We Could Be Heroes, Big Man

14

Puffy looked very drained when she was taking Tommy to Phil's. She had deep eye bags and it was almost as if the frown her face had become permanent.

"Are you okay?" Tommy asked when they were in the car, about two minutes away from Phil's house.

"Huh? Oh, yes, I'm okay, Tommy. Just, still adjusting." She said, forcing a smile onto her face. "I'm just very happy to know that you're awake and alright again. Just know we'll through this together."

  Tommy nodded. He hadn't much else to say.

Tommy went back to Phil. The house was awfully empty without Techno and Wilbur. All the pictures had been taken off the walls and most of the things that had been left around the house after Christmas break ended were put away.

When Tommy saw Phil, the blond man pulled Tommy into a tight hug, and started sobbing. Tommy hugged him back, and frowned upon hearing the words coming from Phil.

"I-I didn't fail. I didn't. I'm-I'm—" Phil paused, taking a big breath in. "I'm sorry, Tommy. I'm so sorry."

It hadn't occurred to Tommy when he woke up just how much this had effected Phil. Those were his sons, his only sons. He had raised them and built a school from scratch for them. They repaid him by blowing up the home he made and snapping the trust they had between them. Tommy could only imagine how he felt.

  "Phil." Puffy put a hand on his shoulder.

  "Right, right." Phil pulled away and wiped his face. "Sorry."

His room hadn't changed much either, other than a new sheet being on the bed. Rather than pink, it was red.

Phil had advised a shower, and frankly, Tommy was more than willing to take one.

When Tommy caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, he froze.

He had scars. Not just a single scar but one that seemed to run throughout the entirety of the back of his body. Along the sides of his face, barely reaching mid-cheekbone, a jagged burn scar sat.

Tommy slowly touched it with his hands, taking in the odd texture his skin now had. He glanced down at his feet, taking in how toe to heel there was scarring.

Tommy stripped his shirt off, turning to the side to take in the scar that covered his entire back and barely reached his sides.

His lips trembled and his eyes shook as they examined. He felt. . . Repulsed. The people who had done this to him were the some of the people he had come to trust the most. He would have gladly called them his brothers before all this. Now, he wanted revenge, karma, something that would release the rubber band back to hit them straight in the asses. He would forever be marked by that day and everyone would see it.

Tommy threw the shirt down in anger, tears glossing over his eyes. He clenched his teeth and tried to withhold a scream.

Tommy had never been angry about scars. Mental scars specifically. It was something scary to have but it was something much easier to hide. Physical scars he couldn't hide. They were out for the entire world to see and ask questions. He didn't want that. He wanted to be left alone, to deal with all the trauma without people asking questions. He didn't need to explain to them why he was hurting or why he had been hurt. He didn't even want to think about it. But with scars impossible to hide, there would be so many questions.

Tommy ended up taking a relatively cold shower. Warmth was still a little triggering at the moment. He knew eventually it would be something he would get over. Warmth was actually nice, it was just very reminding.