Chapter Text
Tommy takes to art like a fish to water, or, more accurately, like a human to creation. The moments when he was not in the company of the other crew members was once something to dread with everything he had, but now he sort of...looks forward to it. It gives him a moment to relax, to not worry about whether or not he looks too intimidating. To just draw. Pictures of people he had met back on Earth, flowers, butterflies, sappy shit that he hides under his mattress. He misses Earth dearly, and he's terrified of forgetting even tiny things about it.
So he draws what he remembers, and really, the drawings aren't that great. They're a bit clumsy and heavy-handed, but he can't hold that against himself. It's not like he had a ton of time to practice while being held prisoner.
Despite his drawings being rather unimpressive, both Tubbo and Wilbur regard them with a quiet sort of reverence. Tommy kind of wonders if their species can draw at all, based on the way they're acting about a simple doodle.
When he asks about it, it turns out that, yes, both Tubbo and Wilbur's species are able to draw. The two were just fascinated to see scenes from Earth from more than just Tommy's limited vocabulary in Common. Tommy tries not to let them see the blood that rushes to his face when they compliment his art. Judging by Tubbo's amused giggling, it's unsuccessful.
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Things feel… good . For the first time in a long time, Tommy actually feels safe . He's on good terms with all of the members of the ship, they all seem to trust him to some extent. As long as he doesn't get too far in his own head he's fine. So he throws himself into making things to keep his hands busy and his mind blank. Once he gets bored of drawing he asks Phil for yarn and tries to finger-knit. It's not like he couldn't use a scarf while he lives amongst the cool metal of the cell.
Boredom still stalks him at every turn, though, no amount of occupying his hands with meaningless tasks will keep him distracted very long. He wants to run . Now away, but he wants to move, to go fast! He snorts humorlessly at the irony. This ship is probably going faster than he can even conceptualize, but it's not like he can feel it in this stupid metal box.
So when Tommy has exhausted all his benign crafts and Tubbo is still not going to be visiting for another hour, he takes to another hobby of his.
Trying to get the cell door open.
He doesn't really think he's going to be able to do it, it's mainly just a force of habit by now. Living like this, Tommy has grown to appreciate the stability that a ritual brings.
So Tommy lays on his stomach and tries to stick his fingers through the strange, force-field-like door to no avail, as had happened every time before. Tommy sighs and rolls onto his back, staring up at the shimmering, transparent door as though the force of his glaring will make it open. It doesn't, it just stays there, being a door.
Tommy sighs and bonks his head against the force-field. It doesn't go through. He bonks again. It's softer than the walls, at least, and it feels kinda cool. Like TV static on his skin. He bonks again, not hard enough to hurt him, but enough to make Tubbo yell at him if he was caught. He bonks again.
His head meets the cool air of the hallway.
Tommy's eyes snap open and he scrambles back on instinct, staring at the door. Or, the doorway, now. Because the door is gone.
The door is gone!
Tommy stares at the door for a moment, mouth gaping like a fish.
"Oh," He says dumbly. "Oh shit."
Tommy rushes forward, eager to leave the cell he's been trapped in for the better part of a month, but stops short just before passing the threshold. What... What exactly is his plan?
He can't go back to Earth, even if he's the one driving the ship, he'll be shot down. And that's assuming that Tommy would even be able to figure out the controls of an alien vessel, all written in a language that Tommy can't read. As much as Tommy values confidence, he knows he won't be able to do that. Crashing the ship on a planet and ditching is just plain stupid at this point. He'd just end up back at square one.
Even if he did get back to Earth, he'd probably be taken away and interrogated by the government, anyway. And it's not like... it's not like he had anyone on Earth who missed him. The only people he truly felt a connection to was the man in the cell next to his, and he's long gone by now. He just...didn't come back after testing one day. Tommy doesn't need to ask what happened. That had been the final straw for him, he had nothing left on the ship to protect.
But now he has Tubbo, and fuck it, not that he'd ever say this to their faces but he kinda has the other crewmembers too. He's not going back to the vents. He'd be dragged out again, this time with significantly more bitching and whining considering the slowly crumbling language barrier.
He can't go home. Probably ever. Tommy swallows back the tears that come with admitting that to himself, even in his own head. Maybe once he gets out of this cell, he can find a way to make this place feel like home. Maybe one day it really will be.
It's wishful thinking; but hey, Tommy's an optimist.
He takes a step past the threshold and into the hallway. The air smells different, cleaner. Less like him. It clears Tommy's head some. Tommy takes another step, nervousness coiling in his gut. He's terrified Techno will come barreling down the hall at any moment, shoving him back into his cell. He likes Technoblade, thinks he's a real stand-up-guy, but he's the security guard, and he doesn't seem like the type to skip out on his duties for any reason.
Tommy makes it to the end of the hallway and Technoblade is nowhere to be found. Neither are any of the other aliens, for that matter, which makes Tommy relax a little bit. Not fully, of course, he can't let his guard down even if they aren't going to hurt him.
The ship is how he remembers it from his brief stint in the vents, though it looks a bit different looking at it from the ground rather than the walls. It also looks strange when fully lit, rather than shrouded in darkness from Tommy's little habit of sneaking around at night. It looks less intimidating like this. There's a blanket thrown over one of the chairs that's dusted with pollen, so it clearly belongs to Tubbo. Tommy grabs it and wraps it around his shoulders. He's cold, alright. Why the fuck couldn't they put some better insulation between them and the freezing vacuum of space for fuck's sake?
He hears voices, and takes a few hesitant steps in their direction. It would be better for Tommy to find them then for them to find Tommy, after all. If he's remembering the layout of the ship correctly, then the voices, which are becoming more and more clearly an argument as he draws nearer, are sounding from the kitchen.
"-the fucking security would have figured this out by now!" Wilbur shouts in Common. Tommy is thankful that he's better at understanding Common than he is speaking it, or he would be at a loss right now.
"Do you think I have heat seeking vision? What exactly do you want me to do right now?" Techno asks coldly, though clearly just as angry.
"Has anyone checked the cockpit, if- shit. If he's there then-"
Tommy stands in the doorway, watching the- his? - crewmates run around like chickens with their heads cut off. It takes him a few slow moments to realize they are talking about trying to find him . Huh, guess he wasn't as sneaky as he thought. Tubbo looks close to tears, and it makes Tommy wince in guilt. He opens his mouth to speak, but something gets caught in his throat. He's nervous.
There really is no guarantee that he won't be sent back to the cell, especially if the others are coming down off of the terror of thinking he had actually escaped with the intent to get off the ship.
Turns out he doesn't have to say anything, because Tubbo calls out: "I'll go check," In response to something Tommy didn't hear, and marches out the door, barreling directly into Tommy and knocking them both to the floor. Tubbo lands on top of Tommy, thankfully, Tubbo won't be squished today, thank you very much.
The room goes silent, and when Tommy looks up after making sure that Tubbo is okay, all of the crewmembers are staring at him.
Tubbo is the one that ends up breaking the impromptu staring match by throwing his arms around Tommy's neck with a loud cry.
"Oh thank the stars you're okay!" Tubbo says. Tommy sees Techno stare at him incredulously and mouth 'he's okay?' before he turns his attention back to Tubbo.
"Why wouldn't I be? I just wanted to get out of that stupid cell," Tommy says haughtily, but his eyes never leave Philza.
Phil is the captain, and if he says that Tommy goes back into the cell, then Tommy has very little choice in the matter. Convincing Phil right now is vital.
"How did you get out?" Phil says, but he doesn't sound angry. He crouches in front of him, head tilted.
"Your door fucking sucks." Tommy says, voice tight with nervousness. Philza just stares at him. If it wasn't for the kindness in his gaze Tommy would be bristling right now.
"I- I'm not going to try to escape," Tommy says quietly, so that only Tubbo and Phil can hear. "Where would I go? But- but I'm not going back to the cell, okay? If- if you put me back there... then- then I really will do whatever I need to do to get out."
Phil doesn't seem swayed by the grim determination in his eyes, even though the captain has seen what Tommy had done to the other ship. He doesn't look scared. He looks sad.
"You're not going back to the cell, Tommy." Phil says quietly. "I was already working on setting up a real room for you on the ship. It's not quite done yet, but I think you'd prefer that to the cell, ay?"
Tommy stares at him for a moment, an unidentifiable emotion rising in his chest. He blinks away tears, and Philza's smile becomes softer still.
"Oh. Yeah, okay." Tommy manages. Tubbo laughs again and pulls him closer, humming against his shoulder before standing and helping Tommy to his feet. His wings are buzzing behind him excitedly. Wilbur and Techno watch the two of them with fond exasperation.
"Come on! I helped pick out stuff for your room, come see it!" Tubbo says with a broad smile, practically dragging Tommy through the ship. Tommy laughs, still a bit shocked that he actually wouldn't have to go back to the cell.
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The room is actually... really nice. Tommy was expecting a cell 2.0 or something, but it kinda reminds him of the rooms back home. Tubbo had clearly done his research. Tommy throws himself down onto the bed with a sigh, bouncing a little. Tubbo sits at the end, smiling at him.
"No sleeping under the bed this time?" Tubbo asks with a testing smirk. Tommy closes his eyes against the simulated sunlight of the overhead. It feels good on his face.
"Nah," He says. "I've outgrown that."
Tommy rolls a bit to get up, and feels something a bit firmer than the blankets around him poke his back. Tommy reaches under himself and retrieves the offending object, glaring at it for a moment before he processes what it is and his eyes widen.
It's a stuffed cow, clumsily made. The stitching is uneven, fluffing pokes out at the seams, the buttons eyes are barely hanging on. It's the most beautiful thing Tommy has ever seen.
"Wh- did- Tubbo did you make this?" Tommy asks, holding the stuffed cow as though it will break in his hands. Tubbo's neck fluff puffs up, a sign of embarrassment for him.
"Uh- yeah! It's not very good but-"
"How did you even... it's a cow. From Earth?" Tommy rubs a finger over the cow's cloth horns, staring at it reverently.
"I found one of your drawings," Tubbo admits sheepishly. "I figured it was an animal from Earth and thought you would feel better about... about not being able to go home if you had something from Earth with you. Even if it's not the real thing."
Tommy is a big man. Big men don't cry over shoddily made cow plushies.
Okay maybe Tommy can make an exception this one time.
Tommy watches drops of water fall onto the cows head and moves him out of the way. He doesn't want him to get damaged in any way. Tubbo elects to ignore his tears, which Tommy appreciates.
"What are you gonna name him?" Tubbo asks, swinging his legs up onto the bed and crossing them over each other.
Tommy thinks for a few seconds.
"Henry." He decides on.
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Tubbo brings him to go eat dinner with them, which is a nerve wracking experience to say the least. He enters the room stiff and quiet, terrified of saying the wrong thing and getting sent back to the cell.
His streak of tense politeness is broken within five minutes when Tubbo starts mocking Technoblade behind his back and makes Tommy laugh so hard he almost chokes, causing Philza to pound him on the back. Phil is deceptively strong for his stature, and nearly knocks Tommy's head into the table, which just makes him laugh harder.
At the end of dinner, there is considerably more mess than there had been before, but Tommy had eaten as much as he could stomach, what with his limited diet, and the combination of a full stomach and the stress of the day is making him sway sleepily. Phil notices, and chuckles softly as he sends both Tommy and Tubbo to bed to 'let the grown-ups talk'. Tommy would rise to the bait if he wasn't so bone-tired. Besides, he's kind of eager to break in his new bed.
Tubbo follows him into his room, but before Tommy can ask what he's doing Tubbo has moved to a hidden panel on the wall.
"Hold on, I want to show you something," He says, eyes crinkling in a smile. He presses his hand against the panel and it slides open, revealing a set of buttons. Tubbo presses a few and a hatch opens in the wall, revealing the white streaks of passing stars. Tommy's breath catches in his throat.
Despite all his time spent in space, he had never seen the stars like this.
Tommy moves closer to the window in a daze, pressing his hand up against the window.
For the first time since he's left Earth, it's really hit him that he's free.
"We downloaded scenes from Earth too," Tubbo says. "So you can look out the window to something familiar. I labeled all the buttons in English, look."
Sure enough, all the buttons on the panel have a piece of tape with English translations over them. Tommy ignores the frankly ludicrous amount of misspellings in favor of feeling touched that Tubbo had been so considerate to translate it for him.
"Thank you Tubbo," Tommy says. It doesn't feel like enough to say it, but Tubbo seems to catch the rawness of his voice and throws him a tired smile.
"You're welcome. I'm glad you like it, Tommy. I really hope this place can be a home for you someday."
They stare at each other for a moment, the only sound in the room being the ambient buzzing of space, something that Tommy once found terrifying.
"Well, it's been a long day," Tubbo says, starting for the door. "I'm gonna go to bed. Goodnight, Tommy."
"Goodnight, Tubbo."
They share one more hug and then Tubbo leaves, shutting the door behind him. Tommy stands in the center of the room for a few minutes, just taking in the fact that this is his place. Tommy checks the door to make sure it can lock from the inside and not the outside, and finds no evidence that they plan to lock him in here.
He really is free.