Sleepy Bois Inc. Angst Oneshots

Flying Farther Part 1

TW: abuse/ injury, starving and eating disorders, vomiting, broken bones, fear of water
AN: another exile special
Sleep deprivation is a lot of fun ._.
~*~
Tommy looked out over the water that surrounded his little island. He lifted one of his wings, assessing the damage. His wings had been plucked and prodded by Dream, who had left him on this island all alone.

He could maybe handle 100 meters with the state of his wings. The distance was probably double that. If he took off from the highest cliff, he could maybe stretch it out for another fifty meters.

That left the last fifty. If he crashed into the ocean, his wings would drag him down. He'd drown. If he flew too high up, he ran the risk of not getting enough oxygen and passing out. Then, he'd fall into the water below and drown.

Finding no perfect solution, he sat down atop the tree he had perched himself in and decided he'd have to wait it out a little longer.

"Maybe if I was lighter, I could travel farther," Tommy muttered. "Maybe if my wings heal for a while, I could make it." He pulled together a quick nest, like Philza had taught him to. He thought about the possibilities to make the last fifty until he fell asleep listening to the waves below.

He woke up to the sun shining in his eyes. He guessed that it was about noon; Dream would visit soon. Tommy took the nest apart quickly, making it look like no one had been there.

If Dream found out he could fly again, who knows what he might do. Tommy glided down to the ground quietly and ran to his tent. He calmed his breathing down just as Dream pulled back the cloth of the tent.

"Hey, Tommy. How's it going?" Dream asked, looking the boy over before surveying the tent. He nodded and turned back to Tommy.

"Good. How are you, Big D?" Tommy was in a pretty good mood, all things considered. He could fly again, and he had finally been able to sleep comfortable in a nest. Not to mention he had the bare bones of a plan.

Dream nodded and motioned for Tommy to follow him. "Tommy, you've been behaving lately. For this, I won't burn your stuff today, and since I'm feeling generous enough, I'm going to give you this. Don't make me regret it."

Dream presented Tommy with a bag. His wings perked up, and he happily accepted the gift. In it, he found some new clothes and a set of iron tools. He also found a stack of pork which he handed back to Dream. Even if he planned on eating, he couldn't eat pork because of his brother Techno. Dream frowned at the gesture, but Tommy assured him he was eating fine.

He thanked Dream before returning the items to his chest for safekeeping. He made a mental note to transfer them to the safe room later.

The safe room- if Dream found out about that, he'd kill Tommy. Tommy shoved that thought deep down into the recesses of his mind. He wouldn't even think of the room with Dream around.

Dream stepped in front of him and waved a hand in his face. Tommy blinked before tuning back into the conversation.

"Make sure you eat something. You're already a twig. We wouldn't want you starving out here, now would we?" Tommy nodded. The reminder woke his stomach up, and it growled. He blushed in embarrassment and hoped Dream didn't notice his obvious hunger.

"Everything seems to be in order here. I'll see you tomorrow." Dream called out before leaving. Tommy sighed in relief. He was safe for now.

But he was also alone now. Ghostbur hadn't been to visit for at least a week. Dream, although he wasn't the best visitor, was his only visitor. Without him, he was utterly alone. Tommy lied to himself and told himself that he was fine without anyone. He was a big man; he didn't need anyone. Tommy stopped that thought and replaced it with the thought of escape.

Maybe he could train his wings to fly farther. It'd be grueling and exhausting, but he could do it. He just had to be careful about getting caught. It would also help him lose more weight, so he could fly farther.

Tommy walked to the base of the highest cliff he could find and carefully took off. He narrowly avoided running into the cliff, but once he was in the air, he was free. He flew around, looking at his island for the first time from high above.

It was a small, round island, no bigger than a hundred feet in total. Towards the center of the island, three mountains stretched skyward. The tallest one sat in he middle; that would be the one he'd take off from.

The rest of the island was splattered with different wildlife. Trees and bushes sprouted up in every open spot, except his clearing. The bright white tent stood out, clashing horribly with the majestic foliage. He winced at the view and landed near his tent, sweating from the training and the humidity.

He heard shouting coming from the beach, and his heart jumped into his throat. It sounded like Dream, and it was getting closer. He looked to the sky and cursed himself for landing in a place with such a thick canopy. He didn't have a clear path for take off, and he didn't have time to find one.

He flapped his wings and prepared for lift off, but as he did, Dream burst through the trees. Dream grabbed his ankle and pulled him to the ground. His tired wings weren't strong enough to combat Dream's strength. Tommy hit the ground with a thud and a shout. Before he could get up, Dream started to hold him down.

"What the fuck, Tommy? I give you gifts, and you repay me by trying to escape?" Dream shouted, putting his knee on Tommy's back and shoving his face into the mud.

"It's not what it looks like," Tommy spluttered. His voice was muffled by the dirt, so Dream grabbed his hair and pulled his head up to look at him. "It's not what it looks like." Tommy panted and tried to explain even though it was exactly what it looked like.

"Then tell me what it is because from where I stand, it looks like you were just trying to fly free from your exile, the one Tubbo, your best friend, put you in." The words stung like salt in a wound. Tommy scrambled to find some lie that would make Dream less angry. He found none. "I have to do this. I thought you could be trusted with your wings, but you can't. I'm sorry, Toms."

Tommy felt Dream out his hands on his wings, and he feared that Dream was going to cut them off. "Please, no, Dream. No, I'll be good, I promise!" Tommy shrieked, squirming and trying to get Dream to let go.

Dream held on tighter and, with a quick motion, snapped the bones in Tommy's wings. Tommy cried out when the white hot pain hit him. His vision blurred.

"I'm sorry, Tommy," Dream said. He sounded like he was underwater. Tommy blinked away the black spots in his vision and watched Dream walk away, head held high and proud of what he had done.

Finally, he passed out.
~*~
(1225 words)
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AN: I know I've done the exile thing one too many times, but this number was picked out of my 150 drafts by --goldennuggets-- Thanks for the number, and I hope you enjoyed!