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Dream hums softly to himself as he carefully trims the stem of a red rose, snipping it to a fine point so he can add it to the bouquet he’s working on. He’s already picked and trimmed yellow, pink, and orange roses; all he needs now is a few red roses and the bouquet be ready to put up for sale. It’ll be bought quickly, he’s sure- his rose bouquets are the most popular item he sells, which is to be expected. After all, he prides himself on ability to make gorgeous bouquets of any type, and he loves the careful and delicate process with all his heart. It’s the whole reason he became a florist.
His flower shop started off small, just a way to earn a little money in college and carry out his passion. But after his bouquets started earning popularity around town, he’d decided it was time for an upgrade from selling out of his college dorm and borrowed some money to purchase a small shop downtown.
The investment left him flat broke for a while, but it’d been worth it. He’d managed to make the money back within a few months, and his flower shop had quickly exploded in popularity. People flocked there to purchase bouquets for all sorts of occasions and ask him for custom arrangements. And now he has his own thriving business where he can spend his days doing what he loves most.
He finishes trimming the last of the red roses and carefully gathers all the flowers up, arranging them to his liking. Once he’s satisfied, he cuts out a length of lavender ribbon and uses it to carefully tie the rose stems together into a proper bouquet. Pleased, he brings it over to the shelf where he keeps all his pre-made bouquets and places it in a vase. “There we go,” he murmurs, stepping back to admire his work.
After checking it from all angles to make absolutely sure his bouquet is perfect, Dream returns to the back room to tidy up a bit. Flower petals are scattered all across the floor, so he grabs a broom and begins sweeping, making sure to keep an ear out for the sound of the door bell. Hannah is on lunch break at the moment and Drista, his younger sister who often helps out after school, won’t arrive for another couple of hours, so for now, Dream is on his own to take care of the shop and help customers.
Just as he’s sweeping all the petals into a tidy pile, the bell on the door chimes, announcing the arrival of a new customer. Dream quickly leans his broom against the wall and hurries out of the back room, his usual greeting line already on the tip of his tongue and ready to be spoken. But then his gaze lands upon his new customer, and he freezes.
Because… wow .
Standing in front of the shop door is an impossibly tall man, sharply dressed in a neat suit and boasting the telltale pointy ears of a piglin hybrid. Long pink hair the color of cotton candy spills over broad, muscular shoulders, and ruby red eyes scan the shop, taking in all the flowers. The man towers well over Dream- if he had to guess, he’d say there’s at least a 10 inch height difference between them- and everything about him, from the scars dotting his face to the rigidness of his poise, tell a story of many won fights. And yet, somehow, Dream isn’t afraid, isn’t picking up any danger signals despite his prey hybrid instincts. If anything, he feels drawn to this (very handsome) stranger.
For a moment, Dream stands frozen in place, staring at the piglin hybrid. Then he remembers what he’s supposed to be doing- greeting his new customer, asking what the man needs, all that good stuff. He’s supposed to be carrying out his duties as shopkeeper, not standing here like an idiot.
“Um, hello!” he squeaks, his words coming out embarrassingly high-pitched. “Welcome to Blossoming Dreams! How can I help you?”
“Hallo,” the man replies. His voice is deep, deeper than any Dream has ever heard before, and surprisingly pleasant despite the monotony. There’s a little roughness to the edges, but in the best way, and it has Dream blushing as the piglin hybrid continues with, “I have a meetin’ to attend, but I don’t like one of the people I’m attendin’ it with.”
Dream blinks at the man. “You mean… you need to say ‘f*ck you’ with flowers?”
“Pretty much, yeah.” The man looks suddenly awkward, a faint pinkness to his cheeks as his piercing eyes look with Dream’s. They really do look like rubies, crimson and gleaming under the hanging lights, and Dream swallows. God, why did such a handsome stranger have to come into his shop? Not that he’s complaining, but he’d like to do his job without feeling like his cheeks are about to explode, thank you very much.
“You can do that, right?” the piglin hybrid asks, tilting his head slightly. “I’m pretty sure there are flowers that mean not so nice things…”
“Oh, no, there definitely are,” Dream quickly reassures his customer. “And I can definitely put together an arrangement for you. Just give me a few minutes to find all the flowers.”
“Alright,” the man agrees, a relieved expression on his face. “Thank you.”
Dream flashes his brightest smile and hurries off to find the flowers for his customer’s arrangement. He quickly ducks into an aisle and begins scanning the shelves, occasionally pausing to pick out a flower. There are a lot that mean negative things, but he does his best to pick a couple that are the most passive aggressive.
When he’s done collecting flowers, he returns to his desk to snip a length of red ribbon (the same color as the man’s eyes, he can’t help but think) and tie it around the stems of the flowers. Then, with the arrangement cradled carefully to his chest, he returns to the front, where the piglin hybrid is waiting.
“Here you go,” Dream says, gently passing the bouquet to his customer. “Would you like to know what the flowers mean?”
“I would love to,” the man says, giving him a smile. It’s a polite one, but there’s a barely noticeable sweetness to the edges that has Dream’s heart fluttering. F*ck, he really hopes he survives this encounter. He has a shipment of yellow roses arriving in an hour; he can’t die now!
Taking a deep breath to calm his racing heart, Dream steps closer and begins pointing at the different flowers in the bouquet. “First are the orange lilies. They basically mean ‘I hate you and I hope you die a terrible death’.”
The man laughs, a sound that seems to rumble in his chest and is just as deep as his voice. “Straightforward,” he says, his eyes twinkling with an emotion Dream can’t quite pinpoint. “I like it.”
Dream blushes. “Yeah, they’re pretty blunt if you know the language of flowers. Anyways, next are the petunias. They symbolize resentment and anger. The rhododendrons- these pretty pink ones- mean that whoever you received them from is dangerous and out to get you.”
“That’s very true, actually.”
Giggling softly, Dream moves on to the last flower. “And last but not least, these are tansies. They represent hostile thoughts and can be seen as a declaration of war.”
“Also true.”
“What, are you declaring war on someone or something?”
The man gives a little smile, one that makes Dream’s cheeks flush. “Or somethin’,” he agrees. “Thank you very much for the arrangement. How much?”
“Oh, um, 43 dollars.”
Nodding, the man pulls out his wallet and hands Dream a 50 dollar bill. “Keep the extra for puttin’ up with my strange request.”
“Oh, not at all,” Dream laughs, although he feels a bit flustered as he takes the money. “I get hate bouquet requests all the time.” His breath hitches as the man’s fingers suddenly close around his own, gripping them gently. The piglin hybrid’s hand is much larger than his own and rough with callouses and scars, but there’s nothing predatory or hostile in the way the pinkette cradles Dream’s hand, nothing except sweet gentleness. And Dream finds his breath suddenly stolen away, his heart racing as the man gently lifts his hand up and places a kiss to the back.
“My name is Techno, by the way,” the man murmurs, straightening and slowly releasing Dream’s hand. His cheeks are tinted the same shade as his hair as he locks gazes with Dream and offers a handsome smile. “Thank you for the beautiful bouquet.”
“I- you’re welcome,” Dream squeaks, his heart doing little twirls in his chest. He suddenly can’t help but notice how Techno’s eyes seem to glimmer like real rubies under the lights of the flower shop, how the pinkette’s hair cascades down his back like a waterfall of rosy silk, how his build is muscular and his hands rough, yet the look he gives Dream is nothing but gentle and soft.
Techno is a predator hybrid; that much is clear. But he’s also the most handsome man Dream has ever come across, with his tall frame and deep, rumbling baritone. And Dream knows, instinctually, that he can trust Techno. That Techno won’t hurt him. Because so far, the pinkette has been nothing but polite and kind. Because there’s no trace of malice in those ruby eyes, no real threat in the rigidness of his posture.
And maybe, just maybe, Dream wants to get to know Techno better. Then again, can you exactly blame him? Techno is just about the hottest guy he’s ever met, and, well. Dream is gay as hell, and he always has been. And right now, he sorta, kinda, really wants to ask Techno to stay a little longer.
But that would be weird, and Techno probably has that meeting to go to. So instead, Dream gives the piglin hybrid a small smile. “Well, Techno, good luck on your meeting.”
“I think the person I’m meetin’ with needs good luck, not me,” Techno says with a small, wry chuckle. “But thank you. I’d better get goin’ now, or I’m gonna be late.”
“Alright. Bye, Techno.” And then, before he can stop himself, Dream blurts out, “Hopefully I’ll see you again sometime?”
It comes out a lot more desperate than he would’ve liked. But Techno simply smiles, a soft little thing that makes Dream’s heart flutter. “Of course,” the pinkette murmurs, his deep voice laced with an emotion Dream can’t quite identify.
With that, Techno is out the door, leaving Dream alone in his shop- his heart dancing, his cheeks flushed, and his chest tingling with an undeniably warm feeling.
---
It’s 3:24 PM on a Friday afternoon, and Techno thinks he might just drop dead right here, right now.
In his defense, he hadn’t been planning on nearly having a heart attack. Nor could he have known that the owner of the flower shop he’d entered would be so pretty. He’d just been looking to buy a bouquet for his meeting later- one that conveyed deep hatred, preferably, seeing as how he’s not exactly on good terms with the person he’s meeting with. And normally, he would ask Niki to give him some flowers, but she’d been busy and Techno was running short on time, leaving him with no choice but to hurry over to the nearest flower shop and get his bouquet there.
He’d been looking for some hateful flowers. And he’d got them- along with possibly the prettiest, most adorable person ever.
Dream , the owner’s nametag had said, and wasn’t that just the most fitting name ever? Emerald green eyes, fluffy golden curls, peach lips and cute sheep ears- one glance was all it had taken for Techno to fall. Because the truth is, Techno Blade- leader of the notorious Syndicate mafia, known by most as Protesilaus- falls in love rarely. But when he does, it’s instant- the ground shot out beneath him by Cupid’s arrow, Aphrodite’s laughter ringing in his ears as he plummets. And he’ll keep falling and falling and falling until eventually, after some time, he gets over it.
But that takes a while. Because when he falls, he falls hard. It takes a very special someone to catch his eye, but when someone does, they take over his every waking thought, consuming him until he can barely focus on anything else. And now that he’s fallen again, he can’t stop.
The gold buttons on his suit jacket, caught in the sunlight streaming through his office window, shine like Dream’s curls, aureate and bright. The small, gleaming emerald set into his white jabot is like Dream’s eyes, except it’s not half as vibrant. Even the white trim of his cape, draped over his desk chair, reminds him of Dream- of small, fluffy sheep ears, twitching cutely from beneath golden hair.
Techno tugs on the collar of his suit and sighs. He’s due at a very important meeting with a rival mafia gang in less than an hour, yet all he can think about is someone he barely knows. That’s the thing- he doesn’t know Dream, this cute sheep hybrid whose flower shop he’d just happen to enter in a haste. But Dream had still managed to steal his heart anyway, managed to pluck it right out of his chest as easily as Techno could cheat someone’s entire fortune out of them.
And he already knows, deep in his gut, that these feelings won’t be going away for a long while. As much as Phil likes to tease him about being emotionally clueless, he’s actually quite in touch with his own feelings. Just not the feelings of other people.
A knock on the door jolts Techno out of his thoughts. He knows instantly who it is, just by the pattern of the knocking. Loud, rhythmic, and clear- Phil , Techno thinks, turning towards the door. He’s probably wonderin’ why I’m takin’ so long to put on my clothes. It has been a good 15 minutes, and Techno is very much capable of putting on a suit in less than 5 minutes. This outfit isn’t even close to the fanciest thing he’s ever worn.
And Phil definitely knows that , Techno thinks with an internal sigh. “Come in,” he calls, turning back to his reflection in the mirror and pretending to look busy with fixing his suit jacket. Phil will probably assume that he’s been taking so long because he was thinking about the meeting, but he still wants to be safe. He’s not going to embarrass himself by revealing his feelings if he can avoid it.
The door opens. Phil steps in, followed by Ranboo and Niki, the other two Syndicate members. Their mafia gang is quite a lot smaller compared to other mafias, such as the Butcher Army or the Badlands, but under Techno’s leadership, four people is all they need to be the most notorious mafia group in the whole country.
“Looking good, boss,” Ranboo says, flashing Techno a grin and a cheerful thumbs up. With his near-silent footsteps, teleportation powers, and keen eye for details, the enderman hybrid is Techno’s chosen spy for almost all situations. When information needs to be stolen or people need to be watched, Techno will send Ranboo off, and he can always count on the 18-year-old to make it back safely and with lots of good updates.
“You do look really good!” Niki agrees, kind as always. She tucks a strand of salmon pink hair behind her ear and, from a hidden pocket of her black suit, pulls out a lighter. Techno has never seen Niki without her trusty lighter since the day she joined- a bit ironic, considering she’s a Merling who can’t go more than a couple of hours without soaking in water. Despite the limitations her biology has forced upon her, though, the pinkette still manages to be an invaluable member of the Syndicate, carrying out miscellaneous tasks and helping in sticky situations. And although Niki is undeniably the sweetest out of all of them, she fits right in with her love for arson.
Phil hums, his huge grey wings twitching behind him. “Nice earrings, mate. Are you alright, by the way? You were taking a long time to get dressed.”
Techno grunts. “I’m fine.” Of course Phil is suspicious- the blonde man has been Techno’s closest friend for a long while, longer than Techno can count. They started the mafia together, and Phil has never once left Techno’s side since the Syndicate became a thing. But of course, the downside of that is that Techno can’t hide anything from his friend. Even if he tries to stay closed off, Phil can always read him like an open book.
It’s clear that the Elytrian hadn’t been convinced by Techno’s words, for he raises an eyebrow, his expression concerned. “You sure, mate? You look a little flushed.”
“I’m fine,” Techno insists, turning away from the mirror and reaching for the bouquet sitting on his desk. The flowers are still fresh and colorful, their petals bouncing merrily as he picks them up and holds them close to his chest. This bouquet needs to make it to the meeting intact, or his visit to the flower shop would’ve been for nothing.
(But it wasn’t for nothing. Because he met Dream, and that means everything.)
“Where did you get those?” Niki asks curiously, leaning in to inspect the flowers.
“Flower shop nearby,” Techno replies. “It’s called Blossmin’ Dreams.” The name reminds him of the shop’s owner, and he tries not to blush as an image of Dream pops into his mind, all bright smiles and cute sheep ears.
Evidently, he fails, because Ranboo smiles knowingly. “Ah,” the enderman hybrid says, his mismatched eyes twinkling as he looks at Techno. “Did you, ah, meet someone at this flower shop, boss?”
“I have no idea what you’re talkin’ about,” Techno mutters, turning away and willing his cheeks not to turn pink. “I met no one. I actually just walked in there and stole these flowers and walked back out.”
Niki giggles. “You sure about that, Techno? I don’t think you know flower language enough to make that bouquet…”
“I-”
“Wait, what?” Phil gives Techno a curious look. “Techno, you met someone at the flower shop?”
“ No ,” Techno says, a little too quickly.
Phil immediately bursts out laughing. “You did!” the Elytrian gasps, pointing at Techno’s probably flushed cheeks. “Oh my gods, you did. That is amazing!”
“I did not,” Techno protests in a fruitless, last-ditch effort to defend his dignity. He didn’t expect to convince anyone, but that still doesn’t stop him from flushing and turning away in embarrassment when Niki and Ranboo burst out laughing as well, their giggles mixing with Phil’s cackles and filling the room.
“So, who’s this special person?” Phil asks, his laughter finally dying down. His blue eyes twinkle as he steps forward and places a warm hand on Techno’s shoulder. “It’s a guy, I assume?”
“No, I suddenly turned straight,” Techno grunts before sighing. It’s far too late to try and save his dignity now, and besides, he can trust Phil, Ranboo, and Niki not to use any information against him. Sure, they’ll definitely tease him, but he knows they won’t use his feelings to blackmail him or anything.
Techno swallows and tugs on the collar of his suit. “It’s the flower shop owner,” he says quietly, barely loud enough for Ranboo and Niki to hear. “He’s just… I don’t know. Ya know when you see someone for the very first time, and you just- you know they’re special?”
“Mhmmm.” Niki nods in sympathy and flashes Techno a kind, understanding smile. “I felt it when I first met Puffy. Is he handsome? Cute?”
“Very,” Techno agrees, his cheeks turning warm at the thought of Dream. “Too pretty to be legal, in my opinion.”
Phil chuckles. “Well, then, what are you going to do? Are you going to ask him out?”
“Ooh, ooh, if you need to ask him out, I can wingman you,” Ranboo says eagerly. “I’m great at wingmanning.”
“I’m not goin’ to ask him out,” Techno mutters. The idea is very, very appealing, but Techno has never been very brave when it comes to love. He prefers to just admire from afar and wait for his feelings to go away rather than confront them head on. The first and last time he gathered enough courage to ask his crush out, it ended in rejection. And the guy had been very nice about it, and Techno had gotten over his sadness pretty quickly, but… he just doesn’t know if he can do it again. He doesn’t know if he can bring himself to even visit the flower shop and talk to Dream a second time.
“Why not?” Niki asks, frowning. “You should ask him out! Who knows, he might be interested too.”
“But we barely know each other,” Techno argues. “And I dunno. I just…” he looks away, crossing his arms and feeling his cheeks burn.
“Hey, hey, it’s okay, mate,” Phil says kindly, squeezing Techno’s shoulder. “We get it. You don’t have to ask him out. But if you want to talk, or if you want advice, then we’re all here for you, okay?”
“Mhmm,” Ranboo hums. “We’re family. And family always has each other’s backs.”
Despite the anxiety starting to churn in his gut- both from thoughts of asking Dream on a date and from worries about the upcoming meeting- Techno smiles. “Thanks, guys,” he says quietly. “I… appreciate it.”
“Of course, Tech.” Phil squeezes his shoulder again before letting go and stepping away. “Now, we should probably head out before we’re late to the meeting.”
“Oh, yeah. I almost forgot about that.” Ranboo chuckles and starts for the door. “Shall we go, then?”
“Wait, wait, wait.” Techno holds his hand up, and Ranboo freezes with his hand on the doorknob. “Before we go- does everyone remember the plan?”
Niki nods. “Do not start any fights. Stay diplomatic, but if they begin to get violent, do not hesitate to defend yourself. If things start to get out of hand, get out of there.”
Techno nods. “Very good. Alright, let’s go.”
And as he makes his way out the door behind Ranboo and Niki, he glances over his shoulder and makes eye contact with Phil. The Elytrian’s blue irises glimmer with warm understanding as he meets Techno’s gaze and smiles slightly. You got this, Phil seems to be trying to convey, but whether the blonde man is talking about the meeting or Dream, Techno doesn’t know.
Either way, he silently resolves to get as much done at this meeting with the Butcher Army as possible. And as for Dream… he’ll have to see. But he definitely wants to go back to the flower shop, if only just to see those gorgeous emerald eyes one more time. And about asking the sheep hybrid on a date…
All he can say is maybe.
---
“Hello, and welcome to Blossoming Dreams!”
Techno watches as Dream looks up from the flowers he’s tying together, spots Techno, and gasps. “Techno!” he exclaims, verdant eyes lighting up. They seem to glow brighter than the stars themselves, and Techno feels his breath catch in his throat at the sight. He’s never liked stargazing, but he thinks he would be perfectly content with lying on his back and watching Dream’s eyes for the rest of eternity.
Realizing that he should probably say something instead of standing there like an idiot, Techno quickly clears his throat. “Halloo,” he greets. “Good mornin’.”
“You came back!” Dream comes out from behind the counter and hurries over to Techno, his eyes still shining and his fluffy sheep ears twitching with adorable joy. “I didn’t think you would actually come back- not so soon, at least.”
“‘Course I came back,” Techno says, his voice a little hoarse. He hopes it isn’t noticeable as he clears his throat again. “I’m actually lookin’ for some flowers. Your shop is the best I’ve ever come across, and I was wonderin’ if you could make me another bouquet.”
“Techno, my middle name is bouquet. Say no more.” Dream winks, then giggles, an absolutely adorable sound that makes Techno’s insides feel all fluttery and warm, like a butterfly basking under the sun.
I’m goin’ to die, aren’t I ? Techno thinks dazedly. Out loud, though, he says, “Is it really?”
“No,” a young female voice suddenly calls from somewhere in the back of the shop. “His middle name is-”
“Drista, no!” Dream yelps, his cheeks turning pink. “What are you doing?”
A young girl of about 14 or 15 steps out of a door in the back of the shop, clutching a handful of yellow roses. Her hair is exactly like Dream’s- golden and a little curly at the ends- but her eyes are a slightly paler shade of green, more like summer leaves than emeralds. They seem to glint with perpetual mischeviousness as she makes her way over to Dream and elbows him lightly in the side.
“His middle name is Harpocrates ,” the girl informs Techno with a smirk. She tosses her hair over her shoulder and turns her smirk to Dream. “Right, big brother?”
“It’s not my fault Exdee has the worst taste in names,” Dream grumbles, elbowing his… sister? back. “Why are you even here? Shouldn’t you be unpacking the roses?”
“I already did,” the girl tells him, holding up her handful of yellow roses. “But since you’re so insistent, I’ll go back to sorting flowers.”
“Please do,” Dream sighs, watching the girl flounce away before turning back to Techno and offering an apologetic smile. “Sorry about my sister; she’s a menace.”
“I can see that,” Techno says, unable to stop himself from smiling back as his heart flutters again. “What’s her name?”
“Drista.”
“Is she a sheep hybrid like you?”
Dream shakes his head. “No, she’s actually a god. So is our older brother. I’m the only mortal in the family.”
Techno blinks, startled. “I- excuse me?”
“Don’t ask, it’s complicated. Even I don’t know why. Exdee tried to explain it to me once- something about hybrids and gods and creation- but I didn’t understand half of it. But you’re not here to listen to me talk about my confusing family tree.” Dream tucks a golden curl behind his ear and smiles brightly at Techno. “So, what kind of bouquet would you like?”
Techno would actually be perfectly fine with standing here and listening to Dream talk for the rest of eternity, but he supposes it would be weird to ask the blonde to go on. Adjusting the sleeves of his white dress shirt, he says, “I was thinkin’ of somethin’ I could use to decorate my apartment. Somethin’ that’s not an eyesore but will still give a splash of color, y’know?”
“Ooh, okay.” Dream claps his hands together, looking genuinely and adorably excited at the prospect of putting together a bouquet. It’s cute, the way Dream seems to enjoy his trade so much, and Techno smiles to himself as he follows the sheep hybrid through the aisles of the flower shop.
“What colors do you like?” Dream asks as he pauses in front of a row of flower pots, his fingers already stretching out towards the flowers.
“Uh…” Techno wracks his brain, trying to focus on something other than the way the sunlight streaming through the window is catching on Dream’s curls and making them glow like silky strands of pure gold. “Um, I like blues and whites. Some red is nice, but not too much. Maybe some pink? I dunno, man. I can’t do colors.”
Dream giggles cutely. “What, are you colorblind?”
“No,” Techno says defensively. “I just don’t understand colors. Like, why do you have to have so many different shades of one color? Just pick one.”
Giggling again, Dream pauses in front of a shelf and plucks a pale blue flower from its pot. “Well, Techno, you see, it’s nice to have options.”
“But do you really need that many options?”
“Depends on the person. My older brother is incredibly picky with the shades of his clothes, but my best friend just throws on black every morning and is done with it.”
“I mean, I care about my appearance, but, like, do you really need to make sure every article of clothin’ is the perfect shade?”
“If you’re my brother, then yes.” Dream laughs softly as he clips two red roses from a rose bush and adds them to the growing collection of flowers in his left hand. “Me, I care about color, but not that much.” As if to prove his point, the blonde smooths down the front of his cream-colored sweater and flashes Techno a smile.
Techno’s heart promptly drops all the way into his stomach, and he swallows, trying very hard to fight down the blush that threatens to creep up to his cheeks. “Um, yeah,” he says. “Colors. Yes.” Very smooth, Techno, great goin’.
Dream giggles again, and it’s then that the sunlight coming through the window shifts, coming in to hit Dream at the perfect angle. With the golden light illuminating him from the side, the blonde looks like nothing short of an angel- pale skin glowing warmly, curls shining like fresh honey, eyes glittering with a million shades of green like the many facets of a cut emerald. And Techno, standing frozen in lovestruck awe, starts to notice the little details all at once. The golden glow of Dream’s long eyelashes. The smattering of light brown freckles across his cheeks, like a dusting of brown sugar on a cake. The soft pink color of his lips, plump and oh-so kissable.
Techno’s mouth goes desert dry, his breath catching in his throat. As his heart begins to pound faster than the beat of a drum, he manages to dazedly think, I’m so screwed, aren’t I ? Because how can he ever approach Dream and ask the blonde out when Dream is an angel descended straight from the heavens and Techno nothing more than a humble mortal, bowing at his feet?
Dream smiles at Techno, the corners of his peach lips curving into his adorably freckled cheeks. And Techno swallows, desperately fighting back a blush before it can rise to his face. Yeah . I’m screwed .
He follows Dream through the shop, listening to the sheep hybrid chatter away about this and that but focusing on the cute little giggles and soft, lyrical voice more than the actual words. When Dream has finished gathering all the flowers, Techno pays (adding a generous tip, of course), takes his bouquet, and, after reluctantly bidding goodbye to Dream, leaves.
Caught up in Dream’s cheerful farewell and the frantic fluttering of his heart, he doesn’t notice Drista leaning against a wall next to a much taller figure, watching him with curious and narrowed eyes.
---
Over the course of the next few weeks, Techno slowly becomes a regular customer at the flower shop. And Dream can’t say that he’s upset about that- far from it, in fact. He loves talking to Techno, loves laughing at the piglin hybrid’s dry remarks and sarcastic jokes. And more than that, he just loves being in Techno’s presence. If he could lean against the counter in his flower shop and chat with Techno all day, listening to the pinkette’s deep voice and gazing at his ruby eyes and handsome face, he would without hesitation.
Alas, he has a business to run, and Techno seems to be a busy person as well. The piglin hybrid always comes by on Tuesdays, but other than that, his visits are erratic. Dream’s fine with that, though. As long as he gets to see Techno once or twice a week, he’s perfectly content.
(And if he’s slowly falling deper and deeper in love with the pinkette, if he’s starting to look forward to Techno’s visits above all else… well, that’s for him to know.)
It’s a Tuesday now, and Dream is in the back room of his flower shop, unpacking a new shipment of flowers and getting things organized. Business has been slow so far today, but Dream doesn’t care. He doesn’t care because it’s Tuesday, and Tuesday means a visit from Techno. Tuesday means an hour of lounging at the front counter, listening to Techno complain about his day and trying not to blush whenever the pinkette lets out one of his deep, rumbly chuckles.
Dream thinks that Tuesdays are his favorite day of the week now.
“What’s got you so excited today, huh?” Illumina asks, and Dream glances over to where his best friend is kneeling on the ground, unpacking some cornflowers from a box. The brunette’s scaly black wings are spread out behind him in a relaxed manner, the tips brushing against the floor. His face mask is tugged down to his chin since it’s only the two of them in the room, and his hood is down too, leaving his curved horns on show.
“Nothing,” Dream tells Illumina, filling a vase with water in preparation to place the cornflowers in. “Don’t worry about it, Lumi.”
Illumina quirks an eyebrow at him, lips twisting into a smile that offers a brief glimpse of sharp fangs. “Is this about the guy? Techno?”
Dream had told Illumina about Techno a few weeks ago, because, well, it’s hard to hide things from your childhood best friend. He’d also told Illumina about his feelings, and the brunette had of course been supportive. But Illumina has yet to meet Techno, and Dream would prefer to keep it that way. It’s not that he doesn’t want them to meet, it’s just… Illumina is an ender dragon hybrid, which means he’s extra protective of his loved ones. And Dream is in love with Techno. And he’s fairly certain that if he lets Illumina within 5 feet of Techno, the brunette will instantly fly into a protective rage and start trying to tear the piglin hybrid to shreds with his- very sharp- claws.
In a sense, Dream supposes he has his own little guardian dragon. Except said guardian dragon is actually a hybrid, doesn’t have scary fire breath, often apologizes to spiders for killing them, and can be bribed to do anything with the right amount of chocolate peppermint brownies.
“Well, Drizzle?” Illumina asks, and Dream jumps.
“Hmm? Oh, um, yeah. Techno’s coming today. He always visits on Tuesdays.”
“Huh,” Illumina says, and his purple eyes gain a familiar glint, one that Dream knows all too well. It’s the look that the brunette always gets when he’s about to go full protect-mode, and Dream knows from experience that when Illumina starts looking like that, lots of reassurance and a plate of chocolate peppermint brownies are needed immediately to calm the dragon hybrid down.
Wiping his hands on his apron, Dream picks up a trowel and points it sternly at Illumina. “I know that look, and I know what you’re thinking,” he tells the brunette. “If you try and attack Techno, I will revoke your brownie privileges.”
“Wha- you can’t do that!” Illumina looks horrified, and his wings actually flare out in panic. “You can’t revoke my brownie privileges. I need those brownies!”
“Then behave,” Dream says, giggling slightly at his friend’s reaction. “No tearing Techno to shreds. I told you, he’s a very sweet guy. No need to be all protective.”
“But that’s my favorite pastime,” Illumina whines. “Tearing people to shreds. Besides, I just wanna keep you safe.”
“I know you do, and I’m perfectly safe. So you don’t have to worry, ‘kay?” Dream sets the trowel down, drops to his knees, and wraps his arms around Illumina. He lets out a tiny purr when the brunette’s scaly wings encircle him, surrounding him with surprising warmth for scales that are freezing cold to the touch.
“Do I get brownies if I behave?” Illumina asks, voice muffled by Dream’s hair.
Dream giggles. “Yes, I’ll make you brownies if you behave. A double batch.”
“Double?” Illumina’s voice is dreamy, as if the brunette is imagining all the brownies a double batch would contain.
“Yes, double.” Dream giggles again, amused by his friend’s theatrics. “You’ve helped me out here a lot, so I figure you deserve a double batch of brownies.”
“Ah, yes, my favorite form of currency: brownies.”
“It’s the best payment. Who needs bitcoin when you have chocolate?”
“You know what? That’s true.”
Just then, the bell on the door rings, announcing the arrival of a new customer. Dream perks up and quickly frees himself from Illumina’s wings, gently pushing the appendages aside. “That’s probably Techno,” he tells the brunette, not bothering to wait for an answer before he stands up and dashes out of the back room.
It is indeed Techno. But for whatever reason, the pinkette is clutching a large black duffle bag that’s lumpy in some places and shaped suspiciously like a human body. Techno’s gloves- since when did the pinkette wear gloves?- are stained with something dark and red, and Dream finds his excitement vanishing, replaced instead by worry and- beneath that- caution.
“Techno?” he asks carefully. “What-
“I’m sorry,” Techno blurts out before Dream can finish his sentence. The pinkette shifts his grip on the duffle bag, his expression strained, his beautiful ruby eyes glinting with something akin to panic. “F*ck, I’m so sorry for draggin’ you into this-”
“Woah, woah, Techno, calm down,” Dream says, hurrying over to Techno’s side and placing a hand on the pinkette’s arm. The sight of the red stains on Techno’s gloves makes his stomach churn with anxiety, but it’s overpowered by the worry flooding his chest as he squeezes Techno’s arm and looks up at the piglin hybrid. “Okay. Now, tell me what’s wrong.”
Techno takes a deep breath, seemingly steadying himself. “Please don’t scream when I say this,” he says, meeting Dream’s eyes. “But do you know where to hide a dead body?”
What. The. F*ck .
Dream scoots back a tiny step, his gaze flicking to the black duffle bag. “Techno,” he whispers. “Techno Blade, are you telling me that that -” he points to the bag- “is a dead body ?”
“Uh, yes?” Techno shuffles back and forth, looking slightly calmer but still very on edge. His shoulders are tense and his lips pressed into a worried line as he says, “Do you know where I can hide it? If not, I can just go somewhere else, but the police are kinda lookin’ for me, so I don’t really wanna-”
“Techno! Did you murder someone?”
“Uh-”
“You did!”
“Okay, yes, I did, but I had a good reason, I swear!”
Dream scowls up at Techno. “And what is this ‘good reason’?”
“The guy was not the most pleasant dude,” Techno explains, hefting the duffle bag. “He kinda tried to capture hybrids and kill them. And he also did a lotta tax fraud and stole a lotta money. But he was a government official, so no one was really tryin’ to stop him. So I did. By cornerin’ him in an alleyway and stabbin’ my knife through his chest.”
That… isn’t a bad reason, Dream has to admit. He stares down at the black duffle bag for a long moment, weighing his choices. On the one hand, he’s not really sure if he wants a dead body in his flower shop- a body of a man whom Techno murdered. On the other hand, it’s Techno. Techno, who Dream is very much in love with. Techno, who looks just as handsome and sweet as ever even with blood stains on his gloves. Techno, whom Dream would help no matter what.
Making his decision, Dream reaches out and snatches the duffle bag from Techno, grunting slightly at the weight. “Grab that big green pot over there, will you?” he asks the pinkette, tilting his head in the direction of the pots stacked up by the door.
Techno blinks. “Sorry, what?”
“Surely you know that dead bodies make great fertilizer,” Dream says, rather matter-of-factly. “And lock the door. I don’t want anyone coming in while I’m burying a corpse.” With that, he sets the duffle bag on the ground and begins unzipping it.
“Wait, wait, wait,” Techno yelps, hurrying back over with the green pot. “Are you sure-”
Dream can’t help but giggle at the concern in the pinkette’s voice, even though he’s in the middle of revealing a corpse. “Techno, chill,” he says as he unzips the duffle bag and begins to open it. “My brother used to work in a forensics lab as a pathologist’s assistant, and he would sneak me in to see autopsies all the time. I’ve seen plenty of dead bodies before, so relax. I’ll be fine.”
“Still,” Techno mutters, but he doesn’t protest as Dream opens the bag and lifts out the dead body. It’s heavy, and he almost drops it, but he manages to find a good grip and slowly stands up with it cradled in his arms.
“Alright,” Dream says, trying his best to hold the corpse in a way that won’t get blood on his new hoodie. “Follow me.” With that, he marches away to the back room.
Just as he’s about to open the door, it swings open from the inside. Illumina steps out, his face mask back on, a cluster of pink tiger lilies held in his hand. “Drizzle, where do you want me to put- WHAT THE F*CK?”
“Hi, Lumi,” Dream squeaks as he readjusts his grip on the dead body. “Can you grab a bag of soil for me? And a trowel? And some gardening gloves?”
Illumina gapes at the corpse, his purple eyes blown wide with shock. “Wha-” the brunette stammers, wings twitching behind him. “Drizzle, that’s a dead body!”
“Yes, I know,” Dream says. “Now could you please get me the stuff? I’ll explain later, I promise.”
“You’d better,” Illumina mutters, stealing one more shocked look at the dead body before hurrying away. Satisfied that he can trust the brunette to at least get the necessary supplies for him, Dream enters the back room and gestures to Techno to set the pot down. When the pinkette does, he crouches down and carefully places the dead body in, adjusting it so that all the limbs fit inside.
Illumina returns with all the items Dream had requested, his eyes transfixed on the corpse as he sets down the bag of soil and begins opening it. “Where did you even get a dead body?” the ender dragon hybrid demands.
“From Costco, obviously,” Dream says sarcastically, leaning over to grab the bag and tilting it so that soil begins to trickle into the pot.
“Very funny.” Illumina sticks his hands underneath the bag of soil and helps to tilt it further. “And you’re going to use it as fertilizer?”
Dream shrugs. “Why not? Might as well put it to good use.”
“Drizzle, are you planning to sell flowers that you grow with this body?”
“I mean, would be a smart way to make money,” Techno says, speaking up for the first time since Illumina entered the conversation. “This fertilizer was technically free.”
Illumina whips his head up to glare at Techno. “You killed this guy,” the brunette accuses, and Dream has a sneaking suspicion that if Illumina were to tug down his mask, his sharp fangs would be on full display. “And you’re using Dream to hide your crime! What if the police think he’s guilty?”
“Lumi-” Dream starts, reaching out to place a placating hand on Illumina’s arm, but Techno beats him to it.
“I’m not usin’ him for anythin’,” the pinkette snaps, glaring right back at Illumina. “And the police’ll never catch me. Right now, they’re probably standin’ outside of that alleyway, wonderin’ what the hell happened.”
“That doesn’t change the fact that you’re using Dream to hide your tracks! You’re corrupting him!” One of Illumina’s hands slides out from under the soil bag, claws gleaming under the fluorescent ceiling lights. It’s a clear threat, and Techno seems to notice, for the piglin hybrid growls lowly, his eyebrows furrowed with anger.
“Guys, stop!” Dream begs, but neither of them seem to hear him. Illumina stands up and takes a step closer to Techno, who replicates the movement. The two stand there, glaring at each other- Illumina’s huge black wings flared menacingly out behind him, Techno’s scarred hands clenched into fists. Their postures are tense, and it’s obvious that both of them are ready to fight.
His heart racing with panic, Dream leaps to his feet and scrambles to stand in between the two. “Guys, calm down, please,” he begs, trying to placate them. “Lumi, Techno isn’t corrupting me, I promise. I agreed to do this. And Techno, Lumi isn’t going to attack you. Right, Lumi?”
Illumina narrows his eyes but begins to slowly retract his claws. His wings, however, stay unfurled, and one of them stretches out to wrap protectively around Dream and tug him closer. Dream doesn’t fight it, but he does reach out to rest one hand on Techno’s arm. The pinkette’s skin is warm to the touch, and Dream’s heart flutters when Techno shoots him a small, grateful smile.
“Are we good now?” he asks the two. When both give him tiny nods, he releases a huge sigh of relief. “Okay. Lumi, please let me go so I can finish burying the body.”
“Hold on,” Illumina says, tugging Dream even closer with his wing and continuing to stare at Techno. “I want an explanation first.”
Techno rolls his eyes. “I killed the guy. I realized I didn’t have anywhere to hide him. I came to Dream and asked him if he knew where to hide a body. Keep in mind that I didn’t force him to help me. In fact, I told him that I could just go somewhere else.”
“But I wanted to help you,” Dream agrees, turning around and reaching up to cup Illumina’s cheek. “See, Lumi? Techno’s not doing anything to me. I agreed to help him because I did know where to hide a dead body. He’s not corrupting me or anything.”
“I guess,” Illumina mutters, reluctantly releasing Dream. The brunette then shoots Techno a menacing glare. “Alright, you’re off the hook for now. But if you ever hurt a single hair on Drizzle’s body, I will tear you to shreds and feed you to my cat.”
“Duly noted,” Techno says dryly. “Now, can we please finish buryin’ this body before someone comes knockin’, wonderin’ why the door is locked?”
Giggling quietly, Dream sinks back down to his knees and uses the trowel to even out the surface of the soil. “I think this should be good,” he calls over his shoulder. “Now we just need to let it sit for a week or so, and then we can plant some flowers.”
“And sell them, I assume?” Illumina sighs.
“Yes, Lumi, we’re gonna sell the flowers. No one has to know.”
“That’s menacin’,” Techno deadpans. “Are you a murderer in disguise?”
“Maybe,” Dream says, smirking and rubbing his fingers together. “Alright, we’re done. Help me move this into the closet, and then let’s go before the smell gets worse.”
Back in the main part of the shop, Dream throws his and Techno’s dirty gloves into the trash and leans against the wall with a sigh. “Who knew burying a dead body could be so tiring?” he mumbles, mostly to himself.
“Speaking of which,” Illumina says, sidling up to Dream and wrapping a wing around him again. “Are you sure you can trust Techno? You do realize that he’s probably in a mafia, right?”
“Yeah, I know,” Dream sighs, resting his head on Illumina’s shoulder and watching as Techno strolls down an aisle, admiring the flowers. His hair, the same color as the pink carnations Dream had unpacked this morning, flows behind him like a gentle waterfall of rose silk, and it’s hard to believe that this man- this sharply handsome, hot but sweet, pink-haired and ruby-eyed man- could be part of a mafia gang. But Dream knows the signs- fancy suits, scars that suggests many fights, an aura of power and danger- and it’s clear that Techno is part of a mafia.
Dream also knows, though, that Techno would never hurt him. That the pinkette might be dangerous to his enemies, but not to him. That even though he’s a mafia member, Techno is still the same old sweet, handsome, funny man whom Dream is in love with- has been in love with for a while now. And Techno could have the blood of a hundred people on his hands, but Dream would still love him. Because his Techno isn’t a cold-hearted, dangerous mafia boss. His Techno is a too-tall but undeniably charming piglin hybrid with a handsome smile and deep chuckle and nerdy love for Greek mythology and potato farming.
“I know he’s a mafia member,” Dream whispers, feeling his heart flutter when he spots Techno brushing his fingers over the petals of a flower, his ruby eyes gleaming like gems under the light from the ceiling. “But… I love him. And I know he won’t hurt me.”
“If you’re sure,” Illumina says with a small sigh. The brunette squeezes Dream’s shoulders with his wing, chin coming to rest in Dream’s hair. “But I’m still going to keep an eye on him.”
Dream laughs quietly. “I’m sure you will. I won’t stop you, as long as you don’t try to attack him.”
“No promises.”
“No attacking, or I stop baking brownies for you.”
“Okay, okay, I won’t attack him, I promise. Please don’t stop baking brownies for me.”
Giggling, Dream gently pulls away from Illumina. “I’m going to go talk to him now,” he tells the brunette. “Can you finish unpacking the flowers for me?”
“Sure,” Illumina agrees, starting towards the back room again. “Where do you want the pink tiger lilies?”
“Just put them in a jar and leave them in there. We have a bunch of lilies out already.”
“‘Kay.” Illumina disappears into the back room, and Dream heads over to join Techno by one of the shelves. He stands next to the pinkette, watching as Techno studies a jar of red asters, his expression unreadable.
“What do these mean?” Techno asks after a brief moment of silence.
“These?” Dream reaches up to gently brush his fingers over the flower petals. “They’re red asters. They mean undying love and affection.”
“Oh.” Techno goes quiet, his gorgeous ruby eyes glinting with an emotion Dream can’t quite identify. Then the piglin hybrid turns to face Dream and blurts out, quite abruptly, “Will you go on a date with me?”
It’s not what Dream expected. But as soon as the words reach his ears, his heart soars like an eagle, wings fluttering, flying impossibly high in his chest. His mind blanks, all thoughts flying out of his brain, except for one: What?
Techno just asked him out on a date. Dream’s crush, his love, just asked him out on a date . His crush is staring at him, red eyes shining with anxiety and cheeks flushed endearingly pink, and this might just be the best day of Dream’s life.
“Y’know, I usually don’t say yes to hot mafia bosses who ask me out on dates,” Dream says, tilting his head at Techno and smiling. “But I’ll make an exception just for you.”
His cheeks turning even pinker, Techno visibly releases a sigh of relief. “Great,” the pinkette breathes, and he’s smiling too, his lips curving into the widest grin Dream has ever seen on him. And seeing that beautiful smile stretching across Techno’s handsome face, Dream knows that he’d made the right choice. Because now Techno is smiling aat him, ruby eyes impossibly soft with affection, and he feels like he’s flying, soaring high above the clouds, his whole body warmed by Techno’s sweet smile.
Techno reaches out and takes Dream’s hands in his- much larger- own. His palms are rough with scars and callouses, but they’re undeniably gentle, undeniably loving as they cradle Dream’s hands. Dream feels his heart flutter at the warm touch, and he squeezes Techno’s hands, his cheeks going pink when Techno squeezes back.
“How did you know I was a mafia boss?” the piglin hybrid asks, gazing down at him with furrowed brows.
Dream giggles. “It was kinda obvious after you dragged a dead body into my shop. What’s the name of your gang?”
“The Syndicate. You might know me as Protesilaus?”
“Ah. So you’re that guy who robbed the government of a million dollars last year.”
“That… might’ve been me, yes.”
Laughing, Dream squeezes Techno’s hands again. “Well, I can’t say I don’t find government embezzlement attractive. When’s the date?”
“Tomorrow at 6? I’ll pick you up here, if you want.”
“That would be wonderful.”
“Drizzle, what should I do about the blood by the door?” Illumina calls suddenly from somewhere nearby.
“There’s blood by the door?” Dream wonders. “Just leave it there, I’ll take care of it later. Or I can get Exdee to remove it.”
“You sure you don’t want me to clean it?” Illumina rounds the shelf and appears in the aisle, his horns gleaming in the sunlight coming through the window. “I can do it, I’m just not sure if hardwood floor cleaner is enough.”
Dream laughs. “Probably not. It’s okay, just leave it. I’ll call Exdee later and ask him to do his god stuff.”
“You’re an ender dragon,” Techno says suddenly, his tone rather blunt as he stares at Illumina. “You have… horns.”
“Now where did you come to that conclusion?” Illumina asks dryly, his wings twitching behind him. “Yes, I’m an ender dragon. And you’d better take Drizzle on a damn good date, or I’ll tear your kidneys out.”
“Noted,” Techno mutters. “And floor cleaner will get blood out, ya just have to scrub hard.”
“I bet you know lots about getting blood out of your floors, huh?” Illumina raises an eyebrow at Techno before sweeping away, presumably to go clean the blood.
As soon as the brunette is gone, Dream turns to Techno. “Do you know a lot about getting blood out of floors?”
“I’ve killed a lot of people,” Techno says nonchalantly. “I have lots of experience trying to get blood out of various substances. Don’t spill blood on your carpets, kids. ‘Specially if the carpets are white.”
Dream giggles. “You’re an idiot.” Squeezing Techno’s hands one last time, he reluctantly lets go and takes a small step back. “Well, I need to go back to taking care of shop stuff, but… See you tomorrow?”
Techno’s lips curve into a small, soft smile. The pinkette takes Dream’s hand again, lifts it up, and presses a kiss to the back, just like he had on the first day they’d met. “Of course, Dream,” he murmurs sweetly, softly, lovingly.
“See you tomorrow.”
---
“Phil?”
“Yeah?”
“Phil, how do I be smooth?”
Chuckling, Phil gets up from the desk chair and walks over to where Techno is standing in front of the mirror, frantically adjusting his outfit. He’d tried to dress casual- at least, more casually than he usually does- but with his nerves about his date on high, he’s just not sure if his outfit looks nice. Does the white dress shirt go well with his black pants? Is the jabot with a small ruby too fancy? Should he even wear his red cape?
Techno pauses in his fidgeting as Phil reaches up and smooths down his collar. “You look amazing, mate,” the Elytrian reassures him in a soothing tone of voice. “Very handsome.”
“Yes, you do look wonderful,” Niki agrees from where she’s sitting on the couch in the office with Ranboo. “Would you like me to put your hair up for you?”
“Should I?” Techno reaches up and fidgets with his golden earrings, twisting them around so that the rubies are facing frontwards. “Does my hair look better down or up?”
“It’ll look amazing either way, Tech,” Phil soothes. “Trust me, you look great. Dream will love it no matter what you do with your hair. You’re a very handsome lad, you know.”
“You didn’t answer my question,” Techno says, glancing in the mirror and deciding in a split second to leave his hair down. He turns back around to face Phil. “How do I be smooth?”
“Just give him the bouquet you got for him,” Ranboo suggests from the couch. “Compliment his outfit. Offer him your arm or something and lead him into the restaurant. Be a gentleman.”
“I’m a mafia boss who murdered someone yesterday, Ranboo. I don’t know how to be smooth,” Techno deadpans.
Niki giggles. “Oh, Techno, I’m sure you’ll be great. You look amazing, and you’ve set up a very nice date. Dream will love it.”
“More importantly, he’ll love you,” Phil says, tugging at the edge of Techno’s cape. “If he doesn’t already- which I’m sure he does.”
Techno grunts, feeling flustered. “I dunno, Philza Minecraft.”
“Trust me on this, Tech. Dream loves you. You’ll be fine, I promise.”
“If you say so, Philza Minecraft.” Techno glances back at the mirror once more, smooths down the nonexistent wrinkles on the front of his shirt, and takes a deep breath to steady himself. “Okay. Okay. I can do this. I think.”
Phil chuckles. “Aww, mate, you got this. Where’s the bouquet?”
Techno gestures to the small coffee table in the room, where a colorful bouquet is laying. He’d spend all of yesterday afternoon researching flower meanings and asking Niki for help to make a love bouquet. This morning, he’d gone out to purchase the necessary flowers at a flower shop that wasn’t Dream’s, and now he has a beautiful bouquet that he’s going to give to Dream to declare his love. It makes it easier on his part since Dream will probably know what all the flowers mean without having to ask, but Techno feels like it’s also strangely symbolic. They’d met for the first time in a flower shop- what better way to profess his love for Dream than a bouquet?
Walking over to the table, Techno picks up the bouquet and clutches it to his chest. “Alright,” he says. “Guess I’ll head out now.”
“Have fun!” Niki says cheerfully, waving.
Ranboo salutes. “Best of luck, boss.”
“Go on, Tech. Go get your man.” Phil claps Techno on the shoulder and gives him a gentle little shove towards the door. “Have fun! And use protection!”
“Very helpful, Phil,” Techno deadpans as he heads out the door, his legs shaking with nerves.
Outside the base, he hops into his car and starts the engine. Dream’s shop is about a 10-minute drive from here, which gives him 10 minutes to panic and stress out about the date. Joy. Maybe this was a bad idea- he’s not sure if he can make it through the night without screaming in panic and embarrassing himself in front of his crush or fainting from nerves.
Still, he puts his hands on the wheel and begins driving, using any time waiting at stoplights to take a few deep breaths and give himself a pep talk. Upon arrival at the flower shop, he parks his car in the lot, gets out, and walks up to the door. Taking a deep breath and squashing the nerves that threaten to consume him whole, he pushes open the door.
The first thing he sees is not Dream, but Drista. The blonde girl is standing on the other side of the shop door, her arms crossed, her eyes glinting with a light that Techno immediately knows means trouble. Next to her stands a tall man- even taller than Techno himself- with pale blonde curls and strange eyes. They’re like Dream’s, except a paler green and with rings of teal on the outer edges of the irises. Sort of like ender eyes, those precious gems from the End that can sell on the market for a fortune.
“Uh, hallo,” Techno says, blinking at Drista and the man. “Can I… help you?”
“Techno Blade,” the man says in deep voice. His strange eyes are fixed on Techno, his lips pressed into a thin line. His expression is blank and unreadable, but Techno can sense that his intentions aren’t exactly friendly.
The man continues. “Leader of the Syndicate. Also known as Protesilaus.”
“Uh, yep, that’s me,” Techno says slowly. He tries to subtly scoot around the two, but Drista steps forward, effectively blocking him.
“You’re taking my brother on a date,” she says bluntly. “What are your intentions?”
Techno silently groans to himself. He just wants to take Dream on a date, and now he has to suffer through a shovel talk. What did he ever do to deserve this? He already had to face the wrath of Dream’s ender dragon hybrid friend- now he has to survive two literal gods shovel talking him.
Well, if he has to suffer through this, might as well be confident. Turning to face Drista head-on, Techno crosses his arms and lifts his chin. “My intentions are to take him on a nice date and give him this bouquet,” he says, gesturing the bouquet in his hands. “Nothin’ less. If you think I’m goin’ to hurt him, you’re wrong. Just ask the other guy.”
“Ah, yes. Illumina did inform me of the incident yesterday.” The man- Exdee- glances at Drista, then back to Techno. “Well, Techno Blade, tell me. What do you like about our brother?”
“I-” Techno starts. But before he can say anything else, a familiar voice interrupts him.
“Exdee! Drista! Are you interrogating my date?”
“What? Nooo,” Drista says, reluctantly stepping aside as Dream appears. And Techno almost chokes on his spit and drops dead right then and there, because Dream..
Dream looks stunning.
The sheep hybrid is wearing a gorgeous high-low black skirt that goes down to his knees but leaves glimpses of his thighs on show when it shifts around. It’s complemented by a beige sweater, slightly cropped to show a sliver of stomach. Dream’s plump lips are covered by a thin layer of what looks like pink lip gloss, his eyelids dusted with gold eyeshadow. And to top it all off, there’s a tiny braid in his golden curls, gleaming under the ceiling lights.
Techno swallows, his mouth dry, as Dream comes closer, pink lips twisted into a small smile. “Techno,” the blonde greets, reaching out to take Techno’s hands.
“Dream,” Techno breathes, his heart fluttering rapidly in his chest. He squeezes Dream’s hands, trying his very hardest not to faint on the spot. “You look… stunnin’.”
Dream giggles. “Why thank you.” The sheep hybrid glances over his shoulder at his siblings and scowls playfully at them. “What did you do to him, guys? He looks terrified!”
“I think that is because of you, Daydream,” Exdee says, drawing closer and gently mussing Dream’s hair. “You do look quite… attractive, for lack of a better word. I imagine that his hormones are going very wild right now.”
“Excuse me, there is nothin’ wrong with my hormones,” Techno mutters, tugging Dream closer. “I am very masculine and indifferent about this. Even if you do look very nice.”
“Oh really?” Dream flutters his eyelashes at Techno and giggles when Techno’s cheeks turn bright red. “Very indifferent, I see.”
“Listen,” Techno protests, trying- and failing- to fight back the blush. “It’s not my fault you look hot.”
“Don’t call my brother hot,” Drista says, reaching over and slapping Techno on the arm with a surprising amount strength.
“My bad.”
Dream giggles. “Alright, alright. Exdee, Drista, are you two done? Can we go now?’
“Hmmm,” Exdee hums, tilting his head and inspecting Techno with his strange eyes. “I suppose. But be warned, Techno Blade, that if you hurt Daydream-”
“- we will chop off your balls,” Drista finishes. As if to prove her point, the girl whips a fork out of nowhere and smiles menacingly at Techno. The tips of the fork gleam like the blade of a knife, and Techno faintly wonders how a teenage girl, goddess or not, can be so terrifying to a seasoned mafia boss.
Shaking his head to clear those thoughts, he squeezes Dream’s hands and smiles down at the blonde. “Shall we go?”
“Of course,” Dream agrees easily, smiling back in the most adorable way possible. “I’m excited! Let’s go.”
Outside the shop, Techno pauses before his car. “Before we go,” he starts, swallowing down the nerves that threaten to rise again. “I have somethin’ for you.”
“Oh?” Dream tilts his head, his eyes shining with adorable curiosity. His sheep ears twitch, flattening against his golden curls. “What is it?”
With shaking hands, Techno opens his car door, reaches inside, and grabs the bouquet he’d carefully laid across the passenger seat. Clutching it tightly in his hands so as not to drop it, he turns to Dream and slowly holds it out. “For you,” he murmurs.”
“Oh,” Dream breathes, his cheeks turning pink as he reaches out and takes the bouquet. “Techno, I-”
“I did some research,” Techno tells the blonde, watching as Dream stares down at the bouquet, eyes wide with shock. “It took a while to find the perfect flowers, but it was worth it in the end.”
“Techno, I don’t know what to say,” Dream whispers, brushing his fingers across the petals of a flower. “This is so sweet. Purple lilacs for first love-”
“And red camellias for passion,” Techno continues.
Dream nods, looking a little teary. “Primrose for ‘I can’t live without you’, stock for ‘You’ll always be beautiful to me’, red chrysanthemum for ‘I love you’- Techno, this is- I-”
“Do you like it?” Techno asks nervously, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. Gods, he hopes Dream likes it. This is his one way of declaring his love- if Dream doesn’t like it, then that’s basically a rejection, another fall ended in a painful, heart-shattering impact with the ground.
But to his surprise, instead of replying, Dream sets the bouquet down on the hood of the car and launches himself at Techno. Techno catches the blonde with a startled grunt, his arms instinctively wrapping around Dream’s waist and supporting him off of the ground. The sheep hybrid’s small body fits perfectly in his arms, something Techno is sure would make his heart flutter if all his attention weren’t focused on the soft sniffling sounds Dream is letting out. “Dream?” he asks, a little concerned. “Are you-”
“I love it,” Dream whispers into Techno’s neck, effectively cutting Techno’s sentence off. “It’s so beautiful. Thank you. I love it- no, I love you.”
Techno’s breath hitches, his heart stopping in his chest. “You do?”
Dream sniffles, but it’s a happy sniffle, one with an underlining of joy. “Yes,” the blonde whispers as he nuzzles into Techno’s neck. “I do. I always have.”
“Oh,” Techno murmurs, and then he’s smiling, smiling so wide that his cheeks hurt. Dream loves him. His beloved loves him back, and this might be the best moment of Techno’s life. His arms are beginning to ache from holding Dream up, but he doesn’t care, not when the blonde’s body is warm and fits perfectly in arms, not when Dream’s face is slotted into his neck like it belongs there, not when his heart is soaring high with buzzing elation.
He stands there for a long time, holding Dream in his arms, the sheep hybrid’s face tucked into his neck, their breathing soft and synchronized. When they finally do separate and get into the car to head to the restaurant, it’s with matching smiles on their faces and deep blushes on their cheeks. Techno’s body still tingles with Dream’s warmth as he starts driving, his heart still fluttering from the blonde’s words. I love you- I always have.
The food at the restaurant is good, but the company is even better.
Techno goes home that night with a faint lip gloss mark on his cheek, a besotted smile on his face, the sweet memory of Dream’s giggles lingering in his mind, and a whispered promise of another date soon.