Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A year and a half.

It had been almost a year and a half since Tommy had been exiled from L'Manberg. And it had been exactly a year since he'd seen another person's face, heard another person's voice, except for Dream's. Dream was the only constant in his life at this point; Ranboo's visits had stopped rather abruptly, not that long after his letters stopped coming in. Dream told him the enderman hybrid was simply busy with L'Manberg, helping Tubbo and doing his own thing, having fun; Tommy hadn't wanted to believe him, wished he didn't, but in the end, what else was he meant to believe? It was just another bump in the road, another instance of him getting kicked while he was already down. Dream had pulled him into a side-hug that day, ruffling his hair and telling him he was the only one he needed, because he was the only one who actually cared. Tommy had wished at the time that he didn't believe that so easily either, but how could he deny the truth? Dream was the only one who bothered to come by at all. And, sure, now he knew why-

("He was only here to watch me.")

-but, fuck, even that was better than nothing. Even that was better than being completely alone. Dream cared about him, he had to care, he had to care to some extent to even bother with this.

(Because if he didn't care, what was the point? Why did he want to come watch him? Why did he come by nearly every day, put this much effort into… into what? Into being his friend? How did he benefit from something like this? How did he benefit from having to see him every day, how did he benefit from coming by just to watch him… exist? No, he had to care, he had to care because even his real friends hadn't bothered to put in the same amount of effort Dream was.)

And at this point, he'd take what he got. Maybe Dream wasn't his friend. Maybe he hurt him, scared him, blew up his things, blew up Logstedshire and made him rebuild everything from the ground up, but dammit, he was there. He was there, and Tommy didn't want to be alone anymore. He didn't want to be out here by himself, knowing he couldn't return to the place he once called his home, to the people he once called his friends. At least when Dream was around, he had company; at least when he was in a good mood, he was nice, and friendly. Maybe he hit him with his axe sometimes (more so out of boredom lately now, Tommy recognized quickly, because he'd long stopped doing anything that ran the risk of agitating the man), and maybe Tommy's heart plummeted into his stomach every time he saw Dream's hand raise, every time the man moved toward him too fast, and maybe he flinched a lot more often and maybe he apologized for practically every little thing even if he didn't exactly do anything wrong and maybe he still wished sometimes that he could just dive into the lava in the Nether or that he wouldn't wake up one morning and Dream would find his body in the ocean and maybe he was tired, so fucking tired and so fucking scared and trapped and there was no way out and-

But he'd long stopped looking for a way out. There was only one preferable way to escape this, but he couldn't do it. He couldn't do that to Dream. Because Dream was his only friend, and Dream did care about him, maybe, probably, kind of, he didn't know, but he still couldn't do that.

(Dream had made it abundantly clear that he wasn't allowed.)

Either way, it had been nearly a year and a half now, and Tommy learned the rules pretty quickly. Dream didn't exactly lay them out for him; he expected him to pick up on them himself and accommodate, and Tommy made sure to do just that. He figured he was doing a pretty good job, because Dream seemed much less annoyed with him these days. Which was a good thing.

Especially considering Dream was living with him now. After Logstedshire's unfortunate demise, Dream had pitched in to help with rebuilding, somewhat. It was mostly Tommy who did all the work and got all the supplies and actually did the building, but it was Dream who instructed him on what to build and where to build it and how to build it. His tent was traded in for a moderately small cabin just big enough for the two of them, and once it was completed, his 'friend' had revealed his intention to move in with him. Tommy's initial reaction was excitement, because it meant Dream would be around more, it meant they'd be spending every day and night together.

His second reaction was horror, and then fear, for those very reasons; Dream was going to be around more and they would be spending every day and night together and he couldn't leave.

Look, it wasn't a secret that Dream scared him. Nowadays it was painfully obvious in the way Tommy couldn't control his reactions around the man anymore; he was too tired to hide the way he flinched when Dream approached him, the way he shuddered and shook when he laid a hand on his shoulder or ruffled his hair, the way he spouted apologies on a whim if he thought he'd done or said something to upset him - he couldn't hide these things as well as he used to, and he noticed. He knew Dream noticed, it was impossible not to notice how scared he was.

So some part of him, a small part of him, was thrilled at the prospect of living with Dream.

The rest of him was scared, because he knew it would suck away whatever freedom he had, if he had any left to begin with; he knew it would be the end of him, the nail in the coffin, and he knew Dream would have him spun in his web of strings in an instant. He wasn't blind to the control the man had over him, he wasn't blind to how quickly and easily he'd started to bend to his will, and he wasn't blind to the fact that spending more time with him was only going to solidify the fact that Dream was the puppeteer, and Tommy was his not-quite-so-willing puppet.

He was right, of course. Dream slowly, steadily became a little stricter, a little harsher, quicker and far more eager to jump straight to punishments before Tommy could even realize what he'd done wrong. And now that they were spending more time together, those punishments were…

They weren't kind. Dream controlled everything. Food and water, basic resources, Tommy. The easiest punishments were… withholding food and drink for a few days (three at the max, at least when it came to water, Dream never let it get so far he died or anything). The worst punishments were being locked up. His room was small, big enough to fit a bed with maybe a few blocks of space between it and the wall and the doorway, and one of Dream's favorite punishments was to add obsidian along the wooden walls, effectively trapping him in the already-cramped room and leaving a single hole to pass food and water through every so often.

(Once, Dream kept him there for a whole week. A whole week. He fed him, gave him water and made sure he was okay, but for an entire week, Tommy remained trapped in his small room.)

It was easy, after that, for Dream to mold him into whatever he wanted. Tired and resigned and terrified, he was willing to do just about anything to avoid being punished, so he simply complied. Compliance was his best bet; compliance meant Dream was happy, and as long as Dream was happy, he wasn't being hurt, or starved, or locked away, and that was a win for him.

So, the months went by. Tommy fell into a completely submissive state, and Dream thrived on it. Tommy knew it, he wasn't blind, and he wasn't stupid. But he was dependent, in so many different ways, and there was nothing he could do about that. It was easier to do what Dream wanted. It was necessary for his survival, which in the long run wasn't too important - but again, he wasn't allowed to die. If this was the only way for him to live, he was going to make it as easy as he could. He knew what to expect, he knew the rules, and as long as he… as he behaved…

… then… he was fine. It wasn't ideal, but it was the only thing he could do.

Tonight was… it seemed to be a good night. They were sitting in the living room, Tommy cross-legged on the floor and Dream lounging on the couch watching Tommy stitch up one of his hoodies. Dream had gifted him the new clothing not long after they'd moved in together, several of them; each one was red, with a green smiley face stitched into the back of each one, the same smiley face imprinted on the mask Dream wore. It was to solidify their friendship, he said.

It was to solidify Dream's ownership of him, but Tommy wasn't about to say that out loud.

There was music playing somewhere in the background. He recognized the melody, humming along quietly as he worked. It was Cat, one of his Dream's discs - Dream let him listen to it sometimes, only when they were together, and only when Tommy had been extremely good.

At this point, he was happier about that then he was about actually being able to listen to the disc; he knew whenever Dream pulled it out that he had done something good, something worthy of a reward. It didn't matter what the reward was, nothing else mattered except for the fact that Dream was pleased with him, and as long as he was pleased with him, he was safe.

(And maybe it tickled him for another reason, deep down. Maybe it satisfied that part of him that actually, genuinely wanted Dream's approval - not out of fear, but… out of friendship, really.)

Because that was what they were, weren't they? They were friends.

"So," Dream spoke up suddenly, suddenly enough to make him flinch. The hand holding the needle slipped a little, pricking his own finger by accident, but he was quick to return to his task without bothering to check the wound. It stung, and a good amount of blood was welling up and starting to trickle down his skin, but it wasn't going to kill him, and he'd had much worse anyway. Still, he let out a soft hum to let Dream know he was listening, and the man hummed back at him in response before continuing, "I was thinking, you know, it's your birthday tomorrow, right?"

Tommy paused at that, glancing up. He couldn't explain the sudden feeling of dread that pooled in his stomach at the question, and the undercurrent of excitement that surged up along with it.

He'd gotten used to that particular combination of emotions lately. "Yeah."

"Well, I was considering," Dream drew the word out briefly, stretching out on his back on the couch and crossing his arms under his head, "taking you into L'Manberg, temporarily, for a… you know, a visit. A birthday gift, y'know- I figured since you've been pretty good recently…"

At that point, Tommy had stopped stitching completely, his heart pounding. There was no excitement now, just pure, complete terror. It was a trick, this was a trick. Dream was waiting to see how he would react, if he'd respond with excitement, if he'd regress. It was a trick, it was a trap, it was a test but what if it wasn't, what if Dream was really just trying to be nice, what if it was just a gift and what if Tommy made him upset by not getting excited, what if he got angry-

Dream turned his head, green eyes sparkling with curiosity as he turned his gaze back to the teen. He couldn't read his expression, even without the mask on, but he- he seemed genuine…

"What do you think?" He prompted, and it was a test, Dream didn't care what he thought.

"Um." Tommy froze, wracking his brain for a proper response. Prime, he didn't know what to do, he didn't know what to say, what to think for that matter. Nevermind the confusing emotions that burst to life inside of him at the idea of going back to what used to be his home after so long. He didn't even know if he wanted to go back, knowing he'd just be ripped away again in an instant. Knowing there was nobody back there who even cared about him anyway, why should he go when he knew nobody wanted him there, why should he go when he wasn't even welcome?

"I-" His mouth was dry. "U- Uh, but, but they don't want me-?"

"Maybe," Dream drawled, a brief smile tugging at his lips. "But, you know, you've changed, right? You're calmer, you're… honestly Tommy, you're a lot more tolerable. You're better now. Maybe once they see how much more likeable you've gotten, they'll actually want you around."

The words didn't sting, words he'd heard a million times before by now. What stung was the fact that Dream was right; they would like him like this, quiet and calm and submissive and terrified.

"But Tu-" Tommy bit his tongue hard enough to draw blood, dropping the hoodie to clasp his hand over his mouth. Dream didn't like it when he talked about Tubbo, he couldn't say that.

Dream heaved out a sigh, clearly growing agitated, fuck, "look, if you don't want to-"

"No, I- I will, uh, if you want, thank you, that's, um-" Tommy was really out of his depth here, scrambling to pick up the pieces before the situation could escalate. Dream swung his legs over the side of the couch to sit up, and he flinched, summoning every ounce of his self-restraint not to scramble back and cram himself into the corner. He could fix this. "It sounds- it sounds nice, that would be nice- thank you, Dream," he breathed, swallowing back the lump in his throat.

Thankfully, fucking thankfully, Dream seemed… oddly pleased with that response. "You're welcome," he responded smoothly, standing up and heading toward the kitchen. "Go ahead and get some sleep then, we've got a big day tomorrow." He left with that, and Tommy sucked in a quiet, relieved gasp, the weight lifted off his shoulders the second the man left him alone again.

Quickly, he fumbled to put the needle back into the pin cushion and scooped his things up, heading to his room and calling a quick 'goodnight' to Dream. That interaction was over, and tomorrow was going to be so much worse. It was going to be terrifying and confusing and Tommy couldn't put one foot out of line because Prime knows what would happen- what Dream would do, or even worse, what they would do if he showed even a flicker of his old self again.

Dream was right. He was better this way. This way, he wouldn't get hurt; he'd be fine.

He'd be fine.

This was fine.

Chapter Text

While Tommy trudged off to his room for the night, Dream settled down in the kitchen with a cup of coffee, listening to the music playing from the living room as a smile spread across his face.

He'd never been happier.

Tonight was a good night; he and Tommy had spent most of the day simply lounging around the cabin, too lazy to get up and do something and yet, somehow, still too restless to sit back and try and relax. Well, at least Tommy was, anyway. He'd spent most of the day tidying up their shared living space, moving through the cabin mechanically, dusting off bookshelves and washing the dishes and pretty much doing whatever he could to keep his hands busy. Dream watched him work, moving from room to room along with him and rambling aimlessly about whatever popped into his mind at the time while Tommy hummed along with the idle conversation. He obviously enjoyed the company, even though it didn't go unnoticed - by either of them, he was sure - how easy it was for Dream to scare him with a word, a glance, anything.

He was on edge, jumpy, even, and Dream was used to that. He was used to the way Tommy flinched at his touch sometimes - it was adorable, it was amusing, it was justified. He couldn't say the kid didn't have a reason to be scared of him, because he did, he should. And it didn't irritate him, he didn't mind it; a little fear was healthy in Tommy's case, just a little added insurance that their dynamic wasn't going to change. Dream really liked the way things were.

And he didn't think Tommy hated it, either. Yes, he was afraid, but he leaned into the gentle touches just as often as he flinched away from the painful ones. He craved physical affection, fucking lusted after it for crying out loud. Dream wouldn't say it wasn't amusing to watch him battle between his desperation and fear, the desire to get closer and the instinct to pull away.

Again, it was adorable. He was so confused, so easy to confuse. A harsh word followed by a gentle touch could send the poor boy reeling, and don't even get him started on how amazing it was to watch his expression shift when Dream started speaking to him in that sickly sweet tone just a second before drawing his axe for another well-earned lesson. Tommy caught on quicker these days; he knew when Dream got quiet and sweet that something was wrong, and seemed to flinch more often when his voice lowered than he did when it rose. He was just as afraid of the kindness as he was of the anger, and that, dear Prime, Dream just couldn't get enough of it.

But that was good, also, because… well, all things considered, Tommy knew the rules. With him, at least, Tommy knew what was acceptable and what wasn't acceptable, and anything that needed to be learned, Dream was more than happy to teach. But here lately, he was just so… fuck, he was so good. Quiet and obedient and submissive and everything Dream had wanted - yeah, he loved Tommy's fire, that spark in his eyes that could set anything ablaze in an instant. Tommy was fun, he was a challenge. Dream loved a challenge, and Tommy was his biggest.

But he also loved the shaky smiles, quiet apologies and flinches and the soft, panicked noises - and he loved the way he could throw his arm around Tommy's shoulders without getting cussed out and shoved away, he loved the way the boy leaned into his touch just as much as he loved seeing the way he shied away from it. It was perfect; he was perfect. Dream's greatest challenge conquered. Watching Tommy mellow out was the best part; he was so soft-spoken, almost shy even with just the two of them. They joked and laughed just as much as they used to, with a bit of a shakier edge on Tommy's part, but he was so quiet now. Each chuckle was soft, each breath nearly inaudible. He didn't raise his voice. He didn't scream. He didn't curse. He listened when Dream spoke, obeyed every command without hesitation, and Dream knew he had every reason to leave - and honestly, every opportunity if he wanted to - but he didn't.

Well, maybe he didn't have every reason to leave. Dream knew he could be harsh, and he knew Tommy was afraid of him, but he also knew the boy cared about him, too. They were friends, after all, like brothers, for crying out loud. He knew Tommy enjoyed their time together as long as he was behaving - because as long as he behaved, then there was no reason to punish him. Sure, he smacked him around with his axe for fun sometimes, but never enough to hurt him. He hadn't had to lock him up or withhold food and water for a while either. Things were different, and Dream didn't mind it one bit. He liked Tommy's fire; but he loved stomping out the flames.

Now, the thing was that Tommy knew what to expect from him; he knew what to expect when he fucked up, and he'd grown pretty good at recognizing when he had and apologizing profusely the second he did, but still. He knew what to expect, he knew the rules, as long as he was here.

He didn't know the rules out there. Dream was excited to see what would happen.

He figured it had been long enough that Tommy knew better than to try anything, but he would still be taking extra precautions tomorrow just to ensure that. He also knew Tommy was well aware of how L'Manberg felt about him (or at least, how Dream wanted him to think L'Manberg felt about him), and Dream had made it abundantly clear that they were fine without him. Which, for the most part, yeah, they were. Everyone actually seemed to have forgotten about Tommy completely - or at least, they just didn't mention him to Dream anymore, and he was fine with it. It just meant he could tell Tommy that nobody had asked about him, and it wasn't a lie.

Not that Dream was above lying. Jeez, he'd spun so many tales to the kid, he was going to have to be extra careful to make sure Tommy kept his mouth shut when they got there tomorrow, just in case he mentioned something Dream didn't want the others knowing. Of course, the same went both ways, but Dream was well aware he didn't have nearly as much control over everyone else as he did over Tommy - but he was hoping, with Tommy in line, it would be easier. Tommy was the one who started the trouble more often than not; the others followed suit, but if there was nobody to follow, everything should be fine. Once they saw how easily he had gotten Tommy under his thumb, he figured they'd be falling into line pretty quickly.

Prime, he couldn't wait to show the boy off, show everyone what he'd accomplished. Show them that Tommy was his, once and for all, and there was nothing anyone, even Tubbo, could do.

His. Dream marveled over the word for a moment, a smile tugging at his lips. Tommy was his. His… friend. His brother. Just his, it didn't matter what he was, it just mattered that he was his. He didn't care about the labels, he didn't care about the 'friendship' or whatever, he just cared about Tommy. And he did, he really, truly did - Dream didn't know how he could be more obvious about it, to be honest. Tommy was the most important thing in his life, his prized possession, his favorite toy, his, and Dream loved him, more than he could ever love anything. He would do anything for him, anything to keep him safe, and anything to keep him at his side.

It didn't matter, as long as he was there and Dream could keep him right by his side, wrap an arm around him and make sure nobody and nothing could take him away from him. And there was nothing better than this, knowing Tommy was his, knowing he knew that, and knowing that Tommy was just as aware of the fact that Dream would never let him stray far from his side.

No matter what he had to do to ensure it, Tommy was his.

Smiling to himself, he finished off his coffee, rinsing the cup out and picking his things up to head to his room for the night. He wasn't tired, obviously, but he figured he'd write a little and try and plan out how he wanted tomorrow to go. He wanted it to be special; not just because he was finally able to show off Tommy now that he knew he had the boy wrapped around his finger, but also because it was his birthday, and Dream wanted to make the most of that. This was for Tommy, too, of course. He'd earned it with his good behavior lately, and if all went well and Dream liked how tomorrow went, maybe there would be more visits in the future. He wouldn't pass up more chances to show all his old friends who was really in charge, and, to be honest…

… if Tommy could really see, just for a moment, how different everything was and how everyone else had moved on, Dream could console himself with the fact that there truly was nothing left for the boy except for him - and whose shoulder would he be crying on at the end of the day? Who would he be coming home with? Who was his best friend, the only one who cared for him? The one who took care of him, kept him safe, taught him how to behave, how to be better?

Dream, of course. Dream would do anything for him. Dream would be right there to comfort him when Tommy realized that he didn't need L'Manberg, and L'Manberg didn't want him anyway.

All he needed was Dream - and he would see to it that all Tommy wanted was Dream, as well.

He was pretty sure he was already halfway there, but he couldn't be certain; it was only the two of them out here, nobody trying to tug any strings from an opposing side. Tommy was docile, content, obedient for the most part when it was just the two of them - perhaps this was more of a test, to see how Tommy reacted to the outside world again, to see how much had changed. And if Dream liked the results… well, he'd be sure to reward any and all good behavior. If he didn't, then he had more work to do - but that was fine, that was fun, he was okay either way.

He popped the disc out of the jukebox, depositing it in his enderchest and checking the time as he headed down the hall to the bedrooms. Well, it was almost midnight - despite himself, he stalled to a stop outside Tommy's room, debating. The boy was asleep, one glance inside was enough to confirm that - he didn't have a door, Dream made that rule clear their first day in the cabin together, and Tommy had actually been rather willing to comply with it at the time - and Dream could carry on, go about the rest of his night and wait until morning came, but… well…

Dream couldn't bite back a smile, depositing his mask on a bookshelf and slipping into the room quietly, making sure not to wake the boy a second too early. He checked the time again as he settled down against the wall, crossing his legs and leaning back with a smile as he waited.

He… liked to watch Tommy sleep sometimes. Especially early on, when they were both still settling in. There was a part of him that couldn't get over the irrational fear that Tommy wouldn't be there in the morning, and he ended up spending most nights leaning against the wall and just watching and listening as the blond slept, watching his chest rise and fall and his face twist up every so often. Nevermind the nightmares - Prime, Tommy had the most awful nightmares. Night terrors, really. There were times he'd wake up screaming in the middle of the night, howling for Wilbur - sometimes even Tubbo, and as much as it pissed him off, he knew it wasn't something that could be controlled, and he knew Tommy was bound to forget it when morning came. Sometimes he'd just wake up crying, sobbing, begging and pleading - for what, Dream didn't know, and he never really cared to find out. Sometimes he left it alone, laying in bed and just listening until it passed, and only got up to check in on him when Tommy fell back asleep.

Other times, Dream would crawl into bed with him, pull him into his arms despite the way Tommy would thrash and fight and scream and plead at first, and he would hold him until the boy tired himself out and collapsed again, melting into his arms like butter and emitting quiet sniffles and sobs as he buried his face into Dream's shoulder and shook until he passed out.

Part of him sympathized, despite himself. He wasn't cruel, he wasn't heartless - he hated anything that caused Tommy true pain, and watching him become so completely engulfed in terror that wasn't even connected to Dream… he didn't like it. These nightmares weren't his own doing, he didn't think. It was never his name Tommy called out in the middle of the night. He yelled for Wilbur, panicked and shaky and sobbing, he yelled for Tubbo almost pleadingly, begging for his 'best friend' to come to his aid - but it was never Dream's name on his lips. If he played a part in those nightmares, which he wouldn't really care if he did, he wasn't aware of it.

Honestly, he'd prefer it if he was the center of it all. But it was clear Tommy had other things going on in that brain of his, that brain Dream wished he could take sole possession of sometimes, and there was nothing he could do about that but wait until he had complete control. Then he could really get into his head, put a stop to those nightmares and prove once again that he just wanted what was best for Tommy, he just wanted to keep his prized possession safe.

At least tonight he seemed okay.

The minutes passed quickly, the clock in the living room singing its familiar tune as it struck midnight, and Dream lifted himself to his feet with a smile, making his way over to the bed.

"Tommy," he whispered, leaning down and brushing the blond's curls away from his forehead. Tommy stirred at once, eyebrows furrowing slightly as he started to pull away from the contact, only to immediately turn his head back into the touch, pressing forward a little as if asking for more. Pleased, Dream rewarded him with another gentle stroke, carding his fingers through the boy's hair and brushing his knuckles across his temple, down to his cheek. The quiet, sleepy hum that earned him was enough to make his lips curl into a grin. "Tommy," he called again, practically cooing as he settled down on the side of the bed. The teen turned toward him completely then, curling up and moving closer, instinctively seeking out his warmth. "Wake up."

It took a few seconds of gentle prodding, but Dream was patient as he coaxed the boy into awareness, more than content with the sleepy mumbles he was emitting and the way he pressed into his touch when Dream cupped his hand under his cheek. He practically nuzzled into his palm, clearly enjoying the contact in his half-asleep state. He was touch starved, and Dream liked it that way, because it made moments like this so much better. It was adorable.

Finally, though, Tommy's eyes fluttered open. He didn't pull away, didn't flinch away when he saw it was Dream hovering above him, simply blinked a few times as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, still bleary and fogged with exhaustion as he finally focused on the man. "Dream…?"

Dream hummed in response, rubbing his thumb over the teen's cheek lightly, and Tommy flinched and turned his face closer to the touch in the same motion, making him chuckle despite himself. So eager for contact and so afraid of it at the same time. He loved it. "It's midnight," he finally explained after a few moments, grinning down at the boy warmly, "happy birthday, Toms."

"Oh." Tommy blinked again, and then smiled, small and tired but genuine. "Thank you, Dream."

"Of course," Dream murmured, watching Tommy's eyes flutter and drift shut again after a few moments of silence. His head sank down against his hand, weighing heavy as he clearly started to drift off again, and Dream was careful when he finally, reluctantly, maneuvered his hand away, letting Tommy's head settle back into the pillow and adjusting the blanket back over the teen. Still, he didn't move just yet, keeping his eyes trained on the boy's sleeping face for just a few minutes longer. His boy. His Tommy. His obsession, his favorite thing in the entire world.

He was perfect.

Dream couldn't wait to show him off.

Chapter Text

Tommy woke up to the smell of cake and the sound of Cat blaring from the living room.

Last night's events were foggy at best, a whirlwind of memories and feelings he couldn't quite decipher through the thick haze of exhaustion that clung to him. But he did remember Dream coming into his room, nudging him awake to tell him happy birthday, a distant memory of a hand passing through his hair, stroking his cheek. Despite himself, he couldn't help but feel somewhat content, just lying there in his bed for a moment and letting the rare sense of safety he'd felt last night wash over him completely, knowing that it would be gone with each second he spent in Dream's presence. He loved his best friend, he did, and he wasn't going to deny that - maybe before, he would have. He'd have fought tooth and nail to deny it. But things had changed, and even Tommy couldn't deny that it wasn't just his fear that was keeping him tied to the man. There was fondness too, there was love, there was friendship. And there was the knowledge that it all came with a price, a price he supposed he was willing to pay to stay by Dream's side.

Pure and utter obedience; giving up every ounce of control and letting Dream take the reins. It was fine, it was perfectly fine. He just needed to do what Dream said and everything was fine.

Mostly.

It took a few minutes for him to finally crawl out of bed, reluctantly tearing himself away from his soft blankets and comfortable mattress and struggling to mentally, emotionally and physically prepare himself for what the rest of the day would bring. He hadn't forgotten Dream's gift to him at all - quite the opposite really, it was one of the only things he could think about right then, rattling around dangerously in his brain as he changed out of his pajamas, pulling his hoodie over his shirt as he stumbled out of his room and toward the kitchen, following the cake scent.

Dream was leaning over the table, humming softly along with the music coming from the living room as he spread a rather thick layer of white icing across a cake. His mask was strapped on, but not covering his face - instead, he had it pulled up over his left ear, and Tommy couldn't help but stall to a complete stop in the doorway, fascinated by the completely focused expression on the man's face as he worked, his tongue sticking halfway out to the side and his eyes narrowed.

He didn't think he'd ever seen someone look so serious about a cake before.

It was laughable, actually. He did laugh, airy and breathless and quiet, but enough to catch Dream's attention, because green eyes flashed up to his face in an instant before darting back to the cake, and then right back up again. Tommy tensed, unconsciously steeling himself for some sort of reprimand, a punishment for laughing - but instead, Dream's face split into a grin.

"It's about time! Good morning, birthday boy. Come, sit," the man urged, beckoning him over with the spoon he was using to spread the icing before returning to his task. "I'm almost done."

"You didn't have to make a cake," Tommy mumbled, slipping inside as ordered and moving to take the seat closest to Dream. "But, uh, it looks good," he added quickly, not wanting to sound ungrateful. No, he was quite the opposite. He was very grateful for this; Dream made sure he was fed well, as long as he wasn't being punished for something, but that food usually consisted of bread and soups and an occasional apple. Any pieces of meat were rare. Of course, Dream had steaks and pork chops and Tommy was allowed some on occasion, but never very often. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd had something sweet, something he might actually enjoy eating. Yeah, he was grateful. "Thank you," he murmured, watching him carefully.

Dream hummed softly in response, reaching his free hand over to ruffle Tommy's hair. He flinched at first, unable to help the instinctive reaction, but he leaned into the touch anyway, thrilled by the affection he was receiving. Maybe today wouldn't be so bad. Dream seemed happy, anyway, and as long as he was happy, Tommy was happy. "You're welcome, Tommy. So I figured after we have a slice of this, we can go ahead and head to L'Manberg - I wanna get there early so we can stay for a little bit, come back sometime around noon, maybe sunset…"

Tommy managed a hesitant smile, letting him ramble and listening attentively despite the anxiety welling in his chest. He didn't want to do this, that much he had decided based on the dread he was feeling. But he wasn't about to risk sounding ungrateful or - Prime forbid - selfish; Dream thought he was doing a nice thing, and it was a nice thing, it really, truly was. It wasn't his fault that Tommy wasn't really feeling it, but you know what? Dream didn't need to know that.

He could put on a smile and try to enjoy it, just for one day. Anything to make Dream happy.

Dream was still talking as he continued icing the cake, rambling about what they would do when they got back to the cabin. Tommy crossed his arms over the table, resting his chin on them and keeping his eyes focused on the man's hands as he worked, listening to him rant about silently.

"There," his friend finally declared, pulling the spoon back to admire the work he'd done on the cake. Tommy couldn't help but smile, raising his head and opening his mouth to speak - but he startled when Dream held the spoon out to him, icing still caked across it, and for a moment, the teen could only stare before realizing it was being offered to him, taking it hastily but not without a quick 'thank you' as he did. Dream merely smiled, soft and welcoming, and Tommy felt his heart swell with a warmth that had grown all too familiar in Dream's presence. Just because things like this didn't happen often didn't mean they didn't have their soft moments, and Tommy greatly appreciated those moments. When Dream was gentle and warm and kind. Those moments made it easier to see him as a friend; it made it easier to be here with him, like this, it made it easier to be content with knowing this was all he had - and maybe it was all he needed.

(Prime, he really didn't want to go back to L'Manberg. Why would he, when he had everything he needed right here? But Dream wanted him to go, and Tommy would do anything for Dream.)

"It should be good enough to eat in a few minutes." Dream pushed himself away from the table and stretched his arms up over his head, a relaxed smile playing on his lips. Tommy tentatively brought the spoon up to his lips, dabbing at the frosting with his tongue. It was good, so sweet. Again, Dream kept him well-fed as long as he deserved it, but it felt like it had been forever since he'd had something sweet. So he found himself eagerly lapping at the icing, not even trying to hide his excitement. It was just him and Dream, and Dream wouldn't judge him for it. If anything, he seemed amused - pleased, even, as he ruffled Tommy's hair again and paused to brush his curls back, running his fingers through them carefully with a wide smile on his face.

He was just about finished with the frosting when Dream brought out the knife to start cutting the cake - but not before pulling Tommy against his side and singing 'happy birthday' while the boy dissolved into giggles, half out of embarrassment and half out of fondness, and he was certain he felt Dream basically melt when he leaned over briefly to rest his head on the man's shoulder.

Once they were both settled down, each with a slice of cake and both of them devouring their pieces like they were starving, Dream brought up L'Manberg again. "I know you don't really want to go," he began, and Tommy went rigid - but Dream went on before he had the chance to figure out what to say. "And I get it, I just think it'd be nice, you know? You haven't been there in a while, and of course it's not gonna be, like, a permanent thing, if that's what you're worried about." His head tilted, eyes scrutinizing the teen carefully. "Is that what you're worried about?"

Tommy remained silent for a few seconds, heart stuttering painfully against his chest as he struggled to answer. "I don't know," he finally answered, honestly. "I, uh, I just- I guess I don't really understand- understand why, exactly, but- but I don't need to, I don't need to understand, y- yeah? It's fine, Dream, it's really alright. I just…" He stopped there for a second, watching Dream set his fork down, his attention focused completely on the blond now. His heart sank, stomach twisting, and he struggled to push past it, to convince himself Dream wasn't upset. Yet. He took a breath, steadying himself, and shook his head. "It's not my home anymore," he said quietly, combing the fork through what was left of his cake to break it apart. "This is, with you- I don't really- I don't know how to act in L'Manberg, or what- they don't even want me, do they?"

"I want you," Dream replied softly. "And I want this to be a good experience for you, Toms. I know it's not your home anymore, but it was. Maybe this will… give you some closure, y'know?"

Closure. Tommy swallowed, uneasy with the stinging sensation in his eyes. "M- Maybe…"

"Hey," Dream murmured, and Tommy snapped his gaze up to him immediately, reluctantly pausing his fidgeting to turn his full attention back to his friend. "If you don't want to go back after this, then you don't have to - ever. Just give it a shot for today?" He offered. "Just once?"

"Of course." Tommy took another breath, much easier now that he knew Dream wasn't upset with him. He was… more understanding about this than Tommy had expected, and he felt kind of bad for expecting the worst. Which, of course he had, but still. Maybe he needed to start giving Dream the benefit of the doubt. He wasn't a bad guy. He was a good friend, a great friend - his best friend. "Of course," he repeated, a little more certain now. "Anything for you, Dream."

Dream merely cracked a grin back at him in response before turning back to his slice, satisfied. Tommy watched him for a moment, taking a few seconds to let the rest of the tension drain from his muscles, before he turned away again to finish his own piece off, shoulders drooping as he sank forward against the table and shoveled the rest of what was on his plate into his mouth.

He couldn't get that word out of his head. Closure. Dream wanted him to have closure.

Did he need closure?

Closure with his home, with his- with the people who used to be his friends. Closure in general. Everything had been fine recently; it was just him and Dream, and that wasn't so bad. Tommy was used to it, he was content with it at the very least, and this just felt like everything was about to become completely unraveled. He didn't know if Dream could sense it or not, he knew the man had secretly always had a thing for chaos, always loved striking the matches and watching the fire spread - but he'd hoped that, with how their relationship had developed, it wouldn't be that way with the two of them. That maybe, somehow, he would be spared from that, if nothing else. That Dream cared about him too much to throw him into the fire again, too.

No, he did. Tommy was just being stupid, dramatic, selfish. Dream only wanted the best for him, and if this is what Dream thought was best for him, then who was he to disagree? Dream knew better than he did, after all, that much had been practically ingrained into his way of thinking. Dream knew best, and Tommy would be a fool not to listen to him - not just because of the risk of being punished, but because in the end, he always happened to be the one in the right, somehow. Tommy trusted him, trusted him more than he trusted anyone else; including himself.

Maybe he was just anxious about seeing another person for the first time in so long. A year was a rather long time to go without interacting with anyone except for literally one other person. Dream was literally the only person he had contact with for over a year now; disrupting that felt like rocking the boat too much, and Tommy didn't want to risk being thrown overboard.

He liked the boat. The neat, gilded cage Dream had built for him. It was comfortable.

It was familiar.

Maybe the idea of something unfamiliar was what scared him.

(Maybe the fact that it was unfamiliar scared him more.)

And still, Tommy found himself on a boat - a literal boat - within the next hour, snuggled up beside Dream while he rowed. He was practically curled against the man's side, his head buried into his shoulder, stomach full and warm with the two slices of cake he'd devoured before they left and completely exhausted (and it was still early, dammit). Dream didn't seem to mind, one arm hooked around his shoulders as he steered the boat with a smile on his face, seeming just as content as Tommy. Physical affection wasn't much of a rarity between them; Dream rewarded him with hair ruffles and hugs when he was good, and cuddles when he was fucking exceptionally behaved. The slightest touches, at least when Tommy was assured that he wasn't going to be hurt, were practically Heaven to him - so being able to curl up and just snuggle against Dream's side when the man let him was… honestly, it was the best reward he could get. Even the disc couldn't compare to this; he just wanted to be held. He just wanted to be loved.

It had been a while since he was on a boat - he couldn't remember the last time, but it was definitely over a year. Hell, he was pretty sure the last time was when Dream had escorted him out of L'Manberg. He tried not to reflect on that too much, pressing his face into the fabric of the man's hoodie and curling up a little more, wrapping his arms around Dream's torso and digging his fingers into his sleeves. Dream rewarded him with a gentle stroke through his hair before returning to his task, and Tommy swallowed back a wave of nausea as the boat rocked a little.

He was half asleep, though, to be honest, when Dream nudged him back to alertness, combing his hair back and gently rocking his shoulder. "Wake up," the man crooned gently. "We're here."

Tommy blinked a few times, exhaustion giving way to anxiety as he lifted his gaze.

He never thought the sight of L'Manberg could make him so anxious.

Welcome home, the voices sang.

Welcome home, Tommy
Welcome home Theseus!
Welcome home!
My L'Manberg
Tommy Innit's coming home!
My L'Manberg
So what did we miss? Ohhh, what did we miss?
My L'Manberg
L'Manberg, my home sweet home, I wanna give you a kiss
My L'Ma-a-a-anberg...

And oh, they were loud, they were joyous, they were celebrating - and Tommy didn't care. He truly didn't care. They were wrong, they were more wrong about this than they'd ever been about anything, because this wasn't his home. This wasn't his home. It wasn't his L'Manberg.

This was going to be Hell.

Chapter Text

Oh, Dream was ecstatic.

He'd dreamt of this moment, of course he had. He'd never intended on keeping Tommy out of L'Manberg forever, and he was at least willing to admit that to himself. No, he just needed him isolated for a while, he just needed to be able to break him down just enough that he knew any command, any order, any word would be obeyed without the slightest hint of hesitation. He had Tommy at that point now, submissive and quiet and obedient, and Dream figured it was time to test the waters a little. Time to bring him back in with the others, put him back on the chessboard now that he was content that Tommy was on his side. Tommy was his King. The most important piece on the board - the most important piece to Dream, and now that he'd successfully captured him, successfully turned him over to his side of the playing field, Dream was more or less content letting him back in. They were all a big happy family, after all, right?

Right. And Dream didn't want to keep his family separated, no, no. He wanted to keep them all close to his chest. But Tommy was the most important one to him, the one he cared for above everyone and everything else, and Dream had to make sure that no matter the outcome, Tommy would be right by his side at the end of the day. That was it, that was all Dream wanted.

Honestly, seeing Tommy so hesitant, practically clinging to him as they exited the boat and made their way into L'Manberg, it thrilled him. The kid was pretty much attached to his side, and Dream didn't have a doubt that he would stay there until he was ordered otherwise. He didn't even think Tubbo would be able to drag him away in this state, and that thought alone was enough to make him grin under his mask. He slung an arm around Tommy's shoulders after a moment as they walked, half to reassure the blond and half to remind him that he was to stay.

Not that that would be a problem, he was sure. The way Tommy pressed closer and nuzzled against him the moment Dream invited him to do so was enough confirmation that he wasn't about to stray from his side anytime soon. Prime, he couldn't wait for the others to see him now.

Part of him was almost convinced they'd like him a little better like this, too, just like he'd told Tommy - but he couldn't be certain. He didn't know how they would react to Tommy like this, and that made it even more fun. He did know Tommy wasn't wandering about, screaming and cursing and causing trouble. He wasn't setting anyone's houses on fire, he wasn't stealing, he wasn't doing anything bad. He was calm, he was quiet, and he wasn't going to do a thing or make a peep unless Dream gave him permission to do so - and some people, Dream knew, probably wouldn't mind that, wouldn't really care. But he knew others wouldn't be too happy, and he expected one of those people would be Tubbo (and he was excited to see that play out).

They'd just barely gotten into L'Manberg when a voice chimed just ahead, "oy, what the fuck?"

Fundy. Dream smirked a little to himself at the way Tommy flinched back against him, hiding his face in the man's shoulder, and he lifted his hand to cradle the side of the boy's head as he lifted his gaze toward the fox hybrid. To his delight, he wasn't alone; Quackity was standing just beside him, both of them looking stunned as they traded glances between Dream and Tommy. They weren't hostile, of course they weren't - Dream hadn't expected them to be, not for a second - but Tommy clearly had, because the poor boy was shaking against him now, a vice-like grip holding his arm as he tried to push himself even closer. Dream nudged him lightly with his elbow, and he stopped, albeit reluctantly, but he made no move to pull away from him, either.

"What the fuck," Quackity echoed Fundy after a moment, perplexed. Tommy twitched at the sound of his voice, lifting his head slightly from Dream's shoulder, and Dream spared a quick glance toward him just in time to see his eyes widen. He made a soft, quiet noise in the back of his throat, grip tightening, but he didn't try to move any closer. "Dre- Tommy? Dude, holy shit…"

Dream could feel the shudder that rippled through the teen at the sound of his name being uttered from the duck hybrid's lips, as Tommy bit his lip and quickly averted his gaze to the side.

"Hello Quackity, Fundy," Dream greeted, unable to keep the chuckle out of his voice. Quackity's gaze didn't stray toward him for too long, too focused on Tommy who was doing everything in his power to ignore them, but Fundy's eyes wouldn't leave him for a second. "Good to see you."

"Shut up," Quackity ordered, and Dream allowed his smile to slip just a fraction, narrowing his eyes. Tommy moved a little closer at that, an anxious look crossing his face as he twisted his head around to look up at Dream, but he didn't say anything; Dream lifted his hand again, passing it over his head carefully to reassure him, but it didn't seem to do much. Oh, the tension Dream could feel buzzing through him right then was fucking exhilarating. "Tom, Tom, my man-"

"The fuck are you doing here?" Fundy asked bluntly, though not unkindly.

Tommy still cringed.

"It's his birthday." Dream allowed a defensive tone to creep into his voice there, despite his amusement. It made Tommy shift a little closer to him, seeking protection, which was exactly what Dream had been looking for. Fundy, meanwhile, looked more than confused; he looked fucking lost now, his eyes finally focused on Tommy as he watched the blond practically cower away from him and Quackity and move closer to Dream. Oh, how confused they both must be, watching Tommy seek comfort from the man they thought he'd despised. How the tables had turned. They were about to find out very quickly that he was Tommy's best friend. "So I brought him here temporarily, you know, a visit - a birthday gift. That's okay, right?" He asked innocently.

"Wh- of course," Quackity sputtered. Tommy didn't relax at all. "You were the one enforcing h-"

"Regardless," Dream interrupted sharply. The blond flinched and proceeded to press closer, and Dream honestly couldn't put the euphoria he felt into words. Tommy was scared of him, sure, but he was even more scared of them, and that tickled him, truly. "We're just here for a few hours. I thought it'd be nice for him." He smiled, carding his fingers through the boy's hair lightly.

Quackity didn't seem to know what to say. Fundy's ears flicked for a moment, swiveling back and then pricking up again, but after a few seconds, he nodded, eyes on Dream, and then abruptly turned his gaze back to Tommy, taking a half-step closer to them. "Uh, happy birthday."

Tommy pretty much shrank sideways against Dream then, shooting a nervous glance up at the man. Dream merely inclined his head, offering a pointed nod in Fundy's direction, and Tommy's grip tightened on his hoodie, pressing even closer and ducking his head close to the man's shoulder as he mumbled a quiet 'thank you' that Dream would've thought Fundy didn't catch if his ears didn't flick the moment Tommy spoke. The first emotion to flit across the fox hybrid's face was confusion, and then it was disbelief, and then something… almost akin to horror, honestly, which thrilled Dream even more. This was going to be interesting. Oh, this was so fun.

"Happy birthday, Tommy," Quackity said quietly after a few seconds, receiving the same soft, mumbled 'thank you' after another quick glance for permission from the blond. "I don't, uh…"

"We don't have gifts," Fundy mumbled, ears folding flat against his head.

"That's fine." Dream waved a hand dismissively, returning it to Tommy's head after a moment. "This was a surprise visit after all, and it's hard to prepare for a birthday you probably forgot all about, right? I bet it hadn't even crossed your minds," he joked. Quackity looked ready to speak then, looking furious, but Dream interrupted again before he could get a word in. "Anyway, where's Tubbo?" Oh, the way Tommy tensed, it was perfect, and Dream couldn't wait to see the two of them, how awkward and hesitant it would be. "Figured he'd want to see the birthday boy, eh?"

"He's in a meeting right now, but…" Quackity trailed off, glancing back and forth between them for a few seconds longer before a shadow of determination fell across his face. He took a few steps forward, to which Tommy nearly began to retreat backwards before abruptly snuggling back up against Dream's side instead. "Tommy, can I just- can I talk to you for a minute, man?"

Tommy's grip tightened even further. Damn, honestly, this was gonna leave some bruises.

Dream almost considered it. Almost. Thing was, he wanted to see this play out, and if he let Quackity drag Tommy away elsewhere, he wouldn't be able to watch. Besides, he wasn't that cruel; he knew the poor boy was uncomfortable, and Dream wasn't going to put him in a position to make that worse (or to make it better, either, which he wasn't exactly sure was a possibility at this stage, but he also wasn't willing to find out). "You can talk to him just fine here."

Quackity didn't say anything for a long moment after that, but the golden feathers peeking out from behind his ears prickled up a little, bristling slightly. But that was nothing compared to the way the tufts of fur behind Fundy's ears were starting to prickle, fingers digging tight into his palms as he stared daggers at Dream, while Quackity continued to spare glances back and forth between Dream and Tommy, eyes narrowing faintly every time he looked in Dream's direction, only to soften with concern and confusion when his gaze strayed back toward Tommy. "Okay," he finally started, and paused again, biting the inside of his cheek. "You want cookies?"

Dream would be lying if he said that didn't catch him off guard. Tommy didn't react, really, save for a startled hum before he fell silent again, tucking himself against Dream's side in silence.

Fundy snapped his head around to stare at Quackity, disbelief written across his face.

"What?" Dream finally prompted, bemused.

"It's Tommy's birthday," Quackity muttered. He didn't look at Dream as he spoke, and the man watched with interest as the other dug his nails into his palms almost hard enough to draw blood. Dream was surprised he hadn't. Tommy twitched once more at the sound of his name, lifting his head briefly to look toward him, muscles rippling with tension as his eyes widened.

"We did have cake…" Dream began thoughtfully, at the same time Tommy started mumbling something about 'it's okay we don't have to', and it was almost amusing, watching the poor boy struggle to keep Dream's moods in check. It seemed like he was going to need a little bit of a lesson on who was in charge again, but he figured he could do that without being excessively harsh about it, either. Tommy wasn't really doing anything wrong - he was still quiet and submissive, but he did need to learn that Dream didn't need his reassurance that it was 'okay'.

"Shush," he ordered, not too unkindly, and Tommy's quiet stuttering petered out to silence once again, his chin tucked tight against Dream's shoulder. From the corner of his eye, Dream watched Quackity and Fundy exchange a glance, looking equally confused and worried, and he bit back a smirk. He took a moment to pretend to think about it, despite having already made up his mind, and nodded to himself after a few seconds, as if just coming to a decision. "Alright," he began, flicking his gaze down to Tommy briefly. The blond snapped his gaze up to him at once, looking anxious as if he expected a worse scolding, and Dream lightly carded his fingers through his hair to reassure him as he went on, "I suppose since it's a special occasion and all… and you have been behaved," he noted, mostly to himself, and Tommy perked up at once.

"Behaved." Fundy's voice was quiet, cold. The smile on Tommy's face vanished at once as Dream turned his head toward the fox hybrid, raising his eyebrows faintly. "Like a fucking dog."

Just to be a prick, Dream shrugged. "Essentially."

Quackity's gaze went toward Tommy at once, clearly expecting a reaction.

He didn't receive one. Tommy wrapped both of his arms around one of Dream's, his grip a little softer now that he'd seemed to realize there wasn't an immediate threat, and his chin stayed tucked over Dream's shoulder, seemingly trying to stay as close as was physically possible. At the confused look on Quackity's face, and the absolutely furious expression Fundy was wearing, Dream couldn't bite back a quiet laugh. "Listen. I fixed him, right?" He grinned, inclining his head toward Tommy, and the blond lifted his own head briefly before settling his chin back over Dream's shoulder, looking up at the man silently. "Look at him. He's quiet, he's calm, he's good. He's not screaming, he's not going crazy, he's not causing trouble, he's not swearing, he's not burning someone's house down, he's not doing anything wrong. It's nicer than before, isn't it?"

Fundy looked about ready to fucking explode. Quackity reached forward, settling his hands over the fox hybrid's shoulders, but Dream wasn't stupid - both of them were easy to read, and Quackity was just as pissed off as Fundy was. He was just, to Dream's surprise, a little better at controlling it. It was interesting; Quackity had never seemed to have as much impulse control - or control over his emotions in general, especially anger (especially when it came to those he claimed to care about, sheesh, Dream had honestly expected something more than this) - and seeing him actually keeping himself in check… was interesting. Dream couldn't help but wonder how far he could push him.

"It's different," the duck hybrid said stiffly after a few seconds, eyes trained on Tommy.

"It's better." Dream smirked, combing his fingers through Tommy's hair. He leaned his head forward a bit, practically begging for more, and Dream obliged. "Give it a few hours. You'll see." Neither of them responded. Fundy glowered at Dream, while Quackity simply stared at Tommy. Dream couldn't keep his smile from widening.

"Now, how about those cookies?"

Chapter Text

Quackity knew what today was.

It had been on his mind all morning - and it had kept him awake all last night. Tommy's birthday. He'd be eighteen now, wouldn't he? It wasn't his first birthday spent in exile. It had been almost a year and a half now - seventeen months, since Tommy had been exiled. Quackity hadn't been there for his 17th birthday, and he didn't think he'd be around for his 18th either; truthfully, he didn't think he'd ever be able to see the boy again, but he had a good reason for thinking that.

He thought Tommy was dead. Everyone thought Tommy was dead.

And you couldn't blame them, could you? Tubbo had seen the tower himself, seen the absolutely destroyed remains of Logstedshire - and there was nothing left to show for Tommy. Everyone in L'Manberg had known he was on his last life. Everyone thought that he was dead.

Seeing him in L'Manberg again was a shock. The confusion, the horror, the fear, the surprise, Quackity was still reeling from it all. Seeing him with Dream was even worse. The man hadn't kept his distance from L'Manberg, not even after Tommy's supposed death. No, he came by quite often, actually; he was there for the funeral and he was there nearly every day afterwards, 'checking in' on Tubbo and the others before whisking himself away to Prime-knows-where to do whatever the hell it was that he did. And Quackity was already pissed at him, at the audacity. Dream had been the one in charge of Tommy's exile, the one who was meant to keep him safe, and up until today, Quackity had believed, just as everyone else had, that he'd died under his care. Not only that - the duck hybrid had had an inkling that it was Dream's fault to begin with.

Seeing them together today was a fucking blow to the gut after everything they'd been through. Dream knew Tommy was alive. And Dream had purposefully kept that knowledge from them.

Dream let them think he was dead, and for what?

Quackity felt sick.

And as if seeing them together wasn't bad enough - Tommy was practically clinging to the man. Quackity felt even worse, stomach twisting through waves of nausea, as he watched the boy press as close to Dream as he could, holding onto his arm and curling himself up against the man's side. He wouldn't look at him, wouldn't look at Fundy, wouldn't even really look at Dream for too long - he was trembling, shaking, nervous, and Quackity didn't know how to feel about it.

How was he supposed to react to this? To Tommy - brave, powerful, fiery Tommy - acting so afraid and timid and weak? He wasn't used to this kid, this scared little boy he'd reverted into. He wasn't used to the terrified look in his eyes with each glance the blond offered in his direction. He wasn't used to seeing Tommy cower, much less being the one he cowered from.

What had Dream fucking done to him? Quackity hardly wanted to think about what must have gone on between them for Tommy to be acting this way. Almost a year and a half now, he'd been alone with Dream. And Dream wasn't even bothering to hide how horribly he was treating him; Quackity's fury spiked up every time the man brushed his fingers through the boy's hair, every time Tommy tried to press closer to him, every time Dream tightened his grip or pulled him closer, every time he spoke about him or looked at him - because he could see the possessiveness in every gesture, every glance, every word. Fundy was right; Dream was treating him like a dog, he'd outright admitted it… and Tommy just hadn't reacted to it, not at all.

If he wasn't even bothering to hide it around them, how much worse was it when they were alone? How bad had it gotten, when it was just the two of them, nobody around to protect Tommy from Dream's wrath? Nobody had even known he'd needed protection to begin with.

Because he was supposed to be dead, Quackity lamented, he's supposed to be dead.

And it wasn't that Quackity wanted him to be dead - fuck, he was so happy to see him, on some level. But even then, whatever relief he might have felt was immediately overshadowed with worry, seeing the state the boy was in. This wasn't right, this wasn't okay. Tommy was fucking petrified out of his mind right now, and Dream… Dream was just parading him around like a pet, with the teen stuck at his side - and even worse was that Tommy didn't even seem to mind it. He seemed used to it, content with it, and holy shit, Quackity was going to fucking throw up.

Fundy didn't seem to share that particular sentiment. He didn't seem sickened, per-se, but he was definitely livid. As he steered the fox hybrid down the sidewalk to the bakery, he could feel the tension in his shoulders, watching the fur around his ears bristle as he walked. He was pissed, and Quackity understood. Tommy was his uncle, basically, in all but blood; they were close, once upon a time, and even though it had been a while since they'd been like that, Quackity knew that bond was still there somewhere. It had to be. And he knew what Fundy thought of the boy; he knew how much he'd looked up to him, how much he'd grieved when they thought he was dead. In some ways, it was worse than how he had grieved for Wilbur - but that was because Fundy hadn't really given himself a chance to grieve for his father. With Tommy, it was different; he let himself mourn, let the sadness and pain consume him, and now-

Now it was just anger. Pure, raw rage. Quackity almost considered letting him go, letting him lunge at Dream - maybe he'd be able to take a life, maybe he'd be able to take all fucking three.

Thing was, he couldn't risk that.

He wasn't stupid. He knew what this was. Dream was Tommy's abuser, and you don't piss off an abuser, because it never ended well for the victim. Quackity knew well enough from experience, and he wasn't about to put Tommy in that position. As long as Dream was in a good mood, Tommy was safe - at least, Quackity hoped so, he prayed so, and he just needed to keep it that way until he could figure out what was going on and what he was going to do about it, as well.

And don't even get him started on Tubbo. He didn't know what to do about Tubbo…

Prime, this was too much.

Saying he was overwhelmed would be a major understatement. He didn't know what he was, but it certainly didn't fit into the category of any words he knew. The duck hybrid shook his head, struggling to force his thoughts to a steadier pace. He could freak out about all of this later. For now, he had to figure out how to get Tommy out of his situation, and how to keep Dream off his back once he did. He didn't think the man was just going to calmly hand the blond over now, no - no, Quackity knew Dream was smart, smart enough to know that he had all the cards right now. And that was fine, he had his hand, but Quackity's just hadn't been dealt yet up until now.

Dream was good at chess, but Quackity would bet just about anything that he knew next to nothing about poker, and that was his game, and Dream was about to wise up real fucking fast. Quackity was a professional gambler, but Dream was dealing with things he didn't understand.

He took a breath to calm himself, and only realized they'd reached the bakery when the scent of freshly-baked goods flooded his nose. The smell didn't relax him the way it usually did; if anything, it made him tense all over again, because he knew he couldn't afford to lose himself in his thoughts now. No, he had to stay steady and alert, and he needed to keep his eyes on Tommy and Dream as much as possible, and he needed to figure out a plan, and this was going to be the hardest thing he'd ever done, but he had to do it. There just wasn't any other choice. Tommy didn't deserve this shit, and Quackity was going to see to it personally that it was fixed. That Dream was brought to justice for what he had done and what he was still doing to him.

And if it was just a little vengeful, just slightly, well, that never hurt anyone, did it?

Nobody that mattered, anyway.

Truth was, Quackity was beyond angry. He was beyond pissed, furious, livid - he was so far beyond all of that that it was almost, almost numb. It was at that high point, though, that pure, seething rage that you felt just before it all overflowed and everything turned to static and the emotions simply became too much to process. The problem was that he'd been at that stage for quite some time now, and it wasn't showing any sign of letting up anytime soon. Even now, even this, which should have been enough to tip him over the edge, simply added to his anger further.

He was frustrated. He was bloodthirsty, and he'd already wanted to spill Dream's blood in particular for so long now it just… it wasn't even bloodthirst anymore. It was personal, it was deep, it was more than just wanting to cut someone down. He just wanted to destroy Dream, Dream, who had ruined everything he touched as far as Quackity was concerned; Dream, who was behind every bad thing that happened on the server. Dream, the true villain of the SMP.

The duck hybrid stifled a sigh, following Fundy into the bakery and settling down in a stool at the counter while the fox hybrid prepared the cookies, albeit not without grumbling under his breath. "Dream doesn't get a fucking cookie. Dream doesn't deserve a fucking cookie, fucking prick."

Quackity let out a quiet huff, trying to smooth down the feathers behind his ears as he looked toward the door. "Dream gets a fucking cookie, 'cause we don't want to make him fucking mad."

"He can get mad," Fundy shot back, swinging back around to face him.

"And who's going to suffer for it, Fundy?" Quackity interjected before the fox hybrid could say anything else. There was a long moment of silence after that; Fundy said nothing, just staring at him silently as he brushed his fingers over the fur behind his ears in a halfhearted attempt to smooth it down, but Quackity could still hear the low growl rumbling in his chest, same as it had been the moment Dream had called Tommy 'essentially' his dog. He didn't blame Fundy, not one bit, but he did know… "You can't just… piss off the abuser," he mumbled, lowering his voice further when he heard the door swing open, indicating Dream and Tommy's arrival. "Alright?"

"Yeah," Fundy agreed begrudgingly, but he still spared a heated glare toward the door before turning back around to continue preparing the cookies. Quackity took a breath to steel himself, nodding slightly in a silent affirmation just to keep himself under control, before turning on the stool to greet Dream and Tommy with a smile and a wave. He didn't miss the way Tommy flinched when his hand moved, the way he immediately pressed closer against Dream's side. The way Dream carded his fingers through Tommy's hair at once, as if praising the behavior.

"Fundy, dear, is that you?" Niki's voice called from the back room, and Quackity stiffened.

Tommy did, too.

Quackity was somewhat surprised to see Dream tense, as well.

Fundy's ears perked back up for the first time since Dream and Tommy's arrival, turning his head slightly and fumbling with the cookies, effectively distracted from his task. "It's me, Ma!"

Tommy made a soft, questioning sound in the back of his throat, and was immediately shushed by Dream, earning a slight flinch from the teen as he shifted on his feet and then fell right back against the man's side, curling up slightly and tucking his chin over Dream's shoulder in silence. Quackity pursed his lips, digging his nails into his palms and forcing himself to look away again.

With a somewhat distasteful look in Dream's direction, Fundy added, "and we have guests."

"You mean customers?" Niki ducked out of the back room, looking amused as she fussed with her necklace, clipping it into place as she walked. "Hi, Quackity," she greeted, mouth open to continue - but she startled when her eyes landed on Dream and Tommy, freezing in surprise. Tommy's head lifted from Dream's shoulder at once, if only for a few seconds before Dream's hand guided it right back down, and, albeit somewhat reluctantly, the blond settled down before he even had a chance to get properly excited about the woman's presence. Truth be told, though, this was the most excited Quackity had seen him since they'd arrived. He was petrified of him and Fundy, but he almost seemed to brighten the second Niki had walked into the room.

Dream didn't seem to like that very much. Anxiety brewed in the pit of his stomach, and then frustration. He hated that, hated having to worry about what Dream would like, but it was necessary. Because if Dream got pissed off, the only one he would take it out on was Tommy.

"Hello, Niki," the man greeted after a moment, fingers woven tight in Tommy's hair. The boy didn't seem bothered, either used to the treatment or simply too distracted. Perhaps even both.

"Dream, hello." Niki's gaze settled on Tommy, a myriad of emotions flitting across her face. In the end, it settled on something soft, surprised but warm, as she offered a faint smile in the boy's direction. The way Tommy's lips twitched indicated he wanted to smile back, maybe even speak, but he seemed hesitant to do so with Dream at his side. "And hello to you too, Tommy."

Tommy hesitated, gaze flicking toward Dream. When the man offered no reaction - not a nod, not a hum, not a glance, he simply ducked his head and nodded a silent greeting to her instead.

Quackity wanted to punch the fuck out of Dream.

But he didn't. He did nothing, said nothing; he simply took a breath and settled back, watching silently as Fundy set the cookies out, as Niki came forward to the counter and started chatting with Dream, asking how long they'd been here and how long they were staying. "A few hours," was the man's answer, as he picked up one of the cookies and offered it to Tommy, who hadn't moved an inch until he was given permission to do so. He took it carefully, mumbling a soft thanks under his breath and taking a tentative bite while Dream went on, "I figured we'd stay until noon, take a look around and show Tommy all the new sights… speaking of new, this is fairly new, I'd say," he commented, turning his head slightly. "It's a nice place. Is it yours, Niki?"

"It's mine, dick-" Fundy started, and stopped again almost at once, ears flattening.

"It's Fundy's, really," Niki confirmed, the smile on her face oddly tight. "I just help out a bit."

It went on and on, tense and yet somehow calmer than expected, but the conversation came to a quick halt when Dream reached a hand up absently to card his fingers through Tommy's hair again, as he'd been doing. The only issue this time was that the blond seemed to be distracted, lost in his thoughts as he nibbled on the cookie, and when Dream came into contact, the boy yelped, gasped, and flinched away, fumbling and nearly dropping the cookie completely and stammering out a quick, "I- I'm sorry-!" as he shied away from the intended touch. He didn't get far enough to avoid his hand completely, but Dream withdrew his hand almost immediately.

Niki froze, understanding darkening her features almost at once, and it was at that point that Fundy simply headed for the back room, two legs becoming four as his form shifted completely until he was covered in orange and black fur and racing on four paws to leave the room as swiftly as he could - likely to avoid any chance of him attacking Dream, which seemed high now.

Quackity settled his hands on his legs and dug his nails into his thighs, squeezing his eyes shut and taking a breath to steady himself. He couldn't go off, he couldn't go off, as much as he wanted to. He was surprised by how much self-restraint he was showing, himself, to be honest. Almost a year ago, he knew he'd be up and on his feet, probably pounding Dream into the ground if he was given the chance. But he couldn't risk doing anything to upset him, anything that would get Tommy in trouble - so, despite every instinct screaming at him, he just sat still.

But when he did get the chance, oh, when he did get the chance…

He wasn't going to kill Dream, no.

He was going to fucking torture that bastard, and he was going to love every damn second of it.

Chapter Text

Tommy hadn't meant to flinch away from Dream like that.

Honestly, he didn't even know why he did that. He never flinched away from Dream; he never pulled away, never ducked away from any touches, never tried to detangle himself from the man's grip. He knew better than that; any flinches he offered were brief, even if he was expecting a hit, or something painful. He never attempted to pull away, because he knew resistance just made the punishment even worse. So he was horrified upon realizing he had practically jerked his head back from Dream's hand. The way Dream withdrew from him was even worse, and he found himself flinching once again when he realized what had just happened, steeling himself for the hand to return for a strike this time. But it didn't; it merely hovered in the air for a moment, a good few inches away, before retracting and dropping completely - and Dream pulled away from him, the arm around his shoulders leaving entirely.

Tommy's heart dropped into his stomach. Because Dream hitting him was one thing, a punishment well-deserved, and one he well expected. But for the man to pull away from him…

That was a punishment in and of itself, and Tommy would have preferred a good smack.

He felt guilty, confused, scared. He was so far out of his comfort zone here, and he hadn't even realized he'd had a comfort zone to step out of until now. This was so much, it was too much, especially all in just one day. First Fundy and Quackity - and oh Prime, Tommy didn't know how to process being around them again. A part of him, some small, weak part that had been long dormant for well over a year now, had wanted to greet them with a smile and a hug, wanted to celebrate his return with his friends - but they weren't his friends, they couldn't be his friends.

They'd left him, they'd abandoned him, Dream was the only one he had and the only one he needed and the only one he wanted, so he didn't understand the longing feeling that had tugged at his heartstrings upon seeing the two of them for the first time in so fucking long. Fucking hell.

But that was just a small part of him, one that was easy to ignore and fucking shove in a box and stomp on until it fucking shut up - the rest of him was terrified, and had been terrified since the moment he'd seen them. He didn't know what kind of reaction he'd been expecting from either of them; rage? Indifference? Hostility? He didn't know, he didn't know what would have been worse. He didn't know if he would have felt worse if they'd attacked, or if they'd simply not reacted. But they had reacted, and not in the way Tommy had expected. They were angry, yeah, and that much Tommy could tell with ease. (Quackity's feathers only bristled like that when he was pissed, and Fundy never full-fox form shifted out of rage before, not that Tommy knew of). It had been a long time, yes, but not long enough he didn't know his friend and pseudo-nephew.

They were angry, but they weren't angry at him. They were angry at Dream, and that…

… it just didn't settle well with him, really. It confused him, it hurt him. He couldn't explain it, really. Just the way they looked at him, the way they treated him - "like a fucking dog," Fundy had snarled, looking at Dream with such hatred - it made something else inside of him, another long-dormant part of him, ignite with a kind of anger he hadn't felt in… what had felt like forever.

(They didn't get to treat Dream like that, they didn't deserve to get angry on his behalf, at the only person who had been there for him when everybody else had fucking abandoned him.)

But then… Niki.

Oh, Niki. The sound of her voice alone, it was - he didn't think he'd ever see her again. She'd come to see him in exile, hadn't she? Once, but she had come. That was so long ago now, but he remembered. He remembered her, and how kind and sweet and gentle she was, how soft and understanding and warm and welcoming she was, and he wasn't afraid of her. He wasn't afraid of how she would treat him, and he certainly wasn't afraid of how she would treat Dream - and he didn't have a reason to be, to his relief, because she was nothing but civil with the man.

Dream, on the other hand, was tense. Tommy didn't like that, but what was he supposed to do? He'd gotten the hint earlier, Dream didn't need him keeping a constant eye on his moods and it wasn't like Tommy meant to - he was just worried, worried that he'd get angry or frustrated, and worried that… some of that anger might… be a little misplaced. He was trying very hard to be good, sticking close to Dream and keeping as quiet as possible, but he knew it was all for naught if someone else pissed him off. He knew it didn't matter who Dream was angry with; all that mattered was who he went home with at the end of the day, and Tommy happened to be it. So he was hoping, praying they'd go home with smiles on their faces - at least a smile on Dream's, it didn't really matter to Tommy as long as he was satisfied - and praying that everyone here at least had the sense not to purposefully piss the man off. And, thankfully, Niki wasn't.

Of course she wasn't, she was too good for that. She'd understand about Dream, wouldn't she? He thought so. But then he looked at her, really looked at her, and it wasn't hard to see the smile on her face was strained, and it wasn't hard to recognize the look in her eyes. A passive-aggressive anger he had long grown used to seeing written all across Dream's face; an expression that promised trouble, not now but in the future, and Tommy's heart sank once more.

And that was what had distracted him, why he hadn't seen or felt Dream's hand coming, why he had reacted to his touch the way he had, the exact same way he'd trained himself not to react.

(He was more observant than people gave him credit for. He saw the way her eyes darkened.)

Of course, he cursed himself for that, too. If they started talking shit for that…

But they didn't. Quackity sat still, silent. Fundy simply left the room. And Niki just stood, glancing back and forth between Tommy and Dream for the longest time - long enough that Tommy started to stress, silently praying to the gods that she didn't react the way he feared she was about to react - and by some miracle, she didn't. She smiled, instead, and despite how strained it looked, it was enough of a reassurance - until she turned her gaze to him. "Are you alright?"

He froze, suddenly missing Dream's arm around his shoulder very much. He threw a swift glance toward the man in question, wide-eyed with alarm. Damn that mask - Tommy hated it more than anything, to be honest, and he hadn't realized it until now, because Dream seldom wore it when it was just the two of them, and it had been just the two of them for quite some time now. It concealed his expression with that blank, empty smile. Tommy couldn't see if he was frowning or scowling or smiling, couldn't see that look in his eyes that told him when he was in trouble or not, couldn't read the man like he usually did to figure out what his next move was. It was just another harsh reminder that he still didn't know the rules here, and Dream still expected him to figure them out the hard way. Tommy understood, he knew he needed to learn and that was the point, but it didn't make him any less afraid of fucking up and making him mad.

He didn't know if he was allowed to speak, so he merely nodded in response to Niki and dared to take a half-step closer to Dream, tugging on the strings of his hoodie with the hand that wasn't holding the cookie, the cookie he now felt like he wasn't allowed to take another bite of.

(He hadn't even earned this, why had Dream let him have it, again?)

Dream didn't react to his approach, and Tommy's heart stopped. He was in trouble, he'd pissed Dream off. The blond grimaced, hunching his shoulders, and fixed his gaze on the floor silently.

"You know what?" Niki began suddenly, and Tommy's heart skipped a beat, anxiety amping up even further as he snapped his head around to look back at the woman. Dream turned his head, the picture of absolute calmness, though Tommy wasn't entirely sure about that - without being able to see his face, he was rather lost. Reading the man was much easier when he could take facial expressions into account… judging by his demeanor alone, he did seem calm. Though Tommy knew from experience that didn't really mean much. "I have a present for you, Tommy."

Dream let out a soft, questioning sound of surprise. Tommy stiffened, shoving his hands in his pockets and fixing a wide-eyed stare on the woman in silence. That… that didn't make sense. How- why would she have something for him? Anything for him, honestly? He knew she was kind, he knew they were close once… but that was before Pogtopia, that was before Wilbur…

His heart ached. He hadn't thought about that in a long time, he realized numbly, a long time.

"A present?" Dream finally spoke, and despite his moderately pleasant tone with just a pinch of curiosity lacing his words, Tommy didn't miss the slight edge, almost a warning - to who, he wasn't entirely sure, but he reacted instinctively nonetheless, hunching his shoulders and curling up a little as he took another step closer to the man. This time, his friend reached out and beckoned him closer, and Tommy allowed a flicker of relief to pool in his gut when the man's arm wrapped around him, pulling him close to his side. He knew the gesture was meant to be a possessive one, he wasn't stupid. Thing was, he didn't care. He was Dream's, and he knew it. And he was fine with it. The relief came from knowing it wasn't going to change anytime soon.

"It's not much," Niki confessed, smiling as she brushed a few cookie crumbs off of the counter. "But I know he's quite fond of music discs." Just like earlier, Tommy saw Quackity glance at him from the corner of his eye, expecting him to react. He merely ducked his head, resisting the urge to press himself against Dream and press his face into his shoulder to hide his expression. "I've gotten him a handful of flowers to plant at Logstedshire, a couple music discs - I couldn't find any copies of Cat or Mellohi," she added with an apologetic glance in Tommy's direction, as the boy smiled hesitantly, "but I did find Stal and I got my hands on the ever-elusive Pigstep."

Quackity stilled abruptly at that. "Logstedshire?"

Dream let out a quiet hum in response, raising his hand to brush his fingers through Tommy's hair. The touch was… oddly careful this time, slow and gentle, and Tommy immediately pushed his head into the man's hand in a silent attempt to reassure him that he was alright. "Well, we do have quite a lot of flowers already…" The man started, tilting his head to the side thoughtfully.

It was true, they had a nice little garden. Tommy didn't venture outside much without Dream - or… at all without Dream, actually, but they kept up with the flowers and plants. It was gorgeous.

"I've gotten some tulips," Niki responded evenly. "I know they're a rarity where you're at."

"You're still in Logstedshire?" Quackity demanded, and Dream and Niki finally glanced back over at the duck hybrid. Niki's eyebrows furrowed slightly, while Dream let out a low, irritated sigh - and Tommy pressed closer to him at once, frowning. "I thought- but the tower, we went back and the place was blown up and deserted, b-" Another thought seemed to occur to him then, because his gaze snapped toward Niki so fast Tommy flinched. "Wait, you knew he was-?"

Niki was silent for a moment, gaze briefly trailing toward Tommy - who at this point, was very lost - and then her gaze wandered toward Dream, and it was only then that Tommy really registered the tension in his shoulders, the vice-like grip he had on Tommy's arm as he pulled him closer by his shoulders and jerked his chin up. Even with his mask on, Tommy could tell he was staring down on the woman, trying to appear less shaken than Tommy could see he was.

"I'm gonna go get the gifts," Niki finally murmured. "If that's alright with you, Dream?"

The soft sigh Dream offered, just loud enough for Tommy to hear, was a clear indication that it was not alright - but the man merely nodded, and Tommy caught a glimpse of the smile under his mask, even though the others couldn't see. He couldn't tell if it was real or fake. "Of course."

With a pointed look toward Quackity, who had started to stand, seemingly to follow her into the back room, Niki turned and swept out of the room without another word. Tommy watched silently as Quackity froze, looking after her, and his gaze snapped toward Dream for the barest fraction of a second before he lowered himself back down into the stool, knuckles white against his legs.

Dream was silent for a few seconds. "Finish your cookie," he murmured eventually, turning his head toward Tommy, who obediently lifted the cookie back up for a bite. "We're leaving soon."

"Leaving L'Manberg?" Tommy asked quietly, hope flaring in his chest.

"No." Dream brushed his hair back. "Don't worry, Toms, we're not done here just yet."

Disappointment stirred in his chest. Tommy merely smiled, strained, and took another bite. The cookie was sweet - chocolate chip, his favorite - but it almost tasted bitter on his tongue, soured by the anxiety pounding through him, the confusion and the desperation to just leave as fast as he could and not look back. Once upon a time, the thought would have been unfathomable - the thought was unfathomable - but now… there was nothing he wanted more than to just go home.

(And honestly, the tight grip Dream had on his shoulder implied the same.)

Chapter Text

The back room smelled like freshly-baked donuts, a sickly sweet scent that didn't match at all how Fundy felt - but he didn't care, the familiarity of it alone helped to flatten his bristling fur a bit as he entered, kicking the door shut behind him with a back paw and bounding forward to the counter separating him from shelves upon shelves of the delicious treats, yet to be stocked in the main part of the bakery. Ears flat to his head, the fox hybrid leaped onto the counter and circled around a few times, tail lashing side to side as he settled down comfortably on the wood.

A growl rumbled in his throat; he did nothing to attempt to silence it, instead daring to grow a bit louder after a few seconds now that he was alone. He didn't think he'd ever felt so angry before.

Well, maybe he had - but it was more than just anger he was feeling, wasn't it? It was such an awful, tangled mess of emotions that Fundy couldn't really decipher, but anger was one of the more prominent ones. Shock, of course, was one of the emotions he could process throughout the entire mix, but that one was steadily wearing down. The others, he wasn't too sure he wanted to pay much attention to at the moment; there was worry, concern, fear, but Fundy never did very well with fear - so that one was to be locked away for the time being. Fear and anger weren't a good combination for anyone, but especially not for a young fox hybrid who, at this current moment in time, was just barely keeping himself from ripping a man's throat out.

With his teeth.

Briefly, he ran his tongue over them and huffed. They were certainly sharp enough…

But killing Dream once would do nothing, he knew that, despite the rage that bubbled in his chest at the thought. He still had all of his canon lives. The hybrid took a breath and let it out in another huff, squeezing his eyes shut. He still had all of his canon lives. Fundy couldn't kill him.

He took a moment just to breathe, the air whistling through his nose as he took slow, shallow breaths and adjusted his position, shifting to lay somewhat on his side and crossing one of his front paws over the other before resting his head back down over them with a sigh. Beyond the sound of the air whooshing through the vents and the hum of the heater they were using to keep the donuts warm, he could hear the voices beyond the closed door, muffled but not so much that he couldn't make it out. Niki's voice was the clearest to him, one he sought out instinctively. She'd been… a very calming presence in his life, just this past year alone, and it was somewhat frustrating to realize that that wasn't quite the case right now. He was just too angry to feel calm.

Briefly, he perked his ears, searching for any kind of rage in the woman's voice. He found himself wishing that she'd join him in here, away from Dream's prying ears, for just a moment so that he could explain to her exactly what was going on - but a part of him hoped she'd already caught on, and he was rather certain she had, because he could hear the strain in her voice. But of course she knew something was wrong; it was impossible to miss the way Tommy had flinched, and his shaky, wavering apology hadn't fallen on deaf ears either - quite the opposite.

The hybrid licked his lips, running his tongue across his teeth again and prying his eyes open.

God, he'd hated that. The way Tommy had flinched, the apology that had spewed from his lips without a moment's hesitation, as if it was instinct. He couldn't remember the last time he'd heard Tommy apologize for anything, not without following it up with a snide comment or insult. Apologies just weren't in his nature. Tommy was brash, and rude, and fiery - he wasn't this hollow shell, this shaking, trembling, terrified boy they'd seen today. Fundy couldn't stand to be there for a second longer, to endure having to watch his adoptive uncle behave and be treated like… like nothing! Like a fucking possession! It was fucking dehumanization, that's what it was. The arm Dream slung around Tommy's shoulders screamed possessiveness, obsession. And the way Tommy clung to him, the way he seemed fearful of nearly everybody else but Dream.

Fundy groaned, rolling onto his back and stretching all four of his paws up to the ceiling with a frown. Abuser. That's what Quackity had said, that's what he'd called Dream. A fucking abuser.

And it wasn't like Fundy hadn't known it, from the second he saw them - it was just… it was just that the word made it seem even more real. None of it felt real, to be honest. Tommy was alive. (And that was just another can of worms right there, one he wasn't ready to open yet). Tommy was here, in L'Manberg, for the first time in well over a year. He was here with Dream. Dream was an abuser. Dream was abusing Tommy. Tommy was being abused, he had been this whole time and none of them had known because none of them had even known the blond was alive.

He was alive. The fox hybrid closed his eyes again, heart pounding through a familiar ache as he repeated the words in his head. Tommy was alive, Tommy's been alive this whole time, Tommy didn't actually kill himself. So what was that tower for, then? Did he attempt it? It definitely made sense now, why they hadn't found a body near the tower, why there hadn't been anything left to show for him besides the tower and the fucking ruined remains of his new home.

But at the time, the only thing Fundy could think about was how Tommy had built that tower just to jump, alone and afraid and suicidal, and something that had hit even harder in that moment was the reminder that Wilbur had been the exact same way - alone and afraid and suicidal and fucking crazy - and that maybe if Fundy had been there (if he hadn't left if he had just stayed if he hadn't turned his back in the first place if he had just been there) that maybe there wouldn't have been a funeral to attend in the first place (maybe there wouldn't have been a ghost standing where his father should have been and maybe L'Manberg wouldn't have blown up-)

He flinched, shaking his head, and rolled onto his side, paws hanging off the side of the counter.

It was unfair, had life ever been fair…?

(Not his, he didn't think.)

But what really got him, the icing on the cake, was that Dream had known. He'd known Tommy was alive this whole time. He'd purposefully let them believe he was dead, and for what? Just to truly be able to lock him away, to keep him all to himself? To reduce him to this- this scared, broken mess that he was now without anybody getting in his way, trying to interfere? Isolating him, ensuring that there was nobody near or far that could save him - or who even knew he needed to be saved? He made a conscious decision to let them believe that Tommy was dead.

To let them mourn. To let them grieve. He came to the fucking funeral for crying out loud. He came, he attended, he helped plan the whole damn thing… knowing full well Tommy was alive.

(Listen, Fundy had long given up those bloodthirsty impulses he used to carry around, long traded in his bloody apron for a flour-and-frosting-splattered one instead, but he wanted nothing more at this very moment than to feel flesh and blood and bones crunching between his teeth.)

Somewhere in his inventory, his communicator buzzed. Fundy flattened his ears to his skull and tucked his muzzle under one of his paws, not daring to check. For all he knew, it was Tubbo, and Fundy wasn't ready to deal with that yet - but then, after a few seconds, he found himself perking up again, frantically shifting back to his humanoid form to pull the communicator out again. If it was Tubbo, then it was important. Maybe it had something to do with Tommy being back, if he knew Tommy was back, that is, and if it did, then Fundy couldn't simply ignore it. (Even if every single one of his instincts was screaming at him to do just that, he couldn't do it).

To his surprise, it wasn't Tubbo, but the fox hybrid perked up a little bit when he saw it was Sam. Sliding down from the counter and settling himself on the floor against it instead, he scrolled to open the message, pricking his ears up and swiveling them toward the door so he could still listen in on whatever was going on outside. Sam's message was short and simple, unsurprising, but he still felt his heart lift with a familiar fondness regardless as he quickly scanned the screen.

Heading into L'Manberg today.

And- uh-

… oh, fuck.

His knuckles turned white, clutching the communicator tightly and lifting his gaze to the door. Sam didn't know about Tommy either, and Fundy remembered vividly how much the creeper hybrid had mourned the boy's 'death'. How much he'd blamed himself, too; Quackity had been at his side practically throughout the whole funeral, reassuring him over and over that it wasn't his fault. Sam probably hadn't taken much of those reassurances to heart, and Fundy understood - he was pretty sure everyone in L'Manberg blamed themselves (and Fundy couldn't say for certain that those feelings weren't justified, anyway) - and he could only imagine how hard it would hit the man to find out that Tommy had been alive this whole time - and to see the state he was in, on top of that. His ears fell back against his head again, a grimace tugging at his lips as he looked back down at the communicator, fingers hovering over the keyboard briefly.

He knew he needed to tell him. The problem was that he wasn't sure how. He supposed bluntness would work just as well as anything, but… he really wished he could do this in person.

But he wasn't foolish enough to think he could get to Sam before something else happened, and god forbid the poor hybrid run into Dream and Tommy the way he and Quackity had (the shock was still just now starting to fade), so he sucked it up, despite his reservations, and went for it.

K. Dream's here at the bakery with Tommy. Tommy's alive, been alive and with Dream this whole time apparently and something really bad's going on, just so you know and all. There. He figured that should suffice, Sam would appreciate him just getting to the point instead of dragging it out (so he really didn't understand the gaping hole that had just opened up in his stomach, which was simultaneously seeming to shrivel up, and the nausea rolling through him).

It didn't help that Sam didn't respond, although only a few minutes had passed without a reply before the door to the back room suddenly opened. Fundy found himself flinching, nearly dropping the communicator as he snapped his head up and swiveled his ears forward, but he relaxed immediately upon seeing that it was just Niki, relief filtering through the brief flare of panic. But that relief steadily fizzled out, catching a glimpse of her expression. She didn't look furious, no - Niki didn't outwardly express anger and Fundy had learned that pretty quickly - but the thing was that her expression was completely blank. Cold and calculating. It was something Fundy realized he hadn't really seen from her, at least not in quite some time. She was usually so warm and sweet, it was… somewhat jarring to see her express even the barest hint of rage.

But she was angry, that much he could tell. He let his communicator disappear into his inventory after a moment, pushing himself up while Niki made her way forward to the counter. "Mama?"

Niki managed to spare him a reassuring smile, warm albeit a bit strained.

So it was worse than he thought.

How could it be worse?

Anger bubbled in his chest again, and it must have shown on his face, because Niki reached out to rest a hand on his head, smoothing down the fur between his ears with a gentler smile. But when she looked down at him, her pupils had shrunk to barely the size of pinpricks, eyes glittering with pure, absolute fury as she met his gaze. "I'll find a way to end him permanently."

Fundy found himself relaxing immediately. He didn't doubt that. No, when it comes to Niki, you don't take her threats lightly. Because they weren't just threats, he'd learned from experience; they were promises, and this was a promise. A promise that Dream wouldn't go on much longer like this, and one way or another, they were going to free Tommy from his clutches once and for all. That alone was enough to drain some of the tension from his shoulders. As angry as he was with Dream, and as much as he wanted to see the bastard suffer, Tommy was their main priority.

Still… "I hate this," he mumbled, checking his communicator briefly before sending it back to his inventory with a frown. No response from Sam. "I hate that we can't do anything now, it's so…"

"I know," Niki murmured, smiling bitterly. "But remember how we had to handle Schlatt?"

"Yeah," Fundy responded automatically, ears flicking. He remembered. It was a long time ago now, but he remembered like it was yesterday; November 16th, and every event leading up to it. "I remember," he mumbled, narrowing his eyes and looking up at her. "Get on their good side…"

"Then hunt them down." Niki leaned forward, kissing his nose, and Fundy couldn't bite back a giggle despite himself, watching warmly as she turned and stepped around the counter to grab a bag tucked away in one of the shelves. The fox hybrid crossed forward after a few seconds, crossing his arms over the wooden countertop and resting his chin over them as he watched.

"Sam messaged," he said suddenly. "He said he's coming into L'Manberg. I told him about…"

"Good." Niki glanced up after a moment, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. "Good," she said again, quieter this time, and something darker seemed to grace her usually gentle features.

He knew what she was thinking before she spoke again.

"Maybe he'd like to help."

Chapter Text

K. Dream's here at the bakery with Tommy. Tommy's alive, been alive and with Dream this whole time apparently and something really bad's going on, just so you know and all.

It didn't matter how many times Sam scanned the message, he couldn't process the words.

Not for lack of trying. He'd been sitting here for about twenty-five minutes now, struggling to understand exactly what Fundy had told him. There were no follow-up messages, no further explanation, and if Sam could force his fingers to move, he would have already typed something up demanding more details - but he couldn't bring himself to do so. The only thing he could do was stare at the words, breathing heavily through the smell of sulfur and gunpowder fogging his mask and swallowing through the smoke he exhaled with each breath as he struggled to think. Tommy was alive. Tommy had been alive, this whole time? That couldn't be right, what about Logstedshire? The tower? He had to have jumped, there was no other way he could have gotten down, but… ah, the lack of a body made sense now, he thought numbly, he must have landed in the water. (Some part of him couldn't help but wonder if, if he had, if it was intentional).

He shook his head, forcing himself to focus. No, he'd thought too much about the… the attempt as it was, he couldn't let this plague his mind as well. Tommy was alive. Tommy was alive, he was with Dream, he was okay? But he wasn't, was he, Fundy said something bad was going on.

Something really bad. Sam scanned the message again. The words were shaking.

No, his hands were shaking.

Just so you know and all, Sam repeated the last words in his head for a moment, and sighed through his teeth, breathing out another puff of smoke. Ending a message like that on a casual note. Sam could kill that kid - no, he couldn't, he loved Fundy to death, but still. There was just… barely anything to take away from this message at all. All he got was that Tommy was alive, he was with Dream, and something bad was going on? What was going on, exactly? How bad was really bad? Fundy had emphasized that in the same sentence he'd revealed that Tommy had been with Dream this whole time, so did that something really bad have to do with-?

Something warm and wet bumped against his hand, and the shaky grip he had on the communicator fell away with just a few more nudges. His fingers found soft fur instead, as two big paws placed themselves on the couch beside him and a big, fluffy head leaned forward to sniff at what little was revealed of his face. Sam reached a hand up silently, scratching behind Fran's ears as his other hand moved almost mechanically to unbuckle his mask and goggles.

As soon as they fell away, Fran's muzzle was shoved into his face, rasping gentle, slobbery kisses across his cheek as her paws lifted from the couch into his lap, instead. He found himself chuckling, despite himself, leaning his head away after a moment. Undeterred, and still wagging her tail like crazy, Fran leaned forward with him only to rest her head against his chest, scrambling to pull herself up onto the couch with him completely with her front paws still splayed across his lap. "Good girl," he murmured, pressing his face into her fur and heaving out a sigh.

Tommy was alive. Okay, alright, there was that. Sam wasn't sure how to begin processing that. The boy's funeral was permanently engraved into his mind, and he still had nightmares about that tower, and thoughts of what if - what if he'd been there, what if he'd visited more than just that one fucking time, what if he'd actually gotten Tommy to come stay with him instead - plagued his mind more often than not, leaving him restless and desperate and confused and grieving. He was still grieving, even now; Tommy was alive, but that pain in his chest hadn't let up a bit since he'd read that message. If anything, it almost seemed to get worse now somehow.

He was alive. He was with Dream this whole time - Dream…

Hadn't Dream been at the funeral? Hadn't Quackity said Dream was the one enforcing Tommy's exile in the first place? Hadn't Tommy been under Dream's watch when he'd built that tower?

Something cold and heavy formed in the pit of his stomach at the realization. Dream knew Tommy was alive, Fundy had said he'd been with him this whole time. This whole time. That year everybody had thought Tommy was dead, Tommy had just been with Dream. Why had Dream kept that from them? Maybe under Tommy's request-? But that didn't make sense. Why would he have wanted that? To be left completely alone, with nobody except Dream? No, Sam knew Tommy. Maybe not as well as some of the others, but he knew the boy. And he knew that he thrived on company, companionship. And he knew that he hated Dream.

And sure, things changed. People changed. But he still couldn't picture Tommy deliberately cutting himself off from everyone like that. Even during that brief visit, Sam could tell he was miserable. (One of the many reasons he blamed himself, for not picking up on that fact quicker).

So Dream had purposefully kept the fact that Tommy was alive from everyone in L'Manberg. And if he'd been with Tommy this whole time, then… what did that mean for Tommy, exactly? Obviously everyone thought he was dead, nobody had seen him or heard from him in well over a year now. Sam couldn't picture him just staying with Dream willingly, but he couldn't be sure…

He didn't want to assume, he decided, until he saw what was going on for himself. And he planned to do just that. He was already planning on going into L'Manberg today, but this had definitely sped those plans up quite a bit. Once again, his thoughts took a confusing turn. If Tommy hadn't been staying with Dream willingly, and if Dream had been purposefully trying to keep him… what, isolated, from everyone? Then why bring him into L'Manberg, out of the blue?

… it was Tommy's birthday.

Another wave of grief flushed over him, and his entire body shivered and trembled with the force of it. Fran's head lifted, nuzzling her nose against his cheek with a soft, concerned whimper, and he wrapped his arms around her neck loosely, taking a breath to calm himself again. It was Tommy's birthday. He'd be eighteen- he was eighteen, holy shit. It was Tommy's birthday, and he was alive. He was alive. He was eighteen. He was alive, he was okay, Sam could see him again (and despite the fact that the 'something bad's going on' part of Fundy's message was still looming over his head like a storm cloud, Sam couldn't help but feel ecstatic about that alone).

He'd figure out what was going on when he got there, for sure. But for now, he wanted to see Tommy, to know the boy was okay, to give him a hug and tell him how happy he was to see him.

With longing and excitement steadily replacing the grief and confusion clouding his thoughts, Sam was in the process of getting to his feet (which was a process with a very worried, very clingy Fran still trying to crawl into and curl up in his lap), when the front door swung open and Sapnap walked in, brandishing a glowing trident, sparkling with enchantments. George was right behind him, wrapping a bandage around his right arm with Karl on his left, a roll of bandages between his teeth as he tentatively poured a healing potion over a gash on George's shoulder.

Sam stared at the three in dismay while Fran took the chance while he was distracted to cozy herself back up in his lap, effectively pushing him back even further into the couch cushions. So much for getting to L'Manberg early. He really hoped he didn't miss Tommy and Dream. "You're back early. What happened to you?" He directed the question toward George, eyeing Sapnap's trident skeptically, but seeing as it wasn't dripping with blood, he figured a fight hadn't broke out.

"He went too high," Karl called around the bandages between his teeth. "And it stopped raining."

"A regular Icarus, this one," Sapnap chuckled, and George briefly paused his task to sock him in the shoulder before quickly continuing to wrap his arm up. Well, he felt okay enough to punch.

Fran, to his relief, seemed more interested in the other three now. The weight lifted off of his lap abruptly, a large paw pressing against his abdomen and emitting a quiet 'oof' from his lips as he doubled over, while the dog in question leaped to her feet and trotted over to Sapnap, Karl and George. The first two were greeted with a tail wag and a friendly lick when Sapnap reached down to rub behind her ears, but George was regarded with a rather concerned stare from the canine; she sniffed around his feet for a moment, stretching her neck up to nudge at the bandages, and then planted herself right on the floor beside the man with a soft, worried whine.

That was enough to bring Sam to his feet, discarding his mask and goggles on the couch for the time being and taking a few steps closer to inspect George himself. At one point in time, George had been like a son to him; he'd known the boy since he was little, and they'd lived together throughout the years on and off. It had been a hassle to get him to agree to move back in this time, but sometime after the… incident (which George insisted had nothing to do with his decision, as his house had been easily fixed after that regardless), George had shown up one night in the rain with his bags packed and a smile on his face, cheerfully declaring them 'roommates' and asking for his old room back. Sam had let him in enthusiastically without a moment's pause. As for Sapnap, it was pretty unclear to Sam whether or not he still actually lived there; he was there often, and his old room was still intact, but during Sam's nightly rounds (look, he had to check in on them sometimes), he usually found his room empty - only for Sapnap to be there in the morning, lounging in the kitchen with a bowl of cereal.

He wasn't stupid - he knew Sapnap probably spent most nights with his husbands now, and they probably had a place of their own, but it tickled him a little to know that he still liked to hang out here regardless. Both George and Sapnap had been a source of comfort for him after Tommy's… 'death' - something he would have to be sure to bring up to them now, he realized.

For now, he took to checking George over, surveying his injuries carefully. "Are you alright?"

"Could be better," George muttered, using his arm to push his goggles up a bit and leaning down to bite off the bandages as he finished wrapping the wound on his right arm up. Karl made a quiet sound of protest, fumbling with the potion and shooting George a warning glare. Sam moved forward after a moment to help, tying off the bandages carefully to keep them in place. "Yeah, I'm fine - why's your communicator on the floor? Fran, I'm okay, Fran-"

Sam smirked a bit despite himself, watching the dog rear up on her hind paws to reach George's level, sniffing at his face with another whine, then paused and looked back to where his communicator was indeed still on the floor where he'd dropped it earlier. "Oh. About that…"

"Oh boy," Karl mumbled, spitting out the roll of bandages in his mouth. "What is it this time?"

Sam rolled his eyes at the knowing tone despite himself, but he couldn't bite back a hum of agreement. Seemed like there was a lot going on these days. Sure, it had slowed down a lot since… but the world hadn't stopped. Part of it irked him, to be honest. The world had just kept on going without a second's pause. Just kept turning, spinning. Everyone kept living. Except… no, he reprimanded himself, shaking his head, he's alive. "It's Tommy," he confessed quietly, and all three of them froze, looking back over at him with wide eyes and open mouths. Sam took a breath, heart pounding. Maybe that was a little blunt, but it was straightforward nonetheless and that was the best way to go - he just wished he had a little more information to offer them. "He's alive. According to Fundy, he's in L'Manberg. With Dream," he added as an afterthought, sparing a swift glance in Sapnap and George's direction before addressing all three of them once more. "I was just about to head there myself. If you guys wanna come along to see him…"

"Old man, it's-" Sapnap frowned, shaking his head. "Uh, that's a lot to take in? What the fuck do you mean he's alive, and with Dream- what? Is this another one of Fundy's tricks? 'Cause if s-"

"Fundy wouldn't joke about something like this," Sam interrupted. "And I'm not old."

Sapnap offered a skeptical look, likely in response to both comments.

Sam chose to focus on the first. "He wouldn't," he insisted, and Sapnap held his hands up in a gesture of surrender, though he still didn't look too convinced. "I know he wouldn't. You know he wouldn't," he chided. "You know how much… you know how messed up he was after…" He didn't finish, and he didn't need to. Sapnap's eyes widened just a fraction, shoulders twitching, and he ducked his head after a few seconds with a sheepish expression. "I don't know much about what's going on. Fundy just told me they were in town, at the bakery, and that 'something really bad' was going on, and that's the extent of what I know." He sighed through his teeth, covering his mouth quickly when a puff of smoke escaped, and turned to retrieve his mask.

"What, so…" Sapnap trailed off, clearly struggling to process (which Sam understood). The other two hadn't even spoken, still trying to wrap their minds around the given information. "So, like, then Dream found him or something-? I guess Tommy disappearing makes more sense than Tommy killing himself," he muttered under his breath, and Sam was glad his back was turned so that the younger man couldn't see the way he flinched rather violently at the words.

(He wished he could believe them as strongly as Sapnap seemed to.)

"According to Fundy," he corrected after a moment, swallowing past the lump in his throat as he buckled his mask back on, "he's been with Dream this whole time, actually. His words exactly."

"No," George's response was instant. "No, Dream would've told us he was alive."

"He came to the funeral, for god's sake," Sapnap agreed, then let out a soft, uncertain sound in the back of his throat and abruptly fell silent. Sam turned back to them after a moment, strapping his goggles back on, and frowned to himself at the suddenly uneasy expression that had fallen across Sapnap's face, his gaze fixed on the floor and his pupils shrunk to pinpricks.

"Does Quackity know?" Karl finally spoke up, his voice much quieter now. He twisted the cap back onto the potion, letting it disappear into his inventory, and turned his gaze to Sam.

"I don't know," Sam admitted, picking his communicator back up. "I don't know much of anything at all. That's all Fundy said," he added, and then proceeded to read the message the fox hybrid had sent him out loud to the three of them. Sapnap still didn't say anything, glancing up only briefly before rooting his gaze to the wall with a frown. George looked rather upset when Sam once again reiterated that Tommy had been with Dream the whole time, rubbing Fran behind the ears as the dog finally settled down beside his feet again, and Karl merely shook his head.

"I'll come with you," he finally murmured, though he didn't seem psyched about it. Sapnap took a deep, hissing breath through his teeth and shook his head, opening his mouth as if to speak, but he snapped it shut again after a moment. Karl's gaze drifted in his direction after a few seconds, a worried expression flitting across his face as he frowned. "Sap, if you don't wanna-"

"No, I'm coming," Sapnap interrupted, and his mouth hung open for a moment as if to say more, only for him to snap it shut again quickly, shaking his head again instead with a disgruntled sigh. Sam knew that tone, though, and he guessed the man had quite a bit to say to Dream now. Which was fine, they had their own personal affairs and Sam wasn't going to stand in the way of any of that. His biggest concern was getting to Tommy and figuring out what was going on.

"I, uh…" George trailed off, looking uncomfortable. "... I think I'm… I'm gonna stick this one out."

"Alright." Sam softened, looking him over carefully and frowning. "Probably for the best. Just get some rest. Fran," he called, and the dog's ears perked up at once, looking up at him expectantly. "You keep an eye on Georgie, alright? Stay close to him," he ordered, lips twitching.

Fran barked, wagging her tail, and pressed her head into George's side.

Sapnap lifted a hand, his trident vanishing into his inventory after a few seconds. "Okay, c'mon," he pressed impatiently, ducking outside without another word, and Sam bit back a sigh. Karl didn't bother, exhaling rather loudly through his nose and rushing after his husband, and Sam resigned himself to follow after a moment, making sure George and Fran were alright and settled in and checking his inventory to make sure he had everything he needed for the travel before he headed out after the other two, calling a quick goodbye to George over his shoulder.

After a moment, he finally sent a quick message back to Fundy.

Omw.

Chapter Text

Okay, so Dream had miscalculated a bit.

But, to be fair, he hadn't really counted on seeing Niki. He hadn't seen her at all the last few times he'd come into L'Manberg - but he would admit that his visits had grown much further apart in the past few months, and it had been a good few weeks since he'd set foot past the borders. Still, he'd been hoping Niki would be one of the easier ones to avoid. So, he was frustrated, understandably so; this had thrown the entire day off, to be completely honest. And the fact that she had presents for Tommy made it even worse. He'd been counting on not just showing Tommy off, but showing the blond once and for all that nobody in L'Manberg cared for him. And… yeah, maybe he was cheating a little to do so, gaslighting a little, but in the end all that mattered was that Tommy knew Dream was the only one who would ever really be there for him. So Niki showering him with gifts? Yeah, that irked him. It irked him a hell of a lot, but, alas.

Still, he'd stick around to see exactly what these gifts were. Music discs, flowers? Harmless little trinkets. Nothing he thought Tommy would really care for in the grand scheme of things anyway. Hell, he barely batted an eye at Cat - one of his formerly most prized possessions, for Prime's sake. No, Dream didn't think he'd actually care about the stupid little presents Niki had gotten for him, but it was the thought that counted, and it was that Dream hated more than anything.

He sighed under his breath, shaking his head, and Tommy moved closer to him almost at once, shoving what was left of his cookie in his mouth and leaning forward to tuck his chin over Dream's shoulder. His movements were slow, shakier than usual, hesitant. He thought Dream was upset with him - which to be honest was downright fucking adorable. Still, he ran his fingers through the blond's hair to reassure him, gently carding through his curls and resting his head over the boy's briefly. Usually he wouldn't mind Tommy thinking he was angry with him, but today was a special occasion and Dream figured he should at least give Tommy a reason to be clinging to him the way he was. He couldn't risk having him pull away even the slightest bit here.

He really was being good, though, sticking close to him like that. Of course Dream wasn't angry about the flinch - Prime, he fucking loved the way Tommy flinched, and it was even better knowing everyone else in the room had seen it, too. If they hadn't known before, they knew now.

Tommy was his. Tommy was his, because he was too scared to be anything else. And even with how afraid he was of Dream, they still saw him clinging to him like a damn lifeline. Oh, if that wasn't a power trip, he didn't know what was. The knowledge that all three of them knew that Tommy wasn't about to move from his side anytime soon, and there was nothing they could do. He never thought he'd say it, but he couldn't wait to see Tubbo. He couldn't wait for Tubbo to see Tommy. He couldn't wait - because however that interaction went, was going to be great.

Which was honestly the biggest reason he was so hyped to get out of here (definitely not just because he wanted to get away from Niki, he wasn't intimidated by Niki, she just… knew some things she shouldn't and Dream decidedly did not want her around Tommy for any extended periods of time). He wanted to show him off, and Quackity, Fundy and Niki had already seen him. Dream wanted everyone to see the new and drastically improved Tommy Innit, firsthand!

(At this point, he was sure at least one person would prefer him like this, besides Dream.)

I mean… it was hard not to, to be honest. He turned his attention back to the blond in question, smiling to himself under the mask as he carded his fingers through the boy's hair gently. He was just so quiet, so sweet, so clingy, so helpless and vulnerable and dependent. He wouldn't last a day on his own (not that he would have before, if Dream was being honest), and he wouldn't last a second without Dream. That was a thrill in itself; knowing how much Tommy needed him. He took a breath and sighed, nothing but fond, while Tommy pressed his head into his hand, begging for more affection. The man complied without hesitation, tucking his chin back over Tommy's head and closing his eyes briefly. He could feel Quackity's gaze burning into his skull.

Good.

Niki sure was taking a long time, how much did she have, exactly? Dream was honestly about to say fuck it and just leave - he was getting tired of standing around, and he really wanted to catch Tubbo before the day was over - when the sound of the door swinging open and the jingle of the bell accompanying it caught his attention. Curious, he turned his head to see who it was (anyone would suffice at this point, new faces meant more drama and excitement), but- ah, he wasn't expecting to see Sam ducking through the doorway with Sapnap and Karl in tow, honestly. Sam and Karl he could deal with just as well, but he'd be lying if he said the sight of Sapnap didn't throw him off for just a fraction of a second, freezing at the sight of his old friend.

Quackity perked up at once, although he seemed more startled than anything. Tommy let out a quiet, questioning noise in the back of his throat and craned his neck to look toward the door.

Sam's gaze found the teen first. Karl's eyes went straight toward Quackity, and Sapnap had frozen in the doorway with his eyes locked on Dream. The man stood still for a few seconds, still processing their arrival - well, Sapnap's arrival - but his attention shifted away again quickly when Sam suddenly took a few steps forward, approaching him and Tommy. "Tommy, oh my…"

Tommy shrank back immediately, pressing himself closer to Dream, and Sam froze.

"... Tommy?"

Dream couldn't help but smile, dropping his hand from Tommy's hair to curl his fingers over the boy's shoulder instead, digging them loosely into the fabric of his hoodie. "Sam," he greeted. "Karl- and Sapnap, buddy!" He plastered a big smile on, despite knowing full well his old friend couldn't see it, and found himself pulling away from Tommy completely, opening his arms up in a brief invitation for a hug. Mostly just to see how both of them would react to it; the sound of protest Tommy made the second he pulled away was even more thrilling than the way Sapnap nearly seemed to recoil from him, which Dream understood - they weren't very touchy-feely, never had been. Dream reserved physical affection for Tommy and Tommy alone. It was funny, though, watching the confusion flit across his old friend's face, and he found himself forcing back laughter as he dropped his arms back to his sides and tried to appear somewhat put-out.

But even better than Sapnap's reaction was Tommy's. Once Dream's arms dropped again, and it was clear Sapnap wouldn't be venturing any further, two trembling hands wrapped themselves around his arm again, fingers digging a little tighter into the fabric than they had been before, and Tommy seemed to make it a point this time to press himself closer, tucking his chin over Dream's shoulder and pulling one hand away only to wrap his arm around Dream's torso from behind. He didn't say anything, of course, but the point he was making couldn't be clearer; mine.

He may as well have shouted it, for Prime's sake. Dream couldn't keep the grin off his face. Everyone gets jealous, something Dream knew well. Something Tommy knew well. How many times had he recited those words before, during the early exile days? So many times, every time Tommy dared to question why he couldn't talk about Tubbo, or L'Manberg. Everyone gets jealous, Tommy, he would tell the kid sadly, I guess it just feels like I'm not enough for you.

The way the boy would rush to reassure him after that… Dream shook his head fondly, dismissing the memory for the time being. He'd revisit that later; this was much more important.

Tommy expressing jealousy - expressing possessiveness, that's what that was - was a victory to Dream. At least, it certainly felt like one. It was another reassurance that he had truly won, that he'd succeeded, and that this friendship of theirs wasn't as one-sided as it might appear. Sure, Dream called the shots in their relationship, Dream was in charge - but he did care for Tommy, more than he ever had or ever would care for anyone else. And whatever doubts Dream used to have about how much Tommy cared for him had quickly diminished in the span of just a few short seconds. He had wondered what would change once Tommy was actually around other people, but he'd be honest - he hadn't accounted for this, not by a long shot. It was adorable, really. Dream was well aware that he was the possessive one in their fun little dynamic; watching those tables turn, and watching Tommy get jealous over him, it was… it was rewarding. All his hard work really had paid off, and it had turned out even better than expected.

(Some part of him, a part that only ever seemed to open up around Tommy, was warmed by it.)

Quackity's gaze was burning a hole into his skull again. Dream chose to ignore it this time, although he couldn't bite back a smirk. Yeah, let him stare all he wanted. He saw what just happened. That alone, he was certain, was confirmation enough that Dream had fucking won.

"Dream," Sapnap finally spoke up, sounding torn. "I thought-" He didn't finish, not yet. Dream watched silently as he struggled to spit the words out, though Dream was sure everyone (except maybe Tommy) in the room knew exactly what he was trying to say. So it wasn't really a shock when he did finally spit it out - though Dream couldn't suppress a flicker of annoyance. "We thought Tommy was dead- you came to the fucking funeral, for god's sake, what the hell, man?"

Dream wasn't an idiot. He knew Sapnap couldn't care less about Tommy. He was just upset that he'd been left out of the loop. "Yeah, well…" He hummed, narrowing his eyes slightly for a moment. What was he supposed to say to that, exactly? The truth seemed a little bit much, especially with Sam and Quackity there. They actually did care about Tommy. And with Fundy and Niki in the back room, Dream wasn't stupid enough to provoke an outrage yet. As for Karl, it was unclear to Dream where he stood, although he didn't miss the flicker of concern that passed across his face every time he looked in Tommy's direction. "It was Tommy's decision."

"What." Sapnap stared at him. "What, to jump off a fucking tower?"

"For everyone to think he was dead," Dream corrected, which was a lie, Tommy hadn't even known everyone thought he was dead - but Tommy wasn't about to say that, now, was he?

Sam let out a skeptical hum and ventured a few steps closer, only to pause again when Tommy pressed closer to Dream, clearly uncomfortable with the creeper hybrid. Dream couldn't quite figure out why - he seemed particularly intimidated by Sam, more so than the others. Which was surprising, and intriguing, because out of everyone, Sam was the least likely to try anything - whether it regarded Tommy or Dream. He seemed more interested in the blond anyway, not really paying Dream much attention. "Tommy," the taller man's voice was quiet, almost pained. "Tommy, it's so… it's so good to see you, I can't believe- I thought-" He cut off, inhaling shakily.

Tommy didn't say anything. He moved closer to Dream, the grip on his arm and the arm wrapped around the man's torso tightening as he pressed his head into Dream's shoulder, effectively hiding his face from the others - much to Sam's dismay, as his ears flattened slightly.

Dream had never felt so victorious.

There was a long moment of silence. Quackity cleared his throat after a few minutes, seeming ready to speak up himself, but he didn't get the chance. Sam's head turned in Dream's direction, expression concealed by the mask and goggles he wore, but the anger steadily rising in the hybrid was unmistakable, judging by the faint hiss underlying his words as he finally addressed Dream for the first time since they'd arrived, his words clipped and strained. "What did you do?"

"I fixed him," Dream replied smoothly, and Sapnap's expression shifted, shooting an incredulous look in his direction, and then Tommy's. Karl said nothing, but Dream noted the way he slipped his hand into Sapnap's after a few seconds, offering a light squeeze to bring the man's attention back to him. Quackity cleared his throat again, this time before Sam had the chance to speak.

"Why don't we have cake?" The duck hybrid offered after a moment. "You guys know it's-?"

"Tommy's birthday," Sam interrupted quietly. "I know. Happy birthday, Tommy."

Tommy didn't respond, didn't even look for permission from Dream to respond, didn't even lift his face from the man's shoulder. Dream couldn't bite back a chuckle. "We already had cake."

"So have another cake," Sapnap offered. Dream let his head fall to the side for a moment, staring at his old friend. There was a challenge there, in his eyes; a challenge to stay, perhaps. He wasn't sure exactly what the challenge was - Tommy was the only one he could really read like that, the only one he could pick apart with just the briefest glance. Sapnap took a little extra work, but mostly because Dream knew there were a hundred different things the man could be challenging him for, and there was a small part of him that almost wanted to take him up on it.

"We already had a cake," he repeated instead, and Sapnap's eyes narrowed.

"Well I didn't have any cake and I want cake." His gaze snapped toward Tommy then, and like everyone else, he seemed to be searching for some sort of reaction from the boy - and like everyone else, he wasn't given one. Tommy was as silent and still and unresponsive as ever.

"You're welcome to it," Dream hummed, a smug smile tugging at his lips. "But we really should be going. We haven't seen Tubbo yet, after all-" Prime, every little mention of L'Manberg's President just sent Tommy spiraling, didn't it? The way he tensed against him, it was just beautiful. "And I really wanted Tommy to be able to see him on his birthday, so I think we're…"

"Leaving so soon?" Niki's voice cut him off, and Dream's smile wavered without his permission. His mask kept it up well enough, shielding the frown that tugged at his lips as he threw a dismissive glance in the woman's direction. He thought he had liked her, once, a long time ago. But he'd liked everyone a long time ago, hadn't he? Tommy was the only one he really cared for. The others were… well, they were still a part of the happy little family Dream wanted to grow, but none of them were quite as special as Tommy, and all of them were expendable, replaceable. He'd already had to get rid of a few obstacles - getting rid of Niki wouldn't be easy, not with everything she already knew, but oh, he would rise to the challenge if he really had to. "I haven't even given Tommy his gifts yet. I did put in a little something for you, Dream - some cleaning supplies for your mask, and a new strap and buckle, yours is wearing down a little."

"How nice of you," Dream said pleasantly, eyeing the bag in her hand. A kind gesture, but not one to take without a grain of salt. (After all, Niki seemed to be covered in it these days anyway.)

"Oh, and it's good to see you three," Niki began, turning toward the newcomers.

"Sam, my man!" Fundy cheered, brushing past Niki and rushing forward to meet the creeper hybrid. Well, he seemed to be in a much better mood. Dream took to watching them, reaching out to take the bag from Niki with the arm that wasn't currently held in Tommy's vice-like grip. This time, he figured it had more to do with the fact that there were so many people crowding the small area than anything, but he still didn't mind. Fundy snapped his jaws at his arm as he passed, and the man merely smirked, rolling his eyes and settling back to observe once more.

"Fundy," Sam greeted warmly. "Niki. Good to see you both." He reached out, ruffling the hair between Fundy's ears, and Tommy finally lifted his face from Dream's shoulder only to tuck his chin back over it, still sticking as close as was physically possible to the man. "How are you?"

"Fine," Fundy hummed, but he didn't seem too interested in exchanging any more pleasantries, because with a swift nod in Karl and Sapnap's direction, the fox hybrid abruptly turned on his heel to face Dream and Tommy again. "Also, couldn't help but overhear what you said about seeing Tubbo-" He offered a pointed flick of his ears, and Tommy's shoulders tensed, pressing his mouth against Dream's shoulder silently while Dream merely arched an eyebrow, intrigued. "Just thought I'd let you know that that's a horrible idea and, uh… yeah, I'd advise against it."

Quackity's grimace implied nothing but agreement. "Yeah…"

"And why's that?" Dream asked, bemused. He'd seen Tubbo around during his brief visits to L'Manberg. Sure, the kid was quieter these days and stuck to himself, but it couldn't be that bad.

"Because apparently thinking your best friend killed himself turns you into a heartless bitch," Fundy exclaimed cheerfully, and every head in the room swung in his direction at once, even Tommy's. The blond's eyes were wide, mouth open, but he didn't say anything. "So there's that. Not like it isn't justified, I'm just saying maybe dropping in for a surprise visit is a bad idea."

"That's what's been up with him recently?" Sapnap mumbled, and Quackity grunted.

Dream noticed vaguely that Karl had vanished, but he didn't say anything. "Right. Well…"

"I mean, I can't blame him, personally," Fundy offered, glancing over at Sapnap briefly before rooting his gaze back to Dream, and the man narrowed his eyes, peering down at the fox hybrid silently. "I mean, we all thought Tommy was dead. And don't give me that 'it was Tommy's idea' bullshit, we all know it's a lie because apparently he's not even allowed to think for himself anymore," he added harshly. Tommy flinched a little at that, but he still said nothing. Dream merely narrowed his eyes, eyebrows furrowing slightly as he stared down at Fundy in silence.

"Fundy," Niki murmured.

Fundy's ears flicked in her direction, then flattened. "Sorry, Ma." He didn't look or sound sorry - no, he looked like he had a hell of a lot more to say, and Dream couldn't say he wasn't curious.

"No," he spoke after a moment. "No, I wanna hear what he has to say."

"You really don't want to hear what I have to say, you fucking bitch," Fundy hissed, the fur behind his ears bristling. Quackity, at that point, had taken a few steps back, mouth twisted into a grimace. Sapnap looked about ready to disappear to wherever the fuck Karl had run off to. Sam, on the other hand, seemed more interested in this conversation than anyone else; he took a few steps closer to Fundy, resting a hand over his shoulder that seemed more encouraging than restraining, because it seemed to be what spewed the fox hybrid on after a few seconds. "You've got no fucking right- you drag Tommy in here like a fucking puppet on a string thinking nobody's gonna say anything to you because you're so high and mighty," he mocked, "like nobody can see you're so pathetic you've gotta abuse a goddamn kid just to get your fucking kicks, am I right? No, Dream, you're just a stupid petty little bitch and you have no fucking right-"

"Oh, fucking hell none of you have any fucking right!"

Dream jumped a little that time, startled. Not because of the outburst, but because of the voice. Because that was Tommy, swearing and spitting curses and raising his voice to a volume that Dream hadn't heard from him in quite some time. But what really threw him off kilter was that when Tommy raised his head - not quite pulling away from him, just turning to address the others - he didn't look angry, really. There was a spark in his eyes Dream hadn't seen in a while, but it wasn't the fire he remembered. It wasn't just raw anger, it wasn't even irritation or betrayal. There was something protective in his gaze then, something Dream almost didn't recognize.

"Can any of you say you've treated me any better?" The blond demanded, and his voice shook with each word, lacking any real bite or venom and somehow still enough to render everybody in the room dead silent. "At least- at least Dream didn't- at least he was there for me, and none of you- none of you have the- the right to treat him like this. He- he- he's done nothing wrong. At least he's proven that he cares about me-" His voice cracked. "Can any of you say the same?"

Nobody said anything. Nobody said a damn word.

"Tommy," Dream murmured after a few moments, genuinely touched. He didn't need Tommy to defend him - he didn't really care what anyone else thought - but the fact that he did tickled him, just a little. He didn't think he could be more proud of the boy, and yet here they were, and…

Tommy fell silent, sinking sideways against him again, and pressed his face into Dream's shoulder, taking a deep, shuddery breath and squeezing his eyes shut as tight as he could.

The door to the back room creaked open and Karl stepped through with a cake, only to pause when he got a good look at the expressions on everyone's faces; he took one quick look around, silent, then turned and ducked right back out, mumbling under his breath. "Bad timing."

"Well," a familiar voice piped up suddenly, the swing of the front door and the chime of the bell ringing through the room, "am I late to the party?"

Tommy's eyes snapped open, pupils blown wide. Dream turned his head.

Talk about bad timing.

Chapter Text

Tubbo.

The name alone struck nothing but fear into Tommy's heart, ice cold waves of panic crashing through his system and rendering him breathless. The name alone, he'd learned to fear. Because Dream didn't like it when he said Tubbo's name. He didn't like it when he talked about Tubbo, when he thought about Tubbo. He wasn't supposed to think about Tubbo. Just like he wasn't supposed to think about- ...

Even the slightest slip-up was punishable; Tommy had learned it was easiest to just not think of his former friend. If he didn't think about him, he was less likely to accidentally stumble over his name in conversation; if he didn't think about him, the only thing he had left to think about was Dream, and that was easiest. Thinking about Dream. What Dream wanted, what Dream liked, what Dream was doing, thinking, feeling. Staying in tune with his best friend had become second nature - first nature, really. He hadn't seriously thought about Tubbo for a long, long time now. He'd learned how to shut down those thoughts.

Tubbo meant danger. Any mention, any thought, any sign of the boy meant danger, and Tommy had long learned that it was better avoided. He was better avoided, to keep Dream happy.

He really didn't understand why Dream… wanted him to see Tubbo? At first he'd assumed it was some sort of test, but now he wasn't so sure. Watching how Dream had greeted Sapnap drudged up a lot of… confusing emotions, to say the least. He'd pulled away from him just to say hello to him, to offer a hug - Tommy hadn't understood it, and… and he hadn't liked it either.

And now he was starting to wonder, did Dream even want him anymore?

He wasn't sure what to think. Dream was pushing him toward Tubbo, pulling away from him, bringing him into L'Manberg and reintroducing him to all the things he'd been so, so willing to give up for Dream - and Tommy didn't understand any of it. None of this mattered to him, not the way it used to. He didn't care about the country, he didn't care about the people he used to call his friends, he didn't care about Tubbo. And that revelation hit him like a ton of bricks, even through the panic fogging his senses. He didn't care about any of this. He cared about Dream. He cared about Dream, and the life they'd made and the home they'd built and everything they had. He cared about Dream, and being faced with the thought that Dream didn't want him anymore, it was… it was horrifying. It was scary. He was confused, he was hurt, he was bitter.

He was jealous. Jealous. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt jealous. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt… this much, to be honest. It was overwhelming, confusing. Frustrating. He didn't want this, he didn't want any of this. He wanted to go back home with Dream, where it was just the two of them. That was all they needed, wasn't it? That's what the man had always told him, that the two of them were all they'd ever need, that they'd get on fine without L'Manberg, without Tommy's so-called 'friends', without anybody else getting in the way.

Well, they were in the way. They were in the way and Tommy wanted them out of the way.

Shit, he really was jealous. Was this really how Dream felt every time Tommy had found himself curled up in the man's arms, crying over his old home, his old friends? Was this how he felt when he couldn't stop talking about Tubbo, Tubbo, Tubbo this and Tubbo that and - was this how he felt? Tommy was starting to understand those punishments a lot more now, this was horrible. He wouldn't wish this feeling on anybody, but he especially wouldn't wish it on Dream.

He just… wanted what they had back. He wanted to leave, forget this day had even happened. He wanted to get out before it could get worse, wanted to go back to his simple life with Dream.

(And he wanted to stop feeling like this, like he could disappear, wrench himself away from Tommy's grip and walk out the door and Tommy would never see him again, and he'd lose the one thing he had left, the one thing keeping him tethered to the ground in more ways than one.)

Tubbo's arrival didn't make things any easier.

Seeing him for the first time in well over a year was just… a confusing whirlwind of emotions he wasn't sure how to handle. He was scared, he was nervous, he was confused, he was horrified, he was excited, he wanted to run forward and throw his arms around him and squeeze the fucking life out of him and beg him never to leave him alone again and he'd be good and he'd-

No. Tommy trembled, tightening his grip and pulling himself closer to Dream - pulling Dream closer to him - and ignoring the man's soft hum of surprise as he did. But his attention didn't stay fixed on Tommy for too long, and once again, something warm and heavy settled into the pit of his stomach, dread and confusion mixing with frustration and desperation and bitterness as Dream turned away from him to address Tubbo instead, like he was greeting an old friend. It hurt, it hurt on so many different levels, Tommy just wanted to leave, he just wanted to go home.

"Just in time." Dream tilted his head back slightly, a grin tugging at his lips under his mask. Tommy bit his lip and pressed his mouth into the man's shoulder silently. "Hello, Tubbo."

"So do I bring the cake back out?" Karl called from the back room.

"Of course!" Tubbo called back, and Tommy, despite adamantly trying not to look at him now, couldn't resist catching a glimpse of his face. His bangs weren't covering his eyes, he noted numbly. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail, he was wearing a suit, he looked… he looked pretty well-kept, he looked happy. That feeling flooded through him again, but on a much weaker level; this one was much easier to ignore, to push down and lock away for the time being. And still, he couldn't keep his heart from aching when Tubbo's gaze suddenly found his, and they both seemed to freeze at once. Time slowed, stopped, and everything went… numb.

It didn't last too long. Tommy sucked in a shaky breath and forced himself to look away, mostly fearful that if Dream caught him staring, he might get upset - or worse, he might get jealous, which Tommy didn't want to happen for many more reasons than just the risk of punishment now. He didn't want Dream to get jealous, to feel like this; especially when he had no reason to.

Because once again, the realization crashed into him all at once. Despite the aching, hollow feeling in his chest, that flicker of longing he'd felt just minutes ago had vanished so abruptly Tommy couldn't even remember what it felt like; there was nothing, no longing, no pain, no grief.

Something inside of him broke and mended at the same time.

"Oh, yeah," Fundy piped up, tearing the boy from his thoughts. He looked up, avoiding Tubbo's gaze carefully, and found himself turning to Dream instead. The man was silent, his head turned in Tubbo's direction. Tommy tightened his grip slightly, leaning forward and pressing his face into his shoulder with a frown, and some of the tension twisting his stomach into knots relaxed a bit when a familiar hand rested over his head, gentle fingers carding slowly through his hair. He leaned into the touch at once, letting his eyes flutter shut and trying in vain to block out everything else - which became significantly harder at Fundy's next words. "Tommy's not dead!"

"We're really not letting that go, are we?" Dream sounded amused; Tommy couldn't help but crack a smile despite himself, but it vanished as he forced his eyes open again, looking around.

"The fact that you're a filthy fucking liar?" Fundy sneered.

"Huh," was all Tubbo said. Tommy shifted slightly, uncomfortable and struggling to ignore the fact that he could feel his former friend's gaze burning into his temple. "Yeah, I can see that." Despite how hard he was trying not to look toward Tubbo, Tommy's gaze was instinctively drawn to the boy when he moved; he bit back a grimace, shrinking back against Dream, but Tubbo didn't venture any closer to them. Instead, he walked over to the counter, where Karl was currently setting the cake he'd brought in earlier down. He didn't look like he wanted to be there.

(A sentiment Tommy shared.)

"So does this mean the banishment is null and void now?" Tubbo called over his shoulder, and Dream raised his head. "Since you brought him here? I don't want to deal with the walls again."

"Well, this is just a temporary visit given the circumstances," Dream replied, and his head tilted briefly toward Fundy as he drawled, "but I can't say for certain we'll be returning. Either way, yes, Tommy is still exiled from L'Manberg; he's not allowed to enter unless I'm here with him."

"Right," Tubbo agreed dismissively, grabbing a knife. "It's his birthday, isn't it?"

Dream's fingers curled a little tighter into Tommy's hair, pulling him closer. The blond didn't mind, not by any means, but he did let out a quiet, concerned hum as he leaned forward to press his mouth against Dream's shoulder, looking up at his best friend with wide eyes. He was tense, on edge, but not afraid - the brief glimpse of the man's face he could get from under the mask wore a grin, the grin that promised chaos and the destruction of everything in his wake.

"It is, it is." There was a barely-restrained glee in the man's voice, a tone Tommy was familiar with. Fear and fondness twisted in his gut in equal measure, but he couldn't bite back a small smile despite himself, looking up at his friend. He was happy, he was relaxed, he was excited, and even if it didn't always bode well for him in the end, Tommy loved watching him get excited.

"Happy birthday, man," Tubbo called. Tommy lifted his head slightly, keeping his gaze fixed on Dream for a few seconds longer before flicking his gaze back toward his former friend, silent. Tubbo didn't wait for a response, didn't seem to be looking for one; he turned away again almost instantly, his communicator in one hand and the knife in the other as he cut himself a piece of the cake and slid it onto a paper plate. "But seriously, just to be clear, no walls, right?"

"No walls," Dream promised cheerfully, then reached up and carded his fingers through Tommy's hair, turning his attention back to the kid briefly. "Tommy, aren't you gonna say hi?"

He flinched despite himself, dread pooling in his gut. It could be a test, but it could also be an order, and Tommy knew better than to disobey an order. Still, he hesitated, curling his fingers tightly into the fabric of Dream's hoodie and regarding Tubbo cautiously for a few seconds. The boy didn't quite look at him yet, typing something into his communicator before tucking it away and turning back to the two of them with an expectant expression. Once again, his gaze seemed to freeze on Tommy for a few seconds, an almost unreadable expression flitting across his face before a neutral one quickly replaced it, but Tommy didn't miss the brief flicker of… longing? It was something akin to it, at least, some kind of yearning mixed with faint resignation.

But he couldn't focus on that. "Hi- hello," he corrected himself quickly, biting his lip.

"Hello!" The bright smile Tubbo offered him made his heart stop. He couldn't explain why. But he found himself trembling, shuddering slightly as he pressed closer to Dream and ducked his head to hide his face in the man's shoulder. Dream didn't say anything, calmly and carefully running his fingers through Tommy's hair, and Tommy pressed his head into the touch briefly.

The others were mostly silent now, as they had been (aside from Fundy) since Tommy had snapped at them. But, after a few moments, Sam reached up to remove his goggles, turning his attention to Dream somewhat reluctantly, eyeing him warily. "So, then, you're staying, Dream?"

Tommy tensed, heart stuttering. Please say no, please say no, please say no, please say-

"No," Dream hummed, and Tommy sagged sideways against him in relief, breathing out a soft sigh. The man let out a quiet chuckle, for Tommy's ears only, and Tommy knew they both knew Dream was doing this for his benefit - which he was beyond grateful for. "No, actually, I think it's been made quite clear we're - or at least I'm - not exactly welcome here, so it's probably best for us to head back home. I think Tommy wants to leave, anyway," he added casually, brushing his fingers through the boy's hair again, and Tommy let his eyes slip shut, leaning into the touch.

"Nonsense, of course you're welcome, Dream," Tubbo protested lightly, though the growl Fundy offered implied otherwise. "You sure you can't stay a bit longer? We could throw a proper party."

"I think it's best if we go," Dream repeated, but the hand in Tommy's hair stilled for a second, and Tommy frowned, lifting his head slightly to watch the man as he turned his attention back to Tubbo. "But if you'd like, you're welcome to come visit us in Logstedshire whenever you want."

"Well." Tubbo grinned, toothy and sharp like shattered glass. "Things have changed, then."

Quackity turned his head in Tubbo's direction at that, sharing a confused glance with Fundy. Tommy shifted on his feet, resting his head against Dream's shoulder again silently and watching Tubbo and Dream carefully. "Everything's changed, Tubbs," his friend responded easily, resting his hand back over Tommy's head. "And I think it's changed for the better. I mean… Tommy, for instance. He's much better like this, isn't he?" Dream slid his hand down to Tommy's shoulder, pulling him closer, and Tommy shifted to tuck himself against his side a bit more comfortably, looking up at the man. "You know, maybe we can… both be his friends now." Dream paused, turning his head toward Tommy, then back toward Tubbo. "Y'know. Like before."

Tubbo didn't say anything for a long moment, eyes flicking back and forth between Dream and Tommy. The teen didn't quite look at him, struggling not to and instead keeping his gaze fixed firmly on Dream. Friends. Like before. His heart ached, disappointment twisting his gut to shreds. Why did Dream want him to be friends with Tubbo again? Why was he pushing this so hard? Tommy thought everything was perfect - close enough to perfect, at least - when it was just the two of them, living alone, but was he wrong? Was Dream getting bored with just him?

He hated this feeling. This inadequacy, the insecurities tugging at his heartstrings. He wanted to curl up in Dream's arms, safe and secure with the knowledge Dream wouldn't ever let him go.

Why was he letting him go?

"I think I'd like that," Tubbo said suddenly, quietly. "I'd like that a lot."

Dream tilted his head up, a grin tugging at his lips under his mask. Tommy ducked his head slightly, biting the inside of his cheek and fixing his gaze on the floor with a frown. "Well, good. I think we've all got some catching up to do, don't we? You and Tommy especially," he added fondly, brushing Tommy's hair back. "So like I said, you're welcome at Logstedshire anytime."

"And you're always welcome in L'Manberg," Tubbo replied, glancing at Tommy. "Both of you."

Like he wanted to come back. Tommy curled his fingers tighter into Dream's hoodie and tried to ignore the bitter feeling brewing in his gut. He didn't even want to be here in the first place, and now everything was changing, what was Dream playing at? He knew the man loved drama, thrived on drama, but he'd thought he meant more to Dream than this. He thought they were fine. He thought they were happy. Dream was happy, wasn't he? Tommy thought he was happy. He thought he was enough, that Dream was the one thing, the one person he'd never lose, because Tommy was the one thing - the one person - Dream would never, ever let go of.

He realized with a start, then, that he didn't want him to let go. That he didn't care how tightly those strings wrapped around him, he didn't care that Dream's arms wrapping around him were more restricting, trapping him like a cage - he didn't care. He liked the cage. The cage was safe.

(The cage meant he wasn't alone, and he'd never be alone, because Dream was the only one who loved him enough to keep him, and Tommy knew deep down that he'd never leave him.)

Would he?

Tommy frowned, tucking his chin over Dream's shoulder as the man bid his goodbyes. The others called goodbye to him, as well - Tommy spared them nothing more than a passing glance as Dream's arm wrapped around his waist, pulling him toward the door. That was comforting, somewhat; the man's grip was tight, holding him close to his side. Tommy couldn't have pulled away even if he really wanted to, not without risk of injuring himself - but he didn't want to. Instead, he shifted closer, and wrapped both of his arms around Dream just as tightly.

Dream might be letting go, but Tommy wasn't ready.

And if he had to hold onto the strings himself, then so be it.

Chapter Text

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine.

Deep breaths. Niki closed her eyes, letting the sound of her heartbeat take away from everything else in the room. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. Steady breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Niki tipped her head back, breathing in slowly, and listened silently for the sound of the door. The fury rushing through her was unparalleled; she didn't think she'd ever felt so angry before, not at one man. But Dream had wronged her time and time again - he had wronged everyone time and time again, and continuously got off easy for it just because he was the owner of the server, the big man in charge. But Niki was tired. She was tired of constantly living under someone else's command. She was tired of the fighting, the drama, and she was tired of people hurting those she cared for, and she was done with all of it.

Seeing the state Tommy was in rattled her, though she'd never show it, not in Dream's presence. That was what he wanted, a reaction, and she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. So she bit her tongue, despite how horrified she was, despite how desperately she wanted to pull him into her arms, away from Dream. He was so scared, so timid and shy and quiet. Niki had already missed him, god how she'd missed him. She wanted him back; she'd spent so long, too long, trying to convince herself that she was happy that he was gone, that it was the best for L'Manberg and everyone in it. But if you asked her that, she'd say it wasn't true.

L'Manberg had changed, and it wasn't for the better. Everything was in place; there were no crumbling buildings, no physical sign that Tommy had ever left. Even his house was still standing, kept in top shape by Connor - the only difference in L'Manberg was that the spark had been stomped out, the life had been sucked out of it, the spirit had been completely diminished.

Tommy had carried the spirit of L'Manberg from day one. Tubbo might be President, but it was Tommy Innit who had carried the nation - and with him gone, it just wasn't the same anymore.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine.

But Tommy wasn't the same, either. His spark, his spirit, his life - it had all been taken, stolen away by Dream. He wasn't the same bright, excited boy Niki remembered. His once bright, vibrant blue eyes were dull and grey. He didn't wear a smile, not unless he was looking at Dream - and even then, it was small, and faint and tentative, tainted by the constant fear he seemed to carry with him now. It was genuine, but it was weak, and Tommy was anything but. He seemed to have forgotten that, but Niki was determined to remind him, whatever it took.

The door opened, the chime of the bell ringing through the room, and all at once-

Everyone dissolved into hysterics.

"What the fuck?!" Fundy was the first to explode, the second the door shut. "Dude, what the fuck was that? Seriously? Tubbo just fucking-" The fox hybrid stopped, sucking in an audible breath, and Niki finally forced her eyes open, turning her head to look over at the others silently. "Ohhh man. Oh my god. Oh my god I'm going to fucking kill him. I'm going to fucking kill him and Dream, I swear to god I'm gonna- fuck! Did he seriously just do that? Did he actually do that?!"

Quackity looked equally pissed, though he didn't raise his voice, which Niki greatly appreciated. "Yeah, he actually just did that. I swear…" The duck hybrid grit his teeth, shooting a harsh look toward the door. "I swear, if we could just fucking- jump him and take Tommy fucking run, I…"

"Who says we can't?" Fundy hissed, ears flat. "I'm ready to take his first life, let's go."

"No," Niki cut in at that, because Quackity and Sam looked ready to agree. Speaking of Sam… she frowned, eyeing the creeper hybrid warily for a moment. He was hissing. It was faint, building slowly in volume, but it wasn't one of his voluntary hisses, and it didn't seem to actually be coming from his mouth. "Sam. Breathe," she pressed lightly, taking a breath and turning away to set an ender chest down. The hissing grew a little quieter, though not by much. Honestly, she didn't even know if he was… capable of exploding like a creeper. She assumed it wouldn't be pretty, not for him and definitely not for them, and she'd rather not have a mess in the bakery. "We have to be patient. We can't just jump into this guns blazing and half-cocked."

"I never do anything half-cocked," Karl interjected, and Niki shot him an exasperated look while both Sapnap and Quackity reached over to smack the back of his head. "Ow- okay, yeah, sorry."

"As I was saying…" Niki eyed Karl for a few seconds longer before turning away again, opening the chest and rummaging through for a second. "We will handle Dream. But we can't risk doing anything that will make the situation worse for Tommy," she reminded them, and Quackity sucked in a breath through his teeth, letting it out in a sharp huff. "If we're going to do this, we need to do this right. But…" She pulled back, pulling a netherite sword from the chest and turning to face the others again. "We know where he is. If we're smart about it, taking him down shouldn't be hard. But our first mission, our highest priority, is getting Tommy away from him."

Quackity opened his mouth, seemingly to agree - but he paused, staring at the sword for a moment, then furrowed his eyebrows and turned his gaze back to Niki. "Speaking of which, you- how did you know they were still in Logstedshire? Did you… know that Tommy wasn't… dead?"

Yeah, she had a feeling she was gonna have to be answering that question soon, and somehow, she was still unprepared. Yes, she'd known Tommy was alive. She hadn't seen him in well over a year, and she'd only known for about three weeks now that he was alive, but some part of her had always suspected that everything wasn't exactly as it seemed. The fact that they hadn't found a body was suspicious enough, but there were so many other things that didn't click right - and her suspicions were only confirmed when… "Remember when Puffy vanished?"

Quackity froze, regarding her with an almost wary stare. Sam's ears flicked, and flattened, and the hissing stopped completely as his narrowed eyes focused on Niki. She knew Puffy's disappearance was a sore subject - but she also knew she was the one that mourned the most. "What does this have to do with…" Sam froze, ears pinned against his head. "No. No. No."

"I don't know what happened," Niki said quietly. "But she knew- she knew Tommy was alive. She knew where they were, what Dream was doing, and she wrote it down in a book and I found it."

"She wrote it down," Fundy repeated blankly. "Why didn't she tell anyone? Why didn't you-?"

"Because I didn't want anyone else vanishing out of thin air, okay?" Niki took a deep breath to steady herself, shaking her head. "I knew it was gonna come to a head eventually, but I didn't even know where or how to begin… and I don't know why she didn't say anything," she admitted, brushing her hair back and setting the sword aside to turn back to the chest, sifting through her things. "I don't know why she didn't tell anyone what she knew outright. But I did know her disappearance was the third one in barely over a year and we needed to be careful."

The silence stretched on for a moment, the tension in the air thick enough that Niki could cut it like cake. It was Quackity who spoke next, and this time, his voice was choked. "So if Dream was behind this, then- then you don't think he was behind R- oh, god. Oh, god, do you think-?"

"I don't know," Niki answered honestly, finally finding what she was searching for. She pulled out two books, one completely blank on the front and the other with 'Tommy' written across the cover in Ranboo's careful, neat handwriting. "I don't know," she repeated, staring down at the books for a moment. "But I found these-" She held them up slightly for the others to see, turning. "One of them is Puffy's, it has everything she knew - everything we already know, but if you want to take a look…" She set it down on the counter, and Fundy immediately snatched it up, flipping to the first page at once. "And this one… this one's Ranboo's. I know his handwriting," she mused, gazing at the journal for a moment. "It's something about Tommy, but I can't read it."

"Why not?" Sam moved closer, tentatively reaching for the book.

Niki handed it over carefully, frowning. "Because it's written in Enderman. Except for the last page," she added quickly, while Sam flipped through the book. "But the last page just says-"

"'Needs help'," Sam spoke with her as he read, alarm flashing through his eyes. "Oh, god."

"Shit," Quackity hissed, rubbing a hand over his mouth and turning away from them completely. Sapnap and Karl immediately made their way over to him, speaking in hushed tones as Sapnap wrapped his arms around the duck hybrid and Karl reached out to take one of his hands. Niki bit the inside of her cheek and took a deep breath, shaking her head. She should have revealed this sooner, and she knew that - but some part of her, deep down, had insisted that she waited. (Maybe if she hadn't, Tommy wouldn't be in such a horrible state.) "So- so this- fucking hell, man. Fucking hell," Quackity hissed, abruptly turning back to Niki and Sam. "If I'd known Dream was behind Ranboo just fucking- fucking disappearing I swear I would have fucking killed him."

"Didn't Ranboo have all his lives?" Karl said suddenly, before Niki had the chance to respond. "How many did Puffy have? There's no way Dream could have taken all their lives all at once."

Niki shared a glance with Fundy, a silent agreement not to mention Schlatt just yet.

"Puffy had all her lives," Sam replied quietly, closing Ranboo's journal and handing it back to Niki after a moment. "So you think he's keeping them somewhere else, then, locked up…" He trailed off, and almost everyone turned in his direction at that - and the hybrid immediately raised his hands, shaking his head slightly. "Not the prison. He commissioned it, but I'm the only one who really knows how it works. Besides, I run weekly check-ins. Nobody enters it but me."

"You check every cell?" Sapnap prompted, looking uneasy. "'Cause Dream has a key, man."

"I check every cell, every room, every door and every camera," Sam insisted sharply. "And even if he were to enter the prison, I'd get an alert on my communicator whenever he used the key." After a moment, though, he seemed to soften. "But for the sake of being sure, I'll doublecheck."

Niki nodded faintly, taking another breath to calm herself. She hadn't even thought about the fact that Puffy and Ranboo had all of their lives - but she knew from experience that that wasn't always significant. She wasn't going to get her hopes up yet, not until she knew for sure what was going on. And for now, her main priority was Tommy; taking down Dream, even, could wait at least a little longer until Tommy was safely out of the man's clutches. "Well," she started quietly, "like I said, our main priority at the moment is Tommy. We need to get him away from Dream first and foremost - and then we figure out the rest." Quackity and Fundy's anger seemed to diminish just like that; Fundy finally looked up from Puffy's book, passing it over to the duck hybrid after a moment, and offered nothing more than a nod to Niki, a quiet agreement.

"Good." Niki set the book aside and clasped her hands together, smiling brightly. "Now, who wants cake?"

Chapter Text

The sight of the cabin was a breath of fresh air, a welcome sight for sore eyes. Dream found himself grinning as soon as they entered, nudging Tommy inside first and following suit as he pulled his mask off, letting the cool air hit his face and breathing out a sigh of relief. All in all, a not too heinous day; Dream was rather happy with the outcome. He had pissed almost everyone off - and oh, Tubbo's reaction had been the absolute best so far. Dream wasn't sure what he was expecting, but he hadn't been expecting… whatever the hell that was? It was clear he'd missed Tommy, it was clear he wanted Tommy, but something had shifted while Dream wasn't looking, apparently. He didn't bat an eye at the boy's behavior, didn't mention anything out of the ordinary. He acted like everything was fine, like it was normal, like it was… expected? Dream had wondered if he had expected it, if someone had told him they were there, but that didn't seem to be the case either. No, he just… hadn't seemed to care that Tommy was barely five feet away from him. There were no tearful hugs, no words exchanged except 'hello'.

Though Tommy hadn't really kept up his end of the conversation, either. Dream smiled to himself as he walked into the cabin, shutting the door behind him and stretching his arms over his head. Tommy didn't venture too far from him, actually; the teen had paused near the doorway to the living room, watching him with an almost anxious, wary expression on his face.

Dream tilted his head, letting his mask disappear into his inventory for the time being and offering the boy a warm, reassuring smile. "That wasn't too bad, was it? You got to see Tubbo."

"I-" Tommy bit his lip, tugging on his sleeves and looking away. "Yeah. Thank you, Dream."

"You're welcome." He softened, despite himself, watching him. No, he knew his Tommy. He could read him like a Prime-forsaken book for crying out loud, with one glance, one word. And he knew Tommy wasn't… well, he hadn't enjoyed their visit to L'Manberg at all. He'd clung to Dream the entire time they were there, he'd actually snapped at everyone - which Dream was still somewhat reeling over, considering the fact that he'd snapped at everyone on his behalf - and Dream had seen him back at the bakery, he wasn't stupid. He'd seen how he'd avoided Tubbo's gaze, how he shied away, how he'd adamantly tried to pretend he wasn't even there.

He was satisfied with how the day had gone, but he still wanted Tommy to enjoy what was left of his birthday. That was the main reason Dream had decided to take him home early; he didn't care about whether or not Fundy or anyone else wanted him there, he didn't care about what anyone else there thought - he just cared about their reactions, and he'd gotten them. Now he was content to relax at home with his favorite person, and determined to make this day a good one while the sun was still up. Tommy deserved that much, at least - especially after earlier.

"Hey, you know what?" Dream took the bag out of his inventory and pulled it open, peeking inside. The discs were nestled at the bottom along with the cleaning supplies and strap for his mask; the flowers rested neatly on top, somehow unscathed. "Why don't we go ahead and plant these tulips in the garden? And we can listen to one of these new discs while we do," he mused.

Tommy perked up a little at the mention of the garden, and a soft, small smile was forming on his lips when Dream looked back up at him, eyes bright with excitement. "That sounds nice."

"I'm sure Pigstep will sound nicer," Dream joked, offering a crooked grin, and Tommy giggled.

Bingo. Dream smirked to himself, stepping back and opening the door again. Tommy fell into step with him as they headed around to the garden; actually, it was where the old Logstedshire building used to be. They'd long filled in the holes from the explosion, and Dream had started planting flowers around the area. Tommy kept up with it more than he did when they went out to check on the plants, and Dream mostly just enjoyed sitting with him and watching him work. The blond seemed to be in a much chipper mood as they reached the garden, the smile on his face lingering while Dream pulled the tulips out of the bag. Exactly six; Dream split them up evenly, three for Tommy to plant and three for Dream, and let Tommy get right to it while Dream set a jukebox down and popped Pigstep in with a smile, grinning wider at the soft laugh Tommy gave.

After a moment, he settled down beside the boy on the ground, offering him a warm smile and setting to work. He couldn't help but watch for a minute, though; Tommy was so gentle with the plants, so careful in each and every movement. Brushing his fingers lightly over soft petals, almost affectionately as he moved his hands through the dirt, like he was tucking the flowers in for bed. His usually trembling hands were calm and steady, moving with purpose, confidence.

Dream liked him best like this, he thought. The fear was amazing, it fed his ego like nothing ever had - but just like this, Tommy was nothing but perfect. He was calm, he was gentle, he was affectionate and he was obedient, and Dream hated to admit it, but there was a part of him that enjoyed those rare moments when Tommy didn't look at him with so much fear in his gaze. Like now, as the boy glanced up from his task just to offer him a small smile while they worked, there was nothing but tender affection sparkling through his eyes, an open fondness that made Dream's stomach churn with butterflies and sparks and made him want to hold on all the tighter.

Tommy truly didn't know how loved he was, and that was pretty sad, Dream mused. But it was impossible to convey how he felt about the boy into words. It was impossible to label the connection they had, impossible to describe the warm, soft feeling brewing in his chest. Tommy was the only one who made him feel like this - he thought maybe, once upon a time, there were others who had. Sapnap and George, maybe. But it wasn't quite right, it had never felt quite right. Something had clicked when Tommy came into his life, though - and that, that felt right.

This felt right.

The best he could think was that… Tommy just made him happy. Unbelievably, indescribably happy, and Dream wasn't going to let that feeling go. Sure, the kid pissed him off just as much sometimes - at least he used to - but even then, there was still such a thrill he got just being in his presence, such excitement that surged in his chest whenever Tommy challenged him. No matter what they were doing, Dream was content. Even if they were fighting to the death over a couple of stupid discs Dream couldn't care less about. If it meant he had Tommy's attention, then it was well worth it. And sure, he knew deep down that it wasn't normal, that it was obsessive and crazy - and yet, here they were, and it still felt so right. And even if it didn't, he wouldn't care that much either way. He had Tommy, and that was all that mattered to Dream.

"It looks nice," Tommy spoke up suddenly, gazing at the flowers. Dream shook himself from his thoughts, briefly turning his attention back to the garden. "It- th- they're a nice addition, I think."

"They are," Dream agreed, and Tommy sat back, brushing the dirt off his hands. "I know you didn't like being in L'Manberg," Dream said after a few seconds, and Tommy froze beside him, alarm flashing across his face as he looked up at the man with wide eyes. "It's okay," he crooned, reaching out to brush Tommy's bangs out of his eyes. He flinched, but held still for a few seconds before leaning his head into the touch, relaxing once again with a relieved, grateful expression on his face as he stared up at Dream. "I just asked you to give it a shot, and you did. I know you only tolerated it for me," he mused, tilting his head. "You don't have to go back."

Tommy didn't say anything for a long time, just gazing at him. "Are you… gonna go back?"

The question threw Dream off for a second, pausing his movements and giving the boy an odd, questioning look. Tommy's eyes widened, flinching again, and he shook his head slightly, rushing to correct himself. "I mean- I'm sorry, I know it's not my business, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I- I was just asking because if- if you do, I mean, go back, and- and if it's okay, then I, I wouldn't-" His voice grew quieter somehow, tearing his gaze away. "I wouldn't mind going with- with you."

Yeah, something was off. Dream had a sneaking suspicion he knew what it was, but he wasn't going to voice it yet; instead, he hummed and smiled, slipping his hand under Tommy's chin to turn his head up a bit, forcing the boy to meet his gaze again. "Maybe sometime in the future when you're more comfortable with it," he replied. "But for now, let's just… go back to normal."

Tommy nodded quickly, raising a hand tentatively to grab Dream's arm, fingers curling loosely into his sleeve. "But what about T-" He stopped, froze, and shook his head. "Neve- nevermind."

"Tubbo?" Dream pulled back, and Tommy flinched. "Well, you know, I said he could come over whenever he wanted, but…" He shrugged. "I wouldn't get your hopes up or anything, you know how well that went over last time." Truthfully, he didn't really care whether Tubbo came by or not. His reaction (if you could call it a reaction) to Tommy back at the bakery had been interesting, and he was comfortable enough with his relationship with Tommy by now - especially given how he'd reacted about the whole ordeal with Sapnap, and then how he'd snapped at Fundy and the others - to be mostly okay with Tubbo swinging by for a quick 'hello', but he wouldn't be terribly upset if he didn't. Judging by the way Tommy seemed to relax after considering his words, he wasn't the only one. "Either way, no more visits to L'Manberg, okay?"

"Okay." Tommy looked relieved. "Thank you, Dream."

"Love you," Dream offered lightly.

Tommy's smile was nothing but genuine as he answered, "I love you too."

They spent some time in the garden after that, looking over the plants. The tulips were a nice addition, he had to admit. He wasn't blind to the meaning, either; deep, unconditional love. And you could argue that, sure, Niki was the one to give them to Tommy, but she wasn't the one to plant them in the garden with him. Dream smiled to himself, sitting back contentedly and watching Tommy check over all the flowers. Deep, unconditional love. A nice addition, indeed.

Eventually, he picked himself up off the ground and called Tommy back over to him when the bees started swarming in one at a time to make their own assessment of the new flowers. Tommy's smile remained even as Dream tucked him close against his side, an arm wrapped firmly around his shoulders as he guided his friend back to the cabin. He supposed since they'd had cake and cookies for breakfast, they needed a pretty good lunch - maybe he'd make a steak for the two of them. Tommy never said anything, ever grateful for whatever he was given, but Dream knew he had to be getting sick of fruits and vegetables by now. Besides, it was his birthday, he deserved a little something better. Steak and golden apples were Tommy's favorite, and Dream figured he could accommodate that just for today. He could be lenient if he wanted.

(The way Tommy's face lit up when Dream set his plate in front of him was well worth it.)

That night, after they'd had dinner and Tommy had been sent off to bed, Dream fixed himself a cup of coffee and retreated to his room to read. He was still giddy over the day's previous events, silently running through everyone's reactions in his mind as he relaxed into his bed. The anger was second best, he decided. Quackity and Fundy and Sam's reactions were nothing but gold. Sapnap had been angry, too, it seemed, but not on Tommy's behalf - so Dream didn't really care. Karl hadn't really given much of a reaction, aside from his concerned, confused glances in Tommy's direction. Niki had acted like everything was well and normal. And Tubbo…

Dream didn't really know what to make of his reaction, but it sure was something. Again, it was the best reaction he could have gotten, if only because he didn't even get a reaction, not really. Tubbo had acted like everything was normal, too, but that alone was just proof that it wasn't. And then agreeing, basically, to be Tommy's 'friend' again! Maybe he didn't exactly know what Dream had meant by that, but Dream certainly hadn't heard him disagree when he said Tommy was better the way he was now - obedient, calm and scared to put a single pinkie toe out of line.

Well, he wasn't an idiot either; he knew not to assume everything was fine and dandy on Tubbo's end, and he knew better than to just believe Tubbo would really be okay with this. Still, a part of him was hoping it was genuine, because that would be interesting. No, Dream wasn't really willing to share Tommy, not with anybody, but it sure as hell would be fun to watch for a bit. And then at the end of it all, Tommy would be right back in his arms, turning to him for comfort. If that wasn't perfect, then Dream didn't know what was. Maybe he just wanted to see how broken Tommy and Tubbo's relationship was. Maybe he just wanted to see firsthand that all the work he'd done to rip them apart truly had paid off, and that there really was no repairing the damage he'd done. And maybe that would be better than the heartbreak he'd been expecting to see written across Tubbo's face when Tommy chose Dream over him for the first time; maybe no reaction from the boy was better, because it just solidified the fact that Tommy was his, now.

Dream smirked, taking a sip of his coffee and flipping the book open to start reading.

He was barely two words in when Tommy screamed from his room, a bloodcurdling sound that Dream had long gotten used to, whether the blond was sleeping or wide awake. He sighed through his teeth, frowning, and shook his head slightly before turning his attention back to the book. No point in getting up yet, he'd wait to see if this was a storm or if it was just a drizzle. He didn't have to wait long, because another scream and a sob later, Tommy called out, "Dream!"

Dream froze, lifting his gaze. Tommy never called out his name in his sleep. So either that meant that this was a new night terror, or it meant he wasn't asleep, and something was wrong.

He'd never gotten up on his feet so fast, drawing his sword as he made his way down the hall, completely prepared to fight tooth and nail to get Tommy back in his arms safely. His first thought was Fundy, he was the only one angry enough and stupid enough to try anything so quickly - but then Quackity probably wouldn't be too opposed either, and Sam was a big maybe - but when he got to the room, freezing in the doorway… there was nobody there. Nobody but him, and nobody but Tommy. Tommy, who was still curled up in his bed, body shaking through soft, silent sobs. Tommy, who was still asleep, because he didn't react at all when Dream called his name and turned the light on. He was still asleep. He was still in the midst of a night terror.

And still speaking. "Dream, Dream, Dream, no- nonono please, Dream-!"

Dream felt oddly cold as he made his way over, the sword disappearing into his inventory, but he couldn't help but feel somewhat relieved at the same time. It was just a nightmare, no real danger to be seen. Tommy was safe, Tommy was here, Tommy was having a nightmare about him - something he was determined to get to the bottom of, he was actually kind of miffed if he was being honest - but that wasn't his biggest concern. Tommy was safe. Tommy was here.

That was all that mattered.

As the panic simmered down, Dream reached out gingerly to shake the boy awake.

Chapter Text

Tommy was running.

He'd heard someone once, a long time ago, describe running as something of a… freeing experience. He thought it was Fundy, maybe, because he distinctly remembered him saying something about the 'wind in his fur' and the 'ground beneath his paws'. Regardless, he'd never forget the description he was given. The absolute freedom that was relayed to him through nothing but carefully chosen words, as Fundy described the experience. It had been so long ago now, hadn't it? "It just feels like, when I'm running, there's nowhere I can't go. There's nothing I can't  do . I can run, and run, and run - I could stop or slow down, or I could speed up and run faster. And it doesn't matter what I'm running to, it always feels like I'm home when I get there."

Yeah, he never got that. He'd tried to understand it, and maybe at one point he used to - the problem was that Tommy didn't run to feel free. He ran for his life, dashing across fields and through forests and around trees with a weapon in his hand as he stumbled over his feet, the thundering footsteps behind him propelling him forward as his only incentive to keep running. He ran for the thrill of the chase, jumping over discarded, broken weapons and dead bodies and weaving around friends and foes alike with his eyes set firmly ahead until he either caught up with his target or lost sight of them, letting them disappear through the crowd with a warning.

There had always been a part of him that thrived on it, being up and active and having something to do. But there was also a part of him that was tired, that wanted to settle down.

That part of him had gotten its wish, so why was he running?

Something about the scene felt painfully familiar, and he couldn't shake the feeling of deja vu that clung to him - much like the snow that clung to his boots and pants in thick, wet clumps. Every breath was a battle of its own as he fought for air, but the icy feeling in his stomach had nothing to do with the temperature of the frozen, white fields. Blood was mixing with the snow, dripping from so many different wounds Tommy couldn't even feel them all. His arm ached the worst out of it all, which was probably why he was clutching it to his chest so tightly as he ran.

This was familiar, but there was someone missing. Two people missing, actually. Tommy stumbled over his feet, kicking at the snow as he ran in a half-assed attempt to cover his tracks. Wait, why was he doing that? Someone was behind him, footsteps thundering, who the hell-?

("Oh, Tommy…!")

Dream?

Some instinct surged up inside of him, and Tommy stumbled again, nearly tripping over his feet and plummeting to the ground, but this time in haste to turn around and face his pursuer. He was fully prepared to start running again, this time in the opposite direction, toward Dream (why was he running from Dream, again?) but when he finally stopped and regained his balance, gasping for air as he looked around, the man was nowhere to be seen. No sign of him at all.

"Dream?" Tommy called, fear seeping into every bone, every vein, as he forced himself to stumble forward through the snow. It was cold, he was so cold, he just wanted to stop and lay down for a minute and wait for Dream to come back for him, he always came back for him, right? He shuddered, clutching at his shirt. Where was his hoodie, why wasn't he wearing his hoodie? A whine ripped itself from his lips, hoarse and shaky as he turned to look around. "Dream," he yelled out again, voice breaking, nearly begging. "Dream, where are you? Ranboo!"

… Ranboo? Tommy shook himself, appalled. Why was he calling for Ranboo? His ears were so cold they were burning, flecks of snow sticking to his blond hair as they started to trickle from the sky. He shrank in on himself, curling up, and tried to remember how to breathe. He wanted to cry, he couldn't figure out why. He was alone, he didn't like being alone. He didn't like being out here alone. Some part of him wanted to keep running, he had an inkling that maybe he should be, he shouldn't have stopped, he should keep going - but he didn't want to. He wanted- "Dream?" Where was Dream? Why wasn't he coming for him? Tears brewed in his eyes, and they were warm despite how cold it was, but they still made him shudder as they began to fall.

He was lost, he was alone,  Dream was gonna find him -

"Dream!"

But that was what he wanted, right? He wanted Dream to find him, that's why he was calling his name. He couldn't breathe, chest heaving and throat constricting as he choked back a sob.

And then- then he saw him. Just ahead of him, standing still in the snow as it flurried around him. Like an angel, Tommy thought numbly. He looked like an angel, his saving grace if there ever was one. He pushed himself forward through the snow at once, desperate to reach him, to curl up in his arms and let Dream assure him that everything was okay, that he was here, that he had him and he wasn't ever going to let him go. The tears in his eyes were blurring his vision more than the snow was, but he could have sworn that- that Dream, he was… backing away…?

"Dream?" His mouth was numb and the name felt wrong on his tongue for the first time. Terror twisted sharp in his gut, but he didn't halt or slow his pace, despite how weak and shaky his legs felt, like they were going to collapse underneath him at any second. "W- wait- d- don't leave- I don't know what's g- going on, Dream-?" He took another step forward, Dream stepped back.

"Why?" It was the only thing he could think to ask.

Dream didn't say anything. He tilted his head at him, the wide smile on the porcelain mask almost mocking him. Tommy's heart ached, longing to get closer, but with each step he took, Dream just took one back, keeping the distance between them exactly the same. He couldn't get an inch closer than he was, and it was frustrating, confusing, terrifying, why was Dream leaving him? "Dream- Dream, Dream, no," he found himself begging, voice rough, thick with the tears building in his eyes, strained by the lump in his throat he couldn't swallow back. Another step back, as Tommy took one forward, and a quiet sob escaped him. "Nonono, please, Dream!"

He couldn't leave him, he couldn't, Tommy didn't know how to be without him, he didn't know what to do when Dream wasn't around, he didn't know who he was, who he was supposed to be, he didn't know how to act, how to breathe, how to think, how to live - he didn't know how to be happy without Dream, he didn't know how to exist if Dream wasn't right there next to him. Tommy took a breath and stumbled forward, every inch of him aching with longing. "Dream!"

"Tommy," Dream called, voice colder than the snow surrounding them, "leave me alone."

"Wh- what?" His heart stuttered, head whirling as he fought to make sense of the words, to understand what was happening. His breathing quickened, panic overpowering everything else. "No, nonono Dream, please, you can't- you can't leave me! You can't, you can't, you can't-!"

"I don't want you."

"Liar," Tommy gasped, brushing snow out of his face. The action left him even colder, numb fingers carding through his hair, and his legs threatened to give way under him. He wished the touch was Dream's, that this wasn't happening, couldn't be happening, please for the love of Prime this couldn't be real it just wasn't right. "You do want me, you have to-" The words choked off, voice wavering through shaky gasps as he rubbed at his face again in a desperate attempt to dispel the horrible, freezing feeling that clung to his skin. "Y- you have to want me!"

"Tommy," Dream said again with no inflection in his tone, no emotion. Tommy shook his head and stumbled another few steps forward, and screamed in frustration when Dream retreated.

"Dream, stop it! Come back, please, just come back, I wanna go home!"

"Tommy!" Dream yelled, and there was an axe in his hands suddenly, and Tommy didn't remember falling to his knees in the snow, he didn't - but then Dream was there, right there in front of him and Tommy didn't know how he got there either, didn't know how the blade was suddenly pressed against his throat, pressing in enough to sting, to make him bleed - he didn't know, he didn't care how, because Dream was there, he was right there, close enough to touch-

He didn't think, reaching out for his best friend. He was faintly aware of the fear he should be feeling, and on some level, he was scared - but his need to get closer to Dream far overpowered the terror that was brewing in his chest, and he realized numbly that it didn't even matter if Dream hurt him, or if he killed him right now; it didn't matter, Tommy didn't care, because living didn't mean anything to him if he didn't have Dream. Dream was the only reason he was alive, the only reason he hadn't killed himself. Dream was everything; his everything.

His. Huh. It was a nice thought, comforting despite it all. He was Dream's, and Dream was  his .

"Tommy," Dream insisted, as Tommy's fingers found purchase against his hoodie, completely ignoring the axe at his throat. He looked up, trembling and cold and numb. "Tommy, wake up."

Was it the command that caused him to burst awake, or was it Dream shaking him?

Tommy didn't know. The hand on his shoulder was tight, almost frantic; it withdrew the second he twitched and shot bolt upright in the bed, chest heaving through pained gasps and sobs as he was pulled out of the nightmare. The coldness that had surrounded him was gone, and yet he found himself shivering under his blanket, whimpering as he tried to curl himself up tighter within them. He didn't get far; two familiar hands pried the blanket off of him, but his cry of protest was cut off quickly when he was wrapped up in a warm embrace, the bed dipping beneath him as another body pressed against his own and drew him impossibly closer. Dream's scent enveloped him first, but it was impossible not to recognize the embrace, the only one he'd felt in well over a year now, as Dream pulled him tight against his chest, holding him in his arms.

"I'm here, Toms, I'm here," he whispered, practically cooing as he dug his fingers into Tommy's hair, pulling the boy's head against his shoulder. Tommy was practically curled up sideways against him, his knees digging into his chest. He tried to force his hands to move, to grab onto Dream's shirt, to do something - the only thing he could do was turn to bury his face into his best friend's shoulder, still heaving and gasping, sobbing as he fought to breathe, to calm down.

"Tommy, I need you to breathe for me," Dream murmured, leaning down slightly until his lips brushed against Tommy's ear, until he was enveloping him completely, his body, his warmth, his scent. Somehow, it made it easier to breathe, even with Dream holding onto him so tightly. He managed to suck in a shaky breath, trembling in his arms. "Good, that's good. Just breathe. I've got you, Toms. I'm right here, I've got you. You're okay, you're alright…" Continuing to whisper soft words of encouragement, Dream pulled him closer and ducked his head further, nuzzling his face against Tommy's neck and shoulder as his fingers dug into the fabric of his pajamas.

Tommy let out a loose, shaky sigh and managed to raise his hands, finally. They found their way to Dream's shirt clumsily, trembling fingers grasping at the fabric as he tried to pull him closer. He could feel Dream's heart beating, only just slightly slower than his own, steady and soothing.

"Good," Dream crooned, when Tommy finally managed to take a deep breath. "Good."

Tommy shook his head, pressing his face deeper into Dream's shoulder and twisting slightly to wrap both of his arms around the man completely, digging his fingers into the back of his shirt. He was still shaking, shaking so badly he couldn't even feel himself; he was just a bundle of panic and nerves, twisted into knots and shattered into pieces - but Dream's arms around him, while they didn't quite pull him back together (he didn't think anybody could do that), it felt like it. For a moment, he felt whole again, felt better, because Dream had him, Dream was right here.

"You wanna talk about it?" Dream didn't really sound like he was asking; his voice was quiet, calm, but the command was clear. Tommy took a few shuddery breaths and nuzzled his head against the man's shoulder, biting his lip and pressing his face into the crook of Dream's neck. "You called out for me. Well, you called my name," his friend mused, brushing a hand through his hair. Tommy immediately pressed into the touch, leaning his head back slightly into Dream's hand. “That's the first time you've done that in your sleep. What were you dreaming about, hm?"

"You." His voice wavered and cracked, eyes stinging with the familiar threat of tears. "Y- you- You were- I couldn't-" He sucked in a breath, and it came out in a harsh sob, shaking his head. "I couldn't get- get t- to you, y- you were le- leaving me, I co- could- couldn- couldn't get cl- closer a- and you- and you said you didn't wa- didn't w- want me, and I-" He stopped to breathe, choking on the air as he fought to carry it to his lungs. Dream's hands froze, the one tangled in his hair loosening just a fraction and the one curled over his shoulder seeming to tighten ever so slightly. The man's head tilted downwards, green eyes glittering with confusion and surprise.

Tommy would give anything to know what he was thinking, to understand the secrets locked behind the closed doors in his mind, to know his friend as well as Dream seemed to know him.

"Oh, Tommy…" Dream trailed off. "That's… are you… afraid that I'm going to leave you?"

The wording, the emphasis, it was wrong - like Dream couldn't fathom the thought of Tommy being scared that he would leave, like it was a surprise that he viewed such a thing in a negative light. The thought startled him out of his tears, blinking them back furiously as he looked up at his best friend. Of course he was afraid. He was always afraid. He was afraid of being hurt, being punished. He was afraid of Dream when he was angry, and sometimes even when he wasn't. He was afraid of being alone. But this, this seemed to run deeper than just a fear of abandonment, fear of isolation, fear of loneliness; this centered completely around Dream. He wasn't just afraid of being left, no - he was afraid of Dream leaving. Even if he left him surrounded by all his old 'friends' back in L'Manberg, or even if he left him in Tubbo's arms- it would mean that Dream was gone, and yes, that thought, that alone… was what scared him.

"Yes," he breathed, and nothing had ever felt more honest. He meant it with his heart and soul, more than he thought he'd ever meant anything. "I-" His voice died before he could continue, wavering with the force of everything that he wanted to say but didn't think he was allowed to.

But Dream told him, ever so quietly, "go on."

And he did, with a few deep breaths to prepare himself. Dream pulled him closer as he began, "I'm- I w- I wasn't, I wasn't afraid of- of that, before, b- but that's because it was ju- it was just us, a- and then we went in- into L'Manberg and w- we saw everyone else and y- you wanted me to- to talk to Tubbo-" He winced as he mentioned his old friend, but after a few seconds without much of reaction from Dream except for a hum for him to continue, "and, when Sapnap…" He didn't finish, wasn't really sure where he was going with that. They had barely interacted - but it still stung, on some level, that Dream had pulled away from him to greet his old friend. "I- It just, it just f- felt like you were pulling a- away, tr- trying to get me to be friends with- with Tubbo again and- and taking me back there, and I don't- I- I don't want- I do- don't want- I don't want-" It was never about what he wanted, it was about what Dream wanted, he needed to stop-

"I don't want them!" The words spilled out before he could stop them, and the sound of his own voice made him flinch, realizing he was bordering on yelling. At Dream. Dream had stilled again, his grip tighter than ever, his eyes unreadable as he stared back down at him, and Tommy found himself suddenly unable to meet his gaze. He shied away, focusing on the hand Dream had curled against his shoulder instead and lowering his voice as he went on, "I- I just… want you."

There. Somehow, it was a weight off his chest, more than Tommy had realized. He had nothing to feel anxious about, right? He had yelled, he had raised his voice, but he'd corrected himself, he hadn't meant to. Dream didn't look angry, but Tommy couldn't tell. He could never tell what the silence meant. He couldn't tell if… if he was just thinking, or if Dream was about to yell, too.

So he did what he always did; he braced for the worst, and hoped for the best.

It was several minutes before Dream spoke. "Tommy, I…" There was more… emotion in his voice than Tommy had expected. Surprise, some confusion, but beyond it all was amusement.

"Tommy," his friend began, and huffed out a soft laugh, "I'm not… giving you to L'Manberg."

Tommy shook his head a little, already feeling stupid. Still, he couldn't shake the memory of that feeling, that cold weight that had settled into the pit of his stomach. Even now, even now, it was still there. The weight on his shoulders had been lifted, but that horrible feeling still remained.

"I know," he whispered. "I know, but-"

"No," Dream interrupted sharply, and Tommy flinched, falling silent. "Tommy, listen, alright? I'm not giving you to L'Manberg, I'm not trying to make you be friends with Tubbo, I'm not pulling away. L'Manberg was an experiment, that's all it was. And Tubbo? Tubbo's just an experiment, too. You don't have to be his friend, I don't want you to be his friend! Because- listen to me." He pulled back, just the slightest bit, and Tommy had to physically restrain himself from moving with him, resisting every instinct begging him to get closer. Dream's hand curled under his chin, a harsh, bruising grip as he tilted Tommy's head up to meet his gaze once more. "You're mine. Alright? It's as simple as that. You belong to me. And nothing - and no one - is gonna change that. They're gonna have to pry you from my cold, dead hands, you understand? You're mine."

The words would have terrified him a year ago, should have terrified him now. But there was no room for fear in his heart, not with the warmth that bloomed through his chest as Dream spoke.

"I don't care about L'Manberg," Dream declared. "I don't care about Sapnap."

("I don't give a fuck about Spirit, okay? I don't give a fuck about anything, actually.")

"I care about you."

("I care about your  discs .")

"I care about you more than they do."

("I care more about your discs than you do.")

Dream's face seemed to soften, a smile tugging at his lips as his gaze flickered across Tommy's face. His hand moved away from his chin, fingers brushing lightly across his cheek; the blond leaned into the touch silently, keeping his eyes fixed firmly on Dream's face as the man brushed his tears away and pulled him back into his arms again, pulling him snug against his chest.

"You're the only thing I care about," his friend whispered. "I'm not letting you go."

And that was all he needed to hear.

With those words in the air, and Dream's arms wrapped around him, Tommy closed his eyes and drifted back to sleep with a smile lingering on his lips.

Chapter Text

You know those days where you're like, this might as well happen?

Today was one of those days, Tubbo mused as soon as he stepped into the bakery. Tommy was the first one his eyes were drawn to, though he wasn't sure why. If he didn't know his best friend, hadn't grown up with him at his side, he might not have recognized the pale, shaking, long-haired (and frightfully thin, Tubbo noticed) boy standing at Dream's side. He looked like nothing compared to the man; Dream stood with his head high, the smile printed across his mask likely just a hollow echo of the one he must be wearing underneath. Clad in full enchanted Netherite armor with his axe strapped to his back, he looked like every bit of the untouchable, unstoppable force Tubbo knew him to be. He would have said the same for Tommy, ever so long ago, but he looked so fragile and weak at Dream's side, tucked against the man and hunched in on himself somewhat while Dream held a steady, relaxed arm around his shoulders. Tommy wore no armor, held no weapons. There were no bags under his eyes, and aside from his unusually thin, trembling frame, he looked healthy, he looked fine. Better than Ghostbur.

The red hoodie he wore in place of his typical red-and-white shirts, though, that above everything threw Tubbo off the most. It was a mimicry of Dream's, nearly identical except for the colors. He might as well be wearing a mask, he almost snorted. They might as well be twins.

Well, the first thing he decided was that Tommy was not dead. He wasn't a ghost, either. His skin may be unusually, surprisingly pale, but it didn't match the greyish tint that Ghostbur's had. Above all else, it was still skin, still flesh. Of course, it would have made more sense if Tommy was a ghost, because then Tubbo would have some sort of reasonable explanation as to why he was currently clinging to Dream like he was holding on for dear life. Now that, it wasn't right.

Tubbo elected to ignore it for the time being. Tommy did unexplainable things sometimes, it was just who he was. He was sure there was an explanation, some ulterior motive, some hidden agenda. Because the Tommy he knew would never cling to Dream like so; he'd have bitten his arm off by now, spitting curses and yelling at the man not to lay a goddamn finger on him. Whatever was going on here, Tubbo would see to it that it was addressed at a later date. Because if Tommy did have something up his sleeve, which was the only reasonable temporary explanation for… this, then one, it wasn't his business, and two, it was a trick, or something of the sort. That was more like Tommy, Tubbo mused. Sticking close to Dream was probably a requirement for coming into L'Manberg, and he was making a show of doing so. It was an act, is what it was. Tommy had learned to keep his mouth shut, keep his head down and play along.

Amused, and somewhat proud, Tubbo plastered on a smile and pushed the door open completely, announcing his arrival with the loud chime of the bell. "Well, am I late to the party?"

Every head swung in his direction so fast he almost expected bodies to start dropping. Fundy and Quackity managed to look alarmed at the sight of him; Tubbo narrowed his eyes faintly, but he paid them no mind. Sam and Sapnap were there, he noted before turning his gaze away, back to Dream, because it was the man who had the guts to address him first. "Just in time." The man's head tilted back, just enough for him to get a glimpse of the grin underneath his mask. Tubbo smiled back coldly, unimpressed but willing to play along, as well. "Hello, Tubbo."

"So do I bring the cake back out?" Karl's voice came from the back room, muffled by the door.

"Of course," Tubbo called back cheerfully. For a brief moment, he let his gaze flick toward Fundy and Quackity again, offering a nod toward Niki. But he couldn't keep his eyes from straying in Dream's direction again - and Tommy, by default. He didn't really want to get a better look at him, didn't really know how he would react when their gazes met. Watching him from a distance was one thing; Tubbo could control any physical reactions he had to the other boy's presence, he could restrain himself from running forward and pulling Tommy into his arms and never letting go again. He could bite back every apology that rose to the tip of his tongue because he knew it wouldn't matter, because Tommy wouldn't hear them anyway. He could block it all out; the guilt, the grief, the pain, the longing. Right here, right now, he didn't think he could do that.

Their gazes met, and Tubbo almost - almost - flinched. He steeled himself in time, biting his tongue and struggling to keep his expression neutral as he finally caught Tommy's gaze. His eyes were wide, and dull, and grey, and there wasn't a hint of the blue that Tubbo remembered. They were clouded with apprehension, with fear, with confusion, and wow, he was a good actor.

Because that's what it was, that's what it had to be. Because the Tommy staring back at him, curled against Dream, wasn't the Tommy he knew, and nobody was more Tommy than Tommy.

Tommy was fine. Tommy was alive. Tubbo didn't know what his agenda was, but he'd find out. He could never stay out of his best friend's schemes for too long. Things would go back to normal soon, and Tubbo would fall right back into it, and to be honest, he didn't think he'd mind it all that much. He'd spent over a year believing it was over, that Tommy was well and truly gone. So this had to be an act, Tubbo needed it to be, because if it wasn't, then… then he was.

Then the Tommy he knew was gone. Then he was a ghost. A ghost of everything he used to be, stripped down to nothing but a hollow, broken shell, and Tubbo… well, he couldn't accept that.

He wouldn't accept that.

He had enough ghosts already.

"Maybe we can both be his friends now," Dream ended up offering, only mere minutes after Tubbo had entered the bakery. "Y'know. Like before." Like before. He wanted to laugh, honestly. Like before, when, exactly? When Dream hid in the walls, spying on them? When he stole Tommy's discs time and time again? Or maybe in Pogtopia, when they were 'friends' before Dream went and stabbed everyone in the back. No, Dream was never Tommy's friend and he was sure as hell never Tubbo's. Like before, my ass. Things weren't going back to how they were before, Tubbo would make sure of that. Because if there was one thing he knew now…

It wasn't Tommy who was behind everything on the server going to shit. It wasn't Tommy who was behind all the wars and the fighting and the conflict and the drama. Maybe he wasn't an entirely innocent party, but that did beg the question - was anyone ever truly innocent, in war?

No, Tubbo didn't think so. But the ones that started the wars, just for the fun of it - or even those who claimed to 'hate conflict' and yet continued time and time again to instigate said conflict - or those who just didn't even bother to stop it when it occurred, who stood on the sidelines and only joined in when things got interesting? Those were the truly guilty parties. Ones who fought without purpose, without reason. Dream fought for fun, because he could. Because he had the power to do so without it turning back on him the way it had on Tommy. Because he was in control of everything, the Big Man on the server. He worked for his own personal gain, he cared for no one but himself, he was nothing but chaos and destruction and Tubbo was sick of it.

He didn't respond to the offer immediately, studying Tommy for a long moment first. His friend's gaze wouldn't leave Dream, really, and… Tubbo hated that the fear in his eyes looked so real.

It wasn't, though. Surely not.

"I'd like that." Dream wanted things to go back to the way they were before? Because the way it was before, the way it always was before, was Tommy and Tubbo vs Dream. And if that was the way Dream wanted to play, then Tubbo was more than willing to play along. "I'd like that a lot."

He'd dance with the Devil one more time, for old time's sake.

Sleep didn't come easy that night, though it wasn't any fault of his own.

Actually, it was Quackity and Fundy's fault, because they decided that it would be a good idea to barge into his house well past midnight and start screaming at him. He was tired, he was frustrated, he wanted to lay down and go to sleep and deal with everything in the morning. He did not want to be standing in the hallway with two very angry hybrids yelling at him. The younger of the two looked ready to lunge and rip his throat out at any given second. Quackity was only just barely calmer. Tubbo wished he could say this behavior surprised him, but it didn't. Neither of them were particularly fond of him as of late, and honestly, the feeling was mutual.

"What the hell was that back there, man?! Tell me it was a ruse, right now, tell me you're not actually fuckin'- for this shit," Quackity was seething, and Tubbo furrowed his eyebrows, giving the duck hybrid a long, scrutinizing stare. For what shit, exactly? Were they talking about what went down with Dream? If they had to ask if it was a ruse… "Don't you even- don't you care th-"

"Big Q, it's three in the morning," Tubbo interrupted, raising a hand. "Can we talk about this-"

"We're gonna talk about this right now!" Fundy raised his voice, and Tubbo dropped his hand, irritated. "Look, I get you've got this whole Schlatt 2.0 thing going on now, or whatever, but you-"

There it was. Just can't get through a conversation with Fundy without 'Schlatt 2.0' coming up. Tubbo sneered, resisting the urge to draw his sword and start swinging, and balled his fists tight at his side, taking a deep breath and pinning his ears back against his skull. "-can't actually sit there and tell me you- you don't see anything fucking- wrong with this whole situation! Dream-" Fundy stopped to take a breath, and rub at the spittle on his lips before continuing. "Dream's-"

"Dream's a right bastard, I know," Tubbo said lazily. "You going to tell me something new, now?"

"You bitch," Fundy practically shrieked. "That's your best friend back there, innit? Are you really going to stand aside and- and do nothing about this? Just go on like everything's fine and dandy, like Tommy's not fucking suffering right now?" And that- what the hell was that about? Suffering? Tubbo narrowed his eyes slightly, scrunching his nose and offering an incredulous glance. Tommy wasn't suffering. Tommy had looked absolutely fine. I mean, he was a little skinny and everything, and quieter than usual, but… food was probably scarce in Logstedshire, and it was about time he learned when and how to shut his mouth. He said as much. It was at that point that Quackity had to literally hold Fundy back from trying to lunge at him, teeth bared.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Tubbo lifted his hands, incredulous and a little more than pissed off, about ready to run the two of them out of Snowchester entirely. They had no right to be here, anyway. Especially not at three in the fucking morning. "I'm just saying that Tommy's-"

"What? Fine?" Fundy snarled, eyes wild. "What about this situation is fucking fine?!"

Tubbo threw him a half-hearted glare and frowned. Clearly they didn't know Tommy nearly as well as he did. Tommy would never put himself in a position to be anything less than fine. He'd never cower to Dream, not really, the way he'd seemed to be doing in the bakery. He'd understand Dream falling for the act, but it was disappointing to see that Quackity and Fundy actually believed something was amiss here, that Tommy was weak enough to fall right under Dream's thumb. That wasn't Tommy. Tommy was loud, and brave, and smart. Yeah, Tubbo was smarter, he was the smartest of the two - that was how he knew this was all just an act, duh - but Tommy was far from stupid. He certainly wasn't stupid enough to fall for Dream's tricks. He was the one always warning Tubbo about Dream's manipulations, telling him to take everything he said with a tablespoon of salt. Tommy was the one that knew how to handle those things, to fight back tooth and nail against every poisonous word Dream threw at them. No, they didn't know Tommy, apparently, if they didn't know that Tommy would never truly let Dream get to him.

"Everything about it is fine. If you don't think so, that's your problem," he finally spoke. He wasn't going to stand here and explain it to them; they could figure it out for themselves along with Dream when Tommy finally revealed whatever the hell his true motives were. Tubbo would be right there at his side when he did, ready to say I told you so. "I'm sure it's all under control."

"You mean Tommy's under control." Quackity's voice was strained, trembling with fury. Tubbo merely shrugged. He certainly seemed under control, enough so to pull off this little ruse.

"Yeah. I mean, it's about time, isn't it?" Self-control was one of Tommy's biggest challenges; it was nice to see he'd overcome that, at least, even if it was simply for the sake of holding together some act for whatever fucking drama he was about to plunge everyone into. Fundy lunged at him again, and Tubbo took a step back - mostly for their sake rather than his own, because he was this close to taking out a weapon. "You'll see for yourselves eventually. For now, I'd like to sleep," he emphasized with a pointed glare. "I plan on going to visit tomorrow."

"Of course you do!" Fundy yelled, nearly hysterical, and wow, this wasn't that bad, was it?

Quackity pulled the fox hybrid back after a moment, staring daggers at Tubbo as he did. "Yeah. Fine, whatever. Jesus, Tubbo, you're- of all the people I'd have expected to- you have just…" He trailed off, pulling Fundy back a little more. "You've changed, man, and not for the better."

"Everything's changed, Big Q," Tubbo sighed. "You'll adjust."

Quackity sneered, lips pulling back over his teeth. Then they were gone, just like that, Tubbo's door left wide open behind them; he took a moment, just standing there, to feel the chill that had crept over the room, one he wasn't entirely certain was actually coming from the snow outside. The freezing air tickled his face, ears flicking as he finally moved forward to shut and lock the door this time, letting out a quiet, strained sigh as he did. He was tired of these little screaming matches. This wasn't the first time Quackity had accompanied Fundy to come yell at him for whatever he did wrong that day in the middle of the night, but it was the first time he'd actually participated, the first time he'd looked at Tubbo with something akin to hatred in his eyes.

And it was fine, Tubbo mused as he headed off to bed, cutting lights off as he went. It was fine, he didn't care. They could hate him, they could all hate him. The truth would come to light soon. They could see for themselves that Tommy was fine, that he'd never stopped fighting. Maybe he'd gotten a little wiser, a little smarter, a little sneakier, but he'd never actually stopped fighting.

It was Tommy, after all. He didn't know how to stop, even when he should. Tubbo fell back into his bed, eyes finding the ceiling, and crossed his arms under his head with a soft, resigned sigh.

The heavy feeling in his chest was easy to ignore, even if it did linger all night.

Chapter Text

Oh, it was a sleepless night for Sam.

Which, of course, he wasn't too upset about. He'd retreated to his study the second he'd gotten home, with Ranboo's book in hand and a strong determination to crack it before morning came. He must have gone through every other book he had, but there was nothing - literally nothing - that could have helped. He didn't have anything written in Enderman, which he was silently cursing himself for now. All his adventures, all his travels, all the things he'd learned and the one thing he never thought necessary to pick up was what he needed the most right now. Because who knew? Maybe there was something in the book that could help lead them to Ranboo, maybe there was information on Dream or Tommy they didn't have that could help them get Tommy away once and for all. Maybe there was something important inside, and he didn't know.

And they might not ever know. The creeper hybrid scowled, slamming his last book shut and rubbing his hand over his face with a sigh. It was hard not to get frustrated, even for him. He may have learned how to curb his explosive temper, and it had been so, so long since he'd snapped, but the desire to do so had never been stronger than it was at this very moment, and Sam couldn't deny that. He could feel years of learning and practicing self-control steadily unraveling, and as desperately as he wanted to be patient, he also really wanted to explode.

The worst part was he couldn't even blame himself for it, which made it even harder to keep himself from exploding in the long run. When he wanted to keep himself in check, he could. But it was harder to do that when he felt justified in exploding; it made it even harder to stop himself.

He could never have imagined that 'something really bad' had meant… something that bad.

Seeing Tommy there in L'Manberg with Dream had been a shock already. He just looked so different, not at all like the boy Sam remembered. Yeah, it had been over a year now, a lot had changed and Sam was willing to accept that. He could have accepted the hoodie, the hair. But what he couldn't accept was the fear in his eyes, the apprehension that darkened his features every time he looked in Sam's direction, the way he clung to Dream. What he couldn't accept was the dull grey that had fallen like a shadow over his once bright blue eyes. What he couldn't accept was Dream's arm slung around the boy's shoulders. He'd seen something just like it once, a long time ago. Schlatt was gone now, but his memory hadn't faded yet, especially not from Sam's. Quackity still flinched sometimes when you moved toward him so fast, still looked ready to start swinging whatever weapon he had on him the second anyone's voice started to raise, still prepared to fight for his life the second an argument started to escalate. There were still certain words that made him go deathly silent, made him tense or wince or shudder or snap.

He still got that look that Tommy had written all across his face sometimes. It was rare, and it was always brief. Quackity was healing, but there were things that were impossible to forget.

Nausea twisted in his gut, forcing himself out of his thoughts and getting up to start putting his books away. Guilt clung to him like a disease; guilt over Quackity, guilt over Tommy. If Sam had been there, if he'd stuck around, if he'd come to visit instead of just going that one time - maybe he would have noticed something sooner. Maybe he would have seen it when the light started fading from those bright eyes, and maybe he could have caught it, could've gotten Tommy away.

He could have done something, dammit, if only he had known, and he should have known.

God, he hated this feeling. Shaking his head, he retreated back over to his desk with a frown, sinking down into his chair. He had no idea what time it was, how long he'd been in here. It felt like hours, but he couldn't be sure - not when he was working, at least. With the curtains drawn and the door locked, Sam could stay in his study for what felt like forever and emerge to find barely two hours had passed. Or, vice versa. Time simply held no meaning within these walls. And especially right now, right now when there were more things to worry about, Sam just didn't have the time to keep up with the time. The creeper hybrid sank forward, propping his elbows up on his desk and burying his face into his hands with a groan. He had to figure this out, soon.

Niki was right, their main priority was getting Tommy away from Dream. Sam had a horrible, heavy feeling that it wasn't going to be as easy as he'd hoped. Tommy seemed wary of them at best, terrified of them at worst. He hadn't even spoken to Tubbo, Tubbo for crying out loud - yet, seeing the way the President himself had acted at the bakery, Sam couldn't say he blamed him. Something was up with him, too, and Sam would get down to figuring out what that was as well. For now, he'd place it on the backburner. Finding out what was going on with Tubbo was important, yes, but he wasn't the one stuck in exile with his abuser. He could wait a little longer.

He wasn't sure what kinds of things Dream had told Tommy, how much had gone on in the time they'd been alone together, but enough was enough. That fear and uncertainty and wariness Tommy had displayed back at the bakery, Sam had realized, came from a place of not knowing where he stood with everyone else. Of course he'd clung to Dream the way he had; it was better the Devil he knew, and Sam figured at least Tommy knew what to expect from the man at this point. Face to face with all his old friends again, the country that had exiled and sent him away with Dream in the first place (not that Sam held any ill will toward anyone for that, even Tubbo; he knew just as well that the decision had always been in Dream's hands), it was no wonder Tommy had attached himself to Dream the entire time. He was, as he said, the only one he had.

The only one who was there for him. Sam shook his head slightly, digging the heels of his hands into his eyes. Tommy had a point there. Dream was the only one who had been there with him.

For a moment, he lamented he might have been better off alone, but he shook the thought off quickly. Nobody deserved to be alone. Tommy would have been better off with anybody else; it was a shame, a damn shame, that he'd been stuck with Dream this entire time. Dream, who had effectively cut Tommy off from everyone else. Isolating him, abusing him, manipulating him.

There was a time Sam would have called the man his friend. But if Dream ever was that, he certainly wasn't anymore. Sam wanted nothing to do with him; he wanted to take Tommy far away from him, make sure he could never hurt him again, and forget that Dream ever existed.

If only it would be that easy. Sam knew it wouldn't.

The sound of his name being called tore him out of his thoughts quickly enough. "Sam! Big man, you in there?" That was Sapnap's voice, knuckles rapping against the door. The knob rattled a few times, and, upon finding it locked, Sapnap continued, "yep, you're in there! You didn't fall asleep with your face stuck to a book or somethin', did you?" Sam opened his mouth to respond, but he didn't get the chance. "Quackity and Fundy are here, they're pretty pissed off. 'Parently something happened with Tubbo last night. Anyway, are you awake? 'Cause if you're-"

Sam pulled the door open, effectively cutting the younger man off. "I'm awake, I'm awake. What happened with Tubbo?" He took a few seconds to buckle his mask on, but he left his goggles off for now. He didn't really wear those for any particular reason - the mask was to keep everyone else from having to deal with the smell of gunpowder and sulfur that lingered on his tongue. Running his tongue over his teeth, he slid a step past Sapnap, shutting the door behind him.

"No idea," Sapnap admitted. "They're not coherent at the moment."

Sam hummed, and sighed. Not a surprise. Fundy ranted to him about Tubbo every other day. "I'll see what's up," he murmured, making his way down the hall. "Hey, guys? Is everything-"

"You won't fucking believe the shit that went down last night!" Fundy interrupted, breezing in from the foyer before Sam had the chance to finish. The creeper hybrid stopped short, snapping his mouth shut and staring down at him. He was definitely pissed, ears flat to his skull and fur bristling - and, yeah, he ranted to him about Tubbo, a lot, but he never actually looked this pissed off even after an argument. "That bitch- 'cause you saw the way he was acting in the bakery, all nice and welcoming to Dream and all," the fox hybrid mocked. "Quackity thought maybe, hey, the guy knew what was up and was just trying not to piss him off too much, 'cause-"

"'Cause you can't just piss off the abuser," Sam and Quackity recited, exchanging a knowing look.

"Yeah, that." Fundy took a deep breath and swiped a hand over his ears, fuming. "But we got there, and the asshole - the fucking asshole! He goes and starts saying shit like, it's about time Tommy learned to shut his mouth, everything's fine, basically he's glad Dream's got him fuckin'-"

Sam was already appalled, but willing to bet some things had been lost in translation given the intensity of Fundy's anger, until Quackity spoke up. "He said it was 'about time' that someone got Tommy under control," the duck hybrid said, smoothing his feathers down with a frown. Sam shook his head slightly, baffled. "I couldn't believe it, man, but he- he really just couldn't care less about this. It's like he's a completely different person. They used to be best friends, and…"

"Schlatt 2.0 is at it again," Fundy spat, falling back onto the couch. "Fucking prick. I hate him. His best friend's literally- and he's got the nerve to stand there and say that everything's fine."

"Goddamn," Sapnap muttered. "Even I feel bad for the kid."

Sam took a breath to steady himself, shaking his head again and licking his lips with a frown, swallowing past the taste of sulfur as he did. No, he couldn't afford to get angry again, couldn't afford to lose his temper over this. Still, he couldn't help but feel pissed, and somewhat betrayed on Tommy's behalf. He knew that if the situations were reversed, Tommy would have lunged for Dream's throat the second Dream started spouting the fucked up nonsense he had in the bakery. His words were still ringing in Sam's ears - he's much better like this, isn't he? - and it was both infuriating and deeply, deeply saddening to hear that Tubbo had agreed. He knew they hadn't exactly parted on good terms, but… "Well, I can't speak for Tubbo," he murmured. "None of us can. It doesn't matter what he thinks, we're not letting Dream get away with any of this."

"Yeah, you're damn right," Fundy barked. "Any chance we can lock Tubbo up, too?"

"Who said anything about locking Dream up?" Quackity grumbled. "I'm killing that bastard."

Normally, Sam would have agreed, but the more he thought about it… the thought of locking Dream up, if only as a temporary fix, was rather enticing. "I mean… we do have the prison," he began. "Locking him up doesn't sound like a bad idea. It'd certainly be a suitable punishment…"

"It sounds like he'd be getting off easy for the shit he's pulled," Quackity growled. After a moment, though, the duck hybrid's eyebrows furrowed. "Actually, it'd make torturing him easier."

"That's inhumane." Fundy huffed out a laugh. "I love it."

"I'm serious," Sam insisted, and both Fundy and Quackity mumbled 'so am I' under their breath, while the creeper hybrid just sighed. He spared a quick glance toward Sapnap, who looked a little uncomfortable with the way the conversation was going but tolerant enough to stay and listen to any new plans, before continuing on carefully, "killing him would be… that would be letting him off too easy. I'm not opposed-" He narrowed his eyes slightly. He was definitely not opposed. "But I'd like to see him brought to justice, to really repent for all the things he's done." Neither of them spoke, but Sapnap let out a soft hum of agreement, and Quackity eventually inclined his head in a silent agreement. "But, like Niki said, Tommy is our main priority right now. We need to get him to safety before we even think about doing anything against Dream, right?"

"Right," Quackity agreed firmly, eyes darkening slightly. "If we try anything and fail while he's still got Tommy, I don't even want to think about what Dream might do to retaliate - I wouldn't put it past the fucker to hurt Tommy just to get to us, use him as leverage…" The duck hybrid trailed off, taking a seat next to Fundy on the couch. "And that kid, h- he's been through enough, man."

"I know," Sam murmured.

"So we need to get Tommy alone, then, is what you guys are saying? 'Cause there's no way we're gonna be able to detach him from Dream's side while the guy's literally at his side," Fundy warned. "I mean, let's be real, we all saw how he was yesterday. He was scared shitless, of us."

"But he's also scared of Dream," Quackity reminded him. "If we could just talk to him for a sec… explain that we're trying to help, y'know, I'm sure he'd take a way out if he had the choice."

"Are you sure about that?" Sapnap offered tentatively. "He didn't just seem scared of everyone yesterday, he got pretty pissed off when Fundy started going off on Dream. I'm not saying Dream's in the right here or anything, 'cause like, obviously he's not, but Tommy's the one that said he's done nothing wrong. I don't think we're gonna just be able to waltz on up to Tommy and tell him 'hey, we're gonna get you away from Dream' and have him walk away with us." There was a long moment of silence after that before Sapnap spoke again, a little quieter now. "Whatever the hell's going on, Tommy thinks Dream's the lesser of two evils, and that's-"

"Easily fixed with a conversation," Fundy interrupted. Quackity didn't look so sure.

Sam didn't feel so sure, either. Tommy doesn't think Dream's done anything wrong. Tommy doesn't see anything wrong with the way Dream's treating him. Tommy's… he didn't want to finish that thought, didn't want to think it, didn't want to believe it was true even for a second. He wanted to hope that Fundy was right, that this was just a bunch of misunderstanding and miscommunication. "Either way," he spoke up quietly, "we have to try. Tommy needs our help."

"Right." Sapnap took a deep breath, nodding. "I know. So how do we get him alone?"

"Dream comes into L'Manberg sometimes, by himself," Quackity piped up. "I've seen him around the Dream SMP sometimes too. He probably just leaves Tommy at Logstedshire then, right? If we catch Tommy while Dream's gone, we should have enough time to talk things out and get outta there before Dream knows what the fuck's going on. Then it's just a matter of taking that homeless green teletubby's ass down." He exchanged a glance with Fundy, who curled his lips back in a brief, toothy grin, eyes glittering with a mixture of anger and excitement.

"So how will we know when Dream's not there?" Sapnap prompted. "Stakeout? It's risky."

"That's what invis potions are for, my love," Quackity said cheerfully, throwing his husband a sneaky smile. Sam raised his eyebrows at that, intrigued. "And I happen to have plenty of 'em."

Chapter Text

Now that they had somewhat of a plan, Quackity felt… he felt better.

Not by much, and not nearly enough to be jumping for joy or singing or any of that shit, but he felt better. He made quick work of gathering his potions from L'Manberg, the in-and-out was easy, and it was early enough that there weren't many people about. He managed to avoid any unnecessary greetings, ducking under every outstretched arm offering a high five and calling quick 'hello''s to anyone unlucky enough to be up at this hour. Truth be told, he was excited; he hadn't been back to Logstedshire since… well, since Tubbo had taken them to show them the tower, to show them the destroyed remains of everything that used to be Tommy's temporary 'vacation home', as Ghostbur used to call it. He hadn't been there since the funeral, when Tubbo marked the grave they built together. He didn't know what to expect, but he was excited.

Mostly, he was just excited because they were doing something. Because Tommy was alive, and they were going to get him back home safely. They had a plan, they were working on it, and Quackity felt much better than he had the night before. He hadn't slept at all, lying awake in bed with his eyes glued to the ceiling while his thoughts ran circles around his exhausted, weary brain. The only thing he could think about was Tommy, and the position he was in - a position nobody should ever be in, but especially not a child. No, Quackity hadn't slept, not for a second.

This put some pep in his step, though, moving with purpose as he returned to Sam with a bundle of potions in his inventory and a few hooked to his belt. Then it was just a matter of deciding who would go and who would stay behind. "I'll stay," Fundy offered, to everyone's surprise. At the questioning looks he received, the fox hybrid huffed out a low, rumbling growl. "If something happens, like yesterday-" The way Tommy had flinched so violently from Dream's touch, a touch that looked so innocent and gentle on the surface (Quackity hated to imagine how often Dream must have struck him to incite such an instinctive, terrified response from the kid), "-then I'm gonna go the fuck off. And I don't think anybody wants that, so I'll stay behind."

"Let George know what's up when he wakes up, okay?" Sam offered, ruffling the hair between the fox hybrid's ears. Fundy ducked away from the touch, but he was smiling, just a tiny bit. "And, uh, let your mom know what's up too if she messages, I'm putting my comm on silent."

"Good idea," Sapnap mumbled, his own communicator appearing in his hand at once.

Quackity furrowed his eyebrows, turning to regard him with some surprise. "You're coming?" He didn't mean to sound so incredulous, but, well, he was. It was just… he saw how hesitant Sapnap was about the whole situation, and he guessed on some level he could understand. Dream used to be his friend at one point, and he could only imagine how much this was fucking with his husband's head. And he was still making an effort to help with the planning, still tolerating all the discussion about locking Dream up, or killing him, or torturing him. Quackity just hadn't expected him to get actively involved in this. At least, he hadn't expected him to want to.

"Of course." Sapnap looked up at him, something like resignation flickering across his face. "I- … look, I know Dream and I used to be close, but it's…" He trailed off, shaking his head slightly. "What he's doing, man, it's fucked up, and I know that. He's not the same… he's not the Dream I used to know." He fell silent, fidgeting with his communicator for a few seconds before looking back down at it with a hesitant shrug. "This is the right thing to do. Of course I'm coming along."

I love you, he wanted to say, but he didn't dare, not in front of Sam and Fundy. Mostly because Sam always started cooing when they got sappy, and Fundy took to making kissing noises.

Actually, that reminded him. "Hey, has anyone heard from Karl?"

"Not since yesterday." Sam looked up briefly from sorting through his inventory, the potion in his hand disappearing as he flicked his eyes from Quackity to Sapnap, who was shaking his head. "I figured he went home with you, Quackity - has anybody seen him since he left the bakery?"

"He didn't come home last night." Quackity fell silent for a moment, thinking. He hadn't seen Karl since the bakery, actually. He was still hanging around L'Manberg with Niki when he and Fundy had gone out to Snowchester, and when they'd gotten back, it was well past four in the morning and Karl was nowhere to be seen. He'd gone back to Las Nevadas and Fundy had retreated back to Niki's place; Karl hadn't been at the mansion either, and Quackity hadn't thought much of it at the time. "I'll message him in a bit," he murmured. "He's… I mean, he seemed pretty uncomfortable with the whole situation, he's probably just lying low." Which was understandable.

"We'll worry about it later," Sam agreed, checking the clock briefly. "We should get going. There's still a path to Logstedshire through the Nether, right? The one we took last time?"

"Fucked if I know," Quackity muttered. "Dream gets around pretty quickly, so probably."

"We'll go through the Nether, then. You two ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Sapnap commented, readying an invisibility potion in one hand. Quackity took a moment to go through his inventory, making sure he was well and truly prepared for anything. Especially if things went south. He had his sword, he had an axe, he had some harming potions on him just in case. Slowness, too, as well as blindness and nausea. Not much, but it would do in an emergency, at least if they needed to make a run for it. And of course, he had his invisibility potions, enough to last all of them at least an hour or two. He was ready.

They each drank an invis potion before entering the Nether, just in case they happened to run into Dream on the way. Reluctantly, Quackity stripped out of his armor and the others did the same, though it didn't quite prevent Sapnap from grumbling about it as they walked down the path. Quackity couldn't help but feel somewhat anxious as they grew closer to the portal that led to Logstedshire. This was where they were, right? Niki had said so, and Dream had told Tubbo he was welcome in Logstedshire whenever, so it wasn't like they had moved locations. He was anxious, he was nervous, he was on edge and ready to fight, to be honest. The Butcher Army had long disbanded; Quackity didn't fight just for fighting's sake, he wasn't as bloodthirsty as he used to be, but right then, his skin and feathers were just crawling with the desire to draw his sword and start swinging. It was going to be even harder to control when he saw Dream again, he reminded himself, so the duck hybrid reluctantly resolved to stay close to Sam, as close as he could with the invis. Sam would keep him in check, keep him from doing something stupid.

Sapnap's hand slipped into his own, offering a squeeze. Quackity squeezed back lightly, staring ahead at the portal as they reached it, and narrowed his eyes slightly, steeling himself silently.

"I'm going in," Sam's voice murmured, and the Nether portal whirred and flashed.

Quackity grimaced, taking a deep breath, and followed with Sapnap's hand still cradled in his own. Emerging on the other side was a trip; he was used to traveling through Nether portals, that wasn't the issue. The issue is that Logstedshire was not… what he had been… expecting.

The absolute wreck Quackity remembered it to be? Yeah, not so much anymore. Whatever holes were left from explosions had been filled in. The place looked - damn, it looked nice, actually. It looked peaceful. Flowers littered the grass around them, looking like they'd been placed purposefully around the portal. The broken portal that used to be beside it was gone; the path had been restored, and it looked pretty well-kept, with flowers and tiki torches dug into the ground on either side. The path led up to a cabin built in various types of wood blocks - oak, spruce, birch, dark oak - and the cabin itself looked nice. It looked comfortable. Smoke billowed from the stone chimney, enough of a tell that the residents - at least one of them - were awake. The blinds were shut tight; Quackity drew closer without thinking, but he couldn't peek inside.

The tower was gone, too. He tried not to pay much attention to that particular detail; he didn't really want to remember it, honestly. He was glad Fundy had decided to stay behind, and a part of him suspected it was more for the fox hybrid's sake than anything else. Which was valid. Quackity wasn't sure he could have handled seeing Logstedshire, the way it was before, again.

(Though he wasn't sure the cozy, comfortable sight that met him instead was any better, really.)

Keeping his footsteps as light as he could, Quackity made his way around the cabin, quietly taking it all in. There was a little farm with carrots and potatoes and watermelons just behind it, where the path split through to separate it from the garden Dream had mentioned yesterday. He hadn't been lying, there were a lot of flowers. He took care not to touch anything, not wanting to leave any physical sign they were here. Once again, though, he was struck by how peaceful and nice it looked. He was expecting some kind of evil lair with a torture dungeon, but not this.

"We've got company," Sam's voice hissed suddenly, sounding awfully close, and Quackity jumped; he couldn't suppress a flinch in time, barely keeping himself from drawing his sword.

He managed not to, but that didn't mean his heart wasn't fucking pounding out of his chest as he turned, stumbling away from the flowers and standing tense beside the path, ready to bolt or fight if he needed to - whichever came first, and whichever was the smartest of the two options. He almost looked around for Sapnap, but caught himself in time. He wouldn't be able to see his husband anyway, and he was sure the man was capable of keeping himself out of harm's way.

Dream was the first to appear, and Quackity startled a bit at the sight of him. He wasn't wearing his armor, he wasn't wearing his hoodie, he wasn't wearing his mask. He was snug in a grey T-shirt and black stretch pants, a comfortable smile on his face as he made his way down the path. To tell you the truth, Quackity couldn't remember a time he'd ever seen Dream without his mask. He'd caught glimpses, but he'd never seen his full face revealed so casually before. He looked… nothing like Quackity expected. He was actually pretty good looking, average at least. Not ugly or anything, despite all the scars, so what the fuck was the mask for anyway?

He didn't have much time to contemplate that, because Tommy was there, suddenly, following after Dream, and he, too, looked much different from yesterday. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and he wasn't wearing the red hoodie, either, but he wasn't in one of his usual shirts. His outfit rather matched Dream's; a grey shirt and dark grey sweat pants instead of black.

And he was smiling.

Quackity froze. That- that wasn't right. No, this wasn't right. Tommy looked… he looked okay. He looked happy. If Quackity didn't know any better, if he hadn't seen them yesterday, if he hadn't heard the things Dream said with his own ears, this would look so… calm, and domestic, and sweet. This wasn't the Tommy that had clung to Dream's arm the whole time they were in L'Manberg, the one that trembled and wouldn't make direct eye contact with anybody. This wasn't the scared, shaking little boy that had followed the masked man around like a lost puppy, with his head ducked and his eyes lowered. The one that wouldn't eat unless he was told to, the one that did nothing and said nothing without looking to Dream for permission. This wasn't him.

But it wasn't Tommy either. Tommy was excitable and moved with confidence, with energy, with a skip in his step. His mouth was always open, ranting about something or other as he moved. Tommy was full of life and laughter, he was loud and brave, he was a leader, not a follower.

This Tommy didn't resemble either of those Tommys. This one was quiet, but unafraid. Smiling, but not laughing. His pace was quick enough to keep up with Dream, but slow enough to trail just behind the man, with a few feet of distance between them. This Tommy was content, content in a way Quackity had never seen him before. It nearly bowled him off his feet, staring in disbelief. This wasn't the Tommy he knew, but it really wasn't the Tommy he'd seen yesterday. His shoulders were slack, relaxed, but his head was ducked just slightly as he followed Dream. There was no confidence in his step, but something resembling it - as if Dream was carrying just enough for the two of them. Tommy was calm, moving with purpose. Each step he took was light, careful but not cautious - he was at ease, he looked at ease, and Quackity's head whirled.

"Remember, it rained yesterday," Dream called over his shoulder. "They don't need as much."

"Right," Tommy agreed, and Quackity flinched a little despite himself. He wasn't as quiet as he'd been yesterday, wasn't stammering the way he had when he said hello to Tubbo, when he thanked Quackity and Fundy for telling him happy birthday. He wasn't loud either, like he was when he'd yelled at the fox hybrid for telling Dream off. His voice was just- it was soft. Gentle.

"I really like the tulips," the blond continued softly, kneeling down in front of the flowers. Dream turned slightly to watch him, and Quackity kept one eye on him and one on Tommy, confused. "Maybe, um- when you go back out again- if you want to, maybe you could find more to plant. If you want to," Tommy stressed again, an anxious expression flitting across his face as he glanced back up at Dream, and… yeah, there it was. Whatever brief doubts had started to cling like cobwebs to the duck hybrid's mind were officially shaken off by that and that alone. It had been so long since… since Schlatt. Quackity had been happy with him, once, but not as happy as he was with Sapnap and Karl. It had been a long time, but it seemed like he still couldn't tell the difference between true happiness and… whatever the fuck this was. (He knew what it was. He didn't want to think about it, he didn't want to think the words, he didn't want it to be real).

"Sure, I'll see what I can pick up," Dream agreed with a smile, crossing the path to the farm. Tommy brightened a little, straightening up and summoning a watering can from his inventory. "I'm not as good at picking flowers as you, though. Maybe we can go out later together."

Tommy froze, but a smile spread across his face, wide and excited. "That sounds nice."

Quackity felt sick. A hand brushed against his own and he flinched, biting on his tongue to keep back a gasp, but it didn't take long for him to recognize Sapnap's touch and grab on just as fast.

"Then we'll go when I get back from L'Manberg." Dream ran a hand through his hair and yawned, stumbling through the farm and taking care not to step on any of the growing vegetables. Quackity had never seen him look so normal before. It was really throwing him off, to be honest - it was hard, extremely hard, to picture this guy as the Dream everyone knew and hated. "Maybe I'll get some stuff to expand the farm, too. I think we're running low on carrots."

Tommy snorted out a laugh. It wasn't the loud, excited laughter Quackity remembered. It was as soft-spoken and gentle as the way he spoke, breathless and airy. It was as if his voice couldn't go any higher than that, but that wasn't true. Quackity had heard him yesterday. Sure, he wasn't as loud as he could have been, but he'd been louder than this. "Wheat too, I think," the boy offered after a moment, running his fingers over the flowers carefully as he drizzled water over them. Dream let out a quiet hum of agreement, easing through the farm and heading back toward the path. Quackity tensed slightly as the man passed him, forcing himself to stand still.

"So how are you feeling today?" Dream asked suddenly, staring down at Tommy from the path.

"Better," Tommy replied quietly, setting the watering can down and standing up slowly. Quackity furrowed his eyebrows slightly, watching them warily. "I'm- I'm sorry about last night, Dream, I-"

"You don't need to apologize, Toms," Dream interrupted, crossing the distance between them. Quackity tensed, and the hand curled around his own tightened, offering a quick, warning squeeze. He squeezed back slightly, if only to make sure he didn't do anything stupid, despite every instinct screaming at him to rush forward and tear Tommy and Dream apart as fast as he could. "I just wanna make sure you're okay, that's it." He moved closer, and closer, and closer, and Quackity tensed all over again when the man reached out to brush his knuckles across Tommy's cheek lightly, reaching up to pull his hair out of the ponytail. Tommy stood absolutely still, letting him, and leaned into Dream's hand slightly when the man cupped it against his cheek again. "And I meant what I said, you've got nothing to worry about, alright? You're mine."

"I'm yours," Tommy reiterated softly, eyes fluttering shut for a moment. "Thank you."

"Of course," Dream cooed, while Quackity snapped his mouth shut and pressed his lips into a thin line. He was shaking. He didn't know when it had started, but he couldn't stop now. His shoulders shuddered, hands trembling; even the one in Sapnap's grip felt frighteningly loose, like it would fall away at any second and he wouldn't get it back. He couldn't think, couldn't breathe. The only thing he could do was stare, stomach twisting through waves of nausea.

The way Tommy was looking at Dream, the smile on his face, the warmth in his eyes as he blinked them back open and looked up at the man - that was love, devotion, loyalty, fondness. It was gentle, tender affection, but strong and unyielding. It was adoration. It was obsession.

"Alright, I think it's time for breakfast." Dream pulled back, grinning. "And then I'm heading out."

Tommy merely nodded, turning his head slightly as Dream brushed past him. His hand lifted slightly, curling over his cheek where Dream's fingers had lingered just a few seconds before.

With that smile still playing on his lips, he turned and followed the man back to the cabin.

Quackity felt sick. He was going to be sick-

"What the fuck was that?" Sapnap's voice was quiet, breathless, as Dream and Tommy rounded the side of the cabin and disappeared inside. Quackity shook his head slightly, chest heaving as he pulled his hand away and curled them both over his mouth, trying to keep any sounds from escaping. What sounds, exactly, he didn't know. He wanted to scream. He wanted to cry. He wanted to yell, he wanted to run after them and draw his sword and swing for all he was worth.

What the fuck was that? He didn't know, he did know, he didn't want to know-

"Stockholm syndrome," Sam broke the silence, quiet and tense. Quackity nearly shattered all over again the second the words were spoken, because now they were out there, hanging in the air. It was real, it was true, it was- "stockholm syndrome," Sam repeated, quieter. "That's what."

It was bad.

"New plan." Sam drew in a slow, unsteady sounding breath. "We can't just talk to Tommy."

"So what do we do?" Quackity hated the way his voice wavered, but he did nothing to hide it. He dropped his hands from his mouth, clumsily trying to find Sapnap's again. "We- we can't just-"

"I know," Sam interrupted quietly. "We're gonna have to separate them forcefully."

There was a long stretch of silence after that. Quackity drew in a breath that didn't come back out.

"Oh." Sapnap's hand finally found his, and squeezed. "So kidnapping."

Chapter Text

Today was shaping up to be a pretty good day, Tommy thought.

Last night was… something. Not as bad as it could have been, for sure. Mostly, he just remembered Dream's arms wrapped around him, murmuring soothing words in his ear. He remembered what he'd said to him just before he'd fallen asleep again - you belong to me. You're mine. I don't care about Sapnap. I care about you. You're the only thing I care about - the words ran through his head like a disc playing on repeat, and Tommy didn't mind at all. The words were exactly what he needed to hear, what he wanted to hear. He felt better, ready to dismiss any and all thoughts of L'Manberg and his old 'friends' entirely and focus completely on him and Dream once again. Ready to focus on the life they'd made together, the cabin, the garden, the farm. Something had shifted within him, something he couldn't quite explain. It wasn't really a change, it was something that had been there for a while, he thought, something that had just been simmering below the surface - all it took was yesterday's events to awaken it.

He'd be lying if he said it didn't startle him, if only just a little. The sudden… he didn't even know. The adoration he felt, the pure, desperate need to be as humanly close to Dream as possible. All he knew was that, for a split second, he'd thought he was going to lose him - and it had scared him, it had terrified him, even, and he hadn't known what to do with that. He was taking so much of this for granted, the life Dream had built for him. Living in constant fear of the man, and for what? For some pain, every now and again? Fuck, he'd take it. He'd take it all if it kept Dream at his side. He'd take every hit, every blow, every harsh word, and he'd do it with a smile.

Well, he certainly wasn't going to take the man for granted anymore. Gazing at him as he cooked, he wondered for a moment what he'd even been scared of to begin with. Dream was so kind and lenient lately. He'd held him so gently last night, speaking such tender, loving words. Words Tommy believed with all his heart and soul. He was Dream's. It was all he needed to be.

And Dream, Dream would take care of him, Tommy knew that. He knew the man could get angry, lose his temper. He knew he hurt him, and he knew… he knew, sometimes, he didn't deserve it. But he didn't care. When he'd stopped caring, he'd never really know; he'd lost track of the days, they blended into one another for so long after his failed escape attempt, leaving him blind with fear and a terrified sense of devotion. That fear, now, he wasn't sure where it was, but it wasn't present at the moment. That devotion, however, was stronger than ever before.

They ate breakfast mostly in silence, but it was comfortable. Dream let him have a few pieces of bacon, which was a treat; he was still nibbling on one when his friend finished his own food, savoring the flavor as he wasn't sure when he'd be able to taste it again. "I think I'm gonna go now, so I can be back before noon." Dream spared a glance out the window and circled around the table to stand behind Tommy's chair, leaning over him briefly to grab his mask off the table. Tommy found himself leaning his head back into the man's shoulder, smiling up at him when Dream's gaze flicked back down to him. A grin flickered across his best friend's face, expression softening as he reached a hand up to brush the blond's hair from his forehead. "I won't be long."

"Promise?" Tommy murmured, smile widening slightly as he leaned into the touch. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Tommy." Dream ducked his head, pressing a kiss to the top of Tommy's head before pulling back to strap his mask on. Tommy smiled slightly to himself, watching the man leave the kitchen, and finished off the rest of his bacon, carrying his plate to the sink. He heard the door open, and close, and felt his chest tighten with a familiar ache as he was left alone. But Dream would be back; he always came back, and they'd go out and pick flowers and have fun. It wasn't his business, but he wondered what Dream was even doing in L'Manberg, now…

He shook his head, dismissing the thought. Whatever it was was important, and Tommy knew that. Not his business, not his concern. He didn't care about L'Manberg. He cared about Dream.

But they were just there, weren't they? So why-

He shook his head again, appalled. What was wrong with him? It wasn't his business.

The door opened suddenly, and Tommy paused, quickly shutting the faucet off and drying his hands off, turning toward the doorway. "Did you forget something?" His gaze flicked around the kitchen, scanning it for anything Dream might have forgotten, but the man hadn't left anything behind. He'd packed all the things he needed into his inventory, Tommy saw him grab his mask… he frowned, furrowing his eyebrows and heading for the door to meet him in the hall.

He wasn't expecting to come face to face with Tubbo.

It was like something out of a horror movie, a jumpscare; Tommy practically jumped out of his skin, sucking in a gasp and immediately scrambling back from the other boy, stumbling until his shoulder hit the doorframe and quickly trying to maneuver himself backwards into the kitchen without taking his eyes off of Tubbo- Tubbo, Tubbo, Tubbo was here, and he- "O- Oh my Prime-" He sucked in another gasp, and this time, the air didn't come back out. Tubbo was here. Tubbo was here and Dream was gone and Tommy hadn't so much as looked at another person without Dream present much less speak to them without Dream present and fuck he was gonna die-

"Hello," Tubbo greeted, smiling at him, and Tommy was backing away again before he knew what was going on, retreating into the kitchen with wide eyes. Tubbo's head tilted slightly, but he followed nonetheless. "I knocked, but then I heard the water running and figured you couldn't hear me, so I just let myself in. So… Dream's not here, then?" He swept his gaze around slowly.

"I- I-" What was going on? Tommy cringed as he smashed backwards into the table, the edge digging into his spine, but the pain didn't register. "N- No, he- y- you're not-" Not supposed to be here, he wanted to scream, you're not supposed to be here, you shouldn't be here. But he couldn't force the words out - and he didn't want to, not really. He didn't know how to interact with Tubbo now, he didn't recognize the boy behind those blue eyes anymore. He didn't know what would set him off. If it was like Dream, if one wrong word would cost him a world of pain. He recoiled at the thought, panic clouding his senses. He wasn't allowed to defend himself against Dream, but he didn't have the means to protect himself against Tubbo. He didn't have anything. No weapons, no armor. He was trapped, Dream wasn't here and Tommy couldn't shake the feeling that he was in danger, a lot of danger, and he couldn't protect himself from it.

Tubbo finally stopped advancing, and Tommy quickly pushed himself away from the table, stumbling around to the other side so he at least had something separating them. He knew if Tubbo chose to pursue him, of course, there wasn't anywhere he could run, but at least this way it would take a bit longer for the other boy to reach him. "Well, good, then you can fill me in," his former friend offered, once again scanning the kitchen with a hum. "Y'know, this is a nice place."

Tommy shook his head slightly, taken aback. He couldn't believe this was happening. He couldn't believe Tubbo was here, standing in his kitchen. It was so foreign, it was so wrong. It was supposed to just be him and Dream. It was just supposed to be him and Dream, not Tubbo.

"You sure Dream's not here, Tommy? You seem a bit on edge," Tubbo called over his shoulder, and Tommy registered too late that the boy was moving out of the kitchen, toward the hall that led to the living room and the bedrooms. Despite his fear, he was quick to follow; Dream wouldn't want Tubbo snooping around the cabin, and Tommy didn't want to have to deal with an angry Dream later because his former friend couldn't tell when he wasn't welcome. He didn't respond to the comment, not really knowing what to say, but also mostly because he was still struggling to figure out how to say 'get the fuck out' nicely without the risk of Tubbo hurting him. "Did you build this place? I can't really picture Dream taking the time and effort," Tubbo laughed.

"He did," Tommy blurted out defensively before he could stop himself, the sudden urge to protect Dream somewhat overpowering his anxiety. "Dream's the one- the cabin was his idea."

"I'm sure it was," Tubbo replied distractedly. Tommy frowned, struggling to decipher any veiled insults that might lie beyond the words, but it was Tubbo's tone that the blond hated the most. He grimaced, ducking his head, and skidded to a stop when Tubbo abruptly paused and turned away from the living room; for a horrible moment, Tommy's heart dropped straight to his stomach - but Tubbo merely brushed past him again, heading down the hall to the bedrooms.

"Tub- ohhh…" Tommy couldn't remember the last time he felt truly annoyed. He wouldn't dare feel annoyed at Dream… some part of him had been irritated yesterday, with everyone else, but that was mostly anger and frustration. Right then, in this moment, though, Tommy felt annoyed. Still, he bit his tongue as he followed his former friend down the hall, tugging on his shirt slightly. "I… I don't think you should…" He stopped himself again, breathing in shakily through his teeth. He had no idea how much had changed, if Tubbo would hurt him, what he would do to him. Dream wasn't fun to deal with when he was angry either, but Tommy knew what to expect from him. And most of the time, when it was over, the man would hold him, murmur soft reassurances in his ear until the pain faded away and he could fall asleep in his friend's arms. Dream hurt him, but he loved him. Tommy wasn't sure he could say the same for Tubbo now.

Tubbo stopped abruptly, and Tommy flinched, pausing along with him. "What's this?"

It took the blond a moment to realize what the other was referring to. Tubbo was staring into his room, his gaze flicking slowly over the obsidian walls and the bed that just barely fit inside.

"My room," Tommy managed to mumble. "I… I don't-"

"This is your room?" Tubbo demanded incredulously, taking a few steps closer to peer inside. "It doesn't even have a door! And it's just… obsidian, and… small, aren't you claustrophobic?" Despite himself, as he spoke, Tommy found himself shrinking in on himself. He didn't know what to make of his former friend's tone; he sounded mostly surprised, but also somewhat accusing. He took another breath, opening his mouth to explain - though why he felt like he needed to explain himself to Tubbo in that moment was beyond him - but he didn't have the chance before Tubbo was moving again, and this time he was heading straight for where Dream's room was.

And… no. Tommy could handle him snooping around everywhere else, but Dream's room was off limits, even to him. Swallowing his fear, the blond quickly rushed after the other boy, reaching a trembling hand out to grab him by the arm and pull him to a stop. Tubbo froze immediately at the contact, and whirled around to face him almost at once; Tommy flinched, inhaling sharply through his teeth and leaning away without quite letting go, screwing his eyes shut and bracing himself for a blow, every trembling muscle pulling taut as he prepared himself for the worst.

He was expecting to be hit, struck, to be shoved onto the floor and kicked until he was nothing but tears and bruises and shaking - so when Tubbo grabbed his arm, the only thing he could think was fuck, this is it before he was pulled forward and wrapped in a shaky, gentle embrace.

"I'm so sorry," his former friend was gasping through what sounded like he was in tears, breath hitching and body trembling through suppressed sobs. Tommy couldn't move, frozen in shock and fear and confusion as Tubbo's fingers grasped shaky handfuls of his t-shirt, fingers digging into his back hard enough to bruise. It wasn't the pain he was expecting, not by a long shot. "Tommy, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry I exiled you, I'm so sorry all of this happened, I'm so sorry I should've listened to them I should've known something was wrong oh god Tommy I'm sorry-"

Tommy couldn't explain the way his chest tightened in response, like a balloon about to burst. His eyes stung with the threat of his own tears, trembling as Tubbo pulled him closer, tighter.

"Come back to L'Manberg," the boy breathed. "Please come back to L'Manberg."

"I don't want to," Tommy whispered back before he could stop himself, voice shaking despite how low it was. He flinched when Tubbo abruptly pulled back at the words, recoiling as if he'd been struck, and once again, he couldn't stop himself from bracing for a blow in time. And once again, it didn't come; Tubbo just stared at him, wide-eyed, hands frozen on Tommy's shoulders. His mouth was open, a question screaming in his eyes, but he couldn't seem to spit it out yet.

"What do you mean you don't want to?" He finally choked out, voice cracking on every other word. Tommy shrank back slightly, half-heartedly trying to detangle himself from the other boy's hands, and cringing slightly when Tubbo's grip tightened in response. "Why- why don't you-? Tommy, please," his former friend begged, blue eyes welling with tears as his gaze flicked rapidly across Tommy's face, searching for something Tommy wasn't sure he could offer anymore. The blond trembled, curling in on himself as Tubbo spoke. "I can't- I can't, I need you-" He stopped, shaking, and his voice dropped to a whisper. "You're the only one that hasn't left. Everyone else- and I thought you were dead, but you're alive, and we- we can go back home-"

"This-" Tommy leaned his head back, looking around in a panic. "This is my home, I- I can't…"

"This, with Dream?" Tubbo spat the name like a curse, and Tommy shook at the venom in his voice. Tubbo stared at him for a moment, wide eyes flickering. "Tommy, you don't… want him-?"

"Of course I do!" Tommy twisted, trying to pull back again. Tubbo let him this time, horror flickering through his eyes as he stared back at the blond. "He's my-" He froze, just for a second. Remembering the days, so long ago, he'd have said the same thing to Dream about Tubbo - he's my best friend - and get his ass kicked for it. Sometimes he wouldn't, sometimes Dream would just yell at him and leave. Sometimes he'd just fall completely silent, and it'd be like that for the rest of the day; Tommy wondering when he was going to snap, and walking on eggshells until it was time for the man to go home, until he came back in a better mood the next day. He didn't know what Tubbo would do to him, he hadn't hurt him yet, but he already seemed upset and Tommy didn't want to press his luck. "H- He… I care about him," he settled for instead, curling his trembling fingers against the hem of his t-shirt. "I don't… I can't leave him."

Tubbo stared at him for a long time, incredulous. "I don't… understand…"

Tommy grimaced, stumbling a few steps back. This was… suffocating. He wanted to get away, he wanted Dream. There was nowhere to run, there was nowhere to hide, nowhere to go. He was stuck here, he was stuck here with Tubbo. And if Dream came back and saw them together? Tommy didn't want to think about what would happen. A part of him hoped Dream knew by now that he was the only one he wanted, the only one he needed, but he wasn't optimistic enough to believe he'd get out of this without some sort of punishment. "I'm sorry, I…" The blond sucked in a shaky breath, swallowing and steeling himself. "I think you should g-"

Tubbo's gaze flicked past him for just the barest fraction of a second and the boy abruptly took a step back, eyes widening with surprise, and then alarm, and then confusion. Tommy tensed, turning slightly so his back faced the wall, heart sinking and lifting at the same time as he expected to see Dream there. As scared as he was, the sight would have been welcome.

The sight he received instead was not, and his heart stopped.

"What the hell?" Tubbo hissed as Tommy flattened himself back against the wall.

"We can explain." Sam raised a hand and Tommy flinched, despite being a good distance away from the creeper hybrid. He was surrounded from all sides, Tubbo at one end of the hall and Sam, Quackity and Sapnap on the other, and once again, he had nothing to defend himself with.

"Hey Tommy," Sapnap piped up suddenly, throwing the boy an awkward smile when Tommy's gaze flicked in his direction. The blond couldn't keep himself from glaring in time, couldn't fight back the instinctive fury that exploded in his chest at the mere sight of the man. It was a mixture of jealousy, fear and resentment; a rather explosive combination that made Tommy feel like he was about to burst on the spot. Sapnap's smile faded at once, twisting into a grimace; Quackity mirrored his expression, just for a second, before stepping forward; Tommy's glare melted away immediately as his gaze snapped up to the duck hybrid, pushing himself back into the wall.

"We gotta be quick." Quackity's voice was quiet, eyes flicking past Tommy, toward Tubbo.

"Oh." There was a long pause; Tommy dared to flick his gaze in Tubbo's direction, but his eyes didn't linger on the goat hybrid for too long before he looked back toward the other three, tense.

"Oh," Tubbo repeated, a little louder this time, understanding seeping into his tone. "Oh."

Chapter Text

This wasn't going at all how Sam had hoped.

He wasn't really sure what he was hoping for - at first, he'd been kind of relieved, excited even. They'd had a plan, a good plan which happened to be pretty much their only plan, but still. Tubbo showing up had been a surprise, and a heavy discouragement at first. Sam was stressed, tense and confused as the goat hybrid let himself into the cabin not long after Dream departed. Wary, but also somewhat hopeful still. He knew the connection Tubbo and Tommy had was unparalleled, and he was praying that their friendship, albeit as rocky as it was toward the end, could withstand all the horrors and tragedies they'd been through. Hoping that despite what he'd heard about Tubbo, whatever Quackity and Fundy seemed to think of the kid, that their friendship could make a vicious comeback, and maybe, just maybe, pull Tommy out of this.

It was only when he heard voices raising that Sam dared to enter the cabin, struggling to keep his movements as quiet as possible as he opened the door and stepped inside. Quackity and Sapnap filed in right after him, feathers grazing his arm as they huddled close and shut the door. They stood still for a few seconds afterwards, just to be sure they weren't heard; but the talking continued, coming from what looked like a hallway, and taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Sam slowly let himself venture forward, flattened ears perking upwards as their voices cleared.

Tubbo was crying. It didn't take Sam long to register that, and Quackity made a soft, concerned sound from somewhere behind him before Sapnap managed to silence the duck hybrid again.

Sam's heart ached for both boys. They were barely nineteen and eighteen, too young to be considered adults and too experienced to be considered children. They were stuck somewhere in the middle, incapable of moving forward any further than they were. They were still the same damaged teenagers they became after they joined the server, after the wars and fights and trauma they'd been thrown into time and time again. Tubbo wasn't any better off than Tommy, and the creeper hybrid shuddered a little at the thought. Neither of them had anyone there, did they? All Tommy had was Dream now. Tubbo had had Ranboo, up until the enderboy vanished.

They were both so broken, so damaged, and they needed each other and everyone else now more than ever. Sam didn't know what kind of misunderstandings had occurred on Tubbo's end yesterday, but he did know that this wasn't the cold, uncaring president of L'Manberg he'd heard of from Quackity and Fundy's stories. This was a kid, a kid who just wanted his best friend back. A kid who needed and deserved just as much help and love and support as Tommy did. Sam made the mistake of not just not being there for Tommy, but he wasn't there for Tubbo, either.

That was about to change.

Everything was… okay, yeah, it was going to shit, even after - especially after - they had revealed themselves. Tubbo was starting to grasp the situation, understanding and clearly in agreement. Nothing was slipping past Tommy either, it seemed; the blond was doing his best to keep his distance, but he didn't seem to have much luck trapped between them in the hallway.

Sam felt awful. He could only imagine how terrified Tommy was right then, and as much as every instinct was screaming at him to give the boy a little bit of space, he'd seen the interaction with Dream. He'd heard Tommy's words to Tubbo just moments before. He knew this was bad, and he knew that if given the chance, Tommy was going to run. The way he trembled against the wall made it clear he wouldn't get very far or put up much of a fight for that matter, but the creeper hybrid didn't expect him to just come along with them peacefully without any protest. They couldn't afford to give him space, they couldn't afford to back off and leave the decision in his hands, and Sam hated it, because when was the last time Tommy had been given a choice? For anything? A real one, one that didn't come with strings attached, a real, genuine choice?

He felt no better than Dream at this moment, but he knew logically that he was. That this was honestly for Tommy's own good. That he would be far better off with them than he was here.

"Boss man…" Tubbo started after a moment of silence, taking a step closer to Tommy.

Everything dissolved into chaos all at once.

Tommy was hysterical, for starters. Sam, Quackity and Sapnap were blocking the end of the hall that led to the main part of the cabin, to the exit, and Tommy didn't seem to have any intention of trying to force his way past them. When Tubbo approached him, the blond lashed out in his direction seemingly without much thought behind his actions, his movements jerky and panicked as he balled his hands into fists and swung toward the goat hybrid with every ounce of force he could muster. Which didn't seem to be a lot, because after the first hit landed against Tubbo's nose - eliciting a startled 'baaa' from the boy - Tubbo didn't have much of a problem bracing himself for the next few blows and grabbing Tommy's fists before any of them could land. That was when Tommy resorted to kicking, thrashing and writhing and twisting for all he was worth to get away. Tubbo didn't seem to be hurting him, looking more bewildered than angry about the abrupt attack, but he held on firmly despite Tommy's attempts to fight him off. "Uh, a little help?!"

"Fuck," Quackity muttered, and rushed forward to grab Tommy's shoulders from behind before Sam could tell him that wasn't a good idea - and it wasn't. If the blond was hysterical before, it was nothing compared to the way he screamed when Quackity got a hold of him, fighting tenfold against both of them now as the duck hybrid struggled to ease his arms underneath Tommy's to pull him away from Tubbo, who, to his credit, didn't seem to be having a hard time keeping Tommy from throwing any more punches. "Alright, hey, hey, let's take it easy, Tommy, okay? L-"

"Fuck you! Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you-" Sam flinched slightly at the blond's screams as he writhed against Quackity's hold. He didn't even look like a child right now. He looked like a terrified, wounded animal lashing out out of nothing but pure fear. "Let me go, let me- DREAM!"

"Sam," Sapnap whispered. "Sam, we can't take him anywhere like… this."

He sounded like he had an idea, one Sam wasn't sure of. But after a few moments of watching the boy fight fruitlessly against Quackity's hold, he wasn't sure how much longer he could stand to watch. It hurt, it hurt every inch of him to see Tommy like this, like a scared wild animal. And Sapnap was right, anyway - they wouldn't be able to take Tommy anywhere when he was like this. Especially not without the risk of alerting Dream, and god forbid they run into the man on the way back to his house. They had enough invis potions, but getting Tommy to drink one would be difficult with the way he was thrashing and fighting, so he wasn't sure how to go about it. If Sapnap had a plan to calm him down, regardless of what it was, Sam knew they didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Tommy wasn't going to come with them willingly, it was clear.

The creeper hybrid drew in a breath and reluctantly turned his attention back to the younger male, grimacing slightly as he searched Sapnap's gaze. "What do you think we should do?"

"I have a few weakness potions," Sapnap mumbled. "They won't hurt him, but they'll tire him out quicker than this will." His gaze flicked toward where Tommy was still struggling in vain against Quackity, who seemed to have no trouble holding the boy despite his thrashing. Another thing that made Sam's heart ache for the poor kid. He was so weak, so thin and frail, there was no way he could fight any of them off. And if he couldn't fight against Quackity just holding him, then Sam couldn't even imagine him being able to stand against Dream. He cringed, sighing.

"It's probably our only option," he murmured begrudgingly, letting his gaze linger on Tommy. Sorrow tugged at his heartstrings, every inch of him aching to pull the boy into a hug, but he knew that it would only be interpreted as another restraining touch, a threat rather than a comfort. He sighed, furrowing his eyebrows and flicking his gaze toward Quackity and Tubbo. Tubbo he could probably avoid hitting with a potion, but Quackity would definitely take some of the effects for himself. He would be fine, though, as long as they moved quickly. "Quackity, Tubbo," he called, and the duck hybrid whipped his head around, still holding Tommy under his arms as he turned to face them. Tubbo was slower to turn his attention to them, concerned eyes lingering on Tommy in silence. "We're gonna use weakness potions, alright? Brace yourself."

"God dammit," Quackity swore, eyes narrowing slightly. "Shit, man, just do it quick."

Tubbo sputtered, taken aback. "Weakness potions-" But his gaze flicked toward Tommy, who was still fighting for all he was worth, clawing at Quackity's armor-protected arms until his nails bled and seemingly having no intention of stopping anytime soon, and his lips thinned. "Okay."

Sam inclined his head, and turned his gaze toward Sapnap as he withdrew a splash potion from his inventory, holding it gingerly in one hand the way someone might hold a grenade. Tubbo took a few reluctant steps back from Quackity and Tommy, enough distance so he wouldn't get hit, and Sam shuffled to the side, closer toward the end of the hallway so he could stay on the defensive in case Tommy somehow managed to take advantage of the situation to bolt. He craned his neck to check behind him, looking toward the door, and when he turned back to face the others again, Sapnap had winded his arm back to throw the potion and Tommy had frozen.

"No, no, no, no," the blond whimpered, eyes focused clear on the potion. Sam's heart sank, once again, and he found himself unable to watch as the bottle smashed against the floor.

Tommy let out a yelp and a scream that cut off halfway. Sam snapped his gaze back up, alarmed, but as Sapnap had assured him, the boy didn't seem to be in any pain. Rather, he looked more confused than anything. Quackity looked a little dazed himself, still holding on and showing no sign of letting go, but Tommy didn't seem to have any intention to fight anymore.

He was shaking still, trembling in Quackity's arms, panic-stricken. Sam flattened his ears and bit back a grimace, taking a deep breath and moving closer to them after a few seconds of hesitation. He moved slowly, trying not to scare the poor kid any more than he already was, but he didn't seem to have much luck with that. Tommy jerked and strained against Quackity's hold the second he realized the creeper hybrid was approaching, twisting weakly and looking up at Sam with wide blue eyes filled with nothing but fear and apprehension, panic and distrust. His struggles stopped abruptly as Sam grew closer, every muscle in his trembling body pulled taut.

Sam didn't want to think about whatever Tommy must think they were going to do to him.

"Tommy…" He raised a hand to lift his goggles and froze when Tommy cringed. "I'm so sorry."

"Fuck you, you bitch! Fuck you! I hate you, fuck you," Tommy managed to wheeze, gasping for air between each word. He flinched immediately after he spoke, shying back from Sam as if he expected to be struck, and Sam winced a little himself at the reaction, not the words. The words were somewhat comforting. If it weren't for the fact that Tommy's voice was shaking and cracking and he was staring at Sam with nothing but terror in his eyes, he might be able to pretend this was the Tommy he knew back in L'Manberg, before exile, before Dream, before the horrors he must have endured with the man for over a year without anybody there to help him.

Looking back at the boy, trembling like a leaf and barely able to hold himself up, Sam wondered if he'd ever see that Tommy again, or if Dream had truly managed to rip his spirit away entirely. There was no trust, nothing even close to it, but there hadn't really been back then - but there was still something that he was lacking now. Confidence. Bravery. He was saying all the things Sam would have expected from the Tommy from a year and a half ago, but it was still all wrong.

Because Tommy still flinched when Sam reached out to take him from Quackity, and nearly dissolved into sobs when the creeper hybrid came into contact, pulling him into his own arms.

It wasn't the hug he ached to offer, not even close. Sam swallowed back a sob of his own. Tommy shuddered and shook in his arms, but he didn't fight. He didn't lean into him, he didn't pull away. He just stood there silent and trembling and compliant, and Sam wanted to break.

(He was going to kill Dream, god, he was going to kill him.)

Chapter Text

"Who writes a book completely in Enderman?"

"Endermen," George said lazily, flopping back onto Sam's couch with a soft sigh. Fundy scowled down at the book in his hands, giving the man a stink-eye in response and continuing to pace back and forth across the living room floor. He was frustrated, he was fucking pissed. If Ranboo had written this because Tommy needed help, couldn't he have at least written it in a language other people could understand? The fox hybrid was losing his mind trying to decipher the fucking 'vwoop vwoops', and he was about ready to go out and find an Enderman to trap in a boat or some shit to read the damn book for him. "So what's the whole deal anyway? Where's Sam and Sapnap?" George shifted to the corner of the couch as Fran jumped up beside him, scratching the dog behind the ears as she settled down and tucked her head over his knee.

Fundy turned his attention toward them reluctantly, watching for a second. "Ehhh… Sam went with Quackity and Sapnap to Logstedshire to spy on Dream and Tommy." George just blinked back at him, either too tired to comprehend or simply uncaring, but Fundy was going to take a guess and say it was the former. The fox hybrid furrowed his eyebrows, fidgeting with the book. "You know, assessing the situation before we make a plan and all that?" He said pointedly.

"Right." George nodded, an uneasy expression flitting across his face. Fundy flicked his ears, closing the book. Not like he was getting anywhere with it. "So, what're you guys gonna do?"

"Right now the general idea is just getting Tommy to safety." Fundy sighed, tilting his head to the side with a frown. A plan he definitely agreed with, the blond was their first priority despite how much Fundy wanted to kick Dream's fucking ass to hell and back. "So that's what they're there for I think right now, just figuring out how to get Tommy away without running the risk of getting him into trouble with Dream. I think the consensus is locking Dream up once Tommy's okay."

"And what's going on with Tommy again?"

"Jeez, man, if you didn't sleep through everything, you'd know," Fundy retorted without any real bite to his tone. George snorted, pushing his goggles up to his forehead and resting his hand over the back of Fran's neck. "Look, basically? Dream's a fucking abusive, manipulative asshole who thinks he can get away with treating Tommy like a dog. Hell, he pretty much fucking said it himself yesterday," he added, irritated. "He kept saying shit like 'he's better like this' and 'you'll get used to it' while Tommy pretty much clung to him the whole time, too afraid to say a word." He ran his tongue over his lips while George just gazed at him. He couldn't decipher the look in the man's eyes any better than he could with the shadow of his goggles half-blocking them from view. The fox hybrid frowned, flicking his tail up beside his leg with a sigh. "He's an asshole."

George didn't agree or disagree, murmuring something unintelligible and moving on swiftly. "Well, how come you didn't go with them to Logstedshire?" He ran a hand absently across Fran's head, and the dog leaned into the touch with a soft huff and a sigh, her tongue lolling.

"'Cause if I went, I would've kicked Dream's ass right then and there and nobody wants that," Fundy replied. "Especially not when Tommy's our biggest concern. Can't really afford to lose it on his abuser before we get him away from his toxic ass." He fell silent for a moment after that, as did George, and stood still for a few seconds until his communicator buzzed. He fished it out of his pocket quickly, half-expecting it to be Quackity or Sam, but it was just Niki asking when he'd be home. Right, he still needed to explain everything to her. As much as he'd wanted to wait for the others to return, it would probably be best for him to head out now - he had no idea how long it would be until the others got back anyway. "And that's my Mom, I gotta get going."

"Alright, see you later." George stretched his legs out, kicking them up onto the coffee table with a sigh and looking up at Fundy with a sleepy but genuine smile on his face. "Tell Niki hi for me."

"Will do." Fundy sent a quick message telling Niki he was on his way and stuffed the communicator back in his pocket, sending the book to his inventory for now and turning to head for the door. "Let Sam know I'll be back later tonight," he called over his shoulder, and upon hearing a mumbled confirmation from George, the fox hybrid stepped out and pulled the door shut behind him, making the trek toward the nether portal. Alright, a few things to take care of. Explain the current situation to Niki, he really should've called her first. No matter, that was fine.

The book, the book he really needed to figure out before it drove him insane. It was already starting to, he couldn't handle it. He needed to know what Ranboo had written down, what information had apparently been important enough and, what, dangerous enough that he could only write it down in his own fucking language? He wondered for a moment if it had been done simply to keep Dream from getting access to it, but for all they knew, he could read Enderman.

But Tommy was their biggest concern, Fundy reminded himself as he stepped through the portal. The rush of heat that engulfed him at once made him grimace, coming out on the other side and taking a careful step onto the path that led back to L'Manberg. Tommy was their biggest concern because Tommy was the one being abused and manipulated, and Fundy so desperately just wanted to see him safe again. He wanted to see a little bit of that light return to his eyes, even just the tiniest spark. He needed to know his pseudo uncle was still in there somewhere. But the only way to do that would be to get him away from Dream; the main priority.

Tubbo was an issue. Fundy rolled his eyes as he walked down the path, lashing his tail back and forth behind him. Tubbo was a huge issue, because his apparent new friendship with Dream was going to fuck them over big time. Whatever they did, Tubbo couldn't know about it. Fundy personally had no issues with keeping it a secret from their President - Schlatt 2.0 could run the country however he wanted, L'Manberg had pretty much gone to shit since the day Tommy left anyway. Fundy didn't care what he did. He was still pissed that Tubbo had taken Dream's side in the first place and exiled Tommy to begin with, and that was something he didn't think he'd ever be able to forgive the goat hybrid for. Especially now, with everything they knew. They'd had a plan, they'd had an agreement and Tubbo had just gone and turned on them so fast none of them had a chance to talk to him, talk him out of the worst decision he'd ever made.

How could you do that to your best friend? Fundy couldn't ever imagine doing that to Quackity.

Let's see, what else…? Fundy furrowed his eyebrows, looking ahead as the portal came into view. His gaze strayed toward the path to Logstedshire, just for a moment, but he didn't focus on it for too long. They were fine, and Fundy didn't have any invis potions with him anyways. He needed to be careful, he knew that. One wrong move could mess this whole thing up for Tommy. One wrong move could make the situation worse for him than it already was, and he didn't want that. The fox hybrid shook his head and turned his gaze back to the portal in front of him, quickening his pace and hopping up onto the obsidian blocks, plunging through the portal.

Almost immediately as soon as he reached the other side, blue skies and grass and L'Manberg coming into view, he was smacked backwards with a sparkling blade and shoved right back through the portal, skidding across the path and barely keeping himself from falling into the lava.

Stunned into silence, he couldn't even speak. Shock and adrenaline coursed through him, heart pounding as he lifted his gaze to the portal, and a rush of ice cold terror stabbed through him.

Dream tilted his head toward him, hauntingly casual, his netherite axe slung over his shoulder.

"Hey," the masked man greeted cheerfully.

He hefted the axe, and Fundy just barely managed to scramble back in time, letting out a strangled yelp as the blade slammed into the blocks just inches away from his tail. The fox hybrid could do nothing but stare, watching the block crack and crumble as Dream ripped the axe away and lifted it back to his shoulder, but he was quick to jump to his feet and retreat when the man started toward him, approaching as casually as he would approach a friend and not someone he was about to fucking chop into a bunch of tiny pieces. Fundy stumbled back from him at once, drawing his sword and shield from his inventory and curling his lips back in a snarl.

"Motherfucker," he seethed, flinching as the axe slammed against his shield. He moved back as much as possible without letting go, trying not to let himself get tugged forward when Dream yanked the axe from the wood. "What the hell is this, huh? Did you really get that pissy over what I said yesterday, you stupid prick? You never struck me as the sensitive sort, pretty boy."

Dream let out a hearty laugh, tilting his chin up. Fundy scowled, catching a glimpse of the grin etched across the man's face. Sick bastard was enjoying this, and Fundy couldn't say he was surprised. "This isn't about what you said to me," the masked man said dismissively, swinging again just seconds after he spoke. Fundy was caught off guard, having expected the man to keep talking; the axe slammed into his chestplate, knocking the breath from his lungs as he went tumbling back. He ended up on his knees, inches away from the edge, and heaved himself right back up before Dream could advance again. "This is just… me protecting what's mine."

"Tommy's not yours," Fundy hissed.

Dream shrugged, tilting the axe back and forth with one hand. "I think he would disagree."

Fundy narrowed his eyes at that, furious, and deflected another blow with his sword this time. He shuddered a bit at the sound of diamonds creaking under the force of enchanted netherite, quickly regretting his decision to put his good weapons away forever. "I think you wouldn't give him a chance to disagree," he barked, baring his teeth. "He's scared shitless of you, you moron."

"Maybe," Dream agreed, laughing again. "But, I mean, you know. We had a talk last night." He swung again and Fundy ducked back quickly this time, gritting his teeth as the axe grazed across his shield. He fumbled for a better grip and took a few more steps back, frustrated. He didn't have any good weapons or armor. He had diamonds and a wooden shield. Every self-preservation instinct he had was screaming at him to just get the hell out of there and find some help, but he wasn't about to turn tail and run from Dream. He wasn't going to be another person who was scared of this dickhead. He wasn't going to be the next person to give him whatever the hell he wanted, to help him get off on whatever power trip he was on. "And Tommy made it pretty clear who his loyalties lie with. Do you wanna know what he said to me, Fundy?"

"Not particularly," Fundy growled. His mind whirled at Dream's words, ears flattening against his head. Loyalty. Dream had the audacity to call the effects of conditioning, manipulation and abuse loyalty, like whatever the fuck kind of stockholm syndrome Tommy had molded into his brain wasn't beat into him. Fundy gripped his sword tightly and lashed out for the first time; Dream batted the blade away with his own like it was nothing, even huffing out a quiet chuckle.

"He said he doesn't want L'Manberg, or any of you," Dream told him. "He just wants me."

"He's a liar," Fundy snapped. "Who the fuck would want you, Dream? Think about it. Nobody wants you. You're a stupid, manipulative asshole whose only 'friend' is a fucking teenager you had to kidnap and abuse for him to even stand being around you. He doesn't want you, Dream, he's just been around you for so fucking long he's forgotten what it's like to want someone."

He watched those words strike a chord that seemed to be shoved so far deep down Dream had forgotten it existed. His gloved hand tightened around the axe, the other trembling as he clenched it into a fist, and good, Fundy thought bitterly, good, I hope that fucking stung, bitch.

"You talk too much," the man murmured, and came forward swinging with every bit of force he had. Fundy practically threw himself backwards, stumbling over his feet in his haste to get away, blocking blows with his sword and shield and trying in vain to get his own in. Dream bared down on him without any room to really fight back; almost every blow he offered landed, scuffing his armor. The blade grazed over his face, snagging his ears, and it wasn't long before Fundy had given up on trying to defend himself and opted to protect himself instead, covering his face with one arm and holding his shield up to protect the rest of him. "Not so big and bad now, huh? Got anything else to say, Fundy? Any other smart remarks? Go ahead," Dream sneered. "All ears."

"Fuck you," Fundy hissed, and Dream's hand caught his throat, fingers gripping tight enough to bruise and nails digging into the fox hybrid's skin as Fundy gasped for air, dropping his sword.

"You know, it's almost like dealing with Tommy again," Dream mused. Fundy fumbled to grab hold of his hand, clawing at his fingers and trying to pry him off his neck. He wasn't applying enough pressure to cut Fundy's air supply off completely, but he was afraid that wouldn't last very long, considering he was applying more and more with each passing second. "I remember when he was this fiery." The masked man almost sounded fond, sickly fond. Fundy blanched, kicking his legs up and pushing against Dream's knees. "He's not like that anymore, as I'm sure you've seen… now this, this is why I prefer him like that. Compliant. Quiet. Scared. Submissive."

Dream was silent for a moment. He stopped squeezing, but he didn't let go.

"Maybe you need a lesson of your own."

The axe raised and swung down toward his head before Fundy could blink, and the last thing he registered was a sharp pain splitting through his skull before everything around him blacked out.

He felt like he was burning alive when he came to, awareness slowly creeping in. The first thing he registered was the massive fucking migraine he had, the throbbing ache that spread through every inch of his head. Reflexively, the fox hybrid found himself curling up against the warm ground beneath him, choking on his own breaths as he dug his fingers into his ears and pressed them tight against his head in an attempt to block out the sound of dripping lava. Muffling the noise didn't make it any less unbearable, and the pressure he applied to his head made him groan, but he didn't lift his hands away yet, struggling to compose himself. Everything hurt. Every fucking inch of him hurt. His body shuddered with each breath, every inch of him aching.

Fuck, he was going to throw up. The heat wasn't helping things. Fundy gritted his teeth and forced himself to un-curl, swallowing past the bile rising to his throat and forcing his gaze up.

He didn't know where the fuck he was.

Obsidian surrounded him from all sides. The room was pretty… large, a very closed-off area. The ceiling stretched further than Fundy's eyes could see, lava flowing from the corners. That only left the middle of the room open; almost everywhere else was blocked off completely by the burning liquid. That explained the heat. There wasn't a door Fundy could see, though there did seem to be openings higher up in the wall that looked like they were blocked off with iron bars.

"What the hell…?" The fox hybrid whispered, pushing himself to sit up.

A snort from behind him made him flinch, and he immediately struggled to his feet, whirling around. He expected to see Dream, and was ready to lunge at the man and fight for all he was worth; the sight that met him, however, froze him where he stood, mouth agape and eyes wide.

Ranboo sat against the wall close to one of the corners, inches away from the lava. His knees were drawn up to his chest, arms crossed over them, as his mismatched eyes roamed idly across Fundy's face. Fundy couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't think. He couldn't decipher the emotion in his eyes, if there was any at all. His expression was frighteningly blank, and he sat frighteningly still aside from the way his tail swished back and forth lazily at his side. His ears flicked after a moment, perking upwards toward Fundy before laying flat against his skull again.

"So," the enderman hybrid sighed, sounding bored. "What're you in for?"

Chapter Text

He was tired. He was bored. He was angry.

Ranboo wasn't used to feeling angry. He knew that, he remembered that. He didn't get angry. He wasn't the kind of person to get angry. He let everything go without a second thought. But, at the moment he was angry - and he'd been angry for a while now, for a little longer than he could remember, though that didn't mean much. This fury was just… familiar. It made every one of his limbs shake and shudder, trembling with the force of his own rage. Trapped here alone in this obsidian box, Ranboo had never felt so angry and he'd never been so ready to hurt someone. And he had a very specific someone in mind, for the record. He was furious, and that fury was directed at one person and one person only. And there was nothing to fucking show for it. He couldn't do anything about it, not from in here. Fury clouded his mind, dulling his senses, and he couldn't do anything about it. The only thing, the only fucking thing he could do was sit here.

And sit there he did, until an achingly familiar fox hybrid fell from the ceiling.

He startled at first, cringing at the sound of bones crunching as he hit the ground, and sat shock-still for a good few seconds as he tried to register what the fuck had just happened.

"Delivery," Dream's cheerful voice bounced off the walls, floating down to him. Ranboo's ears twitched, immediately snapping his gaze upwards and baring his teeth at the ceiling he couldn't see. He wondered if Dream could see him from wherever the hell he was, he could never tell. "How're you doing down there? Run out of food yet? Huh, I guess it's been a while since I've been here." The masked man laughed, and Ranboo pinned his ears to his skull at the sound.

A rumble built in his chest, an inhuman sound that didn't escape his lips. He turned his gaze back to the fox hybrid and narrowed his eyes, struggling to remember the name of the boy. It was in there somewhere, rattling around in his brain. He'd figure it out eventually. "Is he dead?"

"No," Dream hummed. "I mean, yeah, but he'll wake up."

Ranboo let out a quiet huff and pushed himself up away from the wall, stepping over pools of lava and making his way over to Fundy - Fundy, that was his name - to nudge him into a more comfortable position. He didn't even want to think about how many bones must be broken. At least Dream was kind enough to drop him in before his body regenerated itself. The enderman hybrid rolled his eyes, using his tail to flip the fox hybrid onto his back and pull him away from the lava. "Let me know next time a body's gonna fall from the sky so I can prepare myself, huh?"

Dream laughed again, and Ranboo scowled. "Yeah, sure. Not gonna ask about Tommy today?"

"Go to hell." Ranboo pulled away from the temporary corpse and retreated back to the corner, sinking down beside the lava and curling his knees up to his chest. "I'm sure he's just as-" His eyes narrowed, trying to remember exactly what Dream had told him during his last visit. "Oh, I'm sure he's just as compliant and obedient and scared out of his mind as he was last time. And I'm sure you're still getting off on it," he added harshly, earning a softer chuckle from the man. "I'm glad you think this is funny, Dream, really," he muttered, leaning his head back against the wall and staring at the lava beside him. Briefly, he allowed his tail to graze over the boiling liquid. "And I'm not out of food, so you can… you know, you can fuck off, to put it lightly," he sighed.

"Aww, and here I thought you enjoyed my visits." Dream pouted, and Ranboo rolled his eyes. He'd made it abundantly clear during each visit that he didn't enjoy them, at all, by any means. "Well, fine, I guess I'll leave you alone. See you in about… how long has it been? It's been a few months, so I'll see you in a few months." There was a pause, and some shuffling. "Here you go."

Ranboo reached a hand out, catching the potatoes as they fell without looking. "Gee, thanks, Dream," he murmured, glowering at the food. "Oh, potatoes again. A man of variety, I see…"

"Don't complain."

"Fuck you."

Silence followed. Ranboo didn't know nor did he care whether or not Dream was still there.

He waited a few minutes before sending the potatoes to his inventory, among the several stacks he already had, and settled himself back against the wall. Now Tommy's name and Dream's voice were rattling around in his head, and Ranboo was about to fucking lose it. He wanted to fucking lose it. For once, he just wanted to go ballistic. He didn't know how long he'd been here; he knew it had to be a while, since Dream only visited him every few months and he made that abundantly clear (unless, unless that was just a trick, unless it was just one of his mind games), and during that time, Ranboo hadn't lost it. Not once. A few snide comments here and there, snapping at Dream whenever he got the chance, but otherwise… otherwise, he just sat. Silent.

Ranboo twitched his tail, irritated, and turned his attention back to the fox hybrid lying still just a few feet away from him, eyebrows raising faintly. Whatever happened to him, it had something to do with Tommy. There would have been no reason otherwise for Dream to bring him up first. It was always Ranboo who initiated any and all conversations about the blond, but recently he'd learned to keep his mouth shut on that front. He didn't want to hear about the things Dream did to him, the manipulation and the abuse. He didn't want to hear about Tommy's 'time outs' and punishments and the like. What he wanted? He wanted out. He wanted to get out, and he wanted to rip Dream's throat out with his fucking teeth and be done with it. Fuck, he was so done with all of this. He didn't know if or when he'd ever get out of here, but if he did? If he managed to? Dream was going to regret every single fucking choice he'd ever fucking made.

Starting first and foremost with what he did to Tommy.

It didn't take Fundy long after Dream presumably left to wake up. Ranboo watched silently as the fox hybrid started to stir, and narrowed his eyes slightly as it finally occurred to him just how long it had been since he'd seen someone. Even Dream didn't show himself anymore, not after the first few times Ranboo had attacked him on sight every time he came to visit. And that was a while ago, a long while ago. Ranboo hadn't seen another person since he was thrown in here. He wasn't sure how to feel about it. The fact that it was strange to see someone else was… unsettling. The fact that it didn't feel familiar anymore, like it was some kind of foreign concept.

His tail swished back and forth as Fundy got his bearings, patiently waiting to be noticed. Watching the fox hybrid, Ranboo felt something aside from anger for the first time in a long time. It was almost sympathetic, the feeling that twisted in his chest. Understanding, at the very least.

"What the hell…?" Fundy mumbled, and Ranboo couldn't help but snort.

What the hell, indeed. If hell existed, Ranboo would genuinely believe this was it. It was certainly hot enough. The thought almost amused him, but his attention shifted back to the fox hybrid quickly when Fundy whirled around to face him, looking like he was about to throw hands. To be honest, Ranboo braced himself to be lunged at at first, fully prepared for a fight; but Fundy froze where he stood, staring at him with wide eyes, and Ranboo allowed himself to relax as he registered the recognition, shock and horror that flitted across the fox hybrid's face. Once again, Ranboo marveled over how long it must have been since he'd seen someone, raking his gaze over the hybrid in silence. Because this, this was so strange to him, so weird. It tickled him the tiniest bit, though he knew it shouldn't. He knew he should be more concerned.

And he was, of course, he was concerned, but what was he to do about it? So Fundy was here, so what? He was here, too. They were here together, and as far as Ranboo could see, there wasn't a way out from the inside, so they were stuck here together. There wasn't really anything to do about that, and worrying over the fox hybrid certainly wasn't going to help matters either. There was no point. Fundy was alive, he was fine. He wasn't going to die here. Ranboo hadn't.

He flicked his ears, pricking them toward Fundy in greeting. "So, what're you in for?"

Fundy just stared at him. Incredulous. Shocked. Ranboo leaned his head back against the wall and sighed, once again resigning himself to waiting for the fox hybrid to get his bearings again.

"Ranboo?" Not quite getting his bearings, but that was a word.

His name, actually. Ranboo couldn't remember the last time he heard his name spoken from the lips of someone except Dream, and it warmed something inside of him he hadn't realized had grown cold. The enderman hybrid stayed silent for a moment, flicking his tail up into his lap. Actually, this was oddly refreshing, actually talking to someone who wasn't Dream. It soothed something within him, something frayed and twisted, and he hadn't realized how heavy his stomach felt until a trickle of relief filtered through and lifted the weight, just the tiniest fraction. He let out a soft hum, tilting his head away from the wall with a nod toward Fundy. "In the flesh."

"Oh my god," Fundy breathed, pressing a hand against his forehead and staring at Ranboo in shock, eyes wide and ears flat to his head. "You- you're- you're alive- holy shit, holy shit I can't take any more of these revelations…" The fox hybrid mumbled, covering his face with both hands. Ranboo allowed himself a flicker of amusement, staying silent. "First Tommy, now you…"

"So that's what you're in for," Ranboo sighed. That heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach was back, but this one he was used to. He was used to feeling concerned about Tommy, he was always concerned about Tommy. He was one of the reasons Ranboo was more than ready to rip Dream apart limb from limb. The enderman hybrid furrowed his eyebrows, letting his gaze trail around the cell for a moment before lifting his gaze toward the ceiling, wondering briefly if Dream was still lurking, listening. He wouldn't put it past him. He tilted his head to the side, perking one ear upwards and reluctantly shifting his attention back to Fundy, who was still staring at him like he was seeing a ghost. Which, okay, fine, that was valid. "Is Tommy okay?"

"Define 'okay'," Fundy managed. "He's alive. You- holy shit, just… you've been here…" The fox hybrid seemed to falter, sweeping his gaze around the cell. "You've been here the whole time."

"I guess," Ranboo replied dismissively. "I know he's alive, Dream's too obsessed with him to kill him. That's not what I asked. You saw him, right?" He pressed, and Fundy just stared at him, ears flat to his head. "Was he hurt, was he…?" The thought of him being hurt made Ranboo's stomach twist. One of the last times Ranboo saw him, he was bruised and battered and scarred. He was scared and shaking and… the enderman hybrid scowled, shaking his head slightly.

"He wasn't hurt," Fundy said numbly after a few minutes. Ranboo flicked his ear and leaned his head back again, staring at the fox hybrid. "But he… he…" Uh oh, that didn't sound good. "Uh, Dream brought him, he brought him into L'Manberg yesterday for his birthday, and, uh…"

Ranboo's mouth went dry. His birthday. Tommy's birthday was yesterday. Guilt churned in his gut, and was promptly pushed aside. If he could've been there, he would have been. And he would've beaten the shit out of Dream, too. Still, his shoulders drooped and his ears fell flat against his head, unable to stifle the guilt and pain that churned in his chest. Tommy was his first friend on the Dream SMP. One of his best friends. He should've been there. How, he didn't know, but he should've been there. "Well, it wasn't good," Fundy continued. "He was scared shitless, man. Stayed by Dream's side the whole time, wouldn't let go even when Tubbo show-"

At this, the enderman hybrid snapped to attention so fast Fundy's shoulders jolted as Ranboo's head snapped back up, ears lifting immediately at the mention of Tubbo. "Tub- is Tubbo okay?"

"... Tubbo's fine," Fundy muttered bitterly. "He doesn't really care."

Ranboo didn't believe that. Not for a fucking second. His eyebrows furrowed slightly, however, as he tried to figure out why Fundy would have reached that conclusion. Fuck, seeing Tommy again really must have been a punch to the gut. Once again, guilt churned in his chest, and then sorrow for both of his friends. He should've been there, he should've been there for them both. Once again, Ranboo couldn't make himself believe that Tubbo didn't care that Tommy was alive. He did, however, believe Tubbo wouldn't let himself show that he cared, but that was a whole other can of worms he wasn't about to get into with Fundy just yet. "And where is Tommy now?"

"I guess Dream left him back in Logstedshire or something, I don't know. Sam and Qua-" Fundy froze, eyes flicking around briefly before he turned his attention back to Ranboo. "Can he…?"

"Only if he's still here," Ranboo hummed, looking up toward the ceiling once more.

Fundy's tail twitched, irritated. "Shit."

"Don't worry about it. Here." Ranboo stretched his arms over his head and opened his inventory again, selecting one of the many empty books he had on him and tossing it at Fundy's feet. The fox hybrid stepped back slightly, then reached down to pick it up, pulling the quill out from where it was stuck between the pages. "No ink, I use the crying obsidian. Just write down what you know, it's easier." Dream had given him the books not long after he was thrown in here. Why, Ranboo never knew, but he didn't write down anything important. Nothing he kept, anyways.

Fundy stared at the book for a moment, slowly turning to the first page. "Actually, this reminds me. That fucking book you wrote, man, about Tommy, what the hell is the deal with that? And why the fuck is it written in Enderman? Like seriously, kind of hard to read a language we don't understand," the fox hybrid grumbled, and Ranboo furrowed his eyebrows, ducking his head.

"Book about Tommy…" He trailed off. He remembered… vaguely, having a book connected to Tommy, but he couldn't remember the specifics. "I don't… in Enderman? That's odd, I don't…" He didn't usually write in Enderman. Whatever he had written down about Tommy must have been important, important enough that he couldn't have just written it down in English. Important enough that… that he had to hide the information from someone. Dream, probably. Definitely.

"You don't remember," Fundy groaned. "Fucking great."

"Sorry my memory issues are an inconvenience to you," Ranboo sighed, rolling his eyes. Fundy almost managed to look startled, looking up at him, and the enderman hybrid merely shrugged. "Look, I don't know. If you remember any of it you can try and copy it down and I can translate, but otherwise…" He sank back against the wall and dropped his knees from his chest, stretching them out in front of him with a grunt. "There's really nothing else I can do about that. If it's in Enderman it's because I was hiding it from someone, and if it's about Tommy then I was probably trying to make sure if Dream got his hands on it or something, he couldn't read it."

"Is that why you're in here?" Fundy asked carefully, ears twitching as he shuffled closer to the enderman hybrid, carefully avoiding the lava. "Do you even remember why you're in here?"

Ranboo couldn't bite back a laugh. It came out harsher than he intended.

"Yeah," he mused. "I remember."

It was the one thing he couldn't fucking forget.

Chapter Text

Nobody wants you.
He doesn't want you, Dream.
He's just been around you for so fucking long he's forgotten what it's like to want someone.

Dream was seething.

Whether he liked it or not, and whether he would admit it or not, Fundy's words had struck a chord he didn't even know he had. It took his fucking breath away, and what the hell was that? He'd heard worse before, for sure. Ranboo had said worse, to be honest. Not that Ranboo didn't piss him off to no fucking end, but… he couldn't place it, something about Fundy's words felt off. Wrong. They wouldn't stop rattling around in his head no matter how goddamn hard he tried to shove them back; even taunting Ranboo didn't bring him as much pleasure as it usually did, and he found himself scowling under his mask as he made his way through the Nether, heading down the path that led back to Logstedshire. Well, he'd certainly gotten the fox hybrid back, taking his second life. The image of the axe split through his skull would forever be cherished.

Fundy was wrong, he was wrong, so Dream wasn't sure why the words put him off the way they did. Tommy had proven last night, said it himself, that he wanted Dream. That he only wanted Dream. You couldn't fake tears like that, you couldn't fake fear like that, and Dream had seen nothing but terror reflected in the boy's blue eyes as he spoke of his nightmare, the trembling desperation in his voice and the genuine need in his gaze when he'd said, I just… want you.

Nobody had ever just wanted him. But Tommy had looked at him, clung to him last night like Dream was his fucking lifeline, and Dream had never felt such a thrill, such an ache in his chest.

Tommy wanted him. Tommy wanted him.

And Tommy, Tommy was the most important thing in his life. The only thing he cared about. That hadn't been a lie; what he'd told the blond was the truth and nothing but the truth. He didn't give a shit about anything or anyone else, how the fuck could he? He wasn't blind to what he had. Tommy was special, Tommy was perfect, Tommy was his and Tommy wanted him, needed him. His heart lifted, singing with pure, unadulterated joy at the thought, anger rapidly replaced with excitement as he peered ahead toward the portal. Fundy could believe what he wanted, Dream didn't care. He'd been hoping for everyone to see how much Tommy needed him, but it didn't matter; Tommy had seen. Tommy had realized it. Something had shifted last night, something had changed, and it was definitely for the better. The way Tommy had looked at him last night…

Dream took a deep breath and sighed softly, stuffing his hands in his pockets and raising his head with a smirk. Fundy wasn't an issue anymore. Last night, however, had scared the shit out of him and surprised him, because of how terrified he'd been when he heard Tommy cry out. He'd genuinely thought they had come for the boy and he had panicked at the mere thought.

He couldn't stop thinking about it all night after Tommy had fallen asleep.

Because what if they did? What if they came for him?

Surely they weren't stupid enough, Dream reasoned. They wouldn't try anything, not so soon. He could eliminate them all by the time they decided to try something. For now, Tommy was safe. Safe back in Logstedshire, waiting for Dream to come back and take him out to collect flowers. Dream had done what he'd set out to do and he was more than satisfied, and now he just wanted to spend the rest of the day with his favorite person, and forget all about L'Manberg. He needed Tommy to forget about it, too. As much as he loved, loved seeing him jealous, there was just… something about seeing him genuinely scared of being… what, forgotten? Left behind? Abandoned? Either way, it was a kind of fear from the boy that Dream couldn't handle.

Tommy needed to understand how loved he was, how important he was, how wanted he was. Dream was going to pamper the fuck out of him today, just because he could. Because Tommy deserved it, after everything he'd been through lately. Because Dream took care of his things.

The man hummed and smiled, adjusting his mask and stepping through the portal. He'd need to change, he was covered in the fox hybrid's blood, but they'd set out immediately afterwards.

Stepping up onto the path, Dream headed toward the cabin without a second thought, sweeping his gaze toward the garden briefly. A faint smile tugged at his lips as his gaze flickered across the tulips, and his eyes narrowed faintly as he tried to remember the last place he saw some at. He figured he could take Tommy into the Dream SMP, it didn't really matter too much in the long run. He trusted the blond, he knew he wasn't going to stray too far from his side, and as much as Dream liked the little corner of the world they'd carved out together, he figured it must be pretty boring just being in one place. Tommy hadn't enjoyed his visit to L'Manberg because of… you know, everyone else, but maybe he wouldn't hate just taking a trip a little further out just with Dream, just to re-explore areas and land that the boy had probably forgotten about by now.

"Tommy, I'm home," he called the second he opened the door, pulling his mask off immediately.

Silence greeted him. Dream raised his eyebrows as he stepped inside, shutting the door behind him and heading for the living room. "You asleep?" He peered inside, half-expecting to see Tommy curled up on the couch or the floor with a sewing needle in his hand, but the room was empty. Odd, but no matter. Tommy usually fell asleep in the living room, but it wasn't rare for Dream to come home and find the boy curled up in his own bed and fast asleep while he waited for Dream to return. Tugging his blood-splattered hoodie over his head, Dream made his way down the hall instead, stepping into the room as he pulled the hoodie off. "C'mon, sleeping be-"

His heart stopped.

Tommy wasn't in his bed.

Tommy wasn't in the cabin.

He felt like someone had punched him in the gut, the air knocked from his lungs and every inch of him engulfed in a rush of pure, freezing panic. It left no room for clarity, he couldn't think. "Tommy?" He reeled back from the room and spun around, rushing down the hall to check the kitchen. Tommy didn't fall asleep in the kitchen, hadn't fallen asleep in the kitchen ever, but he needed to check. He was going to check every fucking room in this cabin until he was sure that Tommy wasn't here - and why the fuck wasn't he here where the fuck was he why was he gone-

"Tommy- fuck!" Dream screamed, tossing the mask and hoodie onto the table and heading back down the hall to check his room. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't fucking breathe, everything hurt, he felt like he was about to pass out. Panic flooded his senses, nauseous and dizzy and he flung the door open and swept his gaze around the room. Bed, enderchest, one normal chest, armor stand, no Tommy, Tommy wasn't fucking here he genuinely wasn't fucking here FUCK-

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no…" The words tumbled out of his mouth, begging and praying to Drista, XD and Prime and whoever the hell was listening that this wasn't fucking happening.

Shaking legs brought him back to the kitchen, frantically tugging at his hair and trying to think past the panic. Tommy wouldn't just leave, Tommy wouldn't just leave. He wouldn't, he wouldn't dare, not after everything. Not after last night, for fuck's sake! He was shaking, he couldn't stop. This was just like last time, when he arrived at Logstedshire after the whole incident last year to see that fucking tower and Tommy was gone and Dream had genuinely thought- he'd thought- the man clenched his teeth and swallowed, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes briefly. He needed to think, he needed to think. He couldn't panic, Tommy needed him to fucking think.

He shouldn't have left him alone, shouldn't have left him alone to waste his time on-

Dream blanched, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. He'd told Tommy that he was more important to him than L'Manberg, and then he'd gone and left him alone just to target them and now Tommy was gone, because Dream hadn't been there to protect him, and fucking hell-

He lashed out at whatever he could, whatever was closest. Sending chairs flying into the walls, sending the table skidding across the floor and nearly tipping over completely. His mask flew across the room, smacking into the fridge and crashing, with a deafening crack, onto the floor. Tommy was gone. Tommy was gone. They'd really fucking done it, they'd really fucking come for him, they'd really- shit, shit, shit, why wasn't he there? He wouldn't have gone with them willingly, would he? Not like they just waltzed in and said 'hey let's go' and he would've gone.

Unless it was Tubbo, a familiar voice drawled. He would have gone with Tubbo.

Dream froze, snapping his head around to focus on the mask. His hands trembled, clenching and unclenching his fists as he turned back around toward it slowly. "The fuck'd you just say?"

He would have gone with Tubbo, the mask repeated, sounding bored, and Dream was finding it increasingly difficult to breathe. He sank his weight against the table, digging his fingers into the wood and ducking his head with a quiet, shuddering gasp as he tried to force himself to focus and block out the voice. Stupid fucking thing hadn't spoken to him in over a year and Dream wasn't going to give it the satisfaction of being acknowledged now. C'mon, don't be like that.

"Fuck you," Dream snarled, squeezing his eyes shut. "He wouldn't, he wouldn't have gone." A quiet laugh was all he received in response, and then silence. Dream wrinkled his nose and curled his lips back in a snarl, scraping at the wood with his nails and taking another strained breath. His chest was so fucking tight, and his throat, dammit, he felt like someone was fucking choking him. He couldn't breathe, and that was making it even more difficult to think. Think. Who would have come? Quackity was one of his first guesses. Niki? Tubbo, even, was a possibility.

And you invited him, the mask taunted. You kind of screwed yourself over there, pretty boy.

"Shut up."

Y'know what? Good on them. Glad Tommy's finally getting some fucking help. Another sharp laugh; Dream shook his head and pinched his eyebrows together, sucking in a shaky breath. You're pathetic. Fundy was right, you know, that fox was spitting straight facts. Tommy doesn't want you, and you don't deserve him, you idiot. Look at all the trouble you've caused, you think you're worth this? You think he wouldn't ditch you the second he's shown something better?

"I said shut up!" Dream shoved against the table, hard, and it crashed into the wall, breaking a few of the blocks. He didn't bother picking them up and replacing them, turning instead to retrieve the mask from where it was lying face-down on the floor, with a rather large, uneven crack split down the center. "I don't need your shit on top of everything today, okay?! Fuck you!"

Ooh,  harsh . Give it up, Dreamboat, alright? Let the kid go already for fuck's sake.

The laughter that bubbled in Dream's chest at the suggestion bordered on hysterical. Let the kid go. Let Tommy go. Let Tommy go, like he was going to do that when he literally just got him.

No, he wasn't letting Tommy go.

"Fuck you," he breathed again, trembling, and threw the mask onto the table. There was no response this time, aside from a breathy, loud sigh, but Dream would take what he could get. His hands were still shaking as he fished for his communicator, but this time, he was fairly certain he was trembling out of anger. Anger for the mask, and for those L'Manchildberg idiots who thought it was a good idea to mess with Dream's shit. He was getting Tommy back one way or another. He didn't care if he had to burn L'Manberg down to do it, he didn't care who he had to hurt or kill or lock up, but one way or a-fucking-nother he was getting Tommy back, and today. He wasn't fucking around anymore. They had no idea who they were messing with.

Got a job for you. I'll pay double.

The response came through instantly as soon as Dream sent the message. The words on the screen shook - no, his hands shook, but regardless, he could make out what it said nonetheless. A quiet, relieved sigh escaped him, but rage and panic still shook him to his core.

I'm all yours, boss.

Chapter Text

Alright.

Okay.

It took Tommy about ten minutes to decide he was furious.

Furious, actually, wasn't… a strong enough word. He was pissed. He was livid. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt such pure, unadulterated rage, but here it was. This was a kind of anger he truly hadn't felt in so long. He was frustrated in L'Manberg, somewhat angry at the bakery, and irritated with Tubbo when he'd shown up at the cabin. But all of that was nothing, nothing compared to the way his blood fucking boiled as he was pulled from his home. Sam's arms wrapped around him felt like a cage, and everyone else crowding around him felt like he was a fucking prisoner being toted off to his cell. Every inch of him ached to fight, to make them drag him out kicking and screaming and punching and biting, but his muscles ached and his body trembled through waves of terror and fury in equal measure, so strong he couldn't think.

How dare they? How dare they? He trembled harder with each passing second, as Sam gathered him up into his arms, feet lifted from the ground as they made a beeline for the portal.

He was livid. He was livid at them, for having the sheer audacity to enter his home. For approaching him like this. For daring to set so much as one fucking finger on him, and you know what? You know what? At this point, Tommy was about to say fuck it. He was about to raise hell and deal with the consequences. There was nothing they could do to him that hadn't been done already, and there was nothing they could do to him that Dream wouldn't kick their asses for. For the first time in his life, Tommy was excited to see Dream get angry, because for the first time, that anger wouldn't be directed at him. And these assholes had brought it on themselves.

Of course, thinking about Dream brought up another confusing flurry of emotions that weren't entirely positive. That wasn't to say every fucking fiber of his being wasn't aching to be in his best friend's arms again, but somewhere deep, deep, deep down, there was a spark, just a spark, of resentment at the thought of the man. If Dream hadn't taken him into L'Manberg, then-

Tommy stifled the thoughts quickly, and any emotions that came with them. It wasn't like Dream could have anticipated this, it wasn't like he'd wanted this to happen. Tommy knew that, logically. Dream would never do anything to hurt him - at least, he'd never do anything that would put him in a position for anyone else to hurt him, and Tommy knew that. Because he was Dream's, Dream's and no one else's. No one else's to have, no one else's to love, no one else's to hurt. Prime, the absolute fury he felt, it was like nothing he'd ever felt before. It was blind.

Blind to everything, blind to any sense of clarity or reason. They weren't thinking, were they? They weren't thinking when they showed up and dragged him from his home, from the one person who genuinely cared about him. They weren't thinking, so why the hell should he think?

So he didn't. He didn't think. He let his thoughts slow to a blissfully numb pace, and focused instead on the emotions coursing through him. The rage was the strongest one, burning brighter with each beat of his heart, every step Sam took with Tommy cradled in his arms. He was shaking, trembling like a leaf in the creeper hybrid's arms. He wanted to scream, he really did. And some part of him was convinced that if he screamed loud enough, maybe Dream would hear - and he wanted to. He really wanted to. But he didn't have the energy, the strength to do so. So his mouth stayed shut, teeth clenched and grinding together as he stared ahead of them. His stomach was twisted in knots, every inch of him cold and yet burning with red hot rage.

He couldn't even tell if he was scared anymore, what was there to be afraid of again? They could hurt him, they could hurt him all they wanted, but they couldn't do anything worse than what Dream had done to him and that… was what mattered. They couldn't hurt him in a way he hadn't been hurt before. But this, what they were doing - this was too fucking far for him, now.

He was done.

Anger simmered so deeply within him, aching to lash out, to do something. He hadn't fucked with anyone. He hadn't done anything to anyone. All Dream had done was, what, take him into L'Manberg? Treat him 'badly' according to everyone else? Prime, fuck them! They didn't even know the half of it. They didn't know shit about Dream, about him, about their fucking relationship. And they thought they had the right to speak up against Dream when none of them had done anything in the first place? When it was them who had left him with Dream to begin with? When it was them who had exiled him, shunned him, abandoned him altogether? No. No.

They didn't have the right. They didn't have the fucking right.

These people weren't his friends anymore, if they ever fucking were.

And Dream… Dream was his best friend. Dream cared about him, he wouldn't have gone through all of this if he didn't. He wouldn't be around, still, if he didn't care about him, want him. L'Manberg saw them together, and immediately it was like a teenager watching their little sibling play with a toy they'd long outgrown and deciding right then and there that they weren't ready to let go - despite the fact that they'd thrown that toy in the fucking trash themselves. Fucking hell.

He was seething, he was furious, he didn't even notice when they left the Nether, didn't even realize when they were in front of a house, didn't register his surroundings until he heard the sound of a door clicking shut behind him and Sam slowly, hesitantly lowered him onto his feet.

Tommy stood still as a statue, hardly daring to breathe. Afraid one wrong move would send him into a frenzy. He didn't want to go off yet, not when he felt so weak. He would be easily overpowered, and then it would mean nothing. No, if he struck, he wanted to strike hard. He wanted to hit every fucking nerve and every fucking weak spot he could reach. He wanted to hurt. He wanted them to hurt. He wanted to swing and keep swinging, he wanted to give them a reason to have to hold him back, because what they'd seen in the cabin wasn't fucking half of it. Tommy was livid, and he was this close to losing his shit. He was this close to hurting someone.

"That…" Quackity's voice trailed off. "That went surprisingly well."

Tommy's nails dug into his palms at that, eyebrows furrowing as he scowled. Yeah, that's what you think. It's gonna go 'surprisingly well' when I start ripping your feathers out one by one bitch.

"Oh, wow, I wasn't expecting- damn! Hey, Tommy, what's up?" George's voice startled him out of his rage, if only for a second. Tommy snapped back to attention like a rubber band, jolting in place and immediately snapping his head around to stare toward the man, who was reclining back on a sofa with his legs propped up onto the table in front of him. Beside him rested a large white dog - wolf? Tommy wasn't sure it had been a while since he'd seen an animal, to be honest - who immediately lifted its head, ears perking toward Tommy as it heaved itself to its paws and trotted over to him and the others, tail lifted in greeting, wagging, and tongue lolling. Tommy reeled back when it leaned forward to sniff him, but ultimately wasn't too interested in the animal; his attention shifted back to George quickly enough, fury rising rapidly once again.

George. Dream's ex-best friend. And he was involved in this. Sapnap was involved in this. How could they fucking do this to Dream? On one hand, Tommy was almost glad for it - it just went to show who Dream's real friends were, right? - but on the other, he was pissed on Dream's behalf.

"Don't fucking talk to me," he hissed without thinking, running his tongue over his lips. "Bitch."

George stared at him for a moment, expression unreadable, and Tommy silently braced himself for some sort of punishment, be it yelling or cursing or something. But George just let out a quiet hum and turned his gaze to the others, eyebrows raised. "So what the hell was Fundy talking about? He seems pretty normal to me," he offered with a nod in Tommy's direction, amused.

The lack of acknowledgement - and lack of punishment for that matter - only fueled Tommy's fury. He swept his gaze back toward the others, who honestly looked somewhat puzzled; Tubbo almost looked relieved, actually, but everyone else looked surprised and confused. Good, good. So they thought he was fucking helpless, did they? They thought he was just some terrified little boy that needed to be saved? The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he retreated from them, taking a few steps away and glowering at the dog when she moved to follow him. He felt… horribly weak and sick to his stomach, but his anger overpowered almost everything else.

"Tommy, listen…" Sam stepped forward after him, and Tommy couldn't stifle an instinctive flinch. The hybrid seemed to cringe a little himself, stepping back again swiftly, and the blond sneered.

"Give me one good reason…" His voice wavered. "Wh- Why I sh- should listen to you. Do you- are you even capable- can you fucking fathom wh- what you've ju- what you've just done?" Nobody answered. Their eyebrows furrowed, exchanging quiet glances, but they didn't speak. Tommy gritted his teeth, nails digging deeper into his palms, and took a few more steps back. Nobody followed him this time, though Tubbo looked like he just might. "Dream, he's gonna co-"

"We won't let him hurt you, Tommy," Sam started softly, and Tommy barked out a harsh laugh.

"H- hurt me- hurt me?" He glared at the creeper hybrid, taking him in for the first time. Really taking him in. His presence, him in general… it just… hadn't registered before. When was the last time he saw Sam? After he was exiled? He didn't know, he couldn't be sure… he shook the thought away quickly, anger returning tenfold. "I'm not- I'm not the one he's gonna fucking hurt." Sam drew his head back slightly at that, and Tubbo, Quackity and Sapnap exchanged uncertain glances from behind the creeper hybrid. Tommy couldn't bite back a scoff in time. "Wh- what, so you- you think, you think I ne- I need you to prote- protect me, do you?" He scowled at the thought, nails scratching against his palms as he glowered at the four in front of him, alternating between them and shooting quiet glares in George's direction. "Well I fuckin' don't, alright? I-"

"Tommy-"

"Fuck you," Tommy spat, rounding on Tubbo. The goat hybrid reeled back from him at once, startled, and the blond stilled for a second despite himself. Of all the reactions he was expecting, he hadn't expected a retreat. A punishment, some yelling, maybe a good smack, but-

His heart thudded painfully in his chest, numb from head to toe. At the same time, as his anger mounted, so did the urge to lash out. With each second he went unpunished, he wanted to lash out. He wanted to raise his voice and scream and yell and fight until they had to silence him. "I…" The word shuddered through his lips, chest heaving, swallowing past the lump in his throat. "I don't need- I don't fuckin' want- any of you, and- Dream, he's gonna fucking come for me."

"Alright, hey, Big T," Quackity cut in, hands raised as he made his way past the others, and Tommy stumbled backwards at once, raising an arm defensively to shield his face and extending the other outwards, bracing himself for a blow. Quackity froze almost immediately, recoiling at once, but he didn't quite retreat. "See, see that? That's why we needed to do this."

Tommy furrowed his eyebrows, slowly lowering his arm. "I don't- what?"

"You flinch if someone so much as looks at you the wrong way," Quackity pressed. "And, fuck, Tom, look, I saw you with Dream yesterday, alright? I saw you flinch away from him, when he-"

"That-" Tommy tensed, rushing to Dream's defense immediately. "That's not his fucking-?" The flinch was his fault, that was on him. He felt cold at the mere memory of it, panic exploding in his chest, and he retreated a few more steps away from them. He couldn't stop shaking, he didn't know if it was from the fear or the anger at this point. Maybe it was a mixture of both, maybe there was even more just below the surface that he couldn't register at the moment, he didn't know. He couldn't tell at the moment. "That's not his fucking fault, I- I just- I just didn't know if-"

"If he was going to hit you," Quackity interrupted quietly. "You didn't know if he would hit you."

Tommy didn't respond immediately, this time because he wasn't sure what to say. That was right, he was right. He didn't know if Dream would hit him or not. He hadn't been expecting the touch, hadn't known what was going on, and at the time, yeah, he had expected something painful. He couldn't explain why, there was no real explanation for it. Tommy thought it was pretty fucking logical, actually. So he didn't know when Dream was going to hit him and when he wouldn't, so what? Was he supposed to be able to read the man's mind now? For fuck's sake. That wasn't Dream's fault, and you know what? It wasn't Tommy's fault either. He didn't know. The blond shook his head slightly, pulling his arms back with a grimace. "Yeah, exactly, but th-"

"Tommy, he hurts you," Quackity insisted. "He abuses you. That's why, okay? That's why you don't know if he's going to hit you or be gentle." Tommy froze. "If he's going to smack you, or lightly tuck your hair back. If the silence means he's about to yell, or if he's just thinking. If the arm around your shoulders is a display of affection, or if it's just to make sure you can't leave."

"Fuck off," Tommy whispered. "Fuck you. You- this isn't-" His eyes narrowed, staring back at the duck hybrid, studying the recognition in his gaze as he spoke, the sorrow and the pain and the-

Oh.

Tommy recoiled, taking a few more steps back. "He's not Schlatt."

Quackity didn't respond immediately, aside from a grimace as he turned his head and looked away, sweeping his gaze around the room instead. "Maybe," he finally mumbled. "Maybe you're right. Maybe he's not. But it's the same fucking situation, alright? It's the same fucking situation." He flicked his gaze back down to the blond, eyes narrowed, and Tommy slid a step back instinctively, lowering his chin and narrowing his eyes. "You're being hurt. And you're scared. I know you're scared. Despite however you might care about Dream in whatever twisted way, yo-"

"Dream," Tommy interrupted sharply, "is my best friend. He's the only one who was ever fuckin' there for me. A- and yeah, he-" Memories of explosions going off flashed across his mind's eye, visions of axes swinging and flaming arrows flying through the air. He clawed at his palms furiously, desperately seeking the numbness, the pain. "He does, he does hurt me, sometimes."

Quackity and Tubbo almost looked relieved. Sam certainly sounded it. "We know. And we can-"

"I don't want your help," Tommy snarled. "I don't fucking need your help, okay? Let me-" His entire body shook, trembling as he drew himself up to his full height, raising his head and glowering up at the creeper hybrid. "Let me make one thing, one fucking thing perfectly clear."

Deep breaths. He could do this. They were under the impression he needed their fucking help, right? They were under the impression he wanted it? They were under the impression he wanted to get away from Dream, secretly, deep down - that he was being manipulated into this? Maybe at the beginning, and Tommy would admit that. He knew that. He knew it since the fucking tower incident. But he also knew what he'd seen since then, he knew what he'd felt since then. Gentle touches, soft words, warm hugs, a sense of safety nobody else could give him. Dream was his best friend, his safe place, his home, his everything - and it was about fucking time these assholes were set straight. They all needed to know that they. Fucked. Up.

"I don't care," he growled. "What you think. I don't care that he hurts me. Fuck! It's me, I fucking deserve it anyway-" Laughter bubbled in his chest, bordering on hysterical; he swallowed it down quickly, at least just for the moment. He needed to say this. "But he loves me. I know he does. And I love him. And that- that, that is good enough for me. He is good enough for me."

"Tommy," Tubbo whispered.

"I don't care what you think," Tommy repeated, glaring at the goat hybrid. "I don't give a fuck what anyone thinks, actually. I- I care- I care about Dream. He's the only fucking thing that I-"

("That's the only thing I care about on this server, actually.")

"He's the only…"

I care about you more than they do.
You're the only thing I care about.
I'm not letting you go.

Slowly, Tommy lowered his hands back to his sides, clenched fists uncurling as he stared at the others. Dream's words rattled through his head, music to his ears. A better melody than the discs ever were. Soft promises, gentle reassurances, whispered words of adoration and devotion and love, unconditional as it was - and Tommy's heart ached in response. He'd been away from Dream for longer than this, he knew that logically, and yet it felt, in the moment, like they'd never been apart for longer than a moment. This felt like forever. It was painful and nerve-wracking and it made him so, absolutely furious and if he was feeling this way, then…

"Fuck…" He flicked his gaze over the room, really taking in everyone else for the first time.

Another hysterical laugh escaped him, a manic grin spreading across his face.

"You fucked up."

Chapter Text

Overwhelmed. Sapnap was overwhelmed.

Everything was happening so fast - the past two days alone felt like nothing but a blur, a compilation of events that just happened, one thing after the next without a pause to take a breath, to register, to process. He needed to process. Tommy being alive was just… it was a shock, one he still wasn't sure how to feel about. He had grieved, as slight as it was. He'd felt… guilty. Confused. Seeing the tower in Logstedshire - just the thought of it made him shudder, chills skittering up his spine. He'd never forget the feeling of horror that had engulfed him the first time he saw it, the way his heart had dropped into his stomach. It was the first time the situation had really hit him; the first time he realized that Tommy was literally… just a child. A child had built that tower and jumped. At least, that was Sapnap's thought process at the time. It was a sobering thought, one that left him wide awake most nights and oftentimes close to tears.

Despite however he may have felt about Tommy before, Sapnap had felt so fucking awful for the kid. Guilty and confused and sad. He hadn't really viewed him in a negative light before, he just- they weren't close. Sapnap hadn't cared for him. Thought of him as a nuisance and nothing else. His supposed death had sent Sapnap into a state of shock and grief he couldn't explain.

Hearing that he was alive, Sapnap hadn't wanted to believe it at first. Despite the grief that had engulfed him at first, he was ready to put the past year behind him and move on with his life. They all were! Quackity was moving on, Fundy was moving on, George was moving on, and Sam- well, Sam was trying, and Sapnap was encouraging him every step of the way. The only one he didn't think was trying to move forward was Tubbo, but he couldn't blame the kid for that. He'd lost his best friend, and hell, if Sapnap couldn't understand that. Losing your best friend.

Even now, his heart ached at the mere mention of Dream. And George? God, forget it. George flinched every time Dream's name was spoken. They both felt so awful, so desperate to forget.

If he couldn't relate to Tubbo, who the hell could?

Either way, he digressed. Finding out Tommy was alive made his heart sink, but not because he was particularly upset the kid hadn't actually fucking killed himself - it was because, the second Sam told them, he knew. Before Dream was even mentioned, before it was revealed, before the creeper hybrid even opened his mouth to continue, Sapnap knew. He knew Dream was behind it. He knew all that grief and pain everyone had gone through all boiled down to his former friend. He knew there was only one place Tommy could be, only one person he could be with. And he knew that was why, why Dream had cut him and George off. He knew. He fucking knew.

And it stung, it really did. He didn't hold any resentment toward Tommy for it, no… he knew Dream's actions were his own. He just wished it wasn't true. He wished he didn't believe it, he tried so hard not to. Because what he was hearing, about Dream? It wasn't the Dream he knew.

And then in L'Manberg, at the fucking bakery, it was like looking at a completely different person.

("I fixed him.")

Like he needed to be fixed.

Sapnap shuddered at the memory, promptly forcing it to the far back of his mind and focusing instead on… this. This shitshow that was currently going down. Sapnap honestly couldn't believe it was going this… this badly. He was overwhelmed, confused, horrified. Tommy had been petrified at first, when they'd first gotten there. Sapnap could see that clearly, the way he'd flinched away from everybody, the fear in his eyes as the situation dawned on him. The way he'd fought and thrashed and screamed when they had to hold him back, the way he'd attacked Tubbo, he'd fucking attacked Tubbo and if that wasn't a sign that something was so wrong…

Now, though, Tommy was seething and Sapnap didn't think he'd ever seen him so angry. Not like this. A year ago he would be yelling and screaming at them at the top of his lungs. But he wasn't even doing that. His voice hadn't raised much at all, every now and then on certain words, but not enough to be shouting. He trembled, and his voice shook with each clipped, stuttered syllable, but this anger was so different from the anger Sapnap was used to from the blond. Even when he cursed, spitting such venom and hate, he wasn't yelling. His rage was oddly quiet, and yet still just as powerful. And to tell you the truth, Sapnap probably would have been a little less terrified by what he was saying if he was yelling at them. It wasn't that the boy was calm, it was far from it - it was just… eerie. How quiet he still was, even with all his fury.

He didn't know what to say. Should he even say anything? It didn't feel like his place to say something, somehow. His eyebrows furrowed, ducking his head slightly and turning his gaze to Quackity. His husband was silent, staring at Tommy in a mixture of shock, confusion and pain. Sapnap grimaced, taking a few steps forward and reaching out to take the duck hybrid's hand.

Tommy's gaze snapped up toward him, and Sapnap almost flinched at the hatred in his eyes. Everyone else, he just seemed extremely pissed off at - but he looked at Sapnap then with such… such rage, such hatred and resentment and the man froze where he stood, hand midair. He tried to remember a time Tommy had ever looked at him like that, and he came up blank. He couldn't gauge the emotion in his eyes; he just knew it was hatred, loathing even, and he had no idea where it was coming from. His eyes widened slightly as he took the blond in, scrambling to come up with some kind of reasonable explanation for the way Tommy was glowering at him. Him, specifically, like Sapnap had done something, something the others hadn't. The potion, maybe? He felt horrible for that, especially recalling the terror in the boy's eyes when his eyes had found the bottle, but he still couldn't help but feel that that wasn't the reason for his hatred.

His chest felt tight, dread pooling in his gut as he gazed at the teen. "Tommy, I-" The blond drew his head back slightly, blue eyes dark with rage. "I don't know what it's worth, but… I'm sorry."

I'm sorry, I'm sorry for whatever I did to make you look at me like that.

"Sorry," Tommy echoed. "No, you're not fucking sorry."

His gaze left Sapnap for just a moment, looking toward the others. His eyes swept around the room, taking it in, and the man took a breath to compose himself as he watched the boy's expression shift. He was still shaking, and pretty badly at that, but his fear seemed to have diminished for the most part. Either that, or he was just too angry in the moment to be afraid. And still, he was calm, he was dangerously calm now, when he turned his attention back to Sapnap and arched an eyebrow at him with a lazy, crooked smile and spoke, "but you will be."

It was the closest to the Tommy Sapnap remembered from a year and a half ago that he'd seen since the bakery. The Tommy that could fuck someone up if he wanted. The Tommy that wasn't afraid to scream and yell and get angry and curse. The Tommy that didn't flinch when you moved toward him too fast - or moved toward him at all, for fuck's sake. The Tommy that didn't look at him like he was now, like he wanted to rip him apart limb from limb. Sapnap winced at the thought, damn near shrinking in on himself on the spot. He hated this, what the actual fuck? It had never mattered to him before, Tommy had never mattered to him before, so he didn't understand why this was… why this was genuinely hurting him. And it was, it was. He was hurt.

"What it's worth," Tommy was mumbling, fists clenching and unclenching at his sides now. Sapnap lifted his gaze back to the blond, eyebrows furrowed. "What it's fucking worth, what it- what are you worth?" Blue eyes flickered up to Sapnap's face, traveling somewhat absently until his gaze locked with the man's, and Sapnap went still. "Not much," Tommy said lightly, but anger and apprehension shook his words. "Not fuckin' anything actually. Y- you, you're just nothing."

"Tommy…" Quackity almost sounded more dejected than Sapnap felt.

"Why couldn't you just leave us alone?" Tommy turned his attention back to the duck hybrid after a moment. Sapnap bit the inside of his cheek and slowly ran his fingers through his hair, trying to think. See, he wasn't looking at Quackity like that. Angry, yes, but not with such burning, unadulterated fucking hatred. "We didn't do anything to you, to any of you. Why are you doing this? I-" The blond's voice seemed to falter, and it took him several minutes to choke out a sound after that, licking his lips and swallowing as he went on, "I- I didn't do a- anything to you."

"Tommy, no, listen," Tubbo cut in, easing past Quackity and Sam now. Tommy retreated as he approached, offering a glare that was both a warning and a plea. "We- we're trying to help you."

"I don't. Need. Your. Help," Tommy hissed. "Everything was fine, everything was fuckin' perfect when it was just me and him and now you all have gone and fucking ruined it, because I'm not allowed to have anything nice, is that it? You kick me out of my first home and then you drag me out of the one I was forced to make because of it. You didn't want me, alright, I know, so what's it fucking matter to you? It- it's none of your damn business what goes on with me and Dream!"

"It's my business when he's hurting you!" Tubbo exclaimed.

"Why?" Tommy snapped. "Because you're my 'best friend'? You fucking left me in exile with him in the first place. None of you cared then. And you don't get to fucking care now, you don't- you don't deserve to just do that aft- after everything- every fucking thing that I-" His voice wavered, jerking an arm up to his face and rubbing his eyes furiously with the sleeve of his hoodie. Sapnap's heart ached for the kid, for the both of them. Maybe Tubbo could get through to him. Tommy was cracking, that much was clear. "If you're going to leave me then just fucking leave. Dream- Dream would never, he'd never leave me, and I-" The blond's face fell all too abruptly.

Sapnap couldn't suppress a soft, pained sigh, watching the boy in front of him crumble. His blue eyes glittered as tears rose, the anger that was written across his face steadily replaced with something akin to grief, a kind of pain that practically reached into his chest and squeezed his heart to fucking pieces. "I just want to go home," he mumbled. "I just… I just want to go home."

Tubbo's ears drooped, pinning back against his skull as he frowned. "Can I hug you?"

The way Tommy stiffened and retreated was enough of an answer. Sapnap couldn't help but notice how Fran was still sticking to the blond like glue, following him with each step he took, and how Tommy… oddly wasn't concerned with her at all. He'd barely acknowledged the dog.

"It's been a long day," Sam murmured suddenly, taking a step back and reaching up to pull his goggles off. Sapnap kept his gaze on Tommy for a moment longer before turning his attention back to the creeper hybrid. "And I'm sure we've all got a lot to talk about. But…" Sam's gaze flicked toward Tommy, then Quackity and Tubbo, then back to George and Sapnap. His eyebrows furrowed, turning to scan the room again, and he frowned. "Hey, did Fundy leave?"

"Oh, yeah, Niki messaged him so he went back to L'Manberg," George murmured. He then raised a hand, beckoning Tommy over. "Come sit down, man, you look dead on your feet."

"You wanna be dead on yours?" Tommy hissed.

"Hey, c'mon-" George raised his hands slightly, leaning back. "What did I do?"

Tommy barked out a laugh at that, scrubbing the rest of the tears from his eyes. That anger was back, and now, Sapnap noticed, so was that hatred. That resentment. And this time it seemed to be all for George, as the blond directed a burning glare in the man's direction. "Go to hell, Gogy. You, just…" He didn't finish. Whatever he was going to say, for the first time since they arrived, Sapnap watched the boy bite his tongue and swallow back the words before they could escape. His attention shifted away from George, looking away pointedly, and he turned his head to focus on Fran instead. The dog had settled beside his feet, tail swishing back and forth over the floor. The blond's eyebrows furrowed as he focused on her for the first time, one hand unclenching to reach out toward the dog before he abruptly drew back again, an uneasy expression crossing his face.

"That's Fran. She seems to like you," Sam offered, and Tommy flinched, jolting as if he had forgotten for a moment that the others were there. He didn't say anything, glancing up at them silently before looking back down at the dog. Sapnap half expected him to say something like of course she does, but he didn't. He didn't move to touch her again, but his hand fell limp at his side, unclenched now, and with little crescent moons carved into the flesh from his fingernails.

Quackity took a deep breath and moved suddenly, startling Sapnap despite himself. Tommy tensed at the abrupt movement, but Quackity didn't venture toward him; instead, he went toward Tubbo, who was looking more and more emotional with each minute that passed than he had in the last year. "We need to talk," the duck hybrid said simply, disappearing into the hallway.

Tubbo's ears flicked, shooting a swift glance after Quackity, and his gaze swept back toward Tommy and lingered for a few more seconds before he made a move to follow him, silent.

"I'm gonna message Fundy," Sam mumbled, taking a step closer to Sapnap. "Can you…?"

"Yeah." Sapnap spared a reluctant glance in Tommy's direction. The blond was standing close to the corner now, Fran at his feet, staring around the room in silence but never seeming to take his gaze off of them for more than five seconds. His gaze met Sapnap's, and his eyes narrowed, and there was that hatred again - as harsh as ever. The man grimaced slightly to himself, but offered Sam the most reassuring smile he could muster regardless. "You go ahead, I've got it-"

"Actually, Sapnap," George interrupted suddenly, heaving himself to his feet. "You look as bad off as he does, I can take it from here." Both Sam and Sapnap swiveled their heads in the man's direction so fast Sapnap actually had to bite back a gasp from the sharp throb of pain that shot through his neck when he did so. George rolled his eyes at their startled expressions, repositioning his goggles back over his face and sauntering over to Tommy before anyone could warn him against it. "And maybe we can get to the bottom of why you seem so pissed at me."

Tommy shrank back against the wall at that, shying away from the man. Sapnap's heart throbbed for the poor kid. He knew logically George wouldn't hurt him, the guy wouldn't lift a hand against a fly, but Tommy didn't seem to know that. Apprehension darkened the blond's features as George came closer, but unlike everyone else, the man didn't seem deterred by it.

Still, the smile on his face was casual, friendly even. "Whaddya say, Tommy?"

"Fuck you," Tommy growled, eyes darting around the room before resting on George again, who had stopped merely feet away from him, his smile unfaltering as Tommy spoke. "Fuck you."

George's smile only grew, amused. "Well, that's a start."

Chapter Text

Tubbo was bracing himself for the worst as he followed Quackity into the hall.

Not that it really mattered to him either way, he had long come to terms with the fact that their relationship wasn't… what it used to be. They had been close once. Not as close as Quackity and Tommy were, and not nearly as close as Tubbo and Tommy were, but they had been close. And it had hurt for a while, knowing that they were steadily drifting apart as time went on. Tommy's supposed death and Ranboo's disappearance took its toll on Tubbo emotionally and mentally, and, yeah, in the end it had led to him cutting ties with everyone else, as well. He was tired, he was so tired. It was too much to even get out of bed in the morning, much less interact with anyone - so he didn't. He closed the blinds and locked the door and didn't come outside unless he needed to. Unless there were Presidential matters to take care of concerning L'Manberg. He avoided his old friends, and stuck strictly to work. That was how he coped with it.

Maybe it wasn't a good coping mechanism, but it was all he had. Tommy and Ranboo had been all he had - Ranboo, mostly, for a while there after Tommy's exile. Then the enderman hybrid had disappeared and Tubbo found the tower at Logstedshire and everything just… went to shit.

He knew Quackity and Fundy hated him, they could hate him all they damn well pleased. It wouldn't change anything. He was the President of L'Manberg and they were just… there. Living their lives like there was anything worth it in the end. Part of Tubbo resented them for just moving on the way they had, but at the same time, it wasn't like he was still crying over Tommy before yesterday's events had unfolded. He'd pushed any and all thoughts of his best friend clear out of his mind and focused on his work. But at least he wasn't trying to pretend to be happy, like Quackity and Fundy were. At least he wasn't pretending to be something he wasn't.

Still, he was bracing for the worst, and ready to get it over with so he could get back to Tommy. He didn't really care about whatever Quackity had to say at this point. Probably something along the lines of 'I told you so', and, sure, yeah, he did. He did tell him so. So, Tubbo would take it with what dignity he had left, and he'd even admit that he should have pulled his head out of his ass and listened, but he wasn't going to stick around for any extra beratement. He couldn't take that today, not when he was still trying to shake the sight of Tommy's hateful glare from his mind. Not when he was still recovering from the pain that had exploded in his chest the second he realized that everything he hoped wasn't true was true, that he'd left his best fucking friend to be hurt and abused and manipulated and… whatever else Dream fucking did to him in exile.

"Alright, Big Q," he muttered, spreading his arms out briefly and dropping them back to his sides with a grimace, as if to say let me have it. "Say what you're going to say, just do it quickly, huh?"

Quackity shook his head slightly as he turned to face him, his expression unreadable. Before Tubbo had a chance to register what was happening, he was reaching out; at first, Tubbo almost, almost thought he was going to hit him or something, and was fully prepared to defend himself if needed. He wouldn't ever lay a hand on Tommy, especially not in the state he was already in, but he had no qualms about giving Quackity at least one good punch to remember.

He was pulled into a hug instead, too startled to register anything except the feeling of warmth.

"Wh-"

"I'm sorry," Quackity whispered, fingers digging into Tubbo's back, gripping tightly at the back of his suit jacket as he pulled the goat hybrid closer. The young President's mind went blank for a second, every thought turning to static as he tried to register what had just happened - what was just happening. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been hugged. He'd hugged Tommy back at the cabin, and it had been shaky and awkward and tense but so warm and nice and Tubbo had ached from the feeling of it long after they'd pulled apart, but he couldn't remember the last time someone had hugged him. "I'm so- fucking sorry, Tubbo. You don't even know…"

Alright, not what Tubbo was expecting. His hands hovered inches from Quackity's back, hesitant to touch, but he didn't try to pull away just yet. "Ah… Quackity, where is this coming from?" He asked instead, the words feeling somewhat bitter on his tongue, but the question was genuine.

"What you said-" Quackity pulled back abruptly, and Tubbo frowned despite himself, missing the warmth of the embrace almost immediately. "What you said to Tommy, man, I heard what you said. And you…" The duck hybrid faltered, not quite looking at him for a moment; his gaze flicked around the hall, looking at everything but Tubbo, while the goat hybrid silently wracked his brain to figure out what it was exactly he had said to Tommy. He couldn't remember, honestly; everything had just spilled out in the heat of the moment, in sheer panic and desperation to get Tommy to just come home with him, to get him back to L'Manberg, back to safety, back to Tubbo where he belonged- "You didn't- I didn't leave, okay? I'm sorry. Fuck, I'm so sorry. But I didn't leave, man! I've been here, I've been here the whole fucking time, and I-"

Tubbo winced, suddenly feeling very cold. "Fuck," he muttered, brushing a hand through his bangs and peering up at the duck hybrid. "Look, okay, it doesn't… it doesn't matter. Let's just-"

"Tubbo, it does, okay? It does," Quackity insisted, hands hovering in the air as if he wanted to pull the goat hybrid into his arms again and Tubbo couldn't say that he would mind. "You…" Finally, Quackity's gaze found him, and his eyebrows furrowed as his eyes flitted rapidly across Tubbo's face. His hands were shaking, he noted, but he didn't say anything. "You're just a kid."

And… oh.

Those words were a kick to the gut. Quackity may as well have actually kicked him, for the way his breath left him and his stomach twisted so sharply it hurt, nauseous and shaken to his core as he stared at the duck hybrid. Because what was he supposed to say to that? How was he supposed to respond to that? You're just a kid. He knew that. Right? Well, no, maybe he'd forgotten somewhere along the way. He was nineteen, barely an adult for fuck's sake - but still too old to be considered a child. And still, he'd been doing this since he was still just a kid. Since he was seventeen. You're just a kid. And maybe he was. Maybe he was. But he couldn't be.

He faltered for the first time, ripping his gaze away from Quackity with a grimace. So this was an apology, then. Tubbo didn't really see the big deal. So they clashed on opinions sometimes, it wasn't like it was a requirement to live in L'Manberg to agree with every goddamn word he said. And it wasn't like he'd been making all the right decisions lately either. But he didn't see any reason for either of them to apologize; things were just too different nowadays, for both of them. And whether it was the reason they had grown apart, or simply the product of it, Tubbo wasn't sure. But he did know he was tired. He knew the past two days had been a blow to his mental and emotional state, and he wanted a moment to stand back and think about the situation from a different perspective. Right now, figuring out what to do about Dream was the biggest issue. Tommy was safe. Unhappy, but he was safe. As much as Tubbo longed to pull him into a hug, to feel him hug back, he just didn't think it was going to happen. Not today, not tomorrow, probably not for weeks or months or years - but he was safe, away from Dream, and that's what counted.

"Tubbo," Quackity begged, and Tubbo reluctantly flicked his gaze back up to the duck hybrid. "Tubbo, I'm sorry, man. I am. Everything that happened- Tommy and Ranboo and Puffy and just- everything that was going on, I should've been there for you. And I just… wasn't. I'm sorry."

"You're not…" Tubbo sighed through his teeth, ears drooping. "You're not… Big Q, you weren't like, required to be there for me or anything, alright? I'm not upset. What happened, it happen-"

"No, no. Don't do that," Quackity hissed. "I'm your friend. I should have been there."

Tubbo merely shrugged, uncomfortable. He hadn't thought of anyone as his friend in… forever. As far as he knew, all his friends were dead and gone. Quackity was his Vice President, admittedly one he didn't speak to often even concerning L'Manberg, but still. It had been a long time since he'd thought of the man as his friend. It had been a long time since he'd thought of anyone as anything more than an acquaintance, or, occasionally - mostly in Fundy's case, really - an annoyance. He wasn't sure how to feel hearing those words from Quackity now. What was he supposed to say to that? Neither of them had been very good friends to each other, had they? And apparently they'd still been friends this whole time. Tubbo had missed that memo.

"Well," he started, and sighed again, rubbing his eyes. He was so tired, he couldn't stand much more of this. Part of him wanted to go back to Snowchester and curl up in his bed and just let the rest of the world drift away, but he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. Especially not if he just left. Tommy was here, Tommy was here and there was no way in hell he was leaving.

And as for L'Manberg…

Tubbo grimaced, rubbing the back of his hand over his mouth. He didn't want to go back to L'Manberg, not without Tommy at his side. But to be honest, he didn't want to return to how things used to be. He couldn't handle it. He was tired. He wanted to step back and just… live again. He wanted to live with his best friend the way they used to, when all their worries were so fucking small and they didn't have a dozen wars and threats and dangers looming over their heads. When they didn't have to deal like shit like this, like abuse and manipulation and borderline brainwashing and fucking stockholm syndrome. He was tired. He was tired of it all.

"I'm resigning."

Quackity startled, staring down at him in shock, surprise rapidly replacing the guilt in his eyes. "You- what?" The duck hybrid shook his head, appalled, and then asked once again, "what?"

"I'm resigning, as soon as possible," Tubbo repeated, taking a deep breath and straightening up as he looked back up at the duck hybrid. Quackity just stared back at him, wide-eyed. "I can't do this anymore, Big Q. It's not-" He thought back to Tommy, back to Dream, back to the walls. Thought back to all the pain and the grief he'd gone through, exiling his own best friend and then believing that he was the sole cause of said best friend committing suicide. And he might not be, but he was still the reason Tommy had gotten stuck with Dream. Tommy had said it himself; he was the one who exiled him, and abandoned him, and there was no going back. There was no taking back the things he'd done and the things he'd said and… he was just done with it. He didn't want to be the one to make those decisions anymore. He just couldn't handle it.

"It's not worth it," he managed, and he couldn't fight back the tears and sobs that followed.

Quackity's stunned silence didn't last too long, and it was only a few seconds before Tubbo felt himself being pulled forward again, wrapped up in the duck hybrid's arms and sinking to the floor before he could register what was happening. He heard the thud as Quackity's back hit the wall, his arms tight around him as the man murmured gentle, soft, soothing words into his ear.

"It's okay, it's okay…" Quackity's mouth pressed against the top of his head, and Tubbo's ears flattened as he swallowed back another sob, burying his face into his shoulder. "I'm here, kid."

He was just a kid.

Chapter Text

"So, Tommy…" George settled back against the wall, eyes focused on the boy beside him.

He might be colorblind, but he wasn't blind. Tommy, at the moment, looked petrified. He was shaking, hands gripping tight fistfuls of his hoodie as he glowered at George. Any attempt at trying to appear angry and intimidating were pretty fruitless, the man thought. Tommy was pretty much a maracca at this point. And, okay, yeah, George couldn't blame him, because from what he'd seen, he, uh… yeah, he didn't exactly seem to want to be here. To be fair, George wasn't sure what he'd been expecting. Well, he wasn't expecting for them to just show up with Tommy, Fundy had just mentioned spying or something. But Tommy seemed okay. I mean, a little scared, but who the hell wouldn't be? As far as George could see, nothing was wrong with him.

Silently, he ran through Fundy's words in his head for a moment, eyebrows furrowing. He'd referred to Dream as Tommy's abuser, right? They'd been together, just the two of them, for over a year now without any outside influences, and… George knew what stockholm syndrome was, duh, but he wasn't entirely sure it could be applied to this situation, at least not completely.

And okay, he couldn't say for certain what was going on behind closed doors. He knew there was a reason for Tommy's fear, but he also didn't think that had much to do with Dream, either. The teen had said Dream hurt him, admitted it out loud for everybody to hear, and then insisted nearly in the same breath that the man loved him, and that he loved Dream regardless. It would be so easy for George to write that off as stockholm syndrome, as a direct result of manipulation and abuse and all the horrible things everybody was saying Dream had done to the kid, except-

Except he recognized the look in Tommy's eyes as he defended the man, the way his face softened when he spoke of him, and goddamn, if it wasn't like George was looking into a mirror.

If nothing else, that was real. George knew it. He didn't know much, but he knew his gut, and his gut was telling him that this… whatever this was… it wasn't what everyone else was assuming. Maybe it was the beginning, maybe it was the first domino, but it wasn't it. And George… he wanted to know more. He wanted to know more about that look in Tommy's eyes, he wanted to know more about those words he was saying, he wanted to know more about Dream, and what Dream had done and what he was doing and why he was doing it. Because the Dream that everyone else was talking about lately didn't sound like the Dream George had practically grown up with, his best friend of countless years and one of the few people he felt like he could trust. They'd fallen out a while ago - George couldn't remember the last time they'd spoken, actually.

Was it the fight? It had to have been the fight. He sighed at the memory, shaking his head, and turned his attention back to Tommy. Debating on what to say, how to start up a conversation. Tommy looked like he was on the verge of another 'fuck you', and while George honestly couldn't care less what the kid said to him, he was hoping to get some actual answers instead of just being cussed at the whole time. So, after a moment of contemplation, he went for the kill.

"How's Dream?"

He was hoping that would get the gears in Tommy's head turning, right? That the kid would see that George, unlike everyone else here, wasn't exactly on… anyone's side, really, at the moment. Choosing Dream's side was like his default mode, but he also knew he should probably have all the facts. Dip his toes into the water before he dove in. So he was hoping he could relate to the kid a little, help him relax and show him that at least one person here was willing to listen to what he had to say - aaand instead, he was met with the harshest glare that Tommy could muster, fury flashing through the boy's eyes as he bared his teeth. "Oh, fuck you."

Okay, then. George accepted the answer despite his confusion, proceeding without acknowledging the anger written across Tommy's face. "I'm honestly asking, I swear. It's been a while since we've talked, you know? We don't really… we're not really as close as we were."

"Good," Tommy hissed, pressing himself back into the wall and curling into the corner.

George furrowed his eyebrows at that, offering the boy a curious look. For a moment, he wondered if Tommy was answering his question, because he couldn't really figure out why else- ohhh. Okay. He had to resist the urge to facepalm, hands twitching at his sides as he mentally berated himself. Tommy was… Tommy was feeling threatened. And not in the way everyone else seemed to think. He wasn't afraid of them, was he? If he was truly scared of them hurting him, then he wouldn't be throwing out curses and insults the way he had been since the second they'd walked through the door. Because Tommy wasn't stupid. But he was a kid, a kid who had literally just been ripped away from the only person he'd been around in an entire year, now, without warning. And the same people who had taken him away from Dream were also so very clearly either pissed off at him or ready to throw him into a cell regardless, and Tommy could sense that. George knew he could sense that. He was on the defensive, he was feeling threatened, sensing danger for both him and Dream - and he was jealous. Worried about being pulled away from his… best friend (god the words hurt, they hurt) no matter how it happened.

So that explained his fear. And it explained why Tommy kept looking at him like he wanted to bash his head into the wall, because everyone here knew that George used to be Dream's closest friend before everything had gone to shit. George couldn't really say for certain now whether or not Dream still cared about him, and that hurt - but he couldn't deny there was a part of him that longed for the friendship they used to have, and a part of him that wanted to let it go.

Dream was bad for him, George had long decided. Not in the same way he was bad for Tommy, or at least the same way everyone thought he was bad for Tommy, but Dream was bad for him.

He had to suppress another sigh, squeezing his eyes shut and taking a moment to compose himself again. Tommy cared enough about Dream to not want to lose him, and that was something. Truthfully, George was seeing a lot of himself in the boy right now, and he wasn't entirely sure how to feel about that. But Tommy clearly didn't want to talk about Dream, and George wasn't really keen on the topic himself. As much as he did genuinely want to know how he was… perhaps it was best if his questions went unanswered, for his sake and for Tommy's.

So, George switched to a different tactic. "Well, how are you? Aside from the kidnapping."

At this, Tommy regarded him with an almost skeptical expression, eyebrows furrowing. George could see the gears turning in his head, processing the wording - the very deliberate wording, mind you. "You mean the so-called 'rescue mission'?" The teen finally asked, tone cautious.

George shrugged. "It's not a rescue mission if you don't need to be rescued, right?"

"Right," Tommy agreed, albeit begrudgingly. He was trying to decipher how much truth was behind George's words, studying him intently now - but, but, that anger and hatred that had been burning in his eyes just moments before had… not quite vanished, but it had faded somewhat. George decided that was as much a victory with the kid as he was going to get, right? At least he wasn't swearing at him. As he debated on whether or not to speak again, honestly wanting to give Tommy a chance to continue the conversation on his own, George settled back against the wall a bit more comfortably and reached out to scratch Fran's ears.

Tommy watched him for a moment, tense but curious. He'd piqued the kid's interest, and it was entirely up to him now whether or not their interaction would continue. George was more or less content waiting, occupying himself with the dog at the boy's feet while he waited. He was almost amused, to be honest. Fran hadn't left Tommy's side since he'd walked through the door. He'd always thought of her as an emotional support dog, and it seemed like Tommy could use that.

"He's not a bad person," the teen mumbled suddenly, and George flicked his gaze back up to him swiftly, eyebrows furrowing slightly. Tommy didn't meet his gaze, focusing on Fran now.

George wasn't sure what to say, not at first. Mostly because he wasn't sure he agreed with that. Dream had done things he didn't entirely agree with. Bad things. But did doing bad things mean you were a bad person? George supposed that was heavily dependent on the motivation behind the actions and choices you made. Dream had done plenty of fucked up things and George knew that. He'd let everyone believe Tommy was dead. Whatever George thought about the situation, that was a pretty fucked up thing to do. Exiling him, isolating him… it was all fucked up. But then, Tommy still thought of him as a friend, didn't he? He still thought of wherever they were together as his home. He still thought of all of this, of Dream, in a positive light regardless. Maybe that didn't mean anything to them, but it meant everything to Tommy, and it was yet another thing George could relate to. He would have followed Dream into a fire if he asked him.

And that was the thing, wasn't it? George didn't need to be manipulated and abused and gaslit and brainwashed. He had loved Dream with all his heart, and a part of him still did despite it all. Those feelings didn't stem from manipulation. So it was possible, against all odds, maybe, that Tommy's feelings were as real as George's. As strong, and as genuine, and as unconditional.

His heart ached at the thought. He could have loved Dream like this, too, if he had let him.

"I know," he finally mumbled, and Tommy's eyes narrowed slightly, watching him carefully. George pulled his hand away from Fran's head after a moment, letting his head fall back against the wall and lifting his gaze to the ceiling. "You really care about him, don't you? Like, actually?"

The anger in Tommy's voice was gone when he spoke, and yet somehow he still had just as much fire in his tone. "Of course I do." He sounded more confident in those words, in that simple declaration, than he had in anything else he had said. Even when he was snapping at the others earlier, his voice had still wavered and shook with each word. He spoke so steady now, almost calmly, even. He wasn't relaxed, not even close, but he wasn't nearly as hysterical as he had been with everyone else crowding around trying to talk to him all at once. It only confirmed what George had figured from the start, that Tommy's fear of them had nothing to do with Dream.

"And he cares about you?" George wasn't entirely sure on that front, either, but he'd take Tommy's word for it, because why shouldn't he? Tommy didn't exactly seem to have a warped perception of the situation, not like most people in his position might. He knew that there was abuse involved, he had admitted and confirmed it himself, and yet he still felt this way. And there had to be a reason for that. A reason to not only stay with Dream, but to actively want to be with him. He'd said it himself, he'd said it himself. He admitted he was forced to make a home with Dream because he didn't have one in L'Manberg anymore. He admitted Tubbo had left him in exile with him in the first place. You don't deserve to just do that after every fucking thing that I-

Went through. Everything he went through, with Dream. And he'd still followed that up with saying Dream would never leave him, and that he wanted to go home. Home. Where he was.

He knew the situation between him and Dream better than anybody. He'd fucking lived it.

"Yes," Tommy said desperately. "Yes, okay? He does. He does. I know he does. He said it himself, he said I'm the only thing he cares about," that sounded awfully pointed, that last bit. George ignored the way the words stung and kept his eyes firmly on the ceiling as he went on. "He wants me, and he- he needs me. He needs me…" The boy's voice faltered, face crumbling.

George reluctantly turned his gaze back to the kid, sympathetic. He seemed to truly believe the words, and George didn't have any proof that they weren't true, so he would take what Tommy said at face value. Dream cared about him, wanted him, needed him. And clearly those feelings were reciprocated, so what… what, exactly, was the problem here? Tommy being abused, the stockholm syndrome… yeah, that was a problem. It was a huge problem, in fact. But even then, did it justify all of this? Tommy wasn't going to listen to anything they said, especially not now. All they had done was give the boy a reason not to trust them. Thinking about it from Tommy's point of view, there were these people, people who used to be his friends, sure - but he hadn't seen them in a year. Hadn't seen them, spoken to them, probably hadn't even thought about them in quite some time now. He didn't know these people anymore. This wasn't familiar to him. Dream was familiar, comfortable, safe. Dream was home. And Tommy just wanted to go home. These were the people keeping him from the only person he trusted, and the only home he had.

No wonder he was afraid. George would be petrified.

Tommy fell silent after that, his gaze focused on Fran and his mouth twisted into a frown. Tenderly, almost hesitantly, he reached out to rest his hand over the dog's head, gently scratching trembling fingers through her fur the way George had. Fran sat still, only leaning slightly into the touch, and breathed out a heavy, content sigh. Tommy's expression didn't change, but some of the tension in his shoulders seemed to relax, and he sagged against the wall with a sigh of his own. He looked tired enough to pass out on the spot. George could relate.

"Come with me," he offered after a moment, and Tommy stared up at him, wary and unmoving. George pushed himself away from the wall, easily ignoring the way Tommy flinched at the movement, and jutted his chin toward the stairs. "It's quieter upstairs. And I'm sure you'll appreciate being able to get away from all of these Dream haters anyway, am I right?" He joked.

Tommy didn't seem to find him very funny, but he did seem to agree, because he reluctantly shouldered himself away from the wall and took a step after him, Fran following at his heels.

"He's going to come for me," the boy warned. "Soon."

"I know," George responded airily, leading him up the stairs. He'd be pretty disappointed if Dream didn't, to be honest, with the way Tommy was hyping him up. That wasn't to say he was looking forward to it, not by a long shot, but… "We'll figure it out, I guess. It's a lot to take in."

Tommy sighed through his teeth. "I just want to go home."

"I know." George softened despite himself, glancing back at the teen. "I'm sorry."

Tommy didn't respond. His gaze flickered, eyes focusing on George's face, and his eyebrows furrowed slightly as he looked up at the man - but he didn't say anything. They reached the top of the stairs and George guided him down the hall, quickly finding Sapnap's old room. It had been a long time since Sapnap had stayed the night, and the man usually just ended up crashing on the couch when he did. The room had gone untouched since he, Quackity and Karl had gotten married. Opening the door, George took a moment to look around, scanning the room. There was a window, but to be honest, if Tommy was desperate enough to escape and get back to Dream by jumping out of a two-story window, then there was no keeping him here.

Still, considering he was in charge of the whole babysitting thing right now, George figured it would be best for his reputation to not, uh… lose the kid within the first hour, despite however he might feel about the situation. So, he entered the room first, taking the time to make sure the window was locked and draw the blinds and curtains. He'd stay, at least until Tommy fell asleep.

"I'm not tired," Tommy growled, but he did sink back onto the bed. Fran, of course, loyal as ever, was staying right at his side, hopping up and curling up beside him overtop of the blankets.

"That's fine." George took a seat on the enderchest, crossing his legs. It was a lie, the man mused, because Tommy still looked dead on his feet and George wasn't expecting him to last very long, as stubborn as he was. Now that they were away from the noise and the drama and everyone else Tommy clearly wasn't comfortable around, George was certain that Tommy would be feeling his own exhaustion soon enough. "You don't have to sleep. You…" He swept his gaze around the room, over bookshelves and books Sapnap had left behind when he'd moved out. "Can read, or something. Or we could talk. Where'd you get that hoodie, man? Dream, right?"

Tommy didn't answer for a few seconds. "He made it for me."

"It suits you," George offered. "You look a bit like him."

Tommy's lips quirked upwards at the corners at that, a genuine, fond smile appearing on his face. It didn't last long before he remembered where he was and who he was talking to, but the brief reaction alone only solidified what George was already certain of since the boy walked in.

It was going to be hard to keep them apart.

And George couldn't tell, at this point, who he was rooting for anymore.

Chapter Text

"So you lost him, again? Shit, man. Maybe it's a sign."

"Shut up," Dream snapped. He had taken to pacing, and he couldn't seem to stop. Back and forth, back and forth across the living room floor while Punz stood in the doorway, a neutral yet somehow amused expression written across their face. Toying with the necklace hanging around their neck, they seemed to regard Dream more or less indifferently. Dream understood, they didn't want anything to do with him after last time and he didn't really care. But he'd offered to pay double and he'd happily follow through if it meant getting Tommy back, and Punz clearly didn't have any objections - because they were still there, even after Dream had explained the situation. That was one thing he liked about them, the fact that any morals they might have could so easily be brushed to the side if he just waved a couple stacks of diamonds in their face.

Punz tilted their head and offered a crooked grin in response, and Dream loathed how much they looked like Tommy in that moment - at least, pre-tower Tommy, anyway. "I'm just saying."

"Well, don't." Dream took a deep breath, turning to face them. "I can trust you, right?"

A moment of silence followed. Punz offered a one-shouldered shrug. "If you pay me enough."

"I will pay you more than enough if you help me get Tommy back and destroy them," Dream growled, nails digging at his gloves as he turned to keep pacing. If he wasn't wearing them right now, he'd be tearing his palms to shreds. He felt sick, he felt dizzy, he felt blind with anger and he couldn't do anything about it, not yet. He wasn't prepared to do anything about it. Finding Tommy wasn't the problem, but getting him back safely without risking any harm coming to either of them - Tommy being the biggest concern - was going to be difficult. And getting Tommy back in time, before they could poison his mind, before the blond could regress, was an issue.

"I mean, I'll help you get Tommy back. You're going to have to pay me a little extra if you want me to kill someone," Punz commented, tilting their head to the side and giving a lopsided smile. Dream wished his mind would stop comparing them to Tommy, wished he could stop seeing the boy's blond hair and blue eyes and toothy grin for just one second, just long enough to think. "And I thought you were going to make a compass or some shit, like Tubbo had, so that whole incident didn't happen again." Punz let out a long, drawn-out sigh. "I thought we were past this."

"I made the compass," Dream groaned, pushing his hair back. "I made the compass. That's not the problem, I could find him easily, the problem is getting him back from them without dying."

"You could stand to die once more."

"I don't want to die at all," Dream hissed, whirling on them. "Are you going to take this seriously or not? Because this is serious and I need-" He stopped himself before the words could slip out, but they both knew what he was going to say. And they both knew it didn't matter. Punz didn't care if he needed their help - they only cared about whether or not he could afford it. Dream took a deep breath and tilted his head back, rethinking his words before he spoke. "I need to get this done, and you're the only one I trust enough to help me. I'll pay you half now and the rest later. When we get there, I just need…" He trailed off, eyes narrowing. "I don't know. I need a distraction, or something, so I can get Tommy out safely, and then we can figure out the rest."

"Sure, man, whatever." Punz sighed, dropping their hand from the necklace. "Who all is it?"

"I don't know…" Dream muttered, narrowing his eyes. "I don't know who all is involved." Right now, he was just kind of assuming that everyone was. "Niki, Tubbo, Sam, Quackity, Sapnap probably, Karl… Fundy's taken care of." He ducked his head, running his hands through his hair. He really couldn't think, he just needed to think. He hadn't felt this… panicked since… since…

He pushed the thought aside quickly, shaking his head and turning his attention back to Punz, who was wearing a contemplative expression, eyebrows furrowed. "It doesn't matter who all is involved right now. I'll figure out what to do about them when I know that Tommy's safe with me."

"Safe with you," Punz echoed, and bit back whatever they were going to say. Which was smart, because Dream was pissed and panicked and he had his axe and he was not in the mood. "Well, if I'm just causing a distraction then there's no need for me to gear up, right? No explosives or anything? Like I said, if you want me to hurt or kill somebody you're gonna need to pay me extra straight up, you know that." They turned their head to the side, pressing a hand against their jaw to crack their neck. Dream grimaced, rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

"Sure, fine. I don't care about the money, Punz, I just want to get Tommy back." He paused, narrowing his eyes slightly. "But… let's put a pin in those explosives, they might come in handy."

Punz let out a noncommittal hum. "Sure. So you don't know where he is yet, or…?"

"No." He'd avoided checking the compass, simply because he knew the second he did he was going to take off in that direction without a second thought. He'd go in unprepared, axe swinging, and he knew he needed to think things through this time. He couldn't afford to be reckless, Ranboo had proven that to him last time. And this was more than just a pissed off enderman hybrid; this was several pissed off people he knew for a fact wanted his head on a platter, and Dream wasn't about to march in there by himself. At least with Punz he knew he'd have the element of surprise, and the ability to just grab Tommy and bolt the second he could. And he wasn't going to bullshit Punz about that either, they knew they were just the distraction and a little extra insurance. "I need to get… I don't know, I need to gear up first, before we go."

"You said Sapnap's involved, right?" Punz questioned, eyes flickering. "Sapnap, Quackity and Karl… Sam - Tubbo's not surprising - Niki, and what the hell happened to Fundy? Actually, nevermind, I don't want to know," they added quickly, eyeing the blood splatters on the collar of Dream's shirt, and the man scowled, taking a few steps back and turning to continue pacing. "We could go in with smoke bombs or something, cause a ruckus. As for Tommy…"

"I'll take care of Tommy." Dream lifted a hand, dragging it over his mask. "It's not like last time."

So you think, the mask taunted.

"He didn't go willingly," Dream continued, ignoring the voice. He turned his head in Punz's direction, picking at his gloves. "He's probably just as desperate to get away from them as I am to get him away from them." At least, he hoped so, because if not it would make everything ten times harder. Yesterday, when they'd prepared to go into L'Manberg, Dream almost thought he wouldn't care if the blond regressed a little. That it would be fun, even, to see some of his fire come back. But he didn't want that. He wanted things to be exactly how they were last night; he wanted Tommy to want him, and to keep wanting him, despite whoever else might be around. "Goddamn…" He damn near shuddered, pressing his hand over the mask again. Both hands were shaking, he was shaking, but this time he could just- feel the panic tightening in his chest.

"Dream." Punz's head lifted upright again, blue eyes regarding him with something akin to curiosity now, intrigue. Dream didn't quite look at them yet, grimacing. "Dream, you're scared."

Was that what this was? He knew panic, he knew it like the back of his hand, but fear? Dream couldn't remember the last time he'd felt true fear. It was an… uncomfortable feeling, to say the least. One he couldn't even be sure at the moment was fear. He decided to ignore the comment for now, pacing back and forth for a few moments longer as he tried to force his thoughts to slow to an acceptable pace, desperately trying to appease the whirlwind in his mind. "I have to get my stuff," he finally mumbled, forcing himself to stop. "If you have anything you need to get then go get it now, because I'm getting Tommy back tonight, whatever the hell happens," he hissed.

Punz ran their tongue over their lips and offered a lazy smile. "Money, Dream."

"I'll get your money, too." Dream took a deep breath and brushed past them, scowling. Punz turned their head to watch him go, but only offered a soft hum of acknowledgement. He ignored the cheerful 'goodbye' that was called after him as he slipped down the hall, and drowned out the sound of the front door opening and closing with his own bedroom door, practically slamming it shut behind him as he entered and immediately sinking back against it with a sigh.

L'Manberg was a mistake. One Dream regretted, somehow, even more than he regretted blowing up Logstedshire in the moments after he first laid eyes on the tower. It had shaken him to his core, thoughts of was it really that bad? and what the fuck have I done whirling like thunder and lightning around his head. There wasn't any guilt involved that time, though, not really; shock and confusion and anger and regret, but no guilt. He couldn't remember the last time he felt guilty - he wondered, for a moment, if that was what he was feeling now. Last night had already left him reeling, Tommy curled up in his arms and shaking and terrified and sobbing over a nightmare in which Dream had left him. And yes, Dream hadn't left him, wouldn't ever leave him, but he still couldn't help but imagine how terrified the boy must be now regardless - and the pinch of guilt that came with it for even daring to leave the house made his chest ache.

So this is it. The mask's voice made him flinch, straightening up from the wall at once and biting back a grimace at the instinctive reaction. This is what you're doing with your life. You could have been a singer, Dream. A soft, disappointed sigh echoed through his ears. Now look at you.

Dream clenched his teeth and scowled, pulling the mask off and tossing it onto the bed silently. Even so, it continued to taunt him. Aw, c'mon. Thought you liked my jokes. Just trying to help.

"Help," Dream echoed. "When have you ever helped me?"

When have I ever not? The mask quipped. I give you advice, you don't take it, shit goes horribly wrong. That's our thing. Maybe I don't 'help' you, per se, but you can't say I don't try, can you? The mask laughed, and Dream clenched his teeth until they ached, running his fingers through his hair and covering his ears as if that could block out the sound. See, now you're just being dramatic. You wanna know why you're so scared right now, Dream? Why your heart is beating out of your chest? You know they're not going to hurt Tommy, you know that as well as I do. That's what you're afraid of, isn't it? That now that he's got something better, he won't want you. And he'll see exactly what a shitty situation he's in, and now he'll see that he has a way out.

"Why are you doing this?!" Dream pushed himself away from the door, pulling his hands away from his ears and clenching them into fists, despite knowing there was nothing he could do. It wasn't like he could beat the mask into silence. Unless he broke the damn thing, it wouldn't shut up, and even then it wasn't guaranteed peace, either. "Why, why can't you just leave me alone?"

Oh, I'm sorry, the mask purred, not sounding sorry at all. Are you feeling attacked? Guilty, even?

"Shut up," Dream warned, sweeping his gaze around the room frantically. Just ignore it, just ignore it, just ignore it. His eyes focused on the enderchest beside his bed, and he wasted no time making his way over, kneeling down to open it. Thankfully, the mask fell silent, if only for the moment, while Dream sorted through his things. He already had his weapons and armor on him, and some enderpearls. He grabbed an extra stack anyway, emptying half of the potions inside into his inventory. Healing, regen - golden apples were good, he grabbed a few of those.

So what are you going to do if Tommy doesn't want to come back with you, Dream? The mask's voice was quieter now, the question almost genuine. Drag him back and beat him half to death, just like last time? I guess that'll really get the point across to him that he's 'safe with you', right?

Dream huffed out a dry laugh, pushing himself up and closing the chest harshly. "Go to hell."

Maybe I'll follow you there, the mask mused. Not like I can die, but I'd sure enjoy getting under your skin in the afterlife. You know, it's- oops, spoiler alert. I think you'd enjoy yours, though.

Dream tipped his head back, resigned, and slowly flicked his gaze back to the mask. "Why are you doing this?" He repeated, begrudgingly turning to face the bed. "It's been radio silence on your end for months. I thought maybe I'd finally gotten rid of you, that I didn't have you- hanging over my head anymore, screaming in my ear anymore, and then the second I fuck up you're right back here to make everything worse. Why me, huh? Seriously, what's your deal with me?"

You're my most loyal follower, the mask replied sarcastically. And you piss me off. And when I say you piss me off, Dream, I don't just mean you make me angry. I mean in hundreds upon thousands upon millions and billions of years I have never, ever, come across a human who has been able to invoke the same kind of blind rage in me that you do. You piss me off, Dream.

"Then leave me alone," Dream hissed. "Just leave me alone, Prime, for fuck's sake."

But then I wouldn't be able to see you get your feet knocked out from underneath you, the mask mused. And there isn't anywhere else I can go, Dreamboat. I'm bound to you, you're bound to me, you know how it works. Better me than XD, though, right? Like, whoo, you think I'm bad…

"XD's the only one who fucking listens to me," Dream muttered, pressing his hands into his eyes. "You are just…" Exhausting. This was exhausting. The back-and-forth, the headache it gave him, every time, without fail. And the worst part was that he couldn't do anything about this. He couldn't silence the mask, couldn't make him shut up. A few seconds of peace, at best, and then they were right back to this. He couldn't think like this, he couldn't focus on doing what he needed to do and getting Tommy back - and a big part of him wondered if that was the point.

If you feel this way about me, imagine how Tommy feels about you.

And that was the last straw. Dream dragged his hands down his face and surged forward, snatching the mask off the bed and turning toward the enderchest without giving himself a chance to think about what he was doing. He didn't need this, he didn't need the mask screaming in his ear. A year of silence had made him far too comfortable; he didn't know how to ignore him anymore, he didn't know how to block out the words and the voice and all of it again.

Really? The mask sounded surprised, huffing out a quiet laugh. Oh my me, look who's getting confident. I'm almost proud. You're not really going to leave me in here all day. Come on. You really want them to see your face? He froze, fingers twitching, hand inches away from the chest. Is it worth that much just to get rid of me for a few hours? Dream… The mask chuckled, sighing.

"I just need to think," Dream growled, pushing the chest open. "And you're not helping."

See you in an hour, the mask hummed. I'll be waiting.

"Don't hold your breath, Prime."

Don't need to breathe, Dream. I can hold it for as long as I need to.

He didn't dignify that with a response, not that he had one. Doubts lingered in the darkest corners of his mind, glowering down at the mask. He was right, he was always right, but Dream just couldn't take his taunting right now. Not today. Not with everything else that was going on. Scowling, he dropped the mask in and slammed the chest shut, breathing out a soft sigh when the static and noise and voices in his head petered out to the silence he had gotten used to.

Dangerously used to, he mused to himself as he heaved himself back to his feet, brushing his hair back and turning away to open another chest. This was fine. This was fine, it would be fine.

So what are you going to do if Tommy doesn't want to come back with you?

The axe in his inventory was the answer to that question.

For once, Dream hoped he wouldn't have to use it.

Chapter Text

Sam was starting to worry.

It wasn't like Fundy to not respond to a message - even if he was busy, he always took the time to stop and reply, if only to assure him that he was okay. The fox hybrid knew there had been too many disappearances, too many missing people lately, not to check in every now and then. And especially today, when everyone was tense and Sam was sure Dream had to know Tommy was missing by now, he had to be livid by now, the creeper hybrid couldn't stifle the panic that rose when he went several minutes without a response. George said Fundy had just gone back to L'Manberg; he should be there by now, and it wasn't like he couldn't walk and text. He could call him, even, if he was that busy - but there was nothing. No reply. No calls. Not a single thing. Sam was trying to keep calm, to keep a level head, but panic was steadily seeping in. The day's previous events already had him on edge, and he didn't want this to be what tipped him over.

"Still nothing?" Sapnap asked quietly, leaning back against the wall. They'd locked themselves in the study for the time being, after reassuring each other that George had the Tommy situation handled for the most part. Sam personally didn't doubt that he'd be able to at least keep Tommy there, but he still couldn't help but worry about how they'd interact. Tommy didn't seem particularly fond of any of them, but Sapnap and George, specifically, he seemed… furious with.

"Radio silence. Something's wrong," Sam mumbled, backing out of his messages with Fundy and finding Niki's contact on his communicator instead, shooting her a quick message asking if she'd heard from Fundy. Not expecting a response right away, he turned his attention back to Sapnap; the younger man wasn't looking too well, and Sam was wondering if he should go ahead and send him and Quackity home for the time being, let them get some rest and regroup to figure out a more… planned-out plan later. Before he had the chance to spit a word out, however, his communicator buzzed and sang its familiar tune; he answered Niki's call quickly.

"Sam, Sam he's not here and I can't reach him on his comm and he said he was coming home and that's the last I've heard from him and he's not answering my calls-" She sounded close to tears - no, she sounded, honestly, like she'd already been crying. Sam's heart sank, ears flat.

"Dream," he whispered. "Fuck."

Niki let out a muffled sob over the comm, and Sapnap pushed himself away from the wall at once, alarmed. Sam couldn't remember the last time she'd sounded so broken no, that was a lie, he remembered, he remembered it wasn't long after Puffy had disappeared and she'd showed up at his door with tears streaming down her face- Sam shuddered, shaking his head furiously and forcing himself to focus. "I can't lose him, I ca- I can't, I can't lose him too, Sam, I can't, I've already lost-" He heard her swallow, choking on her tears and gasping for air between sobs, and his ears pressed tighter against his head as he listened. "Sam, I can't, he only has t-"

"I know," Sam interrupted, tightening his grip on the communicator and lifting his gaze to the ceiling in a silent plea to any God who was listening that Fundy was okay. "I know, Niki, I know."

"Nik, listen to me, okay? I'm sure he's fine," Sapnap cut in, shuffling closer. Sam held the communicator up a bit so he could talk into it without leaning over. "And we'll- we'll figure it out, yeah? It's just another thing to add to the list, we've got this. Now, I'm sure Dream wouldn't have-" He didn't finish that, and Sam couldn't bite back a grimace. He wasn't sure about that himself, but he didn't even want to think about the possibility of Fundy being dead. He took a deep breath and turned his head away, and Sapnap ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the strings of his bandana. "Shit… fuck, man, we get Tommy back and we fucking lose Fundy, this isn't-" He stopped, taking a deep breath and turning away to pace back to the other side of the room. Sam shook his head, shuffling over to his desk and kicking his chair out so he could sit.

"Wh-" Niki sputtered, voice cracking as she asked, "wait, wait, you have Tommy? Is he alright?"

"He's…" Sam sank back into the chair, ears drooping. "He's, uh… he's pretty pissed off, for starters. He keeps saying he wants to go back to Dream, and go home, and that Dream's gonna come for him and…" The creeper hybrid waved a hand, pulling his goggles off and pressing the back of his hand over his eyes with a grimace. "But he's here, yeah. And he's safe, so, I mean."

Niki took a deep, shuddery breath, silent for a moment. "I- I'll head over in the morning, I'm sure he's overwhelmed right now. Just… give him some space and time to think, he's not thinking clearly. I'll bring some treats, and…" She trailed off, once again falling silent, and Sam squeezed his eyes shut. He could imagine how badly she must be hurting right now, the pain and fear. His hands were shaking - he was pretty damn terrified, himself. Fuck, he should've checked in sooner, should've done something, said something, how hadn't he noticed Fundy was gone the second he walked through the door? He shouldn't have left him there in the first place, he should have made sure he'd gotten home safely before they even set out to head to Logstedshire, dammit. He was supposed to watch the kid. "Sam, I'm really sorry but I have to-"

"Go, go," Sam said softly, pressing the heel of his hand into his eye and propping his elbow up against the desk. They both knew there wasn't anything they could do about Fundy right then, but it didn't quell the desire to do something. The sooner they took Dream down, the better. They certainly couldn't kill him now, though, he mused. Not until they knew for sure what happened to Fundy… and maybe figure out what happened to the others. But he wasn't going to write this off as another death. Not yet. "Call me if you need me, alright? Niki, I'm so sorry."

"You don't have anything to be sorry for, Sam," Niki breathed, letting out a shuddery sigh. "And same goes for you, call me if you need anything. I'll be over there first thing tomorrow morning."

"Stay safe."

"You, too."

Sam let her end the call first, and immediately switched back to his messages with Fundy. His hands trembled as he tapped them against the keyboard, despite knowing it was fruitless; he just needed to know, just needed to know for sure. Maybe it was a misunderstanding. Maybe Fundy hadn't gotten any sleep the night before and passed out somewhere. Maybe Dream was stupid enough to leave his communicator on him, maybe, maybe, maybe, he didn't know, but he couldn't just sit here and do nothing. He was so fucking tired of sitting there and doing nothing. Every day, every disappearance, he just kept going. Kept pushing forward. But he couldn't push through this. Not Fundy. Fundy, please, we need to know that you're okay. Please respond.

"This is bad," Sapnap mumbled, making his way over to the desk after a moment - only to turn and continue pacing back and forth between it and the door. Sam set his communicator down, keeping his eyes on the screen for a second. "This is really bad. If Dream has him, then he- he might try to use him as a bargaining chip to get Tommy back, and-" The younger man inhaled through his teeth, falling silent, and Sam just narrowed his eyes. He couldn't picture anyone here falling for that trick. Even if Dream was a person of his word - which Sam knew for a fact that he wasn't - there wasn't any way in hell they'd trade one person for another. No, they'd find a way to get them both back safely. Sam would make sure of that, if nothing else. He had to. "God, fuck, this is bad. This is…" Sapnap ducked his head, pressing his hands into his eyes. "I can't believe he's doing this, I just- I can't- I can't wrap my mind around it, you know? I just…"

"Come sit down," Sam prodded gently. "You're not doing yourself any good pacing and stressing like this. We need to focus." He was one to talk, he knew, his mind was running at a thousand miles per hour right now and it wasn't showing any sign of stopping any time soon. Sapnap paced back over to him, but it wasn't long before he was heading back for the door again. Sam sighed, watching him, but he didn't bother trying to call him back. "We'll figure it out, alright? I know this has to be hard for you, too, I mean… Dream was your friend," he murmured, sighing.

"I just-" Sapnap groaned, walking back over to the desk. He lingered beside one of the empty chairs, but he didn't sit down yet. "I knew he was a little fucked in the head after the whole exile thing, that was- that was pretty bad." The man faltered, shaking his head. "But I didn't think he'd go this far! Shit, I didn't think he'd actually resort to- to fucking abduction and kidnapping and-"

"What he did to Tommy was basically kidnapping," Sam said begrudgingly. "I know, Sapnap. I trusted him, too." And he had, he really had, once upon a time. The whole… thing with the prison had put him off, especially with the way Dream had wanted to run it. He grimaced at the thought, squeezing his eyes shut and shaking his head. The prison. Right. He hadn't had a chance yet to go check that out, he really needed to do that. He just didn't feel comfortable leaving Tommy here, even with everyone else there. He'd be horrified if something happened while he was gone, and he'd never let himself hear the end of it. "We need to focus," he repeated himself after a few moments, taking a deep breath and forcing his eyes open. "Tommy kept saying Dream was going to come for him, right? We need to prepare for that, then. You know him a little better than I do." He looked up at Sapnap, falling silent, but the request was clear. Maybe this would get Sapnap's head back on the right track. He knew this was difficult, for all of them, but they really needed to focus on the task at hand. It was no time to panic. Not yet.

"Right." Sapnap finally moved to take a seat, bouncing his leg as he did. "I mean, it's Dream, you know, he wouldn't- he wouldn't be stupid enough to just walk in. Uh, he'd wait, he'd definitely wait a while, try and catch us off guard maybe- he'd have Punz with him if he can, which he probably definitely can, he never seems to run out of money to pay them, and, um-"

"Slow down," Sam soothed. "Take a breath, it's okay."

"I haven't seen him since-" Sapnap shook his head, tucking his chin to his chest with a scowl. "Since he told us he didn't want to see us again. He- he said he'd kill us if he saw us again, Sam, I- fuck, this is too much, it's too fucking much," he hissed, covering his mouth with a groan.

Sam remembered that day. It was months ago, almost a year. He didn't know the specifics, and hadn't asked for them. He just knew both men had shown up distressed, George close to tears and Sapnap trembling in a mixture of rage and shock, mumbling about Dream being an asshole and how the fuck could he do this? The incident was referred to as 'the fight' ever since, and neither of them really spoke about Dream afterwards. Sam didn't know what happened, but he knew it was bad. This was the first he'd heard about what, exactly, had happened during the fight except for, obviously, the general consensus that Dream wasn't friends with them anymore.

"And he had the nerve to greet me like- like we were fucking…" Sapnap growled, pressing his hands over his ears. Sam fell silent, watching him carefully. He wasn't sure what to say; he knew nothing he said would make this better, so he simply decided for the moment the best thing he could do was just stay silent and let him work it out himself. He was sure of one thing, though, they could all use some sleep when they got the chance, Sapnap especially. They all deserved a good, long rest to clear their heads. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, man. I just, it's so much…"

"I know. Listen…" Sam started, but he cut himself off quickly. Someone was knocking on the door - George, judging by how soft it was. Sam heaved himself up at once, moving to unlock it.

"Tommy's sleeping! Today I won," George declared as soon as he opened the door, brushing past him immediately to walk inside. He was followed by Quackity, who was rubbing at his eyes, looking awfully distressed. Sam furrowed his eyebrows, peeking out into the hall and turning to face them after a few moments, leaving the door open. "Listen, I need to talk to you guys. I don't know what the hell happened when you went to Log-head or whatever it's called, but I don't think that-"

"Techno's coming back," Quackity cut in, voice wavering.

Sapnap raised his head, brushing his hair back. "Dream's probably got Fundy."

George blinked at that, immediately swiveling around to face Sapnap. "Sorry, what?"

"What do you mean Techno's coming back?" Sam blurted out before he could stop himself, alarmed. Quackity offered a helpless look - but then Sapnap's words seemed to register, because it wasn't long before he whirled on his husband in shock, and the room was quickly filled with three very loud adults frantically trying to talk over each other to figure out what the fuck was going on. Sam managed to shut the door after a moment, not wanting to wake Tommy, and made his way back to his desk to grab his communicator. He'd leave them to that, then. He flicked his gaze down to the screen as he turned to head back to the door, and instantly froze.

A message from Fundy had popped up.

You fucked up.

Chapter Text

As soon as George left the room, Tommy let his eyes flutter open, staring up at the ceiling.

Exhaustion weighed heavy on his aching muscles, but his mind wouldn't allow him to rest - not that he wanted to, no. Honestly, the only reason he'd laid down in the first place was because George was trying to coax him into a conversation, and Tommy wasn't having any of that. He didn't know what to make of the things the man was saying, and he wasn't sure he cared enough to try to figure him out at the moment. He did know, however, that he wasn't going to let himself be manipulated by these people. He certainly wasn't going to fall for the words of someone he hated with every fiber of his being; George may have been one of Dream's best friends way back when, but there was only room for one best friend in Dream's life and Tommy wasn't about to give George the chance to worm his way back in. He wanted nothing to do with the man, he wanted Dream to have nothing to do with the man, and he just wanted to go home.

The door was closed, probably to make sure they could hear him if he tried to leave. Tommy didn't push himself to sit up yet, slowly turning his head to flick his gaze around the room silently. It was… big, bigger than he was used to. This whole room was bigger than the living room in the cabin, actually. And this was supposed to be a bedroom? The blond furrowed his eyebrows, eyes carefully scanning every inch. He wondered what Dream's room looked like, to be completely honest. He'd seen it before, obviously, when he'd built the cabin - but he hadn't seen it since… not for a long time. A few times, right after Dream moved in, Tommy would allow himself to peek in occasionally when the man was gone, but he'd never ventured inside or anything. And obviously it had been a long time since then, since he'd willingly broken a rule.

After a moment, Tommy hesitantly pushed himself to sit up. He wondered if they could hear the bed creaking from downstairs, if they'd be able to hear him walk across the floor. Dream could always hear him when he got up in the middle of the night, early on after the cabin was built when his room felt too small and suffocating and he needed to get out. That was part of the reason the walls were replaced with obsidian later on, Tommy recalled. Dream always thought he was trying to leave when he caught him in the middle of the night, and after the… the tower incident, he didn't hold back on his punishments, even when Tommy genuinely wasn't doing anything. Truth be told, Tommy couldn't remember the last time he'd actually wanted to get out.

Wrapping his arms around himself, he wondered what Dream was thinking now. Surely he had to know he was gone by now, he'd promised he'd be home soon, before noon. Tommy didn't know what time it was, but he knew enough had passed. For a moment - just a moment - a prickle of fear skittered up his spine. He wanted Dream to come for him, but what if Dream thought he'd gone with them willingly? What if he was upset with him, what if he didn't think he'd fought hard enough to get away, what if he took his anger out on Tommy anyway when everything was said and done? He shuddered at the thought, digging his fingers into his hoodie.

He remembered the last time he tried to leave, if only vaguely. He didn't remember the actual leaving part. He remembered explosions, and the tower, and then everything kind of faded out a bit - and then he remembered snow and blood and tears, memories of blurred people he couldn't make out, and he remembered Dream. He remembered Dream dragging him back to the ruined remains of Logstedshire, hitting and kicking and screaming at him with every step. He remembered curling up on the ground and taking the blows, unable to fight and too tired and hurt to scream. He remembered falling unconscious and waking up to Dream's hand in his hair, nails digging into his scalp as the man ripped him away from the ground and pulled him forcefully to his feet and told him if he didn't fix this place up by the time Dream got back that he would regret it. That was the last time Tommy tried to leave. His feet remained firmly planted in Logstedshire after that, and didn't move an inch further than they were supposed to. That was it.

Tommy's hands trembled at the memory, running his fingers through his hair and ducking his head into his hands. It wouldn't be like that this time, he soothed himself. It wouldn't, because Tommy was being good. Tommy wouldn't fight him this time, he'd go back with him willingly - he'd go anywhere Dream wanted him to go willingly. Not even out of fear; he wanted to go back. And he'd make that clear. He'd make that as clear as he could, and everything would be okay.

And if Dream still took his anger out on him, if he still decided to punish him afterwards, well… then… Tommy must deserve it. Maybe he didn't fight hard enough. Maybe he could've done better. And he would do better, Dream just needed to let him know what he was doing wrong so he could fix it. That was how it worked, after all; the rules were never set out for him, that was how it always was. He'd gotten good at figuring out what he could and couldn't do, what would piss Dream off and what would make him happy, but maybe there were still things he needed to learn. And it was fine. Whatever kept Dream happy, whatever ensured Dream still wanted him. Tommy took a deep breath, steadying himself, and rubbed his arm over his face with a frown.

Every second that passed, he ached more and more to be in Dream's arms again. He didn't even care how much pain he had to go through to get there, whatever punishment he had to endure. All that mattered in the end was him getting back to Dream. The teen shivered and grimaced, curling his shoulders forward and hunching forward. He just… ached. Every inch of him ached. It was an awful, burning pain that he felt deep in his bones, and his gut, and his heart and his soul, a pain he couldn't shake. There was fear, too, so much fear he couldn't stand it. He wasn't worried about whether or not Dream would come for him, because of course he would, Tommy knew he would, he would always come for him, he wouldn't just leave him alone - but he was worried about the others. What would they do? They'd put up a fight, Tommy knew that much. They were all so angry with Dream, even though none of them had the right to be.

It was the thought of them hurting Dream that Tommy couldn't stand. Because if Dream was hurt, all bets were off. It wasn't like Tommy could fight them, he didn't have anything to fight with.

His gaze flicked toward the enderchest beside the bed, staring at the particles floating around it.

Unless…?

Tommy couldn't remember the last time he opened an enderchest. The one in the living room was off limits, and Tommy hadn't been brave enough after the incident to break any big rules. He wasn't allowed to have armor and weapons, period. More importantly, he didn't need them; Dream kept them safe from any monsters that wandered in from the forest, so there really wasn't any point in having weapons when there wasn't anyone to fight. The blond frowned, flicking his gaze around the room and focusing on the enderchest again. He didn't even know if he did have anything inside, but was it worth checking? Breaking a rule, if only for Dream's benefit? If he could fight back, even just a little, just enough, then maybe he could keep some of the heat off of Dream. Maybe they'd see once and for all that Tommy didn't need their help - if help was even what they were trying to offer - and leave them alone. Whatever happened, Tommy wanted to be at Dream's side in the end. Shouldn't he be able to fight for that? For him?

Dream would fight for him. Dream would fight with all he had to get him back. There was no reason - absolutely none - Tommy shouldn't fight just as hard to get back to him, right? Dream had carried his weight for so long, and so willingly too. And of course, Tommy knew the man didn't mind. He knew Dream liked how dependent Tommy was on him, and… truth be told, the more he thought about it, Tommy didn't really mind it either. He liked knowing he could depend on Dream, he liked knowing that as long as he was with the man, he was good, he was safe. Dream made him better. He shouldn't have to fight this battle on his own. Tommy wanted to fight, too. The surge of confidence was so sudden, so odd, but it was enough to bring some strength to his trembling muscles as he heaved himself up off the bed, standing up carefully.

Behind him, the dog - Fran - shifted onto her side, looking up at him lazily and thumping her tail against the wall when he looked back at her. Anxiously, Tommy allowed his gaze to slip toward the door, staying still and silent and praying that nobody could hear. Maybe they were too busy planning. After a few minutes without incident, Tommy allowed himself to relax, taking tentative steps toward the enderchest and slowly kneeling down in front of it, hands hovering over the lath. His fingers trembled, apprehension fogging his mind with doubt, but he opened it anyway. There was no time for hesitation. Dream needed him to be strong right now, to take action.

He took a breath, steeling himself, and peered into the enderchest. Honestly, he wasn't sure what he was expecting. Once again, he couldn't remember the last time he looked into an enderchest, he couldn't remember the last thing he had put inside. He wasn't expecting weapons, he wasn't expecting anything really useful, but dammit, he knew he needed to try.

So naturally, he startled at the sight of the netherite pickaxe resting inside, the axe beside it. Potions, so many potions. Potions of healing, regeneration. Splash potions of weakness and harming. Enderpearls and golden apples and- and… what? He had to doublecheck to make sure this was actually an enderchest, to be honest. He couldn't fathom what he was seeing. How had he had all of this the whole time? Why did he have this to begin with? And more importantly, did Dream know about all of this? Tommy highly doubted it, because there was no way Dream would have let him keep any of this shit. Not netherite, no fucking way. Just… how? How and why? His hands twitched, resting gingerly against the edge of the chest as he stared inside. The pickaxe and axe were enchanted, he noted numbly. The axe looked like Dream's…

Anxiety twisted his stomach into knots, but he reached out regardless, carefully pulling the axe from the chest first. It felt heavy, hands aching as he wrapped his fingers around it and sat back on his knees. He could feel the enchantments buzzing underneath his fingers, but he couldn't make them out - it had been so long since he'd held a weapon, much less an enchanted one. And yet, as he shifted his grip, his hands seemed to fall into place naturally to hold it, muscle memory and instinct taking hold. Tenderly, he turned it over in his hands, studying the blade.

Axe of Ender was imprinted in tiny letters across the eye of the axe. Tommy furrowed his eyebrows, pulling the weapon closer to himself. Wasn't this Ranboo's? He was sure it was…

The blond bit the inside of his cheek, hesitating, and sent the axe to his inventory.

Next, he pulled the pickaxe out, handling it with just as much care as the axe. This one, he searched for the inscription immediately. This one was labeled Pickboo. Definitely Ranboo's. Tommy felt cold, every inch of him was cold, hands shaking as he quickly sent the pickaxe to his inventory. So he'd had these the whole time and Dream didn't know. So if he used them, he'd have to explain where he got them from. He'd have to explain they'd been in his enderchest this whole time, he'd have to explain Ranboo must have given them to him, he'd have to explain why and he didn't have the answers to any of these questions. He was going to be in so much trouble. He wasn't supposed to hide things from Dream. He knew what happened when he did.

And even if he hadn't meant to, even if he didn't remember why or how the tools got there, how any of this got there, that wasn't any excuse. He'd known they were there at the time, hadn't he? And he hadn't said anything then. That would be Dream's logic. He was going to be so mad at him. And now that he knew they were there, he definitely couldn't hide them. He couldn't put them back and pretend they didn't exist. He'd have to take it. He'd have to use them, and take whatever punishment Dream decided to give him later. Terror took his breath away, panic clawing at his chest as he breathed in through his teeth and tried to force himself to refocus.

He'd apologize. He'd apologize profusely. Maybe Dream would go easy on him, considering the circumstances or maybe the circumstances would make the situation worse, maybe Dream would hurt him all over again and there was nobody, nobody at all to blame for it except himself.

Tommy breathed out shakily, breath shuddering through his teeth. He pulled the potions out, tucking them into his inventory, and hesitated briefly before grabbing the golden apples as well.

It took him a moment to pick himself up off the floor, moving back to the bed. He felt sick now, whatever adrenaline or excitement or courage that had surged up inside of him steadily dissolving as the situation set in. Dream was going to be so upset with him over this, he knew it. And he'd deserve it. But he didn't want Dream to be mad at him, not after all this. He was hoping for hugs and kindness and warmth and tenderness, but it wasn't looking like he was going to get that. He shuddered, trembling, and wrapped his arms around himself once again, fingers digging loosely into the sleeves of his hoodie. Fran heaved herself up a little to shuffle closer to him as he sat back on the bed, and pressed her head lightly against his leg; Tommy flinched a little at the contact, hesitantly resting a hand over the back of her neck after a second.

He couldn't tell you how long he sat there, staring at his hands and absently running his fingers through Fran's fur. Long enough that the light peeking in through the curtains began to dim, and Fran fell asleep at his side, curled up with her head halfway in his lap. Long enough that he could almost feel himself falling asleep, exhaustion tugging at his limbs, begging him to lie down. Sheer stubbornness kept his eyes stapled open, determined to wait for Dream to arrive.

The door opened abruptly and Tommy flinched, straightening up and looking up in alarm. Part of him expected, hoped it might be Dream, and he couldn't keep himself from deflating when Tubbo stepped through the doorway. Only to tense all over again, straightening right back up and staring at the goat hybrid with wide eyes. Fran, beside him, shifted slightly, her head moving to his knee, before falling still again with a soft huff; Tommy quickly withdrew his hand from the dog's head and pulled away completely, letting her head fall onto the bed and scooting back as far as he could from Tubbo as his former friend stepped further into the room, holding a plate.

Tubbo grimaced slightly at first, offering him what he seemed to think was a patient smile. Tommy didn't care. His eyes darted around the room, panicked, before focusing on Tubbo again, and he only tensed further when the goat hybrid ventured closer to the bed. "I'm… heading back to L'Manberg tonight, I've got some matters to attend to…" He trailed off, and when he didn't get a response from Tommy, cleared his throat and continued carefully, "but, ah- I'll be back in the morning. Sam wanted me to give this to you, he said you should probably eat."

Tommy set his jaw, glancing down at the plate. Steak, apple slices. His stomach ached, but he turned his gaze away regardless. As if he was going to take food from his captors. Yeah right.

"And…" Tubbo took a deep breath and stepped forward. "I wanted to give you this."

He extended his hand to Tommy, palm up and empty, and Tommy couldn't keep himself from flinching in time. Fear and wariness steadily dissolved into shock, however, as a familiar disc flickered to life in the boy's hand; he held it gingerly, even leaning forward when Tommy didn't reach out to take it. The blond could do little more than stare, heart aching at the familiar sight.

Mellohi…

"I wanted to give it to you yesterday, but…" Tubbo trailed off. Tommy just gazed at the disc, longing to take it. Upon realizing that he wasn't going to, Tubbo carefully set it beside the plate, offering another smile. To be honest, it was pretty… jarring. He was so cold yesterday, and so desperate and near hysterical earlier, before the others had shown up. There was something akin to resignation in his eyes now, Tommy wasn't sure what to make of it all. "I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?" The goat hybrid hesitated. "Tommy, I know… I know you're upset, but…"

His words were drowned out by the sound of a door slamming open, wood cracking, splintering. An uproar of voices, too many voices, floated upstairs to them; Tubbo whirled around at once, staring toward the doorway with wide eyes. Fran was on her paws and snarling, fur bristling.

Tommy felt a rush of calmness envelope him, the promise of safety and danger all at once.

"Dream," he whispered, a smile spreading across his face.

"TOMMY!"

Chapter Text

Dream's adrenaline was pumping at an all-time high, heart racing and limbs trembling as he slammed his axe through the wooden door - Sam's fucking door - and ripped it off its hinges.

Satisfaction quickly replaced some of the anger boiling through him, though rage still made his fingers tremble, shoulders shuddering as he pushed himself forward. Punz trailed after him, keeping close enough that the sword they were holding brushed lightly against Dream's shoulder as they squeezed in through the doorway. Dream slammed the axe downwards, breaking off the pieces of wood that the blade had stuck through, and lifted it back up just in time to aim the blade in Quackity's direction when the duck hybrid surged into the room from the hall. He was followed closely by a panicked-looking Sapnap, and Sam, who wasn't wearing his goggles; all three of them froze at the sight of him, as Dream drew his eyebrows together and scowled, flicking his gaze across the room before focusing on them, muscles quivering with fury.

Sam's eyes rested on him, and the fear that flashed through his eyes almost made him smile. Even Quackity looked put-off, staring at Dream with wide eyes as he took a few stumbling steps back. Sapnap didn't retreat; his eyes were wide, terror glittering through them as he stared, trading swift glances back and forth between Dream and Punz, who had stalled to a stop beside Dream, hefting the sword over their shoulder and offering a lazy smile to the other three.

"Punz?" Sapnap uttered quietly after a few seconds.

"Sorry, guys," Punz said, eyes glittering as they twirled the sword. "Gotta do what'cha gotta do."

Dream took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes. Quackity summoned his own axe from his inventory, and Sam followed suit, holding his sword tightly. Sapnap slowly drew his own axe, eyes flicking back and forth. They were terrified. Good, they should be terrified. "Where is he?"

Quackity scowled at him, eyes flashing. "Where's Fundy?"

"Where's Tommy," Dream growled, lifting his chin and meeting the duck hybrid's gaze steadily. He watched the feathers behind his ears prickle, bristling, and Quackity took a step closer to him. Dream twitched, grip tightening around his axe. He was fully prepared to give Quackity a blow-by-blow demonstration of what he did to Fundy, and pretty excited to do so, but he wasn't moving from his spot. Quackity was going to have to come to him before he started swinging.

"Look, man, I don't know who the fuck you think you are," Quackity spat, brandishing his axe. He held it in front of him, both hands wrapped around it, the blade angled at Dream's face. Dream's fingers twitched around the handle of his own, seething as he stared back at the hybrid. "But you've got no fucking right to just march in here and start demanding shit, alright? You know what the fuck you did, you know what the fuck you're doing to Tommy, and you really think you can come in here and wave your axe in our faces and we're just gonna hand him over? Fuck you, Dream. You want him so bad? You're going to have to go through us. All of us."

Dream's face twisted, fury returning, and Quackity's arms flinched slightly as he stared at the man - but, to his credit, he didn't move. Dream kept his gaze focused on the duck hybrid for a moment longer, sweeping his gaze around the room. Empty, aside from those three. They'd come from the hall, was Tommy back there too? Dream furrowed his eyebrows, scowling as he craned his neck to peer around them. "Tom- Tommy-!" He yelled, raising the axe to block a blow when Quackity finally lunged forward, slashing down at him. He reeled back at once, blades clashing as he deflected the blow, and sucked in a deep breath, yelling out as loud as he could as Quackity drew backwards and lifted his axe over his head, swinging down again. "TOMMY!"

He heard shuffling from upstairs, frantic footsteps and muffled shouts, the sound of a door slamming shut and yelling and he knew Tommy's voice better than anyone. Dream stepped back, catching a brief glimpse of Punz as they threw themself forward, slashing at Quackity and then at Sam and Sapnap when the other two quickly rushed to the duck hybrid's defense. Dream managed to tear himself away, stumbling backwards and making a beeline for the stairs. He made it halfway up, halfway to Tommy - before a familiar figure swung over the rail and landed in front of him, two firm hands gripping into the front of his hoodie and shoving him back.

Dream stared, stunned into silence for a moment as he gazed up at the person in front of him.

George gazed back down at him, no clear emotion in his eyes; the goggles made it hard to see them, but from this close, he knew from experience he should be able to see some emotion. There was none. The gaze that met his was cold and blank, the man's jaw set and lips thinned.

There weren't many times in his life Dream found himself genuinely speechless. Last night had been the first time in a long time, and now, as he stared at his ex-best friend, he found himself at a loss for words. Of all the people fighting against him today, Dream couldn't say he'd expected George to be among them. George didn't fight anyone. George was too… he was too… he was too neutral. And Dream had thought, given their history, he would stay as far away from this as possible. He had no reason to protect Tommy from him, not like the others did, right? Sapnap was only in it for Quackity, Dream was certain of that. And… maybe for a little revenge. Maybe. But George? Dream was stunned. Too stunned, at first, to react properly - but when he did, wrenching himself away from George's grip to grab onto the rail, his former friend's hands grabbed for his axe instead, gripping the handle and yanking Dream forward, up onto his toes.

"Don't be dumb," the man muttered. "You're cornering yourself. Wait."

Dream froze, furrowing his eyebrows and regarding him cautiously for a moment. It was true, going upstairs would be a mistake, but it was still one he was willing to make to get to Tommy.

George's gaze flicked up, focusing on something just behind him. It only took a second for Dream to catch a glimpse of Quackity reflected in the man's goggles, and he whirled around without thinking; George let him go, albeit with a soft huff, and Dream slammed his axe down onto Quackity's head without giving the duck hybrid a chance to register what was happening. The blade split through his helmet, but didn't go any further than that; Dream ripped the axe upwards again, tearing the helmet up with it, and spared one last glance over his shoulder - up the stairs, past George - before whirling around and lunging back down after Quackity, who had tumbled down the stairs and slammed against the wall, dazed and probably a little hurt from the impact. Still, to his credit, he managed to deflect Dream's first blow and fire back with his own.

He heard footsteps retreating up the stairs, glancing back to see George turning the corner and disappearing, but he was quick to turn his attention back to Quackity. He managed to land a few good blows, sticking the axe into the duck hybrid's shoulder a few good times and nearly hitting his throat. But Quackity was fighting back just as hard, and Dream's movements were frantic, sloppy at best. He didn't want to be doing this in the first place. He'd wanted to get to Tommy, to save the fighting for when it was necessary, to save it for later when the kid was back in his arms. His mind wouldn't stop whirling, and he couldn't keep his attention off the stairs, aching to pull away and take off running. He couldn't stop thinking, couldn't stop thinking about Tommy-

"Dream!"

More footsteps, someone running down the stairs, Tommy's voice reaching his ears and cutting off every sense of clarity, every thought screeching to a dead stop. Dream gritted his teeth, swinging his head around to look, desperate to catch a glimpse, to make sure he was okay - but he didn't get the chance, catching barely a glimpse before the blade of Quackity's axe glinted in front of his face and a sharp pain split through his eye. A choked yell broke through his lips, a hand gripping his throat and shoving him back onto the wall as the axe dug in further and furth-

"Quackity!" That was Tommy's voice, that was Tommy's voice- "Quackity, he's gonna die!"

Dream screamed, unable to think clearly past the pain in his eye. He swung the axe forward, forcing the eye that wasn't currently being dug into by Quackity's axe open, and shoved his free hand against the duck hybrid's chest, his own chest heaving as he fought to shove him away. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he could still hear Tommy yelling - someone else was yelling, too, though, and Dream couldn't quite make out the words but they sounded panicked-

"He's gonna die, Quackity-"

"QUACKITY STOP HE'S GONNA KILL HIM-"

"Quackity-!"

"What-?" Quackity breathed, craning his neck to look, and the pressure fell away almost immediately. Dream nearly crumbled to his knees then and there, legs trembling with the effort it took to keep himself upright, but he wasted no time in scrambling through his inventory for a healing potion while the duck hybrid was distracted. His hands trembled as he uncorked the bottle, tipping his head back and pouring the potion over his face. It stung, but the pain in his eye began to fade, ever so fucking slowly; just enough, though, for him to be able to focus, at least somewhat. With one hand pressed over his eye and the other still tightly gripping his axe, Dream forced his gaze up, eye flickering rapidly around the room as he searched for Tommy.

And there he was. Dream shook at the sight of him, numb with relief the second his gaze rested on the boy. It didn't quite register yet that his back was against the wall, that he had pulled Sapnap flush back against him with an axe pressed to his throat. Sam was hovering nearby with Punz beside him, their sword leveled at the creeper hybrid's throat. George was standing by the stairs, Tubbo was in the middle of the room, and Quackity had frozen in front of Dream. They were all wide-eyed with horror and fear, stunned where they stood as they stared at Tommy.

Tommy's eyes were all for Dream. His chest was heaving, knuckles white around the axe, the blade pressed into Sapnap's throat hard enough to draw blood as he stared at his best friend. Dream could have melted where he stood at the expression on his face. His blue eyes were wide with fear, but they were brighter than Dream had seen them in so long now, glimmering with excitement and relief and adoration and something… something dark and protective and dangerous, and Dream had never loved the kid more than he did in that moment. He managed to wheeze out a laugh, quiet and breathless - and with the assurance that nobody in this room except him and Tommy were going to move a fucking muscle, the man heaved himself away from the wall, letting his axe droop to the floor and dragging it along as he stumbled forward.

Sapnap tensed as he approached, his hands trembling at his sides. Dream didn't spare him anything more than a glance, ignoring everyone else for the moment in favor of checking Tommy over. The blond lifted his head slightly as Dream came closer, looking up at him with a soft smile lingering on his lips, and he looked okay. He wasn't hurt. He was okay, he was okay.

Dream hesitantly moved his hand from his eye, reaching out to brush his fingers over Tommy's cheek. The boy pressed into the touch immediately, leaning forward before Dream had even made contact - but his eyes flickered across Dream's face, eyebrows furrowing as his gaze followed the trail of blood dripping from his eye to his chin, and something in his expression grew very dark very quickly. It was… kind of scary, if Dream was being honest. He couldn't remember ever seeing such a blind rage in his eyes before, at least not recently. But relief and warmth steadily shifted into fury, and Tommy's gaze swung in Quackity's direction immediately.

His grip on the axe tightened, and before Dream could react, Tommy was pulling backwards, plunging the blade into Sapnap's throat and shoving him forward into the floor in the next second. Quackity's scream was the loudest; Sapnap's was cut off quickly, choking and gasping on his own blood as he crumbled to the floor. Sam and George both yelled out in alarm, rushing forward, and Dream moved toward Tommy before anyone else could, grabbing him by the arm.

He met Punz's gaze, and the mercenary merely offered a lopsided smile, inclining their head.

Everyone seemed more concerned over Sapnap at that moment. Dream stayed long enough to watch Quackity pull him into his arms, long enough to see his former friend's head fall limp against his husband's shoulder, and then he was moving again, pulling Tommy close to him and dragging him toward the door. Well, not quite dragging; Tommy was moving with him willingly, scrambling to keep up and holding onto his arm so tight Dream expected to see bruises later, and despite… everything that had just happened, the boy looked damn near giddy as Dream pulled him through the doorway, bursting into breathless laughter the second they were outside. The axe wasn't in his hand anymore, but Dream wasn't sure whether he'd dropped it or sent it to his inventory - and to be honest, he didn't care. They got five feet away from the house before Dream whirled around with a laugh of his own and pulled the blond into his arms, lifting him up.

Tommy squealed out a laugh - a loud, genuine laugh and Dream hadn't heard that sound in forever, the shrieking giggles Tommy used to make, and he hadn't realized how much he missed it until the sound reached his ears, singing on repeat through his head like music. The boy's arms wrapped around his neck, fingers digging loosely into his hood and eyes sparkling.

Whatever doubts Dream may have had were gone. He'd never felt so content, so happy - he could stay just like this forever, and he would, if they weren't pretty much currently on the run.

"Did they hurt you?" He murmured, flicking his gaze across Tommy's face.

Tommy shook his head, the grin playing at his lips bordering on cocky. "They didn't hurt me." His smile wavered, just for a moment, as he gazed up at Dream. A surprisingly steady hand rose, tender fingers brushing over the fresh wound across the man's right eye, and he scowled. "But-"

"I'm fine." Dream pressed his face into the boy's hand regardless, lifting his own to cup it over Tommy's, fingers curling around bruised knuckles and a calloused palm as he pulled Tommy closer to him, lowering him back to the ground and pressing his mouth to the top of his head. Tommy didn't respond, letting out a begrudging sigh, but he pressed eagerly into the contact nonetheless, drinking up the affection. "We have to go," Dream muttered, staring at the house. It was only a matter of time before they came after them, Punz couldn't keep them at bay forever. He grimaced, eyebrows furrowing as the gears in his mind turned rapidly. "We can't go home."

Tommy shook his head, pressing his face into Dream's shoulder and curling impossibly closer.

"We are home," he whispered. "Wherever we go."

Dream gently brushed a hand through his hair, looking down at the blond as Tommy sank forward against him. His eyes were shut. Content, relaxed, despite the situation they were in.

And still, as Dream pulled him closer, he wouldn't deny the boy was right.

Chapter Text

Tommy was running, and now he understood what Fundy had said to him all those years ago.

His entire life, Tommy only ever ran out of necessity. He ran for his life and nothing more. He'd never run just to run, and even now - even now, he was only running because he had to. Running away from something, someone, as he always did. But this time, this time he felt free. Practically flying as his feet skimmed over the ground. His legs ached with each stride, but the adrenaline pumping through his veins wouldn't let him rest. He knew he was running for a reason, running to get away, but at the moment, he didn't care - laughter bubbled in his chest, unrestrained and so, undeniably giddy and he couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so alive.

Dream was ahead of him, but never too far ahead; both of Tommy's arms were wrapped around one of his, fingers digging into his hoodie as they ran, and the blond had never felt this safe. Dream had saved him, just as Tommy had known he would. They were running for their lives, but Tommy already felt like they were free. They were home, they were okay, they were safe. Truthfully, Tommy didn't even know whether they were being chased or not. The others had seemed otherwise preoccupied with Sapnap, which wasn't quite what Tommy was aiming for but obviously it had worked out in the end. He hadn't really been thinking about escaping at the time, when he'd plunged the blade into the man's throat; he'd just been thinking about Quackity, about the scar on Dream's face, about the blood dripping from his eye, and something inside of him had snapped. And all he wanted, in that moment, was for Quackity to hurt. And hurting Sapnap to achieve that was the best he could do - and the horrified scream that had burst from Quackity's lips would fuel his dreams for weeks. An eye for an eye. Sapnap had lost a life. You couldn't get that back; Dream would be fine, Dream would heal. Sapnap was one life down, and two more to go, and to be completely honest - Tommy was ready to take the last two himself.

Tommy blinked, snapped out of his thoughts quickly when he was suddenly pulled forward, sucking in a startled gasp when Dream pulled him up into his arms again, lifting him off the ground. His hands found the man's shoulders, eyes wide as he forced himself to focus again.

"Hold on tight," Dream murmured, an enderpearl appearing in his hand. He waited for Tommy to register what was happening, as the teen tucked his head under Dream's chin and buried his face into the fabric of his hoodie, wrapping his arms around his neck. He didn't feel anything, really, when they teleported; he felt Dream shift, drawing his arm back to throw one enderpearl after the next, a steady stream of them with short pauses in between to compose himself before continuing. Tommy tightened his grip with each throw, curling close and not daring to lift his head. "Wish it was raining," Dream grunted as they landed again, "I'd use the trident instead."

Tommy smiled despite himself, lifting his head slightly after a few seconds to watch Dream toss another enderpearl. He wondered if they were going anywhere specific, but he didn't ask yet. After a few more throws, he caught a glimpse of white ahead of them; the next throw landed them right in a patch of snow, and Dream stumbled at the sudden change in terrain, feet sinking into the soft white powder and his grip around Tommy tightening as he regained his balance. The sudden shift from warm to cold caught the blond off guard, shuddering as he breathed in and scrunching his face up with a grimace as a few specks of snow fell from the sky, tickling his face and sticking into his hair. Dream lowered him back to the ground, one arm still wrapped around him, and peeled his gloves off as they started walking. "I think we've lost them by now."

"Definitely," Tommy agreed quietly, throwing a quick glance over his shoulder. He turned ahead again quickly, blinking in surprise when Dream held the gloves out, uncertain. "What about yo-"

Dream sighed, pressing the gloves into his hands. "Just put them on."

Tommy did so at once, albeit reluctantly, but he wasn't about to defy a direct order. Once the gloves were on, he tugged his hood up over his head and pulled the strings taut, shivering. You'd think the hoodie would make him a little warmer. Maybe it was just that it had gotten so cold so quickly, but they'd only been there for a minute and he felt like he was freezing from the inside out. Dream seemed alright, though, likely kept warm by his enchanted armor. He looked frustrated with the snow, though, rubbing it from his face every so often and covering his eye.

Tommy frowned. "Where's your mask?"

"Enderchest," Dream replied vaguely. He straightened up a bit, lifting the hand that wasn't covering his eye to pull his helmet off. "I don't need it." He rubbed his sleeve over his face briefly, and finally lowered his other hand, grabbing Tommy's arm and pulling him closer. The blond flinched slightly when the helmet was pushed onto his head, but he didn't say anything; the warmth that engulfed him immediately, the buzzing enchantments melting the cold away, made his trembling limbs relax just the slightest bit. He pulled himself closer to Dream after a moment, wrapping his arms around the man's torso and curling his fingers loosely into his hoodie, and Dream rested a hand flat against his back, rubbing circles against his shoulder with his thumb as he stared ahead through the flurry of snow, which was progressively getting worse.

"We're almost there, don't worry." Dream's arm lowered, wrapping around his waist. Tommy pulled one arm away, resting his hand over the man's instead. He wanted to ask where they were going, since Dream obviously had a place in mind, but he didn't get the chance to - thankfully, because he wasn't really sure if he should ask anyway. "We're going to Techno's. He's been gone for a while, the place is empty. Just a quick in-and-out and then we'll head off."

"Techno's?" Tommy echoed hesitantly, furrowing his eyebrows and biting the inside of his cheek, forcing back the rest of the questions that rose to his mind and lingered on the tip of his tongue. He didn't know Techno was… gone. Where had he gone? Why had he gone? And was it really safe to go there right now? Maybe the others wouldn't suspect it, but what if Techno came back and found them? He grimaced at the thought, eyes flickering, but he didn't voice his concerns. Dream knew what he was doing, Dream knew what was best for them. He wouldn't take him somewhere that wasn't safe. And he'd said just a quick in-and-out. The blond nodded after a moment, trying and failing to quell the anxiety brewing in his chest as he looked up at Dream.

His best friend was mostly silent as they walked, gazing ahead. Hesitantly, Tommy tilted his head to get a better look at the man's eye. The right side of his face was covered in blood, most of it dried and frozen by now. His eye was shut. Tommy's stomach twisted abruptly, wondering if he could even see out of it. If he could, it'd be open, right? It probably hurt, too. Once again, the boy found himself furious, ducking his head and tearing his gaze away from Dream's face with a frown. Now he wished he'd had a chance to do something worse. If Dream hadn't pulled him out of the house when he had, torn his attention away in favor of escaping, he might have gone after Quackity. He'd been so ready to, and now more than anything he was aching to. He knew one thing, if he ever saw the duck hybrid again, he was fair game. He was already pissed off, but the thought that what Quackity had done might have permanent effects pissed him off more.

"Hey," Dream's voice drew him out of his thoughts, and he looked up again quickly, leaning into the man's hand at once when he reached out to brush his hair back. "What are you thinking?"

"I want to kill Quackity," Tommy admitted quietly. "I just…" He flicked his gaze across Dream's face again, shoulders drooping. He… he hated this, honestly. Dream had so many scars. Tommy sometimes found himself counting them, tracing them over and over again with his eyes. He could trace them over his face without touching, he knew each one so well. And he didn't care about the scars, not really - but this was different. This made his chest tighten and his heart sink. This made him angry, and sad, and… guilty. "I'm sorry," he found himself whispering, and Dream turned his head to look at him. "That… was my fault. I distracted you."

Dream let out a quiet hum and threaded his fingers through Tommy's hair, brushing his thumb over the blond's temple. "Well…" The man puffed his cheeks out and let out a soft sigh, turning his head away again with a shrug. "I was already distracted, Tommy. I mean, you did distract me more, sure, but you also saved me. He wouldn't have stopped if you hadn't gone after Sapnap."

Tommy grimaced, leaning his head into Dream's hand. "Yeah, but… but maybe I should've gone for Quackity instead, and…" Sapnap had seemed like the better option at the time, and not just because Tommy had been aching to slit the man's throat since the second he laid eyes on him in the bakery - attacking Sapnap had given him leverage over all of them. Quackity especially, who, at the moment, was the biggest problem. Maybe he should have gone for the duck hybrid. Maybe he would have stopped sooner, maybe he could have saved Dream any extra damage.

"Tommy, you did more than enough," Dream sighed. "Don't beat yourself up. That's my job." The words were light, followed by a gentle nudge and a hair-ruffle, and Tommy's heart sank and fluttered at the same time. Speaking of which… he needed to give him his items soon, as well…

His hands shuddered at the thought, fingers gripping loosely at Dream's as he looked ahead.

It was dark by the time they arrived at their destination, and Tommy was barely awake, the euphoria and adrenaline having long faded and exhaustion taking its place. It had been a long day, a long couple of days in general, and Tommy wanted nothing more than to curl up in Dream's arms and fall asleep. He managed to stay awake and upright as they stumbled toward Techno's cabin, staring at the structure through half-lidded eyes as his anxiety flooded right back. He wasn't sure about this at all, but he wasn't about to question Dream's decision. So he remained silent and compliant as the man led him up the stairs and nudged the door open with his shoulder, pulling him inside and shutting the door. Tommy shivered, rubbing at his cheeks.

It was somehow even colder inside, but Dream wasted no time lighting torches as they ventured deeper into the small space. His friend sat him next to the fireplace, lighting it quickly and retreating from the room without saying anything. Tommy stared after him for a moment, trembling and desperately wanting to follow, but he leaned close to the warmth of the fire instead and hunched over, curling his shoulders forward and wrapping his arms around himself.

Dream returned within a few minutes, sinking to the floor beside him and tugging Tommy's snow-covered, drenched hoodie over his head, discarding it in front of them, near the fire, and draping a blanket over the blond's shoulders instead. Tommy gripped one corner of the fabric between his trembling fingers, and watched Dream unhook the straps of his armor, pulling it all off and the hoodie along with it. He still somehow didn't seem as cold, or maybe he was just hiding it better; regardless, Tommy scooted closer and reached out hesitantly after a moment to pull the blanket across Dream's shoulders as well, tugging it as tight as he could around both of them. Dream didn't protest much, only offering a quiet sigh and leaning into the warmth after a moment, and he shifted to wrap an arm around Tommy as he sat back, pulling him close silently.

The man's head drooped after a moment, his chin resting against the top of the helmet on Tommy's head. "Were you scared?" He mumbled suddenly, and it took Tommy a few seconds to understand what Dream meant. He blinked a few times, frowning, and pressed his head into Dream's shoulder, burying his face into his shirt and breathing out a soft, shaky sigh, nodding.

"Ye- Yeah, I was." He stopped, swallowing, and mumbled, "were you?"

Dream was silent for several minutes, the only sound being the crackling of the fire. Tommy stared at the floor in front of him, watching the orange glow rise and fall against the wood.

"Very," Dream finally whispered.

Despite himself, Tommy couldn't help but feel warmed by the words. It was the kind of warmth he felt in his chest, even as his stomach turned to ice, twisting to a nauseating degree and numbing every thought in his head. He lifted his head slightly, his chin pressed into Dream's shoulder, and peered up at the man through his lashes. Dream's fingers twitched against his neck, tracing his jaw with his thumb as he stared at the fire. He could see the fire reflected in his good eye, flames flickering through his pupil. Barely anything more than a pinprick. Dream sat still, almost tense beside him, and though his eye was focused on the fire, his head was turned toward the door. His other hand rested against the floor beside him, still gripping his axe tightly.

Tommy found himself curling closer, furrowing his eyebrows as he gazed at his best friend. He tried to remember a time Dream had seemed genuinely scared before, but he honestly couldn't. He was always so calm and collected, except when he was angry - but even then, aside from the tower incident, his anger was still… quiet. Dangerously quiet, dangerously calm. That was what made him so terrifying. Right then, though, Tommy wasn't afraid of his silence the way he usually was. Right then, Tommy knew he was just thinking. It was what he was thinking, however, that worried him. He knew what it felt like to be on edge, anticipating the worst and knowing there wasn't anything you could do about it when it came. He knew what it was like to be scared. He was always scared. Dream being scared didn't sit right with him, it wasn't Dream.

As exhausted as he was, Tommy managed to force himself to sit upright again, and Dream's eye flickered back down to him at once, eyebrows furrowing. Tommy knew the mistake he was about to make, already anticipating the punishment he was about to receive, but he wanted to take Dream's mind off of the danger they were in - at least for a few minutes. His shoulders slumped forward as he fumbled to pull the items from his inventory, setting them on the floor in front of Dream. The axe, the pickaxe, enderpearls and golden apples, and all of the potions…

And Mellohi.

Dream pulled his arm away after a few seconds and Tommy curled his hands against his chest, anxiously awaiting some kind of reaction as Dream's gaze flicked over the items in silence. His eyebrows furrowed, but aside from that, Tommy couldn't decipher the expression on his face. "Where did you get these?" The man asked quietly after a moment, and Tommy grimaced.

"I…" He trailed off, shoulders tensing as he braced himself. His hand inched higher up his chest, prepared to shield his face if necessary. "They… they were in my enderchest. I- I didn't know-" Dream reached forward to pick the axe up and Tommy's breathing hitched, panic stealing the air from his lungs as he watched. "Th- the tools- they're Ranboo's, I- I think." Dream said nothing, turning the axe over and scanning the blade, studying the words carved across the axe's eye. "I… I really don't…" Tommy trailed off, swallowing. "I really don't remember how they got there, I- I didn't know I had them until today, when I checked, and I don't know how I got the potions and the golden apples and enderpearls either and Tubbo just gave me Mellohi, bef- before you showed up, actually, but I didn't- I didn't know about the other stuff, I would've- I would've given it to you if I'd known it was in there, b- but I haven't checked, but I wo- y- you know that, right?"

Dream still didn't answer, eyebrows furrowed so close they were almost touching. His gaze flicked toward Tommy for barely a second before he turned his attention back to the items.

Tommy's heart sank. "Dre- I'm sorry… I'm really sorry, Dream."

His gaze trailed to the axe, just for a second. Dream had two now, Tommy noted numbly, two axes and he was pissed and Tommy could hardly handle one axe and honestly he wouldn't put it past the man to beat him with both of them just to make a point. He had to bite back a whimper at the thought, biting his tongue and curling his knees up to his chest, every inch of him trembling - not from the cold, now, but from terror. Ice cold terror, clawing at his stomach and squeezing his chest and throat tight, his body already aching in anticipation of the blows he was about to receive. He had expected this, and somehow he still wasn't any less petrified anyway.

He flinched when Dream finally spoke, shielding his face with his arm instinctively. "Tommy…"

"I'm sor- I'm sorry, I'm so sorry-"

"Tommy." Dream's fingers curled around his wrist, pulling his arm away from his face, and the blond couldn't keep himself from flinching back in time, bracing himself for a hit that didn't come. Instead, Dream pulled him forward and moved his hand from Tommy's wrist to his cheek, abandoning the axe on the floor in front of him and cupping the blond's face with both hands. "Calm down, breathe, okay? I'm not upset, I promise. I'm not going to punish you. Just relax."

Tommy didn't know how to react, staring at his best friend in stunned silence with his mouth half-open and eyes wide. It wasn't the first time Dream had to reassure him he hadn't done anything wrong, but- but he had done something wrong, hadn't he? Out of everything else, Tommy had expected to be punished for this. As much as he wanted to believe the words, as much as every inch of him ached to believe him, to relax, to breathe, he couldn't. His chest was still tight and he was still breathless and numb with fear, hands trembling as they hovered over Dream's arms without touching, still instinctively wanting to shield his face just in case. "But…" He didn't understand. He couldn't understand. "But… but I- but the- you're not…mad? I don't…"

"Why would I be mad?" Dream lifted one of his hands and Tommy cringed, gasping as he leaned his head to the side and braced for a smack, or a punch, or something. Dream's touch was gentle, lifting the helmet from his head and setting it beside them, but that did little to alleviate his panic because obviously he couldn't be wearing armor when Dream beat him, so-

"Listen to me," Dream said softly, his hand returning to Tommy's cheek. "I believe you." Tommy stammered, struggling to spit out something, anything coherent, but he couldn't find the words. "And I trust you. If you say you didn't know they were there, then I believe you. You didn't know. Calm down…" The man crooned, brushing his knuckles across Tommy's cheek, as the blond trembled under his touch, still trying in vain to silence the warning bells going off in his head, to ignore every flashing sign flickering across his mind's eye, every voice in his head screaming danger danger danger as he stared up at Dream with wide eyes. "Tommy, I'm not gonna hurt you. Especially not after all of…" His best friend sighed. "You've been through enough today."

Tommy felt sick, and he couldn't explain why. His heart was beating out of his chest. He should feel relieved, so why didn't he? Why did he still feel like he was in trouble, like something was wrong? He curled in on himself at the thought, swallowing hard past the lump in his throat and taking shallow, shaky breaths as he tried to calm down. He hadn't been expecting this at all. "But… I…" He tried to shake his head, but Dream's hands remained firmly in place, not giving him much room to move. "I still- I still had them, and- and I must've known before and I didn't-"

"Tommy, please," Dream whispered. "Just calm down. It's okay."

"I don't understand." Tommy couldn't bite back a whimper this time, squeezing his eyes shut tight and ducking his head into Dream's hands, curling his own over Dream's arms carefully.

Dream was silent for a moment, fingers twitching against Tommy's face. Unmoving and silent while Tommy tried to quiet the noises in his head, forcing past the warning bells and desperately grappling with the fact that he wasn't… in trouble. It really shouldn't be this hard, he thought numbly. It shouldn't be this hard to understand that he wasn't being hurt, but it was. Because this wasn't right. It didn't feel right. He had broken a rule, he was supposed to be punished for it.

After a few minutes, as Tommy struggled to get his breathing under control, Dream trailed his hands from the boy's face to his arms, pulling him forward again. He flinched, not quite as violently this time, and found himself sinking forward despite the terror bubbling in his chest as Dream pulled him into his arms, pressing gentle kisses to the top of his head and his temple and his cheek, murmuring soft words of encouragement with every breath Tommy managed to choke in and whispering soothing, sweet nothings in his ear while they both waited for the panic to subside. Tommy's fingers hooked into the front of Dream's shirt, forcing back tears at the affection in place of the violence he'd expected, as his friend held him close, reassuring him.

Finally, Tommy managed to calm down enough, just enough to breathe. The air still shuddered between his teeth, but it filled his lungs all the same, alleviating some of the dizziness and nausea that had engulfed him. Dream kissed his head again, just above his ear. "I love you."

Gratitude filtered through the panic, and still somehow left him just as speechless.

"I want you to keep the axe," Dream murmured into his hair, and Tommy froze. "At least for now. I want you to be able to protect yourself if they find us. If you'd been able to before, this wouldn't have happened. I…" The man took a breath and sighed, trailing off and starting over. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Just let me take care of you," he whispered, the words barely audible, and Tommy furrowed his eyebrows, hands trembling as he tightened his grip on Dream's shirt and hesitantly turned his head to look up at him, his head resting against his shoulder and his eyes wide as he flicked his gaze across Dream's face. "And take care of yourself. That's all I want, I want you to be okay. I want you to be safe." He was silent for a moment, several moments actually. Long enough that Tommy wondered if he was supposed to say something, mind whirling as he tried to figure out how to respond to that, what he could possibly say to that. And then Dream spoke again, his voice even quieter than it was before. "You're safe with me, you know that, don't you? You know I'd never…" He trailed off, sighing. "Fuck, Tommy, you- you want to be here, right?"

Tommy blinked, staring at him in confusion. "Want… to be here- with… with you? Do I want to be with you?" Dream didn't say anything, but the silence was enough of an answer. Tommy shook his head slightly, appalled, and lifted his head from the man's shoulder at once, hands pressing against Dream's chest as he looked up at him with wide eyes. "Of- of course I do. I d- is this because I- because I thought-? Dr- Dream, I don't- I just, I know I'm not supposed to hide things from you and I- I thought you'd be upset, and… but that- that doesn't mean I don't want-"

"Yeah, I know, but-" Dream set his jaw and fell silent, ducking his head.

"Dream…" Forget seeing him scared, Tommy had never seen him like this before. Insecure was something he'd never have pegged the man as, not for a moment. But he knew insecurity, and he knew that was all he was seeing written across his best friend's face. Insecurity and fear and frustration and anger, and Tommy was only used to seeing him display two of those emotions. The others were anomalies, and yet he couldn't help but marvel over it, just for a moment. As wrong as it was, as much as he hated it, it warmed something inside of him regardless. And it hurt just as much to get a glimpse of the doubts rattling around in Dream's head. He wasn't sure where they'd come from, but he did know they simply wouldn't do, not after today's events.

"You're the only one I want to be with," he began quietly, keeping his gaze focused on the man's face. Dream looked back down at him silently, arching an eyebrow. "That's not going to change."

"Mm." Dream's eye flickered, scanning his face, and a faint smile tugged at his lips. "Oh, yeah?"

Tommy couldn't bite back a smile of his own. "They'll have to pry me from your cold, dead hands, remember?" His gaze focused on the blood caking the side of the man's face, and he lifted a hand after a moment to carefully touch the spot underneath Dream's eye, eyebrows furrowing slightly. Dream didn't move away; if anything, he leaned into the touch, just slightly, but just enough to make Tommy's heart ache. "I think they know that now," he continued quietly. "You need to be more careful, Dream. I- they already want to separate us, and if they hurt you-"

Dream laughed suddenly, shoulders drooping abruptly as he grinned down at the blond. Tommy pulled his hand back slightly, startled, and tilted his head at the man with a curious look as he wheezed through his laughter, shaking his head. "You being protective… now that's adorable."

"To you, maybe." Tommy sighed, watching him fondly. "I think I scared them a bit, though."

"You definitely did," Dream purred, pulling him closer and brushing his hair back with a grin. "And I'm very proud of you, Tommy. That's another reason I want you to keep the axe. If you hadn't had it, then…" He didn't finish, but he didn't need to. Tommy heard the words anyway, we wouldn't have made it out of there alive, just as loud and clear as if Dream had spoken them. The teen fell silent for a moment, sinking against him and curling up slightly as he thought that over, the reality of the situation settling in. Dream was right. If Tommy hadn't found that axe in his enderchest, Dream would be captured or dead - and Tommy would be dead as a result, because they would have had to kill him to stop the frenzy he would've gone into. That he knew for certain. It was a sobering thought, one he couldn't deny brought him just a flicker of pride.

"You're proud of me?" He murmured, lips curling into a grin. "Like, really?"

Dream looked down at him, grinning. "My little brother kicked ass today. Of course I'm proud."

"Okay, I will cry-"

Chapter Text

It took hours of coaxing and prodding before Tommy fell asleep, and Dream was glad when he did. There were still tears drying and staining the teen's pale face, and his trembling didn't stop until he was practically dead weight against Dream with his head collapsed onto the man's shoulder. As he gently maneuvered the boy into a more comfortable position, Dream found he couldn't quite shake the sound of his muffled pleas from his ears. It ran on repeat through his head, like a broken record. Tommy's cries weren't usually ones that he minded hearing; his broken words and trembling voice was usually like music to his ears, if anything. Because a terrified Tommy was a Tommy who wouldn't disobey him under any circumstances. A terrified Tommy was one Dream could mold into whatever the hell he wanted. A terrified Tommy was a compliant Tommy, and Dream always made it a point to punish him when he did something wrong, because the boy needed to know when he fucked up, so he knew not to ever do it again.

He felt no satisfaction tonight, however, watching Tommy cower and shield himself from blows Dream never intended to offer. He couldn't care less about the tools and other things Tommy had - although he was bewildered, somewhat, puzzled as to how and when he'd acquired them. Obviously Ranboo had given them to him, but Dream still didn't understand how they hadn't been revealed sooner than this - although, he supposed, he hadn't exactly let Tommy near an enderchest for the longest time after the tower incident… and once the cabin was built, the boy was as compliant as could be, putty in his hands. Too scared to make even one wrong move.

And for good reason; Dream had made good on his promise of worse punishments, making it a point from that moment on to beat any and all behaviors he didn't approve of out of the teen the second they appeared. Tommy had gone rather quiet during that time, he remembered. Talking got him into trouble unless it was to apologize, and he seemed to think it best to just stop talking completely in the weeks that followed the tower incident. Dream didn't let any problematic behaviors slide. No arguments. No 'buts'. No talking back. And even when he didn't do anything wrong, even when he was as obedient as could be, Dream would hurt him anyway, just to serve as a reminder. In the months that followed the incident, Tommy withdrew in on himself more and more, flinching every time Dream moved toward him and apologizing for no reason - and Dream let him, he let him be scared, he encouraged it, because if Tommy was scared, he would listen.

Dream couldn't explain the way his heart sunk into his chest when Tommy cringed from his touch, spouting out meaningless apologies and curling in on himself and covering his face when the man had finally managed to shake himself out of his thoughts long enough to turn back to him. Watching the boy tremble usually gave him some sense of pleasure, delight and satisfaction that he'd done what he'd set out to do from the beginning - but tonight there was a heavy weight in his stomach that he couldn't shake, even long after Tommy had fallen asleep.

After everything that had happened today, Dream just wanted to sit back and relax with his favorite person and forget about everything else. He wanted to cuddle by the fire, pull Tommy into his arms and hold him just to remind himself that he was okay, that they were okay, they were together again and Dream wasn't going to let him go, and he wasn't going to let anyone hurt him and he wasn't going to let anyone take him, not without a fight. He wanted to run his fingers through the boy's hair, hold him close to his chest and feel his heart beating in sync with his own to remind them both that they were alive and safe. He wanted to pamper him even just the tiniest bit, as he had planned to do today. He wanted to hold him, to feel him, to love him.

Even as the tools and potions and golden apples and enderpearls were laid out across the floor, Dream couldn't think of anything else except that if Tommy hadn't had those things on him, he could have lost him. They could have lost each other. L'Manberg would have won and Dream didn't know what would have happened to either of them, but he knew it would have been bad.

Tommy had flinched away from him, even long after Dream tried to assure him that he wasn't in trouble. And if Dream's heart wasn't in his stomach already, it certainly sank straight to it when Tommy had shut his eyes and ducked his head and uttered the shaky words I don't understand.

Dream hadn't known what to say. What do you say to that? It was his own fault, he knew that. And he knew, even as his heart ached, that it was necessary. Tommy needed to be scared of him because that was the only way he would stay, and… and wow, Dream didn't want that. The revelation had slammed into him like a wrecking ball as he pulled Tommy into his arms despite the boy's trembling. He didn't want Tommy to be afraid of him. He didn't want that to be the reason he was still there. He didn't want fear to be what kept the blond tethered to him. He'd gotten a taste of what it was like, what he thought it was like, for Tommy to really want him. To want him and care about him and truly want to stay with him, despite his fear - not because of it.

His stomach was in knots even as Tommy's fear seemed to subside, because it didn't really subside. It was still there, still flickering through his eyes even as the boy smiled up at him.

Dream wasn't sure if you could fear someone and love them at the same time.

Up until now, he thought he knew which one he preferred.

It wasn't guilt, what he was feeling. He didn't feel guilty about anything he'd done, he didn't regret it, because in the end it had all led to this and he couldn't regret this. Because Tommy was still snuggled up against his side right now and Dream wouldn't trade this for anything, and he knew everything he'd done to get them to this point was necessary. He didn't regret his actions, he didn't feel guilty, so what was this? Disappointment, maybe? Longing? He wasn't sure, but he needed to get to the bottom of it. So, as Tommy settled in beside him and drifted off to dreamland, Dream prepared himself for a sleepless night and turned his gaze to the fireplace.

Maybe he was just overthinking it. He'd lost Tommy for a hot second and he'd panicked. But it was over now, it was fine. Tommy was right here beside him and Dream was going to do everything in his power to make sure he stayed exactly where he was. When morning came, Dream would need to figure out an alternative solution to their current hideout. Techno was gone for now, sure, but they were still too close to L'Manberg for Dream's liking regardless and getting Tommy to safety was his first priority. He couldn't take him to the prison and he certainly wasn't about to dump him in the Nether with Fundy and Ranboo. They couldn't go back to the cabin, obviously. Dream sighed, rubbing a hand over his face, and grimaced at the feeling of dried blood chipping off against his fingers. That was another thing, he'd deal with it tomorrow. He wasn't looking forward to cleaning the wound; the healing potion had closed it up a bit, but it still hurt like a bitch and he was worried he'd been too late to actually prevent any real damage.

There was so much to do tomorrow, he didn't even want to start. He just wanted to stay here, with his arms wrapped around Tommy, and forget about everything that had happened today. He cast his gaze back down to the blond after a moment, curled up at his side with his head in his lap, and found himself gently running his fingers through the teen's curls, taking a deep breath and letting it out in a slow, soft sigh. Tomorrow. Tomorrow. He'd figure it all out tomorrow.

Dream let his head fall back, turning his gaze to the items strewn across the floor, and sighed. Right, he should at least pick those up. Shifting to lean forward, and being careful not to disturb Tommy for the most part, he scooped up the golden apples first and set an enderchest directly in front of him, dropping them in and scooping the potions up next. Pickaxe, axe… he wasn't lying when he said he wanted Tommy to keep that, so he ended up propping it up against the wall beside them for Tommy to take when he woke up. The enderpearls he sent directly to his inventory - you could never have too many of those, and he'd used up a good chunk of his own just to get them here. Once everything was tucked away, Dream pulled his mask from the chest - albeit with some reluctance - and set it beside him to collect the enderchest into his inventory.

Lovely, Prime's voice was dull. Dream twitched at the sound, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment and taking a deep breath to prepare himself for whatever the fuck he was about to say. He'd hoped, maybe, now that he had Tommy back, that he'd just shut up again, go radio silent and give him some fucking peace - but apparently not. So now we're right back to square one. Congratulations, Dream, this is your biggest achievement. You've brainwashed a child into thinking the best place for him to be is with his abuser. So do you feel good? Happy? Satisfied?

Dream said nothing, stubbornly turning his gaze back to Tommy with a scowl. His fingers twitched, slowly running them through Tommy's hair and pulling a few tangles free with his nails.

You don't. I wonder if there's a reason for that, Prime hissed. I've been waiting for… fucking forever for you to get your shit together and understand that what you're doing is wrong. I've tried to change your mind again and again and again and again, I've tried to help you, I've tried to help him, and you've had none of it. Will you listen to me now, Dream? Will you listen to him?

Dream took a deep breath, ignoring the panic bubbling in his chest. "Will you leave me alone?" He mocked, not turning his gaze to the mask yet. He kept his eye firmly fixed on Tommy's face, gently brushing his knuckles across the boy's cheek, down to the bruise that rested on his chin.

His fingers lingered there as Prime spoke. You say you're unsure if you can love someone and fear them at the same time. The answer is that you can't, Dream, because you should never have to fear someone that you love. This child, this innocent child doesn't love you. He is absolutely terrified of you. He used to beg for help every night, did you know that? Every single night. He used to plead and pray to me to get him away from you, for someone to help him, for the pain to stop. Do you know what he prayed for when he stopped praying for help, Dream?

"Stop," Dream warned.

He prayed for death. A sixteen year old child felt so stuck and helpless and hurt and scared with you that he decided dying would be better than spending one more second alive with you. You've destroyed him, Dream. You've taken everything from him. And you have the audacity to sit here and say he's safe with you, that you'd never hurt him. Let's see, how many times now have you hurt him? I've lost track. That time you basically fucking gutted him after he tried to leave? The time you broke his arm because he couldn't fill the craters fast enough because you left him hurt and practically on his deathbed? How about the time you bashed his head into the tree until he fell unconscious because he asked for help collecting materials, or the several times you broke his ribs, or every time you hit him with your axe, or every time you set off TNT? Hey, does your eye hurt? How about that time you dug your thumbs into his eyesockets until he bled and he had to wear bandages over his eyes for months before they could heal correctly?

"Fuck you," Dream mumbled, ignoring the way his stomach twisted. "Fuck you."

Fuck you. I don't care how fucking bad you feel, Dream. Drown in your guilt for all I fucking care. I'd say it's about damn time, Prime snarled. I hope you feel it every fucking time he hugs you, every fucking time he looks at you, every fucking time you leave another bruise on his skin or give him another fucking scar. I hope it keeps you awake at night. You deserve nothing less.

Silence followed. Dream set his jaw, waiting for more, but none came; the static in his head slowed to a dead stop, and just as it had a year ago after the tower incident, his mind quieted.

His fingers felt numb as he carded them methodically through Tommy's hair, staring at the fire.

He wasn't sleeping tonight.

Chapter Text

"Tommy…" Dream's voice was barely a whisper, but just enough to pull Tommy from his slumber, exhaustion creeping through his sore muscles and his eyelids fluttering as awareness settled in. He felt a hand against his head, fingers stroking through his hair ever so gently, and Dream's touch registered far faster than anything else did. He pushed into the contact at once, practically nuzzling his head into the man's hand, and he was rewarded immediately with another soft stroke, breathing out a soft sigh at the familiar feeling of Dream's fingers carding through his curls. He was tired, and sore, but contentment spread through his aching limbs regardless, leaving his chest warm and his mind fuzzy with bliss. "Wake up, sleepyhead," Dream prodded gently, the hand that wasn't tangled in Tommy's hair brushing against his cheek. "I know you're tired, but it's almost noon and I need you to eat something, okay? Up and at 'em."

Tommy reluctantly pried his eyes open at the command, blinking as his eyes adjusted to his surroundings. Instead of the familiar, dark obsidian walls, he was met with wood and sunlight streaming through the window. Panic was his first instinct, struggling to lift his head from Dream's lap and heave himself into a sitting position. Dream didn't let him lift away completely, letting him sit up only to curl an arm around his shoulders and tug the boy sideways against him while Tommy swept his gaze around the room, eyes darting rapidly back and forth as he took in everything he was seeing, and memories of the night before steadily came flooding back to him.

"Good morning." Dream's mouth pressed lightly against the top of his head and Tommy sank sideways against him at once, flicking his gaze back up to the man quickly. "How'd you sleep?"

"Mmh…" Was the only answer his sleep and panic-addled brain could formulate. His eyes found Dream's face and lingered there for a few seconds, offering the briefest pause at the sight of the scar that stretched across his eye from his forehead to his chin. It was an anomaly, a sight he wasn't used to. The blood was still there, and although it looked like Dream had chipped most of it off, it was clear he hadn't taken the time to clean the wound. Tommy blinked again, eyelids feeling far too heavy, and tucked his head against Dream's shoulder. "Okay… how 'bout you…?"

Dream didn't answer for a few seconds. "Let's get some food in you, hm?"

Too tired to protest, Tommy let the matter go while Dream gently nudged him to his feet. He could've stood up just fine on his own, but Dream was insistent on not letting him go and Tommy wasn't about to complain. His best friend's arm stayed locked around his shoulders as he was tugged away from the fireplace and toward the couch. He settled down hesitantly, uncomfortable in the new environment, but remained silent as Dream set an enderchest down in front of him and rummaged through it. "Carrots sound good? You don't look like you could handle a full meal right now," Dream mused. Tommy let out a hum of agreement, once again allowing his gaze to linger on the man's eye. "And I think that we could both use some of these."

With carrots and golden apples in hand, Dream joined Tommy on the couch, handing over a few of the carrots and setting to work cutting the apples into slices. The blond watched him for a moment, eyebrows furrowing as he watched Dream adjust the apples constantly so he could see them. A frustrated expression passed across the man's face every now and again while he worked, his movements growing clumsier and clumsier and his knuckles white around the knife.

After a few minutes, Tommy sent the carrots to his inventory and shuffled closer, not daring to touch. "Dream, I- maybe-" He hesitated, and Dream paused, turning his head to look at him. Tommy let his gaze slip toward the knife for just a second, and tried to ignore the fear that gnawed at his stomach as he peered back up at Dream through his lashes. "I'm sorry… maybe we should tend to that first?" He asked tentatively, curling a hand against his stomach and flicking his gaze back and forth between Dream's good eye and the one that was sealed shut.

Dream's eyebrows lifted slightly, turning his head completely to regard him with an almost curious expression on his face. Tommy found he couldn't quite take his attention off the knife.

"'We'?" Dream echoed.

"I can help," Tommy offered. "If… if you want, I mean… I'm sorry."

His stomach flipped at the responding silence, but more so the way Dream looked at him as he quietly uttered the last two words. Something unrecognizable flickered across the man's face, something Tommy couldn't even begin to understand, but it was gone in an instant. And Dream's gaze followed his own toward the knife, and something akin to understanding dawned across his face; he watched his friend's expression darken, just the slightest bit, and couldn't keep himself from flinching in time, silently bracing himself for the worst. Whatever the 'worst' was, he couldn't be certain. All he knew was that Dream had a knife in his hand, he was upset, and Tommy had overstepped some kind of boundary, had broken yet another unspoken rule. He was just trying to help, he just wanted to help, but- but Dream didn't need his help, Dream didn't need Tommy to take care of him, that was ridiculous. He was an adult, fully capable of taking care of himself. Whatever punishment came now, Tommy certainly deserved it for doubting him. Not only that, for telling him what to do, wasn't that basically what he'd just done? His heart stuttered at the thought. He just tried to tell Dream what to do. He was definitely getting hurt.

Dream let out a sigh, and Tommy uttered another quiet apology, flinching when Dream's hand rose. The blow didn't land, however; the knife and golden apples disappeared into his inventory, and Dream's hand didn't venture close to Tommy at all, his palm facing the boy. The message was clear, 'stop', so he did, snapping his mouth shut and curling in on himself as he waited for the rest to come. "Tommy," Dream began, and sighed again. He looked put-off, Tommy couldn't quite fathom why, but he was waiting for a punishment anyway. "Listen, it's okay. You can help."

Tommy stilled at the words, blinking furiously and staring at the man in stunned silence for a moment. Relief was quick to take hold, however, and he found himself somewhat lightheaded as he gazed up at his best friend with wide eyes. He didn't know what he was more relieved about. Yeah, he was definitely relieved he wasn't going to be punished for this - but he was mostly confused on that front. For the most part, gazing at the gash across Dream's eye, he was just relieved that he was letting him help. Not that Tommy didn't know Dream could handle himself, of course he could! It was just… he hadn't, yet, and the blond knew he had to have a lot more on his mind right now than this. If Tommy could take the load off, just a bit, then he wanted to be able to do so. Dream had done so much for him, after all - it was about time he repaid that.

Somewhat excited now, Tommy found himself shifting closer, curling his legs up onto the couch so he could face Dream completely. "Thank you," he said softly, flicking his gaze across Dream's face, and the man offered a lazy half-smile in response, watching him carefully. "We should clean it first… do you have, like-" He faltered despite himself. All of his materials were back at the cabin, but he had a few medical supplies Dream had let him keep. His sewing stuff, for instance, wasn't just meant for sewing clothes - and the cloths could also be used to clean wounds if necessary. He did have bandages on him, he always had bandages on him, but he wouldn't need them until he could see if Dream's eye needed to be bandaged in the first place.

"I got it." Dream heaved himself up, and Tommy bit back his protests immediately. "Stay."

Tommy did, albeit somewhat reluctantly, and watched Dream disappear down a ladder. Briefly, the blond allowed his gaze to flick around the room. He vaguely remembered coming here, once… and he very much so remembered the feeling that he wasn't supposed to be there. His shoulders hunched, curling forward slightly as he stared toward the chests. Had he taken anything? He couldn't even remember. He just remembered being there and feeling like he was doing something wrong, like he was going to be punished… he winced, ducking his head and pressing his mouth into his arms as he quickly flicked his gaze back to the ladder. That was one thing Dream never found out about, and he was glad for it. It was the one thing, the only secret he had. He'd had it for a year and a half now and… and he'd learned his lesson anyway, right? He didn't know if Dream would punish him for something that happened that long ago, but…

But some things were better left unsaid, even though Tommy hated it with every fiber of his being. He already knew, now, not to leave, and what's more? He didn't want to leave, anyway.

The teen shook himself from his thoughts and straightened up quickly when Dream returned, offering a hesitant but warm smile to the man as he joined him on the couch again, pulling a cloth from his inventory and tossing it to Tommy before leaning forward to dig through his enderchest. Tommy peered down at the cloth, toying with the fabric between his fingers. It was like a rag, but the material was a little softer. Regardless, it would do what needed to be done.

"You don't have to do this, you know," Dream spoke up suddenly, and Tommy lifted his gaze, watching him pull a water bottle from the chest. He reached out for it without thinking, tensing slightly as he pulled the bottle from the man's hands. "I'm fully capable of taking care of myself."

"I know," Tommy assured quickly. "I know you are, Dream, I just- I want to." He twisted the bottle open once he was sure he wasn't going to be punished for taking it without asking, and Dream settled back into the couch with a sigh, raising his eyebrows slightly. Tommy took a moment to study him, reassuring himself with the fact that Dream wasn't actually upset with him. He didn't seem upset, per se, but that unreadable expression still darkened his features and Tommy still wasn't sure what to make of it. But still, Dream was letting him help and Tommy was going to make the most of that. "Besides… you take care of me," the blond added quickly, pressing the cloth against the mouth of the bottle and tilting the bottle upwards. "I know it's different, but…"

"Very different," Dream agreed, his tone just as unreadable as his expression.

"But you still take care of me," Tommy repeated quietly, setting the bottle aside and shifting to push himself up to his knees on the couch, shuffling closer to Dream. "And you don't have to."

"Well…" Dream hummed, and fell silent again. Tommy knew that 'well' very well. That was the 'well' of disagreement. That was his way of saying 'what you just said was invalid but I'm not going to say anything until you figure it out for yourself'. To be honest, it had been a long time since Tommy had heard that 'well'. It used to invoke some sort of frustration in him, and even now he had to resist the urge to roll his eyes, swallowing back the instinctive reaction quickly. He turned his attention to the task at hand instead, falling silent as he struggled to think of what to say, and rested a hand gently against Dream's cheek, turning his head to face him carefully.

Gently, hesitantly, he pressed the cloth over Dream's eye, working on cleaning the blood off first. He kept his touch as light as possible, tenderly brushing the cloth across Dream's face. His hands trembled at first, unsteady and unsure, but he found himself relaxing more and more with each second that passed, warmth steadily overpowering the fear churning in his stomach.

"Well…" He echoed quietly after a few minutes. "I don't think you have to. But you do anyway. Even when I don't deserve it." Dream's good eye flicked back up to his face at that, as Tommy rubbed away a particularly stubborn patch of dried blood below the man's eye. "Like last night."

"Last night," Dream repeated. "So you think you deserved to be punished last night?" Tommy froze for a second, dread pooling in his gut, and Dream shook his head slightly. "I'm not going to punish you, Tommy. I'm just asking what you think." And that was odd, that was different, because Dream didn't ask what he thought. Dream never asked what he thought. It didn't matter what he thought. It mattered what Dream thought, because Dream was in charge and they both knew that. His hand twitched, fingers trembling as he hesitantly continued what he was doing.

"I think…" Tommy frowned. "I don't know. You- you always know when I deserve to be punished," he offered hesitantly, biting the inside of his cheek as he worked. "Do you think…?"

"Maybe," Dream murmured, heaving out a soft sigh. "I mean… if you'd shown me that stuff before everything happened yesterday, yeah, I would have punished you." Tommy clenched his teeth and swallowed, trying to ignore the panic steadily brewing in his chest as Dream went on. "But given the circumstances… you said you didn't know you had the stuff, and I believe you. You saved us. And you did hide it from me before, even if you don't remember it now, but if you hadn't, you wouldn't have had them yesterday. So… I don't know. Maybe you deserve to be punished for hiding it from me in the first place, but I think I can look the other way this time."

"See?" Tommy sighed, relieved and grateful. "You don't have to do that, either."

"By that logic, I don't have to punish you either."

"How else am I supposed to learn?" Tommy countered, dragging the cloth just underneath Dream's eye and hesitantly moving it upwards to clean the blood from the corners, trying in vain to ignore the feeling of Dream's eyeball moving underneath his fingers (and the memory of fingers digging into his eyesockets, pain exploding through his face as the pressure increased-).

Dream was silent for a moment, answering with a reluctant "I don't know" after a few minutes and sinking back into the couch with a sigh. Tommy worked in silence for the most part after that, relieved once he managed to clear the blood away and get a better look at the wound. The man must have used a healing potion, but clearly it hadn't taken full effect. The scar itself looked rather deep… it probably would need to be bandaged to prevent an infection. Tommy pulled the cloth back, taking a deep breath and silently preparing himself to ask for a healing or regen potion, but he didn't get the chance; Dream was already pulling both from his inventory and uncorking them himself. "I mean, you know the rules. You know hiding things from me is bad."

"I do," Tommy confirmed immediately.

"And if you already know, then I don't have to punish you, right?" Dream mused, holding the healing potion out. Tommy didn't move at first, too stunned to react. "You know not to hide things from me now. You didn't have to show me that stuff last night, I never would've known you had it. I thought you stole one of their axes and dropped it when we ran or something. But you showed it to me anyway. If the only reason I punish you is for you to learn, then what's the point in punishing you over something you already know not to do? You know the rules, Toms, I mean-" The man took a deep breath and sighed, tilting his head and gazing at him. "You don't do anything wrong. You don't act up, you don't talk back. You don't leave or hide things from me, you listen to me - I haven't had a real reason to punish you in months. You're… perfect."

Tommy's heart swelled at the praise, but he couldn't shake the confusion that lingered regardless, the doubts whispering in the back of his mind. "Dream, is this because you think I-?"

"No," Dream interrupted firmly. "This is because I trust you, Tommy. You've earned my trust."

Tommy didn't quite know what to say, clumsily returning to his task as he tried to make sense of what Dream was saying. Dream trusted him, Dream thought he was perfect, Dream didn't see a reason to punish him anymore. At least, not right now. Tommy was sure there were more rules neither of them had discovered yet, there was always a new rule - but he didn't care about that. He'd long resigned himself to his punishments. No, it didn't mean he wasn't scared anymore, he was fucking terrified and he didn't think he'd ever not be terrified, but he'd resigned himself to that, as well. Fear was something he'd learned to adjust to, practically a permanent part of him at this point. But Dream trusted him, Dream said he was perfect. Tommy felt downright giddy.

Carefully, he pressed the cloth back over the man's eye, and Dream inhaled sharply through his teeth this time, drowning out Tommy's mumbled apologies with a sharp hiss as he sat back and clenched his fists in his lap. The blond lifted his head, gently rubbing his thumb across Dream's cheek as he dabbed the cloth over the wound, letting the healing potion work its magic. "Thank you," he murmured after a moment, chest warm with affection as he gazed at his best friend. "I just… thank you, Dream." Dream only let out a soft hum, letting his head fall back against the back of the couch, and Tommy pulled the cloth back when the man yawned. "... did you sleep?"

"Nope," Dream murmured, holding the regen potion out as his good eye fluttered shut.

Tommy fell silent, pouring the potion onto the cloth. He wanted to reassure him, tell him he could sleep, but it wasn't his place to tell him what to do and he'd already overstepped his bounds on that front today. Besides, it seemed like Dream was falling asleep on his own regardless, so Tommy simply left him to it, keeping quiet and gently brushing the cloth over the scar. The wound looked a lot better now, faded and healing. Maybe it wouldn't need bandages after all.

"Tommy?" Dream mumbled suddenly, already sounding half-asleep.

Tommy couldn't bite back a smile, watching him for a moment. He looked peaceful, almost, though it was a reluctant kind of peaceful, the kind borne solely out of exhaustion. "Yeah?"

"Thank you."

The way his stomach twisted at the words made him wince, but that didn't stop the grin that flitted across his face anyway, hand freezing in place as he stared at the man. His stomach fluttered and flipped, heart swelling, aching with nothing but love and fondness and gratitude. Those words were a rarity, and they made every inch of him quiver with delight, with the knowledge that he was doing something right, he was doing something good, and Dream was happy with him. Dream was happy with him and everything was right with the world, all at once.

"You're welcome," he whispered, pulling the cloth back. He settled back into the couch, sending the empty bottles and the cloth to his inventory for the time being, and let his gaze linger on Dream as the man shifted into a more comfortable position, pressing his face into the back of the couch. His gaze lingered long after his friend fell asleep, watching his chest rise and fall with each breath and his eyelids flutter as he slept, wondering briefly what he was dreaming about.

Hesitantly, he reached a hand out, tentatively brushing the man's hair out of his face. He couldn't remember if he'd ever seen Dream sleep before. It was the most peaceful he'd ever seen him, the most… calm. Like this, he was just… he was just Dream. He just… existed.

Like this, he couldn't hurt him.

Tommy retracted his hand after a moment, curling it against his stomach instead.

He could get used to watching Dream sleep.

Chapter Text

"How is he?"

Quackity twitched at the sound of Sam's voice, swiveling his head toward the doorway.

He hadn't gotten any rest the night before, whatever sleep he managed to catch filled with awful visions of blood gushing from Sapnap's throat, the sound of his husband's garbled screams and the sight of him crumbling to the ground. Needless to say, Quackity had startled awake in the middle of the night far too many times, waking in a cold sweat and staring at Sapnap for hours until he managed to fall back to sleep. The last time he startled awake, dawn had broken and light was already streaming through the window, and Quackity had just decided fuck it, I'm staying awake despite the exhaustion that plagued his mind. Sapnap, on the other hand, seemed to be getting plenty of rest. He hadn't stirred once in the middle of the night. He sure was taking his time respawning, and while Quackity couldn't say he blamed him, he still ached to see his husband's eyes flutter open again, to pull him into his arms and just hold him again.

The duck hybrid sighed, feathers prickling as he turned his attention back to Sapnap. "Still out," he muttered, resting a hand against his husband's chest. He was alive now, at least, heart beating even though it was ever so slow. "But he's alive… so it shouldn't be much longer now." At least, he hoped so… Quackity shook his head, taking a deep breath and turning his gaze back to Sam as the creeper hybrid ventured further into the room. "How's Tubbo, is he okay?"

"He's getting ready to head back to L'Manberg. I'm trying to get him to wait for Niki so they can head back together, just in case…" Sam didn't finish. "He's pretty… messed up over everything."

Quackity grimaced, gently slipping his hand into Sapnap's and sitting back in his chair with a sigh. "Can't blame him, I mean…" Even he was still reeling over what had happened yesterday. Everything had just happened so fast, he couldn't process it. One minute, he had Dream - and he had him, he truly had him. And then the next, Sapnap had a blade to his throat and Tommy was the one holding it, and between his shock and horror and confusion Quackity genuinely didn't know how to react. On one hand, he was furious. Not at Tommy, no, he was more so disappointed on that front - but it was Dream's fault, wasn't it? For turning Tommy into… that? Quackity didn't recognize the boy he'd seen yesterday, the fury and the malice in his eyes when he'd looked at Quackity. He'd seen him angry before, but this time was different, it was… scary.

"Have you heard anything else from Ghostbur?" Sam pulled up a chair, sitting beside him.

Quackity shook his head, forcing himself out of his thoughts. "Nah, I forgot to respond to him earlier with… everything going on," he muttered. "He said he and Techno should be here by tomorrow morning or something. Speaking of which, what are we gonna do about him, too? Fuck, there's too much going on…" He hissed, clenching his teeth and ducking his head. Between this and Tommy and Fundy going missing and now Techno coming back, it was just…

"I don't think we'll have to worry about Techno, Quackity," Sam pointed out gently. "You know he's got bigger things to worry about." Quackity didn't respond, save for a begrudging huff and a roll of his eyes. "We just… have to figure it out. We'll figure it out, we'll figure it all out. Just…" He didn't finish. Quackity's feathers twitched, turning his head in the man's direction briefly. He hadn't realized it before, how genuinely stressed Sam seemed. Not that he was surprised, but he was worried. He sounded exhausted, and worried, and Quackity was willing to bet he hadn't gotten much sleep the night before either - if he'd gotten any at all. "We just… need to think…"

Quackity nodded, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "Tommy's still our biggest priority, right? Obviously just separating him and Dream isn't…" That clearly hadn't been their best idea, certainly not their most thought-through one either. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision and it had come back to bite them in the ass immediately. "Dream needs to be taken care of, and…" Something heavy weighed down on his shoulders at that moment, as another thought creeped into his mind, doubts rising to the surface. "I don't know what to do about Tommy. I mean, how the hell are we supposed to fix- that? How the hell are we supposed to undo over a year's worth of fucking- fucking conditioning and abuse and-" He sucked in another breath, holding it this time, and fixed his gaze on his and Sapnap's hands, lightly running his thumb across his husband's knuckles. He wasn't sure how to help Tommy at this point. That didn't mean he was giving up, he wasn't giving up - but this was going to be so much more complicated than any of them had imagined, and that was saying something. Quackity had expected it to be complicated. He'd expected fear, he'd expected a breakdown, he'd expected the worst. But he hadn't expected anger and blind rage or for Tommy to be protective of Dream.

Sam didn't respond immediately, the silence stretching just long enough for Quackity to know that the creeper hybrid wasn't sure, either. He was just as caught off guard as Quackity was. They all fucking were, I mean- they knew Tommy was different, they should've expected this, and yet… maybe it was just… maybe it was just too much to think that the boy they knew could truly be gone. Maybe it was just too much to believe Dream could break him so horribly, beyond repair and beyond recognition. "We'll figure it out," he finally whispered. "We'll figure it all out."

Quackity was starting to wonder if Sam even believed his own words at this point. He was starting to wonder if he believed the words at this point. What if they didn't figure it out? They could handle Dream, they would handle Dream, but when everything was said and done, what would become of Tommy? He would hate them, he did hate them. Quackity didn't know if that could be repaired. He didn't know if all the damage Dream had done to him could be repaired. Regardless… "We'll figure it out," he echoed reluctantly, closing his eyes for a moment and briefly allowing all the exhaustion of the past few days to weigh down on him, shoulders drooping as he hunched forward and ducked his chin to his chest. "I just hope we do it quickly."

"I spoke to Punz," Sam murmured suddenly. Quackity lifted his head, immediately flicking his gaze in the creeper hybrid's direction. "Well, I messaged them. I'm still waiting for a response."

"We should fucking kill them," Quackity growled. "Next time I see them, I swear."

"Don't say that just yet." Sam leaned back in his chair, lifting a hand to brush his hair back. Quackity furrowed his eyebrows at him in response, tilting his head for Sam to continue, but he didn't. "Anyway, I messaged Karl, too, but I haven't gotten a response back from him either. George is asleep…" The man fell silent for a long moment, and Quackity wrinkled his nose slightly at the mention of the man, sighing. He wasn't particularly happy with George, either. "Don't worry, I talked to him. He feels awful. Apparently…" Sam took a deep breath and practically huffed it back out, shaking his head. "I don't know. I don't know what he was thinking. He doesn't even know what he was thinking. I… I think he's… seeing a lot of himself in Tommy."

"Doesn't matter," Quackity muttered after a moment. "Doesn't fucking matter. I just- fuck, Sam. I just wanna get this shit over with, you know?" He clenched his teeth and swallowed, about to say more, but he froze when Sapnap's hand abruptly twitched against his own, his husband's fingers curling loosely around his own and offering a gentle squeeze. He snapped his gaze back down to the man at once, a rush of relief flushing through him as his gaze met Sapnap's, his eyes open and his head turned slightly to face Quackity and Sam. "Hey…" Quackity whispered.

"Hey," Sapnap murmured, offering a soft smile. "How you doing?"

"I'm not the one that got my throat butchered," Quackity snorted, reaching his other hand out to touch the wound, already healed and sealed for the most part. "How're you feeling, you good?"

"Feels like I swallowed a jar of needles," Sapnap admitted, swallowing hard and shifting his other arm underneath him to push himself up. He didn't seem to be hurt, so Quackity finally let himself relax. He was okay. He was awake. He tried not to linger too long on the fact that he'd just lost a life, he couldn't think about that right now. Sapnap didn't seem willing to talk about it either, didn't really seem willing to linger on the fact that he'd just died in general, because he was quick to change the subject. "Give me the rundown, what happened exactly? Did Dream-?"

"They got away." Sam sat up straighter, pushing his goggles up. The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled at the man. "I'm glad you're okay," he added, and then continued swiftly onto the explanation as if he hadn't paused. "We don't know where they are, we doubt Dream took Tommy back to Logstedshire, so…" He trailed off, and Sapnap let his head fall back slightly, a disgruntled expression passing across his face. Quackity pushed himself up out of his chair, wincing, and simply ended up crawling into the bed with him after a few seconds. Sam's gaze flicked toward him to watch, fondness flickering through his eyes as he went on. "Niki's coming, she should be here soon. She called this morning and I gave her the rundown, and she's not very happy, so…" Sam offered a half-shrug, ears folding back. "We're just trying to figure out what to do about Dream and Tommy right now. We can't do anything about Fundy until we have Dream, and we can't do anything about Tommy until we have Dream, so… I think Dream's…"

"Our biggest priority," Quackity muttered. "Fucking great. I'm going to kill the bastard."

"Not until we know where Fundy is," Sam mumbled. His eyes darkened, however, as he added begrudgingly, "but then he's fair game." He pushed himself up after a few seconds, tilting his head toward the door. "I'm gonna go check on Tubbo. Quackity, you should message Ghostbur just in case, okay? I don't think Techno's gonna be a problem, but we need to be sure anyway."

"I got it," Quackity sighed.

Sapnap was silent as Sam left the room, wrapping his arms around Quackity as the duck hybrid got settled beside him, and Quackity ducked his head to press a kiss to his cheek as he snuggled against him, wrapping an arm around him and pressing his face into the man's hair. "We were so close," Sapnap whispered, and sighed, turning and pressing his mouth against Quackity's shoulder. The duck hybrid let out a soft hum of agreement, furrowing his eyebrows. "We were so close. We almost had Dream, we had Tommy, and… everything's going to hell…"

Quackity grimaced, nuzzling his face into Sapnap's hair and letting his eyes flutter shut.

They sat in silence for the most part, and Quackity honestly was pretty close to passing out - before he had the chance to, however, the door swung open and Quackity opened his eyes just in time to catch a glimpse of Karl's colorful hoodie, the time traveler's face screwed up in a mixture of guilt and worry as he rushed over to them. "What the fuck happened? Sam said Tommy fucking- are you okay?" His eyes were mostly for Sapnap, but he offered a few concerned glances in Quackity's direction every now and again. The duck hybrid forced himself to sit up, cracking a smile and pulling Sapnap closer to give Karl room to climb up with them. He did so at once, reaching out to touch the scar on Sapnap's throat with a frown. "Ah, shit, man…"

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Sapnap shook his head and reached out to wrap an arm around him, pulling Karl closer and kissing his cheek. "Where the hell have you been? I messaged you like, a lot."

"I was, uh…" Karl trailed off, silent for a moment. "... rallying some forces. Doesn't matter."

"Uh, definitely matters? Hello?" Quackity tilted his head, peering around Sapnap at him.

"Actually, that sounds like a damn good idea," Sapnap mumbled suddenly, pulling his arms away from them abruptly and summoning his communicator from his inventory. Karl snapped his mouth shut, much to Quackity's chagrin because he really wanted an explanation on the whole rallying forces bit, but he adapted quickly enough, flicking his gaze back to Sapnap with a frown.

"Okay, what are you doing?"

"Playing Dream's game." Sapnap narrowed his eyes down at his communicator. "I'm getting tired of his shit."

Chapter Text

"You should've fucking brought him back to L'Manberg! Why didn't you fucking-"

"I told you." A million times now, Ranboo thought bitterly. He'd told Fundy a million times now and the fox hybrid wouldn't shut up about it. "He didn't want to go. He said Dream would kill him, he was scared out of his mind, I wanted to give him a chance to actually think about it and make the decision to go back for himself instead of- what, what did you want me to do? Kidnap him?" He challenged, peeling the skin off of a potato with his claws as he glowered down at his hands, ears swiveling in Fundy's direction as he waited for a response. When he didn't receive one, he offered a quiet scoff and pinned his ears back. "I wasn't going to drag him somewhere he didn't want to be, okay? Maybe we- maybe I should've taken him somewhere else, somewhere safer-"

"L'Manberg would've been safer!" Fundy snarled, and Ranboo scowled, clenching his fist around the potato and shifting to turn away from the fox hybrid. "Jeez, Ranboo, what the fuck?"

"Fundy," Ranboo warned. "Enough. Seriously."

"Ohoho, enough? Well excuse me, Princess, I'm sorry this conversation is pissing you off."

"You're pissing me off."

Silence followed for a few seconds - thank fuck, Ranboo was going to fucking kill Dream. Not for leaving him in here, no, he was going to kill Dream for forcing him to be roommates with Fundy. The enderman hybrid sighed, turning his hand over and pulling his fingers apart to see that he'd pretty much crushed the potato to mush with his claws. That would be the… fiftieth one, now? He wasn't sure. Regardless, he tossed it toward the lava just like the others and shifted back against the wall, reluctantly turning halfway to face Fundy again and praying he'd keep silent.

Unfortunately, luck wasn't on his side. "Look, man, I just-" Fundy scowled at him, ears flat to his skull, and Ranboo had to resist the urge to roll his eyes, letting his head fall back against the wall and biting back a groan. "I just don't- you fucking had him, you could've brought him home. You wouldn't have been thrown in here, and Tommy wouldn't be stuck with that abusive prick. And sure, maybe at the time Tommy wouldn't have fucking liked it, but I'll bet you anything he'd like it a whole lot more than being stuck with his abuser for a year." Fundy sank back against the wall, on the other side of the cell with a puddle of lava separating them, and crossed his arms. "You know, that's your problem, Ranboo. You're too passive. You're always thinking about what everyone else wants or what they don't want, and it fucking blinds you to what's best for them."

"Who am I to decide what's best for Tommy?" Ranboo countered. "And no, I'm not saying Dream is what's best for Tommy, so don't even start. I'm saying Tommy didn't want to go back to L'Manberg at the time and I wasn't about to break his trust in me by forcing him to. He was already scared as it was. You weren't there. You don't understand. I was respecting what Tommy wanted. He was afraid to go back. He was afraid of what Dream would do to him if he went back. And that was valid, and I wasn't about to force him to do anything he was scared to."

Fundy swished his tail against the floor beside him, scrunching his face up at the enderman hybrid in response. "Tommy would've fucking gotten over it, Ranboo, that's what you don't understand. He would've gotten over it, he would've been fine, and this wouldn't be happening."

"And that's your problem," Ranboo quipped. "You think too far ahead, you don't think about how people feel or what they want at the moment. You think about how they'll feel eventually. But you don't realize how long eventually actually takes. I wanted Tommy to feel safe, because if he felt safe, he might have been more inclined to listen to me later on and actually think about coming back home. We don't know what would have happened if I'd tried to make him go back. He could've run from me, too, just like he was running from Dream." He flicked his tail, curling it up into his lap with a frown. "There's a difference between helping someone and forcing help onto them. The latter doesn't work, it just creates more fear, more hostility and anger and then you've got a bigger mess to clean up than the first. So I did what I thought was the right thing."

"And how effective it was," Fundy muttered. "That's why you're trapped in an obsidian box."

Ranboo couldn't stifle another snort. "Yeah, but I'm not the only one, am I?"

He had a potato chucked at his head in response, letting it hit only to scoop it up when it fell and tossing it into the lava with a sigh. "Fuck you, man. I don't give a shit what your reasoning was. You should've taken Tommy back to L'Manberg the second you found him so we could all deal with this instead of taking it on by yourself and trying to fix everything in your own little pacifist way. You're full of shit, Ranboo." The fox hybrid sank back, ears flat to his head, and ducked his head to press his mouth into his arms with a soft, rumbling growl. "We all could've helped him."

Ranboo took a deep breath and bit back a sigh, eyebrows furrowing. He knew that. And he knew that he'd tried everything, everything he could to get Tommy to come back to L'Manberg. But he stood by what he was saying; forcing Tommy to go with him wouldn't have done any good. If anything, it would've made the situation worse. And what's more, Ranboo wanted Tommy to make that choice to himself. Because how long had it been since he'd made a choice? How long had it been since he'd made a choice, without having to fear the consequences of it, without the fear of being punished for it? Ranboo wanted him to make the choice to seek help, to get better, because that was the only way the boy could truly heal. So, yeah, Ranboo stood by what he did. It may have led to this, but he still stood by what he did, because at the moment it seemed like he was one of few people who could say he cared about what Tommy wanted as much as he cared about what he needed, and he knew the difference.

"Okay," he finally murmured, tipping his head back and looking upwards with a sigh. "You think what you want. I told you my reasons for doing what I did. I don't have to explain myself to you."

Fundy huffed out a quiet laugh at that. "Fuck, you're just as bad as Tubbo," he bit out, and Ranboo immediately snapped his gaze back down to the fox hybrid, his ears pricking up. "Both of you, with your high and mighty 'I don't have to explain anything to you' shit. Schlatt 2.0 and-"

Ranboo was up on his feet before he even registered what was happening, crossing the distance between them at once. He didn't touch, didn't dare, but he got about as physically close to the fox hybrid as he could without touching, kneeling down in front of him and leaning forward until they were face to face. Fundy went rigid, staring up at him with wide eyes, and Ranboo didn't miss the glint of purple from his own eyes reflected in the fox hybrid's pupils as he curled his lips back and let out a soft, guttural snarl. "Don't you ever, ever, call him that again." He propped his hands up against the wall on either side of Fundy's head, leaning in closer. "You can talk to me like that all you want, insult me, berate me, but do not ever call him that again."

He wouldn't hurt Fundy, wouldn't dream of it, but the fox hybrid didn't need to know that. It got him to snap his mouth shut, finally, so Ranboo decided it was a bittersweet success as he pulled back and pushed himself back up, stalking back to where he was sitting and sinking down against the wall with a scowl. Like he'd said, Fundy could talk shit about him all he wanted. Ranboo honestly didn't care what he said about him. But he wasn't going to entertain the fox hybrid talking about Tubbo like that, and he wasn't going to entertain him calling him Schlatt 2.0.

"The fuck happened to you?" Fundy managed to choke out after a few minutes. "You just…" Ranboo didn't say anything, silently curling his tail around himself and pulling his knees up to his chest with a frown as he flicked his gaze back to the fox hybrid, who was just staring at him. Fundy fell silent for a few moments, ears flat to his head. Ranboo got the impression nobody had bothered to tell him off; he'd probably been running his mouth like this all year without fail, and if Ranboo had a little more energy he might go deeper in depth as to why Fundy should have a little more sympathy for Tubbo than he seemed to, but he didn't. Exhaustion clouded his mind, exhaustion and anger, and he wanted nothing more than to curl up and ignore the fox hybrid's company for the time being in favor of getting some much-needed rest, but he couldn't.

The enderman hybrid let his eyes flutter shut for a moment, taking a deep breath and crossing his arms over his knees. His head rested back against the wall again, ears falling back against his head to muffle the sound of the lava. He was tired, he was so tired. He couldn't remember the last time he slept, the last time he let himself rest. It had been a long time, he knew that much. He couldn't sleep, not for more than a few hours at a time. He always woke up from the same nightmare each time, and he always woke up in this nightmare each time. It was infuriating, it was frustrating, it was exhausting and Ranboo was tired of it, he was tired of it all.

You'd think he'd be happy to have some company after so long here, and maybe if it were anyone else, he might enjoy it. If it were Tubbo or Tommy, perhaps. Well, he wouldn't be happy, and he wouldn't enjoy it, but he probably wouldn't be as angry as he was with Fundy. Or maybe he would, he didn't know. It had been a long time since he'd felt anything except anger and exhaustion, at this point he couldn't even remember what it was like to feel anything else. He knew what it was like to feel numb, during the few occasions that the anger got so much he couldn't handle it anymore, but even the numbness was dangerous and painful and frustrating. The anger was better, in his opinion, because he'd learned how to adjust to that, to control it. He couldn't control himself when he went numb, because he didn't care enough at that point to try.

His ears flicked, brushing against the wall, and Ranboo let out a soft rumble deep in his chest. Not quite a purr, not quite a growl, just a quiet rumbling. It was supposed to soothe his nerves, even just the slightest bit, but he wasn't finding it too successful; regardless, he was too tired at the moment to care. He wanted to rest. He wanted to sleep. He just wanted to forget everything. Normally that wasn't a problem for him, he mused. He never had a problem forgetting things he wanted to remember, but it seemed like the things he wanted to forget always stuck with him. Ranboo sighed, prying his eyes open after a moment, and rubbed a hand over his face.

Fundy was watching him, something troubled flickering through his eyes. He didn't say anything, though, and Ranboo wasn't about to initiate a conversation with him, so they were both silent.

Until Fundy's ears twitched and pricked up, his gaze flicking upwards.

Ranboo frowned, following his gaze. He couldn't see, but he could hear. Shuffling, faint as it was. Was Dream back? There was no way Dream was back. It hadn't been that long, had it? Not like it was easy to keep track of time in here, but Ranboo wasn't that bad at it. The enderman hybrid frowned, taking a deep breath and preparing to call up to the masked man.

A voice floated down to him before he could, a voice that was most definitely not Dream's.

"Hey, what's up, fuckers? Who needs a 'get out of jail free' card?"

Chapter Text

As the hours ticked by throughout the night, Tubbo was cursing himself, curled up on the couch and picking at his eyepatch as he stared at the wall. Sleep didn't come easy. Sleep didn't come.

He hadn't felt like this in a long time. He hadn't felt anything in a long time. Night turned into day and his heart ached with each second that passed. He was right there, he'd been so close, and Tommy had slipped through his fingers yet again. There was nothing Tubbo could do. He tried, he tried so hard. He gave him Mellohi, he was prepared to make a whole speech about how long they'd been friends and everything they'd been through together and how much Tubbo had missed him and how desperately he just wanted him to be okay and safe - and then Dream had shown up. Dream had shown up and everything had gone to hell instantly. Suddenly, Tommy was fighting to get to the door, throwing half-hearted punches and shoving at Tubbo as the goat hybrid tried to keep him back, trying to talk him down. But Tommy was damn near hysterical at that point, and then George had walked in and… yeah. Everything had gone downhill so… fast.

Tubbo was tired. He was hurt. He was scared. He was worried. He wanted his best friend. He didn't recognize the boy that had fought tooth and nail to get away from him to get to Dream; he didn't recognize the boy that held the axe to Sapnap's throat; he didn't recognize the boy that plunged the blade in without a second thought, with nothing but rage flashing through his eyes. Tommy was almost unrecognizable, but he had to be in there somewhere. He had to be in there somewhere, because Tubbo wasn't ready to let go, he wasn't willing to let go, to give up again.

Tommy was alive. That was what mattered. He was alive, and he had to be in there somewhere.

Tubbo grimaced and pulled his eyepatch back over his eye, tying it into place and squeezing his eye shut with a sigh, trying in vain to push past the memory of yesterday's events. The way Dream had approached Tommy, the way Tommy had looked at him. It was sickening, the fucking- the fucking devotion in his eyes, the… Tubbo couldn't call it love, that wasn't love. Tommy had looked at Dream like he was his whole fucking world, the Earth and the sun and the moon and the stars, with such adoration and excitement and his eyes and Tubbo had blanched. And then the way Dream had touched him, the way Tommy had leaned into his hand, it was sick. It was sick, it was awful, it was horrifying. Tubbo couldn't get the memory out of his head.

Tommy had never looked at anyone like that. He hadn't looked at Wilbur like that, he didn't look at Tubbo like that. Whatever the fuck that was in his eyes yesterday, that wasn't fucking love. The goat hybrid grimaced, letting his head fall back against the arm of the couch and crossing his arm over his face with a sigh. It wasn't love. It was obsession. That was what it was, obsession, and Dream had the exact same look in his eyes when he'd looked down at the boy.

Hours flew by and Tubbo couldn't sleep, not with the memories hanging over his head. He wanted to plan, they needed to make a plan. He wanted to get Tommy back, he wanted to kill Dream. He was exhausted, he couldn't believe any of this was happening, what was going on?

Unable to sleep, Tubbo swung his legs over the side of the couch and heaved himself to his feet, taking to pacing the wooden floor. He brushed his hair back, sweeping it to the side, and curled his fingers around his horns, settling his hands over his ears and playing with tufts of fur between his fingers as he paced. Bitterness swirled through him like a blizzard and the snow piled higher and higher with each second that passed. Grief tugged at his heart, longing squeezed his throat shut tight, anger pooled in his belly and panic skittered up his spine, and he paced. Steady and quiet, each step light and cautious, Tubbo paced, his eye flicking across the floorboards and his hands moving methodically through his hair, across his horns and his ears. His fingertips were numb and his stomach and spine tingled, and the fur along his ears bristled.

Tubbo was used to sleepless nights. Oftentimes he sat awake in his empty house, and the sound of silence would suffocate him with each second that passed. Every gust of wind that slammed into the doors and windows made him cringe, minor noises becoming far too much to bear with each day that passed. Floorboards creaked without reason, the house groaning as it settled at night. Tubbo knew he was alone, but that never stopped him from getting up and wandering the empty hallways in search of someone he knew he wasn't going to find, company he didn't want and couldn't keep. And at the end of the night, when he returned to his room, Tubbo's exhaustion was long forgotten. Loneliness was his friend, his misery had no company.

The first hints of daylight sparkled through the room, spilling through cracks in the curtains. Tubbo gazed at the streams of sunlight that filtered in and watched the dust particles dance through it, eyebrows furrowing together. Birds chirped outside, singing their tune and celebrating the break of dawn. Tubbo tugged his jacket tighter around him and returned to the couch quietly.

Sam came in to check on him. Tubbo numbly participated in idle conversation, and tried not to feel too annoyed at Sam's attempts to get him to stay. He was too tired to argue, and he was too frustrated to listen. He knew the creeper hybrid was worried about him, worried about another casualty. Tubbo was too tired to care. He wanted to go back to L'Manberg and get everything over with, resign once and for all so he could finally turn his attention back to what was important. This fucking country, it wasn't important. Tubbo had overlooked what was important in favor of it, and now he was here. Now Tommy was stuck with Dream and it was Tubbo's fault. He was fucking sick of it. Sick of making the wrong choices. Sick of being put in the position to make the wrong choices in the first place. It was time to step back. To step down.

But he stayed, as Sam went to check on Quackity and Sapnap. He stayed when Karl arrived. He stayed when Niki walked in, and kept the woman company until Sam returned. He watched them greet each other and embrace, and found himself having to swallow back bile, forcing past the jealousy and resentment that twisted in his chest. He longed to greet someone like that again, with warm hugs and bright smiles. He couldn't remember the last time he'd really smiled, the last time it was genuine, without a trace of bitterness or sadness or something negative. As they made meaningless chit-chat, Tubbo found himself up and on his feet again, making his way to the window and moving his hands back and forth through the streams of sunlight that flooded through. His ears flicked as they spoke, and marveled over how hushed murmurs were so loud.

He stared through the window as Sam led Niki upstairs to where the others were, and glowered at George when the man came downstairs for a few seconds to grab a snack before heading back up with nothing more than an awkward, almost apologetic smile in Tubbo's direction. Tubbo settled down by the window, resting his head against the glass, and let his eye slip shut. Exhaustion wrapped around him, fogging his mind with whispered promises of peace he knew he wouldn't get, but in the moment he didn't care. He wanted to close his eyes and just forget.

And he must have.

The next thing he knew, he was opening his eyes to find himself on the couch again, startled awake by the sound of the front door swinging open and voices rising above one another. Tubbo scrambled to sit up at once, alarmed, and swung his head in the direction of the door. He caught a glimpse of Punz, and his first reaction was to draw his weapon - but Sam was there, walking down the stairs with Niki in tow, and Tubbo could do little more than watch as they both greeted the mercenary. Ponk walked through the doorway, and then Fundy, and Tubbo blinked blearily as he watched the fox hybrid make a direct beeline for Niki, throwing his arms around her. They were crying, at least Niki was as she buried her face into Fundy's shoulder and squeezed him tight, sobbing with relief. Sam was embracing Ponk, and Punz looked awkward.

Tubbo found himself very, very lost in that moment. He sat up straighter, pushing himself back on the couch, and reluctantly pushed his legs over the side of the cushion to push himself up.

And then another person walked in, and Tubbo forgot in an instant how to breathe.

It was like seeing Tommy for the first time in over a year, Tubbo almost didn't recognize who he was seeing. Not because he looked different, no; he looked exactly the same and Tubbo could've cried at the sight of him, but every inch of him felt numb at the same time. Ranboo did look different. It wasn't his appearance, like with Tommy. It was the expression on his face, the look in his eyes. Tubbo couldn't remember ever seeing Ranboo angry before, but one glance told him everything he needed to know. He stood so calm, almost casual as he moved through the doorway and paused near the others. His posture was relaxed, shoulders laid back and his ears flicking lazily as he swept his gaze around, but there was a fury in his eyes Tubbo had never seen before. Rage glittering just below the surface, carefully restrained and controlled.

Ranboo's eyes rested on him, their gazes meeting. Tubbo half expected the enderman hybrid to flinch at first, as he often did, but Ranboo's only reaction was the prick of his ears and the slight shift in his expression, some of the anger in his eyes melting away into something unreadable.

Tubbo opened his mouth, struggling to think of something, anything to say. He hadn't known what to say to Tommy and he didn't know what to say now. Ranboo didn't wait for him to speak. He didn't wait for the gears in Tubbo's head to start turning again, for him to formulate the words he wanted to say. The enderboy pressed forward without saying anything, himself, stalking past the others with his tail whipping back and forth behind him, and reached Tubbo in a few quick strides, pulling him into a hug before the goat hybrid had a proper chance to register what was happening. Even so, he managed to wrap his arms around Ranboo just as tightly, breathless and dizzy as he buried his face into the older boy's shoulder. He smelled like heat and ash and raw potatoes and paper and Tubbo didn't care. He stretched up onto the tips of his hooves and pressed his face into Ranboo's shoulder, fighting back tears as he pressed closer to his friend.

"You're alive," the words felt numb and bitter on his tongue. Ranboo was alive, he'd been alive this whole time, Ranboo was alive and Tubbo couldn't think about anything else. "You're alive-"

"I'm alive," Ranboo whispered into his hair. "I'm here."

Tubbo could have broken, then. He damn near did. Instead of a sob, however, laughter bubbled in his chest and he couldn't choke it back. His eye stung and every inch of him ached and he wanted to cry, but the only thing he could do was laugh. Ranboo didn't laugh. Ranboo was silent, claws running ever so gently through Tubbo's hair and rubbing his ears and Tubbo was finding it harder and harder to not burst into tears with every second that passed as he melted into Ranboo's arms. Pressing closer, holding tighter, Tubbo managed to silence his laughter and swallow back sobs before they could escape, muffling the sounds against Ranboo's shoulder.

A purr rumbled in the enderman hybrid's chest, and Tubbo's ears flicked, curling his fingers tighter into the back of Ranboo's shirt and taking a deep breath as the sound and sensations enveloped him, the soft rumbling against his cheek soothing his frayed nerves, if only slightly.

"I'm here," Ranboo rumbled, curling a hand around the back of his neck. "It's okay. It's gonna be okay."

For the first time in a long time, Tubbo thought he could believe that.

Chapter Text

Dream was exhausted.

Well, he figured, two full nights without sleeping would do that to you. And with everything that had happened in the past two days alone, Dream figured that anyone would be exhausted. So he didn't blame himself too much when he found himself stirring from sleep he hadn't realized he'd fallen into so quickly. Exhaustion and satisfaction weighed down on him in equal measure as he lifted his head from the back of the couch, prying his eyes open with a sigh. The right one came open without much protest, the slight ache that it offered nowhere near the kind of pain he'd been in before. Opening it didn't make much difference, though; he could see out of his left one easily enough, but the right one was blurry, almost completely darkened. He couldn't see anything out of it. Which was to be expected, he reasoned against the panic that exploded in his chest upon realizing that he couldn't fucking see, it would heal in its own time, like Tommy's had.

Tommy… Dream blinked a few times to clear his vision, at least in his left eye, and turned to look for the blond. He didn't have to look too far; Tommy was still curled up on the couch beside him, completely still; Dream would have thought he was asleep, as well, if the blond's eyes weren't focused on him so intently. To be honest, it startled him to see that the boy was just staring at him, but he couldn't deny the warmth that stirred in his chest at the expression written across Tommy's face, the pure love and contentment radiating from him. It was… intoxicating. Even more so was the way Tommy's eyes lit up when Dream looked at him, raising his head.

"Your eye," the boy said softly, reaching out to touch the scar with trembling, tentative fingers. The corners of Dream's lips curled upwards at the touch, a lazy smile appearing on his face. Tommy trailed his thumb over the scar, his palm resting against Dream's cheek. "It looks better."

"It feels better." It definitely did, compared to the way it had hurt earlier. Dream shifted, sitting up and hunching forward with a soft groan. XD, how was he still tired? "How long was I sleeping?"

Tommy blinked, the fawning expression on his face falling away to uncertainty. "I don't know…" He craned his neck to look toward the door, stretching up to peer through one of the windows. "Not too long, I don't think. Maybe a few hours…" Dream hummed softly in response, stretching his arms over his head and flexing each of his stiff, exhausted muscles. He wanted nothing more than to lay down and go back to sleep, but there was no sense in doing that. It was the middle of the day, after all. He hadn't even eaten… speaking of which, the man quickly flicked his gaze back to Tommy, wondering if the blond had eaten his carrots. He'd probably forgotten all about them in favor of Dream - which, yes, was touching in all the best ways, but he didn't want to have to start shoving food down Tommy's throat like he had at the start of his exile.

"Did you eat, Tommy?" He asked plainly, and Tommy's head sank slightly, a sheepish expression flitting across his face. Dream sighed, and shook his head when Tommy opened his mouth. He was starting to get frustrated with the blond's meaningless apologies. "Eat," he commanded simply, and Tommy leaned back to pull the carrots from his inventory at once, nibbling on one tentatively. Dream hummed, reaching out to ruffle his hair lightly. "Good boy."

Tommy glowed at the praise, taking a full bite from the carrot. He chewed for a moment, silent, then suddenly swallowed and asked hesitantly, "so, um… ho- how long… are we staying here?"

That was a good question, and not one Dream could answer immediately. He didn't even know, to be honest. There wasn't really anywhere else to go… Dream was confident he had a few days to figure out a solid plan. He'd need to meet up with Punz again to pay them the rest, but he wasn't keen on leaving Tommy alone. He could have Punz come here, but then, as much as he trusted the mercenary, he wasn't stupid. He knew that they were driven by one thing and one thing only, and that was money. He'd need to make sure they were still on his side first, which he was certain they were, but for the time being, he wasn't about to take any unnecessary risks.

For now, he figured, they were fine here. "Until I figure something else out," he finally replied.

That seemed to be good enough for Tommy, either that or he recognized that Dream wasn't accepting any more questions, because he fell silent while he finished off his carrots. The man watched for a moment, and once he was content that all the food was gone, he rewarded Tommy with another hair-ruffle and pulled the golden apples and knife from his inventory again. It was easy to ignore the tension that rippled through Tommy's shoulders when Dream's fingers curled around the blade, but it still made his stomach twist with equal measures of satisfaction and frustration. He pushed through it silently, trying to blink some of the blurriness from his right eye and focusing on the apples as he carefully cut them into slices while the blond watched.

Once he finished, he collected most of the golden apple slices into his inventory, only leaving two out. One he handed to Tommy, who took it with a wide, starry-eyed smile and a 'thank you', and the other he kept for himself. They weren't for any reason in particular, just to get some of their strength up. Dream knew for certain that he needed it, as exhausted as he felt, and he figured he'd give Tommy a little treat just for the hell of it. The urge to pamper him was stronger than ever and Dream decided to let himself give in, if only to make up for the day they had lost.

Tommy ate the gapple slice slower than the carrots, likely savoring the flavor. Dream finished his off quickly only to feel the strength that surged through his muscles, breathing out a content sigh as the pain in his eye numbed to nothing. Still blurry and basically blind, but it didn't hurt anymore and that was as much of a win as Dream was going to get, and he could accept that. For now, at least. Quackity would pay for what he'd done, in due time. Dream had half a mind to let Tommy take his axe and put it through the man's skull himself, but no. He had plans for Quackity, and he didn't want Tommy to get involved in this any more than he already had been.

Now that the initial fear had worn off, anger and excitement welled in his chest in equal measure. This was… kind of like the disc wars with Tommy, but a little different. Different because L'Manberg wasn't Tommy and it wasn't nearly as fun fucking with them as it was fucking with Tommy, but at the same time, they had just personally wronged him, so he knew he'd take immense pleasure and satisfaction in ripping them down. On the surface it was different, but deep down it was exactly the same. They had taken what was rightfully Dream's (even if Dream had been the first to steal Tommy, himself) and Dream had gotten him back. It was almost exactly like the disc wars! Tommy was his 'disc'. He had it - ah, him - back, but the war wasn't over. The war wasn't over until L'Manberg was gone, nothing but rubble and ashes.

The war wasn't over until the game was over, and the game wasn't over until he said it was.

The game wasn't over until Tommy was dead, he mused, gazing at his King curled up at his side, Tommy's blue eyes focused on him with nothing but blind devotion. The game wasn't over until Tommy was dead, truly dead, and Dream had no way to bring him back. The game wasn't over until they were both out; the King on his side of the board, and the player looming over him.

Dream took a breath and sighed, a smile tugging at his lips as he pushed himself up and wandered toward the fireplace. The fire was starting to die down a little, and Dream felt the chill against his face and cold numbing his fingertips - but otherwise, he remained unbothered. He gathered his and Tommy's hoodies off of the floor, grabbing his mask and helmet as well before making his way back to the blond and depositing the items on the couch. Tommy reached for his hoodie at once, with a quick glance in Dream's direction to check that he was allowed, and Dream inclined his head toward the boy in silent acceptance and headed back to the fireplace.

Once he had the fire roaring again, he grabbed the axe and joined Tommy on the couch again, once again ignoring the way the boy tensed at his approach and the flickers of satisfaction and irritation that sparked in his chest. "I expect you to use this only when you need to," he warned, though he didn't think he had to worry about that. Tommy merely nodded, eyes wide, and Dream held the axe out for him to take. It was such a small display of his trust, but it was everything to Dream - and it seemed to be for Tommy, as well. Of course, Dream was aware he could just make another axe, an iron one or even a diamond one - but this was a far bigger deal. An enchanted netherite axe. Tommy had wielded it so confidently yesterday, and Dream hadn't been lying when he said he was proud of the boy. He'd banned weapons - for Tommy, at least - for two reasons. One, he didn't want the blond getting cocky and trying to fight back (not that any attempts at fighting would go very far) and two, he wanted Tommy to rely on him for protection, to know who was in control. Now, though, it seemed both lessons had been learned.

Perhaps he could stand to loosen up a bit. Tommy knew who was in control, but he also needed to be able to defend himself if Dream wasn't around to protect him - at least for now, anyways. Once all of this was over, and L'Manberg was taken care of, it was back to no more weapons.

Tommy's touch was light, hesitant as he reached out to take the axe. Every so often his hands would flinch and pull back a few inches, as if it was some kind of test and Dream would punish him for taking it. Which was understandable, wouldn't be the first time, but as calm and patient as he tried to appear, he couldn't stifle the frustration that flared through him, and had to swallow back the impulse to give Tommy a reason to be afraid. He thought he'd been pretty clear earlier in the fact that he wasn't going to do anything, so why the fuck was he still scared?

"Just take it," he snapped after a few seconds. Tommy flinched violently, snatching his hand back as if Dream had struck him. But then the order seemed to register, because he was just as quick to reach out and take the axe, wrapping trembling fingers around it and finally pulling it from Dream's grip. It disappeared the second he had it in his hands, and Dream let his own drop to his side with a sigh, crossing his arms over his chest after a moment. "Was that so difficult?"

Tommy flinched again, folding his arms over his stomach. "N- No, I just- I'm sorry…"

Dream debated for a moment on whether or not to continue scolding him, eyeing the blond for a moment. As irritating as it was, and as much as he wished it wasn't necessary, he knew that it was still best for Tommy to be somewhat fearful of him. Just… not this fearful. He set his jaw and drew his head back - the blond flinched again - and tried to focus on the satisfaction the reaction brought him instead, taking a breath to calm himself down. Yelling at him certainly wouldn't get them anywhere, as angry as Dream felt right then. He could control himself, he was fully capable of controlling and restraining his rage. He just wasn't used to doing it with Tommy. Not anymore. Not since he'd stopped holding back. "I already told you I wasn't going to hurt you," he said mildly. Tommy looked both nervous and guilty, picking at the strings of his hoodie.

"I know," the boy mumbled after a moment, anxious eyes skimming across Dream's face without quite resting. "I'm sorry." Dream took another deep breath and bit back a sigh, shaking his head.

If he could just order the blond to relax and have him actually listen to him, he would. Unfortunately, he didn't think it was going to be that easy - though, it was worth a try, wasn't it? Tommy was nothing if not a good listener. That was one thing he loved about his new-and-improved King. (Oh, he was really starting to like referring to Tommy as his 'King', why hadn't he thought of that sooner?) "Just relax. The axe is yours - for now," he added quickly. Tommy nodded his agreement swiftly, finally meeting his gaze again. "Once this is over with…"

"It's yours," Tommy agreed quietly.

Dream hummed his approval and moved the mask and helmet aside for the time being, settling back into place beside the blond and pulling his communicator out. He needed to get in touch with Punz first, figure out what he was going to do about them… maybe get those explosives. Tommy shifted to curl up beside him, hesitantly resting his head against Dream's shoulder. He thought he was in trouble, Dream mused, but he decided to let the blond figure out for himself that he wasn't. Instead, he focused on his communicator, typing out a quick message to Punz asking how everything went at Sam's. He had no doubt the mercenary could handle themself, and if not, oh well, they weren't as good as Dream thought they were. Either way, he didn't care. He had Tommy back, and he could handle those L'Manberg idiots just fine on his own.

After a moment of thought, he messaged George as well. Thanks for the help.

George's reply came almost instantly.

Wasn't helping  you .

Dream furrowed his eyebrows slightly, twisting his mouth into a frown as he tried to figure out what that meant. The only thing he could think of was the blond beside him, considering they were the only two who benefitted from George's help - as minor as it had been, it was helpful. He was about to respond to George before another message popped up, this time from Punz.

I'm sorry, Dream.

His ears strained suddenly as he stared at the message. Familiar, muffled voices reached him through the door, and his stomach twisted as he looked up, pulling Tommy closer to him and drawing his axe. The blond shrank back against him at once, wide-eyed as he stared at the door; he whined softly as Dream pulled them both off the couch, but Dream silenced him quickly, shoving the blade of his axe into the boy's shoulder to shut him up and pushing him back to the other end of the cabin, positioning himself in front of him and bracing himself to fight.

His communicator buzzed. He glanced down just as the door opened.

But you should've paid me more :3

Dream's heart was in his throat as he lifted his gaze. Well, there went his only useful ally. He felt betrayed, maybe a little more than he should. He'd trusted Punz, and this was what he got for it.

To tell you the truth, he wasn't expecting to see who he did when he looked up, although he wasn't sure what to expect to begin with. His first thought was that Punz had somehow led the others to them - though it begged the question that Dream hadn't quite thought of yet, which was how the fuck they even knew where they were - but even if it didn't make sense, it was plausible and someone was there, someone who wasn't supposed to be there, and Dream could only assume that some bad shit was going to go down. So he was still ready to fight, axe in hand and ready to start swinging as the door was pushed open- to reveal two familiar figures.

He never thought he'd be so relieved to see Technoblade.

The sentiment wasn't returned.

"... heh?"

Chapter Text

Tommy's heart was racing, mind numb with fear as he stared up at Technoblade.

Past experiences came racing back at once, suppressed memories tugged to the surface. His head swam with panic as voices attacked him from all sides, resisting the urge to cover his ears.

It stays in the pit.
The only universal language is violence.
You wanna be a hero, Tommy?

His heart jumped to his throat and stayed there, arms lifting. His shoulder stung, blood soaking through his shirt and hoodie as he clasped his hands over his ears and moved to take a few more steps back, wide eyes flicking desperately between Dream's axe and Technoblade. Something bad was about to happen, he could feel it in his bones; every inch of him quivered with anxiety, stomach in knots as he waited for the inevitable. If Dream needed him, he would step in, of course he would - the axe was practically screaming to be used, but as much as he wanted to pull it out and start swinging, he knew he had to wait. Wait for Dream to do something, wait for Dream to take control of the situation. He would, right? He always did, this time couldn't be much different. Yeah, it was Techno, and Techno was fucking terrifying, but- but Dream was even more terrifying, in Tommy's opinion, and… fuck. Fuck. Technoblade was here.

Tommy fought down the desperate reminder in the back of his mind that Dream had said everything would be okay, that Techno was gone, and instead shifted his focus to the other figure. Standing in the doorway beside Techno was someone he never thought he'd see again.

The blond couldn't bite back a gasp in time. Ghostbur stood there, a bewildered smile on his face. When Tommy's gaze caught his own, the spirit let out a soft gasp of his own, raising a hand and taking a few steps forward. "Tommy! You're here as well! It's lovely to see you again. You look a little less dead than I thought you would…" He rambled, and Tommy shook his head. He had to force back tears at the sound of his voice alone, wide-eyed as he stared back at him.

He didn't know what to say until Ghostbur took another step. "W- Wait," he managed, swallowing, and spared a quick glance toward Dream. One glance alone was enough to tell him that Dream wouldn't hesitate to start swinging if Ghostbur got close enough, and Technoblade might be fair game, but Tommy certainly didn't want to see Ghostbur get hurt. He faltered, eyebrows furrowing, unsure how to proceed here. On one hand, he couldn't stop Dream from hurting Ghostbur if the man really wanted to, but… but surely Ghostbur meant no harm, and surely Dream knew that? He hesitated, stepping forward after a moment. Not quite moving past Dream, but taking his place almost at the man's side, lingering just behind him. "Ghostbur, I…"

Ghostbur beamed at him, nothing but warmth and excitement and kindness and Tommy wanted to cry again, biting down hard on his tongue and blinking back a rush of tears. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," Tommy breathed, frowning. "Where have you… why did you leave?"

"Enough," Dream snapped, and Tommy flinched, immediately falling silent and taking a few steps back with a grimace as he spared the man an apologetic glance. Dream's eyes were all for Techno, although he did tear his gaze away briefly to grab his mask, pressing it to his face with one hand. He didn't make any move to fasten the straps, however, clearly unwilling to let go of his axe, so Tommy moved forward after a moment to help him, hoping to stay on the man's good side. "Techno, it's good to see you." Dream's tense posture said otherwise. "How did the-"

"What are you doing in my house, Dream?" Technoblade rumbled, and Dream drew his head back. Tommy pulled his hands back quickly, but returned to his task after a moment, anxious. He really hoped a fight wouldn't break out, but Techno sounded less than pleased to see them and Tommy just… he wasn't sure what to think. On one hand, he wanted to spend some time with Ghostbur if he could, he truly had missed the ghost and he wanted to know where he'd been and what he'd been up to and why he was with Techno and why he had left him alone in exile with Dream all this time and- Tommy grimaced, pulling the straps taut and buckling them.

"How did the search go?" Dream's voice was strained. Tommy's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Techno's eyes narrowed. "What are you doing in my house, Dream?"

Even Ghostbur seemed to sense the rising tension, because with a few swift glances back and forth, the spirit abruptly took a few steps toward Dream and Tommy - Tommy had to bite back another warning, but aside from a twitch of his hand, his best friend didn't react to his approach - and reached a hand out toward Tommy with a kind smile. "We should let them talk. Would you like to come outside with me?" His dead adoptive brother asked warmly, and Tommy faltered.

His gaze flicked toward Dream, anxious, but the man didn't say anything for a long time. He had turned his head toward Ghostbur, who, to his credit, only offered Dream a wide, genuine smile.

When it seemed like Dream wasn't about to say anything, Tommy took a breath. "I… I don't-"

"Actually," Dream interrupted. Tommy winced, biting the inside of his cheek and flicking his gaze toward the man anxiously. "That's a good idea. I have to talk to Technoblade… privately," he added that last part somewhat begrudgingly, and reluctantly turned to face Tommy again. The boy took a quick step backwards, still uncertain as to whether or not Dream was upset with him and hesitant to test the waters. He couldn't keep himself from cringing when his friend reached out for him, and breathed out sharply in relief and gratitude at the light, gentle touch he received in place of the anger and harshness he'd been expecting, relaxing slightly. "Will you be okay?"

Tommy nodded quickly, sparing a swift glance toward Ghostbur. He'd be just fine, of that he had no doubt. Ghostbur was… he wasn't entirely sure where he stood with the ghost, but he knew he trusted him if nothing else. Dream didn't seem pleased, but he retracted his hand and pulled his axe to the side to let Tommy pass, and Ghostbur once again reached out to take his hand. "Don't worry, Dream," he assured softly as the blond hesitantly let two pale, cold hands curl around his own, gently pulling him toward the door. "We'll be right outside. I'll take care of him."

Dream didn't respond, but his hand twitched at his side and a soft, irritated huff escaped his lips. Tommy didn't have much time to worry over that, because it wasn't long before he was approaching Technoblade; the piglin hybrid stepped to the side to let them out, and finally flicked his gaze away from Dream to focus on them, offering Tommy a short nod. "What's up, Tommy?"

Tommy stammered, shrinking in on himself, and was beyond relieved when Ghostbur pulled him through the doorway and out into the cold air, the spirit quickly shutting the door behind them with a laugh that exhaled a puff of freezing air from his lips, fog that quickly dissipated into the sky as he turned to face Tommy again. Blank eyes flickered across the blond's face, his expression gentle. "I'm not sure that's going to end very well," he admitted, nodding at the door.

"Probably not," Tommy agreed. In Ghostbur's presence, he felt… not exactly calm, but he didn't feel as on edge as he usually did. He could let some of the tension in his shoulders relax, just for a moment. Just for now. "I… thank you," he added hesitantly. "For… bringing me out here."

"Of course." Ghostbur tilted his head. His hands were still curled around Tommy's, and the boy realized numbly that he still had Dream's gloves on, making a mental note to give them back when he could. He flinched a little when Ghostbur's hand lifted to his wrist, pushing the sleeve of his hoodie up to feel his arm. "You don't feel dead, either. But how? Everyone said you were."

"They thought I was, I guess," Tommy murmured. He relaxed again after a moment, leaning into Ghostbur's touch. His fingers were cold, but Tommy didn't mind. The touch was gentle and that was what mattered. Ghostbur was familiar, he was safe, and Tommy felt okay with him. At the very least he knew that he wasn't going to hurt him, that he meant no harm to him or Dream. "So you've been with… with Technoblade this whole time, then?" He asked hesitantly, frowning. He tried to remember the last time he saw Ghostbur, but he came up blank. He wasn't sure, honestly. He knew it was in exile, long before the tower incident. "Why… why did you… leave?"

"Dream told me to get lost," Ghostbur said innocently, blinking. "So I did. I got lost all the way here, and Techno found me. And then we found out you died - even though you didn't die - and then Ranboo went missing, and then Phil went missing, and I went with Techno to look for him."

Tommy wasn't even sure where to begin making sense of that. He flinched at the first statement, shoulders hunching as he registered the words. Dream told Ghostbur to 'get lost'. The desire to defend the man rose up, and Tommy quickly tamped it down again, shaking his head slightly. That wouldn't be the worst thing the man had done… and at least Ghostbur was okay. He certainly could've done a lot worse. Still, it stung; Dream had told him the ghost had just left, that he'd gotten bored of their little 'vacation'. And… what the hell was that about Ranboo and Phil?

He tensed slightly as he registered their names. "Ran-" His gaze swept toward the door, tense, and he took a step back, tugging Ghostbur with him. His dead adoptive brother trailed along after him dutifully as Tommy hesitantly made his way down the stairs into the snow, waiting until they were a good distance away before he turned to face Ghostbur again, keeping his voice low despite being far enough away from the house. He didn't know why, why every inch of him was suddenly tingling with the threat of danger, the feeling of wrongness and terror that had engulfed him, but somehow he knew better than to throw the enderman hybrid's name around without caution - especially around Dream. He wasn't sure where it came from. Maybe it was because of the weapons, he reasoned quietly. It had to be because of the weapons. "Ranboo's missing?"

Ghostbur tilted his head. "Mmhm. He disappeared not long after we thought you died, and Phil disappeared a few weeks afterwards." Tommy sucked in a shaky breath at that, and Ghostbur abruptly shook his head, adding quickly, "oh, and I think Fundy said that Puffy went missing."

Tommy recoiled.

Ranboo and Phil, he couldn't speak for. Memories of them were fuzzy, tinged with confusion and panic and desperation and guilt. Puffy, though, he remembered the last time he saw her vividly.

Logstedshire. It was in Logstedshire. Not long after the tower incident. She would come by every few days when Dream wasn't around, tending to whatever wounds Dream had left him with and helping him tend to the flowers in the garden, keeping him company while he waited for Dream. Sometimes she would try to coax him to leave with her, but Tommy had been far too scared then. Even now, he could recall the terror that engulfed him every time she asked; even now, he felt it deep in his bones, nothing but pure panic and the knowledge that no matter where he went or what he did, Dream would always be right behind him. She could never convince him to leave Logstedshire again. Nothing would ever convince him to try to leave Logstedshire, not after the lesson he learned after the last attempt, but he enjoyed her company nonetheless.

And then she had disappeared. Tommy hadn't thought anything of it, dejected but resigned. Just another person who had gotten sick of him, right? Ghostbur, Ranboo, Puffy. Between all of them, it had been clear to Tommy that the only person who wanted to be around him was Dream, and he had long resigned himself to that knowledge, that Dream was his only friend. The only one who cared about him. Dream had told him Ghostbur had gone back to L'Manberg, that Ranboo was too busy to visit him anymore, that nobody else cared enough about him to…

But he'd told Ghostbur to get lost. Ranboo and Puffy had disappeared. Not just from his life, but from everyone's. Tommy bit the inside of his cheek and curled in on himself slightly, folding his arms over his stomach. And Phil, Phil had disappeared too. All these people Tommy thought had just walked out of his life without a second thought, that Dream told him had walked out of his life without a second thought, they had vanished, they were gone, and Tommy knew why.

He wished he didn't, but he did. He knew why.

He wasn't angry he almost wished he could be but he felt confused, he felt disappointed, he felt sad.

He felt betrayed, betrayed by the one person he had trusted to never betray him. He felt hurt.

"Tommy?" Ghostbur's voice filtered through his panicked thoughts. He flinched when he felt two cold hands touch his face, but they retracted at once when he did. "Toms, it's okay. It's just me."

He sounded far too much like Wilbur right then. Wilbur before Pogtopia. Wilbur before L'Manberg. Wilbur before everything had gone to shit, before the world had crumbled around them and left Tommy with nothing but pain and misery. Wilbur when he was just Tommy's adopted big brother, the one person he looked up to more than anyone else in the whole world. Wilbur who would pull him into his arms at night, even in Pogtopia, even when he was slowly losing his mind, to comfort him from a nightmare, to soothe him from a breakdown, sing him back to sleep and reassure him that he was safe. He sounded like Wilbur, and Tommy hated it.

Heart aching with grief, Tommy rubbed his arm over his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Tommy." Ghostbur smiled down at him, taking Tommy's hands again. This time, a familiar, sticky substance was pressed into his fingers, and the blond couldn't stifle a choked, soft laugh despite himself as he looked down. "Here, have some Blue. Calm yourself, it's okay."

"Thank you," Tommy whispered, breathing out a soft sigh.

"What are friends for?" Ghostbur beamed.

Yeah, murmured a voice in the back of his mind, one he hadn't heard in a long time, a part of him long stifled and forgotten. Tommy's gaze trailed back toward the house, watching Dream and Techno's figures through the windows.

What are friends for?

Chapter Text

Dream was tense, angry, anxious and honestly a little afraid.

He wouldn't show it, of course. Keeping his stance as relaxed as possible, Dream kept his eyes focused on Technoblade while Tommy and Ghostbur left the house, despite the anxiety that twisted in his stomach as he let them go. It was for the best, he knew that, he needed Tommy out of here for just a few minutes while he talked Techno down, but he still didn't like it. Fiddling with the axe at his side - and prepared to start swinging at any given moment - Dream took a deep breath to calm himself and rolled his stiff shoulders back, lifting his chin and setting his jaw as he stared at the piglin hybrid before him. Techno was pissed, that much was clear enough. His ears were pinned flat to his head and his eyes glinted dangerously as he took Dream in, and the man didn't like the way his eyes roamed over his body, pinpointing any weak spots and ready to go in for the kill. He could only imagine the Voices were making matters worse, as well.

He was a little out of his depth here, but not willing to give up hope just yet. Not just yet. Still, he knew he had to be careful. He didn't have the luxury of saying whatever the hell he wanted to say. He knew Technoblade was one of few that could kill him. Two were already taken care of. Dream had made the mistake of letting Techno walk free, but perhaps it could still be in his favor. He wasn't sure, he didn't know, but he wasn't about to go picking fights. He couldn't afford a fight with Techno. He needed to be calm, he needed to be careful, and keep his last two lives.

Techno stepped toward him and Dream went rigid, clenching his teeth and fighting back the impulse to lash out instinctively. "What are you doing in my house, Dream? I won't ask again."

"I had nowhere else to go," Dream admitted evenly. "This seemed like my safest option."

Techno quirked an eyebrow at that, unimpressed. His ears angled upwards, twitching back toward the door, and Dream spared a longing glance toward the door himself as he readjusted his grip on the axe. He hated leaving Tommy out there with Ghostbur, he hated it more than he could put into words. He'd seen the way the blond had softened at the sight of him, the tears glittering in his eyes, the whispered I missed you too and- fucking hell, Dream fucking hated it. He scowled, and almost wiped the expression off his face when Techno turned back to him before he remembered that he didn't have to, relaxing upon realizing he had the mask on. Prime was silent, thank the other fucking gods. "And why's Tommy here? Bet it's not his safest option."

Dream carefully tamped down the anger that flared in his chest at the words. "Actually, it is. L'Manberg happens to be after him, too." That gave Techno pause, and Dream went for the kill. "Yeah, apparently they're big on hunting down refugees these days, right? I mean, you get it."

Techno huffed out a derisive snort, rolling his eyes. "Sure, sure. Why are they after Tommy? Did he burn down someone else's house?" He asked sarcastically, and Dream grimaced at the question. Great. Okay, well, actually, he didn't think Techno would care too much if he just came out with the truth, right? Wasn't like Tommy could hide it anyway and Dream wasn't even going to bother making up some excuse as to why L'Manberg was after them at this point. Lying to Technoblade never went well for him, he'd learned from past experience. Hopefully he had enough against L'Manberg at this point to let everything else fly over his head. He wouldn't care.

"No, they're just…" Dream twisted his mouth, thinking. "Unhappy with the way I'm 'treating him'." Techno raised both eyebrows at this, and Dream shrugged. "Hey, Tommy has no complaints."

"Heh?"

"Forget it," Dream hissed, pausing to swallow his frustration before he continued. "Look, you and I both know how messed up L'Manberg is, right? I mean, they executed you for no reason," he added pointedly, and Techno narrowed his eyes slightly. "They see what they want to see and they act without thinking. They literally kidnapped Tommy yesterday, Techno. You can ask him yourself, they took him against his will. I couldn't take him back to Logstedshire, they know where we live, and I didn't know what else to do. So I brought him here for a bit to heal up, and-"

"Dream," Techno interrupted, irritated. "Even if I bought any of that, for like, a second, isn't Tommy supposed to be dead? Like, a thousand times paler and high-pitched and echo-ey and whatnot?" Dream wasn't sure what to say to that, floundering for a response. Techno wouldn't buy the 'Tommy wanted everyone to think he was dead' thing. Dream wasn't even sure L'Manberg had bought it, but there was nothing he could do about that now. Clearly they weren't buying a lot of things. The man took a deep breath, opening his mouth as Techno took another step closer, crossing his arms over his chest with a scowl. "And if you're in trouble with L'Manberg then it's because you did something to piss them off. The execution thing sucked, but I mean, I did spawn a bunch of withers and blew up their home, so it wasn't for 'no reason'."

"You were retired," Dream argued. "You weren't bothering anyone. They had no reason to target you and you know that as well as I do. They're corrupt, remember? Tubbo's basically Schlatt."

"And you're Tommy's new Wilbur, right?" Techno scoffed. "You want me to help you, too?"

Dream fell silent for a moment. "You want revenge on L'Manberg, right? We talked about this."

"Nah, well, I did want revenge on L'Manberg." Techno tilted his head and looked back toward the door briefly before shifting his attention back to Dream. "But I'll be honest, I couldn't care less about them. Right now, anyway. I'll revisit the topic later. You should get out of my house."

"Techno-" Dream bit his tongue, scowling. Every part of him was screaming at him to just leave, just go, just leave it alone and fucking turn around and get the hell out of dodge, but an opportunist if there ever was one, an even bigger part of him wouldn't let him walk away from this situation. Techno was back, Techno was one of L'Manberg's greatest and feared enemies, and Dream would be so stupid not to utilize the weapon that was standing in front of him now. "Listen," he began, debating for a moment. "What if… what if I cashed in that favor, huh? Then-"

"No," Techno shut him down without hesitation, and Dream stared at him in disbelief, wide-eyed. "We're not doing that. I'm not doing that. I've got bigger things to deal with than your favor."

"You owe me your life," Dream sputtered.

"And what are you going to do, Dream?" Techno stared down at him. "Take it back?"

Dream didn't quite flinch, but tension rippled through his shoulders, muscles spasming as he tightened his grip on the axe and drew himself backwards. No, he definitely wasn't stupid enough to try anything. "I thought you had more honor than that, Techno," he admitted. Techno scoffed again and tilted his head, ears finally angling forward as he stared at Dream with nothing but contempt in his eyes. Jeez, he really was pissed. Dream grit his teeth and shook his head, straightening up and raising his head. Fuck, he was better than this. He couldn't cower to Technoblade, what the hell was he doing? Losing his first life really had made him a little too… cowardly, loathe as he was to admit it. "So that's it, then? I save your life, I get nothing in return."

"Welcome to the world of being a decent person, Dream," Techno mused. "Sorry to disappoint. Cash in your favor when I'm not so busy looking for my best friend, and then we'll talk." His hands twitched at his sides, and Dream's heart stuttered at his next words. "I know it was you."

It was a wonder he wasn't dead where he stood, then, Dream thought numbly. He ignored the prickle of fear that crawled down his spine, instead opting to feign innocence. "What was me?"

"I know you did something to Phil," Techno clarified shortly, rage dripping from every word. He took another step forward and Dream summoned every ounce of willpower he had not to back away, knowing he was cornered either way. He set his jaw and clenched his teeth briefly, flicking his eyes to the door and back to Technoblade. Yeah, he was livid. His hands were shaking, and Dream suspected it wouldn't be too long before a weapon appeared in one of them. "I don't know how you did it, and I don't know why you did it, but I know that you did something to Phil. And you think you can just come in here and start demanding things? Cash in that stupid favor? No, nonono, Dream. That favor is null. I didn't ask you to save my life that day, did I? I didn't ask to be in your debt, and I'm not. I'm not in your debt. I owe you nothing. In fact, you owe me. You owe me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you where you stand right here and right now." Each word was spoken lower and lower, until the piglin hybrid was nearly growling, teeth bared.

He remembered the last time he'd looked into the eyes of someone with such fury written across their face. He remembered that he hadn't even flinched, he'd even been amused by it all. He remembered goading him on, watching that anger mount higher and higher until he'd finally-

("That's it. I'm done.")

He remembered losing his first life that night.

Dream finally took a step back, surrendering. One good reason not to kill him. One good reason.

His stomach twisted. He only had one thing. One form of leverage he could use. And he and Techno both knew it. That was the reason he wasn't dead where he stood already, the reason the piglin hybrid was approaching him so slowly despite his anger, the reason he was holding back and restraining himself. This was check, and Techno was waiting to see Dream's next move. Everything was on the line here. Techno would kill him without hesitation, he knew that. Dream didn't know what would become of Tommy afterwards, but he knew it wouldn't be good. A King was nothing without their player. And that was the problem, wasn't it? The game was over if either of them died. If Dream died, especially, he couldn't move his pieces. He couldn't pull the strings, control the show. Tommy's death could be fixed, if Dream was around to fix it.

Dream's death was Game Over. Dream's death was Checkmate. The game wasn't over until he said it was over, and Techno was giving him the chance to decide if he wanted to surrender himself or a pawn. Knowing the choice Dream would make. Knowing that there wasn't a choice.

Still, he thought the move over. It was a big choice, a big sacrifice. Phil was a pawn, yes, but one that had almost made his way to Dream's end of the board. He knew things that Dream couldn't risk being revealed. But did it matter in the end if Dream died for it? He grit his teeth again, grinding them together slowly as he ducked his head and let his axe fall into place at his side, the blade thunking against the floor as he held it loosely by the handle. There would be no fighting today. Dream couldn't risk a fight. And he couldn't risk dying, as much as he hated this. Whether he liked it or not, this was one piece he would have to put back on the board. But if he played his cards right, then he'd have another ally, one he knew could get the job done. He'd have a weapon to use against L'Manberg. He'd be alive. It had to be worth it. He hoped it was.

"I can get him back," he muttered.

A cold smile graced Techno's face, eyes glittering with malice. "That's what I thought you'd say."

Chapter Text

"-so then I lunged, and just barely managed to grab the sheep, and it tried kicking me off!"

Tommy couldn't stifle a smile despite himself as he sank back against the wall. He and Ghostbur had taken shelter in Techno's stable, only because the snow was starting to bother the spirit and he had pretty much pushed Tommy in along with him, albeit as gently as he could once his adoptive brother realized his shoulder was injured. Which was why they were curled up on the floor of the stable now, hay strewn around them and a begrudging horse and curious sheep trotting around while Ghostbur crouched beside him, tenderly treating the wound with a healing potion. Tommy could've done it himself, or he could have just left it - it wasn't the worst he'd ever had - but Ghostbur was insistent, and Tommy so desperately wanted to be close to him again for just a few moments. He didn't think Dream would mind; he wasn't sure the man knew he was injured, and it also hadn't been for a punishment, so hopefully he was allowed to treat it.

"So obviously, that wasn't Friend," Ghostbur chuckled, brushing a soaked cloth across the wound and pressing it down carefully. Tommy let his gaze flick down to the ghost's hands for a moment, eyebrows furrowing. It wasn't rare for Dream to heal his wounds sometimes, when they were bad enough, but he'd never been this gentle about it. Most of the time he had to practically force a healing potion down Tommy's throat because he was too weak to drink it himself. It had been a while since he'd needed to be healed, of course, but he couldn't remember the last time anyone had handled him so gently before. It was different. It was… nice.

It wasn't that he was surprised by how gentle Ghostbur was - he wouldn't hurt a spider for crying out loud - but it surprised him how different Dream's version of gentleness was from Ghostbur's. Dream was gentle sometimes, not like this, not when Tommy was hurt - because if he was hurt then he deserved it - but he was… he was kind. Like last night, when Tommy had curled up beside him in front of the fire, when Dream's fingers wove through his hair, that was gentle. And Tommy didn't take any of that gentleness for granted, because he never knew when it would disappear, when it would be replaced by something colder and harsher and… painful. There was always that undercurrent of fear, that twisting in his stomach that served as a stark reminder that whatever he'd done to earn such gentleness from Dream wouldn't last too long and he would have to find another way to pacify his best friend if he wanted it to continue, and that if he didn't, if he made one wrong move or said one wrong word, he would stop being nice.

That fear was still there, tugging at his heartstrings and making him feel dizzy, but it wasn't directed toward Ghostbur. He didn't expect this gentleness to disappear. He didn't think Ghostbur was capable of being anything but nice. What he was scared of was it being ripped away from him again, of Ghostbur being ripped away from him again, when he'd just gotten him back - gotten this back. Dream had already tried once, apparently, nothing was stopping him from trying again. Not even Tommy, as painful as it was to admit it. One word from Dream and Tommy would resign without hesitation, and at this point that was starting to seem inevitable.

It would be nice while it lasted, though. This was nice, despite the heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach that told him he was on borrowed time. It was nice to sit here with someone he trusted and not have to worry about doing something wrong, or saying something wrong, or being hurt.

"This is Friend," Ghostbur said suddenly, breaking Tommy out of his thoughts. The blond looked up, quickly turning his attention to the blue sheep in the stable with them. "I found him out here! We were lost together for a while, and then Technoblade found us, and of course when we left I couldn't just leave him here, so he came with us to look for Phil," the ghost said fondly, reaching out to pat the sheep's side gently before returning to his task with a smile. "He's very friendly. That's why I named him Friend! He came up to me in the snow, and kept me warm until Techno found us. I think I might have dissolved if he hadn't been there," Ghostbur admitted, and Tommy reached a tentative hand out toward the sheep, smiling slightly as he pressed his nose into the boy's hand and nuzzled closer with a soft 'baa'. "Awh, look, he likes you! You're Friend's friend!"

Tommy couldn't help a soft laugh at that, studiously pushing past the painful feeling in his chest, the terror that had become such a constant part of him - when had that happened? He was so used to feeling fear now that he didn't think twice about it. Maybe it was because there was always a reason to be afraid, so it was only natural that he was scared. Fear was a survival instinct, after all, that feeling that told you deep in your gut that you needed to run for your life. Of course, without the ability - and for that matter the desire to run, that fear had just… settled. Settled into something Tommy had to deal with and learned to deal with every waking moment.

But there was no reason to be afraid right now, not right now, so why… why did he still feel…?

"Well, your shoulder's alright," Ghostbur murmured. Tommy turned his gaze back to the ghost at once, glancing down at his shoulder and furrowing his eyebrows. Ghostbur offered him a warm smile as he pulled back, the cloth disappearing into his inventory as he held out the rest of the healing potion. "You should drink this just in case. Or keep it on you, for if you get hurt again."

Tommy decided against telling him he was definitely going to get hurt again, carefully taking the potion. Dream wouldn't mind, right? He'd given him that golden apple slice earlier, and Tommy was, once again, certain that the man didn't know he was injured. Still, he hesitated as he brought the bottle to his lips. He would get in trouble for it if Dream found out, but… then again, he was already going to be in trouble if Dream found out, because his shoulder was already healed. All the healing potion would do was clear the scar up a little and heal any other wounds he had, wounds that had already long stopped hurting, wounds from lessons already learned. Hesitant as he was to accept the potion from someone who wasn't Dream, there was also a brief, small flicker of relief and gratitude and warmth upon receiving something from someone else. Someone who didn't expect him to earn it. It meant something from Ghostbur, more than it meant from Dream, because Tommy knew the effects of a healing potion could be reversed in an instant in his best friend's presence, and he had to earn the right to heal his injuries only to earn new ones - but Ghostbur expected nothing of him. Ghostbur just wanted him to be alright. Ghostbur wasn't trying to teach him a lesson, he wasn't going to heal him just to hurt him again.

He rolled the potion around in his hands for a moment, frowning. He trusted Ghostbur, and he didn't think he'd ever be able to trust another soul again, except for Dream. But that was a different kind of trust, too. Tommy trusted Dream because… wait… why did he trust Dream…?

The blond furrowed his eyebrows, thinking. It shouldn't be this hard to figure out why he trusted his best friend. He trusted him to take care of him, to protect him, to teach him. He trusted him because… because there was no one else to trust, because Dream was the only one he had, the only one that wanted him, the only one that hadn't left him behind. But that wasn't true, was it? Would Ghostbur have left on his own, without intervention from Dream? Would Ranboo? Would Puffy? Tommy's stomach twisted at the thought, terrified of the doubts whispering in the back of his mind. If he could really trust Dream, then why had he lied to him? Why had he sent his friends away? Why send Ghostbur into a blizzard - knowing full well that it could've killed him - and why do whatever the hell he had done with Ranboo and Puffy and Phil? If Tommy could trust him, then why was his heart beating out of his chest even now, terrified that Dream would come out here and rip him away from Ghostbur before he could blink - or worse, that Dream would hurt the ghost? Hurting him was one thing, he was used to that, but hurting Ghostbur…

Tommy never would have thought… he never would have thought Dream would do something like that. Well, no, he would have, but he wouldn't have been sure those thoughts were justified. Now, though, knowing Dream had done something to Ranboo and Puffy and Phil, and that he'd tried to do something to Ghostbur, what was he supposed to think? How was he supposed to feel? He still felt betrayed, and hurt, and terrified. If Dream had already tried something once then there was definitely nothing keeping him from trying again, and Tommy didn't want to lose Ghostbur. He'd lost everyone else except Dream, and he loved the man, he really, truly did, but-

But why couldn't he just have them both? Why did he have to- no, not even that. He didn't get to choose, and he knew that just as well. He hadn't been able to make a choice for himself in so long, he'd forgotten what it felt like. What it felt like to do something without weighing his options first, to say something without having to calculate the risk of a possible punishment beforehand.

Staring down at the healing potion, Tommy found he was faced with a choice.

He brought the bottle to his lips and downed the rest of the potion, shuddering as soon as the sweet liquid touched his tongue. If Dream was upset, then he was upset. It was a punishment Tommy was willing to face. But he couldn't turn his back on Ghostbur's kindness right now, not with the knowledge that it could disappear at any given moment, that Dream would rip the ghost away and Tommy would be left helpless and guilty and afraid. He wasn't going to take any of this for granted, not for a second - so for once, Tommy decided, he could handle a punishment. He would face it without complaint. He just wanted to forget his fear for a moment, lose himself in the kindness and warmth that Ghostbur was offering, knowing it wouldn't last but for so long.

"You think they're alright?" Ghostbur sat back beside him, looking toward the stairs that led up to the porch. Tommy let the empty bottle disappear into his inventory, following his gaze and furrowing his eyebrows slightly as he stared at the door. "They've been talking for a while, huh?"

"Yeah," Tommy agreed quietly, exhaling softly through his teeth. He shifted closer after a moment, instinctively seeking some kind of contact. Ghostbur obliged happily, swinging an arm around his shoulders and ruffling his hair. The touch reminded him too much of Dream, but he didn't shy away, hesitantly pushing his head into Ghostbur's hand after a moment and letting his eyes flutter shut. Too many thoughts were whirling through his head, he couldn't think clearly. His mind kept drifting toward Ranboo, toward Puffy, toward Phil. Toward Dream, who had lied to him, who had been lying to him all this time. Dream, who he thought he could trust to be honest with him if nothing else. Even for all his manipulation… fuck, and that's what this was, wasn't it?

His heart sank at the thought, prying his eyes open. What else had been just… manipulation? Just blatant lies that Tommy had believed without a second thought? Dream told him L'Manberg hated him, that they didn't want him and that they'd never wanted him, and that they would hurt him if he ever set foot back in L'Manberg because those were the rules and Tommy couldn't break the rules. He told him Tubbo didn't want to visit him. He told him nobody cared about him.

Ghostbur cares. Tommy tucked his chin to his chest. Ranboo and Puffy cared.

And conveniently, they had disappeared. Each and every one of them. Anyone who was there for him during exile, everyone who was there for him during exile, they had all just disappeared.

Except Dream.

Tommy stared out at the snow, eyebrows furrowed as he watched the little while flecks flurry through the air. He didn't react when Ghostbur shifted to mess with his hair, gently tugging it free of the ponytail and letting it fall, running his fingers through the blond curls. His touch was lighter than Dream's, softer somehow although no more gentle than Dream's touch, and Tommy wondered for a moment how it felt so different before letting himself dismiss the thought entirely. What else had Dream told him? It's not like they want you anyway, Tommy. He remembered that. I'm your only friend. And that. But Dream… Dream was his best friend, yes, but he wasn't his only friend. Ghostbur was his friend. Ranboo and Puffy had been his friends. Tubbo had been his friend. Quackity, Sam, Fundy. Had they left him willingly, too? Or was it all just a ruse?

Was it all just Dream pulling the strings all along? Not just Tommy's, but everyone's?

What about…?

Tommy's heart dropped to his stomach, suddenly feeling very cold. "Ghostbur?" He whispered, and upon receiving a soft hum of acknowledgement from the ghost, the blond swallowed and took a deep breath as he prepared his question, anxious to voice the doubts clawing at his mind but needing to know at the same time. "I- um. Do you remember the beach party we were gonna have? At Logsted?" Ghostbur's hands stilled in his hair, and Tommy rushed to continue. "You were supposed to, um, hand out invitations but- but that's when you disappeared, isn't it? That's when Dream-" He couldn't make himself say it. "But… did you hand out the invitations?"

"There was a party?" Ghostbur pulled back, and Tommy startled at the question, whipping his head around to stare up at him in shock. The ghost looked genuinely confused, and Tommy's heart sank further. Ghostbur didn't even remember. He wouldn't be able to tell him. The boy winced, hunching his shoulders forward and curling in on himself with a frown. Ghostbur reached out to rest a hand on his shoulder, an attempt to comfort him, but his adoptive brother still had a puzzled look on his face when Tommy finally managed to lift his gaze again, blank eyes flickering back and forth as he struggled to think. "Why… wouldn't I remember a party…?"

Tommy shrugged, picking at the strings of his hoodie. "I… I don't know…" He wished he could forget it. "You've- you've got memory issues, yeah? Maybe you just…" He shrugged, helpless. He didn't know why. He just wished he could get some answers, and it wasn't like he could go and ask Dream. He'd get the beating of his life for it, for ever expressing a flicker of doubt toward the man in his presence. Even now, Tommy's stomach was churning, and Dream wasn't even there. He breathed in slowly, hiding his face in his sleeve with a grimace as he sighed.

"I can't remember things that aren't happy, but…" Ghostbur frowned. "Parties are happy, right?"

Not this one. Tommy bit the words back.

"I'm trying to now…" Ghostbur ducked his head, eyebrows furrowing. Tommy lifted his face from his arm and shook his head, hesitantly reaching up to rest his hand over the ghost's carefully.

"Don't hurt yourself," he whispered, swallowing. He didn't need to know that badly. He remembered what happened when Ghostbur tried to remember things that made him upset, and if he didn't remember the party… if he didn't remember setting up, and agreeing to hand out the invitations, then there was a reason for that. His stomach twisted sharply at the realization that that reason could very well be Dream. Ghostbur was one of few who even knew about the party.

"Was I happy when we were planning it?" Ghostbur asked suddenly. "I- I remember Phil was there, I think. We were on the beach… it was nice…" He trailed off, and Tommy's heart was in his throat as he stared at his adoptive brother, desperately urging him to continue and simultaneously praying he didn't hurt himself in the process. "But then… then I can't remember."

Tommy's heart sank again, ducking his head and curling in on himself with a grimace. There was a reason for that. Ghostbur remembered helping them set up, but he didn't remember anything afterwards. There was a reason for that. Ghostbur could only remember happy things. Setting up was happy for him, but then whatever happened afterwards…? He couldn't help but wonder why Ghostbur even remembered Dream telling him to get lost in the first place. Surely that couldn't have been happy either. His eyebrows furrowed, running his hands through his hair and settling them over his ears with a grimace. He just wanted to know. He just wanted to know if everything he's known for the past year and a half has been nothing but a lie. He wanted to know, even though he wasn't sure yet what to do with the knowledge, he just wanted to know.

"Techno's been teaching me how to stop blocking things out," Ghostbur said suddenly, his voice barely a whisper. Tommy twitched, raising his head, and let his hands drop from his ears silently.

He thought of Dream, Logstedshire, Ranboo, Puffy, Phil, the party, L'Manberg.

The blank spots in his memory he couldn't fill and hadn't been sure he wanted to. The weapons in his enderchest he didn't remember putting there. Things that didn't make sense, feelings he couldn't describe that came out of nowhere at the worst times. He thought of Dream and the lies he had spun and what a tangled web it was and he thought of all the things he might have forgotten throughout it all, through the pain and the torture and the punishments and the terror.

He wanted answers.

He needed answers.

"How?" He managed, flicking his gaze toward the house and back to Ghostbur in an instant.

Ghostbur hesitated, taking a deep breath. He was silent for a moment, and Tommy's heart pounded, knowing Dream could walk through that door and interrupt them at any given moment. "Well… he says that bad things are always going to hurt," Ghostbur began finally. "And we don't want to hurt, and that's why we try to forget things. But that's the thing about bad things, they don't ever truly go away, they're always somewhere. And… sometimes they get worse if they're locked away." A guilty look passed across his face, just for a moment before it vanished again. Tommy furrowed his eyebrows, listening intently. "But trying to force it all at once can also make it worse," Ghostbur added quickly, glancing over at him. "So you have to do it a little at a time."

"How-" Tommy hesitated, swallowing as he flicked his gaze back toward the house. His stomach hurt, buzzing with anxiety like a live wire. At the same time, there was almost something akin to excitement tugging at him too, albeit excitement doused in pure, raw terror. "How do I do that?"

"Well, it's always trying to get out," Ghostbur mused. "Sometimes little things remind us of what happened, and we try to push it away and ignore it again. But if we let the memories come back in the little flashes, then it helps a lot. Just let it happen when it does. Maybe find something that… reminded you of it before, that you ignored. Your first instinct will always be to shy away from it, but if you don't…" Ghostbur trailed off. "It can do a lot of good. More than it will harm. That's what Techno says, anyway. I haven't really… been able to test it out for myself just yet."

Tommy swallowed, clenching his teeth and leaning back. Ghostbur shuffled back over to him, wrapping his arms around him after a few seconds, and Tommy sank sideways against him at once with a sigh, burying his face into the ghost's shoulder. It seemed way easier said than done, but it was better than nothing. Tommy recognized what he was saying. Those little flashes of memories and emotions he pushed back instinctively. He didn't even know how to begin just letting them flow freely, but it was worth a shot, wasn't it? He still wasn't sure what he would do with the knowledge once he had it. He thought he knew Dream so well, he thought he understood him by now, but there was always something, wasn't there? Always a new revelation. This one just hurt, it hurt more than any physical punishment Dream could offer him.

"Tommy."

Speak of the Devil.

Tommy flinched, tearing himself away from Ghostbur at once and scrambling to his feet. The spirit looked startled, but not upset - Tommy made a mental note to apologize to him later if he had the chance as he swung around to face Dream, who was approaching the stable. He had his mask on, but the tense set of his shoulders and the fists balled at his sides implied he wasn't happy. His tone didn't leave much room for argument on that front, either. "I have to head out."

Tommy blinked. That… wasn't what he was expecting. Anxiety churned in his gut at the wording. I. Not we. He opened his mouth, hesitating, unsure if he should ask where - unsure if it was his place, and still wanting to ask regardless. Because… why? Where was Dream going, how long would he be gone, was he really okay with just leaving Tommy here with Ghostbur and Techno? His heart stuttered at the thought, glancing toward the house and then back toward his best friend. The doubts in the back of his mind were effectively pushed back for the time being, replaced with the impulse to rush forward and cling to the man and not let go. He didn't think he could handle being separated from him again, not so soon after everything that just happened.

"Where are you going?" Ghostbur asked curiously, making his way to Tommy's side. Dream's head turned in his direction briefly, and the man let out an irritated sigh, pocketing his hands.

"Not far." Dream turned his attention back to Tommy. "I won't be gone long. Just a quick trip."

Quick, that's what you said about us being here, and now look. Tommy bit his tongue, swallowing back the sudden rush of irritation. What was wrong with him? He couldn't say that, he most certainly could not say that. And he shouldn't be feeling like this either. He'd learned a long time ago that feeling like this was dangerous, and earned him by far some of the worst punishments he'd ever received. Shame burned hot in his stomach as he ducked his head, hesitantly taking a step closer to the fence gate and maneuvering his way around the animals.

"Okay…" He trailed off, frowning. "N- Not long, right?"

Dream seemed to soften at that, the tension draining from his shoulders. He leaned forward across the fence gate and reached out, and Tommy couldn't stifle a flinch in time, but that didn't stop him from leaning into the touch when Dream's hand brushed through his hair. "I'll be quick," he repeated. "An hour or two, at most. I just have to do something, and… you can't come with. You'll be safer here anyway," he added begrudgingly, glancing toward the house. "Don't worry."

He was definitely worried, but he didn't dare say so, silently making his way out of the stable and enveloping his best friend in a hug. There was a small part of him that was almost relieved, happy to be able to stay behind and spend some more time with Ghostbur, but the anxiety of Dream leaving him definitely overshadowed that. The boy breathed out a soft sigh, pressing his face into Dream's shoulder and curling closer as the man's arms wrapped around him carefully. "Be careful," he breathed, swallowing. He hated this. He hated knowing he wouldn't be able to do anything if something happened, if they caught up to Dream. He wouldn't even know, would he? He wouldn't even know if something happened. He wouldn't be there. He couldn't help him.

"I will." Dream's hand curled around the back of his neck, the other lifting his mask up briefly to press a gentle kiss to the top of the blond's head, and Tommy melted into the affection at once. Dream rested their foreheads together after a moment, breathing out a soft sigh. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Tommy murmured, aching when Dream pulled back.

"I'll be back." Dream reached up, adjusting his mask, and turned his head toward the house briefly, eyes narrowing slightly. And then he was gone, gone before Tommy could blink, before he could say a word. Gone just like that in a flurry of purple particles and the blond's heart ached as he curled in on himself, anxiety twisting his stomach to shreds as he stared at where the man had been just seconds before. His chest was tight with the knowledge that something could happen out there while he was gone, L'Manberg was chasing them and Tommy knew he'd be relatively safe here, Techno didn't like L'Manberg anymore than Tommy did, but Dream wasn't safe out there. He just prayed the man could handle himself. Without Tommy there to distract him, he was sure he could, but he still couldn't quell the panic brewing in his chest.

He felt numb as Ghostbur came to his side, gently taking his arm. "I guess we can go inside now," he offered, and Tommy managed a faint nod, albeit reluctantly. Techno was in there, but Dream said he was safe here, and… and fuck, Tommy wasn't sure if he could believe that either. The sting of betrayal mixed with his worry for the man, and Tommy had never felt so conflicted in his life. Something inside of him was aching to be angry, to let himself feel angry. The rest of him knew he could never, because anger was dangerous when it came to Dream.

He took a deep breath and turned, ready to follow his adoptive brother into the house and still praying that Dream was safe - and now praying that he was safe on top of that, as well. From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a tall figure, almost thinking it was Techno at first. But they were too far away from the house, and Techno was inside, and that figure was too tall.

And Techno was on the porch, leaning over the rail, squinting toward them. "Look who it is."

Tommy didn't know who it was until they got closer, finally able to make out the familiar form through the blizzard. Pricked ears flicking flecks of snow away, mismatched eyes roaming around lazily, a clawed hand curled around a half-empty bottle of milk. Tommy's heart stuttered.

Those eyes focused on him, and Tommy almost flinched at the fury glittering through them. And then it melted away, all of it all at once, and the blond's fear was swept away right along with it.

"Tommy…" There was nothing but warmth in his voice. Tommy trembled at the sound of it.

He looked different, the blond noted numbly. His hair was so much longer. It looked recently brushed and braided, curled over one of his shoulders. His clothes, however, were torn; he had a white button-down shirt, the first few buttons missing. The clothing itself looked like it had been burned in some spots, some of the holes looking singed at the edges. The fury in his eyes had vanished the second their gazes met, but exhaustion still lingered, mixed with relief. His tail was coiled tightly around his left leg, and there it remained even as he walked forward to them.

"Ranboo," Tommy whispered. He was moving before he could stop himself, rushing forward without a second thought. Ranboo's pace didn't slow or quicken, but as Tommy drew closer, he opened his arms up and the blond threw himself into them without hesitation, wrapping his arms as tightly around the enderman hybrid as he could and pressing himself as close as possible. Ranboo practically wrapped himself around him, and Tommy couldn't fight back a rush of tears. The hug was nothing but gentle, Ranboo's arms wrapped just tightly enough around him for him to feel secure, and yet not tight enough to hurt. Nearly curled around him now, a soft purr was rumbling in the enderman hybrid's chest, only growing louder as he tucked his head over Tommy's and pulled him even closer, engulfing him completely in his embrace. He was so warm and so soft and so safe and the tears were building faster and Ranboo was just holding him-

"I've got you," Ranboo breathed, ducking his head to whisper in the blond's ear. "I've got you. It's okay, Tommy. It's okay. I'm here. You're safe."

Tommy shattered like glass, wailing and dissolving into sobs as he buried his face into Ranboo's chest and dug his fingers into the back of his shirt, unable to stifle his cries. It was loud and wet and messy and pathetic and awful and Tommy couldn't stop, he couldn't stop, couldn't breathe.

Ranboo didn't shush him, just pulled him closer, nuzzling his face into Tommy's hair and whispering soft, soothing words that Tommy barely registered, that only made him sob harder.

"You're safe," he murmured again.

And for the first time in forever, just for now, Tommy believed it. He'd forgotten what safety truly felt like. But between Ranboo and Ghostbur, he knew for certain that this was it. Not whatever he felt with Dream, whatever false sense of security and underlying doubts and fears clouded his mind. That wasn't safety, because Tommy knew deep down he was never truly safe with Dream. Yes, he trusted the man to protect him from L'Manberg, from everybody else, but he was never truly safe with Dream because he was never truly safe from Dream, and he knew it. He had resigned himself to it. He had accepted it.

But this. This was safety. This was nothing but safety.

He was safe.

Chapter Text

Tommy didn't know how long it took him to calm down, but he did know Ranboo's arms stayed wrapped around him the whole time even as they moved toward the cabin through the snow. The enderman hybrid practically pulled him into his arms, carrying him the whole way and holding him tightly as Techno invited them inside. By the time they had settled on the couch, with Tommy practically curled up in Ranboo's lap and Techno and Ghostbur having long retreated upstairs to 'give them some privacy', the blond had pretty much cried himself to exhaustion and could barely make anything more than a sniffle as he pressed his face into Ranboo's shoulder and tried to pull himself closer. He didn't even think about the fact that the tears had to be hurting him, and apparently neither did Ranboo, because it wasn't long before he was wiping Tommy's face dry with his hands, barely flinching as he did so. The water hissed against his skin, evaporating into steam in the air, but Ranboo continued without pausing once.

That just brought up a whole new wave of confusing, painful emotions, and he had to force back another rush of tears as he burrowed into Ranboo's arms, raising a hand to scrub at his eyes with the sleeve of his hoodie so that the enderman hybrid didn't have to hurt himself too badly. But even so, Ranboo ran his thumbs across Tommy's cheeks, just under his eyes, and cleared away the tears that had already nearly dried and frozen against his face. "It's okay. Just relax…"

Overwhelmed by the kindness and the tenderness of it all, Tommy melted right into his touch, sinking into his arms and burying himself in the warmth. Ghostbur had been gentle, but Ranboo was gentle, gentle in a way Tommy hadn't felt in so long. It was a kind of gentleness that nobody else could offer, no matter how hard they tried; a kind that came directly from Ranboo and Ranboo alone. The kind that stole his breath away, warmed every inch of his trembling body and wrapped him up in such security and safety he felt damn near untouchable, unreachable from everyone and everything else around him. Ranboo was his safe place, and Tommy didn't know why or how or when it had started, but some part of him thought it was always like that. Back in exile, and maybe even before that… the enderboy was his safe place. He calmed him.

Tommy took a deep breath and let it out in a soft, silent sigh, leaning forward and resting his head against Ranboo's chest, where he could hear the purr rumbling. He'd heard that before…

(He'd heard it before, surrounded by snow, as Ranboo pulled his jacket over Tommy's shoulders and carefully brushed the flakes out of his hair, flinching and hissing as he did but continuing on dutifully until every bit of snow was cleared away. He'd heard it before, curled up in Ranboo's arms in a house he couldn't recognize, surrounded by wooden walls and trembling through his tears while the enderman hybrid just held him, shielding him from the blizzard raging outside and everything else. He'd heard it before, just moments before the glint of a netherite axe had caught his attention, just before Dream had emerged through the snow,  seething , just before-)

He remembered, he remembered wandering through the snow after he left Logstedshire. He remembered being hurt and tired and cold and hungry, and he remembered stumbling across Ranboo in the blizzard. He remembered sinking into his arms, he remembered begging him not to take him back to L'Manberg, he remembered Ranboo telling him they needed to go somewhere safe - he remembered waking up to nothing but understanding and kindness, and breaking down not unlike he just had moments before now. He remembered Ranboo telling him he was okay, that he wouldn't let Dream hurt him ever again, that he would kill him if he had to. He remembered believing every word, relieved and grateful, and then Dream had shown up…

And Ranboo had disappeared.

Tommy shuddered, pressing his face into the fabric of Ranboo's shirt and curling closer. The enderman hybrid curled his hands over the blond's back, rubbing small circles with his thumb, and leaned forward to tuck his chin over Tommy's head with a sigh. "God, Tommy, I missed you," he rumbled, and Tommy blinked his eyes open to peer up at him through his lashes briefly.

"I missed you too," he murmured after a moment, furrowing his eyebrows and pulling back only to rest his head against Ranboo's shoulder, snuggling back into his arms. "What… happened?" Ranboo's hands stilled against his back, and Tommy forgot who he was with for a second, his body instinctively bracing for a hit before his mind could remind himself that Ranboo was safe. His eyes screwed shut, hiding his face in the hybrid's shoulder with a quiet, muffled apology lingering on the tip of his tongue, biting the inside of his cheek to keep it from escaping. He'd seen how irritated Dream was getting lately with his apologies, and as confusing as it was, the last thing Tommy wanted to do was piss Ranboo off. He just wanted this safety to linger, this warmth and gentleness, and while he knew logically that Ranboo wouldn't hurt him, he still worried that the kindness could disappear without a trace. Maybe he wouldn't be mean, but he could certainly stop being nice, and Tommy didn't think he could handle that, especially not now.

He wanted this to last, and he didn't know what he had to do to make it last, but he was willing to do just about anything if it meant he could stay in Ranboo's arms, if he could just stay safe.

"You don't remember?" Ranboo mumbled, and Tommy's heart sank. Ghostbur might not be able to remember things that weren't happy, but Tommy knew all about Ranboo's memory issues. What if he didn't remember either? What if he didn't remember exile, what if he didn't remember helping Tommy hide from Dream, what if he didn't remember any of it? Panic tightened his chest and twisted his stomach into knots, but before he could spiral too hard, Ranboo was speaking. "We were running from Dream. I found you… not far from here… after Dream blew up Logstedshire."

"I remember that," Tommy breathed, relief trickling through the fear. "You… you helped me."

Ranboo let out a soft hum, gazing down at him. His own relief was palpable, flickering through his eyes as he pulled Tommy closer. "Yeah. You were hurt, and… I'm pretty sure you were delirious at the time. You let me take you to the village nearby, and they gave me some stuff to-" He stopped abruptly then, perking his ears up and looking down at him. "Do you still have it?"

Tommy wasn't sure what he meant, not at first - and then it came rushing back, flooding back before he could blink. The golden apples, the potions, the enderpearls. Ranboo had given him all of that stuff. And the tools, of course. Tommy felt numb with relief, finally remembering where all the items had come from, but he couldn't stifle a brief flicker of fear despite himself. He'd given almost everything to Dream except the axe, which Dream had only let him keep to defend himself… if Ranboo were to take it back, what was he supposed to say to Dream? He felt sick at the thought, but he knew he couldn't just not answer. And he certainly couldn't lie. He hadn't told a lie in so long he'd forgotten how. The mere thought was terrifying. "I…" He winced, hesitantly pulling away. Ranboo let him, pulling his hands back slightly. "I gave… most of it… to Dream…"

Ranboo's ear flicked, the only indication that he was listening. His expression shifted into something unreadable after a few moments, and then that anger began to return, little by little.

Tommy felt like he'd been punched in the gut. "I'm- I'm sorry, I just- I found it, and I'm- I'm not supposed to- to hide things from him-" He stopped to breathe, searching Ranboo's gaze frantically. The fury in his eyes only seemed to intensify as Tommy spoke, and every instinct was screaming at the blond to run, abort mission, shut the hell up and get the hell out of dodge. "I… I- y- you can- I have- he let me keep the axe," he said quickly. "Y- you can have it back, I-"

Ranboo stared at him for a moment, eyebrows furrowing, and abruptly pulled his hands back.

Tommy flinched violently.

He wasn't sure what he was expecting. He had been so secure in the knowledge that Ranboo wouldn't hurt him just seconds before, but now every instinct he had was screaming at him that he was in trouble and his body was reacting before his brain could process a single thing, steeling himself for the blows to start coming. He felt cold, fear spreading like ice through his veins and settling heavy in the pit of his stomach and it was taking just about everything he had not to break down into tears again, already missing the warmth and comfort and safety and horrified by how quickly it had disappeared before he could blink, leaving him drowning in the same kind of fear he felt with Dream. It wasn't fair, this wasn't fair, he couldn't do anything right. He couldn't keep Dream happy, no matter how hard he tried, and now he'd made Ranboo upset.

"I'm sorry," he breathed, shying away. "I- I'm sorry, I'm sorry Ranboo, I'm sorry-"

"Tommy," Ranboo whispered, the anger in his eyes immediately giving way to concern and guilt. He reached his hands out slightly, and Tommy flinched again, alternating between wanting to pull away from the intended touch or lean closer and let it land. But Ranboo pulled back the second he cringed, a pained expression flitting across his face. "Oh, Tommy… I'm not gonna…"

Tommy swallowed, dizzy with fear as he stared up at him. "But… I- your th- things…" He couldn't breathe, chest heaving through shallow breaths as his mind spun through waves of panic and terror. His hands shook, slowly disconnecting from Ranboo's shirt and lifting toward his face instead, fingers curling into the collar of his hoodie. He wanted to move, wanted to get away, but he didn't dare. Running from a punishment just made the punishment worse, he'd learned that the hard way early on. His chest hurt, heart pounding far too hard and far too fast.

"I gave them to you," Ranboo said slowly. "They were your things, Tommy. All of them. I'm not- I'm not upset that you gave them to Dream. Well-" He hesitated. "I am, but I'm not upset at you."

"Oh," Tommy managed, eyes flickering back and forth for a moment before he managed to focus on Ranboo again. He still couldn't breathe, struggling to take even the smallest breaths now as he tried to process what was happening. The same thing had happened last night, right? He'd thought Dream was going to hurt him, but he hadn't. But his fear had been justified then, he knew that, because even Dream had admitted that under any other circumstances, he would have punished him. This wasn't justified. This was Ranboo, for crying out loud. Why was he so afraid? Why was he just as afraid of Ranboo as he was of Dream? "Oh… s- so… I… it's okay?"

"Of course it's okay," Ranboo assured him quietly. "Can I touch you?"

Tommy startled at the question, bewildered, but he nodded nonetheless and Ranboo reached out again at once, gentle hands taking him by the arms and pulling him forward again. He let the enderman hybrid pull him into his arms, and after a few more seconds of hesitation, melted back into the embrace and pressed his face into Ranboo's shoulder, curling trembling fingers back into the folds of his shirt. "I'm sorry for scaring you," his friend whispered, pressing his cheek against the side of Tommy's head. He startled again at the apology, eyebrows furrowing as Ranboo went on. "I don't want you to be scared of me, you don't have to be. I'd never hurt you."

"I'm sorry," Tommy breathed, but Ranboo shook his head, nuzzling him gently.

"You don't have to apologize either," he murmured softly. "Not to me. Never to me."

Tommy sucked in a shuddering breath, heart aching with a mix of emotions he couldn't place, and he sank deeper into Ranboo's arms, struggling to shake off the fear clouding his mind. "Do you want the axe back?" He whispered after a few moments, struggling to think of what he would tell Dream. He… he didn't want Dream to know Ranboo was here. He didn't want Ranboo to get hurt. He still didn't know what had happened to him, where he'd been all this time, but…

"No." Ranboo lifted his head, resting his chin overtop of Tommy's head. "I don't care about the axe. I want you to be able to protect yourself." He took a deep breath and sighed, and Tommy ducked his head, pressing his face into Ranboo's chest. "That's part of why I'm here, actually," the enderman hybrid mumbled suddenly. "I was with the others… Tubbo and Sam, all of them. They told me what happened." At this, Tommy froze, but he didn't get the chance to say anything. "I don't agree with what they did, for the record. I'm sorry they scared you, too. There's better ways to go about this." A long pause followed. Tommy didn't know what to say, floundering for some sort of response. "With that said," Ranboo continued quietly after a moment, "I want you to know that… they didn't mean to scare you either. They just want you to be safe, too. They didn't go about it the right way, but they care about you, and they're worried."

Tommy hesitated, lifting his head slightly and furrowing his eyebrows. "They hurt Dream…"

"I know," Ranboo muttered. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I know that you…" The enderman hybrid was silent for a moment, seemingly debating what to say. "I know that you… care for him… but we both know what Dream's done. He hurt you, he… purposefully isolated you, he threw me into a prison in the Nether-" Tommy jerked his head back at that, and Ranboo retracted his hands slightly, but the blond didn't quite pull away from him yet, staring in shock.

"He- he what?"

"The second time he found us," Ranboo murmured. "When Punz was there, remember? They captured us both and Punz took me to the Nether, and Dream…" His eyes flickered, staring at Tommy for a moment while the boy furrowed his eyebrows, feeling sick. He didn't remember that, not vividly. He remembered Punz being there, now that he thought about it, and he remembered fighting and struggling and Dream's arm around his neck and he remembered reaching for Ranboo but… but he didn't remember anything after that. He remembered being dragged back to Logstedshire… Tommy winced, ducking his head, and Ranboo hesitated. "Tommy," he began, exhaling slowly through his teeth. "Something has to be done about Dream, for everyone's sake. Especially yours. And I…" Ranboo let out a soft grunt, a begrudging look flitting across his face as he continued reluctantly, "don't want them to hurt him, because I know it'll hurt you, but they're not just going to let him walk free, and… I don't want him to either."

"I-" Tommy shook his head, fighting past the wave of panic that engulfed him. "I don't want- I can't-" His heart stuttered, swallowing hard past the lump rising in his throat. Dream had done bad things, horrible things. He'd methodically stripped away every single friend he had, leaving him with nothing but the home they'd made and the life they built. Tommy had resigned himself to it all, because there was nothing else. He had nothing else. Everyone else was gone. Everyone else was gone because of Dream, and… and Tommy was getting them back, slowly, one by one, but he wasn't ready to lose his best friend. "I don't want… I can't be without him…"

"I know it feels like that right now," Ranboo told him gently. "I know you're scared. I can't even imagine how scared you are. But I believe in you." He ducked his head slightly so that Tommy would meet his gaze, and once he did, albeit reluctantly, he straightened back up again. The blond lifted his head slightly along with him, uncertain but maintaining eye contact nonetheless. "You're strong, you're smart. You're strong enough to make this choice and you're smart enough to know that it's the right one. I can help you, Tommy. I can help you, but I need you to let me. You deserve to be safe, and you deserve to be happy, and if you let me…" He softened, gazing down at the blond, and Tommy found himself blinking back tears. "If you let me," he repeated, "then I can make sure that you are. I'll take care of you, and Tommy, I promise- I promise, this time, I swear to you that I'll never let Dream hurt you again. I'll never let anyone hurt you again."

Tommy couldn't fight the tears now. They rose without much protest on his end, and he let them, chest shuddering through shallow breaths as he swallowed back sobs and rubbed furiously at his eyes, desperately trying to rub the tears away. "I-" His voice wavered, cracking, and he barely managed to muffle a sob with his sleeve. Safe and happy. He was never both. He was safe with Ranboo and Ghostbur, but he wasn't happy. He was happy with Dream, but he wasn't safe. The promise of both was… it was so tempting, and despite everything, he wanted it. He wanted it. He wanted this. He wanted Ranboo. He wanted to feel safe, to be safe, to be happy.

But…

"Dream," he whispered. "I- I don't know how to… what am I without Dream?"

Ranboo smiled slightly at that, something soft and sad flickering through his eyes. His fingers brushed lightly across Tommy's cheek, carefully clearing away the tear tracks there. "Yourself?"

"I don't want him to die," Tommy managed. "I- I don't want him to be hurt."

"Then he won't be," Ranboo promised quietly. "The only thing I want is to make sure he can't hurt anyone else. However we have to do that to make it happen without hurting him, Tommy- I promise you we'll find a way. But I need you on board. I need you to be okay with this. You deserve to be able to make the choice…" Ranboo trailed off, rubbing a few more tears away as they fell. "And I don't want to do anything you're not okay with. I want you to want this, Tommy, because if you don't… then you won't be happy. I just want you to be happy," those last words were spoken so quietly, so softly, that Tommy almost didn't catch it - but he did. He caught it.

The blond forced back another rush of tears, eyebrows furrowing. It was his choice. He felt sick at the thought, making a choice, making a choice that actively affected Dream, affected both of them. And there was the tiniest flicker of excitement, laced as it was with apprehension, but it was there. Ranboo's words spun around and around through his head, eyes flickering as he thought them over. Ranboo wanted him to be safe and happy, he wanted to make sure Dream couldn't hurt anyone else… his heart ached. Dream was his best friend, and every instinct he had was begging him to turn the offer down. Because it wasn't his place. He didn't get to decide what happened to Dream. He wasn't in control. He hadn't been for a long time, if he ever was.

But… Ranboo said…

Tommy opened his mouth slightly, hesitating. "So… so if I didn't… do this… then… then they'd still come after us anyway?" He checked, and Ranboo's eyebrows furrowed, tilting his head. "You said they won't let Dream walk free…" He trailed off. "So if I don't agree… they'll hurt him?"

Ranboo paused, understanding dawning across his face. "... right," he said slowly. "That's right."

"So technically-" Tommy swallowed. "Technically, I'm doing what's best for Dream?"

"Right." Ranboo nodded. "It's in his best interest as well."

Tommy took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. It wasn't up to him to make decisions, right… but if it was for both of their sakes, if it meant keeping both of them safe, then it had to be the right choice, right? Tommy didn't want Dream to get hurt… and he so desperately wanted what Ranboo was offering, too. The safety that was being promised, the happiness and contentment he only felt with Dream… without the risk of knowing it could and would vanish in the blink of an eye. He wanted it. He wanted this. He wanted help, he wanted Ranboo's help, he needed help. It hurt to admit, it hurt to even think it, but it was true. It was so true and Tommy couldn't stand it.

Dream was his best friend. Dream had taken everything from him. Dream was his everything. But he didn't have to be. Tommy could have this, this safety Ranboo was offering him… and maybe, somehow, he could have Dream, too. He didn't want to choose, he didn't even know how to begin choosing, but Ranboo wasn't asking him to choose between him and Dream. He wasn't asking him to turn his back on his best friend completely, not like L'Manberg had been.

This was what was best for both of them.

"Okay," he choked out, swallowing back a sob. "I- okay."

Ranboo didn't say anything, gathering him up into his arms again and holding him close, and it took everything Tommy had not to break down into tears again, burying his face into his chest.

"Thank you," the enderman hybrid breathed. It felt all wrong. He should be thanking Ranboo, for crying out loud, not the other way around. But Ranboo sounded close to tears, himself, his voice wavering and filled with nothing but relief and gratitude as he pulled Tommy closer and pressed his face into the blond's curls, and heaving out a quiet, breathless laugh as he did. "Thank you. Tommy, I promise- I promise you won't regret this, I promise. I'll take care of you, I'll keep you safe…" Another soft laugh escaped him, warm and genuine, and Tommy felt his heart warm at the sound, despite the anxiety churning in his gut. "I'll keep you safe," Ranboo repeated quietly.

"I know," Tommy whispered.

He hoped this was the right choice.

… it felt like the right choice.

Chapter Text

"What the fuck do you mean," Dream seethed, "I 'should have paid you more'?"

"Exactly what I said? You should've paid me more," Punz admonished. They sounded amused, and it was a good thing for them that they were having this conversation over the comms, because Dream would have beat the shit out of them if he could. The most he could do was slam his fist into a tree as he passed, breaking a wood block off and quickly tossing it to the side. "Shit, Sam's loaded, y'know? And I mean, I never got the second half of my payment from you since you kinda left me behind, but it's cool, it's cool, I know that was part of the plan and all. Anyway, they spun some bullshit about 'doing the right thing' and then said that the economy was going to crash if I kept giving you what you want and that money will be worthless, and then Sam offered to pay me so…" Punz let out a quiet chuckle. "Gotta do what'cha gotta do, right?"

Dream couldn't think past the fury clouding his mind, shaking his head furiously. "I trusted you," he spat, taking a deep breath to calm himself. Wasn't working. Oh, fuck, he needed to punch something. He was starting to wish he'd brought Tommy along anyway, revivebook be damned.

"Well, that's your mistake," Punz replied dismissively. "C'mon, man, you know I'm just a paid mercenary, right? It's not like we're friends or any of that shit. You paid me to do a job, and I did. They paid me to do a job, and I did. It's not personal, it's just business. You understand, you do business like this all the time." He could almost picture the smug smirk on their face as they added evenly, "besides, you know me well enough to know I'm not one of your little pawns, Dream. I'm not even on your side of the board. I'm not playing your game. I'm playing my own."

Dream was fuming at that point, swallowing down the impulse to start yelling. No. No, he was going to keep a level head, he needed to keep a level head. "Fine, what'd they pay you to do?"

"Well…" Punz didn't finish.

It took about five seconds for Dream to understand.

"No." He came to a dead stop in the middle of the forest, every inch of him slowly growing cold. Punz didn't say anything, they didn't say a damn word, and Dream's heart sank. "No, nonono, no you can't- tell me you didn't, Punz." Again, he got no answer, and he was starting to feel even colder, breath hitching as horror and panic skittered up his spine in equal measure, stomach twisting through waves of terror. It wasn't long before he was shaking, hands trembling and just barely managing to keep his grip on the communicator, and he ended up having to use one of the trees for support when his legs threatened to give way, unable to support himself. "Punz," he repeated, barely a whisper. "Tell me you didn't. Please tell me you didn't. You can't."

Punz let out a soft sigh, and Dream could almost feel his heart stop. "They wanted Fundy back and I happened to know where he was, alright? Like I said, it's nothing personal. And, y'know, while I was in the area, I figured… I'd go ahead and get Ranboo. They paid me extra for it, so-"

Dream's legs buckled underneath him, sinking to the ground against the tree. "Nononono…"

Distinctly, he heard Punz say something else, but the words didn't register. The communicator fell to the ground beside him, and Dream's hands wove tightly into his hair, fingernails digging against his scalp as he ducked his head and stared at the ground with wide eyes. With confirmation, terror had turned into full-blown panic, and suddenly he couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't speak. Ranboo. Ranboo was out. Ranboo was free. Ranboo was back. Dream sucked in a sharp, shaky gasp and drug his hands down his face, pressing them into his eyes. Ranboo was out. Ranboo was out, and he knew everything. He knew everything Dream did to Tommy after the tower incident, and Dream knew he was pissed - of course he knew he was fucking pissed! Dream had spent the last year taunting him from outside the Nether prison, content in the knowledge that Ranboo couldn't get to him again, and now he was fucking out.

He blanched at the thought, shoulders shaking as he curled in on himself. Techno was one thing, L'Manberg was one thing, but Dream had seen with his own eyes what Ranboo was capable of, and if it weren't for Punz, he might not have made it out alive. He'd barely emerged with two lives; Ranboo had been close, so fucking close, to taking his second one as well, and-

A soft groan broke through his lips, pressing his hands over his throat.

(He could still feel Ranboo's claws digging in, slowly ripping down toward his stomach…)

"Fuck," Dream breathed, digging his fingers into his throat. "Fuck- fuck! Why the hell would you- you know I can't-" Can't fight him, I can't fight him I can't- "You know he-" He couldn't finish, couldn't bring himself to. He took a deep breath, despite how tight his chest felt and how much it hurt to even try to force the slightest bit of air in. No. Okay. This was okay. This was fine. He was about to have Techno on his side, right? And maybe Phil, depending on how he played his cards. Ranboo was just one person - yes, a terrifying person, but still just one person. Plus, he also had Tommy on his side now, and there was no way in hell Ranboo would hurt Tommy, right? So he had leverage. He had leverage. He had control. He had control over the situation.

Control over Ranboo, you mean? Prime asked doubtfully, and Dream winced, tilting his head back against the tree and staring up at the sky. Because that worked so well for you last time.

Dream winced again at the memory, struggling to push the thought out of his head and focus. Ranboo hated him. Ranboo could and would kill him, he'd done it once before and Dream wouldn't put it past him to try it again. He just needed to be careful, he just needed to calculate each step, each action. He needed to think past this fucking panic, which wasn't easy to do, but he could do it. He didn't have a choice. The man grimaced, shoving his mask back down over his face and clasping his hands over his ears briefly, hunching forward. "Okay… okay… fuck…"

Punz must have hung up on him, because there was no response from their end. Dream fumbled for his communicator, checking to make sure the call had ended, and let it disappear into his inventory after a few seconds. There was nothing he could do about Ranboo right now. And he couldn't think about him right now, because if he thought about him, he would spiral, and if he spiraled he wouldn't be able to get anything done, and he needed to get this done and over with and get back to Tommy and figure out a fucking plan and holy shit this was really starting to be too much and he was really wishing he'd brought Tommy along because dammit if he didn't need to beat the hell out of something right now. Yeah, he really needed to get back to Tommy.

So much for not hurting him anymore, Prime sneered. You're a bastard, you know that?

Yeah, he knew. Dream shook his head, picking himself up off the ground shakily. He knew, but he didn't care. He couldn't stand this. He'd gone too long without using some sort of outlet for his emotions and it was too much, especially right now. But he had the perfect outlet, the perfect release, one he'd been using for over a year now - and he wasn't about to stop now, for anything. His hands trembled as he continued on his way, drawing his axe from his inventory just in case. Prime, luckily, seemed to have the sense to fall silent, because he said nothing more on the subject, only letting out a soft sigh before the static in his ear went silent again and Dream was once again left alone with his thoughts. And he almost wished he wasn't just for a moment, but he knew Prime would just make matters worse. Talking wasn't going to help him. He was too far gone for that, and he knew it. He was okay with it. Whatever it took to get it out.

It didn't take long for him to reach the cabin, grimacing and letting out a wistful sigh at the sight of it. He wished he hadn't brought Tommy into L'Manberg to begin with, none of this would be happening. Everything would be back to normal, everything would be perfect again. Tommy would be his obedient, willing puppet and Dream wouldn't have to worry about keeping him happy, he wouldn't have to worry about L'Manberg, and he certainly wouldn't have to worry about Ranboo. He would just live his life, they would just live their life, and it would all be okay.

Dream shook his head again, dismissing the thought quickly. Someday, they'd get their life back. For now, there were other things to focus on, and Dream couldn't afford to lose himself just yet.

Axe drawn and knuckles white, he was hesitant to enter the cabin, tense and braced for the worst as he did. So far, so good; he didn't stop to look around, making his way down the hall quickly and slipping into his room, hefting the axe over his shoulder and pulling drawers open in search of a book and quill. His heart was in his throat and his stomach was in knots, and some part of him almost expected someone to walk through the door at any given moment - he felt like he was being watched, which only amped his anxiety up further, but he couldn't afford to stop and look around right now. But he kept his grip tight on the axe, splaying the book out across his desk and dipping the quill into the ink. He waited a few moments, willing his hands to stop shaking, before he set to work, scribbling the words down onto the paper swiftly but neatly.

He waited for the ink to dry before closing the book, taking a deep breath and withdrawing a flint and steel from his inventory, sparking the fire and setting a corner of the book aflame. He watched the fire engulf it completely, watching it burn and wrinkling his nose instinctively at the smell, but he couldn't stifle the sense of calmness that enveloped him at the familiar sound of beating wings and the stirring of wind just behind him, shoulders drooping as he turned to look.

It was nothing but a relief to see XD again. The God didn't seem to return the sentiment.

"What do you want?"

Dream couldn't see his face, but he could tell he was annoyed. Fine, he'd make this quick. "I need Phil back from the End," he said quickly, and XD tilted his head slightly. If he had eyebrows, Dream imagined they would be raised. He could almost hear the unspoken 'I told you so', but he decided not to acknowledge it for now, taking a deep breath to steel himself and raising his head slightly. He knew he didn't owe the God an explanation, but he'd do whatever it took to get this over with faster - but, thankfully, XD didn't seem too interested in an explanation.

"Very well." XD straightened his head, peering down at him. Dream got the sense he wasn't quite looking at him anymore, and was proven right by his next words. "Prime, how are you?"

Go fuck yourself, walking emoticon, Prime chirped. I despise you.

XD's shoulders twitched, feathers bristling briefly, but he offered no response. He also wasn't making any move to retrieve Phil, and Dream was starting to get annoyed. "Are you going or not?" He hissed after a few moments, and XD's head tilted toward him again briefly, still silent. Dream scowled. "Look, I'll go retrieve him myself, but I figured it'd be best not to piss you off."

"You pissed me off when you built your prison in my domain," XD rumbled. "I don't wish to deal with you or your little pests there again. This is the last time I'll travel across worlds for you, Dream," he warned, and then he was gone before Dream could respond, disappearing in a flurry of beating wings. Dream sucked in a slow, shaky breath and squeezed his eyes shut after a moment, gritting his teeth. Okay, this was fine. XD was a sourpuss, grumpy as all hell, but he was nothing Dream couldn't deal with. Prime was worse than him, for fuck's sake, and he was stuck in a mask. XD wasn't his biggest concern, he wouldn't have to deal with him again after this. Ranboo was his biggest concern, officially, at the moment, but Dream couldn't think about that right now. Couldn't spiral. He was already about to have to deal with Phil, which would be…

… yeah, that'd be really fun.

Dammit.

It wasn't long before XD returned; Dream took a step back, hefting his axe as soon as he saw Phil. The guy was definitely a mess, wings flared out and his hair and eyes wild as they darted around rapidly before focusing on Dream; his mouth opened, just the slightest bit, but XD dropped him to the ground before he had the chance to say anything. Phil crumbled at once, hitting his knees in front of Dream, and he managed to feel just the briefest flicker of amusement, satisfaction twisting in his gut as he peered down at the man. "You look pathetic."

Phil shook his head slightly, bewildered, and stared up at him. The confusion in his eyes caught Dream off guard, but more so the lack of hostility there was what surprised him the most. "Wh…" Once again, his gaze swept around. His wings twitched - one was practically destroyed, Dream noted with interest, almost gone. The other, though, looked mostly okay, though a little torn from where it was presumably hooked to a wall. "What… Dream? What's going on, mate?"

Dream tilted his head, eyebrows raising slightly. Not the reaction he was expecting. Last he saw Phil, the guy was… definitely not happy with him. To be honest, Dream hadn't been entirely certain that he was alive to begin with, but it hadn't mattered much anyway - XD could have brought him back all the same. He couldn't help but wonder how he had survived in the End, especially considering Dream wasn't allowed to travel there anymore, which meant he hadn't been able to feed him… not that he would have anyway, but still. The man shook his head, dismissing the thoughts after a moment, and reached a hand out to help him up, curious if he would take it. To Dream's surprise, he did; and while Dream was expecting nothing less than a beatdown, Phil just looked increasingly bewildered as Dream hauled him to his feet. "Well…"

He wasn't sure what was going on, but Phil wasn't attacking him. He could definitely work with this. After all, one less angry person was just one more person on his side, and if Dream did this right then he'd have two new pieces on his side of the board. He just hoped two was enough.

Especially now that the other player had rejoined the game.

Chapter Text

"Are you sure you don't want to come with me, Tommy?" Ranboo's voice was quiet, understanding as if he already knew the answer. Of course he did, he did know, but it didn't make it any easier for Tommy to shake his head in response. He couldn't just… go, even if he really wanted to. He couldn't just up and leave Dream, for more reasons than one. One, it wouldn't be right and he wouldn't feel right. It would hurt him, it would hurt him so deeply to just up and walk away from his best friend without a second thought. And two… he was scared. He was scared because he knew the rules and he knew what happened when he tried to leave. If he was going to walk away, it was going to be when Dream was… when Dream couldn't hurt him for it. It was going to be when Dream knew about it, knew what was going on. It was going to be when he was sure his friend knew that it was for his sake as much as it was for Tommy's.

Ranboo didn't press him, a soft smile on his face as he crouched down in front of him, lowering himself down to the younger boy's height to come face to face with him. "If you're sure," he murmured, eyes grazing carefully across Tommy's face. "I won't be far. I spoke to Techno, if you need me, you use his communicator to contact any one of us. Tell them you need me and I'll come running, you understand?" He reached out a tentative hand to brush the blond's bangs out of his face, and Tommy leaned into the touch immediately, managing a hesitant nod. "And-" Ranboo paused, taking a deep breath. "I'm going to tell them, and we'll come up with a plan. I'm going to be honest with you, Tommy, Dream's going to fight," he murmured. "And they're gonn-"

"I know," Tommy managed, swallowing hard past the lump in his throat. He knew. He knew Dream wasn't going to go down without a fight, but hopefully it wouldn't get too far. Hopefully the man would give him a chance to explain. Hopefully he could avoid his best friend getting hurt - and anyone else getting hurt, as well. His major concerns were Dream, Ranboo and Ghostbur. "I know…" He repeated, furrowing his eyebrows and ducking his head. "But it's… for the best, right? This is- this is for the best, for both of us?" His voice wavered. "I just want- … I just want-"

"It's for the best, Tommy," Ranboo assured gently. "And I promise I'll do anything I can to keep it from escalating." He pulled his hand back, dropping it to his knee. "But I need you to promise me that you'll let someone know if you need me. I need you to promise me you'll call for help."

"If I need it-" Tommy hesitated. "If I need it… I'll… I'll call for help. I… I promise."

He wasn't sure if it was a promise he could keep, but for Ranboo, he wanted to try. Ranboo seemed satisfied with his answer, relief flickering through his eyes, and he opened his arms up after a moment in a clear invitation for a hug; Tommy accepted it at once, melting into his embrace and wrapping his arms around the enderman hybrid tightly, burying his face into his shoulder and taking a deep breath. He didn't know when the next time he'd see Ranboo would be, he didn't know how long it would be before they came up with some sort of plan, but hopefully Tommy would last until then. He was terrified at the prospect of lying to Dream, but he knew he didn't have a choice. He couldn't just tell him about Ranboo, or tell him about any of this for that matter. Not only would he be pissed off, but… but then it would all be for nothing.

He might lose his friends again, so soon after getting them back. His heart ached at the thought, shoulders drooping as he sank closer to Ranboo. He didn't want to lose them. Not any of them.

"I do have to tell you something," Ranboo whispered suddenly. "I want you to hear it from me."

Tommy pulled back slightly at that, hands lingering against Ranboo's arms as he looked up at the enderman hybrid with furrowed eyebrows and a pinch of apprehension, anxiety stirring in his chest. He wasn't sure what to expect now, worried about whatever was about to leave his friend's lips. It had to be bad, because Ranboo was hesitating, biting his lip and not quite meeting Tommy's gaze for a moment. His eyes roamed around them instead, taking in Techno's cabin somewhat absently; Tommy didn't press, didn't pry, didn't push. He just stood silently, waiting patiently until Ranboo finally looked back down at him. "Back then, after I found you," he began, taking a deep breath. "I took one of Dream's lives. I would have taken his second one if Punz hadn't shown up when he did," he admitted, and Tommy froze for a second, blinking. "And I'm going to be honest with you, Tommy, I don't like him. I don't agree with the things he's done. I don't agree with him hurting you…" Ranboo grimaced, ducking his head. "But for you, I'll spare him. I wanted to be the one to tell you, because I don't doubt he'll try to use it against me later."

The blond wasn't sure what to say. He thought he remembered that, faded images flashing through his mind of Ranboo wrapping his tail around Dream's neck from behind, yanking the man backwards against him and digging his claws into his throat. He remembered Dream screaming and struggling and writhing and begging, and then… then he just remembered silence, Dream falling limp in Ranboo's arms and Ranboo dumping him into the snow, snarling.

He didn't remember anything after that, not of that particular moment…

Tommy shuddered at the memory, taking a deep breath. At the time, Dream had seemed more terrifying to him than Ranboo, and even now, he still was more terrifying than Ranboo. At the time, Ranboo's actions had felt perfectly justified, though Tommy hadn't thought much of it from a moral standpoint. He didn't really think of it from a moral standpoint now, either. He'd forgotten about it completely, forgotten that Dream had lost one of his lives, for fuck's sake… but even if he'd remembered, he couldn't say it would change how he felt about Ranboo. It didn't change how he felt about Ranboo. At least he was being honest with him, Tommy reminded himself. He was being honest with him, and he was being so understanding, far more than anyone else had.

"Are you still with me?" Ranboo asked softly, a flicker of apprehension flashing across his face, but it vanished in an instant when Tommy nodded quickly in response. He was still with him, because he trusted Ranboo. He trusted what he was saying. He trusted that he was genuine, that he just wanted exactly what he'd said he wanted; he had no reason to lie about his motives. Or maybe he did, but it wasn't a very Ranboo thing to do, was it? Anxiety twisted in his gut, but he quickly forced it back. He had no proof that this was a manipulation - but he had proof, right in front of him, that Dream had done nothing but manipulate him, over and over and over again.

"Thank you," he managed after a moment, shaking his head. "Thank you… for- for being honest with me, Ranboo, y- you don't even know…" The blond trailed off, ducking his head and furrowing his eyebrows slightly. He trusted Ranboo more than he trusted Dream. He trusted Ranboo on… on every fucking level, more than he trusted Dream. And that… hurt. It stung. It made him want to curl up into a ball and not move for hours, but he knew he couldn't do that. Dream would be back soon and he would expect Tommy to be on his best behavior, and he would be, despite the lies he would have to spin and the doubts lingering in the back of his mind and the knowledge that Ranboo was rounding up everyone to bring them here to tear them apart again, this time with Tommy's consent. He felt sick. He felt sick. Why was he doing this?

Ranboo smiled softly back at him, eyebrows furrowed slightly as he ducked his head a little to meet Tommy's gaze. "I do know," he said quietly. "And I'll always be honest with you, Tommy."

Oh.

That was why.

Tommy remembered, vaguely, how much of a calming presence Ranboo always seemed to be in his life. Even before exile, when they didn't know each other very well, Tommy always felt so oddly calm around the older boy. It was something he couldn't explain, some instinctive reaction he didn't understand. He had no idea where it came from. Tommy didn't trust easily, and that was a fact. Trust issues had been - and still were - practically an ingrained part of his personality. But with Ranboo, Tommy couldn't explain it, but all of that just went out the window.

Even now, while he wasn't quite calm, he felt… somewhat at ease. At least with the knowledge that Ranboo was here, and despite everything he'd been through, Tommy truly did trust him. He just hoped he remembered that later on, when everything started to crumble around him and Dream. He hoped he remembered what he was doing and why he was doing it. He hoped he would be able to keep this one secret, even though he knew he shouldn't keep secrets from his best friend. Because this was for Dream's sake as much as it was for Tommy's (at least that's what he was telling himself, over and over and over again, willing his resolve not to falter yet).

"Thank you," Tommy managed again. "I- fuck, thank you."

Ranboo shook his head, letting one of his hands drop from Tommy's arms to his wrist, and carefully curled his fingers around the boy's hand, lifting it up so it was level between their chests. "You don't have to thank me," the enderman hybrid murmured, pulling his other hand back to cup both of them around Tommy's, and the blond furrowed his eyebrows, looking up at him only to look back down instantly when he felt something warm being pressed into his hand.

His friend pulled back after a few seconds, and Tommy couldn't bite back a quiet gasp at the sight of the allium Ranboo had pressed into his palm. Of all the flowers in his garden back at Logstedshire, this wasn't one of them. The sight of it made his heart ache through memories almost long forgotten, anxiety and apprehension falling away for just a moment as he stared at the flower. Oh, he remembered. He remembered the first time he met Ranboo, the poor boy had practically thrust the flower at him, underestimating both his and Tommy's height and accidentally smacking the blond clear in the face as he did. Even that was a little less insulting than being handed a flower from a stranger - Tommy loved flowers, not that he would have admitted it to anyone back then, but they were a special thing to him, and at the time, the gift had seemed so abrupt and half-hearted on Ranboo's behalf, more of a peace offering than anything. Looking back now, Tommy mused, it had been an olive branch, hadn't it? The first block placed between them, that would eventually become the bridge that drew them together.

Tommy found himself grinning, gazing down at the flower, but Ranboo's chuckle drew him out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see his own grin mirrored on the enderman hybrid's face as he gazed down at him, mismatched eyes bright with amusement. "D'you like flowers, Tommy?"

"You remember," Tommy murmured, grin widening slightly.

"Of course I remember." Ranboo laughed. "It was one of the best days of my life."

Tommy couldn't stifle a giggle at that, shaking his head slightly. He gazed down at the allium for a moment longer, breathing out a soft sigh as his anxiety settled. He was doing the right thing. Not just for his own good, and not just for Dream's, but for Ranboo's as well. Brushing his thumb lightly over the flower, Tommy finally felt somewhat calm. He didn't know how long it would last, but for the moment, it was there. He felt safe… he felt happy. If this was what Ranboo meant, then Tommy… Tommy could stand to feel like this all the time. As long as nobody else had to get hurt in the process. As long as it was worth it in the end, and Tommy thought it just might be.

"Okay." Ranboo took a deep breath, reluctantly pushing himself back up to his full height after a few seconds. Tommy let his eyes linger on the flower briefly, only looking up when Ranboo spoke again. "I should get going before Dream gets back," the enderman hybrid mused quietly. Tommy managed a faint nod in agreement, disappointment twisting in his gut. But he looked up at his friend, eyes carefully scanning the scars under his eyes that looked an awful lot like tear tracks, the soft smile on his face and the determination in his eyes, and he knew Ranboo would come back for him. He knew he would, because he always had - except when Dream had made it so he couldn't. Ranboo would come back for him, because Ranboo was his friend, a true friend, and Tommy knew deep down in his soul that he could trust the older boy. He just… knew.

"I'll be back." Ranboo looked down at him, ears flicking as he corrected, "we'll be back." Tommy offered a faint, hesitant smile despite himself, though it faded after a moment, face falling briefly.

"Ranboo?"

"Yeah?" Ranboo murmured.

"Tubbo," Tommy began, hesitating. "Will you tell- … could you tell him… tell him I…"

He didn't even know. He didn't even know what he wanted to say to Tubbo, but he knew he wanted to say something. The truth was, he still wasn't sure how to feel about the goat hybrid. Tubbo had exiled him, Tubbo had left him all alone with Dream in the first place. And sure, it had turned out alright for the most part, at least that's what Tommy had thought, but now he wasn't sure. But even then, he didn't care about the exile thing, he didn't care about any of it anymore; he'd already accepted that. But Tubbo hadn't visited him, not once. He hadn't even bothered to message him during the first few days before Dream had made him give up his communicator.

But he'd thought Ranboo and Puffy and Ghostbur had abandoned him. Dream had told him Tubbo didn't care about him anymore, just like he'd told him they didn't care about him anymore. And Tommy was finding it increasingly difficult to believe the things Dream had told him back then now. Dream had told him L'Manberg hated him, and Tommy had believed him without a doubt - but how was he supposed to believe it now, knowing that Dream had been lying to him?

Tubbo was alive, he was fine, he was in L'Manberg… but for all Tommy knew, Dream was the reason he hadn't visited him, too. For all he knew it was always Dream behind the curtains, the puppetmaster just yanking them along without a care in the world. For all he knew it was Dream in control, all along, and at this point Tommy couldn't say he'd be surprised. Hurt and betrayed and all of it, but he wouldn't be surprised. He couldn't even say he would be angry, he wasn't angry, he was just sad. Dream's betrayal stung on a level that nobody else's ever had. Not Eret's, not Wilbur's, not even Tubbo's. There was something about this that just engulfed him in nothing but pure, raw pain. Something about the only person he thought he could trust, the last person he'd given all his trust to without a second thought, having been lying to him all this time.

He didn't know what to say to Tubbo, but Ranboo seemed to have an idea, because a gentle hand rested against his head and Tommy managed to lift his gaze up to him again. "I'll tell him."

Tommy exhaled a soft sigh, leaning into the touch, and looked back down at the allium.

"Be safe," Ranboo murmured, turning his head slightly. "Techno, I'm leaving."

"Wait, wait, wait." Techno emerged at once, climbing down the ladder to greet them at the door, and Tommy shied away from him at once, pressing closer to Ranboo and shrinking into his side. "Do you have a communicator?" The question was directed at Ranboo, who actually snorted, rolling his eyes and shaking his head as if the answer should have been obvious. Techno didn't seem fazed, striding over to them. "Okay, that makes this a little bit harder but I'll make do with what I have for now, so… I've got one spare comm I can reprogram for one of you, who gets it?"

"Me," Ranboo said immediately. "That's great, actually. Tommy can message me directly from yours instead of having to message one of the others… avoid some extra confusion," he mused. Techno let out a quiet grunt of acknowledgement, pulling the two communicators from his inventory and fiddling with them for a moment while Ranboo turned back to Tommy with a smile. "That works, right?"

It definitely worked. Tommy felt a little relieved, to be honest. He would have hesitated to message any of the others even if it were to ask for Ranboo, but he felt a little better knowing he'd have a direct line of communication to his friend. "Yeah- yeah, that works…" He breathed.

"You're welcome," Techno said smugly, holding the communicator out. "There, you're all set."

Ranboo took the device carefully, narrowing his eyes at it for just the briefest moment before his expression relaxed again, and he spared a quick, grateful smile up at Techno. "Thank you." The enderman hybrid was silent for a moment, while Techno merely inclined his head in response with a shrug. He held out his own communicator to Tommy after a few seconds, and Tommy froze, staring at it while Ranboo continued slowly. "You'll look after him, right? Until I get back."

"Yeah, sure," Techno replied dismissively. He shook the communicator at Tommy pointedly, and the blond flinched, hastily sending the allium to his inventory - albeit extremely reluctantly at that - and reaching out to take it. Don't hesitate, Dream got mad earlier… still, his hands trembled as he took the device, and he couldn't quell the anxiety that engulfed him. "Lucky for both of you, I'm not exactly Dream's number one fan at the moment, so I'll look out for the kid and make sure no funny business is going on," he grumbled, heaving out a loud sigh. "And I guess I'll have to keep him here while you rally the troops. I'll distract him with Pigstep. Pigstep always works."

Ranboo huffed out an airy chuckle at that. "If it works," he said simply, and turned his attention back to Tommy completely, watching the blond turn the communicator over and over in his hands. It had been a long time since he'd held one, and his stomach was in knots at the thought of Dream catching him with it. "Hey," Ranboo murmured. Tommy twitched, looking up at him briefly before dropping his gaze again with a troubled frown. "It'll be okay, Tommy. I promise."

Tommy managed a faint nod in response, hesitantly sending the communicator to his inventory - not without a swift glance toward Techno to make sure it was okay. "I- I… uh… thank you…"

"Don't mention it," Techno replied, peering down at him over the rims of his glasses.

"I have to go. It was nice seeing you, Techno." Ranboo offered a quick nod in the piglin hybrid's direction, which was returned with a casual hum and a faint nod of agreement before Ranboo turned back to Tommy, eyes soft as he ducked his head to meet his gaze. "If you need me…"

"I know," Tommy assured quietly. "I'll message you."

Ranboo took a deep breath and nodded, satisfied, and stepped toward the door. He hesitated, lingering there for the longest time, but with one last smile in Tommy's direction, he was gone. Tommy fought back the impulse to step out after him, but he only lasted a few seconds before abruptly lurching after the enderman hybrid, feet moving without his permission. He just wanted to make sure Ranboo got to the portal safely, he wanted to make sure he got away safely - but Ranboo didn't seem to have any intentions of using the portal. Instead, he started off in the direction he'd come from, and Tommy watched with wide eyes as a bottle appeared in his hand.

Within a few sips, he was gone, and Tommy let himself sink against the porch railing in relief as soon as he disappeared. Ranboo was safe. Ranboo was safe, he was out of the apparent Nether prison he'd been in, and he was coming back. Tommy had a communicator, something he definitely wasn't supposed to have, and he could talk to him, message him whenever he needed. Again, it was a promise he wasn't sure he'd be able to keep, but he knew he had to try.

Techno joined him on the porch after a few minutes, leaning forward against the rail beside him with only a few feet of space between them. Tommy tensed, sparing him a swift glance, but the piglin hybrid didn't look at him; his eyes were focused on the sky, ears flicking against the snowflakes that landed on them every now and then, and his expression was blank, neutral. Tommy wasn't sure what to expect, though; he shifted where he stood, anxious that any noticeable movement would draw Techno's attention to him, and tried to keep his gaze from straying toward the hybrid every few seconds, anxiously flicking his gaze across the sky and watching the snow fall. He couldn't relax, couldn't even think about relaxing with Techno so close. All he felt was fear in his presence, fear and uneasiness, and he wanted Ranboo back.

Or Dream, at least. Dream was scarier than Techno, Dream could protect him from Techno.

He flinched when Techno spoke suddenly. "What did he do to you?"

"What?" Tommy breathed, sucking in a shaky breath and quickly flicking his gaze back to the piglin hybrid. The man sighed, and Tommy flinched again as Techno's gaze swept toward him.

"Dream," he clarified simply. "What did he do to you?"

Tommy was left without an answer, stammering quietly as he tried to make sense of the question itself, but he couldn't. His chest felt tight, stomach twisting, and he wanted to throw up. He didn't know how to answer, didn't know what to say, but thankfully, he didn't have to answer.

Ranboo had left just in time, it seemed, because Dream was there in a flash of purple particles, axe in hand and shoulders tense as he landed. The axe disappeared quickly after a moment, but his fists were clenched tightly at his sides and the set of his shoulders told Tommy he was nothing but furious. As happy as he was to see the man, relieved for both his arrival and the fact that he'd arrived just late enough to miss Ranboo, the anger he could feel radiating from his best friend was enough to keep him from jumping into his arms for the time being, shying away instinctively and sinking closer to the railing, curling up slightly and offering a hesitant smile.

He startled when another figure popped into place beside Dream, and sucked in a sharp gasp.

Techno's reaction startled him more than anything. He perked up at once, lighting up like a child on Christmas morning, and all too quickly the piglin hybrid was moving. He didn't bother with the stairs, swinging himself over the rail and heading for the second figure immediately. "Philza!"

"Techno!" Phil's voice was almost soothing to his ears. Tommy's head whirled, still shocked, but he couldn't help but feel somewhat warmed as he watched the two embrace. Phil looked… he had definitely looked better. His hair was longer and matted and mangled and his hat was torn in various places and his clothes just looked like absolute shit, but his eyes were as bright as Tommy remembered, and still sparkled with the same warmth as he threw his arms around Techno with a grin, pulling his best friend into a hug. Something like envy stirred in the blond's chest, just for a moment, and he allowed his gaze to flick toward Dream briefly before focusing on the two again, quietly watching the reunion with wide eyes. "Oh, it's good to see you, mate."

"Of course it is," Techno scoffed, but his grip seemed to tighten, hugging Phil tighter. The latter merely laughed, breathless and amused, and returned the tight grip with a squeeze of his own.

Tommy found himself smiling, until Dream's voice stole his attention away. "Tommy, c'mere."

He moved at once, heading down the stairs and making his way to his best friend. He wanted to hug him, and a part of him almost expected a hug with how affectionate Dream had been with him lately, but the man seemed to have other plans. Tommy flinched, but he didn't dare pull away when Dream grabbed his arm; the grip was tight and rough and oh fuck he was in trouble. Dream was angry, he was most certainly not being gentle - had he somehow seen Ranboo leave? Did he- did he just- somehow know? He always seemed to know everything, fuck, fuck-

"Dream?" He managed, inhaling sharply as he was pulled through the snow. Dream said nothing, didn't offer a single word as he practically dragged Tommy toward the trees, and Tommy stumbled over his feet in the snow in his effort to keep up, terror pooling in his stomach. Dream's grip tightened, an enderpearl appearing in his hand, and he pulled Tommy even closer.

He let go when they landed, and Tommy staggered, catching himself on a tree. This felt familiar.

(The axe tore through his stomach and Tommy screamed louder than he ever had before, every inch of him falling limp and numb with pain as the blade cut through flesh, blood gushing from the wound as Dream ripped through him without mercy, tearing through his skin as if he were mining blocks. Tommy had never felt this much pain all at once before, every inch of him engulfed in sheer agony as he sobbed and screamed and babbled and pleaded-) He cringed, whirling around to face Dream, ready to start spewing apologies, to get on his knees and beg for mercy if that was what it took to keep Dream from hurting him.

His gaze locked on Dream, and the axe that appeared in his hand as the other one pushed his mask up, and his stomach lurched at the pure, unbridled rage glittering through his friend's eyes.

Too familiar.

Chapter Text

Dream had missed it.

The fear in Tommy's eyes. The feeling of an axe weighing heavy in his hands. The trembling, heavy breaths the blond offered as his blue eyes darted back and forth. The way he shook, the blind terror and panic etched across his face, the way he couldn't even speak as he locked his eyes on the axe. It was beautiful. It was beautiful, and he was beautiful like this, scared out of his mind and frozen in place. Dream tightened his grip on the axe, excitement raging through him like a wildfire. He only took a few seconds to think about the first swing, think about where to aim and how hard to hit. He didn't want to hurt him too badly, nothing he couldn't fix quickly. He wasn't about to deal with any questions from Techno and Phil. He just needed to relieve some of his anger, and honestly, just seeing that petrified expression on Tommy's face was soothing some of the rage boiling through him as it was. He wouldn't have to hurt him too badly.

Dream swung, and despite Tommy's panic, the blow seemed to startle him more than anything. The blade caught him in the shoulder, eliciting a sharp cry from the teen as he staggered and stumbled, and Dream yanked the axe back quickly with a laugh, watching blood spray and splatter across the snow, dark crimson liquid seeping into the white powder. He only stared for a moment, reveling in the sight, before he stepped toward Tommy and hefted the axe once more.

"Wait," Tommy gasped, shielding his face. "Wait, I don't-"

He had to calculate this swing a bit more carefully, slashing the axe down at Tommy's arms. He didn't want to dig in too deep there, he reminded himself carefully, but Tommy was screaming and shaking and crying and the rush it was giving him was unparalleled. Fuck, what was he thinking? Going easier on Tommy, 'loosening up a bit'? Fuck's sake, no. Dream couldn't afford to do that. Those few days had been absolute torture; sure, pampering Tommy was great, yeah, but this… this was a feeling he couldn't get from anything or anyone else. The man reeled back briefly, lifting the axe slightly and swinging out again, aiming for Tommy's stomach this time. He hit his mark and the boy crumbled to his knees with a screech, and it was music to his ears.

"I'm sorry- I'm sorry, I'm sorry-" Tommy cried, flinching away when Dream yanked the axe back and raised it again. One hand shielded his face, the other pressing against his stomach. "I'm-"

"This isn't a punishment, Tommy," Dream grunted. He stopped, though, just for a moment. He knew he should probably stop now… but he could always just force a healing potion down Tommy's throat and keep going. The man tilted his head slightly, moving the axe forward and pressing the blade under the blond's chin. Tommy flinched, gasping and whimpering as he shied away, but he didn't quite pull away, allowing Dream to tilt his chin upwards with the axe. His eyes were wide with fear, fear and confusion as he trembled from the cold and fear, his face paler than normal. Despite himself, Dream softened at the sight, but only because of how vulnerable he was. He always looked so beautiful like this, pathetic on his knees and bleeding and on the verge of tears and trembling through waves of terror and panic. Dream couldn't believe he'd almost given this up, and for what? He must have been damn near out of his mind.

"I don't know what I was thinking," he mused aloud, and Tommy shrank at the sound of his voice, shuddering as he stared up at him with wide eyes. "You're perfect like this, just like this." He pulled the axe back again, only to lift it upwards, gently tracing the blade up Tommy's cheek.

Tommy whimpered, chest heaving as the blade drew closer to his eyes. "Dr- Dream…"

Dream settled the blade over his left eye, not quite digging in yet. He almost wanted to, to be honest. Give Tommy a scar to match his own. Not for any particular reason, honestly, he certainly wasn't doing this for any malicious reasons. He wasn't upset with Tommy, he was quite the opposite… well, everything with Ghostbur earlier had pissed him off. Okay, maybe he was a little upset with Tommy, but he meant what he said. This wasn't a punishment. It was just a release, one he needed now more than ever… the man tilted his head, amused as he debated his options. He could continue, Tommy would be fine. Dream had only beaten him to within an inch of his life once, and he knew better now, when to stop and heal him before he continued.

He had to admit, he liked Tommy's scars. The ones on his face, on his neck. It was like art, and Tommy was the perfect canvas. A scar to match his own, well, Dream couldn't say he wouldn't get a thrill from it. The idea alone brought a grin to his face, carefully drifting the axe over to position the blade over Tommy's right eye instead. Not the left one. He'd look too much like Quackity, and Dream certainly didn't want that. "This is gonna hurt," he warned. "Don't scream."

Tommy didn't say anything. He trembled, staring at him, and Dream let out a soft hum of approval once he was satisfied that he wasn't going to scream, and tightened his grip slightly.

Only to startle, jerking back, when Tommy sucked in as deep a breath as he could and shrieked.

Dream's first thought was that he'd somehow hurt him already, even though he hadn't dug the axe in. But then his second thought was what the fuck, because Tommy wasn't just yelling, he wasn't just screaming unintelligibly - no, he was calling for help. "TECHNO- PHIL- RANBOO-"

The man froze as soon as the last name left Tommy's lips. It only took him a few seconds to register it, but it took him longer than he cared to admit to be able to react. Fury quickly replaced the shock that had engulfed him, and he let the axe fall to his side for a moment, lurching forward and grabbing the front of Tommy's hoodie to haul the blond to his feet. The teen's cries cut off with a startled yelp as he was yanked upwards, and Tommy choked out a gasp as Dream turned and shoved him back toward the trees, stumbling and shying away as Dream shoved the axe in his direction, inches away from his neck. "What the fuck was that?" He hissed. "Ranboo?"

"Dream, please-" Tommy pleaded, flinching back when Dream took a step closer to him. He flattened himself back against one of the trees, gasping for air as the man approached him slowly. "Please, please, I don't- I'm sorry, I'm sorry- I don't understa-" He cut off with another scream, this one out of pain, when Dream settled the blade over his stomach and shoved it in.

"Go ahead, Tommy," he seethed. "Beg. Plead. Call for help. Fight back. It's been so long since you've fought back, do you even remember how? Do you even remember what you were before me?" He demanded, crowding in closer. Tommy bit his tongue and jerked his head back sharply, slamming the back of his skull into the tree with another cry and a stifled sob when Dream pushed the axe in deeper. "Do you think you could stand against me, Tommy? Be honest here, do you think you'd last a second against me? Do you think they would? For that matter, do you think they would try?" He jeered. "They don't care about you, why the hell would they help you?"

He was expecting Tommy to cower, to cry, to submit - he wasn't expecting the anger that met him instead, the flicker of hurt and rage that flickered across his face as he stared up at Dream.

"Why," the boy choked, "why would you say that?"

Dream tilted his head slightly, eyebrows furrowing. Of all the reactions he could have gotten, he hadn't been expecting that one. And he certainly wasn't expecting the question, puzzled by the wording. Tommy had never asked him that before - he'd asked him why everyone had stopped caring about him, why nobody came to visit him, why he cared when nobody else did, but he never asked him that. Truthfully, Dream wasn't sure how to answer, unsure of what he meant. "Because it's the truth," he settled in instead, and Tommy shook his head furiously in response.

"You're lying," he rasped, not giving Dream the chance to respond. "You're- you're l- lying to me, you've been lying to me this whole time, haven't you? Th- they do care, Gh- Ghostbur cares, a- and Ranboo, and Puffy and Phil and-" He cut off with a strangled yell when Dream twisted the axe, effectively shutting him up, if only for a few seconds before the blond suddenly spit out, "why would you s- say- I would never tell you- I would never, I would- why are you hurting me?"

"Apparently I haven't been doing it enough," Dream snapped, mind whirling as he tried to make sense of Tommy's words. What was going on? He was so obedient earlier, and he certainly didn't act like this when Dream brought out the axe. He knew better. He knew to just stand there and take it like a good little boy and not complain, not ask questions. And yet here he was, firing off one question after the next, calling Dream a liar, asking him why he was hurting him, talking about Ranboo and Puffy and Phil and he was getting really sick of the boy running his mouth. This hadn't been a punishment before, but now Dream was thinking one was well deserved. Clearly Tommy hadn't learned as much from his lessons as he'd thought. "You know what, Tommy, I think you could use a punishment. So then it's a good thing I've already started, right?"

"Why are you hurting me?" Tommy breathed again, tears building in his eyes.

"Because you deserve it," Dream sneered. "Don't you think?"

Tommy didn't respond immediately, despair and terror flashing across his face as he looked up at him. And then disbelief, and then resignation, and Dream nodded his approval. "Good boy." He pulled the axe back, only with the intention of swinging again. Tommy definitely needed to learn another lesson. Dream had healing potions, regen and all that, but he didn't think he'd use them now. No, maybe Tommy needed to remember what it was like to be hurt like that again, he needed to remember that Dream was the one in control. And Dream was willing to remind him.

He swung, and Tommy ducked under the axe before Dream could blink, lunging forward and slipping through the space between them. And then he was gone, taking off through the snow.

Now that had never happened before. Even during the early exile days, Tommy seemed to know better than to run from him, because he knew he had nowhere else to run to. Dream's mind whirled as he whipped around to follow the blond, bolting after him without a second thought. Tommy had never run from him. Tommy had never done this before. Tommy always accepted his punishments. Dream didn't know what was going on with him, whatever had happened while he was away, but this was so sudden that something must have happened and Dream was going to kill whoever was responsible for it - because Tommy couldn't have come up with the idea to do this on his own, and Dream knew that. He was too submissive, too scared.

"PHIL-" He certainly sounded scared, voice breaking. He threw a quick glance over his shoulder and picked up the pace as soon as he saw Dream was right behind him. "Nonono- TECHNO-"

Dream managed to snag him by the shoulder and Tommy screamed again, voice echoing as he yelled out for Phil and Techno once more. Dream turned him around, swinging him back around to face him and thrusting the blond to the ground in the next second, slashing the axe down. Through his fury, he almost didn't hear the boy scream this time as the axe slashed across his face, but he certainly felt the satisfaction when the blow landed, and prepared to swing again.

This time, however, Tommy summoned his own axe.

The kid was full of surprises today.

He held it sideways, in front of him, and raised it just in time to block Dream's, the blade of the man's axe sticking into the handle. Tommy's arms buckled slightly under the force of it, and trembled with the effort of holding it while Dream bared down harder, intent on snapping the damn thing. Clearly Tommy didn't need the weapon, and Dream was regretting so many things. His biggest regret was how nice and lenient he'd been lately; he knew it had to play a part in how Tommy was acting, and it was simply unacceptable. This, this was why he'd been so hard on him after the tower incident. And it had worked. Tommy had been nothing but obedient then.

"Tommy…" He growled, curling his lips back. Tommy stared up at him with nothing but fear in his eyes, tears streaming down his face as he tried to push himself back through the snow with his legs, and Dream quickly stepped forward to step down on the boy's ankle, eliciting another pained cry. "I don't know what's gotten into you…" But, oh, was he going to beat it out of him.

"Please," Tommy begged. "Wh- why won't you just-"

He cut off with a gasp, and Dream startled when Techno suddenly shoved himself between them, yanking both of the axes out of their grasps and leveling both of them at Dream's throat.

"Step away from him."

Dream didn't exactly have much of a choice, stumbling back and raising his hands in surrender. Just behind Techno, Phil was quick to sweep Tommy off of the ground, one wing out and wrapped around the blond protectively, effectively cutting him off from Dream's line of sight. He stiffened, almost moving forward, but the blades pointed at his throat made it clear that wasn't a good idea. Phil looked beyond pissed, and Dream was studiously avoiding looking at Techno, because he knew one look at the piglin hybrid was going to make him retreat, and he wasn't about to do that. He wasn't about to show weakness. He couldn't afford to show weakness now.

He had no fucking idea how he was going to get out of this.

Chapter Text

Tommy had never. Ever. Been so terrified before, not once in his life.

Not even after the tower incident, not even before the tower incident. His heart was beating out of his chest and he couldn't breathe and he was shaking and he couldn't see past the tears in his eyes. He was gasping with each breath, on the verge of passing out. Someone was talking to him, speaking in hushed tones and they were very close and Tommy wanted to scream and fight and run and get as far away from Dream as he could, but he couldn't move. And the arms wrapped around him weren't hurting him, even though every inch of his body was already numb with pain, so he could at least figure out that whoever was holding him meant no harm. A wing was wrapped around him, and he almost thought it was Ghostbur, but the wing was black and Ghostbur's wings weren't black- actually he wasn't even sure if Ghostbur had wings. Wilbur did-

Fuck, he couldn't breathe. Trembling, he instinctively pressed closer to the warmth wrapped around him, burrowing himself deeper into the embrace and swallowing back his sobs. He couldn't tell if he was crying from relief or fear or pain, but he couldn't stop the tears regardless.

"Shhh, Tommy…" The voice was a little clearer now, enough for Tommy to register that it was Phil who was holding him so tightly. He whimpered as he was pulled closer, choking out a muffled sob as he curled closer and fumbled to grab onto the immortal's shirt, desperately hooking his fingers into the fabric and pulling himself closer. Phil tightened his grip slightly, letting the teen push himself deeper into his arms. "Shit, Tommy, I'm sorry we couldn't get here sooner, are you alright?" Tommy managed to shake his head, not trusting himself enough to speak, and Phil pulled himself back a little, tilting his head to glance the blond over worriedly. A grimace fell across his face, and Tommy flinched away instinctively. "I'm gonna take him back."

"No, no," Tommy managed to whimper, choking the words out through clenched teeth as he shook. He twisted his head around slightly, frantically searching for Dream. It took a moment for him to spot him, having to stretch up to see over Phil's wing. The man was standing in front of Techno, the piglin hybrid standing tall between them and his back turned to Phil and Tommy. Tommy's stomach twisted sharply at the sight of the axes in his hands, aimed precariously at Dream's throat, and the man wasn't making any move to back away. "No… n- no, no no no no-"

"Tommy…" Phil coaxed, gently tugging him back. Tommy let him, not really sure he had the strength or the energy or the willpower to fight at that point, but he kept his eyes on Dream.

"Techno please-" The words broke on his tongue, voice wavering. "Please don't hu- hurt him-"

Phil froze, incredulous. "What?"

"Heh?" Techno whipped his head around briefly to look at Tommy, but he shifted his focus back to Dream soon enough. With his mask hanging off the side of his head, it was easy to see the smug expression that flitted across his face, but it was gone in an instant when Techno spoke. "Uh, Tommy, I don't know if you're aware of this, but this guy was about to gut you like a fish. Considering you were screaming for help at the top of your lungs, though, I'm pretty sure you know, so…" Tommy only shook his head frantically in response, chest heaving as he fought to push himself up, but it wasn't long before he crumbled back into Phil's arms. The man's grip didn't falter, holding him tightly and holding him back, keeping him from making his way forward. Tommy didn't know whether he was glad for it or not, not seeing Dream in such clear danger.

"Please," he begged again, and Techno hesitated, but he didn't move the axes away. Dream lifted his chin slightly, but he seemed to understand silence was his best option, because he didn't say a word. Furious eyes flicked back and forth between Techno and Tommy, and Tommy found himself shrinking under his gaze instinctively. He didn't want Dream to get hurt, but he didn't want Techno to just let him go, either, because he knew that the second he did, he was fucked. Techno was right, he had called for help, begged for help, and he was getting it, but still-

Help.

He knew who would help him. Who would help him, and Dream, and still make sure he was safe. Tommy fumbled for Techno's communicator, pulling it out of his inventory and scrambling to find Ranboo's contact. His movements were rushed, tense; he wasn't sure what to expect from Phil and Techno, who, yes, while they had helped them, were also clearly not about to listen to him by any means. He didn't know if they would take the communicator from him and keep him from calling for help - but they didn't. Phil even pulled back a little to give him some space to move, but he moved his wing back in front of them, cutting off his line of sight from Dream. Fine, that was fine. Tommy managed to find Ranboo's contact, typing a quick message. His hands shook so hard he couldn't see what he was typing, but he got the message across.

help the'hre gonn kill hhim pleasw

He didn't have to wait too long before he received a response, and he couldn't bite back a shuddering sob as soon as it popped up. I'm on my way, get yourself somewhere safe now.

Tommy didn't know if he was safe where he was, but he wasn't about to get up and leave either. He needed to keep them from hurting Dream before Ranboo got there. It wasn't getting any easier to breathe. If only, it was only getting harder, each breath shallower and quicker than the last, and he felt cold, and he couldn't stop fucking shaking. He shuddered as he tried to push himself up again, jaw trembling as he opened his mouth and called out to Techno. "Please…" He croaked, voice choked with tears. "Pl- please do- on't h- hurt him, please don't hurt him…" His eyes locked on Dream and his chest heaved. Despite his pleading for the man, Dream's expression hadn't changed aside from that smug look. He still looked pissed, and he still looked like the second he got the chance, he was going to start swinging again. Tommy's heart sank.

Techno growled softly, low and rumbling, and Dream tensed, eyes flicking back up to him briefly. Tommy felt only the faintest trickle of relief when the piglin hybrid drew the axes back, though he didn't let them disappear into his inventory, and he didn't move to let Dream come forward again. "You take even a single step toward him, Dream, and I will not hesitate, you understand?"

"Why do you care?" Dream shot back, finally speaking now that he didn't have two blades to his throat. Tommy winced, silently willing the man to shut his mouth before he said something that was going to get himself killed. By now it was inevitable… "Like you haven't beaten him before."

Techno's eyes narrowed. "I made a promise to keep him safe, Dream, if you must know."

"A promise," Dream echoed, eyebrows furrowing. "To who?"

"To me."

Dream flinched. Every muscle in his body pulled taut, shoulders tensing and shuddering, and the smug smile on his face dropped into an expression of absolute horror. Tommy shook at the sight, watching the color drain from his best friend's face. He didn't think he'd ever seen him so terrified before - he had definitely never seen him so terrified before. He could only stare, wide-eyed with shock until he managed to follow the man's gaze, and his fear quickly dissolved into relief when he caught sight of Ranboo. That hadn't taken him long, not long at all; he could only imagine how many enderpearls he had used in the span of such a short time to reach them so quickly, but he didn't care. He didn't care how Ranboo got there, just that he was there at all.

Ranboo swept his gaze around, only focusing on Phil for a second - and pausing at the sight of him - before his gaze found Tommy. Tommy heaved himself up as much as he could, trembling.

The enderman hybrid stared at him for a moment, his expression frighteningly blank, before whirling his head around to stare at Dream. Tommy couldn't see his expression now, but he could only imagine it was one of rage, because it was enough to make Dream flinch away, stumbling back and raising his hands in front of him defensively as he stared at Ranboo with wide eyes. "Fuck… fuck, fuck, okay, let's… talk about this, Ranboo, okay? Let's talk about this-"

Ranboo snarled, the sound low and inhuman and Dream cringed. "Don't. Say. A word."

Dream's hands were shaking, held up in front of him, and his mouth snapped shut with a click the second Ranboo finished speaking, swallowing hard and staring with wide eyes as the enderman hybrid whipped around and made his way over to Phil and Tommy. The latter wasn't entirely sure what to think about that interaction, but he couldn't focus on that right now. The fury in Ranboo's eyes seemed to calm for a second as his gaze rested on Tommy again, and Tommy was far too desperate for some kind of gentle touch from someone he trusted to feel any real fear toward anyone but Dream at the moment. So he reached out as Ranboo approached, and let the enderman hybrid pull him out of Phil's arms and into his own. "Nobody touches Dream," his friend growled over his shoulder, and Techno's ear twitched. "Do you have a healing potion?"

"In…" Techno trailed off, staring over their heads. His expression twisted into a brief flicker of surprise, and then he just managed to look uncomfortable, ears flattening to his head. "Uh."

Ranboo lifted his gaze quickly, and his face fell flat into something unreadable, almost irritated. Tommy found himself sinking closer to him, wrapping his arms around his friend tightly and burying his face into his shoulder. He didn't look. He didn't want to see. He just wanted to be safe, he wanted Dream to be safe, he wanted to get the hell out of there, he wanted to stop hurting, he wanted everything to just stop for a moment. Everything had gone far too fast in just the past couple of days and Tommy so desperately needed it to slow down, he needed to think. He needed to breathe. He couldn't breathe and he couldn't stop shaking and he was terrified-

"Is he okay?" That was Tubbo's voice. Tommy flinched, pressing closer to Ranboo immediately.

"He's-" Ranboo cut himself off, alarmed. "Wait, wait-"

Tommy tensed, finally lifting his head to look, only because he couldn't not look. His first instinct was to look for Dream, and he found him quickly; surrounded by Quackity, Fundy and Niki. He had his sword in one hand and a shield in the other while the other three attacked him from all sides, and despite Ranboo's frantic yells for them to back off, they didn't pause their attacks. Tommy couldn't bite back a scream in time, ripping himself away from Ranboo quickly. "STOP-"

"Stop them," Ranboo hissed at someone behind them, quickly turning to stop Tommy from lunging forward into the fight. He took him by the shoulders, gently pulling him back. "You can't, Tommy, you can't. It's okay," he whispered. Tommy struggled for a moment longer, trying to twist away and reaching his hands out for Dream. Sam was quick to join the fight, but to Tommy's surprise, he was dragging Quackity away from it, forcing the duck hybrid back and snarling hushed words into his ear that made him freeze, wide eyes flicking toward Ranboo and Tommy before he focused on Dream again, his axe in hand and his hands trembling. But he didn't move to rejoin the fight, even when Sam pulled back and went for Fundy next, and Tommy sank back against Ranboo again in relief as the creeper hybrid managed to pull the fox hybrid away, too.

Niki stopped, for just a second, lingering behind Dream. The man's chest was heaving, eyes glittering with fury and panic as he swept his gaze around frantically, and his eyes met Tommy's.

Tommy stared at him, then Niki, watching with wide eyes as she raised her sword.

Look out, he wanted to scream, but he didn't. Dream, look out, look out, behind you-

He should have. He should have yelled. He should have screamed the words at the top of his lungs, especially with the knowledge that Dream only had two lives. But he was hurt, he was angry, he was confused, he was scared, and the anger in Dream's eyes willed him to stay silent.

Niki brought the sword down, driving the blade clean through the back of Dream's skull.

I'm sorry.

Chapter Text

It should have been satisfying, watching Dream crumble with a sword stuck in his skull.

Ranboo wanted to take the victory, he so badly wanted to take the victory, but the young teen shaking in his arms was the only reason he couldn't. Because Tommy looked about ten seconds away from a complete emotional breakdown right then and Ranboo could only imagine what he was thinking. He had promised, he had sworn to keep Dream safe, to keep the situation from escalating. And as much as it had pained him to make such a promise, as much as he would have loved nothing more than to be the one to take Dream's second life, and his last, he had meant it. He wanted to keep Dream safe, because Tommy wanted him to be safe. He had only messaged Ranboo begging him to come because he was scared that Techno would kill him. That thought alone left him feeling queasy, but Ranboo was willing to dismiss that for a moment.

He was expecting Tommy to lunge forward, and he was fully prepared to let him, but Tommy reeled back against him instead, chest heaving through painful-sounding gasps as he curled up against Ranboo and turned to throw himself into his arms. The enderman hybrid quickly tightened his grip on the teen, ears flattening as he pulled him closer and took a few steps back.

"Niki," he growled. "Get over here. All of you, away from Dream, now."

Thankfully, they had the sense to listen to him. Ranboo was pissed, he was tired, he was frustrated, and he wasn't in the mood to deal with them. He had made the mistake of telling them Tommy's location too early, and while he thought he had been pretty clear on the fact that nobody was to touch the man, they seemed to have their own ideas of what to do. At least those three, Quackity, Fundy and Niki. Ranboo made a mental note to talk with them later. He really needed to explain how, exactly, they were doing more harm than good, because apparently nobody here knew how to handle a traumatized teenager with stockholm syndrome. Ranboo scowled, wrapping his tail around Tommy and turning his gaze back to the teen with a grimace.

At least everyone else had kept their distance. There were so many people, Ranboo's mind was whirling. He hadn't been around this many people in a long time. Sapnap, George, Karl, Jack, Punz, Ponk, Eret, BadBoyHalo - almost everyone was there, honestly. Standing back with their weapons as Ranboo had instructed. Sam had helped tear Quackity and Fundy away from the fight, and for that, Ranboo was grateful, but Niki… he was disappointed. He was so disappointed. Maybe he should have explained the situation better, he wanted to, but then Tommy's message had come through and Ranboo hadn't thought anything more of it, focused only on getting to the boy as quickly as he could. The enderman hybrid shook his head slightly, taking a deep breath and turning his attention back to Tommy as he continued to pull him back, distancing them from the rest of the group. He needed to get him somewhere safe first before they dealt with Dream, but he was hesitant to do so, as he wasn't sure Tommy wanted to leave.

He was shaking so hard, trembling in Ranboo's arms, body wracked with silent sobs as he buried his face into Ranboo's shoulder and clung to him like he was the only thing keeping him alive, keeping him breathing. Ranboo held onto him just as tightly, as if maybe if he held him close enough and tight enough, he could keep the poor boy from shattering into a million pieces.

"You promised," Tommy whispered. "You pr- promised, you promised."

"I know," Ranboo breathed, squeezing his eyes shut. Fuck. Fuck. "I'm so sorry, Tommy, I couldn't…" He trailed off, shaking his head. No excuses, he wasn't going to start making excuses. Tommy's arms tightened around him regardless, and Ranboo could only feel relieved that he wasn't pulling away from him, because it meant he hadn't lost the boy's trust completely, not yet. He still had a chance to make it right, to make things up to him and turn the tides in his favor. He just needed to get the others on board, he just needed to show them how to do it right.

Ranboo took a deep breath, ducking his head and resting his chin over Tommy's head as he turned his gaze toward the others. Each and every one of them were watching with wide eyes. Tubbo and Quackity and Fundy looked confused, exchanging bewildered glances as they stared. Even Sapnap looked puzzled at the way Tommy pulled himself closer into Ranboo's arms, snuggling closer to the enderman hybrid despite his muffled sobs. They looked startled, confused, unable to comprehend, and it was just… it was sad, to be honest. It was frustrating, but he wouldn't give up hope just yet, not just yet. They were watching, they were observing, so there was still a chance to show them what they were doing wrong, and maybe how to fix it, too.

The enderman hybrid set his jaw and turned his attention back to Tommy, gently detangling himself from the blond's grip. "Come on," he urged softly, pulling him forward a few steps. Only when Tommy took a step on his own did Ranboo continue, guiding him over to Dream's corpse.

He sank to his knees beside the man at once, shaking hands resting against Dream's hoodie. Ranboo crouched down beside him, carefully wrapping his tail around the boy, and fixed his gaze on Dream for a moment. "He has one life left," he murmured, and Tommy took in a slow, shuddering breath in response, wide-eyed as he stared down at the man. "I won't let him lose it," Ranboo promised, and he meant it. A swift glance toward the others was all he needed to offer; they backed up further at once, except for Sam and Tubbo; they each took a step forward after a moment, shoulders squared, and Ranboo understood. They were going to keep the others back if anyone stepped out of line again. The enderman hybrid ducked his head, offering a grateful smile before he turned his attention back to Tommy and Dream, ears pricking slightly.

Tommy seemed to be calming down, just the slightest bit. He was still shaking, tears still flowing, and Ranboo had to resist the urge to wipe them away. Not yet, not just yet. Tommy's hands shook against Dream's hoodie, slowly clutching fistfuls of the fabric. Even so, he leaned sideways into Ranboo, instinctively seeking comfort; Ranboo offered it without hesitation, tail tightening around the younger boy as he reached out to rest a hand gently over his shoulder. The blood he felt beneath his fingers only made him want to get him even further away from Dream, but he knew he had to wait. Healing could come in due time. It would. He'd ensure that.

Finally, Tommy took a deep, rough breath and let it out in a soft sigh through his teeth, voice trembling as he spoke. "What- wh- what now, then?" He managed. "Wh- what do we do now…?"

"Well," Ranboo began quietly. "They want to put him in prison."

"Prison," Tommy repeated numbly.

"Sam built one a while back, apparently," Ranboo murmured. "I know it's not ideal, but it's better than any other option we have. He's too dangerous to walk free, and we're not going to kill him," he added that last part warningly, with another sharp glare toward the others before he turned his attention back to Tommy again. "This way, he won't be able to hurt anyone. He'll be locked up, restrained if he ever has visitors, and he'll be alive in a safe, restricted area where he can't be hurt and he can't hurt you or anyone ever again." Tommy didn't respond immediately, wide eyes focused on Dream, and Ranboo hesitated slightly, raising a hand to brush his hair back behind his ear. His face was almost covered in splotches of blood, a long scar running diagonally across his face, and Ranboo so desperately wanted to get him inside and healed up.

The silence was tense. Ranboo knew Tommy knew that it was the right choice, the only choice, but he wanted it to be one that Tommy made for himself. He wanted Tommy to be in control, just this one time. He wanted Tommy to know they didn't mean any harm, that Ranboo didn't mean any harm. He wanted Tommy to know that the only thing he wanted was for Tommy to be okay.

"Okay," Tommy finally choked out, pulling away from Dream and turning to wrap his arms around Ranboo instead, burying his face into the enderman hybrid's chest again. "Okay… okay."

Shoulders drooping with relief, Ranboo wrapped his arms around the teen gently, curling a hand around the back of his head and sparing a quick glance over Tommy's shoulder toward the others with a pointed look, practically screaming this was all you had to do, guys. This was it.

Nobody moved. Nobody said anything. Ranboo didn't blame them, not really. They had made some horrible decisions and they'd made it worse before Ranboo could make it better, but he knew their hearts were in the right place and their intentions were good. This was a difficult situation; Tommy was an abused teen with stockholm syndrome and so, so much trauma under his belt even beyond that, and nobody knew how to deal with that. Even Ranboo, while he was doing his best, he had fucked up. He'd fucked up by promising something that was almost completely out of his control. He had fucked up by leaving Tommy so soon; maybe the boy wouldn't have gone with him, but Ranboo should have stayed. He could have dealt with Dream.

Ranboo sighed through his teeth, peering down at the man silently for a few moments. He was disgusted, appalled by how someone could be so… so horrible, so vile, so cruel. Especially to someone like Tommy, who deserved none of the shit that Dream had put him through. Nobody deserved it, of course, nobody deserved to be abused and manipulated and nobody should ever have to feel the kind of fear that was written across Tommy's face, but especially not a child. Because that's what Tommy was, he was a kid. Because he hadn't had the chance to grow up. He hadn't had the chance to be a kid. He was just stuck in some sort of middle ground here, unable to move forward and unable to move backwards and Ranboo just wanted him to be okay, he just wanted him to be safe, he just wanted him to know he was loved, that someone was there for him, someone had his back. Someone who wouldn't hurt him, under any circumstances. Tommy didn't deserve this shit, and Ranboo hated Dream. He despised Dream.

"Can I take his armor off?" He murmured after a moment, trying to keep himself distracted. He didn't want to lose himself in his anger yet, not right now. And definitely not in front of Tommy.

Tommy looked startled, and a little uncertain, but he nodded nonetheless, and Ranboo set to work. As harsh as he wanted to be, he forced himself to be as gentle as possible for Tommy's sake as he unbuckled the straps, pulling the armor off carefully and trying not to disturb the corpse too much. He removed the sword and shield from his hand as well, sending the weapons to his inventory for the time being and discarding the armor behind them. Finally, he felt some sort of satisfaction, but it was more relief than anything. This was it, it was over. They had Dream, and he had Tommy, and finally… finally, he could get the boy to safety. Ranboo let his shoulders sag, relief engulfing him as he checked Dream over for any other weapons or armor.

He reached out to remove the mask, but Tommy stopped him, tugging on his arm. "Don't…"

"Alright," he murmured, and retracted his hands at once.

Once he was satisfied, he was prepared to ask Tommy if he wanted to go inside and get himself healed up while the others took care of Dream, but he hesitated. No, that wasn't a good idea. Tommy wouldn't trust them around Dream and Ranboo wasn't sure he did, either. Before he could debate his options too much, however, the man in question abruptly twitched and sucked in a harsh gasp, choking and coughing and gasping as he lifted his head, and Ranboo sighed.

Tommy jumped, flinching back, and immediately grabbed onto Ranboo's arm, tugging him back. The enderman hybrid furrowed his eyebrows, somewhat confused by the reaction, but he pushed himself up and pulled Tommy to his feet along with him, keeping the blond behind him as he took a few steps back and glowered down at the man. He didn't want to hide his anger from Tommy, he'd made sure the younger boy knew how he felt about Dream to begin with, but it was easier to let his rage engulf him for just a moment when he wasn't facing Tommy, letting his anger show. It was the first thing Dream opened his eyes to, so Ranboo was rather pleased.

Even more so when the man flinched and started to scramble to his feet, only to freeze when Ranboo stepped forward. "Don't move," he warned, taking a breath and preparing to continue.

"I can bring people back to life," Dream breathed, staring up at him.

… okay.

Ranboo wasn't sure how to respond, just staring down at the man. He was more bewildered than anything, but he also didn't really… believe the man either. This was someone on his last life grasping at straws trying to convince them to spare his life, and Ranboo couldn't blame him. The enderman hybrid tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing as he assessed the man carefully. He looked desperate, terrified, but Ranboo couldn't see any indication yet that he was lying…

"Go on," he ordered, and Dream pushed himself to sit up, cowering down slightly when Ranboo took another step closer, his tail coiled around Tommy and keeping the boy close to him as he did. That would serve as his last warning not to move, and Dream was smart enough to take it.

"Jschlatt," the man's voice was quiet. "He gave me a book that says how to revive people."

Ranboo narrowed his eyes slightly. "Why should I believe you?"

"Why shouldn't you?" Dream retorted, swallowing. He looked terrified, eyes wide and pupils shrunk to pinpricks as he stared up at the enderman hybrid. Good. He should be afraid. He was so lucky that Tommy cared about him, because otherwise he would be beating the shit out of him right now, taking his last life without a hint of mercy. He had no mercy for the man, none at all. "Why- why would I lie, okay? I have no reason to lie, you know- you know I've got no reason." Tommy made a soft, disgruntled sound from behind Ranboo, but he didn't say anything. Dream's eyes flicked toward the blond for just a second, but Ranboo moved to block his line of sight at once, and the man flinched back. "Ranboo, seriously! I can bring people back- if I die- if I die, then death is permanent. Okay? You can't- you can't kill me. You can't kill me."

Ranboo didn't say anything. Half because he wasn't sure how to respond, and half because there was something about watching Dream beg for his life that was so… satisfying to him. Maybe it was wrong, maybe it was bad, maybe it was fucking awful, but it was satisfying and it was a feeling he couldn't shake. It felt like justice. It felt like revenge. "Dream, we're not gonna-"

"If I die then Puffy's dead forever," Dream interrupted hastily. "You can't kill me, Ranboo."

"I'm not going to, shut up," Ranboo snarled, and Dream cringed back, snapping his mouth shut. It took a few seconds for his words to register, and Ranboo's heart sank when they did. "Puffy-?" His ear flicked, eyes straying to the side briefly just in time to see Niki lunge forward, and Sam reached out to hold her back, ears flat to his skull as he pulled the woman away. Ranboo shook his head slightly, turning his gaze back to Dream after a moment. "Puffy," he repeated. "She's…"

"She's dead," Dream confirmed. His arms twitched, almost moving to push himself up again before he froze and sank down into the snow, shoulders shaking. "But I can bring her back."

Silence followed. Ranboo slowly let his ears fall back, staring down at the man.

"You killed her," he finally said. "You killed her, didn't you?"

Dream hesitated, but that was all the confirmation Ranboo needed. Silence fell again, and this time, Ranboo had to let himself consider for a moment whether or not Dream was telling the truth. It wouldn't change anything, he had already decided to leave the man alive for Tommy's sake and he wasn't about to go back on that, but if Dream was telling the truth - if he really could bring people back to life - and he could bring Puffy back, then he did have some form of leverage. It didn't change the fact that he was caught, he was captured, he was completely done for and Ranboo personally was never going to let him lay a hand on Tommy again, but he had leverage. The enderman hybrid narrowed his eyes, ducking his head slightly with a frown.

It was Tommy who spoke next, his voice barely a whisper. "You… what?" The hand around his arm tightened, and the blond slowly slid a step forward, peering around Ranboo to stare at Dream. Ranboo took one look at him and moved slightly to the side, keeping his tail wrapped firmly around the boy but letting him get a clear view of the man, to say what he needed to say.

"Tommy…" Dream began, and the word sounded more like a warning than Ranboo was comfortable with. He bared his teeth at the man, ears flat, and Dream flinched back again quickly, raising a hand and flicking his gaze back to Ranboo. "Fuck- yes- yeah, I did. I killed her." He was silent for a moment. "Tommy, they just killed me. Aren't you going to do anything?" He demanded after a moment, and Ranboo grit his teeth, fully prepared to snap at him again. The only reason he didn't was because Tommy's grip tightened on his arm, and his betrayed expression shifted into something unreadable. Something like guilt, something like resignation.

And then something like anger. "You killed…" He couldn't seem to finish. "Why…?"

Dream hesitated. "Tommy," his tone was almost pleading now. Ranboo jerked his chin up, narrowing his eyes down at the man silently. "Come on… you said you were happy with me."

"You killed my friend," Tommy breathed. "She- Puffy- she was h- helping me in Logsted and-" He froze then, horror slowly dawning across his face. "And that's why- is that why- did you kill her because of- because of me?" Dream didn't answer, and Tommy shook his head furiously, wide-eyed. "Why would you- you killed her, you locked- you locked Ranboo away, you sent Ghostbur to die, you- why would you do this?" His voice cracked. "What did they do to you? You co- could've left them alone, y- you could've just had me, I- I wanted you, ev- even though you-" His face crumbled, guilt and grief and pain flooding his eyes as tears rose to the surface, and Ranboo found himself reaching out to pull the younger boy closer to him, ducking his head to press his cheek against the side of Tommy's head silently. Tommy leaned into him at once, but his gaze didn't move from Dream, who was looking more and more terrified as Tommy went on.

"Tommy-" He was definitely pleading, practically begging. "Tommy, we're friends."

Tommy didn't say anything. He stared for a moment longer, pain glittering through his eyes, then turned away to press his face into Ranboo's shoulder, burying himself into the hybrid's arms silently. Ranboo wrapped his arms around him at once, holding him close, and flicked his ears as he watched the blond turn his back on his abuser, literally and hopefully figuratively, and that was enough for him to feel comfortable with beckoning the others over. It was Sam who came forward, thankfully - he trusted Sam more than anyone else right then - and Ranboo watched the creeper hybrid haul Dream to his feet without a word, yanking his arms behind his back.

"No, nononono wait- wait- Tommy-!"

Tommy flinched, trembling, and Ranboo pulled him closer, lifting his gaze to Dream and baring his teeth in a snarl. It wasn't enough to render him silent, but it was enough to keep him from struggling as Sam pulled him away through the snow. Ponk joined him after a moment, followed by Sapnap and then George, and the enderman hybrid let his breath out slowly as they pulled Dream off to the portal, weapons out and ready to fight - only in case the man tried anything.

Tommy was in his arms, shaking and hurt but safe. He was safe, and now that he was safe, Ranboo was more than ready to work on the rest. The healing and the happiness and stability.

Ranboo sighed, letting his head drop, and pressed his face into the boy's hair.

"Let's get you healed up," he whispered after a few moments. "Okay?"

"Ok- kay," Tommy agreed shakily, curling his fingers into Ranboo's shirt. His hands trembled, but his grip was firm. His eyes were filled with tears as he looked up at the enderman hybrid, pain and grief etched across his face. There was no relief, but there was gratitude. "Th- thank you." Ranboo shook his head, carefully brushing away the tears that had spilled. They burned his fingers, and it was absolutely nothing compared to the way his chest ached for the boy in front of him. Tommy was safe, but there was so much trauma to unpack, so much to unlearn and relearn, and Ranboo was willing to help him every step of the way, as long as Tommy let him.

And he was.

Chapter Text

Terrified, hurt and in shock, Tommy could do nothing more than tremble as Ranboo took him back to Techno's cabin, letting the enderman hybrid lead the way through the snow in silence.

He barely registered that the others were there, but he thought he heard Tubbo's voice somewhere in the distance, and he was fairly certain he'd heard some of the others as well. He just couldn't think of anything except Dream, the fury and panic in the man's eyes as Ranboo loomed over him, the way he'd yelled as he was dragged away, the fact that despite everything they'd been through, every promise Tommy had made out of desperation and need to keep his best friend by his side, Tommy had been the one to turn his back first. It was a horrifying realization, one that left him dizzy with fear. He had left. His stomach churned, waves of nausea engulfing him as he shook. He had left, he had ran, he had called for help, he'd let Dream die-

He let Dream die.

Tommy cringed at the thought. If he had called out to the man, would Dream had turned in time? Would he have even been able to do anything? Tommy didn't know, he just knew that he hadn't called out. He hadn't warned him. He could have, the words were on the tip of his tongue and Tommy had wanted to, he'd wanted to, but he didn't. He hadn't forced the words out and Dream had lost his second life today. Because of them, because of L'Manberg, and because of Tommy.

He wasn't sure how to feel, but he certainly didn't feel proud. He felt relieved, on some level, but not because Dream was gone, not because Dream had died - he felt relieved because for the first time ever, Tommy had called for help and someone had come. Someone had helped him. His body ached, every trembling muscle was either sore or numb - his arms in particular felt like they were simply about to fall off at any given moment - and his face stung. His mind flashed back to the feeling of the axe pressing against his face, the blade pressed over his eye, and he shuddered to think of what might have happened - how far Dream would go - if he hadn't called for help, if he hadn't managed to slip away and run, if Techno and Phil hadn't come to his aid…

It wouldn't have been the first time Dream hurt him just for the sake of hurting him, wouldn't be the first time he'd taken his anger out on Tommy even though the blond hadn't done anything to piss him off directly, but it was the first time the blond had called for help in… in a year. Because there was no reason calling for help when nobody was around; there was no reason calling for help when nobody would hear you; there was no reason to call for help when you didn't think anyone would come to help you in the first place. Even then, facing Dream's fury and wrath back there in the snow, Tommy hadn't been certain that his calls would be answered. He'd prayed, he'd begged and pleaded XD and Prime and Drista to just send him someone, someone who could help him - and it was the first time he'd prayed in months, for the record - but in those last few seconds before Techno showed up, with Dream looming over him with nothing but fury in his eyes, Tommy had thought this is it. For a horrible moment, he thought Dream would kill him. Maybe not on purpose, but he knew what Dream's anger was like. It was blind, it was raw, and it was uncontrollable. He'd almost beaten him to death before, and Tommy had thought that was the angriest he'd ever seen the man, that day - but no, it definitely wasn't.

Today was the angriest he'd ever seen Dream, and today, Tommy thought he was going to die.

And today, for the first time in so long, he realized he didn't want to.

So yes, yes, he was relieved, and he felt awful for it, after everything that just happened. Everything that just happened because of him, because for the first time in a year, he hadn't kept his mouth shut and taken a beating. He couldn't do it anymore, he was so tired, he was so hurt and he was so scared - and Dream had done a complete 180 from just hours ago, all of that tenderness and affection gone in an instant and Tommy hadn't even done anything wrong - well, he had, he had, but Dream didn't know about it. Dream had hurt him just because he could. Because it was all he had done for the past year, and Tommy had always just accepted it. He hadn't had a choice but to accept it, because what was he supposed to do? He had nothing.

Tommy sucked in a shuddery breath, slowly coming back to the present. He still felt cold, freezing in fact, but they were inside now apparently because Tommy was curled up on the couch and Ghostbur was hovering over him while Ranboo fidgeted with a cloth and healing potion, and Tommy could almost feel another breakdown incoming, tears pricking at his eyes as he struggled to force himself back to full awareness. His head was spinning and he felt dizzy and he just wanted to curl up and fall asleep, but he couldn't do that. So he just sat, trembling as Ranboo carefully settled down on the couch beside him, and managed little more than a weak nod when the enderman hybrid gently asked if he could tend to his wounds. He flinched when the cloth moved toward his face, biting his tongue to choke back a whimper as Ranboo carefully brushed the cloth over his face, scrubbing the blood away and dabbing at the wound tentatively.

"Let me help." Ghostbur drifted closer, worry etched across his face. It looked all wrong, it felt so wrong seeing him anything but happy, and guilt twisted sharply in Tommy's chest at the sight.

"Is that okay with you?" Ranboo murmured quietly, and Tommy nodded numbly, swallowing back a sob and fighting past another rush of tears. Why did they have to be so gentle with him? Consistently gentle? It made him feel sick, it made him feel sad, it made him feel warm and loved and safe and all the things he wished Dream could make him feel. His eyes stung as he watched Ranboo pass another cloth and a healing potion to Ghostbur before continuing his task, and he found himself curling up slightly when the ghost settled into the couch on his other side, turning his attention to his shoulder. He was safe, he knew that, but he was far from happy.

Ranboo moved on from his face after a moment, rubbing a few more spots of blood away before shifting his attention to the boy's arm. Tommy let himself sink back into the couch after a moment, shivering as he watched them work over him. His heart ached with longing and grief and pain, but also with gratitude; they didn't have to do this, they didn't have to take care of him. It was overwhelmingly kind and it was just making him more and more tired, more and more desperate to curl up and fall asleep. But he kept his eyes stapled open stubbornly, doing his best to help as they maneuvered along, checking for wounds and healing the ones they found. Ghostbur flinched when they reached his stomach, recoiling in horror - Tommy couldn't help but cringe a little himself at the reaction alone - but Ranboo simply set his jaw and ducked his head, almost in time for Tommy to miss the anger that flashed through his eyes. That was enough to make him curl in on himself, shoulders hunching forward as he shrank down into the couch, but when Ranboo looked up at him again, his gaze was just… gentle and understanding and… sad.

He didn't say anything, he didn't need to. Tommy held his gaze for a moment, and slowly lifted himself back up again, biting the inside of his cheek. Ranboo was nothing but careful as he pressed the cloth to the wound, nothing but gentle and tender and loving with each cautious touch. It stung a bit from the potion, but it wasn't long before he felt it set in, the pain slowly fading and relief taking its place. "I think that's the last one," Ranboo murmured, eyebrows furrowing as he checked Tommy over again. Tommy let him make his assessment, trembling as he tugged his shirt and hoodie back down over his stomach, and Ranboo retracted his hands and let the cloth disappear into his inventory, grabbing another healing potion from the chest beside him and uncorking it. Tommy watched for a moment, eyelids drooping slightly, and he watched through half-lidded eyes as Ranboo held the potion out. "You feel like drinking this…?"

Tommy definitely didn't feel like drinking it, he was exhausted and now that the pain was fading, he truly wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and rest. But he knew it would put Ranboo's mind at ease, and it would ease the lingering aches in his muscles, so he reached out to take it after a moment. He'd had more healing potions in the past few days than he was allowed to have in a month, and he wasn't sure how to feel about it. It was nice to not be in constant pain, but it only made everything with Dream hurt worse. Because why… why couldn't Dream be like this? If he cared about him, why couldn't he be this gentle and loving and kind, why did it take hurting him over and over and over again for Dream to think he deserved kindness? Tommy curled his hands around the healing potion, the liquid warming his hands through the glass as he lifted it to his lips, and he took a few tentative sips as Ranboo and Ghostbur settled back into place on the couch on either side of him, the ghost snuggling in as close as he could and the enderman hybrid keeping a few inches of space between them, close enough that Tommy could feel the warmth radiating from him, but not close enough to touch yet.

When the blond finally managed to finish off the healing potion, Ranboo took the empty bottle and set it aside and moved to shift a little closer, raising his hands. "Would it be okay if I hug-?"

"Please," Tommy whispered.

Ranboo's arms wrapped around him at once, and Tommy sank into him without hesitation, resting his head against the enderman hybrid's shoulder and nuzzling closer. Ghostbur's hands curled over his arm, and after a moment, Tommy hesitantly turned his hand over to take one of his adoptive brother's, carefully lacing their fingers together. His touch was gentle as he rubbed his thumb across Tommy's knuckles, and the teen let his eyes flutter shut with a quiet sigh as Ranboo leaned forward and tucked his chin over the blond's head, a purr rumbling in his chest. Tommy's chest ached, warmth and relief and gratitude twisting his stomach into knots, and he found himself forcing back another rush of tears as he squeezed his eyes shut tighter. It was too soft, too much. He wanted to break down sobbing, and with the pressure welling in his chest, he felt like he just might - but he was tired, so tired, and wrapped in the safety blanket of Ranboo's arms with Ghostbur's hand curled around his own rubbing soothing circles against his knuckles, Tommy felt his exhaustion weighing heavier than ever, aching to give in to the promise of rest.

He didn't know if he fell asleep or not, but if he did, it couldn't have been for long. He stirred to the sound of Techno's voice, too muffled to make out at first but steadily growing clearer as awareness pulled him back in, forcing him from the peaceful darkness and silence that had enveloped him. "-nd he wants to know if it's okay for him to come in and talk to Tommy or not."

"That's up to Tommy," Ranboo's voice was hushed, barely a whisper. "But I think he's asleep."

Tommy managed to force out a quiet hum, trying to get the message across that he was not, indeed, asleep. It would have been so easy to pretend he was, to just sit there and let himself drift off again, but… he knew who they were talking about. At least, he thought he did, and as nervous as he was at the idea of seeing him again, Tommy couldn't stifle the longing that twisted in his chest at the thought. Tubbo had been there… Tubbo hadn't gone after Dream like the others had; his attention had been purely focused on Tommy, the blond remembered numbly, even though Tommy's attention had been alternating between Dream and Ranboo. Even back at Sam's, when Dream had arrived, Tubbo hadn't seemed interested in fighting, he hadn't even spared Dream a passing glance. Yes, he had kept Tommy from getting to Dream…

Was it justified? Tommy wasn't sure. At the time, it hadn't felt like it. He had been so angry and irritated and desperate to get back to Dream, and he didn't understand why Tubbo - why any of them - were so worried about keeping them apart. Why they suddenly cared, when they'd all made it so clear in the past that they didn't. But did they? Did they care? Dream said they didn't.

Dream was a liar.

Tommy's heart ached at the thought. Tubbo used to be his best friend, and Tommy had spent so long now believing that the guy hated him for what he had done. There was no other explanation, was there? Tubbo had exiled him, and he'd left him alone with Dream. He hadn't visited him once, he hadn't even tried to contact him. Tommy had grieved. Tubbo was alive, and he was fine and Tommy knew that, but he had grieved. Seeing him in L'Manberg for the first time in so long had hurt, but he had also wanted so badly, he remembered, to throw himself into the goat hybrid's arms. Dream was the only thing that kept him from even considering the idea.

He was so tired, too tired to feel angry again. Ranboo had said they didn't mean to scare him, that they just wanted him to be safe, and that while they hadn't gone about it the right way… he said they cared about him, that they were worried, and Tommy wanted to believe him. He trusted Ranboo, if no one else, and there was a part of him, small as it was, that wanted to believe he was telling the truth. That part of him won his internal battle, and he found himself hesitantly lifting his head from Ranboo's shoulder after a few seconds, breathing out a shuddery sigh and looking up at the enderman hybrid. Ranboo didn't pull back, looking down at him with furrowed eyebrows and such softness in his eyes that he nearly wanted to start crying again. He just barely managed not to, swallowing past the lump in his throat and looking toward Techno.

"Tu- Tubbo?" He managed quietly, and Techno let out a quiet grunt, not looking pleased at all.

"He wants to see you," Ranboo murmured, and he wrapped his tail around Tommy gently, resting the tip against the blond's shoulder as he added quickly, "but it's up to you. It's your decision."

Tommy wasn't used to that, but he thought he could try. He'd already made up his mind, he did want to see the boy, but it was so much easier having the decisions made for him. He wasn't used to making a choice for himself and having it be followed through; he couldn't remember the last time he'd truly made a decision for himself before today, and even then, the one he'd made earlier hadn't meant anything. He tried to focus instead on the fact that Tubbo wanted to see him, trying to pretend it factored into his decision at all - and it did, a little, but not in the way Tommy would have preferred. "I… okay," he managed to whisper. "I- that… um… I want to…"

His heart stuttered, forcing himself silent for a moment. Anxiety twisted his stomach to shreds, and he almost found himself backtracking the same way he would have with Dream - but his gaze found Ranboo again, and the enderman hybrid's expression was gentle, an encouraging smile on his face as he looked down at the blond, and the tension drained from him all at once.

He could do it. He could do it. He could do it.

"I w- I want to see him."

Ranboo's eyes practically sparkled with pride and warmth as he leaned down to nuzzle his face into Tommy's hair, and the blond couldn't bite back a quiet, startled giggle despite himself, relief steadily flushing the anxiety out of his system. He did something right, he did something good. He almost felt a little proud of himself, but mostly he was just relieved. His chest ached and his eyes stung and his throat was tightening but he'd done something right, and Ranboo was happy… and Tommy wasn't, not yet, but for a moment, he almost felt like he could be, soon.

Eventually.

Someday.

Chapter Text

"Alright, he says he wants to see you so I guess you-"

Tubbo didn't wait for Techno to finish, immediately rushing up the stairs and breezing past him to go inside. He wasn't going to stand there and try to be civil with the piglin hybrid; they both knew they hated each other and they both knew there were bigger fish to fry. The confirmation that Tommy wanted to see him - holy fuck holy fuck he wants to see me - was enough for him, and he didn't want to waste another moment out here lest his best friend change his mind. Last he'd seen, Tommy had been bruised and battered and bloody and scarred all to hell, and even though he knew he wouldn't be able to pull the blond into a hug just yet, Tubbo just wanted to see with his own eyes that he was okay, that he was safe. Well, of course he was safe, Dream was gone and Ranboo had him and of course he was safe with Ranboo, but he still wanted to see the boy for himself. It was over - and yet somehow, Tubbo knew, it was far from being over.

His heart threatened to break through his chest as he stepped through the doorway, anxiously scanning the room for his friends. The sight of Tommy curled up on the couch in between Ranboo and Ghostbur was a relieving yet somewhat bittersweet one. Relieving because he was safe, he was here, and Tubbo knew that Ranboo would take better care of Tommy than anyone else here could - but bittersweet because of the way the blond was practically snuggled against the enderman hybrid, the way his hand was curled tight around Ghostbur's, seeking them both out for comfort and protection the way Tubbo wished he felt safe enough to do with him, as well.

Why couldn't he be enough for Tommy? It was a traitorous thought, one he hated himself for, but he still couldn't shake it. He knew what they'd done wrong, and he hadn't been entirely on board with the kidnapping idea - if they'd had the time, Tubbo would have loved nothing more than to sit down and talk things out with Tommy first, but he knew they didn't have the time for it. Tubbo just wanted his best friend back, so desperately he was willing to follow along with the plan if it meant getting him away from Dream and getting him somewhere safe, even though at the time he couldn't have imagined - he could never have imagined - that it would be this bad. Tommy's scars were faded and healing slowly, but blood still stained his hoodie and stuck to a few spots of his skin. Tubbo couldn't get his terrified expression out of his mind, the way he had trembled in Ranboo's arms, how cautious and afraid he had been kneeling beside Dream even when the man was dead - and how he had flinched so violently when Dream had respawned…

Tubbo thought the blind devotion and obsession had been bad, but the fear was worse. The fear was so much worse. Tubbo had never seen Tommy look at someone like that, especially Dream. Tommy, who used to insist over and over again that Dream didn't scare him. Tommy, who laughed in Dream's face, scoffed at his threats and called him a bitch, insulted him with every other sentence. Tommy, who out of all of them, was the most willing to stand up to Dream.

The goat hybrid grimaced and swallowed past the bitterness. He was glad that Tommy felt safe with someone there, even if it wasn't him. Maybe one day, he consoled himself. Maybe one day.

Ranboo saw him first, offering a warm smile and lifting his head slightly. "Hey, Tubbo…"

Tommy, who had honestly looked like he might have been asleep, forced his eyes open at once. Tubbo hesitated, standing still while the boy's eyes found him. Red-rimmed and puffy from crying, and just as dull as the last time Tubbo had seen him. Anxiety was written all across his face, eyes wide as he lifted his gaze up to the goat hybrid, and Tubbo had to swallow down both the impulse to move forward and hug him, and the desire to turn and run out. He didn't want to make this worse, he didn't want to make it harder on Tommy than it already seemed to be, but…

An unreadable expression flitted across Tommy's face, uncertainty and nervousness flickering through his eyes as he pushed himself to sit up. But there was also something like longing, as faint as it was, and guilt of all things - Tubbo blanched at the thought that Tommy thought he had anything to feel guilty for. His chest tightened uncomfortably, quickly shaking the idea off. Tommy had nothing to feel guilty for, and as desperately as he wanted to express that, he was terrified of making matters worse. He didn't want to overwhelm the blond with anything, he didn't want to lay too much on him so soon after everything had happened. So he swallowed back all the things he wanted to say, years of experience allowing him to expertly stifle all the horrible thoughts and things flickering through his mind, and raised a hand with a hesitant smile. "Hello."

Tommy hesitated, looking up at him with wide eyes. Some of the anxiety seemed to melt into relief, but his shoulders trembled as he sat up further, hesitantly pulling himself from Ranboo's grip. The enderman hybrid pulled back at once, carefully retracting his tail. "Hello," Tommy whispered, and Tubbo stifled a flinch at how quiet his voice was, trembling in a vain effort to keep it steady. Tommy seemed to cringe at the sound of it, himself, and curled back into the couch, ducking his head and pressing his chin to his chest with a grimace. Tubbo's heart ached.

"Tommy-" He began, and grimaced, hesitating. He didn't know what an apology would mean to him right now, but he could take a guess and say it wouldn't mean shit. Still… "… I'm so sorry…"

Tommy seemed to falter, staring down at his hands for the longest time in silence, and Tubbo was already resigning himself to the fact that maybe one day definitely wasn't going to be today. Or even anytime in the future, really. His mind whirled, uncertainty eating at him as he stared at his best friend. Would Tommy ever forgive him? Tubbo wasn't even sure he could forgive himself for exiling him, for leaving him alone with Dream. He wasn't even sure he deserved to be forgiven for it, for everything he had done, for turning his back on his best friend and single-handedly destroying the most important relationship he'd ever have. He hated himself more than he would ever fully be able to express for the decisions he had made - and that was why he did what he did earlier… and speaking of which, maybe it was too much right now, but Tubbo knew he couldn't leave without telling Tommy. He didn't know when he'd get the chance.

"I, uh…" He cleared his throat, hesitating and waiting for Tommy's gaze to flick back up toward him before he went on, "I know you… I know you probably don't want to hear it right now," he began, and suddenly it was too hard to look the boy in the face. He averted his gaze to the floor instead, biting the inside of his cheek and folding his ears back. "But I stepped down. As President. And, um- I've dismantled L'Manberg, it's…" He trailed off. "Not L'Manberg anymore."

It wasn't gone, still standing and still as empty as dull as it had been the day Tommy left. Tubbo was tired. He was tired of being President of a country he didn't want, a country that had cost him his best friend. He was tired of being put in a position where he had to choose between a nation he didn't ask to lead, and the people he cared about. He was tired. He was so damn tired. What he wanted was Snowchester; he wasn't obligated to be in charge there, he didn't have to do anything. He could live his life, he could try and find peace and happiness and turn his back on the drama and fighting and responsibilities that had been shoved onto him by Wilbur, by Dream, by everyone who'd decided it was a good idea to make a teenager President.

He was done. He was going to live his life. He wasn't going to live Wilbur's. Or Schlatt's.

Tubbo took a deep breath and brought his gaze back to Tommy after a moment, grimacing slightly at the wide-eyed shock written across the blond's face. When Tubbo's attention shifted back to him, Tommy ducked his head and furrowed his eyebrows, staring up at him through his lashes. "Oh," was all he said after a few moments, quiet. "I… but I thought that you… oh. Oh…"

He hadn't expected the boy to sound so… disappointed, almost. Sad, even. It took him a few moments to realize why. "But- but you can still come back," he said quickly, and Tommy blinked, a startled look briefly replacing the disappointment written across his face before that vanished as well, leaving behind uncertainty and anxiety once more. "It's just… you know, it's a free place now. Genuinely. No Presidencies, no tyrants, no… no exile. People can come and go as they please, and it's still a home to so many people - whoever wants to be there - it's just… nobody's in charge of it. It's just there." He fell silent for a moment, letting Tommy process that, and flicked his gaze toward Ranboo nervously as he continued, "and… if you want… you can come back."

The goat hybrid watched Tommy duck his head, quietly fiddling with the strings of his hoodie, and somehow he knew what the answer would be before he spoke. "I… d- do, um- I have to-?"

"No," Ranboo cut in immediately, and Tubbo nodded his agreement quickly, despite the way his heart sank. So Dream wasn't the only reason Tommy didn't want to go back to L'Manberg. Tubbo didn't think it was, but the confirmation hurt all the same. Because… why? Was it because he wouldn't feel safe there? He blanched again at the thought, trying to stifle his flinch and forcing a neutral expression. His shoulders twitched, tensing slightly before he forced himself to relax again, but not quick enough, it seemed, because Tommy caught the split-second reaction and was curling in on himself before Tubbo could register what happened.

"I'm sorry," his best friend said meekly. "I'm sorry, I just… I…"

Tubbo winced, shaking his head and raising his hands slightly (and trying to ignore the way Tommy flinched) in a placating gesture. "I- … no, Tommy, I… I'm not… I'm not mad about it. Obviously you don't have to come back to L'Manberg if you don't want to," he breathed quietly. "I- I don't want you to do anything you're not comfortable with… or go anywhere you'd feel…" The next word hurt to say, more than he could ever express. "Unsafe. What you want… that's what matters." He pulled his hands back slightly, letting them drop after a moment. Tommy suddenly looked extremely overwhelmed, for reasons Tubbo couldn't comprehend, but it made him want to hug his friend even more. (He didn't even know if they were friends anymore, he realized numbly, he didn't even know if he had the right to call Tommy his best friend anymore).

There was a part of him, a big part of him, that wanted to invite Tommy to Snowchester with him, but he knew that was out of the question. If Tommy didn't want to go back to L'Manberg, there was no way in hell he would want to go to Snowchester with him, and Tubbo already felt like he had unintentionally pressured the younger teen as it was. He meant what he said, as much as it hurt. He just wanted Tommy to be okay, and whatever Tommy wanted, whatever made him feel comfortable, whatever made him feel safe, it was more important than having him back. He wanted so badly for Tommy to feel safe with him again, but… if he didn't, then it was something they would have to work on, and it was something Tubbo knew he couldn't push.

"Thank you," Tommy whispered suddenly, and then, hesitantly, reluctantly, he lifted a hand and reached out toward Tubbo, fingers trembling. It took Tubbo a few seconds to react, his heart stopping and leaping up to his throat, but he was quick to move forward when he realized what Tommy was asking for. Ranboo pulled back to give him room on the couch, and Ghostbur pulled his hand away from Tommy's other one so that the boy could wrap both arms around Tubbo when the goat hybrid climbed onto the couch to pull him into a hug, wrapping his arms around him gently and burying his face into Tommy's shoulder. It wasn't like the hug back at Logstedshire, back at the cabin. Tommy's arms wrapped around him, cautious and trembling but still holding him tight enough for Tubbo to feel the embrace, and it took all the goat hybrid had not to break down into tears. He'd forgotten what Tommy's hugs felt like. He had never been too physically affectionate before… before everything, but hugs weren't too rare between them either, as long as Tommy was the one to initiate them. They were either fierce and tight or gentle and hesitant, and this one was the latter. The only difference was how Tommy shook in his arms, the way he could feel the blond's ribs through his hoodie as he pulled himself closer to him, the way his hands rested flat against his back, light and hesitant, without quite grabbing on.

It was the little differences that brought him close to tears, but it was only when Tommy finally curled his fingers into the back of Tubbo's jacket, ever so lightly, and rested his head atop the goat hybrid's and mumbled a soft, almost inaudible "I missed you" in his ear that they spilled.

"I missed you too," he choked out. "I missed you too, boss man."

Maybe one day, his mind whispered again. Maybe soon.

Chapter Text

Within an hour, Tommy was asleep, passed out on the couch with his head in Ranboo's lap.

Ranboo was relieved, almost, because at least the teen had stopped shaking, at least he was relaxing, at least he felt comfortable enough - or at least Ranboo hoped so - to fall asleep. Ranboo didn't know, he didn't know what it meant. Maybe he was just exhausted after today's events, which was completely understandable, but curled up on the couch beside Ranboo like this, he seemed comfortable. His face had fallen flat into a neutral expression, fingers twitching every now and again as he curled himself up tighter and pressed closer to the enderman hybrid. Ranboo hesitated, tentatively resting a hand against his shoulder, and leaned his head back against the back of the couch with a sigh. Either way, he was glad Tommy was getting some rest. He certainly deserved it after everything he'd been through - not just today, but the past year alone that he'd been with Dream. He deserved to rest without fear of what would happen when he woke up (though, Ranboo reminded himself, that fear wouldn't fade for a long time).

If ever, the particles chirped, and Ranboo resisted the urge to swat at them, knowing it was useless. They meant well, buzzing with just as much concern for Tommy as Ranboo felt, and Ranboo knew that the recovery process was going to take some time, it was going to take some work, and that even then, when everything was said and done, Tommy might not ever fully come back from the things Dream had done to him. Ranboo didn't expect him to make a full recovery, as awful as it sounded. He knew what Dream had done to the boy - the tales Dream spun to him during his more lengthy visits were constantly on loop in his head - and yet even then, Ranboo got the feeling that the stories he'd heard weren't half of what went on with them.

"I think I should go," Tubbo whispered, breaking the hybrid out of his thoughts. He lifted his gaze up to his friend, eyebrows furrowing slightly, and he offered an understanding smile when Tubbo's gaze flicked toward Tommy for just a second. "I don't wanna overwhelm him too much."

Probably for the best, as much as it hurt to see their relationship so strained. He so desperately wanted to see them together again, but he knew that would take some time as well. Tommy was willing to see Tubbo, to talk to him, and he'd even asked for a hug and Ranboo knew that was progress, but it was a tall mountain to climb and Ranboo didn't want to push things too fast, lest the poor boy lose his footing and crumble right back down to the bottom. Isolating him wouldn't do much good, either, but Ranboo had no intentions of doing anything of the sort; he wanted Tommy to choose who he wanted to see and when he wanted to see them, and he was going to make that clear to the teen when he woke up. That it was his choice who he wanted to be around. He could go anywhere, do anything he wanted. "Okay," he murmured after a moment. "I'll keep you updated." Casting his gaze back to the boy in his arms, he added, "he'll be okay."

"I know," Tubbo replied quietly, and it sounded more like I hope so. "I'll see you later."

Ranboo wanted to hug him, and they both paused for a moment as they considered the idea, but their gazes trailed back down to Tommy and they both seemed to decide it would be best not to disturb him. So Tubbo merely smiled, tired but genuine and relieved and something Ranboo couldn't quite place, and took a deep breath as he turned away and headed for the door. The enderman hybrid watched him carefully as he left, and settled back into the couch again with a sigh once he was gone, leaning his head back and lifting his gaze up to the ceiling.

He was exhausted, himself, and he wanted nothing more than to fall asleep, but he couldn't just yet. He sighed, taking a deep breath and swiveling his ears toward the door briefly. He could hear Tubbo outside, ushering everyone back to their homes. A few protests rose up, mostly from Quackity and Fundy, but they caved quickly enough after a moment when Phil and Techno piped up. Ranboo nodded faintly in approval, and gratitude, and let his ears fold back yet again.

Carefully, he tucked his tail over Tommy, sparing a glance to where Ghostbur had seemingly fallen asleep beside them, and managed a faint smile as he sank back into the couch. He couldn't remember the last time he'd slept - hard to keep track of days in the Nether - but he knew it had been a while. Back in the obsidian box he was trapped in, whatever sleep he got was less than restful, and he tended to wake up in a panic from nightmares he didn't remember. Or he just laid there with his eyes shut, almost asleep but not quite, while exhaustion tugged at his limbs and taunted him with the promise of peace he knew he wouldn't reach. Right now, though, he felt like if he let himself drift off, maybe he would be able to get a little bit of rest. Maybe now that everything had calmed down, somewhat. Maybe now that he knew Tommy was safe. Maybe now that he was back, maybe now that Dream was taken care of, he could sleep.

It sounded like a good idea, and his exhaustion-addled brain sang with gratitude as he finally gave in, letting himself relax completely into the couch and resting his head back with a sigh.

It was nearly dawn by the time Ranboo stirred, wincing at the stiffness in his muscles and grimacing at the cold he woke up to - it was vastly different from the Nether and the lava - but it didn't take him too long to remember where he was and what had happened, and he was quick to force his eyes open, immediately turning his gaze to the boy curled up in his lap. In his lap, completely, not just his head; he must have shifted sometime after Ranboo had fallen asleep. His head was now resting against the arm of the couch, and his entire body was curled into Ranboo's arms, almost folded into a ball as if the teen had attempted to make himself as small as possible. Ranboo took a deep breath and let it out slowly, resting a gentle hand over his arm.

They had slept for a while, not that Ranboo was complaining. And Tommy was still asleep, so he definitely needed the rest - Ranboo let him be, letting his head fall back again and blinking furiously in an attempt to force the heaviness from his eyes. Still exhausted, and even more so, he almost debated going back to sleep again. There was no reason not to, especially if Tommy was still asleep; more rest for both of them, and they both clearly needed it. And they both deserved it, especially Tommy. Ranboo, for one, felt like he could sleep for a good few years himself, and with Tommy practically deadweight in his arms and emitting nothing but warmth and exhaustion, Ranboo was more than ready to let himself drift right back off again, but alas…

"Rise and shine," Techno's voice grumbled, the sound of a ladder creaking making Ranboo's ears prick as he turned his head in the direction of the noise. "You two can't stay here, y'know. Especially if it means they'll be making a habit of bursting into my house. So what's the plan?"

Ranboo let out a soft sigh, resigning himself to waking up for the time being, and opened his eyes reluctantly to flick his gaze toward the piglin hybrid. "Tommy doesn't wanna go back to L'Manberg, so we're gonna have to figure something else out." He actually hadn't thought about anything… living-situation wise. Tommy didn't want to go back to L'Manberg, and Ranboo wasn't about to force him. But that did beg the question, where were they supposed to go? They couldn't stay at Techno's - even if the immortal let them, Ranboo figured Tommy would rather go back to L'Manberg than stay here, but those shouldn't be his only two options. "I'm not sure," he finally murmured. "I guess it's… you know, it's up to Tommy. Wherever he wants to go, we'll go." And he meant it. He wouldn't blame the teen if he wanted to get as far away from all of this as he possibly could after everything, and Ranboo would be with him every single step of the way.

Techno grunted, stumbling past them silently, and Ranboo gently rubbed his thumb across Tommy's shoulder when the younger teen flinched in his arms, curling up tighter with a shudder.

"Thank you," Ranboo murmured after a moment. "For keeping him safe."

Techno didn't respond immediately. "What did Dream do to him?"

"You don't want to know," Ranboo said simply, lifting his gaze toward the piglin hybrid briefly. Techno's eyes were trained on Tommy, but they flicked back up to the enderman hybrid after a few seconds, eyebrows raising slightly. "And even so, it's… that's for Tommy to speak of, not me. I don't know everything," he confessed, rubbing Tommy's arm when the blond continued to tremble in his arms, and furrowed his eyebrows as he turned his gaze back to the younger boy. He didn't look to be in any pain, but his face was scrunched up, eyebrows drawn together and eyes screwed shut, and his shoulders shuddered every few seconds, hands trembling as they clutched fistfuls of Ranboo's shirt. A nightmare. He was having a nightmare. "Tommy- Tommy…"

It took a moment for Ranboo to be able to shake him awake, as gentle as he could despite his alarm. And still, as soft and quiet as he was, Tommy still burst awake with a gasp, jerking almost completely upright and immediately attempting to twist himself out of Ranboo's grip. The enderman hybrid let him, though he kept his hands hovering around the blond just in case. "Tommy," he repeated softly. "It's okay. It's okay, it's just me, it was just a nightmare, it's okay…"

Tommy's eyes were wide, pupils shrunk to pinpricks, and the sheer terror in his eyes made Ranboo's heart sink. The blond didn't grab onto him again, but he rested a trembling hand against Ranboo's arm as he flicked his gaze around, panicked and anxious and almost hopeful.

Ranboo realized at once who he was looking for, and he bit back a grimace. "Dream's not here."

He couldn't tell if Tommy faltered or relaxed at the words, but after a moment, wavering where he sat and still looking panic-stricken, the blond abruptly sank back into Ranboo's arms and let his head fall into place against the enderman hybrid's chest, curling his fingers back into his shirt and burying his face into the fabric with a soft, keening whine. Ranboo tucked his head over the younger boy's silently, wrapping his arms around him carefully and pulling him closer with a sigh. Yeah, he wasn't expecting Tommy to make a full recovery, but all things considered, this was progress, right? Tommy was seeking comfort, seeking safety, and that was progress. And it was good, it was so good that he was seeking these things out, because Ranboo could offer it.

His gaze found Techno again, but the piglin hybrid said nothing, scowling slightly as he stirred a cup of tea. That question was still raging in his eyes, but Ranboo was grateful that he didn't ask.

It only took a few minutes for Tommy to calm down, the tremor wracking his body calming considerably, and Ranboo murmured soft, soothing words of encouragement in his ear as the blond came down from whatever panic or anxiety attack he'd just had. He didn't move from his curled-up position against Ranboo's chest, but the enderman hybrid recognized the moment he relaxed, because Tommy fell limp against him and the tight grip he had on his shirt loosened slightly, breathing out a sigh as he shifted to nestle his head into the crook of Ranboo's neck. Ranboo nuzzled his face into the younger teen's hair, letting a soft purr rumble in his chest, and Tommy seemed to calm down the rest of the way - or, at least as much as he was going to. Either way, Ranboo was beyond proud of him. He could only imagine how scared and lost the boy felt right now, but he was still fighting through it. He was a survivor if Ranboo ever saw one.

"You can stay for breakfast," Techno mumbled suddenly. "But then you're out."

He couldn't tell if that was Techno's way of being nice, or if it was his way of saying he couldn't deal with what was going on with Tommy - but whatever it was, it was still nice of him to let them stay for the time being. Ranboo knew he wouldn't just kick them out, but if Techno was uncomfortable with this then Ranboo definitely didn't want to overstay their welcome. "Thanks."

He'd talk to Tommy about where they would go later, after breakfast. For now, he just held him.

Chapter Text

Breakfast consisted of bacon, sausages, eggs and coffee.

Tommy hadn't had coffee in a while. He drank it religiously before he was exiled, but afterwards, he hadn't had a single drop. Dream had a cup for himself every morning and every night before bed, and Tommy remembered sitting in the kitchen with him listening to him talk and just letting the scent wrap around him. Sometimes the smell lingered for hours on his breath after he drank it, and the cabin always smelled like coffee. Every now and then Tommy would think about asking for a cup - he distinctly remembered asking, once, after the cabin was built (and never asking again after the punishment he received for it), but he hadn't gotten a single sip, hadn't had a cup of coffee place in front of him in well over a year now. Which was why he was hesitating, hand lingering against the handle of the mug as he stared at the steaming liquid inside. Longing tugged at his heart, but he didn't think it had anything to do with the coffee at all.

He missed Dream. He missed waking up in the cabin to the man shaking him awake with that wide smile, he missed going out to the garden to water the flowers and check the crops, he missed settling down at the table with him for breakfast and talking about everything and nothing. He missed curling up on the floor in front of the couch with his head against Dream's leg, sewing while the man read until bedtime. He missed the smell of coffee that lingered in every wood log and plank that made up their home. He missed his best friend, and that… it hurt.

Because Dream wasn't his best friend. Dream couldn't be his best friend. Dream had hurt so many people, so many people Tommy cared about so deeply - and yes, he cared about Dream. He wanted Dream. But why should he have to choose? Why should he have to give up everything just so he could have the man in his life? And the worst part was, he didn't have a choice. He'd never had a choice. Dream spun his lies and manipulations and Tommy fell for every word without a doubt, but how was he supposed to look the man in the eyes and believe anything he told him? How was he supposed to believe that he loved him, that they were friends? How was he supposed to believe that Dream truly cared about him, when all he ever did was lie? Dream wasn't his best friend, he couldn't be his best friend, but Tommy missed him.

Maybe one day, he lamented. Maybe one day, someday soon, maybe he'd be able to look the man in the face again and get some answers. And, maybe, he'd even be able to believe them. But it would never be the same as it was. It would never be better than it was. And it would never be worse than it was. Things were about to become so different, so drastically different, and Tommy wasn't sure he was ready for the change, but he knew he didn't have a choice but to be. If his time with Dream had taught him anything, it was that just going along was easier. Just going through the motions, moving forward and letting someone else take the reins and pull him along like a puppet on a string. That was all he knew how to be; he didn't know how to stop.

Ranboo was kind, and gentle, and understanding, and genuine, and he was everything Dream wasn't - but he was as good a puppetmaster as any, Tommy thought. Not because he was cruel, not because he was harsh, but because he was strong, and brave, and Tommy trusted him to take control, to be in control. Tommy trusted him enough to surrender himself to him completely, and he trusted that Ranboo would teach him whatever new rules he needed to learn, or relearn.

At least Ranboo wouldn't hurt him, maybe. Tommy didn't think he'd done anything deserving of being hurt yet, but how was he supposed to know now? Dream taught him the rules as they went along and Tommy learned from punishments. He didn't know how Ranboo would teach him, but… he assumed it would be different. Logically, he knew it would be. Did that make him any less scared to make one wrong move? No, no, it didn't. He was fucking terrified of doing something wrong. Especially because he didn't know what Ranboo's definition of 'wrong' was, and even if the enderman hybrid didn't hurt him, he didn't want to upset him. What if he left? What if he got fed up and abandoned him? Or, even, what if he did end up hurting him? Tommy was weak, he was vulnerable, he was scared and he would crumble in an instant under Ranboo's hands and they both knew it. And Ranboo seemed to have grown a backbone in the past year - hell, maybe it was Tommy's backbone the enderman hybrid had taken, because the blond sure as hell couldn't feel his own anymore - so what if things changed between them, too?

Dream hadn't started hurting him until he had him alone, and weak. Tommy was already weak.

And even so, even with all these thoughts and doubts and fears racing through his mind, Tommy still took a comfort in Ranboo's presence he hadn't found with anyone else recently. Why? He couldn't fathom why. Because he was nice? Because he was soft? And even with the knowledge that this kindness could disappear in an instant if Ranboo decided, Tommy was still so willing to stay by his side - and that was the mistake he'd made with Dream, then, wasn't it? He had chosen to stick by his best friend despite everything… and so many people paid for it. He'd paid for it. Everything Dream had done to him, it was worth it, wasn't it? To stay with him?

Maybe. Tommy didn't know. Tommy didn't know anymore. He was so tired and confused and conflicted and he didn't want to think about this anymore, he didn't want to think about Dream.

Tommy barely managed to shake himself from his thoughts, to pull himself from the spiderwebs Dream had spun around his mind, and hesitantly curled his fingers around the coffee mug, lifting it up tentatively and peering inside once again. The liquid was still hot, and it smelled so good, and Tommy really wanted to drink it… and with some hesitance, he did. Just one little sip, just to make sure he could - Ranboo looked up briefly from his own food every so often to check on him, and a faint smile crossed his face when he saw that Tommy was drinking (Techno, meanwhile, couldn't be bothered, his own eyes fixed firmly on his plate as he ate) - and Tommy hesitantly allowed himself to take a few more sips, and found himself nearly chugging the rest. He didn't know when the next time he'd be able to have coffee would be, and a part of him knew he should savor it, but it was just so damn good and he hadn't had it in so damn long and fuck.

He was gasping by the time he finished the whole cup, tongue burning as the taste lingered. He wanted more, he desperately wanted more, and he almost wished he had savored what he was given. Running his tongue over his lips, it didn't occur to him quite yet to look up, peering down into the mug for a few seconds to see if there were any extra drops left to salvage. When he was satisfied that there was nothing else to get out of it, he set it back down in front of him carefully and rubbed the back of his hand over his mouth, flicking his gaze back up again slowly.

Both Ranboo and Techno were watching him, Ranboo with a smile and Techno just… staring.

"Uh." The piglin hybrid's ear twitched. "... do you want more?"

Tommy startled at the question, tensing slightly and flicking his gaze toward Ranboo anxiously. He definitely did want more, but he wasn't sure if he was allowed to… but Ranboo merely offered him a warm, encouraging smile in response, and Tommy hesitated briefly before turning his gaze back to Techno. Throat tight and chest aching with lingering panic, he merely managed a faint nod; the piglin hybrid reached out to take the mug, and the blond couldn't stifle a flinch in time despite himself, half-expecting to be struck. Fully expecting it, to be honest. Sure, Techno had offered him more, but how many times had Dream offered him something only to turn around and punish him for trying to accept it? Too many times for him to count, that was for sure. It didn't help that Techno's hand froze for a second, lingering in front of him before retracting again, and Tommy swallowed and breathed out a sharp, relieved sigh, looking down.

He didn't look back up, keeping his gaze downcast and his head low until Techno returned, settling back into his seat and setting the mug in front of Tommy without a word. Tommy lifted his gaze after a few seconds, hesitating, and slowly reached out to cup his hands around the mug after a moment, raising it to his lips. "Thank you," he mumbled, glancing back up at Techno briefly before taking a sip, this time taking the chance to relish the flavor, savoring the taste. Techno didn't respond, offering him an odd glance before turning back to his food in silence.

Tommy finished off half the mug, slowly this time, and set it down to drink the rest later, finally turning his attention back to the food. Bacon and sausages… there was more meat on this plate than Tommy had been allowed to eat in a month. Disregarding the eggs, reluctantly, for the time being, he found himself picking at one of the bacon strips, nibbling on the corner of one and nudging the rest together with his pinkie, separating them from the sausages. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to stomach all of this, to be honest… his diet mostly consisted of vegetables, which, while filling, certainly weren't as filling as meat, and his stomach already felt warm and heavy and full from the coffee. Still, not wanting to seem ungrateful, because he certainly wasn't ungrateful for this, he finished off the bacon and managed to eat a few of the sausages, but he quickly switched to the eggs when his stomach began to ache, managing to finish those as well.

He felt uneasy, staring down at the sausages. Dream never gave him anything he couldn't finish, but he remembered back during the early exile days the man would get frustrated with him not eating, and it came to the point of practically shoveling food down his throat after the tower incident when Tommy refused to eat for months afterwards. He had eaten, he had eaten a lot, but he still felt nervous. Dream's voice was rattling around in his head, words like ungrateful and selfish whirling through his head on a constant loop. He felt nauseous, one more bite away from throwing up. He didn't want to throw up. But he didn't want to make them upset, either…

The blond squirmed for a moment, watching the two of them. Techno's gaze was back on his food and Ranboo was finishing his off. The expression on his face almost mirrored what Tommy had felt upon drinking the coffee for the first time in a year, almost indescribable; the best way Tommy could describe it was something akin to awe. He found himself just staring for a while, eyebrows furrowed, until Ranboo finally finished off his food and flicked his gaze up again. His gaze found Tommy almost immediately, and he paused upon seeing the blond was staring at him; Tommy almost flinched, looking away briefly in embarrassment, but Ranboo's voice was nothing but soft. He didn't even sound confused, just concerned. "You okay?" The enderman hybrid paused, gaze flicking toward Tommy's plate, and his ears pricked up. "Oh, are you full?"

"Yeah," Tommy managed, and he was fully prepared to start spewing apologies, but the patient smile on Ranboo's face caught him off guard. He bit his tongue, swallowing the apologies back even as his friend reached out to take the plate from in front of him, forcing himself not to flinch. Gratitude stole his breath away when the plate was taken away, and he let his shoulders droop slightly in relief, offering Ranboo a faint, soft smile and fiddling with his sleeves. "Thank you…"

"Of course," Ranboo murmured, setting Tommy's plate on top of his own. "We should-"

"Get going, yep, you should," Techno interrupted quickly, pushing himself up quickly. Tommy couldn't keep himself from flinching in time, shrinking back slightly and watching the piglin hybrid reach out to take the plates from Ranboo. To his credit, his friend just looked amused, releasing the plates silently and flicking his ears lazily as he looked up at the immortal. "You can go ahead and show yourselves out, don't let the door hit you or whatever. Wait, Tommy, I'm gonna need my communicator back-" He added quickly, and Tommy was already fumbling to pull it from his inventory, hesitating slightly before holding it out carefully. Techno took it quickly, letting it disappear into his inventory, then held his own hands out, two sparkling purple axes appearing.

Tommy flinched away instinctively, shielding his face. He recognized Dream's axe immediately, the familiar buzz of the different enchantments, and his first impulse was to protect himself. But that seemed to be unnecessary, because when no pain followed, he hesitantly peeked over his arm to see Ranboo carefully taking the axes from a rather uncomfortable looking Techno, who at this point couldn't seem to look straight at Tommy anymore. "Thank you," the enderman hybrid said simply, pausing and staring at one of the axes for a moment - his own, Tommy recognized quickly, before letting them both disappear into his inventory and standing up slowly. He held his hand out to Tommy with a smile, nothing but warm and understanding and safe, and Tommy took it quickly, pushing himself up and easing around the chairs to move closer to him. "And thank you for breakfast, Techno, really. We'll get out of your hair, wish you the best."

"Uh huh," Techno muttered, and disappeared up the ladder without another word. Tommy let his breath out slowly, almost sinking against Ranboo completely in relief, and let his shoulders drop.

"Are you okay?" Ranboo asked quietly, moving toward the door without quite pulling Tommy along, waiting for the blond to compose himself and start walking after him before continuing. He wasn't sure what to say, how to answer; the most he could do was offer a hesitant shrug in response, biting the inside of his cheek. He wasn't okay, but he should be, right? He should be.

Why couldn't he be okay? Why couldn't he be happy? Why couldn't he be normal?

Dream scared him, Dream scared him more than anyone else ever could, and yet somehow, for some reason, he felt more terrified without him. Ranboo gave him some comfort, but… not as much as before. He wished he could feel as safe with him as he had before, but now he was just nervous and anxious and afraid, and he wasn't sure how to deal with the sudden change. He wasn't sure how to deal with any of these sudden changes. So he didn't answer, he couldn't answer, he didn't want to tell Ranboo how scared he was. He didn't want to tell Ranboo that he didn't trust him. Dream always used to get upset when he thought that Tommy didn't trust him.

Ghostbur stopped them before they could leave, rushing through the door after them before they could get far. "Tommy, wait! Don't leave yet, I have something for you." Tommy stopped at once, looking toward Ranboo to make sure it was okay, and the enderman hybrid merely smiled, pulling his hand away after a moment and turning to look back at the ghost with a warm grin. Tommy let himself relax after a few seconds, turning hesitantly to face his adoptive brother. Some of the tension in his shoulders relaxed, however, then Ghostbur smiled brightly down at him and reached to take his hands, cupping his own around them. Tommy couldn't bite back a small smile at the familiar feeling of Blue being pressed into his hands. "Here, have some Blue."

"Thank you, Ghostbur," Tommy whispered, looking down at the Blue when Ghostbur pulled back and sending it to his inventory with the rest after a moment, smiling up at him. "... thank you."

"Of course, Tommy," Ghostbur replied warmly. "Will you be keeping in touch?"

Tommy hesitated, eyebrows furrowing slightly. That was a good question, wasn't it? He imagined Ranboo wouldn't… he wouldn't keep him from keeping in touch with everyone, would he? At least Ghostbur, he didn't have a problem with. Studiously ignoring the traitorous voice in the back of his mind that reminded him that Dream didn't seem to have a problem with the others either, Tommy took a deep breath and flicked his gaze toward Ranboo, almost expecting him to answer for him, but the enderman hybrid looked just as interested in his answer as Ghostbur, and- fuck, was there a wrong answer for this question? He knew what Dream would want him to say, but what would Ranboo want him to say? The blond grimaced, ducking his head slightly and peering up at Ghostbur through his lashes with a frown. "I, um… I'll… I'll try."

Ghostbur beamed, and stepped forward, but paused abruptly. "Can I hug you?"

Tommy didn't understand why everyone was asking.

He nodded regardless, and Ghostbur pulled him into a gentle hug. Tommy wrapped his arms around him carefully, pressing his face into the spirit's shoulder with a soft sigh, and Ghostbur offered him a quick, light squeeze before pulling back, the smile on his face unwavering. "Be safe, Tommy. You too, Ranboo. Oh! Here, you take some Blue as well, it's good to see you, you know, we were really worried when you disappeared…" Tommy took a step back to watch the exchange, as Ranboo carefully cupped his hands to let Ghostbur deposit the Blue into them.

"Thank you," the enderman hybrid said warmly. "It's good to see you too, Ghostbur. I'll be in touch." I. Not we. Tommy's shoulders twitched at the wording, ducking his head slightly and biting the inside of his cheek. Alright, that answered that, then, didn't it? Ranboo stepped back after a moment, and Tommy moved with him instinctively, keeping himself at the hybrid's side.

"Goodbye!" Ghostbur waved as they stepped off the porch, and Ranboo turned to wave back at him with a smile as they set off through the snow. Tommy fell into pace at the enderman hybrid's side and watched as he fiddled with the Blue, squishing it between his fingers with an almost fascinated expression before it disappeared into his inventory, and he quickly rubbed some of the coloring off his fingers onto his pants with a chuckle. Well, he didn't seem upset, that was good. Tommy let himself relax a little, shaking his head at himself. This was Ranboo, for fuck's sake. It was Ranboo and Tommy knew he shouldn't be so worried. He shouldn't be so worried, so anxious, so scared. Ranboo wouldn't keep him from talking to other people, Ranboo wouldn't hurt him. The blond knew this, logically he knew this, so why couldn't he stop feeling so scared?

"So…" Ranboo spoke up after a few moments, looking down at him as they walked. "I'm gonna be honest, I don't really know where we're going. Is there anywhere specific you want to go?" Tommy shook his head, stuffing his hands into his pockets, and Ranboo nodded slightly, thinking. "Well, we don't have to think of anything permanent. We could find a village to rest in-" The enderman hybrid stopped, blinking, and his ears perked slightly. "Actually… I know where we could go, if you want. It's a small village not far from here, the people are nice- remember?"

Tommy thought he remembered, he remembered a village. Ranboo brought him to a village… "I remember," he murmured hesitantly after a moment. "Is- was that when we were hiding from-?"

"Yep." Ranboo's ears twitched, swiveling around briefly. "It doesn't have to be a permanent thing, and we don't have to go if you don't want to," he repeated, and Tommy looked up at him silently, reaching up to tug his hood up over his head after a moment. "But it is a nice place, it's calm, and you seemed to like it there last time." Tommy didn't say anything for a moment, trying to remember. He couldn't remember how he felt about the village or the people there; he just remembered being scared, he just remembered worrying over when Dream would find him again, he just remembered being terrified and nervous and angry. But he did remember the villagers there were nice, and that they kept to themselves for the most part… Tommy was uncertain, but at the same time he knew they didn't have many options. And if it was just a temporary thing, then he figured he could handle it - but that didn't matter, he reprimanded himself. It didn't matter what he could handle. If Ranboo wanted to go, then they would go.

"Okay," he said quietly. "That- it sounds nice."

Ranboo was silent for a moment, watching him. But after a few seconds, he smiled, and nodded, and held a hand out slightly, opening his mouth; Tommy pressed forward before the enderman hybrid could ask the question, pressing his head into Ranboo's hand and breathing out a soft sigh at the contact, shoulders drooping as his friend wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer, carefully coiling his tail around the blond after a few moments. Tommy sank against him, resting his head against Ranboo's shoulder, and looked ahead.

Safe, the voices whispered, and Tommy flinched slightly when they all started speaking at once. It had been a long time since he'd heard them like this, a long time indeed; they'd stopped for so long after the tower incident… and then, briefly, they'd returned when Dream had taken him into L'Manberg - and now they were back, and it seemed that they were returning at full force.

Safe!
Ranboo beloved…
HEALING ARC LET'S GO
I miss Dream.
Ranboo's the best change my mind
Allium duo our beloved!
THANK PRIME.

Tommy furrowed his eyebrows, bewildered, but he said nothing.

… maybe he would be okay.

Chapter Text

Arriving at the village, Tommy quickly found himself immersed in a world he'd forgotten existed.

Ranboo said they were nice, but Tommy wasn't expecting to be welcomed immediately with open arms and bright, excited smiles. And he certainly wasn't expecting to be recognized, but almost as soon as they walked into the village, all eyes turned in their direction and every face lit up like a Christmas tree. He wished he could remember his time there, he wished he could remember whatever he'd done to leave such a strong impression - and apparently a good one - on the villagers, but even as they greeted them, his mind remained blissfully blank without even a flicker of a memory to be seen. Maybe eventually, they would come in time, but for now there was nothing to show for the strangers' sudden kindness, there was nothing to show for the way they practically clamored over each other in their haste to reach the two of them, calling their names out with excitement and warmth. "Tommy, Ranboo-! Do my eyes deceive me, is it you?"

"It's us," Ranboo confirmed with a smile, pulling his arm from around Tommy's shoulder and resting his hand against the boy's arm instead, offering a gentle, comforting squeeze. "Hello."

Unsure if he was supposed to speak or not, Tommy managed a hesitant smile when a few of the villagers greeted him, flicking his gaze around nervously. It was overwhelming, the excitement and kindness they were offering. Tommy wasn't sure what to make of it all, he wasn't sure how to respond, so he didn't - not really. He stuck close to Ranboo as they ventured further into the village, as they were practically ushered inside, and tried not to flinch when some of the villagers got too close. They were being nice, he reminded himself, they were just being nice, they were nice, there was nothing to be afraid of, so why was his heart almost beating out of his chest?

"Are you here to stay this time?" One woman asked as she fell into step with Ranboo.

"We're not sure yet. Actually, it's up to Tommy," Ranboo admitted, and Tommy snapped his gaze back up at once, eyes widening slightly. Ranboo glanced back at him, a warm smile appearing on his face as he added, "like I said, it can just be a temporary thing. We just needed somewhere to go for now to try and relax a little before we think of anything permanent," he murmured. Tommy tugged on his hoodie strings, watching him with wide eyes for a moment. So it was up to him. It was up to him whether they stayed or not, what did that mean? Ranboo was letting him decide if they stayed or went? Then that meant he didn't care too much about whether they stayed or not, right? Dream didn't let him make many decisions, but the ones he did certainly weren't this important. Tommy furrowed his eyebrows, ducking his head slightly.

But Ranboo wasn't Dream. Ranboo wasn't Dream, he was letting Tommy decide this for both of them. But how was he supposed to do that? He couldn't tell what Ranboo wanted anymore…

"Well, you're welcome to stay as long as you like," the woman said softly.

"Thank you," Ranboo rumbled, ducking his head slightly. He looked back at Tommy again, and the blond peered up at him through his lashes, lifting his eyebrows slightly and managing a faint smile despite himself. He seemed to like it here, and the villagers were nice… so why was he leaving the decision up to Tommy? He had to know that Tommy would follow along with whatever he wanted, because it wasn't like he had anywhere else to go or anyone else he wanted to be with - well, no, he did, but the only other person he wanted to be with, he couldn't.

Tommy had chosen, hadn't he? He marveled over the thought for a moment as they walked. He had chosen. He had chosen Ranboo over Dream. The thought made his stomach twist slightly, but as he watched his friend turn away again to speak to the villagers, he knew it was the right call. Dream was… Dream was dangerous, as much as Tommy hated to admit it. He was dangerous, and not just to Tommy, but to everyone. And he didn't want anyone else to get hurt.

He had chosen to see Tubbo, and Ranboo had seemed happy then… you deserve to be able to make the choice, the enderman hybrid had told him, back when he'd first shown up. Tommy hadn't thought anything of it before, basking in the warmth and the affection Ranboo was offering, but now he wasn't sure what to think. Ranboo wanted him to make a choice for himself. No, Ranboo wanted him to make a choice for both of them, but how was he supposed to know which one was the right one? How was he supposed to know which one would make Ranboo happy? How was he supposed to know what to do? He almost wanted to just pick one impulsively and move on, but he knew he couldn't do that. This would take a lot of thought on his part, and a lot of confusion, and a lot of hesitation. Ranboo was leaving this up to him and the last thing Tommy wanted to do was disappoint him, so he needed to really think about this.

It wasn't long before they reached a house, and Tommy stared up at it for a moment while the woman and Ranboo entered before it occurred to him to follow them inside, rushing in quickly. "Let me know if you need anything, okay?" The woman was saying, tossing some pillows and blankets onto the couch. "And let us know before you leave! Have you guys eaten breakfast?"

"We have," Ranboo assured, glancing back at Tommy. "And we will, don't worry."

"Good." The woman beamed and turned her attention to Tommy after a moment, and it took everything Tommy had not to wither under her gaze, regardless of how gentle her expression was. "Tommy, it's so good to see you again," she said softly. "Are you doing any better now?"

Tommy furrowed his eyebrows at that, unsure how to respond. What state was he in, exactly, back then? He knew he was terrified and hurt, but was he as bad off as he was now? The blond bit the inside of his cheek and took a deep breath, forcing a hesitant smile and a quick nod. It wasn't the truth, it wasn't anywhere close to the truth, but he didn't want to worry this poor stranger with everything that was going on with him. He didn't want to have to get into it all, he didn't want to have to say it out loud. He knew how fucked up he was, he could feel how fucked up he was; he could feel his own fear, his own helplessness, his own weakness. And if everyone else around him could see it too, then he clearly wasn't doing any better now, was he?

He zoned out for the most part as the woman left, and finally found himself relaxing. He thought he'd be okay with this, but he wasn't. His arms trembled as he wrapped them around himself, ducking his head and pressing his mouth into the sleeves of his hoodie. No, he wasn't okay. He didn't want to be here anymore. They were nice, and that was the problem, they were too nice. Overwhelmingly nice. Not in the same way Ranboo was, because Tommy didn't have a choice but to put up with that, because Ranboo was his friend - but he didn't know the people here. He didn't understand why they were being so nice to him - not that he understood why Ranboo was being so nice to him - and it was something he… wasn't sure he would be able to get used to. He wasn't sure it was something he could handle, and wasn't that pathetic? Would it be worse if they were mean, if they were harsh and cruel like Dream - or if they ignored them completely?

"So…" Ranboo trailed off, watching him for a moment. "You don't like it here, do you?"

Tommy flinched. "I- It's not-" He wrapped his arms tighter around himself, as if that could protect him. Protect him from what, he didn't even know. "It's not that I don't…" He took a deep breath, looking up at the enderman hybrid anxiously for a moment before averting his gaze to the floor. "Th- they're nice, and it's nice here, and I- I like it, it's just- it's just… they're nice, and I don't…" He didn't know how to deal with that. He didn't know how to handle it, to process it. It was too much, too fast, and Tommy just wanted everything to slow down for a moment so he could think.

"It's too much," Ranboo murmured, understanding flickering through his eyes. He took a step closer and Tommy tried his hardest not to flinch, shoulders shuddering as his friend approached. Ranboo seemed to sense his fear anyway, despite every attempt the blond was making to hide it, because he didn't come too close. "Hey, it's okay… you don't have to do this all at once, Tommy. We don't have to stay if you're not comfortable with it- I don't want to stay if you're not comfortable with it," he corrected himself, and Tommy furrowed his eyebrows, hesitantly glancing back up at him. "But I don't… I want you to do whatever you want to do, Tommy, whatever you think is best. If you want to leave, we'll leave. We'll leave right now if you want to."

"But…" Tommy tugged on his hoodie, overwhelmed. "But we don't… where else would we go? We can't go to L'Manberg, and I- I'm just making this difficult, I'm sorry, I don't mean to, I just…"

"Tommy, it's okay. It's okay," Ranboo told him gently. "You're not making this difficult at all, okay? You feeling comfortable and safe is top priority. You're not making anything difficult by telling me that you don't. In fact, I'm glad that you are," he added. Tommy lifted his gaze back to him at once. "So I promise, whatever you want to do, we'll do it. It's no trouble at all. We can…" He waved a hand, gesturing at nothing in particular. "We can just go and find somewhere else, we can build our own place if you want, wherever you want, it doesn't matter. All that matters is that you feel comfortable and that you feel safe."

"But I don't want to make you upset," Tommy finally forced the words out, chest tight with apprehension. "You- you wanted to come here and I- I don't want to make you leave just because I can't handle-" He cut himself off for a moment, just to breathe, and Ranboo's ears flicked and folded back against his head, gazing back at him in silent concern. "I just… I want…"

"You don't have to worry about making me upset, Tommy," Ranboo said quietly. He hesitated, and after a moment, he held his hands up and his arms open in a clear invitation for a hug, and Tommy didn't hesitate to press forward, somewhat relieved by the show of affection. He pushed himself closer, wrapping his arms around the enderman hybrid, and breathed out a soft sigh at the soft purr rumbling in his chest. "And you making your mental health a priority and choosing what you want, that's not going to make me upset. It's perfectly understandable if you can't handle this yet. You're trying, and that's what's important, and I'm so proud of you for it, okay? But putting aside what you need, you can't do that. You can't do that for me, you can't do that for anyone." He hesitated, pulling back, and Tommy flinched slightly when the enderman hybrid's hands cupped around his face, his touch light and gentle. "What you need, that's more important. What you want is important. You are important. You do whatever you need to do, Tommy, and I'll be with you every step of the way but I need you to tell me what you want."

Tommy sucked in a shuddering breath and threw himself forward again before Ranboo could see the tears in his eyes, burying his face into the enderman hybrid's shoulder and curling his hands into the back of his shirt. Ranboo's arms wrapped around him carefully, the purr in his chest rumbling louder as he nuzzled his face into Tommy's hair and took a deep, steady breath. "And you don't ever have to worry about making me upset," his friend whispered in his ear. "The last thing you ever do is upset me." Tommy couldn't stifle a quiet, shaky sob in time, pressing his mouth into Ranboo's shoulder, and the enderman hybrid gently rubbed circles in his back with one hand, the other hand curling around the back of his head carefully. "Do you want to leave?"

Tommy barely managed to nod, trembling, and sank closer to Ranboo with a sigh.

"Okay," Ranboo whispered, and pulled him even closer, pulling back to rest his forehead against Tommy's. The smile on his face caught the boy off guard, wide and genuine and filled with pride.

Something deep within him cracked.

He wasn't sure the feeling was a bad one.

True to Ranboo's word, they ended up leaving not too long after they'd arrived; they stayed a half hour or so to say goodbye and thank everyone, and then they were heading off again to Prime knows where. This time, Ranboo could practically feel the shift in Tommy's demeanor; still timid and nervous in a way that nobody should ever have to be, but he felt almost lighter as he walked beside him, like whatever weight was pressing down on his shoulders had lifted considerably. And Ranboo had never been prouder of him, because this was genuine progress; he'd had to coax it out of him, but Tommy had made a choice for himself, a big choice. He knew it was a lot, especially with everything that had happened in the past two days. And Tommy's talk about making him upset and making everything difficult scared him in a way he couldn't fully express, but this was progress. Despite all the blond's fear, he was genuinely trying to move forward. Ranboo wished he could find a way to make it clear that he didn't have to do it alone.

So, they left. Ranboo didn't know where they were going, but Ranboo figured being around other people - at least constantly - was a little too much for the time being, so maybe settling down somewhere else and finding their own place would be a better option. Tommy didn't seem to have anywhere in mind, so Ranboo picked a random direction and headed off. He was sure they'd find somewhere, if only to make a temporary base and think of something permanent. He couldn't deny he was rather relieved to finally leave the snowy area, shoulders drooping slightly as they came across a grassy field littered with trees, and even Tommy let out an appreciative hum as soon as they were out of the cold, immediately tugging his hood down with a quiet sigh.

"So how would you feel about building our own place?" Ranboo asked after a moment, quietly scanning the flowers around them. He reached down to pick a few as they walked, turning them over in his hands with a smile. "Doesn't have to be anything big, or anything permanent, just somewhere we can stay while we… while you get back up on your feet," he continued carefully.

Tommy hesitated. "I…" He seemed to curl in on himself as he walked, shoulders hunching forward, but his pace didn't slow. "I guess that… yeah, I can do that," he mumbled after a moment. Ranboo furrowed his eyebrows, rubbing his fingers over the petals of the flowers as he watched the blond. He didn't seem very enthusiastic about the idea, but Ranboo knew that it was going to take a little while for him to be enthusiastic about anything, really. This was tough on him; he had just lost Dream, and while Ranboo was still having a hard time coming to terms with just how deeply the boy cared for the man, he knew it was genuine. Horrifying and sickening and born solely from trauma and abuse and stockholm syndrome, but it was genuine to Tommy and he could only imagine how jarring the sudden shift must be. Building their own place seemed like their best option. They could try it out, and if Tommy didn't like it, then they would come up with something else. And they would find something that worked for the blond.

So for now, they simply continued on their way. Ranboo picked a few more flowers, and after watching him for a moment, Tommy hesitantly stopped to pick a few of his own every so often, turning them over between his fingers and handing them over to Ranboo upon finishing his inspections; in response, Ranboo picked a few more and passed them back over to him, watching the boy's face light up and his eyes widen with awe and gratitude with each one the enderman hybrid offered. He took each one so carefully, holding it gently in his palm for a moment and just staring before he sent it off to his inventory, and Ranboo couldn't help but smile slightly at the soft expression on his face. He hoped one day the younger teen could learn that he didn't need to be so afraid and timid, that he could be gentle without being afraid. That he could be himself without being afraid. That he didn't have to be afraid at all, not ever again.

He couldn't tell you how far they walked, or for how long. He was just enjoying himself spending time with Tommy, looking around and picking flowers. He knew they would have to settle down eventually, but he wanted to wait a bit; he wanted to find the right place to start building, and for now he was content to just move along. Tommy seemed content, as well; he seemed to be relaxing more and more the further they walked, plucking flowers and smiling as he showed them to Ranboo, and looking for all the world like the child he was, the child he should be. Ranboo was content to stay just like this for however long he needed to, however long Tommy wanted, if it meant being able to see the boy like this, content and happy, for a few more hours.

So they walked, they talked, they picked flowers and laughed and then-

And then they found it.

Right away, at first glance, it was perfect. A stretch of land covered in flowers, trees spread out around a large clearing. The field ahead of them was colored in mixtures of greens and blues and purples and reds, but the thing that struck Ranboo most were the alliums. Thousands of them, littered all around across the grass, waving back and forth with the wind as if in greeting. The leaves rustled and petals and leaves fluttered down to them as they both came to a stop, and the wind whistled and birds sang and the clearing itself seemed to beckon them forward. Ranboo found himself at a complete loss for words, wide-eyed with amazement as he stared.

Tommy breathed out a quiet, breathless "whoa" from beside him, his own eyes wide as saucers as he looked around. One glance at the blond and the awe and excitement on his face told Ranboo everything he needed to know; this was the place. This was their place, it was perfect.

Ranboo smiled, flicking his ears, and lifted his gaze ahead again. "What do you think?"

"It's… it's beautiful," Tommy whispered. He hesitated for a few seconds, looking around, then took a tentative step forward and leaned down slightly to pull one of the alliums from the ground.

Ranboo could have melted right then and there when Tommy turned back to him and held the allium out, reaching out to take it with a smile. The blond's eyes were sparkling brighter than Ranboo had seen them since… since before his exile. They were bright, they were blue, they were happy and Ranboo basked in it for a moment. Moments like this made him feel hopeful, hopeful that Tommy could and would recover from everything Dream had done to him. Hopeful that someday the boy wouldn't have to be so scared. Hopeful that he could be happy, he could feel safe, and that he could learn to want to live his life again. That he could love to live his life again. That was what Ranboo wanted for him, and right here, right now, he knew it was possible. One way or another. "Do you wanna stay here?" He asked quietly after a few seconds.

Tommy looked around, quietly scanning the field and flowers and trees around them. He looked uncertain, but not nervous, his eyes soft and clear for the first time since Ranboo had seen him. "I… I think so," the blond finally spoke, hesitant and soft, but he sounded more sure of this than he had when he'd agreed to go to the village, and Ranboo allowed himself to relax after a moment, a wide smile spreading across his face. It was another choice, and a big one at that. One Tommy was making completely for himself. "I… where do you want me to build the house?"

The wording was all wrong. Ranboo furrowed his eyebrows slightly, but he decided not to say anything about it for the time being. "Where do you want it?" He prompted instead, sweeping his gaze around the clearing. "We could build it close to the trees, or in the center of the field, or…" He trailed off, thinking, and he almost missed the startled, wide-eyed glance Tommy shot at him.

Before Ranboo could say anything, though, the shocked expression abruptly melted away into understanding, and then confusion, and then uncertainty. "You're… a- are you gonna help me?"

"Of course." The wording was starting to make sense. Ranboo softened. "It's our house, right? We should both build it. It wouldn't be fair for you to put in all the work." He was expecting relief, at most, maybe more confusion - but he wasn't expecting Tommy's face to light up, excitement brightening his gaze, and he definitely wasn't expecting the blond to abruptly throw himself forward into his arms, but he wasn't about to complain. The enderman hybrid couldn't bite back a laugh, every inch of him warmed with affection and fondness as he leaned down to wrap his arms around the younger teen in response, offering a light squeeze. It hurt to think of what the boy had gone through, what Dream had made him do, for him to offer such a reaction to something that should have been obvious - but at least this seemed to click for Tommy quicker than anything else had, and Ranboo was having the time of his life unraveling Dream's strings.

"Thank you," Tommy breathed, pulling back with a wide, excited smile. "Thank you!"

Ranboo's heart sank and soared at the same time. "You don't have to thank me," he pressed gently, smiling down at the boy as he pushed himself to stand up again. "Let's get started, huh?"

He was enjoying unraveling Dream's strings, and he was going to enjoy unraveling the rest one by one until Tommy was freed again. No matter how long it took, no matter how much work it took, Ranboo would make sure that he was free, one way or another. Helping him unlearn all of the horrible things Dream had taught him would be tough, but it would be rewarding in the end. Ranboo couldn't wait to teach him all the things he'd forgotten, and finally, after so long, he was getting a chance to. Tommy pulled away from him at once, rambling about collecting materials, and Ranboo watched him set off toward the trees, waiting a moment before following after him.

"What kind of axe do you want?" He asked, moving a good distance away before drawing his own from his inventory. He still had what he assumed was Dream's, and he hesitated briefly before adding, "I have Dream's, if you want that one. It'd make collecting wood a lot faster…" He mused. Tommy froze for a second, looking up at him with wide eyes and then flicking his gaze toward Ranboo's axe, and Ranboo quickly let it disappear back into his inventory, offering a warm smile. "It's okay if you don't want a netherite one. We can make wood ones, or stone on-"

"Can I have Dream's?" Tommy interrupted abruptly, then winced. "Wait, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"No, it's okay. It's okay, Tommy. You can have Dream's if you want it, that's why I asked," Ranboo soothed gently, and the blond breathed in sharply when Ranboo summoned the axe from his inventory, taking a moment to rub the blood off of the blade with his sleeve before shifting it around to hold the handle out to Tommy first. With some hesitation, the blond took it carefully in his hands, and though he trembled as he did so, his grip was firm. His eyes were wide as he stared down at the weapon, and Ranboo wondered for a moment if he had made the right call giving it to him, if it was too soon - but Tommy had wanted it, and Ranboo wasn't about to take it back. "If you want mine instead, let me know and I'll trade with you, alright?" He offered instead, and when Tommy managed a hesitant nod, he drew his own axe once again and turned to start chopping. It took the boy a few moments to join him, but Ranboo allowed himself to relax again when he heard Tommy hacking away at another tree, glancing over to see if he was okay.

He seemed to be relaxing slightly once again as he worked, and Ranboo took a moment to watch the tension drain from his shoulders before returning to his task, managing a faint smile.

It took a week and a half to build the house - which Ranboo fondly referred to as a cottage.

Tommy supposed it was a cottage, it wasn't exactly a cabin since it wasn't made completely out of wood, but logs and planks made up the majority of it. The walls were oak, the floors were birch, and they'd traveled far enough to collect some dark oak for the roof, which was a mixture of dark oak and cobblestone staircases and blocks. Ranboo had made a small brick chimney and a fireplace, and Tommy, after making sure it was okay, had lined the roof with vines with flowers woven into them - mostly alliums, just because that seemed to be their thing. He was surprised it took so long. The cabin had taken him a few days to build, though Ranboo seemed insistent on taking breaks, which… wasn't something Tommy had been allowed to do back then, so he supposed it made sense that it would take longer to build this than it took to build the cabin, even though they were both building it. They stopped to eat and sleep, and sometimes Ranboo stopped them just to sit down and talk and rest just for the hell of it - it was different, it was nice, and Tommy found he had a lot more energy in the past week than he'd had in months.

Once the cottage itself was finished, they took to decorating the interior. Ranboo went for the bedrooms first, and Tommy stood to the side and watched for the most part. His own bedroom was the first to be completed; Ranboo gave him a bed, a nightstand, a desk and chair, an enderchest and some regular chests and bookshelves to put down wherever he wanted, and with some hesitance, Tommy found himself cautiously rearranging his own room. It was bigger than his room back at the cabin, much bigger. The walls were wood, not obsidian, and he had two windows. Even putting the furniture down, the room was huge. It was almost overwhelming. He had a closet, a dresser for his clothes stuffed inside. He even had a door, though he didn't fuss with that too much, leaving it open most of the time. He just… he didn't feel right closing it.

Not to mention, Ranboo's room was literally the same size - Tommy watched him count the blocks, deliberately making both rooms the same. Tommy hesitated in the doorway while he watched Ranboo decorate his own room, unsure if he was allowed inside, but Ranboo didn't say anything about him hovering in the hall, so he figured it was at least okay to look inside. Ranboo set down an enderchest of his own, some bookshelves and chests and a bed and nightstand, and he left it at that for the time being to focus on the rest of the cottage, decorating the living room first - with Tommy's help, though the blond was hesitant at first - and then the kitchen. After some debating, Ranboo ended up tacking on a guest room for future visitors, and he didn't say it out loud, but they both knew he had Tubbo in mind. Tommy couldn't say he minded that.

A few days into building, Ranboo had Sam bring by a communicator; Tommy didn't have much to say to the creeper hybrid, only offering a hesitant 'hello' and quickly returning to building. Sam didn't stay long, either, complimenting their work so far and departing quietly, and Ranboo called a quick break to fix up the communicator; Tommy sat nearby, watching him work, and he was somehow surprised and yet not surprised when the device was offered to him after a moment.

"I put Tubbo's contact in," the enderman hybrid told him, "so you can message him whenever. Ghostbur too."

Tommy hadn't stopped staring at the communicator for the rest of the day. He didn't use it, not yet; hesitant and uncertain and wary as to whether or not he should, what he was supposed to say even if he did - but he kept it in his hand throughout the whole day, and something warm and happy bloomed in his chest. Ranboo was definitely different from Dream, different on so many levels. Dream cut him off from everything and everyone he knew; Ranboo was making an effort to reconnect those bonds that Dream had severed, and Tommy couldn't be more grateful.

Once the cottage was finished, both inside and out, they settled down in the grass just outside and Tommy carefully began to plant some of the flowers Ranboo had given him on their journey. Ranboo settled beside him, pulling a bundle of flowers from his inventory, but he didn't plant them yet. Tommy kept one eye on him and the other carefully focused on his own work, curious.

He couldn't help but laugh when Ranboo held up two flower crowns, setting one on his own head and holding the other out to Tommy. They were both woven with a variety of different flowers, but mostly alliums; the blond giggled as he tenderly took his, placing it on his head. "Thank you." He couldn't remember the last time he'd worn a flower crown - part of him thought it might have been with Puffy, back at Logstedshire… the thought made his heart throb, and he quickly pushed it aside, turning his attention back to his task with a smile. Just that one gesture. Just that one gesture made him unbelievably giddy, for the first time in so long, he felt happy. Really happy. It had been a week, over a week, and… nobody had yelled at him, nobody had punished him, nobody had hurt him. It was the longest he'd gone without being hurt in well over a year; his body almost ached just from the absence of fresh wounds, but… still, it felt so good.

He missed Dream. More than he could have ever imagined, he missed Dream. But he didn't miss the punishments, he didn't miss the pain, he didn't miss the constant fear he had lived in. Fear that, even now, he couldn't seem to shake - the only difference was now it wasn't justified.

"I think we should invest in some new clothes," Ranboo said suddenly.

Tommy paused for a moment, looking down at his grey t-shirt and pants. He had taken his hoodie off, somewhat reluctantly, to work on the house, and he'd ended up leaving it off because… because he could. Dream never let him leave it off for long, and Tommy usually didn't mind because he was usually inside where it was cool anyway, but it was warm out here, and even inside it wasn't as chilly as the cabin usually was. And Ranboo obviously didn't mind him leaving his hoodie off, and… Tommy saw no reason to keep it on, as much as he missed Dream and as much as a small part of him wanted to. He wasn't sure what Ranboo meant by 'new clothes', but… he was willing to find out. "Okay…" He trailed off. "I could sew something…"

"We could go shopping, too," Ranboo offered. "Get you some sewing materials, and you can pick out whatever you want." Tommy perked up a bit at that, looking over at him with wide eyes.

"Really?"

"Really," Ranboo confirmed warmly. "We can go today, if you want. Whenever you like."

They didn't have anything else to do, Tommy mused. The cottage was finished, and shopping sounded nice. He trusted Ranboo to keep him safe, wherever they went. "Today?" He offered after a moment, pushing his flower crown up a bit and sending the rest of the flowers to his inventory to plant later. Ranboo smiled faintly, pushing himself up and reaching a hand out to help Tommy up, and the blond accepted it with a smile of his own, letting him pull him to his feet.

Shopping went well, for the most part. Ranboo got some new suits and, with some gentle prodding from the enderman hybrid, Tommy wandered around looking for clothes for himself. He wasn't sure what to get, nervous about choosing wrong - which is ridiculous, he reprimanded himself, there is no wrong, just pick - and ended up selecting a few red and white t-shirts that almost resembled the ones he used to wear. The colors were inverted, white on the sleeves and red everywhere else; Tommy found himself staring for a while. He missed his shirts. When had he stopped wearing them? He couldn't remember. It had to be sometime after Dream had given him the hoodie, and the grey t-shirts… "I'd like to wear my old shirts, I think…" He muttered quietly after a moment, and hesitantly held the shirts up for Ranboo to see. "What do you think?"

Ranboo gazed at the shirts for a moment, an odd look on his face Tommy couldn't quite decipher. "They're nice. They almost look like your old ones," he told him after a few moments. "Just the colors are different, right? I'm pretty sure I remember yours had white in the middle…"

"Yeah," Tommy mumbled, and with that odd look still on his face, Ranboo abruptly headed off. The blond hurried after him, catching up quickly and opening his mouth to ask what he was doing, but he snapped it shut again quickly after a moment and simply resigned himself to watching, standing back nervously while Ranboo approached one of the store attendants, catching their attention. Tommy took a few steps back, hunching his shoulders and picking at one of the shirts anxiously, sweeping his gaze around the store silently while he waited. His anxiety only amped up further when they began to leave, still talking, and Tommy hesitated for the longest time before finally forcing himself to move forward, trailing along behind Ranboo.

He came to his friend's side again when the store clerk ducked into one of the back rooms, biting back all the questions he wanted to ask and instead asking quietly, "is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine," Ranboo assured him warmly. "I was just asking if they had the shirts."

Tommy blinked, startled, and found himself unable to respond. He was even more caught off guard when the clerk stepped back out with a bundle of said shirts in their arms, and found himself breathless when they held one of them up for both of them to see. It was exactly the same shirt Tommy used to wear, white in the middle with red short sleeves. "These ones, right?"

Ranboo looked over at Tommy, and the boy managed to choke out a breathless, "yeah."

"How many-?"

"We'll take all the ones you have in his size," Ranboo interrupted with a smile.

Tommy couldn't keep the smile off his face as they left the store, clad in one of the red and white shirts and jean shorts and a pair of new flip-flops - and, of course, his flower crown. He hadn't interacted with anyone else, not really, but he was exhausted. His anxiety had amped up quite a bit just being around others, but he'd been able to stick close to Ranboo for the most part and he was beyond grateful to his friend for bringing him out to do this. He… he honestly didn't know how he was going to repay all of the kindness that was being offered to him. He felt like he was supposed to do something, like he was supposed to do something to earn the kindness to begin with. Ranboo was just throwing him so much of it he didn't know what to do with it, with the love and the affection and the warmth. He hadn't earned any of it, and Ranboo was giving it anyway.

He was exhausted by the time they returned to the cottage, but happy. He was happy. Was he happy? He didn't know. He felt happy. He felt like he was about to burst with warmth, unable to keep himself from rambling 'thank you's to Ranboo as they entered their home. Ranboo laughed each one off, responding warmly with his typical "you don't have to thank me" and ushering the blond off to put his clothes away in his room while the enderman hybrid started dinner. Ranboo took them into the living room to eat, and invited Tommy up onto the couch when the boy started to sit on the floor; immediately, he found himself practically curling up against his friend, and Ranboo reached out - after checking for permission - to wrap an arm around his shoulders, and there it stayed while they ate. It wasn't like with Dream, Tommy knew that. He missed Dream…

But this was nice. This was so nice. It would never be the way it was with Dream and Tommy didn't know if he'd ever have what he and Dream had again, but… but he had Ranboo, right? And he had Ghostbur, and he had Tubbo… and maybe one day, he'd have Dream again, too.

Maybe he could get used to this.

"So, I had a thought," Ranboo said suddenly as they were getting ready to turn in for the night. Tommy was rinsing off their plates - he'd practically insisted after watching Ranboo burn his hands trying to do it - and Ranboo was hovering nearby with a towel to dry the plates off when he finished. Tommy paused his task for a moment at the words, trying to stifle the flicker of anxiety that stirred in his chest, and flicked his gaze toward the enderman hybrid. "I've been talking to Niki and Sam and- you know, basically everyone, and Sam mentioned something about getting you an emotional support animal and now everyone's practically begging me to."

Tommy furrowed his eyebrows, startled. Emotional support animal. The words rattled around in his head, hesitating as he slowly returned to his task. "You don't… you don't have to, I don't…"

"I think it would be good for you, actually," Ranboo murmured. "I just wanted your opinion first."

Tommy hesitated, staring down as he worked. His mind instinctively drifted to Henry, and then Mushroom Henry - the latter could have very well been considered an emotional support animal, he mused with a pang of grief. He missed Mushroom Henry. He was pretty much the only other living being besides Dream - and Ranboo - that Tommy saw consistently during his early exile days, and not only had he been a consistent food source, but whenever Dream wasn't around, Tommy had curled up next to the cow and just… existed. He just sat there, running his hand along his side, petting him gently and staring off into space. It was one of few moments of peace he got, one of few moments where the anxiety and the grief and the depression didn't choke him so hard. And after the tower incident, after Mushroom Henry had died, after the cabin was built - months upon months upon months later, Dream had brought him home a little baby calf.

It was killed before Tommy could name it.

Tommy swallowed, ducking his head slightly. It would be nice to have another pet, but he wasn't sure. He wasn't sure, because none of them had lasted. None of them had lived. And he didn't think he could go through that kind of loss again, he didn't think he could handle that kind of grief. He'd already lost so much; his home, his best friend… he couldn't afford to lose anymore. His heart ached with longing, but his stomach twisted with anxiety, and the conflicting emotions made him want to seek out comfort instinctively; he found himself setting the plate aside and fumbling for a towel to dry his hands off, shoulders shaking. "I- c- can- can I, um, can I hug you-?"

"Of course," Ranboo replied immediately, opening his arms up, and Tommy fell into them at once, curling up slightly as he wrapped his arms around the enderman hybrid and burying his face into the fabric of his shirt. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," Ranboo whispered, ducking his head and pressing his cheek against the side of Tommy's head gently. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's not-" Tommy swallowed, chest shuddering as he sucked in a strained, shaky breath. And then he found himself rambling, rambling on and on about Henry, and Mushroom Henry, and the calf. He couldn't stop himself, couldn't shut himself up no matter how many times he tried; Ranboo just stood there, holding him silently and letting him speak. "He- he killed them, Mushroom Henry and- and the calf, and I- I can't…" His voice dropped to a whisper. "I can't…"

"Tommy…" Ranboo let out a soft sigh, pressing his head against Tommy's. He was silent for a while, and Tommy found himself silently melting into his friend's arms again when a soft purr began to rumble in his chest, low and comforting. It was only when he began to relax that Ranboo spoke again. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, for everything that happened… you didn't deserve that, and neither did they," He nuzzled his face into the blond's hair as he continued. "I can't promise that something won't happen, because I can't control… you know, natural causes and all that, but I can promise you that, if you want another pet, I'll do everything I can to keep them safe, okay? And if you still don't, that's fine, I understand and it's completely up to you, but… Dream's not here." His voice was softer, quieter with those last three words. "And nobody else would try to hurt them. You're safe here." Tommy breathed in slowly through his nose, resting his head against Ranboo's shoulder, and let his shoulders droop as Ranboo's tail curled around him. Safe. He was safe here. He felt safe… and it really would be nice to have another pet, one he wouldn't lose, one he wouldn't have to worry about losing, one he could take care of, and…

"Okay," he whispered, swallowing hard past the lump in his throat.

Ranboo pulled back slightly, rubbing his thumb across Tommy's cheek, and Tommy didn't realize he'd been crying until he heard the familiar sizzle of water against the enderboy's skin. "Okay," his friend murmured after a moment. "Then we'll figure something out tomorrow, okay?"

Tommy managed a faint nod, more than grateful. He was so tired, he just wanted to curl up in his bed and go to sleep. "Okay…" He trailed off, breathing out a soft, shaky sigh. "... thank you."

"You don't have to thank me," Ranboo murmured, smiling softly. "Goodnight, Tommy."

"Goodnight, Ranboo."

He woke up somehow even more exhausted than he already was, flinching awake from a nightmare he didn't remember and sitting up sharply in his bed. Obsidian walls flickered at the corners of his eyes, and his heart sank and lifted at the same time as he jerked his head up to look around - but the unfamiliar wooden walls of the cottage and the light streaming in through the window quickly replaced the dark blocks, and the nightmare faded to the back of his mind immediately, heart still stuttering in his chest as he swung his legs over the side of his bed and pushed himself up. Had he slept in? Dream always used to wake him up in the morning, but- Dream wasn't here. Ranboo was. Would Ranboo make a habit of waking him up in the morning? He wasn't sure - he wasn't even sure if Ranboo was awake to begin with, because he couldn't hear anything from the other rooms as he shuffled closer to his open door, hesitating.

Not wanting to wake the enderman hybrid up if he was still asleep, Tommy almost retreated back to his bed before the sound of the front door opening reached his ears, and he froze. Anxiety twisted in his gut, panic tightening in his chest as he stepped backwards. "R- Ranboo?"

"It's me," Ranboo's voice called out immediately, and Tommy breathed out softly in relief, hesitating briefly before stepping out into the hall and heading out to greet his friend in the foyer, greeting him with a faint smile and rubbing at his eyes tiredly. Ranboo beamed back at him, eyes bright with excitement. "Good morning! I have something for you- I know I said we'd talk about it today and everything, but I couldn't get the thought out of my head and I couldn't sleep, so I just went looking around this morning and…" Ranboo flicked his ears with an almost sheepish smile and tilted his head back toward the door, which was cracked open behind him.

Tommy flicked his gaze to the door, then back up again, and Ranboo paused, turning his head, and quickly whipped around to pull the door open completely, a lead appearing in his hand. Tommy couldn't see past him, not for lack of trying, but he stayed still for the most part and watched with wide eyes and furrowed eyebrows as Ranboo leaned down to pick something up. A flash of bright purple caught his eye, and then his friend turned to present the surprise to him.

The blond flinched slightly, startled, and couldn't bite back a soft gasp.

Curled up in Ranboo's arms rested a small Moobloom calf covered in patches of purple and white, tiny ears flicking back and forth and wide, curious eyes wandering around the cottage. Allium buds were blooming from the creature's back, not quite there yet but certainly on their way, and the sight of the calf alone stole Tommy's breath away, his heart stuttering in his chest. It was adorable, it was beautiful, and by the time the little creature lifted its gaze up to him and offered a quiet 'moo', Tommy was already smitten with the damn thing, already falling in love.

"I know you have your reservations, and I understand," Ranboo said softly. "But if you want her-"

"I do," Tommy choked out, staring at the calf with wide eyes. "Holy shit, I do, I do want her."

Ranboo's face split into a grin at once, eyes lighting up, and he took a step forward and nudged the door shut behind him with his foot, extending his arms and the little baby calf toward Tommy.

Tommy gathered her into his arms carefully, gentle as he could be, and the creature let out a soft bleat as she sank into his arms, her chin resting lightly against his chest as she looked up at him with wide eyes. Yep, Tommy was in love. It was dangerous, but it was beautiful, and it was something he hadn't felt in so long… "Hello there," he whispered, raising a hand lightly to stroke the calf's head, rubbing between her ears, and she sank into the touch at once with a content-sounding snort, falling like dead weight into his arms and resting her whole head against his chest. Tommy laughed, laughed like he felt like he hadn't in so, so goddamn long, and pressed his face into her fur with a grin, tears stinging at his eyes. "Yeah, I like you, too…"

It took him a moment to remember that Ranboo was there; the enderman hybrid was silent, just watching them with a smile, the corners of his mismatched eyes crinkling as he grinned at them. Tommy blinked back another rush of tears and moved forward after a moment to hug him, carefully shifting the calf to one arm and reaching the other one out tentatively. Ranboo accepted the embrace with a smile, pulling him close and resting his head against the blond's.

"Thank you," he managed to whisper, swallowing. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Ranboo murmured. "You deserve this." He pulled back, reaching out to rest a hand against the calf's head, and rubbed his thumb lightly over one of her ears. Tommy couldn't help but giggle, blinking back tears as he watched her twist her head around to lick his hand. "She's definitely a sweetheart," the enderman hybrid mused, chuckling. "What's her name?"

Tommy hadn't even thought about that. He gazed down at the calf, letting his smile fall into a contemplative expression. 'Henry' was definitely out, and honestly, Tommy didn't want another Henry anyway. Seemed like it was just a running theme to lose them. No, he wanted to give her a different name. A special name; she was special, she was different, she deserved her own name. The boy furrowed his eyebrows, ducking his head and narrowing his eyes as he thought, but it wasn't long before he was giggling again when the calf reached up to lick his face gently.

He rested his hand against her back, feeling the budding alliums that resided there, and smiled.

"Bloom," he mumbled. "Her name is Bloom."

Laughter bubbled in his chest again as Bloom stretched her front legs up toward him, hooves clapping lightly against his face, and he ducked his head to press his face into her fur with another quiet giggle.

"That's a beautiful name," Ranboo commented, and he was grinning when Tommy looked back up at him, eyes sparkling with a mixture of understanding and delight. "I think it's perfect."

And it was, it was perfect.

This… this was perfect.