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It’s not like Tommy could fly anyway.
Tommy cried, big, fat tears rolling down his face as pain shot through his wing. He could hear the firm feathers being cut away, a hand forcing his face into the dirt below him.
"You'll never fly again, Tommy." Dream said as he clipped the wing from the tips to where it connected to Tommy's back.
It burned. Tommy sobbed harder as Dream pulled the other wing open and sloppily snipped at them, destroying his feathers and any chance of gliding again.
It's not like I could fly anyway, Tommy thought bitterly as a weak attempt to reassure himself. He sniffed and tried to swallow the lump in his throat as Dream finally got off of him.
Tommy sat up, letting out a pathetic sob and wiping the tears and snot from his face. He tried to ignore the irritated sensation spreading through his wings. He itched to tear out the broken feathers, but he resisted, knowing it would only make the pain worse.
"Tommy, you know I had to do that."
Tommy nodded. No you didn't , his thoughts hissed, knowing what this man- no, this man that mimicked the human form- really was, a monste r.
Dream ran his fingers through Tommy's dirty locks. Those filthy hands were his only comfort.
Tommy hated that he leaned into it. Only seconds ago was this monster taking a pair of shears to his wings and ripping them apart.
"Come here," Dream pulled Tommy into a hug, rubbing his back in circles. He was avoiding the wings so carefully that Tommy could almost mistake the touch for tenderness.
Tears rolled down his face silently as he fell limp in the monster's arms.
His wings hurt. They just hurt. They hurt him more than he wanted to admit.
Tommy hadn't let anyone see them except Phil when he'd gotten out of exile. Only let Phil touch them, care for them, and now, Phil was disappointed in him and hadn't talked to him in months.
Tommy knew that the man assumed he had a second source of support, but he was wrong, dead wrong, really. Now he'd been killed and revived by the same monster who clipped his wings, and he sat on top of the roof of his home, his body littered in bruises and abrasions, and his wings itched. Honestly, he'd probably feel less pain if he cut them off at this point. They had been growing back slowly, but he would still be a flightless bird.
Tommy watched the sun as it began to set, sighing softly as the wind ran through his feathers and hit his uncovered wounds, a reminder of how messed up he was.
"Tommy?"
He turned to see Puffy, the sheep hybrid who'd been attempting to make a therapy appointment with him after he came back. He'd gone once, she'd pissed him off, and he decided fuck therapy and never made an appointment for a follow up visit.
"Hey, Tommy," She smiled, a smile full of pity. It looked more like a sneer, an ugly one.
He turned his back to her, and he heard a sigh behind him. Tommy tried not to let it bother him when he heard hooves clicking up the hill, letting him know that she was joining him whether he liked it or not.
The sheep hybrid sat down beside him. "Hey Tommy, just wanted to uh... Give you this." Puffy handed him a small baggie of cookies. "It's an apology for what I did last week."
Tommy huffed and took them. "You aren't even a verified therapist, why'd you open a fucking office in the first place, bitch?"
Puffy frowned. "People need help, it doesn't matter that I'm not qualified, Tommy, nobody wants to do it, so have to try or everyone will continue having to deal with their trauma on their own." She let out a pained breath. "I don't want anyone to suffer anymore, I'm so sick of it."
"Am I your therapist now?" Tommy joked dryly as he plucked a cookie from the bag.
Puffy didn't laugh. Her lips didn't even curve into a smile, instead, her eyes shined with tears. "I really wish I could help people, help you, Tommy, I mean it. I promise I do."
Tommy's stomach sank. "I-I..."
He snapped his mouth shut when she looked at him, wiping tears that were threatening to spill with her cloven hoof. "Tommy, can you ever forgive me? You already hate Sam because he fucked up, and I fucked up, and I just want you to be okay again. It's been so hard trying to figure out how to help you. I don't know anything, I know that, but I want to help. Please, Tommy, how can I help?"
Tommy dropped the cookie back into the bag, feeling tense and uncomfortable with Puffy's openly vulnerable state. "I don't think there's anything you can do, Puffy." He admitted after a few beats of silence.
"Tommy, there has to be something-"
"There really isn't," Tommy said with a raised voice. "You don't get it Puffy, the pain I went through, nobody does."
Puffy fell silent, sniffing beside him. She let out a shaky breath. "I-I'm sorry," she whispered. "I wish I was a better therapist."
"Yeah, you're pretty shit," Tommy said, turning his head so he didn't have to see her face.
Puffy didn't respond for a few minutes, and Tommy tried to ignore the soft sobs with increasing annoyance as sniffles and cries filled the air around them.
"Shut up, just shut the fuck up! Why the fuck are you crying, because you failed? So fucking what! I died bitch, and you're sobbing like-"
"Because I care about you, Tommy! I hate seeing you like this!"
"Shut up! I know none of you really care about me, anyone who has abandoned me because they think I'm annoying. They think I'm a traitor who deserves to die!" Tommy screeched, and before Puffy could respond, Tommy shoved her. "Get the fuck off of my property!"
Puffy sat shocked for a moment before getting up and running off, leaving Tommy on his own.
"God..." Tears began filling his eyes. "God damnit." He croaked, his voice breaking.
He curled up in the grass and began crying. His wings curled in pain.
"Fuck off," Tommy seethed at the older ram hybrid.
Tubbo reached out to him, about as annoyed as he was. "You're in pain, Tommy. Just let me help you-"
"Fuck no, get away from me, fucker." Tommy slapped his hand away.
"Tommy," Tubbo said in a warning tone. "I'm going to help you whether you like it or not." He took something out of his inventory, and Tommy screeched, backing away.
"No! Fuck you! Don't touch me bitch! Fuck you!" He kept cursing at Tubbo, who now had him cornered in his house.
Ranboo guarded the door, his only exit, a netherite sword in hand, watching the scene play out. "You should listen to him, Tommy, you need help."
Tommy shook his head. "Get out of my house! You have no right to be here!"
"We do if we're trying to take care of you," Tubbo drew closer to Tommy, and he scrambled away again, going to another corner.
"Stay away from me!" Tommy scratched at Tubbo, but the mindless hostility did nothing considering the boy was wearing netherite armor.
The boy stood still a few feet away from him, and he closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths before opening his eyes. "Tommy," he said, concern lacing his tone. "You haven't been taking care of yourself, let me help." Tubbo took another step closer. "Remember when I used to tend to your injuries when we were kids?"
Tommy nodded.
"It wasn't so bad, right? Sometimes I even helped you preen your wings, if you let me."
"That was the old Tubbo, the one who'd never replace me." Tommy hissed.
"I never replaced you, Tommy. Ranboo can't replace you."
"No! He replaced me! You won't admit it! He's your god damn husband for god's sake!"
"Tommy-" Tubbo deflated a bit.
"No! You're lying, you're lying! That's all you're doing, you're lying to me and wasting my time. Get out of my house! Get out!" Tommy punched Tubbo's chestplate, jolting as he felt the effects of thorns digging into his hand and he pulled back, holding his hand as his lips turned downward in a snarl.
"I'm telling you the truth, Tommy." Tubbo's voice sounded broken. "Why don't you believe me?"
"You said it was only us, us forever, you fucking lied to me! The fucking bastard standing right behind me is proof of it!" Tommy furiously pointed to the ender hybrid blocking his doorway.
Tubbo's ear twitched before he pulled Tommy into a hug.
Tommy tensed and looked down at Tubbo.
"Please stop, I'm not lying Tommy, I'm not. You're my friend, my best friend, when did I ever say that marrying Ranboo ever changed that? Yeah, I love him, but it started out as a joke. I didn't want to hurt you, I never did." Tubbo let out a dry laugh.
Tommy thought back to exile, and how his friend had regretted exiling him from the start. Tommy sighed. "No, I don't need your help."
Tubbo's grip tightened around his waist. "You're too thin, Tommy, your wings are a wreck, you're covered in bruises that should've healed. Why, why won't you let me help you?!"
Tommy pushed him off. "That's none of your goddamn business! I was doing just fine before the lot of you came around and started fucking with me. Run back to Snowchester with your husband and go back to pretending that you're a happy little fucking family with that stupid fucking son of yours!"
"I'm not leaving because you're my family too!" Tubbo grabbed Tommy by the wrist, and he wrenched away.
"Don't touch me!" Tommy resisted the urge to punch him again.
"Aren't you tired of being alone? Aren't you tired of this, Tommy? People have offered you help before and you've smacked them away. Let me help you before I change my mind!"
"Change your mind then! I don't need you, I never did. You had a fucking replacement ready for me when I died- you never cared about me!"
"Of course I care about you! Why are you so god damn stupid and envious, Tommy?! I can have other friends too, you know!"
Tommy took swallow, shaky breaths as he leaned back against the wall and slid down. "Get out! Just fucking get out!" He said, a dry sob escaping his throat. "GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE!" He screamed, kicking at Tubbo as he drew closer.
"Please, Tommy- I-I can't deal with this anymore. You're my best friend, you are my best friend, how many times do I have to repeat it?" Tubbo said, sounding defeated.
Tommy grabbed fistfuls of hair, slouched over as he avoided looking Tubbo in the eye. He'd see disappointment, fury, a fucking betrayed look on that hybrid's stupid face.
Tubbo collapsed in front of him. "Why are we like this Tommy?... Why can't we get along like we used to?" He reached out for Tommy's hand, and Tommy flinched away with a growl. "You keep pushing me away when I want to be near you. I want to spend time with you, like we used to. I want to fight alongside you again. You've got to forgive me, Tommy. You've got to let me do something. I can't leave you like this, you'll die."
"I survived exile just fine," Tommy shot back.
"We all know that's a lie."
"It's not, I'm perfectly fine."
Tubbo clenched his fists in anger before unclenching them and letting them fall to his sides in defeat. "Tommy- I- what can I do? I can't leave you like this."
Tommy finally lost all of his will to be angry, he was tired, so tired, and his wings still hurt. "Leave already."
Ranboo moved away from the door and crouched in front of Tommy. "If we're leaving, then you're coming with us." Ranboo held out his hand.
"Hell no I'm not," Tommy smacked the hybrid's hand, but Ranboo simply grasped Tommy’s hand when they came into contact.
For a moment, Tommy couldn't breathe. His hold was so gentle, he wanted it- no, no he didn't, he didn't need Tubbo or this stupid bitch.
He ripped his hand out of Ranboo's grip.
Ranboo sighed, "I know you're tired of fighting. You must be, with everything you've gone through."
Tommy couldn't find the fire in him to fight back.
"Come on, Tommy. Come with us, we'll help you. It'll be okay."
"It won't, it never will be," Tommy snipped.
"Look, I don't want to sit here and do nothing while you're in pain. I know I'm not your favorite person, far from it probably, but I didn’t do anything while you were in the prison, and I'm not going to make that same mistake again. Not if I can help it." He offered his hand to Tommy. "Let us make up for not being there for you, Tommy. We want to be there now, both of us."
"We do," Tubbo confirmed softly, blinking back tears. "I'm tired of mourning your deaths, I just want you alive."
Tommy took Ranboo's hand.