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“Come on, Tommy. I stole something for us to eat.” Tubbo held up a loaf of uneaten bread as he sat within the shelter of their box, the closest thing they had to a home.
The young blond boy sat out in the drizzling rain, quietly shaking his head. “You can have it. I’m not hungry.”
His stomach growling, Tubbo looked down at the loaf in his hands, then towards his friend all by his lonesome. Setting the loaf down, he left the warmth of their shelter to join Tommy out in the cold rain. Tubbo knelt next to his friend in the mud, staring at their reflections in the puddle. Through the murky water, he was able to make out a pair of teal and blue eyes.
In the reflection, Tubbo saw Tommy’s sorrowful expression, glancing up to meet his friend’s gaze. “You’re thinking about them again, aren’t you?”
“I miss my family a lot, okay.” Tommy sniffled as he stared at the grimy walls of the alley they took refuge in. “I thought I would’ve found them by now.”
Ever since Tubbo first rescued Tommy from the dumpster, he had promised to help him reunite with his family. The blond had insisted that they must be worried about him, and even said they’d be kind enough to find Tubbo a nice new home, if not take him in themselves.
Most people turned a blind eye to two homeless, supposedly orphaned, hybrid-children. They would ignore their pleas for help and their begging for food as they passed them on the street. Some would offer assistance in trying to help find Tommy’s family, but no progress came of it and they eventually parted ways.
Others would push them to the dirt, making rude remarks as they regarded them as street scum. One instance a woman mocked Tubbo as she tugged on his sheep ears, which resulted inTommy calling her a bitch and aggressively biting her. They fled the scene before they could land in trouble. Tommy was pretty proud of himself that day, and Tubbo couldn’t be happier to have him as a friend.
Over time, Tommy’s golden hair became tainted with filth. His fine clothes were already bloodied from what happened before Tubbo found him, and they only became more muddied and ruined the longer he was out here. It wasn’t helped by the fact they were currently soaking in the rain.
The more time they spent living together on the streets, the closer Tubbo felt like he was becoming to Tommy. Yet he also sensed the blond’s faith dwindle, which internally hurt Tubbo. The Tommy he had become was different from the naive, bright-eyed, golden-haired boy he had found bleeding, who could barely eat a stale loaf of bread.
Tubbo only hoped they could find Tommy’s family soon.
“We can’t give up just yet. Let’s try looking somewhere else.” The sheep-hybrid suggested hopefully.
“You don’t fucking get it, Tubbo! There’s no point in looking somewhere else when they don’t want me!” In his outburst, he shoved Tubbo away, splashing mud on him as he fell in the puddle.
“You’re right, I don’t.” He slowly got up, not about to snap back as he knew his friend was suffering and conflicted. “But you can’t say that for sure. What if they’re still worried about you?”
“How long has it been?” Tommy asked him heartbrokenly.
“Too long…” Tubbo’s sheep ears hung low, having lost track of the days as they turned into months.
“If they wanted me back, they would’ve found me by now. Unlike you, I’m not out here by choice.” He wiped away the tears that formed in the corners of his eyes. “Face it, Tubbo. They abandoned me.”
Tubbo could only watch in silence as Tommy finally broke. His tears fell, dripping into the puddle as he sobbed. With the rainfall it was near impossible to make out where they rippled. Finally, Tubbo placed both of his hands on Tommy’s shoulders gazing into his eyes as teal met watery blue.
“Even if it’s true, you still have me. I like having you around, and I won’t leave you too.” Unraveling his black and yellow striped scarf, Tubbo wrapped it around his friend’s neck. “How about we create a future for ourselves out here, just you and me?”
“That doesn’t sound awful…” Tommy said between sniffles.
“Then, it’s settled.” Tubbo stood up, offering him a hand with a bright smile.
Tommy rose to his feet, staring at Tubbo with a shaky smile. Feeling the rain start to diminish, they both looked up to see a few rays of sunlight pierce through the gray clouds. It was a serene sight, interrupted entirely by Tubbo hopping into a puddle.
The blond let out a yelp as the cold, muddy water hit him. “What the hell was that for?!”
“I had to get even for you pushing me earlier.” Tubbo laughed as he continued to jump around.
“Oh, it’s so on, bee boy.” Tommy grinned mischievously as he joined him.
The two continued to splash around in the rain. As they had run, they neglected to think about Tommy’s family, their situation or the next meal. In that simple moment, they weren’t thieves, but two carefree children playing under the sunshower.
Tommy should’ve known that something was amiss with Tubbo sooner. The signs were all there, and in hindsight it was to be expected since he’s a male sheep hybrid. But they were by no means doctors, just two kids trying to make a life of their own. The first sign they overlooked was when Tubbo’s platinum blond roots started growing in brown.
“You look so stupid right with your roots darker than the rest of your hair.” Tommy teased as the two walked into an alleyway. After another close, but successful heist, they had managed to secure their next meal.
His friend’s comment caused Tubbo to hesitate as he split the breadloaf. “Give it some time and I’ll grow into it. You’re making fun of me now, but it could happen to you next.”
“Prime no! I don’t want to be brunett!” Tommy let out a horrified gasp.
This caused Tubbo to pause as he narrowed his teal gaze. “Why are you so worried? I thought you didn’t care about your appearance.”
“You’re right, I don’t…”
Tubbo had a point. Why did he care?
Venturing further into the narrow stretches, the two returned to their current retreat. Long gone were the days of living in the Tubbox. As painful as it was to ditch the box, the boys have admittedly outgrown it, and needed a new place as the heists only became more dangerous.
With their lifestyle as thieves, they had to constantly move throughout the capital city of the Essempi, never staying in one place for too long. Doing so risks the people they steal from becoming familiar with them and their patterns, or the authorities finding their whereabouts. As a consequence, they could never afford to settle down or have a place they could truly call home.
Tommy sat on the other end of the alleyway, across from his best friend. He watched as Tubbo gleefully nibbled at their latest steal, content that they managed to snag a warm, fresh, loaf. Tommy’s bites were slower.
Twirling a finger around his blond curl, letting out a sigh of relief as they were still golden. Tommy thought about why he was bothered by Tubbo’s prior remark. While his memories before this life were hazy and only grew fuzzier, he vaguely remembered some of his family having brown hair. So, it was a possibility. Tommy recalled one family member he admired also being blond, and concluded that had to be the reason.
The next tell that something was off with Tubbo was the headaches. At first they were minor and in passing, easy to brush off. But then, they started to become chronic, tipping Tommy off that something was wrong. Tubbo started to express more pain as he took longer to push past the sharp ache in his head. It had gotten to the point it was hindering their thievery.
After a narrow escape, Tommy confronted him.
“What the hell man! You nearly got us caught!”
“I didn’t mean to! It’s just that my head started to hurt again as we were in the middle of running away.” Retreating to the cool shade of their shelter, Tubbo closed his eyes as he put his hands on his forehead.
“Again? If this keeps up, I’m going to have to start stealing stuff alone because somebody can’t do their job right.”
“Well, maybe I wouldn’t get these headaches if you weren’t so damn annoying!” Tubbo shouted at him, sheep ears flickering with frustration. Seeing Tommy’s aghast expression, he quickly took it back. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that…”
Calming down, Tommy fetched him a pail of water to drink and sat down next to him. “It’s alright, I kinda deserved it. But you’re right, we’re supposed to be working together.”
“Just you and me.” Tubbo smiled. A warm yellow glow emitted from his palms as he started to use healing magic on Tommy’s most recent gash, then on his own forehead.
“That’s right.” Tommy reached over to ruffle his friend’s hair, now mostly brown with some remaining blond in the tips.
Feeling something off, Tommy’s hand paused and Tubbo took notice, staring up at him.
“Tommy, is something wrong?”
“No, I must be imagining things.” He shrugged it off.
Later, he would regret ignoring his instinct.
The heavy rain fell, making the streets muddy. Carriages on the dimly-lit city roads splashed filth as they passed by. Deep within the alleyway, Tommy and Tubbo huddled for warmth from the chilling downpour. It wasn’t only raining outside their makeshift shelter as Tubbo sobbed between heavy breaths.
Emerging from his forehead were two buds that would later become horns. Curled over, Tubbo kept his winced eyes shut with his hands on the nubs. It did little to ease the throbbing pain from his only worsening headaches as a few streaks of blood trailed down his face.
Tommy remained helpless, unable to do anything to support his anguished best friend besides providing a shoulder to cry on. Concealing a dagger, his ice-blue gaze remained sharply focused on their surroundings, prepared to protect Tubbo if anyone dared approach.
As the rain became drawn out, Tubbo’s pain didn’t subside. It only grew worse. The dimly lit lanterns became their only source of light under a dark, gloomy sky as it got late. Worrying how his friend would manage through the night, Tommy stood up as quietly as possible.
He wasn’t stealthy enough as Tubbo groaned, gribbing his red, tattered sleeve, “No don’t go…”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon.” Tommy smiled shakily, the orange hue of the lanterns reflecting on his face before he headed out into the night.
He hurried along the streets, forcing himself not to lower his head. The loud stomping of hooves from horses pulling carriages made Tommy stay further away from the main road. He shivered, unsure whether it was due to the chilling rain or the lack of a familiar sheep-hybrid at his side.
Heists weren’t the same without Tubbo at his side.
But Tommy pressed on, needing to save his friend. The muddy streets under his feet turned to shining cobble as he headed towards the center of the capital. His torn clothing and dirt-smudged face stood out from the pristine, medieval manors surrounding him. Only his golden hair matched the wealth surrounding him.
His icy glare focused on the large palace looming in the distance, responsible for his and Tubbo’s suffering as the king hoarded his wealth. How Tommy wished he could slip past the knights and steal its treasures from inside for Tubbo and himself.
“Right, Tubbo.” Snapping out of his trance, Tommy remembered why he came to this part of the city.
He gulped, finding himself staring at his reflection in the window of a vacant potion shop. It wasn’t the same as stealing from a stall in a busy marketplace during the day, where it was easy for him and Tubbo to slip into bustling crowds to avoid being caught. There was a reason they didn’t go to this part of the capital often.
Taking a deep breath, Tommy found his resolve. He smashed the door window, opening it from inside. Carefully stepping over the glass and into the shop, he curiously glanced about at the various colorful liquids, all kept within bottles. Potions were expensive due to their ingredients being exported from the fiery and perilous depths of the Nether. This was nothing like stealing a loaf of bread.
If he got caught, it could cost him his life. But it was for Tubbo.
“Fuck the consequences, people like us have to live day by day. We can’t afford to think about tomorrow.” Tommy instinctively snatched a potion with pink, bubbling liquid, glancing at its shine in his hands.
He was by no means an alchemist. Mainly because that was a hobby for rich and boring people who had the patience. Magic was more Tubbo’s thing as Tommy preferred stabbing people. None of the potions were labeled, so there was a chance he could poison his best friend. Yet somehow, Tommy knew the exact one he needed.
“While instant health potions heal faster, regeneration potions offer long term relief. They are made from ghast tears and appear pink.” With heavy haze, he recalled a tall, brunet teen telling him the difference.
Trusting his gut, Tommy took it and ran from the place as fast as he could, hoping the rain would cover his tracks. As the drizzle subsided, rays of sunlight pierced through the misty, gray clouds. Letting out a pained grunt, Tubbo opened his teal eyes, placing his hands on his throbbing head as he rose.
“Tommy?” He muttered, seeing his friend already awake under an orange, sunrise sky.
“I got you this.” Tommy tossed him the regeneration potion. “We might want to lay low for a while so we don’t get caught.”
“Were you scared of going out alone?” Tubbo asked teasingly after he finished guzzling the pink liquid, wiping the residue from his lips.
“No! I’m a big man and can protect myself!” Tommy boldly claimed in defense as Tubbo laughed.
“Whatever you say, bossman. But thanks to the potion, I feel a ton better.” His friend smiled as he noticed Tubbo got his color and lively energy back.
Tommy let out a content snort, noticing the stubs on Tubbo’s head had truly started to grow in. “I think you look cool as hell. Those horns make you look like a badass!”
“You really think so?” The sheep hybrid’s face lit up.
“Yeah, you’re all tough and shit now. You can stab people with your head if you want!” Tommy patted him on the back as the two laughed together.
“I’m pretty sure you’re also a hybrid, we just don’t know what kind. So, we'll have to see if you get any cool traits too in the future.” Tubbo mentioned.
“Whatever it is, I just hope it’s less painful for me.” Looking up at the morning sky, Tommy smiled as he saw a bird fly above them.
“Shit, we have to go!” Tommy snatched Tubbo’s wrist the moment the shopkeeper spotted them.
His friend quickly grabbed the best piece of meat he saw, and within seconds they were bolting through the city streets. Tubbo nervously glanced over his shoulder as three guards were now tailing after them. But Tommy pressed on, fighting through the busy crowd.
Perhaps stealing from the butchery wasn’t their wisest idea. But even thieves deserved to treat themselves to a nice meal every once in a while.
Now outside of the marketplace, they created some distance between them and the guards. With each step, they felt it through the broken soles of their shoes as they could do nothing but press forward. Tubbo guided Tommy through the windy streetward paths he studied in hopes of misdirecting the guards. But his strategy and their determination could only carry their young legs so far and the guards started to catch up to them.
“I think now is a good time to try that new magic trick you’ve been working on.” Hearing their clanking footsteps get closer, Tommy nervously gripped his friend’s hand.
“Are you sure? I’m still practicing…” Tubbo’s sheep ears flickered, remembering the last time they tried it during their escape.
The spell backfired and both slipped on the ice underneath their feet in the process. It was nothing short of a miracle that they managed to not get caught. He would rather not have a close call like that again if he could help it.
“Well, now is as good a time as ever!” Tommy shouted, narrowly dodging the grasp of a gauntleted hand to his torn, white shirt.
Tubbo took a deep breath, saying with clarity as he waved his hand, “Glacies Inferius.”
A chilling wind blew in their direction, swaying both Tommy’s blond and Tubbo’s brunett hair. A thin sheet of ice appeared underneath the guard’s feet. It caused all three to slip and fall as they slid in different directions.
“Tommy, I did it! I did it!” Tubbo halted his running to excitedly jump up and down.
“Hell yeah you did! Way to go, Big T!” He patted his back, pointing and laughing at the guards struggling on the ice.
Their amusing enjoyment of the sight didn’t last long as one of the guards managed to get up. Their face red and expression full of burning fury as their intent was directed at the duo.
“Oh, shit.” Tubbo nodded to Tommy before both bolting away.
Back tracking across the ice wasn’t an option, leaving them the only other escape to be going deeper into the alleyway. Halting their running, they came face to face with an iron bar gate, nearly colliding with it. Their faces went pale as they stared up at the vast, black-painted pillars that loomed leagues above their youthful height. Hearing the guard approach, the duo turned to each other, realizing crossing it was their only choice.
Since they were both malnourished kids, they were small enough to squeeze between the bars. Tommy went first. Despite being the bigger of the two, he managed to get to the other side, waiting for his friend. Tubbo went next. Just as he was about to make it through, the sheep-hybrid was pulled back by his neck.
The black and yellow striped scarf that Tubbo always kept close to him was caught on a bar. Gritting his teeth, he tried to brute force his way through, but couldn’t. Tommy tried pulling with him but he remained stuck. Quickly, he set to trying to untangle it.
His blue eyes widened with panic as he saw the guard fast approaching. Tommy quickly loosened the scarf around Tubbo’s neck, allowing his friend to get to the other side. However, the bee scarf remained stuck on the gate. Realizing they were out of time as the guard started to climb the gate, Tommy took Tubbo’s by the hand and ran.
“But my scarf!” He protested as it was left behind, dragging his feet across the cobbled street floor as he constantly looked back.
“We have to leave it!” Tommy fought with all his might to keep them going and to not be caught. “We can go back for it later once it’s safe.”
Forcing Tubbo proved their escape to be more difficult than it normally would. There were several times Tommy feared they’d get caught, but to his surprise they made it to the safety of their shelter. The entire time they were forced to lay low in hiding, Tubbo stared out longingly at the streets.
The second the coast was clear enough, Tubbo dashed returning to the same iron gate. But the bee-like scarf wasn’t wrapped around the bars like he last remembered. Or anywhere nearby as Tommy helped him thoroughly search the area. They didn’t know if the guard, somebody else or even the wind took it.
It didn’t matter. It was gone.
Sinking in this realization, tears started to pool in Tubbo’s teal eyes.
Placing a hand on his shoulder, Tommy positively reassured him. “Don’t worry, we can steal another one just like it later.”
“You don’t fucking get it, Tommy!” Tubbo snapped back. “We can’t just replace it like nothing happened! That scarf was all I had left of my mother after she died! You don’t understand what it’s like to lose something important to you!”
“You’re my only family, Tubbo, and I wasn’t about to lose you back there.” Tommy’s hand fell limp as it balled in a shaky fist. “There’s nothing we can do, so we might as well have our meal. We went through all the work of stealing it after all.”
“You can have it, I’m not hungry…” The sheep-hybrid grumbled, head held low as he went on ahead and left his friend behind.
Tommy struggled to find it in himself to eat that evening. The next couple of days, Tubbo sculked silently in their shelter. As a result, Tommy was forced to do heists alone. Without his trusted and more calculated friend at his side, he only managed to get away through sheer luck. Every time he returned with food, Tommy made sure to leave half for Tubbo, but noticed it went uneaten every time. Reaching the end of his patience, Tommy confronted him on the matter.
“I get that you’re sad about what happened, but how much longer are you going to keep this up for?”
“However long I want. It’s not like you’d get it, so what does it matter to you?” Tubbo turned his back to him, retreating further into the shade.
“You’re my best friend, and I’m not going to watch as you fucking starve yourself.” Taking on a more vulnerable tone, his hand brushed against the scrapes he got from his most recent skirmish. “Besides, I could really use your help out there. I need you, Tubbo.”
“Unless you find my scarf, then I could care less what happens to you out there.” He replied coldly. Tubbo’s words were a punch to the gut and he quickly turned away before his hurt expression could be seen.
“Fine then! If it matters more to you than I do, then you won’t be upset if I don’t come back!” Tommy gritted his teeth before storming off.
He didn’t want to end his friendship with Tubbo. Not after everything they had gone through together. He didn’t want to be left alone again. Like how his supposed family abandoned him on the street all those years ago.
The only way to truly fix this was to get Tubbo’s bee-stripped scarf back. Even Tommy knew it was far gone by now. As he browsed the clothing racks in an outdoor marketplace, he searched for similar items or ones Tubbo would like. Well aware it wasn’t the original scarf, he believed the plan only had half a chance of working and not blowing up in his face.
That was worth enough of a risk in Tommy’s eyes.
Browsing through items, Tommy caught muffled whispers of the nearby shopkeeper. Turning to meet their gaze, they recognized him as the one who recently wreaked havoc upon their area. Quickly, they turned to alert a guard on patrol.
“Prime, damnit.” Out of time, Tommy snatched the nearest item and made a run for it.
After some twists and turns, along with a few trips, Tommy managed to get away. Peering over his shoulder, he let out a sigh of relief as no one was behind him. Only to be knocked to the cobbled floor bottom first as he collided with someone else.
Tommy instinctively unsheathed his dagger, but lowered it upon seeing familiar watering, teal eyes. “Tubbo, what the hell are you doing here?”
“To help you, of course. I can’t let you do all the work alone.” Heaving a heavy sigh, the sheep-hybrid offered a hand, helping him up. “I didn’t mean to say those mean things to you, and I’m sorry I overreacted. You were only trying to look out for us.”
“I was, but maybe if I had acted differently back then, we wouldn’t have lost your scarf.” He brushed off the dirt from his already filthy clothes, meeting Tubbo’s gaze. “I don’t really understand “sentimental value” or whatever the fuck you call it, but it mattered a lot to you.”
“It did, but I’ve accepted it’s gone forever now.” Staring forlornly, Tubbo knelt down as he started to heal the scrap Tommy got from his most recent escape.
“Well, I got you this,” Opening his hand, Tommy presented him with a red bandanna. “I know it can’t replace the one you had. And that red is my favorite color, not yours, but–” He was cut off abruptly by Tubbo pulling him into a tight hug.
“You’re right, it won’t replace it, but I’ll still cherish it nonetheless.” Tying the bandana around his neck, Tubbo smiled brightly for the first time in a long time. “It’s only fair I find you one to match. Since the one you got me was your favorite color, the one I get you is going to be green!”
“Sounds like a plan to me.” Tommy smiled as they returned home together, side by side.
“It’s not often we visit the capital city together as a family. Besides the potion shop having less than I’d hoped for, I’d say it was a pleasant experience.” Wilbur strided in the center of main street, underneath a warm-hued, dusky sky.
At his side was a woman with ginger hair in a fishtail braid. She wore a black and red outfit resembling that of a sailor’s with a compass around her neck. Her amber eyes were fixed on the sleeping red-fox cub in her arms.
“You’ve yet to find somebody that comes close to sharing your deep love for alchemy. You had no interest in going in that shop until after your meeting with the king.”
“You know me too well, Sally.” Wilbur playfully rolled his chocolate brown eyes at his girlfriend. “Though, the meeting was as boring as you’d expect, which is nothing out of the ordinary.”
“We had our fun here, but I’m dying to get back to the sea. How about we go on another voyage together? I’m sure our little one would like that.” She stroked the orange fur of the fox curled in her arms, who smiled from her touch.
“Nothing can keep you away from the sea that long, not even us.” He let out an amused, melodic laugh. “Though, there is no place quiet like L’manberg, like home–”
Wilbur’s sentence was cut short as somebody bumped into him. He was able to keep his balance, being pushed back a few inches and not falling to the ground. His brown eyes glanced down at the one responsible. They widened at the sight of a blond boy, the pair of wings on his back as golden as his hair that contrasted his tattered clothes. His ice blue eyes curiously stared back up at Wilbur, holding skepticism as his mouth slightly parted.
“Come on, let’s go!” Tubbo happily linked arms with the blond.
“Coming!” Tommy shouted back as the two went off on their way in the other direction.
“Wilbur, what’s wrong?” Sally tilted her head, quickly taking notice of him pausing with a distant expression.
Wilbur watched the two run off into the sunset street with a wistful smile. Turning his head over his shoulder, he focused back on her as they walked the other way, “Nothing my love. One of those boys just reminded me of someone I knew long ago…”