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Wilbur had a lot to thank Tubbo for. That kid had been nothing but a blessing for a long, long time. Well, a blessing that occasionally levelled city blocks that they really didn’t want levelled, but sometimes he really pulled through.
Like now.
As the magpie landed, he didn’t pause for a moment before walking straight through the front door of the apartment block and striding up the stairs, not even hesitating before throwing open the door.
“Bee, you said-“
Tubbo was already waiting for him, leaping up from the couch and hurrying over before either of the other two boys on the sofa even looked up, eyes wide.
“Yeah, but I didn’t realise you were actually coming.”
“Of course I was coming.” Wilbur spared him a scathing look, claws twitching at his side as his magpie chirped frantically to rush over to his little brother. “You told me my fucking bother tried to kill himself, what the fuck did you expect?”
“Man, it was just a- a weird moment, he’s fine now.” Tubbo seemed anxious to get him away, but Wilbur had already met Tommy’s eyes.
“Hey! Wilbitch, what the fuck are you doing here?”
On the surface, he was his normal shouty, sweary self. But Wilbur knew better. He could hear the shake in his brother’s voice. He could see the nervous glances to Tubbo, wondering what the Nuke Villain had told him.
Without missing a beat, Wilbur crossed the small distance between them, trying not to look to hard at their surroundings. Now wasn’t that time to critique their living situation.
“You’re coming with me, Toms. Now.”
“What the fuck? I ain’t going nowhere bitch, I-“
“Tommy. I am so incredibly serious right now. You are coming with me. Don’t bother getting your stuff.”
It was a struggle to keep his voice level when all he wanted to do was hold Tommy close and never, never let him go. But he settled for just scanning his brother’s face, over and over, searching for a sign. Searching for any wounds. But there was nothing.
“Wilbur, what? I- you’re joking, right?” Tommy’s eyes were wide as he stared at Wilbur right back, and his brow creased as he didn’t like what he found. “W- what’s going on-“ His eyes landed on Tubbo, standing awkwardly by the door, and suddenly turned terrified. “Tubbo- Tubbo what did you- Wilbur I swear I can explain-“
There was confirmation, if he needed it. The rabbit in headlights look Tommy always got when he was caught doing something he shouldn’t.
Ranboo finally looked up from his phone, eyes hidden behind sunglasses like Eret’s.
“What’s going on? Siren?”
“I’m just passing through, Blink.” Wilbur gave a small, tense smile. “Just picking up my little brother first.”
“N- no, Wilbur, we- we can talk about this-“ Tommy stood up suddenly, standing face to face with the magpie and squaring his shoulder. “You can’t just- fuckin’ drag me around like a wrong’un.”
“I can Toms, and I will.” Wilbur spoke lightly, but made no effort to hide the danger lurking beneath.
Finally, Tommy’s eyes found Tubbo’s again, and his expression turned stormy, any pretence of confusion wiped away.
“You FUCKING said you wouldn’t tell him, dickhead!” The explosion was sudden, and fierce, but Tommy seemed to know better than to move towards Tubbo, or away from Wilbur, still standing by his side. “YOU PROMISED, BITCH!” Tears welled in his eyes without warning, and Wilbur immediately wrapped his arms around his shoulders, holding his brother close as he sobbed gently. “You- I can’t believe you’d-“
“I’m so sorry, Tommy. But he-“
“Don’t blame him, sunshine.” Wilbur whispered in his brother’s ear, rubbing his wings. “I asked him to tell me if anything happened to you.”
“Don’t fucking touch me.” Tommy pulled away, half shoving Wilbur off in disgust. “You don’t get to just turn up and protect me from every goddamn thing. Leave me alone for once in your fuckin’ life, ok?”
The words hit him hard, but Wilbur didn’t let it show. He was a man on a mission, and that mission didn’t depend very heavily on Tommy’s cooperation.
“Toms, I love you to the ends of the earth, and in that spirit, you will come with me right now. You choose whether you want to walk or be carried.”
Ranboo was still staring, frozen, and he had a feeling Tubbo was the same. It was just him and Tommy. Wilbur raised an eyebrow, waiting for the raven to speak. But his brother stayed silent, tears running defiantly down his cheeks. There was no mercy in his cold smile as the magpie patted his shoulder, and called out to the other two villains.
“He should be back in a few weeks, tops. That ok with you two?”
“I feel like I’ve missed something.” Ranboo looked from the two brothers, to his husband, back to Wilbur. “Is this- is this a flock thing?”
“You could say that. Tubbo is welcome to give you any details you want.”
“Hey- I- I didn’t-“ Tommy’s lip quivered, but he didn’t dare look at Ranboo.
“Shush, Toms.” Wilbur’s smile was unapologetically dangerous, and his magpie hissed when his brother instantly shut his mouth, clearly trying not to cry or collapse. “Come on, sunshine. We’re leaving.”
To his credit, Tommy didn’t object as Wilbur lead him out of the apartment, nodding sharply to Tubbo on his way past. The brunette was still frozen, something akin to guilt in the way he seemed to be holding himself back.
They were in silence until Wilbur turned to his brother on the pavement, seeing him still staring straight ahead, eyes brimming with tears.
“I’m sorry, Toms. I really am.”
But this was pretty restrained for him. Frankly, Tommy was lucky his magpie had let him stop to talk at all. Whatever decency he’d had in the presence of other people was rapidly leaving him, and his wings wrapped around the younger boy without him even realising.
“Fuck off. I- I didn’t need you. I was fucking fine.”
“Tubbo said he found you with a knife and a note.”
Again, his voice was casual. So casual. Tommy twitched slightly, and Wilbur’s wing pressed closer, making sure the boy wasn’t going anywhere.
“It- it wasn’t like that, I- I just-“
“We’re going home now.” He spoke with finality that Tommy didn’t argue with. The teenager just shuffled slightly, and followed Wilbur into the air.
They flew in silence, Wilbur staying close enough that Tommy didn’t have a chance to get away, even with his larger wings. The raven, for his part, was silent. He just flew. No words, no more complaints, not even any tears. Just doing what he was told.
Wilbur understood. Sort of. His brother still hadn’t told him the details, but he knew enough. Hero training fucked you up, in short. Even when you’d left it months ago, the wounds ran deep. He knew it had been a mistake to let Tommy live somewhere else, but he’d wanted it so badly. And Tubbo and Ranboo had been the best roommates he could hope to find for his baby brother, so he’d thought, what could go wrong?
This. This could go wrong. This awful emptiness in his brother, the emotions in all the wrong places for all the wrong reasons. The fact that Wilbur had to do this at all, fly out to the shittiest end of the city to kidnap the raven and drag him somewhere safe. He shouldn’t have to do this. He hated doing this, hated it because he knew Tommy hated it, and rightfully so.
But still. He wasn’t guilty. Not even as they landed outside las Nevadas, and Tommy chirped in shock. Baby bird clearly hadn’t been paying attention. Wilbur almost laughed. Almost.
“Stay with me, Toms.”
It was a gentle warning, accompanied by a soft trill that spoke directly to Tommy’s instincts. Wilbur checked his brother wasn’t going to do anything stupid as they walked in, then headed straight for where he knew Quackity would be at this time of day. In his office. In fairness, that was a good bet any time of day, but now in particular.
At some point, his talons had intertwined with the raven’s, and he was keeping a vicious grip on Tommy’s hand, practically dragging the poor boy through hallways. For the first time, he sympathised with Techno. His instincts were in such an uproar that it was a continuous stream of hissed threats and worried chirps.
protectbabybirdgothurtneedtohelpbadflockfledglinghurting
He made no effort to push his instincts away, instead leaning into them. Tommy wouldn’t get hurt like that again. Not while he was with the raven.
“Q, I’m going to be in the nest if you want me.” Wilbur poked his head through his partner’s door to let him know.
Quackity briefly looked up, nodding vaguely, then froze when he saw Tommy.
“Why’s he here?”
“His own fucking good.” Wilbur’s hand squeezed Tommy’s again, and the human part of him knew it was probably hurting his brother, knew this might not be the best idea, but his instincts were giving him no slack. He’d failed his flock. And he was going to make it right, whatever it took. “Give us… half an hour.”
Quackity nodded. He may be an absolute menace when he was instinctive, but Wilbur had his fair share of lashing out thanks to the bird brain.
“Don’t hurt him, songbird.”
A small, strangled noise came from behind him, and Wilbur’s heart throbbed in his throat. Nodding in response, he backed out, immediately leaning down to hug his brother again.
“I’m sorry Toms. I won’t hurt you. I just don’t want you hurting yourself either, ok?” As soon as he felt the smallest of nods from the raven, Wilbur scooped him up, ignoring his squawk of protest as he carried his baby brother down the corridor to their nest.
“I- I really thought I- I could do it this time. On my own.”
Tommy spoke barely above a whisper, wings wrapped around him awkwardly like a baby swaddled in blankets. Wilbur purred, nuzzling him like a fledgling.
“I know you did, sunshine, and you will. One day.”
“…not if you keep having to rescue me.”
Wilbur didn’t respond, just closed the door behind them and sat in the centre of their nest, stroking Tommy’s blond hair and humming under his breath.
“Why, Toms?”
“Why what?”
“Sunshine, I am trying so hard not to be angry. I just want to help you, I swear, but I need you to help yourself too.”
He realised his talons had started scratching against the fledgling’s scalp, and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. Tommy’s shoulders shook as he gasped back sobs, face still buried in the magpie’s neck.
“I- I didn’ fucking ask you to-“
“You’ve mentioned. And I’ve said I’m sorry, but I won’t say I regret it. You’re my fledgling, sunshine. That means I have to protect you.”
Wilbur’s claws began to run through Tommy’s feathers in a motion that seemed so natural. He wanted his fledgling to lean into his instincts. That was better for the baby bird.
“It doesn’t. An’ I’m not yours, bitch.” Tommy’s voice was muffled by speaking into the magpie’s collar.
“I beg to differ.” There was steel as he spoke, but he made sure to keep his touches light, brushing over his inky wings. “I’ll ask again, sunshine, why?”
It was a long moment before the raven replied. Wilbur was happy to wait, holding the fledgling close and half preening, half stroking his feathers. Anything for his baby bird.
“…’m scared, Wilby. ‘M fighting heros all- all day an- an’ I dunno which of them went through the same shit as me. I can’t even fuckin’ remember exactly w- what they did to me.”
“Oh, Toms. Ok, it’s ok. Carry on, sunshine. I’m here.”
“A- an’ this shit won’t leave me alone, and oh god- Will it- it feels fucking good to kill people. I- I think they broke me. I like like killing people now,” He spoke in a horrified whisper, and the magpie could feel the fledgling tense under his fingers, practically vibrating with withheld tension. “And that’s meant to be good, it- it’s what I’m meant to fucking do, b- but sometimes- sometimes I- I want to kill- them. Tubb- Tubbo and Boo, I- I can’t see them as them, just- just villains and then I look at me, an’ I’m a- a- a wrong’un. And- and ‘m not sure I can live with myself being that.”
There was nothing he could say for a long time. Nothing he could do at all apart from listen to his heart breaking. poor baby bird. Poor baby bird who he hadn’t saved in time. Poor bird who he’d forced to be the very thing he’d been trained to hate.
(Was this his fault? Was it his fault his baby brother tried to kill himself? Because Wilbur had encouraged him to be the thing he’d been raised to kill? Shouldn’t he had known?)
“…Tommy, I am so, so sorry. Oh, my sunshine…” Wilbur hugged the raven tightly, squashing them against each other, maybe more for his benefit than the fledgling’s. “Do you still want to be a villain? You don’t have to be. You can stay here, you can live with Q and Miriam, you-“
“Of course I want to be a fucking villain.” Tommy hissed with such fervour Wilbur was surprised he didn’t get shoved off again, but instead the raven just pressed closer, clinging like a koala despite his gritted teeth. “It’s everything. An’ I sure as fuck want to get back at those pussies who- who did this to- I want to fucking kill them.”
“Good, that’s good, sunshine.” Wilbur pulled back slightly, fingers digging into the raven’s shoulders as his eyes shone with sincerity. “Kill them. Not yourself, ok?”
Tommy laughed, a half raw, half broken, bark of a laugh that made him sniff even harder.
“O- ok. I- I can do that.”
Wilbur smiled, worry in his eyes, tension in his wings, but nothing but love in the twitch of his lips.
“Thank you, sunshine. But don’t think you’re getting out of staying here for a few days.”
Huffing, Tommy rolled his eyes, but couldn’t keep his own small smile away.
“Yeah, that- that’s fair.”
“I’m just trying to help, Toms, I promise that’s all I want to do.”
“‘Course.”
But even as they shared this soft moment, Wilbur could see fear in his brother’s eyes.
And he wondered what Tommy was so scared of.