Tommy gets the phone call even as the official request is coming in over Dispatch, and the next thing he knows, he's in the cockpit and Jason is in the back with Bloom, the latter shadowing the former.
"What are we expecting?" Bloom asks over comms.
"Gunshot wounds, multiple, torso and thigh," Tommy says, his heart rate resolutely steady. "This call is from SWAT so they had tac gear, but the guy that got hit was in there undercover. He was conscious but fading when the call came in."
"How did you know all that?" Jason demands.
Tommy's jaw is tight. "I know a guy."
+++
The medevac helicopter lands on the roof, and Tommy finally lets his worry and fear kick up his pulse when he sees Deacon and Hondo waiting with Donny, whose wounds are already packed and wrapped with whatever SWAT had on hand. Donny is already unconscious and Deacon's face is paler than usual.
"C'mon, Deac, I need you there in my place," Tommy bellows when Deacon hesitates about jumping in.
Hondo slaps his teammate's shoulder and shoves him forward.
Meanwhile, Jason and Bloom are doing the necessary to keep Donny from dying in the back of the medevac, hooking him up to fluids and monitors. Tommy kicks the chopper off from the roof as soon as he hears Jason give the okay, and then all he can think of is flying, because if he doesn't focus on that, he will panic. He can't listen to anything the two paramedics are saying because if he does, he will get distracted, and his job is simple right now: Get Donovan Rocker into surgery.
The moment the chopper lands, Jason and Bloom hurry to hand Donny over to LA General's finest. Deacon jumps out and follows them, with a look over his shoulder at Tommy and a firm nod.
The second the doors close, Tommy climbs out of his harness and the cockpit to sit on the hard concrete floor, head bowed, hands shaking. He takes long, deep breaths.
Bloom hurries over. "Kinard, you wanna just... You wanna go in there, too? I mean, that's your twin brother."
"Someone has to radio Harbor to fly this back then," Tommy grits out. Swallowing dryly, he gets to his feet. "I'm taking us back. I have one more flight left in me before I freak out entirely. Jace, sit up front with me, you know the drill."
Jason nods tersely and climbs in. He does know the drill and he is learning to fly as well, and it will be only ten minutes back to their station.
"Kinard, are you really-"
"Another word, Bloom, and you're Ubering back," Jason warns.
Tommy glances at the probie. "I'll be fine."
He'll be fine, he thinks as he swings the bird through the air back home. He has to be fine.
He and Donny have just reconciled for a couple years. They can't be split up again the way their parents split them up.
He doesn't know he isn't breathing right until Jason's voice crackles over the comms, "Inhale for four."
Tommy blinks and he follows Jason's calm orders, mind deliberately empty. After they land, he goes to Melton to cut his shift short, and then he goes to the restroom and pukes.
+++
When he gets to LA General, Deacon is still there, a phantom haunting the corridor outside the operating theaters. Tommy goes to him and they embrace, not a word exchanged.
"How bad was it?" Tommy makes himself ask.
"Happened too fast," Deacon replies. "They grazed his leg first, probably, and the next few..."
"Few?"
"I counted four."
"Fuck," Tommy exhales and sits down, head in hands.
Deacon sits with him, arm over his shoulders. The two of them let time flow around them as they wait to hear if the man they love survives.
Some others from SWAT trickle in. Hondo. Tan. Hicks. Alfaro. Powell. Then Tommy's own crew from Harbor: Nic. Jason. Saint. Donato.
Then Evan, who almost leaves skid marks when he runs into the waiting area, and hugs him so tightly that Tommy feels like Evan wants to compress him into a pocket-sized boyfriend to keep safe.
They wait.
And suddenly Tommy thinks, I've been here before, on the outside. Looking in on a different family.
He glances around and realizes he knows everyone who is waiting. He knows their names and he knows their idiosyncrasies and he knows he can call them because he has their numbers and they will be there for him.
Donny is going to laugh at Tommy when he hears what Tommy realized.
He leans on Evan, who whispers, "Do you need anything, babe?"
"No," Tommy replies, linking his hand with his boyfriend's. "I got my family right here with me."
Summary: a ficlet based off of this wonderful picture by @littlepigart
Dream smiles happily up at his other half - as Nightmare was currently sitting up in one of the lower branches of their home. A crown of yellow flowers that he has weaved himself rests crookedly on his head as he didn't want it getting tangled with his circlet "Moonbeam, would you please come down for a minute?" He is holding behind his back a crown of bright purple flowers that remind him of the other, and he wants to give it to Night.
Sure thing, Sunlight." Nightmare murmurs, marking the page of the book he was reading and swinging himself down onto the grassy ground, walking over to him "Did you need something?"
Dream shook his head and responded "Nope! I wanted to give you something, Night!" He holds out the carefully made flower crown for the other to take.
"Aww... Thanks... You know, the mortals give each other gifts like this when they're courting one another... You know that you don't have to do stuff like that... We're always going to be together." The young guardian of negativity pointed out logically.
"I... I know. But I want to marry you when I grow up!" The young positive spirit responded. They had only existed for a brief period, and he loved Nightmare deeply and truly. Dream was also sure that no matter what happened, he would always love Nightmare.
Nightmare went a bright shade of purple and hid his face in his hands after a couple of moments "I... I love you too, Dream. Once we're of age by Mortal standards, we'll get married alright?"
Dream beamed happily and nodded in response to that, purring contentedly as he hugged his other half. Nightmare hugged him back, smiling warmly and had begun to pet the top of his skull "We'll get married one day, Dream. That's a promise. And I try to keep my promises, especially to you. Do you want to have a big party, like some of the wealthier mortals, have?"
Dream shakes his head "No... I'd rather it be small... Filled only with people who we care about, and who cares for both of us... Maybe at the base of the tree? Wed exchange promises, wearing flower crowns that we've made each other... Maybe even getting rings- or carving or making each other! Maybe in the springtime, when the flowers are blooming and the meadow is really pretty?"
"Oh, that would be nice... Maybe at dusk, or at night, when the stars are out, and the moon is glowing softly?" Nightmare suggested with a small grin, seemingly wanting up further to the idea.
"Yeah! That sounds really nice!" Dream purred, content to cuddle in close with Nightmare. The villagers were celebrating some sort of holiday involving loved ones and family, so Dream had decided to spend the day with Nightlight. Although some of the villagers had seemed kind of disappointed to hear him say that for some reason.
Dream shook himself mentally as he snapped out of that memory - it was one of the memories he had held tight to his soul and treasured, even as any good time with Nightmare had become better sweet at best, as he had woken from a stasis spell and found himself a thousand years in the future, with his other half ruling a large swathe of the multiverse, and their home timeline a decayed, miserable and lifeless wreck. He had spent decades on the run, finding allies and losing some of them just as quickly, fleeing from the dust-hungry tyrant that chased after him, fighting the other only when he absolutely had to, as the power imbalance on raw power alone was laughably terrifying. Those innocent promise and innocuous plans... He had never expected them to be fulfilled - especially in such a ghoulish caricature.
Nightmare's generals and top people filled most of the neatly arranged rows - but he and his dearest friend sand allies had been captured weeks ago. Nightmare had offered him a choice-
Which had been no true choice at all. Watch as his friends get killed one by one, or marry Nightmare, promising to never again knowingly or willingly work against him ever again, in exchange for the freedom of his friends. But several of Dream's allies were here - recently captured, but Nightmare had promised that they would be set free and escorted out of Nightmare's territory as soon as the ceremony - and the afterparty - was over... And the worst thing about it was that Dream probably wouldn't have had to be coerced like this, anyways. If Nightmare had just asked to marry him, he might have said yes, as he loves the other even in this awful moment.
His wedding outfit all black. He was wearing a black button down shirt with a matching colored bow tied around the collar, black slacks and a pair of black socks and black formal shoes. Even the veil he was wearing - thin and see-through as it was, was black. The only bit of color on him was his golden circlet, which rested where it usually did on his head. His eye lights were dimly lit circles, and his expression was a neutrally-resigned expression. Dream could see his captured friends standing on one side, their arms tied behind their back - were they... Were they part of the wedding party? Nightmare's lieutenants were lined up on the opposing side, and everyone looked sharply dressed in all black - hints of gold in his friend's outfits.
He shut off his eye lights briefly as he heard the wedding march begin to play, and he walked down the carpeted strip of flooring, noting with a silent sigh that there were magical cameras filming this. So this was being broadcasted across Nightmare's domain, was it? Fantastic. Not only were there dozens of Nightmare's minions watching this spectacle go down, thousands if not millions more were seeing this live. He takes careful, measured steps down so as to not trip over his own feet, not wanting to make a fool of himself in front of so many enemies. He takes his place next to and slightly behind Nightmare, looking at the Angelfell Sans who has been conscripted to officiate the wedding.
Dream can't really focus on the words that the other is saying - not when Nightmare is so close and he can feel one of the other's tendrils messing with his veil, acutely aware of what is shortly to come and doing his best to remember his vows, repeating them over and over in his mind.
The ceremony felt like it took forever and also as if it was over in a blink of an eye light as the Angelfell Sans stated "If there is anyone here who has any reason to state why these two shouldn't get married, speak now, or forever hold your peace."
the silence in the room was deafening, and Dream wondered if someone would be foolish enough to speak. From the expressions he could see on Blue's and Ink's faces, they had some choice words. He shook his head minutely at them - catching and keeping eye contact with an openly infuriated Red and Nebula - who looked like he was about to pass out or vomit.
The Angelfell Sans spoke up "You may now speak your vows, and give each other the floral crowns and rings to signify your commitment to one another."
Dream blinked for a moment of confusion, turning as a Havenfell Frisk and a Horrorswap Chara had come up behind them, one holding a pillow with two... Two flower crowns. One made of golden flowers, the other violet that reminded him so much of the flowers he had once given to Nightmare, so long ago- and he recognized the wood that those rings were made from. The sight of both things nearly sent him to his knees, sobbing.
Nightmare's smirk was broad as he grabbed the violet flowers with surprisingly gentle hands, gesturing for Dream to kneel, which he did so, trembling only a little as he did so "The flower crowns are a tradition of our home timeline, which I know you are aware, but no one else is. I made this crown while thinking of you, my dearly beloved. Long have I yearned for the two of us to become one in this way, and I love you dearly. I give you this crown to symbolize my care for you, and the promise that my love and faithfulness towards you will be as unbroken as an endless circle." Nightmare pauses for dramatic effect as he takes the wooden ring - carved with runes that Dream can only begin to guess their nature of "For a more... Widely accepted vow and symbol: I promise to LOVE and protect you, for better and for worse, as long as we both shall live." He slides the ring on Dream's left finger, as is a tradition for a surprising number of AUs, and helps him up to his feet. Every word of it sounding like cruel mockery in Dream's metaphorical ears.
Tears shine in his eye sockets as he grabs the golden flowers, the shaking in his hands getting worse. As he had expected, Nightmare does not kneel, forcing Dream to go up on his tiptoes, his arms extending upwards - as Nightmare is over a foot taller than he is and he speaks, praying that his voice doesn't sound as terrified and miserable as it sounds to himself "With this crown... I offer to you my love and fidelity. I will stay by... Your side. Long have I yearned for the two of us to be as one, and I... I love you with all my... With all my heart." Tears threaten to spill down his cheeks, but the lights are bright, everyone is watching and he can feel the cameras glare down at him. He can't slip now - he doesn't know what Nightmare will do if he does. He allows himself a couple of seconds as he grabs the ring, fingers trembling worse now. "I promise to love, honor and obey you, in sickness and in health. I swear to protect and care for you and those whom you care for... For as long... As long as both of us will live."
Both he and Nightmare say at the same time, and Dream feels the magic bind him to his word, the ring tightening a little on his finger "So mote it be, from this moment to the end of the multiverse." he feels his magic and Nightmare's flare for a moment.
There is a pause and the Angelfell Sans states "You may now kiss your spouse."
Nightmare does not hesitate to scoop him up with a tendril around the waist, bringing hip up and closer still, so that the two of them can kiss. Dream distantly hears a whimper. He's not sure if he is the one who's whimpering, or if one of his friends is. There is a lot of clapping and shouted congratulations to Nightmare. Dream feels dizzy and unsure as he is whisked off to the afterparty, held firmly in Nightmare's tentacles. They go through the traditional dances together before he is introduced to every unfamiliar face who had been invited by Nightmare to the wedding. Name sand faces blended together in his mind, and the small, fake smile on his face that he uses, and the false-cheer in his voice breaking his own soul piece by piece. His friends have been corralled in a corner by Nightmare's lieutenants, and the party goes very well.
Once all but the wedding party have left, hours upon hours later, Dream sort of collapses into Nightmare, and murmurs quietly "You... You promised. Please? Please... Nightmare please!"
"What? What did that fucker promise in return for this farce?!" Blue hisses, struggling a little in his restraints.
"Dream and I have promised each other that we would wed centuries ago. Long before your timeline was barely a thought in a creator's wild fever dreams." Nightmare snapped, glaring a little at Red "But as agreed, once the wedding was over, I would send your friends home." With a wave of his hand, Ink, Blue, Red, Outer, and Comic are unbound and fall through separate portals into different timelines. Surprise, horror, and shock are on their faces as they tumble and fall out of sight. "Now, I can tell that you are tired from the day's events... As am I - let us be off and rest together in our marriage bed." Nightmare purred, his tendrils wrapping more firmly around Dream as he teleported off to the castle - using a portal as he had not used the timeline his main base was in for them to wed.
A wave of exhaustion crashes through Dream and he nods, the low positivity of this new timeline not helping anything whatsoever "As... As you wish... Husband..." A single tear runs down his face as his eye lights fade out as Dream slips from consciousness. he has no idea what his future will hold, and he is terrified at the prospect of what is to come.
