A Step By Step Guide To Mortality

Quid Pro Quo

"Dad?" Tommy whispers in the midst of sleep and Wilbur glances over, eyeing him down.

"What did you call me?" Wilbur muses, thinking Tommy had finally woken up from his nap.

It was about time Tomy woke up. Phil had gone back to the school to grade some papers and Wilbur had finished two movies while waiting.

Tommy shifts beneath the blanket, face screwed up in discontent. Wilbur suppresses a smile at the sight.

"Too hot?" Wilbur asks, not waiting for an answer as he removes the bundle of blankets he'd trapped Tommy in. Throwing the blankets to the side, Wilbur takes a seat on the couch, opposite to Tommy. Wilbur stares protectively, watching as Tommy's head shakes in disagreement to something and pulls his legs up to his chest.

"Tommy? Are you awake?" Wilbur asks, leaning forward to get a better look at Tommy's face. Tommy's chest rises and falls rapidly and Wilbur pulls back, unsure of what to do. He reaches an arm out to Tommy's shoulder and Wilbur barely manages to fight the nausea in his stomach when Tommy flinches back into the couch, tilting his face away from Wilbur.

It's a nightmare, it must be a nightmare.

"Hey, you're alright." Wilbur coos, moving closer to Tommy and rubbing his shoulder up and down.

"Toms, you're having a nightmare." Wilbur whispers and watches Tommy's closed eyelids scrunch up tightly before relaxing all over again.

Tommy's had a nightmare in front of Wilbur before, once when he'd stayed the night and woken Wilbur up with muffled crying. This was different though.

Tommy was talking and responding to touch.

"Tommy?"

Wilbur hesitates like he's approaching a wild animal. Wilbur places his hands on Tommy's shoulders, head dipped down to Tommy's level. "It's time to wake up."

Tommy tenses up beneath Wilbur's touch, words slurring together quietly. "No..." and the word makes Wilbur chuckle because it almost sounded like he was replying to Wilbur and not the nightmare.

"Yes." Wilbur laughs softly, moving to grip Tommy's hands. "Jesus, listen to me Tommy. You're having a nightmare, okay?"

"Please.." Tommy tries pulling his hands away and Wilbur lets go, watching as Tommy's arms tremble. Tommy moves his arms with uncertainty. He covers his head and then, unsatisfied, lets his arms trail down to his face, crossing them over his chest protectively.

The last thing Wilbur expects is for Tommy to open his eyes but when piercing blue meets Wilbur's dulled brown, he can't help but smile.

"There you go, see Toms? It was just a nightmare. I'm right here." Wilbur tilts his head to the side and the smile on his face is quickly replaced with concern when Tommy doesn't show any signs of recognition.

Grading papers had to be the least favourite part of his job. Sitting in a classroom long after all the students had gone home, grading. It was mind numbing.

There was just something so nice about knowing that when he goes home, it wouldn't be to an empty house. Phil had gotten scarily comfortable with it. And now he's adopted Techno.