For @awesamdream-christmas-prompts. A hybrid of Exchanging Gifts and Party Shennangains. Sortve.
Even as Fran brushed against him in comfort, Sam still felt stressed- he didn't like having her so out in the open. Punz and Dream were the only reason he was able to breathe; Dream walked on the other side of her, and Punz covered her back. They were her escort to her new gift awaiting at Techno's cabin, and they would protect the oldest living pet on the server with everything they had.
"What if she doesn't like any of them?" Sam asked anxiously, petting her fur. Dream smiled at him reassuringly.
"We'll just get her a treat and leave."
Punz snorted. "I think Techno will be disappointed."
"No he won't." Dream rolled his eyes. "He's too excited to see Fran to be disappointed about anything."
As if Techno could hear him, another *ping!* came from his communicator. Sam pet his beloved wolf-dog again and preened; of course, it was *Fran*, who wouldn't be excited to see her? She was sweet and easy to love, with the cutest face and the fluffiest coat. Truly a role model for all wolf-dogs everywhere.
The snow crunched beneath his paws as they approached the cabins. Sam felt Punz pat his flank.
"You gonna be okay, big guy?"
"Awesome." Punz sounded teasing. "Awesam, even."
Sam turned to glare at him, but a chorus of barks began to sound off, and Fran's ears perked. She trotted towards the stables, ignoring the front door in favor of looking for the horde of dogs. Sam hurried after her.
"Wait, sit, we're not allowed back there yet!"
She was of course the best girl and sat immediately. Her ears were swiveling towards the noise though, and her tail was wagging with excitement.
The cabin door swung open. "I don't remember installing my dogs as a doorbell."
"Techno!" Dreams smile was blinding as he rushed to slam his entire body into the piglins form. Techno laughed.
"You won't knock me down yet. Try again in a hundred years."
"Shut up," Dream shot back. "I'm actually trying to hug you this time, idiot."
"You training your hugs to move mountains then, Dream?" Techno asked, but wrapped his arms around him with a warm smile. "And hello to you other guys too."
Punz waved, and Sam was very polite and did not scowl because he was excellent at diplomacy.
"Is that them?" A faint, muffled voice came from inside the cabin.
"Yeah, they're here Phil!" Techno called back. "We'll meet you in the dog pens!"
Fran barked. The horde of wolf-dogs barked, louder. They all seemed to know they were being talked about. Techno looked pleased.
"Hi there. Lets get you inside and I'll grab you some jerky."
The dog pens were incredibly spacious, even more so than the last time Sam had been there. Techno's ever-expanding army was pampered with the finest of accommodations, from gold-detailed water troughs to fluffy, feathery bedding. Even if Fran's room was Objectively Better Objectively, Sam could admit that this wasn't the worst place to live for a wolf-dog.
"The puppies are in the back. Better for them to be a bit out of the way, you know? At least until they're fully grown," Techno led them through. The wolf-dogs of every color and type closed in eagerly, but sat at a one-handed gesture from their owner. Fran was the most dignified girl and barely reacted to the attempts to sniff her. Instead, she pressed her entire body against Sam and let him decide where they would be heading. Her weight eased the tension in his body, as much as Dream's hand on his shoulder or Punz at his back.
"She's quite good with them, mate." Philza commented. "If it weren't for the collar, I'd assume she was part of the pack."
Fran nosed at one of the pups attempting to climb on her back. She seemed unbothered by being used as a puppy jungle gym, lounging on the pile of fur with a relaxed air while a brown, fluffier one tried to climb her head.
"Now, now, don't get too rough with our friend." Techno scooped it up. It immediately tried to go for the treats he had in his other hoof. Techno booped its nose. "Your greed is sickening."
It squeaked, and the surrounding pups began to squeak in response. Sam was fondly reminded of Fran as a young pup, noisy and just as affectionate as she was now, if less laid-back.
Dream rested against Sam's flank, a sleeping pup in his lap. Every once in a while, he would switch from petting the pup to petting Sam's fur, and Sam kneaded the ground.
Punz sat closer to Fran, breaking off small pieces of food to give to the pups that wandered up to them for a sniff.
"Have you thought about going to the New Years party yet?"
"Yeah. I told Techno to text you all about it." Philza shot the pigling a Look. Techno faux-cowered.
"I definitely would have remembered to text them, Phil. Definitely. Ten minutes ago."
"Oh, for-" Philza's feathers puffed up in exasperation. "Dream, Punz, Sam. Would you like to go to our New Year's Party?"
"Who else is going?" Dream asked curiously.
"Besides the Syndicate? Tommy, Tubbo, Fundy, Hannah, Wilbur-"
"Absolutely not," Punz interrupted. "We're not going anywhere near that guy."
"You sure, mate? McChill had been keeping him on a pretty short leash."
"Is the leash literal?" Punz asked.
"Then it's not good enough."
The old crow sighed. Sam felt a bit bad about that, but the last time he talked to Wilbur, he'd nearly cut his hand off, and he was still in trouble for doing that to Ponk so it was best not to risk a secondary incident.
Then again, Punz hated Wilbur, so maybe he'd be rewarded for hand-removal instead? Much to think about, once their trip was over.
"We'll think about it and get back to you," Dream reassured them, truly the epitome of diplomacy. Dream locked eyes with Punz; they had a brief conversation with intense staring before Punz broke their gaze, huffy.
"Good to know. Text me instead of Techno, since apparently he'll forget otherwise."
"Phil, don't be so mean." Techno whined. "You're the one who always forgets dates and times."
"Which is why I thought leaving this to you was better," Philza’s wing smacked lightly against Techno's cape. "Especially cause you're texting Dream anyways."
"Wolves and parties have nothing to do with each other-"
Sam stopped listening. A small black pup spun a bit before tucking itself into her chest fur and falling asleep. Fran curled in on herself, focused on making sure the pup was comfortable where it slept. The others either continued to play or wandered off, uninterested.
"Dream." He nudged. Dreams eyes flitted away from the duos bickering and back to Fran. His eyes softened.
There would have to be more dog meetings of course, but Sam hoped- hopedhopedhoped- that this was the puppy for Fran. The one they were looking for.
"You make a friend?" Punz asked warmly. They scratched underneath Fran's jaw, and she pressed her face into their sweatshirt.
(A gift for her. A friend.)