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He ran
His legs ran and ran and kept running
There wasn’t a destination, there wasn’t even a half way point to make. The ground sped underneath Tommy’s feet and only carried him further.
Why was he running? Why wouldn’t he just go back?
Because there was no back, not when phil finds out what he had done.
To be fair he really tried to make this home work out, Phil was kind, techno was warm, and Wilbur held a sweet melody
Well, he still would if tommy didn’t fuck with his guitar. He didn’t mean too, really! Tommy just wanted to try it out because he was sad and it sounded so pretty and reminded him of them but Goddamn he fucked up.
The string snapped and now his fingers are buzzing but that’s probably from the adrenaline.
Wilbur and Techno weren’t there, Phil off to work. He just knows they’ll get back and be so disappointed, Tommy is almost thankful that ran
He will not see their faces when they realize he is just as much of a fuck up as his file says he is.
Tommy stops running when he no longer recognizes his surroundings. it’s evening now and he can see into a small window at a nearby house. It’s a family sitting around a kitchen table. They’re eating and laughing and enjoying themselves, he catches the eye of one after a minute.
He starts running again
————————————————
Paranoia got the best of him again, tommys just waiting to see his social worker pull up beside him, or Better yet the cops. He settles for tracking his feet through the woods, it’s safer this way.
It’s not too bad, the trees help block out the wind (and most of the light) but he’ll manage.
Once tommy decides he’s far enough, he searches for a spot to rest for a minute. It was probably a bad idea to run with nothing except a sweater, but tommy needed to get out of there.
He couldn’t bare to be sent back again, not by them at least.
Once he sets up a makeshift bed out of nearby leaves he settles down.
Tommy almost regrets stopping
Stopping meant being alone with his thoughts and now he wants to cry
Tommy is just so tired
They’re probably home by now, enjoying the fact that they don’t have to deal with him anymore.
At that thought the wind picks up a bit, seeping past the coverage of the trees and surrounds him.
It’ll teach tommy a lesson at least, the cold.
That’s when he finally breaks
The tears drip down his face and into the dirt under him
Tommy cry’s for what he’s lost and the fact he’s done this to himself.
He urges up the strength and he just starts screaming, sobs rip from his voice
He wants it to stop, tommy tries to cover his mouth but it just makes it worse
He slams his against the ground, he doesn’t even realize when he started doing it but he keeps it up.
Tommy deserves to be cold and scared and hurt
Soon the noises dull from his throat as he tires himself out, he knows he really should stay awake, it’s dangerous out.
But his body is heavy and eyelids are struggling to obey him, so without a choice tommy gives in to his exhaustion
He wakes up to a jostle, he really shouldn’t worry about it because it’s literally the woods, animals and such roam and make places to call home. But it’s not the woods moving, it’s him.
He blearily opens his eyes to see someone above him, arms wrapped as they carry him in a direction tommys uncertain of.
In the lull of sleep tommys so tempted to just let himself be carried, let himself rest
But he’s scared and he’s nervous and can’t comprehend who’s above him.
“Go back to sleep Theseus, it’s alright”
A voice sweeps over his ears, he barely makes out what they are saying as the words settle into his mind.
Tommy is almost more determined to stay up now, but the person holds him so gently. They’re so warm and tommy is so cold.
His eyes flicker shut once, then twice, the third time they don’t open again.
And tommy fails to stay away for the second time that night.
It’s morning the next time tommy wakes, he’s unsure of where he is but the previous night of the woods comes back to him.
But it’s too soft and warm to be the damp leaves of the forest, Tommy panics all the more at that.
He shoots up, they found him. His social worker found him and he’s been sent away because nobody wants him anymore and-
“Tommy, tommy mate it’s alright, you’re alright” A man speaks, tommy looks over to him at the sound of his name. It sounds all too sweet to be spoken to him but it is and he can’t help but cry again
“..what?” His voices mumbles
“You’re here, home. Techno brought you back” Phil starts to explain
Phil, that’s Phil and he leans in and hugs tommy. Holding him like he’s a small child, in a way he’s wanted so for long.
“Dad, I heard voices is he awak-“ Wilbur cuts himself off as he walks into the room
Wilbur..?
Oh fuck, Jesus Christ, he remembers, he fucking remembers and He knows why he can’t be here.
And Just like that he’s up and running again
“Tommy!” Phil yells out, sprinting off the bed behind him. “Wait!”
He maneuvers through the halls and starts down the stairs, he sees the door and tries to get to it.
Arms wrap around him again, just like last night but more firmly. They hold him against their chest and don’t let go. Slowly lowering to the ground in the struggle.
“Jeez Tommy, we only just got you back” techno expresses, holding him in his grasp
“Heeha, I haven’t... ran... that fast in a while!” Phil says while panting, laughing a little bit at himself.
“Tommy, why did you run love?” Wilbur gingerly asks
It’s quiet for a minute
.
.
.
.
.
“..send me away” he mumbles
“What?” Techno looks down at him with a confused expression.
“Why would we send you away?”
“I broke Wilbur’s guitar, I promise I didn’t mean to I just wanted to try it out! Please I’m sorry Wilbur I’m so sorry please!” Tommy pleads, struggling again in techno’s grip.
“Tommy honey, we would never send you back! Especially over an accident, nobody is mad at you” Phil comes over kneels next to him
“It’s alright toms, it was a old string that I had been meaning to replace. You’re not in trouble” Wilbur speaks up, joining the trio on the floor
“What?”
“You didn’t do anything wrong runt, you’re alright” this time it’s techno who speaks. He looks up at him with an expression that could only be called pitiful.
“Mate, you wanna go back upstairs? It’s probably not comfortable lying on the floor like that” Phil suggests.
Tommy lightly nods into techno’s chest and that’s all that’s needed for techno to pick him up again.
They walk up the stairs as the two others follow behind, they make it back to Phil’s bedroom and curl up into the soft covers.
He’s surrounded by techno, Phil and Wilbur. Wilbur hugs his arm tights and techno hadn’t let go. He somehow ends up laying on Phil on top of all of that.
They hold him like he’ll disappear
Like tommys the most precious thing that’s ever existed and he can’t help but lean into the touch.
Like it’ll disappear.
But they dont move and don’t force him away, so he’ll take what victoires he can get.
They weren’t mad about the guitar, which is just plain stupid. That shits expensive, but they don’t hate him for it.
Instead they whisper how much they love him and he feels safe
And for once in his life
It’s actual real