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"Tommy? You okay?" Tubbo asks, waving a hand in front of Tommy's face.
Tommy blinks, ripping his eyes away from where he'd been staring out the window. He looks around, extremely confused. It was as if he had just now recognized he'd been sitting at a lunch table in silence with his best friend for almost ten minutes.
Tommy almost decides to ask Tubbo about what has been bothering him, but he ultimately decides against it. Tubbo was staring at him in worry, which Tommy’s brain immediately translated into pity- and he did not need a pity hug.
"I'm fine, sorry. Just got lost in thought.”
Tubbo frowns, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "If you say so. I'm here if you need anything, you know?"
"Alright, Bee-boy,” Tommy laughs awkwardly, looking back to the window. He could feel Tubbo’s concerned gaze burn holes into the back of his skull.
Eventually, it all became too much. His stupid needy brain was screaming at him, the cafeteria was loud and bright, and he was not in the mood to talk.
“I'm gonna go find Ranboob-"
"Ranboo,” Tubbo corrects instantly.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'm going to go snatch him from the library," Tommy declares, standing up and storming off before Tubbo can reply.
He's well aware that he's probably being rude.
Tubbo didn’t even do anything wrong, his mind supplies. He shoves those thoughts into a box, tapes it shut, and launches it into the deepest, darkest corner of his thoughts. He's too upset at the world to worry about Tubbo right now.
He does not go find Ranboo as he’d promised. He finds himself wandering down the hallways, running his hand across the lockers that are lined on the walls. Humming to himself, he briefly wonders if this is technically skipping class. Can you even skip lunch? Hypothetically, they weren’t allowed to wander around without a hall pass and a destination- but there aren’t any teachers around to stop him. They're all teaching.
Being a teacher sounds like a terrible job. At least, being a high school one. Tommy wouldn't even last an hour. He’s too busy pondering over the pros and cons of becoming a teacher to notice another person walking down the same hall.
"Hey, watch where you're going!" The kid glares, shoving Tommy to the ground. Tommy opens his mouth to retaliate, before shutting it again. This kid looks terrifyingly strong and horrifyingly upset.
Unfortunately, Tommy's never been one to take a hint. You want to cause trouble; you want someone to notice you're hurting; his traitorous head starts to whisper again.
Tommy stands, brushing his knees off measurably. "A bit dramatic, if you ask me. Mans just walkin’ in the hallway, no need to get your knickers in a twist.”
Before he can look up to properly make eye contact with the bitch, he's slammed up against a locker with such force that it rattles his brain around like a cruel game of ping pong.
"Who do you think you are?" A gruff voice demands, holding Tommy up and leaving his legs dangling uncomfortably.
"Well, most people find me annoying at first- but truly, I'm super cool and amazing-"
He's interrupted by a fist abruptly slamming into his jaw. That's not very polite.
He says as much, earning himself a punch to the gut. He doubles over, choking on his spit. "Bitch," he coughs.
"You sure are an annoying brat. You’re just asking for a fight with that mouth," The bully taunts.
Tommy spits on him. "Maybe I am."
The kid snorts and lets him go of him. Tommy stumbles backward, using the back of his hand to wipe the blood off his mouth. He straightens his posture, glaring forward in determination.
The older lunges at him, swinging a punch. Tommy doges, delivering a punch of his own to the other's stomach.
It only seems to make him madder. Tommy winces as punch after punch comes his way. After a while though, he simply stops feeling them. He just stares forward, allowing the fog of pain to float over him in a buzzing haze.
He doesn't move when an administrator pulls the other guy off and starts yelling.
He doesn't move when a teacher comes out of the classroom and looks at the group in panic.
He doesn't move when he hears the bell ring and kids snicker as they pass.
Doesn't move when-
"Tommy?" A painfully familiar voice asks in shock. Tommy opens his eyes to find his brother leaning over him.
"Hi, Wilby," His voice slurs. He curls tighter into himself when his watering eyes meet a pair of angered ones.
“Oh my god, what the hell happened to you?" Wilbur demands, gently lifting his little brother off of the floor. Tommy doesn’t make a move to stop him – although Wilbur is not entirely sure that he could even if he wanted.
Distantly, the younger feels Wilbur cradle him to his chest.
With Wilbur glaring at everyone who even dares to look at Tommy, Tommy completely delirious, and the teachers occupied with the maniac teenager who’s shouting every profanity known to mankind, no one stops him from simply storming out the front doors of the school.
The last thing Tommy remembered before passing out was Wilbur gently setting him down in the passenger seat, snapping his seat belt in, and brushing the hair from his sweaty forehead so that he could place a soft kiss against Tommys 'temple.
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"Oh, he's waking up. I'll call you back in a bit Niki," Will whispers. Tommy hears him put the phone down on the counter, and he reluctantly cracks an eye open. Wilbur rushes over to where he's lying on the couch and kneels next to him, running a hand through his hair. "How you feelin' Toms?"
"Just peachy," He grunts, sitting up. He lifts a hand to his face and feels a band-aid under his eye. Wilbur must have cleaned up the blood and bandaged him while he was asleep.
"What happened?" Wilbur asks, taking a seat next to his brother. Tommy only offers a shrug in response. He fidgets with a thread on his jeans, unsure if even he knew the real answer to the question.
Wilbur sighs, lifting his hands to Tommy's cheeks and carefully cupping his face. "Did you attack first or did he?"
"It was just a fight, Will. I'm fine, it's nothing I can't handle," He tries, avoiding eye contact.
"Just a fight,” Wilbur repeats, “Tommy-"
"I'm sorry, okay? It doesn't matter, I don't want your pity or whatever."
"Bubba, it's not pity. I'm worried for you because it's not like you to act out, and it's just because I care about you. I love you, Tommy, and you're my little brother. Of course I'm going to be concerned when I find some random kid kicking your ass in the hallway while you stare at him blankly," Wilbur speaks so confidently that it's hard for Tommy to come up with an argument.
"I won the fight," He mumbles, changing the topic. "He didn't... it wasn't..."
"Love, that was not a fight. Fights are supposed to be fair. No matter what he told you, that is not whatever that was."
"But-"
"No buts. Who swung first?"
"Well, he did, but it's only because-"
"Shush," Wilbur says, pulling Tommy into a hug. "It's okay to admit you're hurt, Tommy."
The energy seeps away from Tommy and he melts into his brother’s gentle hold. "I'm not a little baby,” He mumbles into Wilbur’s chest.
"No, you're not,” Wilbur agrees. “But it's okay to be a needy kid every once in a while. You're only 14," The brunette reminds, starting to massage the back of Tommy’s head.
It helps. A lot.
"I'm so tired," He admits softly, wrapping his arms around Wilbur.
"That's okay. Why don't we make some hot chocolate and watch Up? We can cuddle on the couch until Dad and Tech get home?"
Tommy just bursts into tears. This was all he wanted all day, and now he’s got it, and he doesn’t know how to handle it.
To Tommy’s utter dismay, Wilbur worriedly lets go of Tommy. "We don't have to do that of course I-"
Tommy cuts him off by pulling him back into a tighter hug. Wilbur silently pulls Tommy halfway onto his lap. Tommy’s sobs become harsher, and Wilbur holds on tighter. He mutters sweet reassurances as the boy wails into his sweater. "You're alright, Toms. I'm here, it's okay."
Tommy cries and cries until he can't anymore. His hands are clutching Wilbur's sweater so tight they've gone pale.
Even after Tommy's calmed down, they both sit like that for a while, soaking into the hearty embrace. Eventually, though, Wilbur has to go put water in a kettle so it can start warming for their hot cocoa.
Tommy is very loud about his objections to this idea, but he doesn't move to stop Wilbur as he gets up. When Wilbur's left the living room, he gets up to go put the movie disc in the console. He clicks the tv on and watches as the colorful menu screen for Up appears.
Wilbur returns with two steaming mugs and a bunch of blankets. Tommy snatches one of the mugs out of his hand so fast that it almost spills all over their blankets.
"You gremlin! Be patient!" Wilbur reprimands, snuggling up next to Tommy and wrapping a blanket around them. Tommy sticks his tongue out in retaliation and presses play on the movie. His head rests against Wilbur's chest, allowing him to hear the steady thump-thump of his heartbeat.
Tommy is not patient. He takes a giant gulp of the hot chocolate.
"Fuck! Ow!"
Wilbur rolls his eyes, pressing a kiss to the messy blonde hair and pulling the boy closer.