Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Tommy didn't know what he expected when he awoke from his nap, but it definitely wasn't supposed to be to a violent shake and blaring alarms. Disoriented and scared, the teen stumbled to his assigned room's door, bracing himself against the door frame as he watched crew members run by, panicked voices calling out orders and updates on what was happening.

'We've been hit. Starboard side.'

'She's going down!'

'Evacuate everyone-'

Tommy doesn't need to hear any more before he's running. If they're evacuating, that means he has to move now , dodging around panicking crew mates and items that had been scattered across the halls during the blast. If the right side of the ship was hit, Tommy assumed his best bet was to head for the port side, hoping for at least one pod that would be able to squeeze him in.

It's only when he's within sight of the port side lifepods that he finally pauses, his attention catching on a pair of figures near one of the lifepods. Two boys around Tommy's age who had entered the program Tommy himself was a part of. A program that had allowed a select few young university bound students to board this very ship to observe and learn first hand about space travel and witness the building of Alterra's newest phasegate. Though Tommy had only interacted with these other boys a handful of times, he had liked them and found them to be good company.

Now, from halfway across the room, Tommy watched the shorter boy- Tubbo- struggling to lift the unconscious form of their much taller friend- Ranboo- into one of the pods. Everyone who passed them ignored the boy's struggles, too busy trying to get to their own pod for safety. Without thinking, Tommy raced over to his struggling friends, growing close to Tubbo just in time to hear the boy curse and desperately beg his friend to please wake up after failing once more to get his friend into the pod.

"I'll help! Tubbo, let me help," Tommy called over the noise around them, startling the shorter male for a moment before Tubbo seemed to deflate in relief. With a nod, Tubbo climbed onto the pod, Tommy helping heft Ranboo's limp form onto and then down into the pod. The two boys nearly fell as another shock ran through the ship, the hull letting out a painful groan as they pushed Ranboo into one of the pod's seats and strapped him in.

With only one emergency seat left in the pod, Tommy was about to start climbing out to go find his own lifepod seat when he was suddenly yanked back down by Tubbo, yelling as he was pushed towards the final remaining seat. He barely stumbled out his own question of what Tubbo was doing before the boy answered, manhandling Tommy down into the seat and strapping him in.

"There's no time! We need to go!" Before Tommy could protest, Tubbo slammed his hand down onto the pad on Tommy's arm rest, the PDA immediately announcing the emergency launch and counting down. Tubbo was nearly thrown against the roof of the pod as the count hit 1 and the pod was launched off the ship, Tommy grabbing at the straps on his seat in a white knuckled grip as the pod plummeted.

The next few moments happened far too fast for Tommy to comprehend. He was vaguely aware of Tubbo rushing back to Ranboo's side, bracing himself against the other's seat with a tight hold in preparation for the eventual impact. Tommy himself though was drawn to a much more terrifying sight. Glancing up through the latch at the top of the pod, Tommy watched in horror as a second beam of energy hit the side of the mother ship, the resulting explosion shaking their little pod and lighting up the interior.

Both Tommy and Tubbo let out a curse, the smaller burying his face against Ranboo's leg and covering his head with an arm as he let out a muffled cry. All Tommy could do was pray there were more survivors and they hadn't just watched the death of everyone they have known for the past few months. The pod shook around them as it continued it's freefall dive, Tommy glancing around nervously as the walls shook more violently. Beside him, the fire extinguisher fell from it's holder, slamming against the metal ground just moments before the pod was hit with another rough shake.

The PDA began to blare an alarm as red emergency lights flicked on, Tommy unable to do much else besides turn just in time to see Tubbo's scared eyes from across the pod as they began to feel weightless. He didn't hear what the other boy shouted at him. He didn't see the piece of metal coming straight at him.

One moment he was looking right into terrified dark eyes and the next moment was just black.

Chapter Text

The first thing Tommy noticed when he woke was that his head was killing him. Not literally- or, well, he at least hoped not literally- but his head was pounding and he felt dizzy and nauseous despite laying flat on the ground.

Wait, flat on the ground? Tommy's eyes sprung open at that second realization, the boy sitting up far too quickly for the pressure in his head. With a groan, the blonde held a hand to his head as he waited for the vertigo and nausea to pass. He was nearly feeling better when he heard someone quietly laugh to his right.

Surprised, Tommy peaked up to see Ranboo sitting on one of the pod chairs, water bottle in hand as the taller boy stared back at Tommy with an amused look. Before Tommy could even question what was so funny, Ranboo was already answering.

"Glad to see you're actually alive. Tubbo was beginning to think you actually died from that hit," the boy said, wordlessly offering the water bottle out to Tommy as they stared at each other.

With a few blinks, Tommy awkwardly took the bottle. "I can't die from something like that. Would be the least coolest way to die. What even hit me?" He asked with a voice weaker than he meant, covering it up as he sipped from his water.

"Tubbo said the metal door from the electrical panel came off and got thrown around a bit. We had to use some of the first aid kit to patch up your head." Ranboo motioned to the left side of Tommy's head, the blonde lifting a hand to feel the bandage at his hairline covering up a rather sore spot. No doubt he had a nasty cut there.

Speaking of Tubbo. Tommy nearly broke his neck with his sudden need to find the other, looking around the small pod and almost panicking when he didn't see any sign of the other. He only stopped losing his mind when he noticed Ranboo pointing up, the blonde looking up towards the open latch at the top of the pod. Oh-

With an embarrassed huff, Tommy stood on slightly shaky legs and waved off Ranboo's attempt to help steady him as he stepped towards the ladder. It took him a bit of effort to pull himself up the ladder with his still pounding headache, and the bright light of the outside didn't really help, but Tommy didn't regret the effort as soon as he saw Tubbo.

The brunette sat on the top of the pod just a foot or so away from the latch, back to the opening and legs curled up to his chest as he stared out across the ocean. More specifically, the boy seemed to be staring at the crashed mother ship in the distance, resting his head on his knees as he sat in silence. It was almost a peaceful sight, if Tommy ignored the fact that they were currently in the middle of the ocean in a lifepod.

As he pulled himself up to sit on the edge of the latch opening, legs still dangling down into the pod, Tubbo looked at him with a tired expression. He must have thought it was Ranboo checking on him because as soon as he realized it was actually Tommy there, his whole demeanor changed. He sat up a bit straighter in surprise before suddenly turning his head away from Tommy, resting it once more against his knees as his body seemed to curl in on himself more. The boy's shoulders shook slightly, Tommy unable to figure out if the tremble was from anger, relief, or some other emotion.

Tommy watched Tubbo in silence for a long moment before deciding to break it. He needed to apologize. Both for worrying the other and causing them to use the first aid kit with their already limited supply.

"I-"

"Don't ever do that again," Tubbo forced out, effectively cutting Tommy off.

The blonde was taken slightly aback by that, leaning away from the shorter for a moment before asking with almost a disbelieving laugh, "What?"

"I said," Tubbo started, sitting up straight again to lock eyes with Tommy in a glare. It was obvious now why exactly Tubbo had been shaking. His eyes were now rimmed with moisture that hadn't been there before, the tip of his nose now red from holding back sobs. "Don't ever do that to me again. You got hit and weren't waking up, man. If you ever do that again, I'm throwing you off the pod and letting you drown."

Tommy couldn't help but let out a surprised bark of laughter at the threat, watching a small smile appear on Tubbo's own face as well. "And leave you here to fend for yourself with Ranboo ? No way could I do that to you, man. You can't get rid of me that easily, Tubso." Tommy smirked as Tubbo laughed, the brunette turned away from Tommy to wipe his eyes against his forearms, ridding them of any tears left there. When he turned back towards Tommy, the blonde had a much more sincere response to give.

"I'll never do that to you again, big man. I promise."

Tubbo gave Tommy a look of surprise before the smaller's whole body seemed to relax, comforted by the reassurance before giving a curt nod. "You better. If not, I really will drown you."

Letting out one more laugh, Tommy shifted across the pod's roof to go sit beside Tubbo, letting his legs hang off the side of the roof as he leaned back on his arms to keep himself sitting up. Both of them stared out towards the crash site, letting a moment of peace wash over them. No one spoke again until Ranboo had come to join them, bringing with him another water for Tubbo and a few pieces of dried rations for them all to have. It wasn't the most amazing meal in Tommy's life, but given the circumstances, the rations tasted amazing.

Tommy was too busy opening up his pack of rations to see the look Ranboo gave Tubbo as the smaller was handed his meal, the brunette pressing his lips into a thin line as he gave a small nod.

As Ranboo sat on the opposite side of Tubbo to start eating, Tommy finally spoke up.

"How long was I out anyways? I know a piece of metal hit me, and I saw the fire extinguisher fall, but I don't remember the rest of the crash." He glanced at Tubbo as he asked, knowing he was probably the only one to actually be conscious for it all.

Tubbo gave a hum as he finished sipping from his water bottle, shrugging as he let out a sigh. "Well, after we hit the water, a fire broke out in the pod. I was able to put it out with the extinguisher, but now we don't have much more of that left in case anything else happens." He paused a moment in thought before continuing with, "After that, I tried to wake you and Ranboo, but Ranboo was too groggy to do much and you wouldn't wake up. We patched you up as best we could… I spent the rest of the time fixing the pod- we're getting transmissions now, by the way- so I'd say… Maybe a few hours you've been out? Not too long."

Tommy just stared at Tubbo as the other spoke, giving him a more and more incredulous look the longer the other talked. Tubbo did all of that? By himself pretty much?? Jeez…

"Wait wait, we're getting transmissions? So there's survivors? How were you able to fix up the pod without Ranboo's help?" Tommy's brows were pressed together as he looked over Tubbo. The kid looked a bit worn out, sure, but not too bad considering everything he'd done in only that short amount of time.

Tubbo just gave Tommy a weird side eye as he took another sip from his water, making the blonde frown at the weirdness. "Well…" Tubbo started hesitantly, unsure how to answer that. "The transmissions we got came in a bit late since I had to fix the PDA and pod. We can't communicate back out to the other pods, but one did get a message to us so far. I haven't heard anything from them since though… And I've found some scrap metal around from the crash that I've been using to patch the pod, plus some… Extra things."

Tommy narrowed his eyes at that, looking at Tubbo suspiciously. "Extra things? How so, Tubso?"

At the question, Tubbo gave Tommy a shy smile as he moved from sitting to kneeling, sliding on his knees to the entrance of the pod and jumping down into it. A few moments later, Tubbo returned up the ladder now carrying a small device he must have had stored in the pod's storage box. Tubbo held the device out to Tommy, letting the other examine it curiously before looking back to Tubbo with a confused expression.

"I explored the waters around us while I waited for you two to get your shit together. There's actually a lot of resources around us so I brought some back and was able to make that repair tool. It's what I used to repair the lifepod." Tubbo explained this all to Tommy like it was the simplest solution. Just go out alone, explore the vast and probably dangerous ocean, find random resources and create a whole new device from scratch. Yeah, Tubbo, anyone can do that. Easy!

By the look on Ranboo's face behind Tubbo's head, Tommy assumed Ranboo and him were on the same wave length. That- out of the three of them- Tubbo was the smartest guy in the room. Hell, maybe the whole damn ocean planet at this point. 

As the three finished up their measly rations, Tommy continued to question Tubbo about everything that he'd missed. More so where the message from the other survivor said they were, did they think they could get back on board the Aurora and repair it with this new tool, what resources did Tubbo find while exploring, and what the ocean even looked like below the source.

Tubbo paused at that last set of questions. From their spots on top of the pod, Tommy and Ranboo couldn't really see below the surface of the water, the sunlight making it too hard to see. Judging by Tubbo's reluctance to answer, suddenly Tommy was beginning to fear what could possibly be down there. What if they were just over an endlessly deep and wide sea, unable to see the bottom and whatever horrors lurk there? Or what if he dove in right now, he wouldn't look down to see a giant gaping maul that stretched for miles.

Before Tommy's mind could go too far and send him into a full blown panic attack, Tubbo was finally answering the question, talking slowly as if he was choosing his words carefully. "We're over a shallow plain of mostly harmless fish and sea life. I say mostly because I'm pretty sure the plants down there are actually toxic, but maybe we could catch some of the fish and test them to see if they're okay to eat. A bit further out that way," Tubbo pointed in the direction of the mother ship, "Is this really cool looking kelp forest, but I only got as close as the edge. And over there," he then pointed a little more to the left, seeming excited to tell the others something before once again pausing.

After a moment of thought, he bit his lip, seeming to rethink whatever he was about to say. "Actually… I think you guys might want to see that for yourselves. The creatures down there look like a few species we've recorded on other planets before but what I saw over there… You guys really need to see it with your own eyes."

Ranboo and Tommy met each other's eyes over Tubbo's head at that, looking uncertain. With a raise of Ranboo's brow and a shrug of Tommy's shoulders, it seemed that the boys were at least in agreement to hear Tubbo out and go see whatever it was that had fascinated him so much out in the waters.

"The sun's getting low, so how about we go tomorrow?" Ranboo suggested, Tommy immediately agreeing more so because Tubbo looked exhausted and most definitely needed a good night's sleep after everything he did today. "Tommy and I had plenty of time to rest today, but you still need sleep, Tubbo. Go rest in the pod and, when the sun's up, we can go see whatever you want to show us."

For a moment, Tubbo looked ready to argue. His face scrunched up in distaste before slowly letting out a slow breath and nodding. As he slid back over to the opening of the pod, he made a point to look at Ranboo once more with a strange look before pointing to Tommy and disappearing back into the pod. Well, that couldn't be good.

Tommy sat there in silence, watching Ranboo purposely ignore his stare as they listened to the waves and the sounds of Tubbo shuffling around within the pod as he settled to sleep. Only after minutes had gone by without a sound from Tubbo and the sky was only getting darker did Tommy speak up, tired of the weird atmosphere around them.

"Okay, what the fuck is up, Ranboo? You two aren't telling me something and, seeing as I'm stuck here too with you guys, I should know." Tommy glared at the taller boy, noting the way the other shrunk at the words.

"To be fair… Tubbo was going to bring it up earlier, but got distracted with showing you the tool he made. While you were out, the PDA took some readings of the area around us. More specifically, the ship," Ranboo said as he motioned to the Aurora  in the distance, awkwardly rubbing at his arm in a self-soothing motion.

"Okay..? What's wrong with the ship? Well, other than it being shot."

"The PDA picked up increased radiation from the Aurora about a few hours ago. The drive core must have been damaged, and Tubbo thinks the radiation will only get worse over the next few days."

Radiation? That was worrying. Tommy shifted to look at the ship, studying it's exterior in the setting sun before glancing back to Ranboo.

"If we can get to the ship, do you think we could fix the core? Maybe we can repair the damage before it gets worse."

"Well… Here's the thing," Ranboo started, and Tommy knew right away he wasn't going to like this 'thing' very much. "Tubbo thinks the radiation is going to hit critical in only a few days, and if the core was damaged, it could lead to a massive explosion. I don't think it's worth the risk of getting close. Let the ship explode and we should focus our efforts on surviving here until help can come."

As many times as Tommy had disagreed with Ranboo over these past few months being in the space program with him, this was the one time he could agree with the other. Radiation and a possible explosion just sounded too dangerous to risk any of their lives over. He couldn't justify risking all, or even one, of their lives just for the possibility of repairing an already severely damaged ship. Even if the ship didn't explode, they could still get sick from the radiation alone. It wasn't worth it.

"Tubbo, though," Ranboo continued in a stilted manner, "thinks he will be able to get to the ship and repair it before the explosion happens. He spent time with a few of the engineers around the core learning about it during the first few months of our trip to the phasegate mission. He swears he can fix whatever leaks are there but… Tommy, even if he can, it's not safe. We don't know how much radiation is already in the area and how much more dangerous it would be not only on the ship, but near the core. Him and I already argued about this before you woke up but he won't listen and maybe if you-"

Ranboo cut off his own rambling when Tommy lifted a hand, placing it on the taller's shoulder in a reassuring manner. The two locked eyes and Tommy gave the nervous boy a small smile.

"Ranboo, for once, I agree with you. It's too dangerous. We're not letting Tubbo near that ship. We'll find another way to survive here until help comes. Maybe even find the other survivors." Ranboo seemed stunned at Tommy's agreement before nodding, relieved to not be the only one worried for their safety. "Tomorrow, we can talk to Tubbo about it. Not like he's going anywhere tonight with how dark it's getting…"

Sure enough, as the two looked out over the now darkened water, the sun just dipping below the horizon, the ocean looked like a whole different beast. Traveling that at night would be near impossible with the measly supplies they currently had, and they had no idea what else lay between them and the mother ship. It was too big of a risk to swim, and Tubbo was not an idiot. He wouldn't be leaving until the sun came up, Tommy was sure of it. Even if he could spot a few bioluminescent plants just below the surface, it wouldn't offer much help to them when the night itself was already so dark.

For about an hour or two, the two boys sat out under the stars. Tommy mostly watched the sky as he listened to Ranboo ramble about how he had been tracking the day cycle so far since he woke. He noticed how the day got darker way faster than it would back on their home planet, and if that's the case, they could be looking at a much quicker day and night cycle then they're used to. They may need to find a way to make light sources if that's the case, not wanting to be caught in the night and unable to see danger due to the darkness.

Tommy actually found he enjoyed listening to Ranboo's rambling. During their few months together on the ship, Tommy hadn't talked much to the other. Most of the time, the blonde spoke to Tubbo, and even then it was usually just joking around and being assholes to each other. No serious talks besides a few quick exchanges and stories about what inspired them to join the space program to begin with. He had talked to Tubbo multiple time, but when it came to Ranboo, Tommy could count on both hands how many times he spoke to the guy over their multiple month journey together. Even then, half of those times were probably Tommy making fun of the guy.

Tommy was just beginning to realize maybe he should have actually spoken to the taller sooner rather than just being a jerk to him.

Eventually, Ranboo gree tired, yawning a few times before finally giving in and saying goodnight to Tommy. When he disappears into the pod to go sleep, Tommy was left alone on the roof laying back in the small space there to stare into the sky. Tommy didn't know exactly how long he laid there, but eventually he too fell asleep, the sky still dark when he drifted off with gentle waves lapping at the side of the lifepod.

Chapter Text

When Tommy finds Tubbo staring off towards the mother ship later that day, he knows he needs to end that train of thought now before Tubbo gets too far. Tommy had been diving around in the nearby waters for most of the morning, catching a few fish and just exploring, though he didn't roam far from the pod. He had surfaced to catch his breathing, hanging on the ladder to the side of the lifepod when he just happened to look up and see Tubbo's stare.

With a huff, the blonde began to pull himself up the ladder, climbing just high enough to lean his top half onto the roof of the pod, his legs keeping him balanced on the ladder.

"Ranboo told me about the ship last night, Big Man," Tommy started, watching Tubbo's face for a reaction. When he only got one of interest, he continued, "He also told me about you wanting to go fix the core."

Tubbo's expression turned nervous at that, tapping a finger against the pod's roof and he shifted a bit more to better look at Tommy. "I can do it, Tommy. I studied it. I'm not an expert, fine, but the engineers showed me how they fixed leaks and maintained it. I can fix it, I just need to get out there."

Despite his nervousness, Tubbo seemed sure in himself. Determined, even. All it did was make Tommy frown, crossing his arms in front of him on the roof.

"Ranboo also said the core is leaking radiation. And you had said yourself it's going to explode-"

"If the leaks aren't fixed," Tubbo cuts in quickly, as if that alone will change Tommy's mind. He clearly must see what answer Tommy is leading up to, trying to sway the taller to reconsider his decision.

"Tubbo, it's leaking radiation right now. Explosion or not, you think Ranboo and I are just going to sit here and send you right into a radioactive zone? What if it makes you sick? What if it kills you? For fucks sake, Tubbo, we're not trading you for the chance of a slightly less damaged ship."

Frowning, Tubbo's hands balled into fists beside him, lips pressed into a thin line as he narrowed his eyes at Tommy. "Who made you the leader, Big T?" Tubbo said as if he was joking, even giving a small chuckle, but his tone sounded anything but joking.

"I'm the one who made the repair tool. I'm the one that put out the fires on the pod and cared for you and Ranboo after we landed here. It was me who repaired the pod and found usable resources and checked out the water first to make sure it was safe. I feel like, at this point, I'm the most qualified to even make the decision on if it's worth it or not to go fix the ship. The longer we waited on this, Tommy, the worse the radiation gets. If I leave soon, I can-"

"Fuck no!" Tommy practically barked out, startling a flinch from the smaller boy and effectively shutting him up. For a moment, the two just shot silent glares at each other before Tommy spoke again. "You're not going to that ship, Tubbo. That's it. Both Ranboo and I agreed. You're out voted."

Tubbo looked furious after that, mouth opening and closing a few times in aborted attempts to argue before the boy gave up. Not because he didn't want to continue arguing, but more so because he already knew Tommy wasn't going to budge. They could argue all day and all it would result in is wasted breath and even worse feelings. So, instead, Tubbo completely turned his back to Tommy, pulled his legs up to his chest, and just fell silent. Tommy watched him for a long few seconds, unsure if he should say something to try and ease the situation or just let Tubbo mope.

In the end, he climbed back down into the water and slipped below it's surface without another word, leaving Tubbo to fume.

▪︎°○

Tubbo never did take Tommy or Ranboo out to see whatever had excited him the day before. Apparently, hurt feelings tended to make people less willing to be around each other. Who would have guessed?

As little space as they had with each other- being three people on a lifepod just barely suitable for two- Tubbo found a way to spend most of his day away from the other's. If Tommy and Ranboo were in the pod, Tubbo stayed outside on the roof. If Tommy came to the roof, Tubbo disappeared into the pod or suddenly needed to go explore the ocean more. The only time he actually allowed one of them to get close to him was when Ranboo brought the other boy something to eat. The taller had recently learned how to cook the fish Tommy had caught earlier using the pod's own resources and, while it was not extremely appetizing, it was better than going hungry.

Accepting the food did seem to soften Tubbo's anger a little, at the very least, allowing Ranboo to sit on the opposite side of the roof from the shorter as Tubbo ate. The time was spent in silence, but at least it was something.

It was only an hour or so later when the PDA system gave a new update.

[Caution. Continued degradation of the Aurora's drive core may result in a quantum detonation. Continuing to monitor]

Immediately, all three boys tensed at the announcement. Ranboo had the right sense to at least look concerned at the news, looking between his crew mates anxiously. Tommy, on the other hand, had instantly turned to Tubbo, almost wanting to yell when he saw that look on the other boy's face again. That pressed lipped, furrowed brow, faraway eyes look that meant the brunette was very much thinking about the damaged drive core again.

The only thing that kept Tommy from outright snapping was him slamming the roof latch closed and locking it, glaring right into Tubbo's shocked eyes when the noise brought the other back to reality.

"We're all inside for the rest of the day. No one leaves until morning," Tommy said, not breaking eye contact with Tubbo once.

To say the least, Tommy wasn't shocked when Tubbo settled on the farthest side of the pod from him that night, curled up so small it almost hurt to see. At the end of the day, they were all just trying to do what they thought was best for their little surviving group. Tommy understood that. Tubbo just wanted to repair the ship. Salvage the thing they had called home for the past few months of their lives. Tommy was just trying to keep Tubbo from possibly completing a suicide mission, wanting to keep their little trio exactly that. Ranboo just wanted his friends alive, and if that meant cooking alien fauna or emptying fish bladders for fresh drinking water or gently persuading his angry friends to eat when they were still too mad to face each other then, well…

They were all going to survive this, even if they had to fight each other to do it.

▪︎°○

"I'm sorry."

The words shocked Tommy, to say the least. He had been climbing up the external ladder onto the pod's roof when Tubbo had surprised him with the sudden apology. Still dripping wet and now thoroughly stunned, Tommy could only ask the first eloquent question that came to his mind.

"W-what?"

With a frown, Tubbo let out a sigh and moved to sit beside the ladder, not exactly looking at Tommy as the other quickly climbed the rest of the way up and turned to sit beside Tubbo. Seems they were about to have a serious discussion and Tommy wasn't sure if he was ready for it.

"I've been thinking about… Everything, or well- I-...." Tubbo shifted awkwardly in his seat, pulling his legs up close to him and curling in on himself as he tried to find whatever words he wanted to say.

Tommy let the other think, just watching and waiting in return. In the short few months he had known Tubbo, the kid just didn't verbally apologize for his mistakes. Not that he didn't care or feel bad, Tubbo just never apologized with his words. When the brunette had accidentally closed a latch on Tommy's hand one of the first few times they had spoken, Tubbo had done all of Tommy's tasks on the ship for the next week to make it up to him even though Tommy hadn't even really been that hurt by the latch. When Tubbo messed up something for one of the engineers or other crew mates, the boy stayed up for hours learning how to fix his mistakes just so the others wouldn't have to. When Tubbo once snapped at Ranboo for something that wasn't even that bad, the boy made it up to the other by switching ration meals with the taller when Tubbo had the meal Ranboo liked better. The small smile on Ranboo's face made it clear he had forgiven Tubbo, maybe even before they had traded meals.

Tubbo just didn't do apologies, yet he always found a way to apologize.

"I know you weren't just telling me not to go to spite me. I understand you and Ranboo care and are just looking out for my safety. I shouldn't have yelled and ignored you guys for just trying to keep me safe. I'm sorry, Big Man, for being such a dick…" Tubbo looked down at the water, an expression of genuine distress across his face.

The funny thing is, Tommy hadn't even been upset by Tubbo's ignoring them or yelling at him. Mostly, he had just been worried the other was going to try and sneak off or something, but seeing the other sitting here, apologizing and genuinely upset by his own actions, Tommy knew he didn't have to worry anymore.

Putting a hand on Tubbo's shoulder, the blonde gave the other a small shake which earned him a huff from the smaller before Tubbo finally looked up to meet his eyes. With a smile, Tommy gave the shorter a shove and got one in return that nearly sent him tumbling back over into the water.

"I forgive you, Tubso, though I was never actually mad at you," Tommy admitted with a laugh, shaking his head at Tubbo's surprised expression. "Look, man, we all want to do what we think is best here. Since the moment I saw you on the ship as we were going down, you were trying to help Ranboo. You could have let me get off the lifepod after I helped, but you pulled me back down and forced me into that seat. I may not have even been alive if you hadn't done that." And wasn't that a scary thought?

"You repaired the pod and fixed me up and have done so much more in the few days we've been here that, frankly, it makes Ranboo and I look lazy. I know you're doing your best to help us, Tubbo. You have from the start, man. But throwing yourself head first into something that dangerous, fixing the core, we can't risk that- can't risk you. Hell, you're probably the smartest one of us, king. We need to keep you around if Ranboo and I plan to survive too."

Tubbo scoffed at that, though he seemed much more relaxed, shoving at Tommy once again. "Of course you just need me around for my amazing brain," the boy said in mock offense.

"Absolutely," Tommy joked back with a shiteating grin. "And we keep Ranboo around so we don't have to handle the gross fish bladders-"

"Is that all I'm good for?" A voice asked from the open latch, Tubbo letting out a laugh as they both turned to see Ranboo half out of the door and looking at them with a smirk. He had a few water bottles tucked in his arm, clearly having been on his way to give the supplies to his friends and the image certainly didn't help his case in this instance.

Immediately, Tommy and Tubbo broke out into laughter, Ranboo just chuckling as he pulled himself the rest of the way onto the roof and handed each boy a bottle. Tommy was quick to chug some of the water, not having taken a drink since he had started his swim earlier that day. Tubbo thanked the other as he too opened the bottle and took a few sips, Ranboo settling down on the other side of the brunette to let his legs dangle down the side of the pod.

For the first time since arriving on this planet, the three sat together with no hard feelings and no secrets between them, chatting back and forth about whatever came to mind. Mostly about the planet they found themselves on, Ranboo going over the day cycles again with excitement and Tommy bringing up the weird crooning they're able to hear underwater. Whatever was making that noise must be huge, and Tommy was a bit nervous to find out what it was.

At the mention of a huge creature in the water, Tubbo paused, seeming to remember something. Out of all their time here, Tubbo was really the only one to explore out furthest in the water. Tommy tended to stay close to the pod, only going far enough out to catch a few fish or peek his head into the mouth of some nearby caves. Ranboo had yet to even enter the water.

"I still have to show you guys something," the brunette suddenly announced.

Tommy and Ranboo looked at the other, interests peaked at the mention of this secret once again. They had all forgotten about it during their little disagreement, but now Tubbo seemed ready and eager to show the others again. "It's a little bit of a swim, but it's really cool, and safe, I promise."

Tommy gave the other a skeptical look, more so as a joke to the other superficially clarifying this surprise was safe. Beside them, Ranboo looked less enthused, worrying his hands together on his lap before speaking up.

"I can't swim out there," the taller boy blurted out, nearly flinching when the two other boys turned to look at him.

"Wait, what?" Tubbo asked, looking concerned. "You should have told us you couldn't swim, Ranboo. We should know these things considering the planet we're trapped on."

Ranboo held up a placating hand, shaking his head. "No, that's not- I can swim. Sort of… Like, if I need to to survive I can. Just… I'm allergic… To… The water…" Ranboo's voice grew more and more quiet as he finished his statement, ending it with almost a shy tone as he went back to wringing his hands together in his lap.

For a moment, all the boys were silent. Tommy and Tubbo stared at Ranboo as they processed that new information and Ranboo did his best to avoid their gazes. After some time, Tommy was the one to speak.

"You're allergic to water," he said, almost sounding unsure. Maybe he had misheard and he wasn't staring at a man stuck in his absolute worst case scenario.

Alas, Ranboo nodded, looking ashamed that he even had to admit this. "I was diagnosed when I was a kid. I had medication I used daily back on the Aurora but…" Ranboo gave a sad look towards the destroyed ship floating off in the distant water. "I won't die or anything if I go in, but I'll get really bad hives and it'll be really uncomfortable for a while and just- I would just really like to avoid it, okay?"

Ranboo nearly jolted when something hit his shoulder, looking over to see that it had actually been Tubbo who had hit him. Or, more so, headbutted his shoulder, rocking Ranboo slightly and earning a smile from both the boys at how goofy the show of affection had been.

"That's okay, Ranboo. You still should have told us sooner, though."

Beside Tubbo, Tommy nodded, shifting to lean over Tubbo and pat Ranboo's shoulder a few times, only stopping when Tubbo shoved the blonde away from him again. "We got you, king. You'll stay dry on the pod and Tubbo and I will just tell you about all the cool stuff we find. Bring you back souvenirs or something."

Tubbo nodded in agreement, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'll build a camera or something so I can show you all the weird fish down there and you won't have to get sick to see them."

"Oh! And I'll make a knife so I can hunt and bring back a bunch of different fauna for you to see. And maybe we can find an island or something and set up a base there so you can actually explore."

For the next few minutes, Tubbo and Tommy bounced back and forth between each other, proposing idea after idea on how to cater to Ranboo's allergy. From making a pulley system to lead the pod over to drier land to crafting a special submarine so Ranboo could actually go in the water and stay dry, the two boys were eager to find a way to help their friend. Ranboo almost looked teary eyed at that. He already knew how screwed he would have been if he had been on this planet alone, but now seeing just how willing these two were to help him and keep him safe, Ranboo knew he couldn't have gotten luckier being stuck with Tommy and Tubbo.

Unable to say his thanks without choking it out emotionally, Ranboo could only lean against Tubbo's side, the smaller not seeming phased at all and just continuing rambling with Tommy. Eventually, Ranboo was able to join in on the chatter again until Tubbo decided if they waited any longer, it would get too dark to see the big surprise.

As the two got set to leave, Ranboo made sure each boy had at least some water and food with them and gave Tubbo an extra first aid kit, the taller unable to trust Tommy with it. The blonde was still complaining about how unfair that was as the two dove into the water, Tommy just a little behind Tubbo as the shorter led.

Honestly, even though they were going out further than Tommy ever dared go, he wasn't nervous. He trusted Tubbo to not be leading them straight into danger, and they stayed close enough to the water's surface to leave most of the dangerous fauna far below them. Still, Tommy couldn't help but dive below the surface every so often, amazed at some of the bigger fish that lived within the kelp and coral of the ocean floor.

Soon enough, Tubbo was slowing his swim, checking under the waves quickly before surfacing to speak to Tommy. For the past few minutes, they had been hearing a low crooning noise getting louder and louder the closer they got to their destination, and Tommy just hoping that- if that was the thing Tubbo was showing him- it was a good noise and not a bad noise.

"Okay, they're here. Please don't freak out. I promise they're completely harmless, I even swam up to one when I first saw them. Just… Come on." With that, Tubbo flipped his face shield back on and dove down, Tommy following right behind him. It took not even a few seconds longer for something to come into view through the haze of the water, and even shorter amount of time for the two to actually approach it and-

Well, Tommy wasn't above admitting he did in fact scream. The noise was muffled by his helmet and the water, but still loud enough that it made Tubbo laugh and shove him, using Tommy as a springboard to get closer to the giant creature. What floated in front of them was a huge, hard shelled being that looked to be at least 50 meters long, if not more. Where Tubbo approached the thing eagerly, Tommy was a bit more cautious in his approach, amazed at it's bioluminescent undercarriage and flora growth across it's shell.

Surfacing for just a moment to get some air, the two boys immediately dove back down, this time so Tommy could explore the top of the creature and Tubbo could go swim around between the pod of leviathans, visiting each creature's back before moving to the next one. Tommy was in the middle of studying a rather weird looking plant when he was suddenly being tugged on the arm by Tubbo, the boy enthusiastically motioning for Tommy to follow him.

Curious, the blonde did, the two heading up at an angle towards the water's surface until Tommy saw exactly what Tubbo was leading him to. One of the creature's backs had surfaced above the water, leaving a perfect place for the two to climb up onto it. Tommy didn't need to be told twice, both boys climbing up out of the water and onto the shell. Tubbo practically fell back onto the reefback with a laugh, spread out as he bathed in the sun. Tommy stood a bit wobbly to explore the surfaced back, smiling wide by the time he returned to Tubbo's side and joined the other in lying down.

"Holy shit, Tubbo. These are so cool!" The blonde ran his hands through the slowly drying sea plants below him, watching the way a few sprung back up to stand after his hand passed over. In the distance, he could see the Aurora slowly moving along the horizon as the reefback swam, the motion both giving Tommy just a little sea sickness but also calming in how slow it moved.

Tubbo smiled. "I just wish Ranboo could see them. Bet he would love them." The brunette stretched his arms and back out against the creature before settling more comfortably beside Tommy, shifting so his head was closer to the other boy's as they both stared off towards the ship and sky.

From here, they could see the ship a bit clearer, Tommy feeling sour at the sight of it. They were supposed to be on their way home by now, not stuck on some ocean world dealing with radiation and giant creatures that may or may not try to kill them, with a ship threatening to become an atomic bomb at any moment. Tommy wondered if anyone was even aware of the crash yet. Wondered if they knew there were survivors and would even bother coming to look. Did they already tell his parents that he was dead…?

Tommy glanced at Tubbo out of the corner of his eye, seeing the boy looking at the ship with a frown, eyes thoughtful. Did Tubbo also have a family eagerly awaiting his return? The smaller never spoke of one, but surely someone would be missing him. Someone who would get the news that he wouldn't be returning as planned.

Tommy knew Ranboo had a family, but the older had once explained how distant and unattached his family was to each other. Would any of them even care if they found out Ranboo died during the space mission? Or worse yet, would they even feel relieved at all finding out he was alive?

Anxiously, Tommy bounced his leg against the reefback as he looked back at the ship and worried his bottom lip between his teeth. This wasn't the first time that he had thought about the crash, but it was certainly the first time he actually focused on it. How they weren't going back home. At least, not right away. Maybe not for a while, if at all. How they would have to survive here on a planet where humans had a clear disadvantage against the evolved hunters below them specifically bred for these conditions. How it was a miracle they had survived this long, and yet they would still need to fight every moment for the foreseeable future just to keep living.

How it would be so easy for one of them to get attacked while diving or drown or just otherwise not make it back to the pod, and how the other two would just have to keep going with the constant reminder that one of them is gone. Tommy wouldn't be able to live with that. He couldn't let that happen…

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Tommy opened his mouth to offer that they start heading back to the pod but instead it was Tubbo who spoke first.

"I feel useless," the brunette said suddenly, causing Tommy's mouth to snap shut with a click in surprise. "When I just sit there and watch the ship, knowing it's going to get worse and I know how to fix it but I can't, I just… It makes me feel useless. Not just for myself, but for you and Ranboo…"

Tommy frowned, sitting up on his elbow and shifting to face Tubbo better as the other spoke, his head blocking the sunlight from Tubbo's face. The smaller boy blinked up to look at Tommy, the expression on his face complicated and sad.

"I can do more. I can help, Tommy. Let me help. Even if it's dangerous, if you two just let me, I could-"

"Tubbo," Tommy cut the other off, watching Tubbo fall silent and look away. The look only made Tommy feel worse, knowing Tubbo was internally struggling with something that wouldn't be easily fixed with just words. Still, Tommy had to try. "You are helping, man. You don't have to constantly be putting yourself in danger to be helping, you know that right? Ranboo and I can do some heavy lifting too, it doesn't always have to come down to you, king."

Tubbo didn't respond after that. He didn't even bother to look back at Tommy or reassure the other in some way that he understood. As much as Tommy had to believe that Tubbo would stick to his promise, a pit in his gut that tightened sickeningly told him otherwise. Still, Tubbo promised, and Tommy had to trust his friend.

The tension between them slowly slipped away as the moment of silence went on, Tubbo turning his attention back to watch the ship and Tommy diving back in the water for a few minutes to explore the underbelly of the leviathan. When he resurfaced, the two boys exchanged some idle chatter about the creatures before Tommy finally did offer that they head back to the pod.

With a quick agreement from Tubbo, the two started the short swim back to shallow waters, making sure to stay clear of any dangerous looking beasts in the nearby kelp fields. When they arrived back at the pods, Tubbo let out a laugh as he saw Ranboo's head immediately pop out of the top of the pod, sighing in relief at seeing his friends.

"You okay there, Big Man? You look worried," Tubbo joked as he climbed up onto the top of the pod, Tommy following him up shortly after.

Ranboo's cheeks tinted a little redder at the question, letting out his own awkward chuckle as he fiddled with the rungs of the ladder he balanced on to talk to his friends. "W-well, you guys took a while to get back. I got nervous."

Immediately, Tubbo's smile grew wider, the boy leaning further over the opening of the pod so he could hover over his taller friend and coo at him, "Aww! Ranboo, my beloved! You were worried for us? That's so sweet, Big Man."

Tommy just huffed as he carefully squeezed his way down the ladder past Ranboo, both boys making sure not to drip water onto their hydrophobic friend even as they passed or leaned over him. The blonde yawned as he went to dig through their storage to try and find something to eat. From the ladder, he could still hear Tubbo teasing Ranboo, the taller having climbed up fully now to sit on the roof with Tubbo and emotionally fighting for his life against the embarrassment of being teased.

Still, it was nice to listen to as Tommy settled down to eat some cooked fish from earlier today. He made a mental note to find something to help preserve their meals better if the smell of the cooked fish was anything to go by. Maybe tomorrow him and Tubbo could go out exploring together. Watch each other's backs and collect some more resources. It would be better than just sitting around here all day.

▪︎°○

As the day came to an end- or, at least their best estimate of 'the day' considering the planet's time difference to their own internal clocks- Tommy found himself surprisingly tired from the day. He had done a bit of swimming and seeing those huge leviathans earlier had mentally worn the boy out. Ranboo looked even more tired, the guy having spent most of the day preparing food and water and first aid kits; generally keeping up with their basic needs to survive. Tommy had no idea how Tubbo and him would survive without Ranboo here holding down their current home base.

Tubbo had been tinkering around with a few things they had in storage, just testing parts and wires in the hopes of accidently coming up with something useful. As it stood, he hadn't made much progress and had decided to go to sleep early in a fit of frustration. Tommy almost gagged at the endearing look Ranboo had given Tubbo when the smaller had chucked the parts he had been working on against the wall and announced he was going to bed, Tubbo rolling onto his side with a huff. When Ranboo caught Tommy's disgusted look, the taller looked away in embarrassment, quickly going back to his own work instead.

Shortly after Tubbo fell asleep, the other two also settled down to sleep, the three awkwardly crushed together on the floor of the pod. Despite the uncomfortable arrangements, it didn't take long for them to fall asleep, Tommy himself barely stirring again until morning.

Chapter Text

As he stretched out against the floor with a yawn and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, it took a moment for Tommy's brain to register a small fact that was very worrying.

He could stretch out against the floor. The floor that, just hours ago when he fell asleep, had such little room to fit into that he had been pressed against Tubbo's back.

Tubbo's back.

Tommy nearly sprung to his feet when he realized the empty space beside him no longer held Tubbo. The movement and shifting seemed to ruse Ranboo a bit, the taller making a weak mumbling sound as he shifted to get more comfortable in his spot on the floor.

"Ranboo! Ranboo, wake up," Tommy urged the other as he shook Ranboo's shoulder. "Tubbo's gone."

Now that seemed to wake Ranboo a bit more, the other's eyes cracking open to look up at Tommy with a confused, "What?"

"Tubbo wasn't here when I woke up," Tommy clarified, face stern with concern and a bit of anger. "I'm going to check if he's outside. I'll be right back."

As Ranboo sat up to wake himself up fully, Tommy wasted no time in going through the lesser used emergency latch on the pod's floor to get straight into the water and look for his friend. All it did was cause Tommy's fear to spike higher when he saw no sign of the other boy in the water. He wasn't nearby catching fish or exploring, and a peak above water showed he wasn't relaxing on the pod's roof. The cave systems nearby were empty of any short brunettes and a frantic scan of the nearby kelp forests were no different.

Tommy was starting to panic.

"Ranboo!" Tommy called from the water, seeing Ranboo peak his head up through the pod's hatch to look at his friend. "I don't see Tubbo. I don't know where he went!"

Ranboo looked even more concerned at hearing this news, glancing around in the water before calling back to Tommy, "Maybe he went back to the place he showed you yesterday?"

"Maybe," Tommy mumbled more so to himself, but he couldn't help but glance at the crashed ship in the distance. Tubbo promised. He wouldn't be that stupid…

"I'm going to go check where we were yesterday then. I'll be back soon." Tommy gave Ranboo a wave as the other nodded in understanding, both about to split up when something peeped from inside the pod and from the device on Tommy's wrist of his diving suit.

[Warning. Local radiation readings suggest the Aurora's drive core has reached critical state.

Quantum detonation will occur within 2 hours.]

Tommy and Ranboo's wide eyes met over the space between them, a wave of fear coming over the two. The fear of the alert had made a wave of numbness shoot through Tommy's body, his mind going blank for far too long before finally coming back to his senses. He needed to find Tubbo now .

"I'm going to the reefs. Tubbo has to be there," he shouted to Ranboo, immediately turning to dive into the water without waiting for a response. That was the only place he knew Tubbo would go, and if he wasn't there…

There was no way Tommy could make it to the ship, find Tubbo in all that chaos and then drag them both back to the pod. If Tubbo was on that ship and not with the leviathans… Tommy shook the thoughts from his head, pushing himself to swim faster towards the location of the giant reefbacks.

It felt like it took far too long for the blonde to reach the open waters that held the leviathans, their melodic croons almost making the water around him vibrate with how loud and deep they were.

Surfacing to catch his breath and let his oxygen reserves refill, Tommy took one last breath before diving back down, swimming with determination between the giant beasts as he checked their backs, bellies and tails for any sign of the smaller boy. He even checked the ground far below them to see if maybe Tubbo had swam down there to explore.

With no sight of the other, Tommy felt the need to scream, the water around him muffling and swallowing up the noise. He couldn't do this. Tubbo couldn't do this to them!

Resurfacing over the reefbacks, Tommy treaded water as he frantically searched the water between him and the crashed mother ship, praying to see a bobbing head of brown or just any sign of Tubbo not being already within the ship. With still no sign, Tommy's anger and fear and frustration bubbled over into grief. A bitter feeling that had him wanting to cry.

He couldn't go any closer. He had to go back to Ranboo and tell him that he couldn't find Tubbo. If he didn't- if he approached the ship and also got caught in the explosion- that would leave Ranboo all alone, nearly helpless and wondering what happened to them. He couldn't do that to Ranboo…

So, biting back a frustrated sob, Tommy started the tiring journey back to the pod, pushing his arms and legs to cooperate until he was pulling himself onto the roof and collapsing. Ranboo was beside him instantly, looking concerned and scared.

"He wasn't there," Tommy informed the other quietly, looking up at the sky as his friend froze in his spot. "He went to the fucking ship… He broke- he promised-..." Tommy's words cut off, unable to finish what he was going to say.

Slowly moving from his kneeled position to sitting, Ranboo seemed to shrink into himself, eyes down on the hands in his lap for a long moment.

"Maybe… He had to have gotten the alert, too… Maybe he'll be back before it. Maybe he didn't go to the ship… Maybe-"

"Shut up, Ranboo," Tommy bit out angrily, his piercing blue eyes meeting Ranboo's shocked and sad ones. "Tubbo has been so focused on that damn ship you would be an idiot to think he went anywhere else. He left us to try and play hero and he's going to die because of it! And even if that fucker comes back before the explosion, I'm going to kill him."