i work on fanfiction more than i do schoolwork and it's become a bit of a problem, i think ... uhhh ... but at least i'm finishing this fic ???

Nia stands up from her seat immediately upon seeing Dream walk through the library at the entrance of the Trix base. His mask hangs on the side of his face, and the princess gets to see the awe in his expression as he looks around.

"I may have followed Sara here one time," says Dream, unbothered by the deathly glare he receives from Nia. He walks toward her, his eyes getting stuck on the lectern that's meant to hold the Revival Book.

"Why are you here?" asks Nia, wanting direct answers rather than beating about the bush.

Dream grins at her, his fingers tracing over the wooden shelves. Nia's eyes are narrowed, her arms crossed over her chest as she waits for him to speak. He doesn't say a word until he's standing before Nia, slightly towering over her.

"Reasons," he says. "I come bearing gifts," he adds after Nia raises an eyebrow at him, ready to leave him alone inside the library.

Rolling her eyes, Nia sighs. She keeps her defensive stance, her eyes on Dream. "Fine," she says. "What is it?"

Dream smirks. "You know, I feel like I should preface it first, like, explain myself before I give it to you, because . . . well, it's not exactly a gift gift. And it's not really a conventional gift either," he speaks, grabbing for his backpack.

"Just make it short," says Nia indignantly.

"Seriously? I help you and your boyfriend destroy L'Manburg, and this is how you treat me?" questions Dream, his eyebrow raised. "Are we not friends?"

"Debatable." Nia shakes her head.

"Is this because I didn't come check on you— I swear I did help look for you after I— wait . . . do you hate me?"

Dream doesn't seem sad when he asks the question, rather than genuinely curious. He knows what it's like to be hated, he tried his hardest to be hated, after all, but Nia . . . she's like a small crack in his carefully crafted armor, made by all of the atrocities he's committed. She's a friend, and he doesn't have many of those.

Sighing, Nia shakes her head again. "No, I don't hate you," she replies truthfully. "I just know you've done a lot of shitty things, and I'm having a hard time convincing myself that the you I used to know is gone."

"Things were so much easier back then," says Dream, chuckling lightly as he reminisces of that part of his life. He was weak, and he let Wilbur and Tommy ruin everything he was trying to build . . . but at least he had friends.

"Yeah," Nia agrees quietly. She rubs her hands together, her eyes averting to the ground. Her head snaps back as she remembers where they are. "Are you going to tell me why you're here?" She puts the conversation back on track.

"Okay, fine," says Dream, pulling a book out of his backpack. He turns it, so that the title faces Nia, and she gasps, staring at it with her eyes wide.

"That's the—"

"Revival Book, yes," Dream smirks, holding it in Nia's face. "My gift — to you."

"But it's not free," Nia adds knowingly — so that's what Dream meant with the unconventional gift. He nods. "What do you want in return, then? 'Cause I'm pretty sure it's not Tommy this time."

Dream chuckles, shaking his head. "Yeah, no Tommy — I've got that one covered already," he remarks, a devilish glint in his green eyes. "I'm kind of planning something big, and I figured I could give the book back to the Trix, so you can keep it safe from everyone else."

Nia narrows her eyes at Dream. "Planning what exactly?"

"I'm going to be staying somewhere for a while, I think," Dream smirks. "A few months, give or take. I can't bring the book with me, so I'm giving it to you."

"And what's the price?"

"Just a simple favor in return," Dream grins brightly, shrugging. "It's a favor, so it could be anything, but . . . I think I might just call it along with Technoblade's."

Nia gapes at Dream. "He owes you a favor?"

"Of course!" Dream laughs, gazing at Nia. "You think saving Techno and his horse from the butcher army was for free? I didn't spend days looking for you just to get nothing out of it."

Closing her mouth, Nia nods. That makes sense. The princess licks her lips and nods. "Okay, so I'll owe you a favor for the book." She smacks her lips, knitting her eyebrows together. "You do know that we're not going to give the book back to you, right?"

Dream shrugs. "I figured," he says. "But that's fine. I remember everything in that book anyway."

"What?"

"I experimented a bit," Dream says nonchalantly, a pleased smile on his lips. "And I memorized the whole thing."

Narrowing her eyes at Dream, Nia licks her lips, crossing her arms again. Looking at him, she wonders what exactly he's planning. Even if he remembers the contents of the book, it still seems strange to her that he'd give her the book for safekeeping for something as trivial as a favor.

Not to mention Dream's knowledge of the book poses another problem, because it's not just the book the Trix are supposed to protect. They should protect the text inside the book to make sure that nobody breaks or bends the rules of the world of the living. Nobody should defy death. Something tells Nia that Dream might've already done that, however. She bites the inside of her cheek.

"So, you want it?" Dream cocks his head to the side.

"No, Dream, I don't want it," says Nia sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Right, stupid question, got it," Dream notes to himself, nodding. He he shuffles on his spot, pushing the book forward. He waits for Nia to reach out for it before he speaks. "For a favor in return, that's all I ask."

Nia presses her lips together. "I'm guessing you already know exactly what that favor is, even if you say you don't," she comments, taking the book from him cautiously.

Dream smirks. "Maybe I do," he says. "But I think you're also going to know when the time comes."

"Any hints?"

"Let's just say you're going to help me out."

"Out . . . of what?"

Dream shrugs. "You'll know."