Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“I want Tommy to be exiled.”

There were a few shocked intakes of breath as the members of the Cabinet looked at the President. His face was stone cold and he held little emotion. But the shaking fists at his side betrayed his exterior. This was hurting him. He didn’t want to exile Tommy, but Dream was threatening another war. One persons’ life wasn’t worth hundreds of others.

Tommy stood there in shock. “W-what?” The first words that tumbled out of the boy's mouth stung the President in a new way. Tommy was strong, hard to crack (most of the time). It would have taken a lot to get a reaction like that. He hated that he was the reason Tommy broke. It had to be done though. There was no other way.

As President, he needed to make the best choices for the country, even if that meant exiling his best friend. The person who had been there when no one else was. The person who stood up for him no matter what. He mentally shook his head. Now was not the time.

He could see out of the corner of his eye as a few of the people around them tried to stifle their laughter. He knew what people thought of Tommy. That he was some annoying child no one could stand.

Tommy was loud, but he wasn’t annoying.

Still, a small benefit to exiling him was that the peace and quiet wouldn’t be disturbed anymore.

A masked man stood. Watching the men holding their laughs. He felt angry; like he cared about the 16-year-old boy. He didn’t understand why he suddenly felt so protective of him. It was his idea to exile him anyway.

Tommy had tears pooling in his blue eyes. He opened his mouth to speak. He tried to make his voice strong and steady but knew from his silent crying that it wouldn’t do much, “But what about the discs Tubbo!? He only wants the discs!” He shouted. Those discs were everything to him.

His favourite times were when he and Tubbo would go and sit. They’d sit on the bench they built. Watching the sunset. They had a Juke Box that they would use to play the discs. That was when times were simple.

Tubbo sucked in a breath, trying as well to keep his cracking voice steady, “You think I care about these stupid discs? I never have! They didn’t mean nearly as much to me as they did to you Tommy! I couldn’t care less about them. Dreams made a proposal to me where if I exile you, he won’t start another war. I’m sorry, but on the accounts of Arson and robbery, I hereby exile, you, TommyInnit from L’manburg.”

The brunette turned his back, walking away from the boy. Because that’s all he was. A boy. A boy who had seen far too much in his lifetime. One who went through Hell, hopeful of coming out alive, only to fail. he’d been done in by the world. Why not let him have a go at ruining people? Because that’s all they have done.

Ruin him.

Salty tears poured harder onto the concrete. Hands lay at his sides, fallen and defeated. Head hung low, bruised and beaten. Ears rang, though no one bothered to fill the silence. Heart raced yet no one told him the run was over. Mind swarmed, yet no one was there to stop it.

“Follow me, Tommy, I’ll bring you to your new home.”

Chapter Text

The blonde boy walked in dead silence. He wasn’t interested in starting a conversation. Neither was his company. They walked for hours. Tommy hated it. He just wanted to be back home in his little house, helping Tubbo with something or building another tower. 

He was trying desperately to progress the things his… friend(?) told him. Tears streamed down his face. He hastily rubbed them away. He hated crying. It made him feel weak. And he was weak. Weak for letting this get to him. It was stupid. He shouldn’t be crying over something petty like this. Other people had it a lot harder than him, yet here he was crying like a baby over something small. Stupid.

His brain continued to torture him. Telling him how weak he was and pointing out every flaw. He tried to steer away from it, but one thought would always resurface, no matter what he did.

‘The discs didn’t mean anything to Tubbo?'

It never failed to send him down a rabbit hole of poisonous thoughts. They spread like the plague, infecting all and any memories, the good and the bad. 

‘Did Phil really see him as a good son?’

‘Was there ever a time someone didn’t find him annoying?’

‘Did Tubbo think of him as a friend?’

‘Was he so annoying that people had to exile him so he was out of the way?’

'Why did Phil leave so much?’

‘Why did Techno push him away when he came near?’

‘Why was Wilbur never around?’

‘Why did his oldest brother leave and not come back?’

‘Why was… he always hurt by the people closest to him?’

 As Tommy’s deep thoughts swirled, Dream tried to catch his attention. “Tommy, we’re here.”

The golden-haired boy made no indication that he heard Dream, continuing along the path he was walking. “Tommy?” he looked at the boy. He was going to fall into the water if he didn’t stop. As a last resort, Dream ran to Tommy and grabbed his wrist “TOMMY!”

Tommy finally looked up. His eyes were different like something snapped inside of him. No longer were they a vibrant playful blue, only a dull sad grey. Dream noticed it immediately. He was slightly concerned. He’d never seen Tommy’s eyes like this before. 

“What is it Dream?”

He snapped back into reality, mind quickly registering that he was asked a question.

“You- uh -almost fell in the water when you spaced out.”

“Oh..”

Dream looked at him once more before getting into the boat. He couldn’t forget how Tommy's eyes changed so much. He knew that Tommy would be affected by the exile but he didn’t think his eyes would change. It was unsettling. 

For the first time in a long time, Dream felt...bad? He never really felt anything towards other people. Consumed with getting power. So how come it was different with Tommy? 

Dream remembered the first time he’d seen Tommy. A scrawny teen with hair so blond it was golden. His eyes were bright and full of passion. He was young and naïve, but also a new and upcoming streamer, rising fast on the boards. 

Looking at him now, the similarities in features were striking, but in personality… it was like someone had cut the water flow on a once-thriving plant.

Yeah, there was definitely something wrong here.

Chapter Text

Tommy snapped back into reality. He looked at the mask that was all white, almost. It was misleading. The simple black smile did not at all make him feel any joy. The wearer was a killer. Dangerous. Evil. 

Tommy couldn’t see his eyes but could tell there was some emotion radiating off him. 

“Are we just gonna sit here in this or boat or are we gonna go cause I don’t wanna be around here any longer...”

Dream didn’t say anything. He simply just started to row the ores on the boat, sailing off into the distance.

*~<!^!>~*

They traveled for hours. Tommy was tired, hungry, and also… amazed. He had no idea the Dream SMP was this big. Sure, he’d been to other servers and it was common knowledge that they were made up of millions of blocks. But… it still amazed him.

He’d never been out this far. Ever. Not on any server. He was sure (aside from the occasional village) that no one was out here.

Finally, after hours and hours of silently following Dream, the older man called out to him, they arrived at the small beach next to a large body of water.

“Stop.”

Dream stood tall. He wasn’t looking at Tommy but the boy knew that if he moved Dream would know. He obeyed, stopping.  

The golden-haired boy looked out from the tree line. He fully took in the view in front of him. Observing how the landscape curved. The sand meeting the water. The waves gently brushed up against the shore.

The birds chirped from their nests in the trees, calling for a friend. The leaves swayed softly in the wind.

He had never seen anything so peaceful.

Tommy focused his blue hues, trying to see any sign of movement in the water. He would need to hunt for fish, of course. 

“This is where you will be staying, Tommy.” He had completely forgotten Dream was there. Shaken from his daze, Tommy turned his attention to the green-coated man.

“I will come and check on you regularly. You are not to leave this place nor are you to go against my rules. Understood?” Tommy just nodded his head. The peacefulness of this place was ruined as he was reminded of the fact that it wasn’t meant to be a fun getaway, but instead a prison for his exile.

“Good. I will help you set up.” 

*~<!^!>~*

Tommy was alone. Again. Dream had since long gone and it was well into the night.

They’d managed to get a bit of food and make the small white tent Tommy was sitting in.

He sighed and laid back down. It was going to be a long night. He couldn’t sleep. He knew it. It would be pointless to even try.

He glanced around the tent. It wasn’t the best and could definitely use a bit of improvement. But, at least it was a start.

A terrible, terrible start.

Chapter Text

Tommy rubbed his eyes. He’d been out here for less than two days and there was still the flow of tears on his cheeks. Pathetic.

He was a man. A big man. He wasn’t supposed to cry. That’s not what men do. Men are strong and brave. They aren’t meant to show weakness.

He heard the sound of boots crunching on the dead leaves littered by the trees. He rubbed faster, making a sound of annoyance at the sniffle that escaped him. He couldn’t let Dream see that this was getting to him.

“Tommy...?” The man in question asks. “Why are you crying?”

‘Shit. He knows. Of course, he knows, he always knows.’ Tommy stiffened. His grip on his shovel tightened. He couldn’t tell Dream why he was crying; he would use it against him.

“S-shut up D-Dream...”

“... Alright.”

Tommy’s head snapped up, shocked. Dream never did that. He never let something go. Especially not when Tommy told him to. His eyes were blown wide, watching as Dream turned around and started helping him shovel.  

Tommy slowly let go of his shock, continuing on with terraining the land.

*~<!^!>~*

It was late in the afternoon when the two stopped their work. Dream was off doing something, and Tommy was sitting on the beach, the warm coloured hues of the setting sun casting an orange tint over the campsite. 

Tommy couldn’t help but think it was a perfect illusion. It made the raging storm inside his head seem like an overreaction to the peaceful setting.

Tommy hated it.

He stood on slightly unsteady legs, his red Converses getting even more dirt on them. He stumbled back to the camp. 

He opened and looked through his chests hoping to find something appealing to eat.  He didn’t have much, despite the abundant amount of animals around him. 

The golden-haired boy settled on some fresh-ish bread. He grabbed out the food and sat on his bed. Pulling up his communicator he went to the ‘Shop’. It wasn’t really a ‘Shop,’ more just a way to bring belongings from the Original Server to new worlds.

Tommy wasn’t a high enough rank to bring a lot at once nor access most of the resources, but he didn’t care right now. Right now, he just wanted some clean clothes.

His were ripped and covered in dirt, he felt filthy and knew he looked the part.

He clicked on the button that would send him a few articles of clothing and finished his bread.

Tommy’s leg started to bounce rapidly. He felt gitterish. He needed something to do. A distraction. Anything.

“Tommy, I need your help with something.”

Anything but that.  

“What, Dream?” He snapped; he was tired. But he was wide awake. His emotions were completely opposite each other on the scale. His mind was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. 

He didn’t need Dream pestering him as well.

But he didn’t want Dream to leave.

But he wished badly for Dream to never return to this horrid place.

He could hear his breathing. It was so fast and so, so, so sallow. A ringing noise filled his ears. It was so loud. It almost hurt. He could feel his entire body shaking and the brute pain of landing hard on the ground.

His eyes blew wide. They darted everywhere. Frantic and panicked, like a wounded animal in a hunters’ trap. 

He couldn’t move. No matter how hard he tried. It wouldn’t work. 

A face flashed in front of him. A hunting smilie face, and he jerked slightly. It only caused him more pain.

His mind tried taunting him, telling him no one was there to help. No one noticed. No one noticed because no one /cared/.

No one noticed his hurt.

“T-…y.”

No one saw his pain.

“-o-my?”

No one knew what happened behind the closed doors of Pogtopia.

“Tommy!” 

Chapter Text

Dream heard a loud thud from the tent. He grew concerned. Tommy hadn’t come out. He turned to the being beside him, signalled for him to wait and quickly went to investigate.

He walked into the tent, immediately spotting Tommy on the floor. He was on his stomach and his head was turned to the side. His wide blue eyes were frantically looking around, though Dream was sure they weren’t seeing anything.

Salty tears flowed down the boy's face, creating a damp patch on the ground below him. Dream stood slightly shocked, but quickly got over it and rushed in all the way.

He knew what was happening. His mother had taught him how to help with them. He had seen people have them multiple times. Tommy was having a panic attack.

He knelt down, not touching the younger, it would just make the whole thing worse. Dream waved a hand in front of the boy's face, trying to get his attention.

For a brief moment, Tommy’s eyes focused on Dream. And, if possible, they just got wider. Dream could now see fear mixed in with the panic. Tommy jerked away, it wasn’t by much, in fact, it was more of a flinch, but it told Dream what was wrong.

It was his mask.

He didn’t want to take it off, but if he was to help Tommy he had to. He knew the effects of leaving someone that was having a panic attack. Despite who it was, Dream didn’t think it would be right to leave Tommy there on the ground.

He moved his hand up to the clasp on the back of his head, unclipping it. The object fell to the ground and Dream slowly started to help Tommy.

He gently placed a hand on his back, watching with sharp eyes for any signs of distress. When he saw none, Dream started to gently move his hand up and down in a soothing motion. 

Dream could see that it was working, but only slightly. Tommy was still in a panicked state and it was clear it wasn’t going to improve with Dreams current method.

He sighed. He needed to break Tommy out of the panic.

“Tommy?”

He started gentle, trying not to spook the boy.

He waited, watching for an indication as to what to do next.

Tommy didn’t respond, so Dream repeated what he said.

“Tommy.”

This time he was more firm, he needed to get a reaction now. When nothing changed, he applied more force.

“Tommy!”

The blonde jerked up, wildly throwing his hands around in defence. Dream ducked under the boys flailing limbs. “Tommy! Tommy! Calm down!” He called, hoping to ground the younger.

Tommy looked dead ahead at Dream, locking their eyes together. His rapid breathing was starting to slow and the ringing in his ears was starting to die down.

Tommy broke eye contact and rested his head on the object behind him, staring at the ceiling. He was exhausted. 

His blue eyes closed and he finally felt a little settled. The sound of rustling caught his attention and Tommy was suddenly reminded of the fact that there was someone else in the room with him.

He tensed, now looking at Dream with fear. He waited for Dream to do something. Anything. But the man did nothing but sit and watch. 

Tommy finally took the time to observe his face. It was a pale cream colour. A few freckles littered his nose and cheeks, and he had a pair of sparkling emerald eyes. The expression on his face made him seem peaceful and like a genuinely good person, far from the truth. Tommy, although begrudgingly, had to admit that Dream was quite good looking. Not better than him, of course.

“Not a word to anyone.”

Tommy looked at Dream confused. The man was staring him down and he suddenly seemed a lot less peaceful. There was a dark shadow cast over his eyes created from his green hoodie.

“About my face.” Dream clarified.

Tommy nodded. He wasn’t sure why. Dream was his enemy. Someone, he should be using anything he can get against him. But, he couldn't bring himself to want to tell anyone. 

Maybe it was because Dream had taken off his mask and shown Tommy what he looked like so he could help him?

Tommy didn’t need his help. Tommy was a big man. A big man that doesn’t need Dream’s pity. His sympathy. Guilted help. He could fuck off if he thought TommyInnit needed help.

“I’ll leave you to be. I’m staying the night.” Dream said. He stood in the entrance of the tent, looking over his shoulder slightly at Tommy. 

His mask was on and the smile was just as terrifying.

Chapter Text

Dream changed his plans. He was going to leave Tommy alone for a few days and come back, but… after seeing that, the man felt a need to stay close by. Just in case.

He told himself that the only reason he was staying was because of his plans to manipulate and trick Tommy, but deep down he knew that wasn’t the real reason. 

He would be caught dead before he admitted that, though. 

He looked around the small area. It really wasn’t much.

Dream sighed. He didn’t sleep much anyway.

*~<!^!>~*

Tommy awoke to repetitive thudding mixed with the hollow chunky sound of wood being hit. He could tell the exact moment the blade met the material, the scratchy but not annoying sound of the dark splitting ringing out.

Tommy knew whoever was cutting the wood was strong. He wasn’t stupid. For him to be able to clearing hear what was going on outside, there was no way they couldn’t be.

He stumbled out of his bed, rubbing his sleep-filled eyes and sluggishly walking out of his tent to investigate. His vision tumbled, clouding with bright colourful spots caused by the boys’ sudden movements.

Tommy reached out a hand on the wooden support beam of the tent, steadying himself before continuing on. He entered out into the blazing sunshine, having to temporally shield his eyes from the lighting difference. It was dark in his tent.

Tommy glanced around his campsite, looking for the source of the ruckus. In less than a second, he found what he was looking for.

There was Dream, bent over a tree stump, Netherite axe in hand and chopping away at the pile of logs next to him. His jumper was dissuaded to the side, leaving him in a fitting, turtleneck, sleeveless black…shirt? It was more superhero suit looking if Tommy was being honest.

“What are you doing?” Tommy asked. He didn’t try to hide the clear emotions in his voice, nor try to change his tone to be nicer.

Dream looked up at him for a quick second, before turning back to what he was doing. “Helping.” He said gruffly. 

“Why?” Tommy asked. His arms were crossed, and his posture moved to a slightly lower level, his head turning in curiosity.

“Couldn’t sleep.” Dream’s answer was short, coming out slightly puffed. He’d clearly been doing this for a while.

“So, you demolished an entire forest?” Tommy’s tone was sarcastic, but he really no longer cared about what Dream had to say. He’d already moved away from standing in front of the other, bored.

“If you want to survive out here, you’re going to need firewood.” An irk mark appeared on Tommy’s face. It’s not like he wanted to be out here in the first place. Prime, Dream was such a bitch.

“Not like I choose to be out here,” Tommy grumbled under his breath. Dream didn’t respond. He knew Dream had heard. Tommy had made sure what he said was just loud enough for him to pick up. But the man made no indication he had heard.

Tommy shrugged it off. Dream was stupid anyway, why did he care if he knew what he said?           

“There’s someone who’s here to see you.”

Tommy froze in his tracks. His hand trembled slightly, he quickly tried to regain his composer to face Dream. “What?” He didn’t need Dream to repeat what he said. He’d heard just fine the first time. 

“He’s around here somewhere if you want to try looking.”

Tommy let out a shuttered breath, he moved towards his tent, wanting to get changed into a new pair of clothes.

*~>!^!<~*

The blonde boy grabbed his iron axe, walking back out into the sunshine. He was wearing some fresh clothes today. A pair of black converse, matched with some beige pants and his classic red and white t-shirt, but green edition.

He was planning to chop some of the few trees Dream had left standing. He had an idea for his little campsite and wanted to start working right away.

Tommy jogged to the edge of the forest, he looked around, seeing what he had to work with. There was a mix of Birch and Oak. Tommy smiled slightly. At least he had a few options. 

Setting his axe to the side to rest on a tree, Tommy pulled up his communicator screen, getting everything ready to start streaming. The last time he’d streamed was around five days ago when Tubbo… The President exiled him. While he hadn’t checked Chatters, he knew things were crazy over there.

His figure hovered over the ‘Go Live’ button. Tommy sucked in a deep breath. His shoulders rose and he tried to ready. And, with the biggest and happiest smile he could manage, he started his stream.

*~<!^!>~*

“Thank you everyone for tuning in today! I know it was a pretty uneventful and kinda sort, but I’m not quite settled here yet so please be understanding. Again, thank you for joining and I apologise for not saying anything for a few days! Anyway, have a good day!” Tommy ended his stream the second he finished saying goodbye. 

As soon as the blue holographic screen turned off Tommy felt like the restrictingly tight rubber band suffocating him lighted. He could finally breathe properly again.

Tommy originally planned to stream for another hour but the act of pretending everything was okay when it was so far from the truth was defeating. He couldn’t do it for much longer than he had.

During the stream, he’d spent most of the time chopping, replanting and collecting trees from the forest. He had a little over four and a half stacks of Birch logs and around two and a bit of Oak.

But, despite this achievement, Tommy still felt there was something wrong. The thought of who could possibly be here to see him haunting the back of his mind.

Tommy shook his head, he needed to finish what he was doing. He wanted to get some more Oak. Just enough to finish the stack in his inventory. He raised his axe and started hacking at the nearest Oak tree.

The silence made his skin prickle. He knew he wasn’t alone. He pretended he was unaware of the person near him, letting them think they had the element of surprise.

Tommy could feel them getting closer. The already powerful grip on the handle of his axe tightened, ready to strike. 

The blade sung through the empty air, the glare from the sun making the iron shine glow. Tommy set his steely gaze on the being before him, trying to look as threatening as possible. The expression left just as fast as it came. A look of disbelief making itself at home. 

“Tommy?”  

Chapter Text

Tommy’s eyes were wide in panic. It was him. 

The man he once trusted. 

The man who lied to him.

The man that used him.

The man that manipulated him.

The man that betrayed him.

The man that hurt him.

And here he was, trying to pretend they were still friends? No. not again. Tommy wasn’t going to let him do that again. He wasn’t going to fall for it again. What he’d done to him was unforgivable. And that’s what Tommy was going to do. He wasn’t going to forgive-

“Wilbur.”

Tommy's harsh glare returned, twice as hard as before. He wouldn’t be so trusting this time. 

The person in front of him, although flinched, continued to smile widely.

“It’s so good to see you again, Tommy!” He said cheerfully. “Come on, let's go back to your camp.” The brunette walked… floated? Away, leaving Tommy to stand in the small clearing. 

Deciding it would be best to follow the man. He didn’t want something bad to happen to his supplies. The grip on his axe never loosened.

An idea crossed his mind. A completely ridiculous and idiotic idea that was stupid on way too many levels. But still…

You whispered to Dream: im coming back to the camp. ive got company.

Dream whispered to you: why are you telling me this?

You whispered to Dream: because i dont want the company!

Dream whispered to you: what am i supposed to do about that???

You whispered to Dream: make him go away!!!!!

Dream whispered to you: No! you do it if you dont want him here.

You whispered to Dream: please? i really dont want him here rn

Dream whispered to you: fine. But only this one time

You whispered to Dream: fine.

Tommy felt lighter. He really didn’t want Wilbur there, even if it was his ghost. After the war between Manberg and Pogtopia, Tommy couldn’t stay in the room when Wilbur was mentioned. 

It was horrible. All he could see was Wilbur’s crazed character as he destroyed Tommy from the inside out. Day in, day out. It never ended. We went insane during that time. It scared Tommy. Terrified him. Wilbur was no longer the man he once knew. Just a shell of his former glory. Hitting him for doing the ‘wrong’ thing. Hitting him for doing the right thing. Just hitting him in general. 

Tommy shuddered thinking about his dead brother. He hated him.   

And, as psychotic as it was, Tommy was glad when his father killed Wilbur. He was free from the man. Wilbur couldn’t hurt him anymore.

Then Ghostbur turned up. When Tommy saw him for the first time, the warm and sunny day suddenly turned cold and bitter. The sudden drop sending chills down to his core. He was the only one affected. He could tell.

That was the first time Tommy felt truly alone.

They didn’t understand. They never would. They don’t know what it feels like to be betrayed by your own brother. They never could. They would never understand.

He was at the entrance to his camp.

Dream was there, peacefully telling Ghostbur that he needed to go home because it might rain.

Tommy wished it would have started pouring right then and there.  

Chapter Text

It had been a little under a week since Ghostbur came to visit. Dream had left the day after, leaving Tommy alone once again.

To fill the gap of having no one to annoy (Because that was definitely the reason he tolerated Dream being around) Tommy turned to playing bedwars in his free time. 

Tommy sat on his bed, his communicator open to a single text. Tommy closed his eyes, thinking about what caused the message to appear on his device.

Beads of sweat rolled back Tommy’s back, he’d been playing nonstop for a few hours now. His chat was cheering him on, screaming, swearing, and doing many other things to hype their streamer up. He was the last person left on the map. His bed was long gone and everyone was shocked at how he was still alive, Tommy himself included.

His opponent wore a deep purple jumper with matching eyes and shoes. His pants were a simple black, and, to top it all off, ashy blonde coloured hair sat on his head.

He was good at bedwars, Tommy would give him that, but not better than him.

The purple-eyed boy left his island, using an already established bridge to make his way to the main area. Tommy took his chance. 

Leaping down from the place where he was perched, the tall boy silently moved towards the unoccupied bed. Quickly breaking the shielding endstone, he completed the first step of winning in bedwars.

Tommy knew his cover was blown. He knew the particle effect that told a player their bed was destroyed had gone off. But that was what he wanted. He wanted his opponent to come back and fight him. 

Tommy wanted to win, but he wanted to win on fairgrounds.

He raised his sharp iron sword as another identical one came swinging down with the intent to kill. But Tommy wasn’t going to lose that easily.

Pushing back on the sword locked with his, Tommy maneuvered out from the corner he was trapped in. He didn’t know this guy was that fast. In the few seconds after Tommy had broken the bed, the other guy already had him pinned between a rock and a hard place.

Swords clashed, neither boy was holding back, not now they knew what the other could do.

Tommy briefly glanced at his chat, the comments moving at hyper-speed catching his eyes at the wrong moment. Seeing his opponent was distracted, the boy in purple sent a roundhouse kick to Tommy’s side, causing him to tumble over the edge of the floating platform.

TommyInnit was killed by Purpled.  

Tommy sighed at the memory. He'd gotten distracted and lost but he had to give it to Purpled, he was good at bedwars. And, he'd won fair and square, so he couldn't be mad. Not that he was of course.

Tommy had heard of Purpled before. For Prime's sake he was on the server! But he'd never really interacted with him that much. Mainly because they were on different sides of the wars. But, now that he was exiled... maybe he could try to make some new friends? 

'Fuck it. I've got nothing else to lose.'

Purpled: Hey Tommy!! I saw how good you were at bed wars today and I was wondering if you wanted to play a game with me sometime?

TommyInnit is typing…

Chapter Text

Tommy sighed, it was moments like these he missed the most. The serenity of it all made him feel calm.

Dream sat next to him. He’d been standing there for a little under five minutes. Tommy knew he was looking at him. He didn’t care though. His eyes were closed and the soft cool breeze soothed him.

He was happy sitting up on the cliff. He didn’t mind if Dream joined. At first, he did, but now he’d adjusted to the man being around him. He wasn’t as bad as Tommy originally thought. That didn’t mean he trusted him, though.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Dream asked.

Tommy opened his eyes, but his gaze didn’t move from the scene in front of him, “It’s an illusion. A representation of something I can never have.”

Dream didn’t respond, and the two boys spent the rest of the evening in silence.

*~<!^!>~*

“I have some stuff for you, Tommy.”

The boy in question looked up from where he was entertaining his stream, meeting a smiley-faced mask.

His eyes brimmed with curiosity, wondering what Dream had for him, but also confusion, why had Dream brought him stuff?

The green clad man placed a chest, starting to empty his inventory into it. Tommy stood, walking the little ways over to the other man. His chat was trying to guess what was going on;

foygurl49: tommy dont fall for his tricks!!

heybruv: free gifts pog???

Katienotfound: dream is evil

quackquack: quack.

Friendzoned: hi.

Modhaver: hi mods :)

ilovepizza: @modhaver no.

Doctordisfan: vbhvhfkebhefigv

WilburFoot: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Dream moved away from the chest, letting Tommy have access to its contents. Inside was a fully enchanted hair of diamond boots and helmet, along with iron leggings and a chest plate, both with protection and unbreaking on them.

Tommy was shocked. Dream had never done something like this. He’d only helped with setting up. The only thing that was even remotely close to this level was when he helped Tommy make his Nether Portal.

Moving out of his shocked state, Tommy grabbed the armour and quickly fastened it to his person. He looked at Dream, still confused, “Why?” He managed to stammer out.

“You’re going to need some decent armour if you plan on surviving out here.” Dream explained, his arms were crossed and his stance was strong and powerful. Tommy nodded, not really having a reply to Dreams’ reasoning.

It was true he had been trying to gather enough resources to make some basic armour. He hadn’t gone into the mines much, intent on getting his base set up and gathering food and supplies. Sure, he went to get some iron to upgrade his tools, but that was about it.

Now, with the armour Dream had given him, he could go out at night and into caves without being paranoid about mobs.

“Thanks, Dream.”

*~>!^!<~*

Tommy ended his stream a little after Dream had dropped off the new armour, wanting to be able to continue working without thousands of people watching him. He loved his fans, don’t get me wrong, but he did need to do some things off-camera. 

This included mining, gathering food, making the area look nice, etc., 

Tommy rested his shovel on his shoulder, looking at what he had done so far. He was making a path connecting his tent and Nether portal. It was gruelling work (mainly because it was so boring) but he continued on.

Tommy raised his communicator to his side, a little ping going off telling him that someone had texted him.

Purpled: im nearly at the cords u sent, wheres the portal? i dont think i can see it

TommyInnit: ill come through and show u

Purpled: thanks!!

Tommy smiled, a real actually happy smile. He hadn’t smiled like that since before his exile.  

He had a friend.

Tommy jogged to his portal, he stood in front of the purple plasma, readying himself to enter. 

His foot made it through. And then his arm. And lastly the rest of his body. The last thing Tommy saw of the overworld before the nauseating feelings of in dimensional travel was the plains landscape of the place he was starting to call home.  

Chapter Text

Dream walked into Logstedshire, the name Tommy had given to his camp, hoping to spot the boy working on something around the place. Instead, he was met with a completely empty site. Dream wasn’t completely phased, Tommy was probably doing something in the mines.

The man walked in, observing the area. It looked like Tommy had had a fight with someone. That put Dream on edge. The nicely made path Tommy had worked hard on was ruffled and ripped. Footsteps littered the ground. The deep gash that could only be made by an axe being swung hard into the wood catching his eye.

The burnt-out sticks from the fire pit were laying outside the rocks like someone had kicked them. 

Dream summoned his Netherite axe to his hand. He was going to find whoever had been here.

He moved forward with slow and cautious steps, like a predator stalking its prey. Dreams bright green eyes narrowed and turned dark behind his mask. He wasn’t going to stop until he found what he was looking for.

He inspected the campsite, looking to see if there were any more clues about who could have possibly been there. There wasn’t much other than the first few things he saw, so he moved to the tent.

From the outside it seemed relatively untouched, aside from a few specs of dirt Dream was sure he hadn’t seen before. Dream knew how these kinds of people worked though. They tried not to leave much evidence of them being there. Dream smirked, realising Tommy must have flaunted their plans by fighting back.

He looked through the chests of the surprisingly intact interior, finding to his complete shock that nothing was taken. He was even more baffled when he saw the armour he gave Tommy stowed safely in a perfectly viewable chest.

They even left Tommy's ‘How to Sex 3’ book, though Dream couldn’t blame them.

This didn’t settle his nerves. What could this person want so badly that they left enchanted diamond armour laying around?

Dream exited the tent. He was at a bit of a loss as to where to go from there. Maybe checking the top of the mountain would give him a good vantage point?

Dream nodded to himself, starting to make his way to the cliff.

He walked up the side. It was a very steep climb, Tommy and him planned to terrain it a bit better so it was more accessible.

The sun was setting now, casting a large shadow over everything its light could reach. Dream knew he needed to get moving quickly; if night came, he wouldn’t be able to find Tommy at all.

It was safe to say he’d grown attached to the young boy. Not that he realised, though.

Dreams tall figure emerged over the top of the cliff’s face. He froze, spying two dark figures sitting side by side on the edge. He would have laughed at the fact that they were using dirt blocks as support if he wasn’t looking for a missing teen.

With silent feet, the blonde snuck around the two. He moved with agile steps, making his way to stand next to them.

Immediately the man relaxed. He groaned slightly, the snuggling sleeping forms of one TommyInnit and one Purpled peacefully unaware of the mans’ frustration.

Seriously, couldn’t Tommy have told him Purpled was coming over. He didn’t have a problem with the boy, but rather the fact that Logstedshire looked like a battleground from sparring. 

Prime, this kid would be the death of him.

But that didn’t stop Dream from covering the boys with a blanket and building them a cosy little shack to protect them from monsters. Naturally, that wasn’t enough for the man as he stayed up all night killing off any mobs that came close to the blondes.

Who knew Dream cared about people?

Ready to fight off any threats for them.

Giving them free armour to protect themselves.

Watching their streams to make sure they didn’t get hurt.

Having a whole bunch of backup plans in case they did get hurt or something else completely out of proportion happened. 

Yeah, no, he didn't care about the child. At all.

Chapter Text

Tommy’s eyes fluttered open, the sunlight glaring into them and forcing him from his slumber. He yawned, knowing it was futile trying to get any more rest. He lifted his head from where it rested on Purpled’s shoulder.

‘Wait…’ Tommy took a few moments to process his thoughts, ‘Since when was I leaning on Purpled?’ 

Tommy jolted up. His back hit the side of the little dirt hut he was in. He was sure that they hadn’t fallen asleep up here. Even more admit that the protective cove they resided in wasn’t there before. 

Tommy shook his head. It was too early the figure out what the actual fuck was going on. He sighed, now also freaked out at the fact that he had a blanket half covering him. At least he could use it to shield his eyes from the sun. 

Prime he was tired.

*~<!^!>~*

Tommy awoke again, now at a more acceptable time of the day. He was shocked he’d managed to get more sleep when next to nothing was protecting his eyes from the sun.

His head was still resting on Purpled’s shoulder but the boy was now awake, scrolling through Chatter. Tommy raised his head, stretching his tense limbs and alerting Purpled that he was awake.

“You snuggled into me when I tried to leave.” 

“I DID NOT!”

Tommy snapped his head back to look at the lying prick. He was enraged, reading to remove Purpled’s head from his body.

“Sure.” That just made his rage worse.

“I did not you prick.”

“I’m agreeing with you,” Purpled replied. He was fixed on his phone, looking at the most trending things of the day.

“Good. Because I am a big man and do not need the comfort of others at all. Yes, that is me. Big man TommyInnit. Haver of wives. Charmer of women. King of men.” Tommy continued to ramble on, unconsciously shifting closer to Purpled as he talked.

Purpled smiled at his friends' antics, going back to his phone. His eyes caught on a particular article, clicking on it to read how completely false and attention-seeking it was.

But, as he read further into the report, he found himself doubting if it was fake. He needed to tell Tommy.

“Tommy.” He cut in, stopping the boys' rant. Tommy’s blue eyes met his purple eyes, wondering what he wanted, “Look.” He said, giving his communicator to the blonde. He couldn’t bring himself to tell him.

Tommy read the page in silence. Purpled could see the rage slowly filling in his eyes the further he got into the text. Purpled had no idea what he must have been feeling. He only knew that it would hurt to see in.

Tommy thrust the device back to Purpled, aggressively leaning his back on the dirt. His arms were crossed and his gaze was hard, firming looking out to the sea as though it had done horrible things to him.

Purpled turned off his communicator and let it reattach back on his arm. He looked at Tommy nervously, he wanted to help but didn’t know how. 

Deciding it would be best to just sit with the blonde was the best way to go about it, Purpled readjusted himself into a more comfortable position and waited for Tommy to say something.

“It’s not fair. I mean, I was his best friend. I’m that’s been there since the beginning. Now, that stupid Ranboo guy’s replaced me. Fuck you Tubbo. Fuck you too Ranboo.”

Purpled nodded, now understanding how Tommy felt. He wasn’t upset about what the article said, more than Tubbo had replaced him. 

Purpled decided then and there that he would never leave Tommy as Tubbo had. He’d watched from afar the progression of everything that had snowballed on the SMP. He had seen how the decisions of certain people had broken the once peaceful community.

Purpled knew Tommy needed a friend. And, if Tubbo couldn’t fulfill that role, he would.

Tommy felt betrayed on another level. If Tubbo had showed up and told him, he wouldn’t have been so mad. But he hadn’t, leaving Tommy wondering if Tubbo even cared about him anymore. For once, the boy was willing to let down his barricading walls with Purpled, spilling out everything to his friend. 

After all, it hurts when you find out that your once best friend is marrying someone and didn’t even try to tell you.

Chapter Text

Tommy wondered around his camp. It was a slow day. He’d mostly been fluttering around, starting some jobs and moving on to others before he finished them. He really didn’t have an agender for that day, just…whatever really. 

Purpled had left a day ago, he told Tommy he was playing bedwars, it was his job outside of the Dream SMP. They planned to stream together at some point tomorrow. Tommy was still thinking about what the article said. While it only talked about how the two had mentioned possibly getting married, it still hurt Tommy to see even the possibility of it circling Chatter.

And, while it wasn’t his place to dictate what Tubbo did, the little sign in the Nether that told people where Tommy was had clearly been ignored. Tubbo hadn’t messaged, called, or acknowledged him for the month he’d been exiled. Tommy couldn’t check on him either because he had been banned from looking at the other members of L’manburg’s streams. 

It had driven him insane in the first week. Not being able to talk to anyone but Dream was breaking. But, Purpled arriving had helped.  

He grabbed some uncooked heat out of his cooled chest (it had a block of ice under it, courtesy of Dream) and some coal and new sticks from another, readying himself to make some food. Tommy carefully and securely attached the meat to a stick and hung it over the flame-less fire pit.

He worked on the fuel of the fire, placing coal in the middle of the stick frame. He looked in his inventory for a flint and steel, realizing he forgot the item. Tommy sighed, standing up and walking away to get some.

He looked through all his chests, trying to find the flint and steel he was sure he had laying around somewhere. When his searching proved he didn’t, Tommy sighed and quickly fashioned a new one. He had to get back out quickly, he knew animals wouldn’t hesitate to steal his food.

Tommy walked out of his tent, looking up towards his fire. He froze. It was lit. The orange and red flames bright and burning, casting light on the walls of his little campsite. But, that wasn’t the thing that made him freeze. It was seeing his dead brothers' ghost sitting in front of the fire peacefully that did. 

Tommy’s lighthearted and lazy energy turned cautious and he started his peace again, much slower this time. His footsteps were silent, something he’d picked up from Dream.

The boy approached, he was tense and ready to defend himself if need be. He silently walked up behind the ghost, stopping about 30cm from the log he was sitting on.

“Wilbur.” The man jumped, spinning around to meet Tommy’s gaze. He smiled, waving at his younger brother,

“Hey, Toms!” Tommy eyed him, sitting down but making sure to keep his distance, “I’m streaming right now!” Ghostbur chirped, looking at his chat.

Tommy nodded, at least he knew he needed to act pleasant now. “That’s good.”

“Yeah. Anyway, I brought you a gift.” The ghost continued, going into his inventory to grab the item. Tommy watched, he still didn’t trust him. Wilbur had done too much to be so easily forgiven. 

“Here it is!” Ghostbur called, bringing out an enchanted compass. Tommy knew how they worked. You tied them to a lodestone and they would always point to it. Or, more recently as a Watcher had discovered, you could tie them to a mix of organic crystal and lodestone so that they would always point to the owner. 

They were tricky to make, the second you finished the crystal it would be bonded to the first person that touched it. Tommy had tried making them once before for him and Tubbo, but he never got the chance to give them to the other boy.

“See, I linked it to a lodestone crystal that Tubbo has so you two could always get back to each other. Because I’m a ghost, the crystals don’t activate for me.” Ghostbur explained, snapping Tommy out of his train of thought. 

The blonde looked down at the ghost, seeing his hands were extended with both a compass and crystal in hand. 

“The second you touch it, Tubbo will be able to find you from anywhere.”

Chapter Text

Tommy sighed. He was struggling to figure out who would be in his next vlog. 

‘Dream? No, that would seem suspicious. Techno? Nah, he hates me right now. Philza? He’s busy with his hardcore world.’

He threw his head back, frustrated. He let out a groan, the whole thing annoying him beyond belief. Who else did he know that he could film a vlog with?

Tommy shot up. Of course! Why hadn’t he thought of it before? Purpled! Purpled would be perfect. 

Tommy smiled brightly. He knew his friend wouldn’t say no to filming a vlog together. The blonde pulled the once scattered papers back to him, wanting to start writing down ideas.

He positioned himself with his pen hovering over the paper, but something caught his eye before he continued. The loadstone crystal. It was sitting idly on his desk, still unclaimed. 

Tommy had yet to bond himself to it. He had yet to give Tubbo the chance to find him. He, in all honesty, didn’t want Tubbo to find him.

A few weeks ago, Tommy would have jumped at the chance to be connected to Tubbo from anywhere, but now…

He couldn’t bring himself to want to do it.

In truth, Tommy wanted to see if there was a way to disconnect a crystal from its compass. So far, he had run a few tests, most were failures, but they had given him a basis on where he should go. He knew it would be so much easier to go and get the materials to create a new pair of crystals, but making these items required so much Netherite (four pieces to be exact) and Tommy didn’t exactly have the resources to get them. 

If he could disconnect his compass and crystal, it would save him so much time and effort.

Why did he want to create his own set? To give to Purpled of course! 

Purpled visited him.

Purpled was his friend.

Purpled put up with him.

Purpled cared for him.

And he cared for Purpled.

Tommy looked between the paper and the magical items. He stood and walked over to his workbench. The vlog can wait, Purpled is more important to him.

*~<!^!>~*

It was late into the night when Tommy finally brought the crystal up to his eyes, looking through his goggles at the item. Tweezers held it steady, just in case the gloves he wore weren’t enough to stop it bonding to him.

Tommy smiled brightly as he watched the enchanted glow fade from the shard. It had worked. Tommy now smirked, he had succeeded!

He had done the impossible! 

He gingerly placed the stone on the table, before hastily ripping off his gloves and grabbing his notes, quickly writing down the formula he used, he refused to forget it. 

Tommy stilled, looking down at his workbench once he finished writing. The realization that he had just separated a magically bonded loadstone crystal from its compass finally setting in. Not even the best mages at the academies had done this. But it wasn’t magic. Just logic.

Simple logic.

And Tommy had done it.

He had cracked the code.

He knew his experience with potion-making probably aided him in figuring it out, but it didn’t deter the fact that he had done this. 

He could do what he wanted now.

He could give Purpled a compass that pointed to them across all servers. 

Tommy removed his goggles, his once orange distorted vision clearing to full colour. There was a small pile of sweat that had accumulated under the eyewear that Tommy brushed away. 

Tommy relaxed in his chair, closing his eyes and letting his shoulders slouch, the tension released from the joints. He sighed, before standing and walking to his bed. He’d finish the compass tomorrow.

Chapter Text

Tommy jolted awake, the soft sound of someone’s voice calling his name alerting him that someone else was there. His once naive now sharp eyes opened to try and figure out who was there with him.

Tommy relaxed when he saw the familiar article of clothing that was engraved in his mind. “You said you wouldn’t be here for another day or so.” He commented. He wasn’t mad, no, he would never be mad at his friend. Just curious.

“I got a couple days off.” The other replied. “Thought I’d come and keep you company for a bit.” Tommy nodded, though he knew his friend didn’t need his approval. It was a habit from his time in Pogtopia. Just nod along and you’ll be fine. Just nod along and no one will get mad. Just nod along and Wilbur will ignore you.

That was the best option. Wilbur ignoring you. It meant he wouldn’t try and force you to blow up L’manberg with him. Meant he wouldn’t accuse you of being the traitor. Meant he wouldn’t hurt-

“Tommy?” The boy in question opened his eyes, sucking in a sharp breath before regaining his composer. 

“Yeah, Purpled?” He and Purpled both knew what he had been thinking. They both knew what had happened in Pogtopia. They both knew Tommy didn’t want to talk about it. They both knew he just wanted a hug from someone who cared.  

Purpled laid down beside Tommy in his bed, Tommy shuffled over slightly but their shoulders still touched. They knew both that the bed was big enough for them to lay without contact.

“Are we too young for this?” Purpled finally asked. He knew Tommy would tell him more about Pogtopia when he was ready.

The question hung unanswered in the air, but they both knew the answer. They both knew it without hesitation. Yes.

Tommy gripped Purpled’s hand, squeezing it tightly. Purpled squeezed back.

*~<!^!>~*

Tommy sat hunched at his desk, tinkering away at the compass. Purpled was laying on his bed, scrolling through his phone. They handed said much to each other after the question Purpled asked earlier. They didn’t need to.

At some point, Tommy had gotten up from his bed to work on disconnecting the compass. He had briefly wondered what would be happening on Tubbo’s end. If he was worried about the erratic pattern the compass needle was spinning in or if he didn’t care. Either way, it didn’t stop Tommy from continuing his project.

He had finally got it disconnected, the process taking a lot shorter time than the previous day, Tommy smiled widely before grabbing both the inactivated crystal and the compass to put them away. Now he just needed to ask Dream to help him with getting the materials for another pair.

Tommy pulled out his communicator and opened his private messages with Dream.

You whispered to Dream: was wondering if you would help with a project

Dream whispered to you: what kind of project?

You whispered to Dream: one that may or may not require two pieces of netherite and a few other things that are hard to get

Dream whispered to you: wtf tommy.

You whispered to Dream: please? I can do it myself but I thought you might want to see the process

Dream whispered to you: what process?

You whispered to Dream: how to make lodestone compass sets

Dream whispered to you:….tommy, you need four pieces of netherite for that…

You whispered to Dream: not if you already have a deactivated crystal and compass

Dream whispered to you: how did you get your hands on a deactivated set?

You whispered to Dream: if you help me ill tell you.

Dream whispered to you:…fine.

You whispered to Dream: thanks big D!

Dream whispered to you: im going to regret this aren’t i?

You whispered to Dream: probably!

*~<!^!>~*

The rest of the day had been slow and more than a few times had Tommy flopped into his bed, half laying on Purpled half spread out across the rest of the bed. Despite the probable uncomfort of having someone Tommy’s size and weight fall on you, Purpled simply wrapped on arm around the blonde and stroked his back. And if during this time Tommy clasped his hand in Purpled’s, neither said anything.

Or if when the day was barely over and they had only just finished a small dinner that Tommy once again cuddled into Purpled, neither commented.

Or if a certain green man came looking to ask Tommy about his messages only to find the two snuggled under a blanket, he didn’t say anything.

And if Tubbo’s compass and crystal sat untouched in the bottom of his desk, he didn’t say anything about it. 

Chapter Text

Tubbo looked around the room. His cabinet sat around him along with Eret, Dream, George, and Sapnap. They were having a meeting about the political documents and rules for L’manburg’s newfound independence. After…Tommy’s exile some things needed to be sorted out.

But, as he listened to the discussions going around the room, Quackity and Fundy talking the Eret and George (? No one was really sure who was the King of the SMP at the moment) Tubbo couldn’t help but notice that Dream was gazing off into the distance. 

Though no one could see past his mask, it was clear he was not in the present. Tubbo decided to do something about that. No one got to force him to exile his best friend and then not care what came out of it. 

“What are your thoughts on this Dream?” he asked, silencing the room. Everyone looked to the man in question, awaiting an answer. Tubbo smirked internally, this would really show if Dream knew what they were talking about or not.

“I think it is a smart idea for there to be an alliance. It will decrease the number of wars that start.” Dream said, completely unfazed by the sudden question. His voice was level and he held a steady tone. It was hard to tell if he had been caught off guard by the question or not.

‘So long as you don’t start any.’ Tubbo couldn’t help but bitterly think. He hated Dream with a passion. It was his fault all of this had happened in the first place after all. If Dream had just let Tommy have his discs, he wouldn’t be in exile right now. It was Dream’s fault Tommy was exiled.

Tubbo knew that was a lie. He knew that Dream wasn’t the only one at fault for Tommy’s exile, he was partly to blame as well. But, Tommy was his best friend and Dream was his enemy, it was easier to believe Dream was the problem because Tubbo had been peer pressured into doing it, right?

Tommy would forgive him, right?

*~<!^!>~*

Tommy backed away from the black he had just placed, allowing Dream to move forward. It was slightly awkward, they were both over 6” (1.8 meters) tall and the 2x1 strip mine they were in was small, but they made it work. 

“So, how did you figure out detaching a compass and its stone?” Dream asked, watching Tommy over his shoulder. Tommy looked back from where he’d been starring at a ghast,

“It’s quite easy, really.” Dream nodded, knowing Tommy would most likely tell him later when they were safer. He bent down, clicking the flint and steel together and setting off the tnt tunnel.

The two blonds moved back, watching as the area slowly blow up. It wasn’t uncommon in the Nether for there to be random pockets of lava, but still, the hot liquid falling from the ceiling-

“That’s gonna make it harder to find Netherite.”

“Yeah.”

*~<!^!>~*

Tommy exited out of Nether portal, Dream right behind him. They had come back to the overworld when they ran out of tnt, which, granted, had lasted them ruffly three hours. It was hard to tell, time worked differently in the Nether.   

They had managed to get enough ancient debris to make nine Netherite ingots, enough for both Dream and Tommy to complete a set of Loadstone compasses and then some. Tommy looked at Dream, waiting for his to nod to continue to the camp. He was set on fulfilling his end of the bargain.

Over the past few weeks, the blonde had grown on the masked man. It was strange, Dream had never really cared about Tommy. But now… he was considering training the boy. 

Dream wasn’t going to lie, Tommy had talent. He was amazing with potions and clearly knew his way around the subject. And while he wasn’t the best fighter, he clearly knew how to hold a sword. But it was almost as if he had created his patterns from watching another, instead of being shown how to do it himself.

Dream wasn’t stupid, he knew there was some relation Tommy had to Technoblade. He knew Techno was Wilbur’s twin and that Philza was Wilbur’s father. Clearly, Tommy had picked up how to fight from watching his brothers(?), but he had never been trained properly.

Dream knew Tommy would have to know how to fight. It was inevitable that he would need to be able to fend for himself in the near future.

But training Tommy could wait, now…

*~<!^!>~*

Dream watched with clear focus as Tommy tried to explain the mechanics of the compasses to him. He had to admit, it didn’t make much sense, but he was starting to get the basics. 

In all honesty, Dream didn’t even know who he would give the compass and crystal. It’s not like Sapnap and him were particularly close anymore and George was friends with Dream XD (Dream shuddered at the thought of what the God would do to him if connected himself and George) and Punz wasn’t really a friend, more of an acquaintance.

Still, it was nice to have.

Dream’s thoughts wondered as Tommy’s rambling spiraled off about Redstone and how it could be useful to incorporate it into the compass. Normally Dream would listen, but he currently had no idea what the boy was talking about.

He was thinking about the spare pieces of Netherite they got, he didn’t need them. Maybe he could give it to Tommy for better tools? He’ll think about it later.

Dream watched as Tommy fiddled with a screwdriver, he smiled quietly behind his mask. Yeah, maybe Tommy wasn’t so bad after all.

Chapter Text

The blond placed the last of his black stained glass, wiping his brow to rid himself of the sweat. He knew this build would require a lot of stained glass, but still why was it so much? Eight stacks and he wasn’t even finished with the first layer.

The man groaned, knowing he would need to spend even more time shoveling sand. Sand! Why couldn’t it be made so that it was automatically farmable!? Not that he could build the farm anyway… redstone was annoying, he concluded.

His back ached and his hands were raw, in retrospect, he should have put on his safety gloves. Maybe then his hands wouldn't be scared by the small shards of glass that occasionally chipped off and cut him.

The man picked up his shoulders and pulled up his communicator, changing the recording screen from his cam account watching above to the special contacts in his eyes. He sucked in a breath, short-lived as he had to fight off a zombie, and readied himself to inform his viewers of his issue. 

It was turning into a very long day.

Maybe he should bother his friends to make up for it.

*~<!^!>~*

The man walked out of the entrance to his build, finally having pulled himself away and going for a break. He felt he needed it after all. He wanted to annoy his friends but he needed to make it look natural so they wouldn't suspect anything. His plans didn't always happen without fail, but he learned quickly that flying around for a bit first took a large amount of suspicion off him.

Grinning, mischief set on his mind, he focused for a second before a giant pair of vermilion wings sprouted from his back, matching the iconic red sweater that everyone knew him by. 

They were huge, at least five meters in length each (about 16ft). They were powerful too, able to propel him through the air faster than any elytra could go. He took pride in the wings and their power, keeping them preened to perfection and exercising daily. There were few Avians left now, most hunted down for their wings hundreds of years ago. Many of the ones that remained were cautious, the male included. It had taken him nearly a full year and indescribable pain from using an elytra to trust the people on his server enough to reveal his secret. 

he found quickly that he had nothing to fear, other than small spaces, but he already knew that. With his wings being so big, it was increasingly difficult to maneuver. He wasn't scared of small spaces on their own, but while strong, the bones were hollow. 

With one powerful flap, the man was hoisted into the air, traveling far and wide from him and his friends’ small settlement. He soared up over the mountains above his base, hand-made by a maniac whose starter bases could be considered a full-blown mega, but no one talked about that for some reason. (That was a lie, the male in question was constantly poked at by his friends for it.) 

Catching a stable current that held his weight, the male glided across the server, doing small tricks for the people he saw. They seemed to be a rather large amount of people on at the time, but he wasn't complaining. More chances to show off. He wasn’t the best flier on the server for nothing, after all. 

He loved flying, it was deep in his genes and despite what many people had tried to do in the past, the love for the wind in his hair and the freedom of no one being able to touch him was still as thrilling as it was when he was first learning.

His father had taught him. His father, someone he hadn’t seen since he was taken at twelve years old. The thought of the man always brought a bitter twist to his overly cheerful attitude. He held a lot of pent-up resentment that very few had actually seen be let out before. He was smarter than to allow it to affect him constantly, but small bursts had been let out once in while. That didn't deter from the fact that it was scary when it happened.

But things would have been different if his father was around to stop what happened he would have known his siblings.

Would have seen them grow up.

Would have been around to help them with friends and school.

But of course, the man was too busy off on some adventure that was somehow more important than his sons.

But at the same time, he would never have known or met the people he knows now. It was sort of a bittersweet blessing in disguise if you will.

But he missed his family dearly. He regretted not trying harder to find them after all these years. He had tried, he really had. He had spent hours, slaved over papers and documents looking for clues, but everything turned up dry. It was maddening. If he didn't have his friends he would have most likely gone insane. How could an entire bloodline just... disappear?

He knew the answer, he just didn't like it, but if the Craft family didn’t want to be found, they wouldn’t. Something they all got from his father.

But of course, Grian was never one to back down from a challenge.

*~<>~*

Somewhere far off, a man with feathers that of a crows and dark as night felt a chill of the unknown past ring down his spine.

Something was happening.

And Philza didn't like the feeling it brought. 

Chapter Text

Tommy, in all honestly, wasn’t expecting that.

He wasn’t expecting Dream to turn around and say, “Oh, yeah, you can keep the rest of the Netherite.”

He wasn’t expecting Dream to offer to train him.

He wasn’t expecting to say yes.

And he was most definitely not expecting Dream to link their compasses together.

He wasn’t expecting to not be mad about it either.

What he was expecting, however, was for Purpled to come visit him that afternoon.

And so long as Purpled was with him, Tommy didn’t really care about all the unexpected things that happened during the day.

Now, he was leading the other blonde to his tent, anxiously prepping himself to give him the other compass.

He opened the drawer, grabbing out the compasses before carefully removing the crystals. He laid them out on the table and moved back, allowing Purpled to see his creations. The teenager remained blank, staring at the objects unmoving.

Tommy grew worried as he watched his friend, desperately hoping he wasn’t upset about it. 

That he wouldn’t want to be Tommy’s friend anymore.

That he would think Tommy was weird for making these.

That he would think Tommy was obsessive for wanting to be linked together.

That he would leave. Leave like everyone else.

In a desperate hope to prevent that outcome, Tommy burst into an explanation, “It-it’s just I thought it would be really cool if we were linked by compass y’know. L-like we would be-be-be able to find each other from anywhere? We would be unstoppable if we could y’know? They fucking- they wouldn’t even see it fucking coming. B-but it’s fine if you don’t want to? I know it’s weird an’ all-”

Tommy fiddled with his hands and starred at the ground, missing the way Purpled turned to him with a warm smile. His thick blond hair swayed as he continued to explain why he made the items. Purpled huffed in amusement and reached forward, grasping a glowing purple crystal tightly. Tommy’s head snapped up in shock, looking at the other.

“Yeah, it would be pretty cool, wouldn’t it?”

*~<!^!>~*

Tommy and Purpleds relationship only grew stronger after they linked crystals. They played bedwars together nearly every day. The chat loved it. Tommy was finally starting to stream as much as he used to, and people were obsessing over the duos' friendship.

Purpled would try and visit Tommy as much as possible in exile to keep him company. After one of Tommy’s lessons with Dream, the two teens would spear so that he could practice what he learned. Purpleds brother, Punz, had taught him how to fight.

And slowly over time, Tommy found himself drifting away from his relationship with Tubbo. The big black hole in his heart from the brunette was slowly being filled by Purpleds’ presence. And strangely enough, he didn’t really care.

He never expected it to happen.

He never expected for anyone to replace Tubbo, but... it didn’t upset him as much as it should.

His lessons with Dream were going great as well. Tommy was starting to realise Dream wasn’t as bad as what everyone said. He was actually a really nice guy, once you got to know him.

It had gotten to the point where Dream didn’t care where Tommy went during his exile, so long as he wasn’t causing trouble or going to L’manberg, not that Tommy wanted to anyway. He mainly just hung around with Purpled in his UFO. (Tommy really liked the UFO. Not that he was going to let Purpled know that.)

He had even made Tommy his own hoddie! It was the same style as Dream’s, loose and baggy but not so much that it was a pain to fight in, but in Tommy’s classic red.

He liked wearing it along with the black fingerless gloves Purpled said would help with grip. He had his compass in his inventory and his crystal in a special compartment on his utility belt that didn’t count as inventory. Tommy liked storing potions in there.   

He was happy. He didn’t need anything else other than what he had right now. I mean, maybe Tommy laid awake at night thinking about his abilities he wished he could use, but other than that, he had what he needed, and he was happy.

He had his flock. It may be small, but he knew that they wouldn’t leave. He needed them to stay.

After all, an avian loses their ability to fly when they lose their flock. 

Tommy had once lost his. His family. It had never been a very functional flock, but once his oldest brother was gone it all came crashing down. He had given up hope of finding it (him) again.

He thought Tubbo and Wilbur and Fundy and Niki and Jack would be the ones the help him fly again. 

They weren't. Tubbo left him, Wilbur was dead, Fundy and him weren't close anymore, Niki was grieving, Jack hardly to talked to him now.

Maybe Dream and Purpled would help him fly again?

Chapter Text

Tommy spawned into his new world. It was completely flat, just as he needed it. He wanted to try something out.

Tommy hadn’t used his wings in years. Sure, he’d brought them out a few times for maintenance and such, but he really used them properly. To fly.

He never needed to. On the central server, there was no need to really use his wings and in online playing, he felt like he was cheating.

On the Dream SMP, he felt like he was breaking the rules and being unfair, considering the End was banned.

Tommy only ever felt comfortable using his wings on private servers, but he hardly played on those anymore.

Now he was going to change that.

He wasn’t scared anymore. He wasn’t ashamed. Wasn’t worried. Wasn’t restricted by anything. He could be free.

He could fly.

And he was going to.

*~<!^!>~*

Tommy stood atop his tower, made of cobblestone of course, (only the best block for Big Man Tommyinnit) he wasn’t scared.

Not in a million years. Tommyinnit doesn’t get scared. He’s a big man, why would he be scared?

Okay… maybe Tommy was a little scared.

He hadn’t used his wings in years and now suddenly he was standing hundreds of blocks above the ground about to jump with only his wings to save him. Sure he was overexaggerating, he was in creative, but Tommy was terrified he’d waited too long and that his wings would be in such a bad condition that he would never be able to fly again.

Tommy shook his head, jumping slightly when his wings ruffled in response, a few red and white feathers falling to the group.

Tommy had always wondered about the colour of his wings. They left him stumped. His father, Phil, had wings as black and elegant as a crows, yet Tommy’s were red on the first layer of his primary’s and white for the second two. He thought the colours may have been from his ‘late’ mother, but hers were apparently also black.

The only person Tommy could remember having red wings was… his eldest brother. His were a deep maroon red, like Tommy’s, but even then all of his feathers were that colour. It was weird. His brother was the best flyer he knew. Even though he couldn't remember much about him, that always stayed. 

Tommy sighed, realising he was unconsciously stalling himself. Pushing all the invading questions out of his head, Tommy spread his wings.

He jumped.

Thank god he was in creative mode because he panicked.

The first bit of his descent was good, his wings were starting to pick up the air beneath him and he was stable-ish. Then, shit hit the fan.

Tommy turned his body vertically and any form of balance he had was lost. He plummeted straight to the ground, his desperate flapping probably made him fall faster.

Tommy sat on the ground. He had landed hard, not that it hurt. 

Maybe going from 0 to 100 on the first try wasn’t the best idea.

*~>!^!<~*

He changed tactics. Instead of trying to fly straight away without any practice, Tommy was first going to stretch his wings and flap them on the safe ground. Best to know how to move them properly before jumping off the cliff.

It was a slow and painful process, but after a while, the blonde started to feel the controls he’d lost so long ago come back.

It was…refreshing? Freeing? He couldn’t place it, but it was nice.

*~<!^!>~*

Tommy felt ready now. He felt like he could do it now. Several hours of practice, three how to fly books, multiple youtube videos on how to work and use wings and a few test runs on smaller towers later he felt ready.

Okay, maybe he was still scared.

But he’d once heard someone tell him, ‘The best warriors turn their fear onto fuel.’ And that’s what he was going to do.

Tommyinnit was going to take what the world had grown at him and use it. Properly, this time.

He sucked in a deep breath and closed his eyes, readying himself. And… he jumped.

Why hadn’t he done this sooner?

Sure, he was a little wobbly, but why hadn’t he done this sooner?

The feeling of the wind in his hair was so... euphoric. He was on cloud nine, literally. He swore he’d never felt this happy in years.

He brought himself to the ground, before quickly going back up his tower, practicing well into the night.

He couldn’t wait to show Purpled what he could do.

And Dream to. Maybe Dream knew something about flying?

Chapter Text

As it turns out, Dream did indeed know a bit about flying. He also knew he was suspicious of Tommy when the boy bounded over to him to ask about flying.

Dream knew Tommy was an elytrian, it was in his code after all, but he didn’t think Tommy had wings.

Not until now at least.

Here, stood a blonde blue-eyed boy that he had come to be protective over, but with a new add-on. A pair of giant red and white wings. Asking for help on flying no less.

Dream was a watcher, he could fly. He had wings. Of course, he could help, but he didn’t know if he would be a good teacher, which was now he was nervously rubbing his neck, trying to tell Tommy about his issue.

“See, I don’t think I’d be the best teach-” He began, before being shut up by the younger male,

“Fucking bullshit, you’re already teaching me how to fight, what’s more to fucking teach me how to fly?” Tommy accused, crossing his arms and huffing out an angry breath.

Dream stared blankly at the boy, he let out a large sigh before giving in, “Fine. What the fuck could possibly go wrong?”

Tommy beamed and started to prance around the little campsite.

*~>!^!<~*

A lot could go wrong actually, starting with Tommy’s wings having not been cleaned properly in what looked like years.

Less than half an hour in and Dream was trying to convince Tommy to let him preen his wings. They weren’t in terrible shape, but they weren’t exactly pristine either.

Tommy didn’t like people touching his wings. They were sensitive and he hated the thought of easy it would be for someone to do some serious damage from behind. 

“Tommy, please.” Dream practically begged, he knew they needed a serious amount of attention and he knew he could do it. If only Tommy would let him.

“No bitch, fuck off.” The boy in question retorted, moving away as Dream tried to grasp his shoulder.

“They need to be preened, Tommy.” Dream tried reasoning. He may as well have been talking to a brick wall, it might have been more successful than convincing Tommy.

“I’ll do it later, it’s fine.” Tommy assured. He would, he promised, but Dream knew Tommy didn’t know how to properly look after his wings.

“Tommy, you need someone else to do it for you.” Dream continued, stopping his attempts to grab the boy, for now…

“Why?”

“Because you can’t reach your baby feathers.”

“Why?”

“Because they’re at the base of your wings.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s where they grow.”

“Why?”

“Because any other type of feathers is too big to grow there.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s a small space.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s where your wings connect to your back.”

“Why?”

“Because you can fly.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re an elytrian.”

“Why?”

“Because your parents wanted a child, you, and they were elytrians.”

“Why?”

“Because when a mummy and a daddy love each other very much, they make a c-”

“That is fucking disgusting.” Tommy said, breaking the endless loop.

Dream nodded his head, “Yes it is.” Words could not describe how happy he was that the cycle was broken.

Tommy smirked evilly, “Why?”

Dream screamed.

*~<!^!>~*

But, he got his way in the end, tackling Tommy to the ground and dragging his body over to the beach before washing and preening his wings.

Tommy complained the entire time but didn’t make any motion to move away.

Dream didn't know it, but the only time Tommy had had his wings preened where by his eldest brother a long, long time ago.

And, if Tommy it comforting when Dream cleaned his wings because it reminded him of his brother, he would never, ever say it.

Ever.  

Chapter Text

Tommy stood over his prey; his legs spread shoulder width apart. The callouses on his hands burned from griping his ax so tightly. The joints of his wings stretched and pulled, uncomfortable from using them to block and push back. His breaths were heavy and deep, his lungs burned for air. 

But Tommy didn’t care. He didn’t care about the fire burning around him. He didn’t care about the scream of agony coursing through the land because of him. He didn’t care about all the bodies lying around him, withering away. He didn’t care about the blood running down his face.

The only thing he cared about right now, was the person lying at his feet.

Tightening the grip on his ax, he tensed his shoulders up, wanting answers.

“Why?” His voice was low and deep, a growl that rumbled through his throat.

The man underneath him squirmed, trying to run away from the blonde. He didn’t have an answer, it had just… happened. 

Tommy grew frustrated, the ax he held settling itself against the man’s neck. The swing could have taken his head off. 

“I’ll ask again, why?” He growled; “Why did you do this? Why did you hurt us? Why did it matter if I had the discs?”

The man stayed quiet, waiting for Tommy’s eyes to flicker off. He striked, lifting his head backward and over the ax, shoving his forearm into the wooden handle, and launching himself at Tommy. He tackled him, the blonde hitting his head hard on the ground, helmet doing very little to muffle the blow.

Tommy saw stars before his vision started fading in and out of black. His right arm holding the ax was pressed down, stopping him from being able to do anything to defend himself. He focused as the man started speaking.

“Because you never listened, Tommy. You didn’t follow the rules. You mucked things up. You annoyed other people on the server. I had to step in, I had to stop you.”

Tommy, in his haze of confusion, knew one thing. He was scared. Chilled to the bone. Fear raced through him as though it was the blood being pumped by his heart.

Right now, he was vulnerable. Very vulnerable. He couldn’t do anything to stop the man from getting off him.

He couldn’t do anything to stop him from taking his ax.

He couldn’t do anything as it was raised into the air.

All he could do was close his eyes as the blade rose to cut through his flesh.

All he could do was accept man’s answer.

After all, why would the admin lie?   

The ax landed its mark, cutting through his heart and killing him instantly.

*~<!^!>~*

Tommy screamed as he shot awake, the nightmare still freshly raging in his head. He couldn’t see. He couldn’t hear. He couldn’t smell anything. All he could do was feel the tears streaming down his rosy cheeks. 

The screams plagued his mind and the fire danced in his eyes. Everything was burning, he had been in pain. But that hadn’t been him. It couldn’t of. Dream wouldn’t- Dream wouldn’t…

Would he?

The thought calmed everything for a minute as the boy tossed it around before a scoring pain struck him and brought everything back full force.

His scenes heightened and he could feel everything around him.

There was someone next to him. They were asleep. Tommy could feel their body pressed up beside him. The warmth they gave off would have been comforting in any other scene but right now Tommy was so out of it that it only worsened his panic.

He was having a panic attack.

Tommy scrambled out of his bed, his mind in a complete haze. He could only hear the ringing in his ears, only feel the sweat coating his body. It was raining, hard. The wind lashed at his skin and the water soaked his clothes, chilling him to the bone.

He was crying and gasping and spluttering for air. The nightmare ran through his head on repeat. The entire span of his life in an alternate reality. It was fake, he knew that. It wasn’t real for him. But right now, Tommy couldn’t tell if it was really a dream or not.

It was so real.

Dream wasn’t kind.

Purpled wasn’t his friend.

L’manberg was gone.

Phill didn’t care.

Techno destroyed everything.

He didn’t have his wings.

His memories and the visions from the dream mixed together, leaving Tommy screaming on the inside. His mind was hurting, and his world was caving. He couldn’t breathe properly.

Arms wrapped around him, holding him steady and firm. Tommy snapped his head up like a wild animal caught in a hunter’s trap.

A tidal wave of fear crashed into him, spending chills down all of his bones.

It was Dream.

Dream was holding him.

Dream.

DREAM.

DREAM.

Tommy spiraled, lashing out and shoving himself out of the man’s arms. Dream was going to kill him like he did in the nightmare.

There was a storm in his head and his heart.

Dream was saying something, he knew that.

The person who was sleeping next to him – Purpled – was there, trying to reach out and calm him down.

Tommy’s eyes were frantic, darting and flashing around like a wild animal.

He was scared.

So he ran.

Tommy turned tail and sprinted away; he wasn’t going to stop. No until he couldn’t run anymore.

He wasn’t safe.

Tears continued to run down his cheeks in a seemingly never-ending flow. He didn’t want to leave. Lodgeshire was nice. But he wasn’t safe. Dream was going to get him and he was going to hurt him and blow up his things and trap him and isolate him and- and-

*~<!^!>~*

His legs burned and his lungs ached.

Tommy stopped, nearly collapsing on the ground.

He was exhausted. His breathing was lathered, and he was struggling to think. He gasped for air, coughing and heaving on his hands and knees. A little bit of blood splattered the ground.

He knew he couldn’t run any further. His legs felt like they would snap at any moment, frail but somehow sturdy enough to hold him up. 

The blonde sucked in a deep breath, before unfurling his wings and taking off. 

))(*^#@!@#$%^&*()

“Un malson er juuri a aztoratuta erinnerung.” A blonde said, comforting his younger brother. He had had a nightmare, a bad one from the way he’d screamed the house down. The older boy was sitting on the bed, hugging the other as he wiped his tears. The younger sniffled,

“R-really?” He asked, looking up to his brother for guidance.

The older smiled bright, the dazzling blue eyes that they shared shining with warmth, “Yeah! And I’ll always be here to help you when you have a nightmare.”

The younger boy frowned, “Promise?” He asked, holding out a pinkie figure. The older blonde smiled softly, linking his pinkie with his brothers’.

“Promise.”

The younger smiled before snuggling into his brother’s side, holding a raccoon plushie tightly under one arm. The older boy softened and wrapping another arm around the boy, flicking the bedside table light off before going to sleep himself.

He always had preferred Tommy to his other siblings.

!@#$%^&*()_)(*&^%$#@

Grian smiled bittersweetly at the memory. He missed his little brother so much. The only thing he had left was the racoon plushie that Tommy would always sleep with. 

Tommy had been his favourite, though he wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was because Tommy was his biological brother? That they were both elytrians? That Techno and Wil had each other and he had Tommy?

Was it because Phil was never around to take care of them so he always felt extra protective of Tommy?

Tears stung his eyes. He missed his family so, so much. Sure, they were far from perfect, but they were home. Hermitcraft… it was nice and Grian loved the friends he’d made but it wasn’t the same. They didn’t know his story. They didn’t know what his childhood room looked like. They didn’t know about his siblings.

They didn’t know much about his life other than the basic information Grian had told them, save for Pearl and Mumbo.

He sat up on his bed in his base, looking across the way at the item on the shelf. If there was one thing the Hermits did know about the blonde, it was that the toy meant worlds to Grian. Tango and Scar had found that out the hard way. He stood and walked over to it, plucking it up from its resting place and looking down at it in his hands.

It wasn’t in the best condition; the fur was mattered in certain areas and the colours were slightly washed out. Other than that, Grian had kept it as pristine as possible. He still didn’t know how he’d managed to keep it after everything that had happened to him.

It was the only link to his family he had left.

Walking back over to his bed, Grian laid down, holding the toy close to his chest, a new fire ignited in his heart.

He was going to find Tommy, no matter what.

!@#$%^&*()(*&^%$#@!

He’d been traveling for hours. When he’d taken off Tommy had simply picked a direction and flew straight, not really caring if he got lost. Lost was better than being found right now. He was tired, that was probably the first time in a few days he’d gotten more than two hours of sleep. 

But he couldn’t turn back, it was too risky. Tommy’d always said ‘Life without risk is boring’ (it was something his oldest brother used to say) but now… Tommy wasn’t sure if should have taken so many risks.

He was sore everywhere. He knew he wasn’t ready to fly for such a long distance and time as he was, but he didn’t really have a choice. To him it was a do-or-die situation, and he chose do.

His thoughts wandered, finding it difficult to keep himself on track. They jumbled and jumped around, with nearly no connection whatsoever. It was weird, but he was too tired to question it.

Tommy’s eyes drooped and he could feel himself slowly fall out of the sky. He was numb. Tired. And, frankly, relaxed at the sensation. The feeling of fear about losing his last life not registering.

It was nice, falling.

He didn’t have to worry about keeping himself upright.

What if he just let himself fall for a little?

Tommy’s eyes snapped open, blue glowing bright for the first time in what felt like years. He didn’t want to die.

Frantically trying to flap his wings, Tommy plummeted to the ground with no way to break the fall.

Pulling his com up, Tommy smashed as many buttons as he could, trying to do anything to save himself. His wings weren’t responding. 

A bright flash of light, and then-

TommyInnit left the game.

TommyInnit hit the ground too hard.