Chapter Text
A small sigh passed through Wilbur's lips as he glanced around. It was sad but he knew about every bar in a 10 mile radius that he could reach. He pushed away the thoughts that begged him to go there. He wanted to, he knew he really Fucking wanted to, but he had promised his father that he would quit and he had been doing so well. He had already gone 4 or 5 days with out a drink and only semi constant thoughts of binging.
Really he just wanted something that would distract him from whatever he thought or felt because thoughts and feelings were just too much. His father wasn't overly strict but had put his foot down. Waking up at 3 am and walking out side to find your 20 year old passed out, covered in vomit and clutching a scotch bottle like a baby tended to do that. Especially when it had been the 4th time in 3 months.
He wanted to push his father away. Rebel against the authority and fight and argue and anything else he could do. But the moment he saw his father crying actual tears, heart heavy with worry... It didn't make him reflect on himself like it probably should have but it did make him want to do anything to keep his father from ever feeling like that again. He didn't wanna be a bad son, no matter how good it felt.
So for his habitual 1 am walk that's all he did. Walk. He didn't sit at the bar till he got silly and then bar hop till he was kicked out of everywhere for the night. No matter how much he longed to. Instead he just moped around the town in lost circles, trying to appreciate his dull surroundings. It wasn't easy. Even his legs ached to walk just two more blocks and pop into Schlatts pub.
The only thing making him restrain himself at this point was his fathers face that just kept playing back in his mind. Any thought of drinking was covered with his brain telling him how disappointing he was. And every thought of being a disappointment just made him crave a stupid drink. It was a terrible cycle. He needed something more distracting than walking down this same ugly ass street.
He was just gonna walk home and attempt to sleep but a large flashing sign caught his eye. A 24 hour drug store. The pharmacy was definitely closed by then but the shop was still open and he knew they sold ice cream. Ice cream didn't quite sound as good as vodka but it could be a bit comforting he figured.
With a sigh he pushed into the small store, not even surprised to see it completely empty. The only other person in the building was a bored looking cashier who didn't even look up from his phone when he entered. He couldn't help but think this place would be quite easy to shop lift from. Not that he would, these past few non alcoholic days had really been forgiving to his wallet and he just didn't see the point in not paying for the cheap ice cream.
Slowly he stalked through the isles, looking at different candy's and cards, still mind numbingly bored. Once he got into the medicine isle he froze, a chilling sensation driving through him. His eyes were locked on the bright red, cherry flavored cough medicine. It wasn't ideal and it would still make him a disappointment but at least hed be a disappointment that didn't break his promise. He had very vivid memories of Quackity and Schlatt in highschool, bragging about snogging in the school toilets and getting high by taking way too much of the stuff.
He picked up a rather large bottle with shaking hands, reading over the label. Maybe for just one night he could do something a bit fun but not take it too far. Trying to convince himself of that became easier as he picked up a second and third bottle. In his mind he would need a lot to be effective if it was sold so cheap and with no regulations. So awkwardly he shuffled to the till, feeling a bit of unease as he went to purchase nothing but cough syrup. Nothing suspicious at all.
As soon as was at the front of the store the till boy finally glanced up, dull blue eyes penetrating Wilbur's soul with sheer blandness. The brunette was immediately unnerved, the bit of anxiety in his stomach growing rapidly. Hesitantly he set the three bottles of cough syrup down and gently nudged them forward. The till boy, 'Tommy' his name tag read, only looked over the bottled and then back at Wilbur's clearly guilty face. He raised a brow.
"Bad cough?" He asked, the sarcasm dripping from his bored voice. Wilbur wanted to say there was amusement in his eyes but he wasn't so sure. He stuttered out a small yes, trying not to keep meeting his gaze. Tommy just snorted and rolled his eyes at the man, looking over him once more. He looked like he had been run through the ringer a few too many times and it was kind of pathetic.
"You'll kill yourself you know" he pointed out, still sounding uninterested despite his grim words. Wilbur looked at him, confusion clear on his face. "You only really need one bottle, and you wont even need to take it all" he added, ringing up one bottle.
"What do you mean?" He asked, feeling a bit slow. Tommy pursed his lips, putting the two extra bottles behind the till and checking the man out with just the one.
"Look, You seem like you're going through something so I'm not gonna give you some long anti drug lecture, but I'm also not gonna sell you this much" he explained. Wilbur was almost offended. He wanted to defend himself, say something like he was gonna use it over time, but it just wasn't true. He would have taken it all like some idiot so he tried to humble himself.
"Thank you" he begrudgingly forced out, and Tommy offers what he thinks is a forced smile.
"Be careful?" He offered, sounding as if he was questioning if the man would rather than telling him to. Wilbur shrugged, eyes staying on his own feet. A small part of him wanted to push back, ask why the hell this guy cared. But he did basically save his life in a way and you don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
"I guess" he mumbled and Tommy rolled his eyes again. Some people.
"Do I have to follow you and make sure?" He attempted to tease, and Wilbur couldn't deny the small murmur in his heart as a huff of a laugh escaped him.
"Nah, how about I report back tomorrow?" He asked, voice half way between taking the piss and serious. Tommy blinked, raising a brow chuckling.
"Yeah?" Wilbur didn't know why he blushed, but still he nodded.
"Yeah" he confirmed, paying with cash and wandering back out of the store. A part of him wanted to not drink it, for his father and maybe a bit for himself. But life surely isn't that simple, and after losing a brief down hill battle he held his nose and downed the bottle in two goes.
Maybe he should have waited till he got home but he wasn't very strong he supposed.