Chapter Text
Chapter 1- Wilbur: Love Expert
The house was peaceful, but not for long. The door slammed open, and Wilbur glanced up from his extensive math homework. Tommy had burst in with a huge smile on his face and threw his bag directly onto the floor.
“Guess what Wilbur?”
“What, Tomm-“
“A girl asked me out on a date!” The kid said excitedly, pulling out a seat with so much energy it almost flew out of his hands.
Wilbur sighed and smiled. With a slightly sarcastic tone, he replied, “Really, you sure she was talking to you?”
“Yes Wilbur, shut up!” He was loud as usual. Wilbur put his pencil and paper down, knowing he wouldn’t get any work done during this conversation. “Anyways we need somewhere to go. What’s a romantic place that's also cool?”
“Hmm, well, what does she like?”
“What DOES she like, good question Will,” he paused, putting a hand to his chin. “She likes superheroes, like marvel and shit. She has dyed hair, what do girls with dyed hair like, Wilbur?”
“Are you dating an alt girl, Tommy?”
“Well, I won’t be if you don’t actually help me!” Tommy complained, almost shouting. Wilbur rolled his eyes and thought.
“Alright, alright. Well most girls like it when you pay for stuff. I think…” Wilbur paused
“Have you ever dated someone, Wilbur?”
Wilbur hesitated, closing his mouth and opening it a few times. He took a long pause. Something he couldn’t quite grasp tugged at the back of his mind.
“Not really.” He said simply.
“Not REALLY? What does that mean Will? Why are you so mysterious?” Tommy pondered out loud.
Wilbur laughed it off. “Well, I’ve never dated anyone seriously, so technically, no.” He decided to change the conversation back. “What music does she like?”
“If you insist on being secretive. She likes more indie stuff, like, Jack Stabur, like you Will.” Wilbur nodded. Tommy continued on, unprompted this time. “Hmm… She has quite the beautiful smile. I think she wears makeup, but it’s hard to tell. She complains about science, but she’s good at math.” Wilbur started to zone out for a while. It was good to hear his brother had a possible girlfriend, and she seemed nice. He would keep an eye out for his brother though. You have to be prepared for the worst, he thought to himself. He didn’t let this show, of course. He wanted his little brother to know Will was proud of him.
“Yeah, maybe that’s where I’ll take her. Thanks for helping!” Tommy ran to his room after picking up his bag, enthusiastic as ever.
Wilbur smiled again. He didn’t even say anything to Tommy, he realized. Sometimes all people need is someone else’s open ear.
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Sometime later that night, Will’s mood had changed.
Sometimes all people need is someone else’s open ear. Wilbur couldn’t have that though. He was the exception to his own advice. It felt so cruel, but it made sense. Tommy was great. Wilbur was not. Tommy made small mistakes sometimes. He forgot to turn in homework or went too far when joking with a friend. Sure, upsetting at the moment, but could be easily fixed.
Wilbur made mistakes he couldn't remember. Ones that made his old friends look at him funny. When everyone treats you strange, you assume you've made a mistake. It seemed unfair, but after a while he could see why. He never wanted to hurt people, and could never place exactly what he'd done wrong. He really didn’t want to, it was just the horrible way he appeared to have been built.
He felt like throwing up when he thought about his past. He needed to forget, and it was so easy to. He felt bad for Tommy, he just wanted to talk about his new love interest at school. But nonetheless, Will was here, and he just didn’t want to be.
He shot Tommy a quick text before leaving with just his phone. He knew Tommy could handle one night alone. There was a box of Kraft Mac and Cheese in the cabinet and Will knew he loved that artificial shit.
Chapter 2- If You D.A.R.E.
The streets were cold and crowded. Just the way he liked them. He felt clever, like a small creature, moving and slithering through the people. He felt so small and alone, like he had nothing to lose. The cold of his cheeks numbed his face, he was sure his cheeks were glowing red. His nose was unpleasant, disgusting even, but he could ignore it for now.
It took more than a half hour to get to the train stop. It was just outside of the city, but not hard to find. The view of the edge of the city was magnificent during the day time, but different at night. The air was stiffer, bitter. The warm colors of the sun were long gone, in these forgotten parts. Now the sky, earth, and structure was part of a heavenly greyscale.
He paid no mind to the scenery. It was those dull grey structures he needed to get to. That wasn’t hard either. There were service stairs on the side that made it way easier, and they were only a bit rickety.
When he got there, he was thankful for his attire. His usual trench coat hid his body, like the others down here. The pandemic, as bad as it was, was also a great excuse to hide his face. The others had similar clothes to him, eerily so. Large overshirts and oversized sweaters masked the other people’s bodies. For some, like him, beanies keep their hair under wraps. Some had sunglasses, like Will happened to have on tonight.
Most had a cigarette in hand, and the others were clearly on something. He made his way over to a relatively sober one and the man waved. Wilbur had nicknamed him Smoke in college, where the two had met. He was the first ever druggie he’d ever met, and his occasional, first, and only dealer. They’d studied together one day, and Smoke had offered him a joint. Wilbur reluctantly said yes. So what, he was extremely stressed and had three tests one the next day. He needed it, according to Smoke.
He vividly remembered Smoke commenting on his lack of a cough. It was the binding factor of every newbie’s first smoke, apparently. He’d just closed his eyes and breathed in, completely on instinct. He figured it was just like the movies, and it was.
It wasn’t a habit, really. He only went every few months, and at most, once a month. It depended on how much he ‘needed it’. Smoke never asked for anything but pay, and Will liked that. Wilbur didn’t want to talk about his problems. The few times he tried to explain, he just ended up feeling unsettled and horrible.
Wilbur silently made the exchange and took the paper into his mouth. He took in the drug, whatever it was. He trusted Smoke, too much in fact. He knew that Smoke knew what he needed, knew what Will thought he needed. It made him feel light on his feet. If Smoke would ever hand him something laced or dangerous, he would’ve done it already.
He closed his eyes and sat down on a curb, one tiny person in a large crowd once again. There was white noise all around him. Stoned people were having meaningless conversations they would forget. Car horns honked relentlessly. Police sirens wailed. The lights of the city buzzed at full blast. His phone dinged.
Child- hey where’s the chocolate milk?
The smoking man sighed and readjusted his phone to reply.
Me- mix w syrup
Child- no syrup ):
Me- fuck
Me- uh just have coke or something
Child- really?
Me- fuck yeah
———-
Tommy frowned. As much as he loved coke, he knew Will Typically scolded him when he tried to have it with dinner. The two had agreed on chocolate milk. At least it is technically milk, which is healthy, Wilbur had said.
Still, Tommy couldn’t shake the strange feeling something was off. It wasn’t often that Wilbur went off by himself a whole lot, much less missed dinner. Then again, he’d only been living with Will for two and a half months. He’d gone out once before, hesitating before saying he was stopping by a bar with a lady friend. Tommy mocked him, joking the two would get together. That seemed to rub Will the wrong way for whatever reason, so Tommy dropped it.
Will didn’t come home that night though, so Tommy supposed he’d been right. Although, he’d never met the girl, or even heard about her after that. The way Will had mentioned her, was very vague, but he didn't press for more information. Like he'd said, something was a tad off. A guttural instinct told him to leave it be. This time had a feeling reminiscent of now, but this time, Tommy was feeling brave.
Big T- where are u at
Big w- out with some friends
Big T- cool
Big T- are you coming home tonight
Big w- well hello mr cilnyg init
Big w- whiopps ha missspelt
Tommy laughed to himself, assuming Will was out at a bar and had gotten a bit wasted.
Big T- yeah I could tell
Big w- hmm maybe I’ll be home
Big w- maybe out hvnat dicidded
Big T- as long as you’re staying safe
Big w- tha k clihd
Big w-chlid
Big w- fuck
Tommy laughed, this time out of nervousness. Admittedly, Wilbur played a drinking game at the house once, not involving Tommy, obviously. Will certainly wasn’t a lightweight, and could handle himself quite well when it came to drinks. That was what had Tommy scared.
Big T- you have a sober person to drive you back right?
Big w- walked herer by lone
Tommy cursed. He was scared. In that state, Tommy knew he wouldn’t be able to defend himself if someone mugged him or assaulted him. Especially alone. What was he doing getting seriously drunk, alone, on a weekday?
*Big T- where are u
Big w- mm y
Tommy paused for a minute, thinking about his response.
Big T- please tell me Wilbur, I want to know you’re okay
Big w- y
Tommy bit his lower lip in worry. Was he asking why as in ‘why do you want to know’, or, ‘why would you care enough to ask if I’m okay’? He wrote out his answer to the second one, prepared to be embarrassed if drunk Will was just really bad at texting.
Big T- I care about you Will
Big w- you shouldn’t
Tommy paused. Nothing was horribly misspelled. That was his first coherent text. That. Tommy felt himself shaking a bit.
Big T- please big w
Big w- trai
Big T- train?
Big T- what about them
Big T- where Wilbur*
Tommy cursed loudly, shouting in fact. He booted up his computer and tapped in the search bar: train station Brighton and prayed to himself.
Chapter 3- A Train Isn’t the Same as a Highway
A few search results had popped up. How the fuck was Tommy supposed to guess where Wilbur was? His fingers shook as he scrolled. He was holding back tears and more curses. He didn’t have time for that, Will could be in danger. As he was scrolling for clues, an article he saw repeated in his mind. Police arrest group of three big local drug dealers at local train station
Oh fuck. Tommy cringed. He’d heard Wilbur’s music, he was far from oblivious about Will’s general past mental health problems. He hadn’t noticed any off about Will though. Did Will do drugs? Would he even consider it? Once again, the music struck him. He didn’t know much about drugs, but he sort of figured that was what Saline Solution was about.
He scrolled his way back up to the article, and scanned it, looking for the location. It was just outside of the city, and in walking distance, so it was a good guess. He memorized it, whispering it to himself, and then repeating it in his head. On his way out he grabbed his bag and his phone, checking for a text from his friend.
The text could only take him so far, and the traffic was heavy anyways, so he got out early. After paying the driver and thanking him as quickly as he possibly could, Tommy shot off into the street. The air around him was stiff, and the world around him felt devoid of life, despite the crowds around him. He moved through the streets, like prey, the predator being time itself. He wasn’t religious, but oh how he prayed in that moment.
Out of the blue, or what more accurately be called grey on that night, his phone buzzed ever so silently. Tommy cursed, realizing he narrowly avoided missing it.
Big w- hey toms
Big w- I love u
Big w- u know that right?
Big T- yes and I love u
Big w- mistake
Big T- no
Big w- please don’t say that
Big T- why
Big w- it doesn’t matter
Big w- I’m sorry t
Big T- what Wil
Big w- you’re great t and you did everything you could I swear
Big T- about what
Tommy was fucking sprinting. He knew exactly what Wilbur meant. He was crying, sobbing. He got odd locks from the occasional passerby.
Big w- I’m sorry
Big w- im a fucing idiot
Big T- please big w your really scaring me
Big w- love u
Big w- you’re nothing like me and that’s great
Big T- please don’t go Wil
He stood in the middle of the train station like a wreck. Tears ran down his face and snot dripped down his lower face. His hands and face were numb and he was terrified. Terrified of losing his best friend and brother.
It was silent. It was surreal. It didn’t feel real, and he wished it wasn’t. He closed his eyes, wishing. He wasn’t sure what for yet, but he would know, when he heard it.
There was a clamor of people downstairs. He ran down the stairs that he had suddenly noticed. The energy rushed back into him. He could do this.
When he got down, he was confronted with several shady big men. And some women, but they all looked like criminals. For a millisecond, his heart skipped a beat. But he couldn’t stop. Wilbur was in danger.
He took a breath then yelled, against his better judgment, “Anyone around here know Wilbur?”
A man further in the back raises slightly his hand. Tommy sped over to him. He supposed he spooked the dude, ‘cause he backed up a bit, at the sight of the kid barreling towards him.
“Look, I don’t sell to kids, and I don’t know where your buddy went,” he raised his hands up, like Tommy had any sort of authority over him. He was taller than the guy, and his noodle arms were hidden by his sweatshirt. For all this guy knows, Tommy could be jacked. But that was not the thing to focus on.
“Wil’s in serious danger, please.” He said, his voice quick and impatient.
“Dude, I don’t care how much money the guy owes you, I don’t know.”
Tommy had to stop himself from punching the guy. “I’m not the mafia, I’m his fucking brother you prick!” The man raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth. “He is in serious danger, really, and if he’s hurt, I will not hesitate to fuck up up.”
Everyone had backed away, but was watching curiously.
“Okay du-dude, he went that way. You know, where the highway is. I think he’s hitch-hiking or something.”
Tommy pushed the man and took off towards the highway, ignoring the other people. He cursed and stumbled several times. He heard cars and grinned, he was there. And so was Wil. Tommy sat next to Wil. Will was asleep. Tommy was sobbing. Will was high. Tommy was completely sober.
Tommy lay down next to Wil. He should take Will to the hospital, Tommy thought. But Tommy was shaking feverishly. He’d forgotten his jacket. Maybe he should go to the hospital, Tommy thought. He couldn’t move at the moment, so he simply stayed there.
Chapter 4- Define the Word “Rescue”
Wilbur was awake. Tommy was asleep. Wilbur was crying. Tommy was silent. Wilbur was weak. Tommy was the strongest person Will knew. And the smartest. The funniest and kindest. And he cared about Wil. Who was Will to argue?
Will considered carrying Tommy. He shook, even barely lifting him. He looked around in desperation. A little hitch hiking was in order. It was relatively easy to find a person willing to give them a ride. However, the person was… well, a curious conversationalist. Wilbur groaned.
“What are you two boys doin’ out this late, or maybe early?” Wilbur didn’t want to talk about it, so he lied. He figured he’d answer another question while he was at it.
“Visiting our parents in Brighton.”
“Ah, and they let you two live in another city?”
Wilbur rolled his eyes. He had to admit though, making up a little story was distracting.
“Yeah, well we both go to the same college, so it’s convenient to just go to their place on weekends or days off.”
“What are you two celebrating, or is there a holiday I forgot about?”
“It’s his birthday,” he smiled down at the kid, but frowned when Tommy felt hot. Hotter than the car. Ah, fuck. The kid wasn’t wearing a jacket.
“You didn’t drag him all the way out here asleep did you?”
“Nah,” Will replied, lying through his teeth, like a natural. “We had a friend driving us, and they got called back to the city before we got to Brighton. This guy fell asleep in his car, and I couldn’t wake him up.”