: ??? Far From Home『TF2 x Reader』

Chapter 5: Past Dawdling

Darren joined in sith Martha chuckling "Not even you sound so sure Y/n."

Flash-forward present:

"I just don't understand why it's annoying you so much that I SPOKE with Darren." Again... there was something about the way she was speaking which kept making me second guess myself as I continued to be in wonder if I were the one in the wrong. "Where even are you exactly?"

I knew she wouldn't believe the truth. "Next town over."

"Why did you not tell work?" Martha asked. "You haven't been coming in for your rota. It's so unlike you! You've had people worried and you've had search parties looking for you..."

I never expected people to be as worried as they were that they'd willingly set up a search party for me, it made me feel worse.

"When are you coming back?" She asked.

"Some point tommorow."

Before the conversation could carry on I saw another caller trying to dial me, my heart dropped when I recognised the number. "Martha I'll call you back in a bit. My mom is calling."

I hung up on my Martha, taking a deep breath as I answered the phone to my mother.

"Hello..?"

On the other end I could hear my fathers unhappy tone. "Next time! Pick up the phone before you have others worried!" I heard his groaning of anger.  "Your friend and colleagues have been asking about you. What was this then? A desperate ploy for attention?"

"No!"

"Refusing to answer your phone until now isn't a good look Y/n." Mom commented.

"It's not like that at all!"

My father scoffed, his voice coming through again. "It's been three days and there's been no sign of you! Do you understand how pestering it is to have investigators questioning me and your mother because of you!"

Flashback:

I was in my broken down room at my parents house, the room wasn't glamourising to the eye, it was broken. Holes that weren't even punctured by me were remained in the walls and my door was half hanging off since the door hinge had been busted, everywhere else in the family home looked pleasant to the eye, but the singular room up the stairs near the back of the house was where I resided, anyone who came round to the house would acknowledge it as the forgotten room.

Countless times I'd ask my parents for a fix-up of the accommodation and every time they'd promise it'd never come into fruition, it was always the same with doctors appointments and schooling, I was overlooked by my own parents.

I suppose it wasn't too bad... I could get away with things such as underage drinking, I could go missing at a friend's house for 24 hours with zero contact and they'd be absolutely fine.

Of course when there's lack of care for you within your aging years relationships seem cloudy and confusing after being Predisposed to madness by those whom were suppose to be your role models.

I didn't have role models. I had adult alcoholic children that couldn't comprehend their own emotions and ideals because of their own upbringings., their relationship wasn't all that great either resulting in constant argument. If you find a way to mature in an environment like this by some miracle a curse of unwanted uncontrollable solitude sweeps in that makes it difficult to open up to others again in the fear that the mistreatment you had gone through would happen again.

Id refuse to leave my room, my refusing would become worse whenever my parents were drinking and arguing about utter nonsense.

I'd refuse to have no headphones while in the house, I needed something to block them out.

Flash forward- present time:

I instantly hung up the phone seeing that nothing had changed with them, sometimes there's just no point trying to argue back, some people will never want to hear your side and go in a situation with their own illusions about the events. It was pointless to even speak to them. It always is.

I sighed, dropping the phone on the bed when I suddenly heard a knock at the door.  "Ya' decent?" I heard Engie's Texan accent.

"Yeah." I replied. "I've got nothing else to change in to so I hope I am!"

He opened the door, stepping a foot in. "The machine should be done by tommorow evening... I just gotta run some tests first, but it's looking all good."

My heart sank hearing about the machine, hoping by some miracle all the test runs fail.

Engie tilted his head at me. "Erm. Y'alright?" He nervously asked, picking up on my blank face expression.

"Not too bad." I half lied. "Just been on the phone with people from home."

He grinned. "Bet you're excited to see yer' kin again."

I wanted to tell him the truth but he's already worked this hard on getting me out of this universe. "Yeah..." I don't have any other choice but to go home tommorow... I didn't want to...

"Alright well... I thought I'd just let'ya know." He gave a polite nod before leaving the room.

I let out a sigh thinking about both the phone calls I had received.

My parents don't care if I come back and something about Martha being on the defensive with our conversations only tells me she's hiding something about that night with Darren.

A purge of unexpected emotion overcame me as I successfully fought back tears. I felt if I were to cry about the situation they would've won but perhaps that was causing more pain by intellectualising them instead of feeling them.

I couldn't help that a few tears fell from my face as emptiness overcame me as I came to the conclusion that nobody really cares.

I didn't leave my room that day.