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Now I need you to put yourself in his place for a second.
You’re a child who’s been fending for yourself your entire life. You know how to defend yourself and are used to doing what’s necessary to survive, even if it fucking sucks. However you’re still a fucking child and are no match against skilled adults, no matter how hard you try.
Then one day you get saved.
It’s abrupt, it's sudden, it’s completely and utterly unexpected.
It’s both terrifying and thrilling.
Especially when you take into account the fact that Tommy was saved by a fucking dragon. Specifically a huge motherfucker with hazel scales peppered with golden hues and browns.
Now everyone knows dragons are not to be fucked with, period. No matter what you leave them alone and if you see one pray for their mercy and surrender immediately.
However Tommy has less self preservation than a fucking ant so he very much does the opposite.
Like the complete opposite.
“I can take care of myself asshole,” Tommy hissed as he glared up at the giant scaley bitch as his tiny fists were clenched tightly by his sides. “You didn’t have to do shit!”
The dragon only looked amused and surprised at the audacity of this child as he stared down at him with wide amber eyes. “You’re a feisty one aren’t you?,” he breathed.
Tommy scowled as he narrowed his eyes, his expression was more of an angry pout than a scowl despite his intentions. “And? You’re a bitch,” he immediately shot back.
Now this would normally be the part where any dragon would become enraged and offended. There is nothing dragons hate more than insolence and anyone being less than gracious in their presence.
Two things Tommy was was currently, so he’s two for two on his bingo card on how to win getting murdered by a dragon.
However something strange happens.
The dragon merely leans down to be closer and Tommy leans back a bit as his sapphire eyes grew wide.
A dragon the size of a fucking building leans down and meets his eyes. His head is fucking massive and his amber eyes stare intensely into wide sapphire.
Tommy was frozen in place as he stared back at the creature who could kill him before he could blink. He feels like one of those pinned butterflies that the crazy librarian in the town has. Being put on display and studied.
If anywhere were to walk into that clearing of the woods they’d find three corpses of large armored men dead in a pile. Their bodies charred over along with the weirdest staring contest ever.
An eleven year boy old locked into a staring contest with a fucking dragon roughly bigger than two buildings stacked on top of each other.
Any sane person would think fuck this and turn tail and run.
“Most people would be grateful I helped them,” the dragon said abruptly, still studying the child.
“Most people would be scared shitless and trying not to piss their pants in fear you’d murder them,” Tommy corrected with the tone most children often use when they know their right.
The dragon let out a surprised snort as some whips of smoke came out of his nose. “Most people?,” he parrots as his gaze turns more hungry and curious. “But not you?”
Tommy puffed up his chest as he pointed to himself as he declared proudly. “Of course not! I’m a fucking big man who’s not scared of shit!”
“You’re like what? Seven sun cycles?,” the dragon questioned in amusement.
Tommy gave a scowl as he glared up at the scaled bitch. “I’m eleven sun cycles asshole,” he corrected.
The dragon's snout twitched. “Ah my apologies,” he said with amusement in his tone as his head dipped slightly. “And what’s a big man like you doing out here?”
Tommy’s scowl faded into an annoyed look. “Those assholes that you turned into ash have been hunting me. Like I get that I steal food and shit sometimes but it’s not like I kill anyone,” he grumbled with a pout.
The dragon blinked as he tilted his head. “Does this happen often?,” he questioned.
Tommy gave him an exasperated look. “All the fucking time,” he groaned. “Like I know stealing is bad but this is so fucking overkill! What’s an eleven year old going to do against soldiers!,” he complained.
The dragon peered down at him. “And does this eleven year old have a name?,” he teased.
Tommy perked you and gave him a blinding grin. “The names Tommy!”
It was at this moment the sun shone through the trees and casted the two in a better light.
It was this moment that sealed Tommy’s fate whether he knew it or not.
The dragon stared transfixed at the feisty, possibly feral, child beaming at him as he was eclipsed by the sun.
The eleven year old with faint freckles and wide gemstone eyes beamed at the dragon. The sun made his golden hair shine brilliantly along with his blue eyes. The shadows casted down by leaves did nothing to affect the glow that encased him.
The dragon may have been somewhat interested before but now he was hooked. “Wilbur,” he said breathlessly. “My name's Wilbur.”
Tommy blinked in surprise tiling his head causing the sunlight to shift the shadows on his head. “Wilbur,” he tested the name out. “Well despite you being a dramatic bitch it was nice to meet you Wilbur!”
The dragon’s pupils rounded a bit as the walking golden haired child with so much sass said his name. “It was nice to meet you too,” he said before abruptly adding. “Child”
Tommy gave him an annoyed look that made his nose scrunch up adorably. “Prick,” he shot back.
So the kid was a sweetheart, had sass, was not afraid of him despite the fact that Wilbur was a literal fucking dragon, and was basically better than any gold or gem.
Now you can see why Wilbur decided finders keepers.
“Now this has been fun but I have to go,” Tommy said a tad bit apologetically as he turned around. “I have to go hunt around in town to find where I’m gonna sleep tonight so-,”
“No,” Wilbur huffed.
“No?,” Tommy repeated in a confused voice as he turned around. “Wilbur I have to go- you can be an asshole to someone else. Plus I’m sure you’ll see me again in the future!”
Let it be known that dragons do not have patience especially when it comes to what they want. They are powerful and unstoppable and they know it.
So Wilbur merely shows off his teeth in a grin. “No,” he repeats. “Little gold, you owe me a debt.”
Typically if a dragon saves you and spares in any way shapes of form you owe them a favor, a debt.
Tommy frowned as he stared at the dragon. “I do,” he begrudgingly acknowledged. “And what do you want, asshole?”
The dragon's fangs gleamed in the light. “It’s not really a want,” Wilbur amended. “More of a debt really.”
Tommy gave the dragon a calculating look as his eyebrows furrowed as he tried to think of what he could owe the dragon. “And that is?”
“I saved your life,” Wilbur hummed. “So in turn you spend the rest of your life with me.”
Tommy balked. “Fucking what?”
“A debt is a debt,” Wilbur said. “And you’re too interesting to let go.”
Tommy took a step back prepared to fuckin book it but Wilbur shot forward and yanked him into his strong clawed grip. Tommy let out a startled shriek as they were suddenly in the air.
“Close your eyes little one,” Wilbur warned.
Tommy was helpless to do anything but listen.
Soon, but what felt like ages to the child, they arrived inside a huge fucking hallowed out mountain. There were enormous piles of gold, gems, cool trinkets, and treasures littered around
Wilbur casually strutted forward before dumping Tommy gently in a pile of gold. The child gave an offended squawk as Wilbur wasted no time in decorating the child.
A crown on his head, multiple golden bracelets covered in jewels, and necklaces and amulets were placed on him. Tommy tried to argue and pull away but Wilbur growled at him in warning and Tommy froze.
He was no match for a dragon. Tommy may be reckless but he’s not fucking stupid. Besides he owes this dragon a debt and that is something that nobody ignores if they want to live.
Soon Wilbur pulled back and Tommy watched wide eyed as the dragon’s pupils rounded and he honest to god purred. The dragon brushed one of his claws gently over Tommy’s cheek. He stared at him wordlessly with baited breath.
“Precious. Little gold. Mine. Spitfire. Child. Little one. My treasure. Mine. Safe. Safe. Safe,” the dragon rumbled.
Tommy swallowed as Wilbur rambled random words and assurances. He was tired and he couldn't fight him.
Besides, it's been years since he’s been safe and Wilbur is repeating that word over and over again. Tommy decided to throw caution to the wind like he always does.
“Safe,” Tommy repeats just to see what would happen as he watches Wilbur stare at him unblinkingly with his rounded pupils. “Yours,” he decided to add and he gasped as Wilbur’s pupils grew to completely cover his eyes.
The dragon then scooped him up abruptly making the crown fall onto the floor with a clang. Tommy barely has time to think before Wilbur settles down further deep in the cave and curls up with Tommy snuggled against the dragon's underbelly.
Tommy hesitates before relaxing. Was this fucing wild? Oh absolutely. However Wilbur was so fucking warm and he was so tired. The dragon let out a content hum and leaned down to nuzzle him.
“You’ll like it here little gold,” Wilbur murmured to him. “You’ll be safe in my hoard, part of it. No one will ever harm you ever again. I’ll decorate you in the finest of clothes, give you anything you wish for. My little sundrop.”
Tommy has spent his entire life alone without any care or protection. He longed for anyone to help him when he was younger. Yet here he is face to face, well face to chest really, with both being offered to him on a silver platter.
You can only fight for so long before you surrender, before your will and spark die.
Tommy knows defeat, has seen it first hand but he has always found a way to find a way to push himself back up. Giving up meant death.
Dragons could be cruel yet merciful and they rarely lied.
So Tommy surrendering to the dragon's warmth and care wasn’t giving up. Sure it was him giving in but he doesn’t think he’ll die. Actually he doubts he will with the way Wilbur is talking.
“Okay,” Tommy whispered despite himself. “You keep me safe and I’ll be part of your hoard.”
Wilbur’s purr was louder than anything he’s ever heard. The warmth and the comforting rumbling soothed Tommy in a surprising way. “Sleep little one,” Wilbur says between purrs. “Sleep.”
And Tommy for once in his life does what was asked of him.
This was the start of Tommy’s new life.
So here’s the thing: being part of a dragon's hoard was poggers and all but there were a ton of fucking downsides.
Tommy never left the mountain or the cave without Wilbur. Ever.
The dragon was overprotective but was not afraid to lightly injure Tommy to get him to understand his point.
Tommy was valuable, the centerpiece of the dragon's hoard, he was Wilbur’s favorite item and person. Wilbur would do anything and everything Tommy asked.
Dragons were morally gray at best and were iffy on morals. One thing that was universal was that hoards were dragons number one priority. So you can see how Tommy quickly became Wilbur’s.
Nothing bad was allowed to happen to Tommy. Wilbur would make sure of it.
Tommy was treated like he was something special, like he was someone who deserved to be loved. He told Wilbur that absentmindedly and the dragon snarled before forcing him to have Tommy time, aka when he cuddled the life out of Tommy.
Wilbur loved Tommy, he cared for him despite the bad parts.
Like how Tommy got his ears forcibly pierced so the dragon could add more gold to him. How Tommy freckles were now speckled with flakes of permanent gold. Tommy was watched and treated like glass. Like he truly was a valuable object.
It was a very big change from being treated like a diseased dog as he was in the past. People hurt him and spat at him. They grabbed his hair and yanked it as they gave him bruises and scrapes.
It was a welcome change.
Tommy only told Wilbur about his past once and the dragon promptly left and returned smelling like brimstone and had a smug satisfied look in his eyes.
There was nothing else to share. That was then and Wilbur was his now.
Tommy’s home was with Wilbur who was basically his brother. Wilbur would go out and do what he needed to do before returning to Tommy. Tommy would stay safe and sound in the mountain.
Now normally nobody even dared to climb the mountain. Only those greedy and foolish enough tried. Wilbur usually killed them quickly and let their bodies fall to the ground.
He called it a warning.
However, Wilbur wasn’t back yet and there was somebody standing at the entrance of the cave.
Tommy froze as his mouth dropped a bit. “What the fuck are you doing here,” he demanded sharply. “Do you have a death wish!”
The man strode forward and Tommy barely had any time to blink as his chin was grabbed roughly. Widened pupils reminding him of Wilbur greeted him.
Tommy swallowed as he quickly scanned the man’s features. Pointed ears, sharp tusks peeking from his lips, red eyes with slitted pupils, claws and light rose colored hair.
This was a fucking piglin hybrid.
Fuck.
“Oh Wilbur outdid himself,” the piglin hybrid murmured before he tightened his grip on Tommy’s chin causing some blood to spill as his claws pierced his skin. “Living gold,” he whispered seemingly entranced.
Tommy swallowed. “Get the fuck out,” he warned. “Wilbu will kill you if sees you.”
The piglin hybrid’s grip tightened more, drawing more blood. “Wilbur isn’t here so he can’t stop me from taking you,” he pointed out darkly. “Such a pretty trophy.”
Tommy blinked and then the piglin hybrid was pinned against the opposite wall by a furious Wilbur. His limbs were shaking slightly as Wilbur roared.
“Wilbur Wilbur I was- come on you know I was joking. You know me,” the piglin hybrid said in a slightly panicked voice. “We’re friends, yeah?”
“You try to steal my Tommy,” Wilbur hissed before he froze as his head turned and stared at Tommy abruptly as he smelled faint blood.
The now 15 year old was leaning against the wall shaking. His chin was covered in light cuts that were bleeding sluggishly and he looked pale and shaky. He tried to give Wilbur a grin but it was wobbly and strained.
“I’m alright,” Tommy tried to reassure as Wilbur’s pupils rounded a bit from their thin slits at him talking. “It’s alright Wilbur I promise. I’m alright. Still yours.”
Tommy’s progress of calming his brother down was undone by Techno shifting to put his hand on his sword. Wilbur immediately turned to him with his pupils barely noticeable by how thin they were before he snarled and lunged forward.
Techno neck was brutally bit into. Blood went everywhere as the piglin hybrid had no time to scream as he was ripped apart. Wilbur spared him no mercy and once he was done he snarled one final time.
“You do not get to touch what’s mine,” and then Wilbur fucking threw the corpse of the piglin hybrid out of the cave opening.
Wilbur turned to Tommy and his pupils softened at the sight of his Tommy.
Tommy merley swallowed and quickly grabbed a washcloth and dumped it into a bowl of water they had lying around before he lightly started to clean the blood off of Wilbur’s scales and face.
“Mine,” Wilbur rumbled. “My little brother. My Tommy. Sunshine. My gold. Spit fire. Sapphire. Little sundrop.”
Tommy threw the cloth onto the ground once Wilbur was cleaned and wrinkled his nose when Wilbur leaned forward and licked his chin lightly. He said nothing as Wilbur scooped him up and brought him over to where they usually slept.
Wilbur scented him gently as he nuzzled his cheeks with light smoke drifting out of his mouth before he pulled the child to his chest.
“Yours,” Tommy whispered into the dragon's underbelly causing him to purr.
Tommy spent the next two days being followed by a clingy possessive dragon and being snatched up to cuddle at random times. Which he hardly objected to.
Now normally any person would be horrified after seeing somebody be violently urdered in front of them. Sacred and terrified and probably traumatized.
But this wasn’t the first person Wilbur had killed.
Wilbur made it clear on day one that anyone who touched him or looks at him deserves death.
And Wilbur always keeps his word.
Always.