Work Text:
The early morning air was still as the sun peeked over the horizon, hues of purple and pink dancing in the sky. Dew drops gently dripped from the unkempt blades of grass in the back of Edd's lawn. There laid the affectionately nicknamed Susan, Tom’s beloved bass.
Before the morning, the night had been long and strenuous. Tom and his group of friends had gone on a stressful yet enthralling adventure, discovering ancient ruins in their very own backyard. Tom had an… unfavorable experience with traps that left him seriously hurt. The injury of his own bass, that Edd had destroyed the previous evening, was more concerning to him. Susan held tremendous sentimental value to Tom, as both an artist and a person. He frequently found it difficult to remain aware of the world around him, but music served as a bridge between him and reality. He found solace in playing his bass that could not compare to the hollow distraction alcohol provided him.
This rightfully led him to feel devastated.
Countless lonely nights where he had nothing but the sound of his own music to listen to flashed in his mind. Hell, he offhandedly thought about how playing music led him to become friends with Edd, as they bonded over being artists. He let out a scoff at that thought, as Edd was the very reason his bass was destroyed. He then dragged Susan back to his room to be fixed for the millionth time—though he doubted repair would be possible—as he sighed and rolled his eyes.
It turns out repairing Susan wasn't possible this time. Tom sat on his bedroom floor with a pained expression as his bass crumbled before him. Although he had questioned Susan’s ability to be repaired moments before, he hadn’t really anticipated she would be beyond repair. Tom felt his head spin and his chest constrict as he had the overwhelming impulse to grip his chest in misery. In a split second, a light switched in his head and a rush of anger and panic flowed through him. Shit. He was losing his grip again. Usually, in times where reality was slipping from him he’d play Susan to calm himself down, but now she was a useless pile of junk. He couldn’t afford to fix Susan, considering his dead end job. He wasn't able to turn to his roommates for help, as they were in a similar situation. Without another word, he got up from the floor and walked over to Susan’s case. “I can’t do this anymore! I can’t go through this shit again!” he yelled at her empty case. Tom’s brain worked rapidly to come up with some sort of solution to his problem. He wasn’t sure how long he stared at the back of the case. Then, with his hands trembling, his rage abruptly shifted to Susan. Even though he knew this was illogical, how dare she be broken when she knew Tom had no options if she broke? Suddenly, he stood up and grabbed what was left of the bass and chucked it with extreme force at his wall. Tom watched, feeling the moment go by in slow motion as Susan broke into smaller pieces and laid behind his door dejectedly.
Tom felt a wave of humiliation and sat back down in shame.
He was ashamed that the moment he became overwhelmed, he transformed into an unrecognizable monster. Even though he had never actually hurt anyone but himself, he nevertheless felt disgusting and horrible. Thoughts swirled menacingly in Tom’s head as he began to spiral. Though, he knew he didn't have time to spiral as rapid footsteps drew near the door. Edd gently knocked, then let himself in after gently calling out Tom’s name and asking if he was okay. Edd’s eyes shifted to the miserable looking man on the floor and took in the scene. Edd paused and questioned “Tom, are you okay? What’s going on here?” Tom sighed and looked up at Edd. “Susan’s broken. For real this time.” The man’s brown eyes shifted down to the broken pieces of susan strewn behind the door.
Edd saw Tom tremble and breathe heavily on the ground, and he knew he would have to move quickly. His first thought was to distract Tom with a joke, as he often did. Without a second thought he began “Well, looks like your bass just retired early to pursue a career as a doorstop, who knew she had such aspirations?” Tom paused hesitantly. A quiet moment was shared between the two as he was effectively shocked out of his breakdown. He let out a soft laugh. Tom paused and moved his gaze to Edd’s eyes and affectionately remarked “I cant fucking believe that just worked. Edd you bastard.” Edd replied “Well, its why you love me Tom.” as he smiled deviously.
If only Edd knew how much Tom loved him. Edd had never once tried to “fix” or change who he was, but rather took the time to work with Tom to find effective solutions to help him. Since the beginning of their relationship, Edd had cherished communication and Tom had reciprocated. They were perfectly fitted for each other. Edd was there for him every step of the way and had helped Tom cope with so many things. Of course, Tom had also participated in his fair share of helping Edd. This brought them even closer together. There was never a time when Tom regretted getting close to Edd, even when he had to keep secrets. But he had to put on a front around everyone else because that's how he was made to be. And sometimes he failed to meet expectations. That’s why people treated him differently. That's why they called him fucked up. Why they didn't get him. It's not that they didn't try. Maybe some just simply didn't understand. Either way, Edd understood. He knew exactly what Tom was going through. He could see through the facade that people had grown accustomed to seeing Tom wear. After some more lighthearted banter between the two friends, Edd asked Tom if he wanted to get ready for bed, as it was getting late. Tom agreed, noting that Edd was right.
Before long, the two men fell asleep peacefully in each others arms.