A/N: Sometimes when I want to write something but don't feel super inspired, I'll pull out this list of one-word prompts I have, and write something short. Normally they don't end up being fan fiction, but this one did. (I have a Burn Notice fan fiction on here that came about in the same way.)
The prompt here was "Father's Day" and this is set during season four, while Tommy and Jude are together, and before Tommy goes to New Brunswick.
"Tommy?" Jude's voice was soft. They were laying in his bed, and she was curled up against him, her head on his chest.
"Mmm?" he answered sleepily, stroking her hair.
"You've never told me about your dad." It was the night before Father's Day, and, although her own dad was somewhere in Europe, Jude had been wondering all day about Tommy's father. She hadn't really been planning to ask, she knew he hated talking about his past, but it had apparently slipped out of her half-asleep thoughts.
Jude felt Tommy tense, and raised her head to look at him. "Why would I have?" he asked with a frown.
She frowned, too, and pushed herself up on her elbow. "Maybe because I'm your girlfriend? I just want you to let me in a little bit, Tommy. I think you know everything about me, and sometimes I feel like I know nothing about you."
Tommy raised himself up on his elbows too, looking angry. "You don't need to know everything about my past to know me, Jude. How many times do we have to have this conversation?"
She frowned at him for a second before deciding it wasn't worth a fight, sighing and putting a hand on his chest, gently pushing him back down. "Fine," she said, and he relaxed again, wrapping his arms around her. She kissed him lightly on the cheek and said, "I know you hate talking about that kind of thing." She curled up again, laying her head back down. "I'm sorry I said anything." He just kissed the top of her head in response.
They lay there in silence for a long time. Jude had nearly fallen asleep listening to the sound of Tommy's heart beating when he said, "My home wasn't like yours, Jude." His voice pulled her from the twilight-sleep and she made a muffled, "hmm?" noise.
"He left," Tommy said quietly. "My dad, I mean. Before I was born. He left my mother for another woman. I never knew him. He was a fisherman. I think I look like him." Jude didn't respond. She was holding very still, scared that if she gave any sort of reply he would get embarrassed or upset and stop. "My mom re-married, but my stepfather died in an accident when my brother was three," Tommy continued. Jude hadn't known he had a brother. "I was six. I don't remember much about him. He had red hair, and sometimes we made homemade ice cream. Things got worse after he died." He tensed a little as he said the last part. "I don't like to talk about it, okay?"
Jude did raise her head then. She looked at him for a moment and nodded. "Okay." She pulled herself up to kiss him. "Thank you, Tommy."
He let out a long breath and she laid her head back on his chest. As she started to fall asleep again, she felt him murmur, "I love you," into her hair.
A/N: short things are fun. It's been a while since I've written short things. I'm not sure how good this is, considering I wrote it in the middle of the night, and your reviews would be appreciated.