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Ex sighed as Tommy paced around his room, dressed in a mix of pajamas and armor, flittering from window to bed to the desk where Ex was trying to put together his personal and medical paperwork into something approximating professional, and not like he was trying to piece together years of no server history into a life.
Tommy had a bad nightmare last night. Screaming, crying, crawling into Ex’s bed begging for help, the whole nine yards. Usually after nights like that, Ex and Tommy just stayed in, doing some work on the tower or their garden, maybe preening Tommy’s wings if it was bad enough. But today was Ex’s meeting with the therapist, so he had to leave. Which meant leaving Tommy on his own. And Tommy really wasn’t handling that possibility well.
“Tommy, are you sure you don’t want me to take you over to the swamp? I’m sure they’d love to have you over for the day.” Ex tried to offer, but Tommy only violently shook his head.
“I want- I need- I just need to-” Tommy’s mouth snapped shut, and Tommy looked frustrated to tears by his inability to vocalize what he needed. His feathers puffed up then flattened back down, shaking his wings out in a show of his discomfort.
“Will you be able to stay here on your own?” Ex tried again, using more direct questions to try to bypass Tommy’s blocks.
Tommy looked conflicted. Like he wasn’t sure or…
“It’s alright if you say no Toms. I’ll figure something out. You don’t have to stay here alone if you can’t.”
Tommy still looked frustrated, and shook his head, “I can’t but it’s- not a fucking issue of
alone
I just- I can’t- you-”
Tommy devolved into frustrated partial sentences again, but Ex thought he could see what Tommy meant.
“Toms, do you not want to leave me?”
Tommy nodded, “I can’t- please don’t leave me.”
Ex inwardly sighed, not letting his stress show on his face. Alright so he can’t leave the kid. So he either can’t leave the server or-
Or Tommy has to come to his appointment with him.
Ex grabbed his communicator and pulled up Captain’s contact info, “What if you came with me? You could sit right by the door during my session, in ear shot so that we can hear each other, and then we could go have some fun off server afterwards?”
Tommy considered it for a moment, heading tipping to the side as he chewed on a bit of his lips. But eventually he nodded. “Please?”
Ex smiled, “Of course, whatever you need Toms. Let me just message Captain to let her know.”
EvilXisuma: hi captain I’m sorry if this is a bother but my kid had a nightmare and doesn’t want to be left alone. can i just bring him along?
The response was prompt and professional as to be expected of Captain.
CaptainPuffy: Of course! I have a sitting room outside the private room with some books and toys that he can stay in. I’m always happy to accommodate.
Ex smiled, perfect. Even if Xisuma was pushing him into this, Captain was good. Not the quality of therapist he deserves.
CaptainPuffy: And I thought I told you that you can just call me Puffy.
Oh yeah. There was that as well. She said he could call her Puffy but. Ex had met enough people who were weird about titles, especially around a glitch like him, it was best to just stick with titles until they met and he managed to make Captain hate him too.
EvilXisuma: thank you see you in a few hours
Ex set his communicator down and smiled at Tommy, “looks like everything is all set up, you can come along with. Now, why don’t you go get dressed into something appropriate for server hopping?”
Tommy opened his mouth like he was going to argue, but Ex gave him a glance up and down. Tommy looked down as well and visibly flushed with embarrassment as he realized that he was still wearing his pajamas, with a chest plate and leg braces sloppily thrown over top. He scurried off as Ex tried to hold back his laughter.
~
Tommy stumbled as he stepped out of the world portal, grabbing Ex’s arm as soon as he loaded in enough to touch the other player. He leaned against him, the sturdiness of his armor welcome after the wooziness of world travel. Instinctually, he wrapped a wing around Ex, pulling him closer.
Ex walked over one of the seats in the waiting area, letting Tommy peel off him directly into a chair. Tommy snuggled down into it, enjoying its comfort. Much better than the hard wooden seats of the last time he’d been to therapy. But, they were working with what they had, and this server was different, one of the ones designed for comfort, not survival. It was nice. It felt familiar. But- familiar in a nice way, unlike most things that were familiar to him. Like he was coming to a safe place.
“Alright Toms, Captain said she’s got books somewhere, so don’t just pace alright? Sit and try to relax, I'll be alright. You can sit right by the door when I go to talk to her, and I'll be out in an hour or so.” Ex said, trying to reassure him. It was appreciated, but not as necessary. Something about this place made Tommy melt, muscles untensing for the first time since he’d woken up that morning. He might be concerned if it didn’t feel so nice.
“I know I know. I’ll be okay Exy, you just focus on getting therapied.” Tommy said, leaning back into his chair.
In his peripheral vision, Ex stiffened, but didn’t say anything. Tommy looked over the room and nothing had changed, and then he thought over his sentence and-
Oh. oh.
Well, Tommy’s thoughts raced to the other he had once called brother, at least Ex wasn’t teasing him about it.
He sunk further down in his chair, hoping Ex’s courtesy would extend to not commenting on how Tommy suddenly felt like his cheeks were on fire. Prime this was embarrassing why did this always happen?
Thankfully, Ex just turned, settling in the seat next to Tommy. He pulled out his communicator as he sat, tapping away at it, probably to tell his therapy lady that they had arrived. And either Tommy’s guess had been right, or they just had good timing, as one of the doors swung open and-
Puffy.
It couldn’t have been anyone else, he’d know her anywhere.
She might have traded her familiar red pirate coat and sunglasses for a slightly more professional outfit, but that couldn’t change her curly hair, the pastel rainbow locks looking even more shiny and neat than it had ever looked back ho- back there, bright against her otherwise dark brown wool. It couldn’t hide the self assuredness in every stride either, her hooves just as steady on solid ground as they had been on the ship she had arrived to the server on.
“Puffy-?”
Tommy’s breath felt like it was caught in his chest and his wings folded tightly against his back, like it was scared to move in Puffy’s presence now that he’d brought attention to himself. Like she’d- like she’d do something to bring him back now that she knew he’d escaped. Knew he hadn’t just thrown himself off that cliff to enjoy his death out of Dream’s reach.
She looked up at the sound of her name and they locked eyes.
The papers she had been holding scatter, spreading across the floor with such dramatics that Tommy would’ve laughed if he had enough air in his lungs for it. Oh Prime he couldn’t breathe why couldn’t he breathe?
“Tommy?”
At least Puffy didn’t sound upset at him, just disbelieving. Which- was understandable. Where Tommy had fallen, he’d be surprised if there was even a body left. She took a step towards him, hand outstretched like she wanted to touch him, just to make sure he was actually there. Tommy flinched back in his seat and let out a stifled chirp.
Ex was on his feet in an instant, putting himself between Tommy and Puffy. He didn’t have a weapon, but he still dropped down into a fighting stance, like he’d fist fight Puffy in her own office for him. It warmed something possessive and dead in Tommy's chest, that wanted to be protected and cared for.
“Back off.” Ex growled, “I don't know how you know him but you won’t lay a hand on him.”
Puffy raised her hands and took a step back again, “okay, okay. I’m not coming any closer. You hear that Tommy? I’m not coming closer, you're safe here.”
“You're gonna bring me back,” Tommy whispered, the dread of the situation setting in. He'd been found . He’d never be safe again. “Please don’t drag me back please no, please Puffy. ” Tommy begged.
Puffy let out a noise that was somewhere between a comforting chuff and a pained bleat, expression heartbroken, “Oh Tommy.”
Tommy whined, gasping for breath as the pressure on his chest increased, heart racing. Why couldn’t he breathe? Why did his chest hurt so badly? He let out another distressed chirp, clinging to his seat, a hand grasping for his caretaker.
“Shit um- I'm sorry Tommy. Can you try and breathe for me? Simple 4-7-8 pattern, you remember how to do it.”
Tommy did, but he really couldn’t. It was too hard, his chest ached.
Puffy seemed to see this, “that’s alright Tommy, you’re gonna be okay, try 2-3-4 instead, take it slow. In for two, c’mon I know you can.”
Tommy did his best, trying to slow hitched breaths into something manageable. But then his breath hitched again, the start of a terrified sob and Tommy lost track, falling back into hyperventilating. Puffy pursed her lips.
“Evil Xisuma, sit in front of him, let him feel your chest rise and fall. Breathe in for 2, hold for 3, exhale for 4. Tommy, match your breathing to your guardian’s. You know how to do this, you remember to do this.” Puffy said, and Ex followed her command, dropping to his knees, turned half, so that he could watch Puffy while giving Tommy space to put his hand on Ex.
“ Ex. ” Tommy whined, grasping weakly at Ex’s shirt. Ex hissed and pulled Tommy from his chair to hug him, letting Tommy slump against him, hidden from Puffy’s view. He chirped loudly, wings spreading and consumed Ex
Slowly Tommy’s breathing slowed and his chest stopped aching. Still he stayed slumped against Ex, hiding his face from view.
“Hello Ex, hello Tommy. It’s nice to see you both together.” Puffy said, gently getting to her knees as well. “I’m very happy to see that you’re safe Tommy. I’m not going to take you back. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, or go anywhere you don’t want to go. You’re safe here in my office.”
Tommy whimpered, and peeked around Ex, “do you promise?”
Puffy smiled, “I promise Tommy. You don’t have to go anywhere. I won’t even get closer if you don’t want me to.”
Tommy nodded, “you can’t tell. He’ll try to get me back if he knew, you know he will. He’d drag me back kicking and screaming and he’d blow up everything new I've built.”
Ex’s arms tightened around Tommy, “he’d have to kill me first.”
Tommy whimpered, stifling another high pitched chirp, “he would. He would kill you, and blame me cause I didn’t listen to him.”
Ex growled, glaring at Puffy, daring her to tell the person Tommy was so scared of.
“I won’t tell anyone I saw you either,” Puffy promised. “As far as anyone there knows, you were never here. I’m just meeting with my normal clients, no children anywhere.”
Tommy flinched. “I'm not a child.”
Puffy softened. “You might not be a child Tommy, but you are still young. And that’s okay, you’re safe now, you’re allowed to be young.”
Tommy looked away and tried to relax. He peeled himself away from Ex, feeling embarrassed at his vulnerability in front of someone who was practically a stranger now. What would he have done if Puffy had actually wanted to take him back? He would’ve been useless, Ex would’ve gotten hurt trying to protect him. Tommy rubbed his eyes and sat back, leaning against the chair he had been sitting in. He should get off the floor. He straightened out his wings and shook them briefly before folding them back along his back.
“Aren’t you guys supposed to be therapying? You don’t need to be sitting here with me while i’m being dumb.” Tommy said, pushing himself up into the chair, “I’m fine now, you can do your session now.”
Ex looked caught, looking between Tommy and Puffy, “Are you sure? We can reschedule and go home now. Today’s been bad, going home would be just fine.”
Puffy nodded, “It’s been a rough day, you can both go home. Ex and I can talk about rescheduling later, after you take care of each other and get some rest.”
Tommy shook his head, “No no, the admin isn’t expecting us back yet, we- you guys can talk. I can be good.”
“You don’t have to be good Tommy. Xisuma will get it, we can go back.” Ex said, “you don’t have to stay here if you don’t feel safe.”
Tommy shook his head even harder, “No no, Puffy is- puffy’s okay. Puffy kept me safe. She never blamed us…” Tommy trailed off and his eyes widened, staring back up at Puffy. She had news on his friends.
“Us. Them. What happened after he got out, are Tubbo and Ranboo safe?” Tommy asked.
Puffy’s eyes widened, and she looked down, “Tommy I- I’m not sure we should talk about this right now.”
No. No.
No they- they can’t. They have to be okay.
“ Please Puffy, are they okay? ” Tommy begged.
Puffy looked down, “Last I checked, Tubbo was okay. He’s still up in Snowchester, Michael has been over a lot more recently.”
“And Ranboo?”
Puffy took a moment to respond, “When- when you died, Dream hadn’t actually escaped. Just Techno. That’s what the sirens were. But. A few months later he went back, to break Dream out too.”
No. Oh prime no, why would Techno do that? He knew what Dream had done, why would he do that?
“Dream got out. But I was talking to Niki and she said she’d heard from Techno that Ranboo was there, in the prison for some reason and- and Sam killed him. Sam murdered Ranboo.”
The world felt like it had been put on pause. No. No he wouldn’t have. Sam was-
Sam hadn’t been good for a while now had he? He wasn’t sure why it was such a surprise now, after Sam had already gotten him killed before but. It was. It just didn’t compute in his brain. Sam took Ranboo’s first life. He let out a heartbroken coo, low and mourning.
“But- but he’s fine now right? It was just his first life right? Tubbo’s taking care of him right? They're married, Tubbo has to be taking care of him, he wouldn’t leave Ranboo on his own.” Tommy was close to begging, Ranboo had to be okay.
“He- he’s dead Tommy. Properly. No one knows how he lost his other two but- he’s dead. His ghost has been wandering the server ever since. I’m so sorry.”