Chapter Text
It’s an early morning when it happens, slightly cold with the sun still coming up, the grass damp with dew. Tommy stays curled up in his tent, slowly waking up to the sound of the waves moving outside, the water always consistent background noise.
He’s not cold, but he still wraps his arms around himself, turning over on his weak excuse for a bed. The torn cushions are better than sleeping on the ground directly, and while Tommy doesn’t have a blanket, and the tent still lets breezes flow through easily, he thinks it’s better than nothing.
He’s asked Dream for a blanket, before. Those were nice nights, sleeping with something covering him, a thin light green fabric letting him keep away the nightmares for just a few moments longer.
And he wants one again, but he doesn’t want to mess up again. He already messed up last time, and he got the proper consequence, having to burn the blanket himself, watching it turn to ash in the sand as Dream told him to be better. He should’ve known better to not yell back at Dream, really, but his personality just seems to create problems at every turn.
It’s still early morning, and Tommy keeps his eyes closed, mentally keeping track of how long until Dream comes around again. He doesn’t usually come here too early, but he pops by every time, just to give Tommy a good morning. It’s a nice thing to wake up to, Dream leaning into his tent, telling him to not sleep in too late, lest he wants to waste the day away.
Tommy debates getting up then, just so when Dream does come around, he can be pleasantly surprised at Tommy being up early and being productive.
But the cushions underneath him are so soft in his half-asleep state, and he tells himself just five more minutes.
It’s quiet outside, quiet like it always is, and sometimes it’s comforting, and sometimes it drives him mad. The water moving against the shore is always there, though, and Tommy focuses on the faint noise as he slowly drifts off again.
The sound of footsteps against sand register in his mind, and Tommy takes too long to recognize it before someone is pulling back the flap of the tent, coming in.
“I-I’m up, I’m up.” Tommy says, rubbing at his eyes as he sits up, trying to wipe away the sleep from his eyes. “I just wanted a few extra minutes, I didn’t-” Tommy yawns, taking his hands away from his eyes and looking to the entrance of the small tent, freezing as he sees the person there.
“Techno?” Tommy blinks, scooting back on the ground, Techno looking around the tent, making a face at the few holes in the fabric. It’s a poor excuse for a shelter, and Tommy knows it, but he’s not about to ask for something better, lest he messes it up and ends up without a tent at all.
“This is a bit worse than I thought, to be honest.” Techno mutters, looking down at Tommy, observing his state of appearance. Tommy frowns, wanting to cover his shirt, but it wouldn’t do much, because his shirt isn’t the only thing that’s so fucked up.
He knows he looks like a mess. His eyes are tired, always tired, worn with exhaustion, his shirt has a few holes scattered across it, the end of his shirt actually ripped up quite a bit, because he needed something to help bandage the wound on his arm. His pants are in a similar fashion, and Tommy doesn’t even have any shoes, barefoot with some bandages wrapped around his heels, just to make it easier to walk across the terrain.
Techno is a stark contrast, dressed up in blue layers, clean and almost royal looking, from the way his cape hangs over his shoulders. There’s armor sitting underneath his clothes, and Tommy can notice the shimmering metal, a glimpse of it under his shirt. There’s a sword at his hip and an intimidating axe on his back, looking heavier than what Tommy could hold. The crown on his head is shiny and gleaming, and Tommy almost feels like he’s being mocked in his presence, with the way Tommy looks.
“What are you doing here.” Tommy asks, frowning at the blade as he walks up to Tommy, reaching down even as the teen scoots away from his hand.
“We’re here to pick you up. Come on.” Techno answers, and Tommy gives his hand hesitantly, Techno taking it with a strong grip, pulling Tommy to his feet and out of the tent.
“We? Wha-wait-” Tommy stumbles a bit as Techo leads him outside, and he yanks his hand away and digs his feet into the sand in front of his tent, Techno turning to him with a bored face as Tommy refuses to move. “I can’t just leave .”
Tommy sees Phil walking up to them, and there’s horses nearby, tied to the trees in the back. Phil looks similar to Techno, in the way that he’s geared up and dressed up, with a sword that almost glows sitting at his hip. There’s a supply of arrows resting on Phil’s back, and Tommy can only assume that his bow must be nearby as well.
“Alright, the place is clear, we should go before he gets here.” Phil says, Techno nodding as Tommy only stays more confused.
“What?” Tommy asks, taking a small step back as him and Phil turn their attention to him. “Go where?”
“I have a base over by the snow biome, wayyy over there. It’ll be safer and, well, better than where you’re already staying.” Techno answers, pointing off into the general direction of his house, off miles away, before looking back at Tommy and his sad tent.
“Why would I want to go anywhere with you ?” Tommy asks, Phil laughing at Techno’s face going sour at that.
“Anywhere is better than here, mate. His house is secure.” Phil says, Tommy biting at the inside of his mouth as he takes in those words.
He’s already safe here, what’s the point of going with them? Even with the way their appearance shows they’re stacked, and the tempting possibility of Tommy getting some of the same clothes if he goes with them, there’s a small sense of panic crawling up his back, telling him to hide away until Dream gets here.
And the morning is passing on, it’s any moment until said person gets here, and who knows what the consequences are for Tommy mingling with the enemy.
“You guys can’t be here.” Tommy crosses his arms, Phil’s face going slightly concerned, and Tommy hates how he feels warm for the concern. “Dream doesn’t like visitors this early.”
Phil’s face drops into dry amusement, smiling in a way where he clearly just doesn’t care, scoffing at the thought. Techno just looks silent in thought, face blank with a fire in his eyes before he’s turning his attention back to Tommy.
“Just go away, I’m not going with you.” Tommy says, and that’s that, he decides, turning around and about to go back into the tent, to wait for Dream to pop up, with his good morning, with his routine.
He’s stopped by Techno reaching an hand out, grabbing Tommy’s arm and keeping him from going. Tommy looks to Techno with an annoyed expression, but Techno doesn’t seem phased, and he won’t let Tommy shake off his grip.
“We’re not leaving you here.” Techno says, and he sounds impossibly sure of it, and Tommy’s panic only grows more as he realizes they’re not leaving the place without Tommy in tow.
But he can’t leave. If he leaves, he can’t come back, because who knows how Dream will react to this one? To Tommy just going without a notice, off with people who Dream very clearly doesn’t like, he’s told Tommy of it multiple times.
And yet, from the looks on Techno’s and Phil’s face, Tommy questions if he’s ever going to come back here.
“Tommy?” A voice calls out, and Phil turns around to see Dream standing far off, a trident in his hand as he walks up to the three of them, stopping in his tracks as he sees them. Tommy feels Techno tighten his grip on his arm, pulling him closer.
“What are you doing.” Dream says, and Tommy isn’t sure if he feels relief or fear at that tone.
Techno sighs, mumbling to Phil behind him. “I was hoping we could do this without dealing with his face.”
“Shush.” Phil says to Techno, before giving his attention to Dream in front of him. “No need to worry. We’re just moving Tommy somewhere safer.” Away from you , Phil doesn’t add, but he says it through the glare in his eyes.
“That’s not necessary.” Dream responds lightly, waving a hand. “Tommy is under my watch, I got him.”
Tommy notes how Techno pulls him just a bit farther from the tent, and Phil takes a small step to be directly in front of Tommy, blocking him from seeing Dream directly.
“Yes, thank you Dream,” Phil says, pulling out his sword, letting it hang loosely in his hand as Techno holds onto Tommy’s arm, tugging the teen even more, to the point where Tommy thinks he might bump into Techno. “However, as of now, Tommy is under the protection of the Antarctic Empire.”
Dream shakes his head, laughing. “You can’t do that.” And as he walks forward to get closer, Phil points his sword right at Dream’s face.
“Yes, we can.” Phil responds, and Dream takes a step back when the edge of Phil’s sword pokes against his mask.
Dream stands in silence, holding the trident in his hand with a tight grip, and Tommy can tell by his posture, the way his shoulders are wound tight that he’s upset.
“Tommy.” Dream says, and Phil moves so quick, Tommy doesn’t realize he’s kicked Dream before Dream is falling onto the ground, landing in the sand and dropping his trident to the side.
“Techno, go.” Phil says, as Dream gets to his feet, raising his weapon as Phil raises his sword in defence.
“On it.” Techno answers, and he pulls Tommy along, running past Phil to the trees, where two horses wait.
“Wha- wait-”
“TOM-” Dream starts to yell, but Phil kicks him across the face again, and Tommy hears a frustrated swear behind him. He goes to glance back, but Techno tugs at his arm as they run, approaching the horses as Tommy hears the clang of weapons hitting each other.
“Don’t look at him, don’t give him your attention, Toms, come on-” He pulls Tommy up to a horse, helping him climb on and quickly pulling the reins out from the knot keeping them secured on the tree.
“TOMMY, GET BACK HERE!” He hears, and he looks to Techno with wide eyes, trying to ignore how his heart is racing, and how badly he wants to get off the horse and sprint back, and help-
“Techno, wait, I don’t think, I don’t-”
“Ignore him.” Techno responds, and climbs onto the horse with Tommy, arms around him as he holds onto the reins, maneuvering the horse to start going, breaking into a run in the opposite direction of Dream.
“Phil will catch up with us in a bit, we just need to get far away enough so Dream won’t follow.” Techno says, pulling at the rope as they move, running away from where Phil is kicking Dream into the sand once more, yanking Dream backwards by the hood each time he tries to make a step towards where Techno is running off with Tommy.
“This is crazy, you know this is crazy right?!” Tommy laughs, and his hands tremble as he holds onto Techno’s sleeves, keeping his eyes on the horse they’re on. “Dream’s going to kill me when I get back-”
“You’re not going back.” Techno cuts him off, and Tommy sputters at that sentence, Techno only having the horse run faster.