. “i’m sure technoblade would love that. do you need help getting home?” he questioned as he slowly made his way up from the couch he was sitting on.
dream’s smile faltered, but phil hadn’t noticed.
“i’ll be okay.”
his tail slowed to a stop as he began to walk out of the door, out of the warmth of the minecraft’s house.
-
so here he sat, alone near his mother’s vacant dock. it was well past bedtime, and he could hear cicadas in the distance, and fireflies lit the skies.
the stars were lulling him into a sleepiness, but he didn’t want to sleep just yet. dream clutched at his knitted stuffed animal, a blob made with love.
he looked out to the vast waters of the ocean, ever so mysterious, and as the waves crashed upon and rock it seemed to sing lullabies to him.
he missed his mother.
dream pulled his sleeping bag out from his brown satchel that looked like it didn’t have much life in it left.
the smell of saltwater made him crinkle his nose, but enveloped him into a calming feeling. it smelled like his mothers hair when she hugged him, when her curly rainbow locks would graze his face and he’d smile.
dream sighed, tucked himself in, and never took his eyes off of the horizon, the night being deathly quiet. the soft plush lays gently in his freckled arms.
he... he didn’t mind waiting, as long as she came back. no matter how long that may be. he squinted.
(he thought this in fake confidence as warm tears fell down his face.)
to be honest- even with himself, he didn’t like his uncle that mama had left him with. uncle schlatt pulled at his ears, tugged a little too hard on his horns, and teased him a bit too much in front of his friends.
he didn’t smell of ocean adventures and shells when they hugged. dream feels like choking at the scent of cigarette smoke and remnants of liquor from nights ago.
which is how he ends up here every night, patiently waiting for mama to come back to him, from her latest journey out to sea- with treasure unheard of and riches to last years of crafting.
that’s what she said would happen.
does schlatt know that he’s out here? does he care?
(had he ever?)
he looks up to the stars when he lays on his back, hoping his mother is doing the same. he reaches up, hoping for a sign, anything at all, he-
“kiddo?”
-jumps and his eyes widen, looking at the sudden interruption. he lets out a small yelp- whatever his quiet voice has to offer.
the man giggles; who he identifies as philza, technoblade’s dad. he raises his hands in false surrender, “dream, it’s just me bud.” he carries a backpack of fishing rods and coolers follow behind him.
dream sits up nervously, tail tucked behind him and ears cowering. he can't tell if he’s crying or if the cooler air of the shore makes his eyes watery. his sewn doll is pressed against his chest- against the shirt he hadn’t been able to change out of.
“i came by to drop off some fishing supplies and come back in the morning, now do you mind if i ask what you’re doing here?”
the man worriedly questions dream as he kneels down. his voice is warm and has a soft aura that dream likes.
he looks back to the sea and sighs. it gets windier and lonelier.
“ mama .” he sniffles. “i miss- i want her- i need my mama,” and he breaks. his knees are pulled to his chest and his hands meet his face, clearing his eyes of tears.
“when will she come back, mister philza?” he blubbers through wet sobs.
phil’s patient, and smiles bittersweetly, his understanding eyes soften.
“i don’t know. but you’re brave, you know?” he inches closer and moves a comforting hand on dream’s back.
“you’re such a brave kid- i know this can be difficult. believe me, my parents had done this type of thing often as well.”
“they did?”
“sure they did.” he looked into the ever changing patterns of the sea. the moonlight shifted into pretty shimmers. “but that’s besides the point. what are you really doing out here?”
he recollects his thoughts. “waiting for her. maybe if i wait she’ll come faster. that and...” he sighs. “schlatt is a meanie. he doesn’t even know what my favorite color is!”
“ schlatt , you say.” but it’s not phrased as a question, and dream doesn’t pick up.
“yeah, my mama left me with him while she travels-“
( “ducking, i know this is hard for you, and it’s hard for me too. but i have errands to tend to overseas.” a soft, padded hand rubs gently at his green-clad shoulder, he’s wearing his favorite hoodie. she guides it up to cradle his face, rubbing the scattered freckles on his cheeks.
he comfortably leans in.
she sighs and looks at something behind dream. she gestures with her hand, signaling a ‘come over’. she doesn’t look very excited.
“my brother, your uncle, schlatt will look after you when i’m gone, okay?”
his tail hangs between his legs like a kicked puppy. he hears heavy footsteps gradually get louder behind him, and the room no longer smells like daisies.
“okay, mama.”
she stands and looks directly at schlatt, giving directions and rules on how to properly care for her child, pointing to various things around the house- like his bed, the pantry, and his crafts.
speaking of, dream has been working on a mask that he’s quite proud of.
“got it?” the hushed, angry voice of his mama cuts through his ears.
“yes i get it, feed the fuckin’ kid and don’t lose him.”
“i’m serious schlatt. if you hurt him i’ll have your head-“
“yeah yeah, go on your fantasy trip, the kid’s gonna be fine.”
she looks to dream, and her anger dissipates. she lowers herself again and picks him up, hugging him and giving him a light peck on his forehead, twirling in circles while they hug.
“i love you, sweetheart. i’ll be back in a few months, tops.”
“i love you, too” he answers back.
he can feel the presence of schlatt behind him, it doesn’t feel right.)
“i don’t think he’s been very kind. he almost broke my blob! the one my mama knitted for me,” he picks it up and shows it to phil, and he sees the obvious tear in the neck.
“oh goodness, dream.” phil says, as he tenderly has a look at the doll, it’s smiling face stares back up at him. he grabs it from dream’s grasp, and notices its an easy fix.
“well, it doesn’t look too bad, mate,” the kid perks up. “i reckon it’s an easy sew. say, why don’t i patch it up, yeah?”
dream vigorously nods his head, a smile growing on his face.
“it’s a shame your uncle hurt the poor thing,” phil says.
“i know. he isn’t nice to anything i own, i had to hide my drawings and crafts from him too,” he whispers, eyes still wet.
phil’s brows furrowed and his lips firmly press together. he thinks for a moment before speaking.
“are you planning on sleeping out here?”
dream nods.
“mate, you’ll catch a cold. and i’m sure techno and his brothers would love to have you over a bit longer, what do you say?”
dream’s emerald eyes widen, glistening in the moonlight. “i can sleepover?!” he smiles widely, quickly getting on his two hooves.
phil chuckles at his excited form, his soft overgrown ears eagerly listening to hear the answer.
“of course, if you’d like to.”
“yes, yes please!!” dream jumps up and hugs the man, phil’s still sitting- and dream is still so small compared to him.
the tear tracks from earlier are still somewhat visible.
“thank you, mister philza.”
“just call me phil, kid,” he stands and holds his hand out to the child once he’s packed his bag and stuffed his makeshift bed back into it.
dream warmly grabs it and starts walking alongside phil.
-
the warm light emitting from the house in the middle of the arctic is welcoming, a calming presence compared to the cool, navy blue sky and crunchy snow. for the most part, phil had gently flown over with his large crow-like wings, carrying dream in his arms, but for the last minute he had put him down and let him walk on his own.
the snow was glittery and sparkled in the light.
phil opened the door and a wave of heat hit dream, a sudden but nice contrast to the temperature before.
it smells like pine.
“wil and tommy should be asleep, but techno’s always been a night owl, reading and studying until early morning. not if i can help it though!” he laughs to himself.
“i’ll get you some clothes, just wait here,” and he promptly leaves the room.
dream sits his bag down near the door and does what phil says and makes his way to the soft, maroon looking couch. it’s so much more comfortable than the pier.
he must’ve been a little loud though, because he when he looks around he spots a pink-haired piglin near the entrance of the hallway, leading to a few bedrooms.
“dream?”
“techno,”
technoblade walks up to him and sits next to him on the couch. “what’re you doin’ here?” his hands rest on his knees. “not that i don’t like it!” he quickly adds.
when he’s about to speak, phil comes back with a beige shirt and plaid pants, as well as cute bunny slippers tailored for a child. he doesn’t think he’ll be wearing those.
“oh techno, i knew you’d be awake,” he smiles and techno reddens ever so slightly. “show dream to the bathroom so he can freshen up and change, please,”
“okay, dad,”
-
he showers rather quickly, excited to fit into a new, fresh change of clothes. as he changes, he and techno speak through the bathroom door.
“my mama’s away on a trip, y’know?” he shuffles behind the door. “she’s a pirate!”
“oh. that’s cool,”
“i haven’t seen her in months,”
“...oh. that’s less cool,”
“i’m hoping she’ll come back soon, but it’s awesome i get to stay the night with you, tech!” you can hear a smile in his voice.
“me too, dreamie,” a quiet thud and a small ‘ow’ is heard behind the door.
techno smiles happily, eyes closed as he leans against the door.
soon enough, he’s dressed and technoblade’s dad tucks them both into bed, a soft quilt of a light yellow shade covers both of them.
-
by morning, the two seven year old hybrids are tangled in each other’s arms, and their hair are messy nests of a deserved night's rest. light wind rattles tree branches against the windows.
techno is the first to wake, and he hears chatter from the rest of his family outside his bedroom door.
(he smells pancakes. heck yes!)
he promptly wakes dream and they both excitedly jump off the bed, their hooves clink and clack against the hardwood flooring.
tommy’s in a booster seat at the end of the table, softer foods and cereal are in front of him.
“morning sleepyheads!” phil greets. he pours maple syrup over wilbur’s two buttermilk pancakes. wilbur grins up at the duo.
tommy babbles in the corner, enjoying his dry cereal.
the scene is so domestic it makes dream ache inside.
“morning dad!”
“good morning mister phil!!”
phil’s wings flutter and he remembers, “oh dream, i’ve patched your doll for you, i hope it doesn’t look too bad,”
he takes the stuffed blob from a shelf and hands it to the kid, who takes it from his hands and hugs it harder than he had the night before.
“thank you so much!” he squeaks.
“it’s no problem, buddy.”
they all take a seat around the table, the sweet air from cooked pancakes heats the room pleasantly.
“dad,” techno says, “do you think dream could stay until his mom gets back?”
he thinks. “i don’t see why not. as far as i know, dream, you’ve been sleeping on your mother’s dock every night. how does a place here sound to you?”
wilbur looks shocked. “you’ve been sleeping outside??”
“wil,” his dad warns.
he almost can't believe it. “i think it would be cool! it gets really windy and cold at night near the sea.”
straightening up, “and we could play every day,” wilbur adds.
tommy just seems happy to be there, albeit a little grumpy, having not been included in the conversation.
“alright. it’s settled as long as... as schlatt gives the okay,” he mumbles a bit after, “i don’t think he’ll care very much. bastard.”
dream smiles despite himself.
[doodles I did]
