Requested by: Nistao
Dream SMP

Theme: Angst | Hurt/comfort
Warnings: There's angst but nothing specifically
Characters: Wilbur, Philza, Tommy, The Pogtopians (-Techno)

Wilbur is about to press the button, but something inside him, added to Philza and someone else's pleads, knock some sense into him

Words: 1961

≈'|~×~|'≈

Wilbur stared at the button with longing eyes.

He could hear the cheers from the L'manburgians, they were shouting Tommy and Tubbo's names.

Their joyful cries almost made Wilbur feel bad for what he was about to do…

Almost

Wether he liked it or not, Techno, Dream and him had already made a deal so backing away was not an option.

It's not like he actually wanted to stop, he was too far gone now and everything he once felt for that cursed country had died when the Old L'manburg was turned into ashes, burned down by its own people.

Or at least that's what he would tell himself...

There was something inside him, a glimpse of regret that lingered in his chest and that wouldn't let him be.

When did it start to bother him?

Was it when he saw Tommy's concerned gaze when he gave him his 'Bad Guys' speech?

Was it the fear he saw in Tubbo's eyes during his execution?

Or was it the disgusted glance Niki had shot him as she ran to assist Tommy after he made the blond and Techno duel in the pit?

He wasn't sure, he just knew it was there and boy did he hate it.

In fact, if that feeling wasn't there, he probably would've pressed that dang button the moment he stepped into the room and he wouldn't still be there thinking about his life desitions

"What are you doing?"

A familiar voice snapped Wilbur out of his thoughts and he couldn't help but mumble a curse under his breath.

He turned around to find no other than his own father, Philza Minecraft, standing there with his arms crossed and his eyebrows furrowed.

"Shouldn't you be celebrating with the others?" The older asked, although he clearly didn't expect an answer: he already knew why he was there.

Wilbur didn't respond. He knew that gaze, it was the same gaze he would have to face every time he caused some serious trouble has a kid. It had been many years since the last time he saw that gaze but he hadn't forgotten it.

He turned around silently as his hand started hovering over the wooden button, almost as is he was caressing it gently.

"So are you actually gonna do it?" Philza asked, stepping forward.

"W-why shouldn't I?" He turned around as a crazed grin spread out on his face. "Phil everything I've built...everything I've been working on is gone. It's all gone!"

"That's not true Will... didn't you just get it back? Isn't Tubbo the president? And isn't Tommy the vice president?"

Wilbur wanted to deny his father statement, he wanted to give a reasonable explanation on why what he was doing was right.

But he didn't have any

There wasn't a reasonable explanation and what he was doing wasn't right. It was fucking insane. He was fucking insane.

"Come on Will, we both know you don't want to do this." Philza gave him a sweet smile. "Let's get back to the others, they're probably wondering where you ended up." He offered his hand to his son.

Wilbur's hand extended a little, he really wanted to accept his father's offer, but as his hand was hovering a few inches over his father's, he hastily retracted it.

The blond shot him a questioning glance but he froze as he heard the brunette laugh drily while shaking his head.

"Oh Phil, you know me better than anyone don't you? Well you were the one that raised me after all." He stepled back towards the button and gave the other man a smug look.

"You know I don't want to do this but it's not my choice anymore!"

"W-what do you mean?"

"I made a deal with Techno and Dream, wether Schlatt was gonna lose or not, I would've had to blow everything up anyway."

Wilbur's hand trailed back on the button. "If I don't do this now, either one of them will later. Let's face it, I've dug my own grave and there's nothing you can do."

"Wilbur you don't have to do this! There's still time to stop them!" Philza begged.

"STOP ACTING LIKE YOU UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION BECAUSE YOU CLEARLY DON'T!" The younger snapped as he turned around suddenly.

"You don't understand anything! You don't understand the bond I have with L'Manburg, you don't understand my feelings towards the L'manburgians and you don't understand the power that Techno and Dream have over this fucking server, going against them is practically suicide!"

He took a deep breath and let out a sigh. "If you really wish to do the right thing then make the others evacuate the area and don't make this harder than it has to be."

"And so I'm supposed to be the blind one here?"

"What...?"

"You heard what I've said" Philza answered coldly as his tone started to get more aggresive as he went on.

"Do you have any idea of why I'm here in the first place?" He questioned.

"To stop me from pressing that fucking button because it's 'the right thing to do' obviously" Wilbur rolled his eyes.

"No, I'm not here for that. There's nothing that really binds me to L'Manburg and even if it did go away, nothing would actually change for me" he replied nonchalantly. "I am here because of Tommy"

"Tommy? I don't believe you, why would Tommy even ask for your help?"

"Because he's scared of you"

That sentence hit the brunette like a moving train. "S-scared of me?"

"You've tried to manipulate him into believing no one was on you side, made him watch his best friend get killed, instigated a fight between him and Techno which you knew would result in him getting hurt...do you want me to go on?"

"No, nononono that's not true. Tommy has always stood by my side, how could he be scared of me if he's the only one who hasn't betrayed me here?" Wilbur sounded desperate because deep down he knew he was just trying to convince himself that Philza was lying.

"Because he looks up to you"

"He does...?"

"Always did. Sure Techno is one of, if not the, strongest pvper of all time, but you were his role model" Philza continued.

"I won't ask you to spare L'Manburg for my sake, but I will ask you to do it for Tommy's" He took a step forward and placed a hand on his trembling son's shoulder.

"The kid sacrificed all he had for this country and for you, do you really want all of the pain he had to go through to be in vain?"

Wilbur stood silently. He glanced at the button before looking back at his father.

Suddenly he felt anger burn into his chest and in a fit of rage he pulled away and punched the rock wall with on hand, clenching his shirt with the other.

"WHY DID YOU HAVE TO MAKE THIS SO HARD?!" He shouted enraged, although his voice clearly contained a shade of sadness and fear.

"I...I just want all this to he over. L'Manburg was supposed to be a place where everyone was happy and where there was no violence, look at it now!" He continued "L'manburg isn't what it used to be, it isn't the same country we thought for, it isn't the same country Tommy fought for."

"Pressing this button will hurt me as much as it will hurt him, but it's for the greater good" As he finished he could feels some unfallen tears gathering in the corner of his eyes.

"Wilbur...?"

The brunette's eyes widened as he heard a new voice join their argument, a voice he knew very well.

Both of the men turned around to see a skinny teen standing on the entrance of the room. He wasn't alone as the rest of the Pogtopians were standing behind him, looking over his shoulder with worried looks.

Tommy watched him with a gaze that Wilbur could only describe as... Broken.

If was filled to the brim with uneasiness, with a shade of sadness and confusion and with a bit of anger to finish the mix. It was a gaze he had never seen on his little brother's face and he wished he never did.

"T-Tommy what are you doing here?! You're the vice president! You're suppose to be celebrating with Tubbo and the others!" Wilbur managed to spit out as his body started trembling and he slowly backed away until his back hit a wall.

"Wilbur..."

"I-I swear I can explain!"

"You were going to press the button, weren't you?"

Wilbur couldn't take it anymore.

He fell to his knees and started sobbing as tears streamed down his puffy and red eyes.

He felt a soft wing wrap around him before pulling him in a hug. He felt incredibly vulnerable but he didn't care, nothing mattered anymore.

He was a monster.

Through his tears he couldn't see what the Pogtopians were doing, he immagined they were giving him cold and angered glances.

"I heard there was a special place…"

Wilbur's eyes widened as he heard that tune coming out from Tommy's mouth. His voice sounded a bit raspy and very low, he's worse where basically nothing more than a broken whisper, but those words still rang clear in the brunette's head "...Where man could go and emancipate…"

Tubbo looked at Tommy in surprise before cracking a bittersweet smile and continuing the song. "The brutality and tyranny of their rulers…"

"Well, this place is real, we needn't fret" Niki's voice was probably the most broken out of all the people in that small room, but it was still as melodic and sweet as Wilbur remembered it.

"With Wilbur, Tommy, Tubbo…" Wilbur's heart warmed as he heard Fundy's voice chiming in.

"Fuck Eret!" Eret himself exclaimed proudly, not even caring if his national anthem just straight up insulted him.

"It's a very big and not blown up L'manburg…" Philza added as he softly ran his hand on his middle son's hair.

"My L'manburg, my L'manburg, my L'manburg." 

"My L'manburg…" Wilbur whispered mostly to himself, looking up at all of his friends standing around him with tears in his eyes.

The brunette let go off Philza as he noticed Tommy stepping forwards and offering him his hand to help him stand up. "I guess that in the end we were both wrong. L'manburg isn't a city shielded inside of four walls, L'manburg is the connection that ties all of its citizens and that's not something that can get burned down very easily."

He helped his older brother get up and gave him a proud smirk. "See big man? Your L'manburg is still here after all."

Wilbur stared at his brother thoughtfully before shaking his head. "No Tommy…"

"What-"

Before the blond could even reply he was pulled into a tight hug from the brunette "it's OUR L'manburg"

The brunette felt all the anger that had fueled him ever since his exile slowly melt away, to be replaced with something he hadn't felt in a long time: true happiness.

His smile grew even wider as all of his friends, Philza included, joined into that hug.

Dream wasn't going to be happy about this, and neither was Techno. Knowing them they would've probably destroyed the country by themselves if Wilbur refused to do it, but he didn't care.

Even if they were going to destroy that worthless piece of land, L'manburg was still going to stand strong and be back from the ashes like a mighty phoenix.

Wilbur learned his lesson and now he felt ready to take back his place as the president.

For the L'manburgians

For Tommy

For himself

For his L'manb- no.

For their L'manburg

≈'|~×~|'≈

Phew, this oneshot was a rollercoaster to write! I'm sorry if it didn't live up to expectations but I gave it my best shot and I'll admit I'm pretty satisfied with it.

At first it was supposed to be just Wilbur and Phil but then I came up with the idea of making the Pogtopians sing the L'manburg anthem and I absolutely fell in love with it!

I hope you angst lovers enjoyed it and with that said I'm yeeting myself back to online class-