✓ Updated

• CHAPTER TWENTY•

| Playful Banter, Hushed Conversations |

George screamed almost girlishly as you chased him, wooden sword at the ready and a grin sprawled across your face as exhilaration filled your veins.

Sapnap let out a similar noise with a "Dream please! No!" A thump and another scream, this one a near squeal.

Ah, dream caught him, you thought in amusement.

"Y/N, please! Let's talk about this~" George nervously panted, nearly stumbling over his feet, "It's meant to be the other way around!" he wailed.

You laughed, knowing you had warned George and Sapnap about your natural hunting instincts prior to your game of cat and chicken. Another clue you threw Dream's way, to his unending frustration which is very visible because he had chosen to take off his mask, seeing no need for it. It wasn't your first time seeing his face, but it wasn't often he had taken it off in the time he spent in your home.

("It makes me feel comfortable, I'm far too visibly expressive," he joked but you could detect an underlining tone to his voice you couldn't quite name.)

But back to the game. In truth, it was meant to be Sapnap and George hunting you and Dream but in an attempt to ambush you, the tables had been turned.

You hadn't been so relaxed, hadn't felt so free in a long time. You hadn't messed around with anyone like this in years, not since—

Herding George back to where Dream and Sapnap should be, the former leapt out from behind a tree and George screeched, crashing into Dream.

You burst into laughter as they went down.

"George!"

Sapnap laughed.

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"Thank you for inviting me," you voice as you accept the glass of water from Dream, cross-legged on the grass.

"That was better than just Sapnap and me chasing Dream," George, from where he was starfished on the grass, spoke up. His voice sounded croaky but from all the screaming, you are not overly surprised.

"It was a mistake, you mean," Sapnap groaned, throwing his head back.

It drew a laugh from you and Dream, you shared a grin.

"You guys have just gotta get good," Dream smirked as he dropped between you and Sapnap, "Bunch of amateurs."

He gets a jab in the side from Sapnap for the comment.

"I wanna see Y/N go up against you Dream," George sat up, "Like a full-on Manhunt, just the two of you."

Dream gains a contemplating look and you're interested.

"Sure," your lips quirk upwards as you sneak a glance his way, "I'd be down for that."

Dream laughed, a challenging grin forming, "Oh? Confident, aren't you?"

"I sure am."

Sapnap coughed, interrupting, "Alright you two, enough of that."

<><><><><><><><>

Evening arrives before you could even comprehend, the time having flown by in your fun. You hadn't realised just how late into the day it was until Phil came scooping down.

"So that's where you've been," his voice was filled with mirth.

"Phil," Dream greeted, raising a hand.

You yourself gave a sheepish chuckle, "I originally was just going to talk to  George but got dragged along."

"Dragged along?" Sapnap echos with a smirk "You say that like we forced you into this."

George laughed, "Yeah, how rude."

You let out a huff of a laugh, smiling, "Okay, okay," you raised your hands in defence.

You stood, brushing your skirt off, "It was lovely meeting you, Sapnap, George," You turned to Dream, "I look forward to beating you."

"You wish!" He mocked.

Phil chuckled and you shared a look, a wordless agreement to fly back. He took off first and you brought out your wings. The feeling of them painlessly pushing through the skin of your back,  ruffled feathers were quickly tempered with just a shake of your wings.

With a strong beat and a leap, you are in the air and gaining altitude. Pushing some speed into your flight, you catch up to Phil.

He looked at you, "You worried Tommy when he first noticed you weren't with us."

You winced but felt amusement and love at his worry.

"I'll be sure to apologise. I saw George and just had to have a conversation."

He hummed, the sound mostly lost to the wind, however, "I was hoping to have a conversation with you about some things."

His voice was soft but could tell the seriousness behind it. You pursed your lips.

"Dueport burnt down several years ago and there were.... rumours," he starts.

Dread festers.

("Why shouldn't I? We're basically gods, Y/N!" His eyes are wild, his body slavered in fresh blood, "We control who lives and who dies!")

"Can we land to have this conversation?"

He glanced at you, nodded, then angled his wings to descend. You follow. The roof of a building is your destination. It looked to be a house, but you are not sure. Still, it doesn't matter.

You heaved a sigh, wondering where exactly you should start, at what point it got out of your control, where you had misjudged so thoroughly that you let all of it happen.

"I..." you drag a hand across your face, "I...did something you said I shouldn't. I trust someone, someone I trusted with my life and...I don't know when it got out of hand. When the need to know more got to his head."

"Y/N," Phil sets a hand on your elbow.

"It started as an innocent question," your eyes well up, "Cassain asked about—I was looking into old magic at the time and he saw one of them about life magic."

He exhaled, eyes softening but you weren't done.

"I—I agreed like an idiot but I was cautious about it! I told him I would stop the second he put any of us in danger but—"

"He fooled you?"

"I was played!" You slumped, not brave enough to meet his eyes, "It didn't start like that. It was just genuine curiosity but as we learn and experienced more, it just...went to his head."

("That's not for us to decide!" You scream, "We don't get to dictate who lives or who dies! It should never belong to us! You don't know what it will do to the balance!")

"Then—then—" your throat clogged up, felt like your breath had been stolen.

("I don't wanna go," she sobbed, choking on blood, "It's not fair.")

("Tigra, please, hold on," you begged, trembling, tears distorting your vision as you pressed tightly; it taking everything in you to ignore the pained squeal at the pressure, "Soon, Sonny will be here soon. Just hold on.")

"Easy, Y/N, catch your breath," Phil soothed, hands moving to your shoulders and squeezed gently.

"Tigra, she, I...I saw her like a..." a daughter, you're unable to finish, the word too painful, "I loved her so much, but she lost two lives before twelve because she was...she was a slave to a bunch of Pillagers and when we freed her—she stayed."

You know you are just rambling at this point but Tigra had been a lifeline to you, someone you loved like your own,  and you know she had seen you as a mother and—you failed her.

You gulp up air, burying your face into Phil's shoulder, sobbing as he gently rocked you and stroked your neck.

"I couldn't—I couldn't accept it and, and then—we succeeded, but she didn't want it and told us to stop so I did.  I hide the books and everything—everything we had but—Cas—he—Cassian betrayed us, Julie too. I don't even know what happened—they just—chaos. It was all chaos and then Sonny lost two lives, and Tigra—again."

"Y/N, Y/N," Phil lows you both to the ground, holding you close. You could feel him trembling, or maybe that was all your doing, "Don't force yourself, please don't—please don't force yourself."

You don't, or more appropriately, you can't.