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He didn't know how things got like this. It had started with Techno getting sick, Wilbur following suit right after. It wasn't uncommon, Wilbur loved to sneak into his twin's room so that he could comfort him while sick. It always ended up passing onto him but he never seemed to care, too intent on snuggling with the other prince to mind a few days of illness.
They had the best doctors in the world, it wasn't like any of it mattered, at worst they'd just be given a few potions and kept under watch until they got better.
But they never got better.
No matter what the doctors tried, no matter how much magic was tossed at them, they only kept getting sicker. First it was a fever that had them in a daze for days, then it had progressed to vomiting and rashes, heart palpitations and headaches and a myriad of other things.
After the rashes, they started itching, nails scratching skin raw until it bled and then digging into the flesh right after. The doctors couldn't stop them, any attempts to get in their room would lead to Techno finally stirring from his eerie stillness to growl at them.
He still remembered how worried their dad was, the emperor constantly checking on them in their ‘containment room’ and watching them through the glass. He used to take him down with him, letting him put his hand up to the glass and have one of his brothers weakly and slowly respond.
He stopped doing that after the rashes turned to open wounds, something twitching under the skin.
Wilbur moved the most, constantly talking and twitching, always doing something even when he should be resting and getting better. He spoke and spoke until his voice was raw and even after that he’d continue. They could only watch as his ramblings began to make less and less sense, completely disconnecting from reality at points.
Techno had been the opposite. He stayed still, so, so still all the time. Wilbur would speak to him, to the walls and to everything else but he’d never make a noise in response. He’d just lay there, still and listening.
It was an uncanny mirror of what it was like before they got sick. Techno stoic and quiet while Wilbur was a flurry of movement and energy. The only real difference now was that Wilbur had become sick with paranoia, getting terrified at even the slightest hint of movement outside the walls of their containment.
The only visitors he’d ever remotely accept were him and dad. Tommy didn’t tag along too much, the sight of them so injured only serving to make his heart ache, but their dad did. He’d go down and speak to them for hours at a time despite all his duties.
Advisors who pointed this out didn’t last very long after.
Techno would only ever twitch and move if he or dad came down too, weakly shifting his head and honing glazed over eyes onto them and never letting them leave his sight. He didn’t tell their father, but it scared him when his brother looked at him like that. It didn’t feel like the Techno he knew, eyes far too wide with pupils trying to swallow all the colour in them.
A white sheen had taken over the once ruby eyes his brother held, greying out his massive pupils and making him impossibly light sensitive. They had to keep the containment in complete darkness now otherwise Wilbur would start clawing at the lights.
Sometimes the doctors would try to get in to help them but it would terrify Wilbur and, ever the protector, Techno would posture and growl, rising from his eerie stillness to threaten the intruders. They thought these were bluffs, convinced he was far too sick to actually be moving around but after the ‘incident’ they never made that mistake again.
Three doctors and a single scientist had decided to go into their room. The papers he found on his dads desk had lots of big words on them, too many for him to understand, but from what he could tell it hadn’t gone well. Wilbur had made this strange and haunting yowl, a feral and terrified sound and that had Techno burst into action from his spot on the floor.
That was when they found out that Techno’s body had changed. Somehow, his brother had been hiding away a second jaw. One lined with sharp, sharp teeth that tore through the doctors. Judging by the pictures clipped to the report, it had been a bloodbath.
Wilbur, always following their brothers lead, had joined in on the attack. Using his fox hybrid smelling to find one that had hidden away in their room.
Apparently Techno couldn't see too well anymore because of his eyes and had missed them easily. When the other doctors had been ‘dispatched’ he settled back down to rest but Wilburs bark had stopped that, calling him over to where he had found the third hiding doctor. The notes seemed to fixate on how they almost taunted the man, toying with him until Wilbur got bored and Techno got tired.
They were able to bring in some guards after that, holding down his brothers as they cleaned up the mess. A few got hurt from trying to wrangle them but they were sent to the infirmary for their wounds. In their efforts, they had found that the researcher survived, barely clinging to life they were rushed to the hospital. His dads papers after that just started talking about the same symptoms his brothers went through.
Instead of ‘containment’, this one was sent to a ‘morgue’ but that hadn’t ended up very well.
More people got sick after that, getting injured in attempts to stop the researchers' attacks and then not reporting them. The papers after that were untouched by his dad, only focussing on the health of Tommy’s brothers and whether or not they could be ‘cured’.
He remembers how his dad would stay up, holding him tight in his arms and whisper about how they’d get better, how the illness spreading didn’t matter since it’d just give them more subjects to research and figure out a cure for the twins.
It gave him a little bit of hope, his dad being so sure that they’d get better again. He didn’t know how Techno was supposed to talk again with his new mouth but that would just be a problem for later.
Despite not really being able to visit them anymore, sometimes he’d sneak down to where they were kept, breaking the rules just so he could see the brothers he missed so much. To no surprise, Wilbur still spoke, voice horribly croaky as he rambled on about nonsense. Things about death and rot and ‘Her’, it all sent a shiver down his spine.
He paused when he saw Tommy, though, mouth open before practically slamming against the glass in an attempt to get closer to him. The sudden movement had caused him to stumble and fall back, staring up through the glass as his brother breathed against the barrier between them.
It was- scary. He’d never seen Wil so… manic despite all his mood swings. He stared down at him, breath fogging up the glass and eyes twitching as they continued to stare and take him in. There was blood all over his sweater, caking his hands, mouth and chest, his eyes bloodshot and pupils tiny as he took in the sight of Tommy.
At the time he hadn't any idea why there was blood on him or why there were these strange spikes poking out the side of his face, blood running from the open wounds they caused. The skin around it looked red and irritated, a sickly sweet smell reeking off of it.
Now that he read his dads reports, he knew that they were mutations.
“Toms” his voice had croaked, wrong and raw “come in here, love… let me… let me hold you…”
He didn’t come in there, he doubted he could even if he tried. He only stared up at his oldest brother with wide and confused eyes.
“Techno wake… wake up” he hardly sounded like himself anymore “our Theseus is here.”
Wet crunching echoes out behind his oldest brother, a mop of pink hair finally appearing as Techno stumbled over towards him. His face was caked in blood, a new jaw that dripped with blood and sinew sat limp under his original one.
Sharp, almost shark-like teeth lined the gums as his glazed eyes desperately tried to lock onto him. He didn’t know how long he stayed there on the floor staring up at them, all he could focus on were eyes that looked so unfamiliar as clawed hands scraped at the glass.
An unsure chirp left him.
“Shhh you’re alright… Toms… just open the door love” Wilbur didn't blink “dad wants us out… don’t you want to make dad happy?”
He did. Their dad had been so, so sad ever since the twins had to be locked away. But… they were locked in there for a reason. Dad had said that it was for their own safety, the smooth walls preventing them from hurting themselves.
Now that he was closer he could see all the scratches against them, all of them shredded right in the corners. Distantly he remembered Techno telling him that the corners were the weakest spots.
The whole visit just didn’t feel right. Another chirp had left him before he spotted what Techno had been doing.
Clawed hands had snuck low to the door, curling around a tiny slot and starting to pull.
“H-hey Tech” he stuttered out “stop that. Y-you’re meant to stay in there to get better.”
Techno didn’t stop. Wilbur only spoke up.
“But we are better Toms!” He chirped, voice still ragged and torn apart “don’t you want us out there with you?”
“I do but… you’re still sick” he mumbled “dad says you’re still sick.”
“Dad hasn’t met Her, silly billy” Wil breathed out, speaking easily over a loud creaking sound “but he will! You’ll all meet Her soon. She’ll improve you just like She did us.”
His eyes were torn between staring at Wilbur in disbelief and keeping an eye on Technos movements. The door was creaking now, a low snapping sound beginning to wing out from it. It didn’t feel safe. He wasn’t meant to be there. Wilbur saw him beginning to inch back.
“Sunshine… don't move away from us” his voice was much less warm now “we’re helping you… you need to meet Her.”
The cracking was so loud.
He did what he thought he’d never do. He turned his back to his brothers and ran. He ran and ran through the hallways until he could barely breath and even then he pushed his way to his room.
Even as a siren blared through the palace and droves of guards sprinted down the halls, he only stopped when he reached his fathers room.
The way he swung open the door with a wild look in his eye before scooping Tommy up off the ground, holding him tightly to his chest before slamming the door closed, locking it and dumping them both in the nest.
He hadn’t known what happened while he was locked away in the nest room, still strung up on fear and adrenaline. All he knew was that food was slid under the door and his dad would have to go to another room to take calls.
After reading the reports he found out that his brothers escaped. Techno had torn at the corner until it broke and they ripped the door apart from there. Security had only realised what happened when they saw Wilbur standing outside their door, fresh blood already smeared across his clothing.
Their focus was so firmly on him that they hadn’t even realised Techno coming up behind them.
All that ensued was a bloody mess, lives were taken by the twins and many were injured before they were once again detained. What was worse about this time was that some guards hid their injuries, remaining in the castles barraks until they got as bad as the twins.
His dad has been caught in one of those attacks. Teeth barely grazed him but at the end of the day, it was enough. The castle fell into absolute pandemonium and people just ran. He was honestly shocked at the lack of stealing because of it, few wanted to venture out in halls that could contain infected.
Him and his dad ended up back in the nest room, only this time it was Tommy’s job to take care of his dad.
He stayed by his dads side for as long as he could, really he did, he tried to soothe him through the fevers and the sickness. Even when his hold turned bruising and he hissed promises of violence to anyone who would take him away, he stayed.
But when he went still? When the body that kept him warm and safe through winter nights turned as cold as the air around them? He had to leave.
He tried to tell himself that it's what his dad would want.
He knew it wasn't.
He left anyway.
That was how he found himself in the office, digging through his dads old paperwork in an attempt to figure out how to fix all this. He didn't know how long he spent there, going through the snacks his dad always stored away for him in there. He did his best to ration them but he still ran out before he could make any progress.
He was as useless as the doctors that failed to cure his brothers.
It didn't help that he’d hear shuffling out in the halls, wet squelching and bones cracking just outside his door. It was worse when they decided to start eating at each other, the sound of wild attacks breaking out through the halls and only stopping when one couldn't move anymore.
He was glad his brothers didn't do that. Even when Wilbur finally went quiet, staying low to the ground and lurking so that he could guide Techno, they never bit at each other.
It's not even like Techno needed Wil to guide him as much anymore, not after he grew all those extra ears so he could listen out. He’d seen how his brothers glazed over eyes would snap to whatever had made the vaguest of sounds, honing in on whatever had been unlucky enough to register as a hunt for them.
The twins worked through the guard population like that easily in the earlier days, stalking through halls and consuming anything they saw so much as twitch.
He was just glad they left the ones that rose again alone. He didn't think he could handle it if they left that much gore behind them. The whole castle smelled rancid, rotting flesh and blood tainting the air no matter where he went.
Even the outside wasn’t safe, filled with just as many if not more infected to stink up the surroundings.
At one point he knew his dad joined the twins, hearing the flapping and dragging of his wings as he shambled alongside them. They didnt attack him at all, easily accepting him to join their little hunting party as they cleared the halls.
He didn't know how to feel about it if he was honest. Wilbur and Techno would take snaps and swipes at any infected that got close, seemingly angry at the proximity of everyone else, but they easily accepted their father. He knew that it either meant that they recognised him, and thus were aware in some form or they decided that he would be an exception.
Eventually he saw them again as he sneaked through the halls to try and reach the kitchens. It was only in passing, barely avoiding being spotted, but he still saw them nonetheless.
They weren't doing well at all. Techno had grown new sets of arms, each tipped with horrifying claws that dragged along the floor as he walked. At some point he had gotten injured, a chunk taken out of his ankle festering as he moved.
Wilbur was doing better, his hands and feet were torn up and he was covered in blood now but he wasn’t doing too horribly. His fins twitches as he moved around, hanging limp but perking to alert the moment he saw another infected down the hall.
Their dad was doing the worst. When he heard his wings dragging along the floor, Tommy had thought it meant he was crawling like Wilbur was. He prayed that he had just lost control of his wings and couldn't lift them anymore, dragging them against the smooth stone of their palace floors.
It was far worse than that. Somewhere along his turn, after Tommy had left and locked him in the guest bedroom, another infected must've gotten to him. His entire lower half was just… missing. Gone. Entrails dragged behind him as he pulled himself alongside the twins, leaving a bloody smear everywhere he went.
What was worse was that it didn't even seem to slow him down. He kept pace with Techno and Wilbur, sticking to the middle as the fox hybrid took the lead and guided them along the halls. He wasn't slowed down by his obvious wounds and it was terrifying to watch him easily keep pace when Wilbur ambushed a survivor group.
He was more than fast enough to keep up with the little remaining staff in their running, grabbing at their ankles and dragging them to the floor so that the twins could descend upon them.
Part of him felt sorry for the survivors. They were only trying to survive just like him, there must be whispers about the last remaining prince surviving. Sometimes they'd call out to him, promising to keep him safe and save him from the castle.
What remained of his family did the same.
He felt impossibly guilty over being more convinced by them than the survivors. When his dad would call his name, he couldn't help but turn his head and want to follow. When Wilbur spoke promises of meeting a mother they never had and joining them he would catch his hand on the knob of the door.
The worst ones were when Techno would speak. It was rare, so, so rare but he somehow managed to be the most convincing. His words were slurred and fractions of sentences would break off and be lost on him but he’d recite Tommy’s favourite book through the door.
He seemed to know where Tommy would hide away, the gentle thunk of his hand could be heard against the door as he’d recite sentences out of order from the stories he’d tell him. He’d mix up Theseus and Hercules, telling stories that made no logical sense. Somehow they were still always able to capture his focus though.
Sometimes he’d raise his hand up to where he thought his brother's palm would be, holding his hand through the door as he listened to shattered stories. Techno never broke through the door, seemingly aware of how much it terrified Tommy the first time, but he would twist the knob sometimes.
He’d usually be stopped by Tommy’s pleading, desperate begs to stop sounding out before the door would close and the hall would fall still again. Sometimes his pleas weren't enough, he’d crack open the door and peer a glazed over eye inside, staring down at Tommy before closing the door when he had his fill.
Wilbur and their father never seemed to notice. It was their little secret and he couldn’t help but cherish it. He missed having secrets with his older brothers, the distant times where they swore to hide away broken vases felt like they were years ago.
In the end he had to get a supply run, the office had long run out of food for him and he doubted his stomach could last much longer. He had to worm his way into the kitchens and pray there was something left or he’d just have to starve.
He’d done the run a few times, always sure to leave a little more for him to return to so he wouldn't get overconfident in his rations. This run would hopefully go as smooth as the others as well.
Peeking out the study’s door revealed his family gone, likely migrating to a new section of the castle for some fresh hunts judging by the screams he heard in the morning. Hopefully their presence here was just fresh enough for other infected not to move into these halls, it’d only take one tiny scratch from them for him to fall to the same fate as his family.
He didn’t know if that fact terrified him or comforted him.
Either way he snuck down the halls, doing his best to ignore the gore and blood splattering everything around. His dad said he was too young to see those kinds of things, though he doubted it mattered much now. He still made sure to listen, though. His dad always kept him safe.
Worming through the halls was strangely familiar. Underneath the sinew and corpses they were still the ones he grew up in. His brother's late night kitchen raids had helped him learn the way even through the dark.
He made sure to avoid all the corpses and infected that laid unmoving on the floor, just because they were still didn’t mean they were safe to come close with. Techno in the early days had proven that.
The silence was so grating, he only paused when he heard the shuffling of movement around him. It was only when a jolt of terror ran down his spine that he knew something was wrong.
He glanced around for a moment, eyes fighting with the dark as he took in his surroundings. It was eerie, something straight out of a horror movie, but he did his best to keep moving so that whatever was watching him wouldn't catch onto his awareness.
A glance over his shoulder was the thing that doomed him in the end. He thought the hall was empty, filled only with corpses and the scraps his family wouldn't eat. That was until he locked eyed with Wilbur.
Low to the ground and wide eyed, his brother stared up at him, no doubt having been stalking him. He was on all fours, moving only on his hands and feet as his chest was kept low to the ground.
“Tommy…” his voice croaked “ there you are…”
That was all the warning he got before he began sprinting towards him. He kicked into a run barely a second after.
He didn’t know how long they ran, him skidding down hallway after hallway in an attempt to lose his oldest brother. All he could feel was his heartbeat in his ears and adrenaline flooding his system. It almost didn’t feel real, running through the maze of corridors and eventually finding himself hopelessly lost in his panic.
Despite it all Wilbur had managed to keep up, speaking to him in rambling sentences and herding him until they finally reconnected with the rest of his family.
Their dad seemed to be hiding around a corner, almost seeming as if he was waiting for this very moment before taking his chance and latching on. Tommy was dragged to the ground in an instant, chin banging against the cold stone floor before he rolled onto his back to try and get away.
The hand on his ankle didn't budge at all despite his desperate kicks. All he could do was fruitlessly try to free himself as the desecrated remains of his family dragged themselves towards him. He cried and clawed at the ground as they chanted his name.
He kicked and kicked but they only got louder, a desperate urge to fight and survive ringing through him clear as a bell. His dads torso dragged itself up, talon tipped hands dragging what remained of his body up as guts and gore trailed behind him.
Wilbur still had his ankle, a crushing grip wrapped around them as he stared up at him, yellowed eyes unblinking as he desperately tried and push their father off of him. Techno was of similar help, one of his jaws barely hanging on as he used one of those extra arms he just sprouted to hold him down further.
The half of his father that was left pinned down his chest and stared down at him, hoarse and foreign sounding voice chanting his name. It was only when that maw opened up, revealing sets of razor sharp teeth ready to tear their way through his body. He knew he'd die, he'd die and he'd become like them to spread the virus.
There was no point staying silent anymore, it was too late. With that knowledge in mind he took a big gulp of air and screamed.
“-ommy! Tommy” the weight on his chest shook him “Theseus wake up!”
“No! No please-”
“Toms you’re alright!” his dads voice sounded almost fixed now, as if he never got sick “it was a nightmare, love. You’re okay. You’re safe.”
That was when he paused in his struggles for a moment, realising the weight on his chest was a warm hand, that the room didn't smell of blood and rot and most importantly, the face above him was of his dads. Healthy and unharmed.
He burst into tears.
A sad coo thrummed out from his dads chest, warm, strong arms wrapping around him and holding him close as he chirped and sobbed. He desperately tried to bury himself even deeper into his hold, hands practically clawing at his dads night shirt as he searched for comfort.
“I missed you” he choked out, voice broken with sobs “y-you left me and I- I tried to stay safe! But it was s-so hard and I was so alone!”
“Oh baby you’re okay” he held even tighter “I’d never leave you my angel. Never ever ever.”
“But you did!”
“What did I do in your dreams my dear?” he kissed Tommy’s hair “tell me so I can fix it all for you.”
He snuggled deeper into his dads chest, finding an impossible amount of relief when he heard his heartbeat. It was strong and consistent, something he had no doubt his own synced up with, and it made so many of his fears wash away.
“W-Wilbur an’ Techno got sick” he muttered “an’ then they started hurting people and eating them…”
“Like zombies?”
“Y-yeah” he sniffled, finding his heartbeat slowing even more as his dads talons preened through his wings “an’ then you got sick too a-and I had to leave you”
“Oh my love that must've been so scary for you” he got another kiss for his story “I’m so sorry you had to do that…”
“It was! B-but I hid in your office like you always said to and I ran out of snacks and had to go get food…”
“And then we got you?”
“Yeah… Wil chased me and it was so scary dad” he hid in his dads night shirt “I don’ ever wanna feel like that again!”
He was pulled away from his dads shirt a bit despite his whines and clinging. Looking up at his dad with tearful eyes filled him with more comfort than anything else. His eyes were so soft and so full of life that he felt his tears run even faster.
A hand came up to cup his cheeks, thumbs gently swiping away his tears as he felt his dad press kisses to his hairline; wings coming out from his back to wrap around them and engulf them in darkness.
“Oh baby we’d never leave you alone like that” his father cooed “not even a zombie virus would keep up separated.”
“B-but what if one of us did get bitten o-or infected?” he sniffled, hand curling tightly into the soft nightshirt he was pressed against “then what?”
“Then we’d share the infection, little love” a kiss was pressed to his head “it's all of us or none of us.”
“You'd still love me even if I was a zombie? Even if I- I was all gross and wanted to hurt people?”
“Both your brothers want to hurt people and I still adore them” his dad teased, making it sound as if he was being silly “you being gross would just mean that I'd have to give you more baths, my stinky boy.”
“I wouldn't be stinky!” He pressed his face even deeper into the crook of his dads neck “I’d be the cleanest zombie ever.”
“Then I suppose you wouldn't be needing any bubble baths then…” his father teased, a smile painting his words.
“No! I still need those” he sniffed, feeling a bit better now “for my princely duties.”
“Ah of course, how could I be so silly!”
He snuggled even deeper into his dads chest, something ever so comforting when those massive wings wrapped around him and shielded him away. This was the safest place in the world, his dads heart was beating and his chest was warm, the remaining terror he felt from his nightmare melted away as his dad began to hum.
“I think you’re in need of some nest time, hm?” his dads voice was so soft, it did nothing but comfort him “wanna curl up in the nest with me and your brothers?”
“It's late isn't it?” he hugged tighter as the elytrian picked him up off of his bed “I wouldn't wanna wake them…”
“Well I think they deserve a bit of disturbed sleep for letting you watch a zombie movie. Really, they should know better, you’re only eight.”
“How did you know they showed me?”
“Darling did you really think I wouldn’t spot ‘mega zombie outbreak gore attack 3’ in the recently watched? On the night they were in charge of babysitting you?” his dad huffed “they had no business showing you that kind of thing.”
“But I’m a big man!”
“A big man who’s still a tad too young to watch something so graphic.”
He didn't try to deny it, even Techno had voiced concerns before they showed him it. Wilbur had insisted though and as always, he relented to his older brother's demands. They ended up turning it off only thirty minutes in, quickly realising that it was far worse than they were expecting but that half hour had been more than enough to scare him.
Laying still in his fathers hold, he let himself be carried down the royal's private wing to Techno’s den room. It had been an open secret between them all for years that the twins would curl up there rather in their respective rooms.
It spoiled more than a few assassination attempts.
When they finally made it to the door, his dad barely even bothered to knock. Two taps from his knuckle echoed through the hall before he pushed open the door and let the wave of heat wash over both him and Tommy.
He peered out from his spot in his dads neck, resting his head on the man's clavicle while he watched his brothers stir from where they curled around each other. They both blinked up at their father, blinking and stretching as they beckoned them both to enter.
“Uh-uh” he tutted “we’re all going to the nest because you gave Theseus a nightmare.”
“A nightmare?” Wilbur's voice was rough with sleep “‘bout what?”
Techno slapped an arm over the fox hybrids side, relishing in the ‘oomph’ he got for it as well as the scowl quickly aimed his way.
“‘Cus you’re the one that showed him the movie idiot.”
“Don't call me an idiot, dumbass.”
“Don’t call me a dumbass, bitch.”
“Oi! Neither of you start” Phil scolded “get up and get in the nest before I drag the both of you there.”
There was a collective groan from the bundle of twins still obeyed nonetheless, playfully pushing at and laying on each other as they both woke up enough to get out of Technos mountain of blankets.
He could hear the low churr of satisfaction from his dad at their obedience, his frown losing some of its sharpness to make way for a fond amusement at their antics. After a couple more seconds of waking up, Techno was the first to rise, stalking over so he could bonk his forehead against their dads and then Tommys own.
A little giggle left him at the affronted sound Wilbur made at being left out, a low growl sounding out when Techno pressed a kiss to Tommy's hairline and ruffled his hair.
“Wil don’t be possessive. Toms has had a rough night.”
“But Techno stole my job! I’m the one that kisses his little head!”
“Then come over here and do it Orpheus instead of lounging around in my den.”
“Ugh you’re awful” Wilbur whined, slowly pushing himself up “I call dibs on holding him.”
Their dad just sighed and started walking down the hallway, ignoring the bickering going on behind him as the twins argued over who’d get to hold him. Judging by the way the man's talons had tightened around him, he had a feeling it'd be neither of them.
They'd probably just sneak him away whenever he fell asleep. It wouldn't be the first time he fell asleep in one family member's arms and then woke up in anothers. His hands still clung to the silky shirt his dad wore, a small fear thrumming in his chest that if he let go he’d be sent back into that dream world again.
Judging by the kiss on the head he got for it, his dad has picked up on the distress. He let out a pleased little chirp at the affection and earned a coo from Wilbur for it, hand reaching over to immediately ruffle his sleep mussed hair as he rambled about how cute he thought he was.
He was fawned over for the rest of the walk, Wilbur and Techno taking turns at batting each other away so that they could have ‘Tommy time’ before their dad inevitably stole him away.
The nests door was secure and heavy, iron sitting behind a wooden facade as his dad flicked the shroomlights on and dimmed them until a warm yellow glow bathed the entire room. A wave of safety washed over him at the familiarity of the room.
It was so warm and smelled of all his flock, even as he watched the twins fall into their usual spots he couldn't help but feel satisfied. The pleased churr their dad gave echoed his sentiment, especially when he curled up in the nest.
The twins crowded around him immediately, making sure to put all their attention on Tommy who laid on his chest. All of it was something that they'd done a thousand times, everything falling into a pattern they knew well.
He chirped as he felt Wilburs warm, ringed hand join his fathers on his back. Lifting his head up from where it rested revealed his oldest brother curled up to their dad, covered by an ebony wing and face smooshed against a shoulder.
Walnut eyes blinked blearily at him as he clearly fought off sleep, eventually closing when their dads spare arm wrapped around to begin playing with his curls. Tilting his head to the other side revealed Techno grabbing a book that he hid away under the nest.
He churred as his dads talons drifted to play with his feathers again, spreading them further so that he could reach all the best spots to scratch at.
Tiredness was catching up with him now, terror long forgotten as he wrapped himself in the warmth and life of his family. His dad was so warm under him and Wilburs hand still rested gently against him. The low hum of Technos voice echoing out into the room only dragged him down further.
He could barely keep his eyes open as his brother began reciting one of his favourite stories, the one he was named after, aloud for them all to hear. This time the sentences were full and in order, stories not bleeding together and forming the awful amalgamation they had in his dreams.
Heavy hands rested at his back and warm words flooded his ears and soon the words fell to static as he felt himself drift off, swept away by his brother's drawling voice and the echo of a heartbeat under his ear.
It was all the reassurance he needed to let himself slip back into sleep.