Work Text:
I'll be home for Christmas
You can plan on me
Tommyinnit sat on the wood floor of Tnret. He was a big man, and didn’t cry, but for some reason his compass that led to Tubbo was wet. He didn’t mean to get upset, but he had found himself thinking of the upcoming holidays, and those seemed to hurt. Normally Christmas would fill him with happiness, but right now he just felt empty. Empty and sad.
Christmas time at home was good though, he was always safe when he was with his friends and his brothers. They would sit together and would sing along as Wilbur played Christmas music. Nobody would mention it if the singing was terrible, after all, not everyone could sing like Wilbur and that was something everyone had long since come to terms with.
He wanted to go home, he wanted everyone to remember him, and keep a card in their stack of Christmas cards addressed to him. He wanted everyone to plan on his presents, even though he was annoying and overwhelming at times, as Dream had told him, he still wanted to see everyone for Christmas.
As he sat there, he decided something.
He was going home for Christmas. And that was that.
Please have snow and mistletoe
A quick glance outside Tnret proved to Tommy that the snow was missing from the scene. There was none of the wet, cold, white stuff to make Christmas feel even more real. If he were to be honest, he missed seeing it float to the ground.
He missed throwing it at Techno’s head too.
Tommy thought of the last Christmas before the wars. He remembered the fresh snow, and the bags of mistletoe that he and Tubbo were lugging around L’Manburg. Their smiles bright and cheerful, their noses pink from the cold.
They were pinning mistletoe over literally every single door they could find. Nobody was safe from these two chaotic forces. Both boys had to stifle their laughter on more than one occasion as they hung the bright green leaves.
“Dare you to eat some.” Tommy had told his friend.
“Aren’t they like, poisonous or something?” Tubbo had responded.
Tommy shrugged, a devilish smile on his face, “I don’t think it’ll kill you.”
“You don’t think?? I’m your best friend and you don’t even know if that dare will end my life?” Tubbo exclaimed.
“Come on, we both know you wouldn't do it.” Tommy threw his hands up in defense.
It was quiet for a quick moment before Tommy mumbled “too much of a wuss”
A ball of snow landed squarely on Tommy’s chest, and laughter rang through the streets of the land.
And presents by the tree
The framed picture of L’Manburg’s tree made Tommy’s heart ache, he knew for a fact that by Christmas morning, the tree would be surrounded by presents. He knew that everyone would gather, and they’d share the gifts that they so thoughtfully had picked out for each other. Tommy knew this, and hoped he’d be able to see it happen. Tommy knew this, and it hurt him to be 2,000 blocks away. His tree was empty, and at this point, Tommy was pretty sure he’d even like a pity-present.
Maybe Dream would give him a gift. Yes, Dream would bring a brightly wrapped gift this year, one just for Tommy. Tommy knew he would, and so he needed to find a gift to wrap for his friend in return, after all, that’s what friends do!
Yeah, that’s what Tommy would need to do in the next few days. He’d need to find the most perfect and amazing gift for his best friend, the only one to visit him in exile. He’d find something amazing.
Christmas eve will find me
Where the love light gleams
Christmas eve was one of his most favorite days of the year. Sitting in his living room with his family was the greatest feeling. The fireplace would be lit, and the house would be warm. Christmas would be in the air.
Suddenly the air in Tnret seemed stale and suffocating. Tommy quickly left and sat on the beach, looking up at the glimmering stars. The stars reminded him of something, something nice, though Tommy couldn’t quite put his finger on it yet. He would figure it out.
It only took him a second to imagine his family’s eyes. And he knew that’s where he’d seen those gleaming stars.
He saw them in his brother’s eyes, he saw the stars in his father’s eyes. He saw love and stars in his family's eyes every time they looked at him. As he remembered the memories, the love in their gazes were enough to make Tommy feel warm inside. Despite the cold breeze that flowed down the ocean side. The light of his family’s eyes, the love that they gave, were all Tommy needed. All he wanted to see right now.
He decided he’d ask Dream for a chance to go home the next time Tommy saw his friend. He went to bed that night with a slightly lighter heart at the thought of seeing and feeling his family’s love again.
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams
“Dream?” Tommy asked quietly, not wanting to bother his friend at all, but still wanting an answer to his question.
It was the next day, and the two friends were digging in the Nether together, their chats had grown quiet.
“Yes, Tommy?” Dream responded, pausing his mining to look at the boy.
“Do you think, do you think I could go home for Christmas? Just for a bit?” Tommy’s young and yet so broken eyes looked almost hopeful as he wrung his hands together.
Dream tilted his head a bit, thinking.
“I’ll think about it, Tommy.” His voice was cool and calm, as it always was. Tommy had grown to like its soothing presence. He loved it even more now that Dream was thinking about letting Tommy go home.
“But probably not.”
And just like that, Tommy’s hope was crushed. His eyes went back to the dull, downcast way there were before.
“Oh.”
He couldn’t help the moisture that pooled in his eyes, he blinked a couple times to hide his sadness, and he continued walking.
He didn’t mean to, of course, but his eyes drifted to the bubbling pools of lava.
I'll be home for Christmas
But only in my dreams