Archive of Our Own

“Do you really have to leave?” Tommy whined as Tubbo preened his wings. He enjoyed the feeling of his friends hands going through his wings, he was trying to ignore that this was the last time for a while.

“I’ll only be gone a month and a half,” Tubbo soothed. 

The two boys were sitting on Tubbo’s living room floor on the makeshift nest Tommy had made. This was one of the only safe spaces for Tommy to have his wings out in the open since avians were heavily discriminated against– his own parents being part of the problem. 

“I know, but I’ll miss you,” Tommy admitted. “You're like my family.”

Tubbo paused behind him, sucking in a breath. It wasn’t often that Tommy professed his love out loud like that. He tended to do it in touches like in gentle squeezes of a hand or ruffling Tubbo’s hair. Leaning close to him in movies or falling asleep on him after a long day. 

Words were rare, and they meant that whatever Tommy was feeling couldn't be contained to even the sweetest gesture off affection. It meant that his love was so loud that even the stars above could hear it, that Saturn’s rings were acting as a radio tower, sending the messages of love and deep heartfelt affection to the very edges of their universe and beyond. 

When Tommy said anything out loud it meant that the love he felt was etched onto his heart, that it filled his veins to a point he couldnt hold it in anymore. 

When Tommy said he loved someone, it meant that he was feeling it so deeply that it felt like he would shatter from how much love he had for them, it meant that his soul was circling their like the moon revolved around the Earth, for all eternity, like it was always meant to be. Bound together by a pull that couldn’t be broken until the universe collapsed. 

“I’ll be back before you know it,” Tubbo promised. “It’ll be like I never left.” 

“I know. Just hurry back! I miss you already,” Tommy whispered. 

Tubbo smoothed back the last feather before crawling into the nest next to Tommy. Tommy wrapped a bright red wing around Tubbo, cradling him in the nest as he buried his face in Tubbo’s hair.

This was the first time Tubbo would be leaving Tommy alone for more than a week. Some people might call him clingy or needy, but Tubbo knew better. He knew that Tommy had never had anyone in his corner, had never had anyone who loved him as he deserved. 

Tommy’s parents hated him for his avian half and, by extension, didn’t show Tommy any love. For years, Tommy had lived in shame of who he was, of what he was. But then a year ago when Tommy and his family had moved into town, he had met Tubbo. At first, Tubbo hadn’t known that Tommy was an avian  since he hid his wings at school, but he had found out after Tommy had chirped one day out of excitement. Tommy denied it when asked about it, but after a few minutes of Tubbo gently coaxing him, he had eventually shown the brunette his wings. 

Bright red with stripes of blue and gold at the tips-- a scarlet macaw. Tubbo had stared in awe at how pretty his wings looked. Tommy just ducked his head in shame. 

After that, Tubbo learned a lot about Tommy and his home life. He learned how he had to preen himself, how he was usually expected to cover his wings at the dinner table. About how his parents had taught him how to suppress his chirps and caws. 

And slowly Tubbo learned true unbridled rage. He hated Tommy’s parents for what they did to his friend. His friend, who as he slowly got to know Tubbo, showed his true colours. He was loud and funny and so caring for those around him. He was a fiery ball of chaos and mischief with a teasing smile always tucked away at the corner of his mouth, a playful light shining from his brilliant blue eyes. 

Tommy shifted, breaking Tubbo out of his thoughts. Tubbo was now half laying on top of him and took a deep breath. 

“I wish you didn’t have to go,” he whispered shamefully. “Isn’t that awful of me? You’re off to have a great time with your family and I’m being selfish and wishing you could stay behind.” 

“It’s not selfish,” Tubbo said, grabbing his hand firmly. “You’ve been alone for so long. I don’t want to leave you either. But you’ll be fine, I promise. I’ve asked Wilbur to keep an eye on you while I’m gone.” 

“Wait, what do you mean? I’m not a kid,” Tommy insisted indignantly. 

Tubbo laughed. “Relax. I’ve just asked him to see you at least once a week so he can preen you. Besides, I thought you liked him?” 

“I mean, I do, but he can be a right prick sometimes,” Tommy grumbled. 

Tubbo just rolled his eyes fondly knowing that was Tommy speak for ‘I love him’. 

Tommy shifted them again, this time in such a way that his other wing was laying on top of Tubbo, his arms wrapped loosely around his torso. It was what Tubbo called his koala position. Tubbo smiled and leaned into his chest knowing that this was how they were sleeping tonight. 

A few days later, Tommy waved as the car pulled out of the driveway and towards the airport. Hh sighed heavily and grabbed the key Tubbo had gifted him on a chain. He rubbed his thumb over the teeth, feeling somewhat at peace with the knowledge that he was welcome into the Underscore house at any time. 

He spent a few more minutes standing on the lawn before he finally started walking home. Along the way, he untied the hoodie that he had around his waist and tugged it on, being sure that it went low enough to cover his feathers. 

It was easier keeping his wings tucked away in public and at home than it was dealing with the snide remarks and distasteful looks his parents dolled out. It made it easier for him too. 

Because, the truth was, he hated his wings. He hated how they looked, sure, but more importantly, he hated all that came with them. He hated the need for nesting, hated how he claimed people as flock even when they were so clearly nothing more than friends. He hated the chirps, tweets, and caws that left his mouth. He hated everything about them. 

He walked through the door, greeting his parents with a small wave, which they barely acknowledged. Tommy ignored the pang in heart at their reaction and walked to his room where he curled onto his bed, not removing the hoodie. 

When his parents called him for dinner, he walked down slowly, feeling unsure of how dinner would go. 

He took the pasta his mom made and sat himself down. 

“So, the Underscore’s are gone I take it?” his mom said halfway through the meal. 

Tommy nodded, he could already feel his feathers fluffing up. His parents weren’t fond of Tubbo. 

“I’m glad. Maybe you can finally get your head on straight and realize how the world isn't kind to people like you” his mom said with a smile.

Tommy ducked his head, avoiding his mom's gaze. He already knew, he hated hearing it. 

“She’s right, you know. Before Tubbo, you were doing really good at keeping that part of you buried. Then suddenly you met him and think that it’s okay to be a half-bird creature,” his dad added. 

Tommy just swallowed and nodded, ducking his head once more. 

He never let himself indulge his avian-half until Tubbo,, but even then, Tubbo was usually the one that forced him to. He wanted to defend his friend, tell his parents that Tubbo had never done anything but be kind to him. But he didn’t want to risk it again. 

Last time he had defended his friend, they had taken away the few nesting materials they had given him. It wasn’t like they gave him a whole lot to start with, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t anything to take away. 

They had also banned him from Tubbo’s house. That had been the real thing that got to him. 

The rest of dinner passed slowly until Tommy went back to his room. When he got there, he didn’t bother taking off his hoodie despite knowing his parents wouldn’t walk in on him with his wings out. And, he was technically allowed to have them out right now. 

He just… didn’t want to. 

He heard Tubbo’s voice in his head telling him he should take it off and stretch them out, but he ignored it. Instead, he closed his eyes and curling up on his sad little nest, already counting down the days until Tubbo came back.

A week passed. Tommy spent the first few days trying to ignore the fact that he had no one in his classes to talk too. His only reprieve from loneliness was lunch when he sat with the twins, Wilbur and Techno. They were a grade above him though, so as much as Tommy had begged Wilbur to try and take a class a grade below him, his schedule hadn’t let him. 

At lunch, Wilbur let Tommy sit as close as he liked. They weren’t quite that close yet, but they were getting there. He teased Tommy relentlessly, always seeming to know what Tommy needed despite the fact that Tommy never asked. He was kind and gentle when needed, but wasn’t afraid to be blunt. 

Not as blunt as Tubbo, but still. 

Techno was a calm presence at the table. Helping Tommy with his homework and stopping Wilbur when he went a bit too far. Techno wasn't used to sugarcoating things, so when Tommy needed an opinion, he always turned to him, knowing he would be honest. 

He was used to hanging out with the twins with Tubbo next to him. Wilbur often called them little menaces, Tubbo just smiling innocently at the accusation while Tommy let out a full wheezing laugh. 

It was different without him. Everything was different with Tubbo. Tommy didn’t realized how much he depended on him until he was gone. 

It definitely wasn't an unhealthy dependency, but it was a noticeable dependency. 

He no longer had anyone to turn to and tell his jokes too, no one to distract when he was bored, no one to distract him. He missed the small touches he used to give Tubbo too. Leaning his head on his friend's shoulder then calling him short. Elbowing him when he made a bad joke, lightly punching his arm when Tubbo jokingly attacked him. 

They were two binary stars in the night sky, orbiting and keeping each other grounded in the infinite sea of the night sky. And now Tommy was alone, floating through the inky blackness without someone to anchor him, without someone to help him navigate through the nothingness of the universe. 

He was off balance. Alone. Scared.

But, beyond the boredom and loneliness that seemed to penetrate his every waking moment, it got worse at home. 

His parents made more comments about his wings, celebrating the fact that he had managed to completely suppress the sounds that he so desperately wanted to make, and they praised him for not asking them to preen his wings like he used to even though Tubbo was gone. 

And Tommy… well, he took it. He drank in their praises, desperate for some form of validation when he felt so off-kilter. He wrapped their honey-dipped cruel words and held them against his heart because it had been so long since he had felt their love that he took it and revelled in it. 

After school on Friday, Tommy was about to head home when a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He looked up confusedly. 

“Hey Wilbur,” he said, cocking his head to the side. “What’s up?” 

“You’re coming with me,” Wilbur said, grabbing his hand and tugging him towards his car. 

“Wait, what?” Tommy asked, following Wilbur.

“Tubbo made me promise to take you home once a week to preen you,” Wilbur reminded him, stopping at the trunk of the car and popping it open. Techno’s bag was already there, Wilbur pulled his off then motioned for Tommy to do the same. 

Once both bags were securely in the boot, he practically shoved Tommy into the car before going around to the other side. The driver’s seat was taken by a familiar blond man with large, sleek black wings. 

Phil, Wilbur and Techno’s dad. The Mycan family, the only people besides Tubbo that knew about his wings and all that he was. 

“Sorry, Mr-” 

“Tommy, I’ve told you. Call me Phil, and there’s nothing to apologize for. You seem to forget I’m an avian too. I know how important it is to preen,” Phil said, cutting him off. 

“Right, so- okay,” Tommy said, cutting off his own apology. Phil had told him plenty of times before not to apologize like that. So did Tubbo. Still, it was a habit he had.

Once everyone was secure with Techno in shotgun and Wilbur and Tommy in the back, Phil started driving. 

The drive over was calm. Gentle music from the radio played along with laughter as Wilbur regalled the car with some of his recent misadventures. When they got to their house, they unloaded their backpacks and Wilbur immediately dragged Tommy to the living room where Phil had a nest set up. 

“Hoodie off,” Wilbur ordered. 

Tommy took a deep breath before yanking it off. He gently stretched his wings out, wincing when the tense muscles protested.

“Tommy,” he heard Phil say with a wince., “Are you alright, mate?” 

Tommy just shrugged. He knew they were bad. Constantly under a hoodie, even when he was sleeping, getting rumpled as he moved around, rubbing against the cloth. He hadn’t even bothered to preen them, really. He hadn’t felt up to it. 

“Right, Wil, I’m taking over for the first bit. You can have a go once I’ve gone through the worse of it,” Phil said walking to the nest. “Is that okay, Tommy?” 

Tommy nodded, still not saying anything. 

Phil sat down behind him and worked carefully, gently tugging loose feathers free and sealing separated ones by running his fingers over the shaft. He realigned their barbs, laying them flat across the appendages. 

When he deemed it okay, he called in Wilbur who took over, working slower with slightly clumsier hands but no less caring, no less loving. 

By the time they had finished, it was dark out and Phil offered to drive him home. Tommy refused, saying he would rather walk. Phil had looked unsure, but had conceded when he got Tommy to agree to taking a sandwich on the go. 

Along the way home, Tommy stretched out his wings, relishing in the way the cool night air slipped its fingers through them. He couldn't fly— no avians could- but they could glide. 

Tommy’s parents hadn’t taught him, it was Tubbo and Phil. Tubbo had found out he couldn’t glide and had immediately dragged Tommy to Phil’s, banging on the door. From there, Phil took him out once a week until he could. 

Tommy smiled at the memory, watching as the fireflies danced in the grass as he continued his trek home.

It didn’t take long and, soon enough, he was pulling on his hoodie. When Phil had finished preening, he had given Tommy a stern warning to take off the hoodie when he slept and to at least make an attempt to preen himself. Tommy had promised that he would, however, he was unsure if he would keep that promise. 

He walked through the door, not even bothering to greet his parents. He just trudged up to his room where he changed into his pyjamas and brushed his teeth before settling into bed. He debated putting on the hoodie, but both his parents worked tomorrow, so he went for it. 

The weekend passed slowly. 

Tommy tried to pick up his sewing project, but he found he didn’t have the energy for it. He felt guilty though since it was a birthday gift for Wilbur, so he forced himself to finish at least the current section. 

He was also finally able to talk to Tubbo via text, but it turned out the place they were staying at didn’t have signal. That explained why all his messages hadn’t sent. Tubbo was having a great time with his family, but wished Tommy was there. Tommy just sent a “:(“ in return. When Tubbo sent “:’(“, Tommy sent a “<3” which the older boy repocricated. 

Tommy walked into his class on Monday morning, ready for it to be a repeat of the next week, only to find a magpie avian sitting in Tubbo’s usual seat. 

Tommy blinked, unsure of what to think of the situation. 

“Tommy,” his teacher called. “Come over here.” 

He walked over to her, glancing back at the magpie in Tubbo’s seat. 

“That’s Ranboo, he’s new to our school. I know that you and Tubbo are pretty close, but since he’s away, I figured that putting him there wouldn’t be a problem for now. The only empty seat would be over by the back corner but I know those kids have had bad experiences with avians in the past so I don’t want him to cause any problems,” he explained. 

Tommy rolled his eyes internally over the phrasing. Of course the problem was the avians and not the kids. Tommy was willing to bet his left wing that the avians hadn’t done anything wrong in the first place. 

“Sounds good,” he said instead, already walking over to his usual place. He didn’t have much else to say to him.

“Hey,” the magpie said when he approached.

“Hi,” Tommy said, dumping his bag on the ground behind him like usual. 

“Uh- I’m Ranboo,” he said, introducing himself. 

“Tommy,” he said, nodding. 

“Cool.” 

“Yup.” 

Tommy sat down, playing with the little elastic he kept on his wrist. Ranboo looked like he wanted to say something, but didn’t know how. Tommy felt bad for him. Being the new kid wasn’t fun. He would know.

“So, do you know what you’re doing in this class?” he asked, breaking the awkward silence. 

Ranboo nodded. “The teacher gave me a rundown. We were just starting this unit at my old school, so I should be fine.” 

“Cool.” 

Tommy bit his lip, unsure of where else to go. He tried to think back to his first day at this school. He didn’t remember much. Tubbo had taken it upon himself to be Tommy’s tour guide. He looked at Ranboo and figured he should extend the same courtesy, paying it forward and all that. 

“Hey, Ranboo?” Tommy started tentatively. 

“Yeah?” Ranboo said, turning towards him. 

“Uh... did you want me to show you around the school, maybe?” he offered. 

Ranboo slumped in relief. “If you wouldn’t mind. This place is huge and my friends used to call me ‘directionally challenged’,” he said with a small chuckle. 

“Sure thing, man! I offered, didn't I?” Tommy said, patting his shoulder before freezing and pulling away. “Sorry about that,” he hastily apologized. 

Ranboo blinked at him, processing the past few seconds. 

“I don't mind,” he told him finally. 

“Are you sure? We just met,” Tommy pointed out, worrying his bottom lip. 

Ranboo just shrugged. “Yeah, I had a few friends like that. Always with the shoulder pats and whatnot. I like it! Makes me feel important.” 

Tommy just nodded, unsure. 

Thankfully, the bell rang a few seconds after saving them from another awkward silence.

Class passed fairly smoothly and Tommy quietly caught Ranboo up whenever he asked Tommy to clarify something for him. Tentatively, Tommy made a few jokes about the material and class and felt relieved when Ranboo laughed. Not just a polite laugh, a genuine laugh. 

When the bell rang, he gathered his things and got up, waiting for Ranboo to do the same. When he stood up, Tommy just stared. He was looking up . 

“What?” Ranboo asked, his eyes widening with concern. “Is there a bug in my hair?” 

“No, sorry. You’re just freakishly tall,” Tommy said without thinking.

Ranboo blinked before he burst out laughing. 

“Have you ever considered that maybe you’re just short?” he asked, resting his elbow on Tommy’s head the way Tommy did to Tubbo. He ignored the ache that went through his heart at the familiar gesture before playfully batting away at the arm. 

“I’ll have you know I’m a very big man,” he grumbled.

“Teeny tiny,” Ranboo teased tapping Tommy’s nose. 

“Oi,” Tommy said grabbing his wrist. “I am not tiny. You’re just a freak.” 

Ranboo laughed, wriggling his wrist so Tommy let go before he laced their fingers together. “Mhm, whatever helps you sleep at night,” he teased. 

Out of instinct, Tommy gave Ranboo one quick squeeze before letting go of his hand the way he had done with Tubbo dozens of times before. 

The two left the class still teasing each other. Ranboo handed Tommy his schedule once their laughter had died down so Tommy could lead him to his next class. 

“We have third period together, so just stick with me after lunch,” Tommy said leading him through the crowded halls. He glanced back and slowed his pace when he saw that Ranboo had gotten blocked by a wall of slow walkers. 

When he caught up he pointed down the hall. “Okay, the cafeteria is that way and your class is just to our left here.” 

Ranboo nodded as Tommy dragged him to his classroom door. 

“That teacher is a right prick if you get on his bad side,” Tommy told him as they stood outside the door. 

“So, what did you do?” Ranboo asked, raising an amused eyebrow.

“Oi! What makes you think I did anything?” Tommy asked, crossing his arms over his chest. 

Ranboo just looked down at him expectantly. 

“Tubbo and I played a prank last year on April Fool’s day that might have messed with their desktop and scrambled around all the files,” Tommy admitted. 

“Of course,” he said, chuckling. “Who’s Tubbo?”

“Tubbo’s my best friend. He’s the one that set up the desktop prank. I don’t know the first thing about computers, but he knows that stuff like the back of his hand,” Tommy explained. 

“He sounds great,” Ranboo said, smiling.

“He is! He’s the best. Just don’t tell him I told you that,” Tommy told him with a grin. 

“I won’t. When will I meet him?” Ranboo asked. 

Tommy slumped. 

“He left last week for a month and a half family trip,” he told Ranboo.

Ranboo chirped softly, soothing Tommy. 

Tommy resisted the urge to chirp back and instead just leaned into him, his face ending up on the magpie’s chest. 

“Sorry,” he said quickly, standing up straight.

“It’s fine, really,” Ranboo assured him. 

Tommy just took a step back. “Bye! Shoot, I should go before I’m late,” he said waving. 

Tommy walked to his next class, riding the familiar wave of kids, unabashedly shoving people out of the way. If they were going to walk slowly, then he would push them if he needed to. 

The next period passed fairly quickly. He liked Ranboo well enough so far and was eager to get to know him more. He had a funny sense of humour and was already teasing Tommy as hard as Tommy was teasing him. 

And his wings. 

They were beautiful. Perfectly pristine black and white, glossy the way healthy wings were. They looked soft too. Tommy admired the way that the wings completed his thinner silhouette, the way they looked so right on him. So unlike Tommy’s own. 

Tommy’s wings that seemed to draw attention to themselves, that were usually dull despite Tubbo’s best efforts. His wings that looked wrong on him, like they had been an impulsive last minute addition to him. 

A voice that sounded like Phil whispered that he didn’t actually think that, that he was taught to think that. That it wasn’t true and that his wings completed him. 

Tommy ignored the voice. 

He doodled on the worksheet as the teacher went through it. He would speed through it once she stopped talking. There was no point in starting it and listening to the teacher go through it, when at the moment, it seemed like an arduous task. 

Usually at this point in the day, Tommy would text Tubbo a complaint or a meme, but there was no point in that right now.

Finally, she let them go and Tommy opened his textbook and went through the questions. This one one of the only normal classes he had. He shared most of his day with Tubbo, the only thing they didn’t have together was second and third period, but they usually texted a lot during third so his absence wasn’t a big deal. 

When the bell rang, his teacher called him over to discuss some overdue work he had. Tommy rolled his eyes. He knew it was overdue, he just had a few sewing projects that he had been working on instead. 

His parents didn’t care much either, so he didn't see the big issue. His grade wasn’t suffering– not yet anyways. But he promised to finish them soon. He did intend too, he just didn’t know when. 

When he finally got out, the hallways were already empty, all the kids either having left for quieter parts of the school, the cafeteria, or out to lunch. 

“You little winged freak,” he heard someone say, the sound of someone being hit following. 

“What the hell, man! What did I ever do to you? '' a familiar voice exclaimed, sounding pained. 

Tommy saw red. 

Absolutely not. 

He sprinted down the hall to where the voices were. He turned the corner and found Ranboo surrounded by three well-built students, his back to a dead end in the hallway. 

“Who do you think you are?!” he thundered, taking a threatening step forward. 

“Are you seriously defending this little freak? Look at those wings!” one of them spat. 

“Oh, so just because he has wings, you think it’s okay to hurt him?” Tommy asked. 

“I mean, why not? He’s bird-brained anyways, you know?” one of them said, shrugging. 

Tommy took two steps before punching one of them in the nose. A fight broke out, three against one. What they didn’t count on was that Tommy was more than used to fighting idiots off like this. His old school had been extremely unfriendly to hybrids, so he knew how to hold his own. 

He only stopped when he felt a pair of arms wrap around his upper torso pick him up and carry him away to the cafeteria.

He looked up and saw Ranboo’s worried face above him. 

“Hey!” he yelled. 

“Hey, yourself! Are you ok,” he asked, putting Tommy down in front of the cafeteria doors. 

“A little bruised, but nothing I haven't dealt with before,” Tommy assured him. 

Ranboo’s frown deepened. 

“Seriously, Ranboo, I’m fine,” Tommy assured him. 

Ranboo sighed. 

“Promise me you won’t do that again?” he asked, tilting his head so his cool grey eyes met Tommy’s. 

“Nope! If anyone touches you, then you’d best believe I’m stepping in,” Tommy told him with a dangerous smile. 

“It’s not worth it. And I don’t mean in a self-deprecating way, but I can handle it, seriously,” Ranboo told him. 

“You didn’t look like you were doing very good,” Tommy pointed out. 

“I know, I just found that they get bored faster if you don’t fight back,” Ranboo told him. 

“You just want me to watch as they beat you up?” Tommy asked in disbelief. 

“It’s for the best. Less people get hurt that way,” Ranboo said.

“It seems we’ve reached an impasse then, because there is no way in hell I’m just letting you get hurt like that,” Tommy told him. 

Ranboo sighed. “Any chance you would change your mind?” he tried. 

Tommy shook his head, determination shining in his eyes. He knew what it was like getting harassed just for having wings. He would do anything he could to save others from it. 

“Will you let me take you to the nurse then?” Ranboo asked. “They got you pretty good.” 

Tommy rolled back his shoulders, taking note of a few sore spots that littered his torso. 

“Yeah, alright,” he agreed. 

He could try to lie, but if Ranboo was anything like Tubbo, at the first wince from a poorly timed elbow and he would rain hell down on him and drag him to the nurse anyways. 

“Let me just tell the others,” Tommy told him. 

“All right,” Ranboo said. He shuffled his feet nervously and asked shyly, “Do you think I could meet them?”

Tommy blinked. 

“I forgot about that! Let’s go introduce you,” he said, grabbing onto his hand and dragging him through the doors. He winced as the muscles under the bruises flexed as he led him through the cafeteria to their table. 

Their table was a quiet corner in the back right by the window. No one else sat there, it was their little area. 

He shook those thoughts away as he approached the table. 

“Guys!” he called as soon as he was close enough. “This is Ranboo.” 

He pulled Ranboo so he was standing next to Tommy. He was slightly hunched down, eyeing the table nervously. 

“Hi, Ranboo. I assume Tommy has told you literally nothing about us,” Wilbur said, laughing when Ranboo nodded. “I’m Wilbur and this is my twin brother, Techno. We usually sit here at this same table. You’re welcome with us any time.” 

“Thanks guys. I-uhh, you don’t have to like… let me or anything. I don’t want to intrude,” Ranboo told him, fidgeting with the cuff of his sweater. 

“Seriously, man, don’t worry about it! Tommy seems to like you so I’m sure we will too,” Wilbur said with a grin. 

“Trust me, kid, this place is pretty chill. I’m not a people person and they understand when I want to be left alone,” Techno chimed in. 

Ranboo paused, clearly looking for another excuse not to intrude. Tommy snorted internally. He had tried that very same trick. Tubbo, however, had insisted, and Tommy was determined to do the same. His new friend deserved the same love and care that Tommy had been offered. 

Tommy went to sit down at his usual spot when he felt Ranboo grab his shoulder. 

“Nice try, Tommy,” he said teasingly. “But we have somewhere to be.” 

Tommy groaned. 

“Where are you guys going?” Wilbur asked. 

“Tommy got into a fight, so I’m taking him to the nurse,” Ranboo explained. 

The twins stood up, Wilbur immediately rushing over to Tommy, Techno trailing behind, both equally worried. 

“Are you okay? What happened?” Wilbur asked, cupping Tommy’s face, his dark eyes shining with worry. 

“A bunch of pricks were harassing Ranboo for his wings, so I stepped in,” Tommy informed him. 

Immediately the expressions of concern on the twins' faces morphed into rage mixed with pride. 

“Are you okay, Ranboo?” Techno asked, looking him up and down. 

“I- yeah. I think they pulled out a feather or two and they hit me a few times before Tommy got there, but Tommy took most of it,” Ranboo told him. 

Tommy whirled around, a fresh wave of rage building inside of him. Pulling out an avian’s feathers was the ultimate form of disrespect. It was what made avians so unique– so special. Tommy’s feathers had always been a target for the kids from his other school and even his parents. 

For days, sometimes weeks after, he could feel the absence of missing feathers, running his fingers over one small section that was slightly thinner than the others. Even one feather made a difference. 

“They did what ?!” he demanded. 

“Tommy, it’s fine, I swear,” Ranboo said, holding up his hands. 

“No, no it is absolutely not. I swear next time I see them, they’re gonna wish they never messed with you,” he promised. 

“Tommy, please. I really appreciate you getting so angry, but it’s not worth it. Please ,” Ranboo begged. 

Tommy felt tears prick at his eyes as anger thrummed through his veins. Anger at the people in his past, anger at his parents, anger at the kids Ranboo had been already hurt by, anger at himself and his wings. But, above all, he felt anger at the world around them that was so cruel to people who just happened to be different. 

Without thinking, he walked over to Ranboo, burying his face in his friend's chest. 

Ranboo’s arms wrapped around his torso, clearly going to comfort him. His breath hitched. 

“Tommy?” he whispered. 

“Yeah,” Tommy mumbled, voice muffled by where it was pressed up against Ranboo. 

“Do you have wings?” he asked softly, nowhere near loud enough for anyone to hear him.

Usually Tommy would try and fight, argue, deny deny deny. But it was Ranboo. He had only known him for a few hours, but he already trusted him with the core of his being. So he nodded. 

“Oh,” Ranboo breathed. “That makes a lot of sense actually.” 

Tommy didn’t say anything, just tightened his hold around Ranboo who cradled him gently.

Tentatively, a pair of black and white wings wrapped around him. Tommy took a deep shuddering breath as the tears kept rolling down his face. 

He heard Wilbur whisper something to Ranboo and a few seconds later they were slowly walking out of the cafeteria towards the nurse’s office. 

When they got there, the nurse looked at them, and got right to business. 

She asked what happened while she inspected Tommy’s ribs. Thankfully, as the nurse, she already knew he had wings so he just took off his shirt and hoodie and let her prod at the mottled skin. 

Ranboo stared at his wings, half of his expression was openly admiring their colour and size, the other was an infinite sadness at the state of them. Tommy knew it wasn’t good, but his parents were really sapping all the energy he had for preening himself. 

“Nothing’s broken luckily, but that’ll probably take a few weeks to heal. And dearie, please mind your wings. I might not be an avian, but I know how important it is to preen these guys,” she chided him gently.

Tommy nodded, ducking his head. 

She looked at Ranboo next. One very faint bruise was found on his left side, but other than that, he was fine. But when she heard about the fact that a few feathers had been ripped out, she quickly took a look and applied a small dab of antibacterial cream ‘just in case’. 

“Not always necessary, but I would rather not take any risks,” she told him.

She handed them each a sucker then sent them on their way. 

“What's the verdict?” Wilbur asked as soon as they got out to the waiting room. Techno had left as soon as they had reached the nurse’s office since he had to talk to a teacher about something. 

“Tommy’s gonna need a few weeks, but I’m completely fine,” Ranboo told him. 

“That’s not true, she found a bruise,” Tommy protested. 

“She found one faint bruise. Nothing compares to the literal rainbow on your skin,” Ranboo countered. 

Tommy just smiled sheepishly and shrugged. Ranboo held out an arm and Tommy immediately settled into it, relishing in the warmth his friend provided. 

All of a sudden, he burst out laughing. 

“What’s so funny?” Wilbur asked.

“Wilbur, this is Ranboo’s first day,” Tommy told him, between wheezes. 

Wilbur snorted. 

“Welcome to L’Manberg High Ranboo,” he said.

“Glad to be here,” Ranboo said with a mock salute. 

During third period, Ranboo was able to snag a seat beside Tommy. They spent the period flipping between working and idle chatter. Thankfully, neither of them struggled with the class so they had plenty of time to chat. 

Tommy learned a lot about Ranboo in that time, he learned about his interests (writing) his dislikes (math, Tommy could agree with that one). He learned about how Ranboo had travelled and had seen dense rainforests and towering mountains. He learned how Ranboo was sweet and kind, how he showed his love like Tommy did. Small touches that reminded their recipient that they were there and that they mattered. 

It was that period they exchanged usernames on their messaging apps and their numbers. They both laughed when they sent each other their numbers, knowing they would never use them unless it was an emergency. 

It was during last period that Ranboo sent Tommy a tentative text, asking Tommy if he would like to come over. He confirmed with his parents, conveniently leaving out that Ranboo was an avian and excitedly told Ranboo that his parents had given him the greenlight. 

After school, he excitedly raced out of class, looking for his friend’s now familiar black and white wings. When he saw him, he barrelled into him, grabbing him in a tight hug which was easily repropricated. 

They walked back to Ranboo’s since it was close enough. The entire time they kept chatting, exchanging old school stories. Ranboo showed Tommy a few photos of his old friends. 

“Will you miss them?” Tommy asked. 

“To be honest, I don’t think so. We were close, yeah, but it always felt like we were friends because we had to be. I think they’re close, but I always felt like an outsider. Especially since I had wings. They just don’t really get it, y’know?” 

Tommy nodded, he understood completely. That was how it had been at his old school. He had friends and he even texted them a quick message every once in a while, but he didn’t miss them. Tubbo was gone for a month and a half and even though he had met Ranboo today, his absence was still a gaping hole in Tommy’s little universe. 

He didn’t know how to say all that though, so he reached over and grabbed Ranboo’s hand, giving it a long and gentle squeeze before letting go. 

Ranboo bumped into him affectionately, their actions and movement saying more than words ever could. 

When they got there, Ranboo took Tommy down to the basement where he was greeted with a large nest made up of soft looking blankets and pillows. 

There were a few windchimes on the wall. Their little charms were each themed differently. There was one that was made to look like a mini solar system, with the sun and moon hanging in the middle and the nine planets hanging in a spiral around them. Another windchime was a swarm of butterflies and there was one of stars. The window was open, letting a gentle breeze come in and moving around the windchimes so they sung lazily. 

There was one common trait between all of them though. 

“They’re so shiny!” Tommy exclaimed, walking closer to them. 

“Yeah…” Ranboo said, nervously. “It’s a magpie thing.” 

“Oh, like Phil!” Tommy said, perking up. 

“Phil?” Ranboo asked. 

“Techno and Wilbur’s dad. He’s a crow avian. He loves shiny things,” Tommy said with a smile. 

“So, you don’t think it’s weird?” Ranboo asked hesitantly. 

“Nope, not all all! Bird brains are weird sometimes, sure, but there’s nothing wrong with it,” Tommy reassured him. There was only something wrong with himself, with his bright red wings and loud annoyed chirps. 

Ranboo visibly slumped in relief. 

He then grabbed Tommy’s wrist and dragged him to his nest. 

“Hoodie off,” he demanded playfully, tugging at the red sleeve. 

Tommy pursed his lips, shrinking into himself, his arms coming up to hug himself. 

“What’s wrong, Toms?” Ranboo asked softly, noticing the shift in his friend’s mood. 

“I don’t usually take my hoodie off,” Tommy said nervously. 

“That’s all right, then, but you know I wouldn’t make fun of you for having wings, right? It would be pretty hypocritical of me if I did,” Ranboo said with a small laugh. 

“Yeah, I know. I’m just not used to it,” Tommy admitted. 

“That’s fine, then. I want you to be comfortable here,” Ranboo told him gently, squeezing his hand 

“Thanks, Ranboo.” 

“So, speaking of, what kind of bird are you?” Ranboo asked changing the topic. 

“Scarlet macaw,” Tommy said. 

“ Cool ! Your wings are really pretty,” Ranboo told him, smiling. 

“Thanks,” Tommy said shyly. He still wasn’t used to people commenting on his wings. 

“Have any weird bird brain things?”

“I can copy almost every sound I hear,” Tommy told him. He used to think it was really cool, but his parents had long since stamped that spark out of him. 

“Wait, seriously?” Ranboo asked. 

“Yup!” Tommy said, borrowing Ranboo’s voice. He closed his eyes, anticipating angry harsh words. His teachers, parents, and old school had thoroughly hated his little ability. 

He had once been telling his friends about an exchange that had happened in his class between a few teachers and while telling it had accidentally switched into the teacher’s voices. He hadn’t even realized he was doing it until one of them was dragging him to the principal's office.

That had been when his parents had banned any and all bird sounds. Since then, Tommy had learned how to control himself. 

But no angry words came. He opened his eyes and saw Ranboo looking at him in delighted shock. 

“That was sick !” Ranboo exclaimed. 

“You think so?” Tommy asked, happiness blooming inside of him. 

“Heck yeah, man! That’s insane.” 

Tommy grinned and listened to the outside from the open window and copied a few sounds. A honking horn, a crying child, a cat meowing. At each new sound, Ranboo’s eyes widened in delight and wonder.

After a little bit longer of that, Ranboo went over and grabbed a small stack of boardgames. The two ended up playing a few rounds of Snakes and Ladders, Sorry, and ended off with a failed attempt at Monopoly. 

When Tommy left that night, he was feeling lighter than he had since Tubbo had left. He had so much fun and he could tell Ranboo was genuinely enjoying his company. 

The next two weeks passed quickly, Ranboo easily became a new member at the table. He seemed to be especially close with Techno since they both turned out to be English nerds. 

He was quick to understand Wilbur’s odd sense of humour and was usually more than happy to play along with whatever weird bit he had started. He was fun and kind and Tommy had begun to see him as another one of his best friends. 

The Friday of the second week, Tommy found himself once again in Ranboo’s nest in the basement of his house. He had met his parents earlier that week and they had immediately welcomed him into their home with arms wide open. 

His mom was a dove hybrid, and Tommy had teased that his dad must be a raven avian, only to learn that his grandfather on his dad’s side was a raven avian.

“Hi, Ranboo! Hi, Tommy,” Mrs. Beloved said, walking into the basement. “I made cookies.” 

“Thank you so much, ma'am!” Tommy said, eagerly jumping up. 

“Please, Tommy. I’ve asked you, call me Daisy! ‘Ma’am’ makes me feel old,” she said with a laugh. 

“Sorry,” he said, pausing for a beat. “Can I have some cookies still?”  

She just laughed. “Of course you can. So polite,” she said, affectionately ruffling his hair as she handed off the platter to him. 

“Mommm,” Ranboo whined, “quit embarrassing me.” 

“As if I ever would, boobear,” his mom said affectionately. 

Ranboo buried his face in the pillow in front of him groaning as his mother let out another loud laugh. 

“I’ll leave you two be now, I know you have a few tests you need to study for. Tommy, be a dear and make sure he doesn’t suffocate himself on that pillow over there, yeah?” his mom asked as she left. 

Tommy saluted and put down the cookies on the nearby end table before plopping himself next to Ranboo. 

“You heard the women! No dying today,” he said, grabbing the pillow from underneath Ranboo’s head. 

Ranboo rolled over looking disgruntled, his face a bright red. 

“So, boobear, huh?” Tommy teased. 

Ranboo just let out a groan at that. 

“Shut up, garnet,” Ranboo said. 

Tommy felt his face flush. 

“What did you say?” he squeaked. 

“Garnet, little ruby, could you not hear me?” Ranboo said, flipping onto his stomach, looking up at Tommy with a teasing grin. 

Tommy hid his face in his hands. 

“Don’t do that, gem,” Ranboo said, prying his hands away. 

Tommy opened his eyes and was met with Ranboo’s victorious grin. 

“Shut up,” he mumbled. 

Ranboo just grinned.

After that they settled in, pulling out notebooks, binders, pencils , highlighters and various other school supplies. 

They worked mostly in silence, occasionally asking each other questions. Ranboo let out a confused chirp when he was particularly stuck which always led Tommy to shimmy next to him to help him as best he could.

Tommy kept shifting in his place, partially out of habit since he always had trouble being in one position for long. But mostly it was because his wings were bothering him.

Tommy looked to where Ranboo was, buried nose deep in his work. He wanted to take off his hoodie, but he was so used to always having it on.

But he was safe here. Ranboo himself was an avian and they were sitting in his nest for Prime’s sake. And his mom was an avian. He wouldn't be hurt here– it was just like Tubbo's. A safe space where Tommy could be himself.

Without giving himself a chance to think he yanked off the hoodie, stretching out his wings once they were free of their red prison.

"Tommy," Ranboo breathed.

He slowly got up and made his way towards the younger boy.

Sitting himself down on his knees in front of him, Ranboo looked at Tommy's wings, sorrow bleeding through his grey eyes.

Ranboo reached out a hand, pausing until Tommy nodded his head, running a gentle hand through the frazzled wings.

"These must feel awful," he whispered, no judgment in the words, only tender care. 

"Yeah, I just-" Tommy cut himself off with a shrug, unsure of where he was going with that thought.

Since he had started hanging out with Ranboo, he hadn't gone over to Wilbur's. He was pretty sure the small family was under the assumption that Ranboo had been preening his wings this entire time.

And he was pretty sure Ranboo thought that his parents were doing it.

"Can I preen you? You can say no," Ranboo offered.

"Yeah, I'd like that," Tommy said, swallowing. 

Preening was a sacred activity, only people that were trusted by the hindbrain were able to do. If anyone else did it, the hindbrain would riot.

Tommy's parents were still trusted by the hindbrain, not that they preened him.

Ranboo say down behind him slowly. Tommy could feel the way he was vibrating with nerves, terrified of being rejected.

But, as soon as he he layed his hands on Tommy's wings, Tommy felt nothing but warmth. 

He sighed, leaning back into Ranboo's gently hands as he carefully went through his wings.

He was soft and caring, his warm fingers carefully tugging stubborn feathers out of his worn wings, smoothing down any salvageable ones, being careful not to go too fast and overwhelm him.

"Garnet, are you falling asleep over there?" Ranboo asked softly a while later. 

Tommy was leaning heavily on a pillow on his lap, keeping himself just barely upright enough for Ranboo to preen him.

He mumbled something incoherent and just held the pillow tighter against his chest.

Ranboo cooed at the sight, finishing off the last few feathers. He frowned when he saw that the feathers were still dull and lacked the vibrant colour he was positive they could have. 

That meant that he really wasn't taking care of his wings very well. Determination welled up inside of Ranboo.

He refused to allow Tommy's wings to suffer any longer. He didn't know why his wings were in such poor condition and he didn't want to pry, but he would make it his mission to make sure that they were healthy before long.

He carefully crawled over to Tommy's head, shaking him lightly to see if he would wake up. When he didn't, he slowly rolled Tommy over so he was on his back. 

Using the space between Tommy and the nest, he carefully picked him up, one arm supporting his torso the other one at the bend of his knees.

He walked over to the other corner of the nest, using his large black and white wings for balance. The soft ground beneath his feet, littered with the folds of blankets and random pillows that made it hard to travel across.

At one point, Tommy mumbled something before turning around in his arms to face his chest, his hands coming up to fist Ranboo’s shirt. 

Ranboo’s heart melted at the sight. When he got to the corner, he carefully set Tommy down. He quickly found a problem though when Tommy refused to let go of his shirt. When Ranboo tried to gently pry his fingers off his shirt, Tommy just let out a sad sleepy whine. 

In the end, Ranboo just arranged them so that they were both comfortable, Ranboo’s body curling around Tommy’s protectively. 

Tommy woke up slowly to the sound of windchimes gently knocking together. He felt… content . His wings felt fresher than they had in a while, he was still shaking off the last dregs of what he could tell was a good sleep. His mind was fuzzy and slow, like a thick molasses slowly dripping off the spoon.. 

“Gem,” he heard someone call softly. 

Tommy opened his eyes and was met with Ranboo’s warm smile. 

“Hi, Boo,” he greeted, then his mind caught up to what he was looking at. He sat up quickly, taking in the room around them. It was largely the same, but the light filtering through the windows was now gold rather than the bright afternoon sun it had been last Tommy remembered.

“What time is it? What happened? ” he asked trying to remember when he had fallen asleep. 

“I was preening you and you fell asleep,” Ranboo explained. 

That made… some sense. He had fallen asleep with Tubbo, Phil, and Wilbur a few times, but not that heavily, not since.... 

As if reading his mind Ranboo continued. 

“Usually you’ll only be a little tired after a long day. But when something like that happens, when the hindbrain takes over as much as it did, then it means that you’ve been really neglecting it lately,” Ranboo told him

Tommy braced himself for the questions he was sure Ranboo had. Questions of why he wasn’t being preened, why he barely preened himself, questions of why his wings were in poor condition. But, instead, Ranboo just asked him one, and it wasn’t one that Tommy was expecting. 

“Do you want me to help take care of your wings?” 

And Tommy accepted, because he trusted Ranboo. He trusted him to take care of him, trusted him to love him the way Tubbo and Wilbur were always telling him he deserved. 

When Tommy was getting ready to leave, he realized he needed his hoodie. 

“Ranboo?” he called, bending down to sort through the nest. “Where did my hoodie go?” 

“Oh, right,” Ranboo said sheepishly, “I, uh... I added it to my nest.” 

“What?” Tommy asked, his heart swelling. 

“Your hoodie. It’s in my nest,” Ranboo repeated nervously. 

“Oh,” Tommy said, emotions welling up inside of him. He knew from Phil and his own hindbrain that having something of someone else’s in your nest was a big deal. It meant that they saw you as family, as flock. That they wanted to keep a piece of you with them in their most vulnerable place. 

Tommy had never been allowed to do that. His nest was barren, the measly pillows and blankets already feeling like a sorry excuse for what should be a grand affair. He had a few of Tubbo’s hoodies on rotation, but Tubbo was a few sizes too small, so using the excuse that he was borrowing them for the time being was a flimsy excuse. He always had to return them the day after they were found. 

“What am I supposed to wear home then?” Tommy asked, even though he didn’t care about that. He just wanted one of Ranboo’s hoodies. 

Unfortunately, Ranboo saw right through him and just sent him a fond grin before picking up a soft looking blue hoodie. He held it over Tommy’s head like a mother might hold their child’s shirt for them. 

Tommy dutifully raised his arms and relished in the warmth as Ranboo helped him into the hoodie, grumbling when he pulled the hood over his head too. 

It was so soft in the inside, like cotton candy clouds against his skin. 

Tommy gave Ranboo one last hug and a wave goodbye and set off for his house, marvelling at how warm he was. The walk home was peaceful, his wings feeling much more comfortable beneath the hoodie than they did his old one. Since Ranboo was a bit taller than Tommy, the hoodie was also a size bigger, making it that much more comfortable. 

When he got home, Tommy greeted his parents. They looked at his hoodie, but unlike Tubbo’s size-too-small hoodies that they could easily demand answers from, they couldn’t find a problem with Ranboo’s. Especially when he folded the bottom of the hoodie inwards so it ended right at the pocket, making it look smaller. 

He grinned victoriously and made his way to his room, knowing dinner wouldn’t be for another little bit. He had just pulled out Wilbur’s birthday gift when he got the sudden urge to make something for Ranboo. 

Then he got the idea. 

He removed the hoodie and grabbed out one of his fabric markers and made a few marks. He had seen this idea in a sewing book ages ago and had been itching to try it out. 

He made marks and pulled out some magnetic beads he had picked up at a craft store a while back in case he needed it. 

When he finished, he took a step back and admired his work. 

It was two wing slits in the hoodie that were easy to get wings out of. He had seen a few with zippers or buttons, but they were pretty annoying. Needing to constantly do and undo them if you were going between hybrid-friendly and non hybrid-friendly places. . These just needed a little force for the magnets to be separated, but it wasn’t that difficult. Making the slits close was just as easy. 

The advantage these had from wing slits alone was that they were fairly well hidden and useful for going into places that were famous for hybrid discrimination or just if you were cold. 

Halfway through, Tommy had the thought that maybe he should have asked Ranboo. But at that point he was too deep in and just resolved to buy Ranboo a new hoodie if he didn't like it. He tried to ignore the guilty feeling. He just needed to hope that Ranboo would appreciate it. 

On Monday, Tommy was a wreck of nerves, unsure of what Ranboo would think. He had found some gift wrap under his bed while cleaning and had hastily wrapped the hoodie up to give himself something to do. 

“Hi, Toms!” Ranboo said plopping down next to him. 

Tommy happily noted that Ranboo was wearing his hoodie, his hindbrain chirping excitedly at the bright red sweater. 

“Hi Boo!” Tommy said, rolling his eraser between the palms of his hand enjoying the sound it made as the flat surfaces hit his palm. 

“Why are you nervous?,” Ranboo asked, looking around. 

“I’m not nervous,” Tommy protested. 

“Mhm,” Ranboo said disbelievingly. 

“I’m not!” Tommy protested loudly before quieting down. “But I have something for you.”

“Oh?” Ranboo said, perking up.

“Yeah, uh- here,” Tommy said, pulling the gift-wrapped package from his bag. 

Ranboo took in the gift-wrapping and delicately unwrapped it. Internally, Tommy snorted fondly, of course Ranboo was one of those pricks. The ones that insisted on carefully undoing the wrapping paper rather than tearing into like you were supposed to. 

“Tommy, isn’t this just my hoodie?” he asked, pulling out his sweater. 

“Look at the back,” Tommy encourages. 

Ranboo flipped it around, looking confused until he saw the cleverly concealed wing slits. 

“I can barely see them!” he said in awe. “Wait, did you do this?” 

Tommy nodded shyly. 

“That’s amazing!” Ranboo praised. 

Tommy flushed. “I mean, it really wasn’t that difficult. I sew a lot so-” 

“Nope! You’re not allowed to put yourself down around me,” Ranboo said, dropping one of the shoulders of the hoodie in favour of putting his hand over Tommy’s mouth. A second later- 

“Did you just lick me?!” he exclaimed, jumping up from his seat a little bit.

“I don’t know what you expected. You put your hand over my mouth,” Tommy argued. 

“You’re such a gremlin,” Ranboo said, wrinkling his nose as he wiped his hand on his jeans. 

“I’ve heard that one already. Get some new ones you unimaginitive prick,” Tommy said, rolling his eyes. 

“I don’t care about being original. If the shoe fits, wear it, and that shoe was custom built for you, Cinderella,” Ranboo said, flicking his nose. 

Tommy grumbled and flipped him off. 

Fortunately, before they could do anything else, the bell rang, putting a firm hold on any more shenanigans.  

Unfortunately, it seemed like Ranboo haven't forgotten about Tommy’s sewing. 

“So you’re a seamstress??” he asked as they ate lunch at their usual table. 

“What did he make you?” Wilbur asked, practically jumping in his seat when he heard the question. 

“He altered my hoodie and added some really nice wing-slits!” Ranboo said, reaching into his bag for the hoodie. He hadn’t taken off Tomm’s hoodie and while nether Techno nor Wilbur had said anything, the looks in their eyes said everything.

Congratulations on a new family member. 

Ranboo pulled out the hoodie and showed them the back, having Tommy hold up one of the shoulders so he could stick his hand through, demonstrating the seal the magnets created around the slits and how well it would protect against the elements. 

“I didn’t even know he could sew until this morning,” Ranboo marvelled as he put the hoodie away. 

“He doesn’t really talk about it, but he’s really good at what he does,” Wilbur said. Then he dug through his backpack and pulled out the little stuffed blue sheep Tommy had made him a while back. 

“Look at this little guy! Isn’t he precious?” Wilbur crooned, passing it off to Ranboo. 

Ranboo took it, carefully examining the sleep from  every angle. 

“That’s so cool, Tommy!” Ranboo said, grinning at him. 

Tommy just smiled awkwardly, still not used to hearing compliments for his work. 

“Seriously, Tommy,” Ranboo said, his demeanor shifting. “You know we’re not just saying this stuff, right? We mean it! We really do.” 

“I think I know that you do, I just don’t think I’ve ever had someone care before you guys so it’s just… weird ,” Tommy admitted. 

“That’s all right. We’ll just be sure to remind you,” Ranboo promised. 

Tommy leaned over, pressing himself to Ranboo’s shoulder in a way that expressed all the things he couldn’t say. Ranboo hooked an arm around him, telling him that he understood, that he got the message, that they would make good on their promise and let Tommy know how amazing he was until he finally accepted it. 

He was over at the Beloved’s again on Wednesday, all their tests having thankfully been done between Monday and Tuesday, so today was just to hang out. 

Ranboo insisted on preening Tommy’s wings, and his mom had come down to give them a hand with it. Daisy regalled him with tales of Ranboo as a toddler, giving her headache after headache. Tommy laughed as Ranboo turned a brighter and brighter shade of red. 

But, as Tommy listened, he could help but feel as his heart spiderwebbed like broken glass. Still in one piece, but a light breeze would cause it to come crashing down. 

He wished he had a mom like this. One who preened his wings and made his friends cookies when they come over. One who would hold her door open to his friends, who tell his childhood stories fondly instead of looking like she had swallowed a lemon like his own mother often did. 

“You know, Tommy, with how much you’re over, you might as well be a second son,” Daisy told him with a laugh. 

“Am I intruding?” Tommy asked worriedly. “I’m sorry if I’m overste-” 

“Not at all! My door is always open to you. My nest is your nest ,” she told him, patting the blankets beneath her. 

“Oh. Thank you,” he said sincerely. 

“I would be careful with that mom,” Ranboo cautioned playfully. “He’s a packaged deal.” 

“What do you mean?” Daisy asked, tilting her head. 

“His best friend. His name is Tubbo and, while I’ve never met him, I can tell that he and Tommy don’t go anywhere without each other,” Ranboo told her fondly. 

“I do not talk about Tubbo that much,” Tommy protested before turning to Ranboo. “Do I?” 

“You do, but it’s sweet how much you care about him,” Ranboo told him, patting his head. 

“Prick,” Tommy grumbled. 

“And that’s the story of how a duo became a trio,” Daisy said with a laugh. 

This time it was Ranboo who tilted his head in confusion. 

“What she means, is that it’s not just Tommy and Tubbo, or Tommy and Ranboo, it’s gonna be Tommy, Tubbo, and Ranboo,” Tommy informed him bluntly.

Ranboo pursed his lips nervously. “What if Tubbo doesn’t like me?” he finally asked. 

“He’s gonna love you,” Tommy assured him. 

“If you say so,” Ranboo conceded. 

“And I do.” 

“Then I guess I got two friends for the price of one,” he finished with a tentative smile. 

“Two things,” Tommy said, holding out a finger. “One: that's best friends you prick. And B: Tubbo’s worth like, four of me.” 

“Did you just use one and B in the same sentence…?” Ranboo asked, looking at Tommy like he had grown two heads.

“Shut up,” Tommy said, flushing.

“-and also doesn't you saying Tubbo’s worth four of you, mean that Tubbo’s more valuable than you,” Ranboo continued. 

“Well… you see-,” Tommy sputtered before giving up and flopping back on the bed. 

Ranboo and his mom just laughed. 

“I should go start dinner now,” Daisy said once the laughter died down. “Are you staying over for dinner, Tommy?” 

“If you don’t mind me staying,” Tommy said shyly. 

“Of course not, dear.” 

“Then I’d love too.” 

“Perfect!,” she said with a smile before heading up the stairs. 

As soon as the door shut behind her, Ranboo plopped down next to Tommy. 

“You promised me you would show me how to sew today,” he reminded Tommy. And yeah, he had. 

Secretly, he was ecstatic for it, but he couldn’t let Ranboo know. Disregard the fact that Ranboo definitely already knew. With an over exaggerated eye roll, he reached into his bag and pulled out his sewing kit. 

He had Wilbur’s birthday present on him, but he had brought a load of scrap fabrics and threads so he could teach Ranboo. 

He first went through the process of threading the needles, putting on the thimble and then slowly teaching him a few basic stitches. He left Ranboo to his own devices, practicing what he was taught as Tommy worked on Wilbur’s gift. 

Every time Ranboo finished a row of stitches, Tommy would gently point out a few places he went wrong. He wasn’t expecting Ranboo to be perfect, especially for his first time, but it was only small corrections like holding the needle differently or going a bit slower. 

Halfway through, Ranboo’s mom called them for dinner and Ranboo eagerly showed her the stitches he had been working on so far. His mom smiled and congratulated him and turned to Tommy to compliment his work on the hoodie.

When he figured he was ready, he grabbed out a sturdy patterned canvas-type fabric he had picked up at the craft store yesterday just for the occasion. It was a white with little black leaves scattered across it. 

He cut down the fabric to a good workable size for Ranboo’s first project. 

He slowly walked Ranboo through the steps, showing him how to hem the edges, making the straps and stitching them to the bag with a fancy stitch he demonstrated on a piece of scrap fabric. 

It still turned out a little wonky, but he couldn't help but feel proud of his friend. It was definitely better than Tommy’s first project. 

“Hey, Tommy?” Ranboo asked timidly after a while. The two had just ended up laying on the nest, Tommy still working on Wilbur’s gift while Ranboo did some homework. “Can I tell you something?” 

“Of course! What’s up, man?” Tommy asked, pausing his work. When he looked over Ranboo looked nervous, really nervous. Like, on the verge of a panic attack nervous. 

He slowly made his way over to him. Much like how Ranboo had when he had first seen the state of Tommy’s wings.

“Ranboo,” he said softly. “Whatever it is, I promise it’s okay.” 

“I know- I know that,” Ranboo said, with frustration. “I’m just nervous.” 

“I get that,” Tommy told him, grabbing his hand, “but it’s okay! I promise that whatever it is, you can tell me if you’re ready too.” 

“I am, I’ve wanted to for a while. I was just waiting for a good time,” Ranboo promised him. 

“Take your time, you’ve waited this long and you can wait a little longer until you’ve calmed down a bit,” Tommy reassured him, rubbing his thumb over his friend's knuckles. 

“Right,” Ranboo said, taking a deep breath and letting it go. “Right.” 

They sat there for a little longer, Tommy taking exaggerated breaths for Ranboo to follow. 

A few minutes later. Ranboo turned to face Tommy, still looking nervous but much better than he previously had. 

“Sorry about tha-”

Tommy lightly punched him in the arm. 

Ranboo blinked. 

“What was that for?” he asked.

Tommy shrugged. “Tubbo always punches me when I apologize for stupid things, I figured this was a good time for that.” 

When Ranboo didn’t say anything, he continued. 

“What I mean to say is that that wasn’t your fault. There’s nothing to apologize for,” he finished.

“Wait, but you apologize for things that aren’t your fault all the time! You literally apologized for needing to be preened the other day” Ranboo pointed out. 

“I never said it works. I just said he did it,” Tommy said with a sly smile. 

Ranboo groaned playfully and threw back his head. 

Then he took a deep breath and his demeanor shifted back into being serious. 

“Tommy, there’s something I wanted to tell you,” Ranboo restates. 

“Right, sorry about tha-” 

Ranboo punched him in the arm. 

“What was that for,” Tommy protested. 

“You were apologizing dor something stupid. I actually appreciated the joking there, it made me feel a lot better,” Ranboo explained. 

Tommy just stuck his tongue out, flipping Ranboo when muttered ‘child’ under his breath.

“Right then, attempt three!” Ranboo said, taking another breath. 

Tommy stood up straighter, giving Ranboo his full attention. 

“Tommy, what I want to tell you is that— well… I’m not a boy. Well… not really,” Ranboo told him, immediately ducking his head. 

Silence hung between them as Tommy tried to process what Ranboo was trying to tell him. 

“Alright- um... sorry if I get anything wrong, but does that mean you don’t want me to use he/him?” Tommy asked him nervously. 

Ranboo slumped in relief. 

“Yes, but also no-”

“You can’t just speak in memes, dude,” Tommy said with a fond eye roll. 

“It’s my gender! I’ll as I please,” Ranboo shot back.

The two friends bust out laughing, the tension in the room melting away. 

“So, what I was trying to say,” Ranboo said once it died down, “is that, I always feel a connection to masculinity, but at the same time I feel a connection to being… I guess non-binary is the right word. I’m not too sure. How I feel about those two changes a lot. I like he/him- well, most of the time– but I also like they/them. I actually tend to prefer they/them, but he/him definitely works, just sometimes not so much,” Ranboo explained. 

Tommy nodded. “Okay. I think I get it! Is there like, a word for what you feel?” Tommy asked tentatively.

Ranboo shook his head, “I tried looking for one when I realized how I felt about my gender. But none of them were quite right. I mean, some people might feel the same way and use a word, I prefer not too though,” he told Tommy. 

“Got it,” Tommy said, rigorously nodding his head. "Is there a different name you want to go by?"

Ranboo shook his head, "I like Ranboo. I've never felt uncomfortable with it."

"Cool!" 

Ranboo leaned back into the nest, pulling Tommy down with him so they were laying together, wings and all. 

“I’m glad you trusted me with that,” Tommy whispered.

“You're my best friend! Of course I trust you,” Ranboo told him gently. “Thanks for accepting me.” 

“You’re my best friend. Of course I accept you,” Tommy shot back with a playful grin. 

“Shut up,” Ranboo said fondly. Tommy just shoved his head into their chest in response. 

“Love you, Boo,” he said. 

“Love you too, Toms,” they replied. 

On Thursday, Tommy felt a shift in their relationship. It felt more… whole. More like how it was meant to feel, but there was still missing something and Tommy knew exactly what that something was. Tubbo. His best friend, his other half. The moon to his Earth, the stars to his night sky, the violin to his viola duet. 

And Ranboo would finish them, turning their duo into a trio. He would be the earth to his sun and Tubbo’s moon, they would be the planets to Tommy’s sky and Tubbo’s stars, the cello to Tommy’s viola and Tubbo’s violin making it a trio, blurring their notes together until their instruments sounded like one. 

They would be complete the way they were always meant to be. 

First period felt softer, the teasing that much fonder, the already frequent touches amplifying. Small wordless reminders that they loved each other. 

At lunch, the other two noticed that they seemed closer than before, smiling fondly at the way they seemed glued to each other.

Tommy felt so good, so happy that day. And of course it all came crashing down as soon as he stepped foot into his home.

“Tommy!” his mom shouted like an accusation.

“What’s up?” he asked, immediately on edge.

“Your father was driving to the supermarket earlier to pick up some things for dinner, and do you know what he saw?” his mom asked, raising a stern eyebrow. 

“No?” he responded. 

“He saw you walking with another avian.” 

Oh. Oh no, that wasn’t good. 

“Tommy, everything we’ve ever taught you about your avian side has been to protect you. The more you blend in, the more normal you are, and the easier life will be for you. I can’t imagine how hard it is for you to be an avian, I wish so much you were born normal. But you aren't, so you have to learn how to look it.

“And hanging around another avian will set your progress back by so much. Tubbo, I allowed because even though he lets you be an avian, you have to be somewhat normal around him,” his mom told him. 

Tommy felt a pit form in his stomach. Two sides warring with each other inside of him. Part of him that agreed with his mom, that hated his wings, hated his chirps and his need for soft things for his nest. 

But another part of him loved it, loved being an avian hybrid. Ranboo had taught him how to embrace himself, how to love himself. He was far from there, but he was getting better, slowly but surely he was getting there. 

But the other side asked a question, and now that he had heard it, he couldn't ignore it.

Do you even deserve to be loved?

And the only answer Tommy could come up with was that no, he didn’t deserve it. He was so needy, constantly demanding attention, the touch of his friends. He needed to hear them say they loved him or he didn't believe it. If he deserved love, wouldn't he just know? Wouldn’t he know without needing to be told? 

So he knew his answer. No, he didn’t deserve love. But that didn't stop him from wanting it. That didn’t stop him from desperately craving affection. 

Selfish . 

That was what he was. 

He was so torn, his heart split in two, different voices in his head telling him different things. He was at war with himself, fighting to be better, fighting to stop demanding things he didn't deserve. But the other side fought to take what he wanted, to take the soft touches and small smiles and tuck them against his heart. 

He didn’t know anything anymore. All he knew was that he was lost, but knowing he was lost didn’t actually help him find his way. 

When Tommy got to school he tried to be a bit more reserved, tried to ask for less. But it seemed as though Ranboo could hear the way his aching soul called out for him, because if anyone, Ranboo was more touchy than normal. And that was already a high bar to jump. 

Second period was both easier and harder. Easier because he could focus on himself and he couldn't demand attention from people that weren’t there, disregard the incessant buzzing of his phone in his pocket. 

Harder because he knew what kind of affection and love Ranboo and the others would offer him, he knew what he would get if only he asked. 

But he couldn’t, because his mom was right. 

Tommy wasn’t right , nothing about him was right. He needed to learn how to be normal, how to be less of himself. 

Part of him acknowledged that he wouldn’t say this to Ranboo, that this wasn’t what he thought of Ranboo despite the fact that he was an avian too. The difference was that Ranboo was good. They weren’t a mistake. Their wings fit them, their hindbrain didn't demand the same way Tommy’s did. Their chirps and caws were sweet little things anyone would want to hear. Not like Tommy’s screeching calls. Even the little ones he let out grated against his ears, and if he couldn’t stand himself, then how could he expect anyone else too? 

So, he tried pulling away. He stopping talking to Ranboo as much, didn’t reach over and pat their shoulder or grab their hands as much as he wanted too. He tried to brush them off, he took his lunches alone in a small corner of the hallway. 

He thought that he would feel better, that he would feel good about what he did, feel happy that he was no longer a burden on his friend’s shoulders. But he felt worse. Empty and hollow, like someone had opened up his soul and sucked out all the life and light that had previously been in it and left behind only the shadows that hid deep beneath its surface. His light had gone out now that he had no one to share it with. 

His friends didn’t let him stay away for long. A week later, Thursday, after first period, rather than letting Tommy hurry off like he had been, Ranboo picked him up, slinging him over their shoulder as if he weighed nothing more than a raggedy Anne doll. 

“Put me down!” Tommy cried out in surprise. 

“No,I don’t think I will, garnet,” Ranboo replied, adjusting their hold on Tommy. 

“Ranboo, please!” Tommy begged. It hurt being this close, his chest pressed up firmly against Ranboo’s upper back, his torso and legs being held with so much care and concern by his older friend. It hurt because he now knew he wasn't allowed this, he wasn't supposed to get this. He only deserve the cold emptiness he had forced into himself in the past week. 

“You’re hurting, Tommy,” Ranboo said bluntly. “At first I thought you just needed some space, so I gave it to you. But clearly that was a mistake. You’re isolating yourself because of something we don’t care about. What we do care about is the fact you walk into school with a storm cloud over your head and you don’t even try and block the rain because you think that that’s how it should.” 

Tommy tentatively wrapped his arms around Ranboo, unable to resist for much longer. They were warm as they usually were, a steady presence in Tommy’s life. One of his hands ended up right over their heart, and Tommy splayed his fingers over it, each ba-dum  ba-dum reminding Tommy that they were right there for him. That they wouldn’t abandon him. 

He had missed this so much, he had missed the closeness of touch, had missed the silent words left unsaid, heard loudly between their skin cells. He wondered if he could allow himself to have that again, if he could learn how to let himself be selfish.

What surprised Tommy, was that rather than going into the cafeteria like usual, Ranboo walked towards the front doors, seemingly knowing where they were going. And it didn’t take Tommy long to figure out why. 

Over in the far corner of the schoolyard, he saw the twins sitting there with a small picnic basket. Surrounding then was a mini-mountain of blankets and pillows. 

When they finally reached the twins, Ranboo carefully deposited Tommy beside Wilbur, taking the other side of him, wedging Tommy between them. 

Techno handed the blankets and pillows to Ranboo, who dumped them in Tommy’s lap. They only gave Tommy a stern look and Tommy quickly got to making a small nest. He shooed everyone off the blanket, taking his time to make sure everything was sufficiently covered. 

Part of him wanted to feel guilty over what he was doing, knowing he shouldn’t be indulging in his instincts like this. 

But his hindbrain was chirping its loud approval. The chirps from it easily drowned the other part out. 

When he was finished, he took a seat, leaning against the fence behind him. Ranboo took one side while Wilbur took the other with Techno sitting a little away from them, almost as if protecting the three in the nest. 

“So,” Ranboo started, “Tommy, I don’t want to force you to say anything you don’t want too, but why? Why have you been ignoring us for the past week? Why are you isolating yourself?” they pleaded, their voice laced with pain. 

“Bull,” Wilbur interrupted before Tommy could say anything, “we want to know. And I know it might suck to say. But we love you and care for you. So we want to know so we can help. Ranboo might be giving you a choice, but I’m not. I love you too much to let you suffer like this, not when I know we can help,” Wilbur told him, sounding broken. 

Tommy tried to hold back the sobs that were building in his throat but couldn’t, the dam broke. And everything he had been feeling all week, his whole life came out. The cruel things his parents did to him, saying awful things they claimed were love, the taunts and sharp pointed words the kids at his old school had launched at him. 

All the hatred he felt towards himself and everything he was. It crescendoed, escaping him in the form of gasping sobs and pained cries.

Immediately, Wilbur and Ranboo took hold of him, whispering sweet words into his ears. He crumpled, collapsing into Ranboo’s chest. They just adjusted the way they were holding him, wrapping a protective arm around him, shifting them around so Tommy was comfortable against them. 

Wilbur just leaned closer, grabbing Tommy’s hand in the way Tommy so often did for him, squeezing all the love he could into it. 

They stayed there for a while, Tommy, Ranboo, Wilbur, and Techno. The other three giving their silent promise of staying with Tommy always. 

“Sorry, guys,” Tommy whispered when he had mostly calmed down. 

“Wilbur, can you punch his arm for me?” Ranboo asked pointedly. 

“Why..?” Wilbur asked. 

“He’s apologizing for something stupid,” they said. 

Wilbur let out a noise of understanding and a little chuckle before delivering the punch to Tommy’s arm. 

“ Rude ,” Tommy called. 

“Sorry, garnet, but you crying like that isn’t your fault. You probably needed that, huh?” Ranboo asked softly. 

Hesitantly, Tommy nodded his head. He felt a lot better now, even if he felt bad for forcing his friends to take care of him. 

“Yeah,” he said softly. 

“I’m glad,” Ranboo said, smiling warmly. He then shifted Tommy so he was facing outwards on the blanket, shoulder to shoulder with Ranboo. He tucked Tommy into his side, encouraging him to rest his head against his chest. 

“So, you want to tell us what that was about?” Wilbur asked, handing Tommy a water bottle. 

Tommy uncapped it and took a long slow sip. He thought about all that he felt, all that he had been told his entire life. And he decided he was tired. Although the guilt weighed heavily inside of him for putting so much on his friends, he decided to be selfish, just this once. 

So between sips of water and apple slices that Ranboo handed him, he told them everything. All about his parents, his childhood bullies. Of what he saw when he looked in the mirror. He told them everything.

When he finished, he felt as though he had been trapped at the bottom of the ocean, his feet tied to an anchor. And when he looked up, he saw his friends coming down in their scuba gear, saving him from the depths that was the ocean of his soul. 

He waited with bated breath as they swam over him, their flashlights replicating the stars he had heard stories of for so long but had never seen.

His friends held him tighter, Ranboo’s hand finding his hair and playing with the gold fluffy curls, Wilbur whispering fierce passionate words about how wrong everyone was about him, Techno scooting right up to Tommy and squeezing his hand. 

His friends rescued him. They untied his feet and grabbed on to him tightly, dragging him up to the surface of the ocean. When they breached, Tommy took his first lungful of oxygen, relishing in the way the setting sun shone on his face. 

He looked around and he saw nothing but water, powerful waves rushing to greet the moon where it sat on the horizon. But Tommy was safe in the knowledge he had his friends with him to protect him, that they would be there to guide him to the shore and hold his hand as he learned to walk again. 

“I love you guys,” Tommy whispered, relishing in the warmth he felt from being trapped in the middle of their embrace. 

“We love you too,” Ranboo whispered, sounding relieved and broken but hopeful. 

Hopeful that Tommy would learn that he was worthy of all the love he asked, worthy of all the attention. Worthy of simply existing. Because right now, he didn't. His mind told him that he didn't deserve to take up the space he did, that the world would be a brighter, better place without him. 

But his heart said otherwise, with every beat it tried to tell him that he was good, that he was loved. That he was Tommy, and just for that simple fact alone that he deserved to exist, that he deserved good things. 

Tommy was ready to listen to his heart, ready to listen to its steady rhythm as he took another breath. 

So with hope blooming in his heart, he whispered the only thing he could think of, “I know.” 

Tommy was in his room the next day, working on Wilbur’s gift when he heard a knock at his door. 

“Mrs. Innit,” he heard Phil greet. 

“Mr. Mycan,” his mom said slowly. 

“I’ve come here to have a chat with you,” Phil said with fake politeness. 

Tommy slowly crept out of his room, laying down on the floor in front of the stairs, watching the exchange through the bars of the banister. 

“Sorry, I don’t allow folks like you in my home,” his mom said with artificial sweetness, starting to close the door.

“That’s exactly why I’m here, actually,” Phil told her, stepping through the door before it could close. 

“What do you mean by that?” his mom asked. 

“Your son. My boys came home yesterday telling me everything your child had told them. Tommy needs a home where he can be properly loved. You aren't fit to give him that. So you either need to pick up the slack and treat him the way he deserves to be treated or I will help you make arrangements so that he can finally be properly cared for,” Phil informed her bluntly.

Tommy’s heart warmed at Phil’s words, hearing the love woven through them. 

“That thing is not my son. He took the place of the child I should have had-” 

“That’s enough,” Phil thundered taking a murderous step forward. “Boys,” he called.

Techno, Wilbur, and Ranboo then walked through the door, each holding a suitcase.

They made their way up the stairs, smiling in amusement as they saw Tommy spying on the front door. 

“Come on, Toms,” Ranboo said, holding out a hand for Tommy to take. “We’re getting you out of here. 

Part of Tommy wanted to argue, to protest. To tell them that he wasn't leaving his home. But he knew that the house had stopped being a home long ago, that staying there would only hurt him more. 

So, he took the hand Ranboo offered and leaned into them as he lead the three of them to his room. 

“We have a lot of suitcases, but let’s focus on the important things. Sound good?” Wilbur asked, clapping his hands. 

The others nodded and the hunt began. They stripped Tommy’s dresser and closet of anything he liked, Ranboo subtly slipping on one of Tommy’s hoodies, tossing him theirs when Tommy caught them. 

Tommy smiled at the warm oversized hoodie, tucking himself into it with a smile. 

They kept grabbing whatever Tommy told them too. Books, shoes, games, old childhood toys. 

Then Ranboo paused.

“Is this your nest?” they asked slowly, approaching the bed which had been left largely untouched. 

“Yeah,” Tommy replied slowly, knowing exactly what the other was thinking. 

“This is awful. I hope you know how wrong it is for your parents to only give you this ,” they said, wrinkling their nose in disgust. 

“I know, Boo,” he murmured softly, feeling tears prick at his eyes.” I know. 

When all was said and done, he walked out his house with Ranboo’s arm protectively around his shoulder, Wilbur holding his hand and Techno leading behind. 

They piled into the van, Tommy squished into the middle seat with Wilbur and Ranboo either side of him. It was quiet on the way to Phil’s, no one really knowing what to say. When they arrived, they got Tommy’s things from the trunk and put them by the front door. 

They all settled into the living room nest, huddled around Tommy except for Phil who sat in front of the group. 

“So, Tommy,” Phil started. “I know you missed all this– or at least you should have since I asked the boys to keep you from hearing it. But thanks to a few avian protection laws, your parents no longer have custody over you.” 

“That fast?” Tommy asked, interrupting. 

“Sadly, cases like yours aren't uncommon. As soon as I heard how your parents were treating you, I contacted my lawyer and he drew up these papers. Your parents signed off pretty quickly. I’m sorry for that,” Phil told him sincerely. 

“It’s fine. They didn't really… love me,” Tommy admitted, ignoring the way his heart ached at the statement he had known to be true for so long now. 

“Anyways, the set your parents signed first made me your temporary guardian. But I have a third set you can give to your permanent guardians, though, Tommy?” Phil said, grabbing Tommy's hands in between his own. “I would love to have you in my home if this is where you want to stay.” 

“Thanks ,Phil, really. I just don't know. This was so fast,” Tommy said, nervously. 

“Of course. You have a year to decide before custody is returned to your parents. I can ask some avian friends to see if they would take you in, but not now. You have plenty of time to decide. For now, let’s just get you settled in,” Phil told him, standing up. 

The other grabbed Tommy’s suitcases and followed Phil as he led Tommy to the guest room. They all helped put things away, laughing and chatting as they did. Tommy never felt more grateful for his friends. 

In an afternoon, they had completely uprooted his entire life, but he knew that if they hadn't done it, then Tommy would only have another moonless night sky to look forward to. He knew if they hadn’t intervened then he would have been miserable. Because even here, safe with all the people he loved, well, almost all, he could easily find the hatred that burned him from the inside out. He could call forth the guilt that he held for feeling like his friends were being forced to love him and care for him. 

But he knew that wasn't true. He knew that they loved him simply for existing, that there had been nothing he had done aside from being himself that had made them love him. 

The road ahead of him was rough, but he knew it would be all right so long as he had them every step of the way. 

Nothing really changed. Tommy still went over to Ranboo’s house a few times a week, he hung out with the twins at lunch. The biggest thing is every night Tommy would be able to return to a home that loved him. He was still preened frequently, though still not as much as he knew Phil and Ranboo wanted him to be. 

He was working towards it though, slowly but surely. He would get there eventually. He knew that. For now though, he had to focus on the progress he was making. He was seeing a therapist, he was learning how to accept compliments, learning how to let himself feel them. 

Two weeks after he had been taken from his parents, one week before Tubbo was set to return, he was at Ranboo’s house watching a movie. Earlier that day, they had had Tommy help them come out to Phil, Wilbur, and Techno, and Ranboo’s parents were throwing a small dinner in celebration. Phil and the twins had already left, but Tommy was staying for a sleepover. 

He was half asleep on Ranboo’s shoulder on the couch when he heard Ranboo’s parents walk into the living room.

“Can we tell him tomorrow?” he heard Ranboo ask. 

“I think so, Boobear, just remember that he might say no,” their mom responded. 

Ranboo’s hand shifted so it was in his hair, they started playing with the curls and Tommy couldn’t help the way he melted into them. 

“Yeah,” Ranboo whispered with a fond smile, “but I don't think he will.” 

They kept talking for a bit, but Tommy succumbed to sleep and missed the rest of their conversation, only focused on how warm he felt next to Ranboo. 

It wasn't until breakfast the next morning that he found out what they had been discussing. 

“So, Tommy,” Daisy said as she served him pancakes, “we know you’re looking for a permanent guardian. Ranboo’s father and I have discussed it, and well, you already feel like a member of the family with how much you’re around. So, we have a spare bedroom we can convert to yours, if that’s something you want?” she offered, affection dripping through her tone. 

Tommy’s heart stuttered in his chest. He wanted this, he wanted to call the small family that had shown him more love than his own. Tears pricked as his eyes and he furiously wiped them away. 

“I would love that,” he whispered. 

Before he could blink, Ranboo was picking him up off the chair and spinning Tommy around until they were nothing but a blur of black white and red. 

“Welcome home,” Ranboo whispered into his hair when they finally put Tommy down, wrapping  their wings around Tommy. 

“Glad to be here, Boo,” Tommy said softly, tears in his eyes. 

“Tubbo!” Tommy cried, launching himself into the shorter. 

“Tommy, wait!” Tubbo yelled, but it was too late. Tommy slammed into him, sending both of them to the floor. 

“You’re not allowed to leave me again,” Tommy informed him, sitting them up before pulling Tubbo against his chest and wrapping his wings around them, sheltering the two of them from anyone else. 

“You’ve already told me that,” Tubbo reminded him flatly, “before I even left, mind you.” 

“I stand by what I said. I missed you,” Tommy told him with a grin. 

“Love you too, bossman,” Tubbo said, relaxing into the hug. 

“It was so weird without you,” Tommy admitted. “I felt like I was missing something the entire time.” 

“Same,” Tubbo said. without missing a beat. 

“Okay, just erase my entire existence then, why don’t you?” Ranboo said from behind. 

Tommy just stuck out his tongue at him while Tubbo completely detangled himself from Tommy, standing protectively in front of him. 

“And who are you?” he asked suspiciously. 

“Relax, Tubbo,” Tommy said standing up. “That’s Ranboo, my brother.” 

“Brother?” Tubbo asked, sounding thoroughly confused. 

“Well, sometimes. I’m more like his sibling,” Ranboo said with a joking shrug. 

“Doesn't matter! I still love you,” Tommy called to him. 

“Okay, wait. What the hell did I miss?” Tubbo asked, stepping between them. 

So Tommy explained. He told Tubbo of how he had defended Ranboo on their first day. How he had invited Ranboo to lunch. He explained how they slowly got closer and the awful things his parents had told him. He told Tubbo about the whirlwind of emotions he was still trying to process, he told him how Ranboo had been there for him the entire time. 

He explained how he had finally broken, and how he was finally free. 

Ranboo chimed in a few times and ended up telling Tubbo about his preferences in terms of gender and how Tommy had been there for them. They told Tubbo about how Tommy had welcomed them, how he had been there for them even as he had barely known their name. 

When they had both finished, Tommy could see the way Tubbo looked at the two of them, could see the way that Tubbo knew that soon for them to be complete he would need two souls beside him instead of one, that Tubbo would love Ranboo in the same way he loved Tommy. 

Tommy smiled, warmth blooming inside of him. He was finally whole, finally complete. The last few pieces to his puzzle had clicked into place. He wasn't done growing, far from it, but he was ready to go beyond where he had already gone. Ready to find more of himself as he grew up. 

He would do it all with them, his best friends for whom he would burn down the entire world if only to keep them warm. Who he knew would protect him with everything they were. 

Whatever life threw at him next, he was ready. 

They were ready.

Together.