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Every Christmas, without fail, Tommy would always wish for the same thing. Sure, he’d lie to people about his wish, he can’t have them thinking the great Tommy, the biggest six-year-old out there was a softy or anything. Nobody ever knew what he really wished for, which his older brother Wilbur assured him was a good thing, seeing as if you told people your wishes, they were less likely to come true. So, whenever a foster parent asked him what he wished for when he wished on a star, he’d lie. He’d tell them he wanted the latest toy or colouring book, sometimes getting creative and asking for the most outlandish things he could think of. They never stayed longer than a month at any home anyway, they’d never make it to Christmas Day with any of these families, so there was no real point in truthfully answering the question. He’d tell their caseworker that he wanted another teddy for Christmas, something to hold whenever his older brothers were off at different foster homes. They were rarely packaged together anymore, nobody wanted to handle the issues that came with three traumatised kids. He knew their caseworker would always get him a present, she was good like that.
Still, despite knowing that he wanted to keep his wish a secret, Tommy’s brothers still insisted on pestering him about it. Wilbur especially was the worst when it came to annoying Tommy about it, he’d try to pester him into telling them, Techno had given up after a while once he realised that he couldn’t use psychological attempts to get to Tommy, seeing as the boy would break out into tears if they even joked about being apart. Techno hated seeing Tommy cry. Eventually, Tommy got sick of Wilbur’s nagging and decided to lie to them too. He told them that he just wished that they’d stay together every year, which technically was half true, but it wasn’t his true wish so that hopefully meant that Tommy had found a loophole and it would still come true one day. Both of his brothers had visibly softened when he told them, much to his dismay. Wilbur had instantly began cooing at him, tugging him into his chest and holding him tightly, promising that they’d never be apart. Tommy had wriggled his way out of his coddling hold, trying to escape his brother as well as he could, looking to Techno for help, then started to scream when he received none. That was exactly why he hadn’t wanted to tell Wilbur, he didn’t want to be treated like a baby, a small, scared kid, he was six years old now!! He could fend for himself just fine! It was also why he’d never tell him his real wish. He wouldn’t be able to stand the pitying glances that they’d throw his way, the way they’d talk to him in sweetly soft voices, that way that they’d warn him that it would never come true, especially for all of them.
“Young kids always get adopted first Toms.”
That’s what Techno used to tell him whenever Wilbur was taken to a new home, taken away from them to be fostered by a new family. A family that either didn’t know or didn’t care that he had two brothers waiting for him at the orphanage. A family that didn’t know that Wilbur needed one of his brothers beside him to sleep soundly. A family that didn’t know how much Wilbur sang and danced with them around their tiny, cramped room, making up melodies and rhymes for no one but them to listen to. As much as both Techno and Tommy wanted Wilbur to have a happy home, with a happy family, and to finally be adopted, they knew it would never happen. Not to kids like them, kids with a troubled past and trauma that stretched yards long.
“One day, you’re gonna have to go someplace where we can’t follow you Toms, but I promise, no matter what happens, we will always love you” Techno had promised him, as they lay curled around each other on Techno’s bed, silent tears running rivulets down their faces as they waited for their brother to return to them.
That year, all Tommy had wished for was for Wilbur to come back to them, so they could all be together again.
Phil and Kristin were different, that much was obvious, especially from their first meeting. Tommy remembered everything about that day, he had it imprinted in his mind as the first good thing someone has done for his family in a long time. The day had started out as it usually did whenever one of them was to be fostered. Their caseworker knocked on their door, and would call out one of their names, sometimes two if they were somewhat lucky, but never all three. That day, it had been Tommy’s turn. It was always scariest when it was Tommy’s turn. He knew his brothers were scared of him being on his own, scared because they couldn’t protect him from the horrors that one grows to associate with foster homes. Tommy had grabbed his red backpack from under his bed, inside, on the fading red fabric, was a set of digits. One belonged to Tubbo, a friend that Tommy had made years ago at an old foster home. Sometimes their caseworker let him call him after a particularly bad night or rough home, as a reward for sticking it out. Tubbo had a nice family, his old sister Niki was really sweet and would always have new muffins for them to have at school. Tubbo’s eldest sibling Eret was cool too, sometimes she’d wear really pretty skirts and they’d always twirl for him whenever Tommy asked. He missed them.
The other digits belonged to the orphanage, it was the closest to a Cellphone that any of his brothers had, and it was the best way in ensuring that they had a way to contact one another from wherever they went. Wilbur had drawn the number on each of their bags in a fading black marker after Techno arrived home from a particularly bad foster, a few extra bruises and new triggers added to him. It was Wilbur’s way of trying to protect them, his desperate attempt to be the best older brother he could be. They agreed to only call if it was an emergency, they even set up a code word, so that the ones back at the orphanage would be able to help them out. Wilbur had used the code word three times, Techno five, Tommy twice. It was never a pleasant experience to hear “Do you know how to play chess?” at three am.
So, with his little red backpack, a tight hug from his brothers and holding on to his plush cow Henry, Tommy walked down the stairs, at an incredibly slow pace, half because he was terrified for what awaited him in the waiting room and half because the steps were just too big for him to walk down them as his brothers did. He’d never admit that though. He was a big man. Stairs fear him.
Tommy took a trembling step into the brightly lit room, that sickeningly pale yellow that made Tommy’s heart sink into his stomach. Sitting on the small sofa, was a man and a woman. They had smiles on their faces, ones that only grew when they finally saw him, eyes softening with an endearment that he hadn’t seen on any face other than his brothers. His caseworker moved him forward gently, guiding him to the small plastic chair in front of the couple. Tommy hated that chair. The plastic was always sticky, it felt gross to touch it, and Tommy swore that they purposefully picked the loudest and creakiest chair in the universe just so it would draw as much attention to him as possible. That day, the chair had been so loud, and he had been so quiet. They tried to start a conversation with him, they tried to ask him simple things, what his cow’s name was, what his favourite colour was, what food he liked, but Tommy remained as tight-lipped as possible, a shyness had entered him back then, one that he’d never felt before when meeting a family. Change was scary, if this was different, then what else would be different, what else would happen to him. He had started crying at one point, he wasn’t sure when, but he could tell by the panic on the two’s faces that he was crying, fosters always looked panicked when he cried.
“What’s wrong darling?” the woman asked, coming to kneel beside him. Tommy had never seen a person move so fast; he was terrified of her. She could hurt him easily; she could reach out and grab him with a speed that Tommy had never seen before. He had flinched when she reached out, her hand inches from his face, curling in on himself. The woman had frozen, watching him in horror for a moment, before looking towards her husband. It was then that they knew what kind of kid they were dealing with. He could smell her now that she was so close. She didn’t smell of cigarettes or alcohol. She didn’t smell of that deep acidic smell that his brothers always told him to run from. She smelt normal, and no, Tommy wasn’t going to explain himself for analysing how this stranger smelt, it was what helped him in the past, what helped him differentiate between alcoholic or drug-addicted families. From families who would scream at you and ones that would hit you.
“I want Wilby and Techie” Tommy had cried, he remembered turning his back to the two newcomers. All he had wanted at that moment was protection, he wanted to feel safe, his brothers had always made him feel safe. He couldn’t hear the man and the woman talking over his head to his caseworker, he hadn’t heard them ask who the people he mentioned were, hadn’t heard their shock at realising Tommy had two older brothers. He hadn’t heard when they asked to meet them. He had, however, heard his brothers come into the room, familiar with their footsteps after spending his whole life with them. He had reached out his arms to them, sighing with relief as they both surrounded him, encompassing him in their warmth and protection.
“What happened Toms? Remember your promise that you’ll always be brave?” Wilbur had asked, brushing the hair out of his face. Tommy shook his head burrowing closer to Wilbur’s warmth desperate to try and stay as close as he could to his brother for as long as possible. “I’m really sorry, I don’t know what’s gotten into him” he apologised, turning to their oldest brother for some semblance of help. Techno just started at the couple, eyeing them suspiciously, wondering what they could’ve done to make his younger brother cry so quickly. Techno was the one in charge of protecting them both, and it burned him that he was unable to constantly watch over them.
“And who are you?” The blond stranger had asked, smiling lightly at the three of them and keeping his hands visible, he was trying to appear as nonthreatening as he possibly could. The three of them had appreciated it at the time, the way that this man had casually acknowledged their fears and presented himself in a way that eased them. He wasn’t going to ignore their issues, he was embracing them
“We’re his brothers” Techno had huffed out, still standing in front of siblings, cautioning a small sliver of conversation between the two of them. Both Wilbur and Techno had noticed how cautious, yet open this couple was. They seemed eager to please, eager to help. Eagar to allow them to heal. It was the perfect environment for their brother and they both knew that if they left him go with these two, they’d never see him again. Sure, it would be painful to see him go, agonisingly so, but it would come with the gift of giving Tommy a childhood that Wilbur and Techno never had, and that was far greater than forcing Tommy to stay with them and be miserable. “We really are sorry about this, he’s just clingy, but that’s a good thing. He really would love to go home with you guys, he’s just…” Techno tried, moving to his youngest brother’s side to hold him close, “Attached to us”. Tommy nodded, curling into Techno’s side as the other rubbed his back placatingly. The woman had nodded in understanding, holding her chest as if her heart had been breaking. It wasn’t till much later that she told them it had been, it split when Tommy began to cry and shattered when his two brothers walked into the room. The man, meanwhile, turned and glared at their casework, rage swirling in his eyes, rage for them.
“Why didn’t you tell us Tommy had two brothers?!” The blond man demanded, all but jumping across the room to scream at the social worker, who simply held their hands up placatingly.
“Look. Thomas needs a home, and the best way to do that was to separate him from his brothers. Adopting one troubled child is a difficult enough choice to make, adopting two extra is something that people aren’t ever going to consider. To give Thomas the best chance, we had to do what was necessary, surely you understand Mr Watson?” Their caseworker explained, and Mr Watson scoffed, rolling his eyes, and crossing his arms. He looked over to his wife, the two exchanging words through body language alone before nodding at one another.
“We’ll take them in, they need a good home right? We’ve been approved for fostering for months now and have a good track record for fostering emergency cases that have come into our home. We have plenty of room in our house and would prefer if we could keep them all together. If you truly wanted what was best for these kids, you’d house them together, they’d never settle somewhere where the other wasn’t nearby. Anyone who’s been with a child for longer than an hour should know that!” Mr Watson argued, all the while Mrs Watson moved to stand by her husband nodding in agreement. The three boys gaped at them, nobody had ever willing stuck their necks out for them like this before, nobody fought for their happiness like this before.
“Are you positive? They’re a handful, Technoblade can be a terror at school, constantly getting into fights, and Wilbur will never open up to you so good luck trying to form any sort of attachment to him, and don’t get me started on Tommy-“ Their social worker continued, doing their absolute best to try and convince the Watsons to pick one or none of them. Tommy trembled in his brother’s grip, trying hard to hide away from the eyes of the others in the room. This was the deciding moment really, the one that shows whether or not they’ll get to stay together for another few months or be separated once again.
“Give me the papers, we’re taking them home tonight” Mrs Watson spoke up, a fire in her eyes as she moved towards their social worker with the ferocity of a mother bear protecting her cubs. The social worker gulped, seeing the equally annoyed expression from the woman’s husband, quickly ushering the boys upstairs to pack their things. Tommy dragged the two upstairs, talking animatedly about how amazing this winter was going to be, they were going to be together for the Christmas period, something that always made them anxious whenever the holiday approached. Wilbur smiled fondly as their youngest gathered together all of their things, the little pictures that he’d drawn of the three of them, all smiling and holding hands. He passed Technoblade the small collection of sticks that he’d made to look like small swords that three would play around with whenever possible. Techno looked at the scene of his brothers packing and rushing around their tiny bedroom, shock finally registering in his mind as he recounted the last five minutes.
“It’s a bit surreal isn’t it?” Wilbur voiced from where he set on their bottom bunk, holding a small duffle bag to his chest as he watched Tommy running around them. Techno nodded, running a hand through his hair, and sitting beside his brother. “I never thought we’d experience something like this, getting to all be housed together after so long. I can’t even remember the last time it happened” he continued, smiling as Tommy shoved more of their things into Techno’s rucksack.
“It was when we were with the Robinson’s, except they beat the shit out of you so we had to leave” Techno growled, fist-clenching as he remembered that Christmas, spent at Wilbur’s side in the hospital room, holding a sobbing Tommy to his chest and watching the heart monitor carefully, trying not to cry whenever it would dip slightly. They all tried to forget that Christmas, it quite obviously wasn’t the best and finally cemented the idea that the foster system wasn’t built for children like them. Children like them that had issues that ran a mile long and trust issues that were practically impossible to break. Both Wilbur and Techno wanted to be hopeful with this family, they wanted to see the light at the end of the tunnel, finally see a life where the three of them would wake up with the smell of a warm, cooked breakfast made by a dad that smiled brightly when they’d trudge downstairs and a mom who would hug them close and kiss their foreheads with more love than they really deserved. However, they were also realists, something was going to piss this family off, one way or another, and then they’d find themselves back at square one, in an orphanage that couldn’t care less if they ever ate again and with a few more bruises to add to the ever-growing collection, and they’d be fine with that, as long as they stayed together.
“You boys ready?” a voice called from behind the door, the woman’s voice, and all three of them rush to look presentable. The woman entered, smile dropping slightly at the state of their tiny room, with its cheap-looking beds all thrown together in such a small space that an adult would have trouble navigating it. It was clear that the boys weren’t supposed to be living this way, all of them in the one room, they must have fought tooth and nail to get to stay in the same place together. Her heart ached for them. Wilbur and Techno stood ramrod straight, their façade of bravery broken by the fear that was lying behind their eyes. Tommy however, looked like a boy, an everyday boy who was maybe meeting a family member for the first time, clearly hoping that they could be close, that they would love him like he already knew he would end up doing. Despite everything that all three boys had gone through, the clear pain that had been inflicted on them, Tommy had somehow been protected from the brunt of it. The woman didn’t doubt that Tommy had his own demons, but she did believe that his older brothers have done their best to protect him from everything they possibly could. “Let’s go yeah? Phil, that’s my husband, he’s in the car, wanted to make sure it was nice and warm for you three when you got in!” she continued, smiling as the look of fear slowly ebbed into slight apprehension. The small group walked downstairs, Tommy held tightly in Techno’s arms as they went. Tommy watched from over Techno’s shoulder as they walked through the front door, walked away from that bedroom that housed them after every horrible placement, always from the place where Tommy had lost his first tooth, where Techno had to navigate the halls with a broken leg and crooked crutches, where Wilbur hid under the blankest for three days after one family broke his spirit so badly it took weeks to fix. Away from the pain that had housed them for so long, the hurt that had festered and gone ignored for so long, yet despite everything, Tommy was going to miss it.
===
Tommy, Techno and Wilbur had been in the Watson house for a month now and it had been the most confusing yet incredible time of their lives. The Watsons, or Phil and Kristin as they preferred to be called, had already done so much for them in such a short amount of time. They put them all into school, a nice one where the walls weren’t covered in black mould and leaky ceiling tiles. One where they weren’t teased or picked on for being foster kids because people had better things to do. They had all made friends quickly, Techno starting a rivalry with this boy in his class called Dream and was having a great time competing against him in every class. Well, every class except Geography, because who even likes Geography. As it turned out, Wilbur enjoyed geography, really really enjoyed it. He was obsessed with finding out as much knowledge of the world as he possibly could, learning the national flags and languages of countries that the rest of the world overlooked. Once Phil and Kristin found out, they gifted him some maps and a globe to decorate his room with and Wilbur had burst into tears, no one had ever done something like that for him before. Tommy also made friends, despite wanting to do nothing with them since he had everything he wanted in Tubbo (who as it turned out, lived just thirty minutes away from the Watson residence). One kid had managed to worm his way into his heart, a tall, awkward boy who was so achingly kind that Tommy found it too hard to hate him. Ranboo was, as Tommy soon found out, the perfect one to add to their duo as Tubbo instantly broke through Ranboo’s awkward nature and reached this chaotic core beneath that the two of them grew to absolutely adore. All three of them were settling in easily to their new place with the Watsons.
As for the Watsons themselves, they were the kindest family the siblings had ever stayed with. They gave each of the boys their own room, all three of them were perfectly suited to their own needs and they practically had the whole upstairs to themselves, with Phil and Kristin’s bedroom located near the kitchen downstairs. They had a large bathroom that they shared with Phil and Kristin, one that had a bath and a shower, and not only running water but WARM water, water that didn’t leave them shivering. Every day they woke up and raced downstairs, now growing to expect the table filled with food and the smiles on the two adults faces. They were always fed, almost full, their bodies filling out and leaving them looking as normal as possible, instead of thin sticks of children. Anything they needed the Watsons catered to, they bought them more clothes than they ever needed, more school supplies than they could ever need, they gave them more love than they’ve ever had, more love than they sometimes felt they deserved, but again, that was something they were working on.
Kristin and Phil had signed the three of them up for therapy, something that, at first, they were strongly against. For years, they had been told that therapy was the worst thing that you could do, it was a word that was spat at them through gritted teeth and angry snarls, something that could lead to you being separated from your family, separated from the ones you loved and locked up in a hospital. Their whole lives, they lived in fear of being separated, and therapy seemed like one of the quickest ways to do that. Phil and Kristin told them otherwise, yet it took countless talks and in-depth discussions before they even began to consider going to it. They had a really nice therapist, a woman by the name of Puffy, who had had a therapy dog by the name of Fran who was apparently on loan from her best friend Sam. Puffy was the nicest woman that the three boys had ever met, well besides Kristin who Tommy had claimed was a literal angel, and she was always willing to listen to them. She always took their side of the story, always wanted to stand beside them and constantly told them that they were never in the wrong and that, despite everything, what happened to them was not their fault.
When she first told them that, all three of them had burst into tears. Nobody ever told them that before.
Puffy had also recommended that the three of them get individual therapy, something that, as Phil and Kristin explained, would help them be more comfortable in themselves because they sometimes experienced different things and homes from one another. So, they decided to try it out, and after the initial few days of tears and repressed memories being brought into the forefront of their minds, they found that the therapy had helped them massively, as they grew to be more confident. They began to ask for things when they wanted them, went to the sinks and fridge to grab food and water without asking permission first. They invited their friends over without asking permission and didn’t instantly break into tears if they missed curfew by a few minutes or had a missed call from Phil or Kristin. Things were getting better, slowly but surely, life was looking promising for them, and they were doing it together.
Phil and Kristin had somehow managed to drag their way into the three’s idea of what it means to be family. They always spoke in hushed whispered in one of their rooms, wondering how on earth they had managed to do that as if they hadn’t already figured it out already. All the two needed to do was spend time with them, show interest in their lives, and not beat them half to death for them to merge into lives. They paid attention to all of them, sometimes together sometimes separately, they all had moments alone with each of them, moments that didn’t leave them feeling like they were walking on eggshells, moments that made them feel safer rather than in peril.
For Techno, they would simply sit together in silence, reading together in the living room whenever Tommy and Wilbur were busy doing something else. They gave each other book recommendations, and even if Techno suggested something old and somewhat convoluted, one or both of them would still pick up a copy and give it a read, just so they could talk to Techno about it. Separately, Techno and Phil would watch anime together, something that Techno had never heard of before Phil had introduced it to him. Now the two of them would sit, curled up in blankets, a bowl of popcorn between them and watch season upon season of different anime. Kristin would go to the garden with him, showing Techno their greenhouse and how she helped Phil maintain the plant life. She taught Techno how to de-weed the plant life, to plant and care for every vegetable they were able to grow, how to move plants safely, all of which Techno found immensely calming. It led to them having deep conversations, about his brothers, therapy, and everything in between and despite everything, Techno found himself feeling safe around both of them.
Wilbur was sure that he would be ignored the most when he first arrived. He was always the second to be told to shut up (first if Tommy wasn’t there), whether that be because of his singing or because of his constant explanation of random things, the families he usually stayed at didn’t really appreciate his behaviour all that much. They didn’t want to listen to him explain how ecosystems could grow in jars, how the lights in musical theatre were used to their true potential or American politics in general. That was until Phil and Kristin happened. They were the first people to sit and listen to him with rapt attention, despite having no experience with what he was currently fascinated with. Then, after hearing him talking about his current interest for so long, they would actively try to learn more about it to engage with him more. When he was interested in beaches and rivers, Phil took him to every nearby body of water and sometimes even found some history on them to show Wilbur how much they had expanded over the years. Kristin, after hearing of his interest in animatronics, would buy him countless books and magazines on them and download documentaries that they could watch together. They opened up to him during this time, talking about their own interests, and it left Wilbur feeling heard for the first time in his life by someone other than his brothers.
Tommy was the quickest to connect with, what with him being so young. Being only six years of age, getting and keeping his attention was easy and gaining his trust, despite everything he’d gone through, was simple. It had been broken so much, however, that despite Tommy trusting them he knew it was only a matter of time till they broke it. Phil and Kristin did everything in their power to prevent this from happening. They would sit with Tommy after he had a nightmare, holding him tight and hugging him close, whispering that everything would be okay. They would join in on his little games of make-believe, with Phil playing the evil dragon and Kristin, the princess he needed to save. Phil taught him how to play a video game called Minecraft, something that became a game the entire family would soon play, all messing around on a server that was built for the five of them. Kristin would watch the weirdest shows with him and bring up the most cursed discussions that would have Phil laughing at their chaotic nature.
The Watsons did their absolute best to ensure that the three of them felt not only safe but loved and listened to. It meant, that over their short stay, they had already begun to see the other two as not only their guardians, but their parents, not that they’d ever tell them that.
===
One day, around the anniversary of when they had first been taken in, they had walked downstairs to see boxes piled around the living room, and a large tree sitting in the corner. At first, they had wondered if they were moving, and whilst that would’ve upset them, leaving their friends behind, they’re pretty sure that they would willingly follow the Watsons to the ends of the earth it meant basking in their love.
“What’s going on?” Techno asked, always acting as the group's voice whenever they were confused or scared. Recently, it had only been when they were confused, the Watson’s never gave them a reason to be scared. They didn’t think they ever would.
“We’re decorating for Christmas, have you guys ever done it before?” Kristin asked, laughing lightly as Phil struggled to drag another box from outside and into the house. They had more decorations than they knew what to do with. They always used to talk about downgrading a bit. They were glad they never did.
“That’s usually a family tradition. We’re not really considered family” Wilbur explained, moving to hug Tommy against his side. All three of them were waiting in apprehension to be told to go outside and play, to be told to turn and walk away as Phil and Kristin decorated their home. Both adults had stopped and looked at each other, having a silent conversation that they couldn’t understand, before smiling at one another.
“It’s piss simple mate, we’ll show you how to do it. Tommy, go over with Kristin and she’ll show you how to make sure the branches on the tree are spread out evenly. Wilbur and Techno, help an old man out, I need to move some boxes inside and then we can start with the lights!” Phil asked, motioning for the boys to follow him whilst Tommy dashed over to Kristin, smiling brightly as she brushed her hands through the branches, explaining in intricate detail how exactly the process was done. Tommy preened under the praise he received whenever he moved the branches around correctly, smiling up at Kristin as she hugged him into her side. By the time they had finished pruning and fixing the tree, the other three had finished with the boxes, which meant it was time for the lights, which as it turned out, was the bane of the entire group’s existence.
“Permission to throw these into the closest ocean, maybe Viking funeral style?” Wilbur questioned, tempted to throw the blasted things halfway across the room. Tommy and Phil nodded to each other in agreement whilst Kristin and Techno snickered to one another.
“Just because you lack the patience for them doesn’t mean the whole thing is awful, you three just like to rush through everything” Techno teased, earning him a pillow to the head as Tommy and Phil laughed manically. The lights were, understandably forgotten, as Techno threw himself across the small gap between them, throwing the pillow back at Wilbur trying to suffocate the other to death. Tommy did nothing to stop it, chackling as Wilbur struggled under Techno’s grasp. At first, Phil and Kristin just laughed, watching the three brothers play with one another before Phil eventually intervened and stopped Wilbur’s early demise. After wheezing laughter that accompanied Wilbur’s rant of brother abuse and how he was going to call the hotline, the group continued with lights, cheering at every little victory that was made whenever they detangled a set. Eventually, the small group had managed to cover their little tree in shimmering greens, reds, oranges, and blues, painting the rooms a myriad of bright colours that had the three boys staring at it awestruck. It had been so long since they had seen a Christmas tree with lights affixed to it with as much care as this one had. Kristin and Phil let them admire the twinkling lights for a moment, basking in the awe from the three children before Kristin tore open another box.
“Now boys, who wants to hang the decorations?!” Kristin cheered, reaching into the box, and pulling out a red bauble and small sparkling star. Tommy jumped forward, grabbing both of the objects in his hand, and running to the three, trying to find the perfect place for them. Wilbur soon joined him, arguing over Tommy’s placement, and moving it around a few branches until he eventually settled on a spot, a spot which Tommy instantly had issues with. Techno watched from the sidelines, sitting and wringing his hands together and watching with anticipation in his eyes like he wanted to join but wasn’t supposed to. “Techno, do you want to hang something on the tree?” Kristin questioned, walking over to the young boy, and kneeling to be on his level. Techno started at her curiously, as if looking for a trap, and when finding none, spoke up.
“I’m not allowed to, the decorations are always so delicate, and I break everything I touch” Techno explained, his voice catching as he chocked his way through the sentence. Kristin tutted, rubbing her hand up and down Techno’s arm in comfort, smiling gently as he watched her in anticipation. “Other families didn’t like it when I helped, I just assumed-“ he continued and Kristin shushed him gently.
“Technoblade, I promise you this, you won’t break anything. And even if you do, who cares?! Phil and I break one every year and I guarantee that your two brothers will have one broken by the end of the day” Kristin giggled, getting Techno’s lips to curl up at the thought. It was simple to imagine Wilbur and Tommy stood between a broken decoration, fingers pointing at one another in blame and screeching at each other. She gently placed an ornament into his shaking palms, closing his fingers around them and nudging the boy towards his siblings. Techno took a few shaking steps forward, looking back at Kristin, only moving forward when she nodded towards him in encouragement. He paced past his brothers, ignoring their complaints of how Phil wasn’t hanging the decorations high enough, and ever so carefully, hung the decoration onto the tree. He looked back at Kristin who was smiling brightly at him, pointing out to everyone about how perfect his placement was. Techno preened at the praise, smiling as his brothers patted him on the back and cheered him on. The rest of the night continued with the five of them adding different decorations to the tree, singing random songs that Wilbur made up on the spot, and chasing each other around the room. The adults of the house laughed along with them, joining in on Wilbur’s songs, listening to Tommy’s demands on where and what to put on the tree and helping Techno with rearranging anything that Tommy had put up incorrectly.
By the end of the night, the entire group was exhausted. Phil had made them all hot chocolate, shocked and slightly disgusted that three boys had never had one before, then gathered them into the now decorated living room where Kristin was busy setting up a film. After discovering that the boys had never really experienced a Christmas where there were stockings hung by the chimney with care, and the smell of hot chocolate wafting in the air. Kristin pressed play as the rest of their group got comfortable, the title card playing as Miracle on 34th Street started up. Instantly there was one figure that caught all three boys’ attention.
“Who’s Santa?” Wilbur had asked, watching as Kris Kringle was arguing with a drunk man over the spirit of Santa Clause, looking to Phil and Kristin for an answer. It really shouldn’t have shocked them that the three boys didn’t know who the jolly man in a big red suit was, but it was deeply upsetting to see just how much of their childhood had been stolen from them.
“Well, Santa is a man who only comes by once a year, on the 24th of December to give presents to good boys and girls all over the world” Phil explained, tugging Tommy into his side as the three of them watched him in wonder. “He does it all in one night, with eight reindeer and a sleigh that can fly across the globe in mere seconds” he went on, exaggerating his story with rapid movements to illustrate his points.
“He delivers that many presents all in one night?!” Wilbur exclaimed, jumping up and crawling over to Phil to hear more information about this Santa person. Phil nodded excitedly, going on to explain how Santa was magic and could do just about anything you wanted, so long as you were good and truly believed in his magic then you would get what you truly desired.
“Do we count, as good children?” Techno asked nervously, curled up into Kristin’s side as if to hide from the idea of him being perceived by this god-like figure as a monster. Kristin cooed gently, stroking the top of his head softly, smiling when he leaned into it.
“Of course you do, all you’ve done is stuck up for one another, through thick and thin. You truly care for one another and the world around you. You’re still the sweetest kids despite everything that has happened to you. If anyone deserves to be on the nice list, it’s you three” Kristin explained, smiling brightly as the three kids began to cheer in celebration. Tommy suddenly stopped, turning to face Phil, a thoughtful expression on his face.
“Wait, will he answer any wish?” Tommy questioned, almost crawling into Phil’s lap to hear the answer as clearly as he could. Phil smiled down at him gently, holding the boy lovingly in his arms.
“As long as your wish is true and from the heart and doesn’t aim to hurt anyone, then, of course, he would. Why wouldn’t he Toms?” Phil explained, hugging Tomy back when the child started squeezing him tightly. Unbeknownst to anyone, Tommy already had a wish in mind. It was the same thing he wished for every year.
===
Tommy had no clue where they were going when Phil and Kristin made them dress up nice and piled them into the car. They had already done their Christmas shopping and had a nice meal out with both Phil and Kristin’s parents, so really there was nothing else that they could be getting all prim and proper for. Phil and Kristin had explained with bright, excited eyes, that they had a big surprise for the three of them. They recognized the turns, of course, the right they took on Wayward Street, the left on Flowerfall Avenue until they eventually reached the shopping centre that had held them for the seven gruelling hours of Christmas shopping. Time that the three children claimed they would never get back, acting like it was the cruellest form of punishment that Kristin and Phil had ever doled out onto them.
They trapsed themselves into the shopping centre, following the two adults into a section of the store that they had never seen before, one that played Christmas music from the speakers and had candy canes and reindeer painted on the walls. They reached a counter, behind which, a young woman in an elf costume stood, smiling at the other children in line, before eventually turning her attention towards their little group.
“Hey there, can I get the name on your booking please?” The elf asked, smiling down at the three kids and waving excitedly. Tommy waved back excitedly, Wilbur with less vigour and Techno hiding behind Kristin. Phil smiled at the lot of them, handing over his booking name, and following the elf as she gestured them towards the queue inside. They stood in line behind another family, standing in silence for a moment before the children whipped around.
“What are we doing here?” Wilbur asked, growing annoyed when Phil and Kristin simply smiled at them.
“Wait and see, Wilbur. I promise that it will be worth it” Kristin explained, hugging the boy into her side, and ignoring the groans of complaint from all three of them. They simply stood and waited, watching other families mingle around the waiting area, watching as elves gathered around small children, colouring, and singing with them. All of this was incredibly confusing to Tommy, he had no idea what on earth was going on. In the line in front of them, families would walk through a big red door after knocking on it three times with a loud ‘Ho Ho Ho’. Tommy watched as they walked through a white light tunnel, the doors closing behind them.
Tommy watched as they walked closer and closer until eventually, they reached the big red doors themselves. An elf was standing there, smiling brightly at them as they approached, waving them forward.
“Hey guys! I need your help to open the door! It’s jammed shut right now” The elf explained, pushing gently on the door for confirmation. Tommy stepped forward, trying his luck at the old oak doors, pushing, and pulling at the door until he was satisfied that it well and truly would not budge. “To open it we need to use the magic words, you need to knock three times and shot Ho Ho Ho! Can you do that for me guys?” The elf asked, and Techno rolled his eyes at her.
“Couldn’t we just use a key?” Wilbur began but was interrupted by a sudden thumping on the other side of the door. He jumped, moving behind Techno as the other boy looked at the door in slight confusion. The elf gestured them forward, urging them to use the magic words. The three boys walked forward, after being pushed slightly by Phil and Kristin. They knocked and the two heavy doors swung open, revealing another elf who ushered them forward, through the white lit up tunnel. They approached another door, a much smaller one with a golden handle. The elf once again, moved them forward, before holding the door handle and ever so gently turning it. Inside, sat a man with long white hair and a neatly groomed beard to match, wrapped up in a bright red suit and big black snow boots. The small smiled at them over his glasses, waving gently at them. There, sitting before them, was Santa. The man Phil and Kristin had been teaching him about for the past week and a half, the man that loved all children, no matter what their history was. A man that granted any wish that a child could wish for. A man named Santa.
“Hello you three, do you boys want to suit in front of me here while I read from my naughty or nice book?” Santa questioned and the trio all but charged to sit in front of him, stunned to silence by the man’s glowing presence. “Right so, we have Tommy, Wilbur and- Technoblade?! What an unusual name! A perfect name for you, it suits you, a strong name for a strong young boy” he chuckled, Techno smiling brightly, whipping around to show his excitement to Phil and Kristin. The two smiled back, just as excited. “Now, let’s cut right to the chase, let’s see where you stand on the list this year. You know every year you’ve always been rising higher and higher on one of these lists, I’m sure your curious as to which one” Santa peaked over his book at them, smiling at the apprehension that had fallen on their faces. “No need to look so worried boys, you’re all on the nice list” he cheered, laughing brightly as the three boys in front of him celebrated, hugging each other tightly.
“Now, on to the other thing you came in for, what you boys want for Christmas! Let’s see now” Santa continued, turning the pages in his big book, before settling on a different page. “Wilbur, you wanted the Atlas of the world with annotation guide, am I correct? You always were one for exploration, always wanted to know everything you possibly could” the man questioned, looking at Wilbur for confirmation. Wilbur nodded enthusiastically, eyes twinkling as he looked up at the man. He was everything he had ever dreamed, everything Phil and Kristin had described him as. He was perfect.
“Technoblade, or Techno as you prefer to be called, you wanted a fencing kit so you could join the fencing club at school correct? Just promise not to hurt that buddy of yours too much. Dream, wasn’t that his name? My what interesting names children have these days” Santa smiled, Techno gaping back at him, he turned back to Kristin and Phil, mouthing his confusion. The two simply shrugged, equally as shocked as he was, it would seem.
“Now Tommy, you wanted- Now that is interesting! You wanted to keep your wish a secret?” Santa questioned, closing his book, and adjusting his rounded glasses to look at the youngest clearly. Tommy nodded, standing up and walking towards Santa.
“I was hoping that I could tell you in person what I wanted. My plan was to stay up really late on Christmas Eve with a torch and tell you, but then I came here, which was probably a good thing since I probably would’ve fallen asleep and missed you completely, which would mean I’d get nothing” Tommy explained, smiling brightly when Santa chucked along with his explanation.
“Right then young man, do you want to tell me right now? If you wish to keep it a secret you best whisper it to me!” Santa exclaimed, motioning for the boy to come closer. Tommy moved until he was gently lifted into the man’s lap, smiling back at the rose checked grin that accompanied that old, wrinkled face. “Well, my boy, what was your wish?” He questioned, moving so his ear was right beside Tommy’s mouth. Tommy bit his lip, looking at his brothers first, almost laughing at their confused (and slightly jealous faces), then looked towards Phil and Kristin. Both were looking at him with fond curiosity, which only made Tommy more excited to tell Santa his wish. Tommy leaned in close, whispering into Santa’s ear before quickly pulling away again. Santa watched him with misty eyes, before nodding slightly. “I think that’s something we can work on my boy,” he said gently, patting Tommy on the back before sniffling and adjusting his glasses. “Right, photo?” he questioned, looking at the photographer who had, since this point, gone unnoticed.
“Right boys, I’m just gonna get some photo’s of you with Santa, so just look into the lens up here and smile real big yeah?” The photographer requested, showing them where to stand before snapping a few pictures. Once satisfied he handed each boy a large piece of paper. “Don’t look at it just yet boys, I just wanna take one more picture. Hold up the papers please” he asked again, and the boys did as they were told, this time with a more confused expression. Once those pictures were complete the man told them to look at their papers. Each one contained a different word
Happy
Adoption
Day
The three stood there frozen before the news eventually clicked.
“Is this true?” Techno asked, voice so quiet that you would’ve missed it had everyone not been so deathly quiet.
“It’s true” Kristin promised.
“And you’re sure you want us, forever?” Wilbur asked, voice filled with so much apprehension as if he couldn’t bear himself to get excited just yet.
“I don’t think our lives would be the same without you guys in it mate” Phil responded, eyes misty as he watched the other three grow teary-eyed. The group sat there in stunned silence before Tommy eventually snapped.
“Mom, Dad!!” Tommy cried, sobs bubbling up as he raced into his new parent’s arms that were held wide open for him. They caught him easily, falling to heap on the floor when Techno and Wilbur inevitably joined them, all huddled in a big pile of happy tears and cheers. Tommy looked up briefly to catch eyes with Santa for a brief moment, the man smiling brightly at the happy family. He mouthed a quick thank you, before burrowing back into his family’s hold.
===
Tommy had no clue what time it was. Last he remembered, he was watching another movie with his new family. The next he was being carried in a tight, but loving hold, being moved into his room. He curled closer to the warmth that enveloped him, practically purring when a hand traced through his hair. He was eventually settled into his bed, tucked in tight and given two kisses on the head, one from his new mom, the other from his new dad. Tommy basked in their love, before gently reaching out and tugging on one of their shirts.
“Don’t you want to know what I asked Santa for?” Tommy questioned sleepily, looking blearily up at his mother and father.
“Not if you’re uncomfortable with us knowing Tommy” Kristin explained, Phil nodding in agreement.
“Just because you’re our son doesn’t mean you have to tell us all your secrets, we’re willing to wait until you’re comfortable” Phil continued, stroking Tommy’s head gently. Tommy scoffed at the two of them before smiling once again.
“I asked Santa for you guys to adopt me so that we could all be one big family. You, mom, Techie, Wilbur and me” Tommy explained, ignoring the sharp inhale of breath that confession brought.
“You sweet boy,” Kristin said softly, pulling the boy into a soft but loving embrace that Phil quickly joined.
Tommy sat there, basking in the love of his newfound parents, forever grateful for the fact that those two had come into his orphanage and had picked him and his siblings out of anyone else in there. Grateful that Santa had deemed them good enough to deserve the life that Kristin and Phil and promised them.
Tommy was well and truly blessed.