Flame's Various TNT Duo Oneshots

Nothing Scarier Than A Protective Phoenix

AU: Canon Divergence 
Warnings: Angst (eventual fluff), not beta read, Karlnapity drama, protective/possessive characters, swearing, mentioned smoking, violence/violent threats, just in general be careful.
Description:   
Wilbur would admit that he was very protective. He's always been like that, even if it doesn't look like it at first. He had to fight that protective instinct in order to stay hidden; being a phoenix-hybrid and all that. For his safety, and the safety of those he cares for, he had to keep what he was secret. And he knew for a fact that his protectiveness could border on possessiveness if it was allowed to spiral too far.
When he sees Quackity arguing with Sapnap and Karl, he's not sure why his protective instinct flares up.
When the duck-hybrid starts crying, his fire roars.

Hell hath no fury like a pissed of phoenix. 

Author's Notes: The first good chunk of the oneshot is like...a lot of this AU's lore n' shit? So, basic rundown for anyone who's just going to skip to the Quackbur fluff (look for the bolded 'Present Day'):
Wilbur was born in The Nether as all phoenix are. Born in the deepest pits of the fire dimension, rising from the hottest pools of lava. He was adopted by Techno and they became brothers in all but blood as they faced The Nether together. Eventually Phil shows up and adopts them both.
Wilbur starts hiding he's a phoenix for the sake of Phil and Techno, and eventually he goes off on his own.
He got with Sally, had Fundy, met Tommy and started to consider him a little brother, and then they all started L'manburg along with Tubbo.
Lore continues as usual but Wilbur's protective instincts are extremely intense as a phoenix-hybrid, so having to hide all that, plus the pressure of literally everything else during Pogtopia, eventually boils over into the explosion and his death.

~~~~~~~

Wilbur was a phoenix-hybrid.

Most people didn't know this fact, and that was by design. Phoenix are rare and sought after for multiple reasons, most notably being an old legend that a phoenix's wings could grant immortality. A lot of phoenix-hybrids were gone because of that damn myth, slaughtered for their wings to be used in elixirs and spells.

Wilbur probably would've been among those numbers if it wasn't for his brother in all but blood.

Him and Techno had met in the pits of The Nether, the phoenix-hybrid having never really strayed far from the closest thing he had to a home. Being a phoenix, he was born in the deepest parts of The Nether; he rose from the hottest lava pits with wings that looked to be burning from the inside out. Most Nether creatures feared him, but not Techno.

The piglin-hybrid had ventured into the belly of the fire realm out of curiosity.

He dragged Wilbur back up with him.

Despite his resentment for his soon-to-be-brother at first, it turned out this was a wise decision. They had returned a few days later to find that Wilbur's lava pool had been ransacked by hunters.

Techno insisted they stay together after that, seeing how they were both young children at that time and had a better chance of survival that way. Wilbur agreed, being in shock.

It didn't take long for them to basically become brothers after that. And Techno was the first person Wilbur ever felt protective over.

The Nether is a harsh place to grow up in, obviously. So they watched each other's back.

A hunter wanted Wilbur's wings? Techno sliced them down with what weapons they had managed to collect and build.

Another mob tried to get a cheap shot while Techno's back was turned? Wilbur would burn them to a crisp with his potent flames.

And eventually, they met Phil.

They had been watching him as he moved through their territory, worried that he was another hunter. When he didn't appear to be tracking them and was just passing through, they had relaxed.