Work Text:
Tommy would consider himself a good neighbor. He keeps his noise down as much as possible, he doesn't bring friends over constantly, and his space is kept clean with no strange smells through the walls.
Tommy would also say his immediate neighbors are great. Ranboo, Tubbo, and Michael to his left can be a little noisy but he'd say they're all good friends after a few misunderstandings. Niki and Jack above him are quiet and sweet but can joke around, they invite him for movie nights sometimes.
Purpled and Punz across the way are complete opposites. The two are also terrible at cooking and he ends up feeding them most nights, if Tommy'd analyze their relationship further it would be a mutual respect between them all. Of course he's the odd one out with them as the only one living alone (if you don't count miss Clementine the landlady.)
But this new family, damn they are irritating. Tommy has never met any of them but he already knows more than he wants. Three men, a father and his two sons. Phil, Wilbur, and.. Technoblade? That kid deserves compensation for the bullying he surely got.
They moved in two weeks or so ago while he was at work. He came home to find a welcome mat at the bottom of the door and the sound of them moving in. He forgave the noise easily at the time as he'd been loud too when moving in, Tommy gets it with all the pot banging and table shuffling. Now it's just fucking annoying and he wishes it'd stop.
Tommy sighs as Wilbur screams, clear and not even his top volume. He's standing in his kitchen which shares a wall with the loud trio. It's literally dark out and he looks to his microwave clock. It's almost 6, he'll be getting a call soon. He slumps and pops his hip against the counter. His previously piping kettle makes a quiet whistle and he turns the stove off. The flame underneath flickers out of existence and the blonde pours the steaming water out into his mug. It's red and has a messy painted cow on it, a gift from Ranboo. They run the pottery class in the rec center a few blocks away. Tommy swirls his spoon around careful not to click the sides. Would Michael paint him another mug this year for Prime Troch?
"Come, devil, come," she sang. "Call out my name." Let's take this outside, 'cause we're one and the sa-
Tommy answers the call quickly. "Tomás! You're awake like I asked?" Quackity's voice comes through. Tommy chuckles. "Yeah I'm up, what job have you got for me? Demo I assume?" Someone else shouts something on the other line and Tommy raises an eyebrow to himself.
"Slime says hi, and yep. Applewood Ave outside Badlands and L'Manburg. The whole street is being fucked up so come prepared. It'll be an all day job." Quackily replies, Tommy looks around his kitchen as he bites his cheek. Applewood, Applewood.. "Alright, I'll be there around seven then. Tell Slime I said hello." He hangs up and stands straighter. He'll need to stop and get more water jugs, his good sledgehammer is in his hall closet...
"TECHNO I SWEAR TO PRIME IF YOU KEEP STICKING YOUR PINK MONSTROSITY TO THE SHOWER WALL I'LL SHAVE YOUR HEAD!"
Tommy blinks slowly to himself a moment before sighing and sinking to the floor. He sits there a few minutes in silence, well no, because the neighbors are screaming still. Tommy tilts his head to the side and looks at Henry, his German shepherd. "If they don't stop this madness, do I reserve the right to kick their door in?" The look Henry gives him could be sympathy, but Tommy guesses he just wants a walk. Done with his moping Tommy stands up and scratches Henry's head. "C'mon then big man, off to Applewood we go." Henry barks excitedly and runs off to the living room.
Tommy casts a forlorn look around his flat, the muscle above his eye twitches.
---------
When Tommy steps out of his car he can hear the cheers from the house, more though, the ones on the roof and porch who alert the others to his presence. "Aye! Big Tom's here!" Fundy calls down, presumably through a hole in the roof. Tommy shakes his head but can't help the chuckle. He opens his truck door and Henry jumps down to run inside.
Tommy moves to the bed and pulls out the chunky cooler he brings. Balancing it on his shoulder Tommy locks it before walking along the side of the house. In the backyard is Sam and Schlatt. They cheer when Tommy rounds the corner. "Fuck yes, thanks Tommy." Schlatt grins and digs a water bottle out of the ice when the blonde settles it to the side. "You know it's no problem big man, how's the husband?" The brunette gasps as he finishes chugging the bottle. Schlatt wipes at his chin. "He's doing good, wanted me to tell you he got that job." Tommy moves to nod but instead stumbles forward as a heavy weight hits his back.
Tan legs wrap at his waist as he catches himself. "Papi grande! Nice to see you finally join us!" Quackity shouts right into his ear. Tommy hikes the older up with a laugh. "You've been out here an hour at most big Q, don't be a prick." Quackity hums false contemplating the statement. "I brought food?" Instantly the ravan drops and hurries to the cooler.
Schlatt leans against the other. "Is he ever not excited for food?" Tommy asks quietly, Schlatt laughs. "Nope, but that's how you get out of half your problems with him so be fucking grateful."
Sam shakes his head lightly from his place a few steps away. "Leave him be he's paying you." Schlatt raises his hands. "Tommy, the basement bathroom needs tearing up, it's giving the boys some trouble." Tommy salutes and strides into a hole in the back walls. Only just being freed Tommy's again being clutched tightly from behind. Yet an angry Dream marches forward. "Fuck off Dream it's just a hat!" Yells the someone from behind him. Tommy blinks stupidly a moment. Dream reaches him and Tommy finds himself holding the older back with a hand to his chest.
Sapnap blows a raspberry at the other. Dream pouts at Tommy and gestures uselessly to Sapnap. Tommy looks between the two and feels the growing migraine. "Sapnap, give him back the hat, Dream, get your bloody hat and go work on the opposite sides. If anyone needs me I'll be in the basement." He stands there to watch Sapnap give the hat back before descending the stairs.
Primes he works with children doesn't he?
-----
That night when Tommy returns home he's exhausted. It's a long day of hard labor that would leave anyone bone tired.
Yet he feels disgusting in his grimy clothes, the dirt and sawdust covering his skin makes him squirm. The sweat in his hair makes it stick up from the many times he's run his hand through the blonde curls. Henry flops over in his dog bed with a huff and Tommy chuckles. "Same bud, it's been a day." He locks the door and shuffles over to his bathroom for a shower. Scrubbing himself clean relives an itch, both on his skin and in his mind. Stepping out he hunches over and scrunches his hair with the trusty white T-shirt on one of the hooks.
Finally dry enough he's barely pulled a tank top and sweats on when loud knocks sound through. He pauses, it surely cannot be for him? Tommy glances at his phone, no new messages. He slowly opens the bathroom door and steps out into the hallway. Looking to his right reveals Henry sat up looking at the door.
Another loud knock hits.
Tommy moves slowly over and curls his fingers 'round the metal bat next to the front door. He quickly flips the lock and pulls the door open with a raised brow. Standing there is a man he's never seen before looking nervously between him and the loud neighbors door. "Hello?" Tommy asks in a confused manner. The brunette in front of the blonde looks at him in a strung up way. "Ah, hey." Tommy pauses, he knows that voice.
"I know this is kind of a weird request and I'm sorry for bothering you I'm sure you're busy but the neighbors 'cross the hall said to ask you if I had any trouble with it because you've helped plenty before but you haven't met me so I understand if you say no-" The blonde holds up a hand and, fucking Wilbur, pauses. "Calm down there, Purpled and Punz. They said you could come to me with something, what do you need help with?" Wilbur sags with a relieved sigh. "It's kind of ridiculous but, I think someone's in my flat. Could you come check it?"
Tommy looks back at his own flat and debates it a moment. "Yeah alright, you want to wait in mine while I look?" Wilbur blinks twice at him with surprise before hunching his shoulders slightly. "I don't want to be alone right now actually, is it okay if I come with?" Tommy looks at the anxious mess of a man maybe only a few years his seniors. It hits his soft spot, it seems like Wilbur has an active concern about this every night if the eyebags are any indication.
"It's your home, c'mon then." Tommy locks his own door and watches Wilbur unlock his. Tommy pushes it open and switches the light on. He stands there a moment to survey the open landing. He continues on, Wilbur right behind the blonde. Closets, curtains, under beds, and in huge cabinets, no one. Finally they reach Wilbur's room. In the closet, nothing. The curtains are shear. Tommy drops down on his knees and looks under the bed, he freezes for the barest moment.
"Tommy?"
Wilbur's voice hardly registers.
The blonde readies the bat in his hand and swings it along the floor right into the back of the man under Wilbur's fucking bed. The man shrieks high pitched and shimmies about to get out from the other side. Tommy jumps over the bed and brings it down upon a boney shoulder. There's a sickening crack and another cry as the fucker goes down. Tommy kneels down into the man's lower back and steps down onto a hand to pin it. The other is uselessly trapped beneath the twos body weight. "Wilbur." His rasped voice shocks the brunette into motions. He fumbles to ring the cops.
It takes them 10 minutes to arrive, arrest the man, and then get to writing statements. It's pretty simple, Tommy found the guy and definitely broke a bone or two with his bat. The two sit together on Wilbur's couch in the aftermath. "You want to know something funny?" Tommy glances to the other and finds him already smiling back. Even if shakily. "What?" He asks curiously.
"That was the first time I grabbed someone to search with me."
