𝖑𝖎𝖐𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖘𝖊𝖚𝖘'𝖘 𝖘𝖍𝖎𝖕 - a dsmp au

the slow trickling thaw that sets the banks in half

"Wilbur." Tubbo suddenly says, breaking their ever-so-comfortable silence. "Wilbur was the one who took us there. Maybe you could ask him?"

The din of the Starbucks had settled down now. Tommy couldn't hide behind the clatter, excusing soft murmurs and little whispers.

"No, no, I'm sure we can find it." Tommy tries to brush it off, too afraid to admit, too tired maybe, to admit.

"Tommy, when was the last time you spoke to Wilbur?"

Tommy looks around, and then sighs, a thousand breaths escaping. It's defeated.

He does that a lot.

He sighs a lot.

"A while." is all he says.

---

Tommy knew that Wilbur worked hard to escape, but he didn't want him to go.

There was much rejoicing from his father when he heard Wilbur was going to West Point like Uncle Techno.

And then his bags were packed, and he took Tommy to their favorite diner for one last time.

They ordered the same thing they did every time.

Pancakes and eggs for Wilbur, a burger and fries for Tommy.

Wilbur always liked to get different food at the wrong time. He said food was a social construct, everything was a social construct.

Tommy begged him to stay.

"Aww, are you saying you're going to miss me, Toms?" Wilbur teased, ruffling his hair.

"No, you prick, who's gonna drive me and Tubbo places?" Tommy pleaded. "Who's gonna pay for all our shit?"

Wilbur was the troublemaker of the family. Tommy wondered how he even got into that stuffy old military anyway. He always planned their excursions, maybe going through dumpsters, maybe ordering from McDonald's at 3 am, pretending to be a car in the drive-thru.

"You can drive yourselves now, can't you? You're 16." Wilbur said nonchalantly. "Get a fucking job if you need money."

A pang of betrayal shot through Tommy. He almost wanted to ask him if he was even going to miss them at all.

"You don't even want to be in the stupid army!" Tommy cried out. "You only want to because Uncle Techno was in it, and Dad always talks about it-"

"No, I do, don't say that Tommy," Wilbur said gruffly, looking away.

The whole diner was looking at them now, Tommy slamming his fist against the table. "No, you don't! And now you're leaving us-"

"Quit it, Tommy, ok?" Wilbur snapped, and Tommy sank back into his seat. "I'm going to college, and that's final."

They didn't speak for the rest of dinner, and the next morning when Wilbur drove off and Phil told Tommy to wave to him, he crossed his arms and pouted.

He never said goodbye to his brother.

And he would never ever forgive him for leaving them.

---

There once was a boy who thought he could fit into the shoes of a man.

He thought, maybe if he could do that, the eyes of his father would finally be on him.

And the boy who was not yet a man became a soldier and marched off to war, leaving his father and younger brother behind.

When he came back, he was no longer a child but not a man either. It had changed him, heart and soul.

So he asked his father, "Are you proud of me?"

And the father replied, "No more than when you were a boy."

And even though he knew his father meant every good intent, it did not make the soldier feel any better.

So he asked the Army, "What did I gain from this?"

"Pride and the honor of serving your country." The Army replied.

"Anything else?" The soldier said insistently, for though he had nothing left to lose, he also had everything to gain.

The Army shrugged.

"A free parking space."