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Christmas Eve used to be filled with joy for Tommyinnit. He’d sit with his family in front of a fire, and they’d hang up their stockings. There would be joy and laughter as each boy made their way to their rooms, ready for “Santa” to fill up the stockings, and leave a couple of wrapped gifts under the tree.
Christmas Eve used to be filled with love for Tommyinnit. He’d wish his friends a merry Christmas, and would beam at the joy on everyone's faces. They would always look so pleased to hear Tommy sound so excited. Tubbo would always give him a hug, and would return the saying. No matter what.
Christmas Eve used to be filled with anticipation for Tommyinnit. He was no longer the young boy he once was, he no longer believed in the whole Santa Claus thing. But he still loved the day. He was still filled with bubbling excitement for the day to follow. He loved helping Phil get the finishing touches ready, and loved the overall happiness that could be felt in the house.
Christmas Eve used to be wonderful, but now it was simply another lonely day for Tommy.
He had decided to stop moping around Logstedshire, and had made the trek to Techno’s house, knowing that he’d be in large amounts of trouble if Dream had ever found out. That was fine by Tommy, however. Because in his mind, there was nothing Dream could do to make him more upset at this point.
Tommy was to the point where he had no idea if he could feel any worse. So why not take a few risks?
At least, that’s what he told himself as he carefully walked further and further away from where Dream had last left the boy.
Dream had wished Tommy a merry Christmas before he had left the boy in solitude. Tommy wished he could have felt happier about the holiday, but he didn’t really feel anything.
He had stopped feeling long before the Christmas season even started. So instead he had found himself hugging Dream, wishing the man wouldn’t leave him alone. But alas, Dream had still left. And so Tommy decided he would too.
As he walked, he realized just how cold the air was. How the snow crunched under his leather clad feet. (Dream had taken his iron boots again) and how his breath turned a foggy white each time he exhaled.
Tommy realized just how far Techno’s house seemed to be, and just how grateful he was when the house finally appeared in sight. It looked so warm and welcoming and safe and Tommy almost felt happy.
Until he realized that he wouldn’t be allowed in.
He couldn’t let anyone see him, which meant that going inside the house was out of the picture for sure.
Even being so close, he was still so, so very alone.
He settled with sitting on Techno’s doorstep, hidden away from sight, but still able to look in and see Techno sitting by the fire. Tommy had missed seeing him so relaxed. Ever since Techno had become who he was now, Tommy had only seen the man in full armor, ready to attack and kill anyone who stood in his way.
But tonight Techno was sitting in sweatpants and a long sleeved tee shirt. He was sitting in a nice chair in front of the fireplace. He looked calm and peaceful, and Tommy wished he could join, even though he knew he would just manage to create chaos and ruin everything.
Tommy sat there for a few minutes before Phil showed up, walking into the room and startling Tommy a little. The slight panic wore off quickly, however, before sadness crept into the boy’s heart. Phil was here too and he couldn’t go give the man a hug.
Next thing he knew, Tommy was watching Ghostbur join the scene. Now all three members of his family were gathered under Techno’s roof, while the youngest huddled outside.
His nose was frozen, and the tear tracks had quickly turned to ice in the freezing cold temperatures. He knew he needed to leave, but he couldn’t seem to do it. He didn’t want to go back home to his empty tent.
Tommy sighed, and wiped at his face, before getting ready to leave nonetheless. One last glance inside the house showed to him that nobody was sitting in front of the fire anymore. There were three- no, four- there were four stockings hung in front of the fire, but no people.
Tommy worked to stop the fresh tears that threatened to fall as he realized that they hadn’t forgotten about him, they remembered him. Maybe they still loved him.
Then, before his eyes, he watched the fire lick at the stockings. He watched as the soft fabric slowly started to smoke. And then watched as the stocking furthest to the right, his stocking, caught aflame.
He cursed to himself before hurrying inside, not caring if he got caught. Setting fire to a house was what got him into this mess in the first place, he couldn’t just let his brother’s home burn down because they had bothered to hang up his stocking.
He couldn’t ruin anything else.
So he ran in, put out the fire, tried his best to get rid of the smoke, and hung the stocking back up. He fluffed the stocking a little, trying to hide the burn marks, and then left the house as quickly and as quietly as he had entered it.
And then he left. Leaving behind his happy family, and their warm shelter.
He left his home, to head back to his exile. To head back to the quiet Logstedshire. To go back to the place where he would have to stay for as long as he lived.
However long that may be.
**Little happy bonus because that was sad!**
As Tommy was settling in for the night, not tired, but not wanting to be awake by himself, he was surprised to hear a noise.
He strained his ears a little to try and find the noise again, now paranoid that it was a mob, or a person out to do no good.
But to his surprise, it was the bright sound of Ghostbur’s laugh that rang through the otherwise silent night.
Tommy beamed, throwing off his covers and launching himself outside. He wasn’t alone anymore. He had his family, he had love, and his Christmas Eve started to look full of joy, love, and anticipation once more.
As he sat with his family, snuggled into Phil's side, Tommy smiled a little. Christmas Eve was wonderful, even if it was a little different this year.