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Tommy stood shoulder to shoulder with Techno, staring at the stone in front of them. Now that they were here neither of them knew what to do. They weren’t planning on coming to the graveyard, but when they began approaching it on their walk it seemed they both just mentally decided to turn and take a quick stop.
Funny that this is where he and Techno met. Well, sort of, Techno totally ditched the funeral a little early and Tommy had to chase him down the street, but it was close enough. Either way, this is where it all started. One thing ended here and another began. Poetic innit?
The second the two stepped into the graveyard the mood seemed to shift. The sun seemed to stop shining so brightly, and the playful energy that had buzzed between them fell. Everything here was so much darker, so much more somber. Usually Tommy would hate something like this, but right now he just felt a little lost. The energetic buzz had died down, and now he was just standing here next to his friend.
Techno let out a long breath beside him which caused Tommy to side eye the man. His eyes were squeezed shut and his hands were bunched into fists. They hadn’t spoken about the circumstances in which they met in a long time, neither quite ready to ever mention it. Techno looked tired, Tommy supposed he probably didn’t look any better.
Tommy eyed the name engraved into the stone.
Wilbur Soot
Here they stood, on the very ground above where Wilbur was permanently resting. Where their mutual friend had accidentally introduced Tommy and Techno to each other.
It had been six months since Wilbur passed. It had been five months since Tommy had last come here. The first month Tommy had been a wreck, coming here almost every day. Crying, begging, yelling, everything. He had been angry at Wilbur, he had wanted Wilbur to come back, he was lost. It was only when Tommy started talking to Techno and Phil more often that he was able to slowly move on.
It was easier to surround himself with people who understood what was going on. In some way it was easier to find company in people who had lost the same thing as he did. It was so much easier when he saw the way the same tiredness lined their faces that he saw every morning in the mirror. They were all hurting, but it was nice to help distract each other, if only for a few hours.
Phil, Techno, and Tommy were able to laugh with each other. They were able to joke over tea or coffee, they were able to walk around together. Most of all though, they were able to heal together. In the first few months all three of them had been a wreck, even if some hid it better than others (Techno). They had all cried at some point when they saw something that reminded them of him, even if they tried their hardest to hide the tears. They had all felt the absence like a lost limb.
They’d all been lost in a hurricane for months, and had only recently begun to find a way out.
Right now though, as they stared at Wilbur’s name, Tommy felt his throat clog up. He felt tears start to form in the corners of his eyes for the first time in a while. One glance at Techno showed that the older wasn’t much better, his eyes were closed and it looked like he might be doing a few breathing exercises.
Tommy leaned against Techno’s shoulder before he could think better of it, blinking back tears. Techno tensed for only a second before carefully wrapping an arm around Tommy.
“There he is, Techno,” Tommy mumbled, throat still not allowing his voice to be any stronger than that.
“There he is.” Techno hummed softly, and Tommy could hear the slight strain in the older’s voice as well.
Six months. It had been six months since Tommy had been able to spend time with the man he had begun to think of as a brother. Six months since he received that call from Phil.
Something wet fell from his face. It probably had to do with the hurricane in his head.
“Do you have anything to say to him?” Techno laughed a bit, though it wasn’t genuine.
Tommy had so much to say, yet so little. “Yeah.” Tommy hummed, considering his next words carefully. “Hello, Wilbur. I hope the soil is warm. Fuck you by the way. Fucking dying and shit… making me have to spend time with this loser.”
Techno let out a startled laugh, pulling Tommy closer to him as he cackled like an insane man. Tommy supposed they were both a little insane at this point.
“Oi! Fuck off pink boy!” Tommy huffed, elbowing Techno in the side. “It was a good and accurate message!” He defended.
After a few more choked laughs Techno settled down, pulling his arm back and crossing them both over his torso.
There was a hurricane in Tommy’s head, but Tommy figured that Techno had more of a tornado in his head. Something was always twisting in Techno’s head, gears always turning. Now, as Techno’s reddish gaze locked onto Wilbur’s headstone, Tommy could almost hear the wind whipping.
“Y’know what, Wil?” Techno began after a few seconds. “Theseus here is right. Fuck you dude.” He laughed slightly before continuing, “You’re a bitch you know. But, I’ve got to thank you. Thank you for not only being a great friend in life, but also thank you for giving me one in death. I’m not great at the whole feeling stuff… but I know when to thank someone.”
Fucking hurricane, getting Tommy’s face all wet.
“Thank you, Wil.” Techno huffed, taking a step back.
“Thank you, Wilbur.” Tommy breathed before stepping back to stand shoulder to shoulder with Techno.
Wilbur may have been overtaken by the tsunami in his head, but Tommy thought that in that moment, he could survive the hurricane in his own. So long as Techno survived the tornado in his, it would all piece together.
Without saying anything else, the two left the graveyard, silently bidding farewell to their friend.
Maybe it would all be okay. Maybe Wilbur made it okay, even if he caused some of those natural disasters that flooded their heads.
The sun seemed to shine down on them again the second they left the yard.
“Let’s get you home, Theseus.” Techno hummed, ruffling Tommy’s hair playfully.
Tommy smiled at both the nickname and the gesture.
Yeah, the sun was starting to peek through the clouds. It was okay.