Chapter Text
It had been months. Months since the second exorcism of the dreamon, months since Dream had left the Dream Team, and he was still nowhere to be found.
At first, some grieved out loud, some grieved in silence. Some were neutral, while others didn't care. However, that didn't mean his disappearance wasn't going to be one of the many mysteries this server held.
As expected, Sapnap and George had been the most upset, though one outwardly expressed his anger more than the other. Burning forests, killing any animal in sight. At least Sapnap willed himself to spend more time in the nether so as to not destroy the whole SMP (Dream's Sever, Dream's Land, Dream's world.). For the sake of Dream just in case he comes back one day his friends, his family.
George on the other hand had thrown himself into a pit of torturous silence, burning hot with fury, frustration and betrayal all at the same time. He, though very poorly, concealed the emotions that weighed down on him. Kept it all to himself unlike Sapnap who was more expressive than ever. It was a wonder that the older brunette hadn't imploded on himself yet.
Maybe they deserved this. After all, they were the ones who had abandoned him first. The ones who betrayed him for someone else.
As time went on, as grueling months passed, the server was in near shambles. Slowly being torn to pieces without its caretaker, without the owner. No one to check its codes, fix any bugs or errors, control the wellbeing of the world. Even the people who hadn't bothered much initially were being affected by the disappearance, whether mentally or physically. They too grew angry, though for a completely different reason. How could the server's owner abandon them like this? It was irresponsible for one to throw away land that one was so graciously granted to them, and here Dream was doing that exact thing. His death hadn't been announced throughout the communicators but he's the owner, who knows what he can do, what privileges he got as a player who had been gifted land, he left them alone to fend for themselves.
It’s always about them. Them them them.
Crops were fragile, wilting even in the slightest changes of temperature, that is if they were to even survive the harsh weather fluctuations. Some days brought scorching heat, sometimes made even worse by the growing humidity from the boiling oceans. Other days brought unforgiving rain, beating down onto the dry lands, bringing floods and landslides. The Antartic had beenbombared by blizzards, Technoblade being Nether born was practically forced to either go into hibernation to survive or go back to the raging Nether.
Many had wanted to leave, abandon their home (can this even be considered home anymore?) and find a new place. A new server. Jumping servers may be extremely difficult for regular players, even though it wad possible. It could take weeks, months even, but it would be nothing compared to what they were experiencing now.
They wanted to give this world up. They had been pushed to their limits, staying any longer would only eventually kill them. Food rations had been running low, supplies only grew rarer day by day. No one knew how much more they could take.
Until it stopped. Everything. The extreme weather, the dying nature. The gloom had just been... lifted.
Everything changed when a familiar yet not so familiar, green cladded man showed up.
"What the fuck!" Tommy yelled, unsheathing his sword. His blue eyes trailed along.. well, what was supposed to be Dream. "You disappear for months, leaving the goddamn SMP to tear itself to shreds, and now you come back all willy nilly like nothing’s happened?” The sword is raised, pointed straight at the man’s covered face.
No reaction. Or, if there was one, Tommy wouldn’t have been able to see it anyway. Dream merely looked around his the healing world, not uttering a single word. The eery silence made Tommy tense up, but it was immediately covered up with a half-hearted scoff.
“Trying to change up your brand? Trying to hide after what you’ve done, you green bitch? Changing that dumb smiley face to an 'XD' on your mask doesn't make much of a difference. Don't try to immitate the actual DreamXD you identify thief!"
Dream tilted his head. Tommy may not be able to see it, but he imagines a creepy grin overcoming the man's face. Dream wasn’t easily intimidated, not by someone like… like him.
"What? What do you mean? My name is DreamXD, not ‘green bitch’.”
Tommy's frown deepened.
Surely this was some elaborate plan, maybe Dream was trying to be stupid again. Like that time in the Nether? When he was being all childish and annoying, following Tommy everywhere, pushing him off cliffs, boating him into lava and laughing like a child. (No, Tommy is not- never going to admit that he treasures every single little moment he had with him. No.)
It had been awhile since he’d seen Dream, not after Big Q and Sam had sent him to prison. Who knows what evil shit the guy was up to.
His thoughts were cut off when Dream (Dream... XD?) kneeled down in front of a poppy. His expression was unknown, hidden behind the usual yet equally unusual, ominous, white mask. His stance was strangely open, almost vulnerable. As if he had no care in the world, as if all the growing weight of the SMP wasn't ever on him. His line of sight pointed toward a lonely red flower. Slowly, a lithe hand reached up to push away the mask, revealing the side of his freckled face.
Tommy's eyes widened. Dream had never showed off his face before, much less so casually. Instinctively, Tommy would have looked away. He knew that Dream had always been particular about his face, his identity, and as much as he loved to piss the man off, he respected that. Identity isn’t something to be messed with. No one knew much and no one would, ever. The blonde accepted that, with little spikes of curiosity here and there of course.
But… this wasn’t Dream. Dream wouldn’t be so careless about this. So Tommy chose to take in the sight of long eyelashes, and rosy cheeks. Big, green doe eyes accentuated by a full head of fluffy curls. Golden, airbrushed skin.
"What are you.." Tommy trailed off, his eyes couldn’t help but follow because what the hell is going on. Dream stretched a hand out shakily. He let out a small breath, so quiet that Tommy had to strain his ears to pick up on it. The hand paused before Dream snatched it back to his chest, almost as if the innocent little flower could hurt him.
He peered up at Tommy. Their eyes meet, Tommy immediately adverted his own blue orbs.
His eyes. The teen swallowed uncomfortably. So green, so bright. So full of life, so... innocent. Innocent had been the last word Tommy would ever imagine using to describe Dream's face, even if he hadn't seen it at the time. Dream was far from innocent. He knew the likes of war and manipulation, could quite literally take on 5 men all at once. Void, he fought and almost beat the Blood God himself.
Yet, his eyes seemed to say otherwise.
But Tommy knew he was not harmless. Should he be telling the truth, should this not be Dream fucking with him and actually DreamXD telling the truth, he was still dangerous. From what he's heard, DreamXD is an Admin, a God. Someone so powerful and mighty they could change the weather with a snap of their fingers, summon any object they wanted in mere seconds, teleport, jump dimensions, locate unseen ores and biomes- the possibilities were endless!
"Can I touch it?"
Tommy spluttered.
It was a miracle that he had been able to hold in a scream.
"Okay, what the fuck?! Why are you— what even is..." Breathe Tommy, breathe. Tommy sighed. He had been mining for hours and void, is he tired. "Yes, yes you can touch it. Now please don’t ever ask me a question like that ever again, Void that’s so— eugh. Ew.”
Dream's figure perked up (Tommy does not think it's endearing, no he does not. He definitely does not think- nope.). He reacheed for the poppy once more, bony fingers gently stroking the delicate petals. It's so wholesome yet overwhelmingly different. The Dream he knew... he was never this gentle. So soft and clueless, filled to the brim with childish innocence.
What the fuck was going on?