You Can Buy My Silence

by emparsona

Summary:

Tommy hasn't spoken for 437 days and counting. Not even the faerie magic that bound him so helplessly to the eldest of the faerie princes of the Winter Court, could coax words from his delicate vocal cords.

Notes:

I continue to write as a way of providing an outlet and a form of comfort for myself and other members of the community. I am not writing to purposefully make any one uncomfortable. If you find something in any of my works that makes you uncomfortable, I urge you to not continue to read my fic.

I put in a lot of time and energy to make sure I am not breaking any boundaries of the creators included in my works or the communities surrounding them. I put a lot of time and energy into writing these stories for you (the reader's) enjoyment. It boils down to the fact that I am writing about the characters on the dsmp and only the characters. Fictional characters.

If you don't agree with something I am doing, don't read it.

On that note,

Rest in peace Technoblade. You did so much for me and my brother's lives and I am forever grateful.

Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Tommy hated Faerie.

When Wilbur had taken him away it was under the condition that he was to never stop loving him and caring for him.

After a few short hours Tommy began to realize that he was not going home to the perfect, loving family that he was told about.

Tommy was a pet, an object of infatuation, and a prize to the royals of the Winter court. And he was never going to escape it.

Maybe it was the thin metal chain adorned with their signature emerald that was fixed above his collar bone, or the way Wilbur insisted on petting his hair, or the way he was ordered to sit down or shut up. Maybe it was the completely new and tailored specifically for him, wardrobe, or the way he was expected to sleep in Wilbur’s bed.

They were almost training him to be the perfect little lap dog.

It was humiliating.

After a few difficult months of trying to adjust and settle into a routine, Tommy continued to slip up. He constantly angered the prince and his brother. He never knew when to stop or where the line sat. That of course got him into tricky situation after tricky situation.

The most recent slip up had landed him locked into a dark room by himself.

Tommy would never admit it to anyone but he was clingy, desperate for attention and care. He was used to the neglect but had grown since, addicted to Wilbur's love. It was so freely given, all he had to do was ask nicely.

He wasn't sure how long he had spent banging on the door and crying out for Wilbur, Techno, anyone. Sometime through the darkness, a voice swore to him that he would regain his voice when he was ready, and there began the boy’s silence. A silence that would last for a very long time.

A gentle hand dusted along his cheek and wiped away a few of the tears that fell from his dull eyes. Too soon, the hand pulled away and Tommy was by himself again.

Ten days later, Tommy had still not spoken a word.

Ten days ago Tommy had failed, again, to hold his tongue and Wilbur was angry at him. Tommy had not spoken a word since and Wilbur was angry at him

On day seventy-eight, Tommy had not made a sound.

This morning Wilbur had tried, once again, to command Tommy to speak.

“Theseus tell me what is wrong.” He yelled out impatiently.

His true name fell from the prince’s lips and a shiver pressed down his spine. No sound came. Tommy opened his mouth willing the words to come, but his vocal cords would not respond to the call, he sat there gaping like a fish, and Wilbur grew angry.

A sharp smack sounded and Tommy fell to the floor soundlessly, the yelp caught in his throat. His cheek stung and he blinked back tears as he rested his temple on the cold marble floor.

Wilbur was yelling and Tommy covered his head and cowered, unable to reason with the cold prince.

One hundred and twenty-three days, Tommy had not yet spoken.

Techno lay on the bed next to his limp body. Tommy had been pulled to the general’s chest, his face pressed to the General’s ribs as a hand, frozen to the touch, gently wove itself through Tommy’s thick blonde curls.Tommy was too tired to resist. He closed his eyes and let the sensation wash over him. Shiver running across his skin from the icy fingers.

Two hundred and ninety-nine days, Tommy was silent.

He stayed in the eldest prince’s private quarters. It was becoming rare that someone would visit him. The princes are much too busy to sit next to him and whisper sweet nothings in his ear, or talk aimlessly about the events of court, or read to him.

Three hundred and sixty-five days, Tommy did not speak.

A full year spent mourning his freedom, his voice, and his life without the cruel fae that call themselves his brothers, yet treat him like a glorified lap dog. A trophy with a ribbon tied around his neck, to be shown off to the world.

It made Tommy feel hopeless. The days blended together and he found himself not moving from his place in Wilbur or Techno’s bed. He wasn’t eating, sleeping, at times he wondered if he was even breathing. A deep chill had woven itself into his core and it would not budge.

Four hundred and thirty-seven days, Tommy had not muttered a word, not that he was counting.

But the royal family of the Winter court was.

Wilbur had grown frustrated enough with the inability to make Tommy speak, that he had stopped paying him much mind. The quick witted remarks that had drawn him to the boy were long lost in stormy blue-gray eyes. Clouded from their once vibrant blue.

‘What good is a broken toy in the hands of a destructive child?’ Tommy thought to himself.

The answer is simple. A broken toy is no good. It serves no use to a child that expects the finest, best polished and intricate toys to toss around carelessly and break. Especially since Tommy was no such thing. He was far from perfect.

Tommy was an impatient, loud, ill-mannered child that never knew when to stop. It caused those he cared for to continuously abandon him in hopes to gain a more peaceful life. Three months Wilbur tried to train and teach those flaws out of Tommy. The boy always slipped up, messed up, or did something wrong.

He thought of his old village friends, those he had left behind when he gave the charming, cunning prince, Wilbur, his true name .It was foolish. A child’s longing for a family. At just 15 years old, he was a pet of the Fae. He not only had attracted the attention of one of the cruelest princes in Faerie, but gained the interest of the most powerful fae in Faerie.

Flawed. That was what he was.

He had spent eighteen months in Faerie. Each day full of its own exhausting torment. But after just three months under Wilbur’s care, he realized just as much. Nothing would be good enough for the prince.

His first day of silence was the aftereffects of being locked in a dark room as punishment for talking back. He had worn his voice raw with apologies and promises. Tommy had screamed and cried for someone, anyone to let him out.

Eventually he lost his voice, and it was yet to return.

When he had left the room a day later, he couldn’t speak. Tommy could not make a single noise beyond a simple huff of air. He wondered if he had hallucinated the voice in a moment of pure desperation and loneliness. The touch of a hand not actually there, the presence stealing the one thing he had of himself. He couldn't speak, he couldn’t sing, he couldn’t laugh. The world around him was dull and quiet. He was slowly giving up.

The days that the princes were not content allowing him to waste away in their rooms, he was dragged around with them. He would sit next to them as they sat upon the beautiful thrones of ice, walk with them in the garden, sit in the library, the music room, the dining room.

Always silent, always listening.

His favorite place to be was the throne room. It was full of intricate decor that stole his attention as Wilbur sat Tommy on his lap and played with his hair.

Tommy would watch the light reflect from the icicle chandelier, or the ice sculptures that were way too realistic to not have once been living breathing people. He would watch the people entering for an audience with the King. Anything and everything but Wilbur.

It made the prince mad, sure. But more than anything it made him jealous, and if Wilbur was jealous, that meant he would spend more alone time with Tommy.

Notes:

I read every single comment. Trust me I hold the good ones near and dear to my heart.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope I can make your day a little better, as you make mine better.

If you want to talk to me/ask questions/help me decide some things about the storyline, or just see some of my day to day thoughts...

Interact with my twt: emparsona
<3<3

Chapter 2: Chapter 2

Notes:

I continue to write as a way of providing an outlet and a form of comfort for myself and other members of the community. I am not writing to purposefully make any one uncomfortable. If you find something in any of my works that makes you uncomfortable, I urge you to not continue to read my fic.

I put in a lot of time and energy to make sure I am not breaking any boundaries of the creators included in my works or the communities surrounding them. I put a lot of time and energy into writing these stories for you (the reader's) enjoyment. It boils down to the fact that I am writing about the characters on the dream smp and only the characters. Fictional characters.

If you don't agree with something I am doing, don't read it.

On that note,

Rest in peace Technoblade. You did so much for me and my brother's lives and I am forever grateful.

Most days Tommy would sit with the royal family in the expansive throne room. Phil of course was in the Middle, his throne was grand. As a king’s throne should be. Prince Alexander, or Techno, was on his right, and Wilbur was to the left. The twin’s thrones were still breathtakingly beautiful, but not quite in the way that Phil’s was.

Tommy would frequently sit on the floor at Wilbur’s feet, sometimes in the prince’s lap or the arm of his seat. Leaning over to whisper somthing , about whatever he felt necessary. Wilbur spoke about the person seeking an audience, court events , court members. Sometimes he scolded Tommy or fixed part of his outfit that Wilbur had picked for him.

Tommy tried and failed to not seek out the comfort of Wilbur’s touch, leaning into the pats or pokes he received.

Most of the folk and conversations were pushed to the back of Tommy’s focus. He desperately tried to remember the feeling of grass, the taste of his grandmother’s apple crisp, the sound of the birds at dawn. He tried to hold onto his home, his family and his friends.

He would disappear to the memory of a meadow that hid away in his mind. Revisiting the wildflowers and the spider that always crawled into his hand. He named it Shroud. The way life was before it all went wrong,

In a few months Tommy will turn 17.

He wondered if his mom would light his favorite candle and make pancakes as she has done for years.

Unlikely. She hated him. Both his parents had wanted him gone before he had even met Wilbur.

Bittersweet memories of laughing by a fireplace, singing stupid songs with his mom while dancing around the kitchen. Or his father holding him up as he let little Tommy swing a hammer at a nail on the wall.

His family had grown far less happy over the years. They were neglectful at best, abusive at worst.

He lived with it, lived through it. He had come to terms with his situation, and then he found Wilbur.

Playful, kind, gentle Wilbur.

He hated how naive he had been.

Now he was a pet, an object. He had no voice, no control. He didn’t even have the energy to play along. He was content to rot in the large quarters of the prince. Happy to waste away. Lay in bed until he was nothing but bones.

Ignoring warnings, throwing caution to the wind.

Most days he was left to himself. But some days, like today, he was pulled from the massive bed and comfortable sheets. Tommy was dressed in an outfit of pale blue and gold. His hair was brushed and the necklace locked around his neck, shifted back into its proper place.

He was led to the throne room by his “personal guard”, more like the person who insured he wouldn’t do anything rash, where he’d met Wilbur.

Tommy was again led to sit at the foot of Wilbur’s throne. He tentatively sat, taking in his surroundings. His brain felt mushy and sleep still pushed his eyes closed as he fended off a yawn.

Wilbur turned away from him to speak with his family as he sat in his throne and Tommy hated the way his gut twisted. Like he had done something wrong to push the prince away from him, like his voice wasn’t stolen. Not that anyone knew because Tommy could not explain it. They wouldn't listen even if he could.

Tommy was many things and currently, desperate was
one of them.

From where he was perched at the foot of Wilbur’s throne he could see the entirety of the throne room. Icy designs raced up the walls crawling on the surface of everything like long vines of ice and snow. The ice swirled up the wall in cold, beautiful patterns of sparkling white that provided a great contrast to the dark blue grayish walls.

Ice hung from the ceiling to create a grand chandelier, branching out from the center of the ceiling. The large room provided an echo of every step against the marble floors. The image was a bleach white and gray masterpiece. One that Tommy had spent over a year studying.

Most fae that entered needed an audience with the King, sometimes Wilbur. They needed a problem solved, came to beg for forgiveness, offered praise, updated a current matter of state. Tommy sat at Wilbur’s feet in the same place. His knees would ache, his feet fell asleep, but he wouldn’t move.

If he moved, Wilbur would become angry.

He watched the fae that entered the throne room with a lazy eye as Wilbur occasionally patted Tommys head, ruffling soft blond curls.

A short faerie had approached the dais where the thrones resided. She was truly beautiful, with long silky golden hair and a green cloak, A white porcelain mask covered her eyes and an eerie black frowning face was painted on the front. She strolled in as green fabric billowed around her and she stopped a few feet before the raised platform that the royal family sat.

She bowed her head down for a few seconds before pulling off the mask, tucking it into her side and drawing her eyes up towards the king.

“King Philza. I bring a message from my mother.” The faerie stated before pausing. Her voice was soft, accent very present. The accent differed greatly from those he had met in the Winter Court.

Most in Winter sounded snobby, with higher pitched voices and very straight, overly punctuated speech and sharp words.

King Philza nodded for her to continue.

“The Queen of Spring requests your answer regarding her coming visit, and the matters discussed in her many letters. She sends her well wishes.” The girl finished.

“Very well Drista. We are very excited to host her majesty in the coming week. I will discuss those matters with your mother more closely when she arrives. Will your siblings be joining you?” the king replied with ease, and because he did not care for court events, Tommy tuned out. He let the crowned prince tell him when things were happen. He let Wilbur dress his like a doll, manhandle him into the nice clothes. Its not like he had much of a choice.

Tommy couldn’t protest verbally or physically. Wilbur simply has to use his true name and Tommy is putty in the ice prince’s hands.

Tommy looked at the girl with growing curiosity. The Spring Court was supposedly a good ally to the Winter Court.

Drista looked to be around his age, although fae age differently than humans. She had a childish sense of carelessness around her that made Tommys head spin.

Tommy missed the sun. He missed the true sun warming his skin as he lay in strawberry fields. Tubbo on his left, Ranboo on his right.

He missed the human realm.

He sighed quietly. Although not quiet enough because Wilbur’s head snapped toward him and he felt icy fingers in his hair. This time they were not gentle or loving. They twisted around the golden locks and tightened uncomfortably. He can’t yelp at the pain, but swallowed as tears pricked the corners of his eyes.

After a while the grip on his hair disappeared from his head and Tommy slumped against the prince's shins.

The last of the time spent in the throne room went by in a blur. Unimportant subject after unimportant subject. Eventually Wilbur pulled Tommy back to the bedroom and told Tommy to wait for him to come back.

Tommy drifted around the room for a while. Glancing out the window before setting to sit on the floor, for the lack of a more comfortable place to rest.

When Wilbur returned, he stroked Tommy’s cheek gently. He ignored the way that Tommy flinched as he raised his hand to the boys face, and the shivers that each pass sent down Tommy’s spine.

He was set onto the bed and pulled against Wilbur’s chest. The cold skin against his cheek was something he would never get used to. He wanted to scream and claw at his skin. He wanted to disappear from reality, from existence. Tommy wanted to curl into a dark corner and fade into the shadows but he couldn’t. He had no faerie magic to help him hide away.

He lay against Wilbur as tears caressed his cheeks, clung to his eyelashes. Tommy gripped onto the stupidly soft shirt that Will was wearing and silently allowed the prince to wrap his long arms around the boys small frame.

“Shhh, Toms, you’re okay. You’re safe.” Wilbur cooed at him as he burrowed further into the softness of the bed and Wilbur’s shirt. He was lying. Tommy wasn’t safe, he wasn’t okay. He was struggling, trying to avoid completely shattering in the arms of who he had once thought to be his brother. He was cold, hungry, and tired.

Four hundred and thirty eight days of silence and Tommy was starting to give up.

Notes:

I read every single comment. Trust me I hold the good ones near and dear to my heart.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope I can make your day a little better, as you make mine better.

If you want to talk to me/ask questions/help me decide some things about the storyline, or just see some of my day to day thoughts...

Interact with my twt: emparsona
<3<3

Chapter 3: Chapter 3

Summary:

Warning for some disassociating and talk of neglect.

Notes:

I continue to write as a way of providing an outlet and a form of comfort for myself and other members of the community. I am not writing to purposefully make any one uncomfortable. If you find something in any of my works that makes you uncomfortable, I urge you to not continue to read my fic.

I put in a lot of time and energy to make sure I am not breaking any boundaries of the creators included in my works or the communities surrounding them. I put a lot of time and energy into writing these stories for you (the reader's) enjoyment. It boils down to the fact that I am writing about the characters on the dream smp and only the characters. Fictional characters.

If you don't agree with something I am doing, don't read it.

On that note,

Rest in peace Technoblade. You did so much for me and my brother's lives and I am forever grateful.

Tommy woke up once more in Wilbur’s bed. The sun poked through the gaps on the curtains and laid across the pale sheets, casting orange yellow lines across Wilbur’s face. His head was level with Tommy’s eyes as he no doubt clung to the boy.

Wilbur was always clingy, while sleeping that is.

Tommy was grateful for the early morning silence. There was no maid pulling him from his bead to bathe and dress him. No forceful yanks at his hair and his face, trying to erase the evidence of malnutrition and lack of restful nights that showed very clearly even on Tommy’s face.

He'd seen the mirrors. Tommy knew.

His cheeks had lost the baby fat that previously clung to his face. His eyes grew dull, a distant look echoing throughout his face.

He looked haunting, like a ghost.

Maybe that’s why Techno would visit the room more often with a few more plates of food than usual, the ones that Wilbur commonly forgot. Or why Wilbur trailed his fingers along his too sharp cheekbones and down his prominent rib cage.

Tommy had always been skinny, but this was extreme.

He pushed a hand up to remove the hair tickling his nose. It was making him want to sneeze.

Wilbur startled at the movement, snapping his eyes open. Tommy pushed the hair away before quickly putting his hand down.

“Good morning, Sunshine.” Wilbur purred at him. Tommy felt the arms around his shifting before a hand was resting on his cheek. Wilbur tilted his face over so Tommy had to look at him.

Tommy blinked at the fond expression laced into Wilbur’s drooping eyes.

It reminded him of the initial fondness that made him trust Wilbur. The thought made Tommy shiver. He closed his eyes, nudging his cheek against the cold hand.

Soon, too soon it was pulling away and Tommy tried desperately to cling onto the moving prince. He scrambled to sit up, holding onto Wilbur’s wrist with a death grip.

“Oh?” Wilbur whispered out gently, “You don’t want me to go Sunshine?” He teased, cocking his head to the side. Tommy shook his head almost violently and Wilbur chuckled softly. The noise made Tommy smile.

“Give me a reason why I should stay with you Toms. That's all I need. Tell me why I should stay here all day.” Wilbur spoke with a wicked grin melting onto his face. Tommy’s face fell into a pout. He crossed his arms.

Surely Wilbut knew how unfair that was. He couldn’t talk, he couldn’t give his a stupid reason, although he had a few bouncing around his brain.

Wilburs hand moved Tommys chin towards him. Tommy looked at him unsure as Wilbur pulled his arm from his grasp.

“You know I have responsibilities, Toms. If you can’t even tell me why you need me here then it obviously isn’t important.” Wilbur said, pulling away sharply and moving to the closet to get dressed.

Tommy knew that following would only get him in trouble, so he melted back into the warm covers. His head hit the pillow gently and he lay on his side, facing the wall next to the bed.

He wasn’t sure how long he’d been laying like that before he felt the mattress next to him dip.
He didn’t move, he barely registered Techno peering at his face like he was a dead body.

He felt like a dead body, Cold dead weight.

Techno gently pulled Tommy’s head into his lap.

The boy winced at the cold hands moving through his hair, and they paused before retracting from his scalp.

A hiss was heard from above him and his eyes snapped to Techno.

“I know, I’m sorry. I always forget how cold we must feel to you. Delicate little humanity.” Techno grumbled out. “Have you eaten today?” Tommy gave him a blank look before slowly shaking his head.

“I brought some strawberries.” the general said almost cautiously. He held up a small porcelain bowl full of cleaned strawberries. He placed it on the bed next to his leg and began feeding the fruit to Tommy.

He loved strawberries.

He told Wilbur that the day they had met.

The fae had startled the small boy as he bent over to pick some wild strawberries from a bush in the forest.

The memory made him smile, along with the sweet fruit being slowly fed to him.

Techno had made a habit of this the last few months.

The general would come into the other prince’s room and feed the small boy that was supposed to be growing, but instead thinned out drastically as he grew in height.

A few minutes into their lunch, Wilbur stormed into the room. He paused at the sight of the two laying on his bed, Tommy being fed strawberries by the supposed greatest warrior of the Fae.

“Techno.” Wilbur growled out, making Tommy pause his chewing.

“Yes brother?” Techno replied, leveling a glare at the latter.

“What are you doing?” Wilbur asked with a sugar sweet voice that made Tommy want to vomit up all the fruit he had eaten.

“Feeding this human that you keep locked up here.” The general replied smoothly.

“Well if that is the case, Theseus, stop listening.” Wilbur ordered, and the world faded into silence.

~~~~~~~~

“Wilbur, if you don’t feed him, he will die, and I know you haven't been feeding him enough. I’m not trying to take him or anything, stop being an idiot.” Techno pinched his nose bridge, looking down at the blonde boy curled in his lap.

“You look very fond of him, Techno.” Wilbur crossed his arms and leaned against the bedpost.

“I mean he is a sweet little creature, and I understand his charm. You don’t get this defensive when Phil wants to dot on him.” Techno pointed out.

“Yeah because I can’t deny Phil.” Wilbur groaned out.

“Stop being jealous Wilbur, You both know that Phil will respect your boundaries. If you want me to stop coming up here, fine. But if I see him get any thinner, I will continue as if this conversation never happened.” Techno moved Tommy’s head onto the pillow and got up from the bed.

He handed the half empty bowl to Wilbur before leaving the room with heavy steps.

~~~~~~~~~

“Okay Theseus, you can listen again.” Wilbur purred as he crawled into the bed, placing Tommy’s head into his lap.
Tommy's eyes flicked to Wilbur, obviously confused to where Techno had gone.

“Tech had to go do something. But that’s fine Toms! You only need me.” Wilbur said with a smile. He ran his fingers across Tommy’s forehead and up into his hair as he surveyed the strawberry bowl.

“So how about the rest of these strawberries?” The prince said dangling one in front of Tommy’s nose.

He opened his mouth and caught the strawberry, snapping his jaw shut with an exaggerated movement. It was like doing sound effects, only no sound came out.

“In the next few days, leaders from the other courts will be arriving. There are going to be a lot of fae around. Unfamiliar fae. Can I trust you to behave, Toms?” Wilbur said, peering over the fluff of hair on Tommy’s forehead.

Tommy smiled and nodded. He could behave.

“You’ll need to stick by my side the whole time. Can you do that?” Wilbur asked softly.

Tommy nodded again. Scrunching up his nose at the prince.

“Good Sunshine.” Wilbur said. He continued to talk about the festivities and what color coordinating outfits he had prepared for the both of them.

After a while it was hard for Tommy to listen. His stomach was full and listening to Wilbur’s voice made him feel sleepy.

It didn’t take long for him to curl into Wilbur’s side and fall asleep.

Chapter 4: Chapter 4

Summary:

little reunion :D

Notes:

I continue to write as a way of providing an outlet and a form of comfort for myself and other members of the community. I am not writing to purposefully make any one uncomfortable. If you find something in any of my works that makes you uncomfortable, I urge you to not continue to read my fic.

I put in a lot of time and energy to make sure I am not breaking any boundaries of the creators included in my works or the communities surrounding them. I put a lot of time and energy into writing these stories for you (the reader's) enjoyment. It boils down to the fact that I am writing about the characters on the dsmp and only the characters. Fictional characters.

If you don't agree with something I am doing, don't read it.

On that note,

Rest in peace Technoblade. You did so much for me and my brother's lives and I am forever grateful.

Tommy pushed himself out of the bed, and it took a lot of effort. His body felt weak and tired. It was definitely due to the lack of food he’d been eating while in Faerie. The lack of exercise, and overall movement at times also did not help his lack fo strength.

Tommy huffed at the baby blue suit that lay at the foot of the bed. Next to it was a short note stating that he was expected to be ready in an hour, which is plenty of time.

Tommy wobbled over to the bathroom where he’d drawn himself a warm bath. He undid the buttons of his shirt and slid his pants down his legs. He stepped out of the soft fabric and dipped his toes into the water.

It wasn’t scalding hot so he gingerly stepped into the large tub. His body eased into the warm water and Tommy let a content sigh pass his lips. He wrapped his arms around his ribcage, feeling the dips along his skin. They had grown more drastically in the last seven months.

He grabbed a cloth next to the tub and squirted some soap onto it. He rubbed the surface of his skin with the cloth. He rubbed weak circles into his arms, cheeks, legs, The soap smelled like oranges.

The oranges he and Tubbo used to eat under the village trees.

He willed himself to remember the grass underneath them. The sticky feeling that was left over from the fruit.

Tommy sat in the water for a few minutes longer. Soaking in the warmth as he rinsed the soap from his hair.

He stepped out and pat dried humbles before wrapping the towel around his shoulders and walking over to the clothes laid out for him.

He dressed quickly, struggling with the tie, and spent the last ten minutes waiting. He sat on the edge of Wilbur’s bed waiting for someone to come get him.

Wilbur opened the door at the exact time that Tommy was supposed to be ready by.

He smiled widely at Tommy, who was sitting patiently waiting for him.

“Do you need help with your tie, Toms?” Wilbur crooned at Tommy. The boy's face went a very particular shade of pink at Wilbur’s words, but he nodded, looking at the floor.

Wilbur reached over and slowly tied the dark blue tie that he’d picked out for Tommy.

When he was finished, he reached over and cupped Tommy’s cheek with a smile.

“Come on, Sunshine! We are expected in the throne room.” Wilbur said, pulling Tommy’s hand up and leading the boy from the room.

Wilbur led hun through the extravagant hallways. They eventually ended up in the throne room.

It was decorated extensively. Of course the court would want to impress its guests.

Icicles dangled beautifully from the ceiling, the walls shone with a pearly glow. Everything seemed to be polished and prime to the greatest extent.

Tommy sat by Wilbur’s feet. He felt the prince’s cold hands glide through his hair, sorting through his curls.

“Your hair has gotten quite long Sunshine.” Wilbur stated. His fingers still wove through Tommy’s hair. Tommy raised his hands to his head to feel how long his hair had grown.

Tommy opened his mouth to suggest they cut it, but could not muster the sounds. Instead he turned his head toward Wilbur and grabbed a strand of hair. Tommy made a scissor shape with his fingers to communicate the potential haircut.

“mhhm, no.” Wilbur said. He brushed some of Tommy’s hair from his face, “I quite like your hair right now.”

Wilbur smiled, then twirled his fingers around. Tommy turned his head back towards the front entrance to the throne room and felt the fingers continue through his hair.

Tommy didn’t pay much attention after that. Wilbur looked happy about something. When Tommy felt the side of his head, a strange pattern rested on the hair.

Wilbur explained that he had brained the blonde strands, whatever that meant.

Tommy felt important, special.

Apparently each of the royal family had a braid.

Techno, Phil and Wilbur.

Wilbur showed Tommy his. It was tucked behind his left ear, The opposite side of the pretty dangle of emerald he wore.

Tommy tucked the braid back behind Wilbur’s ear and smiled before turning back to the front of the room.

A steady stream of fae entered the palace. They crowded into the throne room, waiting for the king to present himself and give his yearly speech. Tommy wasn’t listening.

He was scanning the crowd and those walking through the doors. He saw the fae from a few days ago. She wore a dress made of a lighter green, softer. The green of the plants crawling up from the forest floor.

Her blonde hair was done up into some braided swirl of curls and charms.

Tommy liked it. The charms swung with each step, taking the light and flashing it back around the room.

Behind her entered an older fae with long white hair. She looked like a queen. The fae queens that he was told about as a mere boy. Fae parted in order to make way for her.

Tommy looked away.

Wilbur had given him four rules. Only four, and Tommy was going to follow them all.

Tommy had promised to be good.

The rules were simple.

Do not leave Wilbur’s side, unless the prince has to leave his, return to the dais and sit in front of Wilbur’s throne.

Only eat the food Wilbur has given you.

Under no circumstance will you dance.

And lastly, the emerald charm hung around his neck was to be visible at all times.

Anger curled into Tommy’s chest as Wilbur explained each rule as though talking with a toddler.

Wilbur made his way around the throne room, greeting guests and talking with old friends.

Tommy sat on the floor of the dais watching the crowd with intense eyes. He scanned through the faces, falling upon a very familiar head of half black, half white hair.

Tommy’s heart skipped a beat as he straightened out his back to get a better look.

His friend. One of his greatest friends was here. In the winter court. Why the fuck was he in Faerie?

His chest squeezed with a longing that he hadn’t felt in months. He wanted to stand up, run from the dais into the lanky guys arms.

Ranboo looked up to meet Tommy’s gaze. His face fell once recognizing the blonde boy that had disappeared from their village in the middle of the night.

Ranboo’s face held an expression of shock and crushing sadness as he turned to someone next to him.

Tubbo. Tubbo and his thick brown hair, Tubbo and his stubborn eyes met Tommy’s and it felt like the world had stopped spinning. The crowd’s noise faded into a buzz in the back of his conscious mind. Wilbur was not in his line of sight, the royals were preoccupied.

And Tommy, he watched silently as mirroring tears fell on his and Tubbo’s cheeks. Tommy raised a hand to his own, wiping away the evidence of the emotion. He kept his attention on Tubbo, not noticing Wilbur’s return to his side.

Notes:

I read every single comment. Trust me I hold the good ones near and dear to my heart.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope I can make your day a little better, as you make mine better.

If you want to talk to me/ask questions/help me decide some things about the storyline, or just see some of my day to day thoughts...

Interact with my twt: emparsona
<3<3

Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Summary:

TW for some intrusive thoughts.

“Toms,” Wilbur murmured next to him, “Why are you crying?” He asked as if Tommy could tell him the source of his waterworks. There was a moment of tense silence as Wilbur’s eyes slid across the room, landing on the kids that continued to stare at the blonde.

Wilbur looked back to Tommy’s face, still lingering on his brothers. The prince tugged at Tommy’s hand and pulled him from the throne room like a child mid-tantrum. Wilbur shut the doors tightly behind him and rounded on Tommy.

“What did they do to you?” Wilbur said, eyes frantically searching. “Tommy, did they say something or do something?” Wilbur gripped his eyes with a crazed expression.

Tommy shook his head gently, trying desperately to calm himself, to stop the leaky tear ducts in his eyes. He stared into the eyes of the prince and smiled sadly. He tapped his head to communicate something. He knew them. No, he loved them. He loved them as his brothers. They were not blood but they were brothers, Tommy be damned.

“Does your head hurt?” Wilbur asked slowly. Tommy shook his head. No but his heart ached.

Wilbur wiped away the last of the tears and pulled Tommy back to the room. Wilbur didn’t leave his side for the rest of the night. Not even to dance with the beautiful women that flanked to his side, or speak with old friends. Tommy stayed ever silent by his side, not allowing his eyes to wander to others in the room. Later he could question and grieve for the three of them, later he could sink into the memories of the meadow and the river and wind.

Tommy stood by, empty headed and not paying attention to the fae that twirled about, drinking and laughing. Tubbo and Ranboo would have to wait. He couldn’t wrap his head around the fact they, they were here. At a fae party. Were they too tricked into the realm? Kidnapped or caught looking for Tommy.

How long had he been here? He forgot the days that passed before he realized, he missed the time flying past his face and over his head.

Wilbur pulled him away from the party before he knew it. They walked through the corridors and Tommy watched his feet scrape against the cold stone, and his reflection in the windows.
Wilbur opened the door and pulled him through closing it behind him.

He felt cold hands cup his face and looked up to meet soft brown ones. So tonight was a kind night. Wilbur rubbed a thumb across his cheek and drew it away, sighing. Tommy must be crying again. He couldn’t even feel it. He just soaked up the rare pure affection. Holding it close in his core, to keep him warm for a few more weeks.

Wilbur called for a warm bath to be drawn and left Tommy alone with a soft kiss to the forehead. The prince would no doubt return to the party.

Tommy waited, curled around himself until the staff helped him to the bath. They all had this misty dreaming look about them. As if they couldn’t wish to be anywhere else. They were mortals, no doubt under some misty spell.

The water was warm and Tommy sunk into it till only his eyes peeked out. There were times he thought about sinking all the way down and letting himself rest at the bottom of the lavish tub, his body always pulling himself up before any real damage was done. The tub was too shallow.

He signed and washed himself quickly, eager to just go to sleep. As he dressed himself and pulled back to cover the door creaked open. Wilbur must be back from the party.

As he jumped into the covers, white hair captured his eyes and he turned his head fast, to see Ranboo. Slightly behind him was Tubbo. They put fingers to their mouths to tell him to be quiet. He laughed in his head at that one.

They shut the door quietly and ran over the blonde with wide arms. Tommy reciprocated and threw himself at the. They caught him in the air and together they sunk to the ground in one all encompassing hug. Tubbo was trembling as he tried to speak.

“Gods Tommy, we thought you were dead. I can’t believe Wilbur brought you home before we did.” He muttered out on Tommy’s right.

Bring him home? What did Tubbo mean by that? Was fae their home. The village wasn’t? The place they met and grew up together wasn’t their home? Tommy knew the conditions on which they had been found were strange and vaguely near the forest but he always thought that their parents had ignorantly wandered too far into the tree line and left their children behind.

 

“Oh Tom, I can't believe we found you.” Ranboo sobbed.

Tommy lamely patted their head and back as he tried to process the words.

“Why, why are you not saying anything?” Ranboo asked, pulling back to look at Tommy.

Silence filled the empty space in the room, cracking away at the holes in Tommy’s chest.

He smiled at them and rubbed their backs. Unable to do much more.

“Come on Tommy . Say something, anything. Make fun of us, call us names, anything.” Tubbo pleaded with the blonde, cupping his cheek with such gentleness. He tried. Really tried but nothing happened. Tears fell from his eyes once again. So much crying lately. Tommy felt pathetic.

“Damn that slimy bastard. Wilbur took your voice? That's.” Tubbo was aggressively cursing Wilbur’s name as Tommy shook his head.

He pulled Tubbo’s face toward his and held up a hand to his throat. Then went through a series of hand gestures to tell them what he wanted to.

A mix of I love you, I missed you, and you can’t be here.

They got some of it, smiling sadly as Tommy hugged them in one last bone crushing hug and pushed them out of the Prince’s private quarters.

Before he closed the door, Ranboo gripped his wrist and swore that one day, as soon as they possibly could, they would help him escape this cold and lonely castle.

Notes:

Sorry for taking so long to update. It is really hard for me to write if I am not in the right headspace.

Thank you for reading! Please comment if you'd like. I love hearing from you all.

Much Love.

Chapter 6: Chapter 6

Summary:

I am adding to the ch 5.5 that I had released a few days ago. I want to wrap this story up and this was the most logical way for me to do so. ENJOY

Notes:

I am editing and moving things around. Please bare with me.

SUPRISE!

I am going to finish this fic... I promise.

Tommy felt the days following the Fae gathering or ball blur together into a meaningless collage of uneventful gray. He supposed that the royals had things to do, where Tommy just lay in his bed and watched the sun rays move across the ceiling and felt his heart collapse in his chest over and over.

Tubbo and Ranboo were in Faerie, and Tommy wanted them near so desperately that his hands shook. He wanted their laughter, jokes, and company. He missed them ferociously.

He was stuck in his head, living in the perfect spring day. He and Tubbo and Ranboo adventuring in the woods, playing with toy swords or picking wild berries on the edge of their meadow. They swam in the river, terrorized the villagers that had mistreated the trio.

After what felt like an eternity, someone took Tommy from the room where he had been slowly unraveling over an unknown amount of time and carried him to the winter court’s garden.

The garden was, truthfully, Tommy’s favorite place in all of Faerie. Well, that he has seen anyway. There were strange plants that grew even in the cold temperatures, the surfaces shining with a strange blue hue where they sprouted from the ground. Icicles covered every surface, distorting the bright sun and casting colored rays across the ground.

Tommy was placed on a bench and looked to see Techno sitting next to him.

“Hey kid, come to?” Techno said from Tommy’s left. The fae looked strange sitting in the garden, armor covering his skin, peeking out from the thick cloak he wore.

Tommy nodded in both greeting and affirmation.

“Look, anyone with eyes can see that you are not happy here.” Techno started speaking in hushed tones, “You’re wasting away kid, and I hate that my idiotic brother is the cause of this. He’s killing you kid and I am not willing to sit by and watch it happen.”

Tommy’s eyes blew wide as he faced Techno, hearing the words but not quite understanding Techno’s reason for confronting the issue. Was the last year of watching Tommy wither away any different? What made Techno decide that enough was enough?

“You need help getting out? Let me know. You need Wilbur off your back? I’ll make up some paperwork or something so he leaves you alone. I’m going to figure out how to get you somewhere that won't kill you.”

Tommy just stared at him, debating, hoping, dying inside his chest. Would Techno really help him escape? Get him back to the human realm?

Tommy’s heart beat irregularly in his chest. It was a gamble, telling Techno about his friends who supposedly lived in fae. But Tubbo and Ranboo looked healthy when he saw them. They seemed happy with Puffy in the Spring court.

He tapped a finger against the bench before turning back to Techno. With clumsy fingers, he tried to spell out R A N B O O figuring he was the safest option to run towards.

“Ranboo? The kid from the spring court?” Techno asked.

Tommy nodded, chest heaving with nervous hope, making him feel ill with his empty stomach.

“I don't know if I can get you to the spring court without starting a war. I’ll need to speak to Puffy and I’ll need some time.” Techno said.

Tommy nodded, then drew his knees towards his chest and stared off into the shifting lights of the garden.

“I don’t know if you know this but, your birthday is in a few days, three to be exact.” Techno said.

He looked sad when Tommy didn’t react. No words to give, no energy to supply the movement.

Eventually Techno brought him back to the room and left after coaxing some fruit into Tommy’s hands.

Three days later when Tommy’s birthday arrived, he found himself alone in his room.

He sat up from the bed to move to his favorite window seat, and came face to face with a beautiful woman.

The woman sat on the bed next to him, looking down at him with a smile.

She looked fondly at him. Tommy looked at her long dark hair, then to the dark dress she wore that perfectly complemented the pale color of her skin. Her eyes were hidden behind a veil that the woman quickly removed once seeing Tommy’s eyes resting on it.

She was beautiful.

“Happy Birthday, Tommy!” the lady whispered, placing her pale hands on his cheeks. “I have some gifts for you.”

Her thumbs stroked down his cheek, a gesture more genuine, more soft, than any he had ever received. He leaned into the touch, confused at who this woman was and how she managed to enter the crowned prince’s quarters.

Out of thin air, a stuffed animal appeared.

It was a dirty, brown cow. Its age and use were visible through the matted appearance. One of its green, button eyes long ago fell off, a matching green handkerchief tied around its neck.

It was Henry. Tommy’s childhood stuffed animal, his most prized possession apart from his old music discs that he had bought from the old lady three houses down.

Next appeared a small necklace. It had a ruby charm hanging from the dark chain, and what appeared to be a metal feather.

Tommy’s head was reeling from both the familiarity of the women and her strangely specific gifts. It was not everyday that a strange, beautiful woman gave you your long ago lost possession from your childhood and village that was at least a 4 day travel from the castle.

Lastly, her hands moved and Tommy was startled by the bright light that floated towards him. The orb was a bright red, pulsing with energy. He could hear familiar laughter that used to vibrate his own chest, sounding from the center of the light.

He focused on the sounds, really listening to… his voice. His voice. The thing that had suddenly left him so many moons ago, leaving him helpless and lost in the cold palace.

His loud laughter that once earned his sharp glares, his calling out for Tubbo, him crying over a broken family or a scraped knee.

It was his voice.

A smile crept onto his face, unfamiliar from disuse, as the orb floated towards him, into his chest.

 

It was warm, familiar. Like the last puzzle piece finally snapping back into place after months of searching, pushing into its rightful spot.

Tommy’s hand flew up to his throat, feeling down his neck.

“I am sorry that I took such a precious thing from you my dear.” She murmured into his ear, “I kept it safe for you.”

He let out an experimental hum. It was weak, a scratchy sound that made him cough, but much more sound that he had made in a long time.

He smiled brightly at the women.

“Thank you.” he croaked out. Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes, spilling onto his cheeks.

Tommy gulped down air and she reached out to him once more, pulling him towards her chest, a comforting hold as Tommy cried. She was warm, so very warm.

Tommy felt like a child once more, the way she cradled him resembling the hold of a mother, Tommy almost choked at the realization.

“Who…” Tommy sniffed, “are you?” he asked. A whisper as he closed his eyes.
“I am Death.” she replied. “I don’t say that to scare you my dear. I am the goddess Death, neither mortal nor fae. I was unable to visit you Tommy, I do apologise, you have not before been close enough to my realm to do so. I have been watching over you since you got here. I wanted to help before, I should have helped before.”

“Do you mean,” Tommy shivered. “I am dying?”

“You have been slowly. But I will not allow you to pass over into my realm for quite some time. Prince Wilbur is, at times, cruel and arrogant, my son. I thought not to see another suffer at the hands of his arrogance. He has not felt my gentle hand, nor learned my compassion, for that I am sorry.”

“Wilbur is your son?” Tommy asked.

“Yes, as is Techno.” Death replied.

“Is Philza, King Philza, your husband?”

She smiled.

“Yes. Ah, my love, I have not been able to visit him in quite some time. I believe the time has come.”

“What do you mean?” Tommy asks. Unable to grasp the underlying meanings of her words.

“My dear, Wilbur may have brought you here under the guise of compassion and friendship, but my other son has seen you slowly wilt, much like a rose.”

“Techno…” Tommy whispered.

“Precisely my dear Tommy. And he has been praying to me, it is the only true way for my sons to communicate directly to me. He has been asking for my help, for your life’s sake. I am finally able to step in. The right timing is all I need now. You will have to forgive me, Tommy, I had a bit of a fondness for a dramatic entrance.”

Tommy tilted his head to look at the woman’s face. Terror raced through his body at the expression that rested there.

Death smiled down at him.

Notes:

Please appreciate the set up to have Wilbur and Techno be the two views or sides of death, I'll wait....

Notes:

I read every single comment. Trust me I hold the good ones near and dear to my heart.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope I can make your day a little better, as you make mine better.

If you want to talk to me/ask questions/help me decide some things about the storyline, or just see some of my day to day thoughts...

Interact with my twt: emparsona
<3<3