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"Well, that's going to be a bit of a problem, Dream. Because this guy is with me."
Excitement flashed across Tommy's face in a burst of vibrant yellows. At first, he'd been full of confusion, dark blues, and taunting greys that had quickly spread over his frazzled mind, and then it had turned to pitch disbelief. Disbelief that Technoblade was seriously putting himself between Tommy and a God. Disbelief that the hybrid would risk himself like that for no prior reward.
But then it had turned to excitement, pure, unadulterated excitement.
Finally, finally, after so long begging and pleading with whoever might listen that he'd once again have his older brother back, that he'd have back the Technoblade who used to play fight with wooden swords and scavenge for berries in the woods right up until dark. Have his sibling back, essentially.
And now here Techno was – wielding a sword and a shield and defending Tommy no less.
It was like Heaven had opened up its pearly, singing gates, and Tommy was finally getting in, being able to see and have everything that he'd ever wanted right in his clutching grasp. It was absolute bliss, and the teen wouldn't change it for the world.
After so long living afraid and in complete and utter emotional turmoil, after living so long stuck underneath Dream's controlling thumb, he had somebody on his side – somebody who had his back and, amidst it all, that somebody was an incredible warrior. The best, one might say.
Tommy truly couldn't pinpoint a time where he might've been happier.
"Unless, of course... You wanna call in that favour?"
Technoblade's monotone voice lifted into a curious tone towards the end of his sentence, brows perking upwards, and he leaned forwards somewhat.
Tommy froze. It was as if time itself had come to a sudden, screeching stop – the bees stopped buzzing, the clouds stopped their churning, the wind seemed to double back in confusion as it surveyed the situation.
Tommy wanted to vomit.
"What?"
He pushed forwards, excitement having dribbled out of his thin, shaking body and been replaced by something dark and dire, a festering feeling of sorrow and hesitation that forced its way through Tommy's veins. It seemed relentless in its quest to push away every last lick of warmth that had wormed its way into the teen's heart.
"Techno?" He tried again, tongue heavy and throat closing up around each, questioning breath. "What favour?"
What favour? What were they talking about? What did Technoblade mean? What did this have to do with Dream? Why couldn't Tommy understand? Why couldn't he-
Technoblade shifted his stance slightly, carefully eyeing Tommy through a side glance. His dark, beady eyes were shimmering with something wrong, something untrustworthy and sly and something that Tommy had never really had directed at himself before.
It was unnerving – more than unnerving. It hurt, a lot.
"Don't ask questions, Tommy." Technoblade's gaze returned to Dream, and for somebody who was wearing a mask that completely covered his face, he looked far too smug for Tommy's liking. "The adults are speaking."
That stung. That stung more than a lot of things that Techno had said. The hybrid knew Tommy's stance on having people belittle him due to his age and look down on him. Tommy knew that he was young, he knew that he was the youngest on the server and that he wasn't an adult like most, but he also wasn't stupid either.
Tommy wanted to be included and taken seriously because his age didn't define him whatsoever. He wanted to matter.
It wasn't fair.
"Hm," Dream kicked the ground lightly as if that would aid with his thought process somehow. "Yeah... yeah. I think," His head turned towards Tommy. "I think I'd like to cash that in, actually."
"Yeah?"
"Mhm."
Technoblade nodded after the response, taking a moment to move away from his little brother, and he sheathed his sword. "So. What do you want from me, then?"
Technoblade was a man of honour. He was a man of pride and sticking to his word. He knew that he owed Dream a favour, and no matter what that favour might be, he'd be compliant with it. Nothing would change the hybrid's mind, not after he'd already promised Dream his services and loyalty.
(Of course, there was a nagging, whispering voice in the back of his mind, buried behind his Chat that was currently screaming for blood – it was a voice that whispered that he was doing the wrong thing, that he should grab Tommy's hand and run. He promptly ignored it.)
Dream sighed, pushing a hand through dirty-blonde hair. "Why waste time asking questions? I think you know exactly what I want."
Tommy's blood ran cold as Techno looked over him once more, the warrior's whole stature seeming far more threatening and far more chilling than it had before. His heart gave a stutter. Surely Technoblade wouldn't hurt him - wouldn't do anything that could hurt him. Right?
"I do."
The pink-haired hybrid reached for his younger brother, gripping Tommy's exposed arm with an unrelenting grip and practically presenting him towards Dream. "He's all yours. Do with him what you will."
The teen felt as if he was going to vomit, an earlier breakfast purely made up of gapples and dedication working its way up his aching throat and bubbling behind clenched teeth. Tommy swallowed it down – rage and fury replacing the sickness that had wrapped a cold hand around his pulsing insides.
"Techno, Techno, you can't do this, you can't just-"
"Oh, no, I think I can, Tommy." The hybrid shrugged rather nonchalantly. "It's not like you can stop me."
Tommy swallowed roughly, ignoring the burning sensation behind his baby-blue eyes to focus on the bubbling wrath. "But... but... you can't. We- we had an agreement, didn't we? Didn't we?! We were in this together! You said that you'd help me, not him! Not him, Techno!"
Dream clenched his own hand around Tommy's bicep, giving him a slight tug until Technoblade's grip loosened, and he let go. The blonde teen ended up slumped against shimmering, netherite armour, his chest heaving, and his face soaked with betrayal.
"You said that you'd stick with me! We were- we were business partners, Techno! You said that we were friends!"
Tommy was shouting and screaming, his throbbing vocal cords begging for even a tiny hint of reprieve, but he refused. He needed the older man to listen to him, to hear him and what he was begging for as Dream began to forcefully drag him backwards, far away from the Nether portal, and far away from Techno.
Far away from the one person that Tommy had truly thrown all of his trust towards – the one person who was meant to have his back no matter what. The one person that Tommy had wanted to stay with.
"We were- we were 'bedrock bros' weren't we!? We agreed that we'd stick together no matter what! That we'd have each other's back forever, and- and-"
Hiccupping sobs wracked Tommy's aching body, forcing choked cries and desperate pleas to further tumble from his cracked lips. He was desperate, desperate for any sort of help from the hybrid, no matter what kind. He didn't want to go back with Dream; he couldn't go back with Dream – not to the Hell that awaited him.
"I thought that..."
Memories of happier, warmer times flashed behind Tommy's bleeding vision.
Memories of gently braiding Technoblade's long hair in front of a roaring fireplace, memories of curling up next to the stoic hybrid as they read together, memories of swapping little trinkets and gifts as Phil watched over them with a proud smile.
There were some older ones, too – flashbacks into the past when they were just children. When Technoblade had been the older brother that Tommy had first latched onto, following the hybrid around like a duckling that had firmly imprinted.
They were memories of a family; a hopeless, grieving family lost to time. Tommy had just wanted it back.
"I thought that we were brothers."
Tommy watched through a pitiful, sorrowful gaze as Technoblade's large form disappeared between a swirling, shimmering portal, his crimson cape being the last thing to fully withdraw away from the overworld – away from Tommy.
Dream gave a pleased sigh at the scene, his calloused hands gently dancing over Tommy's quivering shoulders.
"Oh Tommy," He beamed, "We're going to have so much fun together."