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Tubbo glanced down at the communicator, sighing at the constant stream of messages that yelled his name. Turning to Ranboo, he chuckled, “looks like Tommy wants me.”
Ranboo nodded, continuing to tend to Michael, who was happily jumping up and down on the bed.
Turns out Tubbo was completely correct, Tommy desperately wanted to come talk to him about something. So of course, he invited him to Snowchester, saying they could talk immediately if he wanted to.
Shortly after the messages, Tubbo looked out the window and spotted the blond. Frowning, he watched at how skittish he was, scanning the surroundings frantically, as if something was going to jump out and attack him. Tommy took a moment to take in the new mansion, eyes wide and mouth agape. Maybe Tubbo could offer him a room to stay, it would be nice to finally see his best friend relax for once and actually laugh.
Tubbo tried not to think about the last time he had heard Tommy genuinely laugh was probably way before his exile started.
“Michael, we’re just going to be out for a little while, okay?” Tubbo turned back to where Ranboo stood, watching their son grunt in acknowledgement. Smiling warmly, he moved to the ladder, waving goodbye one last time before going back down to the main floor.
Tubbo wonders to himself if Tommy and Michael would get along, he really hopes they do, he thinks it would be good for both of them.
“Tommy!” Tubbo yelled, noticing the way the blonde flinched at the sudden greeting, he would have to remember not to do that next time, “how are you big man?”
“I’ve been better,” he mutters, eyeing Ranboo, who had followed Tubbo outside, “why is he here?”
Sighing, he decided to change the topic in hopes that Tommy wouldn’t continue to ask. He really wanted Tommy and Ranboo to get along but of course he couldn’t force him to do anything. He didn’t know what Tommy had been through since he refused to utter a single word about his experience in prison. So instead, all he could do was try and make Tommy feel a little bit more comfortable around the both of them, “do you like our mansion?”
“Yeah, it’s pretty cool,” he admitted, stepping inside the towering building. They spent a few minutes showing Tommy what was going to be an amazing place. Tommy seemed to relax slightly but Tubbo still noticed the way his eyes wouldn’t sparkle, the way his tired facial expression didn’t match the fake, enthusiastic tone he used to speak with. He notices the way Tommy finches whenever someone lifts up their hand, the way his eyes keep drifting back to a creeper that was at least 30 blocks away, far enough to not be a worry. The way his hands trembled ever so slightly.
Eventually, they ended back in Tubbo’s house, pouring some hot chocolate in hopes that it would melt away the tension. Tommy hadn’t interacted with Ranboo at all, maybe this would make it a little bit easier to do.
“So, we got married,” Tubbo began.
He swears if Tommy had been holding his mug, he would’ve dropped it, “what? Married? You two are married?”
“Yep,” he confirmed, Ranboo nodding slightly.
“How? When? Why?”
“To be completely honest, at first, it was for tax purposes.”
“And you didn’t get my permission?” Tommy huffed.
“Well, can I have your permission?” Tubbo continued to pour the boiling water into the mugs.
Tommy hesitated, glancing between the two of them, his face not giving away anything he was thinking, “does he make you happy?”
Gently, Tubbo smiled, “yeah.”
“Then it’s okay.”
Tubbo handed him a hot chocolate. This was more like the Tommy he knew, always brash and loud on the exterior but the interior was actually kind and caring. He only wanted Tubbo to be happy, even if he often did throw sarcastic comments and insults his way. It showed him a glimpse of the Tommy he thought he had lost.
For a moment it was quiet, the three of them sipping at their hot chocolates. Suddenly, there was a wave of gentle thuds from upstairs. Looking up, he instantly had an idea, “Tommy do you want to meet Michael?”
“Who the hell is Michael?”
“Mine and Ranboo’s son.”
-----
What.
What.
How long had he been stuck in prison for? He thought it was a month max, but now his best friend was married, building a mansion and had a son?
He definitely wasn’t jealous. No, Tommyinnit does not get jealous. He didn’t envy how Ranboo could easily make friends with whoever he spoke to. He certainly wasn’t thinking about how much fun he had had previously with both Tubbo and Ranboo and how the two of them had quickly moved on whilst he was stuck in prison.
He isn’t jealous. He isn’t clingy. He totally isn’t.
Tubbo continued to stare at him, waiting for a response. To be completely honest, Tommy did not want to meet Michael. Children didn’t understand all the things that adults did. They are grabby and have no sense of personal space and they certainly don’t understand if they are hurting someone or not.
Meeting a child when he was so hyper aware of everything didn’t seem like a very good plan.
“You know he already knows about you,” Ranboo spoke up, the first time he had said anything since Tommy had got here. Clenching his fists, he glared at the hybrid. He didn’t want him here right now, his plan was to talk to Tubbo and only Tubbo. But of course, he had to interject like he always did. Tommy hated him and he definitely didn’t feel his heart flutter at the thought of them caring about him so much they wanted to tell their son about him. “He is probably excited to meet Uncle Tommy.”
Oh. Oh. Tommy was not expecting Ranboo to say that. Tommy was not expecting to be declared an Uncle. But Tommy wouldn’t deny that it made him feel welcomed. As if he was part of a family (and Tommy desperately wanted to be part of a family, one that wouldn’t hurt him but protect him instead).
He had to play it cool, act like what Ranboo had said didn’t interest him in the slightest, “I guess I can meet him.”
So they led him upstairs to meet Michael. He wondered what the kid would look like, was it just some random child they had found on the street and taken in. It wouldn’t surprise him if that was what had happened, it was the exact same predicament Tubbo was in all those years ago. No wonder the brunette had a desire to adopt children that had seemed to have been abandoned.
What he hadn’t expected was to be greeted by a baby zombified piglin, beady eyes staring up at him in awe.
Michael trotted over to him, inspecting the new figure that had invaded his room.
To say Tommy was awkward was an understatement, he stood completely still, grimacing at the child that was a little too close for his comfort. Tubbo giggled, “he’s not going to hurt you Tommy, you don’t need to be so stiff.”
“I don’t know that for sure,” Tommy hated how quite his voice was, the words he uttered barely above a whisper.
Crouching down, Tubbo made an “ah” sound, as if he knew what he was talking about. Tubbo didn’t understand though, he didn’t know about the thoughts that were racing through his head.
“Here, crouch down with me,” he offer Tommy a hand, which he hesitantly took.
Well, maybe Tubbo did know what he was thinking. If there was going to be someone on this server that actually understood what he was feeling, it would be Tubbo. Following his friend, he crouched down too, seeing Michael from his eye level.
Michael reached out to Tommy’s face, causing him to flinch, falling backwards. The child stopped, cocking his head at the unusual reaction.
“H-hello,” Tommy uttered, not aware that Ranboo had also sat down next to him.
“Hi!” He squealed, excited that Tommy had finally interacted with him. Tubbo manoeuvred himself so that Michael sat down next to him, all four of them now on the floor of the child’s bedroom.
“Michael this is Uncle Tommy,” he slowly explained, gesturing towards the blond.
“U- un- u,” Michael huffed, not completely understating what Tubbo was saying to him.
That’s when it hit him. Michael was speaking piglin, Tommy didn’t even realise at first. It had been years since he had last spoke it, so it didn’t clock right away that the kid was speaking piglin. Now it made total sense.
“He said Uncle,” Tommy informed him, his shoulders relaxing when Michael turned towards him, eyes gleaming.
“Unc- Uncle?”
“Yeah, that’s me.”
“Uncle! Uncle!”
Tommy laughed at how excited Michael had gotten over one simple word. Maybe kids weren’t so bad. He was so focused on the fact that he was now an Uncle. Oh my god, he was an Uncle! He didn’t notice the two sets of eyes that watched, bewildered.
“Tommy what are you doing?”
He glanced up towards Tubbo, “I’m speaking piglin?” He retorted, as if it was obvious what he was doing.
“When did you learn how to speak piglin?”
“Years ago, Tech-” he stopped himself, unsure on whether or not he wanted to expand on that point. The only reason he had learnt it in the first place was because he had begged Techno to teach him when he was 7. Phil had agreed, saying it would be a great experience for all of them and that it would help get better trades in the nether. A memory of a simple time. A simple time he missed so dearly.
“Oh, that’s really cool,” Ranboo responded, seemingly catching wind of what Tommy was getting at. He would never admit it, but he was grateful that the hybrid didn’t force him to continue.
“Yeah I didn’t know that! Can Michael talk properly, like, in piglin I mean?” Tubbo added.
“I’ll ask him, see what he knows,” he once again shifted his attention to Michael, “hey Michael.”
“hi, Uncle Tommy?”
“So you’ve heard about me?”
“yuh! Dada said lotsa stuff ‘bout you”
“Yeah, it’s basically the same as talking to a three-year-old, broken English here and there but he can definitely hold a conversation.” He explained to the others.
“what you saying?” Michael grunted, interrupting Tommy.
“I’m speaking to your dads, they want to know if you can talk.”
Michael squealed in response, just happy that he was talking to someone that understood him.
“Wow, this is- this is so cool,” Tubbo stated, Ranboo humming in agreement.
What Tommy had planed on doing today was going to Snowchester to discuss a method they can use to finally end Dream once and for all. What he hadn’t expected to do today was befriend Michael and be completely enticed by the idea of being and Uncle.
Wait.
A sly smirk spread across his face, he was the only one who could talk to Michael, the only one who can understand him.
“Michael, say shit.”
“Sh- shi?”
“You’re almost there bud! Shit, sh- it,” Tommy encouraged.
“sh-it, sh-it. Shit”
“Yeah, well done Michael!”
“Shit! Shit! Shit!”
Tommy couldn’t help but wheeze at the sight of a three-year-old get so excited at shouting the word shit, it was priceless. “What are you saying,” Tubbo questioned, a mild hint of suspicion coating his words.
Tommy ignored him, “Michael, do you wanna learn more new words?”
“More?” Michael’s ears twitched as he nodded excitedly.
“Okay, you know your dad?” he pointed at Ranboo, the hybrid furrowing his brows at the gesture, “he is a dickhead, can you say that for me?”
“Di- head?”
“Yeah, dad is a dickhead”
“Di- deek, dick head! Dada dickhead”
Choking back on his own laughter, Tommy continued, “now another one is bitch.”
“Bit. Bit.”
“We might have to work on that one a little bit, but I think you’ll get the hang of it,” he snickered, “what about prick?”
“Pwick?”
“Yeah! Prick, I know a few people who are pricks, don’t mix with them Michael, trust me on that one. Now how about one off my favourites, fuck.”
“-uck? Uck?”
“Nearly, it is f- uck. Like f- ish. Can you do that. F- uck” Tommy was almost brought to tears at the fact that Michael just blidly repeated anything he taught him.
“th – uck, fuck?”
“Yeah! Well done, it is like saying hello. Try it with your dad, say fuck you”
Michael giggled, turning to Tubbo, “Fuck you! Fuck you!”
The mix of Michael’s face lighting up and the confusion on Tubbo’s made Tommy absolutely loose it. Cackling at the fact that he had managed to teach a child several swear words in the past few minutes and how no one can stop him.
He wonders if he can teach Michael to say that Techno is a prick, he finds it hilarious that the first thing a baby zombified piglin could say to Techno is “you are a prick!”. He can already imagine Phil and Techno’s expressions.
Michael let out a long yawn, still babbling the new, exciting words he had just been taught.
“I think he might be getting a little tired, let’s have a nap, shall we Michael?” Tubbo smiled as he picked up his son. Ranboo and Tubbo tucked Michael into bed, whispering soothing words to lull him to sleep.
Tommy is totally not a softie, but the sight did warm his heart.
It reminded him of a distant time where Phil would read a story to him to lure him into a deep slumber. How safe he felt knowing that his dad was just down the hall, his brothers in the rooms next to him.
“Hey,” Tommy really didn’t know what had come over him, but there’s no going back now, “why don’t I read him a story so he falls asleep easier?”
Tubbo’s eyes lit up, “Really? You’d do that?”
“Yeah I guess,” he mumbled.
-----
Both Tubbo and Ranboo thanked the blond for his kind gesture before leaving him to read the story.
Tubbo felt good. The ecstatic sensation that overcame him when he saw Tommy laugh, and it was genuine too. He spoke to Michael so easily, seemingly enjoying the interaction. Of course, Tubbo had his suspicions on what was going on, but he refused to intervene, not wanting to ruin the moment.
Just like before, when Tommy was happy because Tubbo was happy, Tubbo was glad to see Tommy finding joy in talking to Michael.
Above them, he could hear the cheerful huffs and grunts from the two of them, obviously having a good time with the story telling. Eventually, Tommy clambered down the ladder, stepping onto the floor. Eyes glistening a little bit more, just like the time when they were sat on a bench, peacefully listening to a music disc they had slotted into the jukebox.
“You look like you had fun,” he commented as he pulled out a chair for Tommy to sit down on.
“You could say that,” he grinned. This time Tubbo noticed the way his friend’s hands didn’t shake as much, the way his eyes didn’t dart straight to the skeleton that was stood outside the window. The way he didn’t seem as tired anymore.
“What were you talking about?” he questioned, despite the fact that he could hazard a good guess on the topic they had discussed.
“Just stuff, y’know?”
“You taught him swear words, didn’t you?”
“Of course! What else would I do?”
Tubbo sighed at the blond, who had started laughing once more.
“Erm,” Ranboo spoke up, causing Tommy to instantly snap his mouth shut, “can you-could you maybe teach us how to speak piglin?”
Tubbo tensed slightly, unsure on how Tommy would react. It was obvious that he had mixed feelings towards Ranboo, one moment he would be joking with said hybrid and then the next he would be frustrated. Questioning the validity of his friendship with Tubbo, claiming that Ranboo was his replacement.
“Yeah, I can do that.” Tommy responded, Tubbo loosened his shoulders.
“Why don’t you stay the night?” Ranboo offered, “you can discuss what you came here to talk about tomorrow, and we can arrange a time for you to teach us piglin.”
“Okay, I guess that sounds fine.”
Tubbo smiled. Sure, life was never going to be able to be the same as before, he knows that. Tommy wasn’t going to instantly change back overnight. But right now, as Ranboo and Tommy made small conversation (to be honest, he had zoned out so he didn’t quite hear what they were on about, but at least they were being civil), as Michael slept peacefully above them, as Tommy let out a hearty laugh, he started to resemble his past self a little bit more.
Life couldn’t go back to the way it was, the three of them had all been forced through far too many agonising situations. But with every step they took, it was movement in the right direction. It meant that life could still be normal for all of them.
Maybe Tommy could teach him swear words in piglin too, it would be fun to curse at Techno without any warning. That would be entertaining.
Chuckling, he cherished the moment. This seemed to be the start of a new chapter. A new, happier chapter. A new start that the three of them deserved.