Half a year is a long time. Dream counted his life in seconds. Each choice he made, from the small ones of what to eat to the large ones of what villains he should spend time investigating, were what comprised his life. The choice he was making today was one of the most important choices he would make. It was critical in the development of his sidekick who excelled in most areas. He was physically competent, and he was ready to fight against any opponent that crossed his path. He had a decent understanding of the world and how it worked from politics to science. There was just own skill he lacked...

Social skills.

Dream knew right away that Tommy would need to be taught manners and general taboos. There was a common curtesy that was extended to other people that depended on a variety of conditions. Tommy wasn't someone who acted friendly or treated everyone with respect. Tommy did what Dream told him, but he lashes out at anyone else who tried to give him orders. Dream couldn't have that in a sidekick. When push came to shove, Tommy would need to have the capability to reassure civilians, talk down people ready to commit suicide, or negotiate with terrorists. Dream was edging towards the top bracket of heroes. Those sorts of jobs wouldn't just be available to Dream but they would be a requirement. Dream needed Tommy to be on par in every area.

"I'm going to slowly introduce you to my friends. They're going to help me teach you how to communicate with people. We'll take it easy since your voice is still recovering, but this will be good practice," Dream explained as he put out the pizza. Tommy had been taking speech therapy since the first week he spent with Dream. His voice remained rather quiet, but he didn't stutter or cough anymore which meant progress was being made.

"Good for you, Big Man," Tommy whispered. Dream didn't know what speech pattern he expected from Tommy. Maybe something more formal or monotone. Instead, Tommy gave people odd nicknames, valued himself greatly, and was the first to make a joke. Dream couldn't wait until Tommy's laugh became something more than a exhaled breath of amusement. Their apartment would be filled with laughter as soon as that day came.

The doorbell rang. Dream made sure Tommy looked presentable before opening the door. A man in a black hoodie with a red rim wearing circular glasses was standing at the doorway with a container in his hands. Dream had planned for Bad to come first because Bad was excellent with children. Bad wouldn't get worked up if Tommy said or did something wrong. Bad was the type of person to sit someone down to explain why what they did was wrong. He didn't normally start fights. With Tommy as hotheaded as he was, Dream needed the positivity to come first.

"I brought muffins! Does he like muffins? I hope he does," Bad said immediately while holding up the container. He walked inside with an awkward laugh. "I didn't know what kind to make, so I made them all."

"Of course you did," Dream whispered under his breath. He turned towards the island to see Tommy standing up. The blonde was rigid with his eyes searching for something, his hands fidgeting at his sides. Dream knew this was the face of a Tommy that was ready to run. "Hey, bud, this is Bad! Despite the name, he's actually a good guy. Bad, this is my new sidekick, Tommy."

"Hello, Tommy! I brought muffins! Do you like muffins?" Bad asked as he set the container down with slow movements. Tommy edged towards the container as Bad popped the lid off. He hummed as he searched for the right muffin. When he found it, Bad took it into his hands, offering it to Tommy like an olive branch. Tommy stared at the muffin warily. Bad's smile didn't flinch when it was put under scrutiny. "This is a chocolate chip muffin. Most people like them, but it's okay if you don't. If you prefer, I also have banana nut and blueberry."

Tommy swallowed. He didn't relax, per say, but his muscles weren't as rigid as they were before. He looked between Bad, the muffin, the container, and Dream with a sharp gaze. Tommy stepped towards Bad with uncertainty. "Could I... I want a... the blueberry one. The muffin. Can... May I have that one?"

Bad continued to smile brightly as he traded out the chocolate chip muffin for the blueberry one. Tommy took the muffin before scrambling back with dark eyes. Bad waited patiently for Tommy to take a small bite. Once Tommy had eaten a good portion of it, he turned to Bad with a struggling smile. "Thanks, Bad. That was... good. I like it."

"I'm glad you did. Maybe next time, we can make muffins together," Bad said as he took a step forward. Tommy's breath hitched but he didn't step away. Bad opened his arms in precise movements. Tommy looked at Dream for reassurance. The man gave a thumbs up. This gave Tommy the confidence to return Bad's hug. Dream smiled at the two of them. He knew this was difficult for Tommy. If Dream hadn't asked him to socialize, Tommy would have leaped to the closest rooftop to escape. Dream didn't like forcing this on Tommy, but he didn't want to risk Tommy becoming too dependent. Tommy needed different types of people in his life. Dream couldn't be everything that a child needed in their lives to grow up as a healthy adult.

Someone knocked on the door again. Where Bad was meant to be a source of positivity and grandfatherly care, George was supposed to be the empath and mediator. Tommy was a child no matter how capable he was. He would have a lot of strong emotions. From what Dream gathered, Tommy tended to suppress those feelings. Since Dream wasn't good at emotions either, what better way than to invite the person who helped Dream cope in healthy ways?

"Hello," George said with a smile. He gave Dream a hug before pulling away. Bad was standing behind Tommy, gently pushing him forwards. Dream could see the panic rising in Tommy's eyes. He wasn't good with people, and Dream was witnessing his reaction to more people than he was used to. Dream prayed that George knew what he was doing. Dream hadn't finished his online course on childcare. He hadn't reached how to alleviate panic attacks yet. Bad probably knew but Dream didn't want to risk it.

"My little sheep!" George called out with open arms. Dream's eyes widened in surprise. Bad had a confused smile. The panic in Tommy's eyes faded away slowly. His mouth parted in a gasp before his eyebrows narrowed. Dream could recognize this as Tommy's anger. It had never been aimed at Dream, but anybody who made some snide comment about Dream would get more than an earful. The first time it happened, Dream learned that Tommy knew how to inflict non lethal but devastating pain the first time it happened.

"I am not a sheep or little, bastard!" Tommy snapped with a red face. Tommy marched towards George with clenched fists. Bad still seemed confused, but Dream knew where this was going. He couldn't let George get hurt. He should have given more warning before George arrived. George didn't seem concerned, however. His arms came forwards to hold Tommy by the shoulders instead of hugging Tommy like he planned. Tommy stopped upon the comforting touch.

"Aww, he's a mad little sheep, Dream!" George said, looking at Dream. Tommy was about to start up again, but George pulled Tommy down into a hug while running a hand through his hair. "It's an affectionate nickname, Tommy. I care about you, so I'm calling you by a name that means a lot to me. I, personally, adore sheep. They're soft and huggable. You're the same way, aren't you? You like hugs and your hair is soft. I didn't intend to be mean or upset you. I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?"

Tommy seemed completely bewildered. Dream shook his head with an exhausted smile. He should have left it all to George instead of getting worried on the behalf of his friend. It wasn't fair to underestimate George. Especially since Tommy had become putty in his hands with a few words. Tommy was standing in front of George with his eyes closed and a soft smile while George ran his fingers through Tommy's hair. Tommy didn't seem to care about being called 'sheep', though he whispered something about being a 'big sheep'.

"Dream!" Someone yelled from down the hallway. It was too late before Dream realized he didn't shut the door. Standing at the end of the hall was a black haired, bandanna wearing man with eyes that were bright enough to be seen from where Dream stood. Dream didn't get a chance to stop SapNap before he was pummeled to the ground in a tackle-hug that SapNap was infamous for. Dream didn't particularly care, but he knew that someone didn't understand this was a friendly gesture.

The weight on Dream's chest was knocked off with a kick. Tommy slammed his foot into SapNap's jaw, and since the latter wasn't prepared for a hit, he rolled off Dream. Tommy slammed his feet against SapNap's ankles before leaning down to hold his arms behind his back. SapNap groaned as Tommy's eyes flared. The red caustic light spiraled across SapNap's body to keep him down.

"Whoa! Whoa! Tommy, yield! This is SapNap. He's friend, not foe. Tackling is something he does. Don't be alarmed by it," Dream scrambled towards his sidekick. Tommy seemed unconvinced, but since Dream told him to, the caustic light disappeared as Tommy stood back up. SapNap rolled onto his back while rubbing his  bruised jaw.

"That is one sidekick you have right there," SapNap muttered with as big a smile as he could manage. SapNap was meant to bring liveliness and childish entertainment into Tommy's life. SapNap was in a similar boat with Tommy in the sense they were powerful hotheads that needed authoritative figures to guide them. Bad had taken SapNap as a sidekick when SapNap had been a young teenager, a little older than what Tommy was now.

Tommy stared down with an unimpressed expression. Without anyone telling him to, Tommy raised a hand to help SapNap to his feet. Dream had a proud smile on his face when Tommy attempted to apologize. It wasn't very good, but it was more than Dream could hope for. SapNap forgave Tommy because Dream had given ample warning about Tommy's condition.

"Alright! I came for free pizza!" SapNap clapped his hands as he threw an arm over Tommy's shoulders. It was hard to walk with the height difference, but SapNap didn't give up on walking alongside Tommy. For what it was worth, Tommy didn't make things any more difficult than they had to be.