Chapter Text
Tommy is not lonely, loneliness is a stupid emotion for babies, and Tommy is a big man! he doesn't need friends to walk home from school with, and he especially doesn't need dumb parents to pick him up from school.
Tommy is walking home from school alone, as he does every day. Every day, Tommy sits outside and waits for his parents to pick him up, knowing full well they never will. Mr. Sam always gets worried and offers to drive Tommy home, which he always declines. Then Tommy walks home.
well, not always “home.”
Like every day after school, Tommy arrives at the fence of the big overgrown house that sits at the end of his neighbourhood. he walks around the side until he sees the hole in the bottom. He throws his backpack over the fence and shimmies under.
Once he's through, he picks up his backpack and grins.
There, in all its glory, is Tommy’s greenhouse.
I mean, the greenhouse isn't technically Tommy’s, but it’s basically his.
Tommy slowly makes his way into the glass building humming to himself. The building isn't huge. It's about the size of a bedroom if you stretched it out to be longer. The glass on the outside is mainly broken and clouded over, so all you can see are vague blurs of colour. On the inside, however, it's an explosion of fauna and flora. There are plants of all different shapes, sizes and colours. Tommy is very proud to say he is the reason this place is so biodiverse.
When he first found it, the abandoned building was completely overgrown, and most of the plants inside the greenhouse were either completely dead or dying. Now though, Tommy has cultivated a beautiful garden that he sometimes wishes he could stay in forever.
“Hello, ladies!” Tommy walks down the rows of flowers, talking aloud like he does every day.
“well, you lot certainly need to be watered, don't you?” The blond boy talks to the patch of yellow and white chrysanthemums like he would to an average human.
Tommy sets down his backpack and walks to where he keeps the watering can. As he walks past the plants, he notices the way they all lean towards him and seem to lighten up at just his presence. He smiles when he grabs the watering can and skips to the far end of the greenhouse, where the flowers rest.
“you know it's really my fault. I should have paid more attention to you girls instead of focusing on the cyclamens.”
Tommy slowly waters the flowers humming to himself. He doesn't hear the sound of hushed conversations or the creek of the door opening.
“There you go, all watered and beautiful. don't you feel better now?” Tommy smiles. Today is the perfect day because it’s like every other day, nothing different or wrong: just Tommy, his flowers and the quiet.
*cough*
Tommy whirls around so fast that he almost spills water all over himself. Behind him are two teenagers, two teenagers in his greenhouse. This is unacceptable. This is not like every other day.
The one in front is tall, probably 6’0 and has long pink hair tied in a loose braid. He's wearing a black hoodie and sweatpants. On his face are small rectangular glasses, and he has a bored expression.
The second one stands slightly behind the first, and Tommy can already tell he's a massive prick. He has a mop of wavy brown hair on his head. He's wearing a yellow jumper with blue jeans and fingerless gloves. Plus, he's even taller than the first one; he’s like 6’4. on his face is a pair of circular gold-rimmed glasses, and he's sporting a huge smug grin. Absolute prick.
Tommy would usually grab his backpack and run-- teenagers are scary and mean. But he can't risk losing his precious greenhouse to a pair of pretentious assholes that probably just want to use the greenhouse for smoking or something; in all honesty, he doesn't really know what teenagers do in their free time.
“What is a child doing in our greenhouse?” the pink-haired bitch speaks in a monotone voice.
Child? Their greenhouse? Oh, these fuckers are gonna pay.
“I'm not a child dickhead!” Tommy stomps his foot and clenches his fists.
“Oh yeah? how old are you, pipsqueak?” The hipster glasses asshole’s voice is full of amusement. These guys suck.
“I'm almost nine fuckface!” Tommy screeches, and the brunette has the decency to look shocked at his language
“What are you doing in our greenhouse again? you never answered.” The English professor-looking teen interrupts his friends gaping.
“better question, what are you doing in my greenhouse!” the blond stares down the teenagers with what he hopes is a deathly glare but really just makes him look like an angry kitten.
“uh, last time I checked, we own the house and, by extension, this greenhouse.” The brunette scrunches his face up like he's angry. Tommy shrinks back ever so slightly.
Just like mom when she's angry.
“What are you talking about? this house has been abandoned for years.” Tommy crosses his arms over his chest and turns his head up, feigning confidence.
“Yeah, well, we just moved in.” The pink-haired one sounds annoyed.
“well, uh, well, I've been taking care of the greenhouse for the past year and a half!” Tommy recovers his argument quickly. “who do you think grew all these plants?” He gestures around to the various flowers that grow in abundance around the building.
The two boys look around, seemingly seeing all the greenery for the first time.
“You grew all this?” golden-glasses-fuck-boy sounds amazed. Good, he should be.
“Yup! all by myself, come here every day after school,” Tommy speaks proudly until he recovers and remembers that there are two pricks in his greenhouse.
“Now, go away!”
The two teenager's attention snaps back to the boy in front of them.
“well, we can't just let a kid “own” a building that is on our property and therefore ours” The brunette uses air quotes when he says “own.” Prime! The gal of these fuckers.
Tommy guesses these bastards have a point. He can compromise when he has to.
“Fine! how about I let you pricks keep coming here and grow stuff over on that side of the greenhouse.”
“I think it would be more us letting you come here,” The pinkette comments unhelpfully.
“Besides, you're on our property; we could just tell you're parents” The tall dickhead smirks smugly when Tommy’s face contracts in horror.
That would be bad, VERY BAD! If his mom and dad found out that he's been sneaking out and using his powers? he wouldn't be able to leave the house till he was these two’s age.
“Uhm… ok! How about you don't do that, and instead, I keep a quarter of the greenhouse!”
The teenagers raise each of their eyebrows simultaneously, expecting more.
“and I can help you take care of anything you want to grow to make sure it doesn't die.” Tommy grins in uncertainty.
The brothers look at each other and seem to have a conversation with just their eyes before turning back to Tommy with matching smiles.
“it's a deal.” they both reach out to shake his hand. Noticing what he can do, he smiles to himself and spits on his hand before quickly shaking both of their hands.
“I'm Tommy!” he grins when they snatch their hands back and make noises of disgust while wiping down their hands.
“...Wilbur,'' Hipster asshole speaks with apparent disgust and reservation.
“I'm Technoblade, but you can call me Techno.” the other teen sounds awkward and uncomfortable, like he's never had to talk this long in his life.
Tommy scowls. “Both of you have stupid fucking names. I was right to be making fun of you in my head.”
Before awkward silence can settle in, a distant call is heard from the direction of the house.
“boys!”
The brothers glance at each other and then back to Tommy.
“well, we hate to leave, but our dad is calling us, so goodbye, gremlin!” Wilbur speaks like he absolutely doesn't hate the idea of leaving Tommy.
Tommy walks over to grab his backpack; he slings it over his shoulder and turns back to the brothers.
“It was terrible meeting both of you. Have a horrible day!” Tommy’s voice is cheerful, and he flips Will and Techno off when he walks out the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“So, how are you boys liking the new house?” Phil passes one of the fast-food takeout boxes to Will as he takes his seat.
“We have a vermin problem.” Techno smirks when he speaks, and Wilbur playfully punches him in the arm.
“What like rats or something?” Phil’s tone is worried.
“Mo’ lik’ one weally big wat,” Wilbur shoves a burger in his mouth.
“Don't talk with your mouth full.” Phil scolds but quickly turns back to Techno, his brows furrowed in concern.
“A big rat?”
“His name is Tommy,” Techno speaks matter-of-factly.
“you named it!?” Phil is getting progressively more anxious.
“no,” Will finally swallows his food and clears his throat. “He named himself after swearing at us, insulting us, and getting spit on my hand.” Wilbur sounds butt-hurt.
“Wait, I'm confused.”
Techno sighs, “Tommy is some eight-year-old who has been sneaking into the greenhouse for however many years and growing plants in there.”
“and he swore at and insulted you?”
“and spit on my hand!”
“He spit on both our hands Will. Calm down.”
“Wait, what did you do to him?” Phil immediately turns to “disappointed dad mode.”
“Nothing!” both the twins exclaim in unison.
“We made a deal, he gets 25% of the greenhouse for his flowers, and we get the rest. plus, he's gonna help us not kill any plants.” Wilbur speaks proudly.
“Dad, seriously, you should see this greenhouse! all the plants are in perfect condition, and there are so many!” Techno says.
“wait, wait, how did you get him to agree to that shitty of a deal?”
Will flushes in embarrassment, but Techno just grins.
“we threatened to tell his parents that he was sneaking onto an abandoned property for hours on end without them knowing.”
Wilbur punches Techno in the shoulder again, less playful this time.
“Tech!”
“what? you're the one who did it!” Will punches him again.
Techno plans to retaliate, but they’re interrupted by the stern voice of their father.
“boys.”
“Sorry, Dad,” they both mumble simultaneously.
“Next time he comes over, I want you two to give him 50% of the building for his plants.”
“but-”
“no buts! If what you’re telling me is true, then Tommy has been managing the greenhouse for much longer than you two. So, he has a claim to it. you're lucky he's even letting you have any.”
“yes, dad,” Wilbur mumbles dejectedly.
“fine,” Techno scoffs.
“at least try to be nice to him, alright? you never know what someone else has going on.”
The rest of dinner dissolves into quiet chatter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tommy unlocks the door and puts the key back into his backpack.
“I'm home,” he whispers the words, like if he says anything too loud, his parents will show up. It's a funny thought, his parents coming back from whatever “business trip” they’re on just to yell at Tommy for making too much noise.
The blond doesn't turn on the lights, even as he trips up the pictureless stairs. He doesn't want mom and dad to get mad at him for wasting electricity.
Tommy opens the door to his room. The walls are blank, and the shelves are devoid of any knick-knacks or personal objects. The single moth plushie on the bed is the only way you could tell that a child lives here.
“Hello Clementine,” Tommy sets his bag down and stumbles into his bed. he wraps his arms protectively around the plushie and burrows into the blankets.
“you wouldn't believe the day I had”
“Mom and dad still aren't home.” Tommy sighs and buries his nose into the soft fur of his best friend.
“I don't know why I'm surprised. But, honestly, it's better that they’re not here!”
“Oh, and get this, after school, when I went to my greenhouse! and they’re claiming that they live in the old house now.”
“it’ll be fine, though. I'm a big man! even if they take most of the greenhouse, as long as I have a little bit of it, I'll be ok!”
Tommy should get out of bed and do his routine, but his body feels heavy, and he’s struggling to keep his eyelids open. It's okay; as long as Tommy wakes up early tomorrow, he'll be ok. Everything will be fine.