Chapter Text
“Morning Dad, you’re up so early on the weekend. What's with the rush?”
A half-asleep groggily voice took Philza’s attention as he glanced to his right to face his oldest son. Philza had given him a bright smile as an answer.
“Oh you’re up Wilbur, apparently work calls and they needed people at the clinic. Better be earlier than late.” Philza chuckled as Wilbur only playfully rolled eyes to his father. “And speaking of late, wake Techno for me will you? He asked me to wake him up but plans changed.”
“Yeah yeah, oh dad can you buy me a new string for my guitar? The usual. My thanks!” Wilbur shouted from the kitchen, probably making his cup of coffee again.
“Got it, look after the house alright Wil. I’m going out.” Philza had replied before he stepped in front of the door and went out. He took a long intake of breath before he sighed in relief. He closed the door behind him and walked off.
On his way to the clinic, he stopped by some stores nearby on the same street as the clinic. To give greetings to his friends along the way. One of them is Puff-Puff pastries, Puffy and Niki’s collaboratively bakery store, Mariposa De Flores, Hannah’s floral shop, and Rocket thrift, Niki and Jack’s thrift store.
“Morning Phil, hardworking as always are you?” Jack greeted with a cheeky grin as he set up the board from outside their store.
“As usual, emergency apparently.” Philza deeply sighed whilst walking from the bricked pathways. He was about to bump into someone when he quickly stopped before causing any incident early in the morning.
“Take it easy Phil, here have some. Puffy and I tried to make cream puffs earlier.” Niki softly smiled as she handed out the tray with such good scented cream puffs. Philza took one and slightly nodded for politeness.
“My thanks Niki.” Philza replied before he took a bite out of it and munched carefully, until he was caught form the sudden softness and enriching sweetness flavor.
“This is good, I might take some home after work for Wilbur and Techno.” Philza stated before he noticed about the time and how late he was going to be. “Oh crap, gotta go Niki say hello to Puffy for me!” He rushed up to the clinic.
Panting after the long run, Philza had leaned his forearm from the wall as he tried to catch up his breath. The customers along with their pets looked at his way before Philza had quickly composed himself and smiled as a greeting.
The customers only smiled back in awkwardness before Philza realized the atmosphere, he hastily made his way to the staff’s room to change. He closed the door behind him before he took a long deep sigh and went to his locker. He stuffed his stuff inside and changed to his veterinarian uniform, the door soon swung open revealing a woman in her 30’s.
“K-kristin, what are you doing here?” Philza quickly closed the door of his locker and looked at the woman’s way.
“If you’re asking why am I working on the weekends then the reason would be the same thing as you.” Kristin smiled as she closed the door behind her and fixed her white coat on. “Mrs. Williams insisted for me to get their family dog’s surgery done.” She added, casually stretching her neck before her face showed such a relief.
“Mrs. Williams surely does favor you a lot.” Philza stated as a means of a casual compliment. Kristin nodded, agreeing with him surprisingly.
“But are you sure you should be working on the weekends? I heard you have a second job as a daycare attendant during the weekends?” Philza asked.
“Going with the rumors are you?” Kristin snorted as she slightly raised an eyebrow at Philza. Philza tried to deny it however, Kristin only laughed at his attempt. “But yeah, I took a leave of absence for now. Besides, its fun working with you.” Kristin smiled. Philza unconsciously smiled back.
This was going to be a long day.
It wasn’t that long, rather than the busy schedule and the nagging customers at the clinic before the dark greeted them. Signifying it was night time. Yet, this night is gonna be a long one with the rain suddenly striking them without warning. Heavy rainfall, yet the news hasn’t told him its gonna be that hard.
Sure he had his umbrella with him, yet his flimsy umbrella wouldn’t defend him for long from this heavy rainfall.
It was closing shift and Philza was tasked to close the clinic as he insisted, which Kristin’s originally tasked for. Somehow, he had this deep feelings for his co-worker yet he had no guts to ask her out, at least not yet. He had better things to deal with anyways, he had to put his love life aside for now for his family. For his sons.
It was raining so hard that even stepping outside and getting touched by the rain is painful as it is. Philza had waited for the rain to ease up before making his way back home, he didn’t want to get into any accident and worry his two sons waiting for him at home.
A sigh let out from Philza’s lips before he saw something that caught his attention from the corner of his eyes. Under the rain, inside the box a small golden furred raccoon getting drenched by the rain as if it was waiting for someone to pick him up.
Philza had opened his umbrella and walked up to the box, the raccoon must’ve sensed his presence as the small pitiful animal looked up at him. A small smile lingered from his lips,
“You’re coming home with me, little guy.”
The raccoon turned its head to the side, confused probably from the stranger who decided to take him home out of nowhere.
Philza understands the risk and responsibility he’s gonna hold for this little guy, but who could leave such a pitiful small animal outside under the rain? Philza would not let this happen. As his love for animals pushed him to do so.
He held his umbrella from his other hand and gently used the other to pick up the little guy who was shivering from the cold. Philza used the soft green scarf around his neck and wrapped it around the shivering raccoon. It wasn’t long before Philza hastily went back home despite the heavy rainfall.
He came back home at exactly 9:00 pm with his shoes slightly drenched from the rain and mud. He closed the umbrella with his hand whilst trying not to disturb the nap the raccoon in his arm is having.
He opened the door before he was greeted by two individuals standing right in front the door as if they were waiting for him, worriedness can be seen from the expression.
“Damn dad, you know how late it is? I thought you were goners or some shit.” Wilbur sighed as he tried to hug his father when Philza had purposely moved away from him. Confusing Wilbur from his father’s actions.
“Techno, did you just see what dad did?” Wilbur turned to Techno who was reading a book at his hands before he had finally glanced at Wilbur’s way, “no? Besides, he’s probably being careful about that bundle of cloth in his arm.” Techno shrugged.
“Bundle? Did you adopt another one Phil?!” Wilbur gasped dramatically, “Am I gonna be an older brother again?” Wilbur’s eyes lit up from excitement.
“Well not exactly Wilbur..” Philza muttered out, nervously. As he finally showed to them the face of the sleeping raccoon in his arms.
Wilbur and Techno looked at the bundle on Philza’s arms, To Philza himself before they exchanged looks. “This must be a joke? Right dad? You’re not exactly keeping him are you?” Wilbur chuckled before he lifted his index finger and poked the Raccoon’s cheek and whiskers.
Philza was about to explain when the raccoon made a whimpering noise and slowly woke up, what happened next that everyone didn’t anticipate. The raccoon had bitten Wilbur’s finger out of disturbance from his sleep.
Wilbur quickly snatched his hand away from hissing and whisked his hand away trying to ease the pain. “What the fuck was that for you?!”
“You deserve that though.” Techno calmly said before softly snorting.
“Very funny the blade.” Wilbur rolled his eyes before he sighed.
Not a moment later, the raccoon had attempted to escape Philza’s arm while hissing. Plaza loosened his grip as the raccoon took this opportunity to jump out from his arms and ran away across the hall.
“Hey it’s getting away!” Wilbur looked at Phil and Techno’s way however the two seemed to be unfazed by it. “Seriously, am I living with two stone cold statues here? I guess it's up for big brother Wilbur then.” Wilbur sighed as he ran after the raccoon.
“A raccoon really Phil?” Techno suddenly spoke after Wilbur had ran after the raccoon Philza had decided to keep.
“Why not? He seems like a good addition for our family.” Philza jokingly replied with a soft chuckle.
“Do it your way then, I just hope Wilbur’s not gonna trash this place bcs of his hatred for that raccoon.” Techno murmured. Philza gulped down.
Then there was a scream coming from the bathroom, Philza and Techno exchanged looks before he had run to the direction of the scream. What they didn’t expect was Wilbur sitting at the floor with a surprised and frightened expression. Philza quickly looks for any injuries Wilbur has before his eyes glanced inside the bathroom.
There is a small child who seems to be at the age of 5-6 with blondish fluffy hair and fair gentle skin. This kid seems to be naked rather than his red scarf around his neck. What Philza finds odd about this child is that he has no human ears rather than a raccoon-like ears twitching on top of his fluffy hair and tensed raccoon-like tail.
The child was hissing at them, in fear. Philza had expected it after all, he had suddenly taken care of it with no reasonable thinking. It was relying on its instinct, putting his guard up from strangers around him.
“What should we do Phil?” Techno asked, looking at his way.
“Let’s try to calm him down, but we need him to trust us first.” Philza answered, looking back at the child’s way.
“Alright then.” Techno nodded.
Slowly but calmly Philza tried to walk up to the tensed up child who kept hissing at them, “don’t worry, you're fine, we’re not going to harm you.” He said with a soft smile.
The child slowly calms down yet he still has his guard up whenever Phil walks up to him, as soon as Philza had finally gotten close enough to the child the child closed its eyes as if it was expecting its fate. To die, on what he expected the outcome will be.
Philza softly and gently cupped the tensing up child as the child slowly opened its eyes, this made Philza realize how beautiful this child’s eyes were. Eyes that remind Philza of clear blue skies.
“See? You’re fine.” Philza stated with a soft smile.
“Fine? Fine…” The child mimicked, calming himself down with his own words. Philza nodded.
“Yes, you’re fine now.” Philza repeated.
Suddenly there was a grumbling sound coming from the child’s stomach. Philza slightly laughed as the child looked at him confusedly.
“You must be hungry? Techno could you fetch me some clothes for this little one?” Philza asked as Techno suddenly thrown him some small clothes.
“Already ahead of you old man.” Techno answered as he helped Wilbur up with Wilbur calming himself down and whisking the first away from his clothing.
“Old man… old man.” The raccoon repeated as he used his finger to point at Philza. Wilbur and Techno saw it as they both suddenly boomed with laughter.
“T-that’s right, but please don’t call me that.” Philza sighed. As the two kept laughing. Yet, the child only turned his head sideways out of confusion.
Philza tried to distract the child’s attention by clothing him up, to Philza’s surprise the child closed its eyes and held its breath until the child’s ears became human-like ears and his tail disappeared out of thin air. The child soon breathed before he looked at Phil innocently.
“Fine.” The child spoke once again as Philza smiled.
“Yes, that’s fine. Great job kiddo.” Philza lifted his hand and patted the child’s head. This made the child look at Phil with such a surprised expression. Philza quickly moved his hand away.
The child somehow made a small whimper before he grabbed Phil’s hand and put it on his head. Philza watched before he patted his head once again, the child melted from the touch and somehow purred.
“Okay, now I’m jealous of dad.” Wilbur spoke out of nowhere, “How come you’re not like that to me kid?”
The child looked at Wilbur’s way and hissed. Wilbur instinctively flinched from it. Philza had soon distracted the child’s attention by picking him up and carrying him to his arms.
The child had looked at Philza before he swung his little arm around Philza’s neck, and gave Wilbur a teasing tongue-out expression, taunting the other. Wilbur however, childishly gave the same treatment to the other.
It wasn’t before long after the silent argument of the two when they finally reached the kitchen, Philza had brought Tommy down to the counter as the child sat down while watching Philza do his thing.
“If you don’t mind me asking what do you normally eat mate?” Philza glanced at the child as the child confusedly looked at him.
“Soft… good.” The child formed a small shaped ‘bun’ at his hand before he looked at Philza, blinking once and twice.
“It must be bread right?” Techno abruptly spoke, making the child flinch from his sudden appearance.
The child had looked at his way with excitement in his eyes, making Techno stare at him proving him right.
“Oh.. oh, right I was supposed to buy some of those cream puffs earlier. It must’ve slippin on my mind.” Philza lowly sighed. How could he forget? Niki must’ve been waiting for him to grab his take- out.
“And, you also forgot my string luckily Techno brought some just in case.” Wilbur added.
“Yeah, I must’ve forgotten all about it when I found this little guy.” Philza replied as he used his index finger to caress the child’s cheek, which the child melted from the warmth.
“This has been bothering me since earlier, but what is his name exactly?” Wilbur asked as he pointed at the child.
“I… I have no idea, I never asked him.” Philza answered as he looked at the child, “Can you tell me your name, little one?”
The child looked up at him before he grinned ever so brightly, as if he was proud of what he was about to say.
“Tom!” He exclaimed proudly.
“Tom? That’s a good name.” Philza complimented him as the child proudly grinned. Wilbur had made his way to them as he gently pinched Tom’s cheek as Tom looked at him confusedly before he started whining like a real human child.
“But Tommy suits him better though, don’t you agree Tech?” Wilbur glanced at his way.
“I was thinking of Theseus but okay.” Techno shrugged.
“Well, we need Tom’s consent first of course. How about it Tom, do you want to stay with us?” Philza had offered as Tom had looked at his way for a hot minute.
The child had smiled, “okay.”