Chapter Text
more art by me for this chapter ^^ ! @/s7o7y on insta btw
The sky was a light shade of blue with barely any clouds, and the sun shone brightly. The weather was just perfect with little wind that blew softly, just slightly caressing the faces of those who happened to be in its path.
“Tobi? Tobi, are you okay?” A faint voice called, “You can’t sleep out here, Tobi…”
The boy opened his eyes to find a bright sky surrounded by trees. The sun was blinding and made him squint.
”You’re gonna get sick. It’s too chilly…” The voice sounded closer.
He could feel the cold touch of the grass beneath him and the gentle wind blowing through his ebony hair. His arms were outstretched beside him, and his feet were apart, lying on the ground.
It was Mattias’ voice calling him.
”What?” Tobias asked, slightly annoyed, glancing up at his eldest brother, who crouched over him, blocking the sun that stood right above them.
”Come back in. Please?” Mattias, who was wearing a mask, begged him.
He looked younger, way younger. Like how he did about nine years ago when he was sicker, barely able to stand outside without needing to be immediately ushered back inside.
”Go away, Mattias. I’m in my element.” The carefree boy closed his eyes and stretched himself further out on the ground, letting the soft wind caress his cheeks.
He had rounder, softer, brighter eyes that remained faultless and innocent.
”In your… element?” Mattias squatted beside him as he looked down at his younger brother.
“Yes. I’m a wild animal. The woods are where I belong.” Tobias said once again, outstretching his limbs further. “This is my home!” He declared.
Mattias gave him a slightly weird look as he said, “Your home is in the church…”
Abruptly, Tobias sat up to face his older brother, “Are you just here to annoy me?” He eyed Mattias more annoyed.
Mattias looks away nervously. “You… can’t just live out here. You’ll starve…”
Tobias turns over to flop onto his stomach, face down to the green grass, taking in the fresh smell of it. “Then leave me to die~.” He groaned dramatically.
He thought Mattias was always too serious and never understood the fun of being playful. Tobias loved pretending he was some wild wolf, free from the confines of domestication. He could really breathe out in the woods where he was alone to be himself. And whether or not he really wanted to live out in the woods, Mattias didn’t need to be such a killjoy.
He heard the rustle of the grass as Mattias stood up. “Come on, don’t be so dram…”
Mattias’ voice trailed off. Tobias looked up to see him trying to steady himself, his eyes rolling upwards and closing as dark shadows overcast his face.
“...atic…” He wobbled for a second, attempting to stop himself before ultimately falling.
”AH-” With quick thinking, the younger brother quickly dove under to catch his brother’s fall. “I got you!”
Mattias’ body crashed onto Tobias’, unable to hit the floor, which minimized the potential damage to himself. Tobias groaned uncomfortably under his brother’s weight.
“For someone so weak, how are you so HEAVY?!” He whined. “Do you eat cement for breakfast or something?!”
He struggled to get Mattias off him. Clutching the ground and digging his fingers into the grass, he pulled his body out from under Mattias’s. His face was red from the struggle, and he let out a breath of relief, holding back a bittersweet smile.
”I guess I have to take you home.” He grabbed Mattias by his arms, positioning his hands under the unconscious boy’s armpits. Tobias grinned at the irony. “Was this your stupid plan to make me come home?”
He smiled bigger. “I hate you.”
Slinging Mattias’s right arm over his shoulder, he dragged his unconscious body with him back to the church.
Somewhere in the lonesome woods, a tiny, bulky box of a device sits on the grassy flooring. Its screen lights up once, shaking the phone, twice, probing it again, then thrice, a different caller. It stayed unanswered.
When he comes to, Tobias finds himself beneath a couple of leaves. Sitting up and brushing them off himself as he examined his new surroundings, his body ached with the unknown time spent on the woods floor. Bounts of trees circled him, their tall, dark trunks and green decaying leaves feathering off the arms. They brushed against each other in the gentle wind, swaying together as if dancing. He felt like he had a dream earlier, a surprisingly non-nightmare dream for once. But he’s been plagued with nightmares for years, so it was unlikely that he really did, and he couldn’t remember it anyway, so he didn’t settle on it too long. Everything felt very serene for the few moments he had awoken with a clear mind; just fresh air, a cool breeze, and isolation… and freedom until Tobias realized his situation.
Where was he? How did he get here? What happened to him? Questions started to fill his head. He remembered struggling against his own reflection in the boys' restroom earlier back at the school. SCHOOL - Where was the school? Has the school day ended already? How long has it been?
He glanced towards the sun to see that it seemed to be setting. What time could it be? Five? Six? He couldn’t tell, but it also didn’t matter right now. His father could be absolutely furious at this moment. Had he actually… run away? Had he actually dared? The intrusive voice that always poked fun at Tobias and degraded him had actually managed to get him to do the most unimaginable thing. Tobias won’t claim he’s never wanted to leave the church, but he never thought he’d ever actually have the courage to do so. Though he wasn’t in his right mind and could not say he fully consented with his conscious and physical self, he still did it. Tobias shuddered, not from the temperature but from the fear. The horrors that could occur if he were to return to his father… should he even now? He couldn’t even imagine the things the man was capable of doing to him that he hadn’t already done.
The image of his father’s squinted, dark, glaring eyes that held no affection for him, only pure hatred for all he couldn’t and should’ve been, threatened his conscience. The man held contempt towards him for something he could not even remember, and Tobias shuddered at the thought of him actually having defied his father. What was he to do now? If he returned to his father, he could clear this situation up before it became worse. It wasn’t too late to do so, right? Would his father be waiting for him still, though? What if his father had already determined his fate? …Was his father worried?
“Get it together, Tobias.” He whispered to himself.
Standing up and patting any excess dirt off himself, he took a great look at his surroundings. He recognized nothing.
If he were to get back to the school and hopefully meet Luther, who was supposed to pick him up and who could potentially still be waiting, he’d need to find his way back first. But he had never been anywhere else but the church and the woods beside it. How could he find a way out of this place?
Tobias stared beyond the top of the trees for any buildings or tall structures he may have recognized. It didn’t help that he zoned out completely during the ride to school; he couldn’t be sure of anything, even if he did spot something. He couldn’t even hear civilization.
Two older, grey-haired men were arguing. Their relationship was closer than friends yet farthest from friendly.
“Leave it.”
“What?” Luther, the older one, asked, appalled at his brother’s careless answer.
“I said, leave it.” Lucas repeated more sternly. “This was probably his plan. I knew he’d pull something like this.”
The man lay back into his wooden seat as he pinched at the top of his nose, his glasses resting on his nose bridge. A small migraine making its appearance could be felt. He was honestly concerned for his son, but more vexed with the fact that he used this as an opportunity to go against him. He remembered all the times Tobias used to run away into the woods when he was younger, only returning at nightfall unless brought back by Mattias. He wasn’t surprised his son used this as a way to run away. If Lucas used this as another way to strike fear into the young boy, perhaps Tobias would finally stop going against his orders.
”What- What are you even talking about?!” Luther asked angrily. “Something could’ve happened to him! It’s been three hours and he’s literally never left the church! Who knows what sort of trouble he could’ve run into?!”
”He’ll be fine. It’ll teach him a lesson.” Lucas sipped his cup of tea. “What do you honestly think could’ve happened? I’ll collect him later from wherever he ends up, and then this whole ordeal will be over with. He’ll see how blessed he’s had it living here at the church.”
He could only see this as another way to punish his son’s misbehavior. He believed Tobias was never meant to be separated from the church, and now he was paying the price. The world outside would make an example of him; that this family was the best thing he could’ve ever had. He knew that the boy would be begging to return.
“I can't believe you right now,” Luther says, slamming his hands on the table between the two of them. “You’re serious?”
Lucas didn’t answer.
“I called him twice, and you called too!” Luther exclaimed. “He would never ignore a call from you . Never. ”
“Well, I guess he would because he just did.” Lucas shrugged. “He’s just enjoying his newfound freedom.”
”I’m done with you.” Luther nodded with a resolve in mind. “If you aren’t going to do anything, then I am .” He stormed off.
The older twin stomped, irritated at the fact that he was unable to get through to his brother, as he left the church and got into his dark red car. That’s how it always was, even when he had tried talking to his brother’s wife to get through to him, nothing ever changed. It was useless to keep trying to convince his younger twin, and Luther didn’t know why he still did. Maybe it was how he felt bad for his kids, especially regarding a certain son they were just arguing about, or maybe that he felt some guilt from their complicated past. But he was getting extremely tired of this ruthless cycle.
Suddenly, the rustling of leaves catches Tobias’s attention as he quickly turns his head towards it. A glimpse of bright blue enters his vision–
”What are you doing here, freak?” The intruding boy asked.
Tobias jumped with a little whimper. It was just the petty bully whom he had briefly encountered earlier with Rudolph. He let out a mental breath of relief and felt the sudden stiffness in his body die down just a bit. The loud and rude boy stared at the slight dirt-covered mess that was Tobias, annoyed to have encountered him.
Tobias noted that this boy was only a couple of inches taller than himself though he definitely wasn't as scrawny. Carmelo seemed of medium build for a normal high school student.
After a moment of silence (Tobias thinking to himself), he realized he should’ve replied to Carmelo’s question (if the boy’s annoyed but expectant stare wasn’t enough indication in itself).
”I seem to be lost.” Tobias finally answered.
“Dude.” Carmelo eyed him suspiciously as he pointed with his thumb to a pathway behind himself.
”If I may inquire, where does that road lead?”
“It’s literally just a path back to the school…” Carmelo raised his brow. “What the heck are you doing here? Don’t tell me you skipped?”
Tobias pondered for a moment, trying to further sort his thoughts. He was a little embarrassed to have not noticed that the random road conveniently led back to the school. In his panicked state, he hadn’t even registered that there was a dirt pathway. But then again, he couldn’t see anything past the crowds of trees, plus his inexperience being away from the church as well. He wouldn’t have known this pathway led back to the school in the first place, as he’s yet to familiarize himself with this place. He decided he’d make another mental note of this new information.
“Oh…” He started. “Thank you for the clarification–”
“And would you stop looking at me like that?!” Carmelo remarked.
“Like what?” Tobias asked with a slight wrinkle in his brow, now confused by the unexpected slight outburst.
“Like however you are now! You have a pretty intense gaze, you know that?” Carmelo says. “What a freak…” He mumbled, to which Tobias ignored.
At least now he knew where he had to go. Hopefully, Luther was still waiting for him at the school. He still had no clue what time it was or how long he’d been lying here in the woods surrounding the school. Nor what happened while he was out– or how he ended up out here to begin with… But it wasn’t uncommon for things like this to happen to him. It certainly wasn’t the first time he’d blacked out and woken up with no recollection of anything that happened, as to be expected when you black out, of course. It was just strange how his blackouts didn’t mean he was immobile and how often this sort of thing occurred to him. Almost every time when he would suddenly lose consciousness back at the church, he’d wake up having caused some mess. That was one reason his father was especially hard on him.
Realizing he was pondering to himself again, he shook himself out of his thoughts. Tobias was just about to be on his way, barely passing Carmelo, when he was grabbed by his arm. He flinched and pulled back a little harder than he meant, but Carmelo didn’t seem to care too much.
“You didn’t answer my question earlier.” A certain blue-haired boy asked. “What were you doing out here?”
Tobias was a little confused as to why he cared so much. Even so, he himself didn’t know how to answer that question either.
“I don’t remember.” He answered honestly.
“Right…” Carmelo, who seemed unconvinced, eyed him again. “Well! It’s not my business anyway, whatever, I’m out of here.”
This time, Tobias stopped Carmelo from walking away. “What were you doing out here, if I may ask?”
“No, you may not ask. Mind your business.” Carmelo said mockingly before turning and leaving.
Tobias figured the boy was basically right, so he didn’t protest against that answer, though this attitude could use an adjustment. But alas, he wasn’t unfamiliar with the casual hostility. After all, he had 23 siblings, a majority of whom disliked him (partly due to his reputation with their father and mostly due to whatever event happened during his younger years, which turned most of his siblings’ good faith and his father’s especially, away from him). Those of whom, avoided interacting with him at all costs and acted like he didn’t even exist. Unfortunately, sometimes the younger ones, still ignorant, would approach him, and of course, things would go awry.
A certain small incident abruptly resurfaced in his mind. It occurred the other day regarding two of his younger siblings, Isaac and Joy, who both just wanted Tobias to play with them. Perchance it was the uncertain feeling that rested in his stomach that day, just after he’d learned he was attending public school, or maybe that he couldn’t stand their liveliness, innocence, touchiness, and that they were oblivious as to why Tobias kept away from all their siblings regardless of how they treated him, that the incident ended with him accidentally smacking Joy in the face. The little girl stumbled back, clutching her forehead as Isaac stared at him wide-eyed and fearful. Whatever could’ve been the cause of Tobias’s mood didn’t matter anymore, and Tobias was sure those two now realized why all their siblings tended to stay away from him; he was a horrible person. Joy and Isaac were too young and new to know of the bane of his renown. It was bound to happen , Tobias told himself; that they would hate him eventually. They would’ve either learned from the others or firsthand themselves, this being the latter.
Isaac was trying to console Joy as Tobias ran away to deal with whatever emotion he felt was trying to come out from his throat, making a retreat to the woods, his comfort place away from the church. The only place he knew.
You’re sick, Tobias.
He shook off the memory and the voice that was now awake. He momentarily forgot he was in a rush to return to the school.
Watching Carmelo leave, Tobias followed after his lead, for the slight fear he would get lost. It was quite a short walk, only about five or six minutes to get back to the school. The outwardly angry boy in front of him didn’t acknowledge his presence, and once they actually spotted the large building, the boy sped off, making his way to a small white car.
To Tobias’s disappointment, Luther’s vehicle was not at the front of the school as he had hoped for. But just then, it occurred to Tobias that his father had given him a cellular device, and he could use that to contact Luther. His father did advise him to call only in cases of emergencies, and this certainly was one. There was no way Tobias could get home on his own.
Reaching into his pants pocket, he found… nothing. Searching his backpack that fortunately and surprisingly was still on his back, he quickly dug in to also find nothing cellular device-like. Now the situation was sinking in. This was bad. Not only did Tobias somehow manage to skip about the entirety of his first school day ever and miss his ride home, but he also lost the very important phone that his father entrusted him with. Would the school have already contacted his father about his disappearance today? Did Luther leave after realizing Tobias wasn’t there, or did he not come at all because his father learnt of the news and told Luther otherwise? …Had his father abandoned him?
At this point, his breathing was becoming haggard, just like it did earlier today, and Tobias felt his throat clenching up. He could tell another cold sweat was washing over him as his nape was starting to feel moist and his shirt was sticking to his upper back uncomfortably. He bit the inside of his lip in frustration as his breathing picked up pace.
Look at you, always getting yourself into these messes. You disappoint everyone around you.
Tobias continued to ignore the voice that was trying to knock him down again.
This whole day had been a mess, and today couldn’t be worse. He was dropped off at some place he’d never been to before and pushed into this new society he’s never experienced, was uncomfortable all morning (and the night before as well– actually the days leading up), encountered so many strangers and the overwhelming shift of reality relating to the world away from the church he’s lived in all his life and never left, and now had no way of communicating with his father or his uncle, Luther, and was potentially abandoned. Tobias clutched his head with both hands, trying to calm himself.
You’re worthless. Useless.
“—..e…tie!”
He couldn’t handle these overwhelming questions and worries, and the voice that wasted no time in beating him down to and at his lowest.
You’ve been left behind, Tobias.
“-eetie!” Suddenly, Tobias realized someone was calling to him. “Sweetie!”
He snapped his head up and looked to see that the same white car that Carmelo had gone up to earlier was still there. A seemingly young woman with sky blue hair was calling out to him. It wasn’t difficult to figure out who that could’ve been.
“Sweetie, do you need a ride home?” She yelled from her car.
Tobias could spot the speckle of Carmelo’s head from the passenger seat beside her. He decided not to yell back and approached to a reasonable distance. He didn’t think he could raise his voice to respond without breaking into an absolute sob right then and there. He took as many deep breaths as he could before finally getting to a safe distance near them.
“H-hello, ma’am.” Tobias greeted meekly, almost breathlessly, trying his hardest not to absolutely lose his composure in front of someone he’d just met. “I seem to have lost my cellular device, and my respectable uncle, who was supposed to pick me up, seems to have left- or he didn’t come in the first pla— ” Tobias mumbled and choked up at the end. Swallowing hard, he stopped himself from speaking any further. He couldn’t let his worries overtake him at this moment.
“Oh dear…” She furrowed her brows. “You can use my phone if you need.”
“I… Don’t know anyone’s number. I was just given one today.”
He unstuck the front of his collar from his neck. He felt too hot, and he swore he could feel the smallest of sweat drops forming on the back of his neck.
“Oh…” She stared at Tobias, almost as if examining him and thinking. “Do you know where you live?”
“It’s- uh,” Tobias started.
“You don’t look so well, darling… Are you okay?” The woman asked, concerned.
“H-huh? Oh, no- I’m…” It was now obvious he was breathing rather harder than normal, enough so that this woman could tell something was wrong. His vision was whitening out, or maybe it was the sun’s rays. “It’s just one of the old churches…by uh…”
He was now wobbling, unable to further speak, and his view of the world was fading in splotchy blobs. Everything went silent as the sound of his heartbeat intensified. And suddenly he was falling. He felt himself try to resist, but he couldn’t control his limbs. The last of his vision was a blurry scene of supposedly Carmelo’s mother’s face contorting to one of fear.
“—Oh my god!”
And then darkness.
Luther drove up to the school where he had waited an hour earlier, seeing a smaller car drive off before him. He was furious at his brother’s indifference to the situation and knew he had to do something himself. Everyone knew he was harder on Tobias than any of his other children, but this was another type of low. Tobias was a sheltered boy, and who knew what could have happened to him being by himself out here.
Shutting the door with a little bang, Luther stepped out to reapproach the front doors. There were two sets of doors; the first three double doors were glass, as opposed to the second set. He barely got in when the same faculty members he had talked to earlier stepped out of their front office and walked out to stop him.
“Sir, we told you before, the boy is not with us.” The woman with brown hair tied back into a ponytail said first.
“I know, I know. Isn’t there something else you can do?” Luther asked. “Can’t we please just check the security cameras?”
“As we told you before, sir, we cannot do that unless we have a serious cause for such actions.” An older, balding man spoke up. He wore your basic grey formal suit.
“How is this not a serious cause?!” Luther shouted. “My brother’s son is missing ! Why are we not grasping the gravity of this?!”
“Even if we were to check the cameras now, our security man clocked out at six, you missed him an hour ago. You’ll have to come back tomorrow.” The woman spoke up. “We staff also need to leave.”
“Oh my god, I can’t believe this!” Luther grabbed his head, frustrated. “No one else is qualified or has the keys to the camera room?!”
“No, sir.”
“And like you told us before, sir, this is his first time at a public school. He’s probably off enjoying time with some new friends.” The man said this time. “Kids these days are always staying out without telling their parents.”
“He would not do that!” Luther said exasperatedly. “He would never do that! You both don’t know the type of boy he is!”
“I’m sorry, sir. Even so, if something really did happen, someone would’ve seen or heard something.” The woman fixed her hair behind her ear, slightly annoyed. “He’s only been gone four hours–”
“Nearing FIVE .” Luther interrupted.
“So it’s best you give him time to show up. We are not qualified to handle these cases if it is as serious as you think. If he’s missing for more than 24 hours, we suggest you call the cops.”
“Tch. Unqualified is an understatement.” Luther crossed his arms. “Don’t you know the most critical time is the first 24 hours?! This is bullshit.”
“If you don’t leave, sir, we’ll have to call other security or worse, the police.” The balding man threatened.
Luther no longer felt like trying to talk to the staff who wouldn’t listen. It was tiring having talked to multiple people today who wouldn’t actually give his words any thought, and there was only so much he could do. This whole thing was so frustrating that he could only wish he was overreacting and everything really was fine.
Tobias’s case was also special, so he couldn’t get the cops involved anyway. He dropped his arms down, defeated. He would have to wait and see if Tobias turned up later. It was just over seven, and soon it would be eight. The sun was setting now. Luther could only hope Tobias was somewhere safe. He left the school with the last resolve to drive around the area a bit to see if he’d spot Tobias anywhere, before heading back for the night.
It was dark out when Tobias awoke; the windows above to his right informed him of that fact. He couldn’t tell what time it was or where he was as the room was also dark, the only light coming from what crept out from the door that was slightly ajar to his left. Groggily, he raised himself, trying to adjust his eyes. But unexpectedly, the lights were turned on as someone entered. The abrupt switch from darkness to bright lights momentarily blinded him, and he slightly winced.
“You’re finally up.” Said an annoyed voice.
Tobias turned to see that it was Carmelo. He was too drained to even worry and try to comprehend what had happened at this point.
“...Where am I?” He asked more weakly than he expected, his throat was dry.
“Oh, sweetie!” Rang in a second voice, a higher-pitched one, as a woman entered the room as well. It was, who Tobias assumed, Carmelo’s mother. “You had us so worried.”
She was wearing a white apron and had a tray in her hands with a bowl of some kind of soup and a cup of some beverage. Tobias could see now that her hair was a duller and darker blue, compared to Carmelo’s. It was braided, resting on one side of her shoulder. He could see she had the same vibrant cobalt eyes as Carmelo.
“Tch- speak for yourself,” Carmelo commented as his mother paid him no mind.
“Do you remember what happened?” She asked.
Tobias would rather not have, but he unfortunately did, so he nodded.
“We debated calling an ambulance, but our place was so close, we decided to take you with us just until you woke up. Then we’d send you right home.” She gently smiled. “Didn’t think you’d sleep so long, though. It’s just a little over ten o’clock right now.”
“Yeah, told you we should’ve just called one and left him at the hospital.” Carmelo chimed in again. “Hurry up and get out of my bed.”
“Be nice.” His mother said sternly with one glance at him, straightening him up. “You were also crying in your sleep, darling. How do you feel?”
Crying? Tobias has never done that before, but that alerted him to the crust of dried tears around his eyes and down his face. He frantically wiped them away.
“I’m fine now, thank you, ma’am.”
“That’s great to hear! It’s a wonder you didn’t hit your head too hard when you fell.” She popped out her right hip with a worried look. “It’s so late, and you both have school tomorrow. So I figured you’d just best sleep here tonight.”
She approached closer by putting the tray of food on the bed beside Tobias. Then, leaning closer, she tried to place a hand on Tobias’ forehead. He flinched away and immediately noticed the way her eyes softened. That slightly annoyed him. He didn’t want her to think she had him all figured out just because he looked like some sick, unfortunate animal right now. But he had at least the slightest bit of clarity left in him to realize these negative emotions were misplaced.
He also couldn’t understand why she was so accepting of letting a complete stranger stay at her home, especially in her son’s room. It was preposterous, really and Tobias couldn’t help but be a little skeptical of things. But they did help him, and he couldn’t imagine anyone who would bring an unconscious boy to their home, let them rest for hours, then offer them to stay the night, unless they were really trying to be good samaritans. Or could this be something else entirely?
“I know this is such a weird situation! You must feel so scared waking up and being at some unknown person’s home.” She exclaimed, trying to clear the awkward air. Then she sighed and gave Tobias an understanding look. “If you’d really like, we can send you back on home–”
“No.” He said a little faster than he intended to. “It's okay. I live quite far and couldn’t bear to bother you any more than I already have, thank you, ma’am.”
Though maybe staying at their home would be more of an inconvenience, since he’d be intruding on them longer than he needed to. He didn’t really know why he wanted to stay but Tobias was just so tired, he couldn’t stand any more moving around. He just needed to ground himself for a second, for one night. He had already experienced so many new things today. And he especially couldn’t stand to wake his father up at this time if he were to return home, let alone muster up the courage to face him.
“I think it’s best you eat something, then take a shower. You were sweating a lot too.”
Tobias nodded once again as he took the cup on the tray in his hand, quenching his thirst; it was water. Letting it hydrate his dry throat, he almost finished the cup in one go. He hadn’t realized he was that thirsty.
“Lend him something of yours, Carmelo.” She said in a more demanding voice, eyeing her son once more.
“Sure, whatever.” He rolled his eyes.
“You can sleep here in Carmelo’s bed. He can make do with one night on the floor or on the couch if he so pleases.” She said, addressing Tobias again.
“Seriously? On my birthweek?” He sent an annoyed glare at his mother, then at Tobias.
“You don’t even care about things like birthweeks.” His mother crossed her arms, raising a brow. “And you’ll live with one night sleeping somewhere other than your bed.”
“Whatever.” He said angrily and defeated, heading to his closet near the corner of his room.
“Eat up, sweetie.” She reminded Tobias once more before leaving.
“Hmph.” Carmelo groaned. “I’m showering first.”
“I need to finish eating, anyway.” Tobias quickly retaliated.
“Shut it,” Carmelo said as he harshly slammed his closet door shut.
He had just grabbed some clothes to change into for after his shower and left with a small fussy shut of the door.
After about twenty minutes, he was done showering and only entered the room for a brief moment to drop his clothes into his laundry bin before disappearing quickly again.
With little difficulty finding the bathroom, it was now Tobias’ turn to shower. The room was still a bit foggy and steamy when he entered. The mirror was still blurry, and the floor was just a little wet, with the rug next to the tub being the wettest. It was an okay-sized bathroom with the sink and toilet to the left of the entrance and the bathtub straight from the door.
Tobias pulled his dress shirt apart when he finished unbuttoning it, after he had gotten his sweater off. He had forgotten his torso was wrapped in bandages and that he’d need to change them, but perhaps one night without them would be fine since he couldn’t do it alone, and didn’t have a change of bandages anyway. He quickly unraveled his torso, letting the bandages drop to his feet.
In the bathroom mirror, he caught a glimpse of the dark scarring of the mark on his back. It didn’t help that it was pretty big as well, but it was healing up okay. There was a bit of blood on his bandages, but significantly less compared to yesterday. He could barely feel the ache on his back anymore, as it was quite numb right now. It looked worse than it actually hurt currently. Showering would soon change that, though.
Tobias further examined himself through the mirror reluctantly. His skin honestly looked sickly; pale and dark in some areas where he had fading bruises. Especially on his right arm, where his father had grabbed him too hard yesterday, and the lower left of his stomach, where he had been punished a week before. The bruises were almost completely gone, as the remnants of their blue and purple changing were just barely visible.
It was always shocking to Tobias how resilient he found himself to be sometimes. Countless injuries and scars he’s gotten in the past have all healed and faded away, leaving little to nothing on his skin. Almost like a taunt and a promise, they reminded him that things truly were ephemeral .
Knock. Knock.
“Can I come in for a second, sweetie?” Carmelo’s mother’s muffled voice spoke from the other side of the door.
Tobias slightly jumped with surprise. He had forgotten to lock the door, but even worse, he didn’t have a shirt on. Things could become too complicated if she were to see the scarring on his back and his horrid torso. Tobias never liked seeing his own naked, vulnerable body, nor letting others view it. It just reminded him of his father and how much of an abhorrent mess he really was, and that he deserved every punishment he got.
“Give me just a second, ma’am!”
Quickly grabbing the button-up Tobias had just thrown onto the ground, he frantically pulled his arms through the sleeves, trying as fast as he could to put his shirt back on, accidentally knocking something off the sink counter in his panic. He figured he had no time to rewrap his torso, so this was a fine temporary solution. The buttons of his top, as they always do, proved to be a little more challenging, but as long as he had at least one done, it’d be fine. Except he couldn’t get even one buttoned, so his next resort was to throw on his sweater.
Also, grabbing it off the floor, he threw it over himself. It got a little stuck over his shoulders, and he couldn’t get his head through. Instantly, he was battling with the fabrics, resisting each other. Stumbling around, he was starting to struggle with keeping himself afoot as his feet became slightly tangled with his bandage wrappings. He probably looked like a chicken with its head chopped off right now, the way he was tripping about. Then, he made contact with a cylinder-like object with his feet, found himself stumbling back, and all of a sudden, he was heading straight for the floor.
Hearing a clattering in the bathroom, Carmelo’s mother, Valentina, tried to ignore it, giving the poor boy time to compose himself and open the door. She was holding a towel and some clothes, which Carmelo had decided would be okay for Tobias to wear. She was just going to quickly hand them to the boy, but when she heard a certain light thud followed by the deeper sound of what she could only assume was Tobias’ body collapsing. She immediately dropped what she was holding and reached for the door knob which was thankfully unlocked.
“Are you okay?!” She yelled as she ran into the bathroom.
To her surprise, it was a mess of Tobias tangled in his clothes (his sweater stuck around his shoulders) and bandages on the floor. But it was concerning how he was clutching his head, and then she noticed the bandages were bloody. His dress shirt was open enough to reveal his back, so she also saw the bruises trailing his torso, and finally, the dark scar on his back caught her eye. She covered her mouth in horror as her eyes widened.
“Agh…” Tobias quietly moaned from the floor, curling himself up.
“Oh…” Valentina whispered as she crouched down beside Tobias. “Are you alright?” She spoke in a shaky voice.
She reached out to touch Tobias’ arm, but he flinched, hard, sitting up and scooting away from her, his back against the tub.
“Please, don’t touch me.” Tobias said weakly, as he clenched his eyes shut, still clutching his head.
“A-Are you okay…?” She said once again, shakily.
“Don’t mind me. Please. You are free to ignore this.” He said with a slight groan.
“What’s going on here?!” A sudden deeper voice rang in as a taller man stepped in the doorway. Behind him trailed Carmelo. “We heard a yell?”
“Yeah! And what was all that ruckus—“ Carmelo stopped. He noticed the situation in the bathroom.
“So sorry for the ruckus! It’s really nothing, everyone should get back to what they were doing!” Valentina said in a cheerier voice, trying to make things seem okay and in an attempt to send everyone away.
Neither of them left, though. They definitely didn’t believe what she said and were instead taking in the situation and trying to make sense of it. The wincing boy holding his head on their bathroom floor, the bandages, and Valentina crouching near the boy. Not to mention, the boy did not look okay at all after a moment of staring at him.
“Please just leave,” Tobias said again, finally speaking up, surprising the three people. “I’m sorry for the mess and trouble I’ve caused. Pay me no mind. I’ll just get dressed and be on my way soon. Thank you for the hospitality.”
At this point, Tobias had figured he’d be better off leaving. He hadn’t meant to create such a scene, and he definitely didn’t feel like being further perceived. Everyone stared at him, confused and shocked by what he said. They weren’t sure what to say or what he was thinking.
“Oh dear… What do you mean—“ A deathly silence interrupted Carmelo’s mother’s sentence.
All three of them watched as blood surprisingly trailed down the right side of Tobias's face, dripping over his eyelid. He froze up, assessing what he just felt; the warm liquid making its way down his jaw and dripping onto his thigh. His breath got caught in his throat as he realized. He wiped it off his right eye, surprised to find himself all of a suddenly bleeding. Had he hit his head too hard on the toilet? It was as if this day couldn’t get any worse.
“Oh goodness.” Carmelo’s father gasped.
“Oh god!” Valentina exclaimed. “Lauro, fetch the first aid kit! Carmelo, bring me a warm, wet towel!”
Both of them scattered off without protest. They quickly went to fetch the items demanded, and at the alarm of the unexpected situation.
“I’m honestly fine—“ Tobias tried to say.
“Sh-Shush!” Valentina stopped him. “Don’t say anything, dear. I’m going to patch you right up.”
Tobias stared at her, unsure of what to say or do next. He was a little annoyed and didn’t want to make this a bigger issue than it really was.
“Do you mind if I check your head wound? It would require me to touch your head, but I’ll try to make it brief.” She asked as calmly as possible.
Tobias was in no position to protest anymore. Not with the blood dripping off his face and his now aching trauma-induced headache, accompanied by a slight lightheadedness. Hitting his head twice in one day must’ve been the limit. It was now throbbing powerfully. It felt numb and painful at the same time. He swore he could feel it physically growing and shrinking with each throb.
“If you will.” Tobias replied, dropping his hands in defeat.
Valentina gently placed her hands on Tobias’s head to turn his face towards her. Then, parting his hair in the place she thought the injury was, she examined the rip of skin right before his hairline. It wasn‘t huge, but it sure bled a lot, causing more of a fuss than it really was. Though she was more worried about a possible concussion than anything, seeing as the poor boy had hit his head twice in one day.
“Do you hear any ringing in your ears? Any dizziness or a headache?” She asked seriously.
“Just a headache and dizziness, ma’am.”
“Okay. You may have a slight concussion, but I’m no doctor here.” She wrinkled her brows. “I think you may need to go to a hospital, dear.”
You’re nothing. You disgusting animal. Look at you getting blood on their bathroom floor and making a mess for everyone around you. Like you always do.
“I’m sorry…” Tobias unconsciously said aloud.
“Oh dear.” Her eyes softened once again. “You poor thing… None of this is your fault.”
And suddenly, Tobias was being held in a gentle embrace. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into her chest. It was so, so gentle but created such a large force that he felt his eyes water and sank his face into her shoulder. He could hear her sniffle and knew she might’ve been crying.
”Please let go, ma’am—“ He tried pulling away, realizing he may have made her cry and also remembering his bloodied head, not wanting to get more blood on her than he just did.
But she held him close and only hugged him tighter, caressing the back of his head. Softly whispering, “You’re going to be alright.” She leaned her head against his. They both just sat there in that embrace, on the floor of the bathroom. The cold tiles were a contrast to their warm bodies, but even then, it didn’t feel so cold. A few moments went by in just silence. Tobias never fully reciprocated the hug. It reminded him of the occasional hugs from his mother when she truly felt bad for him. Those hugs were full of pity and felt disgusting.
When there was an overlapping of footsteps incoming, Carmelo’s mother finally pulled away just before Tobias couldn’t handle the hug anymore.
“I’m so sorry, dear. Let’s get you cleaned up.” She said, grabbing some toilet paper and attempting to wipe the blood off his face.
“Back.” Said Carmelo.
“How’s the boy?” Asked his father.
“He’s going to be just fine.” Valentina smiled, her eyes red and nose puffy.
After Tobias had his head cleaned up and a band-aid put on, he was given the okay to resume his shower on the exception; he tried his hardest not to wet his new wound. The larger wound on his back was not addressed by Carmelo’s mother, nor any of his bruises, and everyone finally left him alone after helping clean up the bathroom a bit as well.
Carmelo’s mother had cleaned up the bloodied bandages and taken out the trash bag in their small bathroom trash can that became full of Tobias’ bloody toilet paper. Then she left him some clothes and a towel, telling him, “Leave your dirty clothes and towel here. I’ll help rebandage your back when you’re done, okay?” She winked. She didn’t wait for a response, meaning she was just notifying him and then left.
He had a longer shower than he intended, mostly spent letting the soft caressing of the water run down his body and trying to wash himself through the pain of his once again aching back. A bit was spent staring off as countless thoughts passed through his head as well.
Tobias was now cautiously approaching Carmelo’s room. He saw that the room light was off, but a soft light was emitting out and the door was slightly open. He opened it slowly to let himself in and noticed Carmelo sitting at his desk with his desk lamp on. He was holding something, though Tobias couldn’t quite make out what it was. A small glint caught his eye, and he crept closer. It was a small cross necklace.
“That’s that boy, Rudolph’s necklace, isn’t it?”
Carmelo jumped, dropping the silver chain on his desk with a small ping and turning his head back. His face was a light shade of red as he glared at Tobias angrily.
“Shut your mouth.” He gritted.
“Why do you have his necklace?” Tobias tilted his head.
”…Carmelo!” Valentina yelled from somewhere else in the house.
“None of your business .” Carmelo said, standing up from his chair and grabbing the necklace with him.
He prettily bumped his shoulder against Tobias’s as he passed. Shoving the necklace into his shorts pocket, he gave the boy one more irritated glare before disappearing once again.
Tobias sighed, unsure of what to make of this situation. Too many things had happened today. With little hesitation, he sluggishly made his way to Carmelo’s bed, falling face-first onto it as he sighed. He was so utterly mentally and physically tired now. What was he seriously doing here? He should’ve left when he had the chance, and he’s had many chances. Tobias couldn’t figure out why he did this to himself. Maybe… he really should just run away. He was in too deep now.
The shirt Tobias was given was just a little oversized, so it sat heavier on one shoulder and exposed his collarbone a bit more than usual. He was too tired to adjust the t-shirt, not that it really bothered him. The shorts he was given were a little bigger on him as well, but they had drawstrings, so Tobias had no issue with wearing them.
He could feel his eyelids becoming heavy, and it was getting hard to keep them up. Shutting his eyes for a second just to rest them, Tobias soon fell into slumber. But quickly, he heard the thumping of footsteps coming towards him. He flinched awake and sat upright, rubbing his eyes.
It was Carmelo who came through the door. He had the first aid kit that was brought earlier and wore an angrier scowl. Setting the kit beside Tobias, he opened it and started taking out supplies. This reminded him of a certain moment yesterday.
“What are you doing?” Tobias inquired.
“Patching you up.”
“I was under the impression your respectable mother said she would do so?”
“Guess not.” Carmelo scoffed. “Just hurry up and take your shirt off— And don’t make that gay.”
The tiniest tinge of red reached Carmelo’s cheeks as he realized the subtle suggestion of his last sentence. It quickly went away.
“Gay?” Tobias thought. “Well, my father knows of a plethora of ways to resist and prevent homosexuality if you’re interested—“
“Just shut up.” Carmelo groaned.
Tobias’ lips formed a thin line. He thought it best to end the conversation there and just listen to the angry boy. No point in continuing a useless talk. Instead, he took his shirt off, turned, and stood with his back facing Carmelo. He wanted to get this over with as fast as he could. He didn’t want to showcase his back to anyone further.
When Carmelo looked up, he was shocked to find what he saw. He felt his mouth actually part, and he had to hold back a gasp. His mother had warned him of the wound, but definitely had no idea of its actual severity. They really should have taken him to the hospital. Unknown to Tobias, Carmelo had a genuine look of concern on his face as he stared at the back of his.
The large scar was in the shape of a cross, and it was dark, like continuous trauma to the skin. Carmelo hadn’t seen a wound this serious except in like, movies or something. The skin was sort of crisp, not yet completely healed, and was bleeding just the tiniest bit in some areas on the outer edge, probably due to being irritated. As well as being inflamed. Not only did the wound concern Carmelo, but the multiple bruises seen just from the back made him almost afraid. He got a look at the front during the situation in the bathroom earlier, but seeing the back added a whole new layer of concern and curiosity regarding what the heck Tobias has been through.
“Holy crap, dude.” Carmelo managed out. “What the heck happened to you?”
He understood the implications of Tobias’ state, but he couldn’t directly address them.
“That is none of your concern, Carmelo. Just do what you came here to help do.”
“Okay, geez.” Carmelo said, beginning to wrap. “Hit a nerve there.”
Carmelo couldn’t help but notice how pale Tobias was as he helped bandage the boy up. His bruises and the giant scar on his back were a stark contrast to his skin. Tobias was also on the slimmer side, nothing too unhealthy that his bones were abnormally sticking out, but he definitely would look a lot healthier with a bit more weight. But who was he to be examining and judging the boy? Catching himself occasionally staring throughout the time he was supposed to just be helping Tobias, his face would turn a gentle red before quickly dissipating. He was grateful they weren’t facing eachother.
After a bit of silence, the only noises, the sounds of their breathing, the material of the cloth bandage, and Carmelo’s occasional frustrated grunts, Tobias’s wound was finally covered. Carmelo quickly packed up and left.
“—You should’ve seen the scar on his back!” Carmelo heard his mother say from the kitchen. “That was no normal scar and I don’t even understand how any wound can look like that!”
He went back down to sleep on the couch and saw his parents talking.
“He’s not a normal boy! Something is going on in his personal homelife and we’d be damned if we let him go back to that place!” His mother said.
“I get your concerns, honey.” His father started. “But we don’t know this boy or his homelife! He could just be a careless boy. Maybe he got the scar in some huge accident.”
“You didn’t see the way he reacted to me trying to touch his shoulder. And how he was trying to brush off the entire situation in there! He is not okay.”
“I want to help this boy, too, I do. But we can’t just take him away from his family? That sounds crazy! Especially when we don’t even know the full story behind him or his family. You might be overreacting.”
“I know, I know I’m being ridiculous right now. I just feel it in my bones that something is seriously wrong here.” Carmelo’s mother massaged her temple, upset. “I’m just so scared for some reason that if we send him back, that’ll be the last time we ever see him again. Do you get it? I’ve never felt like this before.”
Her eyes were suddenly very teary as she sniffled, and she covered her face with her hands. His father came up and hugged her from the front as she sank into his chest. He rubbed his palm up and down her back while he kissed her head.
“I’m sorry we can’t do more, honey.” His father whispered. “Let’s just drop them off at school tomorrow and see if his father or uncle picks him up later, okay?”
Carmelo stepped back to leave them alone. He was concerned himself, but as his father said, they barely knew Tobias, so he couldn’t make any actual judgments on his own. Though anyone would be blind not to know that all those scars on Tobias were definitely not normal, there wasn’t much they could do for him. He sighed, retreating to the living room. It had been a long night.