on temporizing || Dream SMP Timeloop Fic

Chapter 12

56. adoption arc, pt. 5 

"You're what?"

"Baking with Dream," Purpled replied. "I'll be free at four."

"I cannot believe this," Tommy hissed. "You're gonna abandon me for Dream?"

"You're welcome to join us," Purpled offered dryly. "Ranboo does sometimes."

"The boob boy is involved too?!" Tommy shrieked.

Purpled, who was now very used to his dramatics, simply turned away and waved a hand. "Anyways, I'll meet you at the UFO in two hours. Might be a bit late."

"I will remember this betrayal!" Tommy shouted at his retreating back.

~~~

"What exactly do you have against Dream?"

"He's a bitch."

"You literally run away every time he comes within ten feet of you," Tubbo deadpanned. He set his watering can down. "I think it's a bit more than that."

"I'm not scared of him," Tommy snapped. Tubbo side-eyed him. "I'm not!"

"If you say so, Tommy."

There was a long moment of silence. Tubbo silently counted down the seconds until Tommy cracked.

"Okay," Tommy grumbled just as Tubbo hit zero. "He's-- he's trying to adopt us."

"Yeah, you told me."

"I don't want to be adopted."

"Why not?" At Tommy's incredulous look, Tubbo shrugged. "It's not like a serious thing, right?"

"But it's Dream."

"You say that like it means something."

"It does."

"Then explain it to me."

Tommy made a frustrated noise. They'd already had this exact conversation three times before, and his answer was the same every time. "It's complicated!"

"Uh-huh," Tubbo said dubiously, hefting his watering can and moving over to another patch of flowers in the garden. "Y'know, you can't avoid him forever."

Tommy bared his teeth. "Watch me."

~~~

"Ranboob, what the fuck are you doing?"

"Ranboo," Ranboo corrected. "I'm waiting for someone."

Tommy blinked. "What? Why?"

"He's teaching me self-defense."

"I thought you hated fighting."

"I do," Ranboo assured. "But I gotta defend myself too. I'll have to move to a different server eventually, and the people there might not be as nice to hybrids."

Tommy grimaced. "Point. Who's teaching you? Technoblade?"

Ranboo blinked. "Who?"

"Technoblade," Tommy repeated, then paused. "Oh wait, bitch hasn't joined the server yet. Sam then?"

". . . No," Ranboo said slowly. "Dream."

Tommy stared at him. "Dream?"

"Yeah. Dream." Ranboo shuffled his feet, gaze drifting slightly to the side. "Look, I know you don't like him--"

"No, Ranboo, you don't understand," Tommy hissed. "He has motives. He's gonna win your trust and then he's gonna adopt you. He's a fuckin' bastard--"