"The Case Of The Fire Inside."

Theres no meaning to the words 3

Text
"Where have you been going lately?" Dream's voice cut across the room and Tommy froze from where he stood, a hand on the doorknob, his pelt tucked into his hand.

"What do you mean?" Tommy asked carefully, hoping his voice wasn't shaking as much as he thought it was. He clutched tighter onto his pelt, knowing that if he gave Dream an answer he didn't like it would be ripped away from him.

"You don't normally go out swimming all day," Dream said, and Tommy refused to turn around even when he heard Dream's feet carrying him closer. "You usually just go out for a few hours, then come back for lunch and spend the rest of the day with me. Am I too boring for you now Tommy?"

"Of course not!" Tommy's quick to reassure him, smiling widely as he finally turned to face Dream. His face was blank like it always was, no charming smile or condescending frown. Which could mean two different things. Either Tommy had already fucked it up beyond repair, or Dream was still standing on the line. He needed to push him back over to the right side. "I love spending time with you."

"Then where are you all day?" Dream asked, leaning against the wall, staring Tommy down with unimpressed eyes. "You're staying away from the lighthouse aren't you?"

"Yeah, I never go to that side of the island," Tommy lied with surprising ease, his heart pumping inside his chest. He hoped Dream wouldn't call him out on the lie. He hoped Dream didn't even notice he was lying. Tommy had never needed to lie to Dream before and it was making his skin crawl. Lying was a bad thing and Tommy didn't want to be bad. He forces the words out of his mouth even when they taste like vomit. "You're leaving again soon, so I wanted to get as much time with my pelt as I can. It's fine if you don't want me to, you could take it back and I'll stay here."

He really didn't want to. He wanted to go out and swim. He already missed the ocean so much. He thinks that handing his pelt over again would feel like breaking his own arm in half, but it was fine. He was used to it at this point. If Dream wanted him to he could spend the day here. He could sit at the end of his desk and try not to go out of his mind while Dream did his work. He's done it a thousand times before, and maybe if he's lucky Dream will even allow him to take one of his fidgit toys in with him.

"No it's fine," Dream sighed, shaking his head disappointedly. Tommy almost dropped his pelt just to make up for it, but he did really want to go swimming. He was much to restless to sit around all day. "Go on, I won't keep you. Just try to come back in sooner okay? I get worried when you're out for so long."

"You got it Dream," Tommy said, guilt pooling in his stomach for the lie. He was worrying Dream for almost no reason, but he knew Dream would be even more worried if he knew what Tommy really was doing.

Truth was that Tommy had been sort of stalking the new humans, watching and observing them every time they go down to the ocean, staying just out of their sight. He was still trying to figure them out, trying to understand why they might have helped him. And it was almost fun to watch them interact, to see them milling around.

They weren't out often, mostly staying inside their little house, but when they were out Tommy was there to watch.

Was it kind of creepy? Maybe? It's not like Tommy was well versed in human etiquette. Dream had told him a story about a stalker years ago, late one night in an attempt to freak Tommy out. Secretly it had, but Tommy refused to let him know that.

Humans were strange either way. Tommy was just doing some research on them. Making sure they weren't a threat to Dream and him. There had only ever been one lighthouse keeper Tommy's entire life here, so sue him for being a bit curious about the entire situation.

He just didn't get it. He didn't understand why they helped him when they clearly didn't have to, when they could have hurt him. Dream had told him how much seal pelts go for on the market, how much pup pelts do too. They could've become rich off of him and the pup, but they helped him instead. They chose kindness for an animal they had no relation or attachment to.