Catbur Soot (Not a furry)

Powers of a cat

"Tommy! It's time for school!" Phil shouted. 

"Coming!" Tommy called. 

Soot looked up and realized the blonde had left his homework on his desk. A normal habit of Tommy's that his teachers were tired of. Soot let out a loud mrrrrow! 

Tommy sighed. "Soot, I know you don't like when I leave, but I gotta go to school. 

Soot got up and jumped on the desk, pawing at the work. 

"Tommy!" Phil called from downstairs. 

"I'm sorry! I don't want to go either." Tommy sighed. "I'll play with you after school, alright?" 

MROWWWW! 

Tommy turned. "Ohhhh! My homework! Thanks Soot!" He ran over and grabbed the paper, petting the cat's head. "Good boy. Bye Soot!" 

Soot rolled his eyes with a sigh as his boy ran out the door. 

---------------

Tommy came home with tears and his eyes. 

He flopped on his lower bed. Soot jumped up next to his boy, nosing his arm gently. Tommy had his face hidden in the pillows. He sobbed. 

"Tubbo replaced me!" he cried. 

Soot let out a concerned mew. Tommy turned his head to look at his secret cat. "Tubbo replaced me! There's this new kid and his name is Ranboob or something stupid like that! But all day it was just 'Ranboob this' and 'Ranboob that'! I don't want to lose my friend!" 

Soot rubbed his face comfortingly on Tommy's hand. Tommy picked his hand up half heartedly and pet Soot's head. 

"And it's not like I can tell anyone because Techno will just call me clingy and dad works all the time and doesn't actually understand even if he says he does and I have no one to talk to! All I have is Tubbo for a friend, and I don't wanna be replaced!" 

Soot was skeptical. From what he'd seen and heard, Techno cared more about Tommy than the little boy could understand. He was part piglin, meaning he took family loyalty very seriously, and would kill anyone who hurt his family. He had a deeper connection to Tommy than anyone else. 

Soot made a decision. 

He hopped off of the bed. "Soot?" Tommy asked. Soot padded out into the hallway, his tail high. 

"Soot!" Tommy cried, running after the cat. 

Soot scampered through the hallway as Tommy attempted to catch the cat before he could be seen. "Soot!" Tommy whisper yelled. "Come back here!" 

Soot ignored him, bursting into the living room. Techno was reading on the couch. Mrrrow! Soot said. 

Techno looked up. "What in the name of Hades? Is that a cat?" 

Tommy ran in after Soot, scooping up the cat. "Uh... Techno! This isn't what it looks like!" 

"It looks like you've been hiding a cat." Techno said. "And have you been crying?" 

"I... I..." Tears started to well in Tommy's eyes. "Please don't send him away!" he cried. "He's small and he doesn't take up much room and he's my only friend!" 

"Woah..." Techno said. "Calm down Theseus. Come on, let's go into your room." 

Techno led Tommy upstairs to the blonde's room, closing the door. Tommy sat on his bed holding Soot close while Techno proceeded to fling the door open to Tommy's closet. He pulled out the food, dishes, litter box, scratching post, and litter bag. 

"Is this all?" he asked. 

Tommy shook his head, setting Soot on the bed and opening the loose drawer in his dresser. The one at the bottom that was easily pullable if Soot just put his teeth around the knob. Inside was a bunch of his toys. Tommy opened this drawer and dumped the toys into a pile on the bed. Soot pounced on the mouse, shaking it quietly, aware of the tension in the room. 

Techno sighed. "How long have you been hiding it from us?" 

"He's not an it." Tommy said stubbornly. "His name is Soot." 

Techno closed his eyes. "How long," he said again. "Have you been hiding Soot from us?" 

Tommy looked down. "Um... a couple months." he whispered. 

"How have you been hiding an entire being from us?" Techno demanded. 

"He mostly stays up in my room!" Tommy said. "He hasn't been in your room or Phil's or anything, promise promise! I always take care of him and feed him and makes sure he has everything! He's really good and he's my bestest friend and you can't tell Phil!" 

"Tommy..." Techno sighed again. 

"Please?" Tommy whispered. "He's gonna make me get rid of him and I can't! I already was replaced by Tubbo, I can't lose Soot too!" 

"What do you mean you've been replaced?" Techno frowned. 

Tommy looked down. "You're just gonna call me clingy." he whispered. 

"Aw, Theseus." Techno said. "I only ever call you clingy as a joke, I didn't mean it as anything else. And I love that about you! It's what makes you, you! Just tell me what's going on. It's my job as your brother to validate your feelings." 

"There's this new kid at our school." Tommy started. "His name's Ranboo or something like that. Tubbo introduced himself and me and it was like all he talked about today. I've been replaced by some enderman hybrid." Tommy frowned as tears started to fall down his face. 

"I'm sure you haven't been replaced." Techno said. "Ranboo's new and exciting, but you're Tubbo's closest friend. There's no way Tubbo could ever replace the kind of friendship you two have, alright?" 

Tommy shrugged. "I don't know..." 

"Trust me." Techno smiled. "Tomorrow, you'll go in, you'll make friends with this Ranboo kid, and you'll realize that he's just another friend, and certainly not replacing you. Think of it like...." Techno looked around. "You're stuffed animals. You love Shroud, don't you?" 

"Yeah!" Tommy said. 

"But if you got another stuffed animal that you loved, it wouldn't replace Shroud. It's the same as you and Ranboo." 

"I could never replace Shroud!" Tommy said passionately. 

Techno laughed. "Exactly. And Tubbo could never replace you." 

"So... I don't have to worry about Ranboo?" Tommy asked.

"Exactly." Techno smiled. "Now, how the hell are we supposed to tell Phil about the cat?" 

"No!" Tommy cried. "You can't!" 

"Tommy, I have to. You can't keep a cat locked in your room forever." 

"Yes I can!" Tommy said stubbornly. 

"Tommy." Techno said dryly. 

"I don't want to have to give Soot away!" Tommy cried. "He's my cat! He's mine!" 

"I know, but I don't think Phil will make you get rid of him." 

"But avians hate cats!" Tommy cried. "He'll hate Soot!" 

"Calm down." Techno said. "We'll just tell him and get it over with. I'm sure he's fine with you having a cat." 

"I can't tell Phil!" Tommy shouted. 

"Tell me what?" Phil asked. 

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Stay safe, stay happy, stay kind. 

YOU ARE LOVED!!!

-th3m1dn1ght$t0rm

Okay, that's lowkey cool looking. 

I'm going to publish this now... Hopefully. I think.