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“Tommy?”
Tommy froze.
No, no, no, no, no, no - nonononnonononnononon -
It - he was hallucinating, right? He had to have been. There was no way that he was here right now. There was no way. There was no way?
“Tommy,”
If Tommy didn’t turn around, he wasn’t there. It. It wasn’t there. Because he wasn’t. He wasn’t.
“Tommy.” There was no room for argument. It was a demand.
Tommy felt his legs turning himself around before he had the choice to, following the orders of a general long dead.
His older brother was standing at his doorway.
The pair stared into each other's eyes. One of the pairs is a dark brown. Warm, and full of new life. They resembled a chestnut tree of sorts, having specs of green and a lighter brown inside them, much like leaves and branches; the brother had eyes that were like a forest, dark and mysterious, eyes like a tree bathing in the sun, warm and inviting. The other of the two brothers had eyes like the ocean. No, it was a lighter, more vibrant blue than that. They were icy and cold, they were the bluest eyes anyone had ever seen. They were cold, and had seen more than any eyes that innocent should have. Eyes too old for a boy that young.
Eyes blue like the ocean blinked. The ocean was flooding.
Brown eyes watered ever so slightly at his baby brother. The forest was sprinkling.
Tommy moved before his mind processed the information, “Wil - Wilb- Wilbur” he sobbed, stepping up to the elder. His brother was wearing his signature L’Manberg Uniform - white pants, white vest, blue and red jacket, stretching down to his calves, his necktie was at the height of Tommy’s head - why did Wilbur have to be so goddamn tall?
The elder cradled the blonde’s face with his hands, a familiar smile playing on his lips as Tommy sobbed harder at the affection.
It was Wilbur. Wilbur. Wilbur. Wilbur was here. He - he wasn’t gone anymore?
Wilbur shakily laughed, wiping Tommy’s tears with his thumbs, "Hey, it's okay. Don't cry. You're alright, Darling. I'm here, I'll protect you."
“Why’d you have to go, Wilbs?” Tommy let out another heart wrenching sob, as he gripped the front part of Wilbur’s jacket.
The blonde shook like a leaf, face red and hot, hair greasy and unkept. He sniffled, leaning his head towards Wilbur’s chest, and letting his forehead rest upon Wilbur’s vest. “Hey, hey, hey.” Wilbur tried to sooth, and Tommy just seemed to sob harder.
“You don’t have to cry, man.” Wilbur tried to console, “I’m here now, and I am so fucking proud of you.”
The two stayed like that for a few moments, rocking back and forth, enjoying being in each others’ presence. Until Tommy finally croaked, gripping Wilbur’s coat with a strength he hadn’t seen him use since the boy was a toddler, his voice broke with a word neither of them were ever brave enough to say, a word that embodied the truth that neither of them would like to admit to, “Papa.”
And Wilbur’s heart was absolutely crushed. He should have never left this boy, his poor boy. Wilbur let out his own sob, gripping onto Tommy’s face harder, kissing the top of his dirt riddled forehead. He couldn’t believe that he left his boy here for a year, without his help, sympathy, or guidance. He’d seen what the world did to this kid, this child, and he was ready to rid the world of monsters for the blonde teen standing in front of him.
“My boy, my darling boy.” Wilbur cooed, inhaling a scent of wood and gunpowder, he let his lips rest on Tommy’s forehead, mumbling reassurances to the blue-eyed boy. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Wil - Wilbur'' The boy sobbed, wrapping his hands around Wilbur’s neck, bringing him impossibly closer to the elder. The man in question immediately wrapped his arms around his brother, letting any brotherly instinct he had take over. His boy needed him now.
“I know Phil wasn’t a good father to you, I know.”
“He - he r - replaced me.” If Wilbur couldn’t tell his boy was upset, he sure could now. The stutter Tommy had developed as a child would always come back at particularly vulnerable and upsetting moments. “R-ranb-boo. He treats him like a - like a son, Wilbs.”
“You were never his son,” Wilbur whispered into shaky blonde hair, threading his fingers through the greasy locks, smoothing out the knots as best he can. “He doesn’t - he doesn’t deserve you.”
Tommy gasped louder, looking for air through his tears, he whined “Wil - Wilby.”
Wilbur gently scratched his scalp, trying to calm the whimpering boy. “I love you, Tommy. I love you. I love you. I love you. He doesn't deserve you.”
Tommy took another cough-like breath, trying to calm himself, burying himself into Wilbur’s coat and taking a deep breath through his nose. This coat always calmed him down, he remembered bundling into it on cold nights, snuggled into his brother’s side atop the caravan.
Wilbur mumbled into Tommy’s hair; “My sweet, sweet, boy. You are so forgiving to the world, and this is what you get? I don’t understand either Toms. I don’t.”
Tommy let out a sigh, coughing and gagging mid-air due to his sobs, pushing himself away from Wilbur, palms to the elder’s chest, as the brunette released a small gasp at the sudden movement.
“You bitch!” Tommy sobbed. “You did it too - you did it - you - you -”
“I know,” Wilbur ducked his head, voice dripping with guilt, “I know.”
Tommy hit Wilbur’s chest lightly, lacking any real malice; “You bastard - you - you don’t get to - to come in here - and just - just do this -”
“I know,” Wilbur whispered, looking into Tommy’s eyes, with water brown ones.
The younger continued hitting the elder’s chest; “You left me - you - you left - you left me - you - you - you -”
“I know. I’m trying so hard Toms. I shouldn’t have left you - that was - that was selfish - and I - I needed to be there for you. Fuck. I’m so fuckin’ sorry.”
Tommy sucked in a breath, crying harder, “I love you.”
Wilbur’s heart warmed, “I love you so much Toms. I’m here now, okay? I’m not going anywhere.”
Tommy only nods, crushing him in a hug, placing his nose straight into Wilbur’s jacket again. Wilbur rested his palm on the back of Tommy’s head, thanking any gods above that he could be here, with his boy.
He grinned after a few moments of the two rocking back and forth, pulling Tommy’s head into his hands, cradling his cheeks.
Using his thumb he wiped off the dirt and grime left on Tommy’s cheek, “My darling boy.” The brunette thought aloud, and he continued to look at his little brother.
Wilbur laughed tearily, “When was the last time you had a proper bath?” And smiles even wider when Tommy playfully slapped him, still catching up on his breath.
Wilbur grabbed Tommy’s chin with his left hand, inspecting his boy with a toothy grin. “You are so dirty. Fuckin’ grimey little bastard.” The boy in question started weakly pulling away, not making any moves to slap Wilbur’s hand away. That was until Wilbur gasped, making Tommy flinch, “You’re a gremlin. My Little Gremlin Boy!”
“Shut the fuck up Wilbur,” Tommy mumbled, slapping Wilbur’s wrist like when Wilbur was 13 and would grap Tommy’s chin and inspect his face for dirt. “You’re old.”
“Let’s go get you cleaned up, yeah?” Wilbur asked, rhetorically, pulling Tommy in again, burying his boy's blonde head into his coat. “You deserve to be clean, Tommy. You deserve the world.”
He felt Tommy start shaking again, as a few stray tears let themselves out. “You’re okay, you’re okay Tommy.” He rubbed his baby brother’s back, resting his forehead atop Tommy’s mess of brilliant blonde hair.
“You deserve the world.” Wilbur mumbled again, affirming.
Tommy couldn’t speak, taking a few choked breaths, trying to even out his breathing. “You’re allowed to cry, Tommy.” Wilbur reminds him.
Tommy took a quivering breath in, sniffling.
“Alright,” Wilbur sighed fondly, munerving Tommy’s arms around his neck. He lifted Tommy’s legs up around his torso, like he hadn’t done since the boy was 11. The blonde let out a soft whine, trying to get away from Wilbur. “Hey - hey. ” Wilbur soothed, cupping the back of Tommy’s head, “Let me help you. You deserve some help.”
Tommy sniffled, tightening his grip on Wilbur’s neck, and burying his head in Wilbur’s shoulder, like he had done so many times before.
“It’s going to be alright Tommy, Big Brother Wilbur’s got you.”