The Quiet of a Melancholic Moon

Chaos

"This is where we'll be staying," Dream said to his new sidekick. The boy looked around the room that Dream brought them to. It was a small apartment that Dream resided in. It was close enough to the Tower of Power- the heroes headquarters- that Dream could see the top floors of the tower from his window. Dream tried to be close that way he could be on time. That was good for any job, but punctuality allowed Dream to get the best jobs.

The kid took a hesitant step out of the mud room area (because Dream couldn't afford a place with a real mud room, was he made of money?). Tommy looked around with observant orbs. He placed one foot in front of the other with careful consideration. Dream smiled at the carefulness that his new sidekick had. That was one less thing that Dream would need to instill in Tommy during training. Dream tugged off his shoe, throwing it at Tommy when his back was turned just to see what Tommy would do. The blonde's response was to duck beneath the projectile before launching himself away from where it landed. Tommy stared at the shoe before his gaze landed on Dream with an unimpressed gaze.

"I'm sorry. That was mean of me. I just wanted to see what you would do," Dream said, trying to bite back a laugh. Tommy seemed disappointed in the fact that Dream threw his shoe. Dream felt like a toddler under the scrutiny of their parent. "Look, Tommy, I don't want to say this, but I have to if we're going to start living together. You're my sidekick, not my child or roommate or brother or anything of the sort. We may become friends along the line, but I need you to understand that you will be held accountable for your responsibilities."

Dream stepped forwards, leaning down in front of Tommy that way they were eye to eye. Dream's stare had hardened while Tommy's grew apathetic. Dream continued. "And I don't mean about chores. You are, from this day forward, a hero of the people. If you continue to stand by my side, you have to follow the rules of heroics and know that your life isn't yours. I don't mean to be melodramatic, but when things go down, you have to be willing to sacrifice your life for the safety of others, good and evil. You are not a judge. You are a protector."

Tommy nodded with determination gleaming in his eyes. Dream didn't doubt that Tommy's word was true. No matter how sad it was, what did Tommy have to live for? "One more thing, Tommy. If the situation arises where my life is endangered, you should save me. But if it's my life or someone else's, anyone else's, life, do not hesitate to save them over me. I've made the same oath as you. My life is second to saving another's."

Tommy seemed more hesitant to accept that. Dream didn't know if it was because Tommy was scared of inadvertently killing Dream, or if Tommy was more willing to sacrifice others for Dream. The green eyed man blinked as he realized that he hadn't been asking the question: how loyal is Tommy to me? Still, Tommy nodded slowly with a look of 'if that's what you want'. Dream smiled at him. "If a decision ever comes down to saving a life or capturing a villain, choose the former every time. If it's your life to capture a villain, don't sacrifice yourself then. There is always a chance a hero will catch that villain later, but there is no way to being someone back to life."

Tommy nodded with an eye roll. Dream huffed in amusement. "Now, the number one rule, the one thing that can null all my other rules: we don't kill. I said this at the beginning, but it's worth repeating to make sure you understand. We are not judges. We are protecters. It is not our jobs to decide who lives and dies. That means that you don't let anyone die if you can help it, and you certainly aren't the one that's killing them. If I even think you're thinking about murder, I will not hesitate to kick you out."

Tommy's eyes widened as he took in Dream's seriousness. Dream didn't want to let Tommy go, but Dream would not compromise on his moral compass. Dream could forgive anything that Tommy did. Dream could take a beating, a yelling match, or Tommy running away. Dream could forgive if Tommy got into a fight on the street, stole something, or decided that a trashcan should burn. Dream would be fine with all that. Dream would not be fine with murder. "Swear to me, Tommy, that you will not, under any circumstances, take a life. I won't even tolerate mercy kills."

"I-I swear," Tommy whispered with a scratchy voice that had seen better days. Dream blinked at the voice, but he snapped out of it when Tommy started coughing into his sleeve. Dream shot to his feet to get some water. Dream grabbed a glass from the cabinet with enough force to knock down some plastic cups he had. Dream filled the glass with water without looking at the fallen cups. Dream held the glass to Tommy's lips, coaxing the boy into drinking.

"Let's hold off on talking until I know more, okay? I'll do some research that way you don't get a health problem. I wouldn't want your vocal cords to snap... or whatever they do," Dream said as he lowered the glass to the wooden floor. Tommy raised an eyebrow. Dream gave an awkward smile. He had a lot of things he would need to research to take care of Tommy. That didn't scratch the surface of things Dream would need to buy. "For now, you should take a bath. You have blonde hair, but it looks brown beneath all this mud."

Tommy shrugged while his hands touched his hair. His fingers became covered in the mud. Dream could see that his hair wasn't just blonde, but it was like spun gold. Dream had a blonde that was more sandy, so seeing Tommy's weighed down curls made him smile. Dream helped Tommy to his feet. Tommy didn't let go of Dream's hand as they wandered into the bathroom. Dream grabbed one of his old hoodies that he (could) never parted with and some boxers.

Tommy was sitting in the bath when Dream got back. If he was honest with himself, Dream had assumed Tommy wouldn't know how to use the tub. Tommy was playing in the bubbles, though, showing he understood perfectly how baths worked. Dream laughed near silently. He deposited the clothes on the toilet seat while pulling out a towel for Tommy to use. Dream settled on his knees right by the tub. He held a rag and a cup in both of his hands with his sleeves rolled up.

"Alright, Tommy! It is time that we see the face underneath all that mud!" Dream said as he splashed Tommy. The kid let out a breathy laugh. Dream had a smile on his face as Tommy continued his version of a laugh because his voice wasn't ready for use yet. Dream washed Tommy up, watching the clear water and white foam get soaked in a thick layer. Tommy looked more like a kid without the mud making his features look more mature somehow. Still, Dream was able to see scars and bruises painting Tommy's body with stories that cut Dream's heart deeper than words ever could. Dream hesitantly touched the longest scar down Tommy's back. The kid's blue eyes looked empty as he stared at Dream. The man let his hand fall. "We can talk about this when you're ready. For now, let's get you dressed. We start training tomorrow."