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The night stretched out ahead of them, peaceful in its stillness. Dream walked ahead, his skateboard tucked under his arm he kicked a pebble down the cracked sidewalk.
Behind him, Sapnap and George lagged, joking about something Dream had only half-listened to. Something about their English Teacher, Mr. Craft.
The three of them had been out at the skatepark for hours, the evening slipping away into the early hours of Saturday before any of them had noticed. It wasn’t like they had anywhere to be.
The streets were empty, just them and the distant hum of traffic on the other side of town.
Dream liked nights like these. They felt easy, carefree.
His mind wandered as they walked, taking in the familiar sights of their route home: the dim, flickering streetlights that barely pierced the darkness, the worn-down buildings with their peeling paint, and the ever-present smell of damp concrete after a recent rain.
It had been a good night—he landed a new trick, and they’d managed to push each other into wiping out more than once, laughing until their sides hurt.
But then, as they turned the corner, something changed.
At first, it was nothing more than a gut feeling, an instinct that twisted in the pit of Dream’s stomach. The usual sounds of the night—Sapnap’s laughter, George muttering something about school—faded into the background.
The air felt different, heavy in a way that made the hair on the back of Dream’s neck stand up. His steps slowed, his eyes scanning the road ahead.
They were about to pass a narrow alleyway, one Dream knew all too well. It was one of those spots everyone avoided after dark. Nothing good ever came out of it.
Dream almost brushed it off until he heard it—a low string of curses, angry and sharp, cutting through the silence.
It wasn’t the cussing that got him, not really. He and Tommy threw worse at each other on the daily. But there was something wrong about it—about the tone, the way it cracked and echoed off the brick walls.
Dream’s steps faltered, and before either Sapnap or George could catch up, he was already speeding up, his gaze locked on the mouth of the alley up ahead.
His heart rate quickened, not quite alarmed yet, but teetering on the edge.
“Dream? Yo, where’re you going?” Sapnap called, jogging to catch up.
Dream didn’t answer. Something was pulling him forward, like a magnetic force he couldn’t ignore, couldn’t shake. When he reached the alleyway, he hesitated for just a second before stepping into the shadows, peering in.
And then he saw him.
Tommy.
Tommy, who was always moving, always bouncing with restless energy, was slouched against the brick wall like a lifeless rag doll.
Dream’s heart stuttered in his chest, the sight too wrong, too foreign. Tommy wasn’t supposed to look like this—bruised, bloodied, barely conscious.
For a moment, Dream just stood there, rooted to the spot, his mind struggling to connect the Tommy he knew with the one in front of him now.
This wasn’t the kid who never knew when to quit, who would always give as good as he got in every fight, verbal or physical. This wasn’t the Tommy who shouted in Dream’s face and never backed down. No.
This Tommy was... broken.
"Shit—" Dream breathed out, his voice barely more than a whisper, his throat tightening.
His feet moved before his mind could catch up, and in seconds, he was beside Tommy, dropping to his knees in the grimy alley.
The closer he got, the worse it was. There was blood running down the side of Tommy’s face, smearing across his temple from a gash on his forehead.
His throat—god, his throat—was a mess of dark bruises, two large handprints wrapping around his neck like a noose. Whoever had done this had wanted to hurt him, had wanted him to suffer.
Dream’s stomach twisted, nausea rising as his hands hovered uncertainly over Tommy, unsure where to touch without causing more pain.
“Tommy,” Dream whispered, voice shaking as his hand found the kid’s cheek. “Hey, Tommy, can you hear me?”
Tommy groaned, barely lifting his head, his eyes only half-open, glazed and distant. His breath came in short, sharp bursts, like each inhale hurt more than the last.
He was clutching his ribs, and Dream didn’t want to think about how badly he might be hurt there too.
“Fuck, fuck—Sapnap! George!” Dream yelled over his shoulder, voice frantic now. “Get your asses over here!”
Behind him, he heard Sapnap swear, their footsteps rushing toward him, but Dream’s focus was entirely on Tommy.
He was barely conscious, his head lolling weakly against the dirty wall. Dream’s hand moved to steady him, gently cradling the back of Tommy’s head.
“What happened?” Dream asked, his voice lower now, trying to keep the panic out of it. “Tommy, who did this?”
Tommy blinked up at him, his vision clearly hazy, struggling to focus. His lips parted, but it took him several seconds before he slurred out a word Dream barely caught.
“S’Dad.”
Dream’s blood ran cold.
His dad? The piece of shit who never showed his face?
Fuck, Dream forget Tommy even had one. Techno was the one who was there for everything.
Dream’s entire body tensed, fury like he hadn’t felt in years boiling under his skin. His fists clenched so tightly his knuckles cracked. He wanted to break something, to tear into the man who did this.
But this wasn't the time for that.
Tommy needed help.
“Stay with me, Tommy,” Dream muttered, his voice rougher than he meant it to be, his hand still resting on Tommy’s cheek. He turned back to Sapnap, who was fumbling with Tommy’s phone, trying to get past the lock screen. “Call Techno. Now.”
Sapnap nodded, unlocking it with ease. “I’m on it.”
Dream looked back at Tommy, his heart pounding harder now that they were doing something. His anger was still there, burning under the surface, but all that mattered was getting Tommy out of here.
Dream reached down, wrapping one arm under Tommy’s knees and the other around his back, lifting him carefully into a bridal carry. Tommy’s head lolled against Dream’s chest, his body limp in a way that made Dream’s stomach churn.
“You’re gonna be okay,” Dream murmured, more to himself than Tommy. His voice was strained, the tight knot of anger and worry twisting in his chest.
Tommy, half out of it, somehow managed to smirk through the pain. “Yeah?” he slurred, blinking up at Dream, his head resting heavily against Dream’s shoulder. “Techno... could get full custody.”
Dream’s chest tightened at the words, the implication of it all. He hadn’t seen Tommy this vulnerable, not ever.
They fought, they pushed each other, but it had always been in fun—or at least as close to fun as Tommy’s sharp tongue allowed. This was different.
Tommy was leaning on him in a way Dream had never expected, trusting him in a way that felt too heavy, too important.
Dream swallowed hard. His voice softened, something new slipping into it. “Yeah,” he agreed, quieter this time, “he could.”
They waited, Dream holding Tommy close, rocking him slightly without thinking. Each minute felt like an eternity, the cold night pressing in around them, but the rage simmering in Dream’s chest kept him warm.
He wanted to storm into Tommy’s house and end this. Smash his piece of shit dad’s head onto the wall until the man stopped fucking breathing. He wanted to make sure no one ever laid a hand on Tommy again.
But for now, all he could do was hold him.
Finally, headlights flashed as a familiar car pulled up at the curb.
Techno.
Thank fuck.
Dream had never seen Techno look this furious. His expression was carved from stone as he stepped out of the car, his eyes narrowing the moment they landed on Dream. He took one slow step forward, then another, his gaze sweeping over Tommy in Dream’s arms, assessing, calculating.
For a split second, Dream thought Techno might hit him, might assume he was the one who’d done this. But then Techno’s gaze softened—not much, but enough.
He knelt beside Dream, his hand reaching out to gently cup Tommy’s cheek. “Tommy,” he whispered, voice tight with emotion despite his attempts to hold it back. “You’re gonna be alright. I’ve got you now.”
Techno stood, turning back to Dream and Sapnap, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles were white. “Get him in the car,” he said, his voice barely controlled. “We’re going to the hospital.”
Dream nodded, gently shifting Tommy in his arms, careful not to jostle him. As he carried Tommy toward the car, he felt the weight of the promise Techno had made—the unspoken vow hanging between them all.
No one would hurt Tommy like this again.
Not while Dream was around.
Techno hadn’t moved in hours. His body ached from the rigid posture, from sitting on the hard hospital chair for so long, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.
His eyes stayed fixed on Tommy, who lay unmoving in the hospital bed, his bruised and battered form a stark contrast to the usual chaotic ball of energy he was.
Tommy had been in and out of consciousness for what felt like forever now. Every time his eyes fluttered open, Techno had been there—refusing to leave his side for even a moment.
His fists clenched tightly, knuckles pale from the pressure. He wanted to kill Schlatt.
Tommy’s father wasn’t his father. Schlatt, that waste of space, was just the man who happened to share Tommy’s blood.
But Techno?
Techno was his brother.
They had the same mum, grew up together, and that bond had always meant everything to him. He’d been fighting so hard for full custody for months now, ever since he got emancipated, arguing that he could take better care of Tommy than Schlatt ever could.
Techno’s lip curled in disgust at the thought of the man, a heavy, hot anger sparking up in him again.
Tommy’s face was still swollen, the bruises around his throat stark against his pale skin. Techno’s hands trembled as he clenched them even tighter, fury swirling in his chest.
How could anyone do this to him?
To his little brother, the one person who meant more to Techno than anything in this world?
Techno’s breath hitched slightly as he caught sight of Tommy’s hand, the small fingers bruised from trying to defend himself.
He wanted to punch something—no, he wanted to find Schlatt and end him. The only thing keeping him in his seat was Tommy. As long as Tommy was here, breathing, Techno had to keep it together.
He had to.
But it was getting harder with every passing second.
A hand landed gently on his shoulder, pulling him from his spiralling thoughts. He hadn’t even noticed Dream walk back into the room.
“Hey, man,” Dream said softly. He looked as exhausted as Techno felt, dark bags under his eyes, his usual green hoodie traded for a ratty old t-shirt. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days, which was probably true.
The same went for Techno. Neither of them had slept properly since they found Tommy in that alley.
Techno gave a short nod in return, his throat too tight to speak. His body felt like a taut string, ready to snap at any second.
Dream sat down beside him, the tension between them hanging in the air. “Schlatt’s in custody,” Dream said quietly. “They just need Tommy’s statement once he’s...”
Dream swallowed, glancing at Tommy’s unconscious form. “Better.”
Techno forced himself to take a slow breath, blinking back the sting in his eyes. He was supposed to be the stoic one, the one who could take anything without batting an eye. He’d built his whole life on that image.
But Tommy—Tommy was different. Tommy brought out emotions in Techno that he couldn’t push down, no matter how hard he tried.
“Good,” Techno finally muttered, his voice low and strained. He didn’t want to talk about Schlatt, not when Tommy was lying there like that. Not when every time he looked at his brother, he felt like something inside him was breaking all over again.
Dream bit his lip, his eyes heavy with concern as he squeezed Techno’s shoulder gently. “You’ll get custody,” Dream said, his voice filled with quiet determination. “I’m sure of it.”
Techno sighed, his hand coming up to drag through his tangled hair, fingers trembling as they brushed against his scalp. He hadn’t even realized how tense he was. “I hope so,” he murmured, his eyes drifting back to Tommy, lying so small and vulnerable in the hospital bed.
Techno reached out, his large hand carefully closing around Tommy’s limp one. The kid didn’t stir, not even a twitch, but Techno held on anyway, grounding himself in that small connection.
He had to be here when Tommy woke up, had to make sure his little brother knew he wasn’t alone.
The constant beeping of the machines around them was driving Techno insane. The sterile smell of antiseptic, the dim lighting—it was all too much, too clinical. Tommy didn’t belong in a place like this. He belonged out there, running around, causing trouble like the little shit he was, not... not this.
“George is bringing some food,” Dream said, his voice breaking the silence again.
Techno nodded absently, barely acknowledging it. He wasn’t hungry. He wasn’t anything right now, just... waiting.
His heart twisted in his chest, a weight settling deep in his stomach that wouldn’t go away.
“Thanks,” Techno muttered after a moment, still staring at Tommy’s hand in his. His thumb rubbed softly over his brother’s bruised knuckles, as if he could erase the damage with that small motion. “For lookin’ out for him.”
Dream smiled weakly, his exhaustion clear. “What are friends for?”
Techno’s lips twitched, the barest hint of a smile flickering across his face before it disappeared.
His gaze returned to Tommy, his mind already slipping back into the anger that had been festering inside him since he’d seen his brother in that alley.
He wasn’t going to let this happen again. He wasn’t going to let anyone—anyone—lay a hand on Tommy. Not while he was still breathing.
“I’m never letting him go back there,” Techno said softly, more to himself than to Dream. His hand tightened slightly around Tommy’s.
“Never again.”