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its better in here. is the only thought coursing through tommy's head. he'd rather be in the prison.
he can't get you here, echoed faintly. tommy felt safer with dream, who never laid a hand on him, rather than tubbo, who was his 'best friend.' true, dream did kill him, but the man was seriously sorry about it.
extend the week, he begged silently. he looked at dream. with just one glance, the man knew he was staring.
"need something?" dream asked, sounding horribly genuine. tommy may hate dream, but he's grown to know that there's a difference between him being 'genuine' and actually genuine. right now dream was being honest.
"no." he stated blankly and pressed his lips together. he felt much more comfortable with dream than he had with tubbo for a year or two now.
"you sure?"
"yeah," he nodded, giving up on trying to seem tough. he brought his knees into his chest and hugged himself. tommy sighed.
dream shrugged, "if you say so."
and they sat in momentary silence.
"dream–" tommy cut in. dream paid attention. "have you ever had somebody that repeatedly hurts you for a long period of time?"
"is this to make me feel bad?"
"no this is– this is about somebody else." tommy looked detached. dream had already killed him, it didn't matter what the fuck he said to his abuser.
dream frowned. he had lost his mask a while ago (well, not technically. he had set it away because he grew to hate who he used to be). "somebody else?" he muttered to himself. then he thought for a moment. "no, i haven't."
"oh," tommy looked towards the lava and away from dream. "sorry," he murmured.
"it's fine." dream paused. "who's hurting you?"
tommy wished the lava would explode and he would burn to death. "it's nothing dream."
"tommy." he said more sternly.
now, tommy may be one for keeping secrets, but it wouldn't hurt to tell just one person, right?
he huffed. "tubbo."
dream blinked. "tubbo?" tommy just nodded. "tubbo the– toby? the ex-president, tubbo?"
tommy cleared his throat. "yeah," he croaked.
"how long?"
"a year," he murmured into his knees.
"a-a–" dream blinked. "that long? tommy why didn't you say anything?"
"because he doesn't know he's doing something bad!" tommy exclaimed.
"what do you mean?" tommy appreciated that dream listened.
"he just treats me how schlatt treated him and i know he regrets it sometimes but he doesn't know it's wrong."
dream nodded. "i'm sure if you tell him he'll stop."
"i've tried," he sighed. "he just–" tommy stopped momentarily. "he drinks, ya know. he picked it up from schlatt." a frown settled into dream's face.
"he drinks? isn't he like eighteen?"
"seventeen, i think." tommy wrapped his arms around his legs tighter and held himself closer. "he doesn't acknowledge that's bad either."
"well, that's how alcoholics work, tommy." dream watched tommy move his attention to him from the lava. "they drink and hurt others, wake up in the morning, see what they did, and blame it on others." tommy saddened.
"why is he like that?"
"like you said," dream offhandedly pointed a finger. "he picked it up from his father. schlatt did the same, but he tried not to use physical force."
tommy stared at him. "how do you know that?"
"i worked with him for like two or three years, don't think i never saw him drunk."
"but schlatt–" tommy frowned but recovered soon later. "puffy used to be an alcoholic too, right?"
"we're not talking about puffy." dream said, voice unwavering and suddenly serious.
"oh," the teen said. "sorry, i wasn't– i wasn't thinking."
"its alright," dream trailed off and they both went quiet.
only the trickle and pop of the lava was making sounds.
until dream spoke again and broke the silence. "she's recovered. she isn't like– she grew out of it."
"that's good," tommy murmured. there was a bit more silence and dream looked lost in thought. "are you okay?" the younger asked, looking at dream who returned to staring back at him.
"hm? yeah i'm fine." he looked uncertain about what he was saying but tommy took his word for it.
"you know, dream." he began, but he didn't plan on talking for a bit. "you're not that bad." and the older smiled at him when tommy did. it was true, dream was a good person, but like mother like son, dream picked things up from puffy (and not to mention the parasite in his brain).
"thank you, tommy. thank you."
———
"tubbo that's not a good idea–"
tommy had gotten out of prison a few days ago and he was visiting ranboo and tubbo. at the moment, tommy was exploring the mansion while ranboo pulled tubbo aside to chat.
"yes it is. don't tell me off, dickhead." tubbo rolled his eyes and forcefully pushed his older husband away. "get away from me. if we can't agree on this, then leave me alone. i'm taking some time for myself."
ranboo was taken aback as he held his chest where tubbo shoved him. he watched as the shorter stormed off.
"w–" he tried, but tubbo was gone out the door and down the hall.
in that moment, tommy appeared behind him.
"heyy, big man!" he smiled. ranboo bit his tongue. he wouldn't tell tommy about tubbo acting like this. tommy wouldn't understand.
"hey tommy," he smiled back. play it off.
"where'd tubbo go?" goddamnit.
"he uh, he had to go run some errands. ya know.. running a uh.." he trailed off and couldn't find the right words. "a country." tommy raised an eyebrow.
"what's wrong?" tommy blinked once and ranboo pressed his lips into a line. "did he hurt you?"
ranboo stared at the shorter teen suddenly. he didn't like making eye contact, but— what? "huh? why would– why would tubbo hurt me?"
tommy frowned. he couldn't tell if ranboo was covering it up or if he was being serious. but–… he'd tell ranboo that tubbo was abusive, but it was embarrassing on his part. plus, he didn't want to taint ranboo and tubbo's relationship if they are happy.
"so he doesn't hurt you?" tommy asked again, repeating himself to make sure.
"no he doesn't," ranboo wasn't lying. tubbo hardly even got mad at him, that moment earlier was the first time tubbo touched him violently. sure, they may have some fights, but it was physically peaceful. "does he hurt you?"
tommy swayed for a second, not answering. the younger had broken eye contact a while ago. "yeah." it took ranboo a moment to register the blonde's answer.
"tubbo hurts you?" ranboo softened, his voice became more gentle.
"yeah," he said again.
"can you specify?" ranboo slipped into being protective. sure he may be married to tubbo, but that didn't mean that tubbo was not a threat. "does he hit you?" tommy just nodded.
tommy was doing okay, he loved the house ranboo and tubbo had foolish make for them, but he didn't understand why they needed so much space for the two of them. oh well, he liked the house.
when he walked in, he actually hadn't heard a thing the couple had been talking about, he just walked in and tubbo was gone out the door. he brushed it off but was still kinda worried, that's why he had to clarify if tubbo was hurting ranboo.
it wasn't tubbo's fault. it wasn't ranboo's.
he blamed himself (why..?).
he blamed himself because if he didn't drag tubbo into this after himself and wilbur, they all would've been fine.
but then tubbo wouldn't've been president. tommy was in exile while he was running l'manburg, so he didn't know tubbo was grateful when it blew up. yes tubbo felt regret, but a weight was lifted off his shoulders when the dust cleared and the crater came into view.
tommy blamed himself.
"tommy?" he didn't mean to flinch. "can i hug you?" he nodded again. ranboo stepped forward and wrapped his arms around tommy. he didn't hesitate to believe him. he saw it in tubbo's eyes when he came home to snowchester every night from somewhere. somewhere with.. alcohol.
ranboo held tommy.
tubbo came back in. before speaking, because he's smart, he looked around the room. "oh," he said softly, not upset.
"oh hi tubbo," tommy recovered quicker than ranboo wished he would. the boy pulled away from him and stood nearby. he looked flushed from embarrassment.
"what were you guys doing??" tubbo was confused.
ranboo stood awkwardly. "hugging. anyways, i like the house but why is it huge." he said it like a joking statement. "why is it huge."
"well when two men lov–"
"NO."
they all laughed.
——
later when tommy was leaving, tubbo pulled him aside.
"hey," he said as he pulled the taller (but seemingly smaller..?) teen away and into the next room.
"hey you," tommy said back. he bit his tongue in immediate regret. "sorry," he mumbled back right away.
"good." tubbo deadpanned. "why were you hugging ranboo? and no i'm not jealous, it's just suspicious that neither of you like physical contact." tommy looked away.
"we were talking about henry." tommy said. he was good at lying. he picked it up from multiple people such as tubbo, wilbur and philza. and karl. but he hasn't seen karl in a long time.
"oh," tubbo said understandingly. "okay."
tubbo and him lingered in the room momentarily until tommy spoke up.
"tubbo, can we be serious for a second?" tubbo nodded.
"you have to stop drinking, man." the air seemed to still.
"what? i don't fucking drink, tommy."
"you do!" tommy exclaimed, upset.
"tommy i don't fucking drink."
"you're drunk right now!"
"i don't fucking drink!"
"tubbo!" tommy shouted, making him quiet for long enough. "do you see yourself?!"
"yes, yes i do!" tubbo's fist clenched as he screamed. "you're spouting fucking lies and i can't stand you!"
"all i did was ask you to stop–"
"i don't fucking drink!"
"you just did! i can see it in you!"
"how?! how?? tell me how can you see i'm 'drunk!?'"
"you make all kinds of issues and you get loud! you get mad for no reason!" tommy stopped to breathe. "you're lying to yourself! you do drink, and you're hurting others and yourself!"
"goddamnit!" tubbo screamed. he swung his fist and almost hit tommy. a hand stopped him.
"let's stop there, tubbo."
ranboo. had he been listening? tubbo bit his tongue and could feel tears prick his eyes. ranboo was going to leave him— he was he was he was he was he was he was—
the tallest had been standing around the corner and past the door listening to their screaming match. tommy was definitely right, but tubbo was— tubbo was oblivious.
ranboo had appeared near the end, hoping one of them would see him, but they didn't. the second that tubbo retracted his arm, tommy had flinched. he didn't need to be a genius to know that tubbo was going to hit the younger. that's when he had stepped in. be blocked the hit and held tubbo's wrist.
"okay let's–" he tried to be the median.
"ranboo go, you don't have to be in this." he knew tommy was just trying to spare hi— tubbo was crying. both of them went quiet for a moment.
tubbo sniffled. "y–y–you're gonna l–leave me–"
ranboo shook his head and pulled tubbo into his chest. "no no, tubbo i won't. i'm gonna help you get better, okay?" ranboo was surprised how easily tubbo went from furious to calm. what worried him more was tommy.
the blonde was quiet, which was a surprise (even though nobody was surprised). ranboo rubbed circles into tubbo's back and turned his head to tommy.
"you okay?" he whispered. tommy gave him no response and stayed zoned out. "tommy?" he said a little louder and the blonde perked up.
"sorry i– i was just zoned out."
"its okay." he meant it. "you okay?" tommy nodded right away, not really putting any thought into whether or not he was okay. ranboo moved an arm from tubbo and held it out to tommy, inviting him into the hug.
tommy shook his head sadly after looking at tubbo still curled into ranboo. the brunette had stopped crying. "i'm okay," he murmured. "i think i have to go," and he turned around and began to walk away.
"wait, tommy," ranboo said. tommy stopped and looked over his shoulder. "can we talk later?" tommy nodded and smiled.
"sure, cya." and tommy was gone.
tubbo stirred. he had been still for a bit. ranboo resumed the full hug. tubbo shook his arms off of him. "thanks," tubbo said, wiping his eyes. "he's gone, right?" ranboo nodded reluctantly.
"yeah, why?"
"i don't like tommy," tubbo slurred his words. "he's mean to me."
"tubbo darling, he wasn't mean, he was right." ranboo wiped away some of tubbo's tears and ignored the burn it gave him.
"he was super mean, he was yelling at me."
"yes i know, and you were yelling too."
"i was only yelling because he scared me.."
ranboo sighed. he had never dealt with somebody who drank, nonetheless he just now found out that his husband is addicted to it. ranboo brushed it off and decided to just get tubbo to bed instead of argue with him.
"you're right," no he wasn't. "let's get you to bed." and he pulled tubbo away gently, leading him to the bedroom to sleep for the night. he'd have a talk with a sober tubbo.
———
tommy hung out with purpled, who was basically like his brother at this point. tommy needed somebody because he lost wilbur and purpled needed somebody because dream was— well, dream.
"hey," purpled elbowed tommy. they were looking for wool because they wanted to cover the floor of the community house with beds.
"oww," tommy complained. "that hurt!" purpled shrugged.
"look," he pointed to a few sheep. then sheep got attacked by wolves. purpled regretted pointing it out to tommy.
they weren't killing the sheep, just shearing them.
"should we help?" purpled looked away, there was a lot of blood. tommy as well.
"let's move on," purpled muttered, pulling tommy away lightly. tommy nodded and followed.
——
when they arrived at the community house, tubbo was there too. the shortest was taking things from a chest and getting ready to leave with it.
purpled knew tubbo hurt tommy, the blonde trusted him enough to tell him that. so when they saw tubbo, both of them did an immediate u-turn. they would've been successful if tubbo didn't see them.
the brunette came towards them and purpled pulled tommy away, speeding up. tommy followed willingly.
"wait you guys–" tubbo tried to call out to them, but they were already up and away, towards tommy's house and purpled's ufo.
"fuck.." tubbo mumbled to himself.
——
the prank ended up being successful, everybody who walked through the community house got slowed down and bouncy immediately. if they were in a rush, it stopped them for a second.
tommy and purpled high fived.
—
ranboo did end up telling puffy, and tubbo started to get better. until he relapsed.
—
tubbo drank a lot that day. he hadn't seen ranboo all day and refused to visit michael.
he decided to set his path upon tommy's house.
—
when he knocked, tommy answered the door.
"oh," he didn't think tubbo was going to be there. "tubbo?"
purpled appeared behind tommy, deadpanning and towering over him the best he could. tommy and purpled were around the same height.
"tommy i–" he tried not to let himself get distracted by purpled who was definitely trying to tell him to go away telepathically. "can we talk?"
tommy stepped back once and blinked. "talk? yeah sure, come in." purpled was pulled back by the other blonde.
tubbo examined the house. hut. it was nice, the decoration had picked up and the house wasn't jack shit ugly anymore. tubbo would liked to have complimented it but his mind was somewhere else.
"why's he here?" his words slurred a little and purpled stared at him unimpressed. tommy turned to purpled and gave him a look.
"we'll be right back," tommy murmured. he pulled purpled into that side room and closed the door.
"purpled i–"
"do you want him here?"
"no,"
"do you want me to tell him he needs to go, or that you're too tired?"
tommy nodded reluctantly. "but– be nice about it please." then purpled nodded.
"stay here," he said softly and disappeared into the main room.
tubbo was staring detachedly at the furnace and crafting table.
"hey," purpled greeted, being as nice as he could when tubbo hurt his best friend a lot. tubbo snapped into attention. "tommy just went to bed, do you think you could hop in tomorrow during the day?"
tubbo hummed. "why can't i stay? do you want me to go away that bad?"
purpled stared at him detachedly. "maybe i do, maybe i don't. you were asked to leave so please do."
"are you hiding tommy?" purpled opened his mouth to say something, but tubbo beat him to it. "no, are you hurting tommy?"
purpled bit his tongue. he wanted to lash out and tubbo but he wasn't a bad person.
"please leave."
"so you are!" tubbo shouted and frowned. "what the fuck?"
"i am not–"
tubbo raised his arm and purpled immediately pulled away. he had a bit of experience from his mother. he felt like he should run away but he stayed. he had to keep tubbo from tommy.
"leave." he said with more power. purpled went to the door and opened it. "leave right now."
tubbo's nose scrunched in disgust. "what the fuck is wrong with you."
"get out." purpled said. tommy opened the door as tubbo charged purpled.
the brunette tackled the blonde and he hit the edge of the door. purpled gasped in pain but shoved tubbo to the ground roughly and stood up. he could hardly breathe because his back definitely had a few layers of skin scratched off.
"leave. get out right now." tommy stood on the sideline. he wanted to help but he knew purpled and him would only get hurt more.
tubbo shouted curses and purpled grabbed his forearm. he lifted him up off the ground but not far enough for tubbo to stand. he dragged him out the door and set him down on the path.
purpled turned his back and stormed back into the house. he was still mad. as he stepped in, tommy shouted something and he flew to the floor. tubbo tackled him.
purpled wasn't bracing himself so he hit his head on the floor and blacked out. tommy screamed.
"GET OUT!" tubbo stared at him, holding purpled down.
"but tommy i saved you–" tommy stepped forward and swung his foot as hard as he could. he hit tubbo in his jaw and the teen went flying back. tubbo laid outside the door on his side and he coughed up blood.
tommy knelt next to purpled and felt for a pulse. when he found one, he lifted purpled up and onto his back on the floor, and picked him up.
because he was scrawny and tall (literally everybody on the server), he didn't get far and just set him on the couch. when he went back to shut the door, tubbo was sitting there, crying, and mumbling about how everybody always hurts him.
tommy shut the door and sent ranboo message.
'tubbo is outside my house can you come gst him please'
ranboo replied almost immediately.
'yeah omw'
——
purpled and tubbo both recovered fast. tubbo stopped drinking while he was hurt and purpled just kept apologizing for having to stay at tommy's house and that the taller had to take care of him.
tommy always brushed him off and told him he was fine, which he was. tommy liked taking care of somebody else because everybody always babied him. it was a relief for a bit. even after purpled recovered (he almost split his head), tommy begged him to stay or move in, so he did with ease.
the two of them thrived and adopted a cat because cats are amazing.
ranboo and tubbo also ended up well, tubbo began recovering from his addiction again, and limited his alcohol to literally none, or at least none until he was of age to drink. tommy and tubbo refriended each other again and they also were fine.
tommy and purpled liked to babysit michael for ranboo and tubbo, so they grew closer like that too.
—
tommy sent dream a letter.
'dear dream, when i left the prison, i thought tubbo would kill me. surprise surprise, he didn't, but he was really mean. he drank a lot (please don't tell anyone this) and continued to be abusive. now, yeah it's been a month or two, he's recovered and -- --- - --- ---- ------ wait i can't tell you that nvm. anyways, i live with purpled and we adopted a cat. it doesn't have a name yet but its a cat right?? yeah
its nice, tubbo is nice now and he doesn't drink any more. i'd visit you but i'm honestly kind of scared of you. sry. i can send gifts and stuff though. i'll write more at some point idk.
take care
sincerely, tommy'
he sent it.
dream responded and they talked back and forth for a bit.
purpled stepped in some times.
they befriended dream and sent him picture of their cat and other photos of them and their friends. they did feel bad that dream was locked up, so purpled visited a few times.
i guess you could say they lived happily ever after.