shiver | wilbur soot

19

hitting 'end stream', wilbur threw his body back into the seat, allowing the wheels to roll him backwards slightly. he often felt as though streaming was a chore and thought that his performance was lacklustre on camera, especially if he was not feeling it. it was draining and with struggling with his feelings towards hope, feeling as though she was slowly slipping through his fingers, his mind was boggled.

what were these new and intense feelings he was feeling? hearing her name made his heart beat like there was no tomorrow, it sent a stream of butterflies fluttering around his stomach which he had never experienced towards hope before. he would wake up in the middle of the night, dripping with sweat and his breathing heavy, wondering why he just dreamt that he kissed her - his best friend.

a familiar sound blared through his earphones, startling him and he glanced up at his screen, noticing that tommy and tubbo were calling him on discord. a long sigh fell from his lips and instantly put on an upbeat facade incase either of the boys were streaming, "hello tubbo and tommyinnit."

"hello wilbur!" tommy exclaimed, "how are you?"

"i'm alright," wilbur exhaled, "how are you guys?"

"i'm good, thanks wilbur." tubbo replied.

"yeah, i'm not bad."

wilbur asked, "are you guys streaming?" and after both boys replied saying no, wilbur instantly slumped back into his seat and muttered, "thank god."

"what's wrong wilbur? is it hope?" tommy questioned.

"what do you mean, is it hope?" wilbur echoed him, "what are you on about?" an awkward chuckle fell from his lips.

"we all see the way you look at her." tubbo said, "you must like her, right?"

a loud laugh erupted from wilbur, "both of you, be quiet."

"see, he's not denying it!" tommy exclaimed, "we're right tubbo."

"i'm not talking about relationships with two seventeen year olds." wilbur huffed, "i'm not answering you." he shook his head in refusal, even though the two boys could not see him anyways.

"come on man," tommy sighed, "you seemed really down on stream, i just want to know why."

"and you're assuming it's about hope."

"well, yeah," tommy murmured, "i just think you like her more than a friend."

"mhm, i second that." tubbo agreed, "where is hope anyways?"

"at home, probably messaging george or dream." he huffed and folded his arms over his chest, "i don't know."

"hmm," tommy pondered, "is wilbur jealous?"

"no." wilbur replied sternly.

"i think he is." tubbo chuckled.

"i'm sorry, but why are two seventeen year olds trying to dig into my personal business." wilbur laughed, "hope and i are friends, you know this."

"but do you like her more than that?" tommy asked with genuine curiosity. everyone saw how wilbur acted around hope, especially more recently. when they all went to london, tommy, tubbo and jack all caught onto it instantly. even though they're younger, it was so blatantly obvious that hope and wilbur had potential. they even spotted wilbur's jealousy when he watched george and hope together, the way his demeanour would change and his lit up face would fade at the sight of them.

"i - i," wilbur took a deep breath in and laid his head on the desk, "i don't know. and i can't believe i'm admitting this to two seventeen year olds."'