Chapter Text
Early morning light filters in through the windows, disturbing Dream’s peaceful slumber. His face scrunches up, obviously displeased. Groaning slightly, he rolls over, attempting to get a few more moments of rest, only to realize that he’s on something far too soft and comfortable to be one of his usual resting spots. The ground is never this comfortable, and tree branches always leave him feeling sore when he wakes up, so where is he? His eyes flutter open, and he’s met with a ceiling of spruce planks. He turns his head out towards the rest of whatever room he’s in, and takes it in, hoping to recognize it. White walls with spruce wainscots and a floor also made from spruce planks tells him that he’s in a snowy biome, most likely. Lanterns hang from short chains, still burning slightly even though it’s morning. Bookshelves sit in the corner, the books in them looking worn but cared for. Some feathers are scattered around the room, and a ladder at the other end of it leads up and down.
Ancients, he must’ve fallen asleep at Techno and Phil’s place. What a wonderful guest he is, imposing on them like this. They take the time to invite him to dinner, make him a delicious meal that he can’t even finish, and then he bothers them even more by passing out on them. This is so embarrassing, how can he protect anything when he can’t even be a good guest. He’s so busy wallowing that he doesn’t hear Phil climb up the ladder, but the warm, “Good morning, Dream,” snaps him out of his thoughts.
“Mornin’, Phil. I-I’m sorry for falling asleep here, I didn’t mean to intrude on you and Techno like this, it was really rude of me, especially after you invited me to dinner and I couldn’t even finish the food and-- I’m sorry I should go-” he moves to get up, but Phil stops him with a hand lightly resting on his shoulder that he can’t help but flinch at. Phil, knowing that he’s still trying to get used to touch again, keeps his hand there, a solid, grounding pressure.
“That’s what Techno and I wanted to talk to you about, actually, but that can wait until after breakfast. I’m going to get started with cooking, so just come down when you’re ready.” Phil smiles at him, and something in it is so sincere and welcoming that he can’t help but relax and nod at him. Phil pats his shoulder twice, walks back over to the ladder, and climbs down.
Exhaling softly, Dream gets up, folding the soft blanket that had been on him and placing it down on the couch. If he can’t be a good guest, the least he can do is clean up after himself. Ugh, and now Phil feels like he owes him even more food . He knows that most Overworlders have easy access to a lot of food, but the idea of wasting literally any of it makes him feel horrible. Full meals are rare in the Deep Dark, and whatever doesn’t get eaten is shared with those that had gone longer without food. He still can’t stomach much thanks to the prison, meaning that he always ends up wasting food, and Phil’s downstairs putting in so much effort to make a nice meal and this is horrible.
Accepting his fate, he climbs down the ladder, spotting Phil flitting around in the kitchen. Whatever he’s cooking smells absolutely heavenly, and his mouth starts watering despite knowing that he doesn’t have to eat for at least a couple of days after last night. He unconsciously starts walking towards Phil, and steps on a creaky floorboard, flinching at the noise. Phil turns to him and smiles, asking, “Hey mate, you like pancakes?” Dream has basically no idea what those are. He’s pretty sure they’re like flatbread disks, but whatever Phil’s making smells sweet and savory, so there’s no way that he's making flatbread. His face must’ve shown his confusion, because Phil’s smile softens slightly. “I’m sure you’ll love them, don’t worry about it. Even if you don’t end up liking them, I’m making eggs and bacon, too. I’m almost done cooking,” he says, turning back to the stove, “could you go fetch Techno? He should be out in the garden. Check by the fish pond, that’s usually where he ends up.”
Dream nods, mumbling out, “Sure thing.”
He walked out the front door and over to the garden. It was beautiful, in his opinion. He’s not sure how it has survived in the tundra, probably an underground heating system if he had to guess. Tall spruces mixed with majestic oaks, different berry bushes lining the bases of their trunks. Vines grew on some of them, leaving a few looking more like willows, and ferns dotted the bushline. Freshly fallen snow blanketed the area, disrupted only by a single set of footsteps. In one corner sat some patches of farmland, growing what looked like wheat, barley, melons, pumpkins, and various vegetables. A warmer section held what he could only assume were a handful of fruit trees, signs labelling them as apple, pear, cherry, and peach, along with a lemon and an orange tree, though none of them had any flowers budding. Towards the center, slightly off to one side, sat a fairly large pond, sugar cane growing on one of its banks. On the opposite side sat Technoblade, his back to Dream, on a small wooden platform. He looked relaxed, shoulders slumped and leaning forward slightly. As Dream walked closer, snow lightly crunching underneath him, he noticed that Techno’s eyes were closed, his long pink hair pushed over one shoulder.
Techno smirks, having heard him walk up. “Mornin’, sleeping beauty,” he teases, opening one eye slightly in time to see Dream’s cyan blush deepen to an inky blue-green shade.
Dream winces. “Sorry ‘bout that, I didn’t mean to impose on you and Phil.”
Techno snorts, “‘s fine, nerd. Didn’t have much planned today anyway. What’s up?”
“Uhm, Phil made breakfast? If you’re hungry?” Techno hums and gets up with a grunt, and nods his head towards the house. Dream, feeling awkward about the silence, asks, “So, you meditate?”
“Mmhmm, helps keep some of my instincts down, you know? It’s also one of the only times that Chat is calm. I think they appreciate the quiet as much as I do.” They walk the rest of the short distance to the house, only the breeze rustling the leaves interrupting the quiet that had settled between them. Dream feels like he did something wrong, but he knows that Techno just doesn’t talk much in the morning. Walking into the house, Techno takes off his boots as Dream tries to dry off his feet, and then they head towards the kitchen. Phil smiles at them. “Hey guys, food’s ready.” He gestures for them to go sit at the table, and Dream hesitates, wanting to offer to help, until Techno drags him over to a seat. Phil sets down a plate with a few pancakes, some eggs, and two slices of bacon at each of their seats. Dream and Techno both thank him, and the three dig in. Pancakes, Dream decides, are the best thing he’s ever eaten. He can only eat one and a half, along with two forkfuls of egg and one slice of bacon, but they’re officially one of his favorite foods.
After they all eat their fill, Techno and Phil share a look, and Phil decides to start the conversation off. “So, Dream, do you have a permanent place to live, mate?” Dream flounders for a moment, trying to come up with a response, before he closes his mouth with a click and shakes his head. Phil takes that as his cue to continue. “Well, Techno and I were wondering if you’d like to stay around here? You wouldn’t have to stay in this house, obviously, but we do like having you around.” Dream stays silent, eyes wide, so Techno decides to continue. “We were thinking that you could build a place nearby, as close or as far as you want. It’s up to you, though.”
Dream is silent for a while before whispering, “You’d really want me around? What about Ranboo?”
“‘Course we want you around, mate, and Ranboo’s off exploring for a while, but I’m sure he won’t mind.”
Dream still looks unsure, and Techno reminds him that it’s his choice, and that there’s no pressure to accept the offer. Dream asks one last time, “I-you’re sure about this? Like really sure that you want to do this?” At both of their nods, Techno’s calm and steady while Phil’s is excited, he makes up his mind. “Alright, that-that sounds really nice. Thanks, guys.”
“So,” Techno asks with a smirk, “when are you moving in?”