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“Dream, what’s this?”
Techno heard a noise down the hall before Dream poked his head through the doorway, catching sight of his husband, who was standing in their closet, holding a fake flower. The pinkette had been searching through the space for his hoodie, which he could’ve sworn he put in there last time he wore it, before a fake flower had promptly dropped onto his face.
It was a simple poppy, the texture rough against his fingertips, and Techno wouldn’t say it’s cute, considering it’s only a piece of plastic, but from far away, it could pass as an actual flower. He’s not exactly sure that it belongs to Dream, but he knows it doesn’t belong to him, so he could only assume. Dream coos from the doorway, leaving it to walk towards Techno, who narrows his eyes once he noticed that the blond was wearing the exact hoodie that he was previously searching for.
“Aw, Tech, you don’t remember?” The pinkette breaks out of his glaring contest with the cartoon pig on the hoodieー his hoodieーthat Dream’s wearing, looking up towards his husband’s face, which holds a smile made up entirely out of melancholy. Techno would like to say that he recognized the flower, just to appease Dream, but the plastic plant holds no significance to him. He shakes his head, handing over the object willingly when Dream reaches for it, watching as the blond raises the flower to his nose as if it could actually possess any scent. “You gave me this flower on our first date.”
Oh.
Oh.
Memories he had long locked into a box, which he had dubbed the “Dream Vault,” in his mind suddenly resurfaced. He can vividly remember junior-year-Techno frantically running to the store to buy Dream a fake flower, since the blond had told him about his love for poppies the first day they met, and Techno is nothing if not Dream’s Number One Simp. The flower shop he had planned to go to right before their date was apparently closed, something about the owner being on vacation, he doesn’t really remember, so he was forced to try and find a poppy anywhere he could look. He had debated stealing one out of a bouquet at a grocery store near his house, before he remembered that he would do anything to be on time to pick up Dream, so he settled for a fake flower he had found in the dollar store adjacent to the grocery store.
Dream had been overjoyed when Techno had given him the flower, thanking him both vocally and with a hug, and Techno’s blush had rivaled the color of the petals. Their date had gone perfectly, and the flower spent most of its time tucked on top of Dream’s ear, and the rest is history.
He didn’t know the blond had kept it.
“I didn’t know you kept it.” His mouth, as it usually does around Dream, spoke without prompting. The blond looked up at him in surprise, either because he forgot Techno was there while he stared at the flower, or because he couldn’t believe Techno thought he wouldn’t keep it.
“‘Course I kept it, Tech. I keep everything you give me, but I took this thing everywhere with me when I wasn’t with you.” Techno furrowed his eyebrows at that, and Dream, whether it was because he saw his confused expression or he was going to continue anyway, spoke again. “I kept it in my backpack all throughout the rest of high school, I took it to college with me, I even kept it in the dressing room during our wedding.”
Techno thinks he might break down and cry at the sheer love he feels for the man in front of him, but he can’t focus on that right now, because Dream is still talking, and he’ll be damned if he doesn’t listen to everything his beloved has to say.
“During our senior year, when Sapnap held that big bonfire that you and Wilbur were late to, he accidentally knocked my backpack into the fire. Now, before I tell you this story, I want you to remember that I was a dumb teenager, okay?” Techno nodded, remembering the event but not understanding why Dream felt the need to add a disclaimer before he told him the rest of the story. “So, when I saw that it was my bag that was currently ablaze, I just, kinda… stuck my hand into the fire to grab it.”
“Dream-”
“No, shh, shh, you can berate me in a second, let me finish. Now, I wouldn’t have done that if there was just schoolwork in there, but I had remembered that this flower was in the front pocket, so I was willing to risk my life for it.”
Techno remembers that day. He had arrived late because Wilbur had lost his guitarーwhich he still doesn’t know how to this day, because guitars aren’t exactly small, but whateverーand had shown up to find Dream with his hand wrapped in a bandage. He hadn’t exactly paid any attention to Dream’s backpack, too busy fussing over his boyfriend, but maybe he should’ve noticed that there was a scorched bag in Sapnap’s yard.
He flicks his eyes towards the hand holding the fake flower, noticing the discolored scar covering Dream’s fingers, and he narrows his eyes again, catching the sheepish smile on his husband’s face. “You said that you accidentally burnt yourself while makin’ dinner, if I’d have known that you stuck your hand into a fire, I would’ve taken you away from Sapnap’s house immediately.”
“I know, I know, that’s why I didn’t tell you! Besides, I didn’t want to confess that I stuck my hand in there because of a little flower you had gotten me.” A blush has risen on Dream’s face, and Techno can feel his past irritationーwhich was really just directed towards his past self for not realising past-Dream’s lieーfade away, until all that’s left is fondness. He steps forward into Dream’s space, taking the scarred hand into his own before raising it to his lips, pressing a kiss to the textured skin. The flower, which he had taken from Dream’s hand earlier, was placed on top of the blond’s ear, replicating the scene of their first date. The color on Dream’s cheeks darkened, and he directed his gaze towards the floor. “You’re such an idiot.”
“You’re one to talk, Mr. Fire Hands.” Dream’s eyes raise from the floor to look at his husband with an indignant expression on his face. Techno smirks at the sight, watching with fascination as the blush on Dream’s face disappears as he opens his mouth, no doubt to argue back.
“Hey! Need I bring up the time you laid your jacket onto a puddle so I could walk through without getting my shoes dirty?” Techno rolled his eyes fondly, ignoring the satisfied expression on his husband’s face.
“Alright, alright, laugh it up about how much of a simp junior-year-Techno was.” Dream starts wheezing at the flat tone of Techno’s voice and the bored expression on his face. They both know it was just for show, and Techno wouldn’t rather be anywhere else but here, but Techno’s glad Dream finds it amusing anyway. The flower almost fell off of Dream’s ear from how hard he was laughing, and Techno smiles before tucking it back in.
Before Dream can respond, probably with something about how Techno still is a simp, the pinkette pulls his husband into a kiss. They’re both smiling into it, making it hard to actually kiss, but Techno doesn’t mind in the slightest. He was the first one to pull away, smirking at the blush on Dream’s face. “Alright, enough sappiness, give me my sweatshirt back.”
Dream, who was all dopey-eyed from the kiss, suddenly smirked before releasing himself from Techno’s arms, running out of their bedroom with a “catch me if you can, bacon!” tossed behind him. Techno shook his head playfully before following Dream, ready to either get his sweatshirt back, or to get Dream back into his arms.
He makes a mental note to buy Dream more flowers.
… And to keep him away from open flames.