All is Fair in War || SBI || Mafia AU

࿏ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 28 ࿏

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I'm your father

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Phil quietly knocked on his youngest son's door, shuffling on the other side indicating the boy was awake. Last night, after the fight, the cartel leader felt horrible. He never knew what went through Tommy's mind because he didn't think it was his business to moderate his son's thoughts... now he wished he had. He should've listened to that little voice in the back of his head, always telling him to check on his son.

He let out a sigh, regret racked his body and he knew he would be stuck with it for the rest of his life. How did he let this happen? Shouldn't he have learnt his lesson the first time?

That night he found his son close to death on the bathroom floor was the day his heart stopped for the second time in his life. Only one other event caused the man to feel such pain and he never wanted to experience it again but the gods had other plans for his family.

Losing Kristin was the worst thing to happen to the man, he lost sight of himself and started a drug cartel from the ground up. She was his world, the day she was diagnosed and given a time frame, it froze. She quit her job and spent every moment she could with her sons until the very end. Kristin's family were her world and wanted the best for them.

She would be so ashamed of Phil if she knew what would become of the loving man.

Losing Tommy... that would just destroy him. He had already had a close encounter, he didn't want another. The blonde wasn't even sure if Tommy regretted what he did, he never expressed remorse... nor why.

"Hey... Tommy?" Phil's gentle voice called out. His hand rested on the wood of the door, hoping that his youngest would open up. There was silence. The man nodded to himself before deciding to speak up again. He wouldn't be able to get into the room knowing Tommy; it was locked. "Please? Can you open up, mate?"

"...why...?" A faint voice called, muffled by the walls and door.

"I just want to talk"

There was a sigh followed by silence on the other side. Phil was unsure if the blonde boy behind the door would open up, with a faint smile, he took a step back and waited. He would understand if the entry to the room didn't open, Wilbur was out of line when he was yelling at the younger blonde but he could understand where he was coming from.

He would definitely be talking to Wilbur about how he handled the situation and tell him to apologize immediately. Techno would also get a scolding as he wasn't any better. How could everything go so wrong in a matter of seconds?

Phil was snapped from his thoughts when the white wooden door to Tommy's room slowly creaked open, a blonde with bedridden hair and dull, puffy eyes. The look on the boy's face crushed the man's heart. Tommy moved to the side and towards his bed, flopping back down onto the mattress, the blankets were all over the place. His father pushed past the door and into the room, closing the door behind him gently.

He made his way over to the boy's bed and sat down slowly at the end, not too far but also not too close to his son. Tommy wrapped a blanket around his body, his back to his father. Phil didn't know how to start, he had been in a lot of different situations; Torture, murder, threats, blackmail but never did he have to talk to his own son about self-harm. He never wanted to.

A sigh escaped the older man's lips, turning his eyes to look at the boy wrapped like a burrito in his blankets. He looked so innocent. Phil felt horrible. He slowly opened his mouth to speak, his voice staying gentle and soft, he wasn't babying the boy, he just didn't want to set him off further and cause another fight because that was the last thing anyone in this house needed.

"Hey, Tommy... How are you feeling?" He fought the urge to brush his hand through the teens' soft blonde locks. He wanted so bad to just pull his son into a hug and never let him go, his children were his world. Tommy didn't respond. Phil didn't push it. "Listen, you don't have to talk but I just want you to hear me out, okay?"

Tommy grunted softly.

"Wilbur was out of line to yell, I'm on your side of that but as for what you've been doing. I know it's hard, okay? I know you struggle with this life and I totally understand why, if you ever want to leave, mate, you can. Don't feel like you're forced into this. If you wanted to back out today or tomorrow, I wouldn't stop you. None of us would. I just need you to know that you can always come to me or Wilbur for anything, you could even go to Techno-" Tommy scoffed. "I know, you don't like him but he's still your brother."

"I'm sure Tubbo or Ranboo would be happy to help you, as well. Being locked away from you're family would've fucking sucked, I get it but it wasn't your only escape. We care about and love you so much and only want you to be happy-" Phil combed a hand through his son's hair, Tommy not objecting to the touch "-I just want you to be safe, mate. Seeing you on the floor scared the shit out of me, I hadn't been that scared or cried that much since your mother."

Tommy looked up briefly, only one eye trained on his father who continued to gently comb his hand through the blonde's hair. His fingers softly scraped against his scalp, bringing a warmth that the need wanted- no. Needed.

"I'm always going to be scared for you, I'm your father and it's my job to love and protect you at all costs. You really scared me when your brothers came home without you. That week I barely slept or ate because I couldn't bear the thought of you being alone in a place you didn't know. When Wil pulled up your sleeves last night- and I understand he was out of line to do that and I will be speaking to him about it- it scared me to death. It scared us all." Phil paused his words as Tommy shuffled.

The boy picked himself up out of his blankets and crawled into Phil's lap, wrapped his arms around his father's neck and planted his face into the crook of his neck. The older blonde wrapped his arms around the younger male protectively, nuzzling his lower face into the blonde locks.

"Wilbur loves you more than you know. He always wants what's best for you and ever since you were a baby he's been very protective over you. When you used to cry during the night from a nightmare, he would never let me or Kristin help you because he thought it was his role as an older brother to be there for you at all costs. He never let that go and even at age twenty-two, he still takes that role seriously. Hear him out, okay?" Tommy nodded. Phil cracked and smiled and pulled the boy closer.

He missed times like these, it had been so long since he and Tom had a one-on-one discussion and the older blonde knew he would have to do it more often. You only get to see your child grow up once, soon the boy would be eighteen and a legal adult and if Phil knew his son at all, he had a feeling the boy would part from the family business to pursue something else.

Tommy was always fond of gaming, particularly Minecraft and the Legend of Zelda series. He was always playing it with Tubbo and Ranboo when they weren't doing illegal shit. He had a feeling that those three would depart together, while Tubbo would most likely continue to blow up buildings.

He was built for this life.

The younger blonde slowly dozed off, Phil not releasing the boy and instead laid down with him. A sigh of relief escaped the syndicate leader's lips as he reached for the fluffy red blanket that always laid on Tommy's bed. He slowly closed his eyes and allowed himself to let go for a while and enjoy this time with his youngest...

Even if they were both asleep.

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Words: 1,440

Happy new year bitches :))

Lets hope 2022 isn't a shit hole like the other two !!

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-Ever