play pretend (pov tubbo, character/relationship study, 1.5k words)
Tubbo remembers Tommy like this. It is a warm summer night, and the mosquitos aren't out quite yet, but the eggs have been laid in the riverbed, so it's only a matter of time. Tommy is beside Tubbo, and he is brighter than the sun that's just dipped below the horizon, brighter than the fireflies that tentatively make their way out from the forest. Tommy laughs and smiles and he says something that makes Tubbo laugh, and it's all a little blurry. His mouth curls around the two syllables of Tubbo’s name, breathlessly repeating himself through incredulous laughter as Tubbo plays up his own cluelessness just to hear it. Tubbo is not so innocent, but he pretends to be, for Tommy's sake, the same way Niki pretends to be soft and Fundy pretends to be impatient and Wilbur pretends to be kind. Tubbo does not resent Tommy for this. He will pretend to, in the future, but in Tubbo's memory, there is no anger — it's almost a relief, to be clueless with Tommy. It feels like Tubbo is the better version of himself. That's what Tubbo remembers of Tommy. He made Tubbo the better version of himself. He made Tubbo want to be better. He made everyone want to be better.
tags: tubbo pov, mentioned wilbur soot, mentioned tommyinnit, character study, relationship study, canon compliant, post-revival, complicated relationships, memory, angst.
