Gold and dragon feathers

And crowns of flowers

On the evening after the competition's first day Tommy finds himself sprawled out over Wilbur's bed. His wings are pinned underneath his own weight but he can't muster the energy to change his position into something more comfortable.

At the other end of the room, past closed curtains, Wilbur huffs under his breath. The piglin hybrid is in an uncomfortable hotel chair, focused on the ornate mirror decorating the desk.

It's where the hybrid had been for the past ten or so minutes, messing with his hair near-obsessively.

" You look fine, big man! You don't have to be so narcissistic!"

The man in question just turns enough to give the collapsed dragon hybrid a seething look.

"What?! I'm just saying you don't have to spend the next five trillion hours pulling your hair out just so you can feel pretty when you go out for dinner"

Wilbur huffs but turns back to the mirror

"What would you know?! Besides during competition season, going out to dinner is just an invitation for everyone to take pictures of you and I don't want to look like I just got in a fight or something..."

Tommy fakes a dramatic sigh and if he hadn't already collapsed in bed he would have done so theatrically.

"Boo hoo, I'm WilBah and I am just too darn famous! I would cry about it but then my trillion and one fans would think I'm a wrongin~"

Tommy sees Wilbur fighting a fond smile and takes the win with a pleased trill. Wilbur goes to return to messing with his hair before dropping the comb with a sigh, the spiral apparently ruined by the blond's antics. He rolls his eyes as he spins the chair to face Tommy, holding his own head in his chin.

"Fine...maybe you have a point- but I still have  thirty minutes before we have to go that I need to-"

"Only thirty?.... wait, we?!"

Tommy pulls himself into a sitting position.

"Well yeah, the rest of us are taking our dragons so..."

He pulls his ears back against his head and gives Wilbur what Ranboo calls his "kicked puppy dog expression" as if the taller hybrid has any authority in the situation.

"I thought I had longer than that..."

Wilbur just shrugs, though it's not without sympathy  "

"Well, I did too back when we planned this but earlier Phil seemed convinced that we should all go.... Not just us hybrids, er, the hybrids he knows of..."

That's probably not good, Tommy has been enjoying being able to get to know his idol and give his body a break and he's honestly nervous about how hard it sounds like it's going to be over the next few days for him to steal a moment away like this. He was hoping to make the last break he and Wilbur were able to plan a long one, even if he knew Wilbur would be leaving for an hour or so in the middle of it.

Wilbur seems to easily catch onto the dragon's genuine stress, giving him a comforting smile and moving from his chair to Tommy's side.

" Hey, we still have like twenty minutes before you have to shift again, what do you want to do?"

"Want to do?"

"We don't have a lot to do in this room but I'm sure there's something.... Unless you want to go out-"

"I'm not leaving this room like this, Wil"

"Ok, ok"

Tommy feels himself relax before getting an idea that makes his expression light up.

"Actually, I have an idea!"

He gives Wilbur a smile that is immediately met with sudden suspicion.

"....what is it?"

Tommy squirms a little excitedly

"You could show me that work in progress song you were talking to Kristin about~"

Wilbur scoots along the bed away from Tommy with a chuff to display his displeasure at the idea.

"Of course you would latch onto that part of that conversation"

"What? Come on, what's the point of being a super secret dragon spy if I don't get anything from eavesdropping"

"No. It's not done yet! Besides, I shouldn't reward you for being a little crime boy."

Wilbur gives him a disappointed glance but Tommy decides to try and use the card that he knows works on Ranboo (....and himself when Ranboo or Tubbo try it). The classic show of kindness that will get you what you want. Tommy leans towards Wilbur and looks up at him with watery eyes

"But Wilbur, you said you were 'a little crime boy' a day ago and you're my idol! I just want to be like youuuu... and hear your song!"

Wilbur purses his lips but before he can hope to turn down the dragon hybrid Tommy tags on a threat.

"- I'll cry."

For a moment Wilbur just blinks at him and Tommy thinks that he's lost the battle just before the older hybrid sighs in defeat. Tommy's pitiful expression changes in an instant.

"Fine! But you're not allowed to judge!"

"I wouldn't dream of it, big man."

Tommy watches Wilbur stand up and get his guitar case with rapt attention, feeling a bit like a fusion between a gargoyle and Micheal when he sees Ranboo's tail swaying.

Wilbur takes a deep breath and Tommy leans forward excitedly.

"Ok, right now I'm calling it perfume but I might scrap it... you ready?"

"Very."

Wilbur laughs, embarrassed but flattered.

"Alright then, don't say I didn't warn you that it's not done yet"

Tommy doesn't know what he means by that as even just the first chord that plays sounds perfect to him.

But what

As Tommy leaves the building with a purr, the knowledge that he's heard a song almost no one else has (and that his puppy dog eyes are effective against his idol) overwhelms his nervousness about how busy his next couple days will be (even if just for a moment).

Wilbur let's Tommy back into the stables after checking that coast is clear before meeting Phil in front of them.

" sorry I took a second, I got an idea for my new song-"

Just as Tommy lays down a door swings open

"It's ok mate, we just got back anyway"

The riders all step through the doorway, Tubbo trotting up to him excitedly.

"Mellohi! We're going on another picnic by the beach!"

Tubbo's smile reminds Tommy that even if he's in for a rough few days it's worth it, and maybe they won't be so bad anyway. After all he's got a song in his heart and he can always just shift at night, can't he?

((Whoop! So sorry this chapter took so long. I kept having to rewrite it for some reason. )

(That being said I spedran this draft in part because of all of the recent support you guys have been giving me! Thank you so much!)

( The next chapter stuff really starts to get rolling so it might take awhile so I can write a few chapters ahead so you guys don't have to wait so long after it. Hope you enjoyed as always!))