You Were Never Meant to be a Hero (Quackbur Superhero AU)

Chapter 19: Flock Instinct

"He may be a villain, but... he's kind. He's helped me through a lot of stuff."

There was something undeniably fond in his tone, eyes glancing at the villain with deep rooted affection.

"Ew, gross, sappy shit," Tommy grumbled with an eye roll. "You're looking at him like you're actually married to the guy. Cringe."

"Quiet, gremlin," Wilbur hissed playfully.

"I am serious, though, he didn't claim you as flock without permission, right?" The younger asked. "Because that would make him a wrong'un and I will smack him for it."

The magpie avian looked distinctly guilty in that moment, wings drooping slightly, "Actually uh... he was... kinda... sunk into his instincts at the time? And um... I kinda just... claimed him? Myself?"

The raven avian just stared. Processing that.

"WILBUR YOU WRONG'UN!"

"ACK!"

He reached over and started batting his older brother over the head with his wing, "You better have fucking apologized to him when he woke up from his instincts! Wilbur, what the fuck!?"

Ace jolted away as Wilbur struggled to fight off the younger's wing, squawking as he flew out of the chair.

"What the fuck!?" The villain questioned, landing a few paces away as Tommy reached for one of the pillows and started whacking his brother with it.

"You don't just 'yoink' flock members Wil!" Tommy scolded. "There is a fucking process!"

The fallen hero just squawked at the relentless assault, beating his wings and flying to hide behind Ace, "Sunrise! The gremlin is yelling at me!"

"Oh don't go hiding behind your boyfriend you bitch!" The raven avian glared, wings flared out. "God, I am so sorry about him. WILBUR YOU KNOW BETTER!"

"Okay but I'm not apologetic and he didn't mind," Wilbur defended.

The younger hissed, "Oh you're going to be apologetic when I'm done with you!"

The villain started laughing, doubling over as his wings shook, "This is amazing, what the fuck did I just wake up to? Listen, Tommy, kid, it's alright. Honestly I was waiting for him to do that for months, so I wasn't mad."

"Doesn't change the fact that Wilbur is a wrong'un for not asking first," Tommy grumbled, flicking his wings in and out to smooth the feathers before folding them back in. "He should know better. You don't force flock!"

Ace sat back up, smiling, "I'm not going to scold him for taking something he wanted, especially since I had been waiting for him to make the first move for months by that time. I haven't had a flock since I was twelve, so I was actually really happy about it. Don't be too mad at your brother, gremlin. He was half asleep at the time and his instincts demanded it. Besides, we're villains. We take what we want."

Wilbur wrapped his arms around the villain, purring softly. The shrike avian rolled his eyes with a playful smile.

"He's been clingy ever since I claimed him back," he stage whispered, like he was telling Tommy a secret.

The magpie avian's wings ruffled, "Hey! I am not clingy!"

"No, that sounds accurate," the younger deadpanned, staring at his brother. "It's like how he hyper focuses on new projects. He gets all excited and protective over things he's working on that he's personally invested in. Wil, have you ever played one of your songs for him?"

The fallen hero immediately goes red in the face then, Ace turning to give him a curious look, "He's mentioned that he's dabbled in songwriting but he's actually made songs?"