The Embrace Of Vengeance

🍃Chapter 22🍃

One Day Later. . .

Wilbur sat at the Window in the living room staring out towards the front yard, eyes fixated on Tommy and Techno as they sparred with one another. Tommy was still clumsy at times with his word, stumbling with his ears flicking every which way to hear where the older brother was or was heading, blade quickly swishing towards any sounds the blond heard.

Wilbur had to admit, for a newly blinded teen he seemed more comfortable in the dark fighting than he was when he could see. Maybe it was because he couldn't see the other's face, their expression as they danced around one another only aiming to kill each other. Maybe it was the fact he couldn't see the angry face of his enemies, only wishing to block them out so he could just fight properly.

 He remembers the many times Tommy had come back from a battle, looking defeated and sad. Wilbur remembers the countless times Tommy had woken the older brother at night by crawling into his bed, claiming he couldn't sleep.

He knew it was nightmares, it was always something that Tommy had dealt with from a young age. He knew what those nightmares were though, filled with the pained and scared expressions of the people he killed, haunting him as if to show the young boy his wrongdoings.

He was nine when he joined the first L'manburg war, fighting on the front lines like an adult should have. Not a kid. Wilbur knows this now, that he had fucked up with Tommy's upbringing. He was selfish in doing that, robbing the boy of any childhood, a childhood that barely even began. 

He should have left him with Phil and Techno, they could have raised him much better than he had. He could have had a normal childhood in their little cabin, had mini-adventures in the wilderness in the evenings, techno sure to tag along and show the child all the ropes of hunting. He's sure Philza Would have taught the raccoon boy how to fish, and taught the boy patience as well, knowing fully well Tommy needed some.

He's sure when he was ready to hold a sword, Techno would have taken him under his wing, showed him everything he needed to know about the weapon he's sure Tommy would have carried proudly on his back. He's sure, he wouldn't be in the situation he was in now. Blind, broken down, tormented.

He knows he messed up, he knows he had no place in taking Tommy away from Phil in the first place. But why hadn't Philza stopped him either? Why hadn't he blocked the doorway and demanded that Tommy stayed? Did he think they would come back? Did he think that Wilbur would have actually kept his little brother safe? 

He was a horrible brother, and he could admit that. He was a horrible father figure, one that a teen like Tommy should have pushed away the moment he heard him. But he didn't, he was giving him a chance. And not just Tommy, Phil, dad, was too. The same one he had attacked viciously, the same one he had insulted. He just opened his arms wide for his son, letting the man fly into them with no hesitation. He still couldn't wrap his head around it. But seeing Tommy now, so close to beating Techno, he couldn't help the small smile forming on his lips. 

That is until Ghostbur walked up to stand beside him. His blue eyes were fixed on Tommy too, though he seemed more distant than Wilburs probably were. "He's sad, you know." Wilbur looked over. "He might not show it, but he is." Wilbur's smile was quickly wiped off of his face. "I think he just doesn't want to admit that, even if he is getting stronger physically, mentally almost nothing has changed." Bur reached over, entwining his hand with his brothers. "Let's help him, yeah?"

Wilbur looked back towards the scene in front of him, Tommy smiling big, his glassy eyes actually twinkling as he spoke, a tired-looking Technoblade smiling as he listened to the younger brother. Wilbur squeezed Ghost's hand, a determined look on his face.