𝗵𝗶𝗯𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 ° ᵈʳᵉᵃᵐⁿᵒᵇˡᵃᵈᵉ

𝚝𝚎𝚗 | 十

CHAPTER WARNINGS

dialogue heavy
homophobia
depictions of violence
mentions of blood
trauma response/trust issues

▪

Getting detention was not a new occurrence for Dream.

Usually in his... off days, the professors would rather make him spend the class hours at the detention room than constantly scold him and his misbehaviours of staring out the window down the fields below their classroom where the cheerleaders and the soccer team would practice for their matches. (It was not his fault for not listening, really. Sports were much more interesting than listening to statistics.)

Today was not any different. It was Wednesday and the soccer varsities were out and about on the fields, sun soaked in daylight as they run around freely without worry. Dream wishes he could join them in the fields and just lay in the grass for hours but the heavy tug of his backpack was a contant reminder that he's supposed to be on his way to the detention room.

The professors in their town couldn't care less, really. So he makes his way on the bathroom instead, planning to stay for a few minutes or so and just remove the stress on his muscle and maybe splash his face with water or even sneak out of the tiny window and get a snack outside.

He expected the bathroom to be empty but the sight before him made him gasp audibly.

Eret was hunched over patching up Dave's bloodied knuckles, the latter sitting quietly on top of the sink, a hand covering his nostrils as blood continued to pour out onto the collar of his white button-up shirt.

The click of the bathroom door alerted the two and Eret immediately ushers over at Dream despite the pinkette's protests.

"What happened?" Dream asks, his voice cracking as Eret hands him a roll of bandage, his hands immediately working the package open.

"Some people were being assholes," Eret clicks their tongue, frowning as they carefully dabs away at the dirt off the pinkette's knuckles, the pinkette hiding a grimace when he sees a purple mark blooming on top of his veins.

Dave scoffs when Dream reaches out a nervous hand to Eret, not wanting to wrap the bandage on the older's bruised knuckles himself. He was watching with careful eyes as the blonde hesistates whether to grasp his hand or leave it inside his pockets.

"Why are you here?" Dave asks harshly, breaking the younger out of his awkward stupor.

Dream avoids the pinkette's eye still, but acknowledges his presence nonetheless, fingers suddenly making their way to the boy's lime hoodie and tugging on the strings while his other hand fiddles with the bandages. "I was going to stay here until my detention was over."

"In the bathroom?" Dream nods.

"Clay, it smells like shit in here." Eret glances in familiar concern. "Did something happen?"

Dream waves her off, "no, no, don't worry. This is normal for me."

Eret frowns before turning back to treating her friend's wounds.

"What happened to--" Dream cuts himself off, shutting his mouth before Dave's patience thins.

Eret warily looks at the two boys before Dave interjects,

"I punched someone," Dave eyes down the younger, as if challenging him to say something to get him punched as well. "I broke his nose and he broke mine."

"Dave--"

"No, no, let's hear it from Clay himself." Dave waves off the brunette and Dream steps back from the sink, bandage gripped on his fingers, his heart beating on his throat.

The boy looks threatening. There was still blood pouring from his left nostril and staining his messily buttoned up white shirt, not minding one bit when it travels down his lip. He looks different from what Dream was used to; a quiet and reserved boy who doesn't even give him a single glance when he barges inside their family's bakery. Now, Dave stares him down, his eyes were red-brimmed. He looks crazed to the point where Dream feels like he'll add another bruise to the boy's knuckles if he ever says something slightly off.

"Are you too disgusted by blood or are you too disgusted to even touch me?" The pinkette hops off the sink, waving his bruised hand mockingly at the blonde, completely ignoring Eret's attempts of calming him down.

The tension was thick.

"I don't--"

"Oh! Perhaps maybe you're befriending my brother to get on my nerves? To ask me to give in and be your little lab rat and experiment because you're confused, is that it?"

Dream's breath hitches at the implication, dread swirling in his stomach as he feels his fingers grasp tightly at the fabrics of his hoodie. Eret's eyes widen, knowing full well of Dream's insecurity with his identity.

"Dave, that's enough." Eret whispers, trying to diffuse the situation.

Dream could only stare at the pinkette's angry, tear-filled eyes, frozen in place without any clue om what to do.

He was scared but Dave looks downright terrified despite the violence seething from his words. Dream never wanted more than to reach out to someone and embrace them as tightly as he could.

Only if he'll let him.

"What is it then, Clay? Be a fucking guest and--"

"Techno!" Eret snaps, pulling back harshly at the boy's shoulder, snapping him out of his anger.

Dream feels his heart stilled in his chest, ears ringing with familiarity as he remembers the name like the back of his hand, the light of his phone under the blankets every midnight for the past week was enough of a reminder to stitch together the pieces.

"Techno?" Dream mimics, eyes wide in shock and the older stares back at him, as equally surprised as he is.

Dream connected the lines; the pink hair, the quirks of his messages, the way he talks, his stories about being queer--

"You're..."

Dave-- Techno, examines his face for an awful lot of time before pursing his lips, realization dawning on his features.

Before Dream could even open his mouth, Techno pushes past him and bolts out of the bathroom.

"Wait!"

Dream chases after him.

-

happy valentines aha ha 😔✌🏻

eret standing alone in the bathroom wondering what happened with their two friends 🕴🏻

anyways!! dont worry too much about techno, healing takes time.
i promise next chapther would be a comfort chapter!!

i hope you enjoyed this chapter. happy (late) valentines everyone!!