Chapter Text
"Tubbo, you bastard!" Tommy yelled out to his friend as the brunette stomped on a little puddle left by the rain, drenching the both of them from head to toe, the only response Tommy got was Tubbo joyous laughter as the brunette began walking away, and Tommy followed after grumbling under his breath.
"Don't be such a clean freak, Tommy" Tubbo chirped out "it's not the end of the world. Besides, I've drenched myself too."
"Serves you right!"
The attempt to keep an angry expression failed when the brunette laughed again, his facade breaking as Tommy huffed, looking away but couldn't hide the little quirk on his lips.
The duo began switching topics and talking about nonsense, laughing and enjoying their time as they head back home.
Tommy and Tubbo are neighbours, the two met when Tubbo moved in about two years ago. The first time they met, they instantly clicked, talking to each other like they were long lost friends, much to each of their parents delight.
It's impossible to see one without the other, both of them doing almost everything together in school. Hell, the classes they have were all almost the same.
Both of them were class clowns, sitting at the last roles and messing around with each other, never being able to listen in class. But despite that, both their results were pretty good, a little above average, which always tend to bring a shock face to the teachers, much to the duo amusement.
"You wanna play some video games with me later?" Tubbo offered, pulling his bag straps and fiddling with them in a mindless manner, looking at Tommy.
"I wish I could but I have loads of assignment, unfortunately. Mr. Wastaken decided to be a pissy bitch today." Tommy groaned out, slapping his hands on his face as he slowly pulled them downwards, stretching his skin.
Tubbo snorted, barely holding to keep his snickers in. Tommy had a bit of a friendly rivalry with their mathematics teacher, Mr. Wastaken. He wasn't a bad teacher, per see. In fact, both Tommy and Tubbo enjoys his classes a lot, the older would crack jokes often and sometimes even relate himself to the students, which the duo find to be absolutely hilarious.
The rivalry started because Tommy was being Tommy and was being a little too loud in Mr. Wastaken class one day, and the professor decided to punish him by giving the boy homework that was meant for next week, hopefully to keep the boy down.
But if there's one thing that everyone should know, is that Tommy Rosales never backs down from a challenge.
And after that incident, it had became a recurring thing, Mr. Wastaken would give Tommy work that was meant for next week and the boy would finish it. And hey, his maths improved a lot so who was he to complain?
In a way, he saw Mr. Wastaken as some sort of an older brother figure. Despite the rivalry, the professor does take care of him well, making sure not to give the boy too much work and also depending on how Tommy was feeling that day.
Tommy noticed that Mr. Wastaken is a very observant person, the man would know how he was feeling no matter how much he try to hide it. If he was feeling rather glum or mad, Mr. Wastaken would not give Tommy the extra work, only giving it to him when the boy was feeling better.
There's been rumors going around that Tommy was Mr. Wastaken favourite student.
When asked about it, the professor simply laughs it off and changes topics, so nobody really knows if the rumor is true.
Mr. Wastaken has also told Tommy to call him Dream when school was over, but Tommy being Tommy, who loves being a little shit, does the exact opposite. No matter how many times Dream would tell Tommy to not call him Mr. Wastaken, the boy would simply turn a blind ear over it, the professor is still trying to get Tommy to call him Dream till this day.
Though he would never admit it, Tommy is and will forever be grateful to Mr. Wastaken.
"I mean, that's just how things are between the two of you. Besides, your maths have been improving greatly so you can't really complain about it." Tubbo informed Tommy, who sighed but nodded in agreement nevertheless, now realising that they were almost home.
"Maybe if I speed run my assignments we could possibly play video games." Tommy suggested, earning a soft laugh from Tubbo who playfully elbowed his arm, Tommy letting out a little 'ow' at the contact but smiled too.
"Don't overwork yourself, big man. Besides, if you can't make it I'll just call up Ranboo."
Tommy scoffed playfully when the name was brought up, folding his arms as he frowned for a more realistic act.
Ranboo was a transfer student who came to their school just a little over a year back, that boy was like a damn beanstalk, standing at the height of 6'6, limbs hanging awkwardly at his side as he stuck out like a sore thumb.
Tommy thought he was weird at first, as Ranboo always wore sunglasses and a mask to cover his face, and the fact that he was just pretty secretive about himself. Ranboo had most of his classes with the both of them, and Tubbo, being Tubbo, had somehow made friends with Ranboo, the two of them actually bouncing each other off pretty well.
Tommy had been genuinely jealous at first, hating Ranboo for trying to steal his best friend and replacing Tommy. Hell, they even got platonically married the day Tommy decided to be sick, the blonde was sulking the next day, and Mr. Wastaken deducted his assignments that day too, seeing how sour Tommy face was.
Though overtime, Tommy started warming up to the tall and lanky boy when he realized that Ranboo wasn't trying to steal Tubbo at all. No, the beanstalk only wanted to make some friends, and Tommy felt a little bad for putting Ranboo in a bad spotlight.
Their friendship bloomed when Tubbo was sick and didn't come to school for a whole week. With no one to talk to but each other, they've become rather close during the one week, which made Tubbo believed he was still sick when he came back to school, even trying to check his temperature and felt his forehead plenty of times when he saw the both of them do friendly things.
Ranboo was a nice lad. Sure, he can be sassy at times, but the boy had become more of a parent figure to the both of them, keeping them in line and restraining the two of them from their impulsive decisions.
Ranboo is a saint for having that much patience and dealing with them.
It was turn for Ranboo to be sick, the tall man probably laying on his bed waiting for them and rethinking his life choices, wondering what he had done to end up having to deal with someone like Tommy and Tubbo.
"Yeah yeah, go play video games with your platonic husband or whatever." Tommy grumbled, huffing exaggerating loudly as Tubbo simply rolled his eyes.
"You can join too if you can, big man. No one will stop you anyway." A snicker. "No one could if they try."
"Ranboo probably could."
"Maybe. But you never listen and he is too tired to deal with any of our shit-"
Tommy let out a laugh and nodded. "That is true. No one tells Tommy Rosales what to do."
"Except for your mom."
"Except for my mom."
Tubbo barked out a laugh as Tommy deflated slightly, a little embarrassed that he had admit it out loud but the deed has been done and he could do nothing to take back what he said.
Another blackmail material Tubbo has on him.
Wonderful.
"Alright. We're home now, Tommy. I'll see you later if you can join Ranboo and I. And if you can't." He did a careless shrug "then I guess I'll just have to see you tomorrow."
Tommy lips quirked to one side, grinning as he looked at Tubbo "alright. I'll see you around, Tubbo."
The two waved each other goodbye, before going into their respective homes. Closing the door and locking it, Tommy sighed as he slid his bag off his shoulder to drop it on the couch.
"Mom?! I'm home!" He called out, stretching until he heard a satisfying crack, before sighing contently, walking further into the house.
"Welcome home, honey! I'm in the kitchen!" He heard his mother called and grinned, going to the kitchen to see what she was up to when he stopped, an object that was resting on the table catching his eyes.
He turned his head to take a good look at it, frowning when he recognized what it was, the bright grin that he had on mere seconds ago was gone, like it was never there in the first place.
It was a brown envelop, and it was packed to the brim, outlining a cuboid shape as Tommy walked to the envelop and picked it up, frowning even deeper.
He knew what it was, and who it was meant to be given.
"Tommy..."
He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard his name, head looking to the side to see his mother, standing by the entrance of the kitchen, adorning an apron and a ladle in one hand, looking at Tommy with a concern gaze.
They both stared at each other in silence, concerned blue eyes clashing with kind, brown ones.
"You can't keep doing this, mom." Tommy broke the silence, his mother pursing her lips into a thin line as she exhale through her nose softly.
"He needs help, Tommy.."
"No he fucking doesn't!“ Tommy spat, not missing the way his mother flinched, and the blonde forced himself to relax slightly, taking deep breaths in and out, before opening his eyes to stare at his mother again.
"Look, mom." He started "I know you want to help him, but you need to think about yourself sometimes." Tommy hesitated, before speaking again, his tone softer this time. "’Don't want a repeat of last time."
His mother tensed, before sighing, a little more loudly this time. "I know, sunshine, I know." She looked to the ground, avoiding eye contact with her son. "But I want to help him, he's been through so much."
Tommy refrain himself from gritting his teeth and force himself calm once again, slouching a little "he may have. But I'm starting to think he's using your kindness as an advantage to trick you." Tommy confessed, speaking his mind.
Growing up, the only family member Tommy had was his mother. He had never seen his father or siblings, if he even had any. He did ask his mother once, but it only broke her down so Tommy swore to himself to never ask such a question again.
He was fine with how he was living now. Even with only a mother, Tommy was happy, because he sees how much she puts in the effort to try to make life easier for Tommy, and Tommy really appreciates it.
Needless to say, he loves his mother a lot and he makes sure she knows that, via through words or actions.
So it's not a surprise that he was protective of her. Who won't? He knows how kind and selfless his mother is and he knows that some people will use this to their advantage.
For example, Mr. Johnson.
Mr. Johnson was one of Tommy neighbours. That man looks to be around in his late 30s, and everything about him is just... Wrong, in all shapes and form.
Tommy was pretty sure that Mr. Johnson is a scammer or something, he just smells like a wrongen and Tommy hates everything about Mr. Johnson. That man would go around the neighbourhood telling all these sad ass stories and ask people for money, which usually succeeded because this neighborhood is nice as fuck.
But pretty soon, they seem to realize that Mr. Johnson was a wrongen and stopped giving him money or answering the door. The only person he ever goes to now is, well, Tommy's mom.
The neighborhood had warned her about how Mr. Johnson stories aren't true and that he uses the money for something else and Tommy's mother should probably stop giving the man money in hopes that he would go away or something.
But his mother just said that it's alright and that Mr. Johnson needed help, always giving him money whenever the man appeared at their doorstep.
Which led to his mother almost facing a bankruptcy.
The neighborhood got together to help pay for their financial bills and problems, except for Mr. Johnson who so convenietly wasn't there at the time, only appearing when they got enough money to pay their own bills.
Tommy was sure the house Mr. Johnson lives in doesn't even belong to him.
So, needless to say, Tommy fucking hates Mr. Johnson.
He was sure that the stories he said weren't true and it was all just an act for people to feel pity for him, and since his mother is literally Godsent, she was the one that fell for his lies and tricks.
Tommy and the neighbours had told her that it was all fake but she still refuse to listen, saying that Mr. Johnson need help.
Yeah, help him find a fucking life.
"You need to stop handing money so easily to him, mom. With the anount you give him everytime, he should have enough to pay all his bills." A pause "-like, three months ago." Tommy deadpanned.
"You never know, Toms. Maybe he has a lot of bills he needs to pay."
Tommy wants to scream and rip his hair out.
Once again, the blonde forced himself to calm down and take a deep breath, to relax and handle this as calmly as he can.
If this keeps on continuing, Tommy might need calming lessons from Ranboo.
His mother doesn't like it when Tommy is not smiling or making any positive related expressions, always telling the blonde to smile more and don't be so grumpy and glum, if Tommy was genuinely feeling upset then it was an exception, but other than that, he was always told to be more cheerful.
Tommy can't even frown in front of his mom without being reminded to be more cheerful. It wasn't that he minded but he would notice that every single time he does as a frown, or that when he snaps at something, his mother would either freeze on the spot or recoil into herself, as if Tommy was reminding her of something that she did not want to remember.
By the looks of it, yeah, it seems that Tommy is reminding his mother of things she doesn't want to remember.
Tommy kind of understands why she would always tell Tommy to be more cheerful when she sees the look on her son face. She doesn't want to be reminded of her past.
Tommy somehow feels bad.
He knows it's not his fault but at the same time, he felt like it was. He doesn't dare pry though, afraid that it would cause a more negative reaction from his mother then when he asked who was his father.
Tommy would give her time, but he knows that she won't say anything, rather keep her troubles bottled up unless Tommy pries, which he really doesn't want to, but one day, he really should.
He wants to know why mom is so scared of him making these negative related expressions. Maybe one day, he would know the truth.
One day.
For now though, he's too lazy to do anything and he still needs to shower, he still reeks of puddle water and he also needs to finish his assignments and annoy the fuck out of Ranboo and Mr. Wastaken, both a saint for keeping up with him.
"Fair enough." Tommy sighed out, giving up the argument for now as his posture slumped, placing the money filled envelop back on the table, putting his hands in his pocket.
"What's for dinner?"
His mother face light back up as her signature smile appeared back on her face, causing Tommy to crack a small smile as she begun listening the food that she was going to cook, the atmosphere no longer tense.
He went to shower and ate dinner with his mother, both of them having small talks every few minutes but otherwise ate in comfortable silence, then he speedran his assignments and even had time to play a couple round of video games with Tubbo and Ranboo.
Even with all this ups and downs in Tommy's life, he was content with the way life was now, and the blonde wouldn't have it any other way.