I'm a Healer, But...

28

Techno is being fucking clingy.Which Tommy is not complaining about! Not really. There's something about his bird brain that likes Techno being clingy- and it is definitely his bird brain and not Tommy himself being clingy, because, uh, reasons. Obvious reasons, like the fact that Tommy has barely touched other human beings other than for healing purposes since he was in elementary school.But Techno has been clingy ever since Tommy brought up maybe having had a flock before. He stays near Tommy for most of each day, whenever he leaves he comes back with more gold to make Tommy wear, and he sits in the nest whenever Tommy gets too antsy and can't bring himself to ask him to join him out loud. He just knows , and sits down, and it's great but also weird because Tommy doesn't want to be a weirdo like Phil who drags everyone to the nest whether they want to be there or not.Techno doesn't seem to mind, at least. Probably just because he's used to Phil dragging him places. Tommy doesn't want to be the same as Phil, but-He thinks he needs this, right now. He needs Techno. It's helping him through his head being so fucking stupid- no, not his head. His instincts. His instincts that make him chirp when he's lonely, and Techno chuffs or purrs at him in response to let him know he's not alone. His eyes catch on shiny things, and the additions from Techno's hoard keep him engaged, give him rings to twist around and chains to dangle.And Techno soothes the need for flock... even if something in his brain wants more, a bigger flock, more people he cares for in the nest- but he's not going to listen to it. Techno is one thing, Techno he can trust because he's just as put out by his instincts as Tommy is. Neither of them can control it, and they're bound by that. But he can't trust that, if he got attached to someone else, they could possibly be as attached to him in return.Besides, who would he let in? Fundy is... okay, Fundy isn't bad, he's awkward but nicer than Tommy thought he would be, but it's still... weird. Fundy was Dream's boyfriend, even if Dream was just using him, so it's- not Fundy. Wilbur is right out. And Phil?He hasn't seen Phil since he got weird about Tommy mentioning his foster homes. Which is good, he doesn't want Phil in the nest, he doesn't want him to take Techno away, but like... logically, it's weird, because Phil is trying to trick him into believing their family lie so... shouldn't he be trying to convince him? Techno says he's just busy, but Tommy's still suspicious.Tommy's lying in the nest, kicking his feet in annoyance. Techno is out, just quickly making lunch for them both- Techno purrs whenever Tommy eats something he's made, and Phil is probably kind of a shit flock member if he didn't realize how much Techno needs to provide like this- which just makes that little part of Tommy that he's trying to shove down whisper that he wouldn't feel so alone if he had his flock, a bigger one, so someone could stay with him while Techno's gone.He's trying to think about literally anything else, but the only other thing on his mind is the growing itch in his hands and face. He hasn't healed himself in days now. Techno makes him eat and sleep regularly- and he wants to, anyway, so it's not a sacrifice- but after years of fixing the serious injuries of one to three grown men on a daily basis, the itch settles in fast for him, much faster than it should.Techno was working on helping Tommy reel back how often he has to use his powers, even before they were flock, a sounder. It was so nice of him, and so subtle that Tommy didn't even realize- Techno wasn't being nice to trick him, or to hold it over his head, he just... was. But now it's settling in. Now he has maybe a few days before it starts to hurt.What finally distracts him from both unpleasant topics is the faint sound of a doorbell. ...he didn't even know the house had a doorbell, because no one ever comes by but Charlie, and he just... lets himself in somehow. Probably something to do with being slime. But someone is ringing the doorbell across the house.Techno knocks at the door, a familiar sound by now, and Tommy moves to the door in a flash, throwing it open for him. "Sounds like the kids are here," Techno huffs as he steps inside. "Eat first. Then you can go meet them."...shit. Right. Ranboo and his husband.Techno hasn't brought up the topic since Phil left. Tommy tried to ask a little, but Techno mostly shrugged or grimaced in response to his questions, so he let it drop, figuring he could talk to them himself whenever they showed up. Still, it's only been a few days, so he didn't expect them this soon....it's going to be uncomfortable to talk to people his age. He'll just have to get over it, though. Still, he takes his time with eating, not wanting to leave the nest just yet. Actually- "Do I have to go out there?""Do you want strangers near your nest?"He makes a good point. Tommy groans before digging into his lunch. He hates going into the hallway, let alone going to the main part of the house-He's definitely redeveloping his agoraphobia. So he definitely should go out there, even if he doesn't want to, because no fucking fear is going to beat him. Tommy rushes through eating so he can get over it. As soon as he's done, he gets to his feet."Hold on," Techno hums, reaching over to the bedside table. Some of his hoard is there- Tommy can't wear it all at once, even if Techno wants him to.And apparently he does, because he brings it all onto the bed. "Oh, come on, isn't this enough?" Tommy holds out his hands. Almost every finger has a ring, and he has almost half a dozen bracelets on one arm- the other one just has his sounder gift."No," Techno answers, holding up a necklace. Tommy is already wearing three. "Piglin tradition with shoats-""Still not a child." The words don't have much of a bite to them this time."-you wear all your gifts from the sounder when you leave the den for the first time.""You are so fucking clingy," Tommy mutters and crosses his arms, his bracelets clanging together. Techno's unamused expression has him quickly start backtracking. "Which is not a bad thing! At all!"Techno grunts- not an annoyed one, just in acknowledgement- and gestures for Tommy to come closer. He sighs, and scoots over, close enough for Techno to drape him in more fucking gold. He's literally running out of room on his body for these.When he's satisfied, Tommy is allowed to get to his feet. "They're going to think I'm weird as hell," Tommy mumbles as he looks down at himself."L.""Shut up, Techno. Let's go." Tommy heads out into the hall with only a little hesitation at the doorway. It's fine. His Protector is with him, and nothing's going to fucking happen , it's fine, it's all fine, he needs to not be freaking out when he meets new people because he already looks like a weirdo with how much jewelry he's covered in, it's fine-He follows the sound of voices, distant and unfamiliar, towards the living room. As soon as he steps through the doorway, Wilbur jumps to his feet from the couch, looking like an abandoned dog that just caught sight of their owner. "Su- Tommy!" For a moment Tommy feels joy, and his lips curl to smile back at Wilbur, but just as soon as it happens it cuts off, Wilbur looking embarrassed and Tommy feeling gross.It wasn't the same as the disgusting haze of calm from when Wilbur basically power-drugged him, so it doesn't feel like George's powers, but it's still unpleasant, and he's scowling when he looks at the strange additions to the room.The tall one gets his attention first- Wilbur and Techno are already too fucking tall, and now there's this bitch. He looks like his head could tap the ceiling if he stopped hunching over. Besides that, he looks- his skin is split down the middle, pure white on one side, the other pitch black, and his eyes glow red and green. That, combined with the sharp horns jutting out from the top of his head, makes him look like a demon.Which Tommy is pretty familiar with. He was always used to Sapnap's true form, after all.The guy stands out so much that Tommy doesn't even notice the shorter person next to him for a moment, but as soon as his eyes flick down he stops breathing completely.He shouldn't be familiar. It's been so long- they've both aged eight years, Tommy shouldn't recognize him. He shouldn't be able to look past the teenaged face, the longer horns, the burns scarring all his visible skin- but he is. And he knows who this is. And suddenly, it's like nothing ever happened." ... Tubbo?" Tommy whispers."Cece?"Tubbo remembers him too.Tommy doesn't even realize when he's crossed the room, throwing himself at Tubbo, but Tubbo's arms open up to catch him, even when Tommy almost knocks him over in the process. Tommy laughs, refusing to let go as he manages to stop them from falling, and then he laughs more, and more, and Tubbo is laughing too because they're together-It's like he's been fucking suffocating without him, and he's only realizing now that he can breathe again. "Tubbo, Tubbo, primes, " he gets out between gasps for breath, though whether it's from laughter or the way he's tearing up he isn't sure."Cece, holy shit-" Tubbo sounds just as torn between laughing and crying, and it's so, so, good, even when he headbutts his hard horns against Tommy's chest. "You fucking- you asshole, I can't believe you, shows up eight years late-""Shut up," he whines, the end turning into a trill. "I didn't want to-""But you did! You fuck, Cece, how did you end up with the Syndicate?"Oh, right. There are... other people in the room. A lot of other people. Tommy really doesn't want to let go- his arms fight him, it hurts to pull away from Tubbo, his Tubbo- but he does, taking a step back. He's not sure where to start, there's so much-"...Cece?" Wilbur asks, quiet but clearly curious, and you know what, that's so much better than explaining anything to Tubbo right now.Tommy immediately takes the excuse and throws an arm around Tubbo, pulling him into his side, and points at his face. " This guy couldn't pronounce my name when we were little, so he ended up calling me that for short-"Tubbo scoffs in offense. "You couldn't pronounce my name, either!"Tommy immediately turns up his nose. "Yeah, because no one could. It's not my fault you got stuck with Toob-er-clo-sis.""...you still can't pronounce my name!""Get a new one, you fuck!""Oh, yeah, let me just get a new name, like it's that easy-""It was for me!" Tubbo pulls back just enough to squint at him, and Tommy shrugs as best as he can without pulling his arm away from Tubbo. "Tommy. Less dramatic than 'Theseus', yeah?""...yeah, okay," Tubbo says after scrutinizing him for a long moment. "But I'm not changing Tuberculosis. I don't know what other names would shorten to Tubbo anyway, and I'm keeping that.""Tubzo," Tommy suggests. "Tubular. Bathtub.""I'm going to kill you. I just got you back, and I'm going to kill you."For the first time, the stranger in the room speaks up. "Stubborn, that's got Tubbo in it." Tommy squints up at him, and he immediately hunches over even more, his eyes darting to the side to avoid looking straight at Tommy. "Um, hi. I'm... I'm Ranboo, I'm... Tubbo's husband. I've heard about you before."Tommy squints more, not quite glaring. On one hand, this motherfucker took his place and more in Tubbo's life while he was gone. On the other, Tubbo likes him enough to marry him, so he's got to be decent enough. Tommy trusts Tubbo's judgement. "You've heard about me?""Yeah! Yeah, um-" He's holding a book to his chest, but he lowers it enough to open it up and poke through the pages. "He told me stories about you, um, I remember your name but not much else... I think you like cows?""Fuck yeah I like cows. Who the fuck doesn't like cows?"Ranboo shrugs. He's now officially a-okay in Tommy's books. He still seems uncomfortable, though, and Tommy frowns- which definitely doesn't help."Ranboo," Tubbo speaks up. "My beloved. Chill out. Cec- Tommy's great, find the page where I said-""Your beloved?" Tommy interrupts. "I thought you were married for tax benefits. Which is stupid, actually, you should just avoid paying taxes entirely. Actually, no, you should pay taxes. Do you know who doesn't pay taxes? The rich. And heroes. Heroes don't pay taxes, which I think is ridiculous because they're the ones who make taxes go so high because of all the damage to public infrastructure they do. If anything heroes should be taxed a hundred percent.""Ranboo is rich," Tubbo tells him helpfully."Yikes. Not pog.""C- Tommy, you're literally covered in gold right now.""Yeah, but that's not my fault so it doesn't count."Tubbo snorts. "Anyway, Beloved is Ranboo's last name. And mine, actually. I'm Tuberculosis Underscore-Beloved. "Tommy scrunches up his nose. "That's the dumbest last name ever. I'm taking it.""Wh- don't steal my last name! I worked for that!""Nope. I'm Tommy Underscore-Beloved now. That's just a fact."Phil interrupts, which is just so rude of him really. "How... do you two know each other?"Okay, it's not actually that rude, and Tommy puffs up, excited to brag. "Tubbo's-"My best friend. My first, and only real brother. My platonic soulmate. My Tubbo."-my flock." Tommy pauses. He meant to say literally all of those other things instead.Though he's surprised at himself, Phil doesn't seem surprised at all- he looks some kind of mix of happy and relieved, actually. But before he can say anything, Tubbo speaks up. "Oh my fucking- I literally forgot that was why we're here!""Uh, why are we here again?" Ranboo asks, a little timid."Because Phil picked up an avian!" Tubbo headbutts Tommy again, a little harder this time. Tommy can still feel the affection behind it. "How the fuck did you keep that from me, asshole?""I didn't know!" Tommy immediately defends himself. "I still don't know! My new theory is that Phil is brainwashing me into thinking I'm a bird with bird instincts so he can kidnap me into his flock. It's very likely, you know."Tubbo narrows his eyes at Phil, and then at Tommy. It's barely visible behind his long bangs, but Tommy can tell. "While I completely believe that he would-""Wh- I'm sorry?" Phil asks incredulously."-you made bird noises all the time when we were kids."Tommy groans. "Yeah, I was just being loud! Making noises for fun!""Remember when you broke your arm jumping from the hayloft and you still didn't stop chirping?"He winced at the memory. He really thought hay was enough to stop his fall. Why didn't he get his powers then, huh? No, he had to heal like a normal person. "Yeah, well, I thought it was normal."Tubbo pats his arm reassuringly. "That's because you're a freak."Tommy squawks in offense, and Tubbo just laughs at him. He's the worst. He's the worst and Tommy loathes him and he grabs Tubbo by the hand and starts tugging him out of the room. "Tubbo, c'mere, we've got to- I need you to check out my room, come on-"Tubbo starts to follow dutifully, but pauses, looking back at Ranboo. "Hey, 'Boo, come with us."Ranboo glances at Tommy to see if it's okay, and... well, he's not sure, because he needs Tubbo in the nest so if Tubbo's only coming if Ranboo does then Ranboo has to come too, but- Ugh. Ugh. He tilts his head, gesturing for Ranboo to follow, and he does.Tommy leads them both straight to the nest. "This is the ugliest room I've ever seen, boss man," Tubbo tells him."I know, I love it.""I like it," Ranboo says quietly as he looks around. "It's very, uh, patchwork? It doesn't feel stuck to a single aesthetic. Or a single color palette. Or a single... anything.""Finally!" Tommy chirps. "A man who can appreciate my vision." He keeps tugging Tubbo over to the bed, but when he climbs on, Tubbo... doesn't? "Tubs, c'mere."Tubbo just squints at the bed. "What's the deal with... this?""It's, uh..." man, it's embarrassing to say it. "A... nest?""...a nest.""Yeah- it's a good one. The best in the world, probably. You should be in it. Right now." Tubbo doesn't move. "Please."Tubbo looks at the bed like it's going to bite him, but after an incredibly pitiful chirp from Tommy, he climbs onto it, taking a seat on the blankets. Tommy immediately starts rearranging the ones near him to try to make it even cozier. "So... what's the deal with this?"" No fucking idea, Tubs. I've got a bird brain that's screaming at me that I need to put flock in the nest , and I guess I counted you as flock all the way back then, so-""No, I mean all this. The Syndicate." Tommy stops rearranging the blankets, but Tubbo goes on. "I mean, the last thing I knew, you and Clay were promising you'd come back to visit all the time, and then... nothing. And I looked into it! As soon as I had an opportunity I tried to find out where you were, but- your files were all messed up, and so were his. It was like you both disappeared-""I did," Tommy blurts out. "Uh, kind of- I kind of did stop... existing. Outside of, uh, Clay's house. I didn't- I wasn't going to school anymore, the caseworker was fake, so it was all-""What do you mean, the caseworker was fake?" Tubbo asks, alarmed.He looks down, and starts taking off some of his jewelry, just for something to focus on while he talks. "Miss Puffy was the Captain. She was Clay's... mom, I guess. And Clay was- he was actually the hero Dream. It wasn't me getting adopted. It was me getting recruited as a healer against my will."He keeps dropping bracelets and rings on the nest next to him, but Tubbo's hand reaches out and covers one of his. The skin feels weird- the burn scars are so rough compared to the unmarred skin he remembers- but it's still so familiar it could push him to tears. "My dad found me and adopted me about a year after you left."Tommy's head shoots up. "Oh, shit, what was he like-?""He's the villain JSchlatt.""...oh."They both look at each other for a long moment before sighing in unison, years of tension going with it, at least for this moment.After a minute, Tubbo continues. "He was an asshole, obviously. An alcoholic, a piece of shit, hit me and his husband-""Oh my fucking prime I can't believe Quackity didn't tell me he had a stepson my age, we could have met up months ago-"Tubbo cuts him off. "How do you know Quackity?""Found him when I ran from Dream, I'll explain later, keep going."Tubbo frowns, but is apparently willing to accept that for now. "He sucked. I ended up poisoning him and he had a heart attack-"Ranboo gasps sharply. Tommy forgot he was here, honestly. "Tubbo, you're- you're not supposed to tell anyone that, I thought-"His voice immediately gets softer when he turns to check on Ranboo. "It's okay, 'Boo, he's Cece, remember? My best friend from before I knew you?"Ranboo furrows his eyebrows, looking down at his book. "But I thought- we were here to meet someone named Tommy, weren't we? No, wait, he was, but... I'm sorry," he says, voice filled with shame."No, no, you're right," Tubbo immediately reassured him. "Cece is just going by the name Tommy now. They're the same person. Do you have a pen?" Ranboo feels around, finding one in his pocket. "You should write that down."Ranboo starts scribbling something in his book, and Tommy glances at Tubbo. "Uh... memory problems?""Um, yeah," Ranboo answers instead. "It's- I have trouble making new memories. I'll- I'll remember you better after we've met a few times, I promise!"Tommy turns to face him. "Do you want, uh... I'm a healer. If you didn't know. I can try to help.""...you can what?""Try to help. With your memory shit. I helped someone a few months ago, but their thing was like... brain damage or something, I don't know your deal, but I could try anyway.""Oh, fuck," Tubbo says. "Of fucking course you're the one that helped Karl!""I'm literally so powerful and awesome and super cool. Anyway, I'll give it a shot, if you want."Ranboo glances between Tommy and his book for a few moments. "Um... one... one second." He takes a minute to write a new entry into it before shutting it and putting the pen back in his pocket. He approaches the nest cautiously, which Tommy appreciates, and shows equal respect- if not greater, Ranboo should be grateful- by letting him sit on the edge of the nest. Tommy holds a hand out, and Ranboo hesitantly lets him take it.The itch in Tommy's hands disappears immediately as Tommy heals him. It's not as simple as just going 'oh, I'll just fix everything-' though he does, kind of. He can feel things... missing. Damaged connections. Shit he probably should have learned about in school, but he didn't, so now he's just reconnecting things that feel right .And he needs it to be right, because there's a lot wrong- and it's not just the same deterioration that Karl had. Whatever happened here wasn't natural. He's not about to ask, though, he's just going to fix it, fix everything- from the deliberately-inflicted brain damage to the weird, tear-track shaped scars on Ranboo's face.When he lets go, he has a full bouquet of alliums and tulips. It's almost too much to fit in his lap. He ends up shoving some of them into Ranboo's hand- his hand that hasn't moved since Tommy let it go. Ranboo looks... shocked? Confused? Haha, he hopes he didn't just heal him wrong somehow-"Tommy," Ranboo says quietly. "Tommy, who, um, used to be Cece... which is... you said earlier it's short for Theseus, I think. You like... cows, and animals in general, and... and music? Tubbo gave you his father's vinyls when you were adopted."Tommy turns to look at Tubbo. "That's memories, right? He's remembering shit. I think we're good?"Tubbo looks just as shocked as Ranboo. Ranboo keeps talking, mostly to himself, muttering stuff Tommy doesn't recognize at all- more things he's remembering, probably. And then Tommy's being shoved out of the way as Tubbo jumps for Ranboo, hugging him tightly. Ranboo immediately hugs back, curling down to fit around him. "Holy shit, Boo, Boo- ""Tubbo," Ranboo says, voice sounding just as wet, and Tubbo immediately pulls back to look up at him."No, no, don't cry-" Tubbo reaches up, trying to catch his tears before they can fall, but they just drip over it, and sizzle against his face.Yikes. Is he allergic to his own tears or something? Tommy doesn't hesitate to reach out, pressing a hand to Ranboo's upper arm, and another tulip grows as he heals the burn. Ranboo yelps in surprise, but quickly turns to look at Tommy. "Tommy- Tommy, I don't- I don't know how to-""Relax," he says quickly. He doesn't know how to deal with... whatever that's going to be, so he's just not going to. Besides, healing is just... healing. It's literally what he's meant for, he doesn't need to be thanked or whatever for it. "You're Tubbo's, so like. Free healing forever I guess.""I- what?" He sounds genuinely confused.It makes Tommy huff. It should be obvious, shouldn't it? "Tubbo's my flock. You're his husband or whatever. That makes you... bbbbasically flock. Maybe. I don't know, I'm still new to this and I barely know you, but you're Tubbo's so free healing- oh come on that's not an invitation to cry more!"And yet he is, more tears burning into his face. That has to hurt, which... probably isn't helping him to stop crying. "I'm sorry," he gets out between gasps as more flowers blossom beneath Tommy's hands. "I'm sorry, I just- I'm overwhelmed, there's- there's so much, so many things I- and I know why I'm crying, I usually forget while it happens, so it's- and you're, you're so nice! I was afraid to meet someone new, but you're nice!""...awww, Tommy, you're nice," Tubbo says, trying to tease him. It doesn't work so well when he's still recovering from his own tears."Shut up, Tubbo," he huffs. "It's just- I'm a healer. I can fix shit. Why wouldn't I?""I dunno, so you don't get exhausted?" Tubbo says, his voice a little lighter this time, more genuine. "Oh, are you going to need a nap now?"Tommy rolls his eyes. "Yeah, right. The last time healing made me tired, it was because I grew a whole human leg. I'm not going to need a nap just because-""You fucking what?" Tubbo hisses, all amusement instantly gone.It makes Tommy a little nervous. Not, like, a lot, but that was a fucking mood whiplash if he's ever heard one. And he's heard a lot. "Oh, um... I was doing an experiment.""An experiment.""Yeah, I... wanted to try growing back limbs instead of, um, reattaching them."Tubbo's eyes narrow behind his fluffy bangs. "And why were you around people with severed limbs?"Tommy warbles as his nerves get worse, a quiet song of don't be mad. "Um- back with the heroes, after a bad fight, and, Techno when he tortures people sometimes-"This time it's Ranboo who reacts, sounding horrified. "Techno makes you reattach severed-?""No!" Tommy interrupts quickly. "I mean- I want to do it. It, um- I'm used to using my powers a lot, so I need to... I need big things to heal sometimes, while we work on dialing it back so I don't have to use them all the time. Helping out with torture works. Plus, it means he stopped thinking of me as, like, a sweet little healer who can't handle blood or whatever-""Cece." Tommy falls quiet, and Tubbo shifts closer, taking one of Tommy's hands again. "What happened to you?"It's a loaded question. It's the biggest question in the world. It's one he doesn't know how to answer because he's still... realizing what happened to him. He's still processing it all. He feels like he'll always be finding new things to process. "I told you. I got taken by Dream.""Yeah, but- what does that mean?"They're in the nest. The nest is safe, so Tommy's safe, so he can talk about this. That's... probably how this works. And it's just Tubbo. And Ranboo, someone Tubbo trusts with his hand in marriage, so it has to be fine. "It means- Clay was an asshole. He adopted me to have a pet healer always on hand. I spent every day fixing up him and his friends. They treated me like shit. The..." Tommy hesitates. "I think the Syndicate is trying to help me get less fucked up. They're really fucking bad at it, but I think they're trying."Tubbo doesn't hesitate to ask his next question. "How did the Syndicate find you?""I found them," Tommy tells him, squeezing his hand. Tubbo squeezes back. "I ran away, and I needed to find somewhere that Dream couldn't just take me back, or even find me in the first place. So, I... figured the Syndicate couldn't be as bad. Even if they're villains, they couldn't be as bad." He still wants to believe it, so badly. He just... can't. "I broke into their house, traded my services in exchange for them killing Dream, and now I'm... here.""Do you- do you not want to be here?" Tubbo bites his lip as he thinks. "It'd be hard, but we could get you out. Ranboo can teleport, and if we got to Las Nevadas fast, Quackity owes me so we could get enough money to get set up somewhere far away, like Rivendell or Mezalea. I can make us fake documents-"Tommy loves him so much. "Okay, Tubbo? Tubbo? I love that. I love that you are willing to immediately throw your life away after finding me again for like ten minutes. I would do the same for you. However. ""However?"...however, what? He doesn't want to be here, not really. Well, his nest is here, and Techno is here, so he kind of wants to be here, but that's one person in a house of four that he likes and one nest that can be rebuilt somewhere else. It's not enough to keep him here. Not when they're trying to- to convince him that they-The real problem, he thinks, is that even if he can't believe them, he wants to, so badly. He wanted to believe that Wilbur wasn't lying when he said that they want him for reasons besides him being a healer. That Phil really does just want to break past some fucking... weird instinct walls so that Tommy can try to trust him, that Techno would want him around not just because he was tricked into taking Tommy as his sounder. That Fundy's concern when he heard about what Dream did was real.That he's cared for. That he's capable of being cared for, instead of just being used as a healer or as a punching bag.He can't believe them, because no one's ever cared. Except Tubbo, but Tubbo's different- or maybe he isn't. Maybe Tubbo was the one normal person in the hell that was the foster system, full of angry kids and adults who were stretched too thin to care about the loud, annoying child. Maybe Dream and George were the outliers, maybe the hero system is just busted in how it cares more about someone's powers than who they are as a person. Maybe he's finally in a place that isn't going to ruin him.Or maybe it'll all come crashing down, and he won't be ready for it because he wanted to hope.A hissing sound startles him out of his thoughts, and he quickly looks down and realizes that there are two pairs of arms around him. He didn't even realize they both started hugging him. He didn't even realize he was crying- or that the tears were dripping down to land on Ranboo's arm. "Fuck, shit-""It's okay," Ranboo says. "I, um. I got overwhelmed a lot when I- when I got out of. The place. I was stuck in for a long time. I got burned a lot then.""Sorry," he croaks anyway, and reaches up to dry his tears with his sleeve. When his hands and face are dry enough, he heals Ranboo yet again , and tosses the flowers aside. "I, uh... I like it here. Kind of. I don't know, I'm still- I kind of can't believe it.""They're freaks," Tubbo says, muffled by how tightly he's hugging Tommy. "They're nice and Phil is like, constantly one step from adopting us, and Techno is teaching Ranboo how to brew potions, and Wilbur's really funny with the weirdest hobbies. ...I reckon, if you're... recovering from shit, this is the second best place to be.""Second best?""The best is with us , obviously."That gets a small laugh out of Tommy, and he finally hugs Tubbo back. "Yeah, well. When I can leave the house, I'll come visit you every other day. For real, this time.""Bullshit," Tubbo huffs. "We're coming to see you. Every day. They built this stupid add-on to the house, there has to be a guest bedroom, I'd assume.""Yeah, like two of them.""Good. 'Boo, you wanna move in?"Ranboo hums. "Um, sure. At least our utility bill will go down."Tommy twists his head to look at him. "...aren't you rich?""Well- um, kind of, but that's not really- jeez, I just don't want to spend a ton of money on Tubbo's two hour showers- ""You just don't get it because you can't shower!" Tubbo shoots back, getting up more to talk over Tommy's head without letting go of him.Ranboo equally doesn't let go. "Well- yeah, obviously?! But I still know most people don't shower that long!"Tommy feels... safe. Comfortable. He has Tubbo back, and it's like puzzle pieces slotting it- and Ranboo feels like one, too. Not one he was missing, but... one he just hadn't realized was there yet. But he is, Tommy thinks. He fits in just right. Flock.He chirps, loud and sudden, and it surprises them enough to cut off Tubbo's rant about the comforts of showering and his hatred of the dry, outside world. "...don't mind me, go back to talking about Tubbo's stupidly long showers.""See!" Ranboo immediately says. "See, Tommy gets it!"And he does. He really gets it.