Shortly after Dream left, a different man walked in. He was unfamiliar to Tubbo, but he noticed Bad's eyes sparkle at the stranger's arrival.

"Geppy!" The baker greeted. "Have you met Tubbo?" He gestured to the teen holding his friend's mask.

The stranger looked over to the teen. "No, I haven't." He smiled softly. "Nice to meet you, Tubbo. I'm Skeppy, left-hand-man of the captain."

That seemed to get the teen's attention.

"Y-you're close to the captain!?" Skeppy nodded. "H-has he talked about me..?"

Skeppy gave him a questionable look. Tubbo could see the gears turning in the guard's head before his eyes flooded with shock and recognition.

"You should've heard him the first week." He said softly. "He was so distraught..."

Before the teen could say anything, he heard a loud bang come from outside.

Always have to go above and beyond, Huh?

Not long after that, a familiar face barged in.

"Skeppy, we're under attack!" His childhood friend's eyes met his, and both of their eyes widened. "T-Tubbo...?"

"Hi."

"Wh-What are you doing here?"

"Am I not allowed to talk to a friend?" The older teen asked, gesturing to the baker behind the counter.

"I..." he sighed.

"Hey, Uh, Geppy?" Bad asked, earning the guard's attention. "Can you come to the back real quick? I need help with something."

The guard nodded as the two walked in the back, leaving the two teens alone. The tension in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

"It really is nice seeing you again," Tommy said, smiling fondly.

Tubbo crossed his arms. "Really? Because last I checked, you completely kicked me out of the guard and refused to even look my way."

The younger teen sighed. "Tubbo, I didn't have a choice! If I said no, he'd kill you!"

"Who'd kill me?"

"D-Dream, obviously!"

"Really? Because last I checked, if it wasn't for Dream, I wouldn't be alive right now!"

"Wh-What...?"

"I found him on his way to the marsh a week or so ago." Tubbo explained. "He let me join him on his journey, and he protected me. He taught me how to hunt and such."

"He...that can't be, he's the bad guy!"

"Is he really, Tommy? Or were you so deadset on blindly following Techno like a lost puppy that you forgot your better judgement?"

The younger teen stayed silent, looking out the window to see a body hanging from outside the tower window.

"Shit..."

"Go, save George." The older teen ushered. "But don't hurt Dream...please..."

Tommy hesitated, nodding before running off towards the castle.

~<•>~

"Hey..." Tommy said, slowly walking towards his old friend. "You okay...?"

"Does it fucking look like I'm okay?" Tubbo snapped, making the younger flinch. "You promised me he'll come back!"

"I made no such promise-"

"He promised me he would come back!"

"Would Dream really make a promise he knew he couldn't keep?"

The older teen paused before turning away.

"I miss him."

"I know you do."

The older teen shivered before feeling an unfamiliar warmth surround him. He looked behind him to see his old friends uniform coat hanging around his shoulders.

"I don't need your pity."

"This isn't pity, Tubbo. This is me caring enough to not stand here and let my best friend freeze to death."

The older teen paused, chuckling a bit after a moment, pulling the coat tighter around him.

"Thank you."

~<•>~

578 words