Down with the King- Dream SMP

36- Tommy

WARNING: Language

He opened his eyes to see Tubbo's face coming dangerously close to his.

"What the hell man!" he shouted, turning away. "Hasn't anyone ever told you what personal space is?!"

"Tommy?" Tubbo asked, quickly leaning away. "Is it you?"

"Yeah?" Tommy said, slowly sitting up from the ground. His head felt fuzzy and it pounded with a dull headache. He blinked, gazing at his unfamiliar surroundings. "Where the fuck am I?"

"It really is you!" Tubbo exclaimed, pulling Tommy into a tight embrace. For a moment, he just sat there, confused.

"Is this real?" he asked softly, wanting to believe so badly that it really was Tubbo that held him.

"Yes," Tubbo said, squeezing him tighter. "It's you and me forever, right?"

"Y-yeah," Tommy stammered, his voice thick with emotion. He returned the embrace just as tightly, feeling safe in the arms of his best friend. "This is real, this is fucking real."

He trembled slightly, his mind still not wanting to accept that this was true. That he was himself, that he was with his best friend, that he was safe. It felt too much like a dream, too good to be true.

"You don't know how long I searched for you," Tubbo said, pulling away. "I never gave up on you, Tommy."

"Search?" he asked, his confusion growing as he looked Tubbo up and down. "When did you get so...big?"

"You've been gone for six years," Tubbo replied gently.

"No, that's not right," he shook his head, clutching it tightly as he tried in vain to remember. "No, I was with... with Dream, oh my god, where's Dream?!"

"He's not here," Tubbo said, placing his hands on Tommy's shoulders as he felt another panic attack coming on. "Don't worry, you're safe."

"I-I can't be near that man, Tubbo," he stuttered nervously. "Whenever I'm around him, I feel like I'm conditioned to be his friend. Tubbo, you can't let him get near me or else he's going to say shit that's going to get in my head and I won't know what's right or wrong anymore and-"

"Shhh, Tommy, calm down," Tubbo said soothingly. "I won't let Dream get near you ever again, okay?"

Tommy nodded numbly as Tubbo hugged him again.

"I'm so happy to have you back," Tubbo said.

"Yeah," Tommy said, pulling away sharply as he realized something. "Wait a fucking minute, did you say six years?"

"Yes," his best friend nodded.

"So you're older than me now?!"

Tubbo laughed, the sound like music to his ears. "Naturally that's what you'd be worried about. Come on."

Tubbo stood up, reaching down to help Tommy up and he was struck by the height difference. He'd always looked down at Tubbo but now, they were eye to eye, if Tubbo wasn't taller. He looked older, more mature, and Tommy felt strangely disconnected from him.

Looking down, he realized he was still wearing the netherite armor Dream had given him and he was instantly repulsed. He frantically started tugging it off, throwing the metal plates to the ground.

"Help me!" Tommy begged, fumbling with the straps. "Help me get this fucking shit off!"

"Okay, okay!" Tubbo said, helping him remove the armor. It wasn't until the armor was in a pile on the ground five feet away from him that Tommy felt better.