Down with the King- Dream SMP

14- Tommy

WARNING: Mild language

"Had enough yet?" Dream called, challenging him once more. Tommy panted heavily, brushing his damp hair out of his eyes. They were sparring again in the circle outside of his cell, shirts soaked in sweat and muscles burning.

"No," he growled, feinting a right hook and coming up with his left instead, but Dream acted like he saw it coming a mile away. He easily sidestepped Tommy's blows and rained down two of his own, sending him stumbling back. Quickly recovering, he grinned at Dream as if to say, I didn't fall, you bastard!

"Out of the line," Dream chided him and he looked down in surprise to see one foot over the white chalk line.

"It was literally one foot!" he protested.

"In a real fight, that 'one foot' could have left you dead," Dream instructed. "You need to be in control of your body at all times. You don't step outside of the circle unless you mean to."

"Well maybe I meant to then!" Tommy snapped. Dream cracked a smile at that.

"Let's stop here for today, you've been getting sloppier."

"Sloppy?!" he exclaimed. "Now listen here, you green bastard, I knocked you down earlier! That's not sloppy, that's goddamn improvement!"

"It is," Dream nodded. "I think you should get a reward for your excellent work today."

His heartbeat quickened in anticipation. Dream hadn't shown him any kindness since their first day of sparring beyond a few words of encouragement when he pleased the king. It was likely that this ruse of a reward was a trap.

"How does a hot meal and a real shower sound?"

"Pretty good, actually," Tommy said cautiously. "But how do I know this isn't a trick?"

"I swear on my life that it's not a trick," Dream said, placing a hand over his heart. "However, there are some precautions I must take."

Soon, Tommy was being led through the castle by Dream, his hands chained together and blindfolded.

"Is this really necessary?" Tommy whined. "What if someone sees me like this? It's bloody humiliating."

"No one is going to see you," Dream reassured him. "Besides, we're almost there."

"You still haven't told me where you're taking me," he complained.

"Would you rather I take you back?"

"No!" Tommy exclaimed. "No, lead the way."

They stopped and he heard a door close behind him. Dream untied the blindfold from his eyes and he blinked, taking in the room. There was a huge fireplace at one end, a warm fire crackling in the hearth. Plush sofas and cushioned chairs were placed around the fireplace and in front of him was a breakfast table ladened with covered plates. Windows on either side of the fireplace gave him a fantastic view of the sun setting over the castle and town beyond.

"There's a bathroom off to the side here," Dream instructed as he unchained Tommy's hands. "Take as long as you need. I'll be waiting."

"Are you sure you can trust me?" Tommy asked, waving his free hands in Dream's face. "I'm not locked up."

"You're my friend, Tommy," Dream smiled. "Why would you hurt me?"

His words numbed Tommy's mind, shocking him to the core.

Dream thinks that we're friends?

He staggered into the bathroom, mind reeling uncontrollably.