Work Text:
Night was falling when Dream’s boots landed in the sand with a muffled thud. The residual particles of the ender pearl faded into the night as Dream staggered forward. Exhaustion weighed heavily on his shoulders as his body protested his every movement as it was no longer used to the arduous strain he’d put it through today. He made it up onto the grass path before his legs finally gave out and he collapsed. He rolled onto his back, blinking up at the clear night sky. A laugh bubbled from his chest and rang out past his lips.
He was free!
He was out!
He reached up, fingers trembling to run a hand through his grimy, dirty blond hair. He would need a nice long bath but that would wait until morning. Right now his body was begging for rest and unconsciousness was starting to pull at him. He needed to find a safe place to rest.
With difficulty, Dream sat up and looked around the area. His eyes caught on the broken crumbling walls and crater that once used to be the heart of Logstedshire. He huffed and shook his head at the ridiculous name, a faint shadow of a fond smile as he thought of Ghostbur. He sort of regretted blowing the place up in a rage now but when he found that secret hole that Tommy had dug out under the floorboards and realized that Tommy was building an arsenal to use against him - Dream stopped his train of thought, that was water under the bridge now. He sighed and continued looking around. The tent was gone as well, destroyed along with Logstedshire. The nether portal was also broken, by his hand mere hours earlier. He contemplated the beach but wrote that off because of the possibility of a drowned crawling ashore while he slept.
Dream’s gaze then fell to the overgrown spruce tree that had served as the makeshift Christmas tree. Its branches had grown so much since the last time he’d been here and from what he could see with the flickering lights of the fires, the space underneath was clear. It would do, Dream decided as he pushed himself to his feet and staggered forward.
He got himself situated and made sure he was as safe as he could be, both from mobs and from anyone who might come looking for him, then he finally closed his eyes and let the lull of sleep pull him under.
Dream doesn’t know how long he’d been asleep for but when he jerked awake, it was still dark. He stayed still, his senses on high alert as he attempted to figure out what woke him. He heard the skittering of a spider nearly and the faint groan of a zombie as it lumbered towards the nearby village. Neither of those should’ve dragged him from sleep. He sighed, ready to write if off as paranoia or his senses still acclimating from the prison, and settled back down to go back to sleep when he heard a twig snap.
His eyes flew open and he froze right as a shadow fell across the small opening. His hand flexed, reach to materialize his sword and fight. His body coiled, ready to spring into action and the adrenaline flooded his veins. What if it was Sam who had somehow found him? He wouldn’t go back to that prison, he wouldn’t be put back there again.
A shadowy figure kneeled down just outside the opening and Dream’s mind churned up a plan, strike forward and pearl away into the forest. Lose the pursuit and get away.
The pearl materialized in his hand and Dream was raising it to chuck when the soft call of his name in a very familiar British octave made him freeze.
“Dream?”
Dream blinked and focused on the figure’s outline… he could make out curly hair and the outline of a trench coat. His mind slowly supplied an image and a name. He swallowed, his throat suddenly dry.
“W-Wilbur?” He croaked out. He sat up just as a dull light illuminated the small space. A lantern had been lit and Wilbur was holding it up. Dream’s breath hitched as he took in the other’s face, the features that he’d never thought he’s see again. The white streak was new but Tommy had had one as well when he’d pulled him from death’s grip.
“Hello Dream” Wilbur greeted warmly with a smile that could’ve been just as bright as the sun as far as Dream was concerned. “Say, you wouldn’t happened to have room for one more in the little shelter you got there?” Wilbur asked suddenly, glancing over his shoulder, “There are a lot of mobs out here.”
Dream immediately shuffled back to make room and watched as Wilbur squeezed his way in. There was little room but enough so Wilbur could get settled. The lantern was placed in what little space was left between them. Dream let Wilbur get settled before he asked the question that had been at the forefront of his mind.
“What are you doing here Wilbur?”
Dark eyes meet green in an unblinking and intense stare.
“I was looking for you.” Honesty dripped from every word of Wilbur’s answer. “I heard from my father that he and Technoblade helped you escape. I knew from Ghostbur’s memories that this place was somewhere you frequented a lot so I figured I would start my search here.”
“Why?”
Wilbur huffed, amused before he reached across the space between them. Dream tensed, automatically and Wilbur paused, seemed to be waiting patiently. Dream breathed in and out a few times before gritting his teeth and nodding.
Wilbur’s fingers grazed his cheek and Dream gasped as fire sparked in their wake. The space between them seemed to close and it took Dream a moment to realize that he’d lent forward, drawn toward the curly haired man and what he represented.
“Wilbur” his voice trembled as he whispered, memories of a clearing flashing behind his eyes. Memories of the two of them in that clearing together. It was a place that Dream had grown to associate with peace. It was a place that Dream felt safe.
“This is why Dream, I feel it. I know you feel it too.” Wilbur’s voice was rich with emotion as his thumb slowly rubbed circled over Dream’s skin. “I missed you so much.”
“Why did you leave then?” Dream asked, any sharpness that he might’ve attempted fell flat.
“I panicked.” Wilbur muttered, “I had failed and Phil,” Wilbur stopped to huff out a dry laugh, “My father was there to witness my failure. I couldn’t- didn’t want to live with my father’s disappointment so in the moment I spoke the words that I’d heard the crows use when they called for blood.”
“Killza” Dream finished, reaching out to rest his hand on Wilbur’s chest, over where he thought the scar was.
Wilbur reached up with his free hand to move Dream’s hand over just a hair. “Killza,” He confirmed.
“We had a plan. We were supposed to rule together,” Dream continued, letting the hurt bleed into his voice, “You left me.”
Wilbur made a pained noise before he finished closing the distance and rested his forehead against Dream’s. “I’m sorry sunshine, though I know it won’t do any good,” was whispered between them, “I’m back now though, you made sure of that.”
Dream hummed in acknowledgment, his eyes drooping. The adrenaline of his scare was starting to die down and the overwhelming exhaustion was pulling him back under again. Wilbur seemed to realize that and Dream felt himself be gently pushed back. He went without protest and heard Wilbur shuffling around. Arms wrapped around him and pulled him back against a warm body.
Wilbur’s voice spoke gently in his ear, “Rest for now Dream. I’ll keep you safe and in the morning we will talk more.”
“Do something for me?”
“Sure, Dream.”
“Sing something.”
Dream fell asleep to the the sound of Wilbur singing softly in his ear, fully relaxed and trusting.