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

Chapter 176

Tommy POV:

Tommy kind of zoned out after that, letting his mind rest, feeling weirdly safe in Techno's presence. No collar, no hurt, he's said. No collar, no hurt. Tommy was going to be ok. No collar, no hurt, Techno was safe.

He didn't know how much time had passed by the time he zoned back in again, but Milo was nudging Tommy's hand repeatedly. Tommy have the dog a soft pat, looking around in an attempt to place himself. He was in the dining room, sitting at the table. He could hear faint chatter from the kitchen, and imagined that they were probably getting food, likely not serving him anything at all. He couldn't quite remember what had happened last. He should have offered to cook or serve them. He'd been on autopilot, so he probably had.

"Hey kid, do you want anything with your spaghetti bolognaise?" Phil called, poking his head out from tue kitchen to meet Tommy's eyes.

"I'm ok, thank you," Tommy replied, not even knowing what Phil was offering to begin with. Still, his hard learnt lessons learnt were at least being put to good use. Be polite. Always say thank you. Never ever ask for anything, but if you absolutely must, say please. If they offer something, they don't mean it. Don't cause any extra trouble. Everything they've done is a gift, regardless of how little it is. Don't be a burden. Never be a burden.

Phil gave him a large bowl full of pasta covered in some kind of thick meat sauce. He spent the time between being given it and the others beginning to eat carefully, making sure to shove down the nausea that always bubbles up at any amount of food, especially food he didn't know well.

When Phil began to eat, Tommy mimicked him, although far less gracefully. He almost spilt half of it all over himself. He watched Phil, Techno and Wilbur, then did his best to mimic their hand motion and wrapping the spaghetti around his fork. At least they didn't seem to notice his awkward attempt.

"So, a lot has happened since we last ate as a family, I was wondering if maybe it's time for another family talk," Phil suggested once they were al finished. The nausea Tommy was feeling had increased drastically, but still he had finished the food, not wanting to look ungrateful.

"That would be good," Techno agreed, his voice quiet in a way Tommy didn't quite recognise. Techno's voice always softened when he was talking to Tommy, but this was different. It was a quiet, almost embarrassed tone, rather then the usual reassuring tone he held. Wilbur nodded his answer, and awkwardly Tommy followed suit. He had no clue if he was supposed to stay or leave or what, and he was desperately hoping to get a sign before they started yelling at him for not knowing.

"I'm going to start with reinforcing the importance of telling me where you are going before you do. Normally I'm fairly lenient on this, but I've only just gotten two of you back from being kidnapped, and it scared me half to death, so please, please talk to me before leaving anywhere," Phil instructed. Tommy had been looking to Techno in order to copy what the other kid did, which meant he hadn't missed the way Techno had winced during that. Something must've happened, probably something Techno felt guilty about. Tommy just didn't know what.

"Alright, who's next for something they want to talk about?" Phil asked, his voice lightening somewhat.

"Uh, red lights are back being an issue so please, no red lights," Techno mumbled, and Tommy understood. Techno had been there for years. Red lights were probably ingrained into his mind. Even Tommy didn't want to be faced with them. Not again.

"Are Christmas lights ok?" Wilbur asked, and Techno nodded, smiling at his brother.

"Yeah, Christmas lights are fine, I mean more big lights, spotlights and such."

Phil nodded, accepting Techno's answer without questioning, and that almost made Tommy want to break down and lost off all the things that would cause painful memories to flood back, but he didn't. He couldn't. What would stop them using that to destroy him? Or worse, using it and then putting it in his file when he escaped. Then every single house would know his weak points.

"Tommy did you have anything?" Phil asked, sounding genuine rather then condescending or insistent or demanding. It was wierd, but Tommy took the leap. It wasn't something they didn't already know.

"Not that song. Please don't play that song. Not Rescue. Not Tubbo's song," Tommy begged, trying to hide the wag he felt like sobbing at so much as the thought of the song. He remembered the way Tubbo would sing it at the end of long days. He'd sing it and promise Tommy they would be ok. He'd sing it and promise Tommy that they could get through this together. That they would rescue each other. And now Tubbo was gone and who was left to rescue Tommy now?

"Ok," Techno agreed, pulling Tommy out of his rolling pained thoughts and into the world again, "Is there anything else, because if not I might head upstairs for a bit."

Phil looked at Techno and they seemed to have this weird moment in which no one spoke but a whole conversation seemed to play out, inaudible and impossible to understand but clear to the other nonetheless.

Then, Phil nodded, and Techno moved across the room, barely stoping when he quietly offered for Tommy to join him. No collar, Tommy remembered, calming himself, before nodding and following, Milo keen to be involved.

"Sorry kid, you just seemed like you wanted to get out of there is all," Techno explained, opening Tommy's door and holding it to let Tommy through.

"Thank you," Tommy replied, truely meaning it for once. It had been stressing him out more and more and he was done.

Words: 1000

A/N: next chapter may be an everyone one WOOOOOOO (or not who rlly knows, not me that's for sure-