no TWs just wholesome cutesy father things <3 (but it does get a little sad at Wilbur's pov)
based on the animatics below (I love them sm)
kinda like a one-shot chapter from lots of different perspectives
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_Xwnr1mfus - brothers animatic by WolfyTheWitch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJoKNZVFH8E - I hear a symphony animatic by Cowokie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MczlbSH_kNE - animatic by toasted_sophie
Cover art by @dumbasscoffe on Twitter <3 Go drop them a follow :)
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~~~~ Y/N's P.O.V ~~~~ Age 11 ~~~~
I skip through the town square with a big smile on my face and my woven basket swinging on my arm. I'd collected wildflowers from the field today, they were for Dad. Dad had been working lots lately and I wanted to cheer him up a little. He was always too tired to play when he came home so I think it's better to just visit him in the Fletcher's shop.
It was Sunday, everyone dressed up on Sundays, especially the girls. They flounced around like fairies with pretty ribbons in their hair and their finest Sunday dresses. They were wearing so many pretty colours like blue and yellow and pink and green and even purple! Their shoes would have been perfectly polished the night before and would shine in the sun while they played hopscotch or jump rope. Their hair was pretty too, all shiny and braided in pretty patterns.
Mum had to leave early to go to the bakery this morning so nobody could braid my hair. I tried my best to put it in a half up and half down ponytail but it was really messy. My shoes were scuffed too because I didn't know how to polish them. My dress wasn't nearly as pretty or delicate as the other girl's. My dress went down to my ankles whilst their dresses bounced at their knees where their white woollen stockings ended. I didn't have white stockings, mine were brown. My sleeves weren't puffed like theirs and my dress wasn't a bright colour. It was a dull blue and my sleeves clung to my arms under the brown woollen tippet I was wearing to keep out the cool breeze.
I didn't have all those things, but before I left the house I went into Mum and Dad's room and found a silk ribbon on Mum's dresser! It was so pretty and it was yellow like the dandelions in my basket. I look down at the flowers I collected, poppies, daisies, dandelions and cornflowers. Cornflowers were Dad's favourite.
I pushed open the wooden door to the Fletcher's shop and immediately felt the heat from the furnaces. The little bell above the door twinkled.
"Who's there?" I heard a male voice say from the back. It wasn't Dad, I gasp and quickly tiptoe to Dad's workroom. He'd brought me here so many times I knew exactly where to go.
"Dad! I got you flowers!" I call gleefully as I see Dad bending over the workbench. He lifted his glasses from his nose and smiled brightly at me.
"That's wonderful darling! Can I see?" I nodded and put the basket on the table. My heart warmed when I saw his smile grow wider.
"They're so pretty my darling, and you got my favourites too! I'll put them in water when we get home so I can look at them every day before I go to work," Dad said and put down the tools he was using.
I eye the shiny tools with wonder. What were they for?
"Dad... What are you doing?" I ask and drag over a stool. I stand on it so I can see everything on that table. Arrowheads sit in a bucket whilst arrow shafts were lined up in a row nearby. A box of white feathers and various tools reflected the flicker of flames in the furnace behind us.
"I'm making arrows, there's been a large order from another town. Do you want to watch?" My eyes widen and I nod enthusiastically. I feel like I'm being let into a very special secret. I pay close attention to Dad.
I listen to Dad explain how he attached the arrowheads to the shaft and how the feathers stick. His voice is kind and gentle like the hum of his guitar back home. I watch his big calloused hands that were twice the size of my own work delicately as if he were touching a butterfly's wing. My eyes are continually drawn to the box of white feathers. I keep thinking how pretty they would be if they were rainbow-coloured.
"Dad?"
"Yes, darling?"
"Do you have rainbow feathers?" I ask nervously. Dad hums and touches a finger to his chin. After a moment his face lights up making me giggle.
"I have a very special box full of rainbow feathers just for you, my darling," he says and I stand up taller on my stool.
"Really?!" I exclaim and Dad laughs and sits me down again. He gets up and goes to a tall cupboard. On top of the cupboard is a small wooden box. He reaches up and grabs it with ease and sighs as he sets it down on the table and opens it. My eyes widen at the array of colours in the box. Dad smiles sweetly. I reach over and carefully touch a soft feather.
They were from parrots we had seen in the forest. Dad would never use them for arrows but they were perfect for something else.
"Dad, can you braid a feather into my hair? Like a warrior princess!" I ask excitedly and Dad chuckles again.
"Of course my darling," he says. He picks up a small scrap of iron and cuts it with big clips into a little thick square. He also grabs some leather from a drawer in the workbench and retrieves a long length of leather string. I watch in wonder as he attaches the string to the feather and then walks over to me.
"Hold still darling, this won't hurt," he says and I shut my eyes in anticipation. Dad pinches a small amount of hair from my head and clamps the string onto it using the small bit of iron and some pliers. I didn't even feel it. I open my eyes wide with excitement and touch the feather.
Dad hums a tune as he plaits the string into my hair. When he's done, an intricate braid hangs down the side of my head with a feather poking out the bottom. I touch it and gasp with excitement.
"Thank you so much, Dad!" I yell and leap into his arms for a giant hug. He chuckles and hugs me tightly. No man was better than my Dad, and I love him to pieces.
"How about we go home and show Mum? She'll be off work by now," Dad says and I nod into his shoulder.
Dad puts out the furnace that he would return to tomorrow and I get my basket of flowers from the workbench. My feather is green and yellow and matches my yellow ribbon that shimmers in the afternoon sun. We leave the shop and walk down the cobblestone streets.
The basket swings a little bit on my arm and the smile won't leave my face. I didn't care what the other girls thought, I looked pretty with my feather in my hair. I hold Dad's big warm hand with my free one. Everything feels perfect.
~~~~ Technoblade's P.O.V ~~~~ Age 14 ~~~~
I press my hands against my temples trying to block out the noise. The voices are pounding today, they have been all week. I've tried to hide it, but getting through dinner with Tommy's yelling was already hard enough before.
I lean my head against my bed and slide a little on the floor. I just want them to go away. I push back tears that threaten to spill and squeeze my eyes shut. They all are calling for blood, for violence. I wanted neither but maybe if I gave them what they wanted they would shut up.
Suddenly, my bedroom door opens.
"Hey Techno-" Phil stops short when he sees me on the floor beside my bed. He quickly enters and shuts the door behind him quietly. Phil puts a hand on my shoulder and stares into my wide eyes.
"Techno, what's wrong?" the voices get louder and I press against my temples harder and shake my head. If I open my mouth I'll scream. Phil takes my hands away from my head and holds them tightly in his hands stopping me from touching my head.
"Techno, breathe, you have to breathe," I listen to his words and breathe more. Uneven, hasty, shallow breaths until I can control them better and slow them down. Phil counts breaths in and out for me and eventually the voices hush, but my splitting headache remains.
"Tell me," Phil says and I break.
"They're hurting me, and they want me to hurt others. They'll only go away when I draw blood," I whisper shakily and Philza's expression softens and twists with sorrow. He pulls me into a hug which I gladly accept. Usually, I wasn't one for hugs, but I needed this and Dad's hugs were always amazing.
"How about you work on the farm this afternoon with me? It might help you get the voices off your mind," Phil suggests. I sigh and pull out of the hug and slump against the side of my bed. I shrug exhausted.
"Come, the fresh air will help," Phil helps me off the ground and we put on work boots and head outside. Thank god Wilbur and Tommy are out.
We grow carrots, beetroot and potatoes. The farm was our income, and it wasn't very much. Phil often had to sell trinkets to wandering traders that he had collected on his adventures. Things made of gold or emerald or rare materials found in the farthest parts of the country.
I watched Phil as we loosened the earth with our hoes so that we could plant more potatoes. I breathe in deeply and take in the smell of the fertile soil, the birds chirping and the warm sunshine on my back. I stand up tall and stretch my arms above my head. I yawn and look around. Phil was right, I felt much better. The voices were just as loud as they were inside but I could ignore them better when I was working.
I look over the rise and see that the neighbour and his son were tilling their grounds as well. Only they were doing it with a plough and a horse. I sigh and look at Phil, sweating with the effort and working as hard as he could to turn the soil.
"Dad, why don't we have a plough?" I ask. Phil straightens up and stretches his back.
"We can't afford a horse, let alone a plough!" Phil says with a chuckle. I frown.
"Their farm is bigger too, where do they get their money from?" Phil hums before answering.
"They have a lot more land than we do and they produce more potatoes a year than we do carrots and beets. They tend to take longer to grow," Phil explains.
"Why don't we just sell potatoes?"
"Because the grounds aren't made for that, it was easier for me to just plant with the seed I had on hand when we moved into town," Phil said. I frown more.
We could be making so much money, we could have a better life. I see the kid from the neighbour's farm wave and then flip us off. I scoff and flip him off too. He just waved with a wobbly arm, I smirk when his wobbly arm reminds me of a squid.
"Phil, I want to beat the neighbour's kid. I wanna make us rich," I say and Phil simply smiles.
"Go for it mate, and who knows, maybe it will help get the voices off your mind," Phil bends back down and resumes tilling the soil. I join in as well a little faster than before.
I was determined to do the opposite of what the voices wanted.
~~~~ Tommy's P.O.V ~~~~ Age 6 ~~~~
I scream my battle cry and charge at Techno who stands calmly in front of me. I run as fast as I can but Techno moves just before I reach him and I trip on his foot. I groan as I hit the floor and I hear Wilbur laugh and bully me with Techno.
"Get up Tommy," Techno says and I push myself up on shaky arms and legs. I have to beat him, I gotta prove I'm not their stupid weak younger brother. I don't need to be protected like a baby anymore!
I brush the damp earth from my knees. The river beside us was full from last night's rain but still wasn't flowing too quickly. I saw Phil sitting at the foot of a tree out the corner of my eyes. His wings are on either side of him like the back of a throne as he sits with his legs crossed. His eyes are closed too as he soaks in the sunshine that peeked through the leaves of the tree.
"Stay still!" I squawk as I run at Techno again. He continually dodges me and I get tired. I puff heavily and make one last attempt. But this time a I jump and get Techno on the ground. I sit on his stomach triumphantly.
"HA, I WIN YOU SUCK!" I yell but Techno is smirking and Wilbur is giggling. I go to yell at them to stop laughing but Techno puts a hand over my mouth.
"You haven't won, I'm not defeated," Techno says slyly. My eyes widen and I'm suddenly thrown into the air and I land next to where Techno was laying. The wind is knocked from my chest and I gasp for air. I see Techno brush the dirt off his stupid frilly shirt and Wilbur jumps up clapping and yelling "bravo".
I eventually peel myself off the ground and stand up. I hug my tummy and watch Techno and Wilbur start wrestling. They've already forgotten about me. I sniffle but then quickly remember not to cry. Big men don't cry I tell myself and stand up taller but wince when it hurts my side.
I don't need them. I trudge over to Dad who simply opens his arms. I huff and cross my arms feeling grump and flop into Phil's hug. Phil cradles me like a baby, I'm not a baby but this feels really nice. I huff every time I feel myself enjoying the hug.
Phil's hugs were the best. Super warm and comforting. His wings always wrapped around you a little bit and sheltered you from your feelings.
"It's alright to lose sometimes Tommy," Dad says. I frown and huff grouchily.
"But it's not fair Dad! Techno always wins because he's the oldest and the biggest!" I exclaim feeling frustrated.
"Ah, but Tommy, Techno only wins because he uses his assets. You just need to learn how to use yours," I look up at Phil's face but quickly look away again.
"But I'm useless..." I whine quietly. Phil takes me out of his arms and sits me down in front of him. I cross my legs and lean my elbows on them and my face on my hands.
"You're not useless Tommy, you are just smaller than Techno," Phil said calmly.
"That's basically useless," I say determinedly.
"Being smaller means you're harder to catch, you're faster and more agile. If you want to beat Techno you need to use his size against him. The opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself." I cross my arms and pout and look away from Phil and at the grass instead.
I was just a stupid kid, I wasn't going to beat Technoblade. I've got sticky plasters on my knees and my hair is messy and I wear beaten up sneakers and hand me down tee shirts. I wasn't smart like Techno, I wasn't big or strong. Phil sighed and I looked up at him again.
"Would you like me to teach you? You'll win when I teach you how to fight evasively rather than aggressively mate," dad said.
"But if I'm not a big strong man girls won't like me, dad!" I blurt out and Phil laughs boisterously. I frown not knowing how what I said was funny. Phil's chuckles slow and he pats my head with a gentle hand.
"That's not quite true mate, girls like boys who fight smart, not reckless," Phil's laughter is still evident in his voice.
"I guess so... Alright you can teach me," I grumble and huff a little. Phil smiles fondly and pats a spot at the foot of the tree next to him.
I sit and his wing wraps around my soldier. Phil explains Techno and Wilbur's fight whilst we sit. His voice is wise and old, which is pretty funny but he's right about a lot of stuff. He tells me about how Techno is really good at dodging fast attacks but not random ones. I look up at dad's face. The sun through the branches of the trees lights up the side of his face and makes his obsidian coloured wings shine. We sit all afternoon and watch Techno and Wilbur fight.
~~~~ Wilbur's P.O.V ~~~~ Age 18 ~~~~
The rain pours down and I sit in the boat floating in the middle of the lagoon. For once, visiting Sally didn't bring a smile to my face, it made me want to cry. But I couldn't cry now. The rain had drenched me and put a chill in my bones. My yellow sweater was dark and heavy; water ran down my black trousers and into my boots, soaking my socks.
I see Sally emerge from the weeping willow with a small bundle in her arms. She didn't let him touch the water, our son. But soon he would be just mine. As she got closer it was clear that she had been crying.
Sally wanted to keep Fundy, it would have been easier if she did. I loved him too but a boy needs his mother. But Fundy can't breathe underwater like Sally can, he didn't inherit much of her Merling blood. We'd already spoken about this yesterday, the day after he had been born. He was 2 days old but his hybrid half made him about two months old in human years. Sally said he'd grow quickly and would need lots of attention.
No words were spoken as Sally rose out of the water holding Fundy. I reached over and took the baby. I looked at him for the first time and fell instantly in love. I peeked at his sleeping face and couldn't help but smile at how cute he was. He had a human face but little fox ears and he was hugging his tail. I sniffled and wipes away a tear that had fallen down my face.
I took the spare cloth I had brought with me and wrapped it around my back like a sash. I put Fundy in the front of it by my chest. It would be easier for me to get back with him strapped to me rather than me having to hold him.
I looked over and noticed that Sally had started to cry more. I reached out and put a hand on her cheek, I didn't know what to say. I was taking away her son who she may never see again. Her beautiful rosewood coloured hair didn't shine like it usually did. The pink tones of her skin weren't bright and the salmon scales of her tail were dull. I looked her in the eyes hoping to send her some strength.
Sally rose out of the water and pushed on the boat with her arms. Our lips met with one last bittersweet kiss. We parted and then she looked at Fundy. Sally peeled back the blanket a little to see his face.
"I love you, my beautiful baby boy," she said and kissed his forehead. She then looked up at me.
"I love you Wil, I hope one day our family can be whole again," I put a hand on the back of her neck and kissed her forehead. Sally smiled as best she could and then sank back down into the water and swam downstream.
I keep Fundy close as I paddle us back upstream with the oars in the pouring rain. I reach the riverbank and climb out of the boat being careful not to wake Fundy. I pull the boat onto the shore so that it wouldn't float away and tipped it upside down so it wouldn't fill with water.
I hug Fundy to keep him warm as I trudge through the thick forest. In the distance I see lights belonging to the Greater Dream SMP. I hold back my curses.
I reach the van. It was beaten down and a total mess. My cow was tied up outside along with a horse and some chickens clucked from their coop underneath the van. I quickly get inside and the realisation finally hits me.
I have a baby. And I have nothing to give him. I have nothing.
I swear quietly and look for somewhere to put Fundy so I can clean up a little but. I don't have a cradle for him. I rummage around and find a wooden crate that I had picked up in town. I grab blankets from my room in the back as well as my spare pillow and shove it all into the small crate and make it as comfortable as possible. Thankfully Fundy stayed asleep and I put him inside the crate. Jesus christ he must be really tired.
As soon as Fundy is in the crate I go about the van picking things up and change out of my wet clothes into some cry ones. Summer stops the van from being too cold but in winter Fundy could get really sick. Thankfully Sally said he'd grow quickly so by winter at least he'll survive, unlike so many other children who can't stomach the cold. I change into black tracksuit pants and a cotton grey long-sleeved shirt.
I move stuff around on the benches. A drug van wasn't a good place to raise a kid, but potions make so much money and it's the only thing that keeps me afloat. I put the finished bottles in a crate and the empty ones in another crate and all the ingredients that were scattered about in a chest. I clean up the papers and make sure none of the brewing stands was burning fuel unnecessarily.
I'm just about done when I get the fright of my life. Fundy's crying. Why is he crying? I dash over quickly and pick him up in my arms. I rock him back and forth frantically trying to think of what could be wrong.
"Milk!" I exclaim out loud. Babies need milk! Fundy was no different. I strap him back to my chest and grab my long brown trench coat. I pull the collar up to keep the rain off and wrap the sides of the coat around Fundy. Fundy continues to cry as I milk the cow and bring the small bucket of milk inside again.
I rock Fundy as I heat the milk on top of the tiny stove I had in the van. Thankfully, I had enough of a brain to buy a bottle for Fundy. I pour the milk into it and give Fundy the bottle. He immediately stops crying and starts to drink. He first drinks with his eyes closed but soon he opens them and I'm dumbstruck.
Fundy's eyes were so big, so innocent and wide. They took in everything and his gaze melted my heart. They were the same colour as Sally's eyes, hazel. Beautiful and golden brown, they took my breath away.
As soon as Fundy finished drinking he was out again like a light. I put him in the cradle again with a satisfied sigh. At this point, I was just as exhausted as Fundy was. I watch him with heavy eyes and take in his features. Fundy didn't look much like me or Sally, apart from his eyes. In fact, I had trouble finding my similarities between the two of us, but I knew he was definitely mine.
Sally couldn't lie to save her life. Another reason why she had to give him up, the other Merlings would have sent her away when if she returned home from her summer holiday with a baby. Her family would have disowned her, I said I'd take him because he was my son. I wasn't about to be a father who packed up and left when the unexpected happened.
I yawn and decide to go to sleep as well. I pick up Fundy's crate and take him into the back room where my bed was. I put him on top of a small table I had opposite my bed and flop down on my bed. I fall asleep listening to Fundy's sweet breathing.
I wake with a start and see that Fundy is crying. I groan and get up. I pick him up out of the crate and cuddle him close to my chest. I rock him and shush him as I heat more milk and put it in a bottle. Fundy drinks some milk but then continues to cry. What else could it be? I stress. I check his diaper but it doesn't stink. He's not cold, no fever, he's not hungry, so what is he?
I pace back and forth rocking Fundy and trying to calm him down. The more he cries the more stressed I get. I decide to put him back in the makeshift cradle but he keeps crying. I sit on my bed and run my hands through my hair stressfully trying to work out what I needed to do to calm him down.
I look away from Fundy and see my guitar in the corner. Babies like lullabies, and at this point I'll do anything. I lean over the small space and grab the guitar and set it on my knee.
I strum until I find a familiar chord progression. I play it softly a couple of times over and over before I start the song.
Sweetheart, you look a little tired
When did you last eat?
Come in and make yourself right at home
Stay as long as you need
I smile broadly when I see that Fundy has stopped crying. I can see him watching me with those big wide hazel eyes.
Tell me, is something wrong?
If something's wrong, you can count on me
You know I'll take my heart clean apart if it helps yours beat
It's okay if you can't find the words
Let me take your coat
And this weight off of your shoulders
Not wanting to scare Fundy with a big chorus, I continue to sing gently. And he keeps watching, drinking it all in thirstily.
Like a force to be reckoned with
A mighty ocean or a gentle kiss
I will love you with every single thing I have
Like a tidal wave, I'll make a mess
Or calm waters, if that serves you best
I will love you without any strings attached
It's okay if you can't catch your breath
You can take the oxygen straight out of my own chest
I enjoy the chords as I play them quietly. I sing for Fundy, and I sing truly and honestly.
I know exactly how the rule goes
Put my mask on first
No, I don't want to talk about myself
Tell me where it hurts
I just want to build you up, build you up
'Til you're good as new
And maybe one day I will get around to fixing myself too
My eyes shoot open wide when I realise how true the words are. I barely know Fundy, he's been here for a few hours in my van and barely a few days on this earth. But I love him so much, and I'm already thinking about him before anything else.
I don't even know where to start
Already tired of trying to recall when it all fell apart
I just want to love you, to love you, to love you well
I just want to learn how, somehow, to be loved myself
I launch myself into the chorus making sure not to be too loud so that Fundy will sleep.
Like a force to be reckoned with
A mighty ocean or a gentle kiss
I will love you without any strings attached
And what a privilege it is to love
A great honour to hold you up
I see Fundy's eyes start to droop and sing the last chorus as quietly as I can.
Like a force to be reckoned with
A mighty ocean or a gentle kiss
I will love you with every single thing I have
Like a tidal wave, I'll make a mess
Or calm waters if that serves you best
I will love you without any strings attached
I will love you without a single string attached
I look up from the guitar and Fundy is fast asleep. I smile and set the guitar down. I wrap Fundy up again in the blankets of his crate and rest a hand on his sleeping head. I smile fondly and am filled with the most overwhelming warmth. I decide to make a promise.
"I will love you forever, and I'm going to try to be the best father that I possibly can be."
~~~~
HELLO EVERY BODYYYYYYY
So, someone told me it was fathers day (in Australia I know literally everybody else is looking at me funny) and I REALLY wanted to do a chapter about Wilbur getting Fundy and the SBI dynamic.
SO HERE WE ARE
I also realise that I should probably tell y'all the age gaps so that it makes sense. SO FROM OLDEST TO YOUNGEST...
Philza - dad age? (we have no clue because he's an Elytrian and we don't know how they age)
Technoblade - 24 (probably we don't exactly know because he's a hybrid)
George - 23
Wilbur - 22
Dream - 22
Sapnap - 21
Y/N - 21
Ranboo - 19 (probably again we're not sure because Enderians are a mYstErY) mystery
Tubbo - 18
Tommy - 17
Fundy - 4 (in human years but in hybrid years he's probably around Ranboo's age definitely older than Tommy and Tubbo)
So the ages are kinda similar to the streamers but I fucked it around a little for the sake of story purposes.
I really hoped you enjoyed this chapter. It was kinda chill but I did want to use this to add to the main story so that's why it's a little sadge at the end :(
I HOPE YOU'RE ALL HAVING A WONDERFUL NIGHT/DAY/MORNING/EVENING
I LOVE YOU ALL /P AND YOU ALL MEAN SO MUCH TO ME <3 <3 <3 <3
NOW GO FOR A WALK YOU NEED TO GO OUTSIDE /SRS /LH