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Nine days. Tommy has been on the run for nine days.
He’s lost most of the money he stole, mostly to bus fares and food. He’s only really got enough left for a couple more meals, if he rations properly. It should be easy, he reasons. After all, living with Dream he was used to smaller meals, or not eating at all.
Right now, his goal is keeping out of the rain. He’s ducked into a warm, cozily lit cafe, and sat at one of the spaces out tables. There aren’t too many people around, just the person working the place and a couple customers.
He’s too focused on getting warm to care about the man with blond hair and blue eyes seated at one of the corner tables watching him.
He’s almost too focused on counting his remaining dollar bills to hear the jangle of bells that accompanies the door opening.
He’s not stupid enough to turn around to look at the door, but he does watch the worker look up and flash a customer service smile at whoever’s just walked in. He adjusts the hood of his sweatshirt, a dusty old red thing he’s owned for years, pulling it to shadow his face a bit more.
Tommy hunches forward, keeping his eyes focused on the counter. He hears the steps of whoever is behind him, and it- sounds eerily familiar.
And then- oh.
Oh.
Tommy releases a breath, leaning back into his chair and sliding down a bit more in the hopes that the man walking up to the counter doesn’t see him. He’d recognize that lime hoodie anywhere, that easygoing gate and those wisps of dirty blonde hair.
He thought he’d have more time, he thinks, as Dream lifts his hand in a wave, pulling out his phone that surely, surely , displays a photo of Tommy.
“…son, he’s missing. Apparently sighted somewhere around here.”
He watches the worker nod and smile and shake his head and he really hopes Dream hasn’t got a good photo, and that the worker lies.
His hopes are crushed when Dream turns around and even though Tommy tries to avert his eyes, there’s a moment where they make eye contact, and Dream’s eyes harden infinitesimally, and Tommy’s breath is catching in his throat with the memory of bruise after bruise after bruise-
Shit.
There’s someone sitting down across from him now and it’s- ha, it’s Dream, of course it is, he thinks. He found him and there’s a hand grabbing his wrist, firmly, squeezing just too tight for it to be comfortable.
Tommy flinches back, instinctively pulling his hand away. Dream doesn’t let go.
“Tommy,” and his voice is smooth, a snake, and Tommy’s being bad again, “There you are. You know, I’ve been looking everywhere for you. I thought you were better than this.”
Liar , something in him screams, run, run or you’ll never get free again.
He tries again to pull his arm away from Dream, and his grip only tightens. It hurts.
Tommy whimpers as Dream pulls him closer, lifts his other hand to roughly grab Tommy’s chin. He has a sickly sweet smile on his face as he forces Tommy to look at him.
“We are going home.” Tommy shakes his head and Dream snarls lowly, keeping his voice quiet. “We are, and I- oh, you’re in so much trouble. You are, I’m going to- we’re going to have so much fun. If you try to do this ever fucking again, I’ll break your legs and treat you like the animal you seem to want to be treated as. Do you understand?”
Tommy nods sharply, tears pricking at his eyes. He tried, he tried- but Dream found him and he’s never gonna learn the truth about the fake documents in Dream’s office, never going to find his real dad-
He could fight, he realizes distantly. Fight and hiss and claw like a cornered animal. Tommy’s scared now, but he’s even more scared of Dream making good on his threats, of the visions of his legs mangled and bloody beneath him with a cold chain on his neck. Starving.
He’s stuck.
Tommy hears the squeal of a chair moving behind him, footsteps moving towards their table. He hopes against hope that it’s someone coming to interfere, to take him away.
Dream lifts his eyes and lets go of his face. He loosens his grip on Tommy’s wrist, not enough for Tommy to slip away but enough for it to nearly stop hurting.
“Hey.” Tommy looks up at the voice. It’s the man from earlier, the one who’d been watching him. Looks like it paid off. His eyes are narrowed, kind but not stupid.
“Hello, sir.” Dream plasters the most fake smile Tommy’s ever seen on his face. “Were we being a bit too loud? So sorry, we were just leaving.”
None too gently, Dream yanks Tommy to his feet, pulling him closer. The man steps back to accommodate.
“No, not at all. The kid just looked a little upset, is all. Wanted to make sure everything was good over here.” He shifts, ever so slightly, to block their exit. Dream’s brows furrow.
“No, no. He’s fine. Just being a little dramatic.” He laughs, but it’s strained, and he’s eyeing this man up like he’s a predator.
“That’s great.” The man smiles thinly, stepping closer to Dream and tilting his head to murmur in his ear. “Now. You’re going to step away and out those doors before I get you fucking arrested for kidnapping and child abuse.”
Dream opens his mouth in disbelief, head whipping back to look the man in his eyes. Before he can speak, though, the other interrupts.
“I wouldn’t fight this, Dream. You don’t know who you’re up against. Never have, actually.”
It’s then that Tommy notices the worker of the cafe watching them, brown eyes inquisitive and- hungry. He’s soon joined with another man, someone with obnoxious pink hair tied back into a pretty shit ponytail.
Dream seems to notice too. His eyes widen and he drops Tommy’s wrist. His eyes flit between Tommy and the other man for a couple seconds, as if debating his chances, before he seems to gather whatever dignity he has left and heads towards the door.
When it shuts behind him, Tommy lets out a quick breath, a weight falling from his shoulders.
The man turns to him, eyes gentle, but there’s a flash of something dark in them. He’s almost scared, almost, but then it’s gone and he probably only imagined it anyway.
“Hi, mate.” The man smiles. “My name is Phil.”