Family dinners were awkward for Tommy. For someone who could have his own talk show without any guests but keep people interested regardless, family dinners made Tommy too nervous to speak. It had been that way since the day he found out that while Philza was his father, Techno and Wilbur weren't his brothers. Not completely, anyways. There had been a divide that day. If it was a casual thing, where they all happened to come together for a meal, it wouldn't have been a big deal. But the implication that this was meant for a family is what made it turn sour the moment they all sat down at the table.

        What made it worse was simply who infrequently it happened. Tommy couldn't stand to be around Techno and Philza after Wilbur died, and it became a two-way street when Tommy betrayed Techno and Philza betrayed Tommy. Unfortunately, Wilbur had decided that he wanted them all to have a nice chat 'like they used to', and Tommy couldn't say 'no' to Wilbur no matter how much he wanted to. To that end, Tommy put on his big boy pants, took a deep breath, and headed to Technoblade's cabin.

        Harsh memories followed Tommy the entire walk there, but the winter environment seemed to be comforting him somehow. The wind was less pounding, and more refreshing, while the hail lightened to a misty snow. Tommy was able to see where he was going with ease, and instead of his boots sinking into the snow, the fallen crystallized water pushed him to the surface like he was Jesus walking on water. Tommy would have thought that it was cool, probably would have tested the limits of the winter's kindness, but he was panicking more than thinking about how his birthright curse might have been a blessing in certain situations.

        As Tommy came to the cabin, he heard Steve growl lowly at him. Instead of a senseless animal noise, Tommy's brain autocomplete the growling to be Steve's way of saying welcome. Tommy gave a smile as he held Steve's head in his arms, nodding against the fur that was incredibly warm. Steve commented about how long it had been since he last saw Tommy, to which the boy muttered something about not being welcomed. Steve laughed, claiming that this was Tommy's domain, and no one could keep the child of winter from the world he could command. Tommy shook his head. He did count it as a win that Steve seemed to love him more than Techno, even if it was just because Tommy could understand arctic animals whereas Techno could only talk to actual pigs. Not even Piglin, just pigs.

        Tommy said his goodbye as Steve gave a slight bow. Tommy climbed up the stairs, hesitating by the door. He could freeze the doorknob and run away. He could let them be the family they were instead of intruding like his mother once did. Tommy could run away from all three of them, never going to that headquarters that Wilbur had built alongside Las Nevadas. It would be simple to do that. To let Steve point him in the direction of other polar bears so Tommy could live with them as the feral boy he was born to be.

        Tommy's indecisiveness led someone to opening the door before Tommy was ready. Wilbur smiled at Tommy with a kindness that Tommy hadn't known in a long time. Not since Sam was his ally instead of the man that got both Tommy and Ghostbur killed. Tommy was more mad about his death, obviously, but Ghostbur's death filled Tommy with a deep sadness that cut sharply into his soul that he couldn't deal with. The guilt and grief mixed together in such a way that Tommy felt obligated to stand beside Wilbur because that was the closest he would get to Ghostbur now that the blue-loving spirit was condemned to that train station.

        "Come inside! We have the food made and table set. We were waiting for you," Wilbur said with a soft smile. Tommy knew better than that. Wilbur wanted Tommy to feel guilty for being late. In actuality, Tommy was completely on time according to what time Wilbur had told him after the brunette had been on the phone with Philza. Tommy didn't care. He let Wilbur say whatever words came into his twisted mind. It was better than arguing. "See, I told you Techie, he would come!"

        Tommy looked down at the nickname that Wilbur uttered. It brought back memories from the past that were meant to be happy but now hurt worse than the betrayals themselves. It had always been like that for Tommy. Hanging out with Eret during the time of L'Manberg was more painful than the final control room. Remembering how Niki would bake with him was more painful than seeing her holding the flint and steel that set the L'Mantree on fire. Remembering his childhood was the worst of all. He was innocent back then, young and wild and rash, bold beyond reason and as quick witted as his brother. Now, Tommy was terrified of most things in the world, and was always one word from breaking down into the million pieces he tried keeping together.

        "So, you were right," Technoblade muttered at the head of the table. Philza was at the other end with a strained smile. Wilbur went around the table to sit down while Tommy took his place across Wilbur with his back to the door. Before them was lasagna with garlic bread and a salad. Tommy watched everyone else get their plates. Techno got mostly lasagna, Wilbur got mostly garlic bread, and Philza only had salad. Tommy thought he was the normal one for getting a little of everything even though he was sure he wouldn't be able to eat it. They took a moment of silence before they ate to where Tommy prayed to Prime for a normal night.

        It continued to be silent as they ate. Technoblade seemed content with the silence, and Tommy was hoping it would last. Wilbur looked bored out of his mind. Philza was keeping a placating smile on his face in case tensions went higher than they should have.  Tommy stared down at his plate, moving around the lasagna with his fork. Every time he tried to take a bite, he felt like he was choking on bland blocks. Each bite was making him tired, and he felt like he was seconds away from crashing.

        "How is it, Tommy?" Phil asked quietly as he looked at the blonde. Tommy kept staring at his plate. Why did Philza ask him, out of the three he could ask? Philza liked Wilbur and Techno more, even a blind man could see that much. Tommy often doubted how much Philza liked Tommy, let alone how much love there was between the two. To Tommy, Philza was more of an idol to respect and admire from afar, not a father to love and care about up close.

        "Pog," Tommy replied using his normal voice even though he wanted this dinner to remain quiet. Tommy couldn't let his family know that they were messing him up badly. If he lost control, there was no doubt that Tommy would do something he would regret. As it stood, only Michael and Ranboo knew that Tommy had rekindled any sort of relationship with his divine half. He was hoping to keep that a secret from everyone else.

        "Maybe be a bit more appreciative of the meal, Tommy," Wilbur reprimanded lightly with a tight smile. Tommy looked up at the brunette with a glare.

        "No, it's fine, Wilbur. I understand what Toms was trying to say," Philza said, placing a supportive hand on Wilbur's arm. Tommy rolled his eyes. Philza didn't know anything about Tommy, least of all what he meant with his words.

        "I agree with Wilbur. You worked hard on this lasagna, and Tommy could be more supportive," Technoblade gave his two cents without anyone asking him to. It wasn't a surprise that Technoblade decided to go against Tommy rather than to stay neutral or, heaven forbid, allied with Tommy.

        "Fuck off, Techno," Tommy said as his eyes glanced over at the anthromorphic pig. Techno took the challenge with his own harsh glare. Wilbur had this stupid satisfied smirk that Tommy absolutely despised. It was the same smirk he wore in Pogtopia, the same one he wore when he declared L'Manberg a pipe dream. It was the same smirk that was painted on Dream's mask, the one that SapNap wore when he described Henry's death, the same one that Techno and Phil had as L'Manberg died its final death.

        "You shouldn't talk to Techno like that," Phil snapped at Tommy like he had any right to scold Tommy for his actions. Wilbur had more right to tell Tommy that his behavior wasn't acceptable than Philza, and Wilbur had been dead for months. At those thoughts, Tommy started glaring at Philza instead of Technoblade.

        "Tommy, I think you're being overly emotional. We are simply trying to get you to appreciate Phil's hard work. He took time out of his busy schedule to make us a meal for family dinner-" Wilbur started.

        "Shut up!" Tommy demanded as his fists slammed against the table. Ice scattered across the surface, climbing to the tops of the glasses and covering all the food in a thin layer of snow. Tommy could hear the hiss of the hot lasagna getting coated in something frozen cold. Tommy stared at the table instead of his family. He was supposed to keep his temper in check. But he didn't. He couldn't. Not when Wilbur was playing the 'family' card when no one in that family gave a rat's ass about Tommy, and Wilbur himself had been using that same card to manipulate Tommy. Not when Philza was trying to be a father when none of them needed one, when Techno saw him as a friend and Tommy saw him as an idol and Wilbur was too far gone to have empathy. Not when Techno was practically shoving it in Tommy's face that he was the one that was betrayed, and Tommy should suck it up and get in line. Tommy had been pushed to his limits when it came to these three, and he already hated family dinners. They weren't a family. Not when all Wilbur did was lie. Not when Tommy and Techno couldn't communicate their feelings. Not when Philza was so worried about making them all happy that he didn't make a single one happy.

        "You... you accepted your powers?" Philza whispered as he placed a hand on the ice like he couldn't believe it. Tommy looked up to see Techno's apathetic confusion, and a look that implied Wilbur knew how to weaponize this. Tommy pushed against the table, his chair clattering against the ground. Tommy walked outside into the night without a coat. Steve perked up at Tommy's angry aura that surrounded the boy. Tommy's hand hovered over the doorknob to freeze it into place. It wouldn't hold them back for long, but it would give Tommy time to run away. With each step, the atmosphere produced an even stronger storm, the skies reflecting Tommy's sour mood. Tommy was perfectly fine. He didn't feel the cold nor did it inhibit him in any way.

        Tommy ended up crossing the fence that separated Techno's property from the mysterious forest. Tommy looked around at the weeping obsidian that clung to the trees which illuminated the path, the snow catching in the branches. Tommy lowered himself behind one of the trees. Those three would never cross the fence. They physically couldn't. Because Kristen abandoned them, they couldn't enter any of her domains. Tommy, on the other hand, wasn't abandoned, and could go anywhere that snow followed.

        "Tommy? What's wrong?" Speaking of the goddess, Kristen was standing before Tommy with a sympathetic smile as she opened her arms. Tommy bolted into them, relishing in the safety that Kristen provided. She was a goddess of not just brutal deaths, but also deaths of sweet release or mercy kills. When someone passed on painlessly in their sleep. If someone didn't fight against their fated death, Kristen would welcome them to the afterlife with open arms. It was a shame that neither Tommy or Wilbur couldn't go to her realm. At least she was holding him now.

Part 3?