He fucked up.
Well, really it was Schlatt who fucked up, bringing back that deranged psycho. He just wanted Rosie to get scared a little, reminded of the dangers out there, just enough to make her come running back to him.
And it worked, for a split second, and then she slipped through his fingers again.
It had been so nice, so right, her back in his arms, so vulnerable and fragile and reliant. If Niki hadn't of kept getting in his way, he'd of had more time, more time with her, the way things should be, before those fucking L'manburgians ripped her away from him.
He'd lost it in the woods, truly, but the day had shaken him. Rosie's outburst had been so...sudden, so violent, and then there was the relief of her being back where she belongs, before it was all taken way from him. By them.
He follows Schlatt back to his cabin in the woods, right hand tensed on the heavy blade that sits at his belt. He was always uneasy around Schlatt, so slimy, so rehearsed, smooth grin on an unmovable face. Just as much of a mask as Dream's own.
Schlatt reaches the wooden door, unlocking it and letting Dream step past him. He pushes past the man, then leans on the bench top, surveying him through the slits in his mask.
"Now, let's talk." Schlatt begins calmly, and Dream has the sudden urge to slit his throat right then and there, because this fucking dick jeopardised everything with Rosie, and no one takes Dream's control, or undermines his word. He tells people what to do, and they do it.
"There's nothing to talk about." He begins stiffly. "We had an agreement Schlatt. I bring you into L'manburg's election and give you power, and you make sure that Rosemary, and all the other members of L'manburg stay in line."
"Now you see-" Schlatt tries, but Dream cuts him off.
"We had a deal to work together, you for power, and me for control. Let's not forget who came to who here. You want power, you're fucking desperate for it, and I said I'd give you a chance to earn it, because I want something in return."
He advances, sizing up Schlatt, pristine suit, blank skin, no scars, or scrapes or bruises. Too perfect and precious. He could rip his throat out in a heartbeat.
"So, you better not screw up the one thing you had to do. I don't give a fuck about L'manburg, or Tommy and Wilbur or Quackity. I couldn't care less! I just need you to hold up your end of the fucking deal. Is that clear enough Schlatt?"
The truth is, he doesn't even need Schlatt. He refused his offer when he first came to him, grovelling at his feet like a pathetic kicked puppy, but then Rosie's little independence streak thrown his plans off track, and well, Schlatt suddenly had use to him.
And hey, what's life without making L'manburg's insolent existence miserable?
Even better when the enemy suddenly shifts from him to Schlatt, give them a new face to hate, to twist into the perfect twisted being. Never mind that maybe, just maybe, they're the ones in the wrong, that they should have just kept quiet and learnt their place.
It definitely makes it easier for Rosie to snap out of it, realise that he's not the bad guy. Because that's what he's doing this all for. All the theatrics, and the resources, and the insufferability of working with a man Dream knew would sell him out for three pieces of dirt, if a better deal came along.
"Of course Dream." Schlatt responds in a placating tone, one that makes Dream's eye twitch with some sort of supernatural intensity. "I know this seems like a mess, but I know what I'm doing, and I will uphold my end of the bargain."
Dream gets right in his face, standing almost toe to toe, hand hovering over the cold metal handle of his sword.
"This is my country Schlatt, just remember that."
Schlatt doesn't even blink. Dream continues.
"I can make you a king, I can give you everything, and you know that, because you wouldn't have come to me if I couldn't. Don't fuck up this opportunity, or you will find out what else I'm capably of." He snarls, pushing past a tense Schlatt and striding out the door.
He ends back up outside of L'manburg, eyeing up the eyesore that is those giant black walls, barricading his land. He really should of blown it up when he had the chance.
Well, destroying it from the inside will be just as satisfying.
He hears a sharp intake of breath, and someone's hurried footsteps scuffing over the damp grass. By the time he whips around he catches sight of her, coat tails flapping behind her as she tries to pretend like she never saw him.
It feels his veins with liquid fire, because how could she pretend like she isn't in love with him, pretend like she wasn't made for him, like she won't just end up back in his arms?
"Rosie!" He calls out, following behind her. She freezes on the spot, and a tiny part of him relishes in the way he can affect her. But the fleeting satisfaction is gone, when he sees her balled up fists, and the scowl on her face.
More fucking pretending.
"What?" She snaps, crossing her arms over her chest. His fingers itch to grab her, to pull her against his chest, take her back and make everything alright. He'd make it all better, and normal and how it was supposed to be.
"Don't run away from me." He says instead.
"I don't want to talk to you."
Yeah, this is going to be harder than he first thought.
"Come on Rosie-"
"Rosemary." She interjects. There's this adorable look of murderous rage on her face, and it's so cute, the defiance and the anger that will all mean nothing in the end.
He sighs. "Princess, I just want to talk, please give me that at least."
He hates reducing himself to begging, because she should just listen to him, and well, he could definitely make that happen, but this works too. Tug at those heartstrings that make her so vulnerable, the kindness and attachment that leave her so exposed.
Her face softens for the tiniest of seconds, and he's convinced his heart might just fucking melt, the mushy idiot he is, but it closes off in the blink of an eye.
"Don't antagonise me." She scowls, anger building behind pretty features. "And aren't you too busy talking with Schlatt?"
Fuck.
Oh he fucked up.
"What are you talking about?" He deflects, and he just needs to breathe, because this is a minor flaw in the plan, a minute hiccup in a plot that otherwise will run like clockwork. He will succeed.
She doesn't seem phased at all, barreling past his weak attempts to feign ignorance with all the ferocity of an enraged bull.
"I heard you and Schlatt in the woods. Talking about an agreement."
"Are you sure it was me and Schlatt? I talked to him after the rally, but nothing about an agreement." He continues, dripping his words in a tone of confusion and nonchalance.
She falters slightly, and pride rises up in him, because he knows how she ticks, everything that makes her Rosie, the things to say that can plant even the tiniest seeds of doubt.
"I heard you. I heard both of you, something about scaring someone and Schlatt fucking something up."
Oh. So she definitely heard their conversation.
Shit.
He shrugs, silently thanking the mask for hiding his face. "I don't know what you want me to say, that wasn't me."
"Don't lie to me Dream, I know what your voice sounds like."
"Rosie-"
"Rosemary."
"Rosemary. I don't want to get involved in L'manburg, I told you I'd stay out of it, and I'm sticking to my word. I just want to talk to you."
He can see the exasperation take over her face, and internally pats himself on the back for a successfully shifting her attention.
"Why do you keep wanting to talk to me?" She sighs.
"Why?" He repeats in disbelief. "Because we love each other Rosi- Rosemary, and the way things ended- we never got closure, we never talked about it and our feelings." She scoffs, but keeps silent, hanging onto his words. It's a small win in his books.
"It's not fair to me, for you to just throw me away and then not give me an explanation, or the time of day. I think I deserve to at least talk about it with you."
She keeps quiet for a moment, looking up at him with wide eyes, and he relishes the way she looks at him with a mixture of surprise, and the way that she used too, soft around the eyes. Relishes the way his words go straight to her heart.
"I don't love you."
His world shatters into a million pieces.
"What?" He echoes, recoiling the tiniest amount.
"I don't love you Dream. You want closure? You fucked me up, and then refused to do anything I asked, or change anything to make it better. I needed space, and you tried to move me out of L'manburg. You attacked Tommy with an axe, then called me hysterical and dramatic about it. You don't give a fuck about my feelings, and I am so tired of falling apart every two seconds, because you refuse to care enough to try and change anything."
It makes him angry, because the things she lists are so insignificant, so minute in the scale of his feelings, and he just want to snap her out of it. And her mentioning the fucking brat again, sets his skin on fire. It's always them, L'manburg, and those incessant, pathetic kids that just keep getting in his way. They'll be dealt with soon enough though, and that gigantic obstacle in his path will finally be obliterated.
"Don't lie Rosemary." He laughs humourlessly, shaking his head, but he can't help the way his voice cracks, because she can't mean that. She does love him.
She has too.
"Don't pretend because you're angry. Don't say things you don't mean because you're mad at me."
"This is your fucking problem!" She cries out in frustration, throwing her hands in the air. "You refuse to accept the fact that I mean these things. I am telling you how I feel, and you choose not to listen."
"I love you!" He finds himself roaring, the careful plan he pieced together bursting as emotion swells out. He hates himself like this, unpredictable and weak, exposing himself and his underbelly. "I love you and I don't want to let you go. Please Rosie, please just give me a chance."
She shakes her head, but her eyes are glistening with unshed tears. The silence stretches between them, screaming in his ears. "Don't do this Dream. Please." She whispers, resolve crumbling instantly.
He knew it.
She does love him still. He knew it because he knows her, he knows her better than anyone, even herself, and she could never fool him. They're meant for each other and he'll show her, again and again and again. Until she can see the truth.
"You don't have to let me back in, I can give you time, and space, anything you need."
Because he can, he'll do anything, it's inevitable and unavoidable and he can wait as long as he needs with that knowledge. She just has to open the doors.
She keeps shaking her head, but he can see her torn, the part of her she'll never be able to get rid of, the part of her that admits the truth, pulling her back towards him.
"Don't" She says softly, voice cracking, looking at the floor. "Please don't."
"It's the truth, come on Rosie, you know it is." Don't hide from it, he almost adds, but that might be a bit too far. If he says the wrong thing she'll snap, and the doors will slam shut.
He's found it's incredibly difficult to get them open again.
She doesn't say anything after that, he can see her shutting down, brain blocking out everything, trying to shield her from the pain and anguish. He backs off, foot firmly wedged in the door.
"Sapnap and Eret miss you. I know you're still hurt because of George, but they miss you so much. Don't worry about me, or making them choose, okay? They love you." He says softly, like of soft caress after cutting someone deeply.
Truthfully, he'd been impressed when he heard about her cutting them off. She was stronger tham he'd realised, capable of severing ties for her own invulnerability. He knew there'd probably be some selfless reason behind it, like not wanting to make them choose, but he could bypass that.
He shouldn't be encouraging her to reconnect, because this was how he wanted her, reliant on him, only him, not L'manburg, no Wilbur, no Niki, no Tommy and Tubbo, no Sapnap or Eret or George. Just him. But he knew Sapnap and Eret, and their everlasting loyalty, would help put him in a good light. Even if they didn't know what exactly they were doing.
It doesn't matter though, those ties will be easy enough to shred. L'manburg will be out of the way soon enough, and he'll finally be able to get rid of those fucking emotional attachments she has. She can't see, but he can, he can see how weak they make her. He'll make her strong, help her reach the fullest potential. Only he can see what she's capable of.
She loves him.
And she'll soon see.
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A/N I realised I let this story get a little bit out of control, so I put this chapter in to bring us back to our roots, which is that this is a Dream x OC story. Once we get past the election we'll be seeing a huge amount of their interactions (can't say much bc of spoilers), but I'll make sure to include some more, because after all, that's what you're all here for.
Dream's toxic (big surprise that one) but Rosie is still a little torn. We can still see how he is a master manipulator, and still has is annoying little hooks in her, despite everything. Rosie isn't entirely convinced about the Schlatt thing, and as we return to her POV, we'll see her true feeling about the interaction that just happened.
Hope you all enjoyed,
Oopsies x