Best Beloveds

"Don't question my parenting, of all people."

"I can't believe I agreed with this." Tommy grumbled, pulling his coat tighter.

"Well Tubbo wouldn't let me bring Michael here if you weren't with us." Ranboo chuckled as he lifted Michael up to go over a patch of rocks.

"Why can't we just bring Michael to the nether if we want him to know family?" Tommy rolled his eyes, puffing his rosy cheeks out.

"Not now, maybe next year. But Michael should spend time with different family. That includes Phil and Techno." Ranboo chided, holding the little piglin's hand. "And of you aren't comfortable, you know what to do. Your comfort is more important than this visit."

Tommy was extremely uncomfortable when Ranboo knocked the door on Technoblade's cabin. But he didn't want them to have travelled this far just to turn back not even five minutes after they got there. The large oak door swung open, a tall figure standing in the doorway.

"Technoblade!" Tommy greeted, putting on the loud persona.

Techno sighed. "Hello, Tommy."

"Hey Techno." Ranboo added in between the tension, Techno glaring at Tommy and Tommy shrinking behind Ranboo's skinny yet tall body. Techno shuffled to the side to let them in, slamming the door harshly afterwards. Ranboo set Michael down and started taking off his outerwear as Tommy crouched down to help Michael with his little clothes before his own. As they took off their winter gear, an avian man walked in.

"Oh! Michael!" Phil gasped, quickly making his way over. Both Tommy and the piglin looked up, though one was acknowledged and picked up and cooed at whilst the other was left on the floor with a knitted yellow hat in hand. "How are you, kiddo?"

That stung, Tommy could remember the time where he was living in the cabin when Phil called him that. "Good!" Michael replied.

"Oh? English, kid? You're getting good!" Phil praised. "Who's teaching such a talented kid, Ranboo?"

"That would actually be Tommy," Ranboo answered, offering a hand to the blond. Tommy stood up, letting go of Ranboo's hand as he dusted off his pants and hung up Michael's hat next to his and Ranboo's ginormous coats compared to Michael's tiny one.

"Oh. Tea?" Techno offered, lumbering to the kitchen to put on some tea. Wow, Ranboo thought, both of them were getting British whilst living with British people.

"What'vd you been up to now, kid?" Phil asked the child.

"Made cook-cookie with ma aan pa." Michael slurred, not fully able to to get the words out.

"Wow! You're doing great, Michael!" Phil complimented, full up ignoring who taught him it. Michael squeezed a fist together, shaking it from side to side. "Michael?" Phil wondered.

"Means he needs to go to the bathroom," Tommy interrupted, picking Michael up, "in sign language." The blond padded off with Michael in hands, Ranboo noting that he seemed familiar with the layout of the house. He then realized Tommy was familiar with the layout of Technoblade's cabin. 

"So, how's Michael?" Phil questioned.

"He just told you, Tommy, Tubbo, and Michael all made cookies together." Ranboo answered, mildly annoyed that Phil didn't believe the child.

"With Tommy. How is Michael with Tommy." Phil finished his sentence.

"Oh, amazing! Michael adores him, and Tommy loves Michael as well, even if he won't admit it," Ranboo gushed, "he was the one who made out mittens and hats, the ones we wore here."

"So, Tommy's good at taking care of Michael?" Phil pondered. "Even if it's just them?"

"What'reyou trying to say, Phil," Ranboo squinted, "because you can just say it to my face."

"You know how Tommy's... impulsive, and abit childish at times," Phil shrugged, "and I'm worried that he won't be able to raise Michael properly." A pause, both giving a stare-down. After a few moments, Phil got uncomfortable with the eye contact, but Ranboo maintained it. The reason he didn't like eye contact was because it made other people uncomfortable, which he severely disliked. But it had its uses.

"You know, Tommy's much more responsible than you give him credit for." Ranboo said, breaking the eye contact.

"Tea's done." Techno called over a few seconds after the kettle went off. Bringing back four cups, Techno put the tray on the table in front of the sofa. Just then, Tommy led Michael back to the living room.

"Ran, guess what?" Tommy didn't notice Phil or Techno, too caught up in pride.

"What?" Ranboo tilted his head.

"Michael went to the bathroom himself!" Tommy boasted, Michael nodding his head.

"Oh! I'm so proud, Mike!" Ranboo grinned, opening his arms to have Michael tumble into the hug. Tommy made his way over and sat down next to them.

After an hour, they'd finished their tea and Michael was becoming too cramped in the cabin meant for two. All of them putting on coats and scarves, they went outside with Michael barrelling out to the powdery white snow.

"Don't go too far, Michael!" Tommy shouted as Michael screamed with glee.

"There's fences around the property, and no mobs should spawn in here." Phil gestured. "He's fine."

"Fuck off, Phil." Tommy cussed. "Don't question my parenting, of all people."

Phil went quiet after that, Techno reaching for the small dagger in his pocket. Ranboo looked over to Michael every five minutes, Tommy barely taking his eyes off the piglin. Techno and Phil slipped off into their own conversation, Ranboo joining in soon after.

Phil was right, obviously. The property had a fence around it, and the inside area was spawn-proofed. But not the outside.

Obviously, a dangerous mob whom could shoot made its way over to Techno's cabin, bow in hand, nocking an arrow and aiming it at the closest figure it could see.

Michael.

The small piglin child let out a shrill scream. The three looked up from their conversation to see the skeleton, and before they could do anything realized Tommy was halfway to Michael. He scooped the kid up in one arm, throwing a trident at the skeleton, effectively killing it one hit. Tommy got a few ticks of damage from the skeleton's arrow, screwing his mouth shut and counting to three mentally so that he would only whisper words of comfort when he opened his mouth. Quietly retrieving his trident, Tommy walked back to the cabin where the three stood in shock. While he passed, they all heard what Tommy was muttering to Michael whilst rubbing his back.

"I told you not to go too far out, Mike," Tommy whispered, "you should've listened to me, right?"

Tomy quietly shut the cabin door behind him, moving around Techno's kitchen with Michael in one arm, the kid guiding him to make the best hot chocolate, with extra marshmallows.

Techno needed more marshmallows as the trio left the property.