Chapter Text
There running down the path was a young boy.
He ran and breathed as if the air was attempting to escape his lungs forever. Each and every step him made echoed in the dead of night with only the sounds from the blond boy breaking the silence.
As fast as he made his way down the path he just as quickly tripped on his shoelaces.With only his hands to protect him from the impact he still managed to hit his face against the dirt path.
“Fuck” he said so quitely as if spoken any louder there’d be a consequence.
He laid against the path from a minute before sitting up. On his knees he quickly brought his stinging hands to his nose. ‘Fuck Wilbur’s gonna kill me’
How was he gonna explain a bloody nose to Wilbur. He promised he stayed uninjured for Niki. It’s not his fault that Tubbo needed him and Ranboo to help get his dog from the woods. Stupid dog why would he runaway from Tubbo’s home. Why would he run away from a warm home.
The sounds of the birds from the wood brought him out of his thoughts. It was daybreak. Tommy had been out all night looking for a dog and now the sun was threatening to expose him for sneaking out at night. He quickly tucked his untied shoelaces into his shoes and ignored the pain from his hands and nose and spirited down the dirt path to reach the house.
He reached the back of the house with the dawn approaching. He reached his makeshift rope hanging outside his window. He quickly togged at the rope to make sure it was stable. He struggled to make his way up with the combination of exhaustion from running from and back to the house spending a solid five hours wandering the woods for a dog and trying to actually catch the dog. Now with the pain from his fall and just to tie his night together he hadn’t slept a wink even though Tubbo had texted him late into the night. It wasn’t his fault he was excited. Actually Tommy had trouble sleeping the couple days. He was gonna see Niki again and Wilbur had told Phil and Techno were finally coming home from their latest adventure.
How long had it been? Was it six months? No, that was the last trip. Was it a year? No, that was the trip when Tommy was seven and eight. That’s the one where he had been left with Tubbo’s family. Well it didn’t matter how long it was they were at their house now.
For how long?
Tommy reached the top of the rope and struggled to grab his window ledge to pick himself up to crash down onto the floor of his room. As he lied on the floor catching his breath he pulled the rope hanging out the window into his room. He lay there, the sun hitting his face from the open window. He simply covered his face with the sheet rope and turned his face into the room.
There was nothing special about his room.
There were clothes everywhere. School books about. A recorded player next to the door, And paper on the walls.
When he was young Tommy loved to write on everything, especially the walls. He could never tell you why. He’s answer would change every time. Maybe he just wanted to mark something as his. Maybe he just wants to leave a mark to prove he existed. Either way Techno got sick of it fast and just as quickly as Tommy figured out to hold a crayon properly Philza covered almost all the wall in their old home with paper where Tommy could reach. Sure Tommy grew out of it but it didn’t matter everytime Tommy got a new room when the moved house Philza would put paper on the walls for Tommy to write on the walls. It wasn’t much but it was something his dad did for him.
They moved around alot in the region they were in but for once it was for Tommy’s sake. At least he was closer to Tubbo again so it wasn’t all bad despite it being to be closer to his tutor.
To be honest he didn’t like this new house. It was too big. Wilbur was on the other side of the house instead of right next to his room. Phil's unused room wasn’t even on the same floor as him rather down stairs due to Wilbur using the room that was supposed to be Phil's for his music. The only person near him was Techno and even then it didn’t count. Techno hadn’t even bothered to move his things out of the boxes.
Tommy lied on the floor simply trying to stay awake. But everytime he closed his eyes they threatened to shut. He heard his down opening and fucking booked it to his bed to hide under the covers.
“You’re shit at hiding.”
Tommy felt himself smiling and sitting up, “PHIL!”
“Hey mate.”
Phil was standing on the doorway carrying a small box and made his way to Tommy’s bed to take a seat. “What did you bring me.” Tommy was already trying to peek as Phil jokenly tried to hide the box. “First aid.”
“What.”
“First aid. I was told you needed it.” Those fucking birds always snitched on him.
“You're just as ugly as I left.” Tommy stuck out his tongue to Phil as he held his face to look at his nose. Phil cleaned Tommy's face and put a cotton ball in his nose before moving onto his hands.
“So, why were you out.”
“Tubbo”
“Mmm’ Phil responded with skepticism.
“It’s true tho. His dumb dog.” Tommy put on his defensie voice. Ready to argue back.
“Micheal.” Phil responded calmly as if he already knew.
“I dunno.” Tommy said deflated as if he wanted a reason to scream. “So did you bring me anything.’ He said flatly trying to hide his excitement.
Whenever Phil left he always brought him something; his favorite gifts were discs. His favorite so far was Cat. It was the oldest one he got but it was also the one his family would take away as punishment.
“I dunno. Just found a weird plate with a hole in the middle...”
“REALLY WHAT WAS THE COLOR WAS IT BLUE OR WAS IT RED! NO NO DON’T TELL ME IT WAS BLACK!” Tommy responded so fast and so loud it woke Wilbur up, Tommy didn’t notice the sound of running as Wilbur made his way to Tommy’s room.
“TOMMY WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING PHILLL PHIL PHIL” Wilbur immediately brightened up upon seeing their dad but just as quickly as he smiled he was angry again when getting a closer look at Tommy’s face “Tommy.” ‘Wilbur.” “Tommy” “Technoblade.”
They all snapped their heads to the door again and saw Techo leaning on the door frame with a cup of coffee.
“No, don't stop because of me. I want to see what Tommy did this time.”
“I didn’t do anything.” Tommy responded to Techno’s teasing by crossing his arms and turning away and looking at the floor only to see the rope left on the floor. Tommy quickly stood up from the bed and kicked the rope under his bed.
“So Techno. The Blade. Heyyyyy.” Tommy trying to move on the conversion using Techno’s sudden appearance as his out,
“Nope.” Techno said fast catching on and dipping out of the room.
“Come on I want to bond with you. I want to hug my brother.” Tommy said running off behind Techno leaving Phil and Wilbur to talk. He could already hear Phil telling Wilbur about Tommy’s injuries.
Techno and Tommy reached the first floor as Tommy kept trying to get Techno’s attention by saying all types of random things. From asking about women to asking about battle strategy.It was only when they reached the kitchen that Tommy caught up and got Techno to turn around when Tommy mentioned how he took down a beast in the woods and got his injuries.
“You're lying.”
“I’m not’ Tommy alreadying putting on a voice to hype himself up, “I heard a scream in the woods and RAN AND SUDDENLY I SAW A MONSTER HUGE BUT NOT AS BIG AS ME.” Tommy getting excited that Techno as paying attention of him didn’t notice his voice was getting louder with each word
“AND I WAS A-ATTACKED THE BEAST A HORRIBLY UGLY THING it looked like you....” he lowered his voice at that and saw Techno put his coffee on the table. Tommy is already backing away.
“And yea I took it down and my h-hands I took it down with my haNDS.”
Tommy was already turning around and running but he was so tired so he didn’t even step foot outside the kitchen before Techno picked him up and put him over his shoulders.
“Holy shit.”
Tommy said breathless at the sudden air. “What I always pick you up,” Techno said as if this was a common occurrence.
“Yeah but it’s surprising you're still able.”
“What do you mean you are still twelve why wouldn't I be able to?” Techno said putting him down.
“I. Techno you think I’m twelve."
“You are twelve.”
"Techno” Tommy felt his cheeks heat up in anger.
“Techno I’m 16.”
“Oh.” Tommy already feeling cranky from the night was so ready to start going off at Techno. Luckily Phil and Wilbur finally made their way into the kitchen ,but they could feel the tension in the air.
Phil cleared his throat and made his way to the counter where a box was “SO.” He said, trying to get the attention of the room as Techno looked bored at Tommy’s poor attempts to stare him down.
“I brought ya shit.” He said trying to make a show of it as he picked up the box presenting it before loudly putting it on the table. Techno made his way to sit down near where Phil was standing and Wilbur sat opposite to them. Tommy still stood awkwardly near the exit to the main area of the house not next to where the stairs were. Where Wilbur and Ohil came from but diagonally and in front of the table.
“Well mate don’t you wanna see what I got you.”
Phil said, inviting Tommy to sit completely ignoring Tommy's frustrated look at Techno.
Tommy knew it didn’t matter if he voiced his anger at what Techno said he’d be brushed off or be told he was overreacting anyway.
How old did Phil think he was?
He sat down pushing that thought down like every other thought that bit it’s way into his mind screaming at him that he was barely a member of the family. Hell, he was barely even a person.
What type of sixteen year old doesn't know how to tie their shoes? It wasn’t his fault.
Tommy felt himself getting angrier and angrier and felt himself pushing down every emotion he had. But he felt like he was about to scream every complaint he had about their familial situation. It wasn’t fair.
“-and when we ask why it was those colours the lady just said it attracts good dreams.” Tommy finally turned into what Phil was saying. Tommy felt every thought and grievance melt away at the sight of a disc. Phil was holding it with only one hand and Tommy wanted to scream to hold it with two he didn’t want it to be ruined by anything. It’s center had vertical purple and white stripes going down on it and the groves in the record looked so clean up he knew it’s quality was high compared to his other discs.
Tommy filled with anticipation, jumped from his seat and snatched the disc way ready to lock himself in his room to memorize every rhythm and tempo change in the disc.
“Now Hold on,” Wilbur said, looking up from what Tommy thinks is a history book. That must have been what Phil got him.
“Did you forget why you had to stay uninjured.”
“Fuck”
“We’re going into town to meet with Niki” Tommy got embarrassed at Wilbur’s words.
Niki was a good friend of Wilbur and Tommy’s soon to be official tutor. Most kids learned from their parents or hired tutors. With the way they moved from place to place Phil struggled to find tutors normally for Wilbur and Techno as kids.
Phil thought he still had time with Tommy being 3 but in the blink of an eye Tommy turned 7 and Phil had simply forgotten about Tommy learning until he asked Tommy to write something for him.
So he quickly had to find someone to accommodate for Tommy’s lack of education. But there was a chance for Phil to take his 14 year old twins for a year to see which one would follow in Phil’s footsteps and so Tommy was left at Tubbo’s house and learned what would be taught to a 4 year old at 7.
After they came back and Techno was chosen. And no one would take Tommy had become a handful.
Luckily by the time Tommy turned 10 Wilbur’s friend ,Niki, wanted to be a teacher and Tommy was her first student. She taught Tommy for two years. But she had to leave to get a teaching certificate but she promised Tommy she’d be back to teach him and so Tommy refused to get any other teacher because of the promise. Soon they just gave Tommy books so he could teach himself if he wanted to. Luckily Niki in her final year just needs to take a kid as a final project and teach them in front of her teacher for a year to prove she can do it. And that's why they moved for Tommy’s and Niki’s sake. They both need each other so it works out.
Only problem was that now Tommy really did look like a problem child. Wilbur had wanted Tommy to make a good first impression on Niki’s teacher so that it would look good on Niki’s part.
Wilbur tried to clean Tommy up the best he could. He made him put on a dress shirt and proper trousers. Even an old pair of wilburs nice shoes. Tommy changed and made his way down the stairs to meet Wilbur to leave. WIlbur was waiting with Phil and Techno in front of the door.
“You guys coming too?” Tommy had a vague idea what they were up to.
You see most people in phil and techno field were rich like crazy rich and lived in big houses and left their money to their kids so they didn’t have to do a thing.
But Phil and Techno weren’t like that. They weren’t in it for the money to give Wilbur and Tommy money after they'd gone. They craved the adventure. They couldn’t stay in one palace for long and most of the time the trade for their next adventure gave the money away to family friends. They only kept what they needed and enough to move house when Phil grew bored of coming home to the same house after every trip. He wondered if the next time Phil moved house if he would leave them behind again.
“We need to go into trade with the villagers.” Techno said already making his way out.
“Yup, but we should be there in time to see you and Niki’s thing.” Phil said ruffling Tommy’s hair and nodding to Wilbur. Wilbur fixed some of Tommy’s hair. And motioned Tommy to follow. They had a cart outside full of the thing Techno and Phil were going to trade. Techno was seated in the front. He was going to drive them with the two horses they borrowed. Tommy almost ran ahead before being stopped by Wilbur “Shoes.” that got tommy to stop fast. He didn’t want to fall in front of Techno.
Sure he wanted respect from Phil but Techno was on a whole another level to Tommy. Techno was the blood god. The big brother he could brag about to everyone. The one everyone was betting to be the next big thing.
Tommy shook his head as Wilbur made him sit across from him in the part of the cart with the items. Wilbur patted his knee for Tommy to put his foot on it so he could tie it.
Tommy was happy just being with Wilbur, that's all that mattered to him. A small home in the snow with only two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a storage area. That’s all he needed. Just his brothers and him sharing a room with Phil in the next room ready to protect them and to pick up Tommy when he cried.
Tommy stood up and took the seat next to Wilbur. “You guys ready?” Phil asked, taking his seat net to Techno. Wilbur not bothering to look at Tommy said, “We’re ready now.”