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Tommy had been staying with Tubbo for a couple of months at this point. The eerie silence in the house was a little unnerving at first but Tubbo grew used to his usually boisterous friend’s sudden newfound change in mannerism. Although deep down he knew it wasn't quite as simple.
Tubbo doesn’t know the specifics of what had happened, but he knew it was all because of Dream. Ever since the ram hybrid encountered Tommy while on his way back to Snowchester, (It’s hard to quite call it ‘home’ anymore), he had been haunted by his blank stare and quiet footsteps around the house as the boy wandered, otherwise being dead silent.
After finding Tommy he had immediately brought him home and tried to get information out of him, begging for some sort of answer as to what happened to the blonde, only to be met with deafening silence.
Although Tommy wasn’t quite blonde anymore, his hair now completely snow-white, almost like a ghost. Tubbo hated comparing his friend to the undead, but there was no denying how impactful the hair change had, the meaning it held.
The only time anyone’s hair changed color to white, especially this early in age (aside from Fundy's that is), was if you were revived.
If you lost all three lives, that was it, there was no returning from that final death… That was until Dream started flaunting his fancy revive book. Happily demonstrating its powers by taking Tommy’s final life while they were both locked in the prison cell together, and brought the poor boy back to life with practically a flick of his wrist.
When Tubbo first saw his best friend once he was finally released from the prison he noticed the white streak in his hair. Well, actually, first he gave him a big hug, but afterwards, when they finally pulled apart Tubbo finally got a good look at him, wiping the tears out of his blurry eyes he saw the unmistakable white curl in his bangs starting straight from the roots all the way to the tips.
When Wilbur was revived by Dream he too had the streak in his hair, this time more noticeable against his chocolate brown locks. That's when Tubbo knew that white meant a sign of death, or, more accurately, resurrection.
So, upon seeing Tommy's full white head of hair for the first time, deep down Tubbo had a pretty strong feeling he knew what happened.
That doesn't mean he wanted to believe it.
And so, Tubbo invited Tommy to stay with him, promising to keep him safe. He didn't specify who or what he would keep Tommy safe from but it wasn't just Dream who caused Tommy heartache. He'd keep him safe from anyone who would ever try to hurt the boy. Techno, Wilbur, Sam, Tubbo himself…
Tommy, despite not showing much if any emotion, still managed to express his weariness to the other boy. Maybe it's because Tubbo grew up with him, had been with the boy at his most highs, and seen him at his lows. He understood, Tommy had reason to be wary.
Tubbo really hasn't been the best of friends lately.
But after bringing him to Snowchester, walking him around the small house, showing him where he'd sleep, he noticed the white-haired boy's shoulders relax just a bit. The tension easing away bit by bit, though obviously all of his worries didn't just fade away from a bit of kindness, but it was a start.
Snowchester had gotten so quiet after… everything. His child missing, his husband murdered, all at once, it was silent. It was just him, in the silent empty house.
If he closed his eyes Tubbo could imagine hearing the sounds of his child's laughter, his husband pacing the halls, building blocks toppling down onto the shaggy carpet, Ranboo's soft laugh filling in any awkward silence-
He can't be thinking about that now. He has to take care of Tommy, and he wasn't going to fuck up this time.
Tommy at first wouldn't do much. At most he would sit on the sidelines, or simply stand along the wall, blending in with the shadows, damn near invisible. If Tubbo didn’t know any better, or had a memory as bad as his late husband’s, he wouldn't’ve been able to tell that Tommy was in the same room as him he was so silent.
Tommy seemed to prefer to watch as Tubbo lived his normal day-to-day life, following him around the large mansion like a lost duckling. Eventually, Tommy seemed to have memorized his morning routines and would wake himself up earlier than the ram so he could make Tubbo breakfast, and remembered what his common daily tasks were and would follow to help with whatever he could.
Despite how quiet the boy had become, this is the most lively the mansion has been in months. What Tommy can’t convey in words he makes up for in his actions.
When Tubbo has trouble getting out of bed in the morning, Tommy is there to serve him breakfast and a mug of coffee.
When Tubbo needs a pair of extra hands with a project he’s working on, Tommy is quickly at his side, his strangely calm demeanor, in turn, effectively calming Tubbo down from any worries he might’ve had.
When Tubbo, on maternal instinct, heats up a bottle of warm milk in the afternoon for a child that's no longer there, Tommy is there as a shoulder to cry on. Soothing him best he can by patting his back as he sobs, weeping for the child he can’t hold, the child he can’t find, the child his husband had died protecting.
~~~~~
Tubbo enjoyed going on walks, it helped him think, or help distract him from thinking too much. As Tommy was memorizing his daily routine he quickly realized how important walks were to the teen. He’d join the hybrid on his walks, taking in the beautiful scenery. The tall trees covered in glistening snow, the small birds with their sweet tunes, the small animals and the small imprints of their feet they’d make along the trail.
After the first couple of weeks, Tubbo explained to the silent teen that he didn’t need to follow him around, especially on his long walks, if he didn’t want to. Tommy in return said nothing as he followed him out the next day for his afternoon walk. Tubbo chuckled at his friend, recognizing his stubbornness. Tommy had continued to join in his walks ever since.
And today was not much different. After having breakfast in the morning, and doing some cleaning around the house, he finally put on his walking boots and a thick jacket, ready for the long walk. Tommy quickly understood the actions and went to put his own boots on.
Tommy didn’t quite feel the cold, that or he just didn’t care to make a big deal over the frigid temperature, and so never used jackets of any kind while in Snowchester. Tubbo had tried multiple times to get him to wear warmer articles of clothing, Tommy only seeming to care for wearing his usual red and white t-shirt and khakis along with the many bandages that littered his limbs and torso, hiding his many wounds. Despite what sweatshirts or coats he’d hand him Tommy would just shrug them off. Eventually, Tubbo stopped pressuring him, trusting that if the boy really was too cold he’d grab one of the spare coats by the door. Today was no different.
Tommy, simply fine with his usual attire, followed the ram hybrid as he stepped out the front door, and so the two started on their trek. The walks were pretty much the same each time, maybe a change in how many birds were out singing, how many animal tracks were littered in the snow. Sometimes to make it more interesting Tubbo would take a slightly different path than usual, Tommy enjoyed the new scenery sometimes.
They made their way down the dirt road, enjoying the fresh air. Tommy’s eyes trailed the small pawprints following alongside the path. Keeping Tubbo in his line of sight, he gazed into the woods, trying to see if he could spot any deer or other wood animals. He squinted to see through the trees as they moved, looking for any natural hues of brown or black.
He always enjoyed watching animals, it calmed him down, watching them live their animal lives, having nothing to worry about other than collecting enough food and keeping out of sight of predators.
But what if the predator found him ?
Instead of any natural muddy colors, usually found in animals that live in the woods in order to camouflage better with their surroundings, he spotted a bright, almost neon green, that stuck out like a sore thumb, and was headed his way.
Tommy ceased his walking, Tubbo, quickly upon hearing the other pair of footsteps pause, stopped walking as well, turning to check on the other teen.
“Tommy?” the hybrid questioned. “Tommy, what’s wrong?”
Tommy, of course, said nothing in response. Simply staring straight ahead as the green figure grew closer.
Tommy recognized that green. It wasn’t the calming green of the pine nettles or of the small tufts of grass that poke out from under the snow. Nor was it the comforting dull green of Tubbo’s soft flannel.
No, this was a tantalizing, sickly green. One that carried memories of gunpowder and broken bones, of scorching obsidian and cold lonely nights.
Tommy stood frozen, sneakers anchored in the powder snow. Tubbo, concerned for his friend's sudden change in demeanor, noticed his staring and followed his eyes. The ram found himself staring face to face with a monster.
Dream.
“ Shit ,” Tubbo muttered to himself and ran the short distance to where Tommy had stopped. “Tommy c’mon we gotta move.” He grabbed onto Tommy’s bandaged arm starting to tug a bit, willing his friend to follow.
Tommy stood stoic and still, eyes never leaving the approaching figure. Eventually, Dream came to the edge of the woods, where the trees meet the road. The smiling mask sat on his face, hiding his upper features. He smiled wide.
“Hello, Tommy.” Dream hummed. Voice sounding like saccharine, sweet enough to make any child feel comfortable enough to run into the strange man’s arms without a second thought. But not Tommy. He’d already fallen for the man’s tricks before, and he paid the price.
“Dream!” The ram hybrid hissed in warning. He went to step in front of Tommy, putting distance between the boy and Dream. The masked man in return only smiled wider, cockiness ever shown just by his smile alone. Tubbo growled in hatred, soft fuzzy goat ears pinned back in anger, but as well as fear. He held a shaky hand up to the side in an attempt to shield the boy further, stance wide and strong in case he were to be attacked by the trespassing man.
With a tilt of his head, either to look past the young teen or to further aggravate the hybrid with the waves of cockiness emanating from him, (or simply both), Dream ignored the shorter teen. “I haven’t seen you for a long time,” he reminisced to Tommy as if he were talking to an old friend.
Tommy started to shake. His eyes impossibly widened further, a flood of memories he had tried to suppress swarmed his mind. In one motion he bent over, finally breaking eye contact with the figure, yet continuously staring at seemingly nothing, and brought his arms up to the side of his head, trying to stop the onslaught of thoughts, emotions, feelings, everything he had been distancing himself from.
He was so scared when Dream first found him, he had broken out of prison with the promise of making Tommy's life a living hell, and he was there to fulfill that promise. The man had stalked towards him, terrifyingly large axe in hand and a crazed glint in his eye, mask discarded. The man’s smile was so wide, he was laughing. He had tried to run, to get away, to find someone, anyone, to save him. He stumbled, tripped, sat frozen in fear.
There was so much blood, the axe practically coated in it. Blood splattered on Dream’s jacket, his hands, his face. He could feel the thick liquid dripping down his own shivering form, oozing from the large gashes on his arms, torso, face. He sobbed, begging for the pain to stop. He screamed in pain every time the axe came down, but the swings never stopped, and neither did the manic laughing erupting from the man above him.
Every time he took his last breath he would just come back, right back into Dream’s grasp, reopening his slow-healing wounds, painting the ground in a thin layer of the crimson liquid mixed with tears and spit.
Could no one hear his screams, his cries, his pleads? He screamed so loud, why was no one coming for him? Did they really not hear him, or was he not worth saving? Did no one truly care about him? Was he not good enough to make saving him worth anyone's time? His screams slowed as a strong scarred hand came up to constrict his throat, he quieted with the lack of room for his vocal chords to move freely.
When he ran out of breath and his lungs tried to inhale more oxygen he found it difficult, only able to get a little in at a time. He realized the only way to get anyone to hear was to scream louder, so he took a shuddering breath.
And he screamed.
Tubbo’s head whipped around to see Tommy. The hybrid's terrified scarred face flooded with grief at the sounds of Tommy’s haunting screams. The boy had his hands continuing to press down on the sides of his head as he made the first noise he had made in months. His voice cracking due to lack of use, almost unrecognizable.
Little did Tubbo realize, the amount of times Dream had destroyed the boy's vocal chords, snapped his neck in two, choked him until he stopped breathing, was too many times to count. Dream, having been too caught up in the adrenaline of killing the boy over and over couldn’t even keep track himself.
Then, suddenly, he dropped to the ground, still cradling his skull in his arms, his knees now soaking in the snow and mud. His screaming never stopped, it was so loud that it echoed through the trees. The hoarse, high-pitched screams hurt Tubbo’s sensitive ears which swiveled farther to the back of his head, this time in an attempt to quiet down the sound as they ringed painfully.
“Tommy!” Tubbo called, terror filling his veins. Tears brimmed at his eyes making them blurry. Fuck. The first time Tommy has shown any emotion or made any sound in months and this is what does it? His hands clenched into shaking fists in frustration, tears finally spilling over. That fucker .
He quickly raced towards his friend, adrenaline making him take priority of his friend's mental well-being over that of the green bitch behind him.
“Tommy, it's okay! I’m here!” He sobbed, he neared Tommy’s curled up form on the ground. He sat there dumbly, not knowing if it was okay to touch him. The boy yelled out again, raw with pain, he could only imagine the thoughts racing through his head. Tommy’s eyes looked far off, like he was somewhere else at that very moment.
“Tommy!” He attempted to gain the screaming boy’s attention, practically drowned out by the sounds that came from the other. “Tommy, you’re okay! You’re in Snowchester, here, with me!” Tubbo fumbled with his hands, scrubbing the tears from his face. “Tommy, please! Tommy come back, come back to me!” He yelled over his screams, trying to get through to the teen.
Behind the two boys, Dream still stood grinning from ear to ear, seemingly pleased with his results, he started inching towards the two crying teens.
He was about a foot away when another pair of footprints was heard. Momentarily startled, he turned to see the sheep hybrid, Puffy, slightly out of breath, followed by Sapnap who was equally fatigued.
Dream stood there in shock, not expecting sudden guests. Sapnap took advantage of the temporarily frozen man and ran straight towards him, tackling him down, pinning his chest to the ground, and restrained his arms behind his back. Dream, finally realizing the situation he's in, tried his best to struggle, attempting to buck the other man off of him, but the pyromaniac was one step ahead, moving to pin his legs down using his own.
"Stay the fuck down, Dream." He hissed in the other man's ear, letting out puffs of visible breath in the cold air as he was still partially out of breath. "You're a fucked up son of a bitch y'know that?" Sapnap groaned. He was frankly done putting up with Dream's shit. Dream only chuckled.
While Sapnap was busy wrestling Dream, Puffy ran over to the two teens, noting that Tommy's heart-wrenching screams had noticeably calmed by the time they got there. Tubbo continued to sob as he tried to communicate with the hyperventilating teen in front of him, all while trying to keep his own breathing in check.
Puffy frowned at the sight, no children should ever have gone through what these two have, let alone any children in this SMP. She gently reached an arm out and rested her hand on Tubbo’s trembling shoulder, making the boy jump in surprise. He quickly turned, his wet glossy eyes met Puffy’s, her trademark sunglasses resting atop her head as she gazed at the boy.
“It’s gonna be okay.” She promised and squeezed his shoulder once. Tubbo sniffed loudly and nodded, taking the back of his hand and once again attempting to wipe his face of tears and snot, yet failing miserably as any he’d wipe away was immediately replaced. Puffy smiled softly at the boy, then turned her attention to Tommy.
Tommy sat hugging himself even tighter, tears mixing with snot as he cradled his sides which heaved with each breath he took.
“Hey, Tommy. Can you hear me?” The boy let out a low whine, moving his hands back to his skull, holding on even tighter. “Hey, it's alright Tommy, there's nothing to worry about. How about you follow my breathing, yeah? In for 4, hold for 7, and then out 8. Do you think you can do that?” Tommy only whined louder in response. “Okay, let's try it okay? Tubbo you should try too.” She gently encouraged.
As the three continued with breathing exercises Sapnap was busy using his communicator, Dream being tied up momentarily, long enough for Sapnap to call backup. “What the hell do you mean? Where’s Sam then?” He hissed into the device. There was silence once again, he paced back and forth, seemingly not enjoying the conversation on the other end, then finally, “Fine, then you get over here… I don’t give a shit if Wilbur’s causing you problems with your casino gambling Las Nevadas shit, we got more important things to deal with. You can't tell me where Sam is, so you’re gonna come over here and help me deal with this fucker.”
Dream sat in silence as he listened, quickly untying the ropes around his wrists behind him at the mention of the casino owner, no doubt he was talking to Quackity. He had to get out of here.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. I don’t care who you bring, just get over here, and fast.” A beep was heard as Sapnap disconnected the line, shoving the communicator back in his pocket. He turned back around to face Dream, only to find a pile of rope on the ground and the masked man stood up, slowly backing away from him, back towards the woods. “Hey!” Then he took off.
Sapnap cursed to himself and ran after him, over root and under branch, making sure he doesn’t give the masked man enough time to climb one of the many rows of trees. If he manages that there's no telling where he’d go. He quickly pulled his communicator back out, keeping an eye on the escapee, messaging Puffy what had happened, then once again swiftly dialed his estranged fiancé. “Quackity, there might be a slight change in plans.”
“Are you starting to feel any better, Tommy?” Puffy asked softly. The boy’s breathing had slowed tremendously. Finally gaining some clarity, he looked at Puffy, then to Tubbo who still sat with him, then back to the woman. He gave a weak nod, so small that if Puffy’s eyes hadn’t been locked with the child from the moment she knelt beside him she would’ve most definitely missed it. She smiled, thankful that Tommy was able to properly respond this time.
“Is it okay if I touch you?” Tubbo spoke up, voice trembling as he awaited the answer. His arms shivered as they hovered in front of himself, wanting nothing more than to wrap themselves around the teen and never part. Tommy nodded again with a sniff, this time with a bit more vigor. Tubbo slowly reached out, as not to startle him further, and grabbed ahold of his shaking hands with his own. He squeezed them gently and earned a squeeze back. Tubbo chuckled softly, tears starting up once again.
Tubbo couldn’t stop mentally beating himself. He swore to protect his only friend left and yet he failed when the boy needed him most. He couldn’t even stop Dream from hurting him again, no matter physically or mentally. He fucked up, and he doesn’t know how he can possibly fix this.
There was only a moment of silence before Tommy started pulling the ram hybrid closer to himself, Tubbo quickly understood and scooted up closer to wrap his arms around the taller teen. Tommy gently embraced him with shaking arms, still not quite over the shock. Tubbo cried softly into his shoulder, holding him close, but not tight enough to constrict him.
Puffy sighed as she glanced at her communicator. She sent back a quick message then immediately pocketed the device, turning her attention back to the two boys. Tubbo turned back towards her, eyes glancing around the clearing, sniffling once again.
“W-What happened to Dream?” asked the ram. He tried to say it much like he believed a strong-willed adult would, but in reality, it came out more like a scared whine. Tommy squeezed him closer at the name. “Sorry,” Tubbo mumbled, not wanting to frighten his friend more, and squeezed back.
“Sapnap chased him down, with help from a few others. You’re safe.” Puffy held back some information that might throw the teens back into a panic, opting to make sure the children felt safe and secure. Or, well, as safe as they could possibly be in this scenario. She knew the two would never truly be safe, no one here ever was. You always had to be on your toes if you were to survive in this SMP, no one knew it better than those two, who have lived through it all.
Tubbo gave her a look, a look she couldn’t quite place, but she could guess its meaning. Tubbo isn’t dumb, she knew that. He probably recognizes her lies, but he does nothing to argue. He simply turns away, and lies in the snow, holding onto the only friend he has left, and Tommy, the same.