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Bass from the party’s speakers shook the picture frames on the wall as Tommy took a sip from his cup.
There's a lot tommy doesn't like about this party. A lot of material that feeds his growing regret.
Like the swarm of other drunk teens, the stench of alcohol and weed in the air, the loud music.
Not like he's able to tell anyone.
After all, it was his decision to come here. Sneaking out from his room when techno sent a message that he'll most likely be home in the morning, and a message that phil sent saying he wont be able to come early either due to an important sudden surgery that came up.
Tommy kind of wishes he could go home. He wants to go home. But he doesn't own a car and he's starting to feel himself get tipsy. Walking home isn't an option because god forbid he gets himself mugged or stabbed.
The blonde stares down at the alcohol inside his cup and zones out for a moment.
He had another fight with techno this morning.
It had been going relatively.. well. At least sort of.
Its become a routine at this point.
Avoid each others existence for most of the week, and try not to engage in much conversation. They're walking on eggshells around each other for the most part. but then they just..
It was stupid. A stupid fight that would have fit more if they fought over it while younger, and yet their emotions got the best of them.
Tommy left home earlier after that, slamming the front door closed and leaving Techno and Phil behind sitting on the dining table as they watched.
He remembers that they had another fight a couple days prior too, at dinner was it?
Phil had given him an exasperated and sympathetic look, saying techno will 'come around' soon. That he's just 'stressed'.
Yeah, dick move to take out his frustration on him. What the fuck did he do? Does his existence piss his brother off more than anything else?
It's fucking stupid man.
Tommy takes another drag of his drink and almost jumps out of his skin when he feels a hand touch his shoulder.
The blonde curses under his breath and roughly pushed jack away with a snort, "You fucking dick man—"
Jack laughs and pushes him back before slinking an arm around Tommy's neck. "Tommy my man! How are you mate?"
Tommy falters for a moment before replying back with a generic answer, "Fine."
"Fine? Just fine? Well what have you been doing?"
"Nothing as far as i know—"
"There's a drinking game happening, if you want to join." Jack starts and points his finger to the supposed direction where its happening, "I think there's a money prize."
"No, not really. I don't think phil would enjoy me coming home smashed— money or not."
"Come on man! You can do it! Think of the money! I don't know how much exactly but its big. Plus it'll be fun!"
Tommy shakes his head. And raises a brow, "Well why don't you do it?"
"I can't— i have to drive a bunch of people out later after the party's over. But im sure you can! We both know you can win against whoever else is participating."
"I.. I.. I mean im just not sure."
"Aw come on tom," jack whines, "no balls? I dare you?"
"Oh you fucking piece of shi—"
Techno tiredly slipped on his sweater and stared at the mirror for a moment. His clocks reflection on his bedside greeting him.
Three am.
A frown tugs itself onto his lips at that, that's far too late to arrive home.
Sure he's an adult now, twenty three, but still. It just.. Doesn't feel right.
The house seemed almost barren when he arrived, phil messaged he won't be home til morning. So Phils not home yet he presumes. And tommy should be asleep.
The pink haired man slightly grimaced at his own mention of tommy.
Their rising increase of fights and tension is pulling them away from each other. When was the last time he didn't feel suffocated sitting in a room with tommy?
Techno blinked.
He can barely remember what they even fought about this morning, what did they fight about? The morning was going fine right?
It had started fine and ended messy. The way it always ends, the way that seems to be their new normal now.
Speaking of tommy..
The man slowly walked up to his bedroom door and slipped out of it, trailing towards his little brothers room.
Despite everything
He never quite grew out of the habit of constantly checking on tommy in the middle of the night.
Tommy.. Tommy's a teen now. No longer a kid who needs his older brothers support and protection. He's close to graduating high school too.
His runts growing up. Techno has to accept that.
Technos brows furrowed slightly, lips twitching into a light frown before he opened up Tommy's door.
There's no one on the bed.
It didn't quite register in techno's head until he was halfway done closing the door.
There's no one on the bed.
Tommy isn't on his bed.
Tommy isn't here.
Technos heart practically plummets down to his chest. Blinding panic and confusion rushing to his brain. The man immediately turning on Tommy's room light only to still find nothing.
Techno grits through his teeth, tusks starting to bare out as he rushes out of Tommy's room.
There was nobody in the kitchen when he arrived.
He checked phils room, nobody in there either.
Where—
Where is tommy?
Maybe.. Maybe tommy shouldn't have drank too much.
The alcohols setting in his brain and he can feel himself getting more and more deeper into intoxication. Peoples cheering cries were too loud. His friends, or at least he thinks they're his friends— are pushing at him to keep going. Why? Hasn't he drank enough?
But tommy indulges them, continuing to down alcohol that burns his throat and rasps his voice. People are shouting his and his competitors name, they're cheering on him but he doesn't care he doesn't care—
Gods. Why did he agree to this? Why didn't he—
Bile rises up from Tommy's throat.
Tommy gags, grip on his current cup loosening up until it drops and spills on the table. The blonde lurches and moves away from the table in panic.
Then tommy pukes, its disgusting. He can vaguely see from the blur in his eyes that it's more watery than ever. When was the last time he ate?
People around him laugh and others lurch away and comment amongst themselves in disgust at the sight.
Tommy weakly coughs, gags and lurches once more. Someones holding him and rubbing his back for some sense of comfort. He can barely decipher them saying that he's had enough. That he should go drink water.
Tommy zones out for a moment. Looking down at his own sickness for a second before someone helps him stumble away from it.
Eyes are looking at him but tommy doesn't care, all he wants is to drink water and go home. The competition wasn't even worth it, he lost.
Jack— Its jack that's helping him right? Jack sat him down in some couch and said that he'll call someone. The name he didn't mention, or at least tommy doesn't think he mentioned it. Maybe he didn't hear him. Hopefully its someone he knows. Wilbur? No.. Wilbur's out in paris for a project or something.
Niki? No. Tommy's pretty sure she's at this party— He thinks?
All tommy knows is that he's tired. Honest to god that's all he knows. But his throat hurts and it feels rough, and everything is too loud to fall asleep to.
He stares out at the dancing crowd filled with people, barely registering anything.
He's tired.
Tommy's tired.
Techno gets a call.
A call that has him speeding on the road.
"Tom, come on."
Tommy whined and tried moving away from the hands that grabbed him, a snort of annoyance coming out his mouth when they forcefully pulled him up. The person's pulling him towards their chest in some sense for comfort. To be fair, it works.
Maybe it's wilbur?
Yeah.. Has to be. Big man probably flew from paris to pick him up. Fucking clingy bastard. Brother behavior, if you will.
Tommy snorts bitterly at the thought of brothers.
(He misses techno. Perhaps tenfold with the alcohol clouding his mind.)
(He wants his sounder back.)
They're saying words but tommy doesn't understand. Not really.
"-anks for calling me—"
"—and get him rest, sorry for the trouble i caused him and you—"
"-e'll get to that part later—"
Tommy's tired.
They start walking and wilbur drags him down from the crowd and out of the house. Bringing him towards his car.
Its a flurry of movement and he's inside the passenger seat. Head moving to rest onto the hanging part of the seatbelt.
"God. You're in so much fucking trouble tommy, do you hear me?"
Tommy snorts.
"'Yeah? S're mr crime boy, Hey wil, how did you fly out from paris so quickly? You a wi'zrd?"
Silence.
".. What."
Tommy rolls his eyes, his grip on the hand rest tightening when the car starts to move. "You're so— fuckin.. Deaf. I've said what I've said clearly. I think your baldness is messing with your head—"
A huff, that's weird. Wilbur hasn't quipped back about being 'not bald', he must be getting out of his denial. Good for him.
Tommy narrows his eyes.
There's a heavy feeling in his heart. Why?
His tail flicks under him and tommy turns away to look at the window.
He still misses techno.
Oh! Right! Techno!
Now that wils here, he can vent his problems to him. With his permission of course, wouldn't want to make him uncomfortable.
"Hey.. Wil? Wilbur?"
A shuffle.
"Tom.. Im not wi-"
"Can i vent to you? Only a bit'i just.. Don't.. I feel like shit man. You don't have to let me'course though."
Silence again.
Huh.
Wils really quiet tonight. But that makes sense, sort of, travelling from paris so fast you know?
"I mean.." Wil hesitates and falters for a moment before tommy hears him shift in the drivers seat, "Go- Go ahead."
"Thanks wil i-.. I just— Techno man."
Techno tenses harshly at the mention of his name.
It's not that him and tommy don't talk or vent out there feelings to each other when they need to. Of course they do!
(When was the last time tommy came to him for comfort why is his brother searching it with someone else?—)
And listen. Techno knows its wrong for him to hear something that's not meant for him to hear, something confidential tommy only wants to share with this wilbur guy— But he..
Its a horribly selfish move he knows.
An incredibly selfish and invasive one.
But he wants to know what's going through his brothers mind. Needs to understand where it all went wrong.
It's just his attempt to mend their broken relationship. Is that so wrong?
The way he's doing it sure but..
Techno listens anyways.
"—i just.. Techno hasn't even tried talking to me outside of small talk at the dinner table. And then we suddenly start fighting— He's been fighting with me, I've been fighting with him, it feels like we're more enemies than brothers at this point."
Technos grip on the wheel tightens.
"I.. I miss him. And you- you're like, really cool too. Wil. Biggest man ev'r. It's just.. Different. I have a diff'rent bond with techno cause he's sounder— .. You are too but like different level you know?"
There's a silent sigh of relief exiting his mouth at the mention of tommy still seeing him as his sounder.
"I miss my brother. I miss him a lot. I wish we could act like how we did as kids man. And i get that he's an adult now and im close to becoming one. But.. Still. Y'know?"
There's a moment of silence before tommy continues, "One time i got lost. I think on hall— halloween? And techno.. He practically tore through the neighborhood looking for me." Tommy snorts and moves his head lower on the window.
Oh, right. Techno remembers that. Seven years ago wasn't it? Jesus christ, it's been seven years since then? It feels as if it happened yesterday.
But he remembers, he remembers his panic and desperation. Similar to the one he had two hours prior when tommy wasn't in his room.
"I wonder if techno would still tear apart everything to look for me."
Technos heart gets caught up in his throat at that.
And that's where tommy ends, the blonde quieting down while the words he said run through technos head.
They..
They have a lot to talk about tomorrow.
A lot.
When tommy wakes up, he weakly groans and moves his hands up to the side of his head. Feeling a banging headache that makes him feel like someones practically drumming on him.
Christ. How much did he drink last night?
Then the memories come back. All of it.
Sneaking out, party, jack, the drinking contest— wilbur?
Tommy's face scrunches up in confusion.
Wilbur?
Why the fuck was— is he not in Paris?
Who the hell picked him up last night? Or was his memory of talking with wilbur or whoever the hell a drunken dream? That seems like the most plausible explanation.
He whined slightly at the mornings golden sunlight hitting his face, eyes moving towards the door when he heard it click open.
Techno.
The blondes eyes narrowed slightly before he dipped his head slightly low in greeting to his brother. ".. Big man, 'ow do—"
"What made you think sneaking out to a party without me or Phil knowing was a good idea?"
Tommy stills for a moment before offering his brother a sly smile, "That's.. That's the point of sneaking out."
Techno shoots him a look of disapproval.
Tommy shuts up.
Techno sighs and hands him a glass of water with a box of Advil pills as well. "Drink these for your hangover, how's your head feel?"
"Like i broke it against the pavement." Tommy laments quietly.
Techno snorts, "Figured. This will help though."
Tommy hums in acknowledgment and gracefully goes ahead to drink a pill while techno sits down on his bed and watches.
How did he find out anyway?
Tommy voices his thoughts, "How'd you find out?"
"Jack called me, i picked you up."
Tommy freezes.
".. Oh."
"Yeah."
"Was i— Was i passed out?"
Techno hesitates for a moment to respond before he reluctantly answers, ".. No. At least you didn't until we got home."
"I didn't— didn't say anything did i?"
Tommy is silent as he stares up at techno, waiting for his brother to respond to his question.
(But his silence says it all, he knows it. Deep down he knows it. But there's nothing wrong with denial, right?)
"You.. You mistook me for wilbur. Whoever that is."
Shit.
So it wasn't a dream.
Wait.
Tommy pauses.
Does that mean—
"You uh.. Said some things about.. Me."
Tommy's lips twitch into a frown as hot embarrassment flushes on his face in vague remembrance of pouring his heart out in front of techno.
Fuck, shit, balls. techno must really hate him now. Does what he did count on talking behind his back? Tommy doesn't think so. But he got all sad and—
"Do you.. Still want to talk about it?" Techno asks.
Its a quiet thing, a small ask to be let in.
It's hope.
Hope to regain their brotherhood and close sounder bond again.
All he needs to do is let techno in. To trust him again.
And tommy..
Tommy let's him.
A weak smile graces Tommy's face, "Yeah.. Yeah I think i do."
A happy and relieved look forms on technos face ever so slightly.
It's a small silent and peaceful moment shared between them after what feels like eons without it.
"Tommy," techno starts, "before you start i— just know i love you kid. Alright? We've been having a rough patch lately, but I'll always love you. We're sounder, sounder sticks together."
Tommy's brows slightly furrow, ".. Promise?"
"I promise runt."
Blush forms on Tommy's face and he rolls his eyes, "Not a runt."
"Whatever you say." Techno snorts.
There's another silent moment before techno starts up again, "And theseus,"
Tommy looks up for a moment and shifts slightly, "What?"
"I'll always tear apart everything to look for you when you're gone."
An amused scoff exits Tommy's mouth, "That's the most clingiest shit someones ever told me."
Technos tail flicks in amusement as he gently nudges tommy with his feet, "Im serious tommy, i almost did it last night. Then jack called me."
".. Okay."
"Okay?"
Tommy nods and looks up at his brother with a tired beam, "Yeah. Okay."
Techno brings himself closer to him and gently ruffles his hair despite Tommy's noise of light hearted annoyance. "Alright, remember that kid."
There's a moment of silence again before techno gently nudges him once more, "Phil's gonna kill you when he gets home by the way."
Tommy snorts and nudges back, "You can blame jack for all this, i was probably the most responsible one in that party, honestly."
"Says the one who went into a drinking competition for whatever reason."
"There was a money prize dick."
"Still doesn't excuse your dumb decisions about what you did last night."
"I would've won."
"Sure you would've, come on. Get up. You need to eat something." Techno says, grabbing Tommy's hand despite the blondes protests in getting up.
Under the comforting golden morning light coming from their kitchen window, two brothers learn to love again.