another revealed truth

epilogue (many years later)

trigger warnings listed in opening author's note

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from the doorway, dream signs one last 'i love you'.

he knows he can just use one hand, two fingers down, but he prefers to do the longed-out version, gesturing to himself, making a sort of hug motion, and then pointing to his daughter in bed. it feels more meaningful that way, he thinks. karl agrees.

karl had thought it was ironic that the first child they looked to adopt was born deaf. dream had thought it was some kind of sign that they were a family of soulmates, since both dads speak fluent sign language and have used it on and off for years now.

of course, before alyssa was a part of their family, they hadn't used it as much than they used to back in college since karl rarely had mute phases now. but he still has his days when something is particularly hard and he finds it easier not to verbalise everything.

dream steps out of the room when the five-year-old offers him one last wave before turning into bed, smiling to himself as he gently shuts the door even though she won't hear it.

he makes his way quickly downstairs, knowing he's taken a little too long making up a story with alyssa's teddies for her to watch and hoping he isn't going to be light-heartedly chastised for his lousy time management skills.

when he reaches the dining room to find karl already putting the food dishes onto the mats in the table centre, he wraps his arms around the brunette's waist and presses a long kiss to the back of his neck, just to get on his good side.

"thanks for making the table, karl. i love you so much, karl. you're the best fiancé ever, karl. our daughter definitely likes you more, karl," the brunette says, putting down the dish that he was holding before turning in dream's arms to face the blond. he raises an eyebrow at dream, the simple expression reading: 'you said you'd be down in time to help set up.'

"thank you, karl. i love you so much, karl. you're the best fiancé ever, karl. our daughter likes me more," dream grins, earning himself an eye roll from the brunette before karl leans in to meet him for a kiss.

"she loves scooby doo more than both of us, and we used the commission from one of my paintings to make her room scooby doo themed, so i think i'm better."

dream kisses karl again, short and sweet.

he kisses karl a lot, especially when he has these random bursts of love, so bright and strong, and he doesn't know how else to deal with them.

dream glances at the table, then back at karl. "you haven't got out cutlery. will you forgive me if i do it?" he smiles.

karl tries not to smile back, but his efforts are futile. "i purposefully left that job for you so you'd have something to feel good about." karl says it like a joke, but dream knows that it's true.

without another word, he steps back, untangling from around karl's waist, and quickly goes to get out cutlery. if karl hadn't left this for him to do, he would've felt like an idiot for not helping and just being generally useless. of course, karl would've told him that's not the case at all, but he would've had that pointless well in his stomach either way.

he pulls open the cutlery drawer just as he hears the front doorbell ring. even though alyssa is deaf, dream still always has moments like this when he thinks 'i hope that noise doesn't wake her up', before he manages to catch his thoughts and rolls his eyes to himself.