Hidden Wings [A DreamSMP Hybrid AU]

{Chapter 10}

[Tommy's POV]

[[Dream] whispers to you: hey, you got a minute?]

I stared at the message uncertainly. The announcement was over, what could Dream possibly want?

"Hey, big man, you alright?" Tubbo's soft bleat interrupted my thoughts. I was staying over at his place in L'Manberg temporarily, and I had to admit, the cosy spruce-wood houses fitted surprisingly nicely with the town's vibe.

I looked over at the small goat hybrid. He had removed his formal suit coat and his tie was loose and casual. His hooves clacked on the wooden floor as he carefully carried two mugs of steaming hot cocoa over. I accepted the proffered cup gratefully, blowing on the floating (vegan) marshmallows softly.

"Yeah, I'm good, Big T." I said with a small smile, sipping my drink. Tubbo smiled back, sitting next to me on the couch to share the companiable silence.

I pulled the chat back up, still deciding what to do about Dream's message.

I looked over to Tubbo, but he was already fast asleep, curled up against the armrest and cocoa forgotten on the table.

Silently, I got up, making my way across the creaking floorboards to the front door.

The night outside the fire-warmed house was frigid, but by no means unbearable. I hopped down the stairs, already planning a short route around L'Manberg to clear my head. I looked up briefly as a shadow passed over, but dismissed it as a cloud.

Soon, I was out of the small town and walking across the partially industrialised plains around. I heard a soft leathery rustle behind me.

"You didn't reply." Dream's voice broke through the darkness.

I stopped walking. I could feel his glowing eyes drilling into my back but I didn't want to turn around, give him the pleasure of acknowledgement. I had to remind myself he's not the same Dream who hurt me in exile.

"I didn't know what to say." I eventually replied. He exhaled softly, padding across the grass with only a whisper to reveal his presence. I fought to stay still, not to run away from him. I clenched my jaw against the small squawk of fear as a scaly clawed hand reached over my shoulder, invading my much-needed personal space.

Suddenly, the hand withdrew. I looked around, slightly confused. A light blush coated his face, almost obscured by the dark night and the scales that speckled his features. He averted his eyes to the ground, reaching up and briskly pulling his customary mask into place over his features, only to remove it moments later. I must have looked confused, because he looked back up and smiled hesitantly, small fangs peeking over his lower lip.

"I understand if you don't want anything to do with me anymore," he said cautiously. "The things I made you-" he paused to take a deep breath. "The things I did to you in exile were unacceptable, and I'm really sorry. I have no excuse for my actions and can only say I hope you'll forgive me, if not now then someday, and if not fully then at least a little bit."

I bit my lip, torn between wanting to believe he had changed, to trust him, and wanting to sprint in the opposite direction until my heart gave out.

"If you'll allow me, I'd like to show you something?" Dream phrased the question almost hopefully, as if he really had changed and really did want my trust back.

Don't listen

It's a trap

He'll take your trust and manipulate you like he did before

My thoughts were warring in my head, I wanted so badly to trust him, let him show me what I could tell he really wanted to show me, but I couldn't just forget the years that he hurt and manipulated me.