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“Phil, kill me,” Wilbur shoved a sword into Phil’s hand, while the latter was still in shock from the explosion. He stared at the blade blankly, noting its recently-sharpened edge shimmering with enchantments. It took a moment to link Wilbur’s words to the weapon shoved in Phil’s hand.
“Wil, I can’t,” Phil choked out, “Wil I can’t.”
“Phil it’s all gone! Everything I worked for is gone, Phil!” Wilbur laughed, “Just end this! L’Manberg, my unfinished symphony, my forever unfinished symphony!” Phil could see the tears pricking at his son’s eyes, a mix between despair, desperation and insanity.
“You’re my son!” Phil snapped, “Wil, you’re my son!”
“And so is Tommy and Techno! Have you even read the letters Tommy sent you? He’s better off without me,” Wilbur laughed again, “And Techno? He’s an anarchist, an agent of chaos. He doesn’t need me. This family is better off without me, so just do it .” Something in Wilbur’s eyes made Phil think that Wilbur actually believed what he said.
Phil’s gaze constantly darted between the sword in his hand, Wilbur, and the audience confused at his presence. He could see Tommy in utter shock as the boy was trying to take in what happened, and Techno seemed surprised at Phil’s presence, although not much at the explosion himself. He fiddled with something in his pack, though what that item is wasn’t exactly clear.
“They want you to do it,” Wilbur further encouraged the action, although Phil could clearly as day tell that’s definitely not what the rest of his sons want. He knew them well enough to decide on that. He wasn’t sure about everyone else, either he didn’t know them well enough or their faces were unreadable. Phil stared at the sword in his hand, taking a deep breath as the decisions ran through his head.
Phil stepped forward, and Wilbur closed his eyes in anticipation. Then-
He kicked the sword over the edge, its clatter could be heard over the silence. Wilbur’s eyes flew open at the sound and the pressure on his chest and the feeling of arms wrapping around him, filling him with a sense of comfort he had long since felt last. It felt so warm and comforting, his insanity melted away if only a little…… He didn't want it to end.
(Yeah they’re all “a little” touch starved that’s a trope I’m not gonna get tired of if well written)
“Are you an idiot, Will?” Phil’s slightly muffled voice drifted into Wilbur’s ear, “I’m not gonna kill you. Tommy doesn’t want you dead. Techno doesn’t want you dead. Yeah, we might have to keep you away from positions of power and leadership but you’re not hopeless and you haven’t lost everything. Snap out of it.”
Before he knew it, Wilbur had tears running down his face as his facade finally cracked and everything hit him at once. The pain, the angst, the hurt, but also the comfort, and the little seedling hope budding inside of him. As long as his Dad is here, everything would be fine. When has it not been when he’s there?