Chapter 2: Unspoken
The next morning dawned with a hazy, golden light that filtered through the windows of Tommy's makeshift house. It was far from fancy, but it was his—a small comfort in the chaotic world they lived in. He lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, replaying the events of the night before. Tubbo’s words echoed in his mind, the way his hand had felt—warm, steady.
It didn’t feel real, almost like a dream that should’ve ended when the sun came up. But the warmth lingering in his chest was proof it wasn’t.
Sitting up, Tommy rubbed his face, trying to shake off the nervous energy bubbling inside him. How was he supposed to face Tubbo now? What were they? Were they still just friends? Were they something more? He didn’t know. And not knowing terrified him.
A knock at the door startled him out of his thoughts.
“Tommy? You up?” Tubbo’s voice came from outside, muffled but unmistakable.
Tommy’s heart jumped into his throat. He hadn’t expected Tubbo to come by so soon. For a split second, he considered pretending to be asleep, but that wasn’t exactly his style. Sighing, he stood up and shuffled over to the door, pulling it open.
Tubbo stood there, looking a bit awkward, his hands shoved into the pockets of his hoodie. He gave Tommy a small, uncertain smile. “Hey.”
“Hey,” Tommy replied, suddenly feeling like all the words he usually had at the ready had disappeared.
The silence between them stretched, and Tommy could feel the weight of it. He had to say something, anything to break the awkwardness.
“Uh, you wanna come in?” Tommy offered, stepping aside.
Tubbo nodded and walked in, glancing around the cluttered space before settling onto one of the mismatched chairs near the table. Tommy sat across from him, nervously tapping his fingers on the wooden surface.
They sat there for a moment, both unsure of what to say. Tommy wasn’t used to feeling like this—off balance, uncertain. He was the loud one, the one who always had a plan, even if it was a bad one. But right now, he didn’t have a clue.
Tubbo broke the silence first. “About last night…”
Tommy’s heart started racing again. Here it was. They were going to talk about it, about what happened—about what it meant. He wasn’t sure if he was ready, but there was no backing out now.
“Yeah,” Tommy said slowly, meeting Tubbo’s gaze. “About that.”
Tubbo bit his lip, looking unsure for the first time in a while. “I—uh, I didn’t mean to make things weird or anything. I just… I guess I needed to get it out. You know?”
Tommy nodded, trying to play it cool. “Right, right. No, it’s—it’s fine, mate. I wasn’t, like, freaked out or anything.”
That was a lie. He had been very freaked out. But he wasn’t about to admit that now.
Tubbo gave a small laugh, but it was more out of nervousness than humor. “Good. I was kind of worried, honestly. I didn’t want to screw things up between us.”
Tommy’s stomach twisted. The last thing he wanted was for things to change between them in a bad way. Tubbo was his best friend—had been for so long. But now, everything felt different. And maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing.
“I don’t think you screwed anything up,” Tommy said, his voice softer than usual. “It’s just… new, I guess.”
Tubbo nodded, his expression thoughtful. “Yeah. New.”
The silence returned, but this time it wasn’t as uncomfortable. They both seemed to be processing what had happened, what was happening now. Tommy’s mind raced, trying to figure out what to say next. Should he ask Tubbo how he really felt? Should he tell him how he felt? Did he even know how he felt?
Finally, Tubbo spoke again, his voice quiet but firm. “I don’t want things to go back to the way they were before.”
Tommy blinked, surprised. “You don’t?”
Tubbo shook his head. “No. I mean, I miss when things were simpler, but… I don’t want to pretend anymore. About how I feel.”
Tommy felt his chest tighten. This was it. Tubbo was opening up, laying everything out there. And now it was Tommy’s turn. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself.
“I… I don’t want to pretend either,” Tommy admitted, his voice shaky. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot. About you. About us.”
Tubbo’s eyes softened, and he leaned forward slightly. “And?”
Tommy swallowed hard, his heart pounding in his ears. “And… I don’t really know what I’m doing here. I’m not good at this—at feelings and all that crap. But I know I care about you, Tubs. More than I’ve cared about anyone else.”
Tubbo smiled, a real smile this time, and it made Tommy’s chest feel light. “You don’t have to have it all figured out, Tommy. I don’t either. But we can figure it out together, right?”
Tommy nodded, a smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah. Together.”
They sat there for a moment, the air between them lighter now. Tommy felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. For the first time in a long time, he wasn’t scared of what was coming next. Because no matter what happened, they’d face it together.
Tubbo stood up, giving Tommy a teasing grin. “Come on, let’s go cause some chaos. I think we deserve a break from all the serious stuff.”
Tommy laughed, standing up as well. “Now you’re talking! Let’s mess with Ranboo or something.”
As they headed out the door, side by side, Tommy realized that maybe things were different between them now. But that wasn’t a bad thing. In fact, it might just be the best thing that had ever happened.
And whatever came next, they’d face it together.
