A new day was just beginning.

You had woke, lazy and tired, grumbling from the unneeded stress of yesterday.

Sun filtered in through the attic window, the gentle beams making you want to stretch like a cat. Birds could be heard outside, chirping merry songs and being unaffected by any intricate thought.

Your mind, however, was still focused on thoughts of your brother. Thoughts of what he had said to you, and what you had said in return.

Rolling over to tune out your own thoughts, you pulled the stitched blankets over your shoulder. Wrestling around in all of the pillows you enjoyed sleeping with.

Laying in your bed made you feel pitiful, but you relaxed there regardless, pondering over your own thoughts.

The nether was a harsh place. Good thing you didn't live there anymore.

Sliding a hand down your sleep addled face, you groaned at the thought that maybe you'd have to overcome your leeriness to it.

For now though, you were craving tea. So with a begrudging huff, you sat up and wormed your way downstairs, trudging around your kitchen to gather ingredients.

Already, you had stoked the coal of your furnace, placing out the kettle and filling it with water.

Your plans for the day consisted of working in the garden, and drinking hot drinks. Incredibly uneventful.

Everything you needed.

Even though you were sleepy, your senses were sharp. The moment a knock sounded across the door, you stirred, heading towards the door, and pulling it open with no hesitation.

There stood Phil.

Philza.

Your friend.

An old friend who you hadn't seen in years.

Of course now of all times he decided to visit.

"Phil." You greeted, raising an eyebrow.

"(Y/N)." He mimicked, holding his arms open wide for a hug, to which you returned in earnest. His wings were broad, and swift to curl in around you, but just as swift to pull away as he glanced around at your house.

"This is nice- you have a good sense of design."

You just smiled at the familiar voice, "Thanks Phil. Come, take a seat- I'm making tea."

He huffed a laugh, "You and your drinks."

"Me and my comfort." You mimicked back, laughing and leading him in to the kitchen, where he carefully took a seat and folded his wings behind his back like a cloak.

"What brings you here?" You ask, pouring him a cup of scalding water, and passing him a bag of different tea types to choose from.

He answered with a simple, "Is it so wrong to see an old friend?"

You couldn't help but smile.

No, there was nothing wrong with it.

So you carried on talking to him, sitting in your kitchen, dunking the tea bag in and out of your cup as it finished.

It felt like you were in a haze. No details being perceived as you relished in his presence.

You took a sip, Phil doing the same, but with a shocking moment of clarity, you noticed none of the tea was actually taken into his mouth, all of it dribbled past his lips.

"Phil- are you okay?"

He said nothing, staring past you, out the kitchen window, tea still falling past his chin even though the tea cup had been set back onto the table.

"Phil?" You questioned, eyebrows furrowed against your head as you looked into the blankness of his eyes. Light reflected against his pupils, dancing like fire.

"What are you looking at?" You looked behind you, to the very same window he was staring from, to find that your garden was aflame.

Scorching fire, dangerous and unwieldy, growing bigger and more wild with every shocked second you stared at it.

You couldn't breath- whipping your head around to look back at Phil, only to see the tea that had continuously dribbled past his lips was red-

Blood.

All over his face-

drip drip- dripping down his cheeks, like tears, eyes wide open with the same pain and shock you had.

The walls of your house were just as alight as your garden, blowing away in a sudden and harsh wind, floor caving in to fall to a void of nothing but an abyss of darkness. The creak of wood fell into the void.

You and Phil stayed in the center of all the madness, his wings slowly unveiling themselves to open wide, wind wiping through them, and the wretched ache in your chest clenched when you saw him lift a hand.

A singular finger extended, pointed, shakily at something behind you.

You couldn't breathe.

You couldn't move.

Something had grabbed you in its palm and you couldn't struggle as it lifted you away from Phil, who watched with horror as he choked on all the blood. He was crying- not for you, but for a lifeless body in his arms.

You tried so hard to yell to him.

Yell for help.

Yell- scream- shout- anything to tell him something was wrong, but nothing was working-

And almost all too soon, a voice yelled back at you, a shaking to your shoulder, forcing you to open your eyes.

"(Y/N)!- Holy SHit- Wake UP!"

Your eyes snapped open, chest heaving up and down, sweat pouring down you as you looked at who was shaking you.

Tommy-

Tommy had his hands on your shoulders, blue eyes unnecessarily worried as you panted.

"What the hell was that-" He whisper yelled at you, eyes darting all over you.

You didn't respond, your own eyes glancing from him, to the blankets you were tangled in, to the cave ceiling, and back to the bed sheets that were wrapped around you like a snake.

There was no void below you.

There was nothing grabbing you.

"Is that something you do often??" He sounded so unnecessarily stressed- too stressed for a child.

You weren't at your cabin.

You weren't sharing tea with Phil.

You were here, in the caverns.

With Tommy-

And everyone else who would have your back if something went wrong.

Tears welled up briefly in your eyes, before you harshly rubbed them away and sat up.

"Shit..." You muttered, "Sorry you had to see that."

Tommy was uncharacteristically quiet, merely burning a hole in your back as you turned away from him.

"I don't try to, but sometimes a dream like that will just... sneak up on me..."

A hand awkwardly planted itself on your back and you froze.

No words.

This child was attempting to comfort you- this immature and young child was acting like he knew what you just went through.

Shaking your head, you wriggled out of your blankets and just... sat on your bed.

"Where are the others?" Your raspy voice sounded out.

"They all left to do 'important things'." Tommy answered back, still sounding unsure as to if you were... good.

Standing, you looked at your bed and decided you didn't feel like making it. You could feel Tommy still staring at you, with this, stressed out, scared look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry." You gritted out, "Can we... not talk about what just happened to the others?"

"Uuh- sure." Tommy croaked.

Another pause.

"Do you get nightmares often?" He asked.

You looked to the young boy, his eyes were staring at a wall, and from the way he had his hand clenched, it almost seemed as if... he was asking for reference.

Did Tommy have nightmares too...? Someone so young?

"Too often." You answered with a solemn voice.

"Do they ever go away...?"

This time, Tommy looked you directly in the eyes, blue color murky with worry, and stress, and everything that someone that young shouldn't be painted with. The nurture in your heart ached.

Your arm reached out, flinching when he looked at your hand like it was going to hurt him, before unsurely wrapping him in a side hug.

"No. Not really."

This was such a strange moment.

Such a strange instance with such a usually rambunctious teenager.

It felt wrong for him to be this sad.

Right then and there, you decided you disliked seeing him hurt.

Right then and there you decided you would help keep him from getting hurt.

Releasing him from the half hug, you shot him an uneasy smile and straightened your back, "Alright- let's get something warm to drink- we can't stick around moping all day. I have hot chocolate in my bag."

"POG- HAnd over the chocolate woman!" He said, eyes sparking up at the mention of the sweeter drink, perking up and all but pushing you to your bag. He still faintly looked stressed, but it was better then before.

With a laugh, you felt ten times better now that the depressing atmosphere was gone, and per his request you rustled around in your bag to grab the crushed cocoa beans you used for the drink.

"Tommy, do you think I could bother you to grab me some water to boil?" I don't have any with me-"

"Only if you give me something in return..." Tommy's mischievous smile dropped when you shot him a stern look.

"Ugh- fine- I'll run up and grab you some-" With a groan, he ran out of the room and up the steps to presumably get water from the fresh lake.

The tension in you dropped as he left, a bag of cocoa powder in your one hand as you looked around the bedroom.

Yesterday you had got around to making yourself a bed, because however big and comfortable Techno's bed had been, it was Techno's bed..

And you weren't going to steal it and force him to sleep somewhere else. Which you made sure he actually went to sleep, after how little of it he actually got.

In fact, most of yesterday consisted of you working around the cavern to make life for yourself a little more comfortable. A small nook near the back, past where the original furnace and chest's were was officially where you were going to go to make your drinks and store all the junk you brought with you.

Standing, you tread out of the bedroom, meandering to said nook and rustling around in the cabinets for anything you'd need to make hot chocolate. By the time Tommy came running back in, hands carrying a bucket of sloshing water, you had your kettle set up, as well as a few cups and your sugar jar all lined up on the crude wooden counter.

"Here's your water- you better be happy with it."

"I am." You assured, taking it from him, filling your kettle first before throwing the rest into the cauldron, "So where did the others go?"

Your question started him on a rant- about all the things they left him behind for, and how he was just as mature as the rest of them. While you listened to him, you started to boil your water, organizing your ingredients one more time out of your own excessive need to have things straight before turning around to lean on the counter.

"-and I had asked Wilbur to go exploring with me, but he just told me he had stuff to do and left- so I thought I'd ask my sidekick- which is you- if you'd like to come along, which you obviously would, because who would deny bonding time with me? .... Except for Wilbur apparently."

The word vomit had you half laughing, but you nodded you head, "You know- that doesn't actually sound half bad. Except for the sidekick part, because as far as I'm concerned if anyone's the sidekick, its Wilbur."

Tommy wheezed, laughing, "HOLy Shit- wait till I tell him that- He'll be so offended-"

You chuckled, adjusting your position on the counter to get a little more comfortable before Tommy's expression shifted into another strangely stressed one, "HOLY SHIT YOur.... hand...?" His stressed tone morphed into confusion.

You glanced, unworringly to your hand, to see it pressed against the, very, very, hot furnace.

"Uum...." You rose an eyebrow, looking back to him, before your own eyes widened. Oh yeah. Humans don't... deal well with high heat.

"Is this normal?" Tommy asked, half laughing, half confused, partial excitement lighting up in his eyes, "Are you a hybrid of some sort?"

"Not a hybrid."

"What are you?!" His excitement immediately spread at the new knowledge.

"Not a human." You squinted at him, his jolly grin and furrowed eyebrows tell tale of mischievousness.

"TELL me tell me tell me-" You frowned at his whining and seeing as he wasn't getting anywhere he groaned, "Come on woman!- we're buddies- and buddies tell each other everything-"

You already saw where he was trying to go with this, "Or... are we not buddies?"

Guilt trip- little fucker-

He was such a little cheeky kid.

"I'm going to stop you right there you lineshooter- my lips are completely sealed, and no amount of guilt tripping will get me to tell you."

He let out another disappointed groan, "Aw come onn- I have enough of that with Wilbur-" he groaned again, listing off examples of things said to him, "'Tommy you can't do that.' 'Tommy we're adults and doing adult things.' 'Tommy you wouldn't understand.'"

When his gaze finally leveled with yours he dropped the whining tone into a dead serious, "I'm not a child."

Sighing, you only nodded, "Your not."

He seemed pleased with that before you kept going, "What I am is... very personal to me. I don't... the thought of other people knowing is just..."

You trailed off, an unpleasant expression easing onto your face at the idea of anyone knowing.

Tommy squinted at you, "I'm a hybrid."

You looked at him, eyes widening. Oh. Alright then.

You were almost positive he was just human.

"I've got me some fookin' wings." He said, completely dead serious, "I can prove it."

Before you could even counter him he turned his back, shrugging his shirt up just far enough for these... teeny tiny wings to show.

They weren't nearly big enough for flight- or gliding- or literally anything that involved air, in fact, the flight feathers weren't even in. They were all down feathers.

Before you could keep scrutinizing them, he pulled his shirt back down and whipped around to face you with a, 'gimme info expression.'

"I showed you what I am- I think I deserve to know what you are."

Huffing out the most exasperated noise to ever leave your mouth, you laughed and turned to your now boiling kettle of water, "Um- no- I never agreed to those terms."

Picking up the kettle, you felt Tommy watching your hands as they touched the very hot outer edges of it.

"Is what you are the reason you always drink your drinks as hot as you do?"

"You could say that."

"So, your something from the nether?"

Shit. You didn't expect him to catch on so quick. He's a sharper boy then people give him credit for.

"Blaze?"

He pushed farther, and you immediately shot him down with a, "I'm not anything you've seen before."

He paused, watching briefly as you poured the cups halfway with boiling water and set to work to mix in the ingredients.

The short pause was short though. Another groan of annoyance left him, "AW COME ON. You can't leave me on a cliffhanger!"

"Tommy- your leaving yourself on cliffhangers for asking me questions I don't want to answer." Tapping the spoons on the rim of the cup, you tossed them into the cauldron for later cleaning and roughly turned towards the impatient teenager.

"Well I wouldn't be asking if you weren't so 'mysterious' and 'lone wolf' ish." The cup shoved in his direction was taken with care, steam swirling into his face as he attempted to blow on it best he could.

Blue eyes followed your cup, scalding hot chocolate being lifted to your lips as you took a deep gulp and looked back at him.

"See! You're doing your mysterious thing again!"

At this point you were fed up with the questions. The only reason you were entertaining them still was because of the recent insight you had gotten about him. How he probably had some sort of PTSD thing that you haven't seen the full extent of. If the only remaining line on his arm was anything to go by.

It nearly made you sick to your stomach at the thought that this cheerful, and mischievous young child had already died. Twice.

That this person you've met and known for a little over a day only had one more chance to live.

Tommy's voice brought you back to reality, the subtle worry in the back of his pompous sounding voice instantly making your mind refocus.

"-with you?"

"What?" You asked, clearly not at all paying attention to what he was saying.

At that, the small ounce of worry faded right back into his annoyed tone, "Oh come on- Wilbur and Techno tune me out enough, don't need another."

"Sorry- I haven't been a social person in a very long time. Didn't mean to tune you out."

Tommy opened his mouth for a retort, before freezing, and shutting his mouth, not expecting an apology. He took a quick moment to blow on his still steaming cup, before muttering out a small, "You are forgiven."

Tommy was a complicated person was what you devolved from this, and every interaction with beforehand.

He had layers.

A surprising amount of them.

Taking another long gulp from your cup, you tried to savor the warmth.

Tommy's eye twitched at that, trying to take a sip of his and yelling when he burned his tongue.

Anyone would laugh at the action. Especially you.

Especially when he looked so comically spiteful about how you couldn't burn yourself, but he could.

"Hey." He hummed to you, "Me and you should go on a short adventure for the day."

"An adventure?"

He straightened his back, another grin forming on his face, "Yeah! Adventure! Wandering the uncharted lands- cool lead male, much less cool support character, back to back up against the cruel wild world-"

You rose an eyebrow and his cheeky grin got cheekier.

"Aye? Me gusta??"

"Only for you Tommy. You little gremlin." At that statement, you chugged the rest of your drink and all but threw your cup into the cauldron.

"Ayyyyyee- Let's gooo-" the boy cheered, fisting both hands into the air and spilling his hot chocolate just about everywhere.

As concerning as it was to see the still very hot liquid fall all over him and his surroundings, it was funnier to watch him throw himself into the cauldron after he realized what he did.