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Christmas is certainly a time of stress for many people, particularly parents. The younger kids still expect many presents from you as well as 'Santa' it's a heavy hit to the wallet of course.
Tubbo and Ranboo have never experienced this though. They've only had each other as family and it was hard enough to eat everyday much less get something extra. Life with Tommy is completely different to this and while they both still clutch to comfort things like hiding food in their rooms and walking silently improvement is improvement. Tommy definitely understands if the peeks into his old life are true. He'd been on the opposite side of the spectrum. Instead of seeming harmless, he made himself loud and strong, a threat you didn't want to mess with since the consequences could be the loss of your life. (Thinking about it, what is Tommy's power? They never asked.)
So this Christmas, it's a bit overwhelming. Tubbo and Ranboo exit their shared room, then left with furrowed brows and nervous nail picking. The halls have white string lights pinned up by the ceiling, the sound of Tommy and Shroud in the living room blasting some able sisters song lures them out. Surrounded by wrapping paper Tommy sits on the floor with his laptop on the coffee table scrolling through something. Shroud looks up and grins at them, he's missing one of his bottom teeth and Tubbo can't help but smile back. "Yes you're up! Now you can help decorate!" Shroud shouts jumping around. The two look at each other and then at Tommy who looks up at them after clicking on something. "Hey boys, there's waffles in the microwave if you want some, I did refill the fruit bowl today though. Shroud, how about we let them eat first?" Shroud pouts at his dad; making a dramatic show of flopping down against the blonde's side with a loud sigh. Tommy smiles at them and looks back down to his laptop.
Tubbo shuffles into the kitchen and sure enough the fruit bowl on the counter again has peaches which he happily takes one of. Tommy was so excited to find out Tubbo had a favorite fruit (and now he can afford it instead of stealing). Ranboo clicks at the microwave and takes the plate out, three waffles are sitting there untouched. Ranboo looks at Tubbo, in offer to share, but the brunette is already shaking his head.
Socked feet padding into the room Tommy slinks by Tubbo and pours himself another cup of coffee. "Where's Clementine?" Tubbo asks after a bite, Tommy stirs milk into his mug with ease in his shoulders. "At my, oh." Tommy stops and stands there a moment with wide eyes. He sets the carton on the marble counter and looks at them. "Huh, that's, woah." He says startled to himself as he glances between the two. "I can't believe that's slipped my mind, how hasn't this already come up?" He asks with a disbelieving laugh. Ranboo and Tubbo exchange a look of confusion.
Tommy shakes his head, seemingly at his own forgetfulness and smiles at them. "She's with my parents and brothers, well adoptive." Tubbo's eyebrows reach his hairline and Ranboo chokes at the bite of waffle. Tommy thumps him on the back which makes the taller smile weakly at him. "I thought you waited until you were eighteen, you said you ran away and never got adopted in the system?" Tubbo asks numbly staring at the blonde. He should feel mad, angered at being lied to, rage should bubble at being tricked and yet, nothing.
Tommy shakes his head, Tubbo pauses.
"I never was adopted in the system, I met my brother when I was nineteen, and his parents officially adopted me three years ago." Ranboo taps rhythmically at the counter with a clawed nail. Tommy turns back to his coffee and takes a sip.
"Finish your breakfast and come into my bedroom, I'll explain." Tommy walks away, Tubbo's shoulders shudder as he exhales carefully. "Twenty one, he was adopted at twenty one." Ranboo mutters.
There's pictures of them in Tommy's room, never before noticed. An older blonde man with scruff and a green hat, a gentle smile on his face standing partially in front of another with a beautiful woman at his side. Her lips are painted a shiny black and her long purple dress suits her dark hair. A taller man behind them with braided pink hair and tusks protruding from his lips, a flat look on his face even as he side eyes the man next to him. Short curly brown hair and circle rimmed glasses. He seems the most friendly with Tommy. He's leaned into the younger man's side, an arm around his shoulders as Tommy holds a younger Shroud. All smile at the camera except the pink man, forever frozen looking at the brunette.
It sits idly on Tommy's side cabinet along with two other photos and Tubbo clutched the one picture while Ranboo looks at a different one. It's the two of them on the couch, Tubbo cradling Clementine with a sappy look on his face and Shroud laying in Ranboo's lap to watch him play minecraft. Tubbo looks up from the picture where Tommy's looking at them both. His face is open of any hidden feelings, just looking so very loving of them. Peeking at Ranboo's picture Tubbo's brows furrow.
It's Clementine with her strawberry blonde hair in the arms of a woman sitting in a hospital bed. She looks at the camera with a smile, freckles doting along her nose. Her hair is a deep black and her skin deathly pale but she looks so very happy. "Is.. is this her mother?" Ranboo whispers. Tommy sighs lowly and stands straight from how he's leaned against the wall. "That, is Jamie. Beautiful isn't she?" Tubbo nods and looks up as Tommy approaches. "That's Shroud's and Clementine's mother yes, we were together for years. We broke up a month or so after Clem was born." Tommy offers and gently takes the pictures from both of them. He readjusts them on the table before looking back to the two. "I'm sorry I forgot to tell you about the rest of my family, I'm honestly surprised it took this long." Tommy says, what seems like genuine surprise in his tone.
Tubbo shrugs noncommittal. "It's not like you owed us that information, it just would have been nice to know." Ranboo clicks his nails awkwardly and opens his mouth to speak before closing it. Tommy raises an eyebrow at him. "It's alright Ran, you can say whatevers on your mind I just can't promise I'll answer it." The blonde urges with ease. Ranboo presses his lips in a line before speaking finally.
"Does Shroud not.. miss his mother? Or does he see her and we haven't noticed?"
Tommy's eyes harden and he looks at the door quickly before looking back to Ranboo. "She's dead, and no, he doesn’t miss her." He replies curtly. Conversation apparently over he opens his arms and gives them a quick hug they've become accustomed to. Tommy smiles and walks away, Ranboo furrows his brows after him.
"I guess Shroud is a sore spot for her, think we can ask Casino about it?" Tubbo suggests idly. Ranboo drops his shoulders and sighs.
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It's late at night. Dark and hardly any moonlight with the heavy snowfall blanketing the ground outside blocking it out.
Shroud creeps down the hall, a quiet pitter-patter of his bare feet on the soft gray carpet. He follows the blue line at the middle of the cream painted wall from his bedroom to the sitting room. Sitting in the corner is the tree his dad got a few days ago. They all decorated it together, Ranboo even held Shroud up to put the star on. But what has the child's attention is not the star, it's what's under the tree. Presents wrapped in shiny crinkled paper, all with respective colors to show who they belong too. Tubbo's a deep forest green, Ranboo's a sparkly purple Shroud helped pick out, and a soft pink for Clementine. And red, there's a lot of red. Shroud gasps at all of them, that's his color and there's a lot more than he remembered before going to bed.
Forgetting to look around and check for anyone keeping watch he shuffles into the room over to the glimmering tree. Shroud grabs one of moderate size and is about to rip into it when a snore interrupts him. Freezing he's still as statue but no more snores sound. Shroud looks over his shoulder and hunches into himself with shame as he spots his dad. The man's leaned back on the couch, label stickers stuck to his arms and still looking oh so exhausted even asleep. Shroud worries his lip and glances between his present and dad.
Frowning to himself he places the present back where it was. Standing from his kneeled place on the carpet Shroud climbs onto the small opening between his dad and the arm rest. Settling there he leans his head back, black curls tickle Tommy's collarbone.
The tree looks so pretty, all shiny and stuff. Shroud can't help but giggle to himself yet freezes when the man shuffles a bit. He looks up and finds sleepy blue eyes looking down at him.
"Shroud? What're you doing up darling?" He whispers and curls a hand on the back of his son's head. "I wanted to see the tree." Shroud whispers back. Tommy huffs an amused breath to himself and looks at the tree. It's a bit messy, decorated by a 6 year old who controlled the teenagers with no expectations. But it's so very pretty and Shroud's always liked pretty lights. "How about we go back to your room? I'll tuck you back in?" Shroud pouts and snuggles into Tommy's side more firmly. Tommy hums and rubs a gentle hand up the child's back. "You know Shroud, we're going to see your grandparents and uncles tomorrow, are you excited?" Shroud nods but he could also be nuzzling his face. Tommy doesn't mind enough to ask.
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Tommy doesn't go back to bed that night instead watching his son sleep for awhile. He reminds so much of his mother, an ache set in Tommy's heart where she once occupied. But when he found out what she did, his nail pierces the couch in a small slice before correcting himself. Snuggling down further into the couch Shroud curls up onto Tommy's chest more firmly. An idle hand rubs the boy's small arm in his own thoughts.
Tommy can't regret it though, I mean, how could he? Such evil to hurt your own child and doing everything she could to hide it from him. That might have been what broke them, the secrets. And Primes does he wish she'd cheated on him instead, no she was so loyal. Loyal to him and only him, 'for the rest of time' she'd said when the life faded from her eyes.
It's quiet in the house for once, no music or laughter or Clementine's cries for her wants. With a sigh Tommy carefully scoops his son into his arms as he stands. Shroud scrunches his nose before relaxing again. The soft carpet and his barefeet ensure no noise wakes the other kids as Tommy brings Shroud into the small bedroom. The short twin bed tucked into the corner is a slight minefield to reach with toys spread over the floor. Now's not the time to have Shroud pick up after himself though. Tommy tucks the boy in and places a light kiss on his forehead before making his way back out.
Closing the door behind himself Tommy sighs into his hands. "Fuck." He grounds out and presses his palms into his eyes as he leans his head back against the door.
"Get it together, everything's fine." Taking deep breaths to himself Tommy's chest rises and falls heavily. "It's fine, everyone's safe and happy," Taking his hands away Tommy looks to the right at Ranboo and Tubbo's bedroom door. An R & T are painted carefully on, Shroud insisted on it much like his own S he painted himself, so proud he was of the messy letter. Tommy had to bring out a step-stool for him, got a hundred pictures of him doing it too.
"It's all going fine." He whispers in a hoarse voice.
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Bright and early the next morning Shroud breaks down doors with his knocks to get everyone up. It's a rule, no opening presents unless everyone is ready.
Sleepy mumbles fill the house but Shroud is determined to round everyone up for Chrismas. Tubbo and Ranboo follow obediently after the young boy whose grin lights up the room when Tommy finally comes in with Clementine on his hip. Her pacifier in mouth and hand clenched in her father shirt she looks curiously at the wrapped gifts. Tommy places her down on her activity chair but she ignores the bits and bobs for the pink shiny wrapping paper. Tommy settles down on the couch as Shroud hands gifts to Ranboo who can stretch across the sitting room far enough to reach everyone. Soon enough as everyone finally has their piles Tommy waves off the pleading looks now letting them tear into it like animals. Ranboo and Tubbo have a gentleness to the savagery unlike Shroud who rips with reckless abandon.
Tommy watches them have bursts of excitement and once Ranboo finally reaches his way to the actual present he seems surprised at the set of knitting needles. He looks to Tommy wordlessly who shrugs. "You keep looking at mine and I saw you playing with them recently. I thought if you had an interest I'd obviously feed it." Ranboo turns back to the needles and Tommy politely ignores his shaking hands to look at Tubbo. A new tool set, patches for his bomber jacket, notebooks, even a candle Tommy found that smells of gasoline. Tubbo wordless looks through them all expression blank yet it's forceful. Cracks of astonishment shine through before being repressed.
Shroud cares none for that show, instead squealing whenever something particularly exciting is found. The grin he wears almost splits his face and when done he jumps up and smothers his face into Tommy's chest. "Dad! Dad! Look at this! Santa got me the doll!" Shroud specifically wanted Russian nesting dolls from Santa this year.. whatever he wants he gets. And he deserves, he's such a bright child and Tommy feels pride everyday for him. With a chuckle Tommy pushes his son to go help Clementine open her's. She pats at the paper with giggles spilling out. A click of a camera goes off and Tommy looks over to Ranboo scrunching his arms back to his chest a cringe pulling his face.
In his hands are the Polaroid camera Tommy wrapped just hours earlier. Already packed with film no doubt with Tubbo's help. The bottom starts to buzz as the picture comes out and Tommy grins. "It works! Good, sometimes they come with the bottom a bit crooked which fucks your picture up. Go on! Shake it!" Tommy urges and Ranboo springs into action pulling the picture out and shaking it wildly almost hitting Tubbo in the process.
Tommy laughs and Shroud cheers as Clementine squeals happily at the coloring book from 'Santa'. Smiling the blonde looks to the pile of presents sitting on the couch for him all messily wrapped.
Fuck he loves this family, his family, so much. It's so much more than he'd ever thought he'd get back as a young teenager working hitman. Well, that's a story for another time.