The first time Tommy's father hit him, he said it wasn't going to happen again. And it didn't. Until it did. And it happened again, and again, and again.
---
Tommy shifts slightly and the two men look at him. Techno clears his throat. "Y'know...I, um. I almost wasn't going to go shopping with Phil."
"Techno- no. I am not having you blame yourself for something out of our control. This isn't your fault. You think I don't wonder what would've happened if I'd stayed back with him? Decided not to go out to the office to stream that day? Of course I do. I'm sure Phil thinks things like that too."
"I just-"
"Can't stop yourself from wondering, right?"
Techno pauses. "Yeah."
"Can't help myself wondering what would have happened if we'd noticed sooner, either."
"In all fairness, he hid it pretty well."
"Oh my god. D'you remember that whole thing that happened in - I think it was February, when he did the hand motion on stream - the motion that means you're in an abusive household and need help - and Twitter lost its mind? Do you think it could've actually been true?"
"Maybe? I don't know. I think he might've just- would he even know- know to do that?"
---
"Well, I mean, he was awful, wasn't he? Bloody-" Tubbo continues to rant while Ranboo gently tries to say, "Hey- maybe lay off-" He had noticed Tommy's knuckles whitening as his fists became tighter and tighter.
"Don't say that! Don't... say that. He's my dad. He's done some... some fucked up shit, but he's still... my dad." A tense beat passes as Tommy breathes heavily.
Tubbo's tone softens. "Tommy... He's barely your dad... at this point. Just because he and your mum had sex 16 years ago, that doesn't mean you're his-" He sighs. "He's a sperm donor that stuck around to bully you.
"Phil's more of a father to you than he is."
"What your dad- what that man did to you, Tommy? That's not a dad... thing. To be frank... I feel that disqualifies him as your father."
Tommy giggles. "Fatherless behaviour... I mean, it was my mum too, just... less."
"Ok then you're an orphan!" Everyone laughs and Ranboo immediately says, "I'm kidding, I'm kidding."
"And no, well you're not an orphan, are you? 'Cause Phil and Wilbur-" Tubbo's speech is stopped by the American's hands being clamped over his mouth.
"Tubbo. They told us not to tell him yet."
"Oh fuck."
The room is silent as Tommy looks excitedly between his two friends. "What?"
"And now, I think. Is the right time to go and get Phil. Bye Tommy! Oh jeez, oh jeez, oh jeez..." The teens speedwalk out of the room, calling over their backs to Phil that 'there's something Tommy might want to talk to you about!'
Phil and Techno walk calmly into the teen's room. "Hey, mate. What's up?"
"Uh, hi. So we were talking about my parents and shit and then Ranboo made a joke about me being an orphan but then Toby said something about me not being an orphan and something about you and Wilbur and I don't really get what he meant, I mean I could be wrong but I think I know what he was saying-" Tommy's speaking at a mile a minute, so Phil reaches a hand out to touch his arm.
"Could you say that again, but a bit slower, mate, I don't think either of us got a word of that." He laughs.
"Ok. So. Toby, Ranboo, and I, we were talking about my parents, and, y'know. What they did. Ranboo made a joke about me being an orphan - there's context there - we all laughed, but then Toby said something about me not being an orphan, and then mentioned you, Phil. And Wilbur, and look. I could just still be a little bit loopy from the painkillers, and I don't really... fully get what he meant, but I think... was it something about adoption? Are you planning to adopt me?"
Phil smiles. "I mean, it would just be something to get you away from your parents until you're an adult."
"Holy fuck."
"I mean this would be, obviously, if you wanted that. But we have got someone who does family law and we're figuring out how we go about this, in terms of emancipation, and, y'know, if you want to get them convicted or anything." The blond clears his throat. "So yes, if you would like, we have the resources for adoption."
The teen sits up slowly. "Yes? Absolutely, definitely. Yes, yes, yes. And I haven't even thought about the conviction-"
"Well, it might actually be our only option if we can't get your parents to consent to emancipation. They'd be basically strangers to you if we could do that. Are you ok with that?"
Tommy nods slowly, thinking.
"These are all things we should talk about with Wilbur, too, though." Phil laughs. "We had a whole thing - a nice dinner and everything - planned as well. He wanted to be here when we told you, but not everything can be perfect."
"He's mad. I just told him Tommy knows and-" Techno pauses. "He's talking in all caps and cussing a lot."
As if on cue, Tommy's phone rings. "Hi, Will."
"WHAT THE FUCK? I WANTED TO BE THERE, GET ME PHIL RIGHT NOW."
"Christ. Will- they didn't do it on purpose. Tubbo accidentally told me, yell at him. Will- He hung up! The little bastard!"
tubbo 🐝
why is wilbur yllling @ me
did u tell on me
tommy wtf
big man innit
HE WAS YELLING AT ME WHAT DO YOU WANT ME
TO HAVE DONE
tubbo 🐝
i dont know?
something elsee
that doesnt det me yelled at
big man innit
IT'S NOT LIKE I WENT AND TOLD HIM TO
YELL AT YOU
tubbo 🐝
no bc apparntly hats exactly what u did
thats what wilburs tlling me
big man innit
FUCK
tubbo 🐝
snitch
rnboo agrees your a snitch
big man innit
OK DICKHEAD WELL HE'S YOUR PROBLEM NOW
FUCKER
tubbo 🐝
snitch bitch
big man innit
FUCK YOU BITCH
YKNOW WHATTELL RANBOO HE'S A BITCH TOO
1043 words
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'i don't have anywhere else to go.' - a sleepy boys inc story
Fanfiction"Tommy? What- it's 2 in the morning-" Phil is shaken from his half awake daze at the sight of Tommy, on his doorstep, looking like he's been through hell and back. "Hi. I-I don't have anywhere else to go. Can I stay-" Phil interrupts him with a soft...
