It had been almost two weeks since that day. Dream had not moved out, per the request of Techno, and had recently found another job that he was to start within the next few days. However, neither had had much time to truly talk about their feelings for each other. Part of that was Dream's fault. He had been going to about two interviews a day, trying to find a place that would hire him. The rest of the blame, however, did fall directly onto Techno's shoulders.

He had had several papers due, with finals being only a month away at this point. As a result, there were some days where Dream didn't see the pinkette at all, only faintly registering the alarm system telling him when doors were opened late at night and early in the morning. When Dream did see him, he was usually in a rush and had an armful of books.

So his surprise when Technoblade burst through the door, stomping the snow off his boots around two in the afternoon was reasonable. He let out a small shout, Techno laughing at him softly.

"I'm sorry, did I scare you?" he asked, unwrapping his scarf.

"Just a bit. To be fair, the last time you were home even at a semi-reasonable time was like three days ago and even then, it was like ten at night."

Technoblade shrugged, giving a nod of both agreement and acknowledgment. "That's fair. I was dismissed early today after falling asleep in the middle of my presentation. And then the whole university was dismissed early due to the massive snowstorm that's rolling in. We're supposed to get like two feet tonight. Speaking of which, if you aren't busy, would you come with me to help me do a quick shopping trip? We need some things."

"Sure, let me go get into some warmer clothes," the blonde said.

Dream turned off the Tv, heading into his room to change into more suitable clothes for the snow. No matter how willing he was to help, he refused to sacrifice his warmth. It didn't take long for him to change and when he returned to the living room, he saw Techno shaking out his hat in the kitchen sink, pink hair tied up in a neat bun. Another shake of the hat and then it went right back on, hiding that very same pink hair Technoblade was known for.

"Alright, I'm all ready to go when you are," Dream said, startling Techno.

"Fabulous," came the monotone voice, "to the car then. It's still running so it should be fairly warm."

The two darted to the car, snow falling gracefully around them, laying a fresh layer of powder down on top of what had already been there. Dream buckled in, suppressing a yawn. He was eager to talk with Techno as he hadn't gotten to do so for quite some time now. In the back of his mind, the thought that Techno was ignoring him on purpose lingered, his anxiety truly getting the better of him. He attempted to shake it off, but it sadly remained.

"So, besides falling asleep during your presentation, how did the rest of your day go?"

"Meh. I mean, I turned in two more essays only to be assigned four more, plus another presentation. And once this predicted blizzard is over, I have to redo the one I fucked up today. I swear to god, I'm so close to just dropping out. This seems impossible to manage," Techno didn't hesitate to start ranting. "But if I drop out, then I'll lose the job options. But let me tell you, man, I am just so done with it. How about you? Did you find a new job?"

"Yeah, I start next Wednesday. It's not ideal, but it's a job and that's what matters in the long run," he stated, staring down at the gloves in his lap.

"Where is it? I mean, I need to know where to go to bug you."

Dream smiled softly at that statement. "Nowhere important. All I know is coffee, so it's at that little coffee store downtown. I think it's only a block from your campus actually."

"Oh, you mean the Willow's Knickknacks Coffee place right? I've been there a handful of times. They have some decent stuff," Techno laughed, car rolling to a stop at a red light. "I have a feeling that my coffee consumption is about to go way up."

Dream gave a small nod, falling silent. He didn't quite know how to continue the conversation. Everything between him and Technoblade felt so tense right now as if one wrong word would set off a storm. Taking a deep breath, he went to pose a question, Techno, however, beating him to it.

"So I guess we need to finally talk about what happened during the Halloween party huh," Techno said softly.

"Yeah. We never got the chance to do so. I was just about to bring it up."

They both fell silent once more before beginning to speak again, their voices overlapping.

"Techno I-"

"I hope this-"

"Sorry, sorry," Dream stopped. "You first."

Technoblade gave a quick nod. "Basically, all I was going to say, was, well," he took a quick deep breath, "I hope this doesn't come out wrong, but I'm not ready for a relationship right now. I- I hold the same feelings for you as you do me, well, I do if what you told me two weeks ago is still true. Just with how busy I am, I know that mentally and physically, I am not ready or prepared for a relationship."

"And that's completely fine. Nothing has to change between us Techno. You've been my best friend for many years. Nothing will change that," he said quietly.

"I appreciate that, but I also don't want you to just wait around for me. If you find someone else who piques your interest or maybe you just change your mind about me, that's fine too. I do not care and I will not stop you from doing what you want to do."

Dream had to stop himself from laughing, unsure of how Techno didn't know by now. "I totally understand what you're saying, but please, please, please know that I am not about to just give up on you. I don't know if you realize it, but even after five years of unrequited feelings, I'm still sitting here waiting. I won't just give up on you. You are one of my only reasons to continue in life."

Technoblade did not hide his laugh. "Don't say that. There's a lot out there to live for. So many places to go and things to see. I'm not nearly as valuable as those things."

The two fell silent once more, the crunching of snow beneath the wheels of the car and windshield wipers the only noise. Dream wasn't about to let this fail. He had waited so long for Technoblade and he was so close. Even if he was doomed to wait another thousand years, he would. Deep down, he knew it was too early to say it. He knew it could ruin all he had worked for. Yet he needed Techno to know how serious he was and that he did truly want him in his life.

"Techno… I love you. I am here for you through thick and thin, just like you were from me, no matter what you believe you do or do not deserve."

The pinkette nodded, feeling a bit self-conscious. "Thanks, Dream. I do appreciate it. I can't imagine my life without you."

—

The grocery store had been a mess. It was kind of their fault for waiting this long to buy groceries for this storm. They all had known for about a week that this blizzard would be bad, they had all just had poor judgment and waited until the last minute to get food. After about thirty minutes of shopping, Dream and Technoblade decided they had what they needed. They then waited in the long lines for about forty-five minutes to check out and pay.

In that hour and fifteen minutes, the wind and snow had picked up. When they walked out of the store, the visibility was so poor, that Techno contemplated going back in. Dream, however, warned him that it could just get worse and it was best to just go home and get inside before the roads were completely untravelable. About an hour later, they had finished the fifteen-minute drive, having to drive at an unreasonably slow speed.

The two made it home safe, however, retrieving shovels from the shed in the backyard to store inside and putting away groceries. They also filled the bathtub with water so they could flush the toilet if the power went out. Blizzards this extreme were not the most common thing, but they defiantly knew how to be prepared for one. Dream was fairly quiet the entire time, the air still feeling tense.

"Hey Techno," he asked, eventually approaching him, "you don't have to say yes, but I just wanted to ask. Would you like to make a pillow and blanket fort in the living room?"

Techno's eyes lit up at the suggestion. "That's possible one of your best ideas all day Dream. I would love to."

Dream smiled at him, a grin stretching from ear to ear. "Fabulous. I'll go get supplies," he darted off into his room, pulling out every pillow they had, along with multiple large blankets.

By the time he came back, Technoblade had pulled the bar stools into the center of the living room, pushing the coffee table closer to the tv. He grinned at Dream when he saw all of the supplies and took a few of the pillows to lighten his load. Dream dumped the rest of the items on the couch, before sorting through them and picking out a fluffy and very soft blanket. He shook it out before laying it down on the ground as flat and wrinkle-free as he could, making a base.

"And this is where my knowledge ends. Now it's a series of trial and error," Dream said, moving the barstools strategically around the blanket to form supports.

Technoblade started to help, first retrieving more pillows from his room. He formed a barrier around them, propping them against the couch, barstools, and other pillows. While he also didn't really know what he was doing as it had been several years, he did know that he was having fun and this was the most relaxed he had been in weeks. While still nervous about the snowstorm, he also found himself being very grateful for it.

The two worked in silence for a few minutes, the fort falling in a few times before they decided to get some yarn and tie the blankets to the barstool legs, attempting to pull it taunt. After that, they crawled inside together, pulling in two heavier blankets to lay under. Techno turned on the tv and Xbox, handing a controller to Dream.

"Minecraft?" he asked to which Dream responded with a nod.

"Minecraft."

The two played for about an hour before becoming slightly bored and turning on a movie. They fought over what to watch for a few minutes before settling on a classic, The Princess Bride. Techno popped out of the fort to grab snacks and drinks and returned with a big bowl of popcorn, some packs of gushers, and two sodas. Dream thanked him, both settling in to watch the movie. About halfway through, Techno fell asleep, Dream only noticing because of the man's head hitting his shoulder.

He smiled softly, knowing that it had been a very rough week for the pinkette, and he set the snacks and drinks to the side where they were less likely to make a mess. He attempted to focus on the movie that he was watching, but as he pulled the blankets further over Techno and himself, Dream quickly drifted off to sleep as well.

Hello, hello again! As always, another chapter. Have a fabulous week, thank you for reading, and please review!

Best Regards,

PFT3000