Wilbur is a dragon, his most wellkept secret. Tommy finds out so he brings him back to his hoard in the mountains.
CW: - vore
title taken from Cold Love by Rainbow Kitten Surprise
word count: 1.7k 🐉 read it on AO3
"Let me go," Tommy spits out. Despite his aggression, there's a fearful, panicky air about him that sends pangs into Wilbur's chest.
"Toms, come on. You know me - you know I'd never hurt you." He wrestles him into the ground, easily pinning him to the dirt without having to exert real effort.
Tommy's arms shake from the effort of trying to fight him off. Wilbur is almost relaxed above him, a slight frown on his face as he easily presses the boy down. The more he tries to fight and the more he sees how futile it is, the more his hostility slips into abject terror.
"Wilbur, please." His voice cracks and he starts to go limp. He blinks back tears. "I won't tell a soul. Your secret is safe, just let me go. I'll disappear, and you'll never hear from me again."
No. No, he doesn't want that at all -
And something must show on his face too, because Tommy's eyes widen at his reaction, and he starts to writhe again, sobs building in his chest.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I don't - I didn't - "
"Hush."
He falls dead silent, tears still streaming down the sides of his face.
"You're fine," Wilbur murmurs to him, trying to imbue his words with as much love as he can. "Everything's going to be fine, okay?"
He starts to stand, pulling Tommy up with him as he goes.
He's tense in his arms, but Wilbur remains gentle.
As soon as they're both standing up, Tommy lurches away from him, but he's not fast enough.
Wilbur pulls him close, his arms still loose around Tommy. "Were you trying to catch me off guard?"
Tommy is sobbing and yelling and hitting at his chest, but he doesn't react.
"I... what are you doing? You - you know I'm much stronger than humans, sweetheart, you've got to stop fighting me."
He breaks down in his arms and tries to fall to the ground, but Wilbur catches him and holds, staring at him in puzzlement.
"How do I make this better?" He asks, almost blankly.
Tommy is still crying. "You - you ate the mayor," he whimpers. "You burned half the village to the ground. You burned the orphanage to the ground. You killed Phil and Tech - "
Wilbur swallows a lump in his throat and shoves down rising feelings of guilt. "I did what I had to do. I ate the mayor, I destroyed your village, including the orphanage. But how else could I get you?" He brushes a strand of hair from Tommy's eyes. "All that paperwork... it's easier if they think you perished in the fire. And for the record - " he conspiratorially winks at Tommy, trying to get humor him, "Phil and Techno are just fine."
He doesn't wait for a response, closing his eyes and starting to shift. He pays extra mind to Tommy's position in his arms. The change is done in seconds, and when he opens his eyes again, Tommy's just a tiny little thing lying between his clawed paws.
"Treasure," he purrs irreverently. "My little human - let's get you taken care of, yeah?"
Tommy stares up at him with wide eyes, completely frozen on the ground.
Wilbur wastes no time in leaning down and swallowing Tommy. He screams and kicks as he goes down the throat, but Wilbur's body was designed to eat live prey. Functionally speaking at least, Tommy is no different from the deer or tigers or knights he regularly eats.
He hums contentedly as Tommy settles into his brood pouch. It's padded out so he can be rough as he wants in there and it won't hurt either of them (and let it be said that he is trying very hard to hurt Wilbur).
"You're safe now, Tommy. Let's get you back to the rest of my hoard." He purrs again, a burst of delight in his chest. "I've waited so long to get you with the rest of my collection. Bit of a shame that you found out this way, but I'm a little glad too. I was going to reveal myself in a few months, but now I don't have to wait."
He spreads his wings and takes flight towards the treacherous mountains. Only the royals' finest knights could traverse the landscape, and even then, they were so tired and cold from the trip that their hands could barely grip the hilts of their swords.
He lands in the entrance and strides in. Techno and Phil sit idly on a pile of gold coins, chatting away, but as soon as their eyes land on him, they avert their gazes and seem to wilt. He's learned not to take it to heart - they've gotten better about managing their fear of him in the past few months since he added them to his hoard, and he's sure that as the years progress, all three of his humans will come around again.
He leans over Techno and Phil and opens his mouth up, finding it just the teeniest bit funny when they flinch back and start to plead with him not eat them. He brings out Tommy, letting the boy gently fall onto the two men below.
He sits back and admires them, a happy sound growing in the back of his throat.
"Finally," he says dreamily, "I have all three of you."
He shifts back into his human form and saunters up to them, ignoring how Tommy flinches backwards into Techno and Phil.
Phil pulls Tommy into his arms and starts to soothingly rub circles into his shoulder. "Wilbur, you're scaring him."
He shrugs nonchalantly. "You were scared too, in the beginning. He'll get over it soon - you all will - and then you'll be a proper part of my hoard."
Phil and Technoblade share a glance that he doesn't bother to decipher.
"Your hoard... what does that mean?" Techno asks slowly.
Wilbur grins brightly at him. "My collection! My treasure - it means you're mine now."
Tommy stares at him slack-jawed.
"Why us?" It seems like it slips out of Phil's mouth, something he says before he has a chance to apply a filter. But Wilbur doesn't mind answering.
"Techno is my twin, Tommy is my little brother, and you're my father." Those are all the human words for the familial terms, so they should understand.
Phil bites his lip. "Wil... we love you, but you can't - "
"I can do whatever I want," he cuts in, his voice edged with aggression.
Phil falls silent.
Wilbur smiles at him again. "Do you have anymore questions?"
Techno awkwardly coughs. "I hate to be the bearer of the obvious, but humans don't live as long as dragons. We're a lot less hearty, and you've stationed us on Dead Man's Hill. Because that's the name of this mountain, Wilbur - Dead Man's Hill. Are you sure you don't want to take us somewhere else?"
He feels his expression darken. "That won't be an issue. You're my hoard now. Which means your life force is tied to mine, and all three of your aging processes have stopped. If I'm to die - if - then you'll begin to age again." He turns a steely eye to Techno's. "And we will leave this mountain. But only when I know you won't try to do something silly, like leave me."
Techno nods, avoiding his eyes. "Sounds good."
"It does, doesn't it?" He agrees happily. "Now that I've taken Tommy, my collection is complete."
"Sorry - sorry, what the fuck?" Tommy chimes in, finally having found his voice.
Techno lowers his voice and says into his ear, "Wilbur is a dragon and he's keeping us now."
Tommy stares at him. "I thought you were fucking dead."
"Mm, me too," he says dryly. "But I'm not. I'm just the adopted twin brother of a dragon."
"Did you know?!" Tommy asks, sitting up and stumbling away from them.
Wilbur watches him curiously, fondly noting as he tips backward into a stack of gold coins.
"Did they know what?"
"What do you - what do you fucking think, Wilbur?!" He screeches.
Wilbur smiles, and lets himself shift again. Tommy flinches away as he approaches but he doesn't mind, picking him up in his mouth and plopping him back down next to Phil and Techno.
"They didn't know," he says soothingly, gazing down at them. He curls his tail loosely around their little group, forming a protective barrier. Or a cage.
Techno slides an arm around Tommy's shoulders. "Trust me," he murmurs, "if we had known, we never would have let you - " he cuts himself off, seeming to stiffen as his eyes nervously dart up to Wilbur. "We didn't know," he concedes.
Wilbur laughs lightly. "Can you imagine if you had? You never would have been my friend! And Phil never would have taken both of us in. I had to lie."
There's a look on Phil's face that he can't decipher. "Wilbur... I would have. Of course I would have," he says gently. His words carry weight, but the meaning behind it is unidentifiable to Wilbur.
"No," he says simply. "So it's a good thing I lied. Because the years passed and you realized how much you loved me, and now that you know I'm a dragon, you won't leave."
A sharp wave of paranoid insecurity strikes through his chest. "I don't think you'll leave," he mutters in afterthought, his tail slightly tensing around them.
Technoblade looks conflicted. "We love you for you, your being a dragon doesn't change that."
Wilbur frowns down at him, puffing a plume of smoke out. "Why are you saying that?"
"What - what do you mean?"
"We aren't leaving this mountain, Techno. I'm not that stupid."
A look of surprise crosses his face. He's a good actor, Wilbur decides. "I wasn't saying that to trick you, we do love - "
"I know you do!" Wilbur sharply cuts in. "Because I spent years bonding with you as a human. And now that you know I'm a dragon, it doesn't matter!" He gives them a smile with his large, sharp teeth. He ignores how forced it feels. He ignores how it feels like he's trying to convince himself more than them.
Phil looks at him with a pained expression. "Mate - "
"You're a little scared right now, but that's fine," he purrs, cutting him off. "We have the rest of time for you to love me like you used to. You weren't supposed to find out, but you have, and that's fine. I'll just keep you here. I'll just keep you here, and we can be a proper family."
He nuzzles the three of them with his snout, ignoring how they flinch away from him. "I love you!" he exclaims. "And you love me. So everything is fine. It's fine."
Part one at least, I have another part already a good chunk in the works and hopefully won’t take as long as this part did to come out ; - ;
(Tw for fear and panic, thoughts of dangerous scenarios)
Tommy hated camping. It was a simple fact. He didn’t like being outside, with all the bugs and he didn’t like all the physical labor that went into camping to begin with. He did, however, like Tubbo. So when his friend asked him to come with him on a camping trip, he couldn’t find it in him to say no.
He doesn’t see Tubbo too often anymore, thanks to the constant transferring of foster homes. Thankfully, the current home he was in didn’t really care about his whereabouts, which left him able to pack a bag and meet his friend at the park.
“Hey!” Tubbo happily greeted, a large backpack resting heavily on the brunette’s shoulders. “Geez, you bring enough stuff?” Tommy eyed the bag for a moment. “Yea! Got the tents, the sleeping bags, the cooking equipment,” rolling his eyes at the list, he looked around the park, trying to locate the other’s parents.
“Hey, Tubbo?” “Yeah?” He abruptly cut off his rambling. “Where’re your parents?” “Oh! They said I’m old enough to go without supervision. So it’s just us this time!” Nodding, he quickly turned off the train of thoughts that followed that both envied and worried for his friend. Old memories flickered through his mind of being on his own without being old enough to care for himself. Plus, as much as he hated to admit it, he really liked being with Tubbo’s family. It was endearing to watch them interact together, and a reminder to himself that maybe one day he’d fit into a family as close knit and kind as Tubbo’s. “Right, so same spot as usual?” “You know it! Let’s get going.”
~ ~ ~
Tommy groaned, flopping down on the hard floor of the tent. Tubbo simply laughed at him, sitting beside the blonde. “That was too much running.” “It was just uphill, Toms.” “Uphill! That’s the most difficult thing to run!” “You’ve got to get out more, boss man. I swear, one day you’re gonna need to run from a threat and it’s not gonna work out for you.” “Like it’ll ever come to that.” Tommy scoffed, turning his head away. Tubbo hummed softly, thinking of a new conversation topic.
“Y’know, I’m amazed that logs held up so long. I think that log’s been the bridge since dad started taking me here.” “You trying to jinx us or something? Don’t talk about how old the log is! What if it crumbles while we’re walking on it?” “Well, if you had good endurance it wouldn’t be an issue.” “Oh for the love of-“ he swung a hand over, attempting to hit the brunette, only for his hand to get caught and pushed back towards him. “Let’s make some food, then get some sleep. Since you’re just so exhausted.” Tubbo teased once more before slipping out of the tent, leaving Tommy scrambling to sit up and follow him, scowling at the jab.
~ ~ ~
After a short meal of canned soup and s’mores, the boys responsibly put the fire out and crawled back into the tent as the sun went down, intending on getting some sleep before having fun the next day. Or.. that was the original plan. Tubbo was sound asleep. Tommy wished he was, but his mind was as wide as his eyes, staring at the top of the tent. He was aching for something to shut his mind off, and eventually, his body found itself outside. Just a quick walk on the trail across, surely that’ll turn his brain off, right?
Of course, nothing ever went how it should have for him. Just as he made it halfway across the log, there was a loud crack that made him flinch harshly. What made him flinch harder was the sudden lurch the log gave after, and with his limited vision he was just barely able to see on the other side what had happened. The log came loose, and had begun to sink into the soft mud of the shores.
Fuck, fuck fuck!
He twisted around, finding that the log on that side had also begun to sink, leaving him slightly off balance and barely able to keep his footing on the sinking wood. There was shifting to the direction he had tried to go, and at first he didn’t pay any mind to it. But it grew deafeningly loud, and rattled the log, making it sink ever so faster. So he twisted his body to see the interruption.
And boy did he regret it.
Large- no, giant brown eyes peered at him from above the tree line. Equally brown curls covered the giant’s head, but that was all he could gather before his lungs stuttered and he was forcibly reminded to breathe. What. The. Fuck!?
Since when were giants real!?
He knew his eyes were wide and likely full of fear and disbelief, but it wasn’t just the giant that kept his veins running ice. The log sank into the soft sand once again, and he glared at the large eyes looming before him, struggling to keep his feeting on the wet log. Were he in a better state of mind, he may have noticed the concern in the eyes, but for the moment he focused on trying to lower down so he wasn’t off balance.
The log shifted again, and he fell hard with a yelp, scratching his arms up on the bark as he tried to sit back up. By the time he looked up, the log was moving again, sinking faster through the mud. His face paled when he realized the danger he was in. The river was running rampant, there would be no surviving if he got caught in the current. He was stuck in the middle of the log, and if he tried to run to either side, he’d probably fall anyway.
Then there was the giant. “Let me help you,” a voice boomed, though extremely softly. He’d come further out the tree line, and Tommy could barely see the yellow sweater the giant had. More importantly, he saw his hands twitching near the shoreline. Ice gripped his heart at the idea. It could eat him, crush him, rip him limb by limb-
The log sunk further, hitting a rock and jolting the entire fallen tree. Tommy yelped, almost slipping off the log and trying desperately to keep his tremors from messing up his grip. His mind raced with his two options. He could let the giant grab him, and do whatever may happen to him, or sink in the river.
He.. didn’t want to drown. It seemed longer than whatever the giant would do to him.. he couldn’t let himself think on it. He just had to do it.
“Help me!” He yelled back, and within the next second he was yanked away from the log with a force that disoriented him. It was suffocatingly warm, and he struggled briefly to be reexposed to the cool night air. After being raised up a few more seconds, something that made Tommy’s stomach drop, he was granted that wish. Unfortunately, his new sight made his stomach drop worse and his heart to hammer painfully against his ribs. He was closer to the giant’s face than before, cradled gently in his open palm. One hand was hovering slightly behind him, ready to grab him at a moment’s notice.
‘Probably doesn’t wanna lose his snack,’ he thought bitterly. “Are you alright?” The voice was soft again despite rattling through his bones, and Tommy was reminded once more of the immense danger he was in. “I’m fine. Thanks for the save, can I be let down now though?” His tongue felt slightly numb, and internally he cursed how stuttered and wrong his words came out. “Oh! Yea, I forgot humans don’t really like being held. Here,” the giant slowly lowered his hand to the ground, giving Tommy the ability to jump off.
Finally, he felt the ability to breathe return to him, and he took a moment to recollect the air he’d lost from the scare. “Are you alright? You’re not hurt, are you?” Again, the giant asked. “Uh, no. I’m good, big man.” “That’s a relief. I thought the log would last a lot longer than it did.” The giant frowned, and Tommy was quick to take a step back.
“Yea..” his attention was back on Tommy in no time, though. “I’m Wilbur, by the way.” Should he really tell the giant his name? He didn’t give it much thought, sure either scenario that would play out would result in him not caring much about the giant knowing. “Tommy.” “It’s nice to meet you, though I’d much rather it be in better circumstances. Speaking of..” There was concern in his eyes again. “Why are you out so late at night? Even the campers stay in their tents.” “Yea, I uh.. couldn’t sleep. Wanted to take a walk to clear my head. You saw how well that went.” He grimaced, looking towards the river.
“Is your tent on the other side? I can carry you over there.” “You’re gonna get in the river?” “I’m going to have to anyway, I have to fix the log. It’s no trouble, really.” The giant was quick to reassure, and honestly it should have made the blonde more wary, but it didn’t. A hand was offered for him to climb on- hah, climb on. Maybe he was just dreaming this all up- and with the sudden crash from adrenaline at that thought, he took it.
“You’re not camping by yourself, are you? You’re awfully young, where are your parents?” He frowned at the question, averting his eyes away from the giant. “I ain’t that young, I’m a big man. we’re old enough that they said we could come camping by ourselves. My friend’s over there.” Should he have really told this giant he had a friend nearby!? “Oh.” The man didn’t falter, but there was a strange emotion behind his actions. “That’s fine..” he nodded, seemingly to himself. “Getting ready to move, steady yourself.”
Tommy took a breath, pressing his hand against the palm under him in an attempt to keep himself in place as the hand slowly began to rise under him. It stayed as steady as the giant could manage, even as they began to rise and step through the foliage.
He looked up, catching the wrinkle of distaste on the giant's face. His stomach flipped, but before he could question it, they moved again, this time a huge step which he realized was them crossing the river.
“Not a fan of getting my clothes wet. It’s all I have to sleep in.” Wilbur sheepishly explained, carefully lowering himself down to the ground. “The campground should be close by.” His voice softened greatly as he was slowly lowered from the giant’s chest towards the forest floor. Sure enough, as his feet hit the ground, he could see their tent, the smoke from the fire having finally snuffed out.
He nodded to himself, lowering himself the rest of the way out of the giant’s hand, and tried not to flinch as the hand retreated. “Well, hopefully your night goes a little better.” “Yea, uh, back at you.” Tommy nodded to the brunette, who smiled and began retreating across the river again. But he was still unable to shake the feeling of being watched, and quickly made his way to the tent, hoping the next crash of adrenaline would knock him out.
As his brain finally let him drift off, he could hear the world moving around him, but.. it seemed unnatural. As if things were bigger than they should have been. He chose to leave it alone.
~ ~ ~
The last thing Wilbur wanted to hear was the loud cracking sound of the log pulling away from its anchor in the shore, and a small yelp. Curled up in the cave he normally hid in, he snapped to attention quickly, pulling himself out and quickly rising to his full height. It didn’t take him long to race to the pathway, worried about the safety of whoever had made that yelp.
He was a giant. Well, a giant shifter. He was already mentally preparing how to help this human as he finally came into view of them, but his mind completely halted when he took in the boys features. Not fully obvious from his standpoint, but enough; dirty, tangled hair and super baggy clothes. Most of the humans that came through here wore.. better clothes, at least better shoes than the raggedy sneakers the kid seemed to have on. Catching his eyes, he couldn’t see anything but fear, riling his instincts up secretly. But.. no. He couldn’t. He couldn’t destroy this kid’s trust, he needed to help him. It took longer than he hoped as the log continued sinking, and he was afraid he would have to grab the teen against his will, but he was given the okay and Wilbur was fast to pull him out of the risky situation.
Holding him in his hand, close to his face, he couldn’t deny it. This boy wasn’t being cared for. Multiple scars littered what he could see of his arms and legs, most looking like running into trouble be it nature or people. His clothes were a lot baggier than Wilbur would have liked, especially from first glance. The boy’s eyes, while still bright, had an achingly familiar dullness to them.
Phil needs to know about this.
He kept his introduction short, and helped ‘Tommy’ back to the side of the river he was meant to be on, with a ‘friend’. After that was done, and he no longer saw or heard the boy walking away, he tried to focus on his next task. The log was gone, so they would definitely need a new way to traverse the river. Thankfully, he knew just the tree to use.
An already dead one, the roots long and curled around anything it could. Wilbur took care this time to wrap the roots around the roots of the closest tree to shore, packing it down with clay and mud to hopefully make it stick this time. He’d have to leave the other side to the humans, if he went over there now he’d wake the poor boy he just sent to bed. Nodding to himself after finishing what he could, he made his way back to the cave he was residing in.
Curling back up in the cave, he found that those dulled sapphire eyes did not leave his mind. He sighed, knowing he was in for a long night.
Not only that, but Phil would be in for a long morning, when he could finally shrink back down to human size.
The village Tommy grew up in was located in a beast's territory, a man eating serpent's. Isolated from the world, all he's ever known is loneliness. When he's forced outside the safety of the town walls he meets a stranger who claims to live beyond the village. They become fast friends despite the fact that the man is clearly hiding something - but can you really blame Tommy? He's never had a friend before.
CW for entire fic: - Wilbur eats people lol - swearing
title taken from 'Shameful Company' by Rainbow Kitten Surprise
inspired by the talented @beckyu and her story 'My Monster to Slay' (tumblr) (AO3)
word count: 4.7k 🐍 read it on AO3
Tommy takes a deep breath. “HEY ASSHOLE,” he calls out, “COME FUCK ME UP, CUNT!”
He inhales sharply, blood rushing in his ears. Something moves in his periphery and he spins to the left, trembling hands holding out the piece of shit sword the village had strapped him with.
Pounding feet behind him - he turns, expecting to be greeted by a gaping maw or axe to the brain, but once again there’s nothing. It takes him a moment to realize that he hadn’t heard footsteps, just his own racing heart.
He tightens his grip on the sword and yells out, “I’M NOT SCARED - ” only to break off, swallowing and blinking back tears. “I’m not scared of you,” he finishes in a whimper.
He breathes in, closing his eyes. He straightens his spine and places a hand over his diaphragm, intent on forcing his damn lungs to work.
Instead he just bursts into tears - man, fuck those breathing exercises, that shit doesn’t work -
“Hello?!” someone calls out suddenly. Tommy snaps his head up and swings the sword around wildly, still ugly crying. Vision blurry, he loses his balance immediately and goes down, falling onto what he desperately hopes isn’t shit.
He miserably stumbles to his feet, pathetic like a wet cat, only to catch his toes under a partially uncovered tree root. A wail starts in the back of his throat as the Earth grows closer and closer to his face and he braces for impact.
Hands catch around his waist. “Hey, come on now - I've got you, I've got you…”
He’s righted onto his feet, and he can make out a figure behind him, supporting his weight. “There you go kid, you’re doing fine…” A gentle hand comes and tugs at the hilt in Tommy’s weak grasp. He lets the stranger tug the sword away. A soft clatter lets him know that they’ve dropped it behind them.
A firm hand rests on his shoulder, and over a period of minutes, he slowly starts to come down from the adrenaline rush.
Head lowered, he shamefully scrubs at his blotchy face with the back of his sleeve. He steps away from the person behind him and he can hear them shifting out of his personal space. Good.
He faces them and his eyes dart up and down, quickly taking in the appearance of the stranger - a plainly dressed white man - before lowering to the ground again.
“My apologies sir,” he says as nonchalantly as possible, “were you sent here too?”
“Sent?” the man inquires, shifting his weight from foot to foot. “Sent by who?”
Tommy schools his face into a neutral expression. “The village…?” he responds, uncertainly. Bitterness climbs the back of his throat. “To ‘slay the snake,’” he clarifies lowly, a mocking lilt creeping into his tone.
The man stills, tensing slightly.
Shit. Tommy hadn’t considered that this guy might be a council worshiping kiss-ass.
“What do you mean?” he asks slowly.
Tommy unconsciously backs away. Carefully, as if the speed of his words could determine his fate, he says, “I meant no disrespect. I humbly apologize.”
The man tilts his head. “Sorry - what? Were you sent here to kill something?”
Tommy nods, avoiding eye contact. “The serpent of the forest.”
There’s a tense beat.
“You… intend to slay the serpent with that sword?” He incredulously motions behind him and Tommy winces in embarrassment.
“Hey man - I didn’t choose this. Obviously I’m fucked, you don’t have to rub it in.”
The man blinks and for a moment Tommy thinks he’ll finally snap. Instead he exasperatedly says, “Look kid, you keep talking like I have context for why you’re here, but I assure you I don’t. Start from the beginning and maybe I can help your sorry ass out.”
Tommy makes a face at him. “Fuck off dude, I don’t need your help - ” he turns away and marches off, “we’ll both be dead in a few hours anyway. And I don’t intend on spending the rest of my life arguing with - !”
The man catches him around the elbow. “Mate seriously, what the hell are you talking about?”
Tommy twists his arm out of the guy’s grasp with a scowl. He points a finger out past the man. “You see the gigantic ass wall out there?” He nods. “I’m from the village behind it. It’s a tiny little town and everyone there is a dipshit, but we can’t exactly leave ‘cause the motherfucker who set up shop in the first place did so in a basilisk's territory - we are in the basilisk's territory. Do you understand the words I am saying?”
The man tilts his head and furrows his brows in nothing more than mild confusion. “But… if it’s so dangerous out here, then why come out at all?”
“You think I want to be here?!” Tommy shouts, bursting into hysterics and breathing hard with wide eyes.
The man motions at his chest, signalling him to breathe before saying plainly, “Honestly, I really can’t think of another reason, no.”
Tommy presses the palms of his hands into his eyes. “For the past two decades the council has sent out volunteer champions to kill the serpent. A few years ago, I guess it finally sunk in - the thing’s unkillable, and we’re just feeding the local wildlife with our local idiots.”
The man cuts in with an almost guilty air, “Hey - you don’t know that, maybe they managed to get away?”
Tommy shoots him an unimpressed glance. “Uh huh,” he agrees sarcastically, “look, the point is: no one’s volunteering anymore. The head of council is this one pompous asshole - he’s calling it a ‘village tradition.’ A village tradition, can you believe that? - a village tradition where we sacrifice people to the monster in the woods fully knowing they’ll just - ”
“Easy now.” The man rubs his shoulder sympathetically. He clears his throat. “Out of curiosity, how many people sent in before you were volunteers?”
Tommy shrugs dispassionately. “All of them - I’m the first tribute,” he spits.
“Were - were they good people?”
Tommy gesticulates vaguely. “Look man, I don’t know and I don’t really care - only four people in my lifetime have volunteered at all, and from what I remember they were the kinda guys you wouldn’t let near a girl’s drink. How is that relevant, exactly - ?”
The man instantly shrugs and sways away. He’s definitely hiding something, but at the moment Tommy doesn't really give a shit, he just wants to stop wasting time.
Deflecting, the man responds, “If it makes you feel better, I doubt the monster’s gonna eat you - ”
Tommy bursts out in agitation, “And how would you know?! You’re just some guy who… who…” he trails off and glares at the ground, a small pit of worried confusion working itself into his stomach. “Dude, who the fuck are you?”
The stranger’s lips quirk up for a brief moment - possibly a trick of the light - and he says simply, “I live here.” He shrugs. “My name is Wilbur.”
Tommy stares at him, looking for any sign of a lie. He’s… he’s definitely telling the truth.
“How?”
“How what?”
“How are you alive right now?”
The man - Wilbur, apparent forest dwelling hermit - pauses a moment. Tommy can almost hear the gears turning in his head. “Hm. Uh, I’ve lived here for a while and - ”
Before he can stop himself, Tommy cuts in, “Did you see Jared die?”
“Was… was he the last volunteer?” Wilbur asks uneasily.
Tommy winces. “… Yeah. Don’t feel too bad about it though - he was a bit of a prick.” At Wilbur’s questioning glance, he continues awkwardly, “uh - he was a self proclaimed ‘clumsy guy,’ meaning he had a bad habit of accidentally bumping into people’s vital organs with sharp weapons.”
Wilbur grunts in acknowledgment, seemingly lost in thought. Finally he says, “Yeah, that does make me feel better about it, actually,” he meets Tommy’s eyes, searching for something. “It was a messy death,” he confesses.
“Oh.”
“Yeah.” There was a pause. “Are you particularly upset he died…?”
“Not… not really. I kinda assumed since he never came around again,” Tommy said in an attempted joking tone. “And anyway, the world is probably a better place now that he’s gone, as fucked as it is to say.”
Wilbur nods, and tension seems to fall from his shoulders. He adds after a moment, “He stabbed the serpent a few times. Then it… ate him."
Tommy looks up in surprise. “Do you think it might have died?”
That shifty look crosses his face again. “Anything’s possible, I suppose,” he says slowly, “but either way, the fact that we’re talking right now is proof that you don’t have anything to fear from the creature.”
Tommy searches his posture and thinks over his words. It’s not dead; Wilbur knows it’s not dead, but he doesn’t want to divulge what happened to it. On the other hand, he was telling the truth in the last part: he believes that Tommy is safe. It’s still not great, but at this point things are already ten times better than two minutes ago when he thought he was snake food. Tommy mulls over his options.
Wilbur breaks him from his thoughts. “Would they let you back in if you never get eaten?”
Tommy nods vacantly. “I’m allowed to return to the village at seven AM tomorrow, but I’m not sure what I’ll do in the meantime and - well, no offense man, but I don’t really trust that the serpent isn’t still around.”
“Can I offer you shelter? I have clothes and other human amenities you could use while you wait out the hours.” He freezes as he realizes what he said, but Tommy is still lost in thought and doesn’t pick up on his misstep.
He accepts. “That would be great, thank you for helping me out.”
Wilbur gives him a wide, dimpled smile. “Of course. I appreciate the company.”
Tommy smiles in return. “Yeah… I think you’re the nicest person I’ve ever met,” he tries to laugh it off but a hint of vulnerability slides into his voice - the years get lonely living ostracized in a claustrophobic, walled up town with a fucking cult in charge. He clears his throat. “I’m Tommy, by the way.”
“Tommy,” Wilbur says, smile somehow growing wider, “it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
~
Wilbur is a weird guy. Tommy’s tried to ask after his hobbies, his family, how he ended up here and why he chose to stay if one of the first things he ever saw was some dude getting devoured by a giant snake - the usual icebreaker things, but he just clams up. Nonetheless, Tommy finds he trusts him anyway. He’s open and funny, and truthfully, Wilbur’s complete inability to tell a lie has been reassuring.
He’s obviously a criminal of some sort. It makes Tommy a little wary, but mostly he doesn't mind the possibility. His entire life he’s been confined to the same couple kilometers with the same couple hundred assholes, and Wilbur is the first person he’s ever met who looks at him like he’s not worthless.
His home is strange as well. When he’d led him to a little opening at the base of a stone cliff, Tommy had thought he’d been fucking around. But past the entrance was a furnished cave, with a running stream and flowery vines dangling from the high ceiling. A small wooden door stands at the rear end of the cave, innocuous. He probably wouldn’t have noticed it at all if not for Wilbur sharply telling him to stay out of there. Maybe it’s a murder den. Tommy finds it hard to care.
He’s snapped from his thoughts as Wilbur brings over two steaming mugs of tea. Tommy gratefully takes his, accepting the offered sugar as well.
He takes a sip, ignoring the slight burn in his mouth. “So why do you live in a rock?”
Wilbur bursts into laughter. “Forward innit? I don’t know, I like my privacy, I like my safety. Hard to be found in here. By wildlife or people.”
He nods contemplatively. “You wanna be alone?”
Wilbur stirs his tea idly. “I don’t think anyone wants to live in isolation. But sometimes it’s what’s best for everyone.”
“That’s bullshit,” Tommy says, frowning. “I don’t like my village at all - if I had to choose between staying there or living alone the rest of my life, I can’t say I’d stick around.”
He hums. “But what if you had an option to live with other people and be happy?”
Tommy snorts derisively. “Then I’d choose it - wouldn’t you? But you and I aren’t exactly in positions to make choices like that.”
“No,” Wilbur agrees, “no, I suppose we’re not.”
They settle into a comfortable silence, sipping tea and enjoying the other’s company.
After a moment, Wilbur hesitantly asks, “You really don’t like the village, huh?”
Tommy gives Wilbur a pointed glance.
He chuckles. “I see your point.” He’s quiet a moment. And then he says, “But honestly, if it came between being alone or living with someone - even if they hated me, mistreated me…" he sinks into thought, staring sightlessly into the opposing cave wall, "even if they were terrified of me - I don't think I can stand being alone much longer."
Tommy becomes uncomfortably aware of how far he sits from the entrance. In an attempt to lighten the mood, he jokes, “But if they hated you so much, wouldn’t they just leave?”
Wilbur doesn’t laugh, that faraway look still in his eyes. “I think I’d make them stay.”
They fall back into silence. This time with tension.
Wilbur sighs and offers Tommy a smile. “More tea? Or some food… dinner would be nice.”
Tommy smiles gratefully. “Yes, thank you.”
Wilbur nods, in a cheerful mood again, and takes Tommy’s mug back to prepare more tea. “I think I’m low on meat - I’ll head out for a while and be back in a bit, alright? I think it’ll be around an hour until we’ll eat, sorry about that.”
Tommy shrugs. “I’m just glad I ran into you and not the serpent,” he quips.
Wilbur laughs uncomfortably. “Mm… yeah.” He hurries away with their mugs.
Tommy frowns. Strange guy. He shrugs it off. Isolation does funny things to people.
~
“Tommy?” A hand comes and shakes gently at his shoulder. “Tommy, it’s six.”
He blinks blearily. Wilbur hovers above him.
“Ugh, holy fuck, my mouth is so dry,” Tommy grumbles, sitting up. Wilbur presses a cup of water into his hands.
“Did you sleep alright?”
“Definitely not enough, but that’s fine… I’ll sleep at the village.” He and Wilbur had stayed up talking, only stopping when Tommy was physically unable to keep his eyes open.
Wilbur grins at him guiltily. “Yeah, that’s my bad, I didn’t realize how late it was getting.”
Tommy offers him a lopsided smile. “If I had wanted to sleep I would have just passed out then and there. You would have had to drag my limp body to a bed.”
He laughs. “Noted.”
Wilbur offers a hand out and Tommy takes it. He pulls him up with surprising ease and Tommy almost stumbles.
“We have enough time to eat breakfast, and then I’ll walk you to the clearing.” Something must catch in Wilbur’s throat because he clears it, and continues in a slightly strained voice, “Let’s get you home, mate.”
“Yeah,” Tommy agrees. He tries not to let his disappointment show. They need to part ways: Wilbur has his weird crime cave and Tommy has his weird cult village.
Wilbur collects the same two mugs they used last night, cleaned since then with fresh tea leaves, and begins to pour boiling water from a pot.
They eat breakfast in relative silence, a lack of sleep preventing Tommy from being much for conversation. They finish and Tommy insists on helping Wilbur clean their plates, saying it’ll go quicker with two pairs of hands. They spend more time joking around then really cleaning. They’re dawdling, and Tommy knows it.
At seven fifteen they’re finally ready to go.
“How long will the walk be?” Tommy asks as casually as he can.
Wilbur’s smile seems to fade. “A little over thirty minutes.”
“Right, right,” Tommy acknowledges, slowly lacing up his shoes.
They walk together to the entrance of the cave and Wilbur helps Tommy clamber out and into the shining sun.
“Do you have everything?”
“Yeah.”
Wilbur hesitates. “Are you ready to go?”
Tommy smiles mournfully. “Of course,” he lies. “Thank you for helping me out.”
He grins. “No problem. If you ever find yourself stuck outside the walls again, all you need to do is hyperventilate really loudly and I’ll - ”
“Okay, okay, I get it, you can shut the fuck up about it now,” Tommy cuts in, much to the amusement of Wilbur.
“But seriously,” he turns to Tommy with unexpected sobriety, “if you’re ever out here again come back here. The serpent won’t hurt you, but there’s still plenty of nasty shit in this forest.”
Tommy nods.
They start to trek back.
“Wilbur - ” Tommy cuts himself off, but he turns to face him with a questioning look anyway. “How did you survive out here for so long? How did you survive when Jared was being eaten?”
Wilbur shakes his head and makes to turn away. “It’s a complicated thing.”
“Please?” Tommy asks.
Maybe there’s something in his voice, some unknown quality that gives Wilbur pause. He refocuses on Tommy with an appraising look. He begins placatingly, “Tommy, listen - ”
“Oh come on - how bad would it be to tell me the truth?”
Wilbur breaks eye contact and lets out a nervous huff of laughter.
Tommy whines in exasperation. “Then tell me a version of the truth?”
Wilbur sighs, resigned, and Tommy perks up. “A version of the truth? - Alright. Fine, uh - ” He visibly contemplates for a moment before looking back at Tommy. Carefully, he says, “Everything in these woods eats humans. I survived because…” he trails off, thinking over his words.
Tommy rolls his eyes. “’Cause you eat humans too,” he supplies sarcastically.
Wilbur bursts into laughter. “Oh yeah, no, this was a mistake,” he says through choked laughs. “I’m not telling you anything, sorry mate.”
“Wilbur,” Tommy groans. “Please? Sue a guy for being curious - y’know, the more you hide the truth from me the more I’m gonna ask!”
Wilbur’s laughter begins to trail off as a somber look crosses his face. “Yeah. I suppose that’s true.” He’s quiet a second. “Tommy… Can I - can I tell you when you’re older?”
Tommy blinks. “I doubt we’re gonna know each other for much longer - I mean - I’m going back to the village right now.”
“Exactly.” Wilbur gives him a small smile. “If, by some miracle, we know each other for an extended period of time, I will tell you my deep dark secrets.”
Tommy scowls. “You really don’t want to tell me now?”
“Honestly, I don't think you want to know.”
“That’s a cop out and you know it - ”
“It doesn’t make it less true, Tommy.” Wilbur sighs, all traces of mirth gone. “Let’s just get to the clearing, yeah? I imagine you miss being home.”
He doesn’t. He really, really doesn’t.
But they drop it anyway, and they keep walking.
~
Dream, as expected, isn’t happy to see him. “Tommy!” he cries out, the most forced and deranged smile on his face. “You’re alive!”
“Ah, yeah,” he confirms.
The nearest villagers have gathered around the gate and gawk at him in a semi circle formation, Dream at the forefront.
“Did you slay the serpent? Where is your sword?”
“Um… funny story, actually, I think the serpent’s gone?”
Murmurings start up in the crowd. “Gone?” Dream questions, “What do you mean gone?”
Tommy clears his throat, preparing to recount the events of the previous day. But his words get stuck in his throat - didn’t Wilbur say he wanted to remain hidden? Granted, this isolated village certainly couldn’t do much about it if they knew of him but… speaking of him still feels like a betrayal. “I - uh - I really don’t know, okay? I waited for the creature but it never showed up.”
A flicker of a scowl crosses Dream’s features. “Are you sure it didn’t find you?”
There's an unsettling quality to his voice. The crowd goes silent.
“If it had, don’t you think I’d be soaking in stomach acid right now?” He fires back. Then he nods with a faux embarrassed look, as if remembering something he’d forgotten - "Of course not - you’d never send out villagers assuming they’d perish, would you?”
Dream is silent, an unreadable look on his face. Tommy meets his eyes and refuses to look away. “If the serpent is gone, then I suppose you won’t mind going out again tomorrow.” He gestures to Tommy’s empty hands. “And as you seem to lack respect for village equipment, then you will leave this place without a sword, either.”
Dream turns on his heel and stalks away. “We’re pleased to have you back in one piece, Tommy.”
~
Tommy sighs. “Here we go again,” he mumbles. He takes a deep breath. “WILBUUUR!” he screams. “WILBUR, I PISSED OFF THE HEAD OF COUNCIL AGAAAAIN. PLEASE HELP ME. I DON’T WANT TO DIE OUT HERE.”
He waits a few seconds after yelling, waiting to hear something on the wind. He hears branches rustling behind him and across the clearing, a pair of glowing eyes peers at him from the darkness.
Shit. What was it that Wilbur said? ‘Everything in these woods eats humans.’
Tommy starts running in the direction of the cave.
He gets maybe half a kilometer just booking it before tripping and falling on his face. Agony shoots up his foot. “Motherfucker,” he moans painfully, “what the fuck?”
“Tommy?”
He looks up and his face breaks out in a grin despite the pain. “Wilbur, holy shit - did you hear me yelling?”
Wilbur smiles at him. “Well I’m here now, aren’t I?” He snorts, rolling his eyes. “Really - I think the whole forest heard you.”
Tommy winces sheepishly. “Yeah actually - uh - that’s why I was running. Speaking of, we should get going because I think I might have - ”
A roar sounds from behind him and Wilbur’s smile drops. “Bloody hell, Tommy, what did you do?”
“I screamed, we just discussed this, dude let’s just fucking - ”
Wilbur grabs him by the elbow and they run, but pain shoots up his foot everytime he presses weight on it.
Without warning, Wilbur leans down and scoops him up. Tommy yelps out but Wilbur pays no mind, simply sprinting at inhumanly fast speeds before depositing him on the cool Earth.
“Listen to me,” he says, remarkably calm, “stay right here. I’ll be back in like. Five to ten minutes, okay?”
“What?”
“Um - okay - split the difference? Call it seven minutes thirty seconds - ”
“What?!”
Wilbur offers him a cheeky smile. “Just don’t worry about it too much, alright? I’ll be back, I promise.”
And with that, he turns tail and runs - but not back to his cave, no - he goes in the direction of the scary monster thing that had just chased Tommy through the fucking woods for a solid half kilometer. He wants to follow, to see what Wilbur’s doing, to try and help how he can, but when he tries to stand up, he stumbles from pain. Even if he wasn’t working with a twisted ankle, there’s no way he could keep up. He collapses onto the ground.
“You better pull a fucking miracle out of your ass right now,” he murmurs to the wind, tucking his knees into his chest. “Please.”
The passing minutes feel like hours and it about drives Tommy insane. He struggles to his feet and starts to make his way back. He contemplates shouting - maybe if he could distract the beast then Wilbur could run - ? Or something like that.
He gets about a few meters before Wilbur appears some distance away in the trees. His figure perks up and he starts jogging over to meet him.
“Tommy? Why are you up?”
“Ah well - you know, good cardio?”
Wilbur grins. “Aw… were you worried about me?”
“I’d literally pay money to see you get mauled by a… whatever that thing was - if I knew my safety was guaranteed.”
Wilbur snorts. “Yeah, yeah, yeah… glad we’re on the same page.” He loops an arm around Tommy and supports his weight. “Let’s just get back home.”
In spite of himself, Tommy smiles.
~
Tommy sits with his leg propped on a stool and a warm mug of tea pressed in his hands. Wilbur stands at his ankle, carefully wrapping it up in clean leaves and fabric.
“You are a disaster waiting to happen, Tommy Innit.”
He smiles crookedly. “Glass houses, cave boy. Tell me all about how messy I am - or don’t, really. Haven’t you heard? I’m the biggest man ever.”
Wilbur chuckles. “Uh huh. Is that why you fucked up your ankle so badly after running and crying out for my aid?”
“I literally have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Wilbur keeps working, an endeared smile on his face as he gently prepares the brace.
“Thank you.” Tommy says quietly.
He glances up and gives him a gentle look. “For helping you? It’s nothing.”
“It’s really not, though. I mean, to me at least - I don’t know, maybe you make it a habit of fixing up whatever lost idiot you find in your vicinity - ” Wilbur lets out a quiet laugh, “ - but you saved my life, so thanks.”
Wilbur finishes up, picking up his own mug and taking a few idle sips. “You’re good company,” he answers kindly.
Tommy shakes his head. “Trust me, you’re the the only one who thinks that…” He doesn't mean anything by it, it's just a throwaway comment. But when he meets Wilbur’s gaze, he's met with pity.
“Who told you that?”
Tommy shrugs nonchalantly. “I’m not well liked where I’m from.”
“Aw Tommy, I’m sure that’s not true - ”
“It is,” he cuts in sharply. He clears his throat and shoots an apologetic glance at Wilbur. “It really is, I’m sorry for snapping.”
Wilbur’s quiet for a moment. “Why don’t the villagers like you?” Oh boy…
Tommy shrugs. “I can’t contribute much. No family either, head of council had them killed when I was younger. He would have gone after me too, but there’s a strict policy against executing children. I was pretty much untouchable - well,” he pauses and makes a face, “legally at least. But anyone who was too nice to me would suddenly find the council breathing down their necks. And people learn quick when you hold everything over their head.” He swishes his tea around, watching the dredges at the bottom.
Wilbur hesitantly moves a little closer. “You’re still a kid though, aren’t you?”
Tommy gives him a look. “I’m a man - ” he starts to quip.
“But aren’t you like - fifteen? Sixteen?” he continues in that same, worried tone.
Tommy falls silent.
“So this is his workaround - sending you out here," Then he adds quietly under his breath, "to me." In a normal volume, he asks, “so… what? - is he just gonna keep sending people out here? The ones he doesn’t like?”
Tommy shrugs, but nods. “I assume so.”
Wilbur suddenly pulls him in for a hug. The sensation is like a shock to his system, he can’t remember the last time someone held him - fuck - even touched him affectionately at all. They stay embraced for a few seconds before Wilbur pulls away with a hardened look, hands still on his shoulders. “As long as I’m alive, this forest will be a safe haven for you.”
He barely nods, holding back tears. “Thanks Wil…”
Wilbur’s face softens. “I mean it,” he smiles teasingly. “No matter how many times you get thrown out on your ass, I will come and dust you off.”
Tommy playfully smacks him and Wilbur laughs.
He's suddenly struck with a thought - “Man, how did you deal with that animal thing by the way?”
“Ah, you know.” Wilbur pauses, seeming to weigh potential responses. “I ate it.”
“Uh huh. Keep your secrets, I’ll figure you out eventually.”
Wilbur laughs, but there’s an air of fear in it too. Tommy just smiles.
~ ~ ~
it was only a matter of time until i remade my fanfic tumblr lol
The village Tommy grew up in was located in a beast's territory, a man eating serpent's. Isolated from the world, all he's ever known is loneliness. When he's forced outside the safety of the town walls he meets a stranger who claims to live beyond the village. They become fast friends despite the fact that the man is clearly hiding something - but can you really blame Tommy? He's never had a friend before.
CW for entire fic: - Wilbur eats people lol - swearing title taken from 'Shameful Company' by Rainbow Kitten Surprise
chapter title taken from 'Lady Lie' by Rainbow Kitten Surprise inspired by the talented @beckyu and her story 'My Monster to Slay' (tumblr) (AO3)
also!! big thanks to beckyu for beta reading ty tyty
word count: 3.3k 🐍 read it on AO3
After reviewing his latest case and agreeing to take it on, Phil immediately flew to Technoblade’s lair for counsel. He hadn’t expected his son to be thrilled with the assignment given the target, but he’ll admit he was surprised when Technoblade had been adamantly against it.
He regarded Phil with an unimpressed, half lidded look. “Do you need to be put on suicide watch?”
Phil snorted lightly, but Technoblade sharply continued, “I could keep you here as long as I wanted. You know I’ve been looking for an excuse.”
Unfortunately, it was true. Being part of a dragon’s hoard had drawbacks, though for Phil’s sake Techno promised he'd make an effort to treat him as his own person. Nonetheless, Phil wasn’t blind to the fact that he regarded the whole thing as a courtesy he entertained despite it bothering him. Technoblade wanted true possession, and it was only love that prevented this.
None the wiser to Phil’s discomfort, Technoblade sat up, yawning and stretching before shifting into his other form. Through the clearing rosy smoke, he sauntered forward. He was around ten feet tall and with a hint of approval, Phil noted how healthy he looked. His muscular frame was padded out, and it was clear he was taking better care of himself since the last time they’d been together. He wore royal silks and lovely gold chains, and a priceless crown sat lopsided in his hair.
Phil knew without asking that it was real. Dragons tended against social hierarchies and leaderships, hence why so many attacked human kingdoms. Perhaps it was wrong, but he couldn’t help but to feel pride at the idea. He always worried that by raising Technoblade he had ripped him away from his heritage, but knowing that he’d been out raiding monarchs and filling up his hoard with their treasures was all the proof Phil needed that his child was turning out okay. He was satisfied with this, though with a slight turn of unease he had to wonder if there were any bounties out on Technoblade’s head. He quickly dismissed it as parental fussiness - his son was a dragon for heavens’ sake, there was nothing to worry about. And if there was, he could only hope that Technoblade wouldn’t be too stubborn to reach out for help.
He was snapped from his thoughts as Technoblade came to a stop before him. At his son’s request, Phil had been sitting on fancy cushion, a purple velvety thing, that had been set at the base of a mound of golden knick knacks. With Techno bearing down at him and a wall of gold at his back, he couldn’t help but to feel slightly caged in.
Exasperatedly, Techno began, “Are you stupid? Nagas are notoriously territorial and possessive, damn near as bad as dragons are, and if what you said about this one is true, then - ”
“ - then it’s especially dangerous and the stakes are even higher, I know,” Phil cuts in, “but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s just a kid. He needs help Tech, you know I have to do this.”
He huffed and smoke rose from his nose in a clear sign of agitation. “He’s torturing people - I don’t think he wants the kind of help you’re looking to provide.”
Phil resisted the urge to respond that the same case had been made to him about Technoblade years prior, and instead gently responded, “Even if he doesn’t want my help, it’s what he needs. And in any case, that should be irrelevant - if I’m equipped with the tears of a selkie, I should be fine.”
Technoblade shrugged in an affected show of nonchalance. “And if I don’t give you the tears?”
Phil gave him a look. “I’m going regardless. Unless you literally plan on keeping me with the rest of your hoard, you can’t stop me from doing this.”
He visibly clenched his jaw, but other than that his expression was stoic. Phil knew him well enough to know that he was sincerely considering holding him there, but he also trusted him enough to hope that he wouldn’t.
He leaned down and easily picked his father up in bridal style. Phil felt a lurch in his stomach as he was lifted, but he remained quiet, letting Techno fuss. He let himself be carried further into the hoard until Technoblade stopped and gently set him down on a decadent throne.
He took the crown from his head and idly slid it onto his father’s. “I don’t want a pissing match with a naga, Phil.”
“I won’t put you into that position.”
“But you are. Right now. Don’t ask me to let you go.”
Phil took one of Technoblade’s huge hands gave a few comforting squeezes as best he could. “I’m sorry.”
Technoblade’s face remained neutral.
“I have Chat.”
“I know.”
“And I’ll keep in contact, just as I always have.”
Technoblade pulled his hand away, and turned, stalking off.
Phil opened his mouth to say something, maybe to apologize or continue reassurances, but before he could start Technoblade had snapped open a chest and was rifling through it. He pulled something out and stared down at it, hesitation practically coming off of him in waves.
“If you’re doing this, I want more letters.”
Phil nodded, relief overcoming him. It was as much a blessing as he’d receive. “Once a week.”
“Once a week at minimum,” Technoblade corrected.
Phil laughed softly. “At minimum,” he agreed.
Techno came forward again, still looking bothered. “And if you don’t, I’m flying out there myself.”
He heard the warning in his voice. Dragons were a vengeful breed. If anything happened to Phil, the fallout would be brutal. He’d have to handle himself carefully around the naga, not just for his own sake, but for the kid’s as well.
Technoblade pushed an intricately carved flask into Phil’s hands. He turned it over, inspecting the design. A crying human lay across a moonlit beach, gazing longingly into the ocean at their reflection - an image of a seal. The tears.
Phil gave Technoblade a grateful smile. He didn’t return it.
~
The naga was a sorry state. He was thin and tired looking. His face lacked the sweet plump of youth and his hollow cheeks only exaggerated the purple bags under his eyes.
He would lie on the ground with a blank expression, breathing and blinking and sometimes shifting into a more comfortable position, but anything more laborious than that seemed near painful. Simply moving from one place to another took a massive toll on him and by extension, hunting was a struggle he only managed about once a day. He was constantly exhausted. If sleep came at all, it never came quietly. He’d always wake up writhing and screaming. The several minutes after were no better, for even as he sat up and cried into his hands he still seemed hazy and disconnected from anything around him.
It goes without saying it all broke Phil’s heart. He couldn’t imagine this child being capable of the violence he’d been sent to deal with and he started to doubt the claims. Perhaps there a miscommunication. Or this was a bounty he’d been hired on out of a discriminatory bias against nagas - it surely wouldn’t be the first time.
Desperate to see the best in someone so pitiful, he ruminated on these thoughts.
~
When he’d first arrived, Phil had noticed the community right away. It was smaller than a town but bigger than a village and surrounded by imposing walls on all sides. There was a single, highly reinforced gate, and judging by the fine layer of dust on the pulley system, the civilization was as isolated as it was sleepy. He dismissed it as irrelevant to his case and concluded that contact might be dangerous for all parties.
On the fifth day, a man exited the walls.
Phil watched, cloaked in a perception spell and a slight turn of dread in his belly. He took to the sky. Nearly half a kilometer away, he spied the naga slithering closer, eyes blown wide but otherwise expressionless.
Indecision suspended Phil.
Not only had he not collected enough information, but the antidote was still brewing. If he exposed himself, the village would demand an explanation and he’d sour his first impression with the naga.
But he knew what he had to do. He had to head back immediately and get the man out of there, cut off any risk for deadly contact. Play it safe. Give his cover away, messily insert himself into the middle and deal with the consequences after danger was averted.
…
He stayed where he was. He watched the naga moving closer and closer until he was creeping underneath where Phil hung in the sky, until he was past that and at the clearing.
He just couldn’t bring himself to turn back. The boy wasn’t exactly the picture of strength or cruelty that Phil had expected from the case details, and the reality of the situation became blurred through the days that he’d watched him.
Nonetheless, the choice to remain an observer would haunt Phil.
He flew back and landed in a tree bordering the clearing. The man stood in the center, decked out in iron armor with a heavy looking sword to match. Phil eyed him incredulously, his gaze sliding over to where the naga stalked from the shadows. The creature he saw there was nothing like the boy he’d become accustomed to in the past few days. There was a hungry look on his face, his body tense and signs of exhaustion nowhere in his demeanor. He was a big thing. Despite his frailty, he was still the most powerful creature in the forest. This man was delusional if he thought he stood a chance in a sincere stand off.
Doubt began to creep into Phil’s mind, but he clung to his resolve, his hope that the boy would show mercy. He kept an eye trained on the naga.
In a booming voice, the man announced, “Serpent! Present yourself! I, the great and brave Jared, have come to slay you. You have terrorized the people of my village for long enough, and on behalf of the council, I am here to unshackle our home from your control. Come out and face me like man!”
Phil cringed.
The naga started to move from the trees into the clearing. It must have been a terrifying sight for human eyes - the silent figure appearing from nowhere with a grim scowl and a tail that seemed to stretch on and on without end. He crept towards Jared, a mirthless smile plastered on his face.
“You wanted to see me so badly, are you not satisfied I’m here?”
With an unexpected cockiness, Jared fired back, “I’m absolutely delighted actually - I have you exactly where I want.” Quick as a lighting, he withdrew a potion dangling from a thread around his neck and downed it. A confident, punchable grin was the last thing Phil saw of him before Jared completely faded from view. An invisibility potion.
A horrified look crossed the naga’s face, but before he could properly react, he suddenly flinched and yelped out in pain, grabbing at a spot in his tail. Panic rising in his chest, Phil caught sight of a terrible wound that had begun to gush blood.
The naga’s hands were shaking as he pushed hard into his tail, blood leaking through the gaps between his fingers.
“A needle - it’s like having a needle stabbed all the way through your arm,” he gritted out. “Hurts like a bitch and your little pot trick was… neat. But really, if that’s all the harm you can do to me, I’m afraid we’re still unmatched.”
Still invisible and somewhere near his left, Jared let out a cackle. “Are you sure about that?”
The naga’s face contorted in rage and he swept his tail across the clearing in an attempt to knock him down.
“Beast!” Jared shouted, this time from behind, and before the naga could turn to face him, Phil watched as fresh points of blood appeared in the boy’s lower back. With each one, an awful scream and flinch.
He fell forward onto his hands, and suddenly the hilt of a sword - still lodged in his body - seemed to appear from thin air. Jared must have let go in surprise, so then the potions’ effects couldn’t have reached the weapon anymore.
The naga rose up from the ground, hand coming up to pull the damned thing from his back. With a squelch and whimper, he dislodged the little thing. A look of disgust and contempt on his face, he lay it flat against his middle and index finger and bent the blade down between them using his thumb. It curved like a paperclip until it couldn’t handle the tension anymore, and snapped into pieces with a metallic crunch. He discarded what remained.
There was a murderous look in his eyes when he raised his head and scanned the clearing. “What? No laughter? No insult? Haven’t you got anything to say for yourself?”
There were a few painful beats of silence where the naga waited, stretching himself out and running a hand along his back to feel the oozing blood.
“I can smell you, you disgusting little thing. I know you’re here, I know you haven’t run off. How long will that potion last? You should’ve fled when I was dealing with your toothpick. It’s a shame really - now you won’t get the chance.”
In the blink of an eye, he’d circled the perimeter of the clearing with his tail. It was a spacious, loop of a cage that Jared couldn’t escape from.
Phil inhaled sharply. He couldn’t stop this. He couldn’t stop this, could he? Oh fuck… He’d - he’d really fucked up. Fuck. Fuck.
The naga started to tighten the circle, coiling the perimeter smaller and smaller with contemptuous glee. “Not so brave now, are you? I can smell your fear. Like I could smell your arrogance when you came and your joy when you stabbed me.” He let out a vindictive scoff. “Fuck you.”
Phil’s heart pounded in his chest and he took flight, circling the clearing from above, still protected by the perception spell. He needed to intervene. He was stupid and short-sighted to have stayed out of the mess, and he was sorry. He was so fucking sorry. If Jared died, his blood would stain Phil’s hands.
The naga was almost lazy as he tightened his coils. He was enjoying it, enjoying the terror. Phil wanted to scream at himself for ever thinking that this - this fucking monster was anything other than a beast.
Suddenly there was a faint popping sound and Jared stood, dumbstruck and terrified in the center of the clearing and as far from the coils as he could manage. The potion had worn off.
The naga smiled wickedly down at him. “Found you.”
The end of his tail shot forward and he wrapped the man up, squeezing just enough to elicit pained noises but not enough to kill him. “You’ve been a real pain in my ass today. Normally I kill my prey before I eat, but for you? Hah… I think I’ve earned an exception.”
Without so much as a blink, he tossed the screaming man into his mouth. He shut it with a click and swallowed, faint cries still emanating from inside him.
Fuck. Fuck.
Phil turned away and flew. He raced to his cave and when he finally got there, he crash landed through the entrance, landing in a spilled heap on the floor.
He didn’t save Jared. He didn’t save Jared and he could’ve. He should’ve.
The naga was a sadist. Why was he surprised? He’d been warned over and over again - just because he was young didn’t mean much at all and he was so stupid for thinking -
Oh gosh, Jared -
Technoblade had warned him and he still didn’t listen, for fuck’s sake, what was he even doing there?
His mind flashed back to when he’d seen the naga approaching and had weighed the pros and cons of flying back to Jared or leaving the two to work it out on their own. He’d been riding on what - hope? Hope that stood in defiance of everything he’d been told. Right, right - that was fucking bullshit. Jared’s death was his fault.
He’d been hired to slay the serpent. Not rehabilitate him or save him, but slay him. It should have been him fighting the serpent, not that poor idiot. How many people had warned him? Why had he ignored the warnings?
He passed out on the floor.
~
Phil had been sitting on the ground and staring at a wall for the better part of an hour, wrestling with regret and horror when something smacked him in the face. He yelped and flinched backward, losing his balance and falling in a rather undignified manner.
There was a squawk of laughter and Phil sighed, feeling his heart start to slow and his jumpy fear be replaced by irritation. He eyed one of Chat from the floor, and suppressing the urge to yell, he gave the bird a meaningful look. It cooed apologetically.
He sighed, sitting up and rubbing a spot on his back that was bound to start bruising soon. “It’s fine… How’s Tech doing?”
The bird ruffled its feathers and loudly cawed.
Phil gave it a look of sympathy. “I guess I figured.”
He held a hand out and the bird obediently flew to his fingers. He carried it to his makeshift desk and rifled around until he found a portion of dried meat and seed. Chat gratefully dug in, and he thumbed its head affectionately before retrieving the small envelope it had used as a projectile weapon.
He sat at his desk, his companion’s soft eating the only background noise, and pushed a knife through the top of the envelope.
Phil,
I hope you’re well.
I gave thought to you and your mission and I wanted to you to know
About the naga, I
1. more letters
2. message reg. naga
Thank you for your last letter. I’m glad you
I regret
I was jealous
I think that
Phil,
Nagas aren't
pleasantries?
no that's stupid
Phil,
Bring him home. You were right that he’s a kid and deserves a second chance.
I’m glad we’re allies. It made my life better, and he deserves this as much as I
Perhaps I was too quick in my judgment. He and I have a lot in common and it wouldn’t be right if
Send me word back. Quickly. And often.
Take care of yourself.
- Technoblade
He read the page a few times, small curls of amusement and affection in his chest despite the circumstance.
“Chat?”
The bird cawed in response, if not a little absentmindedly as it was still digging into its meal.
“You grabbed the draft.”
Chat momentarily stopped eating, hopping over and cocking its head down at the letter. It made soft purring noises and Phil chuckled in agreement.
“He’s kind of… silly, sometimes.” He stroked the bird’s head, sinking into thought and occasionally rereading a few lines of Tech’s letter.
He didn’t know what to make of it.
He closed his eyes. He saw Jared.
“He and I have a lot in common…”
Did they? Technoblade would have never -
…
But he had. Many times.
Guiltily, Phil thought back to when he’d first broached the subject to Technoblade. How he’d thought to himself that the two really were quite similar despite his son’s protests.
But that was just on paper, a part of him insisted. It was easy to say that the two were similar when he didn’t have any real reference for the naga.
And now he did! And he could say that he was wrong.
...
No…
It still didn’t sit right with him.
He grunted, pressing the palms of his hands into his eyes.
Chat cooed worriedly and he gave it a reassuring scratch. “I’m alright. I just - ” He cut himself off. “I have a lot to think about.”
