Chapter Text
Tommy woke up with tear-stained cheeks. He wasn’t in the ocean though, so he counted his blessings, thanked his luck. He didn’t know what time it was, the stars were still in the sky, the sun hadn’t risen. Dream wasn’t there, he breathed out a sigh of relief.
He had time before Dream arrived, he never showed up until peak. Tommy had started telling time by the sun. When it was at its highest, it was peak. He supposed he could call it noon, but he didn’t know with certainty, so he called it peak.
He could get armour, he could hide it. He could leave.
He couldn’t leave, Dream would find him, Dream would always find him, always know where he was. Always . It made Tommy sick to his stomach, that nothing he could ever do would get Dream to stop .
Maybe he didn’t want Dream to stop, he was the only person to regularly visit him in exile. Not Tubbo. Ghostbur and Ranboo stopped showing up. Only Dream.
Dream, who made him put all his items, that he worked tirelessly for, into a hole that Tommy had to dig, and blew it up. He made Tommy blow it up when he didn’t have a flint. That was their thing though, Dream had told him that.
Dream had told him a lot of things, Tommy didn’t know which parts were true, and which were lies.
He missed his friends, he missed his family, he missed his country, he missed himself. He missed laughing and smiling and not waking up with saltwater stinging his lungs. He missed being warm, staying warm.
He missed being missed. Maybe he didn’t, he couldn’t miss something he’d never experienced. People would’ve had to care about him beforehand to miss him, and Tommy couldn’t be certain they did. He couldn’t be certain about anything, not even the sun’s position in the sky.
Ghostbur gave him a compass, it pointed to Tubbo. It pointed to L’Manburg. It pointed to the country he gave up his discs for, his life for, the country he called home for so long. He wished he could go back. He wished he never went to George’s house.
He looked up at the constellations Wilbur had spent so many nights teaching him about and scoffed, Dream would’ve probably just found another reason to exile Tommy, isolate him, leave him weak and defenceless and hungry.
It was night, before sunrise at least, he had time. He could leave, in a way that, even if Dream found him, as he always did, it wouldn’t matter. In a way that he could be free, maybe even see Wilbur again.
His lungs ached at even just the thought, phantom salt and pressure and pain seeping through his skin. Perhaps not the water.
Tommy peered out of the tent, at the obsidian portal. The Nether was warm, maybe even warm enough to have warmed Tommy’s all too cold body. Tommy’s all too cold body that shivered in blistering heat. Tommy’s all too cold body that wanted to be warmed from the inside out, with love and happiness. Tommy’s all too cold body that would stay that way, all too cold.
He didn’t know how long he’d been in exile, things blurred together. It could have been days, months, seconds. It couldn’t’ve been seconds, Tommy hoped it wasn’t seconds. He already had far too much grief for just a few seconds.
Somewhere along the line, he convinced Dream to let him leave, just for an hour. Tommy didn’t know how long an hour was. He hoped it was a long time, enough to see Tubbo.
It wasn’t. It wasn’t long at all. It was short, and Tommy hated it. He hated exile, and the ocean, and himself.
He wanted to leave, he wanted to leave for good .
He made a tiny room, he called it a war room. It was a secret room, with his valuables in it. The room would keep them safe, safe while he left.
Dream noticed the one brick, the one brick that wasn’t even that out of place. Tommy only knew it was out of place because he put it there, but Dream wasn’t sleep-deprived. He wasn’t starving and constantly drowning. Dream was completely fine, he could see the one brick that would ruin everything.
He had scrambled to put his valuables in his enderchest before Dream set off the TNT. The TNT that made his ears ring, his head pound, his pulse speed up, his hands shake.
He saved the compass, he saved a few photos, he didn’t save himself. Not entirely, at least. A part of him went with the things turned to ash under Dream’s touch. That was their thing though, him and Dream. TNT.
Dream left, through the portal, away from Logstedshire, away from Tommy.
Wood was easy to get, easier to use, easiest to fall off of. He built straight up, the tower was tall. It took a while. Hours, maybe. It was enough time for him to think, to understand, to grasp at something that wasn’t straws.
It was enough time for Tommy to comb through all the things he could remember Dream said to him, said around him. It was enough time for Tommy to realize that Dream was manipulating him. They were never friends, Dream would never be Tommy’s friend, not if Tommy had anything to say about it. Dream wanted control, to control Tommy.
The tower was near water. Tommy didn’t like water much, he could still feel it in his lungs when he stood up too quickly. He could still taste the salt. He jumped into it anyway, it broke his fall.
His head breached the surface and he desperately gasped for air. He needed to breathe, he couldn’t breathe. He hauled himself onto the grassy shore. He curled in on himself, he tried to calm himself down. He was only mildly successful.
Dream, if he was right about anything, was right that it wasn’t Tommy’s time to die. It wasn’t Tommy’s time to live either, not in Logstedshire. He didn't know where else he would go, though.
Technoblade’s cabin was closer than anything else, it was two biomes away. It was cold, the arctic. He hated Technoblade, Technoblade hated him. He couldn’t go there.
He couldn’t go anywhere else. He could go there, recuperate, stock up supplies. Techno probably wouldn’t notice, then he’d leave. He’d go somewhere else, somewhere that Dream wouldn’t find him, somewhere he would be safe, somewhere he could be happy.
He had to will himself to sit, to stand, to step one foot in front of the other. His limbs hurt, they were sore and stiff. He wanted nothing more than to rest, but he couldn’t. He had to get somewhere safe. He had to get to Techno’s, then somewhere else entirely.
He didn’t think he’d be able to stay anywhere for long, he’d always be on the move. He would constantly be moving farther and farther away from Logstedshire, from Dream, from everything he thought he knew, everything he knew he loved.
He looked back to the levelled patch of land he called home out of necessity. He mourned the loss of his items, of his memories, of what made his life worth living. He turned to face north, that’s what the stars told him. The north star shining brightly in the sky. He looked at his compass, a tear slipped down his cheek as he moved farther and farther away.
The air felt thick, heavy, Tommy struggled to breathe through the sobs that he didn’t realize had wracked his body. His tears were warm, they contrasted the cool chill of the night. They were cold at heart, they hurt.
He didn’t know how long he had been walking, his feet were numb from the snow and the ice. His hands were numb from the wind. His heart was numb from the pain, the pain that never seemed to subside.
He kept walking north, his legs shook and his teeth chattered and he wished he could fall asleep where he stood. Fallen snow had impaired his vision, or maybe it was his tears. Tommy couldn’t tell.
He wiped his eyes, rubbed them until his cloudy vision cleared up. He could see smoke. A cabin, far within a Tundra. Almost within his grasp.
He tried to walk faster, run harder, he couldn’t. He could barely move, it was so cold.
He held his arms tight to his chest, he kept his hands clasped tightly, he did everything he could to not fall apart, not when he was so close. He was nearly there, to warmth, to shelter, to Technoblade’s cabin.
He barely had any energy left as he opened the door next to the stables with an outstretched hand. Techno kept it unlocked, he probably wasn’t used to visitors. It was okay, Tommy wouldn’t be staying for long, just long enough to grab food and maybe a sword and a chest plate. Techno wouldn’t notice. He wouldn’t notice if he had one less golden apple or carrot, or a few less pieces of steak.
Tommy clutched the golden apple in his hand, as tight as he could muster. His grip was weak, he was weak. Dream had proved that to him, over and over again. Tommy debated eating the apple, it would help. He brought it up to his lips. He froze when he heard a voice come from behind him.
“Tommy?”
His weak grip on the apple faltered completely, it fell to the floor. This wasn’t supposed to happen, Techno wasn’t supposed to know. Tommy was supposed to be in and out, none of this was supposed to happen.
Tommy swallowed, then held his breath. He tensed his jaw and shut his eyes tightly. He prepared for the worst as he turned around.
The first thing Techno noticed about Tommy was that his cheeks and nose were far too red to be normal and his lips were far too blue. The second thing he noticed was the golden apple that Tommy had dropped. The third thing was the hands that shook and the blond hair that was covered in snow.
“What are you doing here, Tommy?”
Tommy flinched slightly at his words, curling in on himself. His eyes were still shut. His body was still shaking. He looked like he was suffering from hypothermia. It didn’t help that Tommy was certainly not dressed for the weather, he was in a ripped t-shirt, he was missing a shoe.
“What are you doing in my house, Tommy?”
Tommy seemed panicked, but his movements were lethargic. “I’m sorry. I’ll leave, I’m sorry.”
Something broke within Techno. It was his resolve. The voices in his head were telling him to pause whatever rivalry or faux hatred that was happening between them and help. Tommy’s apology was the final straw.
“Tommy,” Techno said placatingly. “Calm down, I’m not going to hurt you.”
“You’re not?” His voice was scared and quiet, it hurt to listen to.
“Of course not,” Techno said a little too quickly. “Especially not when you’re already freezing to death.”
“What?” Tommy asked, apparently unaware of how dire his situation was.
“By the looks of it, you have hypothermia,” Techno explained. “And probably frostbite.”
Tommy tried his best to act overconfident, “eh, I’m fine. I’ll get out of your hair though.” Tommy made a motion to leave, he was still shivering, his lips were still blue.
“Kid,” Techno said. “At least let me get you some shoes and a coat.”
“I’m not a kid,” Tommy murmured, but he stayed put. He was still tensed up, anxious, afraid, cold.
“Fine, teenager ,” Techno compromised. “Or would you prefer ‘gremlin’?”
“Tommy’s fine,” he pointed out. His legs looked like they were going to give out any second. Techno noticed.
“Sit down,” Techno told him. “It might take a while to find shoes that would fit you.”
“You really don’t have to.” Tommy sat down, he picked up the golden apple that he had dropped. He cupped it in his hands, he leaned back against the wall of chests behind him.
“I don’t have to what?” Techno asked, his back was turned away from Tommy, searching through old boxes.
“Do all of this,” Techno turned around to see Tommy gesture to the boxes. “I don’t want your pity.”
“Well, if my pity is what’s keeping you alive,” Techno hummed.
“I’d rather take my chances out there.” Tommy pointed vaguely toward the door, he was still holding the golden apple. Tommy’s fingers and lips were still blue and purple, he wouldn’t survive the weather.
“If you’re really that insistent on not wanting pity, be my guest,” Techno grumbled, he looked back to the chest. He didn’t notice Tommy stand on unsteady legs, he did notice the chilled air when Tommy opened the door. “Tommy! Get back here, you’ll die out there!”
“I’ll be fine!” Tommy called out, he started to limp away into the distance. He put his arms out protecting his face from the strong winds. “I don’t want your pity!”
Techno sighed and grabbed his boots strapping them on. He didn’t want to have to go back outside. He didn’t have to, a voice in his head reminded him, but he would, for Tommy. He was significantly faster, more prepared, he caught up to Tommy easily. He hoisted him over his shoulder. He could feel how cold Tommy was.
“Hey!” Tommy squawked. He kicked and punched, trying to make Techno drop him. He didn’t try that hard, Techno was warm, it was nice. Techno always seemed to be warm, it must’ve been because he was from the Nether.
Tommy stopped resisting when he was unceremoniously dropped into the floor of Techno’s basement. He was back beside the forgotten golden apple, the stem twisted off when Tommy needed to do something with his hands, a desperate attempt at getting them to stop shaking.
“Just,” Techno huffed. “Stay there.” Techno took the robe off of his back and put it around Tommy. It was thick, heavy and warm. It warmed Tommy’s arms and back, the simple act of it warmed Tommy’s heart. Tommy felt the ache in his bones subside, just a bit. He felt his muscles relax and thaw.
“I don’t want your pity,” Tommy said after a while, he wanted, expected, it to come out venomous. It came out sad.
“It’s not pity.” Techno found spare leather and moved over to his crafting table. “It’s concern.”
“Why would you be concerned?” Tommy asked, he pulled the robe tighter around himself.
“I don’t know, Tommy,” Techno said sarcastically. “Maybe because you broke into my house frozen and half dead and then you started stealing my food.”
“Sorry,” Tommy mumbled. Tommy picked the apple back up, it was so tempting. He knew exactly how it would feel when he swallowed, he could feel the fire in his veins, the warmth exploding in his chest.
“Just eat it,” Techno said, he continued sewing the leather together. “I can see you drooling it over it.”
“I’m not drooling,” Tommy glared, but he bit into the apple. It was sweet, almost sickenly so. He immediately felt better, he could feel his limbs, the ache significantly lighter. His fingers turned from blue to red, blood finally circulating through his body. He wasn’t dying anymore.
“Sure you weren’t,” Techno held up the boots in his hand, examining it in the light. He tossed them to Tommy when he was satisfied with his workmanship. Tommy took the one shoe he had off. It was ripped, barely there. Techno wondered how he survived in a tundra biome practically completely barefoot.
“Why are you doing all of this?” Tommy asked, “being so nice to me?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” Techno threw another log into the fireplace, he put a pot of water on a grail, boiling it. He grabbed loose tea leaves and dumped a few into the water. He was making tea.
“I don’t deserve it,” Tommy scoffed. The way he said was eerily confident, like he truly believed the words that flowed out of his mouth. Techno tilted his head, he looked at the boy in his basement. He was seconds away from death a few minutes prior, he looked so small in the oversized coat, he looked so scared in the ripped shirt. Tommy was still a kid, a kid who deserved a chance, deserved kindness.
Techno handed him the glass of fresh tea, “what makes you say that?”
Tommy blew on the tea, as to not burn his tongue before taking a sip. “I’m the reason for all of this conflict. Even Tubbo realized that.”
“You’re not the reason for every conflict,” Techno said. “That’s literally impossible.”
“Then why was I exiled?” Tommy asked, it was more of a plea, for safety, consolation, for answers. In an even smaller voice, barely said and barely heard. “Why was I left to die?”
“I don’t know, Tommy,” Techno said, honest and sympathetic. “But you didn’t deserve that.”
“I didn’t?” Tommy asked.
“Why would you think that?”
“Well, Dream kept talking about how I needed to go through exile,” Tommy explained. “That it was teaching me.”
“Teaching you what?” Techno gauged, Tommy was huddled into himself, cupping the tea, letting the steam warm his face. Techno didn’t want to push too far too fast.
“I don’t know, how to not be an awful person?” Tommy laughed, it was sad and tired, nothing a laugh should be. Nothing his laugh ever used to be.
“You were never an awful person, Tommy,” Techno told him. He beckoned Tommy to sit closer to the fire. “A little misguided perhaps, but never awful.”
Tommy ended up falling asleep by the fire. The crackling fire and the howling wind outside acted as a lullaby that pulled Tommy into the clutch of slumber. Techno lifted up his sleeping form and placed it on his bed, it looked like Tommy needed the sleep more than he did. Techno had things to do, a guest to prepare for, materials to get.
It was late into the next day when Tommy finally woke up. The sky was blue, the snowstorm had subsided, the fire was still alight. Birds chirped in the distance, it was calming.
The first thing he became aware of was the fact he didn’t wake up cold, the second was that he was on a bed, the third was that he wasn’t drowning or crying. He was warm and safe. He sat up and rubbed to get the sleep out of his eyes. He slowly adjusted to the light in the room, the rays of sunshine seeping in through the barely covered windows.
The quilted blanket was heavy, weighted down. It wasn’t suffocating, it was like a hug. He heard shuffling on the floor below him. He was in Techno’s cabin, he had fallen asleep in front of the fire. Techno must have carried him to a bed. It smelled like him, it was comforting.
He could smell food, his mouth watered at the thought. His arm instinctively moved to his abdomen. The last time he ate something that actually fed him was the night before with the golden apple, the effects had worn off. He slowly climbed out of the bed, his feet hurt when he set them down on the wooden floor.
He was glad he had the leather boots to keep them warm, but there was nothing to help the soreness that came from the day-long walk from Logstedshire. He stood up, Techno’s robe was still tied around his neck. It dragged on the floor as he walked towards the ladder.
Tommy dreaded having to go down the ladder, hold himself up for that long. His bones still ached and his body still yearned for rest. He missed the last rung, his feet slammed into the floor, Tommy let out a groan.
Techno’s ears perked up at the noise. He paused his stirring of the potato stew on the stove to look over at the ladder. Tommy stood there nursing his frostbitten foot, Techno waited for a moment before calling out his name. He waited until Tommy’s pain seemed to lessen, until he put his foot back down on the hardwood.
“Tommy! You’re finally up!” Techno beckoned him towards the soup he had prepared. “Have some lunch.”
“Sorry,” Tommy apologized immediately.
“For what?”
“Sleeping in,” Tommy said. “What time is it anyway?”
“Like noon,” Techno replied. Peak was not noon, Tommy noted, not in the slightest, or maybe it just looked different in the tundra. “Also, don’t apologize for sleeping in when you obviously needed it.”
“Oh,” Tommy sat down at the table. “Sorry.”
Techno stared at him in bewilderment, Tommy only looked up to see because of the extended silence. “Since when did you start apologizing?”
“I don’t know,” Tommy hummed, he brought the spoon up to his mouth. “When I started feeling like it.”
Techno shifted uncomfortably in his seat, the Tommy he knew would have never felt compelled to start profusely apologizing for every little thing. Something happened to him in exile, but Techno didn’t want to push, he wanted Tommy to feel safe, wanted him to feel comfortable enough to bring it up himself.
“I found some golden carrots last night,” Techno changed the subject. “They could help with your foot.”
Tommy could tell he almost said made instead of found, he knew that Techno didn’t want it to sound like pity so he acted indifferent towards the carrots. Tommy appreciated it, all the efforts Techno had gone through for Tommy. He appreciated it, but a small part of him knew he didn’t deserve it.
“Oh,” Tommy said. “Thanks.”
“Meh,” Techno brushed it off. “Not a big deal or anything; only found them in a chest.”
They both knew it was a lie, Techno was never good at it. Even when he picked his words carefully, methodically planned it out, it seemed to fall through, just a bit. He never really got time to work on it.
“Thanks for thinking of me,” Tommy said after the room was a little too quiet for a little too long.
“Hard not to,” Techno replied. Tommy gave him a quizzical look, seeking elaboration. Techno sighed. “You’re in my house and I hate to break it to you, but you’re not in perfect health. It was on my mind.”
“Sorry,” Tommy said. “I’ll be out of your hair soon, don’t worry.”
“I don’t mind you being here Tommy,” Techno said.
“But you hate me,” Tommy mumbled.
“What?” Techno asked. “Why would I hate you?”
“I mean, you literally laughed in my face during exile which was arguably one of the worst times in my life,” Tommy scoffed.
“Worst?” Techno asked. “What happened to you?”
Tommy inhaled sharply, the panic evident in his eyes. The panic worsened with the knock at the door.
“Relax,” Techno said, “it’s probably just Phil, but hide anyways, just in case.”
“Okay,” Tommy took the bowl of potato soup with him up the stairs. He sat beside the bed he had slept in. He heard Techno open the door. Everything after that seemed to go by too quickly for Tommy to comprehend and far too slow.
It was all because of one voice, belonging to one person. It sent shockwaves of fear through Tommy’s veins. He always thought he had a fighting response to danger, he realized that wasn’t true when he froze. He realized that wasn’t true when his muscles didn’t move, and his lungs wouldn’t respond to his attempts at breathing. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t breathe. He was terrified.
He could only hope that Techno would keep him safe, he could only hope his life was in safe hands. He hoped with all he had, because it was all he had.
Techno was a horrible liar, that was fact, but Tommy prayed that it wouldn’t ring true.
“Dream,” Techno solidified Tommy’s worst fear, that it was actually the man in the mask that haunted his every move. “What are you doing here?”
“I was wondering if you knew where Tommy was,” Dream asked. Tommy’s limbs felt so heavy as memories of exile flooded his mind. They were fuzzy and not all there. He couldn’t remember what happened, but he could remember the feelings, physical and emotional. He could remember the pain, it was familiar, it was awful and Tommy hated that a little part of him was comforted by it.
“Heh?” Techno sounded. “Like Innit?”
“Yes,” Dream replied. “He left Logstedshire and I know he knows where you are.”
Tommy couldn’t feel his heart beating, but his pulse was loud in his ears, deafening almost. He knew he was alive, but he didn’t know how long that would be the case.
“Haven’t seen him, sorry.” Techno tried to close the door, Dream stuck his forearm in the gap.
“I think you owe me a favour,” Dream said. The tone of his voice grated Tommy’s ears. He hated that voice, it was condescending and patronizing. Techno and Tommy had a few things in common, one was that they didn’t exactly appreciate being talked down to, like they weren’t an equal. Dream had a bad habit of it.
“You calling in the favour for me to tell you that I don’t know where Tommy is?” Techno asked, it was a rhetorical question.
“I think you do know,” Dream said. Tommy clenched his eyes shut, he could vaguely feel the tears streaming down his face. He was crying over the mere thought of Dream finding him, he was pathetic. “So why don’t you tell me.”
“Is this your favour?” Techno asked. “I tell you everything I know about Tommy’s whereabouts and then we’re even?”
“Yes.”
“Last time I heard he was in Logstedshire,” Techno told him. “Now we’re even, so I recommend you leave my house.”
“Mind if I take a look, just to be sure you’re telling the truth?” Dream requested. His voice was artificially sweet and horribly manipulative.
“Asking for more favours now, Dream?” Techno smirked. “That’d mean you owe me, you know that right?”
“I am asking you, humbly, as a friend,” Dream said.
“Friends?” Techno asked. “That can be easily argued.”
“You’re really making this difficult for me,” Dream laughed. “Makes me wonder if you’re hiding something.”
“Look, I’d be willing to let you look through my house,” Techno offered. “ If you’d then owe me a favour afterwards. Right now, we’re even; it’s your choice whether or not you want to tip the balance towards me.”
“Just tell me if you see him?” Dream tried to compromise.
Techno gave a mock salute, closing the door. “No promises.”
Tommy heard the door close, Techno shuffling around. He still couldn’t move. Dream had left, it should’ve been okay, he should’ve been okay. He wasn’t. Techno climbed up the ladder, his head popped into Tommy’s view, he couldn’t focus on it, he couldn’t focus on anything but the ringing in his ears.
“Dream’s gone,” Techno said. “You can come back down.”
Tommy was unresponsive, with hands on his ears trying to block out the noises that didn’t exist, with knees against his chest trying to take up as little space as possible. He was crying. Techno had no idea how to handle a situation like that, but he would try his best. For Tommy. “Woah, hey. Are you okay?”
He didn’t get a response, he rested a tentative hand on Tommy’s shoulder, he jerked away from the touch immediately. The panic in his eyes was worse than Techno had ever seen; he’d seen a lot of panic in his life.
Tommy started to hyperventilate, he couldn’t remember where he was, seeing Techno helped ground him, helped him connect the dots of the past day. He forced himself to even out his breathing, to calm himself down. Slowly, the world became clearer and more distinct.
“What happened in exile, Tommy?” Techno asked gently. “What did Dream do to you?”
“I don’t know,” Tommy cried. “I can’t remember.”
Techno wanted to go outside, catch up to Dream and make him regret ever exiling Tommy. Tommy didn’t need that, he needed someone to be there for him, Techno was going to be there for him, if it was the last thing he did. They would sort out everything afterwards, he needed to make sure Tommy was safe.
“That’s okay,” Techno put his arms around the boy, he was still wearing Techno’s robe. “I‘m here. I’m not going to let Dream hurt you.”
Tommy cried in his embrace, the tears soaked through Techno’s button-down. It was the least of their concerns, the only thing that mattered was that Tommy was safe; eventually, he’d be okay.
“He made me blow up all of my things,” Tommy said after a while. It was quiet and muffled by the fact Tommy’s face was pressed into Techno’s upper arm.
“What?”
“If I made armour or got food he made me put it into a hole and blow it up,” Tommy told him.
“That’s not okay, Tommy,” Techno carded a hand through the messy and tangled blond curls. “Dream shouldn’t’ve done that.”
“He had reason,” Tommy said. “He told me that he’d supply me with everything I needed and I went against that.”
“Don’t make excuses for him, what he did was wrong. He should have never done that to you, Tommy. Ever,” Techno was firm but gentle, it made Tommy’s heart feel a little bit lighter. “You hear me?”
Tommy nodded. “I don’t remember much else, but if I do I’ll try and tell you.”
“It’s okay if you can’t,” Techno said immediately. “Or don’t want to, I’m not forcing you to talk about something you aren’t ready to.”
“You’re being awfully nice to me,” Tommy wiped the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand. “I never would’ve thought you’d be this soft.”
“Tell me about it,” Techno laughed lightly. “You wanna go back downstairs and finish eating?”
“Can we stay up here?” Tommy asked. “Just in case Dream comes back?”
“Of course,” Techno replied. “I’m just going to get more soup, okay?”
Tommy detached himself from Techno, “okay.”
He sniffled, watching as Techno left with the cold soup Tommy brought up with him and came back with two bowls in his hands. He placed one in Tommy’s lap, it was warm, grounding, calming. Tommy took a deep breath. The aroma of the room smelled like Technoblade, snow, and potatoes. Tommy smiled, it was small, barely there, but it met his eyes.
Techno sat next to him, arms pressed together. A constant reminder someone was there. They ate their soups in relative silence, the only sounds were consoling hums. After Tommy had finished his soup, he rested his head on Techno’s shoulder, the thick red fabric around his shoulders was wrinkling under his constant weight. Techno could tell Tommy was falling asleep by how his breathing slowed and deepened, how his chest rose and fell. Tommy deserved the sleep, needed it.
Just as he had done the night before, Techno picked Tommy up and placed him into the bed. He smiled down at Tommy, pulling the covers over him. He still hadn’t taken off Techno’s robe.