Chapter Text
The Watson brothers were nothing short of troubled teenagers, in their own rights.
Really, it was only a matter of time until one of them did something that got all three thrown out of their fourth school in four years. Phil had seen it coming on their first day, when they looked at the school and made bets about how long they would last. Bets that he gave them a very, very stern talking to about, because no Tommy, it's not funny, and we don't bet on things like that. It hadn't really deterred them, but an attempt was certainly made.
Nobody had expected it to be a fire, and then an explosion that almost got Techno blown to bits.
Phil was nothing short of furious. But for once, it wasn't directed at his troublesome sons. Of course, there wasn't much that could be done once the school was up in flames, but he was determined that this was the worst that it would get. He refused to let it be any worse. The next school would be better, and his boys would have an easier time.
Phil Watson was a reasonable man, really. He did his best to take care of his children on his own, and to provide them with good education and good opportunities for the future. And he was immensely proud of each of his boys, despite the copious amount of time he tended to spend on the phone with their teachers.
Wilbur was a fantastic musician. The boy really applied himself when he wanted to, and it was incredible the things he was capable of when he actually tried. The issue was, however, that he didn't like to try. He liked to skive off, sneak out and get drunk in the woods with his friends.
Technoblade was a genius. There were few people Phil had ever known to be quite as intelligent and book-smart as his middle child. But of course, this made him cocky. Being as smart as he was, he liked to skip classes and play video games instead. If it wasn't a challenge, Techno wasn't interested.
And then there was Tommy, just fifteen years old, but a hyperactive kid with a big imagination. He looked up to his brothers more than he probably should have. Tommy was a very capable young lad, but unfortunately for everyone involved, he was what teachers often referred to as a problem child. He liked to speak his mind, even when his mind shouldn't be spoken.
It was hard enough to wrangle the three of them down to the dining room at once for the grand announcement, and even harder to deal with telling the three teenage boys the news that he was pretty sure they wouldn't be pleased with.
"What the fuck do you mean boarding school?" Tommy demanded, screwing up his nose and looking at his father with disgust. "You can't be serious."
"Nope. Completely serious," Phil said, his hands folded on the table in front of him. "It's pretty much my only option, at this point."
"How is this your only option?" Wilbur asked, raising an eyebrow and leaning back in his chair. "There's another two schools that we haven't done yet."
"You really think they'd want to touch any of you after what you did at Willow Park?"
"That wasn't our fault," Wilbur said, his tone just as certain as his father's.
"I'm not saying it was. But you were all involved, and you're mad if you think any school in their right mind would want anything to do with you now." Phil didn't raise his voice, despite feeling as though maybe he should. He knew that this was not the time for an argument. This was a big change for all of them, and their emotions were more than justified.
"But a boarding school does?" Techno asked, speaking up for the first time, his light brown eyes analyzing Phil's face for any underlying emotion. Unfortunately, Phil had been playing this game for just as long as Techno had, and nothing slipped through.
"I used to know the headmaster," Phil supplied. "He's an alright bloke. And he agreed to give you three a try, which is more than I could have asked. With scholarships, too, so that I can actually afford it."
"You mean it's a private school!?" Tommy all but screamed, his eyes bulging. "No. No fucking way. Absolutely not. I'm not wearing a fucking uniform. I will not turn into some Harry Potter looking prick."
"I don't understand why you can't just send us to Highland. It's only thirty minutes, I could drive us," Wilbur tried to bargain, taking on a professional argumentative tone. He leant forward, clasping his hands together.
"So you're gonna stop drinking, get properly sober?" Phil asked, turning on his oldest son faster than Wilbur could react. He went to open his mouth, but Phil beat him to it. "Yeah, I know all about where you were last night. Which is why you're going to Montville. It's a lovely school. They have a great campus, and a range of extracurriculars. As well as experience dealing with troubled kids."
"Did he just call us troubled?" Techno raised an eyebrow, looking past Wilbur and at Tommy, who seemed to have a permanent scowl on his face.
"Yes Technoblade, yes he did," Wilbur said flatly.
"I feel like I've been judged," Tommy cried dramatically. He looked to his father with big puppy dog eyes. "Phil, do you think I'm a bad kid? Please don't send me away."
Phil crossed his arms. "You done?"
Tommy's dramatic hopeless look fell away, replaced almost immediately with a scowl and crossed arms. "It was worth a try."
---
The Watson brothers had all of three days until they were set to leave for Montville Academy. In that time Techno did his research and given his brothers the rundown.
The dorm rooms held between two and three people, and Phil had reassured them that they wouldn't be separated. That brought them a sense of comfort, because at the very least they would have each other. The boarding school had a basketball team and a lacrosse team, neither of which sounded overly interesting, but were probably worth noting anyway. They had a chess team too, but it was dismissed with rolling eyes and scoffs. The uniform for boys consisted of black slacks and white button downs, with blue striped ties and blazers that looked nothing short of uncomfortable and awkward.
Phil had heard none of it when he had presented the boys with their uniforms, instructing them to put them on before they even got in the car, even though it was a Monday afternoon, and they wouldn't be starting classes until the next day.
Wilbur had been the first to emerge, though looking less than thrilled about what he was wearing and carrying his blazer over his arm rather than wearing it. Technoblade came next, tugging awkwardly at the bottom of his shirt, but not bothering to voice his concerns. Finally, Tommy trudged out of his bedroom, still fiddling with his tie.
"Hold still," Wilbur muttered, reaching over and fixing it. Phil had to smile at his boys showing some comradery, even if it was against him.
"Phil, is this really necessary?" Tommy called as he dragged his suitcase down the stairs, his backpack slung over one shoulder. "Please can we give another school a chance."
"Nope!" Phil called cheerfully, trying to bring a lighthearted smile to his face. "Come on Tommy. We're going to be late."
Tommy huffed as he followed his brothers out to the car and Phil took up the task of playing tetris with their bags. Wilbur's guitar case was certainly not helping the matter. Techno stood off to the side, watching the cars drive by and knowing that this would be the last time that he saw this in a while. The dark circles under his eyes did him no favours, and he bit back a yawn as he finally climbed into the car.
Wilbur got the front seat, being the oldest child. Techno and Tommy shared the back, though with far less arguments than usual. Phil felt a pang of guilt in his chest as he started to drive away from the house that they had all shared for over a decade, knowing that he would be returning alone. But it was for the best, and he knew that. His boys needed a fresh start, and Montville was the answer.
"You can have the aux, Wil," He offered, knowing that the drive was a two and a half hour drive with traffic, and the mood could be improved upon.
Wilbur silently took his phone from his lap and plugged it into the cable. He scrolled for a moment, and then a somber piano began to play. He tugged his beanie down a little further over his hair and looked out the window, watching as the scenery slowly changed.
There was a beat of silence, and then Tommy let out a loud groan. "Oh come on Wil. This is just depressing, innit?"
"It's how I'm feeling," Wilbur shot back bitterly.
"Put on 'amilton!" Tommy called, leaning forward and giving his older brother a shove. "I wanna sing about my shot."
"Oh, you wanna be Hamilton?" Wilbur asked, finally snapping out of his bad mood and directly into their favourite jokes for car trips.
"Here we go," Techno mumbled, heaving a sigh and leaning his head on his palm to hide his smile.
"I am Hamilton you bitch," Tommy said proudly, leaning back in his seat with a satisfied smile. "I'm the best goddamn Hamilton you know."
"Oh yeah?" Wilbur asked, reaching for his phone and swiping it open. He scrolled for a moment, and then the first track of their favourite musical began to play. Phil had to smile as the two of them began to sing along dramatically. Even Techno hummed along at a few of the bits he knew.
He knew that things would be okay.