Promises you couldn't keep (Dream SMP)

The adoption

Tommy nodded. "Speak." Dream growled. "O-of course." Tommy answered. "And?" Dream asked.

"Um..."

"And thank you, Dream, for taking me in." Dream looked at Tommy with expectant eyes.

"Oh! Of course!" Tommy almost yelled. "Thank you. For... everything."

Dream winced. "Another thing, don't be loud, crazy, or chaotic. This is a peaceful haven. I expect it to stay that way."

Tommy nodded. "Okay," he said, barely above a whisper.

Dream seemed a little impressed. "You... you learn well. That's good. This is your room." He led Tommy through an open door.

There wasn't much. Bed, dresser, desk and chair for school. "Um... Thank you, Dream."

"Good. You learn quickly to be grateful for what you have, instead of begging for more. And for that, I'll give you something. Wait here. Put your stuff away." Dream left Tommy's room.

Tommy grinned and started putting his backpack's contents away. He was happy he was able to please Dream. When he was done he sat on the bed. However he hopped up when he heard a thud from the forbidden room. He cocked his head to the side but stayed where he was. Dream left the forbidden room and shut it quickly. Tommy couldn't help but notice the lock that Dream used. "Here." Dream said, handing Tommy a bee plush and smiling. "Oh! Th-thank you Dream. This means a lot."

"Tommy, sit. There's some things you need to learn and need to be discussed if you're going to live here." Dream sat on the bed with Tommy.

"If?" Tommy asked.

"That's the first thing. Don't interrupt me. Ever." Dream started in. "Second..."

Dream went on a good hour lecture explaining the forty-seven rules. Tommy counted since he didn't have anything better to do. Tommy just sat there, nodding after everything. "Finally." Dream finished. "Meals. Breakfast is at seven, school starts at eight but the days you're home lunch is at twelve, dinner at seven. We have three meals here and that is enough. No snacks. Also we eat healthy in this house. No junk food. You start school next Monday. We'll get you everything you need this weekend. You need to be up before seven and if you're late for breakfast you wait for lunch. Understood?"

Tommy nodded.

Dream slapped him across the face. "Answer me!" he roared.

Tommy was shocked. "Yes. I-I understand."

Dream stood up. "Good. You must know something. Everything I do to and for you is for your own benefit. I am the only one who cares about you. Now, stay here until I call you for dinner." He left the room.

Tommy stood there, his face stinging. He'd been hit before, by foster parents, but this was different. Dream was his guardian, he was supposed to protect Tommy. Not hit him.

Tommy walked over to the old, faded, yellow backpack his brother Wilbur had gotten him. Before he died.

He pulled out his last and most precious belonging. A framed picture of him, Techno, and Wilbur. Tommy was on top of Wilbur's shoulders while Wilbur was on Techno's shoulders. Techno's friend Ranboo had taken it just when Philza ran out and saw what was going on. Their faces were stuck between laughing, fear, and oh crap we're so so so dead. Tommy set it on his desk, where he could always see it. "Hey Wilby." Tommy said quietly. "Guess who's in a new house, again. This one seems more permanent though. I thought you may just want to know that I'm safe."

Tommy smiled and tried not to cry. He could already see Dream wasn't a big fan of emotions. He couldn't help but slip into the memories of that day.

Waking up to an ear splitting screech. He'd been five. "Wha?" he'd said. Techno had come running in, seventeen and in college at the time, home for the summer. "Tommy, get up! There's a fire!

Techno had grabbed Tommy and pulled him with Techno. Tommy was confused, didn't fire belong outside? Why was Techno so scared?

Then he saw it. Right outside Wilbur's room. "Wilby!" Tommy had called. "Techno!" Philza cried. "Get out of here!" Tommy stood on his toes, trying to see his brother. Instead he saw Phil, his father. Carrying something that looked like, oh no. No. NO!

Wilbur. Unmoving, burned, Wilbur.

Tommy, Techno, and Phil rushed Wilbur outside. There was an ambulance out there already. "Help him!" Philza had cried, shoving Wilbur into the arms of one of the paramedics. They'd immediately laid Wilbur on a stretcher and rushed him to the hospital. Tommy and Techno had been taken to a different ambulance. Phil had followed Wilbur.

"Techno?" Tommy had asked. "What happened? What did this?"

His brother looked at him, tired. "I have no idea." he answered simply.

They'd ended up in the same hospital as Wilbur. Tommy burned his hand but it wasn't bad. Techno had a few burns he wouldn't let anyone treat until he could see Wilbur.

"Techno." Phil had said. He stood up and hugged Tommy and Techno. "They... they won't let me see him. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Wilbur died three days later.

Tommy watched his family break apart. Techno went off to college again and Tommy wasn't being taken care of. Phil was grieving and he didn't often do the things he'd used to, like buy food and make sure Tommy got to school. Tommy had to make dinner sometimes, but he wasn't any good. Then that night he burned his arm and hid it from Philza. At school his teacher asked him what had happened and had called CPS. They came in, took Tommy away from Philza, and stuck Tommy in foster care. That's where he met Sam.

"Tommy, dinner!" Dream called. "Coming!" Tommy replied. He ran downstairs, almost falling. Dream set a plate in front of Tommy at the dinner table. "Th-thank you Dream." Tommy stuttered. He was so nervous. He didn't want to make another mistake. Dream sat down next to him. "Tommy, hasn't anyone ever taught you how to eat?" Tommy shook his head.

"Well... first things first...."