Home Is Where The Heart Resides [Permanent Hiatus]

Chapter Five

We really out here leaving our homes. You go you funky little British man.

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Techno wasn't stupid.

At times he could admit maybe one or two things would fly over his head like an odd joke here or there, but Techno wasn't stupid. A bit awkward, yeah. Quiet at times, true. But he wasn't stupid. He's known Wilbur for most of his life up until this point. At least, well, he thought he did. But the Wilbur he knew wouldn't lash out like that for no good reason. More likely, he wouldn't lash out at all. Not where people could see him do it.

The Wilbur Techno knew was one who didn't like to let his emotions be too known. Techno wasn't a stranger to this, he was guilty of this as well. His monotone voice and blunt phrasing were sometimes intentionally that way to keep others out. But Will, Will was on a different level. Will would pretend to be something he wasn't, happy when actually sad, cheerful when sorrowful. He wouldn't have crying fits or scream to the heavens for the sake of attention or even to let his frustrations out. The risk of attracting attention away from someone else, he thinks. Techno couldn't even remember the last time he saw his brother cry in front of him or heard it through their empty walls.

A part of Techno scorns himself for that but leaves it for another time.

Another thing Techno wasn't was blind.

Techno could see that the way his younger brother exploded came from a place inside. A place he hadn't seen in years. He caught glimpses of it when they were younger. A place where Wilbur would enter a place of self-loathing, thinking less of himself. The last time that had happened and he witnessed it in person was around when they adopted Tommy. But that was years ago. Judging based on what he said at the dining table, this issue hadn't suddenly disappeared just as he wished it had done. It was foolish of him to even hope that was the case, he knows. It just... He seemed so fine for so long.

Whatever was going on, Techno predicted, this was going to keep destroying Will; no doubt from the inside out.

Techno drew out a sigh as he stood outside Tommy's door, waiting for the boy to hurry up so they could continue on with his plan. At first, he intended to follow the plan Phil had set out for them last morning.

Their father knocked at their door at the crack of dawn, waking up the sleep exhausted bird-hybrid from his slumber and taking away the sleep-deprived piglin-hybrid away from sharpening his most recently crafted pickaxe. The three of them stood in the kitchen, the two teens barely leaning against one another as they struggled to stay awake.

" We are gonna go out to the nearby orchard, yeah? I feel like we need some fresh air out of this house and that'll do it. If we want to get the best picks of the day we will need to go early. The orchard is a bit of a way and is rather large but I'll let you two go get ready." Phil adjusted the bandages left on his shoulder as he glanced at the boys, his body facing away from them. "You guys look like you need to go run your faces under some cold water."

Tommy blinked a few times, sluggishly rubbing his eyes with his wrist before trudging to go climb the stairs to the bathroom. He was too tired to argue, too desperate to sleep, and was definitely too ready to go back to sleep as soon as he made it back to his room. Techno had been the wiser, looking at Phil before going to run a pot of coffee. The water began to boil as he leaned against an empty section of wall in the kitchen.

"And Will?" Techno asked, watching his father slightly freeze, his wings jumping up with his sudden stop. "You're planning on leaving him alone?"

Phil was hesitant to answer but did so with the type of confidence you pulled in front of your kids to assure them that everything was alright (even if it wasn't). "Wilbur... Wilbur needs some time to himself. I think what's best for him is to sort out his feelings after everything that was said... Everything I said." He walked into the room the argument had happened hours ago, fingers grazing against the table before stopping at a corner. "I need to talk with him about what I said but I don't think it's best to hit him with it when he wakes up. He'll need this time."