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The market is crowded and Wilbur could tell Techno was getting antsy. The piglin hybrid keeps tugging at his shirt collar, his eyes darting around the market like a fearful animal. Crowded is not Techno's style.
"Hey Techno, we're down to the last few items on the list." Wilbur glanced down at the list before showing it to Techno, who nodded.
"We can split up and get the last of it." Techno suggested, making Wilbur furrow his brow.
"Are you sure?" He asked, "I know you don't like crowds."
His older brother sighed, shrugging, "I don't, but I know the person who runs the herbs stand we buy from, so I'll be fine." He points at the last items on the list, which happen to be rosemary and basil.
Wilbur nods at him and they exchange a few more words before parting ways. He heads in the opposite direction of Techno, heading towards their usual fruits and vegetables vendor. Upon arriving at the stand, he is enthusiastically greeted by a young boy.
"Wilbur, hi!" The boy, who Wilbur knows as Tubbo, is bouncing from foot to foot in excitement, "My mother let me help the Cap run the stand today! Isn't that so cool?!"
Wil huffs out a laugh, patting Tubbo on the head, "Yes, yes, very cool."
"Tubbo, where'd you run off to now?" Wilbur looks up to see Captain Sparkles heading out from underneath the canopy of their stand, the man's eyes soften in recognition when his eyes meet Wilbur's, "Ah, Wilbur Soot!" He pats Wil on the back good naturedly, "How have you been, my boy?"
"I've been okay, Tommy recently had his birthday and Techno has been training extra hard with the palace guards recently." He explained, smiling as Tubbo flits around him, "And Philza's working on a promotion at the moment, so he's been working hard as well."
The Captain nods his head, "And how about you my boy?"
"Well," Wilbur thought for a moment, "Nothing much, actually. I guess I'm turning eighteen in a couple of months."
Sparkles chuckled, "You should get out more, kid, live your life before you're an adult!"
Wilbur sighed and hummed in agreement. He'd heard that sentiment too many times before, especially from his father and Tommy. Though, from Tommy it was more like teasing him for 'not having a life'. He didn't exactly disagree with the statement, but it was a little exhausting to hear so many times over.
"Anyways," The Captain exclaimed, turning to go behind his stand, "Pick your poison."
Wilbur picked out what he needed, waiting patiently as Sparkles taught Tubbo how to calculate the amount owed, and put them in his basket. He said goodbye to the duo, with a promise to say hi to Tommy for Tubbo, and set off back toward where he had left Techno.
Or at least, that was the plan.
Almost as soon as he started heading back, he felt someone crash into him and fall onto the ground. He hadn't even noticed someone walking towards him.
"Hey, are you alright?" He crouches down to her level, reaching out a hand towards the person he'd knocked over.
The woman looks up at him. She's a hybrid, one of fish and human. Her hair a burnt orange and her eyes crimson and yellow. She sits staring at him for a moment before seeming to register what just happened. Looking down at her dress, Wilbur realizes that he'd made the woman spill jam all over the front of her clothes.
Apologizing profusely, he pulls the handkerchief his father had given him out of his pants pocket, handing it to the person in front of him to use. She looks from the handkerchief, to his apologetic face, and down at her dress before bursting out laughing. Wilbur's eyes widen at her dismissive laugh, and is even more shocked when he felt himself laughing as well. It was so ridiculously cliche. Guy knocks girl over. Girl accepts handkerchief from guy. Guy and girl fall in love.
The woman pushes his outstretched hand away, "Thank you, but I'll be fine. My father probably has better towels at his stand."
Wilbur shrugs, stuffing the cloth back in his pocket before helping the woman pick up the food that had fallen from her basket. When that was all said and done, he stands and helps her to her feet. They stand in silence for a bit, seemingly taking each other in, before Wilbur asked, "What's your name?"
She laughs slightly, looking over the boy in front of her once more before responding, "My name is Sally, you?"
"Wilbur Soot, at your service." He takes her hand and tugs it up as if to kiss it, but only brings it up halfway before seemingly changing his mind and dropping it awkwardly, making Sally smile, "I'm sorry if I bruised any of your vegetables, I can replace them if they are."
Sally shakes her head, "Such a gentleman, but it's alright, bruising adds character."
Just as Wilbur opens his mouth to respond, they're interrupted by another voice, "Wilbur, I've been waiting for you for twenty minutes."
They both turn to see Techno walking up to them, his expression is as blank and monotone as ever, but the small twitch of his ear is proof enough that he is not happy.
"Oh, Techno, this is Sally." Wilbur gestures towards the hybrid, "I bumped into her and was helping her get cleaned up."
Techno raises an eyebrow, taking in the girl in front of him, his eyes focused on the jam on her dress, "Obviously you're doing a fantastic job at that, but we have to get home soon. You know what happened the last time we were late."
Wilbur shudders, he wishes he could forget. Their last trip to the market had gone well past their usual time of getting home, and Tommy had thrown a fit. Smashing a plate and yelling at Wilbur. It was such another overblown reaction that Wilbur couldn't stop thinking about it for days. The older will never understand Tommy's desire for everyone to be on schedule all the time, it was just so out of character for him.
He turns to Sally, "Techno's right, we do have to go soon."
"I understand," she nods, starting to turn away, "See you around, Wilbur Soot."
Wilbur stares at her back until she almost disappears. He's probably smiling like an idiot. He feels a hand on his shoulder and turns towards his brother, whose eyes are twinkling ever so slightly with amusement, "What?"
"What do you mean, 'what'? Go after her, idiot."
Wilbur blinks at him in confusion. Techno sighs exasperatedly, giving his brother a shove forward, "Go get her mailing address or something!"
Recognition crossed Wilbur's features and he smiled at Techno before darting off into the crowd.
----
Two nights later, the town is buzzing. Lanterns and banners have been hung from fence posts, music ringing out from the town square, and the smell of food wafting from restaurants and stands alike. The Fall Festival has always been Wilbur's favorite time of year, even as he's gotten older. He loves the liveliness of it all, the pure energy it sparks within him to be surrounded by so many people and lights.
Unfortunately, he always has to experience the festival alone. The only time he'd attended with family was back in primary school when Philza had deemed them old enough to handle it. Tommy was only a toddler then and cried the entire time they were there, and Techno spent the night hiding under Phil's jacket, not saying a word. Nowadays, Tommy spends festival night at Tubbo's house, Techno either stays home or trains like normal, and Philza has work. Wilbur has gotten used to going alone.
But the presence beside him, throwing darts at balloons and laughing when it misses every time, reminds him that he's not alone this year. Sally was bouncing around the festival like an excited child, dragging Wil along to each of the attractions and to try all the food samples.
He smiles as he watches her try and haggle the man running the minigame to give her another dart, before turning to glance at the time. It was quarter to eight and they should probably grab something to eat before the tavern closes.
"Hey," he turns to look at Sally, "We should stop by the tavern, they have their festival specials out tonight and I don't want them to run out before we get a chance to try it."
Sally follows him through the crowd, hand in hand as to not get separated. When they make it to the tavern, Wilbur is surprised to see that multiple tables are open. He had expected to have to wait for a while before being seated.
They're seated towards the back of the tavern. Candles are lit on every table, ribbons hanging around from the rafters on the ceiling and dim festive lights hung all around.
Small talk is easy enough for the two, and it soon dissolves into telling childhood stories and then a debate about eating sand.
"That can't be healthy, Wilbur!" Sally gasps out between wheezes, "And where would you get the sand anyways? None of the beaches around here have sand."
Wilbur wiggles his eyebrows at him, "I have my ways."
"Don't be creepy!" She flicks his nose, and he feigns hurt, laying his arm across his face.
"You've wounded me!" He declares, leaning back in his chair, "It's so cold, the claws of death-"
"Wow," Sally places a hand on her chin, leaning forward and placing her elbow on the table in front of her, "never placed you as the overdramatic theater kid."
"You sound like Phil." Wilbur laughs.
Sally smiles at his fond gaze, "Who's Phil? Someone you're close to?"
"My father." He responds, "We're a pretty tight knit family, me, Phil, and my brother's Tommy and Techno."
"Tell me about them."
Wilbur smiles, "Techno is my older brother, you've met him. He's one of the bravest and strangest people I've ever met. He works with the royal guard and trains there twenty-four-seven."
He remembers when Techno got accepted to train under his idol Fruit. Wilbur had never seen him smile so wide before. It was also the first time Techno had willingly hugged him, which led to him growing more comfortable with physical contact. Now, he'll randomly pull Tommy into affectionate headlocks and give Wilbur side hugs after his small concerts in the town square.
"Is Techno the guy that was with you that day at the farmer's market?" Sally asked. At Wilbur's nod, she tilted her head, "he doesn't look like you."
Wilbur nods, "Techno, Tommy, and I are adopted. All from different families and backgrounds." She hums in acknowledgment, "Tommy is a little gremlin child, very loud and rebellious. He's young, but he's already been in trouble with the town guards multiple times. He used to be a lot worse mannerism wise, but when he met his best friend Tubbo, he became a lot quieter."
Tommy had indeed gotten in trouble with the palace guards many times. The first time it happened, the guards had picked him up in the woods after he was reported to be throwing rocks and sticks at people who passed. It wasn't a huge deal, but Wilbur can still remember the disappointment in Phil's eyes. It had only been a few weeks since Tommy had arrived, Wilbur and Techno had tried welcoming him warmly, since both had gone through the same adjustment period he was, but the child was making it incredibly difficult. Causing chaos and being a general nuisance whenever possible. It had taken months for the boy to realize that Phil wasn't going to give up on him and calm down.
"I know Tubbo, he's always hanging around the Captain. Very excitable boy." Sally comments.
"What about your family?"
She considers the question for a moment, "I'm an only child and I live with my mother and father. There's not much to say, my father's a tailor and my mother's a teacher at the local elementary school. I'm not as close with my family as it seems you are with yours."
The conversation lulls after that. They finish their food, pay, and step out of the tavern. Greeted again with loud music, Wilbur considers what else they could do. He didn't quite feel like going home yet, but they'd already gone to most of the stands.
Just as he was about to ask Sally what she wanted to do, he feels her pull on his sleeve. He gives her a confused look, and she responds by leading him towards the town square.
The square is the biggest part of town and usually the most crowded. Surrounded by shops, with a fountain in the middle and a stage near the top half for special occasions. Like today, for example, as there is a band playing on the stage, surrounded by dancing people. The song is one Wilbur doesn't recognize, but it's jazzy, and he soon finds himself tapping his feet to the beat.
Sally seems to want to join in the dancing and continues to tug Wilbur towards the crowd. He lets her, watching as she jumps into the dance immediately, but hesitates joining as well. Wilbur is less than experienced with dancing, he had only gone dancing once with a couple friends, but that was a long time ago and he had spent most of his time trying to keep his friends from publicly embarrassing them.
But he doesn't get a chance to doubt himself, because Sally is already pulling him into the dance, moving his hands back and forth with her and having him follow her movements. It's more of a shimmy than a dance, but it works well enough, and soon Wilbur is matching his companion's energy. Her smile is contagious, he finds, and he can't get enough of it.
---
Wilbur was nervous. He didn't get nervous often, being one of the more extroverted members of his family, at least, compared to Techno and Phil. But that's beside the point. The point is that Sally is coming over to have dinner with him and his family and he just knows Tommy is going to embarrass him.
From where he's sitting, he can hear Phil in the kitchen cooking dinner, Tommy sitting on the counter and running his mouth like usual. Wilbur sighs, silently praying to whatever was listening that they get through this without casualties.
He turns towards the hallway down towards the main entrance when he hears the doorbell ring, only to lock eyes with Tommy, who had jump down from the counter and was now looking from Wilbur to the door. There was a challenging look in his eyes.
"I've got the door, Tommy." Wilbur's voice is low, "don't even think about it."
Tommy doesn't give him a chance to say anything else before he bolts for the door, Wilbur swearing before running after him. His brother is young and lanky so, with his head start, he's already halfway there when Wilbur enters the hall. The elder tries his best to reach him before he opens the door, but the tween is already there, swinging the door open and startling the girl outside.
"Are you Wilbur's girlfriend?" Tommy asks immediately, his voice loud like he was speaking over booming music, "So you guys like kiss and stu-"
He doesn't get another word out before Wilbur clamps a hand over his mouth, pulling him back into the house, "Sorry about him."
Sally blinks at him before bursting out laughing, laughing harder when Tommy bites Wilbur's hand making him yelp and pull his hand away.
"You little shit!"
Tommy smirks at him, "Do that again and I'll tell Philza you swore at me!"
Wilbur rolls his eyes, giving Sally an exasperated look and leading her inside. They give a quick house tour and greet Phil in the kitchen before settling down to wait in the living room. Techno is there already, reading a book.
"What book is that?" Sally asks.
Techno glances upwards, "Sun Tzu's Art of War."
Slightly taken aback, she blinks, "Oh, interesting."
"Yeah," Tommy snickers from beside her, "Techno's a real nerd when it comes to fighting. Even though it's literally just stabbing shit."
"It's more than "stabbing shit", Tommy." Techno whips his head up at his brother's statement, "War is an art, hence the name of this book. It takes years to call yourself even an amateur with a sword."
The youngest rolls his eyes.
"They're like this all the time." Wilbur catches Sally's attention again, "Even in public, it's chaos."
Laughing slightly, Sally leans back into the couch, letting Wilbur put an arm around her as they listen to the two bickering back and forth.
Soon enough, Phil announces that dinner is ready and they relocate to the table. Tommy and Techno had long since moved on from their argument, but Wilbur wasn't paying attention to their conversation. He was too focused on Phil now, who had pulled out the chair next to him for Sally, before sitting at the head of the table.
The beginning of the meal was rather quiet, the only conversation being a simple "what did everyone do today?" or "hows Tubbo doing, Tommy?". After most everyone finished their meals, Phil folds his hands and addresses Sally.
"So," he said, "How long have you and Wil been together."
Wilbur felt heat crawl up his neck, "Phil-"
His father shushes him and Sally smiles at him apologetically, "We've been together officially since the Fall Festival."
Techno whistles, "Two months, huh?"
Phil hums in agreement, "I was wondering when we were finally going to meet, Wil wouldn't stop talking about you.
Sally sends a raised eyebrow and a smirk in Wilbur's direction, noticing his red face and laughing. She links their hands under the table."
"What do you plan to do after school, Sally?" Phil inquires, standing to collect dishes from around the table.
Sally thinks for a moment, "I'm not quite sure, I might apprentice at my father's tailor shop, but training as a palace guard has always appealed to me."
"Really?" Techno speaks up, seemingly sizing her up, "You don't look like the fighting type."
"Techno!" Phil scolds, lightly smacking him over the head.
He looks at him in bewilderment, "Well, it's true!"
"Techno's really blunt." Wilbur states in Sally's direction, "Feel free to punch him if he insults you."
Tommy gapes at him, "How come she gets to hit Techno, but when I do it, I'm 'not controlling my anger properly'?" He puts air quotes around the last sentence, imitating Phil.
Phil sighs loudly, setting down the dishes and pinching the bridge of his nose, "No one is hitting anyone." He turns away from his children, but Wilbur can see a hint of a smile on his face.
The next half hour or so is spent talking and laughing, even playing charades at some point. However, when she sees the setting sun out the window, Sally excuses herself, stating that she has to get home before dark.
Wilbur walks her towards the door after she says goodbye to everyone, stepping out onto the porch with her. The sunset is beautiful from the porch, casting a yellow and red hue onto their surroundings. The two stand for a bit, watching the sky turn from yellow to a deep red.
"I had a lot of fun today," Sally starts, turning slightly to catch Wilbur's gaze, "Your family is amazing."
He shrugs halfheartedly, "Yeah, they're alright."
She laughs, "Mhm."
A silence stretches between them, their eyes not leaving each other. Suddenly, Sally steps in front of him, tracing her arms up to hold his face.
He leans down, "This okay?"
She nods.
Just as he's about to close the gap between them, the front door opens.
The two spin around to see Techno standing in the doorway, a hoe in one hand and a basket in the other. He stares at them for a minute, taking in their red faces, before slowly backing into the house and closing the door.
Wilbur looks at Sally, she looks back at him.
And they both start cackling.
Sally says goodbye soon after that, letting Wilbur kiss her hand, and heads down the path to town. Even though the moment was ruined, Wilbur can still feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins.
Heading inside, he offers to help Techno with his farm.
--
Wilbur collapsed onto his bed, exhausted after a long day of wandering around town with his family and Tubbo. It was nice that his family wanted to spend his birthday with him, but spending hours upon hours with Tommy and Tubbo's shenanigans was tiring to say the least.
He was about ready to spend the rest of the day laying in bed when he hears a loud crash come from across the room, cold air blowing past him. He sat up, noticing that his window was broken, a rock laying on his floor among broken glass.
Standing carefully, he made his way across the room, peeking out his window to see Sally with a horrified expression on her face. In her hand was another rock.
"Wh- Sally?"
She dropped the rock she was holding, bringing her hands up to bury her face in them, "I thought it'd be like one of those cheesy romantic novels! The ones where they throw rocks at their lover's window to get their attention!"
Wilbur wheezed slightly, slightly amused, but mostly shocked, "Pebbles." He huffed out.
"Pebbles?"
"Sally, they throw pebbles at the window, no rocks the size of your palm!" He chuckled as her face changed from confusion to realization.
"Oh." She responded, "You're right."
Shaking his head, Wilbur knocked the rest of the glass out the window, watching it fall to the ground outside his window, "Anyways, what do you need?"
"Grab a jacket," Sally said after composing herself, "meet me in front of the woods behind your house in five." Offering no further explanation, she turned on her heel and walked towards the woods.
Wilbur took a moment to register the events of the past few moments before shrugging it off and turning to grab his coat. A window was rather easily replaceable, so he didn't find himself too upset about it, focused more on the fact that Sally was leading him into the woods in the middle of the afternoon for no reason. It was a bit strange, but Sally was always strange, so he brushed it off.
Two minutes later, Wilbur is being dragged by the wrist into the woods behind his house by Sally, who has a huge smile plastered across her face.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were plotting to kill me." Wilbur jokes, letting her lead him over a creek, chuckling as she almost steps right into it.
Sally huffs halfheartedly, "Yeah, yeah."
The walk is mostly quiet, besides Wilbur poking fun at Sally's reddened face, trying to warm her face up with his gloved hands. He finds that he quite likes these moments, just enjoying each other's company, no talking necessary.
Soon enough, the couple comes across a clearing. A blanket was laid out across the grass, two baskets on top and a couple of lanterns strewn across the ground.
Sally walks in front of him, holding out her arms as if presenting a school project, "What do you think?"
Wilbur could feel himself smiling, "Is this why you've been so busy lately?"
"Mhm," she nods, "I didn't want to ask my parents for money to get all this, so I worked a couple extra shifts at the inn." She kneels by the basket and opens it, revealing two thermoses and a couple of sandwiches and baked goods, "Sorry, it's nothing too fancy."
He comes up to kneel beside her, throwing an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into a quick hug, "It's perfect."
The sandwiches are about as delicious as expected, and the thermoses turned out to contain hot chocolate. They spent a while talking and eating, but it eventually dissolved into laying out on the blanket and watching the stars. It was cold, but with Sally by his side, Wilbur didn't really notice.
After a while of laying on the grass, Sally sat up. She shook out her numbing hands, turning to him, "I have one last thing to show you before we head back." Standing, she walks over to a nearby tree, reaching behind it and pulling out a long box wrapped in festive paper, "They only had Christmas wrapping paper at the store, sorry."
Wilbur gives her a small smile, "You didn't need to do this, the picnic was enough."
"Nonsense." She dramatically places a hand over her heart, "What kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn't get you a present for your birthday?"
Wilbur rolls his eyes, chuckling at her antics, "What is it, anyways?"
"You'll see!"
Shoving it into his hands enthusiastically, she sits cross legged in front of him. Her excitement reminded him a lot of Tommy, or any child really, and he finds himself getting just as pumped, tearing into the wrapping paper and then the box underneath.
Inside the package was a guitar, a pretty fancy one at that. It was definitely an upgrade from the one he has at home, which he had found at a thrift stand a couple years ago.
He looks up at Sally, eyebrows raised in surprise, "How did you..?"
"I remember you talking about your guitar," she says, grinning from ear to ear, "You sounded so excited about your music, but you kept complaining about how beat up your guitar was, so I asked my father about music stores near here. It was a bit of a process, but I sent a letter to my father's friend who sells instruments and found this. I hope it's okay, I don't know much about mus-"
She didn't get to finish her sentence before Wilbur kisses her.
--
The sun had set a while ago, but Wilbur didn't move from his spot on the branch. It swayed slightly as Sally shifted next to him, her head on his shoulder. He seemed to lose track of time, lost in the quiet comfort of his partner. The only thing reminding him of the late hour was the cold, getting harsher the darker it gets.
Tommy was probably wondering where he is now, but Wilbur shoved the thought to the side, focusing on the moment in front of him. He threw an arm around Sally, pulling her closer to his side and pressing his lips to the top of her head.
"I should probably go soon," Wilbur mutters, "It's getting late."
She murmurs in protest, "You should just stay here, it's too dark to walk back."
Wilbur considered this for a moment. Phil would definitely be upset, but his curfew was a couple of hours ago anyways, so it would be the same either way. Tommy might go feral, but that's not Wilbur's problem, and Techno wouldn't care in the slightest.
"Sure."
Sally blinked, lifting her head from his shoulder, "Really?"
"Why not?" Wilbur shrugged, "As long as your parents don't mind."
"My father's out with some of his coworkers on a golfing trip," Sally recalls, "and my mother is staying late at work, so as long as you leave early tomorrow morning, it should be fine."
Wilbur smiled, allowing himself to be dragged off the branch they were sitting on and towards the hybrid's house.
One night couldn't hurt, right?
--
It's quiet in the house. Uncomfortably quiet. The only sounds present are the noises of the rain filtering in through the window, and Wilbur's soft footsteps against the wooden flooring.
The silence was unnerving compared to any other day, seeing as he lives with Tommy. Usually someone is shouting about something, blasting a record, or roughhousing over some stolen belonging. But Tommy's with Tubbo, Techno is working at the farm (despite the rain), and Phil is at work, leaving Wilbur home alone.
He'd usually be out on the town, hanging out with Sally or Schlatt or helping out the captain and Tubbo with their garden, but the rain caused all his plans to be thrown out the window. He didn't want to risk getting a cold, since Tommy only just got over the one he had recently and going to the doctor's office was expensive.
Now, he's just pacing his house, hoping for a distraction while being increasingly put off by the silence.
His hopes seem to come true when he hears a knock on his front door. It's shaky and weak, and he immediately rushes to open it. Outside stands Sally, she's not wearing a jacket, practically drenched, and shaking.
"Sally?" Wilbur asked, voice full of concern, "What are you doing out in the rain?"
She just shakes her head, moving forward and stepping into the house. That's when he notices she's crying.
"Are you okay? Why are you crying?" He crouches slightly, moving Sally's face to look at him, "Sally?"
Sally takes a deep breath before moving towards the couch and coaxing them both to sit down. Her breathing is shaky and she looks out of it. Wilbur takes off his jacket, slinging it over her shoulders and pulling her into a hug. They stay in that position for a while, waiting for Sally to calm down and explain herself.
When she did finally calm, she reaches into her pocket and pulls out a slip of paper, handing it to him delicately. It's slightly damp, but it's obvious she took care to keep it dry on her trip over. He skims the letter, which seems to have been written by a doctor, before glancing up at Sally once again.
"You're…"
She nods, "Yeah." She nods again, "I'm pregnant."
It's silent for a few moments, "Why did you walk all the way over here in the rain, Sally? You shouldn't be doing that, especially if you're pregnant."
She began tearing up again, "I didn't have anywhere else to go."
"What about your house?"
"My father kicked me out," she explained, "he's ashamed of me, not being married and all that."
Wilbur takes a couple moments to take in all this information, "Okay… okay, so what do you want to do now?"
She quirks an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"
"Like," he collects his thoughts, trying to find the right words, "Do you want to tell Phil? I'm sure he'd allow you to stay here."
"I… I don't think I want to…" Sally gives him a hesitant look, "I mean, I'm thinking about your reputation here, Wil."
"My reputation?"
She nods, "You're family is highly respected in this town. Everyone knows Phil, everyone loves Techno, everyone tolerates Tommy, and everyone loves your music!" She grasps his hands, "I'd rather run away then see you be shamed."
"Sally, no one would shame me-"
"You know they would, Wilbur." She exclaims, "I know how much you like everyone here, but they're all so judgmental."
Wilbur considers this, "We could leave."
She glances up, "Really?"
He finds himself saying yes before he even thinks it through. He doesn't think of Phil, who's expecting to come home to Wilbur safe and sound. He doesn't think of Techno, and how he promised to watch his training later. He doesn't think of Tommy, who was learning piano and promised to play for him for his birthday next year.
He only thinks of Sally, and the hope in her eyes at the thought of leaving.
Soon enough, they're planning their escape. Wilbur doesn't stop to consider the consequences. He's packing two bags, writing a note, and they're leaving.
It was selfish, it was stupid.
But for Sally, he could do it.
--
When Wilbur holds his daughter, he feels warm. Finley's light, she has her mother's orange hair, her father's eyes, and she's the best thing to ever happen to him.
It's strange how much having a kid changed him. He'll sit holding her and watching out the window for hours, letting her sleep in his arms, with Sally at his side. It all feels so domestic, he'll never get used to it.
Another thing he'll never get used to, is a baby's sleep schedule, which is biting him in the butt right now, as it's four in the morning and Finley's crying.
Standing, Wilbur walks over to the cradle sitting across the room. He looks down at his daughter for a moment before picking her up in his arms.
"Are you hungry, Fin?" He bounces her in his arms slightly in an attempt to calm her, "Hold on, I'll get your bottle."
Wilbur kneels slightly, grabbing a bottle from the small fridge near their bed and moving to microwave it. When the milk is heated, he sits on the edge of the bed, cradling Finley in one arm and feeding her with the other.
He can hear Sally's slow breathing on the other side of the bed, calm, quiet, alive. He grimaces. Alive.
Sally's health has been… decreasing since she gave birth to Finley. It was subtle at first, she started getting weaker, started eating less. Then it got worse, leading to her not even being able to get out of bed most mornings. They've been to the local doctor multiple times, but Sally denies seeking higher medical treatment, as coming up with the money for hospital visits and medication would take years.
Wilbur sometimes wonders what would've been if they had stayed. Maybe Sally would be getting the help she needs. God knows Phil would never let her not get medical treatment, so he'd probably spend all of his wages on her hospital bills. Techno, while having a stone-cold exterior, would probably be a great uncle. Tommy… well it'd be interesting to see him interact with a baby.
He sighs, setting the finished bottle on the ground beside his feet and standing to put his daughter back into her crib. She's asleep almost instantly, letting out quiet puffs of air in her sleep. Wilbur smiles, pulling a small blanket over her sleeping form before making his way over to the bed and sitting on the edge.
Wilbur finds his eyes trailing over to Sally, glancing down at the ring on her left hand. It's nothing too fancy, just a silver band with a small quartz gemstone. He reaches over and takes her hand in his. Running his index finger over her knuckles, he wonders briefly if they'll ever get to have their dream wedding.
Or a wedding at all.
He's snapped out of his thoughts when he hears Sally shifting beside him. Crimson eyes meet blue as she sits up, her gaze curious.
"You okay, Wil?"
He says nothing, just runs his fingers over her knuckles again and pulling her into a hug. She reciprocates immediately, wrapping her arms around his middle and squeezing tightly.
"You should sleep, Wilbur." She whispers, her voice sounding hoarse, "I was thinking maybe tomorrow we'd take Finley out to the lake. Have a picnic or something."
Wilbur hums in response, burying his face in the crook of her neck. They sit like that for a while, just enjoying each other's presence, before Sally starts gently guiding them down onto the bed.
Wilbur opens his mouth to speak, but his voice dies in his throat before he can get a word out. "Shh…" he hears Sally mumble something to him, eyes droopy and tired.
He smiles, pulling her closer, "You know I love you, right?"
"I know, I love you too."
--
Tommy's in a bad mood.
He's been in a mood all day, but right now, he's seething.
It's not even for any particular reason, he just woke up that way. And now, staring at Wilbur's side of their shared room, untouched since he left years prior, he's even angrier.
The half of the room is taped off, courtesy of younger Tommy, who insisted that Wilbur wouldn't want people messing with his things while he was gone. Back when he had hope Wilbur would return. He would laugh at his younger selves naivety if he weren't so upset, but he is, so he didn't.
Instead, he settled for ripping the tape from where it hung, crumpling it up and tossing it to the side in a heap.
He hesitated. Wilbur's only rule about sharing a room with Tommy was that the younger boy wasn't allowed on his side of the room without permission. Granted, he never followed that rule- you annoyed him. He left because of you. Your fault, your fault, your- but breaking a rule with nobody to care isn't any fun.
Taking a deep breath, Tommy stepped over the invisible barrier. He sucked in a breath, it was unusually cold on this side, as if the tape he had put up was a wall and this was a completely different room. It was like stepping into a time capsule. Everything was untouched apart from the plants on the windowsill that Tommy had been watering for Wilbur since he left. It wasn't an easy process, seeing as he had to lean over the tape to do so, but he made it work.
Walking over to the bed, he lets his hand trace over the bedsheets. It brings him back to stormy nights, huddled under the covers pressed against his brother in fear even though he'd never admit to being scared. He recalls late night guitar lessons, Wilbur guiding him in simple songs on the guitar as he complained loudly about his fingers hurting. He remembers sneaking into his room after sneaking out with Tubbo to see Wilbur staring at him in the dark, only to tell him later that his secret's safe with him.
Tommy doesn't realize how hard he's gripping the sheets until he feels his nails dig into his palms through the thin fabric. He unclenches his fists, drawing them back to his sides and shoving them in his jacket pocket (which he totally didn't steal from Wilbur's closet after he left).
Looking around at his brother's dusty belongings, only one thought comes to mind.
Unfair.
Unfair. He thinks, remembering Techno's dark expression after finding Wilbur's note. How he heard the stoic man cry for the first time ever through his bedroom door when he was supposed to be asleep. How he watched as his older brother exhausted himself in training every day, only to spend late nights in the field. How he hasn't shown up to dinner in years.
Unfair. He thinks, recalling Phil's late nights at work and even later mornings. How quiet his father seems nowadays. How into his work he is. Like father, like son, Tommy guesses.
Unfair. He thinks, remembering Tubbo's sobbing late into the night, clinging to Tommy for dear life. How his best friend couldn't sleep alone for weeks. How he never seems to want to leave Phil or Tommy's side for fear of, what Tommy can only assume, abandonment
He remembers anger. Red, hot, boiling anger. He remembers fights with the other, older kids, who seem to love to poke fun at his brother now that he's not around. He remembers blood and stitches and bandages and hushed voices. He remembers pointed glares from adults and hostility from peers and indifference from guidance counselors. He remembers teacher meetings and disappointment and punishments and-
And it's all Wilbur's fucking fault.
Tommy isn't thinking when he grabs a fistful of the sheets on the bed and tears them off, throwing them in a heap on the ground. And he wishes he could say he isn't thinking when he starts ripping books off the shelf, or when he knocked the potted plant he'd spent so many months keeping alive to the ground, or when he started tearing up the thin fabrics left in the closet.
Not fair, not fair, not fair.
Soon enough, he's sitting in a mess of his own creation. He clutches his head in his hands, suddenly feeling the urge to scream now that he has nothing else to destroy.
So he does.
It sounds almost animal-like, and a lot sadder than he'd like to admit. He screams and screams until his throat sores and the noise comes out as more of a sob. Tears trail down his face, and he wipes them away hastily. He doesn't cry. Crying is for pussies, and Tommy Innit Watson is not a pussy.
Tommy sits there for a good while, breathing heavily in an attempt to calm down. He can't remember any of the countless breathing exercises Phil tried to teach him, so it takes him a lot longer than it should, but soon he's sitting cross legged. His breaths are shallow, and he feels… numb. Which, admittedly, is a lot worse feeling than anger had been.
Tubbo. He wants to see Tubbo.
Tommy's legs are shaky when he stands, but he endures it. Making his way through the house and to the front door. He doesn't bother with a jacket or socks, he just slips his tennis shoes over his bare feet and half heartedly combing his fingers through his unruly hair before reaching for the doorknob and opening the door.
What greets him on the other side is a man, hand poised as if to knock. He's tall and has brown, wavy hair. Closer inspection reveals bags under his eyes and forehead creases indicating heavy stress. In his arms, he holds a small fox hybrid child, probably about four or five.
Tommy doesn't give the man a second glance, averting his gaze to the ground instead and making his voice as hostile as possible, "Can I help you?"
The man doesn't respond for a good minute, causing Tommy to look up at him. He's just staring at Tommy, eyes wide and wet with tears. It was a bit creepy.
That's when Tommy notices his glasses. Small, round, metallic, nerdy. But more importantly, he'd seen them somewhere before.
He inhales sharply, finally meeting the man's eyes, "W-Wilbur?"
His brother cracks a tiny, tired smile, "Long time, no see, Tommy."