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“Bruh, when was the last time you slept?”
Techno was lounging in the corner of their small cell, elbow perched on his knee and cheek resting in his palm. His eyes portrayed a false casualness as he watched his roommate.
“Hmm?” Dream hummed, glancing up. He’d been tracing small patterns cracks of the obsidian flooring to entertain himself, long tail flicking around subconsciously.
Techno forced his attention away from it. It was almost hypnotizing to watch. Before prison, Dream had kept his tail and the majority of his other cat features hidden away. It was a privilege now, to see them out and about.
His attention shifted back to the blonde in front of him.
“Dude,” Techno shifted into a more comfortable position, “Go to sleep .”
He pulled the thick fabric of his cape off his shoulders, chucking it at the dull eyed blonde.
“What the hell?” Dream snapped, barely managing to catch the cape before it hit him in the face.
“I dunno, use it as a pillow or something,” Techno shrugged, leaning back against the wall.
Dream unfolded the fabric, draping it half-hazardly around his shoulders. His eyes narrowed cautiously at the pink haired man, “I’m not going to bed, Technoblade. I told you, I don’t need it.”
Techno eyed him, “Right…” When he saw that Dream wasn’t going to listen, he sighed, standing up and moving closer to Dream.
“What are you doing?” Dream asked, voice sharp with suspicion.
Techno ignored him, “Here. I’ll sit here, right next to you,” he slid down the wall until he and Dream were shoulder to shoulder, “And I’ll keep watch while you sleep. The minute something happens with the lava or Quackity comes in or whatever, I’ll wake you. Sound good?”
“I’m not- I’m not scared of the-”
“Dream if you don’t go to bed right now, I’m going to knock you out. You literally look like you’re about to pass out.”
The two stared at each other. Unstoppable force versus immovable object.
Dream was the first to break.
“Fine,” he bit out, managing to sound both resentful and grateful, “But the moment something happens, you wake me up.”
“You got it,” Techno said, two fingers resting against his forehead in a mock salute.
Stiff as a board, Dream closed his eyes and leaned back against the cold obsidian. Techno watched him with a gentle gaze, eyes clouding with sympathy. What had been done to the poor cat to make him so rigid?
Slowly, he snaked an arm around the smaller’s shoulders. Dream froze at the contact, but slowly melted into Techno’s touch.
“It’s alright, Dream,” Techno said, voice considerably softer than before, “I got ya.”
“Mmh,” Dream hummed, voice already muddled with sleep.
“Sleep tight, Teletubby.”
“Shut up.”
//
Dream’s breathing was soft as his back rested against Techno’s chest, a low purring resonating through the small cell. The two had shifted as Dream slept, the blonde practically melting into the other, his subconscious desperate for the touch.
Techno was content just to hold him, hands brushing through Dream’s dirty blonde hair as he resisted the urge to pet him like a house cat.
Suddenly, Dream’s breathing hitched and he jerked away from Techno’s loose hold.
“Dream?” Techno asked, suddenly alert, “You good?”
Dream didn’t respond, his body jolting. A pained noise forced his way out of his throat.
“Dream!” Alarm slipped into Techno’s voice as Dream’s thin fingers grabbed at his own hair, attempting to tear it out in a fit of panic. The hybrid forcefully grabbed Dream’s wrists, carefully delodging them. With one large hand, he pinned the other’s weak wrists, his other hand moving to cup Dream’s cheek and turn him to face Techno.
Dream’s eyes were open but unseeing. They glanced wildly around the room, frightened of a non-existent enemy.
One of his hands tore free of Techno’s grip and moved to grasp Techno’s cape, claws sinking in to the material desperately.
“Dream,” Techno repeated, harsher this time as he lightly slapped Dream’s face, “Dream, look at me. You’re safe, no one is going to hurt you. It’s just me, Dream. It’s just me.”
Dream showed no sign of waking.
Techno cursed under his breath as he held a thrashing Dream still, fearing that the cat hybrid might hurt himself.
A heavy, mournful sigh left Techno’s lips. What horrors had happened to his old rival to reduce him to this ?
He pulled the smaller man close to his chest, tucking the blonde head under his chin. The soft fur of his ears brushed against Techno’s bare skin. Slowly, Dream’s struggle grew weaker.
Eventually, his movement stopped and his breathing evened out, mimicking Techno’s own.
Eventually, Dream came back to himself, foggy eyes clearing and ears twitching with awareness.
Despite remaining silent through the whole ideal, Dream’s voice was hoarse as he spoke, “Techno?”
“Finally awake, sleepin’ beauty?”
“I-”
And Dream crumbled.
The first sob that forced its way out of Dream’s throat was harsh and painful. Tears quickly followed as he buried his face into Techno’s shoulder, shame bubbling in his gut.
Weak, the voice in his head told him, shameful, pitiful.
Seemingly reading his mind, Technoblade hummed lowly, rubbing slow, comforting circles on his back.
Dream whimpered at the touch, skin singing in euphoria. How long had it been since someone had held him? Cradled him in their arms?
Dream had been holding himself together for so long, maybe it was time for someone else to do it for him. Just for a little while.
“You alright?” Techno asked after several minutes of silence.
Dream cleared his throat, feeling very much like a child. His tail swayed anxiously, “Yeah.”
“Hm. Wanna talk about it?”
Dream was silent for a moment, reveling in the feeling of Techno’s hand in his hair, “No.”
He thought Techno was going to push for answers, but the pigman hybrid only adjusted his hold of the blonde, “Okay. Do you wanna go back to sleep?”
“No.”
“Do you want me to let you go?”
“...No.”
Techno snorted, “You really are like a cat, aren’t you? You can admit to liking affection, Dream. No one’s gonna make fun of you for it.”
“That is not true.”
“Fine, I’m not gonna make fun of you for it.”
The two fell back into a comfortable silence, Techno’s fingers combing through Dream’s hair and Dream’s tail swishing contentedly.
The purring returned, but neither of them acknowledged it.
“Are you feelin’ any better, kitty?” Techno asked.
Dream remained silent.
“Dream?”
Techno glanced back down at the blonde’s face. His eyes were closed, eyelashes resting delicately on his cheekbones, breaths deep and slow.
Asleep.
A soft chuckle rumbled through Techno’s chest. Dream’s ears flicked subconsciously at the sound.
“Night, nerd. Sleep well.”