Archive of Our Own

Tommy jolted awake with a sharp gasp, sitting upright with a clammy hand clutching at the thin fabric of his shirt over his chest.

His heart was pounding for reasons he couldn’t pinpoint, thump thump thumping away in his ears. A dull remnant of pain burned beneath his skin, quickly dissipating with every passing second.

Breaths came out stuttered and stilted, his eyes wide and staring blankly down at his lap as he struggled to regain his bearings. His throat felt like shit, dry, scratchy, and begging for water.

Vision blurred from exhaustion, Tommy swung his legs over the side of the couch he'd been sleeping on and staggered to his feet.

Cold blackstone nipped at the pads of his sockless feet- maybe Tommy shouldn't have gotten Sam Nook to replace all the wood of Tubbo’s old house. 

After a brief moment of hesitation, Tommy snagged his crumpled blanket from the couch and wrapped it tightly around himself with a shiver.

Tommy stumbled his way down and out of the attic, muscle memory from a time long passed kicking in to guide him safely to the kitchen. 

He grabbed a cup from one of the cupboards and twisted on the knob for the tap.

The knob squeaked from disuse, no water came out.

Fuck. What was the closest place with running water? No way was Tommy going to be able to fall back asleep with his throat how it was.

Tommy closed his eyes and leaned against the counter, mentally going over whatever buildings he was pretty sure hasn't been entirely destroyed or abandoned yet. 

His home was buried under several layers of obsidian, he didn't really want to go to Eret's castle, Snowchester was way too fucking far…

Church Prime was practically right next door, he wasn't sure if holy water was drinkable, but it was bound to be better than puddle or sea water.

Tommy subconsciously rubbed at the spot that had been hurting when he woke up- right over his heart- before pushing himself away from the countertop, blanket still wrapped around his shoulders.

The front door opened with a soft click, refreshingly cool night air rushing to greet him.

Tommy took a deep breath, wincing at the twinge of pain it caused in his throat.

"Baa." Friend's silhouetted form greeted him as he stepped outside.

The sheep, having been laying in the safe grass of the Holy Land, was quick to stand up and begin meandering towards the teen.

Tommy met the sheep halfway, clumsily petting Friend's fluffy wool before continuing on towards the Church.

He had to squint as he got closer to the structure, the bright light stinging his sleep-laden eyes.

The sound of ever running water met his ears and Tommy wasted little time in approaching one of the small pools, letting his blanket fall to the floor.

He knelt down by the water side, bowing his head in a silent show of thanks before dipping his cupped hands into the falling water.

It was cold enough to turn his fingers numb in a near instant, water running down his forearms and dripping down onto quartz floors.

Tommy brought his shaking hands up to his mouth with the utmost caution.

The cool liquid soothed the ache of his throat, a sigh escaped his lungs at the pure relief the sensation brought.

He let his hands drop unceremoniously into his lap, drying them off on his pant legs.

Hooves click clacked behind Tommy, something nudged gently at his shoulder.

Tommy twisted around to look at Friend, "Hello. Did you need something?" He asked, voice rough from sleep despite the water.

Friend rumbled quietly, poking Tommy’s chest with it's nose.

A grin began to form on his face, "Aw, did you just wanna hang out? I bet you want a hug, don't you," Tommy cooed at the sheep, putting his hands on either side of it's face and bumping their foreheads together. 

Friend baa-ed at him, moving it's head to bump against Tommy’s chest again, a little more insistent this time around. 

"Hey, stop- stop that-" Tommy giggled at the feeling of Friend repeatedly poking his chest, the sensation almost ticklish.

He tried to push the sheep away, but Friend remained consistent in it’s attempts, pushing and nuzzling the fabric of Tommy’s shirt. 

Eventually, Tommy gave up, letting Friend poke and prod at him with a resigned sort of sigh. "You remind me of the various women I've met- because all of them flock to me and I have to go 'sorry women, you are very pretty, but I am in fact a minor,' you know?" He brought his hand up in a woe is me kind of gesture.

Friend grabbed Tommy's shirt between it's teeth and tugged down, earning a startled squawk from the teen.

“Aye? Friend that is- that is very inappropriate of you, I literally just got finished telling you about how I'm a minor-!" A flash of gold beneath the neckline of his shirt had the words dying in Tommy's throat.

Friend finally let go, "Baa!" It stomped it's hoof and nodded at Tommy.

Whatever good the water did for him earlier was reversed, Tommy's mouth was dry as he opened and closed it a few times.

Because what the hell was that? Was he imagining shit again?

Oh gods, please don't let the hallucinations be back- he didn't need another reason for people to write him off as paranoid or delusional whenever Dream finally came back for him.

Swallowing back his trepidations and fears, Tommy pulled the collar of his shirt back down.

Right there, branding the skin over his heart like a permanent tattoo, was a golden X.

"What?"  

What the hell? This wasn't- no way. No fucking way that bastard put some kind of goddamn claim on him.

Tommy squeezed his eyes tightly shut. It wasn't real, it wasn't real, it wasn't real-

He opened his eyes again and the gold remained, glittering in the lights of Church Prime.

"Oh fuck off with this shit. I hate masked men- fuck, I hate men. All men are wrongens and awful- when an asteroid comes to destroy earth I will make sure none of them escape on the spaceship," Tommy grumbled as he got back up and readjusted his shirt to hide the golden X.

He was going to absolutely murder Exdei the next time he showed his ugly mug around Tommy. 

Friend bumped it's head affectionately against Tommy’s leg with a clunky purr, apparently overjoyed by this (as far as Tommy was concerned) shitty turn of events. 

An annoyed growl built up in the back of his throat, "Whatever… C'mon, Friend, 'm heading back to bed." Tommy collected his fallen blanket from the floor, slinging it over his shoulder as he walked.

Friend trotted along beside him, head perked and still purring loudly.

Tommy felt the irritation in him soften- not at Exdei of course- but he couldn't exactly stay mad when Friend looked so happy. 

Tommy smiled down at the sheep, "D'aw, you're just a happy little guy, aren't you? You're so much better than that asshole god who doesn't know what cats are," he praised, rubbing behind Friend's ear.

The sheep bleated in what Tommy decided to take as agreement.

He stopped at the door to Tubbo’s old house, newly fortified to the last inch with obsidian and blackstone.

The block pallet didn't exactly have good association for Tommy- too many deaths and close calls happened in rooms made of those materials for him to look at it without his stomach twisting. But it was strong and blast resistant, and as long as Sapnap was telling the truth when he said he'd stand by Tommy when the time came- nothing bad was going to happen. 

Taking a deep breath, patting Friend's blue wool once for reassurance, Tommy turned the doorknob and stepped back into the house.

---

Tommy sat on the black and yellow walls surrounding his currently buried home, Friend's lead held tightly in one hand as the sheep walked unsteady over bubbly black rocks.

If he strained his ears hard enough, he was almost sure he could hear Shroud scurrying and hissing from somewhere in his home. 

Tommy kicked his legs idly back and forth, he didn't know how to fix this problem.

He couldn't get rid of the obsidian without a diamond pickaxe, but all of his materials were kind of stuck in the obsidian.

So the real question was, who could he scam?

Phil was old and pitying, he'd probably lend Tommy a pick if he started crying. The only problem being that Techno would almost definitely be watching and then make fun of Tommy for it.

Not fun.

So Phil was out of the question outside of a last resort.

He was pretty sure Wilbur was just as broke as Tommy was- so that was also a no go…

Sam? No, Sam let him die- he didn't want to talk to Sam right now.

Sam Nook on the other hand… 

Tommy nodded to himself, Sam Nook was good. He was powerful and he did what Tommy asked- usually in exchange for items- but that was besides the point. Sam Nook would have his base excavated by the end of the day.

"New plan, Friend! It's time to meet with my good pal, ol' Sammy Nook!" Tommy announced with a little tug on Friend's lead.

The walk to his- well, Jack's hotel now, he supposed- was nice and short.

Tommy used to consider it the prime location before the prison incident happened. That horrid box of death was too visible from the hotel.

But, it was where Sam Nook usually hung around, so he would just have to deal with it for a bit. 

As long as he got to see Shroud again, he didn't really care.

The sight of the towering hotel, all of its red concrete glory, brought a pang of longing to Tommy’s chest. He couldn’t deny the part of him that missed carrying out endless little tasks for Nook, the comfort that came with having a clear cut job to carry out for someone.

Alas, he wasn’t here for sightseeing and nostalgia, he had a job to do.

Tommy cupped his free hand in a half-funnel over his mouth, “Nook! Oh Samuel Nook, I have a favour to ask of you!” He called out, wandering through the largely abandoned hotel with Friend at his side.

He frowned at the glaring lack of Sam Nook’s chirpy voice, “Nook? You didn’t run out of power again, did you?”

No response.

Tommy looked between Friend and the ladder up to higher floors.

He considered leaving the sheep for a few minutes while he searched for Sam Nook, it wouldn’t even take him that long, ten minutes max.

But at the same time… Sheep weren’t exactly hard to kill, anyone could show up while Tommy was searching the other floors.

Hell, what if Dream showed up- and then he would kidnap Friend and use the sheep as leverage because he always knows how to make Tommy do what he wants-

Tommy turned on his heal with a tightened grip on Friend’s lead, “Fuck it, change of plan,” he said shortly.

He can find some other solution, maybe Quackity had a spare pick lying around Tommy could snatch.

Anything would be better than leaving Friend to fend for itself, at least in the Holy Lands there was a no kill rule to keep the sheep safe. Not that he was entirely sure animals were protected by that rule, but it still acted as a solid pet-killer/kidnapper repellent.

Tommy helped Friend clamber up and over the walls around his base, brows pinching in confusion when the sheep disappeared from sight instead of landing on the mound of obsidian he knew to be there.

“The fuck…?” Tommy pulled himself onto the wall- and nearly fell straight off when he found his base perfectly cleared of obsidian.

He gaped in slack-jawed shock at the somehow still vibrant grass and carrot farm that hadn’t had sunlight in days. “Wha- How?”

The familiar hissing of a spider drew Tommy out of his stupor, “Shroud!” He dropped Friend’s lead and bolted into his base.

And there Shroud was, sitting in it’s glass room just like the last time Tommy saw the spider.

A wide grin lit up on Tommy’s face, he didn’t hesitate to drop down to his knees and unlock the simple latch on Shroud’s room.

The spider leapt out with an excited series of clicks and hisses, scurrying several tight circles around Tommy before throwing itself into the teen’s arms and pressing it’s face into his chest.

Tommy hugged Shroud as tightly as he could without hurting the spider’s fragile legs. “Oh, Shroud, buddy. It’s- it’s so good to see you again,” he whispered fervently, eyes totally not stinging with the threat of tears.

“Baa.”

He heard Friend walk into his little shack of a home behind him, quickly followed by blue wool taking up his left peripheral as the sheep stretched it’s neck over Tommy’s shoulder to rest it’s head against his chest- just above Shroud- with a content purr.

Tommy let his eyes flutter shut, soaking up the comfort his pets provided with a faint sigh.

Safe. He felt safe.

“Whoever did this deserves a fucking medal,” he mumbled into the side of Friend’s neck, Shroud chittered in quiet agreement.

A pleasantly warm breeze blew in from outside, wrapping around Tommy like the briefest of hugs before with wind dissipated.

He wasn’t sure how long he sat there cross-legged on the floor of his first home with Friend and Shroud, but it felt like far too soon when he finally opened his eyes again.

Patting Friend twice on the neck and scratching lightly at the base of Shroud’s head, Tommy reluctantly stood up. He couldn’t sit around in his base all day, he had things to do, carrots to farm.

Shroud made a clicking noise at the movement, quickly scurrying up and settling on Tommy’s back and shoulders.

Tommy picked Friend’s lead back up, “Come on, you lot are gonna help me with the carrots,” he instructed, carefully not looking at the purple sign that still stood undisturbed in the center of his base as he left.

He was feeling good, and he wasn’t about to ruin that good mood by reminding himself of that prick.

So he walked right along past it without so much as a glance, soon to busy himself with the task of tending to his carrot farm and singing to whichever plants needed a little more time in the ground.

---

Tommy grit his teeth as he stumbled and nearly tripped over yet another uneven patch of stone in the cave.

The sore throat from the other night had come back, only this time it didn't fade after a drink of water.

Gods, he really hoped he wasn't coming down with a cold, he had so much prep work to do! He had to get weapons, armour, potions- anything that might help him take down Dream.

He couldn't afford to be rendered useless thanks to a shitty head cold.

Thankfully, this was hardly the first time Tommy's had to work through a sore throat and foggy head. Pogtopia was a rough time, to put it lightly.

So Tommy tightened the grip on his pickaxe and forged onward through the cave system.

Normally he would have just stolen any of the materials he needed- but apparently this wasn't a very TommyInnit friendly community anymore because everything was either locked up or hidden!

Not so much as a single diamond left unattended in a chest. Truly the worst hate crime against Tommy. 

Though, now that he was actually in a cave, he was beginning to believe that he would have been better off taking the long ass trek over to Techno’s place.

Because even if he failed to steal from Techno and Phil, at least Ranboo- Ghostboo- was still the richest prick on the server.

Unfortunately, past Tommy was a fucking dumbass and now he was stranded deep in some dark crowded cave that didn't even have any diamonds in it!

Tommy massaged his sore temple with his free hand. He just hoped Friend and Shroud were having a better time than he was over at Tubbo’s old base.

He bet they were sleeping on the couch right now, all warm and cozy…

Oh, what he wouldn't give to join them. To set his pickaxe down and collapse on the couch with his pets until his little cold passed.

Rattling of bones nearby jolted Tommy out of his daydreams with a short screech that tore at his throat.

Tommy switched his pick out for a dull iron sword, backing himself against the cave wall and scanning the dark for the sheen of an arrowhead.

Stark white bone stood out as a skeleton appeared from behind a stalagmite.

Tommy raised his sword, bracing himself for a fight when- "Fucking, what?" He rasped when he saw the skeletons bow was pointed down at the ground and unloaded.

The skeleton made no move to grab an arrow from it's quiver even though Tommy knew it could see him.

Bones clicked and rattled together as the skeleton opened its mouth like it was trying to speak to him.

Was Tommy dreaming? Why wasn't the skeleton shooting at him?

The skeleton started walking towards him and Tommy felt his heart leap up into his throat 

Dreaming or not, the absolute last thing he wanted was to risk taking damage- he couldn't fucking handle that shit.

"Stay- stay the fuck back!" He demanded as loudly as he dared given his ruined throat.

In an admittedly unexpected turn of events, the skeleton listened. It completely stopped moving, still watching Tommy with empty eye sockets.

Tommy looked down at his hand, was he some kind of god?

God of the dead?

A shiver ran down his spine. No thanks, he's already had enough death for one lifetime.

So then why…?

Bones rattled again, Tommy looked back up at the skeleton.

It was opening and closing it's mouth again, though this time it pointed up at the cave ceiling?

Since when did hostile mobs get into charades?

Tommy tilted his head at the skeleton, "What does that mean? Do you want to go to the surface, is that it?" This was definitely fucking weird, why was he talking to a skeleton?

The skeleton paused, going perfectly still for a few seconds before jabbing a bony finger at Tommy, and then up at the ceiling again.

"Wha- me? Do I want to go to the surface?" Tommy clarified, understandably baffled.

The skeleton gave a single decisive nod in response.

Okay, no, Tommy was definitely dreaming right now- in no way was any of this real. 

...But having a skeleton escort him to the surface seemed pretty fucking badass regardless, "Sure. Bring me up, king." Tommy sheathed his blade and gestured for the skeleton to lead the way.

And the skeleton listened, bones and arrows rattling together with every step the mob took.

Tommy couldn't help but stare openly at the Skeleton- it was just so weird!

None of it felt like a dream, his throat still felt raw and painful, his feet were still sore. It was too realistic.

He just- he couldn't quite get his brain to wrap around the fact that he had apparently encountered a friendly skeleton.

Did it think Tommy looked dead? (Was Tommy dead? No, no, no, no-)

A splash of green caught on the corner of his vision and Tommy’s breath stuttered.

A creeper was just… Standing there, entirely unbothered by Tommy walking only a few blocks distance away from it.

Tommy upped his pace despite his legs' aching protest at the extra effort. The sooner he got out of this weird cave, the better.

The air got steadily warmer the further they walked, getting closer and closer to the cave's exit.

Right as Tommy could start to see bright daylight seeping into the cool greys of the cave, the Skeleton stopped walking.

Tommy faltered, glancing between the cave exit and his boney guide, "Guessing this is as far as you'll go, huh?"

The skeleton said nothing, of course, only stared back with those lifeless sockets.

Tommy cleared his throat awkwardly, big mistake considering the tiny invisible knives that seemed to be lining it, "Alright, thanks. I guess… You are okay I think," he complimented with a smile that was only slightly awkward before hurrying out of the cave.

Fresh air filled his lungs as his shoes made contact with soft dirt and grass.

He closed his eyes and took in the sound of birds chirping, of wind gently ruffling through leaves and branches.

Man, such a beautiful day would be absolutely wasted in the caves. Tommy should have just gone to rob Technoblade from the beginning.

---

"Shhh, Shroud, shhh!" Tommy smacked his finger against his lips as he struggled to hush the spider on his shoulder.

Not that Shroud was being particularly loud- if anything, Tommy was the one making the most noise.

He just wanted to go steal some diamonds and maybe- maybe, some gapples- if he was feeling a little quirky.

Though, with the amount of noise Tommy was producing, it likely wouldn't take long for his genius plans to be foiled by Techno or Phil. Whoever it was that happened to hear him first.

Tommy tried to haul himself up the windowsill to peer into Techno’s home, but a mixture of cold fingers and a fuzzy brain had him slipping and failing to do what was normally easy for him.

His hands plunged into freezing snow, cold wetness stinging his already numb hands and forearms.

A hiss slipped out from between Tommy's gritted teeth at the sudden shock of pain.

It was only Shroud’s presence on his shoulder that kept Tommy from panicking over the sensation.

He tucked his damp hands away under his armpits in an attempt to maintain whatever meager warmth he had left.

Gods, he really needed to get around to making himself a new pair of gloves soon. Bad project to keep putting off, given how often he's stolen from Techno and Phil. 

But you know what? Crime waits for no man! Not even a professional crimeboy such as himself.

Tilting his head to rub his cheek against Shroud’s for good luck, Tommy decided to take the risk of walking straight through the 'back door' that led to the first basement of Techno’s house.

He only half closed the door behind him, faster escape route for if things went south.

An adrenaline fueled smile sparked to life on his face as Tommy hurried over to the array of chests.

The old wood was like a familiar friend beneath his frozen fingertips, an almost frenzied feeling overtaking him as the similarities to the first time he’d stolen from Techno began to set in.

From his woeful unpreparedness for the harsh weather conditions, all the way to the looming threat of Dream forever edging on the corner of his mind.

For a moment he wondered if his room was still there, or if Techno had ever gotten around to filling it up with stone.

But- back to the task at hand!

Most of Techno’s basement chests were full of worthless junk, paper, gunpowder, dyes, the likes.

Tommy clicked his tongue and shook his head in disapproval, Techno should really do some downsizing- hard for Tommy to rob him blind when all of his chests were so filled to the brim with clutter.

He pushed open another chest, prepared to find much of the same- only for a tingle of excitement to flow through him at the sight of shiny armour and weapons.

It wasn't anything too special of course, most of it old and chipped. But all of it was better than what Tommy currently had- which was nothing.

So Tommy happily grabbed at the old iron chestplate and helmet, tucking everything that looked even slightly useful into the dredges of his inventory.

And then- absolute jackpot- a barely worn down diamond axe was sitting at the bottom of the chest, doomed to forever collect dust without Tommy’s benevolent intervention.

It was just too bad that Techno didn't keep any of his food downstairs, Tommy could really go for a gapple right about now-

"Ahem."

Tommy stiffened, frantically shoving the axe into his inventory and slamming the lid of the chest shut.

He jumped to his feet and spun around in a movement that only made him feel like falling over for a split second.

Techno was leaning with his back against the Pogtopia poster covered wall, arms crossed and eyebrows raised.

Tommy shuffled a little closer to the open- oh, the door was closed. Techno had closed the door while he was distracted. 

Great.

Tommy subconsciously reached up to scratch beneath Shroud’s chin, "Hey, Techno… What- uh, what are you doing here, man? Long time no see!" His voice sounded scratchy and awful, he was definitely getting sick, wasn't he?

The hulking Piglin hybrid looked as unimpressed as ever by Tommy antics. Techno shook his head, "What is this, your favourite hobby? Bro, go steal from some other rich guy," he grumbled.

Tommy forced a laugh that almost caused a cough to spring from his throat, "Techno, my friend. You know we- we get along so well, you and I. What's mine is yours, and because I have so few things, what's yours is very much so, mine, you know? We just- just- just click like that, yeah?" He started to panic ramble, eyes flicking between Techno’s deadpan stare and the sharpened axe at the man’s hip.

Techno pushed away from the wall with a heavy sigh, his arms dropped down hoof-like hands just barely skimming past the hilt of his axe.

Fighting to keep his fear from showing, Tommy raised his hands in false surrender. "Hey now, big guy, no need to be getting all hot and bothered over this- 's not like you're using a bunch of iron gear for anything," he insisted defensively, taking another subtle step towards the door.

Techno's ears twitched, "That’s not the point, Tommy. The point is that you can't just steal from me every time you break another chestplate or start a fight you can't win." Techno stalked slowly forward as he talked.

"The point-" Techno continued, "-Is that you have to earn your own things for once instead of waiting around for other people to do all the heavy liftin' for you." His footsteps halted, Techno stood towering over Tommy, taking up almost the entirety of his vision.

Anger combated with the fear coiling tightly in his chest, Tommy glared up at Techno, "Yeah, well maybe I wouldn't have to 'let other people do the heavy lifting for me' if other people would stop blowing up my shit, Techno," he shot back pointedly.

Shroud readily backed him up with a loud hiss, truly the perfect spider.

It did nothing to dissuade Techno, who only looked more exasperated, "You weren't even livin' there when I blew it up! And it was months ago! That's plenty of time to get your act back together!" He stressed.

Tommy clenched his fists, "You're not the only one who hates me, pig-boy!"

"I don't see how that's my problem. Just stop being so unlikable!" Techno snapped back, tusks bared.

Tommy disguised his flinch with a scoff, "Fuck you." He tried to back away, quickly meeting stone walls that sapped the last bit of warmth from his body.

Techno laughed and Tommy judged the distance to the door. "Me? I'm not the thief in this scenario, Tommy."

If Tommy was gonna run, he'd better do it soon. He just needed some kind of distraction…

A pitchy yap sounded as a ball of white fur hopped deftly around Techno’s feet and inserted itself between them.

Tommy stared in surprise at Techno’s fox that was now yapping incessantly at it's owner.

Clearly, Techno was just as confused as he was when he gave his signature, "Heh?"

Not one to look a gift horse- gift fox, in this case- in the mouth, Tommy made a mad dash for the door.

The blast of cold air awaiting him outside made the escape feel a lot less worth it, and he was almost tempted to turn right back around to… Steal one of Techno’s capes…

Tommy made a snap-turn for the snow dusted stairs, the fox's yapping still audible and ear-piercing as he slammed open the front door.

Techno's indoor polar bear, Steve, huffed at Tommy, but let the teen run past and fling himself at the ladder all the same.

He could hear Techno’s startled shouts growing louder as the Piglin no doubt followed him up to the main floor.

Panic gripped at Tommy as he willed his numb fingers to cooperate for fucks sake, climbing up the the top floor faster.

Just as he remembered, one of Techno’s spare capes was hung up on the wall, right next to a window.

Perfect.

Tommy snatched the heavy red cloak off it's hook and slung it over his shoulder, Shroud adjusting it's position to sit on the fluffy lining around his neck.

The ladder started to creak under added weight behind Tommy.

"You better not be nabbing all of my stuff up there, Theseus!" Techno warned, half of a threat in his voice.

One half of a threat too many- Tommy scrambled with the latch on the window, failing several times thanks to his cold and unwieldy fingers before it finally unlocked.

Tommy yanked the window open, he heard Techno’s hand slam on the wooden flooring behind him.

"You stole one of my cloaks!?" 

Tommy threw himself out of the open window, his feet skidding immediately off the small portion of available roof, sending him tumbling in a heap to the snowy ground below.

He gasped in pain, nothing quite broken, but hardly pleasant considering the already rough shape he was in.

He bit back the whine that threatened to spill from his throat, stubbornly staggering to his feet and wrapping Techno’s snow speckled cloak tighter around himself.

There wasn't any time to lie around and wait for the pain to go away, Techno would be chasing after him any moment now. 

Gritting his teeth and narrowing his eyes against the cold, Tommy forced his legs to move.

---

Tommy was lying curled up on the couch, the cloak he stole from Techno draped over his aching form.

He felt like he'd gotten trampled by a horse and then took a tumble down a mountainside. Every square inch of his body hurt and Tommy wasn't sure what to do anymore. 

His mind was filled with a perpetual assault of fuzz and static, the only thing reminding Tommy that he wasn't stuck back in the prison was the comforting weight of the cloak and the worried pokes from Shroud.

Everything just hurt so bad. He wanted it to stop, go away-!

A harsh cough ripped itself through his throat with stabbing pain.

Tommy’s body trembled with the force of it, curling tighter in on himself with labored breathing.

Where was Wilbur? He wanted Wilbur to come and help him.

Something touched Tommy’s shoulder and he flinched back on instinct with a distressed whine.

Low murmuring filled the air and it almost sounded like someone was talking underwater, too distant for his sick-addled brain to make sense of.

He didn't need to understand it though, because as the weight on his shoulder slid over to start playing with his hair, Tommy could almost pretend it was Wilbur.

The pain that coursed through his body seemed to seep out of him and Tommy felt himself begin to melt.

A soft chuckle rang like windchimes over him, followed by the low crooning voice that was still blocked and muffled by the cotton stuffing Tommy’s head.

His throat still felt like it was trying to kill him, but at least the rest of him was no longer bruised and broken.

The hand in his hair paused in its gentle massaging for a moment. 

Annoyance flickered within Tommy’s chest, "I'll kill you," he grumbled, pushing his head into the hand. 

The responding laughter went right over his head, because why would he pay attention to any of that when a second hand started playing with his hair?

Tommy sighed contentedly as cool palms caressed his burning cheeks and forehead, soaking in the relief and comfort.

His body felt like it was floating amongst the clouds, a safe sense of sleepiness curling around his consciousness as what few surroundings he'd been able to pay attention to faded into the background.

A sleep filled with dreams of soft blankets and tight hugs soon took Tommy into its waiting clutches, welcoming the boy with open arms.

---

Tommy woke up slowly and surrounded on all sides by warmth, an unidentified weight resting on his chest.

The dry prickle of discomfort in his throat was the only indicator that he had ever been sick, all of his previous body aches and stuffed up head reduced to an unpleasant memory.

Several minutes passed where Tommy slipped in and out of a half-asleep state, only reluctantly opening his eyes when boredom started to set in.

He was greeted by the sight of Shroud's beady red eyes staring back at him in a fashion that was only mildly creepy.

Tommy snorted, "G'morning, Shroud," he rasped, cringing at the off taste in his mouth.

The spider hissed a greeting back at him before scuttling up the couch and onto the wall.

A yawn escaped Tommy as he propped himself up into a sitting position, letting the cloak he stole from Techno pool in his lap.

Sunlight streamed in through the attic's clumsily boarded up windows, the few beams highlighting the scattering of dust particles in the air. 

A single glass of water was sitting on a small wooden table that Tommy didn't remember bringing up. 

He frowned, the imprint of a memory fluttered just out of reach, tangled between dreams and reality.

Was someone actually here yesterday- this morning? Tommy wasn't actually sure what time it was, how long he'd been sleeping for.

Regardless, he wasn't expecting the hand in his hair to have actually been real. He had been almost certain that it was some kind of fever-induced fantasy.

Wilbur didn't know Tommy was staying here, right? Unless Phil told him?

But then how would he have even known to show up when he did?

Ugh, Tommy would just ask him about it later- if it even was Wilbur.

Could have been Sapnap for all he knew. Not that Tommy had much faith in that guy's ability to take care of a sick person.

Pushing the confusing thoughts to the side for the time being, Tommy curled his fingers around the glass and took a sip.

The last of his sore throat eased as it came into contact with the cool liquid.

Tommy set the glass back down with a clink and a satisfied exhale.

After only a second of consideration, Tommy pushed the plush red cloak off to the far end of the couch and stood up with a stretch.

Now that he was feeling proper well and good again, he was ready to give the tools he stole from Techno a more thorough inspection- see if they were all up to code, you know?

Tommy had a slight spring to his step again as he kicked open the trapdoor and lowered himself out of the attic.

He glanced out a window as he walked by to check on Friend, who was happily grazing within the safety of the Holy Lands.

Good.

He hummed an old tune to himself, practically hopping down the stairs in his eagerness to check on his loot. 

When he got to the dining room table, he summoned the stolen gear from his inventory and let it clatter onto the wooden surface.

Barely tarnished iron armour and tools easily covered the table. Most of it was made for someone much bulkier than Tommy, but that was fine because he was only planning to use it for as long as it took to get diamond and netherite.

And then, of course, there was the prime bit of loot, the barely used diamond axe.

Tommy picked it out from the clutter with a sharp grin even as his arms strained to lift it.

It was definitely one of Techno’s tools, that was for sure. The axe head on its own was nearly twice the size as Tommy’s face, and it's sturdy hardwood handle reflected that.

Just a little bit of netherite and Tommy would be unstoppable with this thing (ignoring the fact that he had to learn how to actually swing it without ripping his arm from its socket first).

He slipped the axe back into his inventory for safekeeping before turning his attention back to the much less interesting iron armour and tools.

Pickaxe? Already had a better one. Iron boots? Unsalvageable, they were designed specifically with hooves in mind, he'd have to melt it down completely…

He went on like that for a while, separating things into piles based on whether or not he could feasibly use them as is or if he would need to turn them to scrap. 

When he finally pushed the last item into the 'smelt down' pile, his stomach was churning and growling its demands for food.

Tommy looked between the piles of heavy metal gear and the collection of chests on the other side of the room.

Eh, the gear wasn't going anywhere, Tommy worked hard enough just to sort it, he deserved a break.

He picked a carrot out of his inventory, snapping off a bite before looking out the window with a considering hum.

It was a nice day out, Friend could probably use some company.

Taking another bite of the carrot, Tommy pushed open the front door and made his way over to Friend.

"Hello, Friend," Tommy greeted brashly, feeling a small sense of joy when he realized he could actually do that without fucking up his throat now. 

The sheep looked up from its grazing, bleating a greeting back at him with a wagging stump of a tail going off behind it.

Tommy took one last bite of his carrot and tossed the butt end to Friend, "There, recycling, 'n shit," he stated plainly, taking out a second carrot for himself.

He sat down in the grass, slowly chipping away at his second carrot whilst Friend ate its piece in a single bite.

The sun was already far along in the sky, only about another hour or two max before sunset arrived.

Guess that meant any resource gathering (stealing) expeditions would have to be put off for another day.

Tommy spread his arms and flopped backwards into the grass, staring up at the clouds as they moved almost imperceptibly through the sky.

He wondered what Wilbur was up to now that the whole Wilburger thing had fallen through. 

 Maybe he was out apologizing to someone, like Fundy or Niki.

Or maybe he was just sitting around in Phil's house. Probably not, he was too much of a busy body to waste his time like that, but the possibility was there.

Grass crunched as Friend folded it's legs beneath itself to lie down beside Tommy, chin tucking into fluffy blue wool.

Tommy reached a clumsy hand over to bury his fingers in a fistful of Friend's dense wool.

His eyes slipped shut with a small sigh. He wasn't sleeping, just resting for a few minutes…

Cool evening breezes flitted by overhead, blowing just barely low enough to tickle Tommy’s hair across his forehead every now and then.

He took the moment of peace to reflect back on the past few days.

It'd been a weird fucking week. The obsidian magically vanished from his base, mobs and animals all seemed to be on his side, and then there was that mark on his chest.

Huh, he hadn't actually checked on that in a while. Not since it first showed up- he kind of forgot about it if he was being totally honest, it kinda just seemed like nothing in comparison to the rest of his week.

Tommy squinted his eyes open and craned his neck, lifting his shirt to get a better look.

Lo and behold, the marking was still there. Two golden lines intersecting over his heart to make an X.

"Did he…?" For the first time that week, Tommy felt a theory begin to click into place. 

A suspicion nagged in the back of his mind, the answer to all of the recent oddities feeling closer than ever.

He let the fabric drop with a quiet scoff, even if Exdei did do all this, Tommy wasn't about to give that dumb prick of a god any extra attention for it. 

Tommy used Friend to pull himself back up, hopping to his feet. "Who's god's favourite now, Gogy," he joked under his breath. 

He brushed blades of grass from his pants, "Right, heading back in now, 've got my various valuables to go stash. Try not to die of boredom without me here to keep you company, Friend," Tommy announced with an exaggerated pat to the sheep's head.

Friend made a mix between a hum and a grunt, Tommy took the noise to mean that, while Friend would miss him dearly, the sheep would be okay for a bit.

Tommy flashed a grin before strutting back to Tubbo’s old refortified house. 

The front door was… Slightly ajar when he got to it.

What?

Fear lodged in his throat, this was just- he just forgot to close the door fully, right?

No one was in here, why would anyone be in here?

Just in case, Tommy readied himself to pull the diamond axe out of his inventory at a moment's notice as he crept cautiously into the building. 

The piles of iron gear were still untouched on the table, nothing looked like it had been moved or stolen.

When he eventually deemed the first floor cleared, he felt some of the anxiety lessen. The odds that he simply failed to close the door all the way became more and more likely the longer he looked around. 

He got up to the second floor and he definitely didn't close that trapdoor.

Tommy bit his lip, eyes darting around the room, terrified that he would see green. 

Nothing jumped out at him, no honeyed tones mused at his fear.

Did Shroud accidentally close off the attic?

It hadn't happened yet, but it didn't sound too far-fetched. Shroud was a little lacking in the finger department, so he wouldn't have been able to reopen the trapdoor if that really was the case.

Footsteps light and barely breathing, Tommy padded over to the ladder to the attic. 

He grabbed one of the ladder rungs in a white-knuckled grip. "Shroud? Shroud, buddy, you- it's just you up there, right? No one else is here, right?" Tommy called up in a loud whisper, voice just a shake away from trembling.

He didn't hear a response and his brain immediately jumped to panic, already convinced that someone had gone up and killed the spider despite the no-kill rule.

"Shroud?" He repeated a little louder.

The tip-tap of multiple legs scurried through the ceiling, a loud hiss responded to his call.

Tension dropped from Tommy’s shoulders, "Oh, thank god." He rested his forehead against one of the ladder rungs.

If Shroud was still up there then it was probably just an accident and Tommy left the door open and nobody was- the sound of an intentional step behind him- here…

"Hello again, Tommy. Long time no see!"

No, no, no-

Tommy summoned the diamond axe from his inventory with a wave of his hand, spinning on the balls of his feet and backing away with his weapon raised.

A mask smiled back at him, Dream stood between Tommy and the stairway. Bits of green fabric were hidden beneath netherite that was worn like a second skin, the Axe of Peace was held loosely at the man’s side.

Tommy stumbled further back, oversized axe nearly slipping from his grip, "No- no, get the fuck- how?" He sputtered in between breathless gasps for air.

"What, how did I get here? The door wasn't exactly locked, Tommy," Dream scoffed.

Tommy shook his head rapidly, "No, how did- how did you find me here? I thought I- did someone tell you- who the fuck told you! Who- I-" he was cut off by his own choked up attempts to regulate his breathing.

Dream’s sigh was muffled by his mask, "Tommy, Tommy, Tommy… I'm starting to think you wanted me to find you," he tsked.

He continued before Tommy had the chance to find his voice.

"I mean, no one has used this house in years! Like, blackstone and obsidian, really? It was like a beacon to your location!" Dream gestured at the fortified walls and floor with his axe for emphasis.

Tommy tried not to gape, he really did- but was it true? Did he really lead Dream right to his location just by trying to make the place safer?

Dream chuckled, "It's alright, Tommy, consider the message received." He started walking towards Tommy. 

"What? What do you mean? Back the fuck up- there is no message, prick!" Tommy spat, lifting his diamond axe with wobbling arms. 

Dream didn't so much as hesitate, "I'm bringing you back to exile, of course. Back to your home!" He clarified with so much false cheer that it made Tommy feel genuinely sick to his stomach. 

Tommy swallowed back the bile that threatened to rise in his throat, "Exile is not my home- you- if you take one step closer, I'll- I'll- I'll chop your fucking head clean off, you hear me?" He threatened.

Once again, Dream remained unperturbed, continuing his deliberate march forward for every step back Tommy took.

Tommy’s back slammed into a wall of chests, Dream took his opportunity to close the distance between them. "You're not gonna do that Tommy, you wanna know why?"

The man smacked the oversized axe out of Tommy’s hand, sending it clattering to the floor.

Words refused to come out of Tommy's mouth, the why stuck in his throat even as he already knew the answer Dream would give.

A strangled cry ripped itself from his throat as Dream's axe embedded itself in the wood inches from Tommy’s head with a sickening crack as it splintered.

Inky black dots for eyes stared into his soul, "Because you're my friend," Dream reminded, faux genuineness that messed with Tommy's head every time lacing his tone.

Tommy could feel his head going all fuzzy- because he knew it wasn't true, Dream wasn't his friend, but he just kept saying it.

"No I'm not," he whispered back hoarsely, eyes wide as he pressed himself as flat as humanly possible against the wall of chests.

Dream laughed like it was a joke, he leaned more heavily into the axe beside Tommy’s head. "Yes you are, Tommy. Why else would you make it so easy for me to find you, huh? Didn't you miss me, Tom?" Dream's free hand reached up to grab his face.

Tommy snapped out of his frozen state, shoving Dream’s chest before barreling past him and making a run for the stairs.

"Don't run from me, Tommy!" Dream sing-songed after him.

Tommy jumped down the rest of the steps, "Fuck you!" He shouted back without hesitation.

He tried to make a sharp turn around the dinner table and ended up clipping his hip on the corner.

The pain sent him down to the ground in an instant with a sharp cry at the agony pulsing through his upper thigh.

Slow footsteps drew steadily closer, the high pitched scratching of a netherite axe dragging along blackstone ensured that not even Tommy’s ears were spared of pain.

Hissing through his teeth, Tommy planted his palms on the ground and tried to push himself up.

A kick to his unprotected side sent him sprawling back to the floor with a choked gasp. 

"I told you not to run, Tommy," Dream's voice was dangerously cold, a threat for if Tommy dared to get back up again.

Blackstone and netherite boots were all Tommy could see- well, as much as that was, given the pain induced tears that blurred his vision.

Dream knelt down next to him, and this time when he reached out a hand to brush his knuckles lightly against the boy’s tearstained cheek, no retaliation was made.

"Look at you, falling down and hurting yourself like this… Be realistic, you need me, Tommy," Dream murmured, so dense and honeyed that his mere voice was thick enough to suffocate.

Tommy cringed away from the hand ghosting his cheek, "You- you fucking kicked me," he managed to choke out.

Dream pulled his hand away with a shrug, "You were trying to run, I couldn't have that," he explained nonchalantly.

Gods- fuck, he was never gonna escape Dream, was he?

"Come on, let's get you back home- we can rebuild Logstedshire together! Doesn't that sound fun, Tommy?" Dream yanked Tommy up by his arm.

Tommy stumbled and winced as the sudden movement aggravated the bruises that were no doubt forming along his side and hip.

Dream’s fingers were digging into Tommy’s arm, another bruise-to-be, dragging him out the front door with minimal effort.

He was going to die- no one would ever hear from him again- no, no, no, please no-

Tommy grabbed the hand around his arm with trembling fingers, "Please- Dream, please don't. I can't go back there- you know I can't go back there again, please," he whimpered and begged to no avail.

Anyone- he just needed anyone to walk by, to see what was happening- to save him.

Phil, Wilbur, Tom Nook- he'd take Quackity or Jack Manifold at this point! Even Exdei-!

A blast of wind came out of nowhere, slamming into Tommy and Dream with relentless force. It was almost enough to tear the teen away from his captor's grasp.

Dream’s surprised shout was swallowed up by howling winds, his fingers dug tighter into Tommy’s arm.

Blindingly bright gold tore a rift through the sky, claw-like hands pierced through from the other side, pulling the rift wider.

Maybe if Tommy wasn't already simultaneously terrified for his life and hurting in three separate locations, it would have looked like the most badass thing- unfortunately, Tommy could barely breathe thanks to the high speed winds, much less appreciate a glittery entrance.

Exdei crawled through the rift with all the hellish charm of a pissed off eldritch horror in a blatant contradiction to his literal god status.

"Leave the child alone, I'm not asking twice," Exdei growled, voice cutting through the wind with ease.

The grip on his arm didn't so much as loosen, "Dream-Exdei, what a surprise," Dream bit out dryly.

The god drifted closer to the ground, wings fanning out on either side. "Five… Four…" Exdei started counting.

"What's your business with Tommy anyway, last I checked, gods don't intervene with mortal affairs unless they have to!" Dream demanded loudly over the wind. 

Tommy tried and failed to pry the fingers from his arm again.

Exdei’s head spun to the side, "My 'business' is that I've claimed him, now let go of what's mine. It'd be a shame to have to smite someone with so much potential," he explained in his low distorted tone.

In a turn of events that was equal parts relieving as it was surprising, Dream actually let go of Tommy. 

Tommy didn't hesitate to scramble away, heart pounding in his ears and air finally entering his lungs again after what felt like hours of near hyperventilating.

A blur of blue wool darted towards him as Friend nuzzled into Tommy’s uninjured side with a concerned bleat.

Tommy tangled his hand in the wool, but kept his gaze firmly on Dream still standing on the edge of the Holy Lands.

Dream turned around with his hands raised in surrender, a gesture ruined by the gleaming netherite axe in his hand and the way his mask was staring directly over at Tommy.

"That's alright, he'll get bored of you soon enough, won't he, Tommy." It wasn't spoken like a question, Dream uttered the words like an inevitability, a fact.

The unwavering certainty was enough to send a shiver down Tommy’s spine, "Just fuck off or fall on your own sword already, dickhead!" He spat with newfound confidence brought on by the (temporary) support of a god.

Dream stepped backwards out of the boundary line, tossing an ender pearl off in the distance as he walked, "See you soon, Tommy." The man disappeared into a shower of purple particles.

The wind calmed nearly the second Dream was gone, Exdei dropped down until his feet were only inches above the ground, drifting over to Tommy with ruffled feathers.

He reached out and Tommy flinched, heart still going like a jackhammer in his chest and mind stuck on fight or flight mode.

Exdei paused, but didn’t retract his hand, only shifted it slightly to appear more like an offered handshake, “Let me heal you.”

Swallowing thickly past the rampant fear and focusing on Friend’s soft wool beside him, Tommy hesitantly took the god’s hand.

Warmth more comforting than a sunny day flooded through his fingertips at the contact, gathering around his sore ribs and hip, melting the lingering pain away in moments.

Just as quickly as it had spread through his system, the warmth faded, "Better now, kitten?" Exdei asked.

It took Tommy a few seconds longer to respond than normal, "'M not a fucking cat, dumbass." He tore his hand back with a scowl that didn't feel quite right on his face yet.

"Okay," Exdei drew the word out, obviously unconvinced.

Tommy looked away from the god with a short huff, looking back to where Dream had been not even a minute prior.

He started rubbing his thumb in small circles through Friend's wool as anxiety started to crawl its way back into his chest.

If Exdei hadn't shown up when he did- fuck, Tommy really didn't want to think about that, his hands were already trembling as he struggled to shove the thoughts away. 

"Well, try not to get into any more trouble, bye now, kitten." Exdei waved an arm, cutting brilliant gold through the air in the process.

Tommy lunged forward without thinking, clinging to the god's green robes and digging his heels into the dirt as if that could stop him from moving.

Thankfully, Exdei actually did stop, his disconnected head tilting down Tommy.

And that was all the prompting the teen needed for words to start spilling from his mouth, "Don't- please don't leave me alone, he's- he's just gonna come back and I can't. I can't handle that anymore! I don't care what you call me, just- just please don't leave," Tommy rambled between desperate gulps for air to fill his collapsing lungs.

Silence stretched on, the rift shimmered but remained behind Exdei.

A choked laugh bubbled up in Tommy's throat, his knees went weak, "He's gonna fucking kill me," he whispered, catatonic.

Finally, after an uncomfortable amount of time passed without response, Exdei said something, "Alright." The rift collapsed inwards on itself, folding out of existence.

Tommy had half the mind to be shocked- because what? Was it really that simple? No weird deals or attempts to corner him into indebted servitude or something equally as bad and permanent? 

Tommy’s hold on Exdei’s robes slackened with thinly concealed relief, "Good, because I... Yeah, good." Now that he was no longer convinced Dream was going to immediately come back for him, Tommy felt just about ready to fall over.

As if taking the isolated thought as a go-ahead, Tommy's legs buckled and swayed beneath him.

Exdei’s hand shooting out to grab him by the back of his shirt was the only thing to save Tommy from absolutely eating the dirt.

"Woah, careful there, kit-kat." Exdei made sure Tommy was able to stand on his own before he let go.

Tommy locked his legs in place with a stubborn glare to his traitorous jello knees.

The god leaned into a head tilt, drifting to the side, "So, what are we doing?"  

Good question. What was Tommy doing?

"I…" Tommy trailed off, glancing at Tubbo’s old house.

Fortified, prepared, and yet still no match for Dream.

Tommy took a deep breath and tried again, "I need to get stronger. Netherite chestplate, armour- everything. I can't let him keep messing with me, 'cause every time he does, it fucks up my head- can't tell what thoughts are mine and it- it's fucking-" Tommy cut himself off as he was hit with a realization.

Because he had a god- well, no, Exdei wasn't exactly his- but he still saved him from Dream, so why wouldn't he- "Give me netherite," Tommy blurted.

Exdei’s shoulders shook with a wheeze, "You're so needy," he laughed, head tipping against his open palm.

Tommy stood up straighter, puffing up his cheeks in offense. "I am not needy! I just have personal reasons why I don't want to go to the Nether and you are being very discriminatory and rude by not giving me what I want!"

"Mhm, is that so? And are you willing to pay the price for the exchange?" Exdei's voice rolled into a teasing tone.

Tommy didn't bother to hold back his frustrated groan, "Oh my god, man. You have literal fucking magic, just give it to me for free, you stingy bastard," he insisted.

Exdei leaned forward, bending down until his face was on the same level as Tommy’s, the wide grin was still just as unnerving as it was the first time he saw it. 

"Mm, that's not how it works, kitten," Exdei hummed pleasantly.

Tommy wrinkled his nose at the god, "Why not?" The answer better not be some bullshit like 'there are rules'.

"Because that would be cheating-"

That was somehow worse than Tommy’s original prediction.

"-and I've already shown enough favoritism by saving you." Exdei finished his boring explanation by tapping his finger against the tip of Tommy’s scrunched up nose.

Tommy fixed Exdei with a deadpan stare, "You're patronizing me right now. This is wrong, I want Wilbur," he decided before tilting his head back with a deep inhale.

There was half of a confused noise from Exdei, but Tommy was already yelling at the top of his lungs, "Wil-bur!"

And then, just as a little treat out of habit, "Phil!" Tommy called out, drawing out the I in Phil's name for as long as his lungs allowed.- which was to say, a very long time.

But apparently gods didn't have a sense of humour, because all of a sudden a hand was being slammed over Tommy’s open mouth. "What the hell is wrong with you, there's no one to hear you scream for miles, idiot," Exdei hissed.

Tommy glared up at him, the only reason he had for not immediately licking the god's hand in retaliation being that he would get compared to a cat again.

"Are you going to stop screaming now?" Exdei asked seriously. 

Steeling his expression to be as flat and deadpan as possible, Tommy nodded.

The hand pulled away from his mouth with a relieved sigh, "Good-"

Tommy didn't stay quiet long enough for Exdei to finish what he was saying. "You understand why saying, 'there's no one to hear you scream', might sound a bit wrong, yeah?”

"Oh my fucking-" Exdei’s voice distorted out of comprehension.

Keeping a straight face very quickly became an impossible task and Tommy couldn't help but double over laughing, pounding his fist over his chest as the sound mixed with a strangled cough. 

He almost didn't notice the sound of shuffling fabric as Exdei moved when Tommy wasn't looking.

"If you're just going to act like an idiot, I'm going to leave now," the god threatened, putting an end to Tommy’s laughter.

Tommy’s head shot up, "No, no, no, you can't just- you can't just leave!" He took an aborted half-step closer to Exdei.

Exdei lowered the arm that he had raised up, presumably in preparation to summon a rift.

His head spun into a slow sideways tilt, "I'm a god, I've got work other than babysitting you to do, kitten. Unless you can offer me something in return, I don't have time to stick around," Exdei pointed out, unnaturally still as he stared down at Tommy. 

"What, so my presence isn't enough for you now?" Tommy tried.

Exdei’s silence spoke volumes.

Tommy tapped his foot in an attempt to dispel the nervous energy gathering in his system as he mentally scrabbled for a reason to not be left alone.

To his growing distress, his mind kept drawing blanks. If Exdei wasn't planning on giving him anything without a deal involved, what real reason could Tommy give that wouldn't be discarded outright?

And then once Exdei was gone, Dream would show up and drag Tommy back back to exile and he was going to be killed and revived and killed and revived and-

"Take my hand." Exdei’s voice cut through the panicked whirlwind that had been tearing through Tommy’s mind.

Tommy startled at the sound, blinking, "Huh?"

Exdei didn't clarify, his clawed hand unwavering as it stayed outstretched.

Silently deciding that anything was better than being grabbed by Dream again, Tommy slipped his hand into Exdei’s much larger one.

A second passed and nothing happened, "Uh-"

Tommy yelped as his hand was abruptly tugged, pulling him up into the air, "What the fuck!?" He shrieked, clinging to Exdei as they rose higher and higher.

Exdei’s chest shook as a chuckle rumbled through him, "You scared, kitten?" It was nothing short of a miracle that his voice could be heard over the sound of massive wingbeats.

They had to be about forty blocks up and rising, "Stop! I don't want to get high! People ask me, and I always say no to drugs- you're going to fucking drop me!" Tommy sputtered over the wind and noise, wide eyes staring at the instant death he was dangling over. 

Just as he was about to start panic rambling, Exdei wrapped his free arm across Tommy’s chest and pulled the teen backwards into a much safer hold against his chest.

"Relax, I'm not going to drop you," Exdei chortled into his ear, as if it was a funny prospect. 

Tommy held the arm over his chest in a death-grip, clinging to the sole barrier between him and falling to his death. "Well excuse me for not trusting you with my life, prick!"

Exdei either didn't hear Tommy or chose to ignore his yelling- considering he was a magical god, it was probably the latter option.

They finally evened out into a steady glide when Tubbo's old house and the Church started to look like miniature toy houses.

Tommy- he didn't quite relax, fingers still tight around Exdei's arm- but he found himself gaping in awe at the landscape below.

It all looked so different from above, (the last time he'd been this high up, it was from the top of a pillar) it was absolutely fucking mental. Tommy felt like he could see everything!

"Not so bad now, huh?" Exdei mused, slowly banking left in the air.

Tommy grinned, "This is so fucking cool, man. Is this what it's like to be Philza Minecraft?" Genuine joy and excitement slipped out, not even thinking to disguise it behind false indifference.

He felt more than he actually heard the hum Exdei made, rumbling quietly in his ears, "Close your eyes." Exdei swung out with the arm that wasn't holding Tommy, a bright gold trail appearing a few dozen blocks ahead.

The rift grew in size the closer they got, flashing brighter until it was on par with Exdei’s halos.

Tommy squeezed his eyes shut at the last possible moment, leaving scattered stars across his vision thanks to the bright light.

Gold flashed across his closed eyelids, Tommy found himself twisting his head to hide his face in Exdei’s cloak.

The wind picked up around them for a few moments before suddenly calming again. 

He felt Exdei slow down, eventually going back to an upright position that left Tommy’s legs to hang awkwardly in the air.

Birdsongs whistled from somewhere nearby, a clawed hand carded through Tommy’s windblown hair, "Feel free to open your eyes anytime, kit-kat," Exdei murmured with an undeniable grin in his echoey voice.

It took Tommy a minute to get his body to cooperate again, carefully flexing his fingers open and closed, uncurling his stiff arms from where they had been wrapped around Exdei’s. 

Tommy slowly pried his face away from soft green fabric, blinking the disorientation from his eyes that still stung from the wind.

He wiggled around until Exdei let him down and Tommy was quickly struck by a sensation that he could only equate to the clumsiness one would often get their first time on a boat. 

"That's so fucking weird," he mumbled under his breath, holding out his arms for balance as he wobbled around.

Shaking the jittery feeling from his limbs, Tommy took the opportunity to look around.

It didn't look particularly special, just a little flower filled meadow, surrounded on all sides by forest.

He glanced back at Exdei, "Is this your secret hideout?" Tommy questioned.

Exdei’s head rotated in a slow circle, "No. I brought us four-hundred thousand blocks out," he corrected, leaning backwards onto open air and waving a semi-translucent black screen into existence.

Tommy squinted in an attempt to read the words on the screen, finding them all to be written in unfamiliar symbols.

"What's that?"

Exdei didn't look away from his screen- or maybe he did, hard to tell when the guy didn't have eyes, "Work," he stated bluntly as he typed something into it.

Watching Exdei type shit into the magic screen was only interesting for about five seconds before Tommy was faced with a crippling case of boredom. "Work is dumb, this is why you don't got no bitches." He stuck his tongue out at the god.

"My 'boring work' is the only reason this world is still standing, kitten," Exdei retorted back smoothly.

Tommy pulled a face, "Oh my god, you sound so self-centered right now, you- look at me, I'm addicted to my electronic devices, but it's okay because I'm god!" He mocked.

Exdei sighed heavily, "Go bother the plants before I change my mind and send you back."

Making his annoyance known with exaggerated footsteps and loud huffs, Tommy stormed off to a patch of daisies with a sharp, "Fine."

Tommy picked at blades of grass, cutting them into thin stringy lines with his fingernails for lack of a better activity.

Unless…?

Tommy panned his gaze over to the pond off on the other side of the clearing.

He looked down at his jeans with a frown, silently weighing the cons of jumping into a stagnant body of water without a change of clothes.

...Well, at the very least he wouldn't be bored anymore. 

Just as Tommy went to stand back up, an unusually strong breeze knocked him off balance.

Shooting a suspicious glare towards Exdei, who was still typing into his screen-thing, Tommy made another attempt to stand up.

It went uninterrupted, and Tommy was willing to believe it had been a fluke.

Until he started walking to the pond and another strong gust of wind went by with enough force to make Tommy stumble.

Tommy whipped his head around to glare at Exdei again, "Are you fucking doing this, mate?" He demanded, starting to feel a bit peeved.

This time, Exdei actually paused, though only to deliver such a genuinely bewildered sounding, "What?" That Tommy thought he might've actually had it wrong.

Tommy raised his hands apologetically, "Sorry, sorry, misdirected anger."

Tommy waited until Exdei started typing again to take a single step towards the pond.

Nothing.

He took another step, experiencing zero wind resistance.

Confident again, Tommy sped up the pace-

And was immediately blown backward by what he was now convinced to be sentient wind.

Tommy held his hands up to shield his face, leaning forward as he fought valiantly back against the wind.

He fell onto his hands with a startled yelp as the wind suddenly reversed direction.

Tommy spat grass from his mouth, "I won't let you best me, foul beast!" He shook his fist at the sky before charging forward with a screeching warcry. 

He ran headfirst into a wall of impenetrable wind that whipped at his hair and clothes.

Okay, so this wind was one hundred percent made of magic if it wasn't Exdei’s doing.

"Fight me, bit- agh-!" Tommy was thrown to the side like he weighed nothing as the wind changed directions again.

The wind didn't relent when he hit the ground this time, sending him rolling uncontrollably down an otherwise gentle slope.

Tommy screamed, "Murderous wind! Murderous wind!" He cried out, grappling for a hold on the soft ground.

His hand finally caught on the base of a surprisingly sturdy sapling, "Aha! Take that, you windy bastard-" 

The sapling uprooted itself. 

Just- straight up, the plant levitated up and out of the ground.

"Oh come on!" Tommy was sent tumbling through the meadow again with a shriek.

He was pretty sure he just swallowed a bug, and you know what? That's where Tommy draws the line.

"Fucking stop it, 'Dei!"

The wind slowed, allowing Tommy to finally roll to a stop.

He rubbed at his forehead with a groan, brushing away several bits of grass that had imprinted onto his face.

"Having fun?" Exdei asked, amused.

Tommy opened his eyes, the wind had oh so conveniently rolled him all the way to Exdei’s feet.

He crossed his arms and glared at the god, "You're a prick."

An airy bout of windchime laughter was the only response Tommy got, Exdei turned back to his screen.

Something shifted in Tommy's mind, a new plan forming. 

Because if Exdei could cause problems on purpose, so could Tommy. 

Tommy grabbed a fistful of grass and chucked it at Exdei.

A well-timed breeze blew it back into his face, making him sputter and spit to get it out of his mouth. 

"Initiate Plan B," Tommy muttered under his breath as he goblin-walked his way over to the pond.

He was pleased to note that no wind tried to stop him- less pleased to note that there weren't any fish as far as he could see.

"...Plan C," he decided, crouching down to scoop up as much gross algae shit as he could fit into his cupped hands.

Tommy stage-gagged at the slimy texture, "This feels so fucking uckers, man," complained to no one.

But it was so worth it for the payback, justice would be served.

Tommy considered making an attempt at an evil laugh, but eventually decided that it would draw too much unwanted attention. 

He tried to appear casual as he walked in a wide arc around Exdei, eventually making it to the god's blind spot.

Grinning deviously to himself, Tommy crept up from behind, goop covered hands raised and ready to get his revenge.

"Take that!" Tommy lunged at Exdei before he had the chance to turn around, all according to plan.

What wasn't according to plan was Tommy completely fucking phasing through the guy.

Hands covered in slimy algae, he was rendered unable to catch himself, all but face planting into the dirt.

"Did you know that cats are ambush predators? They prefer to sneak up on their prey from behind before pouncing," Exdei recited as Tommy hit the ground.

Disgust. That was the only possible describing word Tommy could use for how this dumbass god made him feel.

Tommy pushed himself back up again, shaking algae from his hands and smearing whatever remained off onto his jeans. "You are the worst person," he glowered.

Exdei laughed, wings shaking and twin halos growing momentarily brighter as he wheezed.

Tommy pursed his lips, "You've got lung problems, mate," he stated it like a fact, because it totally was.

After hacking up what was probably only one lung, Exdei cleared his throat and shook out his wings.

"Are you getting grumpy? Sorry, I keep forgetting how much playtime kittens need." Exdei snapped his fingers, summoning something small and shiny into the god's hands.

Tommy eyed the object with open suspicion.

Click.

A little red dot appeared on Tommy’s arm, flicking around alongside the twisting of Exdei’s wrist.

Oh wow, new describing word for his feelings toward Exdei just dropped! 

It's hate.

"Get rid of that. I'm not chasing a goddamn lazer pointer, because I am not a fucking cat," Tommy growled.

The red dot darted down into the grass, "Are you sure? Looks pretty fun," Exdei tempted, as if it was at all within the realm of what Tommy wanted to do with his time.

Tommy shook his head, disgust fully evident in his expression, "Why don't you chase it if it's so fun," he shot back.

Exdei tilted his head, "I'm not a cat."

"Neither am I!" Tommy exploded, waving his arms around angrily.

"If you say so," Exdei hummed calmly, unbothered by the outburst. 

Tommy deflated with a sigh, this bitch was way too dumb to be a god.

He looked Exdei up and down- not a thought behind those non-existent eyes. "I pity you, dumb one." Tommy reached out to pat the god sympathetically on the arm, phasing through him again.

"Uh-huh?" Exdei's voice sounded like he was smiling again.

Tommy nodded in confirmation, "It is alright though, I will teach you what animals are- someday," he vowed.

Without warning, a gust of wind slammed into Tommy from behind.

He fell into Exdei’s waiting arms with an undignified squawk.

A hand roughly tousled the boy’s already messy and knotted hair, "Well, aren't you a clever little kitten, going to teach a god with unlimited knowledge all you know, hm?" Exdei's tone was both teasing and fond at the same time.

In a weird way, it kind of reminded Tommy of Wilbur.

Pre-elections Wilbur, that was.

"I've got my work cut out for me, you may even be unteachable- but I'll try my damn best," Tommy announced dramatically, voice muffled as he melted deeper into Exdei's arms.

A low chuckle reverberated against his cheek, Tommy felt his eyelids droop as the hand in his hair started kneading, delicately working through various tangles.

"I'm looking forward to it, kit-kat."

"Still not a real word," was the last thing Tommy mumbled before all the stress from the day finally caught up to him, sending him drifting off to sleep in Exdei’s arms.