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“Call me, okay? Please?”
Wilbur took a deep breath, still holding Tommy in his arms.
“I will,” he murmured into his hair, soft like a crown of marigolds on the boy’s head. “The second I get a chance, I’ll call. I’ll call you so much until you get sick of me.”
“Promise?” Tommy whimpered, scrunching the fabric of Wilbur’s sweater in his hands.
Wilbur squeezed him tight. “Promise.”
—----
Wilbur spent.. a little longer than he expected in America.
It wasn’t intentional or anything. The man just enjoyed traveling. As he stayed there, he added more and more places on the list of things he wanted to see. And before he knew it, one day had passed, then two, then.. thirty-seven.
See, thirty-seven days had passed since Wilbur had last left Tommy in Brighton. He would have gone home sooner, but he got sick, then he missed a flight, then a variety of other things happened that kept him stuck in America.
He hadn’t called the child either. That was because he lost his phone, got a new one, but didn’t have Tommy’s contact. He also got locked out of his Discord.
To put it simply, the world was really just throwing one unfortunate thing on top of another at Wilbur.
These would be the days where Wilbur would need his sunshine the most. For Tommy to lay his head on his shoulder, hold his hand, and tell him that it’s alright, that he will get through it, and that he just needed to keep his chin up for the next day and it will all get better soon.
He missed hearing the liveliness in the child’s loud laughs and the genuinity in his voice when he would encourage or compliment him. He missed when Tommy would bug him at six in the morning, telling him to get up and stop being depressed on his bed (even though it was still quite early). He missed when Tommy would vigilantly ensure Wilbur got his sleep, immediately messaging him the second he was online and telling him to go to bed.
He missed Tommy always being there, like a guardian angel- but a child version. Tommy always brightened up his day, no matter how cloudy.
It’s why he nicknamed him “sunshine.” Because that’s what Tommy was like to him. Tommy often pretended to hate it, but Wilbur knew very well that Tommy absolutely loved being doted over in that way.
It started to get in his head. Wilbur’s older brother instincts began screaming at him, telling him that he needed his sunshine and that he would absolutely die if he didn’t see him soon. But what can he do? There are no vacant flights back to the UK for another week.
It’ll be okay. As long as he kept it down and filled his days being busy he’ll forget he even missed the child in the first place.
The only thing is.. the universe wouldn’t let him go that easily.
He started hearing so many things related to sunshine. Whether it was the name of a café or the name of a spa he drove past. He turned on the radio, the Beatles song about the sun coming. Hearing the song pained him, because it only put a picture of Tommy running towards him, Wilbur shouting, “Here comes my sunshine!”
So he switched the channel, switching again when the weather report mentioned “bright sunshine and warm temperatures.” Then, the classic. “You Are My Sunshine.”
Wilbur shut off the radio. Tears aren’t good for driving.
After a few more minutes' drive, Wilbur arrived at the café. He parked, killed the engine, then locked the door before walking into the building.
The warm smell of coffee hit his nostrils as he walked in, the sound of drinks brewing and people chatting drowning out his troubled thoughts. He just needed a good cup of tea. That will clear his head.
After waiting in line and paying for his drink, Wilbur sat down at a table and scrolled around on his phone. Conversations buzzed around him, letting him drift in his own world.
“I remember all the little nicknames my father would give me when I was a child,” he heard an old lady say nearby.
“Oh, really?”
“Mhm. ‘Munchkin,’ ‘nutmeg..’”
“Aw that’s sweet.”
Wilbur smiled to himself. That was sweet. He didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but he just couldn’t help but overhear the conversations around him.
“Oh! And my favorite! ‘Sunshine!’”
Wilbur choked. Not on food or drink. Not on air. He choked up tears. Memories flooding his brain like water being held up by a dam for far too long. Tommy, Tommy, Tommy his sunshine. He missed the boy who was so much like a little brother to him. Anytime Wilbur would hear the nickname “sunshine” Tommy would immediately come to mind. He missed his boy, oh so dearly.
“Sir? Sir, are you okay?”
Wilbur looked up from his phone, blinking through his heavy tears. The old woman was looking right at him, concern spread all through her face.
Wilbur wiped his tears, lips curved up in a fake smile.
“Yeah, I’m okay.”
“Are you sure?” The lady seemed unconvinced. She knew there was something bothering Wilbur.
Wilbur hiccupped. “Yeah! Yeah, it’s just- I just-” he sighed, tears falling even faster. Eventually he couldn’t hold back anymore, breaking down and letting out the sorrow he’d been holding for weeks. “No, no I’m not okay, I’m not okay,” he sobbed, bending over the table and planting his face. “I need- I can’t-”
“Shh, it’s okay,” the old lady consoled, laying a hand on Wilbur’s shoulder. Wilbur took deep breaths, eventually regaining himself to look up again.
“It’s my brother,” he finally said after a long while, eyes now red from crying. “I miss him so much.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry for your loss.”
Wilbur straightened. “Oh, oh no ma’am, he’s completely fine. I’ve just been abroad and haven’t seen him in weeks.” His eyes began to wet again. “I call him ‘sunshine,’ because he is my sunshine. So when I overheard your conversation, it just reminded me of him.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry, dear,” the lady responded. Then she paused, appearing as though she was thinking for a second, kitting her eyebrows, studying Wilbur. Her eyes widened, face brightening as if she just realized something.
“Wait a minute, are you Wilbur Soot?”
Wilbur froze. Sure, he’s been recognized before, but not by the older generation.
“How- how do you know me? You watch my content?”
“What? No- I don’t know anything about that.” The lady shook her head. “No, there was a young boy looking for you!”
Wilbur gasped. Could it have been Tommy? No other person would take far measures as to ask a stranger about him other than the teen who loved him more than other people’s opinions.
“Yes! He wore a teal sweater, and his hair was.. oohh what color? Hmm..”
A wide smile grew on Wilbur’s face, tears falling again. Only this time, tears of joy. “Sunshine golden hair? And sky blue eyes?”
The woman chuckled. “Well, you could put it like that.”
Wilbur immediately got out of his seat. “Where did you see him?”
“He was actually at this specific coffee shop just earlier. He only left a few minutes before you came.”
Wilbur’s breathing grew faster. Oh, if only he didn’t get stuck in traffic.
“Which way did he go?”
“I’m afraid I don’t have the answer to that.”
Wilbur’s mind swirled, thinking of possible “TommyInnit” places.
“Is there an ice cream shop around here? A park? A sweets shop?”
The woman hummed in thought. “I don’t think so.”
Think, Wilbur, think! Then Wilbur’s fingers snapped. Of course! If Tommy was looking for Wilbur, he would be going.. “Wilbur Soot” places.
“Never mind!” he hurriedly ended the conversation. “I think I’ve got it now! Thank you! Thank you so much!”
The woman waved happily back, calling a “you’re welcome!” as Wilbur rushed out, ignoring the way the barista called his name to get his tea.
Wilbur ran down the streets. He and Tommy would always walk around in Brighton together, so running down the sidewalk would be a very good place to start tracing Tommy’s footsteps. Wilbur’s eyes scanned the shops, looking for clothing shops, music shops, or antique shops.
Finally, he found a music shop. Something drew him to the store, and he just knew in his heart that this was the right one.
He rushed inside, the bell above him ringing violently as he practically ran inside. Then he stopped, seeing the musical instruments and bookshelves overall creating a maze. Tommy could be anywhere. Where would he be?
Perhaps the piano! Tommy plays the piano!
Wilbur ran to the pianos, eagerly looking behind each piano.
Tommy- Tommy wasn’t there.
His heart sank. Maybe this wasn’t the shop.
After checking three and four more times, Wilbur gave up on the music store, walking away in gloom and sadness once again.
“It’s been sixty weeks since I saw Vienna,
A bandage and wide smile slapped across my face…”
Wilbur stopped in his tracks. He knew that voice anywhere.
He swiveled around on one heel, running towards the voice that was coming from another corner of the shop. He scanned the room, looking for one thing.
Then he found him. His eyes fell on a child facing the other side, playing a guitar, messy curls full and blooming on his head. The color of…
Sunshine!!
Wilbur immediately ran to the boy, grabbing him into a tight embrace from behind.
Tommy squawked in surprise, squirming around to see who grabbed him.
Then crystal blue eyes met warm brown, and both melted.
“W- Wilbur?” he breathed. “Is it really you?”
Tears fell as Wilbur listened to the boy’s voice calling his name. “Yes, yes, sunshine. It’s me. I’m here.”
Tommy’s breath hitched, quickly laying down the guitar and leaping forward into a tackling hug, Wilbur falling backwards with the impact. Tommy sobbed loudly, burying his face in Wilbur’s shoulder.
“Wilbur, Wilbur.” His voice shook violently. “It’s been so long.”
“I know, Toms, I know,” Wilbur whispered into his ear reassuringly. “I’m so sorry but the universe has tried so hard to keep me away from you.”
Tommy sniffed. “I knew it wasn’t on purpose. I was worried something was wrong, so I flew here to see you. I tried going to all of your favorite kinds of places, looking for you and asking about you.”
“I know. An old lady told me you were looking for me.”
Tommy continued crying, nestling his head in the crook of Wilbur’s neck. Wilbur hushed him, rocking him back and forth so that the child’s hiccupping will stop.
Tommy began to calm down with the action, breathing deeply into Wilbur's sweater.
“I missed you so much,” he whispered. “And the smell of your sweaters and your warm hugs and-”
“Shh.. it’s okay, Toms, it’s okay. I’m right here sunshine, I’m not leaving.” He pressed a lingering kiss at the boy’s head. “I also missed you, love. I missed you every second I was apart from you.”
Tommy lifted his head up again, facing Wilbur. “A-are you sure? I just saw you never responded to my texts, or calls, or Discord. I started messaging you on every social media platform possible, hoping you would respond. I started to think you went to America to leave me. I- I thought you didn’t lov-”
Wilbur pressed a firm, intentional kiss at the child’s forehead, interrupting his worried words. Tommy’s breath hitched a second time, eyes fluttering shut as he melted and leaned into the kiss. The boy wrapped his arms around Wilbur’s neck, anchoring himself from falling forward in complete, absolute affection.
A smile grew on the child’s face, because that kiss told him one thing. Definite and clear.
No.
Lies, all his worries were lies. He knew it. Wilbur still loved him just the same.
Wilbur released the kiss, lips still barely touching in the shape of a smile.
“You’re my sunshine, Toms. You light up my life like no one else. I will never leave you, nor will I ever stop loving you.” He then gave a second, quicker kiss with the same force. “You can be assured of that.”
Tommy’s smile grew into a wide grin, teeth in full display.
“Thank you, Wilby,” he laughed through his relieved tears. “I love you too.”