Work Text:
tommy: tubbo
tommy: tubbo
tommy: tubbo I need u at the lmantree
Tubbo frowns. His hands are currently half buried in a bowl of cake batter. The only reason he even saw the messages on his communicator was because Niki- who was smart enough to wear gloves- picked it up and showed him the screen.
"What do you think he wants?" Tubbo asks, unsticking his fingers.
Niki turns the screen so she can see it, humming gently. There's a bit of a smile on her lips. "It could be anything." She says amusedly. "Maybe he started another war. Or maybe he saw a nice cloud. Both are of equal importance to him, I think."
"Oh yeah," Tubbo snorts. "And both situations need me urgently." He turns to run his hands under some warm water.
"I think it's sweet," Niki says. Tubbo turns back, shaking his hands dry. "You guys are best friends, of course he wants to experience everything with you- oh." The communicator buzzes again and her smile drops abruptly, eyes going wide.
Tubbo's throat closes. He steps forward, about to rip the communicator from Niki's hands, but she shows him the screen frantically.
tommy: please
Another buzz, and then-
Tommy: help
Tubbo's breath hitches.
He reaches out and this time he does rip the communicator from Niki's hands, his still-wet fingers fumbling for the keys.
tubbo: I'm on my way
tubbo: im coming , stay there
tommy: hurry
"I've got to go," Tubbo blurts, pushing around the table and towards the door. "I've got to make sure- I've got to-"
"Okay Tubbo," Niki says, voice calm and firm. Grounding. She sounds like Wilbur. "Go on, Tubbo. Do you need me with you?"
"No," Tubbo says immediately. Then he changes his mind. "Yes. I don't know. I just-"
"Okay, okay. I'm coming. I'm coming. Let's go."
.
When Tubbo gets there, the amount of red he sees nearly makes him pass out.
Tommy is sitting on the ground at the base of the L’mantree with Wilbur laying in his lap. Both of them are pale and holding Wilbur’s midsection, pressing down on a red stained tear in the L’manburg general coat.
Tubbo breaks out into a run and slides to Tommy’s side, in the grass next to his discarded communicator, which is streaked with bloody red fingerprints.
“Tubbo- Tub-” Tommy gasps, tears running down his face. From this close up, Tubbo can now see the scratches and dirt smudged on his face, as if Tommy scrabbled with someone as hard as he could, but still came out on the other side of the fight lacking.
“I’m here, I’m here- you called, so I came,” Tubbo says. “Wilbur- he’s-”
“S’that Tub?” Wilbur mumbles, voice all slurred. He tries to pick up his head, but Tommy presses down harder onto the wound and he slump, hissing in pain.
“Sorry,” Tommy cries, “Sorry, sorry, sorry-”
“You need stitches,” Niki says. And Gods, Tubbo was so fixated on the red coating Timmy’s trembling fingers that he didn’t even hear Niki walk up. “Tubbo, follow my instructions closely, okay? Tommy is in shock right now.”
Tubbo blinks at his best friend, who is still whispering apologies to a barely conscious Wilbur, and sets his jaw. Of course he can pick up where Tommy can’t- of course he can. It’s what they do.
Tubbo follows Niki’s instructions, even when his own hands shake and his stomach flips at the sight and smell of blood. When they’re done, Wilbur is safe, all patched up, but still pale and drowsy, and Niki is calling Eret for help getting him to a bed to rest.
Tubbo turns to Tommy, who is calmer now, just sort of staring at his palm lines, which are etched with blood. Tubbo hesitates and then slides his hand over Tommy’s, drawing his attention.
“Hey,” Tubbo says.
“Hey,” Tommy replies, voice hoarse. “...Thank you. For coming.”
Tubbo shrugs. “You needed me. Of course.”
Tommy slumps forward, leaning against Tubbo. Tubbo stays steady, always, always, for Tommy.
…
Tommy’s house should really have a door , Tubbo thinks as he peeks inside, using the light of the moon to see into the main room.
It doesn’t look as if anyone is moving about in there, nor does Tubbo hear any sound at all from anywhere in the house. He’d think Tommy isn’t in if Tubbo didn’t know that it was well into the middle of the night and Tommy was nowhere in L’manburg. He has to be here- he’s probably just asleep.
Tubbo creeps into the room, peeking around. It’s been a while since he’s been inside of what they all dubbed the L’manburg embassy, and he’s got to say- it’s fairly unimpressive. Not that he’s too surprised about that, it’s Tommy and Tommy is all humble and no expense. He shows his care through actions, not materials. Everything here is purely him, even down to the cracked stone flooring from the last time it was blown up and put back together.
Tubbo makes his way over to the back room where Tommy’s bed is, and sure enough there’s a Tommy shaped lump under the blanket, snoring softly. Tubbo watches for a moment, completely aware of the fond smile crossing his features, but he can’t help it. He loves his best friend. It isn’t often that Tubbo gets to see him like this, at peace, at rest.
Tubbo would watch forever if he didn’t come here for a reason.
He reaches out and gently shakes Tommy’s shoulder. Tommy groans a bit, and then must come to some kind of awareness because he jolts up, eyes snapping open, smacking Tubbo away.
“Tommy! Toms,” Tubbo hisses, “it’s just me. It’s me.”
“Wha- you- fuck. Tubbo? Fuck.” Tommy relaxes and scrubs a hand down his face. “I thought you- prime, Tubs, you can’t just-”
“Can I sleep here tonight?” Tubbo blurts. Tommy’s mouth closes. Then something passes over his face and he looks like he’s about to tell Tubbo no, and Tubbo doesn’t think he could take that, so he keeps talking. “I just- couldn’t sleep and thought it’d work better here. With you. Maybe.”
Tommy waits patiently for Tubbo to finish rambling and then wordlessly scoots over, lifting up his blanket. Tubbo exhales, almost exasperated at himself for being so nervous over nothing. Tommy loves him, why would he ever question that?
Tubbo kicks off his shoes, shrugs off his coat and then gets under the covers right next to Tommy. Tommy lays back and Tubbo presses close, laying his ear over Tommy’s chest. Tommy, of course, adjusts so he’s got an arm curled tight around Tubbo.
“Come earlier next time, man.” Tommy says, eyes already shutting. “You know there’s more than enough room for the both of us.”
...
Tommy's been on Tubbo's couch for the better part of the day. Of course, it doesn't matter to Tubbo, what's his is Tommy's but-
He's been curled up against the cushions, half dozing and then waking up, and then falling back into a restless sleep. Tubbo wouldn't mind if he didn't look so damn unhappy. Nothing about Tommy should ever be unhappy- nothing about Tommy should ever be clouded over. And yet, that's how Tubbo's gotten used to seeing his best friend. Clouded, tired, sad.
"Hey," Tubbo says the next time Tommy's awake. Tommy blinks at him slowly, reminding Tubbo of a disoriented cat. "You want to come for a walk with me? It's not far- just round the house."
Tommy thinks, then he hums. "Sure. Yeah."
He stands lazily and Tubbo stops himself from pressing a hand to his best friend's back, keeping him steady, feeling his heartbeat though the thin cloth.
There are still some days where Tubbo has to reach out and touch Tommy to remind himself that he's alive. That he's still here. That Tubbo didn't lose him completely. Of course, part of Tommy is gone- changed, was murdered with him, but Tubbo still has what matters. And by prime he's going to protect it.
"You'll need a coat," Tubbo advises, watching Tommy methodically unfold his limbs. "You can borrow one of mine."
"What about you?"
"I'll wear Ranboo's."
Tommy makes a face, suggestive and stupid, like his old self. Tubbo, blessed, forgets to pretend to be annoyed. He watches closely as Tommy puts it on, and then puts his on, lightly cursing Ranboo’s height when the sleeves come down past his fingers.
“Here, let me,” Tommy sighs, stepping close and hooking the zipper. Tubbo has to swallow past the emotion in his throat. He remembers the way his hands would shake after Technoblade and the fireworks- nerve damage, Ponk had said. For a while, Tubbo had to shakily button his own shirts and if they were messed up, he had to find a way to go about fixing them himself. Now, he’s got Tommy. He doesn’t have to do it alone anymore.
Tommy pulls the zipper up and then gently pats Tubbo’s shoulder. “There you go. Warm and cozy.” Then he must realize he’s being too nice, because he adds, “You look like Ranboo, ew.”
“I’m taking that as a compliment,” Tubbo snorts. Then he steps forward to undo the front door latch and push it open. “Come on, then Toms. The snow is waiting.”
…
Tubbo finds Tommy sitting in Las Navadas’ wedding chapel all by himself.
He’s a bit of a sad sight there, all sagging shoulders and downcast gazes. Like a downtrodden dog. It makes Tubbo’s heart hurt. He steps inside and sits down next to his best friend.
“Hey,” Tubbo greets.
Tommy glances up, and then looks back down at the pool of clear water. “Ayup Tubs. Don’t you have work?”
“I’m on my lunch break,” Tubbo shakes the brown paper bag, making it crinkle. “What’s up?”
Tommy’s frown deepens- but this time it’s not out of sadness, but confusion, as if something is puzzling him and try as he might he just can’t figure it out. “Nothin’. Not really. Everything is fine. Everything is just- fine. You’re okay, everyone seems to be pretty peaceful with each other, Nether, even Ranboo isn’t nearly as annoying as he could be. Everything is fine.”
“Okay,” Tubbo’s brows furrow. “Why do you sound so upset then?”
“I don’t know,” Tommy admits. “I’m- I don’t know. I’m just a bitch, I guess. I don’t like it when people are happy.”
“That’s not true.” Tubbo says immediately. “Because you do. I don’t think you being upset has anything to do with everyone else being safe and happy."
"Then what is it?" Tommy bites. "Because Dream is locked up and Technoblade and Phil are leaving us alone and Wilbur is back and he's- he's doing well. He's happy and making amends and I'm just here. Upset. For no fucking reason."
Something occurs to Tubbo. "Wilbur," he says, and Tommy looks over.
"Yeah, what about him?"
"He's my competition, you know. We're- we've got competing burger places." Tubbo says. Tommy nods, nose wrinkling. Tubbo knows he's thinking, weirdos. He doesn't mind. "But before he knew about it, he ran into me. He- well, he said a lot, but he mainly asked me to help him run his van. I guess he didn't know that me and Big Q had already decided to work together."
Tommy flinches and looks away.
Ah. There it is.
"And now," Tubbo continues, "Wilbur's working with Ranboo. I don't think Ranboo knows how to feel about it. He doesn't seem very confident in their burger making. At least, that's what he tells me at home."
Tommy doesn't respond. Tubbo sighs.
“Tommy, Wilbur isn’t replacing you.”
“You don’t know that!” Tommy blurts. “How could you possibly- He’s-”
“Tommy. He isn’t.” Tubbo says firmly, reaching out to grab Tommy’s hand. “I know that he isn’t. You wanna know how I know? Because every night when Ranboo comes home from work and tells me about his day, he always mentions you. How Wilbur’s talked about you, how Wilbur’s asked over you, how he mentions wanting to make up with you. Wilbur hasn’t forgotten you, Tommy. He’s just forgotten how much he means to you.”
“You mean-”
“He doesn’t know if you want to be around him.” Tubbo says. “At least that’s what I figure. He probably would’ve made that burger van with you if he didn’t think you were going to bite his head off when he asked.”
“I- I wanted some space.” Tommy mumbles. “I asked for it and he..he gave it to me.”
“Yeah, now you just have to tell him you’ve had enough.”
“Oh.” Tommy looks down at his shoes. Then he looks up at Tubbo, a sheepish smile on his face. “Thanks Tubs. I guess I was really turned all the way around, huh?”
Tubbo shrugs. “Happens to the best of us.” He opens his paper bag. “You want half of my sandwich? You look hungry.”
“How can a person look hungry?” Tommy scoffs. “What does that even mean?”
Tubbo rolls his eyes and shoves the sandwich into Tommy’s hand. “Eat.”
Tommy quiets, then smiles gratefully, spirits looking brighter already.
…
He’s halfway asleep when there is a banging noise from downstairs.
Tubbo jolts up, eyes casting around the dark bedroom. Lamp, table, window, bed, Ranboo tucked under the covers. He’s still breathing- quite deeply too- long day at work, from what Tubbo recalls him saying at dinner. He’ll probably sleep through the night and well into the morning.
He slips out of bed and then creeps over to the door. He heads downstairs and peeks around the corner. Nothing is out of place- the lights are still off, nothing is broken or turned over. In fact, for a moment Tubbo thinks it’s all just in his head, and he needs to sleep it off, but then he notices the lump on the couch.
“Tommy?”
The lump jolts and a head pokes up, turning to look at him. “Tubbo? Oh.”
“Oh?” Tubbo comes over and sits on the couch next to his ruffled best friend. “When did you get in, Toms? You were invited to dinner, but you never showed.”
“Sorry,” Tommy whispers. “And sorry for waking you. And- um- breaking into your house.”
Tubbo tsks. “It’s okay. I couldn’t sleep anyway.” A lie, but Tommy doesn’t need to know that. And besides, if Tubbo had known Tommy was wandering around the server because he couldn’t sleep, Tubbo would be up trying to get him to Snowchester anyway. “What happened?”
“My house was griefed earlier,” Tommy sighs, pulling his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. “It’s not like I’m not used to it. It happens all the time, but- I don’t know. It just got me thinking. Everyone knows where my house is. They don’t fucking respect it, never have. They- I mean, I sleep in there. My bed is in there. What if someone comes to burn it down and-”
Tommy doesn’t finish. He doesn’t need to. Suddenly, Tubbo feels sick.
The mental image of Tommy, hurt, trapped in his own burning house- it’s enough for Tubbo to want to raze the whole server.
“You’ll stay here.” Tubbo says. “You’ll stay here.”
“For the night?” Tommy asks.
Forever, Tubbo thinks.
“Yes,” he says, instead. “For the night. Ranboo’s cooking tomorrow morning though, so you’ll want to stay for that. And Micheal’s been missing you, so he’ll want to play with you in the afternoon. By then, you’ll be tired and, I mean, you might as well stay the night tomorrow too. If you’ve got nothing else going on.”
“You’d be alright with that?” Tommy asks, tone pitching upward in some form of worried hope- as if he thinks Tubbo would ever say no.
“Of course, Toms.” Tubbo reaches over to fold their fingers together. “Stay as long as you need. You know I always want you around.”
…
The next day goes exactly as Tubbo predicted.
Ranboo woke up, excited to see Tommy, jumping to begin bustling around the kitchen. Michael woke up, immediately climbing up Tommy like he was a tree, all loud delighted snorts and big toothy smiles.
They have breakfast together, with Tommy cutting up all of Michael's fruits into different shapes- stars and circles and squares- just to convince him to eat them. Tubbo isn't embarrassed to say that he takes many pictures of Tommy trying to not curse while figuring out how to cut a star shaped pineapple.
Ranboo keeps putting food onto Tommy's plate, urging him to eat, because he's convinced that Tommy doesn't have enough, and Tommy rolls his eyes, but lets Ranboo slide more in front of him. When Tommy is done, he pushes the plate away and gently smacks Ranboo's hands before he can add more.
"I can't possibly eat anymore, Ranboo, I'll fucking pop or something." He says, standing up. Tubbo's heart jumps with him, worried that Tommy will try to leave now, but Tommy just looks down at Michael fondly. "Come on Little M, I heard from an old goat that you wanted some playtime with uncle Tommy."
Michael squeals happily and hops down, grabbing Tommy's hand and tugging him out of the dining room.
"Old goat," Ranboo repeats teasingly. "That's you, now. Forever."
Tubbo kicks him. "Just wait, the longer he stays here, the more names you'll get Ranb-oob. "
Ranboo smiles, entirely too fond for someone with the nickname of boob-boy. "I hope so. I hope he stays here forever."
Tubbo sighs, reaching over to grab a star-shaped roughly cut pineapple piece. "I do too, boo. I do too."
They clear the dining room and then wash the dishes together, Tubbo in the sink and Ranboo, with his gloves, drying and stacking. When they're done, they make their way to Micheal's room to peek in from the doorway.
Inside, Tommy and Michael are both wearing matching crudely made paper crowns and Michael has his huge red blanket tied around his shoulders like a cape.
"And the king Michael aboards his trusty steed, ready to ride off into the sunset after another battle won!" Tommy is saying, kneeling over and letting Micheal climb onto his shoulders.
Michael snorts twice, clutching Tommy's shoulders and Tommy barks a delighted laugh, raising up slowly, bringing Michael with him. "Go? Oh, I'll go. We're going to ride- the victorious king and the strongest steed- off after a happy ending!"
Then Tommy starts hopping around, skipping like he's trotting, making Michael giggle and snort. The picture of pure happiness.
Prime, Tubbo wants to have this forever. He looks over at Ranboo, whose eyes are shining, and knows the ender-hybrid is thinking the same thing. The four of them, like this, forever. Happy and safe- a family.
Tommy turns, and spots the two of them at the door. His cheeks heat and then he very nearly begins to curls inwards on himself- shamed at what, Tubbo doesn't know. Having fun? Being happy? All Tubbo knows is that he won't allow it. Not when Tommy's happiness rivals the glow of the morning sun.
"A happy ending, except," Tubbo jumps into the room, throwing his arms wide, "there's a dragon! Big and fierce and fire-breathing!"
Tommy perks up a bit, then playfully hops away from Tubbo's swiping hands. Michael says something, and Tommy laughs loudly.
"You're right, Micheal, this dragon is looking awfully short," Tommy's eyes glitter. "I don't know if he's much of a challenge!"
"Maybe not," Ranboo chimes in. He reaches over and grabs a sheet and pulls it around his shoulders, cloaking his form in dark blue. "But I, the long-beared evil wizard am on the dragon's side! And I have magic you couldn't believe!"
"Oh no!" Tommy giggles, "not this wizard's beard magic, oh prime!"
Tubbo hops onto the bed and starts waving his arms up and down. "Roar, Roar, fire, fire! I am going to eat you!"
"Come here!" Ranboo says, "let me pull a quarter from behind your ear!"
Tommy laughs so hard that Michael slips down his back, and runs over, jumping up to cling to Tubbo's leg.
"Daddy, daddy- be a nice dragon!" He says. "Be a nice dragon!"
"Be nice? But I'm evil! I want to gobble you up!"
Michael tugs Tubbo's pant leg and makes those huge eyes the way that Tommy taught him to. "No! Happy endings! Only happy endings!"
Tubbo laughs, then looks up at Tommy, who's got bright shining eyes and is looking more alive than he has in days.
"Yeah," he agrees. "Only happy endings. Tommy, stay for dinner."
Tommy grins. "Yeah, okay."
"Tommy," he says again, "stay forever."
That makes Tommy startle. "What?"
"Stay here," Ranboo nods. "We want you here. You should stay."
"But, I- you're- "
"Tommy, I love you." Tubbo says. "Michael loves you. Ranboo loves you. Stay here. Please."
Michael lets go of Tubbo's leg and then jumps back down, reattacting himself to Tommy's front. "Stay, uncle Tommy."
Tommy kneels down slowly, eyes bright with tears. "Okay, little one. Okay. Your old goat of a father convinced me. I'll stay."
Tubbo cheers, hopping down to tackle his husband- Ranboo catches him easily, grinning just as wide as Tubbo is. "Come here, come here," Tubbo demands impatiently, and Tommy stands up, Michael in his arms, and shuffles forward into the group hug.
"You guys are so stupid," Tommy sniffles. "I love you. I love you, I love you." He presses a kiss to Michael's head. "Thank you. Thank you."
"Don't look now Tommy," Ranboo says softly after a moment, tucking his chin atop the blonde's head, "but you're close enough for me to pull a quarter out of your ear."
Tommy shrieks in laughter and pulls away, taking Michael and sprinting out of the room, yelling how they'll never take the two of them alive. Ranboo chases after, his sheet-cloak billowing behind him and Tubbo stays behind a second, buzzing with warmth and happiness.
He closes his eyes, inhales. "Thank you, Prime. For this- my family. I'd be lost without them."
Then he opens his eyes and heads out, trotting to catch up with them.