Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Oh, how Tommy wished he could fly. To be floatless where no one can touch you, travel with the only boundaries in place being the tall mountains and skyscrapers, and–

“Thomas, back to work. We need this place spotless.”

–not worry about money. 

Tommy, or his awful legal name Thomas, nodded and continued to mop. He’s still not sure why this rich facility hasn’t bought advanced cleaning equipment for him, where he could just drive this mini car to clean for him. It’ll be so much more efficient, and sanitary too!

Though he supposes he is at the bottom of the power chain and his opinion doesn’t matter.

He’s so far down the power chain that he doesn’t even know why he’s cleaning this room and why it's of the utmost importance we get it sanitized . Their words, not his, he would never have such presumption vocabulary.

So he’s here now, mopping the beige tiled floor with a mop that was nearly as sterile as the tiles with its medical white fabric. At least there weren’t too many tables to hinder his cleaning, though he supposes having tables in this triangular room would be odd. Instead, the left side of the wall had one large counter extending the entire way with cabinets right above it. Three industrial-sized refrigerators and freezes lined the other wall. 

And in the center was a floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall, aquarium. The colorful coral swayed with the simulated waves and Tommy could faintly see tiny fish fluttering their fins to stay hidden within the manicured reef. Lush aquatic plants climbed up the rocks that reached the surface of the tank and down below where the tank extended further. From what Tommy can figure out, there seemed to be small caves littered around the aquarium with one large cave just to the middle right with seaweed covering the entrance.

It was beautiful, no doubt about it. He can’t imagine how much money it took to build this beast and how much it takes to maintain it. 

Well, he does know one price for how much it takes to maintain it; with an hourly wage of $25, Tommy was the sole person who had to clean that tank. 

He’s not looking forward to it. 

Does he wonder all the time why he’s the only janitor working this side of the building? Yes, of course. With this sort of pay, he would think that more people would be lined up to be hired. Yet here he is, mopping by himself for reasons unknown to him.

He’s only been here for a week as well. While the cleaning was tedious, that wasn’t the hard part. It was all the regulations.

He can only leave the perimeters on Wednesdays with permission granted from his supervisor, he must sleep in the designated employee rooms, he must follow all protocols and not question them, he can’t wander the building during his time off, and so much more. It was intense and still is.

But overall, he doesn’t mind it too much. He’s guaranteed housing and he can ask for any upgrades in his room, the food is decent and Tommy can’t cook for the life of himself, and the job is simple. 

So while cleaning the aquarium will be strenuous with all the scrubbing he’ll do, it’ll be fine. As long as they don’t put a shark or eels in the tank, then he’ll clean with no problem.

As he slowly approaches the aquarium, his mopping slows down once more. The blue surgical gloves squeeze against his fingers and he wishes he could wipe the sweat on his stark-white uniform. 

He wonders what will live in there. It couldn’t be for the small fish swimming around or else that’ll be a waste of space. No, this was big. Big enough that Tommy had to sign a contract to not speak to anyone about what he sees in here. Big enough that the facility was located in the middle of nowhere next to the ocean. 

Hopefully not big enough to eat Tommy up though. He still enjoys walking.

——

Tommy rolled up his khaki pants before he started to waddle in the ocean waves. Typically only the sound of crashing waves and seagulls could be heard here, but there seemed to be a large commotion near the facility. Trucks beeping as they back up, shouting, and banging against metal.

Not Tommy’s problem though, he’s not getting paid to worry about whatever is going on.

Plugging in the noise-canceling earbuds he just received yesterday, he started to play Animal Crossing music. Bopping his head to the beat, he bent over and started to riffle through the sand. Shells, dead sand dollars, and pretty rocks started to fill Tommy’s hands. He examined them all and decided to take an oddly red shell that almost looked pink, a smooth yellow shell, and a rock with green spots. 

Pocketing them, he looked up and breathed in the salty air. The sun floated just above the horizon, its rays starting to turn the sky into cotton candy. The clouds swirled around the sun yet still left a slither for it to shine through. The waves lapped against his calves and…

He couldn’t care less about the beauty at this moment.

Turning around, he walked back to the rock holding his shoes and towel. No phone with him as who would he even call? If he were to take a picture of the scene, who besides him will appreciate it? Certainly, not his parents, whose phone numbers he thinks don’t work anymore, and definitely not the few schoolmates he has the number to. 

Patting his legs dry, he put on his shoes and walked back to the facility. Following the faint trail he’s been making through the tall grass, he was soon at the back entrance of the building. Swiping his ID on the door, he opened it once it turned green.

Taking off his earbuds, he was reminded once more how void this facility was. Beige tiles, baby blue walls, and bright fluorescent lights shining away every shadow. Labeled doors lined both sides of the walls, doors which he supposedly has access to but he hasn’t needed to enter because there was no mess to clean. 

He straightened his back and kept his gaze up when a group of scientists turned into his hallway. Making direct contact with the head scientist, Tommy nodded his head when they crossed paths. The scientist, with a raised eyebrow and judgmental apple-green eyes, nodded back.

Yeah, there’s a reason why Tommy doesn’t have a lot of people who like him. He’s too intense, too demanding for his boundaries to be followed, too much self-respect, and too annoying . But the facility hired him and not the other candidates, so he’s just assuming they know what they’re dealing with.

Swiping his ID on another door, he finally entered the employees' common area. No one was in here, not even by the kitchen area brewing coffee. Maybe that commotion dragged everyone back to work? Either way, it wasn’t his problem.

Passing the dining area since he already had his dinner, he walked into the sleeping dorms. Going to the very end of the hallway, he swiped his ID on his door and let out a sigh once he was inside.

He hoped this job would be a break from his mundane barista job in the city. And it was, he’s never lived this close to the ocean nor been in such a professional environment. Yet he couldn’t imagine working here for months. It was too boring and not enough social interaction. 

Maybe he should start talking to the fish? At least they’ll have to listen since they can’t go anywhere. Yes, maybe he’ll do that.

Knocking his shoes off and leaving his ID badge near the door, he walked into the hotel-inspired room. Placing his newfound shells by his ever-growing collection on his desk, he flopped over to his bed. Turning on his TV to a random movie, he looked up at the smooth ceiling. 

He closed his eyes and pretended he was high above the sky. Flying in the middle of nowhere, perhaps the middle of the ocean where only dolphins can see him. 

Tommy slept like that, peaceful and lonely. 

—

“Thomas, please come to room A105. You may pick up your duties after this.” The Walkie-Talkie crackled to life and Tommy stopped wiping the windows. Furrowing his eyebrows, he took the device and pushed the button to let him speak, “Roger, be there in five.”

Leaving everything where it was, he exited the cubicle office. Trusting his memory to bring him to the right room, he walked down the identical halls. About four minutes later, he opened the door to A105.

Closing it very softly, he neared the group of scientists. They were all whispering to one another, each one aggressively pointing to their iPads that contained some sort of notes. Very quickly though, they noticed Tommy’s presence and quieted down. 

Silence took over the room. 

Not wanting to waste his time, Tommy spoke up, “You called me? Did a spill happen somewhere?” A young man with eyes that looked like green grass, shook his head. Tommy zeroed in on him and waited for the supposed leader to speak.

“No, not at all. We called you here to expand the procedures you’re expected to take when entering this room from now on. As you can see,” he pointed to the aquarium and Tommy let his eyes follow suit, “we’ve had major changes.”

For a moment, Tommy didn’t process what he was seeing. At first, it looked like a shark due to its size, but when hands took the place of fins and sharpened ears when he expected scale, he blanked. The creature– no creatures looked down at him, round eyes with round pupils, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Mermaids . 

Half-fish, half-human, he was seeing the impossible. Human faces that didn’t show any struggle at breathing underwater with a tail that flicked ever so often.

“From now on, wear your noise-canceling earbuds. No one is wearing them right now because the creatures are too drugged to use their powers. If they are misbehaving in any way, notify us. Most importantly, your procedure for cleaning the aquarium has changed.” The young man, or Dream as his name tag says, walked to a set of controls by the aquarium.

Meanwhile, Tommy was mentally shitting his pants. He’s supposed to clean the tank with those things in there?! That’s practically asking for a death wish.

Dream continued speaking like this was all normal, “These top buttons are the jets. When we want them to go somewhere, we click these. You’ll mostly want to move them into their caves because these buttons,” Dream glided his hand to the second row of buttons, “will close them inside the caves. The iron bars are very well designed, so don’t worry about them breaking out.”

Right because those long claws are harmless. Let’s just ignore the multiple, deep and long , scratches on the aquarium.  

“If they ever misbehave, simply call us and we’ll deal with it. Do not worry about disciplining them, that’s my job. My responsibility,” Dream snapped his eyes to the creatures with a smile in his eyes, “to make them obey. Do you have any questions?” Everyone looked back at Tommy and he simply shook his head. He doesn’t think they’ll appreciate an are you fucking serious as a question either way. 

Dream nodded and looked back at the creatures. Two of them were having an intense staring contest with Dream while another one stared at Tommy. Tommy froze as he stared into glistening brown eyes, the wonder of having his bedtime stories come true right in front of him.

“You are dismissed. Your first cleaning will be tomorrow morning. I hope you get enough sleep.” Dream spoke up once more and Tommy broke eye contact with the brunette creature. He nodded with all the confidence he didn’t currently possess and walked out.

He ignored the prickle at the back of his head and wondered if the creatures or Dream were staring at him. Tommy didn’t know which one he would prefer.

Walking back to his station, he felt his brain slowly pick up speed. 

The contract, the odd location of the facility, the commotion the other day, the strange rules, it all made sense now. He supposes if he ever captured a unicorn he wouldn’t want the whole world to know about it. With these mermaids, or were they sirens he doesn’t know, it would change the entire narrative of what they believe lives in the ocean. 

Which was certainly exciting news, but it still felt… peculiar. He may not be an expert in animals, but the tone when Dream was talking about disciplining didn’t sit right with Tommy. It sounded excited . A restraint with a lock that Tommy couldn’t see and hoped to never see what was barged inside of Dream. 

Guess that’s one sign to steer clear of Dream. 

He just hopes this doesn’t turn out like when orcas are held captive; the orcas kill the humans due to how they’re treated. Especially since Tommy will be the one with the closest proximity to them… yeah, he’ll be using those jets so he doesn’t become a meal. 

Reaching the room he was previously cleaning, Tommy sighed. At least cleaning the tank will be more exciting than cleaning the same tiled floor. 

—

With a sports shirt clinging to his skin and his back carrying too much equipment, Tommy was ready to clean the tank. Double checking he had all his cleaning supplies and scuba equipment, he pressed his diving mask and weight belt close to his body before taking a big step forward into the pool below him. 

A chill rose across his body from the temperature change but he adapted to it quickly. Those yearly summer lessons of scuba diving he was forced to go on didn’t disappoint him now. Making sure his regulator was giving him a good oxygen supply when he breathed in, Tommy dipped his head underwater. 

Doing a quick procedure checkup to make sure everything was going right with the equipment, Tommy slowly descended into the pool until he reached a wide tunnel. Due to reasons the scientists won’t tell him, he was currently in a pool that connected the aquarium to this private room. 

The room looked like where the scientists were collecting all their data on the creatures. With syringes, tubes, bunsen burners, too many computers, and those stupid-looking beige floor tiles. The only reason why he was allowed in such a secure place was that this was the only entry to the aquarium. With the aquarium being one story tall, Tommy was currently on the second floor and supposedly entering through the top of the tank.

The creatures were also supposedly in their caves, all snuggled up Tommy hopes, or else he’s about to become sushi. 

Slowly swimming through the tunnel and making sure his ears are equalized to the pressure, he enters the tank. It’s odd, that’s for sure. Everything looks more real, more tangible, than his flat perspective from the floor. It was no longer a picture frame that he got to get a peek at, but a diorama from a fantasy world.

Looking down, the same group of scientists from yesterday was down at ground level. White lab coats and iPads in their hands, it was odd to be watched so intensely and not know what they were writing down.

But a job was a job and he needed to start cleaning. 

Swimming over to the glass, Tommy took out his scrubber and sighed, which only let out a swarm of bubbles in front of his eyes. This was going to be a massive pain in the ass. At least his cleaning sessions were limited to twice per week, not twice per day as he was complaining. Today it was cleaning the glass and next time will be cleaning everything else.

Hurray. 

Not wasting any more time, Tommy started to scrub the algae away. He cleaned in rows, slowly lowering his body so his lungs don’t need to adjust to too much pressure from the water. He tried to ignore the deep grooves in the glass made from sharp, angry claws and the scientists looking at him and the creatures behind him.

He was doing a fantastic job to ignore all these factors, his mind going on autopilot at one point. But when he pushed himself off the glass and turned around to maneuver around a rock, he stopped dead in his tracks. 

Not even an arm's length away was one of the creatures. 

Almost hysterically, Tommy noted how much bigger these beings were. Enough to spell them as predator and Tommy as prey. 

Tommy was stuck staring at the creature, this one not the same one from yesterday. And as Tommy was taking in more of their features, he realized with eeriness how similar he looked to them. Blond hair that floated to their shoulder and aqua blue eyes, both features just a few shades off from Tommy’s hair and eyes. 

The creature leaned forward, their face nearly touching the iron bars, and Tommy flinched back. 

Fuck, what is he doing? 

With no priority besides that he had to move away, Tommy waved goodbye to the creature and moved past the cave entrance. He checked on his equipment to distract himself and not mentally slapped himself.

Waving, really? That’s his first response to leaving a situation? He hopes none of the scientists saw that. 

Seeing that his scuba gear was still good, he continued to clean. Learning from his mistake, Tommy didn’t abruptly turn around anymore. 

Not nearly soon enough, Tommy finally reached the bottom of the aquarium. His feet floated just above the sand, a small school of fish swimming a couple of feet away from him. The scientists migrated to the back of the room now, none of them paying attention to Tommy. 

Seeing that his job was complete, Tommy slowly ascended to the top. And perhaps he wasn’t as anxious as when he got in the tank or he was just a fool, but he let himself face the inside of the aquarium instead of the room.

Like always, the scene is exotic. 

The colors were more vibrant up close, even with the white led lights washing everything a cold white. Either way, he doubts any photo could do justice to how grand this place was. Even the sand pulsed with its aburn grains and twirled with the seaweed embedded in it. 

As he swam up, he saw the blond creature again. He noted how the creatures didn’t have any eyebrows and instead had flat noses and thin, blue lips. It was hard to know if the face the blond was making was neutral or aggressive, but either way, Tommy decided to wave goodbye once more. 

To his surprise, the creature waved back. Tommy’s jaw would’ve dropped open if it wasn’t for the tube in his mouth making sure he has air and doesn’t drown. 

The creature then stayed there and watched Tommy as he climbed back to the surface. Surprisingly, Tommy’s heart didn’t thump in his chest by this act. Maybe it was because of the humane communication or how non-threatening the creature acted. Still, Tommy supposes he should get used to them since he’ll be seeing them a lot more often. 

Once he reached the top, he went through the tunnel and breached the surface. Swiping the hair that stuck to his mask, Tommy went to the ladder and climbed up. His muscles strained at having to lift the heavy equipment away from the water’s buoyancy. But with a quick unbuckle, the backpack with his oxygen tank was set on the ground.

He swiftly took off his fins from his feet and anything else on his body. Patting himself dry and changing into a thick hoodie and some sweatpants, he was ready to leave and take a nice, hot shower. 

Just as he was putting all his equipment away in a storage unit, the door opened. Tommy turned around and blinked at Dream, almost surprised his army of scientists wasn't behind him. 

“Hello Thomas, it’s nice to see you once again. Thank you for cleaning the tank, it’s much easier to see now.” Tommy waited for Dream to add more, the real reason why he came here. When the silence went on for too long, Tommy figured he should respond.

“Oh, it’s no problem. It’s my job after all.” 

Dream nodded at that statement and just stared at Tommy. Tommy was slowly getting annoyed by how often he was staring at things without any outcome, so he turned around and finished putting his equipment away.

When he turned back around, he half expected Dream to not be there. Though there weren’t any footsteps to indicate Dream left, it was too silent in the room with another person’s presence. No breath or shuffle of clothes, just stillness. 

Tommy slung his backpack on and gave a tight smile to Dream, “Excuse me.” Dream smiled back and didn’t move. 

Well then, guess he’s a prick.

“You know Thomas,” Tommy raised his eyebrow at his name, “we were very impressed that the specimen didn’t try to harm you. They were very erratic before you entered the tank. My group and I decided it would be best if you come to our research appointments from now on. We’ll update your schedule as well.” Dream stated, not even asking if Tommy wanted to be a part of their experiments. 

“We’ll also raise your pay as compensation, of course.” Never mind, Tommy has no more complaints.

He’ll do whatever it takes for him to retire earlier with more bank in his pockets. Even if that’s courting danger herself with her mysterious sea creatures.

Chapter Text

Who does this bitch think he is? 

Tommy side-eyed the brunette creature who was currently waving at him. Did the blond one teach him that or is waving of the hands just a universal greeting? 

When the creature realized Tommy wasn’t waving back, the creature’s face scrunched up in displeasure, showing off his sharp teeth. Too bad so sad, the blond one was Tommy’s favorite. Why was the blond one Tommy’s favorite though? Out of spite and to annoy the brunette.

After a month of staying in the facility, Tommy has gotten to socialize with the creatures, or specimens as Dream called them. The blond one was the leader and seemed to see Tommy as no threat, which delighted the scientists and offended Tommy. Does the blond one not see how much shit he has to carry in comparison to the scientists? All the scientists have to carry is a measly iPad, while Tommy is over here hauling boxes and oxygen tanks daily.

The other two creatures also categorized Tommy as non-threatening. While the scientists are coming up with theories as to why this seems to be the case, Tommy is coming up with how to poison the creature’s food. Tommy got this job to be seen as an adult. However, everyone is acting like he’s a harmless baby, both the scientists and the creatures!

The audacity. 

While the blond one is acting like Tommy is a cat and going pspspsps with his waving, the other two creatures are having their own fun.

The brunette seemed to have made it his life mission to annoy Tommy. Though Tommy doesn’t hear it, he can feel the clicks and trills the brunette makes at Tommy through the water. He’s heard a few recordings of them when Tommy was invited to the research appointments, and while it sounded quite pretty, Tommy wished he stopped. He was getting headaches from how much the water was vibrating around him.

Now the pink one was a lot more chill. When the other two creatures weren’t present, the pink one would float behind the iron bars and watch Tommy. Observing is what the scientists call it, babysitting is what Tommy calls it. But the pink one is fine, just a bit intimidating with his large body– or is it tail size? Either way, the fucker was bigger than Tommy both vertically and horizontally.

Unfortunately, neither the pink nor blond one were here and Tommy was stuck with the brunette. He was currently fixing the minor scratches on the aquarium, though the number of scratches seem to be going down in quantity as time progresses.

Just as Tommy was about to move on to the next scratch, his whole body was pushed backward. He spread his body out to slow down the momentum, and once he was upright again he turned around to glare at the brunette. The brunette smiled at him and flapped his tail once more, sending an invisible wave toward Tommy that toppled him over once again. 

Oh this bitch. If chocolate is poisonous to dogs, does that also apply to fish? 

Flipping the creature off, Tommy swam further down the tank to be out of eyesight. As he went to reach for his equipment, his hand came up empty. Confused, he looked down at his buckle that held everything. Grabbing the cord that should’ve had his scraper was instead an empty carabiner.

He looked around to see where the scraper went, even though it was complete nonsense that it somehow escaped, and found it at the bottom of the tank. A few fish poked their face into it, searching if there was any food on it. A burst of irritation bloomed in Tommy and he made sure that the fire in his chest kept going as he turned around. 

Tommy swam back to the brunette and immediately flipped the fucker off the moment he saw a glimpse of that fluffy brown hair. The brunette looked beyond happy that Tommy came back and Tommy just shook his hands more aggressively to show off how many fuck you’s he wanted to say. 

The brunette threw his head back, bubbles coming out of his throat as he… laughed? Oh this bitch. 

The brunette then proceeded to copy Tommy and raise his middle finger to Tommy. Oh this bitch.

——

What was that one song called? Fuck This Shit I’m Out by The Theme Song? Because that is exactly what Tommy is feeling and playing in his head as he watches the pink one chomp on the scientist’s arm and upper chest. Blood splatters everywhere and starts to pool on the beige tiles, the scientist quickly being dragged into the pool. 

Everyone was screaming, minus Dream and Tommy, and orders were quickly being shouted by seemingly everyone. Dream was calmly telling people to grab their nets and start lowering the water level in the pool. Tommy’s in the back, sitting on a stool with his favorite hoodie on and thinking fuck, do I have to clean that shit? 

At the same time, did Tommy get into too many fights that he’s used to this level of gore? Should he be worried about his mental health or something? 

…

Nah, he’s alright. He built character as his dad used to say. He doesn’t know if his dad would still say that since the last time they interacted with one another was Tommy punching him in the face and then fleeing to a hotel. At least he didn’t need to clean up that mess with blood pouring out of his dad’s nose.

“Thomas, grab a mop and start cleaning. You can come and clean it with bleach after we’re done with,” Dream sighed as a half-eaten man was pulled out of the pool, “this.” Tommy gave him a thumbs up and left to go get his cleaning equipment.

When Tommy came back in his proper uniform and mop, the dead man was already in a body bag. He gave a solid nod to the scientists nearby that were sniffing, feeling a little bad that he didn’t feel bad. What did they expect to happen when they tried to pull a scale off the pink one’s face, that he wouldn't bite? An idiotic move for people who claim to be so smart. 

Wringing his mop out, he started to clean. Not minding the wet copper smell, he cleaned until the floor was void of any red. Most of the blood was by the edge of the pool, so some of it did run down and into the water. 

Speaking of the pool, the water level had dropped to about half of its height. The tunnel that Tommy went through to reach the aquarium was now visible, a latch blocking any water from entering– Tommy glanced at the pink one swimming about– or anyone from leaving. Pieces of body parts floated around and that was as far as Tommy wanted to digest that information and what it looked like in the pool.

“Thomas,” Tommy stepped away from the pool and looked over at Dream, “you can clean everything tomorrow morning. Until then, have a good evening.” Tommy nodded and went to put away his equipment in the right place. As he was doing so he glanced at the nets, humanoid muzzle, and suspicious tranquilizers.

He could only stay here so long though. With a heavy heart and hope that they don’t punish the pink one too much, Tommy left.

——

Tommy scrubbed the seashells clean, a little confused why the scientists wanted him to clean the shells. He can’t ask them though, it’s part of his job to be clueless, so he kept on scrubbing. 

He looked up when a flicker of pink joined the blond behind their iron bars. Tommy paused when he noticed a few scales gone from the pink one’s face and tail. Though the missing scales weren’t obvious with how matte his scales were, Tommy could tell they were missing. Perhaps it was all the time spent with the creatures that he just unintentionally memorized what they looked like.

The blond one was the shortest of them all, though still much taller than Tommy by two feet at least. His fins were slender and he was the more agile one. A mixture of sandstone and obsidian-colored scales climbed up his tail, sections of his arm, and around his face. Large gills fluttered at his neck and his pupils were down to slits.

Both the pink and brunette had similar features, just different colors. The pink one had thick red and pink scales, while the brunette was soft browns and gentle yellows. The pink one was the largest, his tail and fins wider with sharper claws. The brunette was in between the pink and blond, a combination of what the other two creatures had to offer.

Tommy hoped that removing the scales wasn’t too painful. Those tranquilizers should’ve numbed some of the pain at least. 

Feeling bad about the abuse these creatures were going through, Tommy tried to think of ways to cheer them up. The three were used to the open ocean, where the only walls and ceilings in their life were the wide waters and open air. Something to remind them of the sea, but still small enough for Tommy to sneak in…

Tommy looked down at the perfect seashell in his hand, not a single scratch or sign of life in it. He tossed it away and waved at the blond one.

He can definitely improve the shell quality here.

——

“Thomas, thank you for joining us. I’d like to introduce you to Dr. Halo. He’ll be joining our group and will have the same authority as I do. Anything he says, goes.” Dream nodded in Dr. Halo’s direction and Tommy offered out his hand. 

Dr. Halo accepted the handshake and Tommy internally rolled his eyes at the passive strength in the handshake. Tommy hopes Dr. Halo won’t be a pushover or else Dream might as well still have the same status as before; dictator. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Thomas, I’m happy to join the team. I hope we don’t cause too many messes for you to clean up.” Dr. Halo and Dream laughed, Tommy joining in with a dry laugh. 

“Don’t worry about that Halo, Thomas is paid for a reason. Now that introductions are done, how about Thomas gives you a tour of the building? The others and I are currently performing an experiment right now and I don’t wish to overwhelm you with too many events.” Dr. Halo’s eyes lit up and he nodded.

“Yes, that would be perfect! I’ll want to know about the experiment once Thomas and I are done.” Tommy’s eyes flickered between the two men, completely weirded out by how civil this conversation was.

“Of course, I’ll email you the results. Until then, since you don’t have a master key yet, I’ll be giving you mine. This unlocks all the doors and doesn’t alert security. Please keep it safe.” Dream passed his lanyard to Dr. Halo and he accepted it by placing it over his neck.

Dream looked back at Tommy, the smile in his eyes dying, “Thomas, I hope you give Dr. Halo a proper tour. You’ll be excused from work today.” Tommy nodded and gestured to Dr. Halo to follow him.

Deciding the best course of action was to take him to every room, he did just that. Though Tommy could also technically open every room like Dream, his ID card will alert security which rooms he opens when the rooms he opens aren’t part of his schedule. Gesturing for Dr. Halo to open the first door, the light went green and they entered the food room where the creature's food was prepared.

Tommy told Dr. Halo as such and waited until he was done exploring the kitchen and multiple fridges.

“So what do you do in your free time, Thomas?”

“It’s Tommy, Dr. Halo.” Tommy hoped tacking on the formal title would lessen the annoyed tone in his voice. 

Dr. Halo blinked and then smiled, “My apologies. What do you do in your free time, Tommy?” Tommy blinked at the disregard Dr. Halo had for his attitude, and all the responses Tommy had prepared in his mind when Dr. Halo would yell at him went down the drain.

With some caution, Tommy responded, “I mostly listen to music. Occasionally I’ll go on walks on the seashore that’s nearby.” Short and relatable, an answer that’s easy to digest. 

“That sounds lovely. Maybe I can join you one day on your walks?” Dr. Halo looked up, a soft smile pointed towards Tommy.

Tommy pursed his lips, not used to this casual kindness, “Maybe.”

——

Sneaking in seashells was surprisingly easy. Just hold them in your hand and hope no one notices until you're underwater. This is exactly what Tommy did, all consequences thrown out the window.

As he was entering the tank, he casually stopped by a rock and pretended to check on his equipment. With acting skills that were worthy of an Oscar, Tommy coincidentally placed his hand on the rock to steady himself and placed the seashells. Deciding that his checkup was good, Tommy went over to the glass. 

Hopefully, that little present will be enough to cheer them up slightly.

——

“Thomas, thank you for joining us. We’ll shortly explain to you what we want you to do. I will preface that you will be safe during this experiment and we’ll pull you out the moment anything suspicious occurs.” Tommy nodded, but in reality, he wanted to shake his head and leave.

He’ll be safe during this experiment? Why would he even need to worry about his safety if this experiment is supposedly so safe? This sounds like it’s above his payroll and he will be bringing this up when he has an evaluation.

Tommy waited until Dream and Dr. Halo was done talking with the scientists and turned back around to him. Dr. Halo smiled at Tommy when their eyes met, while Dream only glanced at him.

“After you change into your scuba equipment, we want you to enter the cage in the water. We’ve already run different experiments with this same method and no one has been harmed. We’ll see you in fifteen minutes once you’ve changed.” Tommy nodded and fuck he didn’t want to do this.

But what was complaining going to do? He feels like Dream has a backup plan if Tommy decided to abort this experiment and Tommy did not want to test it. 

So within fifteen minutes, Tommy was in his swim trunks and a generic long-sleeved shirt, and scuba equipment ready. He entered the room again and went over to the pool. Just as explained, a metal cage with iron bars wrapped crisscrossed on all sides was hovering over the water. Just below the water was the brunette, doing lazy circles around the bottom of the pool.

Sending a fuck you to his dad mentally in case this is where he dies, Tommy steps in. The cage swayed back and forth a little, but the pulley that was holding up the cage was doing a good job of making sure Tommy doesn’t die. 

“Now Thomas, all you have to do is stay still. Don’t put any body part outside the cage or else we can’t guarantee you’ll have it when you come up again. Don’t do any sudden movements either. Simply be yourself. We’ll lower you in ten, nine, eight,” Dream counted down and Tommy could only snort.

Be himself? If Tommy was being himself then he would’ve cursed Dream out at least five times by now and have walked out of this room. Though it was too late to do any of that as the hatch that he entered through got shut and the cage started to lower.

As the water started to ascend in the cage, Tommy kept his eyes on the brunette. Tommy couldn’t tell if he was looking up, his brunette hair camouflaging too well with his scales. Once he and the cage were fully submerged, he waited and watched the brunette.

It was easier to watch the brunette underwater too, the light waves not distorting any images. Tommy observed as the brunette stopped swimming, the two of them making direct eye contact. Tommy held eye contact even as the brunette started to swim towards him and eventually stopped right in front of Tommy. 

Brunette reached his claws forward, and even though the iron bars halted his approach, Tommy moved back to put some distance in between them. Brunette crooned at Tommy, though Tommy could only tell because the water rippled around him from the vibrations. When Tommy did nothing, the brunette made the same sound again.

This went on a couple of times and once the brunette realized Tommy wasn’t going to respond, he began to circle the cage. Which was so much fun as Tommy realized he couldn’t keep up with the brunette’s swimming and just had to hope he wouldn’t get injured. His heart hammered in his ears and chest and fuck, he wanted to leave. 

There was a big difference between the creatures being behind bars and Tommy being behind bars. Tommy felt like prey where both fight and flight aren’t an option at this moment. He’s trapped, eyes trying but failing to keep track of the brunette as he goes round and round the cage. His tail and head not that far apart as he coils around. Tommy has no control over his fate and maybe that’s what scares him the most. 

Knowing that no matter what you do, it won’t change anything.

When Tommy’s in the tank, cleaning away at the algae, he knows that if the creatures were to ever find a way to escape their caves, Tommy would be dead meat. He’s too small and too slow compared to the creatures, but at least he’ll have a chance to escape. He’ll be seen as a human escaping a creature, not a trapped meal awaiting its death. 

Both the creature and Tommy flinched when the cage started to move up. Alarmed, the creature went above the cage and tried pulling the chain down. When that didn’t work and the cage kept up its steady climb, the creature laid down on the cage. 

Oh this bitch. 

Truly, the brunette was out to make Tommy’s life as difficult as possible. The worst part was that lying on the cage actually did slow it down, and now Tommy and the brunette were having some intense eye contact.

Dream said Tommy should be himself? Don’t mind him then, he’s been holding back.

Tommy flipped the brunette off with both hands because fuck that dude. Tommy didn’t need this amount of stress so early in his life. 

But then Tommy’s eyes looked where the edge of the pool was and his heart froze. Nets and guns, hopefully filled with nothing more than tranquilizers, were aimed at the brunette. The surface was still slowly approaching them and shit and balls, Tommy needed to do something now, or else the brunette was going to be hurt. 

Hopefully, this will repay the pink one for when he was hurt.

Throwing caution out the window, Tommy swam up and poked the creature’s belly. Luckily his finger was still attached when he did that but the brunette still didn’t move. Doing it again and again with more force behind it, the brunette only crooned at Tommy in possible confusion.

With panic starting to set in because he didn’t want the brunette to be harmed, Tommy took out his oxygen tube from his mouth and screamed. Water quickly filled his mouth, yet only relief filled his body when he saw the brunette jerk away. Maybe it was the fear in Tommy’s eyes or the terror in his scream, but the creature finally moved off the cage.

Shoving his regulator back into his mouth, he cleared the water from his mouth and took a solid breath in. Before Tommy could look back at the creature, his head broke the surface of the water. 

Silence greeted Tommy as his body fully left the pool. Looking back down, the brunette was once again swimming circles at the bottom of the pool. Yet now he was staring up at Tommy, face creased and mouth shrunk in. Tommy took out his noise-canceling earbuds, not caring that the brunette was nearby since he has never shown the want to hurt Tommy.

“Thomas,” Tommy looked up and held back his flinch when he noticed over twenty people all staring at him, “we’ll be expecting you here next week. Today’s session was quite… remarkable to say the least. We'll need some time to analyze what just occurred. Until then, you’re dismissed.” Dream motioned for someone to open up the hatch for Tommy to leave and then turned his back to discuss with the nearby scientists and Dr. Halo.

Dr. Halo gave Tommy a tight smile, emotion swirling in his eyes that Tommy did not have the current brain capacity to analyze.

With numb limbs, Tommy exited the cage. Taking one last glance at the brunette, Tommy left the room. A single thought bounced in his head as he walked towards the bathrooms.

He understood Tommy.

Chapter Text

If Tommy ignored his problems long enough, then he doesn’t have to deal with them. This whole mermaid creature thing that was going on? It actually isn’t and Tommy isn’t going to think about it. 

He’s just a simple janitor, mopping up a pool of blood because it’s a slip hazard. That scientist in the iron cage that is currently being shredded apart by the blond one? Simply does not exist. That’s right, Tommy just didn’t get enough sleep and his brain is making shit up.

He’s just a humble seventeen-year-old, doing his honest day of work. 

After this, he’ll go and continue cleaning, have some dinner, maybe walk alongside the shore–

“Thomas,” Tommy sighed as his daydream crumbled, “come over here. We need to discuss some matters with you.” Tommy set down his mop in his professional bucket and wiped the bottom of his soles on a towel. No way is he about to make a mess he has to clean up. 

Tommy walked over to Dream, though Dr. Halo was nowhere to be found. Odd . Usually, both of them would inform Tommy of any changes that involved himself. Perhaps Dr. Halo was simply busy?

“You need something from me, Dream?” Dream nodded and started to walk towards the computers. Startled, Tommy followed behind him. 

“As you know, the specimens don’t seem to see you as a danger. Dr. Halo has opposed us continuing to use our scientists for the experiments, but he also has major concerns over us using you. You can see how this is a problem, yes?” Tommy slowly nodded, though Dream wasn’t even looking in Tommy’s direction.

“Due to this, we have come to a… stop in our research.” The two stopped in front of the computers. Multiple screens were lit up in a harsh white, all with different live footage. One was a wide pan of the aquarium, others were specific sections of the aquarium, and one was currently filming the blond. It was creepy.

“However, I can’t allow that. These specimens are what will allow us to advance society. They are what will allow us to be better.” Dream took a step forward towards the computers and gazed deeply at the blond. Tommy took a step back from that craziness. 

Be better? Advance society? Tommy didn’t know he was in a movie with a crazy scientist. What’s next, human sacrifice? 

“So we’ll be changing your schedule. A minor thing really. From now on, when you go to clean the tanks you’ll also be feeding the specimens some fish. The fish will be dead, of course.” Yes, of course, because Tommy was worried about the fish.

Dream continued like the prick he was, “We’ll be monitoring you through these cameras. If anything were to happen, though I predict nothing will, then we have precautions in place.” Tommy waited for Dream to tell him what those precautions exactly were, but he just walked further down the rows of computers.

Tommy stayed where he was, no way was he going to follow that guy unless instructed to do so. Just when Dream turned around and opened his mouth, the door to the room opened. In came Dr. Halo with a young-looking scientist.

“Ah, Dream! Sorry for being late, this little guy had some software difficulties. What did I miss?” Dr. Halo surveyed the room and immediately frowned at the diluted blood on the floor.

Dream kept his mouth shut as Dr. Halo slowly turned towards him, “Dream, what is this? I thought we both agreed to stop these unethical experiments. Especially since Tommy is the one cleaning this up! This is no scene for a teenager to witness, let alone clean up.” Tommy froze, not expecting to be brought up into this argument. 

Dream pursed his lips and simply looked away. Dr. Halo pinched the bridge of his nose and roughly exhaled, “Please understand that if this happens again, I will report to the Board. I’m aware that they have… lowered their morals to allow you to do as you see fit, but you are killing people. What will happen when the public hears of this?” 

“The public won’t hear about it, all who work under us are contracted to never speak of what happens here.” Dream calmly commented and Dr. Halo nearly exploded on him.

“That’s what you focus on?! Human lives have been wasted and you focus on the public image?” Silence rang through the room, everyone watching the two with wide eyes. Dream did not comment and Dr. Halo hummed very loudly into the palm of his hands, a silent scream. 

With a deep furrow in his eyebrow, Dr. Halo spoke up, “Everyone, you are dismissed. Tommy, I’ll be visiting you during dinner.” Tommy nodded and scrambled to leave the room.

His heart pounded as he rushed to get to his dorm, memories playing back of when his mom and dad fought. Being dragged into their petty arguments like he was a doll to be tugged around. Though Dr. Halo was trying to protect Tommy, his stern voice hit a bit too close to home.

After multiple twists and turns through the beige corridors, Tommy finally made it to his dorm. He resisted the urge to slam the door behind him but habit told him that it would only make people mad. So he gently closed the door and immediately went to his window.

Sliding the window up, he climbed out and onto the pebbles.

No one should notice he’ll be gone while Dr. Halo is ripping Dream apart, right?

——

It seems like despite Dr. Halo chewing Dream up, Tommy still had to go and feed the creatures their dead fish. A compromise was established between the two doctors as Dr. Halo explained to Tommy that backup was on standby. Dream was by the rows of computers, pretending he wasn’t eavesdropping. 

Reassuring Dr. Halo for the tenth time that Tommy was okay with this, Tommy went about his usual routine. The only difference was now he had a sack of dead fish clipped on and there was both a mother hen and a crazy scientist actively watching him. 

He jumped in the pool and sped through his safety procedure, truly just wanting to get over this. All he was doing was throwing some dead fish through the iron bars, it wasn’t that big of a deal. Now that Tommy is thinking about it, he doesn't see how giving fish to the creatures achieves anything . 

Man, these scientists were weird. 

Either way, he went through the tunnel and soon entered the tank. The creatures were in their usual caves, only the blond one out to greet him with a wave. Tommy sighed and waved back. 

Luckily, his duties to clean were reduced due to him volunteering his time for their experiments. At least that’s what Dr. Halo said. It sure didn’t feel like that when Dream ordered him. 

Doing as he was asked, he did some light maintenance on the glass, only scrubbing where there was a buildup of algae. During this time, his mind drifted to what was to come.

In all seriousness, Tommy was a little excited about this. Feeding the creatures and getting close to them? If that didn’t sound like a kid's dream then he doesn’t know what does. Perhaps it was a little of his morbid curiosity peeking through, wanting to know more about these creatures even after witnessing them kill two humans. Brutally, might Tommy add. And he knows what brutal is, he’s had to live with his dad.

Plus, Tommy would like to think the likelihood of him getting hurt is nonexistent. He doubts that today will be the day the creatures magically cut the iron bars open, and even if they do, would they even hurt Tommy? They’ve been nothing but hospitable, simply waving and watching him. Honestly, this was great and he can do less work for the same pay. 

Deeming the glass clean enough, Tommy turned around. The blond one was watching him, like always, and waved at him. But Tommy didn’t wave back this time because he wasn’t saying goodbye just yet.

As Tommy swam closer to their bared-off cave, the blond stayed where he was. His mouth moved in some sort of croon, but Tommy was too far away to feel its vibrations. Very quickly, the blond realized Tommy was swimming towards him and he let out another croon. 

Tommy tilted his head as the blond lowered itself to the ground of the cave, curling his tail in. He looked smaller and not quite as intimidating as before. Tommy glanced into the cave, curious if the other two were going to join him, but it was pitch black in there. 

Oh well, guess the blond is going to feast tonight. 

Taking a fish out of his bag, he presented it to the blond. While Tommy couldn’t quite read his expressions, the lack of eyebrows and thin lips contributing to that, he looked puzzled. A croon left the blond one, which Tommy felt, and for the fun of it, Tommy tried to reciprocate it.

Taking out his regulator from his mouth, he tried to let out a high-pitched version of how dolphins sound. It might’ve sounded more like a moooo but nobody will ever know. Well except for the blond because he startled and let out another sound. But Tommy needed to breathe and so he put back his regulator. 

Which made him also realize that he was still holding onto the fish. Not having many choices, he took a long pair of tongs, grabbed the fish, and squeezed it between the bars. The blond didn’t move, even when the fish started to float to the top. The two started at each other, and when the blond made no move to go after the fish, Tommy continued to empty his bag.

By the end, seven fish were floating around. Dream had said this was considered their snack for the day and Tommy was almost tempted to snark back and ask where his snack for the day was. All these creatures do is swim around and get tortured. Tommy’s doing pretty much the same thing except he’s getting paid, he should get a snack too.

Tommy waited a little longer for the blond to make any move. Then Tommy blinked and all of a sudden the blond was in front of him. Tommy flinched back when he also noticed a part of the blond’s claw was sticking out of the cage, a fish delicately being pinched and… offered to Tommy?

He eyed the claw and decided he won’t be the dumb white guy who always dies in horror movies. He would very much like all ten of his fingers attached, not sliced off because he put just a bit too much faith in fate. He wanted that nonexistent possibility of him getting hurt to remain nonexistent. 

Tommy waved at the blond and started to swim back. He took one glance back and smiled when he saw the blond wave back. 

That smile was soon wiped off his face when he remembered he had to deal with Dream after this. Who knows what that crazy man will ask of Tommy next?

He went through the tunnel and soon climbed up the ladder. No one bothered him as he was taking off his equipment, which was nice. It wasn’t until Tommy only had his swimwear to take off that he looked up. 

All the scientists, with Dream and Dr. Halo in the front, were silently looking at the computers. Not a single pen was moving, every single one of them was entranced by whatever was going on on the screen. Even Dr. Halo’s eyes were wide with amazement. 

But Tommy could feel the water trickling down his back and he would very much like to get out of this. Clearing his throat, he pointed to the door, “I’m going to go and change myself. Will I be needed for anything?” Only Dr. Halo and a few other people turned their heads toward Tommy.

Dr. Halo gave Tommy a dazed smile and shook his head, “No, you won’t be needed for anything else. Enjoy the rest of your day, Tommy.” Tommy gave a thumbs-up and promptly left. 

——

The beach was calm as always. Tommy always loved the water here and how blue it looked. How clean the beach was without any plastic littering it and seaweed being washed up. It was nice. 

Tommy walked alongside the shore, his pants rolled up and shoes swinging in his hand. He watched as each step he took, his foot left a mark on the wet sand and then the water inevitably erased it all away. 

He probably should’ve headed back by now, even if Dr. Halo said to enjoy his day. Maybe the scientists tried another dumb experiment and one of them got killed. Who’s going to be blamed when the blood hasn't been cleaned up yet? Tommy, that’s who, the scapegoat for anything that happens in the facility. 

By this point, he’s already settled into the facility. He knows his schedule, duties, what each room contains, and how beige the tiles are. Tommy from three months ago might’ve not cared what goes on in the facility, he just wanted to get paid. While Tommy still has that goal, he’s come to… care more for the creatures.

His stare lingers longer and longer every time he’s with the creatures, noting down any new injuries or who’s not present. His guilt slowly piles up as he watches them get hurt and talked about like some animals, even though they’ve taken tests that prove they have the same level of intelligence as humans, perhaps even higher. 

But he doesn’t know how to help them. He can’t just teleport them back into the ocean and he certainly can’t sneak them out because there’s no way he can find a tank large enough to carry them from the facility to the ocean. His options are not only limited but nonexistent as well. 

They’re stuck. No way around it, those creatures have zero chance to leave.

Tommy looked up and sighed from his chest, distraught. All he can do is bring some more seashells in and hope that’s enough to lift their spirits. Or not, maybe it’ll lower it because they’ll have a piece of the ocean that they can never touch again. 

“Oh, Tommy, I knew I’d find you here! We were let out early and I decided to check out the shore. It’s such a nice coincidence we ran into one another!” Dr. Halo waved at Tommy, all the while yelling as he slowly approached Tommy from the grassy hill he was descending. 

Tommy didn’t wave back but nodded back. Dr. Halo didn’t seem to mind and that was another point why Tommy likes Dr. Halo. He isn’t stuck up and has compassion, a rare combo in Tommy’s world. So despite him coming over and ruining Tommy’s moment of peace, he could tolerate it and see what Dr. Halo wanted from Tommy.

Tommy watched as he took off his leather shoes and socks, before rolling up his pants to his ankles. Tommy didn’t bother to comment on how they’ll get wet, he bets Dr. Halo makes enough bank to have another five pairs of pressed pants. 

“So what did you want from me?” He looked straight into Dr. Halo’s black eyes, not in the mood to have some useless small talk. Dr. Halo was startled at the direct question and man, how sheltered was this guy? Was it possible he grew up in a healthy household and a nice neighborhood? Tommy genuinely thought that was fake, something only the movies had. 

But he supposes Dr. Halo was mature enough that he cleaned up his expression and put on that stupid gentle smile again where his face was loose, lips partly tilted, and eyes round with happiness, “Ah, right, I did want to talk with you about something… walk with me, please?” Tommy breathed through his mouth and out his nose. The salty air calmed his nerves down and he started walking. Dr. Halo soon kept pace with him and he waited for the conversation to start.

“Things have not been going as I originally expected… I first want to apologize for putting you in so many dangerous situations. Unfortunately, I can’t change your situation now, I would be outnumbered if we were to vote.” Dr. Halo’s voice was solemn and Tommy snorted.

“It’s okay, don’t get your panties in a twist. I,” Tommy slowed down his speech, not quite believing what he was about to admit, “enjoy being around the creatures. They’re nice and not really that scary.” He turned to look at Dr. Halo and observed his puzzled expression.

Tommy needed to make sure that Dr. Halo wasn’t like Dream. That he wouldn’t take immediate advantage to advance the research. Typically Tommy wouldn’t take this sort of risk of trust, but he felt that if he wanted to even have a chance to help the creatures leave, he needed backup. 

Dr. Halo was compassionate, but to what fault? 

“You don’t find them scary?” Tommy shook his head.

Dr. Halo mused over the new information, “Interesting… you’re very brave, I’m terrified of them. I couldn’t imagine being in the same water as them, even with  protection.” 

It was Tommy’s turn to be puzzled. Brave? No one’s ever said that Tommy was brave. He has always been called foolish, or in less adequate words, an idiot and all the other synonyms attached to it. 

Not believing the compliment, Tommy denied it, “No no, I’m not brave. I’m just on the creature’s good list. They’re like humans, trying to defend themselves, but the wrong species.” 

Dr. Halo hummed and smiled, “You’re a good kid, Tommy. I wish the others had the same views as us.” Tommy’s eyes shot up and took a small step forward.

“ Us ? You have the same views as me? That the creatures aren’t evil?” Dr. Halo nodded and started to walk again, neither of them noticing that they came to a stop. Tommy kept looking at him, astonished someone as high status as him shares the same views as Tommy.

“Of course, nothing is evil. It’s all perspective. However, we are different species and we’re causing them stress. I don’t blame them for killing, it was self-defense, but it was a preventable death. If only Dream…” Dr. Halo looked off into the distance and Tommy waited for some tea to be spilled. 

Tommy has been waiting to get any sort of dirt on Dream, what better source than Dr. Halo? But Dr. Halo never picked the conversation back up and Tommy was left with disappointment. He didn’t dwell on it very long though, other matters more important than some gossip. 

Tommy was still stuck in the notion that the creatures can escape somehow and maybe that starts with Dr. Halo. Someone who has access to all rooms without question and respect from everyone. A perfect candidate, one that Tommy simply needs to convince now. 

“If the creatures aren’t evil, then shouldn’t they be free? It’s not right that they’re trapped and get hurt for defending themselves.” Tommy searched Dr. Halo’s eyes, seeing if he had the same fury Tommy felt when thinking about the creature’s situation. 

However, all Tommy found was tragic compassion. Dr. Halo sighed and ran his hand through his inky hair, “Tommy, I understand where you’re coming from, but there’s nothing we can do. It will be an impossible feat for us to transport one, let alone three , to the ocean without anyone noticing. No, my only job currently is to make sure that you’re safe no matter what.” Tommy deflated, not liking how Dr. Halo agreed with his logic. 

Tommy didn’t want to give up though. He finally had some power to help those in situations like he was in, he had to do something. 

He took one last shot, a promise that he’ll have help when the right time comes, “But if we could get them out? Would you help them? Will you help me?” Dr. Halo pursed his lips and exhaled through his nose. Tommy held his breath as he waited for an answer, afraid that any disturbance will ruin everything.

Dr. Halo ran his hand through his hair once more and gave a curt nod, “Okay, I’ll… I’ll help you out. But , you speak to nobody about this. Who knows what Dream will do if he finds out about our scheme. And,” he pointed a finger towards Tommy and wagged it like a mother would, forehead tight with worry, 

“We won’t even attempt to rescue the creatures until we have a concrete plan. Neither of us is putting our lives in danger, especially you. You’re still a child and I can’t have it in my conscious that you can possibly get hurt. If we can follow those rules, then I promise I’ll do my best to help the creatures out.” Tommy snapped his jaw shut, any protests sealed.

He doesn’t have much choice here. Tommy can hear when an adult isn’t willing to compromise, and while Dr. Halo is much more gentle than his Dad or Mom ever were, he still has that tone. 

Plus, the Facility does keep a tight seal on everyone’s schedule and information. If Tommy is out of line, he doesn’t even want to think about what punishment they’ll dish out. 

Tommy nodded, “Fine, I agree. But the moment you find any info, I want to hear it, okay?” Dr. Halo nodded back and Tommy did it back to seal the deal.

Tommy looked out to the sea and saw that the sky was starting to turn into reds and pinks. He fished out his phone and winced at the time.

“Fuck, it’s seven already? How long–”

“Language!” Tommy’s head snapped up and stared at Dr. Halo. Yet there was no anger present in his face, just a peeved glare.

“What the fuck did you just–”

“No, language! Don’t swear Tommy, you’re too young for that!” Tommy stared in disbelief and a laugh slowly trickled out of him.

“Wait, you’re kidding right? How have I not sworn in front of you yet? I practically talk in swears.” Dr. Halo swung his shoes to gently hit Tommy’s sides, an odd action for Tommy.

Was he mad that Tommy swore? Or was this just banter? He genuinely couldn’t tell if he crossed a line or not. But since Dr. Halo was willing to help the creatures out, Tommy was willing to push his luck a little and have some fun.

“Dr. Halo, I’ve been learning a lot of new vocab since I got here. Do you wanna know another word for puppy?” Dr. Halo looked at Tommy in skepticism but still indulged him and nodded for him to continue.

“Bitch.”

All the birds surrounding them flew in fright as someone shouted in utter disappointment.

Chapter Text

Tommy was back in the cage, except this time, two of the creatures were with him. Dr. Halo expressed major concern over this fact, but both Dream and Tommy assured him that everything will be fine.

Tommy could see that Dream was a little shocked that Tommy took his side, but he only shrugged. Tommy needed as much information about the creatures to plan their escape, so why not use these experiments to his advantage as well?

It technically meant he wasn’t putting himself in danger because Dream suggested it. Plus he gets a few hours off of work and gets to spend more time with the creatures. It’s a triple win in Tommy’s book.  

The brunette and pink were with him today, the two lazily circling his cage. By this point, they all know the routine. Tommy gets lowered in, he sits there as the scientists observe whatever they’re observing, and then he gets pulled out. At least now, the brunette isn’t trying to keep Tommy in the water. 

He’s still a bitch though. Nothing will convince Tommy otherwise. The brunette seems like a person who would complain that their ice cream was melting in the summer heat. Like what was he expecting, to not melt?

Even though this event would never happen, it’s already solidified in Tommy’s mind. The brunette would a hundred percent bitch about everything.

Tommy waved for the fifth to the brunette, having nothing else to do. He wished he could swim around at least. Being stuck in a cage wasn't that fun, even if it was only for half an hour. 

But that would never happen. Dr. Halo would have had a heart attack if Tommy ever swam with the creatures and had no barrier between them. Tommy would imagine Dream will be laughing maniacally in his head while observing with all the nonchalance in the world if it ever happened. 

He supposed he shouldn't be worrying about it in the first place. Dream isn't that crazy.

—

"Fuck, fuck, and triple fuck. Why the fuck did Dream schedule me to clean the tank today and tomorrow? Is he crazy or something?" Tommy looked down at his phone, the excel spreadsheet nice and clear at what shifts Tommy will be working. 

He sighed and clicked his phone off. It was going to be nice weather tomorrow as well. Just the right amount of chill and sunlight that he doesn't need a jacket or worry about sweating. But no, he has to clean the tanks.

He checked what time he had to clean the tank, and yup, he had half an hour to get ready. So he went and did that. He changed into his attire, grabbed the dead fish, and went up to the pool.

Surprisingly, no scientists were to be found. The pool water was still and it was like the first day he got here. 

Shaking off the odd atmosphere, Tommy went about his usual routine. He was inside the pool and swimming past the tunnel in record time.

On instinct, Tommy glanced at the caves and grinned when he saw the blond. Per routine, the two of them waved at one another. Tommy ignored the bruises on the blond's arm, the deepest one being on the inside elbow where his veins were located. 

And it seemed like it was only him today. The other two were probably napping. That's what Tommy would be doing at least.

He turned back to the glass and looked to see if maybe the scientists were on the floor. Yet that was empty too.

Strange. Dream scheduled him to clean the tanks two days in a row and nobody watching him? Pun not intended, but this smelled fishy. 

Squinting his eyes in wariness, he decided he'll try to clean faster today. Grabbing his scrubber, he went to work. 

Periodically, he looked down to the floor and expected some white coat to greet him. But nothing did and his paranoia was gradually increasing. 

He started to leave some spots of algae half-scrubbed because it doesn't matter, right? He'll be back tomorrow and finish up. 

Tommy did just that and started to speedrun through. Every scrub was good enough and soon he was done. 

He pushed himself off the glass and went to do his last task: feed the creatures. A minute tops and he'll be on his merry way to wash some beige tiles.

When he reached the cave that the blond was at, the brunette had joined them. The brunette waved but Tommy was too wound up to wave back. 

He wanted out and out now . 

Tommy grabbed the fish and pushed them to go through the bars. The brunette immediately latched onto one and tore into it. However, a minimum amount of blood leaked from the chop as the brunette finished the meal in four bites. 

Tommy pushed another two fish in and the blond was the first to get them this time. Like the last couple of times, the blond poked his claws outside the bars and held out the fish.

And maybe Tommy wanted to feel normal again, where danger was present at every corner. He needed some comfort and risk is where he’ll find it.

Without any other thought, Tommy grabbed the fish from the creature. His heart rate spiked up from having his fingers mere centimeters away from the claws. Once the fish was back in Tommy’s hand, the blond’s mouth pursed in an O shape and a low croon vibrated through the water. 

Perhaps that was a “you’re welcome” in mermaid's tongue? It could’ve been a swear word, but who’s to tell? 

Problem is, Tommy doesn’t know what to do with the fish now. With no other choice, Tommy gave the creatures the fish back and the rest of their meal. There was no way Tommy was carrying a dead fish to his dorm.

The blond seemed to understand this and made the same mouth shape but with a higher pitch vibration. The brunette joined in at the last second and Tommy was left in amazement, his panic disappearing for a moment. 

It was only now that Tommy was truly grappling with the fact he was in front of otherworldly creatures. Up to this point, he knew that they were unique, but never what it meant to be unique. 

They had their history, language, family, and everything a human would have. They were from another world deep in the ocean and somehow the scientists managed to get their hands on them. 

His resolution to break them out only grew. The three were a family from a single glance and Tommy would hate it if they were kept here for the rest of their life. 

With one last wave to the blond, Tommy swam back up to the pool. Just like before, no one was in the room. 

Weird.

——

Dream looked at the screen with live footage of Tommy giving the specimen fish. His lips slowly raised as he watched in fascination as Tommy accepted the fish. 

“We’re ready to go ahead with the plan,” Dream ordered the scientists behind him, all watching the footage as well. 

“And what about Dr. Halo?” Skeppy, Dream believes is what his name is. A new member who’s gotten close with Dr. Halo. Another person who’s challenging his authority.

Dream waves his hand, “We won’t have to worry. Dr. Halo won’t be able to stop the experiment once we start.” No one disagrees, but no one agrees either. He can’t have that, he needs loyalty for this to work. 

“Plus, I’ve already talked with Tommy about this. You all can see how close he is with the specimen, it’s no wonder he agreed to it.” A murmur of agreement and Dream smiled, knowing no one would see his satisfied grin. 

“We will proceed tomorrow once Tommy gets in the tank. Until then, do not interact with the boy or go to the pool, understood?” Another murmur of agreement and even Skeppy’s grumble joined in.

——

Tommy was back in the tank, his second day of cleaning. He learned that Dr. Halo was going to transfer over to another facility for a few days to oversee their procedures. It made Tommy’s skin itch when he read that email, knowing that Dream was once again the sole ruler. 

Tommy hoped Dr. Halo will come back soon.

The paranoia had lessened today, yet it still lingered. He hasn’t seen Dream in a while nor his herd of scientists. He chalked it up to them doing an extensive experiment and tried to not worry about it anymore.

Naturally, his brain didn’t agree with that line of action and decided to keep Tommy up past any good reasonable time to think about why he was paranoid. No answers popped up except the fact that he's currently sleep deprived. 

He cursed past him for half-assing cleaning up the algae because he was planning to take a big nap after this. Completely knocked out, don’t know the date, mouth sticky and dry, kind of nap. He was mentally ready for it, the last step was to get to his dorm.

Tommy went about cleaning, letting his body go on autopilot. He barely glanced at the spots where the scientists should’ve been, he didn’t have the mental capacity to care about that. 

Once he deemed everything good enough, he went to the creatures to feed them. He had extra fish for some reason, but oh well, not his neck on the line for messing up how much to feed the creatures. All he needs to do is give them the fish. 

The blond was there per usual, and unexpectedly, the other two creatures. The whole gang was here, just for some dead fish. How sweet.

The pink one was hanging out in the back, arms crossed as he stared at Tommy. The brunette was moving side to side as usual, making puckering noises as usual.

Tommy started to pass the fish through the bars, not noticing how he was closer to the bars than normal. Typically, Tommy would have to stretch his arm to push the fish through, but now it’s a slight movement of his arm to do the task. The creatures didn’t alert Tommy of this change either, only watching him and the surroundings very closely. 

When the last fish was pushed through, Tommy got ready to accept a fish from them back. Yet the blond only waved to Tommy, a tight-lipped smile as he stared intently at Tommy. 

Tommy waved back, heading tilting in confusion. His eyes glanced over to pink and brunette and felt his insides start to drop as he saw them survey the tank behind him. 

Was he in danger? Are they telling him to leave? 

Without another thought, Tommy pushed off the bars and lurched towards the tunnel. His arms swirled around him as he tried to get out of dangerous waters. The only sound that thumped in his head was his racing heartbeat. 

He couldn’t fight in the water nor hide nearly enough. He was a dead fish if anything bad was about to happen.

The tunnel was quickly approaching and his arms were pulsing with cramps that were bound to be sore for days, but he barely felt any of that. 

And as he was only three more strokes away from the tunnel, it clamped down and shut Tommy inside. The water around him quivered with force, making his heart feel like it skipped a few beats. He only swam faster until his fists were pounding on the seal. 

It had to be a mistake. Nobody told him of a test, this had to be a malfunction and Dr. Halo would never have agreed to something like this, it would go against his promise . So this couldn’t be happening, he couldn’t be trapped in a glorified fish tank with a dwindling oxygen supply and–

Tommy spun around and splayed his body against the seal, going rock still as he watched the creatures leaving their cave. The bars were nowhere to be seen, retracted back into their holes. 

The blond flicked his tail at a lazy pace, coming closer to Tommy with each motion. He was the closest one as the brunette and pink moved away from both the cave and Tommy.

Was this how they hunt? False security for the prey, making them believe they have a chance to escape, and then sink their claws in to rip apart their flesh and hopes? If so, it was working. 

His body was freezing up, lungs only working because his brain is partially freaked out that he’ll drown any second. This wasn’t something he could punch his way out of or make snide remarks about until the person lost all reason. He was completely vulnerable.

He felt his body getting ready to die even if his mind didn’t comprehend it. His thoughts started to disperse as his only attention got transfixed on the blond, mind starting to drag him into his unconscious even if he wanted to stay present and alert. 

Everything was still. The blond came closer, only two feet apart now, and then curled his claw around Tommy’s ankles.

All hell fucking broke loose. 

Tommy’s body snapped into motion, flight turning into fight in a nick. He viciously kicked his legs, even managing to land a hit on something and dislodge his ankle. He began to swim away from the creature, trying to come up with an escape plan.

But where would he escape? The tunnel is closed, the caves would trap him, and he’s as slow as a snail compared to the creatures in the open water, where are any advantages for him? 

Would fighting back grant him a quicker death or would playing nice? What is the right choice here?

Something wrapped around his chest and pulled him tight against a hard surface before Tommy could react. He thrashed a moment too late and now they were moving. 

Tommy’s vision started to gain dark spots, all the while he wished he could press rewind, pause, and fast forward, at the same time. A deathly peace started to wash over him, one which he rejected because he couldn’t die here. He can’t.

Dr. Halo promised him that he would’ve been safe. 

Guess that’s just another fucking promise broken. 

It seemed like he was being taken to the main cave the creatures stay in. He tried to push at the restraints one more time, yet nothing changed. Tommy was dead meat. 

They passed the hanging plants that created an odd door for the cave and soon Tommy was seeped into darkness. It didn’t matter if his eyes were open or closed, the same darkness would be there in front of him. They kept going deeper and deeper in, shocking Tommy with how far the cave went. 

Guess his body is never going to be retrieved then. 

His mind might’ve floated away at one point. He’s not sure, not that it matters. There were no thoughts in his brain currently, he couldn’t bear thinking of all the things he regrets not doing. All the decisions he wished he would’ve or wouldn’t have made. So his mind floats. 

He observes that his restraints are arms. The gentle swaying back and forth went at a soothing pace, a lot slower than Tommy would expect for a predator getting ready for its meal. 

But how would Tommy know what it feels like to be a predator? He’s felt like prey for his whole life, of course that wouldn’t change even in his final moments. 

His body spasms when he registered that he was being lifted out of the water and onto a rock platform. Without any instruction, he hauled himself the rest of the way up and got himself as far as possible from wherever that opening was. 

Tommy tried to make sense of where he was, but everything was still fucking pitch black. His back hit a wall only after scooching back three times, so it was a decent-sized area. Enough for the creatures to not grab and eat him?

And he sat like that for who knows how long. Whichever creature brought him to this area went back under the water with an echoing splash. 

Anxiously, Tommy took off his scuba equipment after no one came to get him for some time. He set it all near him so he could feel it if he moved his leg a little. Getting up, he took off his shirt and squeezed out as much water as possible. He tried to do the same to his shorts but didn’t succeed as much.

He went back to his spot and curled into himself. He was cold, hunger starting to set in, and his heart-racing adrenaline stopping him from sleeping it all away.

Tommy let the tears he was holding fall free. No one would hear or see either way. Might as well give himself this one mercy before he dies.

He hugged himself and rocked back and forth. He wished he died at least when he was eighteen, that way his dad would be wrong about him dying as a child. 

Tommy sobbed. He didn’t find any rest for the entire night.

Chapter Text

Tommy jolts awake from his mind palace when he hears a splash. Something skids against the stone floor and stops just in front of him.

He doesn’t try to reach for it, instead, he raises his eyes to stare right into the creature’s eyes. By this point, his eyes have adapted enough to realize that there was some fluorescent lichen as a light source. 

Yet he wouldn’t need that as the creature's bright blue eyes stared back. The blond one, Tommy has had enough eye contact with him while waving to remember his eye color. 

When it was obvious the blond was going to keep half his face covered in the water like some horror movie shark, Tommy glanced down at the items. There were multiple shrink-wrapped packages, yet all without labels.

He picked up the largest one and tore into it. Out popped two dry towels, one made of cotton and the other of thick fleece. Tommy stared at the items, brain-stopping and his heart exploding with fury.

How fucking dare they!? They send him towels instead of a rescue team. Should Tommy take this as a sign that they planned all this? 

He opened up the other items and his hands shook as he held multiple packages of astronaut food. In addition to that, he found a flashlight, dry clothes, and multiple satchels of water. 

Quick, short breaths left him as he tried to wrap his mind around this. The idea of calling all this bogus was so appealing, to deny the truth that Dream viewed him as nothing more than a Guinea pig, but the boiling rage within him far outweighed everything.

If Dream thinks even for a second that he can use Tommy without any repercussions, then he has another thing coming.

Immediately, Tommy starts to take apart his flashlight and searches for any tiny device. When he hits the empty tube and a small microphone falls out, he feels his chest bubble up in glee.

Tommy brings the microphone up to his mouth and whispers, “When I get out of here, all of you will perish. And if I die?” A high-pitched giggle leaves Tommy, sanity starting to drip away as he realizes he has no one on his side, “then I’ll fucking haunt you both in this world and down in hell.”

He crushed the microphone between his fingers and threw it away. They will all regret crossing him. If he can beat up his dad and leave alive, then he can do anything.

He continued to inspect every item, making sure there was no camera or random gadget. When he deemed everything safe, he started to make himself cozy. No point in starving himself from comfort if this is going to be his last moments.

Drying himself and changing into new clothes, he already felt a lot better. He wrapped the fleece blanket around him, and shielding his eyes, he turned on the flashlight. Gradually, he peaked his eyes out to get used to the brightness and instantly started to analyze the cave he was in. 

He flashed the light around and narrowed his eyes when something reflected the light. With a grudge, he left his cocoon of warmth and walked over to the hidden camera. Flicking a middle finger to the camera, he ripped it off the wall and stomped on it. 

Fuck them. Fuck everybody.

He went about exploring the cave a little, which wasn’t the biggest of spaces. Perhaps two queen-sized beds can fit in here. There were a few vents thrown around the place, and when he placed his hand against it, it was a steady stream of air. 

Well, that’s nice, at least Tommy knows he won’t suffocate in his sleep.

Yet he couldn’t find another camera or microphone, and he highly doubted he found all of them. If the scientists had computers on top of computers with live footage on each screen, then surely there must be another device. However, the stone was an ash color with a slightly glossy finish, matching perfectly how their tiny microphones looked like. 

Just when he was about to call it a night, water splashed near him. Startled, he swerved his head back to the pool and raised his eyebrows at the creature. He was kind of trying to ignore the fact that the blond was intently watching him, eyes never blinking.

“You know it’s creepy when you stare at someone, right? Blink your eyes at the very– wait can fish even blink?” Tommy let that thought sit with him for a moment, not like he had much mental stimulus either way. When he concluded that he didn’t care, he walked over to where the creature splashed to return to his blanket. 

However, the fucker decided that the cave was too dry and splashed some more water. Tommy swirled his whole body around this time and raised his hands above his head, “What the fuck man? You have a whole fucking tank filled with water, no need to make this place wet as well.” Like always though, there was no response.

Tommy took another step back but maintained eye contact with the blond. Did he want something? Was this some tactic to lure their prey out? Fucking annoy the shit out of them until the prey charged toward the predator with some pitiful vengeance?

When Tommy took his third step back, the blond splashed water in the exact spot again. By this point, a puddle was forming and if the creature splashed anymore, then Tommy’s blanket would be in danger. 

Rolling his eyes at the creature’s antics, he decided to see why the blond was splashing there in the first place. The spot was far enough that the creature shouldn’t be able to grab him, so Tommy was taking his bets. His standard for dumb ways to die has greatly lowered since the beginning of this new chapter in his life. Maybe he should go back to his dad and punch him in the face if he ever gets out, that seems like a good way to kick his bucket. 

Crouching down, he moved his flashlight around to seek any out-of-place items. And to his astonishment, there was something just a bit too shiny to blend perfectly into the cave walls. Grabbing onto the butt of the item, he pulled it out of a perfectly carved hole to fit a microphone in. 

He looked down at it, a sneer on his face. He twirled it around between his two fingers and brought it up to his mouth, “Good luck getting any data with me around, you bitches.” Just like the previous devices, he crushed it. Pieces of plastic and chips crumbled down to the stone floor. 

Tommy turned back around to face the blond and did little jazz hands towards the crushed microphone, “There, it’s crushed. Now if you kill me, no one will hear my screams. Isn’t that fun?” He kicked the pieces just to prove a point of how elated he was to be isolated from the outside world. 

“We no hurt you–”

“ What the fuck –” Tommy simultaneously jumped and dropped his flashlight, his hands flailing in an awkward karate chop. He blinked at the blond, baffled that his brain made him believe that the creature could talk. Maybe he’s more affected by this whole cave thing than he thought.

“No hurt. Safe. Us safe.”  The blond rose his upper body out of the water and gracefully rested against the stone, well within arms reach of Tommy. 

Tommy had a repeat reaction, except this time his flashlight was already on the floor. The blond looked on with bemusement, like him being able to talk wasn’t fucking breaking news to Tommy. 

Not only that, he belatedly recognized that his noise-canceling earbuds weren’t working. The muffled silence that he was used to, where he could vaguely hear a person’s voice, was now significantly reduced. 

He reached up to his ears and took out the earbuds. Nothing looked out of place, so as he swiftly fiddled with it, he popped out the top of the earbuds and saw that it was hollow inside. No wires or technology in there to make the noise-canceling happen, it was empty.

His heart clambered to race out of his chest, fully acknowledging how much danger it was in. How much danger he was in.

A wave of terror and irritation passed over him as he crushed the earbuds and threw them away to a random corner. No thoughts passed through him, just his hands curling in to let his nails pierce his skin and lips locked in a scowl. His boiling rage was quickly going up in heat inside of him. He can’t wait to spill it all over Dream and watch him as he realizes trapping Tommy was the worst decision of his life.

A screech against the stone floor broke Tommy out of his mind. The blond was reaching for the flashlight, his webbed hands the same size as the fucking thing because of course. He held it up to Tommy with a close-lipped smile, and what the hell, guess Tommy’s bar for dumb ways to die has dropped to the goddamn floor. 

Not that it matters if he dies, Dream has made that plenty clear. 

Tommy snatched it, avoiding touching any part of the blond, and took a solid two steps back. The blond let it happen and slightly slid back into the pool of water, letting the gills at the side of his neck open and close. Tommy observed how the parts of his skin that were above water became dull and lost their odd shine underneath the water. It looked slimy, with a similar sheen to how fish looked above water.

Though Tommy was curious as to how his scales might’ve felt, he still had some brain left in him. Luckily for him, the pool of water was on the far left side of the cave and it left ample space for Tommy to move around on the right side. 

Not to be a dick, he pointed the flashlight to the ceiling so it wouldn’t blind the blond. It also caused the whole cave to be illuminated in fuzzy light, letting Tommy see the whole space instead of one section. 

The two stared at one another because what else is Tommy going to do? Ask how his day is going? Talk about the weather? Small talk has never been Tommy’s forte, small fights were. And with the taste of betrayal and anger still swirling within him, he didn’t feel like starting any conversation.

The blond took it into his own hands to get a conversation going though, “My name is Phil. Hair,” he made an exaggerated movement from his scalp and down into the water with one hand while the other hand combed the empty air, “name is Technoblade. Sand,” he tapped his scales with a tink tink , “name is Wilbur.” 

Oh. Tommy didn’t think that they would have names. Such human names too, even Technoblade wasn’t the oddest one he’s heard. 

The blond– no, Phil nodded his head towards Tommy and tilted his head. Tommy’s head tilted in response to Phil’s movements, and wanting to distract himself, he racked his brain at what Phil sought. After thinking about it from the context clues, Tommy figured it out.

“My name is Tommy. Nice to meet you… Phil?” Phil nodded his head and let his smile widen, his razor-sharp teeth peeking out. Tommy didn’t let his eyes linger there too long, he has enough nightmares for tonight.  

“Hi, Tommy! Where you–” Phil cut himself off, forehead wrinkling. He tilted his head again and looked down into the water. He tapped his claw against the stone floor and Tommy watched it go up and down in a steady motion. Tiny chips of stone fractured with each tap, creating a dent.

In the next moment, Phil disappeared into the water, the tip of his tail rising out of the water as he dipped down. Tommy remained where he was and went to grab his blanket. As he was wrapping it around his shoulders, Phil came back up. Along with, what Tommy is assuming due to his sandstone scales, Wilbur. 

Wilbur waved, his teeth in a proud display, “Hi, Tommy! My name is Wilbur!” Tommy, out of spite and to stay consistent, flipped Wilbur off. He can’t let Wilbur think that he’s gone soft just because he’s been trapped in an underwater cave with no way out. 

No communication with the outside world–

Being played like he’s a fucking fool–

Having to sit tight, waiting for a savior–

Wilbur gasped and spun his head to Phil, who was making whistling sounds and his chest shaking. As Wilbur started to trill in response, his mouth turned into a frown yet with the flicker of cheekiness still in his eyes, Tommy realized that Phil was laughing. 

Tommy watched the two interact, fascinated at how alive they were. Behind the glass or the bars, Tommy never managed to see this. Just smiles and waves, something Tommy thought they replicated from him as a parrot would. Yet they speak English and can laugh. Their noses scrunch up in dissatisfaction and have their own way of being gentle. 

What else can they do that Tommy doesn’t know about?

Over a minute, Phil stopped laughing and remembered why he brought Wilbur up here. He pointed to himself, “Phil,” then he grabbed Wilbur by his shoulders and pushed him underneath the water. Wilbur went along, and Tommy assumed he knew what Phil was trying to explain to him. 

After a few seconds, Wilbur came up but his eyes were closed and body limp, yet Tommy knew he was faking it with his pupils still moving around the oddly translucent eyelids. Phil proceeded to pretend to drag three of his claws into Wilbur’s neck, right where his three gills were at each side of his neck. Then, in what Tommy understood was the finale later on, Phil placed his hands on Wilbur’s gills and began to sing in what sounded like wind chimes and the whistling of the wind in an eerie forest. As the song grew more momentum, some notes started to glisten out of Tommy’s hearing range and all he was left with for a few eternal moments was a deafening silence. Like a dog whistle that you knew was blowing but simply couldn’t hear.

The song tapered to an end, one Tommy didn’t register until Phil called his name. 

He blinked a few times, getting rid of the tunnel vision from the pool where Phil was in. 

None of the recordings could ever depict how light and airy their songs are. Floating around him, a glockenspiel resonating on its last note. How he could ever so slightly understand the message, the love and joy in the tune. He knew the phrase music is a universal language , yet this took it to another level.

“Tommy?” Wilbur called out and Tommy centered his attention back on them. Wilbur pointed to Phil and tilted his head, “Phil?” 

But how was Tommy supposed to understand what they were trying to tell him? All he got out of that whole demonstration is that the song was a happy one and for some reason, Wilbur was drowned or something.

He shrugged his shoulders and took a shot, “Phil is happy?” Wilbur and Phil looked at one another at the last word and shook their heads. The two hummed to one another for a few moments until Wilbur pushed Phil forward. 

Tommy looked on, the second round of charades starting. 

Phil crossed his arms together and started to rock them back and forth, looking down at the empty air in a loving manner. Wilbur went behind him and started to make shrill cries like a… baby crying?

"Are you showing me a baby?" Wilbur stopped his phony baby cries and did a so-so gesture with his hand. He pointed to the air baby and then aggressively pointed toward Phil. 

Maybe, "A parent?" And Wilbur lit up like Tommy handed him the fucking meaning of life or something.

“Yes, Phil is,” Wilbur mouthed the word parent a few times until he felt confident, “parent! Where you parent?”

Where you parent? Where are Tommy’s… parents?

Ha, hopefully buried six feet underground.

“No parent, gone. I have no parents.” Tommy sat down and leaned against the wall. He stretched his legs out and silently groaned at finally feeling remotely comfortable.

As Tommy was having his moment, Wilbur’s smile fell into a frown. Phil’s expression was similar but tragic sadness was in his hums to Wilbur. Wilbur expressed the same hum back. Tommy waited for them to finish up, but was hoping they’ll be done soon because he was starting to feel the effects of being stressed for a whole day and not sleeping. 

“Tommy, us safe. We no bad. We… we…” Phil repeated the same phrase, the word he was looking for never coming up. Phil hummed to Wilbur and he shrugged his shoulders. Tommy simply let his head tilt back to rest against the wall, eyes beginning to close.

“We love you, Tommy! Us safe, no bad.” Tommy’s eyes flew open and he locked eyes with Wilbur. Wilbur, who had that massive grin back on, his pointed ears that looked a little like the fin of a fish, wiggling back and forth. 

Tommy swallowed back the lump in his throat. He’s always heard that phrase on television but never directed at him. Either way, Tommy swatted away the happy chemicals in his brain and knew that the creatures had limited vocabulary either way. 

He gave a strong nod to Wilbur and a high-pitched trill escaped Wilbur. Phil repeated it and the two looked at him like he was supposed to pass the sound right back. Raising his eyebrows, he waited until they realized he would never be able to make that sound with his human vocal cords. 

Phil figured it out quickly enough and did his silent wheezing. Wilbur huffed and sunk his body into the water until only his eyes could be seen. 

Tommy smiled along and closed his eyes. Maybe this won’t be as bad after all with their company. 

Chapter Text

“Tommy, Tommy, Tommy–” Tommy knew it, Wilbur was a bitch. All he was trying to do was sleep, but no no, Wilbur decided annoying him was much more important. 

The splashing of Wilbur’s tail flicking back and forth was quietly unraveling Tommy’s patience. Wilbur called his name a few more times, and with each one, Tommy’s grip on his forearm increased. 

With each one, memories of what occurred ever since he got into the tank flashed by. Every emotion amplified and echoing, only needing an outlet to release them all. The silence as he was dragged into the cave, the tunnel clamping down with no remorse, and his brain telling him to keep breathing . 

“–Tommy, Tommy–”

“ Shut up! Shut the fuck up, I don’t give a fuck about what you want! Just leave me!” Tommy snarled, swinging his arm in a wild motion. His lips curled up, feet bunching up and ready to spring forward to hit something. 

Wilbur silenced himself immediately, eyes dilating and tail still. Watching Tommy. Observing Tommy like he’s some fucking Guinea pig .

“ Leave me! ” Tommy snapped and Wilbur dove under the water long before his furious voice stopped echoing around the cave. 

Yet Tommy’s fuse has already been lit and his anger burning bright within him. He stood up and stomped over to the pool, hoping his steps shook the entire tank. Maybe Dream will hear the shaking of the building and know that Tommy is coming to get him. 

Stopping at the edge of the pool, he peered down. It was pitch black, an inky well with no end in sight. No eyes were glowing back at him, so he was alone. 

Good, Tommy wanted to be alone either way. 

He paced around the space, with no purpose of walking around except to have some stimuli. At one point he kicked the wall, though he can’t remember why, and his left foot was stinging in pain now. 

His stomach squeezed in hunger and that put a stop to his pacing. Walking back over to his nook, he picked up a random vacuum-sealed bag. Tearing the top off, he sniffed it.

Huh, beef jerky. 

Another item caught his eye, the packaging containing color; a granola bar. It was one of those fancy types too, with dark chocolate and sea salt and shit. Wondering how he could’ve missed such a gem, he picked it up and continued to eat while walking around.

Much to his joy, the beef jerky wasn’t too salty or dry. He savored it for as long as possible, letting the food better his mood. Once he finished that, he opened the bar and munched in happiness. If Tommy forgot the whole being trapped in a cave for an experiment , then this experience might’ve been worthwhile. 

Unfortunately for the scientists, Tommy will not be forgetting this anytime soon. Or ever .

His stomach satisfied and mind more level-headed, he decided this was a good time to nap. Let the stress bleed off him and pretend everything was okay. 

Going over to his nook, he laid down on his blanket and slept hoping he would wake up from this nightmare.

——

Considering the fact that both the creatures and him were stuck in this tank, it shouldn’t have come as any surprise that the creatures kept visiting him. With croons and smiles, Tommy could see they were trying their best to interact with him. 

Yet, they were too nice. Listened to him whenever he shouted he wanted to be alone, attempted to talk to him whenever the silence bore too much weight, and never gave up on him.

How was he supposed to feel when these creatures treated him more humanely than any other human Tommy has met? 

Their tactics were working too. Tommy once heard from a teacher how humans need social interactions or else they’ll be driven mad. He scoffed when the comment was made. Back then his only phone contacts were his parents and people tended to avoid him and his glaring eyes.

However, here, locked away and with no way to entertain his brain, he can begin to understand that statement. The thought of saying fuck it and trying to be friends with the creatures starting to become more appealing.

“–bad, bad. Techno no food Wilbur, Phil food! Bad Techno, bad.” A pause in Wilbur’s story, from what Tommy loosely gathered, was about Techno not giving Wilbur food but giving Phil some of it. 

Tommy sat up and Wilbur remained silent. When Tommy turned his head to face him, Wilbur was already observing his next move.

“So you’re Wilbur, yeah?” Start it easy, get the introductions out of the way.

Wilbur bobbed his head, “Yes, Wilbur! You Tommy.” 

Tommy agreed right back, “That’s me, big guy. So what do you do for fun around here? Chase the fishes around and shit?” 

Wilbur smiled and tilted his head, “ah, fish?” Tommy waited for the rest of the sentence to come out, but it stopped there. Deciding to go with the flow and ignoring how he forgot that the creatures barely know any English, he started to ramble.

“Yeah, the fish,” he stopped to make a squiggle motion with his hand as it slithered across the floor, “I like them,” he made a thumbs up, “and…”

He made conversation like that. Hoping to teach Wilbur some basic words so he can have a better conversation partner. Much to Tommy’s amusement, Wilbur started to repeat the motions Tommy was making and mouthing the words silently. 

Never had Tommy felt his actions were so important. This isn’t something that Wilbur is simply brushing off, no, he’s putting his full effort here. No obligation, no grades, no punishment to convince him to follow Tommy’s lead, just plain… well Tommy doesn’t know what. He doesn’t even know why Wilbur is putting so much effort in the first place. 

But Tommy likes it. Enjoys the attention and tell Wilbur anything he wants since the man won’t understand half of it anyway. Tommy attempted to float around the same topic, reusing words and gestures. Surprisingly, Wilbur was catching on relatively quickly. 

“– but cleaning the algae off is so annoying,” he forced a frown and an eye roll, “it makes my arms tired.”

“Arm tired?” Wilbur’s upper body was laying on the stone floor, arms crossed to rest his head on them. His tail lazily flicked up and down, some water droplets flying from the impact. 

“Yes, my arm is always tired! I gotta sweep the floors, clean the mirror and windows, and then clean a whole aquarium by myself. Dream sure knows how to torture his workers.” Tommy was sitting in his nook, legs stretched out with some of his blanket covering them. 

He didn’t notice how close Wilbur was. He only needed to stretch his arms out and he could wrap his webbed hand around Tommy’s knees, drag him down, and render Tommy helpless. However, that never happened. 

Wilbur stared at Tommy, a smile on his lips as he spurred Tommy to keep talking. His face scrunched up in exaggerated emotions, hands flying to display the new word he was trying to teach Wilbur. It was adorable and Wilbur kept smiling.

——

Based on how often he gets his meals, Tommy would say he’s been here for six days. Dr. Halo should be back by now, but there’s no evidence for that guess since, well, Tommy’s still stuck here.

Tommy hoped that the moment Dr. Halo came back, he would reprimand Dream and force him to rescue Tommy. Yet here he is. Tommy stopped wondering why he was still here. Why he wasn’t good enough to be rescued.

The creatures offer him a great distraction for him to not think. Wilbur stays with him most often, both of them teaching the other their language. Phil stops by at least once to drop off the food and stays a little, joining in Tommy’s and Wilbur’s fun. 

Techno hasn’t come by once though. Wilbur explained that he was protecting them and he was usually by the entrance of their cave. Tommy didn’t know whether that should’ve brought comfort or panic. Instead, indifference met him. Whatever happens, happens. 

Just like any other time, Wilbur was with him. Today, Tommy was learning the biology of the creatures.

“Good and big. Very… strong! Very…” Wilbur’s tail was propped up on the edge of the pool, his chest and abdomen sunk into the pool so nothing would encroach on Tommy’s personal space.

However, by this point, Tommy’s tolerance of the creatures has greatly increased. Sleeping with Wilbur in the pool, a lullaby being sung because Wilbur figured out two days in that Tommy didn’t like sleeping in silence, became the norm. Sharing bits and pieces of his meals with Wilbur and Phil was starting to become routine too. It was also the closest Tommy has ever gotten to the creatures with his own will, with each meal setting the food just an inch closer.

He didn’t mind how close Wilbur’s tail was to his stretched-out legs. It was almost comforting to be in such proximity to another living being.

“Very fast? Your tail is very fast and strong?” Wilbur nodded and gave a thumbs up, his tail flicking at the mention of it. He repeated the word fast a few times until he deemed it was good enough. 

“How about you talk now, big guy? I’ll try my best to understand.” Wilbur sat up, ears perked and a grin spreading. His teeth no longer scare Tommy, just another feature by now.

Similar to what Tommy did, Wilbur motioned all the sounds he made. As of now, Tommy was beginning to distinguish when the coos, croons, clicks, and any other sound they made were used. Beyond that, everything sounded the same. No matter how many times Wilbur will repeat a certain trill, like the one that meant home, Tommy will still think that any other trill also means home. 

Yet he could distinguish the emotions behind the sounds. Truthfully, Tommy didn’t need to memorize how the trill sounded, but how it felt. The melody behind each word.

And the melody was magical. Many people say that French is the most beautiful language, but Tommy knows with confidence that Wilbur’s language will win any Eurovision or America’s Got Talent. If people say that the universal language is music, then Tommy has found it. 

As Wilbur was explaining something about their home and how there was a lot of fish living nearby, Tommy’s eyes wandered down to his tail. 

It always fascinated him the mere size of the tail. The position Wilbur was in only accentuated the length of it. Just by a glance, Tommy was only mere inches taller than Wilbur’s tail. Compared to Techno’s though, Tommy was a couple of inches too short to match the gigantic size of his tail. 

Not just that, but how thin and translucent the fins were at the very tip and the glow to the scales. It was magnificent. Tommy’s never been an animal guy, but maybe instead of dreaming about flying, he should’ve dreamt about swimming. Feel the freedom of being able to dive deep into the ocean and know that humans have only discovered ten percent of the entire ocean.

If Tommy ever gains wings, then satellites and planes will only be waiting for him. At any point, someone can point a camera at him, and just like that, his privacy is gone. But deep in the ocean, where light can no longer penetrate through the waves, he can just zoom . Discover the ocean and see all the sunken ships and planes.

Perhaps Tommy should start daydreaming about having a tail.

Curious-curious-tail? The clicks brought Tommy out of his thoughts and he looked up at Wilbur. He repeated his message when Tommy didn’t respond immediately, his tail flicking.

Tommy nodded and didn’t even attempt at mimicking the sounds Wilbur made. He’s tried once and that ended up with both Wilbur and Phil laughing at him.

“Yeah, your tail is pretty cool.” Wilbur hummed and then extended his tail a little closer to Tommy. Curious-touch-touch? Was what Tommy mostly understood, his hand prickling anytime Wilbur made the touch coo.

Despite that, Tommy must’ve misunderstood Wilbur. He wants Tommy to touch his tail? That would be idiotic on both ends of the deal. Not only would Wilbur be able to reach Tommy, but Tommy recently received a knife. He could easily stab Wilbur and ruin his life.

Tommy shook his head, “No, I can’t touch your tail. It’ll be dangerous.” His hands curled into each other, afraid of what they’ll do. He doesn’t want to hurt Wilbur, but Tommy’s hurt his friends before when his emotions got out of hand.

Wilbur doesn’t know that however and just tilted his head with a smile, “All okay, Tommy. Us safe, no bad. Wilbur safe, no hurt. Trust?” Tommy pursed his lips and looked down at his tightened fists.

Does he trust Wilbur to not hurt him? Does he trust himself to not hurt Wilbur?

He doesn’t. Violence has been the only language Tommy understood, not soft songs and tender music. 

“Okay, Tommy? Wilbur safe, no bad, no hurt. Wilbur trust Tommy.” Tommy snaps his head back up and holds his breath. Wilbur hasn’t moved, but he squinted his eyes in crescent moons like he was a pirate looking at his treasure. 

Maybe Tommy doesn’t need to trust himself. All he needs to do is trust Wilbur. 

“Okay, I'll… I’ll touch your tail. But you stay right there! Don’t even move an inch…” Scooching forward on his butt, Tommy approached the tail. Wilbur held it still, with loose shoulders and a smile.

Hovering his hand closer and closer to the tail, Tommy watched Wilbur’s expression as he closed in. But nothing changed about Wilbur. He remained passive to it all, like Tommy touching his most precious body part was nothing more worthy than a slow blink and a tilt of his head. 

The first thought that came to Tommy once he came in contact was how cold it was. Not quite an ice cube, but more of a cool winter breeze. The texture was odd too. Tommy imagined this is what dragon scales would feel like, smooth enough to glide through the air yet sturdy to not get hurt. 

The tip of the tail flicked and Tommy’s hand jumped back. He looked back up at Wilbur, never realizing when his head tilted down. 

“Fun, yes? Wilbur safe, no hurt. Touch-touch ,” the coo wrapped around Tommy’s hand, the sensations from mere seconds ago repeating. Though Tommy doesn’t understand how a language can have magic laced in it, he wasn’t afraid anymore. 

He dived into the unknown the moment he started cleaning this tank.

Reaching forward, Tommy placed his hand on the tail. He explored the area, fascinated by how slippery the tip of the tail is and Wilbur’s playful hiss when Tommy stroked his tail against the flow of his scales. The mere size of it didn’t escape Tommy either. Just by a look, Tommy knows he won’t be able to wrap his arms around the base of Wilbur’s tail. 

Tommy inched forward, bit by bit. Hands curious at everything that is Wilbur and what it all means. 

Then, hands caught him from falling into the pool, his knees on the very edge of the abyss. Mind swiftly catching up to him, Tommy flinched back and tried to remember when he got so close. Scolded himself for getting so engrossed in something so simple, to the point where he almost fell in. 

“Tommy okay? Wilbur safe, no hurt. Tommy no hurt?” Wilbur leaned back into his original position, but his hands were still held out and hovering. A safety net to catch Tommy in, even if the danger was over.

“Tommy, okay?” Registering the words being spoken, Tommy woke up from his thoughts. He nodded but didn’t scootch back. 

A foundation of trust was being laid down and Tommy was complexed over it. Typically he’ll destroy it by now, but the other person hasn’t caused any reason for cracks. Is he the one to take a hammer and ruin it, or does he wait and see? Watch as the foundation dries and becomes a base for something else?

“Good! Wilbur happy. Tommy happy. Us happy!” Wilbur clapped his hands together, teeth poking out in joy.

Tommy joined him, his own teeth on display with a tilt to his lips. The hammer lies resting and the trust slowly solidifies.

——

It tended to get crowded with two creatures in the pool. While Phil is the smallest, that doesn’t mean he’s small. Someone would need at least two bathtubs, maybe three, placed down with the tops touching one another to fit Phil. 

So it was always an interesting game to watch as Wilbur hit and shoved Phil, complaints always on his tongue. Be awed at how Phil only laughs back, hands only raised above his head to ruffle Wilbur’s hair and no more. Note down that Wilbur still respects Phil and gives him his space, yet none of his actions are done out of fear. They’re done out of love.

Tommy always had this lingering thought that his childhood was normal. Sure, the counselors would try to tease answers out of Tommy to him admitting that he lives in an unsafe environment, but he didn't think so. He’s used to fighting, the main form of communication he’s ever known.

Now he stares at Wilbur and Phil, his world shifting with each coo they give to one another. For a second, he believes he’s watching a TV show. The too-perfect family, always with a wedded mother and father and at least two children squirreling around. It was a fantasy. It is a reality now. 

Just add some tails and them speaking another language, and this is it. This is Tommy’s dream family. 

Currently, Tommy was laying flat on his back. A towel was underneath his head as he craned his head backward to watch the creatures upside down. He was playing with Phil’s tail, the tips of it surprisingly fun to flick back and forth. At some point, Wilbur started to whine that it was his turn to let Tommy play and it simply delved from there.

“Bad Phil, very bad! I want Tommy, my-turn-please !” Wilbur clicked the very last words, short and hard against the roof of his tongue. Phil laughed one more time, whistles leaving his lips, and let Wilbur have his ways.

In the next moment, Tommy got a face full of scales.

“Wha- eugh! Wilbur, why would you do that?!” Tommy rolled over and swiped at his face, partial water and partial slime coming off. He wiped it back on Wilbur’s tail and ignored the short click from Wilbur. 

Sitting up, he grabbed his bag of water and drank a fourth of the bag. By this point, he has another five bags of water ready to be used, but he’s been holding off. He never knows when the rations will end, so he’s saving now.

Screwing the cap back on, he set it down and turned back to face them. Nothing changed, except they were both staring at Tommy. It no longer weirded him out though. Tommy watches them and they watch him. A mutual understanding that  they’re both curious about the other species. 

He sat back down on the towel, Wilbur’s tail leeching Tommy’s leg warmth simply by being nearby. Tommy didn’t feel like scooting though, even with his skin gradually cooling. 

He’s not about to give up one of his only physical interactions of the day. At this point, he’ll take a quick pat on his back or even a handshake. Anything for him to feel the touch of another living being. 

Asking the creatures for help was out of the question. It wasn’t exactly because he was afraid that they’ll hurt him once within arms reach, but the act of asking was what got his limbs frozen. He’s never asked for help from a human and the tradition won’t stop for some mermaid creature thing either.

“I am dog, wof wof!” Wilbur exclaimed. Tommy looked over to Phil for a clue, but the man smiled back like this was something Wilbur does now. Yet when Phil took a quick glance to Wilbur’s tail, Tommy followed the trail.

With a jump and throat bloated from apprehension, Tommy snatched his hand back from where it was petting Wilbur’s tail. He must’ve done it while thinking, and now he’s going to get in trouble because he never got permission to be gentle.

This isn’t a double standard either. Tommy doesn’t need permission to punch someone who wronged him. But gentle touches? Those are rewards. One doesn’t just get them by wanting them. 

“Tommy, okay okay! Safe, Tommy safe and Wilbur safe! Okay?” Wilbur’s tail bumped against his leg, the water sliding right off his water-proof pants. When Tommy didn’t react within the first four seconds, Wilbur bumped into his leg again. 

Phil stopped Wilbur from doing it a third time by resting a hand on his shoulder. Tommy noted how Phil squeezed Wilbur’s shoulder, yet pain didn’t flash across Wilbur’s eyes. Resentment wasn’t building as Phil took the lead because Wilbur trusted him.

Tommy wishes he can trust someone like that one day.

And as Tommy takes a slight pause to note who he trusts the most in his life currently, it’s the creatures who take first place. Even Technoblade has treated him better than most humans. He’s protected Tommy more than anybody before. Wilbur was here trying to learn more about Tommy, with no pity in sight and only genuine care. Phil was here through it all, a calming presence that Tommy never knew he was missing out on.

It’s sad, but it’s all Tommy’s got. 

“Tommy, okay? No hurt? Sad-sad-hug ?” Two baritone coos and one elongated croon, the sounds just as beautiful as any other. However, the emotions curled around his heart and slithered around his chest, resting there like a weighted blanket. 

His mind cleared of his worries as the offer was given; hug ? 

Yes, a million times yes. Even if Tommy is never going to see them once they escape, he will make the most of it. He will learn what it means to trust someone.

Scrambling up to his bare feet, he sped walk to the pool. Phil opened up his arms, his chest exposed. Neither thought about the what-if Tommy stabbed him at this moment or the what-if Phil drowned him. 

Tommy jumped into his arms, cold water vaporizing any warmth in his body. Yet, as the shock to the temperature change settled in, Phil’s singing registered and Tommy realized that his body was warming up. The arms that were circled underneath his armpits and behind his chest went from cool to lukewarm, efficiently stopping his teeth from chattering. 

“ What the fuck– where was this warmth like two days ago?!” Tommy huddled closer to Phil, his arms circling his neck to get maximum warmth. 

Before his brain could catch up on the decision he made, two hands cupped Tommy’s head and lifted it. Wilbur was in front of him, a sharp grin that only kept growing.

“Tommy, Tommy! Wilbur happy! Happy, happy,” he kept repeating the word, his tail swaying back and forth like a dog. Tommy nodded along, mind overwhelmed at the change of heart within the last five seconds. 

But none of this felt bad. 

The hug from Phil was the most complete he’s felt in a while. An anchor so solid, that for a moment, he let himself rest his weight against Phil’s. Allowed Phil to hold him and take care of him.

The happy-joy-amazing made sparks on his eyelids and tips of his fingers, the whistles so frequent and high-pitched that he feared his heart would burst from the contagious happiness. 

It was all he ever wished for; happiness and support.

Chapter Text

Nothing lasts forever has been the motto that’s saved Tommy’s heart countless times. His hope was kept up when he was living with his parents. His trust was protected when he joined a new group of friends that only ditched him later on. His respect was maintained as people sneered at him. 

In the end, none of those events lasted. He only has himself to protect, so protect he shall.

Tommy thinks this might be the moment when that motto breaks his heart. 

For the first time in days, Tommy was rushing to put on his scuba equipment. He stuffed as much food in any crevice he had and tightened a knot from his flashlight in the usual place he has his cleaning equipment.

Without a single delay, he spun around and jumped into the pool, right in Wilbur’s arms. With a single nod from Tommy once he put his regulator in his mouth, they dove down into the dark waters.

It was time to leave. 

Water sped past his body, his hair flat against his scalp as Wilbur pumped his tail to sail through. As they got closer to the exit in the cave, vibrations from a blaring noise assaulted Tommy’s ears. But the current was too strong to bring his hands up to his ears, so all he could do was grit it out and hunch his shoulders up to his ears. 

Briefly, he compared this to when Phil grabbed him and led him to the cave. The adrenaline was still vibrating in his bones and his brain continued to demand him to breathe. But the fear? Barely a passing thought. He has the creature's weird emotion manipulator and Techno. That’s all he needs to leave this place once and for all. 

Gradually opening his eyes, the tank looked like a blood bath. Every two seconds, a red light would come bursting out, painting the aquarium like Hell with the corals an eternal flame and fish the three-headed dog. 

Tommy stopped himself from looking for any actual blood. He was tired of blood. Sometime between then and now, between understanding what it means for people to care for you and not, the idea of having split knuckles no longer gave him a burst of pride. The scent once comforting, was now a prickle in his thoughts. The smell of salt water and wet rock was what his heart was beginning to crave to cradle it.

Though he can’t smell underwater, he still buried his nose into Wilbur’s collarbone. Kept his eyes glued on his tail, the shimmering scales gliding past all the water. Squeezing Wilbur’s arms, he held on tight as they approached the tunnel.

Tommy assumed that Techno and Phil were ahead of them, doing something . He didn't know what that something was as Wilbur just burst out of the pool and told Tommy it was time to go.

How the tunnel was open, Tommy doesn't know. How the three of them were going to leave with just their tails and no water, he can only come up with the most ridiculous plans.

Tommy hopes this all turns out well. He has seen the rifles in the closets and an occasional pistol on a security guard. He wishes that it never comes down to that and his friends dead. 

They went through the tunnel, and soon enough, the two burst from the water. 

Dizziness started to set in from the sudden change of pressure, his body limp as his brain tried to make sense of the change. Wilbur kept a strong grip on him, a low hiss stretching out. 

“–and I know we’ve deeply wronged you, but I’m here to set it right. Get Tommy a better job, stop this operation, and get you out . Please, all I ask is for your cooperation. And if not, then please do it for him .” Dully, Tommy noted Dr. Halo’s desperate voice, his speech quick and high-pitched at all the wrong syllables. A few responses popped into Tommy’s head, primarily fuck you , but his tongue felt too heavy to move. 

Some clicks and croons were passed, the tunes too quick for Tommy to digest the meaning of them. Eventually, Phil and Techno must’ve reached an agreement, “Okay, yes. No trust you, trust Tommy. You bad, us safe, yes?” 

Dr. Halo must’ve nodded his head as with a single click from Phil, Wilbur was moving. From where they were swimming toward and based on Tommy’s memory, they were going towards the handrails. 

Just as Tommy was wondering how these large creatures could get up some measly handrail, Dr. Halo gasped. Gaining some more mobility and his ears no longer feeling like he was upside down, he turned his head towards the man.

To Tommy’s satisfaction, Dr. Halo looked disheveled and sleep deprived. With deep eye bags and pale skin, he was feeling some guilt for locking Tommy up. It didn’t matter to Tommy whether Dr. Halo was a part of the group that decided if Tommy was going to be trapped, he was still a part of them. He should’ve seen the signs, controlled Dream more, and reported the tragedies that were occurring here sooner. 

He didn’t and now Tommy is never going to forgive him.

Within no time, it was Wilbur’s turn on the handrail. Just as Tommy was about to push off and turn around to start climbing up, two arms linked underneath his stomach and swooped him to the top.

Is Tommy going crazy?

Dr. Halo was on the other side of the pool, how could anyone hoist him up–

“ Oh fuck me – since when did you guys get legs? You traded your voice while I was asleep or some shit?!” There, like it was no big deal, was both Phil and Techno standing . Luckily, through water magic crap logic, they were wearing clothes too. 

Phil wore some dressed-up robe with open-toed shoes, almost looking like some ancient Greek scholar. Techno looked like he came from a battle that took place in the 18th century; metal armor decorated every limb and left space for his joints to bend. A full fucking sword was resting on his hip and a thin, yet large, crimson cape enveloped him. The one feature Tommy didn’t realize he longed for was his pink hair, now a chestnut brown that was hazardously cut near his ears. 

It felt unnatural for Tommy to see them like this. To notice that Phil was shorter than him and Techno was only a couple of inches taller. It stung knowing that none of them trusted Tommy to see them in this form. 

“Fuck, Tommy! Tommy!” He whipped around and rushed to go on his knees, reaching down to help Wilbur up. Once he was up, Wilbur helped Tommy back on his feet.

Funny enough, Wilbur looked exactly what Tommy expected him to be as a human; scrawny and freakishly tall, wire glasses hanging with only one support behind his ear. The clothes were almost just as bad, with some dark substance etched into his maroon sweatshirt and even more spread across his pants. He looked like one of those factory workers in Tommy’s textbooks during the industrial revolution.

All the while the alarm was still bursting their eardrums and red lights flashing everywhere. Tommy couldn’t waste their precious time escaping just because he wanted some answers as to what all this meant. He gave a quick smile to Wilbur and turned to Dr. Halo.

Dr. Halo attempted to smile back, “Look Tommy–”

“I don’t care. Get us out of here and maybe I’ll hear your shit excuses. Now let’s go .” He grabbed Wilbur’s wrist and tugged him to the exit. Dr. Halo got the memo and lightly jogged to prop open the door. 

In a single file line, they left the safety of the pool room. As Dr. Halo was deciding where to go, Tommy took off his scuba equipment. They needed stealth at the moment, not some parading walking duck. Wilbur only watched and took his tank of oxygen and regulator.

Tommy raised his eyebrow, but in the end, didn’t question him. As long as Wilbur can carry that around, it’s not Tommy’s problem.

Soon enough, Dr. Halo was instructing them through the hallways. He was looking down at his phone every few seconds, forehead creased. Dropping Wilbur’s hand, Tommy caught up to Dr. Halo.

There, on the screen, was live camera footage of the hallways they were in but in different sections. Dr. Halo swiped to the next footage every second, and for a split moment, Tommy noticed that in one footage every person in this building was clustered at the other side of the building. 

“So, why’d the alarm go off?” Tommy kept his eyes on the footage, yet his ears were perked for the answer he was expecting.

“Ah, some tanks of gasoline were conveniently spilled in the main lab. I believe it was Skeppy’s friend.” A neutral tone, but when Tommy locked eyes with him, a glimmer of mischief was mirrored in his eyes. 

“Hmmm, convenient indeed.” Tommy knew Skeppy, that blue-haired man, the only person in this whole building that had actual humor. If Tommy sees him, he’ll be sure to tackle him in a hug. Call him a bitch to even out the affection.

With no interference, they made it outside. It was dawn, the birds starting their tunes and the tides low. A perfect day to be outside, the wind not chilly or humid.

They trekked on, the two humans in front while the others followed behind. 

A loud bang startled the five, and Tommy spun his head around to see what it was, even though his heart already knew the answer; a pistol. 

Unfortunately, both Tommy and Dr. Halo forgot that the main lab was near the oceanfront. Behind a large glass window, nearly all of the faculty stared wide-eyed at them. Security was beginning to trickle out, surrounding Dream like he needed protection from his own gun. 

Well fuck, “Run!” Tommy snatched Phil’s hand and dragged him into a sprint. Everybody followed suit, from the shouting guards to Wilbur’s inelegant galloping.

Luckily, they were more than fifty meters away from the guards. From Tommy’s inference, nobody would dare kill the creatures or someone high profile like Dr. Halo. All Tommy needed to do is get the creatures in the water and Dr. Halo to low ground.

He got this. This is the moment he’s been waiting for. 

“Everybody, follow me!” Instead of running straight toward the water, he ran alongside the shore. He needed the creatures in deep water as soon as possible and he knew the perfect spot. 

Glancing back, Tommy grinned at the slow-paced guards. They’re probably sixty meters away now and Dream was attempting to shove the guards that were blocking his way. His face was fiery red, eyes blown open as he and Tommy locked eyes.

Tommy flicked his middle finger and turned back to his mission.

“Here’s the plan! Phil, Techno, and Wilbur get in the water when I tell you. Dr. Halo, you lay on the ground once we get there. You all will be okay, they’re afraid to shoot you.” He shouted the orders, squeezing Phil’s hand. Phil squeezed right back and sped up a little to be on pace with Tommy.

“What about you?!” Dr. Halo slowed down and stared at Tommy, which Tommy stopped by pushing his back to continue the run. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll figure it out. Just focus on staying safe!” He growled the last sentence, peeved that now Dr. Halo worries about his safety. He managed to survive in the little cave for a week and some more, this is nothing . 

“What? I am worried! I don’t want them to shoot you or go to jail. Tommy, this organization has a lot more power than you can imagine. You need to escape with the three!” 

Tommy faltered for a moment, his ankle slightly rolling on itself at the speed he was running at. All the plans that were already set in stone for this escape crumbled down. 

Escape with them? What, live in another small cave until the organization presumes he’s dead? Or does he run for the rest of his life, always in fear that he’ll be shot dead for the information that he possesses? 

“Tommy, you okay? Safe, yes?” Phil whispered to him, his scratchy beard tickling his ears. He didn’t respond, wanting to stop thinking as he looked where everybody was once again.

Dr. Halo was in front, his lab coat fluttering in the wind. Techno was at the back of the group and he was now carrying the oxygen tank, with Wilbur in between them. The guards were now sixty-five meters behind, and looking forwards again, they had another thirty seconds before they reached their destination.

Thirty seconds to decide his fate. Leave human civilization for a while or risk death. 

Tommy saw his favorite tree, the birch smooth and leaves full to block out the sun. Twenty seconds. Will Tommy even miss anything? His favorite shows and snacks, but besides that, nothing else comes to mind. 

His parents, fake friends, and the government won’t miss him. Ten seconds and he thinks he found his conclusion. Seems like there isn’t much debate whether restarting your life is the right choice when your life has been complete shit so far.

He supposes he’ll get his revenge on Dream another time. Releasing the creatures was just the tip of the iceberg of what anguish he wants the man to feel. 

“We’re here! Dr. Halo, meet me by the old navy pier that’s an hour away from here in a year. If I don’t come, assume I’m dead. Thanks for nothing, see you later!” He shoved Dr. Halo to the ground, away from any flying bullets.

“Phil,” the man clocked his head to the side, “go in. Swim swim. Escape now, okay? I am coming with you.” Not wasting a second, he could see the guards swiftly approaching the fifty-meter mark, he snatched the oxygen tank from Techno. 

Shoving Wilbur and Techno towards the water too, Tommy quickly strapped his tank on and stepped into the water. Immediately, the water reached his knees and he kept his feet still to not poke any sharp rocks underneath. 

The three finally got the memo and jumped in. Dr. Halo was trying to say something, but the words had already been spoken on Tommy’s side. Dr. Halo can say his words in a year.

Shooting his head up, he cursed seeing the guards a mere forty meters away. Though he doubts any of them have good aim, they were getting too close for Tommy’s liking.

“Techno, go! Danger danger, no safe!” Inserting his regulator in his mouth, he got on the back of Techno. The man’s eyes narrowed at Tommy’s eyes, briefly glanced at the shore, and nodded his head.

In the next moment, Tommy was submerged underwater and flying through the water. He wrapped his legs around Techno’s torso, not questioning how Techno transformed from hairy human legs to slick fish tail. 

Water rushed past his ears, his thin swimwear doing nothing to stave off the chill of the ocean. He tried his best to not think about the burning sensation in his eyes and nose, the salt water getting into everything. 

Time passed like he was stuck in a bubble. The same constant motion, up and down, the temperature only getting cooler, and the sunlight never dimming. He had no way to tell if they were going to dive down at one moment or if they were doing laps around the ocean. 

Tommy went into his mind, not bothering to think about anything. The goal he had in mind was to hold on and not open his eyes. And so far, he was getting an A on his effort. 

At one point, the darkness grew behind Tommy’s eyelids. The biting cold penetrated his numbed skin, but the speed they were going was slowing. No longer a hasty thump, but a controlled wagging back and forth to move them forward.

Then, they thrust into the open air. Arms pushed him out of the water and onto a damp rock, his oxygen tank getting unbuckled. He ripped the regulator out of his mouth and wet his lips, the dry oxygen was not pleasant at all. 

It took minutes for Tommy’s senses to come down, and the adrenaline to stop making him hyper-sensitive. Hands were rubbing at his back, a gentle whistle that sounded like a perfect lullaby to sing a baby to sleep. It took a third of the usual time to get Tommy out of his fighter zone.

Standing up, he pretended to not miss the hand on his back and scouted the cave. It was wider with a slight breeze coming from somewhere. Glow lichen was growing near the edge of the water, illuminating the creatures in an aqua blue. Besides that, it was as boring as the previous cave he was in.

Minus the food, of course. 

Patting the pockets he put his food in, he didn’t bother to laminate on the few granola bars he couldn’t feel anymore. No bother to think of his losses, he tried his best.

“Tommy?” He turned around and stared at the three creatures. They were free. His mission was accomplished and he should feel happy for them. They get to live their life now, gossip to all the other creatures about the adventure they went on, and continue to be a family.

He thinks he is happy for them, just not happy for himself. 

“Tommy, hug?” Wilbur opened up his arms, the other two behind him, and watched Tommy with a keen eye. Tired, Tommy stepped back into the water and hugged Wilbur back. This might be the last hug he gets from him for all he knows. This could be a goodbye, and he’ll be stuck here, a fool to open his heart.

He rested his head on Wilbur’s collarbone, arms loose around Wilbur’s shoulders. The same tune from before was whistled, the vibrations unconsciously making Tommy breathe to the beat. Another hand carded through his hair, gently untangling any knots. 

“Tommy,” he raised his head, only because Techno was the one to speak. His voice was deeper than Tommy expected, with a grovel behind each word. 

“Safe, Tommy. Us safe, you safe, we safe. No danger, yes?” He nodded his head, not bothering to think of any disagreements. 

Though there were a million things to worry about, Tommy didn’t want to do that anymore. He was tired of being tired and fighting for his life. He wants to relax now. Let someone else make the decisions for him and trust them that that’s what he needs.

“Sleep, Tommy. No danger.” Wilbur hoisted Tommy up, and in a split second, got out of the water with human legs. Wilbur sang the same song to make himself feel warm, and with that, Tommy slept. 

Chapter Text

When Tommy woke up from his nap, the creatures had ripped out chips inserted in their arms. They assured Tommy to not worry about the blood in the water, their wounds had already healed. 

Then Tommy got on Techno’s back and they were on their way to the next cave. His oxygen levels were getting to a concerning amount, with only another hour left if Tommy didn’t intake too much oxygen. 

The water never got warmer. His hands trembled from the biting cold ocean as he clutched onto Techno. The currents kept attempting to toss Tommy off Techno, but Techno’s large hands enveloped Tommy’s and anchored him down.

Just like last time, Tommy breached the surface when he least expected it. Tommy blinked, clearing the water from his eyes, and glanced up at the sky.

The Milky Way glanced back down at him, the water ink black as the moon tried, but failed, to illuminate the world. Yet the stars managed to still make the sky shine, like nothing Tommy has ever seen before.

He’s never thought about how people used to see the night sky back then and be able to draw a picture with their finger, telling a story of how a person was made into a constellation. Yet now it made sense. When there are millions of stars to connect, Tommy would’ve also made a story up. 

The four of them rode up and down the calm waves. Tommy leaned his entire body weight onto Techno, exhausted from it all. At this point, he can’t even pinpoint why he’s exhausted. He simply is. 

Some people may want to say that they want to go home, get away from all these problems, but Tommy doesn’t have a home. The problems are always stuck with him.

“Cold, Tommy? Hungry, Tommy?” Wilbur took out a granola bar and opened it, handing it to Tommy. Lethargically, Tommy accepted it and swallowed it in three bites to get as less ocean water on the food. He pocketed the wrapper and rested his head on Techno’s shoulder, eyes half open as he peered at Wilbur and Phil.

For some reason, Tommy thought they would’ve shone in the ocean. The scales would brighten with the ocean waters and be something like a jellyfish. Instead, they look like any other human who’s swimming during the night. 

Phil’s hair stuck to his forehead in thin streaks and Wilbur looked stupid. Typical humans.

“Okay, Tommy? More swim, okay?” Wilbur brushed Tommy’s hair to the side. Sliding his hands down, he cupped one of Tommy’s cheeks and tilted his head up to meet Wilbur’s gaze square on. 

Love-love-reassurance-believe was sung in trembled notes and slid into his heart like a content cat about to doze off in the cozy sunlight. Tommy blinked, and though his expression didn’t change from his thin lips, Wilbur smiled. 

Techno handed Tommy his regulator, and with a defeated sigh, Tommy placed it in his mouth. They dived back into the ocean, looking for a place to rest.

——

Tommy tilted his oxygen tanks just right, the sunlight filtering through tiny punctures in the ceiling. Not enough light to see if there were any stalagmites to trip Tommy, but enough to see the arrow on top of the tank pointing to the red: empty. 

They had gotten lucky. Too late had Tommy noticed that the tank was on its last drip. Tommy thinks he took out his regulator and screamed bloody murder, hitting his tank with his knuckles and trying to click bad-bad-bad . Somehow they had found a cave to settle within what felt like mere seconds to Tommy. 

Yet this hiccup in their escape has Tommy biting at his lips. The cave is above water, and Tommy assumes, near land too. 

Where do they go next? What do they do? Tommy’s sick of obstacles, for once he wants to enjoy a clear road in his fucking life and not worry about every pebble he crosses. 

Throwing the tanks further into the cave, the two thumping their way down, he slumped to the ground. Knees tucked into his chest, arms looped around, he set his head down and closed his eyes.

Fuck this. He wishes he had an easy life. Where he has loving parents that only have one job and own a house. Friends that support him and a social life that doesn’t depend on blood and toxic masculinity. 

Then again, he isn’t Cinderella. All of his grandparents are alive last time he checked and none of them even remember his name. No bibbidi-bobbidi-boo for him. No happy ending for him.

“Tommy? Hungry, cold?” Wilbur breached the water and swam towards Tommy. At least, Tommy thinks. There wasn't any glow lichen to aid Tommy and the few peppered sunlight streaks barely illuminated the pools. 

Techno and Phil were right behind, most likely steadily swimming. From the few times the three passed a sunlight beam, Tommy could tell that Techno was holding a couple of fish, what looked to be tuna, though the blood dripping from their chewed-off heads made it harder to identify. Phil was in a similar boat but with a different kind of fish Tommy couldn’t identify. 

Tommy didn’t answer the question, his constricting stomach staying quiet in the usual hunger. He listened as Wilbur pulled himself up beside Tommy, his tail slapping with a quench against the stone, and pulled out the last granola bar with its crinkly wrapper.

“Hungry?” Wilbur took Tommy’s limp hand and placed the bar on it, frowning when Tommy made no move. 

Hey-look clicked Phil, both Wilbur and Tommy snapping their eyes up to him. He placed the tuna on the floor between Wilbur’s tail and Tommy’s feet, slicing into the fish with one of his claws. The flesh parted easily beneath Phil’s actions.

Barely Tommy could see how Phil cubed up the fish, removing all the bones and scales.

When that same flesh was in Phil’s hand, it stretching towards Tommy, he picked up the meat. Why should he be afraid of Phil? He’s done nothing but care for him. 

This fish, on the other hand, he’s somewhat afraid that that’ll give him rabies if he eats it. If fish even have rabies. 

“Fish safe. Human safe. Good food.” Phil explained, his teeth sinking into the fish and offering Tommy a bloody tooth smile. 

“Hmmmm,” he analyzed the meat, squeezing it and being surprised at how soft it was. He’s never had sushi, would this count if he eats it? Don’t people eat raw fish either way? 

Shrugging his shoulders, he popped the cubed meat in his mouth. Chewing on it wasn’t as bad an experience as he expected. The buttery flavor with a mild saltiness to it was better than most meals Tommy’s had. 

When Phil offered his hand with meat, Tommy snatched both pieces. Wilbur trilled annoyance-annoyance and Tommy shrieked when Wilbur wrapped his arms around Tommy’s shoulder and hauled him closer. Before Wilbur could achieve victory, Tommy gobbled down the meat and tried his best to not choke from the laughter that wanted to escape him.

Wilbur grumbled some trills, the emotions swirling in Tommy's head as he couldn’t place the meaning to them. Either way, Tommy won and Wilbur was still a bitch. 

Neither of them moved from their position though. Tommy leaned into Wilbur’s embrace, the other draping his arm around Tommy and rumbling some notes. With Phil practically spoon-feeding Tommy fish and Wilbur’s soothing, lyrical notes, Tommy’s eyes fluttered down.

He wasn’t exactly tired. This run-and-stop lifestyle is not something foreign to him. However, he felt like he was at the mercy of the waves. Never being able to tell when the lows and highs are about to come, never knowing what will be washed away, and if calm waters or a tsunami is coming. A constant back-and-forth that has Tommy desiring stillness.

Two coos and Tommy were sung, something Tommy might’ve ignored, but Wilbur jumped at it. Instantly, he shot his eyes open and straightened his back, knees bent and arm ready to push him up into a sprint. 

Hey -another two coos and Tommy were sung and Tommy’s attention was focused on Phil. More tuna was in his hand, cubed in perfect bite-sized pieces. Reaching for them slowly, Tommy observed Phil’s face. The man smiled and made the two coos again, yet the feeling didn’t make sense.

It was like balloons were strung on Tommy’s heart, lifting it above rainbows and fluffy clouds. It was a first kiss with electricity seemingly going through his spine. It was what Tommy imagines his dad’s hugs might be like; hearty and his hairy arms cocooning him. Though there was one element that his dad missed that these coos had; love. 

Not romantic or sexual. A love that an older sibling has for their younger sibling. A love that an owner has for their pet. A love that a parent has for their child. 

Tears caressed Tommy’s cheeks. In the back of his mind, he thought of how he wouldn’t be able to taste the saltiness since his face is already wet from the ocean water. At the front of his mind, it was having a crisis. 

Through the past months, and especially in the past days, his heart was sinking into despair knowing that he’ll never have a deep connection with the three. He was a human with a throat that couldn’t speak in their language and a heart that trembled at the slightest shows of affection. No one would want that. No one has wanted that since he was a child. 

Now all his birthday wishes are finally being gifted to him; someone who will accept him. Even if this cave is where he dies, his lifetime goal has been fulfilled. 

Tommy launched in Phil’s arms, the man catching him like he’s been doing this for years. The same two coos were repeated over and over again, a few calm and love being sung as well.

Which gave Tommy a pause. If he can understand the whistle love in their language, then what the fuck were the two coos? What could overpower an emotion like that?

“Tommy,” he raised his head and locked with Phil’s crescent eyes. A claw rested on the back of Tommy’s neck, Phil lightly scratching the baby hairs on the end.

“Join us? You creature? Us safe and love. You no hunger.” Phil pursed his lips to coo the previous dizzying coo, making Tommy’s chest like it was filled with helium. 

Tommy’s mouth dropped open as he stared into Phil’s eyes. Slowly, his eyes drifted down to watch Phil’s tail swaying back and forth to keep them afloat and all the scales that ride up his body.

Would Tommy have all that? His own tail, a throat that can speak their language, ears that can understand their language, a family?

Thoughts swirled around Tommy, each one a flash in his head. 

He wasn’t against becoming a creature. There’s nothing much that’s tying him to stay on land nor any goals he wanted to complete. He’s only dreamt of having a family and flying. 

However, isn’t swimming just flying through water? It certainly felt like that as the water rushed past him to get to the next destination, ears plugged from the pressure, and chest having difficulty breathing. Yet it was exhilarating to go at such a speed.

And imagine all the freedom that he’ll have if he becomes a creature. Scientists have only discovered ten percent of the ocean yet satellites are constantly taking pictures of the air. The ultimate freedom would be where no one can see or touch him. 

The ocean is the answer to all his dreams and problems. 

This family– possibly his family if he dares to be hopeful– is the answer to all he’s ever wanted. 

Tommy wrapped his arms around Phil and hid his face in the nook of his shoulder. Phil did his two coos and question , rubbing Tommy’s back. 

Timidly nodding his head, praying that this isn’t some sick joke before they decide to leave him with his heart crushed for the last time, he agreed, “Yes, I want to join you.”

——

Phil looked down at the boy in his arms, the human limp from a song that put him into a deep sleep. Deep enough that he won’t wake up even in the most life-threatening situations. 

Wilbur was in front of him, his eyes twinkling in excitement and soft coos of adoration-love-love escaping him as he attempted to fluff Tommy’s. Yet above water, Tommy’s hair stuck to his forehead like a starfish to its rock. Only underwater is Tommy’s hair fluffy, the blond waves floating around him like a halo and sparkling like gold in the sunshine. 

Phil can’t wait to see it every day. To caress it when it’s Tommy’s sleep time or ruffle it to encourage him when he roughhouses with his brothers.

He can’t wait to meet Tommy. No language barrier, no humans hunting his family, no more stress that’s weighing Tommy’s smile into a permanent scowl. 

Techno surfaced from below and gave a nod, “We’re safe. We’ll be back home before he ends his transformation.” He trilled and clicked, but in Phil’s mind, he didn’t need to translate it as he does for the English tongue. Another thing to be happy about; he doesn’t need to speak that wretched language anymore.

“Let’s begin then,” Phil trilled back and gave one last kiss to Tommy’s forehead. Everything will turn out fine.

Ducking down into the water, Phil kept a steady grip on Tommy. With Tommy’s next inhale, his body realized that something was wrong. Yet Tommy continued to sleep, eyes fluttering behind his eyelids but never opening up. Bubbles escaped from Tommy’s throat and nose until eventually, none more came out. His eyes were still, chest silent.

Not wasting a moment, Phil took his claws and made three thin slashes against both sides of Tommy’s neck. Ribbons of blood began to pour out, which Phil swiftly stopped by placing his hands on the slashes.

Phil took a deep breath in, reminiscing the other two times when he’s had to do this, and began to sing,

“From dawn to dusk, air is what they breathed. From birth till death, legs are how they traveled. From first breath till last, rhythm is what they spoke. Oh Mother, please accept this new child of yours and let them see the glory of what you behold,” the sparse water around them began to be filled with small glow squid, their eyes all pointed towards Tommy.

The Ocean has heard his request. 

Slowly, the temperature began to drop around the two. Techno and Wilbur were below them, tails swinging methodically in sync, fins moving freely and not pressed tightly to their scalp from the freezing waters. Good, his boys were out of the range for the turning. 

Phil kept a close eye on Tommy’s chest, now waiting for the Ocean to do their part. The glow squid had surrounded them, impartial to the frigid waters. Phil let go of his hold on Tommy’s neck and held him by his armpits instead. 

In the next moment, their tentacles caressed Tommy’s legs, neck, and head. With each swipe, a trail of translucent blue liquid was left on. It was especially thick where the three slashes were, the blood completely covered up and only blue in sight. 

This when on for minutes, until finally–

Tommy’s chest heaved in a gulp of water and bubbles came out of his gills. 

The turning was not over, and won’t be over for another couple of weeks. Tommy’s tail needs to be formed, his eyes need to adjust, his vocal cords will be stretched, and much more for his body to be ready to live in the deep waters. 

For now, though, all they need is for Tommy to be able to breathe underwater to transport him to his new home. Since that’s done now– 

Phil peered down and trilled to Techno, “It’s time to go home.”

——

The stress and anxiety of having a merling in the open waters is something Phil wishes to never experience again. A thin film surrounded Tommy’s legs now, the beginning of a tail being developed underneath it, and it was one small rip away from being damaged and the process start all over. 

Due to this, they had to stay near the surface of the waters to keep clear of the jagged ravines. That also meant Techno was constantly above Phil, keeping an eye for any dangers around them. Wilbur was below, the safest spot as other species tend to steer away from the merfolk. 

Tommy, his merling , was pressed against Phil’s chest. His eyes were shut and wouldn’t open until the transformation was complete. Until then, he sleeps and is unconsciously forming a bond with Phil as his caregiver. 

The bond is loose sand for now, tickling the back of his head and brain. Tommy’s emotions come in waves, mostly peace. Occasionally terror would flash by, a nightmare, and Phil would croon sire-sire-safe . Tommy would then attempt to croon back safe-love-sire but it would only come out as babbles. 

Phil’s heart would melt every time. He can’t wait to have the bond harden to sandstone and embrace Tommy fully in their pod. 

Once they reach home, Techno will strengthen his role as the protector as well. Teaching Tommy how to hunt and hide, showing him the hierarchy of their pond, and knowing that Tommy will forever be their treasure. 

Wilbur on the other hand is doing just fine establishing himself as a podmate. 

As they transverse at a rapid speed through the great Ocean, Wilbur sings tunes that were passed down generations ago. A step towards teaching Tommy their language and feeling comforted whenever he hears these songs later in life. Techno and himself join in from time to time, whistling their tunes that are associated with their role in the pod.

Tommy sleeps through it all, his gills fluttering as they learn how to function. 

——

Waking up makes Tommy unsure if he’s in a lucid dream or not. His body feels out of tune, like a broken bone yet with no discomfort. As he listens to the sounds around him, he doesn’t know how to conceptualize what could make a sound like a slow-moving waterfall. 

He opens his eyes, ready to investigate. Dream or not, none of this makes sense. 

The world around him is tainted in a blue hue and dim. Where he expects a popcorn ceiling and wooden floors, he’s met with stone walls. There’s no window to show him the sunrise, only a tunnel a few meters above his head that leads to endless darkness. 

Tommy’s chest slowly seizes, his vision tunneling and gaze stuck on the tunnel. Focused on only his panic, Tommy doesn’t realize the tweets of panic-danger-panic-sire that were leaving his mouth. 

Calm-calm-safe is trilled from the tunnel, Phil quickly merging and scooping Tommy up to his chest. Like a switch, the panic dissipates into sea foam and the purr rumbling underneath his ear only furthers his relaxation. 

In the back of his mind, Tommy notes that he’s being moved around. The sensation of water sliding past his face and arms doesn’t go untouched by him, however, he doesn’t have the care right now to wonder why he’s surrounded by water. 

As time passes, his throat begins to tickle. It’s not quite coughing or sneezing, but another movement. Tommy doesn’t realize what it is until he hears a second purr adding to the mix. It was shaky and high-pitched, stuttering every so often, yet replicating the purr from Phil nonetheless. 

Belatedly, Tommy noticed the itch was gone from his throat and that it was vibrating to the same tune as the high-pitched purr. 

Okay, what the actual fuck was going on?

Tommy peeled back the blanket on his mind and welcomed the clarity back. Opening his eyes again, the bubble of questions that was steadily growing pops when he sees a tail attached to his torso.

The events of him agreeing to be a creature and then falling asleep under a serene song rolls back into his memory. The feeling of warmth and being embraced floated around him too, though no memory surfaced to the top to know when these sensations exactly occurred. 

He rested his head on his caregiver, sire, observing his tail as he attempted to command it to move back and forth. It vaguely worked, but only the fins moved and not the entire body bass of his tail. 

Shit, is he gonna have to learn how to swim? Is he equivalent to a human infant right now, completely helpless and relying solely on the people around him to make sure he lives? If he is, fuck that.

Yet the thought didn’t go much further than that. The depth of his boiling rage to be dependent on others is oddly silent. He can still feel it simmering in his heart, but the heat was gone. 

Tommy doesn’t know how to feel about that. 

He stares at his tail, willing it to move once again, and relaxes his muscles until his body is molded to his caregiver’s chest. 

Wait, what? Caregiver?

“Hey mate, sorry for leaving you. It was only for a moment and it was to grab this,” Phil– caregiver? – held up a fish that was struggling to get out of his hold, yet no fins were found to aid the fish in its endeavor.

“Don’t mind the lack of fins, that’s just so the fish can’t escape but is still fresh when we eat it. Speaking of which, it’s time for you to eat.” Caregiver– or was it fucking Phil because Tommy needs to figure out what to call him– gently pushes Tommy to where he first woke up.

He left the little nook Tommy was in and dived down, making Tomy realize that he was on top of a ledge and there was an entire room below him. The walls were covered with glow lichen and the furthest wall from him had a gradient of seashells lodged to the wall. Chests made from some sort of green material were shoved in the corners and silky sand was piled on the floor like it was a carpet. 

There were plenty of other small details Tommy didn’t have time to appreciate, like the floating bottles of what Tommy could only describe as an elixir. But Phil came back up and stole Tommy’s attention, particularly the fish.

A slab of stone was in his caregiver's hands, the still fish on top with a slit across its head. 

“Typically I’ll just cut the fish in my hands and feed my merling, but I wanted you to try out your claws.” Phil scooted closer to Tommy until the stone slab was lightly pressed on his tail. His caregiver gently picked up Tommy’s hand and rotated it as he talked.

“Right now your claws are quite soft so you don’t injure yourself, but they’ll harden within a few days. So don’t worry if you don’t cut anything, this’ll just let you get used to the sensations.” Phil guided Tommy’s hand to the fish, his claws scraping the scales. 

Tommy took some control back of his hand, but not enough for Phil to release his hold. He extended his claws like one would their toes and attempted to penetrate the fish. Just as Phil said though, his claws did nothing more than scrap the surface. 

While Tommy didn’t care about the uselessness of his claws, his stomach did. His lips parted back as a growl ripped out of his throat, a cloud of instinct that wrapped his human side away and let the predator in him grin. 

Some light whistles floated around him, the meaning jumbled up in hiccuped amusement, and the fish was swiftly taken away. No no no , repeated in his head as he whined at his lost food. He was starving, what did he do to deserve this?

Yet just as soon as the food was taken away, little cubed-up pieces of fish were presented to him. Without a single thought, Tommy snatched them and shoved them in his mouth, a croon leaving his mouth as the metallic and savory flavor hit his parched mouth. His tongue, which was elongated he duly noted, licked his sharpened teeth and stared at his Caregiver for his next portion. 

Caregiver gave those same light whistles again, chest shaking and eyes crinkling in fondness, as he sliced the next fish and gave it to Tommy. 

——

“If I turn around and see even a single scale out of the den, Theseus, I will call for Phil.” Techno rumbled from below, his body turned towards the chest as he cataloged through them. 

Tommy, on the other hand, had nearly the entire top portion of his body hanging off of the ledge of the den. His tail anchored him down and stopped him from sliding down, and gasp , leaving the den. He rolled his eyes and let his body slither further down, purposely agitating the seaweed to make it ruffle in the quiet space. 

Techno sighed, deep and long, before turning around and raising a single eyebrow high into his forehead. He didn’t say anything, just stared down at Tommy. 

Before, Tommy would’ve been intimidated. However kind Techno has been to him as a human, Tommy couldn’t guarantee that same attitude when he was miles underwater and nearly helpless against any outside forces. People change as circumstances do and he didn’t want to risk it.

Techno sighed once more and clicked sire-come-mischief up into the tunnel. Within a few moments, Phil swam in and his eyes narrowed at Tommy.

“Toms, I know you’re restless, but your tail hasn’t fully developed yet. We don’t want you to strain it. Do you want Wilbur to sing to you again? He’s been working on some new ones that I’m sure–” Phil halted as Tommy slid further down, almost half of his tail upside down alongside him. 

Tommy smiled and blew bubbles from his mouth, “No, I think Wilbur needs more time to develop his music. After all, Rome wasn’t built in one day.” Tommy stole a glance towards Techno and bit his cheek to stop laughter from spouting out as Techno pinched his nose in exasperation.

That’s right bitch, eat your own words. 

When Tommy looked back at Phil, he yelped as hands gripped his shoulders and hauled him back into the den. Wanting to see how this would play out, Tommy let it happen. 

The terror of being hit, berated or punished still lived in the back of Tommy’s mind, yet that’s where it stayed now. No longer his sole thought whenever he prodes an adult. It’s on the back burner, slowly turning to ashes and scattering to the wind through his family’s love.

“Just let the kid say what he wants to do, Phil. Maybe you can make a compromise.” Ah, that’s why he trusts Techno. The peacemaker and protector, always wanting harmony in the pod. While Wilbur wants affection and Phil wants joy, Techno is their anchor back to reality. 

And apparently, merlings were precious. To the point where a protector might choose them over a caregiver if a difficult situation is at stake. Even then, Techno is constant. He’s the moon that rises every night with no promise needed that he’ll always be there. He’s the wave in the ocean, present and watching with no scathing judgment.

He’s Tommy’s protector. 

Phil sighs, copying what Techno did moments before this, and swims closer to Tommy until two hands cup Tommy’s cheeks. His head is tilted side to side, examined for something Tommy doesn’t know about, and he observes Phil’s eyes with rapt attention.

They’re blank, for now, but as Phil looks for imperfections that no longer exist on Tommy– like the bruises his stomach had from countless times hitting himself when pulling himself up onto a ledge as a human– a crack forms. Dissatisfaction . 

But Tommy’s still on thin ice. He needs to tread carefully or else Phil will coo at him and there goes his brain into an instinct mush.

Letting out a drawn-out coo, caregiver , Tommy peers up at Phil with a small smile, “Can I please go outside? I can ride on someone’s back, all snug and safe, but I wanna see my home, Phil. I’ve never had a home before…” Tommy silently thanks all the spoiled brats in the movies he’s watched for teaching him how to manipulate your parents into getting stuff that you want. 

Phil’s hands tightened around his face, thumbs caressing his lightened eyebags. Tommy maintained eye contact with Phil, a front-row seat to the conflicting happiness but wariness battening each other. 

Tommy’s stomach did churn at calling this his home, yet not in a way that he wanted to puke from saturated happiness. It was a key that unlocked his heart, the thick lock dropping down into his stomach as he realized this was it. The finale he’s been waiting for since he was a child, watching movies that romanticized abuse and the main characters getting their perfect happily ever after. 

It wasn’t sweet, but it was warm. 

Warm like the fondness in Phil’s eyes and two coos escaped his lips, the same coos that once confused him but now he knew the answer to; parental love. 

There was always more healing to be done. More to learn what it means to be half-fish. More to learn about what it means to have people rooting for his happiness. 

For now, though he coos back love-love-family and laughs when he’s pulled into a hug, 

“Of course. For you, the world Tommy. I love you,” he presses a kiss on Tommy’s curled hair and Tommy hides his flushed face in his dad’s shoulder.

I love you too.