Sleepy Bois Inc. Angst Oneshots

putting up walls and slamming doors

pspspspsps I'm back :)
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"Give me my cloak back," Techno grunts. He stares down at Tommy and clacks his teeth together in agitation, drawing the boy's attention to the large tusks that poke out of his lips.

Tommy shrinks back at the noise; he folds in on himself as if Techno had just threatened to hit him.

"Fine," he relents, the word so quiet that he almost wonders if he even said it aloud. Before exile, he would've fought tooth and nail for even the smallest of scraps; he wouldn't have given Techno the cloak back ever again.

But now, with one disappointed look, he bends in mere seconds.

He can see the surprise in Techno's eyes, although it's quickly replaced with the bored look that usually inhabits the man's face. He hates it. He hates that he was once so annoying that it's surprising when he behaves. And he hates that he misses it- being annoying. With all of his heart, he misses the time when fire flowed through his veins instead of blood, warming him and burning everyone around him all at once. He felt safer back then, like he was untouchable. Oh, does he know better now.

With aching shoulders, he drags himself up the ladder. It takes longer than it should. He can almost feel Techno's impatience, the man waiting at the bottom of the ladder and grinding his teeth.

Reluctance makes his limbs even more uncooperative; he doesn't want Techno to see the mess he's made in the room he's borrowing. Part of his brain wails at him calling his room a mess- it's his nest, his first one, too- but Techno won't see it that way. He knows his stay at Techno's cabin is only temporary, and he's already pushing his luck with how long he's stayed. If Techno sees Tommy treating his room like it's, well, his room, then he's going to be mad.

When Tommy finally makes it to the top of the ladder, oddly out of breath with arms throbbing, he opens the trapdoor that serves as his bedroom door only enough to be able to slink in. The wood thuds shut behind him.

He tenses, waiting for Techno to yell at him for slamming the trapdoor in his face or for him to charge up the ladder to punish Tommy, but it's silent.

Tommy's eyes land on his nest. Hide- the voice screams in his head, making him jump. He takes a step closer to the mess of blankets and other soft things he stole from Techno that the man has yet to notice. That's another reason Tommy doesn't want Techno up there; once he starts looking closely and realizes half of Tommy's nest is shit he's stolen, he'll be even more angry. Even worse, he'll start taking things back- that thought makes the bird brain screech.

He's buried in blankets before he even realizes what he's doing.

Just as he starts to dig himself out of the blankets, to get back on task, a voice echoes in the silence. "Tommy... This is a nest." Oh, god, it's Techno.

Tommy flinches when he speaks, his bird brain screaming for him to burrow deeper into his nest- into safety. He hadn't even noticed the trapdoor being opened. He shifts his blankets just enough to see the piglin, frozen on the ladder, head poked just above the wooden floor. Techno stares at the tornado of blankets covering the room, eyebrows furrowed.

Tommy doesn't respond; there's nothing to say. He can't deny that it's a nest, but he also can't explain why he built it in the first place.

The voice in his head, screaming and stomping its feet like a petulant toddler, insisted he do it and wouldn't shut up until the nest was perfect.

It's still there, unfortunately, and it can't decide whether Techno is a friend or an enemy. It's almost overwhelming, the way the short, demanding words flood his head: protector- danger- hide- help-

"Why did you- Why'd you build a nest, Tommy? You're not an avian." The blanket covering his head is tugged off, and a startled noise escapes Tommy's lips. It doesn't sound quite right, and it makes him cough, but the voice in his head is pleased by it. It begs him to do it again, but Tommy pushes down the instinct because Techno is staring at him like he's grown a second head or something.

Shame descends on him. Techno must think he's insane for building a nest for no reason, and he's got to be mad at Tommy for stealing his shit and trashing his leased bedroom.

He scrambles away from the piglin, whose brain looks to be short-circuiting, and pushes himself to his feet. His body flares with pain at the movement, making the world spin and his knees buckle, but he clenches his teeth and presses forwards. The last thing he needs right now is to pass out in front of Techno; he can't display any weakness to the man who's going to be kicking him out by the end of the day.

Tommy crosses the nest and pulls the cloak from its spot, ignoring the way his instincts scream at him to put it back. He takes stiff, hesitant steps towards Techno. The red fabric drags as he goes, slowing him down like an anchor.

After an eternity, he's standing in front of Techno with the cloak outstretched to him.

"Can I keep the rest?" he requests quietly, his tongue sitting heavy in his mouth. He stares at his feet; he doesn't want to see the anger or disgust on Techno's face, and he doesn't want to look at his nest either, a reminder of what he'll be losing shortly.

He doesn't take it immediately. Tommy can't tell if that's a good thing or not. He risks a glance up at the man to find there's some battle going on in Techno's head. Pupils blown wide, the man stares at Tommy, then at the nest, and then at the fabric in his hands. Apparently, one side must win because Techno finally unfreezes and takes the cloak back easily, despite Tommy's death-grip on it.

The boy lets out a heartbroken noise that makes him cough yet again, but it's getting closer to sounding the way his bird brain wants it to.

Against his will, another noise of sadness escapes his lips, mourning the loss of his favorite part of his nest. He likes to sleep with the cloak wrapped around him, pressing his nose into it and breathing in the familiar and comforting scent of his brother. It helps with the ache lodged in his heart that begs for him to be held. And now, just like all his other possessions, it's gone.

But a second later, the cloak is being tucked around his shoulders.

Tommy startles away from the sudden affection, and Techno- When did he shift into his full piglin form?- grunts in disapproval, using the cloak to pull him closer again.

"Uh, Big T-" Techno's arms wrap around Tommy, too strong for the boy to pull away- "What are you..." The piglin huffs hot air across the boy's face, and the words die in Tommy's throat, a lump forming in their place. Techno hasn't done that since they were kids, way before L'manberg and the wars and exile.

Tommy's eyes water, and he pushes his face into Techno's chest, a mix of sobs and half-formed chirps escaping his lips.

Techno, entirely lost in his instincts, guides the breaking boy to the corner of the nest farthest from the trapdoor, the one that houses his bed, buried under a thousand blankets. He nudges Tommy's hair with his snout in an effort to comfort the boy. He grunts rhythmically, a quiet but constant reminder to the crying boy that he's there, and Tommy isn't alone.

Tommy responds with quiet peeps and whines that make his throat ache even more. God, his whole body aches. He cries harder, wishing for it to all just stop.
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(1342 words)
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I hope to make this one into its own mini-series, and I hope to start posting on this account again. Y'all want me to keep posting here or make a new book?

Much love to all you! I'm proud of you, and remember that you deserve the world 🫶