(Content Warning: alcohol, abandonment, character death, cursing)

     Drunk as can be, Schlatt stumbled into the small apartment. It wasn't much, granted he didn't get that much from his fast food job, but it was enough.

     "Daddy!" He watched as the child ran over from the stained mattress that was in the corner of the room. Schlatt let the smile slide onto his face as he ruffled the boy's brunet hair.

     "Hey, squirt. I brought home some dinner." He sat down on the bed and patted the spot next to him. "Careful now, it's hot." Schlatt held the cup of soup and took the lid off, letting the smell overtake the apartment.

     "It looks yummy!" The young goat hybrid chirped as he took the spoon out of the packaging.

     "I'm glad you think so!" He let out a hearty laugh before he started humming. "Were you alright here by yourself?"

     "Yes! The lady came to check on me earlier." Schlatt nodded his head, his landowner cared for his son as much as him. She would come around sometimes and bring coloring books and crayons for if the boy got bored. "She gave me a bee coloring book! It has facts about them in the corners but I can't read them." Schlatt inwardly grumbled. It was another thing he hated about not having money. He wished he could get his son a better education and possible testing for dyslexia. It would help in the long run and would be a good investment if he had the money in the first place.

     "How about I read them to you tonight before I go back to work?" Schlatt suggested as the boy nodded his head.

     "Do you have to go to work though?" Schlatt bit his lip at the puppy dog eyes his son was giving him. He could skip a weeks worth of food for himself and see if he could get another job ontop of his other 2 overtimed shifts...

     "How about this weekend we go to the park? We can spend both Saturday and Sunday there but then that will have to be it for a month, alright?" Tubbo nodded his head eagerly with a smile.

     "Thank you daddy!" Schlatt just smiled before looking away. Whenever he was around his son, he always became sober really quick when realizing the situation he had put his son into. Schlatt could be in his last years of college and getting a nice job somewhere with his parents paying for his college loans. They always wanted to but when Schlatt came to them saying he needed help raising his son when he was only in highschool, he was thrown out immediately. The mother of the boy didn't want him and Schlatt couldn't even think about giving him up to a foster home.

     Pennyless, he dropped out and lived on the streets until the day his son was finally put into his arms after getting out of the hospital. He saved up enough from small jobs to get them their current apartment. He wouldn't dream his life any other way if the boy still needed a home in another life.

     He just wished the boy could grow up like most kids do.

     Schlatt finally could see through the haze of his mind as he coughed. He spotted the young teen watching from the crowd. When did he get on the floor?

     It was finally the weekend!

     The young boy pulled his father through the streets with eager skips as they made their way to the park. Sure, Schlatt was hungry and he spent most of his freetime trying to get a second job but it was worth it for his son's big smile.

     "Look at the swings!" He gasped as Schlatt let out a chuckle.

     "Do you want to play on the swings?" The brunet boy nodded his head quickly before dashing to the playground. They spent awhile in the calmness of the park, Schlatt pushing the giggling boy like the beat of a metronome.

     "A friend!" Schlatt looked to where his son was pointing at a boy. He just arrived with a toddler and another young man like himself. "Can I go play?" Schlatt let the smile fall onto his face.

     "Of course squirt, careful and come back to me if he is mean."

     Schlatt walked over to a bench and sat down against it, letting out a sigh.

     "Hey, is this seat taken?" He turned to the young adult pointing at the seat next to him.

     "Nah, pop a squat with me kid." Schlatt pat the bench before the other sat down.

     "Which one is yours?" The guy asked as he looked around the park.

     "That one playing with yours. By the way, isn't two kids at your age a little too much?" The man held a hand to his mouth as he laughed.

     "God no, if I had Tommy I think I would have given him up for adoption." He pointed to the blond who was eagerly leading the trio around the playground. "Fundy is mine, the fox hybrid."

     "Ah, got with a hybrid yourself, didn't you?"

     "Well, no really. It was a one night thing and I couldn't leave Fundy alone."

     "Same here. His name is Toby and he was the best thing to come into my life." The man nodded his head.

     "Are you in college?"

     "Nah, parents kicked me out because of Toby and I had to get multiple jobs just to keep us alright. What about you?" Schlatt puts his hands in his pockets before briefly looking to his son to make sure he is alright.

     "Yeah, I'm in college. My older brother and dad help take care of Fundy. My dad is paying mostly for my courses but I am helping by teaching some kids music lessons." The man takes a water bottle out of his backpack and takes a sip.

     "I'm hungry!" Tommy says as he runs up to the two adults. His brother looks at a watch on his wrist and sighs.

     "I guess it is close to dinner... would you two like to come along as well? My treat?" Schlatt bites his lip but looks at Toby, who has obviously become attached to the blond kid, before nodding his head.

     "Sure but I'm paying you back one day." The man laughs and waves his hand in a dismissive manner.

     "No need, Tommy needs friends and I personally need to know another young single dad guy to be social. Heck, it might bring our inner dad out more."

     "If you start making fucking dad jokes, I'm going to bite you again," Tommy hisses as the man laughs.

     "Whoa, he just curses like that?" Schlatt was impressed that the six year old would even know how to curse.

     "Why, is that a bother?" Schlatt just smiles.

     "Didn't know your house raises them that quick. Soon he's gonna be raising a kid like us."

     "Pfft, as it. I'm the only true mistake since I am a middle child. My older brother had no problems since he is anti social and then Tommy here is going to be the kid next door that your mum forces you to play with." The man opens the door and they all enter inside.

     "Daddy, my legs are tired..." the fox hybrid complains. The brunet sighs before picking up his son, placing him on his hip as they walk up to the counter.

     Although the order wasn't too large, Schlatt still felt guilty.

     They sit down at a table before the three kids run to the play center before Schlatt begins to talk.

     "Hey, how much do I owe you?" The man looks up from his phone before tilting his head a bit.

     "Come on, it's just what friends do. No need to owe anyone anything." Schlatt sighs, he knows this guy won't budge, before coming to a realization.

     "Schlatt." He holds his hand out as the man just looks at it. His confusion vanishes into a smile.

     "Wilbur."

     The brunet hair, hint of green clothing and the bee pin suddenly become familiar to Schlatt as he stares at that face. It's the face that is almost a cloned version of his own besides a few features like the scars... that he caused.

     Toby would have playdates with Tommy often and it saved Schlatt a lot of time and money. He didn't have to pay for food and his son would be under supervision the whole day.

     "Daddy, can Tommy and I play longer?" Toby asked as Tommy pleaded with wide eyes behind him.

     "Alright but not for too long." He waves the two giggling kids off. He looks around the house and smiles. It is a lot more homey than in any other he had been in. Schlatt's parents lived in a pristine neighborhood, the one with a gate that everyone would scoff at. Nothing showed that a family had ever lived there. He was raised to be proper and well mannered. Any hint of mud and his father would be at his throat.

     "I guess the boys convinced you then?" Schlatt looks to the doorway before standing up from the dining table chair.

     "Yeah, they can be like that, Mr. Watson."

     "Just call me Phil." His tone was gentle and his smile was warm.

     "Okay..." Schlatt went back to looked around at the pictures and small scribbles of crayon on the wall. "Your house is beautiful." Phil laughs and nods his head.

     "Most people say it's chaotic but I think it suits my fatherly or grandfatherly vibe." Phil sits down as well at the table, setting his cup of tea on a coaster. "It's one of the more gorgeous things in my life. Reminds me of the family I have raised and will help with in the future."

     "Yeah, it definitely feels like a home more than a house. My parents' is one of those untouched houses with no sign of life and then Toby and my current apartment is just there, I guess. Shows signs of life definitely."

     "But not signs of living a life?" Schlatt took in those words before nodding. It was a perfect way to describe their situation at the moment. There was no way he even had time to do anything for himself and Toby could be living in a better scenario. "If you ever need help, even just to talk, we are here for you. Toby is a wonderful boy and Tommy always has an amazing time with him."

     "Thank you, Phil."

     The name was so familiar that Schlatt inwardly kicked himself at not remembering.

     "Tubbo!" Schlatt raised an eyebrow at that as Wilbur laughed.

     "Tommy has difficulty pronouncing things and Toby had been one so he just opted for Tubbo." The park was getting pretty empty and Schlatt had a shift starting soon.

     "Toby, we have to head home to I can go to my next shift." Schlatt called as his son turned and ran towards the two young adults.

     "Can Tommy and I have a sleep over? Pleaseeeee?"

     "Yeah! I want Tubbo to 'ang out!" Tommy whined as Wilbur sighed.

     "I'm fine with it as long as you are." He turned to Schlatt with a smile as the tired hybrid sighed.

     "I guess it's fine but I don't want this happening too much with school coming around the corner."

     "Thank you daddy!" Schlatt smiled at that and ruffled his mini me's hair.

     "Anything for you, squirt."

     "Oh my god, is he having a heart attack?" Well, it certainly felt like it after Schlatt came to the realization that this teenager was his son.

     "Schlatt." The goat man blinked and sat up in the bar stool. Empty drink littered in front of him. The green robed man had his arms crossed in front of him sternly like he was chastising a child. "Tubbo is at home by himself, you can't just leave him."

     "I would never leave him." He waved his hand through the air. "I made sure he was asleep before I left like I always do, tucking him in and making sure everything is safe. He can take care of himself." Schlatt took one of the near empty cups and quickly downed it before calling the barista over. Phil just stared at him with disdain.

     "He is a child, Schlatt! The least you can do is give me your address so I can pick him up since he certainly isn't in proper care." Schlatt's vision became red as he let out a scoff.

     "I'm his father, I know what I'm doing. I have raised him for years, is it really bad for me to have a break for once?" He barked as the older man just pinched the bridge of his nose.

     "Please just get home to him, Schlatt. Not for me, not for you, but for him." With that, the winged man left the bar and dropping money on the counter for the barista to take.

     So many blobby shapes shifted and moved like snake but one stayed intact. Schlatt reached out to Tubbo but hesitated.

     "Bee!" Schlatt looked at the window inside of the store to see the plush bee that his son was pointing at.

     "I'm sorry squirt, but we don't have enough money..." Schlatt saw the pout on his son's face and bit his lip before taking out his wallet. He gingerly pulled the two twenty dollar bills out and looked back at the plush and then his son. "Okay but you have to love and take care of 'em since this is the only one we can get, alright?" The boy nodded his head eagerly with a wide smile on his face. Schlatt ignored the rumble of his stomach that had been consistent for the past few week before tugging on the hybrid boy's hand to walk into the store.

     "Hello, what can I get for you?" The woman behind the checkout desk asked. Looking around the shop, Schlatt realized it was a toy shop.

     "Uh, we saw the plush bee in the window, can we get that please?" He asked as she nodded her head. The woman led them through the store to a nook filled with all sorts of plush toys and in a baskey held all the bees. "Alright, squirt, which one is calling for you?" The boy looking into the basket before pulling one out.

     "This one!" He showed his father the plush with pride before they followed the woman back to the counter.

     "Alright, that will be forty dollars." Schlatt handed the cash over and slightly winced but kept himself busy by watching his son play with the bee. "Do you want it to be bagged?" The boy looked up with mortification on his face as Schlatt bit back a rude comment.

     "Nah, the squirt like his bees flying." The woman waved goodbye as Schlatt grabbed his son's hand and led him out of the store.

     "Thank you for getting me my bee, daddy! Now he can play with Tommy's Clementine!" Schlatt looked both ways before they crossed the street before looking back at his son.

     "Why would he want a plush orange?" That made the boy giggle while he shook his head.

      "Not that kind of Clementine! He has a moth plushie and he named it that! You are so silly, daddy." Schlatt let the smile slide onto his face as they walked home.

     "T-" Schlatt stopped himself before he could say the name that was burning his tongue. "It sm-smells like toast."

     Bills and bills were piling up and Schlatt knew they were getting evicted soon. At this point, the kind woman was just letting them live there because of the boy. He made a final call hoping it would dig him out.

     "Hey, Phil can you meet us at the gazebo in the park?"

     He was dying on the ground of a drug van. Schlatt wished he could say anything to dig himself out and apologize to his son. He knew he would never be forgiven though.

     "Schlatt, hey!" The older man greeted as he walked in carrying a sleeping boy.

     "P-Phil, I need some help." The man tilted his head as he examined the two. "We are going broke and I-I can't push him through with me much further. We are going to become homeless soon if I don't do anything." Schlatt held the boy out to Phil with a somber expression on his face. "Please take h-him Phil, give him a good life I could never give him." Phil looked up and down from the child to the father as his expression grew into pity.

     "Schlatt-"

     "You were right, Phil. I'm an unfit parent for him. I can go back to my parents and they would pay for me to go to college and live. They would never let me keep him. I love him too much to let him suffer with me. One day, I will come back and see the great man you raise him to be. He doesn't have a future with me but he does with you."

     "How will he feel about it though? He loves you just as much as you love him."

     "He won't remember me. I have barely been in his life since I work so much. You and your family has made a greater impact. To him, I am just a stranger who feeds and takes him to his family's house. Please, I don't want him to know it was me who abandoned him. If he ever asks, just say you found him in a box on the side of the road." Schlatt handed the boy to Phil who looked back at him.

     "Take care of yourself, please." Schlatt nodded his head before turning. He got to the post of the gazebo before holding onto it with his hand. He looked over the park as rain started to pour and the stars were hidden under clouds. Schlatt turned back one final time.

     "Any last words before you go?"

     "Take care of my son."

     His hand reached for Tubbo before it fell limp in the dirt.

Words: 3024
Written: Wednesday, February 10th, 2021
Edited: