Looking at the stats, I see that most peeps come for the healthy mix of angst and fluff of this fic, SO I'M DELIVERING!!!

Φ

"So, you're on your redemption arc now?", Tommy asked Evil X for the fifth time since they'd left Xisuma's towers.

The meeting between them had gone well, introductions too. Despite the warnings and threats of the red man's evil plans and murderous traps, he appeared fine to Tommy, if only a bit tired; maybe exhausted. He certainly had murder-vibes with the red armor and eyes and whatnot but Tommy was still alive and walking; not a dead man. So, for the most part, he was fine.

What was unnerving, however, was the reason he was still alive and well. Evil X explained that the tiniest mishap from his own hand would have him instantly banned from the server, banished to gods know where or "stop existing" altogether. It was a temporary fail-safe imposed by Xisuma himself, since Evil X's intentions were pretty deadly if Tommy understood correctly (and trust him, he understood perfectly).

Of course, Tommy would snitch on him later just in case the admin didn't know that his evil clone -apparently- was planning an inescapable death chamber just for him in his own basement. He didn't think that anything would happen to himself, seeing as Xisuma was very lawful.

Plus, Evil X wasn't Dream. Yeah, sure, he was scary but not Dream-level scary.

Dream wouldn't have had hesitated to put a sword through his stomach even if there was a sure punishment in order. He would've found some way to cheese it; he would've found some loophole to exploit, an excuse- anything! He would've had put a collar and leash around Tommy's throat and pulled until he was kissing the ground.

Evil X was nothing like that. Frankly, he reminded Tommy of Technoblade in a warped way. Both men were dangerous, matter-of-fact and down to earth, murderous but kind. It only provided a tiny bit of comfort to him; a sort of connection to the SMP that wasn't direct but felt the tiniest bit natural.

The thing was that Tommy was the reason Evil X was here in the first place. On Hermitcraft. He was the reason the hermits had to reinforce their security by bringing a murderous bee-man back to Hermitcraft. Basically, they had abandoned their own safety (in more ways than one) in exchange for his and while Stress had reassured him numerous times that he shouldn't worry, that he shouldn't feel guilty... he couldn't help but feel those exact emotions.

It's like the times your brain brings a certain embarrassing memory to your attention and you can't help but want to curl up in a ball and die. Each time he remembered the same old talk Stress had given him, he'd feel a pang of embarrassment and guilt in his stomach.

"Or, like, on your betrayal arc? Your intentions are pretty unclear, bee-man"

Evil X stayed silent for a minute. A very long minute that made Tommy feel partially awkward beside the man as they trekked through the thick jungle. A small ocelot ran by, leaving little paw prints in the dirt and trampling the overgrowth.

Nevertheless, Tommy continued.

"'Cause one moment you're speaking of death traps and the other you go "Oh, dear, beloved, bigman, great X-i-suma Void! How I want to be on your good side again"- "

Evil X groaned, audibly annoyed as Tommy continued to annoy him with words that had never left his mouth in the first place. Tommy didn't even try to hide his victorious grin and he so didn't attempt to muffle his mocking laughter when Evil X walked straight into a tree. A butch of cocoa beans almost hit him on the head, missing him by a centimeter.

Tommy didn't know that he could be that distracting. That revelation made him euphoric; it made his brain fill with happy hormones. It made the bad guy in front of him not so scary. So he continued talking in an endeavor to make the other hit a tree again.

"Could you stop talking?", Evil X asked nicely once he recovered from hitting the third tree. Tommy (once he was done wheezing) hummed, all smug and grinning like a kid that had stayed up past its bed time.

"Hmmm, no"

"Figures", Tommy resumed the baraze of big words after that. Hitting a tree three times was way too few times. He wanted to make the experience a displeasure for some reason.

That was until they arrived at Bdubs' lovely village. The castle on the mountaintop had grown considerably since the last time Tommy had been there, almost finished with only a half-done tower at the side. The buildings of white concrete, cyan and bird poop- I mean, diorite, had multiplied as well, brought together by flowers and pretty dirt roads.

(The gardening service from his and Etho's shenanigans was still there as well and Tommy only felt a little warm inside. No, he was not blushing!)

However, Tommy's focus was on the stable just down the worn path of coarse dirt and trampled grass.

A shiver ran down his spine at the memory of the slightly-traumatizing horseback riding lesson he had had on that crazy horse. And right on cue, the horses peeked their heads out of their respective stalls to have a look at the two of them.

"How did we get here?", Evil X inquired with a finger at his chin.

Tommy shook his head and shrugged. How was he supposed to know?

"I have no idea but hey, since we're here, let's go on a ride!"

"Why am I even following you?"

"It's called getting to know each other, bee-man. You know, as in 'hanging out'?"

"Stop calling me that-"

"Stop calling you what? Bee-man? 'Bee' with a capital 'B' and 'man' with a lower case 'M'?"

And the evening saw them on saddled horses which they had borrowed from a very anxious Bdubs, riding out of the village and traveling through the magnificent forest that surrounded the area.

It was a silent ride, surprisingly enough. Tommy seemed to have had bit his tongue as he was nervous on the new, slower horse he had been lent. Evil X seemed confident on his own steed, his back straight, transluscent wings flowing like a cape over the horse's rump. He looked perfectly calm and confident and Tommy couldn't help but squint his eyes in scrutiny.

He was the first one to break the silence too.

"So, Dream is trying to get you back to your home server?", he asked.

Tommy snapped out of his nerves. He adjusted the reins in his hands and looked at him with questioning eyes. The horse only snorted when he pulled a bit too hard. The man stared back with his own red orbs, the vibrant, dangerous color piercing through him like an Enderman's petrifying gaze. Tommy felt awfully judged... he did not like that feeling. Nevertheless, he nodded.

"Have you kept in shape?"

And why was he asking these questions? Tommy couldn't help but wonder. Maybe he was evaluating the treasured meat he had been summoned to protect. It was a logical conclusion, perhaps the most plausible or only one.

"False hands me my ass half the time when we spar, does that count?"

The red man's eyes seemed to narrow.

"First off, watch your language, young man and second off... that's not bad but not ideal either"

Of-fucking-course even an ex-villain disapproved of his very colorful language. He shouldn've had expected that, honestly -he's on a no-swearing server.

With a disapproving squint of his own, Tommy clicks his tongue.

"Sheesh, you hermits would get along great with Bad", he commented, getting a better grip on the reins for the sole purpose of having something to do with his hands.

"Bad?", Evil X inquired. Huh. So he didn't know Bad? A demon? Hadn't the bee-man said that he had come from Hell? Or was it Hels? Ugh, fuck it!

"Badboyhalo"

"Ah, the owner of the Munchy server?"

Oh, so he did know Bad. Okay, they were getting somewhere on that one.

"Yeah, he is super against saying words like: fuck, balls, suck my dick, cu- okay, okay, ow! Let go of my ear, asshat!"

How did he even reach him without falling off his horse? Oh wait, he probably used his wings, didn't he? That way he could keep his balance while at a 30° angle and tug at his ear.

Tommy couldn't help but feel a small rush of adrenaline. He couldn't help himself; messing with that man was way too fun!

"Next time you use vile language, I'll put ground pepper and garlic in your mouth and make you swallow it", Evil X threatened in what Tommy had learnt was the dad tone Xisuma sometimes used on him.

Tommy burst out laughing, though.

"Haha, that's what she said- ", only to immediately regret it as a sword materialized in the man's hand. Oh shit. Didn't he promise a less painful punishment without any sort of stabbing? "Okay, I'm sorry, bigman! No need for knives!"

But of course, the man just had to chase him through a dark oak forest, swinging a sword like a true warrior (*cough* maniac *cough*) on his horse. Only thing was that he was supposed to be protecting Tommy, not trying to stab him! Then again, he would probably not kill him, just rough him up a little. Regardless, Tommy was not up for any of that.

"Don't test me, young man!", the evil bee-man warned him after he had almost caught him.

Tommy threw his arms up in surrender and that was where the chase ended. Thankfully, he got away unscathed! On a slow horse, when Evil X's could probably gallop across a lake. He could've had easily caught up to him if he so wanted and slash at him but he didn't.

"Whatever, old man", he grumbled.

"I'm not even that old"

Tommy simply waved him off. That's the same excuse Phil always used- and Prime was that mam old! He turned his horse away from the upcoming thicket, choosing a clear path through the woods instead. The man followed him, spurring his horse into a trot.

"Anyway, what did you mean by "It's not ideal" ?", he asked, curious and only a little ticked off.

He did not survive two whole fucking wars against the worst the SMP had to offer; he did not suffer betrayal nor did he escape exile to be told that his efforts were in vain. He gritted his teeth, bit his tongue. He had to hear the guy out first and act civil.

It could've had been something completely unrelated! Maybe- maybe, it was.

"News travels fast in Hels -the place I come from. Whispers say that Dream fellow has some powerful allies"

Tommy merely rolled his eyes, though relief partied at the back of his mind.

"We're not going to war, X! Xisuma is-"

"Trying to resolve things peacefully?"-the other interrupts him with a huff- "That's a nice dream. What do you think is going to happen when your time runs out?"

His eyes widened. Out of all the responses he could imagine, that one wasn't on the top of the list. It caused a little bubble of frustration to slowly begin to inflate inside his chest, pushing against his lungs, making breathing hard. Evil X regarded him with what appeared to be a scowl, tiny, red sparks flicking off his antennae.

The answer was obvious.

"That we'll throw the bastard in jail or kill him off!", he exclaimed, though Xisumahad told him that the latter would be the worst case scenario.

The man shook his head from side to side, his wings fluttering an annoyed buzz.

"Judges can be bribed, Tommy", he told him. Tommy pulled on the reins firmly, stopping his horse, though the tone of their voices scared the poor animal. "They can also be threatened and a guy like Dream can and will play his cards right to guarantee success"

The feeling; the notion of his fighting spirit being doubted aggravated Tommy. It made him grit his teeth, clench his jaw tightly with nerve and ire.

"What are you trying to say?"

And Evil X's tone grew angrier, almost in a provocative manner.

"That you don't stand a chance"

There it was. The doubt he'd been waiting to be shown and shoved in his face. Doubt that had no use other than smother hope and optimism for the future. He didn't know what to do with such an unpleasant gift. All he knew was fight and fight he would.

However, the man before him continued, his own horse standing still beside him.

"And Xisuma will lose his head trying to keep you safe!"

Tommy... Tommy knew that it was true. He had thought about it long and hard in the darkness of midnight when he'd stare at the sparkling sky. That was before Shroud and it was after he'd started moving his stuff to base. It was after leaving the safe world of Stress and Iskall's lit-up bases, where he could pester them about everything and anything and they'd simply laugh or chat with him.

Nevertheless, his mouth fell agape in shock. He never wanted to hurt the kind, friendly people of this server. Let alone be the reason they died, regardless of who held the knife.

"No", was the first thing that left his mouth. "You are wrong".

He wanted to believe his own words, to think that truly Evil X was in the wrong with his doubts. He wanted to believe them so hard bit he knew -for fuck's sake, he knew- and the tears that sprung into his eyes were fresh and salty, more annoying than helpful.

Evil X looked at him, judgemental in the way he crossed his arms and adjusted the way he sat on the horse. His back arched straighter, wings tense.

"I am done with people dying because of me!", he screamed, soul aching as he yelled at the other. His horse was spooked but he didn't notice nor did he care much. "No one will lose their head!"

The bee-man's features softened.

"Tommy-"

"Don't fucking talk to me, asshole!"

Evil X had hit where it hurt. And when the man tried to approach, lifting his hands slowly, Tommy kicked and he was off.

He was not followed as the dark oak trees went from girthy to thin trunks, some saplings growing in his path. The horse trampled them, leaving them no chance for survival. He was not followed as the luscious plains gave way to stone and cobble and they in turn stepped aside for rocky hills and valleys.

He did not feel the tears slip down his flushed cheeks. He did not know why he was crying nor what he was crying for. Relief, frustration maybe? He could not tell and neither could he care as he urged the horse forth -slow as it was. He only knew that he had to run, to hide, that he wanted to deal with his emotions on his own, at his own pace, in private.

So, he found a cave. It was rather small, the entrance not so visible behind some bushes and an oak tree with low branches. The inside was spacious enough, not too deep in the hill but it had a little turn that he could hide behind if any mobs wandered near to the entrance. The only problem was the horse.

He had no leads on him and he couldn't tie the poor thing up when it was hungry from all the exercise. He let it loose, simply hoping you find it alive and well so he could return it to Bdubs.

Grabing a torch and one of the bags hanging from the saddle, he ventured into his temporary living space.

Φ

Tommy didn't know how much time had passed since he had sat against the cold stone, watching the fire eat away at the torch left on the floor in front of his feet. He didn't know much about how fast torches burnt down to the hilt, so he couldn't tell the time from that.

His mind was blank for once, his ears listening to the wind pick up outside, humidity settling in his skin and bones. A storm was approaching, he could smell the dirt water as the wind blew the first droplets in the cave. For a moment, he wondered if the cave would flood but he reasoned with himself that the forest outside would prevent such a disaster from occurring.

Hopefully, the horse would be fine.

With a shaky exhale, he stretched his arms above his head, popped his back until it hurt and adjusted his legs so they wouldn't fall asleep. The torch continued to burn, the smoke smelling horrid as it floated up to the cave ceiling and escaped out of the confined space.

The scent, however, brought up memories. Memories of Schlatt, the late president of Manburg, always had a cigar in hand, smoke flowing out of his mouth like a river. Tobacco was all Tommy could smell when the man had been around and he could track him down like that. Not that he had ever tried to spy on him -that had been Tubbo's job. If anything, he'd used that to his advantage to avoid him.

Then, there was Quackity, a part of the political party of New L'Manburg. He was a good friend and advisor, a traitor to Schlatt's rule. An avian with golden wings, though they were underdeveloped so much that they existed as mere decorations on his back. The man was proud of them anyway, happy to show off how well-preened and shiny they were whenever he would get the chance. He, too, smoked, though he was the only one to have had ever respected the "No smoking inside" rule.

Tommy chuckled to himself. Fun times. He wondered if any of the hermits had ever put a cigarette in their mouth. Maybe Doc had, despite him always denying it, saying that his voice was just gravely and his accent made it sound like that. The hermits were all too good for this existence, however, so he had to begrudgingly believe him.

He didn't realize when his mind slipped into silence once more. The only indication of passing time was the torch that was almost burnt out when he snapped out of it. Small flames licked the hilt, shy and dying out. Prime, he hadn't had a clear mind in so long, it was almost refreshing.

The brewing storm had hit the forest as well, thunder and lightning striking the earth and catching the green on fire. It was extinguished by the water, though, so the damage was self-controlled. Thunder boomed, lightning crackled; Tommy indulged the white static.

In the distance, he could hear the wind howl and roll down the mountains surrounding the valley. He could hear the moans of the undead and the cracking of bones, the hiss of a spider as it crawled by.

He could hear a voice very far away, muffled by the pitter-patter of rain against the canopies of the trees that lied wide over the grass. At first, he didn't pay any mind to it, thinking that it was just the wind playing its surreal noises -Wilbur had told him about how believable the wild wind's words were once and that lesson was apparent in that moment.

As the sound of the voice got closer, however, it became obvious that it wasn't the wind speaking. Rather, it was the voice of a person yelling one singular word in the expanse of the outside: "Tommy". It was loud in his ears, hitting so suddenly that for a moment, he thought he was dreaming. The feeling of deja vu engulfed him, making his brain swim in a never-ending ocean of nothingness.

But the yell repeated itself. It repeated his name. Tommy, it said, his ears ignoring the distructing rain, focusing on the sound like the weather did not exist. He could hear it crystal clear, he could recognize the familiar accent in the way his name was pitched in the sound. There was worry that echoed, there was fear. Tommy's stomach did a horrible twist, almost hurting.

He almost yelled back that he was there but instead, he hid, going against his first instinct. He wanted time to think, he wanted time to be alone; just him and his emotions but... he craved company. That feeling brought up memories of him and Tubbo walking down the prime path chatting or the times they'd sit and play one of Tommy's favorite vinyls.

The yell quieted for a while but it came back stronger; closer. So much closer that it could be outside of the cave.

"Tommy, can you hear me?" - there was so much worry in such a simple question. He was there, he wanted to respond; to shout, but at the same time he wanted to curl up into a little ball. His feelings were confusing and tearing him apart. "Please, answer me! We're all worried sick!", of course the hermits would be sick, they care too much, and Tommy bit his lip at how cared for that small thought made him feel.

He... he probably shouldn't have had worried them like that. Guilt threatened to chew at his gut then but he shook his head and dismissed it before it could develop further. He kicked the torch with his foot, the last bit of it burning out as it hit the opposite wall.

A buzz. Light feet stepping on wet grass and muddy dirt. He gulped but it was too late to take back his actions. A shadow crept at the entrance, visible from where he was at the turn of the cave.

"Tommy?"

He took a second.

"H-here...", he chose to ignore the voice crack and hoped that he spoke loud enough to be heard over the thunder.

Drops of water splattered on the ground, heavy boots made the gravel growl. The hairs on Tommy's nape stood on edge, a sense of dread overtaking him as the shadow disallowed any light from entering the space.

A fire was lit, a torch. His eyes widened as he heard a rough cough. He raised his head just as his pursuer turned the corner, torch in hand, wet from head to toe without a raincoat. Bee wings buzzed, though they fluttered much lower than usual. It was Xisuma.

He let his head fall on his knees, in the curve of his elbows. He dreaded that confrontation.

"Hey, buddy", the bee-hybrid said. He heard his boots rather than felt his presence as Xisuma approached him and kneeled before him.

"Hey", he responded, low and as calmly as he could.

A ruffle came from the leather satchel on the man's shoulder and a blanket was suddenly enveloping his body. He touched the wool gingerly with his fingertips, noting the softness of it and smelling the scent of lavender and alium, he smiled. A hand was pressed against his own for a moment.

"Good God, you're freezing. How long have you been out here?"

"Early afternoon?", he answered with a slight twinge of doubt.

Xisuma sighed. Whether it was in relief or disappointment, Tommy didn't know.

"I'll be right back"

And he left, wings buzzing to lift him in the air but they seemed too heavy to move with how soaked they were. Tommy was almost worried about the after-effects of rain on chitin.

Soon, there was a campfire in the cave, working a new, warmer atmosphere which was better than before. His company sat at his left, close to the entrance as if he could shield him from the onslaught of cold wind. The fire made it better and he hugged the blanket closer until he fretted it'd rip.

"How did you find me?", he couldn't help but ask.

Xisuma hummed for a second.

"When Evil X" -Tommy cringed slightly at the mention of the clone-"came back, he told me that you'd run off into the wilderness. He thought I'd think he was trying to hurt you if he went after you so he came back to base and told me"

Tommy huffed stubbornly.

"Pussy"

"Tommy..."

"Yeah, yeah, sorry"

"Of course, I gave him an earful after he gave me the direction you ran odd to"

That made sense. And as much as Tommy wanted to call Evil X a pussy and a coward, he knew that the evil man was treading on thin ice with Xisuma. Still, he couldn't help but feel anger and ire as he recalled the guy. Not so much at the fact that he didn't own up to his mistake but at the fact that he had made said mistake in the first place.

Xisuma adjusts his position, fluttering open his wings so that could dry off just a tiny bit.

"I know he told you some horrible things but..."

"He told me you'd lose your head because of me", Tommy said sharply in an exhale. "Because you're...", you're trying to protect me, he wanted to finish. Even so, he didn't utter the words that hammered the fact deep into his heart.

Xisuma stayed silent for a moment too long. Tommy glanced at him, finding the man in shock. So he didn't know the extent of what Evil X had told him?

"...Did he?", it was the softest he'd heard the admin speak. Almost breathless with disbelief lacing his tone.

Tommy nodded, only a bit hesitant.

"Will you?", the admin sighed.

"Tommy... Are you sure you can handle this conversation?"

Another nod. That was the answer to his question, the affirmative to some stupid theory. That was it and he was ready as hell to hear the truth -whatever behind-the-scenes talk had been had without him knowing.

"If court doesn't go to plan and Dream wins... he will be the one to decide my punishment"

Tommy's eyes widened. He looked at Xisuma with his mouth fallen open. The man had his head downcast, antennae lying low like the admission was weighing him down. Shoulders hunched, gloved hands gripping the floor just enough to be noticeable.

He would cause the death of the man. He would cause the death of the man who stood by like an uncle to him, who cared and chided him, who made sure -just like the other hermits- that at the end of the day, Tommy would be smiling.

It was a hard reality to process. It was a reality that could be preventable with the right moves but even so, Tommy felt like he'd lost the ground from underneath him.

"In theory, he could order my execution"

He felt his arms go limp at his sides, ruffling the woolen blanket. He could lose Xisuma because of Dream's stupid, sadistic brain and because of some fucking fucked-up law of the Main Hub.

"I- woah!", before Xisuma could say anything else, Tommy had flung himself at the admin, almost knocking him over.

Hands fell over his back, then arms wrapped around him tightly. His eyes were watery and his cheeks were wet but he blamed it on the armor suit of the man (even though he was significantly drier than before). His shoulders shook with a sob and he felt the hug tighten.

He could hear a consistent 'shhhh', above him that sounded more like a buzz. Xisuma was cradling him, hugging him closer as he crept a hand in his blond hair and slowly massaging his scalp.

"I'm sorry", he muttered into the admin's shoulder.

"It's not your fault, Tommy"

A sob, slightly more intense than the last one. He almost scared himself.

"I got you in this whole mess"

Xisuma gently pulled away, cradling his head in one hand and wiping away the tears streaking his face with his thumbs. He looked Tommy dead in the eye, held his head steady.

Tommy crinkled his eyes, blinked as the thumbs ghosted over his eyelids and wiped the left over droplets.

"We chose to help you. That decision is not your fault -it never was, it never will be, okay?"

He stilled for a second, hands fumbling to grasp at the admin's bee suit. He thought over his answer more than he would've liked but nodded his head nonetheless.

"Okay"

Xisuma tussled his blond curls.

"You know, Evil X wants to apologize to you"

Well, that was a surprise.

Φ

When the rain had stopped, Xisuma had gone out to search for Tommy's horse. In all honesty, Tommy had not been expecting the animal to have stuck around the area in the biting cold and the ruthlessness of the storm.

Xisuma, having had dried himself off at the campfire -which they extinguished before leaving- helped Tommy into the saddle and then hitched himself behind him. Both hands held onto the reins, wings buzzing slightly to get rid of any remaining raindrops that were chilling on the chitin surface. With a few kicks to the horse's side, they were on their way home, riding at the early hours of dawn. Damn, that storm had lasted a good while. Tommy slumped back against the admin's chest, paying little attention to the 'oof' of discomfort he caused.

He was tired, okay? Not to say that Xisuma wasn't tired -hell, the man must've been exhausted after looking for him in the wilderness- but in the positions they'd taken on the horse's back, he was the one who could actually rest.

It's not like Xisuma was exactly complaining; he was quite silent. The horse's mild rhythm, the way he was swayed left to right as he watched the animal's shoulderblades move under the hide, rocked him to sleep.

Time flew. That's the first thing he noticed but then again, time always seemed to fly by when he'd be asleep. And he had only woken up because his shoulder was being shook gently but firmly.

Opening his eyes, the first thing he noticed was that it was noteably darker than the last time he'd witnessed the outside. He looked around, trying to find the sun but all he could find were high jungle trees and wild, unkempt bushes and shrubs. They were in the jungle. From a particular opening of the canopy, he caught a glimpse of a high tower and that was when it clicked in his brain that they had arrived.

"We're here", Xisuma announced behind Tommy and he straightened his back. Prime, did he feel like a seamstress had tied a hundred knots in his back. He felt the man stretch and wiggle behind him, sighing in relief as a worrying amount of pops was heard. Oops...

"We're here", he repeated. Something in his gut twisted. Was it anxiety, nerves... shame, perhaps? He didn't know but he was confused as to why he was the one feeling it.

They took the stairwell to get to the top of the tower, seeing as Tommy didn't have his elytra on him and Xisuma didn't want to be rude and fly up there. The trip was short but nerve wracking and every step sent a tingle of something up his legs. When they reached the top, Tommy was the last to enter the living space and what he saw shocked him. Kind of.

He'd been imagining the evil clone of the admin to be staring out of the window like some super villain or your standard obnoxious boss at work. He had imagined him holding a cigar, standing with his back straight and confident like everyone else was at fault and not himself.

But fate decided to prove him wrong.

Evil X was sat at the couch, elbows on his knees and head hanging low, grasped between his gloved hands. Xisuma nudged Tommy, urging him forward and that was when he realized that he'd been frozen on the spot. Metaphorically, of course. The other lifted his head from his hands and looked at them, bee wings buzzing in interest. At least, Tommy thought it was interest. The man stood up and if Tommy took one step closer to where Xisuma was standing, no one needed to point it out.

"Listen, Tommy, I'm...", Evil X started. He fumbled over his words, probably unsure of how to phrase whatever it was that he wanted to say. He was going to apologize to him, wasn't he? About what he'd said? Tommy narrowed his eyes and folded his arms in scrutiny. The man managed to look smaller.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have raised my voice at you"

Tommy hid his surprise under a poker face. He nodded to himself and that was the only affirmation that he let slip.

"Yeah, you really shouldn't have-", Xisuma nudged his side and he could feel the furrowed eyebrows of the admin centered on his back. He shuffled away slightly and cleared his throat before responding.

"And I'm, uh... I'm sorry for running off like that"

A buzz of wings. Evil X was a step closer, Xisuma was a step farther.

"The topic did get a bit heavy"

"It did"

He heard the man hum.

"I said some aweful things too back there. I'm sorry about..." -and he let the silence speak. The silence always phrased things better. It always nudged the brain and whispered all the thoughts that could be overthought but that one; that one had been assured by Xisuma himself and so there was no room for misunderstandings.

Begrudgingly, he huffed. He looked the clone in the eye and let his arm fall from his thorax.

"Forgiven but not forgotten" -maybe he was doing the wrong thing forgiving him. Maybe he was plain stupid saying those words. He didn't know, he didn't care; he was done with having bad blood with people, wether they were good or bad. Excep for Dream; he hated the guy's guts to the End and back. "I will hold a huge grudge against you, though, evil bee-man"

That got a startled laugh from Xisuma. It was uplifting to hear the admin laugh at such a low-effort joke. Evil X, on the other hand, appeared confused. Was he expecting to not be forgiven? Well, with the things that he had done up until being summoned, seeking forgiveness wasn't a concept he had thought about a lot -it sadly wan't all that hard to believe that theory.

"I- um...  I guess that's fine?", he sounded horribly buffled.

Xisuma was more optimistic.

"Hug it out you two"

So, they hugged it out. Tommy pretended like he didn't enjoy the peace, the fact that he could look the man in the eye without a scowl (only a bit of a pout but no one saw that).

"Oh, and you should visit the others. I sent a message to everyone that you're safe but they're still worried"

Oh. Well. Evil X could say goodbye to his life then, because he was telling Stress everything.

=========
HEY, YOU! YES, YOU! I'M LOOKING AT YOU! DID YOU ENJOY THIS ONE?!!??!?!??! It took too much time to write but now it's here. First part is rushed, I can tell you that much! I had no idea how to lead that convo where I wanted it buuuuuut! I made up for it in the rest of the segments, didn't I? :D Also, this fic has reached 9K reads on Wattpad! Thank you all so very much!