Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Wilby,” Tommy pleads, tugging on Wilbur’s sleeve, “can we pwetty please be birds this year? Tubbo said he and his dad were going to be monsters! Can we be birds? Pleasee?” Tommy’s eyes look so pleading. How could Wilbur refuse?

He was missing work anyway, surely he could find some fake feathers and dress him and Tommy up as birds (no matter how shitty his crafting skills were) for the Halloween party. The only reason Wilbur had agreed to go was because he’d promised Tommy he would go. He needed an escort, and their drunkard of a father sure as hell wasn’t going to do it. 

However, Wilbur had managed to get a signature out of the barely sober man with only a few bruises and a small cut on his upper arm. 

“Sure, Toms, we can be birds.” Wilbur sighs, where is he going to find bird feathers? 

“Cool! Tubbo said he had some bird costumes from last year that we could use!” Wilbur looks down at Tommy and wonders if the boy would even fit in it. Maybe he could persuade Niki to make it bigger for Tommy. 

“That’s nice of him, why don’t you ask him to bring them to you tomorrow after school and we can make them fit you?” 

“And you too!” Tommy pouts, crossing his arms. 

“And me too.” Wilbur nods as Tommy grabs his hand and they continue to walk home. The streets were dark and cold and Wilbur wished he had a coat. He had to go to work in an hour and he was just going to drop Tommy off at Ranboo’s house on his way by. Ranboo’s older sister, Niki, was only two years older than Wilbur, but had managed to get custody of Ranboo after their parents had passed. “Be good, we’re grabbing clothes for you before I take you there, okay?” Tommy nods excitedly and as soon as they enter the house, Wilbur knows their father is home. Shit. “Tommy, go straight to your room and get under your bed.” Wilbur hands Tommy his backpack and the boy pulls it to his chest. 

Tommy’s smile fades and he runs upstairs, not bothering to take his shoes off. Wilbur doesn’t make him, because he’s the one that cleans the floors and Tommy needs to make a fast getaway if things go sour. 

“Father?” Wilbur calls as he enters the kitchen. His father’s brown hair is poking into the bottom of the cupboard. His father curses and whips around to face Wilbur. 

“What the hell are you doing here? Where’s your brother?” Father’s face is red and Wilbur thinks his father is drunk. Again. Surprise.

“He went upstairs to my study to do his homework, I came to–”

“Well, good, now get over here so I can beat your ass for not fixing the sink like I told you to. Don’t you ever listen? Can’t you be more like your brother and do somethin’ I tell you fer once?” His father grabs Wilbur’s shoulder and shoves him headfirst into the side of the counter. Wilbur grunts and prays that his father doesn’t destroy the school’s laptop again. He’s not sure he can afford to buy a new one. 

No wait, he sent Tommy upstairs with his backpack.

“Sorry, Father,” Wilbur apologizes as his father pulls his head up. The sink is full of water and Wilbur realizes too late what his father is going to do. He gets a face full of soap and a second to hold his breath before his father’s steady hand is pinning Wilbur’s face to the bottom of the metal sink. 

Wilbur tries not to thrash or open his eyes. If he stays calm, he can probably survive this. 

He has to survive this, because Tommy doesn’t deserve to suffer with this like Wilbur had to. Tommy needs to go to that party. Wilbur doesn’t want Tommy to miss out on his childhood all because Wilbur wasn’t old enough to take him in, wasn’t smart enough to figure out how to pay their bills and taxes yet. 

He’s only got a year until he’s eighteen. 

Surely the state will give him Tommy. 

Surely.

Wilbur’s head is lifted as an involuntary gurgle emerges from his throat and his father tosses Wilbur to the floor. “See? It’s clogged! If you’d fixed it, maybe you coulda breathed right.” A fist lands in Wilbur’s stomach and a foot digs into his shoulder. Wilbur tries to breathe around the pain but it seems to dig into every limb of his body and tear him apart from the inside out. 

“Sorry, Fath–”

“Sorry isn’t good enough, now get out of my damn sight before I beat your ass more,” the foot lifts and Wilbur scrambles away. He runs upstairs to Tommy’s room and throws several pairs of clothes into a bag. 

“Tommy, bub, come on, we got to go,” Wilbur slides open the window and smiles softly at Tommy. “Ready? Got Henry and Clementine?” Tommy nods, looking at Wilbur with more concern than any six year old should ever have and climbs onto Wilbur’s back, still holding both heavy backpacks. Wilbur jumps from the window and grunts as he lands harshly on the ground. His lungs cough up some water as he stands and Tommy whimpers. Wilbur sets Tommy on the ground and grabs his hand, hoisting their backpacks onto his back. 

“Wilby, why is Father so mean?” Tommy asks as they pass the halfway point to Ranboo’s house. Wilbur sighs and looks up at the stars. 

“I don’t know, Toms, but you just got to stay away from him, okay? I’ll take care of you, I promise, bub,” Wilbur gently ruffles Tommy’s blond curls, the only thing that they’d gotten from their mother were their curls. 

Part of the reason that his father had kicked Wilbur’s mother out was because Tommy was blond when both Mother and Father were brunettes. Like Wilbur. 

“Okay, Wilby,” Tommy says, holding tightly to Wilbur’s hand. Wilbur rings the doorbell and prays that there isn’t any massive bruises on his face. He shivers as a gust of wind blows through, he looks down at Tommy and is glad to see that the boy still has his thick coat on. 

The door opens and Ranboo grabs Tommy’s hand. The two run off and Niki comes to the door. “Thanks, Niki, I appreciate this, here’s his backpack in case I’m not back in time to take him to school. Are you sure I can’t–”

“No, Wilbur, Tommy being Ranboo’s friend is the only repayment I need. You need everything else more than I do.” Her smile is gentle and Wilbur relaxes. He pats her shoulder.

“Thank you, I don’t know what I would do without you,” Wilbur backs away and smiles as he hears Tommy’s laughter ring out the door. 

“No problem, Wil, remember if you ever need a place to stay, my door is open,” she smiles sadly as she closes the door and he knows what she’s talking about. But he can’t. 

Not after the last time he’d tried to live with someone else. 

He can’t risk Niki’s life like that. Wilbur coughs and shivers again, hurrying to make it to work before he’s late. 

He walks in the door as the shift bell is ringing and sighs. Not late. 

“Nearly was late, there, Soot.” Sam says, a brow lifted. “What’s the bruise for?” 

“Nothing, sir,” Wilbur replies steadily. Sam doesn’t question it and allows Wilbur to start hauling lumber to the warehouse. The work keeps Wilbur warm and he’s just glad that he’s allowed to work here. Although the construction company had seemed shady at first, it was probably one of the best jobs Wilbur could’ve gotten. They’d even let him take the night off for the party and allowed him to take all the shifts that he could. 

He was just eternally grateful to Niki, Schlatt, and Fit for taking Tommy under their metaphorical wings whenever Wilbur needed to work. Maybe he needed to see if Tubbo’s father would watch Tommy every once in a while as well. 

Wilbur walks into Niki’s house at three o’clock in the morning with exhaustion tugging on his eyes. He’d gotten whacked in the head by a piece of wood and after a doctor’s visit and a concussion diagnosis, sent home. 

Thankfully he’d was given paid time off, so he wasn’t going to have to worry about any money. He faceplants on the couch and puts a hand on his forehead. Ugh, everything was too much and he just wanted to nap. Or do something mindless. He sees Niki’s Ipad charging nearby and turns it on. He opens YouTube and begins to watch video after video. 

He lets his mind turn off and when Tommy and Ranboo come barreling down the stairs and into Wilbur, he doesn’t let the doctor’s note in his pocket burn that dismisses him from all of his classes at school until he’s feeling better. It wasn’t bad enough for physical therapy apparently and they’d told Wilbur to come back if his symptoms worsen. 

He snorts as he lifts Tommy up. 

Like he could afford that on his off-time.

“Hey, bub, how you feeling, ready for school?” Wilbur smiles softly as Tommy nods excitedly. Niki waves them goodbye and Wilbur walks out the door, his and Tommy’s backpacks slung over his shoulder. He yawns and stumbles on his walk. 

“Wilby, are you okay? Niki said you got hit on the head! You always tell me to rest when I hit my head really hard, so you should too!” Tommy’s brow furrows and Wilbur chuckles. 

“I got too much big man stuff to do, Toms, but I’ll rest when I can, okay?” Tommy thinks before nodding. Wilbur sighs, glad that Tommy was going to let it go. “And Niki called Tubbo’s dad because apparently they’re friends and he’s going to bring our costumes today!” Wilbur smiles again, trying to figure out when it had fallen into the sad face of exhaustion that he seemed to carry more often now. 

“That’s cool, Toms, now run along to school, okay? I’ll come pick you up after school and if I don’t, catch a ride with Niki,” Wilbur reminds the boy, ruffling his hair. Usually, Wilbur would get out of school early, thanks to a kind, understanding teacher, and he’d be there when Tommy got dismissed from first grade. Wilbur hugs Tommy once more before watching his little brother run as fast as he can into the school. Wilbur trudges to the high school several blocks away and goes to the office. “Hey, so, I got injured at work and the doctor’s given me a note? Concussion protocol and–” Wilbur stops before shaking his head, “yeah.”

“Oh, you poor dear, again? Tsk, your father should be taking better care of you,” her face scrunches as she takes the note, “I’ll pass this on, sweetie, go home and get some rest. Or if you need it, you can come rest in the teacher’s lounge.”

Wilbur thinks. He doesn’t want to take up space, but he also really doesn’t want to catch his father home on the off-chance that the man wasn’t out drinking today. Or working the shitty job he managed to keep throughout his drunken state. 

“Would– could I–” Wilbur stutters, trying not to seem too desperate for a safe space to relax. There were chores at home he could be doing, but there was no way he’d be able to get them done with his brain so scattered. Hopefully, it would pass in a few days, possibly weeks, but he would probably still have some symptoms when the party came around. 

Good thing the doctor gave him some of the good shit. 

He was going to have to hide it from his father. Maybe in Tommy’s bag?

“Of course, dear, come, come, I’ll put a little note on the door.” The front desk lady leads Wilbur to the teacher’s lounge. Wilbur’s first-hour teacher is in there pouring herself a cup of coffee. “He’s got ‘nother concussion, Miss,” the desk lady says. Wilbur can’t remember her name, but he thinks it’s… Lucille? Lilly? Starts with an ‘L’. 

“Oh, it’s okay, I’ll leave so you can have some peace and quiet, I’ll just steal some of Lilac’s delicious coffee.” Ms. Terry smiles and gently shuts the door and light off behind Lilac and Wilbur relaxes on the couch. 

After a bunch of naps and a couple small snacks that he took from the teacher tray, he’s feeling a lot better. Still a bit out of it and no clue what time it was, but better. He knew he probably wouldn’t feel as good in the morning, and he’s praying that he was just showing signs of a concussion and doesn’t actually have one. He walks out of the room, wincing at the bright light and the sounds of people talking in the hallways. He looks at a clock and realizes that it’s about the time that he usually goes to pick up Tommy. 

He waves to Lilac on his way out and thanks her. 

She smiles and tells him to have a good weekend with a bittersweet smile, as though she knew what could possibly happen tomorrow. Wilbur walks to the primary school with the intention of picking up Tommy. 

He wasn’t prepared to have a hand wrap around his mouth as he walked into sight of the grade school or the scream that Tommy would let out as the scent of his father leaked into Wilbur’s nose. 

“Brat, what are you doing out and about? Where’s the rat?” Wilbur motions for Tommy to find help and Tommy runs off toward where the teachers are sitting as Wilbur is dragged into an alleyway. “I heard you got a concussion, bastard. How’m I going to get money if you ain’t workin’, huh? Maybe, you need to learn a little lesson.”

“And what lesson would that be?” A deep, familiar voice calls. Techno Blade, Tommy’s favorite teacher. Wilbur tenses when something cold is pressed against his neck. 

“The one where you take a step back,” his father says coldly. Wilbur looks at Mr. Blade with fear in his eyes and pleads for the older man, who’s only a couple years older than Wilbur himself, to help him. Or at least take care of Tommy if he died. 

Techno had said he would. He’d promised to get Tommy out of his father’s custody if Wilbur died. They couldn’t now, his father still had too much control over them. Too many connections that could get him out without any hard evidence. Child murder is something, thankfully, that his father’s connections would have to let go because no judge is going to let murder of a minor fly by. Or any murder really. 

“Let him go, Mr. Soot, we can talk this out,” Techno pleads, his hand inching toward Wilbur. Wilbur locks eyes with Techno’s red ones and he lets himself feel acceptance of his fate. He’s glad that Mrs. Grinstone, the superintendent of the primary school, is videoing this behind Techno. He looks at her and back to Techno.

Take care of Tommy. He tries to say with his eyes. 

You are going to too. Techno seems to respond, determination hardening his eyes and cooling his expression even more than it was before. 

“No, no, I refuse to let this stupid, brainless son of mine live a single second longer. He’s too stupid to do anything right. Can’t even behave right. If I’m going down, he’s coming with me.” The knife presses harder against Wilbur’s throat and Wilbur looks to the sky. He hopes that Tommy forgets about him and won’t miss him too much when he’s gone. 

“No, don’t do this, you’ll regret this.”

“No, no I won’t.” And the knife pulls away. Wilbur barely has time to think before he flings his hands up to stop the knife. It impales his left hand and he cries out in pain. Techno jumps at his father and Wilbur pulls himself away. A school nurse rushes up to him as Techno fights with his father. The main weapon was gone and in a fist to fist battle, his father as shit-faced as ever, and Techno being a literal athlete, Wilbur would say that the end was already decided. 

Police and ambulances show up, and no matter how hard Wilbur tries to shoo the emergency personnel away because of the expenses, they take him anyway. 

Wilbur pushes away from them, his head spinning and walks toward Techno who’s being interviewed by the chief of police. 

“Why aren’t you in an ambulance, Wilbur?” Techno asks, glaring at him. 

“Don’ need it, ‘sides, can’t afford it,” Wilbur mumbles, “not work-relat’d. Sam can’t pay f’r it.” Wilbur sways and someone catches him. He hears the soft pattering of Tommy’s shoes against the cement and tries to look around for his brother. 

“I’ll pay for it, and before you argue, consider it a loan. Second of all, you literally still have a four inch blade sticking out of the palm of your hand, don’t tell me you don’t need a hospital.” Techno’s voice rumbles against his face and Wilbur giggles deliriously. 

“Fine, what’ver you say.” Wilbur is moved around a lot, and he distantly feels a small, pudgy hand lay against his face and the sound of doors closing, but he’s just so tired. He may as well take a nap. 

Chapter Text

Techno really hadn’t meant to get so involved with the Soot boys. Tommy was in his class, the only job for miles that had been willing to take in a teacher so young, and he’d met Wilbur a few times. Of course, he worried about them, he’d grown attached to them.

Niki had warned him that he would get attached as soon as he met Wilbur, but he hadn’t fully believed her. 

Not until he saw Wilbur, saw the bruises that were hidden under the hem of a shirt too small for him. Saw the way that his clothes were more tattered than an oil worker’s shirt, more burn marks on his skin than any teenager should have. 

Not until he heard Tommy begin to talk about how their dad was always yelling at Wilbur. How Wilbur would hide Tommy from the worst of it. 

Techno could never begin to describe the horror that had curled in him when he heard Tommy tell Techno that Wilbur’s job was dangerous sometimes but it was the only money Wilbur could get to take care of Tommy. 

The worst part of it all was the scars that Techno could see lingering on the younger’s tan skin. Scars that no one, let alone someone younger than him, should have. Thin marks in a clawed shape, the tell-tale sign of human nails dragged across someone’s skin. 

Larger marks, from larger, sharper objects. 

It makes Techno want to throw up.

So he began to sneak some of his clothes into Tommy’s bag and told him to stick them with Wilbur’s clothes. 

He knew that Wilbur wouldn’t wear them if he knew that it was one of Tommy’s teachers giving him clothes, rather than the boy finding them somewhere.

If Wilbur thought someone was giving clothes to Wilbur rather than to Tommy, his pride wouldn’t let him wear them, even if the return of the clothes was refused. 

Tommy was a bright boy, smart, and probably intelligent enough to be in the third grade. Due to some …less-than-bright policies made by the school board, the boy wasn’t allowed to skip grades. Something about kids needing to interact with children their own age rather than be mentally challenged. 

Techno thought it was stupid, but alas, he can’t change it. 

Not now anyway.

Tommy always told Techno how happy Wilbur was to see that he had more than one set of clothes, and that would always warm Techno’s heart. It was a small act of kindness and fondness that he would never admit to. 

He stares at the teenager in the medical bed, IVs and tubes running in and out of the younger. Wilbur wasn’t that much younger than him, only four years or so. Helped that Techno was a young grad student in Primary Ed rather than some stuffy master’s degree high school teacher. 

Wilbur looks frail on the bed. Much more frail than Techno ever hoped to see someone his age ever be. 

He shakes his head and focuses on the paperwork underneath him. 

Do you consent to become the temporary guardian of Tommy Innit Soot and Wilbur Soot with the intent of becoming a permanent guardian? Please sign your name after giving consent. 

Why didn’t Wilbur have a middle name? Was the poor boy so hated that his parents didn’t want to give him a full name?

Did he want to become their guardian? Did he really want to? The option to decline had already been laid before him. He could refuse. 

He knew he needed to. Wilbur wouldn’t trust anyone else and would be afraid of anyone else. Maybe Techno and him were close enough in age that Wilbur could trust him. 

Techno didn’t want to be a parent, but he didn’t have younger siblings growing up. He could be a big brother. 

Right?

He shook his head. No doubts, no turning back, they needed him and although he’d never admit it, his house got really lonely in the early mornings. 

And the excuse he’d use if anyone did ask?

Well, he teaches kids, how hard could raising some be?

Wilbur sighs as he’s finally let out of the hospital. 

He and Tommy are in Techno’s custody for now, Wilbur having pleaded on Techno’s behalf to allow them to live with the older. Sam, having heard about what had happened, had gave Wilbur even more time off in order to understand what was happening. 

With all the video evidence and Wilbur’s terrified expression when he was put in the same room as his father, Mr. Kade Soot was convicted of attempted murder, child abuse, child neglect, his parental rights removed and given to Techno instead, and the cherry on top was that it turned out his father had killed someone an hour before he tried to kill Wilbur, so the man was basically guaranteed a life in prison just for that alone. 

If all the other charges that Wilbur put against him weren’t enough anyway. He’d told the lawyer that Techno had hired to give the old man everything they could get. Turns out, the drunkard was wanted in a couple of the nearby cities for miss and runs, hit and runs, and multiple accounts of assault and battery. 

And he was the one that got the old man put away. 

The reward money was nice, and he had called into his work and said he might return after graduation. With Techno’s help, Wilbur was finally able to focus on school and have nice nights off. It’s the first time in a long time he’s been able to relax without worrying about something happening to Tommy.

Speaking of Techno, the first few weeks had been a difficult adjustment, but Techno not stepping into any parental roles really helped Wilbur not be so afraid of not getting any chores done. Or of Techno.

Techno was pretty good about his housekeeping skills and Wilbur would usually cook the food. It was difficult at first, Wilbur had tried to do too much and had crashed, but Techno was right there to pick Wilbur back up and help him to his feet. 

Because Wilbur was prone to crashing metaphorically and physically. 

He was too used to pushing his body as far as he could, and then exceeding that limit. Here, he wasn’t supposed to do that. 

He didn’t have to do that. 

It still made Techno’s concern when Wilbur would randomly lay on the couch and sleep hours’ worth of time away

Wilbur knew a brother when he saw one. Techno was definitely a brother. 

He didn’t act like a father, nor did he really try to, at least not with Wilbur. Wilbur knew that he himself was prone to treating Tommy like a son rather than a brother, but the age gap and all the care that he’d had to do for Tommy over the years has made it impossible not to see his little brother as his responsibility. Techno acted much like Wilbur did, only he was able to sign the guardian consent forms for Tommy. Wilbur was not. 

But Wilbur had still managed to get his father to do it when they’d lived with him, so technically-

“Techie, please?” Tommy begs, “Wear it with us?” 

Somehow, Tommy had gotten a hold of a third bird costume and was bound and determined to get Techno to wear it with them to the Halloween party so they could be just like a flock of birds. Where Tommy had gotten a costume that was Techno’s size, Wilbur won’t ever know, but he does know that Techno absolutely is pushing against it. 

“But what if I don’t want to be a bird?” 

“We can be what you wanna be next year! This is my special year! Wilby promised!” Techno looks up at Wilbur with the How could you look and Wilbur snorts. 

“C’mon, Techno, it’s just for the party, dress whatever the hell you want to on Halloween, but just for the party?” Wilbur gently rubs his throat and Techno rolls his eyes, knowing that Wilbur was playing the sad wet cat role to fully convince Techno to change his mind. 

“Fine! Fine. You win, but when I get mocked, I’m going to dress you up like a banana and Wilbur as Curious George.” Techno crosses his arms and Tommy cheers. Wilbur laughs as Tommy grabs his hands and spins him around in his little happy dance. 

“Yay! Thank you, Techie! Thanks, Wilby!” Tommy giggles as Wilbur gently lifts him up and tosses him to Techno. The symptoms of the concussion were fading, the care from Techno having made it pass by so much faster than it ever had before. And the man was so touch-starved, Wilbur would’ve thought he was neglected as a child. The man’s parents had died a few years ago, so who knows, maybe he was a bit touch-starved. 

Wilbur didn’t know, and he didn’t ask. 

“I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?” Techno asks, later as they’re sitting on the couch to watch some nature documentary about parrots. Tommy has been fascinated with birds recently, so Techno took it upon himself to force them all to watch bird documentaries every night before bed in Tommy’s room. Techno had even set this specific TV up so that Tommy could turn it on and find any nature documentary he wanted easily. 

Techno was so much better than Wilbur could ever hope to be. 

“Probably,” Wilbur responds. Techno smirks slightly and they turn their attention to the drone of the narrator. Tommy’s asleep before the first climax even arrives. Not that is much of one, but still. “Tech, how– how do you take such good care of us? Do- do you see Tommy like a son or what?” 

Techno inhales sharply and looks at the ground. 

“Honestly?” Techno looks over at Wilbur and Wilbur nods. “I took you guys in because the house was lonely. I mean, I like you guys, and I know that technically Tommy is young enough to be my son, but–” Techno looks away and at the far wall, past the TV to a picture that Tommy had drawn of the three of them as the birds he thought they were. “I see you guys more as brothers, honestly. You still plan on going back to work and I still plan on taking care of you guys, but– honestly, I don’t know how you did it. Sometimes, I just get so distracted and you’ll show up with a plate of food and– I don’t know how you do it.” Techno’s brown eyes turn back to Wilbur and Wilbur sighs, letting himself lean against Techno on the queen-sized bed. 

“I think– well, that’s all there is to it, isn’t it? Love? I love Tommy and… you too, you’re my brothers, and I still can’t believe that you are a teacher so young.” Techno groans as the familiar bit finds its way into a meaningful, serious conversation once again. It usually only happened when Wilbur was trying to joke about something traumatic. 

The last time Wilbur had done something like this was about six months ago when Techno was worried about Wilbur’s health after a particularly brutal beating from his father. 

“Look, I did way too freaking much my freshman and sophomore years and graduated midway through my junior year, okay?” Techno rolls his eyes as Wilbur smirks. 

“Alright, mister “I’m-so-smart”,” Wilbur lets himself relax against the wall of blankets and pillows that Tommy had demanded so they could learn how to “be birds” and sleep in a nest. Tommy was really hooked on birds. 

Just like a small child. So easily distracted and hyper-fixated on things. Wilbur wasn’t too concerned, after all, why should he be?

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Techno pulls Wilbur a bit closer to his side and Tommy grunts in his sleep, moving unconsciously into the small space between Wilbur and Techno. 

“You’re a good big brother,” Wilbur whispers as his eyes start to drift shut, the droning of the documentary still buzzing distantly in his ears. 

He doesn’t hear what Techno says, if the man even responded at all, because he’s already asleep.

He can’t help but feel safe when Techno’s around, he’s just glad that Tommy’s gotten out of teh habit of calling him Mr. Blade, especially in the house.

Chapter Text

Techno didn’t know what to think as he stared at the three of them, covered in fake feathers and plastic beaks strapped to their faces. 

They looked nothing like birds. 

He takes a selfie with them and sends it to his friends. Phil texts back and asks where they’re going. 

Mate, you all look so adorable

Where are you going

It’s not Halloween is it

nah theres a party at tommys school

he convinced Wil and I to go as birds with him

why?

No reason

Have fun!

Techno’s never actually seen Phil in person before, having met him during his online college and having been forced to do a project with the other. They’d hit it off and Techno had always wondered if the man was secretly doing something undercover. 

No one had ever seen Phil’s face and he didn’t appear anywhere online when Techno had tried to Google stalk him. 

He shrugs it off, a couple of others have asked about the costumes, and he tries not to think about how off-put he suddenly feels. 

“Alright, ready to go, guys?” Techno turns, seeing Wilbur’s nod and Tommy’s ecstatic bouncing. That boy had more energy than Wilbur did when Techno had accidentally given him caffeine. Lesson learned from that day and no one gives Wilbur caffeine anymore. Especially after Techno learned that Wilbur used to drink an energy drink so that he could last through his shift. 

“Yes! Yes! We’re gonna have so much fun!” Tommy grabs Wilbur and Techno’s hands and begins to drag them out the door. Tommy’s costume is so fluffy, and he honestly looks like a baby bird. He chuckles at the sight and allows Tommy to shove Techno into the driver’s seat. 

“Do you wanna drive, Wil?” Techno asks, “You can if you wanna, you got your license now.”

“N-No, I’m good,” Wilbur says, sliding into the passenger seat. “I’m not too comfortable with driving your car yet, the one I drove was different and I’d rather watch you first.” Techno shrugs and turns the key, waiting for Tommy to climb into his booster seat and buckle his seatbelt. 

Techno tries to hide the burn in his cheeks as people at the party coo at them. Tommy refuses to let Wilbur or Techno leave his eyesight, which Techno doesn’t mind, he’s only here for Tommy. A scent drifts into his nose and he identifies another pretty good reason for coming.

“Wanna grab some food?” Techno asks Wilbur as Tommy finally decides he’s had enough of hanging around his big brothers (it feels so surreal to think about the fact that he has little brothers now) and runs off to find his friends. 

“Sure, but I swear if you try to get me to eat any potatoes tonight, I’m shoving them down your throat.”

“But they’re–”

“No, you make us eat them at home so much,” Wilbur groans, the fake wings that spread between his arms and his sides showing as he lifts his arms up in frustration. “Now I can finally feast on something else!” Wilbur jabs Techno’s chest and Techno chuckles. 

“Fine,” he relents teasingly, “but I’ll be making some potato soup tomorrow in spite.”

“Nuh uh, I have supper duty tomorrow and I eat lunch at the school,” Wilbur smirks and Techno rolls his eyes as they hop in line for the buffet. They bicker as they get some food, and Techno carries a second plate for Tommy and the boy comes running up to them, a blond man dressed up as a bird holding Tommy’s hand. 

“Look, look it’s my tutor, Mr. Craft!”

“I’m Phil, nice to meet you,” Mr. Craft– Phil– sticks his free hand out to shake Techno’s hand. 

“Techno, I’m Tommy’s guardian,” Techno grabs Phil’s hand and shakes it, setting the plates down on a table and motioning for Tommy to eat. Tommy releases Phil’s hand and barrels straight for his plate of food. 

“I’m Wilbur, nice to meet you too, sir, I’ve heard about you from Tommy.” Techno squints at the other. He feels like they've met before. The voice was vaguely familiar, but Techno couldn't place it.

Phil turns his gaze to Techno, sensing his stare. “So, Techno, don’t recognize me?” Phil’s face mask lifts as Techno spots a smirk under all the feathers. How the man got so many feathers to stick to his face, Techno will never understand, nor comprehend how the man could stand it. Techno hated the beak that he’d put over his face, so he could understand some of the suffering that the elder must be enduring. 

All for the sake of a small blonde boy. 

Every second was worth it. 

A feather causes an itch on his face that he has to ignore or else risk the feathers falling off. He frowns slightly. 

Mostly worth it. 

“Oh! You’re that Phil?” Techno's frown shifts into a smile of recognition. “We finally meet!” 

“Yes, indeed, now, I’m going to go grab some food myself, why don’t you start eating and I’ll return with some drinks as well?” Techno nods and turns to Wilbur, gesturing for him to pick a spot to sit. Wilbur sits beside Tommy and Techno sits on the other side of Tommy. They start eating and are having a conversation about Tommy’s friends’ talents when Phil returns. “Yes, that Tubbo boy is a whiz with anything technological. He fixed my TV for me, he’s a very nice boy, indeed.”

Techno had forgotten about Phil's odd manner of speech, but for a tutor, that was probably the norm. 

That and the fact that Phil was probably older than dirt. 

“I know right? He’s just so smart all the time like that! And Ranboo is so funny, especially when Charlie comes over to Niki’s house! I like Charlie, he’s funny!” Tommy giggles as he waves at said man, a teacher who’s only a year or so older than Techno. Charlie smiles and waves back, before moving to sit with a few of the other kids. 

Charlie was a nice guy that Techno got along well with. He was funny and shared a lot of the same humor as Techno. Although Wilbur and Charlie seemed to get along like two peas in a pod. 

“I got some lemonade for Wilbur, some sparkling cider for Tommy, and some coffee for Techno!” The man sets some drink down and Techno swears he sees wings appear for a split second on the man’s back before fading into shadows. 

“Thanks, Mr. Craft!” Tommy says, lifting the small plastic cup to his lips. Techno takes a sip of his coffee and feels his face pucker a bit.

“Damn, they really made this strong,” Techno comments as he takes another swig. Phil chuckles and nods. 

“Yeah, they do, if you don’t like it, I can go get something else for you, mate, no big deal,” Phil starts to stand, his plate of food resting on the table in front of him. Techno waves him off. 

“Nah, it’s fine.”

He looks over at Wilbur in time to see the younger’s face pucker as well. “They make these really strong don’t they?” 

“Maybe they’re trying to make you stronger,” Phil replies, chuckling again. Techno laughs and they finish their respective plates over some fun conversation.

Mostly Tommy explaining how unicorns must exist if a man as cool as Philza Minecraft exists. Techno and Wilbur team up to pick on Tommy and complain about how could he not rank them as high as Phil when they’re clearly the favorites. 

Phil just laughs and comments a few sarcastic responses every once in a while. 

Tommy yawns as Techno lifts the boy’s empty plate to place it on his own. “Tired?” Techno asks as the boy leans heavily on Wilbur. He’d downed the entire sparkling cider cup, whereas Techno and Wilbur had only drank half of their own cups of liquid. Tommy nods and Techno looks at Phil. “Well, sorry to leave so early, but we better get him to bed before he conks out here.”

“Oh, well, could you perhaps drop me off at my house? My Uber driver canceled on me and said they didn’t want to drive out to my place. Or… perhaps could I crash at your house for the night?” Phil pulls out his phone and shows Techno his house’s location. He looks at Wilbur, asking the teen for his opinion. 

“He can crash at the house for a night,” Wilbur says with a nod. Techno’s glad that the other is finally confident enough to let a man as fatherly as Phil into the home. Especially considering the last time that someone who acted too fatherly toward Wilbur ended up with a bloody nose and screams ringing in their ears. 

That was a fun night that Techno never wanted to relive again. 

And the amount of apologies that he'd had to give to Fit was probably unnecessary, but the man had understood and thankfully hadn't pressed any charges.

“Alright, let’s load up, you can sit in the back with Tommy if you want,” Techno tells Phil. The man nods and lifts the boy up, whispering something in his ear. Tommy nods lethargically and falls asleep on Phil’s shoulder. 

“You don’t have to carry him, I can,” Wilbur says, reaching for Tommy. Phil lays a gentle hand on Tommy’s back with a smile. 

“No worries, mate, I’ve got him. If I’m sitting in the back anyway, I may as well carry him, right?” Techno looks at Wilbur and shrugs, a yawn slipping out of his mouth. Wilbur yawns too and Techno smirks. 

“Alright, Sleeping Beauty let’s get home before my co-pilot crashes the plane,” Techno teases. Wilbur protests and demands that the pilot had to drive the plane, the co-pilot shouldn’t take the blame for the crash. 

Techno leads them out to his car and unlocks the doors. He helps Phil buckle the seatbelt over the child in his lap and hops into the driver’s seat. He drives home, his eyelids drooping the entire way until he finally pulls into his driveway. He puts the car in park and hops out, Phil and Wilbur following him inside the house. Phil offers to tuck Tommy in so that they can head straight to bed and Techno doesn’t offer any complaints. Wilbur offers to do it for Phil, but Phil insists and Techno grabs Wilbur’s arm and tugs him up the stairs. 

“It’s alright, Wil, just tonight.” Techno doesn’t realize that Wilbur follows him into his room until the teen is pulling the covers over them. “What’s up?” Techno asks, sleepily.

“Just didn’t wanna be alone tonight,” Wilbur says, “someone was talking about me at the doorway and– and– they said the same stuff that he would and I just–”

“Hey, it’s okay, Wil, I got you,” Techno hugs Wilbur tightly and rests his head on the teen’s curls. He sighs and tries to fight off the sleep that tugs him into unconsciousness. “I got you.”

“Thanks, Tech,” Wilbur whispers and before Techno realizes what’s going on, he’d falling asleep with Wilbur in his arms. 

Wilbur wakes up in pain. He hasn’t woken up like that since he was with his father. Panic fills his veins with icey fear. He'd fallen asleep in Techno's room right? Techno will protect him from his dad. 

“Techno?” He asks, trying to open his eyes. They feel like they’re glued shut though, and no matter how hard he tries, he can’t get them open. His heart thuds against his sternum with terror as he blindly reaches his hands around, trying desperately to grab Techno's hand.

“Wil,” Techno says, his scent reaching Wilbur’s nose. “Where are you? I can’t see.” Wilbur reaches blindly toward Techno’s voice and collides with feathers, they must’ve fallen asleep in their costumes from last night. 

“Is that you?” Wilbur gently feels around and a hand grabs his wrist, pulling him close.

“Yeah, where’s Tommy?” Wilbur grunts as his back flares in pain. “Wha– what’s happening? This– this isn’t my room, Wil.” 

“I don’t know, I can’t see either, my eyes feel like they’re glued shut,” Wilbur clings to Techno, feeling the soft feathers that coat the older man’s body. “I thought these were fake feathers, Techno, they… feel real.” Wilbur fingers one and Techno hisses.

But not in a way that Wilbur’s heard before. 

More… bird-like. 

What was happening??

“I– I should not have felt that,” Techno says. Wilbur tries to pull away, to search their surroundings, but Techno clings to Wilbur. “No, no don’t go.” Wilbur wraps his arms around Techno once more and pushes his face into his brother’s neck. 

“Techno, I’m scared,” Wilbur whispers. “Where’s Tommy?” He feels Techno tense as he begins to panickedly feel around the area they were in for the young boy. 

“Guys!” The sound of a door opening reaches Wilbur’s ears, “You're awake!” Tommy’s voice sounds different, less like the British accented English that the boy poorly spoke, and more… chirp-like. 

Maybe Wilbur was hallucinating. 

Maybe Phil fed them drugs. 

“Toms?” Wilbur whispers. “Where are you?” Wilbur reaches up to rub at his eyes, to see if he could get the glue off, but a small hand grabs his wrist. Why he hadn't tried before, he didn't know, but looking back it felt kind of dumb.

“Don’t do that! Dad said it could hurt your eyes! You’ve been asleep for a really long time. Dad took me trick-or-treating while you guys slept. Everyone thought I was wearing a costume! It was so fun!” Tommy’s excited voice is in Wilbur’s left ear and he feels the boy reach between Techno and Wilbur’s arms to snuggle in. “I missed you guys! I’m so glad you’re awake! Dad said that–”

“We don’t have a dad,” Wilbur says, the small fear that their father had escaped and brainwashed Tommy starting to wriggle a path into his mind. No, he couldn't have. The police would've warned them. 

Unless there wasn't enough time. 

Unless their father somehow managed to get to them while they were sleeping. 

Had he killed Phil and then taken them? Glued his and Techno's eyes shut so they were helpless and vulnerable? So that they couldn't escape with Tommy?

If so, why hadn't he just killed Wilbur like he'd threatened to? Why keep him alive?

Thoughts whirled in his mind until Tommy broke the silence, “No, silly! Dad will be sad if you say that! Right, Techie?” 

“What? Tommy– what– Tommy, what’s going on?” Techno asks, Wilbur can’t help but feel an impending sense of doom. He doesn’t understand what’s going on at all. 

A door opens again and Wilbur hears the soft clack of something sharp hitting a wooden floor. “Hey, Toms,” a familiar voice says, “Charlie’s here to pick you up for a trip to the zoo, you ready to go?” 

“Yeah!” Tommy rushes out of Wilbur’s grasp before he has time to grab his little brother and Techno’s arms shift as if that was his plan as well.

“What the hell is going on?” Techno whispers. Wilbur shakes his head, not remembering that Techno couldn't see him. There was too much fear intruding on his senses for him to realize such a small, minute detail.

“Oh, I can answer that, mate,” the voice replies, somehow hearing Techno. “I’m Philza Minecraft, or Phil Craft,” the name sounds familiar, but Wilbur can’t quite place it. Wasn’t that the man who was crashing at their house for the night?

“What did you do to us?” Wilbur hisses, pressing himself closer to Techno, unable to see the threat and only able to hear the sounds of someone walking closer. 

That just made it all the more terrifying. 

“Oh, I’ve made you mine! I was planning on taking Techno and Tommy for some time now, but only just now have realized that you were all together and that you, Wilbur, were among them. You’re my nestlings now." The man sounds way too happy about all of this to be sane. Maybe they were kidnapped. "Tommy’s been so excited to be just like me, ever since you were finally taken away from that awful, awful man that you called father.” Wilbur can’t help but feel slightly panicked as he clings to Techno. Techno’s hands dig into Wilbur’s spine as he holds Wilbur as close as he can. 

“What– what did you do? Where are we?” Techno repeats. 

“Why, you’re in my nest! Right where you belong. I had to drug you a bit so I could get you home, but otherwise, nothing! My goddess’ magic is slowly turning you to be just like me. Three sons, three nestlings, all to myself,” a hand cups Wilbur’s cheek, and Wilbur tries to pull away from it, but it pursues him. “Shh, you’ll be alright, your wings are going to grow soon, and I need to be here so you’ll imprint on me.”

Wilbur tightens his hold as someone tries to pull him away. He desperately tries to grab onto the hands.

“Techno!” Wilbur cries out as he’s pulled away. “Let me go!” 

“No, sorry, nestlings, I can’t risk you imprinting on each other,” Phil says and Wilbur tries to push himself away.

He snarls and tries to claw his way back to Techno, one of the few people he trusts to protect him. He hears Techno’s protests but then a sharp chirp rings through the room. Wilbur falls limp with a confused hum and he’s moved so his face is in the crook of someone’s neck. 

Someone whose scent is unfamiliar. 

He doesn't know what to think about that.

“Wilb’r,” Techno mumbles, “wh’r’ is he?” 

“Stop worrying so much, I’ve got both of you, you’ll be so relaxed it’ll barely hurt when your wings come in,” Phil says, scratching Wilbur’s scalp gently with something hard and sharp. Almost like a sharp fingernail. Wilbur whimpers as pain flares in his back again. This time, it doesn’t fade. 

It runs like fire up his spine and back down through his arteries and veins, spreading fire throughout his back like wildfire through hayfields.

“Oh, poor baby, is it coming already? So impatient, just like your little brother,” Phil’s voice coos in his ear. Wilbur whimpers and tenses as the pain begins to overwhelm his senses, drowning out the worried sounds of Techno’s concern and making Wilbur only focus on the hand that was scratching his scalp.

“It’s okay, shh, I’ve got you, nestling,” Phil says and Wilbur warbles in pain. His caretaker is holding him, and taking care of him. He screams as the fire suddenly burns ten times worse. He’s tugged into an embrace and he sobs in pain.

A hand briefly touches his head and somehow he knows that it wasn’t his caretaker’s, but his nestmate’s. He warbles in frustration, wanting his flock to hold him as he screams and cries. He doesn’t notice Techno’s cries of pain just a few inches away from him, nor the way that Phil smiles darkly as Wilbur melts against him when his wings suddenly pop through the flesh of his back with a painful squelch. 

He lies limply, his eyes still glued shut as he trills sadly. He hears his flockmate chirping as well and Wilbur responds with a soft peep! 

“Oh, you’re both so adorable, Tommy wasn’t near this cuddly. Then again, he’s a lot younger and his childish impulses already viewed me as a parental figure, so it’s not that hard to figure out why he had an easier time with this. You especially, Techno, being an adult makes it so hard to submit, doesn’t it?” 

Wilbur hears his nestmate warble affirmation and Wilbur wants attention too! How dare his nestmate get more than him? Unless he’s upset his caretaker.

Wilbur chirps sadly and his caretaker croons at him. 

“Oh, those insecurities that your piss-poor father gave you are interfering, hmm? We’ll fix that, don’t you worry, sweetheart, now why don’t you go to sleep? Doesn’t a nap sound nice?” Wilbur nods and he’s moved around until he smells his nestmate again. Techno’s arms wrap cautiously around Wilbur and Wilbur whimpers when his nestmate’s hands brush against his newly formed wings. 

“Careful, you two,” Phil chides gently. Wilbur peeps again and buries his face in his nestmate’s neck, chirping sleepily. “Sleep well, nestlings.”

Phil smiles as Techno and Wilbur snuggle closer to each other. Techno was only a few years older than Wilbur, and Phil remembers fondly how close they’d grown to each other. Basically twins in elytrian standards. 

The picture that Techno had sent him of them dressed as birds with Tommy’s smirk had told him everything he’d needed to know. Tommy had decided that they were ready to leave with Phil.

Phil had told the boy almost a year ago now his plans, and the little nestling had been so excited at the prospect of being a bird, like Phil. He’d come over to Phil’s house under the guise of tutoring on Saturdays and Wednesdays to hang out. Phil showed Tommy how to preen his wings and all the animals he had, Tommy did his homework and Phil fed him. 

Kristin visited once during Tommy’s "tutoring session" and had adored the boy.

Once she found out Phil’s plans, she agreed to them immediately. 

Well, not the first set of plans. His original plan had been to track down Techno after taking Tommy in and then watching Wilbur to see if he would be a good fit for his flock. 

Kristin had vetoed that plan, saying she had a better one and to just trust her. He did, without hesitation.

Of course, Phil had known Techno before he’d known Tommy or Wilbur, and had been trying to think of a way to get him home when one of Tommy’s teachers had asked him to tutor Tommy. Tommy had been a little scared of Phil at first, but the boy warmed up quickly.

He was like sunshine. Melting away the icy walls of Phil’s heart. 

The bruise that Tommy had said was on his big brother’s neck had angered Phil. Who in their right mind would hurt their own flesh and blood?

Everything seemed to fall into place after that. Wilbur and Tommy moved in with Techno, who Phil had later discovered was another one of Tommy’s teachers, and Phil couldn’t help but thank Kristin for making everything fall in place as it did. 

The party that Phil had been invited to that the three were showing up to. 

The overly strong drinks were perfect for hiding a potent sleeping potion. 

The food that Phil snuck onto their plates to ready them for this transformation.

Everything. 

Phil smiles as he lifts a wing above their heads, covering them in darkness. Kristin’s shimmering shadow appears at the bedside and he grins up at her. 

“Aren’t they perfect?” 

“Indeed.” She smiles and Phil looks back down at the nestlings, “Tommy was right, they were protective. They’ll be just like you. Their instincts will probably be wild, you know.” 

Phil nods, “I thought so. Did you see Tommy yet? He’s got the most red feathers I’ve ever seen, red, white, and little hints of gold. Oh, and the twins–” Phil cuts himself off as he chuckles. They’re not twins, he doesn’t know why he called them that.  He shakes his head.

In Elytrian standards they are twins. Only a few years apart is like a few days apart for humans. They might not think that, but once they realize just how much of an age gap there will be between them and Tommy, they'll come to terms with their new life.

It's not easy, the transition from human to Elytrian. But in Philza's completely unbiased opinion, it was worth it.

He smiles at his wife once more, the frown from his thoughtless words fading away like snow in a firepit. “These two both have gold as well. Techno’s got some pink and gold and Wilbur has blue, brown, and gold. None of them have black feathers like me.” Phil pouts at his wife and she chuckles, her laughter lighting up Phil’s heart. 

“They’re perfect just the way they are, I wish I could stay longer. Alas, love, I must go, my duties take me from you once more.” She kisses his head and he grabs her hand, kissing it in the way he had many, many years ago, back when knighthood and chivalry were more prevalent than bad people. 

“Farewell, my love, return swiftly,” he watches her dissipate and looks down at the boys again. They’re perfect. As they mature, they’ll develop talons and fangs, perhaps even their legs will shift like Phil’s. Tommy’s did. But this wasn’t a guarantee. 

He’d met other angels, they all didn’t develop animal traits quite like Phil had. They were able to shift between their forms, Phil could barely hold his for a few hours. 

Quite difficult to do honestly, but then again, Schlatt only had ram’s horns and Niki had a few scales. It’s a lot easier to hide those than hundreds of thousands of feathers, not to mention several limbs that don’t quite match a human’s. 

Techno peeps again and Phil kisses his forehead. Three boys, all to himself. For now.