One more week

Five days till Christmas

Chapter Text
"What's that?"

Tommy jolted and rushed to hide his hands behind his back, turning awkwardly as he sat on his bed. Dream stepped fully inside the tent and crossed his arms, though he knew Tommy couldn't see him raising an eyebrow beneath his mask.

"H- Hi- Hey Dream, I- I didn't, um, good to see you big man, what've you been up to lately?" Tommy nearly shouted, fumbling over his words. He kept his eyes on Dream, but the masked man saw them quickly flick over to Tommy's enderchest.

"I asked you a question Tommy," Dream stated, keeping his voice level. He stepped closer, moving himself in between the teen and the magical box. If Tommy was trying not to look nervous, he was definitely failing.

"What- I, um... say your question again, would you?"

"What are you holding behind your back, Tommy?"

Dream watched as Tommy sat there, cogs turning in his brain to evaluate all his options, before slowly bringing his hands out from behind him. In one hand, he held a small, worn diary-like book. Dream held out a hand and the teen handed the book over to him. Stamped on the leather cover was a single word: "MAIL". Dream gritted his teeth.

The masked man began to skim through the book, and he was able to see a pattern of a switch between neat and messy writing every few pages. Dream already knew the messy writing was Tommy's, and he quickly learned that the nicer writing belonged to Ranboo. Dream looked back at Tommy, who was watching him with wide eyes.

"Ranboo..." Dream began, closing the book. "What a nice guy..." Tommy gave a small, strained laugh.

"Yeah, he's... nice. He's my fr-friend." Tommy mumbled. Dream narrowed his eyes. Friend. The taller blond pocketed the book, watching the hope fade from Tommy's eyes, and began to walk out of the tent.

"Come with me, Tommy."

Dream walked a small ways away from the tent and the other pitiful structures Tommy had made. He turned around and used his netherite shovel to effortlessly dig a small, deep hole. Tommy stood across from him, clearly understanding the situation. Dream took the mail book out and tossed it into the hole.

"Drop all your things." Instructed Dream. Tommy took a moment to look at him apologetically before dropping a mix of tools, logs, food, and other miscellaneous things down the hole. Dream took out a few sticks of TNT and a flint and steel, handing the second item over to Tommy. The masked man held the explosives out over the hole, and without hesitation Tommy lit the fuse. The deadly red sticks were dropped, and both boys stared down the hole to watch the explosion that just slightly rattled the ground.

"You understand, don't you?" Dream asked, almost cynically. Tommy looked back up from the underground crater and nodded, appearing lost for words.

"Good. You don't need friends that pity you, okay? I'm here, you know I'd never pity you."

Tommy lowered his head shamefully, eyes slightly sparked with anger. "Yeah... I-I don't need pity shit." He clenched his fists.

"There you go. See? And now everything's fine. Let's go have some fun. We could trident race, how does that sound?" Dream suggested enthusiastically. Tommy looked up at him, the dark bags under his excitement-filled eyes only making him look more pitiful. Under his mask, Dream smiled.