𝘛𝘖𝘔𝘔𝘠𝘐𝘕𝘕𝘐𝘛 𝘈𝘕𝘎𝘚𝘛 𝘖𝘕𝘌-𝘚𝘏𝘖𝘛𝘚

can i hug you? (tommy + schlatt)

days went by slow in the dreamsmp after tommy and wilbur had been declared fugitives of their own previously-ruled land. they ran away, set up a base - called it pogtoptia (tommy remembered being especially proud after wilbur agreed with the name). despite their efforts to win back l'manburg, the two were driven away by the former members of it. schlatt took the 'l' out, made some dense joke about how they don't take any, and the flag was redecorated with obsidian. tommy remembered hearing wilbur weep to himself one night about fundy's betrayal, how he was the one to burn down their previous flag and construct the newest one.

unfortunately, a gradually crumbling leader only meant that the sixteen-year-old had to be the one with his head on his shoulders.

he took more action, whether it be to sneak out after wilbur fell asleep to talk to niki and tubbo about war plans, people his president couldn't trust, but tommy knew would never betray them, or to spend hours mining, rummaging through the nether for resources until it was left bleak and barren. he kept his guard up when people suddenly decided to switch sides, to come around and aid them on their quest to overrule schlatt. wilbur invited them with open arms, 'the more the merrier,' he'd say. it didn't matter to him when his plan was fixated on only one outcome: to blow up manburg.

he whispered his thoughts to the blond one night after tommy had found him creeping out of their base, explaining that he was going out to detonate stacks upon stacks of tnt he had placed beneath their past nation. it had shaken him to the core, the way the man showed no signs of compassion for the inhabitants of (l')manburg, for all of their friends. through a sturdy shield that prevented him from displaying his emotional distress, tommy tried with his president.

"wilbur, come on, big man. you don't want to do this."

"no, tommy, i do. l'manburg, manburg? it's all the same to me, i want it gone."

"you're being reckless, man! think of everyone, of- of tubbo, niki, you can't just-" he started, being quickly shut down before he could continue.

"can't just what, tommy? blow it all to shreds? they'll respawn, won't they? they'll build it all up again, won't they? do you think you have a say in what i do? you don't dictate my emotions, tommy. you think you have this- this toll on my moral compass, think you're the hero in this so-called story. does that make me the villain? am i your villain, tommyinnit?"

"no, i-" the blond started, voice faltering as he stared at the man in front of him. there was something about the way he glared into his soul that made the boy want to disappear from his line of sight. this couldn't be the same wilbur who led l'manburg to victory all those wars ago, who managed to stand tall when it was taken from him, and who promised tommy that they'd get it back no matter what.

"i don't- i'm not a hero," he breathed, "i just, i want my friends safe. i don't want any of them to get hurt, wil. don't you want that, too?"

"no, tommy, i don't. i couldn't care less about what happens to any of them. they're all traitors - they don't deserve the certainty to know that they'll survive the explosion."

his jaw clenched at the man's words.

"this is wrong, wilbur! this isn't you! do you even hear yourself right now?!"

"this is me, tommy! can't you see? they don't care about you! tubbo, niki? they're lying to you! i'm the only one you can put your faith in!" he moved closer towards the blond, causing him to take two rough steps back. "blow it up with me, tommy. let's watch it all turn to shreds."

he glanced at the floor. "no. this isn't right, wilbur. you know that. i can't let you do this." there was a moment of stillness as wilbur stared at him, eyes narrowed and judgemental until his voice rang out.