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Ghouls were… terrifying. Tubbo had grown up with that knowledge, everyone had. They were human-eating beasts that took the shape of people. They were told since they were kids to be careful, to stay with their parents, to stay near crowds. Unless you wanted to lose your life, you stayed with other people. There were very few who were sympathetic towards ghouls. How could you be when they ate people and nothing else? They couldn’t eat anything else, they had to take another person’s life to continue their own.
One of the few people that Tubbo knew who were sympathetic towards ghouls was his best friend, Tommy. Tommy was pretty firm in his beliefs, that they should feel bad for Ghouls who didn’t have a choice when it came to what they could eat and that ghouls should only eat criminals that didn’t deserve to live. He also thought that ghouls should be held accountable if they just picked victims off of the street. For someone usually so aggressive, Tommy seemed to want peace with the other species, though it was out of pity. Tubbo knew that, knew that Tommy was so kind underneath his loud and seemingly uncaring exterior.
Tommy was a lot kinder and smarter than he ever let on and Tubbo was happy he got to see that side of his friend. He was one of the few that got to see it and was the one who saw it most frequently. Not even his brothers saw it as frequently as he did, though it had to be because Tommy was kind but in a quiet way. He wasn’t in people’s faces about it. He slipped people snacks from his lunch on the days that they were sad and didn’t judge when they cried. Usually protecting people when they were teased for something and obviously didn't enjoy it. He held open doors without a second thought and fed strays around their hometown.
It made sense that Tommy felt bad for the ghouls and saw potential good in them. It wasn’t like Tommy or his family were ghouls, it wasn’t possible. Tubbo had spent too many dinners and nights over there to miss if they consistently threw up food. Tommy ate a lot as well, it wasn’t like he was faking it. Besides, Tommy was a good actor but he couldn’t lie, not to Tubbo. Tubbo knew Tommy better than anyone else. He was practically a staple in the Watsons’ house, spending more time there than he did at his own.
If they were ghouls, they would have eaten him by now, on one of the many nights or days he slept in their house. It wasn’t as if they couldn’t overpower him either. Ghouls were supposed to be naturally stronger than humans and even then, everyone in Tommy’s house was bigger and stronger than him. He could easily been a memory years ago, but nothing ever happened. Nothing would ever happen, he trusted them with his life.
The thought warmed him as he and Tommy worked on homework at the kitchen table. Phil had some music playing as he bustled around, making a dinner that smelled very good, his hums bouncing around the room. Every now and then they spoke or Tommy complained about his math teacher but other than that, it was pretty normal. Techno had fencing practice and Wilbur was the one in charge of picking them up, but Tubbo knew he’d see both of them later. It was all routine, a basic mundane Tuesday just like last week’s had been.
Tommy was halfway through his rant about their English assignment when the door was thrown open. There was a loud cry of “Techno!” and a thump. Phil’s head whipped around and the knife he was holding clattered to the ground as he took off towards the entryway. Tubbo was on his feet as Tommy followed his father. Phil had stopped in the hallway, Tommy and Tubbo both running into his back. The scene in the hallway nearly made Tubbo cry, mostly because he’s never seen Techno look so weak. He was collapsed on the ground, shoulders heaving and hair spilling down onto his shoulders. He was clutching his head and there was a low noise coming from him, making Tubbo’s heart wrench. He had never seen Techno in pain before, not like this.
Wilbur is trying to comfort him and Tubbo watched as Phil opened his mouth to speak, only for everything in the house to still when techno’s head snapped up. Tubbo felt the blood drain out of his face at the sight of black sclera and red irises, veins crawling down his face from both eyes. The gaze struck on to him and he watched as Techno’s eyes widened. Tubbo barely had time to blink before there was a flurry of movement. Someone shoved him back and his foot caught on a tile, something red blood in front of him and Wilbur yelled. Just as quickly as everything happened, everything stopped.
There was some panting and Tubbo took in the scene before him. Tommy was trembling and he had what looked like a red shield wrapped around his left arm, his other hand behind him from where he had shoved Tubbo. The same red… material (cells, they were Rc cells and only ghouls had Rc cells) had torn through the back of Phil’s shirt, large wings spread out to block them from Techno. Phil also had his arm up, but Tubbo looked a little bit closer to see that Techno had dug his teeth straight into his father’s arm.
It was as if the world turned on its head for a second. He couldn’t hear Phil’s words, though he watched as Techno crumpled to the floor again, arm wrapped around his stomach. Everything he had ever known changed and he scrambled to his feet. Techno was wiping blood off his chin, Wilbur wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Tommy turned to face him with a weird expression on his face but all Tubbo could focus on was the red scales that had ripped up his best friend’s t-shirt.
“You're ghouls…” He whispered in horror and Tommy’s eyes grew wide in panic. The silence was suffocating and his world spun. A ghoul, his best friend was a ghoul and he didn’t even know. He thought about the years of Tommy and his family eating around him, of years of lunches and ice cream after dark. Things that Tommy had faked, that everyone had faked, just to deceive him. They had lied, they put him in danger. After all, ghouls were dangerous. All he could think about was how easy it would have been for them to kill him. Right here, right now, his life could end. He's not even 12.
Tommy tried to sputter something out, but a pitiful cry from the hallway caused them both to quiet. Without even facing them, Phil began to give out instructions. “Upstairs, both of you. Techno is starving, he needs to eat. He doesn’t know who is who.” He explained in a grim voice and Tubbo watched as Tommy paled and nodded. The red scales retracted back into Tommy’s body and Tubbo nearly screamed as he was dragged from the kitchen. They circled around into the living room, Phil doing something similar in the hallway to block off the stairs for him to use. Wilbur had wrapped his own extra limb (it looked like a tail, sprouting from his lower back) around Techno’s ankles to ensure he didn’t move either.
Tubbo nearly bolted for the front door but was stopped by the hand holding on his wrist. It was tight enough to make him flinch and he scrambled to follow Tommy lest he be left with the starving Techno. They sit quietly in Tommy’s room and he notices that Tommy is shaking, terrified. For a solid minute, he couldn’t figure out what Tommy could possibly be afraid of; Tommy is stronger than him and could easily kill him right here, just for learning their secret and he has no idea why. He wonders what Tommy is scared of if it’s not ghouls.
Then he remembers. Ghouls are hunted down and sent away to their deaths. They’re slaughtered one by one for just trying to live in most cases. The Commission of Ghoul Countering is an actual thing and is essentially a police force that was made to track down and murder ghouls. They kept the public safe or at least, they supposedly did. They kill ghouls, they kill murderers.
….
They kill families like the Watsons, too. People just wanting to be normal and stay safe. They kill people like Wilbur, who write songs and play music and ruffle the hair of his younger brothers. They kill people like Phil, with hearty laughs and terrible jokes and a home big enough for anyone, and Tommy, with kindness that knows no end and bright smiles and excited jumps. They kill people like Techno, people who starve themselves to the point that they can’t tell who’s friend and who’s foe.
Tommy’s scared of him because society will always choose people like him over people like Tommy.
He takes a deep breath and moves to take Tommy’s hand after nearly a half-hour of silence, something odd between the two of them. Just as he does, the door swings open and Phil stands in the doorway, a new shirt replacing the one he tore. He watches the two of them carefully and Tubbo shrinks back at the cool gaze that lands on him. “I think it’s time for Tubbo to go home.” is all that he says and he goes to protest. He doesn’t get there because Tommy nods silently and stands.
“I’ll walk him.” He’s led out of Tommy’s room and down the stairs. They stop at the door for a jacket to cover Tommy’s torn sleeve. There’s a weird metal scent wafting in from the kitchen and Wilbur stands guard in the doorway, back to them. He turns when they enter and his eyes land on Tubbo. They hold a look before Wilbur crookedly smiles, eyes softening behind his round glasses. There’s a wet noise from the kitchen that they all ignore as Phil joins them.
Wilbur nods at Phil before looking down at Tubbo again. “Techno didn’t mean it. He hasn’t eaten in months. He’s really sorry, I know he is.” He blurts out, cutting himself off when Phil sends him a withering gaze. Tubbo doesn’t get the chance to speak as his schoolbag is shoved into his arms and he’s ushered out the door, Phil giving Wilbur a firm reminder to make sure that Techno ate everything. There was a weird cracking noise and a wet crunch and the door is shut behind them.
He and Tommy walk to his house, side by side, and he can Phil watching him from the end of the driveway. They pause on his front porch and Tubbo bites his lips. He only has a minute before his parents notice him outside and unlock the door to let him in. He needs to work quickly. “Tommy, you’re- you’re my best friend. You’ll always be. That doesn’t change ‘cause of.. ‘Cause of that. Okay?” he whispers and Tommy’s blue eyes widen and water. The blonde nods and throws himself into Tubbo’s arms, the two clinging to each other. The front door cracks open. “See you tomorrow?” He asks and Tommy nods, pulling away to let Tubbo walk inside.
As they usually do, he stands with his parents while Tommy scampers back to Phil, despite them being 12 and the Watsons living 3 houses down. They all wave and Tommy waves back. Phil hesitates before weaving and hurrying Tommy back towards their home. Tubbo watches until he hears the door shut and he’s pulled back inside. When asked why he’s home so early, he tells them that Techno wasn’t feeling well after his fencing practice. They buy it and he’s glad. He promised Tommy that he wouldn’t say anything, though it was unspoken. He hopes that Tommy knows what he meant.
He doesn’t clarify and barely a week later, the Watsons are gone. The day after him finding out everything, his parents get a call from Phil saying that all the kids had gotten sick and he wouldn’t be able to pick Tubbo up. Three days later, the house has a For Sale sign in front of it and there’s a truck in front of it. As he and Tommy cling to each other and cry, Phil makes up some tale of hearing bad news about his parents and them having to get to the boys’ grandparents as quickly as possible. They promise to talk on the phone, but he can tell by Phil’s smile that they won’t. Tubbo isn’t stupid, he knows now. He knows this is all his fault.
It’s why when, years later and he’s in his final year of high school, he opens his door to walk over to the family that bought the old house and promptly bursts into tears when he sees Tommy standing on his porch, taller than ever and face stained with tears. Tommy looks so different, but he’s still Tubbo’s best friend and, even with dorky braces, he would recognize his best friend’s smile anywhere.