#i don’t remember how to tagggg aaaaaa

[shushiyuii]

Atlantic Runaways [Part 8]

Notes: Hey! It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it? Maybe you’ve forgotten about me, never know but I’ve reappeared from the void for a short while to deliver this!

I’m too sure if I’m going to be returning any time soon, I’m still thinking about a lot of things and I have a lot of things going on personally

Originally the finale was supposed to include all of what was written in this fic and including what else I have planned but I think it’ll be better to drag it out a bit first.

Edit: realised this was part 8- oops-

Warnings: Mentions of soft vore, past traumas of drowning, actual drowning, sobbing, nightmares, neglect, mistreatment, potential mentions of death and one very unreliable narrator. If I’ve missed any please let me know!

Words: 5.4K+

[...]

“Tommy…”, Wilbur looked down upon him with a solemn expression, his features dull despite the difference in height. He looked ominous, dangerous like how they had first met all those months ago.

After the incident of him nearly dying, Tommy had these recurring nightmares that always plagued his mind. It was quite frightening the first couple of times it had happened, though he grew accustomed to them, always preparing for his demise at the end of the road.

Tommy looked indifferent, neither bothered by Wilbur’s words to attempt to burade him. Though it was different this time around, Wilbur did not seek to intimidate him or scare him. He only stared at him.

“I think you understand what is yet to come.”, the copy looked off to the side as if he seemed saddened, yet no emotions displayed on his face. Tommy let out a breath that had been caught in his throat.

“What do you mean?”, Tommy stood anxiously on his toes, fearful of what could come of this dream, he didn’t want any surprises at the moment. Yet for some reason, guilt rose to his subconscious.

“I believe you know what I am referring to, lower your guard. I will not harm you despite what you believe.”, though he didn’t stand down. But what could he be talking about? He wasn’t entirely sure.

“No, I don’t. Want to explain, bitch?”, he teased. Yet the vision remained in place, no movement or expression shown. Typically, Wilbur would respond with his own remark or call him a child. Nothing.

“You understand that you must confront your emotions, do you not? If not now then your emotions might get the better of you by the time you manage to set foot in the place your dream takes place within.”.

So that was what the vision entailed, so it wasn’t a nightmare. It was another one of the weirder ones.

Tommy looked away from the vision to his bare hands, his vision blurred as his eyes unfocused and his mind corroded his thoughts. As if the sun had just dawned upon him. It was today, and soon everything could change for the better or worse.

The vision moved, its claw-like finger placed under Tommy’s chin, bringing him out of his thoughts. It showed more expression, showing a mask of the Wilbur he knew, copying him with a mask of concern.

He leaned slightly into the claw as it moved to his cheek, he appreciated the comfort despite everything. He wanted to be calm, yet despite being asleep he could feel the adrenaline pumping through his very veins. Already anxious about what was to come.

“I-”, he took a moment to pause. “I know, but- What if big dubs just leaves me? I don’t want to believe he would but-”, he sobbed. “I’m just scared, I guess- What am I supposed to do? I promised to get him out, escape and-”,

He took a moment to pause.

“For some reason, I just want things to stay the way they are. I’m happy, I can see Wilbur whenever and spend time with him, I got a job to support my dad, and I got my best friend. Everything I need-”,

“But that is simply selfish.”, the vision interrupted. Tommy only looked away with a guilty expression, he knew that he was being selfish. He’d never act upon those emotions. After all, Wilbur had been in captivity for so long, day by day he got weaker.

Tommy could tell the mer wasn’t happy just staying there, always putting on a show just to make him smile. He shouldn’t doubt Wilbur, having gone so far as to save his life and continue to care for him.

…

“I just want him to stay…”, he turned back and hugged the finger. Though it only felt hollow of what wasn’t there, he just wanted touch or comfort yet whatever the vision did had no effect to comfort him. He was alone.

“You allow these intrusive thoughts to plague your mind and judgment, and you contort to them as though they are correct.”, Tommy only nodded. He was letting his worries get the better of him.

“Tommy, understand this. You will be just fine, you know it. And if you’re still worried. Simply speak to Wilbur, he will understand”.

And the dream faded away.

[...]

“Boo! Stop hitting me with the fucking shell!”, Tommy let out a groan at the two of them arguing, placing a pillow on top of his head in frustration. Rather than waking up to his best friend cuddled to his side, he woke up to nothing but yelling as the two argued over a game.

The game was Mario kart of all things.

It wasn’t long until their race had concluded, Tubbo celebrated his win with a loud victory screech as Ranboo let out a sigh, third place. He was surprised that Ranboo was good at the game considering he had only been a mer for what he believed was a couple of months.

After celebrating his victory, Tubbo had come to annoy Tommy with his clingy side. Throwing himself onto Tommy’s side as he let out an ‘oomph’ sound before glaring down at his best friend, not entirely thrilled to see him active so early.

“G’morning Big man! You excited for today?”, Tubbo smiled. Tommy nodded with a small smile, indeed excited for the day. As much as he’d appreciate more sleep after recent events, it was better now than never.

He didn’t want Wilbur to suffer any longer than he had to. Picking up his confidence, he sat up and gripped the pillow that had fallen off of his face before plunging it into Tubbo’s face as revenge.

Tubbo was quick to try and repel the attack, only to fail and grasping for aid from Ranboo. Yet Ranboo did not aid him in his time of need, looking with a sick grin as he watched his best friend get attacked, it was revenge for not only Tommy but himself.

His laughed pleas were no use and eventually tuckered out in surrender, taking a moment to get back his breath. Tommy smirked in victory that he shared with Ranboo. Then standing up for the first time, excitement flooded through his head as he turned to his closet to gather some clothing.

His room was still a mess after his expansive research of crumbled notes that filled the room, along with discarded coffee cups and mess across his desk. Though the other two didn’t appear to mind the mess.

It was bright and early, roughly 5 am to be exact. Tommy didn’t quite appreciate being awake at such an early time but it was necessary for the plan. After all, Ranboo couldn’t exactly shift into a giant mer inside of his house.

He picked up his usual shirt, a pair of denim shorts that had a pair of pockets and a pair of bright red sandals. He went to change into the bathroom as the other two went downstairs to join his dad and friends for breakfast.

After changing, he could taste the air that smelt of waffles. He smiled, rushing downstairs to grab a bite as he was quite frankly starving. He was greeted by his dad’s beaming bright smile, who held a plate of waffles topped with whipped cream and strawberries.

Tommy was quick to join at the breakfast table, taking his dish before almost scoffing it down like a wolf. His father let out a hearty laugh as he sipped his cup of coffee, he had told his father of the half-baked plan in the middle of the night and was happy to help.

Yet, his father looked a little tired from the lack of sleep, the coffee to help prepare him for the drive to the beach and work. He felt sorry for his dad, but thankful nonetheless. His father was indeed the best after all.

[...]

Their car was a decent couple of years old, having been around as far as Tommy could remember. It was a comfy car, a dark green one. Tommy listened to the purr of the engine as he leaned against the window.

His father’s gaze focused on the road ahead, in the back Tubbo talked away with Ranboo about the bright weather and potential waves. It was surprisingly sunny out despite it being the early hours of the morning.

They were headed towards a more isolated beach that wasn’t too far from Tommy’s home and the waterpark. And plus, it was a beach that had a lovely view and Tommy spent a lot of time there as a child.

It was rather calming, Tommy could almost sleep if it weren’t for the excitement of what was to come, he was really looking forward to it all. He imagined how Wilbur would react to seeing the outside world, wait-

What would Wilbur even look like as a human? How would he even react to a pair of legs? Would he be able to swim or walk? He’d have to ask Ranboo about it when he retrieved the necklace as Ranboo really only knew the effect of it.

Phil began to slowly ease into the breaks, parking the car to the side as he pulled up the handbrake, he didn’t want to lose the car to slipping down the car after all. The purr of the engine came to a sudden halt.

Tubbo was the first to exit the car, slamming the car door and rushing to the trunk to grab Tommy’s surfboard that was being borrowed. Tommy was the second to exit, taking in a deep breath as he closed his air, taking in the taste of the salty sea.

Though, his moment was interrupted as he could hear something banging from the car door. Turning back to see Ranboo struggling to open the door, pushing his body against it in an attempt to get it open.

Tommy tried to hold back a laugh but a snort escaped him, shaking his head in an almost humiliated way but meant no harm by it. He opened the door for his new friend, only to send him flying to the floor as he fell out the door.

It caused Tommy to burst out laughing, holding his stomach as he laughed his head off. Ranboo was quick to scramble back onto his legs, his cheeks flushed in embarrassment without the protection of his mask.

Tubbo was quick to inspect on the moment, letting out a few giggles in the process. He then gripped Ranboo’s wrist and dragged him towards the shore, Tommy looked back to check on his dad who was smiling and waving at him.

He smiled back and turned back towards the beach, it’d been a while since he’d been here. It hadn’t changed at all during the years, almost as if it were never changing. He reminisced of the memories he held on the very sand he stood on, many memories were made here.

Despite wearing sandals, he could still feel the sand between his toes. The Sun shone brightly as it always had, his bright blonde hair reflecting in the sunlight, making it seem as though it were glowing.

His thoughts went back to Wilbur as he took a step forward, with each step would be a literal step forward in the plan, every step would lead closer to Wilbur’s escape. His slow steady steps on the boiling sand soon turned into a sudden sprint.

Tubbo was always swimming into the ocean with the board, his friend always was the type to be pulled into the sea, sometimes he questioned if Tubbo had more of a connection to the ocean than he did with his mer heritage and all.

Ranboo awaited by the shoreline, the waves flowing under his feet. He swore he could see more mer-like features on Ranboo as he drew closer. His legs were adorned with scales as though they could turn to a tale. He was preparing to shift back.

Ranboo went to reach the back of his neck, but he halted as he saw Tommy continue to run towards him. He was tackled into a hug, Tommy embraced the mer tightly. He was really thankful to Ranboo for all he was doing.

Despite barely knowing Tommy, he was willing to help him and Wilbur with the escape. And he owed a lot to Tubbo too, if it weren’t for him then he and Ranboo would’ve never met. Ranboo wasn’t quite the wrongun’ he assumed him to be.

He would have to repay them for their kindness soon, what would Ranboo and Tubbo even want though? He’d work it out eventually. Tommy then pulled away from the hug with a huge smile on his face.

Ranboo returned the smile, then again reached to unclip the necklace, falling into his palm. He looked back to Tommy as his face went into panic, Tommy was quick to reach out as he went to reassure him but Ranboo quickly retreated into the ocean.

It took Tommy a second to realise that Ranboo did not want to crush Tommy as he turned into a giant, rather stupid of him to attempt to go after him. Soon, Ranboo stood before him or well, gazed down upon him.

He now had the opportunity to see Ranboo closer than he did the other day, he was an orca mer that wasn’t as big as Wilbur but still fairly gigantic. Ranboo’s hair colour had changed to match his tale, though his eyes remained the same.

His cheeks looked as though they were covered by freckles, one side with darker freckles and the other looked white. Ranboo’s gaze looked unfocused as one of his claws laid on his forehead, though he shook his head and turned back to Tommy.

Shifting must’ve had its side effects, he couldn’t imagine changing from a smaller size to a gigantic one, mustn't have been easy. Ranboo looked a bit uneasy, his movements cautious as his claw reached out towards Tommy.

Tommy reached out his hand as the necklace was dropped into his palm. The necklace had a black and white spotted shell, surrounded by pearls. It was quite beautiful. He grasped it gently yet tightly in his hand, this was the very thing that would grant Wilbur his escape.

He placed the necklace in his shorts pocket, smiling at Ranboo as he turned to leave. He was ready, ready to get Wilbur out, the day was finally upon the two of them. Wilbur would finally get his-

“Tommy!- Wait!”, a giant claw gently grasped his waist, halting him in his run back to the car. He turned back to Ranboo who held a worried look on his face as the claw gently let go, letting out a shaky breath Tommy walked back to the same position as he was.

“Sorry about that, but I still got to explain a couple of things. Right?”, Tommy had been so excited that he didn’t even know how the artefact worked in the first place. It was rather stupid of him to wander off like that.

“Okay first things of all, how to use the amulet; The mer in question must be underwater, the shift will happen there. The mer must put on the amulet like they normally would. Also, word of advice, shifting for the first time can be kinda- funky. So be prepared in case Wilbur needs help.”.

“Your friend won’t be adjusted to the change right away, he won’t know how to walk properly with a new set of legs. Also, in case you’re worried. Mer forms come with their own sets of clothing. Anything else you want to ask?”.

Tommy paused to see if he had any questions, but couldn’t seem to think of any as Ranboo had explained clearly enough. It appeared that everything was prepared, he could only hope the plan would go just as smoothly.

“Nah, I’m good. Thank you, Boo. Really, I fucking owe you one. A big one. See you soon Big man! I’ll make sure to bring back the necklace soon!”. Tommy then turned back to the car, rushing to make his way to the car.

[...]

Tommy had prepared everything he could think he’d need for the escape plan, he brought a spare towel to help Wilbur dry off, the amulet, and his phone in case of emergencies, and was really all he needed.

A sigh escaped from his lips, with each minute that passed, he couldn’t help but feel more anxious. Closing his eyes as he leaned back into the car seat, he had no idea as to why he was panicking so much, it was simple enough.

Thinking back to his dream though, would his emotions really get the better of him? He knew that he’d been acting strange but he didn’t believe that it would have such an impact. He concluded it was better to bury the coffin until it was dug up again.

Phil had stopped the car, looking at his son with worried yet tired eyes. His father was also quite nervous as most likely, his son could get caught and endangered. Not only that but he was involved with the entire thing, the literal escape cab.

“Are you alright, mate?”, his father gently placed his hand on Tommy’s shoulder, squeezing it in reassurance. Tommy bit down on his tongue anxiously, not enough pressure to hurt but enough to make himself aware of how anxious he must’ve looked.

“I’m fine Dad, Just a bit nervous y’know?”, his father gave him a soft smile as he pulled Tommy into a hug. It was a bit awkward due to the car seats but Tommy appreciated it nonetheless. After separating, Tommy grabbed onto the car handle and opened the door.

Grabbing his stuff from the trunk. Step by step, he walked into his workplace.

Tommy got ready as he usually would, but in the pocket of his wet suit was the necklace.

He was ready. Though, as much as he’d love to tell Wilbur of the plan as soon as possible. It’d definitely be better as a surprise, he thought.

His sports bag in hand, scanning his keycard to allow him entry to Wilbur’s enclosure. He hesitated for a moment, standing in the doorway as he took a deep breath. Giving himself a moment to get his acting game ready.

“Wilbur! I’m here!”, Tommy called as loud as he could to the mer. Tommy planned to be a little more annoying to the mer than usual. Maybe then Wilbur would catch onto his plans, he’d reveal them either way.

Tommy stood still beside the tiny pool, at least tiny for Wilbur. He waited for about a minute or two yet he got no response from him. He bit his lip as he sat down, looking down into the water for any indication of movement, he didn’t want Wilbur to scare him again.

He waited another couple of minutes, but still nothing. So, he called out again. “Wilbur! Are you there?”, he grew increasingly worried. Was Wilbur okay?

Normally, he would’ve been here by now.

He waited again, but still nothing. His breathing began to grow heavy as his heart rate increased. Worried for the mer. Instead of calling with his voice, he splashed the water as he did in his training, hoping to get a response.

He waited again.

…

Tommy looked down at the water, gulping down nervously. Then, the still water began to sway, and soon Wilbur emerged from the water. There were no splashes of surprise, just the water that dripped from Wilbur resurfacing.

He let down a breath of relief as he stared up at Wilbur. The mer had a soft smile, though his eyes looked groggy as though he had just woken up. “Good morning, Toms- You’re here early, aren’t you?”.

Tommy was quick to reach into his bag and search for his phone, pulling it out to see that it was 8:12 am. His shift had started about 10 minutes ago. “Yeah, it’s one of the early shifts.”, he smirked. Wilbur only nodded his head, letting out a yawn as he barred his sharp teeth.

Tommy rolled his eyes and got up, he made his way to the freezer that held Wilbur’s food supply. Grabbing as much as he could carry and brought it to the mer. “Here’s breakfast, you prick.”, Tommy placed the fish beside him as he sat on the edge of the pool, his feet submerged in the water.

Wilbur leaned himself beside Tommy, looking tired as he laid his head on his scaly arms. He still faced Tommy with the same smile, eyes soft and tired yet they looked happy to see Tommy. He felt comforted, unlike how he did in his dream.

With Wilbur nearby, he leaned onto Wilbur’s arm. Nuzzling it softly as he took in a tired breath. Despite being so excited, he was still tired from waking up very early. He appreciated the warmth that radiated, some comfort after everything.

The two sat still for a moment before Tommy stood up, grabbing the fish and feeding Wilbur like he normally would during his routine, though he made sure to grab more fish than he normally would. He didn’t know what would happen if Wilbur turned human.

During that time, Wilbur had woken up fully and began to speak to Tommy like they normally would, falling into their usual banter. “I really don’t believe you’re 6’3. You’re tiny, one of the smallest humans I’ve ever seen!”.

“Dickhead! Of course, I’m 6’3! You don’t even know how tall that is for humans! You barely see any other humans besides me!”, Tommy stomped his foot in the water, causing a splash like a child would’ve done.

“I’ll have you know I’m-”, he paused. “I think I remember the humans saying I was over 40 feet? Maybe even larger, not too sure though.”, he let out a laugh. Tommy didn’t underestimate that, Wilbur was gigantic after all. He let out a playful scoff.

After the scruffle, Wilbur looked as though he wanted to say something yet seemed to hesitate. His eyes weren’t staring at Tommy directly, too caught up in his own mind. So, Tommy took it upon himself to speak first.

“Wilbur, you okay? You look like you got something to say. Big man.”, Wilbur’s gaze turned back to Tommy as Wilbur licked his lips. For a moment Tommy thought that Wilbur was thinking about storing him, although he wouldn’t mind the idea. But there the plan was still in effect.

“Yeah, yeah- I’m fine. Just, are you okay? You’re acting a little… off? I don’t know just something is telling me somethings wrong and-”, he cut himself off with a shake of his head. His gaze turned to one of concern, “You know, you can talk to me. Right?”.

Tommy’s eyes were soft as his hand went to the pocket of his wet suit. He stood up, amulet in his grip as he met Wilbur’s gaze. The mer looked worried, concern gracing his features. He leaned in closer and looked ready to listen for whatever Tommy had to say.

His lips couldn’t help but go upwards into a cheeky smile, as he spoke the words he’d been preparing to say all morning. “Wilbur… How would you like to finally get out of this hell hole?”. Wilbur’s gaze turned to a shocked expression.

“Tommy, wait- Toms, you don’t mean?”, Wilbur looked dazzled with many different emotions; Shock, relief, happiness, all sorts of things. Tommy could only nod with a smile.

He’d finally be free.

[...]

Wilbur stared down at the tiny amulet in his palm, such a small piece of jewellery would allow him his escape, his freedom. He’d waited over a decade for this moment. And finally, his moment had come.

And he had nobody else to thank besides the small human boy who stood beside him. Words couldn’t express how thankful he was, he’d only known Tommy for such a short time, a couple of months at best.

At first, when he met Tommy. There was only distaste as Tommy was simply just another human. He thought that Tommy would be like every other human he had met, some of them weren’t bad per se in Wilbur’s time but some never showed sympathy or just treated him as an animal.

Tommy was the first to treat him like an equal. It took time and Wilbur saving the boy’s life in order to communicate with each other but it worked out in the end. And now, the two of them had grown close.

The young boy had also gone through quite a bit just to get Wilbur his freedom. And now everything was falling into place, access to his freedom was now literally within the palm of his hand. If he could cry, he’d be sobbing with tears of joy.

“Just like that- Wait- Wil? Were you even listening?”, Wilbur snapped out of his daze. His cheeks flushed in embarrassment, he should be paying attention. Though in all honesty, he wanted to chirp happily out loud and reach out for the tiny boy in front of him. He was just really happy.

Tommy didn’t seem to mind though, despite his attempt at an angry glare; The boy let out a cough as he continued. “As I was saying, you basically just put the necklace around your neck and you just shrink and be human, I guess.”, he explained though he sounded uncertain.

His fins flared ever so slightly at the uncertainty. Despite his excitement, he was still a bit fearful of everything. He was nearly grown up by the time he got captured so after a bit of work, he knew he’d handle himself in the ocean just fine.

He remembered how to hunt, he tried to practice it in his small enclosure on occasion. He wondered how different the waters would be in the ocean, what it will feel like to be free in the ocean waves again.

Just, what bothered him was he wouldn’t see his pod ever again. And despite freedom being was he wanted, there was a certain anxiousness that came with the escape. Which couldn’t really be blamed, it was only natural.

Not only that but he was nervous about becoming a human, well he wouldn’t necessarily become a human. But it would be close enough.

Taking a breath of air, he nodded his head to Tommy. He wondered what it’d feel like to be human. To be around the same size as Tommy, would he be taller? Or shorter? What would it feel like to have a pair of legs?

It’d certainly be different nonetheless.

Despite his nervousness, It flooded him with a new kind of excitement. What would it be like to walk around, run with his legs? He’d be able to see Tommy much closer than he used to, they’d be the same size rather than Wilbur being a gigantic predator.

He grasped the necklace in his palm, determined to get the whole transformation progress over with and escape. A part of him was also excited to see Tommy roughly the same size as him, being able to hug him as tight as he wished without worrying about crushing him.

He took a deep breath of the air, despite not needing to do. Submerged in the water, his dry hair was now soaked in the water. He swayed his tail to the side, only for it to collide with the wall. He was really looking forward to escaping from the cramped place.

The amulet in his grip began to glow a dim light, magic sparkling from it. He began to do as Tommy instructed, bringing the amulet towards his neck.

As he did so, bubbles began to surround him. He felt strange, dizzy and tired despite being filled with energy moments ago. The amulet that would’ve never fitted around his neck, was now secured around his neck.

He looked down, no longer his scaly brown tail with white spots. It was replaced by a pair of human legs, he was now human instead of his gigantic mer self. He let out his breath that had been held the entire time.

Only to realise that he couldn’t inhale the surrounding water without his gills. He panicked, flailing his arms and new pair of legs in an attempt to swim, only for the pool to drag him down further.

The water that he once inhaled was now burning at his lungs, he couldn’t breathe despite his lungs begging for him to do so. He was drowning as his vision blurred. His mind wandered to Tommy, is this what the boy felt when he had saved him?

He was in agony.

It felt horrible, the water dragging him into its depths. It was once home, now it sought only to kill him. It was terrifying, and to imagine a gigantic predator in the water. That day he saved Tommy, after all that torment. The boy must’ve been terrified.

He was terrified.

As black spots began to fill his vision, something in the water changed. Despite being “human”, he could still feel the changes in the water. Using some energy to look upwards, he could see the blurry figure of something coming toward him.

He reached out towards it, the figure struggled but eventually, it grabbed his wrist and pulled him upwards. Soon, he emerged to the surface, clinging to the figure that had saved him from the water. He coughed out the water, his throat sore.

The grip on him was a bit weak, yet secure. Wilbur was safe, he let out a sigh of relief. When he opened his eyes, he was met with a soaked Tommy. His eyes widened as he realised that Tommy had been the one to save him as he had done long before.

A smile was brought to his face. Tommy swam with a bit of struggle towards the edge of the pool, Wilbur attempted to help but he was still flimsy with his legs.

Eventually, the two of them managed to pull each other onto the tiled floor of the area rather than the pool.

Wilbur let out a series of coughs as he adjusted, despite having inhaled air before. It felt different, more potent or something along those lines, unusual but not unnatural. His arms attempted to hold him upwards yet felt weak. He assumed it was because of the transformation.

Beside him was Tommy, panting heavily and leaning over the pool. Wilbur felt shaky and nervous, he turned himself so he wasn’t pressuring his arms and sat down as Tommy did and finally looked at his pair of legs.

His legs felt unnatural compared to everything else, he no longer had a tail instead it was like he had two tails (It was the closest comparison he could make). The new joints were unusual to move, and wiggling his toes was also a weird sensation.

He was mesmerised by his new limps, using his arms to lift his leg towards his face to observe it curiously. He attempted to bend his knee with success, letting out a yelp as he did so. It was hard to believe the pair of legs were his, that he was human.

He turned quickly at the sound of laughter, beside him Tommy was staring at him. His mouth was covered by his hand as he attempted to muffle it. Wilbur’s ears felt less sensitive than before, yet now with his new size, he was able to hear Tommy perfectly fine, maybe even louder.

Wilbur’s eyes widened at the realisation, that it was indeed a reality. That he was roughly Tommy’s size which meant… Wilbur pushed himself towards Tommy, clumsily embracing him into a hug.

Tommy let out a yelp as he collided with Wilbur, unable to support his weight as his back fell to the floor. Wilbur was on top of him, embracing him as tightly as possible. Despite laying on the cold wet floor of the facility, the hug wasn’t unbearably uncomfortable.

…

Tommy smiled, adjusting the hug so the two of them sat up. Tommy hugged back as tightly as he could, it felt strange to be able to hug Wilbur like any other human. But he was happy, happy that Wilbur could escape.

Wilbur readjusted the hug for Tommy to lean on his lap, his hands moving from his back to his soaked hair. Wilbur began to play with the wet blonde curls, it felt nice as Tommy leaned more of his weight onto Wilbur, relaxing.

Soon they’d leave, but for now. They just wanted each other’s company.