𝐒𝐀𝐔𝐃𝐀𝐃𝐄 | 𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐭

Chapter 59

"Wil, as much as I love... lighting explosives with you, I've been meaning to talk to you, king."

Wilbur perks his head up from where he lit another firework, seemingly enjoying this far more than Tommy. Don't get him wrong, he's happy to be spending time with his brother, but his thoughts are occupied by the girl he left at home. Flicking a lighter, Wilbur runs towards Tommy before he can get caught in the crossfire. Purple sparks explode from the canister, displaying a pretty dance of colors but ruined by loud, piercing whistle noises. It stopped just as soon as it began, leaving a trail of smoke. Definitely, the worst explosive yet, Tommy thinks.

"What's up, man?" Wilbur sits beside Tommy on the log they formerly picked out when they first arrived at the field. His smile broadens with eyes twinkling in child-like amusement. Tommy feels the uncontrollable urge to punch him, so he does. "You fucking gremlin child-what? Don't give me that look. Just because you're 18 doesn't mean you're not a kid in my eyes anymore."

Tommy kicks a rock, huffing, "Piss off."

Wilbur only smirks. "So, I believe I already know what you want to talk about, considering you originally weren't going to join me today." He continues, "What happened now?" It's obvious he's referring between him and Daiyu.

"I got a stomach ache from the pancakes Daiyu made this morning, but I lied to her because I didn't want to make her feel bad," Tommy declared. Perhaps that was a warm-up before tackling what was really on his mind.

The man chuckles. "Bro, you're down bad."

"I know." There's no use trying to deny it anymore; his feelings are just as factual as the Sun is. It's widely apparent, and he wouldn't be surprised if Daiyu figured it out by this point. He only wonders what it would do to their friendship. Still, Wilbur seems a bit surprised by his nonchalant agreeance. Maybe he expected him to throw a fit and describe what a massive dick he is for implying that. Tommy murmurs, "I think I've been down bad since I met her, and I'm not just talking about in person."

He doesn't know when his feelings began to shift. If it was after the first day of talking to her or the first week or first month. Did he fall in love during their first phone call, their first facetime, or, to put it simply, did the feelings just grow over time throughout their texting into what it's become now? Tommy shares most of these thoughts with Wilbur, if not to piece it together, then to just reflect on his feelings.

"I had a suspicion the first time you told me about her," Wilbur admitted. "It was the day after she first texted you, and from there, my suspicion was confirmed because you'd constantly talk about her. Honestly, and I mean this in the nicest way possible, it was incredibly challenging to sit through."

"Wow, thanks, mate."

He looks smug. "You're welcome."

Tommy lets out a heavy sigh, his chest suddenly feeling tight. He thinks of last night. The sheer emotion, the confessions, and the comfort they provided each other. He thinks of empty, forgotten chasms and a warm, suffocating hug. "We had the biggest fight yesterday, and a lot of shit was said, but we made up eventually, and let's just say I found out something about her that I hadn't before."

"Alright," Wilbur began, "and how did this fight make you feel?"

He replies genuinely, "Like shit at first, king. But then afterward, especially when I was reflecting in bed, I think it was something we really needed. I don't know how to explain it... i-it felt like we were the closest we'd ever been despite fighting a fuck ton before that. Like we truly understood each other and grew as friends."

"Just friends?" Wilbur raises an eyebrow.

"Well, it's..." Tommy looks at his hands, suddenly feeling small, "Complicated. What if she doesn't want to... be with me?"