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Mines were not usually a place Tommy would like to visit.
Dark and damp, they reminded him of a prison cell (Best not to dwell on that memory). If he needed an ore or some stone, Ranboo could usually get him some.
Today, however, Ranboo could not get him some.
“Stupid fucking enderman and his stupid fucking job and my stupid fucking brother and his stupid fucking van,” Tommy mumbled to himself as he held a torch to the cavern walls, looking for the orange glow of iron. “Ranboo and Tubbo had to both get stupid fuck burger jobs, what the fuck.” He pulled out a map he had borrowed from Karl’s library, although he knew that the marked areas were probably already mined clean of resources.
Tommy shoved the map back into his inventory and placed a torch, as to not lose his way. “And then they have the audacity to ask Phil to watch Micheal so I don’t even have an excuse to stay home, all I need is some iron for a door, it's not MY fault my wooden one broke, and besides, an iron door would ‘look better on my house’, quote fucking Nikki.”
Suffice to say, the mines never put the avian in a good mood. Luckily for him, Tommy had the rarer ability to shapeshift like Techno, so his brilliantly yellow-white wings weren't drawing any unwanted attention.
He pulled out the map again and glanced half-heartedly at it, like when you open the fridge again to see if maybe some new food had shown up despite nothing being there two minutes ago. But he did notice something.
A small marking on the map indicated a hole in the ground, maybe 30 blocks ahead of him. The map cut off after the hole, so maybe there was something down there.
He ran cautiously ahead and dropped on his knee to shine his torchlight down and assess it, making sure it was safe.
The hole was maybe a three-block jump, pretty safe, and with some extra digging would be easy to get in and out of. Carving a staircase, Tommy descended into what, upon closer inspection, appeared to be an abandoned mineshaft.
“Jackpot,” He whispered to himself, following the broken rails and looting it the best he could. He wound up with more than enough iron, plus gold, lapis, and even some diamonds.
He had marked his new twists and turns on the back of the map, and once his inventory was full, headed back along the path he came.
Then he tripped and fell on his face.
Dumbass.
“Ow,” He groaned, sitting up to rub his cheek, which had scuffed up pretty badly. He turned to see what he had tripped on and had to do a hard double-take.
Behind him, a baby cave spider was rubbing its own face, looking like it was about to cry.
Tommy was hit with a wave of guilt, which surprised him. This was a mob, a monster. Its mother was probably nearby, waiting to pounce, or maybe it was a trap, it-
It was crying.
Softly, as if it was scared of offending someone with its noise. It covered its mouth and wiped at its tears, pushing itself back against a wall and pulling its knees up to its chest.
Tommy took a moment to collect his thoughts. He knew it was a cave spider despite its human-like appearance because it had extra arms and eyes. And, unlike humans, it was moving very well despite looking younger than a year old. Shapeshifter, he thought to himself, like I am.
Slowly, as not to scare it, he crawled in front of it.
“Hey, it’s okay, I won’t hurt you,” Tommy wasn’t the best at calming down children, ask anybody. But for some reason, the child stopped crying and looked at Tommy.
“Where’s your mother?” he asked cautiously, not wanting to get killed for doing the right thing. But the spider just shook its head sadly.
Tommy took a moment to decode that. “You… don’t have a mother?” He asked gently. The creature just nodded.
Tommy didn't know where to go from here. Wordlessly, he rummaged through his inventory and pulled out some meat. He placed it gently next to the spider and got up.
"You should uh, stay off the ground, okay?" Tommy struggled. He rubbed the back of his neck as the kid just stared between him and the meat. It made a rumbling sound, remaining expressionless.
"Right." Tommy shoved his hands in his pockets and kept walking towards the exit.
He stretched his arms high as soon as he left the low cave ceiling. He shifted, and stretched his wings up towards the sky, relishing in the tug of muscles. He folded his wings against his back and glanced around, and heard a hiss from behind him.
Instantly turning and drawing his sword, he faced the mouth of the cave. Four red eyes glowed in the blackness. It backed up slightly, then slowly walked out of the opening.
Tommy sucked in a breath. It was the baby spider. Why had it followed him? Its eyes blinked rapidly, adjusting to the sunlight. They've probably never seen it before. Tommy realized. The child stumbled towards him, unable to adjust and see properly, likely following its nose before its eyes.
Almost unwillingly, and completely on instinct, Tommy unfolded his wing and tilted it downwards, creating shade. The spider crawled under it and clung to Tommy's pant leg.
He felt a tug on his heart, but he couldn't place why. The kid just kept blinking rapidly and whined in pain.
Tommy's instincts took over before his logic. He scooped up the mob in his arms and tented his wings around the baby, blocking the sun. He walked swiftly to his house, thankfully passing no one who would question him.
He walked in, and briefly remembered he had no door. The thought was pushed out by the need to protect the baby in his arms. He put the kid in his bed and his thoughts cleared. It was asleep, and Tommy was thankful for that.
It meant he could have a crisis in peace.
Why had he brought the kid here? He needed ore, not spiders. Right, the door.
He crafted a new one and replaced it, all the while thinking. What was he supposed to do? He could take it back to the cave, he still had the map…
No. Said a voice in his head, one he had never heard before (even though it sounded like him). I can't leave him. He's mine, my fledgling. He has no mother, no one. But now he has me.
Tommy stared at the kid. I guess we can't take it back, his normal head voice said.
He never registered that the voice had called the baby his fledgling.
Phil called him and his brother’s fledglings. Baby birds .
Tommy's comm pinged.
- tubbitch whispers to you: hey you wanna come to the house for supper.
How did Tommy respond? He couldn't leave the kid. But… Tubbo and Ranboo adopted Micheal, and how different was a spider from a piglin?
Very. His thoughts yelled, and yet he texted Tubbo anyway.
- You whisper to tubbitch: could you come over here actually.
The baby whined and Tommy's head snapped up. He was met with two pairs of wide red eyes staring at him. He blinked, and the spider blinked back.
"You need a name, don't you?" Tommy sighed. The baby giggled, and Tommy's wings puffed. He stood and lifted the mob off the bed, placing him on the floor. He crawled to the corner, hiding in the shadow. He sniffed at something and opened his jaws. Tommy was just about to rush to stop him when the jaws snapped and Tommy beard some sort of screech.
The spider turned and showed off the mouse he had just killed. Tommy sighed again.
"God damn-" he walked over and took the mouse from the baby. "You can't just eat anything, understand?" The baby tilted his head, before crawling into the closet.
How the hell am I supposed to take care of something that won't sit still? Tommy thought, unmoving. There is absolutely no point in chasing him. Yet even as he thought it, he stood to catch the bug and put him back on the bed.
The bug in question was rolling in a piece of clothing that had been shoved to the back. Tommy pulled both the kid and the cloth into the light.
He paused. "Where did you find this?" He asked softly, knowing the kid wouldn't respond. In its arms was something Tommy barely remembered he had.
His burial shroud.
He remembers someone handing it to him along with his other belongings when he came back. He had shoved it way in the back of his closet, never wanting to see it again. But now it was in the arms of his spider, who snuggled it like a blanket.
Tommy smiled sadly. Why does this kid like something that reeks of death? "You can keep that. I'm never going to use it anyway." He said, placing his son on the bed.
Something sparked in the avian's head. "How's that for a name, huh? Shroud."
The baby snapped to attention and laughed. "Well, that settles it." He sat next to the newly dubbed Shroud. "Shroud Innit." The baby giggled with pure joy, falling onto Tommy's lap.
His comm pinged again, forgotten on the floor.
- tubbitch whispers to you: sure ig. Be there soon.
-you whisper to tubbitch: thanks.
Tommy had just settled Shroud back to sleep when Tubbo knocked on the door.
"Ey, big man, what--" Tommy put his hand over his brother's mouth.
"Be quiet," he whispered. "Also I need your help"
Tubbo bit his hand. While Tommy pulled back in pain, Tubbo looked around, eyes settling on the baby in the avian's bed. Nest might be a better word, as Tommy had subconsciously pulled the blankets into a circular shape, with the baby in the middle.
"Why the fuck," Tubbo turned to Tommy, who had stopped fussing over his hand to stare at the ram. "Is there a cave spiderling in your bed?"
"Ugh," Tommy groaned, falling back onto a chair. His wings lifted awkwardly above his head, as if he wanted to fly up but knew there was no room. "I found him while mining, and he followed me out of the cave."
"So you brought it to your house."
"I don't know.”
"What about its mother?"
"Doesn't have one."
"So you're keeping it."
"What do you want from me?" Tommy said, exasperated. "Instincts took over before I did, and now he has a name. I just need help, man."
Tubbo walked over and smacked Tommy. The bird's head thunk ed against the table. "You named it?" Tubbo sat across from him. "All I want is the why, Tommy. You can't even babysit Micheal, and you know that. What made you think you could adopt a spider?"
Tommy looked at Tubbo, face blank. "His name is Shroud. I don't know why I took him home, but he sure as hell isn't going back to that cave." Tommy stood and turned from the ram, towards his son (son? Yeah, son).
"Me and Ranboo adopted Micheal together, you don't have anyone to raise him with," Tubbo warned. "You've seen us, kids are hard."
"Do you regret it, then?" Tommy challenged, not looking at him.
A pause.
"No. Not at all," Tubbo sighed. Tommy remained silent, waiting. "Best decision of my life."
"So why can't I have that? That happiness, same as you," He turned to look at Tubbo, a strained look on his face, holding back an unknown emotion. "Don't I deserve it?"
"More than anyone," Tubbo agreed, standing to face the spider as well.
They stood in silence. Tommy walked forward to kneel beside the bed.
"I don't know what I'm doing, your right," he said quietly. "But I was wondering if you could help. He's mine, I'm sure of that much. But I can't do this alone." Tommy turned to his brother.
Tubbo's face remained blank. Then his face turned to a proud smile.
"I will be the best uncle ever," He said, matter-of-fact. "Although, a piglin and a spider are very different."
"I know," Tommy laughed. He lifted his son in his arms. "He and Micheal will be the best cousins." Tubbo nodded.
"Sure as fuck," The ram said, pulling out his comm and texting someone.
"How come I can't say fuck in front of Micheal, but you can in front of Shroud?" Tommy scolded.
"He's your son. If his first word isn't fuck, I will make you a grenade." Tubbo joked.
"I'll hold you to that," Tommy laughed.
"I invited Ranboo over. And Phil, with Micheal. Is that alright?" Tubbo asked. He remembers not wanting to tell anyone about Micheal for a while at first.
But Tommy was okay with that small group. "Yeah, thanks. I'm not making supper though." He laughed.
Tubbo smiled and walked to Tommy's kitchen. "I'm starting to see why Wilbur calls me the wife," the ram joked. Tommy laughed so loud it woke the baby.
Ten minutes later, Ranboo knocked on the door with Phil. As soon as Tubbo let them in, Phil rushed to Tommy and collapsed him in a hug.
"Where is he? What's his name?" Phil asked, wings fluttering excitedly. Tommy laughed and picked Shroud off the bed (where he had been kept safe from Phil) Tommy handed him to his father.
"His name is Shroud," Tommy said. "I don't know how old he is."
"Seven months, maybe eight," Phil said (How did he know that?), cooing at the baby in his arms. “Spiders age slightly faster than humans, and their baby milestones are jumbled a little,” Phil informed. Shroud giggled. “My third grandchild…" Phil said to himself.
Ranboo held Micheal in the corner, waiting for Tommy to notice them.
"What's going on, Papa?" Micheal asked. Ranboo squeezed his shoulder, and Tubbo walked over and knelt in front of his son.
"See that baby?" Tubbo pointed to the baby in Phil's arms. Micheal nodded.
"That's your cousin," Ranboo explained. "He is Uncle Mimi’s son." Tommy glanced over at his name and walked over to them.
"Hey Micheal," Tommy said gently. "Do you wanna meet your cousin?"
Micheal looked to his fathers for permission. They both nodded encouragingly, and Micheal followed suit. Taking his uncle’s hand, the pair walked to the bed. Tubbo followed, but Ranboo hesitated. What if Micheal gets jealous of the baby? Or says something mean in that way kids do?
Tubbo turned and grabbed his husband’s hand, guiding them forward encouragingly. Everyone was a little worried about what the piglin would think of the spider.
Micheal craned his neck slightly to look at Shroud, and Phil lowered his arms to help.
Micheal stared in pure awe. Shroud just stared, content with being held. “Can I hold him!?” Micheal asks excitedly, turning to his fathers.
Tubbo turned to Tommy. “If it's alright with Tommy, yeah.” The ram spoke like a question, but before Tommy could answer Ranboo jutted in.
“You have to be really careful, and babies are heavy, I don't know-” Ranboo was cut off by Tubbo squeezing his hand, forcing the enderman to look at him.
“It's not our decision, Boo.” Tubbo reminds gently.
“I mean, so long as you’re super careful and you let Dadza help you, then sure,” Tommy said, and his father nodded.
Micheal climbed on the bed (with help from Tubbo) and Phil placed Shroud carefully in his arms, cautiously hovering his hands in that way parents do. Micheal smiled down at his new cousin. Shroud laughed, and Micheal’s head shot up to look at his Papa with a wide grin.
Micheal held the baby until it fell asleep, and Tommy put the baby down as best he could in his nest as Tubbo guided everyone to the table.
Being in a one-room house ment the family had to be quiet as they ate (for the baby), but they still chatted and joked like the family did growing up. When the meal was done and cleaned, Phil and the Underscore-Beloved’s decided to leave.
“If you ever need anything-”
“I know, dad.”
“-Don’t hesitate to ask me, please.” Phil hugged his youngest. Tommy tried to look annoyed, but couldn't help but smile when his father kissed his cheek lovingly.
As the Enderbee family was headed out, Micheal said something unexpected.
“Dad, can I have a baby brother?”
Tommy held back his laughter when Ranboo choked. “No,” Tubbo laughed, “Not for a while, at least.”
Micheal frowned. Then seemed to abruptly forget. “Bye uncle Mimi!” He waved, skipping out the door.
“Good luck with that.” Tommy patted his brother’s shoulder at the door.
“Fuck you. Good luck with toilet training.” Tubbo stuck out his tongue. “Me an’ Ranboo will come over with some baby shit tomorrow, cool?”
Tommy hugged the ram. “You’re the best, Tubbs”
“I know.”
“Nevermind, fuck you.”
“Nawr.”
When all was said and done, Tommy turned to his nest.
He curled up next to his son, laying a wing over Shroud like a blanket.
“Goodnight, baby bird.” He cooed softly, before closing his eyes on the start of a new chapter.