Chapter Text
Ever since that night, months ago on the quarry edge- Phil was infatuated with Dream. The blond teen who had sparred with Techno since they were children in fencing schools, who sometimes partnered with his twin boys from school, with his bright smiles and expressive green eyes. The blond had flowed in and out of his home since the boy’s parents left for their jobs. And despite thinking that their paths were finished, he was proven wrong.
Phil had noticed something was wrong when his boys came home from school. Wilbur was texting, and chewing his lip while Techno looked over his shoulder. Tommy had immediately receded to his bedroom to drop off his school bag.
“Hey, how was school?” He asked, from the kitchen. He began preparing dinner, making his signature spaghetti and when his words received no response, he poked his head out. Wil and Techno stood in the same spot, reading from Wilbur’s screen. He knew his boys were in a massive text chain with their friends, some Phil had known for a while, and some he had only heard in passing. He guessed there were at least 15 people in this chat from the different names that had floated through in conversation.
“Boys?” he asked, seeing Techno look up.
“Hey dad, sorry. How was your day?” Techno said, straightening up and dropping his school bag in a dining room chair.
“It was good. How was school?” He asked, leaning against the wall.
“Hm, pretty normal.” Techno shrugged. At this, Wilbur looked up, shooting a look to his brother.
“It wasn’t normal, d’you remember Dream dad?”
“Yeah, him and Techno were in fencing together, and he’s been over a bit? What’s wrong?”He asked, apprehension growing in his stomach.
“He wasn’t at school today, and hasn’t been responding at all. Bad, George, Sapnap and everyone else haven’t heard from him. No calls answered, no texts responded and everyone’s worrying.” Wilbur said, gnawing on his lip anxiously.
“I’m sure he’s fine. Some people tend to shy away from constant pressure. Maybe he’s just taking some time for himself. C’mon dinner’s gonna be started soon so go ahead and get your homework started and maybe he’ll be around later.” Phil soothed, stepping forward to rub Wilbur’s shoulder. Wilbur nodded, though he didn’t look convinced.
“Maybe. D’you need help with dinner?” Wilbur asked.
“If you want to help, I’ll take it, but homework first. We’re having spaghetti.” he said, and left his boys to start. Techno was already rifling through his bag to grab his textbooks and Wilbur settled down as well.
“Okay dad.” Wilbur said and pulled out his novel for English.
Phil set to the familiar task of dinner, with boiling water, and prepping for a salad while the sounds of his boys filled the dining room. Tommy stomped down the steps for help on math, while Phil diced lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers for salad. He hummed a gentle song as he placed the ingredients in the salad bowl and added croutons, cheese and salad dressings. As the chatter faded from his mind, Phil tossed the pasta into the pot and began to stir and prepare the sauce as well. Meatballs cooked in a crockpot, and garlic bread went into the oven to bake. Footsteps sounded in the kitchen and Wilbur stood there, worry in his eyes.
“What’s wrong Wil?” Phil asked, looking at his son. Wilbur flipped his phone, and Phil washed his hands before pulling the device closer to read. It was a text from Dream directly to Wilbur.
@dreamtaken_ → @Wiblur - 5:22pm
@Wiblur : Dream? Is everything okay? Everyone’s worried mate.
@dreamtaken_ : I’m safe, but no. nothing’s good rn and I don’t really know what to do Wilbur. I just need some time alone rn can you call off the cavalry?
“He’s safe, but I’m worried. What do I do dad?” WIlbur asked, after taking his phone back.
“I mean, if he wants space, you should give him space. Maybe tell him that if he needs anything, to reach out and just make sure he knows that you care. There isn’t much else, i’m afraid. You shouldn’t break his trust by finding him though. He’s smart, so just continue being there for him. Offer support, that’s really it, I’m afraid. I know that you hate sitting around and doing nothing, but at the same time…” Phil trailed off. Wilbur nodded, looking miserable.
“I know, I just worry.” Wilbur said.
“That’s good, because I’m sure he knows that he has you and his friends there to help him when he is ready. Just be there and offer your support son.” Phil said, reaching up to ruffle Wilbur’s curls. The action caused a small smile to break the worried frown on his son’s face. Phil matched the smile.
“You want to help set the table? Dinner’s nearly ready.” Phil said. Wilbur nodded and he set to grabbing pates, tableware and glasses for dinner. Phil chuckled as he heard Wilbur kicking his brothers from the table for dinner.
Dinner passed without much gusto. Conversation was clipped from the pretense hanging over their heads. Wilbur was distracted, constantly glancing from his plate to his lap- where his phone resided. Techno was quieter than normal, but was present in conversation. Tommy rambled about his day, classes and he asked to spend tomorrow evening with Tubbo. Phil allowed it, as long as Tubbo’s parents were okay with it. Once plates were empty, Techno began gathering the plates to wash. He was on dish duty this week. Tommy helped clear the table and Wilbur excused himself to try and call Dream once more.
Phil was proud that his sons were so concerned about their friends. He did worry for the blond’s safety, and when Wilbur heaved a heavy sigh, Phil consoled him and put on a movie to wind the night down. He was just as worried. It was contagious, with Wilbur’s frets and Techno’s faraway looks. And when his sons retired to bed, Phil did as well. He was restless, unable to relax fully and when the clock ticked closer to pre-dawn, he stumbled out of bed.
Shrugging on his house coat, and some slippers, he grabbed his wallet and keys. Blearily making his way downstairs, Phil glanced at his watch seeing the time. He stepped outside and checked his phone to see a text from an unknown number. The teen said he was a close friend of Dream’s and he was concerned. “Bad” as he called himself, told Phil that Dream sometimes hid by the quarry when he needed space. ‘ It’s always the quarry isn’t it ’ Phil thought. He had known what the abandoned quarry was used for this late at night. And if Phil sped along the abandoned streets, then that was nobody’s business.
He was familiar with the drive. Dream tended to run from home late at night, and Phil knew this. He wasn’t sure how the arrangement between them began. Perhaps it was the midnight call he received from the teen a couple weeks ago. Asking for a ride and offering to pay for the gas money. And that’s all it was. A couple times a week, Phil received these calls. And everytime, it was the same. Except for tonight. There wasn’t a call. Just a ball of nerves and fears coiling in Phil’s stomach.
He parked near the park, at the base of the hill where the quarry was located. Same spot, and after checking his phone, he saw no new notifications. Not surprised, Phil turned off the car and stepped out. His tired legs walked him up the hill. Through the scraggly tree lined pathways, until he reached the outlook. Near the concrete path laid a drawstring bag, a signature lime green board, and twenty feet away sat the teen. A notebook laid next to him, open. The teen hadn’t noticed him though. Lost in thought, Phil hoped. Stepping out of the treeline, he watched Dream’s lax form tense. The teen rolled away from the edge, into a loose running stance before relaxing once more when his eyes focused on Phil. The teen dropped the position and glanced towards the water.
“How did you know someone would be here?” Dream asked, his voice croaking from a lack of use. Phil softened.
“Dream, I’m not stupid. Wilbur had mentioned you were MIA and I took a guess. Turns out I was right.” Phil said. He didn’t reveal it was this “Bad” character, instead placing it on Wilbur. While Bad had disclosed the location Dream often retreated too, Wilbur’s worry had greatly influenced Phil’s decision. He laid his hand out to Dream, as he stepped closer, pebbles rattling from his movements. A pointed cough regained him Dream’s attention before the boy took his hand. Phil easily pulled the teen up, and brought him into a hug. The same song and dance . He consoled the boy as he shook into Phil’s housecoat, hands clenching the fabric tightly. Phil rubbed the boy’s back before leading him away. It was a couple moments longer before Dream pulled away, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. Phil watched the teen wrangle his emotions into check before they stared at each other. Phil watched as the boy shivered in the cool night air.
“C’mon Dream, it’s late and cold.” Phil said, when it became apparent that Dream wasn’t going to be saying anything. Dream nodded, gathering his things quietly and together they began the trek down the hill.
“Thank you Mr. Watson.” Dream said gruffly, emotion still thick in his voice, as they made their way down towards his car parked at the bottom.
“Dream, how many times do I️ have to tell you, call me Phil. Everyone else does.” Phil laughed, gently guiding the teen through the wooded area. The pair reached the bottom of the hill soon enough, and there was his car. Phil opened the door for Dream and he crawled in, ducking his head and pulling his phone out.Phil watched Dream settle in before getting in as well and starting the car. Cold air blew before quickly warming up as the duo pulled away from the quarry’s gravel parking lot. Dream’s phone was a beacon of light, as countless messages had been sent, even during school, showing just how off the grid Dream had been. Phil watched from his peripheral as Dream scrolled through his phone.
“Do you want me to take you home? Or is there somewhere you can stay that isn’t the quarry?” Phil asked, keeping an eye on Dream as the teen paused scrolling and backreading to comprehend what Phil was asking. Granted, Phil didn’t ask, just drove him home.
Phil began to fear he overstepped as Dream worked to respond, before giving a vague-“Uh, no. I don’t want to go home, not now.” all the while avoiding Phil’s eyes, and rubbing his arm awkwardly. Phil nodded, and began driving.
He turned eastward, away from the more affluent northern neighborhoods of the town. More towards the center of the town, where the business squares and more notably- the police station resided. Where his home was.
“Are you taking me to the station?” Dream whispered, staring out of the window, as they neared the municipal police station, before passing by without slowing.
“Nah, I’m taking you to my home, if you’re okay with that. It’s nearly winter and that long sleeve shirt won’t do jack shit against the cold night air. You warm enough, or would you like it hotter?” Phil asked, hand drifting to the temperature controls. His eyes stayed on the road, but he hoped that Dream could sense the concern he held for the teen.
“Yeah, I’m okay, and that’s fine. It’s better than home.” Dream said, muttering the last sentence. Phil didn’t comment though he had a feeling that the last part was unintentional. It wasn’t his place, but he nodded noncommittally.
“Sure thing Dream. We’ll be home soon.” Phil said, and began the muscle memory journey to his home. Phil’s heart ached in a way that he wasn’t familiar with as he regarded the situation. He cared for Dream, sure but was it more than a platonic parental way? Dream had his own parents, and it was definitely not Phil’s place to step where he isn’t needed. As they neared his home, the lights were on, and Phil cast a look to Dream, but the teen was already half asleep, mindlessly staring out of the window. Phil smiled sadly, and gently tapped Dream’s shoulder.
“Hey Dream, we’re here.” He said softly. Dream grumbled and blinked his eyes open back into focus squinting at the lights. The blond sat up, stretching as a yawn escaped. “Before we go in, the boys might be awake, just warning you. If you just wanna go to sleep, I can get them to go back to bed and wait until morning, but you should probably get some sleep. Three hours are better than none. Unfortunately, I don’t have the authority to call you out of school, and I don’t think either of us want to talk to Mr and Mrs. Taken about these past few weeks either.” Phil said quietly, and the blond quickly whirled on him. Phil was prepared for Dream to be defensive, but he wasn’t prepared for the anger in Dream’s eyes.
“You wouldn’t dare! That is between me, and you Phil. No one else, and you promised me.” Dream said, anger seething in his voice- betrayal flashing in his green eyes. Phil chuckled lightly, hands held up in a surrendering motion to calm the boy.
“Easy Dream, only us know, but your parents would most likely want to ask about how I came to be such a prominent figure in your life, given we would’ve only met during the fencing tournaments.” Phil gently explained, and the anger and fight melted out of Dream’s form, the blond slumping into the seat before he clicked the seatbelt. The belt retracted and Dream laid a hand on the door handle. Phil wanted to reach out and console the boy, barely restraining himself from rubbing Dream’s back.
“Okay, sorry for getting in your face, that wasn’t fair. Can we, uh let’s just go in. I’m exhausted.” Dream said, and began to get out. Phil nodded and got out as well, and began making his way to the door. A flutter of the living room curtains alerted Phil that at least one of his sons was awake. He gently opened the door, to see three very awake, and vaguely guilty looking boys. Tommy was the most guilty, and his nervous looks to the curtain told Phil he was the one snooping. He sighed, exhaustion settling into his shoulders as he regarded his sons.
“Boys, it’s the middle of the night. On a school night!” Was what Phil intended to say until Techno cut him off. Which was unusual, given his eldest’s respect for him. He allowed the boys to talk, until exhaustion rocked through him. He cut off their arguments by just suggesting that Dream stayed with Wilbur, since he still had the bunk bed his twin boys used until they wanted separate rooms, and with that he retired to bed, sleep soon taking him away.
Morning came far too soon, and Phil was awake annoyingly early. His alarm hadn’t even gone off yet, but he roused himself to get ready for his day. After showering, brushing his teeth and changing into his work clothes, Phil began preparing breakfast for his boys and their guest.
Tommy was the first one to join him, looking as tired as Phil felt. Phil dished him breakfast and prepared his coffee awaiting the others’ arrival. They soon joined and Phil offered them the same breakfast and made plans with Dream for his transit to school. Soon enough, he jockeyed his boys around and dropped them off to school, wishing them a good day before heading to work.
He had hoped everything would be resolved and checked in with Wilbur and Techno throughout the day over Dream. The poor kid was basically sleepwalking through his day, but their friends were working to help him, which made Phil feel better.
When his day ended, he went to get his sons, and was asked if they could visit Dream’s home. Phil nodded, albeit confused. Wilbur explained that they would ve holding a small intervention with Dream, hoping to get through to the boy. Phil was asked to stay as well, even though he felt very out of place, with the teens lounging around while the blond boy recovered his missing sleep.
He made casual chatter with everyone, after claiming himself as the appointed group parent.
The shock on their faces both warmed Phil’s heart and also worried him at the revelation of some of the home lives. He made a good choice in choosing to be there for these kids. especially since quite a few of them had made themselves home within his house. From Dream, to Quackity and even Callahan on a couple days. George and Sapnap had wondered by every once in a while, forever joined at the hip with Dream. Niki and Puffy had joined once before as well, when Puffy was kicked out for a night after coming out to her parents. Phil was there, for all of them at some point. Now, if he could make sure it stayed that way, he would be able to rest easy.