Archive of Our Own ^beta

The first time Tommy sees him, he thinks that’s a big fuckin’ guy.

It’s been a pretty slow day in his little ware store-slash-home. Boredom is a forever present thing as the seconds and minutes waste away while he waits for someone to buy from him. He sells about everything he can get his hands on, weapons; swords, bow and arrows, and axes. He sells a little bit of potions, mostly healing and speed. Some food and herbs.

And so he perks up when he man walks in- when the hybrid walks in based on the tusks that juts from the bottom of his jaw, curving up. His eyes are a crimson color like the blood moon, he’s fucking huge too.

And Tommy is a big man. Giant even, but the man’s broad shoulders.. Broad everything .. Well, he ain’t starting to feel all the big anymore. The man wears basic armor, a simple sword and ax on his back. Pink hair tied into a braid with only a few strands of hair brushing his scarred face, a thin scar going over the bridge of his nose. Another one that starts just a little bit below the corner of his eye and then down to his jaw.

“Greetings, traveler! Want to make-”

The man cuts him off before he can finish. “Yes,” he grunts.

And, oh brother , he’s one of those who barely talks in sentences and prefers to communicate with grunts. Those are always the fun ones.

Tommy rolls his eyes before gesturing around the store. “Well, go ahead and have a look.”

He has his supplies and items up on shelves to display and the man swipes up some potions and bread, along with another sword. 

Tommy perks up again once the man is done and sets the items on the counter. “That’ll be-”

“Here.” He thrusts a pouch of gold in Tommy’s face with a blank look, once again cutting Tommy off.

Tommy’s eyebrow twitches in irritation, just barely fighting to keep the scowl off his face.

Who pissed in this guy’s breakfast?

Too busy counting the correct amount of gold, Tommy doesn’t see the way the warrior stiffens, eyes going a little wide. Not until he looks up to give the man his change does Tommy also freeze.

He’s staring at him like he grew two heads. It’s the first time the man is even looking at him.

Then the man’s eyes are narrowing. “What did you say?”

Shit fuck, fuck shit. He didn’t mean to say that outloud.

Tommy gapes and his eyes dart around before landing on the window and the scenery outside. He’s now just noticing that the man rode up on a horse. “I said.. It’s a beautiful day outside,” he says with a slight wince.

The man stares at him for a moment before snorting. “Right,” he drawls and he takes the potion and food, leaving behind an embarrassed Tommy.

So much for him and his big mouth.

Being a self-aware NPC is hard. It’s boring and mundane, and frankly unnerving and weird. Tommy lives in a small village where everyone knows each other, it’s somewhat of a starter village for other newly faced adventures. 

All NPCs have a set routine that they follow every day. Niki walks past his shop at noon sharp to go out to the forest to collect some materials for her bakery. Jack swings by Tommy’s little shop home to chat with him for exactly thirty minutes before leaving.

He sees the same kid trip outside his shop. The same little girl who cries at the corner looking for her mother.

Tommy was once like them too. Just a random NPC with a bright smile and foul mouth and then-

It was like waking up. The sun was too bright, the sky too blue. Noticing the routine and trends- the adventurers who barely give a glance at them. He doesn’t know why him of all people is.. aware for the lack of a better word.

Shit, what was he supposed to do about it? He’s just some teen running a shop, and making meager money just to get by. It’s dumb and stupid.

But he doesn’t want to go back to being mindless..

It’s been two weeks since the incident and Tommy had completely forgotten about it until he’s dozing off at the counter when his door suddenly slams open, and he just about jumps ten feet in the air.

“Prime above! If you break my fuckin’ door, you’ll pay for it-” He’s wiping away drool as he scowls at the newcomer only to see it’s the same burly man from last time with better armor and swords.

Hurray.

Instead of the man looking mad or wide-eyed like he did last time, he looks faintly amused.

“Oh, it’s you..” His scowl deepens.

“Hullo’” The man says as he has to duck just to get inside. Fuck him.

However, he doesn’t notice the tag-along following closely behind.

Tommy brushes off invisible dirt and props his chin in his palm as he leans against the counter. “So we’re actually saying hello today.”

“Who is this sassy child?” Comes the newcomer's voice as he steps away from the pink haired man. And if the other guy looks like he was born and raised to be a warrior than this guy looks like he was born and raised a prince, with delicate features, circular lenses propped on the bridge of his nose, a lanky figure and Tommy can tell that the man is slouching- either way the guy is pretty looking, but pretty or not this man just called him a child.

“I’m not a child!” Tommy exclaims. Technically he’s 16, but he lives by himself and takes care of himself and if you round up his age, he’s basically twenty, but twenty is a weird number so he’s actually 25, believe it or not.

The two of them give him the most unconvincing look ever. Ugh, whatever.  

Tommy sighs roughly, pushing back his fringe. “Just- fuckin’- come and get what you came here for already,” he grumbles. He’s going so off script from the chipper and bright eyed merchant but he doesn’t even care anymore.

Newbie doesn’t have much, a simple sword on his back and light armor. He crosses his arms and raises a brow, a critical look in his eye. “Shouldn’t you be.. More..” he vaguely waves a hand in Tommy’s direction as if that explains anything and everything.

“I think he’s just cranky from waking up from his nap,” Tusks snorts again, nudging the other fucker.

“Oh, I’ma crank my foot up your ass you bitch. ”

Pink Hair thrusts a pouch of gold in Tommy’s face while putting down two crappy swords, potions, bread, and a quiver of arrows that Tommy managed to get during a trade two moons ago.

Circular Frames squint at the items ready to say something before it’s cut off into a wheeze as Pink Hair elbows him into the side. In retaliation Circular Frames elbows him back, which dissolves into an elbowing contest and the man gives into defeat after a harsh wheeze and cradling his side.

Fuckin' weirdos, man.

Tommy huffs as he grinds his teeth before taking the money to count how much it costs, grumbling all the way. He knows this out of character for any merchant.. That ‘he’s not following the script’ but whatever - if some god wanted him to follow an NPC script they wouldn’t have made him aware of his surroundings. Gods knows he couldn’t put a filter on his mouth even if he wanted to.

“What’s your name?” Pipes up the lanky prince looking man, recovering from the onslaught of elbow.

Tommy gives him a glance and he doesn’t say anything until he’s done counting the money and hands the pouch over. “Tommy.”

The man grins. “Wilbur. This is my brother Technoblade.”

Technoblade must see the expression on his face because what the fuck , one of their parents have some explaining to do. “We’re adopted.”

Oh..

Tommy’s nose scrunches up. “Fuck kinda name is Techno-blade? ”

The man’s eyebrows furrow while Wilbur lets out a loud laugh. “It’s Technoblade , you say it all together.”

“Hmm, no. I think I’ll say it however I like,” the merchant crosses his arms, tilting his head up. “ The Blade is a much better name.”

There’s mischievousness in Wilbur’s eyes and smile. “Ooo, The Blade . A very threatening name,”

Technoblade rolls his eyes before grabbing the items in his hands, some he forces into Wilbur’s hands. “Bye, Tommy.”

Wilbur grins widens and he waves as they leave. “Bye, Tommy!”

“Try not to get eaten by a dragon,” the boy calls out, raising his own hand.

The store is quiet after they left and Tommy finds himself smiling.. Weird.

The store is more empty and quiet than it ever has been.

Tommy doesn’t remember much of his mothers, both of them. He remembers both of them being pretty although his second mother’s face is hidden by a black veil.

He remembers their kind, soft spoken words. Their warm and loving touches.

But his first mother was always sick. She used to be vibrant like the flowers in the field they play in with a clumsy flower crown rested upon her head. Gorgeous blonde hair, and eyes that sparkle like jewels.

Then the golden curls became stringy and limp, her eyes dull and glazed. Her skin that used to be oh so radiant almost blends in with the stark white of her bed as she coughs and hacks into her hand.

Too weak to do anything else.

Just like that, instead of falling asleep underneath the stars, Tommy finds himself falling asleep by his mother’s bedside in case anything happens.

That’s how his second mother finds him. Not asleep, no, but knelt by his mother’s side, tears ran dry and the only thing left was small pitiful sobs. His mother has gone cold, her lips blue, pale skin more ashen than ever.

She didn’t move, no matter how much Tommy shook her and yelled.

“Oh, you poor thing,” she had crooned with sorrow in her sweet voice as a hand landed on his back.

The day that Tommy met his second mother, she was dressed like a bride. He’s only been to two weddings with his mother, and yet this woman was the most beautiful that he’s ever seen.

The bride was dressed in all black instead of white, a black veil covering her face.

Tommy may be a loud, brash, and reckless kid, but he’s not dumb. So, he wipes his tears and sits up to look at the woman, also kneeling next to him. “Are you here to take Mommy?” He’d ask, bottom lip trembling.

She doesn’t sugarcoat it, even as she wipes a stray tear. “Yes, dear..”

“Why?” Tommy asks. Why? Why must she take everything? Why must she take everyone Tommy loves? “You took Daddy,” his father died before he was born. “Tubbo,” his best friend next door, died due to a terrible sickness that swept through the town. “And now, now you want to take mommy,” he can’t stop the sob that bubbles past his lips, fisting the sheets in a white knuckle grip. And he’s angry. More angry than he ever thought he’d be, the last time he felt like this was when Tubbo died. He couldn’t breathe around the fury that clogged his airways, the way it broiled and bubbled underneath his skin, consuming and drowning Tommy. It felt like madness.

And now, he was just so fuckin’ angry. Rightfully, so. It’s unfair. So, so unfair. Tommy is a big man, the biggest of them all as his mother used to say, but this is a God. The realization is such like a punch to the gut that has him gasping brokenly as he curls into the bed. Fuck, there’s nothing he can do against a God.. he’s heard about her from his mother’s bedtime stories, Lady Death, they call him.

If he wasn’t sobbing his heart out, he would say that it was a great name. Poggers, even.

“I know, dear. I know,” she tugs him into her embrace and Tommy clings like she’s a rock and he’s lost in the ocean’s stormy violent waves. He should yell at her, kick and punch, scream until he can’t, until he can’t breathe and immovable just like his mother.

But he doesn’t. He clings to the woman’s warmth, messing up her dress with his tears, snot, and drool- that part he doesn’t like to admit but it doesn’t matter anyways, because the woman doesn’t berate him about and continue to hold him. Her sweet, soft words were lost behind his body wracking sobs.

Tommy barely registers the fact that he’s being picked, arms around and under him, holding him tenderly close. The fact that the woman is moving throughout his home, away from his mother. And when he manages to peek his head over Lady Death’s shoulder and through his blurry vision that his first mother’s body isn’t there anymore.

Just a memory.

They step outside, the sky clear and full of stars. Oh, his mother would have loved this.. The air is just right, not too warm but not too cold either.

“I would claim you as mine,” Lady Death says, after Tommy gets himself somewhat under control. The sobbing has stopped but he can’t control the tremors that wrack his body. “But that would truly be unfair to you, and I can’t do that,” her hand rubs soothing circles against his back. “So, all I can do is claim you in name only.” The hand on his back moves to brush away his blonde curls from his forehead, and the most gentle whisper of a kiss pressed to the visible skin.

Tommy’s breath hitches and a tingle shoots down his spine, before warmth blooms inside of him and out, melting into the woman’s hold. He whimpers, eyes fluttering shut and Lady Death laughs before cooing.

“I know you’re tired, but I need your help, little man.”

Tommy grumbles, pressing his forehead against her shoulder. “Not lil’..”

Lady Death laughs again, and it’s not like his mother's warm, sugary sweet laugh- but it’s fond all the same and full of warmth that Tommy can pretend that it is his mother. “My bad, you’re a big man, aren’t you?”

See! Even Death understands. “The biggest..” He whispers, voice hoarse and cracked from his cries.

“Well, thank gods I found such a Big Man, and a little lady like me needs help finding a town,” Lady Death says, and Tommy has to pull away to squint at the lady.

“Aren’t you a god? I’m not good with directions,” Tommy mumbles, fingers twisting into the soft and cool fabric of her dress.

Lady Death hums, she goes back to stroking his back. “That’s okay, I just need some company. I get awfully bored during my trips.”

He knows what this lady is doing. Kidnapping him- his mother says to never go with strangers and that the lady is a wrong’un.. But. 

Tommy doesn’t want to be alone right now. And he’s doing a real good job of convincing himself that Lady Death’s arms are just his mothers. So, he relaxes and presses his cheek against her shoulder. “Okay,” it whispered so quietly that it’s almost lost to the wind.

Despite the veil, Tommy knows that she’s been smiling this whole time and he can feel her beaming. Beaming at him. “Amazing,” she says as if Tommy truly did something monumental by agreeing to help her go to the next town. “My name is Kristen.”

“...Tommy..”

Whatever else that Kristen says is drowned out by the newfound awe as wings suddenly sprout from her back, black and so fuckin’ beautiful. They’re long, glittering, and shiny. He hasn’t seen people with wings before but he’s sure that hers are the prettiest wings to exist. Ever.

And with a blink, the town that he’s known forever, where all of his memories of his mother are, gets smaller and smaller.

Tommy finds himself not caring.

The first thing Tommy thinks as he opens his eyes is Ow.

He feels like he just tried to fight a forest wolf and got absolutely thrashed. Or Sam’s dog, Fran, decided that Tommy could also double as a chew toy.

His head is killing him, bruises mar his skin, and fuck - his ankle.

Tommy groans. Cut him some slack, he’s the one that’ll have to pick himself up and hobble back to his humble abode and lick his wounds.

Fuckin’ bullies. NPCs.. who even thought bully NPCs was a good idea in the first place.

Though, maybe he shouldn’t be too pissed. He hasn’t thought about his.. Past in a long while. His mothers either. It gets blurry and foggy… 

He misses Kristen.

“Hey, you shouldn’t move!” Calls out a voice as Tommy tries to pick himself off the forest floor, his neck not too pleased that a giant rock was a momentary pillow.

He jerks and whips towards the voice, ignoring the way his body protests such sudden movement, and his eyes go wide as his heart leaps and stutters into his throat.

There’s a man, blonde and blue eyes just like Tommy, with a ridiculous green and white striped hat on his head and.. Black Wings.

With being a merchant and all, all sorts of people enter his door everyday. People like Technoblade and Wilbur. So he’s seen all sorts of winged people, wings small, some long, some wide, every shade of color of the sun.

But never black.

And he was right. Kristen’s wings are the most beautiful that he’s ever seen.. But the man’s wings.. Well- they’re pretty close.

Too distracted that Tommy doesn’t realize the man is in front of him, ushering him to lay back down again, calloused hands cupping his face and tilting it side to side and all around, eyebrows knitted together as he searches Tommy.

“Anything hurt?”

“Yes!” Tommy huffs, batting the man’s hands away from his face, the warmth of his hands lingering. “Everything hurts..” His head and ankle are really killing him.

He’s still in the forest that he had run away from the bullies, they were only four years older than him, and picked on Tommy for being an orphan. Which he isn’t. He’s loved. Kristen.. Hasn’t forgotten about him (right?). She promised to return, that they’ll reunite when he’s a little older.

Tommy was being dumb and stupid, a momentary lapse in concentration had him tripping over a thick tree root with a shock of white hot pain in his ankle. He tumbled, like an idiot, he fell and fell until his head collided with something and everything went.. Black.

Tommy cradles his head with a wince. "My head.. and my ankle.." he mumbles.

He can practically hear the man swallow. "Yeah, I.. I saw you fall and-" Tommy looks up and the man's lips are pulled into a tight thin line, pale. His wings flutter anxiously behind him. "I'm just glad you're okay." He says finally after a long pause.

There's an odd note in his voice that automatically has an alarm ringing in his head.

Stranger-Danger and all that.

"What do you care?" Tommy bites, frowning at the man. This man was clearly an adventurer, people like him hardly give a second glance to NPCs unless they have something adventurers need or in Tommy's case, sass at them.

The adventurer blinks, taken aback. "I'm sorry?"

Tommy attempts to roll his eyes but the sharp pain that he gets is quick to deter him from the action. "You heard me. What do you care.. I’m an NPC.”

The man looks confused, the crease between his brows further deepening. “I- well, uhm, that doesn’t change the fact that you got hurt.. And I wanted to help.”

Tommy sniffs. “You’re weird.”

The man sighs, wings drooping. “Yeah, I get that a lot..” He takes off his hat just to run his hand through his hair before putting it back on. “Listen, my home isn’t too far away from here I can take you there and-”

“No.” Tommy cuts in.

“What? No?”

“Are you deaf? No. N.O, non, nada, zilch.”

Blondie holds his hands up. “Woah, woah, okay I get it..”

There was no point of following this complete stranger to some unknown location. (He’s seeing the irony in that statement.) “ I have a home in the village nearby, probably closer than your hidey hole.”

The adventurer pauses to think. "Okay, sure. Just tell me where to go?"

Tommy scoffs. " You? Sorry, bud but this is a me, myself, and I journey." He stumbles to his feet much to the adventure's frantic warning. "And-"

He can't remember what he was gonna say as he stands straight up and suddenly his eyes roll to the back of his head as the blood rush to the dome sends him off his feet.

Tommy's full expecting to crack his head open on the forest floor- but he doesn't.

With a wince, blue eyes open to meet a faintly amused face, blue eyes looking back at him. Somehow, the amused expression reminds Tommy of someone. The man has an arm on Tommy's back, keeping him from falling.

"A solo mission, huh?"

Tommy crosses his arms. "Shut up- wha?! Hey! Put me down!" He squwaks as the adventurer sweeps an arm underneath his legs and hoist him up to his arms as if Tommy didn't weigh shit.

"You're light," the man hums.

He would demand the man to put him down.. but shit . Tommy really can't make it back alone.. "Shut up," he tries for a snarky remark but there's no heat to his words.

"What's your name, Kid?" The man's black wings spread behind him and it takes everything inside of Tommy to not let his jaw go slack, but his eyes are wide, drinking in all the color.

He thought the wings were black and they are , but if the sun catches the sharp feathery wings in a certain way Tommy can see a starburst of different colors. He knows they have to be soft to the touch, hardly a wing out of sight and Tommy doesn't have much experience with.. wings or preening.

He only did it once as a child and he's sure that he most definitely fucked up Kristen wings, but she had been smiling so bright and telling how much of a good job he did till his cheeks were hot and his was about ready to burst.

Then it hits him.

"You're not gonna fly me home are you?!" Tommy yells loud enough for the birds to shoot to the skies to get away from his cries.

The man gives him another of many odd looks. "Uh. Yeah. " As if Tommy is being the stupid and difficult in the situation here. "I'm Phil by the way."

With the more adventurers that Tommy meets and talk to, he's gonna have a forever permanent scowl and the wrinkles to show. Without even a countdown, Phil flaps his wings and they're suddenly up in the fucking air .

(And if the blonde blue eyed boy looked back for a moment he would've saw the rock his head lying on covered in blood.)

Tommy hates to say that he screams, burying his face into Phil's neck, fisting the man's shirt. Because no , he's not going to wrap his arms around his neck.

He can feel the rumbling of Phil laughing than hear it with the wind roaring in his ears. He can faintly here the sound of his wings flapping, soaring high in the air.

" You absolutely bastard! I'm going to beat your ass, oh I'm going to fuckin' throttle you, you son of a-"

Phil only laughs louder.

When Phil sets into town with Tommy in his arms, he immediately sqiurms to try and get out but Phil holds steady.

The bitch.

"Can you let me go now?" Tommy hisses, and then trying to become small as possible as people pass by them, staring and whispering.  

The man hums, always fuckin' humming. "No." He says simply and promptly.

Tommy can't tell if the burst of white hot in his vision is the pain of his head or the violent rush of homicidal urges that just made him light headed as fuck.

Phil, as if sensing that the teenager in his arms is at his limit, walks a bit faster. "This would be easier, if you showed me where you lived.."

When Phil steps up to the merchant shop, which is a 'pretty much everything shop that Tommy runs' his eyes seem to sparkle in.. recognition. 

"What's with that look for?" Tommy asks, arms still crossed and still in the arms of another man.

Phil shakes his head. "Nothing.."

The door swings open, and by god has Tommy never been so happy to see his store. His home.

"Can you let me down now?" Tommy squirms like a fish out of water, what the fuck he isn't even this fucking light to be holding on to.

Phil's blue eyes look around the shop, taking it in. "Where's your parents?" And he finally puts Tommy on the ground.

The room spins, and his stomach rolls with nausea, he pretends that he doesn have a death grip on Phil's sleeve as he tries to straighten himself out. "None of your business dip shit," Tommy groans out. Staggering over to shelves with potions, ignoring Phil's attempt to help, Tommy pops open two healing potions with shaky hands, downing them immediately.

Tommy can feel the effects immediately, the throbbing pain of his ankle and headache eases until he can't even remember what the pain feels like. Warmth spreading through his body and making him more alert and awake than has been in days.

The good shit.

Tommy wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, testing his weight on his one previously probably sprained ankle. He glances up and sees the same faintly amused look on Phil's face.

"What?" Tommy demands.

Phil shakes his head with a small snort. "Nothing. You kinda just remind me of my sons."

"Yeah, well I'm very charming, ain't I?" Tommy huffs, already taking his spot behind the counter. Just because he got injured or whatever doesn't mean he can slack off.

Yeah, he might not be the most typical NPC ever but it's the principal of the matter.

Tommy glances at the black wings once more, still so very beautiful and long but pressed more against Phil's back now that he isn't flying anymore. The words he's been fighting back to say the whole time finally slips from his mouth.

"You remind me of my mom," Tommy blurts out only for him to internally slap himself ten times over.

That is not what he meant to say ..

But Phil does kind of remind him of his mothers. Blonde, blue eyes and warm, charming smile.

Beautiful one of a kind black wings.

He rubs the back of his neck, cheeks hot. "I mean-" he gestures to the man's wings with his hand. "With your wings and all. I've only seen my mother with black wings.."

Phil's eyes go wide from surprise at the first to narrow, eyebrows furrowing with his lips pressed into a thin line. His wings fluttering behind him slightly. "..black wings?"

Tommy, feeling uneasy, bobs his head while shifting on his feet. "Ye- yeah.. her's are a little bigger and they're more.. void like than yours.. I guess."

He feels like he made a mistake. Phil's gentle eyes now narrowed and calculating as if Tommy was a threat somehow.

Yeah, sure, his mom is Kristen, or more formerly known as Lady Death, but how would a guy like Phil know about that?

"Huh.." Phil says gently. His eyes shift to the window outside. "I have to go." And there goes the friendly tone that him and Tommy were conversing with.

The man goes for the door and once again Tommy's big mouth opens up again. "It's Tommy." 

Phil pauses. "Hm?"

"You asked for my name earlier.. it's Tommy."

Phil's smile is like liquid. Liquid gold, bright, warm, and gooey in a sense. "Nice to meet you Tommy." And Phil tips his hat to Tommy before stepping out.

His wings unfurl and in a single blink he's gone just like that.

Hoo boy. Tommy just love adventures.

Wilbur and Techno become frequent visitors, wether Tommy wants them to or not. They're loud and more than just chaotic, sometimes getting into scuffles in his stores that knock things off the shelves.

To which Tommy yells and chase them out the store with his broom.

Other times, they're more cordial with each other, they browse the selection and then buy something or make a trade.

Tommy doesn't understand why the two keep coming to him. Everytime he sees Techno, this man always has new gear, sharper weapons and some other shit. Way better than what Tommy has stocked

Wilbur isn't as decked out but that's because Tommy found out that Wilbur does magic, so he doesn't need as much armor, at least that's what Wilbur says.

Techno says otherwise.

Though Tommy thinks Wilbur doesn't wear too much armor since they're all really ugly or hard to style with a yellow sweater or the occasional brown trenchcoat that's one pulled frayed string from unraveling.

Phil is also a frequent visitor as well. A real huge mother hen that's a pain in the ass. One day, Tommy wasn't feeling all that well and had a slight cough, to his misfortune Phil had came in and once he heard Tommy coughing again and again, bullied the teenager into closing up shop early and taking a sick day off.

Suffice to say, Tommy is..

Tommy..

He doesn't really know actually. They're different. Different than the mind numbing routine that he forces himself too. And he should probably be scared of the change but he isn't. His cheeks hurt from smiling, his throat is hoarse from his loud wheezing laugh, and his chest has never felt lighter than it ever has before.

Well. It's not so bad. Tommy can get used to this.. to them.

Tommy has made a mistake. A huge fucking mistake. His feet pounds against the dirt, breath coming in short gasps. He jumps over a fallen long and stumbles the landing, scrabbling at the dirt and pushing him up and further. Only to scream in pure fear as a skeletal hand shoots up from the ground making a grab towards his leg.

The forest is dark, bathed in a dark red glow. The ground rumbles and shakes. There's growls, roars, and screaming everywhere.

Tommy jumps again, makes the landing again only to make a hard stop as some sort of zombie, skeletal monster blocks his path.

He fucked up .

Tommy was just trying to do an errand for Niki like he does every other week, it was some ingredients from the forest. Mushrooms, truffle, and a certain lizard that only Tommy can catch. Usually, he does it early morning but an entire group of travelers had stopped by his shop and took forever to trade and sell with him.

So, by the time he made it to the forest the sun was painting the sky pink, orange, and purple.

Which would be fine.

If there wasn't a blood moon.

"Oh, fuck, fuck, shit, fuck me." Tommy curses, taking a hard left and pushing himself off a tree to at least gain a momentary boost. 

An arrow whizzes past his head and he hears the clunk-clunk of an skeleton behind him. The arrow lodges into the tree trunk.

Holy shit.

Tommy puts more power into his legs, arms pumping at his side. He can see the clearing just ahead! If he can just get to it.

An ice cold iron grip latches around his ankle and pulls. For a second, Tommy is weightless and his eyes widen, a yell just bubbling past his lips until he goes face first into the ground.

He hears something crack and his face explodes in pain. Tears burn his eyes as he claws at the dirt, kicking and screaming by the grip on his ankle drags him through the forest floor, twigs and rocks digging and scratching into his skin.

Tommy clips his head on a rock and he sees black for a second. Long enough for the monster to stop dragging him.

The Red Moon taunts him and all Tommy taste is iron as he coughs and heaves. His vision blurs, the world spinning before him as he blinks hard. There's blood dribbling into his eyes, M other above everything fucking hurts.

A skeleton stands over him and Prime fuck when did they get axes , swings it above his head.

Tommy can see it. The axe lodged in his head, his body rotting away in the forest and only revive during the blood moon as a skeleton.. or maybe he'll be a zombie.

The glint of the weapon is the last thing he sees before throwing up his trembling arms and squeezing his eyes shut.

His heart is racing and his breath comes in ragged pants. Tommy hears a loud thud and then arms on him.

To which Tommy finally breaks through his freeze fight or flight and into the fight, thrashing around.

"Tommy! Toms, Toms calm down! It's me!"

Tommy's heart stutters because he knows that voice. His eyes snap open and the swirling visage of Wilbur's face pinched and worried expression.

"Wilby," he chokes out before turning to the side to spit up blood that he keeps swallowing from his profusely bleeding nose. It's mostly definitely broken and the throbbing ache echoes throughout his entire head making his eyes ache.

His hands twist into Wilbur's sweater from where he can grasp between the armor, no doubt dirting it up with dirt and shit underneath his nails

Wilbur doesn't seem to mind and instead talking to Tommy, but he can't really hear all that well from the ringing in his ears. He's wiping blood from Tommy's face.

"Tommy? Tom, can you hear me?" Wilbur pats his cheek trying to get Tommy's eyes to focus on him but Tommy can't focus on anything without his vision whitening to sparks.

He's only had a concussion maybe once or twice but this, this he knows is bad.

"-Techno!" Wilbur's head is turned away.

With the Red Moon taunting him above the last thing he sees is Techno's pink hair, and black wings in the sky.

He wants to see the Bride again. His mother.. but she doesn't come for him.

"Shit, fuck, he's closing his eyes!"

Tommy's awake but not really. Conscious is a better word, he can't move his body. His eyes aren't even open yet Tommy's hyper aware that he's in his home, that Phil is right next to him. Techno and Wilbur raid his pantry for food..

It's like a third person point of view yet he can't even see himself. It's fuckin' trippy.

Tommy has sleep paralysis a total of one (1) time so the obvious choice is just to wait it out.

Until he hears the footsteps.

Wilbur and Techno are still the pantry, this time having found some ingredients to make.. potato soup . To which they are having a hushed argument over if they should make it or not.

There's footsteps coming up to staircase. Ever so slow, and annoyingly enough make sure to hit every creak. It walks down the hall in footsteps that echoes inside of Tommy and his breath quickens.

He struggles to move or even scream at Phil who looks the most stressed out he ever looked before.

It's coming closer. It stands outside his door, and doesn't bother to open it as it steps through and-

It's the Black Bride. A veil over her face, her wings are not physically there but Tommy can see it anyways.

Mom?

She walks closer until she's standing right next to Phil. "Oh sunshine," she croons in that soft voice that he remembers in the worst of his days.

Her hand cups his cheek, stroking the apple of it. "I know you've missed me, and so have I, so very dearly.. but you're not ready yet."

Why? He wants to ask. Want to ask her to take him with her.

"I know, it's unfair.." she whispers, dropping to her knees and she gently rubs the pad of her thumb over his closed eyelid. "Which is why I gave you gifts."

Gifts? Tommy doesn't remember receiving any.

"I hope you love them as much as they love you." 

Kristen spends a moment just stroking Tommy. Touching his face all over as if trying to memorize his face with touch alone, threading through his hair.

Finally, she kisses his forehead and both cheeks. "You'll be alright, Toms. I'm always here, my love." She stands up, taking a step back before looking at Phil, a hand squeezing his shoulder and she leans down to kiss the man's forehead.

She disappears into black smoke just as Phil lifts his head to look at where Kristen just stood. "Kristen..?" He whispers, softly.

"Mom," Tommy breathes finally able to move , and he feels like he's one big ball of fucking homework..

Phil's head snaps to him, all attention on him. "Tommy!" He whispers, leaning in close and for once Tommy is grateful for the low voice, because even swallowing make his head hurt worse.

"Is there anything broken?" Phil asks, and Tommy is so out of it, that he gives a slow blink before spitting out his answer. "M'nose.."

"We fixed that." Phil says urgently. "What else hurts?"

" Everything."

Phil makes a noise. "I know sweetheart," he wipes away wetness from his cheeks before turning his head over his shoulder. "Wilbur, Techno!"

His voice is muffled but it doesn't stop the sharp pricks of pain that stabs right in his head, punching a whine from Tommy before he could even choke it back.

There's footsteps and in the blink of an eye Wilbur and Techno burst into his room, holding various things.

Tommy head is spinning too much to even voice any complaints or comprehend what's going on as Phil picks him by the armpit to prop him up.

Water is poured down his throat. The potato soup (which he will later realize that it actually tastes pretty good), and then a sparkly pink drink that tastes like pure sugar with an odd tingle that goes all the way to his hair follicles down to his fucking toes.

Healing potion.

The extra good stuff.

Tommy groans, slumping back in the bed and letting his head knock against the wall. "Why didn't you give it to me sooner?"

"We didn't know if you had any other injuries, didn't want to heal the bone wrong." Wilbur says with his fidgeting hands.

Techno grunts, and although the man is usually stoic with only a slight grin pulled on his lips, rarely a snarl but even more rare to see him nervous. Worried.

The twitch of his brow. The way he twists and turns the rings on his fingers in a 'casual' movement.

Tommy blinks. Hard. His entire body is tingling and his tongue feels numb. Holy shit they just gave him some hardcore drugs .

A loud snorts comes from his side and Tommy swears his eyes spin in his head just trying to look to where the noise came from.

"No mate, we didn't give you any drugs.." Phil reaches out to squeeze Tommy arms.

Tommy frowns. Did he say that out loud?

"Yes," Techno says. And the man is frowning before he nudges Wilbur. "Just how much did you give him?"

Wilbur sputters, empty glass bottle in his hand. "I- the whole thing! I didn't think he'd trip like this!"

Phil leans forward, thumbing back Tommy's eyelid to see his pupils eating up his blue irises until it's just a ring of blue. " Ooo.. maybe we misjudged his metabolism and dosage intake."

"Didn't you say he downed two normal healing potions with ease?"

"That's what the potato soup is for."

Both Wilbur and Techno says at the same time, the both of them balls of nerves and anxiety.

Phil huffs. "Whatever. He'll get over it," he shakes his head before looking at Tommy. "'ow about you go to sleep?"

Tommy scrunches up his nose. "I don't wanna-" he blinks and this time gets a face full on Sunshine streaming through his window, the early birds tweeting and chirping about the morning.

What the shit. 

("So. How do you guys know each other?" Tommy squints at the little trio who are currently having breakfast in Nikki's . Yeah it's a bakery but with Tommy there's always special expectations.

Wilbur chokes on his French toast, while Technoblade pauses with his fork of hash browns near his mouth.

It's an awkward moment of silence.

"I'm sorry," Phil is the first to break it with a cough. "What.."

Tommy waves a hand, licking syrup from his lips. "Y'know… you're adventures and stuff.. but like how did you meet."

Now, he's wondering if he said something wrong because they're staring at him as if he grew two heads and he's not high off the potion still.

"We're family.. Toms." Wilbur says, slowly and Tommy wants to roll his eyes like yeah , he knows that him and Techno are brothers until he realizes that he's also talking about Phil.

Tommy's eyes blow wide, looking at the man, startled. "What the shit! He's your dad??"

"We're adopted," Techno grumbles.

"You guys never told me!"

"We didn't?" Phil scrunches his nose up. "I'm sure I've mentioned and talked about them. On multiple occasions."

Techno snorts. "I'm offended, father."

"Yeah, father ." Wilbur tacks on, always eager to add fire to the fuel. A true instigator at heart.

In Tommy's defense, they only came single or two at the same time. With Phil usually by himself and Wilbur and Techno together. Only now, has he seen them all together 

And in their defense.. Tommy probably should have caught on sooner or.. at least figured out.

It does explain a lot of things however.)

("So, what were you guys doing in the forest in the blood moon anyways?" Tommy asks, completely forgetting to even question or be curious past the immense relief that no Tommy did not end up with an axe making another ass crack in the middle of his head.

"We just so happened to pass by."

"I was worried."

"We got lost."

Tommy blinks. Slow.

Techno and Wilbur are glaring at each other while Phil holds his forehead in his hand.

Though as Wilbur opens his mouth to say something, Techno's hand goes to cover it.

"Uh, well." Techno clears his throat. "We just happened to be in the area, your town is a shortcut to where we need to go and then we heard screaming." He finishes gruffly.

And Wilbur spreads his hands, wiggling his fingers. "And surprise you were."

Phil hand land in his hair, ruffling through Tommy's hair. To which the boy yells, pushing away Phil's hand but not without a smile. "Glad we found you in time."

Tommy look at the three of them, a smile on his lips as he huffs out a breath. "Yeah, I'm glad too.")