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Tommy hated the nighttime. He hated the way everything seemed louder. Everything seemed so overwhelming and terrifying. He hated the things, the people, that creep in the night.
He had spent so many sleepless nights with his heart pounding in his chest as he flinched at every sound coming from the rest of the house. He hated laying in bed and hearing the sound of the house settling, or the bathroom door shutting. He hated the night. That’s when everyone expected his guard to be down. That’s when everything would go wrong.
So there he was. Dinner had been cleaned up, and the day was winding down. The sun was setting and Tommy was curled in the corner of his room furthest from his door. Hoping to the heavens that the door wouldn’t open to reveal a stumbling creature with ill intent.
He was surprisingly calm, all things considered. He wasn’t panicking at the knowledge that he hadn’t remembered to put his shoes away, or the fact that he didn’t set his toothbrush in the holder that morning, or the fact that he nearly made himself late to school.
No, no. He wasn’t panicking. His heart was beating kind of heavily.. And last he checked the room shouldn’t be waving the way your screen does when you eat pufferfish in minecraft.. But he wasn’t really panicking, just kind of sitting there.
Then the door opened.
That’s when he started panicking.
“I’m sorry.” He gasped softly, closing his eyes and holding his hands over his ears. “I didn’t mean to leave my shoes out, or drop my fork at dinner, or forget to put away my toothbrush this morning. I didn’t mean to mess up today. I promise I was trying to be good. I promise, I promise, please”
He broke into dry sobs, no tears falling, but sobbing nonetheless. All his muscles were tense as he tried to curl into himself.
“-ch you, okay? Tommy?” a voice somehow broke through the sound of Tommy’s heartbeat ringing in his ears. He took another shuddering gasp and bit back another dry sob, noticing how the floor seemed to be so far away and yet too hard and close and overwhelming all at the same time. He hadn’t started crying, or shaking, but everything felt wrong.
“Tommy, please give me a sign you can hear me. I’m going to touch you, okay? Can I take your hand? I’m not going to hurt you.”
Everything in him screamed “danger” and yet something in him whispered “safe” and he found himself nodding.
“Okay.” There was a sigh of what seemed to be relief. “Okay. I’m going to take your hand and trace your hand with my fingers. Simple! In fact, it sounds kinda silly, doesn’t it?”
Tommy smiled ever so slightly as his hand was grasped gently and pulled away from his ear. A soft finger traced the lines of his palm.
“Just focus on the feeling of my finger on your hand. I’m right here, and so are you. You’re safe, and nothing bad is going to happen to you here. I’ll make sure of that. If anything ever happens to you, I’ll be right here to protect you.”
As the voice spoke, and his hand was traced, Tommy slowly started to calm down. His heartbeat seemed to settle, and the room got closer.
Then the voice became recognizable over the thoughts that had filled his ears. Techno
“Tech.” He whispered. Leaning forward where he sat and going limp into Techno’s arms.
“Hey, kid. Happy to have you back.” Techno responded, running his hand up and down Tommy’s spine as the boy took shuddering breaths.
“You doing okay?”
Tommy chuckled halfheartedly. “I’ve been better, big man.”
“Yeah, I noticed. I’m happy to sit here with you for however long you need, Toms. Phil will probably show up eventually though. He sent me up here to ask if you want to come down for family game night so he might get worried if I just never return.”
Tommy smiled into Techno’s shoulder, turning his head so he could face Techno’s neck and hide from the light in his room.
“You smell nice.” He muttered absently, causing Techno to chuckle.
“Thank you.”
Tommy hummed and closed his eyes, enjoying the peaceful silence.
“You falling asleep on me?” Techno asked softly, ruffling Tommy’s hair.
Tommy shook his head, tightening the way he was curled up on Techno’s lap, and smiling when Techno’s arms tightened as well. It was comforting though, not restraining. It was nice.
“What happens at family game night?”
“Well, Phil excitedly pulls out all the board games and we spend half an hour eating popcorn and trying to figure out which game to play until we eventually end up playing the first half of monopoly before we all give up and watch a movie. It happens pretty much every Friday night.”
Tommy giggled tiredly, “that sounds like fun. I like popcorn.”
“Yeah?”
Tommy nodded. “Can I play and eat popcorn too?”
“Of course! You’re a part of the family. We wouldn’t leave you out of family game night. Do you wanna go downstairs? I’d imagine Phil has Wilbur helping him pop popcorn by now.”
He gave another nod, but other than that, didn’t move.
“Toms? You’re gonna have to get up so that I can get off the ground and we can head to the kitchen,” the smile evident in Techno’s voice.
“Oh,” Tommy responded. He slowly crawled off Techno’s lap and sat on the floor, watching Techno stand.
“You’re adorable when you’re sleepy.” Techno stated, holding out his hands to help Tommy up.
“I am not!”
“You are! I should call Wilbur up here to see you.”
“Don’t you dare.” Tommy gave a halfhearted glare as he accepted Techno’s help.
“Tommy! Techno! Just in time!” Phil grinned, a large bowl full of popcorn in his hands, Wilbur trailing behind.
“Are you two ready to play some games?”
Tommy nodded and quietly took Techno's hand as Techno responded with a smile and a “yes sir!”
“Great! What do we want to play?”
Techno shot a look towards the boy, who promptly started giggling.
Phil looked over with a confused smile. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing!” Both boys responded, causing Wilbur to laugh as well.
“Okay…” Phil raised an eyebrow and shook his head, smiling.
They all sat at the table, Phil and Wilbur on one side of the table, with Tommy and Techno on the other. They munched popcorn, and threw a few pieces at each other, and eventually settled on Monopoly, causing Wilbur to launch into a ramble about capitalism as Phil sighed and set up the board.
Tommy slowly leaned closer and closer to Techno’s side, trembling ever so slightly. Eventually ending up resting his head on his shoulder.
Techno was happy to wrap his arm around the boy as he and Wilbur argued over Park Place.
Eventually, they gave up on the game and moved to the living room, just as Techno predicted. They quickly settled on and around the couch, with Tommy in the middle, Techno to the right, Phil to the left, and Wilbur laying on the floor with a bunch of pillows and blankets.
“What do we want to watch?” Phil asked, turning on the tv.
“The Greatest Showman!!” Wilbur cheered, turning around onto his back so he could give Phil a pleading look.
“Phil, please don’t let him pick a musical. Can we watch Bolt instead?” Techno countered.
“Techno why do you hate me?” Wilbur wailed, throwing an arm over his eyes.
“I don’t! I just don’t want to watch yet another musical. Sometimes you gotta go with a nice classic movie about a speedy little dog!” Techno responded adamantly, causing Tommy to giggle.
“I think we should watch Bolt.” Tommy murmured, snuggling up next to Techno.
“I’ve been betrayed!” Wilbur groaned, splaying his arms and legs out dramatically as Phil laughed and started Bolt.
“Move your legs or I’ll kick you.” Techno responded, pulling a blanket over himself and Tommy.
Wilbur muttered a few choice words as he rolled over, making Techno grin as the movie started to play.
It only took twenty minutes for Tommy to start snoring softly, snuggled under a blanket and curled up against Techno’s warm body.
The movie was promptly paused so that all three awake members of the family could aw and coo at the sleeping boy. They were sure he would protest at the love and affection if the boy knew it was happening, but since he was out cold, they all enjoyed sharing comments and tucking in the boy.
And after the movie ended, and Wilbur and Phil went to bed, Techno simply shifted so that he and Tommy could both lay down on the couch. Because there was no way he would ever wake his little brother.
“I love you, kid.” Techno whispered, “you’ll be alright.”
~~~