A/N - this is for Chillin_JJ, thanks for the request!

TW: Nightmares

"Oh Tommy, demonic form really does suit you. Aren't you going to thank me for giving it to you?"

Dream stalked toward him, and he fell to the ground trying to get away. But it was no use, and his back was pressed up against the cold stone wall. 

He felt the cold sting of the sword against his throat and started to hyperventilate. Right as he felt the blade cut his skin, he woke up with a scream, looking around to see himself in his bedroom at the family house. His hands instinctively went to his head and his back, cringing when he felt the horns on his head and the wings coming out from his shoulder blades.

Dream had accessed his demon form, DreamXD, when he revived Tommy, causing some of the power to seep into him. He was nowhere near as powerful as DreamXD, who was practically a god, but he now had a demonic form. He hated mirrors now because every time he looked in one he saw the blond hair, the horns, the tail, the wings, and he didn't see himself. He saw Dream.

Worst of all, he could constantly sense Dream's presence now that they were connected. He knew Dream could sense him too, and Tommy felt like he was on a leash, and any second now, the green man would pull him back to his side and punish him for trying to get away. He was always on edge these days, waiting for that tug. 

The door to his bedroom creaked open, and a large shadow appeared in the doorway. When Tommy saw the floppy ears on the person's head, he slumped back in relief, knowing he was safe now that Techno was here.

"Did you have another nightmare? I heard the yell," His brother whispered into the dark. "Yeah."

"Was it the same one as usual?" Tommy nodded, and Techno came to sit on the edge of his bed. "Oh, dear, I guess we need to go downstairs." 

Tommy looked at him in confusion, but Techno just made a mischievous face and made his way towards the door, gesturing for Tommy to follow him. "We have to be quiet so we don't wake Dad or Wil," Techno whispered over his shoulder. Tommy knew where the floor creaked from years of sneaking around, so he nimbly made his way down the hall and the stairs without a sound. Techno's steps made a few creaks, but they both knew Phil wouldn't wake up, and that Wilbur wouldn't care.

They got to the kitchen and Techno opened a cupboard, and what he pulled out made Tommy cover his mouth to stop the squeal from coming out. In Techno's hands was an apple pie, which had been both of their favorite dessert growing up. This one was from Niki's bakery, which meant it would no doubt be delicious.

Techno handed him a fork and they got to work. They made it through half of the pie in silence, the pig hybrid letting Tommy calm down and process the dream before they began speaking.

"You're still the same Tommy, you know. You're still my brother."

Tommy just nodded, knowing Techno was right but not quite ready to accept it. "What is it about them that you hate so much?" His brother asked, gesturing to his horns and swishing tail. So we're diving deep tonight, Tommy thought grumpily. "They're just annoying..." He lied, shifting in his seat a little.

"No, that's not it. I know that's not why you hate them," Techno insisted. "Come on. If you don't tell me, I can't help you. Please?"

Tommy hesitated, but he was tired and scared and he wanted Techno to help him, so he just began rambling.

"They remind me of him. Every time I look in the mirror, I see him, and I wonder how long it'll take me to go back. It feels like he has control over me now, and like he's always watching me. I hate it so much, Techno, I feel like I'm either going to go back to him or turn into him and there's no escape." He was beginning to hyperventilate, recognizing the beginnings of a panic attack, but Techno knew what to do and quickly wrapped him up in a hug, whispering reassurances in his ear that helped him calm down. 

"Buddy, you wanna know something?" Tommy noddes slowly, and Techno ruffled his hair. "You know I'm part demon, right?" He gestured to his own set of horns and the white streak in his pink hair, gently pulling on the matching one hidden among Tommy's golden strands. "So when you look in the mirror, don't think about Dream, think about me. I know I may not be someone you want to admire or feel proud of sharing that part of yourself with, but I hope I'm better than Dream."

Tommy looked at Techno for a moment before slamming into him in a hug. He gripped his brother's cape tightly, whispering a small "thank you" into the fabric. "You're welcome bubba," Techno rumbled, reciprocating the hug.

-

"It's not all bad, you know," Techno said while they were on a walk in the woods. "What's not?" Tommy questioned, confused. "Being part demon. I know you might not be ready right now, or ever, but there are some cool parts of this form. If you want, I could show you some things." Tommy nodded hesitantly at the offer, and Techno led them to a field. 

The first thing he taught Tommy was how to use his wings. Techno himself didn't have wings, since the demon who had given him his form didn't have wings, but he still knew how they worked. He showed him the different muscles and the bones and what they did, and finally, showed him how to use them all at once to fly.

It took Tommy many weeks to master getting off the ground properly, and many more to land, but he was slowly learning to make the best of what had happened to him. 

-

They were on another walk through the silent forest when Techno spoke up again. "I've been reading up on demonic forms, and I've learned a lot," He said casually. "I knew we had different forms and that the demon that gave me some of his power was a higher level, but it turns out you can do some things that I can't." Tommy's interest was piqued, and he listened attentively as Techno began to explain. "We'll have to look through the book again, but I remember reading about a form that sounded a lot like yours, and apparently, it's possible for your features to be hidden." Tommy's eyes widened as something dawned on him. "Of course! I never made the connection! Oh my God, I'm so stupid-" 

"You're not," Techno interjected, but Tommy just continued. "Dream's features weren't always there. He was able to hide them, and I never realized that I can probably do that too."

They returned to their little training meadow, where Tommy and Techno tried to figure out how to hide his features. After an hour or two, he figured out the trick. By the time the sun was setting, Tommy had pretty much mastered the art of retracting his wings, horns and tail. 

That night, Tommy said he felt more normal than he had in a long time, and Techno was glad to see his brother's huge smile return to his face that had been gone for so long.