Do I Need It? (Am I Under Control?)

The Art Of Mediocre Apologies

"What the fuck, Wilbur!" Tommy screamed, "I just- How can you try and gaslight me like the fucking bastard you are, and then have the fucking gall to cry when I point it out! You're ridiculous!"

Wilbur's tears started coming out faster, like blood from a gaping neck wound, and so he ran out to get himself a tissue (or so Tommy assumed, Wilbur just... started to hold a tissue at some point). Tommy's face was red with rage, though inside he was conflicted.

Wilbur wasn't a cryer, sure, he was a drama queen, but he wasn't the type to express himself emotionally beyond his music. And, sure, it could be a ploy to manipulate him, but if he was already called out for it, wouldn't it be better to just give up? Or was that what Wilbur wanted him to believe? It was quite confusing, Vampires always were.

"I'm sorry, I really am... I-" Wilbur tried, but was cut off by his own sobs, "I tried to tell them that- That it was wrong, but they talked me into it. I'm such a shit older brother... I'm supposed to protect you, and- and I didn't!" He finished, looking down at the floorboards which seemed to be particularly interesting to the vampire in his upset state.

"Uhh...Okay...?" Tommy said, uncertainty filling his youthful voice. "I don't... I don't know... How do I fix you? Phi-i-l!" Tommy shouted, using his usual internal power button.

Phil appeared in front of Tommy, probably moving at hundreds of miles a second. It slightly surprised Tommy, though, after living around vampires for his whole life, he was used to it.

"What's wrong, Tommy?" He asked, a joyful look on his face, though, when he saw Wilbur curled up on the floor, his expression moulded to that of concern.

"I see... Wilbur, are you okay?" Phil said, moving quickly so that Wilbur was on his lap, Phil sitting on Tommy's bed. Tommy was a little annoyed at the invasion of his personal space, though he cared more about Wilbur than his room, that was for sure.

"I- I'm a shit brother, Dad... Tommy- Tommy thinks I'm like- like them, and I pr- proved him right..." Wilbur sobbed as Phil cradled his cold corpse, as though Wilbur was a child once more.

"Aww, mate... You can make it better... If you apologise, Tommy has to forgive you eventually..." Phil remarked.

"Oi!" Tommy interjected, though he was ignored.

Wilbur recoiled from his father, "This is the problem, vampires treating humans like babies. I mean, sure, they only have short lifespans, but they aren't pets or children or 'just food'. They're people, you love Tommy, don't you?" Wilbur asked, distraught.

"...Yes?"

Wilbur wiped the tears away from his mouth, getting ready to have an honest and deep discussion with his sire, though his hair went straight as he spoke.

"Then fucking be better! Hold yourself to the standards you hold him. You expect Tommy to not gaslight you instead of apologising, so why not do the same for him?" Wilbur asked, but he wasn't done.

It's just- I've studies psychology, remember, I did music and psychology at Snowchester, and Vampire-Human relations was a big unit. Did you know that humans are 97% more likely to be kidnapped than vampires? And that one in three humans will go missing forever? That one in five will be trafficked? I want the world to be better for Tommy, so can we stop with the gaslighting?" He said, looking up at Philza with pleading eyes.

"I- I see your point. Perhaps... Perhaps it isn't the most healthy thing in the world... Tommy, come closer," Phil asked, though Tommy didn't move.

I'd rather die." He declared.

"Okay, mate... That's...fair..." He decided, and turned back to Wilbur. "I know you care about Tommy, and I do to. We messed up, and I think we probably could have handled the techno situation a bit better with proper communication..." Phil admitted, though it pained him.

"Yeah, you fucking think?" Tommy muttered.

"Sorry, Tommy. I just- I haven't been human in a long time, you understand that? I've got used to treating humans as lesser, which isn't right, and I'm sorry." Phil apologised.

Tommy lit up, though his eyes then fell back down to their usual glare.

"Well done, Phil. You... You applied basic human decency. Good for you, good vampire. Next time, you'll be apologising for killing a human." Tommy remarked.

"Okay, mate, I see your point, but-"

"But nothing! You should have showed me respect as a living being from the start, instead of doing whatever you are now. I just- you remind me so, so much of him." Tommy informed him, glaring at the vampire duo as he spoke. Wilbur and Phil turned their heads down in shame, it was true. They had shown Tommy the same level of respect his captors had, they'd been cruel and unfair, and Phil hadn't even noticed, all because he had blood pumping through his body.

"And don't even get me fucking started on Techno. He's not even fucking here and he's the one who got us into this situation, the right bastard that he is!" Tommy complained, making Wilbur and Phil flinch.

"I- I just- Phil, I love you, Wilbur, I love you, and I love Techno. I want us to be a happy family, and I want to be able to communicate, but with that, you have to give me time to forgive you and you have to redeem yourselves. I- I don't want to hate you, but if I did, it would be justified. You see where I'm coming from?"

"Yeah... I do... Tommy, I want to be able to play you my new songs and mess around with you. I also get that I haven't been... I haven't been a good older brother, not by any means. And I accept that you might not- that you might not want to bicker with me today, not tomorrow, and not next week. I get that, but just know I love you..." Wilbur said, standing up and lightly brushing Tommy's hair.

"I'm sorry- now I'm fucking crying, holy shit-" Tommy mumbled as he too sobbed. Honesty was hard and emotionally taxing, though Tommy was aware that it was both necessary and healthy in the long run, and that it would be good for his relationship with the Crafts in the future.

"It's fine, Tommy. You- you should be allowed to say what you want. Just because we're vampires doesn't mean that we can do what we want to you. I- We should have known from the beginning that your mental health mattered, and we didn't. I'm sorry, Tommy." Wilbur said, and, with a flash of light, Wilbur was gone, just like Tommy's parents.

"Uhh, alright, Phil, are you going to go too?" Tommy asked, though Phil just shook his head.

"Sure, but I think you and Techno need to have a little chat..."