Roommates and a Wrong Number Story, a misc. games fanfic

"Wait, so how did you three become roommates?" Techno, who was Ranboo's older brother, asked with furrowed eyes; confused and probably a little concerned. Adoptive older brother, Ranboo had clarified to Tommy the night before. Tommy got the reason Ranboo had clarified when he met the other. He was bulky with muscle and it had startled Tommy a little, though the long pinky hair that was draped across his shoulder with flower's had helped ease the momentary panic.

"I texted the wrong number and now we are roommates!" Tubbo answered, twisting his words like it had happened just last week and not four months ago. "The two of them have really similar numbers." Tubbo added with a nod. Ranboo snorted as Tommy snickered, curling up under the blanket that he'd left out on the recliner

"That…" Tommy recognized the tell-tale signs of someone being protective of Tubbo and Ranboo; since the two had grown up as neighbors in this district, everyone knew them and was protective of them to some extent. Tommy was an outsider from four hours away who they knew nothing about. "That probably wasn't safe." Techno had hesitated before changing his words.

"Oh, no, probably not. But if he was going to kill us, it would have been four months ago, Tech." Ranboo shrugged. Tommy choked a little on his water, which he'd just picked up. His mouth had run dry when he next met Techno's eyes.

It wasn't hard to remember that Techno was a pro wrestler who weight lifted, it was obvious by looking at him… once you knew his career. However, it was hard remembering Ranboo's words about Techno being a "teddy bear with a deadpan stare".

Tommy curled up a little tighter, averting his eyes as he took another sip of his water. His blanket was wrapped a little uncomfortably as well, he should maybe fix that. Or go to his room to avoid feeling the hard stare of Ranboo's brother. He was protective, and Tommy understood that… but Tommy had been living there for several months now! He had a job, he was getting established in the area…

Tommy was finally free from his family.

So why did he feel so guilty about that?

Tommy supposed being able to say 'I texted the wrong number and now we are roommates' was probably a cause for concern. However, Tommy didn't see anything wrong with it. That would be because it had worked out for him.

He went from having to worry about his family's constant mood changes to being able to get a job, and actually keep the money he earned and not have it taken by his father immediately, and he had the freedom to go where he liked so long as he was respectful of his roommates.

Yes, roommates.

Tommy had two roommates, Tubbo and Ranboo. Tubbo was an engineer apprentice at a car shop that was a ten minute walk from their new apartment and Ranboo was a new up and coming artist who was going to college to become an art teacher; well, he did commission art pieces and Tommy thought that was enough to call him an up and coming artist, since Ranboo was always painting something or another just everywhere.

And Tommy had gotten himself a job at a bakery in a ten minute walk in the opposite direction that Tubbo walks every morning.

They didn't own a car, not yet at least, but even then it was only Ranboo that had their license. Though Tommy knew that Tubbo was working on getting his too, and they wanted to teach him once Tubbo had his. And once they had a car, because Tommy did learn best with practice, studying only did so much for him… and that wasn't very much.

But others had heard their story and had looked at him with wide eyes filled with concern. Either about Tommy's previous home life with a family that no longer even attempted to contact him, or because Tommy had trusted a complete stranger and moved to an entirely new district nearly four hours from where he'd grown up.

Tommy knew that Philza, the principal at the district school, had been particularly worried about Tommy when Tommy had told him. They'd become something like friends, since they talked the entire time that Philza was there. The principal had a set schedule, and Tommy hadn't known him to ever deviate from it.

Philza came into the bakery everyday just as they opened. He'd order some pastry's for both himself and his wife; his wife who was also an artist, though she did more murals and high end art for charity. Tommy knew that Kristin, his wife, would drop him off at his school before going to her art studio. Tommy only knew that because Ranboo also had a studio that he would work at, and they were friends.

And then after school let out, Philza would walk to the bakery with his two children, Chayanne, who was nine, and Tallulah, who was five, so that they could pick out something as an afternoon snack.

Tubbo would tease that the Craft family was trying to adopt him whenever Tommy came back with an art piece that one of them had made for him. Tallulah loved her flowers, so most of her art work was about flowers. Chayanne loved clay, so most of the time he was giving Tommy little charms that he'd made, or small little trinkets that he made. The one time, the two had worked together and had given him a potted plant.

It sat on his windowsill, and Tommy loved the little orange tulip that had bloomed. Hanging on the wall next to the window that held his little flower was a painting that Ranboo had done as a gift for him; an Allium in a field of sunflowers under a starry night sky.

It had been the first gift that he'd received since he was five. And the little moth that his mother had given him rested against the tulip pot, perfectly in sight to the entire room.

Tommy also thought that explaining it to new people was hilarious, though he was secretive about it. While they would get concerned and fuss over him, or over Tubbo and Ranboo, there was a humor that they'd found their best friends because of an accidental wrong number.

Like with Technoblade, or Techno as he was typically referred to as. Ranboo's adoptive older brother who was big and bulky, a pro wrestler if Tommy had remembered right. He'd been confused at first, and then cautiously weary about Tommy… Until Ranboo had told him, off to the side, that Tommy had needed an out from a bad home.

Techno himself had been from a bad home too, he could understand being desperate enough to do anything to get out.

Tommy was finally free from his family.

So why did he feel so guilty about that?

Tommy excused himself when the movie they'd been watching was over. He ignored Techno, still staring after him as he escaped to his room. He had movies in his room he could watch, and a new laptop that had a disk drive he could use and headphones so that Ranboo didn't feel bad about his brother's reaction.

He would have done that, at least, had Tubbo not followed after him, concern on his face.

"You okay boss man?" Tubbo asked, leaning against the doorway of the door that Tommy had thought he'd shut. Tommy looked up, his blanket bunched up in his hands, he'd been planning on resting his head on it when he pulled his knees up to his chest, a more comfortable position to watch movies on his laptop in bed.

"What? Yeah, I'm fine." Tommy responded, his voice cracked when he tried to tell Tubbo he was fine. Tommy wondered how he'd ever gotten away with lying before if that had happened every time. Tubbo frowned, concern over shadowing his expression.

"You sure? You seemed a little quick to get out of there." Tubbo asked, stepping into the room when it appeared that Tommy wasn't trying to push him out… yet. Tubbo shut the door behind him, eyes scanning the room with a soft smile. Tommy had nearly nothing when he moved in, and now it would probably take six or so moving boxes to get everything out.

Not ideal for someone their age, but it was an improvement.

"I… I'm fine, big man. It's just a little obvious that Technoblade doesn't…" Tommy tilted his head from side to side, uncertain how he should finish his sentence. He didn't want it to be taken the wrong way, after all. "He's protective of the two of you, is all. It's obvious in a way that's subtle." Tommy swallowed, his hands twitching to grab the edge of his blanket to fiddle with. He didn't let himself, but the urge was there.

"He can be a bit much, but we can explain your situation a bit, and it's been months already, and we've gotten to know you quite well. He just needs the time to do that too." Tubbo shrugged, a smile on his face. There was understanding in his eyes, though Tommy wasn't sure why Tubbo would understand Tommy's words and reasoning.

"I… think I'm just going to chill in here for a bit, ya know?" Tubbo nodded.

"Of course, I think Ranboo was going to order pizza, you want a lava cake with yours?" Tubbo asked, and Tommy smiled a little. He was looking at his bed, but he was sure Tubbo had seen it anyway.

"Yeah, please." Tommy's voice was a little quieter, and Tubbo made a sound of acknowledgement as he slipped from Tommy's room. Tommy was quick to wipe away the beginnings of tears in his eyes.

Tommy had rejoined them later that night when the pizza's had arrived. Missing the sad expression on Techno's face that had filtered away to understanding. Though, he did notice that Techno wasn't watching him like Tommy was an unseen threat that was waiting to go off.