Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The morning sun poured through the tall hospital windows, spilling golden light across the sterile room. Dust motes floated lazily in the beams, glittering like fragments of a forgotten dream.

The machines at Tommy’s bedside hummed softly, the heart monitor beeping in its steady rhythm.

His room was quiet, almost peaceful, though there was a heaviness in the air.. the kind of silence that belonged to places where time stretched endlessly.

A vase of wilted flowers sat on the table, long forgotten by visitors who had stopped coming years ago.

The calendar on the wall had been changed and replaced countless times, marking months Tommy never lived through.

His body lay still beneath the sheets, bandages wrapped like a cocoon over old wounds that had healed into scars. His chest rose and fell gently, the only sign of life in a body that hadn’t moved in years.

Until today.

As the sunlight stretched further across the bed, brushing against his face, Tommy’s eyelids twitched.

For the first time, the silence in the room began to shift.

Tommy’s eyes fluttered open, blinking gently against the flood of light seeping through the window. The brightness stung and instinctively, he tried to raise a hand to shield his face.

Nothing happened.

No twitch of muscle, no weight, no movement, just emptiness where strength should have been. A cold wave of dread crawled through him. His body felt heavy and useless, even his head throbbed like a drumbeat echoing inside his skull.

Tommy swore he felt a sharp pain went through his head before..

“...ah...”

He tried to speak, he tried to make a sound, but the only sounds breaking the suffocating silence were the beeping of a heart monitor and the faint hiss of oxygen feeding through the mask over his mouth.

What the hell happened?

With small effort, he turned his gaze downward. His pupils shrink as his chest tightens at the sight of layers of white bandages wrapped around his torso, his arms stiff in casts, his legs weighed down by plaster and straps.

He looked less like himself and more like a shattered doll pieced back together.

Holy fuck does it hurts.

Hurts so bad.

And he looks like a fucking mummy right now.

Taking a deep breath of a sudden memory he remembered, pain pulsed through every nerve.

He remembered everything so well. The way he tried to kill himself, the roar of a truck horn deafen his hearings, hell- even the pain of bones destroyed in his body before he died.

He died.

He swore he died.

He fucking swore he had died!!

He was sure of it. Why? Because he could feel the world slipping away as the air went from his lungs. Even his chest refused to rise, to MOVE.

God fucking damn it!!

If he was alive, then the truth was even worse. Yeah he had fallen into a fucking coma and that was the worst way to exist.

Imagine you’re trapped while your own body is numb and unresponsive. Everyone and the world moving on without you.

Days could blur into months, months to years.

Hell, even Tommy couldn’t tell how long he had been gone.

Hours? Weeks? Maybe longer???

“Fuck this shit man..” He cursed to himself. Now he needs to go through this pain all alone.

From the side, slowly, he heard a door creak open.

The boy tried to turn his head, but his neck refused to obey, so the only thing he could do was shift his eyes instead.

Then, a young male nurse entered, eyes glued to a clipboard as if checking on something. He suddenly glanced up that he froze, gaze locking with Tommy’s half-lidded eyes.

“Haha.. surprise..” Tommy whimpered in a playful manner.

“Oh my God.. Mr. Tommy? Are you… awake?” the nurse whispered as if he’s disbelief in his tone.

“I don’t know man, do you see my eyes open?”

The nurse then quickly spun on his heel, calling for the doctor.

“Oh he’s calling them.. oh well, 3… 2-” He counted down before he heard the room filled with hurried footsteps, “OH WHAT THE HELL MAN, THAT’S SO FAST?!!”

They all loomed over the boy, their faces filled with shock and relief. Tommy blinked, his mind clouded, words from their mouths sounding muffled like echoes from underwater.

Plus, their stares totally don't make it less awkward.

“..how long..” Tommy whispered weakly. He doesn’t want to wait for an answer, he needs to get out of their sight. “..I’ve been asleep..?”

“Mr. Tommy…” The doctor opened his mouth to answer. He hesitated a bit, but the way Tommy stared at him, he sighed in defeat,“..You’ve been in a coma for three years. Your body suffered extensive damage from the accident; multiple broken bones, fractures that had to heal over time. Your skull cracked open damaging your brain. We weren’t sure if you’d ever wake up.”

Yeah this is why he prefers to die after a massive crash.

They sounded painful. The doctor’s words hung in the air like a weight Tommy couldn’t carry. Repeating three years like a broken cassette.

Three years.

Three whole years.

He tried to move, to speak, but his throat burned raw, his lips cracked and dry. A sudden low rasp and cough left his mouth which made his chest felt a sharp pang of pain.

The other nurse leaned in immediately, his expression softening trying to calm him down from the shock. “Don’t try to talk yet, Mr. Tommy. Your throat hasn’t been used in a long time.. let me help you.” He turned quickly, pouring water into a small cup, then slipped a straw between Tommy’s lips.

The first sip was agony and relief at once, his body coughed against the sensation, but the cool liquid soothed the desert that was his mouth.

“Slowly,” the doctor warned, resting a hand on the bedrail. “Your muscles are weak. Even swallowing will feel difficult for now. We’ll start with small sips, then later we’ll move you to soft food.”

The nurse adjusted Tommy’s pillows gently, propping him up just enough to breathe easier. He wiped the edge of Tommy’s mouth with a careful hand as though afraid of hurting him. “After so long, your body won’t respond the way it used to. But the fact that you’re awake now… that’s already a miracle. Congratulations, Mr.Tommy, and welcome back.”

Tommy blinked slowly, exhaustion tugging at his eyes again.

No, he’s not exhausted because he’s in pain.

“Welcome back my ass… I wanted to die.”

But rather he failed to die.

-

It had been months since the doctors finally allowed Tommy to leave the hospital.

He still needed a walking stick tho since his legs were too weak to carry his weight, but that wasn’t what weighed him down the most.

His eyes were empty now, hollow, stripped of the light they once held. Baby blue eyes turned grey as if there was no hope left in him.

Tommy didn’t return greetings from children who waved, didn’t care for the flowers blooming in the gardens he passed, didn’t smile at the animals that wandered close.

He was just… Tommy. But empty.

Even when a butterfly landed delicately on his shoulder, he ignored it, trudging past as if life itself no longer mattered.

Clack.. clack…

The boy’s first destination was a small shop,a flower shop. Once, it had been his pride, the little place he managed to build with his own hands because of his love for flowers, because he couldn’t stop collecting them.

Now, it was simply where he lived after his mother had cast him out.

The shop was dusty, abandoned by time. But it kept him alive—selling flowers was enough to earn money for school, enough to keep him fed.

Yes, That was all.

Nobody waited for him in his home.

Tommy stood before the door, his trembling fingers reaching beneath a clay pot to retrieve the key hidden there.

He unlocked the door and stepped inside. Inside, the air was heavy…. Thick with dusts. The room was dark, cold, and unbearably quiet for his liking.

But alas, he didn't care.

He was too tired to clean, too tired to pretend this was a home.

He then slumped into the nearest chair, staring at the shelves of flowerpots that lined the room.

Most of them had withered, leaves curled and the pretty petals had fallen because his owner had left them too long.

..All except one.

The stubborn little cactus he had stolen years ago still stood, green and alive.

Tommy’s chest ached.

He prayed to himself, he prayed and he PRAYED that he could wither like those flowers and fade away.

Because if he’s gone, nobody even bothers to find him..

..right?

Exhaustion weighed heavy on his shoulders, dragging him down. The poor boy’s body sagged against the chair as the walking stick slipped to the floor with a dull clatter.

Tears hugged his face with warmth as the boy slowly closes his eyes and let himself fall asleep.

Chapter Text

Tommy hasn’t been able to manage the flower shop properly since he got injured during his attempt.

He couldn’t even lift the fertilizer to fill the flower pots and keep the last surviving blooms fresh. He couldn’t move anything from one corner of the shop to another without gripping his walking stick just to stay upright. And the upper shelf where he used to tuck away spare flower seeds, had turned into a loud reminder of everything he could no longer reach.

Nothing came easy for him anymore. It didn’t matter how many times he forced himself to try, it’ll fail. So he began setting things aside, tucking them away into every corner of the room before continuing cleaning tables near him.

Tommy lets the silence linger for a moment. His eyes stay fixed on the newly cleaned table before he lets out a quiet huff and heads outside. His red scarf fluttered in the wind, and Tommy wanted to sneeze when a leaf brushed past his nose, but failed anyway.

“Motherfuck-!” He lets out an irritated sound as he wipes his nose roughly. He already couldn’t do much because of his legs, and now he had failed at sneezing too. Seriously, how is he not supposed to lose his mind over this!

At some point, he hears something ruffles from one of his bushes plants. Tommy listens to its ruffles as he slowly walks closer while raising one of his eyebrow.

He didn’t expect anything than stray animals like cats, dogs, or mouses—

—but THIS?!

Tommy freezes. People are walking on the side roads, doing God knows what, and even 10 seconds has passed.

Dark blue eyes locked onto the tall figure, who now stood frozen like someone caught red-handed in a place he definitely shouldn’t be. The stranger didn’t move, didn’t even flinch right up until Tommy swung his walking stick and struck him hard.

“ARE YOU TRYING TO ROB ME, YOU LITTLE SHIT?!”

“WAIT—WAIT—OUCH?! CALM DOWN!!” The stranger yelled, hands raised defensively.

Did this bitch just told him to calm down?

Oh no no no, Tommy did not calm down.

WHACK.

“DONT ‘CALM DOWN’ ME, BITCH?!!”

“HEY HEY—WHY ARE YOU STILL HITTING ME?! OW OW OW?!!” The stranger wheezed, stumbling back while trying to dodge a surprisingly fast walking stick attacks.

WHACK,

“BECAUSE YOU’RE STILL HERE!!”

“I’M TRYING TO EXPLAIN BUT YOU WOULDN’T STOP ATTACKING ME?!”

Ha! There’s no way Tommy will let the random stranger have the room to fight back. “GOOD! MAYBE THAT’LL TEACH YOU NOT TO BREAK INTO A DISABLED BOY’S HOME!!”

“BECAUSE YOUR SIGN SAYS OPEN!!”

Tommy paused mid-swing.

Dead silence.

He slowly turned towards the shoo entrance.. and the rando was right….

The sign hanging on the door was indeed glowing in bright letters: OPEN

“..oh…..”

The stranger dropped to his knees in dramatic relief, as he’s breathing hard. He rubbed the spots where the walking stick had hit him, trying to ease the pain. For someone with a disability, Tommy had way too much energy.

But just as the stranger finally started to relax that the attacks had stopped, shivered when he saw Tommy slowly raising his fist in anger.

“...You think I’ll believe you?” Tommy says, his voice almost a bark. “Nobody would come to a shop that’s been closed , dusty and dirty for this long. Not even an old woman would step inside when the place isn’t even ready yet, even if the sign says open.” He took a step closer, eyes burning with frustration.

The stranger under him gulps in fear,

“And NOBODY,” he points out, “would go out of their way to visit a shop that’s practically buried in the bushes.”

It looks like Tommy got him because the stranger doesn’t say anything.

Nobody can fool Tommy, not even his own family.

Tommy’s grip on his walking stick tightened, “Now tell me, why the fuck are you here?”

The stranger hesitated—not because he was scared, Tommy noticed, but because he was choosing his words carefully. And despite everything. Tommy found himself quietly appreciating that. At least this rando was trying not to make him even angrier.

Now that he actually thought about it, the stranger was dressed too… well? Too formal, tidy, polished. Nothing about him screamed “robber.”. The guy looked unfairly stunning in a black tailcoat, the bows on the sleeves sways as the emerald waistcoat under it fit him perfectly, paired with a patterned white shirt and a ruffled black cravat pinned with a teal gemstone.

Even the earring and bracelet matched, because of course they did.

But Tommy won’t let his guard down. He’d seen enough to know that robbers nor thieves could look luxurious too… sometimes the expensive ones were the worst.

Cough politicians cough.

The stranger slowly pushed himself back to his feet, rubbing the back of his neck with an embarrassed laugh.

“I’m… playing hide and seek with my brother and friend,” he said, voice shrinking with every word. “I thought this shop was abandoned, so I figured I could hide here. I’m really sorry if I bothered you.”

Tommy scrunched his face in confusion. He was supposed to feel insulted since someone had mistaken his shop for an abandoned building, but the stranger wasn’t exactly wrong either. Still, Tommy didn’t bother on it for long.

Because suddenly, he wasn’t thinking about the excuse or the apology.

He was staring at the stranger’s eyes.

They were… red.

A sharp, vivid kind of red that didn’t quite look real.

But the way he’s wearing green while his eyes are red—that doesn’t make any sense?! This guy got no fashion sense.

And are those eyes even natural?

“Okay whatever I don’t care.”

“Huh??? But you wanted me to explain-“

“Yo, you should at least tell me your name.” He cut off, receiving a blank stares from his conversation partner, “You look like you’re from rich neighborhood because I don’t even recognize you, like, at all?”

“Ah, no, you’re right, I’m not from here..” he mutters and wears a soft smile, “My name is Ender, and I’m waiting for my brother to find me and my friend.”

Tommy glares at him, “That name sucks.”

“But it’s unique, right?”

Wow, so this bitch is a positive radar.

“…….fine,” Tommy relents. “Whatever.”

See, the thing is… Tommy already knew this guy wasn’t going to rob him. Someone dressed that stupidly rich didn’t break into dusty flower shops for spare change. Tommy just wanted an excuse to hit him and it worked.

Did he feel sorry?

No.

Did he kind of want to do it again?

…maybe?

But in the end, he lowered his walking stick and put it back to where it actually belonged, supporting his weight and keeping his body steady.

The tall one stares at him for a long time before the tired boy finally asks:

“You still wanna hide or are you just standing there to adore my legs?” Tommy hisses which got a funny reaction from the rich boy, “Why are you panicking? You wanna make fun of me because I couldn’t walk properly?”

Despite Tommy’s words, Ender is worried that Tommy will smack him with how tightly he grips his walking stick. His eyes are wide, and shiny, defensive as if he expects something to be thrown at him, and he only seems to breathe when Tommy lets out a mocking laugh.

“Hahahaha! You should at least take a look at your face, rich boy!!” He brought up his index finger, “Nah I was joking. Now shoo shoo, hide before your brother found ya. I know nothing here is valuable, just don’t take anything.”

“Oh,” he breathes simply, looking at Tommy who began to walk to the nearest flower pots and sits on the ground, “Okay… understood… so um,, If I may ask-“

“What?”

“Uh… what’s your name? You look like you’re around my age. What happened to this place? What happened to you? Are you okay? Do you need help cleaning this place?”

“Oi.” Tommy cut him off. “You do realize you’re asking a lot of questions, don’t you?”

Ender blinked, then nodded quickly. “I-I’m sorry if my questions make you uncomfortable…”

“What the? Dude, are you sure you’re rich?” Tommy frowned. “Rich people act like assholes, and you’re—YOU’RE LIKE THE EXACT OPPOSITE.”

Ender tilted his head, taking a slow step closer before crouching beside him. “Is… that bad?”

Tommy stared. He didn’t answer immediately. And for a moment, just a moment, Ender could’ve sworn Tommy’s dark blue eyes flickered with a faint glow.

“…No, actually,” Tommy said at last. Now he just felt stupid and guilty for being rude to some random rich guy who didn’t even deserve it. “And the answers to your questions are: I’m Tommy, yes we’re probably the same age because I felt that too, I haven’t taken care of this place for three years, I tried to kill myself but failed anyway, yes—I’m okay…for now, and no, I don’t need help. Does that answer your questions?”

Ender didn’t speak for a moment. His mouth opened as if he had something to say, but nothing came out.

Not shock.

Not pity.

Just… silence. A concerned silence.

“That’s… a lot,” he finally whispered. “You didn’t have to tell me everything. But thank you for trusting me anyway.”

Tommy clicked his tongue and looked away to his wilted flowers. “I don’t really care. It just slipped out.”

Ender nodded like he understood, actually understood and didn’t try to touch him or offer sympathy or rush in with help. He just stayed beside him, giving him space without leaving him alone.

“…Tommy,” Ender tried again, voice small, “even if you don’t need help… can I stay for a while?”

Tommy didn’t look at him. But his grip on the walking stick eased, “..To hide, from your brother, right?”

Ender put a warm smile, knowing Tommy will let him stay for as long as he likes, “yes, to hide from my brother.”

maybe, a small company isn’t that bad.

-

Nevermind, this bitch is a pain in the ass.

“I TOLD YOU TO CUT THE STEAMS AT 45-DEGREE ANGLE!! NOT 90-DEGREE YOU DUMB FUCK?!!”

“B-But I don’t know which way is 45 angle-“

“YOU’RE STUPID!!!”

Chapter Text

Tommy had started disliking this Ender boy.

Normally, he never bothered with how his flowers were scattered around, as long as they were arranged correctly. Roses stayed with other roses (even if they were different colors), jasmine with jasmine, bluebells with bluebells, and so on.

So when Ender starts picking up flowers from the floor and placing them everywhere, Tommy felt his eye twitches.

“The hell are you doing?”

Ender didn’t notice the expression Tommy makes. “Helping moving the flowers so they wouldn’t get in the way and probably I can hide between these flowers!”

Oh my God.

When Tommy meant to let him stay, he meant to stay quiet and hide.

Not— touching his belongings?!

“Dude, you can hide behind my shop, that tree, those bushes, or under the table! Why my flowers?! They’re already wilted anyway?!?!” He gives Ender a shove, just because he can. “Now dont touch what’s mine!’

Ender doesn’t look convinced. He places down a flower pot from his hands and with one smooth movement sits down in between the flower pots. “Or else?”

Tommy can’t tell what’s this little shit is trying to do. He regret everything starting from letting this bitch stay in his shop. He gapes at Ender for a long, awkward klik before he inhaled deeply.

And then, he yells at the top of his lungs.

“ENDER HIDES HERE!!! YOU CAN FIND HIM HERE!!!!’

Ender eyes widened in shock as he stands up and almost falling to the ground when one of his leg acccidentally stumbles into a black pot with wilter jasmine in it. He quickly mauled himself to Tommy and shut covers his mouth with his hands in panic to make him stop screaming before someone found his location. Not to say it’s ALSO impolite, but it’s also starting to make Tommy mad, which causes him to lick Ender’s hands.

“What the- Tommy?!” Ender jerks back as he wipes his hands on his expensive looking clothes, “It’s dirty!’

Tommy wipes the rest of salivas on his mouth with his shoulder, “THATS WHAT YOU GET FROM COVERING MY MOUTH AND NOT LISTENING TO MY ORDER!!”

Ender knows what he does was wrong, but he still stares at Tommy; flustered, offended, and cofused,

“But-“

“No buts!!”

“Tommy?”

Both of them stunned at the sudden voice.

None of them moves — except their heads are moving very slowly tilts towards the direction of the sound.

Someone who looks exactly like Ender, from the jawline, the hair cut, the annoyingly perfect posture freezes in the fence. He’s wearing the same style of clothing as Ender, only their colors are reversed: Where this guy got hints of red colors than green, and his eyes, the same sharp green are glued straight to Tommy.

And not to Ender.

“You’re Tommy, correct?” is the first question that came out from the stranger’s mouth. He never breaks eye contact and keep staring at Tommy to the point he became uncomfortable.

At first, Tommy doesnt answer. He don’t recall knowing this rando especially when he knows his name. He never made any friends except Purpled.

It doesn’t sound quite right, that thoughts, Tommy can’t quite put his finger on why. Something deep in his head wants to say something, wants to scream, wants to deny, wants to correct that statement that he got more friends than Purpled.

But he swears he doesn’t know this guy. He swears he’s never seen him in his life. His memory is good.

His memories are not fucked up after the crashes, right????

It takes Tommy longer to reply, long enough that Ender is starting to feel anxious.

“Uuuhh.. what’s… going on?” Ender clears his throat, “Anyway, Ranboo let’s continue hiding before he found us, okay? Let’s go.”

No reaction from either Ranboo or Tommy.

But that name?

It feels oddly.. familiar…

Ender walks up to him and pats his shoulder. Clearly trying to reel him back before he says anything even weirder. He looks worried, not for his brother tho, but for Tommy who absolutely did not sign up for physical horror on Tuesday afternoon.

“Uh so.. this is Ranboo. My brother. Twin, to be exact-“

Ranboo raises his hand sharply and shuts Ender instantly.

“H-Hey?!”

“Tell me, you are Tommy, are you not?”

Tommy grips his walking sticks, there’s a mix exprssions between anger and confussion. Either because he’s fighting with voices in his head, or fighting not to scream at Ranboo who’s walking closer with hope in his eyes. “..yeah, I’m Tommy? Who the fuck are you?”

Tommy doesn’t know what he’ll do actually. Smack the stranger—Ranboo on his face for acting like a weirdo? Starts asking him more questions to not make it creepier? Pretend he saw nothing and carry-on ignoring the twins existence?

He doesn’t pay any mind. Doesn’t bother to pick a fight. But when the other twin starts crying, both him and Ender look at him immediately.

“..You’re alive….” He whispers, those sharp eyes changes instantly into soft ones, voice trembles like it’s holding years of something heavy, “Oh Tommy..”

Tommy’s breath stops.

Why is this guy suddenly crying?

Ranboo’s eyes filled with hope as fat tears spill down his cheeks faster than he can wipe away. No matter how fast he wipes with his hands, shoulder even, the tears won’t stop. His whole body is shaking, throat feels like holding back words he wants to say for so long.

And Tommy? Damn, it hurts to watch.

“Can I hug you?” Ranboo suddenly asks, voice was hoarse and soft from crying.

“W-Whoa Ranboo, breathe okayy? Look, I don’t know what happened but let’s not scare the guy off, shall we?” Ender gaze keeps switching from Ranboo, to Tommy multiple times. But Ranboo doesnt even seem to hear him.

Don’t get Tommy wrong. Physical affection is not his thing. Being touched without warning definitely is not his thing. And being huggged by a crying stranger who claims to now him?

Hell no.

But Ranboo makes it hard. He looks pathetic. Ranboo is looking at him like he’s waiting for permission to breathe, while Ender staysin his panic status and saying sorry multiple times.

Look, Tommy isn’t cruel, he doesnt want to be the bad guy here. Ranboo DOES looks like he really desperate to hug him. Maybe he really knows Tommy than he knows himself. He feels bad for a random guy who’s crying after realizes that he, himself is Tommy. He also feels bad for Ranboo, plus—his crying face doesn’t help at all.

So he gives the smallest, stiffest nod.

Not even one second later, Ranboo launches himself forward and Tommy doesnt even have time to brace.

“Wait- Ranboo don’t!-“

His walking sticks fell leaving his figure on the ground with Ranboo crashes into him, arms wrapping around him so tight it almost knocks the air out of Tommy’s lungs. That guy buries his red face in Tommy’s shoulder and sobs loudly, messy.

“I missed you-” Ranboo chokes out, words muffled against Tommy’s scarf. “I never- I never thought I’d see you again- I can’t, I just- thank God- Thank God- You don’t know how much your death haunted me. Every scenes keeps replaying over and over again. The way your smile disappeared, the way you didn’t breathe— I can’t get rid of it! I can’t sleep, cant eat—fuck- I cant even do anything properly. You promised we’d stay together! Yet, you left us. You never asked for anything. Never asked for help, never told us how bad things were, and if it did, you tried to make us smile. I- no, we misses your hugs, we misses your voices, your smile, your terrible jokes.”

“I need you. “ Ranboo pulls back and stares at Tommy’s eyes. “We need you!”

Tommy’s breath stalls.

Why do this guy pretends he knows so much about Tommy?

What does he meant by we? Him and Ender? But Ender himself doesn’t dare to interrupt. Rather, he looks frozen where his shoulders raised awkwardly like he’s walked into something he shouldn’t seen. He only watches with eyes fixed on them, hands fidgets uncontrollably.

Yeah, probably not Ender.

But looking back at Ranboo, why does his own chest hurts and warm at the same time? Tommy doesnt know what to do with someone cares for him like that. He doesn’t know what to answer, he doesn’t know whether to deny it, scream or crumble.

“So please… don’t do that EVER again.. Don’t go, I may be selfish, but I’d be selfish-” Ranboo paused for a moment. He looks at Tommy’s confused face, hesitant, before he shakes his head, “..I’d be selfish if it’s about you..”

Ranboo is holding him like he’s the only thing in the world that ever mattered.

And Tommy, despite every part of him asking questions to himself, cannot move.

-

After the breakdown, they ended up siting on the ground. Ranboo still hadn’t let go of Tommy’s hand. Scared of leting go. Tommy sat beside him, staring at one of his wilted forget-me-not. While Ender stayed a couple feet away with his knees drawn up to his chest.

Nobody dares to say anything. Only Ranboo hiccups and sniffles filled the air.

“..I’m sorry for how my brother acts to you. It must been confusing trying to understand all of this..” Ender starts as he looks apologetic which got a wave of hand from Tommy as an answer.

“Nah.. don’t be.” Tommy smiles sheepishly, “I was surprised because someone who cried for me turns out to be a random stranger.”

“The hell? Don’t call me that?! And of course I cried for you, you moron! You sacrificed yourself for us without warning!!!”

Wait, what?

“Excuse me?”

“Remember when an arrow went through your head after you pushed us toward the portal?” Ranboo pleads. “I know, I know you didn’t want to break your promise to make us happy, but that’s not how it’s done! Protecting us wasn’t supposed to mean dying, Tommy!”

“Brother, you’re speaking nonsense…” Ender muttered quietly, but there was fear in his voice.

Tommy’s lips pressed into a thin line. His stomach twisted, but his brain was certain….. yeah, this guy definitely had the wrong Tommy. Probably some rich-kid friend group trauma, some private school kid who died or whatever. They must’ve been close, sure, but not him.

“Uh… yeah. No…. Think you got the wrong guy, mate…”

Tommy yanked his hand, harder. But Ranboo didn’t let go.

“I AM NOT, OKAY?!” Ranboo snapped, voice cracking with desperation. “You think I want this? You think I want to- to relive that day every time I close my eyes?! It’s not!!! it’s not some story or some messed-up trauma bonding hallucination. It happened. You died. I watched it happen, I held you and now you’re here, and I-”

Ranboo’s voice began to break apart, “……I don’t know how to handle it.”

“It’s hard to explain,” Ranboo continued, trying to catch his breath. “But I’m sure Tubbo would like to explain, he always explains stuff better. He’ll make you remember. You’ll understand once you see him.”

“…who’s Tubbo?” Tommy asked flatly.

Ranboo froze.

“What?” he breathed, like the word alone punched him. Tommy stared back while having defensive annoyance all over his face. “I said who’s Tubbo? Should I know him? Is this another imaginary friend I’m supposed to cry over too—?”

“Ah.. well, Tubbo is our friend..” Ender speaks up.

The reaction from other twins was instant. Ranboo’s grip tightened as his whole face crumpled, devastation overtaking everything at once.

“… you don’t remember Tubbo?”

Chapter Text

The anxiety rolling on his stomach, everything mixed, raw and unfiltered. As far as Tommy lived, he never met anyone named Tubbo in his entire life. He swears on his dead grandma. Yet this Ranboo guy looks way more DESPERATE to make him remember about a nobody..

Tommy watches. Tommy observes.

“Your head is THAT fucked up, huh..” Ranboo says, easily. Too easily, “He was the one that clings to you the most..”

For a moment Tommy doesn’t want to get offended despite how panic wrapped itself on Ender’s face. The other twins keeps mumbling sorry about his rude brother that Tommy couldn’t bother to count anymore. He knew Ranboo said that on purpose, and seeing how many times Ender apologizes, Tommy didn’t mind.

With a huff, Tommy shakes his head, grumbling the entire way. “You’re acting like I’ve been hanging around you guys this whole time. Appreciate the cries and grieves tho. But no matter how many fucking times you said it, I still don’t recall ANYTHING. I don’t know you OR Ender. Heck, I don’t even know that Tubbo guy?! Just- what do you want from me?!”

The color instantly drains from Ranboo’s face, Ender hesistanly scrambles up to his feet in hurry while brushing his clothes from the dusts. His eyes exchanges stares between Ranboo and Tommy with an awkward stance. “U-Um, Imma go grab…. Tubbo…”

“Y-Yes!” Ranboo blurts out, looking determined which startles Tommy. “Bring him back! Tell him I found Tommy!!”

Tommy watches as Ender nodded before sprinting away from them almost stumbling another flower pot near exit fences. Like any sane person would, he knew he couldn’t take any randos words as truth. He’s cautious. And that’s normal. Yeah, normal. Either Ranboo, Ender and this Tubbo guy were telling the truth,or pretending they’re his friends so they could kidnap him and sell his organs in black market. Call him paranoid, but some rich freaks dothat in order for money.

Wow he’s so fucking smart as hell. Someone should give him a medal.

“Woah you’re so paranoid.”

..Huh?

Tommy suddenly freezes and eyes darting around. His head spins looking through every directions to find the source of the voice. There’s no one else nearby, nobody’s there except him and Ranboo. The voices echoed for a bit, but this is an open space. There’s no room for it to echoes. Tommy ends up locking eyes with Ranboo.

“Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“N-Nevermind.” Tommy shakes the thought away, feeling ridiculous for bringing it up. Trying not letting himself think too deeply on everything. And when he began to feel the awkwardness settling the atmosphere, he reaches down to grab his walking sticks back that aren’t falling too far from him.

Not much changed during the waits. Ranboo stays silent, while Tommy just stares into the sky. There was just leaves everywhere, falling from the trees he had planted years ago. They’d tickle his skin where it landed. Ranboo on the other hand just keep staring at Tommy, pupils won’t leave him alone and Tommy WOULD. I repeat, WOULD ignore it, as always.

But now?

“You looks like you wanna ask me something, Boob boy.” Tommy can practically hear how offended Ranboo gets.

“Do NOT call me that!”

Tommy shrugs off, “it’s funny, I can’t lie. So what’s your questions, Boob boy?”

Ranboo doesn’t dare to speak after that. He just. Sits there. Green emerald pupils glued the ground as he’s chewing thousands thoughts at once like he’s scared of what will came out from his mouth. And Tommy? He finds it annoying. He gave the boy permission to ask but all he did was…. shut his mouth? It’s a pathetic sight, really.

But what Tommy doesn’t realize, it reminds him of something.

More like, someone.

Someone else used to sit like that in front of him. Quiet, tense, face looks confident but afraid of something. That someone who showed the same darting eyes, the same silence when things got scary too handle. And.. if Tommy paid just slightly more attention, he’d notice the way Ranboo’s brows furrowed, the exact same way that person used to. But Tommy doesn’t look long enough.

Because every time he tries to remember that faint memory, it hurt his head.

So he refuses to.

“Tommy?” The boy finally speaks, “what happened to you?”

Okay, he didn’t think the question would hit that directly. Ender asked the same question, so it’s only fair to give the same answer to his twins, right?

“Well, you see,, I tried uh…. Killing, myself?”

Ranboo tenses, “WHAT!?”

Tommy expected his surprise as he waves his hand away, “Funny story, I threw myself in front of a truck and ended up in coma for three year. And guess what? Lucky me didn’t stay dead, hurray for me yeaaayyyyyy….”

He laughs because he thinks it’s genuinely funny. Which… get a weird stare from Ranboo.

“Okay yeah so my legs shattered so bad they weren’t sure I’d walk ever again. But hey, because I’m the biggest man alive, There’s hope. I can move around tho, but it’s still healing.” He taps the walking sticks gently, “These babies are basically my sidekicks until my bones figure their shit out. Yada yada, this is my flower shop. It looks dead, but I’m trying to retrieve it.”

At some point, Tommy found Ranboo stunned. Ranboo just stared at Tommy, overall unimpressed. Tommy shrugged, and even that was an effort. He hates this part when people look at him after he tells them that story. He can handle anything, but pity? He’d rather get hit by the truck again.

“So you wanted to die this whole time..?” Ranboo whispers, voice raspy and quiet. “No wonder you sacrificed yourself without second thoughts…”

“No. Honestly- stop with that.” Tommy warns. “Stop acting like that, it’s getting creepy. Let’s drop the ‘Augghhh we miss you we mourns for you’ bullshits for awhile, okay? For someone who doesn’t understand what’s going on, let’s stop and wait for that guy, what’s his name again? Tubso?”

“..Tubbo.”

“Yeah, that. Let’s wait for him and let him explain, okay?” Tommy swallows his feelings. He lowers himself and lay down against his back. Grass brushes under his body poking like tiny needles, but not as hurt as the pebbles. The pebbles are digging into his spine. Small, and scattered around the ground. Did he tell you that the dirt is pretty damp too? It’s still soaked from when Tommy accidentally (correction: stupidity) splashed water earlier.

He kinda regret laying down, but he doesn’t want to make fun of himself. Though he already committed and getting up again will resulting with Ranboo laughing at him. So here he stays.

Ranboo stays sitting as he brought his knees up and hug them, eyes still glued to Tommy.

He’s just… watching.

….

….

“I just realized I never actually asked about you, Ranboob.” Tommy asks, and Ranboo responds with a blink, curious, “Who are you, really? And how did you got here? Your twins hid in a ridiculous place, which is, apparently, here. What the hell did y’all do beforehand?”

“We were bored.” Ranboo huffs.

“So you played hide and seek??”

“Yeah.”

“….Where the fuck did you live?”

“Not so far from here.”

“..okay? So like. Where’s your family??”

“Home.”

Dude.

“Wooooowww thanks for the—incredibly detailed and unbelievably helpful information.” Tommy dismisses. He can’t even mad because what kind of rich guy spill the tea about their private life?

Ranboo scoffs, “Well if you can guess that, why ask tho?” He questions, fondly rolls his eyes.

“Because maybe I can’t guess everything correctly, genius!” Tommy snaps. “I may be smart as fuck but that doesn’t mean I can predict every aspect of your life, idiot.” He jabs a finger at Ranboo, “I’m not a seer, I can’t see present, past, or future. I thought that’s easy to understand?!”

Ranboo only look at him for a moment, eyes wide like he’s surprised after something came out from Tommy’s mouth.

And so,

He smiles.

“Yeah, you’re not actually a seer, aren’t you? You’re just some guy who randomly says whatever in his mind and turns out to be correct.”

“Damn right.”

“Of course..” The rich boy moves closer to Tommy as he prepares to lay down beside him. He cleans the ground and brushes all the leaves to the side, leaving a clear spot for him to lay down.

“You do realize the ground’s dirty,” He explained, “and damp.”

“I don’t care.”

“Your expensive clothes will get dirty. Won’t that be hard to clean?”

“I’ve got maids.”

Tommy raises an eyebrow, “It’ll hard to clean for THEM- WHY ARE YOU LAYING SO CLOSE—MAKE A DISTANCE!!!”

Ranboo doesn’t seem to budge. He lays there like statue.

“Nah.”

“Bitch?!” Tommy sits up half-way, glaring, “I said, move. Ever heard of personal space?!”

“Yeah but I figured it’ll make you piss off, so I lay here and the spot is comfortable enough for rich man like me.”

Tommy’s brain short-circuits for a second. About a billion different thoughts race through his mind and the only coherent thing he can think of is this has to be a joke. Seriously. A joke. That’s it, if Tommy decides to hate rich people, it’ll because of him.

Tommy lets out a sound that dramatically, loud. It’s pure rage-defeat. The worst kind. Eventually with a frustrated grunt, Tommy falls back to the ground again. “FINE. You know what! I don’t even care anymore. Lay there, be weird, invade my space. I give up.”

The other person smirks. He knew his plan works what a slick bastard. Both of them lays there without saying anything. Still waiting for Tubbo and Ender to be back. Both watching the branches above them sway, the thick leaves blotting out the sky so only thin strips of blue peek through. Sunlight filters down in the little patches that warm their faces.

“The sky is pretty..”

“Yeah. There’s also no cloud and the sky is clear.”

“You like clear sky?”

“I like it a lot.” Tommy confesses. Because it’s just… there. It’s calming. Like how people expecting something from you. They always wait for you to mess up. They’re always waiting. But sky? It’s just exist. It doesn’t ask you to be better, it doesn’t get mad when you fail, it watch you killed yourself on the road. It just exists.

It’s just… there.

“Despite everthing you went through,” Tommy draws a faint smile, “The sky shows up the same way. It keeps you gently..”

Ranboo hums, “There’s heaven but nobody ever get there. You die and your spirit rises to the sky, but as soon as it touches a cloud, it turns into rain full of cries.”

Somehow, those last words caught Tommy off guard. Tommy stares in confusion as he gets one last glance at Ranboo. The guy isn’t even looking back. His eyes are shut, enjoying the breeze and the gentle sunlight washes over his face. He looks calm. It feels wrong that calm looks good on him. It also bothers Tommy how much better it looks than the panic and the crying from earlier.

The words he made just now.

Tommy likes it.

“Do you like poetry?”

“Yeah.. it’s just a small hobby of mine.. even though it’s a pretty useless hobby..” Ranboo slipped a joke in his words, but it seems like Tommy wasn’t interested at all. “And a waste of time. Let’s just watch the sky while we wait-“

“You’re talking bullshit.” Tommy cuts him off, the blonde haired boy rolls his eyes, “The one you just made was brilliant! I know you want just at least, one person to hear your poetry.”

A minute again, before Ranboo speaks up. “Some part of you are still there..”

“What?”

“Forget it.” Ranboo’s eyes flickered up. Again, it’s the only answer he could give. It wasn’t his problem if Tommy didn’t like the answer. He did the same thing to him when he asked about ‘hearing things’ 15 minutes ago.

Just before the flower boy could protest, someone else suddenly appears in front of them. There’s a boy that looks like he sprinted all the way from maybe a very far place. His hands are braced against his knees, chest moving ups and downs multiple times, wide orange eyes locked straight on Tommy like he’s just seen ghost.

This has to be the Tubbo guy they were talking about.

If Tubbo looks messy more than anyone here, he didn’t bother to say.

Tommy decides to sit up, so he’s not lying awkwardly on the grass like a dead fried fish under the sun. He watches Tubbo from his place and dear God he does looks messy for another rich guy he just met. Hair sticking out everywhere, even dirt all over his denim- wait what the hell did he fell??? Because there are huge dirt marks hugging his knees area.

He probably fell hard Tommy guesses, ignoring the way the world began to slow down when Tubbo launched. Arms wide, tears already spilling while his body flying forward, ready to grab Tommy with all his might.

“TOMMY!!!” Tubbo shouted.

And then, there’s Ender. His hand reaching out like he knows what’s coming next.

Oh Ender, your reflex is too late.

Now the blonde haired boy gonna get hugged to death by Ranboo 2.0.

The boy doesn’t even slow down and Tommy barely has time to swear before Tubbo crashes into him, arms lock around his neck—squeezing him as his body shaking hard like he might fall apart if he lets go.

Tommy just… trying to tips backward from the force, holding all his might nearly losing his balance because this guy is strong as FUCK.

“Jesus- Dude, ease up will you?!” Tommy wheezes, but Tubbo only shakes harder against him, crying into his shoulder like he’s been holding it in for years. The boy gasping out of half-words that melt into tears. Air fills with Tubbo’s hiccuping sobs and Tommy don’t know what to do or say.

He doesn’t hug back.

He doesn’t pull away either.

But he brings his hand to pats Tubbo’s back, trying to calm the boy down with gentle pats. He could see Ranboo slowly sit up, settling down with a careful sigh as Ender rubbing his hands together like he’s trying not to freak out. None of them interrupts tho, none of them rushes in. They let Tubbo takes his time.

Then suddenly, Tubbo’s voice cracks between the hiccups.

“I-I thought- hic- I thought I’ll never see you again…”