Tommy has never been a patient person.
Never has been, never will be.
He certainly as h*ll is not one now.
Still, he could wait for the adult to come back as he washed the fruit he was supposed to eat.
Though, Tommy had insisted 3 to 4 times that it wasn't a necessity and he could just eat them right out of the tree. Each time Phil gave him a look and went on a mini tangent about how dangerous not washing them would be.
Each time, Tommy regretted saying anything.
"So, Phil, what do you usually do for a living?" Tommy asked picking at a thread in his shorts.
Phil gave a soft smile as he worked.
"I'm majorly an adventurer, though I do experiment with the Elytrian Program," Phil answered pulling out a knife and carefully cutting each fruit for the younger.
"What's that?" Tommy asked dropping onto his back this eyes glazing over as he watched the treetops intermingle with the sky.
"Hmm, it's where they take Elytrains, usually well trained but sometimes just fairly good, they put them each into a tunnel-like thing, and then have them fly through some kind of deadly obstacle in order to get to the other side," Phil scoffed.
"Most people hate it due to the high risk of death," Phil turned to the younger with a soft smile as he dropped the fruit into a bowl.
"If you were an Elytrian I can see you doing it," He commented holding the bowl out for him.
Tommy absently took it and sat up.
He popped one in his mouth and grinned.
1) he's glad he let him wash them first because this usually kinda dry fruit was now satisfyingly juicy.
2) he just said if he was an Elytrian he'd be a good flyer AND that he's brave enough to do the challenge!
"Yeah, I do just exude that much Big Man energy," Tommy grinned.
Phil chuckled and looked up past Tommy.
"Oh, hello? Are you lost?" Phil asked.
Tommy turned and was met with a slightly hiding green shulk.
His slightly hiding green shulk.
"Tubbo! My man! I couldn't find you, I thought you'd be at the base of the tree or some sh*t. You get lost?" Tommy greeted far too loudly.
He hopped up, abandoning the fruit he still desperately needed, and pulled the shorter into a tight hug.
Tubbo gladly wrapped around the taller.
"Sorry, had to find a place to sleep for the night. Not everyone is as good as you with climbing trees," Tubbo chuckled burying himself in the taller's chest.
Tommy pulled away but didn't let go entirely.
"I am quite amazing, aren't I?" Tommy puffed out his chest.
Tubbo hummed with a soft smile.
"The biggest man! I'm the best!" Tommy rambled.
"Tommy, eat," Phil instructed and Tommy turned.
He rushed back to his bowl, dragging his friend with him.
"Who's your friend?" Phil asked digging through his bag once more.
"I'm Tubbo, sir," the shulk greeted bitterly.
"He's part of our group now!" Tommy announced.
"I see, well it's a pleasure Tubbo," Phil greeted, "would you like something to eat dear?"
Tubbo blinked at him for a moment before digging into his pack and pulling out what can only be described as an attempt to make a granola bar.
Phil winced.
"I can make you something dear, don't worry," Phil assured smiling at him.
Tubbo glanced down at his bar, then at the adult, then his bar again, then at Tommy.
Tommy looked away from his food and made a look of perfectly mixed confusion and disgust.
"What, did you drop that into a vat of toxic waste?" Tommy asked.
"Tommy! Be nice!" Phil scolded and Tommy frowned displeased.
"But Phil-!" He began.
"Ah!"
Tommy quickly shut up and slumped slightly.
"It does look non-edible though," Tommy grumbled and Tubbo looked down at his bar again before tossing it to the side for whatever animal wanted it.
"I would prefer that, thank you, sir," Tubbo mumbled and Phil chuckled.
"Don't let him bully you Tubbo. What would you like?" Phil asked, his wings happily fluttering.
"Well... What do you have?" Tubbo asked carefully.
Phil smiled and held out his bag for the younger to dig through. Tubbo gladly did so.
"Can you.... Cook?" Tubbo murmured softly.
"Sure, I'll have to start a fire though," Phil replied hopping up.
"Pull out what you want, I'll grab what I need. Don't run off," Phil hopped up and in a large gust of wind that pushed the teens back, he was up in the air.
Tommy was jittery with excitement as he watched him go.
"Isn't he amazing, Tubbo?!" Tommy gawked.
"Yeah," Tubbo grumbled.
"He's so cool! I wish I could do that!" Tommy swooned popping another piece of fruit into his mouth.
"I think your ability is just as cool!" Tubbo cut in.
Tommy gasped and turned to the older.
"You really think so?!" Tommy asked face a bit too close to Tubbo's.
Tubbo didn't seem to mind though, a smile splitting his face.
"Yeah! Super cool!" Tubbo agreed easily, eyes shining just as Tommy's was.
Tommy rocked slightly popping a piece of his fruit in his mouth. A moment later, still halfway through chewing, he began to ramble about different fruits.
Tubbo, of course, let him. What kind of friend would he be!
The 2 rambled until Phil returned.
His landing was soft, it barely even caught their attention.
In fact, they didn't notice his presence until the heat was hitting their cheeks. They both turned to find the Elytrian carefully working on the fire.
He looked up and smiled sweetly.
"What did you want dear?" He asked and Tubbo handed him the mutton.
As Phil got to work he decided to see where the boy stood in taking care of himself.
"When was the last time you ate? Mutton is quite a lot," Phil hummed working the meat.
Tubbo frowned.
He had been in the city when they had, but he doesn't quite remember eating anything there. He had been conserving his rations for a while now, thankfully he had gotten food in the city but how long will that last?
"Tubbo, dear?" Phil cut in, his eyes filled with worry.
Tubbo blinked and tried his best to smile. He didn't respond though. Phil took it as at least a few days.
"That's ok dear. Where have you been staying?" Phil continued.
"In a treehouse off- uh- well I don't know which direction it would be," Tubbo answered looking around.
Phil gave a soft hum.
"I take it you're staying with us then, no?" Phil asked.
Tubbo nodded. Phil smiled.
"Fledgling, are you still hungry?" Phil asked.
Tommy bit his lip slightly trying to gauge if he was or not and if it was worth it.
He nodded.
Phil tossed an apple to him and noted, "we'll have to go find some more food. So conserve your energy, fledglings! Ok?" Phil chirped his hat tipping with the cock of his head.
"Yes sir," Tommy replied.
He really wished Avians didn't have higher metabolisms now...
Phil pulled the meat away from the fire.
"Let it cool down first then you can eat it, mate!" Phil chirped setting the pan off to the side, close to Tubbo.
Tubbo nodded, eyeing the still smoking dish.
Phil looked up at the sky. He grumbled slightly, something about ground and time. Neither teen could catch it though.
"We're still in the tall trees, would you like to camp here Tommy?" Phil asked.
Tommy hummed and nodded. He seemed far less concerned about finding the other fledglings as Phil was. But then again, he doubted he had as much of a connection with them already.
Actually, it was quite surprising how attached Phil had become to this boy and the girl in such a short amount of time. Usually, it takes at least a day before he starts referring to them as his fledglings, that way it's easier to know if they'll survive or not.
Maybe it was because his f̶i̶r̶s̶t̶ Fledgling had easily accepted them into his flock? Maybe it was because this boy had opened his arms for others and each person he attached to their group just fit, like linkon logs or legos.
It was almost contagious.
In fact, almost everyone had felt this effect.
It was almost as if Tommy was superglue that had somehow wormed its way onto their hands getting them glued to each other. And we all know how painful and slightly entertaining it is to try and tear those fingers apart.
Most doubted they'd want to anyway.
"Where are we all gonna sleep?" Tubbo asked, a chunk of mutton shoved deep into his cheek as Tommy took a bite of the apple.
"I can find a tree high enough for Tommy and me. Whether you prefer sleeping with us or not and how high you'd prefer, will determine where you'll sleep," Phil explained, blinking out of his headspace.
"With you," Tubbo replied.
Phil gave a soft smile. He could tell he hadn't meant with Phil but he'd take it.
"Watch for any dangers, I'll go find a place we can sleep for the night," Phil chirped before once more flying off.
"He's pretty protective," Tubbo commented, his throat letting out a sound reminiscent of a chest closing but muffled by a wall.
"I mean, to be fair the first night I was with him I did almost die," Tommy admitted with a nonchalant shrug.
"Actually, so far you're the only one that hasn't happened with!" Tommy joked elbowing the shorter.
"What?!" Tubbo jostled, moving in order to face the blond.
The hood of his cloak looked like it wanted to close on him but it stayed open.
Tommy only laughed, leaning back against a nearby tree. Totally ignoring the clingy shulk.
When Phil finally returned the fire was but embers, the sky was just past sunset, Tubbo's hood was closed and he was very quietly snoring, and Tommy had packed up all their things.
Phil lifted the Shulk up into his arms, a, surprisingly not very tired, Tommy climbing up from his spot to follow.
They got to the tree. Phil flew him and Tubbo up, settling the -almost looking like a green egg now- shulk in a soft nest, and then preceded back down to grab his other baby bird.
Tommy went to complain but he found the experience exhilarating so he let it slide.
Phil settled them both into the nest, Tommy wondered how he did this so quickly.
Any questions were dismissed when Phil pulled both teens into his sides wrapping them in his warm feather blankets of limbs.
Tommy doesn't think he's fallen asleep so quickly in his life.
Nor does he think he's ever had this many of his own feathers in his hair since his "waste parachute" was large enough he could start to float.
It was rather embarrassing, even if neither of the others had even woken up yet.
--------
Notes:
When shulks sleep, get nervous, embarrassed, or scared their hoods will close on them, whether they want them to or not.
This makes flirting with others hilarious.
(Update: if a Shulk is in any conceivable danger they will not only close up, also known as Boxing, but their cloak will turn as hard as a rock that is nearly impossible to break through.)