Chapter Text
When Technoblade agreed to meeting up with one of Wilbur’s college friends, this was definitely not what he was expecting. Recently, Techno had found himself in possession of more money than he knew what to do with--courtesy of his high position in a rather infamous mafia group. But, he ended up going to Wilbur in the hopes that his twin brother would know what to do.
The brunette, for once in his insignificant life, had a good idea. He had suggested that Techno spend that money on someone else, a friend, a partner, a brother even. (The pinkette had seen through that last part very quickly, and shot it down.) In simpler terms, though, Wilbur had suggested that he become a sugar daddy--find someone on the side to spend money on without feeling bad.
Either way, he didn’t have many friends nor any romantic partners that he could be leisurely throwing money at. Once again, his twin swooped in to save the day, offering to find someone to be Techno’s sugar baby. In the end, Wilbur had chosen a friend from college, who in his words “was in desperate need of a sugar daddy”. Whatever that meant.
Clay “Dream” WasTaken.
Apparently, he had been going through some tough financial times due to losing one of his jobs and Techno’s aid would be greatly appreciated. One of his jobs? Techno thought, he needs more than one job? But he couldn’t deny that this Dream character had piqued his interest. It didn’t take long for him to start looking through all of the boys social medias--which were graciously provided to him by Wilbur. He wanted to gauge whatever he could about Dream; anything from personality to success to looks.
(The fact that WIlbur mentioned his close relations with two moderately-known mercenaries, Sapnap and Punz, only served to sweeten the deal. If he could manage to pry information out of the boy that was a plus. It would barely cost him any money and he already had enough to spare.)
Funnily enough, while Dream had an abundance of socials to stalk, he never once showed what he looked like. His instagram was filled to the brim with pictures of his cat, Patches, but not a single picture of what he looked like--absolutely nothing. From his twitter, Techno found that Dream has a small channel on youtube that he occasionally uploads too. From what he saw, it was at least once a month.
Techno took the liberty of watching a video or two, he uploaded Minecraft connect to which the other isn't ashamed to admit he played a lot before his job got crazy. The boy seemed to be generally cheerful in his videos, laughing a lot. Smart too, he was able to pull off crazy stunts that Techno had never seen before. Watching these videos only fueled the growing interest he felt for the other.
It didn’t take long until Wilbur was insisting for them to meet up. It took a lot more effort than Techno was expecting at first. He was aware of his unforgiving work schedule, but he had been continuously trying to find the time to meet someone new. Though, Dream didn’t share the same mindset. Despite what Techno saw in the youtube videos, the boy seemed to have a natural aversion to any social interaction.
He would constantly decline any offers Wilbur made for the two of them to meet up. According to his twin, he used lamed excuses every time. Everything from having to work, to already having plans. Hell, he even said that there would be no one home to watch his cat! (Wilbur hated that one in particular, since Dream often left Patches alone in the house and he also had a roommate to take care of her.)
Finally, Wilbur just bit the bullet and cornered Dream while he was coming out of afternoon classes. Techno was sitting in the car--content to flex on all these poor idiots with his Jaguar C-X75 concept and let his brother do all the dirty work. He would occasionally glance up from his phone, looking out the window to watch as Wilbur whisked the boy away from his friends. The other had thrown his backpack onto his shoulder, and was talking to three other kids. He wore a hoodie, with the hood thrown over his head so that Techno couldn't get a good look at his face.
When they got closer, Techno was able to hear a blip of their conversation. “Wil, I’m busy today--I don’t have the time and Patches is still at home alone.” A silky voice tried to reason. Techno recognized it immediately, though it sounded more worried and anxious than he was used to. Remember when he said he watched one or two videos? Yeah, well maybe it was more like his entire channel and he may or may not be subscribed now. He was slightly embarrassed to admit how easily he recognized Dream’s voice.
“Hey, you agreed to this and I think it’ll be good for you to get out more. You’ll have a lot more time to do things and hang out with friends--that’s what you told me you wanted.” Wilbur reasoned, squeezing the others shoulder in a reassuring gesture. “Plus, you can always get Sapnap to take care of Patches for the night. You know he wouldn’t mind.”
Dream let out a heavy sigh, finally resigning himself to his fate. “Fine, but I’m only going out for coffee and that's it.” He murmured. Wilbur only laughed and waved off the bitter response. He ushered him towards Techno’s car with a sly grin on his face. It ended with Dream standing awkwardly at the passenger side window. His hand was hovering over the handle like he wasn’t sure if he should open it or not--if he was allowed to open it or not.
He didn’t have much time to think about it, before Wilbur opened it for him. He was then abruptly pushed into the seat and the door was slammed shut. The older boy grinned at Dream, “you two have fun then, yeah?” He laughed. Dream only nodded along, looking nothing short of dazed.
“Techno, this is Dream. Dream, this is Techno.” He introduced them. Wilbur gave a curt nod to Techno--which the other returned to confirm the unsaid words between them--before prancing off to go make conversation with the people Dream had been talking to before. And now they were here, the two had been left in the car together. Techno had his hands on the steering wheel yet he made no move to pull out of the college parking lot. Instead, he took the time to study Dream’s features.
The boy had a black mask covering the bottom half of his face, meaning Techno still couldn’t know what he truly looked like. But Dream also has large green eyes that were dulled by a flurry of emotions. He also had freckles, which peeked out from behind the mask on the bridge of his nose. He had messy, dirty blonde hair that curled around the base of his neck and shoulder. He was pretty cute, Technoblade thought, even if the mask that hid half of his face.
Dream fidgeted with his thumbs, looking down at his feet. He would occasionally steal a glance at the other only to hurriedly look away when they made eye contact. “So...” he said slowly. “Good morning?” He said, though it was phrased as more of a question. That seemed to shake Techno out of his stupor and he cleared his throat, looking away.
He glanced down at his watch, “it’s uh--it’s 3:42 PM.” The other responded dumbly. Dream looked down at his phone, tapping the home button to confirm that it was indeed twelve forty-two. He gave a small nod to acknowledge the fact, his lips pursed into a thin line underneath his mask.
“Good afternoon then?” He asked quietly.
Techno let out a huff, somewhere between a scoff and an amused sigh. He stole another glance towards the blonde, who was going through his notifications. He was also texting someone, but Techno couldn’t see the name at the top of the screen. Once more Techno cleared his throat and readjusted his grip on the steering wheel, “so you said that you would open to going out for coffee, yeah?” Techno suggested after a bout of silence between them. “Do you know any shops nearby?”
Dream nodded, “yeah, there's a nice place only a few miles from here. On the corner and twenty-third and thirty-eighth. I don’t get to go much since it’s a bit out of my budget, but it’s a nice treat every once and a while.” He explained, already starting to sound like the same cheerful and chipper voice Techno had familizared himself with.
“It’s called Topped Off--It’s family owned and I have a friend who works there. I can put it in the GPS for you, if you want?” Techno hummed a low sound, agreeing to the boy’s proposal. The sound of tapping filled the car before a beep signaled that the address had been successfully implemented. “There! You’re good to go.”
Techno hummed in acknowledgment and Dream leaned back in his seat, unlocking his phone once more. Techno focused more on driving, and a heavy, awkward silence filled the air between them. There was only the quiet music coming from the radio to be used as a buffer between them. This was not how Techno was expecting their first meeting to go, it was a bit lackluster in his opinion. Now he was starting to understand the other’s aversion to social interaction--he certainly wasn’t very good at it.
(Not that he was helping either.)
“So, um, how are you?” Techno asked, as he stopped at a red light. He tried not to sound as awkward as he felt, but he guessed it didn’t work with the sharp look Dream shot him. He scoffed, “don’t look at me like that. This was Wilbur’s idea in the first place--not mine.” He tried to explain himself to the blonde.
“I know--it’s just, I didn’t want to do this today,” Dream huffed. He paused his typing for a minute, only stopping to get his words out before he continued. A tried to ignore the way Techno would glance at him every now and again, before looking down at his phone. “I’m just texting a friend,” he said. Despite the mask hiding his mouth, Techno could see the slight outline of a scowl. “You don’t need to keep looking at me like that, it’s weird.”
He scoffed and rolled his eyes, “I’m not looking at you weird, you’re weird.” Techno bit back, though admittedly it wasn’t his best comeback. They finally pulled into the parking lot of the small cafe, to which Technoblade parked near the front and pulled the keys out of the ignition. The radio died down abruptly and the two men stepped out of the expensive car to walk into the together. Dream looked tense under the surprised and judging gazes of the other people and the shop and parking lot. His cheeks burned bright red with shame, having people looking at him just because he showed up to a coffee shop with some flashy rich man.
He went up to the cashier, chirping a polite greeting to the barista. She was short, way shorter than both Techno and Dream, and she had bangs and bleached blonde hair pulled back into a messy bun. She wore a black apron with the logo and brand name on it. The woman was pretty, beautiful even. “Hey, Niki. I’ll have a medium white mocha frappuccino with a chocolate scone, please.” He said, and Techno noted he sounded completely different when he talked to the women. To be expected, he supposed, they had only just met.
“Dream!” She gasped in surprise, scribbling down his order on a cup. “It’s nice to see you again, and what can I get for you sir?” She asked. She finally made eye contact with the tall man, doing a quick double take before pausing for a moment, a look of surprise making its way onto her face. “Technoblade?” She asked, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion. She glanced in between the blonde and the pinkette, her lips pursed into a thin line.
“Nihachu,” Techno hummed, nodding his head in a greeting and NIki reciprocated awkwardly. He knew she ran a small business on the side, and that a third of all profits went back into the Syndicate, but he didn’t expect this. It had never been important enough for him to check out.
Niki sent a knowing look towards the blonde boy, who in return only blushed and shook her head. Techno raised an eyebrow at the strange interaction but he only gave his own order to the women. “So, what would you like?” She asked again, a smile back on her face though slightly strained now.
“I’ll get a large black coffee.” He said plainly, only adding on a curt “please” when Dream sent him a sharp look. The woman also sent him a strange look but scribbled his order on a cup nonetheless. The total for their order came up on a screen as twenty-one dollars and eighty cents. Dream was about to fish his wallet out of his pocket--since he apparently doesn’t understand the concept of a sugar daddy--but Techno beat him to it. “You can keep the change,” he hummed. He handed Niki a fifty dollar bill with a deadpan look on his face, waiting rather impatiently for them to take the money rather than gawking at him like an idiot.
“Thank you so much! Your orders will be out right away!” She chirped. He knew that Niki really didn't need the money, but he had the feeling he would’ve been lectured by Dream for being so impolite if he hadn’t. Plus, an almost forty dollar tip was never bad. With that said, the pair found an empty, quiet table to sit at.
Their drinks came out extremely quick despite the many other people being in the cafe with them. Whether that was because of the extra tip or out of slight fear, Technoblade wasn’t sure. He sure as hell wasn't complaining about it though. Niki put the drinks down in front of them, announcing their orders and handing them to the appropriate person. “Thank you Niki,” Dream said as he took the drink and food. She only smiled sweetly at them before going back behind the counter to take orders.
Dream and Techno sat together in silence. Neither of which wanted to start the conversation. Finally, the blonde just bit the bullet and asked.After a brief bout of silence Dream finally spoke up. “I didn’t know that you and Niki knew each other.” He hummed.
Dream went up to take the mask down from his face so he could take a sip from his sugar-filled drink. His hand paused for a moment , and he was seemingly mulling it over in his head. Techno finally responded after another, shorter bout of silence between them. “We’ve only met a few times, I wouldn’t say we know each other.” Techno deadpanned after a short sip of his still piping hot coffee.
“Also, you can take off your mask in front of me. I couldn’t care less about what you look like.” He added on. That last part was a lie, he was actually quite interested in what the blonde looked like under the mask. Then again, he just wanted to say whatever he could to make him more comfortable.
Dream looked at him and the rest of the shop. Normally, he would’ve just drank it in the car on his way home, but it was different with Technoblade. His car was expensive, and Dream would hate to ruin something so expensive. He hummed quietly before speaking, "okay..." The blonde used his fingers as fidgets as his attention wandered from place to place. He would just have to suck it up and deal with it--even if the thought made his palms sweaty and a shiver go down his spine.
Hesitantly, he pulled down the mask and brought the plastic straw up to his mouth. He tried to ignore the way Techno stared at him, as if studying his features. He took a sip from the sweet drink, ”thank you for paying, by the way.” he murmured. Techno raised an eyebrow and sighed.
Dream looked good under the mask, so good that Techno had trouble discerning why he would ever want to hide it away. Though, he did have a small scar on his jaw, somewhat near his ear. But it was small and mostly faded away--surely, such a small thing could not be the source of his insecurities. It was such a small detail, barely anyone would’ve even noticed it! There were much better things to focus on, after all.
Things like the freckles that accumulated on his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. His nice, pink lips that looked so soft and kissable--even if Techno would definitely not like to kiss Dream because that would be crazy! His soft jawline and chubby cheeks that would make anyone swoon. In conclusion, Techno had eyes and Dream was a very attractive man. He had no clue why the other would want to hide himself away like this, unless for anonymity. But Wilbur had told him he had no involvement in any other mafia or vigilante group.
The older--though only by a few months--cleared his throat to snap himself out of his daze. “Stop mumbling, you should always speak clearly when you're talking to me.” He ordered, and Dream nodded along dumbly while staring very intensely at the fake wood of the table. “You don’t have to thank me either, since that's the whole point of this arrangement. But, you’re welcome nonetheless.”
“Oh, okay,” Dream nodded, “but where do you work that you have so much money to spend?” He asked, and even though he didn’t say it, Techno knew that Dream was really asking where he got the money to spend on someone like him. He quickly filed that piece of information somewhere in his brain that was reserved just for the cute, blonde boy. He has a lot of insecurities from what Techno had noticed from their short time together--mostly consisting of his looks if the mask had anything to say about it.
Techno cringed, out of all the questions he could’ve asked why’d he have to pick that one? “My dad has a family owned business I have to work at, you can ask Wilbur about it. He also works there when he's not at college.” Not one of his best excuses, but Dream seemed to expect it pretty easily taking a bite out of his chocolate scone.
“Tell me about yourself though, any hobbies?”
Dream was a college student, he didn’t often have time for many hobbies. Sure, he would go out sometimes, do things here and there that he often enjoyed but nothing really stuck. Truthfully, if he had any hobby it would probably be drinking shitty beer in Wilbur’s dorm room while listening to music. So to have Techno ask something like that made him pause for a moment, having to think about his answer.
He hummed thoughtfully, “I like to code in my spare time. Though I’m also majoring in computer science so I guess it’s not so different from what I normally do.” He chuckled a bit, his cheeks flushing a light pink from embarrassment. “I like taking graphic design courses at the college as well. It’s fun, I like my professor for that class.” Techno noticed the distinct lack of mention of his minecraft content on YouTube. Fair enough, he thought while fighting the urge to shrug.
He paused again before he spoke, “I like playing with my cat too. Her name is Patches, she’s a proper young lady and I love her very much.” Dream was grinning as he talked about his cat, clearly fond of her. “Do you want to see a picture?” He asked next. Despite having seen many, many pictures of Dream’s cat while stalking his social media (stalking was such a dirty word he preferred to call it information gathering) Techno nodded nonetheless and hummed in confirmation.
Dream fished his phone out of his pocket and quickly unlocked it, “I have a whole folder of pictures for her!” He chirped and handed the phone to Technoblade. “She's pretty cute, right?” Who inturn, began to scroll through the album of pictures without a care. They were all pictures of a brown tabby cat with a white underbelly and green eyes--much like her owner. Techno had seen pictures of her a million times, via Dream’s instagram and his many twitter accounts.
“Yeah, she’s pretty cute.” Techno admitted in a deadpan tone. He was more of a dog person himself, but he could still appreciate a cute cat every now and then. That’s similar to how the rest of their first meeting went. Techno would ask questions and Dream, for the most part, would answer them honestly.