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Dream let the cold air of the frozen shore fill his lungs. He was starting to feel the bone deep aches throughout his body but he hadn’t slowed down once he started running. He shivered in the wind but he could handle it. There was time to deal with it. He was okay. He was tucked away and hidden now. He could afford to let himself start to relax. He could afford the time to think.
Techno taking the armor back hadn’t been expected but he probably should have thought about it once Ranboo got killed. He knew they were close. He should have prepared on the way back for Techno to push him away. He was foolish not to. But he just had to wait for now. He’d seen Punz when he got out. He saw the quick motion he made with his hand before he deviated to fight Techno instead.
His brother was still with him. Punz was coming. He just had to wait.
His brother was coming. His brother was safe.
One of them at least.
Images from the vault ran through his mind. Images of pain and agony. Of the early days even before Quackity came where he was yelling across the lava to try to convince his oldest brother to feed him. When he was just trying desperately to see someone. He remembered the first time Sam had hit him. He remembered the first time he’d been slammed back into the wall and called a monster by his big brother. He remembered how Sam ignored him every time he screamed for him. Every time he begged for the torture to stop. He barely remembered Sam coming to dump a health pot on him after Quackity cut him too much and he was losing too much blood.
He remembered the words that were drilled into him.
“Dream!”
Punz’s voice startled him out of his spiraling thoughts. He had just enough time to turn around and see the flash of Punz’s white hoodie and golden chain before they were slamming into a hug. Punz held him tightly and the surprise wore off fast enough for Dream to return the hug with all the strength he had left.
“Long time no see buddy!”
He couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out of him. He’d missed Punz. He’d missed his brother. He missed the hugs that made him feel safe.
“Oh god Dream, finally! I missed you.”
The honesty that rang through his words didn’t help with the rush of emotions Dream was experiencing. He felt the tears prickle at his eyes and burrowed his head further into his brother’s shoulder to respond. Taking a few deep breaths through his hoodie and letting Punz’s warmth seep slowly into his body. But they had to pull away. They’d always have to pull away. No matter how much it hurt.
“So,” Punz began when Dream didn’t continue talking. He was watching him closely. Something reflecting in his eyes that Dream thought he should know but he couldn’t quite place. “How is it in prison?”
Dream felt his breathing hitch.
“Did Sam take good care of you?”
Good care. Sam beat him. Starved him. Helped to try to break him and at this point Dream couldn’t even tell if it was just an attempt or if they’d succeeded. He tried to keep his breathing even. Forced his fingers not to do more than twitch and tried to keep his eyes on Punz. His brother. Punz. Not Sam. Not Quackity. Punz. Who was wincing at his own choice of words without any idea of the images racing through Dream’s mind.
“Uhm…that sounds weird. I mean,” He shifted where he was standing. Looking at something a little past Dream’s shoulder and scratching at the back of his neck. “He’s our brother. There’s no way he’s treating you badly.”
Dream felt sick. He could see humor and affection in Punz’s eyes. He could practically see the fond memories of Sam going through his brother’s mind and despite it all he wanted nothing more than to run from it.
He couldn’t experience that anymore. He heard Sam’s name and he saw flashes of obsidian and blood. He heard chains and curses and repeating words that were even scarred into his skin. He could nearly taste the moldy potatoes sitting in his mouth as he struggled to chew and swallow around the blood clogging his throat. He wanted to throw up. He could feel his head spinning at the thoughts. At everything that Sam had done.
But he was treating kindly. Is that what he’d told Punz? Did he tell their brother that Dream deserved everything he was getting? Did Punz never see the blood on his boots? Did he not care? Did he agree?
Dream pulled away before he could stop himself. Slipping further from Punz’s grip with a dark expression and hollowed eyes that set every alarm off in his brother’s mind.
“I’m sorry,” He tried to stabilize himself. “Punz…”
How should he word this? How should he explain? If Punz agreed then surely he already knew what was coming. If Punz already knew then he certainly had to know what Sam had drilled into him over and over. Maybe it was all just some elaborate con. Some huge ploy to make sure the monster was well and truly broken with no hope of return.
He didn’t see the confusion in Punz’s eyes. Didn’t see the worry or the concern that was flooding his expression as he tried to reach out to bring Dream closer to him again.
“You seem to be misunderstanding.”
He could see how Punz stiffened at the words. How his body tensed and his muscles worked like they were trying to pick up on whatever it was that Dream had. But Dream just kept going. No acknowledgement of how he could feel his expression wiping away into the mask he wore when Sam drilled the words. No notice of how he felt his eyes darkening with the images of the cell painted and stained behind them.
“He’s your brother. Not mine. Not anymore.”
Punz stared at him with his mouth hanging open. Like he wanted to say something but was too shocked to continue. They stood like that for a moment. Then two. Dream watched carefully and his expression darkened further before he turned to leave. Punz didn’t correct him. Punz knew. Maybe he wasn’t a brother to either of them anymore.
The second he began pulling away Punz snapped out of whatever trance he’d been in. Reaching out and grabbing onto Dream’s hand to keep him there.
“What?..Dream. No. No. What are you talking about? It’s Sam. Our big brother. What? What are you talking about?”
The confusion in his voice made Dream want to believe he had no idea. But the larger part of him was screaming that Punz was just waiting for him to slip up so he could haul him back to continue learning his lesson.
“The Warden made it pretty clear that him and I were nothing. That I was nothing.”
Punz stared at him again but Dream didn’t see. He wouldn’t turn back. He didn’t want to see whatever look Punz had on his face. He didn’t want to deal with it.
“ Warden?” There was something in Punz’s voice. Something like a blend of fear and anger and sorrow. It didn’t make sense. “Dream. Please look at me. What happened in there? What happened in the prison?”
Was it a test? It couldn’t be one. Right? Punz wouldn't do that. He was here. He’d hugged him. Held him. He sounded confused. He was still with Dream. He would listen. Hopefully. Maybe.
“I..”
He turned back towards him but he didn’t look at him. He kept his eyes down. Staring imaginary holes through his older brother's boots and hoping that it would be enough.
“I was tortured.” He braced for the hit but it didn’t come. There was just a sharp breath but nothing else. So Dream kept going. “Sam starved me. He hit me sometimes. But he let Q-Quackity in to torture me every day.” He’d nearly called him Sir. “He told me we weren’t brothers. Quackity even-”
He was desperate now. Desperate to make sure Punz believed him. That he listened to him. Without really thinking about it he brought his hands to his shirt and lifted. Undoing the quick patch bandages Techno had given him in the cell and on the ride back. He showed the words carved into his skin.
Monster
Alone
Worthless
Abandoned
“He’s..He’s your brother Punz. He’s not mine. He can’t be mine. I-”
He didn’t expect to be wrapped into another hug. This time he could feel Punz’s protective rage in his grip. He felt how his arms wrapped around him and how he practically clung Dream to his chest.
“No. No Dream. He’s not mine. We’re brothers. Okay? Me and you. Not Sam. Never again. He’s not our brother anymore. I won’t let him hurt you again. Okay? I promise. I’m here Dre. I won’t let them get you. You aren’t alone. Not anymore. I’m so sorry.”
The words poured from his mouth like Punz didn’t know how to stop them. Dream felt Punz crying before he realized he was as well. When did that start? He felt weird. He felt cold. He felt warm. Punz was holding him but his body felt like it was shutting down. He’d grown familiar with the feeling in the cell. But he was safe here. Punz had him. He would be okay.
He let his legs give out. He let Punz catch him and cradle him. He let his brother wrap him in a freshly crafted blanket and carry him away. He could dimly hear Punz asking him to stay awake. He did his best to answer but he wasn’t sure it made any kind of sense. Regardless of if it did or not Punz tried to encourage him. Dream knew he was bad off. He knew when Punz looked at his body he would be disgusted by the amount of marks. But that was for another time. For now he could see Punz’s tower just around the corner. He could see safety. He could let himself relax. He wouldn’t be hurt. He let his guard down.
He let himself sleep.
Punz was there. His brother was there. The only brother he had. The only one he needed.