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Do you ever get the feeling you're being watched? Do you ever feel that your past is coming to haunt you like the old ghosts in your life? Ghosts that continue to haunt you and follow you around like it's you they want and it's only a matter of time?
Though times were quiet on the server, there was always something happening, always something going on whether Tommy knew about it, or not. The only person who's ever been able to shield him from the things going on on the server was Wilbur, his best friend and his brother. With the man back he felt safe from outside things and troubles.
No matter what happened there was always Wilbur. The only solid and stable thing in his life. By all means Wilbur was not stable but he was constant enough for Tommy to cling to. So that's all he did, besides, he was all the boy had left.
That morning Tommy came out of his house and saw a sign on his lawn, a short message from Wilbur saying for him to meet him by the start of Prime Path, near the community house so they could talk. Then, at the end it was signed 'Wilby', and he couldn't help the smile that grew on his face. So with all the eagerness he could muster up he got ready, said goodbye to Shroud and left for his way.
As he started to walk towards the newly done path, he started to wonder why he woke up so late. From the looks of it, there was only a couple of hours of sunshine left. He hoped Wilbur wouldn’t mind if they met so late. He has no idea how long the man had been waiting for him in the first place and he didn’t want him to be mad. The last thing he would want is for Wilbur to be mad at him because if he was mad at him then he wouldn’t have anyone left.
And Tommy didn’t want to be alone.
So Tommy hurried down the Prime Path, a cool breeze blowing against his face and the soft chimes of the bells of Church Prime far in the distance. By the server being quiet it was peaceful, peace didn’t happen often on the server and he hasn’t felt at peace since the days in the drug van. After a long day of selling illegal products, they’d sit in the back room and share a cigarette in the highly explosive room. It was disgusting and Tommy hated it but Wilbur loved it and for that Tommy learned to love it too.
The Community house was finally in view and Tommy could feel his brisk speed turn into a run as excitement bubbled in his chest. He could already see that white streak of hair amidst and dark sea of brown and smoke rising into the air like a chimney before being blown away by the wind.
“Hey Wilbur!”
“Tommyyy!” He said, dragging out the ‘y’, like he always did. Tommy waved to him as his little run came to the end and they were finally together at the entrance of the Community house, standing side by side. Well, Wilbur was always a bit taller than Tommy, but he considered them equals.
“Hey Tommy, you just waking up?”
“Yeah, but I came the moment I saw your message. You didn’t wait too long did you?” Tommy asked as Wilbur led him inside and they walked along the crafted design floors. Wilbur didn’t answer right away, instead opting to take a drag of his cigarette before blowing the smoke in Tommy’s face. Tommy tried not to cringe at the smell of it, instead trying to inhale most of it so it didn’t burn his eyes.
“No, I wasn’t waiting too long, I actually just got here myself. I had to take care of something, but it’s taken care of now,” he sighed, running hand through his hair. Together they climbed up the stairs to the Community house until they got to the roof where they took a seat at the ledge, their legs swinging off the building as the sky turned a light shade of peach with a small haze of orange and yellow.
“So, Wilby,” he says teasingly, “what did you want to talk about? I know my presence is amazing but–”
“Would you like a smoke Tommy?” Wilbur says instead, efficiently cutting him off.
“N-No, not really Wilbur I’m good,” Tommy tries to decline, but Wilbur’s eyes are on him in a moment, his hazy brown eyes staring into his soul.
“It’ll be just like old times Toms. Us, sharing a smoke, the two of us on the brink of death. Sure we’re not lighting a fire in a room full of explosives, but the threat of falling off this building has to peak your interest enough to play with Lady Death,” Wilbur says smoothly. His voice was convincing and it was always like silk, wrapping Tommy in his coils until there was nothing left.
Tommy hated it, but Wilbur loved it and Tommy made himself love it too.
“Sure Wilbur,” he said cheerily, taking the poison stick from his hand. Wilbur looked at him expectantly as Tommy slowly raised his hand to his mouth and took a deep drag. The feeling of the smoke filling his lungs was like an infection growing in his lungs. It burned everything it touched and it curled itself in his lungs, settling there in the home it made.
“Atta boy, Tommy. Good job,” Wilbur cheered, snatching the cigarette back, taking a drag out of it as Tommy released the smoke from his mouth, this time taking the time to blow the rest in Wilbur's face, like he did moments before.
“Payback bitch,” Tommy chuckled, as Wilbur blinked back in surprise.
“Touché,” Wilbur admits, lightly ruffing Tommy’s hair as he indulgently pushed into the hand that scratched his scalp before the warmth left.
“Now, what was it you wanted to talk about, don’t make me wait forever,” Tommy says excitedly, giving Wilbur every bit of attention he had.
“Run away with me Tommy.”
“What?”
“Leave the smp with me, let’s run away,” WIlbur said with a wild look in his eye, the same look he gave Tommy when they started the drug van and fell into the war with Dream. There was nothing good that came with that look.
“Why the fuck would I leave? Don’t you see how peaceful the server is now? It would be a total waste,” Tommy groaned.
“But Tommy there’s nothing left for us here. This server took our friends, our van, our country . Tommy this server robbed us,” Wilbur says bitterly, looking out to the land around them with distaste. Even though the emotion wasn’t directly towards him, Tommy still felt himself shift under the intensity of it.
“Yeah but we can build it back and it could just be us. That would be enough Wilbur, just me and you, king of our only little thing near my house. We can take back the BigInnit Hotel and have that to ourselves,” Tommy silently begged. He was finally happy here, happy here with Wilbur and he wanted to stay.
“You know Tommy, if I fell off the Community house and dragged you down with me, who would mourn our death?”
“Tubbo-”
“You mean your ex-friend that lives in Snowchester?”
“Then Ranboo would-”
“Your other ex-friend that might not even remember you exist? Face it Tommy, if you died only I would mourn you and the same goes vice versa. We only have each other and if you want to build something, just the two of us then run away with me,” Wilbur offered again, this time holding his hand out for Tommy to take. It was a sign of trust because as easily Wilbur could take his hand and pull him into a hug, he could also yank him off the edge of the building and leave him to die.
Tommy reached out his hand, not minding the way it shook as Wilbur grabbed it and pulled him close to his chest into a hug.
“Meet me in the forest behind Phil and Techno’s house. Go until you're deep and the forest, then- then you wait for me and don’t you dare leave without me Tommy,” Wilbur hissed in a rough whisper. He squeezed Tommy tightly, pressing his face into the smell of ashes and liquor that was embedded into his yellow sweater.
“How will you find me if we met in the fucking forest?”
“I’ll always find you Tommy, no matter what,” he promised, squeezing Tommy one last time before letting go, slowly raising himself off the ledge before turning back to pull Tommy up after him.
“Still how will we do it, you know how incredibly dangerous it is trying to leave a server? Now I am Tommy Kraken Danger Innit, but this seems a little bit much,” Tommy says, trying to word his caution carefully. He didn’t want Wilbur to think that he was having second thoughts.
“I’ve already thought of that Toms and that’s the part where you come in,” WIlbur chuckles darkly.
“It is?”
“Yeah, since it’ll take me a while to find you, while you wait, summon DreamXD.”
“What? Why the fuck should I summon DreamXD, do you know what he’ll do to me? He’s worse then that fucking green bitch with the mask. I’m not doing that,” Tommy shouted, completely ignoring the pouting look that Wilbur gave him as they left the Community house and walked along the Prime Path.
“Aw come on Tommy, the only way to escape a server alive , because that is the point here, is to ask DreamXD for a way out. You’re not scared are you?” The teasing in his voice, so light it sounded like a genuine question.
“I’m not a pussy bitch Wilbur, I want to summon DreamXD. I’ll do it,” Tommy insisted, growling at Wilbur because of the challenge.
“Fine then, Tommy Kraken Danger Innit, say you’re farewells then meet me at the spot in 2 hours. See you then,” Wilbur smirks.
“See you then, Wilbur Bitch Soot,” Tommy snarks, running down the wooden path, a smile on his face.
“Oh and when you pack don’t bring a weapon, it’ll make us look suspicious,” Wilbur yelled, just Tommy made it up the first part of the stairs.
“I don’t need a weapon anyway, I’ve got my fist and I bet they’d scare the shit out of anyone, anyway.”
“Yeah sure you little gremlin, just hurry up,” WIlbur says before heading in the opposite direction of Tommy.
Tommy couldn’t help but let old feelings resurface. Just as they entered the server together they were going to leave together as well. Like the true brothers, just as they said they were. It stung that Wilbur didn’t believe that anyone would care if they left but maybe if he went along with Wilbur’s plan for now. In a couple of days Wilbur might change his mind and they’d be sitting together in his home, crafting plans for another scheme.
When Tommy got home he took a moment to think over what Wilbur had said, if he wasn't supposed to bring a weapon that opened up a lot of space but it also meant they had to travel light. The first thing he did when he got home was go over to a couple of chests in his house and started looking over what might be best to take with him. Besides for the weapons they weren't taking he only had a small stack of bread, no more than 10 loaves and a carrot.
He had planned to gather more materials today because, to put it honestly, he was broke as shit, but that was before he realised how late he woke up and then had a little meeting with Wilbur. He supposes since he had 2 hours you could rack up enough resources for them to travel light and be prepared, but that would also risk him being late and he would have to travel to get to the meeting spot.
By the end he decided that only bringing his clothes and food would be a priority. Other than a couple of diamonds he found in one of the chests in his basement, he would have to rely on Wilbur to bring. He debated on taking Shroud out of his enclosure but then remembered that it was only for a couple of days until Wilbur got bored and wanted to come back.
Finally, he walked out of his house locking the doors behind him. It would take a while for him to get to Phil's base if he walked, but since he was lucky he still had access to one of the nether portals right next to the Community House. Dream had blocked off his access to the other portal that leads to the new area of the smp. Anytime he tried to walk through the portal he’d fall completely through only to wake up by his spawn point.
Tommy walked up the blended brick steps that lead to the nether portal. Tommy always loved how the portal area was made up of different blocks that everyone has seemed to have time to place. Even amidst killing each other this was one of the only things that they’ve done together as a community, whether they know it or not. He doesn’t know why he’s just realising all of this but maybe it was because he was leaving, putting his foot through the purple haze of magic, that he noticed that he’ll miss this place more than he thought.
Even though it was only a few select people that even made him want to stay.
When he walked through the opposite of the portal he was hit with the significant temperature difference of the Nether. He supposes it’s never really bothered him before since each time he’s come here he’s been in his normal clothes. This time it would all be different now that he had an extra two layers on for when he travels in the colder parts of the server with Wilbur later on.
The Nether brought about a lot of different emotions within him. He knows that the hardest and most obvious one would be the pain he felt walking these roads without his friends. Even before exile and it was just him, his family and his friend eager to find what precious secrets the prospering hell had for them. He and Tubbo would race ahead picking mushrooms and climb weeping vines when they stumbled upon a small crimson forest on regular walks around the terrain.
Later on when Ranboo joined their little duo and turned them into a trio the fun didn’t stop there. As he walked on those broken cobblestone bridges, falling apart due to old age and heat wearing them down, he swore he could hear their childhood laughter. Their arms held out like aeroplanes as they ran from Wilbur and Techno who chased them miles on end. Phil with his stupid fatherly picnic basket around his forearm laughing behind them, stringing along welly aimed curses for them running too far ahead. Those were the good old days.
While he knew they all still cared about him, only him and Wilbur still remembered those days of the past.
The weight of the Nether’s heat finally realised itself as he came to the portal on the opposite side and walked through, his clothes finally appropriate for the weather. There was just a bit of frost nipping at him and the crunch of snow under feet was enough to bring him back farther down memory lane.
There was the huge rock with a deep green patch of moss Techno had taught him about when he first started thinking about botany. He knew that if he took a left at the crossroads coming up, one would take him deeper to the forest where he needed to meet Wilbur and the other would take him home. The thought of home was so inviting he almost turned off the path and followed where he could see the puff of smoke come out of the chimney.
Then he paused and realised what he was doing.
He was going to abandon WIlbur at the sight of a different comfort. No matter what he felt it was always Wilbur he’d turn back to.
The sun was falling and it was starting to get cold. Tommy could start to see little puffs of white air with each exhale. He wondered how much further he’d have to go before it was far enough. He knew he had to summon DreamXD before Wilbur got there but that also left another question that had been in the back burner of Tommy’s mind.
How the fuck was he supposed to summon DreamXD.
Tommy didn’t have some kind of seance shit or a ouija board. How was he supposed to get the beings attention other than shouting at the top of his lungs and hoping for the best? Just as he figured he should mention this little inconvenience to Wilbur, his commutator buzzed.
‘Toms are you in a good spot? I’m heading toward you now.’
‘Yeah, i just stopped but ran into a issue.’
‘Which is?’
‘How the fuck am i suppsed to summon DreamXD. Do i need a bonfire and some sticks or sm?’
‘Don’t even worry about it Toms, I’m almost there we can do it together. Just wait a while longer, okay?’
‘Alright fine bitch boy, but i’m cold. So hurry up.’
Tommy typed, imagining that Wilbur could hear the grumble in his text. It took a couple minutes but Wilbur soon replied with a thumbs up and Tommy smiled to himself satisfied. Sure it was a little concerning since Wilbur had literally no idea where he was but he trusted him when he said that he’d always find him.
He waited for another message from Wilbur but no one came. He stood there for an hour, maybe two, his fingers grew numb from holding his communicator in his hand. The nearly arctic winds blew harder and Tommy started to shiver. He finally gave up, continuously checking his device and shoved his hands in his pockets.
Maybe it was the weather catching up on him or was finally Wilbur showing up from being late all this time but Tommy finally saw an outline of a person heading toward him. At the sight of the figure possibly being Wilbur he felt himself warm up a bit. Walking slowly to the figure in the shadows.
“Wilbur, you bitch I’m freezing my balls off out here. How are you just now–”
“Hello Tommy.”
Holy shit. He knows that voice and fucking hell is that not Wilbur.
“D-Dream, what the fuck are you doing here? I-”
“Well I came for the farewell party of course. I can’t trust you to throw your own parties since your last one was such a bust,” the man with the porcelain face chuckled, dragging Tommy all the way back to exile and he’s barely been there a minute.
“F-Fuck off, Dream. I don’t have time to deal with your bullshit,” Tommy spit out venomously, turning away from Dream only to feel a rough pull back in his direction.
“Leaving so soon, Tommy?”
“Yes you bastard fuck! I-I’m leaving here, away from you and your bitch server,” Tommy said, shoving Dream’s arm off him, trying to keep his breath steady. Whenever the two of them talked he needed to have space between them. Dream and his mindfucking works too well when they are close together.
‘It was like Wilbur.’ Some part of his mind thought but he pushed it away. He wasn’t dealing with WIlbur, he was dealing with Dream.
“Ah but Tommy,” Dream tuted, “I don’t want you to go. Aren’t we like best friends? You said it yourself and I like for my friends to stay around.”
“Don’t leave Tommy, stay here with me. We’ll have fun just like we used to when you were in exile. You can throw your stuff in a hole and I can blow them up. I can kill you like I have done in the past and you can visit limbo. Wha- Maybe you can see Ghostbur again before I revive you! Doesn’t that sound fun?” There was a dark edge to his voice making Tommy feel like he wasn’t being given much choice on the matter.
“I don’t fucking think so bitch. Fuck off,” Tommy says, a small threat evident in his voice. It was nowhere near as powerful as what Dream could do but it was all that had and damnit he was going down with it.
“What are you going to do if I don’t Tommy? What are you going to do then?” Dream looked like he was going to take another step and Tommy panicked. As quick as he could he curled up his fist and swung it towards Dream’s porcelain face. The hit collited and Dream stumbled while Tommy pulled his fist back to his chest.
His fingers were radiating with pain and the numbness of the cold didn’t help it either. At the moment he didn’t really have time to mourn his hand so while Dream was still recovering from the punch he took off. Running into any direction he could, just to get away.
“ Tommy ” The snare rang in his ears, he wasn’t moving fast enough. There were steps in the snow much faster than his and they were only getting louder. Tommy took the chance of right near a clearing but there was a hand snagging the hood of his red sweater and yanked him back.
“Dr-Dream what the fuck, let me go man! I wanna leave, I can’t stay in this server anymore. I’ve got to go,” Tommy pleaded, not sure which part was true and which wasn’t. He didn’t want to leave completely but he sure as hell didn’t want to stay here.
“No, Tommy we’ve been over this,” Dream growled, shoving Tommy forward so he could stand on his own. Tommy stumbled a bit, losing his footing in the grass before catching himself. In an instant he faced Dream again not wanting to have his back turned on him for too long.
“Dream–”
“You belong here, Tommy, not with the people who pretend to care,” Dream said, spinning his axe as he flinched back.
“They- they don’t pretend, they care ” his voice cracked slightly at the end, his nerves leaking through. Dream took another step forward, grinning under his mask.
“If they cared, they would be here right now,” Dream said, taking another step as he watches him stumble back.
“No- they just- no they just don’t know-“ he said, voice at the back of his mind whispering that if they really did care, they would have checked where he was going, or if he was sure Dream wasn’t nearby before leaving.
“Didn’t Wilbur tell you to come here?” Dream said, smirking as he froze. He was right, Wilbur did ask him to come here. Wilbur told him to come here to make a deal with DreamXD. It was Wilburs fault that he was here-
No. Wilbur couldn’t have known, he wouldn’t have sent him here if he had.
“He didn’t-“ he tried, flinching and stepping back as Dream took another step forward.
“He did, Tommy. Why else would he have sent you here?” Dream said, taking another step. He flinched this time but didn’t step back, too consumed by his own thoughts to focus properly.
“ I care, Tommy, he doesn’t. They don’t.” Dream said dangerously, taking another step towards him.
“N-no, that’s not-“ he whispered, flinching back when Dream steps forward again.
“Tommy, I care about you more than they ever will,” He said. “You belong here, okay? With me, in exile” he said, taking another step forward. He didn’t flinch back this time, mind still reeling.
“N-no- Dream stop-“
“Tommy don’t fucking interrupt me” Dream said, Tommy flinches back before he continued. “You belong here, with me. You belong to me, not those other-“ the rest of Dreams sentence was drowned out by alarm bells ringing in this head.
Why didn’t the ghost of his past stay dead? Why did they come back to haunt him any time they could get? Why did they watch and wait until he was happy before taking it away and leaving him with nothing.
Wilbur wouldn’t betray him. Wilbur loved him.
…
He thinks Wilbur loves him.
No, of course Wilbur loves him. They were brothers and Wilbur had changed this time. He promised that they'd do better and Tommy believed him. Dream was fucking with his mind, he was twisting thing and screwing things up in his head. He couldn’t believe Dream, the moment he did he’d be fucked.
“I don’t believe you and when Wilbur comes–”
“Tommy, you are so fucking stupid, Wilbur isn’t coming. It’s was a fucking trap, he was leading you here becuase you’re to dumb to work your own problems and he’s too much of a screw loose to realize that you don’t want to leave in first place,” Dream laughs, watching the emotions flash on Tommy’s face. The pain and the anger, the bits of pure desperation of hoping that none of it was true.
“Tell me Tommy, do you want to leave? Do you want to leave all your friends and family? Tommy, why don’t you stay and come with me, I have this place in the stronghold and it can be just us. I’ll be your new and better brother and we can live there just the two of us. Forever.
“Y-You don’t mean that. I won’t be you’re fucking brother sicko or anything realted to the sort. You're crazy,” Tommy whispers. He needed Wilbur. He needed Wilbur to be strong, he couldn’t be without Wilbur. He wasn’t anything without Wilbur.
“What makes me any different than Wilbur, then?” Dream chides, taking a step toward Tommy, smirking when he freezes in his spot. There were tears running down his face, the cold making his cheeks numb to the feeling. His thoughts were running a mile of minutes but he wasn’t understanding any of it.
“What- Dream-“ he said, trying to flinch away, but failing as Dream grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him in until they were practically nose to nose.
“Tommy, you're mine , okay? You’re not fucking leaving again.”