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Tommy is a seven year old raccoon hybrid. He has foster parents who mostly see him as a means to make more money because of his wholesome appearance (round ears, fluffy tail, golden hair).
They sign him up to act in a new tv show focused around a family of four.
The fictional family in the show goes like this;
The father, Phineas Minecart (played by Philza Minecraft).
The teenage twins, Turo (played by Techno Blade) and August (played by Wilbur Soot).
And the youngest brother, Azzo (played by the child star Tommy Innit).
Upon their first meeting, Phil, Tech & Wil are immediately fond of the seven year old who plays the loud hyperactive child on screen. But offscreen Tommy is shy and quiet, and he doesn’t fall into the loud personality of his character as they expected he would. In fact, he often hides away from the avian with big black wings, the phantom hybrid and especially piglin hybrid Techno, who is a pretty intimidating person when you only know him at surface level. (First glances aren’t always foretelling.)
But overtime, as he gets to know his costars and their dynamics, Tommy begins to relax around them. He falls into the rhythm of hanging out with Philza, Techno and Wilbur when his parents aren’t around. He lets Phil’s pretty feathers wrap around him, and easily jokes with them.
Tommy begins to believe that this is how it’s meant to be. That maybe Mommy and Daddy want him to be with Techno, Phil and Wilbur instead, and that’s why he sees them less and less and begins to see his new co-stars more. So when he begins to call Phil ‘Dad’ offset as well as onset, Phil decides to have some words. And they aren’t ones that Tommy enjoys.
Phil awaits a scene break before saying, “Tommy, you know I’m not your real dad, right?”
“What?”
“You keep calling me-” Phil starts, and then chooses a different approach, he doesn’t know the right way to say this, “Well you already have your parents.”
“But-” he sniffles, “But you let me call you Dad.”
“I know Toms but it’s- we’re acting. We’re pretending for the cameras. That’s our job.” Phil says as softly as he can. He loves this kid but he can’t let him think he is his ‘other’ dad irl. It’d be cruel.
“So-” Tommy’s lip starts to wobble. “You don’t wan’ be my real dad?”
“It’s not that-” Phil sighs, “Tommy you have a father already.”
“But I want you to be my dad!” Tommy runs at Phil and clutches tightly onto his pant leg. He doesn’t let go until the director announces the next scene to film - One that Tommy is in, with Techno.
Phil sighs, kneeling down to the kids level. “We’ll talk about this later okay?”
Tommy sulks but says nothing.
—
The scene begins with Techno’s character reading a book on the couch and Tommy’s out of sight. He’s supposed to be bounding into the room full of energy at any moment, but when he doesn’t come in on cue, the director has to call for him.
“Tommy? Kid, you ready?”
“Mhm.” A small voice comes from behind the set.
“Ok. We can start when you’re ready.”
And so, five minutes of coaxing later, they start the scene again.
And when Tommy is in range of Techno, in front of the cameras, he acts as his character usually would, if a little more hesitant. But then their characters hug at the end of the heartfelt scene. Their last scene together. The scene is supposed to end with a close-up of them embracing, so when the cameras cut off, Techno tries to pull away from the hug as expected. Just as Tommy’s character is supposed to let go too.
And yet, Tommy only clings tighter when Techno moves to leave.
“Uh, Tommy? Scene’s over.”
Tommy shakes his head into Techno’s shoulder. Techno who still has his arms hovering over Tommy from when he had began to pull away.
“Tommy.”
Tommy simply buries his head further into his t-shirt, tightening the arms around his big brother’s shoulders.
This time, it’s one of the directors who speaks again. “Tom. Get off of Techno. We have more to film.”
“No.” Tommy mumbles into Techno’s chest, not bothering to raise his head.
“No?” Techno repeats, surprised.
“No?” The director repeats, incredulous.
“Mhm.” Tommy hums in confirmation that the child said no to his bosses and coworkers.
After a few minutes like this, another woman comes up close, whispers just loud enough for Techno and Tommy to catch the words, but no one else could, “Tommy you will listen to the director, or I will take away Henry. Henry’s dinner too.”
Techno stills. Henry is Tommy’s dog. He knows because Tommy told him.
“Not Henry!” Tommy stomps his foot.
“He is watching Tom,” she looks to the director, in what seems to be some form of panic and shame, “Let Techno go. Right now. This is embarrassing.”
“Mrs innit, it’s okay, he can hug me if he wants. We can just go off set-”
“Thomas.” She says in warning, ignoring Techno.
Tommy clutches tighter to Techno, clinging to the way the teen both soothes his instincts and makes them go wild in a wordless spur of feelings that vaguely resemble ‘protection-safe-brother’.
“Tom I swear to-” his mom begins.
“Is something wrong here?” A familiar voice sounds out. A voice that wants to leave Tommy. A voice of a dad that claimed he would never be Tommy’s dad.
Tommy keeps clinging to Techno so that he can’t try to leave like his bio parents. Like his adopted ones most nights. Like Philza who just claimed he didn’t want to be His.
“Toms? You alright?” Tommy stills. “Tech?” He asks
“Not a clue, he’s just clingin’.”
They leave the set and any prying eyes. Tommy’s mom goes to apologise to the director
“…Tommy?” Phil carefully asks.
“Mm?”
“What's wrong bud?”
Tommy burrows his face further and mutters. “Leaving.”
“You’re leaving?” Phil sounds confused.
“No!” Tommy corrects. “You will!”
“What?”
“You’re gonn’ leave me like they all do.” The boy sniffles.
“Oh.” Phil makes a soft sad sound.
“No we’re not. We’re right here.” Techno says confidently.
“But Phil says he’s not my dad. Tech are you and Wil still my brothers?” Watery eyes look up at him. Techno looks up at Phil for help.
When Phil doesn’t say anything, only watching Tommy sadly, Techno answers hesitantly, “Well we’re- You-” he cuts himself off. His voice softens as he places a hand in golden hair that makes his instincts purr, “Yeah Toms, I see you as a brother.”
He looks up at him with bright blue, trusting eyes. He wipes his nose with a grubby little hand and a sniffle. “And you won’t go?”
“I won’t go.” He confirms. “Even when The Sleepy Boys show is over, we can still see each other. Wilbur and Phil too.”
“Yeah. He’s right Toms.” Wilbur says, suddenly coming up to them. He must’ve been listening just out of sight. “We can always see each other, whenever your parents say you’re allowed.” Wilbur adds with a small smile.
Phil smiles sadly at the interaction.
“Promise?” Tommy asks, still clutching onto Techno.
“We promise.” They say. And they mean it.
They would do anything for this boy. The family dynamic may have started out as a fiction, but now it’s real. And they will be there for him in any way that they can.
And if Phil gets to adopt Tommy when his parents are outed for being neglectful. Well, the media latches onto that one. But most importantly, it means Tommy gets to spend more time with his family, even if Techno and Wilbur only get to visit occasionally between jobs.
They are still his brothers, and Phil is now Tommy’s adopted father, even if he isn’t a father to Techno and Wilbur.
To them, their patchwork of family dynamics is everything.