Sibling rivalry

Chapter 5: perfect little brother

Summary:

dream wants to form a little brother.
tubbo has his best friend back
but not for much longer
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I gave you guys enough trigger warnings
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Dream knows it's bad.

He's just saved Tommy from two very obsessive brothers who had been repeatedly drugging him. He knows he shouldn't do it to the boy. He's been through enough, and Dream is his savior.

But Tommy's sleeping face looks just so precious and Dream knew that he wouldn't be seeing much of it as soon as he wakes up. Just because Dream saved him didn't mean that he didn't kill the boy in a duel, set explosives underneath his nation, and held a sword to his neck plenty of times. He knows he's one of the many reasons why Tommy is screwed up on the inside, and he wouldn't push it past Tommy to hold some distrust against him.

But Dream misses the days when he and Tommy would just joke around and play sword. He misses Tommy yelling out to him from far away and cling to him like an overly attached younger brother.

No Wilbur... No Techno. Just Dream and Tommy.

Dream knows he shouldn't be doing this, but he still pulls out the needle.

Just for a little while, he tells himself.

Tommy stirs. "You're– You're not gonna hurt me right, like what Wil did?" He asks.

Dream replies with "Of course not, I promise you that."

He's... He's not hurting him.

He just wants to look after him a little bit longer.

"Dream, don't go," Tommy whines into the hoodied man's chest. His fever is acting up again, leaving the boy's skin cold and numb. Dream supplied the warmth he needs and Tommy isn't quite ready to let him go yet.

Dream sighs. "Tomathy, I need to get some more herbs for your fever." He brushes his hand over Tommy's burning forehead. "You haven't healed yet from the drugs Wilbur injected into you."

I injected to you, Dream's guilty conscience adds on. He closes his eyes and lets out a deep sigh. Tommy hears the burden-heavy sigh he lets out and looks up at Dream with concern.

"Dream?" Tommy calls out quietly. "Are you alright?"

Dream flutters his eyes open and sees shining blue eyes looking up at him. He pushes all guilty thoughts away and smiles down at Tommy. "I'm okay, Toms. Just a bit tired from all the stress the SMP and your brothers are giving me."

The young boy's eyes flicker with guilt. "'M sorry," he mumbles. "I-I didn't mean to stress you out."

"Oh, no, no, no," Dream tries to reassure Tommy. "I'm not stressed because of you, bubs. I'm stressed because of everyone else, but not you. Never you. You're too precious and adorable."

Tommy puffs his cheeks in indignation. "I am not adorable."

Dream's chuckle makes Tommy's chest swell with comfort and familiarity. "Alright, Toms, whatever you say. I'll be back."

Oh, this is getting bad.

Tommy is too adorable, too clingy, and needy for Dream's own sanity. When Tommy clung to him and asked him what's wrong, Dream had to resist the urge to pinch his cheeks and just hug him till he squeezes his lungs out.

The perfect image of a little brother, Tommy is. Hiding a tender heart behind a façade of unwavering confidence and loud laughter, Tommy has the ability to warm the heart of a man who has attained godly powers. Dream's been through endless cycles of war and death, and when finally, peace has come to settle at last, someone dares to break it.

More often than not, Tommy is the one to start these wars, but Dream is an understanding man. When raised in a household of legends known for spilling blood, violence will be the only thing you'll ever know of.

Which is why Dream has decided it upon himself that he will be the one... to tame Tommy.

Break down the barricade of faux confidence and cleanse his mind of violence and danger.

Is he just as bad as Wilbur and Technoblade?

Of course not. Dream will never be as low as those two brothers. He's going to revert his family's mistakes on raising a perfect little brother.

"Tommy?"

Tubbo's eyes widen when he sees the familiar blonde tufts and signature bright red. The green neckerchief he had gifted Tommy is wrapped snugly around his skinny neck, but despite the bright colors Tommy dons, his physique looks weak and dull. Tubbo's eyes shine with tears of relief.

"Tommy," Tubbo sobs out, numb feet pushing themselves into a run as he rushes at Tommy and the man-god at his side. He can't help himself when he leaps at a weakened Tommy and tackle him to the ground in a tight hug.

"Tubbo," Tommy laughs. He embraces his best friend with just as much tightness, even if his feeble muscles whine and groan with restraint. "You're so clingy."

"Shut up," Tubbo whispers back. Tears run down his cheeks as he continues to hug his friend like he would fade away at any second. "I missed you– I missed you so much, Tommy. I thought they did something horrible to you. I thought I'd never see you again."

People who've heard of the return of the lost boy come to the clearing to find the two friends in a tight embrace, too scared to let go of each other. Dream sighs at their side and adjusts the mask.

He'll let them have their time.

Today is a happy day for the people of Pogtopia and their allies.

Everything was so unbearably dull and hopeless without their driving force by their side. Tommy, for all his reckless bravery and irrational decisions, was the one who gave hope and light to them. The one who tried his best to convince Wilbur that blowing up Manburg wasn't the right choice, the one who always tried to look at the positive side of life.

Tommy is back. Even if Technoblade and Wilbur are gone, as long as they had hope on their side, there will be a way.

But they aren't gone, despite everyone's beliefs. No, they hide away in the corners of the coal-dusted ravine, burning eyes staring straight at a man clad in green.

Dream lifts his head toward their direction. The smile on his porcelain mask taunts them into another fight over a broken boy.

They are sons of a family of legends. Dream is a man of godlike abilities.

Tommy just wants to find a home.
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