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Tommy held his face, blood drizzling down his chin as he stared at his hand. Dream’s feet stood at the edge of his vision before leaving. His heart pounded, an apology settled on the tip of his tongue as he dragged his eyes to Dream’s retreating figure, watching as he stood in the nether portal. One smiley face hovered near him, it’s eyes sad as Dream left.
He stumbled to his cabin, Logshed, Head spinning as he fell to the cold floor, gripping his chest as his heart pounded, Dream had to come back, a large part of his mind screamed, he had to. He has to because if he doesn’t then Tommy will be alone. Alone with himself, and his thoughts. He heaved, eyes filling with hot tears.
He was angry, he was upset and sad, and in pain, and his head was swarming with thoughts, and it wouldn’t shut up until a single thought pushed to the front, “Leave Tommy, why don’t you march out that door?” The voice sounded like Wilbur, Wilbur- no, Ghostbur. His eyes peered open, darting to the door as the smiley face floated above him. “Leave Tommy.” Ghostbur screamed, the figure hovering outside of the door, “You can leave and we can be together as a family with… with Phil and Techno!”
“You’re…. You’re not real-” His voice shook, as he stood. He had to gather his things to give to Dream, if- not if, when, when, when he comes back. He moved around the room gathering items that Dream would normally take, as Ghostbur stood at the door.
“Tommy, he’s not good for you! Look what you’re doing! Rushing around like a dog.” Ghostbur stated, voice louder than anything else in the room as Tommy dropped his things in a bag.
“Go away.”
The smiley face turned to the door before rubbing against Tommy’s face. “Dream wants war! He’s messing with you to get Technoblade upset, and it’s you dying on their blood-covered fields.” Ghostbur vanished as Tommy turned.
Tommy knew that... This ghostbur wasn’t real. Ghostbur stopped showing up after the party. He knew this was the logical part of his brain, that screamed and shouted and wanted to go out kicking. He knew that, but his head swirled with Dream, Dream, Dream. Tommy laid on the bed…
“Yet, Tommy remains.” He muttered, turning on the bed, away from the smiley face.
“Dream!’ He grinned, hands fidgeting as he held the bag, He watched the man hold the Smiley face, before raising an eyebrow. “I have my things, uh, Sorry. For being loud…” He trailed off, and shifted as Dream snatched the bag, going through it, before eyeing him.
“You named her Clementine?” Tommy blinked, giving a slow nod as Dream scoffed, “She said you haven’t been eatin’, that true?”
“I… there aren’t many animals…” Ghostbur hovered next to Dream, “And I’m not good at farming,” He picked at his hands, “I’m sorry.”
“Stop apologizing.” Ghostbur was starting to look like Wilbur. More alive, eyes narrowed in annoyance at Tommy? Dream? He wasn’t sure.
“...” Dream turned away, emptying the bag into the hole, “I’ll have Phil make your food.” Nodding, Tommy scrambled to grab the flint and steel, lighting the TNT and taking a few steps back. Dream tilted his head towards Clementine, “You’ve been talking to yourself,” Tommy didn’t notice the crack in the man’s voice as he shifted.
“Not really- Kinda? I don’t know…” He kicked the dirt, shoving his hands in his pockets, “When… when do you think anyone will visit?”
“You ask this question every day. If they wanted to visit Tommy, they would have.” Dream sighed, rubbing a finger under the boy’s eyes, “Jesus, Tommy, how’d you get that?” Tommy swallowed, one of Dream’s tests, Wilbur hissed, hovering over.
“A zombie--” Tommy whispered, “A zombie snuck up on me.” Dream pulled down his mask, a smile on his face and Tommy felt his heart slow. He wasn’t in trouble.
“Good, that sucks, Maybe you should light this place up some more,” Dream’s hands moved to Tommy’s shoulders, tightly squeezing them. “Sucks that this place wasn’t found before, it could have been so nice to have a beach house here,”
“Yeah,” Tommy agreed, yelping as Dream shoved to him the ground, glaring down at him, “What-”
“Your kidding? You don’t think it’s nice? I was planning on taking George here but you went and fucked it all up!” Tommy whimpered as Dream raised his foot and suddenly his world paused. The pain didn’t register as he sobbed, vomit dripping on the path, as Dream stood next to him, crouching, “Tommy, you could have said you were hungry, I’m not going to starve you!” Tommy opened his mouth to ask what the fuck was Dream even saying before his face was shoved into the path, his vomit spreading across his face as Dream laughed.
He laid on the floor as Dream eventually left, sobbing quietly to himself as Clementine and Wilbur stared at him. He couldn’t even tell anyone.
He stripped himself to take a shower and wash his clothes. He scrubbed and scrubbed until the clear pond turned red and his pale skin glowed. Wilbur sat on the edge, a smile on his face as Tommy scrubbed at his face. “You could leave,” Wilbur hummed, pointing to the forest, “Out there… where Dream can get to you.”
“Shut up.” Tommy hissed, but it fell upon deaf ears as Wilbur continued.
“You can go to L’manburg one last time! Tell someone what Dream’s been doing.” Another figure came up behind Wilbur, who offered an idea, before glancing up, “Tubbo, you’re here?”
“No one would believe him anyway. He’s always claiming people have something against him,” Tubbo voiced softly, his voice taunting and cold as they watched Tommy move over to the bank, grabbing a red towel, before speaking again, “He’d be made of a fool, and executed for trespassing.” Tommy nods as Wilbur sighed.
“Why don’t you just leave?” Wilbur offered again, “Just give it a try. Runaway for a bit, get away from this… thing?” Wilbur eyed the smiley face as Tommy tugged on his wet pants, before slipping his shirt on. “Just a taste. Make a boat, and get out of here, Maybe smack this fucking smiley face,” Tommy stared at Clementine, licking his lips. She’d sell him out. She would, Wilbur was right.
Was… Was he thinking about leaving? He stared at the dark forest as Tubbo scoffed, “He’d never leave. He has nothing and Dream has an army on his side.” Tommy stared, chewing on his lips as Clementine nudged his face.
If he left… “You’d be free.” Wilbur’s voice filled his head, the word free bouncing around like it was meant to. But… if he didn’t make it far, Tubbo’s hands circled his throat, a grin on the president’s face, He flinched. It was Schlatt… “He’ll give you what for, Death.” Tommy stumbled back, before eyeing Clementine. Who… would Dream hurt her if he felt.
She was the closest thing Tommy had to a moth…
He swallowed, making his way back to the cabin.
Wilbur stared as Tubbo grinned, sighing, “Yet, Tommy’s loyalty is the only thing that remains of him.” They vanished as Tommy fell asleep.
He flinched as Dream shoved him to the floor, laughing, “C’mon Tommy, no need to get scared! This is how friends play! You used to do this with Tubbo all the time,” Tommy gave a shaky breath, eyes falling to the ground once more as Dream stared before gripping his head, pulling Tommy’s head up forcefully, “God, Tommy. If I knew you were going to be boring I won’t have come,” Tommy grew frantic at the words, gripping Dream’s hands and gagging as he kicked his stomach. “Don’t touch me, Tommy, remember I told you!”
Sorry fell from his mouth as he held his stomach, Dream raised his foot again and Tommy whined as Clementine darted between them, something she told Dream startled the man, and he growled backing off.
“Whatever, I’m not coming back here until Tommy learns to respect people’s wishes,” Dream hissed, smirking as Tommy whined louder, “No wonder why no one visited.” He left shortly after and Tommy gripped Clementine tightly to his chest, ignoring the pitiful look fake- Wilbur gave him.
The same routine month in and month out, Tommy handed Dream anything that he maintained to get. He didn’t touch the man, he didn’t mention the man's continued visits, he didn’t speak in front of Dream, because if he did, his voice shook and his eyes would fill with tears, and then Dream would get mad and attack him, but he totally needs to take it because it’s his fault he’s exiled, and it’s probably better for everyone that he stays away from them and--
He doesn’t like to make Dream mad, but everything he does make the man upset, and then he would try apologizing but his mind would make words and they never came out the same way and he doesn’t want to make Dream mad-
“Tommy,” He glanced at Wilbur, who stood at the door, the yellow sweater brighter than usual, “Clementine’s sleeping... didn’t know those things did that. Now's your chance.” His mind blanked, as he slowly stood on shaky legs, and picked up a stone sword Dream discarded, he ignored his shoes as he glanced at Clementine before looking back at Wilbur.
He slowly moved to the mushroom cow, He swore he had a name for it, but his mind was blank as he stared into its black eyes, raising the sword and slashing it at the cow’s leash, the cow hesitating and he felt his heart pound as the only idea he had to get away without being noticed failed only to watch as it took off into the forest.
He dropped the sword into a barrel and moved the gate, turning to the door and cupping his mouth, “CLEM! THE COW GOT OUT!” He watched as she floated out, before the smile on her face fell, “Can you go look for it? I’ll stay here.” She hesitated as Tommy stared out, “It’s our only food source, Please?” Clementine lowered, nudging Tommy’s face before flying off in the direction away from the forest.
Watching, Wilbur shoved him out the gate, “Leave!” He shouted, and Tommy took off, dodging arrows as he hissed as the sticks and shit getting stuck in his foot. His feet pounding against the wet dirt, and how his chest heaved with every movement and how his hair curled around his face as he ran and how his fist was clenched as he passed Zombies that swung at him and Skeletons that loaded their arrows. Wilbur laughed loud and proud as Tommy’s eyes filled with tears, a smile growing on his face, as they ignored fake-Tubbo’s small uh-oh.
Tommy could get away. He could get away and find a new palace to have a house, and a farm, and a-- He glared, He would never forgive Dream- or Anyone over at L’manburg. But he would never forget. Forgetting his past made him angry. His fist tightened. He’d never forgive nor forget. He moved past a spider that jumped at him, hitting a tree as he kept running. He stumbled, staring down at the water, before glancing back at Tubbo, who hovered quietly, staring at the fast-approaching white ball But Wilbur glanced back and swore loudly, shoving Tommy forward. He inhaled, jumping and gasping as he hit the water.
He didn’t think about why Wilbur didn’t look at Tubbo.
When he reached the surface, he grinned, the water cold as he swam. Wilbur floated above him screaming while glancing upwards, “Swim Tommy! Swim!” He could feel leech grasping on his skin as he pushed forward, gasping for air.
He could hear Ghostbur cheering as Dream and Fundy kissed at their wedding, the two had been kind enough to let him be there. He remembers squinting at the bright light as the fireworks Techno shoot of, and the Withers and the pain and there Dad showed up-
He was too deep in his memories to hear Wilbur or Tubbo, too deep remembering to notice that he squinted at the lights shining out to the lake. He could feel the blood rushing through him, each pulse was a reminder that he was alive, and well, and he would never end up like Wilbur, no matter what happens.
His fingers gripped the mud, sticking to him like glue as he pulled himself up. Wilbur and Tubbo silent and he wonders through the haze of pure bliss if they were still there. He pulled himself up, gasping for air as he stared at the night sky. He let his eyes fall shut.
He screamed as his head was yanked up, and Dream’s face came into his view, eyes filled with glee, “Looks like you had fun,” Tommy felt tears well up in his eyes. He shouldn’t have listened to his head. Dream stared at him before shoving his face into the water, “Maybe that’ll teach you.” Tommy wondered what happened to the man he used to have fun with as water filled his mouth and his nose and his lungs until he…
Dream stared at the water, eyes moving to the side as Clementine hovered lower to the side. “What? Don’t tell me you got attached?”
She glanced at him, before turning away, and he sighed, rolling his eyes. He stretched. It had been boring here without Tommy. His time fucking with the boy was fun, but he was irritating. He had run to Tubbo, eyes wide and filled with regret as he informed him that he had found Tommy after Clementine frantically flew to him in the middle of a meeting.
“What? What is it saying?” Tubbo questioned, eyes wide as Dream’s face dropped.
“When she woke up Tommy was gone- Oh god,” He had scrambled up and followed her, rage building up. He thought he had Tommy wrapped around his thumb. He thought Tommy would listen to his beck and call, but he supposed he was wrong. Only Wilbur knew how to get to the island, and he was in jail. He had followed Clementine to a cliff, before sending the orb to look to the north of the island as he watched a red speck swim, a figure hovering over him. He had smiled, how fun.
He could have sworn they locked Wilbur up. It seemed like Wilbur had escaped. He wondered how long Wilbur had been watching, and trying to help Tommy, Dream placed a hand over his mouth, grinning, he wondered how long Wilbur had been convincing Tommy, only to see him remain. He supposes it wasn’t long, Ranboo had said that he was saved by Phil and Techno before those two vanished off the face of the earth, a few weeks earlier.
He clenched his fist. He was sad, sure, but the boy got what’s coming to him. He could have listened, ignored whatever was telling him to disobey, and stayed until the punishment was over. But he fucked up, Dream chuckled, and Dream loved watching the pure despair flood the boy’s face when he had seen Dream at the bank of the lake.
It sucks that he… drowned himself. He told Tubbo, hands shook as he hugged himself tightly, “I.. If I had just been there when I said I would go…” He whimpered, pathetically and everyone soaked it up, pity for the man who wants to destroy their land. He wanted to laugh, how tragic. He promised Tubbo he would take down anything Tommy built, so when they need the land, it would be fresh and replanted.
But he sat on a jukebox, humming along to one of Tommy’s discs. “Do you… not remember when Tommy and you were friends,” Clementine hovered in front of him, “You let him meet your sister and your mother!”
“Those days were over the second they created that fucking nation. Everything was a ploy after,” He explained, waving his hand, “But Tommy’s body was buried here, on an island no one knows how to get to. No one suspects me of anything, and no one seemed to care that he’s dead!” Dream laughed, “A shame, Tommy really loved them, But no one grieves for the wicked.”
Clementine had scoffed at his words as the night fell and Dream moved to the tent by the beach, laying in the bed. He shifted as the other smileys didn’t nuzzle next to him. He scoffed, “Fine, be that way.” He turned in the bed, letting his eyes fall shut. He turned the pillow as it warmed, pressing against his face. “Why the fuck isn’t the bed cold…” He sat up, feeling sweat drip down his face.
That’s what he gets for wearing his poncho to bed. He tugged it off, his breathing growing heavier as the tent stayed hot. He laid back down, staring at the white tent as his breathing filled the silence, listening to the waves hit the rocks.
His hair stuck to his forehead as he shivered. “Fuck…” He pushed himself up, unzipping the tent, and taking a seat by the ocean, a shiver running up him again. His eyes fell onto the water, watching as the water lapped at his shoes, a shiver running up his spine as he blinked.
When had a fog taken over the ocean… He pushed himself up, squinting at the figure standing in the water. He held his arms, another shiver ranking up as the heat from the fog pressed against him and the water lapped and lapped and lapped, and it seemed to grown but he couldn’t feel his feet moving, or how the smiley faces watched with interest but none of them going out to sea and he didn’t stop until the cold water was to waist height and the fog was filling his lungs with smoke and his eyes couldn’t make out the figure--
He suppressed a gasp as he stumbled back, hands clenched in the water as Tommy stared at him.
The boy stood tall in the water, mouth pressed tightly as his eyes wide and watery and void of any emotions. The clothes the same as also, bright fire red pressed against pale white and his hair floated around him like a crown, and Dream’s memory flashed to when Technoblade stood above him with a bored look, axe tightening in his hand before turning to Karl, who handed him the coins.
His hands shook as he stared at the ghost. Ghostbur had explained that ghosts only stay for a purpose. A purpose that could never be disclosed but Dream was smart, and he relaxed. Ghostbur had also explained that ghosts were harmless, reluctantly, even for revenge. Dream had nothing to worry about.
“Leave Tommy!” He spoke, voice muted by the roaring waves that calmed once he spoke, “The Nether sent you back here for more!” He could laugh. How tragic. Tommy suffered and suffered and suffered until his last life was taken, then brought back to endure more. “Cause no one loves you more than I do! Tommy, you know what I did was an accident!” His eyebrows furrowed as he opened his arms, “You being here, showing yourself to me proves that no one truly cared more the I do,”
He watched as Tommy’s tight pressed lips quirked upwards, and his eyes crinkled all too similar to how Phil did when he laughed at something that wasn’t funny, or how Techno did when he found someone he knew he could beat. Dream shifted his foot in the water, too similar to how Fundy’s eyes narrowed in distaste when George pressed too close to Dream, gripping his husband’s arm. Too similar to how Wilbur looked when he asked about ghosts, confused and excited, and when Wilbur gripped his face and smiled, eyes narrowed, crinkled.
The waves became rapid as Tommy opened his mouth and water fell and fell and fell until the water reached Dream’s stomach. Tommy smiled, voice muffled to his ears as he spoke before grinning, “I came to settle a fuckin’ score,” Tommy’s voice poured into his ears as another wave hit the shore and Dream glared. He looked down as Tommy pointed to the water.
“What the fuc-” He didn’t realize how high the water got, lapping at his chest as the smiley faces floated over, as Tommy laughed, bubbles floating and popping. The teen lifted a hand with a grin. Dream flinched as water twisted around him. Chains tighten around his legs and arms and his throat and any limb that could possibly save him and he looked at the orbs that stared blankly at him before each one smiling.
“I came to settle a score, Green bastard!” The waves roared around Dream, and the sky turned dark grey and thunder cried out as the sky cried out for Tommy. The Chains tightened as the orbs chanted over and over and over, “ Loyal Tommy remains! ” they shouted, making his head spin and spin and spin until he felt fear climb into his throat and he opened his mouth to plead with the boy, realizing that is control was the only thing he had, he gasped as the chain tightened and tightened and tightened until tears forced themselves on his cheeks and clouded his vision until a yellow sweater appeared in his face.
Wilbur.
Wilbur, who smiled, holding some blue dye, “you look sad,” His voice low, and his eyes sad as he looked at Dream.
Wilbur, who took his hands in his transparent, cold hands and squeezed them. Dream stared at him with wonder as the chains slipped away, pressing the blue dye in his hand before smiling wider and the chains darted out again, gripping him tighter and tighter until a cry forced itself out from his throat and the mask he wore slipped into the ocean lost forever.
Wilbur, who grinned at him, eyes crinkled in the way Tommy did when Dream didn’t raise his voice or his hand to hit him but to ruffle his hair. Eyes crinkled as the blue in his hands burned and burned and burned until Wilbur’s form flashed with the man who wanted to be his vessel, the man who wanted to destroy L’manburg. The ghost hunched over the water, a scream ripping from the ghost’s throat as Dream felt tears rush down his face, hands burnt from the blue dye.
Dream gritted his teeth as he turned his attention back to Tommy, who watched, and smiled, then smiled wider as the sky cried out more, a bolt of lightning landing in the water near Dream, who cried, yanking the chains, before being hit by a wave as two figure distended from the sky.
A large shadow hovered over him, and Philza’s stare sent shivers over his body as Techno flew and landed in the water next to Tommy, the crown bright on his head as he held a trident. “The chat call for Blood.” Dream tugged at the chains as Tommy tilted his head, “Are you going to give them what they want, Tommy?”
“It’s okay, Tommy.” Phil’s voice loud as his icy blue eyes never left Dream. The man tugged at his chains more, wrist scratched up and bleeding, “Do as you please, Chat wants revenge.” Dream’s eyes widened as his head snapped to Philza, his eyes crinkled and lips pressed tight, “Chat wants revenge for what they watched.” Dream felt his world crash as a scream ripped from his throat as the floor below him was taken and he fell and fell and fell until he hit the soft ground.
He shot up, frantically taking in the heat and the red and the bubbling below him as Tommy stood next to him, the water turned to the lava as his hairs curled more like horns, “Wh-What are you!” Dream demanded as Tommy spared him a glance before staring at the lava.
“You know what you said to me when I was here?” Tommy’s voice burns at Dream’s ears and the man clenches his hands over his ears. It didn’t work as Tommy laughed, turning to him.
Dream stumbled back and Tommy gripped his shirt, holding him over the lava as his blue eyes turned to red and a smile curled on his face as his hair curled and curled and the water from his mouth turned to hot, red lava.
“You told me it wasn’t my time to die,” Tommy’s eyes crinkled, in the way Dream hated it, the crinkle he knows recognized as a sign of knowing.
Knowing that something wasn’t funny. Because things weren’t funny when the whole world was after your children. (Dream wondered what that would be like, the whole world after his child until he realized that his mom must have been like that when he moved on.)
Knowing that you could beat someone and not tell them, making them a fool in front of millions of watches. Because people think Technoblade is too confident, think that his confidence is a fraud. (It is, but his skills in fighting aren’t.)
Knowing that their husband was cheating on them with their best friend, but not doing anything because Krama has protected this family. (Krama has a sick twisted sense of justice, staring at the boy struggling, she smiled and the Chat roared with anger. Watching as everyone knew Dream was cheating on Fundy and did nothing. Fundy burned a flag, and his husband cheated on him.)
Knowingly lying to trick someone into thinking they could win against a ghost. (Maybe Wilbur wasn’t lying. Maybe Wilbur knew that when Tommy died, he wouldn’t be a ghost. Maybe Dream should have paid more attention to how Wilbur fell silent, staring at his brother as Dream shoved the boy’s head underwater, laughing.)
“But…” Tommy’s voice lowered, and his hands loosened around Dream’s shirt, “If you don’t die from this, I’m afraid I’ll haunt you until you die.” Tommy held him with two fingers, eyes crinkling until they were almost closed, “Maybe you’d like some red? Maybe you’d understand how I felt.”
“Tommy-”
“See you in my own personal hell, Dream.”
Dream screamed as Tommy let him fall, and fall and fall until the lava opened and grabbed him in a warm, fiery, embrace, covering him completely. He inhaled, body twisting as lava slid into his mouth.
Tommy started before raising from the water, Phil being the first to hug him, “He’s dead. His final death message appeared,” Phil explained, smiling, “Good job kiddo.”
Tommy nodded, as the smileys vanished, Clementine’s smile widening as she looked at him before vanishing. Phil’s eyes crinkled as his smile twisted widely, “God loves you, y’know, that’s why you’re here.” Tommy understood the words, watching Phil’s black wings expand before closing and how his hair curled like a halo around his head and how the clouds dispersed and a light filtered down on the four.
The four standing in the ocean.
Two dead.
Two not quite human.
Tommy did tell Dream that He fucked up a while ago.
He tugged at the chains attached to him, grinning.
Tommy was loyal to a fault.