Chapter Text
With a wide grin on his face, Fundy quietly walked along the wall protecting L'manburg until he reached the main gate. He made sure no one was around before quickly crossing it and running as fast as he could until he reached the cover of the nearby forest's treeline. After carefully walking further into it until he was certain that no one would notice his red fur in between the green bushes and brown tree trunks, he finally let his guard down and continued on his way slowly, with more cheerfulness in his step. He had no reason to worry, at this time of day he should be the only person in the woods. Well, almost the only one, but that's just because of the wildlife and... his boyfriend. His grin widened at the thought of seeing the man again, even though they hung out just a day before, he still missed him so much!
He reached the clearing they agreed on in no time, but somehow was still the second one to show up... by a long shot. The blond man was already sitting in the middle of it, mindlessly poking the ground with a stick he must've picked up on the way while keeping his head down. Fundy's usual excitement to see his boyfriend slowly faded when he stepped into the clearing but still wasn't noticed... either the man was very deeply in thought, or seriously upset. Either way, he gave up on the idea of sneaking over and startling him or tackling him to the ground with a hug, and instead walked around the clearing until he was sure his presence was obvious before walking over to his boyfriend and slowly sitting down by his side. After a second, the man turned his head to glance at him, but didn't say anything. So, he was sad, Fundy noted.
"...Hey, Dream. Is everything okay?" the fox hybrid asked gently. The man's green eyes slowly looked up at him again and to his relief, his boyfriend's sour expression softened almost immediately. He nodded.
"...Yeah, I am," he answered after a second. "I was just... thinking. It's good to see you," he added with a smile. Fundy immediately smiled back at him.
"It's great to see you too!" he answered. He then paused for a second, shuffling closer to his boyfriend's side. The man didn't seem to mind. "So... you got here early?"
"I did," Dream confirmed, and his smile seemed to fade slightly. "Everyone was... talking about the war again, and I just really wanted to get a break from that. It really... gets heavy sometimes, you know?" he explained quietly, and Fundy nodded along. He knew that very well. "You're early too, aren't you?"
"Yeah, I am," Fundy confirmed. Unlike Dream, he didn't have a serious reason for showing up early this time, he was just... really, really impatient. "...And now that I'm here, I can cheer you up!" he announced, and proudly watched an amused look appear on his boyfriend's face. "Hmm... How does a walk sound? There's a really pretty lake just a minute away from here, we can sit there, talk, relax... Oh, I also brought some berries we can share!"
"That sounds lovely," Dream nodded in agreement. Fundy was quick to get back to his feet and offer the man a 'helping hand'. Dream took it without a moment of hesitation, but before he was even standing, he seemed to pick up on the fox hybrid's real intentions. "...Are you doing this to just hold my hand?" he asked, and a sheepish grin appeared on Fundy's face.
"Uh... Maybe?" he admitted, and his response earned him a light laugh. Dream finally got to his feet, but didn't take his hand back.
"You know you don't need an excuse, right?" he asked, and Fundy nodded. Of course he knew that... it couldn't stop him from initiating it with dumb, obvious excuses, especially if he'd get to hear his boyfriend's laugh every time.
"I know, I know... Well, let's get walking, right?" he asked, moving from his spot and gently pulling Dream behind himself.
The man stumbled in surprise at first, but easily kept his balance and had no trouble keeping up with Fundy after just a couple of seconds. The fox hybrid easily navigated the forest and led his boyfriend down what he deemed the most efficient route to the nearby lake. He knew this part of the forest much better than Dream, and he really appreciated the amount of trust his boyfriend had to put into him, agreeing to meet in what was the "enemy territory" for him... But it probably paid off too, Fundy thought, this must've been the hundredth time he was taking them somewhere nice and secluded to sit and relax. He loved showing spots like that to his boyfriend, spending their time in those made them both feel at peace... a rare feeling these days, really.
Just as he promised, the lake was mere minutes away. He proudly pushed the last couple of low-hanging branches to the side in order to reveal the view and stopped, letting Dream be the first one to step out into the larger clearing. The man paused just a step or two later, looking over the lake with a surprised expression that slowly shifted into a grin as he started to walk towards it again. Fundy followed right behind him, not wanting to slow him down but still refusing to let go of his hand. By the time they stopped again, they were on the edge of the water. Dream looked back at him, and Fundy could tell his smile was genuine.
"...You weren't kidding, this place is amazing," he said, and Fundy nodded eagerly.
"I know! I'm glad you like it too," he added. "Now, how about we sit down, I'll get the berries for us..."
"Sounds great," Dream agreed and carefully sat down. Fundy followed his example before finally letting go of his hand in order to untie the small pouch of berries he previously attached to his belt to carry it easier. By the time he looked back in his boyfriend's direction, the man's boots were lying in the grass a bit from them, his pants were rolled up, and he was dipping his legs in the lake. "...You don't mind this, do you...?" Dream asked uncertainly when he noticed that Fundy was looking at him questioningly.
"Oh, of course not!" he assured quickly before passing him the pouch. "Here are the berries, feel free to help yourself," he added. Dream looked down at the item handed to him, and when he looked back up, Fundy was almost done rolling up his own pants. "Oh, the things I do for you..." the fox hybrid sighed, but the grin on his face was obvious. "You have no idea how long my fur takes to dry off," he complained jokingly, and only then his boyfriend seemed to realize what he was doing.
"I'm... not making you put your legs in the water?" Dream answered, surprised more than anything. Before he could say anything else, Fundy already dunked them in the cold water and grinned.
"I know, but you look like you're enjoying this," he answered, moving his legs around under the water for a bit before nodding. "I mean, this feels nice."
"And what about your fur?" Dream asked, raising his brow slightly. Fundy simply shook his head and shifted a bit closer to him.
"I don't mind it getting soaked that much," he assured. He hesitated for a second before turning to look at Dream. "Besides, my mum was actually a fish. Did you know that?" he asked. Dream didn't manage to stop himself from laughing quietly. "I'm serious!" Fundy claimed, playfully hitting his shoulder against Dream's. His boyfriend looked at him with doubt written all over his face. "Yeah, my dad probably still has her in a bucket or something..."
"Sure," Dream nodded, barely stopping himself from laughing again. Fundy didn't have the heart to tell him that he was being as genuine as he could be... he would probably meet his future mother-in-law one day anyway. After a moment, Dream finally collected himself and held out the pouch of berries. "Here, you should eat some too," he said, and Fundy gratefully reached for a couple of the berries.
"Thanks," he smiled. For a moment, they both fell silent, slowly enjoying the food while looking over the lake and dipping their legs in its refreshing water. Eventually, Dream let out a quiet sigh and leaned over, resting his head on Fundy's shoulder. The fox hybrid stopped eating, he was usually the one to start things like that... was Dream feeling okay?
"...Thank you for everything you're doing for me, Fundy," the man said eventually. His voice was lower, somewhat melancholic again... and yet he could tell his boyfriend felt comfortable by his side. After a second of trying to come up with a decent response, he rested his head against his boyfriend's.
"Of course! I... wish I could do more, but until I find a way to just... end that dumb war with my own hands, I can at least try to make you smile," he promised. Dream moved his head to look at him, and seemed... confused?
"You're doing more than enough," he assured. They locked eyes for a moment and watched each other in silence.
"...Sure. If you say so," the fox hybrid finally gave in. "But I promise that once that is over, I'll do so much more!" he added, a perfect compromise in his mind. Dream smiled at first, but his expression faded slightly as he sighed. He laid down on the grass and stared up at the sky above their heads... it was a nice day, wasn't it?
"I wish there was an excuse to just... end the war for good," he muttered. Fundy watched him for a moment, waiting for him to elaborate, but that didn't happen. Cautiously, the fox hybrid laid down by his side and folded his hands on his stomach.
"...How about just a sudden change of heart? That'd be... nice," he suggested. They didn't talk about too many war-related things often, so he wasn't entirely sure what to expect.
"Right," Dream nodded, letting out a quiet chuckle. "I was just... thinking about an official reason. Something serious to say while announcing its end, or... anything like that," he explained. Fundy frowned for a second, thinking over what he just heard.
"Well... Yeah, but maybe Dream could just say that. I know no one from L'manburg would mind," he answered. His boyfriend seemed to tense upon hearing the name. "I- I mean, not you, of course! The other Dream, the one in charge... Man, 'Dream' is a popular name in the Greater SMP, huh?" he pointed out. Having a boyfriend who shared a name with the very man his country was at war with was... strange, confusing at times... but they made it work. For a moment, his Dream stayed quiet.
"Uhh... I mean, it's not really that popular," he said finally. He hesitantly sat back up and reached into a small bag he usually carried with him. He opened it, and paused, glancing at Fundy a couple of times. "...Fundy, I… have a confession to make," he said finally.
"...Alright?" the fox hybrid sat up as well. Dream put one of his hands into the bag before looking down at the water in front of him.
"I... haven't been honest with you. About who I am," he admitted slowly. Fundy glanced between him and his bag, wondering...
"...Did you lie about your name?" he asked. What if his now-boyfriend told him the wrong name when they met to intimidate him or something? Back when they both weren't sure if they were a threat to each other? What was the bag about, was he about to show him his documents or something? Dream took a deep breath and still refused to make eye contact.
"No, but I lied about almost everything else," he answered bluntly, and a confused frown appeared on Fundy's face, quickly followed by a nervous smile.
"...What do you mean?" he said, but the man seemed reluctant to continue. "Dream?" he asked, and his boyfriend finally looked up at him.
"Fundy, I... don't think you realize what my role in this war really is," he declared. Fundy stared at him for a moment... he didn't like the implications of that. Didn't like how his brain jumped to some bad conclusions so fast. Didn't like the idea that this was a serious conversation.
"And what does that mean?" he asked. If he pretended to stay oblivious, maybe the answer he feared would simply not come? Maybe this was a dumb joke, or... something! With a sigh, Dream pulled his hand out of the bag.
He held a mask Fundy would recognize anywhere.
His stomach dropped. Oh, this... this was serious. This changed things. For a moment, he could only stare at the item and blink slowly... how does one even react to this kind of confession? His boyfriend, his beloved boyfriend who he hoped to love forever, the man of his dreams just told him he was the same person who started an entire war against L'manburg. The man he cheered up and distracted from the guilt of having to participate in the fighting was the one responsible for all that violence. There was only one Dream in the Greater SMP and he was somehow both the best and the worse person he ever met... and he somehow trusted Fundy with that information. This wasn't even some dramatic reveal on the battlefield, a heartbreaking betrayal, no... this was an honest, peaceful confession in the middle of nowhere, with no weapons in sight. Just two people, one with claws, so if Fundy technically wanted to- the sole thought of that left a bitter taste in his mouth, how could he even think about that?! He closed his eyes and took a slow, deep breath... Dream was waiting for an answer.
"...Okay. What now?" he asked finally. This obviously changed things, but... he didn't know into what exactly. He just wanted to hear Dream say what he thought this would mean for them.
"...I don't know," the man answered, looking down to avoid eye contact again. The air around them felt strangely cold, Fundy noted. "I just wanted you to know. I felt... horrible for lying to you, it's been eating me for weeks. I'm sorry," he continued. Still cautious, Fundy nodded.
"It's okay," he answered. Dream looked up at him and didn't seem convinced... Fundy could clearly see why.
"Is it?" he asked, but there wasn't even a single hint of hope in his voice. The fox hybrid paused to think for a moment.
"I... don't know, but... it can still be okay, right?" he answered. He wanted to believe his own words so badly, but couldn't tell if he truly did. A smile appeared on Dream's face, and it looked... bitter.
"I truly admire your positivity, Fundy," he sighed. Somehow, hearing his name coming from the man felt... different. "I know this changes things, though. That's why I put off telling you about this," he added. Fundy nodded and tried to think the situation over again.
"...Oh, if... If someone I know found out about this now, that would be so much worse then..." he noticed. He thought his family would be upset just because his partner shared a name with their greatest enemy, but this was... so much worse. Dream nodded solemnly.
"And you're not interested in betraying L'Manburg, are you?" he asked. It was a joke, Fundy knew it was, Dream even let out a low chuckle after the question... still, his fist clenched and for a second, he thought he saw just red. He stopped himself just enough to not explode.
"What?! Never!" he hissed, and had a feeling his tone still came out much sharper than he intended... He could swear Dream winced.
"I figured," he nodded. "You could technically be safer in the Grater SMP, but I understand-" he continued, but Fundy interrupted him.
"That's a stupid name," he said, glaring at him as proudly as if he just used the greatest insult of all. "Did you know that's a stupid name?"
"Fundy, I didn't pick the name," Dream answered, and the fox hybrid paused. Right, Dream wasn't... Despite what it sometimes felt like, this Dream wasn't the source of all bad and the only one responsible for it. He didn't wake up one day and decide to start a war, he wasn't... as strange as it was to admit it, he really wasn't the only one to blame for everything. Feeling a bit less angry, Fundy sighed.
"...Fair," he nodded. He reached up to his face and rubbed his eyes. "I can't believe you didn't tell me before. That I didn't notice before," he muttered. He was still angry, but... partially at himself already. "I just... don't know what to think, I'm..."
"Take your time," Dream said. Somehow, it didn't feel condescending, or threatening, or however it should feel coming from the 'big bad Dream'... Well, he was also the man he loved, his boyfriend. That made a bit of sense, he figured. So he followed his advice, and by the time, he spoke again, he wasn't feeling angry anymore. He'd say it was somewhere between sad, lost, and confused.
"...I don't want to break up with you," he started. That was true, he really didn't, he still loved Dream... it didn't make the feeling any less complicated.
"...But?" Dream asked. He was right, there was a 'but' meant to follow that statement.
"...But this is... can this even work out?" he asked. He thought that once the war ended, they could slowly bring their relationship to light, but this made it different.
"I expected this," Dream nodded stiffly. "It's okay, I get it. I... really didn't want to lose you, but I just wanted you to find out this way. Peacefully, from me. So if this is the end, then-"
"It's not!" Fundy interrupted him. Dream seemed startled, but more than anything... confused. "It's not, I just... I think I need some more time to think about this," he explained, and the man's expression seemed to soften.
"Alright. How long do you need?" he asked, and Fundy wondered about that for a moment...
"A day? We could just meet tomorrow and talk this over again. Same clearing, same time..." he suggested eventually. After a second of thought, Dream nodded.
"Sounds good. I'll, uh, come unarmed," he promised. He always did, Fundy noticed... he didn't think saying that was necessary.
"Me too?" he answered uncertainly. "So... it's one more meeting."
"...Thank you for giving this a... chance, Fundy," Dream sighed. Fundy forced a smile, but with how well they knew each other, they both could tell how fake it was. Dream was kind enough to not point it out.
They silently got to their feet and collected their own things. They didn't even say goodbye, just nodded briefly at each other before heading in their own directions... Fundy couldn't help but notice how Dream put his mask on while walking away, and even though he knew it would happen, it still stung. He wanted to believe that they could make it work, that this wasn't over... but he wasn't sure if that was possible. They agreed on their next meeting, but he had a feeling it could be their last. That thought stung. This was the man he longed to see every day, the man he wanted to hold hands with, the one he wanted to show breathtaking places and share food with, he wanted to laugh with him and cry with him... This was the man he was sure he wanted to stay with through thick and thin, walking away wearing the mask of his greatest enemy...
And Fundy wasn't sure what he wanted anymore.