Work Text:
Tommy never should've agreed to it in the first place, if he's being truly honest with himself.
Everyone knows Tommy doesn't handle well with pain, especially after the events of Wilbur revealing Tommy had cried after the paintball vlog. Doing this - this challenge, the guaranteed pain that’ll come with it - probably shouldn't have been on Tommy's bucket list.
Like - following in the footsteps of Vikk and doing a sort of Sidemen type challenge is something that Tom Simons would most definitely do - but that doesn't take away from the idea that Tommy should’ve probably thought more about it in the process. Silent Library has always been a segment that made Tommy laugh - and cringe, at times, but it seemed fun.
Obviously, he asks KSI and Vikk and all of the other guys Tommy has met throughout the months, and they tell him that - of course, Tommy can do something similar.
So, he brings Jack, Wilbur, Phil, Tubbo, George, and Scott down and he comes up with challenges that are based off of challenges that Tobi forces his friends through on their channel. Tommy had tried to get it where they could do the drinking challenge that they do - but all of the adults including his own parents had shut down the idea immediately. Instead, they're drinking chocolate milk.
“1,” Wilbur tells him, holding up a finger, “you're not old enough. You are still seventeen, and 2 - I do not want to deal with a drunk or tipsy TommyInnit.”
“He'd probably just get all soft.” Jack mutters. “I think we could handle that.”
“It's Tommy.” The brunette spins on his heel, cocking his head. “You’ve seen me drunk, imagine him.”
Fair enough. That doesn't differ from the idea that he might as well be drunk during this recording, because he's high on anxiety, acid in his mouth. Turning over those stupid cards are not helping his level of nervousness.
The way the game works is Jack, Tommy, Wilbur, Tubbo, Phil, and George sit around a table. Scott stands up with a microphone with a decibel meter attached to it - only he is allowed to talk. The other six have to keep their mouths shut - if they exceed a certain decibel level, they lose the challenge. If they win? They get a prize pool of money for every time they succeed. Not everyone participates in a certain challenge, actually, it's usually one or even two people.
A deck of cards sits on the table, five or four of them saying safe on the face, while two or one of them have an imprinted skull and bones. Everyone, simultaneously, picks up a card, and if yours says safe, you're not participating, but you are burdened with the goal of staying completely quiet throughout the challenge.
Of course, with a group like them, it's hard for all of them to not let out a small giggle.
They've gone through multiple rounds by now, and Tommy’s gone once or twice, and so has Wilbur, but the two of them have both managed to escape the suffering. Tubbo’s gone twice, Jack a whopping thrice, and Tommy finds that fact very humorous. Phil’s gone twice, just like Tubbo.
Tommy sits next to Wilbur and Phil, his wooden chair creaking. Scott spreads the cards in front of them and says, “Go.”
Quickly, they reach for a card, their hands planting over the bottom of them, pinning them to the table. Tubbo glances at Tommy, grinning nervously, before they all spin the cards face up - Tommy lets out a large, tired groan.
Skull and bones. Perfect.
Wilbur bumps his shoulder, his brown eyes gazing down at him tiredly, before he flicks up a card with the same symbol on it - matching like twins. “Stalemate.”
Tommy swears. Phil cackles, the other three around them laughing at their demise - there's a very likely chance Wil and Tom will be up against each other. They turn to Scott, who spins a handle protruding from a dresser type thing that hides the next challenge. He spins it - Shock Factor.
Now, Tommy’s seen his fair share of Silent Libraries - mainly due to his fanaticism towards Vikkstar - and most of the challenges Tommy is okay with doing. Well. Not exactly. The ones involving physical strain that makes Tommy ache- he'd much rather avoid an obstacle like so.
Shock Factor. Tommy shivers. He prays he doesn't get the role of having to wear a shock collar, but his luck always runs out by this moment in time - where it actually counts.
They're brought back to the library, and there is the thing one of them will have to navigate - the electric maze. It's a metal wire curved into a star shape, a small, black collar sat next to the structure. On the wire, is a circular ring hanging on it. Scott turns to them, faux-apologetic. “Wilbur, you're going to have to hold onto the ring and try to bring it all the way to the end of the wire without it touching. If it touches - it can touch as many times as it has to - it will send a shock into the collar.”
The Scottish man turns to him, grinning like a shark. “Tommy, that's where you come in.”
All color drains from the teen’s face, and Jack’s shocked laugh hesitantly escapes before he bends over into strong cackles. Tubbo presses his fist against his lips, and Phil looks mildly concerned. “Please don't kill yourself, Tommy.” It's whispered quiet enough so it doesn't break the meter.
“I don't plan on killing him,” Wilbur murmurs softy, blinking in surprise as he picks up the ring - still hooked on the ring. “in fact, the opposite would be nice. I'd like to get this over with.”
Tommy - still extremely quiet, putting the collar around his column, ivory skin. He flinches at the way the two sharp edges poke into his jugulars. The strap feels like a vice grip. “I'm going to cry.”
He stands next to Tubbo and Jack, staring at Wilbur - he tries to say as quietly as possible, “Wilbur, you prick, please don't shock me.” My life is literally in your hands.
Wilbur raises an eyebrow. Then he purposely moves the ring so it touches the wall - and Tommy jolts.
He jumps, completely off the ground, his hands already reaching to rip off the collar, and Jack and Tubbo flinch at the abrupt movement. Phil gasps, before slapping his hand over his mouth to not start laughing. His heart is racing, his head is spinning like it's about to fucking fall off, and he meets Wilbur with teary, betrayed eyes. Wilbur of all people know that Tommy hates being hurt - the fact he just did that makes Tommy ache.
Russ makes a concerned expression behind the camera, but he keeps it rolling as Tommy waves him off. But-
Wilbur physically recoils. His eyes widen - noticing the tears so, so apparent in Tommy’s own. He meets Tommy’s gaze with a message he can decipher so easy; it's like second nature, I won't do that again. I don't want to see you like that again.
The brunette’s eyes narrow, before he turns to the star, and he takes extra amounts of caution as he slowly moves the ring up the wire. Occasionally - it knocks against the metal, and Tommy lets out a sharp gasp - if this keeps up, he has no doubt a breathy scream will escape him.
Jack slings a pitying arm over his shoulder, and Tubbo holds his hand, but eventually - Wilbur looks up, only halfway through. I'm gonna have to just do it in one go, he mouths, apologetic, it’s taking too long to do it without it touching.
“No, Wil-” and Wilbur, the only apology he gets shown as a sorry eyeful, moves the ring rapidly along the wire. The edges slide across the contortion almost half of the process, and Tommy bounces around like an idiot, a scream escaping him. Horrible tears prick his eyes faster than he expects, and he blinks harshly.
“ Nope- no- I- I’m not fucking-” and he rips the collar off his neck, the garment falling to the ground, tears making his way down his face. Wilbur finishes the course, the ring clanking as it hits the table.
Scott tugs away a worried, hovering Phil, and a lost Tubbo - who has a hand on the collar of Jack’s polo. “Is he crying?”
Tommy doesn't get the chance to answer as he's pressed against a warm jumper, a hand pressing down on the top of his curls. Over his head, Wilbur rolls his eyes, pathetically trying to protect the guilty, worried and anxious face he has on underneath. Anxiety had absolutely surged through him while he had worked at the electric course, terrified at having to balance the idea of hurting Tommy due to his shaking hands.
“Shush, Jack Manifold,” Wilbur spits at him, jokingly. “you need to simply shut.”
He eyes Russ, whose lowered his camera, and he nods towards the door with a sad look - the man moves his head in appreciation. He promptly exits, and it's the two of them alone.
Two brothers, one mistake.
Hands brush his cheeks, wiping away the remaining droplets of tears - Wilbur murmuring assurances. “It’s okay, baby, it's alright. I’m sorry, my love, I’m so sorry.”
He swallows, once. “I’m sorry for shocking you in the beginning. It was uncalled for.”
Tommy doesn't respond, breathing heavily, taking his wrists and rubbing his eyes hard enough so they become painted red. The exertion of trying not to absolutely rip the collar off of his neck was too strong - he ended up succumbing and doing it anyways.
He tilts his head, so it rests on Wilbur’s shoulder, their sweaters flush against each other. The man’s arm is around his shoulder, cupping the back of his head. “It's just a vlog, man. You don't have to do anything if it makes you as upset as this does.”
His heart pounds in his ears, his skin dealing with the pricks of electricity still hanging on the edge, and he tries to soak into Wilbur’s presence, like he's a sponge.
Tommy whines, whines at the love Wilbur’s willing to give him so easily. “Wil,” he gasps, searching for guidance, trying to see through the blinding pain that still prods at his neck.
“I’m right here,” Wilbur says, face stony, a stark contrast to the way his voice is laced with sugar. A hand presses against the cheek; opposite to the one near Wil's clavicle, “can you feel my hand? I’m right here. Not going anywhere.”
They slowly make their way to the ground, ending with Tommy cradled - so gently - in Wilbur’s lap. Er - not exactly, but he's close to it. It's like that scene in Inside Out, that Tommy watched the other day before Ranboo left the UK. With the parents holding Riley at the end of the movie, where they're all crying together - it's kinda like that. Where Wilbur’s hands are gentle, how his jumper is soft on his cheek, and his voice is sympathetic to his cries.
Wilbur glares at the shock collar - previously tied around Tommy’s neck - lying limply on the tiled ground. “I didn't - I never wanted you to get hurt. Your safety matters more than money.”
“If that wasn't obvious,” he adds, softer, voice lilting so it lightens the dark parts of Tommy’s brain. “you matter. To me. I need to protect my Tommy - how am I supposed to keep you safe if I’m the one causing that pain?”
“I’m not stupid,” Wilbur tells him, and his voice is empty and full of love at the same time. “I could tell you were scared. I can pick that out.”
And maybe Wilbur’s being dramatic. And maybe Wilbur’s the one being an idiot, here. And maybe he never saw Tommy’s pupils blow wide in fear - of Wilbur.
And maybe Wilbur shouldn't have noticed, not ever.
“It hurts me when I hurt you.” Wilbur blinks. “If that makes sense. It hurts. To see you scared - to see you afraid - to see you in a state that you fear to be in. Well- there's limits to it, because I tease you constantly, with sarcasm, of course.”
And Wilbur has learned.
“I don't remember you being this soft,” Tommy admits, a small, meek smile smothered by the fabric of Wilbur’s sweater.
“I really love you.” A confession spoken once before - yet every time it's repeated, it seems to have more weight behind it.
To an extent Tommy cannot understand, he is loved so greatly his heart hurts.
—
The entire vlog is wrapped up right after that, Wilbur and Tommy glued at the hip - it wasn't like they stopped halfway through, they were very close to done.
Jack and Tubbo both give Tommy words of encouragement, Phil wrapping them both up into hugs, and then they're left by themselves once more. Wilbur’s hand encases his own, gripping it solidly.
Sorry, Wilbur tells him, yet not saying anything.
It's okay, Tommy grips back.
And they will be okay.