Tommyinnit Oneshots

She Will Always Be Your Child (part 4)

"Mimi!" Shroud called out as he barged into the house. Tommy looked up from the book he had been holding near his face even when his mind wandered elsewhere. Tommy put the book on the coffee table as Shroud came running over. Tommy opened his arms towards his son, letting out a soft grunt when Shroud launched himself into Tommy's awaiting grasp. Tommy situated them where Shroud was sitting on his knee. With Shroud in a comfortable position, Tommy finally noticed that Shroud didn't walk in alone. Tommy raised an eyebrow at the new figure, looking between them and Shroud for clarification on what was happening.

It was a girl wearing a grayish white wool dress that she was probably overheating in considering the warm weather outside. The girl was either younger than Shroud or petite. She had thick pink hair that was bound in two braids down her back that curled around her ankles. She was clutching her dress in two fistfuls, and her amber colored eyes darted around the room. She was hunched inwards with paling skin and trembling lips. It didn't take a genius for know that the girl was extremely nervous. He was curious if the anxiety was from being in an unfamiliar setting or if she experienced prejudice against hybrids. Her hair was covering most of her small horns that reminded Tommy of when Tubbo was little. They were just little bumps at this stage in the girl's life.

"Mimi! This is Rosie! Rosie's a friend! Rosie has a question for you!" Shroud clapped his hands to get Tommy's attention. The arachnid hybrid bouncing in excitement until Tommy ran a hand through his curls. While Shroud was hissing like a cat would purr, Tommy peeked over at Rosie. At the mention of her name and question, she stumbled back with tears starting to form in her eyes. Tommy tried to lighten up his features to put Rosie at ease. He wasn't sure if it worked. Rosie remained where she was standing, a shiver running down her body. Tommy added a new bullet point to his mental checklist: Put Rosie in therapy with Puffy. The level of anxiety Rosie was exhibiting seemed like it warranted a professional eye. Shroud must have noticed that Rosie wasn't talking. "Rosie! This is Mimi! Mimi is... nice! Mimi loves me! I love Mimi! Mimi won't hurt us!"

Something about Shroud's reassurance must have convinced Rosie. She shuffled towards them with small steps and squeezed closed eyes. Rosie went to stand by Shroud, rocking on the balls of her feet like she was going to run at any moment. Tommy looked at Rosie, but he kept his limbs firmly in place as to not scare Rosie off. Hesitantly, Rosie opened her eyes to look up at Tommy. She swallowed thickly before raising a hand up. Instead of clasping her dress, her small fingers tightened around Tommy's sleeve. Rosie's mouth opened and closed, but it took several minutes for words to come out. "W-will... I-I... m-m-make clo-clothes... t-teach me? Please?"

Tommy softened instantly. No one could blame him, Rosie was endearing. He was able to decipher through the stuttering and nervous ticks that Rosie wanted him to teach her how to sow or knit. Tommy slowly moved his hands to place Shroud on the opposite side of the couch. Rosie took one step back with widening eyes. Tommy gave a light pat to the cushion beside him. Rosie stared at the spot for a long moment before she climbed onto the couch. She remained a fair distance from Tommy, but her trembling seemed to lessen. It was a stark contrast from Shroud who was pressed so close into Tommy that Shroud was practically in his lap. Tommy nudged Shroud back as he gathered some of the supplies from the table.

Tommy placed two pieces of fabric between him and Rosie. He placed a pin cushion on his side while placing thread into the bottom of a needle. Rosie watched with growing fascination, her lips parted slightly as she tried to intake everything Tommy was doing. Her eyes sometimes flickered to Tommy as he whispered softly the steps for sowing two fabrics together in such a way that they were tight but not wrinkled. To Rosie's credit, when Tommy handed over the needle, spool of thread, and random squares of fabric, she was able to follow his soft instructions. Tommy's hovered around the needle. He wondered vaguely if he should have given a child something so sharp, but Rosie had been like a leaf in a tornado when she walked in and now she was sitting still with tense muscles. Rosie wasn't relaxed by any stretch of the imagination, but she was enjoying sowing two things together. That was until her fingers fumbled. The straight line she had been trying to sow was messed up, and a prick of blood trickled from her finger to the fabric. Rosie's eyes widened as she saw it land. Rosie's ease disappeared.