Might As Well Be Dead

Chapter 8

Dream walked down the tunnel to the base with a nervous feeling. He knew that they probably got here before he did. They had a whole day start on him, and with the extra night, that Dream had to make a shelter for, he knew that any hope of Tommy still being at their base was slim. He still had hopes that Tommy stalled long enough for Dream to get there and save him.

He knew that wasn't likely though, and the thought of Tommy being with one of those kidnappers had Dream slowly grow in anger instead of nervousness. Opening the hidden door he hoped to see Tommy rush out of one of the rooms and hug him and quietly tell Dream he missed him, but nothing came. That's when he knew he was gone.

Sadness filled him, fists balling as he gritted his teeth in the process. He didn't want to face the truth though, not yet at least. He started looking everywhere for Tommy, every hiding place, every room, even his own, and once he checked every corner of the house he finally let logic take hold.

Someone had taken Tommy, Tommy was out there alone without him. He slid his mask off of his face as he looked around the base. It was quiet, something that Dream and Tommy used to enjoy, but now it just felt like an empty home with all joy loss.

He'd have to make a new compass to find Tommy, since they probably had his old one still. He'd get Tommy back though, and once he did he'd take Tommy far away from here, somewhere where Dream and Tommy truly can be by themselves with no threats to their life.

Two Day Later. . .

Micheal sat in the entrance of the living room, Staring at the white-haired male sitting by the window, curled up in a chair as his scared eyes looked out into the flurry before him. He still didn't believe that this was his uncle Tommy, the one that dad had told him he would call 'mommy' because he didn't know how to say his name properly yet.

He had a few memories of uncle Tommy, of his sunshine hair and bright smile he'd always shine down at Micheal. This before The piglin was not his uncle, but a hollow shell of what was. He looked tired, but not physically tired. He looked mentally tired, ready to give up at any moment and let mother nature take her course.

It was depressing to see the once fun uncle to be so sad, curled up in a chair with cloudy scared eyes staring out into a snow storm. Micheal clutched the book he held in his hands tighter. It was a picture book, but one that Micheal had always cherished. He started walking forwards and finally his uncle Tommy heard the five-year-old, eyes looking towards the child nearing him.

Micheal noticed how the white-haired male's eyes softened at the sight of him, his arms uncurling around his legs as he finally sat in his chair normally. But uncle Tommy's arms were wide open, like he was asking the piglin to crawl into them. Micheal happily obliged to his silent request, crawling into the young adult's lap letting his once happy uncle's arms wrap securely around him.

Micheal opened his book to the first page, eyes flickering towards uncle Tommy to see his slightly softened eyes looking back out his window. "The Sun and the Moon were gods from the beginning of the world, forming along with the god of life and death. They were the very definition of yin and yang, keeping the balance within the world." Uncle Tommy's eyes shined with recognition, and as Micheal kept reading, letting his own mind wander as he mindlessly read the pages.

One Year Ago. . .

"The Sun and Moon fell in love with one another, always trying to steal glances at one another through the few hours both rested in the sky. But eventually, either the Sun or the Moon would have to leave, making both feeling empty and sad." Uncle Tommy's voice was soft as he read, blue eyes running across the pages as Micheal leaned against the other, his own brown irises trying to learn some of the words.

"One day, the god of the living, XD, noticed the two gods' sadness. He felt pity for them and formed bodies for the two gods to inhabit themselves." Uncle Tommy's arm pulled the sleepy-looking piglin closer, a soft smile being placed onto his lips by his lazy eyes.

"'Please, Moon and Sun, take these bodies and finally meet one another.' And they did, finally meeting one another without the huge gap between them." Micheal looked up towards his uncle, seeing his eyes cloudy as if he was in another place as he read. "They kept said bodies the life god gifted them, meeting every full moon." Micheal's eyes finally closed just as the book did.

Present. . .

Micheal paused, brown eyes looking towards his uncle Tommy as his scarred hands went to hold the picture book in Micheal's hands. "Do you remember this book, Uncle Tommy?" His voice was quiet, almost scared he'd make his uncle feel the same emotion. His uncle nodded, eyes skimming over the pages, taking in the pictures as he flipped through. Micheal smiled. "You used to read it to me every time you came to stay the night, remember? After dinner, you'd tuck me in bed and pull out this book." Tommy looked like he was stuck in the past, eyes foggy as the younger one talked.

After a long pause, the piglin said one last thing. "I miss you reading me this story- I miss you, uncle Tommy." The white-haired male looked back at the child, a small smile forming on his lips as he wrapped the boy in a hug. Micheal couldn't help the tears falling from his own eyes, teeth biting into his bottom lip to stop himself from sobbing in sadness.

"I missed you too." His voice was raggedy, quiet even, but Micheal heard it, burying his face into his uncle's neck as he finally let himself cry. It was the first thing he'd heard his uncle say to him since he had come home- the first thing he'd heard from his uncle in a year. He had missed him, he had wanted him back just as much as his father had. And now seeing his uncle like this, it made the piglin depressed. But he was back now, he and his father could help his hurt uncle. He had his uncle back and now everything was fine.

= * = * =

Tubbo opened his house door to silence, a normal occurrence for the Beloved family now. He took his coat off, kicking his boots off next, and made his way into the kitchen to make himself some coffee. While making coffee he paused, looking towards the hallway that led farther into the house and blinked.

Usually, when he came home Micheal would pop out of the hallway and into the kitchen to greet him and force the father to play a board game. It was odd the little piglin wasn't there, staring at him ready to demand they play Monopoly or Sorry.

When he clicked the brew button on the coffee maker he walked down the hallway. He stuck his head into the living room and paused, green eyes widening by the scene before him. In the chair in the corner sat Tommy and Micheal, Tommy's arms protectively wrapped around the child as the boy himself leaned into the older male.

Both were asleep, Tommy's head laying against the head lest of the chair, and Micheal using Tommy's chest as a pillow. Tubbo couldn't help the happy and relieved smile that formed on his lips. It seemed Tommy was finally relaxing. At least, he hoped Tommy was.