there is only us | wilbur soot x reader

Chapter 25 - Alone

Tommy POV

I wiped the sweat from my brow, leaning forward and pressing my ear to the stone. I had chipped and mined away at the stone until there was only a paper-thin wall between us and the cave system. I stepped back, my ears ringing with the muffled sound of zombies and skeletons. I shot Tubbo a grimace.

"There are monsters in there, alright. Tons of 'em," I confirmed, watching Tubbo's shoulders sag.

We had been working towards this cave all day; our arms were shaky and weak. I saw how Tubbo's eyes drooped and his pickaxe hung low to the floor, realizing that I was probably a mirror image of him. we were too tired to fight right now, and judging from the sounds, we were outnumbered and wouldn't win. In silent agreement, we grabbed our bags and headed back up the tunnel. As we neared the surface, Tubbo spoke.

"We'll go back tomorrow, yeah?"

I only nodded in affirmation.

"We've got plenty of stuff anyways. Lapis, coal, and even some emeralds. We'll get some sleep and get our energy back, and then we'll go fight all the mobs and clear the cave system," Tubbo rambled, planning out our next day in the mines.

I nodded again, my mouth cracked open in a yawn.

"D'you think Wilbur will be happy with us?" Tubbo murmured.

I smiled softly. "I bet," I answered, "He'll be delighted when I tell him about all the mobs he can help us fight."

"He's not that violent, is he?"

"No," I shrugged. "Just restless."

"Losing a country will do that to you, yeah?"

We fell into silence. My pickaxe rang out as I scraped it along the floor, the diamond blade dragging up cobblestone. It was in moments like these, when L'manberg came up in conversation, I was hit with the reminder that Pogtopia wasn't my real home. It was easy to pretend it was; to grow comfortable in between the stone walls. It was the closest thing to normal I could get. Pogtopia was my country, and almost everyone I cared about was here, tucked safely away where no wars or assholes could ever find us. In Pogtopia, we were young again, allowed to slow down and play pretend. We didn't have to worry about enemy soldiers knocking on our obsidian doors. Here, we weren't presidents or criminals or soldiers. We were just regular people, trying to get by and survive. And I- I liked it, okay? Sue me if I liked to breathe every once in a while.

I loved L'manberg, of course I did. L'manberg was my first real home, the only place I ever imagined myself living. But here we were, in this underground ravine, with a population of strictly five, and I didn't even mind. No people to lead meant nobody to watch my every move, nobody to judge my every step. No people to command meant nobody to defend, nobody to let down.

I felt normal. And after ages of being something more, someone untouchable, normal felt nice, refreshing. Maybe it was better this way. Let them have L'manberg- what does it matter? It was never about the country or the land- it was about belonging somewhere, with someone. And we could do that well enough here, right? I had everything I needed and wanted; my friends, my family, a home.

"Tommy," Tubbo called, ripping me from my thoughts. He was ahead of me, peering back as if he was trying to see into my head. "You look like you're in a different world, big man. You okay?"

I blinked, clearing my brain. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just got a bit distracted for a moment."

Tubbo frowned like he was trying to decide if I was lying or not. After a moment, he shrugged and kept going, and I followed in pursuit, leaving L'manberg in the tunnels to rot. As we reached the surface, the ravine welcomed us back, the ceiling stretching far over our heads. We looked around, the torches leading us back to the living area. The lighting was Wilbur's idea; the first thing he'd done was illuminate every crevice. As we neared the fireplace we had carved out of the wall, an unsettling sense of solitude fell over me like a blanket. I furrowed my brow and looked around hesitantly, the ravine seeming suddenly empty.