It was weird constantly staying in human form after years of only being a cat.
At first, he didn't think much of it, secretly happy with the fact that he could actually communicate with them in ways that weren't meows and exaggerated movements. They seemed pleased with it too, and he found that it was much easier to comfort people when they knew he could understand them.
Of course, he was still there for them, it was in his nature after all. Wilbur found a way to sneak into Tommy's room when he could tell he was stressed, coaxing the younger to lean against him when he noticed fingers itching closer and closer the longer he stayed there. The cat hybrid simply sat there as Tommy talked about what was bothering him, silently offering him comfort as he ruffled his hair or traced patterns on their joint hands.
Wilbur was the first one there when the teenager came back upset from school one day, tears threatening to escape from his eyes as he locked himself in his bedroom. He remembered grabbing the key from a concerned Phil, unlocking his door carefully and throwing his arms around Tommy, never letting go as the raccoon hybrid let out his sobs. He stayed there with him the rest of the afternoon, gently rubbing his back as the teenager told him about a couple of his 'friends.'
'It's pathetic.' Tommy cried; his head buried in Wilbur's shoulder as his speech came out muffled.
'It's not.' He insisted, keeping his voice gentle to not upset him even more. 'Those aren't your friends Toms, and it sounds like they never were.'
'But-'
'No buts, think about Tubbo. He's your best friend, right?' Tommy nodded into his shoulder, his sniffling gradually getting smaller. 'He'd never even think of treating you like that, would he? And I doubt you would either.'
'Why do you have to be right...?' He smiled when he heard the small whisper, opting for ruffling his hair as the younger whined.
Wilbur remembered coaxing him to give their names before walking with him the following day, a couple squeezes to his hand as he watched him walk inside. He started meeting him after school, collecting him with a small smile and glaring viciously when he noticed his old 'friends' trailing behind them. The cat hybrid demanded Tommy to tell him if they ever bothered him, a protective glance thrown their way was enough to stop them. And well, if it ever happened again then Wilbur didn't think he'd want to stop Techno from making an appearance.
--
It wasn't just Tommy he was there for either. He found that it was much easier to get Phil to take breaks from his work, even if they were small ones. Wilbur appeared in his office various times throughout the day, glasses of water in hand and forcing the older to drink it because he just knew he was dehydrated. The cat hybrid made him lunch as well, pulling the elytrian out of his office every day to eat his food at a different location, staying with him to prevent him from leaving.
'You don't have to stay with me, mate.' Phil had said to him one afternoon, sipping at yet another glass of water Wilbur had given him.
'I'm offended Phil, you don't enjoy my company?' He teased, cutting up a sandwich he had made for Techno and turning to face the elytrian.
'You know I do...' He said fondly, and Wilbur simply chuckled in reply. 'But you should do things for yourself instead of looking after me.'
'So, you're telling me that if I wasn't here then you wouldn't go back to your office and not take a break to eat?' He raised his eyebrows, already knowing the answer but still revelling in the satisfaction of Phil's sigh. 'Hmm, that's what I thought.'
Wilbur washed up some of the dishes as Phil ate, despite his insistence that it wasn't necessary, before sitting beside him for company. 'Wait...' Phil started; his sandwich held in his hands as he turned to Wilbur curiously. 'You- You used to do this when you were a cat.'
'I don't know what you're talking about.' He said, making his voice swim with smugness and smiling at the elytrian's discovery.
'You little shit! You're aim was never to get food when you meowed at me to get up... It was to get me to-' Phil paused, shaking his head and laughing quietly. 'Damn, that makes more sense.'
He didn't say anything at that, returning Phil's nostalgic smile and allowing him to go back to work when he had finished. The elytrian smiled gratefully when he'd next wandered in his office, accepting the glass of water and sliced apple with less procrastination than before. Wilbur eventually settled into the routine of it, making extra effort whenever Phil insisted that he didn't have to. He was a cat hybrid after all, and his stubbornness didn't leave him.
--
Wilbur found himself settling into an easy routine with Techno as well, appearing at his room and convincing him to come downstairs at almost the exact same time every day. The piglin hybrid caught on quickly, pretending to act annoyed whenever he insisted that he came out of his room. Wilbur knew that he secretly enjoyed it, always finding him waiting for his appearance every afternoon and little resistance to whatever he insisted they do.
He found himself appearing at Techno's door in the middle of the night, dragging a pillow from the sofa inside with him. Wilbur often braided his hair on those nights, knowing that the piglin hybrid was too shy to ask for it. The cat hybrid accepted the pieces of jewellery and gold that Techno often gave him, making sure that he was always wearing at least one of them when he discovered it reassured his piglin side.
Wilbur stayed with him until he fell asleep, gently humming tunes as Techno's eyes became heavier. The piglin hybrid would often ask him to stay upstairs with him, only drifting off to sleep when he was reassured that he wouldn't go anywhere. He always kept his word on those evenings, waking up just before Techno did and greeting him with a cup of coffee in the mornings that he fetched from Phil in the kitchen.
The cat hybrid always felt warmer whenever he saw them smile, and the feeling of affection bubbled inside him when he was the cause of it.
--
It seemed to be going well, until they realised that it was shakier than they initially thought.
Despite Wilbur's attempts to make sure he was the one doing things for them, it seemed that they were always determined to do the same for him. The cat hybrid insisted that they didn't need to do anything, telling them that the fact he was there was more than enough. He eventually stopped his insistence when they just looked sad at him, further fuelling their motivation instead of hindering it. Wilbur pretended that his heart didn't swell with pure love whenever it happened, choosing to return the favour in any way he could.
It all started when Phil asked him what seemed like an innocent question, curiosity was all that danced in his voice. Wilbur was sitting at the table with him, accompanying him as he ate lunch and carefully wrapping Techno's food in cling film.
'Why aren't you eating it?' He had asked, watching with a puzzled expression as the cat hybrid placed it on one of the fridge shelves.
'It's for Techno.' Wilbur answered, intending on dragging the piglin hybrid downstairs to eat at the usual time.
'Oh, then why is there only one?' The cat hybrid didn't answer, choosing to pull out some random juice from the fridge door to distract himself as Phil put together the pieces in his mind. 'You- you have been eating lunch, right?' Wilbur didn't reply, suddenly feeling guilty at the way his voice obviously got higher with concern.
'Wilbur Soot! You-'
'It's fine.' He interrupted, shakily taking a couple sips of his juice. 'I just don't get hungry, that's all. Not used to 3 meals a day...' He chuckled awkwardly when he noticed the shadow of a rather large wing reflected across the counter.
'I understand mate but try and at least eat a snack at lunch time.' Phil's voice was insanely gentle, his wings folding across Wilbur with support.
'Yeah, yeah, yeah.'
The cat hybrid had no plans of doing that, but it seemed like Phil already knew that. The next day the elytrian insisted that he ate something, giving him a look when Wilbur said he'd do it later, claiming that he wanted to make Techno lunch and that he'd eat with him if it made him happy. He wasn't completely lying; he did want to make the piglin hybrid lunch after all. That plan went out the window when Phil got Techno involved, his excuses dying instantly when the protective piglin hybrid chopped up apple and shoved it in his hands, looking pleased when he hesitantly ate it.
Both Phil and Techno looked smug that evening when they were eating dinner, and Wilbur glared lightly at the pair with a knowing look.
--
The next incident was one of the few times Wilbur shifted during the day, the boredom of having nothing to do convincing him to shift out of free will. Tommy was at school, Phil was working, and Techno was dead set on reading, his nose practically shoved inside the book when Wilbur had gone to check on him. He had been too restless to read or watch anything, his cat instincts running rampage inside his brain, and he couldn't help but listen to the desire to shift.
He wasn't sure how he ended up where he was, but he was too tired to care. The cat hybrid was curled up into a small ball on one of their bookshelves, the corners of his eyes heavy with sleep as he allowed himself to drift off, the reasoning that sleeping would past the time being the last thought on his mind. Wilbur convinced himself that it would only be for 20 minutes, a simple cat nap if that.
A couple hours passed, and Wilbur didn't even notice until he felt arms scoop him up. Tommy had informed him afterwards that he had come home from school, noticing that he was asleep on 'a fucking bookshelf of all things' instead of somewhere 'actually comfortable.' He remembered snuggling into the raccoon hybrid arms that day, not even attempting to wake up with the sheer tiredness that overcame him.
'Is he okay?' Phil had asked Tommy when he had been carried into Phil's office.
'Dunno, found him sleeping on a bookshelf.'
'A bookshelf?' Wilbur had woken up at that, slowly lifting his head from Tommy's shoulder and blinking slowly. He took one glance at Phil's worried look before instantly curling back into the raccoon hybrid, trying to go back to sleep to not deal with that conversation. Tommy simply laughed at him as Phil spluttered various noises, swearing constantly as he attempted to coax Wilbur into opening his eyes. The cat hybrid eventually complied, giving Phil the most innocent face he could muster up before shifting when the elytrian gave him a pointed look.
'Wilbur-'
'Do we have to do this when I've just woken up?' He interrupted, stifling a yawn into his sweater sleeve. 'I don't really have the energy right now.'
'Well at least we know he's not sick again.' Techno spoke up from behind them, leaning casually against the door.
'I was never sick.' He insisted, casually moving towards the door to avoid the conversation entirely. Wilbur pouted when the piglin hybrid held his arm out, stretching it to block the exit and nudging his head to the side with an unamused stare. He reluctantly turned back around, sitting down in Phil's black armchair when the elytrian pointed to it with a stern face. Watching as Phil and Tommy pulled out another chair each, sighing when he realised that he wasn't getting out of the conversation.
'I'm not sick,' he started, wanting to get it over with. 'I was simply tired when I shifted, that's all.'
'That's alright, but why were you on the bookshelf?' Phil asked, leaning forward in his seat in a distinctly dad fashion.
'I don't actually remember,' he said sheepishly, ducking his head to avoid their expressions.
'Has that been happening often?' Tommy spoke up, his eyes sparkling with something unsaid. Wilbur simply nodded, not having predicted the question enough to form an answer.
'Hmm, I'll talk to Niki about it.'
'Oh no, that's not necessary-' He stopped mid-sentence when he saw Techno glaring, deciding that silence was the better choice.
It went quiet again, and Wilbur could feel their eyes studying him. He was about to make another move to try and escape the room when Phil spoke again, snapping the room out of the comfortable quietness. 'I want you to promise something for me Will.' The cat hybrid gulped nervously, sensing the turn of the conversation.
'What is it?' His voice was quiet, and he wasn't sure if they had heard him until the elytrian spoke again.
'I want you to promise that you'll come to one of us about anything, even if it's something small like not remembering what you've done in cat form.' Tommy nodded enthusiastically at that; his arms folded around each other sheepishly. He looked at Techno briefly (he definitely wasn't looking for an escape – why would you think that) and sighing heavily when he saw the piglin hybrid's arm still blocking the exit.
'Okay,' he eventually sighed, not spotting any way to get out of the promise.
They all seemed to relax at that, and Wilbur couldn't help but notice the lingering relief in Techno and Tommy's eyes. He had his suspicions that this wasn't the first time Phil had made someone promise that, but Wilbur didn't comment on it. And well, let's just say they used any excuse they could to exploit that promise.
--
The last notable situation was the one where everything really changed.
It was a regular morning, and Wilbur was simply more tired than usual. He had slept in with a light grip on the pillow, leaving his head to rest against Techno's carpet instead of the intended cushion. The piglin hybrid had asked if Wilbur would stay the night before, and Wilbur agreed instantly, settling down on the floor as usual and following suit when Techno drifted off.
And well, let's just say the cat hybrid would start making a conscious effort to not sleep in after the incident.
'Wilbur? Are you in-' He stirred at Phil's voice, jolting awake when he heard the distinct sound of smashing. Phil's hands were on him instantly, guiding him into a sitting position and speaking several words that his somnolent brain could barely comprehend. 'No, no, no. Don't try to move mate, I think you passed out again.'
'What? No, I didn't?' Wilbur rubbed his eyes gently, moving to stand up again despite his attempts to prevent it. The elytrian froze, and Wilbur decided to make the most of the time Phil spent trying to figure out what had happened.
Coffee spread itself into Techno's carpet, accompanied by the shattered pieces of the mug that Phil had clearly dropped. The cat hybrid moved towards it, falling to his knees and scrapping it up with his hands to form a pile. He ignored the blood that trickled down from his lack of care, Phil dropped the mug because of him; the least he could do was help.
Wilbur wasn't particularly surprised when he felt arms encase him, gently pulling him backwards in a restraining manner when he tried to move forwards. Techno's braided hair fell over his shoulder, dangling down in front of his eyes as his head perched against his own. Guilt trampled inside of him; he had hoped that the piglin hybrid might have slept through the whole ordeal. He needed the sleep, and Wilbur had just ruined that.
Phil appeared in front of him, the worry in his eyes causing him to subconsciously avoid his gaze. The elytrian's hand were soon lifting his ducked chin, reaching for his arms when Wilbur tried to subtly wipe the blood on his trousers and tutting as he ran his fingers gently over them. Wilbur had tried his best to convince the rather stubborn elytrian that he should clear up the mess, resorting to claiming that he wouldn't let them do anything with his hands until the stain was removed.
Tommy soon appeared in the room, sidestepping the stain remover and throwing the plasters and wipes into Phil's hands. The cat hybrid allowed them to fuss over him, zoning out when he started getting scolded and barely paying attention as Tommy screamed about how he was more important than the carpet. He could feel Techno's gaze on him throughout, his arms still snug around Wilbur's stomach as Phil paid far more attention on his hands than what was needed.
'We're gonna have to talk about it Will.' Phil spoke up, interrupting the standstill of who would speak first. They had moved to the living room and Phil's back was to him, but Wilbur already knew which expression was plastered on his face. The cat hybrid groaned, shifting slightly on the sofa without jolting Tommy. The teenager was leaning on his knees, having practically flopped onto him when he was forced to sit down, and refused to move. Wilbur knew it was to prevent him from leaving, fuelling his desire to do that out of spite even more.
'Wilbur.' Phil said sternly, bringing his stolen attention back to the conversation.
'It's talk time bitch!' Tommy shouted, his voice making everyone in the room want to cover their ears.
'Yes, it is Tommy. Now please, spare my ears next time.' Techno deadpanned, reluctantly removing his hands that flew up to block the shout. He opened his mouth to speak, hoping to joke around with Tommy for long enough for them to forget, but stopped when Phil spoke.
'Wilbur, we are going to talk about this.'
He simply nodded silently.
'I think that both Tommy and Techno would agree with me about this-' Phil started, stopping to glare slightly when the cat hybrid started picking at the plasters on his hands. 'Look at me please... You need to get what I'm about to stay through your head.'
'Fucking stubborn head.' He ignored Tommy's muttering, focusing on not breaking eye contact with Phil despite the temptation.
'You are more important than some fucking carpet.' Wilbur resisted the urge to sigh, didn't he already zone out in this conversation earlier? 'Or any object in this house. Will, what's stopping you from understanding that?'
The cat hybrid blinked when it seemed they wanted an actual answer, Techno's eyebrows raising expectantly. 'I do?' He whispered, not even fooling himself as uncertainty shook in his voice.
'You- You didn't let us do anything with your bleeding hands until there was stain remover-'
'It was coffee! It would have stained even more-'
'I don't care if it stains!' Phil shouted, the tears of frustration lingering down his face making Wilbur freeze instantly. 'You were hurt but you still thought we'd care more about the fucking carpet than you.'
'I'm sorry.' Wilbur whispered, finally allowing his head to slump against the sofa instead of forcing it upright. He closed his eyes, pretending that it was to avoid their sad faces instead of that fact he was too tired to stop tears from falling any other way.
'Will, you gotta stop dancing around these conversations.' Techno spoke up, shifting closer towards him unsubtly.
'I know...' Wilbur sighed, absently bringing his hand to play with Tommy's hair. 'I know I should, sorry.'
'Then don't.' Phil said, a soft smile aimed directly at him when Wilbur opened his eyes. 'Be honest with us mate.'
'Okay...'
'Yeah?' Tommy looked so hopeful, his eyes sparkling up at him and whining when he stopped moving his hand.
'Yeah.' Wilbur agreed, a sense of dread bubbling inside him despite the smile he plastered on.
'Good...' Phil started, watching him apprehensively. 'Can you tell me why you were sleeping on the floor then?'
'Techno asked me to stay.' Wilbur answered courtly, too exhausted to attempt to deter the question and sending a small smile in the piglin hybrid's direction. 'So, I did.'
'That's fine mate, I know you've been doing that a lot.' Phil smirked as Tommy snickered at Techno's blush. 'But I want to know why you were sleeping on the floor.'
'I- I don't understand?' Wilbur frowned, not wanting to repeat himself in case he got another lecture on avoiding questions.
'Did- Did you chose to sleep on the floor?' Tommy asked softly, twisting around so that his head was facing the ceiling. Wilbur nodded, confused at the horror that twisted onto Phil's face.
'Wilbur...' He turned to face Techno when he spoke, his voice suddenly loaded with guilt and something akin to terror. 'You haven't been doing that every night, have you...?'
The cat hybrid tried to keep his face neutral, sensing an immediate change in atmosphere at that question. He knew it didn't work when Phil immediately looked distressed, his shoulders slouching further into the sofa. Wilbur kept his eyes on the ground when he heard Techno swear, his guilt practically radiating from his body.
'Oh my God...' Phil clearly whispered that to himself, the speech only heard due to the silence of the room. 'I'm so fucking sorry Will.'
'I don't understand...' Wilbur said, noticing the way that Tommy shuffled closer and curled his arms around his stomach. 'Why-'
'I thought you were sleeping next to me.' Techno muttered; his eyes glued to the ground like Wilbur's were a few seconds ago. 'Or at least on the stupid beanbag.'
'It's not a big deal.' The cat hybrid dismissed quickly, not wanting them to feel even worse for no reason. 'Honestly, it's not-' He cut himself off when he felt Tommy's hand lightly smacking his arm repeatably, frustration was all that swam in his eyes.
'You fucking stubborn, idiotic, prick!' Tommy shouted, whacking his arm again when Wilbur tried to zone out, already anticipating what was about to happen.
'Listen to him, please?' Techno perked up, a knowing look on his face as the cat hybrid tried to focus on something else.
'Oh, he's going to listen to me, alright.' Tommy muttered, moving his head off Wilbur's lap and pulling his chin to face the raccoon hybrid, gripping it with light pressure to keep it there. 'You,' he jabbed a finger at Wilbur's chest. 'Are meant to be smart. Why the fuck are you finding it so hard to realise that it's not bloody okay to sleep on the floor and not tell us about it! You need to tell us about this shit, and not hide it like you always do... because that's not healthy. We care about you, and you need to fucking understand that. God, I sound like fucking Phil-' He stopped when the elytrian chirped various complaints, seemingly examining Wilbur's expressions as he subconsciously tried to keep it neutral. 'You know we love you, right?'
Wilbur couldn't shift the surprise off his face quick enough, noticing the way Tommy's eyes darkened, his grip on his chin increasing when the cat hybrid tried to duck his head. It had been a while since he'd heard those words, tears trying to prick at his eyes at the mention of it. He heard movement, felt the feeling of wings wrap around him as his hands were stolen and covered in warmth. Tears drifted down the raccoon hybrid's face and Wilbur wanted nothing more than to wipe them away, hold the teen close to his chest and comfort him.
'We love you, Wilbur.' Phil whispered into his ear; his voice thick with pure affection, sending it straight to his heart and fluttering around. 'I'm sorry we didn't say it enough.' Something wet dripped onto his shoulder, his eyes widening when he realised they were crying, his own eyes dampening when Wilbur stopped restraining it.
'My fault, not yours.' He mumbled, allowing himself to lean against the elytrian as Techno let go of his hands and crawled onto the sofa with them, adding to the makeshift hug as their limbs tangled.
'It's not your fault mate, please don't believe that.' The cat hybrid hummed, too tired and covered with affection to protest.
They stayed there for a while, and Wilbur wasn't sure how long. Phil's wings curled around all three of them, his head rested on Wilbur's shoulder as he purposefully tangled them together. Tommy was snuggled up on his lap, leaving just enough room for Techno to curl in his other side and intertwine their limbs. It felt oddly intimate, and the cat hybrid found himself drifting off to sleep, joining Tommy who snored softly. 'Techno?' Phil asked before he could completely drift off, his mind hanging onto consciousness by a thread. 'How would you feel about sharing a room instead of clearing out the spare room?'
A tiny mutter of 'yes' was all he heard before the thread broke and engulfed him with sleep as his mind purred happily at all the warmth. His family never let him forget that day, and gradually Wilbur accepted that he was a loved cat hybrid.
AN: Thank you for reading! This entire thing was posted on AO3 so if you want you can read it on there :) (same username.) Either way, I hope you enjoyed and consider voting/leaving a comment if you did <3
I've written a couple other fics both on AO3 and Wattpad, all of which are Wilbur/SBI so if you're interested, I'd recommend checking those out!