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The MCC practice server is where hopes and dreams go to die.
… Okay, that’s a little dramatic, but there is some truth in the statement, Dream can attest to that. For instance, if you aren’t the best of the very best in certain games, and you go to the practice server to get better at said games, and are then pummeled so hard that your ego takes a permanent hit, you’re obviously not going to feel good. Or, if you hype yourself up too much and embarrass yourself in front of all the other competitors, you’re probably going to go home and cry.
Or, in Dream’s case, you’re going to have to watch who-you-thought-was-your-rival go and cheat on you.
Now, is he being severely dramatic? Yes, but at least he can admit it. That being said, he can’t lie and say he isn’t a little hurt over the fact that Techno easily ignored him in favor of going to talk with Squid Kid. He had been in the middle of a dodgebolt match with Technoーto be fair, they were in the middle of a water break, but stillーwhen the squid hybrid waltzed right over, taunted Techno, and then promptly grinned when the pinkette immediately abandoned the game to go talk to him.
Dream can still remember the entire interaction, since it’s literally the only thing on the forefront of his mind currently.
“Hey, Techno!” Dream hadn’t recognized the voice at first, but it’s obvious that Techno did, since his head full of pink hair perked up like a puppy. “This doesn't look like farming potatoes, does it?” Oh, Dream remembered thinking, this is Squid Kid from the Potato War, isn’t it? He turned out to be right when the man waltzed closer, standing at the one end of the dodgebolt arena and projecting his voice to the two standing near the middle, at the small benches on the side.
“Decided to take a break from beatin’ you, needed to blow off some steam, and it’s not like you don’t need the extra time to prepare for the second potato war.” Techno’s voice was teetering on a sneer, but Dream had watched as a grin grew on Squid Kid’s face, and a feeling of icy dread had settled in his stomach, weighing him down into the bench he had been sitting on.
“You’re all talk, Technoblade, you act like I didn’t even get close to beating you.” Squid Kid’s voice had been smug, and Dream didn’t like how it caused a smirk to rise on Techno’s face. He had directed his gaze towards the white ground beneath him, wondering how Squid Kid even got into the server, since he isn’t an MCC competitor, last Dream checked. Due to not watching Techno, he missed the pinkette packing his stuff up until his ankle was being lightly kicked.
“Hey,” Techno’s voice had been soft and quiet, but Dream had assumed it was to save his reputation in front of his actual rival, “you okay with me leavin’ to go beat up Squid? Kid needs to learn how to take a loss.” Despite Dream desperately wanting to say no, to ask the pinkette if he would stay with him, preferably forever, he had nodded silently, his heart aching as he had watched a bright grin grow on Techno’s face before he backhanded his shoulder lightly, turning towards Squid Kid before walking towards him. “Alright, Squid, if you want to be humiliated again, be my guest. Battle box?”
“You’re on.” Squid Kid had done a poor job at hiding his excitement in his voice, and Techno’s steps had been long and eager as he made his way towards the squid hybrid, and jealousy burned in Dream’s throat. He had waited until the two were out of sight before he had finally gotten up from the bench, going to the main meeting hub, where he had sat down heavily on another bench near the parkour map. He would’ve stayed in the dodgebolt arena to mope for longer, but Sapnap and George had wanted to use it, so he had been forced to move.
That’s how he found himself sitting here, watching as Ranboo repeatedly fails the same parkour jump in the distance, while his shoulders are slumped and his heart is burning. He was mad at Squid Kid for practically stealing Techno, mad at the piglin hybrid for leaving himーeven if he respectfully asked firstー, but more-so, he was mad at himself for feeling this way. He shouldn’t feel useless, or tossed aside, because it’s not that serious. He’s being dramatic, he knows, but it feels better to be dramatic than to pretend like he isn’t hurt.
That’s also how Illumina finds him.
“Dream!” The mentioned man barely had enough time to react to the voice calling him before a body was landing on him, sending him sprawling across the bench he had been resting on. Once he noticed who had so-viciously attacked him, he started wheezing, hugging the man back as their two laughs intertwined. “I missed you, the speedrunning server is so boring without you there.” The man eventually got off him, and Dream could see crinkles beside his eyes, knowing he’s smiling behind his black mask.
In all honesty, he had missed Illumina too. He doesn’t regret his absence from the speedrunning server, since his manhunts had gotten more popular, and he had decided to focus on both those and MCC, but one thing he does regret is taking away his only time to talk to Illumina. His pastーsince they barely see each other, and Dream found a new rival (or so he thought)ーrival had been the highlight of the speedrunning server, and had fueled his competitive drive for months, but now, they barely see each other.
“Hey, Lumi, how have you been?” The crinkles around Illumina’s eyes disappeared as his eyes narrowed slightly, and Dream could tell he was frowning behind the mask. Just like that, all of his jealousy, self-loathing, and dramatic feelings were coming back full force, making his face droop, not that Illumina could see it behind his own white mask.
“You alright, Drizzle?” The affectionate nickname made Dream’s face drop furtherー why couldn’t he have fallen for Illumina, who had maintained their rivalry even when they didn’t see each other often? Why did he have to fall for Technoblade who has another rival that he actually sees as a rival, rather than some acquaintance who wishes they meant more to him? “Did something happen?”
Dream sighed, toeing the ground with the end of his boot. It’s not that he didn’t want to rant about his troubles, and it’s not like he thinks Illumina will judge him, but he doesn’t want to bother the man with his petty problems. Despite his mind screaming at him, he opened his mouth, his voice sad. “You know Technoblade, right?” Illumina looked at Dream with a confused expression, and the blond tsked at himself. “Yeah, stupid question, but you know how Technoblade and I are rivals?”
Illumina scoffed, but the crinkles near his eyes appeared again, so Dream didn’t try and retract his statement. “Of course I know that. Can’t believe you’re cheating on me, Dream.” The blond kicked Illumina’s shin, the latter laughing as he didn’t even try to dodge it.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Anyways, Techno and I are rivals, but… it feels very one sided. It’s like I’m striving for his attention all the time, and I’m constantly dragging him into petty fights, meanwhile he just goes along with it. He doesn’t outright say anything, but he never seems to care about our duels as much as I do. Then, today, we were practicing dodgebolt, and he just up and left when Squid Kid showed up. I feel like I’m just nagging Techno when he’d rather be doing something with his actual rival.” Dream takes a deep breath after his long speech, his mind less plagued now that he released some of the tension clouding it.
Illumina was looking at him with unimpressed eyes, and if the mask wasn’t there, Dream definitely would’ve been able to see him frowning. “You are the most dramatic man I’ve ever met in my life, Dream.” The blond man went to defend himself, but was stopped by Illumina raising a palm to him. “Nope, let me speak. Do you really think Techno would continue competing with you if he didn’t want to?” After a moment, Dream reluctantly shook his head. “And do you think he’s only allowed to have one rival? That’s a little hypocritical, Drizzle, since you have at least two yourself.”
Dream cast his eyes to the ground from where they were looking at Illumina’s face with a doubtful expression. “Yeah, but… Techno has no reason to keep me around if we aren’t competing at every second.”
Eyes were narrowed at him, and Dream shrunk under the gaze. After a moment of staring, Illumina sighed and grabbed Dream’s arm, pulling him off the bench before dragging him towards the parkour map. “You're such an idiot. Here, race me, and then we’ll talk once you have a clear mind.”
Dream stared at Illumina for a second before grinning behind his mask, stretching slightly before lightly hitting Illumina’s arm. “You’re on, Lumi, prepare to lose.”
“In your dreams, Drizzle.”
-
“You are the worst rival I’ve ever had, Technoblade.”
The mentioned man ripped his gaze away from the speck of lime in the distance, looking towards Squid, who was watching him with an unimpressed look. “Heh?!” The squid hybrid’s lips were pursed, and Techno leveled him with a half-hearted glare. “Bruh, you have other rivals? I thought I was the only one you talk to.” Squid mock-laughed before lunging at him with his sword, and Techno grinned, bringing his own sword up to block the attack.
“Well, if I had known that being someone’s rival involved simping for them, I would’ve ended this long ago.” Techno’s stance stuttered at that, trying to read between the lines of what Squid was saying, but it didn’t stop him from disarming the squid hybrid and knocking him to the floor. He stood there for a moment, the tip of his sword at Squid’s neck, before offering a hand to him.
The man offered a gruff “thanks” as he walked over to his discarded sword, but Techno brushed it off in favor of picking apart his earlier statement. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Squid cuffed him on the shoulder, waltzing over to the bridge at the edge of the battle box arena, looking straight towards the parkour map. Techno, for lack of a better thing to do, followed.
“Please tell me you aren’t that oblivious, Techno.” The pinkette sent a questioning look towards his rival, garnering a drawn out groan from the squid hybrid. “Really? You mean you didn’t even know that you just stopped in the middle of our fight to watch Dream doing parkour? Or that your eyes are practically popping out of your head every time you see him? Or that you whip your head over like a dog every time his name is even mentioned? Or that-”
“Alright, alright, I get it, enough slanderin’ me.” Squid opened his mouth, probably to argue back, but Techno readied his sword, and the squid hybrid was quickly focused on the new fight. Techno didn’t think his simping was that noticeable, but it’s not like it means anything. He and Dream simp for each other, and it’s obviously for the clout the pinkette gets, no other reason at all.
… Right?
“Y’know,” Squid said from where he was up on a nearby ledge, not that it stopped Technobladeーat this point, you’d think his rivals would realize that having the high ground isn’t as luxurious as it may seemーa sly grin on the squid hybrid’s face, “you gotta make a move sooner or later here, dude, or else someone,” he flicked his head over towards where Dream was, and Techno followed the gesture, his heightened eyesight allowing him to see Dream and Illumina sitting next to each other on a ledge near the final tower, the blond’s shoulders shaking as he, likely, laughed, “else does.”
Even when Techno knocked Squid off the ledge, threw his newly disarmed sword into a nearby fountain, and narrowly avoided stepping on the squid hybrid, Squid simply laughed.
-
“Technoblade, my man, my bro, my best friend,” Techno looked towards Squid, reluctantly pulling away from Dream, who looked beyond gorgeous in a white dress, and who’s freckles shined in the natural sunlight above them, and who’s emerald eyes were focused solely on him the entire afternoon- okay, anyway, “technically, I orchestrated this whole thing, so why wasn’t I the best man?”
Dream was wheezing next to Techno, and the pinkette smirked, handing his champagne glassーnot full of alcohol, mind you, he still finds it absolutely revoltingーto Wilbur, before pulling Dream in for a kiss. As the blond eagerly responded, Techno pulled his thigh up onto his hip, his hand running under the frilly fabric to grab the knife in the thigh-holster he knew was there, somehow ignoring the shocked gasp from Dream as he let the thigh back down, setting his sights on Squid. He smirked, slowly walking towards the squid hybrid, who nervously laughed while he slowly backed up, before turning around and sprinting away, the piglin hybrid directly behind him.
Dream calmed down from his wheezing session, which had started up again after Techno had let his thigh down and he had realized why the pinkette practically scarred their friends and family, his hands resting on his knees as his laugh slowly faded out until only a smile was left on his face. He barely had time to watch Techno and Squid sprint around a corner before a body was barreling into him, a squeak escaping the blond’s lips as he looked at his attacker. His eyes lit up, and his smile widened. “Illumina!”
“Drizzle!” The masked manーnow, the only masked man, since Dream didn’t want to wear the white porcelain at his own wedding ーpractically leaped onto Dream, pulling him into a strong hug and rocking him aggressively, causing giggles to escape his lips. “You look amazing! Where did Technoblade go? Do I need to kill him for you?” Illumina took one of the two katanas he had on his back, brandishing it like he was ready to kill someone on the spotーwhich Dream didn’t doubt he would.
“No, no, he’s just off chasing Squid.” The smile from when Illumina first showed up stayed on Dream’s face, not wavering even slightly at the mention of his past-rival-now- husband’s rival. A few months after Dream had almost passed out confessing, and the two started dating, Dream had told Techno why he didn't say anything earlier. Techno had laughed at him, ignoring the pout on his face, and then assured the blond that nothing had ever happened between him and the squid hybrid, and apparently Dream is the only person the pinkette has ever had romantic feelings forーwhich didn’t boost his ego, no, not at all. Then, Techno had dragged Dream up to their bedroom to… assure him that he didn’t have any feelings for Squid.
… Yeah. Anyways.
“Good, cause I promised Fruit I would keep this suit clean, but surely he wouldn’t notice if there was a little dirt on it, right?” Illumina dragged the last word out, a suggestive grin on his face, and Dream rolled his eyes playfully.
“You really want to spar when you’re in a suit and I’m in a wedding dress?!” To be fair, Dream isn’t against the idea, but this dress was expensive, and he didn’t really want to rip it. Illumina smirked, and Dream narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
“I mean, if you’re too chicken, you can just say that.” Dream clicked his tongue at the obvious jab, knowing that Illumina knew just how much he despised being seen as weak, that little shit. Pulling his lips into a sickeningly-sweet smile, Dream grabbed a sword that was resting by a random chair, since his dagger was now gone, before tapping the blade against Illumina’s.
“You’re on, Lumi, prepare to lose.” Illumina laughed in delight, leading the way off to the side, away from all the delicate venue, the phrase familiar to the both of them.
“Only in your dreams, Drizzle. Only in your dreams.”