Silent Screams // WILBUR SOOT ANGST // SBI ADOPTION AU

(57)

When the time came for Tubbo to be picked up, Phil had to refrain from slamming the door in his face when Schlatt turned up visibly uncomfortable.
"Sorry, my grandparents are both busy." He apologised somewhat sincerely as Phil shuffled out of the way and called for Tubbo.
"It's fine." Phil replied blankly, the two awkwardly waited for Tubbo to come down the stairs but he was a kid so of course he would try and buy as much time as he could with his friends.
"Nice painting," JSchlatt said pointing at an abstract painting hung on the wall.
"You don't need to make small talk." Phil replied quickly, Schlatt just nodded and fumbled with his hands before the 3 boys were down the stairs after what felt like centuries.

"Say bye Tubbo." JSchlatt says as politely as possible in the tense situation,
"bye Ranboo! Bye Tommy!" Schlatt pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Right, thank Philza for letting you stay."
"Thank you, Phil!"
"Anytime, mate. You're always welcome here." Phil smiles.
"Thanks for, uhm, having him." JSchlatt says watching Tubbo take his sweet time slipping his shoes on, but after what felt like a lifetime the two were walking down the road, thankfully the rain had stopped.

"How comes nan isn't here?" Tubbo questions, kicking pebbles with his feet as he walked. JSchlatt pulled his packet of cigarettes out and sighed, ripping the plastic off and retrieving one,
"d'you think I know? They wasn't answering so I had to pick you up, sorry it was just me." JSchlatt spits back, lighting the cigarette between his teeth before taking a particularly long drag but being mindful to blow it away from his brother.
"Tommy is sad, still. I think he has what dad had."
"Depression? He's probably just stressed with something, Tubbo. Don't throw that word around like an adjective." JSchlatt scolds, cringing as he faintly remembered his dad. He was a busy man, never having time for his kids or his wife - he wondered if they were even together anymore, or even alive. But JSchlatt could remember the time before they all drifted apart, his Dad was always having a bad day and spent alot of time speaking to therapists before he decided that home life wasn't worth it.. apparently.
"They think you were with Wilbur when the police found him." JSchlatt coughed on his smoke,
"well of course they would." He spoke through gritted teeth, Tubbo continued to innocently kick the pebbles as if he hadn't said anything leaving an awkward silence lingering between the brothers.

"What's Wilburs replacement like, anyway."
"Don't call him that! His name is Ranboo, he's nice, and cool, and pretty." Schlatt raised an eyebrow, finishing his cigarette before lighting another one.
"Pretty?" He stifled a laugh,
"yeah and why are you smoking again?!"
"Because I feel like it." JSchlatt bit back, Tubbo decided to not say anything else.

When Schlatt got home and opened the door for Tubbo who had the joys of waiting with him until their grandad could come pick him up JSchlatt realised he had forgotten to clean up, so when Tubbo walked in his eyes immediately landed on the line of powder on the table.

"What's this?" Tubbo questioned, about to touch it before Schlatt slapped his hand away.
"God, nothing." Schlatt argued, pushing Tubbo away and redirecting him back to the hallway by the front door.
"You should really keep this place clean more," Tubbo comments.
"Why. It's not like mum or dad are ever going to-"
"You talk about them like you hate them."
"And you say that like it's a bad thing."
'Touche' Tubbo thought to himself before spotting the familiar Nissan outside, and without a single look back he left, though the curiosity of what the white powder filed into a singular near line was never left his mind.

Maybe he would ask Tommy later.

***

"Do y-you ever f-feel like you're not r-real?" Ranboo questioned watching Tommy try to kill a baby zombie on his laptop,
"What?" Tommy questioned letting out a huff as he died & watched all his inventory spill out onto the floor.
"Like, y-you're not really real. Or like y-you're outside of your b-body." Ranboo stammered watching as Tommy spun around in his chair to face Ranboo who was sat on his bed avoiding eye contact,
"Techno used to say stuff like that, he got a therapist and then a psychiatrist." Tommy answered, concern etched into his blue orbs.
"O-Oh." Ranboo felt his palms get sweaty.
"Maybe we should tell dad?"
"I wouldn't w-want to stress him out m-more. It's f-fine, I w-was probably just t-tired."
"If you're sure. I don't know, Techno used to say he wasn't real all the time. He said that me and dad weren't real either." Tommy swallowed thickly, reliving the previous year.
"I-I'm sorry."
"It's okay. Want to play?" Tommy gestured to his laptop, loading up a new world.
"N-No it's okay."