This is Home (TommyInnit angst)

~1~

Tw: past abuse mentioned, mentioned war, mentioned character death, brief panicking, injury, child abuse

Work Text:
It wasn't unusual to see Tommy wandering around L'Manberg.

He was often seen travelling to Snowchester or Las Nevadas every so often.

What also wasn't usual, was the amount of hair ties and clips shoved into his hair to keep it out of his face. Most people knew that he'd stopped cutting his hair after Wilbur blew up L'Manberg and was killed by Phil, but only a few people knew why.

Most people chose not to mention it, just continuing with their day to day lives. However, when Sam bumped into an obviously frustrated looking Tommy, it wasn't hard to guess why.

He was trying to tie pieces of his hair back, but as soon as he'd managed to get one piece out of his face, another would fall.

He quickly decided to get the boys attention.

"Hey Tommy," he pauses as Tommy looks up at him, questioning how to word it, "you think it would be easier if that hair was out of your face? We can cut it off if you'd like?"

Tommy's face instantly paled, it seemed as though the life had been drained out of him, and Sam was just merely staring at a corpse set out in front of him.

"I- why? Do I need to?" He asked, placing the hair tie, that he was attempting to put into his hair, around his wrist.

"Well, you don't need to, I just thought it'd be easier for you," Sam replied, shrugging, "you can say no if you want, just an idea."

"Just... can we go somewhere else? I don't want Tubbo or Ranboo to hear."

"Of course we can," he replied, although he had no idea what the child was implying.

"Please," the words barely came out as a whisper, his eyes darting around in fear, "I don't want them to worry."

"I'm sure they won't worry, it won't take too long," he held out his hand, which Tommy hesitantly took, "we can go to my house if that's ok with you?"

He got a small nod in reply.

•••

Tommy was sat down on a small, wooden stool in Sam's bathroom, his reflection in the mirror staring at him.

Reappearing from the other room, Sam returned to stand behind Tommy, a hair brush and pair of scissors being placed on a shelf behind him.

Sam carefully started undoing the hair ties and clips, slowly running his fingers through the blond hair, untangling it.

Tommy couldn't help but lean into the touch.

Wait- no. Stop. He shouldn't be enjoying this? In minutes blades of the scissors would be attacking his neck until his hair was stained red, yet here he was letting his guard down??

The affection didn't last long though, as before he knew it, Sam was turning away to grab the pair of scissors.

He carefully bought the scissors up to Tommy's hair, taking a small section of it, ready to cut it off.

"Fuck- fuck!! Just get it over with- okay? I can-I can deal with it and I'll be quiet. I'm sorry!!"

His panicked gaze met Sam's, his eyes tearing up as he pleaded with the older.

Sam couldn't be more confused with the situation he was in.

"I'm not- you don't have to cut your hair, ok? I can talk you through everything I'm doing if that would help?"

He nods his head slowly, looking away from the concerned look in Sam's eyes. Determined not to make Sam more angry by saying no.

"I'll just cut a small piece of hair, then we can stop if you don't want me to carry on, does that sound alright?"

He tried making himself seem more harmless, hoping the boy would be less scared of him.

Tommy nodded once again, as if this was the most dreadful situation that he could be in.

"I'm just cutting that small piece now, tell me at any point if you want me to stop."

He slowly raised the scissors up to the small piece of hair in his hand, Tommy's gaze never once leaving his hand.

Guilt eats at his stomach, watching tommy suddenly screw his eyes shut and a tear fall down his cheek, seemingly preparing for the worst.

"JUST STOP CRYING TOMMY! IT'S JUST A HAIR CUT! GOD, I SWEAR!! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO ASKED FOR THIS," Wilbur yelled, the scissors leaving small red marks against Tommy's neck.

Slowly, small red dots appeared and started falling down his neck, staining his shirt and hair.

Tommy wailed, gritting his teeth as pain seeped through his head.

He scrunched his eyes shut, not wanting to look at the man, he once saw as his brother, inflicting pain on him.

"Stop acting like such a baby! How can I trust you to fight for L'Manberg if you can't even deal with this?!" Wilbur yelled, tugging harshly on Tommy's hair as winced.

"I'm sor- fuck! I'm sorry, Wil!! I don't- I don't mean to be-" he cuts himself off with a small sob, curling in on himself, only for Wilbur to harshly grab his shoulder to return him to his original position.

"Was that alright, tommy? I can stop now if you'd like?" Sam offered.

Tommy's eyes opened in confusion. His reflection showed that part of his hair was shorter, yet he didn't feel it happening.

"What- there's no blood??" He asked in disbelief, raising a hand to the back of his head and feeling no new cuts, "you didn't even yell?"

"Tommy, of course I wouldn't? Why would you think I'd do that?" Sam asked in bewilderment, the feeling of dread pooling in his stomach, making him feel like he was about to throw up.

"Wilbur, he- well, he'd get mad at me when he cut my hair... I just thought that you would too?" He replied quietly, looking down at his lap and fidgeting with his fingers, "I'm sorry-"

"It's alright, you have no reason to apologise, you've done nothing wrong. But do you want me to stop cutting your hair, I understand if it's too much?"

Tommy shook his head, "just be careful, please," he whispered, it was surprising that Sam had caught it.

The rest of the haircut went painfully slowly, Tommy panicking every time he caught sight of the scissors, and Sam apologising each time.

They now sat under a pile of blankets, Tommy huddled up against Sam's side as he ran his fingers through the blond's hair.

"Toms, you can always come to me if ever your hair gets annoying by the way, I wouldn't ever hurt you."

Tommy nodded, moving closer to Sam, if that was somehow possible.

The reparative motion of fingers running through his hair was slowly killing him into a peaceful state of sleep, "thanks, dad."

Sam looked down at him in disbelief, a small smile on his face, "night, Tommy."

(THIS IS COMPLETED BTW, I may rewrite soon as I wrote this in half an hour so it's not that good)