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“Why do you care about me?” Tommy blurts out, looking at Sam. “Why do you love me?”
“I love you because you deserved to be loved, Tommy.” Sam smiles, looking up from the hotel plans. “I love you because you are love.”
-
Five days.
It took Tommy five days of comfort from Sam for the word to slip out.
They were taking a break from the hotel, and were sitting in Sam’s base doorway, and Sam had taken apart the front door meticulously, and at Tommy’s request, was explaining how it worked. The boy had taken an interest in red stone once the Sam Nook robot suggested building an elevator, to which Tommy wholeheartedly agreed.
Tommy spread his wings, letting the dark feet feathers soak up the bright sun and cast some shade over Sam, who smiled at him in thanks.
“The observer is triggered when the bottom pistons are activated, then dock when they finally hit the bottom, see?” Sam points, before finally putting the last slime block and place. “And that’s how it works!”
“Why don’t you just loop a redstone symbol with a repeater, big man?” Tommy blinks, standing up as Sam does, shaking his wings. “Seems like it would take less materials.”
Sam's eyes crinkle, although his mouth are hidden by his gas mask, Tommy can tell he’s smiling. “An excellent question! If I did that, the piston timing wouldn’t be even, because it’s not simultaneous like the observes.”
Tommy hums, and the two go into the base, where The Warden and Sam Nook are in the docking pods, eyes closed and wires sticking out of their necks and wrists.
“The Warden is ready to return to Pandora’s vault.” Sam observes, looking at the loading bar. “All the logs and recordings are uploaded. Can you hand me the soldering iron so I can put seal wires back in?”
“Yup.” Tommy shifted through the chest, and produced the wireless iron. “Here you go, dad.”
“Thanks kiddo.”
Freeze.
Tommy swallowed dryly, slowly turning and looking at the creeper hybrid, who did the same right back.
Tommy’s face was bright red, and he spluttered for a bit before falling silent.
Sam then turned back to the bot, carefully unplugging and soldering wires. “What do you want for dinner, son?”
“Mac n cheese.”
“Good choice.”
-
Tommy has been so embarrassed that he had been completely silent through dinner, dessert, and the repairs of Sam Nook. Sam continued to call him ‘son’, ‘big man’, and ‘kiddo’.
In all honesty, Tommy didn’t mind one bit.
-
It was incredible how much a stable father figure, therapy, and healthy hobbies and coping mechanisms could do to a traumatized teenager. Tommy has gained all the weight and more he had lost during exile, his muscles growing as he assisted Sam building, engineering, and doing heavy lifting. He visited Puffy once a week, when they would have tea and cookies, and talk about everything and nothing. He had also gotten a passion for redstone, one that his now-father had been thrilled about and nurtured to no end.
But all ups must have its downs. During a cold day when hunting for spruce wood, Niki has lured Tommy deep into the forest, into the range of Tubbo’s testing nuke.
The damage to the land had been great, and the damage to Tommy had been severe. His wings were thrashed, the feathers singed, torn, and burnt. The flesh and bone underneath had been broken and was bleeding profusely. And worst of all, a piece of rubble had landed on his leg, warranting an on-site amputation of Tommy’s right leg.
The news had gotten worse. The wings were far too gone to be saved; Ponk and Tubbo had done a surgical operation to remove them per Tommy’s request.
But more ups soon came. With Jack and Niki fleeing at the sight of an extremely pissed off creeper hybrid, almost immediately after stabilizing Tommy, Sam began work for his son’s new leg and wings.
In a week, Tommy had a perfectly functioning, mechanical right leg. And once he could walk, he began assisting his father in the construction of new wings.
“If the world doesn’t want you to face wings of feathers, we’ll make ones out of metal and leathers.” His dad promised, kissing his temple as they viewed the blueprints.
Four months it took for them to finally finish the making of the prosthetics. Two large wings made of bronze and steel, padded with the softest leather they could find, all hooked to a comfortable harness that was worn on top of Tommy’s shirt. Upon the realization he could attach pouches to the harness, he went crazy.
“Listen dad, I know we don’t need my harness to have a backup knife pouch, but what if I need to start stabbing shit?”
“Thomas.”
“Okay, okay. A poison pouch.”
“THOMAS.”
Tommy, in the end of those four months, changed a lot. He liked to think for the better. He kept his red and white baseball tee and beige cargo pants, but replaced his converse with work boots. His hands were always gloved, hiding the redstone and electric burns on them from messing with his dad’s machines. His hair was always messy, and goggles hung around his neck.
His eyes had never been happier or brighter.
-
With the hotel finished, Tommy and Sam turned their attention to cleaning up old town Dream SMP and cleaning the remnants of blood vines. Surprisingly, it seems boiling water deals with all eggs. So does bombs, as the father son duo found out.
Sam and Tommy were sitting in the doorway of his old house, making adjustments to the structure and upgrading the technology. The two planned to make it a spot for Tom Nook and Warden, so the two wouldn’t have to walk as far.
Three figures had approached them, but the duo hadn’t noticed, too absorbed in their work.
“Hey dad, can you pass me the soldering iron for the wires in the switch?” Tommy asked, extending his hand toward Sam, who immediately passed it over. “Thank you.”
“Dad?” Philza whispered, tightening his grip on Techno’s shoulder.
“No problem, Kid. Got a socket wrench that is less than ¼?”
“Kid?” Techno whispered back, wincing at the pressure.
“I have a 3/16?” Tommy offered, pulling it from his pocket. “Will that work?
“Perfect.” Sam praises, gently taking the wrench. “We’ll be done by tomorrow, the bots will love it here.”
“Hello Tommy and Sam!” Tubbo greeted. “Phil and Techno are here for a tour. They just got pardoned.”
“Cool.”
“Nice. Puffy should be in her office in about half an hour or so, she’s still working with Dream.” Sam mentioned, glancing at his watch. “But the sessions go long quite a bit, so maybe wait about her forty-five.”
“Is he doing any better?” Tubbo asked, leaning against the double smelted walls.
“Yeah, a lot.” Tommy smiled. “Ever since the professional exorcist cake in and got rid of that Dreamon, he only needs a lot of intensive therapy. He’s been behaving and has been responding well to increased visiting privileges, along with going into the courtyard.”
“He’s set time be retried under arguments of possession and manipulation. He’s got a strong case and will probably be moved to supervised living after.” Sam noted, finishing tightening the bolt. “You got any ¾ washers?”
“No, but there are some in my e-chest.” Tommy stands, stretching as he walks over to the black chest. “How many do you need, big man?”
“Four, please.” Sam smiled, extending his hand to his son, who drops five washers into his hand. “Five?”
“For good luck.” Tommy smiles. He turns again, jumping as Phil gasps.
“Tommy, your wings.” Phil sounds horrified, looking at the leather and metal wings that are attached to Tommy’s harness.
“Oh that happened ages ago.” Tommy waved his hand in obvious dismissal. “I’ve had these for months. Had my leg for even longer.”
“Your leg?” Techno raises an eyebrow , looking at Tommy’s cargo pants. “What about them?”
“Hmm, you’re pretty shit family if you haven't heard. But I guess I’ll show you.” Tommy sighed dramatically, pulling up his right pant leg. “Lost this bitch in a nuke explosion.”
Phil looked like he was going to throw up, and Techno went a shade paler at the sight of the polished bronze leg.
“My dad made them for me, and these babies are sealed with liquid metal, not wax.” Tommy grinned, sitting back down. “I’m not an Icarus anymore. Just Tommy.”
“Just Tommy.” Sam echoes, smiling at his boy under his gas mask and goggles, his ear tips tinted red. “My boy.”
Tommy smiled, pulling his goggles back on. “What’s going on in Snowchester, Tubbo?”
“Good! The Egg cultists are now all recovered, and plan on retiring to the Badlands. Punz and Purpled reunited, and are visiting Dream soon.” Tubbo explained, glancing worrily at the two Watson’s.
“Why do you call him dad?” Phil whispered, eyes glistening with tears.
“Did you know if you tend to thirty percent of your child’s attachment needs, they grow up with stable connection instincts?” Sam asked, turning to Phil.
“Wha-“
“I’m saying the bar was on the fucking floor, Phil.” Sam sighed, and looked at his communicator. “Puffy should be back now, Warden just clocked her out.”
“Okay, thanks Sam!” Tubbo kicks off the wall. “Let’s go!”
“No,nonono….Tommy we need to talk about this.” Phil grasps at his youngest shoulder. “Please, I’m your father.”
“Yeah, but not my dad.” Tommy scoffed, shaking the hand of his shoulder and turning back to the wires. “Welder?”
The pipe was handed to him, the tube attached to the barrel training behind.
“Theseus, come on. Phil-“
“Techno.” Tommy turns, smiling as he adjusts the pressure of the welder. “Shut the fuck up.”
Phil creases his brow and his hands go to his hips. “Now listen here Tommy-“
“Nook, sentry mode, code omega-12, armed.” Sam calls, not looking up as the Sam Nook bot immediately opens its eyes, grabbing its shiny netherite sword as it marches over to Tommy, standing in front of him to separate the three. “Access code restricted, priority alpha.”
“TOMMYINNIT IS UNDER MY PROTECTION… I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO HARM HIM.” Book squeaks out, pointing his sword.
“We just want to talk.” Techno scoffs, but his hand twitches towards his new axe.
“Nook, audio analysis.” Sam sighs, looking at the two stand off against a literal netherite robot.
“ANALYSIS OF TECHNOBLADE WATSON FIGHT STYLE COMPLETED. RECOMMENDED FILES OF FRUITBERRIES, WILLINGLY GIVEN, OR TAPL, WILLINGLY GIVEN.” Sam Nook prattles.
“Override recommendations, file Calvin, access code 2015131325.”
“ACCESS CODE ACCEPTED. FILE CALVIN, WILLINGLY GIVEN IS ACTIVATED.”
Immediately, Nook changes stances. Much more rough and rugged than the past one, his sword loosely at his side.
“Nook is so cool.” Tommy smiled, goggled eyes staring at Sam Nook. “One of my two favorites.”
“TOMMYINNIT IS UNDER MY PROTECTION… LEAVE THE PREMISES OF THE CHARGING AND STORAGE DOCK OR BE REMOVED.”
“Okay, that’s our cue to go.” Tubbo began to walk. “Seriously, let's go see Puffy before you two have to get banned again.”
“Tommy…” Phil tried again, shifting to the side. “We’re your family. Please give us another chance?”
“Tubbo and Nook told you to go.” Tommy turned back to the breaker box. “So go.”
Phil and Techno’s heart broke while Tommy’s final scratch healed over.
And in all honesty, he didn’t care. He had his dad, Fran, Puffy, and Tubbo.
It was good.