"Of Headaches and Home"
(A little c!benchtrio fic for the soul, sorry for the delay!)
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It was a beautiful sunny day, a day that normally Tommy would have enjoyed.
He would have stepped out of his house, maybe stretched a bit, taking deep breaths of the fresh spring air.
He would have stopped and smelled the flowers, maybe done a bit of gardening if it needed weeding.
Perhaps he would have gone on a long adventurous walk. Since he normally walked every day, just letting his feet take him where ever they seemed to feel like going.
But today wasn't one of those days.
Instead of stepping out of his house with a satisfying yawn and stretch, he stepped out and nearly tripped. Eyes feeling like over blown balloons in his skull as the sunlight hit his face, he groaned, cursing the giant glowing orb in the sky, blaming it for more of his problems.
Today he didn't wake up feeling like usual. Sure, sometimes he didn't wake up well, but days like today were worse than any early morning fears.
Today he woke up with a headache.
Trudging along the prime path he cringed at the smell of flowers and plants. The aromas being almost sickeningly sweet and twisting his already churning stomach. He was tempted to pinch his nose.
Headaches weren't rare or unfamiliar to him, Tommy had had a lot of headaches in life, but these types of headaches were the worst, and he knew exactly what caused them. Knowing why tended to add to the awfulness of it all, as the pounding in his skull was reminiscent of when it was cracked. The scar was still there, only really noticeable if he brushed his hair back enough, but the scar was manageable, the headaches weren't.
A breeze brushed past, ruffling the trees and bushes around him. The coolness was refreshing, the sound was not.
He let out a string of curses as his vision swam at the wave of nausea that passed over. It was always like waves, just one thing after another, he hated it.
Some had told him to try and rest through it, just lay still and attempt sleeping along with light snacks and water.
But he couldn't stand just laying there, head feeling like it was going to burst as sickening memories broke through the heavy fog.
So he tried walking it off.
Maybe it was stupid and the others were right, but he felt like walking... well no. He didn't "feel" like walking, he wanted to walk. Stupid, painful, life ruining headache or not.
As he stumbled onward, to who knows where, he caught sound of a different noise. He wasn't sure what exactly, since everything sounded mostly the same right now.
All far too loud and grating, like something clawing at his brain-
"Tommy! Hey man."
Oh, Ranboo...
Had it been any other day Tommy would have made some comment at the others expense. He didn't hate Ranboo, he was a friend, but he was also easy to pick on and it was fun. But today all Tommy could offer in reply was a half hearted wave and a groan, eyes squinting as he looked up at the other.
"Are you alright? You seem a bit, uh, off?"
Tommy ran a hand over his face, which probably made things worse as he realized his hands were awfully sweaty. Holding back another groan of both discomfort and disgust, he mumbled out a half attempted "I'm fine" before he gave up on words.
Ranboo watched as Tommy brought up two fingers, gesturing to his head a few times before he hummed lightly.
"Ah, headache again today?"
Tommy brought up a hand, curling it then moving it up and down, he was tempted to nod as well since Ranboo was still learning to translate most of his gestures and movements, but even the thought of moving his head aggravated it.
"Hm, alright. Do you want to go back to your house? Or do you want to stay outside?"
Thinking it over, Tommy just held up two fingers for simplicity hoping it got the message of the second option across.
Thankfully, judging by how Ranboo nodded and stepped beside him, he got it.
"Okay well, I was headed to meet Tubbo for a picnic if you want to join? It was just going to be quiet thing, so maybe you can sit down out there with us if you want."
It sounded nice, and as much as he dragged his feet on these kinds of things, the idea of a quiet picnic did truly sound appealing right now, headache or not.
He held his arm out, gesturing at the path ahead as he squinted up at Ranboo again.
It took the other a second before he took Tommy's stance as agreement to the proposed idea and smiled.
"Follow me then"
Ranboo was walking slower, this might have pissed Tommy off if it was a normal day, but right now he appreciated the slower even pace. His head already spun enough, he didn't need to throw a race with the ender hybrid into the mix.
Before long they had made their way across the path and off onto the grass and dirt. This picnic of Ranboo's was off a bit farther then Tommy had thought it would be, but somehow picking up on his confusion Ranboo explained that the farther out they are the less likely it was for someone to crash into it or ruin the peace. Tommy understood that.
As they stepped over a soft hill, Ranboo offering a non basket carrying arm as Tommy descended downward, they spotted Tubbo already sitting out on a large patched up blanket.
The spot was tucked between some hills, and had spatterings of trees around providing shade. All in all it wasn't visible to any quick passers by, and it was quiet and nice.
Tubbo seemed suprised at first by Tommy being there, but a grin broke out across his face as he scooted over for the other to sit down.
"Funny seeing you here, I thought you didn't like our picnics?"
Tommy shrugged, as he laid back on the blanket repeating the same gesture he gave to Ranboo.
"Oh... sorry."
Tommy waved a hand, Tubbo's sympathies were sweet and all but the last thing he wanted right now was someone being all sad and apologetic to him.
"Do you want some lemonade or something? We also have just water if that's better?"
Perking up at the offer of lemonade, Tommy held up one finger. Tubbo nodded, quickly turning to the ice lined container he had brought and pulled out a bottle. As he passed it over to Tommy, having already loosened the lid, Ranboo began sorting through the snacks he had brought.
For awhile Tubbo and Ranboo just talked back and forth as they ate, they weren't loud or annoying so it didn't bother Tommy. They were considerate of any thing he asked, and kept any conversations relaxed.
Unfortunately his headache wasn't as pleasant or kind as his friends, and decided to kick it up a notch.
It quickly felt as though someone had dropped an anvil on his head, as a silent roar filled his ears, and a heavy warm weight settled against his skull.
It felt like it was cracking again.
The other two were quick to take notice of his discomfort and were by his side. He could here them talking, but it felt distant and warped. He rarely felt panicked by his headaches, but when sound seemed to fade his heart began hammering in his chest, only worsening the almost churning wave of pressure.
Before he could shoot up or attempt some embarrassing broken cry, he was gently lifted then moved against someone.
The movement startled him, it had been careful enough to not hurt, but the slow breathing he now felt against him was weird.
"-mmy? Tommy? Can you hear me?"
Tubbo was next to him, which meant he was against Ranboo. His head spun to much to think to hard on that, instead he shakily lifted and curled his hand in Tubbo's direction.
He heard them mummer between themselves before Tubbo spoke to him again.
"Is it alright if Ranboo touches your head?"
Tommy wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean, but seeing as he had already been layed out against the others lap without pain perhaps the two knew something to do? He hurt to much to think. He curled his hand again.
There was the soft mummering then he felt something soft and cool cover his forhead. He couldn't help the sigh that fell from him, as the chill of the others large padded hands seeped into his skull. Tubbo's voice sounded next to him, breaking the fog once more.
"-u okay? Tommy?"
Instead of just curling his hand, he felt around for the other, not wanting to open his eyes to look. Tubbo's noticed his padding around and took his hand. Tommy gave it a light squeeze, and gave a small smile in what he hoped was Tubbo's direction.
He normally hated being touched when his headaches got really bad, as even the slightest poke could make him nauseous or anxious.
But here, he felt okay.
He wasn't feeling super better, and was far from being miraculously cured, but it felt like he wasn't gonna die again.
And with the feeling of the other two being close, their careful touch, their familiar not overbearing smells, and their quiet conversations amongst themselves, he felt alright.
It felt safe, it felt like home.
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(I took the hc of c!Tommy getting migraines after dying and kinda just ran with it....idk. Also c!Ranboo having cold hands? Am I soft for carefully affectionate c!benchtrio... yeah... ;-; )
As always, thanks for reading! And feedback is always appreciated, a key smash or little comment is also nice :D
