The Embrace Of Vengeance

🍃Chapter 25🍃

Two Days later, that night. . .

Philza was excited, the plans for the L'manburg takedown sat in front of him slowly forming. His pencil danced across the paper, his blue eyes focused as he mumbled to himself about the best times to attack, where from, and who would be where. He was hesitant to let Tommy join their fight, but after some convincing from Technoblade he finally gave in. He knew Tommy wasn't helpless, he knew the male could handle his own, but the father couldn't help but worry.

He paused when he heard someone enter the kitchen, untensing once he realized it was only Ghostbur. Ghostbur didn't sleep much, still used to being able to pull all-nighters basically everyday for his habit to change over such little time. He stayed up most nights, usually in his room reading or writing his own little story. But he must have known Phil was up, coming down to keep the older company. 

"Ghost?" The man smiled, blue eyes twinkling at the paper the man held. His white wings fluttered in realization, his smile growing bigger.

"Are those the plans?" He asks, sitting down in a chair next to the father. Philza nodded, moving the paper over so Ghostbur could look it over. The man fixed his gold-rimmed glasses, blue eyes running across the paper as he read. "Seems like you're thinking of everything!" The bird hybrid smiled, pulling the paper back over to him. 

"I'm trying to, anyways." 

"Why don't you put Tommy on the ground? He'd be more helpful if he was. From up on the obsidian he would be lucky to hit anyone with a bow." He knew Bur was right, his lips turning into a thin line as he thought.

"I guess you're right, but are you sure that Tommy would be safe on the ground?" Ghost paused, a small smile forming on his lips. 

"We'll never know unless we let him try, yeah?" Philza paused. 

"How can you say that without a hint of fear?" The white-haired male looked at his father confused. "Aren't you afraid he could get badly hurt?" It was Bur's time to pause, but as he did he thought of what to say next. Thinking he found the right words he started.

"I'm scared all the time for Tommy, even before he was blinded." Phil looked at him with a curious look. "When I was a ghost, I knew Tommy wasn't doing great and decided to stay by his side. I gave him blue that would chase away his sadness, and even tried to make the, what seemed to be, an emotionless teen smile." Bur sighed, letting his head fall into his hand at the memories. "When Tommy was in trouble I always got scared for him, but my happy nature usually chased away any negative emotions to the point I just laughed it off or ran away like a coward." He frowned, his white wings drooping as his memories shot through his vision. 

"Now that I'm not a ghost, I can feel those emotions, guilt, sadness, fear... But I wouldn't change anything about that." Philza reached over, placing a comforting hand on top of his son's, squeezing it as if trying to say he was there for him.  "When he was exiled, I was there for him, and I knew what was happening. I just tried to ignore it, let those negative emotions just leave me for the more... positive outlook that Tommy was trying to conjur up for me. I eventually left, believing some stupid lie Dream told me to keep me away from Tommy." Ghost paused, blue eyes looking sad. "I regret that most of all. Maybe if I had been there none of this would have happened! Maybe Tommy wouldn't be blind, living in L'manburg already- maybe he would have destroyed Dream at some point. Maybe he would have-" Philza softly laughed, making the younger male look towards him. His eyes held a soft look, his smile not wavering. 

"If you keep looking at the past in such a way, you might never move forwards." Ghostbur sighed, looking down towards the table. 

"It's just- I can't help but blame myself in some way." Phil hummed, pulling his son over to him as he started carding his fingers through the man's hair. His wings drooped, a frown slowly forming on his face.