all platonic, gremlins, only ship we allow here is mumza/dadza (and fh)- other than friendship :D

Scott had never told the others everything about his origin.

They knew he'd come from the sky, that he was incredibly powerful, that he was a fallen star. They knew he was more powerful at night, and that he got sad when he couldn't see the night sky. But they didn't know the downsides.

They didn't know the awful longing that infested his heart, that meant he could never truly be happy. They didn't know how much it hurt to see the rest of them happy, able to go home, or at least to be able to touch something they had been born of.

Ranboo could go to the End, or at the very least see his kind. Tubbo could play in the flowers. Tommy could climb the mountains and relish in the thin air. Phil could fly, soaring through the sky majestically. Jack could go to the Nether or lay in the lava of the Overworld. Niki could swim. Fundy could sleep under the trees and eat berries.

Scott?

He could only attempt to boost himself towards the stars in a mockery of what he could truly be, never able to reach the heavens where he used to dance.

But he was fine. It was fine! It wasn't like there was anything to do about it. What could he do? No matter how high he went, it would never be enough. Even Phil with his own wings couldn't reach the stars.

No, he was trapped here, stuck on the ground away from his birthplace. He hadn't asked to fall, hadn't asked to tumble down to the world and never return to his home, but now he was here and there was no use complaining about it.

So what if the sight of Jack lounging contentedly in his lava pool made his heart ache with the knowledge that he could never truly be happy in this world? He didn't need to burden the others with something they could do nothing about, didn't need them to pity him.

So what if Niki twirling through the water joyfully sent a pang of sadness through him, wishing that he could dance in his natural home like she could? It wasn't her fault her home was here, and what kind of selfish, inconsiderate jerk would he be if he made her feel guilty about it?

Scott was fine, thank you very much. He was the responsible one, along with Phil, the one who built farms for the others and helped them when they needed it, and he was perfectly okay ignoring his own unneeded wants to keep them happy.

He was fine.

They didn't need to know that he spent long nights in the small hours of the morning, alone when none of them save for Wilbur were even awake (but Wilbur never came to see him, or hardly ever- he was busy doing his own things. And that was fine) crying on lonely mountaintops, longing desperately for stars he could never reach, wishing he could leap into the heavens and feel the exhilarating joy of the while sky dancing along to a song no one else could hear but the Starbornes, twirling together with the skies and the heavens.

Of course it was Phil who figured it out, completely without Scott's intervention.

Phil could tell something was off. Although he would never say it out loud for fear of the entire murder screaming Dadza at full volume for three hours straight (they already said it enough, for void's sake), he had always been good at sensing when something was just off. Maybe it was an elytrian thing, a bird instinct trying to get him to protect flock, or maybe it was a parental instinct acting up despite him not having kids. Either way, he could tell that the smile painted on Scott's face when he'd told Phil "I'm fine" was fake.

The starborne worked himself ragged building farms for the others, and when he wasn't building farms he was focusing on building himself a house or spending time with the others. But it wasn't just that that worried Phil.

He knew that Scott missed the stars. Scott had told them all when they'd asked, and he'd mentioned it several times. But something told Phil that there was more he wasn't saying. Phil didn't know what, but there was something else about Scott and the stars that was upsetting the other.

He finally figured it out one night when on an impulsive midnight flight, hoping to feel closer to the sky. He'd been building for a long time that day and he was restless like he always was when he spent too long in one place. He just needed to get out and stretch his wings, then he'd feel better. The crows followed along, cawing gleefully at their freedom. Phil sighed at their antics and ignored them, knowing he wouldn't feel guilty in the slightest if he hit one.

It was as Phil glided softly across the peaks, admiring their snow-capped beauty, that he heard muffled sobbing coming from one of them. Every parental instinct in his body screamed out and Phil instantly turned towards the source of the sound, completely blocking out the crows' caws.

He couldn't say he was completely shocked to find Scott half-buried in a snowdrift, head bowed to his knees as he attempted to silence the sound of his cries. Phil landed in front of him and Scott looked up, freezing in complete shock.

What on earth was Phil doing here? Oh- oh no, he couldn't- he couldn't let Phil see him like this. Phil didn't need to know how weak he really was, how he couldn't sleep and yet couldn't be happy at night knowing that the other stars danced without him.

"Scott? Hey, what's wrong?" Phil asked softly, and Scott couldn't stop himself from crying even more- in surprise, in fear, in panic that Phil had found him. "It's okay."

"I'm sorry," Scott managed amongst his choking sobs. "Sorry- sorry, sorry, sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Phil said softly, in a comforting, caring tone that only made Scott cry harder, because what had he ever done to deserve this? How had he managed to get Phil to need to look after him like a child?

Scott gestured around- to the snow, himself, everything, but all he could whimper out was, "Sorry."

Phil sat down next to him, his wing wrapping around Scott subconsciously. He put an arm around the other's shoulder and didn't protest when Scott leaned his head against Phil's shoulder, trembling against Phil's side.

They sat like that for a while, Phil simply letting Scott cry until he was able to speak. The first thing he said was, predictably, "Sorry for- for crying on you-"

Phil sighed. "Mate, it's okay, we all cry sometimes. Nothing to apologize for."

"Yeah but I- I cry all the time," Scott confessed, and Phil's heart melted.

"Aw, mate... why?" he asked worriedly.

"I can't- I can't reach the stars," Scott admitted, bursting into shaking tears again. Phil ran a hand down his arm comfortingly and Scott leaned into the touch, having distanced himself from the others for so long. He said nothing, knowing nothing could help Scott feel better except being there for him.

"I'm sorry for burdening you-" Scott began again, but Phil cut him off.

"You're not burdening me," he assured Scott. "You need things the same as anyone else, that's not your fault."

"But I can handle it. They're all so young-" Scott tried, but Phil once more interrupted.

"You and Wilbur are practically the same age. Just because you're physically hundreds of years old doesn't mean you age the same as humans. I think you're about twenty-five in human years, and so is Wilbur, and Niki."

"But- I'm a star, Phil! We don't- we're not the same as humans, or other hybrids," Scott protested. "We don't need to-"

"Everybody needs a hug once in a while," Phil grinned, wrapping his wings around the starborne and embracing him. "Even you can't escape Dadza forever."

The crows proceeded to go wild, but Phil didn't regret saying it. Scott grinned at the crows and reluctantly admitted, "I guess..."

"Aw, mate, don't worry about it. I don't mind taking care of you," Phil assured him. Scott laughed as one of the crows hopped up on his arm, completely ignoring the bright glow, and declared, Where are the adoption papers Dadza?

"I'm not adopting him, you little shits," Phil reprimanded them fondly. Scott chuckled. "I think I'm a bit too old."

You can adopt him emotionally Dadza, another crow declared. Phil shook his head in mock exasperation. "At least you're better than them."

Scott snorted and leaned his head against Phil again. "Thank you Phil."

"'Course, mate," Phil told him, internally deciding to attempt to find something to mimic stars later.

For a long while, they simply sat there together, Phil's wings wrapped protectively around Scott, and Scott finally felt like maybe, he might be able to accept this world. Maybe being stuck here with these people wasn't so bad, when they were as caring as Phil.

Scott missed the stars, but he had stars of his own to dance with; all of his unique and special friends.

the crows proceeded to scream dadza for three hours and one minute just to spite phil.