Two Sides of a Story (SBI AU)

Chapter 10- A Nightmare of a Reality

Tommy POV

"He can't handle it!" Tommy could hear his father's voice loud and clear. He remembered leaning against the door, listening as close as he could. It was supposed to be a dare from a bet he had lost with his brothers. It was supposed to be nothing but fun. He never imagined how life changing it would be.

Then came his mother's voice, much sterner than he expected. "Because you never give him a chance! He can be just as good as your other sons and you know it!"

Who were they talking about? Tommy ignored the bad feeling that pooled in his chest. They weren't talking about him... were they?

"Tommy wasn't even meant to be born! He-" 

The boy froze at his words. It was like time stopped and all the air had been sucked out of the room. He wasn't meant to exist? Did that mean... he was a mistake? His heart broke at the mere thought of it.

"He's your son!" his mother roared, outraged at the comment. "The poor child has done nothing wrong and you treat him like his existence is nothing but a burden! What do you think that does to the poor kid?"

Tears dripped down his face as Tommy slowly stood up. He didn't want to listen anymore. His heart had already been shattered enough. But his father was far from finished.

"He's incapable of causing anything but trouble! He doesn't listen! He can't even follow the simplest orders! What about Lukas and Adam? They were following orders at the age of seven! Tommy is nearly nine! If he can't learn it now, he never will. I'm done wasting my time on my excuse of a son."

Tommy stood frozen as the words sunk in. Had his father ever loved him? Or was that nothing but a dream? It had been so real... But the more he thought about it, the more he realized his father's love had never existed at all. It was only a wish for every birthday, for every shooting star. But it would never happen... He should stop wasting his wishes.

Tommy was so lost in his thoughts, he didn't register the sound of the door opening. Before he knew it, he was looking up at the furious eyes of the king. Tommy had never seen him so angry before.

The boy shrunk down, quickly blinking his tears away. His hands trembled behind his back. Tommy had never wanted to disappear so badly in all his life.

"WE'RE YOU EAVESDROPPING?!" the man roared.

Tommy bit his lip, attempting to find his voice. But nothing he said could ever make it better. "I'm sorry I-" he began.

"GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!" he screamed, shoving his mother off as she tried to hold him back. He moved towards the blonde, his eyes narrowing. "You can't do anything right, can you?"

"I-I-" Tommy stammered, falling over his words. He backed up, stumbling into the wall. Fear glimmered in his eyes as he watched his father raise his hand. He covered his face, prepared for the strike. "I'm sorry! I-I'm so sorry!" he shrieked.

He screamed, sitting up on the cold floor. His heart raced a million times a minute as he looked around the cell. For a moment he felt comfort in knowing he wasn't home. But that relief disappeared as footsteps rushed towards him.

"What are you screaming about?! We're trying to sleep!" Dream scowled, glaring at the young prince. Tommy didn't reply, instead he curled in on himself, burying his face in his knees. He wasn't there. His father wasn't here. He was safe.

He heard the cell open and the group slip in. Someone knelt beside him, attempting to murmur words of comfort. "Breathe Thomas, breathe." 

Tommy tried to follow the instructions but it felt like all the air had been sucked from his lungs. He struggled to take in any air and it was beginning to panic him even more. The figure grabbed his hand, bringing him back down to earth. It took a few minutes before he regained control.

Looking up, he was surprised to find Sapnap beside him. The brunette moved away, standing closer to Dream. 

"Did you have a bad dream?" the blonde mocked.

Tommy shivered, turning away from the man. He was just trying to get under his skin and the last thing he wanted was for Dream to know he was winning.

"What could be so bad about a prince's life? You have everything you can dream of." George commented, glowing at Dream's glance of approval. 

Tommy said nothing, wishing it was true. There were some things that would always be out of reach.

"You royals are so selfish." Dream smirked.

Tommy glared at the outlaw. He didn't know anything. "At least we don't steal for our own benefit." he muttered, allowing the venom to drip from his words.

The masked man stiffened at his words. "No, instead you tax everyone to the bone. How do you think people are still surviving on nothing? It's because of us! We're their lifeline."

Tommy looked away, trying to find the words to make his reputation better. But there were no words that could ever repay the people they had hurt. The blonde shook his head, avoiding their looks. He had thought the outlaws were worse, but were they? The royals weren't clean from their mistakes either.

"That's what I thought." Dream said, leading the way out of the cell. "Do me favor and shut up alright? Some of us like sleeping." 

The two of them followed him, Sapnap pausing to give him a pitiful look. But Tommy paid no mind, trying to find a comfortable position.

Questions continued to rage in his mind. Were outlaws really the problem? Or was that just what the royals wanted him to believe? He rolled on his side, finding comfort in the darkness.

He could only pray it would be a dreamless sleep.

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Hope you liked it!

Hope you have a wonderful day!

-Snowy