Chapter Text
Techno had made the decision to throw the rabbit man over his shoulder and climb up the ladder, to bring him up to the bedroom. It had been a rational choice, really, to avoid someone like Phil or Ranboo walking in and seeing a strange man but it had been a struggle to get up there without hurting him.
The injuries from the fox attack were bad enough and when you added the fact that a lot of his previous wounds were just barely healing, it made the situation more dire. Most of the new injuries were focused on the neck area, puncture wounds on the back and a few jagged tears on the shoulder.
He poured a bit of healing potion on the wounds, watching the flesh knit back together. Then he cleaned up the blood as best he could. Techno sat back, one leg pulled up and resting his arm on his knee, and sighed.
The man looked half dead. Techno had thought it was bad when he was a rabbit but somehow this was worse. His skin was pale and clammy, his ribs jutted out, and every inch of skin that was visible seemed to have a scar or slowly healing cut or burn. He had been tortured, a thought that Techno had from the very beginning, but hadn’t let linger because who tortured a rabbit?
A man, however, that made sense.
Especially considerin’ who he is, thought Techno and then, immediately, Don’t know that for sure.
Which was true, he didn’t know for certain but he could make an educated guess. The man shifted, ears twitching and one leg jerking as if he was trying to get away from something. Techno recognized the signs of a nightmare, had seen the rabbit panic in its sleep, had had plenty of his own nightmares. He scooted forward a little.
“Easy,” he said, touch soft as he placed his hand on the man’s shoulder.
The man’s eyes flew open – a vibrant green that erased all doubts from Techno’s mind – and scrambled back as best he could, pressing himself between the wall and a barrel. He was trembling, rabbit-like nose moving constantly.
“Easy, man, I’m not gonna hurt you.” Techno held up his hands. “See? It’s just me. You know I’m not gonna hurt you, right?”
There was no answer. His eyes darted around the room.
“C’mon, would I do anythin’ to you? Heck, you’ve been chewin’ up all my books and the legs of my chair and I haven’t kicked you out yet,” he said.
The only answer this time was an annoyed flick of his ear and a frown.
“Are you just not gonna talk?”
He stared at Techno and then nodded once, the movement barely perceptible.
Techno watched him for a moment.
“Is there a reason for that?” he asked but this time, as he spoke, he moved his fingers.
Green eyes widened slightly and Techno knew that he understood. That was good, that was something he could use if things were as bad as he was starting to fear they were.
“Can’t,” came the answer, signed back to him quickly.
“Yeah, that’s not really a reason, man. Like, can’t because you physically can’t or can’t because you know if you start talkin’, I’m gonna recognize your voice.”
His face paled and he shrank back against the wall even farther, as if he was trying to disappear into the wood.
“Yeah,” said Techno, “I kinda thought that was it.”
Silence settled on the room as Techno leaned back, doing his best to keep his movements slow. Quick movements were more likely to startle wild animals and he might as well have been dealing with one. You hurt a man badly enough and often enough, and that’s what he would become. Techno knew that well. He had been there before.
Techno waited until he seemed calmer, until his chest stopped rising and falling rapidly, until he wasn’t shaking as badly, before he spoke again.
“Look, I’m not gonna tell anyone and I’ll keep callin’ you Gary.” At the name, his ears folded back and his nose twitched. Techno snorted. “Yeah, yeah, but what I’m sayin’ is, it’s fine. I just need to know two things, alright?”
He stared at Techno, waiting.
“You are who I think you are, right?” he asked.
This time the nod was merely the slightest incline of his head. If Techno hadn’t been watching for it, he would have missed it.
The acknowledgement somehow made everything worse. The fear, the silence, the way he cowered. Techno hadn’t known Dream, not really, but what he did know wasn’t this. His chest felt tight.
“Did Sam and Quackity do all this to you?”
Dream looked at him and then away, expression blank. He didn’t give an answer but Techno didn’t need one. Who else would it have been? Why else were they trying to keep Dream’s escape covered up if not because they didn’t want everyone knowing what they had done to him?
Techno wondered if that was even necessary, if anyone would have cared in the first place.
“Alright, let’s get you some clothes,” he said and began rifling through his drawers. Dream was shorter than Techno remembered, by almost a foot, and combined with how much weight he had lost, Techno didn’t think much of anything would fit him. He finally settled on shirt that was long with a round neckline that Techno could barely fit his head through. At least it wouldn’t slip off Dream’s shoulders. He held it out. “Here you go.”
Holding it, Dream ran his fingers over the fabric and looked back to Techno, as if he wasn’t sure what to do with it, rabbit thoughts too loud in his mind.
“Go on, I’m not lookin’,” said Techno, completely misreading the reason for the hesitation.
Dream tugged the shirt over his head, struggling a bit when his ears caught on the collar. The sleeves were long, almost covering his hands, and if he stood up the shirt would’ve gone down to his thighs. He pulled at the hem awkwardly, not sure what he was supposed to do now.
“You done?” Techno asked. After a beat, he realized that if he wasn’t looking, he wouldn’t know whether or not Dream was answering. He looked back and judging by the expression on Dream’s face, he had come to the same conclusion. “We’re just not gonna talk about that, alright? Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to get some sleep.”
With a sigh, Techno laid down, shifting his pillow beneath his head, and waited to see what Dream would do. He hadn’t moved since putting on the shirt, sitting completely still. Techno gave a soft snort, the corner of his mouth curling upwards. After a long moment, Dream curled up in the corner and dragged one of the blankets up over himself.
“Just don’t chew on my blanket this time,” he said.
The only answer was a soft, annoyed thump.
Techno smiled.