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Tommy’s feet crunched in the snow as he walked down the cold, barren streets. Twinkling lights were strung across closed storefronts and wrapped around lamposts and thin trees. He shivered, wearing only a red and white t-shirt and an old pair of jeans. Faint laughter came from open windows where smiling families ate dinner together. Scuffing his shoe against the cobbled ground, he kicked up a little flurry of snow that quickly settled around his feet as he continued walking. His quiet sigh caused his breath to billow out in front of him in the evening air. He looked up when he felt something cold land on the back of his neck, hugging his arms against his chest when he realized it had started snowing again.
“Ugh, as if it wasn’t already cold enough,” he muttered bitterly. When he looked down from the sky he realized he had made it to the town square. In the middle of the circular plaza was a large Christmas tree with a glimmering star on top. He avoided gazing at the tree for too long, having been trying to ignore the fact that it was Christmas Eve and he was alone. Again. He shook his head, he was Tommy fucking Innit, he didn’t need anybody and he hadn’t for a long time.
“TOMMY!” The boy whipped around to see a tall man with fluffy brown hair racing towards him, “I was wondering where I would find you!”
“Wil? What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at home with your family?” A strange look passed over Wilbur’s face, but Tommy passed it off as simply being the cold. It wasn’t like Tommy didn’t want Wilbur there, he was more than happy to spend time with his older friend. He was just confused.
“Well, my family was getting frustrated about my constant worrying about you, so they told me to just leave and see if I could find you,” Wilbur smiled, stepping closer to Tommy and pulling him to stand beneath his shoulder. Tommy nearly flinched at the sudden warmth that the man provided.
“Why would you be worrying about me? I’m fine, plus it’s Christmas Eve you should be thinking about your family, not some random kid you met on the streets,” Tommy scoffed, but still huddled closer to Wilbur’s warmth. Wilbur seemed to notice though and only then realized what Tommy was wearing.
“Tommy! Aren’t you cold? Do you have a coat? You’re going to get hypothermia or something wearing just a t-shirt in this weather,” Wilbur immediately began fussing, pushing Tommy away to start taking his cloak off.
“I’m fine, Wil! I don’t need your cloak, okay. I wouldn’t want you to get hypothermia either.”
“Well lucky for you, neither of us will be getting hypothermia where we’re going!”
“Where… Where we’re going?” There was that strange look again, Tommy wasn’t really sure what to make of it, but ignored it in favor of his confusion. Wilbur took his pause to throw the warm cloak over the younger’s shoulders. Tommy huffed but did not protest, he had to admit, it was rather soft and even smelled faintly like Wilbur. He adjusted it slightly and buried himself into the heat.
“Yup! I’m taking you back home with me!” Wilbur smiled at him, but it seemed as though there was a bit of anxiety layered under his words. As if he wasn’t sure Tommy would accept his offer.
“I- Wil as much as I would love to spend Christmas with you… It’s a family holiday, right? I wouldn’t want to intrude on that.”
“It’s fine, Toms. Seriously, I checked with my family. They all said it was ok.”
“Are you sure?” Tommy asked skeptically.
“Yes. Completely.”
“Fine,” Tommy sighed, “It’s not like I have anything else to do anyway.”
“Yes!” Wilbur cheered, grinning as Tommy began to follow him, “Let’s go!”
The two trudged through the snow-covered plaza, Wilbur once again putting an arm around Tommy’s shoulders. He led Tommy to the other end of the town square, where an elegant carriage was parked. It was blue and silver, the kingdom’s colors. Wilbur opened the door, gesturing to Tommy to get in.
Tommy internally gawked, he knew Wilbur had a lot of money but he hadn’t known he was this rich. He climbed in the carriage to see soft plush blue seats, covered in pillows and blankets. It was almost overwhelmingly warm and Tommy took Wilbur’s cloak off immediately after sitting down, relaxing into the comforting environment. Wilbur got in soon after, sitting next to Tommy and smiling at the shocked look on the boy’s face.
“You like it?” Wilbur asked smugly.
“Like it? Wil- how did you even get this? It’s so fuckin’ fancy,” Tommy replied incredulously.
“Well… I have my ways,” The two fell into a comfortable silence as the carriage began to move forward. Tommy still had no idea where they were going, but what was the worst that could happen? It was probably bad that he had so little regard for his own safety, but that was a problem for another day.
As they rolled along the bumpy streets Wilbur began to hum under his breath. The sound was soothing and Tommy’s eyes began to droop with tiredness. He hadn’t been sleeping as much as he should have lately, so Wilbur’s soft voice and the comfortable carriage were starting to lull him to sleep. Every time his head fell slightly, he would jerk up again, determined not to fall asleep next to Wilbur. What he didn’t notice was the fond gaze the man was giving him as he watched Tommy try to fight the urge to sleep.
After Tommy woke himself up for about the tenth time, Wilbur wordlessly pulled the boy to his chest, holding him close. When Tommy startled and tried to pull away the man spoke gently.
“You can sleep, Toms, it’s alright. I’ll wake you up when we get there,” The nickname made Tommy melt back into Wilbur’s arms, who chuckled lightly and began to run his fingers through Tommy’s curls. Tommy was sure his hair was greasy and dirty as fuck, but for once in his life, he didn’t even care as he let himself succumb to sleep.
———————————————————
Tommy woke up to someone gently nudging his shoulder. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up slowly, the memories from earlier rushing back.
“Have a nice nap, sleeping beauty?” Wilbur teased from behind him. Tommy turned around to glare at him, but he was still waking up and Wilbur only cooed internally at the tired boy.
“Yes, I did, thank you very much,” Tommy replied truthfully. If he was being completely honest, it was probably the best sleep he had had in weeks, even though it had only been an hour or two. He sighed, looking out the window to see they were in some sort of large garden or park.
“We’re almost there,” Wilbur said, noticing Tommy’s curious glance, “My family is so excited to meet you.”
Tommy froze immediately, he had gotten so caught up in everything that he forgot Wilbur was taking him to his home, to his family. Tommy’s anxiety grew as he thought about all the things that could go wrong. What if he made a fool of himself or upset Wilbur’s family in some way and the man never wanted to see him again? He could not let that happen. As much as Tommy loved to deny it, he was incredibly attached to Wilbur in a way that almost scared him. He didn’t know what he would do if Wilbur was gone so he was determined to stay by the man’s side for as long as possible.
The problem was, Tommy knew what family meant to people, especially Wilbur. If Tommy fucked this up Wilbur would certainly choose his family over Tommy and he would never see the man again. It was fine though. As long as Tommy behaved perfectly the whole time he was there, nothing bad would happen. He just had to hope that Wilbur’s family were nice enough to not care that he was just a random street kid Wilbur had befriended one day. He wouldn’t know what to do if they weren’t.
“Tommy? Toms? Hey, bud, you ok?” Wilbur’s voice broke Tommy’s spiraling thoughts, pulling him back to reality.
“Yeah, I’m fine, Wil,” Tommy laughed nervously, “Just… got distracted for a second there.”
“It’s ok to be nervous,” Wilbur reassured gently, “I promise my family will love you just as much as I do.”
Tommy looked away, his gaze focusing back on the window. His jaw dropped, the carriage was riding around the side of a mansion. It was huge, towers shooting up so high that Tommy had to lean out just to see the tops. As the carriage neared the house, could it even be called a house, it seemed much too large, Wilbur smiled.
“We’ll go in the side door, it’s closest to the kitchen,” Tommy spun around in disbelief at how casual Wilbur seemed. He was beginning to understand how Wilbur had gotten a whole carriage to pick them up. The man was rich, richer than Tommy had thought was possible besides the royal family. Wilbur seemed to either not notice or just simply ignore Tommy’s shock as he opened the door when the carriage slowed to a stop.
They were standing by a large wooden door, hidden in an alcove of the building. Wilbur held out his hand, helping Tommy stumble out onto the ground below. He knocked lightly on the door, which flung open almost immediately to reveal a huge kitchen inside. There were multiple chefs and other people dressed in aprons or uniforms hurrying around the large room. The person who opened the door nodded quickly at Wilbur before going back to whatever they had been doing before. It was obvious they were preparing for a giant feast, probably a Christmas dinner already in preparation.
Ignoring everyone else, Wilbur led Tommy through a door on the other side of the room. Tommy’s mouth was watering from just the smell of all the delicious food, but the two carried on further into the house. The door led into a long hallway, covered in paintings and fancy armor sets as decoration. Tommy could hear distant loud chattering coming from a room nearby, getting louder as they walked towards it.
Wilbur stopped by a large set of double doors, nodding to a guard who stood next to them. Tommy’s head was reeling by just how fancy Wilbur’s house was, they had guards, chefs, servants the whole lot.
“This is the dining hall, Tommy,” The boy in question turned abruptly, “I just want to make sure that this is all ok with you. I know I kind of dragged you here without question, but if you’re uncomfortable or anything just say the word and I can take you back.”
Tommy was shocked, no one had ever allowed him a choice in this kind of thing. It was always either him being forced to do something or pushed away. Wilbur’s kind words washed over him and it surprised him that he did not want to leave. He didn’t want to go back to the cold snowy streets when he was so close to having somewhere warm to stay, even if it was only for one night.
“It’s fine, Wil. Let’s go,” Wilbur smiled brightly, and Tommy returned it. The guard pulled the door open to reveal an expansive room, nearly fully taken up by a large weathered wooden table. There was a group of people sitting towards the end of it, presumably Wilbur’s family, laughing loudly.
At the head of the table was an older man with blond hair and bright blue eyes. He was wearing a green cloak and smiling widely. On one side of the table sat two people that looked around Tommy’s age. One had black and white hair split down the middle and while one of his eyes was a glinting green the other was bright red, he was wearing a plain black suit and talking to the boy next to him quietly. The other boy had brown hair and was wearing a green button-down, seeming a lot more casual than the rest of the table, but he still fit in perfectly well. On the other side of the table was a man who looked about Wilbur’s age, he had long pink hair and a red cape that somehow did not clash. He was covered in gold jewelry, from earrings to necklaces to bracelets and even what looked like a crown on his head.
They all looked up when Wilbur and Tommy entered, the man at the head of the table began to stand, looking like he was offering Wilbur his seat. Wilbur brushed him off though and led Tommy to go sit by the pink-haired man.
“So, Tommy, meet my family,” Wilbur smiled, gesturing around the table as everyone waved and smiled at him.
“Hey there, Tommy. We’ve heard a lot about you, mate,” The blond man said, “My name’s Phil, I’m Wilbur’s dad.”
“Nice to meet you,” Tommy greeted in what he hoped was a polite enough way. These people were far fancier than he expected and he could not afford to get on their bad side.
“Hi! I’m Tubbo and this is Ranboo,” The younger boy in green said, gesturing to his friend next to him as well, “We’re Wilbur’s brothers!”
Tommy nodded at them, feeling an unnatural wave of jealousy at someone else being Wilbur’s brother that he quickly pushed away.
“And this is Techno,” Wilbur gestured to the final man, “He’s not always one for new people, but he’s a complete softie once you get to know him.”
Techno scoffed and pushed Wilbur lightly, the man only returning the attack before Phil put his hand out to stop them. Tommy felt his heart fall at the motion that seemed so familiar to them like it had happened hundreds of times before, and it probably had. These people had known each other for years, while he was only just meeting them.
The doors opened again, shaking Tommy from his thoughts. A group of servants brought in a load of food that the six of them could not possibly eat alone. Tommy had never seen this much food in his life, staring at platter upon platter of every food you could even think of.
As everyone served themselves large portions of dinner, Tommy stayed silent. He had gotten himself a couple of foods that he recognized leaving his plate far more empty than the rest. Luckily no one commented on his lackluster meal or quietness while they ate. Wilbur shot him a couple of concerned looks throughout the night, but Tommy brushed him off easily by just whispering back that he was tired. It wasn’t like that was a lie anyway.
Tommy’s head was beginning to droop again as the dinner continued. He didn’t know how long they had been there, but it had to have been a while. Out the windows, he could see that the sun had already set and stars were starting to dot the sky. He yawned, pulling his legs up onto the chair and resting his head on his knees. He closed his eyes, just for a second he told himself, but the indistinct chatter around him began to fade out as his mind drifted and fell into the comforting realm of sleep.
———————————————————
This was the second time in the last two days that Tommy woke up with Wilbur smiling beside him. This time the man was shaking him far more aggressively. He sat up quickly, spinning around to glare at Wilbur.
“Tommy! Tommy, come on, get up!” Wilbur giggled excitedly, “Toms, it’s Christmas!”
Shit. Tommy forgot about that. This was it, Wilbur was going to make him leave now. Christmas was a holiday for families, Tommy knew that better than anyone with the amount of times he had been kicked out because of the day. He never quite understood it, he hadn’t actually celebrated Christmas in years. Normally the day just meant loneliness to him, which was fine, he was used to that. This year though, he had gotten a taste of the warmth, of the family, it hurt him just a bit more to leave.
He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, not looking at Wilbur. If he looked at the man he knew the tears that were building up in the back of his eyes could not be stopped. If he was going to leave, he would do it before Wilbur had the chance to kick him out. That would hurt far too much.
“Come with me! Everyone else is awake already waiting,” The words hit Tommy like a knife to his chest. He already knew Wilbur wouldn’t want him there, but it hurt infinitely more to hear him say it. He sighed, silently following Wilbur out of the room.
Wilbur walked through the hallways with more confidence than Tommy could muster in his life, in a fancy blue coat that looked like it could belong to royalty. This hallway was also lined with many paintings, but these ones depicted people. Pausing, Tommy realized that he recognized the people in the art. The first one he noticed was a painting of Phil, standing regally and wearing a crown. Confused, Tommy continued down the hall, the next painting though, made him stop in his tracks.
It was Wilbur. In a similar crown, holding a scepter and standing with his back straight in a way that seemed so unlike the Wilbur he knew. In the corner was an inscription, Tommy stepped closer to read it, Newly Crowned King Wilbur of the L’manburg. Tommy stood, registering the words he thought he must have misread, but it made sense. Of course, Wilbur’s house that seemed far too large to be normal was the castle and the regal-looking clothes he always wore were because he was literally royalty.
It was then that Wilbur realized that Tommy was no longer behind him. Spinning around, Wilbur noticed what Tommy was looking at.
“Shit,” He muttered, “Tommy I-”
“Wilbur. What the fuck.”
“I can explain,” Wilbur held his hands up in surrender.
“Yeah, you fuckin better,” Tommy glared at him. It wasn’t that the boy was really mad at him, just confused, why hadn’t Wilbur just told him before? Did the man not trust him?
“I would have told you, Tommy and I was going to, really. It was just nice, I suppose. Not having to worry about being king or any of my royal duties. Maybe it was selfish, I don’t know. I liked having someone that I could just be me with. You probably know me better than anyone else honestly, even my family.”
“Really?”
“Of course. I’m really, really sorry, Tommy. I should have told you, you didn’t deserve to be kept in the dark like that. I just wasn’t sure how to say it.”
“It’s alright, Wil. I’m not mad, just… a bit shocked I guess,” It was true, he wasn’t mad, but he was indefinitely more terrified now that he knew where he really was. He had no idea where he stood with Wilbur anymore, had he just been the man’s stress reliever? But then why would he have invited Tommy to the castle? Surely if Wilbur didn’t actually care he wouldn’t bother with that, right? Tommy had no clue, so he simply continued to follow Wilbur down the hall.
Wilbur turned into a large room, even bigger than the dining hall. In the center was a Christmas tree bigger than any tree he had seen in his life. Decorated to the max with ornaments of every single color imaginable. When Tommy looked closer he noticed that some of the ornaments had family photos, Wilbur and Techno as children smiling, Phil and a woman dressed in black that he didn’t recognize, Ranboo giving Tubbo a piggyback ride and so many more. Underneath the tree were brightly wrapped gifts of all shapes and sizes. Tommy had never seen anything like it, he didn’t quite understand why Wilbur had brought him here just to see what he was missing out on.
“Tommy, Wil, there you two are!” Phil called from a comfortable looking chair near a fireplace on one side of the room. The rest of the family was sitting around it as well, Tubbo and Ranboo sharing a couch and Techno sitting on his own chair across from Phil. The younger two immediately jumped up running towards the tree.
“Phil, does this mean we can open presents now?” Tubbo jumped up and down, buzzing with excitement. Ranboo nodded in support next to him.
“Calm down, the both of you,” Techno sighed, “Let them get settled, we have plenty of time for gifts.”
Tubbo pouted, but then turned and ran to Tommy and Wilbur.
“Are you two ready? I wanna open my present now, you guys took so long,” The boy smiled when Wilbur nodded. Tubbo then grabbed Tommy’s hand, who startled, and began to pull him towards the tree to join Ranboo. Tommy looked back at Wilbur, confused, but the man only smiled and went to sit by Phil and Techno.
“Which one should I open first?” Tubbo questioned, scanning the presents littered around the tree. Tommy shifted uncomfortably, wondering if he was really supposed to be here or not. He flinched when a hand rested on his shoulder, turning to find Wilbur standing behind him.
“You ok, Toms?” The man asked quietly, so as not to be overheard by the other two teens.
“I- I’m just not sure what I’m doing here, I suppose.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, it’s Christmas, Wil,” Tommy responded as if that would make Wilbur understand.
“Yes? What does that have to do with what you said though?” Tommy could tell that Wilbur was genuinely confused and he was getting frustrated. How did Wilbur not understand? Was the man just playing with him before making him leave? Tommy didn’t think Wilbur would be that cruel, but maybe he underestimated him.
“It’s Christmas,” Tommy repeated, “So why am I here with you? Aren’t you going to kick me out or something?”
“Why on earth would I do that, Tommy? Do you want me to kick you out?”
“No, no of course not. I- I don’t know why you wouldn’t though. I don’t mind, really. I get it, I’ve been kicked out on Christmas many times you don’t have to feel bad,” Tommy was trying to reassure Wilbur, but it didn’t seem to work. The man’s face fell instantly and he grabbed Tommy’s hand gently.
“Tommy, look at me. I want you to know that I will never force you to do anything, whether it be leaving or staying. If you want to leave you, I won’t stop you. If you want to stay, I will do everything I can to make that happen. I promise you,” Wilbur’s eyes shone with earnestness and Tommy found himself believing him. The man looked at him with so much love Tommy thought it was impossible.
“But… why? Christmas- it’s supposed to be spent with your family. Why would any of you want some random street kid like me there to ruin it.”
“Tommy… you are my family. You could never ruin anything,” Tommy blinked, his breath catching in his throat. Family? Was this what a family was? Feeling safe, happy, and comfortable was something that he wasn’t accustomed to. It was an overwhelming, yet wonderful feeling to realize that he was finally loved.
“I’m- you’re my family too, Wil,” Tommy’s voice was wet with tears that had begun to fall down his cheeks. Leaning forward, Wilbur cupped Tommy’s face in his hand, wiping away the tears. Tommy leaned into the touch before stepping forward and wrapping his arms around Wilbur. The man immediately returned the hug, nestling his chin into Tommy’s hair and gently rocking them back and forth. Picking his head up for a second, Wilbur brushed his fingers through Tommy’s hair and placed a soft kiss on his forehead.
“I love you so much, Toms. You’re my brother, don’t ever doubt that.”
“I love you too, Wil.”
“Tommy! Wil!” Tubbo called from his place by the tree, holding a large pile of presents in his arms, “Stop being sappy and come open your presents!”
“I have presents?” Tommy questioned.
“Of course you do,” Wilbur smiled, “I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get my favorite little brother a gift.”
“Oi!” Tubbo yelled, “Asshole, I thought I was your favorite brother!”
“Nah, you’re like last on my list, Tubs,” Wilbur teased.
“Fine then, I guess you don’t want the present I got you. Maybe I’ll give it to Tommy instead!”
“No, Tubbo, come on I was just kidding!” Wilbur ran at him laughing, the two circling the tree chasing each other. Tommy smiled, walking towards the tree to see what would be waiting for him. He felt happy, it didn’t matter that Wilbur was the king or that he had just met the rest of them. He finally had a family and this Christmas was the best day of his life.
