Chapter Text
Tommy had not been having the best day, if he were being honest for just a moment. From waking up too late to have breakfast, to slipping in the shower after getting his wing caught in the curtain and buttoning his creased shirt up entirely wrong, to rushing out of the house - practically stumbling over his own two feet - just in time to miss the bright blue bus that would've brought him to school... He wasn't in the best mood.
In all fairness, he chased it for a good two blocks or so clearly calling for the driver to stop, and he could've sworn the man had glanced at him only to speed up moments later. He'd given up by then, running that is. He hadn't quite given up cussing the driver out, however. No, that had continued for another block or so. Those poor pedestrians...
So, to sum it up, Tommy Innit was late.
Late to what, exactly? School. It was a pretty big deal though, it being his first day there and all. He'd promised his parents to make this one work. He had to make this one work. That unnerving mixture of determination and unease that he'd brushed off as 'first day jitters' had been the reason he couldn't quite drift off to sleep the night prior, though, and was in this situation now.
The boy narrowed his eyes slightly at the road ahead, continuing on his way as his grip on the faded and frayed straps of his backpack tightened.
He'd walk. He'd walk all the way there, if that's what it took to keep his parents happy. And they certainly weren't at the moment, he could tell that much. The endless frowns and never-ending sighs of disappointment sent his way throughout the past week plagued his memories each time he thought about quitting.
He was on his way to a new school because he had gotten kicked out of his last one. And the one before..
For whatever reason he didn't quite understand (or rather, chose not to) - his parents weren't happy with that. They'd given him a whole two-hour long scold about it, following up with another not long after, and he'd zoned out through most of it. Something about throwing his future down the drain..
Tommy loved his parents, don't get him wrong, he did! But they could be a little much to handle at times. He didn't mean to do what he did, but when he tried to tell them that they waved it off and didn't quite take his side of the argument into consideration. He figured they knew best, and simply kept his mouth shut after that. It wasn't even what he did, though.
As he walked, he thought about how it could've been his fault.
Summer break wasn't exactly life-changing for most people. For Tommy, however, spending most of his nights curled into a small pained ball on his bed as he slowly grew a pair of strikingly crimson wings was.. well.. not exactly something he could stop, even if he tried.
It started off as a dull ache in his back, but by the time school ended for the summer he was pretty sure he was going to die.
Scared and too stubborn to ask for help, he'd locked himself in his room for about two days or so during the process of them actually being pushed out, and it was absolutely agonizing. Like his flesh was being torn. He remembered sitting in blood-soaked sheets and small feathers, mumbling incoherently to himself about how he was a 'big man' and he could take the pain.
His parents didn't seem too shocked upon finding out their son was an avian, courtesy of his dad being one too before he removed his own wings at a boarding school made to 'cure' people like him. Tommy had pleaded not to be sent there, and his parents had agreed that as long as he did well in school, there shouldn't be reason to send him to another. It was an agreement based purely on his performance and not at all because he'd almost cried at the thought of losing his wings.
They definitely weren't shocked, but they weren't very happy either. He couldn't quite understand why his wings were an issue until he got back to school, and very suddenly it became clear.
He was not wanted.
Hushed whispers that mocked his every move, giggles that brought more pain than joy and of course the feather plucking that the students had decided was hilarious - all that had really messed with his emotions. Suddenly, people weren't interested in being his friends Suddenly his own FRIENDS weren't interested in being his friend.
Not quite a rarity, but rare enough to be hated. To be looked at in disgust. He'd had enough and acted out in an attempt to defend himself. A couple people got hurt. Seen as an act of aggression, he was soon kicked out.
Whatever. I don't care.
Tommy had stopped in his tracks now, his shockingly blue eyes staring cautiously at the sleek brick building that stood towering before him. Littered with large windows that were decorated with hand-drawn pictures and colorful cut-outs, it seemed to be a lot taller than the last school he'd gone to. Wider, too..
Just much bigger, over all.
If the height hadn't made him a little nervous, the difference of the area sure did. It was just so much.. nicer than what he was used to. He felt a little out of place here.
His last school was a dump filled with cracked windows and an ant infestation in the bathroom. It wasn't exactly a teenage boys dream.
Neither is this, he'd thought with a small tilt of his head. This place is so.. pretentious. Their streets were clean, including the almond mosaic floor path leading up to an automated glass door. Windowsills adorned with fresh tulips lured butterflies and bees to the building. They even have trees encased in little parisian fences. Who does that? Who exactly walks by a tree and thinks 'damn, better put the smallest possible fence on it in the entire world.'
And... Is that a balcony? In a school?
Shaking the feeling of nervousness off and replacing it with a stubborn sort of bravery, even if it were fake, he forced his legs to move and marched over to the large glass door that marked the entry to the building.
He was going to do it right this time. He was going to excel at his studies, become a popular jock who all the ladies would flock to (not to say that they didn't already) and absolutely take over this posh people school. Tommy nodded silently to himself, filled with a new dosage of confidence. Yes, that was exactly what he'd do.
Nothing would get in his way, absolutely no-
Walking face first into the glass, he groaned, a hand instinctively reaching up to rub at his nose as he took a clumsy step back.
"What the fuck-" he hissed. The boy then glared silently at the door in front of him as if it had hurt him on purpose.
A sudden bark of a laugh had him turning very quickly to the side. He was met face to face with a brunette boy who stood a few inches taller than him. He wore a beanie and round glasses that upon further inspection, Tommy deemed fake. With a hand on his mouth in an attempt to conceal his giggles, and shoulders shaking, he seemed to be having trouble keeping himself composed, clearly having witnessed Tommy's attempt at stepping through a door - one he'd assumed to be automatic due to the lack of door handle.
Tommy was unamused.
"What're you laughing at, prick?" He snapped, cheeks red.
A little taken aback by the aggressive attitude, the boy paused slightly to properly examine Tommy. Yikes, maybe cussing someone out instantly wasn't the brightest idea he's ever had. His soft, brown eyes weren't exactly judgmental, but Tommy still found himself shrinking slightly under the gaze for a millisecond or so before a small smile settled on the brunette's face. Tommy didn't expect that, traces of bitter confusion seeping into his own features. What was this guy's deal?
The taller then reached over for something behind Tommy, who'd stepped back impulsively with widened eyes at the sudden closeness. He'd just barely caught a comforting whiff of early morning fall, painting a picture of dew drops that settle cozily on frosted grass at dawn, and strong coffee spilled on the pages of an old book - before the quiet press of a button could be heard behind him, and he'd snapped out of it to glare.
The door opened moments later, glass shifting aside slowly to allow entry.
Oh.
"Once you're late, it doesn't open for you." The boy had stated simply in front of Tommy, though his tone was laced with something that made Tommy want to choke him with his stupid beanie. What? He felt as though he were being mocked.
Brushing his shoulder against Tommy's as he walked around the boy and into the building, beanie boy glanced back once with an amused expression, disappearing around a corner soon after. Tommy stood there for a good ten seconds or so just rubbing his injured nose and recollecting his thoughts (there weren't many). That was very quick and confusing, in Tommy's defense.
Whoever that guy was, he was annoying. Tommy had already decided that he disliked him.
The boy awkwardly stepped into the building after deciding he didn't quite want to waste much more time, eying the door warily once it closed behind him. He was already late, after all. The interaction with beanie boy had simply confirmed it.
He allowed his hand to drop by his side once more as he faced the room. The receptionist seemed to stare at him in slight awe from her seat at the front desk, also having witnessed his earlier failure. He decided that he was not a pussy, and so stared right back at her with a fierce expression, which ultimately he hoped would intimidate her out of asking questions about the incident. The woman stiffened.
She seemed to snap out of her small daze at seeing somebody practically crash into the door, shaking her head before she'd cleared her throat slightly, sound almost echoing in the empty room.
"Er, may I help you?" She'd finally asked after a second or two of uncomfortable silence. Tommy seemed to blink in response to this, as if losing all his thoughts at once.
Oh, right.
He made his way to the lady, stopping by her desk as she stared up at him.
"I uh- I'm new here. I was told I needed a schedule or something..?" He'd trailed off slightly, not quite remembering the words his mother had used as he fidgeted with his fingers in an attempt to calm himself. Everything is fine.
The lady seemed to pay no mind to his memory issues, giving him a warm smile. Her gaze had soon averted to her computer screen, eyes not too visible due to the reflection of the bright screen. Little clicks and clacks of the keyboard filled the otherwise silent room that Tommy thought was duller than a hospital, silently staring at the palette of clean white and gray.
"Welcome to L'Manberg high. That's no problem at all, I'll print it out for you. Now then," she paused, looking back up at him. "What's your name?"
And so, after about a minute of instructions and basic rule reminders, he was finally off to find his classroom. A quick glance at the clock in the hallway had him picking up the pace a little more, realizing that it would not make a good impression at all if he were later than he already is. He'd spent a little while just searching for the right room, unsure of why there were so many.
It was probably already half an hour or so into class that Tommy had finally found the room he was looking for. The instructions weren't exactly easy, but he'd made it there nevertheless. He'd glanced up at the door that stood between him and what he could only assume were the group of people he'd be embarrassing himself in front of for the next couple of years. From what he'd heard, this school ran a little differently than others he'd been to, housing gifted pupils of all kind.
His expression was a little sour when he'd thought of that word. Gifted, huh? It felt more like a curse of some sort. He liked his wings, but if he didn't have them, he would have continued at his last school and not pissed his friends and his parents off.
As much of a big man as Tommy was, this still felt a little scary.
You have to do this. You can do this.
Pushing as many nerves as he could down, the boy shoved the little paper of instructions into his blazer pocket. He really hated these blazers, the uniforms themselves were honestly a little much in his opinion. He'd much rather have drowned in a massive hoodie and comfortable sneakers, but apparently comfort wasn't allowed.
His shaky hand hovered in a pause above the reflective door handle for a couple long seconds. Why is my heart beating so fast?
He gulped.
Tommy then opened the door to the classroom, almost feeling the need to cover his eyes due to the massive windows letting the sunshine blind him as if on purpose. He'd decided not to, though, eyes scanning the room quickly. He could hear how quickly the sounds of chatter had died down into excited whispers and how fast each gaze turned towards his figure. People he didn't recognize were seated in rows that got taller with each level of the ground. He bit his cheek slightly as he closed the door behind him, which luckily grabbed the attention of the teacher, who clasped his hands together and stood up from his messy desk at the front of the class.
"Hey mate, is there something I can do for you?" The man had asked, catching Tommy ever so slightly off guard with his warm and gentle tone, along with the smile that graced his features and caused little happy crinkles to form at the corners of his eyes. His slightly long, light blonde hair was neatly tied back into a low ponytail that hung loosely over his shoulder, head framed with a white-viridian striped bucket hat. Why this man wore green and black robes to school, Tommy would never know. What really caught his gaze, however, were the massive pair of coal black crow wings attached behind him. His feathers were so.. neat and shiny. He really took care of them well. It made Tommy shift slightly on his feet as he remembered how his dad had refused to teach him how to preen his own properly in hopes that Tommy would give them up.
He nodded, straightening in an attempt to look bigger and more threatening.
"Yeah, I uh.. I'm new here, I think this was the classroom I was told to go t-"
"Oh, right!" The man gasped slightly, and Tommy had to bite back a small smile at how innocently air-headed that reply had sounded.
"I almost forgot, you're Tommy, right?" Tommy nodded in reply, earning another smile from his teacher. "I am."
"It's so nice to meet you. Right, class!" The older avian turned to face his class, faltering a little, as he was about to call them to attention but they already seemed to be completely silent and staring at the scene in front of them.
He gestured at Tommy as he spoke. "This is Tommy, he'll be joining us from this day forth. I trust you will be welcoming ." The last word seemed a bit strained, but Tommy paid little attention to that.
"Ayup." Tommy greeted, not wanting to come off as timid or anything. It was all about the tough act. He narrowed his eyes ever so slightly when a snicker or two were his reply.
The man hummed, before nodding. "You can sit anywhere you'd like, mate. We're just going over the general stuff needed to know for the start of the year. You haven't missed too much, but.." He grinned. "Try not to be late from now on, okay?"
Tommy could feel the smallest crimson hue creeping onto his cheek when he nodded in response, making his way over to the first empty seat he could find and dropping his bag on the floor beside his chair.
That wasn't so bad, actually. He really thought he'd get scolded or something, but the teacher he ended up with seemed genuinely nice. It would be fine from here on out, right? As long as he avoided every single form of social interaction, it would all be fine.
"Hey big man!"
Or not.
Tommy turned with an unimpressed expression towards his neighbor, who greeted him with the brightest smile he'd ever seen in his life.
"I'm Tubbo."
Tommy faced the front again, keeping his voice low. "That's nice."
The boy beside him didn't seem to falter in the slightest, bringing his chair a little closer to Tommy's. He tilted his head to peek at the blonde's face, who almost jumped when he realized how close the boy was.
What is it with these students and their total disregard for personal space?
"What're you-"
"You're Tommy."
Tommy blinked, staring at the boy. He nodded slowly. "Yeah.. That's me."
"That's a cool name." The short, brunette boy beside him continued to smile as he spoke, but Tommy didn't quite find it comforting.
He awkwardly shuffled further away. "Uh, thanks?"
"No problem!" Tubbo seemed overjoyed with his answer, however simple it were. "Are you an avian?"
What's with all the questions? Tommy thought, a small amount of annoyance forming. "Think so." He mumbled in response, hoping that would be the end of it.
"You seem like one! Can you fly?" Tommy was about to answer, but only arched an eyebrow as the boy beside him excitedly rambled on. "Because y'know, that would be so cool. I'm still learning how to fly, so if you can't, don't worry too much. I have bee wings, you know. They make a weird buzzing sound when I flap them really fast. I really love bees."
Tommy didn't exactly want to be a part of the conversation, but something about the enthusiasm forced him to listen, if only a bit. So, he soon found himself joining in.
"You have horns too, though." He pointed out, eying the two small horns that poked out of the others fluffy hair, to which Tubbo nodded. "Sure do, big man. I think i'm a mixture of something, but I prefer the bee side." He grinned.
The blonde placed his elbow on the table, chin resting on the palm of his hand. "Alright."
"Can you fly?"
"Wha.." Tommy trailed off, frowning slightly.
"Tubbo, stop pestering the new guy. You're making him nervous." A voice behind Tommy had responded for him, one he could barely recognize, brows knitting together as he tried to remember.
"Sorry, Wilbur."
In a flash, it'd dawned on him, and he was quick to face the brunette behind him, who's own eyes widened at the sudden action. He glared, and the boy smiled awkwardly.
"You!"
"Me..?" He tilted his head.
"Tubbo." Tubbo said with a simple smile, and Tommy decided after a concerned side-glance that he should ignore most of the things that come out of that boys mouth for the sake of his own sanity.
Tommy shook his head. "You're that beanie fuck that laughed at me!" He whisper-yelled at the supposed 'Wilbur', who shrugged, relaxing slightly.
"I don't know what you're talking about." He denied, lifting a translucent, plastic cup of coffee to his lips. That must've been the smell, Tommy thought to himself before huffing.
"Bullshit." He grumbled, watching as Wilbur almost choked on his coffee. "You did, you were mocking me, weren't you?"
Wilbur coughed slightly into his sleeve, placing the cup down. Opposite to what Tommy had thought, Wilbur didn't seem mad at all about his accusations or his cussing, instead grinning at Tommy in that same amused way he did back at the front door.
"To be fair, it was pretty funny."
Tommy gasped in shock, pointing a finger at him. "So you admit it!"
"Fight, fight, fight." Tubbo chanted quietly beside him, though technically knowing very little of the situation. Still, Tommy hummed in agreement.
"I'd fight this fucker any day, then we'll see who's laughing, bitch." Tommy grinned proudly, and Wilbur seemed to stare at him in disbelief. Tommy almost thought he'd finally pissed him off, but after around five seconds of silence...
"You're a gremlin." He said finally.
"You are a bitch."
"So you've said." Wilbur smirked lazily, just staring at Tommy as if he were testing him. "I still think it was funny."
Tommy sputtered, at a loss for words at Wilbur's light hearted (albeit annoying) responses to his clear fury. Tubbo chuckled softly beside him, and Tommy faced the front of the class once again defeatedly. He grumbled a few curse words under his breath, deciding now to just ignore Wilbur, though he could've sworn he heard a small coo behind him.
No longer cussing out his classmate, he tuned back into whatever his teacher was saying. In vibrant green marker on the whiteboard, he could just about make out 'Mr Phil Minecraft :)' with 'the crowfather' in smaller letters right underneath. Must've been some sort of inside joke with the class or something, Tommy thought.
He shrugged it off, watching as the teacher- er, Phil - continued to speak to the class.
"So, as I've said, this year we'll really be pushing the boundaries of our students ability. A lot of you will partake in classes you've probably never though to try before. As an example, think of it this way." Phil said, making gestures with his hands as he spoke. "You'll be tested on four things, but you'll be learning eight. Does that make sense? It's something that'll hopefully make your time here a little more fun, but not overly stressful. Not to say you shouldn't try your best in everything, but you're free to try harder in certain subjects than you will at others."
He then smiled. "Remember though, if you aren't choosing to have art as your exam-worthy subject, it doesn't mean someone else won't. Make sure you don't act out and disturb someone else's learning in the process. Be kind."
Tommy rolled his eyes.
"As well as that, please remember that ability classes are mandatory for your exams. Due to that, it's something you'll all have at least once a day, every day. I look forward to seeing everyone hard at work in skill training this year. It's always so creative."
Tubbo seemed to gasp excitedly at that, slightly startling the blonde beside him. "No way, Phil! Does that mean you're our teacher for skill training this year?"
Phil nodded his head in response, and Tommy couldn't quite wrap his head around how he didn't seem to mind the fact that Tubbo had spoken without raising his hand.
"That's right, Tubbo, I believe it'll be me and Puffy this year."
Excited chatter seemed to erupt Phil's words. Whoever Puffy was, Tommy could see the students seemed to love them.
"Man, Puffy's the best. This year's gonna be a blast, Tommy." Tubbo grinned beside him, Tommy turning to face the boy. "Cause of Puffy?"
"Yeah, but 'cause of you, too!"
Tommy blinked, ignoring the small feeling of warmth that spread through his chest at the shorter boys words. "Huh?"
"You seem really cool, I'm sure we will be best friends in no time,"
"Woah." Tommy chuckled. "Don't get ahead of yourself there, that's a little clingy."
"I'm a psychopath." Tubbo responded, a little too seriously for the blonde's liking.
"I can see that."
Tubbo nodded, and despite the fact that he probably had major issues, Tommy found himself lightly smiling back for the first time that miserable day, almost fond of the idea of a new friendship.
"Do you want to see my collection of nuke blueprints?"
Almost.