Tommyinnit Oneshots

Snow (part 2)

Family dinners were awkward for Tommy. For someone who could have his own talk show without any guests but keep people interested regardless, family dinners made Tommy too nervous to speak. It had been that way since the day he found out that while Philza was his father, Techno and Wilbur weren't his brothers. Not completely, anyways. There had been a divide that day. If it was a casual thing, where they all happened to come together for a meal, it wouldn't have been a big deal. But the implication that this was meant for a family is what made it turn sour the moment they all sat down at the table.

        What made it worse was simply who infrequently it happened. Tommy couldn't stand to be around Techno and Philza after Wilbur died, and it became a two-way street when Tommy betrayed Techno and Philza betrayed Tommy. Unfortunately, Wilbur had decided that he wanted them all to have a nice chat 'like they used to', and Tommy couldn't say 'no' to Wilbur no matter how much he wanted to. To that end, Tommy put on his big boy pants, took a deep breath, and headed to Technoblade's cabin.

        Harsh memories followed Tommy the entire walk there, but the winter environment seemed to be comforting him somehow. The wind was less pounding, and more refreshing, while the hail lightened to a misty snow. Tommy was able to see where he was going with ease, and instead of his boots sinking into the snow, the fallen crystallized water pushed him to the surface like he was Jesus walking on water. Tommy would have thought that it was cool, probably would have tested the limits of the winter's kindness, but he was panicking more than thinking about how his birthright curse might have been a blessing in certain situations.

        As Tommy came to the cabin, he heard Steve growl lowly at him. Instead of a senseless animal noise, Tommy's brain autocomplete the growling to be Steve's way of saying welcome. Tommy gave a smile as he held Steve's head in his arms, nodding against the fur that was incredibly warm. Steve commented about how long it had been since he last saw Tommy, to which the boy muttered something about not being welcomed. Steve laughed, claiming that this was Tommy's domain, and no one could keep the child of winter from the world he could command. Tommy shook his head. He did count it as a win that Steve seemed to love him more than Techno, even if it was just because Tommy could understand arctic animals whereas Techno could only talk to actual pigs. Not even Piglin, just pigs.

        Tommy said his goodbye as Steve gave a slight bow. Tommy climbed up the stairs, hesitating by the door. He could freeze the doorknob and run away. He could let them be the family they were instead of intruding like his mother once did. Tommy could run away from all three of them, never going to that headquarters that Wilbur had built alongside Las Nevadas. It would be simple to do that. To let Steve point him in the direction of other polar bears so Tommy could live with them as the feral boy he was born to be.

        Tommy's indecisiveness led someone to opening the door before Tommy was ready. Wilbur smiled at Tommy with a kindness that Tommy hadn't known in a long time. Not since Sam was his ally instead of the man that got both Tommy and Ghostbur killed. Tommy was more mad about his death, obviously, but Ghostbur's death filled Tommy with a deep sadness that cut sharply into his soul that he couldn't deal with. The guilt and grief mixed together in such a way that Tommy felt obligated to stand beside Wilbur because that was the closest he would get to Ghostbur now that the blue-loving spirit was condemned to that train station.

        "Come inside! We have the food made and table set. We were waiting for you," Wilbur said with a soft smile. Tommy knew better than that. Wilbur wanted Tommy to feel guilty for being late. In actuality, Tommy was completely on time according to what time Wilbur had told him after the brunette had been on the phone with Philza. Tommy didn't care. He let Wilbur say whatever words came into his twisted mind. It was better than arguing. "See, I told you Techie, he would come!"