Will Them Into Existence

Mirror Image

As they drove back to their apartment, Tommy rested his head against the window, watching the world go by. He could feel the steady hum of the car beneath him, and the gentle swaying motion of the road as they made the group made their way home.

But, as he glanced over at Wilbur, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Wilbur was sitting in the backseat, completely still, with a strange smile on their face. Tommy couldn't help but think that his brother was hiding something, and the thought made him uneasy.

"Why are you being so weird?" Tommy asked, breaking the silence.

Wilbur's smile widened. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know. You're just...different. Like you're hiding something."

Wilbur's expression softened. "I'm not hiding anything, Tommy. I promise."

Tommy's eyebrow raised, and he crossed his arms. He knew that his brother had secrets, and he couldn't help but feel a twinge of something akin to jealousy. He wished that he could be as confident and self-assured as Wilbur, with all the answers at his fingertips.

As they pulled into the parking lot of their apartment building, Sam turned around in his seat. "Boys, we need to talk," he said, his voice serious.

Wilbur's smile faded, and Tommy's heart began to race. He knew that whatever was about to be said, it wasn't going to be good.

"About what?" The blonde haired teen asked, glancing over to his brother in the seat beside him. "I know this is, like, the eighth time this month I'm missing Chem, but I have an A in that class and-"

Sam shook his head, leaning forward and gently squeezing Tommy's knee. In the driver's seat, Dean pulled down his mirror to look at the twins in the back. "I don't know how many times we'll have to say you can come home anytime you want before you'll believe us, but we'll keep saying it."

Dean nodded, pulling on his jacket sleeve and clearing his throat, trying and failing to catch Wilbur's eye through the reflection of the mirror. "We're not mad. We just need to talk."

Tommy swallowed, but Wilbur was again motionless. The two adult brothers glanced at each other in the front seat, and the blonde teen - despite his best intentions - felt his hackles rising. "What are we talking about, then?"

The blonde man in the passenger seat hesitated for a minute, and the brunette beside him immediately unlocked the impala's doors. "Not here. Let's go inside, okay?"

Tommy narrowed his eyes, but nudged Wilbur out of the car and followed the group upstairs.

——-

The group made their way to the living room, and Sam and Dean took a seat on the fluffy brown couch. Wilbur and Tommy sat down opposite them on the loveseat, the blonde twin's arms crossed and a superficial glare set on his face.

"We don't want you to be scared," Sam began, his voice grave. "But, we've been investigating the...uh..."

"The creature." Dean continued, lightly patting his brother's arm before turning to the twins. "And we think it's newest haunt is either around, or at, your school."

Tommy's eyes widened in shock, and he looked to his brother, only for Wilbur's smile to still be in place. He kept one eye on the black haired teen, looking back to the adults opposite him. "What does that mean?" Tommy asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"It means that you need to be on high alert," Dean said, his voice firm. "The creature has ties to the Company. We've known that for years." The brunette man, squeezed his eyes shut for a beat, looking towards Wilbur. He took a deep breath and leaned forward, setting a careful hand on their knee. "I know they're after you, too. I'm sorry, kid. You've gotta be more careful than usual right now, okay? You just have to."

Tommy looked terrified, his eyes darting back and forth between Sam and Dean. Wilbur, on the other hand, remained strangely calm. They did not react to the hand on their shoulder other than to tilt their head into it and let that sickening smile slip off his face for a fraction of a second, immediately perking up again once it was back in place.

"We'll be careful," they finally answered, multiple tense seconds after the smile had returned. "We'll stick to our routine and keep our heads down. We'll be fine."

Sam and Dean exchanged a worried glance, but spoke no words other than Dean's slight head shake. Wilbur had always dealt with stress in different ways - and if they really had been sick today, they probably were too out of it to fully realize the weight of the creature cementing it's haunt at their school.

"Okay," Sam said, his voice hesitant. "But, if anything happens, you need to call us right away. We'll be here to protect you, no matter what."

Tommy nodded, his fear still evident on his face. He looked towards Wilbur, who just smiled, the rest of their body completely still.

The adults in the room slowly filtered out - Dean with the promise to bring back dinner later after his stop by a local 'supply' store, and Sam with the mention he was going to pick up their makeup work from the school - leaving the twins sitting beside each other in the empty room.

The blonde turned towards his brother, eyebrows knit. "Alright. Spill." He said, poking the other's shoulder lightly. "You've been acting weird all day."

Wilbur just smiles and shrugs. "I'm fine, Tommy. Really," he says, his voice empty and echoing in the room.

"You're lying," Tommy says, his voice tinged with frustration. "I know you're hiding something, and I need to know what it is. You're my brother, Wilbur. You promised to let me help you, and I can't help you if you won't let me."

Wilbur's smile fades, and for a moment, they look like themself in a way the blonde didn't know they were missing - a little sadness in their green eyes, and barely noticeable fear- before it instantly fades again. "I know, Tommy. And I appreciate it."

The blonde laughs incredulously, his hands landing on his thighs. "What? No 'but?"

"No. There's nothing wrong." The black haired teen said, smile again adorning their face as they stood. "Thank you, though. I'll keep that in mind."

As they walked down the hallway, the shadows in the room seemed to follow them. Tommy gripped his phone in his hand, thoughts racing. He pulled up his messages, and eyes still tracking the form of his twin brother, he started typing.

—————-