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Dream smiled at the crown he managed to “steal” from Technoblade’s bedroom.
In reality, Technoblade had shoved the thing into his hands, saying that if he was lucky, King Philza wouldn’t force him to go to some diplomatic meeting without it.
Technoblade, of course, hadn’t been that lucky, but Dream still left the palace with his spoils of war. Technoblade had assured him that at least he wouldn’t be wearing a stiff and itchy crown during the proceedings.
King Phil, of course, being the king, managed to procure a new one for Technoblade only moments later.
Dream and Wilbur and found the affair highly amusing, and Dream returned from the palace with the crown.
Dream wasn’t sure what he was going to do with it. He’d probably just bring it back to the palace, if he was being entirely honest. The crown was likely worth a fortune, and there was no point in keeping it when someone else was more likely to steal it from him.
Technoblade would be thrilled to have it back, Dream was sure.
Well, the worst that could happen was that Technoblade would order for Dream to be sent to the dungeons, and Phil would laugh and tell Technoblade that he couldn’t do that.
So basically, the worst thing that could happen was Technoblade being annoyed at him.
The joys of being friends with royalty.
Dream gave the crown on last look before moving to put it in his bag and hope that nobody was smart enough to steal it.
And suddenly the crown wasn’t in his hands at all.
In confusion, Dream looked at the ground, trying to see if he had dropped it. The idea of dropping something so valuable was mortifying to Dream, but he could probably dust it off and pretend that nothing had happened.
Except the crown wasn’t on the ground.
Dream was admittedly starting to panic.
He started looking around frantically, and through the crowd, Dream could spot the tiniest glint of gold being reflected by the sunlight.
Dream instantly tore through the pedestrians, ignoring everyone’s shocked cries. There was a thief with Dream’s, or Technoblade’s, crown, and Dream wasn’t going to let him get away that easily.
After all, if there was one thing Dream could do well, it was run.
It didn’t take long for Dream to find himself chasing the thief through more isolated streets, and Dream realized that his thief was tiny. They were just a kid, really.
Eventually, the kid ducked into a very hidden alleyway, and Dream skidded to be able to follow him. The alleyway was long, dark, and narrow, and when Dream reached the spot the kid had disappeared into, he realized he was staring at a collection of broken crates, barrels, and tarps built on top of each other to create something that almost looked like a den.
Dream slowed his approach. Clearly, the kid was hiding in there, and there was no point in terrifying the poor child before he had even met them.
Dream crouched down in front of the small entrance to the den, peeking inside.
Dream’s thief sat in the back corner of the den, surrounded by various coins, a few jewelry items, and even some rusted forks. The small child’s leathery wings surrounded them like a blanket, and red horns protruded from his golden blond hair.
A dragon hybrid then. That would explain the various coins and items.
And the poor child was very almost certainly alone, if they were hoarding this much stuff in such a small den. Well nurtured dragon hybrids would hoard a few items underneath their beds, with their parents there to make sure they didn’t steal and imprint on any items that didn’t belong to them.
“Hi,” Dream said softly, trying not to scare the child.
The child shuffled back anyway, curling their claws more tightly around the stolen crown and baring their sharp teeth at Dream.
There was no way Dream was keeping that crown now.
Dream cast his eyes around the den. While there were plenty of items the small child would probably be able to use to purchase items with, it was unlikely that he was. The coins were a part of the hoard, and Dream couldn’t imagine that a hybrid so small would be able to give up a part of their hoard, even if it was for food.
Dream hesitated. “I’ll be right back,” he said softly.
The child continued to growl at Dream, although it sounded less threatening and more cute.
Dream exited the alleyway and found one of the market stands, quickly purchasing a loaf of bread. He then returned to the den, sitting down a few feet away from the entrance.
“I got you something.”
The child only growled at him again. Dream couldn’t exactly blame them.
Dream carefully rested the loaf of bread down a few inches into the small den. He then slowly pulled his hand away and rested them in his lap.
The child stared at the bread, their narrow pupils dilating, a sign of agitation or excitement. It was pretty adorable, if it weren’t for the fact that the kid was staring at the bread like it was the strangest thing to ever enter their den.
The child kept glancing back at Dream, however, and Dream realized that the poor thing probably wouldn’t feel safe enough eating it until Dream was actually gone.
Dream felt deeply uncomfortable with the idea of leaving someone so small alone, but he knew that the kid didn’t trust him, and picking him up off the streets was likely to only make the situation worse.
“Alright,” Dream said quietly, “I’ll leave.”
Dream got to his feet, well aware the kid was watching his every move, and left the alleyway.
“Hey, Dream?” Technoblade asked the next day as they took a break from their fencing.
“Yeah?” Dream huffed.
“Dad wants that crown back. I came clean and told him I gave it to you.”
Dream could practically feel his end coming. “Ah, about that…”
Technoblade narrowed his eyes at Dream. “Did you seriously lose a precious crown in less than twenty-four hours?”
Dream swallowed, wiping some sweat from his brow. “It may have… been stolen.”
Technoblade didn’t look convinced. “I’ve seen you catch thieves before without any issue.”
Dream held his breath before eventually sighing. “Ah, this one may or may not be a very small dragon hybrid.”
Technoblade’s eyes widened. They all knew the significance to that.
“He’s imprinted on it?”
Dream nodded with his eyes closed. “Please don’t execute me.”
Technoblade snorted. “We wouldn’t execute you for that. It wasn’t exactly your fault. I mean, you didn’t hand it to the kid, did you?”
Dream shook his head quickly. “Why would I do that?!”
“See, that’s exactly my point.” Technoblade sighed. “I guess I’ll have to explain to dad that he is probably never going to see that crown again.”
“Probably not,” Dream agreed.
Technoblade stared at the ceiling like a man preparing himself for his final moments, and then he shrugged. “I’m not going to think about it right now,” he decided, “Care for a rematch?”
Dream grinned, grabbing his sword. “You’re on.”
That afternoon, Dream marched back home again, but he made a detour, buying an apple.
He then marched to the same alley as before, sitting a few feet away from the den like he did last time.
The child was still there, and Dream noticed that the bread was half-eaten, sitting among the coins.
The crown, Dream was amused to note, was sitting directly on the child’s head.
“Hi,” Dream greeted softly.
The child didn’t snarl like last time. Instead, they opened their mouth and spoke in a raspy voice. “Who are you?”
“I’m Dream.” Dream smiled. He placed an apple down where he put the bread before. “I brought you more food.”
The child instantly snatched the apple up in their hands and shuffled further back into their den.
“What’s your name?” Dream tried.
The child peered at Dream suspiciously.
Dream supposed that was to be expected.
Dream pulled a single coin from his pocket and placed it in the den. “Do you want me to leave?”
The child’s pupils were dilated as big as saucers again as they stared at Dream, and Dream stood up to leave.
He felt eyes on his back as he left the alleyway, but he didn’t mind.
The next day, they finally made some more progress.
“I’m Tommy,” the child said softly, nibbling the muffin that Dream had brought.
“Are you a boy?” Dream asked, not wanting to assume.
Tommy nodded.
“This is a lovely hoard you have.” Dream glanced around the den again, and he spotted a hairbrush that hadn’t been there last time he visited. “But you probably shouldn’t steal, you know.”
Tommy snarled at Dream. “You can’t take it,” he snapped, “It’s mine.”
Dream raised his hands in surrender. “I wouldn’t take it. I know how important the treasures are to you. Remember, I let you keep my crown?”
Tommy glanced at the crown that was sitting on top of a pile of coins, and he nodded slowly.
“Well, I won’t take any of your items away from you.”
Tommy glared at Dream. “I’d bite you.” He bared his sharp fangs at Dream for emphasis.
“How about this?” Dream pulled an old bracelet he bought the day before. “I’ll give you items for your hoard, and you stop stealing from other people?”
Tommy frowned. “Why?”
Dream hummed. “Because stealing is a lot like taking away items from a hoard. You’d bite me if I took from you, right?”
Tommy nodded slowly, staring at the bracelet in Dream’s hand.
“Well, if you take from someone else, they might be as upset as you would be.”
“Oh.” Tommy wrapped his wings around himself. “Okay. Sorry.”
“It’s okay. You probably didn’t know any better.” Dream placed the bracelet on the ground. “I promise to bring you something every day, okay?”
Tommy snatched up the bracelet and put it around his wrist.
From then on, Dream and Tommy developed a routine of sorts. Dream would give some food and an item for Tommy’s hoard, Tommy and Dream would talk for a bit, and then Dream would leave.
Dream took particular enjoyment out of giving Tommy items that members of the royal family had no interest for.
“Have you seen this ring?” Wilbur demanded, showing Dream the most outlandish ring he had ever seen. The gem, which probably wasn’t even that valuable, was huge, and would probably just impede the fingers from even doing anything useful.
“I’ve seen it now,” Dream replied, “It’s pretty ugly.”
Wilbur snorted. “That’s an understatement.” He moaned. “And now I’ll probably be expected to wear it to keep up appearances.”
Dream took the ring out of Wilbur’s hands. “Man, wouldn’t it be a shame if someone snuck into your bedroom and stole it?”
A smile formed on Wilbur’s face, and his eyes glinted. “That would be the worst thing to ever happen. I’d just be so heartbroken that I couldn’t wear such a lovely gift.”
Dream placed the ring into his pocket. “The thief was completely unseen and unheard too. There’s no way anyone would be able to track him down.”
“What a tragedy.” Wilbur flopped backwards onto his bed, resting the back of his hand on his forehead like he fainted.
Dream cackled.
That day, he gave the ring to Tommy, who stared at the gem like it was the prettiest thing in the world.
“It’s shiny,” He whispered.
Dream laughed quietly. “Yeah, it’s very shiny.”
“Are you sure I can keep it?”
Dream frowned. “You’ve kept everything else? What’s so special about this time?”
Tommy rocked back and forth, already clutching the ring to his chest. “I—I asked for a ring that somebody said they hated, and they called me greedy.”
For a moment, Dream saw red.
What sort of person would say that? Dragon hybrid children needed items for their hoard, and it was to be expected that some might approach you and ask for items, especially when you’ve already declared you didn’t want.
Then, Dream forced himself to calm down. He couldn’t help Tommy like this.
“They’re gifts,” Dream said, “I want to give you these things.”
Tommy still didn’t look too sure, and his wings curled protectively around his face. “But—but I’m being greedy. You give me fancy things too, and—and—”
Dream’s heart broke a little bit when he saw Tommy’s entire body shake and heard a sob escape the boy.
“It’s not greedy,” Dream assured him, “And I’m giving you fancy things because I care about you. Don’t worry about me, I’m not starving.”
Tommy carefully lowered his wings to reveal his eyes, which were filled to the brim with tears.
“You promise?” he whispered, his voice wavering.
Dream kept this smile warm. “I promise.”
Tommy stared at Dream for a very long time, tears rolling down his cheeks, and Dream suddenly found himself at a loss for what he was supposed to do. He had been so adamant on giving Tommy space, on letting the kid trust him before he did anything, but could Dream really be expected to watch while he cried?
“Toms…” Dream swallowed. “Do you want a hug?”
Tommy stiffened and stared at Dream. And Dream wondered if he had said the wrong thing entirely.
“You—you don’t mind?” Tommy’s voice was such a timid whisper that Dream’s heart shattered like broken glass.
“Of course, I don’t mind.”
Tommy brought his wings back behind himself and slowly crawled out of his makeshift den, his pupils dilated as he watched Dream. Dream tried to keep himself perfectly still, and eventually Tommy carefully wrapped his arms around Dream’s body. Of course, being tiny, his arms didn’t get close to being all the way around.
Dream then followed suit, embracing Tommy and bringing Tommy close to his chest. Tommy’s small clawed hands snagged Dream’s shirt as he buried his face into Dream’s shoulder, sobbing.
“You’re okay,” Dream whispered.
Tommy sniffed loudly, his tears calming down ever so slightly. Dream continued to rock him back and forth, and eventually, Tommy forced himself out of Dream’s arms, his pupils slightly narrower than before.
“Thank you,” Tommy whispered.
Dream swallowed. “Tommy… if you’d like… I have a nice place of my own. You could live there with me.”
Tommy retreated deeper into his hoard, curling up with a blanket that Dream had given him earlier.
He didn’t say anything.
“You don’t have to say yes,” Dream said quickly, “It was just an offer.”
Tommy’s wings rustled behind him, his tail curling around his legs as he slowly shook his head. “Feel safer here,” he whispered.
Dream pushed away his disappointment.
“That’s completely understandable. But, if you ever need me, my house is the one on the main street. It has a smiley face on the door.”
Tommy scrunched up his nose. “Why?”
Dream laughed. “My friend thought it would be funny.”
Tommy smiled.
A few weeks later, Dream was woken up in the middle of the night by a frantic banging on the front door.
“Dream?!”
Tommy.
Dream flung the covers off and leapt from his bed, scrambling to the front door. He fumbled with the lock, but finally Dream managed to swing the door wide open.
Dream’s heart dropped at what he saw.
Tommy was standing in front of him. His clothes were in tatters, and he sported a black eye and split lip on his face.
Dream was instantly on his knees.
“Oh, Tommy,” he whispered, “Are you alright?”
Tommy sniffed, swiping at his nose. His entire body was shaking.
“Mean lady came,” Tommy whimpered, “Tried to fight…”
Dream was already scanning Tommy with his eyes, trying to see if anything else was damaged. “Did she hurt you anywhere else?”
Tommy shook his head. “She—she stole my hoard.”
Oh. Oh no.
Dream noticed the blanket in Tommy’s hands, and he realized that Tommy was holding it like a bag.
“Oh, baby,” Dream whispered quietly, “Do you want to come inside?”
Tommy nodded with a whimper. He stumbled forward, looking a bit dead on his feet.
“Do you want me to pick you up?”
Tommy’s lip wobbled. “Y-yes please.”
Dream scooped Tommy up in his arms, shutting the door behind him before placing Tommy on the couch. Tommy was still clutching tightly onto his blanket bag, and Dream knew better than to take it from him.
“Is that what’s left?” Dream asked quietly.
Almost as though it were automatic, Tommy’s pupil’s dilated, and he bared his fangs at Dream. Dream had spent enough time with Tommy to know that the growl emerging for the back of Tommy’s throat was one of fear than genuine anger. Almost as if he were pleading.
“You can’t take it!” he cried, hugging his back closer to himself.
Dream stepped back, giving Tommy extra space. “I won’t do that.” Dream looked away. “I won’t even look at it, if you don’t want me too.”
Tommy continued growling defensively, but the growl quickly turned into a whimper.
Dream was forced to look back at Tommy, who had practically folded himself over the remains of his hoard. His wings were shaking violently.
“Toms…” Dream said softly, “Can I clean you up a bit?”
Tommy peered at Dream suspiciously, but he gave him a short nod.
Dream got a washcloth and poured some water over it before carefully approaching Tommy. He sat down next to him, and Tommy didn’t make any defensive moves.
“I’m going to wipe up your lip, okay?”
Tommy’s lip was quivering again, but he nodded.
Dream took a deep breath and carefully wiped away the blood that had been dripping from Tommy’s lip. When he was done, he patted down Tommy’s hair.
“Now,” Dream said softly, “Why don’t you describe the lady to me?”
Dragon hybrids had better eye-sight in the dark, Tommy probably got a good look of her features.
Tommy shakily described the person who did this to him, and Dream went to his bedroom and handed Tommy a necklace.
Tommy wrapped his small claws around it, staring at it like it was the most beautiful thing in the world.
Dream supposed when most of your valuable were brutally ripped away from you, that was to be expected.
“I’ll be right back, okay?” Dream promised.
Tommy stared up at Dream almost nervously. “Promise?”
Dream outstretched his pinky, and Tommy brought out his own. Their fingers interlocked, and they shook.
“I promise,” Dream said softly, “I’ll be right back.”
Tommy nodded, and Dream swiftly left the house.
It didn’t take too long for Dream to find the person who did this. As a matter of fact, the guards had already caught her, noticing how she was admiring a royal crown and assuming she had stolen it.
Dream approached the guards, who were inspecting all of the stolen items from Tommy’s hoard.
“Excuse me,” he said, “But I believe I know the owners of those items.”
One of the guards snorted. “Kid, I highly doubt—”
Dream flashed his emerald bracelet, a sign that he knew the royal family, at them, and they shut their mouth.
“I think I can return these tonight,” Dream continued, an added tinge of forcefulness to his voice, “I know you two are probably tired.”
The two guards glanced at each other, but they succumbed, handing Dream the bag of items.
Dream resisted the urge to request to see the woman who had hurt Tommy. At the moment, Dream’s main priority was to get the stolen items back to Tommy as quickly as possible.
It didn’t take long for Dream to return home, and he found Tommy still snuggled into the couch cushions, staring obsessively into his blanket-bag. Dream wouldn’t be surprised if he had spent the entire time Dream was gone counting and recounting all of the items to make sure that nothing else had disappeared.
“Hi, Toms,” Dream greeted.
Tommy looked up at Dream, instantly hiding the remaining items of his hoard, but his eyes landed on the large bag in Dream’s arms.
Dream placed the bag next to Tommy’s seat.
“There you go buddy.”
Tommy tore the bag open instantly, and his pupils became as round as the moon when he saw the precious items inside.
For a moment, Tommy said nothing, instead crawling into the admittedly ginormous bag with his blanket-bag of older items. Tommy patted down all of the various coins and jewelry and odds and ends into a nest before curling up in it.
Dream smiled at the sight, and Tommy stared at Dream.
“Thank you,” he whispered, “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Dream smiled and nodded. “Of course.”
Tommy fell asleep on top of his hoard in Dream’s living room, and Dream barely slept at all for the rest of that night, drifting off on the other side of the couch.
After that night, Tommy just kind of… stayed.
Dream helped him create a den in his guest bedroom, providing Tommy with all of the softest blankets that Tommy could ever want. Tommy then carefully arranged his hoard in his brand-new den.
His eyes were narrowed and contented when they were done. “It’s perfect,” he whispered.
Dream smiled. “I’m glad.”
Dream had to admit that he was much more at ease with Tommy now living in his house. There was a significantly lower risk of someone breaking in and hurting Tommy or taking his hoard, and Dream could make sure that Tommy was well-taken care of and nourished throughout the day.
Of course, things weren’t perfect. Tommy struggled with the concept of having enough food, and Dream often found small spots in his room and den that had food hoarded in the corners.
And, of course, there was the subject of not leaving Tommy alone in the house.
Tommy was very reluctant to go to the palace with Dream. But Dream wasn’t about to let a four or five-year-old be by himself.
“I promise that nobody will come in and steal your hoard,” Dream assured him, “And I’ll make sure that nobody hurts you.”
Tommy twisted his hands around the sleeves of a new shirt Dream had gotten for him. “You promise?”
“I promise.”
To Dream’s complete lack of surprise, Wilbur practically purred at the sight of Tommy, bending over to get a better look.
“He’s so cute!”
Tommy took a step behind Dream’s legs, his long tail swishing back and forth.
“You’re making him nervous,” Dream informed him.
Wilbur took a large step back, looking guilty. “Ah, sorry. He’s just…” Wilbur gestured wildly, but Dream understood his point exactly.
Wilbur led Dream and Tommy to his bedroom, and Wilbur gave Tommy a shiny ball. Tommy clutched onto the ball with his small fist, staring at it with adoration.
Technoblade reacted in a much more understated way, but still fondly nonetheless.
“So this is the one who stole my crown?” he asked.
Dream nodded, and Tommy bared his teeth at him. “You can’t take it!”
Technoblade snorted. “I don’t want it.” Technoblade knelt down in front of him. “But I have something you might like.”
Technoblade gave Tommy a wooden sword.
“When you’re older, I’ll teach you how to use it.”
Tommy grinned. “Really?”
Dream’s heart warmed at how excited Tommy got at the prospect. “Does that sound like fun?”
Tommy nodded rapidly, his face set in a permanent grin. “Can we do it now? Please? Please? Please?”
“Maybe wait a few more years,” Dream said gently.
Tommy slumped, but he clutched the sword tightly to himself all the same. “Okay.”
Philza, of course, thought that Tommy was the cutest thing in the world, and Dream would not have been surprised if Phil hadn’t wished that he could be able to adopt Tommy himself.
All in all, the visit was a success, and by the end of the day, Tommy was asking if they were going to visit the palace again.
Dream booped his nose. “Every day.”
Tommy sneezed, and Dream practically melted when it looked like a kitten sneeze. “Every day?” he asked in awe.
Dream nodded. “Yep.”
That evening, Dream and Tommy curled up on the couch together, Tommy playing with the ball Wilbur had given him. His eyes drooped, and he started leaning more and more deeply against Dream.
And then Dream felt a vibrating sensation and heard a long, rumbling purr.
Dream looked down at Tommy, who’s eyes were half open. His pupils were contented slits, and Dream realized that the purring must be coming from him.
Dream wrapped his arm around Tommy’s shoulders and pulled him closer. Tommy purred all the louder for that snuggling deeper into Dream.
“I love you,” Dream whispered.
Tommy gave Dream’s side a headbutt, purring all the louder. Dream smiled.
That was good enough for him.