Chapter Text
Being a demon on Earth wasn't imposible . Not in this day and age with the many hybrids and creatures of magic roaming around. Someone was bound to come across some ancient ass scripts and summon a demon. You know, an average Tuesday in L’manburg.
But it was very rare. Humans didn’t know how to handle a demon’s volatile summoning, much less the bond that came from it. A bond that would either leave a human with an impossible amount of magic at their disposal or kill them. Luckily, or unluckily depending on what perspective you held, most often the magic involved would just overwhelm and destroy the human’s soul. So most of them ended up dead and the demon could just fuck back off to wherever they wanted. Most often back to their own world.
Tommy was a demon. And he’d been on Earth for just a few decades now. He’d had the misfortune of being summoned by a man who knew almost everything there was to know about demons. He knew what he was doing and how to keep a very young demon under lock and key.
In the beginning it was alright. He was treating him nicely and Tommy thought he could actually make his fellow demons proud or even jealous at the fact he was securing a human’s soul.
But Dream was tricky. He asked vague questions that Tommy sometimes accidentally finished. Early in their friendship Tommy had asked if Dream had a favor or if he would ever release him. It was when the fighting spark had yet to be smothered down into a flickering ember.
He still remembers the silvery words Dream had spoken. He went on a spiel about how they were friends, right?
Right?
Yeah. They were friends. But demons like Tommy didn’t get friends which is why he should be grateful. Tommy was better than all the other ones. Which felt really mean but Tommy refused to cry.
Dream got frustrated pretty often when Tommy didn’t know something just because he was demonic. He seemed to forget he was actually a child in demon years.
He had no problem reminding Tommy that he had the demon under his heel to heed his beck and call. When he couldn’t use Tommy for knowledge he was punished or he used the demon’s magic and demonic blood in the spells he sold to his less than savory customers.
At first he’d expected to simply wait until he died since Dream never had any heirs. Now, even a few centuries was next to nothing for a demon as they aged slowly and lived close to forever. But the man didn’t age . It'd taken a good twenty years before he even realized it with a sinking feeling in his gut. Dream had not even a new wrinkle to show his age.
Tommy swallowed down the realization when he’d had it. It was late at night, and he stared at the stars and did the demon equivalent of dreaming for freedom. Scratching at his horn to stop himself from crying tears of despair. He knew Dream would get mad if he woke him up.
He used to consider his situation hopeless. Tommy was almost positive he would never escape Dream’s control. It felt like he’d have to wait an eternity to leave.
Well.
He used to think that.
Definitely past tense, given the sword in Dream’s chest was currently present tense. Tommy watched as the sword was slid out of his old master’s chest.
Tommy hadn’t even noticed there was something imposing on the wards his magic had been used to make. Which was a terrifying thought. Dream often had others around in their tower, but Tommy could always sense them. It was almost like the intruder was shielded from his demonic magic.
Tommy had only been startled awake from his nap by yelling from Dream and some other person. Panic, not his own, filtered through his emotions and stalked in the shadows until he reached the spot he was rooted in now.
The victorious swordsman stood over his kill, what expression Tommy could sense and see from under the boar mask was grim and borderline regretful. Like he didn’t want to stab Dream through the chest. But there was resolve, a duty like he had to do this. Tommy wasn't even sure if he was human or not. The man didn’t smell like some wicked beast. But he donned the garb of a wizard, the scent of blood magic clung to him.
His nose scrunched in distaste at Dream’s lifeless body, in some wrong twisted way he was mourning. The sight of bodies never sat right with him. Especially not someone he’d known now for decades. Even though Tommy was in the mortal realm he’d only seen Death a few times in passing, never lingering. Ah, there she was now.
A dark shadow filled the room, a figure incomprehensible even to demon eyes. The man though. His eyes, seen through the boar skull mask, followed as Death’s shadow came through then left.
There had been no compulsion to make him help Dream and as much as the bonded part of his mind mourned the untamed wild in his heart cheered. Freedom!
In the next millisecond after that thought occurred something changed. The bonds tying him to Dream in the mortal realm dissolved. It was what he’d been waiting for for so long. Then they shifted and he could feel the crushing sensation anchoring him to the other presence in the room.
Tommy’s eyes widened in horror as the realization of what had happened slammed into him like a brick to the face. Dream had blood-bound him, trapped to either be set free or passed down for the rest of existence by passing blood. Tommy couldn’t do this again. Maybe the demon could escape while the bond was still new and weak.
A burning in his chest snapped him out of his thoughts and he bit down a pained hiss. He squashed down the thoughts of rebellion and that seemed to make the sensation abate. The bond wouldn’t let him leave and would punish him for even debating the idea running. He still hadn’t noticed Tommy’s presence.
The man was very tall, Tommy realized. Taller and broader than Dream, he was looking at the shelves of spell ingredients. Jars of Tommy’s own blood and hair were there. Demons were powerful creatures, and even a strand of their hair held power.
Tommy faltered and wanted to sink into the shadows because he was scared right now. Who’s to say this man wouldn’t give him the same treatment? To be used as some lab rat and take his magic.
Still, Tommy limbs barely obeyed him as he shakily pushed his full height, not even reaching the man’s hips. It was then Tommy stepped out from the dark corner that may have clung around his form a little too much.
The man jumped, eyes darting around, hand wrapping around the handle, Tommy’s heart pitter pattered at the thought of him drawing his sword, before he realized he was staring at a child. Underneath the mask, blood red eyes widened and he stepped to the side, interrupting Tommy’s view of the body on the ground. Like he didn’t want Tommy to see it, despite the growing bloodstain reaching across the floor.
For a very awkward moment the two stood, staring at each other. Thankfully the man let go of his sword and raised his hands placatingly, like he didn’t want to make the demon afraid of him. Far too late for that.
“Who the fuck are you?” Tommy asked. If his true features weren’t locked away under his glamor his tail would be swishing around, betraying his anxiety. He was glad because it kept him from picking divots into the dry flaking patches on his horns like he always did when scared.
The man looked caught off guard. “I’m Techno… Blade. Who are you, weird child?”
“I’m not a child! I’m Tommy, you dickhead.”
Techno… blade- Technoblade?- just rolled his eyes.
Tommy looked up at Techno, brows pinched as he stared at the wizard- he didn’t have a leg to stand on to judge- that was supposedly his new master. “You look fucking stupid,” he said, he tried to steel himself, voice trembling. He knew he looked five or six years old. It didn’t matter if this was practically his actual form. He’d been alive for a long time.
“Excuse me?” Techno’s asked, voice rumbling dangerously. Tommy’s shoulders tensed but that was all he did.
“The boar mask is a bit much, don’t cha think?” He fought down a smile because no, that wouldn’t help. He had to inform this stupid mortal he had a demon attached to him now. Couldn’t he just run away without Techno ever knowing? No, he could feel the bond tugging at him, compelling him to stay near his new master. It would possibly kill him if he didn’t obey.
Techno snorted. “Right, okay. Run along now, runt. Go back home, you don’t need to be here.”
Tommy blinked. “I live here mister.”
Techno’s face looked weird. “Right.”
Tommy tilted his head and stared. He felt an unfamiliar nervousness pool in his stomach. But, no better time than the present.
“I used to be Dream’s demon.” Tommy could just feel the way Techno’s eyes scanned the young demon. Then Tommy turned his unnatural gaze at the man and he seemed to tense.
The supernatural were deceiving, none were to be messed with or offended, especially when you dealt with demons. The young always happened to be particularly volatile when they very rarely found their way to the mortal plane.
“Well. I’m bound to your soul. I’m your problem now, bitch.” Rip the bandaid off. That was the human saying right?
The man’s eyes widened and he took a step back as the realization of what Tommy was seemed to finally kick in. With a bit of reluctance Tommy dropped the glamor. Dream always hated the inhuman features but he needed to get the point across.
Short horns jutted out from his hairline like a goat’s, they were supposed to be bonewhite. They would someday curve around his head like a battering ram. His eyes changed, pupils becoming slitted like a cat’s, getting narrow and betraying his fear. And finally a pointed tail with serrated edges swayed like a whip behind him.
“What do you mean? I didn’t summon you,” Techno clarified, almost panicked. Like Tommy was going to be confused on who exactly he was tied to.
“You don’t have to, dum-dum. I’m tied to Dream’s blood. He had no successors and because you killed him, his blood stains you.” Techno looked guilty and concerned. “Because of that I’m your problem now. Dumbass.”
“Is there a way to… Remove that? Stop it from happening? I don’t want you to be forced to be here.” Now, that was interesting. Dream had never even brought up the possibility of removing their bond.
“Yes,” Tommy confirmed, hesitancy in his voice. He waited for Techno to shout psyche and carry on.
“Okay, how do we do it?”
“It’s about intention,” Tommy trailed off. He thought back to how it had been explained to him and all the other demons. “You have to release me of my earthly bindings and our bond.”
“Okay… How?”
Tommy hesitated, he’d never gotten this far before. He was hoping someone else would just know and make it happen. Before shrugging. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“Nope!” He grinned, teeth unnervingly sharp. He’d been summoned before he was ever told that type of thing.
“Okay, okay. We can figure this out. There has to be information somewhere.” Techno could just so easily take his magic like Dream always did. But he was just going to let him go? And put the effort into doing it? He hated mortals. “Oh gods, how am I going to explain this to Philza?” Techno sounded worried.
And well. Techno wasn’t a small guy. He looked like he could take on a fully grown demon and win. If this Philza guy scared Techno that worried Tommy, but only slightly .
Tommy’s pointed ears twitched and his tail fell still. “Who’s Philza?”
Techno turned toward him, scanning the young demon’s expression, noting his posture before quickly moving to reassure the boy. “He’s not bad. Phil is also a demon. But he’s not bound to us. More like a doting mother hen.”
“Us?”
“Me and my twin. Wilbur. You’ll see.”
The thought of another demon, one older and more dangerous than him made him tense all over. He really hated this. He couldn’t leave or run. Nothing. If this Phil hurt him he wouldn’t be able to do anything. Tommy warbled quietly in distress.
The man was still observing him. “You really have nothing to worry about, kid. We’re just gonna figure out how to free you. Phil and Wil won’t hurt you and if they do, you need to come to me .”
Tommy froze as the command settled in his bones and the spell misunderstood. He darted forward against his will until he stood right next to Techno. He whined at the sickening feeling like a puppet on strings, his magic hissed and popped at the surface.
“Right, sorry, Tommy. Ignore the previous order .” And suddenly Tommy could move again. He almost stumbled as he took a few steps away. Edging around the puddle of blood which he scrunched his face up at.
“Ah. Let’s - Er. We should get out of here,” Techno said, cautious with his words. Like he was trying to not use it to his advantage. It was weird and confusing. He hated it.
Whatever. Tommy could handle weird things. Like Techno and his weird ass ways. He raised the glamor, tucking away his tail and horns and inhuman features away in the void. Ugly, Dream’s voice reminded him, wipe away the evidence of your monstrousness.
But he always used to claim they looked like brothers when he looked human. It was less suspicious if Dream could use that glamor of Tommy’s as a ruse to sneak past guards. No one ever suspected a small child to create such powerful charms and spells.
Tommy knew they were doing bad things deep down. Smuggling spells and dark magic but Tommy could barely bring himself to care about that. The affection he received from Dream, his brother , a small hand squeeze or a hair ruffle, made it worth it. Even if it was one of the painful spells that made his stomach churn in discomfort.
Techno stuck his hand out, perhaps unconsciously because he didn’t even hesitate to put himself so close to a demon like Tommy. An awful thing he knew he was, Dream should’ve been rewarded for a feat such as caring for him.
Tommy let out a confused sound. The only reason Dream grabbed his hand was to take better control of his magic. Was that what Techno wanted? The man looked down between his hand and Tommy before flexing and letting it fall.
“Right, habit. I hold the other kids’ hand when we’re crossing the streets and stuff.”
“I’m not a kid! I’m probably older than you, dickhead!”
“Demons age slower than humans. One of your years is over ten human ones. You’re probably like six or something.”
Tommy flushed in anger and glared, puffing himself up.
“Right well, hand? Take it or not? I don’t want you getting lost or hurt.” His hand looked inviting. Dream had never bothered holding his hand when they went places. Their bond ensured Tommy would never get lost and Dream could always find him.
Tommy would always be able to find Techno. But the hunter didn’t know that right? And what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. Maybe Tommy was selfish but he was a demon, he did not care. Tommy took his hand and promptly attached himself to Techno’s side.
The witch turned to the enchants lining the door. Easy to enter, difficult to leave. He let his free hand trace the runes carved into the wooden doorway, muttering quietly under his breath.
Tommy knew from experience Dream needed his magic to open and close the door. Before Tommy he had a familiar. George had been his familiar. But they had split off before Tommy had met them. Maybe that’s why he’d seeked someone like Tommy out. George hadn’t been willing enough to hand over the necessary power.
If Tommy didn’t give it up immediately he would reach through the bond and take it . He always hated that. It left him feeling gutted, freezing cold for hours afterward. Before he could wonder even if Techno needed his assistance he was closing his eyes and shoving his energy at the wizard through their newly created bond.
The door almost blew off its hinges with the shared force of their power. Tommy’s eyes were wide, pupils beneath glamor almost nonexistent. He swallowed down his uneasiness and looked up warily to see Techno’s expression.
It was difficult to see but his head was tilted curiously. “Hm, that was something,” was all the man said, gently squeezing Tommy’s hand. It didn’t hurt, more like what someone would do to comfort. He’d seen Dream do it with George before he left.
He could feel a concerned presence prodding the bond Tommy was habitually keeping locked down. He ignored it, not even letting a flicker of acknowledgment show on his face. But he closed it off even further, Technoblade was none the wiser.
They left right after. Techno having to tug the door back into its proper place. But as soon as Techno closed the door, jamming it shut. The magic around the entire tower rippled like water and it began disappearing. A tomb now. Leaving the two of them in an empty wooded area a two hour walk from civilization.
Tommy ignored the loss he felt. It was weird, Tommy didn’t think he’d ever be coming back again. The place he’d lived for so many years. Yet. Nothing he cared about was here, but now he was going somewhere he didn’t know with a stranger.
“Have you ever teleported before?” Techno asked, breaking the silence.
Tommy tilted his head in thought. It had been a long time since. Before Dream had brought Tommy here to this place. It’d been awful and he had felt sick for an hour afterwards. He nodded.
Techno breathed out a sigh. “Good. It’s always worse the first time.” He squeezed Tommy’s hand and it took everything the demon had in him to not stare warily at their joined hands, waiting for the ball to drop and to feel pain. Techno, with his free hand pulled out a wand from his belt, it was a light wood with streaks of blood red sap crystalized throughout it. “Ready? Okay, close your eyes.”
Tommy did as he was asked and there was a quiet chant from Techno that he couldn’t make out the words of. The wind picked up and… Suddenly Tommy’s stomach dropped and he could tell the world around him had changed. He stumbled blindly, almost falling to his knees and would have if not for the hand still in his own.
“Are you alright?” Tommy opened an eye and looked around. They were in some neighborhood, Techno was hovering above him. He looked mariana trench levels of out of his depth. Tommy exhaled shakily and hummed a confirmation.
“Good, we aren’t far.” Once Tommy’s knees stopped threatening to turn to jelly they walked. Passing through streets Tommy had never seen before and he began to lose track of where he’d come from. He was exhausted and the world was becoming more and more strange and unfamiliar.
Finally, a good fifteen minutes later Techno slowed to a stop on the corner of a street. What would usually be an entire neighborhood block was a single house straight down the middle of an unusually barren cul-de-sac.
Techno looked almost calculating when Tommy glanced over. “Right. It’ll, uh, probably be easier if you show your true form. Your glamor is pretty well done for a kid but they need to know you’re a demon to help you out.”
Tommy pouted and opened his mouth to argue but Techno just lifted a hand. The boy couldn’t help the way he flinched. Anticipating a hit like he would from Dream. Techno looked weirdly at him again, before slowly lowering his hand down to rest on Tommy’s blonde hair, Tommy stiffened but relaxed when it became clear there was no force behind the action.
“At ease,” Techno grumbled, avoiding any direct order. Tommy’s shoulders relaxed regardless.
It was weird. Nice, it felt good to have touch that didn’t hurt. Demons were tactile creatures. Curling up in large nesting groups, young in the middle. Their caretakers watched over them making sure they didn’t get into too much trouble. He hadn’t had that in so long. And this wasn’t it. But it was nice.
Tommy let his glamor fall, noticing Techno’s hand moved away from his horns so as not to touch them. They ached distantly, but he shoved it to the back of his mind. He bit his cheek and twisted his hands in the hem of his shirt to stop the urge to let his fingers run over them to calm himself. Scratching the itchy flakes of uneven bone wouldn’t do him any favors.
When Techno went to lift his hand away Tommy clung to his sleeve without even thinking. He quickly let go and fought down the urge to bolt, Tommy couldn’t leave. The man didn’t smack him away, just huffed with a faint hint of amusement. And let his arm fall back protectively over Tommy’s shoulder.
They reached the porch and with a snap of Techno’s fingers the door swung open. And they both stepped inside the cozy home.
“Hey Phil!” Techno yelled, before wincing and apologizing under his breath to the demon huddled behind him. Tommy startled and held his breath as footsteps started approaching.
And that’s when he noticed something. There was definitely another demon in the house. A powerful, much older one. Tommy froze, before hiding behind Techno. The man just grunted and looked back questioningly before Tommy jabbed him with his short horns and he sighed before continuing walking forward.
“It’s just Phil, remember?” Techno soothed, guessing Tommy was picking up on the man’s presence since he never cloaked himself at home. Tommy nodded once quickly, his hand moving absently to grip onto Techno’s shirt.
A scent made Tommy stiffen in surprise. Not human, his instincts dug their claws into his racing heart. A vampire if the smell of sickly blood that clung to the house was any indication.
Then finally a man stepped into the room to see what all the commotion was about. He looked about the same age as Techno so Tommy cautiously dubbed him as his brother. What was his name? Womblr? No, Wilbur. That’s right.
Wilbur gasped as he finally seemed to notice the new person in the room. “Hello there, tiny demon man, and who would you happen to be?” Wilbur said, a smile revealing long curved fangs. His eyes were a warm brown, not the bright red or purple in the sickly vampires he’d encountered in the past. But in all it was less threatening than Tommy expected.
Wilbur stepped closer to try and peer around Techno. Tommy hissed, claws digging into Techno’s side in a way that made the man wince.
“Wil, stop it! He’s going to ruin my good shirt.” Wilbur pouted but stepped back. Techno nodded his thanks and let a hand touch Tommy’s shoulder in silent support. “Kid, this is Wilbur, he’s my twin. Wil this is Tommy.” Techno shooed him away, “Now go away. Make sure Tubbo stays upstairs for now. He gets too curious and we don’t want to scare the kid, he’s had a long night.”
Wilbur grumbled his protests but noticed how terrified Tommy looked and backed away. Barely a second after he’d stepped away, out of the hallway came a demon. Phil according to Techno.
He was blonde with large deer antlers branching from his head. They must’ve had some type of phasing enchantment on them because they didn’t come in contact with the wall as he walked. He had the unnaturally blue eyes Tommy also bore. “Hey Tech, how’d it- go-” Phil stuttered to a stop, his gaze on the small demon behind Techno.
“Oh...” Phil breathed out, eyes wide and pupils had rounded. He came closer, slowly. Stopping when a low growl came from Tommy and the demon tried to hide himself further behind Techno. Phil slowly lowered himself to the ground, kneeling without any care of getting his robes dirty. Dream would have never done that. “Hello, mate. Techno brought you to us so I’m guessing you’re in a bit of trouble, ey?”
Tommy stayed quiet, trying to calm his anxious body. He hadn’t been ordered to stay still, but he knew if he made a break for it Dream would’ve punished him. He had no guarantees Techno wouldn’t do the same. He was entirely at their mercy.
“Turns out he didn’t have some demon supplier. He had a blood bond with one to get what he wanted."
Phil’s eyes flickered off of him for a second. As the dots of the situation seemed to connect themselves his eyes narrowed just slightly. “What?” The single word made chills run down his back. A tiny chirp left his lips before he could stop it and he hid his face more behind Techno.
“Later. We’ll discuss this later.”
Phil shifted and Tommy’s eyes flicked up in his direction before folding in on himself with a hiss. “Sorry, mate. I’m going to stay right here okay. Is it alright if Techno goes upstairs? He needs a shower and to put his stuff away. He’ll be back soon.” Tommy didn’t want Techno to go. He was… Not trusted . Far from it. But safer than Phil. The demon in front of him.
Tommy pried his claws out of Techno’s shirt and forced himself to step away. No matter how much he wanted to hiss and snarl his way back into the first safety he’d felt in so long. Techno ruffled his hair and even though Tommy flinched and was behaving badly, Techno still mumbled a promise to come back. Tommy flinched when Phil gave the wizard an absent wave, focused on the young demon.
A part of his mind was still terrified that this was some weirdly vivid dream and he’d wake up back in Dream’s castle. But demons don’t dream , something he felt grateful for after watching Dream wake up gasping for breath on many occasions.
“Oh,” behind him Phil’s tail flicked like a cat’s. “You’re just a youngling. What are you doing out of your nest and away from your caretakers, little one,” Philza asked softly. He’d tucked away the large looming antlers into the void so when he tilted his head the branches didn’t move along with him.
Tommy hesitated and Philza crooned softly at him. A sound that settled his panicking mind and brought some comfort to him. He’d been alone, with only Dream as company for so many years.
“Sorry mate, forgot my manners. I’m Philza, preferably Phil, who are you?”
“Theseus, preferably Tommy,” the boy replied cautiously to the demon mannerisms. It was customary for demons to introduce themselves with their real name and then the one they go by.
“Nice to meet you, Tommy,” the genuineness in Phil’s expression threw Tommy for a loop. No one was ever pleased to meet Tommy. “How did you get here?”
“I w’s summ’n’d,” Tommy muttered, wrapping his arms around himself. One moment he’d been playing with his nestmates and the next there was a sharp pain lacing through his entire torso. His nestmates had described tales of holy water, the way it burned a demon’s very being.
The next he was on Earth, struggling to breath the air. His knees were bleeding and he couldn’t stop crying from shock. He assumed none of his caretakers had noticed one rowdy demon child gone because no one ever came to take him back. He was stubborn. It was only after his fifth year on Earth he resigned himself to not going back home for a long time.
“You’re not supposed to be able to accept summons,” the older demon said quietly. More to himself than him. But he sounded as confused and worried as Tommy was.
“I know that,” Tommy snapped, tension lining every muscle in his body. Like he wanted to run but was holding back. How he’d arrived on Earth had never made sense to him. He’d asked himself the very same questions far too many times to count. “I just want to go back, Phil.”
“Oh,” Phil crooned at him. A low warble that became higher at the end. The one guardians did to settle anxious nestlings. It itched some suppressed need to be around a caretaker. Someone to save him. And maybe Phil and Techno would.
The young demon whined and curled in on himself. He wiped at his face furiously, avoiding clawing his own eyes. If Dream were around he’d punish Tommy for the outburst and for asking to go back. Take away his things or starve him of attention and their bond.
The purring in Philza’s chest kicked up a notch. Tommy wanted his nestmates and caretakers back more than anything. He whined mournfully, shaking in his throat. A call for help. “Oh, Tommy. I’m so sorry, mate. C’mere, you want a hug?”
Tommy nodded and he suddenly felt every part the age he was and not how he liked to claim. He shuffled forward, letting his head thunk against Phil’s chest. The man’s arms curled around him protectively, one settled in his hair between the horns, rubbing soothing circles on his back. The gentle care was something Tommy hadn’t felt from another demon in so long he was starved of that. He let the older demon pull him against his chest.
“We’re going to do everything we can for you, okay?” A raspy purr cut through the tension in Tommy’s body and he relaxed, slowly lifting his arms to return the hug. A finger pausing at the base of his horns made Tommy shuffle to try and get him to keep messing with his hair. He does but there’s a hesitancy now.
“Oh sweetheart, what happened to your horns?” Phil’s voice was so kind. He choked back his fear of Dream, memories of the frustration he felt when he couldn’t even control himself. Dream had tried punishing him for doing it until he realized it was as useless an endeavor as Tommy. “Do you want to tell me about it?” Tommy was tired and it felt- pun intended- heavenly to be held and cared for.
He shook his head. Tommy stiffened, half expecting Phil to raise his voice and yell for Techno to come and make him talk. But he didn’t. He was still calm and quiet. “We can do that in the morning, but I think we should get some stuff on those to stop it from getting infected or hurting. Is that alright?”
Tommy was tired of the headache and the pain it brought. Not even bothering to open his eyes he nodded. “Thanks mate,” he said, like Tommy had done him some favor. “Get some rest Tommy, things will get easier soon.”
Tommy let his body relax fully and fall into a few minutes of blissful sleep.
Tommy woke up, slowly and groggy in a way he could tell though his nap had only been maybe fifteen minutes. Not nearly enough sleep in his opinion.
His ear was pressed against someone’s chest, an uneven skipping heartbeat so similar to his own. A demon, he realized, still too comfortable to wake up fully. Much less dart away. He was vaguely aware that he and the person had moved to the couches in the room. Because… He’d fallen asleep on the floor in Philza’s arms.
There was a soft snort way above him. “Getting too old to keep sitting on the floor, Phil?”
“Oh fuck off,” Phil whispered. “I didn’t want him to be uncomfortable. Hand me the bandages, we need to keep the ointment on for as long as possible.” It was then Tommy realized his horns felt a lot better, the itchiness wasn’t gone entirely but it no longer hurt so bad.
“Suuure,” Techno drawled. There was shuffling as he sat down nearby. He nudged Phil’s arm that wasn’t around Tommy’s shoulders. Techno whistled quietly. “He really did a number on those.”
A hum reverberated under his ear as Tommy’s head was, with delicate movements, shifted to wrap something around his horns. A gentle pressure that made Tommy want to squirm uncomfortably. He kept still though. Surely when Phil realized he was awake, the older demon would put him down. And, well, Tommy didn’t want that to happen. He was content and something in his brain absolutely refused to let him move away.
“What’s bothering you?” Techno’s words.
Phil hummed before beginning to speak quietly. “A demon Tommy’s age isn’t supposed to be summoned. They’re too young and the magic inside hasn’t even settled yet. They need to be around caretakers and older demons or they can get ill.”
Memories of feeling really, really bad and then getting sick filled his mind. He had too much energy and no outlet. It was one of the rare instances he was allowed to see other demons. Either Bad or Sapnap. Something inside of him settled in their presence. Which made so much sense with that explanation. Just a touch and he’d collapse into a purring puddle. They always looked at him sadly.
“That makes sense. Tommy seems like any young human child. The question is how is he here though.” Tommy swallowed down a hiss of defense at being called a child and forced his chest to rise and fall evenly.
Suddenly Philza sounded grim. “Dream would’ve used a specific summoning spell to pick Tommy out. But that would require Dream to have known his true name beforehand. As well as some very forbidden, very illegal magic.” Tommy knew what Dream had done. He always gloated Tommy’s real name and mocked how unnatural it was that he could be controlled by something so dumb .
“The kid mentioned being bonded to Dream and now me. How do we release him from the bond?”
“Oh, that’s the easy part. A bit of your blood, his real name, some latin, bam a freed demon,” Phil explained easily. “But I’m only worried he could get summoned again if we aren’t careful. We’re not playing by normal rules.”
“How do we stop that from happening?”
“Find whoever gave Dream Tommy’s real name and prevent them from ever being able to do it again. That way he can’t be summoned ever again.” Phil sounded terrifying when his voice went low like that. Like the room had dropped ten degrees and it took all Tommy self control to remember it wasn’t at him. It was for him.
“Will Tommy leave?” A voice Tommy recognized as Wilbur came in. Tommy couldn’t stop himself from twitching in surprise. He smelled like blood, probably a recent meal. Something in Tommy recoiled at the thought of being Wilbur’s next one.
The others didn’t seem to notice but one of Phil’s hands rubbed circles on his arm soothingly. Well he definitely knew Tommy was awake now, if not earlier.
“If he wants to, I’ll show him how to return back to our dimension. But now that he’s been here he can come back. He has a place here on Earth too, should he wish,” Phil responded.
Tommy shoved his face into Phil’s robes and the other two seemed to realize he was in fact awake. The conversation ended almost immediately. When Tommy finally got up the nerve to peek open an eye he saw everyone resolutely staring at some show on the television, and definitely not sparing him a glance every now and again.
His head felt heavy, difficult to move so he let it fall back. Tommy’s eyes flicked up, and he could just barely see where his horns had been wrapped in thick bandages. Partly curious, he lifted a hand to scratch then.
“Ah, don’t do that,” a hand gently brushed his fingers away. He let it happen. Too exhausted to care, already he could feel sleep tugging at him again.
“Tired?” An amused Techno asked. He opened his eyes to glare defiantly. There was a certain thrill doing something Dream would’ve never allowed him to do. Tommy would’ve kicked at him too if he wasn’t so sadly out of his reach.
“Nope, too-” he covered a yawn with his fist, “too big of a man to sleep.”
Wilbur began actually giggling and Tommy fought back a smile despite everything. His brow pinched as he worried, perhaps unfounded. How long was it until the ball finally dropped and this kindness left?
Wilbur and Techno talked amongst themselves not noticing when Tommy fell silent. Phil nudged at his shoulder and the younger demon looked at him questioningly. “You’re gonna be alright mate.” A finger came up to brush the hair from his face.
Tommy hummed. He really, really wanted to believe he was safe, but his mind was a chaos between the cautious fear he’d been living in and the starvation of any affection. These people, a mismatch of magical people he wasn’t that out of place in, wanted to free him, and Phil didn’t put him down even when he woke up.
“Right, I think it’s time to get you to bed, Toms.”
Tommy hissed in discontent as he was jostled with Phil’s movements. Techno chuckled at him, and the witch’s emotions brushed against the mental walls. It was diluted but he could feel care, amusement, protect. Confusing.
Tommy closed his eyes and listened to the other demon’s heartbeat and pushed away the emotions in the air. He was asleep by the time Phil pushed open the guest door and tucked him into bed.