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If Wilbur had a dollar for everytime he accidentally went ghost while being tickled, he would have two dollars. Two dollars isn't a lot, but it's still weird it's happened twice.
He didn't mean to do it, it was always by accidental and left the ler confused as Wilbur had suddenly sunk through the floor and was now invisible. The brunet would always avoid everyone for as long as he could (once managed to avoid everyone for two weeks until Phil found him and called him out on it.)
The first time he was just as shocked as Techno had been. One minute he had been laughing and the next he was under ground and techno had been staring at the grass confused. Wilbur made Techno swear not to mention that to anyone. The pinkette didn't and Wilbur was so thankful.
Wilbur thought that was a one time thing. Overall he had control over his abilities and it never happened again, as Wilbur thought. It was a small slip, the chances of it happening twice were so very low.
Then it did. Him, Tommy, Techno and Tubbo were by the lake. Wilbur under the tree so he stayed out of the sun. Tubbo was a little ways a way collecting flowers to make a flower crowns and Tommy decided it would be a good idea to tickle Techno. Wilbur had laughed and not helped Techno, which in return Techno eventually pushed Tommy off and tickled Wilbur. The brunet thought he had been safe by not intervening but perhaps he had been wrong. Tommy grinned loving the chaos (and how he wasn't being attacked for once).
"TEHEHCHNO NOOO!" Wilbur had yelled not having enough energy to phase or as he liked to put it, go ghost away. Techno smirked evilly (how do you spell this huh) and continued attacking the phantom hybrid. As soon as Techno hit a very specific spot, right under his left ribs, he suddenly had no control of what he did.
His body went ghost as he sunk into the grass, then though stone. Techno Tommy and Tubbo sat confused on the surface while Wilbur opened his eyes and saw he was in-between blocks. The phantom felt like crying. It was so embarrassing when this happened and it made him feel like he didn't have 100% control over his abilities unlike everyone else. He was newer to being a hybrid (phantom genes only showed up once you died) but he had high expectations for himself.
What if the others were mad at him? Or what if he was kicked out because he couldn't control his powers enough? He should give them some time to cool down. It wasn't avoidance, it was just for the best. Going ghost used a lot of energy and made him hungry quickly but he could deal with that. And so he did. It was day 13 of his avoidance. He hadn't become solid (as solid as he could be) since. Food was scarce but that was because it was pointless in ghost mode. He had enough carrots to stop himself from dying of hunger. Though he had just run out, tonight he would get more. Just a couple so no one would notice the disappearance of the carrots in the garden.
He should have known however that eventually someone would notice. As he was replanting the carrots he took he felt something hit him. Lightly, only causing make half a heart of damage. He became solid and looked towards whatever hit him.
"HALF A HEART HALF A HEART!" He said panicked. They could respawn yes, that didn't make it not painful though or a hassle to do it however.
The man with a stripped bucket hat stared at him and Wilbur knew he had been caught. Phil motioned him to follow and Wilbur complied, there was no arguing with Philza Minecraft. They walked into Wilbur's house that hadn't been used for the past two weeks. Wilbur crossed his arms over his yellow sweater as he walked inside. Phil motioned for him to sit as the couch and Wilbur did so quietly. The brunet felt tired. He forgot how exhausted he was when the small rush of adrenaline when Phil hit him was wearing off.
"I'm sorry." Wilbur hugged his knees close to his chest. Confrontation made him want to cry.
"Wil, you disappeared for two weeks. We had no idea where you where, didn't you think about how worried we would all be?" Phil wasn't mad. His ton was disappointed and that was so much worse. Wilbur would rather be screamed at or have an unfinished symphony forever unfinished than disappoint someone. It was the worst feeling.
"I- I just-," Wilbur started, "I didn't think, I didn't want to worry anyone. I just thought it was for the best! That I was doing the right thing but apparently even what I think is right is wrong. I just screwed up again because of this cause apparently that's all I can do right." Wilbur was too tired to know what he was saying. If he had been well rested and nourished he would have never told anyone this and his future self was ready to slap current him for saying this to Phil.
"Wil you don't screw things up. Don't know how you got that in your head but it's not true mate." Phil replied. He wished he knew Wilbur felt like this earlier but now was better than never he supposed.
"It is true though Phil. Especially since I can't control anything damn thing in my life let alone myself because my powers seem to do whatever the fuck they want." Wilbur always liked to be in control of things that affected him. He hated letting other people do anything when he could just do it himself. It was painful watching others do a task in a different way and less efficient way than Wilbur does it. The brunet learned to be less controlling as he got older but he could always control his life. He could choose what shirt he wore, he could chose how to style his hair. Yet the abilities that came from being a hybrid did whatever they wanted. Wilbur had no control over them and he hated it with his every being.
Not being in control made him feel helpless. Every other hybrid knew how to control their abilities, and yes the had had them for longer and it was comparing two completely different scenarios but Wilbur didn't care. What if he was thought of as lesser than because he was out of control? What if he accidentally hurt someone? Wilbur went through these what if's daily and it's what gave him motivation to learn to control his abilities. Control or repress, same thing to Wilbur. Push them down. Don't let them in don't let them see and all that jazz.
"Wil, you need to explain to me what happened okay? I want to understand." Phil said softly. How could he help if the blond didn't know what had happened.
"It's fucking embarrassing," The brunet started off. "We were having a peachy time outside and then we started tickling each other and wholesome shit and I couldn't control it I just went ghost and sunk into the ground. And what if they got mad? I couldn't face them and I was a coward." Phil could hear the tired slurring of the younger's words now.
"Mate that's nothing to be ashamed of, "the blond man responded. "Hell it was a reaction, fight or flight response you can't control that. Could happen to anyone, it does in fact. You're not out of control okay, I need to to understand this. Techno and Tommy aren't mad, they're just worried cause they miss you." He finished off. Phil would say this 100 times over if it meant it got through Wilbur's thick head. He received a short nod from the brunet. Phil would repeat himself in the morning when Wil was more aware of what was going on.
"Now what do you need right now? Water food, well those are a given you're gonna get that no matter what. But sleep, cuddles, blanket anything?" Phil asked gently. The gears turned in the phantom hybrids brain and you could practically see a light bulb over the brunets head.
"Sleepy tickles." Phil's heart melted. Wilbur hadn't asked for sleepy tickles since he had died and become a phantom hybrid. Hell he hadn't asked for them for months even before he died. The blond knew awake Wilbur would probably never ask now, but slightly delusional Wilbur had no sense of embarrassment and fot that Phil was grateful.
"Okay Wil." Phil smiled softly and gently wrapped his arms around the taller before lightly spidering along his lower tummy. Wilbur broke out into a sleepy smile and tired giggles and Phil fondly smiled back. This was his Wilbur, this was his friend and almost son.
The brunet leaned into the touch making the blond happy he could provide a safe place for him. Wilbur was comfortable and happy in the moment which was all that mattered. Phil changed to tapping one of the phantom ship bones while the other trailed a little higher. Seeing Wilbur was still happily giggling away Phil gently tweaked his ribs. The younger snorted yet made no move to move away. Phil did it again a little lower and suddenly there was no more Wilbur in his arms.
Phil looked around and realized Wilbur had gone ghost. The phantom hybrid reappeared on the other side of the couch and he was no longer smiling. Wil opened his mouth but the older cut him off.
"Don't say sorry." Wilbur shut his mouth and pulled his knees to his chest. How dare Phil predict what he was going to say. The blond scooted closer to Wilbur and put a hand on his knee.
"Wil, can I test something really quickly?" Wilbur looked up in confusion and nodded. Phil lightly pinched the spot he had done before and just like last time, Wilbur became invisible and sunk into the couch. He reappeared in the same spot faster than before, a smile still on his face from the tickly touch. Phil did it one last time with a small scribble and he heard light giggles getting farther away before the phantom reappeared again.
"Wil I think it's that spot that's the problem. Just too damn ticklish arent ya." Phil's voice held a teasing tone and the sleep deprived Wilbur gave a lazy grin in response.
"New party trick?" Phil laughed at the response he got. Of course that's what Wilbur says, Phil would have expected nothing less or the phantom.
"At least I know if you're in danger we know how to make you go ghost." Wilbur lazily gave out protests to that but he was nearly falling asleep so every word was incoherent. The blond shook his head and pushed Wilbur to lay down.
"Sleep now. We can talk in the morning Wil." Wilbur's eyes shut and he was already sleeping when Phil draped a fleece blanket over top of him. They could deal with heavier stuff in the morning. For now it didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was that Wilbur was home now and he was safe.