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Tommy didn’t know why he made the travel, why he took the journey when there were better options. Option singular, actually. Though he supposed Puffy might’ve welcomed him if he knew where she was.
Either way, he had made his choice, and there was, therefore, only one option now. He was too far away from everybody else to even think about turning back.
Not for the first time, he wondered why he had made this decision.
They owed him nothing, nothing except anger and the seething feeling of betrayal. He owed them nothing, or at least he would like to tell himself that.
But what made him decide on this visit specifically? Well, Tommy wouldn’t know.
Hey, he had no attachment to life so if they decided to just up and kill him he wouldn’t have any regrets at least?
Wow his thought process got morbid too fast.
Dream was out of jail, and Tommy didn’t want him to be the first person to kill him, because then he would never be able to escape, never be able to get out of his clutches. Even in death, even in limbo.
If his ‘family’, put in air quotes for they didn’t really suit the title anymore, killed him first and burned his body or something? He would be free.
Maybe that was why, he was just now realising. If he had truly wanted to live he would’ve gone elsewhere, but that life would be one where he looked over his shoulder, lived in paranoia and fear.
They weren’t good fighters, his friends, they wouldn’t last a second against Dream, and Tommy would fall right back into his hands like a- a toy.
They would kill him, yes, but they wouldn’t keep his body for long enough to give to Dream.
He mourned the idea that it was his only option now, that he wasn’t mentally stable enough to force himself to keep going, that he and Wilbur were more alike now than ever.
But it was what he would have to face, because he didn’t want to live out an immortal life with a person who would never consider him human, didn’t want to live out a life with somebody who he would be forced to love.
He couldn’t do that, and as much as his self-preservation was low, the life he wanted to escape was far more likely than a peaceful death and an eternity in limbo.
He was just increasing his chances of the latter.
It was with that newfound revelation that Tommy walked up to the joint house and rapped on Techno’s door, Techno’s door because they were more likely to stab first and ask questions later, Techno’s door because he wouldn’t feel the guilt over Tommy.
Techno’s door because in all truth? Tommy wanted to see the person who had taken him in, given him a beautiful turtle hat, nursed him back to health after exile, one last time.
The person who opened the door.
Tommy regarded him calmly, even as an axe swung at his head, stopping just at his neck.
“What’re you doin’ here Theseus? I’m pretty sure I warned you against coming here ever again,” Techno gritted out, an agitated look on his face.
Tommy figured that he would have more time to apologise or something, but this was good enough. So he leaned into the blade, hah blade, drawing blood in small droplets.
Techno stood still, shocked, before he immediately withdrew the axe. “What. Theseus stop.”
Tommy felt the missing axe and looked up. “I’m sorry Techno. You want to kill me right? Would you like to do it a different way? Is here too difficult?”
“Thes- no, Tommy,” Techno frowned and ran a hand over his braid, “Just-come in.”
He dragged Tommy in, and perhaps Tommy thought he could’ve been a little less harsh. He watched Techno rapidly type on his communicator, and took a seat. He hoped the hybrid wouldn’t mind.
______________
Techno didn’t know what to do. He was aware that Tommy and Wilbur were close to each other, with Tommy almost like a mini-Wilbur in a sense, but he wasn’t aware of exactly how similar the two were.
He pushed a strand of Tommy’s hair behind his ear, the golden curl previously laying over Tommy’s face. Tommy just glared.
“Look, Bl-Techno, If you’re not gonna kill me just stop being so touchy. It feels weird.”
Techno just chuffed at the teenager, aware that he wouldn’t have any idea what he was saying.
True to his thoughts, Tommy just crossed his arms and huffed, Techno didn’t know (Maybe he did) what had transformed his little brother into this, but he would find a way to give Tommy his spark back.
Phil walked in and Tommy tried to leave, muttering something about this situation being not part of the plan. Techno simply grabbed Theseus’ shoulder and pushed him onto the couch.
He needed to have this conversation.
Theseus was going to make Phil lose another son for the blood god’s sake. Phil didn’t deserve that. Techno certainly didn’t deserve to lose another brother either.
Especially by his own hand.
Words couldn’t describe how badly his instincts had reacted when Tommy had leaned into that stupid blade.
His runt, his sounder, wanted to die.
Techno thought that the shock was wearing off and he was being hit with everything all at once.
Sure Tommy had betrayed Techno, stranded him and pitted him against a horde of enemies, but that didn’t mean Techno wanted him dead.
But it did mean that there was something that had seriously gone wrong with their relationship before. Tommy had clearly been complacent, Techno had been complacent, thinking Tommy would never leave him.
He had made that mistake once, but he wasn’t known for making the same one twice.
Phil took one look at Tommy and the thin line of red on his throat before his wings fluffed up. Techno could recognise the way those pupils dilated anywhere. Philza was falling into his instincts.
Theseus moved backwards, away from Phil and Techno, and that was when Techno’s instincts decided to come in, full force.
He walked briskly forward and pulled Tommy onto his shoulder. They had a mix of a den and a nest to soothe both of their instincts, with Philza recognising Techno as flock and Techno recognising Phil as sounder.
It seemed both of them had accepted Tommy into their respective families with no issue.
Before he went completely under, Techno said one last thing.
“Theseus, Tommy. Do me a favour. Never leave me alone again.”