They Rely On Hope. What Do I Rely On? - Tommyinnit Adoption AU

Chapter 26

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ANOTHER DARK CHAPTER, AS BEFORE, I WILL PUT A SUMMARY IN THE NEXT CHAPTER, PLEASE SKIP IF YOU ARENT UP TO READING THIS!

TW: discussion of su!cide, survivors guilt, blame, murder, SH and abuse, (each to a high level)
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As Tommy got closer to Dreams house, he was careful to quiet the sound of his footsteps, ignoring the fact that it meant he couldn't run. He found his way to the tree, only to realise it was soaked and slippery. There was no way Tommy could climb it. Shit.

Slowly, silently, Tommy moved to the door. He peaked inside the window, and once assured Dream was out of sight, he slowly opened the door, slipping inside and closing it silently. He leaned heavily against the door, relieved for his silence.

"Ah, so you took the front door this time," Dream's voice sneered as he walked from his place just out of sight of the window. Shit. Shit. Shit. This was bad. This was so fucking bad.

Tommy pushed himself harder against the door, struggling with the handle in an attempt to escape but his hand's were shaking and he couldn't get a grip on it and Dream was right there and-

A hand closed around his throat.

"I'm disappointed Tommy."

Disappointed. Disappointed. Disappointed. He was disappointed. Tommy was disappointing. Tommy had failed.

Dream pulled him from the door, throwing him to the floor.

"I should've known you were a selfish brat."

Tommy shook, terrified and cold and broken, knowing this would be bad. Knowing this would hurt like hell. Knowing it would be worse then last time which had already been awful.

"I knew I had to watch you tonight, it being tonight after all," Dream sneered, and Tommy flinched. Dream knew. Dream had read his file and Dream knew.

"You didn't think I'd know, did you? You didn't think I'd know that today is the 5th anniversary of the day your twin killed himself so that he wasn't stuck with you. He killed himself to get away from you Tommy, you think that he wants you at his grave? He doesn't. He hated you. He hated you. He killed himself to escape you."

"No-no-no please- no- Tubbo- he- no-" Tommy whispered, pleading with Dream to tell him it was a lie, to tell him he was joking to tell him he was making it up. At the same time he pleaded with himself, begging himself to disagree, to argue, but he couldn't. He didn't know how because maybe Dream was right.

"He left you a note didn't he? Telling you not to die? Yeah, he left and didn't want you showing up in his afterlife."

No. No- no- not Tubbo- no- please no- anything but Tubbo- Tubbo had loved him. Tubbo had loved him. Right? Hadn't he?

"You know Tommy, if it weren't for you, your twin would still be alive. If you had been better, if you had been less annoying, you could have saved him, but no. You were too fucking annoying and you drove him to death. It's your fault he's dead, so I hope you did a hell of a lot of apologising at his grave," Dream snarled, before slowly, slowly backing away. Was that all? Was he not going to hurt Tommy? What was happening? Tommy didn't know, but he couldn't bring himself to move, the weight of Dream's words sinking in and holding him to the floor, because what if Dream is right? What if that's what Tubbo meant? What if Tubbo, the one person Tommy thought had loved him, had actually hated him? What was he supposed to do then?

"Did you ever see Tubbo with one of these?" Dream's voice leered from the kitchen door, and Tommy, terrified, looked over. Dream was brandishing a knife. Tommy hissed in fear, crawling away, shaking. He couldn't die. He couldn't.