Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Don’t go too far!”

“I won’t!”

A young boy with golden hair and bright blue eyes ran out into the woods on his own for the first time, a petite blue-eyed woman with long, reddish-brown hair watching from the porch. She watched until the 11-year-old had faded from view, hidden by the towering trees surrounding their home. Her small, grey wings ruffled behind her, showing her anxiety.

Another woman, this one with short black hair, came out of the house and put her hand on the prior’s shoulder. The black haired girl pulled the shorter into her arms and wrapped her blue-grey, white-speckled wings around them both.

“He’ll be fine, Clara,” the taller one murmured.

Clara said, leaning into the other. “I can’t help but worry, Clem.”

“I know,” she replied. “I know.”

~-~-~-~

“Clara! Clara!” The same boy as before ran up to his mother, each a year older. “Look!”

The robin hybrid looked up from where she was weeding the garden in the hot, midday sun. She stood and brushed her hands off on her pants. “What’d you find, Tommy?” she asked, fondness clear in her voice.

Tommy reached into his pocket and pulled out a red, black, and white banded snake. “I found a snake by the river! What kind is it?”

Clara gently took the snake from Tommy and inspected it. “You found yourself a milk snake.”

“Are they poisonous?” Tommy asked, tilting his head. 

Clara shook her head. “You have nothing to worry about from this snake.”

Tommy pouted. “Aww dang it. I wanted to get it to bite Dream. He’s a wrongen.”

“Tommy,” Clara said sternly. “Just because you don’t like someone doesn’t mean that you can hurt them. Okay?”

“Okay,” Tommy mumbled, not sounding very happy at all.

Clara ruffled his hair affectionately. “That being said… if you were to tell Dream that this snake is venomous, even though it’s not, I might turn a blind eye to it,” Clara said mischievously, winking at Tommy.

Tommy’s eyes lit up. “That’s a great idea! Bye mum!” he shouted as he scampered off, back into the forest. “I’ll see you later!”

Clara watched him leave, a small smile on her face. When Tommy was out of sight, she continued tending to the garden.

---

Tommy ran through the forest, jumping over logs, tree stumps, you name it, the sun no lower than it had been during his talk with Clara. Tommy stopped in a small clearing, surrounded by trees on one side, with the terrain turning more rocky on the other. He and Dream had declared it their official meeting place after meeting there for the first time.

“Dream,” Tommy called, drawing out the m. “Where are you? I have someone to show youuuuuuu.”

 He tapped his foot impatiently, waiting for Dream to show up.

After a couple of seconds, Dream jumped down from a nearby tree, his blue-green tinted black wings extended to change his fall to a steady glide.

Dream landed and stood in front of Tommy. The white-throated needletail hybrid was 4 years older than Tommy and had gotten his wings the year before. Dream had piercing green eyes and sandy-blonde hair, with cheeks adorned with feathers of brown and white that went all the way back to feathered ears.

“What do you want, Tommy?” Dream asked, his soft smile and fond tone letting his true feelings shine through his bored, nonchalant voice.

“Look what I found!” Tommy pulled the milk snake from his pocket. “I named him Bruno!” Tommy held the snake out to Dream, who took it carefully.

“This is a pretty cute snake,” Dream remarked.

Tommy nodded. “Also Clara said he’s poisonous,” he added.

“WHAT!?” Dream yelled, a chirp of alarm forcing its way out as well. He chucked the snake into the trees with the most panicked face Tommy had ever seen. Tommy fell to his knees, laughing his head off.

“Don’t-PAHAHA-Don’t throw Bruno, you-you bastard,” Tommy said through his laughter.

“TOMMY! WHY WOULD YOU CARRY AROUND A VENOMOUS SNAKE?!” Dream shouted, pulling the younger into a hug. “WHAT IF IT HAD BITTEN YOU? YOU COULD’VE DIED !”

By now, Tommy’s laughs had calmed down. “It’s just a milk snake,” Tommy explained as he reluctantly pulled away from the hug. “It can’t actually hurt anyone.”

Dream stared at him for a moment in slight shock. Then he walked over and smacked Tommy softly on the back of the head. 

“Owwwwwww, what the heck man? That hurtttttt,” Tommy whined dramatically.

“That’s for making me think you had a venomous snake.”

Tommy pouted. “Jerk.”

“Child.”

“OI! I AM NOT A CHILD!” Tommy screeched as he tackled Dream.

~-~-~-~

“Alright Tommy, so you need to spread your wings like this...”

The now 14-year-old stood in a clearing with his mothers, Dream watching from nearby.

Tommy spread his light-grey black-tipped wings like Clementine had demonstrated. Tommy had only had wings for two weeks, but he was already itching to fly with them. Clara was able to pinpoint the wings of those of a seagull. Dream agreed that that was probably his hybrid type because Tommy was loud and annoying.

“...now start flapping them.”

Tommy started flapping his wings as hard as he could. Though they were a bit smaller than most, Tommy was determined to get off the ground.

But, just like his last 4 attempts at flying, he couldn’t lift off. Tommy huffed and crossed his arms.

Dream was able to discern Tommy’s rising frustration and walked over to him, putting his hand on Tommy’s shoulder. “You’ll get it eventually, Tommy,” Dream said with a smile. 

Then Dream’s cordial smile turned impish. “Y’know… there’s other ways to teach a fledgling to fly.”

Clementine gave Dream a glare scathing enough to make him shrink back. “We are not throwing my son off a tree.”

Clara walks over and puts a hand on her arm. “It’s not a bad idea. Besides, we’d all be there in case he didn’t fly.”

“Please can we Clem? I want to fly,” Tommy whined. Clementine still looked skeptical.

Tommy softened his voice and looked up at his mom with the sweetest smile he could muster. “Please mum?” he begged with round, pleading eyes.

Clem caved. “Alright,” she sighed. Tommy and Dream cheered.

---

“You ready, Tommy?” Clementine asked.

Tommy nodded from where he was perched in the crook of two branches with his mom.

“Alright. Happy flying!” And without saying anything else, Tommy took a deep breath and jumped.

For a few moments, Tommy just let himself fall, relishing the feeling of wind buffeting his body and sliding through the feathers of his wings. Then, he opened them.

He fell into a glide before deciding to give his black-tipped wings a flap. He shot up.

“WOOOOOO! I’M FLYING! LOOK, I’M FLYING!” Tommy shouted, waving at his flock on the ground.

Clementine flew up beside him. “You’re doing so well,” she said with a proud smile.

Tommy heard more wing beats and looked over to see that Clara and Dream had joined them in the skies.

After only a few minutes, Tommy’s wings started to get tired, a mixture of it being his first flight and his wings being below average in size weighing down on him. When Clara suggested they land, the whole flock agreed.

As soon as their feet had touched the ground once more, Dream walked over to Tommy. “Great job, Toms,” Dream said, ruffling his hair. Tommy chirped with a big smile on his face.

Tommy had never been happier.

Chapter Text

Sadly, happiness does not last.

---

“CLEMENTINE! CLARA!” Dream’s panicked yelling broke through the calm of the cool autumn evening.

Clementine’s head shot up from where she was chopping onions for that night’s dinner. “What’s happening, Dream?” she asked, her calm grey eyes meeting Dream’s terrified sea-green ones.

“There-There’s hunters. They’re on their way here right now!”

Clem’s eyes grew stormy. She looked over at her wife, who was close enough to have heard the whole thing. “Grab Tommy and start packing up anything important. Me and Dream will try and fight them off, but just in case, I want us to be prepared to leave.” Clara nodded and went inside the house to find Tommy.

Clementine ran over to the nearby shed, Dream trailing behind her. She threw open the door, shedding light onto the gardening supplies inside. Ignoring the tools, she immediately went to the back corner. Pushing aside a bag of fertilizer, she reached into the newly revealed hole and pulled out two shining swords.

“Are you ready?” she asked Dream, handing him a sword.

Dream accepted the sword and rolled his shoulders. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

---

“Clara,” Tommy whimpered. “What’s happening?”

“Sh, it’ll be okay, chick,” Clara whispered to him.

Sounds of fighting were heard clearly through the thin walls.

While they were gathering food from the kitchen, the door burst open. Clara spun around, knife gripped in hand, to face the intruder. She lowered it, however, when she realized it was just a bloodied, panting Dream standing in the doorway.

“Clara,” Dream gasped out between breaths. “We gotta go.”

“But what about Clem-”

“She’s dead, Clara,” he interrupted.

Clara covered her mouth with her hands, eyes blown wide. Then, she steeled herself. “Take Tommy and get away,” she said to Dream. “I’ll buy you some time.” Clara’s tone left no room for protest.

“Tommy,” Clara said softly, putting her hand on her son’s shoulder. “You’re going to go with Dream, okay?”

“But what about you?” he sniffled.

“It’ll be okay. But for now, you and Dream need to escape. Fly away and don’t look back, okay?” Tommy nodded and put on a brave face, though he still had tears in his eyes. Clara then pulled Dream and Tommy into a hug. “I love you both so much, and I know Clementine did too. Never forget that. We’ll always be watching over you.” She released them from the hug and pulled off her locket. She clasped it onto Tommy’s neck, then pulled out her earring, a moon charm with a chain that hung down and ended with a diamond. She placed the piece of jewelry in Dream’s hand. “Now go.”

And with that, Clara grabbed a nearby knife and ran out the door. Tommy and Dream grabbed the half-packed bags and ran out through a different door, immediately spreading their wings and pushing off the ground with powerful beats.

They pushed through the air, climbing higher and higher despite the force that wished to pin them down.

When they had gotten high enough to not risk getting hit by a hunter’s arrow or net, Tommy made the mistake of looking back. He saw bloodied bodies scattered across the ground. He saw Clementine’s unmoving form, blood still pumping through a gash on her throat. Worst of all, Tommy saw the exact moment a sword was shoved straight through his mother’s chest. He watched as the sword was pulled out and she collapsed, blood pouring out of the brutal wound. When he saw that, he made a chirp of distress and turned his head back forward, tears spilling out of his eyes.

The brush of feathers against his back startled him into looking back up. He locked eyes with Dream, who gave him a smile, the shakiness betraying his grief at losing the closest things to parents he’d had.

Dream had been abandoned by his biological parents after he grew wings at 15. He’d been living alone when he met Tommy. When Clara and Clementine had found out that he was alone, they invited him into the Innit household and flock.

Now it was just the two of them.

The two boys ended up landing next to a meandering river, both exhausted from flying so much. The sun had long since set when they set up camp.

Dream got a fire going and pulled out some dried meat for Tommy and himself. They both ate in silence, the crackle of the fire and ambience of the forest the only sounds to be heard.

“Dream?” Tommy’s quiet, shaky voice shot through the silence like a bullet. “Are we going to be okay?”

Dream hesitated before blowing out his breath in a deep sigh. “I don’t know Tommy. But whatever happens, I’ll protect you.” Dream pulled his little brother into a hug. “Nothing will hurt you. Not if I can help it.”

Chapter Text

Two blonds clad in green cloaks walked along a cobblestone path, boots crunching in the snow. One wore a red bandana around his neck, sharp blue eyes scanning his surroundings. The other wore a wooden disk-like mask with nothing but a smiley face on it, blocking the world from seeing his face. 

The boys entered a small inn. The dozing receptionist was jolted awake by the shorter of the two, the man clad in green, slammed a bag of coins on the desk.

“We want one room for one night.”

The receptionist looked them both up and down, obviously suspicious, before shrugging and retrieving a room key, as they were not paid enough to care.

“You have room 23,” the receptionist said, sliding the key across the counter. The man in green nodded and his companion mumbled a thank you before they disappeared down the hall.

---

Once they had reached the safety of the room and locked the door, both avians shed their cloaks and released their wings. Dream slipped off his mask, revealing vivid green eyes and a feather-freckled face.

“I thought they were gonna turn us away for sure,” Tommy remarked, hanging up his cloak. 

“Thankfully, they didn’t. I did not want to sleep outside again.”

Dream tossed his mask on the bed and stretched, his wings brushing the far wall of their small room.

The two then started rearranging the blankets and pillows on the bed, Tommy pulling out their own bedding. Soon they had a nice little nest.

Once they were situated, Dream gently pulled one of Tommy’s wings to him and started running his hand through the feathers.

Tommy let out a warbling purr as Dream straightened a particularly messy section, which Dream responded with a small coo.

After Tommy’s wings were preened, he turned and started to sleepily preen his brother’s.

Once they were done preening, they fell into an easy rest, neither woken up from the nightmares that usually haunt them.

---

The next morning, the duo started cleaning up the room. Dream packed things up while Tommy made the bed and picked up the feathers scattered around the floor from the previous night’s preening session. When they were all set, they left the inn, heading to the town’s market area to gather enough supplies to make it to the next town. They didn’t know where they were going, but Dream was determined to find a safe place for them to settle, without fear of being killed simply for being born.

As they entered the town square, they saw a lot more people than they expected. Well, maybe they should have anticipated the crowd with Christmas just around the corner.

On one hand, it was nerve wracking for the two avians, as more people meant a higher chance of being found out. On the other hand, more people brought more money, which meant they had better chances of pickpocketing.

Dream gave Tommy enough coins to buy some last minute items. Then they split up.

Tommy went to the left side of the market and gazed at the stands, swiping the coin pouch of some unsuspecting tourist that walked past. He gathered necessities and coins alike as he walked past the stands.

Soon, Tommy had all the things he needed to get and started counting the coins that he had left. He laughed out loud when he realized that he had stolen more than the amount Dream had given him.

Tommy decided to look around for anything that he could give his brother for the Winter Solstice.

Now, you may be wondering, What’s the Winter Solstice? Well, the Winter Solstice is a holiday celebrated only by avians and their flocks. It is a time for the winged and their families to give thanks for one another.

The festivity’s main events include a special preening session, complete with oils and everything, the building of a flock nest, and the exchange of gifts to show appreciation. It is also tradition for every member of the flock to chip in to prepare a feast.

Tommy couldn’t find anything good enough for his brother until he came to a small stand that sold little trinkets. There he found a small, ivory box with purple trimmings.

He picked up the box and saw the word ‘Mellohi’ carved into the side and filled with gold.

When he opened the box, a song started playing. Tommy stood there throughout the entire song, entranced by the little box. As the final notes played, he knew that the music box was exactly what Dream needed.

Now, normally Tommy would just steal the box with his thieving little seagull hands, but he was going to obtain it legally because it was a Solstice. 

“Excuse me?” Tommy said to the presumed owner of the booth. “How much for this music box?”

The person looked up at Tommy kindly. “I don’t take coins.” they said. “But I do take little doodads as trade.”

Tommy set the box down and rummaged through his bag with a light frown. He wasn’t sure that he had anything of value to trade.

Then he pulled out a small cloth-covered item. Tommy unwrapped it, revealing a red glass figurine. The figure was lovingly named Henry by Tommy, and it was his prized cow.

Tommy held the glass animal out to the shopkeeper. “Will this do as payment?”

The keeper took the figurine gingerly, awe sparkling in their eyes. “Yes, this’ll do. Thank you for your business.” Tommy nodded and left to go meet up with Dream.

---

“...And this is for you.”

The Innit brothers sat in a small nest, safe inside the walls of an inn. They had completed all the traditions for the solstice, except for one. The exchanging of girts.

Tommy had just handed Mellohi to Dream, who’s eyes widened as he held the little box. “Open it,” Tommy said. Dream complied.

The beginning notes of Mellohi filled the small room, pouring out of the little ivory box. The two boys kept quiet, both just taking in the song.

When it ended, Dream chuckled. “What’s so funny?” Tommy demanded.

“Nothing, nothing. Just close your eyes and hold out your hand.” Tommy complied and felt something warm and chain-like fall into his hands. “Now open them.”

Tommy gazed down at his open palms and the necklace that rested inside. He picked it up, the silver chain sliding out of his palm, revealing a small charm. The charm was disc-shaped, a bright green center surrounded by ridged ebony . The strangest thing about it though, was the way the entire necklace seemed to pulse with a light lavender glow.

“Now press your thumb over the disc,” Dream instructed.

When Tommy did so, a gay little tune started playing.

“It’s an enchanted necklace,” Dream said. “Whenever you press your thumb against the charm, Cat will play.”

“Cat?” Tommy questioned, tilting his head.

“That’s what that song is called,” Dream clarified.

“Ohhhh.”

When they were done with the gift exchange, they ate. Their ‘feast’ was more of a large dinner(for them, for most it’d be an average dinner).

Finally, they got in the nest they had built and curled up.

“‘Night Dream,” Tommy mumbled sleepily.

“Goodnight Tommy. Sleep well,” came the reply.

---

“...and then I can take over the world with my many, many women.”

“Okay Tommy.”

The two brothers were walking along a path that wound through the forest. It was now Christmas Eve for humans. There was a gentle sprinkling of snow falling from the sky, white dusting the ground and trees. Due to being out in the wilderness and not having seen a single soul, both boys had their wings out and Dream had his mask off.

“You see, you doubt me now, but you’ll see I’m right when I rule the world. You will be all, oh Tommy I’m so sorry for doubting you, here have all these cookies to show how sorry I am- ”

Dream chuckled as Tommy continued talking in the high-pitched voice. 

The mood shifted, however, when they heard a sharp crack of a stick being broken.

Tommy had gone silent, the cheerful, carefree mood from moments before gone in an instant, his face now filled with dread and fear.

“Great job idiot. They know we’re here now,” a deep voice hissed.

Both boys stiffened hearing that, their minds immediately going to one conclusion. And they did not like what that idea entailed.

From the brush that surrounded them, two men stepped forward. Dream’s eyes jumped to a silver bird emblem pinned to their cloak. Tht symbol only meant one thing, confirming their suspicions. Hunters.

Dream shoved Tommy behind him, watching warily as ten other people stepped out of various places.

The hunters stared at the two Avians. The one that seemed to be the leader cocked his crossbow. “Well well well. What have we here?” His face broke out into a savage grin. “We’re getting paid tonight boys!” And at that, they hunters attacked.

Dream and Tommy took off into the air, intending to use the out that nature gave them. However, before they could get very far, Tommy let out a yelp, an arrow sticking out of his bicep. Dream looked at him, concern clear on his face, going stationary for a moment.

But, as you know, a moment is all it takes for things to go wrong.

Dream made a loud, pained chirp as an arrow went through his left wing, which was quickly followed by a second arrow right where the wing connected to the back. Cheers went up from the hunters as the hit wing went limp, sending him plummeting towards the ground.

“DREAM!” Tommy dove to catch his brother, his below-average sized wings straining to hold the weight of two people, even if those two people were both malnourished Avians.

The excited yells from below grew louder as Tommy struggled.

“Tommy, you need to take this and go,” Dream said, handing his bag of supplies to him.

“No! I’m not leaving you behind!” Tommy shouted, tears in his eyes.

“You have to go! Otherwise they’ll just catch us both,” Dream pleaded.

“I don’t want to lose you like I lost them!” Tommy shrieked.

Dream’s eyes softened, though panic still showed through. “It’ll be alright. We’ll meet again someday. Now fly away.”

Dream started struggling in Tommy’s hold, causing it to loosen and for Dream to fall. As he did he screamed for Tommy to leave.

And he did, feeling like a coward the entire time.