Chapter Text
Dream was acting weird. Well, he always acted weird, but this time, it was seriously weird. It was now Tommy’s third day in the prison, and Dream was oddly quiet. The first day, Tommy sort of passed out, and ended up sleeping the night, and on the second, Dream was back on his usual bullshit. Spewing on about how they were friends, and how Dream was the only one who cared, etcetera, etcetera.
That’s when Tommy knew he was lying. The only one who cared was Tubbo. Everyone else could fuck off, and that included Dream.
But now, a day later, Dream was quiet. Too quiet.
His hair grew out some during his month-long stay inside Pandora’s vault, and was pulled into a sort of half bun with a rubber band that Sam probably gave him. He was slumped against the obsidian wall and the cauldron, his head bent down. He wore the usual obnoxious green sweatshirt that looked like it had seen better days, and jeans and boots that looked the same. All in all, he looked like shit.
“You look like shit,” Tommy said, his voice scratchy. He didn’t really know why he was egging Dream on, maybe he just wanted him to go back to his usual half-lies and taunts, something familiar. Or maybe he was just suicidal.
Dream picked his head up, studying Tommy, who was as close to the lava he could be without actually singeing his hoodie. He was constantly covered in a sheen of sweat, which made him feel sticky and gross, but it was far better than the other option, which meant taking off the hoodie and letting Dream see his wings.
The lava wall was the spot farthest from Dream, but also the most dangerous spot. One shove, and Tommy would be burnt to a crisp in seconds, but maybe that was better than dying to Dreams hands. Dream’s unnatural green eyes were staring straight into Tommy, and he shivered from the sudden scrutinization.
That was another thing. Dream’s mask was gone. When Tommy came to visit the first time, it was in it's usual spot in front of his face, sporting a huge crack, but this time around, it was nowhere to be seen. It wasn’t the first time he had seen Dream without his mask on, that happened long ago in exile. Something about a show of trust.
He half expected Dream to be covered in scars, but he looked like any normal human. He had a single scar that looked like it should have taken out his eye, stretching from his cheekbone to above his eyebrow, but other than that, completely normal.
“So do you.” Dream finally replied. Tommy sneered at him but didn’t respond.
It was the next day when either of them spoke again. Tommy barely got any sleep between the constant noises of lava flowing, and the hard obsidian, but every time he woke up, Dream was soundlessly sleeping against the cauldron. He was probably used to it.
“Why-” Tommy tried, getting cut off by dry coughs that racked his body. “Why the fuck are you so quiet.”
Dream shrugged, getting up. Tommy tensed, pushing himself into the wall while cursing himself out in his head. Why the fuck was he so reckless? Instead of coming closer, however, Dream turned around, digging in the chest. He pulled out a book and went back to his original position after stretching for a few moments.
“What’s wrong with you? Aren’t you going to try to manipulate me or some shit?” Tommy asked. He seriously had a deathwish.
“Do you want me to?”
“What?”
“Do you want me to manipulate you,” Dream clarified. “I can, if you want.”
“What the fuck? No?”
“Then what’s your problem?”
Tommy didn’t answer him.
Day five in the prison, and Sam finally visited. It was also when Dream went back to normal.
“Tommy, come on. We’re friends. ” He sat in his usual spot, smirking down at Tommy even though they were the same height. He didn’t like how Dream could do that.
“Shut up Dream. I liked it better when you were quiet.” Tommy wasn’t sure about that, however. On one hand, it meant Dream wouldn’t bother him and he could be at peace, even just for a little bit. On the other, Tommy had no idea what his breaking point would be. No idea when he would snap. Bitchy Dream was familiar, at least.
“I bet no one even cares about you out there. Not a single person. I mean, Technoblade barely cared about you. He teamed up with me the first chance he got. Philza’s always on Techno’s side, and Tubbo resents you. He resents you for dragging him into all of this. I’ve heard he likes hanging out with Ranboo now, cause Ranboo’s normal. Ranboo doesn’t drag his so called “best friend” into his battles. He doesn’t put objects before his “best friend”.”
“Shut up Dream. Why the fuck are you on about Ranboo? You have no idea what’s happening out there cause no one’s visited you yet.” Dream laughs like he said something funny, but Tommy continues. “I heard you didn’t even talk to Sapnap. Your so called ‘best friend’. Didn’t he promise to kill you or something?”
Dream’s smile doesn’t waver. “Tommy, Tommy, Tommy. When I told you I cut my attachments, I meant it. I don’t give a shit if Sapnap says he’s gonna kill me. I grew up with him, I’d easily kill him first.”
That was a tidbit he didn’t know. For all the wars he and Sapnap have been through (and caused), whether they were on the same sides or opposing ones, Sapnap was a decent guy. Tommy thought about Henry, and backtracked. Sapnap was not a decent guy, but he was a guy who wouldn’t be friends with Dream. Then again, Dream used to be alright, too. All the way in the beginning, when he was first invited. Two years ago. Prime .
Tommy didn’t know when the war with the disks became less about messing around with friends and more about killing each other.
“Tommy?” A muffled voice asked.
Tommy shot up, running to the lava wall, almost burning himself. He could hear Dream getting up and standing beside him, but he didn’t care. “Sam? Is that you?”
“Tommy, I’ll be able to come get you tomorrow, okay? Just hang in tight, bud.”
Tommy could have cried in that moment. “Um, okay I think I can do that.” He glanced at Dream, taking a step away. “Are you sure you can’t fix it sooner.”
Sam paused, “I’m not sure, Tommy, but I’ll try. But tomorrow at the latest, alright? I have to go now.”
Tommy swallowed thickly. “Mhm. See you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow.”
And then he was alone again, with Dream. He stared into the lava until his eyes burned. Dream put a heavy hand on his shoulder, “Tommy.”
“Get-” Tommy jerked away from him. “Get away from me. Don’t touch me.”
“Are you sure you even want to leave? No one else cares about you out there. I do, though. I’ll always care.”
I’ll always care. What a fucking lie.
The next day came, and Sam’s voice crackled in through the intercoms, dropping potatoes and promises of ‘ soon ’ that Tommy didn’t know whether to believe or not. Dream hadn’t spoken once today, and Tommy was finally figuring out his boundaries. On his quiet days, Dream would respond with non verbal answers if he could, but he wasn’t particularly adverse to talking, he just preferred not to. If Tommy pried too much, or poked at something too close, like George or Sapnap, Dream would snap at him. Tommy didn’t know what would happen if he kept pushing, and very much did not want to find out.
On his loud days, as Tommy liked to call them, Dream was the same way he always was. Going on and on about friends, and how no one cared. He never seemed to even care about any of his friends, and would torment Tommy whatever chance he got. And when the two of them were stuck in an obsidian cage together, there were a lot of chances.
Tommy jolted awake from the nap he didn’t particularly mean to have, looking up at Dream. The older man wasn’t in his usual spot, instead standing in the middle of the room. Tommy quickly glanced around, grabbing at the closest object, a book. He wouldn’t be able to do much with it, but it was better than his fists.
For almost the first time ever, Dream wasn’t wearing a mask of indifference. He looked scared . Like out of his mind, terrified. Tommy swallowed, glancing around the room. “Um, Dream?”
Dream looked down at Tommy. His eyes were wide, unblinking. Maybe Pandora's Vault really did make him crazy. “I-I have to...” he turned back to the lava, and walked straight into it.
Dream tried to swim in lava
“What the fuck?” Tommy blinked at where Dream last stood, and then to the pool of water where Dream soon dropped from. “Dream, what the fuck was that. Did you go fucking crazy?”
Dream didn’t respond, walking back into the lava.
Dream tried to swim in lava
Tommy scrambled to his feet. “Woah, Dream, let’s, uh, let’s talk about this, what the fuck do you-”
Dream tried to swim in lava
“Dream!” Tommy shouted. “What do you think you’re doing?!” He stepped in front of Dream, but Dream’s eyes looked less crazy and more determined. Respawn deaths hurt a lot less than canon ones, but lava hurt either way. Tommy would know. Dream shoved him out of the way, and Tommy’s back hit the obsidian wall with a heavy thud. “Dream.”
Dream tried to swim in lava
Dream tried to swim in lava
Dream tried to swim in lava
Dream tried to swim in lava
Dream dropped down from the hole in the ceiling and didn’t move, crouching in the water. “Dream?” Tommy asked quietly.
Dream stood up slowly, lookin at his hands. “That’s it.” He muttered quietly. He looked straight at Tommy, sheer disbelief painted on his face. “That’s it! I’m done!” he was grinning now, sharp at the edges, but not really the same grin as before. Not the easy, calculated one he wore in exile, but one almost reminiscent of the very first disk war.
“Dream...”
“I’m free.” He slumped against the wall, sliding down. “I’m free,” He whispered again.
“Are you gonna tell me what th-”
The intercom crackled to life, and Sam’s voice followed. “Tommy, I’m here. Can you get on the other side of the netherite wall?”
Tommy blinked at Dream, and then to the lava that Sam stood behind.
“Tommy?”
“Yeah-yeah I’m here. I’m coming.”
46 minutes later, and Tommy was free. Confused as hell, but free.