Work Text:
Tubbo likes the sleepy bois inc.
Sure, meeting Tommy beaten up in the forest was- well, weird. Strange. Unusual. But he’s starting to pick up that’s just par for the course when it comes to the imp.
During the days that follow, Tommy is restless and refuses to lay in bed and rest. More often than not he’s dragging Tubbo along to sneak out of the house. They end up exploring the forest or building sandcastles on the beach. Then they usually get found by an upset adult, and Tommy is forced back to his room.
Tubbo has… been on his own, for a while. Well, technically he was never truly alone.
Tubbo has his hive. There are the bees that stay with him, who he takes care of. He didn't used to know a lot about them, but necessity gives way to happening.
In this house by the sea, he is reminded of a hive.
Hives are complex, housing thousands of bees that work together to keep everything in harmony. The larvae are securely protected, and the queen is the clear head of the hive.
He tells Phil of his observations, of the hive he seems to be running.
“Ah, I’m more partial to calling this place our nest.” Phils laughs, leaving Tubbo to ponder on it more.
He knows infinitely more about hives than nests. He’s read through every book on bees in libraries he’s snuck into, scientific articles, and wikipedia page after wikipedia page.
But he knows birds are much more varied in size and appearance, such as Tubbo’s own insectoid appearance, a stark contrast to Techno’s more pig-like appearance. Nothing connects them besides the fact they are monsters. And yet here they were, living harmoniously under the same roof.
Tubbo would argue mother birds are known for throwing out the weakest chicks to help the others thrive, and Phil would never leave any of them behind. Maybe the hive does fit better than nest.
Bees help raise the young of others, not just their own. It reminds him of Phil, a human and the natural enemy to monsters. And yet, taking in three- now him as well- monsters to care for. Tommy’s a troublemaker, Techno too quiet about his needs, and Wilbur with years of captivity haunting him, and Phil takes it all in stride as head of the house.
Worker honey bees are willing to die for the hive. He sees such dedication in Techno’s eyes. He is definitely the biggest and the strongest of the whole group, and if they ever got attacked he wouldn’t hesitate to defend. It’s as reassuring as it is concerning, but Tubbo is smaller and weaker, and he won’t always be able to win a fight by scaring off humans with his bees.
Honey bees- in his humble opinion- are beautiful, graceful even. But they are also capable of stinging you. Wilbur is similarly graceful and dangerous, as a siren. Even most monsters are cautious around sirens, but the sleepy bois inc. household doesn’t bat an eye whenever he hums or sings a song for them. Well, honey bees only sting if aggravated.
Africanized honey bees are hybrids of the East African lowland honey bee with various other European honey bee species. They are more defensive and aggressive than other types of honey bees. Tommy is full of a fire, always fighting to prove his place, meeting people first with caution and malice. But that also means he’s just as aggressive to defend his hive.
Unfortunately, Tubbo might be best described by the bombus vestalis, otherwise known as the vestal cuckoo bumblebee.
But no one has seen it yet, and he is unwilling to expose his presence to the hive.