Falling • OriginSMP TommyInnit

6 - This Awful Energy

The winged boy's wings were the first sign he was awake. They stretched, flapped, and shook themselves from sleep. the next sign was him stretching, looking far more tired than normal. He slowly blinked, letting the world fill into his mind, and lifted his head with a yawn. He sat up, rubbing his eyes, and then his head.

"Ow," Tommy winced. "What happened?"

The question was directed towards him, something he asked himself alone, but the voice of Wilbur answered.

"You had a sort of..." Why was it suddenly so hard to say? Wilbur cleared his throat, "Panic attack."

"Wilbur!" Tommy said, his voice dripping with fear. "What- What did you..." He trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

"Ranboo told me everything. Why, Tommy?" Tommy's eyes properly adjusted, and he saw the faint silhouette of the ghost in the darkest corner of the room. That made sense, the sunlight burned him.

"Um." Tommy dragged his eyes to the floor, his wings drooping and wrapping as far around him as they could. "I dunno..."

Admitting his thoughts and emotions was difficult, it wasnt as easy as breathing, no matter what people think. It takes a long time to realize the real reason, to talk about it, and to overcome it.

But he already knew the truth. The real reason.

Because everyone hated him.

No one wanted him around, they all faked a smile to toy with him. No one wants him.

"Tommy..." Wilbur trailed off sadly, opening his arms as an offering. The Avian Class sobbed dryly, practically jumping into the hug and clutching onto Wilbur as if his life depended on it. Which yes, it technically did.

"Tommy... We'll always be here for you. We care about you, please dont do this to yourself." Wilbur said into Tommy's hair, tears threatening to drop from his eyes. "I know you wont like this, but we need to tell Phil. You cant keep living like this, it's not..."

"No," Tommy choked out. "Please don't. Please, Wilby, please." The nickname he called his basically-brother just slipped out, his wings fluttering and trembling almost as much as he was. He took in Wilbur's scent, forgetting that Ranboo was still in the room, watching them with sorrowful eyes.

"At one point Phil needs to know, Tommy. Pushing it further back will make it worse." Ranboo spoke up, and Tommy tried to burrow deeper into Wilbur's sweater, shaking his head furiously. He couldn't. It would break him.

"My headwing and anklewing will be fine, Wilbur, I dont want to tell Phil!" Fear and sadness dripped from the boy's words like venom, enough to poison the two others with more sorrow.

"This isnt about your wings and you know it." Wilbur pulled back from the hug, putting a hand on Tommy's cheek and meeting the boy's eyes. Tommy had a tear running down his face, and Wilbur wiped it away, his heart shattered. How could the cheerful boy the all knew and loved be so broken?

"But Wilbur! I can't!" Tommy stepped back, clenching his fists hard enough to just about draw blood. "I can't.. No, no, I..."

"Look." Wilbur sighed, running a hand through his soft hair for a moment. He spoke with a 'and that's final' tone, "Promise me you'll tell Phil by the end of the month."

Tommy opened his mouth to argue. That was way too little time. "Wha- Wi-Wil-"

"No. No arguing. You tell him, or I will, Tommy. You need help. Please, come talk to me or Ranboo when you feel upset. We love you, Tommy, we dont want you to feel this way." Wilbur hugged Tommy again, slowly sitting down and keeping the boy with him. Tommy burrowed himself into Wilbur once he had sat down all the way, his wings trembling.

Wilbur noticed this, slowly lifting up a hand and gently brushing Tommy's wings. He flattened the disturbed feathers, tucking them gently under overlapping ones as to not make the boy uncomfortable.

Tommy was instantly at ease, his breathing soft and his fear oozing away, replaced by a quiet calm. Wilbur rested his chin on Tommy's head, closing his eyes with a barely audible sigh. He looked calm on the outside, perhaps a little disturbed, but on the inside he was panicked and heartbroken.

Tommy wasn't tired, but the peace alone was enough to make him fall asleep again, slowly lulling himself into the darkness. His breathing slowed, deepening, and for once he fell asleep peacefully.

Wilbur fixed the last feather on Tommy's remaining headwing, patting his backwings and lifting his head. Ranboo had disappeared, probably outside. Wilbur looked up hazily for a moment, lost in thought as he gazed at nothing in particular.

Anger suddenly curled up in him like a flame, molten hot and cackling with sparks. He knew who sent Tommy into his panic attack. He knew who triggered it.

And he was going to make them pay.

--

Tommy woke up to the sound of Wilbur yelling, something he didnt like to hear. He blinked slowly, waking up to find himself laying on his stomach, his wings previously flopped onto the bed now shaking themselves from sleep.

"-SGRACE YOU LITTLE FUCKER," Wilbur yelled, his voice dripping with molten venom. "THAT SHOULD TEACH YOU SOMETHING, HUH? OR DO I NEED TO KNOCK IT INTO YOUR HEAD AGAIN?"

"NO! NO, PLEASE- W-WILBUR NO." Another voice responded. A strangled cry of pain came from said person, followed by Wilbur growling something Tommy could barely hear.

"Don't fuckin' tell me what to do."

Tommy was fully awake by now, eyes wide and brows furrowed. What the hell was Wilbur doing? His wings bristled with worry, and he quickly shook his hair out, changing clothes before basically sliding into the main room. A concerned Philza was next to the window, looking sickened.

"You ok?" Tommy asked. Phil nodded, about to say something, but Tommy cut in again. "What's Wilbur doing?"

Phil looked even more sickened when Tommy asked this, simply shaking his head and saying:

"Dont worry about it, just stay away from the forest behind the house, okay?"