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

Chapter Fifteen: Purpled Meets Tommy

Purpled remembered the first time he met Tommy. He had been eight years old, and his parents often encouraged him to get outside. He started taking walks every day, and eventually, his parents let him go alone. It was the second of his lonely walks that he found a young blonde, sitting comfortably on a crate, hidden from the street view. He was wearing a black sweatshirt and long brown pants. His whole outfit was dirty, but not overly dirty, and there were a few rips in his pants. At first, Purpled had been cautious, after all, he knew the dangers of being kidnapped. But the boy didn't seem concerned, and after a little while of waiting, the blonde hadn't moved from his crate. No one had come to speak with him, and the kid hadn't even looked up. Surprised, Purpled approached carefully. He could see the scars on the boy's face, and he wondered what had happened. He knew if he didn't speak with the blonde, he would regret it. So he took a deep breath and gathered up enough courage to speak.

"Hello?" His little voice rang out loud and clear in the isolated street. The blonde whipped around, and something close to fear flashed in his eyes. He backed away a bit in terror. "Woah!" Purpled quickly retreated, putting his hands up in the air like they did in the movies. The last thing he wanted to do was scare the boy. The boy's bright blue eyes narrowed, and Purpled could feel the tension building. Still, his curiosity got the best of him. "What are you doing?" He asked the boy. The boy seemed to scan Purpled over, checking for something that Purpled couldn't see. Finally, the blonde sighed. "Sitting." He replied, moving back to the crate. His voice was quiet and hoarse, and Purpled didn't understand it. Why was the boy sitting all alone? "Oh." He responded dumbly. "Why?" The blonde didn't answer, he just sat there and stared up at the sky. "Do you want me to leave?" Purpled asked suddenly. "Am I bothering you?" The blonde shook his head, and Purpled sighed in relief. "Do you want to talk?" He asked. Again, the blonde shook his head. "Okay, well if you don't mind, I will." The boy just shrugged, and Purpled took that as his cue to start talking. "Well, my name is Purpled, I'm eight years old..."

When Purpled returned home, he was scolded for staying out so late. He wanted to argue that his new friend had been allowed to stay out late, but when he went to speak, he found that he didn't know the kid's name. Actually, he didn't know anything about the kid, except that he had blue eyes, blonde hair, and scars across his face. Surprised with his lack of knowledge about his new friend, Purpled pledged to get to know the boy before he spoke about him.

The next day, Purpled returned to the crate. The boy was there once again, wearing his heavy sweatshirt and staring up at the sky. "Hey." He whispered softly. Again, the boy jumped, but the fear in his eyes dwindled to mere distrust. "I brought snacks." Purpled offered. He held out a pack of Goldfish, and the boy's eyes lit up. "For me?" He whispered. "Yeah, for us to share!" The blonde smiled, and for the first time, Purpled could say he saw a little bit of the boy's youth shine through. "I was wondering," Purpled began. "What's your name?" The boy's smile instantly faded. "I mean, if you're comfortable telling me." Purpled rushed to correct himself. He didn't understand why a name would be such a big deal, but obviously it was for his new friend. The blonde just shook his head again, and Purpled nodded. "Would you like me to talk?" He asked, and the boy nodded.

For a full week and a half, Purpled would come to the crate and talk. He would speak of school, and of chores, and of his family, and the blonde would listen like no other. Every so often, he would ask a question, and Purpled was quick to answer, pleased that the boy seemed to take pleasure in listening to his stories. On the eleventh day of Purpled and the boy's friendship, the boy surprised Purpled. "'Ello Purpled." He had half whispered under his breath when Purpled had arrived. "Hey!" Purpled had exclaimed, excited that the boy was speaking first. "You spoke!" The boy seemed to shrink back, as if he was afraid he had done something wrong. "I'm glad!" Purpled finished, and the boy sat up a little straighter. "I wanted to tell you something." The blonde had whispered in that raspy voice of his. "What's that?" Purpled had asked happily. The boy paused, as if he was weighing his options. Finally, he spoke. "You can call me Tommy." Somehow, though this might have been something minor for anyone else, Purpled understood that this was the boy's way of showing that he trusted Purpled. "'Ello Tommy! Nice to meet you!" Purpled had replied. And Tommy had smiled that sweet smile, the one that promised friendship.