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”Down with the Revolution Boys.”
“It was never meant to be.”
Tommy deliriously and slowly gained consciousness. His head pounded rhythmically, every minute or so a dull ache and throbbing pulse returned to the forefront of his head. Tommy blinked slowly, recognizing that there were tears in the corner of his eyes. He was unsure if he had a nightmare - or if his headache had been persistent throughout his slumber.
Barely remembering the contents of the days before, he looked around the ceiling of the caravan, without moving his head, hoping for the sharp pain in his mind to cease. Slowly bringing his hands up to rub his eyes, Tommy noticed they were shaking - why were they shaking? He wasn’t sure.
Tommy couldn’t remember a nightmare - but that didn’t mean it didn’t happen. He rubbed his eyes slowly, trying to figure out why he woke up at this time in the morning - but the pounding in his head made it hard to think. Tommy brought his hands behind his back, lifting himself up with ease.
Ha, he guessed that the one perk of war, was getting stronger.
Tommy groaned quietly, bringing his hands to his head, when he sucked in a breath.
There was someone crying. Tubbo was crying. No - Tubbo was sobbing .
“Hey - hey,” Tommy started, in a soothing tone, wincing slightly as his head throbbed harder. He looked around the pitch black caravan, trying to spot his best friend. “Hey, Tubs?”
Sniffling, Tubbo paused his sobbing briefly for a shaky answer, “Ye - Yeah?”
Tommy combed a hand through his hair, resigning to let his head pound for the time being - Tubbo was more important. “Where are you Tubbo?” Tommy whispered, fixing his shirt to cover his wounds. He didn’t blink an eye to where he got them. He was always hurt nowadays.
“Bed.” Tubbo choked.
”Down with the Revolution Boys.”
“It was never meant to be.”
Tommy stumbled across the back room of the Caravan, holding his comforter across his shoulders, burying himself into the familiar warmth. In retrospect, Tubbo must’ve been crying for a while. It must’ve been what woke Tommy up. He’d have to have been deaf to not hear Tubbo’s wails, but unfortunately, Wilbur was out of the Van tonight, instead, doing his time on patrol, so Tommy was the only one that the sobs could alert.
Careful to not trip over Tubbo’s or his own shoes, Tommy climbed onto Tubbo’s bed.
Tubbo immediately reached out to Tommy, grabbing onto his hand tightly. Tubbo’s breathing was quick and shallow, tears rapidly, and silently, falling down his face. In the back of his mind, Tommy registered that Tubbo was having some sort of Panic Attack.
“Hey Tub,” Tommy’s voice shook slightly. “I’m gonna need you to breathe, okay?”
Tubbo mindlessly nodded his head slowly, slowly trying to breathe normally.
“Match my breath, okay Tubbo?” Tommy asked softly, pulling Tubbo’s hand to his chest, breathing deeply, making sure to move his chest, so that Tubbo could copy.
Tubbo rested his head on Tommy’s chest, tears slowly slightly, breath evening out.
“Can I touch you Tubbo?” Tubbo nodded.
”Down with the Revolution Boys.”
“It was never meant to be.”
Tommy pulled Tubbo even closer, raking a hand through Tubbo’s chestnut hair. Bringing the comforter around Tubbo’s shoulders as well, shielding the two boys from the world. The two were encased in the warmth that the old, worn out, and used, comforter brought the boys.
Tommy had used the same blanket since he was a young child. Tubbo and Tommy had curled up under it more times then they could count. It smelt of Phil’s cottage, and easier times. It never failed to calm either of the boys down.
Tommy rested his chin atop Tubbo’s head, internally laughing at the height difference. “What happened Tub?”
Tubbo sniffed, speaking from Tommy’s chest. “He - he - he - he,”.
”Who Hurt You?”
“Eh - Er - Ere-”
Tommy sighed, burying his face into Tubbo’s hair, the scent of his friend’s (basically his brother’s) shampoo, calming the blonde. “I know. It’s okay.”
”Down with the Revolution Boys.”
“It was never meant to be.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Tubbo nodded into the blonde’s chest.
”Down with the Revolution Boys.”
“It was never meant to be.”
Tubbo shut his eyes tightly, clenching his jaw, "He was my brother Tommy. He was my Wilbur."
Memories flashed through Tommy’s mind.
A tall brunette with sunglasses laughing as Tubbo sat atop his shoulders; piggyback rides in the summertime. Redstone projects with careful hands. Giggles in the forest, smiles during hard times. Eret carrying Tubbo home after a long day in the meadow. Tubbo laying on Eret’s chest after a nightmare, the older combing his hands through Tubbo’s hair. Soft pats on the back while Tubbo sobbed, a reassuring hand on the small of the brunettes back as he threw up - the time that Tubbo got a fever from an infected cut.
Shit.
This must’ve hit Tubbo like a bag of fucking bricks.
”Down with the Revolution Boys.”
“It was never meant to be.”
Tommy held Tubbo tighter, "I'm so fucking sorry Tubbo." He felt Tubbo shudder from below him. Tubbo’s fist clenched tighter on the comforter. "I will make him pay."
"I know." Tubbo’s voice was scratchy - but at least he wasn’t sobbing anymore.
Tommy himself, finally let out a breathy sob. He finally let himself feel everything that this fucking War made him feel. Eret fucking betrayed them. Eret. FUCKING. Betrayed. Them. "I would do anything for you Tubbo. I would stop the entire fucking world."
”Down with the Revolution Boys.”
“It was never meant to be.”
"Doesn't make it hurt less." Tubbo mumbled, snuggling deeper into the blanket.
"I know." Tommy sighs, resting his head against the headboard, "I wish it did."
Tubbo doesn’t move, only closes his eyes tighter. "Me too."
”Down with the Revolution Boys.”
“It was never meant to be.”
Tommy slid down, resting his head against Tubbo’s pillows. He pulled Tubbo close, holding him like a teddy bear against his chest, Tubbo’s face was still smushed into Tommy’s chest, but it was the safest that both of them had felt in weeks, in years . The blanket still wrapped around them, filling them with warm feelings.
Tommy could hear Wilbur walking the rounds outside, half from panic, over having one less member, and being more vulnerable, and the other half was from stress. Wilbur was stressed, and he was pacing. Tommy knew that Wilbur was making sure that the boys were safe. He was making sure that nothing like that could ever happen again.
"I love you Tub." Tommy’s eyes fluttered shut, the pounding in his head less significant than it was before. "Never forget that."
Tommy felt Tubbo let go, the tension etching out of his features, breath evening out completely, "Love you too Tom."