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Chapter Text

"Why do you hang out with me?" 

The crowned prince asked. The baker boy stared at him, and for the first time, it was like he was too stunned to speak.

It was unpleasant. Seeing someone who's always confident in every word he says, now with his mouth tied shut. 

"You'd surely benefit from leaving me be. If the queen… if she sees you here, talking to me, we'd never hear the end of it." 

The prince chuckled.

"Maybe you would be lucky if your reputation was the only thing that was harmed," his glazed eyes staring at the bed they sat on.

"Whud are you-.. mmm, hold on," the blondes words were muffled by his hand catching all of the food falling out.

The baker finished off the piece of the bread he freshly made.

He had sneaked unto the prince's room, just a couple of minutes ago, bringing bread. The prince scolded him, but at least the baker boy had enough sense to look a little embarrassed.

It smelled pleasant, he couldn't deny it. And it seemed the blonde baker noticed him practically drooling at the scent. He lightly shoved the brunette prince with his elbow after the boy immediately dove into the bread when he finished with his ranting. 

This all started from affectionate teasing with light shoving. Then somewhere along the way, the conversation stopped. The crickets chirping, and the wolves howling was the noises that filled their ears, but to the prince, he swore he could hear the stars humming peacefully.

In the lack of conversation, he found himself lost in the stars. With all of them shining unto him. He thought they were pretty. They looked like the bakers eyes.

Then, he spoke.

And its too late to unwind the conversation.

"Are you worried about me, 'your highness?'" The baker had his eyebrows raised, a smirk painted on his face, just near the leftover crumbs.

"Of course I am. You are my closest acquaintance after all," he whispered. 

He took the handkerchief that was in his pocket, carefully brushing off the crumbs on the blonde's face as he glared at him.

"You're always putting yourself in unnecessary trouble. I don't know how I'd forgive myself if I let this continue," he finished, placing his elbows on his knees.

The feeling in the air changed, it was more tense.

"I'm frankly offended, your highness,"

"Oh, I.. Forgive me, I-"

"Shh.. Do you really feel that way?"

"Oh.. Pardon?" the brunette was now confused. 

He glanced up at the face of the baker, his face was almost blank. If he looked closely, he could see the tense brows and the lips that were almost pouting.

It was unnerving, seeing someone thats always so expressive, who's face now seems so guarded, as if a frown or a scowl might spill any his deepest fears.

"I will not stand for you talking like this. Hm, you say that as if I force myself to be here," he grabbed a brush from the brunettes drawer, beckoning him to go closer.

"I like being with you. In fact, I do see you as a friend. As family." 

He brushed the brunettes hair softly, who couldn't help but close his eyes at the feeling of a hand smoothing his hair.

"Any punishment I'll receive from the kingdom, I'll accept with open arms and a smile on my face. We are friends, and anyone can disagree, try to shame me, but I will not take their words to heart."

He gently played with his hair, a pattern being made. Then, a decent enough braid appeared from the brunettes long flowing hair.

The baker hummed softly. It was reassurance, confirmation.

"Besides, I will break any rule to be with you, my brothers, my father, my family.. I do not just risk so much for anyone. But you, and everyone else I love, hold a special place in my heart."

"My reputation has been damaged already anyways, and it is not on my priority list at all." A soft chuckle escapes his lips.

"You are my best friend, Ranboo."

"Thank you, Tommy."

A smile painted on his lips. It was nice, the stars in the sky could be viewed from the large window, reflecting on the mountains and the houses that seems so small from up here.

The wolves and crickets seemed to have calmed down.

Tommy waited for a couple of minutes.. for what? He didn't know, but he didn't felt like he needed to.

He hummed a soft song, braiding the rest of Ranboo's hair as the boy closes his eyes to the harmonies of the stars.

"Sleep well, Ran." He ruffled the sleepy princes hair.

Tommy covered his friend with the soft blanket near him. He left the room with the plates, forks, and a warm look on his face.

Chapter Text

Birds need to leave their nest to soar.

Tommy still remembers the day in which he left his home, with a bag almost as tall as him, a jar, whicj inside lived his pet caterpillar, and a horse he rode on as he energetically waved to his sobbing family.

Phil, surprisingly, was the one who was best at holding it together. He had already done this with his older children, and he may not have learned how to stop being emotional, he learned how to not let his knees buckle as he sobbed.

He was placing both of his hands around his two sons, who were also crying their eyes out. Tubbo was there too, his best friend. He had tears on his eyes, shouting that ''They grow up so fast.'' as he wiped his eyes furiously.

"You're only a year older than me, weirdo!".

He remembered joking about how he'd break the rules of time so that he'd grow up faster than Tubbo would.

Wilbur was there too, clutching Techno as he pouted at Tommy, and Techno was busy trying to hide the tears falling to try to run out of Wilburs grasp. 

He could barely make out their 'farewell's and 'stay safe's as Carl galloped farther and farther away from the bunch. 

Techno had lended him his horse for the journey, his reassurance to himself that someone would be able to look after Tommy, as he wasn't able to for Tommy had to do this alone.

Every child has to leave their home someday so they can make their own. It's a tradition as old as time, where children have to learn to survive on their own using the knowledge given to them by their family.

Tommy was only twelve years old, but here he was on a path in the forest as he traveled to an unknown destination.

The trees were his friends, they listened to him whisper his deepest secrets. They comforted him when the nights get too lonely. They give food for Clemmy the Caterpillar, and they give him, Carl, and Clemmy shade where they can rest.

After hours of travel, he had ended up in a town near the palace. It was buzzing with people, the stepping of their feet against the concrete and the whispers of the townsfolk was something he could hear for miles.

He jumped off of Carl, apologizing to the man he accidentally hit with his boot. The man only grumbled angrily, something about 'kids these days.' Tommy shrugged it off.

Leash on one hand, and jarred caterpillar on the other, he took a stroll around town. It seemed that he had landed on the busiest part of the city, and as he walked away from the crowd, he noted that the noises of people finally down. He could feel Carls breathing slow.

He wandered for a while, taking in the new place he was in. This towns floor was made of stone than the soft grass that would've tickled his knees. The houses were built out of concrete and rather than the echoing wooden walls he was used to. The people here didn't say hi, but walked past him as if he was nothing but an inconvenience. He felt as if his shoulder would hurt tomorrow from how many people bumped into it.

There were more trees than at the last place, so he was walking quietly under the shade. It had seemed to be a park of some sort, with people chatting and children playing.

Then, his stomach growled. How embarrassing. 

"Excuse me! Ma'am? Sir?" he had asked one of the citizens. They were wearing a cloak that covered their face.

"Yes?" they didn't look up from their book as they answered.

"I'm looking for somewhere I can find food!"

"Oh. Go there then, you'll find a bakery if you walk the path," they pointed to the direction of what seemed to be a neighborhood.

"Thank you so much!" he bowed to the cloaked folk.

"Let's go, Carl and Clemmy!" he cheered at his horse and his caterpillar as they ran towards the pleasant smell.

There, he met Niki. The baker girl who smiled fondly at him as he gawked at the pastries behind the glass. The girl who seemed to be ready to find his family and scold them when he mentioned that he had left his home, until he sheepishly mentioned that 'no, no, no! My family is lovely. This is just our tradition,' he frantically explained. The girl who gave him a home, a job, and a new family.

He remembered her combing his hair oh so gently, even teaching him how to dye it as he confessed that he wanted to have pretty hair like hers. He then showed off his red streak to every customer, and when it had faded to a light pink, he cheered about matching his sister.

When his family back in the Origins had come to see him after a month, Niki was welcomed with open arms. Anyone else would've thought that she grew up with them. 

She had bonded with Techno by their skills at sword fighting (she was taught by a captain who lives in the sea), even helping the lad dye his hair pink like she did with Tommy.

Then, she bonded with Wilbur by his music. Having heard him playing his guitar, she was amazed by the sweet melody that he strummed.. Even asking him to play his songs in the bakery, which somehow led the boy to have an ego almost as big as the palace.

With Phil, they bonded as she taught him how to bake (which was something he was hilariously bad at. His kids often ate outside), and he was just happy she was patient and kind about it.

After weeks, they returned back home with a promise that they'll return each month until his 13th birthday, the end of what Phil calls a "Birdlings Journey." 

Then, he will decide if he wants to stay there or go back to the origins.

He chose both. He'd live in the Enderians Kingdom for 12 months, and he'd come back to the Origins and do the same.

The SBI (and if he was lucky, Tubbo would too. Occasionally some of his other friends tagged along, some even making a small cottage to live in for vacations) would visit him in the bakery twice a month when he's in the Enderians Kingdom, and Niki even made her guest rooms into their rooms (an action which they may or may not have cried as, as Niki patted their backs telling them that 'you are my family as much as Tommy is.' Maybe Tommy had teared up that day, giving her sister a hug.)

Then, Eret came. Oh boy, oh boy, werr they a delight.

They were accepted as part of their Baker Family not long after, as they came to the Enderians Kingdom to find a new home. A new life.

They matched Niki and Tommy's chaotic energy, yet acted as an older sibling when they both needed someone to lean on.

Years and years passed, and his family grew bigger and bigger. Even the cloaked man, who turned out to be named Dream, would dine in their bakery occasionally, joking and bickering with the three as if they're all old friends. Not exactly what Tommy expected, but it was welcomed!

The baker trio had been family for years, and when they received a letter inviting them to the palace, it only grew bigger.

Tommy was rushing through to get out of his bed. It seemed that Eret had the same idea too, as Tommy felt footsteps coming not far from his bedroom door.

He didn't even get to see their panicked face, as they were already halfway downstairs.

The two had been awakened by Niki screaming. The girl was always so soft spoken, so despite the fact that the two were heavy sleepers, they already had their eyes wide open as soon as they heard her.

The girl had her hand over her mouth, and Eret had asked, whats wrong. She only let out a gasp as they handed Eret the letter. Tommy had finally reached to them, trying to look over the lads shoulder to see what they were reading.

Eret was cheering now too and they finally passed the letter to Tommy, and he read the letter wide-eyed.

"We formally invite you to the Enderian palace to work as our baker(s)."

The sentence immediately caught his eyes. He skimmed over the letter, seeing the words 'salary', and 'thank you', a date and a number of hours.

Then at the end, it had the queen and kings signature.

That had led to him having his best friend. It had led to being the one who the prince stargazed with for the first time, the one who had not treated him differently when he learned he was the prince, the one who had stubbornly cracked the prince's walls down and became his friend.

It had been a year since he read that letter. Its both of their birthdays today, to which he always joked about and talked about being twins.

Now was the first time he'd come back to the origins ever since he'd lived in the palace. 

He had baked treats for the both of them to enjoy, knowing that it'd be a while before he'd come back to this place. 

He missed the Origins, the people there felt a little less.. distant. The wind always seemed to greet him, and the birds sang to him whenever he was near. He remembered as a kid, where he'd lean on his eldest brother's shoulder as he played his songs on his make-shift guitar, or when he'd race his other brother to the edge of the field, or when his father would lean down so he could place a half-decent flower crown on his head.

It was also in the contract of course, that he'd have a year break.

Surprisingly, in a Kingdom with such high expectations, the rules were pretty lenient on workers. Perhaps it was because of the fact that they were irreplaceable, but as long as Tommy could do whatever he wanted, he didn't mind what they would think of him. He had his family. They loved him, and that's all that matters.

He was excited to go back to the Origins, yet he would miss his job here.

While his ride back is not there yet, he could at least enjoy his time here.

Chapter Text

hey, hi. been a while since I've been in this fandom

I actually loved writing for this fandom and I still want to continue this.

I just want to know if I still have an audience?

much love!

Chapter Text

hi. I want to continue writing this. but I'm not sure if I have an audience anymore

is anyone still here?

much love.