Work Text:
Tommy was watching scary movies with the family when his problem decided to show up.
They were almost done with Scream, finally at the climax event where Billy and Stu get owned by Sidney, when Billy had blood on his face, and fuck, just the sight made Tommy have to run out of the room.
His feet smacked across shitty laminate flooring, breath heavy, until he got to the bathroom. The sink’s edges felt cold to the touch as he placed his hands there, leaning fully onto the marble. He looked down, saw his hands shaking, and looked back up.
Tommy’s reflection in the mirror was blurry. It always was. But even so, he could see the veins threatening to pop out underneath his eyes, how much paler his skin had become. He didn’t want to open his lips, much too terrified of the fangs that lay there.
The thing is, Tommy's a vampire. He’s been a vampire for less than a year (he’d been turned by some random guy on the walk home from AV Club) and he hadn’t grown an inch taller since, hadn’t grown any chest hair or facial hair, and he never would. It was terrible to be stuck as a kid forever, to be doomed in a body he’d been trying so hard to escape his entire life. But what made it worse was the blood.
His diet consisted only of blood.
He could eat other food, sure, but it left him with a bad aftertaste and a churning stomach. Blood tasted good. It tasted so good that it was scary. When he’d been human, Tommy had never given the ichor a second thought. It ran through his veins, it saved lives. That was all he’d needed to know.
Now, though, he was stuck with a craving for the sickly sweet liquid every other day. He had the urge to sink his fangs into someone every day, and although he hadn’t yet (he was still a fledgling), he knew he would have to eventually. He couldn’t rely on used blood bags from Jack for forever.
He looked at the door, firmly locked, and breathed a sigh of relief. He’d be fine here for a couple more minutes, surely. If they asked, he could tell them he was sick from all the candy on Halloween night. It was believable, and somewhat true.
The thought of blood made Tommy want to gag because of how awful it was that he needed it to survive. He hated the thought of being a predator to the people he cared for the most. He was dangerous, a threat. He didn’t know what he would do without Phil and Techno and Wilbur.
God, Wilbur would definitely be pissed when he found out. They were supposed to go to the same university two years apart, and get married at the same time, and have Christmas together every year before they unavoidably stopped talking to each other because of something stupid. Their life was supposed to be perfect, and Tommy had ruined it because now, he would never be able to grow up.
He took a deep breath and let himself fall to the ground, back resting firmly against the tub. He’d had a blood bag that morning already, he didn’t need any more. But fuck did he want it.
To calm his racing head, Tommy took a deep breath. He thought about playing baseball with Phil and video games with Techno. He remembered the times Wilbur had taught him how to sing, how they’d sworn to make a band together when they were older. They had big plans to be famous one day. The best brother duo: Wilbur, the lead singer and guitarist, with Tommy at the keys. They’d tried to get Techno to play the drums, but their brother had declined, saying it was too much work to learn (even though he was a natural at everything he did).
The thought of the band (which they'd called the Crime Boys at ages 7 and 9) made Tommy smile. Even though it wouldn’t happen, he was content with the idea. He’d remember it for the rest of his life, however long that would be.
His phone buzzed with a text.
You okay?
Tommy sighed. Of course, Wilbur would be the one to ask if he’s okay. He wasn’t, and the brunet knew Tommy was a shitty liar. How he’d managed to keep the whole vampire thing a secret was a mystery; he had to be super obvious.
He didn’t answer, he couldn’t. He was not okay because he really wanted blood. He really wanted blood, and even the thought of going back into the living room was too much to think about. With his current state, he didn’t trust himself to be okay around them.
A knock on the door made the pit in Tommy’s stomach sink even further.
“Tommy, can I come in?”
It was Wilbur. Tommy could never say no to Wilbur, but now, he needed to. There was no telling what he might do if left alone with the brunet. He didn’t want to hurt his brother, but deep down inside, he really did.
“No, Wil,” Tommy answered, voice dry. “Don’t come in.”
“I’m coming in.”
The door opened with a creak, and a bright light shone into the dark room. Wilbur looked impossibly taller from Tommy’s position on the floor, almost threatening. But when he bent down, smiling softly, Tommy wondered how on earth he could ever find his brother intimidating.
Wilbur closed the door behind him. “What’s wrong, Tommy?”
The blond hid his head in his hands, a halfhearted attempt at covering up his eyes. “Wil,” he groaned. “Can you just leave?”
The brunet sat down next to him, nudging Tommy’s shoulder. Although the touch was nice, the pressing of warmth just made the vampire’s urge stronger. He wanted to turn to the left and drain Wilbur of all his blood; he wanted to, but he couldn’t. He could never hurt Wilbur, even if he tried.
“Do you really want me to leave, though?” Wilbur’s voice was confident, teasing. He knew Tommy would give in eventually, he always did.
Tommy stayed quiet.
Wilbur moved his hands to the undersides of his thighs, pulling his legs up to his chest. “If something happened,” he said, voice soft as his head tilted to the right, “you know you can tell me, right?”
“You’ll hate me,” Tommy said, voice muffled by his palms.
The brunet chuckled. “How could I ever hate you?”
The question was so domestic, so sappy, that it made Tommy angry. He was angry that Wilbur had to be so goddamn caring when the treatment Tommy deserved was anything but. He was supposed to be screamed at, supposed to be exiled for being a bloodsucker, but here Wilbur was, basically saying he’d love him regardless. It was infuriating.
He removed his hands to the floor. “Because I’m a fucking vampire, Wilbur! That’s why.”
Wilbur stared at him for a second, face neutral. He looked from Tommy’s bloodshot eyes to his parted lips and fangs before doing a double take. “Oh,” he said finally, “cool.”
“Cool? ” Tommy asked.
Wilbur laughed, smiling the genuine smile Tommy had grown to admire over the past couple of years. “Yeah, cool. I thought you were planning on running away, or something. I thought you might… How long have you been hiding this?”
“Since February.” He looked up to the brunet, eyes pleading, “But I promise, Wil, I haven’t killed anybody, or even drank anyone’s blood, for that matter.”
The brunet looked confused. “Then how do you survive?”
“Jack gives me used blood bags from the hospital. They aren’t the best, but they keep me going. At least, enough that I don’t have to fucking eat people.”
“So, you told Jack, of all people, but you didn’t tell me?” Wilbur asked, faking offense.
Tommy smiled. He smiled and didn’t care that his fangs were still out because he was with Wilbur. They were talking and Wilbur didn’t care that he was a disgusting bloodsucker. Wilbur didn’t care. “How were you meant to help me?” he laughed. “Jack’s work gives me an upper hand. Besides, he works so much that I knew he wouldn’t possibly have the time to tell anyone. You hang out with Niki or James all the time. What if you told them?”
“You know you can trust me, Tommy.”
“I know,” Tommy sighed. “I know, it’s just… I think your opinion matters most to me. I don’t really care if Jack thinks I’m terrible, but you– I dunno if I could go on if you said you hated me.”
Wilbur wrapped an arm around Tommy’s shoulders and pulled him in. “I don’t hate you,” he whispered into the top of blond curls. “Even after all the shit you pulled when we were kids, I don’t think I’ve ever hated you in my life.”
“Never?”
“Never.”
Tommy inhaled and was met once more with the realization that he was, in fact, craving human blood. Wilbur was much too close, and his neck was right next to Tommy’s head, and it would be way too easy to tilt his head just the slightest bit to have a taste.
But he wouldn’t be doing that, so he pulled away.
“Sorry,” he mumbled as Wilbur’s arm fell to the floor. Tommy tried to plug his nose in an effort to get rid of the smell—the incredibly inviting smell that was better than anything he’d experienced before– but it was to no avail.
Wilbur’s blood smelled good, really good. He needed to leave before he did something stupid.
But, when Tommy started to get up, a hand pulled him back down. “Tommy,” Wilbur said, “Don’t be stupid.”
The brunet had to be absolutely fucking insane because if Tommy didn’t leave, then surely there would be blood spilled in the Watson house tonight. There would be blood spilled, and it would be all Tommy’s fault, and–
“Just… take some of my blood,” he said. “That’ll make you feel better, right?”
Tommy blinked once, twice, just to make sure that he’d really heard what Wilbur had said, that he wasn’t hallucinating. However, Wilbur was looking at him expectantly, and his arm was slowly inching closer.
The blond inhaled deeply. “Hypothetically, yes, it would make me feel better, but I’ve never done this before. I don’t want to hurt you… I can’t.”
“You won’t.” Wilbur smiled softly, tugging Tommy back down to the floor and placing his upturned wrist into the blond’s lap. “Just… take it slow. I’ll tell you if it’s too much, okay?”
Tommy frowned. “What if I’m not able to stop?”
The brunet shook his wrist forward. “You’ll be fine. I believe in you.”
He looked so sure, so confident, that Tommy started to believe him too. This was Wilbur: his brother, his best friend. He’d never be able to live with himself if he hurt him, so he knew he’d be able to stop; the brunet in front of him gave him that power. Wilbur’s belief was much stronger than his bloodsucker urges, stronger than his enhanced senses.
Tommy took Wilbur’s wrist in his hands and slowly brought it up to his lips. He could hear his brother’s heartbeat, feel it in his fingers. It was like a silent dance, a song calling out for him to join in.
He looked at Wilbur once more with a questioning glance on his face, a final call for him to back out. The brunet, however, only raised a brow and pushed his wrist forward, practically shoving it onto Tommy’s awaiting fangs.
For a moment, it tasted like nothing.
Then, it tasted like everything.
Liquid red soared through Tommy’s senses, and the feeling was so good that the blond almost felt as if he were seeing stars. The old blood bags at the hospital were nothing compared to Wilbur’s blood. It tasted sweet and special and amazing , so much that he had to pull away.
“Holy shit,” he said, panting. “That was the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”
Tommy realized what he’d said a moment too late about liking the taste of his own brother’s blood, but when he tried to hide his face, Wilbur laughed and pushed his wrist back in his direction. The blond happily obliged and drank more.
It felt like hours, maybe days, had passed when Tommy finally pulled away. It had probably only been a minute, but the feeling had made his senses go into hyperdrive. He could barely even contain himself.
Wilbur grinned, eyes tired. “Better?”
“Yeah,” Tommy said, reaching for a band-aid above the sink. “Better.”
They talked for a couple more minutes before deciding to go back out to the movie. Tommy felt much better. He felt like he wouldn’t need any of Jack’s blood bags for days; Wilbur’s blood could probably sustain him for at least a week.
As they left the dark bathroom, Tommy heard noises coming from the living room. It sounded like the front door was being broken into, like it had swung off of its hinges. But when he turned the corner, Phil and Techno were still on the couch, the door was still in place, and the ‘Here’s Johnny’ scene from the Shining was playing. His senses were probably overstimulated, so Tommy decided he was just imagining things.
But the door rang a moment later, and as Phil got up to greet the trick-or-treater, Tommy started getting suspicious. It was definitely past 7, way past the time for getting candy.
He stood up, ready to step in front of his dad, but it was too late.
The door swung open, two people now standing in the frame. One was taller, and lankier, and they had wavy brown hair with their lower face hidden by a black and white bandana. The other was shorter, wearing a bandana similar to the other’s, and had longer hair covered at the top by a red beanie.
“We’re not here to hurt you,” said the shorter. His right hand found their left cuff, pushing up a small knife that had fallen out of place. “Just cooperate and nobody gets hurt.”
The taller one nodded in compliance. He crossed his arms, “What xey said.”
Tommy frowned, already feeling his fangs poking out between his lips. There was no way these people could come into his house and force him to comply with whatever the hell their rules were. No. Way.
“Okay,” Phil said, eyes darting between the two figures. “Well, I don’t think we have what you’re looking for, but–”
“No,” said the shorter. Her eyes gravitated toward Tommy, “I think you do.”
The blond laughed nervously. “Little old me?” A chuckle. “What could you possibly want with me?”
“Tommy,” Wilbur said, stepping closer to his brother. “Please shut the fuck up.”
“I think you know why we’re here,” the taller said. Their hand moved up to their bandana, pointing at the spot where his mouth would lay, where Tommy's fangs were. He looked at him with an assured gleam in his eye. “Don’t you?”
“I, uh…” Tommy backed away, trying to keep his mouth as shut tight as possible. He gulped, but the sensation brought just the slightest bit of leftover Wilbur blood into his system that his senses flared up. He felt his eyes changing, his fangs piercing his lip.
“You’re practically just giving yourself away at this point, ” the shorter said, stepping forward as star pulled out the knife that was previously hidden. They laughed, “It just makes this all so much easier. A shame that your family will have to watch.”
Tommy charged forward.
Without thinking, he ran forward and tackled the shorter one. His hands found their shoulders as he took her down to the ground. As he hovered over xem, fangs beared, eyes red, he growled, “Don’t talk about my family.”
He pushed Tommy off immediately, and swung the knife toward his neck. Tommy was quick enough to dodge them, though, and managed to (with his enhanced speed) shove her toward the taller partner.
They dodged the knife and steadied their partner. “Aimsey,” he said, “Chill out.”
“I will not chill out until he’s dead.”
She glared at Tommy, but before he could charge again, someone’s arms pulled him back. “You’re being a menace,” Wilbur said. “Don’t make this worse than it has to be.”
Tommy frowned. “They’re threatening to hurt you, Wil. I won’t let ‘em!”
“The only person they’re out for is you,” Wilbur said, rolling his eyes. “If we get you out of here, there’s no reason for them to hurt Phil, or Techno.”
The blond stayed quiet. He wanted to shut the hell up and do whatever kind of secret plan Wilbur was concocting for the escape, he did, but his instincts were telling him to go after the partnership again, to fight them until they just went away.
He didn’t want to anger his brother, so he sighed, urging Wilbur to continue.
“Just,” Wilbur said, stealing a glance at the two vampire hunters, or whoever the hell they were, “say you’ll go with them if it means we’re safe. Then Techno and I will take care of the rest.”
Tommy turned to look at Techno, who was still lounging languidly on the sofa. He grinned, teeth shining, and nodded his head. Whenever Wilbur and Techno made a plan together, bad things always happened. He trusted them, though, so he nodded anyway.
Phil was looking at Tommy with a questioning stare, a confused glance, giving the dad look of ‘We’ll talk later.’ The blond grinned at him before stepping forward.
“You can take me away,” he said, looking the hunters dead in the eyes, “if you leave my family out of this.”
“Tommy —”
Phil’s concern was drowned out by the shorter of the duo. “Great,” he said. “Tubbo will probably want to kill you himself anyway.”
The taller hesitantly walked toward Tommy, snaking around his body until the blond’s hands were held behind his back. They pushed Tommy forward, his touch lighter than expected, but the blond maintained his confident exterior. He wouldn’t let these two pricks take him away from his family.
“Any day now, Ran,” said the shorter. “This bloodsucker doesn’t deserve our time.”
Tommy scowled, debating whether or not to ruin Wilbur’s plan and attack anyway. He didn’t have to think any further, however, because a moment later, Techno came completely out of nowhere and whacked the Ran-guy in the head with a frying pan, very Rapunzel-esque.
“Techno!” Tommy exclaimed. “That was sick!”
His brother grinned. But the moment was over too soon when a shrill cry was heard from behind. “Ranboo ” the shorter– Aimsey– shrieked. They turned to Tommy. “You’re gonna regret that.”
Before xey could charge, Tommy stepped forward, using his speed to look more threatening. He bared his fangs, grinning like a little shit, “No, actually, I won’t. You will, though, if you don’t leave.”
He glowered at Tommy. Star looked like they wanted to set the blond’s hair on fire as they looked from Tommy to the taller’s– Ranboo’s– limp body on the floor. They huffed, “Fine. Just let me grab them and then we’ll be on our way.”
Tommy felt like an animal. There was a carnivorous instinct inside that made him want to run forward and charge them, to kill them. But the hand on his shoulder– Wilbur’s hand on his shoulder– calmed him down enough to make a rational response. “Grab him,” he affirmed, “and don’t come back.”
Aimsey nodded hectically before tugging Ranboo out by the cloth of his hoodie, practically dragging them all the way out the door.
Tommy watched for a moment, eyes glued to where they’d gone to. He watched the car until it was fully out of the driveway, and even then, he stared for a moment. He didn’t want them to come back, and as much as it hurt his ego to say it, he was terrified.
Wilbur’s voice brought him out of his stupor. “You did good.”
“Sounded real confident,” Techno added.
Phil looked completely and utterly confused. “Can someone explain to me what the hell just happened, please?”
Before Tommy could explain what he was and all the complications that came with it, Techno said it for him. “Tommy’s a vampire. Those were hunters. I think it's a pretty obvious theme to get behind, Phil.”
His eyes widened, “You’re a… what?”
Tommy smiled wearily. “Yeah, I am a you know. Sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”
“He only told me like an hour ago,” Wilbur added, gravitating toward Phil. “If that makes you feel better.”
“I’ve known for a while,” Techno said nonchalantly, as if being a vampire was the most normal thing in the world.
Tommy’s eyes shot immediately toward his big brother. “But I didn’t tell you? How did you know?”
Techno shrugged. “I dunno. It was kind of weird that you went to the hospital all the time when I know you hate needles and all that type of stuff. I kind of figured it out after you freaked out during The Meg. That movie isn’t even scary, and at the slightest sight of blood you were running out of the room to ‘vomit.’”
Tommy was dumbstruck. “And you don’t care?”
“‘Course I care,” Techno chuckled. “But it doesn't matter what you are, Tommy. You’re still my brother no matter what.”
The blond felt like he could faint. Wilbur didn’t mind it – hell, he’d even let Tommy drink his blood – and Techno was acting like it was a casual day in the Watson house. Phil was… well, Phil was still staring at him with an unbelieving expression.
Finally, he shook his head, smiling baffled. “Alright then,” he said, flabbergasted, “happy Halloween to me!”
Tommy smiled, fangs showing with his pearly whites. “In all seriousness, Tommy,” Phil said, arms reaching out to pull the younger in for a hug, “you’re still my boy. Even if you killed a million people, I’ll always be your biggest protector.”
“Besides me,” Techno added.
“Besides Techno,” Phil agreed, tightening his grip on the blond below.
Tommy sank into the hug. Halloween night had been so much, so draining , and finally knowing his family didn’t care about what he was made him kind of want to cry. (There was no way he’d cry in front of Techno again, since last time he’d been made fun of for weeks, but his eyes were welling up so much that it was a struggle not to.)
“Tommy,” Wilbur said once Phil had pulled back. “Remember that future we had planned together?”
The blond nodded solemnly.
“Well… it’s still in the works. Maybe we can’t do everything we’d planned before, but we’ll still stick together. It’ll just be different.”
Tommy bounded over to Wilbur before he could think otherwise and pulled the brunet into a hug. “Different is good,” he said.
“Yeah,” Wilbur agreed. “Good. You can’t get rid of me that easily.”
As Wilbur held on tighter, Tommy was reminded of how lucky he was to get stuck with these guys. Maybe they weren’t related by blood or actual family ties, but they were family nonetheless. He’d do anything for them, and now he knew with utter certainty that they would do the same.
He gave Techno a fist bump before settling back down on the couch. The Shining had finished playing in the wake of their intruders, so Tommy grabbed the remote to put on something more friendly.
As Halloween night came to a close, Tommy was sat on the couch with his family, watching Hotel Transylvania. No one said a thing as the title sequence played, and Tommy smiled at the thought that he could be a complete and utter menace to them whenever he didn’t get what he wanted.
Maybe, all in all, being a vampire wasn’t so bad.