Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Tommy found it strange when he sat in his home. It really didn’t feel like home anymore to him but he pushed away that feeling as he knew it wasn’t right. It was his home, the dirt hut that he had made by hand with sweat and friends, but why did it feel like he didn’t know the place? Tommy tried to not think of it as he lay in bed restless. With a frustrated sigh, Tommy sat up and crawled out of bed and exited the dirt hut quietly with a secrecy a cat could have.

Now in the cold breeze outside with the night sky above him, everything felt like it was staring at him, the stars, the grass, and the trees. Everything was staring at Tommy which made him feel claustrophobic suddenly and made him stiffen as he walked away from the hut, hoping to walk off the unsettling paranoia. It wouldn’t go away. Though, and if anything it got worse and worse to the point he was running, cluelessly rushing into the forest with closed eyes.

He tripped and gasped as the world seemed to fall with him, and he could have sworn that his stomach flipped inside and outside multiple times before he felt that he was lying on something soft. He had shot up in whatever he was resting on, panting heavily and gripping at his shirt. His throat was sore and his entire body felt like it had gotten hit with a boulder. He sucked in air through his teeth and soon let out a string of curses afterwards. The sound of two gasps made him snap his head to the sounds seeing Tubbo..( Tubbo without his goatly features and Ranboo but a human? ) Ranboo as a human? Tommy was staring for a long time and he didn’t even realize they were talking to him.

Tommy felt like his stomach was filled with swarming bees that were stabbing him with fear. He almost didn’t realize that the two boys had stood up and began to walk towards him, making him throw off whatever was on top of him. (which he realized was a soft comforter) Tommy leaped out of the bed and stood on the cold ground which sent goosebumps all up his body. Tubbo and Ranboo suddenly rushed to Tommy’s side as if he were a fragile vase about to shatter. Tommy reacted fast and once one of them laid their hands on him to grab him and help him stand straight, Tommy would shove them, feeling his energy draining in seconds. He fell onto the floor which made him groan slightly with an annoyed sigh and he got up on shaky legs.
He felt like a newborn fawn standing for the first time, and was Perplexed and dumbfounded by the sudden weakness.

“ Tommy! Calm down ok? Look at me and breathe,” Tubbo said as he gently grabbed Tommy’s hands making Tommy’s heart sink into his stomach with an aching pong.

“Get the fuck off of me!” Tommy hissed and pulled his hands away from Tubbo. Seeing the pain flash in the boy's eyes for a second made Tommy feel as guilty as ever, but he made contact with the wall behind him. Leaning on the cold fortification behind him, he glared at the two boys who looked so confused. Why would they be confused?

“Ranboo go get Phil. Maybe Philza could calm Toms--,” Tubbo said with a hurt in his tone as he looked at Ranboo for a moment and backed up to give Tommy some space.

Ranboo opened his mouth as if he were going to say something before stopping and nodding silently, he then disappeared in a dust of purple particles.

Tommy started at Tubbo cautiously and would take a few glances around the room to find out where he was but he couldn’t recognize the room at all making him even more timid by this foreign area. It wasn’t long before there was a soft knock on the door. Both Tommy and Tubbo looked at the source of the sound to watch it open and there stood Ranboo with Philza behind him. Walking in quietly they both looked at Tommy with worried eyes but, Tommy’s walls did not falter at all, if anything they just grew at the sight of Philza.

“ Toms, You ok mate?” Philza said in a soft tone that made Tommy pause.

“Don’t talk to me like that or I’ll knock your teeth out!” Tommy threatened and refrained from running anywhere. Either way he was cornered and he was just breathing heavily with discomfort and annoyance that made Philza seem taken aback.

“You figured us out, didn’t you mate?” Phil said with a soft sigh that made Tommy raise a brow.

“What--, what are you talking about?” Tommy asked with fear in his tone that made him cringe at his own voice.

Philza seemed to pause at this and was seemingly lost in thought for a full minute before looking at Tubbo and Ranboo with a weird look which made Tommy hold his breath once more when Philza looked back at him.

With a weird look Philza opened his mouth, “That I’m Zephyrus?” Philza said, suddenly making Tommy pause and stare at Philza with a look Philza himself couldn’t even read.

“The fuck do you mean that you’re ‘Zephyrus?” Tommy spat out with confusion laced tightly into his voice.

“Tommy, did you hit your head too hard?” Tubbo suddenly asked before turning to Ranboo who was suddenly pacing while mumbling, and his hands were clenched in a tight fist while another hand grabbed onto his head.

“It was my fault Tommy got hurt because I was stupid and attacked Dream--,” Ranboo rambled, Tubbo grabbed Ranboo and started reassuring him and trying to tell him that it wasn’t his fault.

“Wh-- The fuck are you talking about Ranboo?” Tommy said and scoffed with crossed arms.

“See? Tommy knows you!-- wait-- Tommy doesn’t have brain damage!” Tubbo said excitedly.

“What do you mean I don’t have fucking ‘brain damage’?” Tommy was so confused, startled by everything they were saying.

“You--,” Ranboo started and took a deep breath. “ Dream kidnapped you and he held you in a warehouse with 404 and Flame. We came to save you and Dream held you in the air with his telekinesis. I attacked him and you were thrown into a wall and you.. Your bones… Most of them broke--,” Ranboo was cut off by Tommy,

“404 and Flame?-- Why the hell are you calling Sapnap and George that?” Tommy asked, suddenly making everyone in the room freeze.

Tommy knew the Identities of two Superheroes.

Chapter Text

Tommy felt a heavy weight on himself as he was stared at like he was an alien or something like that. He couldn’t help but feel like he had said something wrong or that he had angered them in some way, but before he could say anything, Philza spoke up, breaking the silence.

“Did they tell you who they were?” Philza suddenly asked, as if he never knew their names.

“What-- Ok, very funny guys, very funny.” Tommy let out a dry laugh that wasn’t filled with a lick of humor, Tommy’s aura went from cautious and defensive to ire and pique. “You can’t fool me with your scenario to get me to let loose or something,” Tommy spat and glared at the three males in the room. “Is this a new way to get me to talk to Wilbur? Techno? Hell (bringing Phil in here to ‘Calm me’). I told you assholes to leave me alone.'' Tommy shot at Tubbo and Ranboo specifically.

Tubbo, Ranboo, and Philza seemed hurt by his words but also puzzled. This wasn’t Tommy? No, this was a fraud.

“Tommy, do you know where you are?” Philza asked, suddenly making Tommy seem taken back for a moment.

“How would I know? You fuckers were the ones who kidnapped me,” Tommy scoffed.

Everyone in the room shared a look and suddenly Philza walked out mumbling something while Tubbo and Ranboo followed Philza, leaving Tommy with his thoughts and the soothing silence.
Tommy sighed and shook his head, standing up as he walked to the door and closed it. He made sure to lock the door before returning to the bed and proceeded to look around the room with confused eyes. The room was particularly nice. With cream walls, tan carpet, and a white classic ceiling. Tommy felt at home in the room but was stumped about why he felt so comfortable in the unfamiliar room that he was brought to. Was he honestly kidnapped or were they being genuine?

Tommy shook his head and groaned while going to the clothes drawers and looking through them. The style was definitely picked out by Technoblade and Wilbur, Browns and Red, Whites and Blues. Tommy just grabbed a normal white and red t-shirt that reminded him of his normal shirt that he would wear for days on end. When did he even change his clothes? Tommy just shook the thought away and got dressed with some loose ripped jeans and went to the mirror to see if he needed to fix his hair. Who knew if they wrote on his face or cut his hair?
But that wasn’t the case.

Tommy let out a scream and punched the mirror and immediately there was a loud stomping, clearly from multiple people. Tommy quickly looked for a hiding spot and crawled under the bed just as the door slammed open, (The hinges definitely broken).with five figures rushing in and fearfully yelling Tommy’s name. Tommy quickly recognized the men as Tubbo, Ranboo, Philza, Wilbur, and Technoblade. Wilbur had no white streak in his hair or any rotting pieces of his body that normally would be green. Techno was in a comfortable white shirt and didn’t have a boar mask covering his face like there normally would be.

Beyond that, the most interesting thing was the fact they started searching the room quickly, and it took seconds for Technoblade to find Tommy under the bed, making him yell out and roll out from beneath the bed to get up and shove himself back up against the wall.
Everyone stopped and looked at him with concerned eyes, and Wilbur quickly looked away once they made eye contact.

“Tommy? What's going on? You're acting so-- Weird!” Tubbo said suddenly, stepping up closer to Tommy making Tommy stiffen once more.

“Oh, I’m acting weird? That's rich coming from you!” Tommy snapped at Tubbo.

“Tommy, you have been acting so--,” Ranboo paused trying to think, “ scared and angry ever since you woke up and started talking about us kidnapping you and that we didn’t care--” Ranboo said nervously while staring at the ground.

“You won’t let anyone touch you,” Tubbo added, frowning.

“Just tell us what’s wrong,” Ranboo said and looked at Tommy with genuine concern.

Tommy stared at them for a moment, trying to find out if they were just trying to get him to talk or if they honestly cared, but, their looks, voices, posture, told him enough that they were genuine. Though Tommy didn’t want to fall for their act, he looked away for a moment to where Technoblade was staring at the shattered mirror with worry and that was when Tommy realized his fist was bleeding with glass shards in his knuckles.
Tommy held his fist and suddenly began to feel a warmth that ran up his arm and a glow came from the wounds. It felt like needles poking at him up and down his arm and hand. Tommy looked at his hand and let out a yelp of surprise.

“What the fuck is that?!” Tommy gasped and waved his hand frantically to attempt to ‘put it out’ like one would a fire.

Tommy flailed as everyone else stared at him like Tommy was stupid. The glow would fade and Tommy realized that his fist was healed like nothing had happened. Tommy’s mouth hung open, making him look like a gaping fish.

“Tommy?” Wilbur suddenly said, making Tommy’s head snap to look at the brunette.

The room felt so tense suddenly and Wilbur had a sick feeling that lingered in his stomach like a bunch of living, flopping fish on land. Wilbur felt like he made a mistake just by saying the boy's name.

“ What Wilbur?” Tommy said with bitterness the Soots had never heard from the blonde.

Wilbur felt himself shudder from the teenager's response. It felt wrong to hear that sort of tone from the blonde who had been known to be so kind and lighthearted. It didn’t fit Tommys common cheerful mood. Not to the Soots.

“Tommy, we get it-- you’re devastated! We hid a huge secret from you, but we did it for you Tommy. You told us from the very beginning that you didn’t want to be involved in this Hero and Villain shit--,” Wilbur was cut off with hysterical laughter from Tommy.

“God, your acting is getting better, Wilbur. but the plot is so dumb! Who the fuck would honestly believe that bullshit? Like come on Wil,” Tommy laughed and sighed, and suddenly Tommy didn’t look so upset. If anything he looked amused.

“What--,” Wilbur was at a loss for words at Tommy’s reaction. “Tommy, what are you talking about?” Wilbur had no clue about what Tommy was going on about.

Wilbur and Tommy made eye contact, Wilbur had never felt dread like he did in that second. It felt as if the world had come crashing down at Tommy’s aura that just made Wilbur want to cower out of the room and hide in his own room. However, Wilbur did not back down, which made Tommy’s eyes widen.

Ranboo watched nervously as he was hit with a wave of nausea that sank deep into the pit of his stomach. Ranboo’s instincts were screaming at him, telling him that something was deeply wrong here. Tommy’s energy was dark and vicious, like it was trying to repel Ranboo away from him. He had never been physically pushed away by someone’s aura before, and it had sent shivers down his spine.
Tommy’s eyes locked onto Ranboo’s, and his breath caught in his throat. The sudden overwhelming sensation to get away from him shot Ranboo into a stiff standing position, and he swayed on his feet at the sudden head rush. He paced and shook his hands, trying desperately to calm his racing heart. His whole body had been pumped with adrenaline, his nerves electric and jittery, and as he glanced back at Tommy, he felt another wave of repulsion that made him dizzy and nauseous.

“I need to step out--,” Ranboo said suddenly and Tubbo frowned. He understood and just gave Ranboo a soft nod and walked out of the room with Ranboo, who seemed scared of Tommy.

Tommy watched them leave and both he and the other three in the group locked eyes for a moment… the world seemed to still and the tension in the air was so… thick. Wilbur felt like he would drown in the air itself.

“Tommy, please explain to me what is going on. We want to help-- we are here to talk Tommy--,” Philza suddenly spoke up, and Wilbur just nodded softly.

Tommy looked at Wilbur with such distaste that Wilbur wanted to cry. “Don’t fucking play dumb with me,” Tommy lashed out. “You of all people would have the idea to do this because you’re so fucking afraid of being left behind, aren’t you?” Tommy sounded like he was in between laughing and crying. “Techno and Phil leaving affected me too!” he cried, much to the confusion of everyone in the room.

“We never left?” Techno piped up.

Chapter Text

“We never left Tommy--,” Philza nodded with Technoblade’s statement and Philza started to walk to Tommy slowly like he was a stray feral animal.

“Tommy we never left--,” Philza added before being cut off.

“Like hell you didn’t,” Tommy said, brokenly.

Techno frowned. “Tommy-.”

“You left Techno!” Tommy shouted, tears welling up in his eyes. “You can’t convince me that you didn’t, because I remember. I was six and you were fourteen. I watched you and Phil go outside that door and that time, and you didn’t come back. You used to. You always came back before, but that time you never did. You never came back.” Tommy seemed to spill out a story that he knew all too well, but the three men in front of him stood there perplexed, not understanding a thing.

“Tommy,” Wilbur paused and stopped to think for a moment before continuing. “We didn’t know each other when we were six and fourteen..,” Wilbur said gently.

“What- what the fuck do you mean, Wilbur? Don’t fucking bullshit me. You- you’re such a-”

Philza reached out to put a hand on Tommy’s shoulder. “Tommy-,”

Almost violently, Tommy flinched away. He glared at Philza. “Don’t fucking touch me,” he muttered. Tommy looked at the group and then out the window. He took a deep breath and glared at the group. “Step
back!” Tommy spat out, making Philza back away from him cautiously.

Tommy closed his eyes tightly and just demanded them to leave the room, making them all pause and think before walking out of the room. Wilbur gave Tommy one more glance just for Tommy and him to catch eyes. Wilbur snapped his gaze away and closed the door behind him.

Tommy took a deep breath and shook his head before shoving the window open. He pushed himself out of the window and while he was on the second floor of the home he was debating whether or not to jump with the discovery of the new powers he had. Instead he started climbing down the side of the house by using windows and the bricks of the house. He got many scrapes from the bricks but didn’t care for them and dropped down into some bushes that softened his fall. Tommy groaned softly and got out of the bushes.
It was only seconds then he heard shouting from his window and saw a head poking out from his window to look down at him. Tommy sprinted for the fence and he jumped it in a second and just dashed into the streets. He saw so many familiar faces that did surprise him. Tommy kept running either way until the streets turned dirty and rats seemed to be the only other thing that occupied the streets. His body ached for him to stop and sit down to sleep for some time.

Tommy refused to stop but he did slow down into a jog that made him feel sluggish. He came up upon a cafe that felt familiar, but he had no memory of the cafe. Either way he rushed in and whined as he walked to a seat and sat down. It was a second of silence until it was broken by a very buff man who rushed over looking exhausted, who seemed relieved with Tommy’s presence.

“Oh thank XD that you're here!” said the buff stranger who took off his apron, “Clock in and I just finished a London fog, and the next order is an espresso. Good to know that you're feeling better Tommy,” he said and just left the cafe. Tommy started at the door and stood up. Hesitantly walking up to the counter and looking around to find an empty cup with a name on it, he took a deep breath and searched for something to tell him how to make an espresso. When he did he quickly started making it while following the instructions exactly. When he finished, he called the name and a man with green hair and a dog walked up to the counter who he quickly recognized as Awesamdude.

“Sam?” Tommy said, suddenly making the man’s head shoot up to lock eyes with Tommy.

“Yeah Tommy?” Sam asked with a soft and calm smile. Tommy felt himself calm down and just relaxed instantly with Sam's soft and gentle eyes.

“Um-- Nothing--,” Tommy just shook his head and gave Sam’s dog a small cup with whipped cream. The two laughed as they watched the dog lick it up instantly.

Sam left and Tommy started making more drinks while following instructions exactly and starting a few verbal fights with rude customers. It had been an hour or two when Wilbur, Technoblade, Philza, Tubbo, and Ranboo rushed in. They were sweating heavily and Ranboo, Tubbo, and Wilbur were all crying. Tubbo rushed to Tommy and wrapped Tommy into a tight hug, refusing to let go even if Tommy tried to shove him away.

“Don’t you ever fucking run away like that again!” Tubbo said. Gripping onto Tommy’s shirt like if he let go then Tommy would disappear.

Tommy was stunned with Tubbo’s reaction to him running off. Why was he acting this way? What was wrong with Tubbo? It was weird too the blonde who was trapped in the hug of the smaller brunette who hugged him with a death grip.

“Get off of me!--” Tommy suddenly said and struggled to get Tubbo off but this time he could not escape the younger boy’s grasp. “Wh--what-,” he breathed.

“Tommy--,” Ranboo said and walked over to hug Tommy as well. Tommy stood there bewildered. He wanted to escape their arms, but at the same time he didn’t want to.

Tommy stood there in the grasps of his ‘meant to be’ best friends. Something inside of his chest softened and he felt his body shake, tears welled up in the corners of his eyes and he just started crying as he hugged the two boys with a grip so rough and close. He was desperate for his friends to stay and that the moment would last forever.

“Tommy, shh it’s ok. “ Tubbo muttered softly that almost Tommy couldn’t even hear him. “Please, never do that again.” Tubbo said and looked at Tommy with tear filled eyes.

“You scared us a lot” Ranboo said nervously and grabbed Tommy's hand gently.

Tommy stood there in their arms before finally being free of their grasps and backing away from them with a deep breath. The Soot’s approached the counter and Wilbur just rushed to Tommy to hug him as well. Now that made Tommy break down into tears, it felt real and it was as if it was a hug that had been waiting and longing to have Tommy in its protective grasp.

Tommy clinged to Wilbur and hid his face into Wilbur's shoulder. Philza and Technoblade walked over to join the hug and just whispered reassuring words into Tommy’s ears, he wanted to keep his guard up but this was cracking every wall he tried to build up to stop the flooding emotions to rush out.

“Why are you like this?” Tommy whimpered and looked at Wilbur. Shoving him off and wiping his tears quickly. “ Leave me alone!” He said between sobs. “I need time--” He said.

“We can’t leave you unsupervised!” Technoblade opposed, Tommy stared at him with a raised brow of confusion. “One of us at least needs to watch you or walk you home” Techno scoffed.

“Let's not talk here. But we will be staying for the entire shift” Philza said.

Tommy huffed and pulled from them to continue the cup he had been brewing before they found him. “ I don’t need anyone to watch me, either way that's creepy as fuck” Tommy said blankly.

“And if Dream takes you again--” Tubbo got cut off by the sounds of glass shattering and before he knew it, he felt a burning sensation on his cheek. Tommy had slapped Tubbo with a force and strength he could never believe his friend had.

“Don’t you dare talk about that bastard!” Tommy raised his voice. “ Get the Fuck out of my cafe.” He snapped and glared Tubbo down. “ That goes for all of you,” He added and looked at the group who seemed speechless.

The group stood there for a minute before Tommy pointed at the door and threatened to call someone. He didn’t know who he would call but it would be someone, at least he hoped. Once they left, he began to clean up the glassy mess that was from a plate he had been holding to place on the counter. The cafe was silent besides the subtle music in the background and his own breathing,