Running Away is easy... It's the leaving that's hard (DSMP "Minors")

Ch.16 Flowers and Laughter

I figured I'd include the children since they're aren't getting enough screen time
(4/27/22)
~

"Mimi!" Michael squealed excitedly as Tommy came back from his trip for fire wood. Tommy opened his arms for a hug and two little bodies crashed into him.

They go a bit far for wood since they don't want to ruin the forests around their home. The trees might grow back easily but they still prefer it.

"Hey Big M! Hi there Shroud! How have you two been?" Tommy said, wrapping his wings (that he had just let out when he was within sight of the house) around the duo. His question went unanswered as Tubbo and Ranboo walked into the room.

Michael has been calling Tommy 'Mimi' or 'Tom-Tom' mostly now, dropping the 'uncle' that used to be in front. Occasionally he'd still say 'Mommy' or 'Gold' like he used to but not as much as before.

Shroud would call him both Tom Tom and Papa, depending on their mood, Tommy guesses.

"Hey Toms! Good to see you're still alive." Tubbo joked. He bumped his head against Tommy's shoulder, a gesture of affection. Ranboo wrapped his tail around Tommy's wrist.

"I have to agree with Tubbo over here. Let us go out sometimes will you? We're supposed to be relaxing now that we're here but you've been on edge since the night after Eryn arrived." Ranboo told him, his tone worried.

"Yeah, you've been overworking due to stress to distract yourself." Tommy looked at Tubbo after he said that. "Don't look at me like that, you know it's True." Tubbo said pointedly.

"Let us take some of that weight off of your shoulders, you know we'll always be here for you." Ranboo said, putting a hand on Tommy's shoulder.

There was silence for a moment as the three looked at each other. Michael decided that it was too tense.

"We should make breakfast!" Michael said, cutting off whatever sort of weird three-way staring contest that the trio were having.

"You're right Michael, let's go."

Now, Michael was not stupid, far from it actually. Considering the people he's being raised with, where he was raised and the fact that he's a hostile mob that used to live in the nether. He picked up on stuff and had a lot of time to think during those lonely nights in the house when bee and boo couldn't be with him, back before they came to this server.

He knew that it wasn't bee and boo's fault, but he is a child and can't help but feel sad that they weren't there.

He obviously picked up on the tension and the sad mood, that's why he interrupted them. And he hears the sobs that come from different rooms every once in a while. And the footsteps of people leaving the house on their own. Sometimes those footsteps were his, when he'd go to Shrouds room almost every night to sleep in their room.

He's told Shroud before, actually he tells Shroud everything. Shroud listens. Shroud understands him. Shroud tells him what they hear and see too.

They both get sad when they hear other people in the house sad, especially Bee, Boo, and Tom.

Bee who looks like bronze. Boo who looks like silver. Tom who looks like gold.

They're happy when the others are happy, but sometimes they look sad even when they say that they're happy.

Right now it doesn't matter though because they're shuffling around the kitchen making really good smelling food while Michael and Shroud talk in whispers and laughs that brighten the entire room.

Sly comments were thrown back and fourth around the kitchen, the banter flowed non-stop like a raging river.

The youngest we're sitting at the table, chatting away joyfully with squeals of laughter in every sentence. The atmosphere around the room was comforting, homey in a way that Tommy had missed.