Ivory - An Eburnean Tommy AU

x - stagnancy

Trigger Warning: shouting, full flashbacks that are filled with mentions of death, vague physical assault and asphyxiation(if you want to skip that, just don't read the ones that are in between of series of periods), staring spell/dissociation

Word Count: 1693

A/N: Should I start publishing a chapter daily? That should be nice right? What do you guys think? Got 11 chapters just waiting to be edited..so yeah. I've been slightly slowing down, but I'm looking forward for the ending since I'm already finalizing the plans. Still think this book might end with 40 or 50 chapters. Hopefully things turn out well.

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Who is this person, again?

Tommy's eyes meet the other, as the atmosphere thickens itself.

What a bitter encounter.

Tubbo joins in and blocks Phil out of the way from getting any closer to the kid, "Phil!- Phil umm-"

"Tubbo, let me see him." The old man takes a step closer.

The younger one feels a pull on his coat, little did he know Tommy was clutching onto it. It's almost like he's hiding from Phil,

"I'm sorry, Phil, but back the fuck off." He looks back at the person in front of him and glares, realizing that he's scaring his friend.

Phil narrows his eyes in return, but softens when he notices that Tommy did seem uncomfortable seeing him.

But he never finds discomfort seeing him. Isn't he his father figure? What happened?

"What..What happened?" Phil sighs, finally backing off.

Tubbo cringes, looking back to his friend, "No..No idea." He admits, frowning,

"If there is something you're not telling me, Tubbo, I swear-"

"I really had no idea what the fuck happened to him!" The short figure yells, tired of keeping his composure at this point, "I found him in a random cave in the arctic region; bloody, battered, and everything! He looks like he hasn't eaten anything in days, even had sleep- It took a while to get him to eat or drink anything. He won't talk- He won't respond, nothing at all!"

He clasps a hand on his bushy hair, letting those words seep into Phil, and even to him, "He never let out a word. Anything. I don't know what the fuck happened to him, Phil. I wish I do."

Phil lets out a breath, his wings lower and so his body relaxes. Tubbo seems honest, and deeply upset about everything.

And actually, Phil doesn't have much attachment to Tommy generally, but seeing him like this: a traumatized boy who has reached this far, no one deserves it,

"May I..still take a look at him, Tubbo?" He asks softly this time.

Reluctantly, Tubbo removes himself from Tommy's front, taking his hand that has been gripping his coat away,

"It's okay, Tommy. It's just Phil." He pets Tommy's head before letting Phil take over.

Cautiously, he places one knee to the ground so he'd meet Tommy at face level. Tommy's eyes blink back at the old man, his body growing a bit stiffer as usual.

One can sense that he's not finding this comfortable at all,

"Hey, mate." Phil gives him a smile, noting he shouldn't touch him, "It's me, you know me. We've known each other."

When Tommy didn't respond, Phil's grin lowered, "Do you..not recognize me?"

Tommy clenches his fists, clutching the bedsheets – that's the only reaction he gave.