They Rely On Hope. What Do I Rely On? - Tommyinnit Adoption AU

Chapter 5

Tommy didn't know how long he stayed silently in that stall with Ranboo standing outside gently trying to cox him out. Tommy didn't know why he didn't move or speak when Ranboo asked him to. He didn't know why he didn't instantly obey. And most of all, he didn't know why Ranboo had stayed at all.

Finally, after-Tommy didn't know how long-he listened to Ranboo and left the stall, coming face to face with the worried boy.

Ranboo reached out towards Tommy, and Tommy squeezed his eyes closed. This was why Ranboo had waited. He hadn't wanted Tommy to get away. He was going to hurt Tommy. So, Tommy stood still, waiting for the blow that never came.

Gently, Ranboo's arms wrapped around the shaking boy, who somehow seemed to stiffen even more at the touch. Ranboo didn't know how, since the boy had seemed already as stiff and terrified as he could be.

"What happened?" Ranboo whispered gently into Tommy's ear as he held the hug, careful not to squeeze Tommy too tightly.

"I- it's just- you- nothing," Tommy stuttered, not knowing how much to say, nor what he should say at all.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine."

"Really?" Ranboo asked, knowing Tommy was lying, "Because you are shaking in my arms and you didn't move or say a word in the last half hour, while you locked yourself in a bathroom stall. I'm not judging you for that, I just want to know why, so I can make sure it doesn't happen again. I don't want to hurt you, Tommy."

"It's nothing."

"I know it's something," Ranboo disagreed, without a trace of anger in him. He simply wanted to protect Tommy, and he needed to know how to do that.

Tommy hesitated for a long time, trying to think of how he worded what he was going to say, before he eventually let out a breath and spoke.

"I just- Notes on small ripped off pieces of paper remind me of shit."

"Oh," Ranboo said, realising what Tommy probably met. The boy was only 13, same age as himself, and it devastated Ranboo to realise he must have gone through shit so young. Sure, Ranboo had had some stuff, but nothing that bad. What had Tommy gone through?

"I'm sorry, I- I'm wasting your time, I'm sorry."

"It's fine Tommy, I'm not upset," Ranboo promised, slowly letting go of Tommy, "Are you ok?"

"Yes," Tommy agreed, and this time, Ranboo didn't feel like it was a complete lie. A half truth maybe. He could deal with that.

"Do you wanna go back to class or just skip? Mr. Bad already marked us present, I can check in with him and let him know where we were so he doesn't report us. I'm secretly his favourite," Ranboo smiled, but Tommy shook his head. He had already missed too much, he needed to be getting perfect scores for Dream.

"I need the grades, you can stay if you want. I'm sorry," Tommy whispered, hoping Ranboo wouldn't be mad, the boy just shrugged and smiled.

"Nah, I'll head back with you. If you want help with your grades I can help catch you up on what you've missed. We are probably in mostly the same classes except for electives. What did you chose for electives by the way?" Ranboo asked. He could tell that Tommy didn't want to talk about what had happened, so Ranboo would make it easier for him by talking about school.

"I don't know, I think my parents chose them," Tommy replied, leaving out the word foster and adding the 's'. He didn't want to sound like a pathetic kid who needed sympathy, and he certainly didn't want to deal with the shit he sometimes got for being a foster kid.