Wilbur didn't even know where he was anymore.
The streets blended like they were mixed in leaden water; the buildings looked identical, and it felt like he was constantly running but getting nowhere. Rain weighed down his fur, the constant ache of sprinting down the empty streets creating even more of a strain as he begun to feel more and more sluggish.
He darted into an alleyway when he heard a dog bark, his hybrid side already restless without that interaction. Wilbur sniffed around some of the boxes, his paws gripping the lubricious stone tiles with endeavour when he realised how deep it was. The cat hybrid instinctually headed inside an open box, lifting a paw and gently whacking it to test the stability. He sighed frustratingly when it instantly collapsed, the sound echoing through the empty night. Wilbur never understood why his cat instincts always led him to carboard boxes, but it seemed this time he'd have to find something else.
He wondered deeper inside, noticing a small section hidden away by some of the boxes. The floor was covered in moss, concentrated in the corners and dark in colour. It matched the gloominess of the walls, further emphasising the sombre look of the place. Squeezing his way inside, he butted more boxes to block the entrance; immediately sighing in relief when less wind riffled his spikey fur. He carefully looked around, almost growling when the rain continued to fall rapidly on him. It wouldn't be a permanent solution, but it would do until he could figure out what to do.
God why did he allow himself to stay that long? He shivered rapidly, his brain throwing accusations and reassurances at him continuously, leaving him alone and helpless to making decisions. Wilbur knew the risk of staying with them, he shouldn't have allowed himself to bask in the comfort for so long. Maybe he could have pretended more, stayed in the house and not given up his act so pathetically like he had now.
The cat hybrid was familiar with spite of bitter weather, yet a dejected heart felt endlessly worse.
Wilbur curled into himself in a corner, the sluggish feeling in his brain having grown too much to be ignored. Why was he so damn tired? He would normally be able to last longer, his stamina having been built up to withstand the winters weather over time. Yet sleep pulled at his mind, and the cat hybrid couldn't help but drift into unconsciousness; his shivering dying down enough for his adrenaline to wear off. Something whispered in his mind that it wasn't a good thing, but he didn't ponder over it for long, allowing the exhaustion to consume him.
His mind went blank as he was absorbed into a dreamless sleep, the rain still pattering onto his exposed form.
--
It took Wilbur a while to realise what had woken him up.
He felt beyond groggy; his mind feeling that it was tangled in cotton wool no matter how much he tried to clear it. The cat hybrid slowly gained awareness of his surroundings, sighing gratefully when he noticed the rain starting to slow down and the relief it caused on his back. The shivering gradually returned as he fully woke up and soon his body was racked in shivers despite how much he curled into himself.
It was hard for him to think, any thought that surfaced to the front of his mind felt empty; clouded unintelligently in fog that he couldn't seem to clear. He realised that trying was rather fruitless, instead choosing to bask in the bliss of peace that he had been gifted, enjoying the solace of his hybrid and human side not fighting for attention. Everything was muffled, and the cat hybrid couldn't bring himself to care.
Oh God he better not be getting si-
Wilbur jumped when his brain comprehended movement, his eyes snapping to the creature that darted backwards in surprise as adrenaline rushed to consume him. Panic overtook his previously barren brain; the emotion instantly overwhelming him as he tried to figure out what was happening. He hoped that the creature's fear would be enough to turn them away, scare them into finding another alleyway instead of scrapping mindlessly with him.
'Tommy! Would you be more careful... please?' The cat hybrid stopped in his tracks, his fur standing up on its end as his brain slowly allowed him to apprehend what was happening. They were here... for him? Phil's voice seemed to always be soft despite the concern littered inside, its gentleness being enough to lull a child to sleep with ease. He so desperately wanted to go to sleep, curl up with the moss and pretend nothing was wrong.
He slowly backed further away from the entrance when the creature came back inside, the signature grey and white coloured fur blending in with the dark walls as the raccoon shuffled inside. Tommy's whiskers curled upwards as he gingerly smiled, gradually pulling his entire body into the confined area when Wilbur made no sound of discomfort. The raccoon hybrid paused when his tail slipped completely inside, shifting himself to sit down with angel eyes as Wilbur instinctually pushed his body further against the wall.
The cat hybrid stood frozen, watching wearily as Tommy tilted his head, blinking at him innocently. Wilbur didn't know what to do, and neither did the raccoon hybrid, leaving them in an awkward silence that no one understood how to break. He said nothing when Tommy started looking around, his head titling upwards with notion as a familiar look of contemplation flashed through his eyes.
Wilbur backed up into the wall even further when Tommy shifted, his blond hair folded awkwardly around his legs as he shuffled to sit down. 'Philllllll' He drawled out; his eyes trained on the cat hybrid's protective stance.
'Tommy? What's happening?'
'Nothing... I don't know what to fucking do.'
Wilbur crouched down as much as he could when the raccoon hybrid came closer, hissing quietly when his arm extended out towards him. He didn't notice another set of eyes poking out from the gap at first, Techno's eyes swimming with emotions as he watched them.
'Soot?' His eyes snapped towards Techno's instantly, white spots clouding his vision before he could blink to clear them, his paws swaying slightly in the process. Wilbur stared confused, looking up at the small drizzles of rain before glancing at the piglin hybrid, concern dancing visibly in his eyes.
'Soot, we're not mad...' Phil started, and Wilbur could predict the expression plastered on the elytrian's face. 'We never were mate... we don't mind that you're a hybrid.' The cat hybrid didn't notice Tommy coming closer until he was kneeling in front of him, his arm stretched out cautiously by Wilbur's head with careful eyes. The raccoon hybrid's hand slowly lowered onto his head, threading through his clumped fur gently as Wilbur forced himself to relax into the attention. He eventually closed his eyes when he felt tiredness tugging at his mind, the attention lulling him into a state akin to sleep as he tried to grip onto consciousness.
'What's happening?' Phil's whispering caught his attention, his eyes slowly blinking back open and glancing at Tommy. The raccoon hybrid looked relieved, his hand still slowly brushing Wilbur's fur, untangling some of the parts dried by the rain.
'I don't know, Soot looks relaxed though,' Techno said back, not bothering to whisper as he made eye contact with Wilbur.
The cat hybrid started purring softly, yet the quiet hum sounded loud in the silence; Tommy's smile brightening when he heard it. He felt his fingers move gently over his eyes, the light touch making him purr louder as his grip on the ground loosened slightly. Wilbur shuffled closer ever so slightly, a growing sensation of credence forming in his mind as each second passed.
'Soot?' Techno whispered tentatively, causing the cat hybrid to look in his direction. His voice was so soft, and Wilbur wasn't sure if he'd ever heard him speak like that before. The piglin hybrid extended his hand, his fingers barely poking out from the entrance and sticking out from the dull colours that surrounded it. The implication was clear, and Wilbur hesitantly shuffled towards him, pausing just out of arm's length when he felt a raccoon's presence behind him. Tommy nudged his head forward, his grey fur brushing against Wilbur's with reassurance.
The cat hybrid felt like a child being coaxed as he slipped away from the cramped area, his head poking into the alleyway when Techno shuffled away from the entrance. Wilbur traipsed fully out of the gap; his attention instantly stolen by Phil's look of softness from where he leant against the wall. His wings looked majestic to Wilbur, stretched out to what he assumed to be their full-length and hoovering above the piglin hybrid's head protectively.
The cat hybrid carefully sat down as they waited for Tommy to follow him out; black dots littered around his vision as he tried to flutter away the tiredness. The feeling of cotton wool in his head hadn't cleared much, his thoughts barely reaching his comprehension and his limbs felt sluggish whenever he moved them.
He watched as Tommy shifted back into human form, blinking slowly at him when the teen knelt once again. Wilbur allowed himself to be pulled into his arms, his tail folding gently as Tommy shuffled to his feet and walked towards the elytrian's open arms. He bumped his head up to Techno's hand when it hovered over his head, prompting the piglin hybrid out of his apprehension at the realisation that he was hesitating.
The cat hybrid curled further into Tommy's arms when he felt Phil lift them off the ground, his brain helpfully supplying that he was completely reliant on a teenager to not drop him. He barely concealed a couple sneezes as he looked down at the ground, watching as the moon illuminated the ground with a white glow and noticing the lack of lights reflected through the windows. Wilbur didn't know when it got so late, the breeze of the cold air causing him to start shivering slightly in Tommy's grip.
'Are you cold?' The raccoon hybrid asked, increasing his hold on Wilbur when he noticed his badly concealed shivering.
'Is he sick?' Techno asked, his calculated gaze set directly on Wilbur's drooping eyes which the cat hybrid knew were becoming hazier. He attempted to shake his head, ignoring the way a couple black dots appeared in his vision at the action.
'He's sick?' Phil asked, the concern in his voice easily heard over the sound of his wings flapping.
'Soot says he isn't...' He ignored Techno's suspicious look as he looked down again, noticing the familiar silhouettes of houses as they got nearer and nearer. Wilbur knew he could just sleep off any sickness that he may have developed, expecting to be able to brush it off before it could deteriorate.
What he wasn't expecting was the absolute carnage that occurred when he couldn't prevent a sneeze from slipping out.