Ender | Ranboo Adoption SBI (discontinued)

Chapter 15

summary of last chapter for those of you who had to skip: tubbo has been being experimented on by his 'caretaker' dr lewis for several years against his will. if dr lewis finds out tubbo has been visiting phil's household, which he will if tubbo stays in his coma much longer, then tubbo is likely to be severely punished and banned from seeing them again

ranboo pov

"This isn't working," Wilbur sighed as he tossed the guitar onto the bed. "We're not getting a single reaction from any one of these memories."

Ranboo glanced at Tubbo, still lying motionless on the bed, expression unchanged and eyes still firmly shut.

"Wilbur's not wrong," he signed. "We haven't made any progress."

"We can't just give up on waking him up!" Tommy argued, sounding more desperate than angry. "All we need to do is find the right memory."

"Oh, that's all, is it?" Wilbur said mockingly. "We don't even know that the memory idea will work. We're grasping at straws and you know it."

"Least I'm not giving up on saving my best friend," Tommy muttered, turning away from Wilbur slightly.

"I am not-"

"Boys," Phil interrupted.

"Sorry Phil," Wilbur said reluctantly.

Phil glared at Tommy.

"...Sorry Phil."

"We're not out of options," Phil said, standing up from the chair in the corner. "We've been trying good memories, but maybe it'll take a bad memory to break him out of there."

"So you're saying we traumatise him further to 'help' him?" Wilbur asked incredulously.

Phil sighed, running a hand through his hair. "All I'm saying is that we pay Technoblade a visit."

"Oh so now you want to visit him," Wilbur said, starting to pace up and down the room. "So you can use him as a tool. Because apparently that's all he is to you!"

"Wilbur," Phil said patiently. "That's not all he is to me. He's my son, and that's never going to change. But right now, Tubbo needs help, and I'd be a pretty shitty father if I didn't try everything I could to help him."

"Father?" Tommy questioned.

"Yes, father. He's been part of the family for years, and after we get through this, I'd like to make that official."

Wilbur's expression softened slightly.

"Please, Wilbur?" Phil asked softly. "For a brother?"

Wilbur hesitated. "Fine," he said at last. "For a brother."

"Sentimental fuckers," Tommy muttered under his breath. Wilbur pointedly ignored him.

"I'm going to go get Techno," Wilbur announced. "Ranboo, you're coming with me."

Ranboo frowned. "Why me?"

"Because I can use you to guilt trip him if necessary," Wilbur said cheerfully, dragging Ranboo out of the room. Tommy nodded like this made sense to him. Ranboo figured it was easier just to go along with it.

Once they'd reached the small landing outside Techno's room, Wilbur stopped Ranboo and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey," Wilbur said quietly. "I know the experiences you've had with Techno so far haven't been exactly pleasant. And I know talking to him again isn't something you're keen to do. But please give him a chance. He's been as worried about Tubbo as you have, even if you haven't seen it."

Ranboo nodded but reached for Wilbur's hand to reassure himself. Wilbur smiled and let him fiddle with it, then raised his other hand to knock on the door.

"Come in," Techno called from inside his room. Wilbur pushed open the door and Ranboo looked around the attic bedroom. It was messier than he remembered, with blankets strewn across the floor in a sort of nest, which Technoblade was currently lying in.

Ranboo decided that Technoblade looked decidedly less intimidating while lying in a pile of blankets.

"I started reading the book you recommended," Technoblade said absentmindedly. "It was better than I expected, even if the-" he turned around, saw Ranboo standing there next to Wilbur, and froze.

Ranboo gave him a small, awkward wave.

"Um. Hi." Technoblade scrambled up from his pile of blankets. "No offence, but why are you here?"

Wilbur stepped forward. "The memory idea didn't work with Tubbo."

"And I can help with this by..."

"Helping him remember some different memories?" Wilbur asked hopefully. "Some less pleasant memories?"

"Nope." Technoblade shook his head. "Nope. Absolutely not."

"Techno-"

"Will, I'm not making him relive his trauma! That's so messed up!"

"That's not what I'm suggesting!"

"Then what are you suggesting?"

The twins glared at each other for a second.

"All I'm saying is that we're not getting anywhere with happy memories, and that we need to try a different approach," Wilbur said more softly.

Technoblade huffed, seemingly considering the idea. "You really think this will work?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

Wilbur's smile was sad. "I hope so."

"I trust you," Techno said, half glaring at Wilbur as he said it as if daring him to question it. "If you think this will help Tubbo, so be it."

Ranboo stepped forward and put a hand on Technoblade's arm. "Thank you," he signed.

Technoblade's mouth went up at the corner. "You're welcome, kid."

There was not a single trace of red in his eyes.

hello everyone! i'm officially back and i'm aiming for weekly updates! hope you enjoyed the chapter, tysm for all the love while i was away <3, 80k reads feels absolutely insane, love you all <3