Flashing Lights

4: Little Lessons

"Show me how you hold your sword."

Tommy got into position, a little confused at Dream's request.

He hadn't been expecting Dream to show up after the announcement yesterday, but there he was with a container of breakfast and regards from Sam. He'd asked him to get dressed in his armour and then handed him a diamond sword. Tommy had no clue what was going on.

"Hold it a little bit higher and bend your elbows a little less."

He did as he was told and Dream assessed him again. Was he teaching him? Dream, one of the best PVP-ers in the server, was teaching him?

"Good, you're a fast learner. When you swing your sword, lean away from the target when you've hit it. This means you'll have to adjust your footing. Have a swing at this."

Dream placed a padded armour stand in front of him and Tommy lunged forward to attack it once the man was out of the way. His sword cut the leather armour, starting from its left shoulder. He leaned to his right and the sword quickly slid down to the armour stand's right hip, swinging out to Tommy's left. His right foot went back to steady him and his left foot fell back into his original position, only in a different spot.

"Oh wow." The young blond gaped at how much easier it was. Normally he had to put in a lot more force to make a gash and that made it harder to recollect his stance afterwards. Dream's method worked like a charm. Dream was over to the side, grinning with his mask above his mouth.

"This type of combat allows for quick movement and recovery." Dream explained. "I'm a speedrunner, so I need to be light on my feet when I fight. You've got a similar build to me, so it'll be easier for you than brute force."

Tommy nodded. That made sense, he'd always struggled to keep up with Will and Techno and he'd always lose when they sparred with him or fought him. Those two were less reliant on swiftness and relied more on strength, while Tommy found it difficult to put all of his weight into an attack.

"Why are you teaching me this?" He asked.

"Because I have an idea for something after your evaluation." Excitement sparked inside Tommy.

It had only been 24 hours but he was still buzzing at the idea of going to a Woodland Mansion with Dream, at being given the chance to prove himself and end his exile earlier. He hadn't believed Dream at first but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense.

Dream hadn't originally wanted to exile Tommy, he only had Tubbo exile him because Tommy tried to manipulate him with his dead horse. The punishment would have been way less and he only made things more difficult for himself by doing that. Dream probably felt bad for making a huge decision like that while he was emotional instead of being rational, so he was giving Tommy a chance to prove he had changed.

Tommy had made a mistake and he was being given the chance to right that wrong.

They carried on with their impromptu lesson, Tommy learned a lot and garnered some surprising praise from Dream. He flushed at every compliment and bit of positive reinforcement. The Dream that everyone knew and loved shone through, watching Tommy improve.

Tommy was able to see why people had flocked to Dream in the early days - himself included, even if he hadn't known it at the time. He was naturally charismatic and friendly when he didn't feel threatened or dismissed. Tommy was happy that he was able to hold Dream's positive attention; even after his appalling behaviour Dream still cared about him.

Dream had to leave before dinner, so they couldn't eat together, but Dream made him promise to have as much as he could. He had noticed that Tommy was less hungry recently and told him to take care of himself. He said something about 'signs of depression' and how if he needed to talk about anything that Dream would be happy to listen.

"If you knew before, how come you didn't say anything?" Tommy didn't blame Dream but he was just curious.

"I wasn't sure how to bring it up with you. I figured that you'd try to deny everything or just dismiss it completely, and I wanted to be sure that you would actually take in my words when I say them." Dream admitted. "I also wasn't sure if your well-being was something I was supposed to interfere with, since I was only supposed to punish you. Though, I talked to Tubbo and he wants me to take care of you so that's what I'm doing."

Tommy smiled. "Thanks, Big D."

Dream laughed. "How many times have I told you not to call me that!?"

The green clad man left with laughter on his tongue and a wave into the sunset. Tommy wondered where he was going. Dream never actually told anyone if he had a house. He was normally seen around Sapnap's house or the Community House, so it was safe to say that he either didn't sleep there or just didn't have one. Most likely the second.

Poor, homeless Dream. That made Tommy feel even worse. Here he was complaining about his current residence while Dream didn't even have one to call his own.

He put that thought away and focused on his food. He managed to eat the whole portion that he gave himself, even if he felt a bit stuffed afterwards. He zipped up Tnret after making sure his area was well lit.

He spent around an hour sorting his new belongings, feeling pride at the craftsmanship - though Dream did help with some of them. He washed his face in the bucket of clean water by the entrance and lied down in his bed. Half an hour later, he fell asleep coming up with ideas for how he could pass his mysterious test.