Tragic Kingdom (80s/90s imagines)

79: C. Thomas Howell

For Dramionelover07

You couldn't quite put a finger on why you two didn't get along, but you and Tommy had been at each other's throats since right before your parents got married.

He tripped you at the wedding, but you "accidentally" got cake icing in his hair. You were both constantly trying to get even without even knowing the score.

His mom and your dad had began dating two years ago, and that's about when you met. You went to different schools, but now that your parents had gotten married, you saw each other nearly every day. Your only moments of peace were when he went to stay with his dad.

Which he was just coming back from.

You were sitting at the table when he walked in. "Dang, I had just gotten used to being happy again."

He mocked you before running to his room.

Normally, he would have some sort of comeback, but the face he made was close enough.

That night your parents decided to spend the evening out together, leaving you two home.

"You can order in, but be reasonable. And please don't kill each other," they reminded you both as they left.

You both agreed before going back to your separate corners of the house. When you started getting hungry, you went and knocked on his door.

"Hey, you want a pizza?" you yelled.

He opened the door. "Sure."

"Cool. Pepperoni good with you?"

He shrugged, "Sure," and began to close the door again.

"Anything else?" you asked.

He stopped and looked at you. "You never ask what I want on the pizza."

"Yeah," you agreed, also confused as to why you felt the need to ask. "I guess I'm tired of you complaining."

"Oh, I complain?"

You sighed, rolling your eyes. "Don't start."

"Tell me when the pizza gets here," he huffed before shutting the door in your face.

When the pizza got there, you contemplated eating without him. I'll be a decent person this time, you decided.

"Tommy!" you yelled from the dining room. "Pizza's here!" You got your slices and began eating.

He finally came sauntering in, grabbing a slice and sitting down.

You both ate in silence. Sometimes you two just took your dinner to your rooms and did your own things, but tonight was different. And... awkward.

He was on his third piece when he finally paused. "Do you consider us siblings?"

You finished your bite and swallowed. "Uh... Not really. No offense."

He nodded, taking another bite. "None taken. I don't either. I mean, our parents have been together for what, less than a year?"

"Yeah," you affirmed. "You're more like an annoying roommate." You laughed to yourself as you finished your food.

That conversation stayed with you the rest of the week. You'd never really thought about yours and Tommy's relationship. Or lack thereof.

Then you noticed him staring sometimes. It was kind of weird at first, but then when he wasn't at the house bugging you, you almost... missed him. The thought was foreign and felt kind of icky, but you couldn't really do much about it.

You started sitting next to him at dinner, whether your parents were there or not. And slowly, your teasing subsided, as if neither of you were really into it anymore. Which was true; you couldn't bring yourself to yell at him much, and he was finding it difficult to find reasons to pick on you.

And then, you kissed, and you didn't hate it. But it was still all so... strange.

"Is this wrong?" you had asked when he pulled away.

He stayed quiet for a moment. "I don't know." He thought before adding. "But we probably shouldn't tell anyone."

Neither of you could figure out how to go about it. As you continued sneaking around, especially around your parents, you both fell further for each other. You both wanted this, but how would you explain it? To your friends? To your parents?

For now, you wouldn't. You'd share discreet smiles when you could, steal little pieces of affection when no one was looking, and keep it all a secret. For now.

I won't lie, this is lowkey kinda rough. I wasn't sure how to go about it 🙃, but I hope this is kind of what you were thinking. Thank you for requesting!

M'kay.

~Mariah