masked//dream x reader

-38-

Three days went by quickly. The festival is tonight and despite all my pleading, Dream is refusing to let me go.

"Come on, Dream, I already told Tubbo I could go!" I beg.

Dream doesn't say anything, shoving more soup into his mouth without looking at me.

"This isn't the kind of thing I can just miss! The destruction of my old home is important.  This is a monumental moment in our history, I need to be there."

He still doesn't make any moves to acknowledge me, completely ignoring the fact that I am even speaking at all. I scoff, getting up from my chair and walking around the table to face him, leaning down so that my face is right in front of him, preventing him from pretending I'm not here.

"Dream, listen to me, please."

He lowers his head, taking a deep steady breath, setting down his spoon. He looks back up at me, tilting his head to the side slightly, still not saying anything.

We stay like this for a moment, faces no more than a foot apart, neither of us saying anything and me just staring deeply into the eyes of his mask.

"Y'know this whole staring at you deeply to get you to do what I want thing would be a lot more effective if there wasn't a mask in between us," I whisper, the corners of my mouth curling into a small grin.

Dream still doesn't say anything, licking his lips and letting out a long sigh.

"Fine," He finally says. "You can go, but only if you stay by my side the entire time. I'm going to a spot where the explosion hopefully won't hit. You have to be there with me if you don't want to get hurt."

My face breaks into a smile, making Dream huff a laugh before tension settles back in. It didn't hit me until now how close our faces are.

I don't make a move. Neither does he.

Once again we get caught in an intense stare-off, both of us not wanting to move and create awkwardness that I'm sure neither of us is feeling right now.

My eyes drift to his slightly parted lips for a moment, the only part of his face that isn't covered by the mask, as they blow out stead breaths before I realize where I'm looking. I quickly move them back up to his mask and stand back up, straightening my back and breaking the tension.

Dream clears his throat, standing up as well, bringing his soup to the kitchen to throw away anything that remains.

"You promise you won't leave my side? No matter what?"

A pang of guilt rushes through me. I have no intention of keeping that promise. I need to stop Wilbur from blowing up Manburg and hurting so many people, not just for me but for him too. I don't want to betray or hurt Dream, and as much as it confuses me why I feel that way, I can't shake the horrible feeling that comes with lying to him.

"I promise."

- - -

"Come on let's go," I say to Dream from where we are perched on one of the hills near Manburg. We have a clear view of the stage where the speeches will be taking place now that the main festivities are over.

"No, we're not getting any closer than this," Dream responds, turning his head towards me and crouching down to get a better angle.

I follow suit, squatting down next to him, giving him a confused look.

"No, the audience goes down there in those seats," I point to the crowd gathered at the bottom of the stage, where we are supposed to be watching from.