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Life was going great for Tommy, in fact, he could almost call it perfect. He had a nice little den, right under the warmest part of the big house, food was easy to find and he had borrowed plenty of fabric scraps in the first few weeks since he’d found this place. The horse in the stable was nice, letting him climb its back so he could get into the barrels of hay high above the ground. He was pretty sure it’s name was Carl, at least that’s what the big people who lived in the house always called it, so that’s what he called the horse too.
There was only one rule he had; Never, under any circumstances, should he ever let the big people find him. If they did, he would have to leave and find somewhere new to hide and he quite liked it here. There were so many different sounds and smells that he could easily mask his presence. It was also cold, which while he wasn’t a fan, he knew most big people didn’t like it either. The ones who lived here were just weird. It was good though, it meant they had so much extra that they’d barely bat an eye at something going missing. Not that Tommy actually took anything too substantial in the first place– unless you counted the golden apples he had stolen when he first started hiding here, but had needed those. He was sick, and hurt and potions only ever made things worse for him and he was sure that the people who lived here would rather a few missing apples over finding Tommy’s body under their house or something.
As long as Tommy followed that one single rule though, no one would have to worry about finding him dead and he wouldn’t have to worry about dying. He could take as much food and fabric as he’d ever need. Though, it was a bit difficult to get his hands on certain foods. It was cold here, the ground always covered in thick layers of snow, which made growing things like fruits and vegetables difficult. Not to mention one of the big people only liked to grow potatoes, Tommy liked potatoes, but he couldn’t always eat them, even one left his stomach aching on a good day. So he was stuck sharing hay with Carl, sweeter things few and far in between.
That wasn’t to say the snow was all bad. He could tunnel under it, close enough to the ground that the big people could walk over them without causing a cave in. Well, unless they had Carl, but Carl always sunk into the snow. The big people would always blame rabbits whenever Carl accidentally stepped in one of Tommy’s tunnels, technically, they weren’t wrong, Tommy was a rabbit hybrid, but he still took a bit of offense to it. Luckily they hadn’t gotten so annoyed that they tried to set up traps. Tommy would rather not deal with having to avoid even more danger.
Regardless, Tommy was safe, he could do whatever he wanted, within reason, at least. He also had to avoid the wolves, they weren’t particularly violent, but they were trained to hunt. They seemed able to recognize he wasn’t entirely a rabbit though, that he probably shouldn’t be eaten. That didn’t stop them from wanting to play though, and they were so much bigger than him. At least they kept the foxes away. Tommy knew by now that foxes didn’t care how intelligent he might be, to them, he was the perfect size for a snack.
It was yet another reason he didn’t want to leave the safety of this little homestead. The animals were far less kind when they had to fend for themselves. Tommy could understand, he supposed, he had had to fend for himself for a long time too. Then he’d been found, yet he was still promised sanctuary, somewhere safe to hide. It was a lie though, that was something he’d learned just as fast. The big people didn’t care , no matter how kind they made themselves seem at first. They would kill each other at the first sign of conflict. Tommy also learned that if they found him, and he didn’t do what they’d wanted, he would be hurt too.
The only reason he stayed under this house was because they were also a perfect well of resources. As long as he didn’t take too much, as long as he didn’t let them know he was there, that they never see him, he would be fine.
Tommy was good at hiding; He was small enough he could fit almost anywhere. There had been plenty of times he’d squeezed himself into an overturned cup, just to avoid being spotted. He hated it, he knew he could get out when it was safe, but every time it happened, he could feel his heart racing. He was effectively trapped. If a big person decided to lift the cup he hid under, there would be no way for him to get away.
He tried to avoid going inside when he knew the big people were there. It didn’t matter if they were asleep, the one that looked like some kind of pig hybrid had good hearing, he would always wake up even if Tommy was as silent as possible. Sometimes he wished he were a mouse hybrid instead, at least mice were silent when they moved, they could hide in the cracks of the walls. Tommy was only just too big for that, closer to the size of a small rat, but he felt nowhere near as clever.
At least he could hear any sort of danger long before it reached him. No matter how quiet, his ears would catch it. It had kept him from camping out in a weasel's den one night. He wasn't clever like a rat, or an escape artist like a mouse, but he was still pretty resourceful. He knew what to steal and what to leave, he knew when the temptation of sweet smelling food was a trap, a death sentence. He knew when he was being hunted. He didn’t doubt for a second he was being hunted even now; he ran away and running away was bad, he would be hurt for leaving. That would only happen if he was found though and if there was one thing Tommy knew how to do, it was hide.
Now, Tommy was sat safely in his den, even though he knew he couldn’t stay in its warmth too much longer. He had to get more food soon, maybe steal some water too. That last bit he could put off, but the water from inside the house always tasted much better than what he could get from the snow, which always came out a bit murky, tasting bitter no matter how many times he’d filtered it out.
He let out a huff, and uncurled himself from the furs and fabrics that made up his cozy little nest, and crawled to the entrance of his burrow. Poking his head out, he checked to see where the other animals were. If he wanted to get into the house unnoticed, his first challenge would always be the dogs.
The tunnels he made through the snow may have been an option, but he’d rather not take such a long detour, plus, those were usually to avoid the foxes, and with the new spot he’d found, he wouldn’t even be passing them by today.
Tommy crept around the edge of the cabin, trying to stay behind the snowbanks formed by the roof's overhang. The piles were small, but they were just enough to keep him out of sight. His ears twitched and he froze at every sound, making sure to stay on high alert, getting caught, by anything, could very well be a death sentence, a risk he wouldn’t take.
Soon enough, Tommy reached his destination; a place where a barrel was sat below a window at the back of the house. The window was usually closed, but a few nights ago, Tommy had discovered if he wiggled it the right way and pushed really hard on the bottom, it would open.
Tommy hopped up onto the barrel, grabbing a stick he’d left up there (which he found helped a lot with leverage when trying to open the window). The window rattled as he shook it, but eventually he spotted that little crack between the base and the wall of the cabin, jamming the stick in so he wouldn’t lose it. Then, he pushed as hard as he could possibly manage.
Once it was open wide enough, he used the stick to keep it braced, he didn’t want to get stuck in the cabin, after all, and then he slipped through, relishing in the warmth that spread over his whole body the moment he was inside. He was cautious as he slunk into the kitchen, he could never be too sure whether the big people were actually around or not. He was faster than them, sure, but they were clever, and he was in their domain. It was like trying to steal from a dragon. Except he was doing it out of necessity, not some sort of greed like all those people in the story books.
He knew it was still bad to steal, whether he needed the thing or not, though. It was still selfish to take what he hadn’t earned, he’d learned that a long time ago. But it was either this, or death, and if death was anything like what he was told, he didn’t want to end up there.
Once Tommy reached the stool that always sat in the kitchen, he leapt up onto it, then went to jump up onto the counter. He pulled one of the bottles out of his satchel once he reached the sink, turning the faucet on and watching it fill with crisp, clear water. He repeated the process three more times before he heard the front door creak open.
“Phil? Are you here? Why’d you leave the window open again, old man…” The deep, heavy sounding voice spoke with a sigh.
Tommy gasped, shoving as many of the full bottles into his satchel as he could, then glanced around, looking for a place to hide… There! He sped forward across the counter, up to a large metal pot. He was trying to hop inside, but in his panic, he missed, instead catching the edge and causing it to tip.
Right on top of himself.
It hit the countertop with a loud clang, and there was no way the big person that just walked in would have been able to miss that . Tommy scrambled in the newfound darkness, trying to lift the pot, but it was too heavy, and the rounded lip would just slip from his fingers, which certainly didn’t help with the noise.
“Hello? Who’s there? I’d recommend putting on some armor if I were you.” The person warned, and Tommy could feel his whole body shake when he heard the unmistakable sound of a blade being unsheathed. He’d heard it far too many times before to mistake it for anything else now.
Tommy clamped his hands over his mouth, scooting until his back hit the other side of the pot, causing it to let out a small shriek as the metal scraped the counter.
There was a woosh of air overhead, then, a confused sounding, “What?” Then, he could hear the blade return to its sheath, and light spilled into his poorly chosen hiding spot. He curled up into a tight ball, shielding the back of his head with his hands as he cowered.
Something poked at his side and he couldn’t help the small squeak of fear. Whatever it was withdrew and he heard a curious hum over his head. “Well, you’re not a run of the mill thief, or a raccoon. How’d a kid like you get all the way out here?”
Tommy lifted his head just enough that he could see who was standing over him. It was the big person who was usually here, the pink one. He was looking at Tommy confused, as though Tommy was some kind of puzzle he couldn’t quite solve, but… he wasn’t attacking, which was more than expected.
Tommy tilted his head, still wary as he slowly stood to his full height- which still wasn’t very tall, he was dwarfed by pinky by a long shot, he could probably easily fit in the guy's palm. His ears and nose twitched as he assessed the threat, then, on instinct, his foot stomped on the counter before he could catch himself. He wasn’t supposed to do that, that was bad. He shrunk in on himself, ears pinning back against his head.
“Oh, uh… It’s okay? I’m not going to hurt you, kid. Here, I’m guessing this is yours?” Pinky reached over across the counter, then set something down right in front of Tommy, who quickly perked up when he saw the bottle of water he’d accidentally left behind. He reached out to snag it the moment Pinky was far enough away, quickly stuffing it in his satchel.
“So, I’m guessing you’re the one who left the window open, and you’ve probably been stealing food too, huh?”
Tommy’s shoulders hiked up as he bowed his head in shame. “Maybe…”
“Oh, so you can speak, I was worried I’d have to figure out some other form of communication.” Pinky joked, at least, that’s what it sounded like. “I’ll be honest, I don’t actually care all that much, it’s just barely been enough to notice, and I’m sure more than half of what's disappeared has been Phil’s crows. So, what’s your name, kid?”
Maybe it was stupid, no, Tommy knew for a fact that it was stupid, he wasn’t supposed to give any sort of attitude, but he still glowered up at the man. “I’m not a kid.” He hissed.
“That’s a pretty long name.”
He bristled. “It’s not! My name is Tommy, asshole!”
“Well, that’s not my name either.” Pinky said, still deadpan. “My name is Technoblade.”
“That’s a stupid name.”
“And that’s rude, and just more proof you are a kid.” The newly dubbed Technoblade rolled his eyes. “You know, you still never answered my first question; what are you doing out here? I haven’t seen any rabbit hybrids before and I’ve heard no mention of anyone new joining the server.”
“I’ve been here plenty long! Probably even longer than you!” Tommy shot back.
“In the tundra? You seem pretty ill prepared-”
“No, I mean I’ve been on the server. I’ve been here for quite a few months now, actually.”
Techno- Tommy was just going to call him that now, Technoblade was way too long- tilted his head, hair slipping over his shoulder as he rested his cheek on his hand. “Right, still doesn’t explain why I haven’t heard of you. Dream usually lets everyone know who he lets in.”
Tommy seized up. “Dream? He’s- He knows where this place is?” He hated just how small his voice sounded.
“Yeah,” Techno drawled, and he sounded almost annoyed. “He likes to come bother me from time to time.”
“Oh…” Tommy stepped from foot to foot anxiously, trying to keep his nerves under control. “Well, I should actually, probably be going, then.”
He needed to leave, and he needed to leave fast . This wasn’t a good place to hide, he had already been found, and that was by someone who knew nothing about him. If Dream showed up, he would recognize the fact that Tommy had been here instantly.
“Why don’t I come with you, then? You probably live pretty far if I’ve never noticed before, and I can help set up some farms so you don’t have to keep stealing from me.”
Tommy shook his head rapidly. “No, I- I was going to be leaving for good, actually. I just needed some supplies.”
Techno stared at him skeptically. “You stayed a pretty long time for someone who’s just passing through.”
“I-” Tommy’s eyes flickered to the door, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to get it open himself. “I wasn’t supposed to be seen.”
Techno scoffed. “Of course not, no thief gets caught intentionally unless they’re planning something. But I’m not going to run you out of town for trying not to die, kid, that’d just make me a jerk. I wouldn’t have offered to help you build something if that were the case.”
“But I-” There was a loud knocking on the front door and the hair on the back of Tommy’s neck prickled. Something bad was going to happen. He thumped his foot on the counter and Techno shot him a glance as he turned to get the door.
“Chill out, it’s probably just Phil, he said he would be stopping by soon.”
Tommy didn’t see how that was supposed to comfort him; he had no fucking clue who ‘Phil’ was, or what the person was like. And any semblance of comfort it might have given came crashing down when the door was opened and Tommy heard that voice that never wanted to hear again and left his heart jackrabbiting.
“Techno! It’s good to see you again. Sorry for stopping by unannounced-”
“You always do that.” Techno answered, and Tommy could hear the deadpan annoyance in his voice as he cut Dream off. “Any reason you're here? I have company I actually want coming around, you know.”
Dream scoffed, and Tommy could tell he was rolling his eyes. “With you, Phil hardly counts as company. You two are almost always near each other.”
“And what if I had someone else over and you were interrupting a perfectly good conversation.”
“You don’t know anyone else, not that you like, at least.”
“Incorrect, I don’t mind Ranboo.” Techno shot back.
From his terrible vantage point, Tommy could see that he was leaning on the door, as if trying to block any way in. Tommy glanced around, looking for somewhere to hide; he couldn’t escape, the window had been closed when he was still stuck under the pot, so hiding, in a less stupid spot, was his only option now.
“Didn’t Ranboo help them try to kill you?”
Tommy hopped off the counter, there were better places to go on the floor than up there. He could probably go hide near that enderman…
“And he also helped me get my stuff back after and he apologized. Besides, the kid was peer pressured, I have empathy for him on that front.” Techno shrugged.
“Right, well, who do you have over, then?”
“I don’t, and it wouldn’t be any of your business if I did.”
Dream hummed, and Tommy felt a shiver run down his spine, he needed to find that hiding place fast . “I think it is, actually. It’s my server, after all. Plus, I heard them in there, so there’s no point in lying about it.”
“That was just one of the animals.”
“You don’t let the animals stay inside.” Tommy was shaking as he moved, practically crawling on fours across the floor as he passed behind Techno. “Just tell me who-”
Dream cut himself off with a small gasp, and Tommy froze. There was some sort of commotion at the doorway and the moment he heard a foot hit the floor, he was off like a shot. He knew it was a bad place to go, but just wanted to feel any semblance of safety, and the pile of fabrics were just so inviting.
It was dark and warm and cozy in the pile, and even when he knew he wasn’t safe, Tommy’s heart rate began to calm. He buried his face in the fabrics beneath his as the few loose pieces that covered him, and then there was an ever familiar coo.
“Tommy…” Dream said his name so sweetly, and if Tommy didn’t know any better he would have melted. He missed it, he missed the comfort and things being good, but he knew it was fake, all of it was some elaborate lie- it had to be, because if it wasn’t, if people actually were just like that, then he sacrificed so much for nothing. He could have been safe and warm instead of hiding out, scared out of his mind and almost freezing to death nearly every night underneath some strangers' cabin.
A hand brushed over his head and Tommy shuddered. “Where have you been? You just ran off and… I really thought I lost you, I was so worried.”
Tommy just shook his head, clinging as tightly as he could to the fabric beneath him.
“Tommy,” Dream sighed. “We’ll discuss this later. For now, let's just go home.”
Then, Tommy was being picked up. Maybe it was the fact that he had been on his own for so long, that somehow, he’d felt more safe here, surrounded by wolves and foxes and biting cold, than he ever had when he lived with Dream, but a scream bubbled up and out of his throat, high and squeaky and full of as much distress as he could possibly muster as he thrashed around in the air.
“Oh, don’t be like that.” He heard as he was pressed to Dream’s chest, held tight enough that he couldn’t move. “It’s not like I’m going to hurt you.”
Dream said it like it was ridiculous, like the thought never would have crossed his mind, like he never had hurt Tommy before. It was fake and a lie and so unlike what he used to. So what was different, from now and before he left? Why was he being told he’d be safe, where he should be met with half baked threats?
Tommy’s eyes scanned the room, looking for something, anything , and- Oh, that’s what it was.
There was never another person there before.
Did Dream think that… Techno would do something, if he threatened Tommy? It felt stupid, but that was the only conclusion he could come to, and he knew there was only one way to test it. It was stupid, to put so much trust into someone he barely knew, who he’d been hiding from for so long, but… It was his only shot.
He wriggled around as much as he could in Dream's arms, kicking even though he knew his claws would do nothing against the thick hoodie fabric. “No- no ! I don’t wanna go! Techno! Don’t just let him fucking take me! He’s a liar and a prick!”
“Tommy, stop. Look, Techno, he’s just being over dramatic-”
“Uh huh.” Techno crossed his arms, and something, something about it just made Tommy’s heart soar with something hopeful. “And it was just being over dramatic that made him, apparently, run away, right?”
Tommy was pulled closer, pinned and blocked from view, as if being shielded. “That was just… A misunderstanding, alright. You know how kids are, sometimes they just decide that they’re going to run away one day.”
“And usually they’re back within the hour.”
“He probably got lost-”
“You never told anyone he was missing, actually, you never mentioned he ever existed in the first place. Forgive me, Dream, but there’s a lot of evidence that points to you being a crappy guardian, if you could even be called that.” Yes, Tommy could practically taste it. The freedom- true freedom.
“You owe me.”
“For my own life, I never gambled a child's.” Techno shot back. “Listen, Dream, none of this is painting you in a good light, so, unless you want the whole server on your tail, I suggest you put the kid down, and get out of my house.”
Dream straightened, almost like he was offended in some way. “Wh- no! He’s my kid! I’m not just leaving him with you, you can’t take him, that’s- It’s kidnapping!”
“Show me the papers and then we’ll talk. But seriously, Dream, you think I believe you somehow managed to have your own kid, like, ever ? Plus, he’s a full rabbit hybrid, and from what I know, you’re completely human, so unless you somehow had the time to adopt, which I highly doubt.” Techno took a step closer, and Dream took one back. Oh, he was worried.
“ Techno - Tommy, Tommy, please, just stop this, tell him I’m not- I’m not a bad person, I haven’t hurt you!”
“You sound more like you're trying to convince him of that than you are me.”
Dream bristled. “I’m not convincing him of shit! You’re just trying to put ideas in his head-”
“Let him down, so he can decide for himself what he wants to do. If he decides to stay with you, fine, I won’t get in your business anymore, but if he doesn’t, you are going to walk right back out that door. Deal?” Techno asked.
Dream loosened his hold on Tommy, just enough to see his face, and Tommy could tell he was searching for something. Whatever it was, he seemed to have found it, because he gave Tommy one last squeeze, which felt more like a hug than anything else this time. It made Tommy almost feel bad when his feet touched the floor again. That same, longing sort of feeling welling up in his chest again.
Tommy glanced back and forth between the two of them, this choice, he knew how important it was to make. If he went with Dream, he knew exactly what to expect, and there was no way he’d be getting out of it this time. On the other hand, if he were to stay with Techno, the outcome was entirely unpredictable, it was good so far, he’d been nice, but that could change at any time. Dream was nice at first too, he still was sometimes, most of the time, if Tommy actually behaved. But where Dream was predictable, and could predict, Techno knew as little about Tommy as Tommy knew of him- actually, he probably knew even less , he wasn’t even aware Tommy had been here until today, if things went sour, he had a chance to escape.
He spared one last look in Dream’s direction, then turned, hopping across the floor until he was hidden behind Techno’s long, flowy cloak.
“Wait- Tommy, you weren’t supposed to-” Dream was coming closer, then, he was forced to stop when the tip of a sword was to his chest.
“He made his choice, Dream. So I suggest you honor our deal, and leave. Before I make you.” Techno warned.
“Techno-”
“ Now, Dream.”
Dream clenched his fist, then stepped away. “Fine, that’s… fine. Tommy, you know, you can always come back, right?”
It was an invitation, that was obvious. An invitation to what? Go back to being hurt again? To forget it ever happened? Yeah, no. He wasn’t going to do it again. His hands curled tightly around Techno’s cloak and he shot Dream a glare, who only sighed in return.
“Alright, alright. I get it. I’m leaving.” Dream raised his hands in mock surrender, turning and leaving through the door and closing it with a loud slam that made both Tommy and Techno wince.
The moment he was out of sight, Techno crouched down to pick Tommy up, setting him on a shoulder he could easily sit on. “I give it a week before he comes back here while baby raging… I’m going to need to get you a knife, aren’t I?”
Oh, Tommy never had a knife before. Stabbing shit sounded like fun.