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For Wilbur’s entire life, he’s always been in the shadow of Technoblade, his older brother by five minutes.
Not necessarily in a bad way, it’s just that everything new he tries, apparently Techno’s already done. Wilbur gets into reading books of every genre? Techno’s walls are already covered floor-to-ceiling in bookshelves stocked to the brim. He gets into writing? Techno’s already written short story after short story, scattered around the house and found in the strangest of places. He starts to teach himself how to play guitar? Techno’s already a violin prodigy.
And the thing is, not only has Techno already done literally everything that Wilbur tries, but he’s good at it all.
Techno’s good at, like, everything he does, so maybe Wilbur wanted to follow in his footsteps a little bit. Maybe he used to consciously pick activities that he already knew Techno liked, because if his brother, who’s the smartest person Wilbur knows, liked to do something, then surely it had to be fun, right? And it always was! Almost everything Wilbur engaged with as a child was enjoyable, and Techno would always show him the ropes and used to laugh when he failed, but always helped him up anyway.
So, it wasn’t bad at all that Wilbur never really found something original, because he enjoyed it all the same, but that didn’t mean that he didn’t make it his personal goal to find something that Techno’s never done, just to shove it in his face.
Because Techno is terrible when it comes to teasing Wilbur about never finding an activity that the pinkette’s never done. It’s all in good fun, of course, but it still annoys Wilbur to no end how his brother will laugh at him when Wilbur tells him his new hobby, before proudly revealing that he had already excelled in that same hobby before.
So, Wilbur made it his own personal mission at thirteen to find something original, and now, he thinks he’s finally got it.
Wilbur has found himself a rival, had a slow-burn romance that was worthy of its own novel, which ended in the two of them being happily in love, and he knows that Techno couldn’t beat him in this.
Techno has a rival, sure, but he and Dream don’t ever do anything but bicker and compete over everything, so Wilbur has finally found something that Techno hasn’t: a homoerotic rivalry that ends in sweet, sweet love.
When Wilbur had told Quackity about his little mission, the black haired man had laughed, but had said that he’s always up for a little showing off, so he had agreed to go to dinner with Wilbur’s family to shove it into Techno’s face that Wilbur has finally won. Luckily, Phil had already scheduled a dinner for this weekend, a little get-together that was probably planned only because Phil missed his kids, since Tommy is about to go off to college, and both Techno and Wilbur moved out around a year agoーTechno leaving first, of course.
The timing was almost too perfect, and Wilbur had been practically bouncing on his heels while waiting for the door to open, Quackity standing at his side, in a suit because he said he needed to “dress to impress,” and openly laughing at him. When Wilbur was about to instigate another squabble with Quackity over his laughter, the door was opened, Tommy standing in the doorway looking ecstatic.
“Big Q! I didn’t know you were coming!” Wilbur scoffed at the lack of welcome for him, pushing past his brother with a smile on his face, immediately going into the kitchen and leaving Quackity to make his way in by himself. Phil was standing over the stove, stirring something in a pot and chatting with Techno, who was leaning on the countertop on the other side of Phil, technically in the dining room. Wilbur thinks he saw a flash of green chasing after Steve, Techno’s dog who he doesn’t let stay home whenever he goes back to visit Phil, but he thinks nothing of it.
Quackity entered the kitchen with Tommy tailing him, blabbering on about something that the black-haired man seemed amused with, a shine in his eye that Wilbur often sees when they’re bickering. Wilbur smiles at him, and Quackity smiles back, the scar through his cheek from a work accident moving with his lips. At the beautiful sight, Wilbur just knows that mutually pining for months on end was so worth it.
“Wilbur, set the table or you aren’t getting any food.” Phil spoke from where he was setting the warm pot onto a pot-holder, causing the brunette to do as he was told, but not without chucklingー just like the old days. When Wilbur brought the plates and silverware to their dining room, he was only mildly surprised to find Dream sitting at the table, engaged in a discussion with Techno, a smirk on his face.
Dream was a present figure in the Minecraft household all throughout high school, invited by Techno despite the two of them supposedly being on bad terms with each other. Dream was funny, and nice, and cool, and Wilbur had once been consumed by his beauty, but that was all in the past now, and the only person Wilbur has eyes for nowーand the only person he’ll continue to have eyes for for the rest of his lifeーis Quackity.
So, Wilbur is not entirely surprised that the man is here now, as Techno’s rivalry with him never seemed to quit, and therefore they were apparently destined to spend every minute of their lives competing over everything, even including dinner at the Minecraft household.
Phil brought the pot of food into the dining room, setting it on the table and taking his assigned seat, and Wilbur frantically gestured for Quackity to sit down. He did, albeit hesitantly with four pairs of eyes on him, Tommy already consumed in his food. Okay, maybe it was Wilbur’s fault for not telling Phil that Quackity was coming, but he thought bring-your-rival-to-dinner was a common theme in this household! Why would he be exempt from the policy?
Phil smiled politely at the man, seemingly not perturbed by his presence, placing a serving size of food onto his plate and engaging in a conversation with Tommy. Wilbur watched as Techno looked towards Dream, their facial expressions spoiling that they were having some kind of unspoken conversation, but Wilbur ignored it. They would both be back to disagreeing in a second, anyway, so this is nothing new.
“Wilbur,” Quackity hissed at him from his seat next to the brunette, who hummed as he looked at his boyfriendーyes, boyfriend, Wilbur still can’t believe it either. “Did you not tell anyone that I was coming?” Wilbur shrugged innocently, and Quackity sighed and rolled his eyes, but the corner of his lips were quirking up, so Wilbur knew he wasn’t actually mad.
The dinner continued on with everyone in their own conversationーTommy with Phil, talking about something he and Ranboo got up to recently, Techno and Dream, who seemed to be laughing at something together, but Wilbur didn’t know what, and he and Quackity, who were talking about whatever comes to mindーfor a while, before Phil addressed the entire table.
“So, shall we bring up the elephant in the room?” All eyes zeroed in on Wilbur and Quackity, and the brunette could hear his boyfriend audibly gulp next to him. Wilbur wasn’t nervous, though, and there was a cocky smile on his face, while Quackity probably looked scared half to death.
“Why, yes we can.” Wilbur spread his hands in front of himself, palms up towards the sky, the cocky smile still on his face. “Technoblade, I have finally won.” The five pairs of eyes staring at himーTommy finally looking up from his foodーdidn’t change as he spoke, but Techno looked confused, so Wilbur continued talking. “I have finally found something I have done that Techno hasn’t!”
Wilbur paused for dramatic effect, taking a look around the entire table to garner everyone’s expressions. Techno didn’t look confused anymore, as he leaned back in his chair, his body language nonchalant as his face practically screamed “oh, yeah?” The rest of their familyーalong with Dreamーlooked like they knew the stupid mission that Wilbur was referring to, and Quackity sighed into his hand next to him.
Finally, Wilbur spoke again, his voice proud. “I have found myself a rival, had a slow-burn love story with him, and now we are deeply in love with each other! Beat that, Techno!” Wilbur practically yelled that last line, his hands still out in front of him for dramatic effect. When he was done speaking, the room was silent, no complaints from Techno, or uncontrollable laughter from Tommy, or good-natured teasing from Phil, nothing. Just silence.
When Wilbur looked towards his older brother, he was met with an amused pinkette, who was looking between Wilbur and Quackity with a glint in his eye. Wilbur could see Dream, in his peripheral vision, trying to hold back laughter, and he wonders what he missed.
Then, Technoblade spoke, and his voice was smug, and Wilbur thinks he might have had a severe lapse in judgement. “Bro, you’re late to the party, Dream and I have been a thing since junior year of high school.” Techno brought his right handーwhich had been under the table this entire timeーup, revealing both his and Dream’s hand, interlocked. Together. With each other. Wilbur thinks that if he were to look closely enough at Dream’s left hand, he could determine if the ring on his finger was an engagement ring or just a regular one, but he would really rather not.
In fact, he would really rather Techno die, right here, right now. With Techno’s words, the entire table burst out laughing, not a single one of them holding back. Wilbur watched on with a blank expression on his face, his mouth open in shock, and he could even hear Quackity’s melodic laughter next to him- that traitor.
One thing! There wasn’t one fucking thing in this entire fucking world that Techno hasn’t done?! Not one?! There isn’t something that Wilbur would be original for doing?!
He wants to flip a table. He wants to jump across the room and shake Techno until he stops being so good at everything. He wants to blow up a country that he built with his own two hands and then be killed by his own father. He wants a lot, but all he does is squeeze his fork tightly in his fist, refusing the urge to throw the utensil into the table below.
“Wow, what’s with you guys and rivalries? Neither of you are very good at them.” Phil spoke with laughter evident in his tone, and Wilbur felt so, so betrayed. How dare his own father make fun of him right after he just got owned by his brother again. Wilbur is going to flip this table, piping hot dinner be damned.
Quackity reached over, laughter still quietly leaving his lips, his fingers gently unfurling Wilbur’s own from where they were clenched tightly around the fork, grasping the now-free hand in his own. Wilbur, against his better judgement, smiled, resisting the urge to start laughing with his family. It was a little funny, he can admit, but he really still does want to blow up that country.
He settles for flipping the table after their dinner was done and everything was picked up. Phil had squawked at him and smacked him with an oven mitt, but it was worth the laughs from the rest of his family.
Plus- Techno’s never flipped a table, so Wilbur really did finally find something original, and he is going to hold it over his brother’s head forever.