#rivalsbr

c!Dream in the convict childcare AU has a complex relationship with c!Technoblade's pets. He loves animals, and they make him feel safe, but he's also scared of them getting hurt. So he tries to distance himself from them. Despite this, animals fucking adore him and won't stay away. The dogs are the smartest about it, they work very hard to win Michael's favor and then use Michael as an excuse to cuddle/spend time with Dream. He can't complain because he wants the animals to like Michael, and he doesn't want Michael to be scared of the animals. The chickens, on the other hand, just do not care and if freed from their coop WILL find him like bloodhounds and roost all over him. As time goes on and Dream gets more comfortable with the idea of being loved and capable of love, Dream starts helping out with the animals around the farm. Technoblade swears it's unfair how well they all behave for Dream. Technoblade also had to wrestle down the urge to make a joke about the chickens seeking out their own kind back when he was the only one that knew Dream was an Ender Dragon Hybrid.

Michael's relationship to almost all of the pets is not complicated, he fuckin' loves animals. I've talked before about Blitz basically becoming his pet, how chickens are his favorite animal, and how the dogs and Steve will all give him piggy-back rides. Michael loves taking care of almost all the animals and helps out as much as he can!!

Except for the sheep.

Literally nobody understands what Michael's issue is, but he detests the sheep. The sheep have done nothing to him! Techno is sure of it! But Michael! hates! Them!

The running theory is that Dream loves the sheep, and they're one of the first animal he helped take care of. But since the sheep are a bit dumb and get excited when they see him, Michael couldn't come into the pen with him (baby might get stomped on by accident). So Michael had to sit on the sidelines and watch the sheep get all of Dream's attention for nearly 20 minutes. Obviously, completely unacceptable for a toddler.

Still, this remains to be proven. Whatever the reason, Michael hates the sheep. He won't go near them, will growl/snap, won't help carry their food, and doesn't even like the word sheep. He uses the sign for it as an insult when he can.

POV: your looking at Technos Instagram story on Doomsday.

I’m still warming up to drawing on my proper tablet again so as a warm up I sketched out @peppsta ‘s Princes AU rivals the beloveds

[ID: A youtube comment by Alexa that reads: When the two Smart Kids in class was on the same group: It’s a win win. End ID]

Technoblade's voice was quiet, but it still startled Tubbo, who was on the verge of passing out on the kitchen table. His entire body jolted and his heart almost gave out before he managed to take in a quick breath. Recovery took several seconds, but Tubbo pulled himself together enough to hiss out words.

"Not cool, big man! You can't jumpscare me like that!"

The fact he was staying quiet was answer enough. Techno rumbled out a huffy laugh, shrugging off his heavy outer cloak and setting down a bag that was filled with... potion brewing stuff? Tubbo was pretty sure that was what Techno'd gone out for. It'd been quite awhile. Nearly a full day now that Tubbo thought about it.

"Gotta stay alert at all times! You never know when I might strike!"

Despite Techno's words, his voice was still hushed and the slump to his shoulders indicated he was exhausted from his trip. Still, he had a good mood about him. Tubbo rolled his eyes, but grinned all the same.

"You find something cool?"

As he asked, Tubbo pushed himself to his feet with a yawn, reaching for Techno's bag to put away the ingredients, only to stop when Techno moved it away.

"Got a surprise for the piglet. I swung by the bastion that took him in to let 'em know he's alright, and they sent me off with some treats for him. I'm gonna put them with the nether wart, you can give 'em to him tomorrow after breakfast. No more than two though."

The idea was exciting. Tubbo couldn't help but wiggle a bit, still careful to keep his voice low.

"Oh! That's awesome! Me and Boo tried to make some nether food ages ago, most of it didn't turn out great, I'm not sure how well translated our receipts were, but the one that was edible Michael really liked. I'm sure he'll love these! Are you sure you don't want to give them to him though?"

As Tubbo rambled, he'd followed Techno down to the storage area, where the piglin had started putting away the ingredients. The man laughed again.

"Nah, I'm putting this stuff away and then passing out for the next 24 hours. No need for him to wait that long for 'em."

"Fair. I'll tell him you brought 'em back then."

Techno nodded, finishing up his sorting and giving Tubbo a pat on the back back as he slid past to head up to his bedroom. Right. Sleeping. That was a thing people did. Tubbo found himself suddenly very tired, and made his way over to the huge couch that took up half the living room. Sometimes he went over to Ranboo's place to sleep, but most nights he found himself here. Honestly, the couch was so big that it was basically the same size as a bed for him anyways.

Grabbing a few of the blankets to pull over himself, Tubbo settled down for the night, excepting to fall asleep quickly.

Only, something was wrong. A gut feeling that he was missing something.

Not something life threatening. Not like they were about to get attacked. Just that something important was off, and he'd been forgetting it for awhile now.

Tubbo couldn't seem to pinpoint what was bothering him, and it kept him up until his body finally passed out.

The morning was no better. There was an itch in his brain he couldn't seem to scratch, even as he went through the motions of preparing breakfast and bringing it up for Michael and Dream. Even as he sat in the chair and tried to make conservation, he found his mind drawn back to this puzzle he couldn't make out.

It hit him right when he gave Michael the treats. The boy recognized the candies, making grabby hands as he bounced with delight. Tubbo had laughed and handed them over, explaining it to Dream as he did so.

"They're from the bastion, Techno visited-"

And with that sentence, Tubbo got hit over the head with what he'd been missing. The realization stunned him into silence for several seconds. Dream tensed, glancing around for danger before Tubbo finally managed to collect his thoughts enough to speak. Words slow as he tried to assemble his thoughts.

"I- sorry- it just hit me. We've been so busy and-. Michael was at a bastion. They took him in. He's not- He's better. There's no bone, or fungi or- We haven't given him one potion. What- It's not- Everything Ranboo and I found find said it was incurable. I mean- Was it Sam?"

Admittedly, none of that was a question, and it was accompanied by a series of half aborted gestures as Tubbo desperately tried to communicate what had somehow slipped his mind in all the chaos. Michael was no longer half dead. Somehow.

Dream relaxed his shoulders a bit, taking a breath before replying.

"Nah, the- Sam." A pause, Dream shook himself slightly and restarted. "Sam didn't do shit to help. Wouldn't even let me have harming potions or take the fucking time to treat it himself. I don't think he understood how serious it was. Maybe he just didn't give a fuck. It got- It got kinda bad. So I used the book."

What.

No.

Oh no. No, no, no. Tubbo would've seen the message. Right? There would've been- Michael couldn't have-

"Oh fuck, not like- he didn't die. It's not-. The book, it works- So, XD, he's a weird motherfucker, but he'll show up and it's only supposed to be for revivals, but sometimes he'll bend the rules. I summoned him, asked him to patch Michael up, and he did what he could. Michael's still, uh, sort of infected? It won't get worse, but healing and harming are still flipped for him. Was the best XD could do without changing him too much."

Dream quickly explained, and it eased the panic in Tubbo's chest. That- It still wasn't good that Sam hadn't given Michael any medical treatment. Fuck, Tubbo was tempted to hunt the man down and take his last life for that alone. Another time, maybe. But at least Michael didn't die. That was something.

Tubbo nodded quietly, eyes turning to watch Michael as the toddler stayed distracted by his candy. Intently focusing on picking it apart to eat it in a very particular manner. He wanted to scoop the toddler up and never let him go again, but Michael was still very wary about being held. For anyone but Dream.

A few minutes ticked by, and before long, Tubbo found himself processing a lot of the implications of what Dream had said. A lot of it was good. Michael's infection had been a constant struggle, even with medical treatment, there was only so much that could be done. Michael was happier now. No longer in constant pain, and having regained some mobility. The lack of exposed bones was nice too. It would reduce his risk for other infections and help protect him when he ran into things as young children do.

Still, there were parts of the story that left Tubbo with questions. None of which he could ask. Tubbo had already been firmly told by Techno that he was not to ask Dream any questions about the revival book. The older piglin had been deadly serious about it, and even if Tubbo didn't quite understand why, even he could see how Dream's shoulders tensed at the mere mention of the book. Still, he had to ask something. The tense silence in the room was killing him.

"Wait- you called XD a 'weird motherfucker', isn't he like, your god? Like Techno with the blood god?"

Despite the mask covering Dream's face, Tubbo could tell that he was getting a Look for that.

"Fuck no. I mean, we've got some stuff going on, but he's not my patron. Honestly, I dunno if he even does that stuff."

That caught Tubbo off guard, he'd been assuming- well, a lot of things apparently. Dream wasn't wrong though, XD was a rarely worshiped god, known for not responding to those that did attempt to communicate with him. Which made it all the stranger that he was apparently willing to show up for Dream. Still, it was odd for Dream to be so willing to speak ill of him. XD was still a god, an old and quite powerful one at that.

"If he's not your patron, then why do you dress like him? I thought that was it? Do you just happen to dress like the god who lets you revive the dead?"

Dream snorted, not even offended at the accidental near accusation.

"Hell no, you've got it backwards. I don't dress like him, he dresses like me. When we met, he looked totally different, but he liked the way I looked so he copied it. Actually copied my mask too at first, but I drew the line at that shit. Made him change it so people can tell us apart."

Seconds ticked by, as Tubbo's brained stalled out. Long, long seconds.

"WHAT DO YOU FUCKING MEAN GOD COPIED YOU?!"

Oops. No sooner had he shouted, then he remembered there was someone still asleep in the house. Michael finally startled, looking up in alarm first at Tubbo, then over to Dream with one wide little eye. Dream was also startled for a moment, before he doubled over laughing, barely managing to half shrug his shoulders in response.

Only several seconds in to Dream's laughing fit as the man started to sound genuinely out of breath, did Tubbo remember that Dream's lungs were still weak, and Phil had specifically told them all not to make him laugh since it could trigger a coughing fit. Too late for that now. What was he supposed to do again? Something about water breathing and strength? Tubbo's brain was still dead from finding out that a god was apparently copying Dream of all people.

Luckily, a very sleepy Technoblade chose that moment to appear in the doorway, glaring at the occupants of the room (not Michael thought, Michael got a half-grin). Despite his tired state, Techno quickly noticed that Dream's laughter had in fact, turned into a coughing fit.

With a sigh, the piglin shuffled across the room to a cupboard where he snagged a purple looking potion. The potion was splashed onto a washclothing, and Tubbo quickly moved out of the way so that Techno could shift up Dream's shirt and apply it to the man's chest as he tried to get his breath back.

Once that was done, and Dream no longer sounded like he was dying, Techno turned to Tubbo with a single raised eyebrow. Clearly wanting answers. Tubbo had none, he could only wave his hands helplessly. Something Techno was decidedly unimpressed with.

Tubbo endured a staredown for nearly half a minute before Dream finally managed to speak up and save him.

"Tubbo just learned that XD's the rip off."

That got a bit of a face journey from Technoblade as he processed then acknowledged the point, finally landing on what seemed like understanding.

"Ah, so you finally learned God's a Dream kinnie. Fair enough, and welcome to my life."

The first thing Technoblade knows, is that life has been unfair to Tubbo. What with Ranboo getting murder, and then losing his kid, then finally getting the kid back after half a year, only to discover the kid had picked Dream as his caretaker? Yeah. That was rough. The second thing Techno knows, is that Tubbo loves Michael. He's doing his best to reconnect with his kid, and although he's not perfect, he's still trying.

The third thing Techno knows is that if Tubbo takes one step closer to him, Techno is going to kill him.

There's a growl coming from his throat, and Michael is in Techno's arms, cradled very delicately. The human part of Techno's brain knows that Tubbo didn't mean any harm. That when he took Michael's hand and tried to lead him away from Dream's door, it was just so they could spend time together. Michael had just been having a bad day, and Tubbo must've gripped a bit too tight.

Michael had let out a whine. A plea for help. And Techno was a piglin above all else.

Across the room, Tubbo was trembling, eyes wide and scared. Techno's instincts and Chat were deeply pleased. Part of him didn't believe it was enough. Part of him wanted to rip and tear and hurt because the child was scared.

Techno took a deep breath. Then another. Then, with all the restraint he had in his body, he shuffled his way out of the living room and towards Dream's room.

The child was scared. The child needed their caretaker. That was more helpful then blood.

Repeating that to himself, Techno made his retreat. Slamming Dream's door open was a near thing, but he stopped himself there too. Really, Techno was showing incredible restraint right now.

Honestly, Techno didn't realize he'd closed his eyes until he felt Michael wiggle in his arms. Blinking them back open, he automatically released the child in his arms.

Michael didn't hestiate, the moment he was released, he scrambled up onto the bed, burrowing into Dream's chest with a pleased sequel. Safe. Happy. Thank god.

Several moments ticked by. Dream was staring, his shoulders were tense and his grip on Michael was protective, but he didn't press Techno for answers. Out of respect or fear, Techno wasn't sure. He wanted to believe it was the former though.

After taking several more deep breaths, Techno moved to sit on the chair next to the bed. Only, it felt wrong. He couldn't see the door. If he moved the chair, then he wouldn't be able to see Michael. His ear flicked in annoyance as he tried to settle.

"Here."

Dream's voice was still raspy, but calm as he shifted his legs, freeing up room on the bed. Normally, Techno would protest, but right now it was perfect. The bed was against the wall, so sitting at the foot of it would let him se everything. He took up his place without comment. Still focused on breathing.

A minute or two must've ticked by before Techno was calm enough to speak. Michael was still in Dream's lap, with some of the blankets pulled around him as he chuffed softly. It'd only been a few hours since they last saw each other, but from how the piglet acted you'd think it was years.

"Sorry 'bout that, Michael got spooked and my brain wouldn't chill."

"Okay." Dream accepted the partial truth for all of about three seconds. "What'd Tubbo do?"

The question was... guarded. Dangerous. As much as Dream might want the rest of them to think he could leave Michael behind at any time, he wasn't fooling anyone. He'd kill for the kid.

"How'd you know it was him?"

That earned him a Look. Honestly, it was total bullshit that Dream could be so judgemental with that mask on. Techno needed to figure how he managed it one of these days.

"Well, I mean, the scream strongly implied he was involved."

Oh. Techno hadn't heard that. He must've still been near feral.

"Fair enough." A second's pause, this was delicate. The piglin in him wanted to call Tubbo a hazard, a danger, say he shouldn't be near Michael again. The human in him knew better. "Wasn't his fault."

Another Look. Goddamnit.

"Michael's just been having a rough day, he got spooked by a horse right after breakfast. Think he might'a caught a wiff of blood when Phil was helpin' change your bandages too. Tubbo was just trying to lead him off, was hopin' you could get some more sleep, but I think he grabbed a little hard."

It was a bit of a ramble, but it lowered Dream's hackles a bit. Not all the way. After a moment, Techno tacked on to his statement.

"It was with his bad arm. He's good with it most times, but when he's already stressed, it's hard."

That did the trick. Dream considered the point and nodded, glancing down at Michael for something. The kid was pouting, but reluctantly made a few handsigns, too quickly for Techno to make anything out, but good enough for Dream. The other man huffed a half laugh. Still raspy and sounding near painful, but present and soothing all the same.

After a moment, Dream spoke, voice soft in that way he reserved for Michael. That way Techno considered himself extremely lucky to be allowed to bare witness too. He knew for a fact Dream never used that voice when anyone else was within earshot, and it made a primitive part of him rumble in pride to have earned that trust.

"Yeah, they weren't lying. I just had to swap out the bandages, and some of 'em were totally gross. That's why you couldn't be there. Phil didn't do anything to me."

Michael accepted the answer, although his little eyes kept a glint of suspicion to them. Dream must've picked up on it too, and glanced up towards Techno.

"Since that's all settled, Techno, could you grab Michael's puzzle? The new one."

Sighing dramatically, Techno heaved himself up and over to the toy chest, snagging Michael's new puzzle that Tubbo had made, and a few of the plush animals that Phil had stitched together. He returned to the bed with his prizes, offering the plushes first to Michael's delight, which bought him enough time to snag the bedside tray Dream used for his meals and set up the puzzle on it.

Michael clapped his hands in joy and started on the puzzle without any hesitation. It wasn't a great start, he wasn't even bothering to sort the pieces or find the corners, but Techno had been told on no uncertain terms was he allowed to criticize the baby's method of puzzle solving. So, he kept his mouth shut.

While Michael worked at his puzzle with his face screwed up in concentration, Dream shifted so he could lean back on the mound of pillows arranged carefully by the headboard. They weren't in a nest shape yet, but Techno had a feeling that they might shift in that direction given time. That was none of his buisness though.

What was his business was the fact Dream was shivering again. The man had been under the covers before Michael came in, and those blankets were now pulled down and trapped under the piglet. Dream wouldn't move the kid either. Not when he was so focused on his puzzle.

So, Techno, who had long since adjusted to the cold, pulled off his own cloak and wrapped it around his friend's shoulders. Sure, Dream had extra cloaks and extra blankets, ones that Techno could reach without standing, but his was already warm. And it was better. By virtue of it being Techno's.

The pleased feeling in his chest was just from taking care of Michael, and it had nothing to do with seeing his sounder wrapped up in his colors. Nothing at all.

Dream didn't seem convinced, but he pulled the cloak around himself all the same. Despite the fact Dream was clearly pleased by the gift, he still gave Techno a Look. Techno couldn't take it any longer.

"How the hell do you do that through a mask? I swear, it's gotta be some kind of magic!"

Ugh. Dream didn't even try to respond. He just laughed at Techno. Not quite his old kettle laugh, but a full, breathless laugh all the same.

Bastard.

"Chickens are from the overworld, right?"

Dream's question caught Technoblade off-guard, mostly because he'd had no idea Dream was in the room at all. Spinning, it took several seconds before Techno finally spotted the other man. Somehow, he'd managed to get on top of the storage chests and nestled himself back into a crook in the wall.

"You are wearing a lime green, how are you blending in?!"

An old question between them. Dream didn't even bother to reply, only half shrugging a shoulder before tilting his head expectantly.

Right. What had he said? Something about chickens?

"Uh, yeah. Far as I know. Why?"

Dream shifted around, lowering his knees and moving his cloak to reveal both a fast asleep Micheal and a large cochin hen half covering the toddler. This, was entirely unhelpful in answering Technoblade's question. Although it did solve another issue that'd been on his mind since this morning.

"Well, glad she's alright. I'll let Tubbo know it wasn't foxes. Maybe let one of us know if you're borrowing one of the chickens?"

Oh great, Dream shifted to cover his charges again and looked huffy from the set of his shoulders.

"Didn't borrow 'em, she keeps finding me. Was hiding down here. Ranboo can find me 'cause he's from the end, but I dunno how she's doing it."

Huh. Weird.

"Is she bothering you?"

Techno couldn't imagine Dream being upset about the chicken, but he also didn't like to assume. There was so much that could've happened, so much left unaccounted for, that he always asked.

After a moment of consideration, Dream shook his head, glancing around for just a moment to check that they were alone.

"She's not a bother, s'just weird is all. Michael likes her a lot, she keeps him busy. Doesn't seem like she wants to leave anyways, I already tried putting her back in the coop."

The underlying message was loud and clear, both from how Dream didn't have any complaints, and from how he curled over the chicken just that slightest bit more. Technoblade couldn't help his grin.

"Right. Well, it's good to see you making new friends. I'll let Tubbo know she's alright."