chapter 22

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It was a good day, he knew this because the customers he got were Sam and Puffy; they were one of the more normal customers and that was probably because they didn't do crime so explicitly.

"Same as last time?"

Sam gave him a thumbs up, and Tommy started on their drinks. Black coffee, these two were the only ones he wouldn't make fun of for drinking coffee, because they were at least chill villains. Weird wording, Tommy was aware.

He placed their coffee down in front of them and he turned to go back to the counter, he paused when Sam cleared his throat, "Wait," Tommy turned around, "I have something for you." Tommy saw that Sam had reached a hand out that he never placed on Tommy, probably not wanting to touch him without permission. His hand fell when Tommy was fully turned around.

"What?" And Tommy, though he was also asking what Sam had for Tommy, was just genuinely confused as to why Sam would have something for Tommy in the first place.

Sam turned to take something out of a backpack that Tommy hadn't seen he had in the first place. It was clearly something he made, his logo was on it, and as much cool technology that Tubbo had shown Tommy, Tommy didn't recognize whatever it was that he took out. He realized it was something related to breathing though, an oxygen mask attached to a tube that linked to the main machine.

Tommy stared at the machine.

"The air sucks, I'm a creeper hybrid so it makes me feel really stuffy and makes me want to explode." So he was a creeper hybrid. It made sense, he knew that Sam was a hybrid due to the green eyes, he wasn't sure if his hair was naturally green, too, but him being a hybrid half confirmed that it was natural.

He nodded his head at the response, "Oh, I totally agree with that, big man. The air is downright horrendous ," Sam's eyes furrowed, probably thinking Tommy was making fun of him, but Tommy continued, "I'm an avian, so I feel like I'm suffocating when I try to sleep down here. Our apartment isn't high enough for me to sleep comfortably."

"Oh." Tommy didn't know if he meant that in an , oh, you're an avian, way or a, oh, I'm sorry, kind of way, or maybe Sam meant both .

Tommy's head snapped to Sam at the memory. "You didn't." And a smile grew on Tommy's face, it sounded too good to be true, but he wanted to believe it nonetheless."


Sam's eyes crinkled in a smile that Tommy couldn't see, but was no doubt there, "I did."

Out of the corner of his eye, Tommy saw Puffy smile, too, Tommy looked at her. Puffy nodded, "He did. I watched him make it himself." No, he didn't want to cry. Big men don't cry.

Big men did express their gratitude when it was deserved though, "Thank you... like, genuinely."

"Of course." It was weird that the most genuine people that Tommy had met in his life were all villains; Tubbo and Ranboo, too, but they don't count 'cause he doesn't remember meeting them. Tommy looked back at the machine, wondering where he would keep the machine until his shift was over.

He wasn't able to revel in the bliss for long before he froze, hearing the door open. Tommy looked over to the door--oh. Oh no .

There at the door stood Tubbo. The only saving grace in the situation was the fact that it wasn't his other roommate who was a hero intern, that would be so much worse. Tommy prayed that Tubbo wouldn't recognize them.

All hope was immediately lost when Tommy saw Tubbo's mouth open into an 'O'. He looked at Sam and Puffy. Tommy looked at them, too. "Is," Tubbo paused, "Is that Sam... and Puffy?" The three guilty parties, guilty wasn't exactly the right word though since Tommy was never a guilty party, looked at Tubbo- Sam and Puffy unfreezing -and faked a nonchalant laugh.

"What? No, me? Puff--"

"What do you mean? They're not--" Tommy spluttered, not sure how to lie, he was a horrible liar, it was his one fault, "Who, them?"


Sam placed his bag in front of the machine, covering it horribly, without breaking eye contact with Tubbo, "Nope." How was it that in a group of three people, none of them were good at lying? It was a truly curious thing.

Tubbo didn't try to hide the deadpanned expression from his disappointment. There were reasons that the 'only' person that Tommy feared was Tubbo; the fact that he was able to stare into the eyes of people legally labelled villains and show how disappointed in their lying skills he was. Among other things that Tommy would rather not admit to happening. He wanted to keep some of his dignity and he had a reputation to keep as the biggest man.

The shorter boy took a step forward, "They're not hurting you, right?" Tommy nodded his head.

"No they actually--" Tommy moved Sam's bag onto the floor, showing the machine that Sam had made, "Sam made a machine for me to breathe easier when I sleep." Tubbo's demeanor changed, clearly that convinced him they weren't all too bad, but he was still a little skeptical. He pushed the thought aside, he knew about Sam and Puffy, and from what he heard, they weren't the worst villains that Tommy could be talking to. Tommy could have been talking to the Dream Team or something. Tommy knew that Tubbo was still suspect of them, "Look, Tubbo, big man, Tubso," Tubbo looked at him, "They are actually really cool, alright? Just trust me ."And Tubbo knew that Tommy was being serious when he heard that Tommy was using his soft voice--he never used his soft voice otherwise. He only used it when he really wanted Ranboo and him to have faith in them. Ranboo and him always listened, at the end of the day they only had each other, so trusting each other was the only thing they could do.

Tubbo swallowed, nodding, "Alright." He walked up to the three, stopping in front of them and looking down at the machine. He observed it for a moment, "Is there a price?"

"No," Sam replied, "Of course not, why would I make Tommy pay for something he didn't ask for? It's a gift."

Apparently, the reason that Tubbo was there was because he was bored at home all alone, and he had a lot of time for once, not having any jobs that he needed to do. Eventually, Tubbo warmed up to them and saw that they weren't that bad, and if anything, they probably were already friends somehow. Tommy didn't know how they became friends so fast, but it probably had something to do with the fact that Sam and Tubbo discussed technology with each other. Tommy didn't understand any of it, but from what he heard, Sam offered to help Tubbo explore technology on a deeper level after hearing that Tubbo never went to school for computer science or engineering. He said he would help provide some supplies and teach him things that Tubbo didn't know. Basically, he would take Tubbo in as an apprentice of sorts.

That night, he slept peacefully.

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