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When Tommy woke up it wasn’t raining anymore.
He went to sleep in his tent listening to the sounds of the rain hitting the roof. He loved it. It was so much better than the silence. He hated the silence. When it was silent he was alone with his thoughts and while he never really liked loneliness, the past few weeks have been actual hell.
Ghostbur isn’t around often. He just comes and goes as he pleases and never sticks around for enough time that Tommy forgets about the loneliness. So most of the time he is completely and utterly alone.
He tried so many things to distract himself, from mining and building and hanging out with Mushroom Henry but he went to bed at night just to realise he didn’t speak a single word that day. As hard to believe as that might have been.
There were days he looked forward to though. Days when Dream visited him. Dream is the only one who visits him anymore. BadBoyHalo showed up once and tried to gift him the disc. He couldn’t keep it and everything else he got from him was blown up by Dream. But it’s fine, Dream is his friend.
His only friend.
Sometimes he just sits by the jukebox, simply looking at the few pictures he has of him and Tubbo. It’s always better to think of the past than the present. Because frankly? The present sucks.
That’s where Dream finds him that day. He hides the photographs as soon as he notices Dream in the distance. He doesn’t like it when Tommy is talking about the others.
He arrives on the beach soon enough and Tommy can see his smile under the mask like he is actually happy to see him.
“Hi, Tommy!”
The boy jumped up from his spot and ran up to him. “You’re fucking late!” he said, his tone betraying the happiness he felt.
“Sorry, had to finish some stuff but I’m here now!” He looked apologetic as he ruffled around his items for a bit before taking out some TNT.
Tommy sighed. “Do we really have to do this, Dream?”
He quite likes his armor and while there is nothing to do while being here anyway he finds it tedious having to make himself a new set every week.
“Yes, you should know the drill by now, come on.”
The boy sighed and took off his armor, throwing it in the hole Dream had dug a few moments before.
The explosion followed soon after and while Tommy knew it couldn’t realistically reach him, he still jumped a bit at the sound of it. The images of war never really left after all…
“So, what have you been up to?”
Tommy rolled his eyes. “You think I suddenly found something to do in the middle of fucking nowhere? Oh wait, I did do something. I replaced my tools and armor that you like to blow up every bloody week.”
Dream laughed. “Well, you’re right, what else would you be doing otherwise. See? I’m doing you a favour.”
He kept walking around the place opening chests and barrels with Tommy following after him like a lost puppy. Finally, he decided the inspection was enough and he sat down on the grass right in front of Tommy’s tent. The boy sat next to him.
“Did anyone visit?”
Tommy laughed. “No way.”
…
The smile slipped from his face. “No one did.”
Dream sighed, looking off into the distance. A moment passed and it all suddenly clicked for Tommy.
What was he fucking doing? Thinking Dream is his friend after everything he did. How stupid could he be?
Because Dream acted as if he was actually feeling bad for Tommy. He acted as if he wasn’t the reason he was here in the first place. He acted as if he was completely powerless in this situation and sympathised with Tommy. As if he was capable of those emotions.
“Stop that,” Tommy grunted, feeling so annoyed with himself. What was he thinking?
“Stop what?” Dream asked, having the audacity to sound confused.
“Stop pretending you give a fuck about me.”
Dream paused and Tommy was left staring at his mask. His stupid fucking mask with a smile that never really reflected the kind of person Dream was. If he could even be called a person.
“But Tommy… I do care about you.”
Tommy shook his head. “Don’t lie!”
“I’m not lying, Tommy.” Dream moved to put a hand on Tommy's shoulder but the boy stood up, jerking away from his touch.
“Stay away from me!” He yelled, making a good few steps back. “Stay the fuck away from me…”
He squeezed his eyes shut just so he wouldn’t have to look at the man in front of him.
“You’re lying, Dream! All you ever do is lie. You never fucking stop lying. I’m not buying it, ok? It might work on others but this bullshit doesn’t work on me so stop lying!”
It was quiet. Dream didn’t reply. Tommy opened his eyes to see Dream staring at the grass. As always he couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
“Are you done?” He asked, his tone so cold it made Tommy freeze in his tracks.
He turned his head, looking directly at Tommy again. “I’m not lying, Tommy. I care about you. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who cares about you.”
Tommy shook his head. “That’s not true…”
“Oh, really. What's all this then?” Dream looked around him. “Did anyone come see you? I’m the only one here, aren’t I?”
“That’s…”
“What is it, Tommy? Can’t you see?” Dream laughed softly. “No one cares about you, Tommy. Except for me. I even let you have the nether portal, didn’t I? I gave them a simple and easy way to come find you. But they didn’t.”
“Dream, stop this. Stop.”
He didn't stop. He kept going, his voice the same as Tommy heard it in nightmares, continuously ringing in his head and it never fucking stopped.
“Tommy, listen to me. You have no one. Wilbur is dead. Who else would come here for you? Fundy? Quackity?” Dream laughed. “Tubbo?”
“You leave Tubbo out of this!” Tommy yelled, taking a step closer to Dream.
“Isn’t he the reason you are here in the first place?”
Tommy clenched his fist, ready to swing. “No! You made him send me here! He wouldn’t have done it. I know him… He’s my best friend, okay?”
Dream smiled, tilting his head to the side. “And yet he picked a ruined country over you.”
Tommy breathed out slowly, unclenching his fist. He let his gaze fall to the ground, barely registering the tears on his cheeks.
“He didn’t visit you even once. Not once. Is that what friends do, Tommy?”
The boy sighed sitting back down on the grass, his head turned. He didn’t want Dream to see his tears.
“Tommy… it’s ok. It will be ok. I’m here, yeah?”
Dream scooted closer to him and put a hand on his shoulder. Tommy turned to face him.
“I’ll be your friend. Let me be your friend.”
Tommy nodded weakly and Dream guided his head to his shoulder. Tommy let his sobs overtake him then, as he was crying in Dream’s arms. Dream was humming a song under his breath, his fingers rubbing Tommy’s back soothingly.
“You don’t like being lonely, do you?” Dream asked barely a whisper.
Tommy shook his head.
“You don’t have to worry about that now. I’m here.”