[summary]
     ↳ a forest guardian (you) meets someone who's never shown his face before (dream)

[warning/s]
     ↳ curses lol. not accurate to the canom dsmp lore

[notes]
     ↳ wow that's a crappy summary. anyways! i enjoyed writing this one :)) maybe a lot?? idk tho. enjoy reading! love u guys so much <33

***

Dream is naturally mysterious, taking care to mask his true intentions and hide behind his composed persona in order to maintain a level of respect and fear.

That was what you heard.

You met him one day while wandering through the forest and came across him sitting in a riverbank surrounded by flowers. His smiling mask had piqued your interest that day.

"Who's there?"

You took a brief pause. How did he find out you were there?

He spoke again, as if he could read your thoughts. "I know you're there; just come out or I'll slit your throat," It happened before you could blink. He took a step forward and unsheathed his enchanted netherite sword, pointing to your neck. You swallowed but made no movement. You weren't scared of dying.

"Who are you?" he inquired once more. As he spoke, you could see his mask slowly rise and fall. Wisps of blonde hair poked out from under his hood, and his fingerless gloves revealed his fair skin, implying he was human.

"I might tell you if you put your weapon down first," you said, looking down at the glowing purple blade before looking up at the two dots on his mask.

Dream trembled a little when he saw your face looking up at him with such interest, but he remained firm because this is a stranger. He's never seen anyone like you before. Everyone in the SMP was welcomed by him or his friends, but you were unique. Completely different.

It was just complete silence between the two of you as you remained speechless. The birds were still chirping and the water was still flowing down the river as Dream relaxed a little and lowered his sword. His guard was still up, but with his God complex, he knows he can easily beat you if you pull anything.

"Thank you," you breathed out. "My name is Y/n, and I'm... a forest guardian," Dream's head tilted in confusion. You had no idea what the gesture meant. "Why are you doing that-"

"How come I haven't seen you before? I..." he paused, shaking his head slightly. "I'm not sure if you'll believe me, but I own this world. I own this server."

"Sure, you can claim ownership of the server, but we were here long before humans or any other creature. Someone created this world; every biome, every creature; I just help protect it."

You decided to distract Dream after he had spent minutes overthinking that sudden information. "What about you? What's your name?"

With those dead dotted eyes, he looked up at you. He was still aware of his surroundings, and he was skeptical of you being an actual forest guardian, but seeing as you weren't planning on harming or exploiting him, he decided to let himself go, just this once.

After all, this was the only place he could find solitude, his secret safe haven. He feels at ease here.

He must not allow this spot to be tainted by this particular memory. He plucks a random flower from the ground. The flower was a cornflower. "Dream is what my friends call me," he explained.

Dream... you mentally repeated "That's... a pretty dreamy name, if you ask me."

You didn't see him react; he didn't move, he didn't laugh, he didn't say anything for a split second. Dream, however, was smiling beneath the material. He smiled, albeit briefly. "I had no idea the magical forest guardian had a sense of humor."

You let out a chuckle. "I'm not that hilarious, am I?"

"It was such a genius pun. Never heard of it before, surely."

Your smile was contagious, and Dream was thankful for the mask he wears every day so you couldn't see him smiling at you as well. Dream was also grateful for deciding to come here in this specific location at this specific time and day, because he would not have met you otherwise.

***

"Mmm, what's your favorite flower?"

Dream stares off into the distance, fidgeting with his nails. "It changes almost weekly, but I'm really into red poppies right now." He turns to you. "And yours?"

"Is 'everything' an acceptable answer? Because all flowers are pretty."

You're pretty.

He didn't move, and you couldn't tell if he was staring at you or deep in thought. His face was hidden beneath the mask. You guessed he didn't like the ambiguous response, so you replied specifically, "I love dandelions the most."

That caused him to turn away. You and Dream sat in the same spot a week ago when you first met. You had no idea how you hadn't found him yet after he'd been coming here for two weeks. He stated that he comes here to clear his mind. He also didn't seem to mind if you went to join him.

"Your turn," you said after a moment.

"What's your favorite color?"

"That's... hm," you said, shrugging. "I like pink, blue, green, yellow.... it changes! How about you?"

"I like green."

The first set of questions were fairly straightforward, asking about your favorite things and interests. The questions gradually became more amusing, such as how old you are and the embarrassing ones, before returning to the deep ones.

You wondered aloud about his friends in the SMP he claims to own. He told you about the wars, their friendship, his house... until it ended on an enigmatic note "I'm not sure what happens next."

Dream shifted his gaze to you. "Am I the first human you've met?"

You paused for a moment to reflect. "You're not the first person I've seen. Humans come and go in this forest. We see them but they don't see us," you said, smiling slightly. "You called me out while I was hiding, which surprised me."

"Well, I've gotten used to always having to look behind my back."

You didn't have to clarify as to what Dream meant. You knew what he meant; he let his guard down once and was hurt.

"Well, dream," you reassured, "you don't have to worry so much here." "I can detect danger once it enters the forest I'm guarding; I guess we all have that sensor."

"That's cool," Dream said, smiling forward. When he wandered to this forest to clear his mind, he felt his heart warm at the thought of you not sensing him as a threat. "Very cool."

"Check this out," you said to him before bending down to inspect a random flower bed in front of you. You picked an allium flower before kissing the grass, and it sprouted more flowers, glowing a bright pink. Dream sat beside you, staring in awe.

"Woah..." muttered Dream, and you frowned slightly. Because of his stupid mask, you couldn't tell what reaction he was having.

"Why do you wear a mask?" you inquired abruptly. Dream instinctively gripped the side of his mask, taking care not to reveal himself.

"I've always worn a mask, and no one has ever seen my true face."

"Not even your friends?" Dream shook his head slightly. "Isn't it suffocating?"

It is.

You hummed. "Don't you want to take it off? Like, take a breather every once in a while?"

He smirked, "If this is how you want to see my face, you've got to try harder than that."

Is that a challenge? You smiled at him, a mischievous twinkle in your eyes.

You stayed with Dream for the rest of the afternoon, and he didn't mind your company. You two had discussed almost everything by this point, and you had decided to trust each other from that point forward.

***

Dream's friends have always perceived him as a closed person, with a lot on his mind that he never seems to share. A million thoughts race through his mind, but he remains unreadable on the outside.

"Dream, you okay, dude?" Punz would ask every now and then when they ran into each other, to which the 'green man' would only nod and go his way.

He gets up, rearranges his inventory, feeds his horse, rides it, walks around to see the changes in his SMP, and goes to bed. Dream went through this every day.

However, he now has something new to look forward to every day. Seeing your face framed with flowers and smiling at him is the highlight of his day. Whether it's lying on the grass and counting the petals of a sunflower or you teaching him about the behavior of bugs, he'll cherish every moment with you.

You've gotten closer and closer over time. You've gradually gotten to know each other like the backs of your hands. He's gradually falling in love with you. You're gradually falling in love with him.

Despite hanging out for a few months, you have yet to see his face.

"You look pretty nice today," Dream commented after spotting you in the same river. He made a point of complimenting you every time you saw each other. He adores the flush that appears on your cheeks. The sight is more beautiful than any flowers here.

You smiled up at him, the same smile he loves so much. "I'm sure you're pretty nice, too. Can I see it?"

Dream laughed, and your chest swelled with pride. You made him laugh. "You're so funny, Y/n," he said, sitting down with you. You pouted a bit, and Dream immediately noticed. "What's wrong?"

You weren't forcing him, but it's a shame you never get to see his smile when you tell him a joke or a pun. You never get to see his stunned expression when you show him something cool or a trick you taught your pet fox.

You respect his decisions and will wait for him until he is ready, as much as you want to see his face. You made sure Dream knew that.

"Nothing," you said, a smile replacing your frown. "Look, I learned something new!" You opened your palm and Dream examined it more closely. When you wiggled your fingers, a thundercloud appeared, producing lightning and making small thunder noises. The singular cloud circled your hand until you closed it, at which point it dissipated.

"That was awesome!" Dream exclaimed, raising his shoulders. "How did you find out?"

"Well, I saw my friends doing it, and I just read some books, taught myself overnight... ta-da..." you opened your palm again, and it eventually transformed into a tornado. You were proudly watching it until Dream interrupted it by slapping your hand with his, the tornado dissipating as if it were smoke.

"Hey!" you exclaimed, lightheartedly glaring at him.

You wanted to show more storms, but Dream was annoying and slapped it away again. You laugh this time, but Dream laughs even harder. "Stop it, Dream!"

"I'm not doing- wheeze- anything!" Dream clutched his stomach from laughing so hard.

"You're being infuriating," you told him, but you weren't angry. The threatening smile on your lips says otherwise.

You opened your palm again, but Dream had already launched an attack, this time intertwining his hands with yours and refusing to let go. "Dream!"

"Don't do it! No more storms. Not cool anymore."

You tried to pry your hand free, but he had a firm grip on it. An idea formed in your head, conjuring a storm in your opposite hand but Dream was one step ahead of you once more, reaching out to grab your other hand.

"Oh, come on," you groaned playfully.

Silence falls between the two of you, and you begin to sweat. You two were simply sitting there holding hands. Dream had already loosened his tight grip on you but you weren't pulling away. Your hands were still touching.

Like the mischievous person you are, you tried the storm trick again, the cloud appearing inexplicably. You couldn't tell what Dream was thinking as he looked down slightly at your hand. However, you let out a small gasp as he slowly clasped his hand in yours, intertwining your fingers.

When your hands remained clasped, there was a peaceful silence. A smile slowly spread across your face, but Dream's emotionless mask stared back.

***

You were reading Dream one of his favorite books. He sat on your lap, his mask still on, but the hood of his jacket was down, exposing his dirty blond hair. It had grown long enough to reach his shoulders, and every now and then he would let you braid it in the same style as your hair, and you would take the advantage to add his favorite flowers in his hair.

Dream's eyes were closed, but you couldn't tell. He was breathing peacefully, and you would pause in the middle of your reading to wonder if he had fallen asleep, but then he would reach out and massage your wrist to silently tell you that he was still awake, and you would resume reading.

You leaned against a large tree while Dream fidgeted with the flower he had just plucked. He pushes his finger towards you without saying anything, signaling the routine you'd always do. You rolled your eyes and kissed his finger, and Dream transports it to the location where he plucks the flower, the grass glowing pink as it heals itself.

You blushed slightly as a result of your recent gesture. "Or maybe, you can simply stop picking out flowers."

"But I like flowers," Dream whined. There was no denying that he had a flush on his cheeks, but you wouldn't guess that.

He could still feel the tingles in his finger from where you kissed him. It sent his entire body into a frenzy, and he couldn't control himself.

It had become more awkward and intimate at the same time over the last few weeks. Personal space appears to have vanished, with cuddling and kissing fingers becoming the new norm.

Dream had admitted to himself that he had feelings for you.

You should have figured it out by now based on how close he was to you and how loud his heartbeat was, but you were preoccupied with your own feelings for this particular boy.

He easily drew you in. He was a fascinating individual.

You had no idea where the two of you stood. You had feelings for each other but never seemed to admit it, despite the fact that the two of you did things that close 'friends' would not do: cuddle on a bed of flowers, kiss fingers to heal crushed flowers, stare at one another for hours.

***

Dream had informed you yesterday morning of the conflict between two SMP factions. There appears to be a disagreement that cannot be resolved through simple conversation, and as the server's administrator and the most powerful, he must prepare to intervene between the two parties.

"Be safe," you don't have a clue what happens outside your forest so you don't fully comprehend the gravity of the situation. Dream was sharpening his netherite sword and repairing his armor. "I hope everything works out."

Dream sighed as he became slightly agitated. "Well, if you run into those obstinate little-" he sighed. "They would do anything to win, even if it meant killing other people."

That sent shivers up your spine. Even if they commit such heinous crimes, no one deserves to die. But you didn't go any further because this wasn't your problem to begin with. You chose to remain silent and simply be there for Dream.

It was the day of their apparent war, and you had no idea how things were progressing. You silently ask the Gods above to protect Dream. You realized that this fight might injure him or even kill him. His words from yesterday haunted you: "They would do anything to win, even if it meant killing other people." There is always the possibility that something will go wrong.

You were wandering around the forest, looking for other animals in need of healing when you realized your abilities had evolved from healing only plants to now healing mammals and other animals.

After tending to a scratched deer, you found yourself in the clearing where you and Dream often hang out, and your thoughts returned to him. You sat down and leaned back against your favorite tree, which was generous in providing cool shade beneath the hot sun. You closed your eyes for a brief moment, soaking in the tranquillity of nature.

When the silence was broken by a sudden rustle in the bushes, you were startled. You examined it with interest. Without the presence of light, the clearing where you and Dream hang out on occasion was surrounded by clumps of trees that were difficult to see.

You sat up on your knees in alert when you saw a silhouette of a figure limping towards you. They didn't say anything, only sighing out groans and low moans.

"Dream?"

He finally entered the clearing, and the light shone on him. You were taken aback by the state of his clothes, which were tattered and slightly torn. His mask had been brutally scratched, and the painted smile was fading. His hood was off, revealing his unkempt blond hair. He was stuttering his steps and covering the side of his torso.

"Dream!" you exclaimed, standing up to meet him halfway, and that's when his knees buckled, causing him to lean towards you. You drew him to the tree and sat him against it. He inhaled deeply but remained silent. "Are you okay?" you ask, immediately wanting to hit yourself in the head. Of course he isn't fine! He's covered in blood and bruises!

"Fine, I just-" he tried to sit up properly but quickly regretted it. "Fuck," he gasped. He jerked his head back to the tree's trunk. You moved in closer, attempting to calm him down.

"Dream, don't move," you gulped, unsure where to begin. You looked down at his green hoodie, which was ripped and scratched. You sighed in relief when he let you pull his hand away.

You weren't bothered by the deep gash because you were used to seeing them, but there was still a pang in your heart whenever you saw someone get hurt. And seeing Dream, all hurt, in front of you just sent you to a panic. "Don't worry. I'm- I'm used to it." He took bread from his inventory and ate it, immediately feeling better, but healing will take a long time. "My bandages were back home, but uh-" his blush was hidden beneath the mask. "Instead, I wanted to come here."

You turned away from him, your gaze fixed on the bloodstained clothing. You did everything you could to help heal him, knowing that your healing abilities had improved. However, Dream is making it difficult to concentrate. He was just so distracting.

Dream looked at you, intrigued by your silence. "I'm fine; you don't have to worry-"

"Shut up."

He jumped a little when you snapped. When you realized what you had done, you immediately blushed. "I'm sorry! You're just- ugh. I'm trying to heal you, but you're... irritating."

"I'm sorry," Dream began, but he heard what you said. "Wait, you can now heal more than just plants?"

"Yeah," you admitted sheepishly. "I've done it to rabbits and small birds before, but never to a human."

Dream scooted closer, grabbing your hand near his. You took a look at him. "Hey, I'm your first human test. You've got this."

You still stared at him, indifference in your features. Those dead eyes from your mask don't really inspire me, Dream.

Sadness had seeped into your features and you didn't realize you were frowning. Your gaze alternated between his mask's eyes. Before Dream could say anything, you grabbed his hand, kissed his fingertips, and guided it to his wound above his waist.

The specific wound had glowed a light colored glow, similar to how plants get healed when kissed. The blood was cleaned up as if nothing had happened, but his hoodie remained ripped.

Dream was amazed as he watched his skin basically sew itself together. He looked back at you in awe, but he was back to his sagging shoulders when you didn't seem to share his enthusiasm for something groundbreaking. "Y/n? What's wrong? You healed me! It's something you should be proud of!"

You laughed halfheartedly. "How I wish I could see you smile, Dream," you finally admitted aloud.

"What do you mean?"

"I never get to see the way your lips turn into a smile or laugh, or even when you frown when you disapprove of me; the stupid mask always gets in the way. Sometimes I just want to... I just want to..."

There was silence. You were about to pick a strand of grass from the ground when Dream leaned close to your ear. "Take it off?" he asked softly.

You shifted your gaze to him, speechless. Dream delicately reached for your hand, gently lifting up to his ear. You swallowed nervously, but as soon as you touched his mask, the nerves faded.

Dream was not easily scared, so why is he shaking at your fingertips inching around the strap? You reached behind him, feeling through his hair for the strap. You were so close to him, incredibly close. When he notices your eyes staring directly through him, he breaks his resolve.

You came to a halt for a moment, and your eyes morphed into a question, as if you were asking him for permission. Are you sure?

Dream gulped nervously for a moment before nodding subtly.He wanted to hold onto somehing, anything. He grabbed your arms with a huge exhale, but he wasn't pulling you back, he just held you.

"Dream?"

He swallowed quickly in anticipation. "Yes?"

"I love you."

His sparkling, olive green eyes were the first thing you noticed as you yanked off the mask. It greeted you with such interest that you wished you could swim on it. As blood rushed to his skull after hearing your confession, his cheeks were painted with this soft rosy color. Your attention was drawn to the freckles on his face. His brow furrowed in concern. He was watching your reaction, but you weren't saying anything.

Dream suddenly shied away as he remembered the scars on his face, but there was no hint of disgust in your eyes. As your hands gently swept across his features, it was more of an admiration. Dream had never felt more loved than when you cradled his face in your delicate hands.

He leaned in closer, wanting your touch more than ever, and you gladly obliged, massaging the sides of his face, his crooked nose, and the base of his hair. He closed his eyes unconsciously, his lips erupting into a small smile. And you nearly cried at this priceless moment. The first time you saw him smile.

Dream opened his eyes again, his emerald eyes staring at you. He looked at you with interest, watching your reaction. You confessed your feelings for him. Do you still love him after seeing his face?

"Can I kiss you?"

He was sure that his sight got unfocused after that inquiry. You... want to kiss him? He blinked back to reality to see you gazing at his lips. The two of you were so close as Dream gulped nervously.

"Yes," he heard himself say.

You couldn't contain the small smile on your face. You felt yourself inching closer, pulling him towards you. Dream couldn't speak, couldn't move, couldn't breathe.

"Dream," you murmured as your lips brushed against each other. He finally jumped the gun and pressed his lips on yours. It was pure, innocent, and delectable.

A smile appears in the both of you and you leaned forward, loving the sensation. Dream could feel his stomach flipping as tingles soared through his nerves.

He lifted a hand and combed through your hair as your feather touches tickled the back of his neck. The whole clearing was quiet, as it was just the two of you, basking in each other's kisses.

Dream had to draw away since he was out of breath. His hands remained on the side of your head, and you proceeded to touch his cheeks, nose, and lips with your thumbs. Your little laughs turned into a chuckle, which erupted into full-fledged joyful laughing.

"Yeah, I think I'm healed now," Dream remarked after a moment. "You kissed it better."

"I think I feel better now, too," you told him and it was true. Although you weren't physically injured, seeing Dream's face smiling at you, looking back at you with his wondrous eyes made you feel a hundred times better. It's already the highlight of your life.

"Y/n?"

"Yes?"

"I love you, too."

***