You're Better Off Without Me (A Tommyinnit Adoption Au)

Chapter Nine: Trouble

Tommy woke up to the sound of silverware clinking against plates. When Tubbo had finally left, Tommy had slipped back in through the window, and he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. He glanced over at the clock, which read twelve o'clock. He was a bit disoriented from lack of sleep, but at least he hadn't had a nightmare. He slowly sat up, wiping the sleep from his eyes. Today was his last day off before he would have to go to school. Wait, he had to go to school tomorrow. He felt the panic arising in his chest, and he quickly headed out of his room and down the stairs to distract himself from the oncoming panic attack. It was bound to happen eventually, but he would much rather have Tubbo with him to help him through it than have to try to calm himself down alone.

Surprisingly, the normal voices were not present, though some of the calmer ones were shouting "EEE" and "BEES!" constantly. "Morning Tommy." Phil called from the kitchen. Techno was sitting on the couch reading a book. He barely glanced up as Tommy walked into the kitchen. Wilbur was watching TV, but he didn't even look at Tommy, instead, scowling at the TV as though it had murdered someone. Tommy gulped. He nodded at Phil and quietly sat down at the table, waiting for his orders. At all of his old houses, he was given a list or an agenda that he needed to get done each day. He didn't have much free time, and he often ended up doing all the chores and cleaning for each family, as well as cooking and shopping. When he was done, he was sent to his room, which was his only chance to sneak out and visit friends or get some time to himself. Yesterday, Phil had taken him shopping, though it had been quite different than what Tommy was used to. Today however, he had woken up late, and Phil had not given him anything to do. It was starting to worry him. He felt his hand subconsciously reach for his wrist, scratching at it slightly. He felt his breathing pick up just a tiny bit. He felt Phil's eyes on him as he waited for his orders. They never came. Tommy felt himself slipping out of control. He needed to get out, to get away from them. "May I go out?" He managed to whisper, and Phil looked at him, concern evident on his face, causing Tommy's panic to rise. "Sure mate. Are you okay? You look a bit pale." Tommy nodded. "I'm okay." He said quietly. "Be back for dinner mate!" Phil called after him. Tommy didn't turn around as he made his way to the door, only stopping to make sure his phone was in his pocket before he disappeared into the bright sun.

Tommy didn't know where he was going or why, he just knew he was getting away from Phil and the Minecraft family. The only place he knew in this town was Tubbo's house, but he didn't want to bother his friend again since Tubbo had been over most of the previous night. So he found himself walking down a main road, glancing into shops along the street and feeling surprisingly content. The voices were quiet, there was no one to stare at him, and he felt invisible, something he had wished for more often than he cared to admit. Sometimes, he preferred to be alone, and right now, walking down this street, he felt beautifully isolated, off in his own world with no one to judge him. He was free, and it felt wonderful. He came to the end of the road, completely alone, and the sounds of the sea reached his ears. It was like music, and he listened to the soft and peaceful tranquility of the nature around him. It was rare for him to have a moment like this to himself, being a foster child and all, but now, he relished the moment, wishing it would never end. His eyes drifted to a bench up at the top of a small cliff nearby that overlooked the sea, a beautiful forest behind it. He wanted to be there, in peace, happy in the silence. So, he began walking towards it, noting the small rocks he would have to climb. Looks like his and Purpled's workouts would have some use after all. He began to climb, surprised at the feeling of adrenaline that ran through his veins. He had missed this, the chance to get outside and have some physical activity for once. He was completely out of shape, and his muscles burned as he struggled to climb the edge of the cliff, but after a few tries, he managed to make it to the top. Breathing heavily, he stumbled over to the bench and sat down, watching the sea with contentment. He could hear the sounds of the wind blowing in the trees, the waves crashing against the cliff's edge, the muted sounds of the town's folk talking back on the main road. It was a calming place, and Tommy sat in awe at the beautiful sight before him. The crystal blue water shone in the bright, midday sun, and the shade the forest provided left him feeling cool and refreshed, despite the heat. He sat in peace, feeling perfectly content in nature.

Tommy didn't know how long he had been sitting there, but he suddenly felt the urge to go explore. Turning to the forest behind him, Tommy slowly walked towards the treeline, looking for an entry point. He had the exciting idea that this was his place, a place where he could go to be alone, and a place that only he would know about. He finally found the perfect place, a small opening, just big enough for a young boy like himself to squeeze through, completely hidden unless you were looking for it. Tommy covered his entrance with more leaves and branches before he looked around at the paradise he had just entered. The forest was shady and cool. The smell of nature lingered in the air, and squirrels, birds, rabbits, and other creatures wandered about, unconcerned with the newcomer. Tommy found tranquility in the trees, and he set to work immediately. If he wanted this to be a place he frequented, he would need to make it nice. He got to work, gathering branches and other materials, deciding he wanted to make a treehouse. In no time at all, he had lost himself in his work, completely tuning out the world around him.

When Tommy finally finished his treehouse and left the forest, it was dark. He had been out all day, from noon to now, and he was surprised at how late it was. "Oh shit!" He cursed. Phil wanted Tommy to be home for dinner. He was going to be livid when Tommy returned home. He hurried out of the forest, desperately hoping that Phil would have just forgotten about him like all his other foster parents would and wouldn't notice him as he snuck back inside. Somehow though, he knew that wouldn't be the case. This is it. He thought. This is where I get my first beating at my new house. And he was doing so good too...

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I've been having some difficulty with this book recently, just feeling like I'm getting a bit off topic later in the book, but I promised to finish it, so I'm going to push through. Sorry if this one isn't as good as the others, but at least it's content, right? Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you all later, yeah? Bye! <3