Chapter Text
Tommy and Dream were in for a world of punishment when they got back, and not just from Phil and Kristin. Tommy’s brothers were just as upset at them for throwing themselves into danger even if it was for a good reason; much to Tommy’s disappointment. It was worth it, he would keep reminding himself it was worth it.
Tommy’s punishment was simple but effective. He was grounded for longer, he had to help out with small chores like polishing armour, and he and Dream were not to be left alone together until he was ungrounded. Some would say it was a weak punishment, that it would teach him nothing, but his parents knew he was already aware of what he did wrong to an extent. This was to reinforce that he could not do what he liked when it came to dangerous situations.
Dream’s was a little more difficult; not only did he have an important job but he also had to go through the painful process (his words, though said sarcastically) of relinquishing the power he now held. Yes he had done it multiple times before but that did not mean he no longer felt the desire, the hunger to keep collecting names and people to satisfy the urge for power. Eret suggested entrapment again, to deny him access to the human realm just to be sure, but Philza was more lenient in his suggestions. Whilst Eret’s suggestion made sense it held no compassion for the Faerie, it didn’t take into factor Dream’s contribution and his sacrifice. No, Philza refused to put him through that. Instead he was sentenced to a few things, much like Tommy, until he was deemed punished enough. From training new guards to sharpening weapons to helping sort papers Phil and Kristin needed sorting. Rather mundane tasks but he’d take it over never going out to the human realm again. Even if the newbies thought they were the best and tried to fight him at every chance. Even if all their weapons were dull and blunt. Even if Phil had an ungodly amount of papers that weren’t organised.
Yeah he could see why he didn’t want to go along with Tommy’s plan at first now.
Of course Wilbur and Techno’s punishments weren’t as official. Wilbur insisted they always be supervised which Dream tried objecting too but Sapnap was more than happy to torture his friend by never leaving; Tommy was more willing to go along with it however. It wasn’t like he wanted to be alone in the first place. Techno simply stated he wouldn’t spar with either of them which did upset them both. Not only was it rare for Dream to find someone at his skill level but Tommy was still eager to learn and who better than his older brother?
It was all a mess that only the castle knew of, an organised mess that was determined to keep Tommy and Dream in line for at least a moment. The time limit wasn’t set in stone but they all knew it would only last as long as Kristin felt it was necessary; if Phil was in charge it would end within a day. Neither of the parties cared much about the time limit however. They knew what they had signed up for and they got it, they were prepared.
Tommy was most thankful for what they had accomplished. Faerie’s returned with minimal iron burns and scrapes, the forest was fine and the village was booming again. Last he had heard they were working on diminishing harmful stories about the Fae; but that was from a single visit Sam had made for him. Thanks to them the village avoided a downright slaughter but he couldn’t help but give some credit to Mx Cromer. No matter how harsh they had been, how bloodthirsty, they were still willing to give up for those they cared for. They were ready to sacrifice it all for their people and Tommy could respect that, even if it had led them down a dark path. He could only wish for their recovery to bring a clearer conscience; he wouldn’t be able to stop another war even with Dream’s control over them.
Eret and Puffy returned home with their people with promises to return later on to celebrate, a party to be held in the Summer Court with every Faerie invited. The whole situation had brought great stress and pain to all so it was only far all got a chance to unwind and have fun now it was over. Tommy was grateful they allowed it to be held in the Summer Court instead of the Winter Court despite the larger temperature differences this time of year. No matter how nicely he asked his parents would not let him leave the castle, not even to celebrate, which he would have considered completely unfair.
It was only a week or so before preparations were underway to set up the great hall as well as the streets below, the people decorating their stalls and outside of their houses. Phil and Puffy had agreed that the sooner they threw the party the better, to keep the victory fresh in everyone’s mind. Tommy would watch from his bedroom window to see all the people hang their streamers and prepare lanterns, the florist handing out bouquets and the jeweller giving away bands of rope and twine. It was the most he’d seen their people act as a community since he had become Prince, it brought a smile to his face. Even if he couldn’t go down there to help out, to bask in the energy, to talk to everyone, he would accept watching from above. At least he could watch. Besides it was more fun than watching the Hall be prepared. Wilbur had brought it upon himself to sort that all out, claiming to have a better sense of style than their father which very well may be true. He wasn’t sure he could bring himself to watch his brother decide if the tables were fine on the sides or needed to be moved a single inch to the left; not after last time he was dragged along. He could still recall the groans of frustration as people moved things for the fifth time, it was torturous to watch let alone act upon Wilbur’s every wish and whim.
Part of him thought about sparring with Sapnap finally whilst he waited for the day to arrive, it wasn’t like he had much else to do, but he wasn’t sure if the fiery Fae would agree. Normally he would go to Techno first but he had already made it clear he wouldn’t be sparring with either of them, he and Dream were not to be left alone together and Wilbur wasn’t the best with a sword. Sapnap was his last choice; that he would be fine with teaching him anyway. Sapnap was a good fighter, Tommy always loved to watch his spars and fights even if he technically wasn’t supposed to be there. He just loved the adrenaline, silently cheering on his friend and studying his movements. It was a rare sight but one he enjoyed nonetheless. With some reluctance and nothing left to lose he started to wander the halls almost aimlessly, hoping he could just bump into Sapnap rather than having to search for him. If he was really unlucky Sapnap wouldn’t even be in the castle and it would all be for nought.
Yeah, he really didn’t want that.
The boy walked with his hands by his sides, his fingers tapping against each other idly as he kept a keen eye out for black hair or a pure black sword or even the tail of his white bandana. He wasn’t hard to miss, the man practically radiated energy and warmth. Maybe that was why Tommy enjoyed being around him so much. Still, the halls felt cold against his skin only spurred on by the fact he wasn’t wearing his usual robes or cloak. He preferred to forgo the additions and accessories nowadays, sticking to regular shirts and trousers with his friends' gifts attached. It wasn’t like anyone was going to see him so why would he bother getting all dressed up? It was a whole load of effort for nothing, and Tommy Innit was a man of convenience!
A groan of frustration left him as he found himself outside the great hall, already able to hear Wilbur’s signature voice on the other side of the open door no doubt torturing some poor soul with chairs or decorations. The sooner he could escape the better, even better still if he wasn’t caught in the process. Wilbur had grown rather attached after the whole incident with the village, stuck to him like a leech. Tommy wasn’t complaining but he also really wanted to learn how to fight and Wilbur would not be suitable for such a thing. Cautiously he tiptoed his way past the opening, wings helping him keep balance as he walked past slowly. A quick glance through the doors showed him his brother indeed torturing a poor Faerie, his ‘favourite’ guard Sam being sent back and forth to move about chairs to Wilbur’s whim. The poor man looked exhausted, like he wanted to hide away in the guard’s chambers for days until the damn party was over. Tommy liked Sam, they got on well even if Sam was more into his work than talking with others. He sent the Faerie a pitying glance before rushing away, hoping to whatever beings may hear that Wilbur would also take pity on him and let him go sooner rather than later.
It took going out into the gardens for him to find Sapnap, much to his relief and annoyance. The man was outside with Techno as he should have guessed, the two talking whilst Techno worked on the flowers all around them. They had had gardeners at one point, he had been told, but Techno enjoyed doing it himself instead of watching someone else do it. He cleared his throat as he approached with a smile, waving at his brother and friend as they looked over in his direction. Thankfully Techno didn’t seem too mad anymore, giving him a smile as he walked over to them and even leaning back from his work to wave.
“Toms! Hey!” Sapnap practically yelled, as energetic as ever.
“Hey Sapnap, Techno.” His brother gave a grunt in response, cleaning off his dirty hands with a rag. “Having fun out here?”
“I guess, as much fun as you can when watching a dude silently garden.” It was obviously light-hearted but still Techno threw some dirt at the other, laughing at his mock offended gasp.
“Sapnap’s been yabbering for ages, kinda glad you’re here actually.” Techno stood up with a huff, his back cracking as he stood up straight for what must have been the first time in hours.
“Can’t handle a little conversation Blade?” Tommy teased with a grin, bumping his shoulder against his brothers.
“I can, but not when he’s talking about the party for the fifth time today.” Techno sent a glare Sapnap’s way; he too had suffered at the hands of Wilbur’s excitement it seemed. Sapnap had the decency to look regretful, still brushing dirt off of his white uniform as carefully as he could. He didn’t want to be cleaning stains out AGAIN. He still remembered hours of cleaning silver and red blood out of his clothes; it had been worse than the burns that still littered his skin.
“Hey, it’s not my fault it’s exciting.” He tried to shrug it off, snickering at the brother’s identically unimpressed faces.
“I’m stopping this conversation before it starts, I’ve already had to sneak past Will multiple times today.” Tommy groaned, rubbing his eyes in hopes it would relieve the phantom stress still lingering from it all. “Poor Sam got dragged into his antics, he’s gonna go grey early at this rate.”
“Phil’s not far behind.” Techno muttered with a smirk, prideful in himself as Tommy burst out into laughter.
“Don’t let him hear you, he’ll dye yours out of spite.” Tommy spluttered out between laughs, holding his stomach as he calmed down.
“I’d like to see him try, Techno’s rooms are always on lock down.” Sapnap shook his head, feigning distress at the idea. “I can’t even perform my guardly duties, he locks me out!”
“Since when are you my guard?” Techno had moved to sit on the bench they had lovingly dubbed the sunshine bench; thanks to Tommy spending hours there just basking in the warmth of the sun.
“Since forever, don’t question.” Sapnap spoke quickly, distress turning into mischief despite how he held himself.
“Bruh, I want a new guard. Tommy can we swap?” Sapnap whined as he collapsed on the seat beside Techno, taking in the freshly planted flowers all around them.
“Dude my guard doesn’t count right now.” Tommy sighed, sitting on the ground beside Techno. Dream was still his personal guard but until their punishments were up he had Bad instead. The Faerie was ominous to look at but Tommy found him obnoxiously family-friendly, going out of his way to swear more just to annoy Bad for entertainment. He would apologise later, when he got Dream back.
“Right, you got Bad now?” Tommy nodded at Sapnap, crossing his arms across his chest. “Bad’s cool, can’t imagine being around him all the time though.”
“Dude he won’t stop talking about this Winter Faerie-” Tommy didn’t want to complain about it, he rarely listened enough to care, but he could only hear Bad gush about his best friend so much before he wanted to fly away.
“Maybe he’ll stop if he comes to the party?” Sapnap wasn’t hopeful, despite being great friends they rarely saw each other. The two just always claimed to be too busy. “Or if he stays your guard long enough you can drag him there, duty and all that.”
“A great way to lose my babysitter, Sapnap you’re a genius.” Sapnap cheered as they fist-bumped, ignoring Techno’s exasperated sigh.
“Speaking of punishment, how have you been keeping yourself busy?” Sapnap did feel kinda bad for the boy; he knew how much Tommy adored going out and exploring and now he was trapped inside with his only respite being the garden.
“I haven’t, there’s nothing to do in this damn place.” Tommy’s voice pitched higher as he groaned, throwing his arms over his face as he leant back.
“Could always help Wilbur.” Techno replied with a completely serious tone, watching as his brother shot him a dirty look. “Better than sitting around doing nothing all day.”
“Technoblade, helping Wilbur with the party is a last resort option. I still have many to go through before putting myself through that.” Tommy was entirely serious in his response, his face like stone with how well he maintained his look of distaste.
“What’s so bad about helping Wilbur?” Sapnap asked curiously, leaning forward to be able to see Tommy properly as they spoke.
“Have you ever tried meeting his wishes? Because there’s no such thing as a compromise when he’s working on something, especially when he wants it to be perfect.” Tommy threw his hands around as he spoke, a dramatic flare he had picked up from his eldest brother not too long after he joined the Faerie world.
“I haven’t actually, too busy bothering Pinky over here.” Sapnap jabbed a thumb in Techno’s direction, narrowly dodging a lazy kick sent his way.
“Call me Pinky again and I’ll have some new fertiliser for the plants.” His hand rested on his dagger threateningly, sending shivers down the poor guard's spine.
“Understood!” He slapped a grin on his face, sending him a salute as Techno nodded approvingly.
“Speaking of fighting,” Tommy started cautiously, smiling hopingly up at Sapnap. “I remember a certain Faerie promised to spar with me after the whole fighting stuff was over.” Sapnap faked a tired groan, a grin growing wide as he sat up.
“I knew you didn’t come here just to chat.” Tommy shrugged with a laugh, already knowing Sapnap was as ready as he was.
“What can I say? I was bored.” Sapnap shook his head before pulling himself off the bench, stretching his arms above his head.
“I’ll go get some practice swords, Techno can put you through his stretch routine until I’m back.” He didn’t give the two time to argue, already back inside by the time he had finished speaking.
“So…Stretches?” He looked up at his brother, excitement filling him as Techno reluctantly nodded.
Techno wasn’t going to go easy on Tommy just because he was new to fighting, norr because he was his brother, and so the boy was put through just as gruelling stretches as everyone else. He was sure his muscles weren’t supposed to ache so much after some what looked to be simple stretches but there he was, groaning to his brother about how mean he was for ruining his perfectly good joints for entertainment. Techno wasn’t going to deny it was funny to watch his brother suffer from some simple arm and back stretches but that was not his goal.
“A good fighter is one that can move with ease Theseus.” Techno hoisted his brother up straight by his arm, at least being careful not to give him a head rush in the process.
“A good fighter is one that doesn’t ache before going into a fight.” Tommy muttered, ignoring the other shaking his head at the statement.
“Techno I can’t fight him if he’s dead on his feet!” Sapnap called from across the garden, approaching with two swords under his arm as well as two leather chest plates. The swords were blunt, not even able to cut paper, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
“You can’t fight him if he falls to your first attack either.” Techno crossed his arms with a shrug, stepping back to let Sapnap take over.
“Excuses excuses.” He brushed him off with a grin before turning to Tommy, dropping the swords at their feet before holding out the smaller leather chest plate. “You’re gonna want to wear this.” Tommy eyed it for a moment before reluctantly pulling it on over his head, getting Techno to help with the straps just to be sure he would be wearing it right. It took some shuffling and adjusting before it sat on his frame correctly but Techno got it to work, it would only be temporary after all. In the time it took them Sapnap was already dressed in his own leather, a custom piece he had made specifically for training new fighters. Flame patterns ran their way up the leather, carved into the material with great care.
“This isn’t awful.” Tommy mumbled, taking a look at himself the best he could. It wasn’t the worst thing he’d ever worn but it certainly wasn’t his style.
“If you’re good then Phil might get you a custom one, work your way up to proper armour.” Techno pointed out, resuming his place sat on the bench. He had to turn to sit backwards to watch them but he didn’t mind, the backrest would become his arm rest. Tommy lit up at the prospect of getting his own armour, even if it was only leather.
“I’ll have the coolest armour around!” He exclaimed as a practice sword was pressed into his hand, the wood resting firmly in his palm as he closed around the handle.
“Really? Any idea what it’ll look like?” Sapnap held his own sword close, his grip firm with a loose wrist. He clearly knew what worked best for him; even if it felt weird when Tommy tried to mimic him.
“Not yet, but I’ll come up with something!” Tommy grinned proudly, working on his grip for a bit longer. He settled on a loser grip, something that allowed him to be more fluid with his movements but also allow for quick attacks if he wanted to tighten his grip.
“I’m sure you will.” Sapnap laughed, standing opposite of him in the small grassy clearing. “So, do you know what you need to do?”
“I’ve watched plenty of fights, I think I got some idea of what to do.” Tommy thought back to all the fights he had watched since he got there, it mostly consisted of Dream and Sapnap. They were the most fun to watch, other than Techno’s rare duels.
“Alright, we can take it a bit slower so you have time to react.” Sapnap spoke calmly as he got into his usual starting position, his sword guarded close to his chest as he readied to pounce. Tommy wanted to argue back that he could handle it but stopped himself. He wouldn’t act like one of those stuck up newbies that thought they were better than everyone. He would not beat Sapnap if he was at his best, taking it slow gave him some sort of chance. He nodded at his opponent before falling into a ready stance, falling into what felt natural for him. It was probably awful, it would no doubt be the first thing his brother commented on, but he was willing to learn.
“Alright, ready?” Techno called out, his chin rested on his arms as he watched the two.
“Ready!” The two replied almost simultaneously, pulling a chuckle from them both.
“Three, two…” Techno eyed them as they both tensed, ready to launch at the other. “One!”
Sapnap was the first to move, despite his earlier claim to take it slow, swinging his wooden blade at Tommy’s with a powerful snap of his wrist. The boy barely had any time to react, backing away a few steps before taking a swing back. It was clumsy but the thunk of wood hitting wood was satisfying to his ears, the energetic spark in his burning brighter than ever as he pushed the other’s sword away from himself. He only had a few seconds to get his bearings before another swing was sent his way, the boy only just able to bring his sword up to block as it stopped inches away from his chest. Sapnap’s pride filled face came into view as his own startled one lifted up, dark eyes meeting bright ones as they struggled to overpower each other. Tommy wanted to taunt him, to tell him to use all his strength, but he feared for his bones' safety if he did that. With some quick thinking he tried to kick Sapnap’s legs out from under him, swinging a foot up and at the back of his knees. To his shock and relief Sapnap went down with a thud, giving him time to scamper out the way before hands could drag him down as well. Once out of grabbing range he spun around again to point his sword at the Faerie pulling himself up, small pants escaping him as adrenaline overtook his brain. It wasn’t quite fight or flight but the buzz in his nerves were similar enough. Sapnap had a surprised smile on his face but still he tried swinging again, only surprised further as Tommy met him in the middle with his own swing. His sword smashed against Sapnap’s comfortably, Tommy putting all the strength he could muster into trying to throw it out the others hand. It didn’t work much to his dismay but he did get it far enough away to retreat another few steps, grinning as he swung at Sapnap again with confidence. His sword nearly met leather if Sapnap hadn’t backed up at the last second, laughing as Tommy stumbled forward in an attempt to not fall over. It was futile in the end as Sapnap used his leg to bring Tommy down, the tip of his sword planted firmly on his back as he met the ground.
“You suck.” Tommy groaned, the wind partially knocked out of him as he met the grassy ground.
“And you got cocky.” Sapnap offered him a hand up which he gracefully took, dusting himself off before handing over his sword.
“Did I at least do well?” Sapnap gave him a proud smile, nodding as the boy cheered.
“You did well for a first spar, not many use dirty tricks like you did.” He laughed as Tommy looked away in embarrassment, rubbing the back of his neck.
“I saw Green do it a few times so I thought it was fine.” A firm hand slapped his shoulder, causing him to jolt as Sapnap led him back to the bench with a snicker.
“It is fine, it’s just not many do it. It can annoy your partner and make them less willing to play nice.” The two sat down before Techno got the chance to spin around again, the man only turning his head to them lazily.
“So, you like Green’s style?” His asked slowly, raising a brow at the boy.
“Well yeah, his is cool!” Tommy grinned happily, not noticing Sapnap’s face drop behind him. “He’s super fast and smart with his moves, he like never loses.” Techno snorted, sitting up to look over at Sapnap.
“We both lose, bet’s done.” Sapnap faked tears as he leant back dramatically, pressing a hand to his forehead.
“Tommy how could you! I thought you would take after me.” Tommy watched the two with confusion, silently asking his brother for an explanation.
“We made a bet on who’s style you’d take after. He bet himself, I bet Wilbur.” Techno spoke nonchalantly, snickering at Sapnap wallowing in self pity.
“I understand Sapnap but why Wilbur?” Tommy laughed, ignoring the suffering man beside him.
“You take after him for everything, why not fighting too?” He shrugged, yawning into his hand.
“Nah, his style is too flouncy and dancey.” Tommy shook his head. Wilbur’s was nice to watch but looked a pain to actually do. “Though I originally wanted to fight like you! I just didn’t think I’d be able to get enough power to brute force it like you do.” Techno’s brain process froze at Tommy’s declaration, tuning out his rambling as he sat up to think it over.
“You wanted to be like me…?” He asked incredulously, watching his brother with wide eyes. His style was ruthless, it required power and knowledge. He never considered Tommy would like that sort of fighting. And yet he nodded with a bright smile.
“Yeah! Your fighting is so cool, I wanted to be cool too!” Tommy laughed as Techno’s brain practically short circuited, the Faerie hugging his brother as Sapnap gagged.
“Ew, brotherly love.” Still he smiled at the two, glad Techno could see how much Tommy looked up to him now. “Don’t worry Toms, we’ll get some meat on ya bones and then you can fight like Techno.”
“Aw, don’t want another Green around?” Tommy teased, leaning into his brother's warm hug.
“Not really, one dirty fighter is enough for me.” Sapnap shook his head, taking up the new space available with ease.
“What if I become a weird mix of Techno and Green? You’d all be doomed.” Tommy laughed, watching Sapnap’s face fall into horror at the thought.
“Never mind, I’d rather another Green than a mixture.” The thought of fighting Green and Techno simultaneously sounded like hell to Sapnap, much worse than just a challenge.
“So you’ll fight me again?” Tommy lit up excitedly, Techno huffing as he was shifted from his comfortable position.
“Course dude! You did well, teaching you will be a breeze.” Sapnap stuck a thumbs up at him. “Besides, I need someone new to fight. Green and Techno are great but can get boring after awhile.”
“Try getting good, maybe then you’ll win.” Techno muttered tiredly, grinning as Sapnap spluttered to try and respond.
“Has he ever?” Tommy asked innocently, looking over at his brother as he tried to reclaim his space from the offended Sapnap.
“Nope, at least not against me.” He couldn’t fight back, it was true he had never won against Techno but he couldn’t think of anyone that had. At least not that he had seen.
“I’ll do it one day!” Sapnap declared, doing his best not to give up the space he had acquired despite Tommy’s pushing. His pout only grew as Techno laughed at him, rolling his eyes at the pink Fae’s reaction.
“In your dreams Sapnap.” Techno brushed him off, standing up with an amused grin as Tommy fell back into the space he was just sat. “Now, can I finish gardening before sunset or are you two going to keep distracting me?”
Tommy and Sapnap shook their heads, sitting comfortably on either side of the bench as Techno got back to work. They’d continue to tease and argue with each other but it was comfortable, definitely more entertaining than sitting around all day.
The party sprung up on them rather unexpectedly, well at least to most. Tommy and Technoblade were practically dragged out of bed by an energetic Wilbur, their oldest brother demanding they get up and ready now despite the party not starting for a good few hours. They listened though, to keep their brother happy. Techno dressed himself in his usual royal robes of red, pink, gold, accessories taking over the key elements of the outfit. He of course adorned his crown then and there, rather than later on. He looked as regal as ever, a simple ruffle shirt and dark red trousers practically drowned in his cape and silks, jewellery covering him head to toe. His signature emerald earring shone under the lights as he passed by, reflecting nicely thanks to Techno’s diligent upkeep of it. It was one of the few things Tommy had learnt not to touch, it was incredibly important to Techno and he wasn’t about to ruin it.
Wilbur’s was just as royal looking, golds and browns dressing him nicely. Again a simple ruffle shirt and brown trousers were hidden by a long golden cloak that hung at his shoulder. He wore less jewellery than Techno, simple chain for his glasses and plenty of earrings. His crown would be placed just before the party to ensure he wouldn’t forget it in his haste.
Tommy was struggling however. He wore the white ruffle shirt and the red trousers. He wore the long red cloak that he could hide in for hours at a time. He wore the jewellery his friends gifted, the gloves sat snuggly on his hands, and the bandana was tied around his neck comfortably with the help of his mother. It still felt odd though, like something was missing. Of course there was the crown he would wear later on, but that wasn’t it. He wore what he usually did to these things and yet something felt out of place. He continued to fiddle with his outfit, swapping out jewellery for other pieces, trying different styles of cloak, trying with his wings out and in. The frustration was clearly building up as he sat on his bed, taking deep breaths. A gentle knock sounded through his door before Wilbur peeked his head in, face falling from it’s smile as he saw how wound up his brother had gotten.
“Sunshine, what’s wrong?” Wilbur spoke softly, near enough floating over to his brother before kneeling in front of him. Warm hands held his face up despite the boy wanting to hide away in his bed for the rest of his days.
“I dunno, it’s frustrating me.” Tommy sighed, reluctant to meet the others' gaze. “Something’s missing but I don’t know what and it’s bugging me.”
“That is frustrating.” Wilbur hummed, looking his brother over. Nothing appeared out of place, other than the crown of course but that was to come later.
“I’ve tried changing everything but it’s not working.” He sounded desperate at this point. It was heart-breaking to say the least.
“How about we forget about getting ready for a bit, yeah?” Wilbur stood up, bringing Tommy with him despite the boys grumbling. “Let’s go sit in the garden for a bit, in the flowers like we used to.” With no reason not too Tommy nodded, following his brothers through the halls and out into the sunlight. There was no one out there this time, it would be just them yet again. It brought a small smile to his face, he had missed their chats together. Wilbur sat down first, lowering himself onto the grass by some fully grown flowers despite the risk of getting dirty. Tommy carefully sat near him, on the other side of the flower bed like before. The two were quiet for a bit, basking in the sunlight and the gentle breeze as he run his hands over the petals.
“I heard you fought Sapnap the other day.” Wilbur smiled at his brother, drawing his attention to himself as his hands danced through the flowers. “He sounded impressed, said he wanted to do it again once you got some training.”
“It was fun, I nearly got him a few times.” Tommy replied with faded excitement, smiling at the memory. “I even knocked him down once!”
“Yeah? He didn’t mention that.” Wilbur kept Tommy’s attention on his face or the world around them, hands twisting and turning flowers just as his brother taught him.
“I knew he wouldn’t, he’s too scared to admit it happened.” Tommy crossed his arms over his chest, puffing out proudly. “I’d do it again too!”
“I bet he’d tell you to try, only to watch you fail cause he knows it’s coming.” Wilbur snickered, eyes darting down to watch what he was doing.
“Maybe, but I bet I could do it again. Green does it to him all the time!” He was facing the sun at this point, his mind captured by the fight and what of the next one. A nice distraction from his earlier frustrations.
“Let’s concentrate on you learning to fight first, then you can start sparring everyone.” Wilbur laughed, watching Tommy lean back on his palms.
“I forgot about that part. Can’t I just be naturally amazing at fighting?” He whined, fully aware that wasn’t possible. A boy could hope alright?
“Sadly that’s not the case, though if you’re lucky you’ll pick it up quicker than I did.” He remembered how long it took for him to figure out how he wanted to fight let alone how to accomplish that, he had been jealous when Techno picked it up so much quicker. But he was always the best with words; he enjoyed writing more than fighting.
“I wanna pick it up as quickly as possible, then maybe Techno will spar with me.” He smiled at the idea of it, knowing he’d probably lose but it’d be fun. “Will you spar with me when I’m ready?”
“Of course Toms, you know I could never say no.” Wilbur grinned before holding up a flower crown, made of reds and blues and purples. “C’mere.” Tommy shuffled over with a childlike smile, leaning his head down to let Wilbur put the crown on his head. It sat amongst his golden locks nicely, a nice contrast against his mainly red outfit.
“Thank you Will.” He gently bumped his head against the others shoulder, careful of the fragile flowers.
“Anytime Sunshine.” He ruffled the others hair before helping him up. “Let’s go back inside before Dad panics alright?”
The two walked back inside the castle with bright smiles, leaving the stress behind in the garden as they made their way to the hall. There waiting was their parents and brother, talking amongst themselves as they waited for the Winter people to arrive. It wasn’t hard to put themselves into the conversation, no one bringing up the flower crown further than complimenting it. Finally Tommy felt like he could relax, like everything was fine and would go smoothly.
The first Winter Fae Tommy saw were of course Eret and Puffy, the two’s arrival meaning that Will and Tommy had to put their crowns on before the public arrived. Tommy got help from his mother as he usually did, Kristin putting it on carefully to make sure it didn’t disturb the flower crown underneath. He was glad he didn’t have to take it off for the party; it felt familiar and comforting on his head. The next to arrive were the Summer Court people that wished to enjoy the party in the hall. It already looked so full from his perspective up on the royal podium. The appearance of the Winter Court members only filled the room more, making it appear packed even if there was still plenty of space to move around each other. Still he kept his eyes out for a certain two winter Faeries that he had missed so dearly. He knew they would be there, Bee and Boo never missed an opportunity to visit the Summer Court. He fidgeted in his spot as he tried finding dual coloured hair or a half hidden face, immediately tugging at his fathers sleeve as he saw his friends fly in through the door.
“Yes Tommy?” Phil looked down at his son, already sure he knew what he wanted to ask.
“Can I go see them? Please?” He gave his father the best puppy eyes he could muster. “We will stay inside, I won’t follow them out.” Phil sighed but smiled fondly at his son, nodding.
“If you wanna go see the market take Sam, otherwise stay inside.” He barely finished his sentence before Tommy cheered, taking off towards his friends with arms open wide for a hug. Phil could only watch as his son tackled his friends, the boy disappearing into the others arms as the three embraced. He was so proud of his boy for making such good friends, even if they were chaotic at times. His eyes travelled through the crowd before over at the two guards quietly arguing in the corner. He wasn’t sure if zey were there, but if zey were Dream would want to see zem. He cleared his throat as he waved at the boys, watching as they fell silent embarrassedly.
“Green, do you want to go see if you can find someone you know? You’ll still be on duty of course but there’s no harm in talking with people.” Phil tried to keep his tone low, not wanting to bother his wife and friends talking to the side still. The two guards looked at each other, silently communicating before looking back over.
“Can Sapnap get the same offer?” Dream wasn’t sure if Sapnap wanted to see someone in specific or just have an easy night but the man looked fairly annoyed at the prospect of being left alone.
“Of course, just keep an eye out for trouble the both of ya.” Phil wasn’t one to deny them such a small request, besides they had plenty of guards around the place ready for any potential harm. The two guards thanked him before scattering, disappearing into the crowds with weapons hidden under their cloaks. Dream had one face on his mind that he wanted to find, even if it meant spending his whole night searching. He was sick and tired of them missing each other, he wanted to talk finally. He wanted closure and maybe even to try their friendship again, if he would allow him to try.
Sapnap split off from him not too long after they disappeared into the crowd, something about bothering Ant and Bad even though they were probably on duty. Dream didn’t question it, simply waving goodbye as he continued to search. He even ended up on the staircase overlooking the hall in hopes of seeing him from above. Still he couldn’t see his signature glasses or even the cloak he had gifted him. His search moved to the market outside, the green Faerie flying over the streets in hopes of catching even a glimpse. He could tell who was a Winter Faerie and who was a Summer Faerie by who starred and who didn’t, the Summer Fae knowing he was a guard no doubt on duty. It was entertaining to see the people he used to walk amongst look at him in awe as he flew past, a royal brooch on his cape signifying his close relationship with the royal family.
A groan of frustration escaped him as he still didn’t see the Faerie he wanted to find, nor anyone he cared enough to talk to. He didn’t give up though, only flying higher before starting back towards the castle. His brilliant wings shone under the fading sun’s light, glimmering nicely as he aimed for the garden. It was open for those that wanted to get away for a bit, a quiet place to escape the suffocating crowd. What better place to think of where to try next? His feet never met the ground as he reached the garden, the man muttering to himself as he started to pace back and forth.
“What if he never came?” He asked himself out loud, crestfallen at the idea. He wouldn’t doubt it but it still hurt. He had every reason not to come to the party but still he hoped he had. He continued to list places he could check quietly to himself, standing on the edge of the garden to look below at the people filling the streets. It was a special kind of busy that one only saw when the two courts celebrated, so empty yet so full of life. A small smile graced his face as he watched, proud of the place he could now call home. He was so absorbed by his thoughts he didn’t hear the door open behind him, ignoring the footsteps that sounded across the paths. It was just someone trying to escape the noise like himself, or so he thought.
“Dream?”
Dream wasn’t sure if he could spin faster than he did in that moment, eyes landing on an out of breath George.
“George? You came!” Dream cried out in joy, eyes widening as his old friend launched himself at the other. Arms wrapped around each other as they nearly slipped off the side, the two laughing as Dream worked on stopping their fall. He put all of his power into his wings in order to stabilise them, not daring to let go of George even as their feet touched solid ground again.
“I’ve missed you so much.” Dream muttered, burying his face into his friend's neck.
“I’ve missed you too, so much more than I can say.” George reluctantly pulled back to look at his friend, almost unbelieving that they were together again. “I’m so sorry I was gone for so long. I know you were angry at me but I still went back every day I could in hopes you weren’t actually gone.” Dream could see he wanted to rant more, to apologise for anything and everything he could think of, but still he interrupted him with a hand over his mouth. After making sure they were alone with a quick glance he slid his mask to the side, letting his friend take in his appearance yet again.
“I was upset, I can’t lie to you. I was so angry, but mostly at myself. I felt so guilty for betraying you, I thought you had left to get away from me.” He still smiled, letting George run fingers over the marks on his face and neck. “But when I went back with my friends here I saw your glasses, You kept visiting even when I was gone. I was angry then but not anymore, I just want my friend back.” He had learnt to let go of his emotions long ago, concentrating on his work for awhile and realising that holding a grudge was pointless in his new life.
“I never stopped waiting.” George brushed a thumb across one of the particularly large marks, frowning at how dark the colour was.
“I had to go back a few steps, work reasons.” Of course he noticed George concentrating on the marks, after all if he had stuck to his process they’d be nearly gone by now. “I’m getting better though, it gets easier each time it appears.” George rolled his eyes at the weak joke, laughing softly as he hugged him tight yet again.
“Please don’t leave me again.” He mumbled into the other's chest, feeling arms wrap around him in return.
“I could say the same about you.” His chest rumbled with his laugh, a comforting sound despite his urge to punch the other.
“Fine, let’s make a deal then. No more leaving each other?” He stood back, holding a hand out to Dream with a serious face. Dream only grinned before linking their pinkie's, nodding in agreement.
“George I think you have a deal, no leaving each other again.” They were satisfied with that. Of course they both still had lives to live, now separated by Courts, but they knew each other again. He couldn’t complain much, at least they didn’t need royal permission to hang out anymore.
“I’m so glad I came to this party.” George laughed, finally letting the tension leave his body. It had been a risk but it was one he was willing to take. Dream laughed with him as he pulled his mask back into place.
“As am I, though I am technically still on duty. I just hope Tommy and his mates aren’t causing problems inside.” Dream’s stomach dropped at the thought, he had left them unattended when he left. He hoped to Prime that someone was watching them before they broke something.
“They actually told me where to find you, kinda. They said you went outside and I saw you through the window.” The two started to make their way back inside, George standing at his side with a bright smile.
“They’re much more observant than people realise.” Dream admitted, immediately getting to work on finding them as they emerged in the hall again. It wasn’t hard to spot the trio whispering amongst themselves by a wall, giggling away to themselves but otherwise harmless for now.
“Want some company while you work?” George leant into his friend, already knowing the answer.
“That would be lovely, my Librarian.” That one earned him a punch, but it was worth it. He had Glasses back, and he had Mask back.