Chapter Text
Tommy kept his head down low, which is not an easy feat to do with his 6’3 (well, really 5’9 but he’d never admit that) height. He managed, ducking behind the older kid next to him. It’d be more natural if he knew his name, but he drew a blank. It was a funky name; he should’ve remembered it.
It doesn’t matter. All he has to do is slip past the doors unnoticed, which should be an easy feat. He’s Tommyinnit - lover of women. He’s super fucking badass. He’s basically a vampire hunter.
Or he would be if--
“Uh-uh!”
Busted.
“Sam, my man!” Tommy barked out, a bubbly laugh escaping his lips as a tight hand caught him by the collar and yanked him back. Across from him, the familiar masked face of Sam towered over him. “‘Ow do?”
“How many times are you gonna try and sneak in?” Sam’s exasperated, downright a bit furious.
A little too furious. Maybe he’s having trouble with the Mrs? “Until I get in!” He clasped his hands together. “Please, Sam?”
“No.”
A student passed by him just as Tommy started his whining gig - digging his torn shoes against the mud and throwing his best attempt at puppy dog eyes. “Sam, just call security already.”
“I beg your fuckin’ pardon,” Tommy drawled, pulling up his sleeve. Oh, he remembered the name of this douchebag.
He totally did. Something with a S?
“Face it, Tommy, you’re never gonna make it in,” Sa- Sapnap? Yes, Sapnap snarled. “Sam, are you gonna do something about him or not?”
“Watch the attitude, or you’ll be doing push-ups before class even starts.”
Sapnap shrugged with a cocky expression on his face. “It’s not right to give the poor boy hope. The longer he’s here, the more you motivate him.” He reached out to grab Tommy by the shoulder. The audacity of this motherfucker - Tommy had the itch to clart him right then and there. He would’ve too. “Face it, Tommy. You’re never gonna get in.”
“I’m working! Soon enough, I’ll have ‘nuff money, and I’ll be kicking your ass in class!”
“It’s really pointless,” Sam interjected, eyes heavy. “He’s being a bitch, I know, but he’s true. Get lost, Tommy. This is no place-” Don’t say it. Don’t you dare say it. “For a kid like you.”
Oh, he fucking said it.
Tommy lunged forward without thinking. He’s too young, too stupid and guided only by the anger coursing through his veins. It burned the back of his throat, but Sam is older, smarter. He stepped to the side and easily blocked Tommy’s futile attack.
Sapnap scoffed in disgust. “Don’t waste your time.”
“Stop it, Tommy,” Sam growled, pushing him off rougher than intended. Tommy was thrown back, dirty pants landing in the mud outside. “Quit while you’re ahead.”
“Come back here, you coward! I’m not done with you!”
The door to the classroom slammed shut.
The mud, as much as he loved it, stuck to his pants. He staggered to his feet and brushed as much of it off as he could. He’s got a shift at the cafe in a couple hours, and now he has to shower. Thanks, Sam. Thanks.
His eyes are crusted from the lack of sleep. It’s already nighttime, just a bit past dinner. His stomach ached with a familiar hunger, but he’s grown accustomed to it. It barely phased him.
Besides, these kids aren’t eating right now. They’re not sat around a table with food in front of them, telling stories about their days. They’re sparring.
Tommy rounded the building, pushing himself up against the glass. From here, his favorite spot, he can watch the classes. He copied what he could.
When Sam gives his martial arts classes, he stands outside in the cold and matches his posture.
On test days? Tommy pressed his ear against the glass. He was never a good student in homeschool - back in the orphanage, but this is different. The lessons come from war stories, vampire lore, etc. Interesting stuff. Way more interesting than anything the sisters tried to teach him.
One day, he’ll be in that class among the pretentious bastards. Rich, snobby kids sent off to serve the highest honor a teenager can have.
A vampire hunter.
Noble, strong, adored.
The elitist of the elite.
Tommy belonged in there. He’s one of the greats. He will be.
...As soon as he gets enough money.
See, the school is picky in its acceptants. Even though Tommy is brave and smart and strong, which is all that should matter! The Principal has other worries like irrelevant subjects - family line, wealth, fame. Stupid shit.
Coincidentally, it’s everything he’s not. He’s an orphan. No family, no wealth. He’s a homeless kid, no family, no support system, no money.
It shouldn’t matter. He’s a lot smarter and stronger than those idiots in there.
When class got out for the day, Tommy made sure to book it. He hid himself behind a tree and watched the students trickle out from training. The younger cadets return to the dorms, the older cadets scamper off to wherever hunters-in-training wreak havoc, and the kiss-ups - well, they stay behind to earn their title.
“You did great today, Dream.”
Tommy wanted to gag.
“And you too, of course, Sapnap. Great work as always.”
“And me, sir?”
Sam bit his lip under his mask. “Why don’t we have a quick chat, George?”
Sapnap and Dream exchange glances. “We’ll be down the road, waiting. Don’t keep him too long, Sam!”
George grimaced, and Sapnap made an ‘oh shit’ face as Sam closed the door behind them.
Like the nosy shit he is, he stayed back to eavesdrop. It’s nothing really interesting. Sam chewed him out for lack of drive or focus, and George apologized with a panicked promise to get better.
Well, he’s got blackmail material if he needs it. George sucked at class.
Which, Tommy would do way better in, just saying.
He’s spent too much time lingering around here (as he often does, these days). He ran down the hill, making sure to stray away from any students.
It’s dark and therefore unsafe. They’re on school grounds, so theoretically it should be the safest place in town.
Tommy knew better than that.
At the bottom of the hill were Dream and Sapnap, as they promised. They were huddled around something he couldn’t see.
Once again, his curiosity got the best of him. He peered over their shoulders, not really expecting anything interesting.
Sapnap’s boring and lame. He could be playing with a rock. A boring rock, at that.
…
It’s not a rock.
“What are you doing?” His voice came off more whiney than he intended, but his heart picked up his pace, and he couldn’t control the way his voice shook.
Dream had a bat in his hands. It was a pretty black bat, one with a cut on its wing. Poor thing probably fell from its nest.
“Kid, you’re still around here?” Sapnap sneered, barely paying him any attention. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a lighter. Tommy’s heart beat harder against his ribcage. He charged forward to smack it out of his hands, but Dream is quick to dangle the bat upside down and catch the lighter.
Tommy headbutted the back of Sapnap, who had already chucked the lighter to Dream. “What’s your deal?” He cradled his head and scowled at Tommy.
He had it coming. Everyone in this stupid town knows Tommy hates being called a kid. Even more so, he should know not to hurt animals.
“It’s a baby!” Tommy cried. “Dream, don’t hurt it, or I’ll clart you.”
“It’s a bat, you idiot.” As if Tommy’s an idiot. Like he can’t see plain as day that he has a bat in his hands.
“It’s hurt! Let it go, bitch!”
Dream flicked the cap of the lighter off. “Just in case you haven’t given up on being a vampire hunter,” Sapnap drawled in his high and mighty tone. “Vampire bats are our enemy. You see a bat, you kill it.”
“You don’t know that it’s a bloodsucker!” Tommy had enough of his shit. He stomped on Sapnap’s foot. He let out a pained cry, but he was quick to retaliate. He barely dodged the kick against his back because he was charging for Dream.
He moved, predicting him, and dangled the bat more. “Put it down, bitch!” Dream let out a cackle in response, and his blood boiled.
Tommy managed to get one good hit - an uppercut on the bastard’s jaw. He hoped it’d leave a bruise. Nobody’d be able to see it through that mask of his, but he’d know it was there.
He’d know that Tommyinnit’s a force to be reckoned with.
His satisfaction isn’t long-lived. Hands wrap around behind him, and his breathing is cut off. The hands wrap around tightly, cutting off his airflow. While Sapnap held him back, Dream dangled the bat. The lighter’s just about to graze his wing when Tommy dug his fingers into Sapnap’s tight grip and popped his hip forward.
With the momentum, he fell out of his grip and tackled Dream to the ground. He wrestled him and caught his wrists, but he’s older and overpowered him easily. He’s flipped around. Rocks dig against his back, but he pushed the pain down.
“You really don’t have anything better to do?”
“Same goes for you, dickhead! You like to bully animals in your spare time, and I like to go on dates with beautiful women. After I save innocent animals from dickheads like you.”
It would’ve sounded cooler if he hadn’t gotten kicked harshly in the stomach.
Tommy suffered through another kick, but eventually there’s a voice calling out to them. “Hey, are you guys okay? I heard fighting, and -- oh. Oh.”
They all turn their heads to face Sam and George. George is panting, like he just ran to go pull Sam down for help.
“What’s this about?”
Tommy punched Dream, stomping over Sapnap. He snagged the bat out of his hands and booked it.
There’s yelling in the distance, but Tommy’s about to be late for work. Maybe. He should get a watch. It’s on that long list of things he needed - among toothbrushes, food, academy fund - normal teenage boy things.
He held the bat tightly in his hands until he’s panting in the streets. “Okay.” With a careful glance over his right shoulder, then his left, he let out a heavy sigh. He brought his hands up to his face to inspect the bat in his hands. “We’re safe now.”
The bat’s got a small cut on its wings but otherwise, it’s uninjured. “Well, hello,” he cooed, pressing a kiss to the most likely rabid bat’s snout. “We just became best friends, didn’t we? What’s your name?”
The bat is silent. Tommy held it close against his cheek. “Are you lost?” It’s a far way from the caves. “You shouldn’t come near the grounds. Those pompous jerks think everything’s a bloodsucker.” He shook his head. “It’s rude, innit? Hurtin’ poor cute baby cats without thinking. Bet you’ve got a mum and pa waiting for you, don’t you?”
Tommy stepped into the streets. “Where’d you come from? All the ways from the mountains?” He can barely see them in the distance. “I could take you home, but you’d have to wait until my shift ends.”
The bat offered no response.
“Oh, you know what?”
Tommy fell back onto the ground, yanking some old biscuit crumbs out of his pocket. He held it up to the bat. “Eat these.” The bat is hesitant. “It’s safe. They’re leftovers from breakfast.” From yesterday’s breakfast, but he wasn’t gonna tell the bat that. “It’ll make you feel better.”
The bat ate a small piece and then stopped. Tommy dropped the rest of it into his mouth. “I think I’ll name you… What’s a good name? You’re really cool. Coolest baby bat I’ve ever met.”
Tommy hummed. “Clementine!” he decided, peppering another kiss on the bat. “Clementine, let’s go get you stitched up!”
He stood up suddenly, fully prepared to take the rabid animal with him to work. The animal had other plans, and it flapped its wings with the sudden movement. “Wait, Clem, you’re hurt--!”
The bat flew away. He can’t keep track of him under the moonlight.
“My friend,” he grumbled, kicking at the rocks.
Maybe it’s for the best. After all, he’s probably long past a proper clock-in time.
He scampered down the streets and didn’t stop until he was in front of Niki’s bakery. The store is quiet, as it usually is at night. They don’t do much business at night, but they don’t expect it to be busy.
Everyone knows well enough to stay inside. Most of the customers the shop gets are travelers, guards, warriors.
And then there’s Tommy.
“What’s this? Tommy showing up on time?” Jack held his wrist up, showing off his nice watch.
“Really?” Excitement bubbled up in his chest. He thought he’d been late. Thank god, if he’s late another day, Niki might actually fire him.
“Well, you would be. If we were in a different country.”
“Oh.”
What a rat bastard. “I was busy doing training.”
“Uh-huh,” Jack drawled, resting his chin in his hands. He leaned across the counter. Unamused, bored. It’s probably almost 10pm. He can’t really blame him. “By training, you mean spying on the hunters again?”
“Piss off.” Tommy slipped into the bathroom to clean himself up. His jeans are still dirty, but now he’s got some wet spots littered all over. He got most of the mud off, but some of it still clung.
Jack scowled at him when he came back out. “It’ll probably be slower tonight than usual.”
“Really?”
He raised a surprised eyebrow. “Winter’s almost here. You better be careful.”
“Oh, I am, I’m workin’ on a carrot farm, and just the other day, I found a biscuit in the tr--”
“Vampires are a lot more active in the cold,” Jack interjected, quite honestly not wanting to hear the rest of that sentence. “You be safe going home, alright?”
“All right, big man!” Tommy boomed, giving him a mock salute. “You too. Don’t get mauled by a vampire or anything.”
Jack paused, pushing against the doors to leave. “Gee, thanks, Tommy.” He rolled his eyes. “Payday’s tomorrow. Start looking at some new pants, hm?”
Tommy sheepishly picked at his jeans, but Jack’s already slipping out the door. He pulled his hood up, and he walked briskly through the streets.
Tommy fell into work easily. It’s a nice distraction. The cafe’s empty, so he prepared for his night. He put away some of the pastries and started to clean up in places the other workers ignore.
He’s halfway through organizing the takeaway boxes when the door chimed in. “Welcome!”
Tommy’s actually kind of terrible at customer service. His voice is pained and obviously faked.
Thankfully, he liked most of his regulars.
For example - “Captain Puffy!”
The hunter rested her hands on the counter. “Heya, Toms. Niki in?”
He frowned. “She’s already home for the night. You need me to leave a message, or--”
“Nah, don’t worry.” She held her hand up. “Poor woman needs the rest. Good on her for being home.” He doesn’t want to mention she’s probably at her desk working on payroll.
“How about you, Captain?”
She laughed harshly. “I’ll feel a lot better after a danish and a coffee.”
“Your usual, right?”
She gave him a thumbs up before slumping into her booth. Tommy warmed up her danish, setting it on a baby pink plate. Her drink is a bit complicated, but Tommy’s long memorized her order. A caramel latte - and he took his time with it. He made it pretty, just how she liked it.
“Thank you,” she breathed out once Tommy set the plate and drink down. “You deserve a raise.”
He laughed awkwardly. “Thanks, Captain.” She’s already drank a quarter of her coffee. “Long day at work?”
She groaned. “These bloodsuckers give me headache after headache.”
“I know.” He doesn’t. “You do good work.”
She smiled. “Don’t give me too much of an ego. You just want me to put in a good work at the academy.”
He grimaced, raising his hands. “You got me.”
She laughed. “Seriously, though, kid, it’s a waste of your time.” Her sudden change of tone had him reeling. “It’s not a life you should want. Most royals are forced into it. You shouldn’t want a life like this.”
“I have my reasons. I want it more than anything, and I’d be good at it too! I practice and study, and--”
“They will suck the life out of you.”
“Was that a pun?”
She half-smirked. “You should go back to the orphanage. Get adopted, go to school - normal school, live a nice apple pie life. I’m old and wise, kid, take my advice.” She raised her glass.
“Captain, you’re, like, twenty somethin--”
“Are you arguing with me, young man?”
Tommy turned around. “My bad, my bad.” He laughed. “Enjoy your meal!”
Puffy stayed for a while. She’s exhausted, scarfing down her danish and cherishing her coffee for as long as it lasts.
A couple regulars flood in after her, and by the time it’s almost one am, he has four tables full.
It’s a bit of a rush, but thankfully two of them headout for the night.
When the door chimed once more, he hid a sigh.
Only it’s someone new.
Finally some fucking excitement.
He’s a tall fella. His head almost bonked against the doorframe, but he carefully ducked under it. He sunk into a booth without taking his order at the counter.
Tommy finished up cleaning the coffee maker before waddling up to his table. He could’ve just yelled at him across the shop, but for the third time today his curiosity gets the best of him, and he wanted to pry.
“Where are you from?”
The man looked up in snarky surprise. “Aren’t you supposed to take my order first?”
Right. Manners.
“I haven’t seen you before.” He will ask for his order, eventually. When he gets to it. “You from around here?”
He folded his arms on the table. Despite being dressed in a fuzzy beanie and a wooly yellow sweater, the man’s skin is a pale white. “Around, yeah. I don’t come into town much.”
“From somewhere warm, I bet.” Tommy was proudly wearing jeans and a short sleeved tee. “It gets cold ‘cause of the mountains. You get used to it, and it’s nothing a coffee can’t fix.”
“A coffee?”
“Or hot chocolate,” Tommy added. “Something to warm you up?”
He hummed. “A coffee would be great.”
“Coming right up.” Tommy shot him a teasing grin as he left. “You want it iced, right?”
“Right.”
Good to know his stranger was a bit interesting. He was quiet and reclusive. After Tommy set the steaming mug on his table, he barely touched it. He sat upstraight - a scary stiff posture.
He’s had weirder customers.
No one else came in, and the cafe’s quiet. He crouched down to clean at the grime behind the sink, and when he stood back up, Wilbur’s cup was empty.
He didn’t move to leave. Instead, he stared out the diner window.
He stayed for another hour before Tommy sauntered up to him. “You’re supposed to order food.”
“I’m sorry?”
“You have to order,” Tommy explained. “You’ve been here too long for just a coffee. You’ll need to order something.”
“Okay, fine, a biscuit.”
Tommy made him a biscuit.
He doesn’t touch it.
“Was it bad or something?”
It’s almost three am.
“Isn’t your shift almost over? It’s late for a kid like you--”
“Whoa, buddy, do I look like a kid to you?”
He looked him up and down. “Is this a trick question?” Tommy glared at him. “Don’t you have school tomorrow?”
“Nah.” Tommy cracked his knuckles. “I don’t have it.”
He furrowed his eyebrows together. “Playing hooky to sleep in?”
“Nah, I got a shift at my other job.”
The man scoffed. “Do you ever sleep?”
“I get a nice nap between 4pm and 8pm! It’s all you need really.”
“Uh-huh…”
“You’re kinda one to talk.” He leaned against the counter. “It’s awfully late. Don’t you have work in the morning?”
“Nope,” he said, popping the ‘p.’ “I’m self-employed. And a bit of a night owl.”
“Makes good business for us, so please don’t fix your sleep schedule!” It was a joke, and he only made a pained grin in response. “My name’s Tommy.”
“Wilbur,” he introduced, shaking his hand. “I hope I see you around.”
“Well, if I do, I hope you order something and actually eat it.”
Wilbur stood up from the table. “You can have it.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “Go crazy.”
He didn’t trust it. It’s not like it was poisoned. He made it. Well. Niki made it. He warmed it up. It’s safe.
So why didn’t he eat it?
“You didn’t like it?”
“Not much of a biscuit person.”
I--
Okay.
Alright then.
“You’re kind of weird.”
“Gee, no wonder this place has a line out the door.”
Tommy stuck his tongue out in response. “Whatever.” His customer service voice died somewhere along the line. He couldn’t tell you when. “People will come back, anyways. Niki’s food is too good for that.”
“Is that so? And I was here thinking they came for the outstanding customer service.”
“I’ll clart you.”
“You can’t clart a paying customer.”
…
“I can if he keeps ordering biscuits and not eating them.”
That’s actually not true. Niki would most likely be quite cross if he hit a customer.
Wilbur doesn’t know that.
“Guess I should be going.”
“Night, then, asshole.”
The man stared at him strangely before throwing his messenger bag over his shoulder.
“Be safe out there too. Vampires and shit. It’s cold.” He didn’t remember what Jack had said.
“I’ll be safe,” Wilbur called, a careless wave. “You take care of yourself too, Tommy. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He waved back as the bell chimed. It wasn’t until he was long gone the words settled in.
If I see that weird ass motherfucker come back to order shit and not eat it, I’ll lose it.
A bad feeling dug under his fingernails.
It’s nothing. He’s offput because of Jack’s warning.
He shook his head and dropped the plates into the sink. The water’s scalding hot.
He can’t explain why, but there’s a bad pain clawing at his stomach.
It could be the hunger. It’s probably the hunger.
He downed the biscuit.
He thinks of the strange traveler with ghostly white skin. His stomach aches.