Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

After two more weeks, since Tommy had woken up from his medically induced coma, the doctors had finally given the okay to wake Tubbo up from his own medically induced coma.

Tommy and Mark were the first to walk inside Tubbo’s room.

Tommy slowly walked up to Tubbo’s bed and stared down at Tubbo whilst he slept. There were a few changes to Tubbo’s appearance since last Tommy saw him: the black gradient on Tubbo’s arms were now just above his elbows and his fingers seemed to look a bit like a dragon claws, but other than that - it was still Tubbo. His Tubbo.

Tommy sat himself into the chair just beside Tubbo’s bed, the sound of Tubbo’s heart monitor echoed within the room which offered Tommy some sort of comfort.

Mark stood awkwardly to the side as he looked out the window, staring at the city.

Tommy felt inclined to speak.

“Did you know Tubbo hates hospitals?”

Mark turned over to look at Tommy but Tommy never looked away from Tubbo, afraid that if he looked away for even a split second he would miss Tubbo’s eyes fluttering open. “No, I-I didn’t,” Mark replied.

Tommy hummed. “Yeah, he’s hated them ever since he was little. His uh, his hatred grew after Jordan’s death,” He said.

Mark swallowed softly, nodding as Tommy finished his sentence. “What. . what was he like? Jordan, that is,” Mark asked. “I’ve-I’ve only know him through Niki as a coworker. I never got to know what he was like as a friend, or a-a father figure of sorts,” He said.

Tommy let out a large exhale, a fond smile ghosting over his lips. “He was an incredible father to Tubbo. I swear, for every graduation and parent-teacher conference and award ceremonies - Jordan was there for him. He really nice, kind, gentle, and observant. He loved the little things about people, stuff you wouldn’t normally notice unless you really looked at that person,” Tommy informed. “And god, he always knew what to say to make you feel better.”

“What did he love about you?”

Tommy huffed lightly, a smile tugging at his lips. “He loved that whenever I got nervous about something, I started tapping stuff,” He said. “It’s a bit obscure but it’s. . . I don’t know. . . “ Tommy shrugged.

Mark smiled. “No, no. It’s-it’s cute,” He said.

Tommy’s ears turned red. “No it’s not! It’s a very manly thing to do. It’s not cute at all,” He stated.

Mark let out an amused huff. “Sure, man,” he drawled.

“It’s not!” Tommy argued.

Tubbo then stirred in his sleep causing Tommy to shut his mouth and turned back to Tubbo. Tommy began softly tapping the chairs arm rest. “You really love him, huh,” Mark said.

Tommy shrugged. “I mean, yeah. He’s my best mate. He’s-he’s like a brother to me,” He admitted softly. Tommy’s wings twitched in Tubbo’s direction, a frown on his lips. He’s already lost one brother to the dreamon drug, he doesn’t want to lose this one. (He can’t lose this one. Tommy doesn’t know what he’d do if he lost Tubbo to the dreamon drug. He probably wouldn’t want to live in this city anymore, let alone want to live at all.)

Mark let out a fond huff. “Man, I wish I had a friendship like you and Tubbo do,” He said, kicking at the tiles below. He had a friendship just like them but that was ruined a long time ago. The thought caused Mark to frown a bit.

“Well, you’ll be my brother very soon—“ Mark raised a brow at that, “—a brother-in-law if you will,” Tommy grinned.

“Shut up,” Mark said with a smile, rolling his eyes as Tommy laughed.

Tubbo recognized the room he was in. He’s seen it hundreds of times in the back of his mind: the kitchen of his childhood home. The kitchen where he dreamt of his father humming a soft Christmas tune as he made hot chocolate. Where his mother would walk him through making gingerbread men and then how she’d turn to Tubbo and congratulate him on his gingerbread man.

His father (god, Tubbo can’t believe how he had forgotten his fathers face. How he forgot that his father had deep brown eyes and all that stubble on his face) stood inside the kitchen, dicing tomatoes. There was humming but it wasn’t his fathers familiar humming. No, it much softer than his fathers voice. More feminine than his father.

Tubbo turned to look for the person who was humming and, for the first time ever in his life, Tubbo saw her. His mother. She looked just as beautiful as his father described her. She had long, wavy blonde hair that were tucked behind pierced ears. She wore a knee-length, yellow dress and had black pumps. Her bee wings were lowered, pressed against her back as he antennas were a bit lowered but she had a soft smile on her face. She was the one humming.

Tubbo wanted to cry.

Tubbo took a step forward, causing the floor to creek slightly. Jordan and Beatrice looked up, making eye contact with Tubbo.

Jordan’s eyes widened, the knife he was holding dropped onto the counter with a loud clutter. Beatrice’s hands covered her mouth as she let out a soft gasp. “Bo?” Jordan whispered.

Tubbo’s eyes watered over. “Dad,” He said but it came out choked, a sob shaking his body.

Jordan quickly walked over to Tubbo, cupping his sons face. “What did—how did you—?”

“It’s a long story,” Tubbo sniffled.

Jordan then slowly wrapped his arms around Tubbo, hugging him tightly. “Look at you,” Jordan said softly. “God, you look so much older from when I last saw you,” He said tearfully.

Tubbo let out a breathy laugh. He then turned to his mother.

Beatrice stared at Tubbo in shock. “Tubbo?” She asked.

Her voice was smooth and gentle. It was a perfect voice for humming lullabies. She sounded almost exactly like how Tubbo imagined her to sound. “Hi mom,” Tubbo said, tears falling from his eyes.

Mom.

That was a nice word to say.

Mom.

Beatrice outstretched her hand and touched Tubbo’s cheek. Tubbo immediately leaned into the touch. Her hands were so soft. Beatrice’s thumb rubbed Tubbo’s cheek, a smile breaking out onto her face. “Your father was right. . . you do have my eyes,” She whispered lovingly and it made Tubbo want to melt.

Tubbo reached up to his mothers hand that was holding his cheek and just let his hand rest there. It felt nice. “Loving the new wings, bud,” Jordan said flashing his classic smile that showed off all his teeth.

Tubbo hummed softly. “Last I saw, you had bee wings and antennas,” Beatrice said jokingly.

“It’s-its a long story,” Tubbo sighed.

“Well, we have the rest of eternity for you to tell us,” Beatrice said, planting a soft kiss onto Tubbo’s brow.

Tubbo’s smile then slowly fell.

“Bo?” Jordan asked.

“I can’t. . . I can’t stay. Tommy—I-I need to know if Tommy’s okay and I can’t just leave Mark and d. . . Sam,” Tubbo said. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” He apologized.

“Hey, hey, starlight,” Beatrice said softly, her eyes holding such a kind gaze. She tucked some of Tubbo’s hair behind his ear. “It’s okay. We’ve been waiting for you for all these years. Waiting a little longer won’t hurt,” She comforted. “I’d rather you to be alive and happy than dead and upset.”

Tubbo then wrapped his arms around Beatrice’s waist, squeezing her tightly. Beatrice wrapped her arms around Tubbo, burying her face in her sons hair. It felt so nice to embrace his mother. He felt so safe within her arms. “I’m so glad I finally got to meet you,” Tubbo cried. “You—you’re so much better than I imagined you to be,” He said.

“And so are you,” Beatrice said, her voice wavering as she combed her fingers through Tubbo’s hair, causing the teen lean more onto his mother. “Oh, how I wish I could’ve seen you grow up, starlight,” She whispered as she planted a kiss on top of Tubbo’s head. “I hope the next time I see you, I actually get to have a proper conversation with you.”

To be fully honest, Beatrice didn’t want to let go of her son, of her little starlight, she wanted nothing more than to keep her arms wrapped around Tubbo and sing him lullabies. She wanted nothing more than to ask Tubbo about everything that he’s done in his eighteen years of life. It wasn’t fair that Beatrice had to die before she could hug her boy, but now she was and she didn’t want to let go. She didn’t. “I missed out on so much and I’m sorry,” Beatrice apologized.

Tubbo shook his head. “No, mom—“ Beatrice’s bottom lip trembled, “—You tried your hardest and that’s okay. Please don’t apologize,” He said.

But she had to. She had to let go. Her baby wouldn’t be happy here and Tubbo deserves to be happy. He deserves to live his life to the fullest.

“Okay. . . okay,” Beatrice sniffled. “God, your father did such a good job raising you. I’m so proud to call you my son. My beautiful baby boy,” She said tearfully.

Tubbo couldn’t stop his tears.

Jordan wrapped his arms around Beatrice and Tubbo. “Bo,” He began. “I want you to know that no matter what, we will always be proud of you and love you. Okay?” Jordan asked, his voice cracking.

“Okay,” Tubbo replied. “I-I love you,” He said.

“I love you too,” His parents said at the same time.

A blinding white light caused Tubbo to close his eyes tightly. When he slowly reopened them, he wasn’t in the kitchen of his childhood home, his mom and dad weren’t there in front of him. Instead, Tubbo was in a hospital room with Tommy towering over him with tear filled eyes.

“Tommy?” Tubbo croaked out.

Tommy let out a breathy laugh, a few tears falling from his eyes and landing next to Tubbo’s head. “You’re okay!” Tommy cried out as he tightly hugged Tubbo.

“I should be telling you that,” Tubbo chuckled as he slowly hugged Tommy back. “You-you are okay, right?” He asked as he pulled away from the hug.

“My wound is fine but um hearing aids are no longer optional,” Tommy said and Tubbo frowned softly. “It’s fine though! I’ll um, I’ll get used to them,” He shrugged.

Tubbo rubbed Tommy’s bicep comfortingly. Tubbo then looked to his other side and saw Mark standing awkwardly near a window. “Come ‘ere,” Tubbo said as he opened his arms.

Mark smiled as he quickly walked over and squeezed Tubbo. “I was so worried,” He admitted. “I’m glad you’re okay,” Mark said as he pulled away from the hug. “We should uh. . . we should probably tell the others that he’s awake,” He said.

(Tubbo didn’t miss how Tommy frowned slightly.)

“How long was I out?” Tubbo asked.

Tommy sucked air through his teeth, avoiding eye contact. Mark pursed his lips to the side. “More than a month. Give or take,” Mark stated.

“A month!?” Tubbo exclaimed.

“Well you did breathe out fire for a couple of seconds and flew around a lot with your new wings, not to mention your transformation seemed to kind of exhaust you,” Tommy listed.

“A month,” Tubbo whispered.

“The doctors just wanted to make sure that nothing was hurting you and nothing was! Surprisingly,” Mark said, muttering that last bit. “Tubbo, not only are you the first mixed hybrid to exist but you’re also the first victim of the dreamon drug who. . . hasn’t violently lashed out to those around them,” He said.

“So. . . what does that mean?” Tubbo asked as he slowly sat up.

“It means, big man, we’re not gonna know peace and quiet for a while,” Tommy said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “Like, as soon as your discharged from here, we gotta go down to a station and tell them everything that happened.”

Tubbo let out an annoyed groan. “I just wanna lay down in my bed,” He whined.

“Well lucky for you, you’ll have maybe two more weeks till you’ll be discharged from the hospital,” Tommy said.

“What about you?” Tubbo asked.

“Today’s my last day. I’ll be at um Sapnap, Quackity, and Karl’s place. I’ll visit when I can though! No reporters are gonna prevent me from visiting you, big man,” Tommy grinned.

Tubbo let out a humorless chuckle. “Alright, alright,” He said.

“I think we should tell the others now,” Mark said. “Tommy?”

Tommy huffed with a frown, causing Tubbo’s brows to furrow slightly. “I’ll go grab Sam,” Tommy said before he left the room.

Mark sat down in another chair that was fairly close to Tubbo. “Something up?” Tubbo asked as Mark kept shooting him worried glances.

Mark shrugged. “It’s just. . . you were crying before you woke up. Just a few tears but still,” He said. “Were you. . . do you wanna talk about it?” Mark asked.

Tubbo hummed. “I don’t even remember what I was crying about. I think it was over something bittersweet, it was definitely a lot more sweet than bitter though,” He said. “Maybe it was a just one of those dreams that you forget as soon as you wake up,” He suggested.

“Maybe,” Mark echoed. “Anways, I’m glad you’re safe,” He said.

“I’m glad you’re safe too. I don’t know what I would’ve done if both you and Tommy were hurt,” Tubbo said.

Tubbo then patted a small area of his bed next to him and Mark scoffed lightly before he sat down. Tubbo reached out and grabbed Mark’s hand, messing with his fingers. “Anything I should be worried about?” Tubbo asked.

Mark shrugged. “Barbara’s already working on a cure, Dream’s locked up till you and Tommy’s appointment at the station—“

“Not that.”

Mark raised a brow at Tubbo.

“Tommy didn’t look to happy to go to the heroes. . . did something happen?” Tubbo asked.

Mark sharply sucked air through his teeth. “A. . . a lot happened after you were taken by Dream,” He said.

“Does it have something to do with Tommy apologizing for being a dick at the warehouse?”

“We should talk about this later.”

“Mark,” Tubbo began sternly. “If it’s something that has to do with Tommy, I need to know,” He said.

“It’s-It’s something we need the others for,” Mark stated.

“. . . Was it bad?”

Mark sighed as he looked down at Tubbo. “Very,” He admitted.

“We have to talk about this—“

“And we will. I promise you we will. But you just woke up from a month long coma. As soon as your discharged from the hospital, we’ll talk about it,” Mark said, outstretching his pinky finger.

Tubbo sighed before linking his pinky around Marks. “Fine,” He agreed. “You’re lucky I care a lot about you,” He grumbled.

Mark smiled fondly at Tubbo and then kissed his forehead. “I care a lot about you too,” He said.

The door was then quickly opened and Sam stepped inside the room. Mark moved away from the bed and stood near an open window. “Tubbo,” Sam breathed out, a relieved smile twitching its way onto the creeper hybrids face.

“Dad,” Tubbo said.

Sam quickly made his way to Tubbo, throwing his arms over Tubbo's shoulder, squeezing the teen. “Oh, I thought I lost you,” Sam whispered. “I thought I lost you.”

Tubbo hugged Sam back, his wings wrapping around Sam. “I’m okay. I’m okay,” Tubbo comforted, pressing his head against Sam’s collarbone. He felt so safe within Sam’s arms, felt so loved within Sam’s arms.

Tommy then caught sight of the window just to his side. He watched as the clouds floated past the sun. One of the clouds looked a bit like a bee. Tubbo’s eyes softened. He didn’t know why but the cloud made him think of his mother.

“We’re okay,” Tubbo whispered.

Chapter Text

A week later, Tubbo was discharged from the hospital. He had walked out of the hospital onto the snow covered road and towards Sam’s car. “The stations gonna be asking you about what what went down in Dream’s warehouse. If you’re uncomfortable with some of them you don’t have to answer them,” Sam informed as he started up the car.

Tubbo nodded as he began wringing his wrists. “How is he by the way?” He asked.

Sam exhaled softly through his nose. “He. . . He’s a lot more quieter than he used to be. Gumi says that his thoughts aren’t as violent or filled with revenge as before,” He said.

“Does he know that Tommy and I are awake?”

Sam paused. “Yes,” He said. “George told him a few days after you woke up. That’s when he started acting so. . . calmly.”

Tubbo looked out the window, watching as they drove past the beautiful scenery of a large field with an array of flowers. “The dreamon drug. . . “ Tubbo began softly. “It basically heightens a lot about its victims, right? From their abilities to their emotions?”

“Where is this going?” Sam asked.

Tubbo shrugged. “It’s just—why did it give me a new form? A new ability? There’s been dozens of victims of the dreamon drug where their parents weren’t the same hybrid but their appearances didn’t have such a drastic change. Why am I different?” He asked.

“The doctors think that its because it’s a new strain of the dreamon drug, it caused such a thing. They think that because your new traits resemble your fathers, you had some of his hybrid traits that were just hidden and the dreamon drug just. . . heightened those traits,” Sam said.

Tubbo pressed his forehead against the glass window, wincing a bit at its freezing touch.

“It just doesn’t make sense,” Tubbo muttered bitterly, as he looked down at his hands. He hated how monstrous his hands looked. In fact, he hated how monstrous he looked in general. His dad didn’t look scary back when he was alive, so why did he?

Sam’s hand grabbed Tubbo’s, causing the teen to look over at him. “Hey,” Sam began softly. “Even though you look different and you’re struggling with this. . . new form of yourself, I still love you. You’re still my kid,” He said.

Tubbo swallowed softly.

“If he cared about you then how come he didn’t tell you shit about me, huh? Why didn’t he tell you that I was looking for you and Tommy? If he cared about you, he would’ve done a better job at keeping you safe.”

“I would’ve told you. I would’ve told you and made sure that you were safe, I would’ve checked in on you multiple times. Would Sam do that? Did he do that?”

“You’re lying to yourself.”

“Face it Tubbo, Sam only views you as something to make him feel less guilty about your dads death. He thinks that if he takes care of you, he won’t feel like he’s at fault for Jordan’s death.”

Tubbo mustered up the best smile he could for Sam. “Thanks, dad,” He said before turning to look back out the window, his smiling immediately falling as he tried to prevent himself from crying, his wings strangely feeling heavy on his back.

Tubbo walked inside the interrogation room, sparring a glance over at the tinted window where he knew Sam, Sapnap, Tommy, and an officer or two were standing.

Tubbo sat in one of the chairs as Quackity sat across from him. “Now, Tubbo,“ Quackity started. “I’m gonna need you to tell us everything that happened while you were with Dream at his warehouse. If you ever get uncomfortable with one of the questions, or just in general, just tell me and we’ll take a break or continue on. If you struggle with a question then you can ask me to use my abilities on you to get a clear answer out,” Quackity informed. “Any questions?”

Tubbo shook his head.

“Alright. First question, how did Dream kidnap you?” Quackity asked.

“Um, I-I had received a phone call from a guy named Purpled, he wanted me to check on Punz. So I went down to the tattoo shop to see him and I also called him. But Dream was already there and he used Punz’s voice to give me a sense of safety. When I walked inside the shop, it was empty and then Dream showed up and he used his abilities on me. I woke up in his warehouse an hour or so later,” Tubbo answered.

“What did he do when you woke up?”

Tubbo swallowed softly. “When I woke up - he greeted me and I threw some food, that he had given me earlier, at him. Well, I tried but I was in this glass cage of sorts so the food actually hit the glass and not him,” Tubbo said. “He then just went on and on about how he escaped prison and how he killed Metallica cause he hurt me. Said he’d never work alongside somebody who hurt his family and I called bullshit but he was just. . . so stubborn on the idea that we - me, him, and Tommy - could be a family again,” He said.

“Did he. . . did he ever try to manipulate you into thinking all you had was just him?”

Tubbo glanced away from Quackity, his wings pressed against his back, feeling horribly heavy.

“I’m sorry if I hit a bit close to home,” Quackity began softly. “It’s just. . . with these sort of cases the kidnappers will try to convince their victim that they are all the victims has,” He reasoned.

Tubbo swallowed softly. “Yes,” is he all he got out.

Quackity’s eyes softened, he didn’t press for any examples which Tubbo was incredibly thankful for. “Did he talk about Tommy a lot?” He asked

“Sometimes,” Tubbo answered. “A majority of that time was just him rambling about how we’re gonna be a family, sometimes he’d talk about how the moment Tommy would arrive to save me, we’d leave the city.”

“What prompted him to take Mark?”

“I wouldn’t talk. I guess Dream took that as me feeling lonely, which I did feel, and he decided what better way to not make me feel lonely than to bring my partner,” Tubbo said.

“What was his plan?”

“Dream knew that Tommy would come for me so he planned to wait for Tommy to come. And since I wasn’t immune to Dream’s abilities, I guess he planned on putting me under his control so he could convince Tommy to come. But when Mark came into the picture, Mark was gonna be the bait for me and therefore Tommy would come along,” Tubbo said.

“And him being infected with the dreamon drug?”

Tubbo shook his head lightly. “He told me before Tommy came. Said that he was drugged on a mission where he was gonna arrest the man who made the drug. Dream killed the guy and he went on to say that he enjoyed killing him, and wanted to test his abilities on people. That’s why he kidnapped so many civilians, they were. . . basically lab rats to help him explore this newfound power with his abilities. He did say that he didn’t know what he was doing of his own accord but. . . I think he liked doing the things that he didn’t do consciously.”

Quackity dragged his hand down his face, leaning back in his chair. “I—Hearing all of this, saying all of this, would you. . . do you think he deserves a less harsh punishment?” He asked.

Tubbo shrugged. “There were moments where I felt like I was looking at Clay, where I was talking to Clay. I guess. . . I don’t know, I wouldn’t mind trying to help him but when I offered to he said he was a lost cause,” He said.

“Do you think he’s a lost cause?” Quackity questioned, sitting up in his chair as he folded his hands on top of the metal table.

“I think that the man who I viewed as an older brother is still in there. He’s. . . different but I want to try. I don’t want to give up on him completely,” Tubbo said.

I don’t want to prove him right about the heroes abandoning him, Tubbo thinks to himself.

If there’s somehow a way to reverse what Barbara did to Tubbo - there has to be a way to reverse was happened to Clay and the other victims of the dreamon drug.

And by god, Tubbo’s gonna find that way.

Quackity nodded. “You’re free to go,” He said as he leaned back in his chair.

“You. . . you aren’t gonna ask about Barbara?” Tubbo asked.

Quackity shook his head. “I interrogated Mark and Barbara while you and Tommy were in your respective comas,” He answered.

“Oh. Okay,” Tubbo breathed out.

Tubbo then flashed a small smile at Quackity before he stood up from his chair and walked out of the interrogation room as Tommy walked inside (the two basically swapping places). Sam immediately wrapped his arms around Tubbo - giving the teen a tight hug. “I’m so sorry you went through all of that, Bo,” Sam said.

Tubbo didn’t say anything as he grabbed fistfuls of Sam’s shirt. Tubbo didn’t even say the more damaging stuff or really went into it; like how Dream tried to break Tubbo, how seeing Mark in such a state caused Tubbo to cry too many times than he could count, how Tubbo yearned to hear Mark’s voice was just. . . so incredibly painful.

Sam combed his fingers through Tubbo’s hair. Tubbo buried his face into Sam’s chest. “I’m sorry,” Tubbo whispered. He didn’t know what else to say. The only thing that felt acceptable, at the time, was apologizing for how he “allowed” Dream to wrap him around his finger. (Though, Tubbo doubted that Sam would know that was what Tubbo was apologizing for. But he hoped his doubts were wrong.)

“No. No, don’t be sorry,” Sam said softly as he shook his head. Sam rested his head ontop of Tubbo’s head, just between Tubbo’s horns. “I get it. You were in a really rough spot and you only had Dream to get comfort from. I get it, Bo,” He said.

Tubbo sniffled.

As much as Dream tried to break the image of Sam inside Tubbo’s head, he only succeeded in bending it just a bit. Sam was an amazing father figure to Tubbo, and even though Sam kept some stuff private, Tubbo knew that Sam didn’t mean any true ill will.

Tubbo glanced over to his side to see Sapnap watching them with a saddened look.

“Tommy,” Quackity began, his voice crackling over the speakers in the room. “I’m gonna ask you some questions about what happened while you confronted Dream at his warehouse. If you ever get uncomfortable with one of the questions, or just in general, just tell me and we’ll take a break or continue on. If you struggle with a question then you can ask me to use my abilities on you to get a clear answer out,” Quackity informed. “Any questions?”

Tubbo let go of Sam and he walked up to the tinted window, looking at Quackity and Tommy’s interaction.

“Nope,” Tommy answered.

“First questions: what happened when you arrived at the warehouse?” Quackity asked.

“I walked inside the building and it was dark and empty,” Tommy answered. “Then music starting playing, that one song from like the 40’s, ‘We’ll Meet Again’. We kinda got into an argument before I used Wilbur’s abilities to make him reveal himself.”

“Was he surprised at the fact you used an ability on him?”

“No. He was happy to see me and it really freaked me out. I told him to stay back and he asked if I was scared of him which was a stupid fucking question because I’m not,” Tommy grumbled. Tubbo knew that his friend was lying, but he didn’t voice it. “We got into another argument and then I punched him.”

“What happened next?”

“He summoned Mark,” Tommy replied. “Had the guy hold me back and shit. I don’t blame Mark though, cause he was under the control of Dream. So I had Dream ramble for a bit then I used Wilbur’s abilities to prevent Dream from stopping me to break Mark free. When Mark came too, I had him go grab Tubbo and I was left with Dream,” he said.

“What did you tell Dream during that moment? Or did you fight him?”

“I yelled at him. I was just. . . just so angry with him up at this point. When he said that I “didn’t understand”, I blew up on him and thats when he told me that he was drugged,” Tommy said. “I knew that he meant he was drugged by the dreamon drug but I couldn’t really ask anything until Barbara happened.”

“Do you think Dream deserves a less harsh punishment?” Quackity asked softly.

Tommy shrugged. “That’s not for me to decide. That’s for the people who he genuinely hurt to decide. That’s for Tubbo and the surviving victims of Dream to decide,” He said. “Though, if they forgave him - not fully forgive him but on the road to - I’d think he still deserves to be locked up but. . . not severe. If that makes any sense,” He said.

Quackity gave Tommy a single nod. “It makes perfect sense,” He replied. “You’re free to go,” Quackity said.

Tommy nodded as he stood up and walked out of the interrogation room. “So we’re done here?” Tubbo asked.

“Yep,” Sam answered as he rested a hand on top of Tubbo’s shoulder. “We can head home now,” he said with a smile.

Tubbo furrowed his brows slightly. “I need to go find Mark. He promised me that he’d tell me what happened to Tommy while I was gone,” He said.

Sam’s smile slowly fell as he turned to Sapnap. Sapnap swallowed softly. “It is best if we tell him,” He said with a small grimace.

“Tell me what?” Tubbo questioned, the sound of the door opening echoed within the room but nobody turned to look.

“Tell you what basically caused Tommy to lose trust in us,” Sapnap answered. “That we kept so much from the both of you, in a pathetic way to protect you both,” He said.

Tubbo’s brows furrowed.

Chapter Text

Tubbo stormed out of the station with Tommy right on his tail.

“Tubbo,” Tommy began.

“They knew,” Tubbo whispered, as he stopped in the parking lot. His hands curled into fists. “They-they knew that Dream would escape the moment I revealed myself. They knew that he’d come after us and they. . . they said nothing!” He exclaimed, his wings twitching in anger. Though, despite his wings twitchiness, they felt heavy.

“I know.”

“They lied to us! Kept us in the dark for god knows how long!” Tubbo seethed. “How could they—why would they do that!?”

Tommy rested his hand on Tubbo’s bicep. “Tubbo, you need to take in deep breaths,” He advised.

Tubbo snapped his head over towards Tommy, his pupils slit in anger as he huffed out smoke from his nostrils. “Aren’t you just as pissed off as I am!?” Tubbo asked. “We trusted them!”

“I am,” Tommy replied. “Believe me Tubbo, I’m fucking furious at them. But I. . . I’m so tired of running - of not trusting.”

“I should’ve never fell for their lies,” Tubbo gritted. “We-we should’ve ran when we had the chance!”

“What other choice do we have? It’s either them or the streets.”

“I’d rather go back to our apartment than live with the people who kept everything from us!”

“Tubbo—“

“Look at me Tommy! I look like a monster! I’ve been turned into a mixed hybrid because the heroes didn’t want to tell us shit!” Tubbo shouted. “If they just told us everything Mark and I wouldn’t have been kidnapped and you wouldn’t have been shot at!”

“That’s Dream and Barbara’s fault!”

“The heroes played a part, you can’t deny that Tommy.”

“Okay! They did! They did play a part!” Tommy shouted. “Now what the fuck do you suppose we’re gonna do without their protection? In case you’ve forgotten, we’re still considered dangerous by the state of Essempi and other neighboring states. We will be thrown in a jail cell the moment we step outside of L’Manburg,” Tommy said. “Our only choice to stay with the heros until they can clear our names.”

Tubbo huffed and Tommy let out a soft sigh. “Please, Tubbo,” Tommy began quietly as he took a step towards Tubbo and rested his hands on Tubbo’s shoulders. “I know you’re pissed, I am too, but. . . we can’t keep acting on impulse. That’s how I got shot and that’s how you got found out. It’s never worked out for us, we just have to stick with them,” Tommy said.

Tubbo’s bottom lip began trembling. “If they just told us. . . I wouldn’t look like this—“ Tommy’s eyes softened, “—I wouldn’t be treated like some-some specimen by the doctors. I wouldn’t be treated like an enigma to the hero's,” Tubbo gritted.

Tommy pulled Tubbo into a hug, resting his chin in between Tubbo’s horns. “I think you look badass. You look like Jordan,” He said.

Tubbo frowned, his eyes watering over. If Tubbo was eight years old when he heard those words, he would’ve jumped up and down in glee and boasted to the entire world that he was just like his dad. Now, Tubbo was eighteen and he couldn’t help but be frightened by such words. “But he wasn’t turned into a dragon hybrid by a strain of the dreamon drug,” He said.

Tommy took in a deep breath. “Are you. . . are you trying to say that you look like a monster because you were turned by the dreamon drug?” Tommy asked in an almost whisper, he sounded devastated.

Tubbo squeezed Tommy. “Dream and countless others lost themselves to the drug. . . “ Tubbo paused. “What if you lose me too?” He cried.

Tubbo felt Tommy tense up within his embrace and heard Tommy take in a shaky inhale. “I’m not gonna lose you,” Tommy said, his voice trembling slightly. “I’m never gonna lose you.”

Tubbo didn’t voice how he didn’t believe Tommy.

Tommy and Tubbo decided it was best for them to take a walk around the city, to clear their minds. Tubbo still seemed upset while Tommy looked sympathetic, Sapnap and Sam allowed the two to go off on their own as long as they returned back to their respective homes safely. Sapnap couldn’t help but frown softly when Tubbo’s lips curled into a snarl at Sam’s words.

It was obvious that Tubbo was now pissed at them. Sapnap didn’t blame the teen, he’d be furious too if he was Tubbo or Tommy.

Sapnap had been against keeping information from the two since the beginning but it would be wrong to tell Tommy and Tubbo that. It just made it seem that Sapnap was trying to deflect all responsibility off of him - Sapnap should’ve done more to convince the other heros that they needed to tell Tommy and Tubbo everything. Maybe if Sapnap did try, none of this would’ve happened.

Sapnap gripped the steering wheel tighter. If Quackity or Karl were hearing him right now, they would’ve told him that it’s no use mopping about what you could’ve and should’ve done. You can only focus on what you’re going to do and how you’re gonna do it.

As Pandora’s Vault came into view, Sapnap took in a deep breath.

Right now, Sapnap really had to focus on what he was going to do and how he was gonna do it.

Even though Sapnap knew about Dream being infected by the dreamon drug, it still didn’t change the fact that Sapnap hated Dream. There was no way Dream was earning his sympathy simply because of a factor that changed how he thought just slightly. The dreamon drug was meant to amplify everything, it didn’t plant a seed for how it’s victims were going to think - it simply amplified how it’s victims already thought.

For Dreams case? It amplified his so-called “need” to move up in the ranks. It amplified Dreams hunger for power. And Dream sought that power by kidnapping dozens of innocent people and traumatizing those people so badly that ten of them took their own lives.

It wasn’t like Dream was completely innocent now that everyone knew he was/is currently drugged.

Dream was still far from being a free man. . .

Sapnap parked his car, roughly shut the driver door, and made his way towards the front of the building where he was met with Officer Gumi. “Hello Gumi,” Sapnap greeted.

“Sapnap,” She said, giving the man a single nod. “I’m guessing you’re here to visit Mr.Taken?” She asked.

Sapnap nodded. “I just need to have a few words with him.”

Gumi drew in a breath. “He’s been refusing to see anyone. He doesn’t want to see anyone until he knows how Tommy and Tubbo are doing; he doesn’t want to see anyone until they come to see him,” She informed.

“Well, I guess that means Dream won’t be too excited to see me then,” Sapnap said.

“I suppose so.”

Sapnap gestured towards the entrance. “Mind leading the way?” He asked.

Gumi gave Sapnap a small smile. “Follow me,” She replied.

Sapnap kept a safe distance away from Gumi as he looked at the interior of Pandora’s Vault. It seemed to be a lot more heavily blocked and had more security. “We added more security after Dream’s escape, it’s safe to say that this place is basically impenetrable,” Gumi said.

“Is he still under your watch?” Sapnap questioned.

Gumi shook her head. “That’s jobs been given to officer Halo,” She said.

“My dad?”

“Yep.”

“No offense to him but. . . why?”

“Sam deemed that it was unsafe for me to have Dream under my watch any longer since he basically tried to kill me the last we saw each other. So he gave it Halo, who could easily overpower Dream if he tried to pull what he did to me onto him,” Gumi stated. “But, I’ll still be asked to check up on his mental state,” She said as she held up a book.

Sapnap didn’t recognize the cover of the book at all.

“It’s not an actual book. The covers a fake, it was so Dream didn’t grow suspicious and find out about my ability,” Gumi said.

“But you’re not looking after him anymore. Why is your journal still disguised as a book?” Sapnap asked.

Gumi simply shrugged.

As the two approached a door, Gumi took out her keycard and swiped it, causing the door to open. “If you don’t mind me poking, is the reason why you’re here to see Dream is because of Tommy and Tubbo? Of their situation?” She asked.

“Something like that,” Sapnap answered.

“Are you trying to give him closure?” Gumi asked.

“No,” Sapnap said immediately. A loud buzzer noise rang within the room that Gumi had previously opened up. “I’m trying to give them closure,” He said as he stepped inside the room.

The door quickly shut before Gumi could say anything else.

Sapnap walked towards the cubicle where Dream sat. And for the first time, in a long time, Dream didn’t have that manic look in his eyes or that sinister grin. Dream had a blank face and empty eyes.

Sapnap could only guess that he hadn’t heard the news about Tubbo or Tommy being awake yet. Though, Sapnap shouldn’t be surprised; he and the other heros did everything in their power to ensure that Tommy and Tubbo wouldn’t be bombarded with cameras and microphones being pushed in their faces the moment they walked out of that hospital.

Sapnap sat down and grabbed the phone quite hastily whilst Dream seemed to take his sweet time grabbing the phone.

“Are they okay?” Dream asked.

“They’re alive,” Sapnap answered.

“That’s not what I asked,” Dream gritted.

Sapnap took in a deep breath. “Then define what you mean by okay,” He said.

“They’re happy. . . they’re safe,” Dream replied.

“They are safe. Though, I doubt they’re happy,” Sapnap said.

“What happened?”

“Well, Tommy’s not too stoked about the fact that his hearing aids are no longer optional - without them he’s almost completely deaf. And we’ve recently told Tubbo what happened while he was gone, he’s pissed and rightfully so,” Sapnap answered.

Dream paused. “Something tells me you’re not here to just inform me about my brothers well-beings,” He said.

“You were always an observant man,” Sapnap smiled thinly.

“Why are you here then?” Dream questioned.

“I am here to talk about Tommy and Tubbo. About how they deserve so much more. And how you’re gonna assist me.”

Dream tilted his head slightly, holding the phone between his head and shoulder as Dream folded his hands onto the metal desk in front of him, leaning a bit towards Sapnap. “You know. . . you don’t have to help them. My little brothers,” Dream said.

Sapnap only stared at Dream with a blank face. “But I want to,” Sapnap replied.

Dream’s frown deepened. “Why?” Dream practically gritted.

(Sapnap, honest to god, doesn’t want to know why Dream’s so unhealthily obsessed with Tommy and Tubbo; why Dream doesn’t want the heros anywhere near them. Sapnap feels like if he knew why, he’d puke.)

Sapnap leaned a bit towards Dream, his eyes hardening. “Because they’ve been through so much and it’s about damn time they get the proper help they need,” Sapnap seethed.

Dream only stared at Sapnap.

“And you’re gonna contribute, or so help me I’ll make sure you never see them again. And if you even think about escaping just to see them you will be killed on sight,” Sapnap gritted. “Do I make myself clear?”

As Sapnap continued to stare deep within Dream’s eyes, he could see a hint of manic in his old friends eyes. “Crystal,” Dream answered.

Chapter Text

Tommy stared up at his ceiling, watching his fan spin slowly. Tommy was laying in his bed at Quackity, Sapnap, and Karl’s place. Tubbo laid beside him, the teen too upset to sleep over at Sam’s.

(Which Tommy couldn’t entirely blame Tubbo nor could Sam. The moment Tommy told Sam that Tubbo would be staying over at his place, Sam only smiled sadly with a nod and told Tommt to make sure Tubbo ate dinner and slept well. As much as Tommy was still trying his hardest to be able to trust the heroes again, Sam obviously cared about Tubbo so very much - which gave like a fourth of Tommy’s trust back to Sam. The only reason why it wasn’t half was because Tubbo didn’t trust Sam back. . . yet.)

Tubbo’s words still haunted Tommy’s brain: ”What if you lose me?” Tommy clenched his jaw so hard that it felt as if his teeth were going to shatter, he’d be damned if he ever lost Tubbo to the dreamon drug. There was no fucking way that Tommy was going to lose both of his brothers to this stupid drug!

Tommy looked over to see Tubbo sleeping peacefully at his side.

If Tommy had to threaten Barbara’s life to get that antidote for Tubbo, then by god he’ll do it.

Tommy let out a soft sigh as he began to fully take in Tubbo’s changed appearance. Tommy wasn’t going to lie, it was horrifying watching his best friend turn into a dragon hybrid - the sound of Tubbo’s flesh and bones snapping and his screams of bloody murder still rung in Tommy’s ears as if they were tinnitus.

Tommy’s fingers ghosted over Tubbo’s dragon wings, the wings twitching slightly as he ever so slightly brushed over them. While Tubbo’s wings did look pretty with their bee-like wings design, how Tubbo’s wings changed would forever be etched into Tommy’s mind.

Seeing Tubbo transform so horrifyingly was something that Tommy could, unfortunately, never forget. He’ll never forget how terrifying Tubbo looked when he lunged after Barbara, how Tubbo didn’t even seem to hesitate dropping Barbara from a height that, at best, would’ve broken her leg and at worst snapped her neck.

Tommy’s wings stretched over Tubbo, acting like a blanket for the teen. Tubbo shifted a bit more into his pillow, a soft huff leaving him as his lips twitched up a bit into a smile. He looked soft, unharmful; he looked nothing like how he did in the warehouse when he attacked Barbara.

Tommy will never forget how Tubbo still looked at him with the same eyes that Tommy always knew after getting infected, how Tubbo still checked up on Tommy and Mark after he was infected, how Tubbo comforted Tommy during what Tommy believed was going to be his final moments.

(And oh god, he really did think he was gonna die in that moment, didn’t he? Tommy was eerily collected during what he though was his final moments. . . he knew he was scared - he could barely hear anything aside from his heartbeat fading within his head, and to think he only let out a few tears and some “I don’t wanna die” unnerved Tommy himself.)

But while Tubbo hadn’t lashed out on Tommy and Mark, he did lash out on Barbara, and while Tommy could understand why Tubbo did so, Tubbo was never capable of hurting someone - let alone trying to kill them. Tubbo never wanted to badly injure someone, no matter what they’ve done to him. . . and to see Tubbo abandon that code and lunge at Barbara with the same look that Dream had in his eyes countless times before, terrified Tommy.

But would Tommy ever voice this Tubbo?

Tubbo turned around, still asleep, and pressed his forehead against Tommy’s chest. Tommy suck in a sharp breath before wrapping his arms around Tubbo, his wings pressing against Tubbo’s side, the look of utter bliss and peacefulness that Tubbo had on his face was now burned into Tommy’s mind.

God no.

Tubbo seemed to already be scared of himself and Tommy currently was the closest thing to family, that Tubbo fully trusted, that he had. There was no way Tommy could ever be able to tell Tubbo that he was also scared of him.

That would just break his brothers heart.

Tommy slowly sat up in his bed, turning to look over at his clock on his nightstand. It was currently 11:21pm, Tommy frowned slightly, he hated nights where he couldn’t sleep - usually if on these types of nights Tommy managed to go to bed, he’d end up getting nightmares and the last thing Tommy needs is a nightmare about Tubbo in the warehouse.

Tommy slowly took the covers off of his lower body, walked outside of his room, and made his way downstairs. Maybe Tommy just needed some fresh air? Yeah. . . yeah, that sounded reasonable.

When Tommy went to unlock the front door he already noticed that it was unlocked. With furrowed brows, Tommy slowly opened the front door to see Karl sitting on the front porch’s concrete steps just listening to the sounds of the outdoors as he stared up at the sky.

“What are you doing out here?” Tommy asked as he stepped outside and closed the door behind him.

Karl turned around and gave Tommy a small smile. “Could ask ya the same thing,” He said before patting the empty spot next to him.

Tommy walked over and sat beside Karl. “Couldn’t sleep,” Tommy answered. “You?”

“Same here,” Karl said as he took in a large inhale.

There was a pause.

“You wanna talk about it?” Karl asked as he looked at Tommy.

Tommy shrugged.

“That bad, huh?” Karl asked and Tommy didn’t respond. “Well, I’m out here because of a nightmare I had,” Karl said.

Tommy furrowed his brows as he looked over at Karl. “You had a nightmare?” He questioned.

“You’re never too old to have a nightmare,” Karl stated.

“What was it about?” Tommy asked.

Karl frowned slightly. “It uh—“ Karl looked away from Tommy, “—It was me sticking that power nulling drug in Dream a few months back,” He said.

Tommy looked down at the floor. He remembers how scared he was of being on the other end of that needle, he heard so many stories about how it felt like you were burning from the inside out. He remembers being terrified of Karl and the other heroes because of it.

“Did something bad happen in it?”

“No. I was just. . . reliving it,” Karl shrugged. “I regret doing a lot of things for the greater good and doing that to Dream is definitely up there in my biggest regrets. I should’ve noticed that Dream was under the dreamon drug, I should’ve tried helped by him instead of hurting him further,” He said, bitting the inside of his cheek.

“He’s the one who kept it to himself. It’s not your fault,” Tommy said.

“Yes but still, I was close friends with him. . . I should’ve noticed something was off. In my nightmare, I could see how terrified he looked - he was scared of me. And, in that moment, I guess I was also scared of me,” Karl said.

Tommy harshly bit onto his lower lip, glaring at the concrete steps below. “I’m sorry, did I. . . did I strike a nerve on accident?” Karl asked.

Tommy shrugged as he took in a breath. “It’s just. . . now that Tubbo and I are finally discharged from the hospital and I don’t have to worry about a lot of stuff anymore it’s all just hitting me now. Like, everything that happened in the warehouse is now just all coming to me?” Tommy said but it sounded more like a question, his wings ruffling. “Never knew Tubbo could be so scary. . . or that I could be eerily calm during what I thought was going to be my death,” He admitted.

Karl nodded, silently urging Tommy to continue on.

Tommy hugged his knees tightly to his chest. “Did you know that when Tubbo lunged at Barbara he had. . . he had this sort of look in his eyes that reminded me way too much of the look Dream had in his eyes when I punched him in the face. It-it scared me,” He said softly. “He looked so much like Dream when he was fighting Barbara and it scared me so fucking badly, Karl. And then, today, when Tubbo said he was scared of the dreamon drug taking over him like how it did to Dream—“ Tommy looked over at Karl, “—How was I supposed to tell him that-that maybe it already has?”

Karl’s eyes softened. “He asked “What if you lose me?” and all I could say was that I wasn’t going to, but. . . “ Tommy trailed off slightly. “What if I already have?” He said breathlessly, his wings twitching as they curled around him. “What if there’s a time limit on it? How long can Tubbo try to fight a losing battle against the dreamon drug til he loses or til Barbara finishes her antidote for him?” He sobbed.

Karl wrapped his arms around Tommy’s shoulders, bringing him in for a hug. “I don’t want to lose another brother to that stupid drug, Karl,” Tommy cried. And god did that break Karl’s heart.

It made Karl realize how much of a kid Tommy still truly is. (It made Karl realize that their situations were kind of the same - the roles were just reversed.)

Karl brushed his fingers through Tommy’s hair. “You won’t,” He said oh so softly and it made Tommy feel so small. It made Tommy feel as if he was a little kid getting comforted about the fact that there are no monsters underneath his bed. And Tommy would be lying if he said he hated feeling that way, that it didn’t comfort him.

“You shouldn’t make promises that you can’t keep,” Tommy sniffled.

“Well, I know I can keep this one,” Karl said, resting his chin on top of Tommy’s head. “I promise you, you won’t lose another brother to the dreamon drug. I swear on my life you won’t,” He said. “We’re gonna help Tubbo. We’re gonna help the both of you.”

Tommy’s breathing become heavier, sobs leaving his mouth along with short gasps for air followed by another ugly sob.

Karl stayed put, rubbing Tommy’s back until the teen finally passed out.

Then, Karl scooped up Tommy and put him on the couch. Karl sat on the smaller couch and turned on the TV, hoping that the background noise from the TV could prevent Tommy from having a nightmare.

It was there that Karl silently promised to Tommy that he and Tubbo wouldn’t go down the same path that Karl and Dream went down.

The next morning, Tubbo woke up to an empty bed.

Tubbo simply shrugged off Tommy not sleeping beside him as Tommy waking up pretty early and being downstairs. Tubbo didn’t really mind since it gave him some space to think some things over.

Like the new information he got about the heroes.

Was he still royally pissed off at the heroes? Fuck yeah.

But did he also see where Tommy was coming from with the point he made yesterday? Also yeah.

Tubbo shifted in the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

“Okay! They did! They did play a part! Now what the fuck do you suppose we’re gonna do without their protection? In case you’ve forgotten, we’re still considered dangerous by the state of Essempi and other neighboring states. We will be thrown in a jail cell the moment we step outside of L’Manburg. Our only choice is to stay with the heros until they can clear our names.”

“Please, Tubbo. I know you’re pissed, I am too, but. . . we can’t keep acting on impulse. That’s how I got shot and that’s how you got found out. It’s never worked out for us, we just have to stick with them.”

Tubbo didn’t want to stick with the heroes. Not after what they did, not after they lied to him and Tommy. How it was practically the heroes fault why Tubbo looked like. . . this.

Tubbo lifted up his hand and stared at it. It didn’t even look like it belonged to him - with its gradient black color and claw-like nails. These didn’t look like his hands - they looked like the hands of a monster.

In fact, these weren’t his hands, or wrists, or arms. And if they weren’t his. . . couldn’t he just, cut them off? How painful would it be to saw his own arm of from the elbow down? To just move the blade back and forth, cutting skin, muscle, tissues, nerves, bone, the whole fucking thing!

Tubbo’s other hand reach over to the skin above the humerus bone, his nails slightly digging into the skin - scratching it, causing red marks to form. It hurt. Why did it hurt? This wasn’t his arm. How come an arm that wasn’t attached to him was hurting him?

Tubbo dug deeper, drawing faint blood onto his arm. A burning sensation surrounded his wound and he quickly moved his nails away as he harshly pressed the palm of his hand against it. And, as if he was an infant, Tubbo realized that this was indeed his hand - this monstrous hand belonged to him, along with this wrist, and this arm. It was connected to him - to his body. And that simple connection seemed to snap Tubbo out of his senses.

Tubbo harshly bit down onto his lip, tears falling down his face. He hadn’t dug too far down to the point he needed stitches in his arm, the wound would easily heal over and became a scar of sorts after a few days. In fact, his wound didn’t even hurt that badly.

So why. . . ? Why was he crying?

No. . . he knew why he was crying, he just wished he didn’t.

Tubbo was crying because this horrifying body was his and he couldn’t do anything about it. No matter how hard he’d try to change his appearance, to avoid mirrors, to avoid pictures - it wouldn’t change the fact that he looked like a monster. Tubbo would just have to wait on Barbara’s antidote.

But even when Barbara actually finishes the antidote, would it truly reverse everything? Or would it just get rid of Tubbo’s heightened senses? Would he still be left with this body? With these features that didn’t belong to him?

Tubbo let out a shivering exhale, shaky his head rapidly. He needed to stop thinking like this! It was only the situation at hand worse, he could feel his nails digging into his arm again.

It took Tubbo a while to get out of the bed, his wings felt like a ton of bricks weighing him down - refusing for him to get up. But once he was finally able to get up, Tubbo made his way to the bathroom where he rummaged through the drawers in search for bandaids (he made a clear effort to keep his head down, not daring to glance up at the mirror above him). When Tubbo finally found a pack of bandaids, he slapped a couple onto his wound and made his way back into Tommy’s room.

A few worried looks and raised brows would be thrown in Tubbo’s direction if he just walked downstairs with a part of his arm covered in bandaids. Tubbo snatched a crewneck sweatshirt off of a hanger and put it on.

Tubbo smoothed down the bottom of the sweatshirt and, as he made his way out of Tommy’s room once again, he caught a glance of himself in the mirror. Slowly, Tubbo turned to the mirror and watched as his reflection grew blurry as his eyes watered over.

He didn’t look like Tubbo Underscore anymore. In fact, as Tubbo stated at the blurry figure in the mirror, he didn’t see Tubbo Underscore, he could only make out Jordan Underscore in the mirror.

And it felt like a knife twisting into an open wound.

Tubbo knew he could never grow to be on the same level as Jordan and it easier to accept that when he didn’t look like his father. But now he did. . . and god does it hurt so fucking much.

Tubbo quickly looked down at the ground in shame. Fear building up within his chest and his back growing more heavy by the second.

Tubbo felt like he didn’t want to be left alone anymore in this room.

He quickly stepped out Tommy’s room, pressing his back against the closed door as he looked up to the ceiling and blinked rapidly so his tears didn’t fall. When all his tears dried up, Tubbo took in a breath, gave himself a fake smile, and walked downstairs as if nothing happened.

Tubbo swore to himself to never utter a word about what happened to Tommy.

(As much as Tubbo loves him, Tommy can never know that Tubbo’s scared of himself.)

After all, Tommy doesn’t deserve to lose another brother to the dreamon drug.

Chapter Text

Tommy sat in the driver seat whilst Tubbo sat in the passenger.

The two were currently on their way to the Beloved household.

Or so Tubbo thought. . .

As Tommy continued driving down the road, Tubbo’s brows furrowed. The neighborhood didn’t look anything like Mark’s, in fact it looked a lot like—

Tubbo’s eyes widened slightly. “Tommy,” He began. “What are we doing in Sam’s neighborhood?” He asked.

Tommy kept his eyes on the road, not bothering to glance over at Tubbo. That was something that Tubbo was starting to pick up on - Tommy didn’t glance over at Tubbo a lot, as if he was afraid to make eye contact with him. A part of Tubbo was trying to find a logical reason as to why Tommy wasn’t looking at him but the other part of Tubbo was so dead set on the reason why Tommy wasn’t looking at him was because Tubbo looked like a monster.

Tubbo wanted nothing more than to have that side be horribly wrong.

Tommy didn’t reply.

“Tommy,” Tubbo pressed, as he tightly gripped his seatbelt as they neared Sam’s place. “Tommy, I can’t do this. I can’t see him,” He hissed.

Tommy pulled into the driveway, just beside Sam’s car, and turned off the car. Tommy finally looked over at Tubbo, “It’ll only be for a bit,” Tommy said.

“Why are you doing this?” Tubbo hissed. “Why do I have to forgive him?”

“I didn’t say anything about you forgiving him,” Tommy said calmly. “This is just you getting his point of view - his side,” He reasoned.

“I don’t want to hear his reasoning,” Tubbo grumbled as he slumped in the passenger seat, crossing his arms over his chest, as he glared at the front door of the house. He could feel the cold from outside seeping in. The sound of a seatbelt unbuckling rang within the car.

“Well, I don’t know about you but I am not staying out here and freezing my ass off,” Tommy said as he opened the driver door.

“You’re going in by yourself?”

Tommy shrugged. “I wanna hear his reasoning,” He said before getting out of the car and closing the door behind him.

As Tommy walked towards the front door, he heard a car door close and footsteps approaching. Tommy didn’t have to turn around to know that Tubbo had followed after him. Tommy continued on and rang the doorbell.

The sound of a dog barking caused Tubbo to brighten up a bit. After a few minutes, the door slowly opened. Sam looked like he had just woken up, with his green hair sticking out in every which way, he wore a white wifebeater and baggy sweatpants. “Tommy? Tubbo?” Sam began. Tubbo, for some odd reason, felt sick to his stomach when Sam called him by his actual name instead of ‘Bo’. “What are you two doing here?” He asked groggily.

“We’re here to ask some questions,” Tommy answered.

Sam nodded and then stepped aside, allowing Tommy and Tubbo to walk inside. The two took off their shoes and jackets and as Sam walked into the kitchen a pitbull ran towards Tubbo, knocking the air out of Tubbo’s lungs as he stumbled to the floor. “I missed you too, Fran!” Tubbo exclaimed with a large smile, lifting up his hand to block Fran from licking his face.

“Fran!” Sam exclaimed as he quickly picked up Fran and moved her away from Tubbo, allowing him to get back up on his feet. “I’m so sorry about that, Tubbo,” He said.

Tubbo’s smile twitched downward a bit as the sick feeling from before returned to his stomach. “It’s alright,” Tubbo said, glancing down at the ground.

It felt wrong for Sam to call Tubbo by his actual name. It didn’t sound right. It didn’t feel right. You’d think that Tubbo would’ve been pressing Sam to call him by his actual name and not ‘Bo’, since Sam had lied to him. But instead, Tubbo felt the complete opposite: Tubbo wanted Sam to call him ‘Bo’.

But. . . why?

Maybe because it just felt like that Tubbo was easily disposable. That Sam could treat Tubbo like an employee, instead of his son, so easily - as if he was flipping a switch.

Or maybe it was because, despite the fact that Tubbo was still upset with him, Tubbo loved Sam. Tubbo loved Sam as much as he had loved Jordan.

(Both reasonings hurt Tubbo equally.)

“Did you want anything to drink or. . . ?” Sam trailed off as he gestured to the kitchen with his thumb.

“No,” Tommy answered.

Sam gave Tommy a curt nod. “Okay, then. . . what did you want to ask me?” Sam asked.

“We wanted to ask you why you kept Dream a secret from us. Why you felt that you couldn’t tell us,” Tommy stated.

Sam inhaled sharply. “We had an officer looking after him, Gumi, her ability allows her to transfer peoples thoughts onto paper. We assigned her to him to see his thoughts since you know, a person who kidnaps multiple people and used them to climb up the ranks, doesn’t seem like a very. . . sane person,” He said.

“So you were scared that he was mentally unstable?” Tubbo asked.

“He is,” Sam answered. “Gumi has two journals filled with months of Dream’s thoughts, and a majority were about you and Tommy. He’d go on and on about how you two needed him. I’d show you the screenshots but—“

“Show us them,” Tommy demanded.

“It’s not for the faint of heart,” Sam grimaced.

“Sam, if you want us to trust you again, you’re gonna show us those photos,” Tommy said bluntly.

Sam sighed and then pulled out his phone. Sam handed it over to the duo and Tommy sucked in a breath and Tubbo had to look away from the screen. Tubbo felt anger bubble up with his stomach when he had seen Dream call his father a “necessary sacrifice”. “Maybe it’s just the drug talking?” Tommy offered weakly.

“It—I don’t think that this was just the drug making him think like this,” Tubbo said softly.

“And when was this?” Tommy asked.

“A few days after the meeting,” Sam responded.

“Anything else?” Tubbo questioned, his voice cracking.

Sam’s eyes saddened. “There’s this recording phone call of Dream brutally murdering the man who ordered to take the pictures of us on the rooftop, ecause the guy said Tubbo wasn’t Dream’s actual brother—“ Tubbo’s eyes widened at that, he remembers Mark talking to him about that. Though, Mark didn’t say anything about a recording or the actual reason why that man was murdered. “—Not to mention Metallica’s death happened because he boasted that he hurt you and it pissed off Dream, and—“

“I think we get the picture,” Tommy interrupted as he handed Sam back his phone.

Sam frowned slightly. “Sorry,” he said as he grabbed his phone.

“So, you kept it a secret from us because you knew he was dangerous and if we became aware of how dangerous he truly was—“

“—you two would’ve ran just like all those months ago.”

Tommy harshly bit his lower lip. Back when Tommy shouted at the heroes that he and Tubbo would’ve never ran off again if the heroes just told them about Dream thrusted foreword into Tommy’s head. And Tommy couldn’t help but feel as if he said that now, it would be a lie.

If Tubbo and Tommy knew that Dream was this dangerous, they would’ve never revealed themselves and they would’ve ran off.

Tommy hated how, in the end, the heroes had been right.

As if Sam could hear Tommy’s inner thoughts, he opened his mouth. “But you two are in the right to be upset at us, at me. Knowing that Dream was highly dangerous would’ve had your guards up - it wouldn’t have hurt as badly as it did and ruin your healing as badly as it did,” Sam said. “I’m—“

“You were in the right as well,” Tubbo said.

“No, I really wasn’t,” Sam shook his head.

“Yes, you really were,” Tommy argued. “You saw what Dream was capable of, you heard it. It’s—It’s reasonable that you would act such a way, especially since you were starting to view Tubzo over here as your own kid—“ Sam looked over at Tubbo and Tubbo only glanced up at Sam, “—Creeper hybrids are very protective towards their pack, aren’t they?” Tommy asked.

“Yes,” Sam answered.

“It makes sense why you kept Dream away from us now. Doesn’t mean it wasn’t completely fucked of you to keep all this information away from us but. . . it gives us a pretty good reason as to why you did it,” Tommy said.

Sam nodded. “Well, if you two ever need me, my doors always open,” He gave them a small smile.

“That’s it?” Tubbo blurted.

Sam furrowed his brows in confusion and Tommy looked down at Tubbo with a confused look. “Is there more questions?” Sam asked.

“You aren’t gonna ask us to forgive you or something?” Tubbo questioned.

“Tubbo,” Sam began softly and Tubbo felt like throwing up. He wanted to beg Sam to not call him that. That wasn’t his name to Sam; ‘Bo’ was his name to him, never Tubbo. “That’s something that you need to decide if you are ready to do so or not. I can’t ask someone to forgive me when I know they won’t. And that’s okay. Tubbo, you don’t have to always forgive someone when they apologize. Especially people who have hurt you greatly. And, unfortunately for me, I am one of those people,” He said.

“But you’re—!”

You’re my dad, went unspoken. But Sam seemed to catch on.

“You don’t have to always forgive family, Tubbo,” Sam said softly. “I’m sure there’s something that you haven’t forgiven Tommy for, or something Tommy hasn’t forgive you for,” He said.

Tubbo glanced down at the ground.

”You’re acting just like Dream!”

(It was kinda ironic how Tubbo said that but now, he was the one closer to acting just like Dream than Tommy ever was back then.)

Sam rested his hand on Tubbo’s shoulder. “If you want to stay over at Tommy’s for a while longer, I won’t be mad. I understand, Tu—“

“Please stop calling me that,” Tubbo gritted.

Sam furrowed his brows slightly. “What?” He asked.

“Tubbo,” Tubbo replied. “Please stop calling me Tubbo. Just. . . just please call me ‘Bo’, like how you used to,” He begged. Please pretend you at least tolerate me while I’m here, Tubbo thought to himself.

Sam smiled softly, lovingly, at Tubbo and Tubbo could feel tears pricking the back of his eyeballs. “Of course, Bo,” Sam said and Tubbo smiled slightly himself.

“I’m sorry.”

Tubbo sighed softly. “I know,” He said.

“I would’ve told you earlier—“

“I know, Mark. I kinda pieced it together while Tommy and I were at Sam’s.”

Mark let out a sigh, leaning his head back against the side of his bed frame. “And you’re not. . . upset?” He asked carefully, looking over at Tubbo who sat beside him, on Mark’s bedroom floor.

Tubbo shrugged as he turned away. The two could hear Tommy playing around with Michael downstairs. “I just—I wish you tried to tell me what was going on again,” He muttered.

Mark looked down at his hands that rested in his lap. “Sorry—“

“Please stop apologizing,” Tubbo said, causing Mark to look over at him. “What’s done is done. I’m not upset with you, I’m just a bit sad that you just-just gave up on trying to tell me,” He stated.

“I thought it would’ve been better if I told you everything slowly, maybe once a week, but I never got the chance to actually go through with it,” Mark admitted.

Tubbo swallowed softly as he rested his head against Marks shoulder. “I promise you that I won’t hide anything important from you ever again,” Mark promised, as he grabbed Tubbo’s hand; brushing his thumb against Tubbo’s black knuckles.

“Thanks,” Tubbo replied as he stared down at Mark’s hand holding his. It looked like a black abyss was swallowing Mark’s hand whole. It looked as if Mark was holding hands with a monster. In fact, it probably would’ve been better for Tubbo to see his hand not as his own, but to see them as a creatures hand. But as Mark rubbed Tubbo’s knuckles - Tubbo couldn’t help but have to confront the fact that this is his hand. The hand Mark was holding didn’t belong to something else; it belonged to Tubbo, and that scared him.

Tubbo’s eyes saddened, he wanted to squeeze Mark’s hand as a way to comfort himself, to pull him out of these thoughts, but he feared that if he did so - he’d hurt Mark. “Mark?” Tubbo began softly.

Mark hummed in reply, twisting Tubbo’s hand over so now their palms were touching. Mark’s hand was bigger than Tubbo’s before his transformation - now with Tubbo’s claw-like nails, his hands were just as big as Mark’s. Tubbo could feel his mouth go dry. “You. . . you enjoy my company, right?” Tubbo asked, his voice small and weak.

Mark furrowed his brows slightly as he looked down at Tubbo, about to ask why he would question such a thing, only to see that Tubbo’s gaze was locked on their hands.

Mark felt his throat close up. Was Tubbo just bottling up his actual feelings about this situation? Was Tubbo doubting their relationship? Did Tubbo feel as if he couldn’t trust Mark anymore?

Mark could feel himself slipping into the abyss of self-doubt, he could feel the thoughts of how he was going to lose Tubbo, just like how he lost Ethan, creep up on him. But Mark took in a deep breath, he couldn’t overthink in this situation, he’s been silent for long enough now - any longer and Tubbo might think that Mark doesn’t like him anymore.

Mark slowly intertwined their fingers and rested his head on top of Tubbo’s, just behind his horns. “As much as one can love a persons company, yeah,” Mark responded softly. “Why d’ya ask?” He questioned.

Tubbo shrugged as he gently squeezed Mark’s hand, his claws dug a bit into Mark’s skin but he didn’t mind. “Just. . . just double checking,” Tubbo answered.

Chapter Text

About two days later, Tommy stood in front of Jack Manifold’s front door. It had been a while since Tommy had last seen Jack. Tommy’s pretty sure the last time he’s seen the guy was when Jack visited him and Tubbo a few days after Tubbo woke up.

Tommy a felt a bit guilty how the two haven’t really spoken all that much and now Tommy was about to barge into Jack’s home and ask him about what Dream did to him and if Jack wanted to heal.

Tommy drew in a breath and knocked on the door.

It wasn’t long ‘til it swung open.

A boy, around Tommy’s age, stood in front of the door. He had short dark hair, wore a navy blue sweatshirt, and baseball shorts. Tommy assumed the boy was Jack’s brother. “How can I help you?” The boy asked.

“I’m. . . here to speak with Jack?” Tommy said.

The boy nodded, stepped to the side, and allowed Tommy to walk inside. Once Tommy stepped inside the house, the boy closed the door. “Jack! Tommy Taken’s here to see you!” He called out.

Tommy was about to ask how the boy knew his name but seeing as how he’s literally Dream’s brother and Tommt’s injury was probably shown or mentioned on the news alongside Tubbo’s, made Tommy close his mouth. There was no use in asking such a dumb question that had such a simple answer.

Jack walked down the stairs and hugged Tommy. “Hey man! It’s been a while since I last saw you!” Jack grinned.

“Yeah,” Tommy said, a small smile on his face as he patted Jack’s back.

Jack pulled away from Tommy and Tommy tried his best not to look down at Jack’s prosthetic. “I hope you don’t mind but I’m. . . here to talk about what I suggested when I woke up in the hospital,” He said softly.

Jack nodded his head. “I figured that’s why you came here,” He said. “Josh,” Jack began as he turned to his brother. “You mind giving us a second?” He asked.

“Alright,” Josh said. Josh patted Jack’s shoulder lightly before walking past his brother and up the stairs.

The two waited for the sound of a door closing for either of them to speak. Once the sound of a door softly closing rang within the house, Jack started. “Can I ask why you’re here so soon?”

Tommy shrugged. “A couple days ago, Tubbo and I were brought down to the station to be interrogated about what happened. We were both asked if. . . if we believed Dream deserved a less harsher punishment because of the drug infecting him,” He said.

Jack raised a brow at that, his hands shoving into his pants pockets. “What did Tubbo say?”

“He wanted to at least try and help Dream to get better.”

Tommy didn’t miss how Jack’s hands curled up, how his face stiffened in almost anger. Tommy didn’t blame Jack. If he heard that one of his friends was trying to help his abuser try to be better, Tommy would be pissed. “Has, um, has Tubbo visited Dream like. . . at all?” Jack questioned.

“No,” Tommy answered briskly. “I don’t think Tubbo’s quite ready to try and help Dream just yet,” He said.

Jack chewed on the inside of his cheek.

“You can be mad, Jack,” Tommy offered. “Dream hurt you and others and Tubbo wants to help Dream to try and be better. You can upset with that,” He said.

“It’s just. . . just what the hell did Dream say or do that made Tubbo think that he was worth saving? Last I checked, Dream not only kidnapped Tubbo but also kidnapped Mark,” Jack huffed, rubbing at his metallic arm.

Tommy shrugged. “Tubbo didn’t go into depth about what Dream said or did whilst in the warehouse. He just implied that Dream basically tried to convince Tubbo that Dream was all he had left. Maybe that did something to him, but I don’t know because he doesn’t talk about it. He’s more focused on the drug coursing in his veins than Dream right now,” He said.

Jack nodded along. “And what did you two say about the whole giving Dream a less harsh punishment?” He asked.

“I said the choice wasn’t up to me. It was up to the remaining survivors, which includes you and the eleven others,” Tommy said.

“So. . . what? You’re gonna try and get each of us to. . . forgive Dream for what he did? Is that what this is?” Jack asked. “Cause if so—“

“No. God no,” Tommy grimaced. “Not even I forgive him. I just. . . I want to help you—help all of you! I want to help build up the courage to stand face to face with Dream and chew him out for what he did to you, to the others, and to the people he pushed over the edge,” He said. Tommy then looked down at the tiles beneath their feet. “I remember seeing the faces of Dream’s victims pop up on the news after they took their own life,” Tommy began softly. “I can’t tell you how many times I regretted not staying in that warehouse, or keeping in touch, every time I saw another face that I remembered seeing, that I remembered saving,” Tommy’s voice trembled. “I guess I just. . . I don’t want you being another face that pops up on the news, Jack,” He said, almost in a whisper.

Jack pulled out his mechanical hand and stared down at it, his lips pulled into a tight frown. He remembered how much he had begged the gods above to make sure that the next experiment Dream did on him, would kill him. Jack wondered how differently everything would’ve turned out if Jack had died within that warehouse.

But, even though good things came out of a really bad thing - it didn’t make the bad things hurt any less. (But it also didn’t make the bad thing hurt any greater.)

“Did you know that I heard everything within that warehouse?” He breathed out.

Tommy furrowed his brows slightly.

Jack let out a rough sigh as he looked back up at Tommy. “I don’t know how or why, but whenever I was under Dream’s control, I could still hear. I heard his victims screams, their pleads, his monologues, his laughter — everything! Anything that was spoken or echoed within that building, I heard it,” He said.“I heard it all and I-I just. . . I didn’t want to hear anymore,” He whispered. Jack then sucked in a breath as his hand curled into a fist. “Not to mention this old thing. . . “

Tommy looked down at Jack’s arm. “Did he just. . . cut it right off?” He asked softly.

Jack let out a huff of laughter. “Sometimes I wish he did,” He muttered, shaking his head. “No, he uh, he took his time with severing off my arm. I mean, if he didn’t, I would’ve probably died of blood loss so,” Jack shrugged. “He also took his sweet fucking time building me a pretty shit mechanical arm. I could barely move the damn thing.”

Tommy chewed on his bottom lip as the age old question echoed within his head: How many times did Dream come home to Tommy, who smiled at him so big as if Dream was his whole world, whilst Dream was literally torturing people? Each time the question popped back up into Tommy’s head, it just made him feel violently ill. Like he was about to puke up everything within him.

“If. . . If you ever visited him. . .” Tommy began carefully. “What exactly would you say to him?” He questioned.

Jack looked down at his hand, almost glaring down at it as if it was the most vile thing on planet Earth. “I’d ask him why he took my arm.”

Tommy nodded.

Jack sucked in a breath. “If you want to help us with healing, you should know about one of the victims who was treated more harshly than all of us. She was the one who Dream scapegoated for Captain’s death,” Jack said.

“Who?” Tommy asked.

“Rebecca Vee.”

Tommy pulled into the driveway of Gumi Vee’s house. He carefully walked up the stairs and gently knocked on the door.

From what Jack told Tommy, Dream had always treated Rebecca harshly but after Jordan’s death. . . Jack said that if he endured what Rebecca went through, he would’ve been another face on the news.

The door slowly opened, a short woman with black hair peeked her head outside. “Tommy Taken?” She asked with a sort of police-like tone. “What are you doing here?” The woman continued, opening the door a bit more and leaning onto it.

“I’m. . . I’m here to speak to Rebecca Vee?” Tommy said.

The woman stiffened, as if the name had stabbed her. “Why?” She questioned.

“I want to talk to her about what hap—“

“Gumi!” A feminine voice called out, the sound of feet hitting wooden stairs echoed within the house. “Whose at the door?”

The woman in front of Tommy couldn’t answer before another woman walked off the stairs and into Tommy’s line of sight. The woman looked like she was outside in the frigid cold with thin clothing. Her fingertips were a light blue, her lips a faint purple, her skin was very pale with light pink-ish undertones. But despite the fact that she looked like she had hypothermia, she wasn’t shivering violently nor wearing an abundance of clothing, just some simple sweatpants and a t-shirt.

The woman’s eyes widened when she locked eyes with Tommy. “It’s you. . .” She whispered in awe.

“Are you. . . Rebecca Vee?” Tommy asked.

The woman nodded eagerly. “I-I can’t believe I’m—that I’m seeing you face to face!” She let out an excited laugh. “I-I’ve always wanted to thank you for saving me, for saving the others!” Rebecca said as she quickly walked over and held Tommy’s hands.

Her hands were ice cold, like as if two ice packs were being pressed against Tommy’s hands. “You’re. . . welcome?” He said.

“Come in, come in!” Rebecca welcomed with a large smile.

Tommy slowly stepped inside the house as the woman from before closed the door behind him. “Um, Rebecca,” Tommy began, following after the woman as she led him into their living room. “I have some questions to ask you,” He said, sitting down onto a light brown couch.

“Of course! Anything for the guy who saved my life,” Rebecca grinned.

“It’s about. . . what happened; back in the warehouse?”

Rebecca froze, her smile slowly dropping. “What about it?” She asked, almost afraid, as she sat beside Tommy.

“That’s what I wanted to know too,” The woman from before asked, her arms crossed over her chest as she glared down at Tommy.

Rebecca looked over at, what Tommy assumed was, her sister. “Gumi. . . “ Rebecca said softly. Gumi turned away from the two with an angry huff. Rebecca turned back to Tommy. “If this is about Jordan, I’m deeply sorry—“

“It’s not,” Tommy cut off. “I promise you, it’s not. Neither I nor Tubbo blame you for what happened to Jordan, that was all Dream,” He comforted. “I’m here because I want to help you, and the others, and make sure that proper justice will be served against my brother.”

“Tommy—“

“Please,” He begged.

Rebecca sighed softly. “What do you wanna know?” She asked.

“What did he do to you?”

Rebecca tensed up, nails digging into the couch cushions. She stared into Tommy’s eyes that held such strong empathy and sadness and kindness. It honestly shocked Rebecca that such kind eyes could be related to eyes full of anger and hate. “A day or two after he was permitted to come back onto the field, he kidnapped me,” Rebecca said.

Tommy couldn’t believe it. He didn’t want to believe it. He started that fast? Tommy had lost his brother that early?

(He wondered if he’d lose Tubbo that quickly.)

“I woke up in a warehouse, within a cage. I had only heard of Clay at that point, didn’t know him all that well, but I knew the basics,” Rebecca said. “It wasn’t long until he started. . . using me like a puppet. My dreams only consisted of me sitting in a very white room, it drove me crazy at some points. I kept fighting back ever chance I got. But I guess I was too difficult for him to manage because a week later, he kidnapped somebody else,” she breathed out.

“He was an elderly,” Her voice was shaky. “He was maybe about sixty?”

“I don’t—“ Tommy felt sick, “—I don’t remember seeing a sixty year old.”

Rebecca swallowed, her lips trembling as she shook her head. “Of course you don’t,” She cried. “I got so close to that old man. He was so sweet and didn’t know what was going on because he had Alzheimer’s. I tried taking his place whenever I could. One day, Dream had me watch—“ She choked up, “—he made me watch as he used his abilities to make that man kill himself. Dream’s excuse? I was getting too close to him.”

Tommy could feel the bile creep up his throat, feel the back of his eyes sting. “I don’t. . . nobody said—I didn’t even—“

“You never heard of him because the man was homeless. He didn’t have anyone to go to or look for him. He was an easy target and Dream killed him because of me,” Rebecca sobbed. “I-I blacked out after that and that’s when I was used to confront the Captain. Because of my abilities, whenever my emotions get too unstable I can’t control them. That’s why Dream killed that man, he planned everything. . . he was gonna make sure that I killed the Captain and I would be blamed,” She said.

“But it didn’t work,” Tommy said.

Rebecca shook her head. “And I wish it did,” She said. “I would’ve rather be given the death penalty by the state rather than being consecutively abused by him.”

Tommy felt like throwing up. He didn’t want to hear anymore, he didn’t think he could handle anymore, he didn’t think Rebecca could say any more. “Could I—Can I hug you?” He said softly.

Rebecca nodded and Tommy immediately wrapped his arms around Rebecca’s shoulders, having her head rest on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry for what my brother did to you, what he made you witness. I promise you, I will see to it that he is given the punishment that you believe he deserves. I never thought. . . god, I never thought he’d do something so. . . so revolting,” Tommy said.

“He was under the dreamon drug,” Rebecca weakly defended. “It makes people do awful things.”

“That doesn’t excuse anything. That doesn’t excuse murdering an innocent person, or abusing people, or cutting off limbs, or torturing. It doesn’t,” He cried.

Rebecca stayed silent.

Tommy wanted nothing more than to try and convince Rebecca that just because Dream was infected by the dreamon drug didn’t excuse anything, that didn’t mean he could be easily forgiven. But Tommy knew that she wasn’t in the correct head space to handle it. “Rebecca,” He said softly. “If you ever visited Dream, face to face in the prison, what would ask him?” He questioned.

Rebecca took in a deep breath.

“I’d ask if he regretted killing Vikk Star and if he could redo everything - would he do it all again?”

Tommy pulled himself away from Rebecca. “I don’t have any more questions. I hope you take care of yourself Rebecca,” He said softly, rubbing her bicep comfortingly, before getting up and walking towards the door.

As Tommy reached out for the door, Gumi called out for him. “Kid.”

Tommy turned around to look at Gumi.

“You said you wanted to help the others right?” Gumi questioned.

Tommy nodded.

Gumi sighed and walked up to Tommy. “I don’t want to sound rude, but I don’t think a teenager should be going around and asking a dozen abuse victims for their stories. It’s okay if you can’t handle their stories, some of them are pretty heavy, and it’s a lot for a teenager to endure,” Gumi said.

Tommy shook his head. “I have to do this more than ever now. These people look up to me. I’m their “savior”, I’m the one who saved them, I have to be there for them more than ever now,” His voice cracked towards the end. “Before, I thought I could get my brother back, ya know?” His eyes began to water over. “But after hearing her story? After hearing what he did? I realize now that my brother is long gone. That the man behind bars in Pandora’s Vault is not the same man whom I grew up with, whom I adored, and I will make sure that that man receives total punishment for his crimes,” He seethed.

“Tell me, if your brother was still roaming free. . . would you kill him if you ever came across him?” Gumi asked.

Tommy paused. Would he? Tommy did feel like wrapping his hands around Dream’s neck and squeezing right about now. He didn’t feel guilty at the thought nor horrified. Would he kill Dream? Even if he did, would that bring comfort to Dream’s victims?

Before Tommy could even continue his train of thought, Gumi spoke up. “That’s why you can’t do this. You thought about it didn’t you? Killing him?” Gumi accused and Tommy didn’t respond, too ashamed to. “You’re just as hurt as these victims are,” She then paused. “Have you ever heard the full quote of “the blind leading the blind”?” Gumi asked.

Tommy shook his head.

“Matthew’s fifteen fourteen of the New Testament: “they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch,” Gumi said. “You’re not gonna be able to heal anyone until you heal first.”

“Ma’am—“

“Healing is not always linear. It’s complicated, it’s rickity, it’s full of ups and downs, and it’s slow and so tiring. But it’s okay,” She said. “Just because you couldn’t heal last time, shouldn’t discourage you from trying again and again and again.”

Tommy stayed silent.

“Tell you what,” Gumi began. “If you can make progress healing, I’ll give you the files on the rest of Dream’s victims and I’ll tag along so you don’t have to go through it on your own,” she said.

Tommy nodded.

He then turned around and reached out for the doorknob. His hand wrapped around the doorknob but he didn’t twist it. “Miss Vee?” He asked.

“Yes?”

“Do you think you can find anything on Vikk Star? I wanna give him a proper burial,” Tommy said.

Gumi stared at Tommy with sad eyes. “Of course,” She said softly.

Tommy gave her a small nod. “Thank you, Miss Vee. You and Rebecca take care,” He said before walking outside of their house and towards his car.

And if Tommy had to pull over on the freeway because he was sobbing so loud and violently to the point where his whole body shook and he couldn’t see the road, he didn’t mention it to anyone.

(God, Gumi was right.

He really needed to heal properly.)

Chapter Text

Tubbo stared down at his phone, his hands shaking within his lap.

Tommy had left a while ago, leaving Tubbo with his thoughts and Tubbo’s thoughts were currently criticizing him for keeping important stuff away from Mark. Mark promised that he wouldn’t keep important stuff away from Tubbo, so why was Tubbo keeping important stuff away from Mark?

It was hypocritical of Tubbo to make Mark promise to do such a thing and then turn around and not do the same in return, and it made Tubbo feel awful.

Tubbo chewed on his nails nervously.

But having to tell Mark that he viewed himself as a monster, that sometimes these hands of his didn’t even look like they belonged to him, that Tubbo had the thought of chopping off his hands, that Tubbo hated looking at himself in the mirror. . . telling all of that to Mark made Tubbo feel even more awful.

Tubbo stood up and began to pace within Tommy’s room. Now, Tubbo had a choice: he could either stay as a hypocrite, have Mark find out on his own about what’s going on with Tubbo, and leave him or Tubbo could tell the truth to Mark and come face to face with his problems instead of trying to shove them into a dark corner in the back of his mind.

Tubbo chose the latter.

Tubbo quickly grabbed his phone and dialed Mark’s number. Each time the phone rang was another second where doubt began to fill Tubbo’s mind. Thankfully, Mark answered on the third ring.

“Hello?” Mark said.

“Mark!” Tubbo greeted, a bit more enthusiastic than he originally wanted. “Hey, uh, are you-are you busy, right now?” Tubbo asked sheepishly.

“No, I’m-I’m free. Why? What’s up?” Mark questioned.

Tubbo swallowed softly. It was now or never. “I need to talk to you. . . in person. Would you mind meeting me at the park near your place?” He said.

“Yeah, of course! Did something happen?”

“It’s. . .” Tubbo hesitated. “It’s probably best to tell you face to face I don’t think it’s a very appropriate conversation to have over the phone,” Tubbo said, picking at his cuticles.

“Alright,” Mark said. “I’ll meet you at the park in a bit.”

“See you in a bit,” Tubbo said before hanging up the phone.

Tubbo let out a deep sigh, trying to control his shaking hands.

Okay, how was he gonna do this?

Tubbo made his way over to Tommy’s closet and pulled out a change of clothes that Tubbo knew Tommy wouldn’t mind losing. “Hey Mark, just wanted to say real quick that I hate how the dreamon drug turned me into a mon— nope, nope, can’t say that,” Tubbo said.

“Hey Mark, why did I call you? Funny you should ask, I’m scared that I’m gonna turn out just like Dream because Tommy has been— no, no, now that just sounds like I’m blaming Tommy,” He hissed.

Tubbo let out a groan as he dragged his hand down his face. Why was this so fucking difficult?

“You know what? I’ll just-just think of something along the way,” Tubbo decided on.

Tubbo just hoped that he wouldn’t start to regret calling up Mark once he got the park.

Tubbo was now starting to regret calling up Mark as he neared the park. Was he really about to go up to his partner and say that he hates his body? That he hates how he looks like a monster? That’s just be too much for Mark.

It’d be too much for Tubbo.

Tubbo pulled into the parking lot and made his way over to a table where Mark was sitting at. “Hey, Tubbo,” Mark grinned, waving down the brunette.

Tubbo gave Mark a genuine smile in reply. Even though Tubbo was on the brink of hyperventilating, Mark could always put a smile on Tubbo’s face.

Tubbo sat down across from Mark. “What’d you call me for?” Mark asked, his tone slightly concerned.

“Oh! Um. . . I-I called you because. . . god, I’m just now realizing how stupid it was—“

“It caused you to worry about its not stupid. Not to me it isn’t,” Mark comforted.

Tubbo sighed softly. “It’s just. . . this new form is—it’s frustrating,” Tubbo lands on. “It’s been almost a week since I’ve been discharged from the hospital and I have yet to discover if I’ve gotten any new abilities and how to control them. Not to mention, how to work these stupid wings! Like, they’re so much heavier than my previous wings! It’s like I’m holding up a truck on my back,” He exclaimed. “I. . . I just—I just miss being a normal hybrid,” he breathed out.

He was exactly lying to Mark. What Tubbo said was true! He didn’t know if he had gotten any new abilities, let alone know how he’d even work with them! And his wings are constantly giving him a sore back! While yes, Tubbo didn’t tell Mark the actual reason he had called Mark up, he implied it!

Mark’s gaze softened. He then outstretched his hand, gesturing for Tubbo to give him his. Tubbo slowly rested his hand ontop of Mark’s, trying desperately not to focus on how grotesque his hand looked within Mark’s grasp, and Mark held it softly. “I don’t know what I can do for your new abilities, or your new wings weight, but I do know that it’s perfectly okay for you to feel frustrated by this new change. To you, just two weeks ago you were a bee hybrid, now you’re a mix of both bee and dragon! He’ll, I’d be pretty frustrated as well,” Mark said, rubbing his thumb against Tubbo’s knuckles. “You can always come to me when it gets worse, not only am I your partner but I’m also your friend, I’ll try and comfort you in any way I can,” Mark grinned.

“Thank you, Mark,” Tubbo smiled, giving Mark’s hand a small squeeze.

“Of course,” Mark grinned. “And while I don’t know what you can do for your new abilities, maybe you can assume that you have the same abilities your father had? I mean a majority of the dragon traits you have are the same traits Jordan had,” He suggested.

“Maybe?” Tubbo shrugged.

“Well, what were some of Jordan’s abilities?”

“He could breathe fire, which I already know I can do, he could spit acid—“

“He spat acid!?”

“Yeah! He didn’t use it a lot though, it was very dangerous. . . that’s one that I’m kinda hoping I don’t have,” Tubbo admitted. “My dad also had a roar so powerful that it’d shake the area he was in for a good hundred feet, it could be as powerful as a major or minor Earthquake. And had a dragon bite.”

“A dragon bite?” Mark questioned with a raised brow.

“It sounds crazy, I know!” Tubbo said. “Basically his teeth were like steel strong—“

“I think the saying is strong as steel.”

“I’ll kill you, don’t interrupt me,” Tubbo threatened, causing Mark to chuckle. “Anyways like I was saying before being rudely interrupted—“ Mark tossed his head back and cackled, “—he had an insanely strong jaw and set of teeth so anything he bit into would break.”

“Wasn’t your dad also insanely strong?” Mark asked.

Tubbo grimaced slightly. “Oh god, imagine if I got his dragon strength on top of my bee hybrid strength,” he said.

Mark’s jaw dropped, his eyes flying open. “That would be so cool, what!?” He exclaimed. “You’d be like—like One Punch Man!” Mark stated.

“I don’t think I wanna take people down with one punch. . . “ Tubbo muttered.

“Anyways! This sounds like stuff you need to like. . . activate or something,” Mark said. “Why not have Wilbur train you? Like before? I’m sure it’d probably be better to discover your new abilities within a secure area rather than Tommy’s place,” He said.

“I could try,” Tubbo shrugged. “It doesn’t sound that bad of an idea.”

“My ideas are never bad,” Mark claimed smugly.

“Okay, sure,” Tubbo rolled his eyes.

Mark gaped at Tubbo. “What!? Name one idea that was bad!” He argued.

Tubbo hummed softly, dazing off as he tried to recall any bad ideas that Mark put out.

“Ha! Ya can’t!” Mark declared.

“Now hold on, I’m still thinking here,” Tubbo said.

“Take as long as you need. I’m so confident that you won’t—“

“That time when you tried to tell me about Dream but then dropped it.”

Mark abruptly shut his mouth and looked over at Tubbo who was giving him a smug look. “You’re never gonna let me live that down huh?” Mark asked and Tubbo nodded. Mark let out a rough sigh. “Whatever! So I had one bad idea!” He barked.

“And you asked for one bad idea that you had,” Tubbo shot back.

Mark stared at Tubbo with a frown. “You’re not meeting my moms now,” He said suddenly.

“What!?” Tubbo exclaimed as if Mark had just told him he stabbed several people.

“You’re being very mean to me right now. I’m gatekeeping my moms from you, until you learn to be more nice to me,” Mark huffed.

“Gatekeeping your mo—!” Tubbo cut himself off by his own harsh wheeze. Mark sputtered out a laugh as he pointed at Tubbo who was having a wheezing, coughing fit yet still had on a smile.

“Stop—“ Tubbo groaned, “—Stop laughing prick!” He shouted.

Mark slammed his hand down repeatedly onto the table as he snorted, causing himself to burst into another fit of laughter. Tubbo joined in, now pointing at Mark as he laughed. “I can’t breathe!” Mark gasped in between his laughter.

“You sounded like a pig!”

“Shut up! Let me catch me breath! I’m gonna die!”

“Oh you shut up! You’re not gonna die!”

“I am! My lungs feel like they’re about to collapse!”

Mark coughed harshly before finally being able to catch his breath. “Fuck, my hand hurts now,” He winced.

Tubbo huffed in amusement. “I really needed that laugh,” He said, giving Mark a soft smile. “Thanks, Mark.”

“No problem,” Mark said, giving Tubbo a smile in return.

After that, Tubbo and Mark said their goodbyes and went home.

On the car ride back to Tommy’s place, Tubbo rang up Wilbur. It didn’t take long for Wilbur to answer.

“Tubbo?” Wilbur asked.

“Hi, Wilbur,” Tubbo greeted.

“Hey, kid. Whatcha calling me for? Did something happen?” Wilbur questioned.

Tubbo shook his head, even though Wilbur couldn’t see him. “No. No, nothing-nothing happened,” Tubbo comforted. “I was just calling to see if you could. . . train me tomorrow?” He asked.

“Train you? For what?”

“To see if I got any new abilities, like. . . like the abilities my dad had?”

Wilbur sucked in a breath. “I don’t know, Tubbo. It’s only been a week since you’ve been discharged from the hospital. I don’t want to put any strain on your body or anything,” He said.

“I can handle it,” Tubbo declared. “Please, Wilbur? I—it’d comfort me to know whether or not I have any new abilities. It’d be better to test to see if I have them within the HQ’s training room instead of Tommy’s place,” He argued.

“You’re right. You’re right,” Wilbur sighed. “Alright, I’ll help. But don’t expect me to do something like attack you,” He said.

“I won’t!” Tubbo said.

“Alright, what time do you wanna do this?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Wilbur questioned.

“Yes,” Tubbo nodded. “If I place it any further I might back out, I want to test to see if I have any new abilities as soon as possible,” He said.

“Okay,” Wilbur breathed out. “Just. . . make sure you’re ready for tomorrow,” He advised.

“Alright!” Tubbo said. “Thank you, Wilbur. For agreeing to help me,” He said softly.

“Of course, man,” Wilbur said and Tubbo knew he was smiling. “Anything to help my intern.”

A smile crept up onto Tubbo’s face. “Bye, Wil,” He said.

“Bye, Tubbo. Take care,” Wilbur said.

“Will do bossman,” Tubbo said as he hung up.

Tubbo let out a sigh as he slouched slightly in his seat.

Tubbo believed it was safe to say that he’s finally left the anger stage.

Chapter Text

Tommy should’ve just drove home.

He should’ve stayed on the freeway, make his way back home, and inform Tubbo about what he learned.

He should’ve listened to Gumi.

But Tommy was never one to listen to advice. . . especially when his emotions got the best of him.

Tommy pulled into Pandora Vault’s parking lot, slammed the car door shut and made his way up to the front door. A man with cat ears and cat-like tail watched as Tommy made his way to the doors. “Tommy Taken?” The man asked. “What are you doing here—“

“I wanna see my brother,” Tommy spat.

Tommy stood a full head taller than the male and Tommy used that to his advantage as he glowered down at him. “Do you have an appointment?” The man asked.

“No but it’s—“

“I cannot allow you to visit one of our more dangerous prisoners without a visitation appointment.”

Tommy huffed slightly, chewing on his bottom lip. “Please,” Tommy begged. “It’s urgent.”

“I cannot allow you—“

The door swung open and the man and Tommy turned to see Sam standing in the doorway. “Sir,” The man greeted.

“Antfrost, head back in real quick. I’ll talk to our guest here,” Sam said.

Antfrost nodded and walked past Sam.

Tommy turned to Sam. “What’re you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at home? With Tubbo?” Sam questioned as he shut the door behind him.

“I wanted to talk to Dream. Face to face,” Tommy said.

Sam’s shoulders slumped slightly. “You look tired, Tommy. Why don’t you come back tomorrow—“

“No,” Tommy interrupted harshly. “I can’t. . . I can’t keep waiting. Keep delaying. I need to talk to him, Sam,” He said.

Sam gave Tommy a soft look. “Kid you look like you wanna hurt him,” He said.

Tommy slightly hunched over himself at that. “I. . . I talked with a couple of his victims today. I want—I want to offer them closure. I asked them if they could ever visit Dream what they’d ask him, I’m only here to ask him their questions. . . and some of my own,” He said. “Please, Sam. I need to know that if he’s willing to change, that Tubbo wanting to help him won’t be futile,” Tommy said.

Sam tensed a bit at that. Right in the soft spot.

Sam sighed lightly. “You promise you’re only gonna ask him the victims questions and some of your own?” He asked.

“I promise,” Tommy said breathlessly.

Sam nodded. “Alright then, follow me,” He said, opening up the door.

Tommy followed after Sam on a long hallway. Sam pulled out a walkie-talkie from his waist loop and pulled it up to his lips. “Bad, I’m gonna need you to take Clay Taken down to our in-person visitation area. Tommy Taken’s here to see him,” Sam spoke into the device.

Tommy’s heard a lot about Bad from Sapnap (given the fact that Bad is literally Sapnap’s dad.) Tommy could only hope that this first impression of Tommy wouldn’t be the defining factor of how Bad perceives Tommy later on. It’d be quite awkward at family gatherings.

“Are you sure?” Bad asked from the other line.

“I trust you’ll keep Clay in line,” Sam said.

“Alright, I’m taking Clay down to the visitation area right now,” Bad said.

Sam put away his walkie-talkie.

Tommy couldn’t help but hate the fact that both Sam and Bad used the name Clay to refer to Dream. Dream wasn’t Clay, he hasn’t been Clay for a year now, he doesn’t deserve to be called Clay. Clay was the fifteen year old boy who had comforted Tommy multiple times - not the twenty-one year old man who had traumatized Tommy multiple times.

“Before I let you into the room there’s a few things you need to know. Clay—“

“Please just call him Dream,” Tommy begged.

“Dream, has only asked about you and Tubbo so he might come off as a bit. . . enthusiastic to see you. But don’t worry, if things start becoming a bit too much, Bad will immediately escort him away,” Sam comforted.

“Alright,” Tommy said.

Tommy then went to open the door.

“Tommy,” Sam began. Tommy turned to the older man. “Please signal Bad if things start to become too much,” He said.

Tommy nodded. “Of course,” He agreed.

Tommy then stepped inside and his blood immediately went cold when he locked eyes on Dream’s figure hunched over at a table. The sound of the door closing caused Dream to look up and he instantly brightened up at seeing Tommy. As if the man was seeing the sun for the very first time.

Tommy held back a grimace as he slowly walked over to the table Dream was sitting at. It was weird seeing Dream without his mask on, you’d think that as Tommy stared into Dream’s eyes he’d be unnerved to find that he was staring into the face of Clay, but Tommy wasn’t unnerved by that. What unnerved Tommy was how much Dream didn’t resemble Clay at all.

“You finally came to visit me,” Dream said softly, gratefully almost.

“Don’t get your hopes too high up,” Tommy spat. “You’re not gonna like the reason why I’m here in a second,” He said.

“Why would I not? It brought you here didn’t it?” Dream grinned.

“Do you remember Jack Manifold and Rebecca Vee?” Tommy asked quickly. Dream only stared at Tommy, his eyes holding no familiarity or anger. Tommy scoffed. “It’s pathetic that you can’t even remember the names of your own victims,” Tommy spat.

Dream narrowed his eyes. “What’d they tell you?”

“Oh, nothing much,” Tommy said with a shrug. “Just that one said that you cut off his fucking arm and he heard you torturing everyone within that building and the other said you killed a man in front of her and tried to frame her for Jordan’s death and when that didn’t work you abused her,” He said.

“Oh. Those two,” Dream said, familiarity glimmering in his now and Tommy felt sick.

Dream remembered what he did to them but couldn’t bother remembering their names?

Bad must’ve noticed that Tommy felt ill by Dream’s statement and took a step towards the two. Tommy lifted his hand to stop Bad where he was, Tommy wanted to at least ask Jack and Rebecca’s questions before Dream gets taken away.

“You know, I preferred Jack a lot more than Rebecca. Jack was actually my favorite. He didn’t. . . put up much of a fight after a month and he kept quiet after that so,” Dream grinned. “Kept things easy for me.”

Tommy felt sick.

“Don’t you dare fucking talk about Jack like he’s some sort of animal,” Tommy gritted. “You hurt him. You hurt both of them. And I’m only here because of them, because of what you did,” He said.

“Such as?” Dream questioned.

Such as!?, Tommy wanted to scream. Tommy had just listed off what Dream fucking did to them! Now he was asking “such as?” ooh Tommy wanted to punch him.

“Why did you take Jack’s arm?” Tommy finally got out.

Dream sucked in a breath through his teeth but he didn’t look guilty or awkward. “Ah, you see that’s a tricky one. Jack is obviously a friend of yours now, if I tell you what I wanted to do well then. . . I’d lose you and, honestly, Tommy, I don’t wanna lose you,” Dream said.

“If you don’t answer the question I will walk out of here and never come back. And I will make sure that Tubbo doesn’t help you,” Tommy threatened, causing Dream to widen his eyes slightly. “You will answer my questions. If you don’t then I’m just gonna take that as you don’t want to change and have no plans of changing and, honestly, Dream, Tubbo and I do not want to waste our times by interacting with a piece of shit,” He insulted.

Dream chewed on his inner cheek as he stared down at Tommy. “Jack was a normal human,” Dream began. “He didn’t have any abilities nor any sort of hybrid within him. He was useless. But I couldn’t let him go because he had already seen my face, so I decided to try and make him into a cyborg. I started with his arm, it was easier to start with an arm instead of anything else,” Dream said. “Can still do stuff without an arm,” He shrugged.

“You were gonna turn him. . . into a cyborg?”

It was obvious that Jack hated his metallic arm because of Dream. If Dream ever finished what he was planning to do with Jack. . . would Tommy’ve been able to have a conversation with Jack or would Jack just have been another face in the news?

“You know, after his arm, I would’ve taken out his eye. Had the model ready and everything, but then I got arrested so I never got to it,” Dream said, he talked about it as if it was a shame.

Tommy’s hands began shaking with anger. Tommy hid his hands underneath the desk as he curled his hands into fists, digging his nails harshly into his palms.

“What about Rebecca? Did she ask me a question?” Dream ask, tilting his head.

Was he fucking amused? Was Dream amused by Tommy trying to keep his reactions low? Tommy’s eye twitched.

“She simply asked if you regretted killing Vikk Star and if you could - would you do everything all over again? The kidnapping, the torturing, the killing, everything,” Tommy hissed.

Dream let out a sigh as he looked distantly at the roof as if thinking about it. Tommy’s leg began bouncing in anger, it was practically taking everything within Tommy to not jump onto the table and beat Dream’s face in until he was unrecognizable.

“I gues I regret killing the old man. He had Alzheimer’s and didn’t even know where he was. I could’ve just sent him off into the woods and have some rando find him but. . . ya know, necessary sacrifices,” Dream said.

Tommy let out an amused scoff. “You—“ he scoffed again. “Necessary sacrifices!?” He shrieked.

“Well of course, it was all for you and Tubbo!”

Stop fucking saying that!, Tommy wanted to shout, stop saying it was for me and Tubbo! You know damn well that you’re just using us so you don’t have to come face to face with the actual shitty reason why you did all of that!

It was at the tip of his tongue but he kept it to himself.

“But that last question is quite interesting. . . would I do it all again?” Dream asked, a smile curling onto his lips. Did he think this was a game? He thought about it and then his smile dropped into a serious look. “I won’t lie to you, Tommy. I genuinely think I would,” He said.

Tommy looked down at his lap. “Everything? You’d do everything all over again?” Tommy asked. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears, could feel his necks pulse without even touching it.

“Yes.”

“The-the kidnappings, the abuse, the lies, the killings—everything! Fucking—you’d do it all again?! In a fucking heartbeat!?” Tommy cried. If Tommy dug his nails any deeper into his palms, he would surely draw blood.

“That’s what everything means, hm?”

Tommy looked back up at Dream, making eye-contact with the man. Dream’s eyes held a sort of unnerving look within them and it pissed Tommy the fuck off. Why the fuck did he hold such a revolting look in his eyes? He admitted that he would hurt innocents all over again! And he was looking at Tommy as if Tommy was just gonna accept that! “I. . . am going. . . to kill you!” Tommy screamed before lunging at Dream, knocking Dream roughly onto the floor.

“Tommy!” Bad called out as he quickly made his way towards the table Dream and Tommy had been sitting at. The sound of the door flying open rang within the room.

“You fucking—! You sick son of a bitch!” Tommy shouted as he punched Dream repeatedly in the face. Dream tried getting Tommy off of his chest but was still restrained by his handcuffs. “I can’t believe I actually thought you’d fucking change! That you could be my brother again!” A pair of arms wrapped themselves around Tommy as Bad grabbed Dream’s bicep and lifted him to his feet.

Tommy thrashed about in Sam’s arms still trying to fight Dream.

Dream looked down at the ground in shame and Tommy couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“No. No, no, no! You don’t get to feel ashamed, Dream!” Tommy spat. “You did this to yourself! I tried to see if you could change but you’ve made it abundantly clear that you don’t want to! And you know what? I’m so sick and fucking tired of your shit! I’m sick of it!” He screamed. “I hate you! I hate you more than the empty caskets that we had to bury for mom and dad and Drista! I fucking hate you and I don’t want to see you again ever,” Tommy sobbed.

Sam began walking out of the room with Tommy still in his grasps. Dream just stared at Tommy, his eyes watering over. “Tom’s—“

“Don’t you call me that,” Tommy hissed as if the nickname burned him. “You are not my brother. And you will never be my brother,” he said.

“You don’t—“ Dream swallowed thickly, “—You don’t mean that Tommy,” He said.

“Oh,” Tommy laughed bitterly. “Oh, I do. I really do. I’ve meant it ever since I had to go in hiding because of you!”

“So here Dream, here are my last fucking words to you, because you’re never gonna see me again,” Tommy took in a deep breath. “Fuck you!” Tommy screamed, dragging out the sentence. “Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck—“

The door then slammed closed in front of Tommy. Tommy was quickly spun around and instead of glaring at unnerving emerald green eyes, he was staring into warm brown eyes.

“Tommy,” Sam began, but his tone didn’t sound rough nor did it sound like he was about to scold Tommy.

Tommy’s bottom lip began quivering and then he let out a wail. For the first time, since Tommy was a little kid, he began wailing like a pathetic little baby who had just been pushed out of the warmth of their mothers womb. He wailed like a little kid who had just scraped their knee whilst falling off their bike and their older brother was trying to calm them down.

Sam slowly wrapped his arms around Tommy’s shoulder, hugging the teen tightly.

“I miss my brother, I miss Clay,” Tommy sobbed. “I just wanted my brother back. I thought—I wanted to believe that it was all the drug and that it wasn’t—that it wasn’t him,” He let out a rough cough as snot began to dribble onto his upper lip. Tommy wiped his nose onto his sleeve. “But it was. It was him, Sam,” He cried with a hiccup.

Sam shushed Tommy softly. “It’s okay. Let it all out, Tommy,” He comforted.

“That man in there—“ Tommy spat with so much venom, “—may have been my brother at some point in my life, but he no longer is. I refuse to associate that-that monster as my brother,” He said.

Sam rubbed Tommy’s back. “Take in a deep breath for me, okay? You need to take in a deep breath,” Sam advised.

Tommy took in a shuddering breath, his whole body shaking. As soon as Tommy exhaled his body shook with another hiccup.

Sam continued to help Tommy regain his normal breathing until Tommy only had a couple tears running down his face. Sam wiped Tommy’s face with the sleeve of his shirt. “Better?” Sam asked softly.

Tommy nodded in reply.

“I don’t think you’re in any condition to drive right now,” Sam stated.

Tommy nodded again in agreement.

“Do you want Karl, Sapnap, or Quackity to come pick you up?” Sam asked.

Tommy shook his head.

“Do you. . . have anyone else in mind?” Sam questioned.

Tommy licked his lips. “I have four,” He said.

“Who?” Sam asked.

“Some old friends of mine.”

Chapter Text

Charlie had raised a brow when his phone starting ringing and looked to see that it was Tommy calling.

“Whose calling?” Ted asked, eyes still glued to the TV show they were watching.

“It’s Tommy,” Charlie said.

“Tommy?” Ted asked.

It had been a while since Charlie, and the others, had last spoken to Tommy. The last time they talked with him was a couple days after Tommy woke up from his coma. Charlie wondered why Tommy was calling him, did the teen want to hang out or something? “Hello?” Charlie answered, pressing the phone against his ear.

Charlie was met with a sniffle and that made Charlie become worried, because he had never heard nor seen Tommy cry at all since he had befriended the teen. “Tommy? Is everything okay?” Charlie quickly asked. Ted looked over at Charlie at that, staring at Charlie with furrowed brows.

“Um—“ Tommy swallowed thickly, “Are you-are you busy, right now?” He asked.

“No. No, I—we’re not,” Charlie replied. “What’s wrong?” He asked.

“Could you. . . Would you be able to-to come pick me up from Pandora’s Vault?” Tommy questioned, his voice cracking slightly.

“Yeah. No, yeah, we can do that. Um, it’d take me and Ted about twenty minutes but yeah,” Charlie agreed. Charlie then put himself on mute. “Ted get the car ready,” He ordered.

“What’s going on?” Ted asked as he slowly stood up.

“I’m sorry to ask you to do this for me so abruptly and I’ll tell you what I can when you get here,” Tommy said.

“I don’t know but Tommy’s crying and needs us so get the car ready,” Charlie quickly said before unmuting himself. “No, no, it’s okay Tommy. You don’t need to tell us if you’re not comfortable,” He said.

Tommy hiccuped.

“Look just-just sit tight, Ted and I will be there soon, m’kay?” Charlie said.

“Okay,” Tommy breathed out.

“Bye Tommy.”

“Bye Charlie.”

Charlie quickly hung up and went to put on his shoes. “Where we going?” Ted asked as he slid on a winter coat.

“Pandora’s Vault,” Charlie answered as he put on a heavy coat and a beanie.

“Pandora’s Vault? What’s Tommy going at—oh,” Ted’s eyes widened at the realization. “You don’t think. . . “ He trailed off.

“I don’t know. I don’t know, Ted. But what I do know is that we are not gonna pry, Tommy needs us and he doesn’t need to tell us if he doesn’t want to,” Charlie said.

Ted nodded as he opened the front door. “I’ll call Schlatt and Connor, tell them to start closing up shop. If we’re going to comfort Tommy, all of us are going,” Ted said.

“The more the better,” Charlie said.

Tommy sat on the steps of Pandora’s Vault, hugging his legs tightly to his chest. He didn’t know why he thought Dream could change. Maybe it was the fact that Dream had helped him and Tubbo with Barbara in the warehouse, how Dream had given Tommy space after being shot.

He could’ve believe how stupid he was to think that Dream could change.

The sound of a door opening and footsteps slowing getting closer didn’t cause Tommy to look up. Tommy only looked up when someone sat next to him. Bad gave Tommy a small smile, an offer if he could stay.

Tommy looked away. “Shouldn’t you be with Dream?” He asked.

“It’s my break so Ant’s with him,” Bad said as he walked over and sat beside Tommy.

“Sorry for losing my temper back there,” Tommy said softly.

“That’s alright,” Bad comforted with a shrug. “I would’ve lunged at him too.”

Tommy rested his temple against his knees, turning away from Bad and stared at the falling snowflakes. “I just. . . I thought he’d at least hold some regret, ya know? Maybe he’d regret killing Jordan, or cutting off Jacks arm, or abusing Rebecca, or-or anything! But he—he didn’t,” Tommy said. “I was stupid to think he’d change.”

“It wasn’t stupid,” Bad said, resting a hand on Tommy’s shoulder. “You once saw your brother within him and you wanted to reach out and thrust that part of him forward. You tried giving him a second chance and it’s okay that it didn’t work as planned,” He said, his eyes soft. “That doesn’t make you stupid. It makes you empathic and it shows that you love your family deeply,” Bad said.

Tommy clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “Yeah, well, now I just lost my last family member so,” Tommy said bitterly with a shrug.

Bad frowned softly. “Tommy, have you ever heard of the full quote of: blood is thicker than water?” He asked.

Tommy looked over at Bad with a raised brow. “There’s more to it?” He asked.

Bad let out an amused huff, the corner of his lips tugging into a smile. “Yes, there is,” He answered. “The full quote goes: the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb,” Bad said.

Tommy furrowed his brows. “The hell does that mean?” He asked.

“It means, that the bonds that we choose to make is more important than the people that you are bound to by the water of the womb, like, for example, biological siblings,” Bad said and Tommy turned away from Bad with a small frown. “Just because you lost the last member of your biological family doesn’t mean you lost the last member of your family. I’m sure the family that you chose is much bigger than just Dream. And I should know, my son and his partners are apart of the family that you chose,” He smiled.

Tommy let out a fond huff. “Yeah,” He agreed with a nod. “Guess that also means you’re apart of my family too, eh grandad?” Tommy asked, nudging Bad’s arm with his elbow.

Bad scoffed lightly as he turned away with a smile. “I’m too young to be referred to as “grandad”,” He said, shaking his head.

“But in all seriousness, thanks Bad. I needed that,” Tommy said with a smile.

“Of course! Anything for family,” Bad replied.

The sound of a car screeching to a stop caused Bad and Tommy to look out into the parking lot. Charlie, Ted, Connor, and Schlatt jumped out of the chuckle sandwich mobile (aka a decent looking minivan that Connor owned). “You’re right Bad,” Tommy began quietly as Charlie made his way towards the two. Bad looked at Tommy with a raised brow. “The family I chose is much bigger than just Dream,” He said with a slight smile.

“Tommy!” Charlie called out.

Tommy stood up from the steps and was immediately hugged by Charlie. The adult resting his chin on top of Tommy’s head. “Hi Charlie,” Tommy greeted.

Charlie pulled away from Tommy and looked at Tommy’s face for any wounds. “You’re not hurt,” He breathed out in relief.

“Yeah,” Tommy said softly.

Charlie’s eyes softened. “Let’s get outta here, hm?” He said.

Tommy nodded.

He then turned to look over at Bad. “Thank you. . . for talking with me,” Tommy said.

Bad gave Tommy a single nod. “Like I said, anything for family,” He said with a grin before walking back inside the prison.

Tommy followed Charlie to the car where Schlatt, Connor, and Ted hugged Tommy. “You okay, kid?” Schlatt asked.

“Honestly? Not really, no,” Tommy admitted after they all pulled away.

“You don’t have to tell us if you’re not comfortable,” Connor comforted.

Tommy shook his head. “No. No, I-I want to tell you guys,” He said. “Um. . . I just—I kind of disowned Dream? He’s just—“ Tommy shrugged, “—I gave up on him,” He said, voice growing weak.

“Bud,” Ted breathed out.

“It’s okay. I’m okay. I actually, as weird as it sounds, I actually feel a whole lot better now that I don’t—now that I’m not associating myself with him,” Tommy confessed. “Like-like I feel a huge weight has been lifted,” he said.

“Tommy,” Connor began. “When’s the last time you experienced some form of. . . normalcy?” He asked.

Tommy bit his lower lip, thinking. “A bit before Tubbo got kidnapped,” He answered.

Schlatt nodded. “Yeah, okay, get in the car. We’re going bowling,” He stated as he made his way to the driver seat.

“What?” Tommy asked.

“I think that’s a good idea,” Charlie said. “I mean, you just disowned Dream, which good for you, and you haven’t had any bit of normalcy in your life for a little over a month - you deserve a break. In fact, you need one,” He said.

Tommy chewed on the inside of his cheek. “. . . Could we pick up Tubbo? He’s over at my place,” He said.

“I was just about ask where he was so we could pick him up,” Schlatt said.

Tommy sat in the very back of the chuckle sandwich mobile as the group waited on Tubbo to come outside to the vehicle. After a few minutes, Tubbo finally walked outside with a beanie and snow jacket on. “Hey guys!” Tubbo greeted when he got close.

“Hi Turbo!” Charlie grinned from the driver seat.

“Go ahead and hop in the back with Tommy, we’re going bowling,” Connor smiled.

Tubbo gave Connor a nod and climbed into the very back and sat with Tommy. “Hey man! Where’d you go? You’ve been gone almost all day,” Tubbo asked with a smile.

Suddenly the air in the car felt tense. “Oh, um, I just—just visited Jack and talked about some things with him,” Tommy said. He could feel the groups sad and disappointed stares on him.

Please don’t look at me, Tommy wanted to say, I know I should’ve told him the truth, stop staring at me.

“Like what?” Tubbo asked, oblivious to the lie and current tension.

“I’ll uh—I’ll-I’ll tell you later,” Tommy said, flashing a smile at Tubbo.

“Okay!”

“Alright, bowling time!” Charlie said as he started up the car and began driving off.

Tommy tried not to think too much about how he had just lied to Tubbo. Tubbo deserved to know what happened at Pandoras Vault. He deserved to know that Dream was no longer in Tommy’s life and how Dream really shouldn’t be in Tubbo’s either. But Tommy felt that if he had to talk about everything, then he’d just start crying and he really didn’t want to ruin their fun bowling evening because of some tears.

Tommy will tell Tubbo the truth. Just not right now, right now they were about to have fun and Tommy really didn’t want to be a debby downer.

The group talked amongst themselves all the way until they arrived at the bowling alley. They walked inside and got a lane, some bowling shoes, and some bowling balls. As the group shed off all of their snow gear, Tubbo only took off his snow jacket. Tubbo still kept on his beanie and gloves. Why? Tommy didn’t know.

Was it to hide his new traits?

(And maybe it was, because when Tommy got a glance at Tubbo’s back there were messy stitches where the holes for his wings to go through would usually be.

Tommy didn’t pry. He didn’t want to make Tubbo uncomfortable on their day of fun. Maybe he’d ask tomorrow, but not today.)

Tommy sat on one of the leather couches beside Tubbo as Charlie and Connor sat in front of them. First up was Schlatt who, surprisingly, got a strike on the first and second tries.

Next up was Ted. Tommy watched as Ted threw his bowling ball and only managed to knock down four pins. Schlatt bursted out laughing. “What the hell man!” Ted shouted.

“I can’t believe you’re so bad at this! Bowling’s so fucking easy!” Schlatt said.

“Shut up, you look like a fucking flinstones character! Go back to the stone ages you fucking caveman,” Ted said. Charlie snickered as Tubbo stated at Ted with an agape mouth and Tommy laughed loudly. Ted grabbed another bowling ball and managed to hit the other six pins. “In your face!” Ted shouted at Schlatt, pointing a finger at the male.

Schlatt frowned. “Whatever! I’m still way ahead of you,” He said.

Tommy grabbed a slice of pizza from the plate of pizza the group had ordered just a few minutes prior. “You do anything fun today, Tubbo?” Charlie asked as Connor got up from his spot and grabbed a ball.

“Uh, I hung out with Mark for a bit,” Tubbo said. “Oh! And I made plans to train with Wilbur tomorrow,” He said.

“You’re heading back to work?” Tommy asked.

“No, I’m just training with Wilbur to see if I got any new abilities cause I didn’t want to trigger a new ability at your place,” Tubbo said. “Because my new traits resemble my dads, Mark said that maybe I might have some of his traits,” He said.

“Oh my god, so you could like. . . probably spit acid or some shit,” Connor said as he threw the bowling ball right into the gutter. Schlatt cackled very loudly.

Tubbo shrugged. “Maybe, that’d be a cool one to have,” He said.

“You know what would be even cooler to have? His roar,” Ted said.

“Oooh!” Tommy shouted in agreement, his eyes wide. “Imagine if you had his roar!”

“I don’t think I’d use it often,” Tubbo said.

“But you’d use spitting acid often?” Tommy questioned.

“Don’t question me,” Tubbo huffed.

Connor had only managed to get three points. “Alright, Tubbo. It’s your turn,” Connor said as he walked back to his seat, head hung low in shame as Schlatt was gasping for air.

Tubbo’s shoulders raised. “Hm? O-oh,” He said softly.

Tubbo slowly walked over to the machine, his gloved hands hovering over the ball. “I think you might have to take off your gloves to grab the ball, kid,” Charlie said.

“Right!” Tubbo said. “Right,” he whispered.

Slowly Tubbo began taking off his gloves revealing his blackened hands with dark claws. Nobody said anything, nobody made a sound, and maybe that just made things worse instead of better because now Tubbo didn’t know how the group felt with his new appearance. Did they too think his hands were monstrous? Were they not saying anything out of respect? Fear?

Tubbo tried to block out those thoughts as he grabbed his ball and then rolled it. He managed to knock down several pins with a thundering crash. Tubbo quickly grabbed another ball as soon the knocked down pins were off the lane and then rolled another ball that knocked down the rest. “Nice throws!” Ted congratulated as he threw an arm over Tubbo’s shoulders.

“Thanks,” Tubbo said softly.

Tubbo went to put back in his gloves but then Ted rested his hand on top of Tubbo’s. Tubbo tried not to think about how Tubbo’s hand was now just as big as Ted’s, how it looked like a black whole was about to swallow Ted’s hand whole. “You don’t need to put them back on. You can leave them off for as long as you want. We’re not gonna judge,” Ted comforted.

Tubbo stared at Ted, something swirling within his chest. He didn’t feel comforted, in fact, it was almost as if Tubbo wanted them to judge him - to judge his appearance. It’s so much easier to just know if people are afraid of you, it makes it so much more difficult when people don’t give into that fear.

(Maybe that’s why Tubbo wasn’t deeply hurt by the fact Tommy was scared of him. It was easier to navigate around Tommy that way.)

Tubbo then looked down at his gloves. “What if someone sees—“

“Then I’ll beat them up,” Tommy interjected.

Tubbo looked over at Tommy, squeezing his gloves tightly.

Tommy didn’t look that scared of Tubbo anymore. Tommy stared into Tubbo’s eyes without glancing around or having the look of fear poorly hidden within them. Tommy looked. . . normal.

Something, finally other than the cursed feeling of dread and hopelessness, started to bloom within Tubbo’s chest. All Tubbo ever wanted, since the beginning of being in hiding, was for Tommy to feel normal and now, as Tubbo stated into Tommy’s eyes, he could see that he finally got what he wanted.

Whatever Jack told Tommy earlier today must’ve worked wonders.

(Tubbo will be sure to thank Jack for whatever he said to Tommy later. Probably tomorrow if the two happened to bump into each other at the headquarters.)

A smile grew onto Tubbo’s face. “Thank you,” He said.

He then looked over Ted. “Thanks for giving us a day of normalcy,” Tubbo said.

Ted grinned. “Of course! Anything for a friend,” He said.

As Tommy stared at the Ted, Tubbo, and the others, he couldn’t help but feel that Bad was right about what he told Tommy earlier, that “blood is thicker than water.”

. . . Tommy will make sure to listen to someone’s words this time around.

Chapter Text

Tubbo kept his wings pressed against his back, his hands shoved into his jackets’ pockets, as he walked towards the hero’s headquarters. As soon as he stepped inside, the tightness within Tubbo’s chest slowly dispersed as he looked at Puffy. “Tubbo!” Puffy called out with a large smile.

Tubbo quickly made his way towards the front desk a smile of his own growing onto his face. “Hi Puffy,” Tubbo greeted.

“What are you doing here? I thought Sam, Karl, and Wilbur were giving you a break til January,” Puffy asked, tilting her head slightly.

“I um, I just wanted to train with Wilbur for a bit because of. . . ya know. . . “ Tubbo trailed off with a slight grimace.

Puffy nodded along. “Well, I’ll have you know that Wilbur is already downstairs in the training room. Try not to work yourself too hard down there or else I’ll have Sally give Wilbur a stern talking to,” She said.

Tubbo chuckled lightly. “Of course!” He said as he began to walk away. “Bye Puffy,” Tubbo said.

“Bye Tubbo,” She replied.

Tubbo turned away from Puffy and walked down the stairs towards the training facility. Even though the elevator was much faster, Tubbo did not want to go through the hassle of being in an elevator with someone else.

Tubbo opened the door that led to the training facility and saw Wilbur pacing back and forth. “Wilbur!” Tubbo called out, causing Wilbur to stop and look over at Tubbo.

“Tubbo!” Wilbur greeted with a smile. “Nice to see you again,” He said.

“It’s nice to see you too,” Tubbo said as he walked inside the room.

“What did you want to try first?” Wilbur asked as Tubbo began to set his belongs down onto some equipment.

Tubbo shrugged. “I guess. . . maybe his strength? Having both his dragon strength and my bee strength would be very deadly if I didn’t know I had it and couldn’t control it,” He said.

Wilbur nodded. “Alright, take off the snow gear and we’ll get started,” He said.

Tubbo swallowed softly. “Yeah. Yeah, okay,” He said softly.

Tubbo slowly unzipped his jacket, his wings spreading out slightly as if they were a butterfly’s wings erupting from its cocoon. He then took off his beanie and then his gloves. Wilbur made no sounds of judgement nor did his eases look falter.

Was Wilbur fine with staring at Tubbo because he looked like Jordan? Or was Wilbur hiding his fear from Tubbo as to not make Tubbo feel bad?

Tubbo didn’t know which was worse.

Wilbur then stepped out of the way so that Tubbo was facing a wall. “Go ahead and punch the wall for me,” He said, gesturing to the wall with a jerk of his head.

“What?”

“Punch the wall. You don’t have to worry about causing damage, this area was built so that anything and everything that’s going on just above us wouldn’t get interrupted by whatever’s going on down here,” Wilbur said. “So, punch the wall.”

Tubbo slowly walked towards the wall.

“And don’t hold anything back, I want you to use your full strength,” Wilbur said.

“Alright,” Tubbo replied as he stood in front of the brick wall.

Tubbo took in a deep breath, dragged his foot back to give himself a better stance, reeled back his fist, and, for the for the first time in a very long time, Tubbo used all of his strength that he could muster up to punch the wall. A resounding crack echoed within the room, causing the room to shake a bit as if there was a small earthquake happening. The bricks Tubbo had punched either fully crumbled onto the floor below, had cracks in them, or was broken in half. The wall Tubbo had punched had a three feet long hole and revealed a third layer of brick wall behind the original wall.

Tubbo stared at the wall in shock. He didn’t expect the damage to be that much, he expected the punch to barely reach the second layer of the brick wall - definitely not the third layer.

“Could you do that before?” Wilbur asked.

“No. . . “ Tubbo answered, taking a couple steps back to fully take in the damage he had done.

If the wall was a person, that person would’ve died upon impact, there would be no saving that person. (The very thought of that made Tubbo shiver in fear.) Tubbo looked down at his hands, there wasn’t a single scratch on ‘em. The only thing that was on Tubbo’s hands were stray pebbles of brick and some dust. Tubbo opened and closed his fists repeatedly, waiting for a sharp sting to shoot throughout his arms, but there was nothing.

He didn’t feel any pain. Just like a monster wouldn’t.

Tubbo could feel his throat close up. He could’ve instantly killed a person before ever getting the dreamon drug anyways! Why was it different now?!

A string of steam left the corner of Tubbo’s mouth and his eyes widened.

“Do your hands hurt after that?” Wilbur asked softly, placing a hand on Tubbo’s shoulder.

Tubbo jumped slightly, turning to face Wilbur. He didn’t hear Wilbur walking towards him. Wilbur probably thought that Tubbo’s hands hurt because of how long he was staring at them. “No; I don’t-I don’t feel anything. I was just. . . staring in shock,” Tubbo said, causing Wilbur to hum slightly.

“Guess we check off the dragon strength,” Wilbur muttered. He then walked over to the hole and began examining it. “Looks to be about a foot deep,” He noted, causing Tubbo to grimace a bit. How did he make a hole, that was a foot deep, in multiple brick walls and his hand was unscathed? “Remind me to never make you mad,” Wilbur teased with a small smile. Tubbo gave Wilbur a strained smile in return. Wilbur looked back at the wall. “Punch another hole in the wall, but try to hold back this time,” He suggested.

Tubbo walked over to another area on the wall. He took the same stance as he did before, reeled back his fist, and tried to hold back his combined strength as if he was still only holding back his bee strength. Tubbo punched the wall. It was just as big as the previous hole but this time it was two feet deep, the second layer of brick had been eroded only halfway through.

Tubbo frowned. It was still a deadly punch. Did he only hold back his bee strength this time? Did he barely hold back any strength at all? The more Tubbo thought about it, the more agitated he got. Another small string of steam left his mouth.

Tubbo quickly turned his head away from Wilbur’s line of sight and tried his best to calm himself down.

“We’ll need to work on that punch,” Wilbur noted.

Wilbur took a step away from the previous hole and picked up a metal bat that was laying down on a mat. Wilbur walked over to Tubbo with the bat.

“You’re not gonna try and hit me with that to see if my body could dent that, are you?” Tubbo asked. Wilbur gave Tubbo a look and shook his head. “What d’you want me to do then?” Tubbo questioned with a quirked brow.

“Bite it.”

Tubbo’s face scrunched up. “What?!”

“Your father had a bite strong enough to dent steel, if you can successfully bite through this bat as if it was food then we’ll know if we have your dad’s bite or not. It’s easy,” Wilbur shrugged.

Tubbo hesitantly grabbed the bat from Wilbur’s hand. “But if I don’t have my dads bite then I’ll break my jaw,” Tubbo countered.

“You won’t break your jaw,” Wilbur argued.

“How do you know?”

“Because you have your father’s strength. If you didn’t, then I wouldn’t be giving you the brat. If your fist can go through two layers of brick, without any damage to your hand, I’m sure your jaw can handle a metal bat,” Wilbur stated.

Tubbo grabbed the bat, held it horizontally, and brought it closer to his mouth.

And then he stopped.

“Can’t we just try a different way?” Tubbo asked.

“Tubbo, I swear, you’re gonna be fine,” Wilbur comforted.

Tubbo let out a deep sigh before angling the bat towards his molars and bit down. It had taken maybe three or four seconds for the bat to dent and squish down. As soon as Tubbo’s jaw was close to closing, he pulled away the bat, you could clearly see his teeth marks within the bat. Which definitely meant that Tubbo had the dragon bite but didn’t have acid spit.

“Okay so dragon bite is a check and acid spit is crossed off,” Wilbur said.

“Thank god,” Tubbo whispered.

At least with the dragon strength and bite, Tubbo could at least train to hold back the amount of damage they do, but Tubbo did not know how he’d be able to keep back the acid spit.

“Next up, the roar,” Wilbur said.

Tubbo frowned deeply. “I am not doing the roar,” Tubbo said bluntly.

“Do the roar.”

“No.”

Wilbur raised a brow. “Why not?”

“Because I’m gonna look like an idiot if it doesn’t work,” Tubbo said.

“There’s nobody else in here that could tell you that you look like an idiot,” Wilbur shot down.

“You’re in here,” Tubbo pointed out.

Wilbur’s jaw dropped slightly. “Are you saying I’d make fun of you?” He asked in fake offense. “Tubbo, how could you think so lowly of me?” He continued as Tubbo stared at him blankly. “Why I’d never make fun of an employee.” Tubbo kept his blank stare. “That’s honestly so rude to assume of me.” Tubbo didn’t budge. “Like honestly! It’s just—yeah, no, I would’ve laughed at you,” Wilbur said, finally caving in.

“That’s what I thought,” Tubbo said.

“Still! It’s worth to try,” Wilbur said.

“Well. . . what if I try to do the roar and instead I do the fire breathing thing?” Tubbo asked.

Wilbur furrowed his brows. “Wouldn’t that be a good thing? We’d know that, one, you don’t have the roar and, two, you can summon your fire breathing by trying to roar,” He said.

Tubbo shrugged. “I guess I’m not that comfortable with trying to fire breathe again. I don’t exactly of the best memory of using it,” He said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Tubbo’s sadness and anger only fueled the burning sensation in his throat. It begged to be released. Tubbo had to release it. He wanted to release it. Tubbo then looked up at the ceiling and took in a deep, shaky breath. Tubbo needed the heroes to hurry, and if Mark couldn’t make them hurry, he will.

Slowly, Tubbo opened his mouth. And as a bright purple light illuminated the inside of the warehouse, a large purple flame left Tubbo’s mouth. The burning sensation in his throat began to cool down. The shape of the purple flame mimicked the sight of a dragon as it approached the ceiling. The flames burnt off a bit of the roof and acted as a beacon, as if it was saying: “We’re here! Come get us!”

Tubbo would rather die than relive that pain and helplessness again. Trying to comfort a bleeding out Tommy, trying to make sure his eyes didn’t close, and trying to make sure that Tubbo himself didn’t worry Tommy. . . it was all too much. Tubbo never wanted to feel that scared of losing someone so dear and close to him ever again. And doing the fire breathing, it would cause the memories to rush to Tubbo’s head.

And if Tubbo got overwhelmed whilst fire breathing who knows what could happen.

Tubbo didn’t want to hurt anyone. He wasn’t that type of person.

Wilbur’s eyes softened at Tubbo’s tensed body language. “I think that’s enough for right now. How about you go take a break?” Wilbur said, patting Tubbo in the shoulder.

“But—! We barely did anything,” Tubbo said. Did Tubbo blow it? Did Wilbur think Tubbo wasn’t ready enough yet?

“After your break we can continue but you look like you could use a break - just for some food or some socialization,” Wilbur suggested. “It won’t kill ya to take a break,” He said.

Tubbo let out a light sigh. “Alright, I’ll make my way back down in twenty minutes,” He said as he made his way towards the doors and then the stairs.

Tubbo walked up the stairs all the way to the second floor. Once Tubbo opened the door to the second floor, he made his way over to Sam’s office. It had been awhile since the teen had last spoken to Sam and, honestly, Tubbo was starting to really miss the guy.

Tubbo softly knocked on Sam’s office door. “Come in,” Sam called out.

Tubbo slowly opened the door, peeking his head inside. “Bo,” Sam breathed out with a smile.

Tubbo could feel the warmth blossoming within his chest at the old nickname. “Hi. . . Sam,” Tubbo said, grimacing slightly at how he stumbled over the name. Tubbo didn’t know if it okay to call Sam “Dad” again just yet. Was Tubbo supposed to wait longer for this sort of thing?

Sam’s posture didn’t slack down nor did his smile. Tubbo was grateful for that. “What’re you doing here?” He asked.

Tubbo closed the door behind and walked up to Sam’s desk. “I was just. . . training with Wilbur earlier, to see if I had any of my dad’s abilities,” Tubbo said, slowly taking a seat across from Sam.

“Did you?” Sam asked, his paperwork no longer his priority.

“I had a couple,” Tubbo shrugged. “Like his dragon strength and his dragon bite,” He said.

Sam shook his head as he let out a low chuckle. “Your father was never that good at coming up with original names was he?” He asked.

Tubbo let out a light huff of amusement. “No, he really wasn’t,” Tubbo replied.

“Did you try training your fire breathing?” Sam questioned.

Tubbo glanced down at his hands. “No. I don’t think I’m comfortable enough to work with it just yet. I mean, it just reminds me of how desperate I was to get Tommy help and. . . I don’t think I’m ready to face it again,” He said.

Sam nodded. “That’s understandable,” He said. “Speaking of Tommy, is he alright?”

Tubbo made a face. “Yeah, he’s-he’s doing great!” He exclaimed. “Why do you ask?”

“Oh,” Sam said. “I just—I thought that, you know, because of what happened yesterday, Tommy would be a bit upset,” He shrugged. “I guess not.”

“What?” Tubbo asked. “All that happened yesterday was that Tommy talked with Jack,” He said.

“Well yes, he talked with Jack and Rebecca and—“ Tubbo furrowed his brows in confusion, “—Did you not know he talked with Rebecca. . . or anyone else?” Sam asked.

“No, he-he didn’t,” Tubbo answered. “Wait. . . anyone else? Who else did he talk to?”

“Dream.”

Tubbo’s eyes widened. “Dream?! He talked with Dream? What did they talk about?” He asked.

Sam looked away from Tubbo. “I don’t think it’s my place to tell you what went down. That’s something you’d have to ask Tommy.”

“If I ask Tommy about it he’s just gonna give me the watered down version or just lie about it! Please Sam, tell me what they talked about,” Tubbo begged.

Sam let out a sigh. “Tommy came to Pandora’s Vault, asking to visit Dream because he had previously spoken with Jack and Rebecca and they had questions that they wanted answered by Dream. I let Tommy come inside under the promise that he’d only ask Dream their questions and some of Tommy’s own questions,” Sam said. “It was a very tense discussion and then Tommy asked if he would do it all again and Dream gave him a resounding yes.”

Tubbo felt his heart shatter. Dream would do it all again? He’d kidnap multiple again? He’d have Tommy and Tubbo go into hiding again? Have Tommy and Tubbo live in hiding for months out of fear of being arrested and being put in a cell next to Dream?. . . He’d kill Jordan again? “What?” Tubbo whispered, his voice weak.

Sam nodded. “And that pissed Tommy off. Next thing I know, Tommy throws himself at Dream and start punching him. I got Tommy off of him and Bad grabbed Dream to put him back in his cell,” Sam said.

Sam opened his mouth to continue but Tubbo spoke up. “I need to go speak with Tommy,” He said quickly as he stood up.

Sam nodded. “I’ll tell Wilbur something came up and you won’t be able to continue training,” He said.

“Thanks Sam,” Tubbo said before quickly leaving Sam’s office and making his way to the elevator.

Tubbo felt like his thoughts were going a million miles per second as he stood on the elevator, waiting for it to reach the first floor. What would he even say to Tommy? Why didn’t you tell me you visited Pandora’s Vault? Why did you only tell me you visited Jack? Why did Dream’s victims give you questions to ask to Dream himself? Is it futile to try and help Dream? Was Tubbo an idiot for ever—?

No! Now he’s making this about him! This isn’t about him! This is about Dream and Tommy and possibly Jack and Rebecca. Tubbo didn’t fit into the equation anywhere.

Tubbo quickly walked out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened.

“Tubbo?” Puffy called out in worry.

“I’m okay! Just-just got some stuff to handle!” Tubbo replied, not even sparing Puffy a glance as he walked out of the building.

Tubbo walked all the way to his car and quickly drove back to Tommy’s place.

Chapter Text

Tubbo walked up to the front door, unlocked it, and stepped inside. “Tubbo? Is that you? You’re back early,” Tommy called out from the couch he was sitting on.

“Did you go to Pandora’s Vault yesterday?”

Tommy froze.

“Where’d you hear that from?” Tommy asked as he stood up.

“Sam told me,” Tubbo said and Tommy closed his eyes tightly at that. “Why didn’t you tell me the truth? And why didn’t you tell me that Dream said he’d do everything all over again?” He asked.

“I didn’t even know how to process it. I still don’t! Tubbo. . . the things he told me, the things he did. . . I don’t think we’re ever getting Clay back,” Tommy said in an almost whisper.

Despite the pure hatred Tommy had towards Dream, since going in hiding, he was still saddened by the fact that he will never be able to get his big brother back. He had lost his hero.

“What did he say?” Tubbo asked, as he softly grabbed Tommy’s hands and the two sat down on the wooden floor.

They sat there for god knows how long as Tommy went through everything that happened the other day. From driving to Jack’s house all the way to sitting on the steps of Pandora’s Vault with Bad - Tommy told Tubbo everything. It was like Tommy couldn’t stop, that he didn’t want to be the only one burdened by such knowledge. Tommy came very close to stopping multiple times from the dejected look on Tubbo’s face, how his hands squeezed Tommy’s in a way to comfort himself. But Tommy couldn’t. His mouth refused to shut unless he got everything out, every little detail had to be spoken. (Tommy obviously said very little about Vikk, Tubbo probably would’ve thrown up or stormed all the way to Pandora’s Vault.)

Even though Tubbo looked liked he wanted Tommy to stop — he listened. He never stopped listening. He had never heard Tommy talk so much in his life. What happened yesterday caused Tommy a lot of pain and distress. As a kid, you’re taught from a very young age, by most likely your parents or teachers, that if a person hurts you, you have a few options: you can hurt them back, report them, forgive them, or ignore it. But. . . nobody teaches you what to do when a loved one hurts you — nobody thinks that far ahead because, why would you ever want to hurt your loved ones? It’s evil, it’s grotesque, it’s something Dream loves doing.

Tommy cried, hiccuping and sniffling his way through his sentences. And when he was done, Tubbo slowly reached out and hugged Tommy. Tommy tightly hugged Tubbo back, grabbing fistfuls of Tubbo’s shirt as he hid his face in the crook of Tubbo’s neck — sobbing loudly. Tubbo’s wings wrapped around Tommy as if they were a blanket, he almost let out a thank you to his wings for not crushing his sobbing brother.

“I can’t believe the drug activated that quickly,” Tubbo breathed out. “All those. . . all those months we spent with him and he was—god” He winced. Tubbo let go unspoken that if it took Dream that quickly to turn, how long would it take for Tubbo to follow suite? He doesn’t want to become even more like a monster. He doesn’t wanna hurt anyone.

“It was never the drug that made Dream this way,” Tommy said through gasps for air.

“What do you mean?” Tubbo asked.

“The drug only amplifies emotions. It doesn’t put any new thoughts in there - just amplifies them. Dream had wanted to do this, had thoughts of doing it — the drug just made those thoughts. . . louder. Took away any morality from the thoughts,” Tommy breathed out.

“Tommy—“

“Wanna know how else I know?”

Tubbo swallowed lightly. “How else?” He questioned.

“Cause you’re nothing like him.”

Tubbo’s bottom lip quivered, his eyes watering over. He doesn’t know why that’s the greatest and biggest thing someone’s ever told him. He doesn’t know why that statement gave him so much comfort. Tubbo lightly shook his head. “We were infected by two different strands,” He argued lightly.

Tommy shook as his head, sniffling loudly. “Barbara said that yours was supposed to amplify everything. You were supposed to be worse than Dream. But you’re not,” He said. “You’re better than him. Always have been.”

“Tommy, I look like a monster. I have the abilities of one.”

Tommy’s arms loosened, his hug going from one desperate for comfort to comforting. “But you don’t act like one,” He breathed out. “Tell me, have you ever had any thoughts of hurting someone? Of torturing people?”

Tubbo shook his head rapidly. “No. No, I haven’t. I’ve just been. . . more. . . sad,” He replied.

Tommy slowly sat up, removed Tubbo’s arms that were wrapped around him, and held Tubbo’s hands. “You’re not like him,” He stated. “And. . . I’m so sorry that I-I was ever afraid of you,” Tommy said.

“I knew that,” Tubbo said softly. Tubbo then looked down at their hands, well, more like a black abyss swallowing up Tommy’s hands. Tubbo hated that, that was consistent thought of his. Why couldn’t he just see it as someone holding his hands? “But I don’t blame you. . . because I’m afraid of myself as well,” He admitted quietly.

Tommy’s eyes softened. “Do you want to talk about it?” He asked.

Tubbo tensed slightly. Was he ready to talk about it? To speak about how he hates looking at himself in the mirror because every time he passes by it, he sees a monster out of the corner of his eye? How his wings feel like the heaviest thing ever and they look horrid on him? How his hands and arms look too much like the depths of the ocean - and he hates the ocean?

. . . No.

He wasn’t comfortable saying all of that. But maybe he could try and say some of them.

Tubbo swallowed. “Um. . . this—Tommy, I don’t know how to control my new abilities. They-they inflict so much damage. Damage that I don’t want to unleash onto another person. I could kill someone, fracture their entire skeleton, with a single punch. How horrifying is that?” Tubbo said. “Not to mention, I look the part! When I look at my hands. . . that don’t look like they belong to me. They don’t look like they should be attached to me. And it. . . it gets so much worse when I hold another persons hand — it just looks like a black hole swallowing them up,” He cried.

Tommy slowly moved his hands towards Tubbo’s shoulders and pulled him into a hug. Tubbo wrapped his arms around Tommy’s waist, sniffling on his shoulder. “Remember when I asked you if you’d ever lose me to the drug?” Tubbo whispered.

“I’m not losing you to that drug,” Tommy stated, his tone leaving no room for any arguments.

“I know. But what if you ever lost me because of. . . myself?” Tubbo asked.

Tommy’s body tensed up and hugged Tubbo tighter at that. Tubbo didn’t know if it was to comfort him or himself or both. “I am never losing you,” Tommy declared, his voice shaking. “I love you too much to lose you, I’d just follow after.”

Tubbo gave Tommy a small squeeze, a gesture with too much meaning behind it.

They stayed sitting on the floor, in each other’s arms, for a good half an hour — both too scared to let go and desperate to receive more comfort. They both knew that after today they’d probably never bring this up again, too much to relive, so they wanted to make the most out of the moment and if that meant staying in each other’s grasp - then by god they were gonna stay like that until Karl, Quackity, or Sapnap came back home.

Because it was Tubbo and Tommy who would always be there for their other half.

Always has been, always will be.

Chapter Text

It had been a while since Tommy and Tubbo spoke to Punz, Boomer, and Purpled. Neither really had the chance to reach out towards the trio since they woke up and Tommy did want to apologize to Punz for how he acted the last time they met.

Tubbo was the first to step inside the tattoo shop, Tommy standing behind him. Boomer looked up from his phone and slowly stood up. “Well I’ll be. . . never thought I’d see you two pissers back here,” He smiled. “Punz! Purpled! We got guests!”

Punz stepped out from the beaded curtain and his shoulders immediately dropped when he saw Tubbo and Tommy. “You two look. . . fucked up,” He said as he walked towards the duo, hugging them tightly.

“Says you,” Tommy shot back as he patted Punz shoulder.

“It’s nice to see you too, Punz,” Tubbo greeted.

Punz pulled away from the hug. “What bring you two here anyways? I doubt you got a job for me,” He said.

Tubbo looked up at Tommy and then gestured to Punz with his head. Tommy took in a deep breath. “I wanted to. . . apologize for what happened when we last saw each other. I was hurt and desperate for answers and I shouldn’t have taken out my anger on you when you just. . . wanted to help,” He said.

Punz shook his head. “I would’ve done the same thing. You were right to take your anger out on me,” He said. “But if it makes you feel better, I accept your apology and apologize as well for trying to tell you what to do instead of telling you the full truth.”

“Apology accepted,” Tommy replied.

“I should also apologize!”

Tommy and Tubbo looked behind Punz to see a blonde boy with purple antennas, a two purple-like streaks of scales under both of his eyes. “I’m the one who called Tubbo to check in on Punz. I-I stupidly led Tubbo right into Dream’s hands,” The boy said.

“Purpled,” Punz began.

“I know you said not to blame myself but— they at least deserve an apology from me,” Purpled said.

Tubbo walked over to Purpled and stood in front of the teen, he then smiled sadly at Purpled. “I don’t blame you for what happened to me. I would’ve done the same if I were you. You were worried for your friend and wanted to get help for him, I understand that feeling. Though, maybe next, do tell me to put my guard up,” Tubbo said.

Purpled nodded. “Yeah. No, yeah, of course,” He said.

“So,” Boomer dragged out. “How’ve you guys been?” They asked.

The group talked for god knows how long, catching up. Boomer whined about how fixing up the place was so expensive and joked that they should’ve sued Dream for vandalizing their property, Purpled mentioned that he had convinced one of the officers at the station to arm wrestle with him and he won in less than five seconds, Punz, however, seemed to be interested on how Tubbo and Tommy have been healing since leaving the hospital.

“What about you Tubbo?” Punz asked. “How’s being a mixed hybrid and all, if that’s okay with me asking,” He said.

“It’s. . . weird. And a bit isolating,” Tubbo admitted.

Boomer tilted his head slightly, “How so?”

“It’s just. . . I have these new abilities and nobody to turn to. It was different with my bee abilities because I was born with them, they didn’t feel strange or new and it was like. . . walking and talking for me, but this? This is entirely different,” Tubbo said. “The only dragon hybrid that was in my life, who I could turn to, was my dad and well. . . he’s dead.”

“What about your dads parents? Surely they could give you a few pointers,” Purpled offered.

Tubbo winced. “I’ve never talked to my grandparents before. My dad hasn’t been on speaking terms with them ever since I was born,” He said.

Punz furrowed his brows. “Why’s that?” He asked.

“They were ashamed of me,” Tubbo said, causing the trios brows to furrow. “My grandparents always thought that my dads firstborn would’ve been a dragon hybrid, just like them. So when it was revealed that I was a bee hybrid they freaked out - they said that if my dad had married a human woman instead of a bee-hybrid, then I would’ve turned out perfect,” He said.

“Oh,” Punz grimaced as he tightly shut his eyes and angled his head up at the sky. “That’s so. . . ugh,” He shivered in disgust.

Tubbo nodded. “My dad was furious at them and got into an argument with ‘em. Never spoke with each other since. When my dad died, they didn’t even show up to his funeral,” Tubbo said.

“Yeah. . . going to them sounds like a bad idea now,” Purpled said.

“What if you could ask your dad?”

Tubbo looked over at Boomer. “What d’ya mean?” He asked.

“Boomer’s a necromancer,” Punz answered. “They can summon those that are dead into the living world and allow the deceased to communicate with the living. However, it can only be used for a limited amount of time cause it drains them really fucking fast,” He said.

“The longest I could keep a ghost in the “mortal plane” was about an hour,” Boomer said.

“And your average time?” Tommy asked.

“twenty-five minutes,” Boomer answered with a saddened look. “And after that, I’m unconscious for about five to seven hours.”

Tubbo looked down at the tiles below. “I’d have to make our talk really quick then,” He said softly.

“Yeah, sorry kid. You won’t really be able to. . . reminisce with him,” Boomer said as he rested his hands onto Tubbo’s shoulders. “I wanna help you out here, man. But, in order for me to help you, you gotta make sure you got some solid questions to ask your pops,” He continued and Tubbo nodded solemnly. “But, that doesn’t mean I want you to limit your questions. Hell, your question could be the dumbest fucking question ever about dragon-hybrids and I would seriously not care. I want you to ask your pops whatever comes to mind just. . . quickly,” Boomer said.

“You’d really do that for me? Even though I could easily drive down to my grandparents place? It would be easier,” Tubbo said.

“Kid,” Boomer began. “I know we don’t know a lot about each other, but I do know that Punz has one hell of a soft spot for ya. And whoever is a friend to that fuckin’ walking axe body spray—“

“Dude!” Punz barked.

“—Is a friend to me,” Boomer continued as he grinned widely.

“Thanks Boomer,” Tubbo said as he gave the adult a soft smile. “I owe you one.”

Boomer shook his head. “Nah man. Think of this as a thanks for helping Punz,” He smiled back.

“Okay,” Tommy began as he clasped his hands. “Where we doing this?” He asked.

The group stood inside a closed off room, multiple candles lit around them as Boomer sat in the middle of the floor and Tubbo stood a couple feet in front of him. “What’s all the candles for?” Tommy asked. “Isn’t this like a fire hazard?” He muttered.

“It’s let’s him focus. And it’s an easy indicator to know whether or not a ghost shows up,” Punz whispered.

Tommy furrowed his brows slightly and opened his mouth to ask how candles would help them know whether or not a ghost shows up but he remained silent when the flames on the candles began to flicker, waving about in the non-existent wind.

“That was quick,” Purpled noted quietly.

Punz softly shushed the teen and the trio watched as a figure began to form in the air between Boomer and Tubbo. Dragon like wings began to rise from the forms back and horns grew out of it’s head. The form began to become more detailed, it’s body covered by clothing. Tommy had to bite his cheek as tears began forming in his eyes once the form gained a face. The familiar face of Jordan Underscore.

Tubbo kept his hands to his side, his wings lowering onto the floor. “Start the timer,” Tubbo called out and Purpled quickly took out his phone and started the time.

Jordan slowly landed on the floor below, wings outstretched as if they were the ones lowering him down. He had a low, white glow surrounding his, almost translucent, body. Jordan looked down at his hands with furrowed brows and then looked up, making eye contact with Tubbo.

“Bo. . . “ Jordan whispered softly, his tone full of adoration and love and Tommy had to turn away. It pained him to see Jordan standing there, to see how alive he looked. Jordan didn’t deserve what happened to him. Jordan, the man who loved the little things about people. Jordan, the man who took Tommy and Clay in after their parents died. Jordan, the man who felt like a second dad to Tommy.

Jordan, the man who should’ve lived.

(And though Tommy wasn’t the one who killed Jordan, who had stabbed Jordan in the side and left him to bleed out and die, he felt such horrific guilt as if he was the perpetrator.)

And then if that didn’t hurt already, Jordan looked over at Tommy. “Toms?” He asked.

Tommy looked over at the ghost. “Hi, Jordan,” He greeted weakly.

“Look at you!” Jordan grinned. “You got big! Like the new hairdo,” He said.

Tommy reached up to touch the ends of his hair which still had some black near the bottom. “Thanks,” He said with a weak smile.

“Dad,” Tubbo began, chasing Jordan to return his focus back to his boy. “Um. . . you’re currently being summoned by a friend of mine. Boomer. To help me,” He said.

“Help you?” Jordan said slowly. “In what way?”

Tubbo swallowed thickly. “Um it’s about my new form,” He began. “I-I have some of your abilities and obviously some of your physical traits and-and I didn’t know who else to turn to, to ask how I control these abilities,” He said. “I just. . . I don’t wanna hurt anyone on accident.”

Jordan furrowed his brows upward, staring at his son sadly. “Bo,” Jordan said gently as he took a step foreword, his hand outstretched. Tubbo slowly grabbed Jordan’s hand and almost burst into sobs over touching his father. Jordan then yanked Tubbo into a hug, causing Tubbo to collide onto Jordan’s chest. Tubbo immediately relaxed into the hug, his wings felt a tad bit lighter on his back and they went to wrap around Jordan’s figure. “For younger dragons, their abilities rely on their emotions. As they get older they can use it on command,” He said. “It all depends on your current state, that’s why dragon hybrids don’t really live out in the city and live in the country. Less stress out in the fields,” Jordan explained.

“I think that’s gonna be a bit difficult,” Tubbo muttered, as he pulled away from Jordan.

“How so?”

Tubbo looked at Jordan. “With how everything’s been and how I turned into this, it’s just. . . it’s a lot,” He said as he looked down at the ground. Tubbo was too ashamed to admit to his father he was drugged, that he has a strain of the dreamon drug currently coursing through his veins and that’s what turned him into a mixed hybrid.

“Tubbo,” Jordan began and Tubbo’s pretty sure that that’s the first time his father ever called him by his full name. Jordan rested his hands on Tubbo’s shoulders and looked into his eyes. “I want you to know that even though I’m dead, you can still talk to me. You can come visit my grave and I will do whatever I can to make sure I can hear you. I will listen to you and I will guide you to the best of my ability,” He said.

Tubbo’s bottom lip trembled. He felt like a little kid all over again as he stared into his fathers eyes. “I hate it,” Tubbo breathes out, the confession coming out of his mouth quickly - as if he was at confessional and was stood in front of a priest. “I hate looking like this - I hate this body. I-I only look this way because of some strand of the dreamon drug that I got infected with!” Tubbo could feel his wings get heavier, he hunched over himself - hugging his own torso. “I-I look like a monster and I have the abilities of one and—and— I’m so scared,” Tubbo sobbed. “You were this amazing hero, this amazing person. And when I didn’t look like you that much, I was fine with some of the expectation people had for me, but now?! Now, I’m scared that I’ll have to live up to you and I don’t even know how to be normal—!”

Jordan pulled Tubbo into a tight hug as Tubbo sobbed loudly into the embrace, his hands clutching at Jordan’s shirt. Jordan held the back of Tubbo’s head, shushing him softly.

Tommy watched as Jordan lifted a hand to wipe his own eyes. Purpled and Punz looked away, feeling as if they were intruding in on a private, sensitive moment.

“I’m sorry,” Jordan whispered to his boy. “I’m so sorry. You’re just a kid, you don’t deserve this - I never would’ve—I should have never left you,” He said, his voice quiet and cracking.

It’s one thing to hear from your child that their scared of their powers. It’s another to hear from your child that their scared of themselves. It’s heartbreaking, it’s something you never want to hear leave their mouths, and it was Jordan’s worst fear.

Jordan raised Tubbo to be filled with love and good, raised Tubbo to love himself and others. And now, because of this dreamon drug strand that Tubbo’s been infected with, Tubbo hates himself.

No, worse than hate.

Tubbo’s scared of himself.

What do you even say to that? What do you say that will bring that person comfort? “You don’t look like a monster?” Yeah right, Tubbo’s probably heard it all before.

Jordan decided to do what he does best: voice his love for his boy.

Jordan planted a kiss on top of Tubbo’s head, pressing his lips hard against Tubbo’s skull to the point Jordan could feel his teeth against his lips. Jordan then lifted his head slightly. “Bo,” Jordan began. “I want—no, I need you to understand that what you look like or what made you look like this doesn’t define you. I know you, Bo. And I know that you’d never hurt anyone, not in the way you think you would. And if anyone tries to compare you to me, I want you to punch them in the face because I want you to be your own person. I don’t want you to be like me, I saw what happened to the last guy who got compared to me so much and I don’t want you going down that same route,” Jordan said.

“Five minutes left,” Purpled announced.

Tubbo sniffled loudly and Jordan pulled away from the hug and cupped Tubbo’s face with a sad smile tugging at his lips. “I love you, Bo. Forever and always. You are my one greatest and most beautiful creation ever,” He said. “If I could do it all over again, I would do it in a heartbeat. I’d make sure to do all the stuff we never got to do together,” Jordan let out a rough, wet exhale, tears trailing down his cheeks. In that moment, Tubbo realized that was the first time he’d ever seen his dad sob. “That we’d spend more time together and I-I’d inform you everything about dragon hybrid’s.”

Jordan wiped away Tubbo’s tears with his thumbs which only made Tubbo cry harder.

“I love you, my darling boy.”

“I love—“ Tubbo hiccuped, “—I love you too.”

Jordan drew in a deep breath as he let go of Tubbo. “I think it’s time for me to go. Unless you have any more questions?” He asked.

Tubbo shook his head, his hands trembling at his sides as he had to hold back the urge to reach out for his father. “No, you. . . you gave me my answer. Thank you,” Tubbo said softly.

Jordan smiled, “Goodbye, Bo.”

Tubbo blinked and he felt like crying all over again. “Goodbye, dad,” He said.

Jordan then looked over at Tommy, “Goodbye, Toms.”

“Goodbye—“ the words “dad” were caught in Tommy’s throat. (If you asked him later on, he’d lie to you and say he didn’t know whether to say Mr.Underscore or Jordan, but if you knew Tommy, you’d know that he was lying because he had never called Jordan “Mr.Underscore” in all the years he had known the man.) “—Jordan,” Tommy said with a nod.

The ghost of Jordan then smiled wider and faded away, the candles blew out and Boomer fell to his side, his chest falling and rising slowly - as if he was in deep sleep.

Tubbo’s legs gave out from under him and he landed roughly onto his knees. Tommy walked over, crouched down, and hugged Tubbo tightly from his side - his temple resting on Tubbo’s shoulder blade as Tubbo’s shoulders shook with his silent cries.

Punz then walked over and picked up Boomer. “We’ll give you two some space,” He said softly before he and Purpled walked out of the room, closing the door behind them.

“You okay?” Tommy asked.

“No,” Tubbo answered honestly, “But I’m gonna try to be.” He then sniffled and looked over at Tommy. “You okay?”

“No,” Tommy replied truthfully. “But I will be.”

Tubbo squeezed Tommy’s arm slightly and Tommy squeezed Tubbo back and the two sat there for a little bit longer, enjoying each other’s company and comfort.

Chapter Text

On December 26th, Jordan Underscore’s funeral was held outside underneath a large umbrella.

Guests sat just in front of his grave. A priest stood the closest, giving a speech about life and death or something along those lines - Tubbo can’t remember what his exact words were, he wasn’t listening. What Tubbo did remember, though, was that he was sat within the crowd, his leg bouncing rapidly as he held his eulogy speech in his lap. He remembered Tommy holding his hand, squeezing it to comfort Tubbo and himself. And he remembered that Clay sat beside Tommy, glancing over at Tubbo every now with tear filled eyes, checking in on the teen. (Tubbo now wondered if it was out of guilt or fake or if Dream was genuinely worried.)

Tubbo didn’t know what to do at funeral’s.

Sure the last funeral he had went to was Clay and Tommy’s parents and little sister’s funeral but that was in a church. Tubbo didn’t know what to do outside of a church. Not to mention, they had buried empty caskets - Tommy once said he was thankful for that a bit, he would’ve been much more of a mess if the caskets actually had bodies within them.

Then the Priest walked away from the grave, joined the guests, and that was Tubbo’s cue to give his speech.

Tubbo took in a deep breath, received one last squeeze from Tommy, then stood up and walked over to the grave.

Tubbo tried his hardest not to look inside the hole. Even though the casket was closed, Tubbo couldn’t bare to look inside knowing that his father was in there. The man who did his absolute best to raise Tubbo, the man who was always there, the man who was murdered.

Tubbo stood beside the grave and unfolded his speech.

“Um,” Tubbo began softly, glancing up at the crowd. He hated that everyone was looking at him with pity in their eyes.

He also hated how earlier, everyone told him that he didn’t need to be strong, that it was okay for him to cry. Tubbo knew that it was okay to cry! It was his fucking father’s funeral! He just. . . couldn’t, he had cried too much the night prior within Tommy and Clay’s arms, his tears had been all used up.

“Th-thank you all. . . for coming out here today,” He said weakly, his voice trembling along with his knees. “My dad was uh, was a good man. My mother died after I was born, leaving my dad to raise all on his own. I never told him but, he did a wonderful job playing the role of both parents,” Tubbo smiled, but his smile soon fell due to his quivering lips.

Tubbo took in a deep breath. “Before-before my dad died, I had asked him if he was leaving me too. I know it was dumb to ask, but in that moment I felt so small, I felt like a little kid. I just wanted my dad. I wanted him to be okay—“ Tubbo voice cracked as tears stung his eyes and saliva began to build up in his mouth. Tubbo then roughly swallowed and sniffled. “—I begged him not to leave me.”

Tubbo didn’t glance up at the crowd. He didn’t want to see their reactions, didn’t want to see them covering their mouths with their hand or blink back their tears. Tubbo just wanted to get out of their line of sight, he wanted to get away from all this attention on him. (Though maybe if he had looked up, he would’ve seen Hannah and Phil glaring over at Clay. Sure, Tubbo would’ve thought of it as weird, at the moment, but the dots could’ve been connected sooner.)

“He told me that I’m never alone, that he’ll always be with me in my heart just like mom,” Tubbo said. “Ever since I was a little kid he’d use that line on me. At seven years old it meant a lot, but at seventeen, it was heartbreaking. I know it’s dumb but when he said that, that’s when I truly realized he was dying,” He whispered.

Tubbo took in a deep breath. “Just three days ago I celebrated my eighteenth birthday and I found—“ He choked up, “—I found my presents underneath his bed,” He sobbed. “I found my birthday and Christmas presents underneath his bed. And I couldn’t bring myself to open them.” Tubbo dragged his sleeve under his nose, trying to clear his nose of snot as he sniffled. “As I speak, those presents are still sitting on my desk, in my room, still wrapped up and written to me in my dad’s handwriting - and I don’t know why I can’t bring myself to open them.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Tubbo watched Phil wipe his eyes.

“Maybe it’s because I’m scared that whatever my dad got me, might cause me to cry like a little baby. Not because they were bad—“ a few chuckles rang out, “—but because they’re the last things he got for me. Or maybe it’s because you could tell he wrapped the presents himself; they’re messy and poorly done and his handwriting is a mess, but it’s so clearly him. And maybe that means more to me than whatever he got for me,” Tubbo said, his hands shaking.

Tubbo sniffled as he looked past the crowd, straight at a tree behind them. He couldn’t bring himself to look them all dead in the eye as he spoke. “My dad used to tell me, that-that memories exist outside of time and have no beginning or end. He said, within my heart, he and mom will be with me. . . forever,” Tubbo took in a short breath, blinking rapidly as tears began to fall.

Tubbo finally turned to the casket within the ground. “I miss you, dad,” He cried. “I miss you until I close my eyes—“ he hiccuped, “—and I imagine you and mom with me, on Christmas Day, cooking gingerbread men as you make hot chocolate for us,” Tubbo said tearfully before taking in a breath.

“That’s-that’s all,” Tubbo said as he folded his speech and people began clapping as Tubbo walked back to his seat.

He remembered crying softly in his chair as Tommy hugged him tightly and Clay reaching over and rubbing his back for a bit.

Tubbo stood in front of his fathers grave, a fresh bouquet of flowers held within his hands.

Tubbo never really realized how long he had gone without visiting Jordan until he saw the remains of black, dead, petals lying upon Jordan’s tombstone. Tubbo guessed the flowers had died and the bouquet either got thrown away or blown away.

Tubbo took in a deep breath and then gently placed the bouquet onto the grass just in front of Jordan’s tombstone. Tubbo sat cross-legged on the ground and folded his hands on his lap.

“Hi dad,” Tubbo greeted, followed by a small, quiet sniffle. “Been awhile since I last came here. Pretty sure the last time I was here, it was your funeral,” He said, staring down at the ground. He couldn’t bring himself to look at the tombstone, it wasn’t the same as looking into his fathers eyes.

Tubbo shut his eyes tightly, trying to calm himself down. “A lot. . . a lots happened since then,” Tubbo sighed.

Then, a gust of breeze hit Tubbo, thought it felt like his hands were getting the most of it - it felt like someone was holding them.

“I will listen to you and I will guide you to the best of my ability.”

Tubbo let out a shaky breath, his eyes watering over. His mouth didn’t know if it wanted to smile or frown.

“You want me to tell you?” Tubbo asked softly.

Another gust of wind.

A smile broke out onto Tubbo’s face.

It started off slowly, as Tubbo tried to recount all the details that had happened after Jordan’s death. He talked about the funeral, how he had went home and how the house had felt so big that day. He talked about isolating himself, how Tommy was the only person he allowed to see him. Tommy knew what it was like to lose a parent, to lose a father, and Tubbo was once Tommy’s support - Tommy wanted to return the favor.

Tubbo just kept talking and talking — He wondered if he was feeling what Tommy had felt that day whilst he talked about his visit to Pandora’s Vault.

. . .No, he probably wasn’t.

Tommy was talking because he wanted to get it all out, he didn’t want to be burdened by the information he had. Tubbo, on the other hand, was talking as if telling someone a story which included painful details.

Either way, Tubbo kept going and going. Whenever he got to a difficult part, a gust of wind would blow through his hair or around his arms, and Tubbo would take in a deep breath and compose himself before continuing on. Tubbo needed—no, wanted to tell his father everything. From beginning to end.

(Tubbo, however, did debate on whether or not he should’ve told his father about the fact that Dream had kidnapped him and emotionally manipulated him when the gust of wind suddenly got a bit more heavy. Father dearest did not seem to be happy about what Dream did to Tubbo at all.)

It was the least Tubbo could give for all those months he didn’t visit.

When Tubbo finished, he noticed the dried up tear streaks on his face and the fact that his back felt lighter. Tubbo turned to look at his wings and lifted them up slightly above the ground with ease, he could feel a smile stretching across his face - creasing the dried tear streaks on his cheeks. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. Maybe soon enough, Tubbo would be able to use his wings to do the one thing he loved deeply: flying.

Suddenly, Tubbo’s phone began to ring. Tubbo quickly wiped his face and pulled out his phone, when he saw it was Sam calling, he answered immediately.

“Sam! I have great news!” Tubbo exclaimed.

“Oh? Well, it just so happens that I do as well,” Sam said, a smile evident in his tone. “You go first,” He said.

“It’s a bit of a long story but Tommy and I went to the Party Pummel tattoo shop to go see Punz, Boomer, and Purpled and the conversation about me being a half hybrid came up and they asked how I was holding up with things. When I told them I was struggling, Boomer offered to summon my dad for me to talk to him!”

“Did you?”

“I did! And. . . and he gave me some advice and comforted me. I. . . I decided to visit him for the first time in months,” Tubbo smiled, happy tears spilling from his eyes. “I told him everything and it felt nice to tell him everything. And not only that but my wings feel lighter as well! I think I’m getting ahold of this half hybrid thing going on!” He said.

“That’s-that’s wonderful, Bo,” Sam said softly. “I’m so incredibly proud of you. And happy for you. Though, I think that’s turned my good news into bad news now,” He said.

Tubbo furrowed his brows. “How?”

“Well. . . I just got off the phone with Ant over at Pandora’s Vault,” Sam began. “He says that Barbara’s finished the cure for you.”

Tubbo widened his eyes. “What?” Tubbo whispered.

“He said you could come in tomorrow to receive it.”

Tubbo didn’t reply. He stared at Jordan’s tombstone, as if waiting for the man to raise from the dead and tell Tubbo whether or not he should take the cure. Should he really throw away all his progress just to get his old self back? Is even getting his old body back guaranteed? Or should Tubbo throw away his, possibly, one chance to go back to normal?

There was no gust of wind.

Jordan was leaving it all up to Tubbo.

Tubbo frowned slightly, the one time he needed to be persuaded or nudged into a direction and he’s met with nothing—!

“You can take your time, Bo,” Sam comforted and Tubbo’s eyes widened. “You have a little over twelve hours to decide whether or not you want the cure. Either way. . . I’ll still love you, you’ll still the good ol’ Tubbo everyone knows and loves,” He said.

Tubbo swallowed softly. “Thanks dad,” He said.

“Of course, Bo,” Sam replied fondly.

Tubbo hung up and pocketed his phone.

He then stared down at his fathers grave. “Goodbye dad, it was nice talking to you again,” Tubbo said, “Tell mom I said ‘hi’.” Tubbo then kissed his index and middle fingers and gently touched the tombstone with the tips of his fingers. “Until next time,” He muttered softly.

Chapter Text

Tubbo walked down the halls of Pandora’s Vault with Sam leading him to the visitors room. Tubbo tugged at his clothing and fingers, keeping his eyes glued to the floor as he was still contemplating on taking the cure or not.

Sam stood beside the door and Tubbo took in a deep breath.

“Do you want me to accompany you?” Sam asked softly.

Tubbo shook his head. “No. But if I. . . if I do anything to try and harm Barbara, I want you to come in, grab me, and force me to take the cure,” He said as he looked up at Sam.

Sam swallowed. “Bo—“

“I don’t want to hurt anyone. And-and I know she hurt me, I know she hurt Tommy, but I—that’s not who I am. Please, Sam. Promise me,” Tubbo begged.

Sam sighed, closing his eyes. “I promise,” He said.

“Thank you,” Tubbo said with a nod.

Sam didn’t reply as he lifted up his keycard and swiped it - causing the door to open. Inside, Tubbo caught sight of Barbara sitting on a table, a needle on the table, with an officer standing beside her. “Ant will make sure that she doesn’t try anything. He’ll also call me in if you. . . try to harm her,” Sam said.

Tubbo nodded as he took in another deep breath. Tubbo then walked inside and the door behind him closed, garnering the attention of Barbara.

“Mr.Underscore,” Barbara greeted.

“Barbara,” Tubbo replied.

Tubbo then took a seat in front of her, he didn’t dare look down at the cure between them. He didn’t want to think about it. “I hope you don’t mind, but I do have a. . . a few words to share before the cure is given to you,” Barbara said, causing Tubbo to raise a brow. “Old habits die hard,” She shrugged.

“I’ll bite,” Tubbo said.

“May I just say, it still fascinates me that the drug turned you into a half hybrid,” She said. “The drug was supposed to make you more. . . lethal than Dream,” She admitted.

Tubbo furrowed his brows. “What do you mean?” He asked.

“Well, the high dosage of steroids should’ve made you more violent. It should’ve bubbled up every negative emotion to the top. . . yet it kinda. . . didn’t,” Barbara said.

“What? You saying I’m a good person through and through?” Tubbo asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Barbara laughed at that. “God no, nobody is that good, not even you. Which made me wonder why it didn’t work. At first, I thought the drug was faulty, after all I used an animal to test it and not a human, but as I thought of it more and more within my cell - I realized how differently you and Dream acted before the drug,” She said.

Tubbo didn’t reply.

“It’s easy to look back and, not exactly pinpoint when the beloved hero started becoming evil but, you can see some hints. But with you? You didn’t have any malicious intent, you just wanted to help people, not hurt them like how Dream wanted to.”

“I. . . I don’t understand.”

“What I’m trying to is: maybe Dream always held a bit of evil within him whilst you had none. That’s why my drug didn’t work. It didn’t have any buried negative emotions to feed off of, so it chose the next best thing: your fathers traits within you,” Barbara explained. “You took biology class back when you were still in school didn’t you?” She asked.

Tubbo nodded.

“So you know that when a boy is born, he is given both an X and Y chromosome - both given by his respective parents, correct?”

He nodded again.

“And dragon hybrids are a recessive trait, also correct?”

“What’re you getting with this?” Tubbo asked, annoyance slipping into his tone.

“Like I said, the drug goes for buried traits within. Your fathers recessive dragon traits were buried within you, my drug simply dug them up and turned the recessive dragon traits into dominants and your, also dominate, bee traits caused a. . . codominance of sorts,” Barbara said. She then placed a hand onto the cure and slid it towards Tubbo. “The cure will fix that.”

Tubbo blinked. “Wait. Wait, wait, wait, you’re telling me—“ He sucked in a breath, “—With this. . . cure I can get my old body back? I can. . . I can stop looking like this and go back to normal?” He asked.

“That’s the plan,” Barbara said.

“But. . . changing traits within chromosomes that’s—that’s not possible,” He breathed out.

“Well I made it possible and now I’ve made it possible to reverse it,” She said.

“How do you even know this is gonna work? That this isn’t gonna change me even further? That it’s not gonna make me worse?” Tubbo asked.

Barbara stared at him. “I don’t,” She answered truthfully.

Tubbo stared at the cure.

“Do you even want to take the cure?” Barbara asked, causing Tubbo’s eyes to snap up at her. “Do you really want to go through with this? We don’t even know if it’ll work, it’s just the closest thing I could’ve gotten to curing you.”

Tubbo looked back down at the cure. He then delicately picked it up and stared at the liquid swishing inside. This entire time, he was afraid of himself - he wanted nothing but his normal self back, and now he had that chance! But. . . here he was, still contemplating on whether he should take it or not. Did he want to throw away his growing progress? Or throw away his chance to get his old self back?

Tubbo thought of his dad. He thought of his mom.

He thought of how he held traits from both of them now.

The thought of keeping his dragon traits weren’t nearly as scary as it originally was. Maybe it was because Tubbo now knew how to at least control his new traits a bit? Besides. . . it wouldn’t hurt to keep it - it made Tubbo look like the man he loved deeply.

A warm smile crept onto Tubbo’s face and his wings felt light on his back.

Tubbo slowly lowered the cure onto the table, sliding it back to Barbara. “I think. . . I think I want to stay like this. I want to learn more about myself, to grow to accept this new form,” He said as he looked up at Barbara.

Barbara didn’t have an angry face. She didn’t start whining about all that time she had wasted trying to cook up a cure for Tubbo just for him not to accept it. Instead, she grabbed the cure and stared at it. “It’s funny,” She began softly. “I ruined entire to keep my job as a journalist, as a news reporter, when I could’ve become a big league scientist,” She laughed bitterly.

Tubbo stared at Barbara. “Maybe. . . you can still be one,” He said softly.

Barbara let out a light huff. “You really are a good person,” She said, her eyes holding some form of guilt before she quickly looked away. “I don’t think future employers are gonna like the fact that I drugged a minor and shot another. Second-degree murder ain’t a very forgiving thing to have on an application or background.”

Tubbo nodded. “Yeah, probably not,” he agreed. He then slowly stood up. “Thank you for your time,” Tubbo said.

“Pleasures all mine, kid,” Barbara said as Ant walked over, grabbed her arm, and began walking off with her. “I’m sorry,” She said suddenly.

Tubbo looked over at Barbara and Ant stopped, his grasp on Barbara’s arm still remained. Barbara didn’t turn to look at Tubbo. “I’m sorry for shooting your friend and I’m sorry for drugging you. You two were victims of my misplaced anger. . . I just wanted to hurt Dream and I knew that if I hurt the both of you it’d hurt him. I apologize,” She said.

Tubbo opened his mouth.

“Don’t accept my apology, though,” She said swiftly, causing Tubbo to furrow his brows. “I don’t regret what I did before what went down back in the warehouse. Besides, if you accept my apology, not only does that prove to me that you’re too good of a person but it also proves to me that you’re a doormat,” Barbara stated, “You accepting my apology doesn’t mean anything if you’d accept it from anyone else.” Barbara then turned to Tubbo and locked eyes with him. “Don’t prove me right,” She spat before turning away. “That’s all I wanted to say.”

“I wasn’t going to accept it, but thank you. . . for the advice,” Tubbo said.

“You’ll need it.”

Ant then lead Barbara back to her cell and Tubbo walked out of the room, his back felt lighter and his shoulders felt like they were free of all the previous weight that was on them.

Sam stood on the other side of the door and when he saw Tubbo, his eyes softened. “Why’d you reject the cure?” He asked softly.

Tubbo shrugged. “Guess I liked the fact that I looked like both of my parents. I don’t have to close my eyes to see them anymore,” He said.

Sam’s eyes widened slightly and then he nodded.

“You ready to head home now?” Sam asked.

Tubbo shook his head. “There’s someone else I’d like to see. . . just one last time,” He said.

“Who?”

Tubbo sat across from Dream, a glass barrier stood between the two. Tubbo stared Dream down while Dream’s eyes didn’t dare look back at Tubbo

Tubbo reached over for the black phone on his side and held it to his ear. Dream slowly reached for the phone on his side. As Dream pressed the phone against his ear, he was the first to speak. “Did you get the cure yet?” He asked softly.

“I didn’t take it.”

Dream snapped his head up at Tubbo. “Why not?” He questioned.

“I kinda like my new form,” Tubbo shrugged. “It makes me look like my dad and I still have elements of my mother within me. I just need to look like a mirror now whenever I miss them,” He said.

Dream shook his head lightly, a low chuckle leaving him. “You’re way better than I could’ve ever been, Tubbo,” He said.

Tubbo didn’t reply.

“You know, I made a deal with Sapnap.”

Tubbo raised a brow.

“He wanted me to contribute helping you and Tommy heal,” He said. “I took it. And then Tommy came to visit and I blew it. But maybe it was for the best,” Dream admitted.

“I just don’t get it,” Tubbo blurted out, causing Dream to furrow his brows.

“Get what?” Dream asked.

“The dreamon drug seemed to have enhanced emotions buried deep. I mean, it grew your hunger for power. But did the drug also turn your love into. . . an obsession? Or did you not love Tommy and I all that much?” Tubbo asked. His voice didn’t dare wavier, he still sat tall, his eyes piercing into Dream’s.

“I love y—“

“Please don’t say you love me,” Tubbo said as he glared down at the counter. “Please.”

Dream frowned as his eyes saddened.

“I. . . cared for you two very much. Don’t let anyone tell you any different,” Dream stated firmly.

Tubbo didn’t say anything.

Dream sighed, tightly closing his eyes in shame. “Look, I’m gonna tell you something. . . but it’s not gonna be pretty. I just need you to understand that I would never bring any harm to the both of you, okay?” He asked.

“What is it?” Tubbo asked. “What did you do?”

“It’s not what did I do, it’s more of what I thought of doing,” Dream said before he licked his lips, eyes glued to the table below. “After being drugged, when I was in the hospital, I remember seeing you asleep by my side. I had asked for no guests because I knew that. . . that I’d kill anyone who stepped inside—“ Tubbo’s eyes widened, “—I was so scared when I saw you laying by side because I began to have thoughts of killing you,” Dream admitted tearfully.

Tubbo didn’t say anything - he couldn’t. His hands began shaking as he thought over the memory. He remembered waking up and seeing Dream staring at him. It was a bit weird at first but Tubbo was so happy to see that Dream was okay and awake. To think that Dream was having thoughts of killing him in that moment. . . it terrified him.

“That was the first time I was scared of the drug inhabiting my body. So, in order to make sure that I would never hurt you or Tommy, I turned my love for you both into an obsession - something to overpower the want to kill you both,” He said. “That’s why I had you in that cage and it’s, unfortunately, why I used my abilities on Tommy when he found out—“

“So you focused on an emotion stronger than your want for power?”

“Yes.”

“You could’ve fought back. . . this entire time?” Tubbo whispered harshly.

“It wasn’t easy but yeah. Yeah, I could’ve done it,” Dream nodded. “But—” He shrugged, “—What do I know? I let myself go,” He muttered.

Dream had just allowed the drug to take over, he didn’t fight back. He could’ve but he didn’t. He let himself slip. Tubbo shut his eyes tightly. “Dream, I appreciate the story, I do, but. . . “ Tubbo downcast his eyes.

“But you didn’t come here for stories,” Dream finished for him and Tubbo nodded solemnly in agreement. Dream swallowed thickly. “This is a goodbye, isn’t it?” He asked.

Tubbo relaxed his closed his eyes as he nodded once again. “You’ve hurt people and you could’ve shown regret but you didn’t. You said you would’ve done it all again,” He said before finally reopening his eyes. “I refuse to be around you anymore because of that. And I’m sorry that I told you I wouldn’t have turned my back on you back in the warehouse but. . . you have done nothing to show me that I shouldn’t.”

Dream sucked in a breath. “I’m sorry,” He apologized. “I’m so sorry.”

Tubbo only stared at Dream. “I just wanted to leave you with a proper goodbye this time around so you didn’t try to break out again,” Tubbo said and a wet laugh left Dream.

Tubbo didn’t smile nor did he laugh along.

Dream rested his head in his hand. “And Tommy?” He asked weakly.

“He’s disowned you. He wants nothing to do with you—“ Dream nodded his head along, “—and I don’t blame him,” Tubbo said.

“Neither do I,” Dream whispered.

“Maybe one day, you’ll change. Maybe one day, you’ll get better - be better. But right now? I don’t want anything to do with you either,” Tubbo spat, months of anger and bitterness slipping into his tone and all Dream did was simply sit there. . . taking it in!

It angered Tubbo. He didn’t know if Dream was trying to play the sympathy card or was feeling genuine regret. Either way, Tubbo didn’t want to be around him anymore - he couldn’t bare it.

“Goodbye, Clay,” Tubbo said before abruptly slamming the phone back onto the wall and standing up.

And as Tubbo gave Dream one last glance before leaving, he swore he saw Dream’s eyes water over. For the first time in months, Tubbo watched tears leave Dream’s eyes, watched his bottom lip tremble. Tubbo pretended he didn’t see and walked off - leaving Dream sitting behind the glass, phone still in hand.

“Goodbye, Tubbo,” Dream muttered to himself before slowly hanging the phone back on the wall.

Chapter Text

Tubbo and Tommy were supposed to be over at Sam’s place for dinner about fifteen minutes ago, but Tubbo had decided to take a small detour. To the cemetery. For Tommy.

“I don’t know about this Tubbo,” Tommy said softly, slowly sinking into the passenger seat as the cemetery grew closer and closer. In one hand, Tommy twirled three dark red roses between his index finger and thumb (it was the closest thing he could fidget with).

“Puffy mentioned how during your sessions you seem to water down your experiences or you become very defensive. This is just another way for you to get it all out of your system,” Tubbo comforted.

“By talking to the empty caskets of my dead family members?” Tommy said, a bit meaner than he wanted. He glanced over at Tubbo to see Tubbo’s reaction but he didn’t frown or grow upset.

“Yes,” Tubbo replied before parking and exiting the vehicle.

Tommy took in a deep breath, his eyes never leaving the roses in his hand. Tubbo then opened up the passenger door and extended his hand. “Come on. We got a while till they start a search party for us,” Tubbo said.

Tommy glanced from Tubbo’s face to his hand and then tightly grasped Tubbo’s hand. Tubbo led the way, dragging the younger teen through the cemetery as they both trudged through the thick snow below. Tommy opened his mouth to voice his hesitance but then immediately closed his mouth as he didn’t know what to exactly say.

As if sensing Tommy’s discomfort, Tubbo spoke up. “It’s fine! I promise you’ll feel so much better after this,” Tubbo said.

“Are you sure?” Tommy asked cautiously.

“It worked for me,” Tubbo replied. “Besides, if it doesn’t work you can yell at me for making us late for dinner,” He said as he turned to Tommy with a large, genuine grin.

Tommy couldn’t remember the last time Tubbo had grinned so widely, especially so genuinely, it made the corner of his lips perk up into a small smile. Then Tubbo came to a halt.

“We’re here,” Tubbo announced.

Tommy slowly let go of Tubbo’s hand and walked towards three tombstones: his father, his mother, and his little sisters. Tommy placed a flower on top of each grave and then crouched down in the middle of all three - which made him sit in front of his moms grave.

“Do you want to me to go?” Tubbo asked softly.

Tommy quickly shook his head. “I don’t wanna be alone,” He said. “Besides, you can fix a detail I get wrong or add another when I’m talking,” He continued.

Tubbo gave a small nod and sat beside Tommy.

Tommy stayed silent for a few seconds trying to think of anything to start with. He didn’t know if he should only talk about the bad - he didn’t know how these makeshift therapy sessions worked. At least with Puffy, she asked her questions and Tommy could answer them but in this situation, he had no idea what to talk about. He had no idea if his family would even hear him. (Was even he doing this out sheer hopefulness that they’d hear him? Or was he doing this just to talk about anything and everything? To get everything off his chest like a sinner at church?) Tubbo, thankfully, didn’t nudge his shoulder or make any move/noise to signal for Tommy to go - he simply waited until Tommy was ready to speak. And that made Tommy release a breath he didn’t know he was holding in.

“I’m sorry I haven’t visited in a long time,” Tommy finally gets out, picking at the skin on his knuckles - glancing at each of the tombstones. “I would’ve sooner but. . . things have gotten really messy since you left,” He said.

“But it was fine!” Tommy quickly added. “After the news got out, Clay drove down to Jordan’s and Jordan let us stay for about a year - he knew Clay couldn’t take care of me and himself and the house all on his own.” Tommy’s small grimaces whenever he said “Clay” didn’t go unnoticed by Tubbo - he wanted to reach over, grab Tommy’s hand, and comfort him but Tommy needed to continue on and such a gesture would probably shake off any confidence Tommy currently had.

Tommy continued on, talking about everything that had happened since the family of five became a family of two overnight. He didn’t leave out any details and he dug in to a few stories - especially when Tommy neared the point of when he found out what Dream had been doing behind everyone’s back.

(It was then Tubbo had grabbed Tommy’s hand because the poor guy was near tears talking about how he had stumbled upon the warehouse the first time around. Seeing all those people sat down on the ground with such dirty and thin clothing and how none of them could hear him - how at first, Tommy thought they were all dead. How Tommy had frantically called George and his voice couldn’t stop trembling as he tried to tell George what he was seeing. How George told Tommy to stay put and stay away from Dream but Tommy was too full of anger to listen. How he should’ve listened to George. It took Tommy about maybe five to ten minutes to calm down and carry on.)

He then talked about the two being in hiding.

Tommy smiled and laughed fondly at some of the memories and Tubbo butted in as well, adding a ridiculous detail to the story that either caused Tommy to laugh or try to deny it. Other memories caused Tommy to hunch over himself and his voice to grow quite, at that Tubbo would either try to ground Tommy or leave him be.

They had sat there for what felt like hours (it had snowed about two times while they were there).

Tommy finally closed off everything by finishing the story with him disowning Dream. He apologized for that, saying that Dream had just been too much and Tommy was sick of trying to see the good in Dream when it was so painfully obvious that his “brother” had no interest in changing for the better.

A gust of gentle wind blew around Tommy, and Tommy only, as if it was comforting the blonde. (Now, Tommy’ll say it was just the winter wind in public but to Tubbo, he’ll say that he selfishly took it as his family comforting him - as if saying that he had nothing to apologize for and that he did the right thing. Tubbo would then agree with the latter.)

Once Tommy finished, he sat there for a couple more minutes - staring at the graves in front of him. “You were right,” Tommy began softly. “I do feel so much better,” He said as he turned to Tubbo, his eyes watered over and tears lightly falling down his cheeks.

Tubbo wrapped his arms around Tommy’s shoulders and pulled the younger teen into a hug. Tommy’s silent tears turned into body-racking sobs. “Told you,” He muttered gently as Tommy hugged him back tightly.

Then Tubbo slowly brought himself and Tommy up onto their feet and they began to walk away from the graves - Tommy’s sniffling died down and he looked a lot more relaxed. “It’s kinda funny,” Tommy said softly. “It’s been so long since they’ve died and. . . and now I’m properly grieving them.” Tommy looked over at Tubbo, “Isn’t it funny?” He asked.

“No,” Tubbo stated. “It just shows that your finally, properly, healing. There’s nothing wrong with that,” He said.

And if Tommy shed a couple more tears after that, that was between him and Tubbo.

When Tubbo and Tommy finally arrived at Sam’s, they were two hours late and everybody else had seemed to arrive for the party. “Better late than never,” Tommy muttered as they walked up to the front door and he rang the doorbell.

Chatter, music, and barking could be heard from inside the house and it made the two teens smile to the point their cheeks were starting to hurt.

The door was then opened, revealing Sam who was trying to hold back a hyper Fran with only his leg. “You two finally made it!” He smiled at the two. “I was scared you guys got stuck in really bad traffic. . . or forgot or something,” Sam admitted.

Fran ducked under Sam’s leg and immediately went for Tubbo, standing on her hind legs and pawing at Tubbo’s torso. Tubbo giggled as he crouched down and pet Fran, making kissy noises as her. He then lifted her up, holding her like a baby, and the two walked inside the house.

Fran squirmed out of Tubbo’s grasp, not yet used to the feeling of being picked up and trotted over to Micheal - laying her head on the child’s lap causing him to squeal which made Fran’s tail wag. “Are we the last to arrive?” Tommy asked as he took off his jacket and hung it up.

“Afraid so, but don’t worry, we waited on you two to start eating,” Sam said as he clasped the twos shoulders and led them into the kitchen.

Niki was chatting with Wilbur off to the side. Niki was standing, holding a wine glass, as Wilbur was sat in a chair with a soda in front of him. Quackity, Sapnap, and Karl were fixing up the last of the meals as Quackity hummed along to the Christmas music playing through his phone while Karl was adding finishing touches and Sapnap was glued to Karl’s side. Mark was talking to Fundy and Sally, Fundy looked a lot more masculine than the last time Tubbo and Tommy had seen him and he looked a lot more happier. Ponk and George were sitting down at the table as well, having their own conversation.

“Look who finally showed up everyone!” Sam announced as he draped his arms over Tubbo and Tommy, squeezing them close to him which caused Tubbo to giggle and Tommy to scream at Sapnap to save him.

“Dad, you’re gonna choke them,” Quackity said, not even lifting up his head as he wiped the grease off his hands onto his apron.

“Yeah! Me!” Tommy said as he made fake choking noises. “Sapnap! If you don’t get your butt over here—!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Sapnap said as he let go of Karl. “I hope you grow out of this diva phase,” He said before grabbing Tommy and lifting up over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

“I am not in a diva phase! And put me down you prick!” Tommy shrieked. “Tubbo! Mark! Oh my god, he’s gonna kill me! He’s gonna drop me! You’re gonna drop me!” He screamed as he flailed around.

“Oh come on! You love this!” Sapnap said as he started jumping around with Tommy still on his shoulder.

Tommy couldn’t help but laugh. “No I don’t!” He couldn’t stop laughing. “Put me—put me down! Your boney ass shoulder is impaling my chest dickhead!”

“You take that back young man!”

“No playing around in my kitchen, if you break something I’m taking away my blessing, Sapnap!” Sam called out.

Sapnap stopped jumping around. “Awe, what!?” He whined. He then let out a sigh and dropped Tommy gently onto his feet.

“Yeah, Sapnap,” Tommy mocked.

Sapnap stuck his tongue out at Tommy and Tommy returned the gesture.

Tommy then glanced around the room once more. “Is that everyone?” He asked.

“No. Phil, Kristin, and Techno are on their way still,” Sally answered.

“I can’t believe you two were two hours late yet still got here before those three,” Fundy said.

Mark leaned over slightly, looking over at Tubbo and Tommy. “Did you two have fun?” He asked.

“Uh, you could say that,” Tommy said. “We just. . . finished catching up with some people who used to be in our lives. It was nice,” He said with a genuine small smile.

“Okay, well Wilbur, you better text your family to hurry up cause the foods done and it looks so delicious I might eat it all,” Karl said with a grin.

As everyone sat down at tables to eat and laughed and talked amongst themselves - Tubbo couldn’t remember the last time he celebrated Christmas with so many people. With so many family members. It was always just him and Jordan (and when Clay and Tommy came into the picture, it was them four. And after Jordan’s death, it was just Tubbo and Tommy). The noise of people and music was enough to almost bring Tubbo to tears.

A hand reached out and rested itself on Tubbo’s shoulder, causing him to look over to see who it belonged to. Sam stared at him with a gentle, concerned look. “Is everything okay?” He whispered, quietly enough to where the question drew nobodies attention.

Tubbo nodded ecstatically. “I’m just. . . I’m just really happy right now,” He said. “I never celebrated Christmas with so many people,” He admitted quietly.

Sam smiled at Tubbo and pressed a kiss onto his temple. “Well you better get used to it, cause every Christmas is gonna be just like this,” He said, “I promise.”

Tubbo gave Sam a wide smile in return.

Sam patted Tubbo’s shoulder and then turned to everyone. “Alright, I think it’s time for presents now!” He announced.

Tubbo bit back a wince. He didn’t have the best memories of receiving presents last year. Hopefully, this year - he could muster up the courage to open them.

The large group made their way to the large Christmas and distributed each present to their designated persons. Everybody got a gift - whether tacky or genuine, someone got a gift.

About halfway through gift opening, the door opened and Phil, poorly dressed as Santa Claus, walked through the door - accompanied by Techno who was dressed as an elf, dragging a large red bag behind him. “Ho, ho—what the hell?! We’re that late?” He exclaimed.

“I told you guys to get here quicker,” Wilbur exclaimed. “Also, Techno! You look ravishing man!” He said through his cackled.

“I’ll kill you,” Techno glared.

Phil turned to Sam. “I thought I told you to wait till I got here Samuel. I had a whole thing planned and everything,” He said.

“We would’ve been waiting till midnight to open presents and at that point Christmas would’ve been over. You can keep the costume on though, you look nice,” Sam said with a smile.

“Shove it,” Phil snarked causing Sam to laugh.

“You do look nice dear,” Kristin complimented, as she patted Phil’s shoulder and kissed the top of his hat.

“At least you look your age,” Tommy muttered.

Phil’s head snapped towards Tommy. “What was that you little shit!?” He exclaimed, though it was accompanied with a smile.

“I said nothing!” Tommy defended.

“Ooh, you’re so lucky I didn’t bring coal and brought actual presents. I’ll get you next year, you little shit,” Phil said. Techno adjusted the bag and began handing out presents.

When he got to Wilbur he simply stared down the older man. “Can I—“ Wilbur let out a snort, “—Can I get my present?”

Techno’s glare deepened.

“Come on! You don’t seem like the best Santa helper right now,” Wilbur teased.

Techno lifted the bag as if he was going to use it as a weapon. And if Wilbur knew anything about Techno - he knows Techno would use it as a weapon.

“Dad. Dad!” Wilbur shouted as he lifted up his hands to shield his face and brought his legs up to his chest.

“Techno!” Phil scolded. “Don’t kill your brother on Christmas! You can wait til tomorrow,” He said.

Techno grinned.

“What the fuck!?” Wilbur exclaimed, causing Tommy to cackle.

Soon Tommy’s cackling was cut off shortly as Quackity took a thinly shaped box, poorly wrapped up in wrapping paper, out of his coat. “And here’s your final present, Tommy,” Quackity said fondly - handing over the thin box.

“What is it? A shirt?” Tommy asked jokingly before ripping up the paper. (He didn’t notice how Karl and Sapnap grew closer to Quackity - all three holding each other, waiting on Tommy’s reaction.)

Tommy opened the box and all that was inside was a piece of paper.

A paper labeled ‘Certificate of Adoption’.

Tommy’s mouth dropped slightly, his eyes widening as they watered over. “We wanted to make it official,” Karl said softly, slowly. “When we decided to have our wedding in March, we couldn’t picture it without you being a part of our family. We wanted you to find your new home with us and I promise we’ll take such good care of you. If you’ll let us,” He said.

Tommy slowly took out the piece of paper, tears silently dripping down his face. His bottom lip trembled. “I’d love to be a part of your family,” He said.

The three immediately hugged Tommy tightly and such indescribable warm was blossomed within his chest. It was nice and fuzzy and Tommy loved it.

He looked down at the certificate and noticed that he still had ‘Taken’ as his last name. Quackity, Karl, and Sapnap didn’t change it - probably thought he wanted to keep it.

But that was far from the truth.

“When you three get married. . . can we change my last name to match your guys’?” Tommy asked, his eyes never leaving the certificate.

“Of course we can, bud,” Sapnap cried.

The three finally let go of Tommy and Tommy immediately turned to look for Tubbo. As soon as the two locked eyes, Tommy lifted his certificate. “Tubbo! Look!” He exclaimed.

Tubbo broke out into a smile and clapped his hands. And then a thought came to him.

“Wait. Wait a second, if I’m Sam’s kid and Quackity is also Sam’s kid, that makes us—“

“Brothers,” Quackity finished softly. “Oh my god you’re my brother. My little brother. Oh my god, I have a little brother!” He exclaimed as he quickly stood up and hugged Tubbo tightly, spinning him around.

Tubbo laughed loudly. “Yes! Yes, that does make us brothers, Quackity,” He said. “But now that Tommy’s your kid—“

Tommy’s face dropped in realization. “No,” He said softly, shaking his head slightly.

Quackity’s lowered Tubbo back onto the ground and Tubbo’s smile grew. “—and I’m your brother. . . ” He continued.

“No,” Tommy said louder.

“That makes me—“

“Don’t you dare say it.”

“—an uncle. And not just any uncle. . . “

“Please, no!”

“I’m Tommy’s uncle!”

“You said it!” Tommy cried as he tightly closed his eyes.

Tubbo ran towards Tommy and picked him up. “I’m an uncle!” He shouted.

“Put me down! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you! Die! Die a slow painful death!” Tommy screamed.

After everything quieted down and everyone was back to gentle chatter accompanied by music. Tubbo sat in the kitchen helping Sam and Ponk make gingerbread men. Well it was more of Ponk walking Tubbo through of making gingerbread men as Sam hummed along to a Christmas song that was playing (Tubbo was pretty sure it was “Last Christmas” by Wham! that Sam was humming along to) as he made hot chocolate.

It was funny, the activity he had longed to do with his biological mother and father in his dreams since he was twelve was being played out with the man he grew to love as his father and the other who Tubbo enjoyed the company of. His second chance at a family.

Tubbo felt like crying.

“Sam! Ponk! You mind if we steal Tubbo for a second to Star gaze?” Mark called out.

Sam looked over at Tubbo. “I wouldn’t mind,” Tubbo shrugged.

“Sure, just make sure you guys are all nice and warm. Oh! And take these hot chocolates as well,” Sam said as he handed a beverage to Tubbo, Mark, and Tommy.

The three teens put on their coats and sat outside in the backyard looking up at the sky.

Tubbo sat in the middle, his wings wrapped around both Mark and Tommy as Tommy laid his head on Tubbo’s shoulders. He was probably the only one who was mostly captivated by the stars above - but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“You know, if you told me a year ago I’d be getting adopted by three big heroes I would’ve laughed in your face and called you an idiot,” Tommy said.

Tubbo chuckled lightly. “If you told me a year ago that I’d be celebrating Christmas with so many people I view as family, I’d have called you crazy,” He said.

“Speaking of family, we should probably give Ted and Co. a call later. Wish them a Merry Christmas,” Tommy said.

“Definitely,” Tubbo agreed. He then nudged Mark with his shoulder. “What about you Mark? What happened this year that you wouldn’t have believed last year?” He asked.

Mark hummed in thought. “If you had told me that I found some friends of my own, great friends, I would’ve looked at you like you’re crazy,” He said before turning towards the duo. “I’m glad I met you two,” He smiled.

“I know I gave you a lot of shit a couple weeks ago but. . . I’m glad I met you as well man,” Tommy said as he lightly punched Mark’s arm.

“And I’m glad I met you too,” Tubbo smiled.

Mark’s smile grew and he turned to look back up at the stars above. “You know,” He began. “I’d love to introduce you both to my moms sometime next year. They’d love you guys,” Mark said.

“I’d love that,” Tubbo said.

“To next year and many more years to come, boys,” Tommy said as he outstretched his mug for the two others to clink.

Tubbo and Mark clinked their respective mugs to Tommy’s.

“To next year and many more years to come,” Tubbo and Mark echoed.

Chapter Text

And that is the end of the ‘Honeybee’ series.

Man has this has been a wild twelve months. Gosh, has it really almost been a year since I first released “Set Me Free, My Honeybee”? It feels like I put it out just last month. . .

I mean, I just can’t believe how much attention this series got. I remember jumping up and down in my room, squealing, when SMFMH got like 12k hits.

I’ll try not to make this supper long because this is just a little thing I wanted to write to thank you guys.

It’s been amazing interacting with you all. Seeing your comments, on twitter and on here, and your bookmark titles always made me so excited to put out the next chapter. Never, ever, in my five years of writing fanfiction have I ever (almost) consistently updated a fic.

If it wasn’t for you guys, I probably would’ve been in the middle of writing SMFMH still or it would’ve been abandoned and never been made into a trilogy.

And you guys made the last months of 2021 into a better year for me. I won’t go into full detail but I had received terrible news in the middle of the year, back when SMFMH had like eight or nine chapters, and I almost gave up on it. I’m so glad I chose to continue it. To continue this.

But not only have you guys helped me but I also helped you.

I’ve seen the comments about people discovering themselves because of this series, especially because of h!Tubbo. Which I’m so happy about because I projected onto h!Tubbo very heavily with the whole aromantic thing. I wanted to show my struggles of being an aromantic whilst also educating my readers on aromantics and attraction (which apparently I did a heck of a job on).

I’ve also seen the comments that have used this series as an escape.

And I’m so glad I could help you guys just as much as you’ve helped me.

I hope to see you guys in the comments of my other fics or even when rereading this series or, hell, even in my DM’s !! (And don’t worry about annoying me - you guys could never annoy me /srs.)

I appreciate everything you’ve said to me. Every little “thank you for updating” or “you’re my favorite author” or “this chapter was so good!!” or even “❤️❤️❤️” meant so incredibly much to me.

Not to be /parasocial(??) or anything but you guys seriously mean a lot to me :D

And if you want to see more of my writing I still have several other fics and I’m very active over at my twitter (@unnamedmystery_)

Until next time, my lil honeycombs :)