I Can't Remember

[25] We Don't Say Goodbyes, We Say 'See You Later!'

FULL TITLE:

We Don't Say Goodbyes, We Say 'See You Later!' (But I Wish I Could Have Seen Him Sooner)

"Dream?" Tommy inched towards the man. His breaths were slow and ragged. His eyes constantly fluttered open and closed. Bloody tears mixed with salt ones as they cascaded down the side of his face. Tommy put his hands on Dream's shoulders, only for the man to flinch away. Tommy retracted his hands, only to put them back, this time slowly and gently.

Dream's muscles tensed and relaxed, mind unsure of his surroundings. A part of him was tired, desperately wanting to shut down. The other side was scared and hypervigilant. Whose voice was that? Whose hand was that? Could it be trusted?

Did he even have time for such questions?

"Dream, please, what is happening?" Tommy's voice came again. With some struggle, he wearily turned his head towards the voice.

Dream's eyes were met with the tear-stricken face of his friend. Tommy's hands were glowing a soft green, mixed with the bright red of the scarf that always adorned his neck. His blond, curly hair, which was usually fluffy and all over the place, was matted down with sweat. All in all, he looked like a mess.

Dream tried to lift his head, but quickly collapsed when pain exploded in his skull again.

There was a sudden commotion outside. When Tommy turned his head, he saw Ranboo stumble in. His eyes had never been clearer. It was as if he had a certain clarity now. The look would have suited him if he wasn't bleeding from the head. Severely. The white side of his face was tinged a light orange from it. Upon seeing Dream, the clarity gave way to panic as he rushed forward. Tubbo, standing right behind him, continued to observe the scene from the door. He felt a twinge of satisfaction upon seeing Dream in such agony. He quickly pushed down the emotion, guilt quickly replacing it.

Tommy grabbed Dream's communicator, which was lying nearby. He quickly messaged Sapnap and George to get there as quickly as possible. He typed the teleport command and asked Dream to confirm it upon their request. Once he did, there was a loud whoosh of air and a 'pop!' sound. They had reached the stronghold. All they had to do now was find The Portal Room.

As Tommy dropped the communicator on the floor, Dream blindly reached out in his direction with his left hand. Tommy grabbed it and held onto it deftly. He lightly caressed the ring on his index finger.

"Tommy–"

"Shh... don't talk," Tommy chided him. "Conserve your energy."

Dream didn't listen. "I'm sorry–"

"Dream! No apologising!"

"No, Toms I–" Dream was interrupted by his own coughing. Tommy patted his shoulder to calm him down. It took Dream a whole minute of coughing and ragged breaths to regain composure. "That's not what I–"

"Look, Dream. Sapnap and George are coming, okay?" Tommy pleaded. Dream looked like he was going to interrupt, so Tommy quickly spoke, "Just hold on."

As if on cue, the two entered the room. Horrified at the scene in front of them, they rush forwards, only stopping at the subtle shake of Dream's head. Confused, both men looked carefully to see Dream holding Tommy's hand. Their eyes widened and filled with understanding.

(Tubbo eyed the exchange carefully from his spot at the door. His expression was shadowed over by suspicion.)

Still, Sapnap cradled his best friend's head, hoping to make him more comfortable, while George held his other hand– the one not having any rings on it. Tubbo decided to finally move from his place and try to comfort Ranboo, who was still on the floor opposite to Tommy, being an absolute mess. Dream was still attempting to talk.

"You're a smart– smart kid, Tommy," he stuttered. "I– I'm sorry you grew up so fast. I– I don't– ah! Oh my– shit..."

"Dream..." Tears were falling down Tommy's cheeks now. His eyes were red and he was breathing heavily. "Please don't talk, please. George will fix you, please, Dream. Please." By now Tommy was sobbing. He tried to wipe his tears, but Dream held his hand firmly.

"T– Tommy, I don't trust anyone else. So you have to do this. I'm so– I'm sorry, Toms– please forgive m–" Dream was gasping for air now. Opposite to Tommy, Ranboo was also crying. George pulled the boy's head into his chest, hugging him fiercely. Dream reached out his right arm, to hug the boy as well. Tubbo and Sapnap sat next to each other, trying their best to hold it together for their family.

"Tommy, you– you're the purest of them all. No matter what you have gone through, you're the only one who– who tru–ah, shit– truly knows what the SMP needs. This – This is my– This is my home, Tommy. I've crushed it, but– but I love it here. It's my home. Don't let go of my hand. Please, Tommy, don't– don't let go–"

Tears fell down his cheeks as Dream tried to breathe through the pain and tears. He didn't try to hide it anymore. He didn't think he could hide it anymore. He was tired. Something seemed to pull him under. A smile ghosted on his lips as he realised that his memories had come back. He hoped that Ranboo had his memories back too. It was, after all, why he broke him out of prison.

'God, stupid boy,' Dream mused, 'but he got me out, didn't he? A last breath of freedom sure felt nice.'

Dream's body felt weaker as the seconds passed, but he never let go of Tommy's hand. He didn't let go of Ranboo. He didn't let go of his consciousness.

"H– Hey, Toms?" He managed out. "Keep my ring, will you?" Dream whispered.

With that, he gave a last grateful look to his best friends. Sapnap ruffled his hair, at which Dream let out a weak laugh. George squeezed his hand and placed a kiss on his forehead. They had known each other long enough– words were not a necessity anymore. The trio's actions were filled with nostalgia, gratitude, apologies, and forgiveness all at once. Sapnap and George returned Dream's wistful smile with their own watery grins.

With a last smile, Clay fell into a deep sleep. 

[17-06-2023]