Falling • OriginSMP TommyInnit

23 - I Wanna Feel The Sun

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"ACCEPT IT, WE'RE GOING TO NIKI."

"I DON'T WANT TO GO TO NIKI!"

"WHY NOT?"

"BECAUSE SHE'S GONNA MAKE ME FEEL BAD AND- AND SHE CAN'T SEE ME SO THAT'S EVEN WORSE!"

Tubbo and Tommy continued to quarrel, the older dragging Tommy around by his wrist, avoiding the Avian's talon-like nails. They got closer and closer to the lake, where Niki and Wilbur had managed to make a tunnel for the people who couldn't breathe water. (Not that Wilbur could, either, he helped decorate the dry inner tunnel.)

Tubbo fell silent when he was in earshot of Niki, not wanting to startle her or anyone with his yelling-at-nothing thing. Of course, to them it was yelling at nothing. To him, it was yelling at the annoying avian ghost.

"Tommy, I'm seeing her for help whether you like it or not, shut up." Tubbo groaned, nearly losing his footing. The tunnel sloped downwards, and sometimes there'd be a water leak from a creeper, so he was forced to stare at the ground. Tommy rambled on about how he should just turn back, and how he only said that because he was tired, blah blah blah does this kid ever shut up?

"Tubbo? Is that you?" Niki's gentle voice rang through the hall, making both Tubbo and Tommy flinch, the dead boy even falling silent.

"Tubbo, please, man, I don't wan-," Tommy started, his tone going softer as he tried to persuade his friend.

"Yeah, I'm here." Tubbo called, interrupting Tommy. The Avian gave him a look that was a mix of so much pure bitterness and fear, it almost hurt. The fear, he means. The bitterness wasn't new at all. "I was wondering if... if you could talk?"

"Of course, Tubbo!" Niki said happily. "Keep going straight and then take a left at the third-to-last hall." She instructed, and Tubbo hummed in acknowledgement. 

The Shulk class walked to the area he was told to, keeping Tommy's wrist in a tight hold so that the Avian couldn't get away. (Apparently he forgot he could harness the Phantom Class' ability...) 

He was met with a large room, where Niki waited in a pool of water that reached up to the surface of the lake. It was blocked from leaking into the room by a tall glass wall, but it still had open areas so that Niki could actually communicate.

"Hi, Tubbo!" Niki greeted happily, "Are you okay..? It's awfully la... early, now." 

"Okay, you saw her, now let's go- hey!" Tommy pulled Tubbo, only for the older to drag him closer.

"I'm doing... Okay." Tubbo put on a false expression. He didn't like lying to people, but it was the only way he could get Tommy help. "As good as you can be since your best friend died."

"Oh, Tubbo," Niki said sadly, her gills flaring slightly. "Stuck on that?"

"How can I not be?" Tubbo thought that he could maybe use a different way to teach Tommy that he meant something. "Tommy was and still is really important to me, he was always there to cheer me up when I was sad, he was always there in general, honestly. The list of everything he's done for me is too long, really."

Niki was silent for a moment, her fins and gills flaring as she thought about what Tubbo said. She nodded, choosing her next words carefully.

"Tommy's really important to everyone here, no matter how crazy, or how upset he's made them. Or if they were the crazy ones, they still cared about Tommy. Even if they didn't show it much. He's helped everyone here more than we could think in his time, and I know it feels bad that you can't help him, but.. he's in a better place now, and he's happy." 

Tommy made a grumpy face and glared at Tubbo, who tried his hardest to squash the silly grin that he felt was trying to show. The boy swallowed thickly, nodding solemnly. He did notice Tommy at the edge of his vision, the Avian playing with his backwings, which curled over the front of him so he could touch them easier. He wasn't doing anything in particular, he wasn't preening, he wasn't fixing them, he wasn't trying to bend back any nerves that got out of place, none of that.

He was just taking in what Niki said.

"I, thank you. For- for saying that." Tubbo stuttered, hoping he was striking Tommy.

"You're welcome. He wouldn't want you to grieve, y'know." Niki spoke in a softer tone, acting as if she was talking to a baby fox that had just been born. Tubbo nodded.

"I know, it's just.. Hard." He noticed Tommy's wings flar upwards, hiding him like a very poorly built shield.

"Tubbo, can we go now?" Tommy asked. "I get it, okay?"

Tubbo bit his lip, wondering if he should stay for Tommy's sake, or leave, also for Tommy's sake. Deciding that he should probably leave, anyway, he nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, thank you. Really, thank you. It.. It means alot." Tubbo looked into Niki's eyes, but was unable to keep eye contact. He turned around, letting go of Tommy's wrist, and left. The dead Avian was silent the entire walk, fidgeting with his wings often. Tubbo wondered if Tommy was taught how valuable he was to them, or if he still thought lowly of himself.

Just as they left the cave, Tubbo spoke up. 

"So," he met Tommy's eyes. "How fast are you?"

"Wha-?" Tommy asked, confusion in his eyes. "What do you mean? Oh, is it because I outran the tree?"

"Yeah, you were like a cheetah."

"Well, I would say it's because the Avian class makes me automatically walk faster, but I think I was driven by panic. That, and I'm better than all of you." Tommy smirked, and Tubbo pressed a hand to his chest, faking an offended expression.

"Are you saying I'm nothing?" Tubbo scoffed.

"No, I'm saying there's an old man with elytra giving you a look as if you were crazy." Tommy gestured forwards. Tubbo glanced, and sure enough, Phil was giving him a quizzical look.

"That's not what you were saying, you said- yeah, I should stop talking." Tubbo realized Phil didn't see Tommy, momentarily forgetting that the Avian was dead. 

"Just talking to myself, no need to worry!" Tubbo called, desperately hoping Phil believed him.

"Oh, Tubbo..." Phil's expression softened.

"Did Will get to you, too?"