Cold.

It was cold.

Recently you've gotten used to waking up in a cold bed.

You blink your eyes open, and stare at the wood ceiling of the attic.

Colder.

The fire was burning, you could tell, and it was warm, but at the same time it was cold.

Rewind a few days, and Techno and you had consistently argued on who gets bed privileges, and consistently relented to sharing- and after that first time you guys shared a bed and the fact that Tommy embarrassed the hell out of Techno, Techno had been dipping the moment he woke up.

You think.

You don't know because you sleep through things quite well.

He could have been leaving the moment you fell asleep, or the moment he wakes up, or maybe he tries resting for a bit, and then leaves?

You don't know.

You don't know and you won't find out, so you have to accept the fact that you've been waking to a colder bed then usual.

At the very least, Techno gets the fire up and running- because Tommy would never willingly volunteer to do chores.

Which is a weird thought to have.

Not because he wouldn't do them, but because he's even here in this house to not do them.

Techno would be off and about early morning hours, which left you and Tommy to do fuck nothing- and then Techno would come back in the afternoon, and he'd either stick around and do domestic stuff, or he'd offer Tommy to come with him to help get his gear back.

Then you wouldn't see them until nighttime, where they'd rant about what happened, and Tommy would sometimes end up passing out in front of the fireplace- and it...

It was nice.

It's only been a few days, but it was just... so nice.

You liked it. You liked that this was your normal life. And not whatever it used to be. You liked fighting Techno on who got the bed, and picking at Tommy when he took his brattiness too far, and sitting near the fire with all of them.

You felt like you had everyone you wanted together.

Aside from Phil, which is something that kept being discussed.

Techno mainly bringing it up, as he wasn't quite sure how to tackle that problem, but it was in the works.

All you needed was Phil.

And then you'd sit here in the evening, with Phil braiding Techno's hair, and Tommy complaining about how cold it was-

Maybe you'd even get some chairs.

For people to actually sit in the downstairs area.

And a table. For when Techno got complained enough at by Tommy to make something 'edible' to eat.

You hummed, before burying yourself under the blankets with a content happy noise.

Your chest felt light-

You could sit here and daydream all morning, but after a moment more of nestling into the accumulated heat of the quilts and furs, you force yourself to sit up.

Sitting up, stretching, wiggling your feet to get your blood pumping. Awake- and tired, but content in a way.

You swing your legs off the side of the bed, unwrapping all the blankets you were tangled in before sliding off and pattering over to the ladder.

One more deep breath, and you started the climb down.

It was rather quiet downstairs, the only thing breaking the silence being the creak of each ladder rung as you descended and the soft crackle of fire.

You see exactly why it's so quiet when you turn around and see Tommy, face first on the floor, dead tired half asleep- and refusing to get up at the sound of you arriving downstairs.

Huh.

He must've had a... boring morning?? Or maybe not enough sleep, either one.

"You good there bud??"

Nothing returns your question. No noise of discontentment, or haughty voice telling you to fuck off.

So you get closer.

Puttering up until you stood right in front of his limp body.

You nudge him with your foot, "Hey- get up- it's not good to try and sleep on the floor."

This time he groans- still face down.

"Come on- you can do it-" you say kneeling down and pulling his top eyelid open.

"Fuck off!" He groans, rolling onto his side and huffing.

You laugh at the display, "Well you're pretty grumpy today-"

Another irrtitated groan.

"Come on- we can go scavenge through Technos chests for food- and maybe you'd like to harass Carl with me today."

He takes a deep breath in. Lying still, no motion- deeply exhaling and flickering his eyes at you once before looking back at the anvil.

....

That was a... thinking look.

That was a Tommy thinking look- and a Tommy shaky exhale-

He had something on his mind.

"....You got something botherin you?"

"Why do you like Carl so much?"

"Wha...?" You pause.

"Is he really that good of a horse?"

"Yeah, he's a good bo--" You start to say, trying to wipe sleep out of your eye but pause when you get cut off.

"Techno said he'd kill for Carl." Tommy interrupted.

"That doesn't surprise me." You say.

"Why's Techno such a piss baby." Tommy grumps out.

Ah.

That statement is obviously near the root of the problem. Much closer to whatever he was actually mulling over.

You can tell. Mainly because he does another one of his shaky exhales before sitting up.

You don't speak. It still feels like he had more to say.

"Why does Techno care so much about some dumb horse."

Is Tommy doubting his place here?

...

Because he deserves a place here- there's no question that he's allowed to be here. You'd fight for his place here.

"Techno cares about a lot of things. Not just Carl. He just..." you spin your hand in the air- how to word this, "He's more open about his affection for Carl because Carl isn't as mentally advanced as us?"

Tommy shoots you a confused look.

To which you wave your hands about some more, "I think Techno views Carl as 'safe' to care about. In a way that people can't be safe, because Carl's an animal."

Tommy just stares.

You huff before settling on, "Carl doesn't have ulterior motives because he's a big dumb loveable scaredy-cat horse."

Tommy huffs. Understanding it, but... not liking it either. Which you'd like to know why he didn't like it.

You poke his shoulder to see if he'd look at you, but he refuses, "And you dont like that Techno takes care of his horse... whyy...??"

It was endearing how much Techno cared about things

Tommy grunts.

Something had to have gotten Tommy riled up.

Something got him thinking about Techno, and in turn Techno's level of trust with things around him.

"Something happen?"

Tommy groans again, "I don't know."

"That definitely sounds like a 'something happened'."

"Uughh-" Tommy pushes a hand through his hair, "I don't know. We've been going out adventuring and trying to get his stuff, and it just feels like he doesn't trust me. He keeps ordering me around and being a fucking prick about everything... I made a joke about Carl, and then he threatened me."

Tommy slunches forward, refusing to make eyecontact, but you can tell that if you did, his face would be scrunched into a sour look.

"Threatening you is pretty extreme. Maybe he thinks you're not over all the past drama, and feels uncomfortable with you making violence jokes with him?"

"Techno is not uncomfortable with violence jokes." Tommy snorts, "And what makes you so sure I'm not."

"Well you're here, for one, in his house talking to me."

He turns to you, "Well that's different- I'm here because I have nowhere else to go- and... well you're here- and you're-" He gestures to all of you

Then flicks his head away.

Then pouts and goes, "HMMM-- FUCK TECHNO MAN."

"Bruhh-" you laugh in exasperation, "Come on- Technos not that bad-"

"That's because he fuckin kisses the ground you walk on-- whenever he talks to me he just treats me like I'm some random back alley child- he cares more about Carl then he ever did me."

Your eyes soften, "No- I'm sure he cares. He's just a tough shell. And a lot has happened between the both of you."

"A lot of shit he started." Tommy juts in.

"Who starts the shit doesn't matter. Someone has to be the bigger person and make the first step to letting bygones be bygones. It's the way the world works. Either someone patches the hole, or no one patches the hole."

A piece of advice that you yourself are trying to use.

"But HE STARTED IT." Tommy growls.

"But are you over it?" You ask, "And I'd tell him the same thing if he asked for advice."

Tommy puffs. And then deflates like a balloon when you refused to match his aggressiveness and continued speaking like a calm human being.

"Are you over it?" You repeat.

"...Kind of...." Tommy mutters, "Not really. He killed Tubbo- set withers all over L'manberg- and then the last thing I see of you is your dumbass unconscious bitch body being hauled off to who knows where-- I'm fucking working through some shit--" Tommy takes a deep breath, "I just wish he'd stop being such a fucking brute and I don't know-..."

"Be your friend...?" You press, "Like before all this stuff happened...?"

Tommy shrugged, glaring at nothing, "...I guess."

You stare at him for a moment, taking in his mop of a hairdo, and droopy murky eyes, and clothes Techno lent him. It was a stark contrast to how you first saw him after so long.

The shirt was too wide on him, and the pants were too baggy, but they were clean, and not a ripped tattered mess like his old clothes. The only thing that actually fit fit him was his green bandana.

His boots were still a muddy mess, but he kept those too because there were no shoes in the house that would fit him.

But regardless, he was cleaned up. No longer a dirty mess of unwashed gashes and grass stained clothes.

Which made every wound he had pop like a dandelion in a sea of grass.

Bruises littered his arms and neck (covered by his bandana, and partially by his short sleeves until he shuffled around)- an almost healed black eye, cuts and nicks that looked almost too purposeful.

He needed to know he was safe here.

"I'm your friend." You say.

To which Tommy's face morphs into almost... repulsion.

Like he remembered something he didn't want to.

...

"I know you are." He grits out.

Tense.

No genuine words there to respond to what you said.

...

"And I'll help you make more sewer rat friends." You grin, leaning into his field of view and watching as that... facial expression melted.

Whatever he was remembering faded- and he was in the present, shooting you an inquisitive, and almost thankful look- relieved that he was back in his own mind.

"Oh yeah? And 'ow do you reckon we go about that-- sidekick?"

"Pfft- well, if you're so curious to know- we'll start with whoever is closest to us- aka Techno."

"Nono- wrong answer his brain's too fuckin thick to befriend." Tommy adamantly refuses.

"Comme onnnn--" your grin stretches and you poke him in the shoulder a few more times laughing as he shoots a glare that held no real venom behind it, "It'll be funn--"

"Nu-uh- fuck you bitch--"

"I'll prank Techno for you." You say.

Which shuts Tommy up immediately.

You just offered him a deal he couldn't refuse.

Riling Techno up without being the one to take the full brunt of the piglin's wrath-

How could he resist.

"Hmmm-- I don't know..." Tommy starts with trying to play hardball, but you know he genuinely can't refuse.

"Huh, guess I'll just have to leave it at that." You say, standing and pretending to start walking to the chest, but you pause when Tommy yells.

"WAIT. WAIT A MINITE."

Hook line and sinker.

You grin, not looking at him but intensly listening.

"One prank. Of a chaos level of whatever caliber I choose. And in turn I try to get chummier with Techno."

"In theory? Yes." You reply.

"...Deal."

You turn to look at Tommy with a grin, "You won't regret it."

Kekeke-

Tommy shoots you another pissy glance, but you do nothing to show you acknowledge it, instead half rummaging through the chests, half waiting for Tommy to pick up where you left off.

"Cock." Tommy says, unwarranted, but from the grin in his voice he's obviously doing it out of pure dumbassery. He didn't have words, so he just let his brain fill the silence with words he liked to say simply for the vulgarity.

"So friendship with Techno-" You ignore his jab and start exactly where you want to.

"A failed mission from the start?" He pokes.

"No- bad, its a great mission, and the best place to start is with an... apology." You smile, digging through a bunch of books and potions.

Tommy grunts, closing his eyes and crossing his fingers for a moment, a small, 'Do it for the prank' is uttered under his breath before he goes, "What makes you so sure that'd work?"

You shrug, pulling out a pair of shears and turning back to Tommy, "There's only one way to find out. Have you ever tried... I don't know- showing him that you're over what he did??"

"Fuck no."

"Then what if he thinks you're still resentful, so he's holding back getting attached or being nice?"

"...hm..." Tommy grunts, no real answer again, before jumping when you started approaching him with the shears, "The fuck those for?"

"Well- I was wondering if you wanted me to cut your hair--" You gesture to the longer hair he had, uneven and choppy- although clean now, it was still a mess of awkwardly cut angles, "I can even leave it long for you if you want, but it's very uneven and it's making me itch to trim it."

He takes a deep breath in, "uh- yeah- sure."

With that, you walk over to the anvil, sitting down and gesturing Tommy to sit on the floor in front of you.

Which he does, after begrudgingly leaving the cozy spot on the wood floors he hand picked himself.

"So- we both agree an apology is the way to go." You say, gently sorting through Tommy hair to see how bad of a haircut he actually has.

"I don't want to be the bigger person though." Tommy groans.

"Well, I'll talk to Techno then, and tell him to try and be the bigger person, that way you both can try and out bigger each other." Even though you already kind of did that by asking Techno to get Tommy to stay.

"But that sounds..." Tommy threw his hands around, "Pah- I will shove my middle finger up his nose unwarranted."

"Hah. Hah. Very funny. That's not a good apology-" You say, you sectioning his hair up, "Long or short?"

"Either. And yeah well-" Tommy starts, pausing himself before saying, "Well.... what would you do if you tried showing him you didn't absolutely fucking hate him."

"Try giving him a gift. Gold specifically- he likes gold." You state. Completely and absolutely sure of yourself.

You noticed how Techno eyes gold, it's incredibly obvious.

"Like hell I would." Tommy crosses his arms, "Giving gold is like some stupid fucking courting thing that piglins do."

You freeze, mid cut with a lock of hair, and immediately feel the burn of embarrassment shoot through you.

"WHAT. WHY DIDNT YOU TELL ME."

Your face feels like it's on fire, and you squint at Tommy's head of hair before snipping a few pieces off a bit faster then you were setting the pace for.

"YOU LET ME GIVE HIM AN ENTIRE BAG OF GOLD."

Tommy's quick to defend himself, "That's because I thought it'd be funny. But then you both actually started being chummy, and it wasn't as funny anymore."

"You absolute shitwipe!" you say, "You let me give that to him!" you grab his ear with your free hand, pinching him and making him yell.

"ACK- NONONO- LISTEN HERE BITCH IT WAS FUNNY--"

You completely ignore him in favor of recounting the events, "Is that why he got so awkward? And then hugged me and ran?? Oh gods- is that why he got so flushed--"

"FUCK LET GO OF MY EAR YOU BITCH-"

"Bro Tommy I was unaware of this and Techno was probably like, 'why is this stranger asking to date' TOMMY YOU LITTLE TRAITOR-- My dignity is in shambles--"

Tommy finally slaps your pinching hand off his ear, "Get over yourself, it made him fuckin like you more didn't it?"

"Yeah sure- but at the cost of coming off as a fuckin weirdo??" You rub your free hand down your face, "Oh gods- how am I supposed to live with myself."

"By fuckin breathing." Tommy bites out.

"Ugh- you're right. I don't know if I should hate you for that or not." You take a deep breath in, before thumbing at his hair again and cutting a few more strands off.

You could tell Tommy rolled his eyes with the way he tossed his head, "Relax. He prolly knew you have no fucking idea what piglin culture is."

"And you do??"

"I had to live with the guy for a few fuckin years. You tend to pick up a thing or two."

Huh.

Interesting.

You never really knew Tommy lived with Techno. It was always kind of implied, but now that Tommys confirmed it, you don't at all question it.

"Does Techno know you don't have lines?" Tommy suddenly says.

"...Yeah." You pursed your lips, "He kinda held me while I died on his horse."

"Weirdchamp." Tommy responds.

You hummed.

"I guess."

It went quiet for awhile.

Just you snipping and organizing his mop of hair.

You can't tell if the sound of shears so close to Tommy's ears is making him uncomfortable or not- but you kept on organizing and snipping. He'll yell at you if he doesn't like something.

You try to force the thoughts of gold and piglins away in favor of the present moment.

And the present problem that needs solved.

"So. You gonna considering giving him something??

"Hmph..." Tommy huffs, "Probably not."

Which you didn't fully believe. He was clearly still considering it, mulling it over in his little bird brain. You could almost see the cogs of his head turning.

You have him spin so you can cut the front of his hair, making quick work of it before having him spin back to finish making things even.

One thing had to be added. Just one last final touch. Setting the shears down, you instead grab a band.

Just a teeny tiny little braid.

Yes.

Hehe.

Fun.

Little tiny braid in the mop of hair that you had decided to trim shorter, but not so short that you loose the ability to braid.

Just... shaggy.

"You done back there?" Tommy quips.

"Yeah actually."

You pull out your communicator and take a picture of the back of his head, and then take another when he turns to look at you with a harrump.

"Would you like to see?"

"Yes." No more quips. Just a begrudging curiosity.

You turn the communicator towards him, setting it in his hands and watching him wordlessly stare.

He flips back and forth a few times, before zooming in on his partially healed black eye.

Then he pans the photo to the bruise on his chin. And then the cut running down his cheek.

Had he not yet seen himself?

Is this the first time he's seen the results of whatever shit he had to go through?

He uses one of his hands to feel his actual face, thumbing at the scab of a cut.

This felt like another moment where he couldn't escape his head.

So you do the reasonable thing to pull him out of his thoughts

Ask for a rating.

"Give me good hair reviews please. I'm desperate for more customers." You say, watching him snap out of his trance.

"....Zero out of ten." He smirks, grin cocking up onto his face.

You gasp, "Noooooo- My future as a hairstylistssss--"

"HAHA- SUCK IT BITCH- I JUST RUINED YOUR CAREER--"

"How dareee you Tommyinnittt- You will rue the day you double crossed me--"

"DOUBT IT."

You eye each other.

And then you both break into a fit of laughter, Tommy wheezing like his gremlin self and you just full on hands on knees cackling.

It was so goofy, and stupid- and that bit wasn't even that funny, but the fact that it was Tommy there who said those things, and you here who spoke in reply to those things just made it better.

What a perfect time for the door to crack open, wind whipping its way in before the door closes again.

Techno's standing there, kicking off ice and snow. He narrows in on the two of you, who are now staring at him.

His gaze flicks between you and Tommy.

"Halllooo...."

"Heyyy-" you reply, gently waving and shooting him a smile, while Tommy just bullishly rolls his eyes.

"New haircut?" Techno says, which makes Tommy's eyes shoot open with surprise.

Like he wasn't expecting Techno to actually say something about it.

"Yeah."

"Looks nice. You look less like a homeless child now." Techno says, before wandering into the house to dig through the chests.

"You ready to get going slightly less homeless child?" Techno says, lifting a few potions into the air to look at what kind they were, before stuffing them in his satchel.

As soon as his back is turned Tommy throws his hands out at Techno, giving an exasperated look to you (clearly upset about the homeless child comment), which you chuckle at.

You found it ironic that Tommy did the same thing Techno does when Tommy's back is turned.

Tommy slides a hand down his face before saying, "Yeah yeah." in reply to Techno, standing up off the floor and dusting the freshly cut hair off himself, "Lemme grab my things-"

You watch as they both bustle around, gathering items they needed and preparing to go out.

'To get Techno's gear' is what they said, which you don't doubt at all. If Techno wants his stuff back, he's getting his stuff back.

They finish relatively quickly, Techno tightening the straps on Tommy's cloak, because the kid was struggling with it for long enough-

And as soon as he's finished tying it, he looks Tommy in the eyes and says, "Come child. We leave."

"I AM NOT A CHILD- IM A BIG MANLY MAN--"

Techno turns to you ignoring Tommy, "Be back in a bit-"

"WHEN YOU'RE AS BIG OF A BIG MAN LIKE ME ITS TOUGH TO-"

You smile, "I know. I trust you guys to be safe."

"NOT BE THE BIGGEST- BECAUSE YOU SEE OTHERS TRY AND-"

With a wave, Techno heads out the door, Tommy following after, still loud mouthing every word that came into his head. You could hear their talking fade off into the distance, all the way till the point Tommy started complaining about how being a man like him meant having loads of responsibilities.

You chuckle.

Big goof.