Chapter Text
Tommy knew that his habit of logging back into the server any time he felt slightly nostalgic, wasn’t really helping. In his defense, however, streaming for the first time in months, with Tubbo no less, had been bound to bring him back to this place. To that server. Although, recently, it’s starting to feel as if he’s the only one who never truly left.
Walking his character aimlessly through the sea of green grass blocks and square sunsets, he hates how instinctively he looks for chat, for the other players, for a discord message which would never arrive. He blinks back the sudden blurriness from his eyes as he continues exploring the server.
His bored mind leads him to visit Logstedshire. He scoffs amusedly for a moment. He really couldn’t have been bothered to come up with a more intricate name. Though, he supposes it’s still more creative than anything he could come up with now about a minecraft place.
He lets himself have a few more moments of making his character jump around in circles throughout the ruined beach, perhaps waiting for a yellow text to appear on the bottom left of his monitor. No such words appear.
He sighs. It really has been too long of a day, with one too many unwanted memories. He turns the computer off to get ready for bed. Tomorrow is a new day. Another day further from what he thinks will forever be the most important part of his life. He closes his eyes, willing the pessimistic thoughts away.
Every day is a new chance to begin.
***
Admittedly, when Tommy first woke up, the only thing he thought was that, in his tired state, he must’ve left either the door or the window open. The surrounding air around him was brisk and sharp, making him shiver as he began to register the world around him. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, then promptly screamed.
He was not in his bedroom anymore. Hell, he was not even inside his house. He seemed to have been moved to a tent, of all things, the cloth surrounding him being a muted, dark green color.
”What the fuck, what the fuck…” he whispered to himself as he looked around.
Had he gotten kidnapped? Was this some elaborate prank from his friends? Did he somehow sleepwalk for the first time in twenty-one years? Was this a dream? It felt pretty damn real if so.
His body ached terribly. He lifted his shirt to see a string of yellow to purple bruises lining the side of his stomach. He wanted to gag. What the hell had happened to him while he was asleep?
He quickly stood up from where he had been sitting and opened the flaps of the tent, looking around. He was on a beach, with not a single other soul or even house in sight. He checked his pockets and the tent, but as he feared, his phone was definitely taken. It didn’t look like he was in Brighton anymore. Hell, he didn’t even know if he was still in England.
So where the fuck is he?
He counted a few times, taking deep breaths. It wasn’t working, the panic was still clawing its way up his throat. He left the tent, if it could even be called that, and wandered around the beach, hoping he might find someone else. Anyone else. The trees surrounding the beach were eerily quiet. How was it possible to not even see a single building for miles on an open beach?
He didn’t know how much time had passed before he returned to the tent, sitting on a wooden log beside it. He was so lost on what to do. Someone would surely notice him missing, but even so, what could they do if he was in a whole other country? One that seemed to be entirely deserted.
He put his head in his arms, breathing. Just keep breathing.
”Tommy!” A voice called out behind him and Tommy whipped around, not recognizing the voice immediately, but still elated at hearing it. Then he froze as if dead, when a white mask and a smiley face greeted him.
…What the fuck man?
“Dream?” He questioned. The other took off that ridiculous mask and…well, it was definitely Dream. Though, there was something about him that felt different in a way Tommy couldn’t place. And why did Dream just have his old mask on his person? Either way, Tommy was, at the very least, relieved to see he wasn’t alone, even if the other was the last person he’d want to be stuck in a random place with.
”Dream, holy shit man, thank god-” He stood up, walking towards the other with an urgency in his step. If they were both here, it means that this was done intentionally. Someone actually kidnapped them.
”Do you know how we got here- or, where here even is?” He suddenly remembered the bruises that had coated his skin. “Did they hurt you as well?” He asked, looking him over. Hey, they may not get along on a good day, but this was so much bigger than their issues that Tommy had no interest in starting a fight. The priority was to get them out of here.
Dream looked at him in a way Tommy didn’t like, as if he was spouting nonsense not unlike the ramblings of a child. He hated the egotistical bastard again, then.
”No, Tommy, I’m not hurt. Why would I be? I’ve done nothing wrong.” He answered, again, in a bored tone that suggested Tommy’s concern was nonsensical.
Tommy stared at him. Was he being serious?
He took a deep breath. Let it go Tom.
”Elated to hear that. Do you have your phone on you? We need to call somebody and figure out where the hell we ended up at.” He says, taking the time to look around the beach again. This place was giving him the absolute chills.
Then, Dream laughed. Tommy snapped to look at him.
Was- was he really laughing right now?
“Dream, what the hell man- how are you so calm right now?! We were fucking kidnapped!” He snaps, his emotions finally breaking through at the inconsiderate way Dream was reacting to his, very reasonable, panic.
Dream's apparent amusement quickly faded.
”Really Tommy? You’ve resorted to playing the amnesiac now? I thought I had been finally getting through to you, teaching you better than this! Honestly, what lengths are you willing to go through before you start taking some accontability?!” He snapped, voice rising the longer he spoke.
Okay. Dream had been drugged. Lovely to know.
Tommy backed up slightly. “Listen dude, I don’t know what they gave you or what happened to you, but you seriously need to sit down. I do not think you‘re well.” There was genuine concern in his voice. This situation was terrifying, and despite everything, he wouldn’t wish this kind of predicament on anyone.
Something was very wrong with Dream. That much had become obvious.
Dream looked at him incredulously for a moment, before he returned the mask to his face. Jesus Christ, that crudely drawn smile gave him the absolute chills.
”You know, Tommy, I really hadn’t wanted to do this today. But, you’ve left me no choice.” The other then takes a step back and, in seconds, digs a decent sized hole in the ground. Tommy stops dead. He can’t seriously be-
“Drop your stuff in the hole, Tommy.’’ Dream calmly stated, looking straight at him through that soulless mask. Tommy waited- for the joke, the gag, the cameras to roll in and for George, or fucking Mr. Beast at point, to walk in and declare this all some horribly misjudged youtube prank.
He waited. The more he waited, the more his anger spiked.
”Oh you’re a proper asshole, Dream. Is this a fucking joke to you?! My mom is probably beside herself with worry- how did you even get me here?! Take me home, Dream, now. I am not joking. This is- well beyond insane. It’s been six years man, when are you going to get a life?!” He didn’t realize he had been yelling until it had gone deathly quiet.
Internet drama was one thing- hell, even the countless times the other had been a dick to him, he never thought Dream capable of taking it this far. And- for what? To drag him back to those god forsaken streams?
Dream stared at him, silently. Tommy was really resisting the urge to give him a broken nose.
”What home, Tommy? Your only home left you! You were exiled- by your best friend, no less! You are not wanted anywhere, Tommyinnit. Why do you think I’m working so hard to train you?! I’m literally the only one who cares enough to fix you!” He said, in a bewildered tone, like Tommy had demanded something unreasonable.
Tommy laughed humorlessly, his head starting to spin.
”Are you actually mental?! This is not some fucking roleplay, Dream!” He ran his hands through his hair, distressed. “Give me your phone- or better yet, return mine, you prick! I’m not playing whatever sick challenge game you came up with. I swear to you, I will sue you to hell and back if you keep me here, you piece of-“
Dream punched him. Square in the face.
Pain exploded in his nose and he stumbled back. Blood trickled to his mouth as he gasped from the shock of the blow. Dream just hit him- what the fuck.
Tommy didn’t need to think. He uppercut the bastard right underneath the chin. He was gonna marry Toby a second time for teaching him that.
Dream was thrown off balance, as if he hadn’t expected that Tommy would return the favor. Tommy had no time to dwell on that. He ran in the direction of the woods, as far from Dream as his legs could take him. He had never expected the other to physically harm him like that. He felt as if he was asking for the millionth time- but just what the hell was at play here?
He had vaguely heard the other's voice as he ran, calling out in threats or just screams of frustration, which only encouraged him to run further. Faster. Through the grass, branches and even occasional animals he saw. In any other circumstance, he would find the forest, so untouched by human hand, ethereal.
In that moment, all he could think was why Dream had him taken to such a secluded area. The fear made him sick.
Eventually, he made it far enough away to actually take a break, walking instead of sprinting. He had almost no energy left. Even though it hadn’t been too long since he awoke, he felt strangely hungry. Like he was actually starving.
He walked through the fields, until he spotted something black and glowing faintly in the distance, almost a purple hue. Maybe some kind of flare? Maybe someone else was also stuck here and trying to gain another person's attention. With that newfound hope, he carried on towards the light.
Though, the closer he got, the more his stomach began to drop.
He began to notice the familiar, rectangular shape of what was supposed to mimic a lit Nether portal. Tommy swallowed, his mind trying to comprehend something he is sure he was never meant to experience.
He walked closer to it, if only to prove to himself that he was being ridiculous. To step through and prove it was a hologram or a trick of LED lights. To keep himself grounded in the reality he knew.
Tommy stepped inside the portal, and for a moment, all his senses were gone. His head spun as if it was hollow and he felt weightless. This is what he imagined going to space with no gear felt like. Yet, it was only a moment, and when he opened his eyes again, the first thing he saw was red. The second thing was the lava. And the third, was a zombie piglin who was staring at him.
Tommy pinched himself til’ his wrist bruised, but there was no denying it.
He was in the Dream SMP.