"The Case Of The Fire Inside."

When the flood water comes, it aint gonna be clear 19

"Put some sunscreen on Tommy, you're going to burn," Phil scolded from the living room as he packed up the bag.

"I don't burn Phil, this skin is much too powerful for that," Tommy sniffed, grabbing a few cookies to shove into the bag.

"Yeah Phil," Wilbur joined in, a grin on his face. "The sun's a pussy."

"If those idiots want to get burned let them Phil," Techno rolled his eyes, smearing some sunscreen across his skin. Tommy wrinkled his nose at the horrific smell of it. "Us sensible people will prevail."

"I'm not going to burn," Tommy insisted, Wilbur nodding beside him. Tommy's lived here his entire life and not once has the sun been able to burn him. Probably some lucky genetics on his selkie side if he was being honest.

"If the gremlin says he isn't going to burn, then we aren't going to burn," Wilbur said, throwing an arm around him. "I trust his judgment."

Wilbur very much should not. He is totally going to burn. Only Tommy was getting out of this unscathed. Dream used to always complain how unfair it was that he'd always get burned when they went outside together while Tommy's skin never changed hues. Tommy misses the times they'd go out to the beach or out on the water together.

"Let's go already," Tommy whined, bouncing on his heels. "You guys take fucking forever."

"Learn some patience man," Wilbur chided, arm tightening around his neck as he roughly ruffled his hair. Tommy squeaked while pushing his hand away, Wilbur laughing loudly as Tommy spun out of his grip and fell into Techno.

"Really?" Techno asked, unimpressed as Tommy tilted his head back to grin at him. "Can you guys go five seconds without trying to break something? Namely me?"

"Never," Tommy replied, reaching up to flick Techno's nose before pushing away and racing out the door. He hears two pairs of thundering feet after him and Techno's angry growl, his heart sings with pleasure.

He flies across the grass towards the beach, the blades tickling his feet as he runs. Techno and Wilbur are both racing behind him, Wilbur laughing with joy and Techno yelling out violent promises for when he caught up to him.

Despite the seemingly angry voice and the fact that he's being chased after doing something wrong, Tommy doesn't feel scared. He doesn't have a need to. He knows Techno isn't really angry, and even if he was that Wilbur would be there to stop anything bad from happening. Even if sometimes the doubt lingers in the back of his mind and he's still scared shitless of messing up, he knows he's okay.

His feet slap against the sand, and he barrels towards the sea, hitting the waves as he laughs, his chest swelling with the sea's grip wrapping around him. The water climbs up his legs, splashing around him as he ran further, turning to grin wildly at techno and Wilbur who were standing at the waters edge, both too big of pussies to walk in with their clothes still on. Tommy stuck his tongue out at them.

"When you get out of that water," Techno threatened, pointing a finger. Tommy could see the tips of his mouth pulling towards a smile.

"What are you going to do Techno? Dump sand on me?" Tommy taunted.

"Don't give me ideas," Techno said with rolled eyes, huffing as he retreated back to the beach to place down his blanket. Tommy was definitely going to dump sand on him later.

Phil was coming up over the hill, grinning with a picnic basket held in his hands. Wilbur was already taking off his shirt and shoes, walking into the ocean to join him. Techno and Phil sat down together, happily chatting as Techno pointed to some pictures in his book.

"Race you to the rock," Wilbur said, before shoving him down under the water and taking off. Tommy laughed as he twisted, easily cutting through the water like it was second nature. Sure this body wasn't as good as swimming as his seal form, but he was still leagues above Wilbur in swimming ability.