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Chapter 12: icarus' inferno

Chapter 12: icarus' inferno

"Shh-! He'll hear you!"

"Your shushing is louder than my shuffling-"

"Shut the fuck up you two-"

Tommy pushes the front door open, and the cottage bursts into life.

"Surprise!" They say - cry out, and cheer. Laugh, with their voices in perfect sync. "Happy Birthday!"

The Golden Boy's eyes widen as he flinches - his jaw parts as he gapes. "Oh shit-"

"You can die now, Tommy!" Wilbur slings his arm over Tommy's shoulders, grinning. "Don't fuck this up!"

The surprise melts away, and Tommy wheezes. "Why would you-"

"Cake!" Techno sweeps into the room, holding up a cake on a circular plate - the candles on it flicker, their fire swaying with the motion. "Ranboo, drag me that coffee table would you?"

"Sure-"

"So for the next two days," Tubbo bumps his shoulder with Tommy's, a cheeky grin on his face, "I get to do all the stupid shit without you."

"No," Phil leans over, and lightly smacks the back of his head. "No, you don't."

"Aw-"

"I'd never forgive you anyway." Tommy gives Tubbo a large wolf's grin, kneeling at the head of the coffee table. His face is illuminated by the flickering candlelight. "Not like you could do all those without my help."

"I've got Ranboo!"

"I am not helping you with those."

"Pfht- Traitor."

Ranboo elbows him as they kneel, settling around the coffee table - the cake. "Maybe it was just never meant to be," teases he, with a laugh.

Tubbo simply elbows him back, his eyes shining too much for his scowl to mean anything.

"Alright, alright," Techno corrals them. He takes his spot, the final brother, and beams a soft and loving smile. "Happy birthday Tommy. Make a wish."

The Golden Boy looks around, at the faces of his family - seeing their bright eyes, joyful. He glances down to his cake, carefully baked and decorated, for him - for this.

And Tommy smiles, as he blows out the candles.

"So you'll distract him-"

"Until the sun goes down, I know." Ranboo chuckles as he fits the sandwiches around in the picnic basket. "I won't be early."

"You better not be." Tommy raises a threatening wooden spoon. His fingers turn white, flaked with flour and slippery with butter. "Sunset, broken clock. Remember."

"I will." Ranboo leans over, just enough to wack the Golden Boy with the tips of his stretched feathers. "Focus on your cake. Techno will kill you if you start a fire in his kitchen."

"Yeah, yeah and I won't respawn." Tommy scoffs, aggressively stirring the batter in his bowl. A couple drops fly out, falling to the floor with tiny splats. "Honestly? Death can just fuck off, kindly."

"Kindly."

"Dad said she's a woman. Gotta be respectful."

Ranboo snorts a laugh. He flicks his wrist, and flicks the top of the picnic basket closed. In one smooth motion, he slips his arm under its handle. "I'm leaving."

Tommy hums. He steps back from the counter, just to bump their shoulders. Ranboo returns the gesture, wrapping a wing around the Golden Boy - hugging, for half a second.