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Philza wakes up to the sound of laughter.
It’s a blessing to hear, after so many weeks spent worrying about one kid then the next. Tommy with his illness, Wilbur disappearing in the ocean, and Techno conveying with the blood god. And on top of that, Tubbo and Ranboo joining their little house by the sea.
Phil has a new name, just a little to the left. Much like everything, it has changed yet one thing remains true: they will always be a family.
He sits up from laying in bed and winces. The new wings on his back still ache and are hard to adjust to, but he doesn’t regret the deal he made to get them. Tommy hasn’t as much as had a sniffle since Phil acquired his healing abilities.
It makes him want to laugh. A lifetime ago he hunted monsters, and now he has become one. He’s got five monsters living under his roof, filling the once empty space with sound and light.
Phil wanders through this house that keeps it all. The new chairs pushed up against the dining room table, a new couch in front of the TV that still isn’t able to fit them all, and the pile-up of dishes in the sink. It’s Tommy’s day to do dishes, but he’ll probably make the same excuse he’s been reusing claiming he thought it was Ranboo’s day, to where they’ll have to “remind” him that Ranboo can’t touch water.
He laughs softly to himself, and he decides to deal with that mess later. If there are dirty dishes, that means everyone had breakfast without him and are probably outside causing a ruckus.
Phil opens the front door, stepping out onto the porch. Out by the tidepools, Tubbo and Tommy are crouched down probably looking for critters. And as Phil descends the stairs, stepping on the sand, he sees Wilbur sitting in the sand strumming his guitar.
“Good morning, mate,” he greets, gingerly sitting in the sand next to him.
“Morning,” Wilbur says, distracted as he plucks at the instrument’s strings.
He watches Tommy and Tubbo for a while as they explore the tide pools before high tide draws back in. Tubbo shouts in excitement, showing Tommy something he’s discovered.
Phil laughs, “You’ve all gotten busy while I’ve been asleep.”
“The old man needs his beauty sleep.”
“I’m not old!” He shouts in faux annoyance.
“Hm, debatable. But it’s been a crazy time for us, it’s not bad to finally catch up on missed rest.”
“You are a hypocrite, Wilbur Soot,” Phil scolds. Wilbur’s name gifted to him by Puffy comes out natural, as if it has been his forever.
“Seriously, Phil, take it easy. The lot of us aren’t going to evaporate into air because you stopped looking for one moment.” Wilbur says, looking up from his guitar to Philza.
“... You say that like it hasn’t felt like that for the past few weeks now,” he sighs.
“But now we’re together and not going anywhere.”
Philza looks over Tubbo and Tommy screaming and running from a crab chasing them. “Yeah.”
Tubbo’s story had been a wild tale. Tubbo, once a human, turned monster by the monster maker- and then forced to spread word of the fae who will make a deal with you in trade for your name. The more names the fae had, the more powerful he got. Tommy and his family were the next victims Tubbo was meant to trick, even leading Tommy to become ill so they were pushed into a corner.
Tubbo had been apologetic and ready to pack his bags and leave, but Tommy wouldn’t have that. Tommy insisted that he stay, along with his new friend. And, well, time has shown no one really knows how to say no to Tommyinnit.
Ranboo, the newest addition to their motley group, is a good kid. He’s quieter than Tommy and Tubbo but he goes along with all their crazy plots and pranks. Technoblade seems insistent to train Ranboo how to use a sword, too.
They’ve all learned to live together well. Like a family.
“The house feels smaller everyday.” Phil laughs.
“It’ll always be spacious to me.” Wilbur’s eyebrows furrow, as he hesitates to say something. Phil waits, patient. “... Most of my childhood was spent in a fishtank, y’know. People didn’t talk to me and I was all alone. Just a circus exhibit to be pointed and laughed at. I thought I would never heal from that. I thought I would hate people and escape to the ocean to be alone. But… but this is nice. The noise is nice.”
“I’m glad you met Tommy and Techno, I’m glad fate brought you all to me.”
Techno is by the tree line bordering the beach and their home, chatting about something with Ranboo. Phil knows neither of them are huge fans of the water. And then there is Tommy and Tubbo, wielding sticks as they continue to run and scream about crabs.
It isn’t quiet anymore, it hasn’t been truly quiet for a long time in Philza’s life, but the crescendo of chattering, screaming, singing- it’s a symphony he wouldn’t trade for anything else.