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Tommy’s not sure how he ended up like this— curled up with his brother, who he hadn’t talked to in months, as the man ran his fingers through Tommy’s blond locks possessively. He was just meant to be getting resources, Sam Nook needed a stack and a half of spruce logs.
And okay, maybe Tommy had been kind of out of it lately, but he genuinely has no clue how he ended up closer to Techno’s cabin. He had planned to get stuff from near Snowchester. It didn’t make it better that it was a bad day, the chatter in his head hadn’t quieted since he woke up.
To make matters worse, because the universe hated him, he ran into Wilbur. Listen, he truly had no clue his brother— was Wilbur still his brother— was staying with Techno and Phil.
He was picking flowers— although Sam Nook hadn’t said that they needed dye, it was never wrong to have to get some just in case— when he heard him. Humming a tune that was vaguely familiar, something Tommy would have heard before the wars, Wilbur emerged from the tree line.
Tommy wasn’t frightened, he did not drop his axe when he saw the man. It was by pure chance that Wilbur noticed him, not because the blonde proceeded to spew curses when the axe he may or may not have dropped landed on his foot.
Wilbur changed his path, making his way closer to Tommy. He looked healthier than the last time the blonde had seen him— less dead. His cheeks were full and although his face was still lacking colour, the bags under his eyes had faded significantly.
Instead of his classic trenchcoat, he donned a red cape that looked to be one of Techno’s. Tommy could see the slightest bit of a yellow sweater under the thick red fabric that made him ache . He missed his brother.
The chatter grew louder, nagging whispers turning into harsh hums. “Hey, sunspot, didn’t expect to see you all the way out here,” Wilbur said and Tommy tried not to shrink under the gaze. “And so underdressed as well, my poor little star.” Wilbur took a step forward and the chatter started screeching.
Tommy grasped his head, pushing the palm of his hands as hard as he could to his ears despite knowing that it didn't help.
Ours , the voices rang out, our golden boy.
ours ours ours ours ours
He shook his head rapidly and Wilbur started at him with mild concern. This wasn't meant to happen. Not here, not at this moment. “Tommy?” Wilbur’s voice was laced with concern but Tommy couldn’t hear it. They were still getting louder and Wilbur was still approaching.
Not his— He’s undeserving— Ours, Ours, Our Boy
Wilbur was close enough to touch him and so he did, the man cupped Tommy’s cheek. Tommy could barely focus on the warmth before the voices shrieked in resentment. The last thing Tommy clocked before his eyes rolled back and the light faded was Wilbur pulling him into him.
This wasn’t right. Wilbur had just wanted a walk— it had been an off day. He felt oddly lethargic and the atmosphere in the cabin was suffocating. The last thing he expected was to be walking home with his youngest brother in his arms.
He kicked the door to the cabin open, not caring much about the damages he most likely had caused. He knew Techno would be upset about it, but he couldn’t give less of a fuck at the moment. His instincts were a bit of a mess at the minute, he was slightly aware that his runt hadn’t been taking care of himself properly, but he wasn’t aware it was this bad.
Wilbur rushed to the living room before gently placing Tommy down on the couch. He let his gaze linger on the boy— on the way his hair and clothes were an absolute mess and how bruises littered his face— before turning away to stoke the fire.
His runt wasn’t wearing near enough layers to be walking through the artic. After the fire was properly stoked— emitting enough heat to satisfy the piglin— Wilbur made his way upstairs to where Techno kept all the spare blankets. He grabbed as much as he could hold before rushing back to his baby.
Wilbur took extra care to make sure Tommy was properly swaddled before laying down next to him. While he wasn’t the protector in his sounder, he could be enough for Tommy.
Honestly, the last thing Tommy expected was to wake up sweating balls. He didn’t have any blankets without holes in them— he had long since let the moths have their way with all of the fabric materials in his base— and while the mainland was warm, it could still be unbearably cold at night.
The second to last thing he expected was to wake up with an arm thrown over him, pulling him into a warm body. Occasionally, when he stayed in Snowchester, he would manage to weasel himself in between Tubbo and Ranboo to harness their warmth, but this was a different thing entirely.
MOVE, the voices screeched, making Tommy jump away from the arms holding him. He was entangled in so many blankets that he didn’t actually make it that far, falling to the ground and leaving himself to wiggle like a warm in an attempt to escape.
“Sunshine?” A sleepy voice called from above him. Tommy stopped struggling for half a second, looking up at where he had fallen from.
The third to last thing he expected was to have been cuddling with Wilbur. He wasn’t even sure how he had gotten here. “Ayup,” Tommy responded, trying more logically to escape the blanket prison. He had been with Sam Nook, right? How had he gotten from there to here?
“Are you okay?” Wilbur asked leaning over the side of the couch, invading Tommy’s personal space. The blonde nodded before looking around a bit. His breath caught slightly as he realized where he was. “You sure, dearheart?” Wilbur cupped Tommy’s cheek, forcing eye contact.
Sam had sent him to gather stuff and he had gotten turned around. “Why did you bring me here?” He practically whispered. The chatter had gotten too loud for him to handle. Wilbur’s face dropped into a frown.
“What do you mean, darling? You fainted in the middle of the artic, did you want me to just leave you there?” Tommy sighs, leaning away from Wilbur's touch. In response, the man dragged Tommy onto the couch and into his lap.
Reeling back slightly, Tommy shook his head. “No, but you don’t understand, Wil. I’m not supposed to be here.
“Of course, you’re supposed to be here.” Wilbur hugged the boy closer, shoving his face in the blonde locks. “Here with me– in my arms– it’s where you belong.” The chorus started again— bickering over the brunette’s words— and Tommy winced. His head felt like it was about to explode. “What’s wrong, runt?” Wilbur asked, pulling Tommy impossibly closer.
“I can’t be here.” You shouldn’t be here— you deserve better— golden boy— leave. “Wilbur, please, I can’t.”
Wilbur hummed, though he wasn’t truly listening to the blonde. “There’s something else. Tell me what’s wrong, sunshine.” Wilbur said– commanded – pulling back slightly so he could look Tommy in the eyes. Tommy shook his head, it was none of Wilbur's business anyways. “Tell me, I won’t ask again.”
A chorus of leave—leave—flee—leave—danger—leave filled his head but he couldn’t break Wilbur’s grasp. He never could, even when they were younger. Wilbur always had the power to curl around Tommy possessively and make the blonde bend to his every will. “I can…” Tommy paused and Wilbur nodded encouragingly. “I have, I can hear them.”
Everyone in their family— they aren’t family — had their own version. Phil had his crows, Wilbur had his descent to madness via encouragement from his voices, and Techno had his victim complex egged on by his cult. “They’ve laid claim on me.”
Wilbur tensed at the words before a calm slipping into a calm facade. “They can’t lay claim on you, you’re mine.” The voices were very unhappy at Wilbur’s words and decided that screaming as loud as possible would make them feel better. Tommy could even understand what they were saying due to how loud they were. Wilbur, sensing the shift, decided to divert attention momentarily. “How long?”
Tommy took a deep breath. “Before L’Manberg, probably before we left home I think.” He knew Wilbur wouldn’t like the answer but he also knew that lying to his brother would get him nowhere.
“Why didn’t you tell us? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I wasn’t, I’m not actually yours.” Wilbur’s eyebrows furrowed. “I’m just some random kid you picked up. It was always you three as family and I was just a bit of an outsider. And then whe Tech and Dad— Phil left, I was just a burden for you and I didn’t want to add more to your plate.”
There was something dark in Wilbur’s eyes that Tommy didn’t even want to begin to understand. “You didn’t want to tell me because you were afraid to be a burden?” Wilbur asked condescendingly before scoffing. “You let them think that you were theirs.”
Tommy looked down in shame, Wilbur was making him feel incredibly idiotic about a point he thought was foolproof seconds ago. “You’re not theirs, you’re mine. Do you understand me, Tommy?” Wilbur’s hand came up to grip the blonde’s chin, not harshly but it wasn’t a soft grasp either. “You are mine,” Wilbur practically growled. Tommy nodded, hoping to get off easy but Wilbur’s grasp tightened. “Tell me, say that you’re mine.”
“I’m yours,” Tommy said as tears sprouted in his eyes. A purr filled the air and Tommy couldn’t help but lean into his brother.
Wilbur ran his fingers through Tommy’s hair, it was greasy and slightly dingy but it was still golden. “Again,” he purred. “Say it again.”
“I’m yours.” For the first time in a while, the voices were completely quiet. It was a bit of a relief, being able to lean on his older brother without the voices hounding. If he could he’d live in this moment forever, but for now, it was enough just to savour it.
“Mine, my runt.”
And it was true, Tommy was Wilbur’s. His to hold, his to keep.