Chapter Text
The second Tommy walked into the Watson-Rosales household, the first thing that Phil mused was that he just looked…lost.
There was a clear weight on his shoulders. Something that had been there the past couple of days he’d been in the hospital. The doctors had wanted to watch over him, make sure he wasn’t suicidal and that he didn’t have any effects from almost drowning. Thankfully, Tommy wasn’t suicidal and wasn’t having any dry drowning effects. Phil and Kristin had used the time to set up one of the spare rooms for Tommy. They had the bed set up, Kristin had washed the sheets and gotten some new pillows. When they went to Tommy’s parents’ and picked up some items for him, his parents had been moved out. The dogs were being taken in by Tommy’s grandparents for the duration of the trial. Tommy was going to be asked to give a few statements. Otherwise, though, he wasn’t going to have to show up to the actual trial for his own mental health. Their lawyer had everything that she needed and it was really a cut and dry case for the court. Literally, Phil and Kristin had gone to the judge and asked about it. She literally sent them away and told them not to bring Tommy. His parents had admitted to what they did and laughed about it, the jury had all the evidence. Look, it was one of the moments where Phil almost wanted to cackle when he got home because Sneeg would have a field day thinking about it.
But as Tommy was walked into the room with his bed and sat down on it, Phil noticed that his expression was just…blank. Like he didn’t know what he was going to do, or what he was meant to do. Kristin sat down next to him. Immediately, Tommy moved over to her. He rested his cheek on her shoulder. Closing his eyes, he exhaled slowly. Turning to the bag of clothes that Tommy had brought with him, Phil unzipped it. Then, he started pulling out clothes, opened one of the drawers, and then began to fold them up and settle them down on the wood. He kept glancing over his shoulder every so often. Then, he would turn back to the clothes and keep doing what he was doing. Eventually, Kristin got up after kissing Tommy on the head and then walked out. Phil glanced after her, then exhaled slowly. He kept working with Tommy’s clothes, moving on from putting his jeans and trousers away before moving up a drawer to start putting shirts away instead. Tommy had the same shirt in a couple dozen different colors. It was just…weirdly comforting to see. Something normal. Which, hopefully, it would do the same thing for Tommy.
The semi-catatonic state made sense, too. Tommy had gone from a very abusive household to a suicide attempt, then he had nearly drowned, then he was in the hospital for a couple days, and then he was with Phil and Kristin. His entire world had changed over the course of less than a week. If he hadn’t been tired, then it would have been a whole lot more worrying, honestly. Some shock—a lot of shock—was perfectly understandable. In the meantime, Tommy was completely deserving of care and some more love. And probably some good food, too. And hangouts with friends if he wanted. Or Disney movies. Maybe all of the above.
Kristin returned with some chicken noodle soup, buttered toast, and some juice in a cup all on a tray. She settled it on the bedside table and then sat down beside Tommy again. She pulled him into her side, started talking to him softly. He rested his cheek on her shoulder again. Gently, Kristin started rubbing between his shoulders, rested her cheek on his head, and looked over at Phil. They shared a soft, mournful smile. Then, eventually, Kristin managed to get Tommy to start eating the toast.
Eventually, Tommy fell asleep against Kristin’s shoulder after eating, and Kristin and Phil shared a glance before Phil went back to organizing Tommy’s clothes.
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Philza @PhilzaMinecraft . 10m
Hey guys. Tommy and I are going to be on a break for personal reasons. Tommy is letting me say this because he doesn’t have access to his phone at the moment. Thanks for the understanding, we’re all good and we’ll be back soon.
Dream @dreamwastaken . 9m
Replying to @PhilzaMinecraft
Good luck to both of you! I hope your break serves you well, we’ll be waiting for you when you’re ready to come back. All the love to both of you!
Wilbur @WilburSootfromLVJY . 9m
Replying to @PhilzaMinecraft
Hope the break treats you well!
+++
Phil and Kristin were watching Disney movies on the couch, because sometimes it was just fun to relax and watch movies that didn’t mean thinking too much about the ending.
Curled into Phil’s side, Kristin had her legs kicked up on the couch and her head resting on his shoulder. Turning his head, he kissed her hair. Waited for a moment. Then, he turned back to the screen and watched as Jim Hawkins raced against the robot police. They were on their sixth Disney movie. Gently, Phil rubbed the top of Kristin’s shoulder.
There were gentle, thudding footsteps in the hallway, and Phil looked over. Tommy had barely left his room for the past couple of days, barely even got out of bed. Which, fair. He’d been sleeping, trying to heal from the stress and mild hypothermia still. He’d left a couple times, Phil had only barely heard him those times. Tommy had been trying to mute himself. He’d been trying to be quiet. Other than bringing him food, Phil and Kristin tried to let him do what he needed and tried to let him do what was comfortable for him. He was eating. He was just…still getting used to being with the Watson-Rosales family. He was trying, that was what mattered.
Still, when they saw him walking in, Phil and Kristin both somehow…knew that he was trying to let them know he was there. “Hey, Toms. You alright?” Phil asked, looking at him. Swallowing, Tommy looked at the TV. “You can join us if you want.” Tommy nodded and then walked over. He dropped down on the couch beside Kristin, then leaned against her after a second’s hesitation. Then, he leaned over all the way, and Kristin gently pulled him down so he was laying with his head in her lap. Tommy visibly relaxed as she started playing with his hair. Phil reached out, too, started gently rubbing Tommy’s shoulder.
Within a few minutes, Tommy had dozed off, legs tucked up beside him as he snoozed.
Phil and Kristin shared another look.
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Philza @PhilzaMinecraft . 15m
Hey everyone. Probably going to return to streaming soon.
DaisyDalton @dayzeeeee . 9m
Replying to @PhilzaMinecraft
Is Tommy going to be back, too?
Philza @PhilzaMinecraft . 5m
Replying to @PhilzaMinecraft, @dayzeeeee
No. He’s still on break.
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Phil didn’t have his camera on for the stream, which he had noted in the side corner, but he had a pretty good reason for it.
Tommy and Kristin were in the room, Kristin with her laptop trying to do moderation while Tommy slept with his cheek against her hip and one of her hands in his hair. They were on the beanbags in the back of the study. As for Phil, he was currently working on Tommy’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons island, Pog Island. Wilbur was also present in chat (Phil had yet to explain why he and Tommy took their break, but he had messaged everyone on the server that Tommy was okay, it was just a major adjustment and so he wouldn’t be back. Once Tommy was okay, and once everything had settled a little bit, then the server would get their explanation of what was going on, but both Phil and Tommy had been placed on the sidelines when it came to lore. Just for safety). The mods were trying to control the chat and make sure that they didn’t message about Tommy.
In the meantime, though, Phil was on Pog Island to make sure everything was nice for Tommy when he got back. It wasn’t much, really. He was picking weeds, killing cockroaches, pretty much just that. When he finished with that he was probably just going to end stream, but in the meantime he could do the stuff that Tommy asked him to do and then wrote down on a notepad. It was just housekeeping. Island-keeping?
Anyways, he was talking with a rainbow sheep named Dom since that was on his list of chores, and Tommy was relaxing a little bit as the stream went on and as Kristin kept up her ministrations with his hair. When Phil glanced back at him, he saw Tommy shift slightly, lay one of his arms under his stomach and then arch his back a bit. There were a couple pops from his spine and then he relaxed again with a soft sigh, stretching out across the floor and face down with his nose pressed against Kristin’s leg. She didn’t seem to mind by any means.
Smiling, Phil went back to his grocery list of Animal Crossing chores.
Settling down into his chair, Phil was actually kind of shocked when Tommy pushed himself up and walked over. He sat down at the chair next to Phil. Rested his head against Phil’s knee and exhaled softly, sitting cross-legged on the carpet. Looking down, Phil smiled softly. He quickly logged out of Tommy’s island and switched to his own Switch, then handed Tommy his Switch and muted the mic for a second. “Do you want me to play with you?”
Quietly, Tommy nodded. Rubbed at his nose, still leaning against Phil’s knee. Phil logged in to his and opened his gates, and the stream continued once Phil had unmuted his mic by Tommy and Phil running around Phil and Kristin’s island and trying to fill up the museum. Tommy didn’t chat much, except for through the in-game one. They ended up getting coffee at Brewster’s spot and Phil paid for it, of course. It was really funny because Tommy made some jokes about it afterwards. Over the chat.
By the end of the stream, Tommy had cheered up and then fell asleep leaning against Phil’s leg (Phil and Kristin had to carry him by the ankles and shoulders into his room, but somehow they didn’t wake him up).
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Kristin @misstrixtin . 10m
I got permission to share these. They keep having food fights. Hope you enjoy them. :)
[Photo ID: There are two photos. The first is one of Tommy and Phil sitting at a booth table. Behind them is a window to the street outside, and Tommy is wearing a white button-up under a red shirt while Phil has on one of his black and gray merch hoodies over a white shirt. Neither of their lower halves are visible. Both of them are laughing, and Phil is actively smudging whipped cream on Tommy’s nose. Sitting in between them is an ice cream sundae with whipped cream covered in chocolate syrup.
The second photo is Tommy and Phil in what is most likely the Rosales-Watsons’ kitchen. Tommy is in a black t-shirt and lime green sweatpants with Dream’s icon’s head all over them in white. Phil is in a white t-shirt with blue flannel sweatpants, both have socks on. Phil is holding a silver bowl in one hand, tucked to his side, and a white spatula with a blue handle in the other that he’s using to smudge what is most likely cookie dough on Tommy’s cheek. Tommy has his hands raised and both of them are laughing again.]
Philza @PhilzaMinecraft . 10m
This is Tommy I stole the old man’s phone we’re streaming Animal Crossing tomorrow. See you then!
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Tommy’s first stream back was going shockingly well.
He and Phil were sitting on the same couch and using the same mic, having set everything up in the living room while Kristin was busy making dinner. Normally, Phil would be helping her and Tommy would be trying to do the same while either Kristin or Phil bustled him out every five seconds. This time, though, Kristin had banned them both from the kitchen after the time they tried to make a cake and successfully managed to burn water. Not boil it. Burn it. No, they didn’t know either. Besides, whatever she was making was a surprise (but from the smell might have been an English breakfast, which was funny since it was going to be their dinner), so it wasn’t like they’d have been allowed in even if they weren’t banned from the kitchen.
Tommy challenged Phil to a fishing tournament. He was quieter than he was before everything happened, but he was talking more. He’d been very quiet when he had talked, which was…rarely. The pictures Kristin had posted had been on good days, there were still ones where he didn’t leave the bed or ones where he was pretty much only writing things down or speaking with British Sign. But right now was a good day, clearly. The two of them were curled up on the couch, and Phil tried to sabotage Tommy a couple times.
No one was commenting on the fact that Phil and Tommy were using the same mic, even though it was noticed. It was pretty clear, honestly. They both sounded like they were in fact in the same room, and not in the usual way.
Leaning over, Tommy rested his head on Phil’s shoulder as they made their way to Brewsters to get more coffee. It was just Animal Crossing tradition at this point. (Tommy won the fishing tournament between the two of them with sixteen to Phil’s fourteen.) As they did, Tommy chattered on excitedly, paused to yawn in the middle of it. Tommy showed off his squeakoid room as the little gyroids danced to Agent K.K.
Looking down at Tommy, smiling softly, Phil decided that even with all the stress, he was glad Tommy was okay. (And he was really, really proud of Tommy. He really was his kid.
And the papers sitting on Kristin’s desk in her streaming room had something to say about that, too.)