tales from the skyline: a short story anthology

𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐞 (𝟑.𝟓) - 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭'𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬

Bonus Scene – Tommy's POV (the argument)

Tommy rowed the boat some way away, so he could no longer hear the other two talking – although he assumes that when they start yelling, that could change.

He's never liked yelling, it's always about something bad, whether it's the yelling of people on the battlefield, or the yelling of his own family being hurt when these so-called "gods" decided to destroy the planet, or even his older brother yelling at himself.

He wishes Icarus would realise that it's not his fault.

But whatever, he rows the boat away, stopping only when Icarus looks as small as the stars in the night sky; the ones he used to wish upon once upon a time.

The tides start turning as he hears yelling; promises of a family that doesn't include Tommy in it, and he wants to scream.

A family without Icarus? Without his older brother, his role model, his comfort? Impossible!

There's one thing that Tommy's learnt in this hellish war: a family without Icarus is not a family at all.

His older brother's yelling back now, and he looks to be crying, and ohhhhh Tommy doesn't like that. Icarus cried a lot, especially over this ass, but he got better as Noah helped him. And now this guy thinks he can just come back and ruin it all by making Ici feel like shit again?

Tommy has half a mind to row back over there and give this guy a piece of his mind, feeling his flight or fight response in the back of his mind, and the beginning of tears forming in his eyes.

It's okay, Tommy. It's fine, it's okay, Icarus would never leave you. He hasn't left you. He'll choose you, he promised, he said that you were a family! You're his family!

Icarus cried a lot.

Now he doesn't.

Is that a good thing?

Tommy thinks so. Now he has to stop himself from crying – he has to be strong to proect his brother!

One...

The waves started raising as Icarus and Daedalus' argument got worse, Tommy could barely hear them over the sound of the waves...

Two...

They're still yelling, what could they possibly still be yelling about?

Three...

Icarus looks powerful with his wings outstretched behind him. Good on him.

Four...

But Icarus is dead, isn't he, and that's why he has the wings...

Five...

Dead because Tommy couldn't protect him...

Six...

Tommy doesn't wanna cry, he wants to be strong, he has to be strong! He's a Big Man!

Seven...

He can't see Icarus anymore. The waves are too tall. He just wants to see his brother...

Eight...

Does Icarus see Tommy as his brother? Or had Daedalus changed that? Surely Icarus wouldn't just leave...

Nine...

As long as Tommy can't see the argument, it's not happening. He can only see water, therefore there's only water. No argument here!

Ten...

Yeah. It's going to be alright. Icarus is going to choose him, and they're going to go home and win the war. Noah and Icarus are going to be his family, and everything is going to be okay.

Everything is going to be okay...

When did Tommy start sobbing? This was meant to be him stopping the crying, not making it worse! No, no, no, he has to be strong! He's always been strong, there's been no crying from him! He's gotta be the bigger man, always brave!

I'm going to be brave for you, Icarus.

Tommy loved his family. Maybe they'll say that about him, maybe they won't. No matter what, he loves his family.

And the boy he cannot see, obscured in water, fighting for him, is definitely his family.