Mcyt vore/gt gift exchange for @cyncerity!
@mcyt-vore-gift-exchange
Word count: 11.4k
Characters: Tommy&Tubbo&Ranboo (platonic), Tommy, Tubbo, Ranboo
TW: vore, minor depression (brief), language
Fic under the cut!
Tommy was not someone most people would call unusual. He was a boy of 16 years, enrolled in the local high school, with few friends and no enemies and an after school job at the smoothie shop for some extra spending money on the side. The boy had blond hair and blue eyes, and stood at a rather impressive six feet, but still nothing that would immediately make an observer linger upon him more than necessary. Speaking to the boy would reveal a rather unusual home life, being emancipated at the tender age of 16, but it was not something he liked discussing, and was therefore unknown to most people. No, there was no indication that Tommy was anything other than an ordinary, if tall, high school student like any other.
Like some boys his age, and almost all in his situation, Tommy had an afterschool job. He had found a smoothie shop at the midpoint between his school and apartment, and, as is often the case when the warmer months come around, they had been in need of some extra help. The blond was all too happy to work in a chilly place like the smoothie shop, and the added benefit of frozen drinks was nothing to scoff at either.
Tommy spent four days a week after school packing protein smoothies for gym influencers, freezing fruit for cheerful children, and blending berries for teenagers looking for a place to cool off out of the hot summer sun. There was the occasional disagreement with a rowdy customer, and the management was so hands off that he sometimes wondered if they actually existed, but for the most part he enjoyed his job, and liked chatting with the people that came through the doors.
However, the one thing he didnât like was the late shift. The setting sun tended to bring out the worst in people, and the shop was often filled with screaming children who wanted a treat, upset middle managers looking for a pick me up, people desperate to get their drinks before golden hour hit. All of them seemed to come to the unanimous decision that Tommy made a great vent for their frustrations for the day, and he often found himself simmering with anger by the end of the shift, slamming chairs into place as he cleaned up and closed for the night.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the one thing that made every bossy customer and uncaring manager worth it. A small, rolled up bit of straw paper, sticking inconspicuously out from behind the outlet plate on the wall.
The average observer probably wouldnât even notice it, just an odd bit of trash that might have gotten wedged there a while ago, and no one had bothered to notice or clean it up ever since. The paper was inconspicuous, and thus the perfect messaging system. While most eyes simply skimmed over the odd bit of trash, Tommy studied it in more detail. With a grin, he noted its angle and alignment, the corner it was jammed under and the crease down the center. Grinning to himself, he brushed the paper away.
There was one thing about Tommy that was very unusual, despite his outward normality, and that was his friends.
___________________________________________________________________
Tommy had first met the borrowers entirely by accident.
Well, obviously, it wasnât like he had gone looking for a pair of three inch tall people in a random smoothie shop. He was imaginative, not insane.
It was an accident on the part of the borrowers that led to their discovery and eventual friendship with the final third of their trio.
The pair had simply been minding their own business, doing their weekly restock of fruits and other kitchen necessities, careful to take only the nearly spoiled ones that the humans wouldnât miss. That was the best part of living in a smoothie shop, their diet was always full of fresh fruits and vegetables, and even the occasional swipe of a sweet syrup or topping if they were careful about how they did it. There were a lot more dangers than living in an ordinary home would present, what with the ever present threats of sharp kitchen implements, and the constant looming worry that the humans might find their wall holes and worry they had an infestation, but the rewards were much sweeter as a result.
Tubbo and Ranboo had made this shop their home for many years. They had left their colony together as young teens, stifled by the tight confines of their traditionalist dwelling within the walls of an apartment building, and were determined to find something better out in the world. The journey to get here had been tough, full of dangers they couldnât have possibly foreseen, but in the end, they had never settled until they found their perfect home. They had been making their place here in the shopâs walls for more than three years now, and they were positive they had made the right decision.
Everything had been going according to the usual routine, and they were even headed home for the night after a successful run, when the unthinkable happened. After all this time in the kitchen, getting to know its ins and outs like their own personal playground, they had grown complacent. In the dark indoors, where they could not have even the light of the moon to guide them, they had not noticed a table being jostled slightly out of place by a clumsy human earlier in the day. Because of this, they mistimed their jumps, one after the other, and fell down, down, down until they tumbled into a not-so-soft landing inside a mop bucket.
The walls of the bucket were smooth and sheer, too tall for them to climb even if they stacked up on top of one another to try and reach the edge. Their grappling hooks were difficult to aim in the total darkness, and they kept missing the rim until, eventually, they succumbed to their exhaustion and resigned themselves to a tired huddle against the wall, too tired to move, but too scared to sleep away what might be their final hours.
Morning dawned terrifyingly early, and the unwelcome ding of the front door announced the entry of a sleepy teenager who was sure to spell their doom. Sure enough, the boy stumbled into the kitchen, obviously waking slowly as he shuffled around prepping bins of chilled fruit and vegetables. They held on to a tiny hope that maybe he would be too sleepy to notice them at all, and they may be able to make another try for the rim now that the lights were on. He would have to go out front to attend to customers, and surely he would be distracted enough with his terrifying blending machines that they would be able to make a break for it?
That hope died a fiery death as they heard the death knell of a foot slamming harshly into a cabinet leg.
âF*CK! SH*TT*NG, M*THERâ-************** ***** ******** *******â The giant swore a blue streak in the air as he hopped around, grabbing his injured toe and swearing.
Wide awake now, it was only a matter of moments before their eyes locked in his hunched over position, and the borrowers could feel their hearts drop to their toes.
This was it, the end of them. Tubbo and Ranboo had had a good run, but in the end, they were bested by the mighty confines of the impenetrable bucket. What a way to go.
The three of them just stood there for a moment, locked in mutual disbelief as they all struggled to process the situation at hand. Was this really happening? Was this really how it ended for them?
The boyâs head whipped around at a sudden jangling noise, and they realized a customer was entering the shop. For a brief moment, hope soared anew. Surely, he would leave them alone to go tend to that patron? Surely they could escape by the time he returned?
That hope, however, was quickly dashed as an enormous hand blocked out the light above them.
The boy worked quickly, and their tired minds couldnât react in time. He managed to scoop them up more deftly than either one had previously thought possible, quickly moving to deposit them into an apron pocket and buttoning the top behind them. This was it. There was no escape. There was no pretending, or sneaking, or tricking their way out of this. They had been caught, and their only choice now was to hope that the boy wouldnât want to kill or maim them as they had heard in the many many stores and warning of their fellow borrowers when they had been young in the colony.
They were so focused on their panic and imagining what came next that neither was aware of the boyâs nervously trembling voice as he took the customerâs order and dashed back to the kitchen.
They thumped gently against the giantâs chest as he came to an abrupt stop, breathing a bit heavier than they had expected. Slowly, the light filtering through the edges of the pocket was blocked out as an enormous hand came into view, slowly sliding into the fabric and scooping them into its warm palm. The two clung together for dear life as they were hoisted into the air.
It was a long moment before they could gather the courage to look up, and the ice blue eyes staring down at them with such incredible focus made them want to curl up in a ball and never come out of the walls again, but they were brave and refused to look away.
A large finger came up and gently prodded Tubbo in the side, causing him to cry out in panic. The finger paused immediately, and the eyes widened in surprise.
âLet us go!â Tubbo couldnât take it anymore and shouted up at the giant staring down at them like a couple of science experiments. He hated being afraid, hated feeling small, and even if he had to be discovered, he sure as hell wasnât going to be manhandled.
The giant wasnât expecting that and pulled back again in surprise. âYou can talk?â he said in a booming voice. The borrowers winced and a contrite look passed over his face. âSorry,â he continued, much quieter, âYou can talk?â
âObviously we can talk! And bite! Let us go!â Tubbo screamed, squirming to try and get out of Ranbooâs restraining hold. This made the giant raise an eyebrow, and the staring changed from someone making an incredible discovery to the look of someone contemplating whether or not Tubbo might be rabid. It was a look that the littlest borrower was unfortunately familiar with.
âGeeze! Sorry, sorry. Here.â He slowly reached upwards and deposited them on a shelf that was suspiciously close to one of their hidey holes. The movement knocked them down to their knees, and by the time they were dropped off on solid ground once more, the release was so unexpected that they nearly fell right back over again.
âWait, really? Just like that?â
âUh, yeah? Itâs not like Iâm gonna keep you or anything, a big man such as myself does not kidnap people.â
They stared uncertainly for a few moments, but the teen made no move to recapture them, just staring down at them in continued fascination. Eventually it became too much and they slipped away back into the walls to try and process what had just happened.
________________________________________________________________________
After that, it was a few days before the tiny people came out again, having sworn off any interaction with the larger boy. They were going to stay safe and out of sight, and not make any more contact with the strange giant. They swore.
But, well, curiosity was a powerful motivator, and it wasnât long before they found themselves sneaking out of the walls during the daytime to watch him. Fleeting moments of eye contact soon evolved into short conversations in passing as they edged out of the walls, and eventually they found themselves falling into something like friendship with the young man, even arranging a method to tell each other when they had time to meet up so they could chat for longer.
The three grew closer and closer, and as a result the borrowers grew bolder and bolder. Encouraged by their success in befriending Tommy, they began to venture out more during the day, sometimes even hanging out on the kitchen counters when the blond was the only one on shift. Their friend had long since learned how to loop the rudimentary security system so that they could hang out in the open without fear of discovery.
There were, of course, some moments of tension. Tommy was a hundred times their size, and there were moments when he moved too quickly, or laughed too loudly, or tracked them out of the corner of his eye that made them break out in a cold sweat. However, they could always see how hard he was trying to reign himself in. The giant was exceptionally careful with his tiny friends, and made sure to always let them take the lead in their interactions, never grabbing or touching them without their permission. Well, except for that one time when the manager had walked in unexpectedly, and he had swept them off the counter and into his hands. But even then, he had made sure to keep them in a loose fist behind his back, keeping them hidden and safe, and being very careful not to hurt them. He had put them down as soon as they were in the clear, and checked over them carefully, making sure he hadnât accidentally hurt them in any way.
It was because of this care and concern that the borrowers gave him their trust as quickly as they did. And if there were sometimes hints of fear flashing around the edges of an interaction, then they were all determined to get through it together as friends.
It was during one of these frequent meetings that the nightmare showed its true face.
Everything was going as it normally did, nothing to suspect that this meeting would be any different from the dozens of others they had already had. The Youngest of the group went around finishing up his closing shift duties, moving from station to station with careful efficiency, as the borrowers raced to keep up. They showed off a variety of parkour tricks and feats as they made their way from surface to surface, easily keeping up with the larger boy as he watched them in subtle awe.
They grinned to each other as their latest stunt managed to catch the boyâs attention entirely, pulling him away from the countertop he was scrubbing to watch them ascend to the top of the cabinets in a series of grappling-assisted jumps and swings. Panting, they knew that tehy should take a break after that one, but the impressed look on the tallest boyâs face just kept egging them on to further heights. They kept up their dangerous dance all the way across the kitchen, and almost made it through the entire closing routine, when suddenly Ranbooâs foot slipped. He missed his timing on a jump, and instead of landing gracefully on the opposing countertop, he suddenly plunged into a sink full of warm, soapy water.
The stunned borrower was too shocked to even try escaping for a monet, not expecting the sudden dip, but he soon regained his senses and paddled to the top of the basin. He surfaced to find Tubbo staring worriedly down at the bubbles, and Tommy hovering a hand over the surface as if to try and fish him out. Not thinking too much of it, he paddled over to his friendâs hand and settled himself in the crook of his tanned fingers.
âThanks, Tommy.â He huffed gratefully, glad that he wouldnât have to try and climb his way out of the slick sink walls, especially since he was now covered in soap. The fingers wrapped gently around him, keeping him secure without feeling claustrophobic, and he was soon deposited into a dry towel on the countertop.
âNo problem man, you okay?â
The little borrower nodded in response, too absorbed in toweling himself off to give a proper response. Thank goodness the water was warm, he didnât want to imagine how unpleasant a dip in freezing sink water would have been.
Upon making sure that their friend was indeed unharmed, the other two couldnât hold it in any longer and began cracking up into hysterical laughter. They were both bent double as Ranbooâs face flushed a bright red at the embarrassing position heâd found himself in.
âYeah, yeah, laugh it up.â He grumbled, considering shoving Tubbo into the sink as well to serve as a distraction from his own embarrassment- now that would really be funny- but as he looked over as his shorter friend, he noticed the smaller borrowerâs face growing pale. His laughter had trailed off and he was now staring up with something akin toâŠfear?
Tubbo paused in his heaving, clutching his stomach as he looked up at the giant shaking in laughter above him. Although he had been getting to know Tommy for quite some time now, he still found the differences between them hard to comprehend. The boy truly was a giant, with a fieldâs worth of golden-blond hair, and legs that seemed to stretch for miles into the air. The borrower grinned to himself at the effect he had on someone so large, causing his friend to double over and clutch his stomach as he shook with laughter. The act brought the human much closer to his tiny friends on the counter top, and Tubbo watched as the laughter continued, turning the humanâs eyes red with the effort.
Actually.
Tubboâs own laughter trailed off as he squinted at his friend. He couldâve sworn⊠but no⊠The borrower crept closer, ignoring how Ranbooâs own laughter trailed off beside him in response to his own actions, and looked closely at his human friend. It wasnât just the outer corners of his eyes turning red with strain. The once sky blue rings around the boyâs pupils were slowly being washed over by a bloody red tint.
Tubbo felt his stomach drop to his toes and a cold sweat broke out on his neck as his eyes flashed down to the boy's mouth. SUre enough, there were a pair of pearescent fangs, peeking out from behind peeled back lips. The borrowerâs mind went blank with fear, slowly backing away from the newly discovered predator, and only stopping to grab Ranbooâ arm as he crept carefully towards the hole in the wall. Tommy had noticed his departure by this point. And the raucous joy transformed into consternation as he noticed the terrified looks on his friendsâ faces. The pair of borrowers continued to back towards the wall, unable to turn away or move any faster, although their instincts screamed at them to get out of there, to run as fast as possible away from the threat, they equally couldnât bear to take their eyes off of it.
âGuys?â Tommy had fully stopped laughing now and was looking down at them in concern. He didnât know what had caused them to look so scared and his own instincts flared in response. The blond reached a hand towards them, reaching out to try and bring them closer, to protect them. This seemingly broke the spell on the two smaller boys, causing them to pelt towards the wall at full speed, leaving the human so shocked that he could do no more than gasp the empty air where they once stood. Once he gathered his bearings and finally got ahold of himself, they were gone. The human was left staring at the hole in the wall wondering where it had all gone wring.
______________________
The days that followed were best described as confusing and stressful for all of them.
Timmy was confused at first and a little hurt, but soon began berating himself. After checking to make sure nothing else in the back room could have spooked them, he realized that he hadnât been careful and must have scared them off by being so huge and loud and laughing like that. His personality had been too big for other human parents and fosters who were supposed to be prepared to handle things like that, obviously it would spook two tiny borrowers who had just gotten over being afraid of his very existence. He figured that he would leave them be for the next day or two and apologize the next time he saw them, promising that he would try and keep better control of himself from now on, especially in front of his tiny, delicate friends.
However, that plan was quickly thwarted by the fact that he didnât see them
At All.
They werenât there to greet him in the morning when he clocked in and turned on the lights. They werenât hanging out behind the appliances during the day, or hiding in the break room, or even amongst the fruits where he had first seen them.
By the third day of avoidance, Tommy was sure there was something else going on. Something else had spooked them and sent them into hiding, and whatever it was was still hanging around. For the next few days, the boy was on guard, extra vigilant against any possible threat that might have scared his small friends. He secured the knives, made sure there weren't any rodent or pest infestations in the building, and even chased off a stray cat that was hanging around the back door in case it was somehow harassing the borrowers.
However, as the week drew on, it became clear that that wasnât the case either. There was simply nothing else that could have scared off his little friends. There were no other animals, no instruments of torture, and no drastic shift in the environment that could have frightened them back into the walls for good. There was only him. He had done it again. Their bond, fragile and new as a budding flower, had been unwittingly uprooted somehow, and this time he didnât even know what he had done.
The malaise that overtook him the second week of their absence was terrible. He dreaded going into work. Tommy spent every hour of the day on eggshells, looking for any trace of the tiny people. He watched his step like he was wearing glass slippers, and was too nervous to use any of the appliances without checking them over thoroughly in case the tiny people had somehow managed to sneak their way inside the sealed blender he had just washed five minutes ago. It was ridiculous and time consuming, but any time he tried to skip it his stomach turned over on itself, sure that he was going to somehow kill one of the borrowers with a moment of carelessness.
Even worse, he was sure they hadnât left. While he never caught a direct glance at them, the constant feeling of eyes on the back of his neck gave him a near-permanent case of goosebumps. They were watching him, and he didnât know from where, or why, or why they wouldnât just come out already and talk to him. It was driving him mad.
He could feel himself getting more and more strung out as the week passed, stuck in a constant state of hyper-vigilance that was making him jumpy and paranoid about the slightest things. By the time the weekend arrived, the blond boy was ready to peel himself out of his own skin just to get some relief from the constant prickling feeling of being watched. He was seriously considering just quitting his job at the smoothie shop and looking for somewhere else to work after school. The borrowers were clearly scared of him, and him sticking around to be completely paranoid about it wasnât making anything better.
The only thing stopping him was the vague hope that he might be able to see the little guys again. Honestly, the most frustrating part was that he didnât know what had set them off in the first place. Things had seemed to be going better, they were getting close even, and then one day they just up and vanished out of nowhere?
It was a clear invitation if heâd ever seen one.
For a moment, he considered ignoring it, just moving on with his day and ignoring them as they had been ignoring him for these past weeks. As much as he hated to admit it, even to himself, the sudden isolation had hurt. Tommy didnât have many people he was close to, and suddenly being iced out for no reason for several weeks wasnât exactly good for his self esteem. If the foster system had taught him anything, it was how to protect himself, and opening himself back up to people who had already hurt him was basically number one in his list of Things I Shouldnât Be Doing.
However, there was a tiny voice in the back of his mind that crooned a different song, insisting that there was one small difference between now and every other time he had opened his heart up to danger. A very small difference, only a couple inches tall in fact. The borrowers were different from normal humans, and a part of his heart cried out that they'd be different from his other friends as well, that there must be a reason, some purpose for the past few weeks, and if he could let go of his fear of rejection, he might be able to reunite with some of the best friends heâd ever had.
Tommy Innes may be a lot of things, but he wasnât a coward.
Despite the weeks since he had gotten the last one, Tommy couldnât have forgotten the meaning of their elaborate message system if heâd tried. So, naturally, heâd finished his shift, closed up the shop, looped the security cameras, and waited in the booth on the far side of the shop. The one closest to their escape holes, he noted bitterly, slouching in place as he waited for the others to appear.
He didnât have to wait long. Only a few minutes after he sat down, he noticed a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye, and his attention snapped over to the wall. There he could see the two tiny forms emerging, staring warily up at him and pointedly keeping their backs to the wall, only moving an inch from their escape port. The reminder of their fear curdled his stomach, but he made no move to get closer or reassure them.
It was nice to see that they were still alive, but the confirmation that they had been here watching him the whole time and choosing to ignore him was a stab to the gut. He eyed their tiny forms, looking for signs of injury or illness that might have kept them away for so long. The two were a bit thinner and a bit paler than the last time he saw them, but altogether didnât look bad. Certainly there was no sign of debilitating injury on either of the two borrowers.
Half of him was glad that they were safe and unhurt, but the rest of him shrivelled a little at the idea that there was nothing keeping them from physically coming out to interact with him. That meant it had been their choice to stay away, and he still wasnât sure what he had done to frighten them off.
âWell,â he thought, squaring his shoulders and staring down at the borrowers more firmly, âIâm not getting anywhere just staring at them.â
âHey.â
The word fell limply into the dead air. The borrowers made no move to respond, just staring up at him with intense scrutiny as he continued to watch them from a distance.
Finally, the smaller of the two crept forward slightly, bringing his back off of the wall just a few inches.
âHey..â Tubboâs voice shook slightly, but Tommy pretended not to notice, knowing the borrower was doing his best to present a brave face, even if he didnât quite know why. Now was not the time for teasing, he needed answers.
âSoâŠâ If only he knew how to get them.
Luckily, there were three people in this exceptionally awkward conversation, and Ranboo was in possession of the singular brain cell at the moment.
âTommy, we have a very important question to ask you.â The taller borrower was doing a better job at concealing his fear, but the way his back remained glued to the baseboards was enough of a clue as to how he was feeling that Tommyâs insides twisted into knots. Even now he was scaring them. The anger that had been festering for the past few weeks shriveled in his chest, replaced with resignation and loneliness. What was so wrong with him that no one could stand to be near him for more than a few months?
A tiny voice broke him out of his self-loathing thoughts âTommy have you ever met a borrower before us?â
âWhat?â The out of place question was odd, but the older teen had to be going somewhere with this. âNo, you two are the first borrowers Iâve ever met. Iâm sure I told you this?â
âWeâre just making sure. One more thing, could you, um, could you smile for a second?â
Tommy blinked slowly, and thought internally that he had never felt less like smiling in his entire life, but slowly stretched his mouth into one of his close lipped brings. That was obviously not what the masked borrower was asking, however, as he shook his head roughly.
âNo, like, a big smile, with all your teeth. Please, I just need to be sure of something.â
Tommy didnât like smiling with all of his teeth, never had, for a specific reason. The one unusual thing about his outward appearance.
The blond slowly stretched his lips into a big grin, showing off his enormous, pearly white fangs.
The sight seemed to strike the other two like a bolt of lightning, and they made motions to jump back into the wall. âStop!â Tommy half lunged his way out of his seat towards them, but barely managed to catch himself in time, freezing in place as the turned to look at him.
âWhatâs going on? What have you been avoiding me? What did I do? Please, I donât know what I did wrong, but I promise Iâll fix it, just tell me!â
The sight of the two borrowers distorted and wobbled as tears welled up in his crystal blue eyes, and he felt his face practically glow red with embarrassment, but the teen refused to take it back. He just knew deep down that if he let his friends disappear now, he would never see them again, and he couldnât let that happen.
âYou really donât know do you?â
Tommy shook his head furiously, ruffling his blond curls with the force of it. With that confirmation, the tension seeped out of the smaller forms, and they turned to face him fully.
âAlright, weâre coming up, but keep your hands to yourself, okay boss man?â Tubbo began trudging over to the table, pulling out his grappling hook with Ranboo not far behind.
Normally Tommy would have put a hand down to help lift them onto the table, but today he practically sat on his fingers as he watched his smaller friends skillfully scale the table. It only took a few moments before they were settling onto the surface at a safe distance, and he smiled slightly at seeing them so close once more. Up close, he could see they were dirtier than they last were, dust caked into their hair as if they hadnât been outside the walls since the last time heâd seen them.
âOkay. So.â Tubbo thrust his hand down through the air as if punctuating the sentence physically would make it a less awkward start to a conversation. Ranboo, taking pity, put a hand on his shoulder and stepped up to the front to continue where they had left off.
âTommy, have your parents ever mentioned anything to you about borrowers?â
The blond shuffled uncomfortably in his seat. He had somehow avoided talking much about his home life to his friends, but it seemed like that was coming to an end. Hopefully they wouldn't think badly of him, given that they were also living alone without supervision.
âI donât actually remember my parents. I was orphaned when I was super young, and bounced between fosters for a while before I managed to get emancipated.â
âEmancipated?â
âIt means I live alone without adult supervision.â
The two borrowers glanced quickly at each other, sharing a significant look that made Tommyâs hair stand on end.
Ranboo recovered first, looking back up at Tommy with a look of sad understanding on his tiny face. âOkay so no one would have been able to tell you about this stuff, that makes sense.â
âWhat makes sense? Will you just tell me whatâs going on? Why are you guys so scared of me all of a sudden?â Tommy couldnât stand not knowing anymore, and his outburst caused the other two to jump slightly, not expecting the sudden loudness. They made one more moment of significant eye contact before turning back to look up at their distressed friend.
âTommy, we think youâre whatâs called a predator.â
Tommy doesnât know what that is, but it certainly didnât sound good. âWhat is that?â He questioned carefully.
âA predator is like a human, except they have red eyes, sharp fangs, and enhanced hunting instincts. Theyâre built to be stronger and faster than a normal human, they have better senses, and faster reflexes, and most importantlyâŠâ
He stared carefully up into Tommyâs eyes as he said the next part.
âThey eat borrowers.â
Tommyâs breath froze in his lungs.
No. No, no no that canât be me, thatâs not me.
Earlier he had been comparing himself to the list of traits as Tubbo spoke them, remembering every game of hide and seek he easily won, every time he thought he caught a flash of red in the mirror, every time he smiled with closed lips to hide his inhumanly large canines. He could see himself in these traits, could think of things that made him similar to the beings Tubbo described.
But he was sure he had never wanted to eat his friends. The thought had never even crossed his mind! Although, now that he was thinking about it, he couldnât help but remember that he compared the way they smelled to foods he enjoyed, and the way his eyes always locked onto their movements so quickly.
His hands shook as he drew them up to cover his face, digging his nails into the delicate flesh as he spiraled, still whispering desperate denials to himself. He remembered being thrown out of several foster homes because of being too creepy or intense for them and now heâs sure itâs because they somehow sensed that heâs a monster- not even human and they could feel it, and now his new family friends are going to be scared of him too, and theyâre right to be heâs a monster-
A feather light touch on his arm jolted him out of his spiraling thoughts, and he froze like a statue as he felt the tiny weights of his friends climb onto his arms. He only then realized he had started to hyperventilate, gasping roughly through his hands still cupped around his face, as if he could hide from the world.
The borrowers climbed his wrists and gently pulled on his fingers, carefully guiding them away from his face, and he let them manipulate the digits, terrified that he would somehow hurt them by putting up any resistance at all. He continued to sob violently into the open air, coming to terms with the fact that he was biologically totally alone and a danger to his only friends. Friends who, despite the perils of being around someone who was apparently their natural predator, were still trying to cheer him up. Tommy looked down at where they were each cupped into one hand, making sure to hold his fingers so that he wouldnât begin scratching at his face again.
They were so small. They were so weak. He could hold both of them in one hand. He could do anything to them.
He could never bear to do anything to them.
It had never before occurred to him just how fragile his friends truly were, and seeing them like this sent his mind reeling in a way that had him blinking unseeingly down at them for a few long moments, just trying to register the sensation of holding two entire tiny lives in the literal palm of his hand.
âUh, Toms?â the hesitant question broke him out of his reverie and he stared down at the tiny form of the borrower.
I swear I didn't know.
Tubbo met his eyes for a long, searching moment. Tommy wondered what he saw there, terrified that there would be a flash of red in his eyes, or some hint of his inherently malicious nature. Whatever the borrower saw, he chose not to say, simply letting himself relax back in to his friendâs warm palm.
I believe you.
âââââââââââ-
Over the next few weeks the trio threw themselves into finding out more about Tommyâs species. After the second time the giant had had a nervous breakdown at the horror stories the borrowers used to tell in their colonies, they realized that they might be better off finding a different source of information.
A few dozen Google searches later, and several propaganda pages ignored, they settled on a series of instructive YouTube videos that seemed to be aimed towards informing young predators about their needs and natures.
There were some things that matched up with the stories theyâd heard, such as the extreme sense of smell and hearing that Tommy now realized wasnât normal. However, there were an equal number of odd things that none of them were expecting.
For instance, it turned out that predators werenât simply bloodthirsty and evil, but had actual nutritional requirements that only borrowers could satisfy. Much like a Koala developed to need eucalyptus leaves, predators required a specific compound that borrowers produced on their skin. With this new information, they realized that Tommyâs pale and sallow face wasnât so much genetic as it was active malnutrition. They werenât really sure what to do with that, and Tubboâs hesitant suggestion that he could try licking them every once in a while was met with a terrified denial. Tommy was scared that he would develop a taste for borrowers if he ever got to taste one of his friends, and had silently but firmly sworn off anything that could even hint at putting them in danger like that. People lived with vitamin deficiencies all the time, he would be fine.
Another odd thing that came up was the changed anatomy. Tommy turned out to have a slight amount of tapetum lucidum when his eyes were in hunter mode, and the bloody red glowing in the darkness would definitely be showing up in the borrowersâ nightmares for the next few weeks, not that they would be telling Tommy that. He also had a few odder changes, such as not having a uvula, and growing much stronger nails than the average person. While not quite claws, he discovered that they didnât break like a normal personâs nails would even when he used them to dig into drywall and wood. Tommy refused to think on the implications of that discovery, and just satisfied himself with the thought that he now knew he could take up woodcarving without violating his building managerâs lame âno knives for dirty crime boysâ rule.
But by far, the oddest thing the channel informed him of was something called a storage stomach. Supposedly, this was a separate organ that only predators had, that branched off of his esophagus to form a separate pouch just above his diaphragm. Apparently, the organ functioned as a storage area for food in leaner times long past, and remained to this day. It didnât digest anything, but was still able to absorb liquid nutrients, and apparently was supplied with air from the lungs directly above it through some extremely large veins that ran along the walls.
This was the thing that Tommy was most skeptical about. From what the man described, it was obvious that the evolutionary purpose of such an organ would be to safely hold a borrower without hurting them for a long period of time. It was even possible to absorb some of the all important compound directly off the borrowerâs skin without hurting them! It just didnât match up with the bloodthirsty, man eating image that the borrower colonies held of predators. Clearly, if they had gone so far as to have a space inside their own anatomy to keep borrowers safe, they wouldnât be hunting and hurting them in the wild, now would they?
âWell, I mean, thereâs only one way to find out.â
âWha- Tubbo! No!â Ranboo cuffed Tubbo around the back of the head, causing the smaller borrower to clutch at his injured noggin and glare.
âGeez! I was just gonna suggest he try and eat an apple or something and see if he can find it!â The smaller borrower broke off glaring at the taller, and whipped around to look at their human friend. âDude, you should totally give it a try! Then weâll at least know if this channel is legit or not.â
âFellas I think Iâd know if I had a whole extra stomach. Like, youâd think Iâd have noticed by now if it was really there, right?â Tommy trailed off consideringly. It wasnât like he could feel his internal organs. Putting a bit more thought into it, it was entirely possible that he had a secret second stomach that heâd never noticed, simply because he hadn't known to look for it.
Tubbo enthusiastically presented the Pred with one of the apple slices from his own stack. âHere ya go big man, give it a try!â
The next few minutes were ones better left unremembered, with the smallest borrower enthusiastically trying to cram an entire apple into his friendâs mouth, the larger one trying - and failing- to reign him in, and a couple of very quick google searches about giving oneself the heimlich maneuver. Needless to say, it took several attempts to get even close to a point where the predator could attempt to feel his storage.
It was a weird feeling once he did figure it out. He definitely had to actively flex some heretofore unknown muscles in his throat, and that definitely wasnât pleasant, but once that part was over, he found that the feeling of having something resting in the long unused organ was comforting. He spent several minutes just sitting and hugging his middle as he adjusted, and when he did finally manage to let go and bring the apple back up, it was in exactly the same condition that they had last seen it in, totally unharmed.
They all just stared at it for a moment, before Tubbo blinked long and slow and visibly decided not to dwell on anything too much.
âWell, there you have it boys. Myth Busted!â
âMyth Busted? Wouldnât it be Myth Confirmed? And Tubbo you have seriously got to watch something other than the Discovery Channel.â
âYou can pry my documentaries from my cold, dead, hands Ranboob.â
The trio dissolved into bickering and silently decided to continue on with their night, leaving the subject of the apple and all of its implications to be thought of at a later date. For now, they were all safe, together, and they finally knew for sure that they had a source of information on predators they could trust.
Anything else could wait.
____________________________________________________________________________
Tommy stretched out his arm, fingers just brushing the edge of the box of frozen fruit. The chilled air of the freezer nipped at his fingers and ears as he stretched as high as he could to try and tip the box down from the top shelf, but he just couldnât reach. He grunted, barely tapping it once again, and realized that he wasnât going to be able to reach it without getting up on the very top of the ladder.
The predator sighed in exasperation, causing the two small figures riding in the pocket of his apron to giggle. Tommy could faintly hear Tubbo murmur something along the lines of âThatâs what he gets for making all those short jokes!â but obviously his ears could not hear such slander, and so he graciously did not dump the tiny upstart onto the ice cold ground of the walk-in freezer.
Instead he reconsidered his options, wondering if there was a taller step stool somewhere in the shop. He only had about an hour left in his shift, and he was pretty sure he had enough fruit to get through that, but with the recent heat wave their sales had spiked, and he didnât want to risk getting caught in a rush with no fruit left. He eventually gave up on the search for something taller to stand on, and decided that safety was for men whose middle names werenât âDanger.â
He braced himself on either side of the ladder, climbing nimbly to the top, and then carefully climbing up onto the very top, curling his knees in before standing all the way up once he was stable. To his relief he could immediately tell that this was better, and he would be able to reach the box. He just needed to stretch a little bit further!
Cold-numbed toes clumsily slid across the tiny platform as he readjusted his weight, reaching even higher. Finally, his fingers closed around the corner of the box, managing to scoot it towards the edge of the ledge, and catching it with one hand. Unfortunately, Tommy hadnât accounted for how heavy the large box of frozen fruit would be, and as he got a grip on it, his footing automatically shifted to support him better. Even more unfortunately, the stool did not shift with him. The small platform overbalanced almost immediately, and the bond found himself flailing through the air as the stool skidded away in the opposite direction.
He had one singular moment to think âOh shit!â before he braced for impact, arms coming up to protect his head as he slammed against the frozen floor, winding himself.
It took a long moment before he was able to move again, slowly recovering from the impact that had stolen his breath, and coming back to the present to register what had happened. He could feel the stinging in his back quickly being chased out by the blissfully numbing cold, and his arm ached weirdly for a reason he couldnât quite place, but there didnât seem to be any broken bones or head trauma, so he cautiously allowed himself to sit up. Immediately he registered an odd squirming over his chest and his eyes flew wide
The blond scrambled to open the pocket, peering down at his tiny friends for any injuries. Thank goodness he had landed on his back. It might have been more painful without being able to brace himself, but if he had landed any other way he might have crushed the tiny borrowers. Banishing that horrible thought from his mind, he carefully reached into his pocket and scooped them out.
âYou guys okay? Iâm so sorry!â Tommy looked down at their shocked forms, waiting eagerly for a reply to show him that they were doing alright.
âY-yeah boss man, weâre good. Just a little stunned, yeah?â Tubbo shook the remaining soreness from the impact from his limbs, then shivered, drawing them close to his chest.âLetâs get out of here, okay? Iâm pretty sure youâll be okay without the fruit, and you should probably get some ice for that monster bruise youâre about to have.â
âYeah, and you got it on work property too, you could probably sue!â Ranboo piped up, equally as eager to get out of the cold.
âYouâre completely right, big men. I could sue! In fact, I will. I will sue for 10 million pounds and finally be able to support the lavish lifestyles of my many many wives.â The teen joked, stepping around the boxes as slowly stood and walked back to the door. At some point it must have closed since the emergency overhead light was on, but he knew there was a release handle on the inside of the door.
Approaching the cold steel he yanked said handle to the side, listening for the pop sound of the seal releasing. WHat he heard instead chilled him further than the cold freezer air. The handle gave a terrible screech! noise and sheared itself off right at the joint.
Tommy stared dumbly at the detached piece of metal in his palm, not quite registering what it meant. He glanced back at the door, and then to the handle a couple of times before he really knew what had just happened, and by that time the borrowers had readjusted themselves enough to peek over his fingers and stare at the broken handle as well.
âUh. What. Did it just-â Tommyâs voice rose in confused panic as the situation rapidly dawned on him.
Tubbo was looking at the base of the handle, spotted with old rust and calcium deposits âLook a t the base there, where it broke off. I think there must be some kind of leak or drip when the door is open, and the freezing temperature and ice over the rust must have made it brittle enough to snap off.â
âDoes that mean weâre trapped in here?â Ranboo questioned, âThere arenât any vents or exits, weâll suffocate!â The little borrower began to hyperventilate at the thought, and the other was quick to grab a hold of him. Their larger fiend, meanwhile, curled into a huddle on the ground, curling around the borrowers in his hands and doing his best to preserve warmth.
âWeâll freeze to death before we suffocate.â Tubbo commented grimly, âOr, at least we will. Borrowers arenât meant for the cold, and we donât have a lot of body fat to begin with.â
The two were already starting to cool off dangerously, teeth beginning to chatter and shake as the frigid air took its toll on their small bodies. Tommy knew there was no way the freezer could be opened from the inside without the handle, and he was too scared to put them back in the pocket and use both hands to grapple with it, so he settled for using the remains of the snapped off handle to bang against the door, making as much of a racket as he could in hopes that someone would hear and open the door from the outside. Unfortunately, after ten minutes of no progress, the boy had to put the handle down. He needed both hands to try and keep his friends warm, and he knew his best hope of rescue was the shift change in an hour. Sapnap would check the freezer as he set up for his shift, and they would be saved, they just had to hold on a little longer.
Tommy said as much to the shivering borrowers cuddled up in his palm, and they looked up at him bleakly, not taking as much hope as he would have liked from the reassurance.
âT-T-Tommy, It-tâs really-y c-cold in here.â Tubboâs teeth were chattering so hard they could barely make out what he was saying, and Ranboo wasnât much better. The two borrowers were beginning to feel terrifyingly cool in his hands, and Tommy was struck with the sudden realization that if he didnât find some way to warm them up quickly, they wouldnât make it.
Tommy blinked away the rapidly cooling tears blurring his vision as he stared down at the tiny figures squirming weakly in his grasp. They had tucked themselves against the seam of his fingers, crowding to preserve their feeble warmth. Every second the freezing air stole away more and more of that vital warmth. He was beginning to shiver himself, and he knew that their thin skin wouldnât be able to protect them much longer. He had the power to help. He knew what had to be done. He just didnât know if he could bring himself to do it.
They had grown so close over the past few months, had come so far from the initial distrust, and he knew that suggesting what he was thinking of doing would ruin all of that. Their entire friendship was based on the trust that the borrowerâs held in their predator friendâs ability to control himself. They trusted that he would never give into instinct and try to eat them.
The worst part was, he was excited. He had been so sure that he would never have the chance to experience this. He knew that was a good thing, that he should be happy that he had never had to do this before, and that he had enough self control not to try and eat his friends, a tiny part of him had felt that he was missing out somehow.
Well, he thought bitterly, youâre about to get your wish. Happy now?
Tommy shook himself out of his darkening thoughts. He had to remember that he wasnât doing this for any kind of personal satisfaction, or to control some kind of craving or urge, he was just trying to protect his friends, who were growing colder by the minute
He looked back down at the tiny forms in his hands. Terrifyingly, their shivering had begun to slow, feeling less like a buzz, and more of a slow, desperate shift as they tried to keep from freezing. The blond knew he was out of time.
He carefully shifted the two of them into one hand and brought it up to his face, blowing warm air over them. The two immediately shifted towards the new source of heat before they registered where it had come from and they sat back, staring up at him in fear as they too realized what needed to be done.
âHey.â The bold murmured softly, cupping his other hand over them once more, but making sure he would be able to see their faces. They needed to be able to see that his eyes were blue, not red. He was going to do this as a friend, not some blood thirsty monster.
âI think.â He halted, swallowing. His mouth was flooded with saliva all of a sudden, even though his throat remained bone dry with nervousness. âI think thereâs something I can do to help.â
âNo.â Tubboâs voice trembled.
âTubbo-â
âNo. You- we canât, you can't ask us to-â Tubboâs breathing sped up as he grew more panicked, squirming next to Ranbooâs terrifyingly still form. âYou canât do this!â
Tommy closed his fist a little tighter around them, voice going higher as he tried not to crush them while keeping Tubbo from squirming out of his hands.
âTubbo please! Thereâs nothing else we can do. I canât keep you warm like this, and youâre already freezing to death, thereâs no way you guys are going to last another 30 minutes.â
His voice cracked as the borrower stopped fighting him, energy completely depleted.
âTubbo I canât watch you two die when thereâs something I can do to help. Please, trust me.â
His plea hung in the air in a cloud of white breath that slowly dissipated into the tense atmosphere. His stomach turned knowing that even if they did disagree he would have to do it anyway. No matter what he was going to save his friends, and if they were terrified of him or even hated him afterwards, well, at least they would be alive to do so. He sat still for a few more moments, waiting for a response.
âOkay.â The voice was quiet, terrified, but for Tommy it might as well have been the first ray of light breaking at dawn.
âOkay?â He asked, wanting to be sure.
âOkay, yeah. I trust you. Just⊠donât make me regret it big man.â
Tommy didnât waste any time. He curled his fingers around the two more tightly, squeezing them as tight as he dared in their approximation of a hug, before he lifted Tubbo to his lips. He stared down at the tiny man, someone he considered to be his best friend, and paused. Even now, knowing that this was safe and he was doing it to protect his smaller fiend, his mind rebelled against doing anything that could put him in danger.
But another breath of frozen air steeled his resolve and he opened his mouth to place the brown haired boy inside. The borrower was almost too cold for his flavor to register, something vaguely like honey coming from his icy skin, but Tommy did his best not to notice it anyway as he thoroughly coated the borrower in saliva. He paused as the boy reached the entrance to his throat, hesitating for a bare moment before a reassuring pat on his tongue gave him the courage to lean his head back and swallow.
The sensation was indescribably strange, stretching his throat pleasantly, but he was too distracted to really pay attention to it, putting all of his focus into activating the subtle muscles that switched his esophagus over to his storage. Eventually, he felt something like a release of pressure followed by a shifting sensation that set off pop rocks in his brain once more. He blinked rapidly, trying to get his thoughts back into some semblance of order, subconsciously resting a hand over where the sensation originated, and shakily asked Tubbo if he was okay and if he could hear him.
He heard a muffled affirmative call up at him through his skin, and the sensation sent him reeling again, but he fought through the dizziness long enough to get Ranboo inside his mouth. The much taller borrower was skinny as a twig, and had, terrifyingly, stopped responding sometime earlier. Tommy couldnât help but toss him around in his mouth for a minute, working warmth into those long spindly limbs as best he could before swallowing him down to join their smallest friend.
___________________________________________________________________________
The stunned Tubbo took a moment to get his bearings. He could barely believe what had just happened. Had that even really happened? Did Tommy really eat him? He could feel the writhing, blinding panic begin to rear its ugly head once more, and it was all he could do to try and keep himself from freaking out. He didnât need to be scared, he didnât need to fear for his life because he was going to be fine. Because it was Tommy, and everything around him was Tommy, and Tommy would never hurt them, even when it would be the easiest thing in the world. Tubbo remembered the gentle warmth of fingers that never squeezed too tightly. He let that warmth sooth the icy panic in his mind as the warmth of the walls around him soothed the icy stiffness of his muscles.
He jumped a little when he heard Tommyâs voice echoing around him. It wasnât just loud, it was a physical force, vibrating up from the diaphragm below him. It took a moment to decipher what he was saying. The voice sounded very different coming from all around him than it did speaking quietly at him from the outside. But eventually he mustered the strength in his shaking legs to stumble over the slick ground. He tripped over to a wall and called up that he was okay, it was safe, and just to be sure he was noticed, he punched it for good measure. The muscles around him relaxed with the confirmation, and he felt more than heard the slight sigh of relief from his best friend.
Calming down further, he found the delicious warmth lulling him into a haze. Not only was he warm, but he was now completely safe. Nothing could get to him here. The feeling wrapped around him and it was such a relief that he almost didnât notice when Ranboo dropped in beside him, sliding down the curve of the stomach to rest alongside his smaller friend. The two clung to each other, minds still recovering from the shock at the terror they had been through in the past half hour, and still coming down from the epic adrenaline rush, not to mention the hypothermic shock. The three of them had been through a lot today, but they were getting through it together. Knowing that Tommy wouldnât hurt them and fighting to let the trust win out over fear. Eventually the warmth soaking into their bones allowed them to relax, and as the terror and shock faded from their exhausted bodies they drifted into a peaceful sleep.
Tommy sat there, curled into a ball to protect his middle where he felt the two small forms of his friends resting inside. His mind was at war with itself over what he had just done. It felt incredible, he was a monster, he was protecting them, he had broken his promise-! He couldnât decide how to react and every time one of them shifted inside him he was thrown back into a state of overwhelming euphoria. His entire body felt alive, fresh like drinking water after nearly dying of thirst or winning every Olympic medal at once. His heart raced despite the cold, and his vision went fuzzy around the edges as he struggled to process the new sensation.
He was so caught up in the experience that he barely noticed the sounds of his coworker coming to relieve him, things being shifted and turned on outside the freezer.
Tommy shot to his feet, wobbling slightly as the new weight in his middle took him off balance for a moment. He took the barest moment to regather himself before racing over to the freezer door and slamming his fists against the freezing metal. He pounded against the door as hard as he could, ever conscious of the way the freezing air cooled in his lungs, chilling his core little by little.
Luckily, the door wasnât thick enough to dampen the noise, and it was only about 30 seconds of pounding on the blasted door before it whipped open, revealing the stunned and frightened face of Sapnap.
The half frozen blond immediately stumbled out of the freezing room, trembling as he made his way into the much warmer kitchen. Instantly, the warmer air sent him into a fresh round of shivering, and he took a moment just getting his bearings and trying to adjust to the outside once more. He was still too caught up in survival mode to notice much of anything going on, but he vaguely felt Sapnapâs burning hand on his shoulder, guiding him into the break room.
Tommy could sense his older friendâs worry as he buzzed around in a panic, fetching a blanket for him and frantically guiding him over to the well worn couch in the break room, urging him to lie down and warm up. The blond gratefully followed the nervous hands, happy for the guidance. He felt like his brain was made of putty. Between the pop rocks going off behind his eyes every time his friends shifted inside him and the cold draining his energy and coherence, there wasnât much left of his higher function. The only things left repeating in his mind were a constant loop of protect, protect, protect, and the instinctive need to seek warmth.
Sapnap looked down at his younger coworker in concern. There was no telling how long heâd been locked in that freezer. He was looking a little better after sitting with the blanket for a minute, but he wasnât sure how else he could help. Would a warm drink help? He had read somewhere that hypothermia victims werenât supposed to be warmed up too quickly, but would that count? What if Tommy got sick after being stuck in the cold for so long? How could he tell?
The taller brunette hesitated for a moment, dancing on his toes as he tried to figure out what to do, before he decided to play it safe and hurried to the kitchen. He returned a few moments later with a slightly warmed glass of milk, and carefully handed it to the frozen boy to sip on, noting that his fingers felt like popsicles where they touched around the cup. Those stiff fingers held the cup gently, leeching warmth from the sides and slowly returning to a more natural pinkish hue.
The blond settled deeper into the blanket wrapped around his shoulders, relaxing slightly as his chilled skin warmed up gradually. He was still covered in goosebumps and looking a little too pale to be healthy, but he could feel himself recovering, shaking off the cold-induced lethargy as the warmth of the blanket soaked into his bones. He looked down at the warm milk in his hands, relishing in the feeling but unwilling to take a sip. He wasnât sure if he was in the right state of mind to make sure it didnât end up in his storage, and he was sure that a milk bath would be a poor wakeup call for his weary friends.
Finally, the shivering subsided, and Tommy felt like his head was clear enough to make the short trip home. He stood up, briefly unsteady on his feet, but walking more confidently as he made his way out the door and past his worried friend, promising to call him when he made it home.
The muggy afternoon heat was shocking even after sitting in the relatively warmer shop, and he took a moment to adjust before making his way over to the bus stop. The rather short trip was extended from a few moments to several minutes as he found himself having to stop and catch his breath every so often. While the cold had worn off, the new sensations coming from his storage had not, and every step seemed to shift his passengers onto a new and untouched bundle of nerves that lit up like fireworks in his brain. He was slowly getting used to it, but the little spasms of the surrounding muscles felt like the worldâs weirdest case of hiccups, and sent him clutching a lamppost to catch his breath more than once.
Between the fading lethargy and the distraction, he could barely remember the bus ride home, only coming back to himself as he was walking up his apartment steps, flipping through his pockets for the keys automatically. Blinking dramatically to clear the fog from his head, he unlocked the door and stepped inside, dropping his things at the door as usual. The teen trudged over to the couch, finally used to the way the borrowers shifted inside him as he laid down on the cushioned surface, and placed a hand over his middle. He couldnât feel any difference on the outside, but he knew that his hand was placed protectively over his friends, one more shield between them and the outside world.
In the morning there would be talking, and yelling. There would be crying and accusations, there would be harsh words spoken out of fear. But it would also be short lived, and in the space that those things left, would come a deeper understanding, a greater trust, and a bond stronger than any that came before it.
But that was for the morning. For now, it was time to rest.
