The Black Swans Secret

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝟣𝟢

★★★

It was a rare occurrence for y/n to ever be asleep before the darkest hours of the night. Just like usual she sat in the dim light of her room listening to the rain pound on the roof.

If she hadn't been listening so closely she never would have heard the soft, almost choking sobs echoing through the wall.

Y/n had since learned that Tam was given a room in the hideout never to y/n's. It could only have been him who y/n could hear crying. But why? Did the Neverseen do something to him?

She didn't want to imagine anymore, instead letting her body take control and guide her to the door. Gisela would lose it if she found out y/n had left her room this late, but she wasn't going far so, hopefully, it would all be fine.

Facing the door to Tam's room his cries became clearer. She placed her hand on the doorknob testing it, open. He hadn't even bothered to look it.

Not allowing herself anymore hesitation she pushed open the door.

Startled Tam looked up from where he was curled up in a ball on his bed. Tears were streaming down his face, but he was quick to wipe them away.

"Leave me alone, y/n, please." Another round of sobs shook him.

Y/n knew she couldn't leave him now, she couldn't leave him all alone like this.

Closing the door behind her, making sure to lock it this time, she slowly made her way to the bed. Y/n sat down on the edge of his bed being careful to let him set his own boundaries.

He didn't try to move any closer, but he also didn't move away which y/n supposed was a good sign.

He sniffled. "I told you to leave."

"I know, but I couldn't leave you like this."

Something in Tam changed at those words. Someone who lived with the Neverseen their whole life cared for him?

He sat up, silent tears still falling. "Thank you," he said, his voice braking on the last word.

He fell towards y/n, his head landing on her shoulder. She moved around to pull him into a hug, which he gratefully sank into.

"I'm here Tam."

A particularly rough sob shook him before he managed to choke out, "My sister, she found a way to talk to me."

He couldn't say anymore, the sobs consumed him again and all y/n could do was stay with him.

They stayed like that for a while, y/n letting Tam cry into her shirt while rubbing slow circles into his back. The sobs eventually reduced to nothing more than a couple sniffles.

★★★ timeskip brought to you by my writers block★★★

After that night passed talking to and sharing things with Tam was second nature. Their friendship grew and became something to hold the both of them together during their imprisonment with the Neverseen.

Glimmer seemed displeased that Tam wouldn't talk to her much. He ignored majority of what she said, making him appear cold and distant, though y/n wasn't sure why he ignored Glimmer.

One day the trio was in the library, Glimmer annoying Tam as he tried to read from Umber's journal.

"I honesty have no clue how you even make sense of that stupid journal," Glimmer said as she sat down in a chair across from Tam.

Tam, however, still seemed insistent on ignoring the flasher. He kept his eyes focused on the lines of Umber's small, precise writing.

"I know somethings wrong, Tam, don't try to hide it." Glimmer said leaning forward.

Still, he remained silent.

"I heard you crying last night."

At this Tam looked up from his book. "What do you want from me Glimmer?" He snapped.

They went back and forth in conversation for a few minutes. It wasn't all pleasantries, the conversation turned bitter and sharp. Ending with Glimmer stalking out of her library.

Tam's eyes found y/n's, but she didn't comment on what had just happened. He seemed content to focus back on his book and forget this ever happened.

Y/n roamed the shelves of the library, pausing when she found a book with an intriguing title. She pulled it off the shelf flipping through the pages. She was taken at the age of six and never got the chance to learn to read. It made for an awkward afternoon of Trix teaching her how to.

She enjoyed reading though, it gave her an escape from the dark reality she was trapped in. She could get lost for hours in the pages of a good book and it was painful when she finally had to return to this world.

Bringing her book back with her she sat down at the table next to Tam and opened the book. They both sat like that for a few hours, each lost in their books.

★★★