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“I’ve had a crush on you since we were thirteen.”
Night must have misheard. Or it was a joke. Or just a silly crush from before the two of them knew what love really meant, and they would soon tell him when they got over it. Then the two of them would laugh it off.
Dream wasn’t laughing. They hugged their chest and kept their expression neutral, and it might have fooled someone who didn’t know them and wouldn’t notice the worry underlying it.
All at once - small kisses, abundant hugs, their willingness to reveal so much of themself to him. Night had chalked it up to them being brothers and the only two skeletons and guardians in the village. When Rose had sneered that Night and Dream were far closer than any siblings should be, Night had smugly concluded that for all her family’s power, kinship couldn’t counter meanness.
And now...
Dream taking any excuse to touch him, and Night had happily let them. Dream cuddled against his chest as he read to them. The two of them sleeping together.
They had shared the same bed-
Night quickly chased away that fear. Dream had never done anything to him, never touched him in any way that had made him feel uncomfortable. That’s not who they were, and - okay. Okay. Mare had convinced him that just having thoughts like these didn’t say anything about him or that he was an awful brother for having that split-second of doubt.
And of course he could apply that to his own intrusive thoughts about Dream...
Dream was still nervously watching him.
Reassure them, you idiot. Hug them and tell them that you still love them!
Mare’s intrusion spurred Night into motion. He wrapped his arms around Dream - more of a collapse against them than a hug - and gave them a brief squeeze. “I love you,” Night said, as assuredly as he could manage. “You’re my brother, and nothing’s going to change that, okay?” He pulled back and gave Dream a kiss on their forehead.
Whatever he had been expecting when he agreed for no more secrets between them, it certainly hadn’t been this.
Night had pulled Dream aside and told them that he promised, promised he would return to the treehouse that evening - he just had to think some things through in the meantime. Dream had given him a placid, deadened smile and assured him that it was fine.
He and Mare were at the top of the fire tower now. The bracing winds that sang through the struts and made the structure sway gave him some physical echo to the roiling in his head. Mare half-floated beside him, tentacles wrapped around his chest and the vague shape of a skull nooked against his neck, snug enough to ground him to the platform.
“Surprised you’re not more smug about this,” Night said, idly.
Oh right. I was right all along. Haha. Evil laugh. Mare answered Night mentally.
“I’m just.” Night tried to gesture at something with his hands, but Mare embraced his arms too tightly and he couldn’t think of anything anyway. “Nothing should really change, right? It’s Dream. They said they’ve had this crush for over two years now, so if they haven’t done anything about it now they’re probably not going to do anything about it in the future, so I shouldn’t have anything to worry about.”
What do you want from Dream? Mare asked.
I don’t know! I want for nothing to change! I liked what I had with Dream, I liked how our relationship was, and if it turns out all that’s because they’re in love with me, then why should anything be different now? The actions are still the same even if I know the motive is different!
“You’re not okay with this,” said Mare.
“That’s the thing. I should be. I can’t think of any scenario where Dream would treat me differently if I didn’t want it, but still, whenever I think about Dream...” Night broke off as he pictured his brother giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheekbone. He felt queasy. Why? This was normal for them. Why was it different now?
Night, Mare said. Why not accept that you’re not okay with it? Rather than stress yourself into knots trying to convince yourself that you should be?
That’d upset Dream , Night said. Without a lick of hesitation.
And you want Dream to be happy?
Of course I do, Night said. He tugged the tentacles tighter around himself. Dream deserves to be happy. They have so much stress and they’ve done so much for me when I was... at my lowest. He curled in on himself further.
You feel guilty.
They... deserve someone who loves them in the way they want to be, Night said. The words came to him as his thoughts were forming themselves. I can’t be that. And... they’re not like me. They don’t get... these generalized crushes on whoever. It’s rare for them to... He broke off.
You don’t have to be everything Dream needs, Mare said.
We’ve always had each other, though, Night said. I wish... I wish Dream had wanted something... from me in a way that wasn’t this complicated. Even now, even in his head, he was thinking around the concept. Normally, Mare would force him to acknowledge it head-on, but he didn’t do so here.
In fact, Mare said, I know this is at odds with the advice I normally give, but what if you just put it aside and wait for it to resolve itself? Night twisted a bit - not quite enough to look askance, but close enough to get the meaning across. Nothing bad will happen if you don’t act here, (unlike in earlier situations). Just accept that things have changed between you two, and don’t try to force it. Give them what affection you feel comfortable with. And as (or if) your comfort with their affection rises, let them know.