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One would say that running away from your family was bad.
One might say it would be the most horrific thing any kid would commit to doing.
But Tommy wasn’t breaking anything from that rule, because they were not his fucking family.
The tired thought that lay inside his brain had been a mess. Playing with his emotions as if his head hadn't been played already with the two people that had wholeheartedly claimed themselves as Tommy's guardians. That had given him smiles and laughter and chokes and sorrows and Tommy couldn't fucking keep up with it.
But the masked man gave him words with a confident manner about the rules of running away. How the punishments he once described drove Tommy miles away from comfort, leaving him in fright as he promised to never leave, to never abandon such good parents. Tommy would never do things that painted him as a bad child, would he? He'd never betray them.
But that point of view caressing destruction Tommy had for a while had been broken by his feet stomping on the forbidden grass, running in the direction of his eternal freedom. With a joyful grin that took place on his face, full of eyes that coated within hope and glamour. That Tommy had realized to himself that he had set himself free.
Oh, how the breath of fresh air rested against his nose, how soothing it was to leave his worries behind. The taste of freedom had never been better. He wasn't going to regret this.
Yet, he felt a bitter shame rising inside his stomach. The idea of faces laced with disappointment depended upon his… everywhere. All over his senses screaming at him to picture the saddened look of his guardians. Tommy brushed the feeling off. They weren't even his family, they would never be.
So Tommy ran.
Because the option of going back was too late.
In fact, he had planned this for a while. The perfect escape strategy. He would take notes of quite literally everything; where Dream would come home, when they would have dinner, where Punz would do his usual 'sitting on his porch with a bored look and allowing Tommy to mess with them' kind of thing. Sometimes he would find Dream coming to his room, either to praise or to scream at him with no logical explanation.
Dream would say he was just tired after that or was just 'satisfied', yet it didn't make any sense. Tommy would hate it, the thing absolutely frustrated him to an extreme degree. At least with Punz, he understood. The man was being nice to him, and Tommy expected it to be truly out of kindness. With Dream, it was confusing. One minute he threatened to kill and revive him over and over again, sending shivers down his spine. And the next Dream would peacefully pull him to an embrace, not saying a word as he rested his chin against Tommy's head.
Tommy considered Dream doing those things to play mind games, but in some rare times, the hug felt somewhat genuine.
He had a plan of escaping. In the afternoon, on certain occasions Dream would leave the house, Punz would later follow. That would leave Tommy alone in the house, nobody coming to bother and nobody coming to save.
So he plotted to tidy the house, make his room a mess, and leave the fuck out of that hellhole. In fear of getting tracked, he didn't bring his communicator with him. Tommy wasn't sure if tracking a device was even possible, but Dream and Punz were simply capable of anything. He had to prepare for the worst outcomes.
Though, he could say he came overprepared. Perhaps remembering every schedule Dream would do for endless weeks was unnecessary. He could've just gained their approval and run once the timing was perfect. But hey, the result will be worth it soon.
He gazed at the sky and fuck, this feeling was gratifying. It was gleeful. To be able to smile, to be able to let his soul breathe freely without the possibility of being entrapped. His hands met the bushes that colored his vision, the wind blowing his surroundings as it whistled.
Dancing around, Tommy let himself fall to the ground, laughing and crying tears of joy. He was free, damn it. It was too easy, too fucking easy that he suspected something would be crawling behind his back. The thought crossed his mind, but Tommy paid his mind to something else.
He raised his body, sitting and stretching as he rubbed his face. Dry mud was all over his hands, and he once again filled the silence of the forest with his giggles.
Living in that house had made Tommy's thinking all mushed and drained, so the plan of going back to the greater SMP appeared to be a lot harder than he originally thought. And spending time sitting in this lost area would do nothing to him. Getting up, he cleaned the dust that was placed over his clothes. His white cardigan was still intact, he discovered. And it made him sigh with relief as he smiled.
He started walking, putting on some speed as he searched for signs of life. He'd forgotten to pack some food for the journey, thus Tommy's inventory remained empty with nothing but carrots. It was a good thing he had eaten before jumping out of the damn window, though regarding how long it would take for his travel he needed food somehow. Eh, the thing he could do now was to enjoy the ride.
Tommy was in the middle of observing a tree, which once reminded him of the L'Mantree when all of a sudden his ears perked to something he hadn't heard in such a very long time.
"Tommy?!" A voice called out his name, the noise that tailed across his hearing shocked him in part because of how familiar it was.
The teen stopped in his tracks. Freezing in the familiar yet peculiar voice who had exclaimed his precise name. His heart dug and his legs halted out of impact.
"Tubbo?"
Even his mouth wavered, trembling with the sentiment of his best friend's name. He hadn't muttered such a thing in an extended time. How the fuck was Tubbo here? Did he track him? Did he come all the way over to this secluded place just to save his pitiful sight? Was Tubbo coming to save him?
Despite that, he felt his face baffling in excitement. Because Tubbo was here. He didn't know how, or why, or when, but all he cared about was that he was here. In the same distance as Tommy, calling out his name.
Thrilling with overwhelming emotions, Tommy let his gratefulness linger in the air before opening his lips, beaming to his tone. "Tubbo! Prime, man, where are you?!"
Tubbo didn't seem to answer his question, because Tommy heard him swear, "damn it, this stupid fuckin' thing!" It was probably the stupid tree roots spreading around the ground, he knew that on a spiritual level. This place was exceptionally massive.
"Tubbo, hold on! I'm coming to you!" Tommy yelled, not holding back his cheerfulness as he let out another laugh, bouncing. His body was sparking in drastic energy and fueling his feet to run in the path of the voice. He'd accidentally forgotten the former way, but he just needed to get to Tubbo, and it will all be okay again.
"Tommy, where are you right now?!" Tubbo shouted again, showing concern by how frantic his vocal was.
"I'm here, Tubbo! Just give me a sec. Calm down!" Replying in a hurry, Tommy fastened his tracks, avoiding the trees and bushes and the weariness climbing to his throat. It was a bit exhausting to run aimlessly without having sight of any figures.
He let his mind jump thought after thought of hanging out with Tubbo again, rambling on how much a dickhead Dream was for kidnapping him and planning on how he would kick his ass the next time he saw him. He kept running, the wind blowing against his hair as he smiled. Tommy glanced all around, jabbering, "Tubso, are you here?!"
"Tommy, oh my god, man. It's been so long, where the fuck have you been?!"
Can Tubbo even hear him? He supposed not.
Perhaps Tommy was too quiet, except he couldn't believe that. He had shouted as hard as he could, there was no way Tubbo couldn't hear that. Or maybe, Dream and Punz had broken Tommy to the point where his mouth couldn't mutter a single word without stuttering, in fear of disappointing them.
Either way, he wasn't going to let this feeling linger around. He was going to escape.
Tubbo's babbling was still out afar, wherever that was. Tommy took a relief inside because his rambles can still be heard, he could just follow it. "Tubbo, just keep talking! I'll come to you!"
He didn't stop talking, that was good. Wasn't it? He could follow it, and he could finally meet Tubbo again. It had been so, so long since he saw his face. He missed it, he longed for it. And he was actually going to get it. He was going to see Tubbo!
Tommy couldn't let his enthusiasm wait as he started to run faster, continuing to move rapidly to the source of Tubbo's yammering. Jumping through the bushes and plants, his energy never even ran out, only growing higher when the source became closer and closer. Until he suspected that it was right in front of him. Waiting to be uncovered, for Tommy to grab Tubbo instantly and hug him.
Vines from the trees blocked his path, therefore slowing down his frantic pace and causing him to slip over. Dust plastered against his face, yet he couldn't focus on that. Focusing on anything else would be stupid when his best friend was waiting on the other side. To open his arms, inviting him to the touch.
Eyes fluttering wide open at a small tract of land with fewer trees, Tommy then sprinted towards the clearing in hope of Tubbo's presence. His throat was dry due to the lack of water, followed by his breaths heavy out of exhaustion, simply wanting Tommy to stop first. He failed to notice it.
The trail rendered vividly, with that Tommy jumped to avoid the roots creeping the whole ground. Landing perfectly on the spot he formerly heard Tubbo from.
"TUBBO!"
Tommy uttered aloud.
But no one was here.
That wasn't possible, was it? He explicitly heard the source from here. So where was that boy? Perhaps he went the wrong way, but his instincts frequently echoed to him that it was right. That Tubbo was here. Tommy pulled his hair, eyeing at every corner of the forest, seeking for an elaboration. He took this chance to relax his limbs.
Tommy had gone far away from his earlier spot, that should be the least of his worries. He needed to find Tubbo as well. With that, he cried out his name, "Tubbo! Where are you?!"
No answer, as supposed. His confusion converted into fury as his eyebrows furrowed. Clenching fists with his mixed emotions, Tommy cried out again. "This isn't funny, Tubbo!" He held back the nervous laugh that escaped his lips. "C'mon! I just heard from you before!"
The densely wooded area sang empty, with nothing but Tommy inside, "TU-"
Before he could even finish his words, a hand viciously yanked him from behind, sending him stumbling backward and falling to the obscure arms.
The boy panicked, gasping as his body was pinned. Suffocating through the tight grip which clutched onto him to prevent Tommy from falling. He jerked violently, doing anything to make them let go. His legs thrashed all over the place, and his captor seemed to have no struggle despite his kicking. Wait, he recognized that cloth from anywhere.
Punz.
Dread reached to his back, skin crawling with a rush of fearful anticipation. Feeling the urge to cry whether out of regret or anger, he wanted to utter something to them. Although, he couldn't afford the time to do such a thing when a head leaned down to his ear. "I really put my trust in you, kid." Punz sighed sullenly, "Guess you didn't care."
Tommy glared at practically nothing, energy starting to drain as he held his lungs to breathe just because it felt wrong. Instincts yelling at him to give himself up, to give in already, stop trying to run away. This is your forever home, don't you see—
He shook his head, not yet, no. Tommy resisted his anxiety and thoughts bursting him into a shell of his former self. Not again, he still had faith to break loose, to run free once more, to get out from this cage. He tasted freedom just a time ago, he could taste it again. He wanted it again.
But, something didn't make sense.
Where was Tubbo?
That brunette couldn't just appear out of nowhere and disappear. So where the fuck was he?
Making one more effort to wallow once more, he sighed tiredly when the grasp just tightened more. But his eye caught a glimpse at the shadow of a figure, emerging out to the open path as it approached condescendingly. The green he saw every day so much that he remembered every single bit came into view, and the boy laughed bashfully. Tommy wanted to cry, scream and kick and jab. Physically, nothing in his senses moved.
Dream revealed himself, his broken mask showing nothing but his demented expression.
Repressing his itch to laugh or cry, he only backed up, resulting in him burying himself in Punz's arms more just to avoid that green bitch. Punz was maintaining both of his arms, the firm grip was tight, yet gentle. Like they were careful with holding him. Not intense enough to hurt, but not faint for them to let him go. Maybe Punz really did care- or was that a lie?
What grabbed Tommy's attention wasn't only Dream, it was the communicator the man held so highly, mocking him in front of his face. It wasn't any comm he'd taken, that belonged to Tommy. Dream must've seen it after he found out about Tommy's disappearance and lured him into his trap.
Oh, he was a stupid fucking idiot.
Then again, how did Dream manage to make Tubbo seem like he was talking to him?
As if he read his mind, Dream twisted his head to the device, the corner of his lips jerking upwards resembling a smile in his own sick way. He touched a button, and the noise his own comm made ensued Tommy to startle the shit out of him. Because what Dream used as Tubbo was definitely Tubbo and not some fake he thought it was.
"Oh, good! You were on hold for like a minute now! I was getting worried," a voice that certainly belonged to Tubbo spoke, Tommy's eyes widened, freezing in his spot. "But you still haven't answered me, though."
"Wait, Tubbo?" Tommy whispered to himself, barely audible to anyone. "TUBBO—" His scream was cut off by a forceful hand covering his mouth. His sayings were muffled through the closed fingers, and he tried so, so hard to be released from their grip. Punz relentlessly kept both of his arms pinned, making Tommy's effort awfully useless.
Tubbo was still talking to the blond's surprise, but his rambles were blocked off, coming out as incomprehensible to his ears. Because all he wanted was for him to acknowledge that he was here. He was being captured in a deadly biome with nothing but two of his guardians. He wanted Tubbo to stop fucking talking and please listen to him—
Dream grinned maliciously, both at the communicator and Tommy as his whimpers came out suppressed. He wasn't struggling anymore, only having to care about talking to Tubbo.
"Tommy, you're there, right? Sorry that I've been talking about myself, bossman." He squalled, hinting at unease as he paused. "Been a little worried here."
Please know! Please know-
Chuckling lightly, Dream stared at his device, gesturing his head to it. What escaped his lips was unexpected, yet he predicted it the second he saw Dream.
"Hi, Tubbo."
The voice abruptly stopped, before stuttering a word Tommy very much despised.
"Dream?"
Dream dropped the communicator to the ground, crushing it with his netherite boot.
The devastation coming across Tommy's muffled cries were, to say, gut-wrenching by how shaken and desperate it sounded, even Punz flinched, plainly startled. Dream didn't stop crushing the evidently broken comm, submitted to the broken smashing noise, and concluding with the wicked smile that was drawn over his face, no doubt he was enjoying it.
He stopped, eventually, leaving Tommy's communicator all fractured and damaged, everything left to small bits. Quickly ignoring the swore thing he had just destroyed, Dream steadily glided to Tommy, cheekily falling his eyes onto the boy. Keeping his distance, Dream then paused.
Putting his arms inside his cloak, he gently said, "You're there, right?"
He was repeating Tubbo's words, he was humiliating him. The thought made him sick in the stomach, fury mostly wavering away as what was left inside him turned to mush, too screwed to be put into words. As though fragments of his feelings were blending together in one giant messed-up pot of his brain.
Glaring at Dream, he repositioned himself to lurch off away from the masked man. Though seemingly pointless with Dream regarding his attention to Punz, before he got dropped to the ground, exhaling air with a cough.
Tommy kept his body stable, or at least, tried to. As he was kneeling to the floor, Tommy started to laugh.
Dream just stood there, the only thing Tommy could see was his netherite boots, the one that scorched his only way out of the hellhole he was in. The only way he could get to Tubbo, and Dream ruined it.
The laughs he held were infuriating, burning his insides and choking to his throat. As if his own provoked laughs were suffocating him. Wailing his internal guts before his eyes watered, vision fading and filling with tears.
Only hiccups accompanied the woods. And Tommy squirmed a bit when a hand slid underneath his chin, gently forcing him to meet his gaze.
The fucking smile Tommy grew so accustomed to, was spread across his face. With the scar he gave him during what he thought would be the end of all their disc wars, and green poisonous eyes intoxicating a part of his body. His mask only covered half of his face, which further terrified him.
"Tommy," Dream started, too calm, too soft. "You're such a headache. You know that, right?"
Unable to even slightly move his head, not caused by the hand stroking his face. It was ignited by the hopelessness that reminded him there was nothing left to do. Tommy didn't even blink for a few seconds.
His quiet sobs and gasps made Dream smile wider, in reflex Tommy sobbed. Nonetheless, the teen nodded. Dream faintly chuckled, crouching down to Tommy's level as their eyes meet.
"Good, I wouldn't know what to do if you didn't." Sarcasm was painted in the tone, yet he somehow still managed to keep that sharp softness puzzling with his head. Dream caressed his tears with his thumbs, the touch felt like a dangerous sting.
"I was worried, y'know. Seeing you leaving without any trace. Though, I was impressed."
Tilting his head, Dream said, "you're getting good at this."
But he moved closer to the boy's side, whispering, "fortunately, we're better."
Tommy whimpered, body trembling as the grass beneath him itched his legs. Eyes glaring to the man.
"Do you want to know that-" Dream exchanged looks to the figure behind, "-this thing was Punz's idea."
"What? Punz wouldn't-" He flinched at his own cracking voice. The man nodded. He was startled again by the touch on his shoulder, Punz's hand burning into his skin. Tommy's courage to scowl at Punz had died down, eradicated into the crying mess of him now.
Punz assured, "I… I knew how much you missed him, so…" They trailed off. Tommy felt as if the world crumbled upon him, he couldn't believe it. Even if their expression was out of his sight, the boy could feel the satisfaction drawn. "Y-You— why would you do that..?"
Dream snickered, "Isn't Punz so generous?"
The gentle contact from Punz, the choking grip Dream held to his cheek, befuddling him as he loosely let the man's fixed look inject his mind. It was clear that they cared, giving him kinds of love and adoration. As what a family would.
It was then Tommy realized:
He was never getting out of here.