Tamaki feels a familiar anger flare in his chest as he listens to Doll's story. What she went through is horrific, probably the worst case of it he's ever heard, and yet it's so similar to everything he's heard and seen before, and he can't help but wonder, for not the first time, why, if parents can't love the children they bring into the world, can't they just be nice? Why do they have to take it on themselves to hurt someone so kind and sweet as Doll? To make her think she's anything less than beautiful?
His own father never beat him, maybe because his mother worked so hard to shield him. The things he went through are not comparable to what Doll experienced, perhaps, but he knows how it feels to make yourself as small as possible and hope that he doesn't notice you, hope that you don't give him a reason to get mad. And sometimes it just doesn't work. Sometimes they get angry anyway.
"...I'll never get it," he says softly, voice shaking only slightly. "Anyone can have kids. Sometimes, people who shouldn't. I'll never get why someone doesn't just take the kid away."
They could explain the reasons, maybe there's legalities involved, maybe people just don't feel like it's their place to be involved, maybe they too think this is just the way it is. But Tamaki will never understand anyway. All it does it leave kids where they can be hurt, and they end up like Doll. He's lucky he was taken away when he was; Aya, even more so, because she doesn't remember much of it.
He sighs, and tries to not get angry, because he said he wouldn't and Doll told him not to, anyway. There's not anything that can be done from here about that. But Doll is here. She's here, and she has a family now. Maybe one that Tamaki can be part of.
"You're really nice. And happy and friendly and kind. And you're really talented. And I think you're beautiful." His face shows he believes it, even if Doll doesn't. He'll keep telling her this, even if he knows it'll never quite heal her wounds, just like being told he's not like his father will never quite heal his.
"Even if your scar is ugly. Even if it's the most hideous scar in the world. You're still beautiful. Okay?"
CW: child abuse
His own father never beat him, maybe because his mother worked so hard to shield him. The things he went through are not comparable to what Doll experienced, perhaps, but he knows how it feels to make yourself as small as possible and hope that he doesn't notice you, hope that you don't give him a reason to get mad. And sometimes it just doesn't work. Sometimes they get angry anyway.
"...I'll never get it," he says softly, voice shaking only slightly. "Anyone can have kids. Sometimes, people who shouldn't. I'll never get why someone doesn't just take the kid away."
They could explain the reasons, maybe there's legalities involved, maybe people just don't feel like it's their place to be involved, maybe they too think this is just the way it is. But Tamaki will never understand anyway. All it does it leave kids where they can be hurt, and they end up like Doll. He's lucky he was taken away when he was; Aya, even more so, because she doesn't remember much of it.
He sighs, and tries to not get angry, because he said he wouldn't and Doll told him not to, anyway. There's not anything that can be done from here about that. But Doll is here. She's here, and she has a family now. Maybe one that Tamaki can be part of.
"You're really nice. And happy and friendly and kind. And you're really talented. And I think you're beautiful." His face shows he believes it, even if Doll doesn't. He'll keep telling her this, even if he knows it'll never quite heal her wounds, just like being told he's not like his father will never quite heal his.
"Even if your scar is ugly. Even if it's the most hideous scar in the world. You're still beautiful. Okay?"